"Onii-sama, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting."
The voice broke through Tatsuya's concentration, prompting him to look up from the draft he was composing on his CAD.
"Tatsuya-kun, what are you writing so intently?"
It wasn't Miyuki who had spoken second. Standing before him was Mayumi Saegusa, clutching her graduation certificate cylinder to her chest with a beaming, radiant smile.
"Just a few notes regarding systemic assistance for extending the duration of magic sequences," Tatsuya replied evenly.
"…You say that as if it's a grocery list," Mari Watanabe chimed in, leaning over. "That's hardly a topic you just 'jot down' in your spare time."
"More importantly," Tatsuya deflected, "what are you all doing here? I find it hard to believe that the likes of Saegusa-senpai and Watanabe-senpai didn't have a dozen invitations to after-parties."
As Tatsuya spoke, Katsuto Juumonji's imposing figure emerged from behind the group of girls.
"Before we left, I felt it was only right to give you a proper farewell," Katsuto said.
"I'm honored. Though you needn't have gone out of your way; I intended to seek you out later to pay my respects."
"Oh, really?" Mayumi teased, her eyes twinkling. "Knowing how you've stayed tucked away here throughout the entire party, I half-expected you to slip away without a word to anyone."
"As someone who isn't a member of the Student Council, I could hardly justify making an appearance at the graduation party," Tatsuya replied logically. "I wasn't an interim officer like Lina, and I'm certainly not a Course 1 student. Regardless… Lina, why is your face so red?"
"Oh, you mean Miss Sirius?" Mayumi replied, her tone light but carrying a hint of genuine praise. "She put on a performance for the entertainment portion. She formed a band and sang ten whole songs for us."
Lina shot Mayumi a look of complicated frustration. To Lina—who, perhaps even subconsciously, held feelings for Tatsuya—Mayumi was a formidable rival, trailing only behind Miyuki and Honoka.
"I see… That sounds like a wonderful memory to take home, Lina," Tatsuya said.
"…Whatever. I don't care," Lina huffed, turning her head away in a classic show of deflection.
The group erupted into warm, gentle laughter, Lina being the only one left out of the joke.
Following the graduation ceremony, Lina stopped appearing at school. The official explanation was that she was "occupied with preparations for her return home." The third semester had ended two days prior, marking the conclusion of their first year of high school.
Tatsuya's grades remained unchanged: top of the year in theoretical subjects, and lower-middle in practical skills. His overall ranking was upper-middle—respectable enough to blend in with Course 1 students—but Tatsuya himself was indifferent to the distinction.
As he sat listening to his friends chat, his eyes caught a familiar golden shimmer through the crowd in the lobby.
"Excuse me for a moment," he said.
"Tatsuya-san?"
Miyuki rose immediately to follow him. Honoka moved to do the same, but Erika caught the hem of her coat, pulling her back.
"Don't be a third wheel, Honoka," Erika said, leaning back in her chair with her usual lack of ceremony. "Let them say their goodbyes to the rival."
Following Erika's gaze, they saw Lina. She hadn't tried to run when Tatsuya spotted her; instead, she walked toward the siblings with a determined stride.
"Tatsuya, Miyuki. Did you come to see me off?"
"In a sense. Though meeting you right here was a stroke of luck."
"Oh? Didn't I mention I was leaving today?" Lina asked, playing coy.
"I don't recall hearing it," Miyuki countered sharply, cutting through the pretense.
"Fine, fine. Jokes aside… thank you both for everything. You really looked after me."
"I think 'put up with me' would be more accurate," Tatsuya remarked.
"…You really are relentless to the very end, Tatsuya."
"You wouldn't appreciate it if I went easy on you, would you? Besides, this isn't 'the end.'"
"I suppose not," Lina conceded. "At the very least, I left Mia in Japan. I'll have to come back for her eventually. Let's meet again on that day."
After a final glance at Miyuki—a silent acknowledgment of their rivalry—Lina exchanged a firm handshake and turned toward the boarding gate.
An hour after Lina disappeared into the terminal, Shizuku appeared.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home, Shizuku!" Honoka cried, throwing her arms around her friend with tearful eyes. Shizuku patted her back gently, calming her, before turning her gaze to Tatsuya.
"Welcome back, Shizuku. I'm glad you're safe."
"Mhm."
"You've changed, Shizuku," Miyuki noted. "There's something different about your aura."
"She's right," Erika added mischievously. "You look more mature. Did you have some kind of 'forbidden experience' over there?"
"Erika-chan?!" Mizuki gasped, though Shizuku herself merely tilted her head in slight confusion.
"Tatsuya-san."
"Yes?"
As Honoka finally released her, Shizuku stepped toward Tatsuya and looked up into his face.
"I have so much to tell you. I have many messages from Ray, too. Will you listen?"
"Of course. I'd like to hear everything."
At his answer, Shizuku finally allowed a small smile to touch her lips.
Shizuku's stories were long, yet even after hours of talking, she couldn't finish them all. To bridge the gap, she invited Tatsuya and Miyuki to her home.
(I have little choice but to accept,) Tatsuya thought.
An invitation to the private residence of the great industrialist Ushio Kitayama, without the presence of their other friends, carried significant weight—even for the Yotsuba. Yet, declining was not an option.
As Tatsuya was organizing his thoughts, the doorbell rang. When Miyuki answered the intercom, she let out a small, startled cry.
"What is it?"
"Onii-sama, we have a visitor… but…"
"Should I get it?"
"No, it's fine, but… the visitor is Minami Sakurai-chan. The girl we met at the Yotsuba main house."
"What…?"
To Tatsuya, Minami was more than just a girl. She was an "Adjusted Magician," a near-perfect double for the late Honami Sakurai, who had served as his mother's Guardian. Her very existence was a vivid, painful reminder of the incident he could never forget.
"I am Minami Sakurai," the girl said as she was shown in. "I have brought a letter for Tatsuya-sama from Lady Maya."
Tatsuya scanned the letter before wordlessly handing it to Miyuki. As she read the contents, she turned a wary gaze toward Minami.
"Starting next year, I will be attending First High School," Minami announced. "I have been ordered to live here and attend to your needs. Furthermore, I have been instructed to learn the duties of a Guardian under Tatsuya-sama's tutelage. I am still inexperienced, but I look forward to working with you."
Minami bowed deeply. Even knowing that she was a "wedge" driven into their lives by Maya Yotsuba, neither Tatsuya nor Miyuki could find it in their hearts to reject a girl who bore Honami's face.
Faced with his aunt's cruel, ironic "gift," Tatsuya could do nothing but maintain his poker face and nod.
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