It had been some time since Lina started living at the Shiba residence. One day, driven by a mixture of restless curiosity and a lingering doubt, she decided to attempt a reconnaissance mission into Tatsuya's private sanctum: the basement. While she told herself she had professional reasons, the truth was much simpler—she just wanted to know what he was hiding.
(I know he and Miyuki both said he's Taurus Silver, but I still haven't seen the proof with my own eyes.)
Even though she had heard it directly from the source, Lina struggled to fully bridge the gap between "Tatsuya the high schooler" and "Silver the genius." Certainly, his maintenance skills were beyond anything a student should possess, and the CAD he carried was undeniably a cutting-edge Silver Model.
(But how do I even know if that's a real Silver Model? I shouldn't just take his word for it.)
She had learned the hard way over the last few months that taking things at face value where Tatsuya was concerned was a dangerous game. If anything, the fact that it was Tatsuya meant she needed to be twice as cautious and three times as skeptical.
(Now then… how do I get inside?)
"What are you doing?"
"Yikes—! Tatsuya! Don't scare me like that!"
"I could tell you were creeping around by your presence alone," Tatsuya said, his voice flat. "But really, what are you doing all the way down here?"
"That's… I mean…"
Despite being a Strategic-Class Mage who prided herself on her stealth, Tatsuya had seen through her effortlessly. Flustered, Lina began to fumble. She stood before the basement door, shifting her weight awkwardly and finally settling on a forced, guilty-looking grin—the universal sign of someone up to no good. Of course, Tatsuya had suspected her from the moment she started lurking, so her current display was merely confirmation.
"Do you want me to tune your CAD too, Lina?"
"Eh? …Oh! Right! Exactly! That's it! Would you mind?"
"…I don't see why not."
Lina breathed a sigh of internal relief, convinced she had successfully deflected his suspicion. She failed to notice the faint, wry smile touching Tatsuya's lips. Despite being the same age, the sheer gulf in their life experience meant she was playing checkers while he was playing grandmaster-level chess.
"But you're a USNA mage," Tatsuya noted. "Is it a change of heart that brings you to a Japanese technician like me?"
"You're hardly a 'normal' high schooler. You beat me one-on-one, and then you claim to be Silver… I just decided I wanted to see that power for myself."
"Let's go with that, then."
Tatsuya took the CAD from her and began inspecting the level of tuning it had already received. Lina hadn't handed over the Brionac—that was far too sensitive—but the CAD she gave him was her high-spec daily driver. In her mind, it was already tuned to perfection.
"I see. Well, I'll need to take some measurements first. Lie down over there."
"On this? This… doesn't look like something you'd find in a normal house. Isn't this the kind of high-spec scanner they have at the National Center?"
"I use it for various projects. Miyuki and my cousins ask for adjustments quite often."
"Wait… for these kinds of measurements, don't you usually have to… take your clothes off?"
"You're well-informed," Tatsuya replied, completely unfazed.
Lina tilted her head, her suspicion rising as she looked at his indifferent reaction. "Does that mean when you measure Miyuki or your cousins… they're undressed?"
"Naturally. To get the most accurate data, it's best to minimize the interference from clothing."
"…Which means you're seeing these girls in their underwear?"
"I suppose so, when you put it that way. But it isn't an issue."
If any other high school boy had said that, it would have been a scandal. Yet, when Tatsuya said it, he made it sound so logical and clinical that Lina found herself almost nodding along. If he didn't think it was a problem, maybe it wasn't?
"Alright, I'm going to take your readings now. Strip down and lie on the scanner."
"Oh, okay… wait, no! That is a problem!"
She moved to protest, but the words died in her throat. Tatsuya's eyes weren't 'looking' at her—at least, not in the way men usually did. His gaze was piercing, as if he were observing every individual element that composed her entire existence.
(This is Tatsuya… To those eyes, it really doesn't matter if I'm in my underwear or completely naked. He's looking past all of that.)
Feeling suddenly foolish for her momentary embarrassment, Lina sighed and complied, stripping down to her lingerie before lying on the scanning bed. As the scan began, she found she didn't mind his gaze at all. By the time the process finished, Tatsuya's focus had already shifted entirely to the data on his monitors.
"You can get dressed now," he said, his voice devoid of interest.
Watching him pore over the results without spared a single glance for her, Lina felt a twinge of irrational annoyance. She decided to play a little trick on him.
"So, how does my data look?"
"Impressive. Exactly what I'd expect from Sirius."
"…Is that a compliment?"
Coming from the man who had defeated Sirius in combat, it felt more like a backhanded jab. Maintaining her "state of undress," Lina stepped closer to Tatsuya's back.
"There's definitely room for improvement," Tatsuya continued, oblivious or ignoring her proximity. "I can reflect these optimizations in the CAD's interface."
"Really? Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yeah. Now hurry up and get dressed and get out. I need to concentrate to finish this, and having people around is a distraction."
"…How did you even know I hadn't put my clothes back on yet? Were you peeking?"
"Hardly. Miyuki tries the same prank from time to time."
Lina felt a sudden flash of competitive heat. If Miyuki was doing it, she couldn't afford to lose. In a moment of sheer, impulsive desperation, she reached for the clasp of her bra. Of course, her common sense kicked back in just in time to stop her, but Tatsuya—who could read her every movement through his sensory abilities—didn't even turn around. He simply refused to give her the reaction she wanted.
"Tatsuya…"
"What?"
"I've heard… a little bit about your circumstances. That you don't have most of your emotions. That you've never loved anyone."
"And?"
"Then… what if you spent your time with someone specific? Maybe you'd eventually learn to love that person."
"I wouldn't know. I don't have anyone like that in my life right now."
"…Then let it be me," Lina whispered, her voice trembling but firm. "No, please let it be me. Regardless of the Kudou clan or Sirius… I love you. I want to be someone special to you. Please, let me try."
Tatsuya was silent for a long moment. "…Wait out there. Once I'm done with the tuning, I'll give it some thought."
Realizing that this was, in his own way, a positive response, Lina fought back the urge to cry and settled for a radiant, tearful smile.
(Author's Note: The sweetness is dialed back, but the distance between them is definitely shrinking.)
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