Kudou Retsu—known across Japan not only as a Grand Master of Magic but also as the mentor of Shichikusa Kouichi and the Shiba sisters—was a man who carried a reputation both awe-inspiring and… frustrating.
Just as Yotsuba Mahiro had once muttered, that old geezer was nothing short of a shameless trickster who loved toying with people.
First, he blanketed the entire hall with wide-range mental interference magic, just to quietly observe how the students would react. Then, in the most dramatic fashion possible, he appeared out of nowhere. He lectured them sternly about their lack of vigilance, wagging his finger like a teacher scolding careless children.
And just when everyone thought the lecture was over, he began boasting. With that smug grin plastered on his face, he explained how his mastery over the tiniest, weakest spells allowed him to deceive even the most gifted magicians present. His words were practically dripping with pride, as if daring anyone to challenge him.
Only a handful of students had managed to sense his presence during his trick. For that reason alone, he more than lived up to his reputation as one of the strongest magicians alive—a man hailed as both "ultimate" and "most cunning."
Or, as Mahiro put it bluntly, "a shameless old man."
Thus ended the so-called grand address banquet of the Nine Schools. What should have been a formal gathering wrapped up in the form of a farce staged by Kudou Retsu himself.
Later that night, after the banquet, the students returned to their respective quarters.
"Beep!"
The door clicked open as Yotsuba Mahiro swiped his card key.
What greeted him inside was nothing short of breathtaking: a lavish suite, the kind of luxury reserved for executives and dignitaries. The floor-to-ceiling windows stretched wide across the room, revealing a sweeping view of Mount Fuji in the distance, its slopes lined with dense forest bathed in the soft night glow.
If fireworks were to burst in the sky right now, Mahiro thought, this room would definitely be the best place to watch them.
A single room, and of this caliber no less—was this the kind of treatment only members of the Ten Master Clans enjoyed?
He sank lazily into the sofa, staring at the ornate chandelier above him, laughter slipping out of his mouth for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
"Heh… capital… this is really something."
His chuckle, half mocking at first, smoothly shifted into genuine praise.
As he had said before, the idea of fairness was a lie. The world only felt "unfair" to those who had never once received special treatment. For him, Yotsuba Mahiro, who had lived as just another ordinary student until recently, the truth was simple—no one could resist indulging in such luxury once it fell into their lap.
What's more, he wasn't alone tonight.
Sitting across from him on the other end of the sofa was Mibu Sayaka.
Yes, she had followed him willingly, though Mahiro himself half-jokingly thought of it as him having "coaxed" her back. She sat upright, her posture reserved, though not unwilling. Her presence made the atmosphere of the suite shift ever so slightly, the air thick with a quiet awkwardness.
A boy and a girl, alone in the same room.
Mahiro, being the "novice" he was, had no idea how to navigate the situation with his beautiful girlfriend.
For a while, silence stretched between them. Finally, Mahiro scratched the back of his neck and forced out a line, his voice a little stiff.
"Um… Sayaka, what did you think of tonight's banquet? Was it as exciting as you imagined?"
It was a natural question, really.
Second Course students like Sayaka—aside from anomalies like Shiba Tatsuya—often harbored secret fantasies about the lives of First Course students. Especially about glamorous events like the Nine Schools Competition banquet. Why else would Erika, of all people, volunteer as a server just to peek at the hall?
As a Second Course second-year, Sayaka was no different.
"Hmm… it was, it was okay." Sayaka's voice was soft at first, hesitant. "It matched what I imagined in some ways, but in other ways… it felt different. Still, I'm really glad I got to see the presence of a true 'Grand Master' with my own eyes. But, more importantly…" Her lips trembled slightly before she finished, "…I'm just happy I could spend it with Mahiro-kun."
That small confession was like flipping a switch.
The stiff awkwardness between them dissolved instantly. Though her words were a bit stammered at first, Sayaka's voice gradually grew steadier, her thoughts flowing with surprising ease.
By the time she reached the end of her sentence, her face had turned crimson, the tips of her ears glowing with embarrassment. She risked a shy glance toward Yotsuba Mahiro, then whispered almost nervously:
"...Mahiro-kun, what about you?"
Mahiro leaned back slightly and smiled. "I'm really happy too. If it weren't for you, Sayaka-chan, I probably wouldn't have lasted half an hour in there."
That was the truth.
The banquet might have offered a lavish buffet, but honestly, the food was only so-so.
If Mahiro had gone alone, he would have been done eating in ten minutes, tops. The rest of the time would've been spent pretending to admire the glamorous students, then finding a quiet corner to zone out… and most likely sneaking out before anyone noticed.
But with Sayaka-chan's presence, it had been completely different.
Her flustered expressions, her nervous yet sincere words—just watching her was worth the price of admission.
And then there was Mayumi-senpai, whose easy charm had kept the evening lively as well.
"By the way, Sayaka-chan," Mahiro suddenly asked with a casual tone, "do you want to take a bath?"
"B-b-b-bath?!"
It was as if he had stepped on a landmine. Sayaka-chan's voice shot up several octaves, so sharp it nearly pierced the ceiling.
But almost immediately, she caught herself and waved her hands hurriedly. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to react like that… as for bathing, please… you go first, Mahiro-kun."
Mahiro chuckled inwardly. He had originally planned to tease her, maybe even say something bold like, 'Want to bathe together?'—the kind of line a shameless protagonist in a light novel might throw out.
But given her reaction, that clearly wasn't going to happen.
So without making it more awkward, he simply nodded and headed into the bathroom.
Left alone on the sofa, Sayaka-chan hugged her knees tightly and buried her face in her arms.
"This… this wasn't how it was supposed to go…!" she mumbled, her voice muffled. "Baka… what am I even doing?"
....
The bathroom was lit with a gentle orange-yellow glow that filled the space with warmth rather than harshness. Steam rose and clung to the air, wrapping everything in a hazy veil.
A neat shelf lined the wall—shampoo, body wash, facial cleansers all in place, as if untouched.
Mahiro sank into the large bathtub, the hot water embracing him completely.
It wasn't cramped. He could stretch out fully, submerging himself with ease. The warmth seeped into his muscles, loosening every knot, inviting him into deep comfort.
As he leaned his head back and gazed at the ceiling, Sayaka-chan's flustered, deer-in-headlights look replayed itself in his mind. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Of course he wasn't an idiot.
From the very start, he had known what Sayaka-chan had in mind when she came to his room tonight.
But he… Yotsuba Mahiro… had never been in that kind of intimate situation with a girl before. He honestly had no clue how to take the next step.
"Yare yare… when the ship reaches the bridge, it'll straighten itself out," he muttered with a wry smile. "I'll just take it one step at a time."
With a playful splash, he submerged his whole body into the bath, bubbles breaking the surface as his thoughts floated away.
A while later, he emerged, refreshed and wrapped in the provided white bathrobe. "All yours, Sayaka-chan," he said casually as he stepped back into the room.
Sayaka-chan, who had been waiting nervously on the sofa, quickly stood up and hurried past him into the bathroom, almost tripping on her way.
Mahiro sank into the sofa cushions, exhaling deeply. He could hear the shower running—a gentle patter that echoed faintly through the walls.
Strange. Something about the sound of flowing water felt soothing, like a lullaby only he could hear.
Minutes passed. Ten… twenty… thirty.
At last, the sound of the shower ceased. Silence lingered, until finally the bathroom door creaked open.
Instinctively, Mahiro turned his head.
There she was.
Sayaka-chan stepped out, also dressed in the same white bathrobe. But what froze him in place wasn't the soft fabric hugging her slender figure… it was her hair.
Her long, lustrous black hair—which she usually kept bound tightly in her high ponytail—was now let down, cascading freely past her waist.
Under the warm glow of the room, it shimmered like strands of black satin, smooth and flowing.
The contrast was breathtaking.
Compared to the stern, disciplined aura she carried with her usual ponytail, this Sayaka-chan looked gentler, softer… almost impossibly beautiful.
For a moment, Mahiro forgot how to breathe.
And Sayaka-chan, noticing his gaze, turned her face away shyly, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her robe.
The air between them grew heavy, charged with something neither of them dared to put into words.