Chapter 172: The Sudden Business Dinner?
"Haven't you given up yet? There's no way Mahiro-nii is going anywhere with you!"
Ayako, dressed in First High's uniform yet looking like a porcelain doll, stood protectively in front of Mahiro with her hands on her hips like a lioness.
Even Fumiya tugging at her sleeve was completely useless.
Because standing opposite them were two girls blocking their path like tigers.
One had shoulder-length bob hair with feminine grace, while the other sported short hair with a somewhat androgynous appearance.
These two were none other than Izumi and Kasumi from the Saegusa family.
"How can you say that?! Even if you're Mahiro-san's cousin, you have no right to decide who he walks home with!"
"Oh my, why wouldn't I have that right? Don't you know? Cousin relationships are the strongest combination. Biological sisters can't marry their brothers, but cousins have no such problems~"
Ayako laughed playfully as she retorted to Saegusa Kasumi.
Her logic wasn't entirely wrong—her father Kuroba Mitsugu was born from Yotsuba Yume and Kuroba Juuzou, while Yotsuba Yume and the former Yotsuba family head, Yotsuba Genzou, were siblings.
According to current Japanese magical society standards, there would be no issue with him marrying Ayako.
It made sense from every perspective.
But the key question was, didn't this scene feel familiar?
Others might not realize it, but he certainly found it familiar.
It seemed like something similar had happened back when he first entered school as a freshman, probably when Miyuki came to visit—only this time, it was happening to him.
"My, my, I never expected Yotsuba-kun to be so popular~ Even after skipping school for so long, you're already attracting underclassmen's affection the moment you return. And I heard they specifically rejected confessions from boys in their grade just to see Yotsuba-kun~"
The one making these sarcastic remarks was naturally Erika, who was subtly elbowing Mahiro with a peculiar look in her eyes, occasionally making "look, look" sounds.
Look at what? You're really enjoying stirring up trouble and adding fuel to the fire!
However, before he could retort, Miyuki, with her hands elegantly folded, spoke up:
"Erika, that's not right to say. Ayako has liked Mahiro-nii since they were children. And Saegusa-senpai's younger sister also met Mahiro-nii last year."
"Whoa, really? So you basically reserved the underclassmen even before entering school?!"
This Erika...
Still fanning the flames, still stirring up trouble!
Meanwhile, Mizuki added with her characteristically innocent and calm tone: "If that's the case, then hasn't Yotsuba-kun become the public enemy of all first-year male students from the very beginning?"
"Mizuki, that's so like you."
Erika stepped forward and patted Mizuki's shoulder, giving her a thumbs up.
"Mahiro-kun, playboy." Shizuku commented expressionlessly, though her micro-expressions made it clear she was jealous.
Beside her, Honoka looked so anxious she was about to cry.
Having to deal with Miyuki and Lina was one thing, but now they were being intercepted by underclassmen too!
If she didn't work harder, wouldn't she have zero chance left?!
Mahiro, who had been thoroughly roasted like this, couldn't help but massage the bridge of his nose to relieve his inner exhaustion.
Other worlds were one thing, but in this world, it seemed he had just a tiny bit too many romantic entanglements—and worst of all, they had all piled up at once...
Commonly known as "a collision of affairs."
However, what Ayako had just said had provoked the sisters of the Saegusa family.
"What did you say?! Mahiro is ours and Mayumi's! You vixen... I'll teach you a lesson!!"
Kasumi shouted, and immediately her body lifted lightly into the air.
Her petite frame accelerated mid-air, not in a parabolic arc but like a bullet fired from a gun, her knee shooting straight toward Ayako.
It was true that the Saegusa family excelled in all-system magic, and it was also true they were particularly skilled in projectile attacks.
But no one could have expected there would be a technique where one launches themselves as the projectile.
"Perfect timing, let me handle you properly!"
Unlike Kasumi who acted directly, Ayako's demeanor was exceptionally elegant, a teasing smile curling at the corners of her alluring lips.
Simultaneously, her crimson-painted fingertips slowly rose, pointing toward the approaching Kasumi.
Dense psion waves spread around her.
"Sister, stop!"
Fumiya couldn't help but cry out in alarm upon seeing this.
After all, although Ayako rarely took action normally—even during missions Fumiya was usually the main attacker—this didn't mean Ayako was weak.
Quite the opposite.
Ayako was strong—she was the type who strove to emulate Maya.
Moreover, as a member of the Kuroba Family, a branch family of the Yotsuba, Ayako was also skilled in mental interference magic!
Her activation speed wasn't slow either; at the very least, Fumiya was too late to intervene as Ayako's magic had already been activated.
"Try this—it's Fumiya's magic, 'Direct Pain'~ Though I'm not particularly proficient with it myself."
Direct Pain imprinted suffering directly into the target's mind, controlling the level of pain inflicted. It was somewhat similar to Mitsugu Kuroba's "Poison Bee" but not lethal.
However, once injected, it was enough to make one wish for death.
This had clearly crossed the line from minor skirmishes!
"Enough."
A calm voice intervened in their duel.
"Mahiro-nii?!"
"Mahiro?!"
Seeing Mahiro suddenly appear between them, both Kasumi charging through the air and Ayako who had already activated her magic couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Because neither of them could stop their actions now.
If Mahiro didn't move aside, the end result would be their attacks landing directly on him!
Mahiro was well aware of this, but he showed no intention of dodging, not even bothering to use spell dispersion.
First, he intercepted Ayako's "Direct Pain" with one hand, then immediately raised his arm to single-handedly catch Kasumi's knee.
Applying force from below upward, he redirected the impact upward, changing the direction of inertia toward the ground. Like a ballet dancer altering the direction of force, he dissipated the momentum.
The composite magic of acceleration and movement cast upon Kasumi dissipated, and at the same time, Mahiro flung her aside with one hand.
"Wahhh!"
Kasumi let out a shriek that could hardly be called cute. Just as she was about to face-plant, her speed suddenly slowed—a deceleration spell had been applied—allowing her to land safely.
Naturally, this was Mahiro's doing. Once it was over, he turned and delivered a swift chop to Ayako's head.
"Ouch... Mahiro-nii, that hurts."
Ayako crouched down, clutching her head, and let out an adorable whimper.
"Hurt? Good! Was that spell something you should use on a classmate?" Mahiro scolded sternly.
Though "Direct Pain" wasn't fatal, for students their age, being hit by it could easily lead to serious aftereffects.
"But... but it's not my fault! That nasty woman started it first."
Ayako spoke with a pitiful, aggrieved tone.
"Nonsense! If you hadn't been trying to seduce Mahiro-nii, would I have hit you?!"
By now, Kasumi had scrambled up from the ground and rushed over to retort.
"Enough, Kasumi! Stop it! You're causing trouble for Mahiro-nii!"
Even the usually gentle Izumi spoke with rare sternness, reprimanding her own sister.
"..."
At those words, Kasumi's aggressive demeanor instantly deflated.
Compared to her twin sister, perhaps the younger sister role suited her better.
"Alright, let's leave it at that this time. But no more using magic recklessly on school grounds."
Mahiro admonished both Ayako and Kasumi: "Be careful, or the disciplinary committee will take you away! Then your sisters and father will have to come to school to pick you up, understand?!"
"Y-yes! Mahiro-nii, please don't tell Mayumi-nee about this! I'm begging you!"
Kasumi was thoroughly frightened and quickly shook his arm, pleading coquettishly.
It was true that Mayumi doted on her younger sisters, but equally, the two sisters were quite afraid of Mayumi—especially when it came to using magic at school.
If Mayumi's best friend, Mari-nee, found out, she'd probably nag her endlessly!
"And what about you, Ayako?"
"I understand my mistake too. I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Mahiro-nii."
Ayako returned to her usual elegant demeanor, bowing slightly to apologize.
Though she wasn't afraid of her father, Kuroba Mitsugu, Ayako knew how to behave in this situation—she absolutely couldn't continue being willful and embarrass Mahiro-nii.
Witnessing how effortlessly he resolved the conflict, Erika was somewhat surprised.
"Hey... Miyuki, what exactly happened during Yotsuba-kun's trip this time? It feels like he's matured a lot somehow."
"Mhm, it's almost like he's a teacher...? It's quite charming."
Mizuki chimed in, and the others nodded in agreement.
It was true.
Though Mahiro had always been gentle three months ago, there was now an indescribable quality about him.
"Hehe, if you're curious, why not go ask Mahiro-nii directly? Asking me here won't help much."
Miyuki smiled faintly, her gaze toward Mahiro filled with a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
Those words praising Mahiro sounded far more pleasing to her ears than praises directed at herself.
Yet in the end, Erika still refrained from proactively asking Mahiro about his experiences over the past three months.
After all, she wasn't the type to invite awkwardness upon herself.
...
Returning home.
Minami, who should have changed clothes and started preparing dinner, suddenly appeared before him.
"What's the matter?"
"Um... Young Master Mahiro, I am deeply sorry!!!"
Minami suddenly bowed deeply to him. This abrupt apology left Mahiro somewhat bewildered, especially delivered with such solemnity.
"No, if you're apologizing, shouldn't you be taking off your... Ah, what nonsense am I saying? Minami, please stand up first and explain clearly what this is about."
He found himself rambling incoherently.
"Young Master, here's what happened. A few days ago, we received an invitation stating you need to attend a banquet tonight, but I accidentally forgot to inform you... This is a failure in my duties, and I sincerely apologize!"
As she spoke, Minami presented the invitation while bowing repeatedly in apology.
"Alright, alright, it's just a banquet. No need for such formality."
Mahiro waved his hand dismissively, then opened the invitation letter and skimmed through it casually.
However, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Minami, tell me, who delivered this invitation?"
"It was sent by that Miss Miori."
"No wonder... I should have known."
No wonder the invitation seemed so peculiar—it stated that the Kitayama family would be hosting a family business dinner tonight.
Clearly, he had no business dealings whatsoever and shouldn't have been invited at all.
But if it came from Miori, then it made sense.
After being away for so long, Miori must have achieved some success.
Still, it was strange that an invitation to a Kitayama family banquet would be delivered by Miori...
Moreover, it specified that he needed to bring a female companion.
The problem was, with such short notice, where could he possibly find a female companion?
Mahiro slowly raised his head, his gaze settling on Minami.
But before he could speak, Minami proactively suggested:
"Young Master Mahiro, if you need a female companion, why not try inviting Miss Miyuki next door? I believe Miss Miyuki wouldn't refuse."
...
Evening.
Though nominally a "family business banquet," since it was hosted by economic magnate Kitakata Ushio—Kitayama Shizuku's father—the venue was naturally grand and bustling.
As for the name Kitakata Ushio, it was merely Shizuku's father's professional alias or pseudonym.
His actual surname remained Kitayama.
Currently, although many guests had arrived at the venue, it wasn't as crowded as one might expect.
"It's surprisingly spacious..."
Mahiro couldn't help but murmur in admiration.
If he had to compare the area of the Kitayama family mansion serving as the venue to something from his memory, only the Little Emperor's palace could possibly rival it.
How utterly absurd—was this the legendary chaebol magnate?
Unfortunately, his sentiment failed to resonate with his companion. Miyuki, who was holding his arm, merely offered an admiring smile, appearing both elegant and composed.
She was currently wearing a form-fitting full-length gown with a deep V-back design that revealed her smooth jade-like back, while the body-hugging fabric accentuated her slender and graceful figure.
On one side of her elegantly upswept black chignon rested the snowflake hair ornament with forget-me-not motifs he had gifted her on Valentine's Day.
It had to be said that with her hair styled up this way, Miyuki's appearance increasingly overlapped with that of Shiba Miya—truly demonstrating their mother-daughter resemblance.
Her meticulously crafted appearance had captivated the entire venue the moment she made her entrance.
Following beside them, Minami wore a simple long-sleeved, high-necked maxi dress.
The light-colored, sheer fabric almost completely covered the front of her body, prioritizing practicality above all else.
Though somewhat reminiscent of the "proper" maid style from 19th century Europe, it was merely a hint of that aesthetic.
Overall, her appearance remained perfectly appropriate and dignified.
Just as Minami had mentioned, when he went to invite Miyuki, not only did she not refuse, but she readily agreed.
As for Minami, though she had originally intended to stay home and house-sit, Mahiro had insisted on bringing her along.
After all, having left her home alone for so long already, it wouldn't be right to continue doing so.
It would be even more inappropriate.
"Mahiro? Miyuki?!"
Just then, someone suddenly called his name. Turning around, he saw Mayumi, whom he hadn't seen in quite some time, also wearing a fitted evening gown and quickly approaching them.
Accompanying her was Mari, similarly dressed in formal attire—both women being notable presences that could easily become the center of attention in the venue.
"Good evening, Saegusa-senpai, Watanabe-senpai."
"Long time no see, Mahiro-kun, and Shiba-san." Mari remained her usual self, carrying a somewhat boyish charm.
"Oh~ Mayumi, and Watanabe-senpai, you both look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you... Wait, what are you doing here?!"
Mayumi looked at them curiously, or more precisely at Mahiro, "When did you return, Mahiro?"
"Just a couple days ago. I've been handling Arcadia affairs since then, so I haven't had time to visit you. I was planning to find time tomorrow or the day after to congratulate you on successfully entering university."
"I see..."
Mayumi seemed to have an epiphany, then muttered to herself: "Ugh... if I'd known, I wouldn't have asked Mari to accompany me..."
"Hey now, Mayumi, that's a bit of putting romance before friendship, isn't it? That's rather harsh, though I'm not particularly fond of these occasions either."
Mari, being Mayumi's close friend, didn't hold back in her retort.
This was a common occurrence—Watanabe-senpai and Mayumi were so close they could even share a room when traveling together.
However, Mari then added:
"More importantly, Mayumi, shouldn't you be asking why they're here? This banquet is a business dinner hosted by the Kitayama Family."
"That's right!"
Mayumi jolted awake, blinking her wine-red eyes that radiated profound confusion.
She had come representing the Saegusa family, with Mari accompanying her as her companion. So were Mahiro, Miyuki, and Ms. Minami present as representatives of the Yotsuba family?
But Shiba Tatsurou, the department head of Yotsuba's FLT company, and Sayuri Shiba had already arrived.
"In my case, I was invited by Miori. You should know her, Mayumi?"
"Oh, so it's Ms. Shiba..."
Understanding dawned on Mayumi. She had met Miori several times and had numerous discussions with her about Mahiro.
They could be considered acquaintances.
But Mari, unaware of this connection, couldn't contain her surprise:
"Wait, Mahiro-kun, who did you say? Shiba Miori? The same Shiba Miori who's co-hosting this banquet with the Kitayama Family, the boss of the rapidly emerging Shiba Heavy Industries?!"
"Well... though I don't know when she acquired so many titles, if it's Shiba Heavy Industries, then it must be her."
When did Miori become so formidable in the few months since he last saw her?
Mahiro couldn't help but wonder internally.
Just then, he seemed to notice something and smiled faintly. "Look, she's coming over now."
"Mahiro-dear~~~~"
Before the voice even faded, an excessively sweet and somewhat affected tone rang out, followed immediately by a soft sensation against his arm.
The newcomer was none other than the classical beauty Miori, dressed in an elegant kimono, tightly clinging to Mahiro's arm while gently rubbing against it.
"It's been so long! I never imagined Mahiro-dear would actually come~ I wonder if you've missed me? But I've been missing you terribly, you know."
Right upon meeting, Miori began expressing her longing as if no one else was present.
This behavior thoroughly shocked both Miyuki and Mari.
The surrounding business magnates watched with undisguised astonishment in their gazes.
"Ah yes, though you probably already know them, let me properly introduce you to the hosts of tonight's banquet~"
Saying this, Miori turned around, cheerfully took his hand, and approached the approaching man and woman.
They were none other than the heads of the Kitayama Family.
Kitayama Ushio and his wife—the once famous A-rank Resonance magician, Kitayama Benio!