Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 12 - Double Seven - Chapter 6.3

AD 2096, April 10th. For the freshmen, this was the noon break of their third day.

Tatsuya faced Kasumi and Izumi in the Student Council room. Even though it was put that way, he was not the only one facing them because he was seated with his fellow Student Council officers.

He was hit with a sense of déjà vu over the situation. Spring of last year, on the same third day of school, Tatsuya had been called to this room. Of course, he was not the only one who had been invited and he had not been the main guest. His role had been nothing more than a supplement to Miyuki. Due to some kind of error, he had been pressured to take up the mantle of a member of the Public Morals Committee.

Since that event, big unimaginable changes had been forced on his high school life. If he had not come to this room on that day, Tatsuya would probably be enjoying a peaceful high school life. At least, he himself thought so.

—People other than himself would have some doubts about agreeing with him on that.

The one who had invited Miyuki and Tatsuya at that time was Mayumi. And now, Tatsuya had become a member of the Student Council that had invited Mayumi’s sisters. Maybe this is karma, was Tatsuya’s slightly disjointed thought.

“So you wish to promote one of us to the position of Student Council officer, is that what you are saying?”

Tatsuya’s mind was drawn back to this place by Izumi’s words that touched on the main topic. Right across from him, Kasumi was glaring at Tatsuya as usual with eyes that seemed to growl. That was the reason Tatsuya has taken a break from reality.

“To be able to work together with Miyuki-senpai… it’s like a dream.”

He couldn’t tell what Miyuki was thinking behind her iron wall of an amiable smile looking at Izumi, who had a hand on her cheek directly across from her. Kasumi, who was open in her hostility, and Izumi, who was open with her desires. Azusa, Isori, and Honoka were completely overwhelmed by the pair’s strange attitudes. As a result, the roles of interacting with the pair fell to the targets of their hostility and lust, Tatsuya and Miyuki.

“If you wish, there is no problem with both of you working together.”

He felt that there was something wrong with leaving the job of interacting with them to their targets, but he couldn’t let his sister bear the full brunt of it alone. With that in mind, Tatsuya returned to the table. However,

“I have no intention of joining the Student Council.”

His effort only elicited a brusque response from Kasumi. The way she phrased her answer showed her strong determination to reject Tatsuya. And the fact that her speech pattern was slightly different from how she spoke to her sisters probably meant she was rejecting any form of familiarity between them.

“Kasumi-chan, you have been rude to Shiba-senpai for a while now.”

As expected, Izumi could not ignore what was going on and spoke to her in a candidly needling tone — Izumi was clearly paying attention to Kasumi. The fact that she wasn’t whispering might mean that giving excuses for each other’s behavior was an aspect of their relationship.

On their side, Azusa, Isori, and Honoka could not conceal their surprise over the fact that Miyuki had said nothing. Her sisterly love for Tatsuya was practically a credo for her; it was normal for anyone who showed ill will to Tatsuya to be burned (frostbitten?) by her wrath. Despite that, the gaze Miyuki was directing toward Kasumi could be called a pleasant one. Rather than suspicious, the three of them found that terrifying. It was typically the calm before the storm.

Of course, Azusa and the rest were over-thinking it. Miyuki, who was attuned to any ill will directed against Tatsuya, completely understood that Kasumi did not despise her brother — her attitude was a mix of jealousy and wariness. Miyuki felt sympathetic to Kasumi’s feelings of hostility to any male who came too close to her beloved older sister, and to Miyuki, since there was little chance of her developing a crush on Tatsuya, Kasumi was a cute junior she could associate with in a relaxed manner.

“I see, that’s unfortunate.”

By that Miyuki meant that it was unfortunate for Miyuki herself that Kasumi had decided not to join the Student Council.

“So then, Izumi-san, can we count on you to join the Student Council?”

However, Miyuki did not reveal any of her feelings about that or show that she wanted to keep her distance from Izumi; Miyuki just cheerfully asked the question.

“Happily.”

Although the feverish gaze Izumi aimed at her grew gradually hotter, Miyuki’s perfect ladylike smile did not falter.

After school and after Kasumi wasted time in the library for a while, she went to the café alone. Thirty minutes still remained of the time she had to wait until she met with Izumi, who had gone to the Student Council earlier. The time seemed to be slightly longer than that as she waited alone. Izumi had told her that it was alright to leave first if she got tired of waiting, so what should I do, Kasumi mused lazily.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look okay, somehow.”

Without warning, a voice addressed her. When she lifted her face, there was a young staff member in a pantsuit in front of her.

“Uh, no, I’m not ill or anything.”

Kasumi had intended to indicate ‘I want you to leave me alone’ with that answer. However, her words were enunciated less clearly than she had planned, shocking even herself.

The female staff member offered a smile that seemed to see right through Kasumi’s bewilderment and sat down across from Kasumi without asking. Kasumi was slightly taken aback by this unilateral maneuver, but as she looked at the somewhat disingenuous smile, she quickly decided it did not matter.

“I’m a counselor at this school, Ono Haruka.”

“I’m Saegusa Kasumi, first year.”

Haruka had aimed her self-introduction for the precise moment that the troubled look vanished from Kasumi’s face and Kasumi had automatically given her name in return.

“Saegusa-san is in Class C, I believe?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Because Haruka had stolen the initiative, Kasumi was following Haruka’s lead.

“Class C isn’t in my charge, but I’ll listen to any worries you have.”

“I’m not really worried about anything.”

Her mental resistance didn’t last long and Kasumi earnestly talked about how she had to spend too much time waiting for Izumi, who had joined the Student Council.

“I see. You have mixed feelings about it?”

Haruka, who had leaned forward to listen to Kasumi’s tale with a serious face, offered those words in a whisper.

What do you mean by mixed, Kasumi thought suspiciously, but Haruka’s words continued faster than Kasumi could question her.

“Saegusa-san, why don’t you give the Public Morals Committee a try?”

For Kasumi, Haruka’s suggestion was abrupt and completely unexpected. Haruka smiled agreeably as she peeked into the eyes of Kasumi, who couldn’t make an immediate response.

“Do you know of our school’s Public Morals Committee system?”

The question just now required a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

“Yes… I heard about it from my older sister.”

Although Kasumi remained perplexed, she was still able to answer this question.

“Okay. Then I can make this quick.”

Haruka did not ask who Kasumi’s ‘older sister’ was. The family name of ‘Saegusa’ was both uncommon and well known so she knew who Kasumi’s older sister was without asking; moreover, Haruka had known Kasumi’s identity before she had introduced herself.

“Actually, the staff recommendation is one way to get on the committee. To make it short, we pick freshmen to fill the vacancies in the committee.”

“You mean me? Excuse me, is it alright to unilaterally decide that right here?”

“If you were to accept it, no one would complain.”

Haruka smiled slightly at the expected outburst from Kasumi, who had finally regained her vitality.

“I thought that you would be able to do work that would not be inferior to Shiba-kun’s last year.”

And this remark, spoken in a superficially casual manner, made the eyes of Kasumi, who until now was not really interested, change color.

“Shiba-senpai, do you mean the elder brother?”

“Yes.”

For an instant, Haruka’s face displayed a ‘gotcha’ look but Kasumi didn’t notice.

“Last year, Shiba, who was recommended by the Student Council, stood out as much as a member of the Public Morals Committee as Chief Watanabe-san herself. The staff-recommended Morisaki is also remembered for his reliable battle skills, but it is undeniable that he was seen as somewhat overshadowed by Shiba-kun. Besides last year, problems occurred with one of the other committee members recommended by the staff. If things like that continue a bit more, then people will look suspiciously at the staff. It would help us a lot if you would undertake this.”

It might not have been necessary for Haruka to articulate two reasons. When she made the point about Tatsuya standing out, Kasumi was filled with a blend of fighting spirit and antagonism.

“I understand. Please let me do it!”

She was so enthused right now, she seemed to have flames behind her.

“…Thank you. I’ll contact the Public Morals Chief. I think you might even be contacted by them tomorrow.”

Since she knew that trouble had occurred before and after the admissions ceremony, Haruka had used that knowledge to incite her. However, she had been more stirred up by it than Haruka had predicted. What on earth had actually happened, Haruka could not help wondering.