The Irregular at Magic High

Chapter 6

"...Now, shall we go back?" While he had somehow managed to invoke the displeasure of not just the upperclassmen but the student council executive members when he had just enrolled into the school, it was something quite beyond his control. Of course, it was not like he was going to experience a smooth-sailing life where he could just brood over things like that. Despite having less than a full sixteen years of life experiences, Tatsuya had already experienced negativity of such degree. 

"I'm sorry, Dear brother. Because of me, people are getting a bad impression..." 

"It's nothing you need to apologize for." 

Without letting the distressed-looking Miyuki finish her words, Tatsuya brought his hand up and placed it on Miyuki's head from the side with a small knock. As he continued to stroke her hair in a combing fashion, her downcast face became tinged with an enraptured shade. To any onlooker, this pair of siblings appeared to be approaching a dangerous boundary, but perhaps, still withholding their reservations as a consequence of having just met the siblings, Mizuki, and Erika as well, said nothing about that. 

"Well, since we are all here, why don't we go have a cup of tea?" 

"Sounds great! There seems to be a nice cake shop around." In other words, it was a teatime invitation. There was no need to ask them whether their families were waiting for them. Asking such a thing would probably be a needless consideration. It was the same for Tatsuya and Miyuki. That aside, Tatsuya had something else to ask. In truth, it was really an insignificant thing, but it was something that would gnaw at him if he didn't ask.

"You didn't check up on where the school entrance ceremony would be held, and yet you know where a cake shop is?" It might be a question of a slightly teasing nature. 

"Of course! It's something important, isn't it?" 

But Erika nodded confidently without the slightest bit of hesitation. "'Of course', huh..." His acknowledgement turned into a moan. But, as if it were somebody else's business, Tatsuya thought that someone would receive the brunt of that. 

"So brother, what do you think?" 

But it seemed like Tatsuya was the only one shocked at Erika's rash remarks. Even Miyuki did not appear to have paid heed to the lack of common sense in prioritizing a confectionary over the ceremony venue. —Though in the first place, Miyuki was not aware of the details of the whole story. 

"Well, sounds good. After all, we just got acquainted with one another. Be it the same gender, or the same year, we won't find another friend too many." Even though he said that, he had never really put much thought into his agreeing response. There was no particularly pressing matter awaiting him at home either. Originally, Tatsuya did think that they should go somewhere to spend the afternoon to commemorate his younger sister's enrollment before going home. Since it was not a well thought out line, it reflected his offhand true voice. Apparently aware that it was his true voice speaking, Erika and Mizuki returned their words in this manner. 

"Shiba-kun I say, when it comes to Miyuki, you don't ponder too deeply over it..." 

"You really care about your sister, don't you..." Whether it was a compliment or a comment from blank amazement, before the combined respective differing gazes, Tatsuya could only remain silent with a bitter face.

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The 'cake shop' that Erika brought them to was in fact a "French cafeteria with delicious dessert". They took their lunch there and spent some time chatting merrily (it was the three females talking, and Tatsuya was only listening), and by the time they got home, it was close to evening. There was no one to welcome them. The house, which vastly exceeded average in size, appeared to be inhabited by just Tatsuya and Miyuki. He returned to his room and took off his uniform first. He really didn't want to think that such a 'makeshift mantle' could affect him that much, but, after taking off the blazer that was intentionally fashioned to look "different", he felt a little lighter. He clicked his tongue once at these feelings of his and quickly finished changing. As he was relaxing in the living room, before long, Miyuki, who had finished changing, came down from her room. Even though materials had made a large progress, apparel design had largely remained the same as a hundred years ago. With her beautiful shapely legs revealed from below the short skirt of a style from the start of this century, Miyuki approached him. For some reason, this little sister's fashion sense tended towards a more revealing nature at home. Even though he seemed to be more or less used to it, her considerably increased femininity from it frequently caused Tatsuya to feel troubled about where he should set his eyes on. 

"Dear brother, would you like something to drink?" 

"Sounds good. I would like a coffee then." 

"Certainly." As she headed towards the kitchen, a banded loose tail of hair swayed behind her slender back. It was to prevent her hair from interfering with her kitchen work, but, from the fleeting glimpses of the fair nape of her neck, which was normally covered by her long hair, an inexpressible loveliness radiated from the wide center of the neckline of her clothing. In an advanced country where the use of Home Automation Robots (HAR) was widespread, women —— as well as men —— who involved themselves with kitchen work belonged to the minority. There were few people who performed any actual cooking in general, such as toasting bread or brewing coffee, with their own hands unless it was a hobby. And Miyuki belonged to this minority group. It was not because she was a machine moron. When friends came to visit, she would normally leave it to the HAR. But, when together with just Tatsuya alone, she would definitely opt to labor herself. The grinding sounds of beans and bubbling sounds of boiling water reached Tatsuya's ears faintly. She could be said to be pretty hung up to even go to the extent of using the simplest paper drip, rather than using an old coffee maker model. He had tried asking her once, and her reply was that she wanted to do it that way, so it was probably indeed a hobby for her. He also recalled the time when he had asked her whether it was a hobby, and she had glared at him with a pouting face. At any rate, the coffee Miyuki brewed was most suiting to Tatsuya's taste. 

"Here you go brother." She placed the cup on the side table, came around from the other side and sat beside him. The coffee on the table was black, while the one she held had milk added to it. 

"Tastes really good." There was no need to compliment further. Just from that alone, Miyuki broke into a grin. Then, peering into the satisfied face of her elder brother with her smiling eyes, a relieved look surfaced on her face as she brought the cup to her mouth —— that was the usual Miyuki. With that, the two of them savored their coffee. Neither of them struck up a forced conversation. Both of them were not bothered by the presence of the other person beside themselves. The times when it felt bad to not speak to each other for a long period of time had long since passed. The topics they could talk about were plenty. Today was the school entrance ceremony. They had made new friends, and for some reason, they had encountered worrisome upperclassmen. Miyuki was invited by the student council as expected. The things that could be recalled, and the things that could be discussed, were too many for one night. But, facing the sibling pair, in the house of theirs, were merely tilted cups in silence. 

"—It's almost time to make dinner." 

Holding her empty cup, Miyuki stood up. Handing over his coffee cup to his little sister's outstretched hand, Tatsuya also stood up. The evening deepened into night as usual for the two siblings.