After reaching an agreement, Yotsuba Maya finished her black tea and left together with Yukinoshita Kiyuki, Yukinoshita Haruno, and the others.
They had only come today to personally show their sincerity. There was no need for them to follow the matter from beginning to end. Naturally, people below them would handle the later details, and maid Shion would also appear on the student council side of Sobu High to communicate with them.
Starting now, they needed to find somewhere private to gather again and discuss the future strategic alliance and friendship between the Yotsuba family and the Yukinoshita family.
Seeing this, Hiratsuka Shizuka also hurried to slip away. She felt certain Hachiman was still in the office. She just did not know when he would show himself.
If she did not leave now, it would be too late once Hachiman appeared.
She did not want to embarrass herself again and again in front of these super rich young ladies.
Although tonight, she already had a gathering planned with Kirisu Mafuyu and the others.
Ebihara Urara, Hanamori Kotomi, Mizuho Kagami, and the others had already become Hachiman's people. Karuizawa Kei, Kushida Kikyo, and the others listened to Hachiman even more. Something was definitely going to happen.
These super rich transfer students had also come because of Hachiman. Sooner or later, she would have to face those stunned looks at school that felt like she had been completely seen through.
As Yotsuba Maya and the others left, the student council office suddenly felt much emptier, but Shiba Miyuki, Yukinoshita Yukino, Shinomiya Kaguya, and the others all stayed behind.
"Everyone only enrolled yesterday, and there are still no classes arranged for today. Sit here a little longer. The black tea from before is finished, so I'll make some more for everyone."
Seeing that nobody was preparing to leave, Rurikawa Tsubaki hesitated and glanced around. After noticing there was still no movement nearby, she stopped trying to persuade everyone to leave. With a flushed face, she had everyone stay seated while she got up and walked to the tea counter to make more black tea.
"Vice President Rurikawa, let me help you."
Beside La Folia, the petite girl with azure eyes and soft legs wrapped in black pantyhose beneath a blue pleated skirt saw that Rurikawa Tsubaki was making tea for so many people again. After hesitating briefly, she stepped forward on her own to help.
"Alright, thank you. What's your name? This should be your first time at Sobu High, right? I don't remember seeing you before."
Rurikawa Tsubaki blinked in confusion as she looked at the well-behaved and cute silver-haired girl.
"My name is Kanase Kanon. It really is my first time at Sobu High."
Kanase Kanon lightly nodded while softly replying and carefully pouring tea.
"Kanase Kanon? I remember... Kanon, weren't you on the enrollment application list for Komachi's school?"
Rurikawa Tsubaki paused when she heard the name, set down the teapot, and looked extremely surprised.
Although she had only roughly looked over the situation and had not paid much attention to the transfer application list for Komachi's school, thanks to Hachiman's careful care, not only was her physical condition excellent, her memory was also very good. She immediately remembered where she had seen the name Kanase Kanon before.
Kanase Kanon was around the same age as Komachi, Shion, Rin, and Sakura. She really was on the transfer application list for Komachi's school.
Now that Kanase Kanon had appeared here, was she planning to transfer to Sobu High instead?
"That's right. I'm a transfer student for the school where Mr. Hikigaya's younger sister attends. But I only just passed the application there too, and my class still hasn't been assigned. So today, La Folia brought me here to meet Mr. Hikigaya. I didn't expect Mr. Hikigaya to be so busy. He disappeared early in the morning."
Kanase Kanon lightly nodded again. She looked disappointed and regretful that she had come in person but still failed to meet Hachiman.
She had never seen Mr. Hikigaya in person. She had only seen photos of him.
But she had heard about the principles of the Service Club he founded, about how he helped all kinds of troubled girls and demi-humans without asking for anything in return.
Even though La Folia's explanation of the magical girl awakening ritual had shocked her deeply, she had taken health classes before and knew boys were usually at a disadvantage in this area. Even if Mr. Hikigaya was in very good shape, helping that many people by himself had to be difficult.
Although... when she learned the names of all the people Mr. Hikigaya helped every day, she felt dizzy, but she believed that no matter what, you could not judge good or bad from the process alone. You also had to consider the results for Mr. Hikigaya and the people he helped.
Clearly, every person helped by Mr. Hikigaya was happy. One after another, they all wanted Mr. Hikigaya to help them too.
"Uh... haha, Hachiman really is pretty busy."
Seeing Kanase Kanon's flushed cheeks and worshipful look, Rurikawa Tsubaki felt awkward.
Even now, she did not know exactly who Hachiman was busy with, or whether Mai Aoe, Kijou Yasha, Senga Sally, and the others had already left out of embarrassment, but Hachiman probably had not left the office.
"Oh right, if you don't mind, Kanon, you can call me Sister Tsubaki. Since your class assignment still hasn't been decided, I can talk to Komachi and have you placed in her class."
Rurikawa Tsubaki hesitated before suddenly thinking about the small new group rising within Hachiman's household and took the initiative to suggest it.
"That way, after school you can go home together with Komachi and the others and come play at the house directly."
"Kanon, you're so cute and well-behaved. Hachiman will probably like you a lot."
She had risen in status as Kaede's close friend, but she was not only Kaede's close friend. She was also Komachi's good older sister.
Now that Shion, Yukari, and the others were developing the Service Club branch over there, maybe she could help a little and let Kanon become Hachiman's caring little sister together with Shion.
The Kanon in front of her looked quiet, obedient, and sensible. She even already had a very good impression of Hachiman despite never meeting him before. She really suited the role of a younger sister.
"If it troubles Komachi, would that really be okay? Um... if Mr. Hikigaya likes me..."
When she heard Rurikawa Tsubaki say Hachiman might like her, Kanase Kanon bit her lip slightly. Her expression became complicated. Looking at the milky white crystal-like liquid Rurikawa Tsubaki was adding into the black tea while speaking, she hurriedly changed the subject.
"Hm? Sister Tsubaki, what is this? Why are you adding it into the tea?"
Although La Folia had not actively encouraged her to apply for Mr. Hikigaya's help, and last night she had not entered the Service Club together with everyone else, according to what La Folia and the others said, she was also a talented spiritual ability user. Once she awakened her talent and became a magical girl, she would become very strong too.
If she could contribute something for everyone, she did not really mind those sacrifices. After all, there had always been people silently protecting others and quietly giving of themselves in places nobody knew about.
But after hearing Miss Rurikawa say Mr. Hikigaya might like obedient and sensible girls like her, she suddenly realized she had never considered Mr. Hikigaya's own feelings.
She had only been thinking about whether she herself was willing to sacrifice something. She had never considered whether Mr. Hikigaya was willing to sacrifice himself to help her.
Thinking carefully, she was no different from those families and conglomerates that craved power and refused to fall behind. She also only wanted to use Mr. Hikigaya and had never cared whether Mr. Hikigaya actually liked her.
"Mm... this is something good."
Rurikawa Tsubaki did not notice Kanase Kanon's sudden change in expression. She paused briefly, then continued scooping from a milk jar with a small spoon and stirring it evenly into the tea before quietly explaining in embarrassment.
Although this really was something many people were not qualified to taste, and Kanase Kanon had even already drunk the tea earlier, she still felt pretty guilty lying to such a pure and kind girl.
"That's right, this is really good stuff! It's a special seasoning that only appears occasionally during meals at the Service Club."
Nishikagi Chisato suddenly appeared behind Kanase Kanon and Rurikawa Tsubaki. Smiling brightly, she picked up a clean spoon and scooped a spoonful from the milk jar before holding it to Kanase Kanon's mouth.
"Kanon, you can think of it as honey. It makes black tea taste better."
"Of course, you can also treat it like salad dressing with fruit. The vampires in the club seem to really enjoy afternoon tea like that."
"Kanon, try a spoonful."
"Honey salad dressing seasoning? Mm... this is the taste from the tea earlier."
Seeing Nishikagi Chisato directly bring it to her mouth, Kanase Kanon, whose guilt had grown stronger, could only stop thinking about those things for now and lower her head slightly. As her tongue touched the seasoning that tasted like honey, her azure eyes instantly brightened.
The tea from earlier had tasted better than any black tea she had ever drunk before.
She thought it was because the tea leaves or water were especially expensive and high quality. She had not expected the problem to be the seasoning.
"Right? This is a benefit you only get after joining the club. Otherwise, even if you're a rich young lady or a princess of a country, you still couldn't eat something this good. Takina, don't you agree? You should have some too~"
Watching Kanase Kanon innocently taste it, the cheerful smile on Nishikagi Chisato's face became even brighter. Then she looked toward Inoue Takina, who had walked over as well, and smilingly held out another spoon.
"..."
Inoue Takina expressionlessly glanced at Nishikagi Chisato without saying anything. She opened her mouth and ate it in one bite before silently helping Rurikawa Tsubaki make the remaining special tea.
Before becoming a magical girl, Chisato had always screamed and fussed about how terrible the consequences would be if Mr. Hachiman did this and that to her.
But after completing the awakening ritual and becoming a magical girl, sometimes she acted even more naturally than Takina did.
Still, maybe Chisato was trying to save herself too?
Whenever Inoue Takina thought about the extremely detailed body data revealed from the physical examination Chisato underwent back at the DA organization after they became magical girls, she felt uncomfortable.
Chisato always acted cheerful, and she was dependable in battle too, so Takina had never realized Chisato had heart problems.
Now that Chisato had become a magical girl, it seemed she had only gained better physical abilities and strength. The problem itself still had not been fundamentally solved, and there were still hidden dangers.
Everyone at the tea counter had different thoughts. Over at the guest sofa area, Shinomiya Kaguya, Saegusa Mayumi, and the others also sat down and chatted together. Even Kirasaka Sayaka, who wanted to stay standing, was pulled down by La Folia to sit near the edge.
This time, there were no elders older than them present who required politeness and restraint, so with a little squeezing, they could all sit together.
Although Kirasaka Sayaka did not really want to sit with them.
Sitting stiffly in the corner of the sofa, Kirasaka Sayaka kept a serious expression and showed nothing on her face, but after realizing she was actually looking slightly downward at the others due to her height, she started feeling unhappy.
Although most of the people present had fairly good figures, and slender body types like Shinomiya Kaguya and Yukinoshita Yukino were actually rarer, her height of 170 centimeters still stood out among all the girls around 160 centimeters tall.
That discovery secretly troubled her.
Her tall body had always been something painful for her. It was like that in the Lion King Organization too. Among so many small and cute girls, she practically looked like a boy. She had not expected it to still be the same among this group of rich young ladies.
She had heard there was even a girl over 180 centimeters tall at Sobu High. She wondered how that person usually lived. She really wanted to meet her and talk about how they felt.
"Yukino, are you also a club member? Why didn't you play games with Vice President Haruno last night?"
The Star Moon sisters, Kaede and Suzu, did not take the initiative to start a conversation. Saegusa Mayumi glanced at the calm Shiba Miyuki beside her, then smiled at Yukinoshita Yukino, who also had long black hair like Miyuki, and broke the slightly dull atmosphere first.
Naturally, she knew Yukinoshita Yukino was the vice president of Sobu High's Service Club.
But although so many people played games in the Service Club last night, Yukinoshita Yukino never appeared. Yet today she showed up here again. It really made people curious about her situation.
"Last night?"
Yukinoshita Yukino was caught off guard by Saegusa Mayumi's sudden question, but after reacting, she instantly understood Mayumi's misunderstanding.
It was not that she had not participated in the service game last night. She had only appeared at the Service Club after Saegusa Mayumi and the others were all eliminated. Together with her sister, she sat at the dining table while Hachiman enjoyed them with constant clinking sounds.
But what could she say?
If Saegusa Mayumi and the others had already made clear progress with Hachiman, then honestly explaining things would not matter.
But last night, Saegusa Mayumi and the others had all been wiped out. Shinomiya Kaguya, La Folia, and the others had all received stimulation that was too intense in the bath and lost control of their bodies, sinking into the water and having no choice but to withdraw early.
Under those circumstances, if she revealed the intimate things she and her sister did with Hachiman, it would probably cause trouble for her sister.
These rich young ladies only needed to please Hachiman. That did not mean they needed to care about her sister, the vice president.
At that moment, under the curious gazes of Saegusa Mayumi and the others, Yukinoshita Yukino deeply understood the pressure her sister Yukinoshita Haruno normally carried.
"Actually, last night..."
Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath. Just as she mentally prepared herself and was about to answer Saegusa Mayumi's question, she suddenly saw Mayumi smiling as she lifted Yukino's wrist and lightly pressed twice on the pink shared-sensation wristband.
Before Yukinoshita Yukino could react, the hidden switch was triggered, and a familiar feeling burst through her body.
'???'
'No, wait?'
'Saegusa Mayumi, what are you doing?'
"Mayumi?"
It was not only Yukinoshita Yukino who was shocked by Saegusa Mayumi's sudden action. Shinomiya Kaguya, La Folia, Charlotte, and the others all stared in disbelief at Yukinoshita Yukino, whose body had instinctively curled up and started trembling, and at the smiling Saegusa Mayumi.
Most of them wore shared-sensation wristbands. Last night, they had even played hide-and-seek in the Service Club and been forcefully eliminated together. How could they not know what button Saegusa Mayumi had pressed?
It would have been one thing inside the Service Club, where everyone was mentally prepared.
But suddenly doing this while chatting at school was too frightening.
Shinomiya Kaguya and the others exchanged looks and quickly shrank back their wrists, hiding their own pink shared-sensation wristbands behind them.
"Senior Mayumi, why did you suddenly do that?"
Because of the relationship between their elders earlier, Shiba Miyuki and Yukinoshita Yukino had only been separated by Saegusa Mayumi.
Seeing that Yukinoshita Yukino still had not recovered, Shiba Miyuki leaned across Saegusa Mayumi, gently patting Yukino's back while looking at Mayumi with confusion, unable to understand her behavior.
Although Senior Mayumi had only lightly pressed twice, once to activate it and once to stop it, so the shock Yukinoshita Yukino felt only lasted an instant, and Yukino's large reaction was simply because her physical condition was poor, the behavior was still inappropriate. It was abrupt and even offensive.
If Senior Mayumi disliked Yukinoshita Yukino and wanted to act against her, there were many methods she could have used. Why choose this of all things?
Although she had not attended her previous school for very long and had not spent much time with Senior Mayumi, in Miyuki's impression, Mayumi as student council president had always been gentle and considerate, while also being careful and thorough despite her broad-minded style. She was a senior worthy of respect.
"I was just curious whether Yukino spent last night together with Mr. Hikigaya. But now it seems Yukino hasn't even awakened magical girl talent, so how could she have been with Mr. Hikigaya last night?"
When she heard the question, Saegusa Mayumi merely smiled. Her eyes never left Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Yukino, I'm really curious what kind of relationship you have with Mr. Hikigaya."
Unlike her older sister Yukinoshita Haruno, who had already begun making use of family connections and was skilled at handling upper-class social situations, the younger sister Yukinoshita Yukino clearly rarely even lied in daily life.
Such a simple question about why she had not appeared together with her sister Haruno last night had already made Yukino take a deep breath before answering. Instinctively, Mayumi judged there was something suspicious there.
Of course, Yukinoshita Yukino was not truly stupid. Even if she did not directly lie, she was clearly trying to mislead them about something.
Still, Mayumi had not expected to find a clue with only a slight test.
As the vice president of the Service Club, Yukinoshita Haruno had only become a magical girl last night.