[August 31st (1)]
It is the year 2095 AD, August 31st. For the students of magic high schools, today is the last day of summer break. As the majority of science and literary high schools have already begun the new school year, and arts and physical education high schools don't start until mid September, it's an about average length. The Nine Schools Competition which ran from August 3rd to the 12th has already finished, but there is no particular break extension for the representatives.
Even in the 21st century long breaks had inherent problems (homework) to go along with them, something often cried over during the last day of break-- this often as not being literal crying whilst looking over essay files comprised solely of a bunch of titles, a cherished tradition across the nation. However, it has to be said that not all students are such slackers(?). Like a certain pair of brother and sister enrolled in first year of the National Magic University attached First high school, the number of students who leisurely spent their last day of summer break relaxing at home was not in the minority.
"Miyuki, it's done."
"Thank you very much, I'm so sorry, Onii-sama. Bothering you with such a trivial matter......"
"Making crushed ice isn't really anything troublesome."
While placing the ice pick onto the dining table, Tatsuya let out a chuckle at his sister's excessive manner of speaking.
At that, Miyuki gave a graceful smile. In her hands, black liquid sloshed around within the heat resistance glass of the coffee server.
Coffee poured in a dark cascade over the chunks of clear ice Miyuki had used magic to create (by freezing from the bottom of the container upwards, in such a way as to disrupt convection), and Tatsuya had used an ice pick to break it into crushed ice (since if he had used his own magic, it would have ended up as fluffy shaved ice instead).
A fragrant aroma filled the dining room.
To prevent the scent from spreading any further Miyuki cast a pocket of cold air over the large round cup, and soon rose holding a tray with two portions of iced coffee.
At that casual use of a high level skill, Tatsuya narrowed his eyes.
Noticing her brother's gaze Miyuki broke into an embarrassed grin, before airily turning her back.
In the room on the first floor facing the garden-- it had originally been a guest room, but now with the bed removed it had become a spare room-- and lazing around the table, with the thrown open windows and curtains giving the air of an open terrace in a resort, Tatsuya and Miyuki enjoyed coffee time.
That being said Miyuki was bustling around serving Tatsuya hand and foot, such that she didn't even have time to warm her own chair, but as that was because Miyuki found doing so pleasurable, any third person quibbling over the scene would simply be unseemly.
As if finally satisfied, Miyuki modestly took off her white frilly apron and sat down not opposite to Tatsuya from the round table, but next to him.
Beneath the apron, her flawless white arms showed under the wide shoulder straps of her translucent one piece. Tatsuya felt the clear polkadot summer dress was rather familiar.
"Do you remember?"
Sensitively reading Tatsuya's look, Miyuki shyly asked him a question before he could open his mouth.
"Of course. It suits you perfectly."
At Tatsuya's utterly earnest compliment, Miyuki began to blush. "Sheesh. Onii-sama, you're always like that."
"It's because I truly think so. I said it at the start right? Besides, I wouldn't give you anything that didn't match you."
Accompanied by a cool face, at Tatsuya's intense words, completely unsuitable for (in light of the general world view) his sister, Miyuki's face turned completely crimson.
"Eh, uhm...... Thank you very much."
As he caught a glimpse of Miyuki's face looking up at him, both embarrassed yet happy at the same time, she had a rather similar expression when I first brought her that dress Tatsuya thought as he relived the memories of that day.
[August 14th (1)]
August 14th. Two days after the close of the Nine Schools Competition. Tatsuya and Miyuki were going to the shopping tower in the city center.
The two of them are high school students, and in the middle of their summer break. Even for shopping it would seem unlikely to need to go on a Sunday, but of course there was a reason. From tomorrow the 15th to the 18th, Tatsuya has to attend meetings at Four Leaves Technology (FLT) regarding commercialization of the flight device. Next week from Tuesday to Thursday he has field exercises scheduled with the Independent Magic Equipped Battalion. Since his only free time is in the weekend, Tatsuya thought there was little point in taking a break.
As for what to do to fill in the time, Tatsuya decided to buy Miyuki a reward for her victory in the Mirage Bat event. At the word 'reward' instead of 'present' Miyuki had sulked lightly for a while, but as this was ostensibly a present in all but name anyway she was now happily walking beside him in the best of spirits. In any case, the subtle fact that Miyuki was not pleased with a simple gift, but more than happy to receive a gift from Tatsuya was something lost upon him.
Miyuki's outfit today was a dark blouse with see-through sleeves, an ankle length white skirt, and sandals. On her head was a wide-brimmed straw hat. It was a private outing so he didn't mind all the exposed skin, but as usual, Miyuki's fashion was conservative compared to what she wore inside the house.
On the other hand Tatsuya wore a jacket loosely over a T-shirt, with elastic synthetic pants on the bottom. While the pants looked tight, it was a summer fabric with excellent breathability and despite covering all the way to the ankles, he didn't seem hot at all. However, with the exception that up to his neck and wrists were covered he wasn't that different from his sister.
A woman's love for shopping has not changed even now, something which could even be construed as common sense, and especially among young ladies that love is something which has not diminished as the last decade of the 21st century draws to a close. It is thought that the shopping habits of these girls can be divided into three patterns.
Firstly, those who buy their favorite things first. Secondly, those who buy their favorite things last.
Thirdly, and probably most commonly, those who while having a favorite proceed to go here and there, back and forth all over the place.
Miyuki belongs to the first category. When Tatsuya had asked her yesterday 'what do you want' Miyuki had hesitated only slightly before replying 'a summer one piece dress', probably as a result of the summer dress Mayumi had showed off on the bus back from the Nine Schools Competition. In a short while, Tatsuya presumed they had arrived at their destination. This was because within the fashion boutique Miyuki was currently pulling him into, a wide array of similar dresses were prominently being displayed. Miyuki's current outfit was a relatively trendy design, but it's fine for her to try new things now and again, Tatsuya thought as he glanced at the mannequins in their skimpy summer dresses.
Looking at the same thing as Tatsuya, Miyuki's expression faltered. Well, not exactly the same thing. What Miyuki had seen was the price tag attached to those summer dresses.
"You don't have to hold back, Miyuki. You know my income."
Although it's called a price tag it's considerably different from the century before, being an AR display virtual tag.
In order to check the price it's necessary to use the information terminal everyone carries around and access the AR app, which is how Tatsuya knew what Miyuki had been looking at.
Tatsuya too had engaged the AR app and checked the tag. The price marked did not deviate from his expectations.
This was a shop which had caught Miyuki's eye. There should be no budget stuff in it.
What's more, Tatsuya's words to Miyuki weren't bravado. Expensive as they were, these were ready-to-wears designed for young teens. For haute couture, it's not even a very high price. As a member of Taurus Silver, this amount of money wasn't much to him at all.
The act of dangling their purse before someone would usually elicit an unfavorable response from most people, but Miyuki simply brushed it aside. She probably thought that refraining now would simply be rude to her brother. Abandoning her hesitation, Miyuki began to look over the dresses on the mannequins and hangers.
Having the physical articles in a store instead of simple 3D video displays marks this shop as the real deal. Low price retailers, and even mid range stores, have 3D displays as the norm.
Most of the time even fitting is done via composite video. Being unable to ascertain the feel of the fabric is covered by a returns policy. Being able to try on the sample products, like here, is pretty rare for a shop nowadays.
After looking around all four corners of the shop, Miyuki called out to a clerk and pointed to three dresses. After telling her she wanted to try them on, the clerk nodded with a grin. The reason it wasn't a mere business smile was probably because they wanted to use Miyuki as PR for the shop, Tatsuya thought idly.
It wasn't uncommon for Miyuki to cause such ulterior motives. It was also unacceptable. For example even if they wanted to make just an area limited ad, he wouldn't let Miyuki model. The true reason was simply that Tatsuya did not want to expose Miyuki to countless dirty looks.
But as expected (relatively) of such a high class establishment, the clerk wasn't rude enough to bring the matter up all of a sudden. Rather she left for the stock room smiling all the while, returning swiftly with samples for fitting. Although they're samples there are mechanisms which automatically clean and sterilize the articles each time, so there was no hesitation in taking them. Holding the samples, Miyuki was guided by the clerk to the dressing rooms.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya sat down on a bench inside the shop. If something came up the clerk would come calling, and even if not should something happen to Miyuki he would know immediately. To kill time, he opened a publication website. However, he never got the chance to pick up the strings of text displayed on the mobile terminal. The reason was the moment he opened the site the clerk from earlier was standing obliquely before him, as if trying to read his expression.
"Is something the matter?"
He would have been content to wait until the other party began talking, but as he had assumed the pose of one waiting for his partner (well more precisely, his companion), it would be difficult for the clerk whose hospitality manners had been so firmly ingrained to do so. Thinking that, Tatsuya had therefore decided to lead her on.
"I have a little matter I'd like to talk with you about......"
"Should we move somewhere else?"
This is probably something confidential, Tatsuya had thought, although going that far did seem a bit much.
"No, this will just take a bit of time."
At Tatsuya's slight nod of acceptance, the subtle tension in the clerk's face came away.
"If you don't mind, about the dress your companion is purchasing."
"We haven't decided if we're going to buy it yet, but go on."
At Tatsuya's curt interruption of her dialogue, the clerk gave a hasty nod.
"Certainly! This is all considering if you would like to purchase the goods from our shop."
"Of course, if my sister likes it then we'll buy it."
"Thank you very much!"
Tatsuya wasn't really intentionally trying to harass the clerk. As a matter of course he had all manner of comebacks prepared and ready, but at the clerk's overreaction it was Tatsuya who felt troubled. He may have had some more things to say, but at this point it didn't matter.
"So, what is it you were saying?"
The one who interrupted had been Tatsuya, but now he gently urged her on. "Oh, right."
The clerk didn't show a single hint of discomfort. The results from the training boutique employees receive is formidable indeed. Or maybe she was simply completely at a loss when it came to dealing with him.
"If the articles instore are to your fancy, would it be possible for the clothing in question to be worn from the outset?"
In any case, the fact the clerk came for "consultation" was somewhat strange at first glance. In itself, the contents of the request weren't unusual. A ready-to- wear, and easy to maintain sleeveless one piece summer dress. Wearing that straight from the shop, especially considering the shop has the articles physically in the stockroom, is not uncommon. What was strange was that the clerk had specifically asked about it.
"You want us to wear the dress from here around, is that what you mean?"
However, Tatsuya didn't ask the reason. The clerk's, or rather the boutique's intention was pretty clear. They probably wanted Miyuki walking around in the clothing from this shop as a kind of moving advert.
"Yes. In return, we will recalculate the price for you."
The clerk also seemed to have realized Tatsuya had deduced their purpose. Quickly bringing in the matter of a discount, this woman had a formidable mercantile streak belying her youth.
Tatsuya had no interest in the discount itself. However, he was concerned in another aspect of the clerk's request.
"Is that it? Shoots are No good."
"Of course. We will not engage in any activity which may infringe on the customer's privacy."
"Could you show us clothing instore besides the ones on display?"
"With pleasure."
Not bad, Tatsuya thought.
After the negotiations with the clerk were settled, a different clerk came over. It seemed Miyuki wanted him. Without a hint of irritation, he stood up. This was to be expected after all, and even if not there was nothing to resent. "Onii-sama, what do you think......?"
The fitting room door was open. With a three way mirror in the background allowing viewing of all sides (to prevent voyeurism, no cameras were allowed inside), Miyuki shyly asked his opinion. She was wearing a pale grey toned jumper skirt.
"It suits you extremely well. Still, I think you can go with something a bit more dashing."
The knee-length simple design greatly complimented Miyuki's beauty, but it's a bit too drab, Tatsuya thought.
"Is that so?... Then, please wait a bit."
She nodded and closed the door. The faint sound of rustling clothes could be heard. The moments of silence were probably her working on her hair and skirt.
"Sorry for the wait. How about this?"
Seeming far more embarrassed than shy this time, Miyuki solicited his opinion whilst avoiding making eye contact.
It's probably because it's so different from the clothes she normally wears outside that she's unnecessarily self conscious he thought.
Miyuki's outfit this time was a checkered camisole one piece. From the neck to the shoulders was totally bare. The skirt also rose tantalizingly above the knee in excess of five centimeters, such that even innocents would be caught and enraptured.
"Yeah, that's great. I can't take my eyes off you."
"That's......"
At Tatsuya's straightforward opinion Miyuki turned scarlet. That being said the considerably older clerk was blushing even more furiously, though whether it was at Miyuki's stunning figure or Tatsuya's far too honest words was unknown.
"There was one more right? Did it not interest you?"
"No......
Then, shall I show you that one as well?"
The process of changing clothes was repeated.
The summer dress this time was pretty much exactly halfway between the first and the second in terms of exposure level. It was a silhouette which focused on the waist while emphasizing the bust line and hips.
"Um...... How is it.....?"
Despite having less exposure than the second dress, the sex appeal in this one here was top notch. She must have realized that while putting it on, which probably accounted for the extent of her embarrassment.
It was a design which would be awkward if there was insufficient volume around the chest and hips, but it fitted her surprisingly well. As the one who saw her in her underclothes on a weekly basis during her CAD adjustment Tatsuya should have been perfectly aware of his sister's growing body, but seeing it objectively like this really drove home the point that she was drawing closer to being an adult than he had ever thought. It exuded a totally different, probably age specific, unbalanced charm from the previous camisole dress.
"This is rather troubling. Even I might lose my reasoning with this."
"......"
At Tatsuya's unapologetic compliment, the color of Miyuki's face deepened even further, and she closed the door of the fitting room in silence.
After that Miyuki's fitting (or in other words, fashion show) continued. Each and every time Tatsuya praised his sister straightforwardly as if unaware of what shame was, and for her part Miyuki was exceedingly embarrassed each time (almost as if making up for her brother). Still she requested to be able to try on even more outfits, seeming to value her brother's praise far more highly than the well-being of either her heart or facial blood vessels, so that was that.
Miyuki had no modelling experience. Although she had looks which would have given any international top model a run for their money, she had no professional modelling skill. She couldn't manage rapid clothes changing or anything like that.
In short when all's said, this repeated fitting alone took a considerable amount of time. Of course when the fitting room door was shut it was impossible to peek inside, but when Miyuki came out to show off a costume to Tatsuya, they were visible from the store's exhibition space. Occasionally Tatsuya would request her to spin around or strike a pose, and a crowd began to form around the dressing room.
Still, it's not like they senselessly crowded around gawking. Tatsuya would never have permitted that, and the clerks in all likelihood tactfully did their work before he had to make a move. Instead, the youths were simply glimpsed in the surroundings from a distance. Still however much they shuffled around and pretended to look at the mannequins, they just couldn't seem to avert their eyes.
The word youths did not simply imply young men. Although there were guys in their number, numerically speaking the girls were superior. Well, honestly speaking the very nature of the shop meant that there was a high entry threshold for guys. In fact, the males were in the minority outnumbered three to one and comprised mainly of college students with their girlfriends or those dressed as young businessmen; Tatsuya was probably the only high school student on the premises. Although there weren't many with the insight to see that he was actually a high school student anyway.
One of the girls, or rather the girls in the group one by one would look at Miyuki with a mixture of admiration and envy before quickly looking away. At the sound of the dressing room door closing sighs of relief could be heard, then upon the sound of it opening again as if charmed they'd hide then peek out for a glimpse.
On that note, the female customers being escorted by a guy-- or rather being waited upon-- kept a better state of mind. As their boyfriends stared at Miyuki with worshipful eyes (showing there wasn't a single unconditional lover among them) they either stamped them on the foot or nudged them in the ribs or the like. On the one hand they would enviously look upon Tatsuya who was shamelessly and unhesitatingly heaping Miyuki with praise, then unreasonably take their anger out on their hapless lovers. In short, they restored their emotional balance by using the next convenient guy as a doormat.
Of course, both Tatsuya and Miyuki were fully aware of all the attention they were getting. He was mentally sorting out the harmful and harmless gazes, automatically categorizing them without even being aware and especially putting the non hostile intents out of mind, while she naturally filtered out all the looks-- she would never even be able to walk down the street normally otherwise-- so it never got to the extent they had to suspend shopping.
Nothing but words of approval came out from Tatsuya's mouth, yet each time was different. Monopolizing Tatsuya's complete attention Miyuki's feeling of happiness was almost intoxicating, such that she wasn't able to differentiate the subtle nuances in his words. As the number of tried on dresses passed 20, Miyuki ended up holding a polka-dot dress that had been kept in the fitting room. It was a sleeveless, knee-length camisole summer dress. The wide shoulder straps were frilled with lace, and around the chest and hem of the skirt plenty of lace was in abundance too. It combined a generous amount of exposure with an air of elegance, the iridescent ivory polka-dots lending a very age appropriate cuteness.
"Onii-sama, I was thinking this one
......?"
"I reckon that's the best as well. It really is cute."
She had picked this dress because it was the one that had been most popular with her brother, but upon hearing him saying 'cute' again, she made up her mind in an instant.
"Then......
Could I get this please?"
Miyuki didn't bother with hesitant language this late in the game. Instead, she gave a heartachingly beautiful smile-- with utmost sincerity, a look suitable for receiving a gift from her brother-- and asked his permission.
"Sure."
For his part, Tatsuya didn't really have a say in the matter-- he would never have been able to say 'no'. Being able to buy these things his sister liked was the most meaningful use of his income anyway, he had always thought. Whether he himself was aware of that thought was a moot point.
At Miyuki's lovely 'please', the consciousness of the watching men seemed to freeze.
At the same time the women gave a collective sigh of envy at Tatsuya's natural generosity.
"Then this dress and, along with dresses number two and seventeen please. She'll be wearing this back, so could you please send my sister's current clothes back along with the other items?"
"Certainly. Please come back again anytime. Thank you for waiting." Then to these unexpected VIP customers, the clerk gave a solemn nod.
[August 31st (2)]
"Still, I never thought we'd end up buying three. Even if the price was very reasonable."
Miyuki must also have been reminiscing about that time. She had a happy grin on her face, as she spoke to Tatsuya in a teasing tone.
"I would have been more than happy with just this one. Onii-sama? Is this what they call 'adult's shopping'?"
"It would have been a shame to let your 21 tryouts go to waste. It was finally our long awaited summer vacation, but I was only able to take you out shopping in the end. Or, was it unnecessary trouble for you?"
"Not at all!"
Miyuki line was simply teasingly accusing her brother of 'splurging', yet at this frontal attack, she hastily raised the white flag.
"That, I...... Was very happy."
She had been taken down a peg by Tatsuya, but Miyuki wasn't distressed at all. Rather she shyly looked up at her brother's face, and as she did so, the distance between them diminished even more than earlier.
"It really was a long awaited opportunity huh...... To be honest there were other things like yukata and various other summer activities I would have liked to leisurely do with you, but."
Tatsuya's face, which had been smiling in satisfaction at Miyuki's good mood, suddenly clouded as he muttered in a bitter voice.
"......It wasn't Onii-sama's fault."
Miyuki's whisper was tender as she took his hands from the table and gently wrapped them in her own.
[August 14th (2)]
Although they had finished choosing clothes, there was still time to spare before lunch. As she was finally able to come out alone with Tatsuya, Miyuki didn't want to just go home and let the occasion go to waste.
Fortunately, Tatsuya wasn't exactly the indoors type either. In addition, Tatsuya had come out today with family service (sister service) in mind. Without any particular words between the two, they decided to hang out like this until evening.
The building they were currently in specialized in fashion for young women. They didn't carry just clothes but also shoes, hats, accessories, various knick- knacks, swimsuits and yukatas according to season; this building had such goods for the entirety of it's 14 floors. Even the food stalls were snacks and sweet shops catering to young women. It was a rather formidable atmosphere for men, but another thing altogether for women and couples. Even if his companion was his sister, no one would suspect a thing.
In fact, without listening in to the conversation between them it would be nigh impossible to perceive that they were siblings. Or rather, if one didn't pick up on Miyuki's utterance of 'Onii-sama', even if they were close by they wouldn't be able to tell.
With her arm happily entwined around Tatsuya's, Miyuki's nestled appearance no matter how you looked at it gave the perfect impression of a girl in love. Those with some bias may think they were an 'unbalanced couple'. That line of thought was probably restricted only to the male populace, after which they would be accused by their accompanying lady as 'ogling another woman' and appropriately chastised. Well, it was a kind of expected harmony.
As previously mentioned, this building was pretty much a women only store. It held nothing of interest in particular-- the majority of those with girlfriends or those they wanted to make girlfriends seemed only to be here to make their partner happy-- for men. A man with thoughts like that, putting their own enjoyment aside, could probably spend a considerable amount of time in here, but Tatsuya was not that type to say the least.
However as Tatsuya accompanied Miyuki in her window shopping, he displayed no sign of unwillingness whatsoever. As Miyuki's eyes animatedly brightened or filled with frustration, Tatsuya's own eyes twinkled warmly. Whether inborn or acquired, imprinted by others or nurtured by himself, the fact was as long as Miyuki was there it wouldn't matter if they were in the city or in the mountains; he would be the same.
It was the one thing he truly wanted. As long as she was beside him, whatever the conditions didn't matter; this was something anyone who knew his circumstances could understand full well. Both Miyuki and Tatsuya depended heavily upon one another, but perhaps more on Tatsuya's side than the other.
Still if you actually asked them, they'd probably just reply 'it's none of your business (not your concern)' in unison. A punishment more painful than being kicked by a horse may also be forthcoming.
That-- the harsh handling-- wouldn't really be due to the blunt question in particular.
It would also apply to the rude intrusion.
Having an early lunch at a pasta house, the siblings glared coldly at the young man at the table next to them.
Tatsuya and Miyuki had entered that shop by coincidence, or rather on a whim. When eating out, the two of them would rarely choose a place with such an unobstructed layout as this. They'd mainly go for places with private rooms, or at least booths with partitions between tables. If they didn't, they'd garner far too much unwelcome attention, most of it naturally on the part of Miyuki.
Due to the occasion today, they probably decided that most of the customers would be women, and the men would most likely be accompanied by women anyway, well, it ended up being quite the piece of wishful thinking.
The moment Miyuki entered the shop, followed by Tatsuya, the bustle inside was frozen in an instant. Even the clerk-- unusually for such a casual establishment as this, a waiter not a waitress-- was paralyzed breathless. Even Tatsuya had not expected such a hypersensitive reaction. He had thought that a place which dealt with fashion on such a regular basis should have at least some resistance to Miyuki's beauty, but actually, precisely because this was a place which dealt with fashion there were probably few opportunities to see a true beauty of Miyuki's caliber.
The waiter regained his senses just as Tatsuya was on the verge of turning right around and walking back out. He probably sensed Tatsuya's dismay and intent to leave, clearing his mind in the process. Whether professionalism as a waiter or a lack of subtlety, he certainly did at least succeed in keeping two customers.
Even if they were picky, in all likelihood they would meet a similar response in any other establishment. So, Tatsuya quietly followed the waiter as he escorted them to an empty table. For her part, Miyuki would normally shy away from such attention but bore it. As long as Tatsuya was there, such things were trivial matters.
The two seat table did not have fixed sofas (at least apparently), but rather wooden chairs. After requesting the waiter fetch some chairs for them, Tatsuya turned to Miyuki. As he pulled out the chair for her to sit, she looked back at him coyly and gave a curtsy. Seating himself in the chair opposite, Tatsuya glanced at the waiter. In haste, he brought over and offered them menus. Receiving them in relaxed manner, Tatsuya dismissed him.
His conduct was so full of dignity belying his age that the waiter didn't feel any discomfort from the brusque treatment. The gazes of the customers who had been staring at Miyuki were for a fraction of a second diverted to Tatsuya. Most of them were female, but in their minds the sense of discomfort was replaced by a sort of consent. Although they had earlier been silently belittling Miyuki in their minds, thinking things such as 'what an unbalanced pair' and 'her taste in men is terrible', all this changed to 'the perfect couple' as they fully accepted their defeat.
With the rivalry discarded, the jealous looks changed to praise. However the couples, especially within the men, felt an anxious plight similar to jealous suspicion. Few of the 'boyfriends' were able to understand the look in their 'girlfriends' faces, but subconsciously an instinctive part of them understood that what had stolen their current girlfriend, or future girlfriend's eyes was not just her haunting beauty, but the deep love between her and the boy sitting opposite her.
A new player came upon the stage immediately after Tatsuya had finished placing orders for the two of them.
She was a superb beauty.
Her age was around 20. She was in the flower of her youth, her regal color and luster like an overpowering bouquet of roses.
Whatever the time or place, hers was a beauty which would not fail to catch attention.
She herself understood that perfectly well, and one who was fully showing off.
Her pompous carriage however did not elicit disagreeable reactions from those watching. In all likelihood she had polished her image, as well as her consciousness of being seen. She carried it as if it were her career.
Behind her, as if chamberlain to her empress, a probably considerably older young man tagged along. She was possibly an entertainer-- that being an actress. In the year 2095 realistic 3DCGs had pretty much completely replaced the role of 'idols', but the role of 'actress' was still the realm of living women.
She had an aura which would be fearless even if introduced as a lead actress.
It could only be guessed at why she would come into such a casual restaurant. Maybe it was just on a whim, or she was looking over a location. The one thing that could be said for certain was if she set foot in this place filled with 'ordinary' people, she would have certainly drawn the eyes of everyone instore.
She herself had fully expected that. It didn't stem from any vanity or self- esteem. It was simply based on experience repeated dozens of times that it was almost a rule. As if second nature to her already, she directed her charm and prepared to be stared at.
However, her expectations this time were off the mark. As per the golden rule 'no rule is without exceptions', her string of experiences, was met with an exception.
The clerk who greeted her showed a sense of surprise and admiration, but it was a far calmer reaction than she would have thought.
For a mere waiter to appear before her and keep his cool, in her experience took considerable courage. However in the 80% full shop, a small murmur buzzed in the vicinity of the two as intrigued eyes and heads turned towards them with surprise as men and women alike recognized her beauty, then as if losing interest immediately turned back to watch something inside the store.
Appearances aside, she was an actress. For the five years since her debut, she had built up a strong position as an entertainer. If one is insensitive, they cannot survive in that industry. CG technology improves by the year, and glamour was no longer the absolute advantage it once was. It was not just her beauty, but her extraordinarily acute sensitivity and forceful acting beyond her years which had gained her stardom.
However normal sensitivity, never mind acute sensitivity would have sufficed to reach the same conclusion. She realized that there was something in this shop which was attracting more attention.
To her this was not something interesting. Rather, you could say it was unpleasant. She couldn't help dreading to think just what kind of person was here who would attract more attention than herself.
However, her pride as a star could not allow to let this incident wherein the public simply looked (or rather 'flicked a glance') at the two of them go. As she was guided by the wait staff, she simply tried to avoid looking in the direction where all the other customers were staring.
However, whether by chance or design, the table the two of them were led to was immediately diagonally across to the table which was drawing everyone's eye. Seating herself, she made herself steal a glance with forced casualness. A young couple was sitting there. The boy who was facing her, while not bad looking, didn't seem like the type which would magnetically attract the ladies. That being the case, the focus of attention of everyone had to be the girl whose back was to her.
--Though even as she thought, she put on a brave face. The fact she did so meant the girl was definitely not normal. In truth, she had known that the moment she caught a glimpse of her profile slightly. Perhaps she was forced to understand even from behind. The fact that this girl was extraordinary.
It was a sensation she had never felt before. In words, it would be something akin to desperate jealousy. She didn't exactly think of herself as someone chosen by the gods. The position she proudly had now, without meditating over the providence of her being born with good looks, was attained through living towards a more polished appearance, studying beautification and greedily learning all she could about acting.
But this girl was different. Whether she was loved by God or had made a deal with the Devil, it was evident she was special. She was in a dimension unreachable by mere effort.
She felt that was unreasonable. For her to enrapture the attention of all without any effort, made her who had desperately strove all her life feel like a fool. A deep desire to prove again that stardom was not dependent on born appearances swelled within her.
She beckoned to the young man sitting opposite her, who leaned over, and whispered in his ear.
While facing that beckoning beauty, the man's thoughts were on another woman.
Or rather, another young lady.
Diagonally behind him, was seated a girl whose beauty the likes of which he had never seen. It fully occupied his mind.
To him, the beautiful woman was just a commodity, an accessory. He was the third generation president of a top talent agency, was in control of many popular actresses and countless more budding (unhatched) ones. It was to him something only natural, without a hint of guilt. This woman before him was a star now, but back when she was just a pretty face it was all because of his taking care of her from an early age that she had risen to her position, he thought. He also did feel that such congratulatory thoughts were pretty just really considering all the effort he had gone through, and he thought that it was not just him but also her who agreed and was appropriately grateful.
He had brought her along to this folksy establishment because he wanted to show her off and see the envy in everyone's faces. An accessory is meaningless unless shown off. He was aware that it was a rather perverse interest, but he decided that being a professional performing artist was a perverse occupation from the beginning. To him who did not know the hardships of the age of war, the entertainment winter his predecessors had gone through, the chair of the president of production was just a means to quickly and easily satisfy his ephemeral vanity.
This woman who he had brought with him today was the accessory that most attracted his interest for now. She wasn't one of the top earners for the office, but she was the best looking among them. Now that she had joined the ranks of the top actresses after a fashion, he could no longer parade her around as much as when she was more anonymous but that simply increased the sense of superiority he felt. From the perspective of most people the woman was the dominant one and the man just an adjunction, but that was probably too much for the bullheaded man himself to realize.
To him, the woman was like a large diamond polished and cut by a craftsman. He purchased the roughs, then in the hands of a craftsman they were worked upon. That was the work of production, with the resulting gem being called an actress. To be sure she had earnestly worked hard to polish herself, as an example even if a craftsman processed his gems well without a fine band of gold around it wasn't on the level it could be sold.
At the first glance he immediately knew that the girl over there was not something money could buy. If the woman in front of him was a large diamond worth several tens of million yen, then the girl was as the priceless 'Great Star of Africa' (aka Cullinan diamond, the largest diamond ever found); such was the difference between them. By happy circumstance judging from his attitude the one she was with was just a boy, and he felt the eager urge to add her to his collection as soon as possible. But he was accompanied by an actress from the office today. In any other case, he would have realized how bad the appearance of wanting to turn her into a money making machine would hurt his case, and recalculated accordingly.
Which was why having the actress along and being able to say the woman before him wanted to scout the girl for a new movie was a godsend. He pretended to deliberate a while, then stood up as if going along with the will of the selfish actress.
The previously cute gaze (in the dull childish way of thinking) suddenly turned hostile. Tatsuya felt the change. He had so far ignored it because they did not seem likely to cause Miyuki harm, but it had turned rather troublesome. As he thought so, the source of the problem across from him (for Miyuki it was to the back diagonally) stood up from his table and walked over to them.
Both Tatsuya and Miyuki directed an unpleasant look at the young man standing next to their table. Glances were one thing, but it was no wonder they were uncomfortable with being stared at from point blank range by a stranger.
"Sorry to disturb you."
He had a rather blunt way of speaking. He seemed to be hedging his words to some extent, but still came across as far too familiar.
Tatsuya lost his intent to respond amiably to this man.
Miyuki's eyes were pregnant with a frosty light, and naturally turned away from him.
Despite this apparently rejecting attitude, the young man took out his cardcase and held out a business card to Miyuki with a fake smile.
"This is who I am."
Instead of a built-in chip, it was an old fashioned card made from paper. There was no micro-pattern or anything printed, just a character based truly classic cheap card. Miyuki reluctantly took it, then with a glance passed it on with strain to Tatsuya.
The surname and the name of his company were written with the same characters, and before his name the title President was attached. Behind the company name was the word 'productions'. Probably to do with professional entertainment Tatsuya thought.
"You, got any interest in movies?" Miyuki's eyes avoided him.
"I have a role that'd be just right for you!"
Miyuki's curt attitude should have spoken volumes, but the man would not be discouraged.
"Hey, won't you tell me your name?"
At that the young president brought his face so close that Miyuki cowered down. He completely ignored the clear air of rejection she was giving off. Such thick nerve and mental toughness was fitting for a salesman like him, and that unrelenting determination really was rather impressive.
Of course, what would be remembered would be the far more overpowering discomfort, but still.
Finally, Miyuki turned her gaze on the man she had been avoiding up to now. That didn't mean her attitude had swayed one bit.
Within her eyes was a frozen light. Her hard look seemed to accuse the man for his lack of courtesy.
Shown that face, the young man momentarily faltered but almost immediately righted himself, well almost. With an even falser smile than before, he actually reached out his hand to Miyuki.
That was probably due to his obstinacy as a man in professional performing arts. To him, a production president who considered beautiful women and girls as commodities, to seem to have lost a mental battle with an amateur was probably a blow to his pride.
In any case it was short-sighted behavior. As a young man who had inherited status, he seemed to have gained the bad habit of being unable to control his feelings when it came to people in weaker positions than him.
Was he going for her hand, or her face?
It didn't really matter, as there was no way Tatsuya would ever allow such outrageous behavior.
The young man's arm, as it reached for Miyuki, was suddenly firmly in the grasp of Tatsuya's hand before he knew it.
"Wha--!"
The man's selfish protest changed to a scream in the middle, before stopping short. The pain he was experiencing was so intense it didn't even allow him to let out a sound.
"Let's leave it at this."
Tatsuya's words probably didn't even reach the man's consciousness. His fingers twisting the man's hand were also pressing with severe strength and angle into pressure points in the man's wrist, like the points in Chinese medicinal acupuncture, such that the man's mind whited out from the pain.
As Tatsuya released his hand the man staggered back two, three steps before collapsing. Tatsuya's cold face as he looked over the youth was entirely devoid of expression. A shiver ran down the man's spine that eclipsed even the pain. If he had been laughed at, the pride within him could have been fanned to flame.
Even if it was something small and ephemeral like a sparkler. But Tatsuya's emotionless gaze, simply telling him 'get out of my way', brooked no hope of resistance.
With his eyes locked on to Tatsuya's-- he couldn't look anywhere else-- the youth stood up and hobbled away. Truth be told, to have experienced such crushing pain and hesitate to even think about retaliation before retreating was a testament to the man's courage. It was not inconceivable a weaker man may even have had incontinence.
However the woman accompanying the man certainly didn't think so. At the sound of a chair scraping the floor, the beauty haughtily and proudly left the shop with the echo of her heeled sandals resonating through the store. She didn't so much as glance at the man.
Finally, staff arrived. Two waiters approached at a quick pace, their footsteps worried. They didn't go to Tatsuya, but rather to the man.
Politely, in such a low tone that only the listener could hear, the waiters had some words with the now red faced man. His frenzied retorts, those which could be discerned from the loud ranting, seemed to comprise senseless things like "just who do you think I am!?" and "don't think you can talk to me like that!" among the parts where he raised his voice, but Tatsuya didn't give it a second thought. Although nothing physical occurred after, with a waiter pressing on him from both the left and right, after the mounting psychological pressure built up and made the man leave the shop, Tatsuya returned to his seat.
As he sat down, a man of around 40 dressed in white chef clothes came to their table. Introducing himself as both the chef and owner of the establishment, the man bowed deeply to both Tatsuya and Miyuki.
"I am very sorry for that uncomfortable episode just now."
"No, we're the ones who caused a disturbance. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Although still just 16, Tatsuya had spent much time around adults. If the other party was civil, he would be able to respond with as much equanimity as any.
The shopkeeper's eyes thawed slightly towards Tatsuya's cool demeanor, probably because he felt the calmness beyond his years.
"Don't mind the commotion. The one at fault was the other party. You were just involved."
Even at the close of the 21st century, the bad habit of insisting that 'in a quarrel both parties are to blame' remained ingrained into society, but this shopkeeper seemed to be the type who did not agree with that poor custom of dancing around accountability.
"Thank you for that."
Tatsuya approved of this attitude which could clearly distinguish between black and white. Without the need to put on any exterior show, he returned the bow naturally.
"The clerk was delayed and it ended up causing such a problem for you two, but please feel free to continue your meal if you would like to do so. Of course, it'll be on the house."
Before Tatsuya could object, the shopkeeper went back to the kitchen. Despite the casual appearance of the store, the food was of an extremely satisfactory level. Both the appetizer of soup and the following mains pasta were as straight laced as the stubborn character of their chef, well worked together with no pretensions, and both Tatsuya and Miyuki enjoyed them immensely.
After that was dessert. This was especially enrapturing for Miyuki. It was a thin size four (12 cm diameter) ice cake. The rich smell of vanilla wafted from the mutely colored topping, and it was just as authentic and unpretentious as the earlier courses. The not too hard, not too soft cool melt in your mouth texture was just as good as the offerings from any more upscale shops.
What delighted Miyuki was not just the taste however. Among the waiters the one slightly older, presumably the senior, brought along the ice cake with two spoons. The spoons had an unnaturally long handle, and wouldn't have been very practical for eating alone.
Placing those items in the middle of the table, the waiter had spoken to them in a soft voice.
"One for the lovely boyfriend to the beautiful girlfriend. One for the beautiful girlfriend to the lovely boyfriend. For the very compatible two of you, enjoy this sweet moment."
Due to the character of the place, those were probably words specifically scripted for such a situation as this.
Still Miyuki happily accepted it, smiling giddily with her face dyed red, and held out the spoon with a scoop of ice cream in it to Tatsuya.
--after concluding this shameless play disguised as dessert, as promised no specific bill came, so Tatsuya instead of taking out his electronic wallet simply repeatedly pressed a disposable money chip into the waiter's hand before quickly leaving the shop.
Lunch had finished on an unexpectedly interesting (and possibly just a bit embarrassing) note, but unfortunately life was not so kind as to end everything so cleanly.
Before the siblings stood the young president of the performing arts company from the restaurant earlier. There was no sign of the woman. She had probably left him and gone back. Instead, he was accompanied by four inversely proportioned (that is to say physically overbearing but far inferior in looks) men.
"You caused me quite the bit of humiliation earlier."
Although his voice was level for the time being, not the outraged ranting of before, it was possible to catch just a hint of crankiness in it.
This guy really is going full throttle spouting out all these cliched lines Tatsuya thought to himself, but he wasn't about to throw in the towel this late into the game.
"I believe I said so earlier. Let's leave it at that."
But as he had no intention of purposely picking a fight, he kept his words somewhat peaceful. At least he didn't say something like 'it's no surprise your companion ran from you considering your tiny mind', but he didn't hide the contempt in his tone either. He didn't intend to start a fight, but it almost seemed like he wouldn't mind welcoming one either.
If that was the case, Tatsuya's words were super effective.
"......If you want to prostrate yourself and apologize, now's the time."
"You're going to cause a scene right here?"
His words and attitude were fairly easy to grasp, but did he really intend to try something with so many people around? Tatsuya had said this out of concern for the man's social standing, but
"Shut up. Since when are real people subservient to you witches?" Those words were enough to clear Tatsuya's hesitation and restraint.
He shifted his body, completely hiding Miyuki from view. All traces of expression disappeared from his face, and his eyes narrowed.
Perhaps mistaking the change which had come over Tatsuya, the young man smiled.
"I had thought I remembered seeing you somewhere. We had met in the Nine Schools something hadn't we? I had thought I'd found a huge gemstone, but it turned out to be just a fake imitation."
Perhaps this man cleaved to the hoax that magicians were genetically modified and produced androids. Although their numbers were much reduced, Tatsuya knew through observation and knowledge that some still stubbornly persisted, which was why he didn't recall a sense of surprise at his words. "That's a lie."
The man's words were rather barefaced.
"You've only just met my sister today. Even if you had caught a glimpse of her during the Nine Schools Competition, even through video, there's no way a man of your type could ever hope to stand before her."
A wintry air began to permeate. It did not hold the chill of snow or ice, but cold hardness of a razor sharp steel blade
"What the hell. You a siscon or something?"
Subconsciously the man opened his mouth wide and laughed out loud. --his face almost turned blue. His voice trembled.
Tatsuya didn't bother to retort to that, but rather came right back with a line of his own.
"Is that something you had to learn from your buddies over there?"
The cowardly dog barks the loudest, and besides Tatsuya wasn't so delicate as to be provoked by such words. Still, that didn't mean he had to be tolerant of such dogs.
"It'd be better for you to leave before you do something unfortunate in public. Or should I say it again so you can understand better?"
The one who had been insulted was not himself, but Miyuki. That was the sole reason Tatsuya had dispensed with all peaceful intent.
Keeping his eyes on the man, Tatsuya took a step forward. The man's entourage visibly tensed. They didn't have the same finesses or training as professional bodyguards, but they were experienced in their own way. On the level of street fighting anyway. You'd never guess from their attire, but Tatsuya idly guessed that the four were probably gangsters. The talk of there being good relations between pro entertainment and the underworld were probably not the whole truth, but at least not false either.
"What the hell are you guys all scared for! They can't use magic in cities. It should be a piece of cake!"
It seems the man had been completely taken in by the urban legends surrounding magicians.
Magicians didn't use magic in cities because they were restricted by the law from exercising magic, not because they received remote mechanical signals or the like. In any case magic was only prohibited if there was no legitimate reason and in the event of accidents or disasters the use of magic to help is encouraged, and yet another exception is the case of self defense.
It seemed the henchmen were not so naive as to believe in the myths the president was spouting. Slipping a hand to their waists-- probably a folding pocket knife or something-- they studied Tatsuya's movements with care.
After two steps, Tatsuya stopped and raised both his arms to shoulder height. It wasn't a holdup.
By fluttering and waving his hands, he showed them that they were empty. At that gesture, the gangsters felt they were being made fools of. They knew neither the shape nor utility of CADs, but they did know that magicians used some sort of small device to cast magic. They took Tatsuya's gesture, directed at them, as a declaration that he didn't need magic.
They were correct. Tatsuya was provoking them, as if saying 'I don't need magic to deal with the likes of you.'
The effect was immediate. From the start they were low ranking members, desperate to prove their worth. Being called by the young president, they had been sent out as the small fry. Desire to appeal aside, they had a low boiling point anyway.
Drawing their knives, they lunged at Tatsuya in unison.
Gangs nowadays train their members in group combat as the norm. In this age where both vigilantes and the general public are well organised, groups which are said to be professionals in violence could hardly get away without at least learning to fight as a team.
Two waves of knives attacked from the left and the right. The screams of young women rent the air.
Miyuki's voice was not among them.
Without a word, without so much as a flicker of emotion, she simply looked on at her brother's back.
Her trust in her brother's skills was absolute. Neither was that trust betrayed.
Four punches. One man, one blow. Each fist struck a vital area with unrelenting precision, leaving the gangsters crawling about on the floor.
Tatsuya resumed his advance.
For each step he took, the president took two steps back.
Then he stopped short. The moment he felt he had bumped into someone, he was seized by both arms and forced to kneel. Looking back in a hurry,he was greeted by the sight of uniformed police officers.
There were eight in total. Two were overpowering the president, four secured the gangsters rolling around on the ground, while two more came to stand before Tatsuya.
Miyuki walked to stand just behind him. Glancing alternatively between the two, the policeman began an inarticulate delivery.
"Umm, we want to hear your side of events, so could you accompany us to the station please?"
Tatsuya couldn't say he was surprised at this attitude. Even if you say it was self defense, they had engaged in violence in public. It wouldn't have been strange if they had actually been detained.
Looking closely, the shape of a CAD could be made out around the policeman's wrist. He was evidently a mage. If so, knowing both Tatsuya and Miyuki were also mages, it could only be wondered if he felt a sense of solidarity with them. Still, his sheepish attitude was a little worrying.
"Uh, in addition......"
The partner of the cop who had first spoken began to say something, stammering out a preface. On his waist was a handgun shaped CAD.
The officer put his hand behind his waist. Was he going for handcuffs?
At Miyuki's arched eyebrows, Tatsuya wordlessly gestured for prudence. The officer's hand stretched out to the two of them. Or rather, to Miyuki.
In his hand was, not his police notebook, but another private notebook.
"......You're Shiba Miyuki san right? You were in this year's Nine Schools
Competition. I'm an Old Boy of First High myself......
If you could, may I get your signature?"
Another policeman held out another rare classic for these days, a fountain pen.
Tatsuya and Miyuki exchanged a glance, before Miyuki gave a sly smile at the two officers.
[August 31st (3)]
"I didn't think we'd see an OB in a place like that."
Remembering the days events, Miyuki couldn't help giggling. Tatsuya also struggled to rein in laughter, before leaking out a smile.
"It's not that surprising when you think about it. The only magic high school in Kanto is First High, so a mage who became an officer in Tokyo is most likely to have graduated from there."
"That's true. In any case, the reason we spent hardly any time at the station was because the guy was a huge Miyuki fan...... In other words it's all thanks to you.
You were a great help."
"You're welcome. Being able to be helpful to Onii-sama is more important than anything."
"Still, for them to actually invite us out to tea was totally overwhelming. It was hard to refuse."
"Well!? That was hardly Miyuki's fault!"
At that the two of them looked at each other, and once again, exchanged smiles. Miyuki was sucking on a straw, and her glass was pretty much empty. Tatsuya's cup had likewise been reduced to just ice.
Seeing his sister remove her mouth from the straw and looking towards him, Tatsuya rose from his seat.
"Now then, the bank's about to open, so let's head out."
"Alright. I'll clean up the cups, so please wait there a bit Onii-sama."
"No, I'll help."
As he said so, without waiting for a word of protest, he plucked the tray right out of her hands. It looked rough, but actually the ice stirring in the glasses didn't even make a sound. With a rather peeved expression, Miyuki swiftly hid her true emotions as she followed Tatsuya into the kitchen.
Going to the bank is no longer for making deposits. As a result of the evolution of personal checks and the electronic wallet, money cards are widespread and cash is now rarely used. Nor do you go to make transfers. Both transactions and transfers are pretty much all recorded online, and using the bank in such situations is also limited to special cases.
The reason Tatsuya was going was to update his ID required for such online services. There is no periodic determined time for which you have to do so. You can continue using it from the date of issue without a single update if you wish. Only the ID is required, not the update. Updating the ID is a part of security, and by proceeding straight instore in person rather than authenticating the data online increases the security.
Tatsuya updated his ID every three months. The average renewal rate was twice a year, so four times would be classed as a higher frequency. It was not unusual for some more paranoid users to update theirs on a weekly basis. In the cool store, Miyuki and Tatsuya stood perfectly in line shoulder to shoulder and waited to be called up. They didn't do so because they were cold, but rather they had walked that way from the station to the bank under the hot sun as well.
The reason was because people had the frequent habit of hitting on Miyuki. Not many guys, especially of the same age, looking at Miyuki would dare to immediately try to make her accompany them or go out with them, but dealing with just a single one would take a considerable amount of time. Therefore, they decided in advance that whenever walking through the city they would act as lovers.
When Miyuki accompanied Tatsuya outside, such as for shopping or someplace she wants to go or something she wants to watch, being able to stick to her brother like this was probably just as much a factor as anything else. Case in point, even though there was nothing particularly interesting about standing around in the bank lobby, Miyuki seemed as cheerful as ever.
--her brother complex left no room for doubt.
That aside, modern banks often do not store cash since their utility is so limited.
In place of cash, money cards were used to shift around large amounts of money. The issuer is able to systematically put on hold transactions. Unlike with checks there is nothing in circulation, the only one inconvenienced is the party in question. For that reason, the existence of the bank robber is becoming ever more an endangered species.
--that should have been the case.
"This is pretty rare......"
Tatsuya and Miyuki had just come upon a scene with that very same endangered species.
Four men had just burst into the store brandishing shoddy remodeled handguns, threatening the bank clerks and customers. The ski masks they hid their faces behind in the midst of summer gave a rather retro feel.
They wore grimy jumpers, as they swung a Boston bag onto the counter.
Their style was so traditional that an onlooker might even be confused as to whether this was a bizarre attraction of some kind or something, but from the desperate yelling they directed at the bank staff one could surmise that they might just possibly might be the real thing.
"Onii-sama, what should we do?"
With eyebrows raised Miyuki looked up at Tatsuya, and asked him in a business as usual tone.
"If you like, I can handle this."
Her usual feeling of not wanting to cause bother to Tatsuya came to the fore.
"No, there's no need for us to interfere."
Laughing, Tatsuya put his hands on Miyuki's shoulders. He lightly patted her. Miyuki happily buried her head in Tatsuya's chest.
For the other customers who made anxious expressions and stiffened at this scenario, this 'could not care less' attitude was less than familiar. Needless to say, these two who exuded such a relaxed mood in the turbulent atmosphere stood out pretty damn well.
If you need an explanation for the sake of Tatsuya's honor, he hadn't said there was no need to interfere just so he could flirt around with his sister. Strictly speaking, his current actions were simply to appease her. Just because bank robberies had become such rare crimes didn't mean banks didn't have security systems in place to combat it. A bank robbery would never succeed with just remodeled handguns anyway.
The proof of that was evident before them. A previously transparent shield had extended from the counter to the ceiling to prevent all access. Within that shield, another semi transparent shield descended from the ceiling to cover the open window before the clerk.
The Boston bag caught in that window was torn apart. If the robber's arm had been there, it was probable it would have fractured seriously enough to even require amputation.
One of the robbers fired a bullet at the shield. It didn't even faze the first layer.
The clear outer shield appeared to be made of a material similar to high viscosity liquid. It prevented collateral damage. Seeing that, Tatsuya was impressed by the design.
One of the robbers spat then looked back into the lobby. Looking right at the man, Tatsuya averted his gaze. What the man's eyes settled upon was Miyuki. Being suddenly stared at (she felt), she hurriedly cast her face downwards.
A glimpse could be seen of the man's eyes from the gaps in the mask. Putting the fear and tension of the fleeing customers in the lobby aside, from the unpleasant smile he wore it seemed this man in particular had a short temper. Anyway, it was safe to say that Tatsuya and Miyuki had caught the man's attention.
Tatsuya sensed his malice. He wouldn't be much of a bodyguard otherwise. Of course, there was little chance of a robber looking at them with friendly eyes. He could also perceive the sadistic light that shone in his eyes.
Miyuki also realized the robber was looking at her with such eyes. She huddled closer into Tatsuya's chest. It was the splitting image of looking frightened in the face of the situation. Judging from his smirk, the robber thought so too. But
Tatsuya, who could feel Miyuki's body through her thin clothes, knew there was no tension in her. His sister wasn't nervous in the least. If he could see her expression, he wouldn't have been surprised if she was trying to stifle laughter.
Subconsciously, he hid his own wry smile under his signature pokerface. He hoped it wasn't too unnatural, as he then made an anxious expression and held Miyuki's hand tightly. It wasn't something he normally did, but he was also perfectly proficient in drama if it came to it.
The eyes of the four robbers converged on the two. It was impossible to see clearly under the masks, but it was easy to tell from their exposed eyes that they were grinning broadly. Miyuki and Tatsuya's acting must have stimulated them quite well.
Tatsuya went so far as to tremble a little. Even he thought that was probably a bit much, but the robbers seemed to drink it up.
Their attention had completely diverted from the other customers in the lobby. A security system that even took into account ricochets, should definitely extend beyond just cutting off the counter from the lobby.
The immediate focus of the robbers was the two of them. They completely failed to notice the beams forming above them in a rectangular pattern. Before they knew it, the ceiling had been replaced by stereoscopic images. From the girders, people dropped in onto the heads of the robbers. The conditioned wiry guards overpowered the robbers in the blink of an eye.
Tatsuya wasn't particularly surprised at the scene. For someone able to sense others presences, something such as a stereoscopic screen was no shield whatsoever. As he was waiting, he had always been aware that there were guards ready for deployment overhead.
The bank staff of course didn't know he was like that. Miyuki, still huddled in his chest, would by common sense be seen as crying in relief at the close of a tense situation. They thought Tatsuya's arms were hiding her face as he embraced her because of that. Truthfully, he had simply read the mood and was trying to hide her smile from the somber staff and guards.
With Miyuki's head still cradled in his arms, the bank manager came out to Tatsuya. Asking his name, he apologized profusely and offered him exemption from fees for one year as compensation for the distress. Unsure of how to look, Tatsuya maintained his pokerface-- at that, the bank manager's expression visibly tensed-- before accepting the offer. In the eyes of most people, that really was a relatively dangerous situation after all.
After being told Tatsuya had come to update his ID, the manager called a subordinate to carry out the necessary proceedings. Tatsuya gently released
Miyuki, and she hid her face behind her long hair as she allowed herself to be guided by the shoulder.
There was no chance of being spied upon during the process, as it was all carried out by a machine in a private room. Entering, away from the eyes and ears of others, the two of them finally dropped the act and, facing each other, burst out laughing.
This encounter with the bank robbers was the one unusual occurrence the two siblings experienced that day.
That incident the two went through on that last day of summer vacation, in the minds of the two, was organized along with the others into their 'memories of a certain summer'.
[August 31st (1)]
It is the year 2095 AD, August 31st. For the students of magic high schools, today is the last day of summer break. As the majority of science and literary high schools have already begun the new school year, and arts and physical education high schools don't start until mid September, it's an about average length. The Nine Schools Competition which ran from August 3rd to the 12th has already finished, but there is no particular break extension for the representatives.
Even in the 21st century long breaks had inherent problems (homework) to go along with them, something often cried over during the last day of break-- this often as not being literal crying whilst looking over essay files comprised solely of a bunch of titles, a cherished tradition across the nation. However, it has to be said that not all students are such slackers(?). Like a certain pair of brother and sister enrolled in first year of the National Magic University attached First high school, the number of students who leisurely spent their last day of summer break relaxing at home was not in the minority.
"Miyuki, it's done."
"Thank you very much, I'm so sorry, Onii-sama. Bothering you with such a trivial matter......"
"Making crushed ice isn't really anything troublesome."
While placing the ice pick onto the dining table, Tatsuya let out a chuckle at his sister's excessive manner of speaking.
At that, Miyuki gave a graceful smile. In her hands, black liquid sloshed around within the heat resistance glass of the coffee server.
Coffee poured in a dark cascade over the chunks of clear ice Miyuki had used magic to create (by freezing from the bottom of the container upwards, in such a way as to disrupt convection), and Tatsuya had used an ice pick to break it into crushed ice (since if he had used his own magic, it would have ended up as fluffy shaved ice instead).
A fragrant aroma filled the dining room.
To prevent the scent from spreading any further Miyuki cast a pocket of cold air over the large round cup, and soon rose holding a tray with two portions of iced coffee.
At that casual use of a high level skill, Tatsuya narrowed his eyes.
Noticing her brother's gaze Miyuki broke into an embarrassed grin, before airily turning her back.
In the room on the first floor facing the garden-- it had originally been a guest room, but now with the bed removed it had become a spare room-- and lazing around the table, with the thrown open windows and curtains giving the air of an open terrace in a resort, Tatsuya and Miyuki enjoyed coffee time.
That being said Miyuki was bustling around serving Tatsuya hand and foot, such that she didn't even have time to warm her own chair, but as that was because Miyuki found doing so pleasurable, any third person quibbling over the scene would simply be unseemly.
As if finally satisfied, Miyuki modestly took off her white frilly apron and sat down not opposite to Tatsuya from the round table, but next to him.
Beneath the apron, her flawless white arms showed under the wide shoulder straps of her translucent one piece. Tatsuya felt the clear polkadot summer dress was rather familiar.
"Do you remember?"
Sensitively reading Tatsuya's look, Miyuki shyly asked him a question before he could open his mouth.
"Of course. It suits you perfectly."
At Tatsuya's utterly earnest compliment, Miyuki began to blush. "Sheesh. Onii-sama, you're always like that."
"It's because I truly think so. I said it at the start right? Besides, I wouldn't give you anything that didn't match you."
Accompanied by a cool face, at Tatsuya's intense words, completely unsuitable for (in light of the general world view) his sister, Miyuki's face turned completely crimson.
"Eh, uhm...... Thank you very much."
As he caught a glimpse of Miyuki's face looking up at him, both embarrassed yet happy at the same time, she had a rather similar expression when I first brought her that dress Tatsuya thought as he relived the memories of that day.
[August 14th (1)]
August 14th. Two days after the close of the Nine Schools Competition. Tatsuya and Miyuki were going to the shopping tower in the city center.
The two of them are high school students, and in the middle of their summer break. Even for shopping it would seem unlikely to need to go on a Sunday, but of course there was a reason. From tomorrow the 15th to the 18th, Tatsuya has to attend meetings at Four Leaves Technology (FLT) regarding commercialization of the flight device. Next week from Tuesday to Thursday he has field exercises scheduled with the Independent Magic Equipped Battalion. Since his only free time is in the weekend, Tatsuya thought there was little point in taking a break.
As for what to do to fill in the time, Tatsuya decided to buy Miyuki a reward for her victory in the Mirage Bat event. At the word 'reward' instead of 'present' Miyuki had sulked lightly for a while, but as this was ostensibly a present in all but name anyway she was now happily walking beside him in the best of spirits. In any case, the subtle fact that Miyuki was not pleased with a simple gift, but more than happy to receive a gift from Tatsuya was something lost upon him.
Miyuki's outfit today was a dark blouse with see-through sleeves, an ankle length white skirt, and sandals. On her head was a wide-brimmed straw hat. It was a private outing so he didn't mind all the exposed skin, but as usual, Miyuki's fashion was conservative compared to what she wore inside the house.
On the other hand Tatsuya wore a jacket loosely over a T-shirt, with elastic synthetic pants on the bottom. While the pants looked tight, it was a summer fabric with excellent breathability and despite covering all the way to the ankles, he didn't seem hot at all. However, with the exception that up to his neck and wrists were covered he wasn't that different from his sister.
A woman's love for shopping has not changed even now, something which could even be construed as common sense, and especially among young ladies that love is something which has not diminished as the last decade of the 21st century draws to a close. It is thought that the shopping habits of these girls can be divided into three patterns.
Firstly, those who buy their favorite things first. Secondly, those who buy their favorite things last.
Thirdly, and probably most commonly, those who while having a favorite proceed to go here and there, back and forth all over the place.
Miyuki belongs to the first category. When Tatsuya had asked her yesterday 'what do you want' Miyuki had hesitated only slightly before replying 'a summer one piece dress', probably as a result of the summer dress Mayumi had showed off on the bus back from the Nine Schools Competition. In a short while, Tatsuya presumed they had arrived at their destination. This was because within the fashion boutique Miyuki was currently pulling him into, a wide array of similar dresses were prominently being displayed. Miyuki's current outfit was a relatively trendy design, but it's fine for her to try new things now and again, Tatsuya thought as he glanced at the mannequins in their skimpy summer dresses.
Looking at the same thing as Tatsuya, Miyuki's expression faltered. Well, not exactly the same thing. What Miyuki had seen was the price tag attached to those summer dresses.
"You don't have to hold back, Miyuki. You know my income."
Although it's called a price tag it's considerably different from the century before, being an AR display virtual tag.
In order to check the price it's necessary to use the information terminal everyone carries around and access the AR app, which is how Tatsuya knew what Miyuki had been looking at.
Tatsuya too had engaged the AR app and checked the tag. The price marked did not deviate from his expectations.
This was a shop which had caught Miyuki's eye. There should be no budget stuff in it.
What's more, Tatsuya's words to Miyuki weren't bravado. Expensive as they were, these were ready-to-wears designed for young teens. For haute couture, it's not even a very high price. As a member of Taurus Silver, this amount of money wasn't much to him at all.
The act of dangling their purse before someone would usually elicit an unfavorable response from most people, but Miyuki simply brushed it aside. She probably thought that refraining now would simply be rude to her brother. Abandoning her hesitation, Miyuki began to look over the dresses on the mannequins and hangers.
Having the physical articles in a store instead of simple 3D video displays marks this shop as the real deal. Low price retailers, and even mid range stores, have 3D displays as the norm.
Most of the time even fitting is done via composite video. Being unable to ascertain the feel of the fabric is covered by a returns policy. Being able to try on the sample products, like here, is pretty rare for a shop nowadays.
After looking around all four corners of the shop, Miyuki called out to a clerk and pointed to three dresses. After telling her she wanted to try them on, the clerk nodded with a grin. The reason it wasn't a mere business smile was probably because they wanted to use Miyuki as PR for the shop, Tatsuya thought idly.
It wasn't uncommon for Miyuki to cause such ulterior motives. It was also unacceptable. For example even if they wanted to make just an area limited ad, he wouldn't let Miyuki model. The true reason was simply that Tatsuya did not want to expose Miyuki to countless dirty looks.
But as expected (relatively) of such a high class establishment, the clerk wasn't rude enough to bring the matter up all of a sudden. Rather she left for the stock room smiling all the while, returning swiftly with samples for fitting. Although they're samples there are mechanisms which automatically clean and sterilize the articles each time, so there was no hesitation in taking them. Holding the samples, Miyuki was guided by the clerk to the dressing rooms.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya sat down on a bench inside the shop. If something came up the clerk would come calling, and even if not should something happen to Miyuki he would know immediately. To kill time, he opened a publication website. However, he never got the chance to pick up the strings of text displayed on the mobile terminal. The reason was the moment he opened the site the clerk from earlier was standing obliquely before him, as if trying to read his expression.
"Is something the matter?"
He would have been content to wait until the other party began talking, but as he had assumed the pose of one waiting for his partner (well more precisely, his companion), it would be difficult for the clerk whose hospitality manners had been so firmly ingrained to do so. Thinking that, Tatsuya had therefore decided to lead her on.
"I have a little matter I'd like to talk with you about......"
"Should we move somewhere else?"
This is probably something confidential, Tatsuya had thought, although going that far did seem a bit much.
"No, this will just take a bit of time."
At Tatsuya's slight nod of acceptance, the subtle tension in the clerk's face came away.
"If you don't mind, about the dress your companion is purchasing."
"We haven't decided if we're going to buy it yet, but go on."
At Tatsuya's curt interruption of her dialogue, the clerk gave a hasty nod.
"Certainly! This is all considering if you would like to purchase the goods from our shop."
"Of course, if my sister likes it then we'll buy it."
"Thank you very much!"
Tatsuya wasn't really intentionally trying to harass the clerk. As a matter of course he had all manner of comebacks prepared and ready, but at the clerk's overreaction it was Tatsuya who felt troubled. He may have had some more things to say, but at this point it didn't matter.
"So, what is it you were saying?"
The one who interrupted had been Tatsuya, but now he gently urged her on. "Oh, right."
The clerk didn't show a single hint of discomfort. The results from the training boutique employees receive is formidable indeed. Or maybe she was simply completely at a loss when it came to dealing with him.
"If the articles instore are to your fancy, would it be possible for the clothing in question to be worn from the outset?"
In any case, the fact the clerk came for "consultation" was somewhat strange at first glance. In itself, the contents of the request weren't unusual. A ready-to- wear, and easy to maintain sleeveless one piece summer dress. Wearing that straight from the shop, especially considering the shop has the articles physically in the stockroom, is not uncommon. What was strange was that the clerk had specifically asked about it.
"You want us to wear the dress from here around, is that what you mean?"
However, Tatsuya didn't ask the reason. The clerk's, or rather the boutique's intention was pretty clear. They probably wanted Miyuki walking around in the clothing from this shop as a kind of moving advert.
"Yes. In return, we will recalculate the price for you."
The clerk also seemed to have realized Tatsuya had deduced their purpose. Quickly bringing in the matter of a discount, this woman had a formidable mercantile streak belying her youth.
Tatsuya had no interest in the discount itself. However, he was concerned in another aspect of the clerk's request.
"Is that it? Shoots are No good."
"Of course. We will not engage in any activity which may infringe on the customer's privacy."
"Could you show us clothing instore besides the ones on display?"
"With pleasure."
Not bad, Tatsuya thought.
After the negotiations with the clerk were settled, a different clerk came over. It seemed Miyuki wanted him. Without a hint of irritation, he stood up. This was to be expected after all, and even if not there was nothing to resent. "Onii-sama, what do you think......?"
The fitting room door was open. With a three way mirror in the background allowing viewing of all sides (to prevent voyeurism, no cameras were allowed inside), Miyuki shyly asked his opinion. She was wearing a pale grey toned jumper skirt.
"It suits you extremely well. Still, I think you can go with something a bit more dashing."
The knee-length simple design greatly complimented Miyuki's beauty, but it's a bit too drab, Tatsuya thought.
"Is that so?... Then, please wait a bit."
She nodded and closed the door. The faint sound of rustling clothes could be heard. The moments of silence were probably her working on her hair and skirt.
"Sorry for the wait. How about this?"
Seeming far more embarrassed than shy this time, Miyuki solicited his opinion whilst avoiding making eye contact.
It's probably because it's so different from the clothes she normally wears outside that she's unnecessarily self conscious he thought.
Miyuki's outfit this time was a checkered camisole one piece. From the neck to the shoulders was totally bare. The skirt also rose tantalizingly above the knee in excess of five centimeters, such that even innocents would be caught and enraptured.
"Yeah, that's great. I can't take my eyes off you."
"That's......"
At Tatsuya's straightforward opinion Miyuki turned scarlet. That being said the considerably older clerk was blushing even more furiously, though whether it was at Miyuki's stunning figure or Tatsuya's far too honest words was unknown.
"There was one more right? Did it not interest you?"
"No......
Then, shall I show you that one as well?"
The process of changing clothes was repeated.
The summer dress this time was pretty much exactly halfway between the first and the second in terms of exposure level. It was a silhouette which focused on the waist while emphasizing the bust line and hips.
"Um...... How is it.....?"
Despite having less exposure than the second dress, the sex appeal in this one here was top notch. She must have realized that while putting it on, which probably accounted for the extent of her embarrassment.
It was a design which would be awkward if there was insufficient volume around the chest and hips, but it fitted her surprisingly well. As the one who saw her in her underclothes on a weekly basis during her CAD adjustment Tatsuya should have been perfectly aware of his sister's growing body, but seeing it objectively like this really drove home the point that she was drawing closer to being an adult than he had ever thought. It exuded a totally different, probably age specific, unbalanced charm from the previous camisole dress.
"This is rather troubling. Even I might lose my reasoning with this."
"......"
At Tatsuya's unapologetic compliment, the color of Miyuki's face deepened even further, and she closed the door of the fitting room in silence.
After that Miyuki's fitting (or in other words, fashion show) continued. Each and every time Tatsuya praised his sister straightforwardly as if unaware of what shame was, and for her part Miyuki was exceedingly embarrassed each time (almost as if making up for her brother). Still she requested to be able to try on even more outfits, seeming to value her brother's praise far more highly than the well-being of either her heart or facial blood vessels, so that was that.
Miyuki had no modelling experience. Although she had looks which would have given any international top model a run for their money, she had no professional modelling skill. She couldn't manage rapid clothes changing or anything like that.
In short when all's said, this repeated fitting alone took a considerable amount of time. Of course when the fitting room door was shut it was impossible to peek inside, but when Miyuki came out to show off a costume to Tatsuya, they were visible from the store's exhibition space. Occasionally Tatsuya would request her to spin around or strike a pose, and a crowd began to form around the dressing room.
Still, it's not like they senselessly crowded around gawking. Tatsuya would never have permitted that, and the clerks in all likelihood tactfully did their work before he had to make a move. Instead, the youths were simply glimpsed in the surroundings from a distance. Still however much they shuffled around and pretended to look at the mannequins, they just couldn't seem to avert their eyes.
The word youths did not simply imply young men. Although there were guys in their number, numerically speaking the girls were superior. Well, honestly speaking the very nature of the shop meant that there was a high entry threshold for guys. In fact, the males were in the minority outnumbered three to one and comprised mainly of college students with their girlfriends or those dressed as young businessmen; Tatsuya was probably the only high school student on the premises. Although there weren't many with the insight to see that he was actually a high school student anyway.
One of the girls, or rather the girls in the group one by one would look at Miyuki with a mixture of admiration and envy before quickly looking away. At the sound of the dressing room door closing sighs of relief could be heard, then upon the sound of it opening again as if charmed they'd hide then peek out for a glimpse.
On that note, the female customers being escorted by a guy-- or rather being waited upon-- kept a better state of mind. As their boyfriends stared at Miyuki with worshipful eyes (showing there wasn't a single unconditional lover among them) they either stamped them on the foot or nudged them in the ribs or the like. On the one hand they would enviously look upon Tatsuya who was shamelessly and unhesitatingly heaping Miyuki with praise, then unreasonably take their anger out on their hapless lovers. In short, they restored their emotional balance by using the next convenient guy as a doormat.
Of course, both Tatsuya and Miyuki were fully aware of all the attention they were getting. He was mentally sorting out the harmful and harmless gazes, automatically categorizing them without even being aware and especially putting the non hostile intents out of mind, while she naturally filtered out all the looks-- she would never even be able to walk down the street normally otherwise-- so it never got to the extent they had to suspend shopping.
Nothing but words of approval came out from Tatsuya's mouth, yet each time was different. Monopolizing Tatsuya's complete attention Miyuki's feeling of happiness was almost intoxicating, such that she wasn't able to differentiate the subtle nuances in his words. As the number of tried on dresses passed 20, Miyuki ended up holding a polka-dot dress that had been kept in the fitting room. It was a sleeveless, knee-length camisole summer dress. The wide shoulder straps were frilled with lace, and around the chest and hem of the skirt plenty of lace was in abundance too. It combined a generous amount of exposure with an air of elegance, the iridescent ivory polka-dots lending a very age appropriate cuteness.
"Onii-sama, I was thinking this one
......?"
"I reckon that's the best as well. It really is cute."
She had picked this dress because it was the one that had been most popular with her brother, but upon hearing him saying 'cute' again, she made up her mind in an instant.
"Then......
Could I get this please?"
Miyuki didn't bother with hesitant language this late in the game. Instead, she gave a heartachingly beautiful smile-- with utmost sincerity, a look suitable for receiving a gift from her brother-- and asked his permission.
"Sure."
For his part, Tatsuya didn't really have a say in the matter-- he would never have been able to say 'no'. Being able to buy these things his sister liked was the most meaningful use of his income anyway, he had always thought. Whether he himself was aware of that thought was a moot point.
At Miyuki's lovely 'please', the consciousness of the watching men seemed to freeze.
At the same time the women gave a collective sigh of envy at Tatsuya's natural generosity.
"Then this dress and, along with dresses number two and seventeen please. She'll be wearing this back, so could you please send my sister's current clothes back along with the other items?"
"Certainly. Please come back again anytime. Thank you for waiting." Then to these unexpected VIP customers, the clerk gave a solemn nod.
[August 31st (2)]
"Still, I never thought we'd end up buying three. Even if the price was very reasonable."
Miyuki must also have been reminiscing about that time. She had a happy grin on her face, as she spoke to Tatsuya in a teasing tone.
"I would have been more than happy with just this one. Onii-sama? Is this what they call 'adult's shopping'?"
"It would have been a shame to let your 21 tryouts go to waste. It was finally our long awaited summer vacation, but I was only able to take you out shopping in the end. Or, was it unnecessary trouble for you?"
"Not at all!"
Miyuki line was simply teasingly accusing her brother of 'splurging', yet at this frontal attack, she hastily raised the white flag.
"That, I...... Was very happy."
She had been taken down a peg by Tatsuya, but Miyuki wasn't distressed at all. Rather she shyly looked up at her brother's face, and as she did so, the distance between them diminished even more than earlier.
"It really was a long awaited opportunity huh...... To be honest there were other things like yukata and various other summer activities I would have liked to leisurely do with you, but."
Tatsuya's face, which had been smiling in satisfaction at Miyuki's good mood, suddenly clouded as he muttered in a bitter voice.
"......It wasn't Onii-sama's fault."
Miyuki's whisper was tender as she took his hands from the table and gently wrapped them in her own.
[August 14th (2)]
Although they had finished choosing clothes, there was still time to spare before lunch. As she was finally able to come out alone with Tatsuya, Miyuki didn't want to just go home and let the occasion go to waste.
Fortunately, Tatsuya wasn't exactly the indoors type either. In addition, Tatsuya had come out today with family service (sister service) in mind. Without any particular words between the two, they decided to hang out like this until evening.
The building they were currently in specialized in fashion for young women. They didn't carry just clothes but also shoes, hats, accessories, various knick- knacks, swimsuits and yukatas according to season; this building had such goods for the entirety of it's 14 floors. Even the food stalls were snacks and sweet shops catering to young women. It was a rather formidable atmosphere for men, but another thing altogether for women and couples. Even if his companion was his sister, no one would suspect a thing.
In fact, without listening in to the conversation between them it would be nigh impossible to perceive that they were siblings. Or rather, if one didn't pick up on Miyuki's utterance of 'Onii-sama', even if they were close by they wouldn't be able to tell.
With her arm happily entwined around Tatsuya's, Miyuki's nestled appearance no matter how you looked at it gave the perfect impression of a girl in love. Those with some bias may think they were an 'unbalanced couple'. That line of thought was probably restricted only to the male populace, after which they would be accused by their accompanying lady as 'ogling another woman' and appropriately chastised. Well, it was a kind of expected harmony.
As previously mentioned, this building was pretty much a women only store. It held nothing of interest in particular-- the majority of those with girlfriends or those they wanted to make girlfriends seemed only to be here to make their partner happy-- for men. A man with thoughts like that, putting their own enjoyment aside, could probably spend a considerable amount of time in here, but Tatsuya was not that type to say the least.
However as Tatsuya accompanied Miyuki in her window shopping, he displayed no sign of unwillingness whatsoever. As Miyuki's eyes animatedly brightened or filled with frustration, Tatsuya's own eyes twinkled warmly. Whether inborn or acquired, imprinted by others or nurtured by himself, the fact was as long as Miyuki was there it wouldn't matter if they were in the city or in the mountains; he would be the same.
It was the one thing he truly wanted. As long as she was beside him, whatever the conditions didn't matter; this was something anyone who knew his circumstances could understand full well. Both Miyuki and Tatsuya depended heavily upon one another, but perhaps more on Tatsuya's side than the other.
Still if you actually asked them, they'd probably just reply 'it's none of your business (not your concern)' in unison. A punishment more painful than being kicked by a horse may also be forthcoming.
That-- the harsh handling-- wouldn't really be due to the blunt question in particular.
It would also apply to the rude intrusion.
Having an early lunch at a pasta house, the siblings glared coldly at the young man at the table next to them.
Tatsuya and Miyuki had entered that shop by coincidence, or rather on a whim. When eating out, the two of them would rarely choose a place with such an unobstructed layout as this. They'd mainly go for places with private rooms, or at least booths with partitions between tables. If they didn't, they'd garner far too much unwelcome attention, most of it naturally on the part of Miyuki.
Due to the occasion today, they probably decided that most of the customers would be women, and the men would most likely be accompanied by women anyway, well, it ended up being quite the piece of wishful thinking.
The moment Miyuki entered the shop, followed by Tatsuya, the bustle inside was frozen in an instant. Even the clerk-- unusually for such a casual establishment as this, a waiter not a waitress-- was paralyzed breathless. Even Tatsuya had not expected such a hypersensitive reaction. He had thought that a place which dealt with fashion on such a regular basis should have at least some resistance to Miyuki's beauty, but actually, precisely because this was a place which dealt with fashion there were probably few opportunities to see a true beauty of Miyuki's caliber.
The waiter regained his senses just as Tatsuya was on the verge of turning right around and walking back out. He probably sensed Tatsuya's dismay and intent to leave, clearing his mind in the process. Whether professionalism as a waiter or a lack of subtlety, he certainly did at least succeed in keeping two customers.
Even if they were picky, in all likelihood they would meet a similar response in any other establishment. So, Tatsuya quietly followed the waiter as he escorted them to an empty table. For her part, Miyuki would normally shy away from such attention but bore it. As long as Tatsuya was there, such things were trivial matters.
The two seat table did not have fixed sofas (at least apparently), but rather wooden chairs. After requesting the waiter fetch some chairs for them, Tatsuya turned to Miyuki. As he pulled out the chair for her to sit, she looked back at him coyly and gave a curtsy. Seating himself in the chair opposite, Tatsuya glanced at the waiter. In haste, he brought over and offered them menus. Receiving them in relaxed manner, Tatsuya dismissed him.
His conduct was so full of dignity belying his age that the waiter didn't feel any discomfort from the brusque treatment. The gazes of the customers who had been staring at Miyuki were for a fraction of a second diverted to Tatsuya. Most of them were female, but in their minds the sense of discomfort was replaced by a sort of consent. Although they had earlier been silently belittling Miyuki in their minds, thinking things such as 'what an unbalanced pair' and 'her taste in men is terrible', all this changed to 'the perfect couple' as they fully accepted their defeat.
With the rivalry discarded, the jealous looks changed to praise. However the couples, especially within the men, felt an anxious plight similar to jealous suspicion. Few of the 'boyfriends' were able to understand the look in their 'girlfriends' faces, but subconsciously an instinctive part of them understood that what had stolen their current girlfriend, or future girlfriend's eyes was not just her haunting beauty, but the deep love between her and the boy sitting opposite her.
A new player came upon the stage immediately after Tatsuya had finished placing orders for the two of them.
She was a superb beauty.
Her age was around 20. She was in the flower of her youth, her regal color and luster like an overpowering bouquet of roses.
Whatever the time or place, hers was a beauty which would not fail to catch attention.
She herself understood that perfectly well, and one who was fully showing off.
Her pompous carriage however did not elicit disagreeable reactions from those watching. In all likelihood she had polished her image, as well as her consciousness of being seen. She carried it as if it were her career.
Behind her, as if chamberlain to her empress, a probably considerably older young man tagged along. She was possibly an entertainer-- that being an actress. In the year 2095 realistic 3DCGs had pretty much completely replaced the role of 'idols', but the role of 'actress' was still the realm of living women.
She had an aura which would be fearless even if introduced as a lead actress.
It could only be guessed at why she would come into such a casual restaurant. Maybe it was just on a whim, or she was looking over a location. The one thing that could be said for certain was if she set foot in this place filled with 'ordinary' people, she would have certainly drawn the eyes of everyone instore.
She herself had fully expected that. It didn't stem from any vanity or self- esteem. It was simply based on experience repeated dozens of times that it was almost a rule. As if second nature to her already, she directed her charm and prepared to be stared at.
However, her expectations this time were off the mark. As per the golden rule 'no rule is without exceptions', her string of experiences, was met with an exception.
The clerk who greeted her showed a sense of surprise and admiration, but it was a far calmer reaction than she would have thought.
For a mere waiter to appear before her and keep his cool, in her experience took considerable courage. However in the 80% full shop, a small murmur buzzed in the vicinity of the two as intrigued eyes and heads turned towards them with surprise as men and women alike recognized her beauty, then as if losing interest immediately turned back to watch something inside the store.
Appearances aside, she was an actress. For the five years since her debut, she had built up a strong position as an entertainer. If one is insensitive, they cannot survive in that industry. CG technology improves by the year, and glamour was no longer the absolute advantage it once was. It was not just her beauty, but her extraordinarily acute sensitivity and forceful acting beyond her years which had gained her stardom.
However normal sensitivity, never mind acute sensitivity would have sufficed to reach the same conclusion. She realized that there was something in this shop which was attracting more attention.
To her this was not something interesting. Rather, you could say it was unpleasant. She couldn't help dreading to think just what kind of person was here who would attract more attention than herself.
However, her pride as a star could not allow to let this incident wherein the public simply looked (or rather 'flicked a glance') at the two of them go. As she was guided by the wait staff, she simply tried to avoid looking in the direction where all the other customers were staring.
However, whether by chance or design, the table the two of them were led to was immediately diagonally across to the table which was drawing everyone's eye. Seating herself, she made herself steal a glance with forced casualness. A young couple was sitting there. The boy who was facing her, while not bad looking, didn't seem like the type which would magnetically attract the ladies. That being the case, the focus of attention of everyone had to be the girl whose back was to her.
--Though even as she thought, she put on a brave face. The fact she did so meant the girl was definitely not normal. In truth, she had known that the moment she caught a glimpse of her profile slightly. Perhaps she was forced to understand even from behind. The fact that this girl was extraordinary.
It was a sensation she had never felt before. In words, it would be something akin to desperate jealousy. She didn't exactly think of herself as someone chosen by the gods. The position she proudly had now, without meditating over the providence of her being born with good looks, was attained through living towards a more polished appearance, studying beautification and greedily learning all she could about acting.
But this girl was different. Whether she was loved by God or had made a deal with the Devil, it was evident she was special. She was in a dimension unreachable by mere effort.
She felt that was unreasonable. For her to enrapture the attention of all without any effort, made her who had desperately strove all her life feel like a fool. A deep desire to prove again that stardom was not dependent on born appearances swelled within her.
She beckoned to the young man sitting opposite her, who leaned over, and whispered in his ear.
While facing that beckoning beauty, the man's thoughts were on another woman.
Or rather, another young lady.
Diagonally behind him, was seated a girl whose beauty the likes of which he had never seen. It fully occupied his mind.
To him, the beautiful woman was just a commodity, an accessory. He was the third generation president of a top talent agency, was in control of many popular actresses and countless more budding (unhatched) ones. It was to him something only natural, without a hint of guilt. This woman before him was a star now, but back when she was just a pretty face it was all because of his taking care of her from an early age that she had risen to her position, he thought. He also did feel that such congratulatory thoughts were pretty just really considering all the effort he had gone through, and he thought that it was not just him but also her who agreed and was appropriately grateful.
He had brought her along to this folksy establishment because he wanted to show her off and see the envy in everyone's faces. An accessory is meaningless unless shown off. He was aware that it was a rather perverse interest, but he decided that being a professional performing artist was a perverse occupation from the beginning. To him who did not know the hardships of the age of war, the entertainment winter his predecessors had gone through, the chair of the president of production was just a means to quickly and easily satisfy his ephemeral vanity.
This woman who he had brought with him today was the accessory that most attracted his interest for now. She wasn't one of the top earners for the office, but she was the best looking among them. Now that she had joined the ranks of the top actresses after a fashion, he could no longer parade her around as much as when she was more anonymous but that simply increased the sense of superiority he felt. From the perspective of most people the woman was the dominant one and the man just an adjunction, but that was probably too much for the bullheaded man himself to realize.
To him, the woman was like a large diamond polished and cut by a craftsman. He purchased the roughs, then in the hands of a craftsman they were worked upon. That was the work of production, with the resulting gem being called an actress. To be sure she had earnestly worked hard to polish herself, as an example even if a craftsman processed his gems well without a fine band of gold around it wasn't on the level it could be sold.
At the first glance he immediately knew that the girl over there was not something money could buy. If the woman in front of him was a large diamond worth several tens of million yen, then the girl was as the priceless 'Great Star of Africa' (aka Cullinan diamond, the largest diamond ever found); such was the difference between them. By happy circumstance judging from his attitude the one she was with was just a boy, and he felt the eager urge to add her to his collection as soon as possible. But he was accompanied by an actress from the office today. In any other case, he would have realized how bad the appearance of wanting to turn her into a money making machine would hurt his case, and recalculated accordingly.
Which was why having the actress along and being able to say the woman before him wanted to scout the girl for a new movie was a godsend. He pretended to deliberate a while, then stood up as if going along with the will of the selfish actress.
The previously cute gaze (in the dull childish way of thinking) suddenly turned hostile. Tatsuya felt the change. He had so far ignored it because they did not seem likely to cause Miyuki harm, but it had turned rather troublesome. As he thought so, the source of the problem across from him (for Miyuki it was to the back diagonally) stood up from his table and walked over to them.
Both Tatsuya and Miyuki directed an unpleasant look at the young man standing next to their table. Glances were one thing, but it was no wonder they were uncomfortable with being stared at from point blank range by a stranger.
"Sorry to disturb you."
He had a rather blunt way of speaking. He seemed to be hedging his words to some extent, but still came across as far too familiar.
Tatsuya lost his intent to respond amiably to this man.
Miyuki's eyes were pregnant with a frosty light, and naturally turned away from him.
Despite this apparently rejecting attitude, the young man took out his cardcase and held out a business card to Miyuki with a fake smile.
"This is who I am."
Instead of a built-in chip, it was an old fashioned card made from paper. There was no micro-pattern or anything printed, just a character based truly classic cheap card. Miyuki reluctantly took it, then with a glance passed it on with strain to Tatsuya.
The surname and the name of his company were written with the same characters, and before his name the title President was attached. Behind the company name was the word 'productions'. Probably to do with professional entertainment Tatsuya thought.
"You, got any interest in movies?" Miyuki's eyes avoided him.
"I have a role that'd be just right for you!"
Miyuki's curt attitude should have spoken volumes, but the man would not be discouraged.
"Hey, won't you tell me your name?"
At that the young president brought his face so close that Miyuki cowered down. He completely ignored the clear air of rejection she was giving off. Such thick nerve and mental toughness was fitting for a salesman like him, and that unrelenting determination really was rather impressive.
Of course, what would be remembered would be the far more overpowering discomfort, but still.
Finally, Miyuki turned her gaze on the man she had been avoiding up to now. That didn't mean her attitude had swayed one bit.
Within her eyes was a frozen light. Her hard look seemed to accuse the man for his lack of courtesy.
Shown that face, the young man momentarily faltered but almost immediately righted himself, well almost. With an even falser smile than before, he actually reached out his hand to Miyuki.
That was probably due to his obstinacy as a man in professional performing arts. To him, a production president who considered beautiful women and girls as commodities, to seem to have lost a mental battle with an amateur was probably a blow to his pride.
In any case it was short-sighted behavior. As a young man who had inherited status, he seemed to have gained the bad habit of being unable to control his feelings when it came to people in weaker positions than him.
Was he going for her hand, or her face?
It didn't really matter, as there was no way Tatsuya would ever allow such outrageous behavior.
The young man's arm, as it reached for Miyuki, was suddenly firmly in the grasp of Tatsuya's hand before he knew it.
"Wha--!"
The man's selfish protest changed to a scream in the middle, before stopping short. The pain he was experiencing was so intense it didn't even allow him to let out a sound.
"Let's leave it at this."
Tatsuya's words probably didn't even reach the man's consciousness. His fingers twisting the man's hand were also pressing with severe strength and angle into pressure points in the man's wrist, like the points in Chinese medicinal acupuncture, such that the man's mind whited out from the pain.
As Tatsuya released his hand the man staggered back two, three steps before collapsing. Tatsuya's cold face as he looked over the youth was entirely devoid of expression. A shiver ran down the man's spine that eclipsed even the pain. If he had been laughed at, the pride within him could have been fanned to flame.
Even if it was something small and ephemeral like a sparkler. But Tatsuya's emotionless gaze, simply telling him 'get out of my way', brooked no hope of resistance.
With his eyes locked on to Tatsuya's-- he couldn't look anywhere else-- the youth stood up and hobbled away. Truth be told, to have experienced such crushing pain and hesitate to even think about retaliation before retreating was a testament to the man's courage. It was not inconceivable a weaker man may even have had incontinence.
However the woman accompanying the man certainly didn't think so. At the sound of a chair scraping the floor, the beauty haughtily and proudly left the shop with the echo of her heeled sandals resonating through the store. She didn't so much as glance at the man.
Finally, staff arrived. Two waiters approached at a quick pace, their footsteps worried. They didn't go to Tatsuya, but rather to the man.
Politely, in such a low tone that only the listener could hear, the waiters had some words with the now red faced man. His frenzied retorts, those which could be discerned from the loud ranting, seemed to comprise senseless things like "just who do you think I am!?" and "don't think you can talk to me like that!" among the parts where he raised his voice, but Tatsuya didn't give it a second thought. Although nothing physical occurred after, with a waiter pressing on him from both the left and right, after the mounting psychological pressure built up and made the man leave the shop, Tatsuya returned to his seat.
As he sat down, a man of around 40 dressed in white chef clothes came to their table. Introducing himself as both the chef and owner of the establishment, the man bowed deeply to both Tatsuya and Miyuki.
"I am very sorry for that uncomfortable episode just now."
"No, we're the ones who caused a disturbance. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Although still just 16, Tatsuya had spent much time around adults. If the other party was civil, he would be able to respond with as much equanimity as any.
The shopkeeper's eyes thawed slightly towards Tatsuya's cool demeanor, probably because he felt the calmness beyond his years.
"Don't mind the commotion. The one at fault was the other party. You were just involved."
Even at the close of the 21st century, the bad habit of insisting that 'in a quarrel both parties are to blame' remained ingrained into society, but this shopkeeper seemed to be the type who did not agree with that poor custom of dancing around accountability.
"Thank you for that."
Tatsuya approved of this attitude which could clearly distinguish between black and white. Without the need to put on any exterior show, he returned the bow naturally.
"The clerk was delayed and it ended up causing such a problem for you two, but please feel free to continue your meal if you would like to do so. Of course, it'll be on the house."
Before Tatsuya could object, the shopkeeper went back to the kitchen. Despite the casual appearance of the store, the food was of an extremely satisfactory level. Both the appetizer of soup and the following mains pasta were as straight laced as the stubborn character of their chef, well worked together with no pretensions, and both Tatsuya and Miyuki enjoyed them immensely.
After that was dessert. This was especially enrapturing for Miyuki. It was a thin size four (12 cm diameter) ice cake. The rich smell of vanilla wafted from the mutely colored topping, and it was just as authentic and unpretentious as the earlier courses. The not too hard, not too soft cool melt in your mouth texture was just as good as the offerings from any more upscale shops.
What delighted Miyuki was not just the taste however. Among the waiters the one slightly older, presumably the senior, brought along the ice cake with two spoons. The spoons had an unnaturally long handle, and wouldn't have been very practical for eating alone.
Placing those items in the middle of the table, the waiter had spoken to them in a soft voice.
"One for the lovely boyfriend to the beautiful girlfriend. One for the beautiful girlfriend to the lovely boyfriend. For the very compatible two of you, enjoy this sweet moment."
Due to the character of the place, those were probably words specifically scripted for such a situation as this.
Still Miyuki happily accepted it, smiling giddily with her face dyed red, and held out the spoon with a scoop of ice cream in it to Tatsuya.
--after concluding this shameless play disguised as dessert, as promised no specific bill came, so Tatsuya instead of taking out his electronic wallet simply repeatedly pressed a disposable money chip into the waiter's hand before quickly leaving the shop.
Lunch had finished on an unexpectedly interesting (and possibly just a bit embarrassing) note, but unfortunately life was not so kind as to end everything so cleanly.
Before the siblings stood the young president of the performing arts company from the restaurant earlier. There was no sign of the woman. She had probably left him and gone back. Instead, he was accompanied by four inversely proportioned (that is to say physically overbearing but far inferior in looks) men.
"You caused me quite the bit of humiliation earlier."
Although his voice was level for the time being, not the outraged ranting of before, it was possible to catch just a hint of crankiness in it.
This guy really is going full throttle spouting out all these cliched lines Tatsuya thought to himself, but he wasn't about to throw in the towel this late into the game.
"I believe I said so earlier. Let's leave it at that."
But as he had no intention of purposely picking a fight, he kept his words somewhat peaceful. At least he didn't say something like 'it's no surprise your companion ran from you considering your tiny mind', but he didn't hide the contempt in his tone either. He didn't intend to start a fight, but it almost seemed like he wouldn't mind welcoming one either.
If that was the case, Tatsuya's words were super effective.
"......If you want to prostrate yourself and apologize, now's the time."
"You're going to cause a scene right here?"
His words and attitude were fairly easy to grasp, but did he really intend to try something with so many people around? Tatsuya had said this out of concern for the man's social standing, but
"Shut up. Since when are real people subservient to you witches?" Those words were enough to clear Tatsuya's hesitation and restraint.
He shifted his body, completely hiding Miyuki from view. All traces of expression disappeared from his face, and his eyes narrowed.
Perhaps mistaking the change which had come over Tatsuya, the young man smiled.
"I had thought I remembered seeing you somewhere. We had met in the Nine Schools something hadn't we? I had thought I'd found a huge gemstone, but it turned out to be just a fake imitation."
Perhaps this man cleaved to the hoax that magicians were genetically modified and produced androids. Although their numbers were much reduced, Tatsuya knew through observation and knowledge that some still stubbornly persisted, which was why he didn't recall a sense of surprise at his words. "That's a lie."
The man's words were rather barefaced.
"You've only just met my sister today. Even if you had caught a glimpse of her during the Nine Schools Competition, even through video, there's no way a man of your type could ever hope to stand before her."
A wintry air began to permeate. It did not hold the chill of snow or ice, but cold hardness of a razor sharp steel blade
"What the hell. You a siscon or something?"
Subconsciously the man opened his mouth wide and laughed out loud. --his face almost turned blue. His voice trembled.
Tatsuya didn't bother to retort to that, but rather came right back with a line of his own.
"Is that something you had to learn from your buddies over there?"
The cowardly dog barks the loudest, and besides Tatsuya wasn't so delicate as to be provoked by such words. Still, that didn't mean he had to be tolerant of such dogs.
"It'd be better for you to leave before you do something unfortunate in public. Or should I say it again so you can understand better?"
The one who had been insulted was not himself, but Miyuki. That was the sole reason Tatsuya had dispensed with all peaceful intent.
Keeping his eyes on the man, Tatsuya took a step forward. The man's entourage visibly tensed. They didn't have the same finesses or training as professional bodyguards, but they were experienced in their own way. On the level of street fighting anyway. You'd never guess from their attire, but Tatsuya idly guessed that the four were probably gangsters. The talk of there being good relations between pro entertainment and the underworld were probably not the whole truth, but at least not false either.
"What the hell are you guys all scared for! They can't use magic in cities. It should be a piece of cake!"
It seems the man had been completely taken in by the urban legends surrounding magicians.
Magicians didn't use magic in cities because they were restricted by the law from exercising magic, not because they received remote mechanical signals or the like. In any case magic was only prohibited if there was no legitimate reason and in the event of accidents or disasters the use of magic to help is encouraged, and yet another exception is the case of self defense.
It seemed the henchmen were not so naive as to believe in the myths the president was spouting. Slipping a hand to their waists-- probably a folding pocket knife or something-- they studied Tatsuya's movements with care.
After two steps, Tatsuya stopped and raised both his arms to shoulder height. It wasn't a holdup.
By fluttering and waving his hands, he showed them that they were empty. At that gesture, the gangsters felt they were being made fools of. They knew neither the shape nor utility of CADs, but they did know that magicians used some sort of small device to cast magic. They took Tatsuya's gesture, directed at them, as a declaration that he didn't need magic.
They were correct. Tatsuya was provoking them, as if saying 'I don't need magic to deal with the likes of you.'
The effect was immediate. From the start they were low ranking members, desperate to prove their worth. Being called by the young president, they had been sent out as the small fry. Desire to appeal aside, they had a low boiling point anyway.
Drawing their knives, they lunged at Tatsuya in unison.
Gangs nowadays train their members in group combat as the norm. In this age where both vigilantes and the general public are well organised, groups which are said to be professionals in violence could hardly get away without at least learning to fight as a team.
Two waves of knives attacked from the left and the right. The screams of young women rent the air.
Miyuki's voice was not among them.
Without a word, without so much as a flicker of emotion, she simply looked on at her brother's back.
Her trust in her brother's skills was absolute. Neither was that trust betrayed.
Four punches. One man, one blow. Each fist struck a vital area with unrelenting precision, leaving the gangsters crawling about on the floor.
Tatsuya resumed his advance.
For each step he took, the president took two steps back.
Then he stopped short. The moment he felt he had bumped into someone, he was seized by both arms and forced to kneel. Looking back in a hurry,he was greeted by the sight of uniformed police officers.
There were eight in total. Two were overpowering the president, four secured the gangsters rolling around on the ground, while two more came to stand before Tatsuya.
Miyuki walked to stand just behind him. Glancing alternatively between the two, the policeman began an inarticulate delivery.
"Umm, we want to hear your side of events, so could you accompany us to the station please?"
Tatsuya couldn't say he was surprised at this attitude. Even if you say it was self defense, they had engaged in violence in public. It wouldn't have been strange if they had actually been detained.
Looking closely, the shape of a CAD could be made out around the policeman's wrist. He was evidently a mage. If so, knowing both Tatsuya and Miyuki were also mages, it could only be wondered if he felt a sense of solidarity with them. Still, his sheepish attitude was a little worrying.
"Uh, in addition......"
The partner of the cop who had first spoken began to say something, stammering out a preface. On his waist was a handgun shaped CAD.
The officer put his hand behind his waist. Was he going for handcuffs?
At Miyuki's arched eyebrows, Tatsuya wordlessly gestured for prudence. The officer's hand stretched out to the two of them. Or rather, to Miyuki.
In his hand was, not his police notebook, but another private notebook.
"......You're Shiba Miyuki san right? You were in this year's Nine Schools
Competition. I'm an Old Boy of First High myself......
If you could, may I get your signature?"
Another policeman held out another rare classic for these days, a fountain pen.
Tatsuya and Miyuki exchanged a glance, before Miyuki gave a sly smile at the two officers.
[August 31st (3)]
"I didn't think we'd see an OB in a place like that."
Remembering the days events, Miyuki couldn't help giggling. Tatsuya also struggled to rein in laughter, before leaking out a smile.
"It's not that surprising when you think about it. The only magic high school in Kanto is First High, so a mage who became an officer in Tokyo is most likely to have graduated from there."
"That's true. In any case, the reason we spent hardly any time at the station was because the guy was a huge Miyuki fan...... In other words it's all thanks to you.
You were a great help."
"You're welcome. Being able to be helpful to Onii-sama is more important than anything."
"Still, for them to actually invite us out to tea was totally overwhelming. It was hard to refuse."
"Well!? That was hardly Miyuki's fault!"
At that the two of them looked at each other, and once again, exchanged smiles. Miyuki was sucking on a straw, and her glass was pretty much empty. Tatsuya's cup had likewise been reduced to just ice.
Seeing his sister remove her mouth from the straw and looking towards him, Tatsuya rose from his seat.
"Now then, the bank's about to open, so let's head out."
"Alright. I'll clean up the cups, so please wait there a bit Onii-sama."
"No, I'll help."
As he said so, without waiting for a word of protest, he plucked the tray right out of her hands. It looked rough, but actually the ice stirring in the glasses didn't even make a sound. With a rather peeved expression, Miyuki swiftly hid her true emotions as she followed Tatsuya into the kitchen.
Going to the bank is no longer for making deposits. As a result of the evolution of personal checks and the electronic wallet, money cards are widespread and cash is now rarely used. Nor do you go to make transfers. Both transactions and transfers are pretty much all recorded online, and using the bank in such situations is also limited to special cases.
The reason Tatsuya was going was to update his ID required for such online services. There is no periodic determined time for which you have to do so. You can continue using it from the date of issue without a single update if you wish. Only the ID is required, not the update. Updating the ID is a part of security, and by proceeding straight instore in person rather than authenticating the data online increases the security.
Tatsuya updated his ID every three months. The average renewal rate was twice a year, so four times would be classed as a higher frequency. It was not unusual for some more paranoid users to update theirs on a weekly basis. In the cool store, Miyuki and Tatsuya stood perfectly in line shoulder to shoulder and waited to be called up. They didn't do so because they were cold, but rather they had walked that way from the station to the bank under the hot sun as well.
The reason was because people had the frequent habit of hitting on Miyuki. Not many guys, especially of the same age, looking at Miyuki would dare to immediately try to make her accompany them or go out with them, but dealing with just a single one would take a considerable amount of time. Therefore, they decided in advance that whenever walking through the city they would act as lovers.
When Miyuki accompanied Tatsuya outside, such as for shopping or someplace she wants to go or something she wants to watch, being able to stick to her brother like this was probably just as much a factor as anything else. Case in point, even though there was nothing particularly interesting about standing around in the bank lobby, Miyuki seemed as cheerful as ever.
--her brother complex left no room for doubt.
That aside, modern banks often do not store cash since their utility is so limited.
In place of cash, money cards were used to shift around large amounts of money. The issuer is able to systematically put on hold transactions. Unlike with checks there is nothing in circulation, the only one inconvenienced is the party in question. For that reason, the existence of the bank robber is becoming ever more an endangered species.
--that should have been the case.
"This is pretty rare......"
Tatsuya and Miyuki had just come upon a scene with that very same endangered species.
Four men had just burst into the store brandishing shoddy remodeled handguns, threatening the bank clerks and customers. The ski masks they hid their faces behind in the midst of summer gave a rather retro feel.
They wore grimy jumpers, as they swung a Boston bag onto the counter.
Their style was so traditional that an onlooker might even be confused as to whether this was a bizarre attraction of some kind or something, but from the desperate yelling they directed at the bank staff one could surmise that they might just possibly might be the real thing.
"Onii-sama, what should we do?"
With eyebrows raised Miyuki looked up at Tatsuya, and asked him in a business as usual tone.
"If you like, I can handle this."
Her usual feeling of not wanting to cause bother to Tatsuya came to the fore.
"No, there's no need for us to interfere."
Laughing, Tatsuya put his hands on Miyuki's shoulders. He lightly patted her. Miyuki happily buried her head in Tatsuya's chest.
For the other customers who made anxious expressions and stiffened at this scenario, this 'could not care less' attitude was less than familiar. Needless to say, these two who exuded such a relaxed mood in the turbulent atmosphere stood out pretty damn well.
If you need an explanation for the sake of Tatsuya's honor, he hadn't said there was no need to interfere just so he could flirt around with his sister. Strictly speaking, his current actions were simply to appease her. Just because bank robberies had become such rare crimes didn't mean banks didn't have security systems in place to combat it. A bank robbery would never succeed with just remodeled handguns anyway.
The proof of that was evident before them. A previously transparent shield had extended from the counter to the ceiling to prevent all access. Within that shield, another semi transparent shield descended from the ceiling to cover the open window before the clerk.
The Boston bag caught in that window was torn apart. If the robber's arm had been there, it was probable it would have fractured seriously enough to even require amputation.
One of the robbers fired a bullet at the shield. It didn't even faze the first layer.
The clear outer shield appeared to be made of a material similar to high viscosity liquid. It prevented collateral damage. Seeing that, Tatsuya was impressed by the design.
One of the robbers spat then looked back into the lobby. Looking right at the man, Tatsuya averted his gaze. What the man's eyes settled upon was Miyuki. Being suddenly stared at (she felt), she hurriedly cast her face downwards.
A glimpse could be seen of the man's eyes from the gaps in the mask. Putting the fear and tension of the fleeing customers in the lobby aside, from the unpleasant smile he wore it seemed this man in particular had a short temper. Anyway, it was safe to say that Tatsuya and Miyuki had caught the man's attention.
Tatsuya sensed his malice. He wouldn't be much of a bodyguard otherwise. Of course, there was little chance of a robber looking at them with friendly eyes. He could also perceive the sadistic light that shone in his eyes.
Miyuki also realized the robber was looking at her with such eyes. She huddled closer into Tatsuya's chest. It was the splitting image of looking frightened in the face of the situation. Judging from his smirk, the robber thought so too. But
Tatsuya, who could feel Miyuki's body through her thin clothes, knew there was no tension in her. His sister wasn't nervous in the least. If he could see her expression, he wouldn't have been surprised if she was trying to stifle laughter.
Subconsciously, he hid his own wry smile under his signature pokerface. He hoped it wasn't too unnatural, as he then made an anxious expression and held Miyuki's hand tightly. It wasn't something he normally did, but he was also perfectly proficient in drama if it came to it.
The eyes of the four robbers converged on the two. It was impossible to see clearly under the masks, but it was easy to tell from their exposed eyes that they were grinning broadly. Miyuki and Tatsuya's acting must have stimulated them quite well.
Tatsuya went so far as to tremble a little. Even he thought that was probably a bit much, but the robbers seemed to drink it up.
Their attention had completely diverted from the other customers in the lobby. A security system that even took into account ricochets, should definitely extend beyond just cutting off the counter from the lobby.
The immediate focus of the robbers was the two of them. They completely failed to notice the beams forming above them in a rectangular pattern. Before they knew it, the ceiling had been replaced by stereoscopic images. From the girders, people dropped in onto the heads of the robbers. The conditioned wiry guards overpowered the robbers in the blink of an eye.
Tatsuya wasn't particularly surprised at the scene. For someone able to sense others presences, something such as a stereoscopic screen was no shield whatsoever. As he was waiting, he had always been aware that there were guards ready for deployment overhead.
The bank staff of course didn't know he was like that. Miyuki, still huddled in his chest, would by common sense be seen as crying in relief at the close of a tense situation. They thought Tatsuya's arms were hiding her face as he embraced her because of that. Truthfully, he had simply read the mood and was trying to hide her smile from the somber staff and guards.
With Miyuki's head still cradled in his arms, the bank manager came out to Tatsuya. Asking his name, he apologized profusely and offered him exemption from fees for one year as compensation for the distress. Unsure of how to look, Tatsuya maintained his pokerface-- at that, the bank manager's expression visibly tensed-- before accepting the offer. In the eyes of most people, that really was a relatively dangerous situation after all.
After being told Tatsuya had come to update his ID, the manager called a subordinate to carry out the necessary proceedings. Tatsuya gently released
Miyuki, and she hid her face behind her long hair as she allowed herself to be guided by the shoulder.
There was no chance of being spied upon during the process, as it was all carried out by a machine in a private room. Entering, away from the eyes and ears of others, the two of them finally dropped the act and, facing each other, burst out laughing.
This encounter with the bank robbers was the one unusual occurrence the two siblings experienced that day.
That incident the two went through on that last day of summer vacation, in the minds of the two, was organized along with the others into their 'memories of a certain summer'.
