It was another morning, and another school day. Tatsuya exited the
station with Miyuki and the two of them went to meet up with their
friends, then go on their way to school. One had left earlier in the year,
and last week yet another had gone, but besides that it was the same as
since spring.
This morning, however, something different awaited Tatsuya. Before
they could find their friends, the voice of a senior called out from the
ticket gate. Both Tatsuya and Miyuki had already been aware of her
presence before she had called out.
At this time, most of the people using the station were students of First
High and associated persons. Unlike with the mass transit trains of
old, it is now uncommon to see large crowds of passengers at the
station all at the same time. Nonetheless, in order to get out of the way
of the students arriving moment by moment, the siblings walked over
to where Mayumi stood by the wall.
More than a few students flickered glances their way, but none of
them were overly concerned. There was nothing particularly wondrous
about the previous Student Council President and the current VicePresident
conversing, and that the brother of the VP was a favourite
with the previous Prez —from a gossip point of view anyway— was a
well known fact amongst First High.
In truth, there wasn't even a conversation. Without linking up and
walking to school together, Tatsuya and Miyuki went through the
ticket gate. Mayumi had uttered only one line: "After school, come to
the second cross-field club room."
The cross-field club (a club for magic combat survival games) was a
club Katsuto had once been a member of. Their second club room
implicitly served as an informal meeting place, and amongst those in
the know, it was an open secret that Katsuto continued to use this
room privately after he had left the club. Sure enough, when Tatsuya
turned up, both Mayumi and Katsuto were already waiting.
"You're alone?"
It wasn't just Katsuto who asked this, but a surprised Mayumi as well.
"Yes, you called only me after all."
Truth be told Miyuki had vehemently insisted on accompanying him,
but he had somehow eventually managed to coax her cooperation. —
The price had been as cheap as promising to accompany and treat her
to a cake buffet.
Regardless, it was evident that Tatsuya had come himself. While it
was true that Mayumi had called out Tatsuya only, she hadn't really
expected that Miyuki actually wouldn't come. Despite that, she
immediately launched into the topic at hand.
"Tatsuya-kun, last night, did you go out?"
Mayumi's question was within Tatsuya's expectations.
"I did."
He didn't add 'What of it?'
"By bike?"
"Yes."
People normally become more talkative when trying to deceive
another. Tatsuya at this moment however had no need to feign
verbosity.
"...May I ask where you were going?"
Rather, it was Mayumi who had to puzzle over how best to proceed.
She didn't have the deviousness or experience for such subtle probing.
Katsuto, waiting beside her, didn't even seem to be bothered at all.
"I was called by Yoshida who was engaging the vampire, and saw
there both the vampire as well as an unidentified magician who was
following it."
Things could take a while at this rate Tatsuya thought, as he
voluntarily decided to advance the discussion. As Mayumi blinked in
amazement, he kept his expression emotionless. Even a more
experienced adult, for example Mayumi's father, would have found it
difficult to read his face.
She had no idea what he was thinking.