Chapter 53 ~ Reason: Coincidence? Luck? Or…
<span style="font-weight:400">The library of the Magic University affiliated First High school was unlike any normal Library Yuuji would know of from his world.
<span style="font-weight:400">Bonyari High School, the highschool Yuuji attended with his sisters, was one of the, if not, the most prestigious school in the city. It’s library was also quite sizable, containing thousands of reference books, text books, work books, etc. even though students rarely visit it for research purposes since they have ess to uncountable information from the inte at their fingertips.
<span style="font-weight:400">But even his school’s library paled inparison to the library in First High school. Instead of a school’s library, it’s more akin to a national library, where rare, valuable, and significant research papers and works could be essed.
<span style="font-weight:400">That’s why, although it was impossible to ess the more confidential papers, it was the best ce for students such as themselves to go when they’re researching information.
<span style="font-weight:400">The entire building located right beside the main school building was dedicated for the library, storing hundreds of thousands of books, research papers, text books, etc. There were also numerous tables andputers that students and teachers could use, even private rooms with aputer for those who wished to do their research or studies in a more private environment.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sitting before one of the manyputers in the row, Yuuji skimmed through the numerous pages disyed on the screen, each one densely filled with words and information with one or two images or graphs asionally popping up to give a more urate and visual representation about the subject described.
<span style="font-weight:400">They were information on the Emerald Tablet, Philosopher’s stone, and various other objects that were rted to alchemy. And although he seemed to just be scrolling down quickly without properly reading them, he was actually reading them very carefully and absorbing every single piece of relevant and significant information into his mind at incredible speeds.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sitting right beside him, Tatsuya was also doing the same research. Yuuji was simply helping him in his research because he and Aika were the only ones who knew what he was up to.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Just then, Yuuji and Tatsuya sensed a familiar presence rapidly approaching them. But before either one of them could react, Yuuji was suddenly pushed by a heavy, soft, and warm sensation apanied by a fragrant flowery scent.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Heya~ What’chu doin’, guys~?”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hello, Aika.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“A-Aika… Can you stop mming into me as a greeting…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fufufu~ What’s wrong~? Don’t you love feeling my soft body all over your back~”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Shut up. What do you want?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Aika giggled, rubbing her cheeks against Yuuji as he blushed silently. She understood her beloved boyfriendpletely, after all~ And as annoying as it was, she wasn’t wrong…
<span style="font-weight:400">Her body was just so squishy, soft, and voluminous in all the right ces. Even though he had enjoyed ravishing them nightly, he never got tired of it. It was physically impossible to get tired of his girlfriend’s sexy body.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Aika-chan! You should’ve waited for me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Soon after Aika’s grand entrance, Miyuki also appeared, jogging towards them with slight exasperation on her cute face.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hehe~ Sorry, Miyuki~ I just couldn’t wait to return to my hubby~”
<span style="font-weight:400">She let out a deep sigh before turning towards her brother with a bow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry for disturbing you while you were busy, onii-sama.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is fine. What’s wrong, Miyuki?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Actually, you and Yuuji are called upon by Mayumi-senpai and Mari-senpai to go to the student council’s office.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Eh? But why? Is there some trouble?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji asked, wondering what urgent business Mayumi and Mari could have with him and Tatsuya. After all, they didn’t get any prior notice, which was quite strangeing from the two. Normally, if it was something simple like Mayumi inviting him for lunch, he would get a message from her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hehehe~ You’re such a worrywart, Yuuji~ Of course it’s not~ It’s a good thing!”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Geez, just go already~! They’re already waiting for you two!”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“A-Alright! Stop pushing me!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fufu~”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Onii-sama.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. Let’s go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">--------------------------------X--------------------------------
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Hirakawa Koharu, one of the brightest and exemry third-year students who had achieved a spectacr victory and astounding feat as the engineer of the Mirage Bat main event winner Kobayakawa Keiko, sat nervously in front of members of the student council.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sitting adjacent to her at the end of the table was Saegusa Mayumi, the student council president and heiress of the Saegusa n, a member of the Ten Master ns. And sitting right opposite of her were Watanabe Mari, Chief of the Public Morals Committee and a member of the Watanabe family, one of the prestigious “Hundreds” families, and Nakajou Azusa, secretary of the student council.
<span style="font-weight:400">To her right were two of her simrly bright and intelligent underssmen, Isori Kei and Ichihara Suzune. They were her teammates for this year’s National High School Magic Theory Thesis Competition. And finally, sitting to Isori Kei’s right was his fiance, Chiyoda Kanon.
<span style="font-weight:400">If the Nine Schools Competition were a grand stage for athletes, then the Thesis Competition was a grand stage for magic engineers such as themselves. It was an extremely prestigious event that’s held on thest Sunday of October where magic high school students showcase their research on Magic Theory and Magic Engineering; its venue alternating between Kyoto and Yokohama with this year held in the Yokohama International Convention Center.
<span style="font-weight:400">The presentations were subsequently entered into the Magic Index, where they’re asionally essed by universities and corporations. Thus, if they could give an impressive presentation, they could boost their careers after they’ve graduated from High School into the sky.
<span style="font-weight:400">For such a prestigious event, Koharu, Suzune, and Kei have been working hard and had submitted their final draft and outline of the materials and sequences used in their presentation to the Magic Association In advance.
<span style="font-weight:400">The deadline of the final revised version of their presentation would be two Sundays from now, in which they’d have to submit everything to the Kanto Branch of the Magic Association through the school. And to allow their supervising teacher, Mr. Tsuzura, extra time to go over their submission, everything must ideally be done by next Wednesday.
<span style="font-weight:400">They’ve done their best with just a bit of finishing and final checking left, which they could easily do before next Wednesday. And although she was quite nervous about it, the biggest reason behind her nervousness was far from it.
<span style="font-weight:400">After all, With Kei and Suzune, two of the brightest minds in the school, as her teammates, she was confident in her ability to win thepetition.
<span style="font-weight:400">The reason for her nervousness was because she was about to meet him… The man whose figure had been seared into her mind ever since their interaction during the Nine Schools Competition.
<span style="font-weight:400">She unfortunately hadn’t had the chance to talk to him ever since, that is… until now.
<span style="font-weight:400">All participants of the Thesis Competition would be assigned a bodyguard who will protect them during the event. It was an extrayer of protection for the participants in addition to the high level of security in the venue of thepetition.
<span style="font-weight:400">And the reason why it was an extremely guarded event wasn’t solely due to its prestigious nature. But rather, as a form of protection for the magical technology of the country.
<span style="font-weight:400">Many discoveries, inventions, innovations, and theories that could improve the advancement of technology would be shared during thispetition. Things that many rival nations would like to obtain for themselves and the advancement of their own magical technology.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thus, with such stakes at risk, all of the magical university affiliated high schools and the Magic Association wouldn’t hold back in their efforts to protect the students in case something happened.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Magic Association will hire professionals to create high security details for the venue. But to make sure of the safety of their participating students, each school will also assign personal bodyguards to them. They will also have more guards to protect their school’s presentation materials and equipment
<span style="font-weight:400">And Koharu had chosen Yuuji to be her personal bodyguard.
<span style="font-weight:400">His strength and prowess was obvious for anyone who had seen his performance in the Nine Schools Competition. He was… peerless. Even thebination of the heir of the Ichijo n and Cardinal Georgle couldn’t hold a candle against him. So her request was easily epted.
<span style="font-weight:400">But the true reason behind her choice was… a more personal one. She… She wanted to get closer to Yuuji!
<span style="font-weight:400">She knew this was a childish reason… But she didn’t know how else she could get the chance to spend time with him!!!
<span style="font-weight:400">All she had was her brain and intelligence… Even then, there are a lot more intelligent girls than her and more magically talented as well. She wasn’t cute by any means, and she was also two years older than him. Compared to the beautiful Kiryuu Aika or Shiba Miyuki, she was a simple side character who wouldn’t even be able to interact with Yuuji more than once. Even so… she didn’t want to give up.
<span style="font-weight:400">If she could at least be someone close to him… a friend, or perhaps, a close friend through this… As long as she could stay near him by his side, then she would be satisfied.
<span style="font-weight:400">*Knock**Knock*
<span style="font-weight:400">Koharu flinched at the sound of knockinging from the door. She immediately straightened her back and brushed her hair, making sure she looked proper and neat before meeting him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pleasee in~”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mayumi, the student council president, announced. And right after, the door slid open automatically, revealing the dreamy figure of the man Koharu had dreamt of.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Please excuse us.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Following closely behind him, Aika, Miyuki and Tatsuya also entered and greeted them politely with a bow.
<span style="font-weight:400">Koharu’s eyes immediately widened before the blush on her face grew even redder. It was him! It’s Yuuji! She finally got the chance to meet him again!!!
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee, everyone~ Please take a seat~ There’s something we’d like to discuss~”
<span style="font-weight:400">““Yes./Yes~””
<span style="font-weight:400">Miyuki took the seat right next to Azusa, followed by Tatsuya, Yuuji, and finally Aika at the end, right opposite of Kanon.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s been a while, Yuuji-kun, Tatsuya-kun, Aika, and Miyuki.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It has been a while indeed, chairwoman. I see you have recovered fully by now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji said with a soft smile, and Mari replied with a smirk.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks to you. Well, we can catch up another time. Mayumi.”
<span style="font-weight:400">All attention turned towards the beauty of a student council president, who nodded at her friend, before addressing the neers.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. Thank you foring on such short notice, everyone. Mari and I have called you today to discuss about the security during thepetition.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Security? Is the Disciplinary Committee going to provide that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji asked. He knew the answer to it, as well as Aika and Tatsuya, but he asked it regardless to confirm the details.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not the security of the venue. The Magic Association will be hiring professionals for that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mari answered with her arms crossed, propping up her sizable chest, as she leaned back rxedly to her chair.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mm. What we wanted to discuss is personal bodyguards for each team member and people to guard the presentation materials and equipment. We will be using valuable materials at the Thesis Competition, after all.”<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">Mayumi exined, before Mari continued.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, and because they are valuable, teams for this contest are sometimes targeted by industrial spies. That’s why, our school provides security every year. The members of the security squad are chosen from the Disciplinary Committee and the Extracurricr Activities Federation. But as far as who specifically guards whom, we will respect their wishes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fufu~ And I’ll be the one to protect you, Kei~”
<span style="font-weight:400">“A-Ahahaha…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kanon hugged her beloved fiancee’s arm tightly and rubbed her cheeks against him, showing off her love for him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji smiled slightly, seeing the two’s lovey-dovey interaction. It reminded him of his own rtionship with Aika and Erika.
<span style="font-weight:400">He then turned his attention towards Suzune and Koharu, who immediately blushed and looked down to herp in embarrassment, causing him to tilt his head slightly in confusion.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So… Am I right to assume that Tatsuya and I will be assigned as your bodyguards?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hanzou-kun and Kirihara-san have been assigned to be my personal bodyguards. The two of them would be enough.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suzune answered in a matter of factly before ncing towards Koharu with a slight smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kobayakawa-senpai?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-Yes! U-Uhm… I-I’ve actually requested y-you, Yuuji-kun, to be my p-personal bodyguard. U-Umm… A-After seeing your performance in the NSC… A-And our personal interaction during it… I-I think you would be a great…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Yuuji fell silent and acted as if he was considering it for a moment.
<span style="font-weight:400">In truth, this was an extremely weed surprise. He had been thinking how he could participate in the event for a while since Tatsuya wouldn''t be participating in thepetition as a participant with Koharu not withdrawing. Perhaps, he could simply go along with Aika and Tatsuya as a part of the security squad on behalf of the Disciplinary Committee of his school. But this was even better.
<span style="font-weight:400">This would give him a solid reason to be there in the venue, and especially, in Yokohama during the invasion.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">This is perfect. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Kobayakawa-senpai!!!</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">He smiled at the blushing girl and nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you very much for your praise, Kobayakawa-senpai. It will be my honor to be your personal bodyguard. I will do my best to ensure your safety on the days leading to thepetition and during the event itself. Please take care of me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Immediately, a look of shock appeared on Koharu’s face before an expression of absolute delight appeared on her countenance.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes! Please take care of me as well!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Great. Now then, with that settled…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Mari nodded with a satisfied smile and turned towards Tatsuya and Aika.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You two will also be a part of the security squad. If personal bodyguards’ main concern is the participant, then your main focus should be securing the perimeter and protecting the valuable materials and equipment they’ll use.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Very well.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Roger~ Leave it to me, Mari-senpai~”