August 1.
It was the day of the departure for everyone to the Nine Schools Competition.
On the bus, in front of everyone, Mari introduced Mizuki. "Let me introduce you. Her name is Mizuki Shibata. She'll be Haru's assistant and help us to check our CAD during the competition. She has a special ability and can help us detect if someone wants to sabotage our CAD, so don't forget to bring her whenever you're going to give your CAD to the staff of the event. Also, keep this matter a secret and don't let any other people know since if people know her power, then they might hurt her, do you understand?"
"Yes!!"
Everyone said simultaneously, but they were also curious what kind of ability Mizuki had so she could be invited as another member and assistant of Haru.
Mizuki was very nervous at that moment, and she wasn't sure what to do. Fortunately, there was Haru beside her, which made her feel relief.
"Mizuki, sit beside me!" Miyuki suddenly said while waving her hand.
"Eh?" Mizuki was surprised, but then she looked at Haru.
Haru gave Mizuki a nod.
Mizuki nodded and walked toward Miyuki to sit beside her. "Please take care of me, Miyuki."
"Please take care of me too, Mizuki." Miyuki nodded, but then she cast a complicated gaze toward Haru, especially when she heard his conversation with Maya before. She was wondering how her aunt was and was wondering if she would have a cousin soon? But at the same time, she didn't really want any other girls to be close with him and wanted him to focus on her aunt, even though such a thing would be difficult.
Looking at Mizuki, who had sat next to Miyuki, Mari nodded, then looked at Haru, who sat next to Suzune. She looked at him and couldn't help but raise her eyebrow.
"What's wrong, Mari? You have been looking at him for a long time," Suzune asked since Mari's stare was just too noticeable.
"No, it might be my imagination, but his face..." Mari looked at Haru's face in doubt, and somehow there was a noticeable blush on her face.
"My face?" Haru raised his eyebrow, looking at Mari.
"No - Nothing!" Mari shook her head and then complained. "Still, where is Mayumi? That girl is so late!"
"...." Haru and Suzune looked at Mari at the same time before they looked at each other. Then they only smiled at each other and didn't say much. After all, he had adjusted his glasses again and made his face more handsome. It wasn't on the level on his original face where he would make every girl fall in love with him at first sight, but he was still handsome.
"I'm sorry~~~!" Mayumi ran and entered the bus before she tried to take a breath. She was tired after running for a long time.
"You're so slow!" Mari complained.
"Sorry, sorry." Mayumi then looked at Haru and Suzune, who sat next to each other. "Say, Haru, what do you think of my outfit?" Unlike everyone who was wearing their uniform, she was wearing a white one-piece, showing her white and beautiful shoulders.
"...." Haru was lost for words, then looked at Suzune, who gave him a nod. "...It suits you."
"Really?" Mayumi smiled then said, "But I hope that you'd be blushing while praising me just now." She observed him for a while and felt that he had become more handsome.
'Is it my imagination?' Mayumi thought while observing Haru's face.
"....." Haru.
"Why don't you try it, Haru?" Suzune asked while looking at Haru.
"..." Haru let out a sigh, then started his act. There was a blush on his face, and he couldn't look at Mayumi straight. "Y - You're so beautiful, Senpai..." He seemed so nervous and shy, showing the charm of the virgin boy.
"...." Suzune, Mari, and Mayumi somehow couldn't help but blush and felt that Haru was cute when they saw him acting like this. As someone who was older than him, somehow they wanted to pamper him at this moment.
Suzune hugged him gently and said, "Don't act like that again in front of any girls, alright?"
"Un, Suzune-senpai," Haru said with a shy smile.
"..." Suzune looked at Haru and decided to keep hugging him like this.
"...." Mari felt conflicted, but Mayumi pouted and felt jealous at this moment.
"Anyway, shouldn't we start our trip? We can't make everyone wait too long, right?" Haru said.
"That's true." Mari nodded and said, "Alright, Mayumi, quickly sit down, so we can start our trip."
"Un." Mayumi looked at Haru and Suzune with a sigh before she walked away.
Suzune looked at Mayumi for a while and asked, "You're not blind to her feeling, right?"
"I'm not blind, but I have you after all," Haru said simply.
Suzune snorted and said, "If you say that with just one girl fired, then I'll be moved, but you have three, including me, right?"
"But now, you're my only focus, Suzune," Haru said sincerely.
"..." Suzune looked at him for a while, then leaned her head on his shoulder. "Let me rest for a bit." She felt very comfortable by his side and just wanted him to pamper her somehow.
"Un."
Haru smiled, looking at Suzune, before looking outside of the window, feeling worried about Maya since he had to leave her for a while, but well, he knew that she should be alright, considering Maya was the strongest Modern Magician in this world, and he also had given her various gadgets, etc. to protect her.
Haru and Suzune didn't cause much attention, considering they were sitting in the front area, and no one really said much, considering the prestige of both of them were quite huge, and they were fairly quiet when they flirted with each other.
---
Miyuki looked in the direction of Haru and Suzune and couldn't help but frown.
"What's wrong, Miyuki-san?" Mizuki asked since she could see that Miyuki seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Nothing, Mizuki." Miyuki shook her head gently, then kept looking at Haru.
"...." Mizuki.
---
Haru was sitting in his seat and looked at everyone who seemed to be quite relaxed even though on the meeting previously, there was a talk that there might be a danger on their trip, and as expected, he didn't expect the danger would come so soon.
"Stop the bus!" Haru shouted while using his power slightly so it would make everyone listen to him.
"Huh?!" Everyone was dumbfounded.
The driver was also surprised and also stopped the bus slowly when he heard Haru's voice.
They were wondering why Haru suddenly told them to stop the bus, but before they asked what was happening, suddenly there was a car that was on the opposite road suddenly flying toward them, which made them dumbfounded.
Haru knew that money was important but was it so important that someone could make a suicide attack for it?