But that's a digression.
It had taken Yugen three years to reach a point where he could live without earmuffs. He'd had to learn sensory control for his magical perception from scratch. By teaching his sister his findings, she had overcome it in two years. Yet, she still cherished the earmuff-style CAD he had given her, repeatedly maintaining and overhauling it. Though he had built in a size-adjustment feature so she could use it for a long time, he hadn't expected her to use it for nearly a decade.
Over the years, he had modified it extensively, even incorporating a test system for a thought-operated CAD similar to what FLT eventually sold. He had designed the prototype after the defense of Okinawa, anticipating the physical strain on her ears from long-term use.
"If that's what you want, you can keep wearing them. No one in this school is going to give you trouble for it."
"...By the way, Father told me about our older sisters yesterday."
"...Shiina. That's a path I've walked too."
Sensing what she wanted to say, he patted her head as if to say, "It'll be alright." Then, Yugen turned his gaze toward Miyuki.
"By the way, President Shiba, is the briefing over?"
"Yes. Izumi-chan worked very hard."
"It was nothing, really. I simply didn't want to trouble Miyuki-senpai or Yugen-onii-sama," Izumi insisted.
Apparently, the five previous representatives—Motoharu, Mototsugu, Shizuru, Kana, and Mika—had all given Shiina advice. Her draft for the freshman response was already of a caliber perfectly suited for the ceremony. Miyuki praised Izumi, who declared that such a task was no burden at all. (Note: After the second-year entrance ceremony, Izumi would discard the Saegusa name and take the name Mutsuzuka. Nominally, she would become the adopted daughter of the current Mutsuzuka head, making her Tohya's niece-in-law.)
Regardless, the meeting had concluded in half the scheduled time. While the current students still had more to discuss, Shiina was free to go. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Shiina pulled a picnic basket from her sports bag.
"Um, since it's a special occasion, I made these..."
Inside were pancake sandwiches, each about the size of a palm, individually wrapped in wax paper.
In the Mitsuya household, the Yaguruma family servants usually handled the cooking. However, Yugen had learned to cook from the former butler, Shiro Yaguruma, as a way to train his manual dexterity. While he was staying with the main Yaguruma family in Hokkaido, he would learn during long breaks, and Shiina would often watch him with great curiosity.
Once Yugen returned to the Mitsuya main house, Shiina began helping and learning alongside him. Kana and Mika joined in as part of their "bride training," and Jiro was also made to help as part of his duties as a member of the Yaguruma family.
Regarding the quality of their sweets, Shiho Mitsuya (the lady of the house) had once remarked, "Yugen's skills are so extraordinary even professionals would acknowledge them, and Shiina is a close second." Naturally, Yugen had grumbled about that comparison.
"Whoa, today's look delicious too!" Kasumi chirped.
"Shiina-chan, you really are talented at making sweets," Izumi added.
"Oh, it's nothing special. I'm nowhere near my brother's level," Shiina said modestly.
As Shiina played down the compliments from Kasumi and Izumi, Tatsuya felt Miyuki's intense gaze bore into Yugen. He placed a steadying hand on Yugen's shoulder. Just then, Mikihiko noticed something in Yugen's hand.
"Speaking of which, Yugen, what's that bundle you're holding?"
"This? Well, I'm giving it to Shiina to deliver—it's a 'care package' for my little brother figure who's being a bit too serious about his guard duties."
Before returning to the Shiba house, Yugen had bought some ingredients and made a bento for his "younger brother," who tended to skip meals if left to his own devices. He figured that if Shiina handed it to him, the boy wouldn't be able to refuse.
"Ah... I'll make sure Jiro-kun gets it, and I'll make sure he eats every last bite," Shiina promised.
"Hey, it's just a normal lunch..."
"A bento handmade by Yugen-onii-sama..." Izumi murmured.
That short exchange revealed the fact that the bento was Yugen's handiwork. Naturally, Izumi was the first to latch onto that detail. Meanwhile, Miyuki wore an expression that suggested she didn't quite know how to react.
"Miyuki-anesama?" Tatsuya prompted.
"I don't know why... but I feel a strange mix of envy and a feeling that he's being unfair," she admitted.
...I can't say I don't understand, Tatsuya thought to himself.
The current head of the Kagurazaka family didn't just excel at sweets; his cooking in general was of the highest tier. Tatsuya felt he could sympathize with Miyuki's slight jealousy toward a man who could produce such delicious things as if by magic.
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