[Mission complete. Rewards have been distributed according to individual performance.]
The familiar chime of the chat group notification echoed in everyone's ears. Instantly, the atmosphere shifted as a wave of excitement washed over them. No one could hide their anticipation; they were all itching to see what kind of treasures they had earned this time.
"Ara~ ara~ the rewards for this mission are quite something. I certainly wouldn't mind another task like this in the near future," Kurumi murmured, a sweet, enchanting smile playing on her lips.
Her charm, which surpassed even the most ethereal fairies from legend, was so overwhelming that both Tatsuya and Makoto found themselves momentarily entranced by her presence.
"If that truly happens, then perhaps the next stage will be my world," Testarossa remarked nonchalantly. She spoke with a breezy tone, as if the potential for total chaos erupting in the world of Tensura was a matter of complete indifference to her.
Tatsuya immediately snapped his attention toward her. "Did something happen over there?"
Testarossa offered a gentle smile in response. Her gaze was soft and warm, radiating the vibes of a kind, reliable older sister from next door. But instead of being captivated by the sight, Tatsuya felt a sharp chill run down his spine. That smile was too perfect.
"For now, there are no issues," she replied smoothly.
"I might not be the most useful person here, but I'll do whatever I can to help you," Aiz added, her voice laced with her trademark seriousness.
"Ara~ ara~ don't go forgetting about me now." Kurumi didn't want to be left out of the loop, raising her hand with an elegant, knowing smile.
"You guys might have forgotten I was even here, but I'll definitely show up if a mission like that actually goes down," Makoto chimed in, his voice tinged with a hint of helplessness.
Testarossa let out a small chuckle and shot a glance at Tatsuya.
With a light sigh, Tatsuya relented. "Don't look at me like that. Obviously, I'm in."
"Hehe, thank you. It's quite a relief to hear that promise directly from your lips." Testarossa gave a playful wink with her blood-red eyes, her smile mischievous yet still carrying the sophisticated allure of a mature woman.
Knock, knock!
The sound of rapping on the door made everyone turn their heads.
"Onii-sama, the closing party is about to start. We mustn't be late," Miyuki's anxious voice drifted in from the hallway.
"Ah, I almost forgot about the closing ceremony." Tatsuya stood up and opened the door, allowing Miyuki to step into the room.
The moment she entered, Miyuki's internal alarms went off. She scanned the room, her gaze sharpening as it landed on Kurumi, Testarossa, and Aiz. Out of everyone, it was Kurumi who she viewed with the highest level of suspicion.
Yet, even under Miyuki's piercing, wary stare, Kurumi remained unbothered. She simply maintained her usual, flawless smile. For a split second, even Miyuki found herself dazed by Kurumi's sheer beauty—but as soon as she snapped out of it, her guard went up even higher.
"Onii-sama, let's go. Saegusa-senpai and the others are already waiting for us," Miyuki urged, her hand tugging insistently at Tatsuya's sleeve.
"Alright." Tatsuya nodded with a faint smile before casting a casual glance toward the other group members. "How about you all tag along?"
Surprise flickered in the eyes of Kurumi, Testarossa, and Aiz.
"O-Onii-sama?!" Miyuki stammered, her voice cracking in shock.
Tatsuya quickly silenced her protests with a familiar gesture—reaching out and gently stroking her head. Like a well-trained pet, Miyuki instantly became docile, her resistance melting away under his touch as she chose to follow his lead.
"Ara~ ara~ is this your way of trying to see me in a dress?" Kurumi winked, her smile dripping with playful provocation.
"That's right." Tatsuya didn't even bother to hide his intentions, giving her a blunt and honest answer.
A faint blush dusted Kurumi's cheeks at his directness. Testarossa watched the exchange with an amused smile, while Aiz remained as stoic as ever, though her eyes seemed to linger on Tatsuya with a bit more focus than usual.
"I'll pass. I've never really been the type for those kinds of parties," Makoto declined firmly.
"That's a shame." While Tatsuya voiced his regret, he didn't actually look disappointed in the slightest.
"I won't be going either," Kurumi stated, her tone final.
"Eh? Why not?" This time, Tatsuya's reaction was genuine—a mix of sudden panic and visible disappointment.
Kurumi gave a somewhat bitter smile. "If I'm not mistaken, the closing party is strictly for the participants, right?"
"...That's true."
Kurumi's smile brightened. "And that is exactly why I'm declining."
"I see... what a waste."
Following Kurumi's lead, Testarossa also turned him down using the same logic. Aiz had initially seemed interested, but she quickly changed her mind after hearing Kurumi's reasoning.
"What a pity..." Tatsuya was truly dejected this time, so much so that even Miyuki felt helpless trying to cheer him up.
With the invitations declined, Kurumi, Testarossa, Aiz, and Makoto headed back to their respective rooms. Tatsuya and Miyuki made their way to the closing party together. All along the way, Miyuki clung affectionately to Tatsuya's arm, never letting go.
Thanks to Miyuki's persistent efforts to comfort him, Tatsuya slowly started to feel better, even if a lingering sense of sadness remained over his failure to persuade the three girls.
He had pointedly left Makoto out of his thoughts. The guy's refusal hadn't bothered him at all. After all, what was the point of seeing another man in a formal suit? He'd seen plenty of guys dressed like butlers back home and was frankly bored of the sight.
Just like the original turn of events, Tatsuya spent the night dancing with several ladies, eventually concluding the evening with a final dance with Miyuki.
The only real deviation this time was when Tatsuya took turns on the floor with Isshiki Airi, Kanou Shiori, and Tsukushiin Touko. Of course, he did this one by one, rather than trying to handle all three of them at once.
Even if it was subtle, Tatsuya was certain that Airi harbored some genuine feelings for him. To be honest, Airi was exactly his type, and as far as he was concerned, as long as there was an opening, he was going to try and get closer to her.
And dancing with her? That was the perfect first step.
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter patreon.com/AgamYupi02