Suddenly playing a leading role in his debut work as a newcomer with no track record, in a movie no less, was far from common practice, and even more so unusual in the entertainment industry. The hesitation on Takuma's part was understandable. Or, rather, natural. The director and the rest of the movie staff were against Takuma's casting, but Maki was adamant.

  Of course, there was a reason for this. This new production is based on a story written by a female novelist close to Maki, who had the intention of having Takuma play the counterpart role to her character from its inception. And Takuma was to play the leading role of a young magic user who is persecuted in a dystopia much like the modern world.

  With the fact that this movie was to use real magic during its filming, this is one of the selling points of the movie and in addition, there are a number of magicians that were cast in supporting roles and as extras, besides Takuma ── whom weren't able to get jobs where they could use their low grade magic skills ── was planned.

  161

  The main reason why Takuma was pushed by Maki was to fulfill his side of the deal he made three years ago, but there was also a part of him that wanted to help disadvantaged magicians. And, well, Maki skillfully exploited that.

  In the end, the fact that Maki's father's company was the biggest sponsor was a decisive factor in the final decisions, and production followed catering to her every whim. After two months of an intensive crash course to hammer down some acting skills in Takuma, and ten months of filming, the shooting ended as soon as the day before yesterday.

  "When will it be out?"

  "December, I heard."

  Even though the shooting is over, there is still the post-production (post-production : post-shooting editing) work to be done. It would take about half a year before the film would actually be shown in theaters.

  "The end of the year, huh. There is quite a lot of competition with big productions in this period."

  "I'm not going to make a living as an actor, so I don't care either way."

  "Oh well. I'm definitely going to see it."

  Takuma really didn't want someone he knew to see his bad acting. But he couldn't say

  "don't see it" even jokingly. Many of the magicians he performed with plan to continue their careers in film and drama. For their sake, it would be a shame if the film were not a hit.

  "I hope you enjoy it."

  Takuma suppressed his emotions and responded with encouragement, using the "sincere facade" he had acquired during the course of the shooting of the film.

  Takuma and Senkawa didn't stop to talk. By the time they had settled on the topic of the movie, they had arrived at the lecture hall for the first period.

  The first lecture of the day was on magic criminal law. A lecture on the special legal clauses of the Penal Code regarding the exercise of magic. The Shippou Family's official occupation is that of an investment advisory business that specializes in weather derivatives. The necessary magical skills to predict the weather have been taught directly to him by his father. Takuma had decided to study the legal knowledge necessary in 162

  running a company and in the exercise of magic at the university. That was a secret ambition of his, to open a law firm dedicated to magicians, alongside his investment advisory business. And, despite his ambitions, this year he has ended up neglecting his studies which has been a disappointment for him.

  "Senkawa. Have you heard anything unusual lately?"

  There was still some time before the start of the lecture. Takuma asked Senkawa sitting beside him.

  As a matter of fact, this man, Senkawa, is a detective in his own right. He usually knows every rumor going around on campus. He even knows whatever rumors are whispered only among the girls. For someone who hadn't been able to attend regularly for almost a year, he was a valuable source of information for Takuma.

  "Let me see. There is one that was about Shields-senpai who was absent all week long and that the 'president' was coming to the university."

  "Shiba-senpai did?"

  "President" is a popular way to refer to Tatsuya that has become widespread in the university over the past two months. Before that, to distinguish him from Miyuki, students who are not close enough to them call them by their first names, referring to him as "the guy Shiba (senpai)" and her as "the Shiba (senpai) who is not the princess." ──Though it wasn't a term that was used in front of him.

  Similarly, in order to distinguish Miyuki from Tatsuya, students who are not close enough to her to call her by her first name also call her "princess," "hime-sama," or "snow princess." Again, the number of students who use these names when referring to the person in question is not negligible.

  "Yeah. They are still as lovey-dovey as ever. I envy him, darnit."

  ──Senkawa Mitsuru, is nearly 20 years old. Currently looking for a girlfriend.

  "…Anything else?"

  Takuma, who also doesn’t have a girlfriend, felt somewhat uncomfortable and asked for a new topic.

  "O-Oh, right, there is…"

  Senkawa had no taste for self-deprecation either, so he seriously searched his memory for another topic.

  163

  "…I think it started the week before last. There’s a guy who has been following Mitsui-senpai around."

  "What?"

  "Well, it didn't seem like she was against it, though."

  Senkawa laughed like a third-rate villain. This is the topic he brought up after all his thinking. This man seemed to have quite a bad personality.

  "…Who is that poor man?"

  "Well, I really wonder who he is… I only saw him from a bit of a distance myself. I guess I could have sworn I knew his face… oh, yeah. I think his name was Torii Matomo, from the Nine Schools Competition team that we played against in Monolithic Code when we were third-years."

  "…That guy, huh."

  Takuma remembered that name.

  It was at the Monolithic Code of the 2098 Nine Schools Competition. The First High team that Takuma led, lost to the Fourth High team that Fumiya led, but they managed to win all other seven matches, finishing second in the event standings and first place overall in the summer of their third-year.

  In that Monolithic Code league match, the second hardest game after the one against Fourth High that ended in defeat, was the game against the Ninth High School team. The final match against the Ninth High School, was a match that Takuma took part in where he defended First High’s monolith, and where the opposing team's offensive came down to a one-on-one battle, which ended with a hard-fought victory for Takuma. Torii Matomo was the opponent from Ninth High from that time.

  "That guy is aiming for Mitsui-senpai…"

  Even though he won that time, Takuma had a history with Torii Matomo. When he heard that the man was hitting on Honoka, Takuma felt his heart skip a beat.

  "Huh, what is that? Is perhaps Shippou aiming for Mitsui-senpai?"

  Perceptively reading Shippou's expression, Senkawa asked while proceeding to throw a smirk at him. ──It was more of a teasing question than anything else.

  "It's not like that."

  164

  Shippou replied, playing it cool with a poker face… at least that was the plan, but its execution was not so successful.

  The fact that there was no follow-up from Senkawa at this point was not an act of

  "warrior's compassion."

  "Hey, Shippou. Speak of the devil."

  In fact, Honoka and Shizuku are also in the same lecture. Takuma doesn't know if they noticed him there or not, so he doesn't know if their choice of a seat separated from his was intentional, but he was definitely taking notice of Honoka.

  A tall male student walked up to Honoka's seat. He was tall, but not particularly tall for this time and age, standing around 180cm. His slender features with a small face make him look taller than he actually is. Still, in these modern times, men with broad shoulders tend to be preferred by the opposite sex, so "slender features with a small face" is not necessarily an advantage.

  "…He acts awfully much like a playboy. Is he that sort of guy?"

  Takuma frowned at Matomo fawning over Honoka with an over-familiar attitude.

  "So-so. You’ll see."

  Senkawa calmed the half-risen Takuma down.

  Looking closely, Honoka could be seen smiling politely, but seemingly annoyed. And Shizuku, sitting beside her, for her part, didn’t even pay a glance at Matomo.

  Before long, Honoka shook her head with a polite smile.

  Torii Matomo didn't even drop his shoulders, but simply withdrew and took a seat, two seats next to him, but one directly behind the two of them, to the side.

  Even so, he was seated closer to Honoka than Takuma.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Senkawa’s question, "Are you aiming for Mitsui-senpai" from earlier to Takuma wasn’t far off the mark.

  165

  Takuma first became aware of Honoka immediately after entering the First High School.

  This was when he took a fist beating from Tomitsuka Hagane, a senpai from the Extracurricular Activities Association, also known as "Club Management Group."

  As for the topic of the beating he took, he now accepts that it was at fault. Still, to say

  "now" would be misleading. After that, Takuma had his pride broken. He was made to realize that his behavior had been wildly arrogant and presumptuous. At that point, he admitted his fault.

  However, in the immediate aftermath of his beating, Takuma did not understand why he was being subjected to this. The only person who offered a helping hand when he was being subjectively beaten down was Honoka. That was all it took, but it still left a strong impression on Takuma.

  But there was a reason why he had not taken action until now.

  Three years ago, Takuma had made a blunder with Honoka.

  To be more precise, it was in early January 2097.

  Takuma tried to take advantage of Honoka's fragile heart after the shock from the announcement of Tatsuya and Miyuki's engagement.

  Takuma himself had no intention in doing such a cowardly thing. He simply couldn't stand to see Honoka in grief like that. But, Shizuku had made it clear to him that, from a third party's perspective, especially from a friend of Honoka's, that it didn't look like anything else than an attempt to take advantage of her recent vulnerable emotional state. Shizuku told him such. After being chastised, Takuma agreed with her that it did look that way.

  Since he feels guilty for that time, Takuma hesitated to take the first step towards Honoka.

  The fact that "Honoka has not given up on Tatsuya" gives him some relief. After all, there is no way Tatsuya will fall for Honoka.

  As long as Honoka is chasing after Tatsuya, she won't fall in love with another man.

  ──Takuma comforted himself with such spineless deliberation.

  He won't be able to say that so easily if a rival appears however. But Takuma still doesn't know for sure how he feels about Honoka. He doesn't know if he is simply drawing out the memory of a moment they bonded, or if he's truly in love with her.

  （──First, I guess I have to face my feelings head on.) (But it will be of no use if all I do is brood about it alone.)

  166

  Takuma decided to take action.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  With the end of the morning lecture, Honoka stood up after hurriedly packing up her things.

  "Shizuku, I'll be going on ahead, okay?"

  "I don't think so."

  Responding in a low voice, Honoka didn't hear Shizuku's reply. She already had her back turned by the time Shizuku voiced "don't."

  Shizuku watched Honoka's back as she left and disappeared into the corridor, giving a slight shake of her head as she slowly stood up. She didn't need to check on what Honoka was in such a hurry for. Honoka was──

  "Kitayama-senpai."

  She was suddenly called from behind and turned around.

  "Shippou."

  The person who called out to her was an underclassman from First High.

  It was somewhat unexpected, but Shizuku wasn't surprised. She knew that Takuma had chosen Magic Law for his major. Not that Shizuku had any particular interest to look into that. It was something that she learned naturally from the First High alumni information network.

  So it's no surprise that he's in this particular lecture room. Even if he was not aiming for Honoka, this lecture is one that students majoring in Magic Law should take in their second or third year.

  He probably just called out because he wants something with Honoka. I'm sure he wanted to talk with her, but he couldn't get to her in time. ──Shizuku decided that was the case.

  "If it's about Honoka, she's probably at the school cafeteria."

  "I'm not here for Mitsui-senpai."

  Shizuku tilted her head, she never imagined that Takuma would call out to her for something other than Honoka.

  167

  "Ah, no. I wanted to ask something about Mitsui-senpai."

  "You want to ask me about Honoka…? Okay, sure."

  Shizuku lifted an eyebrow doubtfully, but nodded without a long consideration.

  "Hold on."

  Shizuku pulled out her mobile terminal and ran a stylus (electronic pen) across the screen. Probably sending a text message.

  "──Come with me."

  Returning the stylus to the slot in the terminal holder, Shizuku tucked it into her bag while turning her back on Takuma and walking away.

  Shizuku took Takuma to the station underneath the campus.

  "Get in."

  Shizuku boarded a chauffeur-driven ── not an automatic ── large self-driving car and beckoned Takuma from inside.

  "Go around the block for about ten minutes, please."

  After confirming that Takuma had gotten in and the doors had closed automatically, Shizuku instructed the chauffeur.

  The chauffeur replied, "Yes, ma'am" and at the same time, the car started to quietly drive away.

  "So?"

  "Huh? Err…"

  Takuma being confused by the unexpected turn of events, Shizuku sighed, as if to say,

  "You still don't get it?"

  "If you want to have a conversation that you don't want others to hear, the best place to do it is in a car."

  168

  Shizuku's action was seen as over the top by Takuma, yet there was a rationale to it that left Takuma unconsciously scratching his head, thinking, "How did I not see that…"

  "Now, hurry up and speak."

  Unconcerned about Takuma's feelings about that, Shizuku urged him on. Or, by some chance, she chose to act like this to prevent him from being trapped in an awkward situation.

  "…Kitayama-senpai, I don't know if you remember. But you called me a "jerk" once."

  Shizuku gave a light tilt of the head. She must be searching her memory, because she let out a "hmm…"

  After thinking about it for ten seconds, Shizuku muttered, "Oh, that."

  "I remember."

  Then she replied to Takuma with an affirmative.

  "I think that, sure, I deserved to be called 'jerk' at that time."

  "And?"

  "Do you think I'm fine now? I haven't really been able to come to the university lately, so I don't know how things are with Mitsui-senpai now. I thought that I should, in essence, wait to see how things go for a while, but I don't want to be too late because of that."

  "So you want to make a move on Honoka?"

  "Yes. By the time I understand my own heart, it may be too late to worry."

  "By too late, you are talking about Torii-kun?"

  "I'm ashamed to admit that I only found out today that Torii is hovering around Mitsui-senpai."

  "I see…"

  At first glance, Shizuku's expression remained unchanged. But a subtle upturn in the corners of Shizuku's mouth could be noticed whenever Honoka is mentioned.

  "You can do whatever you think is best. I may be Honoka's friend, but I still don't think it's my place to interfere."

  169

  It was a dismissive remark. But the tone of her voice was not harsh.

  "Is that so…"

  Still, as Shizuku said, it's indeed unreasonable to expect her to assist him, so Takuma didn't insist.

  "Shippou."

  "Yes, what is it?"

  "Do you like Honoka?"

  "There is something I have to clarify first."

  "Yes…"

  At Takuma's answer, Shizuku gave a smile that made things a little easier to understand.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  After parting ways with Takuma at the underground station, Shizuku met up with Honoka at the entrance of the cafeteria.

  "Shizuku, where have you been?"

  "Did you meet up with Tatsuya-san and the others?"

  Honoka inquired, but Shizuku replied with a question instead of an answer.

  "No, I couldn't find them."

  "And you look surprisingly fine with it, don't you?"

  As Shizuku noted, Honoka didn't sound too disappointed.

  "No, not at all. Though, I was hoping we could have dinner together today."

  And, sure enough, Honoka didn't look so disheartened as she said that.

  "Why don't we invite Tatsuya-san and have a dinner party?"

  Impassioned by the uncomfortable feeling welling up in her chest, Shizuku blurted out a plan that has been on her mind for some reason. And when she said, "dinner party," she's 170

  not exaggerating. Her father has given her a great deal of discretion to act in the name of the major sponsor of the Stellar Generator incorporated company.

  "No, it's fine. I'll do my best."

  That "it's fine" is not an agreement, she meant it was unnecessary.

  "Besides, I'm sure I'll get a bit tense if it's a dinner party and all."

  (──As I thought, Honoka's attachment to Tatsuya-san is weakening.) Shizuku thought so. But she didn't know the reason for it.

  She couldn't decide whether it was a good change or a bad change for Honoka.

  "Anyway, Shizuku, you still didn't answer my question. What were you doing?"

  "I was giving relationship advice."

  Shizuku replied with a succinct answer that wasn't a lie as she walked towards the serving counter.