Until she had a clear grasp of Yunyi's strength, Mayumi Saegusa dared not do anything too rash. As a daughter of the Saegusa Family, she might have been prepared to sacrifice herself. But she could not disregard the twins' safety.
In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, Mayumi Saegusa picked up the wineglass in front of her. She looked at Yunyi and asked for confirmation once more. "As long as I do as you say, you won't do anything out of line, right?"
Seeing the complicated look in Mayumi Saegusa's wine-red eyes, Yunyi nodded gently.
Having received her answer, Mayumi Saegusa said no more. She tipped her head back and drank the red wine in one gulp.
The red wine had not been allowed to breathe, and its taste was indeed less than satisfactory. Mayumi Saegusa drained her glass in one go, set it back on the table, and rose. Then she took Kasumi Saegusa and Izumi Saegusa, who had been waiting nearby, upstairs.
Yunyi watched the three sisters go upstairs and picked up his own glass. After taking a small sip, he could not help frowning.
"What is this stuff? It tastes awful!"
Early the next morning.
Yunyi knocked on the guest room door, waking the three sleeping sisters.
Mayumi Saegusa, who opened the door, did not look well. Clearly, the red wine from the night before had not brought her pleasant dreams.
Looking at Yunyi standing at the door, Mayumi Saegusa asked irritably, "What is it?"
Yunyi looked at her helplessly, feeling as though she was taking her frustration out on him.
"It's about time. You should leave," Yunyi reminded her.
Sixteen or seventeen hours had passed since yesterday's attack. The Saegusa Family's three daughters had disappeared without explanation; it was easy to imagine the scene at the family home by now.
He did not know whether Mayumi Saegusa had contacted her family through some special means, but Yunyi was certain that, under his surveillance, she had not sent any information to the outside world using any ordinary communication device.
"You're really letting us leave?"
Yet, on hearing Yunyi's words, Mayumi Saegusa could hardly believe it. She had not expected him to actually let them go home just like that.
"Keeping you here does me no good. Letting you leave, on the other hand, will let me see the situation clearly. If you were in my position, Mayumi, what would you do?" Yunyi asked in return.
Mayumi Saegusa thought for a moment. Only now did she understand Yunyi's intention.
"Please wait a moment. We'll get ready," Mayumi Saegusa said.
Looking at the closed door, Yunyi sighed helplessly. He had not wanted things to turn out this way either.
"Does this count as dying before my undertaking is halfway done?" Yunyi muttered under his breath. Then he turned and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.
Before long, Mayumi Saegusa came downstairs with the sleepy-eyed twins. By then, Yunyi had already prepared a simple breakfast.
Looking at Mayumi Saegusa and her sisters, Yunyi asked, "Would you like to have breakfast before you go?"
"No, we'll be leaving now," Mayumi Saegusa declined Yunyi's invitation.
Yunyi did not stop them. He gestured toward the front door and said, "Then please, go ahead."
The three sisters stood where they were, watching Yunyi take a seat and begin enjoying his breakfast. Only after a moment did they start toward the door.
Just as Mayumi Saegusa pushed the door open and was about to leave, Yunyi's voice rang out again. "See you at school later."
Mayumi Saegusa paused. She turned to look at Yunyi and, after a moment's silence, replied, "See you at school."
"Click."
As the sound of the front door closing rang out, the smile on Yunyi's face faded.
Whether it was suggesting they pretend "nothing happened" or letting Mayumi Saegusa and the others leave, it was like a gamble for Yunyi. Though he had not gone so far as to bet his life, he had put all the preparations he had made over the past few years on the line.
If Mayumi Saegusa reported everything she had seen to the Ten Master Clans after leaving, Yunyi's plan to remain hidden would fail completely. He might never have another opportunity like this again.
"I'll have to be careful from here on," Yunyi said, tossing a soup dumpling into his mouth. His gaze, however, passed through the floor-to-ceiling window to the gradually brightening sky outside.
First High School, student council room.
Mayumi Saegusa dragged her weary body over to her seat and sat down.
After the three sisters returned home following their disappearance of over ten hours, Koichi Saegusa immediately questioned them in detail about what had happened.
In fact, Koichi Saegusa had long since heard that they had been at the department store. Even the attack on them in the restaurant had been clearly captured by its security cameras. To Mayumi Saegusa's surprise, however, the restaurant's surveillance equipment had failed to record the battle that took place there. Or rather, the moment Yunyi deployed Fool's World, all surveillance signals had been cut off!
What surprised her even more was that no footage had been recorded of them leaping down from the top-floor restaurant to leave, of her and Yunyi going together to the complex on the outskirts and wiping out that stronghold, or of Yunyi using magic at all.
How on earth did he do it? It would be one thing if it were only the surveillance equipment, but even the satellites didn't capture anything. It's impossible to imagine. Mayumi Saegusa had too many questions.
Koichi Saegusa had originally wanted Mayumi Saegusa to stay home and rest. But she had insisted on coming to school, so he had not stopped her. Even so, he had secretly deployed guards to ensure her safety.
As for Mayumi Saegusa's explanation that special circumstances had prevented them from returning home right away, Koichi Saegusa showed no sign of doubt on the surface, but he still planned to have someone investigate in secret.
"President, are you all right?"
Mayumi Saegusa seemed to be interrupted by the sudden greeting. She looked up to see Suzune Ichihara entering the student council room.
Koichi Saegusa had deliberately concealed the news of the disappearance of the Saegusa Family's three daughters, so it had not spread. But Suzune Ichihara knew very well that when Mayumi Saegusa left school yesterday, she had gone to the department store where the incident had occurred.
Now, seeing that Mayumi Saegusa did not look well, she thought Mayumi Saegusa really had been caught up in it, which was why she had asked.
"Don't worry, Rin, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well last night," Mayumi Saegusa explained evasively.
"I see." Seeing the expression on Mayumi Saegusa's face, Suzune Ichihara guessed that she was hiding something. But since Mayumi Saegusa was unwilling to say more, she naturally did not press her.