The National Magic High School Goodwill Magic Competition, also known as the Nine Schools Competition, differs from previous competitions in that it does not have a grand opening ceremony. However, before the competition begins, the organizing committee will hold a meeting that includes all participants.
The Nine Schools Competition has at least four or five hundred participants and support staff, so it's definitely impossible for them all to attend the exchange meeting.
Just as Yunyi was pondering what excuse he could use to avoid attending the meeting, Mayumi Saegusa walked into his room with a smile on her face.
" Yunyi-kun, being lazy isn't a good habit."
Yunyi pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly.
"Hey, where did you get my room key from?"
"Huh? I got it from the front desk." Mayumi Saegusa was a little confused; why were they suddenly talking about the room key?
"Hey! This isn't my house! Aren't you afraid someone will see us? You're Saegusa, you're practically a celebrity here," Yunyi said.
" Mayumi!" Mayumi Saegusa solemnly corrected Yunyi's form of address.
"The person standing in front of you is just Mayumi."
After saying that, she winked at Yunyi, looking playful, which made Yunyi swallow back all the words he wanted to say.
"Alright, whatever you like." Yunyi reluctantly got up and, under the supervision of Mayumi Saegusa, changed into the school uniform of First High School.
Unlike what he wore at school, he was now wearing Course 1 Student uniform with a floral emblem. Of course, this wasn't a special treatment unique to him; Tatsuya Shiba received a Course 1 Student uniform.
"Tsk, Mayumi, is the school just burying its head in the sand?" Yunyi teased.
"Well, Yunyi-kun, don't take it too seriously. It's something we can't help, after all, it concerns those people's reputations." Mayumi Saegusa also felt somewhat helpless about this.
"However..."
After circling Yunyi twice, Mayumi Saegusa finally commented, "It's just a flower emblem, why does this outfit seem to fit me better?"
Yunyi rolled her eyes and said, "It's just because the outfit I wore at school was a little small!"
"Is that so?" Mayumi Saegusa finger, as if searching for a scene in her memory.
"Never mind, it won't make any difference anyway. Let's go, isn't the exchange meeting about to start?" Yunyi urged.
"Let's go!" Mayumi Saegusa pulled Yunyi along and headed towards the venue.
The hotel's conference hall was large, but the number of attendees still made it feel somewhat crowded.
Although it's called an exchange meeting, it's actually also aimed at fostering friendships among the various schools. However, it hasn't officially started yet, so students from each school are still basically divided into groups based on their respective schools.
" Mayumi, didn't you dislike these kinds of occasions in previous years? You seem quite excited today, don't you?" Before entering, Mari Watanabe noticed the smile on Mayumi Saegusa's lips and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"This year is a little different!" Mayumi Saegusa Mari Watanabe, her hand still clasped with Yunyi's.
Clearly, Mari Watanabe didn't notice this, so she only wondered about it for a moment and then didn't really take it to heart.
Following behind them, Miyuki Shiba clearly saw Yunyi and Mayumi Saegusa holding hands, and the envy that welled up in her heart was almost impossible to suppress.
Yunyi, being led by Mayumi Saegusa, couldn't afford to act casually, so he put on a more serious expression before entering. He knew very well that once he pushed open that door, he would definitely be subjected to a barrage of stares. The reason was none other than the girl next to him.
Thinking of this, Yunyi mischievously hooked Mayumi Saegusa's hand with his little finger.
The sudden itching sensation from her palm almost made Mayumi Saegusa lose her composure. Especially since when Yunyi played a prank, Katsuto Jumonji pushed open the venue door. This almost made her lose face in front of everyone from the nine schools.
" Yunyi-kun, that's really going too far," Mayumi Saegusa said reproachfully, looking at Yunyi with a hint of annoyance.
Yunyi was also a little embarrassed. He only wanted to get a little revenge on Mayumi Saegusa, but he didn't expect to really embarrass her.
However, this little incident did not affect their mood. Under the watchful eyes of most people in the venue, they entered the venue together.
"Wow! Lord Mari!"
Before he had gone more than a few steps, a shout came from the direction of the Second High School not far away, which made Yunyi's goosebumps flare up.
He turned his head in alarm and saw several female classmates staring devoutly at Mari Watanabe in that direction. They looked like believers!
"My goodness, is Committee Member Watanabe really that popular?"
Yunyi's complaint was overheard by Mari Watanabe, who was responding to the shouts around them. She glared at Yunyi and said irritably, "What exactly do you mean by that?!"
"It's nothing, it's nothing, I was rude to you, Lord Mari!" Yunyi hurriedly replied, not wanting to cause trouble in this situation.
"Hey, Mayumi! Get him away from me right now!" Mari Watanabe was furious and ordered Mayumi to get rid of this infuriating Yunyi.
Mayumi Saegusa was also helpless. She gestured to Yunyi with her eyes, and the two walked towards the area where the students of First High School were gathered.
"Hey! Look at that guy! He actually! He actually!"
"Ah, what's going on!?"
"Isn't that the eldest daughter of the Saegusa Family?"
However, the calls from Mari Watanabe's fans were quickly replaced by another wave, initiated by Mayumi Saegusa's fans.
Neither Mayumi Saegusa nor Yunyi seemed to care much about the surrounding discussions. Under the watchful eyes of countless people in the venue, the two held hands and crossed most of the venue to reach the area where the students of First High School were gathered.
As soon as the two stopped, a complaint was heard.
"I feel like I can hear the sound of countless hearts breaking."
Yunyi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Erika Chiba, dressed in a maid outfit, standing not far away with a tray in her hand.
"Huh? You're here to work?" Yunyi asked, puzzled.
"How could that be!" Erika Chiba retorted irritably.
"It's just some arrangements at home. Miki and Mizuki are here too."
Yunyi nodded silently. "That must have been tough."
" Erika, so this is the person you were talking about. But Erika, this outfit suits you very well," Miyuki Shiba remarked.