Using a Mysterious Spellbook Ended Up Creating a Slave Harem - Chapter 27

 The Start of the Second Term

My thoroughly enjoyable summer vacation finally comes to an end, and the second term of my freshman year begins.

I have already completed every single piece of summer homework handed out by the school. Furthermore, during the hours when I wasn't busy tangling with my crest slaves, I poured all my energy into deciphering magic tomes and mastering new spells. Thanks to those efforts, I have successfully acquired a multitude of new magics, including several that look highly useful for obtaining future crest slaves.

+++

On the first day of the term, I exchange greetings with Shigemitsu and Chigasaki before settling into my seat. Unfortunately, there is no sign of Rina in her usual spot next to me. While the vast majority of the guys in the classroom openly lament her absence, I take the opportunity to begin casting a strong Favorability Enhancement Magic coupled with a mild Affection Enhancement Magic on Otowa Kojina. I certainly hope to cross the line with her at some point during this second term.

Once the opening ceremony wraps up, the day concludes without any further major events. Watching Kojina-san promptly make her exit from the classroom exactly as she always does, I rise from my seat as well.

+++

The second day of the term falls on a Friday, and regular classes resume immediately. During our homeroom teacher's English class, a guy speaks up the moment he notices her carrying the exact same box we used for the previous seat rearrangement.

"Teacher, are we changing seats?!" 

"Yes, we are." 

"But Takechi-san isn't here today." 

"Takechi-san informed me that since she isn't sure when she'll be able to attend school regularly, we should go ahead with the seat rearrangement without worrying about her." 

"I see." 

"Alright! This time for sure, I'm getting a spot right next to Rina-chan..." 

"Personally, I hope I end up near Esaka-kun."

We are barely into the second term, and we are already changing seats again. In the end, the total number of times Rina actually sat next to me could easily be counted on a single hand.

"Damn it. I barely even got a chance to talk to Takechi-san."

Amidst the noisy classroom chatter, Chigasaki—who occupies the seat directly in front of mine—turns around to complain. Concealing the immense sense of superiority that comes from having not just talked to her but actively connected with her body, I offer a casual reply.

"Well, she's incredibly busy, so it can't be helped." 

"Man, I really hope I get a spot near her next time..." 

"You'd better start praying to whatever god you believe in. Come on, it's our turn."

Exactly like last time, we go up to draw lots to determine the actual order in which we will pick our seats. As a result of her absence, Rina is designated to automatically take whatever seat happens to remain at the very end.

+++

When all is said and done, my final seat turns out to be the third row from the front, in the second column from the hallway. Unfortunately, Rina winds up with a seat over by the window, placing us a significant distance apart. On the bright side, Shigemitsu ends up directly behind me, and Kojina-san takes a spot diagonally forward to my right—a perfect position that makes it incredibly easy to cast mental magic on her. As for Chigasaki, it looks like God thoroughly abandoned him; he winds up in the absolute worst spot imaginable: the very front row of the third column from the window.

Secretly smirking to myself, I realize that having Kojina-san close by while she is still actively undergoing conquest is far better than being near Rina, who already belongs to me completely. While observing her from her rear left, a mobilization order from Ichikawa-senpai lands on my smartphone.

+++

The standard class periods—which feel exceptionally brutal to a body thoroughly accustomed to the lazy days of summer vacation—finally come to an end, and after-school hours arrive. Exactly as quick as ever with her preparations to head home, Kojina-san glances over in my direction as she prepares to leave the classroom, causing our eyes to lock.

She promptly looks away as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and steps out into the hallway. After calling out a brief farewell to my friends, I exit the classroom and follow closely behind her. Maintaining a steady distance of roughly ten meters, I leisurely tail her toward our shared destination. Halfway there, she suddenly brings her steps to a halt and spins around to face me.

"Saida-kun. You're heading to the clubroom too, aren't you?" 

"Yeah. I assume the President sent you a message as well, Kojina-san?" 

"Yes. Since we're heading to the exact same place, we might as well walk together." 

"……Are you sure it's alright?" 

"Having you silently trail behind me is a bit... you know?" 

"U-Understood..."

Quickening my pace to pull up along her left side, we resume our trek. Standing roughly ten centimeters shorter than me, she keeps her gaze firmly fixed ahead as she walks.

"……Um, Kojina-san?" 

"What is it?" 

"Is today's meeting about that conversation we had right before summer vacation?" 

"In all likelihood, yes." 

"……Meaning, the whole shrine maiden outfit business..." 

"……!"

The moment I mention the shrine maiden outfit, Kojina-san lets out a visible flinch. She walks on in absolute silence for a short while, but eventually lets out a soft sigh and begins to speak.

"Haa…… ……In the end, I somehow wound up agreeing to wear the shrine maiden outfit." 

"Seriously?!"

Turning to face her in sheer surprise, I am met with a flat, deadpan stare. However, with her pale cheeks and beautifully shaped ears thoroughly dyed a bright crimson, the only possible thought running through my head is how incredibly adorable she looks.

"I'm surprised you actually gave in..."

"……Mitsuho-san is completely unstoppable once she goes into a frenzy..."

As we walk side by side exchanging words, the gazes filtering in from the other students down the hall begin to grow noticeable. It is the classic look of: Who the hell is that guy walking alongside a girl who easily rivals Rina as one of the most stunning beauties in the entire freshman class—if not the whole school? For someone as fiercely aloof and unapproachable to men as Kojina-san, simply walking down a corridor side by side with a guy is apparently enough to cause a massive scene. She, however, pays the attention no mind, choosing instead to flatly air her grievances.

"Her persuasion tactics were relentless, too." 

"……Even so." 

"Dealing with someone who has known you since you were a little child is exhausting..."

Showering in a barrage of glares mixed with various intense emotions, we make our way up the stairs of the old school building and arrive in front of the Fortune Telling Club room. Before I can even ponder which one of us should knock, Kojina-san promptly raps her knuckles against the wood and pushes the door open.

"We are sorry to have kept you waiting, Mitsuho-san." 

"Otowa-chan. Please don't open the door before I've even had a chance to reply."

Senpai is already sitting inside the clubroom. Given that we made our way here the absolute instant classes let out, the sheer speed at which this senior moves is a genuine mystery.

"Oh ho. So Saida-kun and you arrived together today? Have the two of you grown close?" 

"W-We have not!" 

"We just happened to exit the classroom at the exact same time, so we naturally ended up walking together." 

"Heh~. Wow. Is that so~?" 

"……Mitsuho-san??"

Kojina-san drops her voice to a slightly lower register than usual, aiming a warning glare at the teasing senior. Recognizing that she might be pushing her luck to its absolute limits, Senpai hastily shifts the topic.

"……Right, then! The reason I gathered the two of you here today is to discuss the School Festival." 

"…………" 

"Well, I figured as much." 

"In an incredible turn of events, thanks to Saida-kun's passionate endorsement, the descent of Shrine Maiden Otowa-chan has officially been locked in!" 

"……Is that true?" 

"No, no, no! I didn't say a single thing like that! I mean, sure, I'd absolutely love to see you in a shrine maiden outfit, Kojina-san, but..."

Faced with Kojina-san's sharp reaction to the stray bullet Senpai just fired at me, I desperately plead innocent.

"But Mitsuho-san said..." 

"No, look, the President is just teasing you again, alright?!" 

"To say something so cruel... sniff" 

"…………Mitsuho-san???"

Watching Senpai put on a thoroughly fake show of sobbing, Kojina-san apparently realizes she has been played once again. Realizing that she is genuinely crossing a line, Senpai scrambles to make an excuse.

"Look! Saida-kun explicitly just admitted that he wants to see you in a shrine maiden outfit, didn't he?!" 

"And what exactly does that have to do with you teasing me?!"

It doesn't even remotely qualify as an excuse. In the end, thoroughly defeated, Senpai is forced to offer a proper apology.

"I'm sorry. Moving forward... I'll keep the teasing to a bare minimum." 

"A bare minimum?" 

"Fine, jeez! I'll do my absolute best not to do it at all. Are you happy now?!" 

"……Haa…… Fine, I suppose. As long as you do your best." 

"Ugh…… I'm sorry, Otowa-chan."

With the air finally cleared, the topic officially draws to a close. While I seriously doubt Senpai possesses the restraint to actually stop teasing her, throwing myself into the crossfire seems like too much of a hassle, so I keep my mouth shut.

"So, leaving Kojina-san aside for a moment, what exactly are you planning to do, President?" 

"Me? Let's see. I'm planning on handling the tarot card readings, so I'll probably go with a mysterious outfit." 

"A mysterious outfit?" 

"Hehe, you'll just have to look forward to the actual event to find out. As for you, Saida-kun, I want you to handle the role of greeter and guide." 

"A guide? So basically behind-the-scenes work and odd jobs?" 

"Exactly. You'll be taking care of various tasks outside of the actual fortune-telling." 

"Understood. Though I think I'll try studying up on fortune-telling a bit just in case." 

"Really?! Wow, it looks like Saida-kun is finally developing a sense of pride as a member of the Fortune Telling Club."

Utilizing the various spells I mastered over the summer vacation, putting on a convincing mimicry of actual fortune-telling should be well within my capabilities. After carrying on a casual conversation regarding fortune-telling for a short while longer, we officially disband for the day.

+++

Following a weekend spent exactly like the ones before summer vacation, Monday arrives. The moment I enter the classroom after arriving at school, Shigemitsu immediately ambushes me.

"Hey! Saida!" 

"What's up?" 

"Word on the street is you were hanging out with Kojina-san after school on Friday."

Hearing her name, I scan the classroom to locate her. Given her track record of arriving right at the absolute last second, it looks like she hasn't made it to school yet.

"Oh, yeah. We just headed over to the old building for club activities." 

"Club activities in the old building?" 

"Yeah." 

"But how on earth did you end up walking with her?" 

"What do you mean 'how'? We belong to the exact same club." 

"……Are you serious?! This is the first time I'm hearing about this!" 

"……Well, we're both ghost members just filling out the roster requirements, after all."

As the two of us continue our chat, the rather explosive nature of the topic naturally draws the intense focus of the surrounding classmates. Before long, a few other guys scramble over to join the conversation.

"So, what club is it anyway?" 

"The Fortune Telling Club. I was just casually checking it out one day and got reeled in." 

"A club requires at least three members to exist, right...?" 

"Yeah. A second-year girl is the president, making three of us in total." 

"Does that mean if I join right now, I can hang out with Kojina-san during club hours?!" 

"……Honestly, if anyone else joins, I feel like Kojina-san would immediately quit." 

"Is that true?" 

"She explicitly stated from the very beginning that she was only lending her name to the roster, and she doesn't seem to have any genuine interest in fortune-telling to begin with." 

"What if you quit, Saida?" 

"If two people joined to take our places, I'd gladly step down, but if only one person joins, I'm pretty sure Kojina-san would beat me to the door and resign first." 

"Man, seriously...?" 

"If I don't prioritize her wishes on this, the aftermath looks terrifying." 

"Well, I can kind of picture that."

As we carry on our brief exchange, Kojina-san finally walks through the classroom door. Taking that as our cue, the huddle disperses, and the topic draws to an end. As a lingering side effect of the incident, I find myself subject to intense, lingering stares from students of other classes whenever I happen to walk down the hallways for a while.

+++

Around the middle of September, the long-awaited contact from Erika finally arrives. She informs me that the twenty-fourth will be a day off for her, meaning we can arrange a secret rendezvous. When I asked what exactly she wanted as a reward for her hard work with Rina's setup, her request arrived carrying the following implication:

She wants to have a threesome with Iroha included on that day.

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