3 New Acquaintance

"How rude of me..."

"Let me introduce myself; my name is Kokonoe Yakumo, the priest of this shrine."

So that's his name...

Tsk! I've been sitting here for a few minutes, and I already itch to stand up and go home.

I tried to maintain a calm exterior, but deep down, I desperately wanted to leave. "Yuki Haku, umm... just an ordinary person?"

Yeah, believe me! I'm just an average person who happened to be shopping and passing by.

Can I please go home already?

I put on a warm smile and made eye contact with them.

"Woah..." The girl couldn't help but gasp in shock.

As I continued to smile warmly, I noticed the two teenagers sitting across from me getting startled, especially... the girl whose cheeks turned red upon seeing my gentle smile.

I was taken aback—I didn't expect my smile to have such an effect on a beautiful girl.

I paused and returned to my neutral expression.

"By the way... was there a combat training session earlier?" I attempted to strike up a friendly conversation, although it was merely a formality.

Uncle Ninja smiled in response to my question. "Well, it was mainly for helping Tatsuya-kun practice his Taijutsu, but it's also beneficial for the other students' training." Kokonoe Oji-san explained.

Feigning surprised, I continued. "Wow! That's impressive! Did you defeat all those opponents and then face off against Kokonoe-san?" I directed my gaze toward the teenage boy in front of me.

I noticed him flinch slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ah, well, that's true, but Sensei always defeats me like any other day." He tried to downplay his skills, but I believed his Taijutsu level was remarkable for his age.

"I see... I heard your name is Tatsuya, right? It's a pleasure to meet you." Look at my flawless acting.

I concealed my frustration adeptly, fufu~ you won't believe it... I just reincarnated this morning, and guess what? My first encounter was with a middle-aged ninja Oji-san and a teenager who seemed out of place, including the beautiful girl next to him.

'Wow, what a day.' I grumbled inwardly, adding a touch of drama to my situation.

"I'm also delighted to meet you, Yuki-san... my name is Shiba Tatsuya, and let me introduce my little sister, Shiba Miyuki." Huh, seems like my hearing is functioning normally.

They truly are siblings.

It's surprising to witness such a close bond between brother and sister.

To the best of my knowledge, siblings don't usually share that kind of connection. Even among my step-siblings, they fought over our damn father's wealth... I recalled the past.

"Oh, so she's your sister?"

"My initial impression was that you two were a couple, haha! Nice to meet you, Shiba-san."

That's my honest impression: they don't resemble siblings at all.

What the heck, girl? Why are you blushing so intensely?

"Does it seem that way? I'm also pleased to meet you, Yuki-san." She said this while blushing fiercely, but she managed to calm herself after a while.

'Um, what words would be appropriate for her?' I refrained from commenting on her reaction earlier.

"H-haha... By the way, I haven't seen you before, young master. Have you recently moved here?" I glanced back at Uncle Ninja.

'Yes, I just died and was reincarnated...' Of course, I couldn't possibly say that.

"Not really. I was born in Tokyo." As per my official personal data, I wasn't lying.

"I see... I see... hahaha!" Uncle burst into laughter like a child. Sigh... Please act your age, Oji-san.

"By the way, Yuki-san, I noticed you were carrying several grocery bags earlier." That girl, or rather, Shiba-san, spoke softly to me. Why is she like that?

"Oh, that? I bought some personal items and food ingredients for dinner."

Yes, pay close attention... I'm just an ordinary guy in a Tokyo neighborhood.

Inside my inner world, I grinned wickedly. I didn't want to admit that I was this strong. I'm normal, for God's sake!

'Who cares... it helped me survive that hellish life, though.'

Pfft! It doesn't matter... it was necessary to endure.

"It's rare these days for people to cook for themselves... You're amazing, Yuki." Shiba-kun praised my "normality," which seemed unusual for the current era.

Well, nowadays, people rely on home automation robots or 3H for short. They resemble women in their twenties, and they excel at household chores. So, you could say I'm in the minority too.

"Ahaha, not really. I plan to work as a chef and maybe open a café or restaurant someday, so it's nothing special to me."

"That's wonderful, Yuki-san. With such a plan, I'm guessing you're skilled in cooking."

Shiba-san complimented me with a cute expression. But she's right!

"No, no, it's too much to say I'm skilled like that." I waved my hands, attempting to deflect the praise.

"By the way, young master, do you go to school?" Thanks for steering the conversation away from this embarrassing topic, Oji-san, because I don't want too much praise.

WAIT!!!

'Seriously! I just arrived in this world, so, of course, I don't have any plans.' I cursed Uncle Shinobi's question; his question was even more troublesome. I take back my earlier gratitude.

"About that... As I was about to explain my tentative plans, my words were interrupted by a floating layer in front of me.

[Ding!]

[Notification!]

[The user has been registered and accepted into the National Magic University Affiliated First High School in Hachiji, Tokyo.]

'DARN!!!'

I was going to say I'll attend a regular civilian high school, but apparently, the System registered me into a magic high school.

'Is this good or bad?'

I felt a pang of annoyance, worried that this unexpected twist might disrupt my ordinary life.

However, I quickly regained my composure, noticing the puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Ah-haha, I'm a freshman at First High School this year." I resigned myself to the System's decision.

Well, let's try to stay positive; maybe this is for the best.

But then, I saw the shock on their faces.

'What's the matter?' I tilted my head in confusion. Is there something unusual about it?

"Yuki... we're also freshmen at First High," Shiba-kun revealed yet another surprising fact.

'Oh no! Could it be that there are many powerful individuals like them?'

This is troublesome. I've been too naïve, assuming that a magic high school would be as normal as the schools in my previous world.

"What a coincidence. Please take care of me."

I offered a slight bow but struggled to keep a straight face despite my underlying concerns.

"Please take care of us as well, Yuki."

Shiba-kun smiled warmly, though I couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind his words.

"Just call me Haku... since we're schoolmates now."

Yes, let's keep it simple.

It's better to leave a good impression and have strong allies.

"Then... you can call me Tatsuya too." Shiba... no, Tatsuya seemed more friendly than before.

I couldn't help but wonder why my intuition told me he still had some doubts about me.

"Oh, Haku-san, you can call me Miyuki." Her sister chimed in with a lovely smile.

Why does it feel so overwhelming to me?

"Alright then... Miyuki-kun." I smiled kindly. It's not a bad thing to have friends. Maybe this is my true sentiment, considering my trust issues from my previous life.

Apart from my mother, I only trusted myself, and that's what kept me going.

"They seem trustworthy, but I'll remain cautious..." I whispered coldly in my inner voice.

"Oh! Look at the time. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I have to head home soon as I'm quite tired today." I apologized with a smile to Kokonoe-san.

"Haha! I understand, young master... Don't dwell on it too much." Uncle Ninja seemed to comprehend. Is that what they call the Shinobi Instinct? Such nonsense.

"Tatsuya-kun and Miyuki-kun, I hope we can meet again at school." I put on the cutest smile I could muster.

Since I consider you guys allies, no, I mean friends, you should be grateful to witness this adorable smile. I chuckled narcissistically in my mind.

"We hope so too... Haku." Tatsuya started addressing me informally.

That's a good sign~

"I hope I get a chance to taste your cooking, Haku," Miyuki said, delicately covering her mouth like a princess.

"Sure! For Miyuki-kun, I'll prepare a bento for us to share. And, of course, I'll make some for Tatsuya as well."

Who cares if they are friends or foes? Cooking for others is an opportunity for joy, my happiness.

I miss the pleasure I derived from preparing meals for Mom.

Unconsciously, I found myself smiling genuinely upon hearing Miyuki's request. I couldn't tell if she was being polite or truly sincere.

"E-Eh? Won't that be a bother?" Miyuki grew visibly nervous as I became serious.

Sigh.

She was simply being polite.

"Hmmm, I wish I were still in high school too. Haha," Kokonoe-san mused, rubbing his chin.

"Of course, next time, I'll invite you for dinner." Since he invited me for tea... sigh, what a hassle.

"I see! Let me know, young master."

He smirked upon hearing my invitation.

I hope he doesn't pull any strange pranks, considering his tendency for mischief.

Before bidding them farewell, we exchanged contact information, and I departed with my luggage.

Of course, I carried it like any normal person, despite the System's storage feature.

I wanted to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

(Tatsuya's POV)

After Haku left, I initially thought he was just an ordinary person.

Looking beyond his appearance and hidden powers, my impression of him was that he was friendly and not suspicious at all. He genuinely seemed to consider me and Miyuki as his friend.

"For now, I'll let my guard down a bit..."

"Onii-sama... Is something bothering you?" Miyuki asked, her concern evident.

"Sorry... I got a little distracted just now." I need to regain my composure.

I turned away from Miyuki for a moment before facing Sensei. "Sensei... is Haku someone you know?"

It's hard to believe that Sensei had no prior acquaintance with Haku. I suspect Haku might be a descendant of a family skilled in ancient magic.

"No... I just met him recently," Sensei smiled at me, but is he being truthful?

"But Sensei, when I first encountered him, I couldn't sense his presence at all. It felt as if I were facing you, Sensei." If Sensei isn't lying, then Haku remains a mystery...

"Hmmph... As expected of Tatsuya-kun. Yes, from my observations, Yuki-san is a master of Ninjutsu. I also acknowledge him as an exceptional shinobi. But I'm certain there are other aspects about him that I don't know. Don't worry! Yuki-san means no harm."

Indeed, even Sensei regards him highly. Nevertheless, I'll keep a close eye on him, just to be safe.

Should I inform Oba-ue?

No... I'm concerned that Haku might find out about it... But does he already know about my true identity and Miyuki's as well? For now, it's best to remain silent about him.

"I need to be cautious around Haku..."

"?" I noticed the air turning colder and glanced at Miyuki. She seemed lost in her thoughts, pouting slightly.

"What's the matter, Miyuki?"

(Miyuki's POV)

After Haku-san departed from the temple, Onii-sama appeared lost in his thoughts and unable to focus.

"Sorry... I got a little distracted just now." He smiled and apologized, but how could he get distracted?

Is it because Haku-san is handsome and kind, capturing his attention?

Unacceptable!!!

Then I overheard Onii-sama conversing with Sensei about Haku. I had the same thoughts when I first saw him.

I can't believe Haku claimed to be an ordinary person, yet his abilities and appearance suggested otherwise. He diverted Onii-sama's attention away from me!

Is it because he's attractive? But I've always been by Onii-sama's side, his beloved little sister. And Haku-san is a boy! So why should he be the one drawing Onii-sama's attention!?

"Onii-sama might develop feelings for him... I know he's a man, but it still makes me feel insecure...

"I need to be cautious around Haku..."

"What's the matter, Miyuki?" Onii-sama's voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"N-nothing, Onii-sama."

Don't let yourself feel insecure because of him, Miyuki... I am still Onii-sama's favorite.

(Monologue POV)

INSECURE!!!!

Insecurity is a common human experience.

As humans, we often find ourselves questioning and doubting.

The two Shiba siblings, Tatsuya and Miyuki, were raised as members of the Yotsuba family, the most powerful magician family among the Ten Master Clans.

Shiba Tatsuya

A magician with exceptional talent in both knowledge and combat magic, he is a predator who hunts down his enemies.

Beneath his seemingly ordinary appearance lies a multitude of extraordinary identities.

Tatsuya is an undiscovered genius magician, known to the world as "Taurus Silver," an unexpected high school student.

With his fearsome magic abilities, including the "Demon Right" and "Divine Left" traits, he earned the nickname "Mahesvara" for his role in repelling the invasion by the Great Asian Union three years ago.

And then...

Shiba Miyuki

Tatsuya's younger sister, who also happens to be a bit obsessed with her brother...

A prodigy in both magical knowledge and abilities, Miyuki possesses exceptional skills in various types of magic, thanks to her Yotsuba lineage.

As a direct descendant of the Yotsuba family, Miyuki has undergone extensive training in subjects befitting a noble, including social dance, etiquette, and musical instruments, to fulfill her role as a Yotsuba member.

The Head of the Yotsuba Family has called her a "Yotsuba masterpiece."

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! THE TWO PREDATORS FIND THEMSELVES INSECURE IN THE PRESENCE OF A REINCARNATED ANOMALY!

This unnamed man has lived a tragic life, exiled by his family and enslaved by his father. He devoted himself to protecting his mother from their torment and eventually succumbed to lung cancer.

But God showed him a favor, granting him a second chance.

He was reborn as a fourteen-year-old boy named...

Yuki Haku

In this new life, Haku possesses unique advantages: an androgynous appearance, exceptional magic talent, photographic memory, and the support of a System.

YES! God has bestowed a System upon the androgynous Haku!

HOWEVER!!!

Yuki Haku longs for a peaceful existence, yet he curses his strength!

"HIHHKS! Why am I suddenly feeling a chill? Could someone be cursing me behind my back?"

Haku shivers as his mind races.

Poor Haku!

All he desires is a quiet life!