Chapter 124

The antique electric sports car – a replica of the "super sports cars" popular throughout the country between the late 1970s and the 1980s – stopped before the tall apartment constructed in the heart of the city.

"Here will be fine. Thank you for giving me a lift."

Maki opened the wing-shaped door and stepped out from the low, short vehicle that was practically pressed against the ground. She rose dramatically from her seat as if still in front of the cameras, looped around the rear of the engine, poked her head into the driver's seat – that being said, this was actually an automatic steering system that happened to provide a seat – and said this after a glance.

Her lover, Shizuku's cousin, had an unsatisfied expression on his face. However, once Maki stepped closer and stooped to plant a kiss on his face before giving him a dazzling smile, the young man relaxed and started the car.

Although Maki waved goodbye to the antique replica speeding away, once the electric race car turned around the intersection and vanished, the smile immediately faded from her face in favor of a colder expression. The "lover" who could be manipulated with a single smile was expelled from Maki's mind with a sigh as she walked towards the apartment's lobby where the elevators were.

With the exception of incredibly tall buildings like the Yokohama Bay Hotel, there were very few buildings in Japan that exceeded 100 meters in height in the 22nd century. This was especially the case for residential buildings. From the perspective of the efficient usage of national soil, it was preferable to construct a series of ordinary, taller dwellings compared with a single, lone skyscraper. With that philosophy in mind, there was a row of "condominiums" here that stood 80 meters tall and boasted 20 stories. Maki's room was one of them, a corner room on the 20th floor. Through a combination of mirrors and fiber optics, even lower floors had sufficient light, but tenants ultimately preferred higher floors, which was why the top floor commanded the heftiest prices. In order to purchase such an expensive dwelling in the heart of the city, a famous actress early in her career would be hard pressed to do so alone without a sponsor. –That was under the condition that she was just an actress.

"Good work."

Maki said to the two female bodyguards who stood in the hallway, knowing that their mistress had returned. These were no "followers" that typically accompanied those in the entertainment circles, nor were they interns dispatched by the acting company Maki belonged to. These were guards selected by her father.

In television industry, Maki's father was the CEO of a stock company with many media companies under its umbrella. Though they were not on the same level as the Kitayama Family, the Sawamura Family was a member of the upper crust of society with considerable wealth at its disposal.

After returning home, Maki first took a shower before changing into a more relaxing dress and robes and sat on the sofa. It was a casual garb that she wore only at home or during that particular type of photo shots. After fiddling with the controls on the side of the armrest, she ordered the HAR (Home Automation Robot) to prepare a bottle of wine and a glass. The surface of the coffee table dipped, allowing the bottle and glass hidden beneath the floor to pass through, then returned to its normal height. This was a common mechanism in high class apartments. By now, this was worthy of neither surprise nor excitement. Maki removed the cork and held the bottle to pour herself a glass of red wine.

Rather than hurrying to sample the taste, she left the glass before her and savored the smell. She wasn't really planning on drinking alcohol. It wasn't that she was incapable of imbibing alcohol, but nor was she someone who couldn't live without the bottle. This was Maki's ritual to help her loosen her fraught nerves after returning home from the job. On some level, compared to the smell of the liquor, immersing herself in the atmosphere was probably more appropriate.

However, that hardly indicated that she wasn't drinking anything, and by the time half the contents of the glass had disappeared, her bodyguard opened the door to the living room and came in.

"Milady, Shippou-sama is here."

"Takuma? ...Speaking of which, it's almost time for the appointment.

He's a little early, but no matter, let him in."

It's not like she was afraid of someone seeing her dressed like this. Without any sign of hesitation on her face, Maki ordered her bodyguard to allow the guest into the living room.

"Understood."

Even after the bodyguard turned and left, she didn't frantically reach for her cosmetics.

She was an actress.

Even if she only wore her underclothes, she was more than capable of playing "herself as others saw her". Against an inexperienced youngster, a slack dress and robe was more than sufficient.

The youth shown into the living room approached with an air of familiarity and plopped himself down in front of Maki without so much as a please. He stood at approximately 170 cm. The young man's build was slightly thin, and though his face was fair, a faint trace of a childish air remained about him as befitting his age. The reason he gave off a haughty impression was likely due to the burning sense of self that lurked in his pupils.

"Good evening, Maki-san."

Both his tone and actions were guilty of acting "older than his years". "Welcome, Takuma. You're quite punctual."

Maki plainly didn't pay any mind to Takuma's brave showing. Still, this sort of interaction wasn't enough to lift Takuma's mood. Their relationship had already persisted for a year.

"Anything to drink?"

"No need. Alcohol impairs cognition."

Takuma shook his head at Maki's suggestion. –Though there was no invitation to "drink alcohol", Maki didn't call him out on that.

"Now that you mention it, it's about time you told me. After all, that's the reason you called me here, wasn't it?" "True. Let's cut right to chase."

Takuma was a little overzealous for Maki's taste, but faced with a youngster who was almost an entire cycle younger than she was, she wasn't going to stick to her own style. For Maki, Takuma was neither a younger lover nor her personal gigolo.

"I made contact with Kitayama Shizuku. Unfortunately, it looks like she has only managed to remember my appearance and name so far."

"...Uninterested in the arts, eh?"

"However, her friend Mitsui Honoka clearly indicated considerable interest, I believe?"

Seeing Takuma make no attempt to hide his disappointed muttering, Maki employed the poise of an actress, no, a superstar as she smiled at him.

"Really?"

Takuma's attitude shifted (far too honestly) immediately and he leaned his torso towards Maki's direction.

"Mitsui Honoka is also one of the elites among the Year 2 students. Pulling her into the fold would be of great help."

"Maybe. In addition, I feel that if her friend Mitsui Honoka joined Takuma's camp, the chance of achieving a breakthrough with Kitayama Shizuku would rise as well."

Maki and Takuma were "allies". For their own personal reasons, they sought Magicians as comrades – or pieces on a board. One of these scenarios involved enticing Magicians within First High with great potential into their camp and becoming friends.

"I think that it would be better to look for companions among your fellow new students first."

"Our goal is realignment in our respective worlds. Creating a party itself is not the goal, just as capturing a leadership position at school is utterly meaningless. Rather, we should be contemplating how to bring people with massive influence like the Kitayama Family over to our side. Maki, didn't you believe in that as well, which is why you approached that boring man who happened to be a relative of the Kitayama Family?"

Interrupting Maki's words, Takuma captured her gaze with a strong look of his own.

"Let's set Mitsui Honoka as the first target. Of course, you will assist me in this matter?"

Maki turned a smile on the childish fervor that burst forth from Takuma.

"Well, that's a given... But Takuma, you better take heed to call her

"Mitsui-senpai". If you don't pay attention normally, you might accidentally address her by her full name at an unexpected time and place, don't you think?"

A guilty look suddenly flooded Takuma's face as his eyes wavered.

Wetting her lips with a touch of red wine, Maki wore a languid expression. That was, of course, an act.

"Maki, is something awry?"

Seeing that expression, Takuma furrowed his brows. His question perfectly hit the nail on the head for Maki.

"Something awry... That's true."

Naturally, all of this was hidden away. Maki only put on an act that "accidentally expressed that on her face" and ended with "since you asked, I will reply".

"As we heard beforehand, Shiba Miyuki appeared at the party with her older brother."

Takuma seemed ignorant of the fact that was an act. There was no way of knowing whether he was incapable of seeing through her masquerade or he simply didn't care about Maki's mindset. He was wholly fixated on her words.

"Dragging those siblings to our side will be very difficult." "Did something happen?"

"No, we just talked... But those two appear to have a special relationship with the previous Student Council President."

Maki was completely lying at this point. Maki had been dismissed by

Tatsuya and Miyuki without a chance to do any information gathering. However, Takuma had no way of knowing this.

"The previous Student Council President... Saegusa!"

A spike of enmity erupted from the interaction between Maki's words and Takuma's own. Fueled by animosity, his emotions covered any chance rational logic could detect the falsehood within.

"This is just speculation on my part, but I think the Shiba siblings are already in the Saegusa camp. Taking out the Saegusa Family in one fell swoop will be difficult now. This is especially true for the sister, who has legions of supporters."

The hatred burned fiercely in Takuma's eyes as he bit back in a belligerent tone that sounded stout.

"The more friends you have, the more enemies you will have as well, that's the law of the world. If they're the dogs of the Saegusa Family, then we will throw down against one another sooner or later. Bring it on!"

"The sister is the Student Council Vice President, so I think you better abandon your idea of seizing a foothold in the Student Council."

Maki seemed to implore with her eyes as she watched Takuma, who had leaped to his feet in excitement.

"From what I know, the sister is a serious bro-con and her older brother is detested by many. Wouldn't it be far more beneficial to use that approach?"

Maki made this suggestion to Takuma in a sincere, encouraging tone.