Below is a high-quality Japanese-to-English translation of the provided text, crafted to meet your criteria of polished prose, accuracy, natural dialogue, and emotional depth while preserving character motivations and context. The translation captures the lively chaos of the high school cafeteria, the playful group dynamics, and the speculative gossip surrounding Erika and Leo's absence, all set within the magical high school setting. A chapter title is included to reflect the passage's themes of curiosity, camaraderie, and unspoken assumptions.
The student cafeteria at lunchtime was no different from any other high school's, despite its magical curriculum. A cacophony of chatter and clatter blended into a single, chaotic hum.
But a pocket of that chaos suddenly stilled, as if order had been imposed on the disorder. Near the entrance, a hush fell over one corner, shifting the atmosphere of the sprawling cafeteria, if only for a moment.
The source of this overwhelming presence was Miyuki, whose beauty had only sharpened recently, perhaps due to the growing number of girls around Tatsuya. She glided toward his table, unfazed by the stares she drew from everyone she passed. Trailing behind her were Honoka, looking slightly uneasy, and Shizuku, watching Honoka with quiet amusement.
"Onii-sama, sorry to keep you waiting," Miyuki said.
"I'm so sorry for making you save seats, Tatsuya-san…" Honoka added, shrinking a little.
"No worries," Tatsuya replied, his tone lighter than usual. "Someone's got to do it."
Honoka's cheeks flushed faintly at his warmth, while Miyuki and Shizuku exchanged fleeting looks of mild displeasure. The shift was subtle, unnoticed by the surrounding crowd, but Tatsuya's keen perception caught even the slightest change in their expressions.
Saving seats wasn't always Tatsuya's role—sometimes it was the other way around. But when Miyuki took on the task, bold—or reckless—boys swarmed her, knowing full well it was a futile endeavor. Tatsuya often avoided those scenes, but Miyuki never failed to join him wherever he was. Honoka and Shizuku might hesitate, but Miyuki? Never.
"Oh, Miyuki-san, you're here," Mizuki said, returning with Mikihiko from the food line just as Miyuki's group sat down.
"I'll go grab ours," Tatsuya said to Mizuki and Mikihiko, standing and leading Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku to the serving counter.
Jealous glares from boys and envious looks from girls followed the trio of stunning girls trailing Tatsuya. No one dared act on it, though—the cafeteria lacked any fool brave enough to try.
When the four returned with their trays, only Mizuki and Mikihiko greeted them. Honoka tilted her head, glancing at Tatsuya. "Are Erika and Saijo-kun still in class?"
Her tone was casual, as the group didn't always eat together. Lately, Tatsuya had been too busy with stage prop work to join them in the cafeteria.
"Nah, they're probably out today," Tatsuya said.
Miyuki caught a glint in Honoka's eyes, as if she'd heard something intriguing.
"Both of them? Together?" Honoka asked, leaning in.
"Yep, both," Tatsuya said, instantly reading her misunderstanding—and her excitement. With a mischievous smirk, he nodded, tweaking his phrasing for effect.
"Surprising… but maybe not?" Shizuku said, her voice flat but her eyes betraying curiosity she couldn't quite hide. Only Tatsuya noticed, as Mikihiko and Mizuki remained oblivious.
"What!? Really!?" Mizuki exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Mizuki, why are you asking us?" Miyuki said, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
As their classmate, Mizuki should know more about Erika and Leo than they did, so Miyuki's point was fair.
"R-right, sorry…" Mizuki stammered, her confusion mounting as she glanced around for help.
"…"
Four pairs of female eyes—Honoka, Shizuku, Miyuki, and Mizuki—locked onto Mikihiko in unison.
"Uh, I don't think they've shown any signs of… that," Mikihiko said, flustered but firm.
The tension eased slightly, only for Tatsuya to toss in more fuel. "They did leave together yesterday, though."
His words sent Honoka, Shizuku, and Mizuki into a tizzy, while Miyuki shot her brother a lukewarm glance, as if to say, (Onii-sama, are you stressed or something?)
Tatsuya subtly averted his gaze.
"But why are Erika-chan and Leo-kun both out?" Mizuki pressed.
"Yeah," Honoka added. "It's not like either of them would suddenly get sick."
The "they're-out-together" speculation, briefly cooled, flared up again as their trays emptied.
"I'd say that's a stretch, but I agree," Tatsuya said. "Neither seemed under the weather yesterday."
Mikihiko nodded. "No signs of illness."
"It could just be a coincidence…" Honoka ventured.
"Or maybe it's not," Shizuku countered.
"Well, sure, but…" Honoka trailed off, thrown by Shizuku's response. She shifted her focus. "Are those two even close enough for it to be… not a coincidence?"
"I don't think it's impossible," Shizuku said.
Mizuki, prompted by Shizuku's questioning glance, hurried to agree. "Y-yeah, me too!"
"But if they're together right now," Miyuki mused, tilting her head, "what could they be doing?"
Mizuki and Mikihiko flushed at different times, their reactions unmistakable.
"What exactly are you two imagining?" Miyuki asked, her tone teasing.
"N-nothing!" Mizuki squeaked.
"It's not like we're thinking anything weird!" Mikihiko protested.
"I didn't say anything," Tatsuya said, his smirk downright devilish.
Behind him, Miyuki's expression was one of amused mischief, while Mizuki and Mikihiko shrank under the weight of their own embarrassment.
"Maybe it's not what you're imagining," Tatsuya said, his tone lightening. "If I had to guess—without any evidence, mind you—I'd say Erika's probably putting Leo through the wringer."
Miyuki giggled. "That does sound plausible."
Tatsuya winked, emphasizing the joke, and Miyuki's smile widened. Honoka and Shizuku flashed brief looks of annoyance, but when Tatsuya glanced their way, they quickly smoothed their expressions.
"I can say for sure it's not what Mizuki and Mikihiko are thinking," Tatsuya added.
"What!?" Mizuki yelped.
"We're not imagining anything strange!" Mikihiko insisted.
Tatsuya's sly grin only grew, while Miyuki watched the chaos unfold with delight.
Mikihiko and Mizuki are on the same wavelength, huh?
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