A Sister's Feelings
The hacking attempt on the Third Division was orchestrated by a group of illegal immigrants, though their goal wasn't to steal data.
"Counterattack from FLT!" a voice reported.
"Cut the line, as planned!" Chen ordered.
At his command, the connection used for the hack was physically severed. Chen, observing the operation, turned to his deputy, Lu Ganghu, standing nearby.
"What do you think they'll do next?" Chen asked.
"…Unclear," Lu replied.
Lu's curt response was hardly befitting a subordinate, but Chen, unfazed, continued as if musing to himself.
"They failed to block the intrusion for over ten minutes. Tatsuya Shiba must be questioning the lab's security by now."
"Indeed," Lu agreed.
Chen valued Lu's cool judgment and unmatched combat prowess over etiquette or flattery. Eloquence was unnecessary.
"Even if Tatsuya Shiba is tied to FLT, he wouldn't entrust the holy relic to a facility with questionable security," Chen reasoned.
"Logically, yes," Lu said.
"I know what you're thinking. He's a high schooler. Knowing it's targeted, he might hesitate to keep it close. If so, we'll find another way to access the lab's data—likely by having him show up in person."
"Leave it to me," Lu replied confidently.
Chen nodded, then shifted his expression as if recalling something. "By the way, Zhou's checking on that girl today… Take care of it beforehand."
The order caught Lu off guard. Such an action would ruin Zhou's reputation and risk losing a valuable ally. Yet Lu Ganghu didn't question it, his face and words betraying no doubt.
"Understood," he said briskly, moving to carry out the task.
Even on a Sunday, school obligations meant Tatsuya and Miyuki couldn't stay in casual clothes. They returned home to change, where Tatsuya noticed a message on their home phone, set to non-forwarding mode—a sign the sender deemed it highly confidential.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Miyuki asked, approaching after taking longer to change. She peered at the phone's display.
"A message? From whom… Senior Hirakawa!?" she exclaimed.
"She wants a call back," Tatsuya said, pressing the reply button.
The call connected after a single ring.
"Shiba-kun? Sorry for making you call…" Koharu's voice came through.
"No, I'm the one who's late. We were out this morning," Tatsuya replied.
Since the Nine Schools Competition, Koharu and Tatsuya had interacted frequently. To Tatsuya, she seemed gentle but fragile in a way distinct from Azusa's timidity—a fragility others might see as kindness or warmth. Most, he thought, probably viewed her that way.
"No, I'm the one who asked you to call…" Koharu said, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"Is something wrong?" Tatsuya asked, sensing a familiar darkness in her tone, reminiscent of when she'd agonized over quitting school. Though he couldn't see her face, he imagined her expression was clouded with worry.
"It's about before… I'm sorry for the trouble Chiaki caused," she said.
"It was just an attempt. Nothing happened, so don't worry. Besides, Chiaki might have been brainwashed or had her emotions manipulated," Tatsuya replied.
At the mention of "Chiaki," Miyuki, standing behind him, twitched slightly. Tatsuya sensed it without looking, picking up on her subtle reaction.
"But it caused such a mess…" Koharu continued. "You're already burdened with being my substitute, and because of my failure, Chiaki got tangled up with those shady people. All I can do is apologize, but I'm truly sorry."
"Alright," Tatsuya said. "For your sake, Koharu, I'll let it slide."
Truthfully, Tatsuya wasn't bothered by Chiaki's actions and found Koharu's apology more inconvenient than necessary. He accepted it quickly to move on.
"Thank you," Koharu said, her voice brightening. "I knew you'd say that, Shiba-kun."
"I've got preparations to attend to, so I'll—"
"Wait!" Koharu interrupted. "This isn't much of an apology, and I don't know if it'll help, but I found logs of Chiaki contacting a theft ring. It includes her private data. I'm entrusting it to you, Shiba-kun. Do what you think is best."
Without waiting for a response, Koharu sent the logs and ended the call.
"Hacking your sister's data is still a crime…" Tatsuya muttered, staring at the file icon in the quarantine box.
"Brother?" Miyuki asked, her voice tinged with concern at his murmur.
"What to do with this…" Tatsuya mused, his reply slightly off-topic.
He wasn't confident he could trace the fox through the network using an abandoned access point's logs. But he knew someone who could.
"Might as well use what's available," he said to himself.
Miyuki, now changed and ready, sidled up beside him. They headed to school just as rain began to fall. Without umbrellas, it wasn't an issue—Miyuki, as a student council officer permitted to carry a CAD at all times, could dry their clothes effortlessly.
"This rain rules out outdoor work," Miyuki said, her expression clouding.
"Can't be helped," Tatsuya replied with a shrug.
Preparations had been smooth, and while indoor space was tight, they'd manage. For Tatsuya, the weather was irrelevant—he was slated for debugging in the robotics club's garage all day.
"I'm off, then," he said.
"Good luck, Brother," Miyuki replied, her tone slightly reluctant as she parted for the student council room.
Ahead, Honoka and Shizuku waved at them. Tatsuya raised a hand in return, while Miyuki hurried toward her friends.
Looks like she's completely smitten, huh?
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