The Irregular at Magic High School: Everyone Loves My Brother?!

Family Feelings

As Yakumo finished the breakfast Miyuki prepared, he gazed at the siblings with a wistful smile.

"You two in high school already? Makes me feel old," he said.

"You're still young, Master," Tatsuya replied.

"No way. I'm getting tired keeping up with you," Yakumo teased.

"That's not you declining, Sensei. It's Onii-sama excelling," Miyuki countered.

Her words, though true, stung Yakumo's pride.

"Declining?" he muttered.

"Didn't you say you're tired?" Miyuki quipped.

"I said tired, not declining!"

"My apologies," Miyuki said, her tone playfully insincere.

Yakumo's mock protest met Miyuki's mock apology, earning wry smiles from both him and Tatsuya. Even polite Miyuki had her cheeky side.

"Still, Tatsuya-kun, your growth is astounding. Six months ago, I didn't struggle this much," Yakumo said.

"I'm still half-baked," Tatsuya deflected.

Unusually, Yakumo offered praise, but Tatsuya, unaccustomed to it, brushed it off. Miyuki, however, beamed at her brother's recognition.

"Onii-sama, too much humility sounds like sarcasm. Sensei praised you—laugh proudly!" she urged.

"That'd make me a jerk, wouldn't it?" Tatsuya said, his wry smile turning bitter.

Miyuki's brother-obsessed comment shifted Yakumo's grin to genuine amusement.

"Time for school, Master," Tatsuya said.

"See you tomorrow," Yakumo replied, raising a hand.

"Thank you, Sensei," Miyuki added with a graceful bow.

Yakumo's smile turned wry again, torn between awe and exasperation at Miyuki's refined demeanor.

Back home briefly, Tatsuya and Miyuki boarded a private transit pod to the station. Full trains were a thing of the past.

"Onii-sama…" Miyuki's voice was barely a whisper as the pod's doors closed, sealing them in privacy.

"You okay? You look pale," Tatsuya said, catching every word despite her soft tone.

"Yesterday… those people called."

"Those people? Oh, our parents. Did Father upset you again?"

Miyuki's disdain for their father didn't surprise Tatsuya. He shared her view, seeing him as a biological tie at best, and knew why she felt such contempt.

"No, they managed to congratulate me on enrollment… but when I asked about you, Onii-sama, they…"

"Same as always, huh?" Tatsuya said, already knowing.

"They called you a thing on the phone, and didn't even send you a congratulatory message!" Miyuki's voice trembled with rage.

An ominous chill filled the pod, the temperature dropping as her anger triggered her magic unconsciously—a bad habit. The heater kicked on automatically.

"Miyuki, calm down," Tatsuya said firmly.

"But—"

"Calm down."

She obeyed, realizing her outburst troubled him. "I'm so sorry! I lost control…"

Tatsuya gently patted her head. "I ignored Father's orders to help the company and chose school. Of course they wouldn't celebrate me. You know how they are."

Miyuki, soothed yet defiant, couldn't hide her joy at his touch. "It's normal for a fifteen-year-old to go to school! If they wanted you at the company, they should've asked me first, then Aunt Maya. They don't even have the guts for that. I'm ashamed they're my parents!"

Tatsuya ignored the mention of Maya, knowing she'd never let their father keep him. "High school isn't mandatory. Them wanting my help means they rely on me."

"They don't see your true brilliance!" Miyuki snapped.

"Being relied on isn't so bad," he said, deflecting her anger.

"If you say so…" she relented.

Tatsuya stopped patting her head and stepped back.

"Ah…" Miyuki let out a small, wistful sound.

"Something wrong?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

"N-no! Nothing!" Her face flushed crimson.

Tatsuya's extra gentleness was deliberate, shielding her from the truth: their parents saw him as a tool, nothing more. He couldn't let Miyuki know biological ties or not she might do something drastic. To protect her heart, he bore the secret alone.

First Day of Class: Course 1 Perspective

Miyuki, embarrassed by her earlier outburst, was soothed by Tatsuya's comfort and regained her composure by the time they reached First High.

"See you later, Miyuki," Tatsuya said at the school gate.

"Yes, Onii-sama," she replied softly.

Course 1 and Course 2 students parted ways here, forcing them to separate.

(It's lonely… same school as Onii-sama, yet everything—gates, paths—is divided.)

Miyuki climbed the stairs, frustrated by the rigid distinction. Incidentally, her pensive grace caused several students to miss steps, flooding the infirmary on the first day.

(Class 1-A, here it is.)

Entering her classroom, Miyuki drew mixed reactions: some classmates fist-pumped in joy, others slumped, disappointed to be in different classes.

"Good morning," she said with a polite bow, her etiquette flawless but impactful.

"It's Sibata, the top freshman!"

"She's really in our class!"

"Such elegance—truly worthy of the Bloom's crown."

Ignoring the buzz, Miyuki headed to her seat.

(There it is.)

"Pigyaa!" A girl tripped in front of her.

"You okay…?" a student muttered.

"An idiot like that in Class A?" another whispered.

The fallen girl looked ready to cry as the class stirred.

"Are you alright?" Miyuki asked gently.

"Y-Yes… thank you, Sibata-san," the girl stammered.

"My pleasure. And you are…?"

"Mitsui Honoka."

"I'm Sibata Miyuki. Let's get along, Mitsui-san."

"Y-Yes!" Honoka beamed.

Miyuki suppressed a wry smile at Honoka's enthusiasm, her practiced composure holding firm.

"Sorry, Sibata-san. She's a bit clumsy," another girl said.

"Shizuku!" Honoka protested.

"And you are…?" Miyuki asked.

"Kitayama Shizuku. Honoka's a big fan of yours."

"Shizuku, stop!" Honoka squeaked.

"Have we met before?" Miyuki inquired.

"She fell for you at the entrance exam," Shizuku deadpanned.

"Don't say that!" Honoka wailed.

Miyuki, amused by their banter, felt she could get along with these two.

During orientation, as Miyuki stood to follow Instructor Mozuya for class observations, a male student approached.

"Sibata-san, which classes are you visiting?" he asked.

"I'm following the instructor," she replied coolly.

"What a coincidence! Me too! Course 1 students shouldn't waste time with Course 2's workshops, right?"

His casual disdain for Course 2—and by extension, Tatsuya—grated on her.

"We'd better hurry to the meeting point!" Honoka interjected.

"Right," Miyuki said, relieved.

Honoka's interruption saved the boy from Miyuki's icy wrath. She followed Honoka, hearing the boy being consoled behind her, unaware his chance with her was already lost.

"Sorry for butting in," Honoka said.

"No, you saved me. I was wondering how to brush him off," Miyuki admitted.

"Really?" Honoka's face lit up, thrilled to have helped and to be walking with her.

"Oh, Mitsui-san, your uniform's dirty," Miyuki noticed, spotting mud from Honoka's fall.

"It's nothing…" Honoka laughed nervously.

Before she could protest, Miyuki activated her magic without a CAD, erasing the stains instantly.

"Sibata-san, that was…" Honoka gasped.

"Keep it a secret, okay?" Miyuki winked.

Honoka stared in awe, while Shizuku's gaze held a mix of surprise and suspicion.

"Kitayama-san?" Miyuki prompted.

"What?"

"Being stared at like that is a bit embarrassing."

"I thought you'd be used to it," Shizuku said, her tone flat.

Miyuki gave a polite smile, ending the exchange. Shizuku was harder to read.

At the training grounds, Instructor Mozuya posed a question. The earlier boy raised his hand.

"Morisaki-kun, explain," Mozuya said.

Morisaki's answer fell short, failing to impress.

"Sibata-san, your turn," Mozuya prompted, as if expecting her to outshine him.

"Emission-type magic manipulates the motion and interaction of elementary and composite particles," Miyuki answered confidently.

Mozuya nodded, satisfied, likely having chosen her deliberately.

"Lunch break now. Afternoon observations start at 1:20," Mozuya announced before leaving.

A crowd swarmed Miyuki, eager to eat lunch with her. Honoka and Shizuku, caught in the throng, struggled to break free, ignored by the classmates vying for Miyuki's attention.

"Ow…" Honoka winced.

"Please, give us space…" Shizuku muttered.

Hearing their distress, Miyuki moved to free them. The crowd mistook it as her agreeing to join them for lunch, but she had no such intention, her focus solely on helping her new friends.