The S-Class Mage is a Gyaru!?-Chapter 82: Arcane Jungle, Part Nine

{Akari}

Professor Sato looks like he’s aged ten years since walking into class. Probably because Haruka’s been using my lap as a chair for the past twenty minutes, and every time he tries to start his announcement, she "accidentally" bounces.

[Hehe...]

"As I was saying-" He adjusts his glasses for like the fifteenth time. "The International Arcane Exhibition, or IAE for short, will be- Ms. Suzuki, please."

"Oops!" Haruka shifts again, grinding right against my dick. "Sorry, Professor! Just kinda slipped, lol."

I pinch her side. Hard.

"Girl, I swear to god-" I mutter through gritted teeth (and a smile). "I’m on probation over here!"

She just shrugs and winks.

"ANYWAY." Sato’s powered through the moment. "The IAE will be held at the Grand Arcane Hotel, where all participating students will be staying for the duration of the event."

That gets everyone’s attention. Even Haruka stops wiggling.

"The Grand Arcane?" Some rich kid in the back whistles. "Damn, they’re not playing around."

The Grand Arcane’s one of those places where just looking at it too long probably costs money. Like, they’ve got live gargoyles as doormen, and not the tacky conjured kind - real ones in little bellhop hats. The whole building floats on these massive crystalline platforms that change color with the sunset, and they’ve got enchanted fountains that pour liquid gold. Not real gold, obviously, but made to look exactly like it.

[Good thing the school’s covering this,] I think, remembering how my last paycheck from the maid cafe barely covered my electric bill. [Pretty sure breathing the air in there would overdraft my account.]

"Language," Sato mutters, but his heart’s not in it. "Yes, the school has arranged accommodation for all participants. You’ll be sharing rooms, of course-"

"Dibs on rooming with ’Kari!" Haruka announces to the whole class. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Actually," Sato looks like he’s getting a migraine, "rooms will be assigned based on your exhibition teams."

"Aaaaah, fuck!" Haruka sags with defeat and I giggle.

"Teams will consist of four students each," he continues, pulling up a magical projection. "You’ll be competing against teams from other schools in various magical challenges throughout the week."

The projection shows the hotel - this massive floating building with golden spires and shit. Below it, there’s what looks like some kind of arena.

"Challenges will test different aspects of magical ability," Sato explains. "Combat, theoretical knowledge, practical application-"

"Question!" I raise my hand without waiting to be called on. "Can we coordinate team outfits? Like, matching platforms maybe?"

Several students snicker. Sato’s eye actually twitches.

"Miss Nakamura, this is a serious magical competition, not a fashion show."

"Yeah, but like, can’t it be both?"

Before he can pop a blood vessel, Reina raises her hand. Actually waits to be called on and everything.

"What schools will be attending?"

Sato looks relieved to have a "proper" question. "We’ll have representatives from America’s Crystal Springs Academy, France’s École des Étoiles, and several others." He waves his wand, changing the projection to show various school crests. "This is a prestigious event that will-"

"Yo," Haruka whispers, turning to face me. Her ass grinds against my dick again and I’m gonna murder her. "You think they got gyaru in France?"

"Miss Suzuki!" Sato’s voice cracks like a whip. "Could you please find your own seat?"

"But Professor," she pouts, "Akari-chan’s so comfy!"

I catch Reina watching us, trying not to smile. When our eyes meet, she quickly looks away, but not before I see that little smirk.

[Interesting.]

"The event begins next week," Sato soldiers on, probably counting the days until retirement. "Team assignments will be posted tomorrow. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior-"

The bell rings. Thank fuck.

"This is gonna be lit!" Haruka bounces one more time before finally getting up. "A whole week in a fancy hotel? Time to show these foreign schools how we do it in New Tokyo!"

I stretch, adjusting my skirt.

"Baby, they ain’t ready for us."

"Miss Nakamura?" Sato calls as everyone starts leaving. "A word about your... attire for the event?"

I grin.

"Don’t worry, Professor! I’ll make sure my skirt’s at least long enough to cover my dick!"

I’m pretty sure I hear him start crying as I skip out.

---

{Chancellor Storm}

I’m one signature away from finishing my paperwork when Chen and Sato burst into my office like they’re about to announce the apocalypse. Given how red Chen’s face is, it might actually be worse.

"Chancellor," she starts, not even bothering with pleasantries, "we need to discuss Miss Nakamura’s participation in the exhibition."

[Of course we do.]

It takes every bit of willpower I have not to groan.

I set my pen down, already feeling a headache coming on. Due to that damn gyaru, these two have been in my office more than I’ve been in my own home.

"What about Miss Nakamura’s participation?"

"She’s inappropriate!" Chen practically spits the word. "Just today she told Professor Sato her skirt would be ’long enough to cover her... her...’"

"Her dick," Sato supplies helpfully, looking like he’s aged ten years since this morning.

"Yes, that!" Chen’s pacing now, her usually perfect bun coming loose. "We cannot have her representing our institution! What will the other schools think?"

I lean back in my chair, studying the ceiling. The enchanted constellations swirl lazily overhead, completely unbothered by the drama below.

"They’ll probably think," I say carefully, "that we have the strongest S-Class mage this institution has seen in decades."

"But her behavior-"

"Has gotten us more positive press than the last five years combined." I pull up a magical projection - headlines about the ’Revolutionary S-Class Gyaru’ and social media posts praising Crescent Moon’s ’progressive new direction.’

"She posted a video of herself having... having... ANAL RELATIONS WITH ANOTHER STUDENT!" Chen’s voice hits a pitch that makes my windows rattle.

[Oh, I haven’t forgotten that. After all, you two made me listen to that damn video a hundred times in a row.]

"And then she aced every exam we threw at her as punishment." I dismiss the projection. "While maintaining a social media presence that’s quadrupled our application numbers. While also winning the exhibition with the Honda Guild for us."

Sato adjusts his glasses.

"Chancellor, surely you can’t be suggesting we prioritize... popularity over propriety?"

"I’m suggesting," I pull out the file I knew I’d need today, "that having an S-Class mage who can turn combat spells into cherry blossoms while wearing platform boots is exactly the kind of publicity we need."

I slide the file across my desk. More projections spring up - application statistics, donation numbers, social media engagement. All skyrocketing since Nakamura arrived.

"But-" Chen starts.

"AND," I continue, "I’m suggesting that maybe, just maybe, our ’traditional image’ could use some updating."

They both stare at me like I’ve grown a second head.

"Now," I pick my pen back up, "unless either of you wants to explain to our board why we’re benching our most talented student right before an international exhibition..."

Chen’s mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.

Professor Sato takes a step forward, though.

[Fuck, they aren’t done.]

"About that," Sato says, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. "I heard something interesting about an... extra admission to the exhibition?"

[Ah. Here we go.]

"If you mean the Class 2 student," I say, watching Chen’s eyebrows shoot up into her hairline, "then yes. I approved her participation this morning."

"A Class 2 student?" Chen’s voice could strip paint. "In an exhibition meant for Class 1?"

I think about that tiger feynal, standing outside my office for four hours straight. Girl’s got more determination than half our Class 1 students combined.

"She made a compelling argument about showing our commitment to advancement opportunities."

Sato and Chen exchange this look that makes me want to retire early.

"You know," Sato says, adjusting his glasses in that way he does when he thinks he’s being clever, "if we’re adding unexpected participants, perhaps she should be placed on Miss Nakamura’s team? Make sure someone suitable can... show her the ropes, perhaps?"

[Good God, Sato, you really aren’t anywhere near as clever as you think you are, man.]

Yeah, I know what he’s doing.

He thinks this Class 2 student will drag Nakamura’s team down. Tank their performance and prove their point about "maintaining standards" or whatever bullshit they’re on about this week.

I glance at my unfinished paperwork. At the clock showing it’s way past when I should’ve gone home. At these two professors who apparently have nothing better to do than plot against our most talented student.

"Sure," I say, picking my pen back up. "Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever. Put her on Nakamura’s team."

They both blink, probably thrown off by how easily I agreed.

"Really?" Chen asks. "You don’t think-"

"I think," I cut in, "that I have actual work to do. Was there anything else?"

They share another look, but thankfully start heading for the door.

The door closes behind them with a very satisfying click.

[Finally.]

Now, about that last signature...