Chapter 42: Proposal (2)
The room fell into a tense hush as its occupants couldn't stop themselves from staring at the drama unfolding in front of them with anticipation. The air was thick with curiosity and a hint of amusement, especially from Gojo, who couldn't resist breaking the silence.
"Come on, guys. Can you two please stop flirting in front of us?" Gojo chimed in, a playful edge to his voice. The tension in the room dissipated as laughter and sighs of relief filled the air.
August shifted his gaze to Gojo with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "What can I say? It's not every day that I get to negotiate a marriage proposal with Mei-san here," he bantered, earning a sharp snort from the stunning woman next to him.
Mei Mei leaned back against the cushion with narrowed eyes. "A proposal is only as good as the intention behind it," she replied calmly yet with a sharp edge to her voice. "And I highly doubt you're serious, August."
August leaned forward, propping his elbows on the low table. "Who says I'm not? Life is full of surprises and sometimes, taking a leap of faith can lead to the most unexpected outcomes, Mei-san."
Gojo, ever the showman, leaned back with a flair. "Ah, young love! It warms my heart." He winked at Mei Mei, who rolled her eyes in response.
August's eyes gleamed with amusement as he turned to Gojo. "Speaking of love, are you feeling a little envious, Gojo-sensei? Despite already having a girlfriend?" His tone was playful, but the implication hung heavy in the air.
Gojo's expression shifted from amusement to confusion. "Girlfriend? Wait, what—"
August turned to Utahime. "Are you two not in a relationship?" he asked with false surprise.
Utahime and Gojo exchanged bewildered glances. For a brief second, the room held its breath before Utahime hastily denied it. "No, no! We're not dating. It's just—"
August interrupted, his voice dripping with mock sincerity. "My apologies then. I must have mistaken the two of you for a couple." A few chuckles sounded around the room.
Recovering from the initial shock, Gojo looked at Utahime with a raised eyebrow. "Why the quick denial, Utahime? Am I not good enough for you?"His exaggerated hurt expression was met with eye rolls from their colleagues.
Having reached her limit with Silver-haired menace's antics, Utahime leaned forward with a steely gaze. "You know exactly what the issue is, Satoru! Don't pretend otherwise."
The room burst into laughter, even Mei Mei couldn't contain her smirk. August took advantage of the moment and discreetly leaned towards her. "Is there something more going on between Utahime-san and Gojo-sensei?" he whispered.
Mei Mei's smile turned mysterious. "That's a long story," she replied cryptically.
Gojo, still in his dramatic persona, exclaimed loudly. "Ah, my pure heart has been crushed! Rejected so harshly!" He clutched his chest in mock agony.
Utahime couldn't contain her irritation any longer and scowled at Gojo. "Shut up! Mr. In-all-heaven-and-earth-I-alone-am-the-single-one." she retorted.
Utahime's comment did not faze Gojo, as he simply smiled smugly in response. "Girls swoon over me with hearts in their eyes," he boasted, exuding an air of arrogance. "I still have thousands of female fans who are crazy for me."
Just as Gojo was about to continue bragging, August playfully interrupted him. "But you're still single and can't get a girl, what does that say about your charm, Gojo-sensei?" he teased, earning a blank stare from his silver-haired mentor.
But the person in question let out a dramatic sigh. "It's not my fault that I'm constantly busy. I am important and overworked because I am," he paused for emphasis, "the strongest sorcerer." He then added with a hint of annoyance, "And lately, the council has been stressing me out with plans for some international event next year."
This spiked August's curiosity as he asked, "Is this the same international event that you talked about sitting in a boring ICM meeting for, a few weeks ago? What is the event actually?"
Gojo nodded in confirmation. "Yes, did I forget to mention it? It's called the High-Wizard Tournament."
August looked confused and was about to ask Gojo for more details when Satoru's phone rang.
Glancing at the caller ID, he excused himself from the room with a quick apology.
In his absence, Shoko chimed in, "It's like the Olympics for normal people, only this one is for the supernatural world."
Utahime took over the explanation from there. "The High-Wizard Tournament is a prestigious competition for wizards, where wizards from nearly all over Europe fight for the prestigious title of High-Wizard.
"Just the title? Any benefits that come with it?" August asked curiously since the original iteration of this tournament didn't have any tangible benefits that came with its name except for a non-existent bragging right and a monetary reward of a measly few hundred Galleons.
Shoko nodded, "Making it to the final round guarantees an immediate promotion to semi-grade one rank, and the winner receives a Grade One ranking. The winner also gains the opportunity to undergo a Special Grade Evaluation without meeting any prerequisites beforehand."
"That quite....generous."'at least compared to the original ones.' August commented.
"This year, it will take place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England, with students from major wizarding schools and other significant magical organizations competing."
"Magical Organizations?" August was familiar with the wizard school's involvement in the tournament, but he had never heard of magical organizations participating before.
"Yes," Shoko confirmed. "Magical Organizations also educate young wizards, so they technically qualify as educational institutions. You may recognize names like Grauzauberer and Golden Dawn if you've used the supernatural internet."
'So, it's a loose combination of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the rating game huh?' August mused as everything fell into place. "Will Japan be participating since we have a decent number of wizards as well?"
Kusakabe promptly replied, "The council is still heavily deliberating and has yet to make a final decision."
The door slid open before Kusakabe could continue, and Gojo entered, waving his phone. "No," he announced, "Japan won't be participating due to some political issue. I just got informed." He glanced at August, who nodded apologetically, knowing their mess from the previous night was partially to blame.
"However," Gojo continued, "G7 countries need to send a representative judge each, and it's an unofficial tradition for that judge to be a Special Grade. The council wants me to go as a judge to ease the current stagnant political relations of the two countries, but I'm of the mind to decline."
He relaxed into his chair, soaking in the comfortable atmosphere of the room as the evening progressed. The sound of clinking glasses and conversation murmurs filled the air once more.
However, August had been uncharacteristically calm and lost in thought for the rest of the night, staring at the walls with a distant and thoughtful gaze.
"Is something weighing on your mind?" Noticing this, Satoru questioned with a hint of concern in his eyes.
August hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask of you, Satoru," he said, his voice steady despite the serious look in his eyes.
Satoru raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the request. "Oh? What is it?" he asked.
With a deep breath to steady himself, August spoke his mind. "Since you're planning to decline the council's invitation to be a representative judge at the High-Wizard Tournament, why not recommend me instead?"
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to August in surprise. Satoru chuckled, clearly amused by the proposal. "You do realize that you're not a Special Grade yet?" he teased.
August shrugged, a confident smile playing on his lips as he declared, "You and I both know that it's only a matter of time before I become one."
Satoru's grin widened at his response, "Alright, I'll bite. Why do you want to go?"
August's expression turned serious as he answered, "It's for my family. You told me that my family, the Blackwoods, are related to the Ducal House of Blackwoods in England, which is in turn connected to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Blacks; one of the core political houses of British wizarding society. I want to go there and explore my roots, find out more about my ancestry and potentially connect with any living relatives."
The room fell into a thoughtful silence as everyone digested August's words. Satoru was the first to reply, with a pensive expression etched on his face. "That's a noble cause, August. But you do realize that this won't be an easy journey, right?"
August nodded firmly, without any trace of hesitation in his determination. "I know it won't be easy, but it's a journey I am willing to take."
His silver-haired sensei studied him for a moment longer before finally nodding with a proud smile. "Alright, I'll recommend you. But remember, this is your journey. You'll have to face whatever comes your way on your own."
August nodded gratefully, his determination shining in his eyes. "Thank you, Satoru."
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Author-san here!!!
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