Chapter 200: Afternoon Hours

  To be honest, that lazy angel’s hand was unbelievably soft—so soft it almost didn’t feel real. Kouya could feel the delicate warmth of her skin radiating through his palm, smooth and fine like woven silk, boneless and pliant, as if the slightest squeeze could make it melt away between his fingers. Her skin was warm, faintly moist from nervousness, and the faint scent of soap drifted from her wrist, sweet and clean.

  "Let go already!" Gabriel snapped, her voice trembling with both anger and embarrassment. Her teeth clenched, her eyes flashed like lightning, wings twitching slightly as if ready to flare open.

  "Nope."

  Kouya didn’t even flinch. If anything, he gripped her hand a little tighter, just to be petty.

  The sensation sent a spark up his arm. He shouldn’t have found it this amusing—but somehow, the situation had become its own form of entertainment.

  Gabriel’s cheeks were crimson now, the flush spreading all the way to her ears. Anger, humiliation, and something like helpless disbelief swirled in her golden eyes. The air around her seemed to distort with divine fury. If Vigne and the others hadn’t been sitting nearby, this lazy, game-addicted angel might have already summoned the Horn of Destruction to wipe out everything in sight.

  Her eyes said it clearly: 'You’re a dead man walking.'

  Oh please. Kouya almost laughed out loud. 'As if you wouldn’t forgive me the second I bribed you with snacks.'

  "Eh, Gabi-chan, what’s wrong?" Vigne asked suddenly, noticing Gabriel’s strange, stiff posture.

  The room was dim except for the glow of the computer screen. Everyone’s focus was still mostly on the movie, and no one noticed that Gabriel’s small, pale hand was completely enveloped in Kouya’s.

  Kouya, however, noticed the slight twitch of her fingers, the tense way she tried to pull away without drawing attention.

  "N-Nothing!" Gabriel blurted, shaking her head so fast her hair fluttered. "I just… ate too much earlier. My stomach feels funny."

  She could never admit it. Not in front of them. Not that the guy beside her was shamelessly holding her hand and refusing to let go. She’d rather be struck by lightning than say something that mortifying.

  Vigne frowned softly. "You really should take care of yourself. You can’t just skip meals and binge later. You’ll hurt your stomach if you keep that up."

  "Yeah, yeah, I know! Let’s just keep watching, okay?" Gabriel said quickly, waving her free hand dismissively, her face still red as she looked anywhere but at Kouya.

  Kouya hid a small grin, keeping his expression neutral while his heart beat faster. The forbidden thrill of the moment—it was ridiculous, but somehow addicting.

  'If Vigne found out, she’d totally lose it,' he thought. 'She’d grab a trident and go full dark angel mode.'

  Vigne, of course, didn’t notice a thing. She only thought Gabriel was being unusually quiet. With the movie reaching its most intense part, she leaned forward a little, eyes fixed on the glowing screen.

  The movie’s eerie score swelled, the violins screeching as shadows danced through the abandoned school corridors. The tension built like a coiled spring—right until Satania opened her mouth.

  "Hahahaha! Look! That’s a total mistake!" she shouted, pointing at the screen. "That girl’s shoes changed! She was wearing white ones before, now they’re black!"

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  The moment shattered.

  Kouya sighed internally. 'Really? You spot that, but not the creepy ghost crawling up the hallway?'

  At this rate, the only real monster in the room was probably Satania herself.

  Then again, maybe the actress really did carry a spare pair—just like people who keep a condom in their wallet. For emergencies. Like, you know… keeping your phone safe from rain. Obviously.

  "Wow, Satania-sama, you’re incredible. You notice even the tiniest details," Raphiel said sweetly, her voice dripping with teasing admiration.

  Satania puffed out her chest with pride, her red hair bouncing. "Heheh! Of course! That’s the greatness of Satania-sama!"

  Vigne sighed again, torn between laughter and exasperation. The tension that had filled the room was completely gone now. With all the chatter and interruptions, the horror movie had officially turned into a comedy.

  ...

  By the time the credits rolled, the room had lightened again. Kouya finally loosened his grip on Gabriel’s hand.

  Gabriel yanked her hand back like she’d touched a hot stove. Her face was still flushed as she stood up abruptly. "I’m going to the bathroom!"

  "Eh? Gabi-chan, what’s wrong?" Vigne blinked.

  "I… I touched something gross! I’m washing my hands!"

  Kouya nearly fell over. 'Gross? Really?' If anything, her hand had been the sweaty one!

  Vigne got up and drew back the curtains, letting sunlight flood the room. The warm light scattered the shadows, filling the space with golden warmth. The faint pink bubbles floating above her head had disappeared at some point.

  It was already past two in the afternoon.

  The sunlight poured in through the balcony, thick and lazy, wrapping the room in a hazy glow that made everything feel calm. The tension from earlier dissolved into soft warmth.

  Satania yawned so wide her eyes watered. "Ugh… I’m sleepy. I’m gonna nap for a bit."

  Vigne arched an eyebrow. "Then go to Gabi-chan’s room."

  "No way," Satania said immediately, already crawling onto Kouya’s bed. "Her room’s a disaster zone. I’d get buried alive in there."

  She pressed her face into the pillow and inhaled. "Wow… the attendant smells really nice."

  "S-Satania! What do you think you’re doing?!" Vigne gasped, her cheeks flaring bright red.

  "It really does smell good though. You should smell it too!" Satania said innocently, her voice muffled by the pillow.

  Vigne’s blush deepened as she threw Kouya a mortified glare. He quickly raised his hands in surrender, trying not to laugh.

  Before she could scold them further, Raphiel suddenly dove onto the bed, hugging Satania tightly. "I’ll nap with you, Satania-sama! It’s more fun together!"

  Kouya just stood there, watching his bed transform into a chaotic pile of angels and demons, and sighed heavily.

  'Great. So much for privacy. Guess I’m officially just a background character in my own room now.'

  He rubbed his forehead. 'Do they even realize this is my bed? My bed?'

  If he pushed them all off at once, that’d probably be a four-hit combo. Tempting.

  Within minutes, Satania had actually dozed off, her breathing light and even. Her lips curved into a soft smile as her chest rose and fell rhythmically.

  Vigne quietly shook her head and smiled, then walked over to gently pull the blanket over the two sleeping girls. Her movements were so soft they barely stirred the air.

  Moments later, Gabriel returned from the bathroom. The faint blush still hadn’t left her cheeks. "I’ll head back now."

  "Eh?"

  "I’ll just play games at home. Don’t want to wake them up," Gabriel said quickly—but the sharp glare she shot Kouya made her true feelings obvious.

  Kouya smiled faintly and waved. Her jaw tightened.

  "A-Alright then," Vigne said quietly. "I’ll stay a while longer."

  It was clear she just didn’t trust him to behave while the others were sleeping.

  Kouya rolled his eyes. 'As if I’d do anything with those two idiots drooling on my bed.'

  After Gabriel left, Vigne turned to him. "Kouya-kun, where’s your textbook?"

  "Huh? Why?" Kouya blinked.

  "We don’t have much to do now. Let’s review some lessons," she said, smiling softly.

  ...She was serious. Dead serious.

  Even on a day off meant for relaxing, this girl still wanted to study. Kouya could only stare at her, half amazed, half exasperated.

  Vigne picked up one of his textbooks, settled down on the sofa, and opened it carefully. The sunlight brushed across her shoulders like liquid gold, tracing the strands of her lilac hair. The air smelled faintly of paper and sunshine.

  She leaned forward slightly, reading intently. Her lips moved silently as she reviewed the words. The sunlight caught her lashes, making them shimmer. Every small detail—the soft line of her jaw, the gentle rise of her chest as she breathed—gave her an almost angelic grace.

  Kouya found himself watching her without realizing.

  "What are you staring at?" she said suddenly, glancing up. Her face was tinted pink, eyes narrowing shyly.

  The breeze stirred again.

  The curtains swayed lazily in the wind.

  Light scattered into golden fragments across the floor.

  From somewhere outside came the faint sound of a wind chime, clear and musical, echoing softly in the still air.

  In that tranquil, golden afternoon, time itself seemed to drift slower—peaceful, quiet, and almost dreamlike.