Chapter 201: Unexpected Incident

  The afternoon stretched on in a warm, lazy haze. The air hung still, and the golden sunlight that filtered through the curtains painted the room in a soft glow. Vigne sat quietly on the sofa, her posture straight but relaxed, completely absorbed in the book resting on her knees. Each turn of the page produced a gentle, rhythmic shff sound that blended perfectly with the stillness of the room. Kouya leaned back in his chair, half lost in thought, unwilling to disturb the delicate calm that had settled over the space.

  That is, until Satania stirred.

  The peace shattered like glass.

  After more than an hour of blissful silence, the red-haired demon suddenly sat up, blinking sleepily. Her hair was a wild mess, sticking out in every direction, and her sleepy expression gave her the appearance of a lost child. Still dazed, she rubbed her eyes and yawned loudly, completely oblivious to her surroundings. As she stumbled toward the bathroom in a half-dreaming state, she began to undress—peeling off her top as if she were back in her own room—until a glimpse of pink bear-patterned panties came into view.

  "Satania! What on earth are you doing?!" Vigne shouted, leaping to her feet. Her voice cracked through the silence as she lunged forward, grabbing the clothes that had slipped off and hastily pulling them back up.

  Satania blinked, tilting her head with a confused look. "Eh? Vigne? Why are you in my room?"

  Vigne’s eyebrow twitched. "This isn’t your room! You’re still half-asleep, aren’t you?!"

  She turned immediately, pointing toward Kouya. "And you—don’t look! Turn around, right now!"

  Kouya froze mid-sigh. As if he hadn’t seen worse. There was nothing left to hide at this point. But he wasn’t suicidal. Mentioning the time he’d seen everything clearly during the hot spring trip—the size, shape, and all—was absolutely out of the question. That would be social suicide.

  So, being a wise man, he kept his mouth shut and obediently turned away.

  The sound of Satania realizing what she’d done came next—a strangled yelp followed by the patter of hurried footsteps. Even for her, the embarrassment hit hard. She let out a panicked little cry and darted straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. A faint sound of running water followed, as if she were trying to wash the shame off herself.

  Moments later, a drowsy voice drifted across the room. "Mmm~ Kouya’s scent is really nice~" Raphiel murmured, stretching like a cat, her arms raised over her head. Her soft voice carried a lazy sweetness as she arched her back, her shirt rising slightly to reveal smooth skin beneath. The sunlight traced her silhouette, accentuating every curve.

  "Raphiel, you’re awake? Then get up already," Vigne sighed, half irritated, half resigned.

  Raphiel smiled with half-lidded eyes, her tone dripping with mischief. "I’m up, I’m up. Thank you for the hospitality, Kouya-kun~"

  Kouya’s lips twitched. If you’re calling it hospitality, shouldn’t there be a thank-you gift? Maybe staying behind as my live-in maid would do nicely. I’d make sure you received... very personal training.

  By the time Satania returned, still blushing furiously, Vigne had already stood and gathered her things. The three girls bid Kouya farewell and stopped by next door to say goodbye to the lazy angel before leaving together. The house fell quiet again, though the air still carried the faint chaos they’d left behind.

  ...

  Monday morning arrived crisp and bright.

  Kouya woke just after seven. The sky outside was already a rich blue, streaked with soft gold from the rising sun. When he pulled the curtains open, the light poured in, spilling warmth across the floor. The air smelled faintly of dew and blooming flowers—a sign that early summer had quietly taken hold.

  He ate a quick breakfast, just a single slice of bread and some milk, then slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped out. As he passed by Gabriel’s apartment, he noticed the complete silence inside. No doubt she was still asleep, probably still sulking after yesterday’s hand-holding incident. She hadn’t even joined him for their usual gaming session, which meant she was definitely still mad. Best to leave her alone for now.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Kouya sighed and continued down the road toward the neighborhood gate, where he met Takanashi Rikka waiting with her usual oversized bag. They exchanged nods and began walking together toward school.

  They hadn’t gone far when a familiar shout pierced the calm morning.

  "You stupid mutt! You stole my melon bread again! I swear, I’m gonna blow you to pieces this time!"

  Satania’s furious voice echoed from the alleyway ahead.

  "Woof! Woof!"

  The defiant bark that followed sounded suspiciously triumphant.

  Moments later, the small white dog came trotting proudly out of the alley, melon bread clamped between its teeth, tail wagging high as if parading its spoils. It even slowed down as it passed Kouya, wagging its tail mockingly before continuing on its way.

  "You’ll get him next time, Satania-sama! I believe in you!" Raphiel’s cheerful, sing-song encouragement floated from behind the corner.

  "I highly doubt that," Vigne’s deadpan voice replied.

  Kouya and Rikka turned the corner and spotted the group. Vigne noticed them first and waved. "Good morning, Rikka!" she called brightly—completely ignoring Kouya in the process.

  Normally, Satania would have stomped straight over to complain about her morning tragedy, but after the incident yesterday with her panties, she couldn’t even look at Kouya without turning bright red. She crossed her arms, pouting and pretending he didn’t exist.

  Only Raphiel greeted him, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Good morning, Kouya-kun."

  "Not really a good one," Rikka muttered beside him, puffing her cheeks.

  "Eh? What’s wrong?" Vigne asked curiously.

  Rikka sighed, kicking a small pebble. "My sister promised we’d all have lunch together yesterday, but then her friend gave her two tickets to Ocean World, and she dragged me along instead! I wanted to eat with everyone at Hero’s place!"

  Vigne smiled softly, her voice warm. "It’s okay. We can all get together again soon."

  Rikka still looked a bit down, her ahoge drooping slightly, so Vigne tried to change the subject. "So, tell us, what kind of animals did you see at the aquarium?"

  Rikka’s eyes brightened as she began counting on her fingers. "Let’s see… dolphins, tuna, seals… and a tentacle monster!"

  Kouya blinked. Wait, what?

  The first few were perfectly normal—but tentacle monster?

  Surely she meant an octopus. Right? Not some Lovecraftian sea demon.

  Rikka nodded earnestly. "Yeah, in this world, they call that tentacle monster an octopus, I think."

  Vigne sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "It’s not a monster, it’s just got a lot of arms! Poor Mister Octopus, you should apologize for calling him that!"

  Kouya chuckled quietly, the morning tension melting into laughter as they continued walking toward school.

  ...

  By the time they arrived, the school grounds buzzed with the usual chaos. Students hurried through the halls, some copying last-minute homework, others gossiping about their weekends. The familiar clamor filled the air like background music.

  The first period was Japanese literature with Shizuka-sensei.

  The sharp, rhythmic tap-tap-tap of heels echoed down the corridor moments before she entered. Shizuka Kawaii strode confidently into the classroom—tall, poised, with long, silky hair that shimmered under the fluorescent lights. A white coat hung loosely over her shoulders, her mature beauty radiating authority and calm.

  Kouya couldn’t help his wandering thoughts. For someone with looks, grace, and brains like hers, how was she still single well into her thirties? It was one of life’s great mysteries. Maybe she’d been cursed by some dark archmage of eternal singleness.

  After a few minutes of attendance, Shizuka-sensei set her papers aside and smiled faintly. "Before we start, I read an article this morning. A woman took her golden retriever to the supermarket, but she didn’t leash it. The dog nearly bit a child, yet she claimed it was just a puppy and harmless."

  And just like that, the lecture veered completely off-topic.

  She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Now, as your teacher, I have to say—a six-month-old golden retriever is about as big as a ten-year-old human. That’s not a puppy anymore."

  She leaned forward slightly, her voice taking on a dry edge. "If a two-year-old kid lifts someone’s skirt, you can say they’re too young to know better. But if a ten-year-old tries it, they need discipline."

  Just then, a soft voice rose from the back of the room.

  "Sensei…"

  It was Takanashi Rikka. Her tone was faint, fragile.

  Shizuka turned immediately. "Yes, Takanashi-san?"

  Rikka lifted her hand weakly. "I don’t feel well… may I go to the infirmary?"

  Her skin was pale, sweat beading on her forehead. She swayed slightly, looking like she could collapse any moment.

  "I see… alright," Shizuka said after a moment’s thought, her gaze sweeping the room before landing on Kouya. "Kouya-kun, you’re a boy—you’re stronger. Please take Takanashi-san to the infirmary."

  Kouya’s jaw dropped slightly. Seriously? So strength equals free labor now? What kind of logic is that?

  Still, Rikka turned toward him, eyes pleading softly. He sighed.

  "Fine, fine," he muttered, rising from his seat. "I’ll take her—just this once. Call it repayment for the lunch you gave me last time."

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