Come to think of it, the place he visited the least at Sobu High was probably the library.
He either went to the swimming pool, the Service Club, or the student guidance room. He had even been to the infirmary more times than the library.
Even though there were quite a few beautiful girls in the library too. Besides the vampire Tsukishiro Sayo, there were literary girls like Serizawa Yukiha and Sagisawa Fumika.
Shiina Hiyori, who transferred over from Advanced Nurturing High School, was also a literary girl. Last time when he helped Karuizawa Kei and the others study, he had thought about coming to the library more often.
It was just that the library was usually busiest during lunch break or club hours after school, and those happened to be the times he was especially busy. Without a special reason, he really wouldn't go out of his way to come here.
"Um, Hikigaya-kun, Sayo didn't come to the library today. Class is about to start, so you should hurry back to your classroom."
Behind the borrowing desk, a black-haired beauty with a gentle smile and a full figure was tidying things up. Seeing Hachiman coming to the library at this time, surprise flashed through her eyes as she quickly reminded him.
"It's fine. I'm not here to see Sayo. I just skipped class because I didn't feel like going."
Hachiman looked at Serizawa Yukiha, whom he had met once before, and shook his head with a smile.
Serizawa Yukiha was also a very pure and kind underground world heroine. If he remembered right, she was the type who got repaid with betrayal after helping others.
But it seemed the discipline committee patrols at Sobu High were extremely effective. Even without his help, Serizawa Yukiha had never encountered any danger.
"Skipping class? Hikigaya-kun... that's not really good..."
Hearing Hachiman openly say something like skipping class so directly, Serizawa Yukiha immediately looked troubled. She wanted to persuade him to go to class, but didn't even know where to begin.
If Sayo were here, she could at least try to convince him as Hikigaya-kun's girlfriend. But she wasn't anyone special to him and had only spoken with him once. How was she supposed to convince a famous class skipper to study?
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"I'm going to class first. Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun!"
At that moment, the warning bell marking the end of lunch break rang out. Serizawa Yukiha hesitated for a moment, then stopped trying to persuade him further. She gave Hachiman a slight bow before hurrying away with books held against her chest.
Even though they had only met once, there were already plenty of rumors around school about Hikigaya-kun, the Service Club president. She knew that not only was the vampire girl Tsukishiro Sayo his girlfriend, but many demi-humans also had close ties with him. Skipping class really wasn't a big issue for him.
After all, Hikigaya-kun had already ended up on the discipline committee blacklist. Some students had even seen him being "guided" by several young female teachers together in the student guidance room, yet he still skipped class every day like nothing happened.
But she couldn't skip class herself. Even if she was an honor student in the teachers' eyes, they would probably just worry about her if she lied and skipped. Even so, she still couldn't accept it mentally.
"Goodbye, Yukiha."
Watching Serizawa Yukiha's figure disappear through the doorway, Hachiman lightly waved his hand.
The library stayed open even during class hours. The library committee members serving as librarians were all class librarians from different classes, so there usually weren't any librarians on duty during lessons.
Although books could be borrowed through self-registration, librarians weren't strictly necessary. Their main responsibility was organizing scattered books and keeping the library quiet.
"Raphiel, these are the maids you were talking about?"
After looking around the silent and empty library, Hachiman walked to a table at the very back of the reading area and sat down. Looking at the silver-haired troublemaking angel Raphiel sitting across from him, along with the three girls standing behind her, he felt speechless.
Setsuna Ogiso, with shoulder-length brown hair tied into twin tails with black ribbon bows and a beautiful face;
Furuhashi Fumino, with waist-length blue hair, a white headband, and a chest large enough to compete with Yukinoshita Yukino's;
And Tsukimi Chifuyu, whose black hair and innocent confused face contrasted heavily with her bursting figure.
He had thought Raphiel would bring Satanichia over instead. In the whole school, Satanichia was probably the only one who both knew Raphiel well and matched the "demi-human maid" condition.
If even an angel could become his demi-human head maid, then a demon becoming a demi-human maid wasn't anything surprising.
But he never expected Raphiel's so-called demi-human maids to be this trio of Setsuna Ogiso, Furuhashi Fumino, and Tsukimi Chifuyu. They weren't even demi-humans, let alone demi-human maids.
"Raphiel, do you really think the three of them are—"
"I know what you mean, but Student Council Vice President Origamine Ouka is clearly an oni shrine princess, yet she joined President Kaede's human faction. There are demi-humans in the human faction and humans in the demi-human faction, so why do demi-human maids actually need to be demi-human?"
Before Hachiman could complain, Raphiel immediately presented her argument and looked at him with a smile.
Actually, whether they were human maids or demi-human maids, it was all just roleplay anyway. What truly separated factions was who people sided with, not race.
"I remember you already messed with the three of them last time. As their friend, setting aside not apologizing to them, why did you drag them here too? What are you trying to do this time? You've already been caught once. If you keep causing trouble, don't blame me for not holding back."
Hachiman looked helplessly at Raphiel, this troublemaking angel who never stopped until she created drama. His gaze shifted to Setsuna Ogiso and the other two standing motionless behind her, their mouths shut while their eyes kept blinking nonstop.
Clearly, Setsuna Ogiso and the others had not come willingly to become demi-human maids. Raphiel had forcibly dragged them here.
Last time, they had only been stuck close to him. This time, they couldn't even move or speak.
"That's right. So as compensation, I decided to help Setsuna and the others become magical girls."
Raphiel acted as if she hadn't heard Hachiman's warning, and as if she couldn't feel the stares from the three girls behind her. She continued smiling at him.
"Master Hachiman, you should know this world hides many dangers. This society only looks peaceful because many people quietly work hard to keep it that way."
"I think helping Setsuna and the others become magical girls with the ability to protect themselves is what a real friend should do."
While searching for entertainment everywhere, Raphiel occasionally witnessed clashes between underground world supernatural factions.
But angels undergoing training in the human world couldn't freely use their powers. She only secretly used some abilities and never openly interfered with evil factions being opposed by the human world's forces of justice.
"Let them go already. Raphiel, after spying for so long, you should know I won't force people into doing this kind of thing."
Seeing Raphiel still pretending in front of him, Hachiman could only speak directly.
No matter their body type, girls like Setsuna Ogiso and Furuhashi Fumino were beautiful and cute two-dimensional heroines. Saying he didn't want them was obviously a lie.
But if he really wanted to get close to them, he would naturally build relationships and feelings himself. There was no need for Raphiel to stir things up.
Take Yotsuya Miko, for example. She easily encountered evil spirits and got frightened whenever she saw them. She could choose to buy protective charms and carry them around, or become a magical girl and solve the problem permanently. But forcing Yotsuya Miko to offer herself to him would be wrong.
"Do you really want me to release them? Actually, the three of them aren't completely innocent. They did plenty of things behind my back to deal with me."
Seeing that Hachiman seemed completely unaffected by the temptation of three immobile beautiful girls after enjoying himself with Yukinoshita Yukino and the others earlier, as though he had entered sage mode, Raphiel reluctantly removed the restrictions on them.
"Setsuna talked to Nijika about joining a band. Chifuyu got close to your little pet Saki and joined that social anxiety support group. Even Fumino secretly asked teachers about your situation."
"Even inviting you to the library today wasn't my idea. It was theirs."
"Setsuna and the others wanted me to experience the same embarrassment they went through, just like little Gab and Vigne did. Look, they even planned to use this handkerchief right here in the library."
"But there's no way they could've known I already received the matching punishment this morning."
While listing Setsuna Ogiso, Furuhashi Fumino, and Tsukimi Chifuyu's "crimes," Raphiel pulled a handkerchief out from Setsuna Ogiso's skirt pocket.
Holding the pale pink cotton handkerchief that had once been stained white, the silver-haired troublemaking angel stood up and sat beside Hachiman, giving him a meaningful smile.
"Raphiel, stop acting like some victim who got schemed against. You're clearly the one bullying Setsuna and the others. They're the victims."
Turning to look at Raphiel, who was shamelessly flipping the situation around and acting innocent, Hachiman truly didn't know what to say.
He seriously suspected Raphiel had split part of her brain into a separate program just to constantly monitor and spy on him.
Actually, Setsuna Ogiso and the others had planned things pretty well. Knowing they couldn't handle Raphiel themselves, they came to ask him for help. To avoid the chance that he might refuse, they even approached people around him first.
If it were anyone else, Setsuna Ogiso and the others probably would've managed to turn things around and make Raphiel taste the consequences of her own actions.
But unfortunately for them, they ran into Raphiel, who was unbelievably scheming and flexible when it came to her bottom line.
Not only were their methods easy to notice, but even if they hadn't been discovered, Raphiel could instantly explode with power and run away at any moment.
If not for Gabriel and Vigne helping him, even making Raphiel submit gave him headaches.
"..."
Hearing Hachiman see through everything and repeatedly speak up for them, Setsuna Ogiso, Furuhashi Fumino, and Tsukimi Chifuyu,.now freed from the silence and movement restrictions, looked at each other with flushed cheeks but still didn't say anything.
Seeing how strong and forceful Hachiman acted in front of Raphiel, and even hearing Raphiel jokingly call him Master Hachiman, they naturally wanted him to punish this bad angel for them.
But now it seemed Raphiel had already accepted an even harsher punishment, so what else could they even say?
Were they really supposed to have Hachiman grab Raphiel and punish her hard on top of the table like he did with Yukinoshita Yukino, Saegusa Mayumi, and Shiba Miyuki?
They had only felt embarrassed sticking close to Hachiman. At most, there had been some embarrassing contact through the handkerchief. Doing something like that to Raphiel seemed a little excessive.
And besides, if they didn't even dare watch Raphiel's punishment, then there would be no point in calling it punishment.
"So, Master Hachiman, who do you want as your maid?"
Seeing Furuhashi Fumino, Setsuna Ogiso, and the others awkwardly avoiding speaking, Raphiel smilingly took the initiative.
"Raphiel, stop messing around. If you keep this up, don't run away later when I give you punishment."
Hachiman looked down at Raphiel touching him nonstop and felt helpless.
When nobody else was around, she would only lower her head unwillingly while Gabriel and Vigne watched her. But now there were outsiders present, and instead she became even more enthusiastic.
"You enjoyed it quite a lot this morning, didn't you? Now you know how to feel embarrassed?"
Seeing Hachiman's confused and speechless gaze sweep across her face and chest, feeling that burning stare, Raphiel couldn't help recalling the "humiliation" she experienced this morning. Her face immediately reddened a little, but she still acted calm while tightly holding Setsuna Ogiso's pale pink cotton handkerchief.
"I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about you and Setsuna-san and the others."
Seeing Raphiel continue acting stubborn, Hachiman couldn't tell whether his tsundere-correction ability had activated again or if Raphiel simply wanted to cause trouble herself.
Still, even though he enjoyed it a lot, he still felt Raphiel doing this would make Setsuna Ogiso and the others uncomfortable.
After all, they hadn't joined the Service Club and hadn't even spoken with him many times. Without some special reason, suddenly dragging them over to watch Raphiel being intimate with him, he didn't believe they could casually join in like underground world heroines.
'Oh, wait. Tsukimi Chifuyu actually is a underground world heroine...'
"Don't worry. They've already seen even more stimulating things."
Seeing Hachiman acting less forceful than he had this morning in front of Setsuna Ogiso and the others, Raphiel took advantage of the "strangers" nearby. While continuing to play with Hachiman nonstop, she teased Tsukimi Chifuyu, Furuhashi Fumino, and Setsuna Ogiso, whose faces had all turned burning red as they simultaneously looked away.
"Besides, this punishment was originally something they wanted to force me to do."
"See? Setsuna, Fumino, and Chifuyu aren't saying anything, so they're clearly agreeing."
It was impossible not to feel embarrassed at all. Take Kaede's close friend Rurikawa Tsubaki for example. Kaede had pushed her forward countless times already, but every time Hachiman held her, she still got embarrassed. She couldn't act completely unrestrained like Ichinose Ayano and the others, proudly showing off all her "battle records" to other girls.
But after what happened this morning, using her hands instead actually lowered the intimacy level and made it easier to avoid feeling awkward.
Thinking about it carefully, only by getting used to this could she avoid being threatened and forced around by Gabriel and Vigne in the future and become completely unafraid of any punishment from Hachiman.
'Hehehe! When that time comes, Gabriel and Vigne will be the ones hunted down by me together with Iris, Ursula, Kaede, and the others.'
'If Gabriel refused, then we will have to make a move against Gabriel's older sister.'
Once they truly dragged Gabriel's sister into this mess, they could probably start thinking about the ruler of Heaven itself.
Of course, those goals were still far too distant.
Before gathering enough power to launch the biggest and most evil fallen angel incident in history, she should just focus on helping Hachiman and turning all the angels and demons in the human world into her source of entertainment.
"So you followed Raphiel and spied today too? When did it start?"
Hachiman had no idea Raphiel's troublemaking had already escalated to targeting Heaven's ruler. Hearing the meaning in her words, he raised an eyebrow and looked at Furuhashi Fumino and the others.
Raphiel really harmed people badly. She always dragged others into spying on him.
"Ahaha!"
Furuhashi Fumino twitched the corner of her mouth, only to realize she couldn't force out a smile at all. She silently cried inside.
It was true they wanted Raphiel to experience the same embarrassment they had gone through, but right now this clearly wasn't them punishing Raphiel. Raphiel herself was actively making Hikigaya-kun feel good.
Could this even count as punishment for Raphiel anymore?
Why did it feel like they were the ones being punished?
"Ahem! Um, Hikigaya-kun, we only came here around noon, so, um... it really wasn't for very long."
Setsuna Ogiso also felt awkward in a different way. She thought the punishment part was fine. If they failed to punish Raphiel this time, they could just think of another method next time. The real issue now was that they had spied together with Raphiel.
Even though they weren't willing participants and Raphiel had frozen them there to "study," spying was still spying. She honestly didn't know how to face Hikigaya-kun anymore.
This wasn't like last time when everything happened through the handkerchief without directly seeing anything. What they saw today felt completely real. Every breath, every movement, every drop of sweat sliding across pale flushed skin felt as vivid as if they were there in person, making their bodies heat up.
"Guh... Gulp..."
While Setsuna Ogiso and Furuhashi Fumino merely felt varying levels of embarrassment and shame, Tsukimi Chifuyu's cheeks were already burning hot, her eyes unfocused as she constantly swallowed.
Even though the table blocked Raphiel's hand and prevented her from seeing Hachiman directly beneath it, she was different from Setsuna Ogiso and Furuhashi Fumino, who had interacted with Ijichi Nijika and Kirisu Mafuyu. The people she had been in contact with were members of the social anxiety and shut-in support group, Hayase Saki and Narahashi Miki, who desperately wanted new members and wanted to draw Hachiman's attention again.
The things she encountered privately were far too shocking to describe. She was too embarrassed to tell Setsuna Ogiso and the others, so she could only bury them deep inside herself.
Then today Raphiel dragged her into watching a "movie" so real it felt right in front of her eyes. Hachiman's image had already deeply imprinted itself into her mind. She could now vaguely imagine what was happening under the table just from Raphiel and Hachiman's sitting positions.
'Hayase-senpai and the others seems to really like doing this too. Except they kneel in front of Hikigaya-kun...'
Hayase-senpai and the others looked so shy and withdrawn, which was exactly why Fumino and Setsuna had her approach them since she was timid too. But she never expected Hayase-senpai and the others to become so bold around Hikigaya-kun.
Thinking of this, Tsukimi Chifuyu swallowed hard again and became deeply worried about her future.
Thankfully Setsuna and Fumino were with her now. If she had been alone, she honestly wouldn't know how to refuse Raphiel's suggestion of becoming Hikigaya-kun's exclusive maid.
[🙇🏻 You Can Support the Story Through P@tr3on—AmbitiousTranslator. It also has 40+ Chapters of all the novels and fanfics. Thanks for reading~]