________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Snow Yukinoshita had been so tied up in knots all morning that by lunch she could barely eat a bite.
Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore. She pulled out her phone and fired off a message to Andrew.
Yukinoshita:"Hey. You dead yet? Make a noise if you're alive."
His reply came back almost instantly.
Devil:"Alive and kicking, thank you very much. But wow, Second Miss, ever heard of manners? What kind of question is that?"
The moment she saw his response, Yukino felt her chest loosen a little, though she couldn't explain why. That tiny bit of relief made her bold again, and she shot back without hesitation.
Yukinoshita:"Manners are for humans. Are you even human?"
Devil:"… … …"
…That had to count as a personal attack. A direct hit to his demonic pride.
Andrew wasted no time countering.
Devil-sama:"Good reminder, actually. I'm not human. I'm a demon. Which means tonight, after your bath, you'd better be waiting obediently in your room. I'll show you exactly what a demon's possessiveness looks like."
Yukino's face went up in flames.
Why… why had she provoked him again? She knew perfectly well that pushing him only ever made things worse for her. If she wanted peace, she should just keep quiet.
So why couldn't she help herself?
Did she… secretly want him to tease her?
She shook her head so fast her hair whipped around, banishing the thought. Absolutely not. She was not some kind of masochist!
If this jerk actually courted her properly, she might—might—feel a little better about it. But no, he always had to come at her so bluntly, so unfairly. One second of silence, and he'd already have her in his arms, stealing a kiss before she could even think to resist.
And since she was always on the receiving end of that, the second she saw an opening to get back at him, she'd grab it without hesitation. It was the only way to make him squirm a little. That was why she snapped at him—why she had to.
Second Miss Yukinoshita could hold a grudge like nobody's business.
But Andrew wasn't exactly magnanimous either. And if she didn't start softening her words soon, he really would just show up at her place tonight.
He stared at his phone, waiting expectantly.
At last, her reply came, and his lips curled upward almost against his will.
Yukinoshita:"Don't… don't come, okay?"
The tone was obvious—she'd given in.
Devil:"Why not? You already said I'm not human. So why bother pretending to act like one?"
"Being a demon has its perks. I'll even be gentle tonight."
Yukinoshita:"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Please, just spare me."
Devil:"Hmm… maybe I'll consider it. But only if you come meet me on the rooftop of the school building right now. Do that, and I won't bother you tonight."
Yukinoshita:"…Fine. I'll come."
Staring down at the chat log, Yukino bit her lip, muttering under her breath about what a tyrant he was. But she had no one to blame but herself. She'd picked this fight—now she had to deal with the consequences.
Still… the rooftop? That wasn't exactly her usual hangout. What kind of model honor student just sneaks off to the roof?
Her stomach knotted as she climbed the stairs, each step heavier than the last, until finally she pushed open the iron door and stepped onto the rooftop.
There he was—sitting on a bench with a laptop balanced in his arms, typing away like he owned the place.
She bit her lip again, walked over slowly, and stopped right in front of him.
Only then did Andrew glance up, casually setting the computer aside.
"What are you standing there for? Come sit on my lap. I'll hold you for a bit, and then I promise I won't bully you."
Her face burned bright red. After a moment of fidgeting, she took a deep breath, turned her back to him, smoothed her skirt, and sat down carefully.
He wrapped his arm around her slender waist right away, settling the laptop onto her thighs, typing with one hand while enjoying the warmth of her against him.
Since he didn't immediately pounce on her, Yukino's attention drifted to the screen instead.
"…You're writing a light novel?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"Yup," he said with a grin. "My dream is to become a light novel author. Collect royalties, eat, sleep, and do absolutely nothing else with my life."
He chuckled, abandoning the keyboard entirely, and leaned close, lips brushing against the pale skin of her neck.
Yukino's face went scarlet, her breath quickening.
She had braced herself, convinced he'd pounce the second she arrived—that he'd push her down without mercy.
But this… this was somehow worse.
What surprised her most was that he didn't scold her. Instead, he was still just as gentle and warm.
But looking at the message he'd just sent… he had definitely seemed angry.
She admitted to herself that what she'd said earlier had gone too far—practically a personal attack. If he was upset, it was only natural.
Then his lips brushed against her neck. Yukino Yukinoshita instinctively tilted her chin upward, flustered, and pushed at him lightly with her small hands.
"Didn't you say you were going to work on your light novel? Can't you focus for once?"
Andrew simply set his laptop aside on the bench and bent down to steal a kiss from her lips.
"Not writing anymore. Yukino's already sitting on my lap. If I kept doing something else, wouldn't that be kind of disrespectful to you?"
Yukino wanted to say: Don't mind me, just keep writing.
But he held her so tightly, and then kissed her again, leaving her at a loss for words.
Andrew's hand gently stroked her silky hair as his lips brushed across her cheek.
"Why so quiet?" he murmured.
"Yukino only messaged me because she was worried, right?"
"…No. I just wanted to know if you'd been smited by an angel or something. That's all."
She lowered her head as she said it, but her heart wasn't calm at all.
So he'd guessed her real feelings from the very beginning?
It felt like he had her completely figured out, like she was in the palm of his hand.
That strange sensation stirred something indescribable in her chest—sour and sweet all at once.
"Is that so?" Andrew teased, studying her flushed face with a faint smile.
By now, she was sitting comfortably in his arms, not resisting at all.
"I would never worry about a lecherous demon like you," Yukino shot back stubbornly, her eyes fixed on him.
The corner of his mouth curved. "At a time like this, shouldn't you just behave and go along with me? Why do you always have to say the opposite?"
He leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Or… is Yukino doing it on purpose? Trying to provoke me, just so I'll want to bully you?"
"I-I am not! Don't talk nonsense!" Yukino quickly denied it, glaring up at him with wide eyes.
The way she ground her teeth at him made it look like if he pushed her any further, she'd really bite him.
"Haha, relax. I was only teasing—why so worked up?" Andrew chuckled, his hand sliding down to her slender legs.
Her long legs, wrapped in black cotton knee socks, looked even more graceful than usual. He couldn't resist running his hand along them, almost unwilling to let go.
Yukino bit her lip, glaring, silently cursing him for being a pervert.
Before she could protest, he leaned in again and captured her soft lips in a deep kiss.
This time, he clearly had no intention of letting go—at least not until noon.
Time slipped by.
By the end of it, Yukino's body had gone weak, slumped against his chest. Her lips parted as she breathed heavily, face flushed.
Andrew just smiled, patting her head gently, savoring her warmth and delicate fragrance.
After a long silence, once her breathing steadied, Yukino finally glanced up at him with a complicated look and muttered under her breath:
"…Perverted demon."
Of course, he heard her. But he didn't respond—only tightened his arms around her slim waist, refusing to let her slip away.
Winning her heart the proper way was clearly impossible. So he'd just keep pushing forward, playing the shameless villain if he had to.
Besides, with Yukino, being direct and overwhelming was probably the best approach.
There was no rush. He had plenty of time and patience to break down her walls and make her completely his.
After all, Haruno had already given him the strange ability to transfer damage onto himself. Who knew what kind of power Yukino would awaken for him?
The thought filled Andrew with anticipation.
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________