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Just before the afternoon's first class, Andrew finally loosened his grip around Yukino Yukinoshita's waist.
"Alright, class is about to start. This great demon lord will let you off for now. But, little Yukino, you're welcome to challenge me again anytime."
He leaned down, brushed a quick kiss across her cheek, then stood up and straightened his uniform before heading off the rooftop.
Yukino glared daggers at his back, grinding her teeth. But she didn't fire back.
"Pervert… scumbag… shameless! Always bullying people—you're such a pathetic excuse for a demon!"
Her face still burning hot, she hurried to fix her uniform skirt and the ribbon at her chest that he'd left crooked. Muttering curses under her breath, she tried to smother the strange, tingling feeling gnawing at her heart. After glancing around to make sure no one was there, she quickly left the rooftop as well.
Only once the two of them were gone did another figure crawl out from a corner: a cool, striking girl with a high ponytail and a small beauty mark under her eye.
Saki Kawasaki rubbed her numb calves from crouching too long and muttered irritably,
"Seriously… who comes up here just to make out?"
"And what kind of idiot even dragged a bench up here for this?"
She had actually been on the rooftop first, eating her lunch—simple rice balls she'd made in the morning, paired with a little box of sauce. Modest, but still a satisfying meal.
Just when she was about to leave, though, that familiar guy walked in.
Saki hadn't felt like moving anymore, but she also didn't want to get involved. So she just crouched in the corner, thinking she could nap for a bit.
Then, of all people, Yukinoshita—the school's ice queen herself—walked up.
Not wanting trouble, Saki had curled up even tighter, waiting for them to leave.
But instead of an argument like she'd expected from two people who didn't seem close, Yukinoshita quietly sat on his lap.
And Saki, completely unprepared, ended up witnessing the whole… scene.
She really shouldn't have come to the rooftop today. She was still a pure girl, never even dated a boy—why did she have to be subjected to something this… stimulating?
Andrew was handsome—way easier on the eyes than Hayama with his fake smile—and Yukinoshita, pale-skinned and refined, looked like a princess out of some storybook.
Together, the two of them were like something straight out of a high-budget film.
Saki's breath had quickened without her noticing, her cheeks warming uncontrollably.
And that was just the start of her torment.
The two of them kept going—hugging, kissing—like there was no end.
Saki had no choice but to huddle deeper in her corner, praying they wouldn't notice her.
By the time she finally made it back to class, she had no intention of talking to anyone, let alone spreading gossip.
Her mind was already burdened enough—how to cover her own tuition without weighing down her family even more.
Seijo high Academy's fees weren't cheap. She had pushed herself to pass the exams for a better education, but instead, she'd only added to her family's struggles.
Both her parents worked far from home, returning just once a year. At home, it was only her younger brother and sister. As the eldest daughter, the pressure on Saki was crushing.
So of course, the last thing she wanted was more trouble. Naturally, she wasn't going to say a word about Andrew.
But Andrew… had he really noticed her?
Of course he had. That was exactly why it thrilled him.
To him, it was fun to leave Saki Kawasaki with a shocking memory—good or bad, it didn't matter.
As long as she remembered him, a bond would form. And bonds were the first step toward getting closer… toward contracts… toward gaining a new follower.
Meanwhile, during lunch, Vignette and Gabriel had eaten with some new friends— Mahiru Shiina, Yumiko, and the others. They laughed, shared girl talk, and enjoyed their meal together. Youth at its finest.
As for the hopeless demon, Satania—on her very first day of school, she had strutted off to eat alone somewhere no one would find her.
Even she had realized, after an entire morning, that not a single classmate had spoken to her. She'd been completely ignored.
But the great Satania wouldn't be defeated by something so trivial!
"I don't need friends anyway! Eating alone tastes just as good! I'm not jealous at all—not one bit… not at all… uuuuhhh…"
In the end, she sat sniffling in a deserted corner, forcing down her lunch with tears in her eyes.
When she returned to class, though, she puffed out her chest and wore a smug grin, acting like she had just been out eating with friends.
The first afternoon class was English. Gabriel and Vignette both looked perfectly relaxed—apparently Heaven and Hell schools taught multiple languages too.
The class was casual. Their bald foreign teacher went over some basic grammar, then told the students to rearrange their desks into groups and chat in English.
Andrew sighed. Who would've thought even after crossing into another world, he'd still be stuck learning English? Why couldn't Chinese have been the universal language?
Heh, once Andrew's "Empire of Admiration" is established, Chinese will be the official world language everyone has to learn!
Of course, that doesn't mean he's giving up on English. Andrew still used it to chat freely with Kato Megumi and their new friend, the self-proclaimed "real angel," Gabriel.
Every now and then, he even dragged the two girls into grammar discussions. Eventually, Vignette wandered over too—she was naturally curious and couldn't resist joining when she noticed the studious atmosphere on their side of the classroom.
Originally, Vignette had grouped up with Hikigaya Hachiman's crew. But Hachiman was… well, Hachiman, and Saika Totsuka —despite being a boy—was so shy and delicate that he gave off more of a girlish vibe. The rest of the girls in that group had just gone off on their own tangents, chatting instead of studying.
So Vignette decided to switch sides.
Andrew got along with her surprisingly well—maybe because, at his core, he just wanted more friends.
After class, Andrew generously pulled out some bills.
"My treat. Let's grab some snacks."
Then he turned and handed the money to Gabriel.
"Gabriel, do you mind running to the shop for me? I'm tied up with something here."
"Of course!" Gabriel agreed without hesitation, smiling brightly.
Vignette frowned slightly and spoke up. "I'll go with her, just in case."
The two girls headed out together.
Megumi, meanwhile, stared at Andrew with a strange look, as if she were seeing him in a new light.
"Uh… Kato, why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me I got even more handsome?"
Even the usually unshakable Megumi was caught off guard by his shameless self-praise, blinking in disbelief.
Finally, she sighed and muttered, "That's not it. I just think you're picking on Gabriel a little. You could've gone yourself, so why make her run errands for you?"
"See? Even the guys are glaring at you. They think you're bullying her."
Andrew glanced around—and sure enough, male and female classmates alike were shooting him resentful looks. Even Mahiru was glaring in quiet disapproval, clearly unhappy that he was making the adorable transfer student fetch snacks.
But Andrew felt no guilt whatsoever.
"I only wanted to see if Gabriel would actually refuse me," he said casually. "Do you remember her self-introduction?"
Megumi's memory was sharp. She answered immediately. "She said she wants to make everyone happy. A very noble dream, really—like a true angel willing to sacrifice herself for others."
"Exactly. It's noble, but isn't it impossible? Happiness isn't something you can define for someone else. People's ideas of happiness change, sometimes even from moment to moment. If Gabriel keeps saying yes to everything, she'll wear herself out."
"That's why I want to help her learn how to say no. Even if it means she has to say it to me."
Megumi tilted her head, still skeptical. "But does that justify making her run errands? Bullying girls isn't a great look, Andrew."
He rolled his eyes. "So all that went over your head, huh? Fine, I'll put it simply: if she gets used to refusing me, she won't feel obligated to agree to everyone else. One step at a time."
"Besides, Gabriel doesn't really understand what it means to make everyone happy. To achieve something that grand, she has to learn how to make herself happy first. If she's never experienced it herself, how can she help others find it?"
"Humans are complicated. Sometimes helping blindly just makes things worse. To really grasp what happiness is, she has a lot to learn."
Megumi nodded slowly, half-understanding, half-confused.
Not far down the hall, Gabriel and Vignette—who had overheard everything—stopped in their tracks. Their expressions softened in sudden realization.
"Vigne, humans really are complicated," Gabriel murmured.
"And I thought he was just picking on you," Vignette admitted. "Turns out he's trying to help you learn how to refuse people."
Gabriel smiled gently, hands pressed together in a prayer-like gesture as a soft glow radiated from her.
"You're right. Andrew really is a good person."
So… the first step to making everyone happy is making myself happy first?
That single thought took root in Gabriel's heart.
And ironically, it was that very lesson that later sent her down the path of indulgence, turning her into the lazy angel who cared only about her own pleasures.
But still—she remembered it well.
"..."
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