Before they knew it, the long break between classes had arrived.
Under a deserted, shadowed stairwell at Hakuo Academy, Hayashi Maki had Nibutani Shinka pinned to the wall in a classic kabedon. One arm circled her slender waist, and his lips naturally covered the young woman's, tasting her sweetness without restraint.
Shinka flushed scarlet. Mortified, she squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to meet his gaze—those eyes were way too intense.
How could there be such a jerk in this world? He actually threatened her with her chuunibyou "black history" and then kissed her here of all places.
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt; her eyes turned a little misty.
Noticing her state, Hayashi Maki stopped and let her lips go. He pinched her cheek lightly and smiled. "What, about to cry? Didn't our Mori-sama vow to curse-kill me? Losing your nerve already?"
"W-who's crying! I'm not crying at all, you jerk—what exactly do you want?"
A bit riled after being toyed with, Shinka mustered her courage and glared up at him.
Hayashi Maki gave a gentle smile, dipped to brush her lips again, then took out a delicate-looking crystal necklace and held it out to her. "Here. I don't 'want' anything. I just want to give you this."
"Eh… what is it?"
Her attention diverted, she took it on reflex—and couldn't help brightening. It was exquisitely made, with a sparkling red crystal at the center of the pendant, so clear it seemed to glint even in the dark.
"This is a charm handcrafted by the Great Demon himself. Wear it properly. If you're in danger, it will raise a magic barrier to protect you," Hayashi Maki said with a grin, earning a monumental eye-roll from Shinka.
"Are you chuunibyou too? A 'magic barrier,' huh. And stop calling me 'Mori-sama'—it reminds me of my black history. It's super embarrassing… mmph!"
She didn't finish, because Hayashi Maki kissed her again. Shinka gave a token struggle, then tightened her grip on the necklace and closed her eyes.
[Don't think I'm happy just because you gave me a gift!]
[I am absolutely not happy, and I'm not planning to forgive you!]
She grumbled inwardly, then couldn't help another complaint.
[Ugh, this infuriating jerk—how long is he going to keep kissing me? My legs are getting a little weak…]
When Shinka returned to the classroom, the necklace he'd given her was already around her neck.
Hayashi Maki slipped back to his seat as if nothing had happened.
In front of him, Kato Megumi instinctively frowned and twitched her nose. She seemed to catch a trace of Shinka's scent on him.
Shiina Mahiru also gave Hayashi Maki a thoughtful look but didn't ask. In her heart, as long as Hayashi Maki didn't cast her aside, she could accept anything.
Noon came.
Hayashi Maki met Yukinoshita Yukino on the rooftop. Like a short parting making the reunion sweeter, Yukino sat obediently on his lap and nestled into his arms. Hayashi Maki didn't push for more—he just held her gently, breathed in her faint fragrance, and grew more and more content.
From the corner, Kawasaki Saki was speechless. She'd planned to leave after finishing her rice ball, but the couple showed up again. Their PDA was an eyesore to her.
…
Elsewhere, right before class, Vignette arrived at Gabriel's place.
Seeing the dark room, Vignette's face sank. Without ceremony she summoned her demonic trident and slashed the internet cable in one strike.
Gabriel, in the middle of a glorious gaming session, saw the "connection lost" prompt and wailed. "Aaaaah! What happened? No internet?!"
Before she could react, the curtains were yanked open and a flood of light blazed in.
"Ahhh—my eyes! My eyes!"
Vignette stared, exasperated, at Gabriel rolling on the floor clutching her face. "Gab, what are you doing? You called in sick again, and you're here gaming."
Rubbing her eyes, Gabriel got up, saw the visitor, and pouted. "Oh, it's you, Vignette. That's mean—cutting my cable."
Muttering, she fished out a backup data line and plugged it into her computer.
Vignette's mouth twitched. "So you're still not going to school? Homework's due this afternoon."
Gabriel rolled her eyes and didn't look back. "Nope. It's late already. I filed for sick leave—going now would just waste the leave, wouldn't it?"
"Are you really an angel? I remember when we first met, you said your dream was to 'bring happiness to everyone,' didn't you?"
Vignette palmed her forehead with a long sigh.
Gabriel glanced back proudly. "Vigne, that earlier me—including the me at the Angel Academy—was a fake. After coming here, I found my true self. I don't want to go back to Heaven. I want to stay down here as a lazy angel who skips class and plays games. That's what I really want."
Vignette's face went dark. "Are you still an angel if you're devoted to laziness?"
Gabriel thrust out her chest. "I may look like a slob, but I'm the real deal—proof being these pure-white wings and the halo on my head."
Vignette gaped as Gabriel revealed her wings and halo, then pointed at her head in alarm. "Your halo is pitch black!"
"Huh? You're right." Gabriel looked up. Her halo was indeed coal-black. "Didn't expect I had the talent to become a fallen angel. Must be that rare aptitude the dean mentioned, even among angels. Heehee… should I try being a fallen angel for a bit? Sounds fun."
Vignette couldn't help snapping, "Don't just 'try falling'! That's a demon line!"
Gabriel rolled her eyes. "Says you. Vigne, you don't act like a demon at all."
Vignette flinched. "Impossible. How do I not act like a demon?" She even showed off her horns for emphasis.
Gabriel counted off on her fingers: "Helping old ladies cross the street; never ignoring classmates in trouble; rushing to help anyone in need… that's angel behavior."
Vignette went stiff. Come to think of it, that was true.
"So how do I act more like a demon?"
Gabriel pointed at herself, speechless. "I'm an angel. Why are you asking me?"
"I don't have many friends—basically just you and Hayashi Maki. And right now, only you are here." Vignette's watery eyes locked on her.
Gabriel wilted. "Uh… go kill someone?" She even mimed a hand-chop to the neck.
"You call yourself a demon? You can't just kill people!" Vignette shouted.
Gabriel sighed. "Even if you ask me, I don't know. Maybe ask Satania—she's a demon too?"
They looked at each other, pictured that idiot, and fell into mutual silence.
"Um… sorry, Gabriel. I raised my voice," Vignette said.
"It's fine. I wasn't great either."
Somehow they made up on the spot; the mood turned harmonious. Vignette drew a deep breath and headed for the door. "Class is starting. I'm off. But you should think about this—if you get too slothful, they might ship you back to Heaven…"
Leaving that, Vignette departed.
Gabriel stared at the monitor for a moment, then chuckled. "That's a very demon-ish thing to say. But I'm not threatened; I just happen to feel like going out for a stroll."
Saying so, she lazily pulled on her over-the-knee socks, then her skirt. Briefcase in hand, she reached the door—then lost all motivation. "Walking's a pain, and the train takes forever. Since no one's around, I'll just use Divine Step."
Divine Step lets an angel teleport straight to wherever she wants to go.
"Heh. If no one notices, it's a harmless crime! If I'm not seen, I can spam Divine Step nonstop!"
Hands together in prayer, Gabriel wiped the soot-black halo on her head and unfurled her wings. "Please take me to my classroom—Divine Step!"
Light flashed, her skirt fluttered—and she was still standing there.
A cool draft brushed below. Gabriel blushed. "Don't tell me… my panties… went to school?"
At that exact moment—
Hayashi Maki felt a ripple behind him. He reached back on instinct and grabbed. Vignette sensed something too and glanced over—only to see Hayashi Maki holding a tiny pair of panties with a pink bow, staring in stunned silence.
Vignette went white. No way. Was Gabriel trying to use that to attend class in her place? How far had she fallen?
Also… now that the panties were in Hayashi Maki's hand, how was she supposed to get them back?
Just imagining it made Vignette cringe on Gabriel's behalf.