"DXD: Transfer Student"Chapter 182: What Passes for Consideration
Morning sunlight crept over the city skyline, slipping through the window and painting the room in gold. As the light crawled across Long Yi's closed eyelids, he squinted, turning his head away from the sun's gentle assault.
He blinked, slowly surfacing from sleep—only to find Mai Sakurajima lying beside him.
Her black hair fanned across the pillow, her face peaceful, lips curled in a soft, satisfied smile. The blanket had slipped down to her waist, sunlight tracing the pale lines of her body. Even half-asleep, she looked every bit the superstar—flawless, radiant, the kind of beauty you'd expect from someone who lived under a spotlight.
Long Yi shifted closer, wrapping his arms around her, soaking in the warmth of her skin. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Mai stirred, her lashes fluttering as she woke. Realizing she was nestled in his arms, she let out a lazy sigh and smiled, burrowing her face against his neck.
"What time is it?" she mumbled.
"Almost eight. It's Saturday. You can sleep in a little longer, right?" Long Yi whispered.
But the moment she heard the time, Mai snapped awake, sitting up and scanning the floor for her clothes.
"Tonight's the concert I've been prepping for forever. I need to get to the venue early."
"Being an idol sounds rough," Long Yi said, stretching, a little too relaxed.
Mai shot him a look. "Spare me the sarcasm…"
She rummaged around, then frowned—her underwear was nowhere to be found. She turned to Long Yi, exasperated. "Where'd you toss my panties last night?"
Long Yi cocked his head, then reached under the covers, fishing around until he found the missing item. He handed it over with a grin. "Here. I kept them warm for you. That's what passes for consideration, right?"
"…Thanks for your consideration," Mai replied, deadpan, snatching them back.
Once she'd dressed, Mai glanced at Long Yi. "Okay, change me back to Nodoka."
Long Yi released his hold on the magic, and Mai's features blurred, shifting back to Nodoka Toyohama's face.
"Tsk. Let's try to fix this today. Wouldn't mind skipping all this hassle every time we want to get close," Long Yi muttered.
Mai's cheeks colored. She couldn't deny it—last night, she'd let herself get swept away, tangled up with Long Yi far longer than she'd meant to.
They headed out to the living room together. Mai opened the fridge, starting on breakfast. Long Yi joined in, lending a hand.
The noise must've carried, because Nodoka soon shuffled out, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"Go wash up. We'll head out after breakfast," Long Yi reminded her. Today was packed—Mai had a commercial shoot, Nodoka's group had a concert. No time to waste.
"…Why are you here so early?" Nodoka grumbled, oblivious to the fact that Long Yi hadn't left at all—he'd spent the night in Mai's room, not a hint of shame about it.
Mai glanced at her sister, voice level. "Don't forget your manners."
Nodoka pouted, catching the protective undertone. Long Yi flashed her a triumphant smile.
Ugh… infuriating.
Nodoka glared, a little jealous despite herself.
The three of them ate together, finishing quickly before heading out.
At the station, Mai's tone turned serious. "Take care of my sister, okay?"
"Call me after the shoot!" she added.
"Got it. You'll be fine on your end?" Long Yi asked, still protective despite knowing Mai could handle herself.
"No worries. I've got the choreography and everything down cold."
Confidence radiated from her—classic Mai. That poise, that calm, was magnetic.
Long Yi watched her board the train, then headed off with Nodoka to the commercial shoot.
On the way, people kept glancing at Nodoka—well, at Mai's face, anyway. After a dozen stares, Nodoka grew anxious.
"Hey… don't you have magic? Why's everyone still staring at me?"
She sounded uneasy. Like Mai, she'd gotten used to the convenience of Long Yi's memory-altering magic—maybe a little too used to it.
Long Yi just kept walking. "No magic for you today."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Just because."
Nodoka's nervous look, paired with Mai's glamorous face, was almost too cute—but Long Yi didn't budge.
"You're going to handle everything yourself today. Mai never asked for my help, so you shouldn't need it either."
Nodoka hesitated, mouth open, but didn't argue.
It wasn't that Long Yi had forgotten Mai's request to look after her sister. If anything, he was taking it too seriously.
If he wanted to solve this identity swap mess, he had to start with Nodoka's tangled-up confidence—the part of her crushed by Mai's overwhelming presence.
Mai was a constant shadow. Everyone praised her, even their mother held Mai up as the gold standard—always comparing, always expecting.
No wonder Nodoka struggled.
Today, Long Yi was determined to help Nodoka build her confidence. The commercial shoot was the perfect chance.
He glanced at the camera crew gathering nearby, silently apologizing. Sorry, guys—this won't be a one-and-done shoot like it is with Mai.
He shrugged, walking calmly into the set with Nodoka.
As usual, nobody paid him any mind. Not a soul thought his presence was odd—memory alteration magic was just that effective.
Long Yi settled into a chair, casual as ever, leaving Nodoka speechless.
He really could act like nothing fazed him, no matter what.
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