The end-of-class bell rang right on time.
As the students chorused their thanks—grateful that the teacher hadn't dragged the lecture overtime—Ryuichi stood, stretched lightly, and made his way out of the classroom. Joined by the girls from the Occult Research Club, he walked back to their familiar clubroom.
"Everyone's been so busy lately," Rias said with a smile as they settled in. "We've neglected a few requests. Let's get back to work as usual tonight, shall we?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
Akeno giggled softly. "Hehe, yes, we really need to handle those client requests. They've been piling up. We even had a new one come in recently that we didn't have time to take. Such a shame."
Rias sighed warmly. "You've all worked hard these past few weeks—especially with everything that happened because of me."
"This is what we're supposed to do," Koneko replied earnestly, her small face as serious as ever.
Asia adjusted her robe and looked up at Ryuichi, her expression bright. "I'll head out first, then!"
Ryuichi gave her an encouraging smile. "Good luck. Be safe."
"Mhm! I'll do my best!" she said cheerfully before activating her magic circle and vanishing in a flash of light.
One by one, the girls teleported away to their respective assignments. When the room finally fell quiet, Rias turned to the only one still there—Ryuichi. She stepped close, slipped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply.
It was a long, breath-stealing kiss—one that lasted nearly three minutes before they reluctantly parted.
"I could barely hold back during class," Rias confessed with a flushed smile. "You were all I could think about."
Ryuichi chuckled awkwardly. "I was sitting right next to you."
"That's exactly why I couldn't focus!" she said, pouting slightly. "Having you that close is… distracting."
He laughed softly. "Then I'd better go before I make it worse. I'm meeting my girlfriend today."
"Go on, then," Rias said with a teasing grin, showing not a hint of jealousy.
In truth, as a high-ranking Devil, she didn't see anything wrong with it. Among Devils, power ruled—and open relationships were hardly scandalous. Even if rivalries or bouts of jealousy occasionally flared, things always ended in harmony. A Devil's harem was, in the end, a harmonious one.
Ryuichi really was going to meet Sakurajima Mai. Her commercial shoot had wrapped up, and she was finally returning from out of town.
He gave Rias a light peck on the lips before summoning a teleportation circle. The red glow rose around him—and then he disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was in a narrow city alleyway.
And right in front of him stood a startled couple—hands entwined, pressed close in an embrace.
Both froze, eyes wide, as Ryuichi materialized out of thin air.
Ah… someone's here.
The startled humans could only stare, their brains struggling to process the supernatural event.
Unbothered, Ryuichi calmly invoked a common sense alteration, and their minds immediately cleared. Their eyes went glassy for a moment—then they blinked, utterly forgetting what they'd just seen. Within seconds, they were back to whispering sweet nothings, sneaking kisses, their heavy breaths filling the quiet alley.
Ryuichi sighed lightly and walked past them as if nothing had happened. He had picked the alley exactly because it was usually deserted—easier for teleportation without drawing attention. Looks like he'd miscalculated.
Once out on the main street, he pulled out his phone and dialed Mai's number. It rang twice before connecting.
"Hello? Ryuichi?" came Mai's crisp, familiar voice.
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Good. Give me five minutes," she replied briskly, sounding every bit the professional.
"Yes, my queen," he answered with mock respect.
She chuckled softly on the other end before hanging up.
Barely three minutes later, a sleek black van rolled up beside him.
The driver was a woman in her twenties, sharp-looking with shoulder-length hair and glasses—smart, composed, and stylishly dressed.
The rear door slid open, and Sakurajima Mai stepped out gracefully.
"Thank you, Ms. Ryoko," Mai said politely.
"No problem, Miss Mai… Um, and this is…?" The young woman, Ryoko Hanawa, glanced curiously at Ryuichi.
As Mai came to stand beside him—so close their shoulders brushed—Ryoko's curiosity turned into mild surprise.
"This is my boyfriend," Mai said matter-of-factly. Then, turning to Ryuichi, she added, "This is Ms. Hanawa Ryoko, my manager. I mentioned her before."
"Nice to meet you," Ryuichi said politely.
For a moment, Ryoko just… froze. Her expression went blank before her brain finally caught up.
"E-eh?! B-boy—boyfriend!?" she stammered, eyes wide.
"Yes," Mai confirmed calmly, entirely unfazed.
Ryuichi blinked. Seeing the stunned look on the manager's face, he subtly glanced at Mai as if to ask whether he should use common sense alteration.
She quickly shook her head. No need. There wasn't any reason to hide it now, she figured—it would come out eventually.
Recovering from the shock, Ryoko stammered, "R-right, uh… I'm Hanawa Ryoko, Miss Mai's manager. Just call me Ryoko…"
Her tone was oddly nervous—almost deferential. Maybe it was because Mai's aura of cool confidence had rubbed off on her over time. Whatever the reason, she instinctively treated this man whom Mai called her boyfriend as someone of equal standing.
The kind of man Sakurajima Mai would fall for must be extraordinary, she thought privately.
If only she knew how right she really was—Mai's boyfriend wasn't just extraordinary. He was literally not human.
But Mai didn't seem in the mood for conversation. After all, they hadn't seen each other for several days, and she missed him more than she wanted to admit.
Under her gaze, Ryoko quickly got the message and excused herself, driving off with a polite wave.
"She's probably worried about rumors," Ryuichi noted as he watched the van disappear.
"Even if people found out, I wouldn't care," Mai replied easily.
"Still, you're right in the middle of your career's biggest rise," he said. "It could affect your work if it goes public."
Ryuichi never quite understood the celebrity world's obsession with secrecy—how a simple relationship could make fans abandon their idols—but that's how the industry worked.
Mai smiled thinly. "Heh. So what if it does? You're my boyfriend. That's not something I'd ever feel ashamed of."
Ryuichi couldn't help grinning. "Let's hold off for now, okay? And don't worry—you don't have to coddle my feelings."
"Who said I was worried about your feelings?" she teased. Her voice was light, playful.
"Is that something a girlfriend should say?" he asked with a laugh.
"Hey, I know I'm a terrible girlfriend," Mai admitted with a hint of self-mockery. "So obsessed with my career that I barely have time for you."
Ryuichi's lips quirked upward. Sakurajima Mai… the number one girlfriend in the world.
He meant it.
…