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With club activities canceled on short notice, Hanakain Reiji was a rare member of the Going-Home Club today.
Returning home before three in the afternoon—this was truly a first since transferring to Kuoh Academy.
What was that saying again? Giving up the unstable, day-rate gig that makes you work overtime until seven or eight at night for a stable position as the Acting Head of the Hanakain family with a million-yen-a-month salary.
It was quite abstract in every sense.
"Home, sweet home~"
Gently humming the standard jingle played before supermarkets close all over the world, Hanakain Reiji left the classroom after saying goodbye to Asia.
When he exited the teaching building and crossed the central avenue toward the main gate, a figure he hadn't expected abruptly entered his field of vision.
It was precisely three o'clock in the afternoon—the moment club activities began and the massive Going-Home Club army collectively departed school. Since some wealthier families also had chauffeurs pick up their children, the flow of people at the school gate was at its peak for the day, second only to the morning arrival time.
But that single scarlet figure stood out like a lone spot of red in a sea of green, a dense splash of ink on white paper, or the only colored author's favorite in a black-and-white manga. She was instantly recognizable even in the vast crowd.
She was leaning against the stone pillar by the school gate, arms crossed over her chest, her expression indifferent as she watched the students leaving for home pass by one after another. Though they were separated by an extremely short distance, there seemed to be an invisible, solid barrier erected in front of her, making anyone who tried to muster the courage to approach her immediately stop.
Rias?
Hanakain Reiji couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow.
Just two minutes ago, Akeno had messaged him saying Rias was unwell and that club activities were canceled. Although Asia's input had confirmed it was a mental preoccupation rather than a physical ailment, her appearing here now... it couldn't possibly be a coincidence, could it?
As if she sensed the familiar gaze cast from a short distance away, the red-haired girl, who had been standing still in a daze, suddenly stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked back to reality and looked in the direction of the gaze. The moment she clearly saw the young man in the crowd, the icy rose-like beauty of her face instantly thawed, like the coming of spring, revealing a gentle smile.
Then she raised a hand and waved him over.
?
A question mark slowly formed above Hanakain Reiji's head. Still, he walked over.
"Why are you alone at the school gate? Akeno just messaged me saying you weren't feeling well, Rias. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Mhm... Actually, it's nothing too serious. My body is fine; it's mostly my heart that is a little..." Rias lightly pursed her lips, then quickly changed the subject. "More importantly, do you have other plans today, Reiji, or are you in a rush to get home?"
"No, I'm fine. Why?"
Being in a rush to go home was impossible. Since club activities were canceled, his time going home was moved up by two hours, giving him plenty of free time.
As if she had been waiting for that exact answer, the red-haired girl's face immediately lit up with a joyous smile.
"Perfect! Then, walk with me."
As she spoke, she actively extended her hand and firmly took the young man's hand.
Hmm?
The question mark above Hanakain Reiji's head suddenly grew much larger. Well, the request to simply walk together wasn't a problem in itself. The only issue was, Rias—the beautiful, untouchable High School Flower and one of the most popular senpais at Kuoh Academy—was publicly holding hands with someone right outside the school gate at dismissal time. Wasn't that a bit too explosive for the crowd?
While lonely bachelors might sound like dogs, they were fundamentally living human beings! To brazenly release a flashbang in public like this...
Just as expected, the school gate, which was lively a second ago, instantly fell silent the moment their hands intertwined and their fingers locked. Their standing location immediately became the sole focal point of nearly every pair of eyes.
"Ara, I guess it is a bit much..." Rias noticed the strange shift in the surrounding atmosphere and stuck out her tongue adorably at the young man. She then threw out a line that sounded like it belonged to a runaway heroine in a teen romance drama.
"Time to run~!"
With that, she took the lead and dashed forward through the crowd, dragging Hanakain Reiji, who was pretending to look at the scenery everywhere but at the crowd. The moment they burst free from the departing students, the overwhelming wolf-howls finally erupted from behind, their grief as heavy as a chorus of Fuyu no Hana.
But that was no longer within Hanakain Reiji's consideration.
Soon, as the two quickly left the school gate, the sorrowful wails behind them gradually faded away due to the distance. When they finally stopped, they were already on the student street near the school.
"Phew... Haa... Haha, Reiji, did, did you notice... the expressions on everyone else's faces? They were hilarious..." The sprint had inevitably left Rias breathless. She stood on the sidewalk, bent over with her hands bracing her knees, issuing faint, intermittent, bell-like laughter while trying to steady her breathing.
"Yeah, yeah~ Of course I did." Hanakain Reiji lightly patted her back to help her catch her breath. "But we were just going for a walk, right? Was it necessary to use such an explosive method?"
"Well, how should I put it? Let's just say I didn't think it through in the heat of the moment. My apologies, my apologies." After calming her breathing slightly, Rias straightened up and took the young man's hand again. "Alright, let's keep walking."
"Oh."
Due to the dismissal time and their fast sprint, the student street was still quite deserted, as the main army of students hadn't arrived yet.
Hanakain Reiji walked for a distance before speaking up. "I asked Asia. She said you seemed preoccupied these past two days."
"Mhm, a little, yes." Rias pursed her lips, sounding somewhat hesitant. "Speaking of which, there's a question I wanted to ask. Does what you promised me—I mean, me and Akeno—still stand?"
"Which thing?"
"It was about when you said that even if we ran into danger, you would still come and save us..."
"It stands. Why? Is someone after you?" Hanakain Reiji looked confused. In his opinion, being targeted wouldn't be enough to cause Rias such heartache. If such a person appeared, they could just tell everyone, deal with it like they did with the Fallen Angel, find the culprit, and blast them away. It would be over quickly.
"Mhm, yes, in a way. But not in that kind of being-targeted way..." Rias was hesitant to elaborate. "If I told you right now that I need your help, Reiji, would you be willing?"
"Of course, as long as I can do it." The young man's answer was simple and straightforward.
"Hmm~ Since you put it that way, Reiji..."
Somehow, as they talked, Rias's voice became increasingly hesitant, and her footsteps gradually slowed down until she stopped completely.
"This is it. We've arrived."
"Huh?"
Hanakain Reiji looked up in the direction of the girl's gaze. Without realizing it, they had actually walked to the entrance of a love hotel.
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