Inside the club room, Alex was sitting on the tatami mats, sipping the black tea brewed by Yukiha Serizawa. Today, Chi and Makoto were on duty, and Yui was with the basketball club. Besides Alex and Yukiha, only Ai Kitakami and Rin were present.
"Is it really okay to skip the Student Council?" Alex asked the Kuudere girl beside him, taking a sip of tea.
Hearing this, the expressionless, blue-haired girl lifted her head, her gaze leaving her phone screen to settle on Alex's face, resting for a few moments on his lips. "It's fine. I already went during lunch."
"The Student Council isn't busy."
"Oh, suit yourself. But what if your sister, Kaede, comes here to cause trouble?" Alex rubbed his chin.
"I'll stop her for you," Rin blinked, putting down her phone. "My sister still hasn't given up on disbanding the club, but I've managed to stall her."
"You're very dependable, Rin," Alex patted the girl's shoulder. "I'm putting this in your hands. Any further trouble from Kaede will be your responsibility."
"No problem."
Rin agreed instantly. She's a loyal sister.
"Yukiha, aren't you the library administrator?" Ai Kitakami suddenly recalled. "Is it okay not to be at the library?"
"It's fine, the St. Jo's Academy library is usually empty anyway... I can go later."
Yukiha Serizawa smiled. She loved reading, but ever since Alex formed this club, she suddenly preferred not to be in the library. Why read alone in the library when she could stay here and accompany Alex?
It was so much happier here.
"Hmm?"
Just then, Alex sensed a stirring in his Silver Sigil. He closed his eyes to focus his senses, his brows knitting tighter and tighter.
"Alex, what is it?" Ai Kitakami noticed his abnormality, and the other two girls looked over as well.
"Tsk, I didn't expect Sakura Senpai to run into trouble," Alex pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Something interesting seems to be happening. I need to leave for a bit."
"Alex, I'm coming too."
Ai Kitakami and Yukiha Serizawa stood up simultaneously.
"You two should stay put. It's not going to be pleasant," Alex shook his head, refusing.
"Waaah—"
Seeing the Gyaru's aggrieved expression, staring at him pitifully like a wronged wife, Alex stroked the girl's silver hair, then cupped her cheek. "It's important business. Be a good girl; just wait for me at home."
"Fine. Then Yukiha and I will head back then, but..." Ai Kitakami's 'Gyaru' attitude faded more and more around Alex. She cuddled into his chest, tilted her head back, and pouted her soft, rosy lips. "Kiss me, pleeeease~"
Alex gave her a peck on the corner of her mouth, only for Ai to seize the initiative, wrapping her arms around him and initiating a long, fierce kiss before they finally parted. The beaming Ai Kitakami's pink lips were now even more wet and glossy, truly tempting.
Unwilling to show favoritism, Alex then gave Yukiha a sweet French kiss, leaving both girls utterly satisfied.
Hmm... Everyone except Rin. She glanced at the affectionate Alex and the two girls, showing no reaction to their public display. But just as Alex was about to leave, she suddenly stood up.
"I'm going with you."
"Eh?"
"I want to go."
"Rin, I'm going to handle serious business. You should stay here..."
"Fine. Then how are you going to appease me? The same way you appeased them?"
"Uh..."
"Or should I just go wait for you at your house?"
"..."
Alex noticed Yukiha and Ai's eyes turn curious. Looking back at Rin's unchanging expression, he couldn't tell if she was joking or serious. Alex flinched. "Alright, come with me."
He and Rin walked out of the room and quickly headed off-campus. They didn't speak the entire way. Alex kept looking at the girl beside him, noticing her perpetually expressionless face, and scratched his head.
Although her emotions were always concealed, Alex wasn't dense. He sensed something unusual about this girl. He was tempted to ask if she was starting to like him... but then he thought that was too narcissistic.
Alex covered his face.
Strictly speaking, his relationships with Chi, Makoto, and Yui were not conventional dating. He hadn't even initially thought of them as proper girlfriends.
If a girl were to genuinely fall for him now, Alex would be at a loss. After all, he had dismissed the dating method of collecting [Affection] from the start—it was too slow. It was much simpler and more direct to just use his ability to claim women.
"What kind of trouble did Sakura Senpai get into?" Rin noticed Alex's strange expression and inquired.
Hearing her question, Alex temporarily pushed Rin's situation to the back of his mind. "She's in danger, and from the looks of it, she was ambushed by someone. Her current situation is not good."
"How do you know?"
"Just my ability." Sakura receiving the Silver Sigil relieved her of Hajime Tanaka's hypnosis. That was one of the Sigil's abilities; another function is its incredibly strong protection.
That was why he implanted the Silver Sigil on Chi and the others.
"Sakura Senpai is the Kendo Captain and very strong. Unless she was ambushed, she wouldn't easily run into a crisis."
He reached off-campus and activated his motorcycle. "Get on."
"You and Sakura Senpai— Wait, are you two close? You seem very concerned about her," Rin asked, sitting behind Alex. She blinked and reached out to wrap her arms around his waist, clearly feeling his firm muscles and his breath.
"Well, she did come to me for help," Alex put the helmet on her head, not noticing how Rin's usually placid eyes softened considerably once hidden behind the visor. "Besides, she has my mark on her. I can't exactly say we're strangers."
"Mark..." Rin paused. "I think I have one too."
"..."
"If I were in danger, would you come to save me?"
"...Enough chatter. Let's go!"
Seeing Alex rev the engine and speed onto the road without answering, Rin, who didn't receive an answer, clearly smiled this time. She didn't press the issue, seeming to have gotten the answer she was looking for.
As for Alex, he was slightly speechless. Rin's attitude was definitely off. I'm supposed to be a villain, so why is she treating me like some kind of good guy?
But Alex couldn't deny it. If she were in danger, he truly wouldn't ignore her.
"Can't be helped. The marks on all of you mean you're my destined women, after all," Alex muttered as the motorcycle's roar rushed toward the location his senses indicated.
The spot wasn't far from the school. Since Alex was on his motorcycle, they reached the destination in less than five minutes. Rin got off and looked at the secluded alleyway. She was about to speak.
Alex had already reached the tightly closed door of the shop. He cracked his neck, raised his leg, and delivered a kick.
BANG—!!!!
BANG!!!!
One kick deformed the sealed iron door. A second kick ripped the door right off its hinges.
Rin was momentarily stunned by the sheer violence.
Remembering the superpowers Alex possessed, she quickly recovered and followed him into the slightly peculiar coffee shop.
"Who are you?! Wait! The shop is closed..."
Thud!!
"Gnnnngh—"
Stepping inside, Alex immediately saw the girl whose consciousness was fading behind a distant sofa. He didn't even glance at the old man who charged at him, delivering a swift kick.
The man collapsed, letting out a hoarse, gasping sound.
"Who are you?! Get out! You—"
CRASH!!!!
The remaining men watched in terror as their four companions lay on the floor, knocked out. Among them, Masafumi Kase looked the most shocked and appalled.
"Hmm? Kase?" Alex noticed him and narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. I didn't expect you to be involved."
"Alex—"
"Alex..."
For some unknown reason, the moment Sakura saw Alex, the tension in her mind immediately broke. The pleasure she had desperately tried to suppress broke free, flooding her senses. The beautiful Senpai collapsed into the embrace of the boy who represented safety.
Witnessing the beautiful, untouchable girl suddenly holding Alex, both Masafumi Kase and the thwarted old men cried out in astonishment.
"Impossible—!"