Chapter 243: Love Letter?
As June rolled in, the temperature soared almost overnight, marking the arrival of a blazing summer. The air shimmered under the sun's glare, the asphalt radiating waves of heat that made the distant scenery blur like a mirage. Even the faintest breeze carried warmth, brushing lazily through the trees.
Above, the sky stretched endlessly blue, without a single cloud to dull the sunlight. The blazing sun hung high, its rays so fierce they stung the skin. Insects buzzed in the bushes, cicadas screamed in the distance, and a few dragonflies darted between patches of sunlight, their transparent wings flickering like shards of colored glass. Before anyone had truly noticed, summer had descended completely.
At the entrance of the apartment complex—
"Hero! Over here!" Takanashi Rikka waved enthusiastically, cheeks puffed in mild annoyance. "You disappeared all weekend! I wanted to go see the fireflies at the lake with you."
Kouya adjusted his collar and answered nonchalantly, "I was busy."
Then he paused. Busy? Was that even true? Thinking about it, all his 'tasks'—the abandoned shrine mission, saving Alice from her so-called 'fall from grace'—felt strangely pointless. None of them brought him satisfaction or excitement. Honestly, it wasn't much different from sitting at home grinding games for loot.
"Something's off…" Kouya muttered, frowning as he walked.
He remembered the thread he'd seen online: "Don't ask for a date—make her blush instead!" A hundred replies, each claiming to be "tested and guaranteed." Yet he hadn't even tried half of them.
He sighed. "I mean, I did eat out once with Satania… but that doesn't count as a date."
He tried to recall the advice. "What was it again? Don't say 'let's go on a date,' say 'let's grab lunch,' or 'walk home together,' or 'watch fireworks,' or 'go see a movie' instead. Subtlety wins hearts." He narrowed his eyes. "But isn't that… still just a date?"
He exhaled and looked up at the bright sky. "Guess I'll just test it out and see."
Then came the real problem: who to test it on.
Satania? No. Absolutely not. Being compared to a pineapple bun would destroy what little pride he had left.
Rikka? Impossible. Her sister Touka would hunt him down with her ladle of justice.
That left Vigne, Gabriel, or that deceptively angelic troublemaker—Raphiel.
Just as he started weighing the pros and cons, a familiar bark echoed from ahead.
Without noticing, he'd arrived at the narrow alley that led toward school.
From it emerged a stray dog with a pineapple bun clenched proudly in its jaws—Raphiel's so-called heavenly pet. It trotted forward with a gait so smug it practically radiated arrogance.
As it passed Kouya and Rikka, the dog gave a lazy wag of its tail before continuing on its way like a conquering hero.
Rikka gasped dramatically. "The Hellhound of the Abyss!" She jumped back, ahoge trembling, and yanked a folded umbrella from her bag. Striking a pose, she pointed it like a sword. "Reveal your true form, beast! My Wicked Eye of the Tyrant sees through your disguise!"
"Woof?"
The dog merely tilted its head, unimpressed, then padded away.
"Come back here! Face me, foul creature!"
Kouya groaned inwardly. 'It's a normal dog. A normal, snack-stealing dog.' If it were truly a hellhound, it'd be stealing enchanted food from your lunch box, not scavenging bakery leftovers.
Turning the corner, Kouya spotted three familiar figures. Vigne stood near the wall, one hand to her temple, clearly exasperated. Raphiel stood beside her, smiling pleasantly, while Satania crouched on the ground, sniffling pitifully.
Vigne's uniform was neatly pressed, her long legs together and posture perfect. The morning sunlight softened her pale skin, giving her a porcelain glow. Raphiel, in contrast, wore a fitted white jacket that outlined her curves perfectly. Her black pleated skirt and stockings framed that faint stretch of glowing white skin—the kind that always drew eyes whether she intended it or not.
As for Satania… she was rubbing her eyes, muttering indignantly, likely over another failed 'evil' scheme.
After exchanging greetings, Vigne blinked around curiously. "Gabriel's not here again?" She sighed, shoulders slumping. "Honestly, she's going to be late again, isn't she?"
Kouya nodded silently. Of course she was. Gabriel's philosophy was legendary: 'Sleep as long as possible. Waking up early is a crime against yourself.'
...
On their way to school, Raphiel suddenly clapped her hands, her voice sing-song. "Oh, by the way, we've got swimming class today! Did everyone bring their swimsuits?"
"Of course," Vigne replied, smiling shyly. "I packed mine before bed last night. Though…" Her voice trailed off, and her gaze flickered to Kouya.
Her cheeks turned pink.
Kouya sighed inwardly. 'It's just a one-piece. What's there to be embarrassed about?' Still, he wasn't complaining.
"I personally inspected Satania's swimsuit last night," Raphiel added proudly, lifting a finger like a teacher.
Satania's head snapped up. "You what!? That's an unforgivable offense! Such insolence from a servant deserves divine punishment!"
Raphiel smiled innocently. "Oh? But you didn't seem to hate it at the time, did you?"
"I—I wasn't enjoying it!" Satania shouted, her face going scarlet. "Not even a little bit! Definitely not!"
Kouya side-eyed them. 'What exactly did you two do last night…?' Whatever it was, it clearly traumatized the would-be demon lord.
...
When they reached school, the morning bustle was in full swing. Students chatted in clusters, the smell of chalk and cleaning soap mingling faintly in the air. At the shoe lockers, Kouya crouched down, automatically reaching for his cubby.
Meanwhile, Satania darted forward, giggling suspiciously as she pulled a pair of bright pink reflexology slippers from her bag and slid them neatly into Gabriel's locker. Another prank, obviously. Her chaotic energy was unending.
Vigne sighed but didn't intervene. Small tricks like these had become part of their daily rhythm—rubber mice, whoopee cushions, fake snakes. As long as no one got hurt, it was harmless fun. Though, Satania's 'punishments' afterward were always the stuff of legend.
Kouya, meanwhile, paused mid-motion.
Inside his locker were two neatly placed envelopes.
Letters.
He blinked. 'Love letters?'
What else could they be? Nobody used shoe lockers for anything else. For a brief second, a ridiculous thought flickered across his mind: 'Was this really happening?'
He'd never received anything like this since term started in March. Meanwhile, Raphiel's locker overflowed weekly with pink envelopes perfumed and glittered to excess.
Wait. No. Absolutely not.
Kouya's reputation still wasn't great. From the early rumors about him "forcing his deskmate to move in," to that infamous bloodstained bedsheet incident, and the gossip about him "collecting protection fees" outside the girls' bathroom—yeah, no. Even if those stories had faded, no one sane would write him love letters.
"Must be a prank," he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
He was about to pull the envelopes out quietly when—
"Whaaaaat!? My servant got love letters!? TWO of them!?"
Satania's voice rang out through the entire hall like a megaphone.
Every head turned.
Vigne and Rikka froze mid-step, and even Raphiel appeared out of thin air, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
Kouya's jaw tightened. "You. Shut. Up."
Too late. The damage was done. A few passing students had already stopped to whisper.
No way these were love letters—it had to be a setup.
"Love letters?" Vigne asked softly, tilting her head. Her tone carried genuine disbelief.
"My, my~ it seems Kouya-kun's popularity is on the rise," Raphiel teased, her lips curving in that infuriatingly angelic smile.
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