Chapter 252: The Gabriel Who Lost Her Ideals
The metallic rhythm of the game's soundtrack thundered through the room, a pulse of digital intensity that made the air itself seem to vibrate. On both sides of the monitor, two players locked in silent, unspoken combat. The countdown ticked down. The match began.
Both heroes met in the center lane, their footsteps leaving faint traces of light on the virtual battlefield.
Gabriel straightened her posture, a sharp glint of determination flashing in her sleepy golden eyes. "Alright! Time to show him my true power!" she muttered, her fingers tightening around the mouse. The once-lazy angel now radiated divine seriousness.
A colorful meteor burst across the screen, trailing a shimmering comet's tail as it roared downward toward Kouya's character.
But with one effortless side-step, Kouya's avatar slid just out of range.
"Tch! Dodged again... fine, that was just a warm-up," Gabriel growled under her breath. "Now I'll get serious. When I get serious, even I get scared!"
Her voice came through Kouya's headset loud and unfiltered—half dramatic, half desperate. He didn't respond, fingers moving calmly across the keyboard.
Another spell streaked across the screen, bright as a rainbow, but once again missed its mark. "What the—?!" Gabriel shouted. "You're seriously lucky! You dare fight me under my turret? Idiot! You're dead—wait... my mana's gone?! WHO STOLE MY BLUE BUFF?!"
Kouya's smirk went unseen, but his voice was calm. "You should pay attention to the map."
"Ahhh! You sneaky jerk! You attacked me while I was dry on mana?!"
Three minutes later.
Game Over.
Gabriel's screen displayed a huge red word: Defeat. She leaned back in her chair, puffing out her cheeks. "Hmph! I was going easy on you that time. You were like one hit away from dying anyway."
Kouya's tone didn't change. "You lost."
"Tch! It's just one round. Don't get cocky," she snapped, already clicking to queue another game. "Rematch!"
Kouya silently created a new lobby, sending her another invite.
Three minutes later. Another loss.
Gabriel's desk rattled under the impact of her frustrated fist. "That stupid cannon minion got in my way! You'd be dead if it wasn't for that stupid AI!"
"You lost," Kouya replied again, deadpan.
"Are you a robot?!" Gabriel shouted. "Say something else already!"
He paused as if thinking seriously. "You lost again?"
"Arghhh! That's it! One more! I'm going to kill you this time!"
...An hour later.
Gabriel sat slumped in her chair. Her avatar's corpse lay face-down in-game while Kouya's hero stood triumphant with only a sliver of HP left. Her soul seemed to have evaporated through the headset. The once-mighty angel of Heaven now looked like a salted fish who had given up on existence.
"Who am I... where am I... what's even the point anymore?" she mumbled weakly.
On-screen, a new message appeared from Kouya: Rematch?
"Rematch your banana!" Gabriel screeched. The chair rolled back with a violent scrape as she stood, storming out. Her slippers slapped hard against the floor as she charged toward his door, fury burning in her face. "Open up, coward! You've got the guts to kill me, now open the damn door!"
The door opened.
Kouya stood there with a blank look. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT!" Gabriel yelled, her hair slightly disheveled, cheeks red from anger and maybe a bit of embarrassment. "You think you can humiliate your cute neighbor girl like that? The heavens will strike you down!"
Lightning? Yeah right. Childhood friends were basically a cursed species nowadays, and "cute neighbor girls" were a myth. Even divine retribution had better things to do.
"Admit you were wrong!" she demanded, glaring up at him.
Kouya crossed his arms. "I didn't cheat. I won fair and square. Why should I apologize?"
"You—!" Gabriel's teeth ground audibly as she swung a small fist toward his stomach.
"Thump."
Kouya caught her punch midair with ease.
She tried again, this time aiming higher, but he caught her wrist and pinned it gently against the door.
"Shouldn't you be the one apologizing?" he asked calmly.
Gabriel blinked, stunned. "What?! You're the one bullying me, and you expect me to apologize?!"
She struggled to pull free, her breaths short and quick. The distance between them closed until barely a few inches remained. The faint, creamy sweetness of her scent filled the air — she must have just eaten egg tarts again. Her warm breath brushed against his chest, each exhale sending a shiver up his spine.
He was about to lecture her when his gaze slipped down—and froze.
From this angle, he could see straight through the collar of her loose pajama shirt.
Below her collarbone, barely hidden under the thin fabric, were two small, soft mounds, faintly glowing with an innocent shimmer of divine light.
He stiffened.
She wasn't wearing a bra.
The holy light did nothing to hide it; if anything, it framed the view perfectly.
Well... with that flat of a chest, it's not like there's much to conceal, he thought absently.
But girls had terrifying instincts. Even that fraction of a second was enough for Gabriel to sense danger.
Her eyes followed his downward gaze. Then realization hit.
"Ah—"
Her entire body went rigid. Color exploded across her face, pink turning to scarlet as she realized the truth.
A scream ripped from her throat.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A moment later, a man's voice from downstairs thundered up through the ceiling. "What the hell's going on up there?! It's midnight! First the banging, now the screaming! Some of us have jobs!" He paused, then added furiously, "If you're gonna flirt, at least gag yourselves!"
Kouya: "..."
Gabriel's face burned even redder. She shoved him away, clutching her chest tightly. "Pervert! Hentai! Disgusting!"
Kouya sighed. The irony of being called that by the same girl who made him buy her risqué games and lingerie wasn't lost on him.
Before he could explain, she stomped on his foot, spun around, and bolted back to her room, slamming the door hard enough to shake the walls.
Kouya stood in silence for a moment, rubbing his temple. Then, despite himself, a faint smirk tugged at his lips before fading under the moonlight.
...
The night slipped away quietly.
Morning sunlight spilled across the neighborhood as Kouya walked to school. Near the gate, he finally spotted Vigne.
She looked calm and composed, as though nothing had happened yesterday. Her smile was gentle as always, but when he got closer, a faint blush crept up her cheeks, and her eyes darted anywhere but at him.
When he took another step, she subtly retreated one step back, tucking her hair behind her ear and pretending to watch the passing clouds.
"About yesterday—" Kouya began.
"The weather was nice yesterday," she blurted out.
"I was going to say—"
Vigne grabbed Rikka's hand. "Rikka, we're on classroom duty today, right? Let's go!"
Rikka blinked. "Huh? I thought that was tomorrow—"
"Let's just hurry!" Vigne insisted, dragging her away like a girl escaping an ambush.
Kouya sighed, lips twitching slightly. "So she is embarrassed, huh... What am I supposed to do about that?"
...
As he reached the school gates, a familiar, melodic voice chimed, "Good morning, Kouya-kun."
"Yeah," he replied casually.
Raphiel stood there, radiating refined grace. Her silver hair shimmered in the morning light, the perfect picture of elegance. Every move carried the aura of a noble lady.
Beside her stood Alice, the small twin-tailed blonde. Her golden hair sparkled like sunlight itself as she tilted her head. "G-Good morning!" she greeted shyly.
The two of them side by side made a picturesque scene, enough to draw envious stares from all around.
"What are you two doing here?" Kouya asked warily.
Raphiel's cheeks turned faintly pink. "We were waiting for you, Kouya-kun." Her voice was sweet, but her mischievous smile gave her away.
Instantly, Kouya felt the burning hostility of every male student in a ten-meter radius.
"Right. I'll be going now," he said, brushing past them, already anticipating trouble.
Not far away, Machiko — the quiet black-haired girl — lingered by the crowd, pretending to adjust her bag as she subtly eavesdropped. Her curious gaze flicked between them.
Raphiel's sharp eyes caught her immediately. A sly smile tugged at her lips.
"Kouya," she began in a trembling, sorrowful voice, "are you... denying it?" Her expression softened into something pitiful, like a kitten abandoned in the rain.
"Huh?" Kouya blinked. "Denying what?"
Raphiel lowered her head, her fingers resting gently on her stomach. "Because if you really intend to ignore me after what happened..." she whispered faintly.
Machiko's eyes widened. "Wait—what?! Don't tell me she's—"
Her imagination exploded. "Did Kouya... actually get her pregnant?!"
Just as the entire situation reached the peak of misunderstanding, Raphiel's smile returned like sunlight breaking through clouds.
"I've been waiting so long I'm starving," she said sweetly. "Kouya-kun, you have to take responsibility and buy me breakfast."
"..." Kouya's expression darkened.
Starving. She'd meant that.
Couldn't she have said that normally? And maybe, just maybe, kept her hands off her stomach while doing it?!
He sighed. "You did that on purpose."
Meanwhile, Machiko stood frozen nearby, jaw hanging in disbelief.
Another day. Another morning ruined by angels.
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