Chapter 252: Kasugano Sora's Strange Classmates
Tony Stark was lost in thought. His gaze had gone distant, fixed on a point somewhere beyond the restaurant's walls. His entire life, it seemed, was a chaotic sequence of improbable events. Conceived by accident, defined by accidents. He was captured, he escaped, he somehow improved himself in the process, he seized control of Stark Industries, and then he stumbled into this restaurant from another world, where he met the literal Lucifer and a Hellhound... and Lucifer's partner.
He was beginning to realize that his entire existence might just be one grand cosmic accident. You should never let a scientist overthink things; it could lead to some very strange conclusions. Right now, for instance, he had spiraled into a state of complete self-analysis, tuning out the world around him.
Tony was utterly absorbed in pondering the nature of his own being. Pepper Potts could only watch, momentarily stunned. It seemed Tony was being genuinely serious about this.
Lucifer tilted her head, her expression one of pure confusion. "Hmm? What's wrong with him?"
Potts let out a soft sigh. "If I had to guess, Tony is currently contemplating why he is a product of accidental existence."
Kasugano Sora, clutching her rabbit doll, added with a hint of surprise, "Mr. Tony is quite the dedicated scientist..."
"Sora... if you keep saying things like that, Tony might just go back and start studying biology," Pepper warned gently.
"Ah? Oh..."
Sora looked over at Tony Stark, who was still frowning deeply, and found the sight rather amusing. A scene like this was certainly a rare one.
Pepper chose not to interrupt Tony's somewhat childish spiral, instead turning her attention to chatting with Sora. Though the girl was a little shy, she still managed to contribute a few words here and there.
Lucifer watched the two of them for a moment before an idea struck her. "Sora, since you've recovered, shouldn't you be going to school?"
Sora considered the question, then slowly shook her head. Both Lucifer and Pepper were taken aback.
"Why not, Sora?" Pepper asked, her tone puzzled. "If you go to school, you'll make many friends your own age. It would also help you adapt to your healthy body much faster."
Lucifer nodded in agreement. "She's right. Plus, you'll be learning new things, which is very important for you."
Sora puffed out her cheeks slightly, her voice a quiet murmur. "I don't really like school... but now that my body is better, I suppose it wouldn't be impossible. It's just..."
"Just?" they asked in unison.
Sora shook her head again. "I have my reasons. I just don't really want to go. I can study at home... In short, I'm not going to school."
Lucifer was momentarily stunned by her firm refusal, while Pepper's brow furrowed with concern. "Is it because the other girls think you're cute and are excluding you? Or is someone bullying you?"
The thought immediately clicked for Lucifer as well. Her expression darkened. "Sora, is that what's happening?"
A concerned Pepper was one thing, but a concerned Lucifer was the Queen of Hell. Kasugano Sora frantically shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "No, no! Katagiri has a very good atmosphere. And whenever I got sick at school, Kirari-nee and the others would come pick me up. No one bullies me. A lot of people are very nice to me..."
Lucifer visibly relaxed, letting out a small sigh of relief. The scoundrels in those movies Ren had found for her had left a deep impression, filling her with disgust. If anyone close to her were ever treated that way, she certainly wouldn't be so forgiving.
"Well then, Sora," Lucifer said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "If the school is good and everyone is friendly, why on earth don't you want to go?"
"Because... because... Ugh..."
Over the next five minutes, with some gentle prodding, Kasugano Sora finally explained her reason. The story left both Pepper and Lucifer struggling to contain their laughter.
"Even though everyone is very nice to me," Sora mumbled, "the other boys and girls are just so... childish. Especially the boys. They're all idiots."
Pepper covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "What a lively age! How interesting! But Sora, isn't it a good thing to be liked by boys? It proves you're very charming!"
Sora whispered something in response, too quiet for Lucifer to catch, but the Queen of Hell chuckled anyway. "Sora is indeed very beautiful and cute, so it's perfectly normal for boys to like her. You can just reject them, can't you?"
At this, Sora's jaw tightened, and she spoke with a sudden burst of frustration. "That's the annoying part!"
"Eh?" both women replied, leaning in.
Sora's face was a mask of pure disdain. "You wouldn't believe it. When they confessed before, I rejected them immediately. I even used some very harsh words. Sometimes, when I was in a bad mood, I'd even mock them. But the result..."
"The result?"
Hugging her rabbit plushie tightly to her chest, Sora's voice rose with indignation. "The result is that they get even more excited! Every time I go to school, there are people lining up to confess just so I'll scold them! They're all so strange!"
Lucifer and Pepper exchanged bewildered glances. A long moment of silence passed before they both failed to hold it in and burst out laughing. They could perfectly picture the scene: the small, delicate Kasugano Sora, clutching her rabbit, delivering a scathing insult with a look of utter contempt before turning and leaving haughtily. It was, admittedly, a rather cute image.
"Oh, Sora, you really are adorable!" Pepper said, wiping a tear from her eye. "But that is quite strange. Surely you have some way to deal with them?"
"If only I did! It's so embarrassing... and they're so annoying! Some of them would do it for several days in a row, and in the most extreme cases, I'd get a confession after every single class!"
Lucifer was still laughing. "Sora, your charm is truly on another level! But if it's that bad, why not just change schools?"
At her words, Kasugano Sora's entire body went rigid.
Lucifer noticed immediately, her amusement fading into concern. "What's wrong? Did that sentence also bring back some bad memories?"
Sora nodded, looking genuinely nervous. "Kirari-nee said... that if I were to transfer, my first choice should be Private Hyakkaou Academy. She said she'd have Sister Saya protect me..."
Lucifer smiled. "Hmm? Isn't that great? Kirari takes very good care of her own."
Hearing this, Sora's voice dropped to a terrified whisper. "Kirari-nee said she'd have Sister Saya protect me twenty-four hours a day. She said there would be all sorts of 'scientifically reasonable and highly free' courses and lifestyles every day... and she said she wanted to watch me like that until I graduated from university..."
The words hung in the air. Lucifer suddenly pictured Kirari's serene, predatory smile and felt a distinct chill run down her spine. Good heavens, that wasn't an offer; that was a threat of psychological trauma.
Then, an idea sparked in Lucifer's mind. She thought of a few other young girls she knew. After a moment of consideration, a smile spread across her face—a smile that promised a perfect solution.
"Sister Lucifer..."
"Hmm?"
"When Kirari-nee told me to go to Private Hyakkaou Academy... she had the exact same expression you have right now."
"Uh..."
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