With that awkward thought bouncing around my head, I made my way to school.
By the time I got there, the classroom was already in full-on summer break mode. People were talking about where they were going to hang out, club tournaments, and all that.
"Tomorrow, summer vacation finally begins! Blue seas! White sand! A blazing sun!! And girls who shine in the light!! This summer, we're gonna get cool girlfriends and finally step up into adulthood!!"
"Hell yeah! Summer means beaches, pools, and festivals! Sunscreen, swimsuits, and yukatas await us!"
"My Scouter's about to level up big time!"
Matsuda was hyped, and Issei and Motohama were right there with him.
"The pervert trio planning another impossible summer fantasy? How predictable."
"What was that!? Are you mocking our noble and grand dreams!?"
"Buzz off, Kiryuu Aika! Motohama's already filling our quota for glasses-wearing weirdos!"
Annoyed by her cold water, Issei and Matsuda turned on Aika.
"Hmph. Don't lump me in with him. He tarnishes the reputation of glasses-wearers."
"What did you say!? Motohama's glasses aren't just for show! He can analyze girls' three sizes and even the diameter of their... well, everything!"
"You think that power belongs to you alone?"
Then Aika closed in on Issei, whispering in his ear:
"Length is... (murmur)... width is... (murmur)... and when excited... (murmur)"
"Wha, !? She's got more detailed data on my pride and joy than Motohama does!?"
Issei's face paled in shock, while Aika smirked smugly. But Motohama wasn't about to go down without a fight.
"Heh! Is that all? Then witness the evolution of my Scouter! Aika, today you're wearing purple underwear from the 〇〇 brand, aren't you?"
"What!? Motohama, you've gained x-ray vision!?"
"When did this happen!?"
As Issei and Matsuda stared in disbelief at Motohama's mysterious new ability, I was still replaying Kuroka's kiss in my head...
Crap. My thoughts are going to be pink all day. That might've been why Aika's Scouter locked onto me.
"Ohoho~? What's this I see?"
She leaned in close, a mischievous look on her face.
"That aura... marked by the scent of a woman... Arima Ikki, you got yourself a girlfriend, didn't you?"
Bwah!?
Wait, "the scent of a woman" on my soul!? That's terrifying!
"My Scouter's not limited to physical traits like Motohama's. It can read emotional and astral fluctuations tied to romantic interactions. But Ikki... you still reek of virgin."
Leave me alone! ...Also, wow. This classroom hosts a full-on supernatural ability battle between supposedly normal students. What even is "normal" anymore?
"IKKIIII!! You got a girlfriend!?"
"Wait, are you saying it's Kuroka-san!? That means... Koneko-chan's your sister-in-law!?"
"No way! My sweet angel Koneko-chan... your sister-in-law!? Say it ain't so!! You wanna die, Ikki!?"
Dammit, Issei! You just had to run your mouth. Not like I was hiding the fact that Kuroka and Koneko-chan are sisters, but still... And Motohama, stop calling her your angel!
I spent the rest of the time before the end-of-term ceremony being chased around by the three perverted idiots. Eventually, even Issei, who'd started on the attackers' side, got roped into being chased with me...
=====================
After school, Issei and I took refuge in the Occult Research Club room.
"Geez, Matsuda and Motohama were really going for it today."
"Says the guy who started it..."
Just then, the clubroom door opened and Yuuto walked in.
"You two looked pretty energetic, saw you sprinting toward the old school building. Were you racing?"
"Hey, Kiba. Nah, just got caught up in Ikki's drama."
"Speak for yourself, Issei."
While we were chatting, most of the other club members arrived. Issei, probably realizing the conversation was going nowhere, turned to Kiba.
"Hey, Kiba. You got any summer plans? Actually, what does the Gremory group usually do during summer break?"
Kiba closed the book he'd been reading and nodded.
"Ah, right. It's your first time, huh? Well, we usually, "
Just then, the door opened again.
"Looks like everyone's here."
President Rias and Akeno-senpai entered.
Once everyone had gathered around the table, the discussion naturally turned toward summer plans.
"Alright, about summer break. As always, the Gremory group will be heading to my family's estate in the Underworld. I'd like to formally introduce the newer members to my family. So everyone, prepare for a long trip."
Wait. "Gremory group"... Does that include me?
I was about to ask President Rias when Azazel-sensei suddenly spoke up.
"I'll be heading to the Underworld too."
Everyone looked shocked, he was sitting in President Rias's usual seat the whole time.
"What!? Azazel-sensei... Since when were you there!?"
"Heh. If you can't even sense me, you've still got a long way to go. Right, missy?"
He glanced toward the window, where another voice responded:
"Exactly. With your current strength, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Shirone with you."
Perched on the windowsill was Kuroka.
Her unexpected appearance caused a few members to tense up, but others recognized her.
"Ah! Kuroka-san!"
"Yo~ Red Dragon Emperor-chin. Been a few months, huh?"
They'd met back during the middle school field trip. Since then, they'd run into each other around town occasionally, not that Kuroka ever went out of her way to hide. Every time, she'd either chase or try to punch Issei.
"Uh, you can just call me Issei…"
"Alright then, Issei it is~"
From that exchange, everyone finally seemed to grasp that this was Koneko's older sister, Kuroka.
"So, you're Kuroka. I believe this is our first time meeting. I'm Rias Gremory."
Rias-senpai greeted us politely, but Kuroka just leaned in close to her with a casual "Hmm."
"You're weak. But your potential's not terrible, so I'll give you a barely-passing grade. nya."
What a provocateur… Rias-senpai's lips even twitched as she muttered, "What?!"
"Hey, Kuroka! Didn't you say this morning you were going to thank Rias-senpai for helping with Koneko-chan's situation? What happened to that? Why are you picking a fight the moment you meet?!"
"Kuroka-neesama, even if you're just teasing, could you please read the room?"
I lightly chopped Kuroka on the head from behind, and Koneko-chan gave her a firm reprimand.
"Ugh… But this kind of stuff is all about asserting dominance right from the start, nya."
Is this some kind of beast instinct to establish hierarchy within the pack!?
Thankfully, Rias-senpai seemed a little more appeased after watching Kuroka get scolded, and we went on to exchange greetings with the rest of her peerage. Issei's eyes lit up when he saw Kuroka's twitching ears and tail.
"So she really is Koneko-chan's big sister! That's awesome!"
Once things settled down and the atmosphere grew more relaxed, Izuna popped out from my chest pocket. A familiar voice echoed from her:
[Ikki! Since today was the closing ceremony, school should be over, right? Actually, Mother would like to discuss summer plans with you, do you have a moment?]
It was Kunou's voice. I'd told her to check her surroundings before calling, but since everyone present here was in the know, she must've judged it was safe. Still, she'd formed a small barrier to keep her voice from leaking out despite being close to my ear. Unlike Kuroka, she's good at being considerate.
I made a quick gesture to excuse myself from the group and responded.
"Kunou, yeah, we're done with the ceremony, but I'm still in the clubroom hanging out with everyone. That said, they all already know about everything, so no problem… So, what did Yasaka-san want to talk about?"
[Ah, I didn't realize you were still at school. I should have timed it better… Anyway, I'll pass you over to Mother now.]
Then Yasaka-san's voice came through Izuna.
[Ikki-dono, it's been a while since we've spoken like this. How have you been? Though… I hear from Kunou quite often.]
"Yes. You probably know we had the Three Factions meeting and everything, so I can't say 'nothing's changed', but I'm doing well."
Things have been ridiculously busy lately.
[Indeed. The peace treaty among the Three Factions is now known throughout the mythological realms. Now, since you're still at school, I'll get straight to the point… A small issue has cropped up on our end. Kyoto can handle it, but we'd like to ask for your help resolving it.]
"A problem…?"
[I can't share the details of this communication, but I believe you're the most suitable person for the task.]
…Hard to decide without knowing specifics, but if Yasaka-san thinks it's manageable from their side, then it's probably not urgent. Still, if she's specifically asking me, it must be important. She's always treated me well, so I'll accept.
"I understand. When should I head over?"
[Sorry, but since we can't predict how long it'll take, the sooner the better.]
Ugh, a potentially never-ending marathon. But no, I'll treat this seriously, it's important.
"Alright, I'll head out as early as tomorrow. I haven't made any summer plans yet, so there's nothing to rearrange."
[Excellent. Then I'll explain more when we meet tomorrow, until then, goodbye.]
[See you tomorrow, Ikki! I'll be waiting!]
"Yeah, see you then."
The call ended, and just as it did, Issei turned to me.
"Hey, Ikki, who were you talking to? It looked like you were just chatting with your familiar."
"It was kind of like a phone call using Izuna… Anyway, Rias-senpai. I just got word, I'll be heading to Kyoto starting tomorrow."
"Oh my, from that call? And starting tomorrow? That's rather sudden."
"Well, I'm the one who said 'tomorrow works,' so…"
Then Azazel-sensei butted in.
"So you're off to Kyoto, huh…? I was hoping to drag you to the Underworld instead. I told you yesterday, didn't I? Sirzechs asked me to help make you guys stronger. Well, in your case, the main task would've been analyzing your Sacred Gear, but still! I was actually looking forward to it! What are you going to do about my excitement, huh?!"
Like I care, you overgrown Sacred Gear otaku!
"…Anyway, no use whining now. Kuroka, what about you? When it comes to training Koneko, there's no one more qualified than you. So, are you going to the Underworld or Kyoto?"
"Hmm, in that case, I'll go to the Underworld with Shirone~. Until now, whenever Ikki summoned her, I could only train her in short bursts. This time, I want to give her some proper, focused training."
She hugged Koneko from behind as she said that.
"'Shirone' was Koneko's old name, right? Got it. That works perfectly on our end too, good instructors in senjutsu don't grow on trees. This really helps."
"Then it's settled. I would've liked to invite Ikki along as a guest too, but if he has plans, it can't be helped. In that case, let's call it a day and each prepare for tomorrow."
Everyone packed up and started heading out, but just before I left, Azazel-sensei handed me something.
"…A key?"
"That's the key to your new house. Built it next to Issei's place."
Spits out drink WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?
…Wait, come to think of it, my place hasn't been remodeled while I was out lately… don't tell me it's not a renovation, it's a whole new house!?
"I told you, more girls around Issei means higher motivation for him. Plus, having you and your parents nearby makes it easier to protect everyone. Makes sense, right?"
"Ah… security reasons. Fair enough, I guess… But wasn't that area already full of houses? What happened to the people there?"
"Listen, adults have their own universal language. In this country, it mostly sounds like Yukichi Fukuzawa. Sure, some people were hesitant, but a few 'reciprocal slaps' with cash turned their frowns upside down."
…There are things I wish I hadn't heard. Like your weirdly kinky version of bribery.
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