Chapter 263: Using Feet…
Vigne pressed her right hand against her chest, feeling the wild rhythm pounding beneath her palm. Her breathing came fast and shallow, and though she tried to steady it, the warmth flooding through her body refused to fade. Her left hand brushed through her silky hair, a futile attempt to hide the redness spreading over her cheeks and down her neck.
It didn't help at all.
The closer she got to remembering what had almost happened—their faces only inches apart, Kouya's breath mingling with hers—the hotter her skin burned. Her heart thudded like a drum, each beat echoing in her ears until she wanted to scream. The air itself seemed thick with leftover tension, wrapping around her like invisible heat. All she wanted to do was flee, lock herself away, and bury her embarrassment under a mountain of blankets until the world forgot her existence.
"Wash your own clothes! Don't even think about asking me to do it for you!" she blurted suddenly, her voice trembling somewhere between indignation and panic.
Kouya lifted his head, watching her flustered retreat. Before she could run, his hand shot out, catching her by the wrist.
"Wait a second."
"W-what are you doing?" she asked, alarm flashing in her eyes as she jerked back slightly. Her expression was wary—like a small animal cornered by a predator.
Kouya sighed inwardly. 'Really? That look again?' His lips curved into a faint smirk. 'If I wanted to use force, do you honestly think you could stop me?'
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she'd caught the thought that flashed across his mind. Her cheeks puffed, and she frowned in mock defiance. "You wouldn't dare!"
Kouya tilted his head. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I-I'll kick you!" she shot back, trying to sound fierce, though her trembling voice betrayed her nerves.
"Kicking someone has consequences," Kouya said evenly, his tone teasing but low enough to send a shiver up her spine. "Maybe I'll knock you out like some ancient caveman and drag you back home."
"You—" Vigne's face went crimson. She stomped her foot, glaring. "You're shameless!"
'Shameless?' Kouya thought bitterly. 'Those idiots yelling 'strike while it's hot' are the real degenerates!' He rolled his eyes and gestured behind her. "By the way, you're going the wrong way."
"Huh?"
Vigne blinked, glanced around, and realized she had indeed been walking in the completely opposite direction of her dorm. The realization only deepened her blush. "I-I knew that," she muttered weakly, biting her lip. She shot him one last glare—half frustration, half embarrassment. "I'm going home!" she declared and hurried off with quick, nervous steps.
Kouya watched her go, lips twitching. 'Cute, but completely hopeless.'
...
Back at the apartment, the clock barely struck nine.
Too early to sleep, and too restless to read, Kouya sat at his desk and powered on his computer. A quick glance at his friend list showed the familiar name of the lazy angel next door—Gabriel—glowing online. Without thinking too much, he sent her a game invite.
He expected her to ignore it like usual. To his mild surprise, the acceptance pinged within seconds.
"Well, that's new," he murmured. "Guess she's not mad, then."
He couldn't have been more wrong.
As soon as the game began, Gabriel chose the most useless mascot support character available. Once they spawned, she walked into a bush and stood there motionless, not even pretending to help. When Kouya engaged the enemy in lane, she didn't move until the fight was over—and then only to step forward, last-hit a nearly dead minion under his feet, and wander leisurely back to base.
Kouya blinked. "What the hell are you doing?"
Her reply came instantly: "Eating."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're eating? You can still play properly while eating."
"Can't," she said flatly. "My hands are busy."
"Busy doing what?"
"Playing with my feet, obviously."
"..." Kouya just stared at the chat box, trying to process that sentence.
There were times when he thought he'd seen everything life could throw at him, but Gabriel had a way of shattering every assumption. 'Of course. Why not?' he thought with resigned despair. 'Next she'll be gaming with her wings.'
When she later got a kill purely by accident—because her character happened to step on an enemy trap that killed someone else—she actually typed: "Skill." Kouya groaned and dropped his head onto his desk. The lesson of the night was clear: you could never, ever predict what your teammates might be using to play.
...
The night passed uneventfully, the chaos fading into a quiet hum. By the time sunlight filled the classroom the next day, the memory had already become another entry in Kouya's mental list of absurdities.
When the lunch bell rang, chatter erupted as students shuffled about. Kouya stretched, grabbed his bag, and made his way toward the clubroom. Even with open windows, the classroom air was heavy and stale, thick with the scent of pencils and cheap lunch bread. The hallway, at least, offered a cool breeze.
When he arrived, he found Vigne already at the door, holding it open. But she wasn't alone.
A girl followed behind her—tall, graceful, with long black hair that gleamed like satin and flowed down her back. Yet despite her beauty, her face was tense, her steps hesitant, like she was walking into a predator's lair.
"Eh? Machiko-chan?" Raphiel's eyes lit up instantly, her angelic smile blooming as she waved. "Good afternoon~!"
"S-Shiraha-san, g-good afternoon," Machiko stammered, bowing awkwardly.
"I invited Machiko to eat lunch with us," Vigne explained quickly. "She's helping me figure out some things for our club activities."
Everyone greeted her cheerfully. Even Kouya nodded politely from his seat.
Unfortunately, the moment Machiko's eyes landed on him, her entire body froze. Her pupils widened, and color drained from her face. She remembered—vividly—the unforgettable scene at the swimming hall. She'd been right in front of him that day, directly in the line of sight of that terrifying thing. She hadn't fainted like some, but the shock had etched itself deep into her memory.
Now, with Kouya's calm gaze turning her way, panic overwhelmed her. She threw her hands up over her face. "N-no! Don't!"
Kouya's expression flattened into a scowl. 'Seriously? Do you think I'm about to flash you in public?' He could almost see a giant table in his mind, begging to be flipped. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!
Thinking about it, his reputation had definitely gotten... complicated. Girls who once ignored him now peeked at him in class, whispering behind their hands. Their stares mixed fear, curiosity, and something else entirely. The moment his eyes met theirs, they'd look away blushing furiously, pretending to read their notes.
'Unbelievable,' he thought with exasperation. 'One tiny censored incident and suddenly I'm public enemy number one. Go look at your health textbook, people—it's got diagrams! Full-color ones!' His inner voice was practically shouting. 'Educate yourselves before judging!'
He exhaled through his nose, irritation simmering, and turned to glare at the true culprit.
Satania.
That lazy angel next door had already been punished, yet this red-haired troublemaker still roamed free, giggling and eating pastries like she owned the world.
Satania was currently nibbling on a pineapple bun, eyes half closed in bliss. When she noticed Kouya's stare, she instantly hid the bun against her chest like a jealous puppy guarding its food. "W-what? Do you... want a bite, my loyal servant? I could... maybe share."
Kouya's expression twitched. 'Oh yes. The highest honor imaginable—sharing a saliva-soaked piece of bread with Satania herself.' He could almost hear the sarcasm dripping from his own thoughts. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!
Even a stray dog wouldn't accept that as a gift.
When Machiko finally settled beside Vigne and opened her lunchbox, a collective gasp filled the room.
Vigne's eyes widened. "It's so cute!"
Curiosity got the better of Kouya, and he leaned slightly to look. The neat little box was like a miniature art display—golden tempura, crispy lotus fritters, rabbit-shaped rice balls with tiny carrot eyes, flower-cut sausages, and bright pieces of fruit arranged like a painting. Everything was balanced and colorful, radiating care and warmth.
Satania's eyes sparkled. "Wow! It looks amazing! I bet it tastes just as good!"
"N-not really," Machiko murmured shyly, twisting her fingers. "I just made it in a hurry this morning. Would you like to try some, Satania?"
"Really? Then I want the two little bunnies!" Satania said eagerly, pointing at the rice balls.
Machiko blinked, then turned bright red, instinctively covering her chest with both hands.
"Don't name other people's food like that!" Vigne scolded, pressing her hand to her forehead. "And you've been eating nothing but bread lately. Haven't you noticed you've gained weight?"
"No way! I haven't gained a thing! It's Gabriel who—"
Before she could finish, the "lazy angel" calmly punched her square in the head, sending her toppling to the floor with a satisfying thud.
Machiko blinked but didn't even flinch. Clearly, this kind of scene was normal here.
"Did you really make all of this yourself, Machiko-chan?" Raphiel asked in awe, scooting closer with her hands clasped in admiration. "You're amazing!"
"It's... not much," Machiko said modestly, her shoulders relaxing as Vigne smiled beside her. "It just takes practice. Once you get used to it, even cute food like this becomes easy to make..."
Her words trailed off as Satania groaned dramatically from the floor, mumbling something about 'the tyranny of angels'—and just like that, lunchtime in the clubroom descended into its usual chaotic warmth.
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