Ryusei stirred, blinking sleep from her pale blue eyes-only to find her cheek buried in something soft, warm, and unmistakably... plush.
"...No way."
Her gaze shifted up.
Rias Gremory. Naked. Sound asleep. One arm lazily draped across Ryusei's waist, the other curled under her head.
"...S-she's not even wearing anything?!" Ryusei's heart tried to claw its way out of her chest. "W-why is she naked?!"
Charcadet, nestled innocently at the foot of the bed, blinked up at her as if to say "Yeah, I wondered the same thing."
Before Ryusei could free herself from the president's unintended trap, the sound of a key turning echoed from the front door.
"Ryusei, wake up! You're gonna be late for sch-"
SLAM.
Too late.
"WHAT the hell is going on in here?!" Haruka's voice boomed from the hallway as she barged into the room-only to freeze at the sight of her baby sister half-naked, entangled with a very naked Rias Gremory.
Ryusei practically flung herself out of bed. "I-It's not what it looks like!"
"It's exactly what it looks like!" Haruka snapped, eyes twitching.
Rias, still waking up, merely stretched with a smile. "Good morning, Haruka-san. Sorry, I forgot to mention-I sleep naked."
Ryusei nearly tripped over her own pants trying to get dressed. "Can we not?!"
At Kouh Academy, jaws dropped and eyes widened as Rias Gremory walked through the gates clinging to Ryusei's arm like it was the most natural thing in the world. Students whispered, others gawked.
"W-when did this happen?!"
"Wait... are they dating?!"
"Is this some kind of elite power couple thing?!"
Inside the classroom, Issei watched them enter and slumped in his chair.
"No way... Rias-senpai's all over her."
Ryusei had barely taken her seat before Todo came barrelling toward her.
"Brotha!" The larger student wrapped Ryusei in a crushing hug.
"Todo-can't... breathe-!!"
During lunch, Rias mentioned that the Occult Club room was undergoing a deep cleaning, so they'd need a new place for their meeting. Issei quickly offered his home, shooting a glance at Ryusei.
"You coming, Ryusei?"
"Nah, my sister wants me to meet an old friend of our mom's tonight."
Rias visibly frowned at the answer. Ryusei noticed... and gently bumped her arm.
{Later at the Hyoudou Residence}
Rias, Akeno, Koneko, Asia and Kiba sat comfortably in Issei's room, the atmosphere surprisingly homey-until Issei's mom, Miki, burst in excitedly with an old photo album.
"Look what I found~! Issei's baby pictures!"
"Nooooo!" Issei wailed, trying to take the album back. Too late.
The group crowded around the book of embarrassment, but Miki's next words made everyone freeze. "You know, Ryusei used to come over all the time too. You two were inseparable when you were little."
"Wait, what?" Issei blinked. "I don't remember any of that."
"You even had a third little friend you played with, remember? She had short chestnut hair and such pretty violet eyes."
Kiba's expression changed. He leaned in toward one particular photo-one that showed young Ryusei, Issei, and the unnamed girl... but what caught his attention was the faint outline of a Holy Sword resting in the background.
"This... this sword... why was it there?"
Later that evening, back at the Okkotsu home, Haruka heads out for her night shift at the hospital. Ryusei and Rias lounge on the couch, Charcadet curled up between them who was finally able to leave Ryusei's room once Haruka had left.
As the show plays, Ryusei gets up and notices Haruka's forgotten lunch by the door.
"Rias, I'm heading out."
"Huh? This late?"
"Gonna bring Haruka her lunch. And... visit Mom."
Her voice softens.
Rias nods gently. She knows about Ryusei and Haruka's mother, afflicted by Eternal Slumber-a coma-like state caused by unstable magical Gates. Being around mana users only makes it worse.
"Come back safe," Rias says.
As Ryusei ties her shoes and slings on her purple jacket, she hears Rias flipping through an old photo book on the coffee table.
"Aww~ you looked so small back then."
"Wh-Rias!"
Rias only giggles, and Ryusei's face turns red as she heads out the door.
{At the Hospital}
Ryusei stepped into the brightly lit hospital lobby, she approached the receptionist desk, clutching the bento box wrapped neatly in a purple cloth.
"Um, excuse me," she said, eyes scanning the names on the posted staff list. "I'm looking for Haruka Okkotsu. She works here-"
"Oh my gosh, you're Ryusei?" a blonde woman behind the desk gasped, her eyes lighting up. "She's told us so much about you!"
Another woman, a bubbly brunette nearby, leaned in with an amused smile.
"Seriously! Haruka can't shut up about her precious little sister."
Ryusei's face turned crimson.
"I-I just came to give her lunch she forgot-"
Before she could finish, a small crowd of nurses and female staff began gathering around her, some pulling out phones, others smiling mischievously.
"You're adorable, are you single?"
"Do you like older women?"
"Can I give you my younger sister's number instead?"
"Are you into nurses, by chance~?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Ryusei's temple as the swarm inched closer, eyes gleaming like predators spotting prey.
Suddenly-
"HANDS OFF!"
Ryusei yelped as someone grabbed her by the hood of her jacket and yanked her backward out of the crowd like a misbehaving cat.
"Geez! What do you all think you're doing!?"
Standing protectively in front of her was Haruka, eyes narrowed, arms spread like a mother bear guarding her cub. The nurses sheepishly backed away, some muttering apologies under their breath.
Haruka turned to Ryusei, her stern face instantly softening.
"Oh, my poor baby... They didn't hurt you, did they?" She cupped Ryusei's face in her hands like she was checking for bruises. "Come on, let's go see Mom."
Before Ryusei could respond, Haruka pulled her into a tight, embarrassingly affectionate hug, making her little sister's face redden all over again.
"C'mon Haruka, I'm not a kid anymore..."
"You are to me." Haruka smirked, and without letting go of her shoulder, guided Ryusei down the hallway.
They walked in silence for a moment, the mood gradually shifting. The further they got from the lobby, the heavier the air became.
Ryusei looked up.
"Is she... still the same?"
Haruka nodded slowly.
"She hasn't woken up. But her vitals are stable."
The door to the room creaked open gently. The room was dim, lit only by the moonlight slipping through the blinds and the soft beep of a heart monitor. On the hospital bed lay a woman with long white hair and pale skin is Yua Okkotsu, their mother. Her face was peaceful, but motionless. She hadn't stirred in years.
Haruka placed the bento on the side table and stepped aside so Ryusei could approach.
Ryusei stood by the bed, her hand slowly reaching out, fingers gently brushing her mother's hand.
"Hey, Mom... I'm back."
Haruka noticed her change in expression.
"Ryusei? What's wrong?"
Ryusei narrowed her eyes.
"I... don't know. I should get going."