"I'm God."
The student council room fell into silence. The only sound was the soft clink of Tsubaki's cup as she set it down on the table. Sona blinked once, twice, then cleaned her ears with a mechanical motion.
"That's... ahem... I think I didn't hear you correctly. Could you repeat that?"
"I said I'm God."
[That idiot! How can he say something like that so casually?!]
The angel watching the scene unfold from a higher dimension wanted to slam her head against a wall and pluck out her feathers. Seriously, what kind of divine being just drops their identity like that?!
"God? Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"Not really," Yuu grinned widely, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed expression. "But it's fun to see your reaction. Though technically, I didn't lie—I said a god, not the God. There's a pretty big difference."
Sona and Tsubaki exchanged glances. The vice president shook her head with a helpless look, while Sona let out a long, heavy sigh that practically screamed: "Why am I dealing with this so early in the morning?"
Yuu took the chance to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"So, young lady, tell me something. How did you know I wasn't human?"
Normally, the world shouldn't be able to withstand his presence. He had the Vortexia, after all. That artifact perfectly masked his energy. Not a single strand should leak. Technically, anyone should think he was just an ordinary human.
His words left Tsubaki visibly confused. But Sona didn't react right away. She just stared at him with a deadpan expression, as if silently asking whether he was actually an idiot.
Finally, she spoke in a dry tone. "Seeing a guy sitting cross-armed in the plaza for ten straight days, collecting dust, doesn't exactly seem normal. Not at all."
Yuu scratched his cheek, a bit sheepishly. "Ah, right. That."
He'd honestly thought he woke up the next day.
"That." Sona narrowed her eyes, still with that flat expression. "Ten days. Sitting like a statue. You didn't even flinch when students started placing bets on how long it'd take for you to drop dead."
Yuu clicked his tongue like a child getting scolded by his parents for something trivial. "I tend to lose track of time when I'm resting. Sometimes I completely zone out."
"That's not all," Sona continued. "After that 'incident,' I asked my Peerage to keep an eye on you."
"Oh? You spied on me?"
"Hm. That's when we saw you in the garden. You planted flower seeds and then sat there... watching them grow and bloom. And you're still asking why I was suspicious of you?"
Yuu went quiet for a moment, glancing to the side as if trying to remember something. Then he snapped his fingers. "Ah. Yeah, I guess I did lose track of time. How long was that? A couple days?"
"Five weeks."
"Oh." He tilted his head, reflecting deeply on his actions. "I like flowers."
"You like flowers?" Sona repeated, eyes wide. "That's all you've got to say?"
"Well, what did you want me to do? It's relaxing. Besides, those flowers needed attention."
He'd spent that time killing off pests and annoying microbes trying to mess up his garden.
Silence returned to the room. Sona looked at him like she was seriously considering hitting him with a book. At last, she let out another sigh.
"Be more careful next time, okey? It was a real hassle erasing the memories of everyone who saw you."
Seemed like devils and other supernatural beings lived in hiding within society.
Yuu nodded earnestly. "Umu. Of course, young lady. You have my word."
"I doubt it."
"..."
"So, 'Kami-sama'," Sona laced her fingers together atop her desk, speaking mockingly. "Would you like to join my Peerage? As a high-class devil, I can offer you a brand-new life full of possibilities."
"Oh?" Yuu blinked, genuinely surprised by the turn in the conversation. For a moment, he considered the offer.
Being part of a group of devils sounded fun—especially if the leader was someone this adorably serious.
"Tempting, but I'll have to pass."
"That's a shame. You've got potential—I can feel it. It'd be a waste not to make use of it."
"Potential?" Yuu smiled. If only she knew... "You're too kind, Sona-kaichou."
"In any case... if you ever change your mind—"
"You'll be the first to know," Yuu finished for her. He stood up, stretching like a lazy cat. "Well, it's been a pleasure having tea with you ladies. It was delicious."
Before leaving, he turned to Tsubaki. "You sure you don't want to be my tea buddy?"
Tsubaki coughed discreetly. "Maybe another time, Izumi-kun."
"Can I at least come by tomorrow for more tea? I really like your tea, Tsubaki."
The vice president blushed slightly, while Sona's lips twitched. She looked like she was restraining the urge to kick him out herself.
"Do whatever you want."
"Excellent!" Yuu beamed. "I guess it's time for class. Wouldn't want to make a bad impression on my first day… though I'm probably way past that point already."
As he headed for the door, Sona's voice stopped him.
"Izumi-kun."
"Yes?"
"Please don't cause trouble in my academy."
She said it earnestly—almost pleading.
"Hm? Why would I?" Yuu tilted his head, looking genuinely confused. "I'm a very chill and friendly guy~"
"…"
Both girls stared at him with dark expressions.
He walked to the door, hand on the knob, but paused. Without turning back, he added:
"Oh, by the way, Sona—you should keep those kinds of books better hidden. Next time, you might not be so lucky with who finds them."
"GET OUT!"
The door slammed behind him.
×××
In the silence that followed, Tsubaki walked up to Sona's desk.
"Are you sure it's okay to just let him go like that?"
Sona took off her glasses and began cleaning them meticulously with a handkerchief. "For now, yes. He doesn't seem dangerous. At least, that's the impression I get."
"And what about that 'God' thing?"
"He's obviously messing with us." Sona slid her glasses back on. "Don't tell me you actually believed him?"
What kind of god would come to a high school?
"Huh? No way that's real." Tsubaki chuckled lightly, brushing off the idea.
×××
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