Before long, Gabriel and Vignette came back carrying two big bags of snacks.
Hayashi Maki smiled and thanked them. "Thanks, Gabriel, and you too, Vignette. As payment for your hard work, pick whatever you like first—don't be shy."
"Then I won't be!" Gabriel grinned, and the two of them chose their favorites.
Gabriel naturally handed out the rest to the classmates who'd studied together with them in English.
Of course, Hayashi Maki didn't forget his angel Mahiru and her friends either.
Wherever you are, generous people tend to be popular—especially with pretty girls.
That said, you can't treat people all the time, or you're just being a fool with money.
His main goal was still to find excuses to send Gabriel on errands. If she turned into a "lazy angel" later, he wouldn't get the chance anymore.
Hmm, he'd need another plan.
Like tempting her with food when she blows all her money on gacha and has nothing left for meals!
Before he knew it, the last period—math—was over.
The teacher even assigned homework before the bell.
After class came the best part: club activities.
Hikigaya Hachiman, a proud member of the "Go-Home Club," shuffled off campus with those famous dead-fish eyes the moment the bell rang.
Hayama Hayato, on the other hand, was the quintessential normie; as a star of the soccer club, he trained every day.
Hayato's father is the adviser lawyer for the Yukinoshita Sisters' Father, so Hayato has ties with the Yukinoshitas—basically childhood-friend status.
By rights, following his father into law would be best for him; with that path paved, he'd be in line for serious work as a lawyer.
But Hayato joined the soccer club and trains hard every day.
Hayashi Maki couldn't figure out why Hayato thinks that'll help him catch up to Yukinoshita Haruno.
As a lawyer, he'd have no way to talk to Haruno as an equal, much less pursue her.
And being a soccer player—would that win Haruno's favor?
Obviously not.
So Hayashi Maki guessed Hayato just wants to show off and maintain his sunny "nice guy" image as a soccer ace.
On one hand, it keeps him fit and ahead of the classmates destined to become corporate drones.
On the other, athletic guys are always popular—so long as they're easy on the eyes, lovestruck girls will stop and stare.
Maybe Hayato enjoys those admiring looks?
Being the center of attention feels pretty great.
Too bad he's destined to never catch up to Haruno.
Because tonight Haruno will be lying in Hayashi Maki's arms.
Anyway—that's for later.
Back to the point.
As club president, Hayashi Maki naturally had to lead his members to their activity.
He decided to skip his part-time job today, called Saionji Youko to let her know, then took Kato Megumi, Shiina Mahiru, and Nibutani Shinka to his place for the club meeting.
Oh, and Gabriel came too—she lives upstairs, so it was on the way.
After greeting them, Gabriel went back to her own room.
She set her schoolbag on a chair and let out a sigh.
"Human life isn't easy. Just classes and homework eat up most of the day. The only real time to enjoy yourself is probably at night, after you get home."
"How exactly am I supposed to make all humans happy? I've got no clue. Looks like I've got a lot to learn in this earthly trial as an angel."
She also took Hayashi Maki's words to heart.
Angels have excellent hearing; with a touch of divine power, they can catch sounds from farther away.
Maki had said that to make people happy, you first have to understand what happiness is.
So she'd have to gain "happiness" herself first, then, with that feeling, figure out better ways to make everyone happy.
Practice is the only test of truth!
"But what counts as happiness? Does the satisfaction of helping others count?"
Gabriel lay on her bed and started pondering life.
She'd grown up in Heaven, under the radiance of her elder sister, the archangel Zelel, and became the selfless, helpful, model angel she is now because of that influence.
Add the Angel Academy's education—teaching young angels to spread love and goodness, make the world more peaceful, and fill people with happiness.
By that standard, every angel is synonymous with truth, goodness, and beauty.
Especially those who graduate from the academy and earn the right to undergo trials on Earth—they're the cream of the crop.
Gabriel couldn't think of any other way to make herself happy, so she decided to keep dedicating herself selflessly, to be an angel who brings ease and joy to those around her.
As for the rest—she'd think about it later.
Oh, right!
During class today she saw Hayashi Maki take out something called a computer, and also a mobile phone—handy for keeping in touch.
How could an angel on an earthly trial not even have tools to contact friends?
Thinking about how Heaven still uses old-school landlines and, at best, clunky brick phones, Gabriel couldn't help pouting.
"I'll buy them tomorrow! I need both a phone and a computer!"
And just like that, the cute angel took her first step toward degeneration.
At the same time, the other angels and demon girls also started thinking about buying phones.
After all, when you're chatting and someone asks for your number, and you say you don't have a phone—that's embarrassing, right?
Plus, smartphones are a brilliant invention and incredibly convenient.
Heaven regularly reviews angels' trial progress and then sends a monthly living stipend and pocket money—enough to buy a phone and a computer.
The Demon Realm works differently from angels' fixed monthly transfers.
Demons get evaluated based on their behavior on Earth; as long as it fits demon-like conduct, their score goes up, and with it their monthly allowance.
Do well and you even get bonuses.
As for what counts as suitably demonic behavior—just look at Satania.
Such "wholesome underworld values": kid-level pranks and the occasional chunni proclamation are enough to earn her pocket money. Pretty sweet deal.
That system is tailor-made for a lovable dummy like Satania.
Vignette, though, would soon have a headache. She's an angel in demon's clothing—"truth, goodness, and beauty" could be her biography.
If she keeps doing good deeds, her allowance next month will probably be a big fat zero.
So Vignette will likely end up being a demon who has to get a part-time job on Earth.
…
Back to Hayashi Maki.
He invited the three beautiful club members into his room and pulled a cardboard box from under the bed.
Inside were his collection of light novels and manga, plus some anime.
"Alright, enjoy my collection. If you join my club, you've gotta get familiar with this stuff."
Shiina Mahiru looked at him with gentle fondness; whatever Hayashi Maki did, she'd choose to support him.
Kato Megumi calmly picked up a manga and started reading with interest.
She didn't have anywhere else to be that afternoon anyway. If she wasn't going to her part-time job, anywhere was fine for killing time.
If she went home, her relatives would rope her into babysitting. Better to read manga here.
She does like kids and has patience, but she's a high schooler—she doesn't want to babysit every day.
Like a nanny. For free.
The more she thought about it, the more ripped off she felt.
Nibutani Shinka was a bit shocked by Hayashi Maki's boldness.
Don't most otaku feel embarrassed about exposing their love of otaku culture?
Aren't they afraid pretty girls will see their stash of lewd manga and look down on them?
Grumbling inwardly, Shinka worked hard to stay in character as a club member and pretended to be very into the manga.
She picked one up too—but kept sneaking glances under Hayashi Maki's bed.
Kato had said Hayashi Maki had printed out all of "Mori Summer's" chūnibyō-era posts from the internet and bound them into a book.
That book was in this very room.
Which raises the real question: how do I find that book… and destroy the evidence of my chūnibyō black history?
~~~
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