Utaha and Eriri were classic frenemies—the type who argued the moment they met, yet had a strangely solid bond precisely because they knew each other too well.
"So what's going on? Hurry up and explain!"
Eriri sounded irritated. She claimed she didn't care, but if she truly didn't, she wouldn't have sneaked over here to interrogate Utaha.
After all, Utaha was one of the few people who knew her true identity and still treated her the same, without looking down on her. Eriri valued that more than she'd ever admit. She didn't want something bad happening to someone she actually trusted.
Utaha understood that. She gave a small hum, hesitated, then finally spoke.
"It's complicated. You'd better not dig too deep, Sawamura."
If it were anything else, she wouldn't mind sharing it with Eriri.
But this?
No way.
Devils? Servants? Contracting herself to Leo out of curiosity and survival instincts?
If she actually said that out loud, this blonde mutt would laugh her to death.
There was no way she could admit she impulsively accepted Leo's invitation because she feared future danger and wanted to explore the supernatural. Becoming someone's servant wasn't exactly something she could brag about.
So she had to keep quiet.
But silence invited misunderstanding.
"So you do have some secret reason for joining the Department of Mystical Affairs?" Eriri's expression changed immediately, worry creeping into her voice. "Don't tell me Eligos-senpai threatened you? Or is he holding something over you?"
Her mind instantly jumped to the kinds of plots from the ecchi doujin she drew.
Three school goddesses, all blackmailed by a man? Forced into questionable situations?
The longer she thought, the redder her face got, until her whole body trembled.
"…Why are you getting excited?"
Utaha stared at her, twitching.
"W-Who's excited?!" Eriri snapped back, but her voice weakened. She coughed and muttered, "I just suddenly got some inspiration. I kind of want to draw…"
Utaha took one silent step back and looked at her like she was dirty.
"Sawamura Spencer Eriri, let me warn you. If you dare use me as inspiration for whatever filthy fantasies are in your head, I'll lock you up and wash your brain out for three days straight."
This was not an empty threat.
If Eriri really did it, Utaha would absolutely throw her into one of her barriers and blast her with water for seventy-two hours.
"As if I'd do something like that!" Eriri said, clearly flustered. She hurried to change the subject. "I just didn't expect Eligos-senpai to be that kind of person. Totally misjudged him."
That reminded Utaha of something as well.
"Speaking of which, in the girls' 'Most Wanted Boyfriend Ranking,' you voted for him, didn't you?" Utaha shot her a meaningful look. "Don't tell me you actually like him?"
Eriri's brows knitted instantly. She didn't even think before denying it.
"Impossible. I only voted for him for the sake of social survival."
Girls' social dynamics were complicated. Even small choices could affect how others viewed you.
Especially taste.
If a girl's taste got questioned, her standing among the other girls plummeted.
Take Eriri—if her otaku side were exposed, the girls who always flocked around her would flee instantly. Otherwise they'd be accused of having "bad taste" too.
So when all the girls agreed someone was hot, you'd better not disagree. Being contrarian just gave them an excuse to mock you, making even supportive girls avoid you to protect themselves.
That was the only reason Eriri voted for Leo. Not because she liked him, but because it looked normal.
Of course, she didn't deny Leo's appeal. He was handsome, charming, mysterious, and always smiling warmly like some sunshine-type boy. Any normal girl would feel at least a little drawn to him—or at least not repulsed.
Eriri fell into that category: no romantic interest, but no disgust either. Voting for him wasn't exactly painful.
She definitely had zero desire to vote for any of the other guys at school.
To her, most of the boys were childish and embarrassing. In comparison, Leo was worlds better.
But that didn't mean she liked him. At best, she simply didn't dislike him.
"You voted for him too, didn't you? And if I remember right, you voted all three years."
Eriri shot back.
The ranking was held once a year. Each girl could vote once per year.
Eriri voted twice: first for Hayama Hayato when they both entered school, then for Leo the next year.
Utaha, a third-year, had voted three times—and all three had been for Leo. Meaning she'd already favored him back in first year, and that impression had lasted until now.
If Leo used that as blackmail, it would feel like a betrayal.
The thought made Eriri anxious again.
"Enough. Stop overthinking. I'm not being blackmailed or threatened. We just formed a mutually beneficial partnership." Utaha cut her off before she spiraled further. "I can't tell you the details. It involves other people's privacy."
"Just think of it like our relationship. You don't want anyone else to know about it either, right?"
Eriri froze—then suddenly understood.
She and Utaha collaborated privately on novels and illustrations. Was the Department of Mystical Affairs like that too?
A private cooperative project?
That wasn't too suspicious. As long as it wasn't something bad.
"Fine. I won't pry anymore."
Eriri let it go just like that.
She was curious, but she wasn't the type to dig into someone's secrets. As long as Utaha wasn't being mistreated, she didn't care what the department was doing.
Though she was curious what kind of thing could bring together all the top figures of Sobu High.
Of the five "Flowers of Sobu High," three had joined the club—only she and first-year Mahiru Shiina were left out. Hard not to wonder…
"Are you bothered that we all joined and you weren't invited?" Utaha suddenly asked, poking right through her thoughts.
"Who's bothered?!" Eriri immediately denied it, lifting her chin proudly. "I'm the art club's ace. Why would I join some supernatural department? Your president clearly knew better than to invite me."
"And I'm not the only one not invited. That first-year Shiina girl didn't get invited either."
"We're the ones who stayed rational. Unlike you three who got brainwashed."
Eriri had no idea that the more arrogant she sounded now, the more like a future defeated dog she looked.
"Splash…"
Rain began pouring outside, pelting the windows and soaking the school grounds.
"Hm?"
As Utaha chatted with Eriri, her gaze drifted outside—and she froze.
She saw a familiar silhouette.
...
At the same moment, in the Department of Mystical Affairs' clubroom, Leo was also staring out the window—and spotted the same figure.
"That is…?"
He saw the silhouette clearly and raised an eyebrow.
The figure walked out of the school building alone.
Rain hammered down harder. Most students rushed inside to avoid getting drenched. But that person walked slowly through the storm without even opening an umbrella, letting the rain soak them completely.
Right now, Leo was alone in the clubroom. The others hadn't arrived yet.
Yukino and Asuna's class seemed to have a long homeroom—they were still in the middle of dismissal. Utaha had gone off to deal with the literature clubs and hadn't returned yet.
Seeing that figure in the rain, Leo smiled faintly and pulled out his phone.
"Head home without me later. I've got something to deal with."
After sending the message to his three servants, Leo opened the window. He stepped onto the ledge and leapt out.
His figure vanished into the rain just as the silhouette passed through the school gate and disappeared into the downpour…
====
You can read up to chapter 112 on patreon.com/NiaXD.