Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri Spencer Sawamura could be considered a pair of sparring rivals in a certain sense. They'd argue the moment they saw each other, but because they knew each other inside and out, their relationship was actually more stable than the friendships they maintained on the surface.
"So what exactly is going on? Just tell me!"
Eriri voiced her frustration. She claimed she wasn't concerned, but it was impossible to say she was completely indifferent, otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly come over to question her.
After all, this was someone who treated her the same way after learning her true identity and background, and didn't look down on her. Eriri still valued this relationship, and at the very least, she wouldn't want to see anything happen to the other person.
Utaha Kasumigaoka was well aware of this inwardly. She let out a soft huff but began to hesitate.
A moment later, Utaha Kasumigaoka spoke slowly.
"The water in this is very deep, Sawamura-san, you had best not delve too deeply."
For other matters, Utaha Kasumigaoka wouldn't mind sharing with Eriri.
But this time, she definitely couldn't speak carelessly.
Devils and such... If she spoke about this, the blonde loser would probably treat her like an idiot, right?
Nor could Utaha Kasumigaoka openly tell others that, in a moment of impulse, she had accepted Leon's invitation and become his Servant—his subordinate—in order to escape potential future danger and out of curiosity about the supernatural world.
Wouldn't Eriri laugh herself to death?
Therefore, she had no choice but to conceal it.
But this would inevitably lead to misunderstandings.
"So, in other words, there's a hidden reason why you joined the Occult Research Club?" Eriri's expression changed, suddenly becoming serious, concealing her worry poorly as she said, "You guys weren't threatened by Eligos-senpai, were you? Or does he have some leverage over you?"
Eriri couldn't help but recall the plots in the erotic doujin comics she drew.
If three high-and-mighty beauties actually had some leverage held against them by a man and were being threatened, wouldn't all sorts of things happen?
As she thought about it, Eriri's pretty face flushed, and her delicate body couldn't help but tremble.
"...What are you getting excited about over there?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka watched Eriri with a twitching mouth and couldn't help but speak up.
"W-Who's excited?!" Eriri immediately retorted, though her voice had become much quieter. She cleared her throat and said, "I just suddenly got some inspiration. I really want to hurry up and draw..."
Utaha Kasumigaoka fell silent, then took a step back, her gaze at Eriri turning as if she were looking at something dirty.
"Eriri Spencer Sawamura, I must warn you: if you dare to draw me as material for your mental fantasies, don't blame me for locking you up and washing you with water for three days and three nights to flush out the filth in your mind."
For the current Utaha Kasumigaoka, this was no mere verbal threat but something she was actually capable of doing.
If Eriri truly dared to do it, she would definitely throw her into a barrier she created and really wash her with water for three days and three nights.
"How could I do something like that?" Eriri looked a little guilty and quickly changed the subject, saying, "I just didn't expect that Eligos-senpai would be that kind of person. I really misjudged him."
Hearing Eriri say this, Utaha Kasumigaoka also recalled something.
"Speaking of which, on the 'Most Desired Date' ranking list formulated by the girls, you cast your vote for the Devil-kun... our Club President, didn't you?" Utaha Kasumigaoka gave Eriri a look full of meaning. "Do you actually like him?"
Eriri immediately frowned and denied it without thinking.
"How could I? I only voted for him to maintain social relations!"
The world of girls is very complicated, and even minor incidents can cause dramatic shifts in one's social circle.
Especially taste; if a girl's taste is questioned by others, her status in the female group will immediately plummet.
Take Eriri, for example: if she exposed the fact that she was an otaku, the girls who always flocked around her would immediately distance themselves, or else they would certainly be neglected by others and have their taste questioned.
Therefore, when girls unanimously agree that something is good, it's best not to sing a different tune or do something unconventional. Otherwise, others might secretly mock you behind your back, making the other girls who don't think you have a problem afraid to approach you, gradually leading to isolation.
Eriri voted for Leon for this reason—not because she liked Leon so much, but because she felt that only by doing so would she appear particularly normal within the female group.
Of course, she didn't deny Leon's excellence. His appearance was outstanding, his demeanor was refined, and his background was especially mysterious. These were all points that attracted girls and piqued their curiosity. On top of that, he could joke around with you every day with a bright smile, like a cheerful, sunny big boy. Any normal girl would have a good impression of him, or at the very least, would not feel any malice toward him.
Eriri fell into this category. While she didn't exactly have a good impression of Leon, she didn't feel any malice, so voting for him wasn't going against her conscience.
At least, she had absolutely no desire to vote for any other boy.
In her opinion, most of the boys in the school were extremely childish and embarrassing. Compared to them, Leon was quite decent.
But this didn't mean that Eriri liked Leon; at best, she merely didn't dislike him.
"Didn't you also vote for him? And I remember you've cast a vote for him three times already, haven't you?"
Eriri counter-attacked.
This ranking list created by the girls is updated once a year. Voting to elect the most popular boy starts shortly after the start of the school year.
Eriri is a second-year student, so she has only voted twice. The first time she voted for Hayato Hayama, who gained immense popularity right after entering the same grade, and the second time she voted for Leon, who was in a higher grade.
Utaha Kasumigaoka was different. She was a third-year, and she had voted three times in total, all for Leon, indicating that she had a good impression of him even in her first year, and that impression had lasted until her third year.
If she were to be manipulated and threatened by him because he had leverage over her, wouldn't that be no less than a betrayal?
Thinking of this, Eriri started worrying again.
"Alright, stop overthinking. I neither have leverage held against me nor am I being threatened. I've only become a common interest partner with them." Utaha Kasumigaoka saw Eriri entering her delusional state again, gently pressed her slender fingers against her forehead, and quickly interrupted her, saying straightforwardly, "I can't tell you the specifics, as it involves other people's privacy."
"You can imagine it as our current relationship; you also wouldn't want outsiders to know, would you?"
Hearing Utaha Kasumigaoka say this, Eriri suddenly understood.
She and Utaha Kasumigaoka had a working and artistic collaboration relationship behind the scenes. Could the members of the Occult Research Club have a similar relationship?
Did they want to cooperate on something for some reason, which is why they established a club and support each other?
That would be fine, as long as it wasn't anything bad.
"Since that's the case, I won't worry unnecessarily."
Eriri readily gave up on pursuing the matter further.
Although she was somewhat curious, she wasn't the type to pry into other people's privacy. As long as she confirmed that Utaha Kasumigaoka wasn't being wronged, she didn't care about the Occult Research Club.
She just wondered what kind of matter could bring together the famously prominent figures of Sobu High School.
Three of the five high-and-mighty beauties had joined this club, with only her and the first-year junior, Mahiru Shiina, remaining outside. It was a bit intriguing...
"Are you feeling a bit bothered because we all joined the Occult Research Club and you weren't invited?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka suddenly said this, exposing Eriri's thoughts.
"Who's bothered?" Eriri certainly wouldn't admit it. She lifted her head and said with a tsundere expression, "I am the ace of the Art Club; I wouldn't join some Occult Research Club. Your Club President had the self-awareness not to invite me."
"Besides, I'm not the only one who wasn't invited. Didn't Shiina-kouhai from the first year also not receive an invitation?"
"We are the clear-headed high-and-mighty beauties! Unlike the three of you who were misled!"
Eriri, speaking these words, did not know how much pride she had now, would lead to how much of a loser she would be in the future.
Crackle...
Suddenly, it began to rain outside, making the water patter against the windows, wetting the buildings and the ground.
"Hmm?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka, who was talking with Eriri, inadvertently glanced out the window and was suddenly startled.
She saw a familiar figure.
At the same time, in the Occult Research Club's activity room, Leon was also looking out the window and saw that figure.
"Is that...?"
Leon clearly saw the full appearance of the figure and raised an eyebrow slightly.
The figure walked out of the school building, appearing particularly lonely.
The rain poured down, and everyone else quickly ran into the school building upon seeing the situation, but that person walked leisurely in the rain without even opening an umbrella, letting themselves get soaked.
Currently, Leon was the only one in the Occult Research Club's activity room; everyone else hadn't arrived yet.
Class 2-J, where Yukino Yukinoshita and Yuuki Asuna were, seemed to be running overtime and was still having class. Utaha Kasumigaoka, after class, had gone to deal with the literary societies and hadn't come over yet; he didn't know where she was.
Seeing this, Leon suddenly smiled and took out his phone.
"The three of you should go home first later. I have something to take care of, so don't wait for me."
After leaving a message for his three Servants, Leon directly opened the activity room window, stepped onto the window sill, and leaped out.
In an instant, Leon's figure disappeared, and the other figure had also just left the school gate, vanishing into the rain...
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