By the ti they finished their little "interlude" and took a shower before leaving the hotel, it was already half past five.
Late spring hadn't quite turned to early sumr yet, so the evenings weren't as long as they would be in midsumr. Once the sun fully sank below the horizon, the sky's shades of blue grew deeper, and streetlights along both sides of the student-district road began to glow.
At that hour, even those students busy with after-school club activities were mostly ho. If the pair were to waltz in through the main gate now, they'd almost certainly be stopped and questioned by security.
But for Bokue Keikain and Rias, such a minor problem was… no problem at all.
"Hold it, you two—what's going on here? Are you Kuoh Academy students? Show your student IDs!"
"Hmm… second-year, third-year, right? Showing up so late—where were you?"
❁❁❁❁
"Sign your nas on this form, and you can go in."
At the gatehouse, Bokue accepted the form from the guard and scribbled his na. He handed it back and turned to the redheaded girl at his side, shrugging.
"All right, let's go."
"Mm."
No more words were exchanged. With her fingers laced behind her back in a girlish posture, Rias nodded gently and walked in with Bokue.
They proceeded about ten ters. After passing the big Kuoh Academy stone monunt near the entrance, Rias—who had been maintaining a dignified aura—leaned closer, nudging the boy's arm with her shoulder.
"Bokue, help support a bit."
"Oh…"
Of course he wouldn't refuse such a small request. He took hold of Rias's offered hand. Their fingers entwined, causing her already soft, affectionate features to redden a little more.
"You know, if you're that worn out, you could just use a magic circle to teleport," Bokue remarked with mild exasperation.
Though Rias, as an High-class devil, had strong vitality and recovered quickly—even from a certain "first-ti experience"—it wasn't like she could bounce back from that kind of physical exhaustion as fast as he could.
Bokue was practically an infinite endurance "War God," a perfect hexagonal stat monster. There was no comparing the two.
She was obviously so tired her legs were wobbly, yet she still insisted on walking all the way back. Honestly…
"That won't do."
Rias pouted, accentuating her dissatisfaction, then gave his hand a firr squeeze—like she was worried he'd slip away.
"Teleportation's convenient, sure, but then we'd lose this leisurely feeling of walking back together. Or… is it that you're already sick of hanging around with ?"
She spun slightly, aiming her pale green eyes up at him.
Bokue: "…"
The conversation had shifted in the blink of an eye. One second he'd been suggesting a quick way ho for her weary self; the next she was implying he might be tired of her altogether.
"Ha, I'm just kidding!"
Seeing Bokue fall silent for a couple of seconds, Rias burst out laughing—waving one hand apologetically.
"Though, yeah, walking back is a bit of a slog right now, but I like the process. You're taking back to the old schoolhouse, and then you have to head ho, right?"
"…Ah."
Bokue blinked, acknowledging it was indeed getting late. Once he dropped Rias off, he'd have to dash back to his own house. If he got ho too late, Kuroka would undoubtedly throw a fit.
❁❁❁❁
"Oh! Actually, that reminds of sothing," Rias said, the idea sparking from her own remark. She blinked in realization, a little "ding!" mont.
"What if… Actually, Bokue, you told you live alone, right? So how about moving into the school dorm instead? Then you wouldn't have to go ho. I'm sure Akeno and Asia would be thrilled, too."
"Mm… that probably won't work."
Bokue's mouth gave a faint twitch—there was sothing intangible in his voice. Luckily, he'd already prepared the perfect excuse.
"There's a lot of stuff at my place. If I move over here, there won't be space for it all. Letting it go to waste would be a sha."
And besides, he didn't live alone. The other occupant in his house might not be a human, but if he promised Rias he'd move in, Kuroka would definitely break in to raise hell. No, thanks.
"I see… what a pity."
Without masking her look of disappointnt, Rias drew a bit closer and rested her head gently on Bokue's shoulder.
"But we could always—"
Her voice trailed off, her face carrying a slight longing. She seed to have thought of sothing.
"'We could always' what?"
Noticing her sudden silence, Bokue pressed curiously.
But she only shook her head, wearing a mysterious yet expectant smile.
"Nothing—just a minor daydream. Don't mind it."
"…Right…"
'You say that, but now I can't exactly ignore it.' Bokue sighed inwardly.
❁❁❁❁
From the main gate to the old schoolhouse, the route wasn't that long nor very short. After another few minutes, the building's silhouette ca into view, prompting them both to halt.
"I won't go in," Bokue said.
"Mm."
Rias nodded softly. They were about to part, and to say there was no reluctance would be a lie. But she'd left Akeno with a casual ntion that she was just "going out for a walk alone." Returning with Bokue would definitely raise questions.
Eventually, sure, the details about her and Bokue—and her break with the Phenex family—would all have to co out, but… not tonight.
"All right—guess this is it, then. Bokue, thanks for bringing back. See you tomorrow."
With that, Rias turned, stepping in close. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his, arms around him for two or three seconds—just long enough to be more than a peck, yet short enough not to be a drawn-out kiss. Then she pulled away, cheeks red.
"Text once you're ho safe, okay?"
She was definitely more proactive compared to before… even a tad more assertive.
"…Sure."
Right as Bokue was about to agree, Rias unexpectedly repeated her motion, this ti kissing him more passionately, speaking a bit breathlessly:
"T-this is for tonight. Since you won't be here later, I'm sort of… claiming it in advance."
A rosy flush swept her face, though she still wore that righteous-little-princess expression as she backed away.
But what she failed to notice was that, just seconds earlier, a second-floor window—presud closed—was discreetly opened from within. Soone had parted the curtains to watch.
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