[Ryusei's POV]
The morning sun leaked through the blinds. I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I pulled on my uniform pants, half-asleep and definitely not in the mood for school.
Buzz buzz.
My phone lit up on the nightstand. I glanced at it, expecting Todo to have sent some dumb meme or Kenta asking if we could meet up sometime.
But no—it was from Aika.
[Aika: Still up for that date, cutie? I'm free after school.]
I blinked. Stared at the screen for a second.
A date… Right. She did ask. I didn't think she'd follow up.
I cracked a small smile, brushing a bit of my two-tone hair behind my ear.
'You know what… yeah.'
I typed back a quick reply:
[Ryusei: Sure. Meet me by the school gate after class.]
Just as I locked my phone screen, it buzzed again—this time with a notification from the new group chat Todo made last night. He called it:
"Dungeon Bros + 1"
Real creative.
I opened it and scrolled up.
[Kenta: Hey, uh… I was wondering if maybe we could meet up sometime this week? Not for anything crazy, just… y'know, hang out or something.]
A second later:
[Todo: Can't. Got a training session all week with my gramps. Dude's making me spar blindfolded again.]
[Todo: I might die.]
I snorted a little, then started typing.
[Ryusei: I'm down. Just text me when and where.]
[Kenta: Really? Great! I'll figure something out!]
Ryusei slung her bag over her shoulder, adjusting her hoodie as she stepped out the front door, wind hitting her face.
Another day at Kuoh Academy—not that anything about Ryusei's days ever felt normal anymore.
As she turned the corner of her block, a familiar voice called out behind her.
"Ryusei!"
She looked back just in time to see Issei Hyoudou jogging up to her, beaming with excitement. He nearly tripped over his own feet, but somehow managed to keep his balance.
"Guess what!" he grinned, then held out his arm. A red gauntlet formed around his right hand, glowing faintly with energy.
"Ta-da! My Sacred Gear!"
Ryusei raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but slightly amused. "I see you were practicing yesterday while I was gone."
"Yup!" Issei puffed up proudly. "Rias helped me out after you left. We did some training, and she explained what this thing is and how it works. Pretty cool, right?"
Ryusei gave a small nod, slipping her hands into her pockets.
As Ryusei walked through the school gates, a loud voice rang out across the courtyard.
"BEST BUDDY!"
Everyone turned their heads, their eyes locking on the source of the enthusiastic shout. Ryusei's eyes narrowed, a little confused, but before she could process what was happening, she felt a sudden rush of movement.
She spun around, and there he was—Todo—charging at her full speed in the Kouh Academy school uniform, a big grin on his face. His arms were wide, ready to either tackle her or scoop her up in a hug...
She wasn't sure which.
"BROTHA!!" Todo yelled, the word ringing out as he closed the distance.
Ryusei stared, completely caught off guard. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief.
Without waiting for a response, Todo lunged at her with a speed that could've rivaled an anime character. "What do you mean what the hell? I'm here to hang out with my new best friend!"
He reached her in an instant, grabbing her around the shoulders and spinning her around in an exaggerated hug.
Issei, who had been walking beside Ryusei, stared at the scene with wide eyes. "W-Wait! You two know each other?" he asked, voice laced with confusion.
"Of course we do, man!" Todo called out, not releasing Ryusei from his bear hug. "We're brothers now!"
Ryusei, feeling herself suffocating a bit under Todo's enthusiastic grip, let out a sigh. "We met like, one day ago. Chill."
Issei blinked a couple of times, still processing everything. "But… best buds already?"
Issei's face fell as he processed Todo's enthusiastic greeting. He shuffled his feet, hands in his pockets, trying to hide his growing sulk. He was trying to keep his cool, but the reality of the situation seemed to sting a little more than he expected.
"Guess I'm not as special, huh?" Issei muttered under his breath, his voice lower than usual. He glanced sideways at Ryusei, eyes flicking between her and Todo.
Ryusei, noticing the sudden shift in Issei's mood, raised an eyebrow. "Hey, what's with the sulking?" She turned toward him, tilting her head slightly. "You're not jealous, are you?"
Issei quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "N-no, I'm not jealous!" He cleared his throat, trying to force a smile. "It's just… you two hit it off super fast, huh?"
Ryusei chuckled softly, crossing her arms. "Hey, don't be like that. You and I've got our own thing, alright?" She shot Todo a sideways glance. "But yeah, I guess this guy is just really… intense."
Todo threw his arms up dramatically. "It's a bond, man! Can't help it!"
Issei let out a small huff, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I guess I can't compete with that… intensity."
Ryusei sighed again, this time with a bit more emphasis, as she attempted to wriggle out of Todo's bear hug. "Seriously, Todo. You're killing me here."
He just grinned wider, holding her a bit tighter. "Can't help it. You're my brother now! Gotta make it official!"
Ryusei sighed heavily as she tried to wriggle free from Todo's suffocating hug.
"Okay, okay, seriously—personal space, man," she muttered, prying at his arm.
Just as Todo reluctantly loosened his grip, a familiar voice chimed in from nearby.
"Well, well, Ryusei. Making friends fast, huh?"
Ryusei turned her head to see Aika Kiryuu strolling up to them with her signature smirk. Her sharp eyes took in Todo's ridiculous clinginess, Ryusei's deadpan expression, and Issei sulking in the background.
"Oh, hey," Ryusei greeted casually, brushing off her hoodie and stepping back a little.
"Kiryuu…" Issei mumbled, still slightly grumpy.
Aika grinned wickedly. "Still single, Hyoudou?"
"W-what does that have to do with anything!?" Issei groaned.
"Just checking," Aika teased, her voice laced with amusement. "I mean, Ryusei's out here collecting girls like Pokémon and you're still stuck in your harem dreams."
Issei slumped. "That's just cruel..."
Todo turned to Aika with curiosity, then gave her a confident grin and a thumbs-up. "You've got great vibes! I'm Aoi Todo—Ryusei's best bud, partner in crime, and spiritual sibling! Pleased to meet you!"
Aika raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You're loud."
"I get that a lot."
"And this whole 'brother' thing with Ryusei?"
"Bound by fate!" Todo declared with full sincerity.
Aika looked at Ryusei, then at Todo again. "You really know how to pick 'em, huh?"
Ryusei just let out another sigh. "Please don't encourage him."
Aika leaned in casually, her hands in her skirt pockets, and gave Ryusei a sly smirk. "So, our date still on for today, cutie?"
Ryusei nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah. I haven't forgotten."
"Good." Without another word, Aika leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Ryusei's cheek before spinning on her heel and walking off.
Issei visibly deflated. "Ugh! When can I finally start my harem!?" he whined, clutching at his chest dramatically.
Todo blinked. "...Wait, you're trying to build a harem?"
"I've been trying for years, man!"
Ryusei rolled her eyes. "Maybe stop being so desperate and the universe will cut you a break."
{Student Council room}
"So…" Sona began with a raised brow, "she's the one you had me excuse from classes yesterday… just so she could sleep on your lap?"
Rias didn't look away, but a soft smile curved her lips. "She was tired," she said simply.
"You have a type, don't you?" Sona remarked dryly, adjusting her glasses as she glanced over at Rias.
Rias didn't respond immediately—her gaze remained fixed on Ryusei down below, a rare softness in her usually sharp eyes.
Sona sighed. "Let me guess. Strong, mysterious, rebellious… emotionally unavailable?"
Rias smiled faintly but didn't look away. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Sona rolled her eyes. "It is when you're Rias Gremory and the last person you were supposed to fall for is a human."
Still ignoring the comment, Rias rested her chin in her palm and sighed wistfully. "Why couldn't I have been engaged to someone like her instead of that overcooked bird, Riser Phenex…"
Rias continued to stare at Ryusei, her lips curling into a faint smile. "She even was able to copy my power of destruction... something I've been training for years to perfect. And she did it so naturally." There was a deep admiration in her tone, something Rias usually reserved only for those she considered formidable.
Sona crossed her arms and leaned against the table, her eyes narrowing in thought. "You're not just interested in her power, are you?"
Rias finally tore her gaze away from Ryusei, her smile fading slightly as she looked at Sona. Her eyes lowered, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
Before Sona could comment further, the door to the student council room opened.
"Looks like someone has a crush~" Akeno's sing-song voice echoed playfully as she entered the room with a sly smile. Following behind her was Tsubaki, Sona's queen, who gave a polite nod and took her place quietly by Sona's side.
Rias turned slightly away, crossing her arms and trying to keep her composure. "I don't have a crush," she muttered defensively, the blush deepening on her face.
Akeno giggled softly. "Ara, ara~ You're usually so composed, Rias. But one little blue-eyed girl has you all flustered. It's kind of cute."
Sona raised an eyebrow. "You're not denying it very well."
"I'm just... interested," Rias said quickly. "She's unique. Dangerous, even. And she's got potential I've never seen before."
Akeno leaned in with a teasing grin. "Mhm, sure, interested."
Rias rolled her eyes but didn't argue further, turning her attention back out the window. Her gaze once again landed on Ryusei, who was walking away from Todo and Issei who started arguing with one another.
"She's not like the others," Rias said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "She's special."
Behind her, the three other girls exchanged knowing glances.