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Who could possibly say no to a super cute, totally defenseless blonde girl?
Especially when that girl is as sweet and angelic as Mahiru Shiina!
Andrew had absolutely zero resistance to her.
He held Mahiru tightly in his arms, savoring the warmth of her lips and the soft, tender sensation of her touch. His heart was filled with joy.
It took him a while before he reluctantly pulled back, his eyes burning as he stared at the girl in his arms.
"Why didn't you push me away? I'm greedy, you know. I might turn into a total bad guy."
Mahiru's face turned bright red. Her heart was pounding even faster after hearing that.
She avoided his eyes, lowered her head, and pressed her cheek against his chest as she whispered,"I don't know… I really don't know…"Then she mumbled a small protest, "And… you're not a bad guy."
Andrew let out a deep breath, a helpless expression on his face.
"Sigh, you're making it hard for me. If you trust me that much, I'd feel bad for teasing you more."
Mahiru wrapped her arms around his waist, quietly soaking in the warmth of his body.
Sitting on his lap, her heart racing, she felt a strange sense of safety.
Back when she thought her family had abandoned her, when it felt like the world had turned its back on her and her dreams had crumbled, this guy had barged into her life and given her a kind of warmth she had never felt before.
Mahiru knew she was being kind of shameless right now—she felt like a girl with no self-respect.
But… she needed that warmth.
Andrew sighed again, leaned down, and kissed her gently. He spoke softly:
"I don't know what you've been through, but just know… my arms will always be open for you."
"Mahiru, I'll wait until you're ready to tell me… about why you were out in the rain like that."
Hearing that, Mahiru's body trembled slightly.
She looked up and stared at him for a moment, then gave him a sweet smile.
"Okay."
She nodded softly, not saying when she'd tell him, just that she would.
After enjoying his warm embrace a bit longer, Mahiru gave him a small push.
"If we don't leave now, we're gonna be late."
Andrew had no choice but to let her go.
When she went to wash the dishes, he stepped in to help—but Mahiru immediately shooed him away.
Housework was her thing. No way was she letting him steal that from her.
About ten minutes later, Mahiru put on her school uniform and left for school with Andrew.
As usual, they entered the classroom one after the other.
Mahiru was just way too popular at school.
Just like she'd said before—last year, a pop idol was spotted by a fan with her child, and that fan stabbed her on the spot.
Mahiru was basically treated like an angel—honestly, not much different from an idol.
People admired her for being pure, flawless, and radiant. But if a girl like that got a boyfriend, her glow would instantly fade in their eyes.
And some of the jealous types might even do something reckless.
Right now, Andrew's powers weren't strong enough. He still couldn't awaken Mahiru's potential as his familiar.
So keeping his distance at school wasn't just about protecting her image—it was also about protecting her.
Of course, keeping distance didn't mean completely ignoring her.
He could still act like a normal friend.
And when no one else was around?
Yeah—he'd hug her, kiss her, do whatever he wanted. No need to be polite then.
As he got more familiars, his demonic powers would keep unlocking and growing stronger.
And his familiars would start awakening their own unique demonic abilities too.
It would take time, sure. But the closeness between Andrew and Mahiru could actually speed things up.
Why, you ask?
Well, kissing… is basically how the magic channel is established.
So that morning, he could literally feel some of his energy flowing naturally into her, subtly strengthening her body.
…
"Shiina-san, you seem super happy today! Something good happen?"
Yui Yuigahama greeted her excitedly, chattering nonstop as she hovered around Mahiru.
Mahiru smiled and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."
She felt like she had a lot in common with Yui.
They were both the type who were good at lightening the mood and keeping the energy up.
But they were also very different.
Mahiru always kept a certain distance from everyone. She came off as elegant, radiant, and untouchable.
Yui, on the other hand, tried way too hard to please people. Whatever others said, she'd just go along with it, whether she agreed or not.
That kind of behavior might help keep things lively… but it also hurt her. It made it hard for her to express how she truly felt.
Yui knew this about herself.
But for now, she didn't know how to change it.
She thought Shiina was just… too dazzling. So graceful. She felt like a noble lady or something.
The way Mahiru stayed calm and composed even when dealing with someone like Yumiko was something Yui could never pull off.
So, deep down, Yui was trying to learn from Mahiru.
Back at her seat, Mahiru glanced instinctively in Andrew's direction—and her heart skipped a beat.
Even though they'd only been apart a short while…
His gentle, passionate kiss still lingered vividly in her mind.
She touched her lips, turned her head away, and couldn't help but smile sweetly.
Maybe… she could start looking forward to the future?
That little gesture didn't go unnoticed by Yumiko Miura—who suddenly tensed up.
Yumiko had always admired the bright and sunny Hayama Hayato. They'd known each other since middle school and even became friends.
But now Mahiru Shiina, who was even more dazzling and popular than her, was looking at Hayato?
Yumiko was hit with a wave of panic.
Yeah—Hayato Hayama just happened to be sitting next to Andrew.
So Yumiko mistakenly assumed Mahiru had been looking at him.
"..."
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