"Huh?"
The sudden change made Utaha freeze on the spot.
She reacted on instinct and tossed the parchment in her hand—but instead of falling, it hung suspended in midair. The simple magic circle drawn on it peeled itself off the surface, expanding rapidly. It slid downward like a scanner, and within it, a figure materialized from head to toe.
It was Leo, who had been about to take a shower—he had even taken off his clothes—but the moment he sensed the summoning, he threw them back on and jumped through the magic circle.
He lifted his eyes and saw Utaha standing there in a daze, completely frozen. The smile that had just begun forming on his face froze as well.
The two of them stared at each other in silence.
After a long moment, Leo finally broke it.
"Good evening, senpai." His tone was oddly calm. "I'm happy you finally summoned me, but you really didn't have to give me a benefit this big, you know?"
His words snapped Utaha out of her stunned haze, and she immediately remembered her current situation.
Right—she had just finished showering, and the only thing on her body was a towel.
"!!!"
Utaha jerked upright, hugged herself, snatched up the nearest pillow, and hurled it straight at Leo.
Unfortunately, the soft, pathetic attack only made Leo tilt his head aside as it whooshed past him.
"Bang!"
A moment later, the sound of the door slamming echoed through the room. Utaha had already bolted outside.
"Take care."
Leo waved after her with a smile.
He looked like he was begging to be punched.
......
Half an hour later, Utaha returned to her room.
She stared darkly at Leo, who was sitting comfortably on her bed, flipping through a light novel he'd taken from her shelf like he owned the place. He looked so relaxed, so invested, that Utaha's glare was sharp enough to kill.
"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
Utaha spoke through gritted teeth, barely restraining the urge to rush over and beat that annoyingly handsome face into the floor.
Leo finally lifted his eyes from the book and glanced at her. That was when he noticed what she was wearing—casual loungewear, simple and clean. A thin shirt on top, shorts on the bottom, and her pale legs bare and practically glowing. Leo clicked his tongue appreciatively.
"Shouldn't you be the one explaining things, senpai?" Leo replied with mock seriousness. "Summoning me while you're in that kind of state… I honestly thought my kind-hearted senpai was rewarding her well-behaved underclassman for being such a good boy."
Utaha really did want to hit him.
"How was I supposed to know that thing could actually summon you?!" Utaha snapped, her voice rising. "And you are not my underclassman, and you are definitely not well-behaved! That word will never apply to you!"
If she didn't have so many questions, she would've kicked him out already.
"That's harsh, Kasumigaoka-san." Leo let out a dramatic sigh. "If I weren't well-behaved, why would I obediently read all those syrupy drafts you keep sending me every night? They're so sweet I'm surprised my teeth haven't fallen out."
Utaha's fist clenched.
"They. Are. Not. Drafts."
The way she bit out each word made it obvious she was at her limit.
Leo knew if he pushed any further, she really would explode.
So he backed off. He closed the book in his hands and smiled at her.
"Well, anyway, you finally used that devil flyer. I'd say that makes the wait worth it." He stretched lazily. "Since you're my precious contractor, go ahead and ask whatever you want. I'll answer everything."
Hearing that, Utaha's anger settled slightly. She fell quiet.
After a long silence, her calm voice finally returned.
"So you really are a devil? You're not joking?"
She looked at him with a mix of disbelief and caution.
Leo didn't bother explaining with words. He simply unfurled the wings on his back—bat-like devil wings filling the room in an instant.
Utaha went rigid, instinctively stepping back.
Her first thought was… are those some kind of cosplay props?
"They're not props."
Leo floated a few inches off the ground, his wings flapping gently as he smiled.
"Like this, you can't possibly think I'm held up by wires, right?"
Utaha really wanted to say, That's exactly what I was thinking.
But she knew that was just lying to herself.
From the moment Leo appeared in her room in such an impossible way, the situation had already left the realm of normalcy.
Technology couldn't teleport someone into her room. Unless he was a chameleon.
Leo might be a pervert, but he definitely couldn't camouflage.
And if he could, he'd probably only ever turn yellow…
Seeing that Utaha was still unable to calm down, Leo retracted his wings and spoke impatiently.
"Come on, this isn't something worth being shocked about for this long. Anyone else, sure, but senpai—you're a light novel author. You've definitely imagined this kind of supernatural stuff happening right in front of you. Fantasy becoming reality. Why act like it's the end of the world?"
"...How many times do I have to say it? I write romance, not fantasy."
Utaha snapped back at him, though that retort seemed to steady her mood.
"You said I'm your contractor, right?" she asked with a frown. "What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Leo placed his hands on his hips casually. "I get summoned, form a contract with a human, grant their wish, and take the equivalent price as payment. That's how devils work. Books and TV talk about it all the time."
"Senpai is the typical character who gets portrayed as the villain—someone who summons a devil and sells her soul just to fulfill her wish."
"In the past, someone like you would've been tied to a cross and burned. But modern society is pretty chill about this stuff, so congrats, senpai. No burning for you. Probably."
His casual rambling—so much like how he talked in class—made Utaha's briefly tense heart twitch in irritation instead.
"I cannot have a serious conversation with you. You'll kill me from sheer frustration."
Her inner urge to roast him flared. She wanted to make him doubt his life choices, just like every guy who tried to hit on her.
"I look forward to it." Leo flashed a bright smile completely unfit for a devil. "If senpai dies of anger, I'll gladly accept your soul. You'll stay by my side forever. No escape."
"Then I'll make sure I live to at least a hundred." Utaha shot back. "Any way to guarantee that, devil-san who grants wishes?"
"Of course!" Leo's eyes lit up, as if he'd been waiting for this moment. "All senpai has to do is merge this with your body. Not only will your lifespan increase to at least tens of thousands of years, it'll slow aging—and even let you stay young forever."
He presented a glowing, blood-red chess piece like he was offering treasure.
Utaha didn't even notice it was glowing.
She was too distracted by the words: live for thousands of years, slow aging, eternal youth.
Extending lifespan was one thing.
But slowing aging? Eternal youth?
What girl wouldn't be tempted?
Utaha certainly was.
But Leo's grin was way too suspicious, so her wariness returned.
"Fulfilling wishes comes with a price, right?" she asked cautiously. "What's the cost?"
"Simple." Leo didn't hide it. "You'll reincarnate as a devil like me and become my servant. You'll serve me for life."
"Goodbye." Utaha opened the door without hesitation and gestured for him to leave. "Please never show up again. Thank you."
"Don't reject it so fast." Leo twirled the chess piece between his fingers, smirking. "Sure, the cost is big. But for someone as ordinary as senpai, this is an extremely rare chance to glimpse the supernatural world."
"Extending your lifespan, slowing aging, eternal youth… that's just the bonus."
"If you accept this piece and become a devil, you'll gain supernatural power. The kind of stuff you light novel authors can only dream up—will become your reality."
"Don't you want to see it?"
His words left Utaha stunned.
Her heart thumped again.
But this time, it wasn't because she was tempted by a reward.
It was the thrill of wanting—no, yearning—for something wondrous and fantastical… something within arm's reach.
Utaha had always wanted to see a world beyond reality.