"Come on, come on..."
Takeyo walked toward his apartment door, already knowing who was knocking. Perhaps his good friend had finally arrived?
Creak
Opening the door, he was greeted by a student with brown hair wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform. A slight, gentlemanly smile played across the visitor's face.
Issei Hyoudou, wielder of the Boosted Gear, host to the Welsh Dragon Emperor Ddraig, and the original perverted protagonist of this world.
Well, originally perverted, anyway. Things had changed somewhat from the canon timeline.
"Hehe! Takeyo, I came to see you again," Issei said, the corners of his mouth pulling into what he probably thought was a refined smile.
"Oh, you're talking about that thing you asked me to buy last time? It already arrived." Takeyo led Issei into his villa.
Thanks to his exceptional calculation abilities, he'd already purchased this house for himself before even entering high school. Leveraging market predictions and strategic investments had proven remarkably profitable, even in a world full of gods and monsters, money still talked.
"Oh! That's definitely worth looking forward to!" Issei's eyes lit up with anticipation.
Was the masterpiece he'd been dreaming about finally within reach?
"Here it is." Takeyo handed him the package Issei had requested.
"Azure Sky"... though it had a more well-known name in certain circles, "Indigo Gentleman."
That's right, this was a BL masterpiece, a boys' love visual novel of considerable renown.
"Thank you, Takeyo! You really are my best friend!" Issei first smiled with obvious delight, then turned to give Takeyo a genuinely clear, grateful look.
Ever since Issei was young, Takeyo had... well, "awakened" would be the polite term. More accurately, he'd carefully guided Issei toward developing certain interests that would prove advantageous to everyone involved.
Takeyo had learned many things from a young age, including psychology. He hadn't used magic or some kind of mystical technique on Issei, both because such methods could be detected by someone as powerful as Ddraig, and because they were ultimately unnecessary.
Instead, he'd employed careful, long-term psychological conditioning. By making Issei believe from childhood that he was naturally inclined toward appreciating male beauty, and by reinforcing this belief consistently over the years, the personality had become genuine and irreversible.
Of course, Takeyo hadn't been foolish enough to shoot himself in the foot. He'd also left safeguards ensuring that Issei would never develop those kinds of feelings toward him specifically.
It was like now, even though Issei had just received his favorite BL game, the eyes he directed at Takeyo remained perfectly clear and platonic.
"Be careful, though," Takeyo said with a gentle smile. "When you don't have the ability to face society's judgment, it's better to be discreet."
What he actually meant, of course, was: When you have the strength to build a blue (male) harem, you can be as open as you want.
Naturally, Issei hadn't realized this deeper meaning yet.
"Yeah! I know! That's exactly why I hang around with Matsuda and Motohama, and why I even applied to transfer into the girls' school section. It's all to maintain my cover!" Issei's expression turned serious, as if discussing a matter of great strategic importance.
"Well, keep working hard. I believe your dreams will come true! You know Kiba from school is already waving at you!" Takeyo said encouragingly.
And not just Kiba, Takeyo thought privately. Vali, Sairaorg, all those handsome, powerful men are waiting for you!
"Mm! You're right!" Issei nodded enthusiastically.
After expressing his gratitude once more, Issei left Takeyo's small villa, clutching his precious package.
"So... time to head to the shopping district first?"
Takeyo glanced at the sign-in notification with more than 170 minutes remaining. It was approaching six o'clock in the evening, he should have plenty of time to complete the task before nine.
Thirty minutes later, having accomplished his shopping district errand, Takeyo returned to his villa.
In his hand was a leaflet, but not an ordinary one. This particular flyer pulsed with faint magical power, a small teleportation array embedded within its design.
It was a summoning flyer from Rias's peerage, allowing humans to call upon the services of her devil servants.
The first time someone used such a flyer, the responding devil was essentially random, whoever happened to be available would answer the call.
However, if you knew which demon was most suitable for your needs, you could always request that specific individual.
For Takeyo, though, none of that mattered. He had a very specific target in mind for this summoning.
Naturally, he intended to call Koneko.
"Come forth, Pokémon Koneko!" Takeyo said with amusement as he channeled his intent into the summoning.
He focused his desire while activating the magic circle, hoping to summon a companion to play games with, preferably a lovely girl. He was willing to pay whatever was required, and it would be even better if she could provide some cosplay service.
At that moment, the Occult Research Club had just gathered for their evening meeting.
In the center of the clubroom, a red teleportation pattern lit up, bearing the family crest of Gremory.
On the small sofa sat a young girl, or more accurately, a loli, quietly eating mousse cake with an air of perfect tranquility.
"President, it seems someone has sent a summoning request," the girl said softly, her voice carrying that distinctive quality that made people think of a small kitten.
The girl on the sofa was indeed someone everyone would want to pet, Koneko Toujou, Rias's first Rook.
Her black knee-high stockings reached the middle of her thighs, revealing pristine white skin above them. Her two small legs swayed slightly as she leaned forward, and her five delicate toes curled within her indoor shoes, causing slight wrinkles in the black fabric.
"Mm, this commission is definitely most suitable for you, Koneko," Rias said from where she sat at the president's desk, half-reclining in a posture that emphasized her considerable assets. She supported her chin with one hand as she spoke.
She happened to know the person who had submitted this particular request.
That young man was the top student in their grade, a capable officer of the Student Council, and someone who had defeated Sona in chess. Though Rias hadn't interacted with him much directly, she'd always had a favorable impression of Takeyo.
"If he tries anything inappropriate, remember to hit him hard with your fist, Koneko. If you send him to the hospital, the Gremory family will cover all expenses." Rias showed a charming smile.
The Gremory family was known for treasuring their servants, spoiling them, one might say.
Koneko nodded silently and entered the magic circle while still eating her cake.
"Even without the President's reminder, I would have done the same," she said matter-of-factly.
Despite her cute and delicate face, Koneko's words carried a bold confidence.
"That's my little Koneko," Rias said with obvious pride and affection as the petite figure disappeared into the magic circle.
The moment Koneko emerged from the teleportation, she found herself facing a senior she knew quite well.
He was consistently first in their grade, a record he'd never broken.
But at this moment, Koneko's eyes narrowed slightly.
Her Nekomata instincts were telling her something important: Senior Takeyo was... different from before.
There was a faint luster to his skin now, and the light of distant stars seemed to flicker in his eyes. He wore only casual home clothing, yet he emanated a natural sense of comfort and ease.
Even a saint wouldn't possess more grace than this, Koneko thought, the observation rising unbidden in her mind.
"Oh? I didn't expect the summoning to actually work!" Takeyo said, genuine surprise evident in his voice. "You're a devil too, Koneko?"
Since Koneko was wearing her school uniform, it was natural for Takeyo to recognize her. Still, seeing actual confirmation of the supernatural world never quite lost its impact.
"...Yes," Koneko replied, her hazel eyes studying him carefully. Despite her typically stoic demeanor, she couldn't help but sense that something fundamental had changed about her senior.
She just couldn't quite identify what it was.