"What's wrong? Is there something odd on my face?"
Vignette blinked her soft green eyes, puzzled. Her new neighbor, who had just stepped outside, was staring straight at her with an unreadable expression. Instinctively, she raised a hand to her cheek, checking for smudges or stray hairs.
She had double-checked her outfit before leaving the house—her uniform neatly pressed, her ribbon tied perfectly, and her wings carefully concealed. Everything should have been fine… unless her understanding of human customs was flawed and she'd somehow made a laughable mistake.
"There's nothing wrong," Hikigaya Hachiman replied calmly after a beat, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "It's just… you're so cute, Miss Vignette, that I was momentarily stunned. My apologies."
Realizing he'd been staring, Hachiman forced a faint, apologetic smile.
Honestly, after seeing elves and yokai in this world, it wasn't exactly shocking to meet an angel or demon next. It was just that lately, he'd been preparing to hunt minotaurs—so his brain automatically categorized "demon" as "enemy." When he saw Vignette, he'd instinctively assumed "horns = trouble."
In hindsight, worrying about a slice-of-life demon like Vignette—kind, polite, and practically radiating "responsible housewife energy"—was absurd. She was basically the angel of devils, a walking paradox of divine virtue wrapped in demon form.
"Mr. Hikigaya, you must be joking. There's no way I'm that cute," she stammered, her cheeks turning faintly pink. She waved her hands frantically, clearly flustered.
Weren't humans supposed to be reserved with compliments? Why was this boy being so straightforward? It was the first time in her life a stranger had told her she was cute, and she didn't quite know how to handle it.
"Miss Vignette," Hachiman said, smoothly changing the subject, "judging by your age, you're probably a student like me. You just moved in, right? Which school are you transferring to?"
"Sōbu High," she replied hesitantly. "Wait… Mr. Hikigaya, are you a Sōbu High student too?"
Her eyes widened slightly. Could it really be that coincidental? She'd heard Sōbu High was the most elite school in the area—it couldn't be that easy to run into a classmate right after moving in.
"You don't have to be so formal," Hachiman said, waving a hand dismissively. "Our current student council president, Kaede, lives right next door. She and her sister usually go to school with me. You're transferring tomorrow, right? Why don't you join us on the way?"
He nodded toward the house next door, indicating where Kaede and her sister Kané lived.
Ah, so Vignette was one of the transfer students Kaede had mentioned earlier. Though, if he had to guess, they weren't exactly using "official" interworld exchange paperwork—more like fake human identities crafted to blend in.
"If it's not a bother, I'd be honored!" Vignette said brightly, her eyes lighting up. The idea that her new neighbors were also classmates filled her with genuine excitement. She hadn't expected a simple neighborly visit to lead to this kind of happy coincidence.
"It's no bother at all," Hachiman replied with a faint smile. "Kaede loves making new friends, and someone as adorable as you? She'll definitely want to hang out."
It worked out perfectly, he thought. Kaede and Kané would have a new friend for their commute, and with Kaede's social skills, Vignette would probably fit in right away. And if anything supernatural cropped up, well, having a demon of divine caliber on standby couldn't hurt.
"In that case, I should go say hello. Here—please take this as a little housewarming gift," Vignette said, offering him a neatly wrapped box of wagashi sweets before heading toward Kaede's house.
"No problem," Hachiman said, accepting the gift. "Oh, and by the way—make sure you're ready early tomorrow. Kaede's the student council president; she likes to be at school ahead of everyone else."
"Got it! Thank you for the reminder—I'll be ready!"
Vignette bowed politely before turning away, pulling another box of wagashi from her small satchel as she made her way to the neighboring door. Apparently, in this area, it was customary to greet neighbors with a small present after moving in. She'd come well-prepared.
She hadn't expected, though, that her first new acquaintance would turn out to be from the same school. Tomorrow, she'd already have people to walk with. What luck!
Hachiman didn't linger outside. He slipped back inside his house, closed the door, and divided the wagashi with Komachi as he casually told her about the new transfer student next door.
Vignette herself didn't seem like a problem—but her presence signaled something else: the world's power ceiling had just shot through the roof.
In the original series, her version of the demon world was relatively tame. But now that this reality was tangled up with the "inner" second dimension, he had to wonder… would the truly dangerous kind of demons start showing up too?
He had thought that in this city, rife with sin and corruption, as long as he was careful, he could quietly hunt down a few minotaurs without issue. But now…
"Maybe I should just lie low for a bit," he muttered. "Train at school, level up a little, then go monster-hunting once I'm strong enough."
"Komachi, the bath's ready. Go take yours first," he called out after finishing his share of sweets.
Once his sister was done, Hachiman finally took his turn. He soaked in the bath, let his mind drift, and after a long, relaxing soak, stepped out with a towel loosely around his waist.
"Mm-hm… don't be sad, Shion. Get some rest, okay? I'll have the room ready for you tomorrow~"
In the living room, Komachi was sprawled on the sofa, dressed lightly for the warm evening. She kicked her legs idly in the air as she chatted on the phone, her cheerful voice filling the quiet room.
Hachiman sat down beside her with a manga volume—some isekai series about an elf princess—and began flipping through it absently, wondering what kind of "elf transfer student" he'd be dealing with next.
A demon transfer student, now an elf princess… at this rate, that angel Gabriel—the one who nearly blew the apocalypse trumpet just for fun—was probably transferring in too. What had Sōbu High done to deserve this? At this pace, the school was going to get destroyed multiple times over.
As Komachi hung up, she rolled over, propped her chin on Hachiman's shoulder, and whispered mischievously, "Onii-chan, can I tell you something?"
"Go ahead," Hachiman replied, eyes still on the manga.
"One of my classmates' parents are getting divorced," she said softly. "She wants to stay over at our place for a couple of days. Is that okay?"
"…A male classmate?" Hachiman's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Of course not! She's a girl," Komachi huffed. "Black hair, straight and silky—super cute, by the way~ hehe."
Hachiman sighed. Trust his sister to notice that detail first.
"Whatever. I don't see a problem. Just tell Dad and Mom first."
He knew perfectly well that Komachi was the family's favorite—if she asked to let a friend stay over, no one would object. Besides, it wasn't like the guest would be sleeping anywhere but Komachi's room.
"Wait," he said suddenly, frowning. "What's your classmate's name?"
"Her name's Asougi Shion," Komachi replied, eyes gleaming. "She's quiet, cool, doesn't have many friends… Onii-chan, maybe you could, you know, take the initiative~?"
"I'm not desperate enough to go after middle schoolers," Hachiman deadpanned, flicking her lightly on the forehead. Komachi yelped and rubbed her head, pouting as he stood up and headed for his room.
Asougi Shion… the name didn't ring any bells. Maybe he'd remember when he saw her tomorrow.
If he'd known he was going to reincarnate into a world that mashed up pure romance and minotaur-slaying fantasy, he would've studied every anime and doujin he could get his hands on.
Now? He couldn't even remember half the titles he'd seen—let alone the characters' names or plot details.
PS1: The illustration of Asougi Shion depicts her as a high school student; the current timeline has been adjusted to before the tragic events occur.PS2: Name update reminder — Asougi Shion → Asougi Shion, Kaede → 楓 (Kaede), Kane → 鈐 (Kané). Any future name changes will follow similar sound or character consistency for easier recognition.PS3: The author debated whether to write a story based on a popular or lesser-known series but ultimately chose passion over fame. Writing a crossover of inner and outer dimensions might not be mainstream, but if it can rewrite tragedy and bring satisfaction, it's worth it. Hopefully, this one can last a long time.