Caleb never expected the usually heroic and determined Sakura Miyajima to be so sensitive and delicate when it came to romance. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was a bit overwhelming. After much deliberation, Caleb decided to comfort her first.
"Sakura-senpai, I didn't mean to lie to you. I only meant it as a joke, but I didn't realize you..."
Sakura Miyajima wiped the tears from her eyes, suppressing her hurt, and choked out, "I'm not stupid. It's my own fault. I used to... used to..." As she spoke, she nearly burst into tears again.
"Okay, okay, don't cry." Caleb hugged her, whispering in her ear, "You might be in danger again recently. I came here because I was worried about you."
Sakura Miyajima stopped sobbing and looked at Caleb suspiciously. She suspected this scumbag was deliberately trying to distract her, but Caleb's expression didn't seem fake.
"What danger?"
"I can't tell you what kind of danger yet." Caleb paused, seeing Sakura Miyajima's you're lying expression, and could only add, "After school, I'll wait for you at the school gate, and we'll go to your house together. I will explain everything in front of your parents then."
Only then did Sakura Miyajima half-believingly stop crying and break free from Caleb's embrace.
"Fine. If that's true, then I'll forget about you taking advantage of me just now."
"But I can't..." Forget it. I finally calmed her down. No need to stir things up again... Caleb glanced at Sakura Miyajima, and the words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back. "Uh... okay."
"Hmph!" Sakura Miyajima stomped her foot and stormed off, clearly still upset.
If I hadn't detected a talent, I might have let it go, but since there is one, whether you 'forget' about it or not is no longer up to you. Caleb couldn't help but think as he watched Sakura Miyajima's graceful figure retreat.
After parting with Sakura Miyajima, Caleb returned to Kuoh Academy. Normal classes were optional for him. Although he wasn't an academic star in his previous life, his grades were decent enough to handle standard high school knowledge. Moreover, now that he had joined the Occult Research Club, the demands for grades were even lower. As long as he was strong enough, entering the Kuoh Academy university division was guaranteed.
The only thing he needed to be cautious about was that long-term absence might lead to him being advised to withdraw. Usually, Rias and the others attended school diligently and only went out on missions in the evenings. More troublesome missions were scheduled for holidays. If he wanted to frequently leave during class time, he'd best get Rias's permission and use the excuse of a mission. That way, the school authorities wouldn't bother him.
Caleb was pondering how to approach Rias about this when Koneko Toujou came to his class and, grabbing his collar, dragged him out.
"Hey, hey, Koneko... slow down." Under the pointing and staring gazes, Caleb said with a wry smile. He tried to struggle for a bit but found the White-Haired Loli was using quite a bit of force. Fearing he would damage his only remaining uniform, he could only cooperate by slightly bending over as she pulled him out. It's just skipping half a day of class. No need for this, right?
"No. Akeno-senpai said I must bring you to her personally." The White-Haired Loli was expressionless, yet her small body exuded a powerful aura. Students in the hallway quickly moved aside, creating a clear path for her, while simultaneously glancing at the slightly disheveled Caleb. The two were watched the whole way until they entered the Club building, and the strange stares finally disappeared.
Caleb didn't need to ask to know what people were thinking. It was probably along the lines of how he could stoop so low as to prey on such a young, innocent little loli. Due to the previous rumors, coupled with his frequent appearances with Reina Hamasaki's group, Tsubaki Shinra, and Akeno Himejima, the impression of him as a scumbag who deceived girls was deeply ingrained. Some troublemakers had privately given him many nicknames, such as Gigolo, Lecherous Man, Womanizer, Male Succubus, the Fourth Member of the Pervert Trio... Unfortunately, no matter how nasty the nicknames were, many girls were still willing to have a friendly exchange with Caleb that was purely physical and devoid of commitment. To be able to share the same man as Tsubaki Shinra and Akeno Himejima was a point of pride for them!
"Koneko, can you let go now... I promise I won't run."
"No."
Caleb leaned close to Koneko Toujou's ear and whispered, "I'll buy you ice cream after school."
The White-Haired Loli looked back at him faintly and continued walking, only switching her grip from his collar to his sleeve.
"Whew~" Letting out a long breath, Caleb quickly straightened up and stretched his stiff body. "Koneko, why did Akeno-senpai suddenly send you to find me?"
"I don't know." The White-Haired Loli glanced at Caleb. "She wanted to find you this morning, but you weren't here, and then Akeno-senpai's expression became very unpleasant."
"Did someone come to see Akeno-senpai earlier?"
"I don't know."
"Did Akeno-senpai receive something then?"
"I don't know."
Caleb's mouth twitched. He asked helplessly, "Then what do you know?"
Koneko Toujou shook her small head, then suddenly said, "I know you promised to buy me ice cream after school."
Caleb rubbed his head, speechless. He knew his nominal master was unreliable, but he seemed to have underestimated her. However, looking at it from another perspective, the problem couldn't be too serious. Otherwise, it wouldn't be Koneko Toujou who came for him, but Akeno Himejima herself. Not to mention deliberately waiting until he returned to school... Caleb didn't think Akeno Himejima was incapable of tracking him down.
"We're here." Koneko Toujou pushed open the door to the Occult Research Club and declared, tugging on Caleb, "Akeno-senpai, mission accomplished."
"Good work, Koneko." Akeno Himejima put down the photos she was holding. "You can go rest. I'll talk to Caleb alone."
Before leaving, the White-Haired Loli mouthed something to Caleb, reminding him not to forget the ice cream he promised.
"..." Caleb rolled his eyes, signaling for her to hurry and leave. He wouldn't default on his promise.
"Akeno-senpai, did something happen?" After the White-Haired Loli left, Caleb initiated the conversation. "Is it about me, right?"
Akeno Himejima glared at Caleb playfully. "You know it is. If I hadn't stopped it, do you think you'd still be standing here safely?" With that, she took an envelope from a drawer and poured out several brand-new photos, handing them to Caleb.
Caleb took a look and finally understood why Akeno Himejima was looking for him. He smacked his forehead in frustration. How could he have forgotten this crucial matter?
"The person in the photos is you, right?" Seeing Caleb's reaction, Akeno Himejima already had her answer. She continued, "And those people were killed by you, correct? Why did you kill them?"
"They attacked first. Those daggers belong to two of them." There was no use in trying to deny it. Caleb had prepared for this confrontation, he just hadn't expected the person looking for him not to be the police, but Akeno Himejima.
"Hmm, alright. Let's put that aside for now." After confirming that Caleb hadn't killed innocent people indiscriminately, Akeno Himejima asked, "Then why didn't you tell me about this immediately?" This was actually the question she was most concerned about; the other matters seemed irrelevant to her.
"I forgot..."
"Forgot?!" Akeno Himejima's beautiful eyes widened, and she stood up from her chair, her voice involuntarily rising a few octaves.
Caleb turned his head sheepishly, scratching his pale cheek, and nodded. "Yes, I forgot."
After killing those thugs, he had spent the entire night battling with Touko Sakurauchi, and then he was busy gathering information about Sakura Miyajima. After returning, he started thinking about how to deal with the 'cuckold' hiding in Aiho Academy.
Akeno Himejima closed her eyes and slowly sat back down. "So... you skipped class this morning not because you were worried about being arrested?"
"Ah... no. I had an urgent matter and didn't have time to ask for leave." Caleb looked at Akeno Himejima and said earnestly, "Akeno-senpai, I'm very sorry for causing you trouble." Regardless of why these photos were in Akeno Himejima's hands or who gave them to her, an apology was the right first step. The fact that he was still standing there and no one else was bothering him meant that Akeno Himejima had definitely resolved the issue.
"It wouldn't have been any trouble if you had told me beforehand." Akeno Himejima gave Caleb a resentful look. "Now, we just have to wait for the President to come back."