Chapter 246: Showing Off…
When a person falls, instinct takes over — they'll grab onto anything within reach, even if it means dragging someone else down with them.
Whether it's a passing towel, the edge of a float, or, unfortunately… something elastic and currently attached to another human being.
Satania, in all her chaotic glory, was no exception.
The moment her foot slid across the wet tiles, her arms pinwheeled frantically. Her eyes went wide, and in a split-second of primal panic, she reached for the nearest object of salvation — Kouya, who had just pulled himself up from the pool, water dripping down his back. But fate, as always, had a cruel sense of humor. Her hand missed his arm entirely and caught the waistband of his swim trunks instead.
The sound of fabric snapping echoed faintly.
Then… silence.
Complete, utter silence.
The vibrant echoes of the pool vanished as though the air had been sucked away. Even the sound of dripping water paused, replaced by a silence so heavy it could crush souls.
Two seconds passed.
Then came the scream.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A symphony of horrified shrieks exploded across the pool area. It was like a flock of startled seagulls, every voice blending into chaotic terror.
"Pervert!"
"Exhibitionist!!"
"HENTAI!!!"
Girls flailed in every direction, covering their faces, tripping over one another in their panic. Some peeked between their fingers, screaming even louder when they accidentally saw what they shouldn't have. The whole pool erupted in pandemonium.
Rikka stumbled backward, eyes wide with supernatural dread. "C-Cursed! He's cursed! The seal must have broken! The dark artifact of temptation has awakened!"
Vigne, reacting instantly, covered Rikka's eyes and turned her head away, her own face glowing bright red as she fought the urge to look again. "Don't say another word."
Gabriel twitched, eyes narrowing. She tried to maintain her lazy composure, but the faint red coloring her ears betrayed her. Her lips parted as if to say something, then she just sighed heavily.
Meanwhile, the culprit herself — Satania — looked up at the dreadful sight she'd caused… and fainted on the spot, eyes rolling back as she collapsed with a splash.
Kouya stood perfectly still. Water dripped from his hair, sliding down the side of his face. Without a word, he reached down, adjusted his trunks, and sighed as though his soul had left his body. Slowly, he raised his gaze to the ceiling, past the lights, toward the unseen heavens above.
"Does a world like this still deserve to exist?"
He exhaled softly.
"…Probably not."
Then came the faintest laugh — hollow and resigned.
---
After class.
Under Vigne's supervision, Satania approached like a death-row inmate, clutching a single melon bread as if it were a peace offering to the gods. Her expression was pitiful. "I-I'm sorry, Lieutenant! Please don't be angry anymore!"
Tears welled up in her eyes as she extended the bread with trembling hands. "This is my last melon bread! If you promise not to use that terrifying thing to scare me again, I'll give it to you!"
Terrifying thing, your ass!
Did she seriously think a piece of bread could erase that kind of trauma?
Not. A. Chance.
"Kouya-kun, Satania didn't mean it," Vigne said softly, her tone soothing yet careful. "It really was an accident."
Rikka exhaled shakily beside them, patting her chest with relief. "So frightening… The Hero must have been struck by a forbidden curse, doomed to expose his power whenever his fate is tested…"
Before she could continue her chuunibyou rambling, Vigne quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.
Kouya sighed, then turned his glare toward Gabriel.
The lazy angel tensed, averting her gaze. "W-What? Don't look at me like that! It's not my fault, okay?! She was the one running her mouth — I just punched her!"
After a moment, she added quietly, "…Fine, maybe it's a little my fault. I'll… buy you a drink later, alright?"
---
Lunch break.
The atmosphere in the clubroom was thick enough to cut with a knife. No one dared speak too loudly.
Alice entered cheerfully, her blonde ponytail swaying, unaware of the storm she was about to stir. "Hey, guess what! I just heard the craziest thing — apparently, a huge pervert showed up at school and—"
Before she could finish, Raphiel glided forward and clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes sparkling with malicious amusement. "Ah, ah~ Let's keep our voices down, shall we?" she cooed sweetly.
Alice blinked in confusion. "Mmm?!" Her gaze flicked around the room until it landed on Kouya — sitting silently, face dark as thunderclouds, arms folded, eyes dead to the world.
Realization struck her like lightning.
"…N-No way."
Vigne cleared her throat loudly, forcing a topic change. "Rikka, are you drinking cola again? You're still recovering."
Rikka looked up innocently, holding her thermos like a sacred chalice. "The Holy Healer made ginger cola for me! She said it would keep my internal mana balanced after swimming."
Vigne smiled gently. "That's good. Swimming can chill your body. Just don't forget light exercise now and then."
Rikka puffed her cheeks, her ahoge twitching. "But if I move too much, the seal of my Wicked Eye might break!"
"It won't," Vigne sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Your contact lens already fell out this morning."
"Ah!" Rikka yelped, diving into her bag to search frantically.
The tension in the room cracked, replaced by laughter.
---
Later, Kouya strolled through the hallway, the sound of chatter trailing behind him like whispers on the wind.
Everywhere he went, girls turned, whispered, and gasped. He could feel their stares pricking his skin like needles.
"Look, that's Kouya-kun!"
"I heard about him!"
"Same! He supposedly… showed off in the pool!"
"Oh my god, so brazen!"
"So scary! Are boys always like that?!"
"…"
He clenched his jaw, breathing deeply through his nose. It would be so easy — just one little blast, one small explosion, and this whole miserable place would be gone. But no. Patience. Deep breaths.
Turning the corner, he was greeted by a familiar voice.
"Well, well. Not bad, kid."
It was Shizuka, stepping out of the staff room, arms crossed and smirking. "Been teaching for years, but that's a new one. You've really outdone yourself this time."
Kouya's eyebrow twitched. "How is any of this funny?!"
"This isn't funny — it's legendary," she said, barely suppressing laughter. "Don't worry. Plenty of witnesses cleared your name. The school won't punish you. But if you need time off, I'll sign the slip myself."
Apparently, teachers were just as bad as students when it came to gossip.
By lunchtime, Kouya's so-called 'heroic display' had achieved mythic proportions. Even the physics teacher — infamous for being chased by his wife after a night at a hostess bar — couldn't resist a joke.
"Imagine this," he said during class, fighting back a grin. "A teacher gives three students a small amount of money, asking them to fill the classroom with something. The first buys flour — the dust fills the air. The second buys candles — light fills the room. And the third…" He paused dramatically. "He filled it with confidence."
The class erupted in laughter. Even Kouya couldn't stop a quiet snort from escaping.
---
After school.
Vigne clapped her hands lightly. "Since today's… accident was unusual, I've spoken to Shizuka-sensei. Club activities are canceled. Everyone can go home and rest."
Kouya walked alone toward the front gate. The late-afternoon sun cast a molten glow across the courtyard, heat shimmering off the pavement.
He could've gone straight home. But his mind still buzzed with restless irritation, his pride smoldering like coal.
He stopped halfway down the steps, squinting into the golden light.
If this was how the day was going to end… maybe it was time for a little payback.
"…Satania. Gabriel."
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