Morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, casting several golden bands across the room.
A faint fragrance lingered in the air. It was the scent of the shampoo Rias often used.
The moment Genichi opened his eyes, he felt a weight pressing down on him.
Not emotional pressure.
A very physical kind of weight.
He tilted his head slightly and glanced to the side. Just as expected, Rias was curled up in his arms.
Her red hair spilled across the pillow like a blaze of fire.
Her breathing was even and soft, and her lashes cast faint shadows in the morning light.
One long, slender leg was draped across him, resting over his stomach.
Her arm circled his waist, and her whole body was nestled against him like a lazy cat.
And, once again, just as expected—
Rias had not bothered with clothes.
Genichi looked at the scene before him and found that his heart no longer stirred as violently as it used to.
He was almost completely immune by now.
Ever since the day he had reincarnated as Rias's peerage devil, situations like this had happened often.
On the first day, he had been completely at a loss.
On the second day, he had tried to push her away.
On the third day, he had begun to get used to it.
And now, he could look at her calmly while she slept in his arms and simply wait for her to wake up on her own.
If Genichi had not possessed at least some self-control, he might have lost patience with this routine long ago.
Even so, enduring it day after day like some legendary ascetic was starting to make him wonder whether he would damage himself from restraint alone.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
Then he carefully reached out, intending to move the leg Rias had placed over him.
The moment his fingertips touched her ankle, that soft warmth made his movements pause slightly.
Just then—
Rias opened her eyes.
Her emerald-green eyes were especially clear in the morning light. They held the languor of someone who had just woken up, along with a trace of slyness Genichi saw all too clearly.
She looked at him, the corners of her lips lifting faintly.
Genichi's hand was still on her ankle, frozen there, unable to move forward or retreat.
Rias did not give him time to react.
She rolled over and sat up over him.
Her red hair fell around her like a waterfall.
Her hands pressed against his chest, and even through the fabric of his clothes, he could clearly feel the warmth of her palms.
Genichi's body went tense at once.
This position, this distance, this angle—he could clearly see the faint curve at the corner of Rias's lips as she pressed them together. He could see his own face reflected in her emerald eyes.
She looked down at him from above, her expression carrying triumph, scrutiny, and a trace of expectation that Genichi could not quite understand.
The movement had been too sudden, and the impact was too strong.
Genichi's body reacted almost immediately.
It was pure instinct, unrelated to reason or self-control.
A tiny sound escaped Rias at the unexpected change.
It was soft and brief, but it made Genichi's ears heat instantly.
Rias's face also flushed faintly, but she did not dodge or get up.
She simply lowered her head slightly, letting her falling hair cover half her face.
Then she smiled.
There was triumph in that smile, satisfaction, and a trace of joy even she herself did not seem to notice.
"Looks like I'm not entirely without charm."
Her voice was soft, but it reached Genichi clearly.
Obviously, Rias was very satisfied with his reaction.
Genichi looked at her, the corner of his eye twitching slightly.
He took a deep breath and forced his voice to stay steady.
"Rias, don't play with fire."
His voice was a little hoarse, carrying a note of warning.
He had said this many times before.
Every time, Rias would sit over him just like this, look at him with that triumphant gaze, and say things that made his blood pressure rise.
But this time, something seemed different.
Rias did not immediately get up, nor did she tease him with her usual smile.
She remained there, looking down at him, a complicated light flickering in her eyes.
Morning sunlight fell over her, gilding her outline in gold.
Her red hair hung down like a curtain, enclosing the two of them in a narrow little space.
An indescribable atmosphere filled the air.
Genichi's hand tightened unconsciously around the bedsheet beneath him.
He could feel his heartbeat speeding up. He could feel his temperature rising. He could feel an impulse long suppressed beginning to stir within him.
But he did not move.
He only looked at Rias. His eyes held restraint, struggle, and a desire even he had not realized was there.
Rias looked at him as though she had seen through every layer of his composure.
She slowly leaned down, bringing her face closer to his.
Her red hair fell around him and brushed his cheek, carrying a faint, clean fragrance.
Her breath grazed his lips, warm and gentle.
Genichi's body grew even tenser.
Just as the tips of their noses were almost touching—
Rias stopped.
She stayed there, gazing at him from close range, her emerald eyes reflecting his face.
"Genichi."
Her voice was soft as a feather.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know why I come to your room every day?"
Genichi said nothing. He only looked at her.
The corners of Rias's lips lifted slightly.
"Because you're the only man who makes me want to date him."
Her voice was quiet, but every word was sincere.
Genichi's heart skipped a beat.
He wanted to say something, only to find that his throat had gone too dry to produce a sound.
Rias did not give him time to respond.
She straightened, got off him, and lay back down beside him.
Her movements were so natural that it was as though nothing had happened at all.
"All right, get up."
Her voice had returned to its usual lightness. "We still have a lot to do today."
Genichi lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It took him a long while to recover.
He turned his head to look at Rias. Her back was to him now as she began getting dressed.
Her movements were elegant and composed, as though everything from a moment ago really had been nothing more than an ordinary morning greeting.
Genichi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
"Rias."
"Hmm?"
"Could you not do that next time?"
Rias's movements paused slightly. Then she turned her head and looked at him.
A faint blush still lingered on her face, but her expression was unusually serious.
"No."
Genichi opened his mouth, only to find that he had no idea what to say.
Rias smiled. There was a trace of pride in that smile, a touch of softness, and a firmness Genichi did not understand.
"Hurry up and get ready. Sona's side is still waiting for us."
She stood and walked toward the door.
When she reached it, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Genichi.
"Oh, right, Genichi."
"Yeah?"
"I was very satisfied with your reaction just now."
With that, she pushed the door open and left, leaving Genichi behind with a helpless expression.
Genichi lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a long while before getting up.
Outside the window, the sunlight was just right.
At the corner of his mouth, a faint smile appeared without him even noticing.
The morning sun over Kuoh Academy was just right.
Genichi walked beside Rias, feeling the gazes coming from both sides of the path.
Envy, jealousy, hatred.
The three emotions intertwined like invisible arrows, shooting toward him in dense volleys.
If those boys' eyes had possessed physical form, he would probably have been riddled with holes by now.
"You're really popular," Genichi said quietly, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. "Just walking beside you is enough to get me stared at like this."
Rias heard him and turned to look at him. A sly light flashed through her emerald eyes.
She blinked playfully, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"If they knew what happened between us this morning, what do you think they'd do?"
Genichi's steps paused slightly.
This morning.
He could not help letting out a wry laugh.
He had to admit, he had nearly lost control back then.
In that kind of situation, a man who felt absolutely nothing was either physically incapable or had no interest in women. There was no third possibility.
The fact that he had endured until now already proved his self-control was remarkable.
"Rias, you really don't mind making things worse."
Genichi lowered his voice.
Rias looked at him and could not help laughing. Her clear, pleasant laugh sounded especially bright beneath the morning sun.
Then she reached out and took his arm.
The movement was so natural it seemed as though they had done it countless times before, but in truth, this was the first time she had done this at school.
Her arm slipped through his, her palm resting against his forearm, warm and soft.
Genichi's body stiffened slightly.
The gazes on both sides of the road instantly grew even hotter.
The boys watched the scene, one by one clenching their teeth, their eyes nearly spitting fire.
Some tightened their fists. Some muttered curses under their breath. Others stared fixedly at Genichi with the pained look of someone asking, Why isn't that me?
Whispers came from every direction.
"Who is that guy? Why is Rias-sama holding his arm?"
"He's one of the school's perverted trio."
"I don't care who he is. He deserves to die."
"Rias-sama is Kuoh Academy's idol. How could she be with someone like him…"
The voices were not loud, but Genichi heard them perfectly clearly.
The corner of his eye twitched slightly, and he sighed inwardly.
Rias seemed to think this still was not stimulating enough.
She turned her head and lightly kissed Genichi on the cheek.
The kiss was very soft and brief. Her lips merely brushed his skin before quickly pulling away.
But in the eyes of the surrounding students, that was already enough to drive them mad.
The area fell silent.
It was not an ordinary silence, but the stillness before a storm, the quiet before a volcano erupted.
Then the uproar exploded.
"She kissed him! Rias-sama kissed him!"
"That bastard! I challenge him to a duel!"
"Calm down, calm down. You can't do that at school—"
"Calm down, my ass! My Rias-sama!"
Feeling the gazes that looked ready to tear him apart and swallow him whole, Genichi turned toward Rias, his face full of helplessness.
"Rias, are you trying to make me the enemy of every boy in school?"
He lowered his voice.
"At this rate, the entire male student body will be hunting me down starting today."
Rias heard him and began giggling.
Her laughter carried pride, delight, and a trace Genichi could see very clearly—the satisfaction of a successful prank.
"Scared?"
She tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes full of laughter.
Genichi looked at her and fell silent for a moment.
"I'm not scared."
He spoke calmly. "I just don't think it's necessary."
Rias raised an eyebrow.
"Not necessary?"
"Yeah."
Genichi nodded. "There's no need to invite trouble over something like this."
Rias's smile became even more meaningful.
She let go of Genichi's arm, turned around, and faced the students still whispering among themselves.
Her gaze swept over the crowd, and a certain light flickered in her emerald-green eyes.
Then she spoke.
"Everyone."
Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every person present.
The area fell silent once again.
"This is Hyoudou Genichi. He is one of the most important people to me."
She paused, the corners of her lips lifting faintly.
"So I hope everyone can get along with him."
With that, she turned back around, took Genichi's arm again, and pulled him toward the school building.
Behind them, there was only dead silence.
Then an even greater uproar erupted.
"What does that mean?"
"One of her most important people? What does that mean?"
"Is he her boyfriend?"
"Impossible! Rias-sama can't have a boyfriend!"
The voices rose and fell behind them, but Genichi could no longer make them out clearly.
Rias pulled him along quickly, crossing the schoolyard and the corridor, drawing countless gazes the entire way.
Only after they entered the school building and turned a corner did she finally let go of him, lean against the wall, and laugh so hard she nearly lost her breath.
"Haha… You didn't see… the looks on their faces… haha…"
She laughed until tears almost came out.
Genichi stood in front of her, looked at her in that state, and shook his head helplessly.
"Was it that funny?"
"Of course it was!"
Rias wiped the corners of her eyes. "You didn't see them. A few of their faces practically turned green. One of them almost rushed over to challenge you on the spot."
Genichi sighed.
"So you're happy?"
"Very happy."
Rias nodded, the smile still lingering on her face.
She looked at Genichi, and a gentle light shone in her eyes.
"Because now everyone knows you're mine."
Genichi's heart skipped a beat.
He looked at Rias. A blush still lingered on her face from laughing, and his figure was reflected in her emerald-green eyes.
"Rias…"
He opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.
Rias looked at him. Her smile gradually faded, and her expression became serious.
"Genichi, do you believe this?"
"Hmm?"
"In the devil world, the bond between a peerage member and their master is closer than any relationship in the human world. They may not be family, but they are more than family. They may not be lovers, but they can be more intimate than lovers."
Her voice was soft, but every word was sincere.
"So I want everyone to know that you are my peerage member, and one of the most important people to me."
Genichi was silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
It was faint, but carried a trace of warmth.
"I understand."
Rias looked at him like that and could not help smiling again.
"Let's go. Class is about to start."
She took his hand and led him toward the classroom.
This time, she did not hold his arm. She simply held his hand.
But somehow, that felt even more intimate than before.
Genichi felt the warmth in his palm, and a gentle feeling rose in his chest.
Behind them, those gazes still existed, still burning hot.
But now, he no longer cared.
Because those flames of jealousy were nothing before Rias's smile.
(End of Chapter)
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