"Off to the races again," Issei muttered as he and his two minions trekked off to school together. Luck wasn't on his side and he was only able to change his clothes before they had to leave. He still got to eat breakfast, but there was not enough time for a quick shower before the household had woken. Trying to play off his nighttime excursion - which had him turning off the contract's alarm - he was forced to follow his typical routine like usual.
Having dowsed himself in cologne to cover up the stench of his training, Issei smiled tensely as Koneko eyed him sharply as they walked side by side. He feared the worst, believing she had grown suspicious and had caught onto the fact he had somehow gotten around the contract, before her nose wiggled cutely as she huffed, "Pervert."
He nearly felt himself trip, startling Asia who had quietly gasped.
Finding a retort threatening its way up, Issei choked it back down and forced himself to bare the title shamefully. Better to get insulted without defiance than stand up for his shallow pride and be sniffed out further.
Maybe that's what it was: Koneko could still smell his scent underneath his efforts to hide it, and believed he had diddled with himself because of it.
That wasn't true at all. His beating hand was totally clean today... although she was right about the pervert part...
Shifting over to his other companion who wouldn't insult the bejesus outta him, Issei gave Asia an encouraging smile. "Don't tell me you're still nervous? Remember, the first day is the hardest. It's only gonna get easier from now on."
Asia returned his smile warmly, her pink lips twitching shyly. "Y-you're right, Issei... I'm so glad you are here to support me."
Her words were sincere and mellifluous, green eyes shining innocently at the pervert. Though he knew himself unworthy, Issei basked in her cherubic rays of goodwill and delight. Asia truly was a beacon of positivity - a exemplary example of not just women, but who everyone should strive to become. Her presence alone felt as if it would dispel pestilence. He could never get tired of her...
...or her sweet bod.
Issei cleared his throat after catching himself staring at her modest chest. "M-mhm! And I'm not going anywhere this time, so if you ever need a shoulder to lean on, I'm your guy!" He pressed a fist into his chest.
Asia giggled, a soft blush appearing across her supple cheeks. "Thank you, you're very kind... but please, do what you need to," she said with a small nod. If Issei had some task he needed to fulfill, it would pain her to get in the way of that. The last thing Asia wanted was to be a burden, freely welcoming the boy to excuse himself if he must.
"Nonsense! I'm all yours, Asia!" He called out, making the blonde girl blush even more profusely. From his right side, Koneko watched him cheer on the former nun with a narrowed gaze.
"Pervert," she muttered again.
"Uk-!" Issei made a sound of embarrassment.
The three eventually made there way to school, seeing the large European building come into view. Like always, there were student council members standing at the front gates of the brick entrance. Today, it was once again the president Sona, along with her vice president Tsubaki. They had been the ones standing near the front a lot recently, something that was not lost on Issei as they approached.
The moment his eyes landed on her figure, he felt an intense blush coming on. Memories of getting submitted and toyed with resurfaced immediately as a terrible, illicit thrill shot through him, permanently etched into his degen-brain. He could hardly remain composed, shuffling awkwardly as her violet eyes quickly spotted him among the crowd of incoming students, a small pink hue dancing across her as well.
A low hiss nearly imperceptible to his enhanced hearing made him glance away from his spectacled senpai. Discreetly eyeing down at Koneko, Issei could see the same subtle look on her face that she had yesterday. She had grown pissed the moment her eyes fell on the rival devil King, her fists clenching tightly at her sides.
Momentarily distracting himself by whispering reassuring words to Asia, who had become more fidgety and nervous herself after countless other students had come into view, Issei and his companions awkwardly made their way through the gate; each having a separate reason for being put on edge.
He knew he would have to put on a brave front and speak with Sona. If they spoke about it in private later, then t-
"Hyoudou-san."
His stomach fell, shoulders squaring as he cursed his luck.
She really wanted to talk about this now at the gate in front of the others?
Another strained sound escaped his white-haired juniors throat, a quiet warning being lost amidst the chatter of nearby students passing by. Reluctantly halting and turning around to face Sona, Issei forced every muscle fiber in his face to hide his anxiety and smile welcoming. "Y-yo... G-good morning, Kaichou..."
The stern, confident demeanor the young woman was known for was nowhere to be seen. Uncertainly flickered behind her glasses, the reflective lens unable to hide the roiling emotions within her pretty irises. "Yes... Good morning to you too, Hyoudou-san..."
Her voice was tense and awkward - nothing like the strong president he knew. Then again, that visage of her built up for over a year had already been shattered irreparably. There had always been more to this girl than he knew. He just wasn't allowed to see it before.
Behind Sona, Tsubaki stared at her leader with a muted, somber face. She appeared to be having a different war within herself, wanting to say something towards her leader, but choosing to remain silent as she watched their rigid interaction unfold.
Pulling herself together, amethyst orbs finally locked onto his fleeing ones. "I would like to apologize for yesterday... My behavior was inappropriate and too assertive. I did not mean to startle you."
Asia watched the scene cluelessly, her blonde locks swaying gently as her head swiveled between the two. Didn't Issei leave school yesterday?
Koneko, however, was much more aware of what she were referring to. Standing mostly behind Issei, she tried to hide her animosity for the older girl. This wasn't supposed to be her fight, and with Sona's apology, it seemed the matter was already being settled. It didn't quell the malice stewing beneath her stoic veneer.
Being the observant woman she was, Sona could pick up on the lingering pressure rolling off Rias's Rook. As she feared, she had set off the girl's suspicion yesterday when she had brazenly pulled Issei off to the side. Aware the two had a contract and the extent of its long duration, she suspected he and the Rook had a relationship beyond professional obligation.
The tension the girl had only confirmed that fact. She was probably aware of what Sona had done, or at least somewhat clued in. Issei didn't appear to be the type of person who could keep secrets for long, likely fessing up to what had happened between them. If the Rook knew, then that would mean Rias would also know...
It was the worst outcome she had predicted after he left her council room. Her efforts to remain mostly confidential were compromised, not having been careful enough when she made her moves.
An amateurish mistake out of the ordinary for her, and one she wouldn't have made if her feelings did not get the better of her. If her boldness had yielded the preferred result, none of it would have mattered. She could have secured the boy right then and there, but he had fled. She assumed with his perverted nature, he would easily reciprocate her affections. She had instead scared him off, not taking into account his own inexperience and fears after being blindsided and exposed to sexual intimacy. Now facing the fallouts of her failures, Sona could do nothing but try mending the damage by being penitent.
"I would like to remediate my actions and set everything straight. I'll give you some time to think it over, so please go on to class," Sona chose her words carefully, catching the low scowl flickering across Rias's servant behind the boy. Not wanting to make a big scene with students nearby at the gates, she permitted Issei and the others to leave. It wasn't preferential - wanting to pull him over to the side again - but she did not want to overwhelm him, feeling guilty that she had scared him away.
"N-nah, it's cool. I'm the one who should be saying that," Issei replied bashfully as he scratched his head, her doleful gaze making him ashamed. He had been the one to punk out and leave her hanging. If a girl did that to him in the middle of getting the groove on, he'd probably lose all will to pop chubs. At least she wasn't one of those mean girls who would laugh at him for acting cowardly or perceived inability. He would die right there on the spot if he had walked up to her and she did that. He continued awkwardly, "Sorry... err, I'll also try to make it up to... you?"
Relieved that she hadn't severely offended or frightened him, a small smile spilled onto Sona's lips. "Magnificent. I won't take anymore of your time. We'll reconvene some other time."
Noticing her smile perked him up, drawing his own genuine smile out. "Sure, I'll be on the look out." His expression twisted salaciously, thinking of all the scandalous possibilities she could try to 'make it up' to him; his delusions made him ignorant to the fact her apology derived from such behavior, therefore it would be well intentioned.
Those fantasies were short last, as the tiny cat-devil firmly grabbed his arm and began dragging the boy away. Their interaction had gone on long enough, and she wasn't about to sit there and let the pervert dream about getting it on with another girl. Koneko was at her wits' end.
Asia quickly hurried after them, stopping just after walking past her seniors and giving them a delicate bow. "Please, excuse us," she articulated in Japanese, before spinning back around and rushing to her friends.
Sona and Tsubaki watched the three head down the path around the courtyard fountain. The long-haired Queen adjusted her blue rectangular glasses and turned back to her King, lightly startled as she watched her face contort into a frown, before clear frustration became evident.
Swallowing nervously, Tsubaki forced herself to speak up, "Kaichou?"
Another female student passing them by looked over at the two popular girls, noticing Sona's fierce expression with a quick yelp and hurrying off fearfully. Tsubaki cursed her luck. She wanted to run off, too.
"Kaichou?" The taller woman said again after not getting a response, stepping a bit closer to her leader to garner her attention. Her head quickly moved back as Sona scoffed, the girl's balled hands eventually loosening as she closed her eyes in concession.
"It is unlikely that I will acquire Issei Hyoudou." The statement was left in the open air. Tsubaki's medallion colored eyes widened slightly, the admission unsettling her.
"You no longer think so?" Tsubaki asked quietly, carefully choosing her words to not set off any contained wrath.
Tsubaki had become aware of Sona's feelings. While the bobcut-haired girl hadn't officially expressed them verbally, Tsubaki could read the obvious changes in her behavior, as well as the sudden desire to obtain the boy into her peerage after already permitted Rias to have him prior without her own interference. While she wasn't sure why Sona felt this way about such a sleaze, she'd wisely kept her opinion exclusively to herself, supporting her King's decision.
Going through all the effort to undermine Rias and risk ruining their relationship, after being so dead set on adding him into her own peerage, Sona was realizing that vision was becoming more of a fantasy.
"I missed my chance... with how things are now, I do not believe I will have another one as opportune as before," Sona said grimly, acknowledging her impending defeat pessimistically.
"You won't?" Tsubaki replied as she gazed over to the three students who were now entering the front doors of the school. "Hyoudou-san appeared receptive and agreeable to make amends. If I should state it blatantly, he seemed almost... eager." It was hard to miss the obvious way the boy's face turned dirty at the end of their conversation. "You still have another chance."
"No, Tsubaki," Sona denied her quickly. "That won't work... I did all I could in the short time I've had. If I were to have another clear chance, I would need more time, which I do not suspect I will have."
Pondering over her leader's words, Tsubaki felt herself tense. Warmness threatened her white face as she thought over the implications, staring at Sona in disbelief before her eyes darted away cowardly. She still wasn't sure what all had happened in that room, what Sona had planned beforehand and executed...
But she had a disturbing amount of ideas, many containing graphicness she thought distressing. Sona's vague, yet telling response only augmented those speculations. The image of her president - the most proper and austere person she knew and admired more than anyone - debasing herself in such lewd, depraved acts... and for a boy as twisted and perverted as Issei Hyoudou...
Even if he was the boy she liked, for whatever forsaken reason... it was just too foul!
If Tsubaki's spine were anything like her mind, she might've voiced her horror, questioning Sona's choices and expressing her doubts. She would exclaim her troubles upfront, waking Sona up from whatever spell she was under and mending any possible damage so she could proudly return to herself, forgetting that mindless perv.
Alas, her legs would turn into jelly at the mere thought of defying her master. Close as they were, Sona wasn't afraid to dish out punishment to her servants for crossing certain lines. Her methods had even rubbed off on the much more mild and lenient Rias, who would too spank her peerage whenever they pushed her buttons enough times.
Tsubaki had sharpened up quickly and avoided provoking unpreferred outcomes. That's why she instead chose to remain silent. Though she were conflicted about what actions Sona may had taken, she still supported her King wholeheartedly. Watching her despair at failing her objective - suppressed as her reaction was - still pained Tsubaki dearly.
Pushing up her violet glasses, Sona turned back around away from the school so she could continue greeting students. "Although I am bitter... I can accept this outcome. So long as we can remain as we are, and I can still support him... I can move past it."
Having played her best card and failed, Sona accepted her defeat prematurely so she could recover from it before it happened. The most effective way of overcoming dejection was to prepare for the worst, and she wouldn't let herself sulk like a child.
Rias already had a significant edge over her, using her Rook and guilefully including the former nun to form a contract and tie herself closer to Issei. After making a fool of herself in the student council room, Sona was now set back tremendously. Whether he forgave her overt advances wasn't the issue.
It was the amount of time she lost.
Because of that stunt, she was now forced to walk on eggshells around the boy as to not offend or unsettle him again. Rias did not have that curse, and could move much more quickly. Already being behind, needing to take precautionary moves to avoid suspicion, and having her moves slowed at a snail's pace painted the picture vividly.
She was all but certain to lose this race against Rias.
Though Sona wished she could say it was a well-fought battle, the truth was that it had been anything but. It had been total annihilation. She had joined the race too late, and her audacious attempt to take the lead had ended with her licking at her wounds.
She should have known sex was not the correct choice to get close to Issei.
Of course not. Despite his surface-level appearance suggested so, he was actually quite more sophisticated than that. If she were being honest with herself, that fact had only strengthened her liking to him.