Rias looked at the hand for a second.
Then she held it.
"He is not a trophy."
Akeno lightly squeezed her fingers.
"I know."
The two let go at the same time.
The atmosphere in the room returned to its usual balance.
And this time, neither of them seemed willing to back down.
Rias withdrew her hand first and lifted her chin, as if she wanted to end the dispute right there before Akeno took another step.
"I'm going to tell him." She pushed the chair back with a short movement and stood up. "Grayfia told me. So it will be me."
Akeno didn't move immediately. Her smile returned slowly as she uncrossed her legs and stood up, without taking her eyes off Rias.
"That's a weak justification." She walked around the table calmly. "I heard everything too. I can tell him just the same."
Rias crossed her arms.
"But Grayfia entrusted it to me."
Akeno stopped a few steps away and tilted her head.
"Entrusted or pushed it to see how far you'd act like a future wife before admitting it out loud?" Her smile widened. "Because if that's the case, I can help too."
Rias stepped forward.
"You're not helping."
Akeno followed with another step.
"I am." She raised a finger between them. "If you go alone, you'll turn an official promotion into a romantic scene. If I go with you, I maintain institutional dignity."
Rias pressed her lips together.
"I can maintain dignity on my own."
Akeno let out a short laugh.
"Of course you can. Just like yesterday."
Rias stayed silent for a full second and then uncrossed her arms, straightening her shoulders.
"You're doing this just to annoy me."
Akeno leaned her face a few centimeters closer.
"And you're doing this because you want to see his reaction first."
Rias didn't respond.
Akeno smiled more.
"So I was right."
Rias turned her face away for a moment and then back.
"Even if I do, that doesn't change anything. It's still my right."
Akeno touched her own chest with the tips of her fingers.
"Our right." She pointed toward the door. "I also want to see his face when he finds out he now has a permanent promotion and authorization to form a peerage."
Rias stepped forward again, closing the distance until the space was too small for either of them to pretend disinterest.
"Then we'll both go."
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"Both of us?" Her smile didn't fade. "I thought you wanted exclusivity."
"I want to make sure you don't try to get there first."
Akeno brought her hand to her mouth and laughed.
"So this is a race."
Rias extended her hand toward the door.
"No. It's damage control."
Akeno passed by her without touching, her shoulder almost brushing Rias's arm.
"Damage control for someone who already kissed the boy at the window?" She stopped at the door and turned half her face back. "That has another name."
Rias walked until she stood beside her.
"Keep talking like that and I'll tell him you want to ask him out."
Akeno's smile widened completely.
"Go ahead." She grabbed the doorknob. "Maybe I'll confirm it."
Rias narrowed her eyes for a moment, then pulled the door before Akeno could fully open it.
"I'll speak first."
Akeno let go of the doorknob without resistance.
"Then prove it."
The two left the club at the same pace, leaving no space between them, their rhythm steady down the main school corridor. Neither spoke for a few seconds, but the competition was fully there, in the length of their steps, in the adjustments of direction, in the attempt to gain half a step of advantage without making it look like it mattered.
When they turned the side staircase, Gasper appeared on the lower landing, going up with his bag over his shoulder and a straight posture. He stopped when he saw the two of them coming in the same line, and the silence lasted long enough for Akeno to tilt her body to the side with an almost innocent smile.
"Perfect." She clasped her hands behind her back. "We arrived at the same time."
Rias stepped forward first.
"Gasper, I need to tell you something."
Akeno stepped into the space before she could continue.
"We need to."
Rias turned her face toward her.
"I was talking."
Akeno shrugged.
"But I'm here too."
Gasper kept the bag on his shoulder and looked at both of them without moving a single muscle in his face.
"What happened."
Rias took a breath and lifted her chin.
"Your promotion has been officialized." She kept her eyes fixed on him. "It's no longer temporary. You are now, permanently, a high-class Devil."
Akeno tilted her head and added in the next instant.
"And it doesn't stop there." She brought two fingers to her own chin. "You've received preliminary authorization to form your own peerage whenever you want."
The corridor fell silent for a second.
Gasper adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
"I see."
Rias blinked once.
"You see?"
"Yes." He kept his posture. "Permanent title. Future right to a personal peerage."
Akeno stepped half a step closer, her eyes locked on his face.
"And that's your entire reaction?"
Gasper let out a breath through his nose.
"How should I react?"
Rias uncrossed her arms and stopped right in front of him.
"Like someone who just received something that changes his position in the underworld."
He kept his gaze on her.
"This changes responsibility. Real change starts after."
Akeno turned her face toward Rias and smiled.
"He really matches you. Receives huge news and responds like he just confirmed a meeting schedule."
Rias didn't take her eyes off Gasper.
"Even so, I was the one who told him first."
Akeno laughed softly.
"You were." She leaned her face near his shoulder for a moment and then stepped back. "But I completed the best part."
Rias finally turned to her.
"This wasn't a competition."
Akeno smiled.
"Of course not."
Gasper looked at one and then the other, then adjusted the bag again.
"If you're done, I'm going to put my things away before the club."
Rias stepped aside, but not before lightly touching his arm.
"Congratulations, Gasper."
Akeno did the same right after, her fingertips brushing the other side of his arm.
"Congratulations, really."
He nodded once and continued going up.
Rias and Akeno remained on the lower landing for a second, following the same direction until he turned the corridor.
"He didn't seem happy." The words came out before she thought too much, her eyes still fixed on the stairs.
Akeno leaned slightly against the railing, watching Rias in silence for a few seconds before responding.
"You expected another reaction." Her smile returned slowly as she analyzed her friend's face.
Rias finally looked away from the corridor and turned her face.
"He asked for this." She spoke more quietly, as if organizing her thoughts. "He was the one who asked for the promotion."
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe he's just not the type to celebrate by jumping around in the middle of the corridor."
Rias let out a breath through her nose.
"That's not it."
Akeno uncrossed her arms.
"Then what is it."
Rias didn't respond immediately.
The corridor above them remained silent.
Gasper's footsteps could no longer be heard.
Rias watched the stairs for a few more seconds before speaking again.
"He felt… distant."
Akeno tilted her head to the side.
"Distant?" she repeated slowly. "Or you were expecting something else."
Rias turned her face back.
"Something else like what."
Akeno took two steps until she stood exactly beside her.
"Like a kiss."
Rias stayed silent for a full second.
"He just received a huge promotion." Akeno brought her hand to her chin. "And you just told him."
Rias narrowed her eyes.
"So?"
Akeno opened a wider smile.
"So normally people celebrate."
Rias turned her entire body toward her.
"This is not a romantic comedy."
Akeno let out a low laugh.
"Isn't it?" She rested her elbow on the railing. "Because yesterday it looked like one."
Rias looked away for a moment.
"I'm serious."
Akeno leaned her face a few centimeters closer.
"So am I."
Rias crossed her arms again.
"You're trying to provoke me."
Akeno shrugged.
"Of course I am."
She raised a finger in the air.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you were expecting something." Her smile grew a little more. "Maybe him pulling you by the arm."
Akeno leaned closer.
"Or kissing you again in the middle of the stairs."
Rias immediately turned her face to the side.
"That has nothing to do with it."
Akeno brought her hand to her mouth to hide the laugh.
"It has everything to do with it."
Rias looked back at her.
"I'm worried about him."
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you are." She slowly crossed her arms. "Completely worried."
Rias stepped forward.
"You're pretending not to understand."
Akeno tilted her head.
"Then explain it to me."
Rias took a deep breath once before speaking.
"He asked for this promotion."
Akeno nodded.
"Yes."
"He fought to get here."
"Yes."
"Then why did he react like it was just another task."
Akeno watched her face in silence for a few seconds.
Then the smile returned.
"Because maybe he's not thinking about the promotion."
Rias frowned.
"Then about what."
Akeno leaned her face closer again.
"About you."
Rias didn't respond.
Akeno leaned forward slightly.
"Maybe he was expecting another reaction from you."
Rias blinked.
"From me?"
Akeno nodded.
"Yes." She raised two fingers. "You told him the news."
She raised a third finger.
"And then you just stood there looking at him."
Akeno leaned even closer.
"Maybe he was also expecting a kiss."
Rias opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out at first.
Akeno smiled wider.
"See."
Rias immediately turned her face away.
"That's ridiculous."
Akeno laughed.
"Is it?"
Rias looked back toward the corridor where Gasper had gone up.
"I'm worried."
"If you really liked Gasper, you'd also be worried."
Silence fell for a second.
Rias narrowed her eyes.
"You like him, don't you?"
Akeno brought her hand to her chest.
"I like to provoke."
She smiled.
"But I also genuinely like him."
Akeno pointed her thumb toward the corridor above.
"You should go check on him before he finishes putting his things away."
Rias looked at the stairs.
Then looked back at Akeno.
"You're not coming?"
Akeno smiled once more.
"No." She stepped back. "I want to see how far you go without my help."
Rias remained still for two seconds.
Then turned her body.
And began climbing the stairs.
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