A notification came to Mitarai's smartphone from Rias, who had told him to drop the honorifics and just call her by her name, so on Saturday afternoon, he visited her apartment building, where she lived.
He now knew why she lived alone, so he wasn't as nervous as he had been the first time.
Ever since the day they lost their virginity, they had been having sex every Wednesday and Saturday in the clubroom and at Rias's house. Of course, it was always raw.
It was only possible because she was a devil; the thought of what would happen if she were human like him sent a slight shiver down his spine.
He rang the bell, but there was no response for a while. 'Maybe she's out somewhere?' But checking the time, he was 10 minutes early.
He didn't think she'd do something like that, but...
After waiting for a moment, feeling a bit dumbfounded, the door opened somewhat modestly. The face that peered out from behind the door wasn't Rias, who had summoned him, but Akeno Himejima.
She was one of the academy's two big sisters, rivaling Rias, and her popularity even surpassed Rias's in some aspects.
Rumors at school said she was even kinder and more caring than Rias, apparently accepting love consultations and other things after school. In other words, she was a good listener, he supposed.
She wasn't wearing the uniform he saw at school, but rather a light pink cardigan over a plain white shirt. Her glossy black hair was tied in a ponytail, her usual style.
"Uh, why is Himejima-senpai at Rias's house? Were you invited too, Senpai?"
"Yes, Rias invited me as well. She's out shopping right now, so come in and wait."
Takashi was led inside by her. Having visited numerous times, Rias's home was already familiar territory.
Even her sweet scent, which had been overwhelming in every sense the first time he inhaled it, was now something he was completely accustomed to.
Upon entering the living room, he was told to take a seat at the table. Despite being a guest himself, Akeno, for some reason, brought out food.
Mitarai was naturally confused, but she, perhaps reading his confusion from his expression, laughed and explained.
It seemed Rias had invited him today to have him try some food, and she had apparently gone quite far to buy ingredients. It seemed she'd left a message saying that the food Akeno had made shouldn't go to waste by getting cold, so he should go ahead and eat.
Takashi did notice that Akeno was wearing a smile that was a little too broad for the situation.
He promptly started on the food that was brought out. According to stories, Himejima Akeno was the daughter of a shrine family.
Rias had said that her appearance in a miko outfit was magnificent, carrying not a sense of cosplay but the aura of a true professional. He had also heard she had a domestic personality and was a good cook. True to that, the dishes she brought were all Japanese cuisine.
"Mmm, it's delicious. Wow, it feels like it's been forever since I had home-cooked food."
"Oh? Don't you live with your parents, Mitarai-kun?"
"No, I live alone now. When I started high school, I begged my parents to let me live by myself, so I'm renting an apartment near the school. I do cook for myself, but since I'm not used to it, I often end up with pre-made side dishes or eating out."
"That will throw your nutrition off balance. Hmm~, since we've met like this today, it must be fate. If it's alright with you, Mitarai-kun, shall I make you lunch boxes?"
"Huh? That's too much. Besides, if I get a lunch box from a beautiful girl like you, Senpai, it'll start rumors at school. Even if I'm okay with it, it would cause trouble for you, Senpai."
"Fufu, I don't mind at all. I'm used to people talking. It's just me making you a lunch box. We're not doing anything we should feel guilty about, so it's fine."
"Eh... Ah—, well, in that case, I'll take you up on that offer another time."
"Yes! I'll do my best."
He continued eating while listening to her talk. It seemed she had already finished her meal, as she was drinking green tea. That reminded him.
"I heard the circumstances from Rias, but... Senpai, you're also a... devil, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Though I'm not a pure devil like Rias. I'm what's called a Reincarnated Devil, someone who became a devil from being human. Have you heard about that?"
"Yes. I heard it's something created to increase the total number of devils since their population was declining... right?"
"That's right. It's a bit of a mixed bag, though it sounds strange for me to say it myself. While I was blessed with a King like Rias, if I had been made part of a literal demon's peerage, it would have been terrible. I'd be forced to do unpleasant things, and my life might even be in danger."
"Whoa... Being a devil sounds tough, too."
Even after he finished his meal, Rias hadn't returned.
'Just how far had she gone to buy ingredients?'
The moment he excused himself to Akeno to go to the bathroom, it happened.
A heavy thump pulsed through his heart. His legs wobbled unsteadily, and he collapsed onto the floor. His heart pounded violently, ba-bump, ba-bump, and his breathing became ragged.
Mitarai's body grew hot as if he had a fever, and his thoughts gradually became incoherent.
"Fufu, it seems the effect is finally showing."
"Sen... pai?"
"It's your own fault, you know... For making Rias so joyful... So I must have you too."
With a strength unimaginable for a woman—perhaps because she was a devil—Akeno lifted him up. Even as a man, being carried princess-style was just embarrassing.
Mitarai was carried in that manner into Rias's bedroom. 'Just why had Senpai brought him here?'
To nurse him? No, that couldn't be. Judging from her earlier words, it seemed she had put some kind of drug in his lunch.
'If so, what is her goal?' His thoughts were too scrambled to form a proper idea.
"Ara ara~, you have a rather sturdy build, don't you? I suppose, being a man, you've done some training."
A seductive smile, one meant to seduce a man, played on her lips as she approached him lying on the bed. The jacket he had been wearing was pushed up, exposing his upper torso for her to see.
In his mind, Mitarai had always thought of Akeno as a different kind of beauty than Rias—equal in level, but refined in a more traditional way. A Yamato Nadeshiko, elegant and serene.
But that persona was nowhere to be found…
>>><<<<
More chapters available at: https://ko-fi.c@m/ereh_kun
12 chapters await you at: ko-fi.com/ereh_kun