Ren lay on his front across the couch, half naked with his shirt tossed carelessly over the nearby chair.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the clubroom window, casting a warm glow across the room as a gentle breeze drifted inside.
Souna sat atop his legs, a small bottle of massage oil resting on the table beside her.
She poured a little into her hands before rubbing them together and pressing them against his back.
The scent of lavender quickly filled the room.
It was something she kept in stock.
Just in case they ended up making another bet.
Considering her current losing streak.
It had become a surprisingly worthwhile investment.
She carefully worked her hands across his shoulders, applying just enough pressure to loosen the tense muscles beneath her fingertips.
Ren was practically grinning.
It felt really good.
At this point.
She was practically a professional after the many times she’d lost.
“You’ve gotten better,” Ren commented lazily as she worked another knot out of his shoulder.
Souna sighed.
“I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or an insult.”
“Take it however you want.”
She simply rolled her eyes before continuing.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
The only sounds inside the room were the occasional creak of the couch and the soft movements of Souna’s hands.
Eventually…”How did you get so good at chess?” she suddenly asked, genuinely curious.
Ren rested his cheek against his folded arms.
“I’m just good at predicting your moves.”
Souna paused for a second.
“Huh?” She tilted her head slightly.
“How do you do that?” A suspicious look appeared on her face.
“Can you see into the future or something?”
Ren smiled faintly.
“Something like that.” He closed his eyes again.
“Now keep massaging.”
Souna frowned.”…You’re unbelievable.”
Still, she did as instructed.
If anything, she increased the pressure slightly out of spite.
Ren let out a satisfied hum.
“That’s better.”
“Hmph.”
Soon, they were done.
Ren slowly sat up, stretching his arms above his head while feeling every bit of tension leave his body.
“That was nice.”
Souna, meanwhile, sat beside him with her arms folded and a noticeable frown on her face.
She still couldn’t believe she’d lost again.
Ren grabbed his shirt before casually putting it back on.
As he buttoned it.
“Are you busy after school?” he suddenly asked.
Souna blinked.
“Huh?” The unexpected question caught her completely off guard.
“No…” She looked away slightly.
“I don’t think so.”
A faint blush had already begun forming on her cheeks.
“Cool.”
Ren finished fixing his uniform before looking at her.
“Let’s go on a date.”
He said it so casually it almost sounded like he was asking her to help with homework.
“Maybe grab some ice cream or something.”
The blush on Souna’s face deepened instantly.
For a brief moment.
Her mind completely stopped working.
“A…
a date?”
Before she could properly respond, Ren continued speaking as though he’d already reached a conclusion.
“I’ll meet you at the front gates after school.”
He turned around and casually began walking toward the door.
“W-Wait, Ren—”
But he was already leaving.
The door clicked shut behind him without him even bothering to hear her answer.
Souna remained seated quietly inside the room for several moments afterward, her face completely red as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
A date…With Ren.
The more she imagined it…
The warmer her cheeks became.
Eventually, she let out a small sigh before carefully packing away the chess pieces and placing the board back inside the cabinet.
After regaining her composure as best she could, Souna adjusted her glasses, took one final deep breath, and returned to class…Pretending nothing had happened.
Unfortunately for Ren, returning to class did not go smoothly at all.
The moment he walked through the classroom door, the teacher stopped mid-lecture and slowly turned toward him with a terrifyingly calm expression.
The room instantly went silent.
Even the students who had been whispering among themselves quickly faced forward.
Everyone knew that look.
Someone was about to suffer.
“Mr.
Amamiya,” the teacher said while adjusting his glasses.
“How kind of you to finally bless us with your presence.”
Ren stopped just inside the doorway.
“…Morning.”
The teacher’s eye twitched.
“It is the afternoon.”
“…Afternoon, then sir”
Several students snorted, quickly covering their mouths.
The teacher took a slow, deep breath before pointing toward the back of the classroom.
“I assume you have an excellent explanation for disappearing for over an hour.”
Ren thought about it.
“…I got lost.”
“Inside the school you’ve attended for over a year?”
“…”
“…You’d be surprised Sir at , how huge this school is.”
A chorus of laughter spread throughout the classroom.
Ren immediately knew…He was finished.
A few moments later, he found himself at the back of the classroom doing squats while several students struggled not to laugh at him.
“Lower.”
Ren sighed deeply before squatting further.
“Lower.”
He went down another few centimeters.
“Your thighs should be parallel to the floor.”
“…Yes, sir.”
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Rias trying very hard not to smile.
Akeno wasn’t doing much better.
She had already covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders trembling from holding back laughter.
The rest of the class wasn’t nearly as polite.
“Pfft…”
“He got caught.”
“I can’t believe he actually said he got lost.”
Ren continued doing squats with the enthusiasm of someone serving a prison sentence.
‘When do I graduate?’ He let out another long sigh.
‘I seriously hate school.’ .School eventually ended, finally freeing Ren from what he considered a daily prison sentence.
The final bell echoed throughout Kuoh Academy, immediately filling the hallways with chatter as students packed their bags and rushed out of their classrooms.
Clubs began gathering their members outside while others hurried home before sunset.
As promised, Souna waited for him near the front gates.
She stood there elegantly with her school bag resting neatly against her side, patiently watching the students leave the academy.
Her short black hair swayed gently in the evening breeze while the setting sun reflected softly off her glasses.
Naturally, she drew attention from countless male students passing by.
“Isn’t that Shitori-san?”
“She’s so beautiful…”
“Should I go talk to her?”
“Nah, I’d embarrass myself.”
Yet despite all the glances directed toward her, Souna ignored everyone else the moment Ren approached.
“You actually came,” she said.
“I suggested it.
So of course I’d come.” He shrugged casually.
Without saying much else, the two quietly began walking through Kuoh Town together.
The atmosphere between them felt surprisingly comfortable.
Neither of them felt pressured to constantly fill the silence.
Sometimes they’d talk.
Sometimes they’d simply enjoy walking beside one another.
They eventually found a small ice cream shop near the shopping district.
Or rather…
Souna paid.
Not because Ren was broke.
He simply enjoyed making rich girls spend money on him.
A habit he had absolutely no intention of fixing.
“You know…” Souna said while taking a small bite of her ice cream.
“One of these days you should pay.”
Ren looked at her with complete seriousness.
“I did pat.”
She blinked.
“…When?”
“I paid with my presence.”
“…”
“…”
“You’re unbelievable, you know that”
“So I’ve been told.”
The two of them continued strolling peacefully through the nearby park while talking casually about random things.
Occasionally they spoke about school, sometimes about books, and every now and then Souna would complain about losing another chess match.
Students passed by from time to time while the evening breeze rustled gently through the trees.
Children laughed near the fountain as couples walked along the pathways, enjoying the pleasant weather.
Eventually, they passed near the fountain area.
The exact same place where Ren had killed the Fallen Angel the previous night.
His expression didn’t change even slightly.
Not a hint of guilt.
Only calm indifference.
‘If I didn’t kill her…’
His gaze briefly lingered on the spot where the body had fallen.
‘…she would’ve eventually tried killing me.’
The supernatural world wasn’t kind.
Mercy wasn’t always rewarded.
Hesitation got people killed.
He had accepted that long ago.
As time passed, the sky slowly darkened while the sun disappeared beneath the horizon.
The brilliant orange sky gradually gave way to deep shades of purple and blue as streetlights flickered to life one after another, bathing the park in a warm amber glow.
Eventually, Ren stopped walking.
“I should get going,” he said casually.
Souna looked at him in surprise.”Hm?
So soon?”
Ren slowly turned toward her.
For a brief moment.
Neither of them spoke.
Before Souna could properly react, Ren took a single step closer.
His hand gently reached forward.
He lightly lifted her chin.
Souna’s violet eyes widened slightly behind her glasses.
Her heartbeat instantly quickened.
“R-Ren…?”
She barely managed to whisper his name.
Then…He kissed her, directly on the lips.
Souna’s mind went completely blank.
Every coherent thought vanished in an instant.
Her eyes remained wide open from pure shock.
Yet despite everything…She didn’t push him away.
Several long seconds passed before Ren slowly pulled back.
He smiled as though he’d done something completely ordinary.
“See you Monday, Souna.”
He slipped both hands into his pockets.
Then casually turned around and began walking away.
Leaving behind a completely stunned Souna.
She stood there motionless beneath the evening lights, her face burning a deep shade of red while her heart pounded uncontrollably inside her chest.
“…”
Slowly, Almost absentmindedly.
Her fingers rose to touch her lips.
They were still warm.
She could still feel the kiss.
Meanwhile…
Ren had already disappeared down the street, blending into the evening crowd as though nothing unusual had happened.
Peace