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Rei Ao opened the door, and just as he had expected, there were three figures standing outside.

The short-haired girl in front jumped slightly in surprise upon seeing an unfamiliar man answering the door.

She tugged on Raphiel's sleeve and whispered, "Raphiel, didn't you say this was Gab-chan's house? Did we come to the wrong place?"

"No, this is indeed Gabriel's home," Raphiel replied, blinking with curiosity. "But why is Rei Ao here?"

"You know him?"

Rei Ao smiled and introduced himself. "I'm Rei Ao. I moved here a few days ago, and it turns out that Gabriel, or Tenma as I call her, is now my neighbor."

He explained briefly, then added, "Gabriel asked me to help with something just now. Please come in."

"Oh, okay!" The short-haired girl walked in and introduced herself, "Hello, Rei Ao, I'm Vignette April Tsukinose, a second-year transfer student at the academy."

She then pointed to the red-haired girl beside her, who was still staring blankly, and introduced her too. "And this is Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa, she and I come from the same place."

"Oh, Kurumizawa-san, I think I saw you the other morning."

"It was you!!!" Satanichia exclaimed excitedly, jumping up. She finally recognized him. No wonder he looked familiar—he was the one who helped her fend off the "ferocious beast" (a small dog) and even gave her some chips.

"Rei Ao, right? Quickly, become my servant! With your help, I, Satanichia, will surely become the most powerful demon!"

Satanichia eagerly extended what seemed to be an "invitation," though it looked more like a command.

"Huh?" Vignette panicked at Satanichia's open declaration of her demon identity—this was something humans weren't supposed to know. She quickly tried to cover it up. "Oh, Rei Ao, please don't mind her. Satanichia, um... she's just a bit of a chuuni."

Rei Ao chuckled lightly, "It seems you're not very good at lying, Vignette." He then turned to Raphiel with a knowing smile, "Tell me, Shiraha-san, is this kind of behavior common among demons in the underworld?"

Raphiel, her eyes full of amusement, shook her head. "No, it's quite rare. Satanichia is very... unique."

"Huh?" Vignette was confused, hearing the words "underworld" and "demons." She turned to Raphiel, seeking an explanation.

Raphiel smiled brightly, clearly enjoying the situation. "Oh, did I forget to mention? Rei Ao here is the first awakened human we're supposed to observe."

"What? He's the one we're supposed to be keeping an eye on?" Vignette was shocked, then turned to Satanichia with a questioning look. "You knew all along, Satania? And you didn't tell me?"

"Uh…" Satanichia looked utterly lost. She had no idea. However…

"Heh, heh!" Satanichia quickly recovered and puffed out her chest with pride. "Of course, I knew from the start. After all, I'm a future S-class demon. I can see through things like this in an instant!"

Raphiel, who couldn't resist teasing her further, chimed in, "Wow, Satania, you're amazing~"

Rei Ao couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Satanichia, who still had no idea she was being made fun of by the mischievous angel.

"By the way, where's Gabriel?" Vignette asked, not seeing their friend.

"Oh…" Rei Ao called out to the bedroom, "Tenma, your friends are here waiting for you."

A flurry of activity could be heard from the bedroom, followed by Gabriel stumbling out, her hair in a disheveled mess.

"Hmm?" Raphiel immediately noticed something off. "Gabriel, your halo looks a bit dim."

"D-dim?" Gabriel, clearly flustered, reached up and quickly pulled off her halo, giving it a wipe on her shirt before placing it back on her head. Instantly, it shone brightly again.

Seeing this, Rei Ao couldn't help but mentally applaud Gabriel's ability to make her halo sparkle just by wiping it down.

'Classic Gabriel,' he thought.

"Ha ha, you must have just seen it wrong, Raphiel. There was a little dust on it, that's all," Gabriel deflected, clearly hoping to move past the topic quickly. "Anyway, have you all introduced yourselves?"

"Yes, we've already mentioned that Rei Ao is the awakened one," Vignette replied, relieved that they had already smoothed things over. "We were sent by the underworld to observe Rei Ao, but it's not like we're spying on you or anything. I hope you don't mind."

Rei Ao waved it off. "It's fine. Shiraha-san and Tenma have already explained everything. As long as there's no weird conspiracy, I don't mind."

Just then, Raphiel had an idea. "Since we're all supposed to observe Rei Ao, why don't we all move in together?"

"What?!" The others were shocked.

Raphiel explained her reasoning with a grin. "It would make it easier to observe him if we're close by. I noticed this apartment still has rooms available. There's a two-bedroom option, and we can split it—two to a room. It'll save on rent and living expenses."

"Living expenses!" Vignette's interest was piqued. Her finances were tight, and even though performing minor "bad deeds" could boost her rank and earnings, she wasn't any good at it. Sharing rent would be a lifesaver.

"I'm in!" Vignette said eagerly.

"Me too!" Satanichia raised her hands in agreement, her goals being twofold: first, to defeat the angels, and second, to make Rei Ao her loyal servant. If she accomplished both, she'd be one step closer to becoming an S-class demon!

"Ha ha ha!" Just imagining her future glory, Satanichia burst into laughter.

"…." Rei Ao sighed, feeling that Satanichia might just trip herself up.

"I, uh…" Gabriel hesitated, knowing that if they all moved in together, her gaming habits would be exposed. But Raphiel didn't give her a chance to object.

"Great! I'll share with Gabriel, and Vignette can room with Satanichia. It's the weekend, so we can move in right away."

Faced with Raphiel's smiling face, Gabriel was speechless.

Vignette turned to Rei Ao. "Rei Ao, could you help us pick a room?"

"Sure, I just moved in recently, but I can help you look."

"That would be wonderful!"

As Rei Ao led them to check out the rooms, Gabriel lagged behind, thinking only about getting back to her game.

…

On the other side, Mai Sakurajima stood in front of her family home, gazing at the familiar yet somewhat foreign house. She hesitated to go in. Mai didn't want to face her mother—she even harbored a sense of loathing toward her. It all stemmed from something that happened when she was thirteen.

Mai had started her career as a child star and had gained significant fame. Her mother, acting as her manager, had capitalized on numerous advertisement opportunities, earning a great deal of money. However, when Mai was thirteen, her mother arranged a commercial shoot for a swimsuit photobook.

Upon hearing about it, Mai, realizing how inappropriate it was, firmly refused, even going so far as to threaten self-harm to stop it. Her mother eventually relented, canceling the job and paying a hefty penalty fee for breaching the contract. From that moment on, Mai came to understand that her mother had become trapped in the pursuit of money and wealth, becoming increasingly greedy and self-centered.

That was the first time Mai felt the urge to escape. Perhaps it was around that time she began avoiding attention, no longer wanting to be seen. Thankfully, when she dressed as a bunny girl, Rei Ao had found her. Otherwise, the person known as Mai Sakurajima might have soon disappeared from the world entirely.

The thought of this brought a relieved smile to Mai's face, giving her the courage to move forward. She stepped up and rang the doorbell.

"Ding dong!"

Before long, the door opened. Standing there was a woman with sleek black hair, elegantly dressed in business attire. She glanced outside but saw no one, furrowing her brow slightly in annoyance. "Is this some kind of prank?"

She failed to notice Mai standing just a step away from her.

"As I thought…" Mai felt deeply disappointed. Even her own mother couldn't see her. She had suspected as much. Her mother hadn't called her once since she'd been away, likely having forgotten her entirely. The moment she had activated the recognition spell she received from Rei Ao, enabling her to be seen again, was probably when her mother finally remembered she existed.

As her mother, thinking it was a prank, started to close the door, Mai restored her visibility and grabbed the door before it could shut. In a quiet voice, she said, "Mom."

"!!"

Her mother's body stiffened at the familiar voice. When she turned around and saw Mai, a flash of excitement lit up her eyes. "Mai!"

Her excitement wasn't born from motherly affection, but rather…

"You've rested long enough. It's time for you to return to the entertainment industry. I've already planned everything out. I'm certain that your comeback will be even more successful than before."

She tried to pull Mai inside the house, but Mai stopped her with a firm response.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I don't want to return to the entertainment industry."

"What… did you say?" Mai's mother froze for a moment, her excitement quickly turning cold.

"Mai, don't joke with me."

But Mai spoke earnestly, "I'm not joking, Mom. I've found someone I love. I don't want to be bothered by the entertainment world anymore."

"We don't need money. I plan to marry him, become his wife, and have a family with him."

As Mai spoke, her expression softened with genuine emotion, a side of her her mother had never seen before.

Her mother suddenly realized that Mai was serious.

'Who is it?' she wondered, desperately wanting to know who had "deceived" her daughter. She knew that Mai's future potential wasn't something just anyone could grasp. She couldn't stand by and let Mai waste that potential.

But remembering how, at thirteen, Mai had threatened her own life, her mother hesitated to push too hard.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "Could I meet your boyfriend?"

In case Mai refused, she quickly added, "As a mother, of course."

"This…" Mai was surprised by her mother's sudden change in attitude. She never expected her mother to agree so easily. However, she was still too naive.

Her mother hadn't truly changed. She only wanted to meet the man, intending to use money to drive him away. She couldn't believe there was a problem money couldn't solve.

Mai, not thinking too deeply about it, was excited at the thought. If her mother could give her blessing, it would bring her joy.

"I'll discuss it with Rei Ao first," she said, still prioritizing his feelings above all.

"Rei Ao…" Her mother narrowed her eyes, already beginning to form a plan in her mind. For now, she decided to keep Mai at home and probe her for more information.

…

Time passed, and it was already dusk.

"Goodbye, Gab-chan, Rei Ao."

"See you tomorrow."

"Hmph, just wait, Rei Ao! I will definitely make you submit to me."

"Satania, don't be so rude."

Vignette and her two companions bid farewell to Rei Ao. With his help, they had successfully rented an apartment on the same floor as him. During this time, they had become friends and changed the way they addressed each other.

It wasn't until their figures disappeared into the distance that Gabriel finally lowered her waving hand.

"Phew~"

She let out a long breath.

"Finally, they're gone. I need to hurry back and save the kingdom!"

Seeing Gabriel so eager to return to her game, Rei Ao couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Well, I'll be heading back too."

"Wait, Vignette left you a thank-you gift. Don't forget to take it."

...

Carrying a large bag of pastries, Rei Ao felt slightly exasperated.

"She gave me quite a lot."

It seemed Vignette had bought quite a bit. After thinking for a moment, he decided to share some with Yukino.

"This is a gift in return."

Yukino accepted the gift and, after a pause, said, "Thank you." She then asked curiously, "Rei Ao, are you close with the new transfer student, Gabriel?"

She had a good memory and could recall the names of all the students in school. Naturally, she knew about the recently talked-about transfer students.

"Not exactly close, but we've come to understand each other's identities quite well."

Yukino found this response vague and wanted to ask more.

"Rei Ao?"

Mai had returned.

"And this is...?"

Seeing Rei Ao talking to a beautiful girl with long black hair, Mai approached them.

"You're back, Mai."

Rei Ao remained calm and introduced them. "Let me introduce you. This is our new neighbor and also a third-year student at our school, Yukino Yukinoshita."

"Yukino..."

Mai seemed to recognize her name.

"Hello, I'm Mai Sakurajima."

After introducing herself, she added with a smile, "I'm Rei Ao's girlfriend."

Faced with such a beautiful girl, Mai couldn't help but feel a slight sense of jealousy.

Jealousy or not, Rei Ao didn't mind. To him, it was a good thing, as it showed that Mai had a possessive desire for him. It also meant that if they ever wanted to try something a bit more adventurous, it might be easier to ask for.

However, Yukino was completely taken aback. 'He has a girlfriend?'

Then what about the rumor she had heard about Rei Ao confessing to their teacher, Hiratsuka-sensei?

"By the way, Rei Ao, I have something to discuss with you."

Mai seemed eager, so Rei Ao said goodbye to Yukino and went inside with Mai.

"..."

Yukino watched their backs as they left, her mind racing with a realization.

'Are they living together?!'

Meanwhile, after listening to Mai's explanation, Rei Ao didn't show any excitement. Instead, he furrowed his brows.

Noticing his unusual expression, Mai grew worried and asked, "Is this situation troubling you, Rei Ao? If it's too much, then..."

"No."

Rei Ao held her hand, interrupting her. "You're overthinking it. It's not troubling me."

"I'm just thinking that your mother doesn't seem like she genuinely wants to support us."

"Huh?"

Mai was confused.

"Then why would my mother want to meet you?"

Rei Ao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suspect she wants to get to me directly and convince me to leave you. For instance... by offering money."

"…"

With things spelled out this clearly, Mai would be foolish not to understand.

"She... hasn't changed at all."

Thinking back to their conversation, Mai realized that her mother had indeed been trying to probe information about Rei Ao.

~~~

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