The training hall echoed with the clash of wooden swords as Yuto barely managed to block Alice's strike.
He had sparred with her plenty of times before, but something about today felt… different.
Alice's usual light and controlled movements were replaced with something sharper, more aggressive.
She stepped in fast, her attacks relentless, forcing Yuto on the defensive.
"Whoa, Alice—"
He ducked under a swipe aimed at his head, only to have to jump back as she followed up with a quick thrust.
"Are you trying to take my head off or something?"
Alice huffed, gripping her wooden sword tightly.
"You can handle it," she shot back, her eyes locked onto him with a determination that made Yuto feel strangely uneasy.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but she seemed… frustrated.
Another swing came at him, faster than before.
Yuto barely managed to parry, the impact sending a dull sting through his arms.
"Okay, seriously," Yuto said, stepping back to put some distance between them.
"Did I do something to make you mad? Or is this just 'beat up Yuto' day?"
Alice exhaled sharply, tightening her grip.
"You're always acting like things don't bother you," she muttered, shifting into a stance.
"Like you can just brush everything off, like none of this matters"
Yuto blinked, caught off guard.
"What?"
Alice didn't respond.
Instead, she lunged again.
This time, Yuto didn't just defend; he countered.
Twisting his body, he sidestepped her attack and aimed a quick strike toward her side.
Alice, however, blocked it, but the force sent her stumbling back.
She clicked her tongue in frustration.
Yuto straightened up, lowering his wooden sword slightly.
"Alice… is this about Lilith?"
Her grip on the sword tightened, just for a moment.
"Tch. Why would it be?" she muttered, looking away.
Yuto sighed.
He wasn't great at reading emotions, but even he could tell something was off.
"Look, if you have something to say, just say it," Yuto told her.
Alice's lips pressed into a thin line.
For a moment, he thought she might actually answer.
But instead, she lunged again.
This time, Yuto didn't hold back.
He dodged, pivoted, and brought his sword up in one swift move just as Alice overextended.
He lightly tapped her shoulder with the tip of his weapon.
"…Point," he said, lowering his sword.
Alice clicked her tongue again, stepping back.
She ran a hand through her hair, looking somewhere past him as if debating something.
Yuto tilted his head.
"Alice?"
Finally, she sighed.
"Forget it," she muttered, turning away.
"Let's just call it a day"
Yuto frowned, watching her as she grabbed her towel and wiped off the sweat from their match.
She had barely taken a step away when Yuto moved without thinking.
Before she could react, his arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into a firm but gentle embrace.
She froze.
"Alice," Yuto murmured, resting his chin lightly against her shoulder.
"I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but…"
He hesitated, searching for the right words.
"You don't have to keep everything bottled up, you know?"
Alice's breath hitched, and she didn't respond for a moment.
Yuto could feel how her body tensed against him, how her hands gripped the fabric of her training uniform tightly.
Then, after what felt like forever, she let out a small sigh.
"…You're an idiot," she muttered, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
Yuto chuckled.
"Yeah, I get that a lot"
Alice exhaled again, this time softer.
Slowly, she reached up and placed a hand over Yuto's, her fingers brushing against his.
"…You're really annoying, Yuto," she mumbled.
"But you still like me anyway, right?" Yuto teased.
Alice stiffened.
"T-That's—"
She quickly cleared her throat, shaking her head.
"Whatever. Let go already"
Yuto smirked but complied, releasing her from his hold.
As soon as he did, Alice turned to face him, arms crossed, but her cheeks were tinted a faint pink.
Yuto tilted his head.
"You okay now?"
Alice huffed.
"…I'll be fine"
But Yuto wasn't convinced.
Still, he knew better than to push her too much.
"Alright," he said, stretching his arms.
"Just don't take out your frustrations on me next time, okay? I like having all my limbs intact"
Alice rolled her eyes but smirked slightly.
"No promises"
Yuto sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
Even if she wouldn't say it, he had a feeling she appreciated the gesture.
Library
Yuto sat across from Reika in the library, flipping through his textbook as he tried to focus.
"So," Reika suddenly said, her voice light yet amused.
"I heard some interesting rumors about you today"
Yuto, half-distracted, hummed.
"Huh? What kind of rumors?"
Reika rested her chin in her hand, watching him with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"That you're quite the womanizer"
Yuto froze mid-page.
"…What?" he asked, blinking in disbelief.
Reika smirked.
"Apparently, you've been seen getting very close with multiple girls"
"There's Alice, of course. And now me. Oh, and let's not forget the stunning new student, Lilith, who mysteriously clings to you like you're some lost lover"
Yuto's eyes twitched.
"That—that's completely ridiculous!" He pointed at her.
"We're literally just studying! That doesn't make me a womanizer!"
Reika chuckled.
"That's exactly what a womanizer would say"
Yuto groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Oh, come on! This is so unfair. I'm just trying to live a normal life, and somehow, I get labeled as a playboy?"
Reika pretended to think.
"Well, you are rather popular. Girls confess to you almost every day, don't they?"
"That's not my fault!" Yuto exclaimed, exasperated.
Reika simply smiled.
"Relax, I'm only teasing"
Yuto slumped forward, groaning again.
"You're evil"
Reika giggled softly, flipping a page in her book.
"Maybe just a little"
Still muttering under his breath, Yuto tried to refocus on his studying.
But now, he couldn't shake the ridiculous image of himself as some smooth-talking heartbreaker.
Seriously, how did his life become this complicated?
Two Hours Later
After a long, exhausting study session, Yuto finally made it back to his dorm.
He sighed as he reached for the doorknob, still grumbling about the ridiculous womanizer rumors.
"Unbelievable," he muttered.
"Next thing you know, they'll say I have a secret harem or something"
Shaking his head, he opened the door—
And immediately froze.
Sitting on his bed, casually flipping through one of his books like she owned the place, was none other than Lilith.
Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders as she reclined with effortless grace.
She had changed into a more casual outfit if one could call a dangerously short nightgown casual.
One leg was lazily crossed over the other, her eyes scanning the pages with mild interest.
She barely spared him a glance.
"Welcome back, darling"
Yuto's brain short-circuited.
"H-HOLD ON—!"
He quickly slammed the door shut behind him, checking the hallway in case anyone had seen her.
Once convinced he wasn't about to get another set of rumors started, he turned back to Lilith, his face already heating up.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" he demanded.
Lilith finally looked up at him, tilting her head with an amused smirk.
"Well, I was waiting for you, but you took forever. So, I made myself comfortable"
She patted the bed beside her.
"Come. Let's get cozy"
Yuto took a step back as if she had just pulled a knife on him.
"Absolutely not!"
Lilith let out a melodious laugh, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"You're adorable when you panic, you know that?"
Yuto pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress the headache forming.
"That's not an answer, Lilith. Why are you in my room?"
Lilith stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn before smirking.
"You and I have a contract now, don't we? That means we're bound together. And since I have nowhere else to stay, it only makes sense that I live here"
"With you"
Yuto paled.
"Excuse me?!"
She shrugged.
"It's either this or I sleep in the hallway. And I doubt your precious Alice would like that"
Yuto groaned, already feeling another headache coming.
"This is insane…"
Lilith gave him an innocent look.
"Would you prefer if I summoned a demonic portal and made a den in the middle of campus instead?"
"Don't even joke about that," Yuto grumbled.
Lilith chuckled, clearly amused by his suffering.
"Then it's settled. I'll be living here from now on"
Yuto stared at her, at a complete loss for words.
He let out a long, suffering sigh as he rubbed his temples.
"Okay, no. Absolutely not. You cannot just decide to live here"
Lilith gave him a knowing smirk.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it?"
Yuto opened his mouth—only to immediately close it.
He glanced around his tiny dorm room, then at Lilith, who looked entirely too comfortable lounging on his bed.
"…I'll tell the school," he finally said, crossing his arms.
Lilith arched her brow, unimpressed.
"Oh? And what will you say? 'Excuse me, but there's a demon general illegally squatting in my dorm room?'"
Yuto groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
She had a point.
There was no way he could explain this without looking insane.
Lilith laughed at his frustration, clearly enjoying every second of it.
"Face it, darling. You're stuck with me"
Yuto glared at her.
"Stop calling me that"
She ignored him, stretching lazily.
"You're free to sleep on the floor if you like. But I am a generous demon, so I'll allow you to share the bed"
Yuto nearly choked.
"You're out of your mind!"
Lilith smirked.
"Am I? We already did last night, didn't we?"
Yuto's face turned red.
"T-That was different! That was a one-time thing!"
Lilith hummed.
"Mmm, sure"
Yuto groaned, realizing there was no winning with her.
He turned away, ruffling his hair in frustration.
"Fine! Fine! Do whatever you want! But you explain this if Alice or anyone else finds out!"
Lilith grinned.
"Of course"
Yuto didn't believe her for a second.
With another defeated sigh, he grabbed some spare blankets and tossed them on the floor.
If he had to suffer, at least he could keep some distance.
But as he laid down, staring at the ceiling, he had a sinking feeling that his peaceful school life was officially over.
The Next Morning
Yuto decided to clear his head with a workout.
He had dragged his small set of weights to the middle of the room, doing a few sets while trying to ignore the literal demon lounging on his bed.
Lilith was fully absorbed in one of his novels, her eyes scanning the pages with amusement.
Every now and then, she'd let out a soft chuckle or an outright laugh, clearly enjoying herself.
Yuto stole a glance at her between reps and that's when he noticed it.
Each time she laughed, even just a little, a pair of sleek, curved horns would briefly appear on her head before fading away again.
He lowered the weights, pretending to adjust his grip, but his focus was entirely on those horns.
'Interesting…'
His curiosity only grew as he watched her, but he knew if he asked directly, she'd probably mess with him.
So, he tried a different approach.
Clearing his throat, he casually asked, "Hey, uh… do demons have any, you know… sensitive spots?"
Lilith turned a page, not even looking up.
"Of course. We have enhanced senses compared to humans. Some demons have heightened touch, some have sharper hearing and others—"
"I meant you specifically," Yuto interrupted, keeping his tone as nonchalant as possible.
That got her attention.
She lowered the book just enough to peer at him with a sly smirk.
"Oh? Why so curious, darling?"
Yuto wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to play it cool.
"No reason. Just… research"
Lilith raised a brow, clearly not buying it.
"Uh-huh"
Yuto took a deep breath.
"Okay, fine. I noticed your horns show up when you laugh. And, uh… I was kinda wondering… could I…?"
Lilith's smirk widened.
"Could you do what?"
Yuto averted his gaze, mumbling under his breath, "Could I touch them?"
There was a moment of silence.
Then—
Lilith burst out laughing, her horns flickering back into existence.
"Oh, Yuto," she teased, wiping a fake tear from her eye.
"If you wanted to touch me so badly, you should've just said so"
Yuto's face burned.
"That is not what I meant!"
She giggled, sitting up and tapping one of her horns.
"These?"
He nodded quickly, still trying to act like this was no big deal.
Lilith hummed, pretending to think it over.
Then, with a slow, amused smirk, she leaned forward.
"I suppose I could allow it. But you should know—demon horns are very… intimate"
Yuto stiffened.
"What does that mean?"
Lilith's smirk widened.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Yuto hesitated.
He wasn't sure if she was messing with him or if this was actually some big deal in demon culture.
Still, curiosity was killing him.
With a sigh, he cautiously reached forward, brushing his fingers against one of her horns.
It was surprisingly smooth, almost like polished obsidian.
A strange warmth pulsed beneath his touch, sending a shiver down his spine.
Lilith, for once, didn't say anything.
She simply watched him, her usual teasing expression replaced by something more unreadable.
Yuto swallowed.
"So… uh. Not bad?"
Lilith tilted her head slightly, letting him continue for a moment longer before pulling back with a smirk.
"Careful, darling. Keep that up, and I might start thinking you're interested"
Yuto immediately pulled his hand away, clearing his throat.
"R-Right. That's enough research for today"
Lilith just laughed, stretching lazily.
"Shame. I was almost enjoying that"
He groaned, standing up and grabbing a towel.
"I'm gonna go shower. Don't touch my stuff while I'm gone"
Lilith waved him off, already back to flipping through his novel.
But as Yuto walked toward the bathroom, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just crossed some kind of invisible line.
And with Lilith, that was probably going to come back to haunt him.
30 Minutes Later
Yuto let out a long sigh, steam still clinging to his skin as he stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist.
He grabbed another towel to dry his hair, muttering to himself about how much trouble Lilith was already causing.
Just as he lifted his head, he froze.
Standing by the sink, casually inspecting one of his bottles of shampoo, was Lilith.
In his bathroom.
Wearing nothing but his towel.
While he had nothing but a towel around his waist.
Yuto's brain short-circuited.
Lilith, completely unfazed, tilted her head.
"Huh. So this is what you humans use? Smells nice"
She took a deep sniff of the bottle.
Yuto nearly choked.
"W-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"
Lilith blinked at him, entirely calm.
"I'm going to use your shower, obviously"
"WHY?!"
She smirked.
"Well, I did sleep here last night, didn't I? I figured I might as well make use of your amenities"
Yuto turned a deep shade of red.
"Y-You can't just—! That's—! You—!"
Lilith raised a brow.
"Oh? Are you embarrassed? That's adorable"
Yuto clenched his fists, trying to focus on literally anything else before his brain completely imploded.
"J-Just—get ready! We have class!"
Lilith chuckled, stepping past him with deliberate slowness.
"Fine, fine. But next time, maybe you should invite me instead of acting all flustered"
Yuto nearly passed out.
—
By the time they reached class, Yuto had barely recovered from the trauma of that morning.
He tugged at his collar, trying to shake off the lingering embarrassment.
Lilith, of course, looked completely at ease, as if nothing had happened.
She even hummed softly to herself, enjoying his suffering.
As they reached the classroom door, Yuto exhaled in relief, only for his stomach to drop when he saw who was waiting for him.
Alice.
Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
She immediately locked eyes with him, then shifted her gaze to Lilith.
Lilith, sensing the tension, merely smiled.
"Oh? What's this? Were you waiting for him?"
Alice's eyes narrowed slightly before she turned back to Yuto.
"You're late"
Yuto rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah, uh… got caught up with something"
Alice's eyes flickered between him and Lilith again, suspicion creeping into her gaze.
"Uh-huh. Something"
Lilith smirked, clearly enjoying the scrutiny.
"Oh, you have no idea"
Yuto quickly stepped between them.
"Okay! Let's just go inside before class starts!"
Alice didn't say anything right away, but as she walked in, she gave him one last look.
Yuto groaned internally.
Lunch Time
The cafeteria was its usual lively mess.
Students chatting, trays clattering, and the occasional enchanted food fight breaking out in the distance.
Yuto sat across from Alice and Ryo, casually digging into his lunch while trying to ignore the stares still lingering on him from this morning.
"So," Ryo started, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.
"How does it feel to be the most talked-about guy in school?"
Yuto sighed.
"Exhausting"
Alice smirked, resting her chin in her hand.
"Well, maybe if you didn't keep collecting girls, the rumors wouldn't be so bad"
Yuto groaned.
"Oh, come on. Don't make it sound like that"
Before Alice could respond, a soft voice interrupted.
"Excuse me… would you mind if we joined you?"
Yuto looked up to see Reika, standing beside their table with her usual calm demeanor.
And right beside her—Lilith.
Yuto's grip on his chopsticks tightened.
He already knew this wasn't going to end well.
The cafeteria immediately grew quieter.
Alice raised an eyebrow.
Ryo, who had just taken another bite, nearly choked.
Reika, seemingly oblivious to the sudden tension, smiled politely.
"There weren't many open seats, and we thought it'd be nice to have lunch together"
Lilith, on the other hand, smirked directly at Yuto.
"Yes… wouldn't it be nice?"
The whispers started almost instantly.
"Wait, isn't that Lady Reika? Why is she sitting with him?"
"And that Lilith girl! She's way too pretty to be normal. Who even is she?"
"First Alice, now them? Yuto's living a protagonist life"
"Maybe he is a womanizer"
"Lucky bastard!"
Yuto exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.
"Sure, go ahead. Why not? Let's add more fuel to the fire"
Reika took a seat beside him, her presence calm and composed.
Lilith, however, sat on his other side, leaning in just enough to make him sweat.
Alice didn't look too pleased.
She casually stabbed at her food, eyes locked onto Lilith with clear suspicion.
Ryo, meanwhile, simply whistled under his breath.
"Man… this just keeps getting better"
Yuto shot him a glare.
Lilith, amused by the reactions, leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm.
"Oh, don't mind us. We just had to see what makes you so interesting, Yuto"
Yuto groaned.
This was going to be a long lunch as if the bloody day wasn't long enough already.
The sparring room
It was rather quiet except for the sound of their footfalls and the occasional grunt as Yuto and Ryo exchanged blows.
Yuto wiped the sweat from his brow as he narrowly dodged a punch aimed at his stomach.
"You know, this tournament thing is creeping up on us," Ryo said between swings, a teasing smile on his face.
"Guess it's a good thing we're getting some practice in now, huh?"
Yuto smirked, narrowly avoiding another punch.
"I know, right? It's been a while since I've gotten to actually fight someone"
"I've just been… dodging all this other nonsense"
His voice dripped with annoyance, the past few days of rumors and awkward situations still weighing on him.
Ryo's grin widened.
"Yeah, I heard you've been collecting more girls than a treasure hunter finds relics. Are you sure you're ready to fight?"
Yuto gritted his teeth.
"I'm getting tired of it. All the attention, all the rumors… feels like everyone's just waiting for me to mess up"
"After everything, yeah, I do feel like punching someone"
He clenched his fists, a surge of frustration bubbling up.
Ryo took a few steps back, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"I didn't mean to get you worked up. But hey, punching someone is the whole point of the tournament, right?"
Yuto let out a frustrated sigh, throwing a jab at Ryo, who expertly blocked it.
"Yeah, but there's more to it than just hitting people. It's about proving yourself, showing that you're not just some random guy they can pin all their expectations on"
Ryo tilted his head, focusing on Yuto's movements.
"You know, you're way too deep in your own head about this. It's just a tournament. Have fun with it"
"Knock some heads around. Forget about the pressure for once"
Yuto narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You're right. I don't need to think so hard about it"
He lunged forward, quickly dodging Ryo's retaliatory punch and landing a well-placed hit to his side.
"Now, that's more like it," Ryo laughed, stepping back to reset.
"Alright, I'm in for this tournament. I'll give you a good fight. But don't think I'm going easy on you just because we're friends"
Yuto grinned, wiping his brow again as he squared up.
"Wouldn't have it any other way"
As the sparring continued, the tension in Yuto's shoulders eased a little.
Maybe the tournament wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Maybe it would give him the chance to take his frustrations out in a way that didn't involve dodging every weird situation life kept throwing at him.
When Ryo stopped mid-kick, letting out a low chuckle.
"You know, it's funny. I almost couldn't stop laughing earlier today when I saw the three of them—Alice, Reika, and Lilith—just staring each other down. It was like watching three wild animals sizing each other up."
Yuto rubbed his side, still chuckling.
"Right? It was like they were all silently deciding who really had dibs on me or something"
"I mean, I get it, but it's pretty hilarious watching them do their little mental games"
Ryo shook his head, stepping back to catch his breath.
"You're lucky none of them got in your face. Though, I'd say you've earned the spotlight at this point"
Yuto raised an eyebrow, a grin playing on his lips.
"Just shut up and raise your fist!"
They kept sparring till the sun went down.
—
Yuto opened the door to his dorm room, and as soon as he stepped inside, his eyes immediately landed on the figure lounging comfortably on his bed.
Lilith.
She was sprawled across his bed, casually flipping through one of his novels.
The sight of her was strangely calming, but also… a bit unsettling.
"Lilith, could you move? I need to sleep"
Yuto sighed, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible.
Lilith didn't even look up from the book, instead winking playfully.
"Move? But I'm so comfortable right here"
Yuto crossed his arms, trying to stay firm despite the growing tension.
"I'm serious. I need the bed for tonight"
She raised an eyebrow, giving him a smirk.
"Oh? So, I'm not good enough company for you? You'd rather sleep without me, hm?"
Yuto rolled his eyes, but his frustration was starting to bubble up.
He needed sleep, and he didn't want to deal with Lilith's teasing anymore.
"Look, I really don't care. Just move over"
Lilith gave a dramatic sigh and shifted a little to the side, still teasing him.
"Fine, but I expect a reward for being so generous"
Without warning, Yuto walked over, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close, making her fall back into the bed with a soft, startled yelp.
His head found its way to the pillow, his body automatically curling up.
Before Lilith could say anything else, Yuto was already drifting off to sleep, his breathing slow and steady.
She blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden move.
She hadn't expected him to be so… bold.
She could have easily pushed him off or made another joke, but something about the simplicity of the action left her at a loss for words.
Lilith stared at him for a moment longer, her usual teasing grin replaced with something more thoughtful.
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she carefully adjusted herself, leaning against the headboard and watching him sleep.
"Well, well... looks like someone is getting comfortable," Lilith muttered quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared at the peaceful expression on Yuto's face.
Despite the odd feeling of having her space invaded, she couldn't help but feel something stir within her.
What was this strange warmth that had settled in her chest?
She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts aside.
Yuto was just a human—and a troublesome one at that.
Still, she couldn't deny the odd feeling that lingered as she watched him sleep.
"What a lovely feeling…"