Although this was technically the "student district," it really wasn't surprising for a love hotel to operate here, considering how kids these days aren't exactly shy about holding hands, plus Japan's ongoing aging population and low birthrate.
In fact, because it's near a school and not a tourist spot, the rooms here are actually cheaper than those found in vacation areas—and they come fully equipped with all the standard amenities.
A large, soft, bouncy bed. Warm, romantic lighting that sparks all kinds of imaginings. And, placed right by the bright little cabinet at the entryway—so obvious you couldn't miss it—some neatly provided "little umbrellas."
Yeah. This was definitely the kind of place where certain things were about to happen.
Though Rias hadn't yet explained why she'd chosen this course of action, between her unusual behavior and Bokue's own powers of deduction, he could guess the truth with about eighty or ninety percent accuracy.
❁❁❁❁
Scene shift: inside the hotel.
They'd rented a single room with one large bed.
Under the bed's warm bedside lamp, Rias—face tinged pink—sat at the edge of the bed, letting her legs dangle so they swayed back and forth, occasionally brushing the floor with a light scrape.
"H-Hey… Bokue—maybe you want to take a shower… or something?"
Perhaps under the influence of the soft, cozy light in the room, Rias was hunched over, burying her face, her voice so faint it nearly vanished. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had just dragged him away from the school gates in a public dash not long ago.
"No rush. I didn't really sweat much today."
From the other side of the bed, near the window, Bokue glanced back, having just placed the electric kettle—filled with water from the bathroom—on its stand and switched it on. Once the water boiled, the kettle would switch off automatically, so no one had to watch it.
Experience told him that setting it up at the start meant the water would be perfectly ready to drink when they were… done.
Confirming the kettle was working, Bokue circled around the foot of the bed and sat down beside Rias.
"So, the favor you wanted from me—"
"Mm."
A faint answer cut him off, her cheeks reddening further. She brushed aside a stray wisp of hair from her forehead.
Her legs rubbed together restlessly, and she leaned her shoulder into him with a hint of sulkiness:
"Don't just say it out loud… I… I'm still super embarrassed, dummy."
But then she took a deep breath, seemingly resolved.
"All right—let's do this."
She rose from the bed, pivoting to face Bokue. Hands resting on his shoulders, she leaned forward a little, right leg bent at the knee on the bed.
But then she froze.
Bokue had moved both arms: one gently encircled her waist, while the other slipped under her left knee.
This sudden contact made Rias shiver.
"H-Hold on… Bokue, what are you—"
"Huh?"
He paused in confusion.
"Lifting you up, obviously. Otherwise, how do you get on top? Something wrong? …Oh—could it be your first—"
"O-Of course it's my first!"
Her face blazed a vivid crimson. As a pure-blood devil with nearly infinite potential lifespan, she'd been living in the human world for quite a while.
Her worldview was starting to lean closer to that of humans. An eighteen-year-old girl in her final year of high school, still a virgin—never even dated—felt unbelievably embarrassing in modern Japan.
"Oh no, I meant like, do you, um… have any prior knowledge about this stuff?"
Bokue tried to phrase it more delicately. Her reaction was still fiery.
"I—I do not! Nothing like that!"
Sure, she knew the general mechanics from biology class: what goes where to make babies. But actual steps, methods, instructions, none of that was in the school curriculum. And as for researching it on her own…
Yeah, no. If word ever got out that the Gremory heiress was regularly watching… that kind of content, her future as a devil noble would vanish.
Rias coughed awkwardly, forcing away the embarrassment with a show of bravado.
"An-anyway, let's take it slow. We have plenty of time."
Time, huh?
Bokue glanced at the wall clock. They'd left school around three, and by the time they reached the hotel it was nearly three-thirty. If they needed to finish up in an hour or so, that didn't exactly scream "plenty of time."
Then again, might as well get started…
He kept one arm around her waist, guiding the rose-red-faced Rias onto his lap.
"All right. Let's begin."
"Mmm…"
At the sound of his voice, Rias, cheeks aflame, pursed her lips and nodded.
But just as their lips were about to meet, a scarlet glow lit up the air in front of them. It built itself into a familiar teleportation array, blazing with the Gremory crest.
"Huh?"
Bokue froze mid-action.
Rias also felt the magical pulse behind her. She turned her head, eyes going wide.
And under the pair's watch, a familiar figure materialized in that red glow.
"Grayfia… Onee-sama, why are you—"
Rias breathed in disbelief.
"You could call it coincidence, or you could say it was deliberate."
Grayfia's tone was calm.
"Last Friday, I noticed how distraught you were over that 'Engagement' topic, Lady Rias. Although I left no familiars to spy on you, I stayed on alert and decided to check on you today around dusk."
And sure enough, she found something "off."
The silver-haired maid sighed softly.
"I also reminded you that if you truly detest the Phoenix family arrangement, you could ask Lord Lucifer. Even if he's a Satan, he's still your brother—there's no need for this kind of method—"
An arrangement? A wedding she doesn't want? Figures.
Bokue's eyes narrowed. He'd already guessed as much from Rias's behavior.
"It's not like that, Grayfia-onee-sama!"
Hearing her mention "this method," Rias—previously mortified at being caught—found sudden resolve, raising her voice in protest. But after that brief burst, her words died, replaced by a mutter:
"I only… only…"
"You only truly like him, am I right?"
Grayfia's gaze flicked over Rias's shoulder to Bokue.
"Bokue Keikain… yes?"
"!"
Rias jerked her head up.
"Grayfia-onee-sama, how do you—?!"
She knew well Grayfia and Bokue had never met; this had to be their first time face-to-face. Yet Grayfia knew his name with certainty. The answer was obvious.
"Forgive me. I looked through your diary, Lady Rias."
Though she apologized, her tone was flat, unremorseful—more like a stern elder sister telling her younger sibling, "I found the test you hid in your bag."
Grayfia then turned calmly toward Bokue and gave a polite bow.
"Bokue Keikain, please release Lady Rias at once. This is beyond what a human can involve himself in—if you don't want to bring disaster upon yourself and your entire clan."
"Oh?"
Bokue's voice rose, but he didn't argue with Grayfia. Instead, he turned to the red-haired girl in his arms, her face half-hidden as she nibbled her lower lip.
"So basically, Rias, you want me to crash your wedding, right?"
"…Mm."
She nodded, arms tightening around his neck, with a bittersweet smile.
"But it seems we're out of time now…"
"Who said so?"
His response shattered the melancholic mood in an instant.
And before Rias fully grasped his words, he scooped her up, flipped the bed's canopy closed, and laid her onto the mattress, all in front of Grayfia.
"W-wait! Bokue, what are you— Grayfia-onee-sama is still— mmph!"
<><><><><>
Keep the chapters coming... Support with Power Stones!
Update Schedule: 21 Chapter/week.
Every 200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter