A comfortable silence settled between Rin and Kiryuu as they ate their lunch. Rin, with his mind reader, could hear her thoughts. This is it, he heard, a mix of apprehension and determination. I'm going to do it. After school, at the back of the building. Her internal monologue continued, a whirlwind of doubt and resolve. She knew her chances were slim, practically non-existent, but she had to say it. Even if it was just to get it off her chest, to acknowledge the feelings blossoming within her.
Rin found himself quite entertained. Kiryuu, the notorious yaoi-loving degenerate, was about to confess to him. He knew the adage among her kind: yaoi was simply shoujo manga, but with male protagonists. In her twisted logic, perhaps, his presence was simply the male equivalent of a desirable heroine. He decided to play along, to see how this particular drama unfolded.
Kiryuu finished her meal, but the plate remained in front of her for a few more minutes as she visibly gathered her courage. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Takakura-kun," she began, her voice a little shaky, "w-would you mind meeting me after school? At the back of the building?"
Rin offered a casual, charming smile. "Certainly, Kiryuu-san. It would be my pleasure." Her mental sigh of relief was almost audible.
The final bell of the school day rang, its chime a signal for both freedom and impending confessions. Rin and Kiryuu were now standing at the back of the school building, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows around them.
Rin could feel them. Not just one, but several presences, hidden yet undeniably close. A faint rustle from behind a nearby bush, the hushed whispers of excited anticipation. He extended his Mind Reader, subtly, efficiently. Their thoughts washed over him: Go, Kiryuu! You can do it! and No way, is Kiryuu actually going to confess?! And then, the faint, familiar voices of the perverted trio, joined by the innocent prayers of Asia.
It seemed Issei and Asia had just returned from their stray devil mission. They must have overheard the cafeteria gossip about Kiryuu's invitation to Rin. The reason for such a secluded meeting was obvious to them all: a confession. Asia, bless her pure heart, was silently praying for Kiryuu's success in love, momentarily forgetting her devil status until a familiar ache shot through her head. Issei, suppressing a snort of laughter, had to bite his lip to keep silent. They didn't want to get caught peeking.
"So, Kiryuu-san," Rin began, his voice calm, "what did you want to discuss with me?"
Kiryuu took another deep breath, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her eyes met his, and a flush crept up her neck. "Takakura-kun," she started, her voice gaining a surprising steadiness, "the first time I met you, I… I thought you were just another handsome guy. But then, as I saw you more, as I heard about you, something changed. I don't know how or when, but… I realized I was falling for you." Her voice trembled slightly on the last part. "I… I love you, Takakura-kun. Please, will you go out with me?"
A long silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant chirping of birds and the barely suppressed gasps from the hidden onlookers. Rin's expression remained unreadable.
"Kiryuu-san," Rin finally said, his voice soft, "I'm sorry, but… I have a girlfriend."
A single tear escaped Kiryuu's eye, tracing a path down her cheek. She knew. Logically, she had known this was the most likely outcome. But hearing it, the definitive rejection, was still a sharp pain in her chest. This was her first time being rejected. She turned, a profound sadness in her posture, ready to walk away, to lick her wounds in solitude.
"Wait, Kiryuu-san," Rin's voice stopped her. She froze, her back to him.
Rin continued, a hint of something mischievous in his tone. "I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I don't just have a girlfriend. I have girlfriends." He didn't mention Yukinoshita, his fiancée, keeping that particular detail to himself for now.
Kiryuu's shoulders stiffened. A moment of stunned silence, then slowly, she turned back to face him, her eyes wide with a dawning realization. The sadness in her eyes was replaced by something else, something akin to disbelief, then indignation. With a sudden burst of energy, she raised her hand and slapped him. Hard.
The smack echoed in the quiet space. The hidden spectators collectively flinched. What?! Why did she hit him?! their thoughts screamed.
Kiryuu stared at Rin, her chest heaving slightly. She understood. He wasn't rejecting her completely. He was saying… he was willing to add her to his collection. And the slap? It wasn't because she hated the idea. It was because she didn't hate it. Because, deep down, a part of her was actually thrilled by the prospect.
She knew guys like Issei, who dreamed of building a harem but had absolutely no skill or charm to pull it off. But Rin… Rin possessed a quality, an innate ability, that Issei lacked, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Her instincts, as a self-proclaimed yaoi degenerate, told her to trust him. She was already beyond saving, utterly consumed by her peculiar preferences, so falling in love with a harem protagonist wasn't that bad, was it?
A defiant, yet hopeful, glint appeared in her eyes. It was Rin's turn now. "So, Kiryuu-san," he asked, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips, "will you be my girlfriend?"
Kiryuu didn't hesitate. "Yes!" she practically shouted, and then, driven by a surge of pure, unadulterated emotion, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. It was a fierce, passionate kiss, a silent acceptance of his proposal, and her new, unconventional reality.
Behind the bush, the perverted trio and Asia watched, dumbfounded. They hadn't understood the slap, nor the subsequent kiss. But what mattered was that Rin and Kiryuu are now a couple… they think. And for that, they were genuinely happy for her.