Chapter 219: Gabriel Doesn't Speak
After returning home, the quiet of Kouya's apartment greeted him like a soft sigh. The evening air was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain that had fallen earlier. He rolled his shoulders, kicked off his shoes, and headed straight to the bathroom. A long bath was exactly what he needed.
Steam filled the small room, curling up from the tub and fogging the mirror. As the hot water soaked into his muscles, tension melted away from his body. For a brief moment, he allowed his thoughts to drift—to the events of the day, to the strange man who had followed him, and to the faces of the girls who somehow made his ordinary days anything but peaceful.
By the time he finished, the apartment was silent except for the faint hum of his computer booting up. He sat down, towel still draped over his neck, and prepared to unwind with a bit of gaming. But before the title screen could even appear, his speakers began to chime repeatedly.
Notification after notification.
He sighed, clicking open the flashing chat window. Sure enough, Vigne and the others were already filling the group chat with their usual chaos.
If only the conversation weren't so absurd.
Satania: "Melon bread is the greatest food in the world! Without it, civilization would crumble!"
Rikka: "Your mortal food is irrelevant! It's cola that sustains the flow of mana through my veins!"
Raphiel: "How profound. I support both of you wholeheartedly."
Vigne: "How are either of you correct?! This is the coffee club, not the carb-and-caffeine cult!"
Satania: "Oh, right, my mistake!"
Vigne: "Good, I'm glad you under—"
Satania: "I should have proposed naming it the Melon Bread Society from the start! That would better reflect my brilliance!"
A system message immediately followed:
[System Notice: 'The Great Satania-sama' has been muted for 2 minutes.]
Vigne continued as if nothing had happened: "Anyway, I stopped by the café earlier. The owner said he's willing to sponsor us with a brand-new coffee machine."
Raphiel replied instantly: "Perfect! I'll bring Fuchiko and the new board game I won in that lottery. It'll make a good addition."
Kouya leaned back in his chair. 'So that's what this was about—planning what to bring to the clubroom.'
They had cleaned it after school earlier, but it was still pretty empty. Just a few tables and chairs, nothing that made it feel like a place worth hanging out in. Adding a few personal touches was definitely a good idea.
He minimized the chat and started his game again, but before he could even press 'Start,' the system beeped again.
[System Notice: 'Vigne' is calling you.]
He slipped on his headset and accepted. "Yeah?"
"Kouya, are you there?" Vigne's voice was gentle, carrying the faint echo of her usual warmth.
"I'm here."
"Tomorrow, could you bring some cups to the clubroom? You had a bunch in your kitchen you never use, right?"
"Sure. No problem."
"Thanks. And… it's late. You should rest soon."
"Wait." His tone stopped her. "I wanted to ask something."
"What is it?" she asked, slightly hesitant.
"Are you free this Friday?"
"Friday? I think so. Why?"
"During dinner at Kobayashi's place, she asked me to attend Kanna's parent meeting. I thought it might be easier if you came too."
"Oh." Her voice softened, the faintest pause between words. "I understand. I'll come with you." There was a hint of something unspoken—relief mixed with something he couldn't quite place.
…
The next morning arrived faster than expected.
The air outside was fresh, the early light golden as it spilled across the school gates. Only a few students had arrived so far, chatting in small groups while the campus slowly came to life.
"Good morning, Kouya," Vigne called with a smile.
"Morning."
To his surprise, even Gabriel was already there—though she looked half-awake, clutching an energy drink like it was holy water. They were supposed to decorate the clubroom before class, so time was short.
"Everyone's here?" Vigne asked, glancing around before clapping her hands. "Alright! Let's decorate before homeroom starts!"
Inside the clubroom, sunlight streamed through the opened curtains, bathing the space in warm light. The faint breeze carried in the scent of the nearby garden. The room had been clean since yesterday, but now it was time to give it some life.
Vigne brought the coffee machine and a set of cute plushies to brighten the corners. Gabriel dumped a bag of snacks on the table, alongside her posters and gaming console. Raphiel carried Fuchiko and the new multiplayer board game she'd bragged about, while Rikka proudly displayed her 'magic grimoire' and a pile of glowing 'ritual items' that looked suspiciously like glowsticks.
After nearly an hour of rearranging, the clubroom finally looked cozy and full of personality. It was messy in a charming way—snacks on one side, books on the other, and the coffee machine gleaming like a trophy in the center.
Everyone took a moment to admire their work.
Vigne smiled, brushing her hair from her forehead. "Perfect. Let's head to class. We'll come back during lunch and celebrate properly."
…
First period: Japanese Literature, taught by none other than Shizuka-sensei.
The bell rang, followed by the sharp rhythm of heels echoing down the hallway. The moment she stepped inside, the room seemed to quiet itself.
She wore her trademark white coat again, her long black hair cascading loosely down her back. Her voice carried calm authority, her posture poised yet slightly lazy—like someone too capable to care about appearances.
When her eyes passed over Kouya, she didn't pause. But that didn't fool him. There was recognition there.
"Alright, let's begin." She glanced over her notes before casually saying, "Kouya, read the next section."
He froze, dread prickling under his skin. Great. The first time a teacher ever called on him, and it had to be her.
Reluctantly, he stood and read aloud. His tone steady, his voice smooth.
A few girls turned their heads in surprise.
"Wait, he actually sounds kinda good."
"Yeah, didn't expect that."
"But he's still scary. Didn't Machiko cry because of him yesterday?"
"Totally. He's like… dangerous."
Shizuka lifted her hand. "That's enough. Sit down." Her gaze flicked to him again, faint amusement behind her calm smile. "Your essays are due Friday. I'll be calling some of you to read them aloud. Be ready."
Why the hell was she looking directly at him while saying that?
If she made him do it, he swore he'd find a way to curse her with forty-eight hours of sleeplessness—or worse.
The rest of the morning passed slowly. By third period, students were restless, chatting in clusters. When the bell rang, the girls burst out laughing and gossiping again.
"Ugh, another physical exam today."
"I grew a centimeter this month!"
"Lucky! I stayed the same!"
"I-I think my chest got bigger!"
They passed Kouya, realized he'd overheard, then bolted away with red faces.
He sighed. 'Yeah, sure. I'm definitely the creep here.'
When the exams wrapped up, lunchtime arrived, and everyone gathered in the newly decorated clubroom. It felt different somehow—brighter, warmer, like their laughter filled the walls themselves.
Satania unwrapped her lunch dramatically. "I grew a centimeter!" she announced between bites of rice ball.
Gabriel said nothing. A faint black mist began to rise behind her.
Rikka, ever the performer, picked tomatoes from her bento and placed them in Vigne's. "Due to overuse of mana in forbidden rituals, I lost an entire kilogram. Such is the burden of magic."
Gabriel still didn't speak. The aura behind her thickened, rolling and swirling like storm clouds.
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