It Was Enough to Not Be Human, Wasn't It?

Sobu High School, Class 3-C.

After taking a day off, Leo had come to the Service Club's activity room with Yukino Yukinoshita today, teleporting them there directly with a magic circle. From there, he made his way to his classroom.

But the moment he stepped inside, Leo noticed his classmates sneaking glances at him, whispering and pointing.

"What's going on?"

Leo scratched his hair, which he'd quickly tidied up after getting out of bed. It was a little messy, but not in the least unkempt—in fact, it had a sort of tousled charm.

"Well, if it isn't Devil-kun, who took a day off and who knows what he got up to. What brings you here today?"

A somewhat graceful voice reached Leo's ears. He looked over at the Literary Girl, who was sitting in her usual seat, reading an open book.

"As you said, I only took one day off, so of course I'd come in today." Leo sat down beside Utaha Kasumigaoka and looked at her in confusion. "I only took a day off. Why is everyone acting so strangely?"

At that, Utaha lifted her eyes and glanced at Leo without drawing attention to it. Then she looked away again and spoke without a hint of emotion.

"Taking a day off isn't strange at all. But spending the whole day in the clubroom with the famous Ice Flower of Sobu High? That's another matter entirely."

Hearing Utaha's words, Leo began to understand.

"So Yukino and I have become the subject of a rumor?"

Leo looked as though he'd suddenly realized something.

"Yukino...?" Utaha turned to look directly at Leo this time, her expression turning faintly amused. "You're already calling her by her first name. I suppose there must be some truth to the rumors."

"Are you jealous, Senpai?" Leo blinked, then grinned. "I could call you Utaha, too."

"Let's not. Just don't call me Senpai." Utaha gave a soft snort. "Are you deliberately changing the subject? You'll do it, but you won't admit it?"

"If I'd really done it, I'd definitely admit it." Leo spread his hands. "The problem is, I haven't made a move yet. What do you want me to admit to?"

"So you admit that you do want to make a move on Yukinoshita?" Utaha's dark red eyes narrowed. "You've got more nerve than I thought, Devil-kun, if you're willing to pursue the Second Young Lady of the Yukinoshita Family."

Utaha's words finally made Leo realize there was a problem.

Since Yukino Yukinoshita had become his familiar, was always coming and going with him, and had even moved into his house, there was no way the Yukinoshita Family knew nothing about it.

Yukino was currently living on her own, but he had reason to believe that Yukino's Elder Sister, who was just as much a sister-complex as the current Demon King, Leviathan, was keeping tabs on her little sister. She might already have found out.

Even if she hadn't found out yet, she would sooner or later. Rumors were already spreading at Sobu High, so it was only a matter of time before the outside world heard about it.

Would he end up running into one of those classic urban face-slapping scenarios, where the girl's family came after him and caused trouble?

The thought left Leo feeling oddly intrigued—and a little expectant.

He didn't show it, though. Instead, he continued smiling at Utaha.

"I'm a devil, after all. I've got more nerve than you think." Leo teased her suggestively. "Maybe I don't just want to make a move on Yukino."

Utaha's dark red eyes narrowed even further. Then, suddenly, she smiled.

It was a beautiful smile, like a flower bud shyly bursting into bloom. The male students watching them couldn't help staring, their hearts pounding.

But Leo, who was facing that lovely smile from the closest distance, felt only a sense of danger.

"I see. You're even more of a scumbag than I thought, Devil-kun." Utaha spoke with graceful composure. "You really have a lot of nerve, making a declaration like that right in front of me."

"Shouldn't you be used to it by now, Senpai?" Leo said with a teasing grin. "You're a light novel author, after all. You must have seen plenty of harem declarations."

"Don't bring things from novels into real life, you perverted devil." Utaha's smile faded, and she gave a cold snort. "My Koi no Metronome is a traditional romance, through and through."

"Which is why you've been struggling to write the second volume, Senpai." Leo wasn't intimidated by Utaha. Instead, he spoke bluntly. "You made the first volume so sweet and perfect. What could you possibly write in the second?"

"The main characters had basically confirmed their relationship in the first volume, and it was sweet enough to make your teeth ache. Even if you keep going in the second volume, all you can do is keep piling on the sweetness."

"Even the sweetest things get tiresome if you have too much of them, Senpai."

Leo patted Utaha's slender, delicate shoulder and spoke with earnest concern.

"Maybe this is the time to boldly introduce a new character and start a rivalry between the girls."

Utaha immediately slapped Leo's hand away.

"That's the problem with you guys—you only like these unrealistic fantasies." Utaha's words were sharp. "You just love watching girls orbit around you, going to any lengths to win your affection and curry your favor?"

"Wake up. That sort of idiocy only happens in dreams. Girls are far more realistic than you think."

It was clear that Utaha was deeply unhappy with Leo's suggestion.

Leo, however, remained unfazed by her displeasure.

"It's precisely because something like that is so unlikely in real life that we like to put ourselves in the hero's shoes when we read novels. We seek a little pleasure in those imaginary words, soothing hearts wounded by the cold realities of life." Leo spoke candidly. "You girls are realistic and don't go for guys like us, but you can't take away our right to fantasize, can you?"

"I would never write something like that." Utaha looked at Leo with disdain. "Sorry I can't indulge your fantasies, you perverted devil. Remember, humans aren't animals. You'll never see a lion king parading around with a pride of lionesses."

"Maybe." Leo met Utaha's disdain with a sunny smile. "Humans aren't animals, sure. But wouldn't it be enough to just not be human?"

"Go on dreaming." Utaha looked as if she'd given up on him. She returned her gaze to her book. "You'll never see something like that in my light novels."

Leo shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and left Utaha to return to his own seat.

Utaha watched him, but no one knew how indignant she felt.

The person who'd been following her romance novel turned out not to be a devotee of pure love, but a scumbag who dreamed of building a harem. Utaha was deeply displeased.

"Just you wait."

Utaha silently made up her mind.

"I'll write the second volume and show you that pure love is the truth you should pursue."

Three in the afternoon, Service Club activity room.

After finishing his classes for the day, Leo came here and found Yukino Yukinoshita.

But Yukino was no longer sitting peacefully in her chair, reading as she had before. Instead, she was leaning back against it, her head tilted as she slept.

Her sleeping face was tranquil and refined, so much softer than her usual icy expression. If some unfamiliar man had been there to see it, it would have been perfectly natural for him to stare in a daze.

Looking at Yukino like this and remembering how one smile from Utaha Kasumigaoka had bewitched every boy around her, Leo couldn't help but remark:

"The girls in this world are really something."

Even at Sobu High alone, there was more than one girl beautiful enough to leave people staring in a daze. It was practically a miracle of creation.

"Maybe they really are works of art by the Creator."

Leo smiled as he murmured to himself.

After all, this world had actual gods, and the being known as the Creator really existed. Perhaps, on a whim, that being had created one beautiful masterpiece after another.

"Too bad I'm a devil."

As far as their respective positions went, he was an enemy of that being.

With that thought in mind, Leo walked up to Yukino and shook her.

"Mm..."

Yukino seemed to have only been lightly dozing. At Leo's touch, she woke at once.

"...You're here?"

Her large eyes still heavy with sleep, Yukino straightened up. Her voice was weak and soft.

"Are you that tired?"

Leo found it a little amusing, like watching a cat stretch.

"What do you think?" Yukino glared at him, speaking without much strength. "Isn't this because you changed my body?"

"...That really makes it sound like something else." Leo was speechless for a moment, then replied irritably, "Hang in there a little longer. Once you get used to being awake during the day, you won't feel so sleepy."

As he spoke, Leo took Yukino by the hand and led her up, then into the magic circle.

The magic circle shone, transporting them to the estate's basement and away from Sobu High in an instant.

"Perk up. Starting today, I've got work for you."

Leo shoved a stack of parchment into Yukino's hands while she was still dazed, leaving her frozen in place.

"These are... flyers?"

Yukino came to her senses and recognized what she was holding.

The parchment bearing magic circles was the Devil Flyers Leo had mentioned earlier.

"Your job today is to hand out flyers."

Ignoring Yukino's bewilderment, Leo said exactly that.

"It's your first job since becoming a devil."