As a theoretical romance expert well versed in every trope, Utaha Kasumigaoka understood perfectly what a romance flag was. A girl like Sakura Yamauchi, who had found the courage to undergo surgery after being encouraged by a boy and regained her health because of it, would most likely develop feelings for the boy who had encouraged her...
Although Utaha Kasumigaoka trusted Sogo Doma's character, romance was a matter between two people. Naturally, she had to do something too.
"I've been curious since earlier—what kind of encouragement would make the person giving it say something like, 'I'm a demon'? Was it a threat? Like, 'Little girl, I'm a demon. If you don't obediently go through with the surgery, I'll eat you up,' or something..."
Sakura Yamauchi: "..."
She should have been more careful just now. Damn it, why had she revealed the last thing Doma had said to her?
"No, it wasn't like that. Doma didn't scare me at the time..."
"Then why did Sogo say he was a demon...?"
Sogo Doma: "..."
Who told these little girls to keep imagining that the one saving them was an angel? These were degenerate times, while the netherworld's customs remained honest and pure. Angels were all busy playing games; only demons saved people. He was building up the demons' reputation!
Ahem...
Fine, his bad taste had simply been acting up at the time.
Meanwhile, Utaha Kasumigaoka continued, "Yamauchi, you said you transferred here because of Sogo. Are you sure what happened back then—such as Sogo encouraging you—hasn't been embellished by the filter of memory? Perhaps the scene back then wasn't as wonderful as you remember it being? After all, it's been so long..."
"I'd still be sure even if much more time passed!" Sakura Yamauchi was absolutely certain about that one thing.
"My..."