Koneko
Kusari-senpai was pretending nothing had happened.
She was not especially good at it.
Not because her face gave everything away. It almost never did.
If I didn’t know her, I might even have believed her.
She was sitting farther down from the rest of us with a towel around her shoulders, posture neat again, gaze angled toward the water instead of toward anyone who might make the mistake of speaking to her.
But she was too still.
And Akeno-senpai was too quiet.
That part was more obvious.
Akeno-senpai had recovered enough to smile again, but it was not her usual smile.
It was still warm. Still teasing at the edges.
But something in it had gone a little uncertain for a while after Kusari-senpai had finished with her.
I understood why.
I had watched the whole thing.
Everyone had.
Kusari-senpai had looked fed up when Akeno-senpai called her over.
She had tried to talk her way out of it while looking more frustrated as Akeno-senpai kept insisting she should be involved in her teasing.
Then she had smiled that cold smile of hers and turned Akeno-senpai’s joke into a punishment.
Not a cruel one. Not really.
But enough to make Akeno-senpai stop being the one in control.
That had been interesting.
Also dangerous.
Mostly because I still wasn’t sure how much of that had been teasing and how much had been something else.
And I was annoyed with Kusari-senpai for acting like that.
She would poke at Issei-senpai like I would for his perverted actions and then she went and did that with Akeno-senpai.
But I think it bothered me more than it should have.
I let out a small sigh and moved my gaze away from Kusari-senpai, who was still pretending that she didn’t exist at the moment.
Across the pool, Rias-Buchou was trying to act as though the day had not just become much stranger.
She had partially succeeded.
That was one of the benefits of being her.
Even when she was embarrassed or jealous or flustered, she still managed to look like herself.
Issei-senpai did not have that advantage.
He looked like he had died and seen a pervert’s dream.
Asia-senpai sat with her knees pulled slightly in, pink-faced and trying not to think about what she had witnessed.
Yuuto-senpai was calm as always, though I had caught her watching Kusari-senpai once or twice with a quiet, thoughtful look of hers.
Xenovia-senpai looked more interested than shocked.
That felt like a problem waiting to happen.
I was right.
Issei-senpai had disappeared.
Not immediately after the oil scene.
There had been a little more time than that.
Enough for the air to settle and swimming to resume.
Enough for people to pretend the pool was still just a pool and not the site of multiple disasters.
Then, at some point, he was gone.
Xenovia-senpai was gone too.
That was suspicious.
I looked around once, then again.
No lecherous idiot.
No newly reincarnated ex-Church swordsman either.
Akeno-senpai noticed a second later and tilted her head. “Ara?”
Rias-Buchou followed her gaze and then looked around the pool
Upon realizing who was missing she straightened.
She must have been distracted by what had happened with Kusari-senpai and Akeno-senpai and didn’t notice Issei-senpai wandering off.
She scanned the area again before her eyes narrowed toward the equipment room to the side of the pool.
She moved immediately.
No announcement. No hesitation.
Just quick, purposeful steps and that particular tension in her shoulders that meant she had already guessed enough to be angry before confirming anything.
Whatever Issei-senpai and Xenovia-senpai were up to was probably ridiculous.
I stood up and followed.
So did Akeno-senpai.
Asia-senpai blinked in confusion before she hurried after us.
Yuuto-senpai rose in one smooth motion.
Kusari-senpai looked up from her chair, took one look at the direction we were going, and stood too.
Maybe she was hoping that whatever those two were up to would distract all of us from what she had done, or maybe she was just concerned that something was wrong.
Her sheer kimono slipped from one shoulder and she caught it automatically and put it back, more out of habit than modesty.
We all moved behind Buchou towards the equipment room.
Some for simple curiosity, some for an already building jealousy at what was might be happening.
Rias-Buchou reached the equipment room first and pushed the door open hard enough that it banged against the wall.
Inside, Issei-senpai and Xenovia-senpai both froze.
The position looked bad.
Not because they were actually doing anything they weren’t allowed to.
It looked bad because it looked exactly like the kind of thing that would make Rias-Buchou see red before anyone explained.
The most obvious thing was that Xenovia-senpai was topless.
The two of them were pressed together.
It was to the point that it was impossible to mistake the situation as innocent at a glance.
Issei-senpai looked like he had been trying to back away and had run out of room.
Xenovia-senpai looked entirely serious.
Rias-Buchou’s face went bright red.
“What,” she demanded, “are you two doing?”
There was a beat of silence.
Then Issei-senpai did what Issei-senpai always did when cornered.
Panicked.
“Nothing! We weren’t doing anything! I mean, we were talking! We were definitely talking! That’s all!”
Xenovia-senpai turned to look at him, then back at Rias-Buchou.
“We were discussing reproduction.”
The silence after that was much worse.
Akeno-senpai covered her mouth, though it did nothing to hide her delighted expression.
Asia-senpai made a tiny noise that sounded like her soul had stepped on something sharp.
Yuuto-senpai closed her eyes for a second.
Kusari-senpai leaned one shoulder against the doorway and looked tired already.
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at them.
“So Xenovia-chan was going to jump ahead of Rias and everyone else then?”
Akeno pretended to look sad as she said it but was enjoying this far too much.
Rias-Buchou gave her a look to silence her and then stared at them. “...Explain.”
Xenovia-senpai nodded once, as if this were a reasonable request and not the collapse of everyone’s afternoon.
“Now that I have become a devil and lost my former place in the Church, I have decided that pursuing a woman’s happiness is not illogical,” she said. “Children are part of that. Since Issei is the Sekiryuutei, his child would likely be strong. Therefore, I thought it might be prudent to ask him about making one.”
Issei-senpai’s mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Xenovia-senpai decided to continue.
“Plus, you told me that Devils are beings that are greedy and I should go after what I desire. So there is no issue.”
Issei looked like her words were signing his execution.
“I can explain—!”
Akeno-senpai smiled sweetly. “Can you?”
“Yes!”
“You don’t sound very confident.”
“That’s because I know this looks bad!”
“Issei-san… I already have to compete with Rias-san…. You dummy!”
Asia-senpai looked close to tears but still angry.
Rias-Buchou’s eye twitched.
“A child,” she repeated slowly, staring at Xenovia-senpai. “You dragged him into the equipment room to ask for a child?”
“When you phrase it that way, it sounds abrupt,” Xenovia-senpai said.
“It was abrupt,” Yuuto-senpai said quietly.
Xenovia-senpai looked at her. “I thought privacy would be more considerate.”
I almost admired the logic.
Not because it was good in the slightest.
Because it was so fitting for Xenovia-senpai.
Issei-senpai finally managed to grab onto a scrap of dignity. “I wasn’t doing anything! She just suddenly started talking about babies! That’s the truth!”
“And I’m to believe that you, who is constantly chasing his desires, had nothing to do with a discussion of making children?” Buchou said.
Issei paled slightly
“B-Buchou, you have to believe me!”
Akeno-senpai’s smile brightened. “My, my. It seems someone else is moving quickly, Rias.”
Rias-Buchou whipped toward her. “Akeno!”
“What?” Akeno-senpai asked innocently. “I’m merely observing that Xenovia-chan has admirable decisiveness. You can’t really blame her for pursuing Ise-kun. She’s just being greedy like you told her.”
“That is not the point, or what I thought she would want!”
“It’s certainly one point. Did you really not expect her to be interested too?”
Their eyes locked.
The same rivalry from earlier by the pool flared up again instantly, only now it had fresh fuel.
Issei-senpai looked like he wanted to drown himself in the pool to escape.
Asia-senpai was red enough to look sunburned.
Kusari-senpai had gone flatter-faced with every passing second, like she had realized ordinary peace was impossible and was adjusting her expectations accordingly.
Though she looked faintly amused that it was back to Issei being the one under our attention.
Then Asia-senpai muttered under her breath.
It was very quiet.
So quiet I almost thought I imagined it.
“Well... I mean he is the only boy in the peerage.”
Akeno-senpai and Rias-Buchou kept glaring at each other and looked close to butting heads.
Issei-senpai was still held by Xenovia-senpai as he cowered and she watched them like it was a dueling event.
Yuuto-senpai, Kusari-senpai, and I turned to Asai-senpai.
She hadn’t noticed our attention or that she was muttering aloud.
Asia-senpai stopped for a moment.
Her eyes widened.
And then, because apparently fear makes some people keep talking instead of stopping, she went on.
“W-Wait. I think I remember something Kiryuu-san told me about Japanese folk lore. Kitsune can shapeshift. AndKusari is a kitsune. So that means she could—”
She stopped.
Too late.
The entire room had gone still.
No one was looking at Issei-senpai anymore.
No one was looking at Xenovia-senpai either.
Everyone had turned after hearing Asia-senpai say her thoughts aloud.
We weren’t looking at her though.
We had all looked at Kusari-senpai.
She stared back at us from the doorway.
Blankly.
Then one of her brows lifted.
Not much.
Enough.
I understood the exact second she realized what Asia-senpai had just implied.
And, more importantly, that everyone else had understood it too.
“I have nothing to do with this situation or what was just said.”
Akeno-senpai’s eyes widened a little in open amusement.
“Ara, but now we are all curious about what Asai-chan said.”
Rias-Buchou looked startled enough that she forgot to be angry for a second.
Issei-senpai’s face somehow managed to become even redder.
Yuuto-senpai was staring back and forth between Asia-senpai and Kusari-senpai.
Xenovia-senpai looked thoughtful.
That one was the most dangerous response.
Asia-senpai made a tiny, horrified sound. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-!
Kusari-senpai cut across her before she could spiral further.
“I know you all saw what happened with Akeno-senpai,” she said, voice flat and controlled, “but do not look at me like you do when Issei-san just said or did something lewd.”
That would have been more effective if half the room hadn’t immediately looked at Issei-senpai.
“Hey!” he said. “Why am I the standard for this!?”
“…Ero-senpai earned it…,” I said.
“That’s not fair!”
“It mostly is,” Yuuto-senpai said.
He looked at her like he’d been betrayed.
Kusari-senpai pushed away from the doorway and straightened fully.
The faint flush from earlier had mostly faded, but not entirely.
It sat at the very edges of her face now, hidden under calm and irritation.
“Asia-san,” she said, less sharply than I expected, “please stop trying to finish that thought.”
Asia-senpai looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Then Xenovia-senpai spoke.
Of course she did.
“That is an interesting possibility.”
The room turned toward her in unison.
Xenovia-senpai, entirely unbothered by the reaction, looked directly at Kusari-senpai.
“You are saying,” she said to Asia-senpai first, because apparently she still wanted confirmation, “that a kitsune’s shapeshifting could theoretically allow an alternate approach to reproduction.”
Asia-senpai made a sound that was almost a squeak. “I-I didn’t mean to imply that you could—”
“But that would mean that Kusari could give someone else a child.”
Xenovia-senpai tilted her head slightly.
“So is what Asia said about Kitsune true?”
Against my better judgment, I was curious as well.
Kusari-senpai closed her eyes.
Just for a second.
When she opened them again, Xenovia-senpai was still studying her with the serious look of a woman evaluating new tactical options.
No malice.
No embarrassment.
Just practical thought.
Kusari-senpai let out a tired sigh.
“If I don’t answer now I’ll just get badgered when they find out…” she muttered to herself first and then more loudly to the rest of us. “Yes, Kitsune females can use their shapeshifting to mate with females of other races. Our males can do the same with males of other races too.”
That made it worse.
Akeno-senpai smiled at the increasing chaos.
“Ara, ara Kusari-chan. That’s quite an interesting thing to find out.”
Issei-senpai looked shocked.
“Wait, it’s true! Kitsune shapeshifting must be crazy!”
Kusari-senpai gave him a dry look.
“We can turn into foxes, I feel like that should be more impressive.”
Xenovia-senpai nodded to herself looking pleased.
“So Kusari could give me a child if asked.”
Rias-Buchou finally found her voice again. “Xenovia!”
Xenovia-senpai looked at her. “Yes?”
“You are not adding Kusari to this discussion!”
“Why not?”
“Because she is not an alternative candidate for your absurd plan!”
Xenovia-senpai frowned faintly, then looked back at Kusari-senpai.
“Would you object?”
That was incredible.
Only Xenovia-senpai could ask that like she was inquiring about schedule availability.
Kusari-senpai stared at her for a long moment.
Then said, with absolute calm, “Deeply.”
“I see,” Xenovia-senpai said.
She actually nodded as if that settled one logistical route and she could move on to the next.
I had to look away for a second so I wouldn’t laugh.
Not because it was funny for Kusari-senpai.
Because the whole situation had become so broken that there was nothing else to do.
Akeno-senpai leaned against the doorframe beside Kusari-senpai now, recovered enough from earlier to be fully entertained again.
“My, my,” she murmured. “Kusari-chan is surprisingly popular today.”
Kusari-senpai’s eyes moved to her.
She flushed lightly as Akeno-senpai moved closer to her but the look she gave Akeno-senpai was flat enough to make her back off a bit.
Akeno-senpai only smiled more.
“So why didn’t you bring this up before Kusari-chan?” Akeno-senpai asked while smiling mischievously.
Kusari-senpai looked a bit confused for a moment.
“Why would it matter? There was no reason to bring it up.”
Akeno-senpai chuckled.
“Well you might be surprised. Xenovia-chan seems pretty interested in it and she might not be the only one.”
Kusari-senpai tilted her head slightly and looked like she thought that Akeno-senpai was spouting nonsense.
Rias-Buchou put a hand over her eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
“You’ll have to,” Yuuto-senpai said quietly.
“I know but why do I have to?”
Yuuto-senpai patted Buchou’s shoulder and gave her an apologetic smile.
“Because it’s your peerage, Buchou.”
Rias-Buchou lowered her hand and glared at all of us.
Not equally.
Mostly at Issei-senpai.
Which, to be fair, was tradition.
“Everyone,” she said, voice tight with the effort of holding her dignity together, “out.”
Issei-senpai pointed at himself. “Why do I feel like I’m the one being blamed for this!?”
“Especially you, out!”
He wilted instantly.
Xenovia-senpai still looked like she thought more discussion could have been useful.
Asia-senpai looked one breath away from apologizing herself into unconsciousness.
Yuuto-senpai had the expression of someone who knew how ridiculous this all was, but still wanted to act dignified.
Akeno-senpai was enjoying this far too much and continued to poke fun at Kusari-senpai.
Kusari-senpai looked as though she had hit some private limit and was now operating entirely on spite and self-control as she ignored Xenovia-senpai’s questioning looks and Akeno-senpai’s new teasing.
Rias-Buchou turned and walked back toward the pool with the kind of furious grace only she could manage.
The rest of us followed.
As we started to walk Issei-senpai spoke.
“Asia, why did Kiryuu telling you about our folk lore lead you to think of…. that?”
“W-well she was telling me about Japanese folk lore and creatures. And then she was telling me about these manga she likes. She talked about how in one of them there was a fox girl who can grow a… well a… a g-guy’s t-t-thingy.”
Asia-senpai buried her face in her hands after blurting out the rest of the sentence.
Issei-senpai stopped for a moment.
“Asia-chan you should stop talking to Kiryuu. She is seriously a bad influence. Or at least ignore her when she talks about raunchy doujins.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Who would have thought that Kiryuu read that kind of smutty doujin. I mean she is kinda pervy but I didn’t expect that.”
Once we stepped back out into the open air, I heard Xenovia-senpai say, perfectly seriously and low enough that she probably thought only Asia-senpai would hear her:
“It is worth remembering as a possibility.”
Asia-senpai made a tiny distressed noise.
Kusari-senpai did hear it.
I knew because one of her shoulders twitched.
She didn’t turn around. Didn’t stop walking
Just said, in a very calm voice that carried more threat than volume would have.
“It is not.”
That shut Xenovia-senpai up.
For now.
I looked at Kusari-senpai’s profile as we returned to the pool.
Still composed.
Still not looking at anyone.
Still definitely aware that all of us had seen and possibly learned too much today.
The oil scene with her teasing Akeno-senpai.
Asia-senpai’s implication.
Xenovia-senpai’s immediate interest.
She had told us not to look at her like Issei-senpai doing something perverted.
She was right.
This was not that.
It was stranger than that.
And possibly worse for some of us.
Which, in our peerage, was probably saying something.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter