Yuuma Amano had not accepted my confession because she had seen something special in me, but rather for the sheer pleasure of seeing the expression of anger, confusion, and sadness on the face of the boy she was with.
Apparently, that was her modus operandi for fun—acting sweet, capturing a boy's heart, making him dream of a future with her, only to break him later. It was sadistic, even for a Fallen Angel, and her accepting me had caught me off guard.
Sure, I knew there was a possibility that this could happen. I just didn't expect it to happen.
"Nishihara-kun, your accent sounds a little different. You're not from around here, are you?" Yuuma asked, tapping her index finger on my chin as we walked away from the café.
She was right. Although fluent in Japanese, I had only practiced with my mother at home.
I shook my head at her question. "You're right... I was born in Tokyo, but I grew up in Boston. I moved here three months ago."
"Oh~, so you're new in town!" she said, letting go of my arm to clap her hands together as if she had an idea. "If that's the case, there's a place I want to show you. Can we go there?"
'As long as it's not the fountain where you killed Issei, it's fine,' I thought about saying, but it wasn't the right time for something like that yet.
So, I just agreed and followed her.
Yuuma and I walked for a few minutes until she led me to a long flight of stairs that led to what appeared to be a lookout point.
The place was clearly a hotspot for young people; groups wandered around or sat on wooden benches, chatting and taking pictures of the sunset.
Yuuma seemed at ease as she walked in front of me, her steps light and carefree. Her white dress swayed gracefully in the wind.
"This place is beautiful, don't you think, Nishihara-kun?" Yuuma said, turning to face me.
The sun framed her dark hair in a golden halo, an almost poetic effect—if you could ignore the fact that she was a Fallen Angel.
"Yeah, it's a nice place. The view is amazing," I replied, putting my hands in my pants pockets as I gazed at the horizon.
As we walked further, whispers reached my ears from a trio of girls on a nearby bench. They glanced at us before leaning in to gossip.
"Did you see that? They're such a cute couple!" one of them murmured, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
"Yeah, really. Look how she's smiling at him. It's like a scene from a drama," said the second, giggling.
"He's really cute too. I wonder if he's new around here? We would have heard about a boy who looks like an idol," added the third.
I pretended not to hear their comments. Yuuma, however, made no effort to hide that she had heard. On the contrary, she turned to me with an even more mischievous smile when she waited for me.
"Nishihara-kun, it looks like those girls were talking about us," she said, covering her mouth slightly with one hand.
I shrugged. "Looks like you attract a lot of attention."
I knew Yuuma was a little narcissistic, so directing the source of the whispers to her was something I knew would make her smile. And it worked.
"Let's go further. I want to show you something," she said, taking my hand.
[Ding! The Master has achieved 'Intimate Contact' with Yuuma Amano. Reward: 10 fusion points!]
Earning fusion points without needing to pick from interaction options caught me off guard. Apparently, the system's engine responded to my actions and interactions with characters — no prompts required.
We followed a trail that led to a higher point, where there was a wooden deck. The view of Kuoh from up there was even more impressive.
Yuuma stopped near the safety railing and rested her hands on the handrail, looking out at the horizon.
"Did you know that when I was little, I used to imagine what it would be like to fly around?" she said suddenly. "To be able to see everything from above, feel the wind on your face... It must be an incredible feeling."
I stayed silent for a moment, observing her. Hearing that from someone who could technically fly whenever they wanted was odd, but she seemed sincere. Maybe I'd misjudged her sociopathy — could she be bipolar instead? It was hard to say, but she intrigued me.
"It must be," I agreed, moving closer and standing beside her. "But I guess for us mere mortals, the most we can do is enjoy the view from a place like this."
She couldn't sense the irony in my words; after all, one day I would be Zagreus, a god, complete.
Yuuma laughed softly and turned to me, resting her chin on one hand. "You're interesting, Nishihara-kun. You're not like the other boys I've met. You have something... different."
The comment caught me off guard, but I smiled at her. "Different? How?"
She spun on her heels, laughing. "That's something I'm still trying to figure out. That's why we should go on a date sometime. You said you're in love with me, so it's only natural that we should go out."
At first, my only intention in confessing to her had been to earn Fusion Points. That hadn't changed. As a "relevant" character in this universe, Yuuma was an excellent bridge for me to earn more points, and I would be safe as long as I didn't reveal how deeply I was infatuated with her or any knowledge of her powers.
When we returned along the same path to the lookout, Yuuma asked me to exchange Line contacts and said I should call her for a date sometime. I agreed, and she smiled at me one last time before disappearing around the next corner.
After that, I returned home.
I had been adopted by an aunt after my parents died. She was a woman who had never had children because she was always very fragile. She fell ill and was hospitalized a few weeks after my arrival, and she was still there.
So, for most of the time I'd been in Kuoh, I was alone in the apartment. This time was no different.
But I wasn't worried about that. My focus was entirely on the next day—a new day of class at Kuoh Academy.