Chapter 92 - I Don't Want To Be Just Friends!!
Rias has been known as Gremory since birth.
Along with the perks of being a noble, she's also got to deal with all the bullshit that comes with it.
For as long as she can remember, Rias has been strict with herself as the heir of the Gremory Clan, always pushing to do everything perfectly.
And honestly, she's nailed it.
Whether in her manners or her strength, Rias stands out among her peers, never once disgracing the Gremory surname.
But there are plenty of times when Rias doesn't want to live just for the Gremory surname.
Rias Gremory.
That name isn't just about the Gremory Clan—it's her.
The Gremory surname shines so damn bright that even someone as amazing as Rias can feel overshadowed by it.
Rias doesn't want people to see her as just "Gremory." More than anything, she wants to be remembered as Rias.
That's why she said screw it to the prestigious academy in the Underworld and decided to study in the human world instead.
Here, the weight of the Gremory surname is still there, but it's not as overwhelming as in the Underworld.
More people here just see her as "Rias," not "Rias of the Gremory Clan."
Under the silver-white moonlight, her red hair seemed to glow even brighter.\
"Mahiro-kun, you... you..."
Rias stuttered, then closed her eyes, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
For the first time in a while, she felt relaxed and genuinely happy.
"Because you can smile like that after one sentence, Rias, you really are still a kid," Mahiro teased, throwing her words right back at her.
"That's an important point, Mahiro-kun," Rias replied, still smiling, her expression not fading. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Alright, since you're feeling better, I should get going," Mahiro said, getting ready to head out.
As Mahiro prepared to leave, Rias felt a twinge of reluctance. The time she spent with Mahiro felt completely different from when she was with Koneko, Yuuto, or Akeno.
Around Mahiro, Rias could actually relax. She didn't have to keep up the act of the future head of the Gremory Clan.
She didn't have to be the noble and elegant person everyone expected her to be.
When she was with Mahiro, she could just be "Rias," not "Rias of the Gremory Clan."
She didn't have to be brave; she could let her guard down.
"Are we just friends..." Rias wondered as she watched Mahiro, and a crazy thought flashed through her mind: "I don't want to be just friends."
"You should head back early too. Don't hang around the school for too long," Mahiro said, waving his hand as he prepared to use teleportation magic to go home.
GURGLE~!
As he turned around, a small sound echoed in the quiet corridor, catching Mahiro's attention.
"Rias, you haven't had dinner yet, have you?" Mahiro asked, turning back to her.
Rias blushed, looking a bit flustered.
Since coming back from the Underworld, she'd been so caught up in everything that she hadn't felt like eating. At noon, she only had a few pastries to keep her going.
Now that it was evening, those pastries weren't cutting it anymore.
"Akeno should be almost done with dinner. Wanna come over?" Mahiro suggested.
Rias hesitated, feeling shy.
Mahiro laughed, not expecting Rias to get embarrassed just because she was hungry.
"Come on," Mahiro said, noticing that Rias hadn't moved.
He took her hand and led her toward the magic circle.
Rias blushed and looked down. She couldn't believe how bashful she suddenly felt.
The teleportation magic activated, and the two of them stepped into it.
A moment later, Mahiro and Rias appeared in the living room.
Akeno, Asia, and Koneko were already preparing dinner, about to bring it out from the kitchen.
"President," Koneko said, her eyes lighting up with concern as she saw them.
Akeno set down the plate she was holding, looked at Rias, and smiled. "Rias, it looks like you've bounced back."
"Sorry for worrying everyone," Rias said, a bit apologetically.
"But it's too late, Rias," Akeno's eyes suddenly narrowed as she noticed how close Rias and Mahiro were standing.
"Too late for what?" Rias asked, startled and confused.
"Too late for me to steal some of Mahiro-kun's time," Akeno said, with a jealous edge in her voice as she stared at their hands.
Rias, noticing Akeno's intense gaze, suddenly realized something was off. She quickly pulled her hand away from Mahiro's in a panic.
She hadn't even noticed they were still holding hands.
"Suspicious," Akeno said, eyeing the two of them. "Rias, how did Mahiro-kun manage to cheer you up?"
Normally, Rias wouldn't be this flustered.
Usually, she'd have a triumphant look and would tease Akeno right back.
"No... nothing like that, we just talked about some things, and I felt a lot better afterward," Rias quickly tried to cover up her earlier panic, smoothing her long red hair and smiling casually.
"Hmph... and with us, you'd just say you're fine..." Akeno muttered in frustration, dropping her usual calm demeanor.
Normally, Rias would insist she was fine and that she could handle things herself, but with Mahiro, she found it easy to open up.
Akeno's jealousy only deepened.
"Thanks, Mahiro," Koneko said, walking over to him and tugging on his sleeve in gratitude.
"Mhm," Mahiro replied softly, then gently patted Koneko's head. "Let's eat."
---
Read 20 Chapters In Advance:
patreon.com/heavenlydawn
---