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Along the way, many passersby stared at their group with surprise.
It couldn't be helped. The group contained far too many beautiful girls...
Each of the five girls possessed unique charm and beauty.
As they neared the school, their procession caused a stir among the arriving students.
As far as they could recall, they had never seen the Occult Research Club members arrive at school together...
It hadn't seemed unusual before, but seeing them together today felt strangely novel...
However, these thoughts were quickly dismissed as excitement and observation took over.
"Wow... Rias-senpai is so beautiful..."
"And Himejima-senpai... Ah, she smiled at me..."
Many girls whispered amongst themselves, captivated by Rias and Akeno Himejima's presence. Their beauty was practically universally acknowledged within the school.
Koneko Toujou was also regarded as the school's mascot, her cuteness undeniable.
Asia Argento and Xenovia Quarta, transfer students and former exorcists, still retained an air of sanctity despite their reincarnation as devils.
They were undoubtedly the school's newest goddesses.
Perhaps the most controversial figure was Badr, the transfer student.
Not only was he considered the most detestable "normie" in the eyes of the boys, but the girls also found themselves harboring a mixture of affection and resentment towards him.
They remembered Badr when he first transferred, his self-introduction lackluster and unremarkable. His constant smile made him seem approachable, but it also failed to pique their interest.
However, after joining the Occult Research Club, he had gradually become more prominent...
The most significant change was in his demeanor.
Of course, the girls' mixed feelings stemmed from their connection to Rias and the others.
Badr was the only male member of the Occult Research Club, leading many girls to view him as a rival...
Indeed, within Kuoh Academy, Badr's rivals included not only all the boys but also a significant portion of the girls...
It was quite an unusual situation.
Naturally, compared to the unrequited yuri admirers, the boys held the most resentment towards Badr.
"Tch... Damn it! That guy must be enjoying being whipped by Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai every day!"
"Ahhh, I'm so envious! I want to be held in Akeno-senpai's arms..."
"Koneko-chan is so cute..."
"Asia... Asia is actually holding Badr's arm! Waaaaah! That bastard Badr deserves to die a thousand deaths!!"
The boys voiced their frustrations, believing their whispers to be inaudible. However, Badr and the others could hear everything.
"My, my, everyone is so enthusiastic," Akeno Himejima said, her gentle smile and graceful demeanor unwavering.
Badr listened to their comments, a wry smile on his face.
"They seem to have quite a few opinions about me."
"A bunch of perverts," Koneko Toujou retorted, glaring at the boys menacingly.
The silver-haired, golden-eyed girl's aura was powerful, causing the boys to shrink back and sheepishly avert their gazes.
Rias, the school's top beauty, was immune to such attention. Maintaining her elegant and aloof demeanor, she led the group towards the clubroom.
With the peace treaty signed, the three factions had settled into a period of tranquility. Even the occasional Stray Devils had vanished, leaving Badr without any targets for his devil-hunting activities for quite some time.
However, this also gave him time to attend to some personal matters.
Tomorrow was Friday, and the day after that was Mai Sakurajima's advertisement shoot.
It was time to resolve the troublesome situation of his girlfriend and her younger sister switching identities...
...
The next day, as soon as classes ended, Badr went directly to Mai Sakurajima's house.
Unexpectedly, the house wasn't dark. All the curtains were drawn.
The only light source in the living room came from the television.
Badr's demonic vision, enhanced in the darkness, allowed him to see clearly. He immediately spotted the girl curled up on the living room sofa, hugging her knees. It was Nodoka Toyohama, who now bore Mai Sakurajima's appearance.
What was she doing?
Badr glanced at the television, noticing a horror movie playing. He recognized it quickly. It was the critically acclaimed horror film starring Mai.
Seeing Nodoka practically huddled into a ball, Badr didn't think much of it. He approached her and gently tapped her shoulder.
"Aagh!!"
A high-pitched scream tore through the air as Nodoka jumped, tears welling up in her eyes.
Badr winced, his ears ringing from the sudden noise.
His enhanced hearing, combined with the close proximity of the scream, felt like it would shatter his eardrums.
"It's me."
Slightly annoyed, he picked up the remote and turned on the overhead light, illuminating the room.
"What the?! Why did you suddenly appear like that?" Nodoka said, her voice laced with irritation.
Badr observed her, amused by the sight of Mai's face displaying such an expression. It was undeniably cute.
"I wish it were Mai making that face at me," he chuckled, his tone relaxed. "I always use teleportation magic. No need to use the front door. Convenient, isn't it?"
"Convenient, my foot! This is an invasion of privacy! Privacy!"
Badr shrugged nonchalantly. "Tch... Come on. Mai and I are practically an married couple. This is nothing. Is there any part of Mai's body I haven't seen?"
"...??"
Nodoka placed her hand on her forehead and sighed. "Seriously, sis? This guy is a total pervert..."
Badr ignored her comment, glancing at the frightening scenes on the TV screen, completely unfazed.
"What's with the lights off and the horror movie?"
"I'm filming a commercial tomorrow, so I thought I'd study my sister's expression management," Nodoka explained, sighing.
It seemed her efforts hadn't yielded any results, and she had ended up scaring herself instead...
Her behavior prompted Badr to retort, "Then show me Mai's composure."
"I can't! My sister is always so calm and collected, of course, she's composed..." Nodoka lamented.
"I don't understand how you can learn expression management from a horror movie," Badr said calmly. "I recall the commercial being lighthearted. You should be studying scenes from school comedies or something."
"That's true... Ah... What should I do? Filming starts tomorrow, and I haven't grasped a single thing..."
Nodoka stomped her foot in frustration.
Turning her head, she noticed Badr smiling at her.
"What are you laughing at, you heartless jerk!"
"I just think Mai is cute like this too," Badr said with a grin. "Nodoka, with your sister's looks, what do you have to be afraid of? In my opinion, you just need to show Mai's cuteness, and that's more than enough."
"...What? Are you some kind of creep?"
"I'm just smitten with Mai's looks. I'm a sucker for pretty faces, so what?" Badr admitted shamelessly.
Nodoka was speechless.
Though she, too, was smitten with Mai Sakurajima's beauty...
"I'm worried about affecting my sister's career! Don't you know? My sister always nails her commercials in one take!"
"Don't overhype Mai. That's the result of her hard work. It doesn't mean others can't accept her mistakes. Besides, don't you think it's unfair to expect Mai to always get it right in one take?"
Badr's tone was gentle, but his words revealed his concern for Mai.
"Everyone makes mistakes. People are starting to deify Mai, as if she was born to film commercials and movies. They don't see her effort and dedication, they just take her one-take wonder as a given."
"Uh... N-no, it's not like that..." Nodoka's voice softened. "Everyone admires and loves my sister..."
"Do you dare say you don't think that way too?" Badr interrupted. "Hasn't this 'one-take wonder' reputation become a huge burden for you?"
Nodoka was at a loss for words.
Everyone admired Mai Sakurajima's skills, praising her acting prowess as if it were a natural gift. They took her exceptional performances for granted.
The phrase "Because she's Mai Sakurajima" had almost become synonymous with perfection.
This demonstrated how blind people were to Mai's hard work, treating her as if she were an omnipotent god...
Although Mai never complained, Badr understood the pressure she faced. And Mai herself was indeed incredibly talented, bearing the weight of everyone's expectations without ever disappointing them...
Now, with Nodoka impersonating Mai, she was experiencing all that pressure firsthand.
Badr almost pitied her...
It couldn't be helped. The pressure that came with exceptional talent was immense, both for oneself and for others.
Nodoka remained silent for a long time, finally understanding how deeply Badr understood Mai Sakurajima.
Badr said calmly, "Now you know how much pressure Mai is under."
"Mmm... Of course, I understand... But that's precisely why I need to perform well! I can't let my sister's hard work go to waste..."
"You're overthinking it. You won't magically improve by tomorrow," Badr said with a smile.
"Shut up! You don't have to be so blunt!" Nodoka retorted.
"Heh, I think you should just be yourself. It's okay to make mistakes. In fact, it might be a good opportunity to change people's perception of Mai."
Badr sat comfortably on the sofa, looking at the reviews that popped up after the movie ended. They were all praises for Mai's performance.
He spoke softly, "Mai is talented, but she works even harder. Her flawless performances have raised everyone's expectations so high that it must be exhausting for her to maintain."
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