In a dimly lit room, a boy with indistinct features stood in front of the sink, silently staring at his reflection in the mirror.
The faucet was left running, the sound of flowing water filling the space without pause.
Knock, knock!
A knocking sound came from the entrance.
Faintly, voices could be heard calling from outside.
The boy, leaning on the sink with both hands, shifted his gaze slightly toward the direction of the sound but quickly lost interest.
After staring at his reflection for a few seconds, he suddenly furrowed his brows as if noticing something.
"I mean..."
Slightly parting his lips, his expression grew more serious.
A peculiar atmosphere seemed to spread in the darkness.
"...Did I get even more handsome?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the eerie atmosphere vanished without a trace.
All that buildup had collapsed in an instant.
"Luo Xia! If you don't hurry up, you'll be late!"
Outside, a purple-haired girl called out anxiously.
Tsukinose Vignette April.
A little angel (crossed out) a demon from the Demon Realm.
Currently a student at Maten High School, she was in the same class as the demon inside the room.
Yes, the guy in the room was a demon too.
"I'm coming, I'm coming."
With a lazy wave of his hand, Luo Xia responded weakly.
As he moved, the darkness in the room faded away completely.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, and a sparrow perched on a branch outside tilted its head in confusion, as if wondering why the room had been pitch black one moment and brightly lit the next.
"I mean, Vigne..."
Opening the door, Luo Xia looked at Vignette, who was already dressed and ready to go, and sighed.
"Is there really a need to rush like this?"
"Luo Xia, what are you even saying? It's already late!"
Vignette frowned in dissatisfaction.
For a diligent student like her, this was very late.
If she weren't stopping by to pick up Luo Xia, she would've left for school long ago.
"But you're a demon. Since when do demons care so much about school?"
Luo Xia grumbled as he begrudgingly gathered his things.
Backpack, textbooks, student ID, money…
Thinking about it, not having mobile payment was really inconvenient.
After some thought, Luo Xia stuffed his wallet into his back pocket. When he pulled his hand out again, the wallet was gone.
Don't ask. If you must know—it's a fourth-dimensional butt pocket.
"Ah!"
Luo Xia's words struck Vignette like a dagger to the heart.
Stab!
Clutching her chest, she looked visibly dejected, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Luo Xia walked up beside her.
"By the way, Vigne."
As they walked to school, Luo Xia turned to the downcast Vignette.
"I haven't seen that angel around the past couple of days."
He was referring to a certain waste-angel, Gabriel.
Though, at this moment, Gabriel was still kind, gentle, beautiful, considerate, disciplined, and tolerant of others—
In short, every virtue you could imagine in a perfect angel.
But Luo Xia knew this was nothing more than a fragile illusion.
Once that girl got into gaming, she would quickly embrace her true nature and fall into depravity.
"Little Gab? Yeah, I haven't seen her much lately."
Pressing a delicate finger to her chin, Vignette looked troubled.
Gabriel had seemed really busy these past few days.
Vignette wasn't sure what she was up to, but she was starting to get worried.
Seeing Vignette's concerned expression, Luo Xia couldn't help but sigh.
Was she sure she was born in the right world?
She was way too angelic to be a demon!
"Right?"
"Exactly..."
As they spoke, a couple walked past them, laughing sweetly.
Luo Xia's eyes were immediately drawn to them.
Something was brewing in his mind.
Now, here's something important to know—demons who come to the human world receive a living allowance from the Demon Realm.
However, not every demon gets the same amount.
At first, the stipend was based on academic performance back in the Demon Realm. After that, it depended on their behavior in the human world.
The more mischief and chaos a demon caused, the higher their score—meaning more money.
On the flip side, Vignette, who was constantly doing good deeds, was always short on funds.
By contrast, Luo Xia?
He was loaded.
"Hey, Luo Xia, what are you thinking?"
Vignette's internal radar went off. She immediately turned to glare at him.
Her instincts screamed that he was planning something very bad.
"I was just thinking about when I'll get a girlfriend."
Luo Xia answered with a straight face.
In reality, his thoughts were more along the lines of: "Maybe I should start breaking up couples."
After all, he was a demon.
Causing trouble was part of the job description.
Besides, even if he ignored his demonic nature—back in the day, he was a proud member of the FFF Inquisition!
"Vigne, could you help me make some clothes later?"
"I guess... but why—"
"I'll teach you how to do bad things."
"Eh?! But I don't need to do bad things!"
"Your allowance is nearly gone, isn't it?"
"...…Fine, I'll help."
Her empty wallet left Vignette with no choice but to surrender.
She really didn't want to be the first demon in history to starve to death in the human world.
Besides, while Luo Xia had a lot of money, she didn't think of him as a heartless villain.
So… he probably had some special method, right?
At least, that's what she told herself.
As they passed a convenience store, Luo Xia spoke up.
"Vigne, I'm gonna grab something real quick."
"Huh? Did you forget something?"
"No, I need to buy sandpaper."
"…Sandpaper?"
A question mark practically popped above Vignette's head.
Was there a craft project today?
Didn't seem like it.
"I want to give my classmates a chance to toughen up a little."
Luo Xia said this with an eerily calm expression.
As if he genuinely had their best interests at heart.
"??"
Vignette was utterly confused.
Luo Xia's thought process was as unpredictable as ever.
But… it was probably something good, right?
Seeing the sincere look on Luo Xia's face, Vignette ultimately chose to trust him.
After all, Luo Xia was a good person.
'This girl… she's way too naïve.'
Watching Vignette's cheerful expression, Luo Xia suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
After all, a significant portion of his monthly allowance came from deceiving his companions with a straight face.
Vignette was such a wonderful girl.
In every sense of the word.