Sobu High School, class 3-c.
Leo, who had taken a day off, arrived today with Yukinoshita Yukino, directly teleporting to the Service Club's clubroom using a Magic Circle, and then coming to his own classroom.
However, as soon as he entered, Leo noticed that his classmates were secretly observing him, pointing and whispering about him.
"What's going on?"
Leo scratched his hair, which he had only casually tidied after waking up, making it look a bit messy but not unkempt at all; instead, it had a kind of disheveled beauty.
"Isn't this Demon Lord, who took a day off and went off to do who knows what good deeds? Why are you here today?"
At this moment, a somewhat melodious voice reached Leo's ears, making him look over at the literary girl who, as always, was sitting at her desk, engrossed in a book.
"You said it yourself, I only took a day off, so of course I have to come today." Leo sat down next to Kasumigaoka Utaha and, looking at her, asked curiously, "It's just one day off, right? Why are all of your reactions a bit strange?"
Hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha lifted her gaze, subtly glanced at Leo, then withdrew her eyes and spoke without emotion.
"Taking a day off isn't strange, but you spending that day with Sobu High School's famous Winter Flower in the clubroom, that's stranger than anything."
Hearing Kasumigaoka Utaha's words, Leo began to understand.
"So, I'm being rumored to be romantically involved with Yukino?"
Leo looked as if he had just realized something.
"Yukino... huh?" This time, Kasumigaoka Utaha looked directly at Leo, her expression turning into a half-smile, and said, "You're already calling her by her first name, huh? It seems the rumors have some credibility."
"Are you jealous, senpai?" Leo blinked, then chuckled, saying, "I can call you Utaha too, you know."
"There's no need for that, just don't call me senpai." Kasumigaoka Utaha snorted, "Are you deliberately changing the subject? Do you dare to do it but not admit it?"
"If I really did it, I'd definitely admit it." Leo spread his hands, "The problem is I haven't made a move yet, so what am I supposed to admit?"
"So, you admit that you do want to make a move on Yukinoshita?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's dark red eyes narrowed, and she said, "Daring to make a move on the second young lady of the Yukinoshita Family, your guts are even bigger than I imagined, Demon Lord."
After Kasumigaoka Utaha said that, Leo finally realized a problem.
That is, since Yukinoshita Yukino had already become his Retainer, and was coming and going with him, even living in his house, it was impossible for the Yukinoshita Family to be completely unaware of it.
Although Yukinoshita Yukino was currently living alone, he had reason to believe that a certain Yukinoshita eldest daughter, who was as much a siscon as the current Demon Lord Leviathan, would definitely be secretly monitoring her sister's movements and might have already learned about this matter.
Even if they didn't know yet, they would find out sooner or later, especially since Sobu High School was already spreading rumors; it was only a matter of time before the outside world knew.
Would he later encounter the traditional urban face-slapping plot, where the girl's family would come looking for trouble?
Thinking of this, Leo felt a bit subtle, and also a little curious and expectant.
However, he didn't show it, instead continuing to smile at Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"After all, I'm a demon, so my guts are only bigger than you imagine." Leo teased with a hint, "Perhaps I don't just want to make a move on Yukino."
Kasumigaoka Utaha's dark red eyes narrowed even further, then she suddenly smiled.
The smile was beautiful, like a shy bud suddenly blossoming, making the male students who were watching them stare in a daze, their hearts pounding.
But Leo, who was facing this beautiful smile at the closest distance, only felt a sense of danger.
"I see, you're even more of a scumbag than I imagined, Demon Lord." Kasumigaoka Utaha said gracefully, "To make such a declaration right in front of me, your guts are indeed very big."
"Senpai should be used to it by now, shouldn't she?" Leo said with a teasing smile, "After all, you're a light novel author; you must have seen plenty of harem declarations, right?"
"Don't bring things from novels into reality, you perverted Demon Lord." Kasumigaoka Utaha reined in her smile, snorted coldly, and said, "My 'love metronome' is the most traditional kind of romance."
"That's why the second volume is having such a difficult birth, senpai." Leo was not deterred by Kasumigaoka Utaha; instead, he spoke bluntly, "You wrote the first volume so sweet, so perfect, what more can you write in the second volume?"
"The protagonist and heroine basically confirmed their relationship in the first volume, so sweet it makes your teeth ache. Even if you continue writing in the second volume, it would just be more sugar-coating."
"No matter how sweet something is, you get tired of it if you eat too much, senpai."
Leo patted Kasumigaoka Utaha's soft, slender shoulder, speaking earnestly.
"Perhaps this is when you should boldly introduce new characters and enter the female rivalry phase."
Hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha immediately slapped Leo's hand away.
"That's why I say, you boys only like these unrealistic fantasies." Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a sharp tongue, "Do you really enjoy seeing girls revolve around you, going through all sorts of hardships to win your favor and affection?"
"Wake up, such foolishness only happens in dreams. Girls are much more realistic than you imagine."
Clearly, Kasumigaoka Utaha was very displeased with Leo's suggestion.
Leo, however, was indifferent to Kasumigaoka Utaha's displeasure.
"It's precisely because such good things are hard to come by in reality that we like to put ourselves in the protagonist's shoes when reading novels, seeking a bit of pleasure from the fictional words to soothe our hearts, stung by cold reality." Leo admitted, "You girls are realistic and don't think much of us smelly boys, but you can't even take away our right to fantasize, can you?"
"Anyway, I would absolutely never write it that way." Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Leo with disdain, "Forgive me for not being able to fulfill your fantasy, perverted Demon Lord. Please remember, humans are not animals; there will absolutely not be a lion king leading a pride of lionesses swaggering around in public."
"Perhaps." Leo met Kasumigaoka Utaha's disdain with a sunny smile, saying, "Humans are indeed not animals, but what if it's not human?"
"You can keep fantasizing." Kasumigaoka Utaha looked as if she had given up on him, turned her gaze back to her book, and said, "Anyway, don't expect to see such things in my light novel."
Leo shrugged, noncommittally leaving Kasumigaoka Utaha and returning to his seat.
Kasumigaoka Utaha watched Leo like that, her indignation, however, went unnoticed.
The guy who had been following her romance novel was not a pure romance fan, but a scumbag who fantasized about a harem, which made Kasumigaoka Utaha very displeased.
"Just you wait."
Kasumigaoka Utaha secretly made a resolution.
"I will definitely write the second volume and let you know that pure love is the truth that should be pursued."
...Three in the afternoon, Service Club clubroom.
After a day of classes, Leo came here and saw Yukinoshita Yukino.
However, Yukinoshita Yukino was no longer sitting peacefully reading a book as before; instead, she was leaning against the back of the chair, head tilted, sound asleep.
Her sleeping face was serene and elegant, many times softer than her usual cold demeanor. If a stranger were here and saw this, it would be perfectly normal for him to be completely captivated.
Looking at Yukinoshita Yukino like this, and then remembering Kasumigaoka Utaha, whose single smile had made all the surrounding boys lose their souls, Leo couldn't help but exclaim.
"The quality of beautiful girls in this world is really high."
Even just at Sobu High School, there was more than one beautiful girl who could make people stare in a daze; it was simply a miracle of the Creator.
"Perhaps they truly are the Creator's works of art?"
Leo chuckled as he muttered to himself.
He couldn't help it; there were real gods in this world, and the existence revered as the Creator was also real. Perhaps on a whim, he created these beautiful works.
"Unfortunately, I am a demon."
In terms of position, he was an opposing existence to that being.
With this thought, Leo approached Yukinoshita Yukino and gently shook her body.
"Hmm..."
Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to have only been lightly sleeping; with Leo's shake, she immediately woke up.
"...You're here?"
Opening her sleepy eyes, Yukinoshita Yukino sat up, her voice soft and weak.
"Are you that tired?"
Leo spoke with a hint of amusement, like watching a cat stretch.
"What do you think?" Yukinoshita Yukino glared at Leo, weakly saying, "Isn't it because you made my body like this?"
"...Your words are really easy to misunderstand." Leo was speechless for a moment, then said irritably, "Just bear with it a little longer. Once you get used to the daytime, you won't get sleepy so easily."
Saying that, Leo pulled Yukinoshita Yukino, helping her up while walking into the Magic Circle.
The Magic Circle glowed, transferring the two to the manor's basement, instantly leaving Sobu High School.
"Cheer up, starting today, I have work for you to do."
Leo stuffed a stack of parchment into the dazed Yukinoshita Yukino's hand, leaving her stunned.
"These are... flyers?"
Yukinoshita Yukino reacted and recognized what the items in her hand were.
The parchments inscribed with the Magic Circle were precisely the demon flyers Leo had mentioned earlier.
"Your task today is to distribute flyers."
Leo said this, disregarding Yukinoshita Yukino's astonishment.
"This is your first job after becoming a demon, you know."