The silence stretched in Toujo's hospital room, so thick you could cut it with a bokuto.
On one side stood Toujo—bandaged, bruised, but still radiating the aura of an undefeated beast. His eyes softened only when they landed on Beel, who was babbling and stretching out tiny arms toward him.
On the other side was Oga—arms crossed, jaw tight, glaring as if Toujo had just insulted his ancestors.
Between them stood Kogen, holding Beel like some divine mediator, looking utterly done with both of them.
"...I don't like this atmosphere," Furuichi muttered from the back, peeking out from behind Hilda. "It feels like I've stumbled into the middle of a love triangle confrontation."
"You're not wrong," Lamia quipped, eyes glinting. "It looks exactly like Oga's about to confront the man stealing away his wife and child."
"Oi, oi, oi!" Oga barked, nearly popping a vein. "Stop running your mouths, you damn brats!"
But Toujo ignored the outburst, his eyes locked squarely on Oga. His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"Oga," he said slowly, each word heavy, "if you abandon your family again... I won't mind taking your place. I'll have a wife... and a child."
The entire room froze.
"...Eh?" Furuichi whispered, eyes bugging. "Did... did Toujo just propose to Kogen in front of all of us?!"
Oga's head snapped toward Kogen so fast it almost cracked his neck. "OI! What's this about being his wife?!"
Kogen's face flushed crimson instantly, his composure shattering. "T-Toujo! Don't say things like that out loud!"
"Why not?" Toujo growled, eyes narrowing at Oga. "You deserve better. He left you once, left you again, and who picked up the pieces? Me. If he can't protect you, I will."
Beel squealed at that, clapping like he'd just heard the punchline of the century. "DAABUUU!"
Lamia smirked so wide it looked painful. "Oh my, oh my. Such a heartfelt declaration. Oga, your rival isn't just after your title anymore. He's after your family."
Oga's face turned volcanic red. "STOP MAKING IT SOUND LIKE I'M MARRIED TO HIM!"
Hilda hid a laugh behind her hand. "Though to be fair, Oga... you're reacting very much like a scorned spouse."
"WHO'S A SCORNED ANYTHING?!" Oga bellowed, fists shaking. His eyes darted to Kogen, who was still blushing furiously, refusing to meet his gaze.
That sting in Oga's chest flared again—sharp, unfamiliar, and irritating as hell.
Before Oga could explode further, Kogen quickly pulled an envelope from his coat and held it out to Toujo. "Here. This is for you."
Toujo blinked, then his eyes widened in horror. His bandaged hand trembled as he took the envelope.
"...So that's how it is, huh?" he muttered darkly. He looked up, face twisted in a mix of betrayal and heartbreak. "After all we went through... you're paying me off? Like some cheap host?!"
Everyone in the room froze.
"...HUH?!" Oga shouted, nearly falling over. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Toujo clutched the envelope dramatically to his chest, tears practically sparkling in his eyes. "Our bond... reduced to money in an envelope. Is that all I am to you, Kogen?! Some hired man you toss aside when you're done?!"
Kogen's eye twitched. "...Toujo. Please stop watching soap operas before bed."
He flipped the envelope open and revealed its contents—two glossy, black-edged tickets that gleamed under the fluorescent light.
Toujo's jaw dropped.
"...N-no way. These... these are..." His voice cracked. He clutched the tickets like holy relics. "Tickets to The Demons' concert?! The Demons! My favorite band!!"
The room went dead silent.
Then—
"EEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" everyone except Kogen and Beel shouted in unison, the hospital windows rattling.
Kogen adjusted his coat like nothing had happened. "You mentioned you wanted to see them, didn't you? They're difficult tickets to obtain, but... not impossible."
Toujo's hands shook so violently the tickets nearly ripped. "D-Do you know how expensive these are?! No normal high schooler could even—"
"Don't worry about it," Kogen said casually. "It's just my earnings from one of the companies I invested in."
Silence.
Then Furuichi screamed, voice cracking like glass. "COMPANY?! INVESTED?! What kind of high schooler talks like that?!"
Kogen tilted his head, as if confused. "Did I not mention? I'm the president of Vega. It's a multinational corporation. We have branches in most sectors."
It was as if a bomb had detonated in the room.
Furuichi collapsed to his knees, pounding the floor. "VEGA?! THE Vega?! The one that owns half the entertainment industry, real estate, IT, even fast food chains?! That Vega?!"
"Mm," Kogen hummed lightly, almost bored.
Oga's brain stuttered. He blinked once. Twice. Then finally roared, "SINCE WHEN THE HELL WERE YOU A COMPANY PRESIDENT?!"
Kogen blinked. "Since the beginning."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!"
"You never asked."
The calm reply was so casual, so utterly normal, that it nearly killed Oga on the spot. His face twisted, a mix of fury and disbelief. Meanwhile, Furuichi was still pounding the ground like a man betrayed by destiny.
"Unfair...! So unfair!" Furuichi sobbed. "Why does Oga get all the luck?! First Hilda, then Kunieda hovering around him, now this—a literal billionaire spouse! What about me?! Where's my hot rich fallen-angel waifu?!"
"You're disgusting," Lamia muttered, kicking him lightly in the ribs.
Oga, meanwhile, was trembling—not from fear, but from something he didn't want to name. His glare slid to where Kogen and Toujo were standing close, Toujo still clutching his tickets with shining eyes, Kogen faintly smiling at him.
That sting in his chest again. That damn, irritating sting.
He gritted his teeth so hard they ached.
"Tch..." he muttered, turning away before anyone noticed the shadow crossing his face.
But of course, Hilda noticed. She always noticed. And her smirk deepened ever so slightly.