Chapter 15: The Handsome Devil's Holiday
The café was quiet, the steam from Akeno's tea acting as a veil between us. I set my cup down with a deliberate clink.
Motohama: "Akeno-senpai, I'm taking a week off from the club. Physical maintenance, mental management, and a severe case of magic exhaustion. I need to recalibrate."
Akeno: [Giggling into her palm] "Ara, ara~ What a sophisticated way to say you're going on strike, Motohama-kun."
Motohama: [With a smooth, dry smile] "I learned from the best. Our great senior, Akeno, is the master of 'selective participation,' after all."
Akeno reached across the table, pinching my cheek with a firm, playful tug.
Akeno: "You've grown to talk more and more every day, Motohamaru. Fine. I accept your leave. I'll break the news to Rias later... though I suspect she already knows more than she lets on."
She wasn't lying. Far in the distance, hidden by the treeline of the local park, a certain crimson-haired King was currently venting her frustrations.
Rias: [Muttering to herself while kicking a sturdy oak] "He's with her? Why is he with her?! I'm the one who stayed up for nights! I'm the one who..."
CRACK. A second tree fell victim to a burst of Power of Destruction. Rias didn't stay to watch it fall; she fled the scene, her face burning with a mix of regal pride and raw, unadulterated jealousy.
The Dragon's Makeover
As I walked toward the shopping district, a voice like grinding stones echoed in my skull.
Crom Cruach: "I gave you a physical evolution, stabilized your soul, and refined your bone structure. Yet, you insist on wearing those grumpy old glasses and keeping your hair looking like a bird's nest. It's an insult to my dignity."
Motohama: 'It's called a 'low profile,' Crom. Besides, you're just a fragment. Since when do you care about fashion?'
Crom Cruach: "Since I realized the Red Dragon's host looks more like a protagonist than mine! I will not have my vessel look like a random peasant. Get a haircut. Buy clothes that don't scream 'Information Broker.' Do it, or I'll start making your ears itch from the inside."
Motohama: [Sighing] 'Fine. Stop the peasant talk. I'll dress up.'
I hit the barber first. When the stylist finally pulled the cape away, even he looked stunned. My hair was trimmed, pulled back into an elegant, sharp knot at the nape of my neck. My face—usually hidden by bangs and glare—was fully visible.
Barber: "Kid... why were you hiding this? You look like a different person."
Motohama: [Adjusting my new glasses—round, dark-tinted, and sleek] "I was just... keeping the world safe from my own reflection."
Crom Cruach: "Now you look presentable. Though I still hate your directness."
Motohama: "Learn from your senior, Crom."
Crom Cruach: [Snarling] "Don't you dare call me a senior! I am an ancient—"
Motohama: "I have a stash of high-quality 'research' magazines at home. I can always share the lore."
Crom Cruach: [Quickly back-tracking] "My brother! You are always welcome in the brotherhood of dragons! Ahem... that is much better."
The Trio's 'Research' Mission
On the way back, I spotted Kiba and Issei. Issei looked like he was vibrating with pent-up energy.
Motohama: "Kiba, Issei. You're coming with me. We're doing 'research.'"
Issei: [Eyes bulging] "Research? You mean... peeping?! Boobs?! Boobs, boobs, boobs!"
Motohama: "Calm down, Issei. Don't falter our reputation. We have a certain image to maintain."
Crom Cruach: "What reputation? You look like three boys who haven't touched a woman in decades."
I dragged them to a prime spot near the academy's hidden outdoor springs. Kiba tried to protest, looking refined as ever.
Kiba: "Motohama-kun, why am I here? This is hardly—"
Motohama: "Kiba, I found something under your bed last week. Very 'interesting' hobbies for a refined gentleman. Would you like that information to be leaked?"
Kiba: [Instant 180-degree turn] "I was just saying how excellent the weather is for scouting! Lead the way, Motohama-san!"
We were eventually caught, of course. But the reaction was... unexpected.
When the girls found us, they didn't scream at me or Kiba. They stared.
Female Student: "Wait... is that Motohamaru? He's... he's actually hot? Are you free next week?"
I tilted my glasses, flashing a smooth, practiced grin that sent them into a flutter, allowing Kiba and me to slip away using nothing but our "Glow-Up" as a shield. Issei, however, was not so lucky.
Female Student: "You! You're trying to ruin the image of these two beautiful angels!"
They pounced on Issei like a pack of wolves, biting and scolding him to a pulp. When we finally dragged his half-dead body away, he looked like he'd met a God and been rejected.
Issei: "I... I saw the light... it was shaped like a bra..."
Motohama: "Focus, Issei. You need to master that Gear before the next threat comes. Less peeping, more training."
Issei: "You're the one who brought me here!"
Motohama: "I suggested it. You should have had the moral fortitude to deny me. Your weakness is your own, my friend."
The Shadow of the Past
Unknown to us, Rias had been watching the entire spectacle from the shadows. Her jealousy was a physical heat.
Rias: (Thinking) Why didn't he come to me? He should have apologized for skipping the club... he should have asked for my forgiveness...
She paused, her anger cooling into a sharp, painful realization.
Rias: Wait... why should he apologize? He almost died for me. I'm the one who didn't even visit him when he woke up. I'm the one who stayed silent. I'm blaming him because I'm afraid of how much I need him.
As I began a light sparring session with Kiba, Crom Cruach's voice suddenly turned heavy and serious.
Crom Cruach: "Your ancestors did better than this. Your footwork is sloppy."
Motohama: [Freezing mid-step] 'Ancestors? What do you mean, Crom? Motohama is just a side character. He's nobody.'
The Dragon went silent. The atmosphere in my mind became cold.
Crom Cruach: "Forget I said anything. Just keep swinging, peasant."
I narrowed my eyes. Motohamaru wasn't just a comic relief character with glasses. There was something buried in this body's bloodline—something even an Evil Dragon respected. And I was going to find out what it was.