—What are we doing here? —asked Nino, crossing her arms and looking at Osamu with a frown. They were standing in front of the student council room after being kicked out of class for making noise.
—Oh, I'm visiting my girlfriend —Osamu replied with complete ease.
—G-girlfriend? What are you talking about? —Nino retorted, incredulous—. You said on the first day that you didn't have a girlfriend.
Osamu shrugged with a sly smile.
—Did I? Well, maybe I forgot to mention it —he said, pretending to be clueless.
Nino looked at him suspiciously, trying to read his expression. She was sure he was just saying that to annoy her, but her curiosity wouldn't let her drop it.
Before she could say anything else, Osamu gently knocked on the door.
—Come in —a soft and playful voice sounded from the other side.
Osamu opened the door and walked in confidently, with Nino following cautiously behind him. The spacious student council room was impeccably organized and bathed in natural light streaming through the windows. Sitting behind a desk with a pile of documents in front of her was Rias Gremory, the student council president. Her long red hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her expression brightened upon seeing Osamu.
—Oh, Kuroda~! —Rias sang, gracefully standing up and walking toward him—. Did you come to visit me?
—Of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to see you —he replied casually.
To Nino's surprise, Rias wrapped her arms around Osamu's neck and pressed herself against him with a seductive smile.
—I missed you —Rias whispered, playing with his hair.
Nino blinked several times, completely baffled.
—E-eh! S-she's your girlfriend? —she asked, trying to process the scene in front of her.
Rias raised an eyebrow and looked at him with feigned curiosity.
—Oh? You didn't tell her?
Osamu smiled, appearing calm.
—I didn't think it was necessary —he said, caressing Rias's waist—. Besides, I guess I forgot to mention it that day.
—That doesn't make any sense! —Nino exclaimed, clearly irritated—. You said you didn't have a girlfriend the first day you met my sisters.
Rias let out a small laugh and gave Osamu a light tap on the chest.
—Kuroda, have you been playing with other girls' hearts while I'm not looking? —she asked, pretending to be upset.
—Not at all, I just like seeing her surprised face —Osamu replied with a relaxed smile.
Nino squinted, noticing that something felt off about all this. The way Rias looked at him and how Osamu remained so calm... something didn't add up.
—I don't believe it... —she muttered, crossing her arms—. You're just saying that to mess with me!
Rias chuckled and gave Osamu a quick kiss on the cheek.
—If he is, I don't mind~ —she said in a playful tone—. Although I admit it's entertaining to see you so confused.
Nino huffed, clearly frustrated, but couldn't help feeling her heart race at the possibility that Osamu really did have a girlfriend.
—Tch! Do whatever you want —she said, turning toward the door with a slightly flushed face—. I don't care!
Once Nino left the room, Rias separated from Osamu and gave him a mischievous look.
—Playing with fire, huh, Kuroda? —she commented.
—I'm just adding fuel to see how she reacts —he replied with a smug smile—. But thanks for playing along.
—It's fun —Rias admitted, leaning against the desk with her arms crossed—. Though I can't help but wonder... what will you do if she starts taking it seriously?
Osamu just shrugged, as if the matter didn't concern him at all.
—I'll deal with it when the time comes —he answered, giving her a confident smile.
Rias shook her head, amused, while thinking about how unpredictable Kuroda could be.
...
The day went by without further incidents, at least on the surface. As usual, Osamu spent lunch in the student council office with Rias. For most people, it was just his usual routine, but the truth was that their closeness was far greater than anyone could imagine... Perhaps even too close, though that kind of intimacy only happened when they were alone.
On the other hand, Nino had decided to ignore him for the rest of the day. She was upset, or maybe hurt, and confusion mixed with frustration in her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier when Osamu claimed to have a girlfriend and Rias played along so convincingly. Every instinct told her it was just another one of his pranks to annoy her —she could tell from the playful tone he used— but still, the evident closeness between Rias and Osamu made her uneasy.
Since they met, not much time had passed, but being seatmates in class, they talked a lot, and gradually they had become closer. Despite Osamu's carefree attitude, he was always there to help her with classes when needed, which made Nino develop an unexpected bond with him.
Although she wouldn't admit it easily, Osamu's type of face was exactly what she liked. Those sharp, narrow eyes that seemed to look at everything with an almost irritating calmness had a charm she couldn't ignore. He was the kind of guy who naturally caught her attention, and the mere idea of him being with someone like Rias made her press her lips in annoyance.
—Are they really together...? —Nino muttered to herself, mentally replaying the events of the day.
The thought unsettled her, especially because she hated to admit how much it affected her. Since when did she care so much about what he did or who he was with? With a mixture of hurt pride and confusion, Nino decided to convince herself that it was all just a tasteless joke... although deep down, she couldn't stop thinking about the possibility that Osamu really did have a girlfriend, especially someone as beautiful and charismatic as Rias.