"Enjoy your meal!" Rias said excitedly, grabbing the miso soup that Miki had prepared earlier in the morning. The same soup that Gorou had completely ignored as soon as he found out a foreigner was sleeping under the same roof as his son.
Rias took a delicate sip, and her elegant way of drinking the broth made both of them stare at her in shock. Miki, with her eyes fixed on her, didn't even seem to notice the time passing. She placed her hand on her face, smiling.
"It's delicious, mom," she said, flashing an enchanting smile.
"Ah, yes... very delicate," Miki replied, snapping out of her trance, completely hypnotized by Rias' presence. Gorou, on the other hand, was still staring at Rias, as if it was completely normal to look at someone like that without any shame.
It was a strange scene to witness. For some, it would be incredibly uncomfortable, but for Antares...
'This soup is amazing... Much better than dragon meat.' He thought, distracted. Of course, for someone used to devouring meat from random creatures he destroyed with his strength and then grilled with his Chaos Flame, anything seemed like a divine feast. Since becoming Issei, he had been enjoying the best aspects of life to the fullest.
The food. And he was loving every second of it.
Rias, noticing how much he was truly enjoying the meal, decided to tease him. "Ise, it was your mom who made this meal. So eat it all, okay?"
She was acting like an older sister, trying to joke with him. But Antares wasn't interested in playing along.
"Yes, you're right. I need to eat a lot to take care of my wife," he said, smiling at Rias. Immediately, Rias' heart almost jumped out of her chest, and her face turned bright red.
"W-W-WIFE?" Miki stammered, her eyes filling with tears, almost unable to contain her emotions.
"Q-Quick, calm down!" Gorou said, looking at his wife, who was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
"How can I calm down? Our son... said he has a wife!" Miki said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I really thought he would die a virgin and alone..." she said in a choked voice, almost as if she had witnessed a miracle.
"Wait, I'm not..." Before Rias could explain, Antares interrupted her.
"We're getting married soon, but we're already living as a couple," he said, holding Rias' hand with a smile that looked almost demonic, one that only Rias noticed. "She's a bit bold, but I love her deeply," he finished, his eyes shining with an intensity that made anyone question his intentions.
"My son... you've grown up so fast..." Gorou said, wiping away a tear of emotion. He then grabbed Rias' hand quickly, and Miki did the same with a nostalgic smile.
"Please! Take good care of our boy! He might be a little... dumb, but he has a heart of gold!" Miki said with a proud motherly expression.
"Yes! He's a pervert, so be patient with him!" Gorou added, clearly trying to be serious, but his words were more of an attempt to help than anything. "And don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to. If anything happens, just let us know. It was our mistake, okay?"
"But I..." Rias was completely speechless. The shock left her so dazed she could barely form a sentence. Her face was so red, it made the scene even more hilarious.
"Dear, tell us... where are you from?" Miki asked excitedly, as if she were waiting for a fairytale story. After all, she didn't know anything about Rias and was absolutely curious.
Rias gave a wry smile, trying to regain her composure from the surprise.
"I-I see... how wonderful! Hahaha! You're a foreigner, right? You speak Japanese very well!" Gorou commented, trying to ease the situation, but he was so out of touch that it made Rias feel a bit uncomfortable.
"She's really cute... I like her," Antares thought, watching the exchange with an amused smile.
Rias bowed slightly. "Thank you. Well, due to my father's work, I've been living in Japan for quite some time." She said with a friendly smile, trying to make the conversation lighter.
"Oh, really? That must be a little lonely, huh?" Miki suddenly commented, her tone more concerned. "Moving countries so often must have been hard. Kids like you end up being... rejected by society a lot." She finished, looking worried, which made Rias feel a wave of affection. Miki's genuine concern touched something inside her.
"Yes... it was complicated," Rias replied, a warm smile on her face. It wasn't warm nor cold; it was just a simple, but sincere smile. "But I learned to cope with it," she added, still feeling the softness of the conversation, which, as strange as it was, ended up being comforting.
"I understand, I'm glad," Miki said, smiling. "Again... take care of this guy... he's... special in his own way, so be gentle with him," she said.
"Yes, I will," Rias replied with a slight hesitation, feeling a bit out of place. 'I didn't need to use my powers... but for sure, this family is quite peculiar…' she thought, continuing to eat, trying not to show her discomfort.
Gorou, noticing the time, suddenly stood up, interrupting the silence. "Look at the time! If you don't hurry, you'll be late." He said with a carefree smile as he prepared to leave. "Have a good day!" He added, waving to everyone and already heading toward the door.
Rias and Antares left the house together, walking side by side toward the school. The path was quiet, but the silence between them was broken when Rias looked at him with a curious expression.
"Hey, you... Why do you tease me so much?" She asked, her voice soft, but with a hint of curiosity. Her expression was slightly uncomfortable, but also amused, as if she were starting to get used to Antares' attitude.
He looked at her with a light smile, not rushing to answer. "Because you're cute," he said, his tone simple and direct, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Rias stopped for a moment, surprised by the response. Her face immediately flushed, and she shook her head with a small sigh. "You're impossible..." she murmured, but she couldn't hide the smile forming on her lips.
Antares chuckled quietly, noticing her embarrassed expression. "Impossible, me? I'm just being honest." He shrugged, wearing a mischievous grin, before continuing to walk. "Seriously, you have this way about you... it's hard not to tease."
Rias huffed, but the smile didn't fade. She walked beside him, saying nothing more, but there was a playful gleam in her eyes. 'This guy really has no shame...' she thought, as the two of them continued walking toward school, already starting their day with a light exchange of banter and laughter.
As they got closer to the school, something in the air felt different. The weight of the stares hitting Antares was almost palpable, as if the looks could cut him. He quickly realized the reason: he was walking beside Rias, the "Goddess of the School," and he... well, he had the reputation of being the "Supreme Pervert," a reputation he carried because of his life as Issei.
"Why would someone like him..."
"Why would someone so vulgar be next to our Rias..."
The comments could be heard from all sides, both from girls and boys. It was almost like a wave of sharp words aimed at Antares, who didn't seem to understand the magnitude of the situation. Some students, visibly shocked, even fainted, unable to process what they were seeing.
Am I really that bad? Antares thought, trying to understand the reaction. 'I would understand the comments... but... fainting?!' He kept walking with a nervous smile on his face, trying not to show how unsettled he was. 'Did Issei really do that many perverted things for an entire school to hate him this much?'
As they passed through the school gate, Rias spoke without looking at him, clearly too embarrassed to do so.
"I'll send someone to find you later. Let's meet after classes," she said, embarrassed, and then she ran off like a little girl.
"Really, cute," Antares said with a smile before heading to his classroom. But as soon as he entered, he was met with a storm of shouting.
"I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION!!" Matsuda yelled, his hands raised as if he were on stage, tears in his eyes. "What happened, Ise?!"
Antares looked at him with an irritated smile, already predicting the scene that would unfold. 'From the look on his face, I know exactly what he's thinking.'
Matsuda didn't waste any time, and with exaggerated drama, he continued, "Until yesterday, we were allies in the 'Unpopular Alliance'! How did you, a hopeless pervert, end up walking with our Rias?! What happened between the time we parted ways and now?!"
As Matsuda delivered his furious speech, Motohama, the typical observer of the situation, was there adjusting his glasses with an eerie calm. But his fixed gaze on Antares, as if trying to decipher something, showed that he wasn't as calm as he appeared.