Chapter 46: Akeno Made Her Move! (Patreon)

Because Rias had entrusted them with a task, Hanakain Fubuki and Himejima Akeno also left the old school building shortly after Sirzechs departed for the Underworld. The Occult Research Club room, which had been quite lively moments before, suddenly felt deserted.

In the lounge, Rias remained seated on the sofa, legs crossed, one arm resting along the backrest. Her head was slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on the tips of her toes as she drifted quietly in thought.

Truthfully, she had felt somewhat conflicted when she asked Fubuki and Akeno to go prepare the gifts. As her closest friend over the years, Rias generally understood what Akeno was thinking. Especially concerning emotional fluctuations – she didn't even need Akeno to say anything; a single look, an expression, even just the tone of an interjection was often enough to sense it.

Therefore, Akeno… she probably did like Fubuki too.

No matter how many times Rias told herself that matters of the heart are inherently selfish, the fact remained that she had essentially cut in and snatched him away. Perhaps it was out of guilt towards her friend, combined with the conversation they'd had in the hotel room the previous night, that Rias decided to take a small step back. She wanted to give those two a chance to talk things out clearly, as a small measure of compensation towards Akeno.

Yet, even having mentally prepared herself, it still felt… slightly uncomfortable.

Recalling the things she and Fubuki had done in the hotel room yesterday afternoon, and then imagining that the opportunity she'd just created might lead Akeno to do the exact same things… Rias couldn't help but bite her lip gently.

For all I know, they might already be on a big hotel bed right now… Ngh!

The vivid fantasy that flashed through her mind caused the girl's body to tremble abruptly. That familiar sensation surged through her again, spreading like an electric current. Wait, this feeling is… how can this be…?

Although she didn't understand the exact principle, Rias distinctly remembered this sensation only appearing after Hanakain Fubuki made physical contact with her, and it would slowly fade away once the contact ceased. But now, he wasn't even here, let alone touching her. Could it be that just thinking about it would…

Rias found herself in a deeply awkward situation. The strange feeling in her body made it impossible to calm down. Yet, whenever she tried to quiet her mind, she couldn't stop herself from imagining Fubuki and Akeno's situation, which only made her body react strangely again. It was a cycle, repeating endlessly, impossible to stop.

After enduring it for a while without any sign of it subsiding, Rias pushed herself up from the sofa using her hands for support. Striving to maintain a calm tone, she looked towards Asia beside her and Toujou Koneko, who was still nibbling on snacks on the opposite sofa. "Sorry, Asia, Koneko, I'm feeling a bit tired. I'm going to head up and rest for a bit. Call me if anything comes up."

"Mm," the white-haired girl nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

Asia looked concerned. "Are you alright, Miss Rias? If you don't mind, I can help treat you."

"N-no, it's fine. I'm just genuinely a bit tired. Thank you, Asia." Rias offered a small smile and waved dismissively, then turned and left the lounge. Reaching the staircase, she placed a hand on the railing and ascended step by step.

Meanwhile, inside the supermarket on the student street near Kuoh Academy, Hanakain Fubuki and Himejima Akeno, tasked with buying gifts, wandered between the aisles of shelves.

Although Rias had entrusted them with the important mission of buying souvenirs, with the promise of reimbursement later, the prerequisite was knowing what to buy. After all, Hanakain Fubuki had never once been to the Underworld and had no idea about its specific local customs and culture. Ultimately, the decision rested with Akeno.

To that end, he had even grabbed a shopping cart. This way, Akeno could pick things out, and he could handle the transport – a perfect system. The only slightly awkward aspect was that, to any onlookers, they probably looked exactly like a young newlywed couple. Not that it mattered, really.

"Hey, Akeno, how about buying some of this?" Fubuki paused beside a shelf and took down a cooking kit for preparing Fugu cuisine. His logic was simple: souvenirs were often local specialties, and specialties were frequently related to food. Since they were buying today but wouldn't arrive in the Underworld for a couple of days, fresh items were impractical. Seafood, which is best eaten fresh, was out. Even something like a fried pork cutlet wouldn't keep for two days.

Therefore, under the circumstances, cooking kits seemed the best choice. Nearby, there were also kits for eel rice bowls, sea urchin rice bowls, and more. If Akeno approved, Fubuki was prepared to grab one of each.

And then… silence. No response came for a long moment.

Hm? Sensing something wasn't quite right, Hanakain Fubuki looked up from the packet in his hand towards where Akeno should have been. He saw that the tall girl with the black ponytail had wandered off alone to the tableware section nearby and was staring intently at a display of cups. Er, proper cups, he clarified mentally.

"...What's up, Akeno? Thinking of buying these?" Fubuki pushed the shopping cart over to the shelf with the cups, looking them up and down with some confusion.

"No, I'm just looking…" Himejima Akeno murmured, shaking her head. Yet, she reached out and picked up a water bottle shaped like a section of Moso bamboo tube from the shelf. "Fubuki, what do you think of this?"

"You're asking what I think..." Fubuki stared at the bamboo-shaped water bottle, momentarily lost in thought. It was like how humans in primitive societies yearned for industrialization, only to romanticize primitive life once industrialization truly took hold. People used bamboo tubes for water and food out of necessity because proper insulated containers didn't exist. Later, after getting used to sturdy, insulated stainless steel thermoses, they started reminiscing about bamboo-tube rice, touting the benefits of bamboo containers, and so on.

Ultimately, this led to hybrid products like this: a bamboo exterior, but actually housing a stainless steel insulated inner lining. A combination of ancient and modern styles. While he didn't particularly like or dislike such things, wasn't giving someone an insulated water bottle as a gift a bit strange? Especially considering Rias's usual attire and style, the aesthetic in the Underworld likely leaned more towards European fashion. Giving such an Eastern-style water bottle as a souvenir… hmm…

While the young man was pondering its suitability, Himejima Akeno suddenly looked up, her face tilted towards him, and spoke again.

"If the character 'Hana' was carved on this bamboo tube… wouldn't it look just like the one you gave me back then?"

"...?!"

Her softly spoken words struck him like a thunderclap on a clear day. Hanakain Fubuki's expression shifted rapidly from brief confusion to suspicion, then immediately to the shocked realization of certainty.

Watching the progression of emotions on the young man's face, Himejima Akeno's beautiful, yet faintly weary, features grew even more sorrowful.

"So why couldn't you remember all this time? Akeno has been waiting… waiting for you to remember on your own."