"Hey, is it that girl? You know, the one with horns?"
"Yeah, I mean look at the top of her head."
"Wow, that's freaky as hell. But kind of hot too, not gonna lie."
"You're the freaky one dude."
Ruri didn't think it was that big of a deal, it was just horns. However, it seems students have different thoughts to it as everywhere she goes, eyes were drawn to the top of her head like a magnet. Even her friend Yuka didn't believe her when she explained what her mom had told her during the bus ride, the part about her being half-dragon. But that is the truth, at least according to her mom.
Ruri had never met her Dad before, so she wasn't sure if he was even alive to begin with. But it all made sense now, if he was a full-blown dragon, then there's no way a child like her wouldn't freak out if they met. So she tried her best and pretended she didn't hear the whispering amongst the students. 'Can't they at least try to keep it low? I can hear everything just fine!' she thought internally but didn't have the energy to confront them face to face.
"Miss Tsubaki, you looks much beautiful today. It's making me envious of your boyfriend, oh wait... I am that boyfriend, ahaha."
Just then, she heard the voice of her upperclassman followed by a sigh. Ruri turned towards the direction of the voice, and surprisingly, it was coming from outside her classroom. Her eyes caught sight of senior Tsubaki walking next to the President of the Student Council, Sona Shitori. Then there's the infamous Igarashi Kousuke creeping around Tsubaki like a fly. But this is no ordinary fly, it lingered around beautiful flowers instead of rotting waste or moisture.
"If you're going to flirt, do it elsewhere. We're here for an actual business," Sona said curtly. But Kousuke ignored her words, and wrapped his arms shamelessly around the embarrassed Tsubaki. The latter wanted to separate from him as her close friend said, but her body simply refuses to listen to her. She was starting to get used to these overly public display of skinship, it's making her heart flutter.
"Did you hear that, baby? It's the single bug buzzing about," he whispered to her ears, making Tsubaki feels slightly ticklish yet his words only makes her giggle. She lightly admonished him with playful tap on his arm and whispers back.
"You can't say that, Kou. If Sona hear it, she will be very upset."
"Let her hear it then, everyone needs to know how much I love spoiling my girlfriends." He muttered softly, his face leans into her neck and looks up, seeing Sona staring at them with narrowed eyes.
"You know that whispering doesn't really work around me right?"
Instead of entertaining them, Sona decided to focus on the task at hand and turned around. Then her eyes meet Ruri, the person of rumors but the things on her head were undeniably real. Sona could feels the same, if not more draconic presence from the young girl than Issei. Of course Rias could also senses it, but the two decided to bet it on a single chess match on who could recruit her first, and Sona grabbed the win as easy as snatching candy from children.
"You're Ruri Aoki right?"
"Y-Yes, I'm Ruri, the horns girl. Is t-there something you need from me?" Not expecting the President of Student Council to greet her, she stuttered her words and fumbled. Her cheeks turned red from embarrassment, which only makes Sona chuckle.
"Relax, I'm just here to invite you to the Student Council. I think you have the talent for it, so are you interested?"
"T-The Student Council? Inviting me?! Are you sure you don't mistaken me for Yuka here?" Ruri said as she put her hands on her friend's shoulders, pushing Yuka forward as if she's made of shield. Her friend simply look at Ruri after being put on a pedestal with a helpless smile. No matter how one look at this, the President clearly came for her and not Yuka.
"No, I came exactly for you. As I said, you—"
"Sheesh, Sona, that's a little perverted don't you think? Saying you came for her, hehe." Kousuke interrupted with a cheeky smile. His wording only makes the girls to blush, Tsubaki tried her best to keeps the laughter down in her stomach. "K-Kou, please don't make dirty joke like that, pfft."
Sona's brows twitched at his words, she couldn't understand what's funny about such a lame dirty joke but it seems her Queen had a different opinion. At this point, it was clear to the next heiress of the Sitri Clan that the serious and reliable Tsubaki were long gone. Now it is just a woman deeply in love with her partner, even the strangest joke would drew over her laughter like a moth to flame.
"Um... sorry but I don't think I can do it, I'm not really good with socializing, and I can't remember much of students names anyway," Ruri answered honestly. She didn't even know the President in front of her was named Sona until the playboy senior mentioned it. Her brain is just wired differently, that's just how it works.
"I told you so, I mean who would want to join something like Student Council unless they loves being teacher's pet," Kousuke said casually, costing him a light smack again on his arm. He leans into Tsubaki and continue in a whisper, "you know I'm right baby, you love being a good girl, aren't you hm?"
"Ngh! D-Don't say it like that," Tsubaki whimpered with faint blush creeping across her cheeks. She hung her head low, embarrassed to met Sona's piercing glare with how useless she became after Kousuke decides to accompany them. With a sigh, the President excused herself from the classroom, which the two followed right after. But unbeknownst to Ruri, Kousuke briefly glance at her and the corner of his lips curled up.