Morning – Hyoudou Household
Morning sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, casting golden rays across the Hyoudou family dining room. The warm aroma of miso soup gently drifted from the kitchen. At the dining table, Hyoudou Juzo was already seated, wearing a loose work shirt, while his wife, Misa Hyoudou, was arranging bowls of tempura and white rice.
But the table... had only two people.
"...Still not coming down?" Misa asked softly, her eyes glancing toward the stairs with a hint of worry.
Juzo sighed, setting down his chopsticks for a moment. "I'll go check upstairs."
His footsteps echoed as he climbed slowly. The stairs creaked faintly under his weight, as if calling out to the time that had passed.
Knock... knock... knock.
"Issei, it's morning. Wake up, son."
No response.
He opened the door gently. Issei was still asleep in his bed, his face peaceful as if untouched by time. No fever, no cold sweat. Just sleep... that was too deep.
"…Hm."
Juzo lightly patted his son's shoulder, trying to wake him. "Hey, morning's here."
Still no reaction.
After a long sigh, Juzo stood, closed the door softly—click—and went back downstairs.
"How is he?" Misa asked, her anxious expression now impossible to hide.
"Still asleep," Juzo replied, sitting back down. He touched his teacup, gazing at the rippling surface. "But... let's trust him. He's our son."
They ate in silence. But that silence... held more unspoken worry than words could say.
Afternoon – Outside Issei's House
Koneko Toujou sat atop a large tree branch across from Issei's house. Her white hair fluttered gently in the afternoon breeze. Her golden eyes stared intently at the second-floor window—where Issei had yet to move even once since morning.
"...Still asleep."
She stretched her body, her shoulders stiff from observing for too long. "If it was just a fever, he should've woken up by now…"
Below the tree, Akeno Himejima stood with a gentle smile, though her eyes were serious. She looked up at Koneko. "Ara~, looks like there's not much we can do today. He's still sleeping."
Koneko glanced down. "Don't you think this is strange?"
Akeno closed her eyes for a moment. "Of course. But… for now, let's let him rest. If he doesn't wake up tomorrow… then we'll act."
Koneko gave a small nod, then jumped down from the tree with nearly silent movement.
The two of them then walked away, leaving the house behind—still and silent.
Student Council Room – Kuoh Academy
In a tidy room filled with documents, Sona Shitori sat with her chin resting on her hand. Her sharp eyes scanned digital data on her laptop, looking more serious than usual. Beside her, Tsubaki Shinra stood holding a physical file.
"…All of his records are normal. Just an ordinary human family. No signs of involvement with the supernatural world." Sona exhaled softly.
"Almost too normal," she muttered, staring at the screen.
Suddenly—SLAM!
The student council door burst open. Serafall Leviathan, dressed in her usual magical girl cosplay outfit, entered with theatrical flair.
"Sona-tan~! You've been so serious lately~ What's going on?" she asked, striding in and hugging her little sister from behind.
Sona straightened up, her face slightly flushed. "Onee-san... please don't interrupt. I'm working."
Serafall peeked at the laptop screen, then immediately commented, "Eh~? Hyoudou Issei? But he's… just a regular guy, right? Kinda cute. But Sona-tan is mine~!"
Still hugging tightly, she rested her chin on Sona's shoulder.
Sona cleared her throat. "Onee-san, I'm gathering information. Not… matchmaking."
But her voice slightly faltered at the end.
"Hmm~ But Sona-tan's face says otherwise~"
Tsubaki, who had been standing calmly in the corner, finally spoke. "Serafall-sama, Sona-sama is investigating Hyoudou Issei's activities due to their possible connection to yesterday's magic incident. This is not a personal matter."
Serafall huffed in annoyance. "Hmph! Even so, I won't let Sona-tan go to anyone! Especially not some weird perverted guy."
Sona turned back to the screen. "...Even so, I think… there's something he's hiding. And we just can't see it yet."
Tsubaki added gently, "We'll continue monitoring. For now, the magical energy reports in the Hyoudou area remain stable, though... slightly out of sync with normal magical laws."
"Hmm~ Sounds interesting!" Serafall finally released her hug. "Alright! But if anything suspicious happens, tell me first! Levia-tan Magical Force!"
Sona only shook her head slowly, her left hand supporting her temple.
"…Sometimes I wonder, who's really the one we need to keep an eye on."