Jun's walk toward the shrine at the top of Kuoh's hill always felt like therapy. The air was clearer, the wind softer, and the atmosphere quieter—at least until he actually arrived at the shrine's courtyard, where two rather eye-catching figures were already standing.
Akeno, with her signature gentle smile, and beside her a girl with blazing red hair that shimmered like living embers under the sunlight. The elegant white dress she wore made her stand out against the shrine's simple setting. A noble aura—or more precisely, the aura of Rias Gremory—could not be hidden at all.
Jun raised his hand slightly. "Yo, Akeno-san."
Akeno immediately turned, her lips curving as usual. "Ara~ you've arrived, Jun-kun."
As she approached, Jun finally realized just how stunning the red-haired girl was up close. Her hair was like crimson silk falling to her waist, while her emerald green eyes watched him with polite yet sharp curiosity. No wonder the entirety of Kuoh Academy considered her a "queen"—her natural charisma was almost like a visual effect.
Jun scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "I feel like… I'm interrupting?"
Akeno shook her head softly, her black hair swaying along.
"Not at all. Ah, by the way, this is my friend. This is Rias Gremory. And Rias, this is my new friend—Jun Mizushino."
Rias slightly lowered her head, polite yet elegant. "Good afternoon, Jun-san."
Jun replied quickly. "Good afternoon, Gremory-san."
Rias gave a soft smile. A smile that somehow felt too refined for a high school student.
"You may call me Rias. And I'll call you Jun, if you don't mind."
"Eh—well then… sure." Jun tried to put on a simple smile. It felt like being approached warmly by a noble family's daughter.
Rias then turned to Akeno. "Well then, Akeno… see you tomorrow at the club."
"See you, Rias."
With a grace that even crows might envy, Rias stepped down the shrine's stairs. But as her back grew distant, something felt off: her steps slowed, her shoulders tensed slightly, and she shot a brief glance behind her—toward Jun.
Akeno noticed it, but only smiled faintly without commenting.
Jun exhaled in relief. "Phew, that's Rias Gremory… she's more intense in person than I imagined."
He thought that was the end of it, but Rias—now far down the stairs—suddenly stopped. Instead of leaving, she pretended to check her phone, looked around carefully, then slipped into the trees beside the path.
Jun glanced at Akeno. "Uh… did she leave?"
Akeno smiled, her eyes narrowing knowingly. "Yes, that's how she is."
But Jun wasn't entirely convinced. Something about the way Rias backed away felt strange. As if she was moving aside, not actually going home. And what was more suspicious—Akeno clearly saw it, yet chose to stay quiet.
And indeed.
As Jun and Akeno walked deeper into the shrine grounds, their steps drowned by the wind, rustling leaves, and the faint scent of incense. They seemed fully absorbed in their small talk—whether about cooking, flavor techniques, or lighthearted chatter.
But from a distance… a red silhouette slowly emerged between the trees, like a rare flower peeking out from the bushes.
Rias Gremory. Official heir to one of the Three Great Devil Families.
One of the strongest young devils of her generation.
A queen of Kuoh Academy.
And right now… she was peeking from behind a tree.
Not in an elegant way—but in a manner more accurately described as a giant red butterfly trying to be a ninja.
Rias tilted her body bit by bit, trying to get a clearer angle. Her gaze fell on Jun and Akeno walking side by side. Akeno let out a small laugh at something Jun said—an easy, natural laugh, not the "Ara ara" one she usually used at school.
Rias pressed her lips together.
"So his name is… Jun Mizushino," she murmured softly, making sure no one heard. "No wonder Issei described him as 'that handsome bastard'… he really does have a strange charisma."
She clicked her tongue lightly, not angry—more like annoyed that she had to acknowledge something she wished she could deny.
Her gaze returned to Akeno, who at that moment was smiling in a way that was… very different from usual. Not a teasing smile, not a mysterious one—rather a warm, gentle smile, like a wife welcoming her husband home after a long day.
And that made Rias narrow her eyes.
"Akeno… how dare you get ahead of me…" she muttered softly, as if she were a heroine experiencing a mid-season plot twist.
Rias let out a long breath. Her thoughts drifted back to the previous day—a crushing victory in the Rating Game against Riser Phenex. A duel meant to be the turning point of her life, her freedom. She had won. She was free from that cursed engagement.
And of course, after such an epic victory… she wanted to celebrate. At least spend time with her household, or simply enjoy a quiet dinner.
But when she invited Akeno, her best friend's answer was…
"Sorry Rias, I have something to do tomorrow."
And now, all the puzzle pieces connected brutally.
Akeno rejected the victory celebration because she was waiting for Jun.
Rias looked up at the clear blue sky, exhaling as though asking for enlightenment from some cosmic entity that might be listening.
"So that's how it is… so this is what it feels like to be betrayed by your own best friend in matters of romance…"
She lowered her head, pinching her own cheek slightly.
"…and I'm already a chapter behind before the story even starts."
Yet she still didn't leave. Not now.
Rias instead adjusted her hiding position, leaning deeper behind the trees, her eyes like radar tracking every movement Jun and Akeno made.
Hours later, the long-awaited session finally began—
a cooking tutorial from Akeno-sensei, the deadly combination of shrine maiden grace and hell-level spicy cooking.
Jun stood in the shrine's simple kitchen, sleeves rolled up, kitchen knife in hand, while Akeno watched from the side with an expression that… very clearly said "a teacher judging a new apprentice."
"Well then, Jun-kun," Akeno said while pointing to various ingredients laid out on the tatami. "We'll start with the basics. The cuts must be neat, and don't press too hard—your vegetables might cry."
Jun could only swallow. "Vegetables… cry?"
Akeno held back a laugh. "Ara~ I'm joking. But the cuts are important."
She then stood directly behind Jun way too close for normal personal-space standards, then held both his hands from behind while guiding the knife movements.
It was the classic scene that usually only happened in romance dramas or fanservice-filled manhwa.
And it worked—Jun turned pale.
"…A-Akeno-san, you're too close…"
"Are you nervous?" Akeno smiled softly, her eyes half-lidded like a cat toying with its prey. "Don't worry, I'm just guiding you."
'How can anyone be calm when you're like this?' Jun thought but kept to himself.
Two hours passed.
Sweat. Small laughter. A knife that almost slipped twice and the aroma of cooking began to fill the room.
Until finally, they sat side by side on the shrine's veranda while enjoying the result of their first practice—a bowl of simple food, yet with an aroma quite appetizing.
Jun took the first bite.
Akeno watched him with full interest.
"Hm…" Jun nodded slowly. "Not bad."
Akeno smiled in satisfaction. "Ara~ is that so?"
"I was a bit unsure earlier…" Jun stirred his spoon. "I thought I put too little pepper, but it turns out the taste is just right."
"Hmmm." Akeno took a bite as well, her eyes widening faintly. "Yes, this is much better than I expected. You learn fast, Jun-kun."
Jun raised an eyebrow. "Of course. My sensei is good."
Akeno let out a small laugh—a soft sound like tiny bells chiming in the evening breeze. "I'll gladly accept that compliment," she said with a smile that felt… dangerous and warm at the same time.
The evening slowly faded into orange. A breeze from the shrine courtyard blew gently, carrying the scent of earth and trees already touched by dusk's dew. After a cooking session that… honestly, was full of little incidents like oil almost exploding because Jun lit the stove wrong, they finally sat comfortably on the veranda. Full stomachs, a cozy atmosphere, and a conversation that began flowing without obstruction.
Akeno, for some reason, looked far more relaxed than usual. Jun even wondered if he was misreading the situation—because the girl looked as though she had just released a burden she'd been holding for a long time.
"Lately… I've been having some difficulties at the academy," Akeno said while looking at the sky, her voice gentle but carrying something heavy beneath it.
Jun nodded slowly. He tried pretending to understand, though honestly 90% of him was busy guessing what she meant.
"Difficulties… what kind?" he asked carefully, afraid of misunderstanding and ending up the least perceptive man alive.
Akeno gave a faint smile, as though weighing what she could share. "Rias is also troubled. I just… don't want to burden her more."
Jun nodded again, trying his best to look smart.
"So… like… school pressure?" Jun guessed. "Or organizational stuff? Or… uh… those joshi phases or something?"
He immediately regretted saying that, but well—it was too late.
Akeno slowly turned to him. Her expression changed—not angry or offended, but more like she was holding back laughter "Joshi, hm?" she repeated.
Jun rubbed his cheek. "Y-yeah… I mean… complicated high school girl phases… maybe?"
Akeno finally let out an actual laugh—a soft flow of sound like water gliding over stones, making the evening feel even lighter. "You're pretty funny, Jun-kun."
Jun fake-coughed while looking away. "Heh… I'm just trying to make sense of things."
"Fufufu~ but that part is already over," Akeno said, leaning back a bit. "I'm grateful she didn't have to suffer because of that forced engagement."
Jun nodded slowly. "Aaah… I see. I can't really say anything about that."
"Is that so…" Akeno gave a faint smile, as though hiding something in her tone. Then she leaned forward slightly, her voice soft but serious. "Now, Jun-kun. This is about my friend's conversation."
"Rias?" Jun guessed instantly.
"No. This is different. Last week's topic."
"Oh, that…" Jun nodded, pretending to recall even though he was actually more focused on keeping his face looking like he understood. "What about it?"
Akeno played with the tip of her hair using her fingers, a small habit that appeared when she was deep in thought. "Well, I already relayed your opinion to my friend… and she agreed it was correct. It's not good to let misunderstandings drag on. But she's still confused about how to contact her father. His work is very busy, so he can't meet my friend anytime soon."
Jun picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. The lingering warmth slid down his throat, giving him time to think of an answer that didn't sound stupid.
"Hm… I think that's not a problem at all," he finally said. "There's no need to rush, especially if her father truly can't. Just wait for the right time."
Akeno listened calmly, her eyes focused as though reading each word.
Jun continued, "Also… tell your friend that the important thing is to fix the relationship by clearing up the misunderstanding they both created. And… yeah, being honest about their feelings."
Akeno smiled—a gentle smile that felt far more natural than the ones before. She lowered her head slightly, her fingers tracing the underside of the table, like a girl unconsciously showing relief.
"Jun-kun… you really do have a calming way of speaking," she said softly.
Jun only shrugged. "I'm just talking normally."
"Even so," Akeno replied, her gaze warm.
//--//
If you need more, please visit my Patr3on via the link below:
https://www.patr*eon.com/cw/Mr_Wan
Remove the quotation marks and there are around 20+ chapters available.