Chapter 156: Please Forgive Me!
Kouya shook his head and handed her a napkin, his tone calm but firm. "Wipe your mouth before you talk."
"Eh?" Gabriel's cheeks flushed faintly as she took it. She puffed out her cheeks, muttering under her breath, "Don't think this means I'll forgive you, you jerk." Still, she wiped her lips obediently, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
At the same moment—
Outside the restaurant, a certain black-haired girl crouched behind a signboard, nervously clutching her bag. Machiko had tailed them all the way from the station, determined to uncover "the truth."
"Huff... s-so they really are having dinner together," she whispered, peeking over the top. Her glasses slipped slightly down her nose. "A-A couple's set meal too...?! So it's true! They're dating behind Vigne's back!"
Her heart pounded so hard she could barely hear her own thoughts. "What should I do? Should I tell Vigne?" she whispered. "No, no... but if I keep quiet, I'll be betraying her trust...! Ahhh, what do I do?!"
She bit her lip anxiously, glancing between the restaurant window and the street. 'They don't look like they're going to the hospital after all... this is definitely a date.'
"Vigne's such a good person," Machiko murmured miserably. "How could they do this to her...?"
She stayed there for several minutes, torn between outrage and disbelief—until a strange feeling prickled down her neck.
"Eh?"
She looked up—and froze.
Through the restaurant window, Gabriel was staring straight at her.
Their eyes met.
"Wahhh!" Machiko squeaked like a startled animal, slapped both hands over her mouth, and ran.
"Wasn't that Machiko?" Gabriel blinked. "What's she doing out there?"
"No idea," Kouya replied, sipping his drink casually. "But she's been following us for quite a while."
"Eh—she what?!" Gabriel turned sharply, eyes wide. "You mean that girl's been stalking us since earlier?!"
"Yeah. She was on the same train. And I spotted her at the store too."
"Then why didn't you tell me?!"
"You didn't ask," Kouya said simply.
Gabriel's face twitched. "You—!" she hissed, then abruptly stood up and stormed outside.
...
Machiko hadn't gone far; she was too flustered to run properly. The sound of footsteps behind her made her spin around.
"Hey, class rep! Stop right there!" Gabriel called, voice sharp.
"G-Gabriel!" Machiko froze on the spot. Her long hair swayed with the wind, her fingers fidgeting nervously with her sleeve. Her heart pounded so fast she could barely breathe.
Gabriel walked up slowly, hands shoved into the pockets of her pink jacket. She wasn't in uniform today, and the casual clothes combined with her slouched posture made her look like a delinquent straight out of an anime. "You've been following us all day, haven't you? You saw everything, right?" she said lazily. "Then just don't tell Vigne, okay?"
If Vigne found out she'd been buying eroge, she'd never live it down.
Machiko gasped softly. Her expression stiffened in horror.
Even now... she's still hiding it? she thought. She really doesn't want anyone to know... she must be trying to protect that secret relationship with Kouya! Tears welled in her eyes. 'How far is she planning to go?!'
"G-Gabriel... why are you doing this?" she stammered, voice trembling. "Doesn't it make you feel... ashamed?"
"Eh? Ashamed?" Gabriel blinked in confusion, tilting her head. Then she looked up at the night sky, sighing lightly. "Not really. It's a little embarrassing, sure... but kinda thrilling, you know?"
Machiko's heart nearly stopped. 'Thrilling?!' she screamed inwardly. 'She's not even denying it! She actually enjoys it?!'
"Gabriel!" Machiko shouted, trembling with emotion. "You can't think that way! That's wrong!"
Gabriel shrugged, expression bored. "I can't help it, okay? I've got my reasons."
Of course, what she meant was simple: 'If I want to roll for rare items, I need to buy more games. That's reason enough.'
But Machiko's brain was already spiraling. ''Reasons'? What kind of reasons?! She's being forced, isn't she?!' Images filled her mind—Gabriel cornered, blackmailed, threatened into something awful.
Gabriel went on, "Anyway, you've done stuff like that too, haven't you? So you won't tell Vigne either, right?"
She was referring to Machiko being caught buying eroge earlier. But to Machiko, the words were devastating.
Her imagination exploded—those scandalous covers from the shop replaying in her mind: trembling girls, cornered in classrooms, stripped of pride and clothes alike.
Now she pictured herself in their place. 'Kouya pushing her down on a desk, his shadow falling over her trembling form, Gabriel snapping photos with a wicked grin. Or being thrown onto a gym mat, her uniform torn apart, unable to resist...'
Her face turned bright red from panic and humiliation. "S-Stop... stop thinking about it, Machiko!" she whispered to herself, trembling violently.
"Hey, you gonna say something?" Gabriel asked impatiently.
Machiko's body jolted. Her hair quivered like it had a life of its own, and her voice came out high and trembling: "P-Please... please forgive me!"
"Eh?" Gabriel blinked, baffled.
"I-I promise I won't tell Vigne about this! J-Just don't do those horrible things to me!" Machiko cried out, voice cracking.
"What the heck are you talking about?" Gabriel asked, utterly lost. But before she could say more, Machiko covered her face, eyes shining with tears, and bolted down the street.
Gabriel watched her disappear, scratching her head. "She's acting super weird today..."
...
By the time Gabriel and Kouya left the restaurant, night had fully settled in. A silver crescent moon hung above the horizon, its light washing gently over the quiet city streets. The air was cool and carried the faint scent of food and asphalt. People hurried home under the flickering streetlights, their shadows stretching long across the pavement.
Gabriel stretched her arms high above her head, yawning. "Mission accomplished!" she announced proudly. "Today's definitely my lucky day! I'm going home to open loot boxes!"
Kouya raised an eyebrow. 'There's no such thing as luck. You'll just waste all your pulls on garbage again.'
It was rush hour now. The returning trains were overflowing with passengers—people pressed so tightly together it was nearly impossible to move. The car was filled with chatter, the whir of air conditioning, and the faint screech of steel wheels on track.
"Ugh, why are there so many people?" Gabriel groaned, puffing up her cheeks again.
Kouya gave a small chuckle. 'You think this is bad? In Tokyo, train attendants literally push people inside with their hands. That's the real deal.'
"Tch. Humanity's too much trouble," Gabriel muttered darkly. "Maybe I should just wipe out half of them."
"Hey, hey," Kouya said quickly. "You're an angel, not some apocalypse starter. Watch your words."
Gabriel clicked her tongue, looking away. "Tch, fine. Just saying."
They stood side by side near the door. The closeness of the crowd pressed them together until even Kouya could smell the faint fragrance of Gabriel's hair—like soap and fresh air. She immediately noticed his proximity.
"Gross. Don't get so close," she muttered, cheeks red.
As she turned away, her gaze fell upon a man nearby—tall, suited, glasses gleaming. He looked composed, respectable even. But his hand, hidden behind a briefcase, was moving.
The briefcase swung forward just enough to brush against the arm of a petite girl standing nearby. The girl flinched slightly, biting her lip as she tried to move away. The train jolted, and there was nowhere to go.
The man's hand shifted again, this time lower.
A train groper. A disgusting predator hiding behind the crowd.
Gabriel's eyes went cold.
"Bastard!" she snapped, catching his wrist mid-motion.
The man blinked in surprise but quickly composed himself. "Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" His voice was calm, confident.
Heads turned. Dozens of eyes were suddenly on them.
"You creep!" Gabriel shouted. "Don't play dumb with me!"
"Please refrain from slandering me," the man said evenly. "If you're accusing me of such an act, please provide proof. Otherwise, that's defamation."
"I saw it!" Gabriel shot back. "With my own eyes!"
"Then prove it," he said again, smugness creeping into his tone.
Gabriel turned toward the trembling girl. "You saw it too, right? He was touching you, wasn't he?"
But the girl just hugged her arms and shook her head helplessly, unable to speak.
The man adjusted his glasses, lips curling faintly. "Oh, I see. You must still be angry that I exposed your 'compensated dating' last time, huh?"
The entire car erupted in shocked whispers.
"Wait, really?"
"He sounds so calm. Maybe he's telling the truth."
"Yeah, she looks flustered. Maybe she was* lying."
Someone even snickered crudely. "Still, she's cute. Wonder if she really does that kind of stuff."
Gabriel's face turned crimson with fury. Her fingers itched for her scythe. If Heaven's laws didn't forbid her from revealing her power, she would've unleashed holy judgment right then and there—cutting down every gossiping fool in sight.
"You liar!" she roared. "You're disgusting!"
"Is that so?" The man's smile widened slightly. "Can anyone confirm your story? You're just a suspicious girl holding a bag full of... adult games, aren't you?" He pointed subtly at the shopping bag in her hand.
Murmurs rippled through the passengers again. Doubt spread fast.
Gabriel's teeth clenched; her knuckles turned white as she raised the bag, ready to smash it into his smug face—
—but then a calm, steady voice spoke behind her.
"Those games are mine."