Devilish diners

"Wow, your house is so cool." Tomoe cheerily said as she twirled about in the living room.

"I know. We've even got a pool and hot-tub." Mum boasted, "Come on, I'll give you girls the tour whilst Ron cooks." She locked arms with Tomoe and Ruruko and lead them off.

"Sorry about this Ronald-san." Souna smiled awkwardly to him as she followed them.

I just got to work on dinner, putting the thoughts that now my mother would start teasing me for being a ladies' man for the next few months to the back of my mind.

***

<Sona POV>

"Well, this is the garden." Gretchen said, before going into detail about the hot-tub part of their pool.

I on the otherhand, though paying attention, was thinking again about Ronald. Should I invite him to my peerage. He's definitely a good addition, and from the time I've spent observing him the past week or so he was a good person that meshed well with the rest of my peerage. But there was something that was bugging me about him, like I hadn't found out everything. Konoko had said she couldn't sene a sacred gear, but at the same time she said he felt warm and peaceful. She also felt he was familiar for some reason. And that was stopping me. I was debating about him and Saji, Saji would be an addition, but he was arrogant despite his attempts to hide it. He wouldn't mesh well, but he did seem to have a fairly powerful sacred gear.

"Hey, Mallory-san, what do you do for a living?" Tsubaki asked curioiusly.

"Well, Tsubaki-chan, I was a writer before we moved. Ronald also wrote a few stories when he was younger, though I had to edit them. Maybe you've heard of a few of my stories. Violet Evergarden maybe? Anyway, now I'm still doing stories, but in manga form. I'm currently converting that one to manga, and writing a new one. Which, by the way, if you stay after dinner you'll get to see Ronald help in character development and design." Gretchen smiled.

"How does he help?" Tsubasa asked.

"I dress him up in different outfits and ask him to act a certain way, and then i develop it from there. I haven't told him what kind of manga i'm writing right now though." Gretchen smiled evilly.

"What kind?" Reya asked.

"Romance!" Gretchen quietly declared and began laughing evilly. "Oh tonight will give me blackmail material for months."

"We're staying." Momo immediately said, and I couldn't help but agree with her. It would be fun to watch, and thanks to his alteration of the computer system, there was less work.

"Yeah, anyway, this is his room up in the loft. Go on, you have maybe thirty minutes of snooping time before he finishes dinner. Oh, maybe rummage through his clothes and set out some outfits you think would fit in a romance manga." Gretchen ushered the seven of them into his rather roomy loft.

Ronald's room was a little strange. It had a tri-screen computer, various drawings pinned to the walls with notes about characters and personality. He had multiple books and jotters stacked up against the wall. With one shelf reserved for his diplomas. The girls happily raided his draweres and cupboards, though Reya was looking under his bed, but found nothing of interest. I found a strange journal set out haphazardly on a desk tucked away from the other desks, it was almost like a pull brought me to it. The book was titled: "Waters of Life." The script was a flowing light blue filled with energy. I didn't mean that metaphorically either. I could almost feel the water in the book. The energy wasn't demonic, holy, light, or anything really. It simply felt like... living water and... it felt like Ronald.

"Sona-chan, come on, your turn to make an outfit." Momo pulled me away just as I was about to touch it. I turned back but the book was gone from the desk.

I stopped a sigh of frustration, but the budding idea that Ronald wasn't normal was now solidified. Something supernatural was going on with him. That said, I began choosing an outfit. I decided simply to put out a school uniform of his but ruffled a little. Like what he'd usually be like after a day of school at the student council. Dinner was called out and we all rushed downstairs. Despite the strange book, I was looking forward to eating his cooking again.

***

"That was lovely Ronald. Now, go get changed into the first outfit." Gretchen smirked at her son.

"Shouldn't we see them out first?" He asked, not bloated at all from the dinner he just ate.

"No, they helped pick out your outfits, it would be rude to send them off without seeing you try them on after their hard work. Isn't that right girls?" Gretchen smirked.

My peerage giggled in agreement, which became louder at Ronald's pinched smile. I couldn't help myself from smiling a little myself at his reaction. Even so, ever since seeing that book I had felt a slight something in Ronald, like I had been overlooking it all this time, and only realised now. It was interesting.

"Fine." He said.

Ronald marched off upstairs before coming back down dressed in a sporty outfit; shorts, workout shirt, trainers that all highlighted the well-developed muscles his usual baggy clothing had hidden previously. I could practically hear the girls around me focus their eyes on him, not that I was different, he certainly hid his physique well with that baggy clothing.

"Okay, for this you're a naive childhood friend. Go." Gretchen said, and then the fun really began.

He went through a few different personas. Tired but supportive teacher with a thing for a colleague who'd been working together for a few years. The best friend-character who was jealous of the girl. The over-protective brother... which he was really good at. Something I noted. A few more too. Finally, he came down in his ruffled, loose uniform.

"Right, this is the main romantic interest, Akira. He's a goal oriented, honest, and a little dense person but has just realised whom he likes and not afraid to show it. Um, I need him to interact with a girl, one of you girls go up. The girl, Yua, is independant, ice queen type but has secretly had a crush on this guy since they were kids, but always were rivals. Go" Gretchen said, and I was pushed forward by Momo.

"You chose that outfit, so you act with him Kaichou, plus you best fit that description." Momo smiled angelically at me, as I glared at them before rolling my eyes.

"Yua, do you have a moment to talk?" Ronald acted out, a confident half-smirk on his face as he leant against the wall in front of me.

"Sorry Akira, but I have to get to the drama club." I answered as I went to pass him.

"It'll take only five minutes. They can wait that long surely." Ronald gently, almost imperceptibly clenched his crossed arms as his surprisingly soft gaze followed me. I stopped.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently, pretending to be annoyed.

"Simple. I like you. Want to go on a date Saturday?" He asked straightforwardly. Though his eyes and smirk, no, smile now, was evident. I simply stood silent as I observed him, trying to find any piece of mockery or sarcasm, even as felt my heart skip a beat. How was he such a good actor?

"Sunday, be at the spot at eleven." I answered, pretending that we already had a 'spot'.

"I'll be at the pier, don't worry." He answered and pushed himself off the wall, walking beside me to the drama club before whispering into my ear. "See you later Yua.". His voice so close to my ear, but obviously heard by everyone else sent a shiver through my spine.

"Perfect. Souna, you have to act out a few more scenes next time. It'll help me so much. Oh, I didn't even think of having them on a name-only basis from the start, as if they were already that intimate but not realising it. And a spot they have already. Brilliant you two." Gretchen exclaimed as she gave us both a big hug. "I have to go get writing. Ronald, walk them home. Bye girls!"

I turned to see my peerage all with a slight blush but teasing smirks on their faces.

"So, how does it feel to flirt with each other?" Tomoe asked.

<MC POV>

"We weren't flirting with each other, we were acting. It's a different thing.." I said, saving Sona from the embarrassment. "Anyway, it's getting late. I'll walk you home."

"That's not a problem, none of us live too far away anyway. In fact Souna-kaichou lives the furthest, and in an opposite direction to the rest of us." Ruruko said.

"I'll make sure that we all get home fine, they're all on my way home and Momo lives on the same street. You escort Souna please." Tsubaki smiled.

I clearly saw the killer look Souna gave Tsubaki, however the other girls confirmed the information from Tsubaki and Souna simply sighed in defeat, knowing she wouldn't be able to get them to back down from the topic. It seemed like even the loyal Tsubaki wanted to torture her friend tonight.