Chapter two: Ideal girl.

Chapter two:

His alarm clock rang, the loud, blaring sound drawing a quiet groan out of Seiji, his arm lifting from the mattress. With his hand fumbling through the sheets, his fingers grasped the device, his thumb smashing the button on the top, the sound dying down, and with a quiet breath, he rolled onto his back, his arm resting across his eyes.

'... Man, I'm beat.' The blonde thought, his expression scrunching up as his blue orbs met the sunlight, the rays pouring in from his window. 'I guess I'll skip morning exercises today.' Shrugging, the boy forced himself up, the covers falling to his lap, revealing his bare chest. '... Huh.'

'It's still there.' He noted, gazing at his abs as he noticed a rather noticeable bruise spreading across his skin. 'That little girl is dangerous, that's for certain, there's no way a normal human could cause damage to me like this just by bumping into me, especially not one her size.' Reaching up, his fingertips touched the area. 'It doesn't hurt, though.'

"Well, whatever." Shaking his head, the blonde got to his feet, his gaze lingering on the mirror. His reflection greeted him, the golden color of his hair shining under the sunlight, and his blue orbs, while a little tired, looked the same as ever, his somewhat pale complexion unchanged, save for the bruise on his stomach.

Rearranging his hair, the blonde smiled, the gesture faint, the corners of his lips curling. ''I really need a haircut.'' With a quick laugh, Seiji turned away, heading towards his wardrobe, his eyes roaming over the various shirts he owned, his fingers grasping the one clean shirt he had left that complied with the school's dress code. ''Time for school.''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''Morning!'' /' ''Good morning.'' / ''How's it going?'' The voices of a few students gathered around the school's entrance greeted him as Seiji made his way to the building, the blonde raising a hand to greet those who offered their greetings. With a few quick steps, he crossed the distance between himself and the entrance, walking inside.

''Amagiri-senpai!'' The sound of his name being called out reached him, prompting the blonde to glance back, his blue orbs meeting a pair of familiar brown ones. ''Yo, how's it going, dude!?'' Issei called out, a wide, bright smile curling his lips as the brown-haired boy caught up to him, falling into step. 

''Morning, Issei.'' Seiji waved, offering a slight smile. ''And no, nothing worth mentioning.'' his gaze shifted, the blonde's attention drifting to the students milling around the building, their numbers slowly increasing, the school day about to begin. ''What about you, anything exciting happen?''

''Nah, nothing new, either.'' Issei replied, shaking his head. ''Matsuda and Motohama are going on about something, though, so I'm guessing something interesting will happen later.'' The brown-haired boy mused, but he paused as he noticed the blonde's confused look, and the boy grinned, his smile widening. ''Oh, that's right. You haven't met them, huh. We should fix that, how about lunch?''

''Sure, I don't see why not.'' Seiji shrugged, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. ''I don't have anyone to eat with, anyway.'' He admitted, his lips tugging into a sheepish smile. That much was true, before he realized, most of my classmates had formed their own little groups.

''Don't say it like that, it sounds depressing as hell.'' Issei muttered, shaking his head as Seiji shrugged again, his tone nonchalant. ''... Just one thing, though, my friends are, well, kind of strange, so please don't take offense if they say anything weird.'' He asked, hands pressed together in a pleading gesture.

''Hearing that from you, it's actually a bit concerning...''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

"Matsuda." Issei gestured, his hands spread out. ''... And Motohama, these two are the other two members of our little group.'' The brown-haired boy introduced him, the two boys he pointed at, nodding their heads. "You might have heard of us already, Amagiri-senpai, but I'll introduce you all the same." Issei grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "We are the infamous perverted trio."

''...''

If Issei was expecting a certain reaction from the blonde, he didn't get it. ''... Seiji Amagiri.'' He introduced himself, a quick, polite nod directed towards the two boys. ''I'm glad to meet you. Issei has told me a little about you two, and it's not like I have anyone else to hang around with, so...''

''That kind of sounds like he's just here because he has no one else, though.'' Issei muttered, gritting his teeth as he gave the blonde a sidelong glare. ''Why can't you make this easier for me?'' He grumbled, crossing his arms. "No worries, no worries, Amagiri-senpai!" Matsuda exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across his face.

The other, Motohama, acting just as enthusiastic, nodded his head, grinning. "You are always welcome to join us. Besides, we have heard from Issei. You are just as much a pervert as us, no, maybe even more, which is pretty amazing, considering you have only been in Kuoh for less than a week!" 

''...'' Seiji turned to Issei, his lips pressed into a thin line, a single brow raised. Issei was sweating bullets, a nervous, almost panicked smile on his face as he waved his arms around, attempting to reassure the blonde, though the gesture seemed to have the opposite effect. ''Did he now...?''

''Enough of that. Come, sit, sit! No need to stand around, we are all friends here, after all, no?'' Issei said, patting the grass next to him, a sheepish grin on his face. The blonde shrugged, dropping down beside him. ''... I'll explain later, so don't worry, okay?'' Issei whispered, leaning towards him. ''Please don't kill me.''

''Alright.'' The blonde replied, a slight smile curling his lips. 

''Uh-oh, it's almost time!'' Before Issei and Seiji had the time to get settled in, Matsuda's exclamation had Issei glancing at his watch, as if not quite certain what the other was talking about. ''Almost time? Time for what? We haven't even...'' Blinking, Issei watched as his friend gestured towards the bushes. ''Where are you going?''

The response he got was a perverted grin, a wide, toothy one, and without another word, Matsuda disappeared behind the bushes, leaving a confused Issei, an intrigued Motohama and a baffled Seiji staring at his retreating back. "I have a bad feeling about this..." The blonde muttered, glancing at the brown-haired boy sitting by his side.

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''We are so dead.'' Seiji stated, a resigned, flat expression on his face as he stood behind Matsuda and Motohama, Issei standing by his side, his hand gripping the blonde's shoulder tightly. ''I mean, seriously, of all the people you could possibly spy on, you had to choose the ones with wooden swords readily available to them?''

''Don't look at me.'' Issei whispered, though from the blush present on his face, it was clear the brown-haired boy was just as excited as his friends, albeit a bit more reluctant to show it. "They are getting ready for kendo practice, you know..." Motohama informed him, a perverted gleam in his eye. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..."

''Her rack is so fricking huge!'' / ''Her legs...! / ''Ah, I love it when she ties her hair up...!'' The two boys were practically drooling as they whispered amongst themselves, their faces pressed against a small hole in the wall separating them from the Kendo Club, who were changing in the locker room.

'I wanna see, I wanna see, I wanna see...!' Issei thought, his lips quivering. He was conflicted, on one hand, the brown-haired boy wanted nothing more than to join his friends, to share in the fun, but on the other hand, he could feel Seiji's cold, unwavering stare boring into his back, as if judging him.

''You can look, I couldn't care less.'' Seiji, almost as if he was reading Issei's mind, assured him. His posture, however, seemed to suggest otherwise. ''But if they notice us, I'm running. Got it?'' The blonde whispered, and Issei's face lit up like a christmas tree, his eyes practically shining. ''Thanks, Amagiri-senpai! You are a real pal!''

'How did I get myself into this?' Seiji thought to himself, watching as Issei shoved one of his friends aside, his face pressing against the wall. 'Oh, right. I don't have any other people to talk to. That's why.' The blonde sighed, shaking his head. 'It's just a little peeping, what's the worst that could happen?'

'...'

"Let me see, Matsuda...!" / ''Wait, stop pushing...!'' / ''Hush... You are being too loud, wait, don't...'' The whispers and the sound of the trio of friends pushing and shoving one another reached his ears, and Seiji blinked, glancing down. He did so a second to late, however, as the trio managed to shove one another a bit too hard, resulting in Issei falling backwards, the loud noise causing the area to go silent.

''Huh!?'' / ''Is someone there!?'' / ''Eh...?'' 

''... Woah! You two, what's the big idea?'' Issei complained turning around, expecting to find his friends behind him. However, neither Matsuda nor Motohama were in sight. ''What the heck...?'' Confused, the brown-haired boy glanced to his side, Seiji was still around there, much to his relief, but he wasn't alone.

''... I have nothing to do with this.'' Seiji stated, his expression flat, his hands resting behind his back as a group of rather dangerous looking females, all sporting wooden swords had their gazes locked on him and Issei. ''He, however, has a lot to do with this.'' The blonde continued, jabbing a finger in the brown-haired boy's direction.

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''You threw me under the bus...!'' Issei complained, his back hitting the grass, his limbs spread. ''You traitor!'' Issei was, for a lack of a better word, beaten. Covered in dirt, his face a bruised mess, the brown-haired boy was left sprawled out on the floor, defeated. ''How come I was the only one who got his ass handed to him...?''

''At least I stood there while it happened, didn't I?'' Seiji questioned, crossing his arms. He was spotless, not a single trace of dust or dirt to be seen across his uniform. ''Your friends, on the other hand, ran off the moment the Kendo Club showed up.'' Shaking his head, the blonde glanced away. ''I think I did quite well, all things considered.''

''Fair enough...'' Issei replied, still a beaten, bruised, defeated mess. ''Hitting me with bamboo swords is a little much, though, isn't it...?'' He asked, his gaze shifting towards the blonde, who only shrugged in response. ''I didn't even get to see anything...!'' Issei whined, rolling onto his side. ''Life can be so unfair...''

''Stop whining, Issei.'' Seiji rolled his eyes, an exasperated smile on his lips. "You knew the risks. There's no reason to act so shocked, this is exactly what you should have expected to happen, if anything, you should be thankful a beating is all you got." The blonde reminded him, crouching down, his hand reaching out. "Here, I'll help...?''

Seiji's words died in his throat, something catching his attention from the corner of his eye. "...?" His gaze shifted, his blue orbs taking in the sight of an unfamiliar girl. Looking down from a nearby window, a girl with crimson hair was staring at him, their eyes meeting for an instant.

For a fleeting second, time seemed to pause. Her presence radiated an aura that was almost tangible, a vivid contrast against the mundane backdrop of the schoolyard. It wasn't just her striking beauty that held him captive; her hair, a red as rich as spilled blood, captivated him as her locks fell around like a curtain of crimson silk, each strand boasting a vibrancy that felt almost unreal. 

'... Huh.' He tore his gaze from her, forcing himself to focus as he felt the slightest hint of heat rising to his face. 'That's a new feeling.' Shaking his head, the blonde cleared his thoughts, his expression turning into a frown as he noticed Issei was staring at him with a knowing smile, as if he could see straight through him.

It seemed like Issei too had spotted the crimson-haired girl, and perhaps most importantly, he had seen Seiji looking at her and his reaction to her. "Hmph!" Issei puffed his chest out, mischievous smirk on his lips. "I don't wanna say I told you so, Amagiri-senpai, but..." Trailing off, Issei glanced at the window, but the crimson-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. ''I told you so-''

''Shut up, Issei.''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''Those two just now.'' 

''Yes?'' Akeno tilted her head, watching as Rias took a seat behind her desk, her arms crossed under her breasts. The redhead's brows were knitted together, a slight frown on her face as she stared at the chessboard set up in front of her, her gaze thoughtful. ''You are curious about them, is that it?'' The black-haired girl inquired, her tone gentle.

''... As I recall, the brown-haired one is Issei Hyōdō, from Class 2-B.'' Akeno replied, a finger pressed against her chin. ''The other one, the blonde, is Seiji Amagiri, he's a classmate of mine, actually.'' The black-haired girl smiled, her gaze softening. ''Is there something special about those two?''

''... You know him?'' Rias inquired, lifting her gaze from the chessboard. ''I don't think I have ever seen him before. I'm guessing he's one of our new students?'' Rias mused to herself, standing up from her chair as she paced back and forth, her gaze distant. ''... What do you make of him?'' 

''I didn't think much of him at first, but...'' Akeno paused, as if remembering something. ''You weren't here yesterday, so you wouldn't know, but Koneko-chan met him, and from what I've heard, she's quite certain there's something odd about him.'' Akeno explained, smiling. ''I don't know the details, however, so as to what she meant by that, I have no idea.''

''... But I have to say, I'm inclined to agree with her, for my own reasons.'' Akeno continued, her lips curving into a faint smile. ''Like I said, I didn't make much of him at first, just a new, cute classmate I would be all too pleased to tease a little, but yesterday, I felt something was off about him.'' Akeno shook her head, her gaze lowering, a thoughtful look on her face. 

''You were planning to mention this during our next meeting, I presume?'' Rias inquired, tilting her head to the side. She didn't need an answer, Akeno's expression was all the response she needed, the black-haired girl smiling sheepishly. ''In that case, I think we better discuss this once we are all gathered.''

''I might be mistaken, but those two...''

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

With the sun throwing its last shades of warmth, two teenagers wandered along a footbridge. Cars hummed beneath, a steady stream of metal beneath their feet as the sunset painted the sky, the air warm, comfortable, the wind washing over them, the sound of a river somewhere far off reaching their ears.

As the sun began its descent, Issei found himself leaning on the railing, gazing down at the passing cars. "Ugh, what a dim adolescence," A defeated sigh left his lips, the brown-haired boy shaking his head with a dejected look on his face. "... At this rate, is my school life doomed to end without bearing fruit, and without me getting to touch any boobs?''

His head hit the rail, and Issei's lips twisted into a grimace. "No way, no way, no way, no way...'' Issei muttered, his hands grasping the steel bar tightly, as if attempting to will away his thoughts. "... My life is not going to end like this, right?'' He turned to his companion, a pleading look on his face.

''You are asking the wrong person.'' Seiji shrugged, a nonchalant expression on his face. He had no sympathy to offer, his gaze wandering, the blonde's blue orbs taking in the surroundings, his gaze roaming across the trees lining the footpath. ''I have never dated anyone before, so I wouldn't know.''

''I don't wanna hear that from someone who has girls flocking around him like moths to a flame and he doesn't even notice.'' Issei grumbled, huffing. ''Seriously, how can you be so clueless? Don't you have any awareness of the effect you have on the opposite sex?'' The brown-haired boy inquired, a sidelong glance directed at his companion. ''

''...'' Seiji sighed, his hands sliding into his pockets. ''I'm not interested in having a girlfriend, not when I plan on leaving Kuoh as soon as I finish high school.'' The blonde explained, a shrug following his words. ''Besides, girls are so high maintenance, isn't it troublesome? I don't see the appeal.''

''You are so infuriating...'' Issei closed his fist, gritting his teeth as his expression morphed into an irritated one. Huffing, Seiji decided not to entertain Issei's tantrum any longer, his gaze shifting away, but his attention was drawn elsewhere as the sound of approaching footsteps reached him.

''...?'' There was a single girl approaching, no more than four meters separating them, her figure illuminated by the orange hue of the sunset. The blonde paused, his gaze lingering on her, and after a moment, the girl, a black-haired beauty, stopped, her gaze locked on Issei who was still grumbling about something, his head resting against the railing.

''E-Excuse me...'' The girl's voice was enough to get Issei to snap out of his trance as he spun around, his gaze locking with the girl. The girl appeared nervous, her posture stiff, hands fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as her face flushed red, and the look in her eyes, a set of violet orbs, was shy, hesitant.

'...' Seiji blinked, his attention shifting between the two. He was no expert in matters of romance, but the girl's body language was so blatantly obvious that not even a blind man would have missed the signals. The girl was clearly attracted to Issei, the way her eyes lingered on him, the blush spreading across her cheeks, her shy smile, it was all there.

''Yes?'' Issei looked at the girl up and down. 'I don't recognize that uniform. What school is she from?' He didn't recognize the girl, her features were a total unknown to him, but what he did recognize was the fact she was, for lack of a better word, drop-dead gorgeous. Her long, silky black hair, her face, her shy expression, all of it was like a scene right out of a shoujo manga. 'Damn, she's cute...!'

''U-Um...!'' 

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''...'' The night had long fallen, and darkness had covered Kuoh, the light to be found coming from the streetlights, the stars, and the full moon hanging in the sky. It was silent, the streets were empty, with not a soul in sight. Not a soul other than a certain blonde, that is, who still had yet to get home, a quiet sigh escaping his lips as he walked down a sidewalk.

''... Well, shit. When did it get this late?'' Seiji murmured, his pace slow, his bag swaying on his shoulder as he walked, the sound of his footsteps echoing around him. ''I guess Issei has a girlfriend now, huh.'' Shaking his head, the blonde sighed again as he glanced up at the moon. ''Still, what a strange girl, confessing her love so suddenly.''

''... Then again, good fortune tends to be like that, it comes out of nowhere.'' A soft chuckle escaped him, the blonde's lips curling into a smile. '' I'm just glad Issei will stop whining about not getting to touch some breasts.'' Then he felt it, a familiar tingle running down his spine, the hair on the back of his neck rising. 'This feeling...' 

He came to a stop, the feeling growing stronger, his gaze narrowing as he turned his head, his blue orbs searching his surroundings. 'Where is it?' There was something, a presence, he could feel it. His hand reached down, his fingers grasping something that wasn't quite there, and as his hand closed, the familiar feeling of metal pressing against his palm greeted him.

"Huh, it's been what, a month since the last encounter?" Seiji mused, his blue orbs staring off into the distance, where a figure, concealed within the shadows stood, staring back. As it emerged, Seiji couldn't help but whistle, it's appeareance being quite unusual, even when taking into consideration what type of a being it was. "Gross.''

There stood a girl, with an innocent, adorable face, were that not for the lower half of her body, which was about as nightmare inducing as one could possibly imagine. The girl was standing there, her expression blank, centipede-like legs protruding from the base of her waist, a dozen of them, wriggling, squirming, the tips of the insect legs sharp, as if tipped with spikes.

''Can I just encounter one monster that isn't disgusting to look at? I mean, seriously...!'' Seiji mumbled to himself, taking in the sight of the being facing him, the gap between them getting shorter as it crawled closer towards him, something dripping from it's lips and making the ground hiss as if it was boiling. ''... Poison?''

"...?" The monster tilted her head to the side, her blank, lifeless expression interrupted as a few of her legs tapped the ground, a huge, wide grin stretching across her face. The girl's lips curled into a twisted, disturbing smile, one that revealed a row of sharp, pointed teeth. No words were spoken, and the monster didn't hesitate, instead she sprang into action, rushing straight at him, her insect legs moving with frightening speed, the sound of their sharp tips cutting through the air.

"I guess someone's not in the mood to talk, huh?" Lifting his hand, the blonde swung his sword, the motion practiced, the blade whistling as it cut through the air. He wielded the weapon, a long, white-gold greatsword, with a large, ornate cross-shaped hilt, swinging it mere instants before the monster was upon him. ''Fighting it is, then.''

As the sharp, pointed legs of the insect girl lashed out at him, he countered with an attack of his own, slashing in an almost casual manner as he rushed past the beast, his sword coming alive in a diagonal slash, the sound of the wind howling following in his wake as a small, but potent shockwave erupted from the swing, the force of his strike strong enough to slice a car in half.

''What's this...?'' It was silence that followed, the sound of his footsteps echoing around him as he slowed down. "I see." He muttered, glancing over his shoulder. "You are nothing more than a common bug, after all." His expression was a disappointed one, his shoulders slumping as he took in the sight behind him. 

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the body of the insect girl lay on the floor, a large, jagged gash splitting her torso from her chest to just above her stomach, the creature's blood pooling around it, the crimson liquid dark and thick. "Ack...!" The monster let out a low, wet cough, her body shaking. "It hurts, it hurts...!" She cried out, her voice weak and pathetic, her head snapping towards him, the realization that she might bitten more than she could chew dawning upon her.

"You still speak?'' Seiji inquired, a scowl present on his features. ''Hurry up and die." Seiji replied, his expression twisting into one of genuine disgust. "I hate sore losers." With a flick of his wrist, his blade sliced through the air, and with a quick, fluid stab, his weapon's tip dug deep into the creature's neck.

"Gukh...!" The creature gurgled, her arms reaching up, clawing at the sword, trying to push the weapon out. "Huk-hurts...! Huk...! Puh-plea-!" The monster's pleas died in her throat as the sword's edge bursted out from her neck, the sound of her head hitting the floor resounding through the street.

"You don't get the right to beg after attacking me without provocation, dumbass." Seiji retorted, his voice flat as he pulled his weapon free. "Now then..." A third, final swing, the blade coming down in an arc, and the girl was no more, not even a whisper of her existence remaining. ''That should be good enough.''

"Honestly..." The blonde mused, his grip loosening, his weapon disappearing, the familiar feeling of metal melting into nothingness greeting him. "You'd think these things are following me around or something. What's their problem?" A sigh escaped him, and he started walking again, his pace much faster than before.

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

Pzzzt.

His phone rang, the screen flashing as Seiji's gaze landed on it, the device vibrating on his desk. The blonde lifted his head, making sure his teacher wasn't paying attention to him, and when he was certain that wasn't the case, his hand shot down, his thumb pressing on the screen, swiping up.

'What does he want...?' Seiji had been expecting the text message to come from Issei, but much to his surprise, the one who sent the message was no other than his father. 'Is he checking up on me again?' Rolling his eyes, the blonde typed in a response, his thumbs tapping against the screen.

Their relationship was a complex one, his father was a workaholic, and Seiji's childhood, while pleasant enough, was filled with long periods of time in which he had no company other than himself. It sure didn't help that as soon as he was old enough to look after himself, his father had no qualms sending him to Kuoh for reasons he never really bothered explaining.

'Doing good.' That was the reply his father received, nothing more, nothing less. With a shrug, Seiji began swiping through his phone, deciding to check if there was something that was worth his attention on the news, his blue orbs scanning through the many articles, his thumb pausing as a certain headline caught his attention.

'Strange noises reported at Kuoh's North-East Park.' He read, his finger scrolling down, his brows knitted together as he scanned through the article. 'A witness was reported to have called the police late at night after hearing what she described as 'horrible screams' coming from the park. According to the police's statement, however, the officer who responded to the call...'

''Oops.'' Seiji muttered, his gaze lifting. ''I guess I made a bit of a mess after all.'' He admitted, a slight, sheepish smile on his lips as he glanced at the window, his blue orbs staring off into the distance, towards the school's entrance. 'Not that I could have done much to stop it, it's the first time one of those things attacks me in such a public space.'

This had not been the first time he had encountered monsters like the one he had faced, nor would it be the last, most likely. Seiji had been dealing with these types of creatures for the past few years, and while at first, they had only appeared every once in a while, the frequency had increased considerably in the past few months.

He had no idea what their objective was, or what they were, all he knew was that they weren't human, and that they were a threat, plain and simple. It was his job to eliminate them, considering the strange abilities he possessed, and that was exactly what he had been doing since the day he first encountered one of them.

''...?'' Feeling someone's gaze on him, Seiji's expression shifted, his lips pressing into a thin line as his blue orbs locked with another, his attention snapping back to the front. It seemed like a certain black-haired girl was staring at him, her head turned back, a playful smile on her lips as the teacher droned on.

''What?'' Seiji mouthed, his brows rising. 

''I just thought I heard something, that's all.'' Akeno's word caused the blonde's face to flush, talking to himself was a recurrent thing for him, and the realization that he might have spoken out loud, and what's worse, had been overheard, was rather embarrassing. ''Sorry.'' He mouthed, giving the black-haired girl an apologetic look.

'I need to stop doing that.'

Pzzzzt. Pzzzzzt. Pzzzzzt. 

Three short vibrations caught his attention, his gaze returning to his phone. 'Dad again? No, one message is from him, but the other two are from...?' His finger tapped the screen, the message opening. 'Issei, huh?' The two messages he had received were both about the same thing, or rather, the same person.

'Yuma-chan, man. She's just perfect!' The first one read, the text being followed by a heart-eyed emoticon. 'Dude... You need to get a girlfriend, Matsuda and Motohama are a lot cause, but you can do it. I swear, this is like, the best feeling ever.' Seiji shook his head, rolling his eyes.

''He sure is energetic.'' The blonde muttered, reading the next message, but not a second after he opened it, a sudden realization hit him, his face flushing again as he lifted his gaze, realizing he had spoken out loud again. 'Ah, damn it...!' Akeno was still staring at him, a soft, almost musical giggle escaping her.

It was a bad habit he had never managed to get rid of. Perhaps it was because he had grown used to having only himself to talk to, but whenever he read something amusing, or he thought of something interesting, his lips would always move, and words would leave his mouth without him even noticing.

''Hmph.'' Huffing, Seiji turned around, his attention shifting to the window.

[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]

''You know, I'm only just realizing this, but could it be... No, there's no way, is there?'' Issei's gaze was on Seiji, the brown-haired boy looking him up and down, a thoughtful look on his face. ''Don't tell me, Amagiri-senpai, you actually don't have a girlfriend because you are too shy to approach girls?''

''No.'' Seiji replied, his tone flat, that same deadpan expression on his face he so often wore. ''I'm just not interested, that's all. We spoke about this already, didn't we?'' He said, the two boys making their way towards the school's entrance, their classes for the day having just ended.

''Somehow, I find that hard to believe.'' Issei muttered, crossing his arms. ''You do see the appeal in a pair of nice, big, round boobs, I'm sure. There's no way you can remain unaffected by them.'' Issei was insistent, and while his words held truth, Seiji saw no reason to indulge him. ''... Tch, damn tsundere.''

''I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, because I'm in a good mood today.'' Seiji replied, his fingers reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose, his golden locks shadowing his face, the corners of his lips tugging into a thin smile. ''You have a girlfriend now, so stop thinking about my love life and focus on your own.''

''Bleh.'' Tongue stuck out, Issei waved him off. ''I'm just looking out for the one friend who has a shot at touching some boobs before he's thirty, and this is how you repay me?'' Issei grumbled, his hands resting behind his head. ''Besides, I'm not the type to abandon a friend, especially not in his time of need. As the saying goes, no man is an island, and-''

''You are unbelievable.'' The blonde's expression shifted, his lips curling into a faint, exasperated smile. ''... Thanks, I guess?'' Shaking his head, Seiji patted Issei's shoulder, his expression flat. ''You can count me out, though. I'll pass. If the right girl comes along, then maybe, but until then...'' Trailing off, the blonde shrugged.

''And what does the right girl look like, hmm?'' Issei pressed, leaning towards him, his expression eager. ''Do tell, please.''

''... You are impossible.''

''Oh, come on...!''

''... I mean.'' Seiji paused, a slight frown on his face as he scratched his cheek, giving Issei a sidelong glance as he thought of a response. ''Just that, I guess? Someone nice, someone I can trust. That's a start, right?'' Seiji muttered, his expression turning thoughtful, but Issei's bored expression told him his answer was lacking. ''... What's that look for?''

''Come on, dude, give me a proper answer. Details, I need details.'' Issei replied, waving his arms around. ''You know, the important stuff. Don't hold anything back, spill it all. I can be a real wingman, you know, so-''

''... Redheads...'' He muttered, almost without thinking. ''I guess I like redheads.'' Seiji repeated, this time a bit louder. ''... I wouldn't mind her having a cute, shy personality either. I don't like forceful, pushy girl, though. That's a turn off. And she can't be too self-absorbed, either.'' By now, he was actually pretty invested in his answer, his gaze distant as he tried to picture the perfect girl. ''I like tall girls, too.''

''What about their boobs?'' / ''Issei, no.'' / ''Come on, humor me.'' / ''... Big, I guess?'' / ''How big?''

''What's this, an interview!?''

End of chapter two.