The time had come for them to leave the motel. The soft hum of the air conditioner was all that lingered in the background as Kouhei and Hina quietly packed up their things. Their checkout time had arrived, but something had shifted—subtly, yet unmistakably—between them. The tense, awkward atmosphere that had hung in the air earlier was now completely gone, like mist burned away by the morning sun. Instead, there was a quiet closeness—an unspoken bond that seemed to draw them closer with every passing step.
As they walked along the sidewalk under the moonlight, Hina turned her head slightly, her gaze settling on Kouhei's profile. Her voice came out soft, almost hesitant, as if she had been mulling over the words for a while.
He turned toward her, sensing the change in tone.
"If, at some point… you had the chance to return to your normal life—would you?"
"Normal life?" he repeated, a light frown forming on his face as he tilted his head slightly, the question catching him off guard.
"You know…" she continued, her voice quieter now. "Like living in a normal apartment again, just like before. Maybe even getting yourself a human girlfriend or something like that."
Kouhei blinked, surprised. "What's this all of a sudden?" he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint smile. "Is this because of what happened with Himeno-san and Ichinose-san?"
"I've been jealous, you know?" Hina said with a sideways glance, a small, mischievous smirk playing at her lips.
"Jealous?" he echoed, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief.
That word—it wasn't something he ever expected to hear from her.
"At first, I didn't really understand what I was feeling," she admitted, her voice dropping into a softer tone, more reflective. "It was confusing, honestly. But eventually… I realized. I wasn't just jealous—it went deeper than that. What I was feeling… it was worry."
Kouhei looked at her, brows slightly furrowed. "Why would you worry?"
"I mean, you're human. And we… we're demons," she said, the words escaping her lips slowly and carefully. "If you ever decided that you wanted to go back to a life among humans—back to a world where demons don't even exist in your memory—Misuzu could erase everything. She could take all of this away, and you'd return to your life as it used to be, without ever remembering us."
She paused. There was a tremble in her voice now, one that betrayed the depth of her unease.
"If that ever happened, Kouhei… I'm afraid you'd choose that life. That you'd abandon this world—and leave us behind."
Her voice cracked just slightly on the last few words, and Kouhei's heart tightened. He could understand why she felt that way. It wasn't irrational. In fact, it was a possibility he had quietly entertained before. If Hina hadn't been a demon—if she had been just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life…
Then maybe his connection with the girls of the Yuuna Faction would've been something completely different. Maybe their bond would've formed through different means, under more mundane circumstances. The thought of such a world wasn't unpleasant—it even sounded peaceful in a way.
"I don't think I could live in a world where I don't know you, Hina-san," Kouhei said, his voice calm but unwavering. "Even if I had my memories of demons completely erased, I don't think I could return to that kind of normal life. I'd just be walking around with a hole in my heart—a hollow emptiness I wouldn't even be able to explain. And that pain… it'd never go away."
Hina's lips parted slightly, her eyes softening. "I guess… you're right about that," she said gently.
What he said resonated deeply. Even if her kind had the power to rewrite memories—to bend perception itself—they could never touch the feelings rooted deep within the heart. Even if Kouhei forgot everything about them, his heart would still reach out, desperately searching for what was missing. That kind of longing... that kind of void... would only cause him more pain than knowing the truth ever could.
"And also," Kouhei added after a short pause, "I can't exactly go back to living a normal life anymore. Actually... I don't want to."
Their footsteps slowed until they came to a full stop, standing still under a streetlight.
"My life before all of this… before I found out you were a succubus…" He scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile, eyes drifting to the side for a moment. "I was kind of a loner back then. I didn't even have any friends. The only contact I had in my phone was my aunt."
He chuckled quietly to himself, the sound tinged with a bit of melancholy.
"That's why… right now, I'm glad I came to know all of this. If none of this had happened, I'd probably still be holed up in my apartment, all alone, playing games and watching anime like always. What I'm trying to say is…"
He turned to face her directly, eyes sharpening with sincerity.
"I truly treasure everything I have with all of you now. And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
Hina's heart raced, louder than before, beating with a kind of vivid clarity that made her chest ache. Her lips slowly curled into a smile. Without a word, she stepped closer, her fingers tightening ever so slightly at her sides. Then, she rose on her toes and leaned in toward him, her breath soft against his skin.
It was nothing more than a gentle peck—a simple touch of the lips. No lust as well as urgency. Just warmth.
And out of all the kisses they had shared so far, this one—this quiet, fleeting kiss—felt like the most romantic of them all.
With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she brought her fingers to her lips, her mouth curling into a smug, playful grin.
"You're so romantic, you know that?" she said, her voice laced with teasing delight. "Even though earlier, you were a total beast—fucking me in my ass relentlessly, even after I begged you to stop," she added, loud and shameless.
The moment those words left her lips, the surrounding world seemed to freeze in time. Passersby walking along the dimly lit sidewalk halted in their tracks, heads slowly turning toward her, eyes wide in disbelief. A couple clutching takeout bags exchanged flustered glances. One man dropped his cigarette. The hushed nighttime air was suddenly pierced by the gravity of her vulgar confession. Even a car approaching the nearby intersection screeched to a halt, its headlights casting a dramatic glare on the scene as if the driver, too, had caught wind of her crude remark.
"H-Hina-san…" Kouhei muttered with an exasperated sigh, covering half of his face with his palm. But even with his obvious embarrassment, a helpless smile crept across his lips.
Without another word, he reached out, firmly grasping Hina's hand in his own and, with a soft chuckle, tugged her along as they both broke into a sprint—fleeing the growing sea of judgmental eyes.
Soon after, the two found themselves safely back within the walls of the Saionji mansion, the heavy front door closing behind them with a satisfying thud.
Inside, the air was warm and calm, a stark contrast to the chaos they'd just left behind. In the spacious lounge, Nagisa lay sprawled on a plush sofa, one arm casually draped over the backrest while the other held her phone. Her long legs were crossed elegantly, and the soft glow of the screen illuminated her face as her fingers tapped idly.
"Oh, welcome back, you two," she greeted without bothering to lift her gaze, her voice carrying that usual relaxed, slightly amused tone. After a beat, she finally glanced up and arched an eyebrow. A knowing smirk spread across her lips. "And oh… it looks like the two of you made up."
Her assumption was immediate and understandable. After all, Kouhei and Hina were still holding hands.
Later that night, Kouhei, now freshly showered, finally let his body collapse onto the softness of his bed. The cool sheets embraced him as he rested his head back against the pillow, his slightly damp hair clinging to his forehead. The hum of silence filled the room. For a moment, everything felt still.
But just as he began to sink into the comfort, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Kouhei-kun, are you already asleep?"
The voice was soft and familiar—Yuuna's.
He sat up. "Ah, no, I just finished showering. Yuuna-san? Do you need something from me?"
"Could I ask for a moment of your time?" she asked.
He rose to his feet and walked over, pulling the door open. Standing there was Yuuna, composed as always, her expression unreadable but her presence somehow pressing.
"Someone wants to speak with you," she said plainly.
Yuuna didn't answer. Instead, she simply turned and gestured for him to follow.
Curious, Kouhei fell into step beside her. Their path led them through the quiet corridors of the mansion until they reached a large double door—once the Saionji Clan's formal office. Now, it was Yuuna's domain.
"Take my hand, Kouhei."
He didn't hesitate. He reached out and grasped her hand firmly, the warmth of her palm grounding him for a fleeting moment.
Then, without warning, a surge of light enveloped them. It burst forth in every direction. Kouhei's vision was consumed in pure brilliance. His body felt weightless—his feet lifted from the ground as if they were floating between worlds. Time itself seemed to slow.
For a heartbeat, it was like drifting through a dream.
Gradually, the sensation passed, and his feet found solid ground again. The blinding light began to fade. His lashes fluttered as he squinted against the lingering brightness.
And then, the world came back into focus.
He was no longer in the mansion's office.
Instead, he was standing in a room he knew all too well.
The student council office.