~ Next Bonus Chapter - 100 Powerstones!
<><><><><>
"Koneko? Koneko, are you alright?"
The sudden unusual behavior of the white-haired girl startled everyone—especially Bokue, who was right next to her. Even Rias and Akeno reacted promptly, moving quickly to her side.
Asia immediately extended her hands, ready to release her healing green aura.
"Koneko-chan, are you feeling unwell? Let me heal you."
"No… it's fine. I'm not injured."
Koneko gently grasped Asia's outstretched hand, pressing the glowing healing aura back into her palm. Releasing Bokue's support, she struggled to stand up.
No, calling it a mere "struggle" was an understatement—she was visibly trembling.
No matter how you looked at it, this was far from "fine."
Even Rias couldn't afford to think about anything else, quickly stepping up beside the petite white-haired girl and gently rubbing her back, eyes full of concern.
"Koneko, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
"I-I'm… okay. It's just a little…"
Koneko's usually calm voice was now faint and wavering.
At that moment, her pale cheeks turned faintly red, and she was slightly hunched over. Her petite figure squirmed restlessly, legs tightly pressed together in an anxious posture, one hand pressed firmly against her lower abdomen.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed exactly like a young girl desperately needing the restroom but unable to find one.
"Is your stomach upset?" Rias immediately noticed her posture.
"Mmm…"
Blushing even harder, Koneko nodded weakly before shaking her head uncertainly, unable to clearly express her condition.
"It feels… weird. I'll go to the restroom…"
"Ah? Could it be you ate something bad? Go ahead then, hurry!"
Realizing Koneko just needed to go to the bathroom, Rias paused in confusion but relaxed slightly in relief.
Of course, it was still concerning if Koneko had an upset stomach. However, fortunately, as a Nekomata—a yōkai—Koneko wouldn't suffer severe consequences from something as minor as indigestion, unlike a regular animal. Furthermore, Koneko belonged to the strongest subspecies, the Nekoshō. A simple stomachache wouldn't cause her any serious harm.
Still, on second thought—what could possibly have caused even a Nekoshō to get an upset stomach? Did she truly eat something she shouldn't have?
Rias was about to inquire further, but Koneko, without another word, had already fled quickly from the room, clutching her abdomen as she made a beeline for the restroom.
Thus, attention quickly returned to a certain someone who seemed suspiciously responsible for the current mess.
"Now, Bokue, would you mind explaining whose scent exactly you have on you, that it would make Koneko react so strongly?"
Watching the white-haired girl's retreating figure disappear out the door, Rias immediately turned her gaze toward the young man standing nearby.
Akeno also shifted her attention, gently resting one hand against her cheek, a soft smile forming on her lips.
"Ara ara, that's a very good question indeed. We never did get the answer to that, did we~?"
Even Asia—always addressing him sweetly as "Bokue-san"—now looked toward him, her emerald eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
"…And now this is somehow my fault?"
Bokue tilted his head backward helplessly.
Still, there wasn't really anything embarrassing to hide.
Taking about a minute, Bokue briefly summarized the incident from earlier that morning—the sudden call to the infirmary and the abrupt hug from a certain beautiful school nurse.
As he spoke, Rias's expression gradually shifted from annoyed to confused, finally settling into complete bewilderment.
"You're saying Hasegawa-sensei was the one who hugged you first? But why?"
"Apparently, it was a kind of medical examination."
"Why would she need to give you a medical examination?"
"Because our leave application explicitly mentioned we'd visited the Underworld."
"Hah?"
The red-haired girl became even more baffled.
It was true—the Underworld was dangerous, certainly. Items from there, if brought into the human world, could potentially wipe out entire cities. But wasn't all this supposed to be handled by the Demon Special Zone customs officials?
How did it concern a school nurse?
"Oh, right. There was one other thing."
Suddenly remembering something, Bokue gently tapped his temple.
"When I left the infirmary, Hasegawa-sensei mentioned that, since we'd all visited the Underworld, she'd also call you girls in later for an examination."
"Is… that so?"
Rias exchanged a glance with Akeno before shaking her head.
"That's odd. No one informed us of anything like that."
"Ufufu, indeed, nobody came to notify us either."
Akeno smiled gently as she shook her head as well.
Then she raised a finger to her lips thoughtfully, leaning close to Rias's ear, her breath warm and teasing.
"But isn't there a possibility that our lovely nurse has developed an interest in our dear Bokue-kun? Perhaps she gave him some… special treatment~?"
"Excuse me? What do you mean 'our'? He's mine!"
Rias immediately spoke up defensively.
Akeno chuckled lightly, unfazed: "Ara, don't be stingy, Rias~ If we want to get technical, wasn't it me who first met and grew fond of Bokue-kun?"
"But I was the first to officially become his girlfriend!"
A small, frustrated twitch appeared on Rias's forehead.
Really, Akeno was too much! Although she'd quietly allowed Akeno some leeway with Bokue, this girl was getting increasingly brazen!
Just as Rias was prepared for another verbal battle, unexpectedly, Akeno raised both hands in surrender, deciding to stop while she was ahead.
"Ah well, you're right about that part, I suppose."
"As long as you understand…"
Rias pouted lightly, exhaling softly in relief.
But before Rias could enjoy even two seconds of peace, Akeno's teasing voice immediately resumed.
"But you know, Rias, sometimes even I feel a little jealous. Perhaps it's my turn to grow horns for once~?"
"Haa?!"
"..."
Watching the two beautiful girls resume another round of playful bickering, Bokue could only silently facepalm in his heart.
At this rate, the whole conversation had completely derailed.
❁❁❁❁
Meanwhile, as the lively commotion continued in the clubroom—
In the restroom on the first floor.
"Haa… haa…"
Soft gasps echoed gently within the small space. Koneko, petite frame slightly hunched forward, sat on the closed toilet seat. Her cheeks were flushed, her modest chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.
A pair of adorable white cat ears perked up through her silky white hair, and behind her, two soft white tails tangled restlessly with each other.
She was a Nekoshō, Thus, she naturally possessed all the distinct feline features. Usually, she concealed these traits beneath an illusion, maintaining an ordinary human appearance to avoid causing chaos.
But for some unknown reason, the instant she had inhaled Bokue's scent earlier, her internal spiritual energy had gone completely out of control, forcibly revealing her true feline nature and preventing her from hiding her ears and tails any longer.
It felt as if… her body was craving something…
Biting her lower lip gently, Koneko slowly opened her clenched fist. Nestled within her delicate palm was a small, intricately crafted piece of clothing.
Under the bright bathroom light, a faint sheen of clear moisture glistened visibly in the center of the soft fabric.
<><><><><>
~ 18 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
<><><><><>
Keep the chapters coming—Support with Power Stones!