Why is the Demon King like this?

On Wednesday, the third day of the Demon Lord's school year, the weather was sunny, and Keisuke Ao happened to meet Asuka Arisugawa.

So the handsome man and beautiful woman boarded the train to Kukai Private High School together.

What should have been a normal school day turned into a series of events that kept Aoki Keisuke busy for just two or three days.

—So fulfilling.

Just as he was thinking this, Keisuke Ao stepped into the gate of Kukai Private High School. In that instant, a dark curtain suddenly appeared, and a hideous black hand burst out from the ground, attacking him and Asuka Arisugawa.

The bone-chilling cold of the forest directly dispelled all the summer heat. Looking into the school, it seemed as if a huge, black tree was growing, its massive branches piercing through the teaching building. That twisted creation, made entirely of hair, was spitting out a massive amount of spiritual energy, almost burning his eyes.

He instinctively grabbed Arisugawa Asuka's hand and pulled her back.

But in that instant, the illusion shattered, and the spirituality that even the Demon King himself would have to be wary of vanished without a trace.

"Um……?"

fake?

Damn it... the techniques I used in my dream were stolen?!

If I hadn't retreated in time and been pulled in, it would have been quite troublesome. If it were any other spellcaster, they would most likely have had their spirits crushed!

How cunning!

This prey...

He then realized the warmth and softness of his hands, and the temperature of the sweat that was quickly seeping out.

Ok……

Aokiji paused for a moment, and amidst the suppressed gasps around him, quickly released Arisugawa Asuka's hand.

"Arisugawa-kun, let me explain."

"Aoi-kun!"

Kukai's Yamato Nadeshiko, covering her face and completely losing her usual composure, rushed into the school.

Damn it, why—

It was such a sunny morning, I was in such a pleasant mood, and my learning journey was so relaxing, so why did all this happiness disappear so quickly?

Keisuke Ao remained motionless... unusually, he showed signs of anger.

It's like a corner of a beloved demon's castle being destroyed by a hero.

So much so that he wanted to mercilessly and cruelly tear that monster from Kukai Private High School to pieces in the most brutal way!

The offense in my ear was secondary; the main problem was that I had made the same mistake just last night, yet this morning I was completely careless and so casually hurt Arisugawa Asuka again.

What's wrong with me?

Is it possible that one is so captivated by the charm of Arisugawa Asuka that one's body is unwilling to resist such contact?

For a moment, Qing Guijie couldn't sort out his thoughts. After transforming into a human, some things seemed to have become murky and unbearable. It was no longer the era of black and white.

But the situation was indeed critical at the time... Never mind, let's not talk about it.

Keisuke Ao composed himself, calmly accepting all the stares, and walked into the school.

But putting everything else aside, to be fair, Arisugawa's hands are indeed captivating.

On Wednesday, the classroom of Class 5, Grade 2 was filled with an unusual atmosphere. Compared to the clear blue sky outside the window, even the most popular students couldn't understand the atmosphere for a moment.

After finishing their classes, the teachers were almost eager to slip away, rushing back to the classroom to gossip with their colleagues about the biggest news of the day.

Only Nakagawa Yuto is still making inappropriate jokes with his loud voice, and he even wants to throw out a punchline for Ao Keisuke to catch.

The result, naturally, was that I fell and got goosebumps all over the place.

If Keisuke Ao hadn't shone so brightly in the basketball game, the atmosphere wouldn't have been so strange.

—Everyone can just ignore it.

The problem is that Keisuke Ao is currently very popular, and his image in people's minds fluctuates, making it difficult to maintain the right distance in relationships.

Even the most delinquents who want to bully students can't fathom his true worth.

Furthermore, does a top-tier, popular guy like Keisuke Ao really need to worry about something like school bullying?

The rumors and gossip sparked at the school gate seem to be escalating.

After getting through the awkwardness of the first class, Arisugawa Asuka returned to normal and even seemed to be able to joke around with Hayashi Yuki.

But he didn't even glance at Qing Keisuke, and didn't reply to the messages he sent.

Keisuke Ao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, not wanting to waste time on such meaningless rumors, but how to properly resolve the situation would be a test for him.

Of course, first and foremost, a sincere apology is essential.

"Morning classmate, could you please tell Arisugawa that I'll be waiting for her behind the school building after school? Of course, it's okay if she doesn't want to come."

"Whoa, Qinggui-kun, Yamato seems really angry this time. Are you guys really okay?"

"It's a long story, but thank you for your help."

"Leave it to me!" Yuki patted her non-existent chest in the morning. "Allow me to gossip a little..."

"It's all a misunderstanding."

"Huh?! I haven't even asked yet!"

Believe me, it's all a misunderstanding.

"Ugh, if Qinggui-kun looks at me like that, I'll believe anything you say!"

"..."

"Anyway, please."

After a boring day, during which I politely declined invitations from other sports clubs and the K-pop club to gossip over tea, it was finally time to go home.

In the morning, Yuki gave Keisuke Ao a confident look, indicating that she had successfully completed her mission.

Qing Guijie nodded in understanding, packed his things, and got up to leave.

As he walked away, Yuki gave him a thumbs up.

"Your Highness, you're so handsome!"

Behind the school buildings of Kukai Private High School lies the legendary spot for confessions of love—although it is a relatively outdated place.

The flower bed is planted with several rows of lush London plane trees, as well as some other precious tree species.

There is also a century-old banyan tree that I heard was moved from an old school. It is growing very lushly with its branches spreading out. Many red ropes, notes, love letters, and even ema (votive plaques) brought home from a shrine are hanging from its drooping branches. When the wind blows, they collide with each other and make a crisp and pleasant sound.

However, nowadays everyone prefers to go to the courtyard, where the environment is quiet and there are benches to sit on.

Keisuke Ao looked away and leaned against the wall to wait.

Will the Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman) come?

Not far away, the track and field team had already begun training on the playground. Facing the lingering heat of the setting sun, they warmed up and ran, casting long shadows on the track.

The slogans came from the playground, shouting "Kukai! Fight!" Then the shot put, high jump, and soccer teams joined in, and the shouts became noisy.

No one cares about the scorching summer sun; even though the ground is still radiating intense heat, one can resist the heat simply by sweating.

In this setting, a girl in a school uniform quietly appeared at the corner of the school building, half of her body seemingly melting into the golden sunset.

Keisuke Ao couldn't see her expression clearly, but every strand of hair that shone in the sunlight was dazzling.

This scene left the Demon King in a daze, wondering what he was going to say again.