While Raphael and Azrael were paying the price for what Ophis (accidentally) did that… Meanwhile, in another part of the school,

"Ophis—wait, slow down!" Leo called out, trying to keep pace with the wild energy in her steps.

"Ha! No way! You owe me a date, and I'm collecting it now!" she declared, her small twin tails bouncing behind her like a pair of lively flags as she dragged him forward through the crowd.

The festival's energy surged around them—music thumping in the background, students laughing, bright lights overhead flickering between gold and violet, and the swirling smells of grilled skewers and spun sugar painting the air with a kind of wild magic.

Leo stumbled to keep up, barely catching himself as Ophis wove through groups of people.

"Since when did I owe you a date? And why do you keep calling this a date, you idiot!" he muttered under his breath, cheeks reddening when a few students glanced at them with weird faces.

"Since forever!" Ophis puffed her cheeks, spinning around just enough to flash him a smug grin, "You dared to leave me alone at that stupid stall... And then you went off to flirt with that woman and acted like I wasn't even there! That's why you owe me—twice, no, thrice as much now!" She stomped a foot for emphasis.

He sighed, shaking his head, but a smile curled on his lips despite himself. "You're actually unbelievable, you know that?"

"Thank you!" she chirped, utterly sincere and missing the sarcasm by a mile.

They stopped suddenly at a shooting gallery booth tucked beneath a shimmering archway of paper stars. Rows of tiny stuffed dragons lined the shelves, each with sequined wings and gemstone eyes that sparkled like real treasure.

Ophis pointed with a dramatic flourish. "That one! I want that one!"

"The pink one?" Leo followed her finger, squinting a little at the biggest plush on the top shelf.

"No, the giant pink one!"

Leo stared at the plush. It was enormous—half her size at least, probably meant as decoration rather than a prize. "Ophis, that's not even a prize. That's literally part of the booth. It's just for show."

"Then I'll make it a prize!" she announced without hesitation, reaching over the counter and snatching up the wooden rifle before the startled vendor could protest.

"Just watch, Leo. I'm a professional."

Leo laughed quietly, leaning on the counter as he paid the money. "Let's see it then, sharpshooter."

Ophis raised the rifle with exaggerated confidence, aiming down the line with both eyes squeezed shut.

The first shot went wide, ricocheting off a bell. The second shot thudded harmlessly into the wall. The third bounced off a tin can, hit the rim, and—miraculously—ricocheted right into Leo's chest.

"Ouch," Leo said dryly, rubbing his chest.

"Shut up, it's part of my strategy!" Ophis barked back, cheeks blazing pink and lips pressed in a pout.

Leo folded his arms, "Oh, so all that training with Essa was for nothing, huh? She's going to be furious if she finds out you can't even hit a toy, Ophis."

Ophis' eyes flashed. "Oh yeah? Like you could do any better, smarty-pants! If you're so tough, why don't you try?" She thrust the rifle into his hands, chin lifted stubbornly as she puffed out her cheeks.

He accepted the challenge. Leo set his feet, steadied his breath, and aimed.

Pop.

Pop.

Pop.

Three shots, sharp and steady, tore through the air. Each hit the exact same point on the edge of the plush, knocking it loose with pinpoint precision. The giant pink plush tumbled from the top shelf and landed on the counter in a pile of softness.

Ophis blinked, mouth slightly open. She tried to hide her awe,

"…Okay, maybe I loosened it for you,"

Leo looked at her, 'Woman, you didn't even hit that thing!!' he shouted inwardly, but he couldn't miss the way Ophis grinned, trying to hide her happiness behind the plush dragon.

He blinked, realising what she wanted. She'd wanted him to win it for her… ah? That was it, wasn't it?

'She could have just told me directly…' Leo thought, shaking his head, but his lips twitched with a faint smile.

"Give it to me!" Ophis yelled, already bouncing in place. When the vendor handed over the giant plush, she hugged it like it was a sacred relic, burying her face in its soft belly and squeezing it with all her might.

"See? I knew I could do it!" she crowed, her voice echoing with victory.

"Pretty sure I did it", Leo said with a dry laugh.

"Hehe~"Ophis shot him a happy grin, cheeks round and eyes sparkling, her smile just a little too cheeky.

Leo couldn't help but crouch down, reaching out to pinch her cheeks. For all her haughtiness, she could be impossibly cute sometimes… even if she was still the most annoying girl he knew.

She swatted his hand away, ignoring his teasing, and tugged urgently at his sleeve. "C'mon! Next game! I want to try everything!"

They raced from stall to stall, Ophis dragging Leo along with a wild, reckless energy that seemed to light up the entire festival.

They tried ring toss, then fortune wheels, then a scavenger hunt...

Finally, breathless, she stopped in front of a food stall, "Two strawberry crepes!" she declared proudly, slapping a fistful of coins on the counter.

When the crepes arrived, they found a quiet spot under a lonely tree, away from the crowd.

Ophis tore into her crepe with messy enthusiasm, cream and strawberry jam smearing the corner of her mouth. She ate with such innocence, it made Leo laugh.

"You've got…" he started, reaching out before he even realised it. Gently, he wiped the cream from her lips with his thumb.

Ophis froze, her wide eyes darting from his face to his hand, and then back. For a moment, the world went silent... the sounds of music and laughter fading away, leaving only the two of them beneath the tree, as if the rest of the festival had vanished.

"Wha—why'd you do that!?" she sputtered, her face going redder than any strawberry in the crepe.

"You were making a mess," Leo said, unable to suppress a low chuckle. He saw her like a child who'd just been caught with jam on her face.

"I—I was eating c-cutely! There's a difference!" she argued, holding the crepe defensively, as if it might shield her from embarrassment.

He laughed outright, and she pouted, stamping her foot hard enough to shake the leaves above. "You're laughing at me!"

"Only because you're adorable when you're angry," Leo teased.

That silenced her completely. Ophis's lips parted, her eyes softened, and the flush on her face deepened until she looked like she might explode from all the bottled feelings.

"…Little jerk," she whispered under her breath, glancing away as her expression wavered.

After a long pause, her voice turned small. "I… I am sorry."

"Hmm?" Leo blinked, confused by the sudden change in her tone.

Ophis's lips trembled before she managed to speak again, her words barely above a whisper. "When you… looked at me angrily… I… I really lost it." She hesitated, searching his face as if afraid he might turn away again.

Leo's lips parted, but no words came....

Ophis continued, her shoulders trembling,

"That time… I saw your hatred… it was real, even if only for a second. I've never felt fear like that before—never, not in my whole life. Seeing you hate me… it shocked me so much. I thought I was just pranking you, but… but I didn't mean for things to go that far." Her voice caught, tears beginning to spill over her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."

Seeing her crumble, Leo moved closer... He gently wrapped his arms around her, hugging her against his chest as she shivered in his arms.

He whispered softly, "It's fine… Ophis. If anything, I should be the one apologising. I should have trusted you. Instead of believing you'd never harm anyone, I just got angry… maybe because, somewhere in my heart, I— I still felt—"

"Dangerous monster?" Ophis finished for him, her voice barely audible, but heartbreakingly clear.

Leo bit his lip... Honestly, maybe he was still wary of Ophis somewhere deep in his heart… After all, she'd almost killed him during their very first meeting.

That sort of fear didn't just vanish, even after all this time.

There was a difference between anger and hatred. An angry person didn't always have hatred in their heart, but hatred always carried anger!

When Ophis had pranked him, Leo hadn't just gotten angry… hatred had flickered, just for a heartbeat.

Ophis, of course, understood him. She'd been with him through everything—seen his reckless side, his stubbornness, the parts of him he tried to hide.

Ophis bit her own lips... She pushed him gently,

"I… I will never do this again," she promised, voice cracking as her gaze locked with his. "S-So please… n-never hate me again… Please, Leo, I would never hurt your family. I swear, so please don't h-hate me again."

Leo didn't hesitate.

"You are my family too, idiot!"

He pulled her close. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, brushing the corner of her eyes with his thumb, wiping away the last trace of tears.

"No, I would never hate you, Ophis. That's my promise—no matter what happens, I will never hate you. My Ophis is a good girl… I'll etch that into my heart," he murmured, sealing the vow with a gentle rub of her cheek.

"R-Really?" Her voice wavered, full of fragile hope.

"Yes…" He said it simply, but his smile was genuine, gentle and steady.

Ophis smiled weakly, "Then… Ophis will be a good girl," she whispered, the words barely audible but full of warmth.

She closed her eyes, feeling their closeness, her cheeks turning red as her lips puckered up, waiting for something more.

"…" Leo blinked, caught off guard by her gesture.

What was he supposed to do now?

"Hey, look at them."

A sudden whisper drifted over from nearby. Leo flinched, snapping out of the moment as he realised people were glancing their way, some whispering to each other behind cupped hands.

Leo gulped. In a rush, he raised his voice, desperately trying to act natural. "Hah… Ha… I just blew some dust out of your eye, LITTLE SISTER! You need to eat your crepe before it melts!" he said loudly, forcing a smile and praying the act would work.

At his words, several bystanders raised their eyebrows, then nodded with amused smiles, apparently buying the story.

A few even gave them thumbs up, thinking they were witnessing a sweet, caring sibling moment before wandering away into the festival crowd.

Leo visibly sighed in relief. Ophis opened her eyes, her cheeks puffed out in a furious pout. "Hmph! I am not your little sister!" she grumbled, glaring at Leo as she stabbed her crepe with more force than necessary.

Leo didn't say anything, simply focused on eating his own crepe, pretending not to notice the stormy mood next to him.

Ophis, on the other hand, muttered darkly under her breath as she chewed her treat, her eyes darting toward him in irritation.

'What? Am I not beautiful enough for you to kiss me! Fucking asshole! You dare to flirt with other women and yet I'm the one who sleeps with you all day and night… How dare he ignore my kiss! Hmph! Hmph—hmph! I am never going to kiss him again unless this idiot begs for it!'

She screamed inside, cheeks burning red.

Just then, a group of boys walked past them, chattering excitedly.

"Yeah, man, the rumours were true after all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… didn't you hear about the School Roof Confession?"

"School roof confession?"

"Yeah, haven't you heard? Whoever confesses on the school roof—no matter the age gap—they end up falling in love, and even… You know… doing it right there. Like, actually sucking each other off, bro, for real. Hehe~"

"Oh? What the hell—seriously? Man, that's nasty! People actually believe that?"

"Swear to god... And what do you mean 'no matter the age'? That's… that's kinda off, dude."

"I don't know, man, but someone said they heard little kid voices up there once, and then, like, an adult. And, you know… the 'deed' and all that. Super messed up."

"Fuck, man… that's so fucked! Maybe I should take my crush up there, huh? Get a little roof magic, ahaha!"

"Oh! Bro, you're sick! Wait—who the hell's your crush? Don't tell me… that girl from Class 4? You've been sneaking up there with her? Dude, that's beyond messed up… total pedo vibes!"

"Oi, shut up! It's not like there aren't couples with ten years between them. Even some celebrities marry people way younger."

"Motherfucker! Those are adults—like, grown-ass people! You're talking about actual kids, dude!"

"Yeah, yeah… Compared to them, I'm only five years older. It's not a big deal, right?"

"Sick, bro. Sick. You need therapy. That's not normal!"

Their voices faded as they moved off, still cackling and throwing out wild rumours.

Meanwhile, Leo stood there, dumbstruck, his face frozen in a what-the-fuck expression.

'What the fuck did I just hear?'

He shook his head, "What in god's name is going on here?" Leo muttered, glancing at the cluster of students who seemed totally unfazed by the insanity.

Seriously, students these days… so fucked up!

'Am I the only sane one left?'

He almost, for a moment, thought about reporting those boys.

Were they planning something illegal?

Before he could finish the thought, Ophis popped up next to him, eyes blazing with that strange fire,

"We're going to the roof!"

Before Leo could even open his mouth to protest, Ophis snatched his arm and yanked him toward the stairs.

'Argh… Here we go again!'

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