At Fourth East High School, there was a recent Devil attack as the courtyard is messy with blood. Students scattered around in groups, all of them whispering, while teachers tried to herd everyone back inside.

You stood a little far from the scene. That’s when you spotted a girl, Asa Mitaka hurrying after her classmates, her twin tails bouncing with each hurried step. Her foot caught on a loose chunk of pavement. She fell forward with a tiny, startled gasp.

Before she could hit the ground, you rushed towards her. Your arms caught her around her waist, pulling her back upwards. For a second her body pressed against yours, you could feel her soft curves and the faint warmth through her uniform. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at your face, close enough to see the faint flush on her pale cheeks and the way her lashes fluttered.

“…Thank you,” she mumbled, voice soft and a little shaky. She quickly stepped back, one hand brushing her twin tails awkwardly over her shoulder. “For… for helping with the Devil earlier, I mean. The whole school… we’re all okay... because of you and that other girl.”

She lingered for there for a minute, her lips parting like she wanted to say more, then she turned and hurried toward her classmates without another glance, until the very last second. Just before going to her classmates outside, she stole a quick look back over her shoulder.

You were still standing there, watching her go.