I Knew That the Childhood Friend, Who Was Praised as a “Goddess” at School, Actually Had Another Side as a Arrogant “Demon God.” However, After a Girl, Who Was Praised as an “Angel,” Transferred Into Our Class and Started Getting Involved With Me, My Childhood Friend’s Behavior Became Strange

Chapter 13: Angel’s Change

I pulled Angel’s hand and left the back of the gymnasium. We headed to the school courtyard, and I sat her on a bench to calm her mind.

Her body seemed to tremble slightly. Okazaki, despite appearances, was 180 cm tall. A tall guy forcing himself on a girl would scare her.

I put coins in the vending machine next to the bench, bought a paper carton of hot cocoa, and handed it to her. Cocoa has a relaxing effect, so drinking it in times like this calms the mind.

“Here, this’ll calm you down. My treat.”

“…Thank you.”

She looked down, quietly thanked me, took the cocoa, inserted the straw, and started drinking.

“There we go…”

I sat down next to her on the bench. From the bench, we saw the sunset sinking beyond the sports field. I watched the setting sun and waited for her to calm down.

A strange feeling had led me to spy on the confession, and it paid off. If I hadn’t been there, things would have turned out badly for Angel.

After watching the sunset for a while, Angel sighed and removed her mouth from the straw.

“…Phew. I’ve calmed down a bit. I have to thank you this time.”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m not saying anything bad, so stop using people’s feelings.”

“I messed up. I didn’t expect him to be so persistent…”

Angel spoke with a dejected expression, which was rare for her confidence. But it was only natural after what happened.

“Hasn’t anyone been as pushy as Okazaki before?”

“…No. Until now, everyone backed off quietly.”

Not rejecting a confession clearly makes the other person think, “I still have a chance.”

She used that to create followers who would work for her.

Most people accepted Angel’s words, maintained the status quo, and tried to win her favor as she intended, but there are guys like Okazaki in the world.

Okazaki probably thought, “If I push, something might happen,” because Angel left some hope. That’s why he pressed her so hard.

Playing with serious feelings is a double-edged sword. If used well, it creates devoted followers, but one misstep, and the blade stabs you. This time, that blade nearly pierced her.

“I’ll have to change how I gain followers from now on. For starters, I’ll reject confessions clearly.”

“…After all this, you’re still going to continue? You don’t give up, do you? No offense, but Hina doesn’t seem to care about this stuff. Only you obsess over things like Goddess faction, Angel faction, or the number of followers.”

When Angel transferred here, I misunderstood Hina’s irritation, but I recently realized she wasn’t upset about losing followers. She just felt a kind of rivalry toward Angel.

Hina doesn’t seem to care much about her followers.

“I won’t stop over something like this. It’s necessary.”

“…”

Why did she go so far to keep making followers? I vaguely recalled her saying it was a “life lesson” when I asked before.

I couldn’t understand how making followers was a life lesson, but I assumed she had a serious reason to put so much effort into it.

“…Fine. I promised to help you until the end, so I’ll keep helping, but just stop doing things that might make people hate you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. …Well, I’m feeling a bit sentimental now. Shall we head home? …Huh?”

Angel said this and tried to stand up from the bench. But she collapsed back down, landing on her butt.

“Huh…? Why? I can’t stand…”

She tried desperately to stand, but her legs seemed too weak. The fear from Okazaki forcing himself on her still lingered.

Even though she looked relatively fine on the surface, her mind had taken real damage.

Seeing this, I crouched in front of her and offered my back.

“Come on, I’ll carry you. Where’s your house?”

I decided to carry Angel, who couldn’t stand due to fear, and take her home. If someone saw me carrying her, other students might get jealous later, but I couldn’t leave her in this state.

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“After using people like servants all the time, you’re saying this now? Come on, don’t hold back.”

“…Sorry. Please.”

“Hold on tight. Where’s your bag?”

Angel hesitantly climbed onto my back. I carried her, held both our bags in my hands, and left the school toward her house.

I walked slowly along the school route, watching the bright red sunset.

On the way, Angel mumbled softly from my back.

“…You’re surprisingly kind.”

“The ‘surprisingly’ part is unnecessary.”

I never thought of myself as particularly kind, but I wasn’t heartless enough to ignore someone in trouble.

“…This is bad. I’m weak to this kind of thing… As a leader, I know I shouldn’t feel this way…”

“Weak? To what?”

“…Nothing.”

Angel mumbled something unclear. I didn’t understand what she meant.

A few minutes later, she mumbled again.

“Your back is big… It feels reassuring somehow…”

“Really? I think it’s pretty average.”

I felt her grip on my back tighten slightly. If clinging to my back made her feel safe, she could cling as much as she wanted. She went through something scary, even if it was her own fault.

A while later, I heard her soft breathing from my back. I gave a wry smile and kept heading toward her house.

○○○

About twenty minutes after leaving school, I finally reached her house. It was a large, newly built house. Her family must be quite wealthy.

I shook Angel, who was sleeping comfortably on my back, to wake her.

“Hey, we’re here! Wake up!”

“Hm? Fweh…?”

Angel woke up with a silly sound, unlike her usual composed self.

I slowly set her down from my back. This time, she could stand properly.

“…You really helped me today. Thank you.”

Angel smiled slightly and thanked me.

That smile didn’t feel like her usual Angelic Smile but like her natural smile.

Despite everything, she was an incredible beauty. Her natural smile made me feel a little embarrassed.

“I thought you were just a pervert at first, but I’ll change my opinion. For your actions today, I’ll promote you from my servant to my exclusive knight bodyguard. Be honored.”

“…Thanks.”

How arrogant. But that’s just like her.

“Servant” or “bodyguard”—the name got better, but the job probably stayed the same. No, it might even increase.

“Now, we’ll begin the ceremony for your appointment as my exclusive knight. …Close your eyes for a bit.”

“Huh… What’s this appointment ceremony?”

I closed my eyes as she said.

“No one can see us here… It should be fine.”

I heard her whisper softly.

The next moment, I felt a warm, soft sensation on my cheek. It was a sensation I’d never experienced in my life.

I touched my cheek with my fingertips, startled. My fingers felt slightly wet.

“Uh…?”

I opened my eyes and looked at Angel. She covered her mouth with her left hand, looking embarrassed.