In the quiet of the morning, the student council room was bathed in the soft glow of sunlight streaming through the windows. Sona Sitri, the meticulous and composed president of Kuoh Academy's student council, sat at her desk with a furrowed brow, replaying footage from the Rating Game against Rias Gremory's peerage. The air carried the faint scent of paper and ink, and the ticking of a clock provided the only other sound in the otherwise silent room.

Beside her, Tsubaki Shinra, her ever-dutiful vice president, watched the screen with a composed but noticeably tense expression. The footage zoomed in on the moment where Tsubaki faced off against you during the battle. Sona's sharp eyes analyzed every movement, every strike, and every decision made during the duel. The replay showed Tsubaki confidently engaging Xenovia and ultimately emerging victorious in their bout.

However, when the scene shifted to her confrontation with you, something was different. Despite her exceptional swordsmanship, Tsubaki had yielded after a heated exchange of strikes. Sona paused the footage and leaned back in her chair, her fingers steepled thoughtfully. "Strange," she muttered, glancing at Tsubaki. "You're not the type to surrender in a Rating Game unless you had no other choice."

Tsubaki’s cheeks colored slightly, but she maintained her composure. "I... miscalculated. His movements were unpredictable," she replied, her voice steady but with an undercurrent of something else. Sona’s calculating gaze lingered on her vice president before a sly smirk appeared on her lips. "Or perhaps you were distracted by something—or someone."

Tsubaki’s composure cracked, her face flushing crimson. "P-President! That’s not—" she started to protest, but her wavering voice confirmed Sona’s suspicion. Sona slid a colorful manga book across the desk. Tsubaki picked it up hesitantly, eyes widening at the ridiculous romantic scenario depicting you and Issei.

"This... this is garbage!" she declared, clutching the book tightly. Gathering her belongings, Tsubaki quickly exited the room, her mind a whirlwind of flustered thoughts. As she walked through the hallway, she turned a corner and bumped into someone, stumbling slightly before looking up.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, her heart skipping a beat when she realized it was you. Before Tsubaki could speak, she noticed your gaze shift downward to the manga lying between you. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she scrambled to pick it up.

"It’s not what it looks like!" she blurted out, clutching the book to her chest as if it were a live grenade. "I don’t read stuff like this! I-I was just about to throw it away!"