In the Occult Research Club Room
"Who was that?" asked Kiba in surprise after seeing an unfamiliar student walk past the room without even greeting them.
"Takayama Kaito" Akeno replied. "He's a friend of Koneko. He asked for permission to use the kitchen."
"The kitchen?" Kiba repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Apparently, he's a great cook. You know how Koneko's been a bit grumpy lately, right?"
Kiba nodded. Indeed, for the past few days, Koneko seemed to enjoy her snacks less, as if they no longer tasted the same.
"Well, it seems it's because Takayama gave her something to eat, and ever since then she hasn't been able to forget the taste. She looked all over the place but couldn't find anything similar."
Kiba nodded again. He also knew Koneko had been searching for food in different places lately, though he assumed she just wanted to try new flavors.
"Apparently, Takayama cooks himself. As soon as Koneko found out, she asked for permission to use the kitchen. And, well... here we are."
"It must be really good if she even ignored us," Kiba commented, still somewhat surprised.
Despite her usually indifferent attitude, Koneko considered them close friends. For her to ignore them like that only reinforced how good the food must be.
"If it's that good, maybe you should hire him as a chef," Akeno suggested, looking at Rias, who had been quietly signing papers while listening to the conversation.
It's worth mentioning that Koneko had the sharpest senses in the group, courtesy of her nekomata lineage. She also loved food and had tasted feasts even from the Underworld. If she said something was delicious, it probably was.
However, before Rias could respond, a delicious aroma began to fill the room.
They all turned their heads toward the kitchen, from where the smell was clearly coming.
The three of them swallowed at the same time.
"Looks like Koneko wasn't exaggerating," Rias commented.
"Seems like it," Kiba and Akeno agreed.
Still, since it didn't involve them directly, each returned to what they were doing: Rias continued signing papers with Akeno's help, while Kiba remained seated, meditating. Or at least, he tried... because ever since that aroma hit them, his concentration had significantly dropped.
It wasn't long before a new stimulus distracted them: the sound of oil frying meat. At that distance, a normal person wouldn't have noticed, but they weren't normal. They were devils, with sharp senses that now worked against them, as the sound was accompanied by an even stronger smell, making them salivate like they hadn't eaten in days.
"Akeno, do you think Koneko would share a bit if we asked?" Rias asked hopefully.
"Not a chance," Akeno replied, visibly disappointed.
About twenty minutes later, the door opened again. Kaito and Koneko came out together.
Koneko completely ignored them and sat on the couch, focused on her plate of fried rice. Kaito also had a plate in hand, but instead of eating like her, he addressed the rest.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Takayama Kaito, first-year. I'm a classmate and also a friend of Toujou. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
The others, who until then had been staring at Koneko's plate, looked up at his voice.
"I'm Rias Gremory, third-year. You can count on me as your superior. Please keep getting along with Koneko."
"Akeno Himejima, same class as Rias. If you ever need anything, you can rely on me," added Akeno in a slightly lower, playful voice.
Kaito simply ignored the provocative tone and turned to the last one in the room.
Kiba stepped forward and shook his hand.
"I'm Yuuto Kiba. Nice to meet you. I'm also your superior, so feel free to rely on me as much as you like."
He said this with his typical "pretty boy" smile. If this were an anime, there would probably be background students murmuring, "Damn ikemen!"
Kaito smiled back and shook his hand firmly.
For half a second, Kaito felt a strange sensation, like something or someone was examining him. He ignored it. He knew it was probably some kind of detection spell, but thanks to the system, his body was completely human. That wouldn't change even if they tried.
Still, Kiba seemed briefly surprised before letting go of his hand.
Akeno scooted a little closer and sat beside him.
"I have to say... your food looks as good as they say," she said with a smile.
"Want some?" Kaito asked, ignoring how unnecessarily close she was.
"Of course," Akeno replied shamelessly, opening her mouth.
Kaito was slightly surprised. Even though he knew Akeno's personality from the anime, seeing it in person was something else. Still, he offered her a spoonful directly into her mouth.
Akeno blinked, surprised that he actually fed her, but her expression changed almost immediately.
She closed her eyes and savored each ingredient slowly. Her body trembled slightly and she even let out a faint moan.
Kaito thought that if this were another anime, her clothes probably would've exploded from the sheer flavor.
The others looked at her with slightly awkward expressions as she regained her composure.
Akeno opened her eyes and blushed slightly, stepping out of character.
"Sorry about that..."
Kaito didn't say anything and simply sat down to try his own plate. He was curious too.
Just as he brought the spoon to his mouth, Koneko seemed like she wanted to say something... but held back and returned to her food.
As soon as he tasted the first bite, Kaito understood everything.
It was, without a doubt, the most delicious food he had ever tasted in his life.
The flavors blended perfectly, enhancing one another without overwhelming. The texture of the rice was ideal, making each bite a pleasure.
He didn't make any weird noises like Akeno, but he couldn't stop enjoying it.
Before he knew it, his plate was empty. Koneko's was too.
Kaito looked up and noticed the rest of the group watching them with a mix of amazement and disappointment.
He completely understood why.
Despite the group's general composure, he didn't stay much longer. He knew this place was more than just a school club and didn't want to be a bother.
The group saw him off politely, and as soon as he left, everyone turned to Koneko.
"Koneko-chan, you're so mean! You didn't save us a single bite!" Akeno exclaimed theatrically.
"As a club member, you should've shared with your president," Rias added, trying to sound serious.
"I think to train well, one must eat well," Kiba concluded, dropping a not-so-subtle hint.
Koneko looked at them silently... and then apologized so seriously that they felt a bit embarrassed.
Noticing this, the group quickly assured her they were only joking.
Then, Rias turned her attention to Kiba.
"Did you sense anything?"
"Nothing. A completely normal human."
Kiba had detected no Sacred Gear, no magical energy, nothing unusual in Kaito. Confirmed: he was human.
"Kaito is human," Koneko reaffirmed, as if saying, "I told you so."
The others nodded. Until Akeno spoke.
"Hey, Rias. What if we make him our chef?"
"You were serious earlier?" Rias asked, surprised.
Akeno shook her head.
"I wasn't serious then... but now I am. His food is the best I've ever had."
Rias thought about it for a moment.
"Maybe we could try. If we use a concealment spell, he won't see anything supernatural. Plus, he'd only come to cook and that's it."
Since he was a completely normal human, he didn't seem to have any hidden intentions.
Of course, when it came to other intentions, both Rias and Akeno had noticed that Kaito glanced at them occasionally... but it didn't bother them. They were used to it.
Besides, his glances seemed more curious than lewd. And compared to how he looked at them, both noticed he looked at Koneko a lot more.
It was clear Kaito's tastes focused more on another part of the body—one that stood out much more in Koneko than in Akeno or Rias.
Thinking about certain students with more perverted looks, Rias frowned as something came to mind.
"Changing the subject... today I detected a Sacred Gear aura at school. Probably someone about to awaken it."
The others looked at her in surprise. None of them knew of any users at the academy.
"Who is it?" Akeno asked.
Rias's voice, however, didn't sound enthusiastic as she answered.
"Issei Hyoudou."
"The second-year boy? The pervert?" Akeno asked.
Rias nodded with a sigh.
Koneko frowned.
"I don't like perverts..."
Akeno, true to her nature, took the chance to tease her.
"Though you didn't mind Kaito looking at you..."
Koneko opened her mouth to respond... but blushed slightly and closed it again.
"Stop teasing her, Akeno," Rias intervened with a sigh. "Koneko, I know you don't like him, but I need you to keep an eye on him for a while."
Koneko wasn't thrilled, but she accepted. They all owed Rias a lot, and they knew she needed to become stronger.
While they were discussing Issei, a red magic circle appeared on the floor.
Everyone fell silent at the identity of the sudden visitor.