Chapter 13: Familiarity
Following the hour they were given for lunch, Vahn found himself staring off into space during his inaugural Social Studies class, the teacher's words entering his ears but his brain failing to consciously process what was being said.
'Hey, Sis...' said or, more accurately, thought Vahn.
(Yes, Vahn?) answered Sis.
'Did I really just get a girlfriend, or is my brain playing tricks on me?' asked Vahn.
(Based on my recollection of events and the context of the situation, the former seems more likely.) responded Sis. (As for whether or not you're being cheated or taken advantage of, I do not believe that to be the case, as she made clear the consequences of your involvement.)
'Right...' recalled Vahn, the memory of Rias's warning materializing in his mind as if she were right in front of him, speaking the words for the first time. The Path vested him with perfect recall, so as the memory replayed itself, he could even feel the warmth of her body and the wetness of her tongue, causing his face to heat up before he shook his head to clear the thought from his head like an etch and sketch.
'Am I making a mistake...?' asked Vahn, not regretting his confession or the result but fearing he was getting in over his head. Things like politics were completely foreign to him, so if his and Rias's relationship advanced to marriage, he had no idea how to be a good leader...
(I believe that is something Rias intends to see to herself.) expressed Sis, appending (What she appears to desire from you is raw power and dependability. I suspect she may have one or more adversaries that she is unable to deal with on her own.)
'So I need to get stronger...' reasoned Vahn, suddenly feeling that he was wasting his time by sitting in class. None of the anime and manga he had seen or read went into detail about what happened during class, so while he was happy to be enrolled as a student at Kuoh Academy, he felt the 3 PM bell couldn't come soon enough...
(Patience is a virtue, Vahn.) said Sis, reminding (You already have more time available to you than most thanks to the CIF, so while these lessons may not be the most mentally stimulating, you should pay attention out of respect for your teachers.)
'You're right...' affirmed Vahn, adopting a serious expression and focusing on the lesson being given. With Sis and The Path, he didn't need to study, but he wanted to. He would feel bad if the only reason he succeeded over others was because he had advantages they didn't. More importantly, he was committed to living and becoming someone his mom could be proud of, and that meant taking as few shortcuts as possible...