Unexpected Bloom [OCs X Highschool DXD]

Chapter 24

The world swam before Aebelle's eyes, a hazy blur of colors and sounds. It was as if a veil had been drawn over her memories, leaving behind a disconcerting emptiness. Her mind drifted, unable to grasp onto anything concrete, like a ship lost at sea.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Murayama's voice, followed by Katase's, jolted Aebelle back to the present. Her heart stuttered in her chest, a startled bird taking flight.

"W-what?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"We just wanna know if you're okay, Aebelle," Katase said, her tone gentle but laced with concern.

"Oh.... y-yeah I'm fine...." Aebelle replied, but even she could hear the tremor in her voice, the unconvincing nature of her words.

"You're not fine, Aebelle," Murayama stated, her usual cheerful tone replaced with a hint of worry. "You dozed off for like the fifth time today. Did you get any sleep?"

Aebelle nodded weakly, her head feeling heavy, her thoughts like cotton candy, sweet but insubstantial.

"Also, you were saying Rias' name," Katase mentioned, her brow furrowed slightly.

"Rias' name?" Aebelle's mind went blank. The events surrounding Rias' visit to her room had vanished, swallowed by the swirling fog in her memory. "Oh right. We were playing Dodgeball," she offered, a weak attempt at a plausible explanation.

"Oh right! Your friend Marinoah is part of the Occult Research Club so she talked so much about how you won the final blow against Sona Sitri!" Katase exclaimed, her voice regaining its normal cheerful cadence.

"Wow! You're like as popular as Rias!" Murayama added, marveling at Aebelle's unexpected fame.

"Oh no," Aebelle replied, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I don't mind being popular but at the same level as the President? That's like...disrespecting to her."

"Understandable," Murayama chuckled. "Oh, I completely forgot about one question!"

"Hm?" Aebelle tilted her head, her confusion evident.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Murayama inquired, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Seeing... anyone?" Aebelle blinked, her brow furrowing in puzzlement.

"Yeah! Like you know, anyone to ask out on a date!" Katase elaborated, her voice dripping with playful teasing.

"W-what!?" Aebelle's eyes widened in shock. "You two realized today's my sixteenth birthday, right!?"

"So?" Murayama shrugged. "We'll get you a date as a present!"

"Seriously!?" Aebelle groaned, her face falling. "Doh... Come on!"

"So who is it? Is it Kiba?" Katase questioned, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What about Melvin-san?" Murayama chimed in.

"Marinoah-chan?" Katase suggested.

"What about Koneko-chan? Rias? Rael?" Murayama rattled off a list of names, her voice escalating in enthusiasm.

Aebelle's eyes began to spin, overwhelmed by the unexpected pressure and the sheer number of suggestions. Her head throbbed, threatening to split open.

"Hey! I know!" Murayama exclaimed, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.

"GO ON A DATE TOGETHER!" both Murayama and Katase shouted in unison, their voices echoing in Aebelle's ears.

"H-huh? The three of us? Just the three of us!?" Aebelle sputtered, utterly bewildered. "What about gifts!? What about likes and dislikes!? What—"