Chapter Text
CHAPTER 3: Head Over Heels
“51%?”
That ranking Kerori got hit with kept bouncing around in her mind. She had chosen Professor Raim’s seduction course for her elective, more for the sake of increasing her charm as a demdol and to get an even larger fanbase. Being a succubus, Raim knew exactly how to charm any demon and her Sexy Scope ability was tailored for gauging how entrancing another demon’s beauty was. On one hand, standing out in school was the last thing she wanted, including attention from anyone that may have fancied her. On the other hand, Kerori started believing that this could impact her career as Kuromu.
What if her appeal is lost on her fans? What if Kuromu becomes less attractive in the eyes of the Netherworld?
These intrusive thoughts made her more apprehensive over how she would be perceived on stage. Raim may have said that a 51% wasn’t terrible, certainly better than the rankings given to her peers Dosanko and Clara Valac, but it still ate at her. Her friend in the Misfit Class: Elizabetta Ix, had a sexiness gauge of 89%, unsurprising given she was also a succubus, but it made her insecurity even worse. Between her blonde hair, relaxed ruby eyes, and her uniform striking a balance between cute and attractive, Elizabetta was a knockout desired by much of the student body.
And then you had Kerori Crocell; average looks and a standard Babyls freshman uniform. At best, she considered herself plain, and the continued worst-case scenario of her demdol persona being less desirable did nothing to boost her confidence.
She messaged Alister, asking him to meet her in the school’s courtyard when classes ended. Elizabetta’s own reassurance of Kerori being cute didn’t feel genuine, it was easy for someone just shy of 90% sexiness to say, she surmised. A second opinion was needed, and she had to be careful to not give him any clues to her and Kuromu being one and the same.
Before long, the late afternoon arrived. Kerori didn’t have to wait long for Alister to meet up with her. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” Kerori said.
“You’re fine, I’m meeting up with Lied in the evening anyway,” Alister assured her, “so what’s going on?”
“You said that Kuromu was your favorite demdol, right?”
“Absolutely.” Alister smiled with this confirmation.
“...What is it about her that stuck with you so much?” Kerori phrased her question the best that she could, though it sounded more awkward than it did in her mind. Thankfully for her, Alister didn’t pick up on it and indulged her.
“Well, her voice is unlike anything that other demdols have,” he began, “it’s powerful, but it has this calming effect that others just can’t compare to.” This was a good start and did make Kerori feel a bit better, but it wasn’t what she actually wanted to hear from him.
“Her outfits are also a treat to see,” Alister continued, “they all look so amazing on her. I don’t think there’s anything she’d look bad in.”
“So… you think that Kuromu is beautiful?” Kerori asked.
“Without a doubt, it’s kind of the point for demdols to be pretty or handsome.”
“Would you consider her… sexy?” Kerori was getting a bit impatient, bluntly asking him the question that was causing her so much stress. Alister didn’t seem bothered by how direct she was, but still had to think for a moment; those few seconds felt so long. “Well… she’s extremely attractive,” he answered, “her beauty is one of the things I love about her. She’s really in a league of her own, if Professor Raim used her Sexy Scope on her, I don’t think her beauty could be measured by numbers alone.”
“Raim,” Kerori mumbled, remembering the paltry score she received compared to half of her seduction class.
“Is there something wrong?” Alister inquired, almost making Kerori jump out of her skin. “I know she has those seduction classes… did she happen to gauge your sexiness?” There was no use hiding this from him, but Kerori hoped that he wasn’t getting any hints to her identity.
“...She gave me a 51%,” she sighed, “I was wondering, what did Kuromu do to be so desired by thousands of demons?”
“Maybe she just has her own appeal and knows how to use it,” Alister pondered, blissfully unaware that the demdol he admired so much was standing right in front of him. Kerori relaxed once more, knowing that her friend wasn’t connecting the dots, but her impatience in wanting an answer out of him nearly gave her identity away.
Alister continued, “I guess you have your own appeal, Kerori. Some demons are interested in the shy type.” Kerori’s face turned pink with blush, receiving a compliment that wasn’t about her demdol self wasn’t what she was expecting out of this conversation. Her friend realized the impression he might have given her and quickly apologized for flustering her. Kerori didn’t take exception to this.
“I mean, you should be much higher than a 51,” he admitted, looking away as his sentence ended.
“You really think so?” Kerori asked.
“Yeah… but, um, I’m not trying to flirt or anything. I’m just… calling them as I see them.” Now Alister’s face was turning beet red, thinking of a way to not give Kerori the wrong impression. “You don’t need to compare yourself to Kuromu… you’re pretty in your own way.”
Any lingering doubt about her career being cut short was now snuffed out of Kerori’s mind, despite how disarming the comments Alister made were. She knew that he was only trying to make her feel better, but his tone of voice made it clear that he was giving nothing but an honest opinion.
“Wow, that sounded so cheesy,” Alister bemoaned, face-palming over his previous sentence.
“You’re fine, Alister,” Kerori said, “thanks for helping me feel better.”
“Any time.” The embarrassment faded from Alister’s face and body just in time for him to get a message from Lied. He was having issues with his sister pestering him again about any older siblings his fellow misfits had, asking if he could come over to his place sooner than planned. With a sigh, Alister messaged him to say he’d be there soon before pocketing his phone. “Is there anything else you needed to tell me, Kerori?” he asked, wanting to make sure that he wasn’t cutting their talk too short.
“That was it,” she clarified, “we can message each other more tonight if you want though.”
“Sure, I’ll reach out if anything comes up. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Alister took his leave, taking another look at Kerori before doing so. For someone who didn’t want to stand out, she was very cute in her own way; he wouldn’t blame anyone for being attracted to her. Before she left the campus as well, Kerori happened to see Clara trying to charm Iruma in her own unorthodox way, dancing around with a large frizzy outfit. All that did was get her accosted by a disgruntled Asmodeus, bemoaning how unpredictable she could be when left to her own devices.
“My own charm,” Kerori thought. She began to ponder if Alister really was just trying to be friendly by calling her cute, or if his feelings went beyond just a friendship. This thought was only present in her mind for a moment, believing that she may have been overthinking things as she went home.
***
“You’ve been talking a lot with Kerori,” Lied noted as he and Alister continued to their objective in the game they were playing. “Are the two of you… y’know?”
“It’s not like that, Lied,” Alister assured him, “we just like talking about demdols.”
“Yeah, sure. So what’d she need you for after classes?”
“She was… bummed over Professor Raim giving her a sexiness rate of 51%.”
“And you want me to believe that you’re just being friendly?” Alister paused and faced Lied properly now. “I was only trying to help,” he clarified, “honestly, Raim really sold Kerori short. I get that she doesn’t stand out a lot… but surely some students would find her attractive.” Kerori’s image lingered in Alister’s head; her pale, smooth-looking skin, her icy blue eyes and hair, and the rare smile she sported when they talked. It all made his chest tighten and feel warm.
“You have a red stripe across your face, Alister,” Lied jeered.
“I do not,” Alister denied, reflexively covering his face.
“I guess you do like her a bit more than just as a friend, hm?” Alister groaned in defeat, true to Lied’s word, he was starting to think more about Kerori even after talking with her on some days. Those thoughts made his heart flutter and his face turn hot, he hadn’t felt this way about a girl since before enrolling at Babyls.
“Okay, maybe I like her a little,” Alister conceded. That was an understatement for a girl occupying his mind so much.
“Well… you know that Kuromu’s next performance is at the Makubari Dome,” Lied informed, “and tickets are still being sold by lottery.”
“Yes! I’ll take her to the Kuromu concert!” Alister immediately cast his vote in the online poll, crossing his fingers to possibly win tickets for him and Kerori. Seeing their favorite demdol on stage together would surely have their friendship start becoming something more. “Lied, are you trying for tickets too?” he asked.
“My whole class is trying to get their hands on them,” Lied explained, “hopefully I can take Elizabetta to the dome.”
“Oh right, she’s in your class too. You really lucked out with some cuties in the Misfit Class.”
“So you do think Kerori’s cute.”
“...Well, the cat’s out of the bag now.” Alister’s reluctance to tell Lied how he felt about Kerori was short-lived, as well as his denial about what he really felt towards her. Despite only talking with her for just under a month, a strange warmth would overtake him when they had a conversation. Even if she didn’t feel the same way as him, Alister at least had another friend that was just as passionate about similar interests.
***
Tickets for Kuromu’s Makubari concert sold out at lightning speed, but Alister was lucky enough to win two tickets hours before the live was to begin. He would even have the opportunity for a cuticle interaction with his favorite demdol. Seeing her perform live and getting to meet her in-person would be an incredible experience for him and Kerori. Alister could hardly contain his excitement when he messaged Kerori about his luck, offering the second ticket to her for them to go together in a few hours. Not even a minute after sending it, Kerori responded.
“I’m feeling pretty sick today, I can’t make it to the concert. I’m so sorry, Alister.”