Rias sighed ruefully as she mentally went over just how easy it had been to arrange everything so that things looked normal from the school perspective to hide what was happening from outside observers. Ira taking Yuuto - and Saji, as Sona was willing to lend him out for the endeavor - out on a 'vocational outing' covered their absence from school perfectly, and as no one at school even knew about the Exorcists, there wasn't even a need to mention them. Uzu already has something of a reputation as a delinquent just from the way he acted and dressed without having actually done anything yet, so him choosing to ditch for a day at random didn't even raise an eyebrow...and the way he and Akeno had interacted at school up until that point made Sona requesting Akeno 'track him down and drag him back by his ear' completely logical, and Akeno's academics were good enough she could spare a day without raising any eyebrows. Nonon, Ryuko, and Koneko working to help 'a potential new student' adjust to 'social activity for the first time' with permission from a teacher - Ira - and the student council president meant they could take care of Gasper without interruption or question.

Honestly, Rias was incredibly grateful to learn Nonon had a technique that let her escape the influence of Forbidden Balor View. The fact it was timing based caused widespread effects of the Gear aimed more or less at her to focus completely on her was secondary to the fact Gasper now had someone he knew would never be "greyed out" as he'd talked - well, cried - about his perspective on the time freeze for so long. As much as he capitalized on his 'unstable power' as an excuse to stay inside and avoid his agoraphobia, she knew just how desperately lonely he was and that only his fear of 'greying out' anyone he cared about kept him from trying to invite people in, even if he had trouble going out. A brief glance out the window of the classroom showed her Nonon, Ryuko, and Koneko already working with Gasper on controlling the effect of his Sacred Gear. Since they didn't want to leave visible evidence, Nonon's Encore technique was their primary method of training, letting Gasper freeze her - or part of her - as she began an attack, only for her to finish the attack in a non-violent way, the exact manner dependent on how well Gasper did with control. Seeing Nonon lock the half-vampire in a playful headlock and noogie him almost made her burst into laughter, especially at the surprisingly overjoyed expression on his face.

A brief, quiet sigh escaped Rias' lips. Ever since Ryuko had joined the Peerage, it seemed romance was springing up everywhere. Ryuko and Mako 'adopting' Asia had been absolutely adorable, and watching Asia develop until she was an active participant in their antics - something that still caught Ryuko off guard - had been wonderful to see. Watching Koneko blossom under Ira's tutelage had been wondrous, and seeing her actively making a 'play' for him so frequently - and knowing from Satsuki that the biggest reason why Ira didn't act on that was because of how much he cared about her emotional well being - continued to be adorable. (Learning that the second reason Ira didn't respond was his concern about the size difference between them - even at his smallest Koneko could curl up in his hand, and frequently did - had been more amusing than anything else. Koneko was a Devil and a Rook, after all.) What happened between Uzu and Akeno had caught her completely off guard, but she didn't need her oldest friend to tell her to know that the rakish swordsman had anchored himself firmly in her heart and was, in his own way, helping her heal. There was absolutely no other reason he would have one of Akeno's feathers tucked into his eye mask where only the sharpest eyed individual - or someone who knew the magical signature of Akeno's feathers by heart - would notice.

Rias was overjoyed for all of them, truly she was...and yet...

Yes, she was forced to admit it. She was jealous of them. As relieved as she was to be free of her engagement to Riser - and his broadcast declaration had ensured her parents hadn't bothered to try and find a new engagement for her - she had zero luck at finding someone to actually care for her as Rias, as opposed to only seeing Gremory. In normal circumstances she might have let the sheer intensity of situations that had occurred since then be an explanation for why she hadn't found anyone...but it certainly hadn't stopped her Peerage!

No, she wasn't going to let herself be ruled by jealousy of her family. She was happy for them, and it didn't matter that she was jealous of the happiness they'd found. She was going to be happy for them, and she would find someone for herself. Who knows, the perfect guy might show up any minute now-

"Rias-sempai?"

Rias blinked in surprise as she turned away from the window and her thoughts. She recognized the voice, but was surprised to see him here. "Yes, Issei-san?" she asked softly, using first name address like he had however much that surprised her...and apparently scandalized her classmates if the concerted, shocked "Ueh?!" was anything to go by, much to her amusement.

Issei rubbed his cheek with one finger nervously. "I...I know your schedule is rather full...but Asia-san told me that you didn't have club activities planned this afternoon..."

Rias felt her eyebrows trying to raise. Was this part of Asia's surprise at making things seem normal? But just where was this going, and why did he call her by first name...

Called her Rias, not Gremory.

Feeling her eyes trying to widen, she steeled herself to control her emotions. "There aren't," she admitted with a smile. "For once I have a free afternoon and evening. Was there something?"

Issei swallowed convulsively, then clasped his palms together and lowered his head like he were praying at a shrine. "Please go out with me!" he declared desperately, causing all her classmates to gasp or shriek in shocked surprise.

Rias quickly slipped into her power, stretching her sense of time and opening herself to her Devil nature. Like this, she was able to read the emotional nature of an individual making a request of her, a power meant to be used to read a first time Contract contact...but just now she needed to see what was actually going through his mind and heart...

Yeah, there was the perversion she had expected, but it wasn't the primary motivator. There was his friendship with Asia, his dedication to not look at her like a sex object, dedication to looking out for her heart and feelings...oh! That was why he'd addressed her by first name. Asia had explained it as the 'last name first' of Japanese culture feeling emotionally distant to her when she was raised where it was 'first name first'. Not entirely accurate, but rather adorable to learn he was willing to step so far out of his own comfort zone to try and make her comfortable. And as for his intentions...a genuine romantic date, just a fun night out to forge a friendship with carefully suppressed fantasized hopes that maybe it might become more. All in all...a genuine offer from someone who wanted to date Rias, not someone seeking to court Gremory.

As she slipped back into mortal perceptions, she knew there was only one way to respond, even if it were Asia's plan. "Sure!" she declared warmly, smiling as her declaration cut off her classmates getting ready to do something about Issei's "unmitigated gall" of approaching her like that. Letting her eyes close as her smile widened in happiness, she continued, "I'd love to." She opened her eyes again and saw Issei staring at her a little glassy-eyed... "Breathe, Issei," she instructed firmly.

Issei gasped for breath, plainly having been on the verge of fainting from either shock or oxygen deprivation. "I-i-i-" he began to stammer.

Rias giggled, unable to stop herself. "I'll meet you at your place around 5?" she suggested delicately.

"O-okay!" he declared happily. "S-see you t-t-there!" Turning, he dashed out of the classroom before he could manage to make even more of a fool of himself...not that Rias considered him very foolish.

Then again, she thought to herself as her classmates gathered around to try and make sense of things and she saw Asia discretely using Twilight Healing to keep Issei from having a coronary, the line between courage and foolishness is almost as fine as the one between genius and madness...and what's a little bit over the line for something truly worthwhile? Ignoring her classmates for the moment, she focused on mentally deciding what she would wear. Couldn't be too daring like her first instincts, it would probably kill the poor boy. But she didn't want something too conservative either, she didn't want him thinking it was a pity date after all the effort Asia went through to give him the courage to ask. And she couldn't ask Akeno for advice, she was busy...