Chapter 143: Cousin's Wisdom
"No way!"
Two sharp voices rang out almost simultaneously, echoing through the platform.
Before Kouya could even open his mouth, both Vigne and Gabriel had already spoken in perfect sync, glaring his way as though he had just confessed a crime.
Vigne blinked in mild surprise at Gabriel, then pursed her lips, folding her arms as she said firmly, "Girls shouldn't live in a boy's house. That would be too improper. What if something happens in the middle of the night?"
"Exactly!" Gabriel puffed up her cheeks, glaring daggers at Kouya. "This guy would definitely use the opportunity to do something terrible! Just look at that face! He's obviously thinking about it already!" Her tone was full of dramatic disgust, as though she were exposing a villain.
Kouya felt an entire shadow fall over him. Black lines practically drew themselves across his face.
Before he could respond, the shrine maiden stepped forward gracefully, her long hair swaying lightly in the station's breeze. "Then leave it to me. I'll take care of them," she said calmly, her voice steady and soothing.
As she spoke, a train glided smoothly into the station, its mechanical hum filling the air.
The shrine maiden turned toward Kouya, a soft smile curving her lips. "Kou-kun, I'll be heading back first. If everything's ready, just contact me anytime. I'll come immediately."
Kouya nodded. "Alright. Thanks for everything."
"Bye-bye, Kou-nii!" the little Hinata waved energetically, her eyes shimmering with childish affection.
She hugged the dolls and prizes she had collected over the past two days, her small figure moving toward the train doors. Every few steps, she turned back, waving again. "Kou-nii, don't forget to come play with us on the weekend, okay? Promise!"
Kouya smiled faintly. "Yeah, I'll come if I have time."
As for Ai and Natsu, the two little girls clung to the shrine maiden's sleeves, eyes teary as they climbed aboard. "Master, are you really leaving us behind? You don't want us anymore?" they whimpered, earning Kouya a wave of judgmental stares from the other passengers.
He could almost hear the whispers: 'Scumbag.' 'Monster.' 'Degenerate.'
He sighed quietly.
A short while later, their own train arrived with a soft chime. The group boarded, and since the car was crowded, Vigne gave her seat to Kanna and stood beside her, holding her bag politely so it wouldn't bump anyone.
Kouya grabbed a hand strap, his gaze drifting to the window, where the world blurred by in streaks of color. Yet his focus was elsewhere—drawn irresistibly toward Vigne.
Compared to Gabriel's laziness or Satania's chaos, Vigne looked every bit the image of an angel descended to Earth.
Even after a long day of travel, she stood gracefully, posture perfect. Her uniform looked tidy as ever, her hair gleamed faintly in the passing light. She watched Kanna dozing off beside her, and a gentle smile touched her lips—soft, patient, and impossibly kind. That warmth seemed to radiate quietly into the air around her.
Kouya found himself staring longer than he meant to.
"What are you staring at?" Vigne turned suddenly, her violet eyes catching his.
"You," Kouya said without hesitation.
She froze, her eyes widening as a faint blush crept up her neck. "Y-you! What are you saying all of a sudden?!"
Kouya shrugged. "Just the truth."
Her face turned a deeper shade of red. She spun back toward the window, muttering under her breath, her ears twitching slightly. The faint reflection on the glass showed her embarrassed expression.
A minute of silence passed before she spoke again, pretending to sound casual. "By the way, how did you meet Chiba-san?" Her tone was calm, but curiosity slipped through.
They had spent two days together, but not long enough to grow that close, so she avoided calling the shrine maiden by name.
"I was low on money a while ago, so I picked up a part-time job. That's how we met," Kouya explained casually.
"Is that so..." Vigne tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, glancing at him sideways. "But you always look so lazy in class. You're either sleeping or staring out the window... how did you even hold a job?"
Kouya blinked. "Wait, how do you know that so well?"
Her blush deepened instantly. "O-of course I'd notice! We're classmates, after all!"
Her attempt to sound natural failed miserably.
She quickly changed the subject. "Before getting on the train, what did Chiba-san say to you?"
Kouya thought for a moment. "She said my cookies were delicious and asked if I could bake more."
Vigne's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You... bake? You barely even cook at home! You live off instant meals and takeout! How could you possibly make cookies worth eating?"
Kouya smirked slightly. "I'll bring you some next time. Then you can judge for yourself."
"N-no need..."
"Think of it as a thank-you gift—for the bento."
Her gaze softened. "Well... in that case, maybe I am a little curious. In return, I'll make you another bento tomorrow. The same as before? Omurice and tempura shrimp?"
Kouya nodded. "Yeah. Yours taste better than the cafeteria's."
Vigne smiled faintly, the corners of her lips curling into a delicate expression. "That's not true. The cafeteria food's decent too."
Time trickled by as the train rattled along.
When they finally stepped off, the world was bathed in amber light. The sun had dipped low, painting the clouds red and gold. Layers of fiery cloud scales stretched across the sky, glowing like a sea of flame.
Outside the station, the lakeside park buzzed with evening life—children laughing, old couples strolling, people feeding pigeons under the soft breeze. The reflection of the sunset danced across the rippling surface of the lake, shattering and reforming in endless beauty.
"Alright, everyone should start heading home. Let's try to get back before it's completely dark," Vigne suggested.
Though everyone lived relatively close, their homes were in different directions.
Raphiel clasped her hands together and smiled. "Then, Satania-sama and I will be off first."
"Huh? Why me?" Satania blinked. "Our houses aren't even in the same direction!"
Raphiel tilted her head, her silver hair shimmering in the sunset. "Because tonight, I feel like sleeping beside you, Satania-sama."
Satania flailed, face flushing red. "N-no way! Who'd want to sleep with you?!"
Raphiel only giggled, unfazed. "Oh right—by the way, do you still have that 'beep—' thing from last time?"
Satania nearly exploded. "T-that disgusting thing?! I threw it away ages ago! And stop bringing that up!"
"Oh, what a shame," Raphiel sighed with mock regret, then smiled innocently. "Let's hurry then. If we're late, all the discounted melon bread will be gone."
"Melon bread!" Satania's eyes sparkled instantly. Her anger vanished like smoke. "Vigne! I'm heading off! If I don't run, they'll sell out!"
"See you tomorrow, everyone!" Raphiel waved, skipping off after her.
Kouya could only sigh. Somehow, he knew the redhead was walking straight into another one of Raphiel's schemes.
After parting ways at the crossroads, Kouya guided the Blue-Eyed Little Dragon back home.
At the doorstep of Kobayashi's apartment, just as he lifted his hand to ring the bell, the door swung open with a soft click—and a cheerful voice rang out:
"Welcome home, Kouya-sama!"
Of course—it was Tohru, the ever-energetic dragon maid, brimming with enthusiasm and curves that defied physics.
Kouya blinked. 'Seriously, how do those things not cause back problems?'
"Tohru-sama," Kanna stepped forward shyly from behind him.
Tohru smiled warmly. "Welcome home, Kanna. Did you have fun?"
Kanna nodded. "Mm. Lots of fun."
Kouya snorted inwardly. Of course she had fun—but the buffet manager probably didn't. The poor guy had gone through three boxes of tissues! (For tears, not what you're thinking.)
From the couch, Kobayashi raised her head. For once, she wasn't working overtime. She waved lazily. "Yo, Kouya. You actually managed to hit the hot springs with that many girls? I'm impressed. Your cousin's proud."
Kouya facepalmed. "Who asked for your approval?!"
He could smell the faint aroma of alcohol drifting from her cup.
When Kobayashi got drunk, she stopped being a normal office lady and turned into something closer to a mischievous demon lord.
"Relax, relax. Just a little sake," she said with a grin. Her cheeks were tinted pink. "C'mon, sit. Your cousin's got some life advice for you."
Oh no.
Here it comes.
"Kouya, when it comes to girls, timing's everything. If they're willing to bathe in a hot spring with you, that means their affection meter's already high. Don't ruin it by doing something stupid, like stealing panties or making weird comments."
Kouya nearly choked. "Who does that?! What kind of weirdo would—"
"But!" she raised a finger dramatically. "You also can't just sit there and do nothing. Otherwise, the meter doesn't rise. You need to act!"
"This isn't a dating sim, you know!"
Kobayashi leaned back smugly. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my dear cousin. Every relationship in life is about balancing points. From my years of gaming experience, you have to be bold, but careful. Find opportunities—and if they don't exist, create them! Like when it's dark, you offer to walk her home, maybe hold her hand—"
Kouya buried his face in his hands. 'This wisdom is straight out of video games...'
And really—holding hands? He had already kissed an angel, for crying out loud!
"Hey, where are you going? I'm not done teaching you!" Kobayashi called after him as he escaped.
"Please, spare me!"
...
Later that evening, Kouya stopped by a local diner for a quick meal. The night air was cool and clean when he stepped outside. The city lights shimmered across the skyline, merging with the stars above. It was a peaceful sight.
He walked home slowly, the quiet hum of the city surrounding him, reaching his apartment just past eight.
After a shower, he flopped onto his chair, opened his laptop, and was about to start a game when a familiar notification pinged from his group chat.
Vigne: "It's eight o'clock. Everyone home safely? Don't forget to finish your homework before bed!"
Satania: "H-homework?!"
Vigne: "I told you on Friday. Don't tell me you forgot."
Satania: "I didn't forget! I just think homework is humanity's worst curse! We already go to school—why torture us on weekends too?!"
Vigne: "So in other words, you didn't do it. →_→"
Satania: "Nooooo way noooo way noooo way!"
Moments later, Raphiel appeared online and casually dropped a photo.
The image showed a blushing girl in a black-and-white maid outfit, clutching her skirt shyly, her expression bashful and utterly adorable.
"Wha—why do you have that?!" Even through text, one could feel Vigne's scream of pure panic.
Because yes—it was a photo of Vigne herself.
Raphiel: "Because Vigne looked so cute last night, I just couldn't resist taking a picture."
Vigne: "Delete it now!"
Raphiel: "︿(￣︶￣)︿ No way~ I'm keeping it forever. Maybe I'll frame it."
Vigne: "(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!!"