Chapter 184: Kanna's Common Sense Battle
Though Vigne really wanted to keep pinching those irresistibly soft cheeks, her sense of duty wouldn't let her indulge. She sighed, fingers twitching slightly before she finally withdrew her hand, forcing herself to focus on her job. Straightening her posture, she guided the two toward an empty table near the window and spoke with her usual professional tone:
"What would you like to drink?"
After a brief pause, her eyes softened and she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "The manager's blend coffee is actually really good. It has this nice, nutty aroma and a smooth aftertaste…"
"Then we'll have two cups of blend coffee," Kouya said casually, resting his chin on one hand.
He didn't care much about coffee. As long as it wasn't bitter enough to kill him, it was fine.
"All right, please wait a moment."
Vigne nodded gently, taking the menu and walking away with light steps. The faint sway of her ponytail followed her as she disappeared behind the counter.
While waiting for their drinks, Kouya noticed something amusing about the blue-eyed dragon girl sitting across from him.
Whenever Kanna ate something that didn't taste great, she'd just swallow it whole in one bite with an "ahh~." But when she really liked something, she'd eat slowly—tiny bites, savoring every flavor. Her big blue eyes would glimmer like gemstones each time she found something delicious.
It was an adorable habit—but with certain foods, it could look… really bad.
Like right now.
Because Kanna was holding a chocolate banana.
As everyone knows, you can't just bite into a popsicle or ice cream bar straight away; it's too cold. So people usually lick it first. Chocolate bananas worked the same way—the top layer of chocolate and cream had only recently been poured over the fruit. When licked lightly, the chocolate would melt just enough to release its sweet aroma, mixing with the banana's natural scent.
And that's exactly what Kanna was doing. The blue-eyed dragon girl had her mouth slightly open, her pink tongue peeking out as she gently licked the dark chocolate banana in slow, unhurried motions. Her expression was calm, her eyes focused entirely on the food—as if she were performing some sacred ritual of taste testing.
To anyone watching from the outside… the sight was absolutely catastrophic.
"K-Kanna-chan! What are you doing?!" Vigne exclaimed as she hurried over, the two steaming cups of coffee trembling in her hands. Her cheeks flushed deep red as she tried to stop her.
"Eating chocolate banana," Kanna said flatly, blinking up at her.
"I-I know that! But not like that!" Vigne's voice cracked slightly as she placed the cups down.
"Hm?" Kanna tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Just… take a big bite. 'Ahh~' and eat it quickly, okay?" Vigne suggested awkwardly, her hands fidgeting in front of her apron.
Kanna frowned, thinking deeply about this new rule, then shook her head firmly. "No."
"B-but bananas shouldn't be eaten like that…" Vigne insisted, clearly determined to preserve the last bit of her sanity and the café's dignity. She seemed ready to give Kanna a full lecture about elegance and public decency.
"How should I eat it then? Teach me," Kanna said, her curiosity genuine.
"I… I don't have a banana right now…" Vigne muttered, already regretting this line of conversation.
Kanna blinked twice before dropping a line that nearly made time stop: "Then I'll eat kouya-Sama's big banana."
"PFFFT—!"
Kouya choked and sprayed coffee everywhere.
What the hell?! Since when did you become like this?!
If I even joked about that, Vigne would impale me with a trident!
Vigne froze mid-step, her entire face turning crimson from her neck up. She glanced at Kouya like he'd just confessed a sin, her lips trembling. "Kanna… who taught you that?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Kouya shouted internally. "It wasn't me!"
Kanna blinked again. "Tohru-sama said boys have big bananas."
Of course! That perverted maid dragon! Only she would teach something like that!
Her own sense of modesty was already destroyed, and now she was spreading her corruption to children?!
"Kanna-chan," Vigne said through clenched teeth, "never talk about boys'… big, uh, bananas again, okay?"
After several awkward minutes and a red-faced explanation, Vigne somehow managed to get Kanna to understand that bananas should never be associated with boys. When it was finally over, Vigne exhaled a long sigh and went back to her duties, muttering something about "corrupted dragons."
Kouya just sat there in silence, sipping his coffee, trying to recover from near-death by embarrassment.
To his surprise, once Kanna finished her snack, she didn't ask for more food. Instead, she opened her schoolbag, pulled out her textbooks and pencil case, and began to do her homework with perfect seriousness.
What… since when were you this diligent?! And why are you even bothering? You're a dragon! Those math problems won't help you breathe fire or fly faster!
The café had grown quiet. Only the faint clinking of cups and the soft hum of background music filled the air. Vigne stood behind the counter, glancing over every few seconds with a small smile that she tried—and failed—to hide.
"Tsukinose, take a short break," the manager said, polishing a cup with a nostalgic grin. "Go on, enjoy yourself."
"Eh? But I'm still working…" Vigne protested weakly.
The old man chuckled. "Coffee and love, my dear—both deserve time and attention."
Vigne blinked, flustered. "Wait, wasn't it 'food and love' that you shouldn't neglect?"
"Same thing," the old man said with a knowing wink.
After a short sigh, she gave in. "Fine. I'll go check on them. But if someone comes in, I'll be right back."
She walked over to Kanna, bending slightly to peek at her notebook. "Kanna-chan, doing homework? You shouldn't have any trouble, right?"
But Kanna shook her head and pointed to a line of text. "What does this mean?"
Vigne leaned closer and read aloud: "Tenchi muyou… Hmm, that's something you see on shipping boxes. It means 'Do not turn upside down.'"
"Why?" Kanna asked innocently, blinking.
"Well…" Vigne raised her finger, thinking. "Maybe it means if you flip it, heaven and earth will reverse, and everything will collapse into chaos?"
Kouya nearly fell off his chair. Seriously?! That's your explanation?! You think flipping a box can trigger an apocalypse? What is this, God's black box?!
By the time Kanna finished her homework, dusk had deepened into twilight. The warm glow of sunset painted the streets gold, slowly fading into evening blue.
"Let's go home," Kouya said as he stood and paid the bill.
Vigne followed them to the door, her expression soft. "Make sure Kanna gets home safely," she said gently. Then she crouched to Kanna's eye level, smiling warmly. "See you tomorrow, Kanna-chan."
"See you tomorrow," Kanna replied in her soft, sweet tone.
The faint breeze caught Vigne's red ponytail as she waved them off, her café uniform fitting perfectly against the glow of the shop lights. She looked effortlessly charming in that moment.
"What about you?" Kouya asked casually as they stepped outside.
"Don't worry," Vigne said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I get off at seven-thirty. I'll message you when I'm home."
Kouya nodded and left with Kanna. He didn't stop by Kobayashi's apartment for dinner; instead, he waved goodbye to the dragon girl once they reached her building and headed off into the cooling night.
On his way back, he bought some oden from a convenience stall, enjoying the warmth against the growing chill of evening. By the time he returned home, the city was quiet and dark.
After a relaxing bath, Kouya sat down at his computer, logged in, and joined a game with his online friend "Fallen Saint Black Cat," along with that lazy angel next door. The match was loud, chaotic, and filled with laughter.
At around eight, Vigne finally came online, sending him a quick message: "I'm home."
Before he could respond, she'd already switched to the group chat to scold everyone for not finishing their homework.
Satania: "Nope, not doing it! TV time!"
Takanashi Rikka: "Upon returning, I discovered a sealed domain where ancient spirits dwell! I am crafting a containment vessel—homework must wait!"
Raphiel: "So unfair! You all went to the cafeteria for lunch and didn't invite me! I feel left out~"
Vigne: "It was just a coincidence!"
Raphiel: "Hmph! Well, now I'm watching the scariest horror movie ever!"
"Eh? The scariest… horror movie?" Vigne typed, trembling slightly. Even demons feared horror films when they were too realistic.
"Hehe, don't you want to know the title?" Raphiel teased.
"Please don't tell me!"
"Oh no, my screen glitched! I couldn't stop it! It's called Pen Fairy vs. The Four Kitchen Gods! Doesn't it sound absolutely terrifying?!"