Shinomiya lowered her head slightly, letting the neat, dark curtain of her bangs obscure her expression and veil the flush of embarrassment warming her cheeks.
Honestly, she had anticipated some misunderstanding. A teenage boy bringing home a girl his age in the evening?
To any observer, it screamed 'young couple.'
She just hadn't expected Granny Kobayashi to be quite so… direct. To immediately assume Akira brought her back for that, and even to fund the supposed endeavor… Did that constitute tacit approval?
What kind of logic is that?!
Meanwhile, though Kuroha Akira's internal monologue was a torrent of exasperated protests, his face remained a placid lake of calm—a benefit of the newly acquired [Soul Performance S] talent granting him masterful emotional control.
To Shinomiya, however, this unflappable demeanor only made him seem like a seasoned, unrepentant playboy.
Has he done this often? A belated thread of doubt unspooled within her. Have I been deceived?
Fortunately, Akira stepped forward to clarify before the fledgling seed of distrust could take root.
"Baa-chan, it's not what you're thinking," he said, using the informal yet oddly endearing 'granny'. "I brought her back because she's connected to Kuroo."
"Hooh… Her too?" Granny Kobayashi's sharp eyes immediately refocused on Shinomiya with renewed interest. Previously, she had seen the girl merely as an appendage to Akira, not worth separate inquiry.
While Shinomiya's beauty was undeniable, its potency was largely reserved for the male gaze. For most women, such effortless, natural beauty often sparked more envy than admiration. The mythical 'succubus who turns straight women' was strictly fiction.
Moreover, Granny Kobayashi had seen much in her day. In her youth, she'd been a striking beauty in her own right—an 85 out of 100, by her own account—and one who wasn't afraid of bold fashion. She'd already lived through her own "main character era." A pretty face wasn't enough to wow her.
For Shinomiya, this was a novel experience. People usually either praised her looks outright or stared with undisguised intensity. To be so matter-of-factly 'overlooked,' or rather, treated as a normal person first, felt strangely… refreshing.
What attracted her was Kuroo? Shinomiya recalled Akira describing Granny Kobayashi as a 'witch.' Could Kuroo actually be her familiar? Witches and black cats… it fits!
Her teenage imagination, fueled by the sheer oddity of her current company, began to spin fanciful tales.
"I was wondering how a brat like you managed to sweet-talk such a beauty," Granny Kobayashi mused aloud. "Seems I overestimated you."
Then, her expression softened into a smile that finally matched her grandmotherly appearance. She reached out and took Shinomiya's hand, her voice gentling. "So, where are you from, child?"
"...?"
The question, however, was delivered in the distinct cadence of the Okinawan dialect. The kindly veneer was a test, probing for a genuine reaction.
Shinomiya blinked, utterly bewildered. The old woman had suddenly spoken in what sounded like… a foreign language? Was it that popular new slang? Akira had said something similar earlier… Was this some kind of secret greeting?
Meanwhile, Akira, who had undergone the same test upon his own arrival, guiltily averted his gaze and began to whistle a tuneless note. He knew the jig was probably up.
"Boy," Granny Kobayashi's voice dropped, her face darkening as she fixed a stern glare on him. "Are you lying to me?"
"No! I'm not lying!" Akira protested, hands raised. "Kuroo really did lead me to her! And—and Kuroo even let her rub her belly!"
"..."
Granny Kobayashi fell silent for a long moment, her sharp eyes assessing them both. Finally, she let out a long, weary sigh, as if conceding to an inconvenient truth. "Fine. I suppose such a thing is possible. After all, no one ever really knows what that cat is thinking…"
Her gaze swung back to Shinomiya, but all traces of grandmotherly warmth had vanished, replaced by a chilly, impersonal dismissal. "However, you do not meet the criteria. Therefore, I have no obligation to take you in."
Ugh… Shinomiya's heart sank. So I'm to be turned out after all?
Kuroha Akira, however, showed no panic. He simply leaned in closer to the old woman, his tone wheedling and familiar. "Come on, don't be so cold, Baa-chan. You've already taken in three of us. What's one more?"
Granny Kobayashi shot him a withering side-eye. "Do I look like some soft-hearted charity case who picks up every stray on the street? Even a lonely old woman like me isn't that desperate for company!"
Her voice rose with theatrical exasperation. "If I hadn't dragged you lot home, my life would be infinitely simpler! No cooking for extra mouths every day! So much more peaceful!"
She jabbed a finger at him. "If it weren't for my old man's last wishes, I would've kicked your cheeky behind to the curb months ago!"
Saying that, Granny Kobayashi aimed a half-hearted, lazy kick toward Kuroha Akira's backside. In his early days here, he'd pestered her relentlessly to practice his conversational Japanese, driving her up the wall. Now, just the sight of his smug face sometimes made her knuckles itch.
What a savage old woman… he thought, not without a trace of amusement.
Akira speculated that in her youth, Granny Kobayashi must have been a bona-fide sukeban—a girl gang leader—on a path to conquer the streets. That is, until she met her destined one, Kobayashi-sensei (the original transmigrator), and fell head over heels. The story of Kobayashi-sensei's life here probably played out like: My Future Wife is a Villainess.
"Rules are rules," Granny Kobayashi stated flatly, crossing her arms. "I will not be providing a separate room for her."
"Oh?" Kuroha Akira's eyes lit up, catching the nuance. "So, if it's not a separate room, she can stay?"
Granny Kobayashi didn't answer directly, instead letting out an impatient tch. "Whether you bring home a girlfriend or some poor, homeless girl is your own business. The moment I hand over a room key, what happens inside that room ceases to be my concern."
Her meaning was crystal clear. She personally would not 'adopt' Shinomiya. But if Kuroha Akira wanted to keep her in his room, that was his prerogative.
However, to preserve her own peace (and the neighborhood's), she issued a stern reminder. "But you two had better keep the noise down. This is an old house. The walls aren't paper-thin, but they're far from soundproof."
She shot them a sharp look. "I live on the first floor, so it's not my problem. But Mr. Tsuchikata next door… he's under a lot of pressure at work, and his wife… ahem. Anyway, if you cause too much of a racket, you might just send him over the edge."
She pointed a bony finger at them. "I won't mediate any neighbor disputes. And if you two cross a line, I'll toss the whole lot of you out. Understood?"
Listening to her lecture, Kuroha Akira simply shrugged. "Relax. There won't be any noise. I'm not actually planning to do anything with her."
His mental age was that of a man in his thirties; he was long past the stage of being ruled by teenage hormones. More importantly, he understood cold, hard logic: keeping Shinomiya 'pure' preserved her maximum market value. He wasn't about to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.
"Then I'd start to worry you're sick," Granny Kobayashi shot back without missing a beat.
"..."
"Anyway, let's eat." With that final barb, she turned and bustled back to the open kitchen to retrieve dinner.
Shinomiya, who had been silently following this rapid-fire exchange, was still trying to process the verdict. One moment she was being rejected, the next… she wasn't?
She stared blankly at Kuroha Akira, who had already taken a seat at the low dining table.
"Um, Akira-kun," she ventured, her voice soft. "So… can I stay?"
"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Granny Kobayashi said she won't take you in herself, but she's allowing me to. Which means…" He pointed at Shinomiya, then gestured with his thumb toward the staircase leading to the second floor. "…You, tonight, sleep in my room."
...Eh?
Does that mean…?
Are we… going to share a room?!
Already?! We just met!
Is this how adults operate…? The legendary one-night stand?
But… I haven't showered in two days… I must smell…
No, more importantly, I'm not mentally prepared at all!
What do I do, what do I do…?!
Her internal monologue was a screaming panic spiral.
"I'll sleep in the living room," Kuroha Akira finished casually.
...Ah.
I overthought it.
I'm an idiot…
And Kuroha Akira…
IS A GIGANTIC IDIOT!!!!
*****
The title My Wife Is The Destined Villainess is available as a manhua, go read it yourself if interested.