Chapter 47: Himeno's Poor Drinking Habits, The Innocent Hayakawa Aki
The high-level meeting at Tokyo Public Safety was held without Otonashi Chiya's knowledge.
While he was unaware of the discussion, the higher-ups did notify him of one thing: he was granted ten days of paid leave. Public Safety implemented this to allow devil hunters to fully rest and recover after intense combat. Of course, he was free to return to work whenever he wished during this period.
This was one of the perks that made Public Safety superior to the private sector: high base salaries, performance bonuses for every devil killed, paid leave after subjugation missions, and top-tier medical insurance.
The downside, however, was the extreme danger. It was the only flaw, but a fatal one. Once you were dead, no amount of benefits mattered. Your family would receive a generous inheritance and pension, but that was small consolation.
Chiya was at home preparing dinner. Halfway through the meal, he turned to Denji. "I'm heading out to a dinner party with some colleagues later. Make sure to study hard with Teacher Higashiyama. If there's anything delicious, I'll bring some back for you."
He remembered that Denji had a particular weakness for fried meat and BBQ.
"Mhm!" Denji nodded obediently.
Around 7:00 PM, Chiya met Hayakawa Aki and Himeno at the agreed-upon restaurant. He noticed a few unfamiliar faces as well; Himeno had asked for his permission beforehand, and since he said he didn't mind, she invited a few colleagues from Special Division 3. Otherwise, a party of three would have felt a bit too lonely.
"So this is the Vice Captain of Special Division 1? I've heard the name plenty of times, but I've never seen him in person."
"Same here. He's way more handsome than I imagined."
"It's a bit of a coincidence. I heard Captain Kishibe was a real looker back when he was an S-rank rookie, too."
The moment Chiya walked in, the Division 3 members began whispering among themselves. Chiya gave them a polite nod. "Nice to meet you all. Please look after me."
Seeing that the Division 1 Vice Captain wasn't arrogant, they relaxed and warmly invited him to take a seat.
"Come to think of it, Vice Captain Otonashi and Hayakawa Aki are both still minors, right? Let's order plenty of juice and soft drinks."
"Are you serious?! The Vice Captain is still a minor? I heard he subjugated several devils by himself today!"
News of Chiya's battle record had already spread through the ranks of Tokyo Public Safety. Members of Special Division 1 had been bragging to their friends in other divisions all day; having such a powerful Vice Captain was a point of pride for them.
"It's true. Talent is talent. We devil hunters can't just rely on devil contracts; physical combat talent is just as vital!"
As the discussion about Chiya's age and talent grew heated, Himeno cut in. "Hey, start eating, you guys! You can talk while you chew, otherwise the food's going to get cold."
"Good point. Well then... Itadakimasu!"
Chiya followed the local custom, clapping his hands together. "I'll dig in."
Less than half an hour later, one of the girls got a bit tipsy after a few draft beers. She suddenly looked at Chiya and said, "Hey, Otonashi-kun, why don't you just come over to Division 3 and be our Captain? Our current Captain would definitely be happy to step down for you."
"That's not really something I can decide..." Chiya replied with a smile.
Himeno let out a loud laugh. "She's drunk again. Don't mind her, Otonashi-kun... hic!"
She let out a burp immediately after speaking. Her face was flushed deep red, and she looked even more intoxicated than the other girl. Suddenly, Himeno stood up and stared intently at Hayakawa Aki.
Aki felt a sudden wave of dread wash over him. "What... what are you doing?"
Then, Himeno leaned straight forward and collapsed onto Hayakawa Aki.
Aki actually had time to react, but he didn't want Himeno-senpai to fall face-first onto the floor. After a brief moment of hesitation, it was far too late to move.
... Indescribable Dividing Line ...
Otonashi Chiya calmly took a sip of his juice, acting as if absolutely nothing had happened.
The others were happily watching the show; no one made a move to help Aki. After all, everyone there—male or female—had fallen victim to her antics at some point. They had warned Aki beforehand, so they felt they had done their part.
Fortunately, Himeno-senpai didn't vomit this time. After being stunned for a few seconds, Aki pushed her away.
As a pure-hearted youth, Aki's composure completely shattered. His eyes were wide, looking at Himeno with a mix of fury and confusion, his face flushing a shade of crimson—though it was hard to tell if it was from embarrassment or being too angry to speak.
"Zzzzz—"
However, Himeno was already out cold, snoring softly. Aki was utterly helpless; there was simply no reasoning with her.
"Let it go, let it go. Just be more careful next time. We all had to learn the hard way," someone comforted Aki.
"..."
Aki remained silent. He lost his appetite and decided to head to the restroom to cool his head.
"Hayakawa-kun is so innocent. I hope it wasn't too much of a shock for him."
"Then we should make Himeno-senpai take responsibility. Otherwise, she'll probably wake up tomorrow and forget the whole thing."
"Himeno-senpai is asleep and we're all pretty full. Should we head back?"
The group chatted idly. By the time Aki returned from the restroom, having calmed himself down, everyone agreed it was time to leave.
"Hayakawa-kun, even though it might be hard for you to accept, we have to leave Himeno-senpai in your hands. We're all a bit tipsy ourselves, and Vice Captain Otonashi probably doesn't know where she lives."
Aside from Chiya and Aki, everyone present had been drinking. Thus, Aki was the most suitable person to get her home.
"It's fine. I don't mind," Aki said. He seemed to have truly calmed down, his voice steady as he slung Himeno's arm over his shoulder. He was a mature person at heart; he wouldn't throw a tantrum over something like this. He might still be annoyed, but he wouldn't let it show.
"I'll help you call a cab."
Chiya hailed a taxi, planning to head back with Aki and Himeno. Since he and Aki lived in the same apartment building, they could drop Himeno off and head home together.
Inside the car, Aki didn't say a word. Chiya could see that the incident at the restaurant was still eating at him. Rather than offering empty platitudes, Chiya reached into his pocket and handed Aki the Gun Devil flesh he had found in the Earthworm Devil earlier that day.
He had no use for the thing anyway; it didn't give him attribute points.
"Weren't you looking for revenge against the Gun Devil? Let what happened tonight go. You'd be better off spending your energy studying this."
Chiya didn't plan on telling Aki the truth about the Gun Devil just yet. The truth was too cruel and "ironic" for Aki to handle right now. Currently, Aki's mind was filled only with hatred; once Himeno-senpai occupied a larger place in his heart, perhaps he would be able to view things with more perspective.
"...Thank you."
The moment Aki saw the fragment of the Gun Devil's flesh, he was visibly moved. The unpleasantness of the evening was instantly pushed to the back of his mind.