Chapter 69: Digging Up All Your Secrets
Back home.
The blush on Kobeni's face hadn't faded much, though it was at least less intense than the feverish state she was in earlier.
Denji, who came to open the door, stared wide-eyed as she saw both Brother Chiya and Teacher Higashiyama standing outside. They had left together, returned together, and—most importantly—brought a suitcase!
Denji realized what was happening immediately and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chiya... what's going on with Teacher Higashiyama?"
"I was just about to tell you. There was some trouble at Teacher Higashiyama's home, so she'll be staying with us for a while," Chiya told Denji. "She'll probably have to squeeze onto your bed tonight. I'll buy a new bed tomorrow. If you're not okay with that, I'll think of something else."
Denji's first instinct was to shout "No!" Teacher Higashiyama was her "enemy"! Not only was she moving in, but she wanted to sleep in her bed? How could that be allowed?
Wait, hold on!
Another thought suddenly struck Denji, and she swallowed the words she was about to say. If I don't agree to let Teacher Higashiyama sleep with me, then won't she have to share a bed with Brother Chiya?
That—that—that... would be even worse! Absolutely not!!
"It's fine! No problem at all!" Denji said excitedly. Her words came out in a rush, terrified that Chiya might suggest the alternative.
"Oh, really?..." Chiya was surprised. He hadn't expected Denji to agree so readily. It seemed Denji and Kobeni got along quite well, which put his mind at ease.
"..."
Kobeni looked incredibly awkward. She didn't know what to say, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt while her eyes darted around. The moment she had realized her own feelings for Chiya, she had a sudden epiphany. She finally understood why Denji had been giving off such a strange vibe...
It was clear that Denji liked Chiya too and viewed her as a love rival. Before, it hadn't mattered, but now... she really was a rival. No wonder Denji had gone out of her way to emphasize that they weren't blood siblings.
Kobeni couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Denji had marked her as the enemy long ago, yet here she was, crashing at her place and even sharing her bed.
Shortly after, Chiya moved Kobeni's bag and suitcase into Denji's room. Once everything was set, he said to Kobeni, "You have to wake up early for school tomorrow, right? You should take a bath and get some sleep soon."
"Okay, I'll get my clothes and wash up right away," Kobeni said obediently. Subconsciously, she was still in the same mode as she was at the Higashiyama house—when parents told her to bathe, she didn't dare delay.
A few moments later, however, Kobeni poked her head out of the bathroom and asked Chiya, who was resting on the sofa, "Um... why isn't there any water in the bathtub?"
Chiya's first reaction was one of total confusion. He asked back, "Why would there be water in the tub? Shouldn't you run the water yourself?"
"Eh?" Kobeni was equally confused.
For a moment, they both stared at each other in bewilderment. However, Chiya quickly caught on. "Wait, let me ask you something. At your house, did over a dozen people repeatedly use the same tub of bathwater?"
He had just remembered that some Japanese families did indeed have the habit of sharing one tub of water for the whole household.
In Japanese households, bathrooms typically feature a separate "washing area" next to the bathtub. These two components are the standard configuration for a Japanese bath.
Usually, one scrubs themselves clean in the washing area first before soaking in the tub. Since soaps and body washes are generally not used inside the tub, the relatively clean soaking water is considered reusable in the eyes of many Japanese people.
Otonashi Chiya had almost forgotten about this custom. Given the situation at the Higashiyama household, it was highly likely the entire family shared the bathwater. While sharing bathwater isn't inherently a huge issue and does save water, for a family of over a dozen people, it was... a bit much.
"More or less. My father, older brother, and younger brother Nori use the first tub. The water is only changed when it's Mother's turn, and then my sisters and I repeatedly use that second tub," Kobeni answered.
She had been used to this since childhood, so it seemed perfectly normal to her. She had assumed Chiya's house followed the same rule, but it seemed things were different here.
"I see..."
It was exactly as Chiya suspected. A dozen people sharing two tubs of water was at least slightly better than sharing one.
"You don't have to do that here anymore. Our habit is to drain the tub after use. The next person can run fresh, clean water," Chiya explained.
"Oh, okay!" Kobeni nodded and returned to the bathroom to begin her wash.
Just then, Chiya suddenly heard the voice of the Wrath Devil.
"I've noticed you really enjoy poking your nose into other people's business."
This fellow usually kept quiet, sometimes not speaking for days, but whenever it did emerge, it was almost always to mock him.
"You're talking about Kobeni, right? How is that 'poking my nose in'?" Chiya retorted. "I just couldn't stand to watch it anymore. If she continued like that, her life would only get more miserable. But there's no point explaining it to you; I doubt you can understand human emotions other than anger."
"And what about me? Wasn't that also meddling?"
"That was for your own good. Regardless, you're the one who signed a contract with me," Chiya replied with a hint of helplessness.
"..." The Wrath Devil fell silent for a moment. "By the way, what was that thing that made me grow so large? I didn't think you could pull off so many tricks."
The devil was likely referring to Chiya's Susanoo. Its tone betrayed a clear curiosity regarding the technique.
"That? That's Susanoo. Once it reaches a certain form, it can channel your power through itself," Chiya explained casually.
"Susanoo? I've never heard of such a thing. Is it another ability of those eyes of yours?" the Wrath Devil pressed.
"Take a guess." Chiya naturally wasn't going to be honest and tell the devil everything.
"Playing mysterious, are we? You certainly have a lot of secrets. Sooner or later, I'm going to dig them all up until there's nothing left~"
AN-
I just realised,but
This shit is also slice of life
God,I'm stupid
But its not completely mah fault
At least,I think so
So I'mma add #sliceoflife
Anyway,
Yall,I know this no. is sussy
But I swear to God,one weird comment and I'll have a legitimate crashout
So shut up
And
Enjoyyyyyyyyy