Chapter 82: Cross-dressing?
"It was alright," Chiya was the first to answer.
During this mission with Shingetsu, he truly didn't feel any friction. Since he had already beaten Shingetsu into submission during their spar, their interactions had become much more pleasant.
Shingetsu remained silent, but he didn't offer any rebuttal. Director Lev knew Shingetsu's personality well; if he had an issue, he would voice it immediately rather than bottle it up. Shingetsu's silence was proof enough that their synergy was decent, which allowed Lev to breathe a sigh of relief. This was a task assigned by his superiors, after all—he had to take it seriously. If anything went wrong between Chiya and Shingetsu, he would be the first person held accountable.
"Good to hear. I hope you two continue to get along well," Director Lev said with a smile. "As per tradition, you now have ten days of paid leave. Unless an exceptionally important mission comes up, you won't be disturbed."
"Understood."
Chiya thought to himself that another familiar stint of paid leave was perfect—it would give him a chance to head back in a few days to visit Denji, Kobeni, and Pochita.
As Chiya reached the bottom of the stairs, Ian happened to spot him from a distance. However, Ian hadn't noticed Shingetsu, who was just behind Chiya in the office building.
Ian hurried over and asked, "Chiya, I just heard you finished the mission and returned. You aren't hurt, are you?"
"No, a devil of that level isn't enough to wound me," Chiya said with a smile.
"Mhm!" Ian nodded vigorously, thinking as expected of Chiya! He deeply admired—and even envied—Chiya. By comparison, not only was Ian's mental fortitude lacking, but his strength wasn't even in the same universe. Chiya had no idea he had already become the person Ian worshipped and aspired to be most.
"You should have paid leave after finishing a mission, right? Take today to rest, and tomorrow I'll take you to get familiar with the areas outside the department," Ian said cheerfully. "This should be your first time in Leningrad; we have many great places here."
"It really is my first time. I'll be in your care then," Chiya nodded. In his original world before transmigrating, the Soviet Union had long since collapsed; there was no way he could have ever visited Soviet-era Leningrad.
"It's no trouble at all; it's what I should do." Ian wasn't just doing this to fulfill orders anymore. Regarding Chiya as his idol, he was more than happy to show him around.
Just then, Shingetsu stepped out of the office building. Out of the corner of his eye, Ian caught a glimpse of the slender figure he least wanted to see.
"The... the Tsar..." He slowly turned his head. Sure enough, it was the person he feared most.
Chiya saw the fear in Ian's eyes and immediately said, "I'm right here."
"Right..." Ian knew Chiya had his back, but coming face-to-face with Shingetsu still triggered an involuntary fear response.
Shingetsu cast a casual glance at Ian before ignoring him entirely. He spoke directly to Chiya: "Paid leave starts tomorrow. I'll be the one to show you around Leningrad."
"..."
Chiya felt a powerful sense of déjà vu. Why was this happening again? He had just agreed to go with Ian, and Shingetsu showed up to invite him at that exact moment? This was getting a bit awkward.
"What is it?" Shingetsu asked, noticing Otonashi Chiya's awkward expression and sudden silence.
"Sorry, but I've already made plans with Ian. He's going to show me around the areas outside the department tomorrow," Chiya said, deciding to be direct.
Shingetsu's expression froze for a moment.
That Ian again...
Shingetsu's gaze shifted toward Ian. Feeling that bone-chilling stare, Ian couldn't help but shudder.
"Why do you insist on associating with such a weakling?" Shingetsu asked Chiya, sounding genuinely puzzled.
That remark rubbed Chiya the wrong way, but he kept his voice level as he replied, "What's wrong with being weak? Everyone starts out weak at some point, don't they?"
Shingetsu said coldly, "That sentiment only applies once they've actually managed to become strong."
It was true that the strong were once weak, but in Shingetsu's view, not every weakling was capable of becoming strong.
"Strength aside, am I not allowed to make friends with ordinary people?" Chiya said flatly. When he chose friends, he never looked at their combat power; he only cared if they got along or if the person was worth knowing.
Though both Chiya and Shingetsu remained calm in tone, the atmosphere had become noticeably confrontational. Seeing them clash over him made Ian even more anxious than they were.
"Wait, please don't fight!" Ian hurriedly said to Chiya. "I just remembered I have something to do tomorrow. You should go with the 'Tsar' instead!"
It was an obvious lie, and Chiya wasn't so easily fooled. He said firmly, "Since I promised you first, I'm not going back on my word."
"This... alright then..." Ian hadn't expected Chiya to be so resolute.
"Let's go." Chiya placed a hand on Ian's shoulder. He knew there was no point staying there to argue with Shingetsu—the guy's personality and worldviews were already set in stone. It was like an internet argument; two opposing sides will almost never change each other's minds. Plus, staying there was only terrifying Ian, so it was better to just walk away.
On the surface, Shingetsu appeared emotionless, but inside, he was fuming. As he watched Chiya and Ian walk away with their arms around each other's shoulders, he finally stopped suppressing his expression.
His elegant, pale face darkened. It wasn't just because Chiya completely rejected his beliefs; there was a stifling, uncomfortable feeling in his chest that he couldn't explain. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he felt strangely restless.
Maybe I just need to go home and rest, he thought.
Shingetsu didn't live in the military dorms; he had purchased his own detached villa. As the Captain of Special Ops Unit 1 and the strongest person in the Leningrad Military Department (excluding Chiya), his salary was exceptionally high. Buying cars and luxury real estate was a simple matter for him.
On his way back to the villa, Shingetsu drew the usual high volume of stares from passersby. His military uniform, combined with his handsome, delicate features and tall, slender frame, was a magnet for attention. He pulled the brim of his cap down slightly, clearly disliking the constant scrutiny.
Once inside the villa, he shut the door behind him.
Shingetsu removed his military cap. His hair, which had been tucked up inside, cascaded down over his shoulders. He hung the cap on the wall in the entryway.
If Otonashi Chiya were here to see this long hair, he would immediately discard the idea that Shingetsu was a man.
This was quite clearly a woman...
AN-
I have a lot to tell yall
First thing-
Thank yall for 430 collections
Thank yall for 140k+ views
Thank yall for spamming powerstones
To
MiastriSs
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Blade_Eclipse
Hunterx
stephane_richard
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An of course,the people who spammed again
Thank you so much
BTW,tell me if i mispelled ur name or if u voted and ur name's not here
Second thing-
I finally got an insta account!
Check it out-
Username-flame_moon_and_yurei
Name-Kid of Karma
Got a Sukuna profile pic,but prob gonna change that later
My mum deleted my last one,lmao
Anyway,I'm prob gonna upload edits
of anime
And that brings us to our third thing
Give me images
U know,anybody
Chiya,Aki,Himeno,Denji,"Tsar"
Or u can tell me how they look like
Paragraph comments
Right here
(IMAGE)
If I get enough images,I can make edits on him on my insta
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