Chapter 86: Kobeni's Parent-Teacher Meeting
It had been several days since she last saw Big Brother Chiya, and for Denji, this period had been quite difficult to endure. It felt almost like those days back when she and Pochita only had each other to rely on...
Of course, there were major differences now. She had Sister Kobeni at home to keep her company, and their living conditions were worlds apart from before. It was simply that Chiya occupied such a vital place in her heart. Thus, the moment she saw him return, Denji couldn't help but lunge forward immediately.
Chiya nearly activated his Intangibility out of pure habit. He had developed a near-conditioned reflex where he wanted to turn "incorporeal" the moment someone tried to touch him; while this reflex was incredibly beneficial in combat, he fortunately restrained himself this time. He caught Denji steadily—otherwise, she would have fallen straight onto the floor.
"Hehehe..." Denji buried her face in Chiya's chest, greedily breathing in his scent.
"Woof!"
Pochita, who had been playing in the other room, seemed to hear the commotion in the living room and came running out. His short legs moved like a blur before he too leaped up and into Chiya's arms.
"It's only been a few days. Do you really miss me this much?" Chiya laughed warmly.
"Of course! I'm not used to even a single day without Big Brother Chiya," Denji said.
Just then, the front door suddenly opened. It was Higashiyama Kobeni returning from grocery shopping; Denji hadn't locked the door knowing she was coming back.
The moment Kobeni walked in and saw Denji and Pochita clinging to Chiya, she felt a surge of joyful surprise at his sudden return. At the same time, she felt a twinge of envy toward Denji and Pochita for being able to hug him like that. As much as she envied them, however, the idea of hugging Chiya so boldly was far too embarrassing for her—she simply couldn't do it. She could only watch with a mix of longing and self-reproach for her own shyness.
"Otonashi-kun, you're back." Kobeni's face flushed red, her voice carrying a soft, delicate tone.
"Yeah, I'm back. Thank you for your hard work while I was away," Chiya said with a smile. He guessed that while he was gone, Kobeni had likely handled all the shopping and cooking.
"It wasn't hard at all!" Kobeni beamed. Being the object of Chiya's concern was enough to make her day.
Kobeni took the groceries to the kitchen and habitually donned an apron, preparing to start dinner. Her movements were fluid and practiced, confirming Chiya's suspicion that she had been running the household. Seeing this, Denji realized she couldn't keep slacking off; she reluctantly let go of Chiya and hurried into the kitchen to help.
Watching Denji's spirited energy, Chiya felt a sense of contentment. "Since I've been gone for so long, let me help out too."
As he spoke, Chiya began transferring all the items from his Kamui dimension through his right eye. A pile of snacks, fruits, prepared meats, and various storable ingredients appeared—some of which could be used for tonight's dinner.
As she watched Chiya and Denji join her in the kitchen, a thought suddenly bloomed in Kobeni's mind: This scene... it feels like a newlywed couple making dinner with their daughter...
Suddenly associating the situation with such things, Higashiyama Kobeni's entire face flushed crimson, as if her brain had "poof" gone into overload. With her mind in total chaos, she lost her focus for a split second, and the kitchen knife she was using accidentally sliced her finger.
"Eek!"
The sharp sting in her finger snapped Kobeni back to reality. Chiya immediately turned around, asking with concern, "What happened?"
He had happened to be facing away from her just now; otherwise, his Mangekyo Sharingan would have spotted the danger in time to prevent the injury.
"I... I accidentally cut my hand..." Kobeni said, sounding quite embarrassed. She could hardly admit she had been distracted by such shameful thoughts.
Chiya promptly went to get some iodine to disinfect her wound and then applied a band-aid, being patient and meticulous throughout the entire process.
"Thank you!" Kobeni felt that the pain in her finger was now completely irrelevant.
"Maybe you shouldn't push yourself. How about I take over the chopping?" Chiya suggested.
"No, no! I'll be careful from here on, I'll be fine if I just pay attention!" Kobeni insisted.
Standing nearby, Denji felt puzzled. She usually saw Sister Kobeni's knife skills as incredibly sharp and fast—how could she have messed up so easily today? Denji could never have guessed the true reason; if she knew what Kobeni had been thinking, she would have probably blown a fuse on the spot...
Precisely because of this, Kobeni dared not breathe a word about the real cause.
Since it was a rare visit home, Chiya, Denji, and Kobeni prepared a lavish dinner together.
During the meal, Kobeni seemed to suddenly remember something. She said with a look of distress, "Oh right! Otonashi-kun, my school is holding a parent-teacher meeting tomorrow afternoon, but I... I'm a bit afraid to talk to my parents about it..."
After the previous incident, her parents' behavior had indeed become much more restrained, but they had also entered a "cold war" with the nine sisters, barely speaking to them. She didn't want to go home and face their expressions, nor did she want to beg them to attend. However, if no one showed up, the school would definitely summon her and her parents for a private talk—something she desperately wanted to avoid.
Caught in this dilemma, she asked Chiya if he had any ideas.
"A parent-teacher meeting, huh? I'll have a word with the principal. After that, I'll just go and attend it myself," Chiya thought of a solution instantly.
Although he was currently working for the Leningrad Military Department, he was still a Devil Hunter for Tokyo Public Safety and even continued to receive his base salary. He had arranged for Public Safety to deposit his pay directly into the bank card he gave to Denji. His status as a Vice-Captain in Public Safety came in handy for many everyday situations.
For something like a parent-teacher meeting, it was just a matter of saying a word to the principal. He would explain Kobeni's situation clearly, and given his special status, the principal certainly wouldn't refuse.
"Mhm... Eh?! Otonashi-kun is going to attend the meeting?"
Kobeni didn't register it at first, then let out a startled cry. She had never imagined such a method—having the roughly same-aged Chiya attend her parent-teacher meeting?
While it felt a bit strange, it was far better than facing her parents' cold glares. Still, she could hardly imagine what her classmates would think when they saw Chiya sitting at her desk...
AN-
Give reviews
Anyway about Chiya,
I've finalised his image as like Jinwoo but with red eyes
(IMAGE)
Wondering whether I should give him Kawaki's attire
(IMAGE OF HOW I THINK CHIYA LOOKS)