Chapter 89: Such a Waste of a Pretty Face
Otonashi Chiya had returned to Tokyo without notifying Tokyo Public Safety. After all, there was no real point in doing so; he was simply back to visit Denji and the others. For the time being, Public Safety had no idea he was back, and the Leningrad Military Department was equally in the dark. While it wouldn't be a major crisis if they found out, keeping it quiet saved him a lot of unnecessary trouble for the time being.
After spending a full day in Tokyo with Denji, Kobeni, and Pochita, Chiya prepared to return to the Soviet Union.
"These are all specialties and foods I bought back from the USSR. It's enough to last you several days, but don't leave them out too long or they'll spoil," Chiya instructed Denji and Kobeni before saying his goodbyes.
He then stepped into the Kamui dimension. Although he could technically transport Denji, Kobeni, and Pochita to the Soviet Union via Kamui, he felt it was unnecessary. Neither Denji nor Kobeni spoke Russian, and living in a place like the USSR would undoubtedly be inconvenient. Pochita was a different story—Devils seemed to possess an innate gift for languages, able to speak and understand human tongues the moment they arrived on Earth, though Chiya didn't understand the mechanics behind it. Furthermore, Kobeni was still in school; he couldn't exactly have her transfer to a Soviet school, which would only make her life harder.
Leningrad Military Department, Dormitory Building.
Chiya had long since left a "coordinate" in his dorm room, allowing him to teleport back instantly. It was already very late, just the right time for a quick shower before heading straight to sleep.
The next day, Chiya went about his business as usual, strolling outside the department with Ian as if nothing had happened. Midway through their walk, his phone buzzed. This was the phone issued to him by the military specifically for official notifications. If this phone was ringing, it meant something was happening.
Upon answering, Director Lev's voice came through immediately.
"Otonashi, another devil has appeared. This one is quite troublesome; we need you and the 'Tsar' to mobilize again."
"No problem. I'll head back to the department now to rendezvous with Shingetsu," Chiya responded without the slightest hesitation.
Even though he had three or four days of paid leave remaining, he was starting to feel a bit bored. He wasn't injured and didn't need that much rest. Heading out on a mission to slay devils—and earning a decent amount of attribute points in the process—was certainly more interesting than idling every day.
Hearing Chiya refer to Shingetsu by his real name, Director Lev was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't expected their relationship to have improved so much that they were on a first-name basis. This was, of course, a positive development.
"My apologies for calling you in during your leave. To make it up to you, the performance bonus for this mission will be doubled," Director Lev continued.
"Understood. Thank you, Director Lev," Chiya said. There was no reason to turn down extra money.
Standing nearby, Ian had overheard the gist of the conversation. He immediately flagged down a taxi for Chiya. Since they were currently quite far from the military base, they needed a car to get back as quickly as possible—a mission this important couldn't be delayed!
Ten minutes later, Chiya and Ian arrived back at the Leningrad Military Department.
As soon as he arrived at the military headquarters' main gate, Chiya saw Shingetsu already standing there, clearly waiting for him.
When Shingetsu saw Chiya step out of the taxi, his expression was initially blank as usual. However, the moment he noticed Ian following behind him, his face turned noticeably colder, and a subtle shift flickered in his eyes.
"Shingetsu, did I keep you waiting long?" Chiya asked as he walked over.
Hearing Chiya call Shingetsu by his real name, Ian—who was still in the dark about the truth—was nearly frightened out of his skin. Worried that Shingetsu was about to fly into a rage, he ducked behind Chiya once again. He peeked out to observe and, sure enough, Shingetsu's face looked off, appearing even icier than usual.
Shingetsu kept his arms crossed over his chest and closed his eyes, his attitude dismissive. "It's time to leave."
Chiya naturally noticed Shingetsu's strange behavior. He couldn't help but wonder: What's wrong with this guy now? He found Shingetsu's temper to be utterly unpredictable—sometimes easy to talk to, and other times sulking for no apparent reason.
Seeing Shingetsu walk straight past him without so much as a glance, Ian let out a massive sigh of relief.
"I'll head back then. Good luck, and stay safe," Ian called out.
"Got it, see you later," Chiya replied, departing with Shingetsu.
Lomonosovsky District, another suburban area within the Leningrad administrative region.
Using a specialized vehicle from the military department, Chiya and Shingetsu reached the target location at top speed. Even now, Shingetsu maintained an exceptionally cold demeanor, looking even more like he was in a huff than he had at the recreation center. After all, last time was a misunderstanding, but this time Shingetsu truly was sulking.
Chiya couldn't help but roast him: "Honestly, your personality is a bit of a disaster. It's such a waste of such a pretty face."
Upon hearing this, a rare ripple of emotion crossed Shingetsu's elegant features. This wasn't because Chiya called his personality "a disaster"—plenty of people had criticized his personality before. (Though most people who said it to his face were beaten half to death on the spot.)
Shingetsu reacted this way because Chiya had praised his face. Although many had commented on his looks before, those people only made him feel disgusted because their words always carried a hint of harassment or mockery. Only Chiya's tone was flat—devoid of flirtation or irony—as if he were merely stating a fact.
"Many people have said things like that to me, but you're the only one I find somewhat interesting," Shingetsu said directly.
"Is that so? I'm honored then," Chiya quipped.
"Since you are my partner, you don't need to associate with that... Ian fellow anymore. Whether it's for missions or daily needs, I am enough," Shingetsu said. He had almost instinctively said "that weakling Ian," but remembering Chiya's distaste for the term, he changed his wording at the last second.
His tone was distinctly overbearing, yet it didn't come across as repulsive. In truth, Shingetsu was being quite restrained; he was simply used to speaking to others this way. If the person standing before him hadn't been Chiya, his tone would have been the kind of absolute dominance that brooked no refusal!