"The gift has been delivered, and here's the bonus for driving out the Poison Scorpion."
Akira set the envelope on the table, stepped back, and bowed slightly.
"Then I'll take my leave." When she looked up again, Akuto was gone.
A moment later he walked out of the bedroom and tossed over a pair of men's shorts and a white T-shirt.
"Go take a shower—you reek."
"I'll treat you to dinner as thanks for cleaning the place, so you can't say I'm mistreating you."
Akira held the clothes stiffly.
She lowered her head and sniffed—she still smelled nice.
But she was soaked; the suit she wore was hardly housework-friendly.
So she said nothing, turned, and walked into the bathroom.
Only after the door shut did her breathing grow heavy; head lowered, she clutched the clothes in a death grip.
Mortified, she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor.
Once she'd calmed down, she slipped out of her clothes and eased the stockings off her toes.
Any man who saw that sight would lose his mind.
Hearing the water start, Akuto took out his phone to order food.
When Akira emerged wearing his clothes, the table was already laden with dishes.
Akuto glanced up.
Gold hair clung to her neck, droplets sliding from a few strands.
The petite frame in an oversized white tee was breathtaking.
"Let's eat."
Akira curled her toes, sat carefully beside him, and tasted a bite.
"Take-out?"
"What else? You think I can cook?"
"Pathetic man."
Akira delivered the verdict without mercy.
Akuto merely shrugged.
Unwilling to let the upper hand slip, she pressed on with a mocking smile.
"Are you going to order take-out for the rest of your life?"
"Why not?" Akuto smiled sweetly. Before she could retort, he added, "Eating is just maintenance for me."
"In a way, it's a waste of time. If I could skip it, I would."
"If something lets me get full in one bite, I'd gladly buy it."
Akira blinked.
He wasn't lying; even before crossing worlds he'd thought meals a waste of time.
Now, with his current body, food was pure survival.
He could go without, but the body would break down and he'd have to switch again—
A pain.
"Total NEET," she concluded.
"Learning to cook isn't hard, and who doesn't like food?"
"You're just making excuses for laziness."
Akuto grinned. "Beliefs differ; don't measure others by your yardstick.' Weren't those your words?"
Akira froze, then flushed with anger. "Jerk."
"Infuriating NEET."
"I'm only saying this for your own—"
She bit the words back; only chopsticks clinked against bowls.
She changed into her own clothes and rose to leave.
It ended on yet another sour note.
The flicker of warmth she'd shown was tucked away again as she walked out of Akuto's apartment, face blank.
Sitting in her car, she still hadn't calmed down.
"Sophistic quibbler." Her fondness for him had definitely dropped below zero.
From the start, she'd disliked his attitude.
Their first night under one roof had ended the same way.
Deep down she knew she simply hadn't wanted to believe his words,
or admit she was punishing herself for being powerless when her mother died.
And he, knowing nothing, dared to judge—
So her opinion of him sank even lower.
The second time he saved her, she'd felt something; now even that was gone.
She turned the key.
"Whirr… click."
Eyes widening, she tried again.
"Whirr-whirr-whirr—"
The engine cranked, then died.
"Haa…"
She leaned back and exhaled.
A glance at her phone: past midnight.
At this hour, getting a cab wasn't about money—there weren't any.
Swallowing her pride, she trudged back upstairs and knocked.
Akuto blinked at her return.
"Forget something?"
Flushing, she stared at her shoes and mumbled,
"My car… It's dead."
"Let me have a look."
She nodded and led the way.
The elevator ride was pure awkwardness.
He sat in the driver's seat, turned the key—nothing.
"Yup, it's toast."
"Huh?"
She stared, stepped back.
"You can't fix cars?"
"Nope."
His matter-of-fact tone made her sputter,
"Then why'd you come down?"
He leaned in, playful smirk surfacing.
"To check if you're lying so you can stay over."
"…Idiot." She was beyond despair.
"I'm not staying. Could you drive me home?"
"Nope."
He yawned.
"Ward 2's too far; I'm lazy."
"But I can't leave you outside. So—"
He flicked a hand and murmured,
"Divine Dogs!"
Whoosh!
Two massive wolves sprang from his shadow. She jumped back, fists raised.
He simply scratched their heads.
Her pupils shook—this defied everything she knew.
Wolves from a shadow?
How?
A legend surfaced.
"You're… an Onmyoji? They're real?" She sounded crazy, but the proof sat before her.
"Does it matter? Climb on—Divine Dogs will take you home." He patted the white wolf; it nudged its back toward her.
She understood: sit.
Reluctant, but curious, she slid sidesaddle onto the wolf, every inch a lady.
The next instant it vaulted, soared dozens of meters, and landed on a convenience-store roof.
"Eek!"
She yelped, threw her legs over its back, and hugged its neck.
"Later!"
She even heard his insufferable farewell, but the wolf leapt again— More like flew.
It ran up a twelve-story wall, vaulted to the next rooftop, and vanished into the night.
At her apartment block, she slid off, legs giving way.
No one would want that ride twice— Skimming rooftops, nearly crashing, a fall meaning death.
"Slurp-slurp!"
The wolf licked her cheek twice before fading back into shadow. "Thanks… want something to eat?"
If she'd known he owned a spirit that could fly her home in comfort, gratitude would've turned to rage.