Chapter 98: Cousin Can Only Help You This Far
The faint sound of a girl's muffled whimper echoed from the bedroom, and Vigne's expression froze, her pupils darkening until not a hint of light remained.
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted. The warm air thickened with tension and dropped in temperature as though they had been teleported straight to the icy plains of Siberia. Even the faint hum of the refrigerator seemed to retreat into silence.
Kouya felt his throat tighten. A single bead of sweat trickled down from his temple.
'Don't go dark mode this fast! I haven't even done anything!'
But Vigne said nothing. She didn't shout, didn't glare—she simply turned her back, her long hair swaying like the tail of an angry beast, and began to walk away without another word.
"Wait! Let me explain!" Kouya blurted out, voice a little more desperate than intended.
He had a bad feeling—no, a primal, instinctive warning screaming in his head. If he let Vigne leave now, he might never get the chance to clear his name again.
"It's not what you think," he said quickly, hands raised in defense. "If you don't believe me, go look for yourself. You'll understand."
Vigne stopped mid-step. Her back stiffened slightly, doubt flickering through her mind. If it were really something indecent, would he be so calm? So confident?
"...Fine," she said finally, her tone cold but steady. "I'll see for myself."
Just then, realizing there was no more escape, Gabriel pushed open the bedroom door. She peeked out, her golden hair messy, her cheeks still faintly pink. With an awkward grin, she stuck out her tongue. "Vigne-chan, you're here."
"Gabi?!" Vigne gasped, her eyes widening as she slapped a hand over her mouth. "Why are you in there!? Don't tell me—you two…?"
"It's not what you think! I swear!" Gabriel waved both hands frantically. "Vigne, listen to me!"
How could she not misunderstand!? Her best friend had just walked out of a guy's bedroom, half-dressed, hair sticking out in all directions, and cheeks flushed like she'd just run a marathon! Even her voice trembled in that guilty, awkward way that made everything worse.
What the hell had they been doing behind her back!?
"Actually, it's like this—" Kouya began, quickly explaining everything that had happened the night before, from the power outage to Gabriel's impulsive decision to sneak in.
It took a long five minutes of frantic explanation, but eventually, Vigne's furious expression softened. Her icy aura began to fade, replaced by reluctant understanding.
If it had been any other girl, she would've left without hearing another word. No matter how logical the excuse, the sight of another girl in a guy's room overnight was enough to end the discussion. But this was Gabriel—an actual angel.
Sure, she'd fallen from grace a bit—now a lazy gamer addicted to MMOs and instant noodles—but she was still technically celestial. And angels didn't exactly fall in love with humans. At least, that's what Vigne told herself.
"Gabi, that was still very wrong," Vigne said seriously, crossing her arms. "No matter the reason, you can't just spend the night in a boy's room."
"I know... I know, okay?" Gabriel muttered, guilt twisting her face.
Of course, she didn't dare mention that she had actually climbed through the balcony in the middle of the night. If Vigne found out, she might explode like an angry pufferfish.
Vigne exhaled deeply, pressing her hand to her temple. "Go back to your room, change, wash up, and come back to help clean this mess. I'll wake Takanashi-san."
Her tone left no room for argument. The air of command that radiated from her could've rivaled a general's. Gabriel sighed and nodded, shoulders slumped in defeat, and shuffled off toward her room.
Vigne then turned her sharp gaze toward Kouya. "You. Go outside and make a call. Ask if Kanna is free. If she is, bring her here. We'll handle cleaning."
"Got it." Kouya nodded. Cleaning duty wasn't exactly his forte, and if Vigne wanted to take care of it, he wasn't going to argue.
He slipped out of the apartment and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he reached one marked 'Cousin Kobayashi.' After a moment's hesitation, he tapped the call button.
"Hello? Kouya?" Kobayashi's voice came through, calm and a little tired, like she had just woken up from a nap.
"Yeah. My classmate wanted to see if Kanna's free to hang out today," Kouya said, trying to sound casual.
"Perfect timing!" Tohru's voice shrieked excitedly in the background. "Come take Kanna away! That way I can finally have a romantic afternoon with Kobayashi-sama!"
"Denied," came Kobayashi's flat response.
"Ahhh! Kobayashi doesn't want me anymore!" Tohru's dramatic wail followed, the sound of sniffling audible through the phone. Her acting could've won an award—for worst performance of the year.
"A classmate, huh?" Kobayashi asked after a pause, her tone suddenly curious. "Is it that girl I met at the amusement park?" She emphasized the word 'girl' with suspicious precision.
You could've kept that thought to yourself! Why rub salt in it!?
"Yeah," Kouya admitted reluctantly.
"Well, well. Not bad, Kouya. You're growing up."
'Growing up'? What's that tone supposed to mean!? Why does it sound like you're teasing me!?
"I'll ask… okay, Kanna says she's in," Kobayashi continued. "I told her to behave as long as you keep her fed. So you're all set. Cousin can only help you this far."
Kouya froze, staring at his phone. "What do you mean, 'only help me this far'!? You think I'm using Kanna as an excuse for a date!?"
"I'm hanging up now," Kobayashi said flatly.
"Hey—wait—!"
The call cut off.
Kouya groaned. "I'm not taking that blame!" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why does everyone assume that!?"
…
Ten minutes later, Kouya arrived at Kobayashi's apartment. The door opened instantly.
"Kouya-sama! Good afternoon!" Tohru greeted, her smile bright enough to blind him.
"Afternoon," he replied politely.
Kobayashi waved from the couch, half-asleep but smiling faintly. Kanna sat beside her, tail swishing lazily as she watched TV.
After exchanging a few words, Kouya found himself dismissed under Kobayashi's smug gaze that all but said, 'I can only help you so much.' He left, resigned.
Downstairs, the noon rush had already begun. The food street was alive with the smell of grilled meat, curry, and fresh bread. Kouya could feel eyes on him—sharp and unrelenting.
"Staaare—" came the quiet sound from beside him.
He didn't even have to look. With practiced ease, he pulled a bag of Skittles from his pocket. "Want some?"
"Yes." Kanna's voice was immediate, deadpan as ever.
"Then take your time," he said, handing it over.
The blue-eyed dragon's face softened slightly as she opened the bag and began eating one by one. She loved food more than anything, but she never rushed through her candy—each piece was savored slowly, as if it were treasure.
Kouya had learned that the hard way. On the way over, he'd stopped by a convenience store and bought a pack of fruit-flavored Skittles just for her. Crunchy shell, soft center, bursting flavor—perfect for keeping the dragon occupied and happy.
…
By the time they reached the apartment complex, the sun was high and warm. On their way up the street, they spotted Vigne walking toward them with a shopping bag in hand.
"Kanna-chan, good afternoon!" Vigne called out, waving.
"Good afternoon," Kanna said simply, her tone lighter than usual thanks to the candy.
Vigne chuckled and couldn't resist pinching her cheek. "You're too cute." Kanna's unimpressed stare was enough to make her let go.
"I was going to take Kanna to the park," Vigne said, glancing at Kouya, "but Gabi and Rikka said they didn't have lunch plans, so we decided to cook at home."
She sighed softly, brushing her hair back. "We just finished cleaning everything. Now I'm going to the store for groceries."
"I'll come," Kouya said. "Need to stock the fridge anyway."
"Alright," Vigne replied with a small smile.
They walked together to the convenience store nearby. Inside, the shelves were lined with everything imaginable—snacks, drinks, fresh vegetables, meat, magazines, even toiletries and lottery tickets. The faint hum of the refrigerator mixed with cheerful background music.
Vigne grabbed a basket and led the way. "Kanna-chan, what do you want for lunch?"
"Meat," Kanna said instantly, without hesitation.
Vigne smiled warmly. "Then let's buy some meat first."
Kouya sighed. 'Weren't you the one saying kids shouldn't be picky eaters!? Why give in so fast!?'
Vigne turned, glaring slightly. "Didn't you say you were getting drinks? Go do that."
"...Fine."
When he returned, arms full of drinks, he found her basket piled high with ingredients—pork, not beef (too expensive), a fish, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, seaweed, and a ridiculous amount of vegetables.
And way too many green peppers.
He frowned. "Why so many green peppers? No one even likes those."
Vigne tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, shooting him a look. "Picky eating is a bad habit."
'You weren't saying that when the dragon demanded meat!' Kouya thought bitterly. 'Why am I the only one getting lectured!?'
"Because Takanashi-san's health isn't great, and she hates green peppers," Vigne said patiently. "I looked online and found a recipe for stir-fried pork with green peppers. I tried it last night—it was surprisingly good. You'll see."
Kouya sighed again, shaking his head. Somehow, he had the feeling today wasn't going to be peaceful.