The Hyoudou family's living room was the complete opposite of my new mansion. Small, but cozy, it was filled with warmth and the smells of home cooking. Family photos hung on the walls – a smiling Issei at different ages, his parents on vacation, some group shots from school events. On the coffee table lay newspapers and a TV remote. A soft sofa and a pair of armchairs invited relaxation. Everything here breathed an ordinary, normal life. The very life from which I seemed infinitely distant.
And in the midst of this idyll was me – Izayoi Jin, a being with the strength of a god and the social skills of a rock, standing there shifting from foot to foot and feeling like a bull in a china shop.
"Come in, Jin-kun, sit down!" Miki Hyoudou, Issei's mother, bustled around, her face beaming with hospitality. "I'll bring tea and your wonderful pastries right now! Issei, show your friend where he can sit!"
"Yeah, Mom!" Issei, who was still barely holding back laughter at my confusion, pointed to the sofa. "Sit here, Jin. Don't just stand there like a statue."
I sat. The sofa was soft, almost sinking. Unfamiliar after the hard chairs in my old apartment or the designer, but not-so-comfortable, armchairs in my new house.
"So, tell us, Jin-kun," Gorou Hyoudou, Issei's father, plopped into the armchair opposite, smiling good-naturedly. "How do you like Kuoh? Gotten used to our Academy yet? Issei said you transferred recently?"
I tensed. What was I supposed to talk about? That school is a boring place where I kill time between skirmishes with demons and fallen angels? That the city seems like an arena for others' games?
"Yeah... it's fine," I forced out, trying not to sound too detached. "School... is school. Classes, breaks."
"Haha, well said!" Gorou laughed. "It was the same in our day! The main thing isn't grades, it's friends! Take our Issei, even if he's a goofball sometimes," he winked at his son, "he's good at making friends! I'm glad you two became friends!"
Issei blushed and muttered something about "not that much of a goofball."
Miki returned with a tray. On it were steaming cups of green tea and the pastries we had bought. She placed the tray on the table.
"Help yourself, Jin-kun! Don't be shy! Issei said you live all alone? That must be hard, at your age, without your parents?"
The question caught me off guard. Parents... I had parents, in that other, past life. Ordinary, loving. I had almost forgotten their faces, their voices. The memories were hazy, like an old photograph. Answering this question was... painful? No, more... strange. I felt a pang of long-forgotten longing, which I immediately suppressed with habitual indifference.
"I'm used to it," I replied curtly, taking the teacup. My fingers trembled slightly.
"Oh, you poor thing," Miki sighed, her eyes filling with sympathy. "If you ever need anything, you can always come to us! We'd be happy to have you! Right, dear?"
"Of course!" Gorou confirmed. "Our doors are always open for Issei's friends!"
Their sincere kindness, their simple hospitality, unclouded by any knowledge of the world's dark side, was disarming. I didn't know how to react. Thank them? Make a joke? Stay silent? I chose the last one, pretending to be absorbed in my tea.
Issei watched me with unconcealed curiosity and amusement. He saw my stiffness, my awkwardness, my inability to maintain a simple conversation. He saw how I, capable of standing against Satans and breaking angels' wings, became flustered in the face of ordinary human kindness.
"Well, what do you know," he thought again, sipping his tea. "Who would've thought the almighty Jin had this side to him? He's like a robot that's ended up at a family dinner for the first time and doesn't know how to use a fork. It's funny... and even... kind of... cute?"
To break the tension, Issei decided to change the subject.
"Mom, Dad, you know, Jin is incredibly strong! He recently scattered some bullies who were messing with me! With just one move!"
"Whoa!" Gorou whistled, impressed. "So you're an athlete, Jin-kun? Karate? Judo?"
"Something like that," I answered evasively. "Just good reflexes."
"He's being modest!" Issei chimed in. "He could take down anyone!"
"Now, now, Issei, don't exaggerate," Miki gently ruffled her son's hair. "The important thing is that Jin-kun doesn't get into needless fights. Strength must be used wisely."
I nodded silently. Use it wisely... If only they knew what kind of power I had to hold back every day.
We sat for a little longer. Issei's parents asked me about my (fictional) previous schools, my favorite subjects (I muttered something about P.E.), and my plans for the future (a complete lack thereof). I gave one-word answers, feeling more and more uncomfortable. This atmosphere of domestic warmth and simple human interaction was alien to me, almost hostile in its normalcy.
Finally, I decided it was time to leave.
"Thank you for the tea and... hospitality," I said, standing up. The bow came out a bit sharper than it should have. "I have to go."
"Leaving already?" Miki looked a little disappointed. "Come back again, Jin-kun! You must!"
"Yeah, stop by!" Gorou backed her up. "Always welcome!"
"I'll walk you out," Issei said, getting up as well.
We went out to the entryway. As I put on my shoes, Issei asked quietly:
"So? Not so bad, right? My folks... they're just like that."
"They're... normal," I replied, still feeling out of my element. "Very... hospitable."
"Yep," Issei smirked. "You looked like you were about to be tortured. I've never seen you look so... lost."
"It's just... unfamiliar," I muttered, opening the door.
We stepped outside. The evening air felt refreshing after the warm living room.
"Hey, Jin," Issei said once we were a few steps from his house. "About your visit to the Phoenixes... Are you sure? Maybe you should take someone with you? You know, Kiba or Akeno-senpai? Just in case."
"No," I shook my head. "I'll go alone. This will be... a test. For them, and for me. Besides, if they genuinely want to apologize and build connections, the presence of Gremory's retinue would be... excessive. It might look like distrust or even a threat."
"I get it..." Issei sighed. "Makes sense. But still, be on your guard. Phoenixes are tricky birds."
"I'm always on my guard," I assured him.
We reached my new house. The mansion looked imposing in the light of the street lamps.
"Alright, I'm heading off," Issei said. "Thanks for stopping by. And... good luck with the Phoenixes. Call me if anything happens!"
"Yeah," I nodded. "See you."
Issei waved and disappeared around the corner. I was left alone in front of my huge, empty house.
I went inside. The silence and coolness after the Hyoudous' lively living room felt deafening. I walked to my study, sat at the desk. The letter from the Phoenixes was right where I had left it.
The visit to Issei's was... strange. Awkward. But, perhaps, necessary. It showed me another side of this world – a simple, human one. And it showed me my own awkwardness, my detachment from that "normalcy." I was a monster in a beautiful shell, trying to imitate human behavior. I was bad at it.
But the decision was made. I would go to the Phoenixes. I would meet them. Look them in the eye. And I would decide what they were worth – their apologies, their offers, their hidden intentions. This would be the next step. A step deeper into this world.