Seeing Yukinoshita Yukino's resolute, serious gaze, Tanaka Masao knew that if he kept talking, he'd get himself killed.
[Is she angry because someone saw an embarrassing side of me?]
Facing the murderous glare of Yukinoshita Yukino, Tanaka Masao bowed his head and ate.
"Ah—this boiled chicken breast is actually pretty good. It's not totally flavorless."
Jahy swallowed what was in her mouth and nodded thoughtfully.
[Masao seems really afraid of that woman over there. Could that be his weakness?]
Only now did she study Yukinoshita Yukino properly.
[Not bad-looking at all; she could rival my peak form.
Her presence…
It's kind of like a yuki-onna, cold and icy.
Her figure…
One word: Flat.]
Jahy wondered whether Tanaka Masao liked Yukinoshita—by looks alone she wasn't inferior—so maybe he preferred dark-skinned beauties.
There was another possible explanation:
Yukinoshita Yukino might simply be extremely strong, and Masao hadn't realized it yet.
…
Jahy's analysis wasn't entirely wrong, but it missed the real point.
Does Tanaka Masao like Jahy?
Of course he does—just the mature version of Jahy. The current shrunken, powerless Jahy…
Sorry, thanks to some meddling river—er—he'd never like that form the same way.
Since Masao preferred the mature Jahy, his attitude toward her differed from how he treated Yukinoshita.
The biggest reason was racial: Tanaka wasn't a racist, but he naturally treated people according to what they were—this was simply pragmatic.
Yukinoshita was human, so he interacted with her as a normal person. Jahy was a demon, inherently stronger, so Masao instinctively acted more assertive around her.
Personality also mattered. Yukinoshita was icy, serious, occasionally sharp-tongued—she often looked at Masao like he was trash, yet she had a gentle core and wouldn't cross the line.
Jahy, on the other hand, was arrogant and proud. If Yukinoshita looked at you like you were garbage because some of your behavior disgusted her, when Jahy looked at you like that it meant you were garbage in her eyes—born of a lifetime of status and power.
Back when Jahy still had her strength and status, she would be queen; now she was just an obnoxious, boastful little brat—with comedic timing.
Yukinoshita was Tanaka's white moon of admiration; Jahy could at best be a bro.
…
Jahy decided Yukinoshita might be the breakthrough to dealing with Tanaka, so she'd stay in the Service Club and observe closely.
Of course, she insisted it was only because she was hungry.
"I want another tamagoyaki."
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at Tanaka Masao, who was eating with his head down, and nodded in satisfaction—then she revealed a gentle smile and said to Jahy,
"All right. Here."
Masao peeked up surreptitiously at the scene.
[Poor Jahy, pleased to have tasted something delicious.
She doesn't realize Yukinoshita has already taken to treating her like a pet.]
Masao could clearly see that Yukinoshita's expression was the same one she used when teasing or feeding a cat—her eyes kept darting to the cat ears on Jahy's head.
The longing was obvious.
Yukinoshita's own appetite was moderate; she'd prepared just enough in her bento for herself.
The tamagoyaki left inside was finished by Jahy in two bites. As for the leftover rice and vegetables—sorry, Jahy had no interest.
Yukinoshita seemed a little wistful at losing the fun of feeding, but she wasn't ready to stop. She turned her eyes to Tanaka Masao's bento.
Masao's portion was larger, but because he'd been distracted by Yukinoshita and Jahy, he hadn't eaten much; a good amount was still left.
Yukinoshita looked once and shook her head with disdain—she clearly thought, "This sort of thing shouldn't be given to Jahy."
Watching this, Masao's mouth twitched ferociously. Was his food really that bad? Taste aside, it was nutritious.
[Dieting is so painful. I can't wait for this to be over.]
Wanting to keep enjoying the feeding ritual, Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment and opened her bag. She pulled out a small packet of dried fish—something she always carried to feed stray cats.
Although meant for animals, the ingredient list was healthy and perfectly edible for humans; in fact, being pet food often meant fewer additives.
Yukinoshita tore the package open, took out one little dried sardine, and offered it to Jahy.
"Do you want to try?"
"Fish?"
Jahy moved forward, wiggled her little nose, and sniffed.
"Mm—smells fine. Let me try."
Jahy bit down and took it.
Yukinoshita held the small fish by its belly—her fingers were where Jahy would inevitably bite if she tried to gulp down the whole thing.
To get the whole fish in one go, Jahy opened her mouth wide and inevitably touched Yukinoshita's fingers with her lips.
Feeling the wet, soft contact on her fingers, Yukinoshita's body shivered.
[Ah—that's the feeling. When you feed little cats, they extend their tongues and affectionately lick the feeder's hand.
This sensation is so healing.
Motto Motto (More, more)—give me more.]