Chapter 232: The Suspicious Towel
"Staying over?"
Kouya paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly before nodding. "That’s fine."
Tomorrow was Saturday, and there was nothing pressing waiting for him back home. After spending the entire afternoon running around, his body carried a faint, lingering fatigue. The warm glow of the shrine lanterns and the quiet night breeze made it easy to agree.
"Let’s go inside."
The female ghost, Uehara Miyuki, floated after them with wide eyes, peering curiously at every corner of the shrine as if she were visiting a new world.
The moment they stepped into Chiba Shrine, a faint shadow darted out from behind a pillar—then a familiar, high-pitched voice called out. The little catgirl Rina leapt out like a spring-loaded toy, throwing herself into the miko’s arms and wrapping around her tightly, her tail curling in joy. "Onee-sama, you’re back, nya~! I missed you so much, nya!"
"Mm." The miko smiled warmly and patted the catgirl’s soft hair. "You’ve worked hard, Rina."
"Not hard at all, nya!" Rina quickly shook her head, puffing out her cheeks. Her ears twitched with excitement.
Before, the miko would always take Rina along on her missions. But ever since she started partnering with Kouya, Rina had been left at home to guard little Hinata instead. So when her big sister returned with him, Rina’s golden eyes flickered with a faint, sulky jealousy.
"Master!"
Two more small figures came hopping in from the hallway. The bunny twins, Ai and Natsu, dashed up with synchronized steps, both of them panting slightly, their long ears bouncing behind them. They beamed up at Kouya with expressions that screamed, "We did something great, praise us!"
Kouya stared for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "What on earth are you two wearing?"
Both lolis stood proudly in black, skin-tight bodysuits. The suits hugged their tiny frames, making their arms and legs look even skinnier than usual—like bean sprouts wrapped in rubber.
"Rina-oneechan said if we wear this, no one can spot us easily!" said Ai, the blue-haired one, puffing out her tiny chest in confidence.
"Yeah! The people on TV do it all the time!" added Natsu, her red hairpin bobbing as she nodded enthusiastically.
Kouya sighed internally.
Enough already!
What happened to the cute maid uniforms? Were they trying to become ninja rabbits now? If an actual enemy showed up, they wouldn’t even have time to squeak before being captured.
Once inside the living room, the miko turned to Rina and said gently, "Take Kou-kun to the bath. I’ll find him something clean to wear."
"Got it, nya~!" Rina replied brightly.
She led Kouya toward the bathroom but didn’t make any move to leave once there. Instead, she fiddled nervously with the hem of her skirt, her cheeks flushed. Then, with hesitant movements, she lifted her skirt slightly, revealing a bit of her soft, round tummy.
Kouya blinked. "What are you doing?"
Rina’s ears twitched, and she looked up innocently. "I always helped onee-sama wash her back, nya. If I don’t take off my clothes, they’ll get wet, nya..."
"Wash my back?"
Kouya’s mouth twitched, a thick black line appearing on his forehead.
Who told you to wash my back?!
If the miko came in right now and saw this scene, she’d absolutely explode. She’d puff up like a furious pufferfish and probably blast both of them out the door.
"No. Out. Now."
He pointed toward the door. The disappointed catgirl drooped her ears but reluctantly obeyed, muttering a soft, sad "Nya..." as she padded away.
Once she was gone, Kouya finally turned on the shower. He wasn’t about to soak in a stranger’s bath—just a quick rinse to freshen up. The hot water washed away the exhaustion from the day, and the faint scent of incense from the shrine mixed pleasantly with the steam.
After a few minutes, light footsteps approached outside.
"Kou-kun, I left some clothes in the basket out here. They were my father’s, but next time I’ll buy some that fit you better," came the miko’s soft voice through the door.
"Got it," Kouya replied, wiping water from his face.
...
When he was done, he grabbed the nearest towel, ran it through his hair, and threw on the yukata left for him. The cloth was a bit loose but surprisingly comfortable. He stepped into the hall, his hair still damp.
The soft hum of the night was broken by a small yawn. The little pervy loli shuffled out from her room, hugging a body pillow shaped like a cute anime girl. Her messy hair stuck out in all directions.
"Onee-chan, you’re back?" she mumbled sleepily.
Children were creatures of habit—they loved sleep, but this one clearly never rested well when her sister was out on missions. Hearing movement, she had stumbled awake, still half-dreaming.
She rubbed her eyes blearily, then froze when she saw Kouya standing there in a bathrobe, towel in hand.
She blinked once.
Twice.
Then her face changed completely—shock, disbelief, and the dramatic intake of breath before the storm.
"Oh no—!"
Her shrill voice echoed through the entire shrine.
Kouya almost dropped the towel. What now?! Was she mad because he wore her father’s yukata? It’s not like he was going to strip in front of her!
"Onee-sama! Kou-nii’s using your towel!"
...That’s what she was yelling about?
It’s just a towel! What’s the big deal?
The miko hurried out of the kitchen, apron still tied around her waist. When she saw Kouya holding the pink towel, her face turned bright red in an instant.
Hey, seriously—it’s just a towel, right? Why are you acting like I’m holding a relic from the gods?
"It was just the one closest to me, so I grabbed it," Kouya said calmly.
"I-It’s fine, you already used it..." the miko stammered, biting her lip, her eyes darting away.
"But that’s the one you use to wipe your—" the little loli began before her sister lunged forward and covered her mouth.
"Enough! Bed. Now!" the miko hissed.
"But I can’t sleep anymore!" the girl puffed her cheeks. "Also, why’s Kou-nii wearing that?"
"Because it’s late, and he’s staying over tonight," the miko replied quickly.
"Eh?" The loli’s eyes widened again. "Then is Onee-chan going to... serve him tonight?"
"..."
The miko froze, face crimson. A vein popped on her forehead. Without hesitation, she bonked the loli on the head. "Serve what?! Say that again and you’re doing a hundred extra swings during sword practice tomorrow!"
"O-okay! I won’t!" the little loli yelped, holding her head.
Kouya coughed awkwardly, pretending to study the floor.
Serve him, huh? Yeah, right.
If he asked Vigne, she’d glare coldly and ignore him for a week. If it were that lazy angel Gabriel, she’d probably deck him on the spot. Satania would shout something about ‘insubordination’ before running in circles. And Raphiel—she’d just smile sweetly, agree without hesitation, and then scheme something humiliating behind his back.
Yeah, that would never happen.
"Kou-kun, wait a moment. I’ll make us some snacks before bed," the miko said, rushing back into the kitchen, clearly eager to change the subject.
They’d only had a few buns earlier, and her stomach was growling softly. The smell of miso soup and grilled fish soon filled the air.
Meanwhile, the little loli leaned close to Kouya, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Kou-nii, how did you manage to grab that towel right away, huh? Almost like fate~"
Because it was the closest one, that’s why! And they all looked the same! What’s with this drama?
"Shouldn’t you be asleep?" Kouya said, giving her a look.
"Nope! Wide awake!" she giggled. "Oh, Kou-nii! Tomorrow I’m going to my classmate’s house! I might even meet Eromanga-sensei! Wanna come with me?"
"No." Kouya shook his head flatly.
She pouted. "Then I’ll take photos for you..."
While the miko was busy in the kitchen, she turned on the TV and grabbed some controllers, handing one to Kouya. They started a two-player game, laughing softly as their characters jumped and failed miserably.
After a few rounds, the miko came out carrying a tray. "You two can play tomorrow. For now, turn it off and eat. Then it’s straight to bed."
Behind her, the bunny lolis—now back in their frilly maid uniforms—carried out the rest of the dishes. The table filled with rice, soup, and steaming side plates that smelled heavenly.
"The fridge was almost empty, so this is all I could make for now. Tomorrow, I’ll cook something better for lunch," she said, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
As they ate together, warmth filled the room. The little loli started to nod off halfway through her rice bowl, her eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings. Before long, she slumped sideways on the couch, fast asleep.
The miko sighed softly, smiling with gentle affection. She set down her chopsticks, rose quietly, and bent to lift her sister to bed.
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