Chapter 233: Support Dad
After Kouya and the miko finished their late-night snack, the two bunny lolis—who had just switched from ninja mode back to maid mode—came over to clear the dishes. Their tiny hands worked in perfect rhythm as they carried plates, the sound of clinking porcelain echoing softly in the quiet shrine.
The catgirl Rina was lounging lazily on the couch, her long tail swaying behind her while she munched on a half-eaten taiyaki. She spoke through her full mouth, voice muffled. "Ai, Natsu, hurry up, nya~ We still have training later, nya."
"Got it, Rina-oneechan!" the twin lolis chimed in perfect unison. They gave quick, exaggerated salutes before scampering off toward the kitchen with their short legs, hopping and bumping into each other as they went. The sound of running water soon mixed with the faint laughter drifting from the kitchen.
Training? Kouya blinked, staring after them. Was she serious? Was she actually training them in the way of the ninja or some sort of secret catgirl discipline?
He turned to the miko curiously. "What kind of training are they doing, exactly?"
The miko gave him a strange, knowing look, almost as if she didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. "Maid training."
Kouya’s expression froze. "Maid... training?"
He could already imagine the kind of chaos that was going to cause. Whatever kind of ‘training’ it was, it definitely wasn’t martial arts or anything remotely productive.
The miko sighed softly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Rina watched a movie recently. There was a scene where the girlfriend dressed as a maid to cheer up her boyfriend. She acted cute, made him tea, and asked for little things. Every time she asked, he gave her what she wanted..."
Rina, who was still lounging on the couch, turned her head toward Kouya and blinked up at him, her big, glossy eyes gleaming with mischief.
Kouya groaned inwardly. Acting cute as a weapon, huh? Sure, it could work in theory—mental manipulation through affection. But still...
Wait. Why was she looking directly at him like that?!
Don’t tell me she’s planning to practice on me! Just because you’re a yokai doesn’t mean you can stay up half the night acting spoiled! One more ‘nya’ and I’ll call the police for noise disturbance! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Meanwhile, the miko moved gracefully, her every gesture calm and refined. She picked up the teapot and poured Kouya a cup of freshly steeped tea. Steam rose in delicate curls, the aroma of green tea filling the air, soft and soothing.
"Kou-kun, drink some tea first. I’ll go wash your clothes in the machine," she said, her tone gentle but firm.
Kouya nodded. The clothes weren’t that dirty, but he couldn’t deny it would feel much better to wear something freshly cleaned.
Before he could stand, Rina shot up. "I’ll do it, nya! Leave it to me!" she declared energetically and dashed off, tail flicking with determination.
A few moments later, the sound of her running footsteps echoed again. She came bounding back into the room, holding something in her hand.
It was a cat-paw-shaped hair clip, adorable and shiny.
Her eyes sparkled like twin stars. "So cute! Is this for me, nya?"
Kouya blinked, startled, then shook his head slowly. "No."
That was the gift he’d bought earlier for Vigne. He’d picked it carefully at a small gift shop while out earlier that day. But because that mischievous loli Saikawa had made fun of him, Vigne had blushed and run away before he could give it to her. He’d stuffed it into his pocket without thinking—and now, somehow, this curious cat had found it.
Rina’s ears drooped slightly. "B-but it’s shaped like a cat, nya," she murmured, hugging it close to her chest. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Then... is it for Onee-sama, maybe?"
The miko, who had been quiet until now, paused and turned her head slightly, her calm eyes glinting faintly with curiosity—and something softer.
Kouya hesitated, but honesty won out. "No, it was for Vigne. I bought it earlier today."
"I see..." The miko nodded faintly. Her voice was calm, but the tone carried a subtle disappointment. It wasn’t enough to be obvious, but it lingered in the air.
If he’d said it was for her, she might have smiled with a mix of pride and embarrassment. But telling the truth, though proper, carried a quiet sting all its own.
Kouya rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "If you like it, I can buy another one next time."
The miko turned slightly away, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Then... thank you, Kou-kun."
Rina perked up immediately. "And for Rina too, nya~!" she cheered, holding up both hands like a begging cat.
"Alright, alright," Kouya said helplessly.
"Master, we want one too!" The bunny twins, Ai and Natsu, came running out of the kitchen, hand in hand, ears twitching, looking up with wide, pleading eyes.
Kouya sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "It’s just a thousand-yen trinket from a gift shop. Why do you all want one so badly?"
Before he could scold them further, his phone suddenly buzzed. The screen lit up with a familiar name—Gabriel.
He raised an eyebrow and answered. "What’s up?"
"Where are you? Why aren’t you back yet?" Gabriel’s lazy but irritated voice came through the line.
Kouya frowned slightly. "What’s wrong?"
"I’m thirsty," she replied bluntly. "All the drinks are in your fridge. So I’m asking when you’re coming back."
Kouya stared at the phone, dumbfounded. It was past midnight, and she was calling because she was thirsty? Did she live on gamer time?
"I’m not coming back tonight," he said evenly.
A pause. Then Gabriel’s tone sharpened. "Eh? Where are you? What are you doing?"
"At the shrine. Resting."
Another pause. Then an annoyed huff. "I actually worried you got yourself killed or something, but no—you’re just hanging out there all night. Fine! Don’t come back at all!" She hung up with a sharp click.
...
In a dark bedroom, Gabriel tossed her phone aside and rolled onto her back, glaring at the ceiling.
"That idiot! Spending the night at the shrine—at her place no less! Total pervert!" she shouted, kicking at the blanket. Her halo flickered above her head, dim with irritation.
"Whatever! Stay gone! I didn’t want to see you anyway! Hmph!"
Then, grabbing her game controller, she muttered darkly, "Let’s see who wants to mess with me tonight."
Minutes later—
"Support! Don’t charge in like that! Just heal me until jungler rotates!"
"Support, do you even speak human?! Are you, like, in kindergarten?!"
[System: The Diligent Fallen Angel is on a killing spree!]
[System: The Diligent Fallen Angel has gone berserk!]
[System: The Diligent Fallen Angel is unstoppable!]
"We’ve got one terrifying support dad here..."
"Support god, I’m calling you Papa! Please carry us again!"
"Nope, I’m not fighting that angel. She’s insane."
...
Back at the shrine, the miko’s voice broke the silence softly. "Kou-kun, is something wrong?"
"Nothing," Kouya replied, slipping his phone into his pocket.
She gave a small nod. "Alright. Drink your tea then—I’ll go take a quick bath."
As she entered the bathroom, the warm steam instantly rose around her. She paused, glancing at the towel rack, and her mind flashed back to that moment earlier. Her hand hovered near the towel Kouya had used, and her cheeks flushed pink.
Normally, she used four towels—one for her face, one for her hair, one for her body, and one for... personal use.
Too many? Anyone asking that clearly never had a girlfriend.
And of course, the one Kouya had grabbed without a thought was the towel she used for her body.
Since she washed her clothes daily, there was no need to worry about him seeing anything like panties or underwear lying around—but she had forgotten about the towels. And now, the thought of Kouya using the same one made her heart feel... complicated
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