Chapter 163: The Purchasing Power of Loli Stockings
Inside Kouya's room.
Hinata's sweet, high-pitched voice echoed non-stop, filling the small room with an oddly cheerful chaos.
"Kou-nii, does this position feel good? Like this?"
"Hinata's still not that good at massages yet, but I'll work super hard to make Kou-nii feel great...!"
Her little hands moved up and down on his shoulders with exaggerated seriousness, her brows furrowed in concentration. She puffed her cheeks, letting out a soft hum.
"Haa... my arms hurt... I'm gonna collapse..."
She giggled between breaths, then added dramatically, "Ah! The sticky, slippery stuff is about to fall on Kou-nii! It's overflowing!"
"..."
Kouya froze. A vein popped on his forehead.
Finally, he snapped.
"Get off me! Stop trying to please me with your fake shoulder massage already!"
"Drooling while massaging is one thing, but why the hell are you using that kind of language!?"
Hinata froze mid-motion. Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears so fast it was almost impressive.
Kouya groaned and pressed his fingers to his temple. "...Go get a cookie."
Instant recovery.
"Hehe~ I knew Kou-nii was the best!" Hinata chirped, bouncing up instantly as if tears had never existed. She skipped to the snack plate, picked up a cookie, took one small, slow bite, then held the rest reverently as if it were treasure.
Kouya didn't even have time to comment before Rina, the little catgirl sitting on the floor, perked her ears and tail.
Her golden eyes gleamed mischievously. She sprang to her feet, darted to the fridge, grabbed a juice bottle, and walked toward Kouya with a smug look.
"Juice, nya? For you, master~"
'You're literally giving me my own drink and still expect a reward? Are you serious?'
"No. Get lost."
Rina jumped, her tail puffing up. The bottle slipped slightly, and a few droplets splashed onto Kouya's pants.
"R-Rina didn't mean to... I-I wasn't trying to spill it!" Her voice quivered, and her ears flattened. Her eyes glistened with panic as she fidgeted in place.
When Kouya didn't respond, she let out a small sniffle... then, with trembling hands, began to lift her skirt.
'Hey, what are you doing!?'
"A-Ai and Natsu told me... when apologizing, you have to show your chest... it's the basic law, nya..."
'What kind of disgusting law is that?'
Her pale little stomach was already showing. Her smooth skin caught the light of the lamp.
'You're a youkai! Shouldn't you know it's suicide to show your belly to the enemy? Put it down now!'
Kouya's sharp tone made her flinch. She quickly dropped the hem of her skirt, pouted, and put the juice on the table.
Then, as if trying to make it up to him, she bent forward, stretching her back as she reached down to her knees and began slowly rolling down her white thigh-highs.
The motion was slow—too slow. Her small hands fumbled, tugging at the soft fabric as it slid down her smooth legs.
It should have been innocent, but the coffee table in front of her was made of glass—and glass reflected everything.
Kouya's gaze slipped down for half a second.
'Damn it.'
In that reflection—bright and clear—was a childish, cartoon-style pair of bear-print panties.
'Why can't I look away? No, this isn't what it looks like. My neck's just stiff from sitting too long. I'm not a lolicon!'
"W-What are you doing now!?" he barked.
'If you're wearing a skirt, don't bend like that. That's a forbidden pose. Do that in prison, and you'll regret it for life!'
The catgirl finally managed to pull one stocking free, her face as red as her eyes. She held it up timidly. "C-Can I... trade this for a cookie?"
'What in the actual hell? You think stockings are some kind of rare currency?'
'Even if you handed over those bear-print panties, you wouldn't get a single crumb.'
Rina's ears drooped. "But... the movie said high school boys get sick and die if they can't smell a girl's stockings... and that stockings from girls under fourteen are priceless..."
'What kind of cursed movie was that? Don't insult all of humanity. Go apologize to every teenage boy alive.'
Before Kouya could speak, something poked his back.
He turned—and found Natsu and Ai, the bunny twins, blushing from ear to ear, each holding a stocking of their own.
"Master... these are ours... please take them..."
'You've got to be kidding me. I'm not a stocking collector.'
And then—creak.
The door slid open.
Four sets of eyes froze. The air went still.
Ruri, who had just returned from shopping, stood there—elegant and calm. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke in a light, neutral tone.
"Kouya-kun, am I interrupting something? Should I come back later and let you... finish?"
'Oh, here it is. The cold, merciless tongue of a true queen.'
'Not a single insult—but it still cuts deeper than a blade.'
Kouya coughed. "They were just... trying to trade their stockings for cookies."
"Ah, I see." Ruri tilted her head with a polite smile. "Then perhaps Kouya-kun could return the stocking in his hand to Rina? It's chilly today—she might catch a cold."
Rina turned scarlet, let out a squeaky meow, grabbed the stocking, and bolted into the bathroom.
Kouya sighed. A glance at the clock showed it was already five-thirty. No wonder she was back. Those little devils had completely derailed his day with their ridiculous antics.
Ruri began preparing dinner while the girls helped. The kitchen filled with soft chatter, the sound of chopping vegetables, and the faint aroma of simmering soup.
Since there wasn't much space, Kouya wisely stayed seated—his contribution to dinner was simply to wait and eat.
Then—ding dong. The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Hinata called, hopping toward the door.
She swung it open—and froze. "E-Eh!? Tenshin-neesan!?"
Standing outside was none other than the lazy angel herself.
"Yo, Hinata." Gabriel waved casually, pinching the girl's cheek. "Don't call me neesan. Call me big sister."
"Why did Tenshin-oneechan come?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Because I live next door," Gabriel replied flatly. Her eyes drifted to Kouya. "I just finished a game, took off my headset, and heard little girls next door. Thought you were finally losing it and going after kids, so I came to exorcise you."
'You're supposed to be a Christian angel. Why are you talking like a Daoist priest? Jesus would weep if He heard this.'
Gabriel stepped in lazily. "Wait—it's not even the weekend. Why are you all here?"
"Because Kou-nii made the yummiest cookies ever!" Hinata said proudly.
"Cookies?" Gabriel's eyes sparkled. She picked one up from the tray, took a bite... and froze. "Eh? This is... actually good."
Her face brightened with unholy excitement. She grabbed another. "Weird... let me check the flavor again..."
By the time she reached for a third, every loli in the room was glaring at her like puffed-up squirrels defending their stash.
"Stare——"
Gabriel let out a dry laugh and pulled her hand back. "I-I'm done. Totally done."
Dinner came and went, and darkness fell fully over the neighborhood.
Ruri packed up the leftover cookies neatly, gave a graceful bow, and said, "Thank you for the meal, Kouya-kun."
'You're the one who cooked, served, and cleaned. I literally just sat here and ate.'
"Kou-nii, we're leaving!" Hinata waved. "Come play this weekend, okay?"
"Rina's leaving too, nya~" The catgirl waved, her ears already tucked away since Gabriel showed up.
The bunny twins hopped to the door together. "Master, should we stay and warm your bed?"
"No! Get out!"
Ruri smiled faintly. "Then, we'll be off."
"Mm." Kouya nodded.
Ruri turned toward Gabriel. "Aren't you heading back too? A girl staying alone in a man's room seems... inappropriate, don't you think?"
Gabriel froze mid-step. "E-Eh!? I-I was just about to go!" She turned pink and hurried for the door.
Hinata smirked. "Those cookies were made for me. Big sister Gabi wouldn't steal them, right?"
Gabriel forced a smile through gritted teeth. "O-Of course not! I don't steal from children!"
She waved goodbye and left with the energy of a dead fish.
...
Outside, the group crossed the small bridge together. Hinata took out the precious cookie she had earned earlier. She held it up like a holy relic, eyes gleaming with joy.
She bit off a crumb.
Then—the night wind howled. A chill swept past. Dust stung her eyes.
"Ah!" she cried, jerking in surprise. The cookie slipped from her fingers, spinning into the darkness and falling into the flowing river below.
"Waaaah! My cookie! My bedtime cookie!"
She leaned over the railing in panic, clearly ready to jump in after it.
Ruri pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's enough. We're going home."
"But... my cookie fell!" she whined.
"I'll give you another when we're back, all right?"
Hinata's expression instantly brightened. "Big sister, you're the best!"
Beneath the bridge, the half-eaten cookie floated slowly along the current, spinning, glinting faintly under the moonlight—until a small, translucent hand reached out of the water... and picked it up.