Chapter 260: It's Not a Date
"Pfft—!"
The sound of liquid spraying echoed through the restaurant like a small explosion. Vigne froze, her eyes wide, droplets of juice glistening in the warm light as they fell in slow motion onto the table. Conversations in the surrounding tables paused; a few heads turned curiously toward the commotion.
Kouya reacted instantly. Calm and efficient, he grabbed the tablecloth in one swift motion and raised it as a makeshift shield. The fabric caught most of the juice midair, but a few splashes still managed to land on his sleeve and chest.
Outside the window, pressed against the glass like an overexcited child, was a red-haired girl whose face screamed hunger and curiosity. Her wide ruby eyes fixated on the food inside, nose nearly squished against the pane, breath fogging up the glass. It was a pitiful yet strangely comical sight.
And just as suddenly as she appeared, someone yanked her away from view.
Vigne blinked, still processing, until recognition hit her. Her voice rose in disbelief. "Satania?!"
Kouya blinked too, half in amusement. But Vigne had already leapt to her feet and turned toward the entrance. Through the glass, she saw a familiar ahoge vanish from sight—one that could only belong to a certain self-proclaimed future ruler of Hell.
Pressing her lips together, she strode briskly to the door and threw it open. Sure enough, just outside, Rikka crouched like a spy, one eye peeking through the window crack. Behind her stood Alice, Raphiel, and Gabriel, pretending to be totally innocent bystanders.
"Ah! She's giving off killing intent!" Rikka yelped, spinning dramatically. She raised her hand to her covered eye. "Evil Eye of the Tyrant... awaken—!"
A crisp smack cut her words short.
Vigne stood tall, hand raised, expression stern. "Stop fooling around."
Rikka crouched down, clutching her head and pouting tearfully. "Ow! Vigne is bullying me again!"
Vigne ignored her. Her gaze swept over the others, icy and sharp.
Alice averted her eyes immediately, cheeks flushed. "W-we were just walking by... honest!"
Gabriel stifled a yawn, hands deep in her pockets. Raphiel, as graceful as ever, gave a cheerful wave. "Good afternoon, Vigne-chan."
Vigne's tone could have frozen lava. "What are you all doing here?"
Raphiel clasped her hands sweetly. "Oh, nothing much. I just happened to follow Gabi-chan here."
Vigne arched a brow. "Gabi-chan?"
Gabriel huffed immediately. "Don't blame me. I saw Satania sneaking behind you, so I came to see what she was up to."
Everyone's eyes turned toward Satania.
Caught red-handed, the redhead froze, hands covering her stomach. "I was hungry! You were eating baumkuchen earlier, and it smelled so good! But they wouldn't let me have melon bread, so I... I followed!"
Vigne sighed through gritted teeth.
So she hadn't imagined that uneasy feeling earlier. They'd been tailing her and Kouya the whole time. 'Every single one of them.'
Biting her lip, she exhaled sharply. Being followed on what should've been a calm outing was infuriating.
Before she could say a word, Satania raised a hand brightly. "Vigne! I'm starving! Can you buy me melon bread?"
Vigne pinched her forehead. "You idiot... If you're hungry, go buy some yourself. Why are you telling me that?"
She spun on her heel and returned inside, her heels clicking sharply.
The group shared nervous looks.
"She's mad, isn't she?" Alice whispered timidly.
Raphiel smirked. "Maybe we should send Gabi to hug her leg and beg forgiveness. That always works."
Gabriel recoiled in horror. "Not happening."
...
Back inside, Vigne sat down, cheeks still faintly pink from embarrassment. She remembered the earlier mishap and glanced shyly at Kouya. "S-sorry about your shirt... I didn't mean to spit juice on you."
Kouya waved it off. "It's fine. Really."
She looked down, fidgeting. "Still... I'll wash it for you later. Bring it over, okay?"
Before he could respond, the door opened. The others walked in casually and found seats right next to them, pretending like nothing had happened.
Vigne groaned softly. "Where's Gabi?"
"She went home to play games," Raphiel replied, giving Kouya a sly smile. "So, Kouya, are you and Vigne on a date?"
Vigne turned scarlet. "W-we're not on a date! We're just eating dinner! Don't say weird things!"
Raphiel giggled behind her hand. "My, my, that sounded awfully defensive."
Kouya sighed inwardly. Raphiel was clearly trying to distract Vigne—and it worked. Her anger melted into flustered panic.
Satisfied, Raphiel changed the subject seamlessly. "Speaking of dates, I read a manga where the main guy kept cheating on different girls, so his punishment was kneeling on a washboard."
Alice's eyes lit up. "That's too easy! He should kneel on a durian instead. That's the true way to repent!"
Kouya blinked. 'Why are you all looking at me right now?' (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Satania jumped in eagerly. "Ooh! I saw this ad for a 'Pain Remote' that demons use for punishments. You hold it and—zap! It hurts! Demons love it!"
Kouya rubbed his temple. 'Hell's merchandise department must be running out of ideas...'
...
Soon, the meals arrived. The table filled with steaming plates—golden omelet rice drizzled with ketchup, crispy chicken cutlets, miso soup, and a fresh salad with juicy tomato slices. The aroma filled the air, warm and inviting.
Then Rikka froze. Her expression darkened dramatically. She poked one tomato slice suspiciously and shoved it aside. "These are cursed fruits! The crystallization of evil! Eating them will corrupt your soul!"
Vigne sighed. "Don't be picky. Tomatoes are healthy."
Rikka pointed dramatically. "They can kill you! I read a report! Tomatoes have lycopene—a natural toxin! It's mostly in the leaves, but even the fruit has traces. If you eat too much, you'll die!"
Vigne blinked, bewildered. "Tomatoes are poisonous? Since when?"
Rikka nodded sagely, her ahoge swaying. "Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it's not true!"
Vigne's voice flattened. "And how much would you have to eat for that to happen?"
Rikka raised her fingers dramatically. "About... four tons. In one day."
Silence.
Vigne's expression darkened with exhaustion. 'Anyone who eats four tons of tomatoes will die from overeating, not poison.'
Kouya struggled not to laugh. Even Raphiel was hiding a grin.
...
By the time they finished eating, the tension had melted away. The chatter turned soft, the restaurant dimly lit with the last glow of the sunset. The golden light fading through the windows painted everything in soft orange hues.
Vigne stood, straightening her skirt, and looked at Kouya. "I'll head to the café now. You take Kanna home first, okay?"
Kouya blinked. 'Take her home?' The tiny dragon didn't need protection; she was probably more dangerous than anyone nearby.
'Wait—did she just say first?'
"My shift ends at eight," Vigne added gently. "Bring your shirt then. I'll wash it for you."
Her smile was small but warm as she left, the glow of the restaurant lights reflecting in her hair.
Outside, the city lights flickered on, blending with the deep violet of dusk. The air carried the scent of street food and faint music from afar.
After Vigne's departure, Satania and Rikka drifted off together, leaving Kouya with Kanna. The little dragon still held onto his sleeve, short legs pattering softly beside him. He smiled faintly, letting her cling.
They walked home under the soft hum of streetlights. At Kobayashi's apartment, Kouya chatted briefly with her and Tohru before setting off again, the moonlight shimmering across the quiet streets.
His phone buzzed just as he turned a corner.
The caller ID flashed: Miko-san.
Her calm, gentle voice flowed through the line. "Kou-kun, are you there?"
"Yeah."
Her tone dropped. "There's something I need to tell you. It's about Suzuki Ninosuke—the one you fought last week—and the organization behind him, the Truth Society."
Kouya slowed his steps, the air around him cooling.
He remembered that battle—the way the ground cracked beneath him, the flash of madness in his opponent's eyes. Afterward, he'd given Miko the soul stone he'd collected. He hadn't expected it to matter.
But Miko's next words carried a heavy weight. "We've confirmed it now. The incident at the abandoned shrine... was orchestrated by the Truth Society."
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster