"Thanks for the meal~"
After gracefully wiping her mouth, Yakumo Yukari clasped her hands together, looking perfectly content.
After surviving a month of starvation thanks to Ran's refusal to cook, Rin's dinner had been nothing short of heavenly.
She's definitely coming back tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Marisa was already sprawled out on the floor, completely motionless.
Her fair, round stomach peeked out slightly from under her shirt, visibly bloated from overeating.
She rubbed her stomach, smacking her lips sleepily before her head flopped to the side, eyes half-closed as if ready to drift off at any moment.
Rin fetched a blanket and pillow, tossing them over her before turning back to clean up the table.
Yakumo Yukari rested her cheek on one hand, watching him work with amused interest.
"Rin, you're quite the domestic type. You know, a good man like you is in high demand~"
"You can say whatever you want, but I still notice that you're sitting there doing absolutely nothing to help."
"Ah~ But didn't I already promise to give you a wife? Surely that's worth a little special treatment. Besides, I have a rare disease where washing dishes could kill me."
Yukari's tone was casual and playful, but with a flick of her hand, the empty plates and trash on the table floated toward the kitchen on their own.
Only after everything was neatly taken care of did she pick up the bottle of sake she'd brought, taking a satisfied sip. A delicate blush bloomed on her already alluring face.
Her slender figure stretched out lazily as she leaned back onto the floor, looking completely at ease.
Rin rolled his eyes at her dramatics but still rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.
Just as he turned, Yukari suddenly pulled a camera from a rift, aimed it at his side profile—
Click!
The camera's shutter snapped cleanly.
A photo slowly slid out from the camera. Yukari gave it a light shake, her smile deepening as she admired Rin's rather photogenic side profile.
The next moment, she opened a new rift and sent the picture to a darkened room.
Inside the dim room, a soft light flickered to life.
A serene figure dressed in a Taoist-style long robe stepped barefoot into the room.
Her face was delicate and graceful, but her golden eyes were bloodshot from sheer exhaustion.
Behind her, nine fluffy tails drooped lifelessly, the fur visibly dull and split at the ends—clear signs of overwork and stress.
Removing the cute sleeping cap that barely covered her fox ears, Yakumo Ran had just been about to collapse into bed when the photo on the table caught her attention.
Her weary eyes narrowed as she studied the picture.
Who is this?
An assassination target?
Or… Yukari-sama's new "interest"?
Sensing that this might be part of a new assignment, Ran sighed and tossed the photo aside before collapsing onto the bed.
At this point, she just wanted to sleep.
If the whole house burned down tonight, she'd still choose sleep over survival.
But after a few seconds of silence, she begrudgingly sat up, retrieved the photo, and scowled at it.
If Yukari-sama is bringing back strange men… this household will definitely fall apart without me.
Back at the shop, Yukari suddenly choked on her sake and coughed softly, casting a suspicious glance at Rin, who was still wiping down the table.
"Rin… you're not thinking about something strange, are you?"
"???"
Rin shot her a deadpan look.
What the hell is this hag talking about now?
Judging from his blank expression, Yukari tilted her head thoughtfully.
After downing the last sip of sake, she gracefully rose to her feet, opening her folding fan with a playful smile.
"It's getting late. I'd better head home and warm up my cold, empty bed~ See you tomorrow."
As the rift began to close around her, Yukari's gaze drifted toward Marisa, who was still passed out on the floor.
"A lone man and a sleeping girl under the same roof in the dead of night… Rin, you'd better behave yourself~"
"Don't slander me without proof! I'm a proper man!"
Rin's face hardened into a righteous expression.
If you asked anyone in the Human Village, they'd all agree that Rin was a paragon of morality and virtue!
Before Yukari could respond, Marisa suddenly twitched in her sleep, clutching her pillow tightly.
"No… I can't… If this keeps up… I'll break…"
"Next time… I swear I won't do it again…"
"Wait—why… why are you taking your clothes off?!"
"..."
Rin's mouth twitched violently.
His gaze slid toward Yukari, whose playful smile had sharpened into something dangerously amused.
This girl isn't seriously faking this, right?
"Ahem. That's… purely coincidental. Doesn't count."
"Let's hope you keep that same energy when I bring my kid over tomorrow, Rin. I'd hate for them to stumble across anything too 'adult.'"
Yukari's playful parting words echoed as she disappeared into the rift.
Rin's gaze slowly returned to Marisa.
After a moment of silence, he picked up a new pillow and—
Whap!
—slammed it down over her head.
Marisa didn't even flinch.
Her breathing remained steady, and her soft snores filled the room.
Seeing that she wasn't waking up anytime soon, Rin sighed, pulled the blanket over both of them, and settled down next to her.
Just as he said—he was a proper man.
The blanket was his.
The pillow was his.
Therefore, sleeping in his own bed was completely justified.
Marisa was the one who had snuck into his bed.
But since it was late and he was such a generous person, he decided to let it slide this time.
He'd give her a proper scolding tomorrow.
Satisfied with his reasoning, Rin closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
…
But only a few minutes later, the snoring started again.
Snrrrk—shrrrk—
The sound was sharp and jarring, cutting through the quiet like a power drill boring into his skull.
Rin's eye twitches violently.
Enough!!!
Reaching out with a dark expression, he pinched Marisa's nose.
"Mmph…! Hmm—hmm—!!"
Marisa's arms flailed wildly for a moment before she instinctively switched to breathing through her mouth.
Her adaptability was so terrifyingly fast that Rin almost felt impressed. Almost.
He let go of her nose.
Silence returned.
Finally, peace.
Rin sighed and closed his eyes.
But not even half an hour later—
SNRRRRK—SHRRRRK—
BAM!!!
Rin's foot shot out, launching Marisa out of the bed.
She slid across the floor like a ragdoll, clutching the pillow to her chest as she rolled into the corner of the room.
'Finally' Satisfied, Rin rolled over and drifted off to sleep.