Chapter 8: Jashin-chan Plays with Fire!
"I'm done with my shower."
Yurine walked out of the washroom wearing a beige pajama dress. The collar, cuffs, and hem were all adorned with cute frills, and she wore a matching pair of sleep pants that reached her calves. Her skin, fresh from the bath, was rosy and looked incredibly soft. She had also taken off her usual hat and eyepatch, and her twintails were let down, her hair now falling freely over her shoulders.
Whoa! Beautiful lady, who are you?! Ryohei's eyes went wide.
Yurine was cute in her gothic lolita outfit, but this limited-edition pajama version was stunningly beautiful. A true super-beauty! Then again, he recalled that "super-beauty" was part of her actual character setting.
Ryohei felt his heart stir with a genuine flutter of attraction.
"Ahem. Ryohei-kun, the shower is free if you want to use it now," Yurine said. Noticing his wide-eyed stare, she felt a strange wave of shyness, cleared her throat, and quickened her pace into the bedroom.
"Okay."
Inhaling the pleasant fragrance she left behind as she passed, Ryohei stood up. He plugged the tablet in to charge—the battery was getting low—then grabbed a fresh set of underwear from his shopping bag and headed for the bathroom.
Living with a girl you weren't dating was, admittedly, a bit inconvenient.
As he entered the washroom, he could smell the lingering fragrant steam from the shower. He closed the door behind him, and his eyes subconsciously glanced toward the laundry basket by the bathroom door.
Yurine's underwear and stockings were well-hidden beneath her gothic lolita dress. Ryohei, of course, would never do something as perverted as rummaging through a girl's laundry or sniffing her clothes. That would be just too creepy.
He calmly placed his own boxers on a shelf, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and then stepped into the shower. After rinsing off under the showerhead, he looked at the steaming bathtub, which was filled with green-tinted water from a bath bomb. He hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and stepped in.
"Ahhhh, this is the life!"
The warm water enveloped his entire body. It was wonderfully comfortable. Soaking in a bath was truly one of life's great pleasures.
Ryohei closed his eyes and leaned back against the smooth wall of the tub, letting his mind drift to what he should sell at his food truck tomorrow.
The most common street foods here in Japan were things like ramen, yakitori, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, taiyaki, various types of dango, karaage, and crepes. That's what he'd seen on their walk tonight.
He ran through the options in his head. Ramen was too complex for a one-man food truck. Takoyaki required special equipment. But then, an idea hit him. Onigiri. Rice balls. They were simple, beloved by all, but also held limitless potential. He could start with classic fillings like salmon and pickled plum, and then, once he was established, he could introduce some of his own "Glowing Cuisine" signature creations. He would show the people of this city what a simple rice ball could truly become!
As for his schedule, he decided to open in the evenings. He wasn't a morning person, and working at night meant Yurine could come with him for protection, just in case he ran into any Ghouls. He didn't trust Jashin-chan to protect him; she was completely unreliable. Besides, their relationship wasn't exactly great right now. She was still calling him a traitor, after all.
With his short-term plan sorted, Ryohei got out of the tub.
He dried himself off with a towel, changed into his new underwear, and walked back out to the living room. He slipped into the fragrant futon Yurine had prepared for him, picked up the tablet from the floor, and called out toward the bedroom. "Jashin-chan, you can go shower now."
The moment he spoke, he heard the bedroom door open. He glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the tablet to continue his research.
Noticing this, Jashin-chan snorted. Lying in bed playing on the tablet had always been her privilege. But now, the tablet was gone! And her bath time had been pushed to last! Her status in the household was clearly dropping.
The damned traitor!
Feeling extremely disgruntled, Jashin-chan stomped toward the bathroom. Ryohei completely ignored her powerless rage, his eyes glued to the screen.
"..."
Once inside the bathroom, Jashin-chan's eyes fell on the laundry basket, and a wicked smile spread across her face.
"That traitor… Hehe, time to frame him for something!"
Jashin-chan scurried over to the basket and fished out a certain piece of mysterious fabric. She spat on it several times for good measure, then tried to put on a look of shock. Unable to contain her glee, she burst out of the washroom, holding the fabric aloft like a trophy.
"Yurine, it's terrible! That traitor took your—BEEP, BEEP—and did—BEEP, BEEP—to it!"
"Holy crap!" Ryohei's jaw dropped as he watched Jashin-chan blow past him like a hurricane. He threw off the covers, yanked on his pants, and yelled, "I didn't! It wasn't me! She's framing me!"
In the bedroom, Yurine, who had been playing on her phone, shot up in bed. She stared in shock as her door slid open and Jashin-chan barged in, holding her underwear with a look of pure, malicious glee. Then she heard Ryohei's frantic denial.
Yurine didn't know who was lying, but she knew Jashin-chan was more than capable of pulling a stunt this shameless. As for Ryohei… she didn't really know him well enough yet.
Yurine's face turned beet red—whether from shame or anger, or both, she couldn't tell. She could just feel her cheeks burning up.
Ryohei, now fully dressed, launched himself at Jashin-chan's back with a flying kick.
"Framing someone for something like this is too much, even for you!" he yelled. "You scumbag snake!"
Perhaps because she was too busy gloating, and completely unprepared for an attack from Ryohei, the kick landed squarely. Jashin-chan went down with a spectacular face-plant, and the mysterious fabric flew from her hand, landing right in front of Yurine.
Yurine looked at it. Then, with a subtle movement, she brought it closer and took a discreet sniff.
She now knew exactly who was lying.
Her expression instantly turned to ice. A low, terrifying pressure began to emanate from her body as she threw back her covers and rose to her feet. She looked down at Jashin-chan with cold, emotionless eyes.
"Jashin-chan, you've really crossed the line this time. Have you decided how you want to die?"
"Huh? N-No, it wasn't me! It was him! Him!" Even with death staring her in the face, Jashin-chan tried to shift the blame, pointing a trembling finger at Ryohei.
"Heh."
A cold, mirthless laugh was Yurine's only reply.
In the next moment—
"Die!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH—!"
A great tragedy unfolded within the room.
Ryohei, however, felt completely vindicated. He quietly backed out of the bedroom and even thoughtfully slid the door shut for them.
"You totally deserved that, Jashin-chan!" he chuckled to himself, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. He then took off his pants again, got back into his warm futon, and continued his research on the tablet.