Chapter 76: Kobayashi: Even If I See Ultraman Fighting a Monster...
Ryohei made a video call to Yurine so she could also participate in choosing the doghouse. After some discussion, they chose a classic A-frame style, but opted for an upgraded version that came with a small window and a door. The large-sized house should be big enough for Beto for a while. In addition to the house itself, they picked out a few accessories to decorate it.
Afterward, at the employee's recommendation, they also bought a large pile of pet supplies: pet bowls, dog food, a collar, a leash, nail clippers, pet shampoo, and so on.
While they were looking at collars, Minos picked one up, tried it on herself, and then asked Ryohei if it looked good. The employee standing nearby started giving them a very strange, almost envious look. Ryohei's mouth twitched. He really wanted to explain: It's not what you think! We're not in that kind of relationship! My girlfriend is in the grooming room! But in the end, he said nothing. Trying to explain would just make it weirder.
Because the video call was still on, Yurine saw the whole exchange. Her mood was… complicated. She was sure Minos didn't mean anything by it and was just asking for a fashion opinion, but Minos was just so… well-equipped. And her personality was so cheerful and charming.
Doesn't Jashin-chan have any male friends? Yurine complained internally.
At that exact moment, Jashin-chan, who was enjoying a relaxing soak in the second-floor bathroom of the new house, let out two big sneezes. She rubbed her nose, suspicious. "Someone must be talking about me behind my back," she declared. "It's not easy being such an excellent demon; people are always thinking about you." She leaned back against the tub, a folded towel on her head, and grinned. "By the way, I got to the bath first today. This is a rare opportunity. Should I pee in the tub and let them soak in my urine? Hahaha! I'm so evil!"
"Is it not his turn yet?"
When Ryohei and Minos arrived at the grooming room with their bags full of supplies, Beto was still sitting patiently at Yurine's feet.
"No, but he's next," Yurine replied softly.
"Their business is pretty good," Ryohei commented. He put down the bags and knelt to pet Beto. He had always liked cats and dogs but found the idea of raising one himself to be too much trouble. But now… he wasn't raising him alone. And if things got difficult, he could always leave it to Jashin-chan. She was a great beast of burden.
"Woof!" Beto wagged his tail and trotted over to the bags, sniffing them curiously. He then looked up at Ryohei, his big, round eyes asking if the contents were for him.
"They're all for you," Ryohei said with a smile. "We even bought you dog food. You can eat when we get home. It's not good to eat right before a bath."
Just then, a groomer in a work uniform and apron came out. "Your pet is next," she said, then looked down at Beto. "What breed is he? He doesn't bite, does he?"
"No, he doesn't. Beto is very gentle," Yurine said, scooping him up and giving him a final pat. "Be a good boy and get your bath." She then handed Beto to the groomer.
"He's a very rare breed of dog from a foreign country," Ryohei explained with a perfectly straight face. "They grow up to be very large and handsome, so the locals call them 'Magical Beasts'."
The groomer, not doubting him for a second, looked at Beto with amazement. "Is that so? Well then, Beto, let's go get you cleaned up."
"You're quite the storyteller, Heian-kun," Yurine said with a smile after the groomer had left.
"I mean, I'm not wrong," Ryohei said with a shrug. "The Demon World is technically a foreign country, and the 'locals' like Jashin-chan do call him a magical beast. Is there a problem with that logic?"
"No problem at all!" Minos said, her eyes wide with surprise. "Now that you put it that way, it makes perfect sense." She had been completely won over by his reasoning.
After his bath, Beto's cuteness level had increased significantly. His fur was now fluffy and soft, looking much smoother and shinier. Ryohei handed the new collar and leash to Yurine, letting her do the honors.
"Woof, woof—!" Beto was clearly not used to the collar and tried to paw it off. But he stopped when Ryohei said, "With this, you're a pet with a home now, not a stray magical beast cub." The magical beast cub will never be a slave, unless room and board is included!
Later, after they had returned home by taxi, Minos began assembling the doghouse by the light of the front porch lamp, with Ryohei acting as her assistant. Yurine filled a pet bowl with dog food and another with water and placed them in front of Beto. But Beto just sniffed them, then trotted over to the food cart and let out two hopeful barks.
"Hey, you're a smart one, aren't you? You know where the good stuff is," Ryohei said, ruffling his head. "We're all sold out for today. Eat some dog food for now. I'll save you a portion tomorrow."
"Whine~," Beto's entire body seemed to deflate, his tail drooping sadly. The sight made everyone laugh.
Meanwhile.
Kobayashi, weary from a long day of work, returned home under the cover of night. "I'm home," she called out as she opened the door.
"Welcome back!" Tohru, the dragon maid, came running to the genkan with a radiant smile. "Ms. Kobayashi, would you like dinner first, or…"
"Dinner," Kobayashi replied, cutting her off with practiced ease.
"O-Okay," Tohru's energy dipped for a second, but she immediately perked back up, pumping her fist. "Listen, listen! I have a big surprise for you tonight, Ms. Kobayashi!"
"A surprise? What is it?" Kobayashi asked, her eyes full of suspicion as she changed into her slippers. It wasn't a special occasion, was it?
"Just close your eyes, Ms. Kobayashi," Tohru said mysteriously.
"Eh? Fine, fine." Though she was sure it was going to be a disaster, Kobayashi obediently closed her eyes. Tohru guided her by the shoulders into the living room.
"Welcome home, Ms. Kobayashi," Kanna said, pulling out a chair for her.
"Thanks. How was school today, Kanna?" Kobayashi asked, still with her eyes closed as she was guided into the seat.
"It was fun," Kanna replied in her signature soft, monotone voice.
"That's good."
"Okay, Ms. Kobayashi, you can open your eyes now!" Tohru said, stepping back to proudly present the dinner she had prepared. "Ta-da—! This is a dinner filled with my love, just for you! What do you think? Surprised?"
On the table was a spread of bizarre dishes, all glowing with a ghastly, purple light. Kobayashi was shocked.
Σ(°Д°;
"W-What… is this?" I knew it wasn't going to be a good surprise, she thought.
"It's the glowing cuisine that you humans love! I saw a street interview about it today, so I specially prepared it for you!" Tohru announced, puffing out her chest with pride. "I used my magic to make it delicious, and I poured all of my love for you into it!"
"Don't put weird magic in the food!" Kobayashi retorted. "At a glance, I thought you had poisoned it! And are you sure you were watching a street interview? There's no such thing as glowing cuisine in this world!" She was sure Tohru had just watched some fantasy anime and gotten a strange idea.
"Huh? There isn't? But that's impossible!" Tohru said, surprised. "I definitely saw a street interview, and I saw the glowing food…"
"You probably just saw a TV show," Kobayashi insisted, pulling out her phone. "Glowing food doesn't exist in reality. Look, I'll prove it…" She opened her browser and searched for, "Does glowing food exist in this world?"
And then…
"Huh?"
"Huh-huh-huh-huh-huh?"
Kobayashi stared at the search results, leaned closer to her screen, and pushed her glasses up her nose in disbelief.
Ever since meeting Tohru, she had found that this world was becoming more and more unfamiliar. Next time, even if she saw Ultraman fighting a monster on the street, she wouldn't be surprised at all.
~~~
Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 1 extra chapters
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter