"In the story, 'I,' the man of the house, tries every trick to short the children's tutor when paying her wages—but she…"
"She keeps silent the whole time, and at the end even says thank you."
Higashiyama Kobeni walked side by side with Su Tang, quietly finishing his sentence, timid: "I… I've read it."
Su Tang blinked.
He'd started talking on instinct after he asked, mainly because in his impression most devil hunters were more or less a bit off, with most of their schooling at junior high—some even dropping out of elementary school, or never attending.
That made him overlook the girl beside him. If not for her family, she could probably have gotten into a good university on her own smarts and knowledge.
"Senpai… I know what you're trying to say. But… I can't help it."
Head down, eyes on her toes, she said in a small voice, "I know I'm timid and cowardly and don't dare resist, but what does knowing help—I still can't overcome my nature. Maybe… I really am terrible."
As she spoke, her foot suddenly faltered and she pitched forward.
Su Tang reacted fast, catching the ties of her apron at her back and hoisting her up.
Staring at the smooth, clean pavement, Su Tang's expression went odd.
No stones, no raised edges, no obstacles… How do you manage to trip on nothing.
Left foot hooking right?
"Th… thank you, senpai."
Kobeni's cheeks flushed—whether from nerves, shame, or something else. "This is how I am… I mess up everything I do. I even trip just walking."
Seeing her face, Su Tang sighed inwardly.
Being one of the few with a relatively higher IQ among devil hunters isn't always happy.
Like Denji and Power—neither has any awareness that they're not bright. They're happy girls every day; even if something bothers them, they forget it quickly.
But Su Tang believed that Higashiyama Kobeni—who stayed in a state of "clear-eyed sinking"—wasn't that happy. She would blame herself, regret, feel pain.
Every fear and every fall would worsen her mental state by a shade—gradually dropping in self-anxiety and inner friction.
The accumulation would explode someday.
That was one of the reasons she chose to resign this time.
With that thought, Su Tang felt the resignation letter in his pocket.
He had two tasks today: counsel Kobeni, and persuade her to rescind her resignation.
Whether the latter would be done depended on her state after counseling. If she still wasn't doing well, he could only apologize to Makima.
—He wouldn't even take the resignation out.
After all, it wouldn't be the first time he refused Makima, would it.
Thinking that, the corners of his mouth lifted in a small smile.
Then he stopped, and with Kobeni raised his head.
They'd reached the shopping street.
"Have you decided what kind of phone you want?"
With tourists passing back and forth around them, Su Tang scanned the phone shops lining the street and asked Kobeni.
But there was no reply.
Puzzled, he turned and found the four-beauty-marks girl tense, darting looks left and right.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Eh—eh?!" Kobeni jumped, "ah-ah" twice, then clapped a hand over her mouth, flustered. "S-sorry, senpai, I didn't hear…"
"Worried a devil is going to pop out from either side?" Su Tang smiled. "Relax—we're not on patrol. We're just shopping. Devils aren't that punctual."
Then he remembered that the last time—and the time before—that he said that, devil-related incidents did happen. So he paused and added:
"And even if one does, we'll be fine with you and me here."
That morning, during the shooters' attack, he'd been unconscious by the time Kobeni showed up because his good-and-evil split had fused—but he'd heard over the last two days how she'd driven off the Snake Woman and Katana Man with a knife at the last moment.
They'd both been spent at the time, but Kobeni's strength shouldn't be underestimated; ordinary devils would be no problem.
Higashiyama Kobeni was thinking back to the hellish magma vision inside the Eternity Devil.
The impact had shocked her, and of course Su Tang's power had imprinted itself in her mind.
Power means security.
Thinking that, her body gradually relaxed.
She tossed her brown hair back and carefully tied it at the nape of her neck.
"Um, senpai. You just said…"
"I asked if you had a phone in mind."
"Eh… do we really have to buy one? That's… too expensive." Her clear eyes blinked. "Honestly, just having senpai come out with me makes me really happy. As for the phone… if we have to, a used one is fine. If it can make calls and send texts…"
Su Tang's brow arched.
Used? That was an insult to his wallet.
Since partnering with Public Safety to run the clinic, his luck had turned. The clinic was steady and had earned a lot; then there were talisman bounties, devil-hunting rewards, regular Public Safety salary and benefits…
Honestly, his current balance could support him walking into any supermarket and saying, "Take whatever you want—Mr. Su is picking up the tab tonight."
"Never mind, I'll choose for you."
He glanced left and right, then headed straight for a phone boutique.
Kobeni had wanted to say something, but Su Tang's stride was fast; she had to swallow it and scurry to keep up.
"Senpai…"
As soon as she stepped inside, she took a few breaths, calling softly as she looked for him.
People bustled around her; standing alone in the doorway, she felt terribly out of place.
Discount section, budget section, premium section…
Her eyes paused on the strings of numbers, then moved away with difficulty.
"What are you looking for?"
Su Tang's voice came suddenly from beside her.
This time her jump was smaller. She patted her chest and turned. "Senpai… Eh? You already bought it?"
"Mm."
He handed her a box and smiled. "Buying things is paying and taking—how long could it take? See if you like this model."
It wasn't the tippy-top, but it wasn't middling either.
Not only did it have the basics, it could take photos, read novels, play games—Minesweeper, Tetris, Snake—everything was there. You could even raise a digital pet.
All black-and-white pixels, but among the better ones of this era.
Kobeni clearly liked it—she wouldn't put it down.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
This time Su Tang accepted it with equanimity.
After all, it cost more than the one he'd broken, and he'd picked it out for her.
At the door, after they exchanged numbers, Su Tang checked the time.
Early still.
"Do you want to go home now, or keep walking?" he asked.
"Um…"
She hemmed and hawed.
He understood and, kindly, smiled. "Let's keep walking. You have family at home; they can't expect you to do everything, right."
"Mm…" She nodded, a little embarrassed.
It was rare to get out—she really didn't want to go back so soon.
As they walked, she took in all kinds of clothing shops and strange and curious goods, dazzled.
Seeing this, Su Tang asked curiously, "You don't usually… go to places like this? I remember Public Safety pays pretty well."
"I'm busy on workdays, and I have to go home after to cook for them, and my pay…" At this point she drooped. "My pay card is with my family. Food and clothing, my brother's and sister's college tuition… all from my pay."
Su Tang frowned.
If he remembered right, she had seven or eight sisters alone. Plus a brother and parents…
"They don't work? They all use your money?"
"They save their money… They say it'll be for something big later." Kobeni looked down at the grease-stained apron that set her apart from the crowd.
Su Tang was silent for a second.
"I do have an idea," he said.
"Eh?" Little Kobeni looked up.
"You can draw next month's pay from me in advance—buy whatever you want using my money for now. When you get your salary next month, I'll tell Miss Makima to transfer that part straight to my card."
He winked. "That way they can't choke off your salary."
Her eyes lit up.
Because her pay card was with her family, she had no right to decide how to spend it. But this way, she'd open a new channel for herself—no longer forced down the old clogged path!
"Thank you, senpai, but…"
She shook her head, her excitement draining away. "I already submitted my resignation, so…"
"Your resignation?" Su Tang smiled, cutting her off. He took an unopened envelope from his pocket and handed it over. "Do you mean this?"
Little Kobeni's eyes went wide.
She took her resignation, tongue-tied. "Th… this is…"
"I saw Miss Makima earlier. She still hopes you'll stay and be with everyone. But you don't need to care too much about what she wants. It mainly depends on your own will."
Su Tang thought for a moment, then added, "Also, she asked me to tell you—the half-year bonus is about to be paid."
Checkmate. Unanswerable.
As it turned out, money carried more weight than Makima.
After struggle, hesitation, reluctance, and longing all flickered across her face, the girl finally made her choice.
"Senpai. Sorry to put you to this trouble."
She tucked the resignation back into her pocket.
"It was on my way." Su Tang shrugged, clearly not having expected to complete the second task so smoothly.
With next month's salary as leverage, Kobeni began to look like a normal girl her age—joy and ease on her face as she wandered the shops.
But when she picked up novel clothes, she set them down again, reluctant to spend much.
By the time they'd walked from one end of the street to the other, she'd bought only a new JK-style skirt and shirt.
Both budget items.
Su Tang checked the time—three to four hours had passed.
He'd stayed with her the whole way and never got impatient, because he could feel it clearly: the shadow in her heart from the shooting was lifting.
A smile had returned to her face.
It was contagious—and rewarding.
Seeing the fine sweat on her cheeks, he laughed. "Tired? How about an ice cream?"
He handed over the cone he'd just bought.
"Th… thank you!"
Kobeni took it with trembling hands, stuck out her pink tongue, and tapped the snowy cream like a dragonfly touching water.
"Mmm—this is too good!"
"The last time I had one was back in grade school for my birthday… Thank you, senpai! I… I don't know how to repay you…"
Watching her lick the ice cream, even her gaze brightening, Su Tang smiled quietly.
Is ice cream really that good? The Angel Devil was like this too.
Speaking of the Angel…
He remembered he'd promised her something.
Oh—no, two things!
The security-guard job he could mention next time he saw Makima; the other—helping her buy underwear.
He'd originally planned to have Denji buy it, but she was in training, so that wouldn't work.
However…
There now seemed to be another candidate.
Looking up at Kobeni, Su Tang took out the Angel Devil's pay card, cleared his throat, and said:
"Perhaps you can repay me right now."
"Eh?"
With a bag in hand, Su Tang bid Kobeni goodbye and walked off into the sunset.
In the end it was Kobeni, face burning, who helped him buy several pieces of underwear. She seemed like she wanted to ask something, but didn't dare.
When Su Tang said it was at the Angel Devil's request, her expression only grew stranger.
He wasn't sure what she was imagining.
He'd meant to explain further to protect his shining image, but an unexpected event forced him to part with Kobeni on the spot.
He lowered his head and took the four-sided dragon head from his collar.
Seeing the blood-red dragon eye on it, he changed direction.
Yes—the "unexpected event" was that the talisman seeker had suddenly gone red!
And for the first time, it had…
Glowed red without him using his powers!
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