Chapter 40: Do You Desire Butt?
Kouya suddenly felt a sharp, almost physical gaze pierce through the room like a knife.
Looking up, he saw Vigne standing frozen at the doorway.
In one hand she held a bag of groceries, the handles digging into her pale fingers, and in the other she still clutched the doorknob. Her lips were pressed tightly together, her chest rising and falling slightly, and her eyes locked directly onto them.
The look on her face was complex—a mixture of surprise, suspicion, and something that looked faintly like... disappointment.
For a moment, she didn't move. The quiet between them stretched just long enough to be uncomfortable. Then, taking in a soft breath, she tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and asked in a voice that was calm on the surface but trembling underneath, "What... what are you two doing?"
Kouya immediately caught the subtle weight hidden in her tone, that delicate tangle of emotion he couldn't quite untangle.
"We're just playing a game together!" Gabriel said brightly before he could even answer. She smiled with that pure, innocent look of hers, hands clasped together, her big eyes sparkling! "Vigne-chan, what's for lunch? I'm starving already."
Vigne blinked, regaining her composure as she forced a small smile. "I bought some bamboo shoots. I thought I'd make seafood bamboo shoot soup, and maybe some grilled fish..." She trailed off for a second, then added as casually as she could, "But why are you two sitting so close together? I thought, Gabi-chan, you and Kouya didn't get along very well?"
She kept her gaze away from them, pretending to be uninterested, but her ears were slightly red.
"He used to sit in front of me in class, remember? And he's helped me a few times before. He's not that bad!" Gabriel giggled, leaning back in her chair. "Besides, this guy's secretly a pay-to-win whale! I have to hang onto him tightly or I'll miss my chance at free carries!"
Vigne's expression stiffened, the warmth in her face quietly cooling.
Ah... something about that tone pricked at Kouya's chest. He suddenly wanted to explain himself—but how? No words would sound right. Even a demon lord had moments where he couldn't find the right words.
He cleared his throat, trying to sound natural. "Let's cook together?"
But Vigne shook her head softly. "No need. The kitchen's small anyway. I'll handle it. You... you two keep playing."
Her words were light, but her voice carried a faint loneliness that made Kouya wince inside.
He stepped forward. "At least let me help with something."
"Wait, you can actually cook?" Gabriel blinked in surprise.
Damn it, don't underestimate me like that!
If anyone looks bad here, it's you—the so-called angel sitting around gaming while Vigne does everything!
Gabriel crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks. "Hey, don't give me that look! It's a new age! Girls don't have to cook anymore, okay? Tons of them don't! And besides, I'm busy saving the world!"
Before Kouya could mock her again, she added quickly, "So hurry up and cook already, then we can continue our heroic campaign together!"
Recently, Gabriel had fallen into the depths of a cultivation MMO. The kind that promised enlightenment, glory, and endless opportunities to spend money.
Unfortunately, her heavenly allowance was a mere 100,000 yen per month (650$). Not exactly enough to sustain a true gacha lifestyle. She'd cut back on snacks, meals, even laundry—yet still couldn't afford to top up as often as she wanted. Every time a limited-time banner appeared, her heart twisted with pain.
Last night she'd even searched online for "easy high-paying part-time jobs for girls."
And of course, the internet's answers were exactly what you'd expect.
"Try compensated dating, sweetie!"
"Hey baby, where do you live? Send a picture, let's talk~"
"I'm filming a little project, need a cute schoolgirl. Only two hours of work, huge pay! Come join, you won't regret it~"
The comments that followed were even sleazier.
Gabriel had stared at the screen blankly, muttering, "Humans really are hopeless..." before closing the tab with a disgusted sigh.
Still, that hunger to spend remained.
"I just... want to spend..."
"My right hand refuses to stop clicking that top-up button!"
"I'm supposed to be the savior of the Arad Continent, not a broke salted fish!"
But Heaven's overseers monitored everything. Healing a sick kitten now and then was fine, but using divine power to make money would bring instant punishment.
And so, Gabriel had been spiraling into melancholy—until she discovered Kouya's secret: he was loaded.
A hidden whale.
If she could just pull him into the bottomless pit of microtransactions—no, the sacred path of cultivation—then as his self-proclaimed mentor, she could reap the rewards! It was a flawless plan in her mind.
Her spirits renewed, she scooted closer to him, ready to start the next phase of her grand strategy.
But before she could, Kouya calmly closed the game.
"Eh? Why'd you quit?!" she gasped, eyes wide. "Didn't we swear to save the Arad Continent together?!"
Kouya leaned back, his tone thoughtful. "Real battles aren't predictable. They depend on strength, tactics, wit, and luck. Anything can change the outcome. That's what makes them thrilling. But these monsters—" he gestured at the monitor, "—they're all scripted. The same patterns, the same responses. Once you learn them, the fight's already dead. There's no soul in it."
Gabriel blinked at him, processing that for a long moment.
Then she leaned closer, eyes half-lidded, her voice suddenly soft and teasing. "Then... do you desire butt?"
"Pffft—!" Kouya choked, water spraying from his mouth as he coughed violently.
Good god! All this just for in-game currency?! How low are you willing to go?!
He'd seen people offer treasures, beauty, even their souls for power—but never someone offering their butt! Was she secretly part of the Butt Cult or something?!
And even if she were, what use could that possibly have?!
Yet, despite himself, his gaze drifted down before he could stop it.
Her jeans hugged her hips perfectly, outlining that dangerously soft curve—round, firm, and impossibly tempting.
He snapped his gaze away, forcing himself to cough again just to cover it.
"Gabi-chan! What did you just say?!" Vigne's voice cut sharply from the kitchen, full of indignation. Clearly, she had been listening the whole time.
Gabriel jumped up in panic, waving her hands frantically. "I said it wrong! Not my butt! It's the name of a game! A game!" Her cheeks were burning bright red. "It's a PvP game! Super popular! You fight over objectives and... uh... butts? I mean points!"
Kouya massaged his temples. "Overwatch... Butt, huh."
"Exactly!" Gabriel nodded rapidly. "Totally harmless!"
...
After two matches of Overwatch Butt, Kouya had to admit—it was surprisingly addictive. The fast-paced action, the ridiculous voice lines, the chaos of explosions—it had charm.
Still, their focus soon began to fade as an entirely different scent filled the air.
The sizzling aroma of garlic and ginger hitting hot oil, the crisp sound of bamboo shoots frying, and the gentle sweetness of simmering seafood broth—it filled the entire apartment with warmth.
"It smells so good!" Gabriel whined dramatically, her little nose twitching as she rose on tiptoes for the fourteenth time to peek into the kitchen. "Vigne-chan, pleaaase tell me it's ready soon! If I don't eat, I'll literally die!"