Chapter 114: The Pleasant Scent
"Kanna, want to try it on?" Tohru raised the pair of cat-ear headbands in her hand with a grin, her tail swishing slightly as her golden eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yes." Kanna nodded firmly, her soft voice like a small bell.
"Let me!" Vigne's eyes brightened as she leaned forward, carefully selecting a pair of creamy white cat ears. She gently placed them on Kanna's head, adjusting them with delicate precision.
"So cute!" Vigne clasped her hands together, completely enchanted. The way the soft fur contrasted against Kanna's silver-blue hair made the young dragon look like a plush toy come to life.
Wearing the white cat ears, Kanna looked soft, fragrant, and impossibly adorable. The faint scent of sweets seemed to surround her as she blinked her wide eyes. Vigne's gaze softened, her heart melting as if struck by pure moe energy. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.
Then something brushed lightly over her own head. An odd tickle. She froze. Slowly turning around, she found Raphiel standing behind her, smiling in that infuriating, all-knowing way that made people's instincts scream danger.
"Raphy, wh-what are you doing?"
The angel didn't respond. Instead, she pulled out her phone, the lens gleaming, and—click, click, click!—took a burst of photos with professional precision.
"Wha—what was that!?" Vigne reached up in confusion, her fingers brushing soft fur. She grabbed it and yanked—a pair of black cat ears came off her head. Her face immediately turned crimson.
"Raphy! How could you do that to me!"
"Now, now, don't be shy. There's no one else watching," Raphiel cooed, tapping her lips with a finger. Her silver hair shimmered as she tilted her head, her smile pure mischief. "That face you just made was too good not to capture. Definitely worth keeping forever."
The devilish angel twirled her phone between her fingers, satisfied. "Ahh, what a wonderful day to be alive."
"Delete them! Right now!"
A brief scuffle broke out. Moments later, a startled shriek echoed across the store.
Raphiel's record of the day: Defeated by Vigne's 'boob grab counterattack.'
The two glared at each other in silence—one fuming, the other grinning through the pain.
Raphiel recovered first. "Hehe, judging by that look on Kouya's face, he's probably thinking something H right now, isn't he?"
Shut up! →_→!
That's not lust—that's pure judgment!
Vigne's blush deepened. She turned her head, glaring at Kouya before hastily setting the cat ears back on the shelf, pretending to be very, very busy.
Tohru blinked, looking genuinely curious. "Eh? So humans see cat ears and immediately think about H stuff? Really?"
Where are you getting your information from!?
If that were true, every single school in Japan would be an H academy!
Tohru leaned in, sniffing softly. "Sniff, sniff..."
Kouya stiffened. "What are you doing!? Don't sniff around like a lost dog!"
Tohru circled him once, her nose twitching like a curious kitten. When he glared daggers at her, she raised both hands quickly. "Wait, wait! It's not what you think!"
"Then what exactly are you doing?"
"Kanna said Kouya-sama smells really nice. So I checked, and she's right! You have this calm, soothing scent... not at all like an ordinary human's," Tohru said sincerely, her eyes lighting up in wonder. Then she puffed out her chest proudly. "But still, any H requests are strictly forbidden! I belong to Kobayashi-sama!"
Shut your mouth! Who the hell would even make such a request!? You'd crush a man to death before anything could happen!
Tohru tilted her head, blinking innocently. "But Kouya-sama does glance at my chest when he visits, doesn't he?"
The temperature in the room dropped instantly as Vigne turned her gaze toward him—sharp, piercing, full of judgment.
It's not like that! I was just wondering how your uniform hasn't exploded yet under that pressure!
Tohru touched her chin thoughtfully. "Well, H things are off-limits... but maybe using my boobs as a greeting gift wouldn't be too bad."
You still remember that!? What kind of culture even allows that as a greeting!?
"No! Absolutely not! Get lost!!"
...
In the end, Vigne didn't buy any cat ears, but Kanna and Tohru each picked a pair, giggling happily. Raphiel, of course, bought one too—probably planning to cause more chaos later.
At the register—
"Hello, that'll be forty-three thousand yen (280$)," the cashier said pleasantly.
"F-forty-three thousand!?" Tohru nearly jumped. "That's so expensive! Kobayashi-sama gave me fifty thousand yen (325$), but... that might not be enough!"
The cat ears themselves were cheap, but that sleek school bag Kanna picked cost thirty-eight thousand yen alone (250$).
Japanese elementary school bags were on another level—durable, multi-functional, and stuffed with gadgets like GPS trackers, safety alarms, and reinforced padding. Basically military-grade for tiny humans.
"I'll cover the rest," Vigne said, pulling out her wallet.
Before she could pay, soft footsteps made Kouya turn. He spotted Kanna quietly walking back to a shelf, returning a rabbit-shaped keychain with a faint, guilty look.
Didn't expect that—you're more thoughtful than you look.
Kouya smiled faintly and stepped forward. "I'll pay."
He slid out his card casually. The shrine maiden's commission payment—twenty-five million yen (about 163,000$)—had arrived a few days ago. A single bag was pocket change.
"Thank you, Kouya. I'll make sure to report your kindness to Kobayashi-sama," Tohru said with a little bow.
Kouya waved it off. "Don't worry about it."
As he tucked his card away, he felt a soft tug on his sleeve.
He turned to find Kanna standing there, gazing up with her big blue eyes, holding the same rabbit charm in her tiny hands.
Her lips parted slightly. "Stare—"
Her gaze was disarming, sweet, and full of silent longing. Kouya sighed, giving in immediately. "Fine, you can have it."
Kanna's face brightened instantly. She hugged the keychain close, her tail swishing with joy.
...
Their next destination was the uniform shop.
"Kouya-sama, Kanna's going to throw a fit here, right?" Tohru whispered, leaning close enough that he could feel her breath against his ear.
Kouya kept his tone flat. "This is the school's official supplier. We can't buy from anywhere else."
"Aha! I knew it!" Tohru declared, clenching her fist. "It's a conspiracy! Probably run by the principal's brother-in-law!"
Stop shouting that! The shopkeeper's awkward smile says it all!
Thankfully, the shopping didn't take long. The uniforms and shoes all looked nearly identical, so choices were simple. They paid, packed everything up, and stepped outside into the sunlight.
Tohru raised her arms and let out a long sigh. "Ahh, shopping complete!"
Kanna mimicked her instantly. "Ahh! Complete!"
Seeing the little dragon's eyes gleam with excitement, Vigne smiled softly. "Looks like someone's really looking forward to school."
Kanna nodded shyly. "Mhm."
"How do you feel? Nervous? Happy?"
Kanna tilted her head. "Happy."
Vigne chuckled and gently patted her head. "Then study hard, okay?"
The ultimate move for handling little girls—the head pat. Guaranteed effectiveness.
With a mental ding!, Kouya could practically see a glowing message above Kanna's head:
[Blue-Eyed Dragon Favorability +1.]
He checked the time. 10:30 a.m.
"Should we start heading back?" Raphiel suggested. "We still need to meet up with Gabi and the others before catching the train to the hot spring resort."
Vigne nodded, then looked at Tohru and Kanna. "Would you two like to come along?"
Tohru blinked. "Eh? Me? Well... now that I think about it, I haven't soaked in magma for a long time. I kinda miss it."
"It's a hot spring! Not magma!" Vigne shouted, flustered. "Stop saying terrifying things!"
Tohru giggled. "Sorry, sorry. Still, I have chores to do, so I'll pass."
"Then what about Kanna-chan?" Vigne asked hopefully.
Kanna looked up at Tohru, ready to shake her head, but Raphiel's sly voice interrupted. "You know, there'll be all kinds of delicious food there. Stuff you've never tasted before."
Kanna's ears perked up. "Lots of delicious food?"
"Mhm. Big resort, lots of fancy dishes. You'll love it. Want to come, Kanna-chan?"
"Want to eat!" she answered instantly, her tail twitching with enthusiasm.
Raphiel's record of the day, part two: Successfully lured one blue-eyed dragon.
Vigne chuckled and nodded at Tohru. "Then we'll take good care of her. We'll head out around noon, stay overnight, and return tomorrow afternoon. No need to worry."