Chapter 148: A Man and a Woman Alone
"Eh?" Vigne widened her eyes, her expression flickering between disbelief and delight, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "R-really? Are you serious?"
"Yeah," Kouya answered with an easy tone, his usual calm making her excitement seem almost exaggerated.
"Wait for me, I'll be right there! Don't move!"
The call ended, and only a few minutes later, Vigne came running down the street, her light steps splashing faintly in the puddles that had already begun forming from the humid air. She was a little breathless when she reached him—her forehead glistening with tiny beads of sweat, a few strands of hair sticking adorably to her flushed cheeks. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath, and her whole body radiated the bright, lively energy unique to a young girl bursting with emotion.
When her gaze landed on the weak Scottish Fold lying at Kouya's feet, her eyes instantly lit up with recognition and affection. "It really is Big Meow! You poor thing, where have you been?"
"Meow~ meow meow~" Vigne hurried over, crouching down and softly calling as she reached out her hands.
The cat lazily lifted its head, flicked its tail once, and gave a faint, weary meow before Vigne gently scooped it into her arms. The moment it nestled against her, she could feel its warmth, its heartbeat faint but steady.
After carefully inspecting its paws, fur, and ears, Vigne finally sighed in relief. She looked up at Kouya with gratitude. "Kouya-kun, how did you find it? I searched all over and couldn't find a trace."
Kouya smiled faintly. "Maybe I was just lucky."
But of course, luck had nothing to do with it.
Kouya wasn't someone bound by ordinary human limits. He didn't need to rely on posters or aimless searching like anyone else. If he wanted, releasing even a fraction of his true power would let him sweep across the entire region in an instant, finding anything—or anyone—he sought. But he had no need to go that far for something as trivial as a missing pet. Instead, he had simply tracked down two stray cats nearby and used a minor summoning technique to ask them for help. For cats, finding another cat was as natural as breathing.
And indeed, it had worked perfectly.
Following the guidance of those two strays, he'd found the runaway Big Meow hiding under a bench near an alleyway—a cat who had fled home after being neutered and sulking ever since.
"Thank you so much, Kouya-kun!" Vigne's lips curved into a sweet smile, her expression glowing with genuine joy. "As thanks, I'll make you lunch for the entire week! No complaints allowed!"
A sudden flash of lightning cut across the sky with a blinding white light, followed by a thunderous crack.
"Crack!"
Vigne blinked and looked up at the dark sky, frowning lightly. "Looks like it's going to rain soon."
Almost on cue, a low rumble of thunder rolled over the city, and the wind picked up—cold and wild. The leaves of nearby trees rustled violently, the air suddenly heavy with that familiar smell of rain. The suffocating heat of the day was swept away, replaced by a chilling breeze that hinted at a storm.
"We'd better head back before it pours," Vigne suggested, hugging the cat closer.
"Yeah," Kouya agreed.
They hadn't gone far when the first raindrops fell—large, cold, and heavy. Within moments, the drizzle became a downpour, each drop splattering loudly against the pavement.
Some people liked to wax poetic about rain, calling it "pearls falling from a broken string." But those people had clearly never been outside in one. They were probably sitting inside, warm and dry, drinking wine with someone in their lap and listening to soft music while pretending to feel nostalgic about nature. The reality was cold, wet, and miserable.
Kouya couldn't help recalling how even history's so-called "virtuous men" had been full of contradictions. Like Li Shen, author of "Pity the Farmers." People imagined him as a humble, kind man who cared for the poor. But in truth, he'd been an extravagant aristocrat, eating meals that cost hundreds of coins and feasting on dishes made from hundreds of chickens—just for their tongues. He was no different from the Empress Dowager herself in luxury.
Meanwhile, Kouya and Vigne were completely soaked through, their clothes clinging to their skin and their shoes squishing with every step. There was nothing poetic about it.
They finally ducked under the eaves of a small building for shelter, staring helplessly at the torrent of rain that blurred the street beyond.
"I left in such a hurry, I didn't even grab an umbrella..." Vigne muttered, biting her lower lip.
"Let's wait a bit. Maybe a taxi will come by," Kouya suggested, glancing at the near-empty street.
But it was already late. No shops nearby, no convenience stores, and the few taxis that appeared sped past without even slowing down. The city lights shimmered on the wet asphalt, reflecting the streams of water running along the gutter.
"Meow~" Big Meow whimpered weakly in her arms, its body trembling slightly from the cold.
Vigne instinctively pulled it closer to her chest, gently rubbing its head. "This rain doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon... It's really pouring."
"Weather report says it's going to last for hours," Kouya said, checking his phone. Then he nodded toward the opposite side of the street. "Why don't we go there?"
Vigne followed his finger—and froze.
Across the street stood a brightly lit love hotel. The neon sign flickered pink against the rain.
Her face instantly turned red. "I-I'm not going into that kind of place with you!" she stammered, glaring at him in utter mortification. The mere idea made her heart race uncontrollably.
'H-He's asking me to stay there?! No way! Absolutely not!'
Kouya blinked at her in confusion. "We're just going there to buy a couple of umbrellas. Or would you rather walk home like this?"
Vigne's words caught in her throat. "..."
They ran across the street through the heavy rain, their shoes splashing, their clothes soaked almost instantly. By the time they reached the entrance, their hair and sleeves were dripping.
Before stepping inside, Vigne politely wiped her shoes on the doormat and then approached the counter, her voice soft and polite. "Excuse me, do you have any umbrellas left?"
"I'm terribly sorry, we've just sold out," said the clerk, pointing at the empty umbrella stand by the wall. "You were just a bit late—someone bought the last ones a few minutes ago."
"Oh... I see." Vigne's shoulders dropped with visible disappointment.
"You could always stay for the night," the clerk offered kindly. "It's coming down pretty hard, and it doesn't look like it'll stop soon."
Vigne's face turned pink again. "I-I'll think about it..." she stammered, stepping back toward the doorway.
The rain outside showed no sign of stopping. If anything, it seemed to fall even harder, the wind carrying cold splashes beneath the roof's edge. Every few seconds, thunder rolled somewhere far off.
Kouya sighed quietly. "At this point, staying here makes the most sense. We'll just wait out the storm."
Vigne hugged the trembling cat tighter. Her fingers intertwined nervously, her thoughts a tangled mess. "M-maybe it'll stop soon... or maybe a taxi will pass by... And besides, we can't— we shouldn't stay together... right?"
Kouya tilted his head, puzzled. "Why would we stay together? We can just book two rooms."
Her eyes widened in realization. "O-oh! Right... two rooms..." For a moment, she almost laughed at her own foolishness. She was so used to saving money that she hadn't even considered the obvious.
When she caught Kouya's amused look, her face flushed again. She puffed her cheeks and raised her hand as if to hit him. "You could've said that earlier!"
'Say what earlier?! How was I supposed to know what was going through your head?!'
"Hmph~" Vigne pouted, giving him a playful glare that quickly softened into a bright smile. "Fine! Let's go then!"
They stepped back inside. The warm air of the lobby was a welcome contrast to the cold rain outside. Vigne walked confidently up to the counter this time and said, "Please give us two rooms."
"Ah, I'm afraid that's not possible anymore," the clerk said apologetically. "We did have two available earlier, but someone just booked one a few minutes ago. There's only one room left now."
"..." Vigne froze.
A flash of lightning illuminated the entire room, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
Her face drained of color as realization sank in. This... was exactly what they called shooting yourself in the foot.
If only she hadn't hesitated outside for so long, they could have had two rooms!
Kouya glanced toward the entrance, noticing another soaked couple rushing through the rain toward the hotel. Without missing a beat, he reached into his wallet, pulled out some cash, and said firmly:
"We'll take the last one."