Vol. 2 Chapter 1.2 – Secret Evaluation Criteria
by PinkPanther“Stop it, stop it───────!”
Kaga Ryousuke’s scream echoed across the dinner table where dessert, slices of watermelon had just been served.
“I’m begging you, please, anything but that topic, don’t make me remember those accursed memories!”
GANGAN! He slammed his head repeatedly against the dining table, Ryousuke pleading desperately.
“You’re so noisy. Did you awaken to being a masochist or something?”
“Of course not! I just don’t want to hear it! Everyone has at least one trauma switch that flips just from hearing something!”
In response to Ryousuke’s protest, Lisara blinked several times.
“W-Well, maybe you’re right…”
“Right!? Right, right, right!? So that’s why I don’t want you to continue that story. You get that, right? Please, understand!”
“Rejected.”
“You answered instantly!?”
“Listen, if we don’t find the Singular One quickly, both you and I are in trouble, right?”
“That’s true, but still, I really don’t want to hear it, and I don’t want to meet them either. It’s impossible. My pride will be shredded to pieces, so I absolutely refuse.”
Ryousuke stood up.
“W-What now?”
Lisara, sitting across from him, looked up at him, slightly overwhelmed. After staring into her face for a moment, Ryousuke—
“Like this!”
—shouted and then energetically dropped into a deep dogeza bow. Of course, being under the table, it wasn’t clearly visible…
“R-Ryousuke-kun!”
Ookura Mina peeked under the table, but unsure of what to do, she just panicked helplessly.
“You really didn’t need to go as far as doing a dogeza, you know.”
Lisara’s exasperated voice came from above the table.
“But still!”
He pressed his forehead firmly against the floor.
“Look, doing stuff under the table doesn’t help—I can’t even see you. This is just pointless, so hurry up and lift your head already.”
Haa~, Lisara sighed.
“U-Um, Ryousuke-kun, it’s not really good for boys to do dogeza like that so often…”
Mina, still peeking under the table, brought her hands together in front of her face. Hearing that, Ryousuke began to realize how uncool he must look right now.
“Yeah, you’ve got a point.”
He scratched his head awkwardly in embarrassment, lifted his head slightly to undo the dogeza, and now properly sat in seiza beneath the table. Then, he let out a long sigh, haaaa.
“What’s wrong now?”
“Lisara, you really don’t get it, do you? I’m disappointed. Honestly, it’s a letdown.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“With black stockings, it’s gotta be white!”
“…Huh?”
“Legs wrapped in black stockings, their sharp shape, that seductive gleam of black gloss—if you really want to emphasize that appeal, it has to be white underneath! Specifically, a pair of simple, innocent white panties with just a tiny ribbon! The contrast with the mature black makes it really hit hard, you know!?”
Yes—Ryousuke’s line of sight was locked onto Lisara’s panties. And that, to him, was utterly unacceptable. Panties with pink flower prints on a black base? That just killed the whole allure of the black stockings!
“On top of that, if the uniform skirt flips up, it has to be white underneath—white, damn it! The golden rule of panty flashes is whiteeeee!”
Overwhelmed with frustration, tears welled up in Ryousuke’s eyes as he let his forehead hit the floor again. He slammed the ground, DON DON, venting the raging humiliation building up inside him.
“Or they could be character panties! Like with a teddy bear or a little mouse—those I’d allow! If Lisara wore something like that, that gap would be amazing! Yes! Just imagining that red hair wrapped in childish panties gives me chills—actual chills!”
When he closed his eyes, he could see it—the image of Lisara’s skirt flipping up and a cute character design sitting right on her butt.
Mm, that moe gap is real nice.
“And that’s why—I demand you change your underwear!”
Wiping his tears, Ryousuke lifted his head.
“Huh?”
Lisara’s knees were now firmly closed inward. Naturally, the bewitching zone beyond was hidden from view.
“Uh… why aren’t you showing me?”
“Do I look like some kind of pervert woman!?”
The retort came without a second’s delay.
“Jeez, maybe I should just stomp on you as you are!”
Still keeping her knees tightly shut, Lisara lightly raised her slipper-clad right foot.
“Wait, Lisara—”
“I’m not actually gonna stomp you! It’s a joke, a joke! Now hurry up and get out from under there!”
“No, that’s not it.”
Ryousuke crawled out from under the table and crossed his arms.
“What’s with that serious face?”
“Lisara, you still don’t get it. If you stomp me while wearing slippers, that’s just plain violence!”
“But I didn’t actually step on you! I told you, it was a joke!”
“No. You don’t get it, Lisara.”
Uncrossing his arms, Ryousuke grabbed both of Lisara’s shoulders from the front.
“W-What are you doing…?”
Lisara flinched and furrowed her brows, staring at him.
“Listen up, and listen well. Do slippers hold a man’s fetishistic spirit? No—they don’t. But boots, or high heels? Those are different. They carry a spirit, forged with soul-burning passion. Their owners maintain them, put care into them—that’s where the human warmth lives.”
“What the hell are you talking about…?”
“Don’t you get it? Even in stepping on someone, even in using your foot to subjugate them, there is a minimum level of etiquette involved. Understand this: take off the slipper properly. Use your bare sole. Transfer your body heat through the sole to the other person. At that moment, what was violence becomes—yes—a reward! A divine reward to me!”
Lisara narrowed her eyes. But Ryousuke remained blissfully unaware.
“And besides! Wearing stockings in this summer heat, having them get just a little moist—now that’s some real top-tier stuff!”
“Ryousuke…”
Her voice dropped low.
“What? I’m not backing down from this.”
“Let me say just one thing.”
She shot him a frosty glare.
“What is it?”
“My feet don’t get sweaty. And I don’t have athlete’s foot.”
Lisara placed her hand gently on Ryousuke’s chest.
“W-Wait a second! I never even mentioned athlete’s foot! Please—stop! Don’t suck away my will to live!”
“Sometimes I wonder, Ryousuke… How can you forget that my 《Broken Sword Gram》 is stabbed into your soul? If you go out of control, I’ll use that to suck out your perverted thoughts—your spiritual energy and convert it into Spirit Money. You do remember that, don’t you?”
Shinigami convert spiritual energy into Spirit Money to use as power. Normally, they collect Life Jewels—condensed Spiritual energy—when a contracted human dies, and use that as energy. They also gather the tiny trickle of spiritual energy emitted constantly by a living contract holder to maintain their presence in the human world via the spell 《Existence Bond Raise》. In exchange, they support the human’s life.
But Lisara was a little different.
“I already drained your spiritual energy for《Existence Bond Raise》a few days ago, didn’t I!?”
That’s right—Lisara draws on the strongest spiritual energy, the very force of life itself, from the Gram sword stabbed into Ryousuke’s soul to sustain that technique.
“And yet, look who bounces right back. Normally, once someone’s life force is drained, it takes time to recover—but you? Your pervy spirit comes bouncing back almost instantly! Just how much of an irregular pervert are you, Ryousuke!?”
“I mean, when I see something lewd, my soul just… stirs, y’know? Like it can’t sit still.”
“Haaah… Normally, when your lust is drained, you’re supposed to lose interest…”
When Ryousuke flashed a smug grin with a fuh, Lisara twisted her lips into a sly smirk.
“Well then, guess I’ll drain you again. Knowing you, you’ll be back in no time anyway. So no problem, right?”
“Wait, hold on! Even if I do recover fast, there’s still that period of emptiness…!”
Dokun—his soul throbbed. It was being drained. Ryousuke’s very will to live was being pulled out through the 《Gram》 embedded in his soul—right into Lisara.
“Fuu… As always, when your perverted impulses go wild, the amount of spiritual energy you release is totally beyond a normal human. You really are a strange one.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Lisara let go of Ryousuke. He stood frozen for a moment, then sluggishly returned to his chair and sat down.
“Haaaaaaaah…”
He let out a deep, heavy sigh.
“Y’know what, whatever… Just keep going with the story, Mina.”
Ryousuke knew full well that Mina’s story was going to dig up a traumatic memory for him. He knew, and yet, he couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it any further.
‘Besides, why did I even turn that into a trauma in the first place…? Haa~aaah…’
He flopped his arms onto the dining table and let his head roll over like a limp noodle.
“Lisara, is Ryousuke-kun really okay…?”
“He’s fine, he’s fine. Happens all the time, and he always recovers, doesn’t he?”
Lisara brushed off Mina’s concern with a light laugh.
“Besides, when Ryousuke’s soul goes perv-mode and explodes, the spiritual energy is impressive. Sure, it’s not on the level of a Singular One who can hold enough spiritual energy to match thousands or tens of thousands of people by themselves, but still.”
“But Singular Ones are like… heroes or amazing people, right? It’s not fair to compare them with Ryousuke-kun… That’s why even Lisara is doing her best to find one before anyone else does, right?”
“Well yeah. A Singular One is that rare. That’s exactly why capturing one would be the perfect achievement for me to inherit the Restall name.”
Lisara clenched her fist with resolve.
“That’s why we have to find one quickly. Only first-class Shinigami like me can form an exclusive contract with a Singular One, but Melro Life Insurance is deploying Shinigami to schools too. Even though the ones sent are lower-ranked, Melro still has a few first-classes in their roster. So I can’t afford to be careless.”
“By lower-ranked Shinigami, you mean… Malbec-sensei, right…”
“Exactly. And besides, the very information that there might be a Singular One in this city came from Melro in the first place.”
“Understood.”
Mina nodded, and resumed the conversation.
“As of yesterday, we’ve already gone through all the students who are really popular.”
Apparently, there was a high possibility that the Singular One was among the students at Momozono Academy. And those types often tend to be the popular ones. Ryousuke felt so far removed from that topic, he could only let out a weak neck twitch.
“However, there are still a few… um, individuals who are special in other ways. And I mean, seriously… really extraordinary individuals.”
Mina glanced at Ryousuke. He, as usual, had his head slumped limply over the table. Seeing that, Mina gave a small nod and seemed to brace herself as she began again.
“Umm… there’s a group known as the Momozono Eight Eccentrics. And—believe it or not—Ryousuke-kun is one of them.”
“Ryousuke is!?”
Lisara raised her voice in shock and stared closely at Ryousuke’s face.
“What?”
Ryousuke glared irritably back, prompting Lisara to turn her head away with a hmph and lift her chin.
“But Mina, that name『Eight Knights』or whatever sounds kinda strong, But as you know, Ryousuke has absolutely zero strength in his arms or anything.”
“Ah, I think the kanji’s different. It’s not『knight』like in cavalry—it’s『ki』as in『strange.』”
TL:
Lisara misunderstood it as 八騎衆 Hakkishū (Eight Knights), expecting strength and honor.
Mina corrected her: it’s actually 八奇衆 Hakkishū (Eight Weirdos), a tongue-in-cheek school label.
“Huh… So you mean they’re like, the Eight Weirdoes of the Academy or something?”
Lisara asked, blinking in confusion.
“Yes, exactly. Apparently, they’re always chosen during the end of the school cultural festival.”
“I see… That explains why Ryousuke would hate it.”
“Well, not that I really care either way, but that’s not even the part I was protesting. I mean, I don’t care if they call me Erosuke and lump me in with the Eight Weirdos. Because I am a pervert.」
“Don’t act so proud of it…”
Lisara placed a hand to her face and let out a sigh.
“Then what memory is it that you don’t want to remember? For a normal person, just being publicly known across the whole school as Erosuke would be a soul-crushing shock that you’d never recover from.”
“Um, Ryousuke-kun’s name was already echoing through the school halls by the end of first semester in our first year. It’s apparently really rare for a first-year rookie to get picked.”
“Huh… I’m amazing, aren’t I.”
“That’s not praise, not even close. It’s absolutely not praise…”
Lisara dropped her head in tired exasperation.
“W-Well, whatever. Even if they’re eccentrics or weirdos, they’re like Ryousuke, right? Then we shouldn’t expect too much. As you know, Ryousuke isn’t even remotely a Singular One—he has far less spiritual energy than your average person. He’s a total nobody.”
“A-Ahahaha, b-but they’re all odd in ways different from Ryousuke-kun…”
Mina gave a dry chuckle as she started explaining.
“Two of the original eight have already graduated, so they’re not the Eight Weirdoes anymore—just the Six Weirdoes now. Besides Ryousuke-kun, another member is a senpai you also know well, Lisara—Tamano-senpai.”
“That dumbass. Sure, he was a weirdo and a pervert, but spiritual energy-wise, he was totally useless.”
“Um, then there’s the tea ceremony club president, Gojou Arashi, who goes by the alias《Chaste Beast of the Fields》. She’s a former champion of the middle school girls’ aikido tournament and a stunningly beautiful girl—but she absolutely loathes men. Apparently, most male students pass out just from making eye contact with her, since she radiates such killing intent. Even Ryousuke-kun, when he joined the club as a trial member, ran away after five minutes.”
The memory came flooding back to Ryousuke’s mind.
His instincts screamed at him to run, but she was so beautiful, and she wore a kimono and that was really enticing—so he endured as long as he could. But in the end, he fled. He had never felt such murderous intent before.
“That’s incredible. She must be seriously skilled.”
“Yes. There’s even a story that when five punks tried to hit on one of her underclassmen, she sent them all to the hospital.”
“T-That’s terrifying…”
Lisara’s face tensed up.
“Then there’s Sugira-senpai, who’s known as《Number 69》. No matter what test he takes, he always scores exactly 69 points.”
“What even is that?If he can do that on purpose, he must be capable of much higher scores…”
“He just really likes the number 69… or so they say.”
As both Lisara and Mina tilted their heads in confusion, Ryousuke spoke up.
“You guys don’t get it? Try saying『69』in English.”
The moment he said that, Mina’s face went kaaa bright red. Lisara, still unaware, translated it innocently—
“Let’s see…『sixty-nin—』RYOUSUKEEEEE!!”
—and her face also went completely red.
“A-Ahem. Anyway, let’s move on. Erosuke is Ryousuke-kun, and Pink Boxer is Tamano-senpai, so… ah, then there’s《Pretty Monster》—”
“──！”
It should’ve been no big deal. And yet, Ryousuke’s soul throbbed in an instant. It was a memory he really hated.
“Ryousuke-kun?”
“No, it’s just… yeah, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”
It ached. But dealing with it felt like too much trouble.
“He seems okay, so let’s keep going.”
“Yes. That person is Onizaki-senpai, president of the girls’ pro wrestling club, and the one who took third place in the school festival’s beauty contest. She founded the club herself and even gathered ten members. She’s a really cute girl with a ton of initiative.”
“Wow, so she’s got leadership qualities too. That sounds… promising.”
Lisara nodded in satisfaction—but Mina gave an uneasy smile.
“What is it?”
“There’s more to the story…”
Yes. This is where Ryousuke’s trauma truly begins.
“More…?”
“Doesn’t it seem strange that the pro wrestling club has ten members but still hasn’t been promoted to official club status?”
“Now that you mention it, that is weird. There must be a reason—like maybe something dangerous.”
“Well…She’s the only girl.”
At that, Lisara fell silent. She slowly started piecing it together.
“Ah…So it’s like a fan club built around the president.”
“There’s an advisor for the club, and that advisor is also one of the Eight Weirdoes— Ranbashi-sensei, who’s known by the nickname《Immortal》. You know, the one who looks like an elementary schooler despite being a teacher…That’s why she’s called Immortal.”
Ranbashi-sensei—a female teacher just shy of her 30s.
“Can I confirm something real quick?”
Lisara touched her temple and asked Mina.
“It’s girls’ pro wrestling, right?”
“Yes.”
“And if the advisor’s the only female, then…you’re saying all the members are male?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“But she took third place in the beauty contest!!”
The memory came into Ryousuke’s mind—clear as day.
That humiliating moment.
“It wasn’t even a swimsuit contest, but Onizaki-senpai appeared in a swimsuit anyway. Ryousuke-kun said she was a super cute, sporty, boyish girl!”
“W-Wait… don’t tell me—”
Lisara turned and looked at Ryousuke’s face.
Tears were welling up in his eyes. He thought he didn’t care anymore. And yet… the tears came.
“You voted for that guy, didn’t you…?”
Lisara pressed a hand to her face and sighed.
“So that’s the memory you didn’t want to remember. Well, yeah… for a normal person, being officially recognized by the whole school as Erosuke would be enough trauma to never recover from.”
“Um… most of the first-year boys were mentally devastated… and apparently voted for Onizaki-senpai.”
Mina added, almost as if shielding Ryousuke.
That tight, healthy-looking swimsuit appeared vividly in his mind. A slight air of loli-like beauty… At the time, Ryousuke had definitely thought,『Yeah, this is kinda okay too.』Yes, he had absolutely thought it.
And the saddest part is—just remembering it… kind of made him happy. His soul even felt a little bit lifted.
Yes.Even though that person was actually a man!
That’s how cute he was…
“Egu, gusu, gusu…”
Ryousuke couldn’t stop the tears from falling…
“I see. So that’s your trauma.Well, I can’t blame you—just a little.”
Lisara gave a tired chuckle with a shrug. Though her words were technically comforting, the undertone was clearly one of exasperation—though maybe Ryousuke’s negativity was just hearing it that way.
“Still, based on what we’ve heard, let’s start by checking out Onizaki-senpai and Gojou Arashi-senpai.”
“Are you skipping Sugira-senpai and Ranbashi-sensei?”
“Ranbashi-sensei’s fine to skip—she just has a childish body type. As for Sugira-senpai… yeah. Yeah, I really wanted to avoid him because he’s just that weird. But alright, I guess we’ll check him out too.”
Lisara held her hand out to Ryousuke.
“What?”
“The roster. With the class list, we’ll know what class each of them are in.”
“Aaah… the class list, huh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh… I kinda accidentally threw it away.”
“………………”
Lisara gave him a look that could freeze the sun.
“Mina, sorry for making more work for you because of this Ero-suke.”
“It’s okay. I’ll ask my friends and put together a list with their classes and student numbers.”
“Thank you, Mina. Unlike Ryousuke, you’ve really been such a big help.”
“Hey! I’ve been useful too, okay!? Like when I fought Kyuru!”
Ryousuke used every last bit of his remaining energy to protest.
“Remember that heroic scene when I awakened the《Broken Sword Gram》in my soul and drove Kyuru back? You’re not gonna pretend you forgot that, right!?”
“Heroic, huh?You just got all worked up from seeing me naked and poured all your lust into《Gram》to awaken it. That’s… seriously embarrassing.”
“Can’t help it! My will to live is my lust, okay!? Besides, you’re the one who stabbed《Gram》into the depths of my soul in the first place!”
Don! Ryousuke slapped his chest dramatically. Lisara let out a deep, long sigh.
“Honestly, that《Gram》too…To think it awakened from being pumped full of lust—ugh.I mean, yeah, spiritual energy is spiritual energy, but still… it’s embarrassing.”
Lisara turned away from him with a groan.
“Hey! That’s not fair. I worked really hard, you know!”
Even as he protested, Lisara kept her face turned away with a hmph.
“Fufu, Lisara-oneesama always gets stubborn when it comes to saying thanks or showing appreciation. She’s just really bad at it, isn’t she?”
The voice that cut in from in front of the TV—slightly away from the dining table was none other than Kyuru Zeria, the very topic of conversation. Though younger and smaller than Lisara, her chest had already surpassed hers. With her soft, wavy hair and doll-like pretty face, she looked like a living porcelain figure. But inside, she was something else entirely—a girl who could betray Lisara, whom she once admired like an older sister, without hesitation. She even aimed for the heir seat of the Restall family, one of the most prestigious houses in the realm of the Shinigami.
“Kyuru.What exactly do you mean by that?”
Lisara’s temple twitched visibly as she glared at Kyuru.
“Oh, just what I said. Well, if I had to add anything…
Every time Onee-sama makes that sulky face, it’s always just her being shy.”
Kyuru grinned with a niyaniya smile. Lisara didn’t respond—she just clenched her fist tightly on top of the table.
“So I hit the mark, huh?”
Ryousuke was gently whispered to by Mina—but he started to speak, then hurriedly shut his mouth. At some point, Lisara had begun glaring daggers at him with full force. He was way too scared to say something like 『She totally is.』
“Really now, Onee-sama always goes full hysteric so quickly. Don’t you agree, Caesar?”
Kyuru petted the German Shepherd dog lying beside her. Caesar was the Kaga household’s beloved pet—an alpha even among the neighborhood dog society. Thanks to that, Kyuru had embedded her own《Dragon-Slaying Sword Rigil》into Caesar’s soul and was drawing spiritual energy from him.
That said, Caesar—unlike Ryousuke was built differently. He didn’t fall apart or get exhausted from having his spiritual energy drained.
“Kyuru. You do know I could send you straight back to the Shinigami World this very moment, right?”
“Araa, if you did that, I’d have no choice but to spill the beans about your little solo operation~”
Lisara and Kyuru glared at each other.
Meanwhile, Ryousuke was busy picking watermelon seeds in the most low-profile way possible, terrified out of his mind. Caesar, unfazed as ever, scratched behind his ear without a care. And so, all hopes for defusing this cold war rested on Mina—but…
“Ah, it’s already eight. I should be going home now.”
She was very clearly looking for an escape.
“Then I’ll walk you part of the way.”
Not wanting to be left behind, Ryousuke stood up quickly. But Lisara grabbed his hand and pulled him back into his seat.
“W-What is it, Lisara?”
“Ryousuke. Just to confirm—you don’t think I go hysterical all the time, do you?”
“Oh, but Ryousuke-san does think so, doesn’t he? You’ve caused him a lot of trouble after all.”
Lisara and Kyuru both demanded an answer almost simultaneously.
Honestly, Ryousuke did think Lisara was a bit… hysterical—or at least quick-tempered. But if he admitted it, she would 100% get mad. Because, well… she’s quick-tempered.
That said, Kyuru’s cute doll-like face, staring up at him with such innocence, made it really hard to ignore her. Even if her personality was pitch-black inside…she’s still a girl, and girls should be treated gently. Always.
As Ryousuke wrestled with his inner conflict, Mina said:
“It’s a well-lit street, and I know the way. I’ll be fine walking alone, Ryousuke-kun. Thank you for worrying about me.”
She left with those words, having already finished gathering her things.
She added a final『Good night』on her way out.
And so—Ryousuke’s retreat was cut off.
He was abandoned in a living nightmare.
His stomach twisted from the stress, and fifteen minutes later, he would rush to the bathroom with a face pale as death…
※ ※ ※
“Fuuuu~”
Ryousuke let out a blissful sigh as he flipped through the pages of a young men’s manga magazine. This week’s opening feature was on the high school gravure idol, Iria. She had skyrocketed to fame thanks to her appearance in a Melro Life Insurance commercial. With her mature-for-a-high-schooler voluptuous chest, flawless blonde hair, and gentle, healing aura, she had captured the hearts of men across the nation.
“Ahhh~ Iria-chan’s boobs really are something… Just looking at them stirs up this deep, primal craving…”
He pressed a hand to his chest—and another between his legs. Unfortunately, because Lisara had just drained him, he didn’t quite ignite the way he usually would.
Still, he could feel something hot slowly rising inside him. Both his chest and that part were gradually warming up.
For Ryousuke, who had a strong preference for large breasts, Iria was practically a godsend. He had even converted the Melro commercial into a video file for his phone, so he could carry it with him at all times.
And this week’s featured spread was packed with dangerously skimpy swimsuits, maid outfits, Chinese dresses, and shots of her covering her ample chest with just her hands—tebura style. For fans, it was the kind of gravure spread that could cause a nosebleed.
Having just had his libido drained, and with stress piling up from being caught between Lisara and Kyuru, this was true healing for Ryousuke.
“Boobs… Ahhh, these big, soft-looking boobs… Fuu~, I’m telling you, boobs are filled with dreams and hope…”
It was only natural that words of happiness slipped out of his mouth.
Then, from in front of the TV—where she had apparently scheduled a late-night anime recording—Kyuru, without warning, remarked:
“Oh my. If that’s true, then doesn’t that mean Lisara-oneesama has neither dreams nor hope?”
She stated it so casually—and yet so cruelly.
Ryousuke flinched, for an instant at her words and then let out a long sigh. Lisara was currently in the bath.
“Look, if Lisara were here right now, she’d absolutely flip out.”
“Fufu. That scared little reaction just now—doesn’t that prove that even you think Onee-sama is hysterical?”
Kyuru turned to him with a mocking look.
“H-Hysteria is just, uh, y’know… being a little short-tempered, that’s all.”
“Hmph. Still trying to cover for her at this point? What a devoted feminist you are. Oh wait—is that just for Onee-sama?”
“Don’t be stupid. I care about you too, you know.”
“Haa!?”
“I mean, without Caesar, you can’t even stay in the human world, right? And you can’t go back to the Shinigami world empty-handed either, from what I hear.”
Like Lisara, Kyuru had also entered the human world illegally. She tried to frame Lisara and failed—so one could say she brought it on herself.
“Knowing that, even if you were my enemy at one point, I couldn’t just abandon a girl like that. So yeah—go ahead and freeload all you want.”
“You’re a hopeless feminist, I swear.”
Whether flustered or not, Kyuru lightly twirled a strand of her wavy hair around her index finger.
“Don’t make that face. Unlike Lisara, you don’t suck away my will to live. To me, you’re harmless.”
“Honestly, the way you and Lisara-oneesama interact is just bizarre, fufu.”
With a soft laugh, Kyuru stood and walked over to Ryousuke, who was still seated at the dining table. Though she was petite, when she stood next to seated Ryousuke, her ample chest—which was impressive for her age—lined up perfectly with his eye level.
“Very well. In that case, I’ll freeload to my heart’s content. And to avoid stressing out our host too much, I’ll even dial back how often I tease Lisara-oneesama—from this very moment on.”
Kyuru spoke with a sweet tone, but Ryousuke’s focus wasn’t on her words—it was on her outfit. Her clothing, befitting of an Ojou-sama, featured a frilly long skirt and a tightly cinched waist. But most importantly—her neckline was… completely open.
Yes—her upper chest, her top cleavage, was fully exposed.
Thanks to her pushed-up cleavage, something Lisara didn’t have, a distinct valley was clearly showing.
And right now, that cleavage was right beside Ryousuke’s face. With just a slight glance to the side, that soft-looking fruit entered his vision. His lips curled into a reflexive grin. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to turn and stare directly. Looking that intently felt too embarrassing.
So, Ryousuke ended up bowing his head and darting his eyes nervously, his behavior becoming suspicious as hell.
“Is something the matter?”
Kyuru leaned forward, peering down at him with a puzzled look.
‘T-Too close—wait, it just jiggled! I swear it bounced—tayun!—just now!’
Inside Ryousuke, his soul threw its hands up and started cheering. His usual restraint was nowhere to be found. The desire that had been bubbling inside now roared into full flame.
‘Iria-chan’s boobs really moved me, but reality—REAL boobs—just hit different! Ughhh, there’s warmth, the scent shoots straight into my brain, and above all, right now—I’m…’
He flared his nostrils and took a deep breath.
“I’m breathing the air that just touched boobs!!”
GATAN!!! Something clattered loudly.
“Eh?”
When he looked, Kyuru had moved about two meters back, now covering her chest with her arms.
“Aah, what a waste!”
“It is NOT a waste! Ugh… You just had your lust drained by Lisara-oneesama, so how in the world are you still that excited!?”
Her face turned bright red as she glared at him with a biting gaze.
“Fufu, even that glare of yours just gets me fired up.”
He gave her a big thumbs-up with his fist and flashed a dazzling smile.
“What’s with that stupid【We both gave it our best!】pose!?”
“Now, now, don’t be so guarded. Yeah, I’m a pervert, but I’m a safe pervert.”
“Safe?”
“I haven’t committed a crime—yet!”
“That’s supposed to be a given!!”
She shouted him down without missing a beat.
“Ugh… I’m feeling just a little nervous about living here now…”
“Hahaha, can’t be helped. When you put a pair of bare, soft-looking boobs with full cleavage right in front of someone’s face, even a shriveled soul is gonna stand up and salute.”
“Your phrasing is also vulgar… Haa~…”
A deep, deep sigh.
“From now on, I’ll try not to excite you so easily. After all, unlike Lisara-oneesama, Kyuru’s chest seems to be lethal to you, Ryousuke-san.”
“It’s not like Lisara’s doesn’t excite me too, y’know.”
“Really? Kyuru thought you were just into large busts.
That’s what I was taught—guys always like big ones.”
“That’s… kinda an oversimplification. I mean, yeah, I do like big ones, but small ones have their own charm too. There’s fun to be had either way.”
“Hmm… That’s strange…”
Kyuru pressed a finger to her lips and tilted her head, lost in thought.
Just as Ryousuke was about to ask what she found strange—
“Hey! Can you come here for a sec!? I need help—!!”
Lisara’s shout echoed from the bathroom.
“Hey, she’s calling for you.”
“Hmm… Kyuru’s thinking about something important, so could you go instead?”
Whatever it was she was thinking about, she seemed really serious. Not wanting to interrupt, Ryousuke nodded.
“I’ll leave it to you then.”
As he stood and walked toward the bathroom, Kyuru sent him off with a sweet—no, a sly smile.
“So… what does she want?”
Ryousuke casually opened the door to the dressing room.
“Took you long enou—”
Lisara froze. No—Ryousuke had already frozen about half a second earlier.
The door separating the dressing room and the bath was halfway open.
Lisara leaned out, gripping the edge of the door with her left hand, while covering her chest with her right arm—in an incredibly defenseless posture.
Her chest, which couldn’t be called large even as flattery, was pressed down by her right arm, forming the slightest, delicate curve.
But more than anything else… Ryousuke noticed something.
He couldn’t see what was underneath. But he could see what was above.
Yes—her navel.
‘A g-girl’s… n-navel!?’
Sure, he had seen navels in gravure magazines and such. But this was the first time seeing one in person. Lisara’s waist, pulled tight and firm, had no unnecessary fat—just a beautifully drawn curve continuing around her hips.
And in the center of that—sitting modestly—was her navel.
That line… that soft, faintly pink-tinged skin, heated from the bath…Down it ran drops of water—whether sweat or steam, he couldn’t tell. But they trailed down her body all the same.
“O-Oooohhh… I was careless. To think… to think this was also a form of fetishism! Girls… girls really are treasure chests of wonderssssss!!”
A roaring flame erupted within Ryousuke’s soul. Lisara twitched at the corners of her mouth at his outburst. Then—
“How long do you plan on staring!?”
She slammed the door shut with a snap. Ryousuke scratched his head, a little dazed.
“Hmm… maybe that was a reward. Like, refilling the spiritual energy Lisara just drained out of me.”
“As if! Why the hell did you come here in the first place!?”
Her voice rang out through the door, echoing with the distinct acoustics of a bathroom.
“U-Uh… I mean, I was called over, but… what did you need again?”
“Why did you come and not Kyuru!? Ugh, just—get out of there already!”
“Out of here… oh, you mean the dressing room. Got it.”
Ryousuke stepped out into the hallway, making sure to close the dressing room door behind him.
The moment that sound echoed, Lisara stepped out of the bath and into the dressing room. After some rustling, a small voice whispered from within—
“…You can come in now.”
“Wait, come into the dressing room?”
“Yes.”
Another small voice.
‘What’s going on? No way she’s planning some steamy bath-time romance scene or something… right?’
Still confused about Lisara’s intentions, Ryousuke opened the door.
There stood Lisara, cheeks tinged with pink, body wrapped in a bath towel.
She held it tightly with her left hand to keep it from slipping. Her gaze was cast downward at an angle.
Her long, red hair was skillfully tied up atop her head, and with her eyes lowered, the line from her collarbone to her neck and nape was fully visible.
‘Mmm… yeah, the nape really is nice, too.’
Ryousuke admired it with genuine appreciation—but he still didn’t know why she’d called him.
“So, uh… what is it?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
“The bath…”
“Wait, you do want a steamy bath-time scene!?”
“No, I don’t!!”
She shouted, finally looking him straight in the eyes—then immediately sighed.
“Haa~… Your brain always goes in that direction, doesn’t it.”
“You know it.”
“That’s not a compliment. Anyway… It’s embarrassing, but—I don’t know how to adjust the bath temperature.”
“Huh?”
“It felt a little lukewarm, so I tried to raise it, but I overdid it…”
Lisara stepped back into the bathroom, pointing at the control panel with the reheating function.
Sure enough, the display read 48°C—way past what could be considered reasonable comfort.
“While I was fumbling around trying to fix it, the tub got too hot too…”
She mumbled, clearly feeling awkward.
Ryousuke dipped his hand into the bath—it was definitely hot. Even for someone like him, who took pride in bathing like an Edo-period tough guy, this was too much.
“You could just add water, y’know.”
“But if I do that, Kyuru or you might have trouble getting in after me. And it’ll just reset to the original temperature anyway…”
“Haaa, of all things, you choose this moment to be considerate.”
Ryousuke let out a dry chuckle as he began working the control panel. Apparently, she had accidentally switched it to time-setting mode and didn’t know how to get out of it.
“Sorry for being considerate in weird places.”
Lisara’s sulking voice came from behind him.
“It’s not a bad thing. Actually, it’s a good thing. Alright, it’s back to the usual setting now.”
“Thanks, Ryousuke.”
“Well, I got to feast my eyes, and I discovered the hidden potential of bellybuttons, so it’s a win-win.”
“…Why do you always raise your own score just to drop it back down again?”
Lisara’s exasperated tone rang out just as—
“《Awanre dshiv Shoninri》 …” Awanre1
A cute little voice whispered faintly.
“Kyuru…? —”
Lisara’s voice didn’t get to finish.Because right after came:
“Kyaaaa!”
—her shock transformed into a shriek, and then further into:
“Hyaaah! Hyaaaaan! Don’t stroke my back, Ryousukeeee!”
A mix of sweetness and outrage now colored her voice.
“Eh—me!?”
“Fuaaah, hiaa—n-no, wait… d-don’t—ahh, noooo!”
“Hang on. I’m standing right in front of you. See? Both hands right here!”
He held up both of his hands, waving them in front of Lisara’s face.
“T-Then… then what’s rubbing down my back—hyaaan—what is this─────!?”
Lisara was now in complete panic mode. Still, she clung tightly to her bath towel with her left hand, making sure it didn’t slip.
“Araa、 you’re doing better than I expected. In that case, maybe a bit more…”
The muttering voice echoed again.
“WHAT are you doing, Kyuru!?”
Ryousuke spun around—and of course, Kyuru was peeking her head out from the hallway.
“Ryousuke-san, look forward. This is your reward.”
“Huh?”
He looked back reflexively, and—
“Hii! Hyaaaaaaan! Not my buuuutt!!”
He saw Lisara flailing, frantically touching her back with both hands.
Yes—both hands.
The bath towel that had been covering Lisara’s body fluttered down.
“Kyaa!?”
Panicked, Lisara tried to pick it up—sutten—and lost her balance.
“Hey, that’s dangerous!”
Ryousuke hurriedly grabbed Lisara’s hand to pull her up—sutten.
“Owaa!”
To begin with, Ryousuke didn’t have the best coordination. He lost his balance along with her.
“Damn it!”
Anyway, he couldn’t just throw Lisara aside. That was the only thing he could think of in that instant. Desperately, he embraced her, making sure her head didn’t hit the floor.
“Caesar!”
“Wan!”
Alongside Kyuru’s voice and Caesar’s bark—don!—Ryousuke fell backward into the bathroom. And yet, curiously, the back of his head didn’t hurt. No—actually, it felt kinda fluffy.
“…Caesar, thank you.”
“Wan.”
From Ryousuke’s back, Caesar gave a short bark. He had apparently sacrificed himself to cushion Ryousuke’s fall.
“So, Lisara…”
He lifted his strangely heavy body—for some reason, his abs screamed in protest—shook his head, and opened his eyes.
“Uhh…”
He wanted to assess the situation. The Lisara Ryousuke was holding in his arms still seemed dazed. She must have still been in a panic. But the problem lay just a little below that.
“Oh my, to think she’d still manage to protect just her bust—Onee-sama’s sense of modesty truly runs deep.”
Kyuru peeked over, impressed. That’s right—Lisara was completely stark naked, and yet she was still covering just her chest.
With a bath towel? Nope. That was tossed on the floor.
With a spell? She didn’t have time for that.
“Her hands… a hand-bra…”
Tsuu—blood trickled from Ryousuke’s nose.
Lisara’s pale hands were grasping both of her modest breasts. Her chest, which couldn’t be called large by any stretch, fit perfectly within her palms.
However, just between the gaps of her fingers, a hint of differently colored, soft pink peeked through.
“So, Ryousuke-san. Between what happened with Kyuru earlier and now—which makes you happier?”
Hyoi—Kyuru leaned in again.
“Earlier?”
“You shouted when you saw my bust, didn’t you? Honestly, comparing Kyuru and Lisara-Onee-sama, there’s no contest in terms of bust size—but which makes you happier?”
“Are you stupid, Kyuru?”
Ryousuke didn’t even look at her, eyes solely fixated on Lisara’s hand-bra, as he replied.
“Did Kyuru just get called stupid?”
“Beauty isn’t something you compare. You should treasure the joy and awe of the moment you encounter it, as it drifts through the stream of time. That’s right—right now, I’m moved by Lisara’s hand-bra. This feeling—this is the emotion of now. You can’t compare it to a past moment of emotion!”
Nose Bleeding, Ryousuke continued to stare straight ahead.
“Um, I’m not quite sure I get it… So, are you saying bust size doesn’t have to be big?”
“Who said that? If Lisara were at least a C—no, even a B cup. I’d be even happier. What I’m saying is, you should appreciate the gift in front of you without greed. It’s a gentlemanly and humble mindset.”
“Hmph, so he says, Onee-sama.”
“Seriously, I’m so dumbfounded I can’t even speak. What part of that is gentlemanly or humble?”
Some kind of conversation was going on above his head, but Ryousuke’s focus remained squarely on the hand-bra in front of him.
“Isn’t it gentlemanly? I’m just looking. I’m not touching unless given permission. Even though I want to touch. And isn’t it humble? I’m getting excited over breasts that are, honestly, a bit underwhelming. Truly, I’m fired up.”
“Uh, hey…”
A voice came from above the breasts, but Ryousuke didn’t care.
Just looking was seriously enough to get him excited. His soul, burning red-hot, was roaring up. Overflowing.
“Nn!”
A soft moan reached his ears. That, too, added fuel to Ryousuke’s fire.
“W-What is it, you’re squirming around… Kyuru, are you doing something again—”
“Eh? Kyuru hasn’t done anything. I already sent《Awanre dshiv Shoninri》back.”
“But, I swear, it feels like my butt—or more like… in front… something’s kind of… wiggling—”
Lisara hesitantly glanced downward—and froze.
“Onee-sama?”
“Kya—Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Lisara exploded, flailing wildly in Ryousuke’s arms.
“Let go, let me go! It’s touching! It’s touching there! My—my there!”
“Haa, haa haa… haa haa…”
Something was swelling—growing larger and larger. Drawing in Ryousuke’s very will to live, it rose with masculine force, firm and unyielding, expanding steadily.
“No waaaay! It’s happening to this side too! Kyuru, help meee! It’s all hard and bumping into meee!”
“Uwa, it’s true. The hilt of 《The Broken Sword, Gram》 is poking out again…”
“That’s not it! Lower—it’s lower than that! That part is way more dangerous! M-My—my purityyyyy!”
“Eh… uwa, volcano.”
Peeking downward, Kyuru covered her face with both hands.
“What the heck is that supposed to mean!?”
“Um, in Ryousuke-san’s crotch, where it’s like a mountain rising up… Onee-sama’s red lower hair is kind of draping over it… and it’s like—like an erupting volcano. I was just trying to poetically describe it…”
“THAT’S NOT POETIC AT ALL!”
“But even if you say that…”
Kyuru looked toward Ryousuke in a troubled way. FunFunFunFun—his breathing was rough, nostrils flaring, and his bloodshot eyes were locked onto Lisara’s hand-bra. He was so intensely focused, it was impossible to divert his attention.
“He might already be getting swallowed up by the consciousness of 《Gram》… Caesar, what should we do?”
“Waan!”
Caesar barked once.
And then—he placed his front paw on the point of contact between Lisara and Ryousuke. No, they weren’t technically joined yet—but still, it was right there.
And then—he stepped.
“Ggh,GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
The resulting scream sounded just like the cry of some kind of monstrous bird…
※ ※ ※
“Now then, would you mind telling me just what you were thinking, Kyuru?”
Having just gotten out of the bath, Lisara sat at the dining table and glared directly at Kyuuru, who was seated across from her.
“Well, whatever could you mean?”
Kyuuru replied with a calm and composed expression.
“I know you used《Awanre dshiv Shoninri》and played that dirty trick on my back!”
“Ahahaha, turns out your back is more sensitive than I thought, Onee-sama.”
“It gave me chills… wait, that’s not the point! Why did you do that? Because of you, that pervert over there nearly exploded and I was humiliated!”
“Yeah, that’s right, Kyuru. Thanks to you, my mighty son is still suffering over here.”
The damage from being thoroughly stomped by Caesar was so severe that Ryousuke had to press a cold pack against his crotch.
“Well, I’d call that just desserts.”
“Oi!”
“So what was your goal anyway?”
Lisara completely ignored Ryousuke’s protest and pressed on.
“Before that, may I ask something first?”
“What is it, Kyuru?”
“I just thought… wouldn’t it have been easier to absorb his spirit energy?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t properly extract it unless I’m touching close to the heart, you know? Do you really think I could move my hands away from my chest in that situation?”
“…Not like there’s much to move anyway.”
Mutter.
“Did you say something, Kyuru?”
“Not at all, Onee-sama♡”
“Seriously, this girl..”
Lisara let out an exasperated glare, but Kyuru brushed it off easily and continued speaking.
“It’s just, the knowledge I learned in the Shinigami training school seemed a bit different from what Ryousuke-san was saying, so I wanted to verify it.”
“Different how?”
“Bust size. According to what I was taught, men in the human world overwhelmingly prefer women with large breasts. It’s the kind of knowledge that’s… well, a nightmare for Onee-sama.”
“A nightmare, seriously…”
“I see, yeah, Lisara’s bust size isn’t exactly—”
Ryousuke nodded while folding his arms in agreement.
“Don’t you agree with that!”
“Still, what kind of lesson even is that?”
“Well, I was just taught that by my instructor, that’s all. Though Onee-sama certainly had to taste the bitterness of it.”
“Bitterness…?”
Ryousuke looked puzzled, while Lisara began tapping her finger against the table repeatedly in irritation.
“You’re saying I have to be the one to explain it?”
“But Onee-sama, I think if we establish the facts properly, Ryousuke-san’s answer will be much more sincere.”
“Kyuru, you’re not just playing around, are you?”
“Of course not. Or should I be the one to explain?”
Hearing that, Lisara stared sharply at Kyuru for a few seconds before letting her shoulders droop.
“Fine. I suppose it’s for the sake of finding future Singular One and for the Restall family, so… I’ll ask the incredibly perverted Ryousuke of this human world.”
Her tone sounded like she was reluctantly dragging herself through something she didn’t want to talk about.
“You already know that Shinigami have ranks, right?”
“Yeah. A first-rank Shinigami can make a direct contract with a Singular One, right?”
“Exactly. And where there are ranks, there are also exams. I was second place in my graduating year at the training school.”
Second place is supposed to be really impressive, obviously. But Lisara’s tone was heavy and gloomy.
“As the heir to the prestigious Restall family, I was expected to graduate at the top of my class. My grandfather fully believed I would, and even prepared a special reward for the top graduate that year. And then, boom—I lost. After that, the cold looks from the relatives were just unbearable.”
“Onee-sama didn’t come out of her room for a while back then.”
“Yeah, it’s trauma. Pure trauma, that whole exam.”
She spat out the words like venom.
“Ah, wait a sec. Okay, I get that much, but what the hell does that exam have to do with bust size?”
“You don’t get it?”
“Get what?”
“Bust size is one of the evaluation criteria for the rank exam.”
“Haaaaaaaaaah!? —Tssssssssssss!”
Ryousuke stood up in shock and immediately crouched down from the pain in his groin.
“My rival, the one who beat me to top of the class, had perfect scores in all the other subjects.”
“Yeah, the reason I missed out on graduating top of my class… it was all because of these breasts. These stupid, undeveloped, never-growing breasts of mine!”
She stared down at her chest with a face on the verge of tears. It was such a pitiful sight that—
“Hey, why would they even have such a stupid grading standard in the first place?”
Ryousuke asked, emphasizing the『stupid』part. His words carried the clear message that the problem wasn’t Lisara’s breasts—it was the dumb grading system.
Maybe that sentiment got through to her, because Lisara gave a strained smile.
“Kyuru said it earlier, didn’t she? Men in the human world like big boobs. So, for female Shinigami who are expected to make many contracts, it’s ideal for them to have large breasts.”
“Wait, seriously? You’re not joking?”
“I’m dead serious.”
Lisara nodded firmly.
“And it’s not just the exams, you know. There are… practical training classes too. Though, Onee-sama seemed to completely bomb in those.”
“Shut up, Kyuru!”
“Ahaha. But you see, since Ryousuke-san earlier said that even small ones are fine, Kyuru got curious. So I thought, if that’s the case, why not test him by showing him my bust first, getting him excited, and then follow it up with a look at my flat-chested Onee-sama? I just wanted to see how he’d react—that’s all. It’s not like I was trying to get back at Onee-sama for harassing me or anything, not at all.”
Kyuru explained with an innocent smile and sipped the tea she’d prepared who-knows-when.
“Even so, you didn’t have to do something so direct! You could’ve just asked Ryousuke properly!”
Lisara slammed the table and stood up.
“Ahaha, Kyuru’s just a bit impulsive. Sorry, Onee-sama.”
With a doll-like, completely unmalicious smile, Kyuru left Lisara no choice but to sit back down, grumbling under her breath. Even though she’d already been tricked once, she was still forgiving. It seemed Lisara really was weak against Kyuru.
“So, Ryousuke-san, what’s your answer?”
“Answer, huh… well, it depends on the person, y’know. Personally, yeah, I do prefer big ones. Totally. Just looking at them is fun, they jiggle when they move, they seem soft when you squeeze them, you can sandwich things with them, you get glorious sideboob and underboob…they’re practically packed with dreams and hope!”
“There you have it, Onee-sama.”
“…Tch, sorry I’m just an A-cup, okay!? Yeah, yeah, flat-chested girls don’t deserve to live, is that it!? Typical guys, every last one of you…”
Right beside him, Lisara was sulking hard.
“Look, there are plenty of dudes out there who do love flat chests, alright? Some even call big boobs just lumps of fat, seriously. So don’t let it get you down. That was just my opinion!”
“……………………I’m going to bed.”
With her chin raised in a huff and not sparing Ryousuke a single glance, Lisara stormed out of the dining room.
“Guess that follow-up failed…”
“Utter failure, I’d say. Honestly, it wasn’t even at the level of a proper follow-up.”
Kyuru sighed and shook her head with both palms upturned.
“Well, at least now both Kyuru and Onee-sama understand that the knowledge from the Shinigami world isn’t everything. So we’re thankful for that, Ryousuke-san…”
She stood up too and left the room. At the door, she turned slightly to look back.
“W-What?”
“Honestly, you’re just a big idiot.”
She said it flatly, and closed the door behind her.
“W-Women really are impossible to understand…”
Ryousuke muttered without thinking, and Caesar gently placed a paw on his foot. Then, shaking his head lightly—
“Waan…”
He barked as if thoroughly exasperated, and headed for his own bed—which was in front of a cardboard box sealed shut, containing Ryousuke’s stash of dirty DVDs and magazines.
“Even Master Caesar!? Even the great Master Caesar who was supposed to guide me down the path of popularity, why is he calling me an idiot tooooo!?”
Ryousuke’s lone, sorrowful scream echoed into the emptiness.
A Certain Single Shinigami and Single Teacher’s Monologue, Part 1
—At the Malbec Residence—
“Puhhaaaah, one more beer~!”
“Maru-san~ You just said you drank it all a moment ago, didn’t you?”
“Ah, that’s right. Ugh, fine! I’ll bring out the Downtown Napoleon!”
[This is a real Japanese nickname for a popular cheap barley shōchū called Iichiko (いいちこ) — widely known and drunk in Japan.]
“Ooh, that’s barley shochu, huh~”
“Puhhaah, that’s good stuff! Ahhh geez, the petty rivalries of the higher-ups just get blown away by this deliciousness!”
“What do you mean by『higher-ups』,Maru-san?”
“I’m talking about Melro Life Assurance and the Restall family. There are other big names too, but lately, we’ve been butting heads with Restall in particular.”
“U-uhh, I see…”
“Ran, you’re a teacher and yet you know nothing, huh. Listen, the Shinigami World is just like the Human World—there are multiple factions. They’re more like companies than countries. And these have been at odds with each other forever.”
“I see…”
“There were even wars at times. Our energy source is Life Jewels, so when war breaks out, the impact reaches the Human World too.”
“Uwaah, that’s scary…”
“Well… gokugoku… thanks to solid agreements with the Human World these days, there’s no more actual war. But even so, the factions in the Shinigami World are still constantly competing for market share of Life Jewels in the Human World.”
“That sounds tough.”
“Tough? Tough doesn’t even begin to cover it! We’re a newcomer, made up of a bunch of smaller weak forces banding together to look big! You have any idea how brutal the quotas are!?”
“Y-you mentioned that before…”
“Oh yeah, did I… gokugokugoku… kuh… puhaaah… Anyway, Melro is a coalition of small and mid-tier groups trying not to get swallowed up by giants like Restall. That’s why we have to air sexy commercials and fight tooth and nail. Stable Life Jewel supply is the foundation of social activity in the Shinigami World. If we lose our share, we’ll get swallowed up by Restall or some other giant in the blink of an eye.”
“What happens if you get swallowed up?”
“Cold leftovers! Cold rice meals! And for us operating in the Human World? We’d get slapped with low wages and treated like total scrubs… gokugoku… Ugh, even now, I’m stuck in a dead-end post thanks to my half-baked rank of Class Four…The job’s crap, the pay’s crap, I get stuck doing all the unwanted tasks, and I can’t even save any Spirit Money… gokugokugokugoku… Ran, drink with me! We’re gonna drink till dawn!”
“Understood, Maru-san! Let’s drink till morning while talking about your fun students!”
“Alright, let’s do this properly—Kanpa────i!”
“Kanpa────i!”
And so, the night before payday continued to deepen for the drunken ladies. In a thirty-five-year-old worn-out apartment they managed to rent even with their lousy wages—Inside the lonely room of a single Shinigami.