It opened its mouth, its body expanded violently, like a balloon suddenly being filled with air. The red scales on its back bristled slightly due to the swelling, its white belly seemed as if it would burst at any moment.
“ yue”
Snapdragon swayed its body, making a very ominous, loud sound.
Facing Snapdragon directly, Kisaragi Chiyo's expression turned extremely grim in an instant.
He stood up and retreated repeatedly, only managing to stop once he had reached what he considered a safe distance.
“What is going on?” Hara Kenji's expression was one of horror as he watched Snapdragon suddenly begin to vomit, one book after another?
"Books?" Hara Kenji was shocked.
"I think that should be the exam preparation materials Hozuki-san sent to you, right?" Kisaragi Chiyo stood at a distance, her voice sounding somewhat weak, likely startled by this method of transmission.
At least in this moment, Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly felt like changing dining tables.
Matsuda Jinpei's expression was also not very good, because after thinking about it, he realized he would have to stuff this Snapdragon back into his own shadow.
Snapdragon vomited for a long while before finally stopping. Its bloated body shrank back down, though its expression seemed even more vacant than before, exuding an aura of being half-dead.
"Are you saying all of these are study materials?" Hara Kenji pointed with a bright smile at the stack of books that was nearly as tall as him, then turned to look at the newcomer, Matsuda Jinpei.
.." Matsuda's gaze drifted slightly. He looked up at the ceiling, which was exceptionally clean today, after a long silence, he finally uttered two words: "Perhaps?
“Is there a possibility that.. Lord Hozuki accidentally teleported unrelated books along with them?” Hara Kenji continued to press, refusing to give up.
"I think Hozuki's personality should be the rigorous and serious type," Matsuda Jinpei replied tactfully.
So, is it or isn't it?
That possibility cannot be ruled out.
Then why won't you look me straight in the eyes, Little Jinpei?" a resentful voice drifted in from the side. "Look at me. I don't believe your eyes are empty.
"Then never mind." Matsuda Jinpei took a step back, creating some distance between himself and that pile of exam preparation materials that was nearly two meters high.
Now is not the time for playing around.
“Do you also think I'm just playing around, Chiyo-chan?” Hara Kenji turned his head and looked at Kisaragi Chiyo, who had quietly circled around them at some unknown point and was preparing to slip away.
Kisaragi Chiyo, caught while trying to sneak away: ".."
Kenji," Kisaragi Chiyo turned around calmly, her voice steady, "I can understand how heavy your heart feels.
"No, you can't understand." Hara Kenji's expression was sorrowful, looking as if his entire world were collapsing.
"I haven't read a book in seven years—seven whole years." Hara Kenji gazed at that pile of materials, looking so sorrowful he was practically melting, while the eighteen tentacles beside him hung listlessly on the ground.
Does this really not count as abuse for an Evil Spirit?
"This is at most torture, right?" Matsuda Jinpei looked at that pile of so-called exam preparation materials, feeling a headache coming on. He felt a mix of lingering fear and relief that he had actually managed to finish reading all these books and successfully passed the exam.
"Little Jinpei.." Hara Kenji looked over again with a haunting gaze.
"Cough, cough, cough.." Matsuda Jinpei felt a chill down his spine under Hara Kenji's gaze, but out of a sense of conscience, he did his best to comfort his childhood friend.
Hagi, you have to believe in yourself. Just think, I managed to pass and come all the way here; there's no reason why you couldn't pass.
How about I find some time to go back to Hell and see if I can find any of my previous study notes or key points?
"Thank you, Little Jinpei, I knew Senior Matsuda was the most reliable." Upon hearing that Matsuda would look for key study notes for him, Hara Kenji's mood instantly brightened.
Although he felt like crying after seeing that pile of materials, which was nearly as tall as he was, his mental state had improved significantly compared to before. At the very least, he was in the mood to pester Kisaragi Chiyo again.
*
"Aren't you going to look at your book?" Kisaragi Chiyo had just finished washing her face; as she looked up, Hara Kenji's figure appeared in the bathroom mirror.
The tall Evil Spirit stood silently behind him, his dark purple irises staring emotionlessly at his reflection in the mirror.
"Can't I just start tomorrow?" As soon as that pile of materials was mentioned, Hara Kenji's cold expression could no longer be maintained; the corners of his mouth turned down, he did not look very happy.
I just feel like I have an obligation to remind you," Kisaragi Chiyo said with a slight smile. "Work hard, Hara.
"I—know!" Hara Kenji replied through gritted teeth. He gave Kisaragi Chiyo's nape a resentful little bite, though it lacked much strength and left nothing behind but a bout of intense itching.
"I'm already ready for bed." Kisaragi Chiyo sighed, catching the hand that was wrapped around her waist and prepared to make other movements.
"Aren't there still twenty minutes until your usual bedtime?" Hara Kenji asked, somewhat relentlessly. He buried his head against the nape of her neck, taking a deep breath and letting out a satisfied sigh.
"What can you do in twenty minutes?" Kisaragi Chiyo was lightly bumped from behind by the Evil Spirit, the sensation against his pubic bone made him let out a sharp, small intake of breath.
Didn't we just do it before?" Kisaragi Chiyo cursed under his breath. "It's not even spring right now, can't you just endure it?
"Don't you think the word 'endure' is quite cruel?" Hara Kenji said in an innocent tone. He held the young man firmly in his arms from behind, his fluffy head rubbing against the other's cheek, while his other hand wandered restlessly toward his chest.
“But my lover is right here.” Hara Kenji said coquettishly in Kisaragi Chiyo's ear, his voice thick and syrupy. “Just for a moment, just for a moment, we can do it while standing.”
"Here?" Kisaragi Chiyo looked at the mirror in front of her, which clearly reflected the actions of the two, feeling a sense of hesitation.
"Right here." Hara Kenji's breathing began to grow heavy, he bit the young man's ear, his gaze dark and obscured.
“You just need to hold onto the counter and stand there.” The Evil Spirit smiled provocatively, "It won't be long."
..
Kisaragi Chiyo was certain that she had been fooled again.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels for your support, mwah
Chapter 129
What was originally supposed to be a twenty-minute interaction was forcibly turned into an endurance race by Hara Kenji. The two of them stumbled and rolled from the bathroom onto the bed. When Matsuda Jinpei entered the bedroom midway through, he hesitated for three seconds upon seeing the scene before choosing to join in.
After experiencing both at once, Kisaragi Chiyo felt that he desperately needed a few days of celibacy. At the very least, he needed to recover from the exhaustion of being stimulated into sleep.
“Good morning.” Kisaragi Chiyo came downstairs yawning; perhaps because they had played around so late yesterday, he slept through without any dreams and didn't wake up until nine o'clock.
"Good morning." Matsuda Jinpei didn't look up; he was sitting on a corner of the sofa where the sunlight reached, one slender finger holding a steel comb while the other held his own tail.
From Kisaragi Chiyo's angle, she could only see his curly, fluffy hair and his furrowed brow.
“What's wrong?" Kisaragi Chiyo pulled her coat closer. The weather had started to warm up recently, but there was still a lingering chill in the air.
He wasn't wearing his usual black wide-sleeved haori today; instead, he had chosen a thick, light gray cardigan that had been tucked into his wardrobe at some unknown time.
Underneath the sweater was a crewneck sweatshirt, revealing ambiguous speckles upon a fair neck.
Kisaragi Chiyo sat on the sofa opposite Matsuda Jinpei, as the soft cushions felt his weight, they sank into a comfortable curve suited to his body.
If she didn't have things to do today, Kisaragi Chiyo felt she could probably lie on the sofa all day without moving a muscle.
Before sitting down, Kisaragi Chiyo had thought that Matsuda Jinpei was putting on a serious and focused expression because he was studying a new, complex model or something similar. However, once he sat down and looked up, he found a pile of black clumps of fur resting on a stack of tissues on the low table.
Given the scene before her, the answer was obvious: Matsuda Jinpei was grooming his own tail.
"Didn't you say you'd wait for me?" Kisaragi Chiyo leaned forward, her slender, willow-leaf eyes widening slightly. Her gaze, filled with affection, fell upon the long, beautiful tail held in Matsuda Jinpei's hands.
Matsuda's tail tip twitched uncontrollably under Kisaragi Chiyo's burning gaze. He raised his head, only to meet the young man's bright, expectant eyes.
Matsuda sighed and handed the comb to Kisaragi.
Kisaragi Chiyo was very enthusiastic about the task of grooming them, but Matsuda Jinpei didn't find it all that interesting. Because whenever it was shedding season, a thin layer of loose fur would float around the cat at any time; no matter how diligently one groomed, it could never be completely cleaned. Wherever the cat had been, it would leave a pile of cat hair behind, anytime and anywhere.
Kisaragi Chiyo took the comb, patted her own leg, waved at Matsuda Jinpei with a smile, signaling him to come over.
Once a promise is made, it will not be broken.
Matsuda Jinmi lay very submissively on Kisaragi Chiyo's lap, the soft black fur shimmering like silk under the sunlight. Her teal eyes narrowed contentedly, a comfortable purr rumbled in her throat.
Matsuda Jinmi probably didn't quite like having the base of his tail touched; Kisaragi Chiyo lowered her eyes, observing the cat's expression while brushing his fur.
Whenever he brushed the tail, the claws would involuntarily pop out from the paw pads of the cat lying on his lap, hooking into his trousers, yet being careful not to scratch the skin beneath the clothes.
But Kisaragi Chiyo didn't care about any of that. With a smile, he used one hand to gently pinch the tip of Matsuda Jinmi's tail, while his other hand swiftly brushed the cat's tail from front to back.
The cat was unhappy, thumping its tail against the sofa with a series of loud thuds.
Kisaragi Chiyo said nothing, began combing the top of the cat's head and its chin, which were areas the cat loved to be touched. Every time the comb passed over these spots, Matsuda Jinmi, who was lying on his lap, would proactively lift his head to make it easier for Kisaragi Chiyo to continue.
And at this moment, Kisaragi always took the opportunity to pet the soft fur on the cat's chest a few more times. The little cat, whose chest was being tickled, did not get angry; after opening his eyes silently to glance at the young man, he closed them again.
It seemed to have tacitly permitted such rude behavior from humans.
*
"There." Kisaragi Chiyo put down the comb and looked at the pile of cat hair that had been brushed out, then looked at Matsuda Jinmi lying on her lap; she was indeed a full circle smaller than before.
This is what they call the principle of a cat being falsely plump due to excessive fur.
"Activity over." Kisaragi patted the bottom of the little kitten that refused to get off her.
Then, in the next second, the little kitten whose bottom had been patted transformed into human form.
Matsuda Jinpei pressed Kisaragi Chiyo down onto the sofa, his hands cupping the youth's cheeks, his calloused fingertips lightly brushing against the cool earlobes.
Then Matsuda lowered his head, before the youth could make a move, he effectively blocked the words he was about to say. His tongue moved with flexible skill, prying open the teeth and beginning to greedily scavenge the air within the mouth.
Only after kissing Kisaragi Chiyo until he was dazed and breathless did Matsuda let him go.
“Peach flavored.” Matsuda Jinpei licked his own lips. He gazed at Kisaragi Chiyo's lips, which were slightly parted from heavy breathing, couldn't resist leaning forward again to nip at his lower lip.
The breakfast is in the microwave." Matsuda brushed his lips gently against the young man's lips, "Just heat it up a bit and you can eat.
Although Matsuda Jinpei's gaze looked more like he wanted to devour Kisaragi Chiyo from head to toe right there on the sofa.
"I don't have time to play with you today." Kisaragi Chiyo was pinned against the sofa, unable to move, her range of motion restricted only to the space between Matsuda's arms—that is, within his tight embrace.
"I wasn't trying to mess with you." Matsuda Jinpei sighed, using his fingers to stroke the side of Kisaragi Chiyo's neck, where the hickeys from last night remained—both his and Hara's.
“I pinched your butt yesterday, you touched me back today. It's only fair,” Matsuda said in a deadpan tone, uttering words that would make anyone blush with shame.
Kisaragi Chiyo raised her eyebrows; she seemed quite dissatisfied with Matsuda's choice of words, but she was also afraid that Matsuda would say even more scandalous things, so she tried to divert his attention.
Then you just now—
This is a good morning kiss." Matsuda Jinpei said, planting another kiss on the corner of Kisaragi Chiyo's mouth, "Hagi is reviewing in the study, so I'm giving him this kiss on his behalf.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
Since the topic of the exam had been brought up, Kisaragi Chiyo also took the opportunity to ask Matsuda when he planned to make a trip back to Hell Assistant Official.