Kisaragi Chiyo rubbed her aching wrists after finishing writing. Just as she was about to put away the report on the desk, a hand reached out from behind her and took the report away.
Matsuda Jinpei emerged from the bathroom, standing behind Kisaragi Chiyo with a mist of moisture clinging to him. His eyes were lowered, the hair above his teal eyes was still damp.
Matsuda Jinpei skimmed through the report in a single glance. To be honest, he felt a bit of admiration for Kisaragi Chiyo's narrative embellishment techniques; at least if it were him, Matsuda would probably be struggling with how to completely separate the words "Hara Kenji" and "culprit."
"And Hara Kenji?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her temples.
At this time of day, Hara Kenji would usually turn into a Bernese Mountain Dog, then run over with a comb in his mouth and his tail wagging, asking to be brushed.
After all, compared to Matsuda Jinmi, Shan's size was several times larger, as for his daily amount of shedding, it was terrifyingly unimaginable.
He said he ate a bit too much tonight," Matsuda Jinpei said, glancing out the window. "So he put on a leash and went out for a walk by himself.
Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent for a moment after hearing this, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers as he wore a contemplative expression. "By the way, won't he be mistaken for a lost puppy and carried away by a passerby?"
Oh, it doesn't matter," Matsuda Jinpei said in a nonchalant tone. "If he really gets taken away, I'll just go and steal him back.
Matsuda Jinpei's tone was very calm, as if he had actually stolen a dog before.
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Author's Note: Thank you for the support, my little angels. Mwah! 030
Chapter 135
Hara Kenji eventually returned on his own. As a very self-aware dog with good hygiene habits, he even carefully wiped his paws before entering the room.
I'm back, werwer!
The bedroom door opened a crack, immediately after, a black triangular nose poked in from outside. The puppy's furry head appeared at the doorway, its round purple eyes instantly brightened several shades once it saw the young man sitting in the chair.
"Chiyo-chan~" The Bernese Mountain Dog trotted lightly toward Kisaragi Chiyo, its long, crescent-shaped tail wagging back and forth behind it. It was clear that Hara Kenji was in a very good mood.
Sports stimulate the brain to produce dopamine, it is no different for dogs.
"Chiyo-chan" the puppy crouched in front of him, a large Bernese Mountain Dog tilting its head, looking incredibly well-behaved and adorable as it looked up.
Facing the puppy's sparkling eyes, Kisaragi Chiyo naturally could not refuse Hara Kenji's request. He set the book beside him aside, took out the puppy's specialized grooming comb from the drawer, patted the puppy's head, signaled for it to lie down on the carpet.
Compared to washing a dog, grooming a dog is simpler, but it is equally a physical task.
After spending half an hour on grooming before bed, Kisaragi Chiyo successfully collected four large clumps of mixed three-colored fur.
Kisaragi Chiyo picked through the clumps of fur, keeping the softer ones and tossing the coarse-feeling ones into the trash can.
And the clumps of fur that were kept would be divided into two parts.
One part would be stuffed by Kisaragi Chiyo into a newly purchased dog hair jar; it was a transparent, medium-sized glass jar shaped like a Bernese Mountain Dog, with black prints where the nose and eyes should be.
As for the remaining portion, Kisaragi Chiyo planned to follow the suggestions found online and try needle felting to see if she could turn them into small charms or something similar.
During her search, Kisaragi even saw someone who had spun their own dog's shed fur into yarn to knit a scarf.
Although he thought it was interesting and practical, the young man didn't feel he possessed such skill. Therefore, he could only settle for the next best thing and choose simpler creations.
“That expression on your face.. what are you thinking about?” As Matsuda Jinpei came up from downstairs and pushed open the bedroom door, the sight he saw was the young man standing in the center of the bedroom, staring at the Bernese Mountain Dog lying splayed out on the floor with a contemplative expression.
"I am thinking about something." Kisaragi Chiyo, who had spent half an hour brushing the dog's fur, felt an ache in his wrists. He shook his right hand, which was still holding the comb, looked at Matsuda, then looked at the Bernese Mountain Dog on the floor, finally reached a conclusion.
“Our little puppy is truly fat!”
Before Matsuda Jinpei could even say anything, the Bernese Mountain Dog, who had been lying on the ground wriggling its plump body, immediately leaped up upon hearing the word "plump" and let out a series of loud, protesting "werwerwer" sounds.
“Shut up.” Kisaragi Chiyo reached out and pinched the dog's snout, "Don't disturb the neighbors late at night."
The Bernese Mountain Dog, whose muzzle was being pinched, felt very wronged; he couldn't speak and could only wag his tail helplessly.
"Hara Kenji recently.." Matsuda Jinpei lowered his eyes, his gaze falling upon the Bernese Mountain Dog's broad body. He leaned over and patted the puppy's back, producing a heavy, solid thud.
I remember that today at Poirot Cafe, you ate half a strawberry cake, a lemon tart, two donuts, a cup of pet cream.
.." Matsuda Jinpei said in a heavy voice, "You need to start cutting back on sweets.
It was no longer a matter of simple control.
For the sake of your health," Kisaragi Chiyo ignored the dog's pitiful, aggrieved gaze and announced ruthlessly, "starting tomorrow, I am stripping you of your right to use the oven.
Until you lose weight back to a standard weight.
This standard weight doesn't mean that Hara Kenji's extraordinary, generous, magnificent physique is bad, but rather it is primarily aimed at the Bernese Mountain Dog.
One point requires special clarification: as an Evil Spirit, Hara Kenji's physical changes have been fixed at the moment of his death; he will neither gain nor lose weight. However, the calories from the food he consumes will still affect the Bernese Mountain Dog. Therefore, for the puppy's health, Hara Kenji's plan to eliminate sweets is becoming an urgent matter.
*
The next day's breakfast was prepared by Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo together.
Although their cooking skills couldn't be described as good, they were a world apart compared to Hara Kenji.
However, when it came to tossing a pre-packaged vegetable salad or preparing convenient foods like boiled eggs, Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo still felt confident they could complete the task smoothly and safely.
"Let me see.." A bowl of salad sat before Kisaragi Chiyo, he also pulled out that *Beginner's Dog Care Manual*. This time, the content he was reading was the nutrition section that dog owners must know.
"Fish oil, pure green mussel powder, vitamin B, chondroitin.." Kisaragi Chiyo arranged the various bottles and jars, beginning her very first meal preparation since she started raising a dog.
"I've finished steaming the pumpkin." Matsuda Jinpei brought out a butternut squash about the size of a fist, asked Kisaragi Chiyo if she wanted it put into the salad bowl whole or mashed up.
“Let's slice the pumpkin up a bit.” Kisaragi Chiyo looked at the steamed pumpkin, which had become soft and starchy, its skin turning a darker color and emitting the faint, pleasant aroma characteristic of healthy food.
By the way." Watching Matsuda Jinpei turn to walk into the kitchen, Kisaragi Chiyo thought of something and added, "Don't forget to scoop out the pumpkin pulp.
Matsuda Jinpei: ".. You're telling me this too late."
Looking at the pumpkin pulp mashed together on the cutting board, Matsuda fell silent for a second before turning back to Kisaragi and saying, "How about we change it to steamed bananas instead? It should be more or less the same, right?"
By the time breakfast was served in front of Hara Kenji, it was already nine in the morning. He looked at the large plate of assorted vegetable mixtures before him, along with its heavy portion.
"I say," Hara Kenji said, lifting his head expressionlessly as he looked at Matsuda and Kisaragi Chiyo, who were looking at him with encouraging faces, reached out to push the iron basin in front of him far away.
You should remember that you're eating a fat-loss meal, not feeding a pig, right?
What kind of decent person would gorge themselves on three pounds of vegetable salad first thing in the morning? Even if you were feeding pigs, you wouldn't do it like this.
In short, Hara Kenji refused to enjoy the fat-loss breakfast the two had carefully prepared for him, as punishment for their food waste, he stripped both Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo of their rights to use the refrigerator.
In the end, however, that three-pound vegetable salad was not wasted; instead, it was divided equally and fairly among the three members of the Mutual Harm Trio.
Finally, having eaten the leaves until she was full, Kisaragi Chiyo rubbed her stomach and let out a heartfelt sigh: "That was really disgusting."
*
The three of them couldn't hold up after eating fat-reduction meals all day.
Matsuda Jinpei said sadly that he hadn't replenished his curry energy all day. Meanwhile, Kisaragi Chiyo lay motionless on the sofa, repeatedly muttering about how she wanted to eat the fried tofu in the sukiyaki.
As for Hara Kenji, he pointed to his head and swore to the two of them with absolute certainty that he had indeed heard the sound of the oven crying in the kitchen.
And so, the three of them shared a silent, knowing look before rising from the sofa. Some got dressed, some grabbed their wallets, some rushed to catch the bus in the final three minutes. They chose one of Tokyo's most popular buffets, feasted to their hearts' content for three hours, finally returned home, satisfied.
"The fat loss plan was declared a failure on the second day." Having finished her shower and smelling wonderful, Kisaragi Chiyo sat cross-legged on the bed, announcing this tragic news in a very heavy voice.
“How tragic.” Matsuda Jinpei clapped in sympathy, not forgetting to take the opportunity to condemn Hara Kenji for choosing the buffet.
"My bad." Facing a two-to-one disadvantage, Hara Kenji made the very sensible choice to admit defeat. He raised both hands, dejectedly reflecting on his mistake, asked Matsuda Jinpei and Kisaragi Chiyo if they would go again next time if there were unlimited sea urchin and Wagyu beef.
"No." Kisaragi Chiyo saw through Hara Kenji's little scheme at a glance. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, lay down right where he was, pulled the blanket up over his head, stated seriously that he was going to sleep.
Are you really not going?" Hara Kenji pulled the right side of the quilt open a little, whispering his persuasion into the young man's ear: "I heard that buffet has the best Hokkaido simmered tofu in all of Japan.
“Don't listen to Hagi's nonsense.” Matsuda Jinpei peeled back the left side of the quilt and whispered in the young man's ear, "Fried tofu is the same everywhere; he's just still pining for the buffet's little cakes.. But I'm different. Even if I never get to eat seafood curry again, I won't be sad."
Kisaragi Chiyo, unable to fall asleep due to the noise: ".."
"Shut up." Kisaragi Chiyo covered her ears with both hands and finally gave each of the two a punch, after which the world became completely silent.
It wasn't until he woke up on the third day that Kisaragi Chiyo's somewhat sluggish brain finally processed the farce of yesterday.
He opened his eyes, staring at the pure white ceiling, its texture now gone and smooth. His body was sunk into the soft, comfortable bed, the temperature pleasant and cozy, making him feel drowsy. He could feel two light breaths coming from his left and right, rising and falling steadily.
"Sleep a little longer." Hara Kenji, who rarely slept in, reached out an arm and wrapped it around the young man's waist, pressing Kisaragi Chiyo, who had just sat up, back down into the warm covers.
"There's nothing important happening today anyway." Hara Kenji closed his eyes and squeezed closer to Kisaragi Chiyo's side. Lying on his side, he nuzzed the young man's face with the tip of his nose, his right hand resting on the other's waist as he pulled him closer into his embrace.
On the other side, Matsuda Jinpei was likely awakened by their commotion. He opened his eyelids slightly to take a look; in the dimness of the bedroom, where the heavy curtains blocked out the light, the contours of the young man's face were bathed in a soft, blurred halo.
Matsuda Jinpei murmured something in a low voice, his teal eyes closed again. In less than a minute, the curly-haired man's breathing became long and steady once more.
Hara Kenji was still awake, because he sensed that the young man in his arms seemed to have something more to say.
"What's wrong?" The demon yawned, his long hair scattered behind him, with a few strands dangling over the edge of the bed.
"Sleep for a little while longer with me." The demon pleaded persistently, hugging Kisaragi Chiyo from behind and brushing his lips against the young man's sensitive skin on the back of his neck.
Warm, moist breaths sprayed against her skin, causing Kisaragi Chiyo to involuntarily curl her body up.
"It's not that there's nothing to do.." Kisaragi Chiyo felt the hand resting on her waist acting restlessly, stroking from her waist up to her chest through her pajamas.
"What.." Hara Kenji was starting to feel sleepy. He forced himself to stay awake, his palm pressing gently against the place where the young man's heart beat within his chest. He buried his head in the young man's nape and, amidst the rhythmic thumping, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Kisaragi Chiyo said nothing more. He actually still wanted to remind Hara Kenji that there was still the matter of preparing for the Hell Assistant Official exam waiting for him, but for now..
"It wouldn't matter if I just slept a little longer, would it?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked herself.
Forgive him, as the current atmosphere and surroundings were doing nothing but fueling sleepiness in his brain; the moment this thought even slightly surfaced, his eyelids involuntarily began to grow heavy.
Kisaragi Chiyo resisted for just a few seconds, much like when facing a delicious luxury buffet, before quickly convincing herself to give up.
Sunlight leaped through the gaps in the curtains, but the bedroom remained a silent expanse.
Today was another failure. Whether it was the fat-loss meal or waking up early.. anyway, I'll sleep for a little while longer.
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Author's Note: Thank you for the support, little angels! Mwah 030
Chapter 136
What is Hell like? Will it be like the depictions in the Hell Scroll, filled with various terrifying punishments and demons?
When humans go to Hell, do they truly fall down a thousand yojas from the human realm, just as it is recorded in the Book of Rebirth?