The entire room fell silent.
Miyazaki Koichi scratched his head and glanced at his subordinate, Fujimoto Haruko, frowning in confusion.
"Haruko, what is going on here? Kobeni has a boyfriend? This is completely different from what you told me. Are you people messing with me?"
"Ahaha..." Fujimoto Haruko forced out a stiff laugh.
"It's a misunderstanding, sir. Kobeni must have made it up."
Kobeni took a slow breath. At this point, there was no backing out. She had to commit to the lie.
She looked straight at her mother and spoke firmly, "Mom, I'm serious."
Her younger brother, Higashiyama Yori, looked utterly confused.
His sister was dating someone? She had never mentioned anything like that before. What was this guy even like?
Her older brother, Higashiyama Kotaro, on the other hand, was visibly displeased.
Actually, it was more than that. He felt a deep, irrational irritation building in his chest.
He liked control. He hated surprises.
And this, this was a surprise he couldn't stand.
Kobeni, someone he had always looked down on, had a boyfriend?
Why the hell did she get to have that?
His grades were better. He had already passed the civil service exam. When he was her age, he had been grinding day and night, barely sleeping, buried in textbooks.
He had worked harder than her.
So why wasn't he the one ahead?
He adjusted his thick black-rimmed glasses and stared at Kobeni coldly.
"You're dating? Since when?"
Kobeni fidgeted with her fingers as memories began to surface.
The first time she met Cael.
It felt like a long time ago.
She remembered it clearly. It was at the Dome Amusement Park. Back then, she had just become a Devil Hunter and was sent to deal with the Bat Devil and the Leech Devil.
She hadn't done much, honestly.
Her real interaction with Cael was helping him and Asa carry an injured cat, Nyan-ko, to a pet hospital.
And the money.
That was what stuck with her the most.
For such a simple task, something that was basically part of her job, Cael had casually handed her ten thousand yen.
Later, when they dealt with the Muscle Devil, she barely contributed again, yet Cael transferred all the reward money to her.
That was several hundred thousand yen.
Then came the Falling Devil incident.
She had been dragged into Hell.
Cael had pulled her out, saving her from the stomach of the Eternity Devil.
After that, when the shop manager's family was killed, she contacted Cael for help arranging the funeral. He handled it, and she ended up with another five hundred thousand yen.
More recently, when she was about to lose her job and struggling to make ends meet, Cael stepped in again.
He hired her with a salary even higher than what she earned as a Devil Hunter.
Scene after scene flashed through her mind.
Her heart started pounding.
Being around Cael always seemed to bring her luck.
And... he was an undertaker, yet ridiculously attractive.
A faint smile formed at the corner of her lips.
"A... about half a year, I guess..."
Wait.
Shit.
Kobeni suddenly froze.
With how her heart was racing... did she actually like him?
"Break up with him," Kotaro said flatly.
The look on her face gave everything away. That wasn't a lie made up on the spot. She was genuinely in love.
And that pissed him off even more.
Why did she get to look like that?
Why did someone like her, barely educated, only a high school graduate, get to have something like love?
Shouldn't people like him get that first?
He couldn't accept it.
"Eh?" Kobeni blinked, completely caught off guard.
"W-what do you mean...?"
Bang!
Higashiyama Naoto slammed his hand against the table, his face turning red with anger.
"I was wondering why the money you've been sending home has been less lately! So this is why!" he shouted.
"And you had the nerve to say your salary dropped after changing jobs? Bullshit!"
He rolled up his sleeves and pointed straight at her.
"You ungrateful brat! You'd rather spend your money on some random guy than support your family? And now you're dating too? The hell is wrong with you?"
"Break up with him immediately!" he roared.
"Or I swear I'll break your legs!"
His words sounded righteous, but his thoughts weren't much different from Kotaro's.
Miyazaki Koichi was a golden opportunity, a walking bank account that could change their lives. There was no way they were letting that slip.
Compared to that, Kobeni's feelings meant nothing.
Kobeni let out a quiet, bitter laugh in her mind.
Of course.
It was always like this.
To her father and brother, she wasn't a person. Just a tool. Something to be used, something disposable.
Kobeni clenched her fists.
Be brave.
Like Cael.
She wiped her tears and spoke, "No."
"What did you just say?" Naoto froze.
She had never defied him before.
Not once.
Kobeni gritted her teeth and raised her voice.
"I said no! Didn't you hear me? I like him! Who the hell are you to tell me to break up? You're all idiots! You don't understand a damn thing!"
Naoto was stunned into silence.
Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Miyazaki Koichi stepped in.
"Kobeni, we're all adults here. Let's be honest," he said calmly.
"I've lived longer than you. I understand how the world works. I know young people like you want passionate love."
"But life isn't built on passion alone."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Money is reality. It's a wall most people can't get past."
"If you're with me, my sixty million yen in savings can guarantee a stable future for you."
He paused.
"Your boyfriend can't offer that, can he?"
"So think carefully."
He didn't even try to hide it. He was trying to crush her with money.
Naoto immediately jumped in.
"Mr. Miyazaki is right! Kobeni, listen to him!"
Kobeni felt a surge of disgust.
They were all talking down to her like she was stupid.
"Heh... is it only sixty million yen?" she said, forcing a mocking tone.
"Sorry, old man. My boyfriend is way richer than you."
"Huh?" Miyazaki frowned, clearly not believing her.
Kobeni ignored him.
She pulled the towel out of Yori's mouth, grabbed his hand, and stood up.
"Yori, we're leaving. I'll... I'll take you to meet your brother-in-law."
"O-okay..." Yori still hadn't processed anything.
"You ungrateful brat! Don't you dare walk out!" Naoto shouted.
The entire group rushed after them.
"Kobeni! Don't go, we haven't finished eating!" Fujimoto Haruko grabbed her sleeve tightly.
Slap!
"Enough!" Kobeni snapped, shaking her off.
"You just want twenty million yen, right? Stop pretending this is about family!" she said, her voice shaking with anger.
"I'll give it to you! I'll have my boyfriend give it to you! Is that enough? Then leave me alone!"
Silence.
The room went quiet.
Fujimoto Haruko hesitated before asking, "Really?"
"Yeah! It's true!"
...
Meanwhile, inside the Higashiyama house.
Fami suddenly appeared.
She sat across from Kobeni's seven-year-old sister, grabbing food with both hands and eating like she hadn't seen a proper meal in days.
This family was insane.
And honestly, it was entertaining as hell.
Looks like Cael's little circle might get bigger.
After finishing the food in her bowl, Fami extended her hand toward the child.
"Hey, kid. Hand over that chicken leg."