Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

"call……"

In the end, Onodera Zannen sat down.

The only place in the room that could barely be considered suitable for entertaining guests was the small futon by the bed. Its edges were worn white, the fabric was a bit old, and the cotton inside had long been unevenly pressed. Fortunately, Kuroba Shido still had some human dignity before, at least he didn't let it get so dirty that it could grow a second ecosystem.

Onodera Zannen sat on that small futon.

She sat very upright.

Even though this wasn't a tea room, a reception room, or even a room that could normally entertain guests, she still held the teacup steadily, her fingertips gently tapping the cup's rim. As she lowered her head, a strand of hair slipped down her shoulder, and her light-colored lips touched the rim of the cup, slowly blowing away the steam rising from the surface.

For a moment, Shido Kuroba suddenly had a very absurd illusion.

It seems that this dilapidated house is not an old apartment in the rat-infested area, but a wabi-sabi style tea room specially decorated by some rich family.

Of course, this is on the premise that you ignore the broken door next to it that is not yet pieced back together, and the half-eaten convenience store discount coupon on the corner of the table.

The tea in the cup was steaming.

The tea leaves were just taken out by Kuroba Shido from the very back of the cabinet.

The metal box wasn't large, but it had rings of tiny teeth marks on it, as if it had been subjected to a long-term siege by some kind of rodent terrorists.

That's right.

It was bitten by the big black dog.

There was a time when the family was so poor that even the air smelled like the last dignity of a discounted rice ball before it expired. Dahei was also starving and, when Kuroba Shido wasn't paying attention, launched a probing attack on any suspicious container in the cupboard.

Fortunately, the iron box was a cut above the rest.

After struggling to open the can of tea for a long time, Big Black finally gave up and turned to deal with the more vulnerable human mental defenses.

So this can of tea survived.

Tea itself is not a high-end product.

That was a free gift that Shido Kuroba won in a raffle when he bought rice balls. The packaging said something like "Selected Hojicha Experience Pack", which looked very classy. In reality, it was probably just some leftovers that the convenience store casually stuffed into the raffle pool to clear out inventory.

Shido Kuroba can't stand this kind of stuff.

For impoverished teenagers, tea, if it doesn't provide sugar, carbohydrates, fat, or uplifting pleasure, is difficult to categorize as a useful resource.

But today it has finally proven its worth.

It was used to entertain Onodera Zannen.

In a sense, it can be considered a way to make use of waste.

no way.

The house is so clean.

It wasn't clean in the sense of neatness, but clean in the sense of poverty. The cupboards were as empty as if they had been swept clean by Yamamoto's head, the refrigerator was cold with dignity, and there wasn't even a bag of expired rice crackers on the table that could be disguised as snacks.

Kuroba Shido rummaged through the kitchen for a long time.

Then he discovered that the plates had been licked until they were shiny.

It's not a description.

It really does glow.

The traces of the Big Black family's past life here have been left in a very simple, very cruel, and very much in line with the family ethics of rats.

Shido Kuroba held up a plate and looked at it under the light for two seconds.

"Hey, Big Black, are you running a buffet restaurant here with your wife and kids?"

No one responded.

Only the old faucet dripped once.

Kuroba Shido put down the plate and opened the cabinet again.

air.

Open the drawer.

air.

Open another drawer.

There was a chopstick left behind sometime during the night, lying there alone, like a final monument to a life of poverty.

Kuroba Shido paused for a moment, then closed the drawer.

"Very well, you can't even come up with an even number. You have no heart when it comes to Tokyo rent."

Onodera Zannen sat in the room and quietly took a sip of tea.

She drank her tea very slowly.

First, he glanced down at the color of the tea, as if checking the temperature and aroma. Then he took a small sip without making a sound. His movements were restrained and graceful. Even when he put the teacup back on the table, it barely made a sound.

That's what good manners are.

When Kuroba Shido brought out his cup of tea, his actions were completely different.

He lowered his head and blew on the hot tea twice, as if blowing on instant noodle soup, then tentatively took a sip. The moment his tongue touched the hot tea, it almost burned the poor boy's soul out of his body.

"hiss--"

Onodera Zanne looked up at him.

Kuroba Shido immediately forced himself to calm down and held the teacup steady.

"It's alright, the temperature is just right. The poor boy is testing the activity of water molecules... It's not hot!"

Onodera Zannen blinked gently.

"Shido is amazing."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Senior, don't praise everything.

That way, it makes it seem like the burn I just got was worthwhile.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, coughed, and tried to make himself look like a host who, despite being poor, still treated his guests with respect.

"Senior, we've just run out of food at home and haven't had time to buy any, so we can only have some tea."

Onodera Zanne glanced at him.

I glanced at the location of the refrigerator again.

His gaze was very gentle.

It wasn't exposed.

But Shido Kuroba still felt a chill run down his spine instantly.

The look in that gaze, when translated, roughly meant: it wasn't that they had just finished eating, but rather that they hadn't had any food in a long time, and that their recent activities had clearly shifted, with their old residence no longer serving as their primary place of residence.

Kuroba Shido nearly crushed the teacup.

not good.

Very bad.

Is your brain starting to work again, senior?

What he fears most now is that Onodera Zannen will use the keywords "there's nothing to eat at home", "no one lives in the old house", "the door is broken and hasn't been repaired", and "he's still maintaining the facade in the rat-infested area" to push the story all the way to Amamiya Kaoru's house.

That would be the end of it.

Therefore, we must change the subject immediately.

Kuroba Shido suddenly seemed to remember something and took his phone out of his pocket.

"Speaking of which, didn't my senior just send me a message?"

Onodera Zanne looked at him.

"Um."

Kuroba Shido opened the chat interface and saw the two zoo invitations. His face immediately showed a very annoyed expression.

"Sorry, sorry, the club activity was so intense just now, I didn't notice for a moment."

Onodera Zanne asked, "Are you busy with club activities?"

Kuroba Shido nodded solemnly.

"Busy, extremely busy. The club activities on Minister's side have evolved from hobbies into a test of human willpower."

Onodera Zannen nodded gently.

"I see."

Kuroba Shido sensed that she was taking notes again.

He immediately steered the conversation back to the weekend.

"The zoo is probably not an option tomorrow; I already have plans for tomorrow. However, the day after tomorrow is fine."

When he said those words, Shido Kuroba felt as if he were signing some kind of soul transfer agreement.

I'm going to the Miyazaki family's house tomorrow.

Going to the zoo the day after tomorrow.

His weekend was completely ruined.

That impoverished weekend, which should have belonged to the pinball shop, the granola shop, the supermarket tasting, and the evil boy band, has been completely divided up by dangerous women.

But no way.

He has only one thought in mind right now.

Hurry up and get rid of this big shot, senior.

Once the zoo deal is finalized, Onodera Zannen should have no reason to stay here any longer, right?

When Onodera Zannen heard "the day after tomorrow is possible," his eyes curved slightly.

"Really?"

"real."

"I'm really looking forward to it."

Kuroba Shido nodded immediately.

"I'm really looking forward to it too."

In plain language: I'm more looking forward to you coming home soon.

Onodera Zannen picked up his teacup and took another sip.

This time, she seemed a little more relaxed than before.

Kuroba Shido watched her movements, silently calculating how to naturally see the guest off next.

For example, it's getting late.

For example, the senior's family might worry.

For example, the security here is not good, and he, a disabled and poor boy, really has no ability to protect the young lady from Kansai.

For example, the open-plan entryway is currently in a semi-closed state. If it's windy at night, the door might suddenly pop out of place, which is impolite to guests.

He was just about to speak.

Onodera Zannen suddenly put down his teacup.

"Shidou-san."

Shido Kuroba looked up.

"Um?"

Onodera Zanne's expression remained gentle.

"Where's the toilet?"

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Club questionnaire, Miyazaki phone call, zoo invitation, visit to old house, tea service—all these events suddenly connected in one terrifying moment.

He looked at Onodera Zannen.

Onodera Zannen was also looking at him.

She blinked and added.

"You drank too much tea."

Kuroba Shido remained silent.

No.

Senior student.

Is it a bit too natural for you to look for a toilet in someone else's house?

Also, isn't this... a bit inappropriate?

After all, he's not exactly a saint...