Dark clouds gathered. A light rain began to fall.
Yoru pushed open the door, shook the water off his umbrella, changed into slippers at the entryway, and stepped inside.
"Meow~"
San-san, his fat cat, must have sensed his gloomy mood and came over to rub against his pants.
"You're here to comfort me?"
"But I'm not actually sad. Things are better than before... My head's just a mess..."
Looking at San-san at his feet, Yoru smiled gently, threw his bag onto the sofa, and scooped up the cat in his arms.
The chubby feline blinked its big amber eyes playfully and rubbed against him.
"Seriously, you're such a drama queen." Yoru chuckled and dropped onto the couch, stroking the cat.
He didn't want to do anything right now. Didn't feel like it. Just sat there quietly.
The rain outside grew heavier, then slowly weakened...
He didn't know how much time passed, but eventually, the sunlight broke through the thick clouds, casting golden rays over bustling Tokyo.
Yoru set down San-san, went to the kitchen to wash some fruit, and turned on the bathroom heater while he was at it.
Might as well take a hot shower and start his weight-loss routine.
When he returned to the living room and sat down for a bit, Gabriel knocked on the door.
"What's up, Gabriel?" Yoru stood at the door, looking at her curiously.
"My TV at home broke. I'm a little bored. Mind if I hang out here for a while?" Gabriel blinked her big eyes and wore an adorably helpless expression—there was no way Yoru could say no.
"Come in." Yoru stepped aside to let her in.
"Excuse me~" Gabriel smiled politely and entered.
"Make yourself at home. I'm gonna take a shower. After that, we can go grab dinner together." Yoru said as they walked to the living room.
"San-san is so cute. Huh? Did she get a little fatter?" Gabriel saw the chubby cat curled up on the sofa, almost as round as a ball.
"She's not actually that fat. I'll grab some fruit and drinks," Yoru replied.
Gabriel picked up San-san and placed her on her soft lap, looking around the room.
It was warm and cozy.
Soon, Yoru returned with the snacks and sat beside Gabriel.
"By the way, Yoru, how do you usually spend your time when you're alone?"
Gabriel absentmindedly adjusted San-san into different poses on her lap as she asked.
She found life on Earth surprisingly nice. Her time at school had been pleasant so far.
It's just that after finishing her scheduled report to Heaven, she had nothing left to do.
After all, Gabriel was an angel. She didn't need to study hard like humans did.
Humans sure have it rough, she sighed inwardly.
"Well... I used to play games a lot. But not anymore," Yoru answered without hesitation. Then added, "Games are actually a great way to kill time. A lot of people rely on them every day."
"Games?" Gabriel paused, one eyebrow twitching.
"I remember a lot of guys in class talking about games after school."
"People who barely knew each other became close all of a sudden. They seemed to really enjoy chatting about them."
Seeing Gabriel's intrigued expression, Yoru stood up and said, "I've got plenty here. If you want, I can lend you some."
Gabriel excitedly nodded, watching him walk back into his room.
It was small, but clean and neatly organized.
Yoru bent down with some effort and pulled out a large storage box from under the bed.
Inside were cartridges and discs, carefully sorted into plastic bags.
"These are definitely not for Gabriel..."
"Better hide them. What if she finds out later?"
Yoru nervously looked back.
Some of those games were R16 and R18.
"Games... they might actually be fun?" Gabriel said as she petted the cat and watched Yoru come out with a Switch and a few cartridges.
"This is the console, these are the cartridges. Just plug one in and start. If you don't like these, I can recommend some phone or PC games too," Yoru said, placing them beside her.
He picked games he personally liked—mostly adventure titles.
"Thanks. Wait, there are different types of games?" Gabriel blinked curiously.
Yoru gave her a brief explanation, inwardly thinking Gabriel was really sheltered.
She didn't even know the basics about games?
---
It was probably around dusk.
Because of the cloudy weather, it wasn't quite nighttime yet, but the sky was already dark.
Tokyo, being a world-class metropolis, had a bustling glow, and the Minato district was one of its wealthiest areas.
Yoru and Gabriel were now eating at a restaurant near Hibiya Park.
From their seats, they could even see the beautiful view of Tokyo Tower lit up in the distance.
However...
"Gabriel, this beef seems really expensive. Are you seriously treating me?" Yoru rubbed his stomach. After walking around with the girl for over an hour, he was truly starving.
"Yep, becau—no, um..."
Gabriel nodded, her mouth full of beef.
As the top graduate from Angel School, Gabriel now received a very generous living allowance.
If she spent normally, she could save half of it every month. Treating someone to wagyu beef was nothing.
"Then I won't hold back~"
Yoru's family wasn't poor, but wagyu was still a rare treat.
And usually, they'd buy it to cook at home—rarely did they eat it in a fancy restaurant.
He swallowed and picked up a slice of wagyu, putting it in his mouth.
As soon as his tongue touched the rich marbling, the juicy fat dispersed, and the amazing aroma flooded his mouth. The meat melted instantly.
The premium ingredients and perfect cooking made Yoru's tongue tremble in bliss. He closed his eyes in satisfaction.
Truth was, he loved good food.
Even during a diet, beef was fine.
Beef is rich in protein and essential micronutrients.
For example, creatine helps muscle recovery and growth. It's actually one of the best meat choices for those trying to lose weight or build muscle.
As long as you don't stuff yourself and the cooking method is right, it's totally okay.
Eating a hearty meal with a cute girl, for free—Yoru felt his mood improving.
Night fell. The moon rose.
After dinner, Yoru and Gabriel strolled around under Tokyo Tower.
It was getting late, so they headed home together.
Near the station, Gabriel wanted to buy some daily necessities. Across the street, Yoru spotted a European-style bakery.
"Maybe I'll try whole wheat or baguette this time. Something different."
After a bit of hesitation, Yoru crossed the street.
In front of the bakery.
A beautiful girl with long silver-gray hair, a bunny hair clip, and a mask was pointing at a mousse cake inside the display case, speaking to the staff.
The clerk sat behind the display, holding a newspaper and staring blankly, completely unresponsive.
Mai Sakurajima frowned and raised her voice politely to repeat her order.
Just then, she noticed a gloomy-looking fat guy standing slightly behind her.
Still, the staff didn't respond, like she wasn't even there.
"Do they not want business or what?"
Mai's displeasure showed as she raised her voice again.
"I'd like three baguettes and some whole wheat pine nut bread."
The next second, Yoru said what he wanted.
"Oui, monsieur. Right away." The clerk immediately put down the newspaper and looked up—at Yoru.
Mai widened her eyes and stared at the clerk.
She had clearly arrived first.
And now she was being ignored?
"She was here before me. Serve her first." Yoru pointed at the masked girl in front of him.
He couldn't see her face, but he was sure—she had to be a beauty.
"Thank you." Mai turned and thanked Yoru.
She realized he was probably around her age.
"Huh? Oh—my apologies, miss! So sorry!"
The clerk finally noticed Mai and scratched his head in surprise.
As he apologized, he furrowed his brow.
Strange... wasn't there no one there earlier?
Was I too absorbed in my newspaper?
He quickly handed Mai her cake and apologized again.
Then he handed Yoru his bread.
After the transactions, the clerk sat back down, touching his head, looking unsettled.