This high-level meeting of Tokyo Public Safety wasn't communicated to Chiya.
Naturally, Chiya had no idea what the meeting was about, but the higher-ups did inform him of one thing: he would be getting ten days of paid vacation. This was a policy put in place to allow Devil Hunters to properly rest and recover after battling devils. Of course, if he wanted to come into work during this period, he was also free to do so.
This was one of the perks that made Public Safety's benefits better than the private sector. Not only did it offer a high base salary, but bonuses were normally paid out for each devil slain. After every mission, paid leave was granted, and there was also top-tier medical coverage.
The only downside... was that it was too dangerous. That's the one, fatal flaw.
Once a person dies, no matter how good the benefits are, it's meaningless. Though on the bright side, their family would receive generous death benefits and insurance payouts. That's just how it is...
At the moment, Chiya was at home preparing dinner.
After finishing the food and halfway through their meal, he said to Denji,
"I'm heading out later for a get-together with some colleagues. Make sure to study properly with Miss Higashiyama, okay? If there's anything tasty, I'll bring some back for you."
He remembered that Denji really liked fried and grilled meat.
"Mm-hmm!"
Denji nodded obediently.
...
Around 7 PM, Chiya arrived at the restaurant where he had arranged to meet Aki and Himeno.
There were a few unfamiliar faces at the table as well. Himeno had asked in advance if he was okay with inviting some people from Division 3, and he had said he didn't mind. Otherwise, with just the three of them, the atmosphere might have felt a little too quiet.
"Is this the vice-captain from Division 1? I've heard so much about him but never seen him in person."
"Same here. He's even more handsome than I imagined."
"This is kinda unfair. I heard that back in the day, Captain Kishibe was also a total hunk when he was an S-rank rookie."
The moment Chiya entered, the few people from Division 3 began murmuring among themselves.
He nodded at them slightly. "Pleasure to meet you all."
Seeing that the vice-captain from Division 1 was so approachable, everyone relaxed a bit more and warmly invited him to join the table.
"Now that I think about it, both Vice-Captain Otonashi and Hayakawa are still minors, right? Let's order more juice and soft drinks for them."
"No way?! Vice-Captain Chiya's still a minor? I heard he took down multiple devils all by himself today!"
Chiya's performance today had already spread within Tokyo Public Safety. Especially people from Division 1 had been bragging about him to their friends from other divisions—they were proud that someone so powerful was from their own team.
"It's true! That's why a genius is a genius. Us Devil Hunters can't rely only on contracts with devils. Physical ability and talent are just as important!"
As the group passionately discussed Chiya's age and talent—
Himeno suddenly cut in, "Alright, alright, start eating already, will you? You can talk while you eat. Otherwise, the food's gonna get cold."
"True enough. Then... time to dig in!"
It's a Japanese custom to say "I'm starting" before beginning a meal.
Chiya, going with the flow, put his hands together. "Itadakimasu."
Less than thirty minutes later, one of the women, after a few glasses of beer, started feeling tipsy. She suddenly turned to Chiya and said,
"Hey, Chiya-kun, how about transferring to Division 3 and becoming our captain? Our current captain would totally give up the spot."
"Not something I can decide on myself…" Chiya replied with a calm smile.
Himeno let out a loud laugh. "She's drunk again. Don't mind her, Chiya-kun… hic!"
Just as she finished speaking, she hiccupped. Her face was visibly flushed—clearly even drunker than the other woman.
Then, Himeno suddenly stood up and stared intensely at Aki.
Aki immediately felt a sense of foreboding. "What are you trying to do?"
The next moment, Himeno stumbled forward and collapsed right onto Aki.
Aki could have reacted in time, but he didn't want her to fall to the floor either. That brief hesitation meant it was too late.
——A certain unspeakable boundary was crossed——
Chiya quietly took a sip of his juice, expression calm, as if absolutely nothing had happened.
The others were all enjoying the spectacle too. No one stepped in to help Aki.
After all, they'd all been victims—both men and women alike. And they had warned Aki beforehand. They'd done their part.
Fortunately, Himeno didn't throw up this time. After a few seconds of shock, Aki pushed her off of him.
As the pure-hearted boy he was, Aki instantly short-circuited. His eyes widened, unsure whether in anger or embarrassment, his face flushed red. It was hard to tell if he was too mad to speak, or simply overwhelmed.
"Snrrrk—"
But Himeno had already passed out, snoring away.
Aki was at a loss. He had absolutely no idea what to do with her.
"Let it go. Just be more careful next time. We all learned the hard way at first too."
Someone tried to comfort him.
"…"
Aki remained silent. He didn't feel like eating anymore and decided to head to the restroom to cool off.
"Aki-kun is seriously too pure. Let's hope this doesn't traumatize him too badly."
"Maybe Himeno-senpai should take responsibility. Otherwise, she's probably gonna forget everything by tomorrow."
"She's already out cold, and we're all full anyway. Maybe we should start heading back?"
People chatted casually.
When Aki returned from the restroom after calming down, everyone was wrapping things up.
"Aki-kun, this might be a bit awkward for you, but could you take Himeno-senpai home? We've all had something to drink, and Vice-Captain Chiya probably doesn't know where she lives either."
Aside from Chiya and Aki, everyone else had been drinking at least a bit, so Aki was the only one truly fit to escort her home.
"It's fine, I can handle it."
Aki seemed to have calmed down completely. His tone was composed as he slung Himeno's arm over his shoulder.
He was, after all, someone who could keep a level head. Though he might still feel upset inside, he wasn't the type to throw a fit over it.
"I'll hail a cab for you guys."
Chiya flagged down a taxi and got in with Aki and Himeno.
He and Aki lived in the same apartment complex, so after dropping Himeno off, they could head back together.
Sitting in the cab, Aki remained silent.
Chiya could tell Aki hadn't fully gotten over what happened at the restaurant. But rather than say something pointless, he simply pulled out the Gun Devil flesh he had retrieved from the corpse of the Worm Devil the other day—and handed it to Aki.
He had no use for it himself. It didn't give him any attribute points or anything.
"You still want revenge on the Gun Devil, right? Let what happened today go. Better to focus on researching this."
Chiya wasn't ready to tell Aki the truth about the Gun Devil just yet. The truth was too cruel… too darkly ironic. He feared Aki wouldn't be able to handle it right now.
Right now, Aki's mind was consumed by hatred for the Gun Devil. Once Himeno carved out a place in his heart, maybe then he'd be able to face it with a clearer mind.
"…Thanks."
The moment Aki saw the Gun Devil flesh, his emotions stirred. All the unhappiness from earlier instantly faded away.