The last time it rained, when Megumi Kato offered to walk him home, Shin had already realized their routes were in opposite directions.
Though Shin had since moved out of his original apartment and into a new residence, the new home was still one the Shinomiya family had arranged near his old place.
So, in reality, Shin's route home hadn't changed—it was still the opposite of Megumi's.
After leaving school this time, Shin took a different path than usual, following Megumi all the way to her home, where he also met her parents.
Megumi's parents were quite ordinary, no different from any typical mother and father, and they didn't seem to share her low-presence trait.
If there was any similarity between them and Megumi… well, it was probably how calmly they reacted.
When they learned that Megumi would be moving in with Shin, her parents remained completely unfazed, as if they fully trusted her judgment.
Now, seeing the boy who would soon be living with their daughter, they didn't object—instead, they looked rather pleased.
Though Shin was, at heart, something of a scoundrel, his appearance was undeniably deceptive. Anyone would assume he was a good guy at first glance.
Thus, Megumi's parents raised no objections, and the two smoothly left the house with her luggage in tow.
Once outside the apartment complex, Shin couldn't help but chuckle at her parents' reaction.
"Your family really doesn't worry about you at all, huh? They didn't even question your safety."
"Isn't that a good thing? It means they approve of you, Shin."
A faint smile played on Megumi's lips—she had noticed her parents' expressions too, and their clear satisfaction with Shin.
Of course, they didn't know that Shin's household already had more than one woman… but Megumi didn't mind. She just regretted not making her move sooner.
In a way, this counted as meeting the parents, right? Even if it was brief—just grabbing her luggage before leaving.
Still, seeing her parents accept Shin made Megumi happy, at least in one regard: she wouldn't have to worry about tension between her family and her lover.
"How do you feel about moving out? Won't you get lonely?"
Shin carried her bags as they exited the apartment building, glancing at Megumi. She seemed perfectly cheerful, with no trace of melancholy about leaving home.
"It's not like I'll never see them again. We're still in the same town—I can visit whenever I want."
Megumi was remarkably unbothered, smiling as she met Shin's gaze.
"Besides, I have you, don't I? You won't let me feel lonely, right? And it's not like your house is empty—there are plenty of people there."
The first half of her sentence carried a teasing lilt, while the latter held a hint of resignation.
She had been to Shin's home before and knew how many people lived there. Sometimes, she wondered if she should've made her move earlier.
If she had moved in before Shin relocated, maybe she could've had him all to herself for a while.
---
"This will be your room, Megumi."
After returning home, Tohru led Megumi and Shin to her designated room, introducing it with perfect hospitality.
Of course, just like every other time Shin brought a new girl home, Tohru's polite smile was betrayed by the subtle twitching at the corner of her lips.
Her tone, too, carried a barely restrained frustration—after all, this meant Shin's attention would be divided yet again.
"Thank you, Miss Tohru."
Though Megumi likely noticed the oddity in Tohru's voice, she didn't comment, instead politely expressing her gratitude.
This room was far better than her old one. Given the sheer luxury of the mansion, even a guest room outclassed an average home in both size and opulence.
Of course, Megumi was well aware that she probably wouldn't be sleeping in this bed most nights.
The last time she visited, she had seen the oversized bed in Shin's room—the one clearly meant for multiple people.
Still, aside from her thanks, Megumi couldn't help but eye Tohru's horns and the large tail swaying behind her.
"By the way, Miss Tohru… those horns and tail… what exactly are they…?"
She glanced at Shin, cheeks faintly reddening as if struck by a sudden thought.
"Could it be… some kind of strange preference of yours, Shin…?"
Unbidden, her mind conjured images of herself in bizarre cosplay outfits. If Shin really liked that sort of thing, she wouldn't be opposed to indulging him.
"Not quite. Tohru's identity is… special."
Shin gave a wry smile. Why did everyone assume Tohru was in cosplay the moment they saw her horns and tail?
Gabriel had thought the same, and now Megumi seemed to as well. Did he really come across as the type to make maids dress up at home?
Normally, others wouldn't even notice Tohru's inhuman features—she used magic to obscure perception, making people overlook them.
But this time, Tohru had deliberately lifted the spell in front of Megumi. Shin wanted her to understand the peculiarities of their household.
Everyone else already knew Tohru's true nature and had accepted the existence of dragon maids and the like.
Now that Megumi was joining the family, it was only right to introduce her to these truths—a strange little tradition of theirs.
Before Megumi could process her confusion, Shin guided her out of the room and into the courtyard.
Then, with a light scoff, Tohru—under Megumi's wide-eyed gaze—underwent a dramatic transformation, her body swelling into a massive dragon that filled the entire garden.
"..."
Even the ever-composed Megumi couldn't suppress her shock this time.
"As you can see, Tohru isn't wearing a costume."
Shin grinned at Megumi's rare display of astonishment.
"Now, let me give you a proper rundown of how things work in this house."
To be continued…
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