CHAPTER 310: CAN WE TALK?

"Hey, I don’t mean to pry, but... did something happen?"

Jonah asked the question just as Dante was about to step out of the station’s front door. Dante gave him a look of confusion. A lot had happened, of course, but he was careful to wear the proper mask so his acquaintances wouldn’t notice. Because of that, the old officer’s question took him by surprise.

"You didn’t show up for dinner yesterday," Jonah said. "And Nobara was in a really bad mood. She even snapped at me when I mentioned it."

"Ah, yeah..." Dante pressed his lips into a line, not wanting to talk about the topic.

Jonah seemed to understand that, but being the wise old man he is, he couldn’t resist giving some sage advice at a time like this.

"You don’t have to worry about her. Who you get together with is still your choice, and she has no choice but to accept it."

"Yeaaaaah... don’t worry, I got everything handled."

That was something of a lie, even if it was the truth. The New Year’s party will be held later today, so Dante knew he would have to solve his problem with the old cook, unless he wanted things to be very awkward in the following days.

Sending the bag with his two rewards into the Storage, then continued moving his feet. His mind kept steering him toward every path other than the one he was trying to take, looking for a reason to go anywhere but where he needed to go. After so much effort, he made it to the Bowl of Fortune, although he stood on the opposite street for what felt like an hour.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts, showing that he had spaced out at some point. Looking to his left, he saw a young boy in an oversized blue jacket, carrying a huge sports bag. After a moment of thought, Dante sighed.

"I could ask you the same."

"Grandma said she needs help preparing for the party," Finn replied.

"And what does that have to do with you?" Dante raised an eyebrow.

"I offered to help, of course." The boy puffed his chest.

"Yeah, right."

Dante sighed at the reply, knowing all too well that the boy wouldn’t be able to do much. He was both a Diver and a Gearhead, after all, and that combination isn’t very helpful in the kitchen.

’Come to think of it...’

He remembered that the blue-haired girl was working in the noodle shop’s kitchen the previous day, making him wonder about the horrors she had concocted while no one was looking.

"You coming in?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, just... give me a moment."

Just standing there and doing nothing wouldn’t lead to any progress, so Dante braced himself and moved his legs, following after the young boy. Once the door slid open, Finn was the one to speak up.

"Grandma! I came to help!"

"Ah! Finn, is that-"

Nobara seemed to have been cleaning the tables when they entered. The instant her eyes caught sight of Dante, they narrowed as a frown took over her face. Being at the receiving end of that look, Dante couldn’t help but shudder.

"Took you long enough, boy." She said.

Dante almost looked away, but he managed to hold his ground.

"Yeah yeah, I’m sorry, okay?"

"It will take a lot more than a sorry."

"I know."

Stunned by the sudden tension, Finn looked between Dante and the old cook, his face full of confusion. At that moment, someone peeked their head from the kitchen door. Dante didn’t recognize the green-haired girl, which made it all the more surprising when she suddenly beamed. In a single second, she was suddenly in front of them.

"Finn!"

Calling the brat’s name with a strange enthusiasm, she snatched him off the ground and started spinning him around.

"It’s so good to see you!"

"Hey hey HEY!!! Calm down! I’m-"

"Hahaha"

The scene almost caused Dante to crack a smile, but Volcan stopped that from happening.

[Dante, the girl with green hair. She is the android we fought in the pit a couple of days ago.]

Hearing that caused his expression to darken, but that seemed to have gone unnoticed by the green-haired girl, but only for a moment. Their eyes met in the next, and her face turned serious all of a sudden. She pulled Finn closer, buried his face into her chest, and backed away.

"That hair... You must be Dante."

"Oh yeah? And what of it?"

"I won’t let you bully Finn!" She declared confidently.

The little brat went limp in her arms, no longer resisting.

"Kizuna, I told you to-"

Suzuka appeared out of the kitchen next, but unlike the first girl, she froze on the spot. A second later, the corners of her mouth went down.

"Oh, you’re here." She said.

Dante felt his face twitch, but he managed to hold back the reply that almost flew out of his mouth. Casting his gaze down, he scratched the back of his head.

"Can we talk?" He said. "Alone?"

The blue-haired girl continued to stare, as if trying to pierce a hole through him. Eventually, she turned to her grandmother. Nobara just happened to be glaring at him as well, but her expression seemed to soften a little, although the suspicion wasn’t gone. When she nodded, Suzuka gestured for the kitchen. Dante didn’t rush in right away, but when he decided to move, the green-haired girl stepped in his way, still hugging Finn’s head.

"No." She said. "I won’t let you-"

"Kiiizuunaaa."

All it took was a work from her master, and the android went static. Looking at the brat she was holding, Dante started to worry if he was still breathing, and if his head hadn’t cracked.

The green-haired girl, Kizuna, reluctantly moved aside, opening the path. Sparing her a look, Dante passed through and followed the blue-haired one inside. He thought they would be talking in the kitchen, but for some reason, she led him straight to what he believed to be her bedroom.