In the Free Realm, after going through such a long ordeal with Doma and facing off against Dartz in an apocalyptic duel, Youyu returned from the Spirit Realm with the Three Egyptian God to engage in a "pocket monster" showdown with the Evil God. Youyu was truly exhausted these days.
So he felt there was absolutely no issue with sleeping in until noon.
Youyu slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, bright enough to be a bit blinding through the curtains, before lazily stretching and slowly sitting up in bed.
Upon waking up, the first thing he heard was...
"Kuriboh Kuriboh!"
The spirit Kuriboh lay on his head, greeting him warmly.
Ever since Kuriboh started following him, Youyu found himself getting better at interpreting each "Kuriboh" that Kuriboh said. For instance, now, he guessed Kuriboh might be saying "Good morning"...
... of course, it could also be saying "It's noon already, get up and start working, you lazy pig."
"Good morning, Master!"
Without looking, he knew this voice was from the energetic Dark Magician Girl.
The girl was holding a small Magic Staff, standing nearby, looking at Kuriboh affectionately lying on Youyu's head. She felt a little urge to imitate Kuriboh and snuggle up too, but hesitated, feeling slightly afraid...
The new spirit, Silent Magician, was also quietly standing at the bedside. The white-haired Magician had transformed back into a loli form, her small head barely reaching the chest of the Dark Magician Girl.
With white-gloved hands, she gingerly held a small wand, standing sweetly by, her big eyes curiously observing the new environment.
The two beautiful Mage girls and an adorable Kuriboh made Youyu feel extraordinarily harmonious, even to the point of a "life complete" illusion...
"Hmph, what a shabby palace this is."
A rough voice echoed at an inappropriate moment.
Youyu turned his head towards the sound, seeing the armor-clad, sword-bearing, stylistically discordant Great Shogun Shien standing at the door, pointing around Youyu's room.
"It entirely lacks the grandeur of a King's abode!" he commented.
Youyu squinted his eyes.
You're the most redundant in this room, right?
After a simple wash, Youyu went downstairs. Hearing a sound, Chinai poked her head out from the kitchen.
"You're up," she said, "Hold on a sec, lunch is almost ready."
"Oh, thanks."
Watching Chinai's departing figure towards the kitchen, Great Shogun Shien floated out like a ghost again, arms folded, commenting once more: "Your wife is admirable."
Youyu speechless: "She's not."
"Oh? Then she's your concubine?"
"...Also not." Youyu rolled his eyes, "Go back obediently and stay put."
Shien: "?"
Evidently, those two Magician girls and the fluffy Kuriboh also liked to float out now and then, so why can't I?
Aren't we all spirits?
However, considering he was now under Youyu's command, obedience was his duty, so Shien sulked silently back into the Card Deck without a peep.
That day, Chinai seemed to have woken up early, busy in the kitchen for most of the morning, creating a literally sumptuous feast.
The shopkeeper elder looked wistfully at the table laden with fine dishes, quietly pulling Youyu aside: "You mustn't leave without notice anymore. Since you left, this whole month, elder me hasn't seen a scrap of meat..."
Chinai blushingly defended, "No... No, last week's miso soup clearly had bits of meat..."
Youyu: "..."
However, it seemed Chinai wasn't idle at home these days either, specially spending effort to refine her culinary skills. After just a month apart, Youyu felt her cooking had improved notably.
Although cooking skills may not be as important as dueling in this world, it was still significant to Youyu, who considered eating important.
Especially after staying in the Free Realm all this time, being too busy with Doma's strategic work to eat well, often having meals that didn't suit his taste.
Thus, upon returning home today, his appetite was quite good, and he ate quite a bit.
Chinai noticed, her eyes sparkled with delight.
Eating a lot essentially confirmed her skills!
Her efforts of quietly studying alone at home these days weren't in vain.
Just the shopkeeper elder wasn't very happy. Whether mistaken or not, he seemed to feel this rascal's bowl always had slightly more meat than his...
The shopkeeper elder frowned in distress.
Now his beloved granddaughter's position was already biased this way, what would happen if she was formally taken away by this boy?
Unbelievable!
No, before that, there's another problem, which is...
... This rascal now seems not even to have the intention of taking my treasured granddaughter away!
Seriously unbelievable!
"Speaking of," Youyu asked while eating, "isn't the shop open today?"
He noticed it was already noon, yet the shop door was still tightly closed.
"Yes, because you've been busy for so long and just returned, hoping you rest well." Chinai said.
Perhaps she felt once opened, those lively idiots would surely come rushing in, disturbing Youyu's rest.
The shopkeeper elder grumbled beside about something similar to "Why hadn't he seen her be so thoughtful before?"
"Ah, actually it's okay." Youyu helplessly said, "Even though I also wish to rest a day... But President Haima wouldn't allow it."
Chinai was startled: "Kaiba Seto, the President?"
"Yeah." Youyu shrugged, "Just returned to Domino at three in the morning today, yet told me to work at the company today... Geez, capitalists, really are..."
"Did he ask you to work overtime? When?"
"Uh... I must arrive at about seven in the morning, I guess."
Chinai blinked her big eyes, instinctively looking at the clock hanging on the wall.
But isn't it... already past noon?
Youyu of course knew what she was thinking, casually shrugging his shoulders.
"Being three to five hours late doesn't matter." He said, using chopsticks to pick up another piece of meat into his bowl, "Anyway, Kaiba wouldn't dock my pay, much less fire me..."
"If you're so late, won't he come looking for you..."
"Yes, of course." Youyu chuckled, "So I put my phone on silent."
Chinai: "......"
"These are minor issues, no need to take it to heart." Youyu continued calmly eating, not rushing, muttering to himself, "If dropping the favor in the President's eyes were so easy, it'd be great..."
Chinai instinctively felt a heightened sense of alert.
Her small head now very curious about what relationship Youyu had with President Haima?
If merely working... Why so fearless?