"Done at last," Hiyori sighed as the three of them left the library together a couple of hours later.
"It would've been much faster if a certain dumbass didn't keep distracting you," Yukine grumbled. "Now it's too late for you to come to dinner with us at Kofuku's place."
"Hnn, shut up," Yato said, hands deep in his pockets. "I said I was sorry didn't I? You should be grateful, don't you know gods don't deal in forgiveness?"
"Gods also don't freeload off their friends or hang out with high school girls on their days off," Yukine said drily. "Man, I'm supposed to be your guidepost but you really are a lost cause."
"Aw, you say that, Yukine-kun, but I know you love Yato," Hiyori smiled at him.
"Hmph," he said, turning away from her. She didn't need to see it to know he was turning red. "Whatever."
"Always the tsundere son," Yato teased, patting Yukine's head roughly.
"Ew, get your nasty sweaty hands off me!" Hiyori giggled as they started running, yelling loudly down the street.
They're the same as always, she thought, watching them run in circles. She complained when Yato was being a pain in the ass, but in truth she had missed him and Yukine every bit as much as they missed her when they were busy. Usually, when she worried she might start to forget them, she would leave her body and track them down so as to make sure her memories would stay fresh, but with college exams around the corner, she hadn't had the time to go off with them.
"Say, Yato, Yukine-kun... why don't we go out together this weekend?"
"Huh? Me too?" Yukine asked, pointing at himself in surprise.
"Of course you too," Yato said seriously. "What, you think we'd leave you behind?"
"Isn't it a date though?" he asked Hiyori.
"Hmm, more like... a family outing?"
"Hah?! What's with that?"
"You're my kid, aint'cha?" Yato said, leaning casually against Hiyori's shoulder. "So then you're also Hiyori's kid. Obviously."
"W-what?!" she sputtered. "Now I'm Yukine-kun's stepmother too?!"
"Smooth," Yukine snorted. "Hiyori, you really should hurry up and dump his sorry ass before you find yourself paying child support for the rest of your life."
"Ugh, I know you're joking but I suddenly have a really bad feeling in my stomach."
They stopped in front of the gates to the Iki residence.
"Thank you for walking me home," she said gratefully.
"Obviously we would," Yukine said, smirking at her. "See you later, mom."
"Yukine-kun!"
"I'll text you with the plans later," Yato added. He leaned over and kissed Hiyori on the cheek. He chuckled somewhat sheepishly at her flustered expression.
"Man, having a cute girlfriend really is the best," he said with a self-congratulatory grin. "Isn't it?" he said, turning toward Yukine, but the boy had already started off without him. "Hey! Wait! Hold up, Yukine! Wait for me, damnit!"
He ran off after his Regalia, leaving Hiyori standing alone red-faced and dazed.
Well, almost the same as always, she thought, pushing the gate open. Not for the first time, she wondered what exactly it was that she and Yato were doing; he was, after all, an ageless god who had been alive for millennia, and she was just Iki Hiyori, a random modern Japanese school girl with a knack for losing her physical body. Was it even possible for a god and a human to be together? Was it even allowed?
Hiyori wasn't sure exactly when her relationship with Yato changed. There had been no manga-like confession behind the school or on a date. One day a drunk Yato had been arguing with the Goddess of Poverty's Regalia over something stupid while Hiyori was visiting, and it just happened.
"Shut up, Daikoku! If Hiyori wants to hang out with us you ain't got any right to stop her!"
"Hah?! I'm just sayin' she should be studying for college exams-"
"Who cares about stupid exams?!"
"She does, idiot! She's got a life to live and college is more important than hangin' out with a washed up loser like you!"
"It's not!" Yato had bellowed, slamming the can of beer down on the table. "I love her, dammit! I promised I'd make her happy!"
Everyone except the two drunkards had frozen in place, and Yukine dropped a glass of water all over Hiyori's skirt. She didn't even notice.
"Wh-WHAT!?" Kofuku had shouted excitedly, eyes practically sparkling with glee. "Yato-chan, you and Hiyorin have been dating all along?!"
Hiyori opened her mouth to exclaim that it wasn't like that, but Yato glared at Kofuku and gave a very yakuza-like scoff.
"You gotta problem with that?!"
"W-wait a second, you can't just-" Hiyori said frantically, trying her best not to lose her head.
"What, you don't want to anymore?" Yato asked, looking stricken. He looked so upset and vulnerable that even Hiyori's ears felt like they were burning with heat.
She shook her head slightly to indicate she wasn't turning him down, unable to keep eye contact.
"Hiyori?!" Yukine had finally said, utterly shocked. "W-WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!"
Kofuku immediately pounced on her, calling for celebratory drinks, and somehow just like that it was official, though neither Yato, Hiyori, or even Yukine quite understood how.
Yasumi went to bed shortly after dinner, in a much better mood now that she'd had some good home-cooking and a slice of birthday cake. Back when her father had been alive, her birthdays had been celebrated much more boisterously, but she didn't mind the quiet dinners that had become commonplace between herself and her mother. It was better by far than having to deal with her cousins and other relatives at the shrine, and her father's family lived in Hokkaido. A quiet evening in also let her mother rest before she had to go to work early the next day.
Another year, another great cake, she thought cheerfully to herself as she snuggled into her pillows. Can't wait to have some more in the morning. Maybe I'll take some over to Kaori's place too.
She was almost asleep when she suddenly snapped wide awake, heart in her throat.
What?
Something was off, she could sense it. There was something... something, or someone, in her room that hadn't been there before.
"M-mom?" she ventured, her voice small and frightened in the darkness.
"Huh, so you can See after all."
It wasn't her mother's voice, but it was clearly close by. Slowly, with a trembling hand, Yasumi lifted the covers from her face until she could just make out a shadowy figure standing at the foot of her bed. A pair of sharp, glowing eyes regarded her with mild curiosity.
In any normal circumstance, Yasumi would have screamed. Instead, she surprised herself as she slowly sat up to face the intruder.
"Wh-Who are you?" she whispered.
"Hmm, that's a tricky question to answer," the person said, stepping out of the shadows and pulling down their hoodie to reveal short, messy blond hair and a young boy's face. His golden-brown eyes glinted with something like mischief. "I'm surprised you're not screaming your head off, it doesn't usually go this smoothly. You want my name, or my occupation first?"
"Are... Aren't you here to kill me or something?" she asked without thinking.
He burst into laughter, leaning against the wall. "Man, you're a weird one. If I were here to kill you, you'd be dead by now. Nah, I'm just visiting, sorta. You're Kobayashi Yasumi aren't ya?"
"Y-yes..." she stammered, utterly bewildered.
"Great. I'm Yukine. I'm something like your guardian spirit. Nice to meet'cha, Yasumi. Let's get along."