After Kanae and Giyuu returned to the Demon Slayer Corps, they immediately reported the escape of Lower Rank Two Enmu to Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
This matter aroused Ubuyashiki Kagaya's high attention.
After all, this was the second-ranked demon among the Lower Ranks, with powerful strength and extremely high danger.
In order to subjugate him as soon as possible, Ubuyashiki Kagaya immediately dispatched multiple teams of swordsmen with Tokyo at the center, beginning large-scale searches and investigations.
However, all of this was currently unrelated to Kocho Shinobu at Tokyo University.
As an honorary professor of Tokyo University and the only dual-doctorate holder in the medical department, Shinobu had been busy with coursework recently.
In order to help those foolish older brothers and sisters who were several years older than her graduate smoothly, she had been worrying herself to exhaustion recently.
Damn it, how can you not pass such simple questions?!
Pass them anyway?
Pass what pass! Daring to ask me to pass you with grades like these?!
All of you get back there and retake the exam!
Perhaps, this is the trouble of being a genius...
Of course, for Shinobu, what actually troubled her most wasn't her students' failing grades, but rather...
"Those bastards!"
Late at night, in a lively izakaya on the streets of Tokyo, Kocho Shinobu, wearing a white lab coat, forcefully slammed her beer mug onto the table and complained loudly:
"What's wrong with being short! It's not like I wanted to grow this short!
And, and I'm only eighteen years old okay?! I'll definitely grow taller in the future!
Those guys! All they know is laughing behind my back! Just you wait! Next exam none of them will pass!"
"Hey hey hey, don't take revenge on your students because of this kind of thing..."
Across from Shinobu, Akaza, who was seriously preparing tomorrow's lesson while writing furiously, reminded her.
That's right, since they happened to run into each other when leaving school, the two had arranged to come to this izakaya for late-night snacks tonight.
As the two youngest doctors at Tokyo University, Shinobu and Akaza already knew each other.
Of course, the two didn't have any special relationship, they were simply colleagues and friends.
The reason they could arrange to come out for snacks together was purely because Shinobu wanted someone to listen to her complaints, and Akaza happened to have free time.
"Hah? Me taking revenge? Hakuji, do you know what nicknames those bastards gave me?
Good morning~ cute little potato doctor~ what will you teach us today~ should we help you bring a stool to stand on~
Damn it! What little potato doctor! Am I that short! Too much! Simply too much!"
After imitating her students' tone from memory, Shinobu, who had turned red with anger, grabbed a skewer of grilled meat from before her and bit into it viciously.
"Fundamentally, my height is completely normal okay! It's clearly just that they're too tall!"
"Pfft..."
"Bastard! Don't laugh!"
"Dr. Shinobu, your takoyaki is here."
"Hmm? Ah, thank you, Koyuki. I'll add credits for you later."
Just as Shinobu was burning with rage, on the aisle beside the two, a beautiful girl carrying a box of takoyaki quickly walked over.
This girl was quite pretty and delicate, with simple elegant makeup, only wearing a snowflake-shaped hair ornament on her head.
The girl was wearing work clothes, clearly an employee of this izakaya.
From Shinobu's tone, she seemed to also be Shinobu's student at Tokyo University?
[Koy...uki?]
Seemingly attracted by this somewhat special name, Akaza subconsciously looked up at this girl.
Then, he was completely stunned on the spot.
[I-I'm Koyuki... cough cough...]
[Hakuji oniichan, thank you for taking such good care of me...]
[Sorry, it's all because my body never gets better, always delaying your training time, Hakuji oniichan...]
[Hakuji oniichan, are you willing to marry me?]
In his ears, a voice that Akaza felt incomparably familiar, yet couldn't recall at all, rang out continuously.
This voice filled his eardrums. Akaza subconsciously raised his hand to cover his head, his face showing pain.
[I-I... you are... damn it... this voice is...]
His brain in complete chaos, he only felt stabbing pain suddenly coming from deep within his mind, as if something was impatiently trying to burst out.
"Hey, Hakuji, what's wrong, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"I..."
Consciousness gradually returning, the voices in his mind slowly fading, Akaza looked up to see Shinobu's worried expression.
"Sorry, just suddenly... had a bit of a headache."
"Headache? Perfect, traditional Chinese medicine is also my specialty. Want me to take your pulse?"
"That won't be necessary."
Beside them, that female employee named Koyuki had already left. Akaza hurriedly brushed past this topic and asked Shinobu:
"That girl called Koyuki just now, is she your student?"
"Hmm? Ah, yes, Koyuki, a new student who just entered the medical department this year. Down-to-earth, serious, studies hard, a very good student.
Also, her dad is the boss of this izakaya... Why, do you know her?"
Shinobu explained. This was also why she came to this izakaya for late-night snacks.
Taking care of her student's family business~
Of course, saying student, but Koyuki was actually a year older than Shinobu.
Sigh, can't be helped, being too much of a genius has this drawback—all her students are older than her...
"No, don't know her, just..."
Full of doubts about those voices that suddenly appeared in his mind just now, Akaza subconsciously turned back and looked toward the counter direction.
Not looking would have been better—upon looking, he discovered that the girl named Koyuki was actually hiding behind the counter secretly observing him?!
The gazes of the two people suddenly met without warning.
"Ugh!"
Like startled little rabbits, both hurriedly withdrew their gazes simultaneously, cheeks slightly red.
[Damn it! Why did she look over too!]
"Hmm—"
Sharply noticing this scene, Shinobu sitting across squinted her eyes, her gaze sweeping back and forth between these two people.
"Hakuji, you couldn't have taken a liking to that young lady, could you?"
"N-nonsense!"
His cheeks instantly turning completely red, Akaza suddenly stood up, gathering the books on the table to leave.
"As-as a teacher! How could I have such thoughts about my own student?! It's getting late! I'll head back first!"
"Eh? Leaving already? Not taking anything back to eat?"
"Don't need it!"
Running out of the izakaya as if fleeing, Akaza stumbled on the street, nearly falling.
"Hey! Watch your step!"
"Don't need your reminder! I can see!"
Hurriedly steadying himself, before leaving, Akaza specifically looked up at the name of this izakaya, not knowing what he wanted to do...
"Really now..."
Watching his somewhat embarrassed figure completely disappear, Shinobu finally withdrew her gaze.
"Um, Dr. Shinobu..."
"Uwaa! Koyuki, when did you get here?"
Only when she turned back did she notice that Koyuki, who had been standing behind the counter earlier, had somehow suddenly teleported to her side.
"Dr. Shinobu..."
The young lady raised her tray to cover her slightly red face, and with a somewhat shy voice, asked very quietly:
"That gentleman just now, he... is he your friend?"
"Mm, I suppose so, Dr. Hakuji from the literature department. You should have heard of him at school, right?"
"So it was him, then..."
"Hey! Koyuki! Don't stand there being lazy! Hurry and deliver these dishes to the customers!"
Just as Koyuki wanted to ask something more, from the back kitchen, a middle-aged man suddenly poked his head out and shouted.
This uncle looked to be in his thirties, with short hair, proper features, some stubble on his chin, always with a cheerful and enthusiastic expression.
Without a doubt, this uncle was Koyuki's father, the boss of this izakaya—Uncle Keizo.
"Got it, Dad! I'll come right away!"
No longer delaying, Koyuki hurriedly ran over, leaving only Shinobu with a completely baffled expression.
"Well, whatever, eat snacks eat snacks, filling my stomach is the most important thing~"