I Took A Succubus's First Time-Chapter 96: Lingering Smell

The police had arrived to take the snatcher into custody. After a brief interview, they listened as Kouhei explained what happened. They gave him a stern warning not to do anything so reckless again, which was fair. He understood their concern—he hadn't thought about the danger. The guy could've had a knife or even a gun, and Kouhei wouldn't have been able to dodge that.

With their warning delivered, the officers loaded the snatcher into the squad car and sped off toward the station. Kouhei stood there, watching the car disappear down the road, relieved it was over but also feeling awkward under the weight of all the stares directed at him.

"Oh, right. I've got to get back to Aria-san and return this to the old lady," he muttered to himself, clutching the purse.

He started walking back toward the park. The crowd of onlookers began to lose interest, their attention shifting elsewhere. Yet, among them, one person couldn't seem to take her eyes off him.

Hiyori.

Her heart was still pounding, an unrelenting rhythm that refused to quiet. In that moment, she realized she was undeniably drawn to Kouhei. She'd fallen for him.

***

Kouhei returned to the park, where Aria was waiting on a bench with the elderly woman beside her.

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"Okumura-sama!" Aria's face lit up as she saw him approaching, the purse clutched firmly in his hand.

"Here it is, ma'am," Kouhei said, handing the purse back to its rightful owner.

"Oh, my. Thank you so much, dear," the old lady said gratefully. She opened the purse, relief flooding her face as she retrieved a necklace. "Thank goodness it's still here."

She gazed lovingly at the necklace. It wasn't anything flashy or expensive, but its value was unmistakable.

"I don't care about the money. Money comes and goes, but this... this is irreplaceable," she said, her voice tender.

She held the necklace delicately, her fingers brushing over it as if it were made of the most fragile glass.

"This was a gift from my late husband," she explained. "It was the first thing he ever gave me. He bought it even though he didn't have the money for it at the time. Thanks to you two, I managed to get it back."

She looked up at Kouhei and Aria, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"You two make such a lovely couple."

Her words caught both of them off guard. A couple? They weren't yet, but the old lady's assumption made their faces flush with embarrassment.

Shortly after, the woman bid them farewell, leaving Kouhei and Aria alone. By now, it was almost 7 PM. Kouhei realized they'd spent nearly ten hours on this date.

"I'm impressed, Okumura-sama, that you managed to chase down that snatcher," Aria said as they walked toward the car.

"Well, it's thanks to you that I could," Kouhei replied, scratching the back of his head.

"You've been training your body even before I started training you, haven't you?" Aria said. "What you did earlier was proof of that hard work paying off."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have gotten the purse back if it weren't for you," Kouhei admitted. "Your advice was what kept me focused. Without it, I'd have been in trouble."

Aria had taught him to observe his surroundings, find weaknesses, and act decisively. Without her guidance, he doubted he would've succeeded.

"I'm grateful you made it back safely, Okumura-sama," said Aria. She wanted to close the distance between them, to wrap her arms around him and feel the reassurance of his presence, but she held herself back.

Kouhei was all too aware of how reckless he'd been. He hadn't just chased someone dangerous; there was always the risk that the fallen angel everyone was hunting, or worse, a demon hunter, might've found him and killed him on the spot. Aria could've come with him, but he'd trusted her to protect the old lady instead. It had been a gamble, and a dangerous one at that. Thankfully, it hadn't ended in disaster.

"I'm thankful that you trusted me, Aria-san," Kouhei said sincerely.

Aria had placed her faith in him—not just in his ability to retrieve the purse but in his ability to come back safely. Despite the risks, despite the possibility of him ending up in grave danger, she trusted him. It was a gamble for her as well, considering her vow to Yuuna to keep Kouhei out of harm's way. And yet, that trust had come naturally to her, in a way she couldn't entirely explain.

At last, they reached the car. Their date was officially over, at least on paper.

Whether or not they wanted it to end, however, was a different matter.

They climbed into the car, and Aria started driving them back to the Saonji mansion. The silence between them was thick, not with awkwardness, but with unspoken feelings. Both were searching for words to stretch the time they had left, even though they knew the drive back would bring their day to a close.

"Um... Aria-san?" Kouhei finally broke the silence.

"Yes, Okumura-sama?"

"Would you mind if we took a detour? There's somewhere I'd like to go."

Aria didn't even hesitate. "Of course."

She turned the car in a different direction, not knowing or needing to know where Kouhei had in mind.

***

After a short drive, they arrived.

"Where are we, Okumura-sama?" Aria asked, looking around curiously.

They were still in town, but the place was unfamiliar to her.

"It's where I used to live. It's been months since I last came here," Kouhei said, looking at the modest apartment complex ahead.

He wasn't living there anymore—his life at the Saonji mansion had taken him far from this place—but for a year and a half, this had been his home. It was also where he'd shared his first time with Hina.

"My aunt is still renting this place for me," he admitted, his voice carrying a hint of guilt. "I feel bad about not living here anymore while she keeps paying for it, so I wanted to visit. I hope you don't mind this kind of detour, Aria-san."

"I don't mind at all," Aria replied, her voice soft.

With that, they headed to the apartment complex. Kouhei's room was on the second floor. Thankfully, he always carried his apartment keys with him, so he managed to unlock the door and step inside. As he flipped the light switch, the room illuminated to reveal the place he'd called home for a year and a half. It didn't look abandoned, but a layer of dust hinted at its neglect.

"I'm sorry about the mess, Aria-san. I haven't had time to come back and clean," Kouhei said, scratching the back of his head.

"It's fine, Okumura-sama," Aria replied, her eyes scanning the space. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the room. For some reason, despite the months Kouhei had been away, his scent still lingered. Without thinking, she murmured, "Your smell still lingers…"

"Smell?" Kouhei asked, his expression confused.

"Ah…"

Aria froze. She hadn't meant to let that slip. In truth, she had memorized Kouhei's scent. She often found herself drawn to it, though she'd never admitted it aloud. Hina had once caught her sniffing Kouhei's clothes after he'd finished training, but no one else had. Aria couldn't pinpoint when it had started, but she'd come to enjoy his scent, even when it was mixed with sweat.

"N-Nothing, Okumura-sama," she stammered, quickly trying to cover her slip.

Kouhei, though puzzled, didn't press further. Instead, he let his gaze wander around the apartment. Nothing had changed since he'd left, which made sense since no one had been here to alter anything.

"Why did you bring us here, Okumura-sama?" Aria asked after a moment.

"Well, I wanted you to see where I used to live," Kouhei replied. It wasn't the most profound answer, but it was the truth.

"Is this where you grew up?"

"No," Kouhei said, shaking his head. "I only lived here for a year and a half. Most of my life, I stayed with my aunt in another town. I know it doesn't sound like much time to you, but for me, it was a lot. It was the longest I'd ever been away from home, and honestly, it was lonely. I didn't have any friends and ended up regretting coming here."

Aria could feel the weight of his words. For her, a year and a half was barely a blink in her long life, but for a mortal like Kouhei, it was significant. To live here, alone, for that long must've been a harsh experience.

Unable to hold back anymore, Aria stepped closer to Kouhei and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed his head against her chest, holding him gently but firmly. Kouhei stiffened at first, caught off guard, but something about her embrace reminded him of home. He let himself relax, sinking into her warmth and kindness.

"That must've been rough for you, Okumura-sama," Aria murmured, her voice soft and filled with compassion.

"I managed," Kouhei chuckled lightly. "And if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have met you and the others."

If he hadn't stayed here as long as he did, he wouldn't have met Hina, Yuuna, Nagisa, Aria, and everyone else. At first, the experience had felt like a mistake, but now, looking back, he didn't regret it. He was glad he'd come here—it had brought him to this moment.