Promise? You'd better promise.

[Or he'll... complain really loudly, probably.]

Okay, promise. I wouldn't be a good senpai if I told lies.

Wanna seal it with a pinky promise?

[They really are kids.]

Pinky promise.

[Shinji sticks out his pinky.]

If you break a pinky promise you have to swallow a thousand needles. That's the rule.

[Pinky promise done!!]

Right!! So just call me when you want to visit the demon?

You can see 'em after school.

I'll make sure and visit all the time!

[And totally get caught by his cousins sooner or later.]

[GOODBYE.]

You don't have anything to do after school, Shinji? I don't mind it but.... what about your schedule?

I have chess club. And sometimes I help out in a cafe... And I have homework, I guess, but besides that I'm free!

[Don't ignore your homework for the demon, Shinji.]

Edited (phrasing) 2018-03-09 02:04 pm (UTC)

[Shinji no.]

You're pretty busy. Don't force yourself to come here when you've got too much going on.

[Please watch yourself before you watch the demon.]

But this is cooler than homework...

[Grumble grumble grumble.]

There's a lot of things cooler than homework. I know.

Be a good kid and work hard in school. We can mess around afterwards.

[Nanashi pets Shinji on the head.]

[The headpats just make him grumpier.]

Okay okay, I'll work hard, don't treat me like a little kid!

[He's clearly not a little kid. Nope.]

I won't!

[He'll stop giving head pats. Shinji doesn't look that happy.]

You have to go to chess club after school sometimes? What's the deal with that? Are you into chess?

[Distraction achieved. Shinji puffs his chest out proudly.]

I'm one of the best chess players in the club!

[Thank god. Shinji's not grouchy anymore!!]

Really? I bet you'd win against me easily. I'm not that good at it.

It's a hard game.

It's super hard and you need tons of practice to get good. When people join the club and act like it'll be easy for them even though they haven't played before, I'm the one who kicks their butt.

They had it coming. It's not good to act smart when you don't know anything.

You know better than them.

[Shinji's a smart kid, yes.]

Of course I do.

[Smart and super modest.]

If they come back after getting their butt kicked, I'll teach them, but first they've gotta learn that they don't know anything.

I wouldn't mind watching you play sometime.

Does your club mind having guests? [Nanashi comes from a higher grade so that might be a problem.]

Nope. Just pretend to be a really old-looking middle schooler or something.

Sure. [He nods. Good plan Shinji.]

I don't look that old!! I'll blend in fine.

Did anyone ever beat you at chess before?

My dad did lots of times when he was teaching me. But that doesn't count, 'cause I was still learning.

[Everyone is always learning??]

You haven't lost after that? Amazing.

Even the smartest kids have trouble against their teachers sometimes.

[Yup, he isn't blaming Shinji for it.]

Dad's really super good at chess. If he was in my chess club he'd win against everybody else for sure.

Is he some kind of chess master?

That's awesome.Maybe you inherited some of your dad's intelligence.

I don't think he went to tournaments or anything... There's a trophy in our basement but it's from high school.

[So it doesn't really count.]