"I know it would not improve the actual underlying issue. I'm trying nicotine gum to see if I can replace it. The illusions would be just so that you will feel less uncomfortable, personally. Up to you."

"I'm going to tell Haru on you," says Cricket conversationally.

"...I was not planning to do this behind his back." Though he supposes that's kind of frivolous power use? It's a really small amount of it though.

"Weren't you."

"Of course not. Why would I expect you to keep a secret from him? I'm just trying to—be kind."

"Then I will tell him and this will make no difference to you at all." Nom.

"...sure. But is that a yes or a no on the wanting the smell to be gone?"

"No, because I like Haru." He bleps, which is rather less insult-looking on a cat but communicates the intent.

That's what he gets for trying to be nice.

"...I like him too." Which does have some different connotations when the language they're speaking is Japanese, doesn't it.

"That's what he thinks too."

"Well, I guess I haven't been subtle about it."

It's obviously ridiculous for him to like someone after knowing them for three weeks but he's not so stupid as to keep misinterpreting the signs of his own feelings. Not for so long, not when they're this obvious.

It just keeps tripping him up, that "feelings" bit.

"I think you might like him but by sheer luck and not because you are truly discriminating."

"...I'm not sure I understand what your mean by that." It was sheer luck that they met, but feeling this drawn towards someone—that's definitionally about them, isn't it?

"That is because you are not very smart." Nom nom.

"I would appreciate it if you could enlighten me, then."

"I would rather watch television." He gobbles up his last bite of salmon and puts his plate in the sink and glides out of the kitchen.

...haah...

He spent that entire conversation sitting on the desire to erase Cricket's memories. He is praising himself in his head for not doing that, because nobody else will. 

Now he is sitting on the desire to smoke. He will instead grab his pack of nicotine gums and chew and try not to grind his teeth too much.

"Tadaima!" calls Haru, when his second dungeon is over with. "I'm starving, what's around, I'm not picky."

"Okaeri. I made shrimp omurice with some kimchi sides."

"Oh yum, I didn't know you cooked!" Smooch and a plateful.

Jaeha does cook, and very well at that, for all that his taste buds are dead half the time and he doesn't particularly enjoy it. It's something everyone appreciates and it gets them to tolerate him better.

He grabs a plate of his own and sits with Haru. "Cricket is very loyal."

"...oh no, what did he do."

"I offered to use my power to not smell so badly when I'm around him, and he refused and said it was because he likes you. —I know it'd be frivolous power use but something small like that for so little time barely causes any backlash."

"...he was right! Don't do that! Stop digging!" Haru clonks his forehead on Jaeha's shoulder. "Come up with a policy about this with all your you participating in the decision please."

"...I just wanted to be nice to him." He should just not do that. It's never worth it.