Koakuma Thiiri To Kyuuseishu!? Vol 1 Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 〇I Have to Get Going to School ===1===

“Got it? I have some things to do now. You stay still at my house.”

It’s morning. I warned Teeri who is sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed while eating her ice cream.

It seems like she got her hands on it by searching through my fridge without my permission, but I can’t be bothered warning her all the time.

“What is this thing that you are talking about? Are you really leaving? I would be bored if I have to stay home on my own.”

“Then I don’t mind if you leave my house. More like, get out of here right now.”

“I don’t want to.”

Teeri who is sitting in front of me is wearing my clothes I let her borrow as if it was an obligated act. If you ignore her wing, then she looks like an ordinary human.

“If you don’t want to leave, then stay quiet.”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

“Being hit with my left hand or right hand. Which one do you prefer?”

“There’s no way I can choose between such unreasonable choices.”

“So you think the unreasonable things you are saying to me are allowed? Huh?”

“Of course it is. I’m a Devil after all.”

She says that with a smirk where she doesn’t feel even a bit bad about it. She sure has a self-important att.i.tude. Her att.i.tude is no doubt rotten.

“So what am I supposed to do while I’m looking after the house?”

“Do things like taking a nap or reading some manga.”

“I can’t sleep that long. I’ve also read all the manga already.”

“You actually read all of it……”

“What was it called again? The manga, “Kazuo’s Great Adventure”, was quiet interesting.”

If I remember correctly, Kazuo’s Great Adventure is a c.r.a.ppy manga that was being sold in the second-hand bookstore for 500 yen for 40 volumes……

“Anyway, I’m really bored. Haven’t I told you several times already that Devils hate being bored?”

Incredibly, this is my first time hearing that.

“Then watch TV.”

“I don’t want to have a depurative lifestyle where I would have to watch TV from noon.”

Saying that, she lays down on the sofa while putting the ice cream into her mouth.

She loses her interest in me and moves her eyes towards the TV.

“……Aren’t you actually a human? …… Anyway, stay put. Alright?”

She waves her hand at me to make a gesture where she is saying, “Yeah, yeah. I got it”. I thought I should yell at her; however, I will be late if I don’t leave soon.

I decide to head to school even though I’m feeling dissatisfied about it.

===2===

I can see the school’s gate. That’s the Nis.h.i.+takayama high school that I go to. The deviation value is a bit lower than average, and if you enrol in this school, majority of students will get accepted in. Due to the declining birth rate which is the recent problem of j.a.pan, it seems like the small schools doesn’t have the flexibility of choosing who they will be taking in. So it’s a school which is below average, however, there are gifted students that will shock you, and there are also unbelievable kinds of delinquents here as well.

It must mean that there are those who chose this school because it’s close to their house, just like how I did.

In terms of that, then there may be different types of students here.

“Hey, it’s Samejima……”

I heard that coming from somewhere. Since there are students 360degrees around me, I can’t be bothered identifying who said that.

Also, it isn’t something that started recently, so it’s a waste of time thinking about it.

Several students keep their distance away from me when they realise that it’s me. If they are going to avoid me, then I will let them avoid me just like how they want to.

I doubt there are students who will willingly make a contact with me when they categorise me as a delinquent (Though I actually do belong in that category).

“Ah……”

When I got near the school gate, one of the female students makes a sound.

Even I know her despite not remember the majority of my cla.s.smates.

Her black hair that is s.h.i.+ning due to the reflection of the sun reaches down till her hips and her face is structured really well. It’s not exaggerating to say that the term j.a.panese beauty exists solely to identify her.

Her name is……Arasaki Momoe.

She comes rus.h.i.+ng towards me soon as she realises me. It’s already too late by the time I try to turn my back on her.

“Good morning Samejima-kun. It sure was raining hard yesterday, wasn’t it? Are you feeling well?”

“If I wasn’t feeling well, then I wouldn’t be coming to school.”

“Y-You are definitely right about that.”

“See-ya.”

“Ah. Hold on!”

I stop while feeling listless. The truth is, I don’t like her that much. The reason is because she isn’t the type of person someone like me would interact with.

More than that, if she talks to me in front of the school gate, then it’s natural for me to feel like leaving here immediately.

“You know, the thing is, yesterday there was a huge puddle in front of my house and—.”

She starts saying something which doesn’t make any sense.

“Is that something important that you have to tell me here?”

“That is……no, it isn’t……”

“You know, it might not be any of my business, but you shouldn’t talk to someone like me here where you will stand out.”

“Eh, w-why?”

“Why? That’s something which is so obvious if you think about it.”

“Oh, i-is it because people might start rumours about us? If that happens, then both of us will certainly be troubled about it, right……?”

Arasaki turns her face red, and she starts looking around herself. It looks like she finally understood her situation. After that, she starts muttering something. Something about misunderstanding, and things like she doesn’t mind it and stuff.

“Anyway, that’s how it is.”

I hold myself back from telling her not to speak to me if she doesn’t like those kinds of rumours going around.

She probably isn’t thinking about anything. She’s probably talking to me because I’m simply her cla.s.smate. She is rumoured to be kind to everyone.

Or she may have been acting kind to make people around her think that she’s nice.

“S-S-S-S-Sorry! You are right! You will definitely find me as a nuisance! Well, umm, if they think that I’m your……Samejima-kun’s gir……”

“It will be a bothersome for me as well, if they think that I’m bullying you.”

“Y-Yeah, a girlfri……huh, bullying?”

I don’t know why, but she looks at me in wonder, and has her jaws dropped down. ……Actually, it seems like she isn’t thinking about anything.

“Next time, don’t talk to me so carelessly.”

“Ah……yeah……”

Arasaki has a dark shade in her expression, and she looks down like a puppy that got yelled at. I might have been too strict on her, but I said that for her own good.

While feeling Arasaki’s presence behind me, I head towards the premises.

When I enter the school campus, the bunch that realises my presence starts to look at me. Even though I have gotten used to this, I still find it annoying.

There are two types of emotion that those in this school has towards me. One is fear where those guys keep their distance with me.

I don’t care about these ones since I can simply leave them alone.

The problem is the ones who carry the other emotion. It’s the bunch that holds some kind of grudge or hatred against me.

However, there are ones like Arasaki who doesn’t belong to either category.

I went through the entrance, and arrived at the shoe rack.

I got out a plastic bag from my bag, and pull out the indoor type shoe. I then put back the shoes I came wearing to here, and put it inside the plastic bag.

Sadly, my shoe rack can’t be used.

If I leave my shoe inside, it will either get stolen or thrown away, and it can even have the corpse of an animal or pin filled inside it.

Ever since that happened to me in junior-high, it became a frequent hara.s.sment.

It’s probably because they can’t beat me in a fight. Therefore, I only find them as pests.

Thanks to that, I can’t leave my things at school.

===3===

The cla.s.sroom with the sign which reads “2-D” is my cla.s.sroom.

There’s nothing to explain about it besides the fact that Arasaki is my cla.s.smate.

The students inside the room are sitting together with their friends, and they are either having a chat or are playing with their mobile phone.

The room has this friendly-vibe between certain students.

Then a weak spirited male student who is wearing gla.s.ses sensed someone entering the room.

He lifts his face up without thinking, and his eyes meets mine.

“Hee……aah……!?”

He makes a weird sound and looks away while panicking. The other students sensed his reaction, and each of them starts to look at my direction.

Then they make a disturbed face which reads, “Oh c.r.a.p!”, and they look away.

They are acting as if they are saying, “Please don’t get me involved”. It’s the same scenery as always.

All of them must be grieving because I’m their cla.s.smate.

I also don’t want be involved with them either.

“Fuu, fuu.”

Arasaki comes in after me while breathing a bit fast.

That instant, it feels like the cla.s.sroom which was gloomy before got brighter as if a flower bloomed. It feels as if the time that has been stopped started ticking again.

“Good morning everyone.”

“Morning, Momoe～”. “Momoe-chan, good morning～”. There are voices that are flying around with a smile.

She gets an opposite reaction compared to me. If I’m the “negative”, then Arasaki must be someone with a “positive” value.

However, never have I envied her. I haven’t, got it?

“Momoe-chan sure is cute. I sure do get healed by her existence.”

“I don’t mind dying if I’m able to date her.”

Is there even any point to go out with her when you die after dating her? I make a comment like that inside myself.

“U-Uwah. Is it me, or did Samejima-kun glare at me……!?”

“Probably your voiced ticked him off, so be careful!”

“Pathetic.”

When I put my bag on my desk violently, I can feel the whole area around me freezes only from the sound.

“It sure is hot today as well～. Huh? Why are all of you looking like that?”

Apart from Arasaki who can’t feel the atmosphere of this cla.s.s.

I sit on the chair, and I got my mobile phone out to search some stuff on the internet until the cla.s.s begins.

Things which got me curious are “Devils” and “h.e.l.l”. I was actually thinking about searching about them yesterday, however, I ended up sleeping because I was worn out.

It’s the first time in my life looking up these suspicious keywords. People will think that I have an hard-core “Eighth Grade Syndrome” if someone peaks at what I’m searching.

“H-Hey. Right now when I went pa.s.s Samejima-kun from behind him, I saw his mobile phone’s screen. There was something about h.e.l.l and stuff—.”

“You idiot! Be careful! He’s definitely searching for his finis.h.i.+ng phrases!”

“Finis.h.i.+ng phrases!?”

“The one who will be sending you to h.e.l.l is me! Something like that?”

“That’s scary…… Oh yeah, it seems like he took down about ten delinquents who came to seek their revenge on him the other day.”

“Don’t try to get involved with him. You’ll seriously get killed.”

……Not only did he saw it, but he also categorised me as having an “Eighth Grade Syndrome”.

More than that, do these guys want to get killed by me?

They say it secretively while making sure people can hear them.

I’m really in a situation where I’m possessed by a Devil.

But no matter how much I search about them, I can’t gather any useful information from the internet.

The bell which signifies the start of the lecture rings, so I put my mobile phone in my pocket.

It’s a boring lecture, but I’m going to study seriously. That’s the rule I gave to myself. I write down the things the teacher said on my notebook, and I also answered the question written on the blackboard.

“Ehm, for the next question—.”

The teacher looks around to give a question to someone.

If it’s a question which is that simple, then even I can answer them. So even if it becomes the worst situation where he asks me it, I will be fine.

When I was looking at the teacher, our eyes meet.

“Heee!?”

He makes a weird voice, and looks away immediately. Ever since I enrolled in this school, I have never once been given a question to answer……

===4===

“……I’m back.”

Words that I had been saying every day at the entrance of my house where there is no one besides me living here. I never expected that there will be a day when someone hears me say that.

Maybe she heard my voice, or maybe she heard the sound of the door being opened. I can hear footsteps coming from the living room.

“Welcome home.”

With a gentle voice, Teeri comes to greet me. How do I put it? For a moment, I thought that it isn’t bad.

Since her appearance is cute where she has no flaws, there will be no reason for me to get mad at her if she stays quiet.

No matter how she came here and what kind of situation she is in, I thought that it’s a happy thing to have someone at home, waiting for my return. Even if that person happens to be a Devil that is.

“Do you have something to eat?”

I knew she was going to say that, so without saying a single word, I hand her the plastic bag which has things I bought before coming here. It has snacks that were being sold at the super market for a discount price.

“This is a human’s world food and—.”

“It’s a snack, isn’t it? Good work.”

She stretches out her arms quickly, and the plastic bag disappears from my hand. She then takes out the things inside, and throws the plastic bag away on the spot.

“Why do you know about snacks……?”

“You shouldn’t look down on Devils adaptability.”

Maybe she’s satisfied, so she nods her head once and then goes back to the living room.

After retrieving the plastic bag on the floor, I also follow her to the living room.

“You were staying still, right?”

“Of course. I didn’t even take a step outside, so you should thank me.”

She crosses her arms, and nods her head with pride. It seems like she is admiring herself.

But first, I’m going to relax on the sofa.

With that in my mind, I arrive in the living room which is the place of relaxation; however, it was no longer the living room that I know of.

The furniture’s are in a mess beyond my imagination. Manga. Magazines. Manga. Magazines……they are all scattered around the place.

“Oi, Devil. What’s this?”

“Huh? This? What of it?”

She doesn’t even feel anything about this disastrous scene, despite seeing it with her own eyes. She sits on the sofa without feeling anything. However, the sofa is left clean.

“It’s not, what of it. I’m asking you about the manga and magazines that are scattered around here.”

“Oh, this? I read all of it. So go and buy me new ones.”

She then opened the bag of snacks, and starts munching them. Maybe she’s feeling well, so she starts to flap her wing.

“I’m not asking about that. I’m asking you about these books that are scattered around here.”

“Huh? That’s “Two Piece”. This one is “Kazuo’s Great Adventure”. And this one is—.”

“I don’t care about the names of the manga. I’m asking you why it’s all scattered here.”

“Obviously because I read them. Are you an idiot?”

Teeri shakes her head as if she is disappointed in me, and then directs her eyes at me with pity.

“Don’t you know the word, cleaning? You d.a.m.n Devil!”

“Souichirou, you know your looks like that of a Devil when you get mad? Maybe you have the quality to become a Devil?”

She looks into my face. Her big eyes approach my face, so I stepped back in panic.

“Shut up! Clean this place!”

“No can do. I’m good at messing up the places, but I’m bad at cleaning them. Souichirou, good luck!”

She raises her hand. She’s practically saying that she doesn’t care about it, and that it’s not her problem.

“You d.a.m.n Devil!”

===5===

DOORBELL.

When I finally finished cleaning the living room and was relaxing, there was a door bell that echoes throughout the room.

“Looks like someone’s here. How about you go and check?”

The freeloader is reading the manga so proudly, and she uses her chin to order me around.

“Don’t you even think about working a bit? Do you want me to put my finger inside your mouth, and start drumming your teeth?”

“That’s quite a fascinating phrase. I will be using that next time.”

I wonder where she’s planning to use it…… Rather than being afraid of me, she shows behaviour where she is admiring at what I’ve said.

I glare at her while having veins popping out on my forehead; however, she looks back at the manga as if she lost interest in me.

I seriously need to teach her a lesson at least once.

DOORBELL.

“The visitor. You need go and check quickly.”

“You really are……”

“Am what? If you want, I can go instead, you know? But if I get my Devil’s wing seen…..it really will be a ruckus if the existence of Devils gets revealed～. I’m sure it’s going to cause so much uproar that it will become a major issue～.”

DOORBELL.

“Ah, s.h.i.+t! d.a.m.n that’s noisy!”

“Yeah, that doorbell sure is getting on my nerves.”

“I will say that back at you!!”

To begin with, why is someone here to pay my house a visit?

The only ones who come to my house are mostly those who come to sell newspapers or to ask me to join their religion.

Obviously, those people stopped coming to my house since I gave them my glare every time they came.

I went towards the entrance while being alert.

“What the……?”

The entrance door that I have been seeing for the whole time, and the visitor that will be standing in the other side of this door. I can feel something like chills from there.

Have I ever felt uneasy like this before? It feels similar to the impulse I felt from Teeri yesterday for an instant. However, it also feels different from it.

Either way, I decide to peak the other side through the hole on the door.

“…………”

The one who is standing on the other side of the door is a girl whose beauty is beyond my imagination.

She doesn’t even have the faintest idea that I ‘m looking at her. She’s staring at the door; however, she’s keeping her faint smile on her face.

Her straw hat on her head that is blocking the sunlight, and her blonde wavy hair that is falling down from it. Her beautiful blues eyes. The pendent of a cross around her neck looks really good on her.

The well-developed bosom of the blonde beauty which is a rarely seen feature in j.a.panese women will definitely captivate all the men of this world.

Gulp…… Like that, it’s a scene where I will be swallowing my spit down; however, I got more cautious instead.

I narrow my brow and start to think; “Why is there a blonde beauty visiting my house?”.

Is it some kind of new recruitment thing? Or she may have moved to this neighbour and came here to give her greetings to me. This is strange……it’s clearly strange.

I can feel my heartbeat increasing in a different way.

Either way, it’s certain that there are people who come to give their greetings when they just move in. I do hear often about how misfortune brings more misfortunes.

I can’t guarantee that this blonde beauty isn’t a trouble, similarly to Teeri.

I’m thinking whether I should act as if no one is home, but it will be troublesome if she comes afterwards.

“Fuu……”

I turn the door k.n.o.b which hasn’t been locked, and I open the door really slowly.

“…………”

Moisturous heat comes into the house.

At the same time, something that smells good stimulates my nose. It must be the smell coming from the girl who is standing in front of me.

“How do you do!”

Flower blossoming. Maybe that’s how I should expression it. The girl’s smile alone is so charming that it can captivate the men’s heart.

Her small peach-pink lips open slowly.

“Samejima Souichirou-san, I presume?”

“……And if I am?”

“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Well, I don’t.”

I close the door without mercy.

“Ah! U-Umm, I’m sorry! Please open the door!”

She raises her panicked voice at the entrance.

“……What do you want? It will bother the neighbours, so don’t make such a loud voice.”

“Oh, I’m so glad. You opened the door for me……except, why is there a chain on it? There were no chains before.”

“Don’t mind it. It’s just a door chain. That’s not important. More than that, what do you want?”

“Oh, umm, it will be a bit of a problem if we were to discuss it here while standing. If it is okay with you, will you let me in?”

Her smile that is too bright for my eyes. I can only smell fishy about her. Just what on earth is she plotting?

“Sorry, but I have some business to take care off, so I can’t waste any time on you. Leave.”

When I pull my hand back to close the door, she comes to stop it in panic.

“U-Umm, it’s a really important discussion. It’s something that is very important for you, Souichirou-san.”

She smells even fis.h.i.+er. Why does she know my name? And why does she want to come in to my house?

I started using my knowledge on full throttle that I have gathered throughout my lifetime.

“You can’t be……!”

“So you’ve finally realised it!”

Maybe she is expecting something from me as well. So it feels like her eyes are in sparkles.

“NHK? Are you telling me to sign the contract?”

“Huh, NHK? What may that be?”

“You probably want to come inside my house and check whether I have a TV or not. But too bad for you, since I don’t have a TV in my house!”

I close the door once again.

“That was close…… This is probably one of those situations where they use a woman to lure guys into signing a contract.”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“Please don’t close the door!”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“Oi, dammit! You will disturb the neighbours, so don’t knock on the door and stop screaming loudly!”

“It’s an emergency! There’s no other way!”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“I’m telling you to stop knocking!”

Thinking that it won’t be funny to leave her knocking on the door, I open the door once again.

“I’m so glad. You opened the door for me again……”

While having a bit of a teary eyes, she moves her gaze at me as if she is pleading. I can’t allow myself to be bewildered by this woman’s body movement.

I need to change myself into a villain, or else I will be the one who will be in trouble afterwards.

“You d.a.m.n spy from NHK! Go and die!”

“Aaah, umm, you definitely have a misunderstanding. I’m not from the NHK that you mentioned.”

“You are telling the truth?”

“Y-Yes!”

“I see. Then it’s fine.”

“So you believe me now……lord, I thank you.”

She draws a cross front of her. ……d.a.m.n it, she’s part of “that” kind of group huh.

“Sorry, I’m one of those guys who can easily step onto portraits of Jesus with confidence. I will probably do a Cossack dance and step on it.”

DOORSHUT.

“Eh!? P-P-Please listen to what I have to say!”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“I’m telling you to stop knocking! I’ll f.u.c.kin kill you!”

“Hii!!”

She gets scared at my threat, and the woman starts to put on teary eyes once again.

“Huh……!?”

Oops, I responded like how I usually do…… I have to be calm, and act calm……

“Then what are you? It’s not normal for someone like you to visit my house.”

“What do you mean by not normal?”

“People basically don’t come to my house. A lot happened.”

“A lot?”

“I have punched persistent contactors before, and I have also lectured a guy who brought wrong mail to me for two hours.”

“Oh my……so that means you are a worthless trash then, correct?”

She gives me a wonderful respond with 100% smile and 100% sarcasm.

“……You sure did talk s.h.i.+t to someone who you’ve met for the first time. Wanna get tortured?”

“Hii!!”

She called me a trash despite having a cute face…..she’s probably someone I can’t let my guard down against, after all.

Probably feeling scared at my face, she takes a step back. I’m sure I have a destiny where I have troubles with women.

“Anyway, I can’t let you come inside this house. If it isn’t something you can discuss here, then leave.”

Yeah, not only can I let some blonde whom I have never met come in to my house, but I also have a Devil flapping her wing in the living room.

If she gets seen by a chance, then it will bring troubles……

The girl looks troubled but also looks like she’s speechless.

I deducted that she won’t be persistent anymore, so I decided to close the door once again.

“I guess……it can’t be helped then……”

The woman bends forward and opens her mouth. I don’t plan to answer her even if she says anything—.

“Right now, there’s a “Devil” in your house, correct, Souichirou-san?”

I panic for a moment at her words I didn’t see coming. I then calm myself to say it.

“Huh…… I was wondering what you were going to say. Well, I certainly am called a Devil-like guy from those around me……”

“That’s not what I meant……I’m talking about the female Devil inside.”

This woman—!?

“If I say that, will you allow me to come in?”

After making a serious face for an instant, she changes back to her smile.

“Who the heck are you……?”

So she knows about both Teeri and me?

“Please let me explain myself in order, also including the fact about that. Of course, that will be done inside your house, Souichirou-san.”

Is she perhaps a same Devil as Teeri? Either way, she definitely knows about the existence of her kind. If I carelessly chase her away, then it will only bring more troubles to me afterwards.

“…………Alright then.”

I close the door once to take off the door chain, and open the door slowly. The woman has a smile.

“I thank you very much for understanding the situation we are in.”

“Get inside quickly.”

“Then, please excuse me.”

She takes her shoes off, and her long elastic feet steps inside the flooring of my house.

No matter how you look at her, she only looks like a human. It also seems like there isn’t anything strange on her back.

“Is the living room alright?”

“Yes. Is she also there?”

“She”……that’s definitely Teeri that she is referring about.

She knows everything huh. I didn’t argue against her. I walk front of the girl and went towards the living room.

“Hmph, hmph, hmmm.”

I return back to the living room, and there is a Devil girl who is still reading a manga so leisurely.

“Oi, dammit.”

I slap Teeri’s head.

“Ouch! What was that for!?”

“It isn’t, “What was that for!”. You have a guest.”

She opens her eyes wide and looks up to the woman standing behind me.

“Y-You!”

She stands up in panic.

She makes a stance after taking a short distance from her. Like I thought, this woman isn’t an average person.

“Who is she?”

I ask Teeri under this heavy atmosphere, and she moves her lips a bit.

“………………Who are you?”

“You don’t know her!?”

“I don’t. Not at all. Not even a bit.”

“So you aren’t a Devil!?”

“Huh, who is a Devil?”

“I was referring to you……”

She looks puzzled, and it seems like she doesn’t understand what I just said.

“I’m not a Devil, you know?”

She shakes her head to the side to show that she isn’t a Devil. So she isn’t a Devil? So how does someone who isn’t even a Devil know about Teeri?

“……Then, what are you?”

The instant I ask her that question, she puts on a really big smile.

It seems as though she was waiting for that question to be asked.

“I still haven’t introduced myself to you yet, so please allow me to introduce myself to you now.”

She makes a single cough, and breathes meaningfully.

“My name is Marc Bisfonde Toulschweine Soir Du Cultique Elise. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah?”

“Eh?”

Both the blonde and I tilt our head at the same time.

“I mean, what did you just say?”

“I’m sorry. Was that hard to hear?”

“Hard to hear isn’t the issue here……”

“Cough. My name is Marc Bisfonde Toulschweine Soir Du Cultique Elise.”

“……Eh?”

“Eh……?”

We look at each other again.

“Well, I didn’t understand that, but you are called Elise, right?”

“Umm, well, in a way……yes.”

It seems like she is shocked so she shrugs her shoulder. And for some reason, Teeri gets unpleasant.

“So, what do you want with her? Will you exorcise her for me?”

“In a way, yes.”

“Hey, why did you bring such a dangerous girl in!?”

The one who got shocked is obviously Teeri.

She jumps back immediately, and she shows a gesture of being alert……actually a behaviour where she’s in panic.

“Is that it? Looks like she’s going to kill you.”

“Ah, umm, please don’t be agitated about it. I only came here to send you back to h.e.l.l.”

“d.a.m.n, so you didn’t come here to terminate her huh.”

“Why are you feeling so sad about it……!?”

Maybe Teeri is still being alert, so she walks around Elise while keeping her distance.

It also seems like she is checking whether Elise has any weapon hidden in her body.

“I didn’t come here to talk something so cruel, so be rest a.s.sured. You do know about the existence of the gate, yes?”

“To some degree, I do.”

“But she’s saying that she doesn’t remember going through the gates, you know?”

“There are rare cases when they wander into the gate without knowing about it. Maybe the same accident happened to her?”

“That’s good to hear. If that’s the case, send her back this instant. I was really troubled by her.”

“Hey, can you stop saying it as if I was being a nuisance?”

“You were nothing but a nuisance.”

“Oh, is that right? So I just have to leave right? I also want to go back to h.e.l.l after all……”

Why are you looking down and making such a sad face?

No……rather than putting on a sad face, she has a disgusted face where it looks like she squashed some bug.

Why is she making a face like this when she is able to go back to her world?

“Either way, if you are here to send her back, then get right into it.”

“Yes, that’s my intention. However, may I please explain the situation we are in first?”

“Explaining the situation? I don’t need it. I’m fine as long as you take her with you.”

“I cannot actually do that. That is the reason why my job is difficult. After all, it is a situation where you are also greatly involved in it.”

“I’m also involved? ……d.a.m.n, anyway, if you need to speak to me about something, then sit down first.”

“Thank you very much.”

I make her sit on the chair, and I also sit on the chair opposite of her. For some reason, Teeri also sits next to me.

“So you are Teeri-san the Devil, I presume?”

“I am……but how did you know my name?”

It seems like she knows everything.

“I’m sorry. I was a.s.signed to surveillance you by the people in Heaven. I came here as a messenger from Heaven, and I’m an Angel.”

So the Devils come from h.e.l.l and Angels come from Heaven huh. It feels like anything is possible in this world.

When the blonde beauty smiles, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounces. That was enough for me to realise how she is someone with such enormous b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

“Do you even have a proof that you are an Angel? For example something like a solid proof that is similar to a Devil’s wing.”

“Since no one is here to see us, it looks like I’m able to show it you.”

When Elise nods without any pause, she closes her eyes and smiles.

The moment I thought there are shallow lights emitting from Elise’s body, something that is white appears from her back.

It’s neither a magic nor trick. A real, yeah, it’s an Angel’s wings that anyone would imagine.

“Will you believe me with this?”

It’s different to the tiny wing that Teeri has. Her wings are so big that it looks like she can envelope her own body if she wants to.

I suddenly thought of wanting to touch it, but I hold my urge back in. If she shows me such thing, then I will have to believe her right away.

“So then, the real Angel-san, can you take her away right this instance?”

“Unfortunately, I believe that task will be a bit difficult. I will explain it you by steps. Cough. In order to have her return, we need her to go through the gate.”

“See? It’s just like what I said, wasn’t it?”

“What are you acting so proud for? You were acting as if you didn’t know much about it yesterday.”

“Was I? But I did know more about it then you, Souichirou.”

I’m absolutely certain that it’s wrong for her to compare herself with me. She makes a face that she doesn’t care anymore when I glare at her.

“This human world is connected to each of h.e.l.l and Heaven through the gates. We call the gate connecting to the Heaven as “Heaven’s Gate” and the gate connecting to h.e.l.l as “h.e.l.l’s Gate”. Obviously it isn’t easy to pa.s.s through the gates. It’s impossible, unless you satisfy certain criteria.”

“What is that criteria?”

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“I did tell you. That I don’t remember how I came to the human’s world. It’s something rare for a Devil to come to the human’s world.”

“However, that gate isn’t something you can pa.s.s through anytime as you like since it opens in certain periods only. The next time it will open is in three days from now.”

Oh, so that’s why she can’t take her right away. Now I’m convinced.

“So am I able to go to Heaven and h.e.l.l if I want to? I mean by pa.s.sing through that gate.”

“That’s impossible. Not anyone can pa.s.s through the opened gate. You would need a pair of wing to pa.s.s through the gates.”

“I see, then that would be impossible for me. Well, looks like it was simpler than I imagined. If that’s the case, it seems like she can go back right away.”

“It isn’t that simple.”

Her serious eyes carried an atmosphere where I can’t possibly tease her about it.

“Souichirou-san, right now you are in the position where you are standing in the serious split way of your life.”

“Split way of my life?”

“You know—”

Then the Devil who can’t sense the atmosphere we are currently in b.u.t.ts in.

“It sounds so troublesome, so can the two of you talk between each other?”

“Geez, this is a something important for you. Listen to it seriously.”

“More than that, I’m more interested in the continuation of this manga. Where’s the next volume?”

I’m so astonished at how easy going and irresponsible she is.

“Umm, may I continue on with what I was talking about earlier? This is a serious matter.”

“Yeah, whatever. Go on then.”

“……Souichirou-san. Has there been any change to you lately?”

“Huh? Why the sudden question? Not only has there been a change, but I have a Devil staying in my house. And now I have an Angel in my house. If you don’t count this is a change, then I don’t see any kind of changes at all.”

“I’m not talking about a change around you, but a change in your body, Souichirou-san.”

“……What do you mean?”

I ask her while being stiff since there’s something I’m concerned about. Maybe she sensed it, so it seems like Elise makes even more of a serious face.

“Please answer me.”

Is she talking about the weird feeling around my shoulder blade I felt yesterday?

“So there has been a change then……?”

“Does that even got to do anything with you and her?”

“I think there is a high chance that there is.”

“Well, I kinda had one. I have a weird feeling on my back.”

“A weird feeling……? If it’s okay with you, can you please show it to me……?”

I can decline; however, I decided to obey her by being modest. I take my clothes off, and turned my back towards Elise. I realise when I felt a cold hand touching the area where it was sore yesterday.

Her fingers stroke my back. It was a bit ticklish; however, I didn’t have the confidence to start laughing with something minor like that. There is clearly something wrong with me. There is something happening to me.

“Speaking frankly……this is an omen where your qualities of becoming a Devil sleeping within you is about to bloom.”

“A Devil’s qualities……?”

“There is no doubt that the weird feeling you felt is the existence of the “wings” inside you, Souichirou-san.”

So you are telling me that the weird feeling I had on my shoulder blade was the existence of a wing……? Things like that are even possible……? However, if I think about the situation I’m currently in, and the location where it’s swelling, then there aren’t any factors I can use to disagree with her.

“Why is there a wing that is trying to grow out from my back? And what’s this thing about qualities of a Devil?”

“Angels and Devils are the species that humans can become after their death. In other words, you can say that we are humans if you look at our roots.”

Angels and Devils are former humans? Then does that make Elise and Teeri a former human as well?

“After death, humans will definitely reincarnate as one of those species. And that will depend on your action when you were alive. Those who did good deeds will become an Angel, and those who did evil deeds will become a Devil.”

“Hold on. Even if that is the truth, doesn’t that happen after death?”

“That’s where the concern about you comes in to our discussion. If leave you like this, you will become a Devil while being alive.”

I……will become a Devil……while being alive?

“It must be terrifying. I can’t blame you for being speechless. However, please don’t feel down. There’s still some hope left in you.”

It will be more accurate to say that I haven’t actually accepted that reality yet, so I wasn’t that shocked.

“You are going to turn into a Devil, Souichirou?”

“Keep your mouth shut. You will just make everything more complicated.”

“Rage. The way you said sure did tick me off. I will pull all your hairs out while you are sleeping.”

“Don’t even think of trying it, you Devil!”

“U-Umm……is it possible for the two of you to listen to me more seriously……? This is quite the serious situation that we are in.”

“Sorry about that. She doesn’t know when to be serious.”

“The same goes for you, Souichirou-san.”

She’s smiling, but for some reasons she also looks mad. I stop myself from saying anything else.

“May I start then? For a human to turn into a Devil while being alive is something we cannot allow to happen. Once you change into a Devil, there’s no way for you to change back.”

“Why is that happening to me?”

“We think that it has to do with you being in contact with Teeri-san. If you get touched by a Devil, or if a Devil is near you, then it is possible for the traits of a Devil sleeping within you to bloom.”

“In other words this short pipsqueak is turning me into a Devil?”

That makes her even more of Devil, this girl I mean. When I glare at Teeri, she glares back at me.

“Of course, I’m sure that Teeri-san has no intention of doing such thing. However, the longer a Devil stays with you, the more influences she will give you in different ways.”

“Alright, get out. Get out right this instant, you Devil. Perish, Devil!”

When I tried to make her leave using my hand, rather than leaving, she comes closer to me instead.

“Isn’t it something so simple where you also become a Devil, Souichirou?”

“Stop s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around. Who on earth would willingly turn into a Devil?”

“Originally, Souichirou-san, you would have spent many decades of your life as a human, and then turn into either an Angel or a Devil depending on what you have done until that time comes. However, the longer you stay in contact with Teeri-san, the more you will turn into a Devil, regardless of whether you want to or not.”

“Alright. Like I thought, you, get out right now.”

“I definitely won’t.”

“You heard what she just said, didn’t you? I will turn into a Devil if you stay with me!”

“What’s wrong with that? You should turn into a Devil! Is there anything wrong with it?”

Teeri makes a loud voice while being enraged and glares at me. Why is she the one being p.i.s.sed?

“Oh yeah, can you make her stay in a random hotel or something? If its money, then I will pay for─, wait I don’t have any money like that……”

I feel upset after saying that on my own.

“Money isn’t the only problem.”

Elise looks at Teeri. I also look at Teeri who is sitting beside me.

“If I take her to another environment, then the people who are present in that location will receive the influence of the Devil. We don’t want to spread anymore harm.”

“So, what? You are telling me to have her stay here while knowing that I might turn into a Devil?”

“Please don’t be pessimistic. Of course, I will help you much as I can.”

Hearing Elise, I got so tired that I make a heavy sigh.

“Devils and Angels, huh. Even though I know they exist, I still can’t believe it…… The only serious thing I am feeling right now is this weird sensation on my back.”

“So are you concerned about it after all? The wing inside your back, that is.”

“Of course I am. After all, you did tell me that I might turn into a Devil.”

I thought of staying at some hotel to keep my distance from her, however, if I do that, then there’s no guarantee that my house will be safe during that time.

The living room turned into that state while I was only gone to school. Thinking about that makes all the hair on my body fall.

“So will you please allow her to stay here until the time comes for the gate to open?”

“It can’t be helped. Seriously, this really p.i.s.ses me off.”

“I’m very sorry for asking you to do this.”

“You should be. ……By the way, it’s getting late you know?”

“Oh my, so it is already that late.”

Elise stands up, so I also stand up to take her to the entrance.

“It seems like your kitchen is in a mess, so I will go and clean it.”

“Okay. ……Wait, why!? Go home!”

“I did tell you, did I not? That I will be helping you much as possible.”

She stands front of the sink. She pulls her sleeve up and turns the tap. She starts to wash the dishes as if she is used to ch.o.r.es.

“That shouldn’t be about doing that. Weren’t you supposed to help me by stopping me from turning into a Devil?”

“Of course I will help you in regarding that matter. Anyhow, since I will be under your care from now, there is no way I can stay here without helping you.”

“……What do you mean by helping me?”

“I can’t go back while leaving Teeri-san all by herself here.”

I’m sorry to say this while you are giving such a wonderful smile, but I’m about to faint because I’m getting a headache.

“Don’t tell me that……you are also planning to stay here……?”

“I may be inexperienced, but please do take care of me.”

She gives a smile like those people who tries to sell things to you, and then she bows her head.

“h.e.l.l no. I’m already having a hard time with taking care of a single Devil!”

“You know, you can simply think that by having a Devil and Angel, it will cancel each other out.”

“Rather than cancelling each other out, it will simply just multiply the amount of work for me!”

“Oh my, the multiplying joke certainly is fabulous.”

“Are Angel’s wings tasty if I fry them huh? Answer me dammit.”

“You words won’t work on me even if you say such vicious things. After all, you are a kind person, Souichirou-san.”

Where did she hear that from? From where did she get that information……?

“Anyway, I don’t want to have any more freeloaders living here.”

“So you are saying that you are fine with turning into a Devil?”

“I don’t have any intention of turning into a Devil. I also don’t have any intention of having anymore freeloaders in my house either.”

Yeah, that’s right. Whether they are a Devil or Angel, they have no right to change my future. As long as I’m focused, I’m sure I won’t turn into a Devil.

“I will not disagree about the fact that it will cause difficulty to your lifestyle. However, please think about this situation calmly. Souichirou-san, there is no doubt that your body is receiving influence from her. I am also an Angel, so I will end up influencing you to some degree, however, it will also become the key to stabilise the power of Devil that is blooming within you. We have no choice but to use the power of good to counter against power of evil. Naturally, humans have the traits of both of them after all.”

Her white hands which looks like it doesn’t know any sort of filth grasps onto my violent hand firmly and it wraps around my hand. Elise’s hands are a bit cold.

I, who never had anyone, hold onto my hand gently by someone, got a skip beat for an instant.

“My existence of being here will have the power to supress the traits of a Devil. Can you please endure it for two days from now?”

“Is that the so-called cancelling out you mentioned before?”

“Yes. It means it will be a situation where the power of good and evil will cancel each other out.”

“……It’s seriously for two days right?”

“I promise you.”

I don’t have the confidence to decline this Angel who is smiling.

“d.a.m.n……I got it……but it’s only for two days, alright?”

“I thank you. Another thing. There is an issue I need to warn you about, Souichirou-san.”

“What is it? I don’t want any more troubles than I already have.”

“It’s related to the weird feeling on your back……the Devil’s wings. I did say that it will be influenced if Teeri-san stays with you; however, I need to add few more information regarding it. Even though I have the power to supress it, it will certainly become hard to supress it depending on your actions.”

“Supressing it? What are you asking me to do?”

“I need you to supress the power of evil inside you, Souichirou-san. Violence. Abusive language. Malice. Jealousy. Hatred. They are emotions that everyone carries. Obviously, I carry them as well. However, if you were to bring out those emotions while being in a state where you can easily be influenced by a Devil, then it will end up progressing your traits as a Devil even further.”

“……Are you being serious?”

“Yes I am. This is nothing but a truth.”

In other words, if I do things like fighting and abusing someone verbally, then I will make myself turn into a Devil?

This is something which will reject the person that I am.

“More importantly……that’s like the worst scenario. If I keep on taking her seriously, then I will just end up turning into a Devil even more……”

“Ehe.”

“Why are you blus.h.i.+ng for!? You are causing a huge trouble for me!”

That’s practically telling a fish to survive without water for two days. Is it possible for me to endure fighting and abusing others?

Even though it’s only for two days, the path I’m walking towards is filled with darkness.

===6===

“Are Angels able eat the same thing as humans?”

I ask her after she finishes cleaning the kitchen.

“Yes. I’m told that it is fine.”

“I wonder if there are enough ingredients for three people……”

The only thing inside the fridge is the small quant.i.ty of left over from yesterday.

“……Looks like I have to go and buy them.”

“You are going out? Then I’m coming with you.”

“I will come with you as well.”

“Stay quietly at home—wait, what are we supposed to do in a situation like this?”

I don’t want to take them, however, I feel uneasy leaving an Angel and a Devil at home.

Maybe by the time I realise it, the Angel might have exorcised the Devil.

No, having her exorcise the Devil will be a great help for me, however, I don’t feel good if she gets killed in my house.

Instead, there’s the possibility that the Devil may take down the Angel. Rather, the possibility for that to happen is higher.

Either way, I want to avoid a situation where I have to leave both of them behind since I don’t know the relations.h.i.+p between Angels and Devils.

“Why do I have to get worried about things like this……? Is this a trial given from G.o.d?”

“The lord does no give trials to human, you know?”

“I don’t need a reality opinion like that.”

However, the wings of an Angel sure have an overwhelming pressure. Just looking at it makes me step back a bit.

Maybe she realised I’m staring at her, so she says it in a panicking voice.

“Oh my, how rude of me. This would stand out in a human world.”

She smiles lightly while saying that, and she closes her eyes slowly. After a moment of silent, her wings get smaller without making a sound.

No, rather than getting smaller, it seems like it’s vanis.h.i.+ng as if it’s melting away.

Eventually, her wings are gone. When I went behind her to check what’s happening on her back, there’s nothing there.

It seems as if the wing never existed from the beginning.

“That sure is convenient. You didn’t have them growing out when I first saw you. Can you make it appear and disappear as you like?”

“Making the wings disappear isn’t easy, you know? You will need practice to do it.”

“And you don’t know how to do that right?”

“Shut up. I don’t need to know how to do that.”

In her case, her wing is small from the beginning, so I doubt anyone would cause a stir.

However, just because you can’t see their wings doesn’t mean the problem is solved.

“Is there any other problem?”

She asks maybe because she noticed how uneasy I’m feeling.

“No……it’s nothing”

Is there anything wrong with me? She starts checking her body while saying that.

There is a problem. Yeah, no matter how you look at her, Elise’s appearance stands out.

Her blonde wavy hair. Her ideal proportion that isn’t possible for a j.a.panese to have.

If she walks outside for a bit, she will be at the centre of attention in no time.

On top of that, if she stays with me who am famous in the neighbourhood in a bad way, I can easily imagine people making rumours about us.

But it can’t be helped. My main objective right now is to stop increasing the problem about the Devil-thing in me.

It’s better to bring Elise with me who is here to watch over Teeri.

“……Let’s go!”

“Yes.”

For today……yeah, let’s have some j.a.panese curry. Thinking like that, the three of us leaves the house.

===7===

“Doing things like shopping is quite fun.”

“Don’t do things like suddenly screaming, or suddenly rolling over, or start making a weird laugh, okay?”

“I won’t do such things. So rude.”

“We don’t know about that……”

While feeling uneasy, I left the house while bringing the two of them with me. Since its July, it’s so hot outside.

While I walk in front of them, Teeri and Elise are following behind me.

“I did hear that it’s quite tough during the summer of the human’s world, but it’s more than what I imagined.”

“Maybe I should have stayed home……”

The Devil starts whining thirty seconds after getting outside. She walks weakly towards the right and then the left. She really is useless.

“Do all Devils act like her?”

“Umm, I don’t think it’s a good idea to say the word “Devil” so openly outside……”

She comes to stop me while panicking, but there’s no point to worry about something so minor like that.

“There’s no need for you to worry. There’s no way that anyone would think she’s a real Devil.”

“That may be true, but……”

“Is it that bad? I mean for the existence of Devils to get exposed.”

“You absolutely can’t expose it, Teeri-san. The human world will fall into chaos.”

“Chaos……uhehehehe.”

Teeri shows a creepy smile while sweating from her forehead possibly because she imagined a dark world. Elise makes a bitter smile when she sees her.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to reveal the existence of Devils, but to begin with, why doesn’t the human know about the existence of Angels and Devils?”

Teeri seems like she knew about the humans and this world even before I met her. Elise on other hand has more knowledge than her.

Well, humans did point out about the existence of G.o.d and Devils since thousands of years ago, but there aren’t that many people who know they really exist.

They think of them as fictional characters that appear in television and films.

“That’s because humans are in a neutral position. If they come to understand the existence of us, then it will disturb the evil and good within them that was supposed to come out naturally.”

“So you are saying that you will be leaving the fate of humans into the hands of humans themselves?”

“Yes. Since they are a being that can become either a Angel or a Devil, it was cause disrupt in them if we get into contact with them.”

If I was asked whether I understand this situation clearly or not, then the will be no. I’ll probably say that I got a vague idea about it. If a human gets involved with the animals living in Savana, then it may destroy the nature’s law. So that’s basically what this is like.

There is a twenty-four seven super market, Nico-Ichi, roughly ten minutes away from my house by walk.

It’s really popular among housewives, and on top of the products being much cheaper than the ones in a convenient store, there is also a discount on bentos from around 6 o’clock.

However, there’s a different reason why I shop at this place.

The students, in other words the guys at my school, rarely come to shop at this place.

There’s a shopping mall that was recently made near the school, so they must be shopping there.

To tell you the truth, I don’t like myself being caught shopping that much.

I don’t want rumours like “That tyrant who is heinous, vulgar, and a sc.u.m, is shopping in a carefree manner!” going around.

“Being a vulgar and being a sc.u.m……what’s the point of talking c.r.a.p of myself……”

“Eh? What’s wrong with Souichirou who is the only trash that is impossible to be recycled?”

“Did I even say a single word like that!? More importantly, don’t b.u.t.t in when I’m talking to myself.”

“I would obviously feel sick if a guy starts talking to himself on his own. Right?”

“I-I would be troubled if you asked me for my opinion……however, even if it is the truth, it is something you should not say. I am sure that acting as though you did not hear him would be good manners……”

“Oi……