"In all honesty... What were you thinking when you did that?!"
At Kyoto station, as the students were getting off the train, Shizuka spotted a cheerful Desmon already waiting for her.
"I didn't arrive late. Besides, that train is way too slow." He replied, amused.
"You're the only one who would call a bullet train slow..." Shizuka felt a vein in her forehead ready to burst.
"Don't pay him too much attention. So, where's the hotel? I wanna sleep."
For Desmon, it was just another day.
"Missing the train, I can understand. There was nothing else we could do, but putting Miura in danger is crossing the line." She glared at him.
"Who's Miura?" Ever true to himself, he tilted his head in disbelief, brushing off any responsibility.
"You don't even remember... She's the girl who was with you."
Desmon's mind suddenly clicked.
"Oh, you mean the blonde. Well, she's fine, so no big deal."
"There's no point talking to you..."
For the first time, Shizuka felt like she was having the most one-sided conversation ever. Worse, her usual discipline methods for problematic students had no effect on the demon hunter.
"If you stay mad, you'll just get more wrinkles, which will lower the percentage of guys who want to date you. Although..." Desmon paused, thinking, "Is there something less than zero?"
His words stabbed at Shizuka's pride like spears.
"Alright, you asked for it."
She clenched her fist and threw a punch straight at Desmon, but he sidestepped effortlessly. Even though Shizuka followed up with a barrage of blows, not a single one managed to touch him.
"Are you done yet?" He teased.
"One day, I'll wipe that smug grin off your face..." Shizuka was breathing heavily from punching the air so much.
"That'll only happen if I let you, and for now, that's not in my plans." With that, he continued walking alongside the other students.
"Tch! That boy drives me crazy!"
Cursing under her breath, Shizuka joined the other teachers to lead the students to their hotel. The other teachers felt a bit sorry for her, as they understood what it was like having a troublesome nephew.
...
"Why do I have to go?"
"It's part of the schedule for these three days."
"I don't want to. Let me sleep, I'm tired."
Right now, Shizuka was in one of the hotel rooms, with Desmon being the last to get ready for the planned tour.
"It's 11 in the morning. How are you still tired?"
"Maybe I was so excited for the trip yesterday that I couldn't sleep?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
Shizuka grabbed his wrist and tried to drag him out, but there was no way she could overpower him.
"Just go without me. I'm not interested in visiting those places, or whatever it is you're doing."
"I gave you the schedule. Did you at least read it?"
"I made a paper airplane out of it and threw it out the window yesterday. You should've seen how far it flew." He said proudly.
"What did I do to deserve this..." Shizuka sighed deeply. "Memorize this, I'm not repeating it: Today, the students will move as an entire class to the designated locations. Tomorrow, you'll be with your respective groups and can visit different tourist attractions. Lastly, on the third day, you'll have total freedom to wander around the tourist areas, and you can even group up with students from other sections. Got it?"
"The view's pretty nice from here."
Shizuka's entire explanation was ignored, as Desmon gazed out from the room's balcony. The view from the 10th floor was breathtaking.
"Alright, that's it... I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice." Shizuka's gaze turned sinister. "If you don't cooperate, I won't give you any money, and forget about me paying for your lunch!"
Another reason why Desmon came to Kyoto was also because Shizuka told him that the sweets they sell are delicious.
"Are you trying to kill me with that?" Desmon muttered under his breath.
"I saw you get impaled and crash into a sign at full speed while riding on top of the bullet train, and you're still here! So don't give me that 'I'm going to die' nonsense!" Shizuka retorted.
"Tch. And that's why you're still single." He mumbled to himself.
"What did you just say?!"
"Nothing..." He quickly avoided her gaze.
"You're way too much of a hassle..." Shizuka pressed her fingers to her temple, clearly trying to keep her composure.
"Don't blame me. I was taught I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I kept a good sense of humor."
"And who taught you that?"
Who in the world would give such irresponsible advice?
"A mercenary. It was a few years back."
There was a time when a younger Desmon wore nothing but a stoic expression, accepting jobs just to survive. He mostly hunted thieves or took on contracts to eliminate certain targets. The reasons didn't matter. Desmon completed every job. That was until he crossed paths with an unusual mercenary; someone who, unlike others who only cared about themselves, tried to reach out to him.
Over time, things gradually changed for Desmon. Eventually, he chose to continue his path, but with a more carefree and fun-loving attitude. Though, that's a story for another time.
"I want to ask more, but I feel like I'll just end up giving in to your whims if I listen to all of that."
"Is that so?" Desmon tilted his head slightly.
—There's no point trying to reason with him, and threats don't work either...
"If you stay here, you'll miss out on those sweets I mentioned."
"That's low, even for you!"
"It's called 'persuasion'." Shizuka said with pride. "So, what will you do?"
"Fine, fine, I'll go. But I'm offended."
"As if I care."
After their brief negotiation, Desmon reluctantly obeyed Shizuka and joined the rest of the students.
The group split up by sections and boarded different buses.
At least for today, Shizuka didn't have to worry about Desmon wandering off or causing trouble, though on the third day, she knew she'd have to stick by his side.
...
"Is it time to investigate?"
Desmon got out of bed. He left his room and made his way to the hotel's main entrance.
Being nighttime, it was the perfect opportunity to look into the supposed demon responsible for the disappearance of several children.
Of course, another reason was that he hadn't had a chance to sneak off earlier, with Shizuka keeping him tethered to the class activities all day. Not to mention, the promise of sweets in the morning was a hard offer to refuse.
As he reached the hotel lobby, he noticed Shizuka, Hikigaya, and Yukinoshita getting into a taxi.
—Good, more freedom for me.
Desmon felt much more at ease, knowing Shizuka wasn't around to breathe down his neck.
"Desmon-san, are you heading out?"
Before he could step out the door and set off, someone called out to him.
"I got bored, so I decided to take a stroll." He responded in his usual laid-back manner. "By the way, who are you?"
The person who caught his attention was none other than Yuigahama Yui. She was dressed in a simple beige jacket, underneath which she wore a deep red sweater. She paired it with blue jeans, giving her a casual and comfortable look. However, something about her seemed different tonight.
"You're so mean... I'm Yuigahama Yui, your clubmate from the Service Club!"
"Oh, you're Yui," Desmon said as if he'd just uncovered one of the world's great mysteries.
"You didn't recognize me...?" She asked, a bit embarrassed.
"With your hair like that, you don't look like yourself. You can't blame me." He shrugged casually.
Yuigahama smiled brightly.
"Yumiko wanted to give me a new hairstyle because she was bored..." It's clear she doesn't mind.
"I see, it suits you." He said, sincere as always.
"Thanks... By the way, have you seen Yukinon and Hikki?"
"Who are they?"
"Mouuu, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you!?"
"I have no idea who you're talking about."
"The other two members of the Service Club! We've spent several afternoons together lately!" Yuigahama pouted, thinking Desmon was teasing her.
"If you mean those two, I saw them leave a while ago and get into a taxi. Maybe they're off to have fun. Ah, youth is so beautiful."
"Don't say it like you're not young too!" While scolding him, Yuigahama finally processed Desmon's words. "They were together...?" She said, sounding less energetic than usual.
"Shizuka probably dragged them along, so they're just victims." He nodded, pretending to sympathize with them.
"...Hiratsuka-sensei took them? You should've led with that!"
Yuigahama started playfully hitting Desmon with her fists, but instead of dodging, he just let her, knowing that she was as strong as a kitten.
"You didn't ask."
"Desmon-san..." Yuigahama let out a long sigh.
She finally understood why Yukinoshita had been more stressed than usual lately.
"If you see Shizuka, tell her I went to buy something just before she asked for me. See you." He waved nonchalantly as he walked toward the front door.
"Desmon-san, it's a bit late for a walk..."
Shizuka had asked the entire Service Club to try and stop Desmon if they saw him doing anything questionable. Normally, Yukinoshita handled that, but without her around, Yuigahama felt that responsibility now fell to her.
"More than a walk, I'm going for a little tour of the city. You know, this is when the fun begins."
Desmon was hinting at the demons and spirits that were more common at night.
"Where you're going... is it going to be fun?" Yui asked innocently.
"Hmmm, you could say that." He replied with a big smile.
"Can I come?"
With Hikigaya and Yukinoshita gone, Yuigahama thought it was a little unfair to be the only one stuck at the hotel.
"Sure.'' He answered without hesitation.
"Yay!"
Yuigahama smiled, happy to be joining in on the fun, or whatever Desmon's version of fun was.
"Then let's go."
With Yuigahama following, the two left the hotel.
"Are we walking or taking a taxi?" Yuigahama looked around, excited to be out at this hour.
"I'll drive, hop on."
"Wait... where did you get a motorcycle?"
In just a few seconds, while Yuigahama had looked away, Desmon was suddenly sitting on a motorcycle that appeared as if by magic.
"You know, movie magic."
"That makes no sense... You're a wizard!" No one knew how she reached that conclusion...
It can be kind of cute how naive Yuigahama is.
"Shhh, it's a secret." He winked at her.
"Really!?"
"Of course not, are you stupid or something?" He didn't hesitate to tease her.
"Mouuu, I'm not stupid...!"
"If you keep whining and asking questions, I'll leave you behind, so hop on already."
"You're so mean...!"
Pouting, Yuigahama climbed onto Kurox, wrapping her arms around Desmon's waist.
"Make sure you hold on tight. If you fall, it's not my fault."
"Like this?" She held on tighter.
There was almost no chance Yuigahama would fall, but Desmon just said that because he enjoyed the pleasant sensation against his back.
-It's like having two big marshmallows pressed against me... He's still a teenager, after all.
Without another word, Desmon started driving. This time, he kept the speed at a more reasonable pace, so to speak.
After about 10 minutes, Desmon stopped near the area where Lady had told him the last child disappeared.
"Alright, let's walk."
"We're here already?"
Yuigahama enjoyed the ride. It was her first time on a motorcycle, and it was much more relaxing and pleasant than she had expected; though that was probably because it wasn't a normal motorcycle.
"You could say that."
Yuigahama hopped off first, followed by Desmon.
She did a few light stretches while looking around the neighborhood where they stopped. It didn't look much different from any other place.
"By the way, Desmon-san, where are you going to park..."
Like déjà vu, when she glanced back at Desmon, the motorcycle was gone.
"Alright, let's walk."
"Wait... how... where..."
Her words were ignored, so she followed Desmon in silence.
"If you see anything strange, let me know."
"What do you mean by 'something strange'?"
"Mmmm, a really big woman."
"Is that strange?"
"Let's just say she's three times your size."
"Ohhh, she must be really tall..." Yuigahama couldn't tell if Desmon was being serious or just messing with her. "Are you joking?"
"Maybe."
"Mouuu!"
With their brief conversation over, the two walked through the neighborhood for several minutes, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"This isn't fun..." Yuigahama couldn't help but yawn. She had walked quite a bit throughout the morning and afternoon, and now, doing it again at night, her body was starting to show signs of exhaustion.
"You're right, I thought this would be interesting, but I guess I'm out of luck... Still, I'd rather not work tomorrow, so let's keep looking."
-Was Lady wrong? I doubt it. That woman might be a terrifying witch, but I don't think she'd lie about this.
Somewhere else in the world, Lady sneezed.
They walked for another 20 minutes, passing through several neighborhoods, but there was still no sign of what Desmon was searching for.
"My legs hurt..."
"Are you a little kid to be complaining all the time?"
Desmon was starting to get tired of Yuigahama's constant whining.
"You should've told me we'd just be walking. If I'd known, I would've stayed at the hotel." She pouted.
"Will you be quiet if I carry you?"
As Yuigahama kept complaining about being tired, Desmon thought about carrying her on his back.
"You're not going to tell me I'm heavy or anything, are you?"
Normally, Yuigahama wouldn't agree to this so easily, but after being on her feet all day, not walking sounded very tempting.
"I could carry an elephant, no problem."
"Are you calling me fat?!"
"Maybe." He replied with his usual attitude.
With Yuigahama agreeing, Desmon crouched down, motioning for her to climb onto his back.
"Just this once, because I'm really tired..."
With Yuigahama on his back, Desmon continued walking.
"I'm not heavy, am I?"
"I'll refrain from answering."
Desmon's mind was focused on the soft contact his back could feel.
"You're so mean!"
And so, with a beautiful girl on his back, he walked for another 20 minutes.
"This is pointless, there's nothing here..." Desmon let out a long sigh, realizing he'd have to head out again tomorrow. "Yui, let's go back."
There was no response, only the soft, steady sound of her breathing; she had fallen asleep.
"I'm starting to think you're really just a little kid."
With nothing left to do around the area, Desmon summoned Kurox, sitting sideways since Yuigahama was still on his back, and let Kurox carry them back to the hotel.
After a few minutes of travel, they arrived at the hotel.
"Alright, Yui, we're here. Wake up." He shook her a bit, but she showed no signs of waking up.
—I should've just gone alone…
Desmon got off Kurox and quickly dismissed it.
"If I remember correctly, she said her room was on the 9th floor..."
During the first few minutes of their walk, Yuigahama had shared several thoughts with Desmon. Of course, he only responded by nodding.
Desmon's eyes scanned the hotel's floors until he spotted the balcony on the 9th floor.
It's obvious what he's planning to do, but there's a reason for it. He had caught sight of their teacher at the hotel reception, and her expression was far from that of a cheerful teacher waiting for her students.
Shizuka had originally gone out for a few drinks, but after running into Hikigaya and Yukinoshita, she bought their silence by treating them to ramen. She then planned to head to a bar, but hadn't accounted for spending more than expected; thanks to a certain guy who had asked for too many sweets earlier in the day. After the ramen restaurant, she only had enough left for a taxi, so she had no choice but to return to the hotel with her students.
And much to her surprise upon returning, she found Miura at the reception, who asked if she'd seen Yuigahama. After speaking with the receptionist, he mentioned that he'd seen the girl leave with a white-haired guy.
So, Shizuka was doubly pissed; she didn't get to drink tonight, and now she had to wait for Desmon to return.
"I think I'll die if I run into her..."
Shaking off that thought, Desmon leapt between the hotel's balconies, reaching Yuigahama's room in a matter of seconds.
"Excuse me."
Without the slightest care, he slid open the door to the girls' room, where the rest of the group lay fast asleep; except for one of them.
Miura Yumiko, dressed only in pink pajamas, stared in shock and confusion as Desmon entered, laying a sleeping Yuigahama down on one of the futons.
As he set her down, their eyes met.
"If Shizuka asks, you didn't see me." With that, Desmon retreated to the balcony, jumping up to his room a floor above.
Miura had countless questions racing through her mind, but she couldn't utter a single word. In that moment, a brief flashback flickered, though she couldn't quite grasp the memories.
"What are you doing with that guy?" She asked a sleeping Yuigahama, poking her cheeks.
"Mmmm..." Yuigahama mumbled in her sleep.
"Tomorrow, I'm definitely scolding you." She said with a smile.
Now more at ease with her friend back, Miura was able to fall asleep.
As for the demon hunter, upon entering his room and seeing his roommates already asleep, Desmon found a free futon and lay down.
Unfortunately, he was only able to delay the scolding, as the next morning at breakfast, he had to endure the full wrath of his teacher.