"Mu Chen, could you share some of your chocolate and pastries?" one of his friends asked, glancing at him expectantly.
"Sure." Mu Chen replied with a nod.
"Are you reading the latest comic book? Can I borrow it for today?" another friend asked, eyes lighting up with excitement.
"I haven't read it myself yet," Mu Chen explained, holding the book.
A few moments later, a group of kids were whispering to each other.
"Mu Chen is so selfish. He can't even lend me his comic for reading!!" one of them muttered.
"Yeah, he's totally selfish." another agreed.
"Seriously, what a sore loser haha." the third added, laughing.
Unseen by them, Mu Chen stood frozen, his heart sinking as he overheard their words.
A single tear slipped down his cheek. His fingers tightened around the comic, as if he could hold onto something real. He quickly wiped the tear away, but the sting of their words lingered, cutting deeper than he expected.
Suddenly, Mu Chen jolted awake from his nightmare, gasping for air.
"I AM NOT SELFISH!" He screamed into the silence, his voice trembling with raw emotion.
"Was that just a dream." Iruma muttered to himself in confusion, still trying to piece together the remnants of the nightmare.
His breath steadied, but his heart pounded in his chest. The echoes of those hurtful words clung to him, and it would take more than a few seconds for him to shake off the feeling. But one thing is clear he wasn't going to let those words define him.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
"Good morning!! Iruma-kun~"Sullivan's cheerful voice cut through his thoughts.
Iruma gave a nervous smile, still shaken by the nightmare's lingering impact.
"...Morning, Gramps!!"
"Ah, it's such a joy to greet my grandson in the morning! Now, get ready for breakfast!" Sullivan beamed, his joy practically radiating from him.
Iruma paused, watching the sparkles in Sullivan's eyes, he accepted the
kindness of Sullivan inwardly.
'One step at a time,The past won't define you here.' And reminded himself.
In the dining room, Sullivan and Iruma took their seats at the dining table, with Sullivan at the head chair and Iruma to his left. Opera served their meals with precision, placing a variety of dishes before them.
"Did you sleep well?" Sullivan asked, watching Iruma with a warm, expectant smile. There was a slight, almost imperceptible pause before Iruma nodded.
"Yes, the bed and pillow were very comfortable," Iruma answered, trying to keep his voice steady despite the lingering unease.
Sullivan's eyes twinkled as he observed Iruma, A slight pause before speaking again. "You're a bit quieter than usual this morning. Is everything's alright?"
Iruma forced a smile,though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm fine, Gramps."
Sullivan chuckled softly, not pushing further but clearly aware that something was amiss. He gave Iruma a knowing glance, then returned to his cheerful tone. "Well, if you need anything, you know where to find your grandpa!"
Iruma's gaze dropped to the meal before him. He could feel the gratitude welling up inside, but it mixed with something else—something unfamiliar. He had yet to fully adjust to this new life, but maybe, just maybe, he could learn to.
"Don't be shy, eat more, you're a growing boy," Sullivan said, smiling warmly.
Iruma nodded, his hands shaking slightly as he picked up his utensils. The dishes before him were unlike anything he'd seen before—oddly shaped, vibrant in color, and daring in their presentation. Despite their strange appearance, the smells that wafted from them were mouthwatering.
With a deep breath, he took a bite, eyes widening as the taste exploded in his mouth rich, savory, and unexpectedly delicious. He could feel his nerves settling, allowing himself to enjoy the meal.
"Delicious," he muttered to himself, the new food world surrounding him, as he continued eating with growing comfort.
As for what he ate yesterday, it was human world food that Sullivan had brought with him as souvenir.
"Here's your tea," Opera said, handing Iruma a cup.
"Thank you, Opera-san!!" He said, taking a tentative sip. The warmth of the tea soothed him, easing some of the tension from his strange, upsetting dream.
Just as Iruma was starting to relax, Sullivan clapped his hands. "Look! I got you some special gifts to celebrate your first day of school!" He held out a small, embroidered handkerchief with a simple yet elegant pattern.
Iruma's eyes widened. "This… for me?"
"Yes, yes! Opera and I worked hard on it," Sullivan said, proudly displaying a few bandaged fingers as proof. Iruma felt his heart warm, touched by the effort. He murmured, almost to himself, "I never expected… something like this…"
A mix of gratitude and surprise. Iruma wasn't used to anyone going out of their way just for him, especially with such a personal touch.
The handkerchief, with its simple yet thoughtful design, felt special beyond words. Iruma's eyes softened, touched deeply by Sullivan's thoughtfulness. For perhaps the first time, he felt genuinely valued, the gift sparking a hope that he was, indeed, cared for in this new life.
Sullivan, as if sensing Iruma's mixed emotions, simply smiled and gently patted his shoulder. "Now, how about an alarm clock too?" He held up a comically elaborate clock in the shape of a bird with horns.
Iruma laughed softly, the sound surprising even himself. This strange, doting grandfather had a way of making him feel… wanted.
Afterwards he receive even more gifts from Sullivan for example:- Book about Netherworld history, Magic fundamentals, Astrology, Pharmacology and so on.
He also received many sweet's and toys.
.....
Outside the Sullivan mansion gate, 3 figure were seen standing.
"Then I'll be going..."Iruma waved goodbye as he walked away.
"Be careful on your way out~" Sullivan waves back.
"Yosh, I'll be following right behind. A video of his first day of school..." He said as he takes out his camera.
"*grab* Today for the entire day, you'll be working at home." Opera drags Sullivan inside
"Ah~! Wait, Opera! No!" Sullivan protested as opera dragged him inside the house in Mini Egg Sullivan Mode.
As Iruma was walking to school, other students fly past him quickly.
"Humans wholly are our food. Eat their souls, blood and meat, without leaving anything behind...." The demons sing the school song.
"Ah I'm at loss" One of the student council members rubbed his head.
"And then..." the other chattered.
"Hey, you guys..." One tries to get them to straighten up.
"Don't chatter pointlessly!" The president shouts.
"Yes!" All of them fixed their postures immediately.
"Listen! Demons are one to terrify their opponents with their voice! Vocalisation is the basics to intimidation! Do not be negligent!" She scolded.
"Yes! Good Morning! Good Morning Everyone!" They complied.
"Continue." She ordered.
"Good Morning! Good Morning Everyone!"
"Today's going to be familiar summoning!"
"I wonder what my familiar will be..."
"I'm so excited!" Random demon were taking in groups.
As Iruma walked, he was greeted by Asmodeus at the school gate.
"Good morning, Iruma-sama! I've been waiting for 6 hours and 6 minutes!" Asmodeus said, kneeling before him.
Iruma, surprised, replied, "Hi, Asmodeus. Please, drop the '-sama' and there's no need to kneel! Also, 6 hours and 6 minutes early?"
"Is that so? Ah! Please, call me 'Azz'! Yes, in the darkness of the night, right here!" Asmodeus replied with a smile as he stood up.
"You, don't need to do that. You can just come to my mansion to pick me up! If you want to." Knowing Asmodeus personality he will be definitely sad, If I directly said you don't have to this for me.
"Haii(Okay)!! Iruma-sama. Then please allow me to hold your bag." Asmodeus replied and hold out his hand to get Iruma bag.
"There's no need to do that Azz-kun! I can carry my bag." Iruma said.
"It's the scholarship student, Iruma!"
"Have you seen the school newspaper?"
"So it's true he got the honour student to serve under him" Gossip was heard behind them, exaggerating the truth a little bit.
"So, where should we go Azz-kun?" Iruma asked while following Asmodeus.
"Iruma-sama is in the same group as me."
"Group!?"
"Yes, A hundred and sixty three freshmen are separated into groups. And do preparations before official classes start, because there are too many to handle at once" Asmodeus explained to Iruma.
"That makes sense" Iruma commented his thoughts.
"Today is our familiar summoning ceremony, let's head over to the familiar classroom." He leads Iruma in the direction of summoning classroom.