𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄? (𝗵.𝗮𝗸𝗶) ✓

7

The pavements were less crowded now that the last major rush hour was over. Pedestrians were still in abundance, but the raucous throng consisted mostly of boisterously eager tourists rather than the average, tired working-man. The sun was just beginning to sink below the hidden line of the horizon, a shimmer of flaming gold breaching through the blue of the sky, like honey mingling with water. Winding fingers of cloud were cast grey and white against the vivid spectacle behind them. Everything that wasn't shadowed by the looming building complexes was ignited by a rosy orange glow that could've just as well been firelight.

Denji had found himself trailing after Aki yet again, much to his obvious disdain. The fact that Aki seemed no more pleased than he was at the situation that had been forced upon them did little to comfort him. However, he had no time to complain to Hanasaki. She had been super scary back there and Denji didn't want to risk his chance with her by messing everything up. Also, he wanted to keep himself alive for as long as possible. So for now he settled for being distracted, head lolled backwards, gawking up into nothingness, eyes half-lidded and glassy as he sauntered behind the taller man.

"You're going to be living with me." Aki didn't turn his head around to face Denji, and the rowdy conversation and laughter of the swell around them made it even more difficult for his words to be heard.

"Eh?"

Aki let out a sigh so loud it drowned out the clamour of the crowd.

"I said," he repeated, voice heavy with monotony. "You're going to be living with me. For now. So I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"Oh."

"And remember, they said I can kill you if you try to run off."

"Oh."

Aki gave up trying to get a meaningful response that actually confirmed that Denji understood him. He gave another strong sigh, and strode a little faster, as if he could delude himself into thinking he was walking home alone. However, Denji had become a tad more aware of the real world after he was spoken to, and gritted his teeth in annoyance when he recognised Aki trying to ditch him.

"Hey, big man!" Denji yelled, squeezing through a cluster of tourists to catch up with him. "Stop acting like I'm not here. It's pissing me off."

Aki stayed silent, but didn't attempt to speed up anymore. Despite how funny it was to imagine Denji running after him, maybe even tripping up over a few peoples' feet in the process.

The blond reached him eventually, almost beside him but not quite, peering at the back of his head in petty resentment. He was too occupied with what Aki had said to him a minute ago (surprisingly, he had registered his words) to stay irritated for too long. Seriously, kill him? Was he just making that up to keep him in check, or did Hanasaki really give him permission to do that? Jeez, maybe this job was worse than he thought. It's like he was back working for the yakuza, except this was a bit more legal, he supposed.

"Hey," Denji added hesitantly, the bitterness on his face softening into something more like uncertainty. "Is Hanasaki-san... a bad person?"

Aki stayed quiet for a short while, before answering in a dull, insensitive tone.

"If you think that's the case, give up on her. If you really are a Devil, like she said, you should just stick with feeling lucky she didn't kill you."

He slightly tilted his head to the side, gaze shifting to Denji.

"Devil hunters. It's in the name. Got it?"

Denji didn't know what else to do but nod, and so he did, albeit in a very bewildered and deliberate way. He relaxed his pace so he could lag behind Aki, returning to his preferred space away from him; a couple of feet or so.

"So, she's a good person then?" Denji had neither the energy nor patience to decipher what Aki's vague reply actually meant.

"Of course she is."

The two were forced to stop social-distancing when they reached a crossing, although what with the heaving rabble of people around them, and trying to jostle in front of them, they might as well have been.

The roar of rushing cars ahead of them and the bustling noise of the cityfolk meant it was phenomenal that Denji could even hear himself think. And think, he did. Wow, Hanasaki. Now that her name had been mentioned, he couldn't get his mind off of her. He had been such a doofus to even begin to assume that she was a bad person. She'd saved his life, after all, hadn't she?

"Hanasaki-san..." he mumbled drunkenly to himself, unaware of both talking aloud and the red flush colouring his cheeks. "I hope she'll hold me in her arms again..."

Aki's exclamation of pure outrage and exasperation was definitely enough to attract the attention of more than just a few tourists.

"HAAAAAH?"