Romantic Killer But I Made It Gay

Part 50

"Geh." I frown at my sopping shirt. It shouldn't be surprising I'm terrible at washing dishes—at least I haven't broken anything...yet. As I turn back to the task at hand I feel my mind start to wander back to the earlier events of today.

Arisa, huh? She ended up teaching me a lot about my new housemate, but she left me with questions more than anything. Why does Kazuki live alone? What's going on in his family? What happened in middle school? From what I know and don't know, his life sounds like that of a protagonist.

Then that makes me the background character, doesn't it? I think about that for a few seconds, then chuckle to myself. Nice. That's exactly where I want to be. Kazuki can take the spotlight while I support him silently from the shadows. I just hope he opens up so I can support him.

The door clicks open and he steps in, taking off his hat and placing it on the couch as he passes by.

"What's so funny?" he asks, noticing my smile.

"Nothing. Just thinking about...things."

He sighs. "That's pretty vague, you know."

"Sorry, sorry." I dry my hands on a dishtowel and walk over, deciding to change the subject. "Your sister was really amazing. I hope I acted okay."

He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it and looks away. "Yeah."

So much for him opening up to me. No, don't press, Haru.

"Was I dressed alright, you think?" I wonder, looking down at my white t-shirt and black pants. They're not too bad, right?

He smiles lightly. "I thought that was formal wear for you. It's not sushi patterned, at least."

I shake my head, lifting my new book from the table and flipping through a few pages of sparkling art.

"Since we went shopping, I've been paying attention to how I dress."

"Are you looking to impress someone?"

"What?" I look up to see him fiddling with the corner of the counter. "I told you, I'm not interested in dating, just like you aren't." When he doesn't respond I smile challengingly. "Would you rather I go back to wearing sushi patterned things?"

"I didn't say that."

I chuckle, turning back to my book until a shadow covers me. I look up to see Kazuki has a hand on the table, leaning toward me with a serious expression.

"Mori."

"Y-Yeah?" For some reason I feel worried, like he's about to bring up something I don't want to hear.

"About the reason I lived by myself..."

"Mmhm?" I feel my heart start to pound in anticipation. Is he finally gonna open up to me? Is this the moment where we advance to a new level of friendship?

"I—" He blinks, then leans back and smiles. "Sorry. I'll tell you some other time."

"Wai..." I murmur as he briskly walks to the door and closes it behind him. I can hear his footsteps ascending the stairs while I'm left with only the sound of my fast beating heart.
Some other day? Does that just mean never in a fancy way, or does he actually plan on telling me? I smile. Maybe we have gotten closer. Just a little bit.

"This pounding in my heart...Is it friendship? No, it's too strong for that! It's gotta be—Love!"

My smile disappears faster than Kiki can fly out from behind me, grinning. "Thought I haven't seen the devil in a while," I mutter, stalking toward the door. Kiki flies around me, cutting me off with a wave of its wand.

"Not so fast! I need to know all the deets of how you're feeling! Happy? Ecstatic? Lovesick? Tell, tell, tell!"

"First off, never say "deets" again," I instruct it, annoyed as usual. "It makes you sound like a gossipy grade schooler. And secondly, I'm not feeling anything except happy my friend's opening up to me. You hear that?" I flick its wand out of my face, poking it in its squishy abdomen. "Friends. Although I wouldn't expect a demon like you to know what that is, not when you're obsessed with love all the time. Seriously, learn how humans work, why don't you? Then maybe I'll listen."

"Ah, so I have to figure you creatures out," it summarizes, a scheme brewing in its eyes. "Then you'll listen to me?"

"I said maybe." I shove it aside and start up to my room. Surprisingly, Kiki doesn't follow, which worries me. I'm pretty confident it can't succeed in figuring humans out, but I don't want to have to deal with whatever scheme it comes up with next.