𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄? (𝗵. 𝗮𝗸𝗶) ✓

17

Aki could do little but merely stand there, mouth partially opened as if to speak words that had been lost in his disbelief. The person ambled into his flat, neck stooped so that a lank fringe of black hair hung over their brow. They paused in front of him, and lifted their head to survey the chaos unfolding behind Aki.

Power most certainly had no intent of being a well-behaved houseguest. As soon as she felt confident she had asserted dominance over this newly claimed territory, she set after tormenting Denji. Grabbing his Super Toast off of its plate with a fierce sense of urgency, she began to bound around the apartment, and cackled ceaselessly when he began to pursue her, yelling. Meowy, unsettled by the racket, had already leapt from her shoulders and had most likely made himself comfortable on one of the two residents' beds.

Hanasaki teetered to one side as she observed them scrapping over Aki's left shoulder. Funnily enough, she didn't seem to notice that it was Aki she was peeking over, until he tilted his head to the side and blocked her view.

"Oh," she yawned, and leaned back to face him. "Yo."

Aki blinked at her a few times, a hard crease of disapproval between his eyebrows.

"Hanasaki, what the hell?"

If the fact that she'd brought a rather unsavoury visitor with her wasn't peculiar enough, her getup certainly was. She was attired in a black, worn T-shirt that was clearly a few sizes too big for her, which was sprinkled with a multitude of white strands from Lawliet. Hung on thin hips was a pair of dulled cargo pants, coupled with the classic socks-and-sandals combo. To anyone who wasn't familiar with her, she either looked homeless or like someone who'd taken a stroke of inspiration from the fashion of a middle-aged father at a barbecue.

Although still wearing his apron, which fit a bit too tight on an over-six-foot-tall man, Aki somehow managed to look less ridiculous. Which was doubly impressive when you considered the pricelessly frustrated look on his face.

In response to his angry query, Hanasaki merely questioned him back with a clueless, "Eh?"

She yawned again. Through her eyes, there really couldn't be a sensible explanation why Aki was so vexed. I mean, so what if a Fiend crashes down your door while you're preparing lunch? Pretty normal in the life of a Devil Hunter. Happens all the time.

Aki lowered his head and rubbed his temples in an effort to soothe his nerves. "Is there a reason you've now sent me a second psycho?"

She stared for a bit, then raised her eyebrows as if she'd only now remembered why she was there in the first place.

"Oh, yeah. About that. Basically, you're going to have to look after Power as well as Denji. You're pretty much the only person who I trust enough to handle this because you're responsible and all. Power said she'd behave, so you'll live. Good luck."

After this finishing remark, she reached up to give him a small, slightly awkward pat on the shoulder that she must've meant to be reassuring. "I just came to drop her at yours, so I'll be off n–"

Before she could turn on her heel and walk to freedom, Aki closed the broken door behind her as best as he could.

"Well, now that you're here, you might as well stay for lunch," he suggested, although it was clear he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. "I made curry."

"Nah, it's okay, I'll–"

"Yeah, no." Without hesitation, Aki cut her sentence short a second time by grabbing her shirt collar and dragging her deeper into the flat. She opened her mouth to protest, but realised there'd be little point. If he wanted to, he could pick her up by the scruff of her neck and fling her across the room because of how light she was.