Hoshino Akira had always been different from other children.
He did whatever he pleased, moved at his own pace, and rarely acted the way people expected him to. Even Erika, who had stayed by his side ever since they were young, had realized early on that he was strange, different from ordinary children in a way that was hard to explain.
One thing, in particular, stood out.
Akira's closeness to his parents.
He was close to them, undeniably so, but not in the way a normal seven-year-old child would be. It felt less like a small child clinging to his parents and more like the relationship of a teenage son, calm, composed, respectful, yet distant in a subtle way. He never behaved spoiled, never sought reassurance through touch, never reached out instinctively.
Unlike other children, Akira had never been physically affectionate.
He never snuggled up to anyone. He never initiated hugs or clung to someone's arm. Not even to his own parents. If someone hugged him first, he wouldn't resist. He wouldn't pull away. But he would never be the one to start it.
That had always been the way he was.
Which was precisely why.
When Akira suddenly asked for a lap pillow of all things made Erika let out an unguarded, stunned sound.
"Huhhh…?"
The sound slipped out of her mouth before she even realized it, pure shock written into a single breath.
And it wasn't just her.
Even Selena, watching everything through their shared connection, froze in disbelief.
"What?"
The telepathic question echoed with genuine shock. Even she hadn't seen this coming.
Not from Akira.
Not ever.
Erika stared at him, her mind still refusing to catch up.
"Y-You… what?"
"A lap pillow," Akira repeated calmly. Then, as if suddenly realizing how strange it sounded, he added, "But if you don't want to, don't mind it. Pretend I never said anything."
Before Erika could respond, Selena's voice slipped quietly into her mind.
"Erika-chan. This is a rare chance. Don't let it go".
Erika stiffened.
"B-But… but…" she muttered, her face heating up as her thoughts tangled together.
Seeing her hesitation, Akira quickly waved it off. "Hey, if you feel weird about it, it's fine. Really. You can forget I asked."
That was the moment Erika panicked.
"W-Who said I don't want to?!" she blurted out, words tumbling over each other. "J-Just come here and lie down!"
"But…" Akira started.
Before he could finish, Erika grabbed him and forcefully pushed his head onto her lap.
"Just lie down!" she snapped, far louder than necessary.
"O-Okay," Akira said obediently.
He carefully shifted his position, slowly lowering his head onto her lap and turning slightly to get comfortable.
Erika froze instantly.
"D-Don't move!" she said, her voice tight.
"I'm not," Akira replied.
And so they stayed like that.
They simply lay there in silence.
Erika's face burned red, her heart beating far too fast for her liking. She had no idea what she was supposed to do next, no idea how she was meant to act. The entire situation felt unreal, confusing, awkward, and far too intimate for her unprepared mind.
But Akira remained still, resting quietly on her lap.
And Erika, flustered and overwhelmed, could only stay frozen in place.
After a moment of silence, Akira spoke again, his voice calm.
"…Can you ruffle my hair?"
Erika's brain completely short-circuited.
"W–What?!" she blurted out. "Again with the weird requests?!"
"It's nothing much," Akira said simply. "I just want to know how it feels. People seem to like it."
Erika stared down at him, utterly flustered.
"…You're impossible", she thought.
Slowly…hesitantly…she raised her hand and gently ran her fingers through his hair.
Akira's eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh."
Her heart skipped. "I–Is it… Weird?" she asked. It was her first time doing something like this, and she felt completely out of her depth.
Akira shook his head.
"No. It feels… good."
Erika's face burned. She continued ruffling his hair gently, trying very hard not to think about how close he was or how relaxed he looked lying there.
His hair was soft and silky. Softer than her own, even. That realization annoyed her a little… yet at the same time, it felt strangely nice to do this.
Akira closed his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"What is it?" Erika asked quietly.
"I always wondered how it felt," Akira said. "And it really does feel good. It's the first time someone's done this for me… in both my lives."
Erika stiffened. "D–Did your mother never do it? Even when you were a baby?"
"Nope," Akira replied casually. "I was a weird baby. A really weird baby."
"Yes. He really was", Selena added telepathically.
Akira continued, "Did our parents never suspect me? I was doing things no baby should be able to do, right?"
"They did," Selena answered. "But since I could read your memories even back then, I grew up fast, too. They just decided it was some 'Destined One' kind of thing and left it at that."
"Well, good," Akira said. "Anyway… that's why I never asked for it before."
Erika hesitated, her fingers slowing. "Th–Then… is it okay if I'm your first time?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how it sounded and became even more flustered.
Akira opened his eyes slightly and looked up at her.
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't fine with you," he said honestly. "I don't think I'd ask anyone else for this."
Erika's face turned red. "…I see."
Akira then suddenly realised she used to do it to him when he turned into a wolf pup named Ghost, so it wasn't really their first time. but before he could say anything.
Selena suddenly said, "Don't, just shut up."
Akria telepathically said, "Didn't you say you won't read my mind again?"
Selena said, "I don't need to do it to know you will somehow mess this up, so don't."
Akira said, "Fine," and remained silent.
After that, they fell silent again.
Erika continued gently ruffling his hair, while Akira simply closed his eyes, a peaceful smile resting on his face.
Erika couldn't help herself.
She found her gaze lingering on Akira's face.
She had known him for so long that she'd almost grown used to how handsome he was. But seeing him like this, wearing an unfamiliar yet peaceful smile, made her notice it all over again.
And before she realized it, she was staring at him in a daze.
No one knew how much time passed like that.
"Hey, Erika."
She snapped back to reality. "Y–Yes?"
Akira looked up at her. "We never really talked about how we spent those years apart, right?"
Erika realized he was right.
They hadn't talked about it much at all.
She'd tried not to think about it, maybe because she was a little scared. Scared that he might have grown close to someone else during that time. She didn't quite know what to say.
So Akira spoke again.
"Why don't we talk about it now?" he said. "It's free time, and the atmosphere feels nice. What do you say?"
"…Fine," Erika replied.
She knew this was a rare chance, too.
So she spoke first.
She told him about her life over the past few years, about going to school, becoming the student council vice president, how she spent her days, and about the random friends she made along the way. She wasn't particularly close to anyone, but she was friendly with everyone.
Akira listened quietly.
Then he asked, "Did you meet Haruna again?"
Erika went silent for a moment. "…Yes. She's attending our school too."
"So… did you become friends with her again?"
"We're… okay, I guess," Erika said. "I never really tried to be friends with her."
"Why?" Akira asked.
She hesitated. "I just… don't have the courage. I erased a year's worth of memories from her. What if she remembers them again?"
Akira fell silent too.
Then he said, "When I join the school, let's try being friends with her again."
"But… her memories."
"Don't worry too much," Akira said gently. "I'll be there this time. I'll take care of everything."
He smiled. "I promised you in that letter, didn't I? I'll never let you be sad again."
Erika smiled softly. "…Okay."
"Wait," Akira added. "I also wrote about wanting to know how my blood tastes, right?"
Her face instantly flushed. "I'm not telling you."
"Why? I want to know." Akira asked slyly.
"No means no," she snapped, pinching his cheeks.
"Fine," he sighed. "But I really want to know."
"Enough," she said, still flustered. "I told you about my life. Now you tell me about yours."
Akira smiled.
Then he began talking about all the places he'd gone, the people he'd met, the realms he'd passed through. He told her about countless adventures, legendary battles, impossible situations, and all the cool, over-the-top, anime-like things he'd experienced along the way.
Erika listened quietly, hanging on to every word.
When he finally finished, she asked, "So… you enjoyed all of it, right? You always wanted to go on those kinds of adventures."
Akira thought for a moment.
"It was fun," he said honestly. "But sometimes… it was boring too."
Erika blinked. "Boring? Why?"
Akira answered without hesitation. "Because doing all of that alone gets boring. It would've been more fun if someone had been there with me."
As he said that, he looked up at her with those big, earnest eyes.
Erika felt her heart skip.
"Why is he being like this today…?" she thought, her face heating up even more. Akira was on a relentless offensive, completely unlike his usual self. She almost wanted him to give her a break just so she could breathe.
Still, she managed to ask, "But… I thought you liked being alone."
"I'm used to being alone," Akira said calmly. "I don't mind it. But that doesn't mean I like it."
He paused.
"No one truly likes being alone. They just don't have someone to be with."
Erika felt a tightness in her chest.
She knew, from Selena, that Akira had never had anyone he could call a friend in his previous life. Maybe that was why he'd grown used to solitude.
As she was lost in those thoughts, Akira suddenly spoke again.
"Hey, Erika. Can you give me another lap pillow again in the future, too?"
Her brain froze.
Her face turned bright red in an instant.
"W–What does he mean by that?! her mind screamed as she spiralled into panic. Another? Does that mean he liked it? Does he want me to do it again? Does he want to stay like this forever?! Aaaaaaaaa!"
Akira was on full offense today.
And the worst part was, he wasn't trying to be romantic at all. He genuinely meant what he said.
That only made it harder.
Erika stood there, completely flustered, her thoughts running wild as she struggled to figure out what that simple, innocent request truly meant.
Just then.
"KAA! KAA!"
The sudden cry of a crow echoed through the air.
The already flustered Erika jolted in surprise. Her body shifted instinctively, and in that tiny moment of panic, she tilted just enough.
Akira, who was still lying comfortably on her lap, slid right off the tree branch.
"AKIRA!" she screamed, eyes wide as she watched him fall.
But Akira wasn't the type to fall normally.
Midair, he twisted his body smoothly, spun once, and landed below in a perfect, dramatic superhero landing, one knee bent, one hand touching the ground.
Because even when falling, he had to do it in style.
Erika let out a long sigh of relief when she saw him stand up unharmed.
Then she turned sharply toward the source of the noise.
Raven flapped in the air nearby, proudly declaring, "KAA! KAA! Lunch is complete! Time for the next round! Time for the next round!"
From somewhere above, Rose added flatly, "Idiot. Idiot."
Akira straightened up as if nothing had happened, laughed lightly, and said, "Yeah. Time to kick some ass."
And for some reason, no one ever quite figured out why.
In that round, Erika's tenta…RIBBONS absolutely destroyed all the demon slayers.
Akira didn't even need to do anything.