Ryuichi glanced toward the bed, where Mai Sakurajima had already made herself comfortable.Since she'd taken up the whole space, he sighed and dropped onto the single sofa across from her.
Mai sat up slightly, rubbing her ankle with a faint wince.Ryuichi's eyes, however, lingered a little too long.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, half-annoyed.
"I was just thinking… you really are a beautiful woman," he said honestly, grinning.
Mai narrowed her eyes. "You're more shameless than I expected."
"Please forgive me. It's my first time checking into a hotel with a beautiful girl," Ryuichi said with a helpless shrug.
"…When you put it like that, it sounds like I share the blame too."
Stretching with a quiet hum, Mai got up from the bed. "I'm going to take a shower."
"Got it."
"Don't you dare peek."
"I'd love to, but the bathroom locks," Ryuichi replied with a teasing tone.
Mai's expression froze for a second, and without another word, she disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door with a loud click.
Ryuichi chuckled to himself. She really is adorable.
To distract his thoughts, he pulled out his phone and searched for any trace of "Mai Sakurajima."As expected, not a single result appeared. Every mention of her—every photo, every headline—had vanished from the internet.
Instead, he got a dozen unrelated "Mai Sakurako," "Sakurajima Mari," and other random entertainers."…What a joke. Is this search engine possessed or what?"He muttered, shaking his head. "I'm a proper demon, not a creep."
Before long, the sound of running water stopped. The lock clicked again, and Mai peeked out, a towel wrapped around her hair and shoulders. Steam still clung to her skin, giving her a soft glow.
"You didn't do anything weird while I was in there, right?" she asked suspiciously.
"What kind of weird thing would that be?" Ryuichi replied innocently.
"Weird is… weird! You know what I mean!" she huffed, flustered.
"Did you come out just to accuse me of that?" he asked dryly.
"…No. I was going to ask—what am I supposed to do about my clothes?"
"Your clothes?"
"It's fine if I don't change everything, but socks and… underlayers can't be reused," she said, visibly troubled.
Ryuichi tilted his head. "Want me to help wash and dry them?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Harsh. So you're saying… you're not wearing—"
"I am wrapped in a towel!" she interrupted before he could finish.
Ryuichi smirked. "That mental image isn't helping."
"Would you stop thinking about weird stuff already?" Mai snapped and threw the towel she'd used on her hair straight at his face.
The scent of her shampoo lingered faintly on the fabric.He removed it with a lazy grin. "Fine, fine. I'll head to the convenience store and buy what we both need. Sound good?"
"Can you even do that?"
"What could possibly go wrong?"
"You're a high school boy going out to buy… girl stuff."
"Hey, I'm a demon. People expect strange behavior," Ryuichi replied smoothly.
Mai stared at him, speechless for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she said, "Forget it. I'll go with you."
"No need, really."
"I just don't trust you not to pick something ridiculous."
Ryuichi chuckled. "If I could, I would. Unfortunately, convenience stores don't sell 'ridiculous.'"
From inside the bathroom came the sound of her changing again, then a blow dryer whirring.When she stepped out, her hair was still slightly damp, but she looked calmer—composed as ever.
The two of them went down to the convenience store. Ryuichi grabbed a shopping basket while Mai led the way to the personal items section.
Without hesitation, she tossed a few essentials into the basket.
Ryuichi eyed the shelf beside her and commented lightly, "That pink one looks cute."
"It's not like you're the one who has to wear it," she said flatly.
"True, but I wouldn't mind seeing it someday."
"Not a chance, idiot." Her voice was calm, but the drawn-out "idiot" made her embarrassment clear.
Ryuichi grinned, quietly grabbing what he needed before catching up.
"Actually," he said, "black suits you better anyway."
Mai froze, her gaze cutting sideways toward him. "What was that?"
"Nothing at all," he said quickly, hiding his smile.
She didn't press the issue and added two convenience-store dinners to the basket. Ryuichi took it from her hands and carried it to the counter.
Contrary to his earlier worries, the cashier didn't even blink. In a few minutes, their shopping was done, and they headed back to the hotel.
They ate together quietly, seated across from each other.Afterward, Ryuichi took his turn in the shower. When he came out, towel-drying his hair, Mai was still sitting on the bed, looking conflicted.
"You're not thinking of kicking me out to the hallway, are you?" he asked, reading her expression.
Mai sighed. "That would just cause trouble for the hotel staff."
Her gaze finally landed on the single bed. "Can you swear you won't do anything… questionable?"
"Of course," Ryuichi said instantly.
"Liar."
He spread his hands. "What else can I say? If I hesitate, you'll think I have bad intentions."
Which she probably already does, he thought wryly.
Mai hesitated for a long moment, then said quietly, "…As long as you just sleep next to me, I suppose it's fine."
"Awesome," he said reflexively.
"Say one more word and I'll hit you."
"Got it," Ryuichi said, still smiling.
Under his amused gaze, Mai scooted to the inner side of the bed. Ryuichi lifted the blanket and slipped in beside her. The spot she'd been lying in was pleasantly warm.
"Wow," he murmured, "first time anyone's ever pre-warmed a bed for me."
Mai blinked. "Huh?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, closing his eyes.
The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the small room.Outside, the city lights shimmered faintly through the curtains.For the first time that day, Mai looked peaceful—perhaps because someone else was finally there to share the silence with her.
And for Ryuichi, that was enough.