The next morning came too early.
Tenshi sat at a desk deep inside headquarters, a mountain of paperwork stacked in front of him like a cursed tower. His right hand hurt already. His fingers cramped. His eyes were tired.
And Kaito sat beside him.
Leg bouncing.
Chewing gum loudly.
Talking more than breathing.
"This sucks," Kaito said for the tenth time. "Why do WE gotta do this?"
Tenshi didn't look up from his paper.
"Because we fought a devil without permission and caused property damage."
"Hey—HEY—most of that damage was the devil," Kaito argued loudly.
Tenshi flipped a page. "The report says you punched a vending machine."
"It was looking at me weird."
Tenshi sighed.
Across the room, clerks typed rapidly on computers. A fax machine printed continuously. Someone spilled coffee somewhere. The whole place smelled like exhaustion.
A supervisor walked by, dropped another file onto Tenshi's already horrifying pile, and left without a word.
Tenshi physically deflated.
Kaito slumped back in his chair, spinning a pen between his fingers.
"So Tenshiii," he started suddenly, "why are you so serious today? Yesterday was awesome!"
"I'm tired…"
"You look tired."
"I know."
"You REALLY look tired."
"Kaito—please…"
"I'm complimenting you!"
Tenshi didn't believe that at all.
⸻
After a few minutes, Kaito leaned close, whispering like he was sharing a secret.
"Hey Tenshi… what's your dream?"
"My dream?"
"Yeah! Like something huge you wanna do before dying."
Tenshi hesitated.
"…I want a girlfriend."
Kaito's grin exploded.
"YES! Good! And then?"
Tenshi stared at the paperwork, cheeks heating up.
"…I want to touch boobs."
Kaito screamed laughing—loud, uncontrollable, chaotic.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA— TENSHI YOU KING—!!"
Tenshi covered his face with both hands, mortified.
"Don't say it loud…"
Kaito slapped his back proudly.
"Bro, that's the most honest thing you've ever said. Beautiful. Inspirational."
Tenshi muttered, "…I just wanna know what it feels like."
"I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE!"
Kaito puffed his chest.
"It's amazing. Changed my life. 10/10. Highly recommend."
Tenshi stared at him with disbelief and jealousy.
"You're so lucky…"
Kaito continued bragging:
"One time a hunter girl hugged me after training and my face went RIGHT THERE. I saw god."
It was a lie Kaito just want to annoy him to be fair Kaito doesn't even like women
Tenshi quietly banged his forehead on the table.
"I want to experience that toooooo…"
Three clerks turned to stare at them.
Kaito gave them a thumbs-up.
They looked away immediately.
"You'll get there," Kaito said, ruffling Tenshi's hair. "Cute, boys who bark for a girl like you get all the girls eventually."
"I don't get ANY girls…"
"Not yet! Just bark more!"
Tenshi sighed and returned to his papers.
⸻
Twenty minutes later, Tenshi's hand felt like it was dying.
Kaito leaned back with a sigh.
"My gum tastes boring now."
Tenshi kept signing.
Kaito suddenly froze, checking his vibrating phone.
"Oh—Himari wants me. Something about 'mandatory physical check'… probably because I broke that door."
Tenshi blinked. "You actually broke it?"
"Maybe."
Kaito hopped up, grabbed his gum pack, and waved.
"Don't die while I'm gone. And don't write your dreams on government documents."
"I won't…"
Kaito left, closing the door behind him.
Finally—
Silence.
Tenshi let out a long breath and went back to writing.
He had signed exactly three more forms when he felt someone standing at the door.
He turned.
And nearly jumped out of the chair.
Himari leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. Her red eyes were calm and sharp at once, her expression unreadable. Her white hair framed her face perfectly, as if she hadn't walked through the same rainy morning as everyone else.
Tenshi stiffened immediately.
"H-Himari…! I didn't know you were— um— I mean— hi—"
She raised a hand, silencing him effortlessly.
"Relax, Tenshi. I heard everything from outside."
Tenshi froze.
His soul escaped his body.
"…E-everything…?"
Himari walked inside, heels soft on the office floor.
"'I want a girlfriend… I want to touch boobs… I want to know what it feels like.' Yes. All of it."
Tenshi covered his face again.
"I'm gonna die…"
She tilted her head slightly, amused.
"Tenshi, you're sixteen. Wanting physical intimacy is normal."
He peeked through his fingers.
"I just… didn't want YOU to hear it…"
"You said it because you wanted to say it," she replied, voice smooth and calm. "Not because Kaito asked."
Tenshi flushed even redder.
Himari leaned on his desk, crossing her legs, looking down at him like she was studying something small and interesting.
"So," she asked softly,
"You want touch? Affection? Sexual experience?"
Tenshi's brain shut down.
"I—I mean— y-yeah… I guess…"
"Don't be embarrassed," she said. "It's natural."
Tenshi lowered his gaze.
"…even if I'm… like this?"
Himari's eyes softened for a second—just a second.
"Yes," she answered.
"You are still Tenshi. Devils don't erase desire."
Tenshi stayed quiet.
Himari gently tapped his forehead.
"Just be honest. Honesty makes you predictable."
Tenshi blinked. "…What?"
"Nothing."
She brushed the comment aside instantly.
Then she stood up and pointed to his stack of papers.
"Are you nearly done?"
"Um… halfway."
"Good. When you finish, I'll take you to a late lunch."
Tenshi's eyes shot open.
"W-we're eating together…?"
"Yes," Himari said casually.
"I want to hear more about your goals."
Tenshi nearly fainted.
Himari turned to leave, red eyes glancing over her shoulder once more.
"Don't keep me waiting."
The door closed behind her.
Tenshi sat frozen in his chair, face red, heart pounding, pen shaking in his hand.
He whispered:
"…She's scarier than every devil I've seen…"
Then he kept signing.
Tenshi finished the last form with a shaky hand, dropped his pen, and slumped back in his chair. His brain felt like it had melted into soup. His signature looked worse with every page.
He stacked all the papers together neatly—well, mostly neatly—and carried them to Himari's office like a student delivering homework to a teacher.
He knocked.
"Come in," her voice replied softly.
Tenshi pushed open the door, stepping inside.
Himari sat behind her desk, legs crossed, scrolling through a file. Her white hair glowed faintly under the soft office light, red eyes flicking up the moment he entered.
"You're done?"
Tenshi nodded quickly and placed the stack down.
"Good," she said, standing up smoothly. "Let's go eat."
Tenshi blinked. "Right now?"
"Yes, Tenshi. Right now."
She walked past him, expecting him to follow. Tenshi panicked for a second before jogging after her like an obedient puppy.
They exited the building and walked down the street together. The rain had stopped, leaving everything smelling fresh and cold. The sky was still gray, but the air was no longer heavy.
Himari led them to a small café-like restaurant hidden between two office buildings. Warm light spilled from the windows, and the sign outside was old but clean.
It looked… cozy.
Tenshi felt his stomach growl slightly.
Inside, the restaurant was mostly empty. A soft piano track played quietly, the kind you barely notice unless you really listen.
Himari picked a table near the window and sat gracefully.
Tenshi sat across from her, hands folded awkwardly, knees close together.
Himari watched him for a moment, amused by how stiff he looked.
"You can relax, Tenshi."
"I'm trying…"
She handed him a menu.
"Order whatever you want."
Tenshi tried to hide his excitement. He scanned the menu quickly.
"I-I'll get the… beef curry."
"Good choice," she said, handing her own menu to the waiter.
They sat in silence for a moment. Tenshi felt his heartbeat in his ears. Himari didn't seem bothered at all—her expression calm, almost peaceful.
Then the windbell chimed.
Both turned.
Asahi walked in.
Black suit.
Neat tie.
Perfectly composed expression.
Himari sighed very quietly, so small that Tenshi wasn't sure he actually heard it.
Asahi noticed them immediately.
"Tenshi," he said, walking over. "You didn't tell me you were leaving headquarters."
Tenshi panicked. "H-Himari told me to— We were— um—"
Himari raised an eyebrow at Asahi.
"He finished his paperwork. I brought him to lunch. That's all."
Asahi looked at Tenshi again.
Then Himari.
Then the empty seat beside Tenshi.
"…I'll join you."
Himari's smile stiffened half a millimeter.
Tenshi started sweating.
Asahi sat down beside him, placing his jacket on the back of the chair with surgical precision.
The table instantly felt smaller.
Himari rested her chin on her hand and gave Asahi a thin smile.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I was in the area," Asahi replied. "And I prefer to know where Tenshi is."
Tenshi felt like a child whose parents accidentally met at school.
When the food arrived, Himari ate elegantly, Asahi ate neatly, and Tenshi tried not to drop anything.
The silence was awkward.
Very awkward.
Almost painful.
Asahi broke it first.
"Tenshi, did Kaito behave today?"
Tenshi swallowed. "Um… he only broke one thing."
"Which thing?"
"…a door."
Asahi exhaled slowly.
Himari hid a small smile behind her cup.
After a minute, Himari spoke in her soft tone:
"Tenshi, earlier you said you want more life experience."
Asahi turned sharply toward Tenshi.
"…What kind of experience?"
Tenshi froze like a deer in headlights.
"I—I—I didn't—"
Himari sipped her drink calmly.
"He wants physical affection. A girlfriend. Intimacy."
Tenshi nearly choked on his rice.
Asahi stared at him like he had confessed to a crime.
"You're sixteen."
"I KNOW I'M SIXTEEN—!!" Tenshi blurted, face bright red.
Himari looked amused. Very amused.
Asahi sighed long and deep, rubbing his temples.
"Tenshi… focus on not dying first."
"I'm trying!!"
Himari tapped her fingers lightly on the table.
"He can have both, Asahi. Safety and desire. Humans aren't machines."
Asahi didn't respond, but he didn't argue either.
The conversation fade into silence again, only the piano playing softly in the background.
Tenshi quietly ate his curry, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him.
Himari took another sip of her drink and looked outside at the gray sky.
"It's peaceful today," she said.
Asahi nodded slightly.
Tenshi mumbled, "Yeah… peaceful…"
Nothing special happened.
No devils attacked.
No alarms sounded.
Just lunch.
Awkward, embarrassing lunch.
But for Tenshi…
it was strangely nice.
A little uncomfortable.
A little warm.
A little too honest.
But nice.