The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, Vol. 5 by Satoshi Wagahara and 029 (oniku)

Author:Satoshi Wagahara and 029 (oniku) [WAGAHARA, SATOSHI / (ONIKU) 029]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yen On
Published: 2016-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

“Hey, um, Ashiya?”

“Yes?”

“Do Maou and Suzuno get along much?”

“Hmm?”

Rika pointed toward a bench next to the stairwell. Maou and Suzuno were there, yelling and scuffling with each other. From a certain angle, one could conclude they were just having a playful shove or two. Either way, Ashiya doubted they were having an exchange of any major note.

“Normally, it should not be that way at all.”

“It shouldn’t…? Huh?”

“But…”

Ashiya’s face was twisted in pain. His words were the polar opposite.

“Lately, that has not been the case.”

“…Oh. Kinda complicated?”

“Yes. Very complicated indeed. I think…”

Ashiya, relaxing his tormented expression a bit, turned his eyes to Rika.

That alone was enough to press the FAST-FORWARD button on Rika’s heart.

“The time may come when I will explain why to you, too.”

His eyes, the apex of sincerity, were like arrows stunning Rika into silence.

“…Mmm.”

All she could do was nod.

Ashiya had some kind of dark shadow, one Rika couldn’t begin to fathom. She felt that from the first time they met.

Something about his relationship with Maou indicated they were more than simply boss and subordinate. And even though they acted excessively hostile around Emi, it kind of seemed like they didn’t hate her that much.

Plus, how did these people run a company if they were so out of touch with things like how to work a TV set? It was all so strange.

She put it aside at first—they were just passing acquaintances back then—but maybe “the Maou Group,” the company he told Rika about, was actually a feint to hide some kind of bigger past.

Or maybe it was just her imagination. This was only her third encounter with Ashiya. They were only slightly familiar with each other. If someone asked whether they were friends, she couldn’t honestly say they were at that point. She was in no position to pry into his past.

That, and Ashiya was yet again being the perfect picture of politeness.

Each of the men of Rika’s age she’d interacted with up to this point would drop the effort within a day’s time and act like he’d known her for years. If they made it to a third date, the guy usually took that as a cue that it was okay to unrepentantly fart in her presence. But the wall between Ashiya and her showed no signs of even cracking, much less crumbling down.

I’d love to break it down.

I want to know more about Ashiya, beyond the wall.

That sort of natural desire was starting to sprout within Rika.

Maou and Suzuno, with all the hate supposedly between them, seemed perfectly comfortable with each other. No restraint whatsoever.

It wasn’t exactly the ideal relationship, no. But, still, Rika wanted to know more. More about what Ashiya was thinking as he went through his daily routine.

Suddenly, it came to her.

She gave an extra little clench to the bag in her hand, still holding the simmered fish he had gifted her.

“Say, Ashiya?”

I.

“How ’bout we just pick up some spec sheets and think it over for now? It’s not like we gotta buy you a cell phone today, right?”

“That is true enough, yes…”

Have fallen.

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