My co-worker...or rather. This demon. Ryosuke, let me live for 10 more days. I wonder what's going to happen to me now..

Yuto: "Here it is! The Demon House!"

Akuri: "The demon house. Aptly named, isn't it?"

(It's kinda big, nice-looking..Oh, who am I kidding? They brought me here so they can keep an eye on me.)

Ryosuke: "Well, it's a sight nicer than your beat-up old apartment."

Akuri: "Hmph...I wouldn't call it 'beat-up'!"

(So much for my kind co-worker impression of him I had from work. The real Ryosuke doesn't seem kind at all..)

Akuri: "You're quite a bit different off the clock, aren't you?"

Ryosuke: "Can't exactly let my demon self loose at the workplace, can I?"

Akuri: "Well, I guess so, but.."

Ryosuke stares at me thoughtfully.

Ryosuke: "So, why was it that you picked me as your guard?"

Akuri: "Why? Well, I knew you from work, for one."

Ryosuke: "Hmph."

(What kind of response is that? Guess he doesn't really care. He did say that 'all humans are idiots'. Perhaps he hates humans in general..)

Ryosuke: "Yuto. She's your problem now."

Yuto: "What?!"

Ryosuke: "I'm busy. I don't have the time to be tending to a human woman. Show her around the house or something."

Yuto: "Ah, yes! Understood! And here's Yabu's room."

Akuri: "There are a lot of toys in here.."

Yuto: "Yabu does a lot of drawing and building things in here."

(The one they called Yabu does seem to have an air of innocence. Childlike almost.)

Yuto: "Yabu's the one who accompanies the souls that get turned over to the angels."

Akuri: "Angels.."

Yuto: "We pipeline the business of the 'toast missions'."

Akuri: "..."

(Seems turning humans into 'toast' is just a job to demons..)

Yuto: "Now, let me show you the next room! Here we have Yuya's room."

Akuri: "It looks..well-used."

Yuto: "Yuya, apparently, doesn't believe in cleaning his room."

Akuri: "He doesn't believe in cleaning..?"

Yuto: "Yuya uses his clairvoyance to figure out why someone's going to be toast. That's how he prepares all our documentation."

(The way they do their work really makes them seem like a company..)

Yuto: "Also..I'm not one to talk behind another person's back, but..watch out for Yuya's quick advances."

Akuri: "Quick advances?"

Yuto: "Hmm..rather than 'plays around', it's more like 'plays with'. He may look like an angel, but on the inside he's a demon among demons, you might say."

Akuri: "A demon among demons.."

(It wasn't too long that he casually told Ryosuke to turn me to toast on the spot. Yuto seems like the kind of person with a hidden side..)

Akuri: "I understand. Thank you very much for the warning."

Yuto: "Aw, you don't have to be all polite to me! You're actually older than I am."

Akuri: "But.."

Yuto: "It's easier for me to talk that way. By the way, if there's any trouble, feel free to talk to me."

Akuri: "Okay. Thanks, I got it."

(Yuto's a nice guy, isn't he? I've had nothing but worries up until now, but Yuto's a big help..)

Yuto: "Now then, next up is Ryutaro's room!"

Akuri: "It's incredibly..monotone."

Yuto: "It's easier to sleep that way for him. Sleeping is practically his hobby."

(..His hobby is sleeping? Now that I think about it, he did seem pretty gloomy. Not exactly 'full of life'.

Yuto: "Ryutaro uses his mind control to gather information about the people to be toasted."

Akuri: "Mind control? You mean he can make people do whatever he wants?"

Yuto: "Yup. But don't worry: he doesn't use his ability outside of work."

(Forgive me if I worry anyway.. Make no mistake, these people are not human.)

Yuto: "And here's my room."

Akuri: "It looks very..Japanese, doesn't it?"

Yuto: "It was my brother who asked to model the room in the Japanese style. I think the tatami mat flooring calms the soul, don't you?"

(Wait, his brother?)

Akuri: "Who's your brother?"

Yuto: "Ah, that'd be Ryosuke. He's my big brother. That said, he's prince of the Demon Realm, so our positions are entirely different."

Akuri: "The prince?"

Yuto: "Yup. We're both the sons of the governing Demon King. My brother's been raised as the Prince since the day he was born."

Akuri: "Which means he's heir to the throne, then?"

Yuto: "Yup, our successor, burdened with the future of all demonkind. As a kid, he was cosntantly being told that he's different from everyone else."

Akuri: "Huh..?"

Yuto: "But my brother really was the best, no matter what task you threw at him. Unlike me, he's part of the elite of the Demon Realm."

Akuri: "Wow.."

(Ryosuke certainly gives the impression of eliteness. The company awash with the praise for his excellent, efficient work. Of course, it also felt like he was looking down on everyone..)

Akuri: "Yuto, do you know if Ryosuke- ?!"

Somebody just wrapped their arms around me from behind.

Ryosuke: "Don't snoop around in other people's business."

Akuri: "!"

Ryosuke's covering my eyes, now!

Akuri: "Hold on, what-"

Ryosuke: "You're rather red in the face. On the brink of suffocation, are we?"

(No! Of course I'm going to be red in the face with you hugging me!)

Yuto: "Ryosuke! Don't be so rough! Don't you feel pity for her?"

Ryosuke: "What do you mean pity? No matter what happens, she'll be toast in just 10 days."

Akuri: ".."

(It hurts when you pit it so matter-of-factly.. I haven't exactly accepeted that fate yet.)

Ryosuke: That's enough Yuto. I'll take it from here. This is your room."

Akuri: "Oh, so I have an actualy room, then.."

Ryosuke: "It's not like we made it for you, personally. In any case, it's not equipped with surveillance cameras or anything, so be at ease."

(I wouldn't even feel calm changing my clothes if there were..)

Ryosuke: "Listen: don't go sneaking out of your room without permission."

Akuri: "What happens if I try to run away?"

Ryosuke: "Run away and we will immediately find you. And turn you into toast, naturally."

Akuri: "..I won't run away."

Ryosuke: "Hmph. You should have said that in the first place."

Akuri: "You're responsible for the 'future of demonkind' after all."

Ryosuke" "I see Yuto has been running his mouth again.."

Akuri: "..."

( Should I not have said that? )

Ryosuke: "Just so you know, we demons aren't into business of taking human life. Your fate's a done deal. Predetermined. You're toast. We just ensure that everything happens as fate decrees. We also have a duty to prevent toast from sticking around and becoming ghosts."

Akuri: "Ghost..!"

Ryosuke: "We have our own way of life."

(Just the same, it's hard for me to accept all of this..)

Ryosuke: "However, we have broken the law of the Demon Realm."

Akuri: "What kind of law..?"

Ryosuke: "We cannot alter a human's life span and all recovered souls must be taken to the angels. We chose to accept your proposal, and break these laws."

Akuri: "..I understand completely."

(I can't accept this all right now, but..I certainly don't expect Ryosuke to understand that. I'd prefer not to slip up and become 'toast' too early..)

Akuri: "I'm very grateful to you for lengthening my life and breaking the law."

Ryosuke: "Huh, so you do have some gratitude, then."

Ryosuke stares at me carefully..

Ryosuke: "Then how about you repay the favor with your body?"

Akuri: "What!?"

Ryosuke suddenly grabs my wrist.

Akuri: "M-My body? You don't mean-"

Ryosuke: "Not that, moron. feeble human girls aren't my type. I'm talking about manual labor."

Akuri: "Manual labor?"

Ryosuke: "Go and make dinner for us."

Akuri: "But Ryosuke, didn't we just have dinner?"

Ryosuke: "I was on a mission. I can't call that dinner."

(But I had such a great time! I find that kind of insulting..)

Akuri: "Here we are! Seafood and vegetable tempura, toasted-I mean fried, golden brown."

Ryosuke: "...Seems like you have some skill with this."

Akuri: "I made food for my family all the time when I was a kid."

Ryosuke: "The whole deal?"

Akuri: "My mother was always busy, so the responsibility fell on me."

Ryosuke: "Hmm.."

Ryosuke eyes his plate.

Ryosuke: "You've got the method down, but it's sloppy."

Akuri: "Oh, sorry...I tend to get pretty fired up when I do this, so it's not very elegant."

Ryosuke: "Hand me that knife. I'll cut that cucumber."

Ryosuke deftly handles the knife and makes a series of cuts along the cucumber. In the blink of an eye, the entire thing is sliced into neat discs.

Akuri: "That's some skill you have!"

Ryosuke: "I suppose so."

(Part of the demon elite, AND skilled at cooking. I wonder if there's anything Ryosuke can't do perfectly.)

Yuya: "Wow. Akuri. You're great at cooking! I envy your future husband!"

Akuri: "Oh, um, thank you very much."

Ryosuke: "The seasoning's not bad. I think you're find it's edible to be sure."

('it's edible', he says between enormous mouthfuls..But if that means he likes it, I'm happy.)

Ryosuke: "..What?"

Akuri: "Oh, it's nothing. This vinegared cucumber salad is delicious! And they're all cut so perfectly."

Ryosuke: "Of course they are. It's a cakewalk for me."

Akuri: "The picture of modesty, aren't you.."

Ryosuke: "You say something?"

Ryutaro: "Scuse me.."

Akuri: "Hmm? You're done already?"

Yabu: "Ryutaro's never been one for eating. He rarely eats much, if anything."

Akuri: "Why is that?"

Ryutaro: "I'm just not that into eating."

(Not into eating? I didn't think such a person existed.)

Ryutaro: "I don't know how you can pig out like that even after at the restaurant."

Akuri: "Pig out?"

Yuya: "Haha, what a cute little piglet!"

Yabu: "I kinda feel like making a pig sculpture now..using Akuri as a model!"

Akuri: "Would you all stop treating me like I'm some sort of piggy character?!"

Yuto: "Ahaha! What's a piggy sculpture supposed to mean!"

(Everyone's sitting around the table eating and laughing..Wait, I'm getting comfortable being around demons. I'll be toast in 10 days. But before then, I still have something I must do..)

Ryosuke: "Hey, you. When you're done eating, come to my room."

Akuri: "Well this is a simple, organized room.."

Ryosuke: "I find it annoying when things are out of place."

Akuri: "I see."

Ryosuke: "So you can understand when I say I'm annoyed by noisy, out of line women."

(Is it just me, or does Ryosuke dislike women in addition to disliking humans..?)

Ryosuke: "That brings me to you. What do you have to do in 10 days?"

Akuri: "...My older sister's due date is in 10 days."

Ryosuke: "Her due date?"

Akuri: "She's having her first child. She said it's a girl. Before I die, I want to see my niece's face.."

Ryosuke: "So that's it. Your niece.."

His expression is cold, disgusted even..

Ryosuke: "Honestly, humans are idiots. Foolish idiots."

Akuri: "..What does that mean, exactly?

Ryosuke: "See your niece's face, why don't yu, and then see how you feel about dying. You're just going to end up with one more unnecessary attachment to this world."

Akuri: "But..! But even so, I want to meet my niece! I want to be there with my sister, to help her safely deliver!"

Ryosuke: "Hmph..What's all this concern for your sister?"

Akuri: "She's been frail since birth. They said it would be difficuly for her to bear children. But she conceived, and her husband was so happy.."

Ryosuke: "..."

Akuri: "I want to be there, to see my sister holding her newborn girl."

Ryosuke: "...You're a strange woman."

(Thinking about it's making me sad again..)

Ryosuke: "Hey."

Akuri: "Yes?"

Ryosuke: "Help me write up this proposal."

Akuri: "For what?"

Ryosuke: "I need to finish this proposal for a presentation. Enter this data into excel and format it for me."

Akuri: "I take it you're going to keep working at our company?"

Ryosuke: "It's a convenient to have a title to work behind, so for the time being, yeah. Not to mention. I've got to keep you under surveillance."

Akuri: "You'll be watching me at work, too then..."

Ryosuke: "Quit complaining and help me out."

Akuri: "Sure! I'd be happy to."

Ryosuke: "Seems like you finally understand your position. I've got my eye on you. Got it? I require absolute obedience to my commands."

Akuri: "'Absolute'."

Ryosuke: "Yes, absolute obediance."

(Picking Ryosuke as my guard might have been a bad idea..)

Ryosuke: "Here's the data. Don't make any mistakes entering it in."

Akuri: "..Okay."

Facing my computer, I helped Ryosuke with his project.

(Wow. I'm sleepy..It's no surprise; soooo many things happened today..huh? Is someone carrying me? Is this a dream..?)

Ryosuke: "Thanks, Akuri. You're real team player."

(Ryosuke..?)

Ryosuke: "Just another reason why humans are a pain in the neck.."

TO BE CONTINUED