•Black Sheep• || The Devil is a Part Timer || Urushihara / Lucifer

༺Chapter 25༻

Noticing this, Maou quickly goes to her side in case she ends up losing her balance. Taking the small plant from her grasp, he leads her over to the lounge chair to sit.

Her mouth staggeringly opens and closes as if she is trying to speak, but can't.

"They said he doesn't need a transplant, just dialysis, whatever that means. All I really know is that it wasn't major. So that's good, right?" He tells her, trying to settle her worries.

Faintly nodding, she takes a deep breath. Just after Maou places the succulent on a little side table, the door opens.

And in rolls the unconscious patient. Looking paler than ever. The bed he is laying on being pushed into position by a nurse, who then, in turn, readjusts his IV.

"I have good news, and bad news," The doctor confesses, entering the room after Hara was brought in.

"...Oh no," Aiko mumbles.

"What's the good news?" Maou asks him.

"The procedure was a success, and everything went well."

"...And the bad news?" Aiko was just barely able to force out.

"The bad news is, after the surgery, we found a large mass of bleeding in Mr. Urushihara's brain. Most likely due to his platelets being unable to clot properly. Luckily we caught it before it could have become deadly, but it did, unfortunately, affect him negatively. As of right now, Mr. Urushihara has fallen into a comatose state."

Tears began to well in Aiko's eyes as she grips tightly onto the hem of her shirt. Noticing she probably wasn't going to talk, Maou spoke.

"Thanks, doctor," He bows quickly in his direction. Said doctor gives him a brief nod before exiting the room with the nurse.

"Comatosed...Hara..." Aiko whispers as her head hangs low.

"Hey," the dark-haired boy kneels down in front of her, "He's a mighty Demon General ain't he? He'll pull through."

Looking up as a tear slides down the girl's cheek, she saw his sympathetic, yet still dorky, smile. At the sight of it, Aiko couldn't help the corners of her mouth as they twitch upward. She nods.

"I know you want to be with him right now, but there's somewhere I wanted to take ya. Come on," He stands up and outstretches his hand, "Let's go for a walk."

Contemplating his offer for a few seconds, she finally relents and hesitantly places her hand in his.

"Maou, why are we at your place?"

"Cause Emi told me about you having to move out of your place soon. So I asked the landlord a favor."

"Huh?" Stopping outside one of the apartments on the bottom floor, Maou just smiles at her before turning on his heel towards the stairs.

"I'll give you some privacy, so I'm gonna go check on Ashiya. She said she'd be waiting for you in there," Without another word, he ascends the metal staircase.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Aiko nervously reaches out and opens the door to the unfamiliar place.

"Hello?" She calls out before stepping in.

"Ah, there you are darling," A foreign voice enters the female's ears.

Upon fully stepping into the room, Aiko officially sees the owner of the voice.

A rather large woman with short, lavender hair and a copious amount of make-up greets her.

"Good evening, Miss," Aiko bows.

"Raise your head, girl. You needn't be so formal with me."

Looking up, Aiko straightens her posture and folds her hands together in front of her.

"Um, Maou didn't really give me many details about this meeting of sorts. My apologies."

"Not to worry dear, the long story short is that I am here to help you in this unfortunate time. My name is Miki Shiba, and I have been informed that you need a place to stay, yes?"

"Well, yes that is true. I am being forced to move out within the next eleven days."

"The start of the new year. How perfectly the stars aligned your faint, young girl."

"I'm sorry?" Aiko questions as her brows scrunch in genuine confusion.

"But anyway," The older woman changes the subject, "How do you feel about this place here?"

"T-This apartment?" Aiko scans her eyes around the room. It was only slightly larger than Maou's. Being a nine tatami mat floor, instead of six.

"It would only cost a third of what your current place of residence is, and would comfortably fit two people."

"...Wait a minute, how do you know such information about me? Maou doesn't even know my rent."

"I know a lot more than you think I do sweetie. I also know about the predicament your lover is in."

Aiko's body tenses up and it takes every amount of willpower within her to keep herself from crying again.

"Excuse my rudeness, Miss Shiba, but what does Urushihara have to do with this sale?"

"Sale, you say? So does that mean you are interested?"

Taking one last look around at the place, Aiko nods her head.

"I will take it."

Sending a wide grin her way, the large woman pulls out a small packet of papers from her purse along with a pen, handing them over to the silver-haired girl.

"All you have to do is sign here and you may move in whenever you like. Your first payment won't be due until New Year's."

Signing her name along the line on the bottom of a couple of the papers, Aiko hands them back to the older woman.

"Thank you so much for this, Miss Shiba. I am very grateful."

"Oh please, call me Miki-T,"

"If you say so. Thank you, Miki-T,"

"Oh, and darling, one last thing. Though he may be in a human body, Lucifer is a strong one. Something as simple as a human illness will not stop him."

"...You...wait..."

"Yes, dear?'

"...How...How do you know?"

"That is a conversation for another time. But for now, even in his unconscious state, I'm sure your lover would like you by his side. Am I right?"

Without a second thought, Aiko agrees. And with one more thanks, she bolts out of the apartment and makes her way back to the hospital.