After Work, I Brought Home a Devilish Beauty - Chapter 11

After regaining consciousness, Yuichi rubbed his aching head and slowly tried to sit up.

The moment he attempted to stand, however, his legs gave way beneath him.

“Don’t force yourself.”

Standing nearby with her arms crossed, Chiba looked down at him calmly.

“You collapsed on the roadside. You should rest a little longer.”

Yuichi blinked in surprise.

“…Were you the one who brought me home?”

Chiba let out a quiet hum before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Perhaps.”

Her deliberately vague answer only left him more confused.

Well… it had to be Chiba.

After thinking for a moment, Yuichi looked at her seriously.

“Chiba.”

“Thank you.”

His sincere expression caught her completely off guard.

She awkwardly turned her head away and muttered under her breath,

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“You saved my life first.”

“I’m only returning the favor.”

Despite constantly calling herself a proud demon, she had an unexpectedly honest side.

The thought made Yuichi smile.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m just… happy.”

“What a strange human.”

Shaking her head, Chiba quietly knelt beside the bed, seemingly puzzled by his reaction.

Resting his chin on one hand, Yuichi watched her with a content expression.

Today, she wasn’t wearing her usual cloak.

Instead, she had changed into a simple white blouse paired with a dark plaid skirt, giving her a softer and more ordinary appearance.

She looked less like a fearsome demon princess…

…and more like a beautiful girl living next door.

Noticing his unusually focused gaze, Chiba tilted her head.

“Your face is rather red.”

“Are you feeling worse?”

Yuichi immediately looked away in embarrassment.

“Um…”

“If it’s not too much trouble…”

“Could you bring me a cold towel?”

Without a word, Chiba walked into the bathroom.

A moment later, she returned with a damp towel and handed it to him.

“Will this do?”

“It will.”

“Thanks.”

A few minutes later, Yuichi quietly spoke again.

“…I’m a little thirsty.”

Chiba immediately poured him a glass of water.

Before long—

“I’m getting hungry too.”

She opened the refrigerator and searched for something simple to eat.

As she prepared to leave the room, Yuichi jokingly added,

“Actually… if you wanted to feed me yourself, I wouldn’t complain.”

Chiba stopped in her tracks.

Then she slowly turned around.

“…Enough.”

Her expression remained calm, but her tone left no room for argument.

“Don’t make ridiculous requests.”

Realizing he’d gone too far, Yuichi scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Sorry.”

“I guess being sick makes people say stupid things.”

His apology sounded genuine.

After watching him for a moment, Chiba let out a small sigh.

“Humans truly are troublesome creatures.”

Still, she didn’t seem genuinely angry.

Instead, she simply shook her head.

“Forget it.”

“You should get some sleep.”

By then, it was already close to midnight.

Yuichi was about to climb off the bed and retrieve his old tatami mat when Chiba stopped him.

“You stay on the bed.”

“I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Yuichi immediately shook his head.

“Absolutely not.”

“I can’t let you sleep on the floor.”

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Chiba offered another solution.

“Then we’ll simply share the bed.”

“…What?”

Yuichi’s mind instantly went blank.

That night…

Sleep refused to come.

Aside from sleeping beside his mother when he was very young, Yuichi had never shared a bed with anyone else.

Certainly not with a girl his own age.

Lying only a short distance away, Chiba breathed quietly, seemingly already asleep.

Every time he heard that steady rhythm, his heart raced even faster.

Calm down…

Just calm down.

He rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

Despite all his awkward fantasies, he had no intention of taking advantage of someone who trusted him.

After making sure Chiba was comfortably covered by the blanket, he gently pulled it a little higher over her shoulders.

Then, in an almost inaudible whisper, he said,

“Good night.”

For a brief moment, the room remained silent.

Then a soft voice answered from beside him.

“…Good night.”

It seemed she hadn’t been asleep after all.