After Work, I Brought Home a Devilish Beauty - Chapter 4

“You lowly human… if you value your life, you’d better return my necklace.”

Inside a small bedroom, the young girl glared at the boy standing before her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Despite the smile, it was obvious she was furious enough to explode at any second.

“Huh? What are you talking about? Sorry, but I have absolutely no idea.”

The boy, accused of stealing the necklace, innocently tilted his head.

“Stop pretending! I saw everything. You hid it, didn’t you? Give it back this instant!”

The girl refused to back down and took another step forward.

“Don’t be so impatient. I was just curious about that strange necklace that keeps making noises. I only wanted to examine it for a little while. I’ll return it eventually, so relax.”

Realizing there was no point denying it any longer, the boy admitted the truth while casually patting down his pockets.

“Don’t touch a demon’s belongings! You’ll be cursed! Just because I refused to give you any more shrimp doesn’t mean you can steal from me. Do you really think I’m someone you can bully? If you won’t return it willingly, then I’ll take it by force!”

The warmth vanished from the girl’s expression as she slowly approached him.

“Come on, even for a demon that’s way too stingy! W-Wait! What are you doing? Don’t put your hand there! The necklace isn’t in my pants! Help! Somebody help! This little girl is trying to kill me!”

Another ridiculous battle between the two was about to begin.

That day…

It was finally time to leave work.

“I’m exhausted… I feel like I’m going to die.”

As usual, Yuichi Sakai trudged home with all the enthusiasm of a zombie.

At only twenty-one years old, he should have been enjoying university life and spending carefree days surrounded by classmates and pretty girls. Instead, he woke up early every morning, worked overtime every night, and endured endless lectures from his overbearing boss.

His life was nothing short of miserable.

Why was he living like this?

To be honest, even Yuichi wasn’t entirely sure.

His family wasn’t poor. His parents were alive and well, and they even owned a spacious villa back in the countryside. If there was one reason he had moved to the city, it was simply because he wanted to escape his parents’ constant nagging and enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Appearance-wise, Yuichi was completely ordinary.

He had slightly wavy black hair, an average build, and stood at a perfectly unremarkable height. If there was anything particularly memorable about him, it was probably his sharp and unusually expressive eyes.

His rented apartment wasn’t far from the office.

All he had to do was cross the main road, walk straight for a few minutes, and turn left.

Yuichi had always believed his life would continue in this predictable routine forever.

Then everything changed.

A brilliant flash of light descended from the evening sky.

“…What’s that?”

As he reached the intersection, his attention was drawn to a young girl standing in the middle of the road.

She looked as though she had stepped straight out of a cosplay event.

Ignoring the red traffic light entirely, she wandered across the street without a care in the world.

At that exact moment, a massive cargo truck barreled toward her.

Danger!

Without thinking, Yuichi sprinted forward.

The truck roared past with a deafening screech.

At the last possible second, Yuichi grabbed the girl and threw both of them clear of its path.

“…That was close.”

He barely had time to catch his breath.

“You insolent human! How dare you lay your filthy hands on me? Unforgivable!”

Before Yuichi could even process what had happened, the girl drove her foot straight into him.

He was sent tumbling backward.

“W-What the…?”

Instead of thanking the person who had just saved her life, she had kicked him without the slightest hesitation.

And she was unbelievably strong.

“Oww… my crotch…”

Yuichi clutched himself in agony.

“I’m telling you, if I hadn’t pulled you away, that truck would’ve run you over!”

Hearing his explanation, the girl froze.

She lowered her gaze and quietly muttered to herself.

“I see… So those fast-moving magical beasts are called cars. The human world truly is different.”

“…What?”

Yuichi stared blankly.

Human world?

And what was with all this “lowly human” nonsense?

His disappointment was immediate.

Such an adorable girl…

…and she was apparently suffering from an extreme case of chuunibyou.

“Listen, kid.”

Yuichi sighed.

“I don’t care what kind of cosplay you’re doing or where you came from, but don’t wander into traffic like that again. It’s dangerous.”

For the first time in his life, he genuinely felt like an older brother lecturing a child.

Looking more carefully, the girl was at least half a head shorter than him.

She had long black hair that flowed to her waist, bright crimson eyes, and delicate features that resembled a porcelain doll. Beneath her dark cloak she wore a white blouse and a vivid red pleated skirt, giving her an elegant and almost unreal appearance.

If she changed into normal clothes, anyone would mistake her for an ordinary little girl.

“I don’t understand half of what you’re saying, but your tone has offended me.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Would you like me to punch you again?”

“…Right.”

Yuichi instantly gave up trying to reason with her.

Talking any further was obviously pointless.

Without another word, he turned around and continued walking home.

The sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

As Yuichi walked, he noticed another shadow following his own.

He stopped and looked back.

“Aren’t you going home?”

The girl stared at him for a moment before answering.

“I know little about this world.”

Then she proudly crossed her arms.

“So, humble human, I require you to explain everything to me.”

Yuichi fell silent.

She was definitely lost.

Unfortunately, after an exhausting day at work, he had neither the patience nor the energy to deal with an eccentric girl pretending to be a demon princess.

“…Fine.”

He sighed.

“I’ll let her follow me for now.”

Even after they reached his apartment building, the girl continued trailing behind him.

Yuichi finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Listen… I’m a twenty-one-year-old guy who lives alone. If something happens to you, I’m the one who’ll get arrested. Are you absolutely sure you want to come inside?”

For a brief moment, another thought crossed his mind.

Could she have fallen in love with me at first sight?

He immediately shook his head.

Yeah… right. I’ve had zero luck with women my entire life.

The girl, however, completely misunderstood his concern.

“Do not worry.”

She spoke with absolute confidence.

“If anything dangerous happens, I shall protect you.”

Yuichi could only stare at her in disbelief.

No… I’m talking about you!

Leaving a young-looking girl alone with an unmarried man in his twenties was the sort of misunderstanding that could ruin a person’s life.

Fortunately, Yuichi still possessed enough common sense to suppress every reckless thought that crossed his mind.

After a moment of silence, he came to a decision.

“…Tomorrow, I’ll take her to the police station.”

It seemed like the safest solution for everyone.