After Work, I Brought Home a Devilish Beauty - Chapter 61

The next morning arrived quickly.

Birds chirped outside the window as the first rays of sunlight fell across a young man’s face.

“…Ugh… My head…”

“It hurts…”

Yuichi slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his aching forehead.

“…Where am I?”

Still half-asleep, he looked around.

Instead of an unfamiliar place…

He saw the familiar walls, desk, and furniture of his apartment.

“…I’m home?”

A puzzled expression spread across his face.

“What happened?”

He clearly remembered going to the Autumn Festival with Chiba the night before.

Then…

Alice suddenly appeared.

While Chiba was happily setting off the fireworks…

Alice rushed forward and stabbed Lucifer with her holy sword.

After that…

Everything became a blur.

“I can’t remember anything…”

Yuichi frowned.

Perhaps…

Chiba had erased part of his memory again.

After all, he had seen her use similar magic before.

“…Forget it.”

Throwing off the blanket, he climbed out of bed.

Warm sunlight drifted in through the open window.

“So it’s already morning…”

Looking at the window, Yuichi fell into thought.

If Lucifer had really brought him home…

Then the open window was probably the easiest proof.

Just then…

Something on the desk caught his attention.

A flash of crimson.

“…Huh?”

Walking closer…

He found a red braided bracelet resting neatly on the tabletop.

“It wasn’t here before I left yesterday…”

He picked it up carefully.

Then he remembered…

At the festival, Chiba had lingered in front of one particular stall for quite a while before finally moving on.

“So…”

“Is this… a gift for me?”

A warm feeling welled up inside him.

Smiling unconsciously…

Yuichi slipped the red bracelet onto his wrist.

At that exact moment—

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The alarm clock suddenly blared.

“…Oh no!”

“I have work today!”

He hurriedly grabbed his things and rushed out the door.

Although Chiba hadn’t been there to wake him up…

The training she’d forced him through had already become a habit.

As a result…

Yuichi once again became the first employee to arrive at work.

I should ask Lucifer what happened last night…

That was what he had planned.

But as time passed…

More and more employees arrived.

Yet…

Lucifer never appeared.

A trace of disappointment surfaced on Yuichi’s face.

Something must have happened.

Lucifer would never be late without a reason.

Just then—

“Sakai!”

“What were you doing last night?!”

Yota suddenly rushed over with an aggrieved expression.

“You just left me there all by myself!”

“…Sorry.”

“I had something urgent to deal with…”

Yuichi answered automatically.

But halfway through speaking…

He suddenly froze.

“…Wait.”

“Why are you saying it like that?”

“Weren’t the four of us together last night?”

Yota blinked.

“…Four?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It was just the two of us.”

Yuichi’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“Think carefully!”

“There was also the girl who came with us.”

“Her name was Chiba.”

Yota stared at him as though he had just heard something ridiculous.

“Sakai…”

“Are you really that desperate to get a girlfriend?”

“…That’s impossible!”

Yuichi shouted so loudly that everyone in the factory turned to look at him.

Even Yota was startled.

“Have you forgotten Chiba?”

“Fine, forget her for a moment.”

“But what about Lucifer?”

“He works here!”

“His desk is right over—”

Yuichi instinctively pointed toward Lucifer’s workstation.

Then…

His voice stopped.

A complete stranger sat there instead.

“…That’s Fujiwara.”

“The new employee.”

“…Not Lucifer.”

Without another word…

Yuichi sprinted toward the manager’s office.

“Lucifer?”

Hashimoto Ota frowned.

“I’m afraid no one by that name has ever worked here.”

Yuichi lowered his head.

“…How…”

“How is that possible?”

No one remembered them.

Neither Chiba…

Nor Lucifer.

It was as if they had vanished completely from everyone’s memories.

Then why…

Why did he still remember everything so clearly?

If all of it had really been a dream…

Then what about the red bracelet on his wrist?

Who had given it to him?

“I don’t know who this Lucifer is.”

“But first…”

“We need to talk about your behavior.”

Hashimoto folded his arms.

“You shouted in the workplace.”

“You know the company rules.”

“…Yes.”

“Five hundred yen will be deducted from your salary.”

“Don’t let it happen again.”

Normally…

Yuichi would have been devastated over losing part of his paycheck.

Today…

He didn’t care at all.

Returning to his workstation…

He mechanically continued working like a lifeless machine.

Yota walked over again.

“Sakai…”

“Are you okay?”

“…”

“You really don’t remember what happened after that?”

“…”

Seeing Yuichi remain silent…

Yota began explaining.

“Right before the fireworks started…”

“A fight suddenly broke out.”

“I wanted to stay and see what happened.”

“But you disappeared and left me behind.”

Yuichi immediately reacted.

“…What happened after that?”

“I already told you.”

“I went home.”

“I’m not asking about you.”

“I’m asking about the people who fought.”

“Oh…”

Yota scratched his head.

“I heard two people were taken to the police station.”

“They questioned another person too.”

“But since there wasn’t enough evidence…”

“They let that person go after taking a statement.”

Yuichi fell into deep thought.

A fight…

Two people arrested…

Could that mean…

Alice and Jebecald?

It made sense.

Since everyone had forgotten Chiba and Lucifer…

Their memories of a four-person battle had naturally become a fight between only two people.

“…That’s bad.”

If those two had really been arrested…

Alice was probably still in police custody.

Thinking that…

Yuichi could no longer sit still.

He stood up immediately and headed for the manager’s office again.

Whether his salary was deducted or not no longer mattered.

Standing outside the office door…

He knocked firmly.

“Excuse me.”

“I’d like to request a day’s leave.”