Morning broke with a bright gold sky, but Reika felt nothing but dark clouds in his head.
Today was the day — his first real "date" with Mira.
He sat on a rock near the training grounds, gripping his forehead like it owed him money.
"I'm doomed," Reika muttered.
Footsteps crunched the dirt behind him. Kaien, whistling like a man without a care in the world, plopped down beside him, cracking his knuckles.
"You're nervous about the date, huh?" Kaien said, flashing a grin.
Reika nodded silently.
"Lucky for you," Kaien puffed his chest dramatically, "you're talking to a ladies' man."
From a nearby tree, Zariel's voice floated down like the voice of a sarcastic god.
"Ladies' man? You mean 'ladies ran'?"
Kaien waved him off like a buzzing mosquito.
"Now listen close, kid," Kaien said, lowering his voice like he was revealing forbidden wisdom. "First rule: if she talks too much..." He leaned closer, eyes gleaming, "throw her off a cliff. Then save her. Instant love."
"WHAT?!" Reika jumped.
Kairo dropped down from another tree branch, already wheezing with laughter.
"You're gonna get this man arrested!" Kairo howled.
"It's psychology," Kaien said seriously, like a war general planning an invasion. "Danger bonds people together. Proven."
Zariel sipped tea lazily. "Didn't the last girl kick you in the nuts because you 'tested' her loyalty?"
Kaien grumbled under his breath. "She was ungrateful, that's all."
Kairo was laughing so hard he kicked a rock across the field. "Nah, bro, she folded you faster than clean laundry!"
Reika buried his face in his hands.
Why did I even ask...?
"And another thing," Kaien said, like he was revealing a sacred art, "if she looks bored, challenge her to a duel. Women love a man who can fight."
"Pretty sure that's how you got banned from that tavern in Eastway," Zariel said without even looking up.
"Details," Kaien shrugged.
"If the conversation dies," Kaien continued, "fake a tragic backstory. Bonus points if you can tear up a little."
"You're insane," Reika said flatly.
"He's the reason some girls started carrying pepper spray around here," Kairo added, barely containing himself.
Kaien flexed dramatically, as if he was some battle-hardened hero.
"It's a dangerous game, but someone's gotta play it."
Reika leaned back on the rock, letting the breeze hit his face.
For a second, a memory floated into his mind —
Vivi's teasing voice: "C'mon, Reika. Don't overthink everything. Just be yourself. That's always enough."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Vivi was off on some camping trip... or so she said.
If Vivi were here, she'd probably smack Kaien with a frying pan and actually help him.
Man… she'd know what to do.
Kaien slapped Reika's back so hard it nearly knocked the soul out of him.
"Don't worry, kid. After today, you're either gonna be in love... or in a body cast."
"Mostly body cast," Zariel said dryly.
"I'll bring flowers to the hospital either way!" Kairo grinned.
Reika sighed, standing up and brushing the dust off.
He glanced up at the sky.
Well... here goes nothing.
---
"I don't need a wingman," Reika said, straightening his jacket in front of the mirror.
Behind him, Kaien lounged upside down on the couch, tossing an apple in the air.
"Sure you don't," Kaien said lazily. "But y'know... just in case... I'm coming anyway."
Reika narrowed his eyes.
"No you're not."
Kaien grinned like he'd already decided.
Outside the small village, Reika waited near the fountain where he'd promised to meet Mira.
A soft breeze fluttered by, carrying the faint scent of fresh bread and blooming flowers.
From a rooftop two buildings down, Kaien peered through a pair of stolen opera glasses.
"This is surveillance, not stalking," Kaien said to himself, adjusting his angle like a seasoned spy.
When Mira arrived, waving shyly at Reika, Kaien gave himself a silent thumbs-up.
Operation Wingman: Commence.
Reika smiled at Mira as she approached.
She wore a simple white dress and a small pendant around her neck, her golden hair catching the sunlight.
"Hi," Reika said, a little breathless.
"Hi," Mira said, a soft smile blooming on her lips.
Somewhere behind a vegetable stand, Kaien leaned a bit too far on a cart and sent a stack of cabbages rolling onto the street.
"My cabbages!" cried the old merchant.
Kaien scrambled to pick them up, muttering a quick apology, then ducked behind another cart just as Reika glanced over his shoulder.
"So... uh," Reika scratched his head as they walked toward the village center. "Where are you from?"
Mira smiled softly, a little distant.
"I never knew my parents," she said. "I was taken in by a preacher. A lady from the church."
Reika looked at her, surprised.
"She lets me walk around freely," Mira added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "She trusts me... a lot, actually."
Reika stopped for a second, stunned.
It was the same as him. The same lonely start, the same unexpected kindness.
A warm smile tugged at his lips.
"I know what that's like," Reika said.
Meanwhile, Kaien skidded around a corner, trying to catch up.
His boot accidentally kicked a pile of straw.
The pile squawked.
Two furious mother and father hens burst out, pecking and flapping at him like tiny demons of revenge.
Kaien ran, arms flailing, trying not to scream like a child.
Back on the street, Mira laughed softly at a joke Reika made about getting lost in his own backyard.
"You thought moss was a treasure map?" Mira giggled, covering her mouth.
"It looked important!" Reika defended himself, laughing too.
He assumed they'd end up grabbing food somewhere, but Mira's eyes lit up when she spotted the fair set up in the town square.
"Let's go there instead!" she said, pointing.
Reika couldn't say no to that smile.
They played games — throwing rings onto bottles, fishing fake ducks out of a pond, trying to pop balloons with darts.
Reika tried to win her a prize but somehow knocked over three entire booths.
Mira laughed so hard she had to sit down.
Kaien, still dodging angry hens, finally caught up just in time to trip into the game stalls, knocking over a stand of stuffed animals.
"Kaien?" Reika said, raising an eyebrow as Kaien tried to crawl away.
"I knew you were following us."
Mira giggled, grabbing Reika's hand suddenly.
"Come on!" she said, laughing.
Before he could protest, she pulled him through the crowd, weaving between booths and startled vendors.
They ran together, laughing like kids escaping a playground guard.
Reika could feel her hand in his — small, warm, real.
They stopped outside a small stone house at the edge of town.
Mira bent over, panting hard.
"Sorry," she gasped between laughs. "Guess... I'm more out of shape than I thought."
Reika chuckled, hands on his knees, catching his breath too.
But then something changed.
Mira straightened up and her hair... began to grow.
Horns sprouted from her head, curling like twin rivers of obsidian.
She stared up at the full moon with wide, terrified eyes.
"I have to go," she said suddenly.
Before Reika could say anything, she turned and sprinted into the woods.
Something pulled him forward — something stronger than fear or doubt.
Reika ran after her without thinking.
Branches whipped past him.
The moon above seemed to grow brighter, almost watching.
He finally found her standing near the river, her back shaking with silent sobs.
"Mira," Reika called gently.
She turned, startled.
Tears streaked her cheeks, glistening in the moonlight.
She ran to him and hit his chest with both fists, again and again, as if trying to drive him away.
Reika caught her wrists carefully, holding them between his hands.
"What's going on?" he asked quietly.
Mira trembled.
"You don't get it," she said, voice breaking. "I'm not who you think I am."
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"I'm a demon."
The words spilled out in a broken whisper.
"How could I have been so stupid to think... to think a human and a demon could be together..."
She sobbed, and Reika felt his heart twist.
He didn't know what moved him.
But he said it anyway.
"I'm... a demon too."
Mira froze.
Reika smiled gently and, concentrating, let the power awaken inside him.
Small black horns grew from his forehead, curling slightly.
Mira stared, wide-eyed, as if seeing him for the first time.
"I just learned I could do this," Reika said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
Mira wiped her tears with the sleeve of her dress, stunned into silence.
And then —
Before she even realized she moved, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
Soft, warm, trembling.
Reika kissed her back without hesitation, pulling her closer, like he'd found something he didn't even know he was missing.
After what felt like forever, Mira pulled away, cheeks burning.
"I have to go," she said, hugging him tightly one last time. "I have a curfew."
She ran back toward the village, her steps lighter now.
Reika stood there, dazed, heart pounding, a stupid, happy grin stretching across his face.
___
For the first time in a long time, he felt like the world wasn't so lonely after all.
A few minutes later, just as Reika was still standing there like an idiot with his face frozen in a huge grin, a rustling noise came from the bushes behind him.
Kaien burst out, covered in straw, feathers stuck to his hair, his jacket torn at the sleeve, and a wild look in his eye like he'd fought an entire barnyard.
He slapped a hand on Reika's shoulder.
"Did you seal the deal, champ?" Kaien grinned, waggling his eyebrows.
Reika blinked, still too dazed to answer.
Kaien leaned closer, whispering loudly,
"You know, like seal the deal?"
Reika finally processed the words.
He didn't say anything.
He just punched Kaien clean in the arm.
"Ow!" Kaien yelped, hopping back, rubbing his bicep. "What was that for?!"
"You are the worst wingman ever," Reika said, laughing despite himself.
Kaien grinned, unfazed.
He looked up at the stars and sighed dramatically.
"My work here is done."
"Your work caused multiple public disturbances," Reika said, ticking them off on his fingers. "Cabbage assault, poultry terrorism, harassment of minors..."
Kaien raised a hand.
"Minor chaos for major success."
Reika shook his head, smiling.
Maybe... just maybe, having a chaotic idiot for a best friend wasn't so bad.
Together, they walked back toward the village, the moonlight shining bright behind them.