Chapter 4 - Embarrassed Mishaps

Aoi had promised herself she’d try something daring today: taking the Demon Lord outside. For the first time. Into the real world. She had spent nearly an hour convincing herself this was a perfectly reasonable idea, after all, it was just a short walk to the convenience store. Nothing dangerous could possibly happen.

She crouched behind her front door, tugging the hood of a large hoodie over the Demon Lord’s head. His long silver hair barely fit, and the hood drooped at odd angles. She hastily added a scarf and tilted a baseball cap over the gem talisman, muttering, “This will be fine. Totally fine. He’ll look normal… maybe.”

The Demon Lord tilted his head, his piercing eyes peeking faintly from under the brim. He remained silent, of course, but Aoi could almost feel him judging her frantic attempts at human disguise.

“Stop glaring at me like that,” she whispered harshly, tugging at the scarf. “I’m trying my best! You’re lucky I even let you come outside at all!”

He simply stayed still, tilting his head, the gem glowing faintly beneath the cap as if it were somehow aware of her panic.

With a deep breath, she grabbed his hand, or rather, attempted to. He didn’t resist, but his long, elegant fingers dwarfed hers. Aoi gulped. “Okay… just… one step at a time. Keep it together. Don’t panic. Don’t panic!”

They stepped onto the street, and the world outside seemed… impossibly loud. Birds chirped, cars rumbled, and the occasional pedestrian gave them curious looks. Aoi forced herself to ignore it, focusing on walking forward.

It was going surprisingly well, until the gem talisman wobbled.

Aoi froze mid-step. “Oh no… don’t... don’t do this now!” she hissed. The gem tilted ever so slightly, and sparks of golden light flashed around the Demon Lord. A nearby bicycle’s bell rang, a newspaper fluttered into the street, and a dog barked furiously, charging at a small magical spark that had escaped from the gem.

“Ah! Stop! Please!” Aoi shrieked, clutching his sleeve as sparks danced around them. Pedestrians started to stare, some jumping back in confusion, others pulling out their phones to record what appeared to be a miniature magical storm.

The Demon Lord blinked, clearly embarrassed, or maybe flustered. He held his hand out in front of him as if trying to catch the floating sparks, but his long robes swished awkwardly, sending a gentle whirlwind through a nearby café’s open window. A few napkins and menus flew into the street.

“Oh my... oh my god, Mister Demon Lord, please! People are staring! Someone’s going to call the police!” Aoi yelled, turning beet-red. Her hands flailed as she tried to contain both the sparks and the talisman gem, which had wobbled perilously and was now floating a few inches above his forehead.

A small crowd had begun to form. Aoi could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “U-uh… I swear he’s… totally harmless! Sort of! Maybe!”

The gem pulsed and sparked again. The Demon Lord’s eyes widened slightly, a faint blush dusting his otherwise pale face. Aoi didn’t notice this subtle detail; all she saw was chaos.

In a desperate move, she leaned forward and grabbed his scarf, yanking it slightly over the gem. “There! Covered! Safe!”

Unfortunately, the sudden tug caused the cap to fly backward, and the gem, now completely exposed, emitted a short burst of golden sparks. It hit a nearby vending machine, which shuddered ominously, causing cans to rattle and one to tumble out onto the sidewalk.

“Oh no no no no no!” Aoi groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Why is this happening!?”

Through the sparks, the Demon Lord’s hand brushed hers slightly as he reached to steady her. Aoi froze. His fingers were impossibly warm, calm, and… comforting. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Uh—uh! Nothing! Nothing at all!” she stammered, pulling her hand back and turning away. I am not thinking about that!

But as she glanced sideways, she caught the faintest flicker of emotion in his eyes, a mixture of embarrassment and… jealousy.

It wasn’t jealousy over another person, she realized, but over her noticing something as subtle as his flustered reaction. Her cheeks flamed hotter. Stupid… stupid… stop thinking!

The sparks finally settled, the gem returning to a stable glow atop his forehead. Aoi exhaled shakily. Pedestrians had mostly dispersed, though a few muttered about “weird cosplay” or “street magic tricks.” She shoved the hoodie’s hood lower over his head, muttering: “We’re going home. Now.”

The Demon Lord followed quietly, his silence somehow more expressive than words. Every time she glanced at him, the gem pulsed faintly beneath the cap, a subtle heartbeat of magic and emotion.

By the time they reached her room, Aoi flopped onto the bed, hands on her face. “I… I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t… he’s… he’s too… too perfect… and annoying… and… and... UGH!”

The Demon Lord knelt beside her, raising a hand slowly. Aoi peeked through her fingers and saw him tilt his head slightly. The gem glimmered faintly, as if acknowledging her inner turmoil.

“Stop it! Stop doing that! You’re making me feel things I shouldn’t feel!” she shouted, though her voice was trembling, half-panicked, half… something else.

He simply stayed there, silent but attentive, the faint glow of the gem casting a warm light over the room. Aoi buried her face again in the pillow.

“This is… impossible,” she muttered. “Completely… ridiculously… impossible…”

And somewhere in the depths of her chest, she felt a small crack form, an undeniable, terrifying, exciting little crack that was painfully obvious, though she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it herself.