A Stray on the Road

"Nnnnnaahh" Ryota stretched on his chair satisfied. He had finished his today work so he could leave earlier. He stood up and started packing his things into his briefcase.

"Waaaait, please don't leave me" Ryota turned to the source of the voice to see Reiji look at him with a pleading look on his eyes

"I'm sorry Reiji, you're on your own today" 

"Aaarggh, you traitor you double-crosser" Reiji whimper to him pathetically.

Ryota gather all his things unbothered and turned ready to leave.

"You know Ryota, there's something different about you these days. Did you start working out?" Reiji asked him leaving aside the whimpering for a moment. Ryota stood still. 

"Ehm, yeah a little"

"Hey no fair, when I suggested to you to come work out with me you said no"

"Ah, I'm sorry about this...i just prefer my own way of working out" he said while he scratched his neck softly with a smile

"Fiiine...also you seem more healthy and well fed these days. Did you started eating more meat perhaps."

"Well..." it was true that since Ryota joined the SAEA, Masami and the rest of them, treated him food in the 'Tea and Sympathy' almost every night.

"Ehm...well i found recently a good café besides the river, it makes very good food and the people who working there are very nice"

"Oooh I see, i bet you fallen in love with the waitress or something" Reiji smiled to him teasingly

"Knock it off Baka" he mumbled dismissively

"Ehehe sorry sorry... well if that café is that good then you should treat me some food there on the weekend."

 "Well...that will be nice"

"Splendid, you can take me there in the weekend then" Reiji beamed with excitement

"Fine alright...but you better finish your job properly" Ryota said making all the joy dissappear from Reiji face

"Get out of here you killjoy"

"Hahaha, see you tomorrow Reiji" he waved at him as he walked away

"Yeah yeah whatever" Reiji waved back at him as he turned back to his computer boringly.

Ryota walked through the exit of his work and started walking on the street towards to his usual path besides the river.

After some time passed back to the office a strange man came and stand in front of Reiji. 

"Can I help you Sir?"

"I believe so... I'm looking for someone named Ryota?"

"He just clocked out"

"I see, can you perhaps tell me where can I find him?"

"What do you want from him Sir?

"Oh nothing much, it's only a business matter that i would like to hear his opinion" the man replied in a soft tone

"Well, I believe it went to a café besides the Kamo river, maybe you will find him there" Reiji replied nonchalant turning back to his computer

"I see...thank you very much for your assistance Sir, have a lovely evening" the man turned and walk away from him.

"Yeah you too Sir" Reiji replied while he thought "What a weirdo"

Ryota kept walking  while he was thinking about his training. Today he was supposed to continue the sword training with Takashi and started learning some basic defence sorcery by Masami. But after the last evening events he suspect that this program will changed.

"That huge demon from yesterday really scared Ryosuke and Sayaka, that means they never encounter something so dangerous before" he thought troubled remembering the yesterday battle in the temple.

"Weeks ago i would have a heart attack even by looking at dangalaks. But after so many encounters, i got used to the side of demons, I thought I got used to them so far." he kept thinking troubled. 

But yesterday incident revealed to him that even the others didn't know everything about the demons, and the worst of it. They were still worst and more dangerous things to encounter.

As he walked in road beside the river deep in thoughts he didn't pay attention in front of him. Then suddenly he tripped from something on the ground and fell down. Fortunately he managed to put his hands front to decrease the impact. He stand up angrily tossing the dust from his clothes and turning around to see what made him trip.

Then he saw completely dumbfounded Sayaka lying on the ground without moving. 

"SAYAKA?!"

He kneeled scared and close to her to check her pulse and see if she was alright. Her eyes were shut down and she was just barely breathing.

"Sayaka, what happened to you?! Did you get hurt?! Someone attacked you?!"

Sayaka opened her eyes slowly and look at him, then he whispered something.

"...es..."

"What?!"

"...pi...es.."

"I don't understand what are you saying Sayaka?" he gently leaned closer to hear her better as she whispered

"...Pleass..I want...uppies.." she whispered nonchalant as if that was normal

"HUH!!!?" he looked at her dumbfounded

Minutes later Ryota was carrying Sayaka on piggyback as they walked to the café.

"Good grief Sayaka you nearly gave me a heart attack, don't you think it's unhealthy to lie on the ground? You can also catch a cold in this weather"

"I'm sorry Ryota, it's all Ryo-nii's fault. He refused to let me sleep in the afternoon and then he didn't carry me to the café."

" Ryo-nii? Oh you mean Ryosuke. Well it's tue that yesterday night was truly exhausting but you can't sleep all the afternoon"

"Even so I could rest a bit if Ryo-nii carried me" she said as she pouted angrily

"Where do you live anyway?"

"Ryo-nii has an apartment close to Sakyo Ward"

"So you live together huh, what about your parents?"

"Ryo-nii parents live in Yokohama"

"No I meant your parents Sayaka"

Sayaka look at him with a emotionless expression and said

"I don't have parents" 

"I see" Ryota replied politely and decide not to pry any further

"How's Nyoka doing? I got some time to feed her" he said trying to change the subject

"Nyoka is big and fluffy, Masa always feed her good and brush her fur, I will also brush her fur today" Sayaka said with her sparkling with quiet excitement to brush her furry cute cat

Ryota laughed with her childish excitement

"Ryota...how you want me to call you?"

"Oh what do you mean?"

"I'm getting bored of calling everyone by their actual names so call them by nicknames"

"Oh like you call Ryosuke, Ryo-nii?"

"Yes...I call Masa, Mrs. Fukunaga and Taka, Mr. Takashi "

"And what about Nobuyuki?"

"I call him Kuma"

"Kuma!?"

"Yeah he's big and strong like a bear"

"Well figures"

Sayaka look at him deeply into his eyes

"Ryota can i keep calling you Ryota?"

Ryota looks at her from his shoulder while he kept walking and carrying her and he was surprised by her choice of words

"Well i don't mind...so sure call me however you like"

Sayaka smiled and gently tighten her grip around him.

After some walking they finally arrived to the café, Ryota putted Sayaka down carefully.

"Well we finally arrived" he said as he stretched his back from all that carrying

"I always make Ryo-nii carry me, but Ryota's piggyback it's also very comfortable"

"Please take on pity on both of us and walk by yourself" he said with smile 

"But that's so tiring" Sayaka pouted 

"Fine but don't let it be habit of yours" he said as he reached the door to opened it when a strange voice called him

"Excuse me Mr. Ryota" 

Ryota turned around and look a strange tall man in a suit, with blonde short hair and polite expression...