Author's Note:
Hey there! I've been looking through some of my old fanfics lately and I've stumbled across this piece―a RikaxAshiya fic I wrote a while back. For those of you wondering, back at the beginning of 2016, I believe I deleted all my fanfics because I wanted to start out with a clean slate. Suffice to say, some good genuinely good works were lost in the process.
I'm bringing this fic back to the The Devil Is A Part-Timer! fandom because there is a shortage of RikaxAshiya fics and this was a genuinely good piece of writing I've unfortunately taken off. Now, I kept most of the old fics I've deleted on my Archive of Our Own account, so they're still there if you want to read them. However, this is an edited version of the original fic I had on here months ago to reflect my growth as a writer, but I had not made any changes to the fic's content itself. I do hope you guys will (re)enjoy my contribution to the RikaxAshiya pairing―I think it's a shame it is an untapped area, at least in this section of FanFiction.
Thank you for choosing to read Meeting!
-Sda209.
The afternoon gaze still hung over as if morning had never moved. Its bright and gay smile washed over the towers of stone, the speeding steel carriages and the milling humans of this so-called "urban jungle" named "Tokyo." Even to this day, I was still amazed that the humans of this world possessed the tools and resources to construct such magnificent cities.
Once I gave the cashier lady the appropriate amount of paper yen, I retrieved the plastic bags of food from the rolling counter and went out of the supermarket to make the journey back to our "castle." If I may offer my own thoughts, even I had began doubting my liege's nomenclature. Last I checked, a castle does not look like this world's equivalent of a peasant house! Nevertheless, the choice of name served as a reminder that my liege, Lucifer, Emilia, Crestia and I were foreigners of this world. And, unfortunately, because Earth possessed items of value that all of us, even I, would prefer not to impart, we will always be until the day we return to Ente Isla.
Somehow, I doubt we will ever return in the foreseeable future.
During the morning, while I was preparing breakfast for my comrades, the news had reported an incoming rainstorm which was expected around this time. Thankfully, I have brought with me an umbrella should the clouds arrive early. Certainly, it would be embarrassing to arrive home soaked to the skin and with one's groceries soggy, and perhaps inedible. O, what a cruel fate to be subjected to!
Picking up the pace, because I wish to head home as swiftly as I can, I suddenly caught glimpse of a pair of brown eyes―eyes that I recognized. I planted my feet to the ground and turned my head around, our gazes meeting at once.
"A-Ah," her voice cracked with surprise. "A-Ashiya!"
Huh, it was one of Emilia's coworkers and friends. I too gazed at her in surprise. "Suzuki?"
As a friend of our sworn enemy―although, she has turned to more of rival, nowadays―it would be natural for me to avoid Suzuki at any given chance. Unfortunately, this chance encounter seemed to say otherwise. However, at times, lest the Hero was accompanying her, I find myself making small talk with Suzuki while my companions went about their nefarious businesses. Suzuki was a fair maiden―a female human of all creatures in this world. As a demon servant to the Demon Lord, I should be disgusted, and as a matter fact I was.
At least when Suzuki and I met for the first time.
The last time I held contempt for her was during my undercover watch of Sire and a female coworker who had fallen in love with him. At the time, I felt disgusted that a mere human woman dared to make merry with the Lord of Demons. However, this resentment eventually came to pass, wherein I no longer sense a similar capacity of fury whenever I thought of Sasaki and my Lord eloping. Perhaps it was a matter of desensitization―I have seen mortal Men in my time reveling so much in blood and violence during one of my campaigns that I might as well mistook them either for half-breed demons or demons wearing human skin. I would not be surprised if a similar principle was playing out right front of me.
I could not speak, for my tongue was twisted and the words simply were stuck in my throat. Nothing came and I thought it would have been best to let Suzuki speak first, regardless.
"Uh," Suzuki fidgeted; her smile and levity seemed forced, actually. "Funny c-coincidence meeting y-you here, r-right?"
Nodding once, I kept my expression stoic; there was something strange about her that I could not pinpoint. "Indeed, Suzuki. It is almost as if fate intended for us to meet here."
My reply was merely a matter of expression―a sort of joke among us demons if we chanced a meeting with a friend or someone we know.
Obviously, Suzuki read the joke differently. "F-Fate, yeah, r-right." She kept nodding to herself, as if to confirm her own suspicions. Oh Hell, a child could tell that something was bothering her! I do not think Suzuki was one for subtlety—which, now that I think about it, also applied to the Hero. That is, in a more destructive and terrifying manner. (That I do not wish to be in its path!)
"So," Her eyes darted to the groceries hanging from my hand. "W-What'cha' bringin' with y-you? Are those g-groceries?"
An attempt to change the subject. Interesting. "Why yes," I nodded. "I am bringing these to our home to prepare lunch for Hanzou and I. Why do you ask?"
"J-Just wondering!"
Curious. Just what was troubling Suzuki? "Is something the matter, Suzuki? Your face has changed from its usual color to that of crimson."
Suddenly her eyes widened and she immediately waved her hands. "'C-Crimson?!' No, no, no, not at all! Okay, maybe I-I'm feeling under the w-weather a bit, b-but, well, I-I was actually on my w-way to the pharmacy, a-actually, s-so, uh, yeah..."
Oh, she was "under the weather?" Now that I think about it, her cheeks seemed flush with pink, and Suzuki's stance was faltering somewhat.
Wait, what the heaven was I thinking? I need to return to our castle right now and-
"Yo, Ashiya?" Her hand waved right in front of my eyes. I nearly swat in instinct but held back and blinked instead, returning my attention to her. "A-Are you alright? You kinda zoned out t-there for a moment."
"I am alright," I rubbed my temples, hoping to deflect any suspicion away. "The thought of my companions' shenanigans simply troubled me for a moment."
When I finished my hasty response, I noticed the swallow of her throat and the gaze turned away. I do not know what was causing her anxiety―and certainly I doubt it is her illness―but Suzuki was clearly in need of assistance. Even if she was human. These days, I had developed somewhat of a tolerance for them; perhaps they were not as revolting as I thought.
In fact, perhaps my Lord and Lucifer could wait a little longer.
"Rika. Just, call me Rika."
Curious, I stared at her inquisitively. I was aware that, in Japanese customs, one should refer to the other party by their given name or a nickname should they request it, but I still found this to be unexpected. Why did she feel the need to ask me to refer to her by her given name from now on?
Perhaps I should return the favor? It is only, after all, appropriate, I think. "If your request of me is to refer to you by your given name, then from this moment you can refer to me as 'Shirou,' Rika."
Suzuki—err, Rika—suddenly stepped back with a slight gasp. Her cheeks were crimson like succubus after merrymaking, her stature was lowered and, strangely, defensive, and there was a tense air about her that read "Oh my God." Now this was a most interesting turn of events―I do not think she noticed my thorough observation of her out-of-character actions, but perhaps it was for the best. It would surely undermine the progress of our relationship up to this point. (Although, when was the last time I genuinely wanted to speak to a human?"
"S-Sure, S-S-Shirou."
The only response I could give was an affirmative nod, if only to lessen the tension between us. "Rika, perhaps I should lead you to the pharmacy in the case you are ill? It would be most unfortunate to spend the rest of your day weakened and tired." Of course, I do not think Rika was legitimately ill, but it was better to rule out a possibility yourself than make baseless assumptions.
"N-No no no, I-I'm fine!" Rika still seemed adamant about denying her "illness," but then, to my surprise, her attitude changed completely. "Err, I mean, s-sure, y-yeah, v-very sick! I-I got the f-flu of all things, ugh, damn my stuffy nose!"
Rika's forced coughs and empty snivels especially do not convince me, but there was a chance she was, indeed, suffering from an affliction I had yet to be informed of. Earth was full of a myriad of diseases that were foreign in Ente Isla, and I wish not chance upon a possibility that Rika's "illness" was actually something else. Most certainly I do not wish to find myself in bed suffering from a disease that struck from within without displaying obvious symptoms, and all because I was ignorant of the possibilities!
Gently taking her wrist, I began leading her the way to the pharmacy. "Let's make our way to the pharmacy, then! Vitamin C tablets would surely be an ameliorative solution?" Rika's cheeks suddenly turned from crimson to scarlet in a matter of seconds. My Lord, was this one of the few symptoms of this flu!?
Rika nodded, wearily glancing at me. (However, her weary glance felt off.) "Y-Yeah, I would appreciate it, Shirou..."
There were still countless mysteries and secrets waiting to be discovered by my fellow demons and I on this world known as Earth; Hell, there was even an entire world history unknown to us. After I take Rika to the pharmacy—I need to consult my Lord or Lucifer on Rika's affliction soon afterward—perhaps I could peruse the local library again and search for some history books. It would be worth the read, I think. (But first, books on medicine and illnesses would certainly help me identify and eliminate diseases before they manifest themselves fully in our group.)
As Rika and I enter the pharmacy, I noticed the sun and sky to be seemingly gayer than I originally thought.