A/N: Hi guys. This story idea has been bouncing around in my head uncontrollably and I thought it would be super fun. And with the fact I finally found a translated chapter 65 of the manga, it really set forward the idea of this story. Quick Summary: Emi and Maou has various casual interactions between each other before Emi realized Maou was the Demon King. What if those interactions were a bit "more", and what if Emi didn't realize that night in the rain that Maou wasn't the Demon King. Btw, this specific chapter is based on chapter 65 of the manga. I don't remember if that specifically happened in the LN so forgive me for not sourcing that. Also, I know like, less than nothing about Japanese New Years traditions. I am basing solely off of what happened in chapter 65 and a quick google search and reading of "7 Japanese New Years Traditions." So please, forgive me if I mess anything up.
It'll be difficult to bounce between this storyBTP (and eventually updating Mooncoins ) but I really wanted to write this and I think it'll all be really fun. Anyway, RR, I love you all. Hope you enjoy.
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Ashiya sighed. The Demon King Satan and him had been trapped on the world know as 'Earth,' and in the country called 'Japan' for multiple months now. Long enough they'd learned recently, that the world was beginning a new calendar year. Work was come and go for the two currently due to the holidays, so the previous week he and his lord had been working selling holiday cakes part time just to make ends meet. They'd only had 1 customer other than themselves. And now, his lord, Maou, after already having dropped some yen earlier, wanted to spend some more on some sort of human new year trinket.
"My liege they print thousands of those Omikuji Fortunes," Ashiya tried to quell Maou's excitement.
Maou ignored Ashiya's attempt at saving what little money they had. "You just don't get it man!" he started. "It's just kind of a 'feelings' thing, alright?"
Maou turned towards the sky, as if speaking to some unknown force above (and also conveniently away from Ashiya's crestfallen, puppy dog look).
"The first day of the year, and I'm bumping into women, dropping change everywhere, losing a five yen coin! I gotta change the tide!"
Ashiya sighed in defeat this time. "Well, just one, alright?"
Maou's eyes lit up, as he turned away from Ashiya and started making his way to the fortunes, rolling up his sleeves as he went. "Alright you just watch! I'm gonna draw a 'Great Blessing' fortune for sure!"
Ashiya looked after Maou as he ran through the crowd. 'Well', Ashiya thought to himself. 'At least his spirits haven't diminished.'
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Emi looked around with a disappointed look on her face as people bustled around her trying to get to food stands and dropping change in grates as they went.
"Pfft" she blew in exasperation. "Some 'power spot' this is." She looked around once again. "If anything, it's sucking the power out of me."
She looked up at the sky. 'I came here hoping to refill my holy energy.' She thought it herself, closing her eyes and sighing. 'But I don't feel any energy like that around here.'
She looked ahead to where the people were gathering. Slips of paper all tucked on a bunch of strings suspended, with a sign above it reading 'New Years Fortunes.'
She'd read about the tradition of 'Hatsumode' in Japanese culture, and the different luck charms. She shrugged and made her way towards the slips of paper, figuring at the least it couldn't hurt to possibly get some luck for herself.
She pushed through the crowd of people, offering 'excuse me's and 'pardon me's as she went. She finally managed to get to the front and reached for one of the slips, only to feel a warm hand instead of paper.
"Eh?"
"Huh?"
Emi looked at the hand she'd grabbed instead of paper, and followed it to the raven haired man to her left. He seemed to be about her age.
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't see your hand," she offered the quick apology, bowing slightly as she retracted her hand.
The man shook his head and gave her a toothy grin. "Nah it's all good. We reached for it at the same time I think. Here," he held the fortune slip out to her.
She looked at the slip and then returned a small smile while shaking her head, putting her hand up to decline the paper. "No you grabbed it first it's fine. I'll just get-"
She was cut off as the man grabbed her hand and put the fortune in it. "There's yours" he said, before turning to the wall again with a slightly pensive look. He grinned and grabbed a paper slightly near the top of the rows. "And here's mine."
He turned towards her again and Emi couldn't help the faint blush that dusted over her cheeks. His smile was infectious as she returned a full grin herself. "Um, thank you. I appreciate it. But you really didn't have to do that."
He shook his head at her, his eyes lighting up in amusement. 'Red' she noted. "It's the least I could do. You bought one of our cakes after all."
"Huh" she questioned confused. Cakes? What was he talking about. The people around them started to push a little bit.
His smile only seemed to grow. "Last week, during Christmas. Outside of HallTrees. You bought a little chocolate one. I thought you looked familiar."
Her eyes widened as she remembered buying said cake. She'd bought it on a whim, hoping a little change in her routine could spark something. What she'd hoped for, she didn't know.
"I remember. That little cake with the iced flowers on top." She giggled a little. "You were the one in that goofy Santa outfit." Her look turned curious towards the red eyed man. "And how'd you recognize me?"
His smile turned sheepish, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, the suit was required. And you smiled the same way when I gave you the cake as you did just now. Also, other than my uh, roommate, you were the only person to buy a cake," he chuckled.
"O-oh is that so" she looked down, a blush completely covering her face at the mention of her smile.
Oblivious to the embarrassment of the woman in front of him, Maou's eyes widened remembering he'd just left Ashiya somewhere outside the crowd, and they still needed to go get groceries before they got home. He greatly appreciated his Demon General's seemingly endless patience, but he knew even that had its limits, especially if it caused him to miss the sales at the local grocery store.
Someone bumped into her shoulder, disturbing the little atmosphere the two had created. The stranger murmured some sort of apology, but the little kid accompanying them pushed through Emi's legs. All of a sudden it seemed like people were beginning to swarm around her, and she realized the two of them had just been standing at the front of a very eager, and very impatient crowd of people.
"Hey, it was really nice to meet you, but I've gotta run now. I kinda left my friend and need to go find him before he gets mad."
She turned back towards where the raven haired man had stood, only to see him starting to make his way back through the advancing crowd.
"O-oh, yeah. Great to meet you too," she said towards him. She began to make her own way back out of the crowd, and as a last second thought turned around. "H-happy New Years!"
Even as he got a little further into the crowd she saw him smile back at her, ruby eyes locking with emerald as she held her breath for a moment.
"Yeah, happy New Years. I'll see you around!"
He waved wildly at her as his body disappeared in the sea of people, going the opposite direction as her. She threw her hand in the air and giggled slightly at the childish antics.
Eventually, she got out of the throng of people, and stared down at the slip of paper in her hands. She bit her bottom lip a little as she smiled down at the now unfolded luck charm.
"Great Blessing" she whispered aloud. She looked around at the people bustling to the stands, hearing the sound of different conversations and the clinking of coins hitting grates.
"Well," she smiled to herself, crumpling up the paper slightly in her hands. "This is hardly a bad thing, I suppose."
