Issei flipped open his phone. Closed it. Flipped it open again. Read the message Koneko had sent him for like, the millionth time.

Tight schedule. Meet u ASAP.

No emoticons, but he could deal. They weren't really his thing, either. She wrote like she spoke, cool to a tee without being a tryhard. Must've been why she was in such high demand. Damn it, why did Koneko have to be so cute?!

He missed her.

Issei closed his phone. Flipped it open.

"Are you trying to piss us off?" Motohama asked.

He closed his phone, put it in his pocket. "Sorry, man. It's just..."

"No need, my man," Matsuda said. "We get you. Just tell us how the hell you met that devil!"

Issei reclined against the park bench they were all sitting on. This was the last Monday afternoon they had on break before Kuoh Academy opened for the new school year, so he decided to hang out with his buddies. They always liked to keep things interesting, it just so happened that this time, he was in the hot seat.

No surprise there.

"I told you about the flyer, right? Well, I just held it in my hand, wished to meet a devil and it came true."

"Just like that?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, what was this devil like?" Motohama asked.

A smile crossed his face. "Surprisingly normal. We watched Zyuranger, I loaned her some Dragon Ball –"

"Her?" Matsuda said, like it was a smack on the mouth.

Stupid slip of the tongue.

"Uh, yeah. I thought I mentioned it."

Now Matsuda was bugging out, seconds away from throttling him, while Motohama was looking at him like horns had grown out of his head.

"I knew this sucka was holding out on us!"

Motohama scowled. "Tell me about it!"

"This guy's been shacking up with a devil chick when we've been bustin' our tails trying to find one! Tell me that ain't fair!"

"It isn't! This whole time, Issei was all like, 'devils aren't real, you're wasting your time', but then he finds one out of nowhere, and she's a girl? Lucky bastard."

Good thing there weren't too many people around to see them freak out. Or hear them yapping about devils.

"Sorry, guys," Issei said. "I wasn't trying to steal your thunder. It just... happened."

Matsuda deflated. "Ah, man, you're seriously making it hard to stay mad at you."

"Typical Issei, always ruining things for everyone," Motohama said, lacking any bite to match his bark. "Was she hot?"

Issei smiled, in spite of himself. "Cute."

Motohama smiled, large glasses gleaming. "At least one of us found a devil. If only you knew her sizes."

While Issei loved women in all shapes and sizes, he had nothing on Motohama. Guy could instantly tell what a girl's three sizes were just by giving her a once-over with his glasses. Not a single girl had been impressed, but it sure was useful. He could never figure out how Motohama pulled it off.

Then again, even if he could figure out Koneko's sizes, he wouldn't tell another soul. Not that he wanted to keep secrets from his pals, but Koneko's warning rang in his mind like a foreboding omen.

"How'd you guys hear about these devil meetings in the first place?" Issei asked.

"It ain't like they're a secret, bro," Matsuda answered. "You ever go to church?"

Issei shook his head. "And you have? Since when?"

"Last month. I saw this fine shawty from Kuoh going there and I had to take my shot, y'know what I'm saying?"

"She turned you down, didn't she?" Motohama said.

Matsuda looked at his lap, running a hand over his buzzcut. His hair used to be long, black and messy like Motohama's, but he'd been rocking that style for a while, thinking it'd bag him some chicks. They didn't, but now, Issei couldn't imagine his friend with a full head of hair.

"Still have the shivers. Haven't gone back since, but I learned devils aren't secret, they're just tougher to find than a sumo's ballsack."

Issei gagged. "Seriously, dude, what the hell?"

He did not need that image in his brain, ever. That just made his friends laugh, and eventually, he joined in. They could bust each other's balls all they wanted – an analogy that wasn't sexual at all – but at the end of the day, they were friends for a reason.

"Just double-checking," Motohama said, "you get a special flyer, focus on your desire to see a devil, and you'll get to meet one?"

"That's right."

"That sounds way too simple," Matsuda said. "But I'm down. Let's go find us a flyer girl. And some food, I'm starving."

They set off, Issei leading them to the street corner he found that cute flyer girl at. He was itching to flip open his phone and see if he had another message from Koneko, but what was the point? She only sent the one.

While that specific flyer girl wasn't around, they saw an older gentleman handing out flyers, and he gave two to Matsuda and Motohama respectively. Issei didn't even get a second look. Rude old geezer.

"You're sure this is the flyer, Issei?" Matsuda asked, at a corner table inside a KFC. They shared a six-piece pack of American fried chicken with some BBQ dipping sauce and their choice of sides. It was so good, Issei always loved having it during the winter holidays. That was exactly why KFC was the perfect way to celebrate getting those flyers.

"Seems pretty normal to me," Motohama said.

Issei checked it out. The sigil was different, but it was just as elaborate as the one that summoned Koneko.

"This is it, guys. Trust me."

Motohama nodded. "Got any advice?"

This would've been the perfect opportunity to get one over them, but honestly, he wasn't up to it. They were seriously into this stuff, and he only got ahead because the flyer girl approached him at the right time, convinced him to give something he barely believed in a chance.

"Be yourself, but don't be lame," Issei said, taking some French fries from the bag. "These devils can see right through you."

Matsuda took a bite out of a drumstick, then another. "Fo' sho."

Before they knew it, their KFC lunch was done. All three of them were tempted to go for seconds, but they were splitting the bill and it wasn't like any of them were loaded. Issei was going to ask if they wanted to go to the arcade, but Matsuda and Motohama had something else in mind.

He wouldn't stand in their way.

"Good luck, guys," Issei said.

Matsuda smiled, hopeful beyond belief. "Thanks, bro! See you on the other side!"

"Thanks for the tip, dude," Motohama said. "Hope this works!"

So did he. They went their separate ways, and Issei walked home. He hadn't realized it until they left, but ever since he met Koneko, life felt just a little bit duller. More gray. Like his eyes had been opened to a whole new world that was almost exactly like his, but distinct, a world that most were oblivious to, willingly or otherwise.

Maybe he was just overthinking it. Life was more gray because he couldn't get to see Koneko, and hanging out with his friends helped bring back some colour.

He stood on a street corner, waiting for the green light, and flipped open his phone. Saw nothing new. Closed it. Walked across the street. His phone buzzed on the other side.

Tomorrow, noon. You free?

Hell yeah, he was.

It was high noon when Koneko appeared in his room.

"Yo," she said.

Issei smiled. "You're right on time. Thanks for coming, Koneko."

Not that he actually thought she wouldn't show up. She set the meeting time.

"No problem. Here." Koneko handed him his Dragon Ball manga. Fortunately, it was still in pristine condition. "You have the next one?"

Issei resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air. "Yep. Just wait right here."

As he went to take the second volume of Dragon Ball from his shelf, Koneko checked out his figurines inside his figurine case. Thankfully, he had the wherewithal to sort them properly so they could receive the admiration they deserved. Thankfully, she wasn't offended by his hobbies, but if she was, she wasn't showing it.

Before he took the manga out, Issei took the chance to admire the view. Man, Koneko was so fine in her red t-shirt and black shorts. He could see her bare shoulder and firm, creamy thighs, her bra strap peeking out...

"Kaben Rider Pinky?" she said, shattering his libido with three short words.

There was a frown lining her face as she held his precious in her slim hand. The pink costume just barely fit JAV actress Momo Momozono's bountiful, generous frame as she struck a seductive pose, immortalized in plastic.

But Koneko wouldn't care about all that. Would he dare face her? Yes. He had to, because she asked him a question. He would, because he didn't know any better.

"That's right," Issei said. "I can't believe you've heard about her."

Koneko scowled. "I wish I hadn't. But you've forced me to remember this thing."

Thing? It was a work of art, but Koneko clearly didn't see her that way. Issei braced himself for the worst.

"I thought you hadn't watched any toku lately."

Wait, that was it, that was her angle? For real? Issei would've sighed in relief, but he definitely wasn't off the hook yet.

"I haven't! It just slipped my mind because, well, you know! It's not the same!"

"That's right. Kaben Rider Pinky –" She waved the figurine just the once. "Is just some lame porno knock-off. This –" She held a DVD of Kamen Rider... Black in her other hand. Where had she kept it? "Is real Kamen Rider."

His face quickly turned red. "I know the difference. It's not like I'm a Kamen Rider newbie, you know."

She looked him straight in the eye. "Then what's your favourite series?"

"Kamen Rider Agito."

It was also the only Kamen Rider series he really watched, but who was keeping count?

Koneko held her stare, golden eyes gleaming as the tension in the room spiked. Finally, she nodded.

"You aren't a lost cause, after all. Ever watch Kamen Rider Black?"

"A little bit, here and there."

The corners of her mouth tugged upwards, forming a smirk. "Want to watch it now?"

Issei rubbed the back of his neck. "I would, but my mom's doing laundry downstairs. What if she sees you?"

"I'll handle it," she said, and from the confidence in her voice, that was that. If she wanted to risk exposing herself, that was her choice. It wasn't like devils were secret, if Matsuda was to be believed.

"Whatever you say."

Before they left his room, Koneko placed his beloved figurine back in its rightful spot with a surprising amount of care, considering her disdain for this 'porno knock-off'. With a quick and heartfelt thanks, they were off to the races.

"I got some lemonade in the fridge," he said, once they reached the living room. "Want some?"

She nodded. "Please."

As she set up the DVD player, Issei pulled out two glasses and poured out their drinks, still marvelling at the fact that devils needed to eat or drink at all. He thought about asking Koneko to stay for lunch, but then his mom would force him to explain how he met Koneko, and there was no way she'd believe that he managed to convince a girl to come to his house.

How was Koneko going to handle it? Thoughts for later, maybe. He had a show to watch.

Kamen Rider Black looked a lot better than he remembered. Issei caught bits and pieces whenever they aired reruns on TV, but he never actually sat down to watch it in full. There were more important things to focus on than some old sentai show.

Well, the joke was on him because this was actually some solid stuff. Sure, some of the special effects were dated, but Kamen Rider Black's costume looked great, and the storyline and acting was really emotional. By the end of it, he was on the edge of his seat, eager to see more.

"That was awesome!" Issei said after the credits rolled.

Koneko smiled. "I knew you'd love it. What was your favourite part?"

He could have gushed about the transformation and the asskicking Kamen Rider Black dished out, but there was one part that spoke to him.

"When Kotaro came back to warn his dad about those bug monsters. Didn't matter that they argued, he's still his dad, he had to save him." He felt himself smiling. That guy was cool. "It was really something. What about you?"

"The part where Kotaro's father tries to save his sons from the masked trio. He was terrified of Gogrom, but he loved Kotaro and Nobuhiko even more. He made terrible mistakes, but he owned up to them."

She'd been oddly quiet while the episode was on, only coming alive after Kamen Rider Black transformed, but now she was overcome with actual emotions... it was as if her golden eyes were about to burst.

"Hey, you okay?"

She clicked her tongue. "I'll live."

"Are you sure?"

There was no trace of any emotion in her gaze. "Yes, I am. What do you care?"

"I – never mind."

Shit, why did he have to screw up? Issei tried not to take it personally, but try as he might, he couldn't help himself. Her words hit him where it hurt. Man, this sucked. Why did Koneko have to be so damn mean?

"Want to watch another episode?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. Anything to distract him from these feelings.

Thankfully, Koneko pressed play on the remote. He wasn't feeling it as much at first, but he managed to get into the episode before the end, almost forgetting that their spat even happened.

"Did you enjoy it?" Koneko asked.

"Yep."

That was all he said, because he couldn't forget. Koneko didn't press him, leaving them awkward in his living room, trapped in the throes of silence. Suddenly, she stood up, straightening her shirt out. Planning to leave?

"Your mother's coming," Koneko said.

Issei flinched, but before he could try and hide Koneko or himself, his mom entered the living room. She had long brown hair that was a bit darker than his and hazel eyes that widened in surprise once they spotted Koneko.

He instantly rushed to Koneko's side. Why, he didn't know. It wasn't like she needed anyone to protect her.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?"

"Nothing in particular," his mom said, trying and failing to keep the shock out of her voice. "Who is this supposed to be?"

Koneko bowed. "Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Koneko. Issei invited me to your wonderful home so we could watch Kamen Rider together, and he's been very kind and gracious to me."

A warm smile graced his mom's face, lightening the frown lines near her eyes. "Well, aren't you just precious? It's nice to meet you, Koneko. Forgive me for asking, but are you two friends from school?"

"No, ma'am, we –"

"You don't have to be so formal, sweetheart. Please, call me Miki, I insist."

Koneko stood up. "I will. To answer your question, I met your son at an event recently, and we bonded over tokusatsu."

His mom melted, and he couldn't blame her one bit. Everything about Koneko from her voice, posture, demeanour and cadence had transformed from tough and hard-nosed into the picture of soft and polite. Not only that, almost everything she said was actually true, and he believed the rest. She was good. He was... spellbound.

"Do you want to stay for lunch? I'd love to treat you."

Koneko glanced at him, before she nodded. "Yes. I'd like that, Miki."

Lunch was the typical fare, but in the Hyoudou household, typical was amazing. His mom cooked delicious food every single time, and today was no exception. The second Koneko took a bite of steaming rice, she groaned from delight, doing her best to devour her meal without losing her manners. She handled those chopsticks like a pro.

Besides the rice, there was a variety of vegetables as well as sushi with soy sauce and wasabi, and some miso soup, along with the rest of the lemonade. It wasn't all smiles, though.

"Getting to meet you has been such a pleasant surprise, Koneko," his mom said. "I'd almost lost hope that Issei would ever bring a girl home, even if you are just friends."

Koneko raised an eyebrow. "Is that true?"

"Unfortunately, it is."

Issei nearly choked on his sushi. "Mom!"

His mom barrelled on like he hadn't said a word. "Our Issei's been so focused on his 'hobbies' that he's forgotten to find a real girl to do them with."

"He's in love with Kaben Rider Pinky," Koneko said, so dry that it parched his throat.

There was the Koneko he knew and – wait, he wasn't actually sure what he thought about her, and he barely knew her. This was definitely on brand, though. His mom, on the other hand, gasped.

"You've seen that monstrosity?"

Koneko nodded.

"And you haven't run for the hills?"

Koneko nodded again.

The biggest smile bloomed across his mom's eager face. "Angels are real! My goodness!"

Issei downed the glass of lemonade before he lost it. Koneko, an angel. More like the complete opposite.

"Issei isn't that far gone, is he?" Koneko asked.

"The stories I could tell you..." His mom's grin faded into a more wistful smile as she gazed at him. "You'll have to come for lunch again if you want to hear more."

There was a sly half-smile on Koneko's mouth, one that could only belong to a bonafide devil. "I'll try to drop by."

Thankfully, fortunately, the rest of their lunchtime went by without anybody trying to embarrass Issei to death.

"Thank you for inviting me to lunch, Miki," Koneko said, bowing once more. She'd even dropped her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "It was very delicious. The combination of flavours was exquisite."

"You're very welcome, dear. Seeing you finish your plate was the greatest compliment you could give me."

Koneko smiled, a bashful one that dusted her cheeks with the lightest touch of pink. It was so sweet, so cute, but it just didn't hit the same.

His mom smiled, before sighing. "As much as I'd want to keep you here, my cleaning won't finish itself. I hope to see you again very soon, Koneko."

"Me too."

She nodded. "Issei, make sure to escort Koneko outside. You'd better be good to her!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said. Not that he minded being ordered around, but he wasn't looking forward to talking to Koneko without his mom as a buffer.

As soon as his mom turned on the dishwasher, Koneko made a beeline for the DVD player, taking out the Kamen Rider Black disc. Once the DVD was in its case, she looked his way, no warmth to be found in those cold, cold eyes.

"Come on, loverboy," she said. Back to normal, now that there was no one to fool. "I still want that manga."

He bit back his frown. Just had to get this over with. Issei led Koneko to his room, went to grab his manga from his desk, but instead of giving it to her, he dwelled over it, unsure about his next move. He had half a mind to cancel this contract of theirs. He really wasn't interested in getting mouthed off by a devil that could make his life a literal living hell if he pissed her off.

"What's going on?"

Issei scowled. Screw this. He whirled around, ready to give Koneko a piece of his mind, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Koneko's sad frown. Who was she trying to fool? No way would he be concerned about her.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice tinged with actual remorse. Were his ears playing tricks on him? "You were just trying to be nice, and I lashed out."

His heart dropped. "You really mean that?"

Koneko's brow furrowed. Her eyes weren't dead, they were gleaming. "I'm the one that screwed up, not you."

In the face of her sincere apology, his anger flew right out of him.

"It's okay. You just surprised me, you know?"

"I threw your compassion in your face," she said, giving word to his feelings, the wound she'd inflicted by accident. "It wasn't fair."

It was a relief to hear her admit that, but now he felt guilt consume him as he remembered all the thoughts his resentful mind conjured. They weren't remotely fair at all.

"It wasn't, but I forgive you. Really, thanks for apologizing."

The smile that adorned her made him smile in return. It left her soon after, but he wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon.

"Why'd you want to meet my mom?" he asked.

"So you won't have to hide anything," she replied. "By the way, your mother really loves you."

Before, he would've brushed it off, but Koneko sounded too serious to take her lightly. "Why do you say that?"

"It's in her food, how she speaks about you. You're lucky."

Issei felt his cheeks start to burn. "You're making me blush... but you aren't wrong, though." He grabbed his Dragon Ball manga and handed it to Koneko. "Here you go. I told you it was good."

Koneko shrugged. "It's fun. Goku's a bit of a perv, though, but he doesn't really know any better."

Ah, shit, that definitely didn't ring alarm bells that nearly bowled him over from fear.

"I liked Bulma, though, and the action's solid. The adventure to find all those Dragon Balls is really interesting, too. It's like Journey to the West."

He smiled. "It pretty much is, but it becomes its own thing later on. Trust me, this is just the beginning."

She took the manga from him. "We'll see how it goes. Thanks for calling me, Issei."

"Thanks for coming. Just so you know, I appreciate you taking the time to see me. You said it yourself, you're really popular."

Koneko's eyes narrowed. "I said I had a tight schedule. Sometimes, I'm even double-booked."

His smile only widened. "See? That means you're popular."

"Whatever."

In spite of her denial, she wasn't too mad. He'd take it as a win.

"Don't forget about me, all right?"

She smirked. "I won't. We're going to the same school, remember?"

"Course I remember." Issei snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask, should we see each other over at Kuoh?"

"We'll see how it goes. 'Till next time."

Koneko made her exit, leaving him alone in his room. Their meeting today didn't go anything like he'd planned, but he was glad that it ended well. Cutting Koneko out would've been a bad move, and it'd make him an even bigger jerk than Koneko had been if he didn't give her a chance. Devil or not, Koneko had feelings, feelings he respected.

He needed to be more careful, though. Just because Koneko was friendly and seemed genuine didn't mean that he could let down his guard like he did around his parents or his bros. That would lead to a world of hurt.

But that didn't mean he was going to cancel their contract, though. Not by a long shot.

Koneko appeared in the bedroom of her apartment. She put Issei's Dragon Ball volume on her nightstand and checked her schedule. There was enough time to relax before her next meeting, so she laid down on her bed for a quick nap.

She felt warm from the lovingly made meal, welcome in Issei's home. It was... unusual.

She had clients of all sorts, and most of them had been nice to her, but some of that came from degenerates and perverts. The biggest reason why she tolerated those types was because they knew her limits.

Also, she was compensated well.

Issei might've been a degenerate, too, but there was something different about him. At first, she assumed it was his sincerity, his generosity, but after meeting him again, she knew what made him stand out.

He had a Sacred Gear. She could smell it.

It was dormant, of course, but it wouldn't be for much longer. Issei was a kind boy with a wonderful mother, though that didn't make a difference to the monsters that lurked beneath the surface of human perception.

She knew that all too well.