"Thanks for come with me Asterios," Issei said as he offered another magical Devil flyer to a disinterest shopper "I still can't believe that I have to give out flyers."

"it's fine," Asterios currently in his human disguise, held out a flyer of his own "i don't really do anything in the club when everyone else is out doing contracts." The woman quickly grabbed it and speed-walked away.

"Really?" Issei gave another flyer, the young girl excitedly snatching it out of his hands "I thought you would be with Toujou-chan."

Asterios shook his head "i can't go through the portals, because i'm not part of president's peerage." He gave another flyer to a stunned looking man "so i just stay at the clubhouse."

"Don't you feel alone?" Issei asked, before scrambling to apologise when he had pulled away his hand while giving a flyer.

"i'm used to sitting alone," he nodded when one of the shoppers thanked him for the flyer "never really went outside, before i joined."

"Then how did you join the club?" Issei asked.

"koneko found me in a basement."

Issei blinked, shook his head and turned to fully face him with a confused "What?"

"she found me in a basement," Asterios repeated, as if it was a normal thing to say. He earned more than a few weird looks from the people that were walking by.

"I…" Issei paused as he tried to think of a word "See." He chuckled and smiled "At least you're not alone anymore?"

Issei kept his feet planted on the ground and the smile on his face as Asterios smiled back at him. The same could not be said for the nearby shoppers, all of whom simultaneously turned on their heels and walked towards a different direction.

He really needed to work on a friendlier looking smile.

Asterios seemed to realise and stopped smiling before he used his fingers on his cheek to make a friendlier 'smile', but the damage had been done. Everyone was giving the two a wide berth. It was already odd enough seeing such a tall figure with unruly hair and piercings, but the smile was enough to scare everyone away.

After a few more minutes of everyone avoiding them, Issei let out a sigh "Welp, I guess we're done here for the day." He packed the remaining flyers in a box, he gave a grunt as he picked up the box in his arms "Come on, we can probably slot these in some mail boxes."

Asterios followed, carrying his box of flyers in one hand, and followed Issei away from the marketplace and towards the more residential area.

"So what do you usually do when you don't have anything do to?" Issei asked, hoping to bring out some small talk.

Asterios was silent as he thought of an answer, slipping a flyer into a mail box "i guess i watch gasper play with his videogames."

"Who?" Issei asked.

Asterios looked at him for a moment, before his eyes widened before he looked away with a blush "that's right, you haven't seen gasper."

"No," Issei replied "Who the hell is Gasper?"

"president called him a bishop, and that he was a half-vampire," Asterios shoved another a flyer into another mailbox "he lives in the occult research club's basement."

"What is with the club and basements?" Issei questioned with a confused look on his face.

"he and koneko taught me to read and write to join kuoh," Asterios ignored his question to continue "though, i still don't understand some words."

"Sheesh you and Toujou-chan really do everything together huh?" Issei laughed "What do you take showers together and sleep in the same bed as well?"

"yes."

Issei tripped and fell on his face, spilling his flyers on the ground.

Asterios stopped and gingerly picked him up by the back of the shirt "are you okay?"

Struggling his grip, Issei managed to break free. He looked at Asterios' stoic and pointed an enraged finger towards him "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU TAKE SHOWERS AND SLEEP TOGETHER?!"

Asterios didn't get to answer, before he felt a punch tap against his stomach.

"Don't answer that you lucky jerk!" Issei threw his head back and let out a frustrated scream, his hand gripping the side of his head "Argh Matsuda was right, feeling pity for a lucky jerk you was a mistake."

Once more he pointed an angry finger at him "I WANT MY BIG BAZONGAS ISSUE 5 BACK!"

"oh sorry," Asterios shook his head "i can't give that back."

"Why not, it's not like you need it. I've still got some articles left there th-"

"koneko ripped it in half, and then threw it away." Asterios looked with an embarrassed blush "i'm sorry issei."

But his friend didn't hear his apology, his previous words seemed to have hit him with a physical force. Issei fell to his knees, and started sobbing.

He was only briefly aware of Asterios crouching down and patting him on the back.

"i can pay you back," Asterios consoled him "president gives me money, so i can get you another of those books."

"Forget that for a moment," Issei waved away the offered, instead he looked Asterios in the eye, tilting his head back because he was still absurdly tall while crouching, "Why, HOW did she get that book?!"

"i showed it to her," Asterios answered, and at Issei's distraught 'WHY?!', he continued "there were some words that i didn't understand yet, so i asked her what they meant." He looked more than a little guilty "she said i shouldn't read it, and ripped it in half."

Issei sobbed a couple more times, attracting a few weird glares from some of the people walking the same path that they were taking.

Asterios gave a wave to a small dog that was in the hands of a woman.

Before his eyes shot up towards Asterios "Wait," his thoughts rewound until a specific phrase entered his head "Words? You were actually reading the junk printed on the book?!"

"hmmhmm," Asterios nodded "that's why you gave it to me right?"

"The pictures," Issei truly was looking at a lost child "You were supposed to look and admire the pictures Asterios."

"there was nothing there to admire though."

Once more it seemed as though those words had physically struck him. But with that physical attack, Issei had a revelation. He looked Asterios in his stoic face and asked "You didn't care for the models?"

Asterios shook his head. In his head, the Minotaur was confused why Issei was so insistent on him taking fashion advice from the pictures.

It took him a moment, before Issei's hand clenched into a fist "Then it was my mistake, for putting my likes into yours." He slowly stood up, a part of him noticed how Asterios was still almost as tall as he was while he was crouching, and looked him in the eye "I should've given you something more fitting of your taste."

He held out a fist "Mark my words Asterios!"

[Scene]

"koneko, issei gave me another porn book. i still can't understand some of the words."

Issei spat out the soda in his mouth when Asterios held out the book to the Rook that had ripped the last one. Issei was about to protest, they had just bought it!

Koneko head snapped towards the two of them, her face in a disinterested glare as her eyes bore into the book in the Minotaur's hand.

She stared at it for a good long while that Issei expected it to catch fire. Eventually her face turned red as her glare turned flustered.

"Fine," she got up from the chair "We can read it together when we get back."

HUH?!

Issei looked between the two, his mind racing at the implication. Asterios merely nodded and pocketed the book.

"Issei-senpai," Koneko stopped in front of him, her yellow eyes staring at him.

The split second of them narrowing was the only warning Issei got, before he was jabbed in the gut.

He fell forward on his face and moaned "Why?"

She looked at him angrily "Stop giving Asterios porn."