Disclaimer - I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Part 2 of MissGela's idea comes in here~ Also I've mentioned Urushihara and Shizuka's orientations already, time to bring in Momoko's

Chapter 4

Although neither of them could bare to come out and say it, both Emi and Chiho were desperate to know more about Urushihara's friends. They didn't say much to one another on the train or even as they explored the Shinjuku area, besides to discuss possible locations to look for them, or good hiding spots to watch from. The girls were too wrapped up in their own minds.

It was Chiho who managed to point out the unmistakably familiar purple shape ahead of them first. He was clearly trying to keep at least a few feet away from anyone else in the busy street, apart from two people who he stuck close to. Who he was talking to as they walked.

... Them...?

They didn't... look all that weird...

"Let's get closer." Emi muttered and led the way towards their targets.

They slipped into a clothes store when Urushihara and his friends stopped to look in a window nearby, careful not to lose sight of them. From there, they could observe the three without attracting attention.

The two other people - one boy, one girl - looked to be around the same age as Urushihara. That is, the age he claimed to be here on Earth. The boy wore glasses and a shoulder bag was hanging by his waist. He gave off a sort of laid-back vibe, standing a few inches taller than Urushihara with his hands in his pockets. As for the girl, she was a little more out-there, but not exactly the kind of 'weird' that Emi and Chiho had in mind. She was an explosion of colour - a bright pink beanie, an orange wristband, a long, loose blue top and a rainbow of bangles on one arm. They both smiled at something Urushihara had said and their conversation seemed to get a little more exciting.

Huh. This wasn't what Emi had expected.

Behind her, Chiho was watching with wide-eyed fascination.

"Wow..." she breathed, "They're actually... pretty normal. Cool, even!"

Before Emi could respond, Chiho had pulled out her phone and was hitting buttons rapidly.

"Mr Maou? You said you actually saw Mr Urushihara's friends that one time, right?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell us how cool and actually good-looking they were?!"

"W-what...? Chi, what are you talking about?"

"His friends! I just saw him with them, and they're, like, completely normal people! And they're even sorta attractive! And you didn't say anything!"

Back in the apartment, Maou groaned inwardly. How many times was he going to have to say this to somebody?

"Chi, I just caught a glimpse of them outside our restaurant, I didn't see them up close..."

Listening to Chiho's ongoing ranting, Emi's face practically dropped. This was no time to be reporting back to Maou, they were supposed to be gathering info.

Soon, Urushihara and his friends moved on and the girls trailed after them. When they realised their targets were headed for the train station, most likely going home now, they decided to call it a day. They could wait a moment until the three friends had gone then catch a train themselves. At least now they knew what kind of people Urushihara's friends were. And that they didn't seem to be doing anything particularly wrong. They did notice that Urushihara kept his head low around other people, but that was to be expected.

There was, however, one thing that Emi just could not get off her mind.

These were two innocent, oblivious human beings. And they had unwittingly befriended a Demon General.

And she had sworn to protect all humans from the demons.

"I still got some time before my train back home," Shizuka said, glancing at his phone then stuffing it back into his pocket, "We could go grab some lunch before I leave."

He was sat next to Urushihara on the train about to arrive at Hatagaya Station with Momoko on Urushihara's other side. When the train finally came to a stop, they hopped off.

"Not MgRonald's, right?" Momoko asked, looking at Urushihara.

"Nah. I mean, Maou's not working today, but still, I don't wanna go to his place..."

"Sentucky's, then?" Shizuka suggested, already moving towards the door.

"Uh..."

That's where Sariel works... but...

Shizuka beckoned him over from right outside SFC and Momoko was going to join him, walking backwards and pretending to pull Urushihara along with her.

... Fried chicken... It's just too tempting...

He gave in all too quickly and followed them inside. Inside, SFC was crowded - the last surge of the lunch rush, clearly. Urushihara caught sight of Sarue serving customers at the counter almost immediately, but the multiple lines of people easily blocked him from view.

"Hey, one of you come and help me out this time, would ya?" Momoko quipped with a light-hearted frown, "You can't just leave me to be the 'sociable one' every damn time we go out to eat."

"You guys order, I'll find us some seats..."

Urushihara was already moving towards the seating area.

"Hey, you didn't even-" Shizuka started to go after him but Momoko clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"Too late, he called it first. C'mon, don't worry about what to get him, he'd take it all if he could."

Shizuka hesitated for a second, watching Urushihara disappear amongst the crowd.

"... Don't you think that was a little weird for him? He usually hangs around to make a choice, at least."

Momoko waved a hand, "It's just Hanzo being Hanzo, he's shy and the place is packed. And like I said, he likes everything here, we can just get him whatever."

"I guess..."

He joined Momoko at the back of the line but he couldn't help but wonder. Was there something going on?

He shook his head. Momo was right, this wasn't all that strange. Not for him.

A few minutes later, they found Urushihara sitting at a table in a corner, looking down at his PASTA in his lap. Playing his game was always a good way for him to deflect unwanted attention. Momoko placed the tray on the table with a soft sigh and sat down opposite him, Shizuka taking the seat beside her.

"What happened?" Urushihara sounded only half interested. He continued with his game a few seconds more then pocketed the console and leaned forward on the table. Shizuka was the one to answer, giving Momoko a sympathetic, yet slightly amused, smile as he did.

"Some straight guy couldn't take a hint."

Urushihara rolled his eyes and took a bite from his chicken. This had happened a couple of times before. A random guy would try to flirt with her, right when she had just spotted a cute girl.

"Yeah, and it was the guy who was serving us! This blue-haired weirdo with sunglasses on. I mean, who does that? Anyway, this girl was working..."

Urushihara had already stopped listening. Right after "blue-haired", that's all he needed to know.

"Watch out for that guy," he gave Momoko a firm look, then turned to Shizuka, "Both of you."

"Why?" Momoko was a little confused, "Yeah, he was kind of a creep but he didn't seem like the type to do any real harm, y'know?"

"You know him from somewhere?" Shizuka stared at him. Did this have anything to do with the way he was acting a moment ago?

"You could say that. Trust me, he's bad news."

"But wh-"

"You don't need to know the details," he was glaring at them now, "Just be careful around him." He went back to eating. He wouldn't say anything else about it.

Momoko brushed it off with a short "sure", but Shizuka couldn't overlook it. There was something their friend wasn't telling them.