Taken in for Strange Manga Reading Time
"(I honestly have no idea what is happening here?)" Iruma thought freaked out of this tall yet pretty but very scary girl looking at him like that.
All Iruma knew is that he was going to put away the cleaning stuff he was using to clean up the big mess he caused until he accidentally bumps into this girl, and now she is holding his face and looking angry at him. Though he had to admit, she does look pretty in a scary sort of way and the red hair looks cool too.
As for Ameri, she gathers her thoughts back together and took in a breath.
"(Calm down, just calm down, Ameri. I must do what's necessary, if anyone learns there's a human in the Netherworld there'll be chaos.)" Ameri thought concerned of the human here.
"(I could tell my dad, the head of the Demon Security Police, and have him sent to the proper facility, but there is one problem… his mother being Barbatos Bachiko. And now that I think about it, the Demonchair Sullivan also claimed to be his grandfather too.)" Ameri thought of Bachiko and Sullivan.
"(From what I heard days ago, Bachiko actually threatened to kill Kalego for what happened with Iruma being lost during the flight rank exam.)" Ameri thought recalled.
"(But could that mean she really has taken a liking to this human as her own child? I'll have to be extremely careful with this, so I don't get an arrow right through my head.)" Ameri thought gulped a bit.
"(She must be really mad that I bumped into her.)" Iruma thought wanted to see if he can calm her down in a way.
"Hey, huh, I'm sorry for—" Iruma was about to grab her hands for a little peace talk, but Ameri reacted of seeing this and quickly stop his hands.
"(He almost got the jump on me, good thing I can read his body language.)" Ameri thought relieved and remembered something from the "Forbidden Texts".
Handsome boy: *Chuckling* Oops, my bad.
Rin: Oh geez, dang it, Kakeru!
Kakeru: Sorry.
Then panel shows Rin suddenly tripping and fell onto Kakeru who caught her in time, but then suddenly felt their hearts beating fast and looking at each other like something is happening to their hearts.
"(It's just like that scene in the Forbidden Texts!)" Ameri thought believed with her cheeks blushing a bit.
By the by, Ameri can't read human language. She just has intense reactions to the pictures.
"(He's dangerous, I won't miss a single move he makes.)" Ameri thought stared at Iruma intensely.
"(No doubt about it, she's mad!)" Iruma thought scared. Clueless of what this girl is really thinking and why the scary look.
"I didn't mean to bump into you, honest! I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry!" Iruma bowed in apology but seem that Ameri is doing the bowing too though even she is surprised that her body moved like that.
Now Iruma and Ameri are feeling weirded out and awkward from this sudden position and are thinking the same question in their heads.
"(Now what?)"
"(I instinctively copy his movements, but what do I do from here? Is he holding my hands to make me fall in love with him?)" Ameri thought struggled with this and completely misreading the situation such as Iruma isn't even holding her hands.
"(I don't understand, why is she bowing?)" Iruma thought confused.
But in this position, the manga book Ameri was carrying in her clothes have fallen off and onto the floor which Ameri notice hearing Iruma might see it, she tries to grab it, but Iruma already saw the book and grab it before she could.
"Oh, that's nothing." Ameri said hoping the boy would just give her back the book.
But upon seeing this book and the pages for only a few seconds and smiles.
"No way, this takes me back! Yeah, it's First Love Memories!" Iruma surprised and shocks Ameri.
"I remember this series, it's one of my favorites. As a matter of fact, I was an assistant on the manga way back when. How nostalgic." Iruma remembered working with the manga workers.
"Anyway, these two meets in volume one and this happens." Iruma talked on about the manga without even realizing what he is saying that is confusing Ameri as well.
"First Love Memories?" Ameri said the title, having a guess that it must be what the book is called.
"(I have no idea what he is talking about, but he knows these texts.)" Ameri thought knew this only proves more that Iruma is a human.
"So, you really are" Ameri was gonna call Iruma out, but he wasn't listening and continue talking about the manga book.
"The scene where they confess their feelings under the cherry blossom trees is spectacular! It brings Rin and Kakeru just that much closer together!" Iruma smiled.
"Are you saying you can actually read that book?" Ameri asked surprise.
"Of course, I can." Iruma answered.
"But I'm really surprise that I would never expect to find this here, we're in the Netherworld, after all." Iruma said.
Then the realization finally kicks in.
"(What am I doing?!)" Iruma thought gasped.
"Huh, what I mean is…" But Iruma didn't try to make up any excuse when he saw the girl's face being bright with curiosity and sparkling as well.
"(Is it just me or did just get cute again?)" Iruma thought wondered.
"So, you're seriously saying you can read it?" Ameri asked excitingly.
"Huh, sure I can." Iruma answered, a little weirded out.
"Then tell me, what does this say?" Ameri asked holding up the manga and pointing at one panel.
"I-I'm the transfer student, Kakeru Aozora." Iruma read the part.
"How about this?" Ameri flipped to a new page.
"Badump, badump."
"And this?" Ameri flipped to another page.
"Squee, squee."
"Right, you're coming with me!" Ameri glared and grabbed Iruma by the back of his shirt dragging him along through the hallway.
"(Oh no, I'm dead! She must've figured out I'm a human! What's she gonna do? Is she gonna eat me?!)" Iruma thought worried and scared to death.
Iruma was dragged into what seems to be a private room just for this girl though couldn't figure out why as the fear of being eaten is overflowing his mind, but now he finds himself standing at a small table with the manga book open along with another small table with plate of sweets and two teacups and Ameri sitting on her personal chair across from Iruma.
This leave the blue hair boy confuse of what is happening right now.
"Huh, is this…" Iruma tried to ask if this demon girl is really going to eat him or not.
"Now begin please." Ameri said which confuses Iruma more.
"I… I want you to read it out loud!" Ameri said more clearly and a little loud too.
"Really, out loud? You want me to read it to you?" Iruma asked to make sure he is understanding what this girl wants from him.
"Y-Yes, that's right!" Ameri answered honest thought embarrassed.
"(Oh yeah, I guess demons can't read human language.)" Iruma thought realized surprise.
"(But if I read this to her, she'll definitely figure out I'm human.)" Iruma thought worried.
"(It… It just for validation. I have to confirm he's human. It's not like I'm actually interested in the context or anything of the book.)" Ameri thought proclaimed though her blushing cheeks are telling a different story.
"Hey! Hurry up, get to reading!" Ameri ordered.
"Okay!" Iruma responded of the pushover again.
Again, Iruma is powerless to decline any requests.
"Let see… "Oh no, I'm going to be late! My name is Rin Hoshino, I'm 16 years old and I'm currently running late for school!"" Iruma reads the manga with a high tone trying to sound like a girl.
"I see, so that's what that panel said." Ameri nodded, now knowing that page is introducing one of the main characters. "Continue."
"Right." Iruma nodded and got back to reading the manga out loud to her.
(With Bachiko)
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous!" Bachiko shouted in rage.
"It's over a full over since school ended and Iruma hasn't come out yet! Just what in the actual Hell is going on that is keeping him in so long!" Bachiko gritted her teeth.
"Hold on, he couldn't have been caught by the Student Council President, could he?" Bachiko worried.
"No, no, I'm sure Iruma is fine and wouldn't do anything that could expose him… Unless he got ask to." Bachiko clutched her shaking fists.
Bachiko went silent for ten seconds with her eyes shadowed by her hair until her eyes are now shown to be full of worries as a mother and the anger of one as well.
"Nothing better not has happened to my boy." Bachiko said before disappearing from the spot in front of the school gate.
Bachiko runs around the school with her superspeed trying to find where Iruma could be, remembering that Iruma send her a text message about finish cleaning, then she stops at the corner where the cleaning supplies were dropped.
"Iruma was definitely here, but he would never drop them unless something forced him to." Bachiko figured out like a detective or something.
That's when Bachiko formed her bow and creates a blue arrow made of her demonic magic aiming at one direction in the hallway.
"Find Iruma." Bachiko said before firing the blue arrow and she quickly follows it.
The blue arrow flies through the hallway and turning into a different hallway as the archer demon woman follows hoping that her spell work, and it only took the arrow under a minute as it led her to one door that is a certain room for one special demon.
"So, he's in there, huh?" Bachiko wondered as her blue arrow disperse.
"Well then, I sure hope the President doesn't mind a sudden visit from the Undead Archer." Bachiko readied herself.
Without any hesitation or any warning, she kicked the door down so hard that it went flying past Iruma and Ameri as it also crashes through the window.
"What in the world?" Ameri shocked and confused of what just happened.
But that was all Ameri has time to say when suddenly there is an arrow of light very close to the tip of her nose and the one holding that arrow is none other than Bachiko Barbatos, and she is not in a good mood from the looks of it that is making Ameri's spine shake in fear along with her body.
"Bachiko Barbatos…" Ameri gulped.
"I hope you had a good day like hoping to taste my boy's flesh." Bachiko said frightening.
"No, mom! Stop, it's okay, I'm still alive!" Iruma pulled his adopted mom away from Ameri.
"Back off, Iruma! I have to make sure the Student Council President doesn't try anything to you." Bachiko growled.
"But nothing seriously bad happen, we were just reading together!" Iruma informed.
"I don't—Wait, you were reading?" Bachiko asked.
"Show me, now." Bachiko ordered using her mother authority on her son.
"Yes, ma'am!" Iruma handed the First Love Memories manga.
"No, don't let her see it!" Ameri begged as she doesn't want anyone else to know about the Forbidden Texts, but it was already too late as Bachiko is looking at the book.
"What kind of book is this? I can't make out whatever these are supposed to be, are these words from the human world?" Bachiko asked confusing.
"Yeah, they're call Japanese and it's the language I was born in of the homeland called Japan, it's actually one of the languages the human world has." Iruma explained.
"Is that right?" Bachiko raised an eyebrow.
"Huh, excuse me?" Ameri tried to get their attention back on her and got a glare from Bachiko.
"Well, it looks like you're still in one piece. I'm surprised the Student Council president hasn't done anything to you." Bachiko said.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad. Sure, she was scary when we bumped into each other." Iruma chuckled and rubbing the back of his head.
Then suddenly his eyes widen of pure shock from what his mom just about the red hair girl is the Student Council as he looks at Ameri who the fuzzy earlike hair twitches a bit.
"Wait! Are you saying she's the Student Council President! You're the Student Council President!" Iruma gasped shock.
"You seriously didn't know?" Ameri and Bachiko asked surprise.
"Come to think of it, I don't think you know well enough to know about the Student Council since you're still new to being in the Netherworld." Bachiko sighed realizing.
"It's also surprised that you haven't introduce yourself to him considered you're the uptight, stick by the book kind of demon." Bachiko looked at Ameri.
"Well, huh, I was just… trying to confirm that he is a human by reading me the Forbidden Texts." Ameri pressed her fingers feeling embarrassed.
"(Huh-uh, I think you just really want to read these human books to find out what they say and goes on with the pictures.)" Bachiko thought see through her like glass with a deadpan expression.
"Anyway, my name is Ameri Azazel, second year of Babyls and Student Council President. I am in charge of keeping this school safe and discipline for any demons' education, and I would gladly punish those who would disturb that peace with my own hands." Ameri introduced herself strong and intimidating.
"(Wow, that's so cool even though she's scary!)" Iruma thought commented.
"Now, would you mind explaining to us why exactly you have books from the human world?" Bachiko asked waving the manga book.
"Please be careful with this! These are the Forbidden Texts that was passed on to me by my father and trusted me to keep these safe from any demons finding out." Ameri explained as she snatches the book from Bachiko's hand.
"Your dad, how did Henri get his hands on them?" Bachiko confused.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you that. It's a secret in the family." Ameri refused to answer in pride for her family.
"Fine, but if you want us to keep our mouth shuts about these books then you got to promise to keep Iruma's secret of being human shut too because I will NOT let him be taken back to that awful life in the human world!" Bachiko demanded.
"Awful life, what do you mean by that?" Ameri asked curious.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. It just I lived my whole life being used by others and forced into working labor by my parents since I was a little kid or maybe a baby." Iruma explained a little causally.
"WHAT?! But that just sounds like you've been made a slave against your will by your own parents!" Ameri gasped.
"Yeah, that's kind of the same reaction I had when Lord Sullivan told me after Iruma was sold by his parents too." Bachiko mentioned.
"What? Sold like you didn't even matter to them anymore, these people sound worse than demons." Ameri said feeling a little anger from within.
Bachiko can see Ameri is starting to understand a little of Iruma's circumstances back he used to live in the human world and seeing that she like these human books so much is something she could use to make a deal with her too.
"Look, I don't know why Lord Sullivan decided to adopt a human as his grandchild nor why he picked me of all people to be his mom, it was something about the other Big Three and their grandchildren, but now I think Iruma's life would be better here in the Netherworld." Bachiko said.
"So, I'm only going to ask you this once." Bachiko dropped on her knees and bow her head on the floor shocking Ameri and Iruma.
"Please, let my son continue living in this world and coming to this school!" Bachiko begged.
"(No way, the Undead Archer is actually bowing to me! But to do that truly means… this boy is very important to her and speaks the truth!)" Ameri thought shocked realizing this.
Ameri can feel the strength within the words from Bachiko and doing something not every demon could do if they didn't mean it, she smiles seeing that it must have been fate for Iruma to come here to make a big difference in the Netherworld.
"Do not worry, I actually planned on keeping this a secret anyway because I… I wanted to continue reading with Iruma." Ameri confessed.
"Really, then I would love to read First Love Memories with you!" Iruma smiled that causes her heart to beat like crazy.
"A-Anywa, give me your phone. I wish to add my contact, come to me when I summon you for reading time." Ameri said.
After exchanging contact info, Iruma and Bachiko walk out of the school together as the former is seeing his miss calls being all Grandpa Sullivan probably worried about him.
"Thanks for doing that, asking Ameri to keep my secret and all." Iruma thanked.
"I'm your mom, it's something I had to do for you because, well… I care for you." Bachiko said softly with her cheeks blushing.
"Plus, that girl was lucky to agree otherwise I would have tortured her almost to death until she agreed." Bachiko said.
"So glad it didn't come to that!" Iruma exclaimed.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Looks like Bachiko managed to work things out with Ameri agreeing to keep Iruma's human identity a secret, and Ameri could count herself lucky to come out in one piece, and the short pink demon showed more determination as a mother in that one with her caring for Iruma grows.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!
