Inside, Yu dropped the bags onto the floor with a sigh of triumph. His legs wobbled from exhaustion, but his smile didn't fade.
He crouched, pulling out the clothes piece by piece—cardigans, skirts, a blouse with little lace trim. His fingers lingered on the fabric.
"The girls said these make me look… cute."
His voice softened, almost reverent.
"Is this… what it feels like to be seen?"
From his core, DK01's voice broke in with a dry cough.
[Correction: what you feel is the primitive serotonin rush of peer validation. Extremely fragile. Will collapse under mild social pressure.]
Yu puffed out his cheeks.
"You always ruin the moment!"
He hugged a cardigan against his chest, rolling onto his back dramatically among the bags.
"But still… I think I love fashion now."
[Oh wonderful. My incubus host has been successfully converted into a gyaru apprentice,]
DK01 snarked.
[At this rate, your stats will read: Charm +5, Style +10, Combat Power: 0.]
Yu kicked his feet in the air.
"Then I'll just charm my way to saving my Demon King! After all, aren't I supposed to be charming my way into target's hearts, this just makes the job easier!"
But as the laughter faded, his eyes softened. The shopping bags around him suddenly looked too many for one person. Too many for someone who, only days ago, had eaten dinner alone with silence as his companion.
"…It's… really nice. Not being alone."
He whispered it so faintly, DK01 didn't comment.
Yu lay there for a while, cardigan clutched to his chest, smiling but with the tiniest shine of unshed tears at the corners of his eyes.
After a moment, Yu got up and began to put some of the clothes away. Once finished, he sat cross-legged on the floor, cardigan draped loosely around his shoulders, his phone balanced in front of him. The screen glowed with a YouTube tutorial:
"Okay, babes, today we're learning the perfect twin-tail volume trick—remember, teasing is key!"
Yu mirrored the vlogger's exaggerated hand motions with total concentration, tugging at his already lopsided twin tails.
"Nngh… it looks so easy when she does it… why does mine just… flop like dying worms?"
He groaned, flopping backward.
From the nightstand, DK01 chimed smugly.
[Correction: worms would maintain more consistent bounce. Aka, Do better. Get good.]
"Rude!"
Yu sat up and jabbed a comb at the floating screen.
"I'll master this! Just watch!"
That's when a sharp knock knock rattled the apartment door.
Yu froze mid-flop.
"…Eh?"
The knocking came again, harder this time.
DK01 hummed.
[Probability suggests it's either building security, or your jealous pseudo-gangster neighbor.]
Yu scrambled, shoving shopping bags under the bed and tossing his comb behind him.
"Shh, shh! Don't call him that!"
He tiptoed to the door, tugging his cardigan tight.
When he cracked it open—there was Taichi.
Leaning against the frame, arms crossed, expression unreadable. A new beer can dangled from his hand, dented like the one he'd crushed earlier.
"…You were being loud."
Taichi said finally, voice low.
Yu blinked rapidly.
"L-loud? Me? I-I was just… studying! Yes! Human—uh—school things!"
His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.
"What are you doing here, Taichi-san?"
Taichi's eyes slid past Yu, into the apartment. The faint glow of a paused makeup tutorial lit the room. A hairbrush dangled off the bed. The edge of a pastel skirt peeked from a shopping bag not fully hidden.
His jaw clenched again.
"…I came to return—"
He paused, frowning as though realizing he hadn't prepared a real excuse.
"…a thing."
Yu tilted his head.
"A thing?"
"Shut up!"
Taichi muttered. He shoved past the doorframe just enough to pluck up the abandoned comb from the floor.
"…This."
Yu blinked, watching as Taichi turned the comb over like it was evidence of a crime. His cheeks flushed hot.
"T-that wasn't even—!"
[Host,]
DK01 interrupted smugly in Yu's mind.
[congratulations: your knight in shining armor has downgraded to "nosy landlord."]
Yu squeaked into his cardigan.
"S-shut up!"
Taichi gave him a long stare, something stormy flickering in those green eyes. But then he just muttered.
"Don't stay up too late. You've got school."
He pushed the comb into Yu's hands and walked out without another word, shutting the door a little too hard behind him.
Yu collapsed face-first onto his bed.
"Waaahhh! DK, why did he have to see all this?!"
[Because you're about as subtle as a firework in a library.]
DK01 quipped.
[On the plus side, he definitely noticed you. And noticing is the first step toward obsession.]
Yu muffled his scream into a pillow.
---
Meanwhile, Taichi shut his apartment door harder than necessary, the sound reverberating through the thin walls. He leaned against it, shoulders tense, the dented beer can still sweating in his palm.
The image wouldn't leave his head: Yu's home, glowing phone screen with some bubbly girl on YouTube, brushes and clips scattered everywhere, pastel skirts peeking out of bags. And Yu himself—flustered, cardigan slipping off one pale shoulder, twin tails crooked, eyes wide like he'd been caught.
Taichi scrubbed a hand through his hair.
"Stupid,"
He muttered.
"He's… stupid."
But his chest was too tight, and he had to throw the beer into the trash just to keep from crushing it to pieces. Lying back on his bed, he covered his face with his forearm.
Why did it bother him? Why did his heart hammer like that? And why did the sight of Yu—red-faced, fumbling, surrounded by makeup—feel like some kind of dream bleeding into reality?
He groaned, low and harsh, rolling onto his side.
"Tch. Get it together."
But the heat in his face didn't go away.
---
Once morning settled and the bell hadn't rung yet, students milled in little groups under the bright spring sky by the school gates. By then, Taichi leaned against the outer wall with Yamato and Souma, listening half-heartedly to their chatter.
Then he saw Yu.
Bounding toward the gate, still fussing with his uniform ribbon, hair half-slipping from last night's attempt at twin tails. And that smile—radiant, a little goofy, as he waved at Fumiko and Sakura waiting for him.
Taichi's gut twisted. His fingers tightened on the strap of his bag.
"Oi, Taichi,"
Yamato's voice cut through, sharp with amusement.
"You starin' at the new chick again? Bet she'd look your way sooner or later, am I right!"
Souma snorted.
"Man, Taichi's face—he's totally smitten. You really are into the cutesy type."
Taichi whipped around, scowling.
"Shut it."
But it was too late. His friends were already laughing, elbowing each other, while Taichi's ears burned. He shoved his hands in his pockets, jaw locked, refusing to look back at Yu—yet still catching every trace of his laughter with the gyarus in his peripheral vision.
And when Yu glanced up for a second, eyes catching his—Taichi looked away so fast it was obvious.
---
Yu slipped into class flanked by Fumiko and Sakura, the three of them laughing over something about a YouTube makeup challenge. He was practically glowing—uniform crisp, hair neatened into proper twin tails thanks to the gyarus' handiwork, cheeks dusted with a subtle pink they'd insisted on applying during the walk over.
The moment they entered, heads turned.
"Is she… the new transfer?"
"Yeah! Didn't she say her name's just 'Yu' yesterday?"
"She sure is pretty. Look at that smile—new girl energy for sure."
Yu waved sheepishly at the whispers, tugging at the hem of his skirt. But when Sakura shoved him toward his desk with a playful—
"Sit, sit, we'll keep you company!"
—he giggled, the sound so genuine it filled the corners of the room.
Taichi, from his slouched position in the back, felt every note of it like a pinprick.
Yamato nudged him.
"Oi, bro. If you keep starin', she'll melt."
Souma grinned, leaning forward across his desk.
"Seriously, Taichi? Didn't know you were into the shy, sparkly cutesy types. Thought you liked 'em feisty."
Taichi's fist tightened on his pen.
"I'm not looking."
But his eyes betrayed him, flicking back again and again. Yu laughing, Yu scribbling in his notebook while Sakura leaned close to show him her phone, Yu pouting when Fumiko teased him about smudging his lip gloss already.
It was unbearable.
---
Classes soon started and everyone quieted down and sat in their seats to begin.
The drone of the math teacher filled the room, chalk tapping rhythmically against the board. Most students had their heads bent over their notebooks.
Taichi, however, hadn't written a single number. His gaze was locked on the corner of his desk, the blurred edge of his textbook swimming in his vision.
Last night kept replaying. The glow of Yu's phone. The way his fingers clumsily tried to copy the girl in the tutorial. The pile of skirts and clips spilling from those shopping bags.
'He looked… happy.'
Taichi exhaled sharply through his nose, dragging a hand down his face.
'Why did it matter? I bullied Yukio just the other day, just like always. That was the way things worked. Yukio was the punching bag, the one who—'
But now, in the back of his mind, Yu's flushed face peeked out from behind the screen again, mouthing the words of some girlish tutorial, so determined to "get it right."
Taichi bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to sting.
He was losing it.
---
As Taichi was spiraling seats away, Yu scribbled furiously in his notebook, though half the characters he wrote looked like little demons and swords rather than the kanji on the board. He had DK01 whispering answers in his ear, but DK's smug voice was drowned out by something else—an itch on the side of his face.
The sensation of being watched.
He dared a quick glance sideways, heart thumping. Sure enough, Taichi Arifukua was staring at him from rows away. Not glaring. Not smirking. Just… staring.
Yu's whole body stiffened.
'DK… DK!'
[Yes, Host?]
'He's glaring holes in me. I knew it. He's furious about the other night's wet dream! He knows I invaded his head! Oh, Demon King save me, I'm doomed!'
DK01 snorted in his mind.
[If that's what you think a furious glare looks like, Host, then you are more naïve than I calculated.]
'W-What do you mean??'
[He looks less like he wants to murder you and more like he's… trying not to drool.]
Yu nearly choked on his own spit. He covered it with a cough, face burning red.
'Drool? Taichi? For me?'
The thought rattled through him, equal parts horrifying and… strangely encouraging.
He pressed his palms to his cheeks.
'If my bully is secretly obsessed with me—no, that made things way too complicated. But also—yes, perfect! The Love-o-meter would soar!'
He dared another glance, only to find Taichi had turned away sharply, hunched in his chair like he'd been caught.
Yu whipped back around, hugging his notebook tight against his chest, muttering under his breath.
"... Does he really want me?"
The girls on either side of him leaned over immediately.
"What was that, Yu-chan?"
Sakura teased.
"You're blushing sooo hard—did you get a crush already?"
Fumiko added.
Yu squeaked, shaking his head frantically.
"N-No! N-Nothing like that!"
But inside, his mind was racing a mile a minute.
'N-No, no, no! He's my—he's… he's complicated!'
DK01 chimed dryly in his head.
[Translation: my Host is too flustered to admit he's enjoying the attention.]
Yu kicked his foot under the table, earning another squeal from the gyarus.
---
Meanwhile, across the cafeteria, Taichi sat slumped between Yamato and Souma, tray untouched. His eyes kept darting—again—to the table in the corner where Yu sat laughing with the two gyarus.
Every laugh twisted in his stomach. Every smile, every playful tug at Yu's twin tails made his chest tighten until he thought he'd suffocate.
"Dude."
Yamato shoved his shoulder, nearly making him spill his juice.
"You've been zoning out all day again. What's up? You look constipated."
Souma followed his gaze and burst into laughter.
"Ahhh, I see it. You've completely fallen in love with the new chick, huh? No wonder you're acting weird."
Taichi jerked his head away.
"She's not—"
He stopped himself, jaw tight.
"Not what?"
Yamato smirked.
"Not totally your type?"
"She's cute as hell,"
Souma chimed, grinning.
"Man, if you don't shoot your shot, someone else is gonna ask her out first. She's already hanging out with the gyarus. By next week she'll be untouchable."
Taichi's fist clenched around his chopsticks until they snapped clean in half.
"...Shut up!"
He muttered, but his ears burned red.
Yamato and Souma hooted, slapping each other on the back.
Taichi could barely breathe. Because the cruelest part was—they were right. Someone would take Yu away if he didn't do anything. And the thought made something ugly coil hot and sharp in his gut.
---
Yu had finally picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and was about to bite when a sharp crack echoed across the cafeteria.
His head snapped toward the sound. There, at the other end of the room, Taichi sat with Yamato and Souma. In his hands were two halves of what had once been chopsticks. His expression was thunderous, jaw set, eyes flicking—toward Yu.
Yu froze mid-bite, the egg wobbling at the end of his chopsticks.
'DK—DK!!'
[Yes, Host?]
'He broke his weapon! Right there! In front of me!! He must be plotting my demise!'
[Or,]
DK01 drawled,
[He's jealous you're having fun without him.]
Yu's face went hot.
"J-Jealous?!"
He squeaked aloud before slapping a hand over his mouth.
Sakura and Fumiko blinked at him.
"Eh? Jealous?"
Panic flared.
"N-Nothing! I just—um—!"
He threw himself into a new topic, practically bouncing in his seat.
"C-Could you maybe show me… more makeup stuff? Fashion? Anything like that?"
The gyarus exchanged a look, their eyes sparkling like predators scenting prey.
"Yu-chan…"
Fumiko grinned, pulling out her phone.
"You're asking the right people."
Within seconds, both girls had their phones out, scrolling through feeds. They shoved their screens into Yu's face, showing their favroite channels with bubbly thumbnails, beginner-friendly tutorials, and closet tours.
Sakura tapped one with long, glittery nails.
"This one's perfect for starting makeup, super easy."
Fumiko swiped to another.
"And this channel? Total fashion inspo. You'll learn layering in no time."
Yu leaned close, eyes wide, drinking it all in like they were teaching him forbidden spells.
"And social media's where all the magic happens,"
Sakura explained.
"Insta, TikTok—you gotta follow accounts so your feed's full of looks."
Yu tilted his head, utterly lost.
"...Follow? Feed?"
Both girls squealed at once.
"She's so innocent!!"
They quickly explained the basics, walking him through downloading apps and setting up accounts. With great fanfare, they made him follow them both.
Yu beamed at his screen, cheeks glowing.
"...So I can see all your magic anytime?"
"Exactly!"
Fumiko winked.
"And we'll spam you with tips every day."
Sakura giggled.
"You're like our little makeover project, Yu-chan."
Yu hugged his phone to his chest, buzzing with excitement. For the first time since arriving in this world, he didn't feel like an outsider. He felt… included.
Across the cafeteria, Taichi's eye twitched.
---
Yu was practically bouncing in his seat now, his lunch untouched but his phone full of shiny new apps and endless "magic" tutorials.
"Yu-chan,"
Sakura leaned in with a grin.
"You need a whole shopping day. Like, this weekend. We'll take you somewhere with actual style."
Fumiko clapped her hands.
"Yesss! You'll try on outfits, we'll pick the cutest ones, and—oh! We should hit a café after. Make it a full girls' day out."
Yu gasped like they had just offered him treasure.
"A-A girls' day? With me?"
"Of course!"
They chimed together.
He pressed his hands to his cheeks, glowing.
"...I would love that so much."
The girls squealed again, leaning over to squeeze his shoulders.
DK01 muttered in his head, dry as ever:
[Congratulations, Host. You've been offically adopted by the local priestesses of vanity. The Love-o-meter won't know what hit it.]
Yu ignored the jab, his chest fluttering with warmth. Since losing everything, he felt like now, he wasn't alone.
---
Meanwhile, Taichi was dying.
From his table, he watched Yu beam under the gyarus' attention, his pale cheeks tinted pink, twin tails bobbing as he nodded along. Each burst of laughter stabbed deeper into Taichi's gut.
Why did it bother him so much? Why did it matter if Yu was… was—
Souma waved a fry in front of his face.
"You seriously gonna stare all lunch, man? That's not healthy."
Yamato smirked.
"Nah, he's clearly a fool in love. Look at his face. He's like a dog locked outside."
Taichi shoved them both off with a scowl, but his ears burned.
---
The bell rang. The cafeteria emptied into a churning sea of students. Yu disappeared into the flow with his new friends, their chatter trailing behind them.
Taichi, Yamato, and Souma walked the opposite longer way toward homeroom.
Souma stretched lazily, cracking his knuckles.
"Man, we haven't seen Yukio in a while. Bet he's still hiding in that apartment of his."
"Yeah,"
Yamato snorted.
"We should drop by after school. Collect on what he owes. Add some interest for making us wait."
The words hit Taichi like nails on a chalkboard. His jaw tightened, brows twitching.
He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, eyes shadowed.
"...Forget it."
But his voice lacked its usual bite.
Because the image of Yu's smile, shining brighter than he'd ever seen, still refused to leave his head.
---
The late afternoon sun painted everything gold, and Yu felt like he was walking in a dream. Fumiko and Sakura had been chattering the whole way—about classes, about a new café opening in the mall, about lipstick shades Yu couldn't even pronounce yet.
At the corner, they each peeled away.
"Sorry, Yu-chan,"
Fumiko said with a little bow and her hands clasped.
"I've gotta go pick up my brother from cram school."
"And I've got my shift at work,"
Sakura added with a wink.
"But this weekend—we'll transform you again. Pinky swear."
Yu locked pinkies with them both, grinning so brightly his cheeks hurt.
"O-Okay! I'll wait for it!"
"Bye-bye, Yu-chan!♡"
They chorused before darting off.
And just like that, Yu was alone again. His school bag swung lightly at his side, full of the little treasures they'd recommended and given him—a lip tint, some clips, a cheap compact mirror. He hugged it to his chest like it was precious cargo.
"…I really have friends now."
He whispered.
[Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, Host,]
DK01 sighed, ever the wet blanket.
[This world isn't kind to soft hearts.]
Yu pouted.
"Don't ruin this for me, DK…"