Unbeknownst to them, Taichi stood across the street, leaning in the shadows with Yamato and Souma still bickering beside him about snacks.
From the window, light spilled onto the sidewalk. Inside, Yu sat at the table with the two gyarus, laughing over bowls of rice. His pale face glowed with happiness, ribbon swaying as he leaned forward eagerly.
Taichi's chest twisted again, harder than before.
'He's supposed to be mine to mess with. Not theirs.'
He turned away abruptly, ignoring Yamato's chatter, ignoring Souma's teasing grin. His fists clenched until his nails dug into his palms.
"…Tch."
---
After laughter and bowls scraped clean, Yu walked Fumiko and Sakura out to the street. The girls were still buzzing with energy, pressing him with reminders.
"Practice chopping every day, okay? You'll get faster!"
Fumiko grinned.
"And watch those tutorials I sent you!"
Sakura added.
"By next week, you'll be a pro."
Yu bowed shyly, clutching the little bag of sweets they'd left him as thanks.
"Thank you for teaching me… today was so fun."
Both girls gave him a hug before skipping down the street, waving until they disappeared into the night. Yu lingered by the door a moment longer, clutching the sweets to his chest. His heart fluttered like it hadn't in years.
[Awww, look at you. Little social butterfly now. Who knew food was the way to your tiny demon heart?]
DK01's smug tone curled into his ears.
Yu puffed out his cheeks.
"D-don't call my heart tiny!"
He stomped back inside, apron still tied crookedly around his waist. He began putting away the leftovers, carefully sliding them into containers.
'This will be my lunch tomorrow! My very own bento—'
The knock at the door froze him. Then, before he could even set the container down, the door creaked open.
"W-wait—!"
Taichi stepped in.
Yu's stomach lurched.
"T-Taichi?! What—what are you doing here?"
The boy didn't answer right away. His green eyes flicked once around the room—warm lights, the lingering smell of food—then landed back on Yu.
On Yu in his apron. Hair still tied back with the red ribbon.
"…Tch."
Taichi clicked his tongue, but his ears were pink.
"Nothing."
He moved past Yu, sat down at the low table like it was his own place, arms crossed.
"I'm eating."
Yu blinked.
"Eh?!"
[Oho. He's domesticated himself. Look at that.]
Yu groaned inwardly.
'My leftovers! My carefully saved-for-tomorrow's lunch leftovers!'
[Feed the beast. Trust me, this is a shortcut. Love-o-meter, remember?]
Yu's eye twitched. But for Talo—for his king—he took a shaky breath, plastered on a smile, and quietly heated the food. He set the warmed dish down in front of Taichi.
"There."
Yu said, trying to sound cheerful, though his voice wobbled.
But Taichi didn't eat. He just stared.
Yu fidgeted, tilting his head unconsciously.
"…What?"
The motion only made the ribbon in his hair sway.
Taichi's breath caught. His fingers tightened against his knees.
"…Sit down."
He ordered lowly.
Yu's brows furrowed.
"…Why?"
"Feed me."
Yu nearly choked on air.
'He—he wants to be treated like a king?! The audacity!'
[…Honestly? He's halfway to putting a ring on your finger. Just play along.]
Yu squeezed his eyes shut, muttering internally.
'For Talo. For Talo. For Talo.'
Then he sat, picked up the chopsticks, and with a forced smile said.
"O-open wide, Taichi-san."
He lifted a bite to Taichi's lips.
Taichi flushed to his ears, jaw clenching—but he leaned forward, lips brushing the tips of the chopsticks before closing around the food.
For a brief, dizzy second, the room shifted. In Taichi's head, Yu wasn't a classmate in an apron. He was a spouse, cooking for him, sitting close, feeding him after a long day.
And for the first time in years, Taichi felt something swell painfully warm in his chest.
Taichi leaned in again, letting Yu feed him another bite. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, but his face only grew hotter. Yu blinked when he noticed the pink rising along Taichi's ears, the flushed streaks painting across his cheeks.
"…Taichi-san? You're red…"
The words slipped out before Yu could stop them.
Taichi's eyes widened. He saw himself—married, coming home, Yu waiting in an apron with dinner. The image slammed into him so hard his stomach twisted.
He shot upright.
"Y-your food is gross."
"Eh?!"
Yu's face fell.
Before Yu could say anything else, Taichi had already shoved his chair back, storming for the door. His voice cracked as he snapped.
"Don't—don't do it again!"
Then bolted into the hall, shutting the door behind him so quickly the walls rattled.
Yu froze in place, chopsticks still in hand.
"…He hated it?"
His shoulders slumped.
"He's mad at me…"
[Oh for the love of—he's not mad, you dolt. I literally watched the Love-o-meter climb to 35%.]
Yu plopped his forehead onto the table with a thud.
"Don't lie to me, DK. He couldn't even finish the leftovers…"
[He couldn't finish because he was too busy picturing you as his spouse. Trust me.]
But Yu didn't answer. He trudged through cleaning up, numb, and eventually collapsed face-first onto his bed, still in his apron.
The room fell quiet, except for the faint hum of the city outside.
[…You realize you just had your first newlywed practice dinner, right?]
Yu groaned into the pillow, muffled.
"Shut up…"
[Hah. Fine. Sleep well, Mrs. Arifukua.]
Yu's cheeks puffed, but he was too tired to argue back. His breaths evened out, drifting into dreams before he could even untie the ribbon in his hair.
---
Taichi slammed his door shut and pressed his back against it, chest heaving like he'd just run a marathon.
'...Feed me.
Yu tilting his head all shy.
Those sparkling red eyes with that damn ribbon.'
He groaned, dragging both hands down his face.
"Why… why did I tell him it was gross?!"
He kicked at his bed, then dropped onto it, rolling over restlessly. No matter how hard he tried to banish it, the image of Yu sitting there in an apron, smiling nervously while feeding him, replayed again and again. His stomach twisted and warmed at once.
"Damn it,"
He muttered into his pillow, his face burning.
"What the hell's wrong with me…?"
But there was no stopping it now. His heart had already decided for him.
---
By the next morning, in school, Yu slipped into the room just as the bell rang. He still had the neat side braid tied with the red ribbon, and now his lips shone faintly with a pink gloss Sakura had recommended yesterday. Paired with his crisp girl's uniform, he practically glittered under the morning light streaming through the windows.
The reaction was instant. A murmur spread across the classroom. Girls whispered and giggled. A group of boys at the back elbowed each other, cheeks tinted red as they stared.
Yu smiled shyly, trying to pretend he didn't notice, and went to sit between Fumiko and Sakura. They squealed softly and immediately started complimenting him, praising how the braid held perfectly and how the lip gloss made him look even cuter. Yu beamed at them, happy to soak in their warmth.
Meanwhile, Taichi sat frozen at the back of the room. His jaw clenched. His eyes refused to look anywhere but at Yu, but every glance felt like fire on his skin. Yamato and Souma leaned over, snickering, nudging him about how the "new girl" was stealing all the boys' hearts.
Taichi didn't answer. He couldn't.
When class began, he sat stiff in his chair, staring blankly at the chalkboard. He wasn't hearing a word the teacher said. Every flick of Yu's braid caught his eye. Every faint shimmer of that pink gloss was like a spotlight burning through his skull.
He dug his nails into his palm under the desk.
'Stop looking. Stop staring. It's just Yukio. It's Yukio in stupid ribbons and gloss. Get a grip.'
But when Yu leaned forward, laughing softly at something Fumiko whispered, Taichi's stomach twisted. A low, dangerous heat curled in his chest. Around him, boys kept sneaking glances, their faces red, their whispers buzzing.
Souma jabbed his ribs with an elbow.
"Oi, Taichi, you've been zoning out all morning. You really drooling over that new chick, huh?"
Taichi didn't answer. He snapped his pencil clean in half.
---
At lunch, Yu sat between Fumiko and Sakura, a bento box in front of him. The "tragic bento" was… mostly intact, if one ignored the half-burnt tamagoyaki and the cold rice clumps. He nibbled at it, cheeks puffed in effort to pretend it wasn't awful.
Fumiko's heart nearly shattered on the spot.
"You poor thing. You really tried, huh?"
Sakura leaned forward, pouting.
"Honestly, you're too cute. Even eating burnt egg like it's gourmet!"
Yu's face lit up like the sun. Compliments were still fresh and precious to him.
"Heheh~ it's not that bad!"
From across the room, Taichi's chopsticks snapped with an audible crack. Yamato snorted.
"Man, even Taichi's utensils can't handle how hard he's staring. He's done for."
Taichi shot him a glare sharp enough to kill, but his face burned scarlet as he looked away.
Sakura sighed dramatically, plopping her chin on her hand.
"Ugh. Can you believe we've got a test right after lunch? Buzzkill."
Yu froze, rice halfway to his lips.
"A… test?"
Inside, he screamed.
'DK?! There's a test?!'
DK01's flat tone echoed in his mind.
[What have I been saying every night, Yu? 'Stop bingeing makeup tutorials and actually study.' But nooo, you just had to master the art of eyeliner instead of math.]
Yu puffed his cheeks in protest, muttering out loud.
"Ehhhhh, rude."
Fumiko squealed.
"Kyaa! Even pouting you're adorable!"
Sakura clapped her hands.
"Right? Look at her face!"
Yu blinked, flustered.
'Wait, that counted as pouting?'
Fumiko leaned closer.
"So, did you study for the test, Yu-chan?"
Yu rubbed the back of his neck.
"Errr… when I open a book, all the words look like squiggly runes trying to cast a curse on me."
The girls burst out laughing.
"Same!"
Sakura said, wiping her eyes.
"That's exactly how it feels!"
Fumiko nodded.
"Yeah! That's why we should study together. It'd be way less boring if we all suffer as a team."
DK01 cut in again, smug.
[Finally, someone with sense. You need every ounce of help you can get.]
Yu beamed, pumping his fist.
"Yes! Let's do it! My place is quiet and really close, so it's perfect!"
The girls blinked, then laughed again.
"You're so earnest!"
But then reality struck them all at once. Sakura glanced at the cafeteria clock.
"…Uh. Guys. The test is right after lunch. That's, like, twenty minutes from now."
All three of them froze in horror.
"…Quick recap session!"
Fumiko declared, yanking her math book out of her bag.
In seconds, the table was covered with open books and loose pencils. Yu stared down at the jumble of formulas like they were demonic glyphs out of a forbidden grimoire.
"Math is cursed!"
He whispered.
"Then let's break the curse together!"
Sakura grinned, dragging his notebook closer.
And so, the cafeteria became their frantic battlefield—Yu sweating bullets, the girls scribbling formulas, and DK01 sighing like a long-suffering tutor in his head.
Yu stared at the open math book like it was a cursed relic freshly dug from some tomb.
"x squared plus y squared equals… demon incantation??"
Fumiko groaned, scribbling furiously in her notebook.
"No, Yu-chan, it's the circle formula! Ciiircle!"
"Circle of despair, maybe."
Yu muttered. He jabbed his pencil at the paper so hard the lead snapped.
Sakura snorted.
"You're hopeless. Look, if you just move this number over here—"
She leaned in, showing him the steps, only for Yu to tilt his head and squint.
"…I swear I just saw it rearrange itself when you said that!"
Yu whispered, horrified.
The two gyarus collapsed into laughter, pounding the table.
"Yu-chan, you're too much!"
Fumiko gasped.
"Seriously, even when you fail at math you're adorable!"
Sakura wheezed.
Yu's cheeks flushed pink.
'They're laughing… but not like the bullies. They're laughing with me…'
DK01's dry voice cut through the warm fuzziness.
[Congratulations. You've discovered the magic of peer tutoring. Too bad it won't save you.]
Yu pouted.
'Shut up! We still have—'
He glanced at the clock.
'…twelve minutes?!'
Panic seized him. He began flipping through the book, scribbling nonsense in his notes:
"π = demon pastry??"
"Why are there letters in math??"
Fumiko pressed her hands to her face.
"We're doomed."
Sakura grinned, determined.
"We can at least cram formulas into our brains like stuffing a suitcase!"
The three of them bent over the pages, sweat dripping, the cafeteria suddenly feeling like an exam battlefield.
Far too quickly, the bell for the end of lunch rang and it was test time.
The teacher slapped test papers down row by row, the room filling with the scratch of pens. Yu stared at his sheet. Blank. Silent. Mocking.
He gripped his pencil so hard it squeaked.
'Alright Yu, you can do this… maybe…'
DK01 piped in, unhelpfully cheerful.
[You're aware the original Yukio was an honor roll student, yes? Top in his class.]
Yu's eyes bulged.
'What?'
[Oh, you didn't know? My mistake. Well, surprise. He was a model student with perfect scores. If you bomb this test, your scholarship is toast.]
Yu's heart lurched.
'Scholarship?!'
[Yes. Without it, you'll be forced to start paying tuition out of your precious inheritance. By my calculations, at this burn rate, you'll be flat broke by December.]
Yu's hand trembled. Sweat smeared the page.
[Oh, and small detail—failing to live up to Yukio's academic reputation would count as out of character. Which, in case you forgot, gets you booted from this world.]
Yu froze.
'Booted?! Like—reset?'
[Mmhm. Sent right back to day one. The week's not even over yet. That would be a new record. Congratulations in advance.]
Yu bit his lip, panic rising like a wave.
'No no no, I can't restart! I already—'
He thought of Taichi's blush, of the girls' laughter, of the meals and the lessons.
His pencil hovered. Then, with pure desperation, Yu scrawled something. Numbers. Symbols. Mostly guesses.
"Math,"
He muttered under his breath,
"truly is a cursed art."
The teacher passed his desk, frowning at Yu's wild-eyed scribbles.
Minutes ticked by as Yu stared at the last question, his eyes crossing. He had no idea what "factorization" meant, but it sounded like some kind of demon torture. With one final groan, he scribbled something that looked like "π = friendship" and slapped his pencil down dramatically.
'I'm doomed.'
When the teacher called for papers, Yu shuffled up to the desk, clutching his test like a death warrant. His handwriting sprawled across the pages like chicken-scratch hexes.
DK01 sighed in his head.
[Impressive. You've managed to invent a new language. Scholars will call it 'Disasterese.']
Yu pouted, cheeks puffing.
'Shut up! At least I tried!'
DK01's tone, for once, softened — though still sarcastic.
[Yes, yes. Congratulations on your attempt. Now hand it in.]
Yu dropped the paper onto the teacher's desk and dragged himself back to his seat.
Meanwhile, DK01 worked furiously, rewriting symbols into legible equations, shifting incorrect answers to correct ones, pouring energy into forcing the world to "see" Yu's paper as perfect. It was delicate work, like stitching a torn tapestry. And costly.
['…Tch. Already draining reserves. This little correction is burning through far more energy than I should spare. I may need to enter sleep mode for a long while to recover.']
His mechanical voice quivered with something close to weariness.
['All this, for a boy who thinks math is a demon curse. I must truly be malfunctioning…']
---
After the exam, when the class was dismissed, Yu collapsed against a wall, hands clasped together in mock prayer.
"Demon King, please… let me pass… If I fail, I'll lose everything!"
DK01 muttered dryly.
[Technically I'm the one ensuring your pass, but by all means, pray to your demon lord instead.]
Before Yu could pout again, Fumiko and Sakura plopped down beside him, equally exhausted.
"Please, gods of math,"
Sakura groaned,
"Don't smite me for my sins…"
"Forget gods,"
Fumiko said, clasping her hands dramatically.
"Save me, Yu-chan's Demon King!"
Yu blinked, startled… then grinned.
"Yes! Pray harder, he's benevolent if you're cute!"
The three of them broke into helpless laughter, their giggles echoing down the hall. For a moment, the pressure of grades, bullies, and missions didn't matter — they were just kids drowning in the misery of math together.
"Next time,"
Fumiko said between chuckles,
"We seriously have to study earlier."
"Agreed,"
Sakura said.
"Group study at your place, Yu-chan. No backsies."
Yu's eyes lit up.
"Yes! We'll be ready! We'll conquer the curse of numbers together!"
DK01 grumbled quietly.
[Finally. The study sessions I've been demanding for days. If only fear of flunking motivates you…]
But even he couldn't entirely dampen Yu's glow as the three friends began making plans for their first real study session.
From the back of the hall, Taichi leaned against the lockers, hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes locked on Yu sitting with Fumiko and Sakura, the three of them laughing so hard they nearly toppled over.
Yu's braid bounced when he laughed. His cheeks flushed pink. His red ribbon glinted under the fluorescent lights.
Taichi's stomach twisted. He wanted to tear his eyes away — but he couldn't.
Souma nudged his side.
"Oi, what's with that face? You look like you're constipated."
Yamato barked a laugh.
"I know that look, more like lovesick. That's the look all the boy's in class are wearing."
"What, you crushing on the new chick too, Yamato?"
Taichi glared at them, heat rising in his neck.
"She's not—"
He bit his tongue, swallowing the truth. No one else could know. No one else saw Yu the way he did.
The sound of Yu's giggles stabbed through him again, and Taichi clenched his fists.
'Why… why does it hurt so much to see him smile with them and not me?'
Yu was still basking in the glow of survival, cheeks aching from laughter, when Sakura suddenly squealed over her phone.
"Yesss! A thousand likes!"
She sang, waving her screen.
Yu tilted his head.
"Likes? Is that… like blessings?"
Sakura and Fumiko both burst out laughing.
"Blessings?! You're so cute, Yu-chan!♡"
Sakura said, pinching his cheek.
"No, likes on Instagram! I just hit a thousand on my latest post."
Yu blinked.
"…Insta-what?"
So began another crash course. Sakura explained Instagram, how she posted cute photos, makeup looks, and everyday life stuff — and companies sometimes even paid her to promote products.
Yu's eyes widened.
"You can… earn coin just by showing yourself off? And people… enjoy it?"
Fumiko grinned.
"Exactly! And with your face? You'd be huge, Yu-chan. Thousands of followers easy!"
Sakura nodded eagerly.
"Seriously, you'd be an instant hit. You're like… the perfect mix of innocent and stylish."
Yu's heart fluttered.
"Really…? Me?"
DK01 cut in, his voice a warning hum.
[Anonymous only. If you expose yourself too much, it counts as out of character. You'll get rejected by the world. Reset. Day one. Again.]
Yu deflated for half a second, then perked up with a shy smile.
"Then… I'll do it secretly. An anonymous account! That way, it'll be safe."
Both girls squealed.
"Yesss! We'll be your first fans!"
"Promise us you'll send the link, Yu-chan!"
Yu beamed so brightly it nearly blinded them.
"I promise!"
The bell rang, dragging the trio out of their bubble. They groaned in unison before standing, gathering their bags.
"Okay, study session at your place after school!"
Fumiko declared, pointing dramatically at Yu.
Yu saluted with his pencil.
"Yes, Commander!"
Sakura giggled.
"She's too precious, I swear."
The three walked off together, their chatter echoing down the hall — and somewhere behind them, Taichi's stare burned hotter than ever.