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For Andrew, the whole thing with Saki Kawasaki was just a small detour in his life.
As he expected, it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths again.
Being a demon gave him a natural instinct to sense when someone was silently calling out for help—and he could feel it faintly from her.
Shaking his head, Andrew didn't dwell on it. He focused on enjoying the delicious burger that Mahiru Shiina had made for him.
Seriously, Mahiru's cooking was amazing.
If he could eat food like this every day, man, he'd be living the dream.
On the other side of things...
Saki Kawasaki had already gone back to the classroom and was sitting quietly in her seat, lost in thought.
Her family wasn't well-off. Besides her, who was in high school, she had a younger brother in middle school and a little sister still in elementary school.
Her parents worked out of town all year long and only came back during holidays or New Year.
Even though they worked hard, Saki could still feel the financial strain.
Seijo high Academy's tuition wasn't cheap, and she had decided to find a part-time job to pay for it herself—to lighten the burden on her family.
But the problem was the job itself.
If she worked part-time, she wouldn't be able to keep up with her studies. Wouldn't that make the expensive tuition a total waste?
It would be great if there was a way to earn money without wearing herself out.
But life doesn't hand out deals like that.
Sighing, Saki decided to at least go try to find a part-time job.
At the very least, she needed to cover her own living expenses and get some experience under her belt.
While Saki Kawasaki was thinking about getting a job, Mahiru Shiina was having similar thoughts.
She'd already left that house, so she wanted to become independent as soon as possible. That way, she wouldn't have to rely on her parents' money anymore.
Those two didn't care about her, and she didn't want anything more to do with them either.
She only cared about the people who cared about her.
Like a certain someone who had... well, gotten her body more than once.
Mahiru didn't want to tell anyone she was working part-time.
If the people at school found out where she worked, it'd definitely lead to some annoying drama.
After lunch, the two afternoon classes went by without a hitch.
Then it was time for the best part of the day—school dismissal.
Andrew didn't join any clubs, so he just headed straight home.
Mahiru walked out of the classroom with him, a few steps behind. Once they were far enough from school, they took the train back together.
After a quick goodbye, they each headed to their respective homes.
Andrew could tell something was on Mahiru's mind. She was quiet the whole way and didn't say a word.
But he didn't ask.
If she wanted to talk, she would—eventually.
And anyway, if he was going to ask, it'd be when he had her in his arms, just the two of them.
She was more obedient in that mode. Usually, she'd answer whatever he asked.
Back in his room, Andrew took a deep breath and got back to writing.
Volume One was done, but he wanted to be a high-output author—so it was time to start Volume Two.
In his story, the black-stockinged upperclassman, Tsukimiya Miyabi, was inspired by Kasumigaoka Utaha in both looks and personality.
And that flat-chested, tsundere blonde twin-tail rich girl, Hoshino Nagi—she was based on Eriri and Sajiin Nagi.
Well, let's see if this setup can attract the real Sajiin family heiress.
Even if it didn't, no big deal. He had plenty of targets. He could take his time.
It had only been a few days since he regained the memories of his past life. His demonic powers had just started to unlock. He had plenty of time.
Meanwhile, over on Mahiru's side...
She quietly left her apartment and walked to a nearby convenience store—one of the bigger ones in the area.
There was a help-wanted sign outside.
She hesitated for a second but eventually walked in.
"Eh? Shiina? Are you here to shop?"
A familiar voice caught her attention. Mahiru turned and covered her mouth in surprise.
"Aoyama?! That uniform… So you work here?"
Nanami Aoyama smiled and nodded. She didn't just work here—she had several part-time jobs.
But she was determined to work hard for her dream.
"Looking to buy something? I can help you find it," Nanami said warmly. She had a soft spot for Mahiru, the stunningly beautiful neighbor, and it showed in her enthusiasm.
Mahiru shook her head, bit her lip, and finally worked up the courage to ask in a quiet voice:
"Aoyama... could you introduce me to the store manager? I saw the help-wanted sign outside, and... I wanted to give it a try."
Nanami's eyes lit up in understanding.
"Ohh! So you want to work part-time too? Sure, no problem! Come with me—I'll take you to meet the manager."
Thanks to Nanami's help, Mahiru quickly changed into a store uniform and officially started her very first part-time job.
She was a little nervous at first, but under Nanami's guidance, she picked things up quickly.
Mahiru was already a top student and an all-around sports ace.
And on top of that, she was super diligent.
So working as a convenience store clerk was actually a breeze for her.
Weirdly enough, she also felt like her strength had increased.
Even carrying two boxes at once wasn't hard.
That was thanks to the effect of the "Magic Seed."
After about an hour of work, Nanami pulled Mahiru over to a chair behind the cashier counter so they could rest.
They were chatting casually about work stuff when a short-haired girl in glasses and a big windbreaker walked in. She gave off a bit of a loner vibe.
Nanami immediately called out to her with a smile.
"Yo! Asada, you made it!"
Yep—that girl was none other than Sinon, aka Shino Asada.
If Andrew were here, he'd probably be amazed at how ridiculously coincidental this all was.
All three girls were working part-time at the same place.
But to be fair, convenience store jobs were the easiest ones to start with.
No real skills needed—just run errands, stock shelves, and occasionally help with the register.
Faced with Nanami's enthusiastic greeting, Sinon instinctively shrank back a little.
She gave a tiny nod in response, then said softly, "Sorry... I got held up a bit. Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
"No worries! I wasn't in a rush anyway," Nanami quickly replied, then took off her store uniform and handed it to Shino.
Shino was here to take over the night shift, while Nanami had other jobs to get to.
Mahiru looked at the wary, quiet girl in front of her and smiled as she extended a hand.
"Hi, Asada. I'm Mahiru Shiina. I just started working here today. Nice to meet you!"
Shino looked at Mahiru's pale, delicate hand—then at her glowing skin and flawless face, framed by long golden hair and a warm, angelic smile.
She panicked, worrying her hands might be dirty, and wiped them hard on her coat before gently shaking Mahiru's hand.
"N-Nice to meet you… I'm Shino Asada."
To Shino, Mahiru looked like the kind of sparkling rich girl who was just working for fun—not someone like her, who had hit rock bottom.
After all, people had been calling her a murderer. The rumors had even reached the store, and most folks here wouldn't go near her anymore.
Thankfully, the store manager was kind and still let her work.
Right now, the only people who smiled at her were the manager, Nanami (who didn't know the rumors), and this angelic new girl who also hadn't heard anything yet.
But how long would those smiles last?
Once Mahiru and Nanami found out about the murder rumors, wouldn't they avoid her too?
Her overwhelming sense of inferiority made it impossible for Shino to face Mahiru openly.
All she could do was keep her distance, do her job, and go home as soon as her shift ended.
But Mahiru noticed that sadness in Shino's eyes—and it stirred something in her.
Back when she was caught in the rain, all alone, that's probably how she looked in Andrew's eyes too—fragile and pitiful.
Some people, after getting drenched in the rain themselves, try to hold up an umbrella for others.
But some people, after being soaked, want to drag everyone else into the rain with them.
Mahiru Shiina was clearly the former.
"..."
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