Without realizing it, a month passed quickly. Shunji had increased his strength and skill much more, so Akari decided to leave the mountain and continue searching for Naoki. Shunji came with her. They decided to go to a very touristy city in the south, where disappearances of people were increasing.
Lately, the weather had worsened, and there were frequent rains, so Akari decided to travel normally as well so that Shunji's demonic energy wouldn't attract attention in case Naoki was there. They both bought train tickets, and Shunji took charge of the accommodation, since he had already visited that city.
"Have you visited that city several times?" Akari asked.
"Not really. I went a couple of times for leisure, then I only came for business trips." Shunji said.
Akari heard about his business again and couldn't help but ask. "Do you have many businesses there?"
"Not just a few. Initially I didn't plan to expand into that area, but an acquaintance liked the place, so I had no choice." Akari suddenly felt curious about his business.
She didn't know much about his businesses. All she knew was that he had a few, where descendants of the mountain demons worked. These beings were almost entirely human, so they did not like to be isolated in the mountains and preferred to integrate into human society.
The people who remained on the mountain were mostly the parents and grandparents of these people, who were already retired and did not like the bustling life of humans, so they returned to the mountain.
The only young demons there were Takeshi and Naoki. Now, just Takeshi remained.
"Why hasn't that little rabbit demon left the mountain and entered the human world?" He should already be of an age similar to an adult, Akari thought.
Shunji chuckled. Takeshi would probably be infuriated if he heard that nickname. "Well, that has to do with something that happened in the past. I think you've already noticed, but he was always very mischievous. When he was a child, he often used to escape from the mountain to live among humans.
But one day, Takeshi encountered human traffickers who kidnapped him. No matter how brave Takeshi seemed during the week, he was just a child when it happened; he was terrified and couldn't even control his powers properly.
If it weren't for his parents quickly noticing that something was wrong and asking me for help, he would have been sold to who knows where." Akari listened in silence. She had never imagined that someone who always seemed cheerful had lived through that kind of experience.
Shunji sighed when he remembered it and continued. "After I rescued him, he remained locked up for a whole week without seeing anyone. His parents were extremely worried about him; Takeshi was their only son and the family's treasure. They had always spoiled him and even overcame their aversion to living with humans to find jobs where they could provide him with a good life.
Only after several months did Takeshi dare to leave the house, but even then, he never left the barrier again. It was during that time that Naoki became his friend; throughout his confinement, Naoki was the one who supported him and stood by his side. That's why Takeshi considered him his best friend." Akari thought Naoki's behavior was suspicious.
There was no way he would have the kindness to worry about Takeshi, since, according to Shunji, his parents still lived with him. Therefore, Akari believed that his behavior was deliberate; perhaps from that time, he began to conspire against Takeshi with the intention of killing him. If it weren't for the fact that he was too young at that time, Akari would suspect that Takeshi's kidnapping was also caused by Naoki.
"What happened to the kidnappers?" Akari asked.
"Umm, at that time, I was quite angry, and although I didn't kill them, I blew up the entire base with my dragon breath." Akari was speechless.
Shunji observed her gaze without words and said. "Nothing really happened. Most of them were even alive when the police arrested them." Akari's eye twitched, and she decided not to continue with the subject.
Shunji observed her attitude and quickly said. "Do you want to see the business here? I made a reservation at that place."
Akari nodded. She was genuinely interested.
It was almost dinnertime, so Shunji left their suitcases at the accommodation. It wasn't very spacious, but it was cozy. Then he took her to a restaurant a five-minute walk away. Akari saw that both buildings were close together and guessed that they belonged to the same person.
At the restaurant, they asked for a private room, and Shunji gave her the menu. She liked meat more, so she ordered a steak. Five minutes later, a waiter entered, followed by a man in a chef's outfit; Akari was amazed by the efficiency of the service. The waiter served the food and left, but the chef stayed. Then Akari noticed that he was watching her curiously, but he quickly looked away and greeted Shunji respectfully.
"Sir." Shunji answered casually.
"Mmm, how's business going?" The chef quickly answered.
"It's going excellently, sales have increased, and there are already reservations until next year." Akari was stunned. She had never imagined that the owner of the restaurant was Shunji.
"That's good." Shunji said while he was tasting a piece of meat.
"You've improved. The meat is cooked very well." While the chef thanked him. Shunji said to Akari.
"Try it. Don't you like it?" Akari shook her head and tasted a piece of meat. It was delicious.
"This is delicious, thank you." The chef nodded and said goodbye respectfully.
"It's a pleasure. Please enjoy your meal, miss." Akari was still surprised to learn that Shunji, with whom she spent time every day, was a big boss with a successful hotel and restaurant.
"What happened?" Shunji asked when he saw her confused.
"Didn't you say your business was small?" Akari said with a little annoyance.
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Akari didn't answer him. She felt betrayed.
Who says demons can't have successful businesses? She was the one who had been close-minded.