Upon leaving his room, Beelzebub followed Makoto down the hallway… She walked ahead, but occasionally cast discreet glances at him.
She must be curious about my new appearance. Even if it isn't that different, I still find it flashy to have horns… Beelzebub thought.
"So, Beel-san… do you have any plans for today?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"Hmm…" In the morning, Beelzebub was free; he had arranged with Mr. Keiji that he would visit the Nekoya restaurant only after lunch. "Yes, do you need something?"
"Well, I needed to buy some everyday items. Are you up to accompanying me and Chinatsu to the market?"
Ever since he arrived yesterday, Makoto had been observing Beelzebub — everything about him screamed "supernatural."
Her first thoughts were that maybe he was a spirit, like the ones that bring the seasons.
"Well… I can go, but could Kei lend me some clothes?" Even if he wasn't embarrassed, it would be strange to walk around looking like a walking cosplay.
"Hm, we can ask him in the dining room." Soon, they headed there to have breakfast.
Upon reaching the room, the table was filled with simple dishes, but they looked delicious — thanks to one of his new abilities: Divine-level Cooking.
He could tell what each dish was made of and even the method of preparation. This will be useful when I start working at Nekoya.
With that in mind, he sat elegantly, crossing his legs. Everyone was impressed by his "noble" aura.
"Wow! Beel-san looks like a prince!" Chinatsu shouted with her cheerful and contagious personality.
Kei, who was beside her, nodded seriously, agreeing with his sister. Chinatsu was still completely hypnotized by the pair of horns extending from Beelzebub's head.
"Eh… eh…" She stuttered a bit, embarrassed, but finding courage she said: "Beel-san… are they real?"
Hearing her innocent question, a small smile appeared on Beelzebub's lips. Chinatsu was extremely cute; her innocent nature stirred protective instincts in anyone.
Kei and Makoto were also listening attentively to learn more about the mysterious Beelzebub.
"Do you want to touch them?" Beelzebub asked, amused by the little girl.
"Can I?" Chinatsu stood up with sparkling eyes of expectation. When Beelzebub nodded, she approached.
Still embarrassed, she held one of the horns. "Wow! It's cold…" Putting a bit of strength, she tried to pull it.
Beelzebub shook his head, exasperated. "Ok, ok, let's finish eating so we can go to the supermarket soon." He spoke, gently pulling her little hand off the horn.
Turning his gaze to Kei: "By the way, Kei-san, would you have some clothes so I can change?" he asked while picking up some rice with his chopsticks. The aroma was sweet, and the steam rose in thin strands.
With mastery, he brought the grains to his mouth.
At that moment, his eyes blinked lightly.
The rice was perfect — not only soft, but each grain was loose. There was a balance between moisture and texture that would make any Michelin chef have a culinary orgasm.
But for him, it was only acceptable… It seems my divine cooking really affected my taste.
"Well, I have some clothes that suit you. I'll get them for you later." Kei replied while enjoying the meal.
"Thank you!"
Beelzebub then cut a piece of tamagoyaki. The golden omelet looked like gold. Bringing a piece to his mouth, he savored the light sweet broth that spread over his taste buds.
After swallowing, he looked again at both dishes. Then he combined everything into a single bowl and tasted it at the same time.
The flavor of the sweet broth mixing with the rice, despite simple — almost humble — managed to make even his divine palate throb.
Then, he cast a glance at Kei. "You cook very well…" With those words, he returned to his meal, spending the rest of breakfast in silence.
Breakfast passed quickly. Soon after, Beelzebub took a shower and changed clothes to prepare to go to the market with Makoto and Chinatsu.
"I'm ready." Beelzebub said, leaving the Kuramoto family's house. He was wearing more casual clothes: black jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. His horns were now hidden under a black and blue beanie.
With everything ready, the three began walking side by side.
The rural scenery was truly cozy. Simple houses and a pleasant atmosphere. Even with few people on the streets, few bothered to notice the trio.
Sometimes a housewife would give Beelzebub hungry-wolf eyes. But that's a story for another day.
"It really is pretty here, isn't it?" Makoto asked, walking with her hands behind her back. She wore her familiar black dress and beige cardigan.
"Yes… it's calm and peaceful, as if there were nothing to worry about." Beelzebub added.
"Exactly." She agreed.
"And where are you from, onee-chan?" Chinatsu asked, joining the conversation.
As if trying to remember: "Hm… from where?" She placed a lock of hair behind her ear and spoke softly: "I'm from Yokohama."
"Hm, if I'm not mistaken, Yokohama is near Tokyo, right?" said Beelzebub. To be honest, he didn't know much about Japan's geography. The only cities he knew were: Tokyo, Shibuya, and Akihabara.
"No, they're a bit far from each other." Turning her gaze to Beelzebub: "You've never been there, Beel-san?"
He simply shook his head. In the past, visiting Japan was one of Caleb's dreams, but he died before fulfilling it.
Noticing Beelzebub's thoughtful and slightly melancholic expression, Makoto gave a dazzling smile. "Hm, don't worry, one day I'll take you to see my hometown!" she said with conviction.
"Haha… is that a date, Makoto-san?" Beelzebub joked while walking ahead. He and Chinatsu didn't notice that Makoto had stopped in the middle of the path.
Her face was completely red. Bringing her hands to her cheeks, she squeezed them. "Makoto! What are you saying!?"
Shaking her head to forget the embarrassment, she quickened her pace and caught up with the two. "Let's hurry, you still need to get back soon to visit the Nekoya restaurant."
Thus, the trio continued their way without major setbacks.
Soon they arrived at a market. It wasn't big and also not very busy. The shelves were well spaced apart, leaving a large aisle between each one, making movement easy.
Looking at the list in her hands, Makoto memorized most of the items. "Chinatsu-chan, Beel-san! Stay close to me so you don't end up getting lost!"
"Isn't it the opposite?" Chinatsu asked with an expressionless face — which made Beelzebub give a light smile.
These two are exactly like in the anime memories… Shaking his head, he approached the girls, following them as they filled the shopping cart.
After a while, they had already picked up the essentials. Even Beelzebub bought some everyday clothes. He didn't feel comfortable wearing other people's clothes; after all, he had dignity as a god.
While exploring the cleaning products section, Makoto stepped ahead with an excited smile. "Ah, look, I finally found it!"
"Hold this for me." Handing her bags to Beelzebub, she walked toward the brooms.
"You're going to buy a broom?" Beelzebub asked, already imagining the reason.
"Yes! They're extremely useful."
Makoto analyzed the broom as if she were buying a new motorcycle. Testing the resistance of the handle, she looked seriously at it.
"Makoto-nee, we already have—" Chinatsu was abruptly interrupted when Makoto simply mounted the broom and began to rise…
Within seconds, she was almost reaching the market ceiling.
Chinatsu: (⊙_☉)
Beelzebub just shook his head, exasperated. "She would make a terrible protagonist in a 'hidden identity' story…"