"Denji, are you happy with your life now?"
On an evening with rain tapping against the window, I was lying down with Reze's arm as my pillow.
Only one old lamp was lit in the room, its faint light covering the walls and ceiling.
The steady rhythm of raindrops hitting the windowpane reached my ears, and I could feel my heart beating along with that sound.
The small room was cramped and old, but for now, it felt safe and cozy.
The wind seeping through the window frame was slightly cold, but Reze's breath kept me warm.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Reze leaned slightly against my shoulder and whispered.
"That day, you chose to give up the ordinary life you wanted and run away with me."
I took a slow breath.
Hearing those words, I felt once again how precious this peaceful moment was.
The reason I asked her to run away with me was simple.
It was because I didn't want to let go of this hand.
"I like you, Reze. Back then and even now, I don't regret my choice.
Although, I had gotten pretty close with my coworkers and was gaining recognition for my work, so giving that up feels a bit of a waste."
Reze looked at me and smiled innocently.
"Ahaha, what's that? You haven't changed at all, Denji."
My heart warmed at that smile.
Every word, every expression, every gesture—she understood me completely.
Thanks to that, I could feel, for the first time, the sensation of being loved in an ordinary way.
It was a feeling I had never received from Makima, Power, or Aki.
And then I realized.
I was already in love with her.
"Denji, you must be tired. You need to sleep soon if you're going to work tomorrow morning."
"Ah… I just want to stay like this a bit longer…"
I closed my eyes, feeling the scent of her hair and the slightly cool touch of her skin.
As my fingers brushed against her hand, even that small, trivial contact put my heart at ease.
"We have plenty of time to be together in the future, right?"
But Reze's expression darkened slightly.
This refuge, obtained through repeated escapes, was cramped and old but safe—our own space.
We both knew that this life would end someday.
If Ms. Makima, who was surely still looking for me, or some other danger came for us…?
Just the small thought made my heart race.
"Well, I guess so. What should we do tomorrow?"
"Whatever you want to do, Denji?"
"Something dirty, too?"
Reze, hitting me while laughing innocently, had eyes slightly wet, perhaps from laughing too much.
In that moment, I could tell how comfortable she felt with me, and how much she trusted me.
"Ahaha… really! Do you like dirty stuff that much, Denji?"
"Yeah, is there anyone who doesn't?"
"Heh… Well then, if you finish work safely and come back tomorrow, I'll do it for you."
This promise probably came with the premise that I would come back without causing any trouble.
I slowly steadied my breath and looked around the room.
The old chair, the scratched desk, the rainwater beading on the window frame…
Only now did I feel how much solace this small space gave the two of us.
Except for devil hunting, I was particularly weak at anything requiring brains.
Manual labor using strength was fine, but if even a little adaptation was required, I'd mess up.
Every time, Reze would clean up the mess for me.
If she weren't here, the two of us wouldn't exist as we do now.
"It'd be easier to just hunt devils…"
"No, then your location would be discovered."
"Yeah, I guess so."
I never knew living an ordinary life without hunting devils could be this hard.
But this life wasn't bad either.
Because I chose it, and because I decided to live an ordinary life with Reze.
And because Reze taught me that ordinary people don't hunt devils; they work to earn money.
Looking at Reze, I steadied my breath once more and reaffirmed my resolve.
Amidst the sound of rain, the lamplight, and Reze's warm breath,
this moment was the safest and most precious place in the world.
Yet, a small unease seeped into a corner of my heart.
Tomorrow, I would have to go out to work again, and our status as fugitives, liable to be discovered at any moment, still constrained us.
Between that anxiety and excitement, I quietly held Reze, whose hand I was holding, even tighter.