The sound of someone coming down the cafe stairs was heard.
Denji instinctively turned his head, and there, an elderly man with white-speckled hair revealed himself.
It was the cafe's manager, Yoshimura Kuzen.
"Reze, Denji. Still studying, I see."
His voice resonated softly and firmly, like old wood.
"Hehe~ Manager! I was teaching Denji numbers… Were we being too noisy?"
As Reze spoke with a playful smile, Denji scratched his head, as if it was all muddled from studying.
"Haha, not at all. I was just about to step out to buy some things."
Kuzen approached the two with a gentle smile.
Glancing at the scattered papers and coins on the table, he nodded as if intrigued.
"How were you teaching him?"
"Hmm~ Like this!"
Reze showed him again, just as she had explained to Denji before, the method of giving correct change.
Kuzen sank into thought for a moment, then softly showed Denji a different way.
"Denji, numbers don't always have just one answer. Sometimes there are other paths."
His fingertips were aged but their movement was fluid, and his explanation was clear.
"Wow, Manager, you know this stuff too?!"
Reze said, her eyes sparkling as if teasing.
"I may look like this, but when I was young, I used to teach children."
Kuzen answered Reze's question with a gentle smile, and Denji hung his head low, scratching his head vigorously.
"Aah— Studying is really too hard! My head feels like it's going to explode!"
"Denji, then give it a try! If you don't, you'll get scolded by the Manager~"
Reze clicked her tongue playfully.
"When it's time to study, you must study, understand?"
Denji gave an awkward, blushing laugh, and Reze made a slightly mischievous expression.
A little while later, Denji focused again and continued calculating, and Reze playfully whispered beside him.
"Denji, the way you scratch your head is so cute~"
Denji's face turned bright red as he flicked his hair back with his hand.
"Wh-what's that… Are you teasing me?"
"No, I'm serious! Seeing you work so hard like this… I just want to tease you a little~"
Reze slightly toned down her playful smile and quietly leaned closer to Denji.
"Even if your head feels like it's going to explode… I'll be right here watching over you. How about that, reassuring, isn't it?"
Denji blushed but felt a corner of his heart grow warm.
"Yeah… Thanks, Reze…"
At his words, Reze gave a playful smile and lightly tapped Denji's shoulder with her fingertip.
"Hehe, then work a little harder~ I'll keep watching over you."
Quite a while later, when Denji finished the difficult calculations, Reze gave a soft clap and cheered.
"Wow~ Finally finished! How does it feel getting praised by me~?"
Denji avoided eye contact out of shyness and let out a small laugh.
"Feels good…"
Along with the sense of accomplishment that he had done something, Denji felt a swell of pride in his heart.
Inside the cafe, the laughter and playful atmosphere of the two spread softly.
Amidst the lingering faint scent of coffee, evening dusk seeped in through the windows and streetlamps glimmered faintly.
After watching them for a moment, Kuzen slowly rose from his seat.
"I must step out for a bit. Don't overdo it."
"Yessir~"
As Reze answered playfully, Denji bowed his head awkwardly.
Kuzen opened the door and stepped out into the dim alley.
The evening air felt slightly chilly, but the scent of the old cafe doorframe and the alleyway enveloped him.
In the distance, the shadow of a devil trying to sneak into the city entered his vision.
"Hoo… There are still creatures like this lingering."
He gripped his cane firmly and moved carefully towards the shadow.
His gaze was gentle but shone with sharp focus.
In an instant, he scanned the corners of the streets and alleys, gauging the devil's movements and position.
Kuzen didn't miss the opening and delivered a precise strike.
A quiet but resolute force broke the shadow, quelling another danger in a corner of the city.
This was the reason this city was devil-free and safe.
Whenever he sensed the approach of a devil, Kuzen would always go first and end them before they could enter the city.
"Well then, I should go to the market to buy the lacking ingredients and head back…"
Saying so, Kuzen shifted his steps.
Back inside the cafe, Reze gave Denji a slight nudge and said.
"Denji, there's a miscalculation here… Check it one more time~"
Denji's face reddened as he scratched his head, desperately trying to turn his uncooperative brain to the task.
Reze watched him with affectionate eyes and smiled playfully.
"Ugh… Reze, you're really too much…!"
"Hehe, it's okay because I'm here watching over you. It doesn't matter if you get it wrong~"
In the late evening, the cafe was filled with a peaceful atmosphere blending warm laughter and the sound of number calculations.
Outside, Kuzen was preparing to return after subduing the shadow, but the small peace inside continued to flow unchanged.
Manager Yoshimura returned, and the two headed home.
Stepping out of the cafe, Denji and Reze walked slowly down the quiet alley.
The streetlamp light cast long stretched shadows, and the distant sound of cars echoed calmly.
The night breeze was slightly chilly, but their fingertips, close to each other, felt warm.
"Denji, you didn't get those calculations wrong on purpose, did you?"
Reze asked playfully.
Denji's face turned bright red as he scratched his head.
"Wh-what… That's not it! I really tried hard!"
"Heeeh~ Can I believe that?"
Reze lightly hooked her arm with Denji's and playfully pushed him.
Denji was momentarily flustered but didn't pull his hand away, looking at Reze.
"Reze… Thanks to you today, I really learned a lot. Thank you."
Reze wore a playful smile, then suddenly looked at Denji with tender eyes.
"That's why I'm helping you so diligently. Got it?"
"Yeah… Thanks… Reze…"
Denji gave a small, blushing smile.
Reze playfully tapped Denji's shoulder and spoke.
"The way you scratch your head is so cute~"
Denji gave an awkward laugh and flicked his hair back with his hand.
"C'mon… stop teasing me…!"
"Well then, I'll keep watching over you~ It's okay even if you're wrong~"
As Reze spoke almost in a whisper, Denji felt a momentary breathless feeling.
The two looked at each other, burst into laughter, and walked quietly for a while.
Just as they turned the corner of the alley, Reze suddenly took Denji's hand.
"Denji, you worked hard today. I'll watch over you."
Denji paused for a moment but then tightly grasped Reze's hand.
"Yeah… Reze…"
Having said that, Denji's face turned red again.
Hand in hand, the two walked slowly, exchanging playful banter and bursts of laughter.
Their shadows stretched long under the streetlamp light; the night air was cold, but their hearts were warmly connected.
"Denji, I'll keep watching over you from now on too. It's okay if you miscalculate, if your head feels like exploding, it's fine~"
"Yeah… Reze… But if my head explodes… that sounds a bit ominous…"
"Ahaha! If you study like you did today, maybe someday~"
Reze laughed and retorted Denji's words, and the peaceful aura of the late night flowed softly.
As their steps reached the front of their house, Reze playfully nudged Denji and spoke.
"Today too, I'm just a little bit smarter than Denji~"
"Ah… Reze… You're joking, right?"
Denji gave an awkward laugh and avoided her gaze.
"Heehee, not joking. But since I'm watching over you, hang in there~"
Reze smiled warmly, still holding his hand tightly.
The two arrived at the front of the house and, still holding hands, looked at each other, exchanging one last playful smile.
The laughter and small warmth lingering in the night air softly enveloped the end of the day.