My Childhood Friend Declares Ownership on the First Day of School
Looking back objectively, Hana’s self-introduction was pretty good. It wasn’t too long, and it successfully captured everyone’s attention. But there was one critical problem. Why the hell did she have to drag me into it?
When Hana introduced herself, she spread her right wing and wrapped it around me like I was her personal property. It was basically a public declaration of ownership right on the first day of the entrance ceremony.
“Whistle~ Looking good, Lee Hana~~.”
“Balrog’s pet human, Yoon Seha!”
The guys who were in the same class as us last year poured fuel on the fire. That bastard Seongtae… just wait. I’ll make sure he feels the pettiness and long-lasting grudges of humans on a whole different level from other races.
“Ahem… I can see you two are close, so why don’t you sit down now? Kids these days are so bold for no reason… My sides are aching just watching. Sigh…”
It sounded like Miss Hyena muttered something with a sigh, but unfortunately we were in the back row so I couldn’t hear her properly.
After that, the remaining students continued with their self-introductions. Once the last student finished, the first day’s orientation ended with a simple “see you tomorrow.”
Time to go home! Sweet home!
“So where should we go hang out? Café? Movie theater? Arcade? Just pick anywhere~.”
I had planned to stop by the mart after school, buy stuff for dinner, and then play games at home while grinning like an idiot… but I completely forgot about Hana’s inevitable intervention.
I could see her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward slightly, brimming with expectation. If I casually said I wanted to go straight home, she’d probably get so mad she’d bring the scorching heat of her homeland down on our world.
Today was the first day of school so I couldn’t even do my daily quest… Ugh. I guess I’ll have to knock it out quickly before bed.
In that case… we were already planning to eat dinner together anyway. Going there with her would save time too.
“Hana, I know a place way better than any of those examples you gave. There’s tons of delicious food, it’s indoors, and if you stay long enough you actually get some exercise. Oh, and best of all, you can enjoy everything at a super cheap price!”
I deliberately cleared my throat once, then spoke in a low, serious tone to make it sound impressive.
“Want to go there… with me?”
Of course the first day of school ends early! That means I get to spend even more cozy time with Seha! This is totally a Balrog victory~!
Where should I take Seha so we can make even more progress? It’d be nice to relax at a café, eat the dessert he buys me, and chat… Or maybe the movie theater? Something sweet and romantic… Kyaa! I’m imagining it already… Is my tail okay right now? It’d be bad if I’m drawing hearts by myself.
Or the arcade! When I was out exercising yesterday I saw that the claw machine just got a new shipment of the Sweet Patisserie series. I really want the giant three-tiered cake Luni doll… Or the blueberry cake doll! I like that one too!
Seha’s terrible at sports but he’s surprisingly good at this kind of thing, so maybe I should ask him to win one for me? No matter where we go, anywhere with Seha is perfect! Hurry up and decide so you can take me~!
I asked Seha right away where he wanted to go. But after listening to me, he seemed to think for a moment before suggesting a place he knew. Something that has exercise, food, and is cheap? Is he talking about a twenty-four-hour gym? I already have a membership though.
But would a klutz like Seha really suggest the gym first? That’s about as likely as me waking up tomorrow morning and turning into one of those sparrow girls… I mean, an angel.
So an indoor place where you can exercise and eat… Wait, is he thinking of the same place I am? It has to be, right? The way he’s forcing that deep voice makes it obvious! A place where lovers can share their love without any interruptions… Kyaa♡ Seha, you really… Being so bold from the very first day of school. Mom and Dad are away on a trip and he’s already this aggressive? If I’d known, I would’ve dressed up more carefully today! Should I say we should stop by the house real quick? What do I do! What do I do! Uuuu~.
Hana’s tail is suddenly swishing back and forth like crazy. If I’m not careful I might get slapped across the face. The flames on her wings are also growing bigger and brighter. What the hell?
Is going to the mart on the way home really that exciting? I can never fully understand these Balrogs no matter how hard I try.
“So, you in or not? I’m in charge of dinner tonight, so you can rest and come over when I call later if you want.”
“I’m in, I’m in! You have to take me with you!”
Hana slammed both hands on my desk as she spoke. Whoa… I hope the desk isn’t cracked.
“…Seha. Just one question. You clearly said it was an indoor place with food and even exercise, right? You called it a wonderful place, didn’t you? So why on earth did you bring me here?”
“Plus today’s the new semester sale, so the ingredients are even cheaper. I told you earlier it’d be affordable, remember? Let’s hurry inside. Ham’s on special today so if we don’t grab it fast it’ll sell out immediately.”
“Yoon Seha, you %$#&~!! How dare a mere human like you insult a Balrog who serves the Demon King?!”
Hana’s flames roared violently like she was about to launch a meteor at me. Wait, what did I even do wrong? Anyone could tell I was describing the supermarket. How can someone who ranks in the top ten of the entire school not understand a simple metaphor like that?!
No matter how much I complain in my head, once Hana gets this pissed it’s almost impossible to stop her. But this time I’m seriously innocent…
“Um, Miss Lee Hana… I think there might be a misunderstanding…”
“Misunderstanding? You say all that and then try to brush it off as a misunderstanding? Want to go through the full Trial of the Soul one-on-one?”
That would be a disaster. The Trial of the Soul is one of the high-level spells used by demons like Balrogs. From what I read in books, it pulls out your soul and shows you hyper-realistic illusions to train your mind. But while it’s called training, plenty of people have ended up as total wrecks after taking it.
I should just be honest and tell Hana I’m sorry. I never imagined a simple metaphor would snowball this badly.
“Haa… Sorry, Hana. I didn’t mean to, but it looks like I made you misunderstand. Still, since you made breakfast, I wanted to cook dinner for you.”
The moment I said I’d cook myself, Hana’s tail perked up slightly. Oh, this is working. Think fast, Yoon Seha. Survive the demon.
“I was planning to make army stew—your favorite.”
‘Twitch twitch.’
“Hmm… The menu choice isn’t bad.”
Hana pulled back her flames and folded the wings she had spread wide like she was about to devour me.
“Ham’s on sale, so I was gonna load the stew with tons of it, plus plenty of cheese and macaroni.”
Her tail started swishing up and down again.
“How spicy are you making the stew…?”
She crossed her arms, narrowed one eye, and kept questioning me.
“Obviously at the level of the scorching hellfire from the Balrogs’ homeland, the Infernal Zone. Let’s grab a whole bag of green chili peppers at the mart too.”
Monsters from extreme heat or volcanic regions like Flame Demons or Balrogs tend to love spicy food. And Korea is practically famous for its spicy cuisine, so it makes sense that a lot more of those monsters live here compared to other countries.
“Phew… Fine, fine. I was the one who misunderstood, so I’ll let it go. It’d be bad if you turned into a half-wit from the Trial of the Soul… I wouldn’t get to eat the army stew you make yourself.”
“Ugh… That really was a dangerous moment.”
“You know deceiving a demon is worse than throwing your life away, right~? You made this delicate girl’s heart misunderstand, so you’re going to pay the full price. But for now—yap! Let’s go shopping, Seha.”
This time Hana naturally linked her arm with mine. Looks like her mood really has improved. I guess I’ll have to keep her company while we shop. Everything’s fine, but please stop poking my shoulder with your horn. It hurts more than you think.
After shopping at the mart for the ingredients to make army stew for dinner, we left.
“Didn’t we buy way more than what I originally planned?”
“But I used the coupons in my wallet, so it was actually cheaper than expected, right?”
“Price isn’t the issue. The problem is that we bought so much my arms are shaking. I guess this counts as muscle training for today.”
“You’re a growing high school boy, so use some strength~! You should at least be stronger than a delicate girl like me!”
“You’re saying that while remembering you’re the descendant of a Balrog who used to be the Demon King’s personal guard captain? This is discrimination against humans, you demon girl!”
“Yeah yeah~ I can’t hear you~ The subway’s almost here. I’m going down first~”
Hana stuck her tongue out at me cheekily and dashed ahead to the subway gate. Seriously… I wonder who’ll ever take this willful demon girl. Whoever her future boyfriend is, I feel bad for him.
“Hey~! The subway’s really coming! Stop walking and run, Yoon Seha~!”
She really never gives me a break. I adjusted my grip on the shopping basket handle and ran after her.
Even though it wasn’t rush hour, the subway was strangely packed. Morning commute time had passed long ago. But when the doors of the arriving train opened, the hellish interior crammed full of people welcomed us with open arms.
It’s only about three stops from the mart to home. Thankfully it’s not that far, so I just have to endure this hell for a little while…
There’s almost no free space right now, so Hana and I are basically pressed together in a hug. Our heights are pretty similar too, so if I’m not careful our noses might touch.
With the shopping basket balanced on my head, I stay glued to Hana as the subway rattles along. Every time the train jolts, our bodies jolt along with it.
Each jolt makes Hana’s soft cushion brush against me. Honestly, it feels good. What can I say? I’m a guy too. Saying it doesn’t feel good would be a lie… But it’s also true that I feel a bit troubled.
I wonder if Hana knows about my complicated feelings right now?
When I looked at her face, she smiled apologetically at me.
“Sorry… The person behind me pushed, so you got pushed too… Kyaa!”
The person behind must have lost their balance, because Hana was pressed even harder against me than before. Her soft, spongy texture squished firmly into me.
This isn’t just brushing anymore—this is full-on squashing… We’re touching. We’re being pressed together.