"So, what's up with you?"
"Huh?"
"I said what's up with you? There's obviously something on your mind."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well for one, you are placing the front desk pencils into the flower arrangement."
Looking at the vase in front of her, the silver-haired female realizes that that is exactly what she was doing.
"...Damn. Sorry, Mrs. Hayashi." She immediately begins pulling the writing utensils out of the flowers.
"Come on, Aiko. What's wrong? You look exhausted."
"........"
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"No, it's not that. It's just...I'm just really worried, so it's a little hard to talk about. My boyfriend is in the hospital, with a pretty serious illness. And I haven't slept in two days."
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"
"No, I can't do that. I need the money."
"Relax, you are always a harder worker if not the most hardworking employee I have. Consider it an early Christmas gift."
"...Thank you, Mrs. Hayashi. I promise I'll make it up to you somehow."
"Don't worry about it dearie, just go be with him."
With a faint, sad smile, Aiko hurried her way to the back of the store to collect her things before darting out through the front doors. Before she goes to the train station, she has to make a quick stop at a friend's place.
Solemnly, the girl walks through the pure, white hallways of the building reeking of antiseptic and sterilization. Her thumb comfortingly rubbing against the small, terracotta pot in her hands that contains the little form of life.
As her gaze flickers every so often to the numbers hung up next to every door she passes, she keeps an eye out for a specific one.
When she finally finds the right room and turns the knob to enter it, she was greeted with something she didn't expect.
"Maou?"
The dark-haired male looks up at her from the chair he was seated in, sympathy evidently filling his crimson irises.
"Aiko, I thought you were working," He stands.
"I could say the same to you. What are you-" Cutting herself off, Aiko finally realizes what is off about the room she just entered.
"...Where's Hara?"
His bed was gone.
And it took a few hesitant seconds for the Devil King to speak.
"...I got a call a few hours ago, saying I needed to sign off on some paperwork for him since I'm his guardian and all."
The female's grip tightens slightly on the pot in her hands.
"And?" She urges him to continue.
Rubbing the back of his neck, he does so.
"The papers were for consent for surgery."
"...Surgery?" Her voice lowers.
"I'm sorry Aiks. Lucifer...Went into kidney failure."
The world stops for the young woman.
Her eyes widen.
Her breathing hitches in her throat.
Her knees were buckling.
YOU ARE READING
•Black Sheep• || The Devil is a Part Timer || Urushihara / Lucifer
Fanfiction"Definition of 'Black Sheep': a disfavored or disreputable member of a group. A black sheep stands out from the rest of the flock." • Leaving Ente Isla when Satan himself had retreated, just like her mother had warned her, what was an abominable...
