Chapter 6: The Girl Who Lives With Me (and Might Heal More Than Just Wounds)
When Eiji opened his door and saw Amane with a suitcase, his brain shut off.
"Are you serious?" he asked, blinking like he'd just walked into an alternate timeline.
Amane tilted her head. "About?"
"You just said you're moving in to care for me."
She nodded calmly. "Yes. I informed the club president that you're still recovering, so I'll be monitoring you from now on."
Eiji's eye twitched. "No, I meant—are you okay with it?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked innocently.
"I mean..." He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're a guy and a girl… living together... under one roof..."
"So?" she said flatly.
"So?!" he squawked. "You know what I'm trying to say! What if I—I mean, something happens and I…"
Amane smiled sweetly. "Are you saying you're a bad person, Eiji?"
That response pierced what was left of his ego like a holy sword.
He slumped back, sighing in defeat. "No… I'm saying I've already lost the argument."
"Good. I'll be moving in now."
And just like that, Amane Shirayuki officially moved into the devil-possessed apartment of Eiji Kuroryuu.
The Next Morning
Eiji blinked awake, nose twitching.
Smells… delicious smells?
He jumped out of bed, only to freeze at the doorway.
Amane stood in his tiny kitchen, dressed in one of his oversized shirts and an apron. Her hair was tied up, and she hummed softly as she flipped eggs.
"I'm dreaming," Eiji mumbled. "This is a trap. A holy woman's trap. I'm gonna wake up with a spear in my gut."
Amane turned. "Oh, good morning."
He backed up. "Stay back. You're too cute. I haven't emotionally recovered yet."
She blinked. "Sit. Breakfast's ready."
He sat. And for the first time in years, Eiji felt… warmth. Not from food. From the weird peace settling over his usually chaotic head.
Is this what it feels like to have someone care for you?
He took a bite and said, "Are you sure you're not an angel?"
Amane chuckled. "You already know the answer to that."
Later That Day –
Eiji yawned as he pushed open the bathroom door, shirt half on. Saying, "I think I'm gonna shower for—"
And then he saw her.
Wrapped in only a towel. Hair damp. Drying it in the mirror.
Their eyes met. The towel slipped slightly.
"GYAHH!! I'M SORRY!!" Eiji yelled, spinning around and slamming the door shut so fast he nearly broke his wrist.
A few seconds of silence.
"You could have knocked," she said calmly from the other side.
"I thought I lived alone until 18 hours ago!"
"You should adjust quicker."
He sighed. "At this point, just kill me. I've seen the gates of heaven and been kicked back down."
Her soft, embarrassed cough followed. "...Pervert."
Laundry
Eiji leaned against the doorframe, watching Amane fold clothes with care.
She looked so normal. So human.
It hit him like a truck that this girl, who could heal demons and see souls, was now… doing his laundry.
"Hey," he said, scratching his head. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because you need someone," she answered without looking up. "And I wanted to be that someone."
He blinked. "That's way too honest for my defense mechanisms to handle."
She smiled. "Then don't defend."
"...You're dangerous."
Dinner Time
"You need vegetables," Amane said, pointing chopsticks at him.
"I need meat. Protein. Survival fuel."
"Eat the broccoli."
"Broccoli is a demon disguised as a plant."
She shoved it into his mouth while he was mid-whine.
"Mmpphh—betrayal!!"
"You'll thank me later."
"Only if I don't die from green torture first."
That Night –
"I'll sleep on the floor in your room," Amane said matter-of-factly.
"No! That's weird. It's weird, right?"
"The living room is cold and dark."
"...Fine. But no cuddling!"
"I wasn't planning to."
He turned red. "R-right."
A few hours later, Eiji lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
She's sleeping… right over there. A beautiful girl. In my room.
He peeked.
Amane slept peacefully, blanket half-draped, her face illuminated by moonlight. She looked like something out of a painting.
And then… the thoughts came.
Okay, stay calm. Don't think anything weird. Don't be a creep.
...Her collarbone is so delicate.
Damn it, Eiji, control yourself.
He rolled over and slammed his face into the pillow.
"Dying. I'm dying," he whispered into the sheets.
Midnight 12:37 PM
"Eiji?"
He turned. "You're awake?"
"I couldn't sleep."
They started chatting quietly, voices low.
Amane shared her past—how the church raised her until they discovered she couldn't use holy magic. Because of a disease, they thought the gods had forsaken her, and that's why she couldn't use magic, so they abandoned her. After that, she talked about how she met Seraphina, who saw potential where others saw shame, and how grateful she is to Seraphina.
Eiji didn't interrupt. He just listened.
"Do you ever feel like you're not meant to exist?" she asked softly.
He smiled. "Every day. But I decided I'd exist anyway. To piss the universe off."
She laughed. It was soft and genuine.
The Thread of Bond Deepens
Later that night, their fingers brushed beneath the blankets.
A faint warmth spread between them.
The Thread of Bond shimmered silently—no visions—just… peace.
Eiji didn't move his hand.
Amane smiled faintly in her sleep.
He whispered, "Why do I feel I need to protect you… When you're the one healing me?"
Next Morning – At School
Eiji strolled toward school, still half-asleep.
"Yo!"
He yelped as a kick slammed into his back.
He turned to see his two friends grinning like wolves.
"You've been walking to school with the first-year goddess?"
"What the hell, man?! Who even are you?"
"I—It's not like that!" Eiji stammered. "She's just... helping me recover!"
"Oh? So she's nursing you now?"
"N-not in that way!!"
"Rumors are already flying. Some third-years saw her come out of your apartment. In your shirt."
Eiji turned purple.
"I—! She—! That was for laundry!"
"Right, right. 'Laundry.' That's what we're calling it now."
"I hate you both."
And just like that, his peaceful domestic arc turned into a romcom disaster.
End of Chapter 6