The weather on Thursday wasn't as good as the past few days. When they woke up, the sky was overcast with no sun in sight. Ryohei quickly checked the weather forecast on the tablet. Thankfully, it was just a cloudy day with no rain predicted. Rain would have been a disaster; their food cart wasn't suited for working in bad weather.

After breakfast, they followed their new routine and went to the market. Ryohei bought a large quantity of high-quality pork loin, fresh cabbage for coleslaw, and special, soft milk bread—shokupan—from a local bakery. It wasn't that he didn't want to buy several days' worth of ingredients at once; the simple fact was that there was no room to store them in Yurine's apartment.

She rented a small, single-person apartment. It was comfortable for one, a bit crowded for two, and with three… well, Ryohei was still sleeping on the living room floor. The living room wasn't very big, either. Last night, Yurine had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and had tripped over him in the dark, falling right on top of him. Ryohei had woken up in a state of pure confusion, thinking for a split second that Yurine was launching a surprise night attack on him. Just as he was debating how to respond, Yurine had scrambled off him in a fluster, bowing deeply in apology.

"Sumimasen! I was going to the bathroom and I tripped…"

What else could Ryohei do but wave his hand and forgive her?

His thoughts returned to the present. He looked at Yurine, who was carrying a large bag of cabbages and other items. "By the way," he asked, "any idea when my ID might be ready?" It had been a few days.

"I'm not sure. I can ask about it later," Yurine replied, turning to look at him.

Jashin-chan, who was shouldering a heavy bag of pork loin while also carrying other ingredients, glanced over. "Are you going to move out once you get your ID?"

"Yeah," Ryohei nodded, though to be honest, he was reluctant to leave. Living with a pretty university student, not having to do any chores besides cooking because Jashin-chan handled everything, getting to soak in Yurine's leftover bathwater every night… He felt like if things continued this way, his relationship with Yurine could really develop into something.

Yurine was a great girl. She was beautiful, had amazing skin, always smelled nice, and was adorably petite… which, in its own way, was definitely a plus.

Oh no! a thought struck Ryohei with the force of a lightning bolt. I've become a lolicon!

The environment really can change a person. He used to be more into older, onee-san types…

Hearing Ryohei confirm he would move out, Yurine felt a wave of unhappiness, even though she knew it was coming. Was it because she wouldn't be able to eat his Glowing Cuisine for breakfast anymore? Or was it because if he moved out, they would see each other less, and he might find someone else to help with his stall, meaning she'd lose her easy, high-paying side job? She didn't know the reason, only that her mood had suddenly soured.

A dark spiritual aura, invisible to normal humans, suddenly erupted from her body, making Jashin-chan, who was walking beside her, jump in fright.

Is Yurine… happy or angry right now? Jashin-chan wondered, staring at her in bewilderment. She had seen Yurine emit this same black aura when she was in a good mood and when she was in a bad mood, so it was impossible to tell. Jashin-chan, who had been about to ask if she could move in with Ryohei, wisely kept her mouth shut. It was best to stay quiet at times like these.

Ryohei couldn't see the dark aura, but he noticed Jashin-chan's reaction and thought it was a bit odd. He didn't dwell on it, instead turning to Yurine. "I noticed that the apartment next to yours, Room 201, doesn't have a nameplate on the door. Is it empty?"

"Yes," Yurine said, a flash of anticipation in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Well then, once my ID is sorted out, I'll just rent the place next door," Ryohei suggested. "Or, how about we all find a bigger place and become roommates? We can split the rent and utilities, AA-style." He said it in a joking tone. The truth was, this world was too dangerous. With man-eating Ghouls hiding in the seemingly peaceful city, he needed Yurine and Jashin-chan's protection until he was strong enough to defend himself. Of course, he also just really wanted to keep living with them.

"Roommates?" Yurine was tempted; it sounded like a good idea. After a moment of feigned composure, she nodded. "Okay. The three of us can split everything. To be honest, I'd worry about you if you moved out on your own…"

"Chotto matte!" Jashin-chan cut in, looking shocked. "The three of us, AA? That includes me?"

"Yes," Yurine said, looking at her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You're earning more money than I am now. You can't expect me to keep supporting you, can you?" The night before, Yurine had made 7,000 yen, while Jashin-chan had made 10,000. And the night before that, Jashin-chan had also earned more.

"Ah… but, you're the one who summoned me here and got me stuck, you jerk! Shouldn't you be responsible for me?" Jashin-chan argued, gritting her teeth.

"If you put it that way…" Yurine tilted her head, then her tone shifted. "Then as my familiar, it would also be perfectly reasonable for you to give all of your earnings to me, your master, right?"

"W-What?!" Jashin-chan was horrified, staring at Yurine with a look that said, How could you have such an evil thought? "No way! That's my hard-earned money!"

"Everything a familiar possesses belongs to its master! And I reserve all rights of interpretation on this matter!" Yurine said, a pleased smile gracing her lips.

"Even the demonic loan sharks in the Demon World aren't that cruel!" Jashin-chan shrieked.

So that's the Demon World equivalent of a fantasy loan shark, Ryohei thought.

"Anyway, I don't accept!" Jashin-chan yelled.

Yurine didn't push it. She was just kidding; she wasn't actually going to take Jashin-chan's money. The topic was dropped… or so it seemed.

"Ahem!" Jashin-chan turned to Ryohei with a serious expression. "You heard her, right? As my familiar, you should be giving all your earnings to me. It's only reasonable! In fact, it's completely unreasonable for me, your summoner, to be working for you in the first place!"

This girl! Ryohei was so amused he could only laugh. She was already trying to exploit him? Talk about learning fast!

"If you wouldn't accept that deal from her, why should I accept it from you?" Ryohei said, rolling his eyes. "Ever heard of the Golden Rule? 'Do not impose on others what you do not desire for yourself'."

"Nope, never," Jashin-chan said, shaking her head with a wicked grin. "The only rule I've heard is: accept what is beneficial to you, and loudly reject what is not!"

"...There's a certain logic to that, but coming from you, it just sounds all kinds of wrong."

"Not at all! Just remember to give me your money when we get home!" Jashin-chan insisted.

Ryohei just rolled his eyes and ignored her. Jashin-chan, having been rebuffed, let out a dramatic sigh.

"It's not easy being a demon these days!"

Life's tough, Jashin-chan sighs.