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Pen in hand, Choromatsu skimmed the contents of the page, anxiously scribbling his signature before moving onto the next. Documents were scattered all over the carpet, the warm rays of the setting sun seeping through the open window and giving the room an orange hue. On such a homely, mellow day like this, it was anyone's best guess as to why the NEET was in a hurry to finish his stack of paperwork instead of soaking up the sun.
Oh, right. That thing opposite him was the reason he was so apprehensive.
Sprawled over the table was a creature with a fierce, penetrating stare that locked onto Choromatsu, observing every little twitch of his hand. His crimson eyes darted back and forth in time with the pen movement, and when the green-clad man went to grab another piece from the pile, he'd switch his gaze towards him instead. He refused to make eye-contact back, but by his shaky body language and frantic movements, he knew that he was aware of his overworldly presence. In fact, this wasn't the first time the being had decided to drop by his old pal Choro's place, and it certainly wouldn't be his last.
"Cho-ro-ma-tsu~!"
Piercing through the almost-eerie silence with a jovial taunt, the beast's serious expression shifted into a much brighter one. The corners of his mouth began to curl and his tail perked up, as did his overall demeanour. Choromatsu sighed. He knew that once that devil started talking, there was no escape from the fresh hell that awaited him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared his thoughts for an emotionally draining evening.
"Osomatsu. What are you doing here?"
His tone was harsh, blunt, he didn't want Osomatsu to be here, not now of all times, like that was going to stop him. The devil in a cyan suit would often drop by, emerging from below the surface. At first he insisted he was only here to take his soul, but it was easy to tell that the demon had taken a liking to the frog-like individual, opting to spare him in exchange for annoying him every once in a while.
Choromatsu, despite not being the most welcoming of the idea, didn't exactly try to repent Osomatsu. It wasn't like he had other company anyway.
Preparing to answer the man's question, Osomatsu gave him a cheeky grin and subtly moved his head closer to the human's.
"Ehh? What do you mean? I just wanted to visit my favorite puny mortal, ahehe~☆"
How did he do that with his mouth? Choromatsu thought to himself. His laugh was infectious, but there was no way he'd ever admit that to the figure slumping opposite him.
"Right, right, of course... Say, I'm kind of busy right now, would you mind buzzing off and annoying someone else?"
Once again, he was deflective in his tone, but deep down he enjoyed the company. Somewhat. Regardless of whether he wanted to spend time with the creature from below, he did have some important paperwork to be filling out, and not just his regular old taxes. Something different. Something crushing.
"Aww, you're no fun! Can't you take a liiiitle break to spend some time with your old pal? I could steal your wallet again and we could gamble it all away!"
Fear replaced the annoyance in Choromatsu's eyes, and a fire was kindled in its place.
"Absolutely not! Y-you're a devil, for crying out loud! You take souls, not people's wallets! Do you know how much my internet bill is? Do you know the pain of having to download one of Nyaa-chan's concerts? Do you? Do you!?"
The flame burned within his pupils, dancing around as Osomatsu gazed, mesmerised. He knew that Choro was prone to outbursts, particularly ones regarding his interests, but being barked at by someone like him only came across as comedic instead of intimidating.
Instead of coming back with another snarky remark, Osomatsu let out a sigh of defeat and turned his head, opting to look out the open window instead. The weather was mild, warm enough to not get cold but not humid enough to get uncomfortable. A breeze wafted through the air, occasionally floating through the room before swiftly leaving as fast as it came. It was evenings like these where the sun set over the horizon that made Osomatsu envy Choromatsu's easy ordinary life. Instead of stealing the life force of those whose time had come, he dreamed of a life doing ordinary things like filing taxes in an ordinary city situated within an ordinary world.
Speaking of taxes, why was Choromatsu so insistent in getting these taxes done? Were they even taxes? It just looked like a giant stack of paperwork to Osomatsu... Then again, he couldn't read.
He made a joke about it, but it was little things like being unable to read human script, or eat human food, or just, be human that reduced his regular, toothy grin to a solemn, longing smile. It was gentle, and he felt his face transform into one as his mind raced, something that his favorite human picked up on.
"Hmm? Oi, what's up with you now?"
Brought back to this world by a calmed down virgin with rage, he allowed himself to let his guard down and wallow in this mysterious feeling, just for a little longer.
"What's it like living in this world?"
The smartly dressed devil's piercing question shattered the casual human's wall too, a look of combined surprise and question spreading across his face. He pursed his lips together for a moment, and let go of his ballpoint pen as he began to reply.
"I guess... it's normal. Well, not for you, but life is simple. It's easy. That's why even if I'm still a, uh, worthless NEET, I can find joy in the little aspects. Aspects like... watching this sunset..."
He could sense his unease at the question, not like he could be blamed; Osomatsu always had this aura about him, one that screamed 'whatever happens, happens'. He was always so free-spirited; he just never seemed to care. But, this? Was this really Osomatsu? Was he seeing a bit of the real Osomatsu begin to release himself from the shackles of his heavy heart?
Whatever the case, Choromatsu felt as if he understood his friend just a little more.
And then, they sat. Gazing out the window. Silently watching the sun go down. It was a mystical moment. Not just because of the atmosphere, but because the ordinary man saw through his fiery façade and got a glimpse into his glass heart, just for a second. The silence this time wasn't eerie, nor was it foreboding, it was peaceful. Choromatsu just wanted to peacefully fill out those sheets, and while it didn't go as he expected, this peace and tranquillity was what he truly desired. In exchange for sharing this precious moment with him, the younger man fumbled around for a bit, before gathering a new pile of paperwork and gently placing it by the motionless devil. Confused, he looked up at Choro, who gave him a nod of approval in return.
Previously so reflective, it seemed that being able to share secrets with his only friend restored him back to his usual, happy-go-lucky self. Clutching the sheet, he sounded out each syllable, attempting to make sense of this nonsense language.
"Fuune.... ehhh.. fune?"
Choromatsu leaned over to correct him.
"It says, 'funeral'. I've been organising one for my four brothers."