Chapter 27: Ulterior Motive

"You? Help other people? Were you going to charge me a fee or something?"

Angelie covered her mouth as she was starting to laugh.

"N-no! Why would I do that?!"

Akuma stomped his foot.

"Whatever. You can go home now."

Angelie stood up and went to the box they dropped earlier. It was now on the ground. She tried to lift it off the ground to no avail.

"The weak should just shut up and obey the strong."

Akuma grabbed the other side of the box and the two of them were able to finally lift the box. Angelie looked at Akuma and then let out a sigh. They started to move towards the stairs leading up to the rooms on the second floor of the apartment complex.

"So, you're supposed to be the strong one?"

Angelie was the one going up the stairs first.

"Of course, as it was like before."

Akuma was the one on the lower end of stairs while carrying the box.

"But you can't even lift this box on your own. If I leave it to you, you'll just collapse again."

There were six total rooms in the apartment complex. Three rooms on the ground floor and three rooms on the second floor. Angelie was leading them to the farthest room from the stairs on the second floor.

"Just shut up about that collapsing thing already! Those are just calculated risks included in my grand plan."

Akuma and Angelie finally dropped the heavy box inside the room. Akuma gasped for air as he had his hands on his knees while bending forward. Angelie had her hands on her hips as she caught her breath while looking up.

"Now that we're done with this… You can really go home. I don't want to owe you more than I have to…"

Angelie was still catching her breath.

"How many boxes… are left?"

Akuma looked up at Angelie.

"There are five left downstairs… And you don't have to worry about that. Because you'll be going home—"

Akuma walked towards the door of the apartment.

"Move your lazy ass so we can get this over with."

"Listen to me! Go home already!"

Angelie chased after Akuma as he went outside of the room.

---

The two of them finished putting the boxes inside Angelie's apartment. Most of the remaining boxes weren't as heavy as the one they carried together, so it went faster than they anticipated. Akuma sat down on the floor while catching his breath. He was beside a small square table in the middle of the room. The kitchen and sink were directly connected to the living room area. There were no chairs inside. One was expected to sit on the floor. There was a sliding door on the right side of the room, which served as a bedroom. Another door was beside it which was the toilet and bath.

Angelie was standing in front of the sink. She had her back turned on Akuma. After a while, she brought a glass of cold tea to the table beside Akuma.

"Here, drink this."

"Huh, so you do know some hospitality—"

"And wait for me, I'll step out for a while."

Angelie quickly walked out of the apartment.

"Hey! Why are you leaving me here?!"

Akuma quickly drank the tea and let out a heavy sigh.

---

Angelie stepped out of a convenience store that was close to her apartment. She was carrying a plastic bag with two bento inside. She started to walk back to the direction of her apartment where she left Akuma.

"What is that moronic Demon Lord thinking? If he really didn't know it was me, was he really trying to… help someone? And even when he knew it was me, he still helped me. Why?"

She shook her head and breath out a weak sigh as she walked briskly.

(He's just trying to get me indebted to him. That's just it! There is no other logical reason for him to help me.)

Angelie reached the apartment complex and went up the stairs. When she reached the hallway leading to her apartment, she saw Akuma standing outside of the room. He was leaning on the railing.

"Why are you standing out here?"

Angelie stood beside Akuma.

"The heck? What if your parents came home and saw me all alone in there? I would've been reported as a thief or much worse!"

Akuma glared at Angelie.

"You ARE much worse."

Angelie averted her gaze and went straight to the door to open it.

"Why, you—"

"But my parents won't be coming home. Anyway, come back inside. I, at least, owe you dinner. Hurry up before I regret this."

Angelie went inside the room and set up the food she bought on top of the small table. Akuma scratched the back of his head and went inside then closed the door behind him.

"So, what do you mean by they won't be coming home?"

Akuma sat on the floor in front of a bento box on top of the table. Angelie placed her bento on the other side of the table. She first got cups of tea and placed them on the table before sitting down across Akuma.

"I live alone."

Angelie answered casually as she started eating from the bento.

"Eh? The esteemed Saint got kicked out or something?"

Akuma also started eating while also looking directly at Angelie.

"Not that you care, but my parents went to live in France. My mom is French. They wanted to take me with them but… I decided to live on my own. I wanted to try doing something on my own terms without anyone saying what I could and should do…"

Angelie stared at the bento she was holding.

"So, you're in your rebellious phase."

Akuma was done with his food. He placed the bento on top of the table and said thanks for the food.

"It's more than that! You're such a simpleton that you won't understand anything, anyway!"

Angelie loudly dropped her bento on the table.

"Well, there is one thing I do understand."

Akuma started picking his ear as he stood up.

"What…?"

Angelie glared at Akuma.

"That you really can't cook. You had to buy food because you're too ashamed to let my exquisite palate critique your assuredly terrible cooking!"

Akuma then evaded the plastic covering of the bento that Angelie hurled at his face.

"Just when I thought there was more to you than just being the Demon Lord!"

Angelie clenched her fist and held it near her face.

"Well, that's your fault. I just wanted to make you indebted to me!"

(I knew it!)

Angelie finally stood up.

"Well, don't forget you owe me. Bye!"

Akuma dashed towards out the door and ran down the stairs.

"Don’t ever come back!"

Angelie rushed over to the railings and shouted at the fleeing Akuma.

After running for a while, Akuma finally stopped and caught his breath. He looked around at his surroundings.

"Crap. How do I get home?"

---

A few days passed and the Help club continued to assist the Gardening club in their activities. Angelie was able to help them since the day Akuma saw her in her new apartment. They were now at the stage of planting new flowers and plants in the garden and other areas inside the school grounds. She was assigned together with Kiba, Mimi and Sanaka at the back of the school building.

"So, guys. I've noticed that we've always been assigned far away from the members of the Gardening Club. Did something happen when I wasn't able to come to school?"

Angelie was digging on the ground using a trowel.

"Nothing happened in particular that I can explicitly remember."

Kiba dropped some seeds on the hole Angelie dug. He was laughing at her question.

"Mimi-san? Sanaka-san?"

Angelie looked at Mimi and Sanaka who were doing the same process on a separate plot of soil.

"Well, Kiba-kun complained to Kusabana-senpai about being assigned so far away from the Gardening Club members. She didn't want to tell us but she thought the other members felt 'uncomfortable' around him. No one actually complained to the club president but Kusabana-senpai noticed that the girls stopped working when they see him. So, she came up with that conclusion."

Mimi covered the hole on the ground after Sanaka dropped the seeds inside it.

"I mean, I heard some female students talking about someone in the Help club that they should look out for. They were probably members of the Gardening Club or they know someone from the club. Rumors can really spread like wildfire, and more so for negative ones."

Sanaka watered the spot Mimi just covered up.

"What the hell is this? I'm just not around and you end up with negative rumors already?"

Akuma appeared behind Sanaka.

"Well, it's not yet sure that these are negative rumors, you know?"

Kiba forced a grin at Akuma.

"What are you going to do if it further damages my reputation—"

"Oh, good. You're here, Jizen-kun. I need to talk to you about something."

Niwa suddenly showed up behind Akuma. He turned around to look at her.

"Yes, Kusabana-senpai…? What can I do for you—"

"I'm thankful for all the help you've given us. But starting tomorrow, we would like to stop asking for your assistance."

Niwa bowed at everyone. All the members of the Help club had their mouths wide open.