Enter: Akuma

Yumi had always been unpredictable. That was something both Kikidori and Ere'ana had accepted a long time ago. But today, as Yumi walked into the dining hall with a guy by her side, even Kikidori raised an eyebrow.

"Mom, Dad," Yumi started, flashing her signature confident smirk. "This is Akuma, my boyfriend."

Kikidori, seated with his legs propped up on the table as usual, didn't even look fazed. He glanced lazily at Akuma, noting his tall, lean build and jet-black hair. The guy looked every bit like he belonged in hell. Kikidori shrugged and said, "Cool."

Ere'ana, however, froze mid-bite. Her angelic nature immediately set her on edge. Her eyes flicked to Akuma, taking in his slightly sharp features, crimson eyes, and the small horns that peeked out from under his hair. "Your name is… Akuma?"

"Yes, ma'am," Akuma replied politely, bowing slightly out of respect.

"You do realize that means demon, right?" Ere'ana said, narrowing her eyes.

Akuma nodded, his tone calm. "Yes, ma'am. I'm fully aware."

Kikidori snorted, finally putting his fork down. "What'd you expect, Ere'ana? We live in hell. Not like his name was gonna be something angelic like Michael or Gabriel."

Ere'ana shot him a look. "That's not the point, Kikidori." She turned back to Akuma. "Why do you want to date my daughter?"

Akuma didn't flinch under Ere'ana's scrutiny. "Because I care about her," he said simply. "And I respect her. I think she's amazing, and I want to be there for her."

Yumi rolled her eyes. "Mom, seriously. Don't give him the third degree. Dad doesn't care, so why do you?"

"Because unlike your father, I actually have standards," Ere'ana snapped, glaring at Kikidori.

"Standards?" Kikidori said with a smirk. "You married me, didn't you?"

Ere'ana groaned, rubbing her temples. "That's not the point." She turned back to Akuma, who was standing silently, still calm despite the tension.

"Listen," Ere'ana said, her tone softening just slightly. "Yumi is my daughter. I love her, and I want what's best for her. If you hurt her, I don't care if we're in hell—I will find a way to make you regret it. Understand?"

Akuma nodded solemnly. "I understand, ma'am."

"Good," Ere'ana said, leaning back in her chair. "You have my… tentative approval. But don't make me regret it."

Yumi grinned, grabbing Akuma's hand. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Ere'ana sighed, shaking her head. "I'm still not thrilled about his name, though."

"Mom, I'm a full demon," Yumi said, exasperated. "What did you expect me to date? An angel?"

Ere'ana opened her mouth to respond but paused, realizing she didn't have a good answer. "Fine," she muttered.

Kikidori chuckled. "See, Ere'ana? Told you it's not a big deal."

Ere'ana glared at him. "You're the reason she's so reckless, you know that?"

"And you're the reason Kael is so emotional," Kikidori shot back with a smirk.

As the two bickered, Akuma leaned over to Yumi and whispered, "Are they always like this?"

Yumi laughed softly. "You have no idea."

From his crib in the corner, Kael babbled loudly, his mismatched wings fluttering as if he wanted to be part of the conversation. Kikidori glanced over and grinned. "See? Even Kael approves."

Ere'ana rolled her eyes. "Kael doesn't even know what's going on."

"Sure he does," Kikidori said. "Kid's smarter than he looks."

Akuma chuckled softly, earning a small smile from Yumi. Despite Ere'ana's initial resistance, it seemed Akuma was starting to fit in—at least for now.

The End of Chapter 16