Chapter 2: Returning the Favour

As Anthony recovers from his bad cold, he thinks he can return to his regular life. Little did he know that his guardian 'angel' would return and demand that he recompense her for her work caring for him.

Chapter 2: Returning the Favour

Caring for a human wasn't as complicated as she thought it would be. First, she had to take stock of the situation. It was clear that he wasn't in any position to talk since she was an angel as far as he was concerned; a statement she would forever deny made her warm in the cheeks.

Then again, it wasn't like she could talk to him even if he was lucid, so she couldn't ask him questions. Still, based on what she had seen, she could be sure the human hadn't seen a healer, a quick look around his admittable lovely apartment showed that he must have eaten breakfast since there was a mug and bowl in the sink, still needing to be washed. In contrast, he did have meds in the bathroom, she was unfamiliar with most of them, but at least knew that one was an antibiotic. Another was an immune system booster, that should help fight a cold, right?

Moving around his room, she cringed at the mess of tissues he had everywhere. 'Look on the bright side, Mizuki. The rest of the place is clean, so he's not normally a slob.’ She thought to herself, but that didn’t stop the slimy feeling from working down her back when she saw that even his bedsheets were covered in snot.

She needed to clean this place; if for no other reason, then she might kill him to wash her hands of it. Only issue? She might have been a youkai, but that didn't mean she was super strong, and he was a big guy. She wouldn't be surprised if he had at least 25kgs on her. Halfway through, and having dropped him a couple times, she smacked herself in the face when she realized she didn't need to lug him around. Instead, she uttered a quirk chant in a language foreign to human tongue and ears and, with a simple gesture, picked him up via magic and took him to the living room.

Wrapping him in a spare blanket and turning the heater on, she grabbed an apron, broom, and mop from the closet, took a breath, and went back inside his room to clean the place, regularly checking on her patient as he giggled and babbled as he watched some anime about a little magical boy teaching at an all-girls middle school. It seemed fun. With his room clean and the bedsheets changed, she returned to make him a meal, as even youkai like her healed better when they had a full stomach.

Lucky for her, unlike many young bachelors, his fridge wasn't sparse with just the basics, with plenty in terms of vegetables and some packed meats. When she opened the cabinets, she found he was also well stocked in spices, including all kinds of peppers and chilies. 'Must be an acquired taste.' She thought this was a lot, and most were not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.

Perfect for burning out a cold, she started making some udon, making sure that it would be as hot as she knew how, a reasonable thing when his spice cabinet mainly stuff that made things hot; seriously, what the hell was that all about? 20 minutes later, she walked over to where he was still giggling at the TV, no doubt hardly understanding what was happening and just appreciating the bright colors. She nudged his shoulder, and when he looked over to her, she held up the tray with his bowl of Stir-Fried Spicy Garlic Udon Noodles and water.

"That smells delicious. Is that angel food?" He asked her, his delirious mind no doubt making him say the dumbest things. She blushed at his idiotic compliment before she set the food down, directing him to eat as he kept smiling at her, making her feel a little uncomfortable; that smile turned to confusion as he cocked his head to the side. "You're not going to eat?"

She sighed, really? He was sick as a dog and unable to even identify that she wasn't an angel; she was meant to be one of the furthest things from that. 'What is up with this human. He gets a hot meal made for him, and he's more concerned that I'm not eating?' She wondered if she made the right call trying to take his soul. But alas, her stomach answered for her as it audibly groaned. The sound crashed through the entire space, even louder than the characters on TV fighting some witch or something.

Mizuki's face went from its usual deathly pale to as red as her victim's blood. Why, oh, why did her stomach have to do that? She was already outside her comfort zone, getting this human back on his feet; he didn't need to hear that from her!

Anthony laughed, but…it wasn’t mocking or derisive; it was more humor that could only be born from a light-hearted sense of respect and affection for another. "I knew it; angels DO need to eat." She blushed even harder at that; being constantly referred to as an angel and not by someone trying to get into her pants was a bit of a trip. "Well, I don't think I have angel food, but we have people's food? What to share?" Anthony offered a smile filled with teeth, holding his bowl like it was no big deal.

Of course, if this was any other time, she would have refused for several reasons, as you didn't just share food with a stranger, and when a man and a woman did it, that had implications that she was damn sure he should know! But her stomach spoke for her yet again, and with her flash still flushed, she went and quickly grabbed her own chopsticks as she might share his meal, but she wasn't going to use the same pair as him.

When she sat, Anthony beamed at her, which made it hard to stay angry with this goofball as they started to eat the meal; Mizuki needed to eat slowly as she went all out on the spicy because she didn't think she'd eat it. Her human patient had no such qualms as he happily bunched on the food, like a child enjoying their favorite food. She wasn't used to seeing humans this happy up close, but she didn't hate it. "Your cooking is almost as good as Mom's; it must be that angel skills because I can't get food to taste this good!" He laughed before taking more of the udon, not noticing how his compliments left her gaping.

Mercy came for her heart as they finished the food. She refused to see it as 'their' as that was couple stuff, and they weren't a couple! She was just being merciful and shining some aid on a human in need, nothing more!

As she washed the dishes, she noted the time. She had entered when it was a little past 4 in the afternoon, and now it was approaching 8. She had to finish up and leave as she wasn't expecting to be out this long. Getting her human up, she directed him to the bathroom as there was no way in hell she was letting him use the fresh bedsheets she laid out while still smelling sick. When he looked at it, confused with a distant look in his eye, she worried she would have to sponge bath him. "Oh, don't worry about me, angel. I can use the tub instead of the shower." She breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped inside, having the sense to not start stripping where she could see him.

When he came out 30 minutes later, his body covered by a fluffy red bathrobe, she was mushing something together by the kitchen. Stumbling over, he smelled a lot better than he did before and looked at what she was grinding together in the bowl. "Is this how magic potions are made? Do you need some holy water? Mother sent me one the other day you could use." She grunted in response, as, in truth, she just popped back to her place and grabbed some herbs and roots that she knew how to work with.

Once she was finished grinding it all into a fine enough powder, she brewed it into tea and handed him a cup. Sniffing it, he gagged as he turned his head away. "Gross, that smells like wet dog!" She glared at him for that comment, as he might love his mother, but so did she, and if he wished to keep his organs unstabbed, he would do well to respect. Despite his dislike for her herbal tea, she forced him to drink it, and once he did so, she directed him to bed.

Anthony wasn't sure how much of the day had gone by, but part of him felt like it had been a fun time. The silent angel had remained with him the entire time; they had a hot meal together and watched…something on the TV. Sure, she made that terrible-smelling and tasting magic potion, but she hadn't done anything terrible to him, so why not give it a chance. Now he was back in bed, the place smelling better than it was before-she must have used a spell on the place.

With Mizuki, she didn't know how she would describe the day, as she had planned to do what she usually did. Enter an unsuspecting human's home, brutally extract his soul, and leave before selling it to a soul's broker, then return home to relax till another target is found. At no point did she think she would play nurse to a human, no matter how handsome he was. But now, with the sun long set and the human falling asleep, she still smiled as she reached a hand for his cheek, stroking it, noting the feint facial hair. Yeah, this was a man's face that could grow a beard.

He leaned into her touch again, but soon, he dozed off. Giving him one last smile, she got up and made her exit, waving her hand to magically remove any trace that she was ever there. All except one.

Line Break

Anthony felt the sun's light on his eyes, irritating him as he turned away from it, but the ray of light warmed the back of his head, calling him from the world of dreams. Groaning as he got up, he rubbed his eyes to remove the crust that had formed. "Man, that was a shitty day. I must have slept through the entire day." He thought aloud, looking at the digital clock to see that it was 6:30 in the morning.

Taking a breath through his nose, he was happy that his sinuses were clear and that his head didn't feel like it was perpetually getting split open by an axe-wielding murderer. Though there were some strange things. Looking around, his room was clean, though he was sure that wouldn't be the case with all the tissues he used; he didn't even see the used tissue boxes. Even his beddings and PJs differed from what he was sure he had been wearing.

"What the hell?" He didn't have anyone that could have swung by; he made sure his roommate turned in his key, checking his bedside drawer, and he saw it was right where he left it. When he got up and checked the front door, the thing was still locked with his key still in the slot. The same was valid with the windows, all closed except the one in his bedroom and bathroom, but unless his unseen maid was the size of a kindergarten kid, there was no way they could fit in through those windows.

“Maybe…no, it couldn’t be.” He supposed that his dream about an angel caring for him could explain it, but he waved that off as soon as it came up. At least, that was what he would do until he saw something on the kitchen counter. There was one of his plates; on it was a covered cupcake along with a folded note. Now curious, he gently picked up the note and unfolded it to read its contents.

'Get well soon.' Short and to the point. Cracking a smile, he grabbed the cupcake and took a bite, its sweet strawberry flavor gracing his tongue as he let out a happy moan. "Looks like I did have a special visitor. Can't let mother hear about this, or else she'll never let me hear the end of it." He'll tell his mother that he was sick but leave out the part where he was basically out of it for an entire day and that an angel might have visited him.

He should get readyfor now . He was feeling a lot better, so to head over to campus.

Line Break

Anthony went through the morning motions, shaving to ensure his beard wasn't scruffy looking, showering, and then preparing himself a quick breakfast. At this point, he hardly had to think as he did any of it, and in 30 minutes, he was out the door. As it was the middle of June, he decided to dress light, opting for a beige poncho-styled top with a dark collar covered with traditional patterns and a pair of patterned brown, black, and white shorts with the look finished by a pair of brown, and white skater sneakers.

Making sure his wireless earphones were secure, he pulled out his phone, went into his playlist, and set it to shuffle. Once the hard rock beat started in his ear, he made his way down to street level, avoiding the stairs when he saw a wet floor sign set up. Instead, he went for the elevator. He passed by a couple of his neighbors on his way but didn't share a word with them; a few of the older ones avoided him, his passing by them giving a stark contrast in appearance as where they were pale and smaller than him, his large, black-skinned body stuck out like a sore thumb.

Stepping into the elevator, he was joined by one of his neighbours, a young mother of 2. “Good morning.” He stated, pausing his music to properly hear her response.

The more petite woman turned to him, smiling in a way that made him think, not for the first time, that her husband had lucked out when he managed to marry her, as her smile could light up a room. “Good morning, Anthony. Will you be free to tutor Kirigaya tomorrow? You weren’t answering your phone yesterday.” The dark-haired woman asked. The woman was similarly dressed like him, in looser stuff, though much more conservative since her plaid sleeve shirt and blue dress hid her body from view.

Anthony awkwardly laughed as he bowed a little to her. "My apologies, I was laid out with a cold yesterday. But I'm feeling a lot better now. I'll be more than ready to help Kirigaya with his math."

Her smile remained, relieving him that he hadn't upset or worried her too much. She and her family had been nothing but good to him ever since he moved in two years back. "That's good; he's taken a liking to you."

"Same here. The kid has serious talent. If he refines it, he'll be top of his class in no time." Anthony replied, as the 11-year-old was hyper and seemed more interested in games than anything else, but when he put his mind to it, he impressed him with his academic talent.

She nodded, having just as much faith in her eldest as he did. But their elevator talk came to an end when they reached the ground floor, and the doors opened. Stepping out, she offered him a smile as she switched to English. "Lovely, well, I won't keep you."

It was now his turn to smile, as her English was terrible, the sounds coming out either forced or just wrong. Still, he appreciated it all the same that she had decided to learn a second language for his sake. “Have a nice day, Ms. Rika." He also wished her well in English before leaving the apartment grounds and getting to the street. He wasn't in a bad mood, especially after realizing he might have had divine aid while he was out with a cold, but spending time with people like Mrs. Rika always made his day a little bit better, especially when even after having lived in the country for the last decade, going through middle and high school in Japan, he was still a foreigner to most and treated as such.

Shaking his head, he focused more on what he'll need to do when he got to campus, as it might have just been a day, but he believed that all the crazy shit happened when you weren't there. And that was the start of his day, and for the next few days, little happened that was important or unique enough to stick out. He met with his professors and apologized for missing a day. Still, few held him accountable, and he was able to slide back into things with little issue. He hung out with his friends between classes, had lunch, caught up on campus gossip, and went to the gym.

Before he knew it, a week had passed, and his sick day had all but been forgotten. It was because of that that he had no idea that his 'angel' would be returning.

Line Break

“I wonder, should I watch a video essay online, or see if I can’t install that new skyrim mod." He wondered to himself as he sat on his couch, wearing a white vest and shorts and a towel around his shoulders from his shower. He had finished his work for the day and even got a couple of hours' worth of studying, so he was free for the next three hours until he typically went to bed at 10.

Deciding he could have more fun with Skyrim, he reached for the remote to turn the TV off, but something strange happened. As the screen got fuzzy and scratchy, as if there had been a signal issue before, it shifted entirely to white static. Confused, he grabbed the remote and tried to change the settings or maybe enter his streaming services, as it seemed like the cable was out, but nothing worked. Instead, he was in for the scare of his life as a small pale hand shot out from the screen.

"Sweet Jesus!" He jumped to his feet as more of this intruder slowly crawled out, with him backing up till he fell over the sofa, landing on his back and head. Still, ignoring the piercing pain, he stumbled back to his feet, backing away till his back was to the wall. In the time he was panicking and frankly, close to needing to change his pants, she-yes, she had called out from his TV. He might have noticed that she looked familiar if he wasn't so terrified.

"What the hell is this? I didn't watch that stupid movie; I just looked at the memes!" He yelled, wishing he had done what his mother said and kept the Bible and holy water handy; now, it was on the other side of the room, with this Ring-wannabe standing between him and what he hoped was a holy solution.

His breath was uneven, and he started to sweat as he found that he wanted to scream, scream and yell for help from his neighbors, from the cops, from the fucking Ghostbusters if that could. Still, his tongue refused to move, acting like an anchor in his mouth, while his throat constricted, not letting out a peep as he wondered if this was how he died. If he was gonna meet Jesus like this, he hadn't even had the chance to see his whole family in years; the last memory of him they'll have outside Zoom calls would be his primary school photos!

His killer, his reaper of contradictions, brought with her an air of sick and putrid air, the smell of old blood entering his nose from those dirtied hands, hands he was pretty sure that looked dainty, could easily have as much power as a Rhino.

But then she coughed, and that aura of madness and death faded. In fact, Anthony didn't feel nearly as scared for his mortal life as he did a second ago. His tongue felt normal, and his throat was free and clear. Before he could question this, she coughed again into her hand, then sneezed, it coming out like a proper dad sneeze-a gunshot as she wabbled towards his couch and promptly collapsed on it.

He remained still, still unsure of what the hell was happening, but cautiously moved towards her, the demon girl coughing and sneezing now and then, gently pushing her onto her back.

He blinked when he saw her face, as he was sure he had seen those eyes before. Added to that, she was breathtaking, her beauty inhuman in the best ways possible, even with her cheeks flushed and her nose red and blocked. Her eyes gained focus and locked onto his, and he knew-just knew that she was someone he had seen before, before it all clicked for him. She…she was the one that cared for him.

And it would see that she caught whatever bug he had. Well, that certainly changed things as if she didn't kill him before but cared for him instead; how could he call himself a man when she needed help? Especially when she got sick because of him.

His plans for the night forgotten, he knelt by her side and grasped her hands, the dirt and dried blood covering them, not flacking or transferring to his. In fact, he could recall how they felt on his cheek, how gentle they had been.

"Hey, Angel." He smiled as she looked at him, her face getting a little redder at him calling her that again as he couldn't recall most of that day, but parts involving her seemed to stick out in his mind. "Looks like it's my turn to take care of you." He reached his arm under her legs; once he had a good grip, his other arm moved to her back and picked her up, the girl being as light as she looked as she snuggled into his chest.

“Come on, you need to rest. How does a hot meal sound like?”

And that is chapter 2, which is over a thousand words longer than chapter 1! If all goes well, once I get into the groove of things, chapters will have a word count of 4-5K as the regular.

We learn more about the two and gain more insight into the life of our MC, Anthony, who, yes, is a foreign university student currently studying in Japan. And he's finally met our first girl, at least when he's lucid. I was a little confused about how to handle him meeting her until I realised that 'make him freak out' is the natural response, as if someone tells you they can see that and be brave, they're either lying or idiots.

Also, since I’m only putting stuff past the first lemon exclusively on the place that shall not be named, I decided to post these chapters the same day as said unnamed place since it serves no purpose to withhold them.o