Our New Friend

"So Eiji, why have you decided to join us?" I ask the red head as he eats his lunch next to Shino who's silently gobbling up his onigiri[1].

The red head that showed us the cafeteria, well second cafeteria to be more specific, followed us to the rooftop where Shino was waiting for us. I wasn't sure why but he plopped down next to Shino. We gave him weird looks but he kept avoiding our eyes. Shino, who was looking at him warily, glanced at me but I just gave him a shrug.

"I'm not sure what's going on either." I told him and looked at Nicco who just copied me.

Wow. Great help guys.

We started eating without really questioning it. It's not like he's dangerous or anything. I used <Appraisal> on him and it showed him as a regular human. Imagine my surprise when I read his information.

That was three minutes ago.

Eiji is fidgeting on where he's sitting. I wonder what's wrong with him.

"Eiji?" I call, a little uncertain and worried as he starts getting even more restless.

Geez, are most regular teenagers like this?

"Uhm… I apologize if I decided to follow you without your consent and started eating with you. Like you guys, I'm also in the special program and… I…"

He mumbles his next word so I couldn't hear it.

"Excuse me, can you repeat that?" I ask.

"I… need friends."

I look at my companions with a skeptical look. Well I did decide that we're not at school to make friends but I suppose a friend is always welcome. But…

"Why choose us?" I ask the red-head whom I just noticed the attitude turned one-eighty.

"Well… I'm new as well and I don't know much people since I'm in the same special program as you guys. I just thought… we'd be good friends since we're in the same boat."

Trust me dude, we're not in the same boat.

But I won't say that.

"I guess it won't hurt." I reply, but then I feel a nudge from Nicco.

The heck dude!

"What?" I snap at the Italian who's giving me the signal to lean close to him.

"Are you sure?" he whispers. "We don't know him that much. What if he's-"

"He's okay. He's a regular guy." I whisper back to assure him.

"Fine."

Nicco shrugs his shoulders and continues eating his lunch. Shino's not really doing anything so I guess having Eiji as a friend is quite okay for them.

So much for being my bodyguard.

But this feels nice. Something actually normal and average in my complicated life.

"So Eiji, why are you in the special program?" I ask, curious.

"Well… I… don't have a healthy body." he finally answers after moments of silence and hesitation. "I stay in the hospital most of the time, so…"

So that's why he needs friends. He's stuck in the hospital because of his condition.

I know he probably doesn't want people to feel sorry for him but I can't help it. He doesn't have friends and it's not even his fault.

I glance at Nicco whose expression remain neutral and then at Shino who keeps staring at Eiji. I can't help but raise an eyebrow at his action. Until just now, he has been avoiding looking at Eiji like the plague and now he's staring at him with a half-eaten rice ball on his hand.

Heh! So even a sturdy and cold bodyguard like him can be sloppy at times.

"Then…" I say then fake a cough, waking Shino up from his trance. He must've seen my smirk since he's now looking away and is staring at the sky. "I guess it is okay to tell you why we're in the special program as well."

Nicco suddenly jolts, probably surprised at my words. He gives me a knowing look but I just shrug it off. He's probably warning me not to say anything to a normal person but I look like I don't give a shit about it.

What's to be surprised of? It's not like I'll tell Eiji the entire truth. The guy's sick and if I tell him that he'll probably be sent to his grave early.

Hmm… That's mean of me…

"The three of us are what you'd call a specialist."

"A specialist?"

"Yep. I can't tell you what field we specialize in but what I can tell you is that sometimes we're called to work for it. The time to complete varies and we can't say no when we have work, so we got placed in the special program."

I can see Nicco visibly relax. I probably scared him too much when I said I'll tell Eiji about why we're in the special program.

"So Eiji, what kind of illness do you have?" I ask.

Too blunt? Probably, but he did say he's hospitalized most of the month so…

"I have a weak heart and a weak immune system." he answers immediately.

Well at least he's not going to hide it.

"I see. So you have to be monitored in the hospital to avoid setting it off." I reply in understanding. "You need a stress free and uncontaminated area to move around. But you're okay with staying for three days in school? What?"

What are they looking at? Are they surprised I know such a thing? I mean, I 'was' a medical student in my past life so I know bits about-

Wait…

Oh… Right.

I'm physically thirteen. Big words for a kid.

"Uhm… I have medicine for it that's why I can only go out of my room for a short time and it's strictly only the school and nowhere else."

I feel sorry for Eiji, but I'm not going to tell him that.

After eating our lunch, we return to our classroom. I can't help but stare at Shino and Eiji who's walking ahead of me and Nicco. Eiji is definitely the friendly and talkative type, Shino's opposite. But my bodyguard seems to be warming up to the red-head since he's walking the same pace as him and listening to whatever he's talking.

I guess opposites do attract? Somehow I suddenly want to become a matchmaker.

"I'll carry out a background check on Eiji Arata." Nicco suddenly whispers beside me. "We can't just befriend anyone out of the blue considering our situation."

"I know. You do what you want, I'm pretty sure Sakura-nee will support you." I reply while nodding. "By the way, you've told the Vatican that I'm a candidate to be Hell's High King right?"

It's been quite some time since I started my training for it. I'm not trying to get the Church breathing on my nape because of that but I'm just curious why they're not doing anything considering there's the possibility I might become the leader of demons, their mortal enemies.

"I did tell them, but I think they made some deal with the Maiden of the Stars."

Maiden if the Stars? Sakura-nee?

"What do you mean?"

"I asked for another observer since the demon noble Ferigo has been staying in the mortal realm. I can't keep an eye on you and him at the same time, but they told there's no need and that if I need any assistance I can reach out to the Maiden of the Stars."

Suspicious. Sakura-nee definitely did something behind the scenes, as usual.

*******

Note:

[1] Onigiri – Japanese rice ball.