TFTDML 02 PT-2

Chapter 2 Shaping “Me”

(Part 2)

After finishing my chores and breakfast for the morning, I switched on the computer at my work table.
While it booted up, I poured the hot water I’d just boiled into a mug, dropped in a tea bag, and sat down.
A refreshing scent drifted from the edge of the table—half a bottle of perfume I’d been given recently, repurposed into a room fragrance. It smelled quite nice.

Since I had no plans today, it looked like I’d finally be able to make progress on my report.
I opened a text editor and began to type. The only sound in the quiet room was the soft clack of the keyboard.
It felt good—being able to focus entirely on what was in front of me, with no one to disturb me.

Or so I thought, until a sound chimed from the communicator in my lab coat pocket.
It looked like I’d gotten an email—from that demon I was studying.
We weren’t supposed to meet today, so it was probably something trivial… but I opened the message just in case.

୨୧‥∵‥∵‥∵‥∵‥∵‥୨୧

I got kidnapped by some mean humans!!
˚‧º·(´ฅωฅ｀)‧º·˚
Please, Citrus-kun, help me!
♡ Location → Block 4, Street 6, Building 49 ♡
୨୧‥∵‥∵‥∵‥∵‥∵‥୨୧

What the hell is he doing now?
There’s no way anyone could just kidnap a demon like him in broad daylight.
And even if he were, would someone being kidnapped send such a ridiculous message?

I hope he hasn’t gotten himself mixed up in something troublesome…
Technically, he’s only been granted permission to live in town in exchange for cooperating with my research—so long as he doesn’t cause any serious trouble.

I don’t really get it, but the message basically means he wants me to come.
If he gets moody and refuses to cooperate, that’ll be a problem for my research.

I typed the address into my device’s map app.
It wasn’t too far. Annoying, but manageable. I decided to go.

The weather was as clear as yesterday—blue sky without a cloud in sight.
If it weren’t for this errand, it would’ve been a perfect day for a walk.
Following the map, I made my way toward the destination.

After a few turns from the company housing, I reached a busy main road.
Just as I was about to pass a popular open café, a snippet of conversation caught my ear.

“Hey, I just saw this girl get dragged away by three guys. Is she okay, you think?”

Normally, I’d ignore something like that—I hate getting involved in trouble—but remembering the email, I stopped instinctively.

“I saw it too… but it kinda looked like she was going along with them, so I wasn’t sure what to do.”
“I couldn’t hear what they said, but the vibe wasn’t like she knew them. She looked scared—like they forced her.”

Hearing the women talk made cold sweat run down my back.
Could the kidnapping actually be real?
If it was, this could get ugly. If someone got hurt, or worse—

…No. The email came only a few minutes ago, so based on their timing, it must have just happened.
If she’s safe, good. But for now, I needed to move fast.

The location was nearby but the route was complicated, winding through several back alleys.
With each turn, there were fewer and fewer people.
Eventually, I found myself in a deserted area surrounded by old, unused warehouses.

I was glancing around, surprised such a place even existed nearby, when—

“GYAAAAAHHH!!”

Men’s screams echoed through the air. Then came the sounds of crashing and something rampaging.
Three men burst out of one of the warehouses in a panic.

“Aaahhh! D-don’t come any closer!!”

“Aw, don’t be mean! You were the ones who invited me~.”

A woman with long black hair stepped out after them.

Her appearance was different from yesterday, but I knew instantly—it was him.
Long, glossy hair, long lashes with shimmering eyeshadow, a frilly black-and-white dress… she looked like a lovely girl—if you didn’t see her mouth.

Only her mouth had reverted to her true demonic form.
Her lips split all the way to her ears, revealing rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. Just one bite could shred skin.
A smear of blood stained her lips—and when I looked closer, one of the fleeing men’s arms was bleeding.

“No need to look so scared. You tried to eat me sexually, so I just thought maybe I could eat you physically instead~
Hey, hey, isn’t that fair? Let me savor that nice long stick of yours with my mouth, mmm? Oh, I mean your arm, of course.”

Oh, for crying out loud. He’s doing this on purpose. Disgusting phrasing and all.

“Baldro!!”

I shouted his name and stepped between them.
He—Baldro—finally noticed me and hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands.
Bit late for that.

“Citrus-kun!! You came! I’m so happy, and faster than I expected too!!”

“…If you harm a human, my research gets scrapped. That’s all.”

“So that means… you were worried about me because you want to stay with me longer? Aww, that’s so sweet~”

I ignored his nonsense and turned to the three men.
They looked terrified—probably at both me and the demon’s masculine name.

“He’s a guy, by the way. He’s got one.”

“Hii—!”

Whether they feared being eaten or something worse, they shrieked and bolted.
They might call the police, but considering most bystanders probably thought they kidnapped him, it would sort itself out.

“Citrus-kun, when I’m in a girl’s body, I don’t have one~”

He pouted, tugging at the hem of my lab coat.
At some point, his mouth had shifted back to a normal human one.

“More importantly—why did you go with those guys? This isn’t the first time either!”

“…Um, Citrus-kun, I’m sorry. I just… wanted you to get jealous.”

He actually apologized—rare for him—but my anger wasn’t gone.
I’d been playing the role of his “boyfriend” to keep him cooperative, but this was going too far.

He had no sense of danger. Against thugs like that, fine—but if it were the town, or the country, it’d be a different story.
If he was deemed dangerous, they’d imprison him—or execute him.
And that would ruin my research. Everything I’d built would be wasted.

“If you’re trying to get my attention, don’t bother. I’ve told you before—Baldro, I only see you as a research subject.”

It was the truth—or it should’ve been. But each word hurt, as if I were lying.
Why did it feel so awful to say?

Still, I had to. If I didn’t kill his hopes, this would keep happening.
He’d flirt with other men again, draw attention again…
Even if things always went back to “normal,” I hated it.

“The only reason I go on dates with you is to keep you cooperative. That smile you see? It’s just politeness. …I’m only using you, Baldro.”

“Citrus-kun, it’s okay… Don’t make that face.”

He wrapped his arms around my back and hugged me.
What face? I didn’t even know why I was trembling so much.

“I know everything, you know. That you’re only pretending to be my lover for research, that you smile just to keep me calm—I understand all of it.”

“…Then why do this?”

“Hmm, it’s kind of a long story. Is that okay?”

He let go, looking straight at me—not angry, not sad, just gentle.

“You see, among demons, I’m actually one of the weaker ones. And believe it or not, I’ll die in about ten years. I hate it. Our lifespan depends on our strength, and I’m weak. I resented it, and envied the strong ones. But there was nothing I could do.”

I’d read in lab records that demon lifespan varied by power.
I could understand the frustration. Even humans would despair if their lifespan was fixed from birth.
Still… only ten years left? For someone who looked so young?

He continued quietly.

“When I was captured by humans after going berserk, I cursed my own weakness again. They were debating whether to dissect me or kill me outright for being a risk. But you, Citrus-kun—you said you’d take responsibility, and asked them not to kill me, for the sake of research. No one had ever saved my life before. Not even other demons.”

“I only did it for the experiment.”

And it was true. I needed a living subject, and Baldro was the chance I’d been waiting for.
I’d thought that if I could get fresh samples—blood, tissue—it’d advance my studies greatly.

“I know. But still, you said you’d record me, leave behind a written record of my existence. Even if I die in ten years, that record will live on. That means… you’re my savior, Citrus-kun. You’ll let me live longer—through your writing.”

“…What? That makes no sense.”

Live on through a record? It was just words on paper.
I could never follow his logic.

“Records are just data. They’re not you. Sure, they’ll last at least as long as I do—but they can’t preserve your mind. That’s not ‘life.’”

“I get that, really. I used to think the same. But demons believe that as long as the soul exists, the person still exists—even if the body changes. So if the soul’s gone, but the memory remains, we don’t call that living.
But… that’s sad, isn’t it? So after studying humans, I changed a bit. Humans say the dead live on in the hearts of the living, right? You might forget me someday, so I just want my words to remain at least.”

It was sentimental nonsense, but his face was completely serious.

“For me, that record—everything about me, from my behavior to my habits to my body’s structure—if it’s all preserved through your work, that’s my only form of life extension. My only way to keep existing. My good parts, my bad parts—please record them all.
And, oh! You’ve been holding back lately, but if it helps your research, I can still give you some blood. Maybe even a finger’s worth of skin, if you need—”

“Enough. Just an occasional scan is fine. And don’t offer to give away your fingers, idiot. Value yourself more.”

“Aww, Citrus-kun, you’re so kind~”

“…How am I kind.”

No matter how much he talked, I couldn’t fully understand.
Still, I could tell this “belief” of his meant everything to him.
So I didn’t argue. Let him think what he wanted, if it gave him peace.

“…Whatever. Just stop following random guys around. It pisses me off.”

“I’ll be good this time. No more flirting, promise.”

“Good. We’re going home.”

I turned on my heel and started walking.
He quickly caught up, grabbing my arm and clinging tightly.

That was normal for him. I steadied my balance, glanced down, and saw him smiling brightly.
Feeling awkward, I looked straight ahead again and walked faster.
He held onto my arm the entire way, until people began to appear again on the streets.

◆―――――――――◆

Citrus never noticed, but as they walked, Baldro kept watching him.
Citrus’s ears had turned bright red.

Baldro couldn’t see his expression from this angle, which was a shame—
but even so, just seeing those red ears filled him with happiness.

◆―――――――――◆

“So, it was resolved peacefully?”
“I don’t know about peacefully, but I’m personally satisfied.”
“I see.”

I was chatting with Dia over coffee at an open café the following week.
He was leaving town tomorrow, so I bragged endlessly about how cool and adorable Citrus-kun had been yesterday.

Since I usually changed forms when meeting him, he was surprised that I looked the same as yesterday.
After last week, I’d grown fond of this appearance—so I decided to keep it, as a sort of commemoration of my first real fight and honest talk with Citrus-kun.

Our relationship hasn’t really changed.
He still takes me out on dates, still asks questions about my habits and biology.

Well… maybe it’s changed a little.
I live in a monitored facility separate from where he stays, and lately, he’s been visiting me more often.
Sometimes when we talk, his cheeks flush slightly. He doesn’t seem aware of it—but I notice.

The more I learn about him, the more I truly fall for him.
Just as he studies me, I’ve started studying him—and humans too.
I take on the form of a girl to stand proudly by his side,
and as I express my affection in words and actions, I can feel that polite smile of his slowly softening.

He still doesn’t realize any of it.
That’s what makes him so cute.

We might never be lovers, not officially—but I’m happy. Truly.

Dia listened to my rambling with his usual bored expression, sipping coffee. Still, he let me talk.
He did, however, charge me 500G for the conversation. Handsome, but stingy.

When my free time was nearly up, I stood to pay the bill.
We parted at the café entrance.