After the meal, as was now customary, Jashin-chan was in charge of clearing the dishes. The scumbag snake was a scumbag, but you had to admit, she was a master of housework. It was one of her few redeeming qualities.

"So, what do you think, Minos? Want to stay in the human world for a while?" Ryohei asked, a smile in his eyes as he turned to the demon.

Minos, sitting cross-legged on the tatami, instinctively looked away. She then turned back to him, her cheeks slightly puffed out as if in defiance, before letting out a sigh and throwing up her hands. "You've already served me food like that. What choice do I have?"

She wasn't a gluttonous demon, but that was before she met Ryohei. If she hadn't tasted his cooking, she could have returned to the Demon World with a clear conscience. But now… now it was too late. Her stomach had been completely and utterly conquered. Besides, she was quite interested in the human world anyway. She could just think of this as an extended vacation.

"In that case… Minos, it's a pleasure to work with you," Ryohei said with a sunny smile, standing up and extending a hand to her.

"Likewise!" Minos stood up and shook his hand, a cheerful grin on her face. She was a straightforward demon; once she made a decision, she didn't dwell on it. She faced everything with a smile.

"..."

Yurine watched them shake hands, feeling a sense of relief. This world was quite dangerous for an ordinary person. She couldn't always be by Ryohei's side, and Jashin-chan was unreliable. Having another powerful demon around would certainly make things safer. It was just that… her gender, looks, and figure gave Yurine a whole new set of worries.

Medusa watched the harmonious scene of a human and a demon shaking hands with a look of pure envy. That's so nice. Minos is needed… she thought. She wanted to be needed, too. Especially by Ryohei. If he needed her, she would surely get to eat lots of delicious food, right? She was so envious.

"Do you have anything you need to take care of in the Demon World, Minos? When can you move in?" Ryohei asked, politely releasing her hand. "By the way, we've rented a new house. We're planning to go to a furniture store this afternoon to buy some things and move."

"Nothing major, but there are a few things I need to handle back home," Minos said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "It'll probably take a day or two."

"Okay, come over whenever you're ready," Ryohei nodded. He could wait a day or two. "Once Jashin-chan is done with the dishes, let's all go furniture shopping together. The new house is completely empty; we need to buy beds and everything."

"Alright!" Minos agreed enthusiastically. Going furniture shopping together to decorate their new home made her feel like she was already part of the group. She put a hand on her hip and flexed. "I can help with the moving, too! I'm super strong!"

"That would be a huge help. You're so reliable!" Ryohei said. "Oh, do you want to see the new house? Yurine has pictures."

"I want to see!" Minos said, looking at Yurine curiously.

Yurine took out her phone and pulled up the photos of the ikkodate that Mr. Suzuki had sent her.

"If you'd like to stay, Medusa, you're welcome too," Ryohei said, looking at Medusa, who had leaned over to look at the photos.

"Eh, me?" Medusa looked up, surprised. Yurine glanced over as well.

Ryohei gave Yurine a calm, open look, then turned back to Medusa. "The new house only has four bedrooms for now, so you'd have to share with Jashin-chan or Minos." Or, he thought, maybe Yurine and I could share a room? He wouldn't mind, but he was afraid she wouldn't agree. It was a bit too soon for that.

Mr. Ryohei is so kind, Medusa thought. "Arigatou," she said, giving him a pure and sweet smile that seemed to glow. "But I have a job in the Demon World, so it's not convenient for me to stay in the human world for long periods."

"I see. That's a shame," Ryohei said, putting a hand on his hip and nodding.

Ding-dong—!

The doorbell rang. Ryohei figured it was the folding trolley he had ordered from Amazon. He went to the genkan to open the door. Sure enough, a deliveryman was standing outside next to a long, rectangular package.

"Mr. Ryohei? I have a package for you," the uniformed deliveryman asked as a matter of course.

"That's me," Ryohei nodded. He took the delivery slip from the man and stamped it with his personal seal. It was a mitomein, an informal seal for everyday use, that Yurine had helped him get made a few days ago. He had actually gotten three seals made—a registered jitsuin for official contracts, a ginkoin for banking, and this mitomein—which had cost him 20,000 yen. The culture of personal seals was still deeply ingrained in Japan; they were an indispensable part of life, used for everything from receiving mail and opening a bank account to renting a house.

"Did the trolley you ordered arrive, Ryohei-kun?" Yurine asked, walking over from the living room.

"Yep," he replied as he unboxed it. He unfolded the trolley. "It's a little smaller than I imagined…"

"What size did you get?"

"105 by 65 centimeters. This was the biggest one they had, but it should be big enough." He folded it back up and brought it inside.

Once Jashin-chan had finished cleaning up the kitchen, the group set out for the furniture store.

Half an hour later, following their phone's navigation, they arrived at Nitori, Japan's largest home furnishing chain. The store was famous for its high-quality products and affordable prices, often described as a budget version of Muji or a more refined version of Ikea. It sold everything from large furniture like sofas, dining tables, and beds, to home goods like cushions, bowls, and curtains, all at very attractive prices.

"This dining set looks really nice! Let's get this one," Jashin-chan said, immediately taken with a reddish-brown solid wood table and chairs.

"It does look good," Minos agreed, nodding energetically.

"That style is a little dated," Yurine said, having already changed into her goth-loli outfit. She looked around and pointed to a different set, a modern, minimalist-style wooden table. "That one is more popular now, and it matches the decor of our dining room better."

"Huh?!" Jashin-chan looked at her as if she were crazy. "What's so good about that one? It has no presence." She stubbornly insisted, "I still think this one is better." She turned to the others. "Subject, Medusa, which one do you think is better?"

"I personally prefer the modern, minimalist style," Ryohei said, stroking his chin as he looked at the two sets.

Medusa, looking guilty, also pointed toward Yurine's choice. "I… I like that one better, too…"

"What?!" Jashin-chan shrieked. "Medusa, you've betrayed me too!" She glared at Medusa, knowing full well that she was the easiest target, as Medusa would never fight back.

"That's so ugly of you, Jashin-chan," Yurine said, unable to watch any longer. She walked over, grabbed Jashin-chan's cheek, and gave it a sharp pull. Jashin-chan immediately yelped in pain, begged for mercy, and fell silent.