Guardian Evil

CHAPTER 54: Crush

EVER SINCE THEY HAD THAT CONVERSATION, Luciel started to get distant towards Romina. He’s still there to guard her but she felt like he was drawing distance between the two of them. Just like yesterday, Luciel was not walking side by side with her, and instead, he transformed into his demon form and watched her from above. Like that. Usually, he stays on her gamer’s chair while she sleeps but last night, he just straight up went into the rooftop and he’ll just guard her if she’s deeply asleep and when she wakes up, he’s already gone. They couldn’t really meet each other every morning. She’s not even an i***t not to notice and realize that he’s straight-up dodging her, ignoring her.

And darn it, she’s not going to lie but that pissed her off so much.

“That i***t of a demon. What is he really up to?” she clicked her tongue and glared at Luciel who’s talking to their boy classmates about basketball and video games.

“In Japan, Luciel. What are the most famous video games there?” Joshua, one of their classmates asked him.

“You meant mobile games or games that were played on PC? Because if you talk about the actual video games in PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, there are so many,” Luciel told them.

“Huh, he’s acting like a real human being,” Romina murmured to herself as she kept on eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Uh, anything that you usually play there,” Sawney, one of their classmates told him.

“Oh, uh, if that’s the case then… I usually just played Knives Out, PUBG, Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy IX, The World Ends With You: Solo Remix, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, League of Legends, Izanagi Online, Arknights, and many more. We just have so many MMORPGs there,” Luciel responded.

“Woah, that’s awesome! You played PUBG and League of Legends too?! We should really play together next time!”

“Yeah, sure. I’m cool on that,” Luciel responded. I just need L to pretend as me since he’s much of a gamer and knew everything in this human realm since he loves to spy with humans than I do.

“Awesome!”

Luciel’s eyes settled on Romina. She even flaunted a smile the moment Luciel’s eyes settled on her but her expression changed when Luciel ignored her once again.

Okay, that’s it. It’s confirmed. He’s straight-up ignoring her!

That’s it! I had enough! I’ll make sure you will not ignore me again!

Luciel’s brows creased as he looked around the classroom.

The teacher called him to go to the faculty office for their follow-up with his documents—which were all fake, by the way—before he’ll go home with Romina. Of course, he hadn’t seen Romina when he left so he didn’t know where the heck his human went.

He turned his head to Marivic who is now talking to their other classmate. He called her and spoke. “Marivic, have you seen Romina?”

Marivic was confused and surprised at the same time when she saw Luciel in front of her. “Wait, she’s not with you? She already left. I thought you were with her.”

She might be home by then. Luciel thought. He, then, looked at Romina and nodded. “Oh, thank you. I have to go now.”

Marivic nodded and waved at him. “Okay, take care. Tell Romina not to ditch you again. Hahaha.”

“Yeah, ahahaha,” Luciel let out a chuckle and went out of the classroom. As soon as he went out of the classroom with empty people in the lobby, he immediately transformed into his demon form and followed Romina’s scent and footsteps.

“Luciel! Help!” even if it’s just a far distance away, Luciel could hear Romina’s voice asking for help. His eyes went in deep crimson red as shoots up to the sky, just above the rooftop and there, he saw Romina standing on the rooftop’s railing.

Of course, Romina was shocked when she saw Luciel just right above her and because of that, she couldn’t balance anymore that she almost fell off the railings if it wasn’t Luciel pulling her off the railing and landed on the rooftop floor, wrapping his arm on her waist and his other hand on her arm to make sure she’s standing in balance.

“What the f**k are you doing, Romina?! If I’m not here then you’ll fall and get yourself injured or worst, killed! What the actual f**k are you thinking?!” Luciel asked, scolding her. She could tell how much he was angry and worried as of this moment.

Wow. She couldn’t help but mutter inside her mind. This is the first time I saw Luciel lose his temper like this.

“Do you even realize what might happen to you if I’m not here?! Dang it, Romina!”

“Now, you’re talking to me,” Romina finally spoke that made Luciel pause for a second.

They felt like they were in a staring competition until Luciel was the one who looked away but Romina pulled his sleeve so he could look at her again.

“Do you even realize how many days you ignored me as if I am just an air? You’ve been ignoring me for seven days—one week straight!” Romina finally spat at him. “Let me ask you the same question you asked me earlier. What is wrong with you that you kept on ignoring me? Do you know how much I’ve been worried and kept on thinking what did I do wrong to make you ignore me like that? You never did that to me.”

“That night… you said…,” Luciel murmured.

Romina squinted her eyes and went closer to Luciel just to hear what he was trying to say. “Huh? What are you saying? I couldn’t hear it properly and I don’t understand what you are trying to talk about.”

“You said… that night… you like Simeon. You said it,” Luciel finally said. He looked shy about it that he immediately looked away.

Romina was dumbfounded. She’s not surprised about Luciel’s response but because of Luciel’s reaction—he looked so embarrassed and guilty at the same time.

Gosh, she badly wanted to pinch him so bad because, call her weird but, she finds him cute right now.

“Are you saying that you avoided me because you thought that I have a crush on Simeon?” Romina said and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you serious?”

Luciel finally looked at her. “You said it yourself! You find Simeon handsome and nice and you said you like him! Remember when you’re so disgusted about the thought of me being your guardian just because I’m a demon.”

“Oh,” Romina muttered, recalling the time when she and Luciel first met. “You remembered that time.”

Luciel looked away. “After you said that last night, I realized that maybe, if Simeon is your guardian, then you’re much happier than you with me.”

Romina’s eyes widen the moment she finally realized what was going on by seeing Luciel reactions right now.

Gosh, Luciel is definitely jealous.

She couldn’t help but giggle when she finally realized it. “Gosh, Luciel. I didn’t know you’re jealous.”

Luciel’s eyes widen and he reacted rashly. “Hah?! Me?! Jealous?! I am a demon! I don’t feel such a thing! I-I’m not jealous over trivial things like that!”

Romina stopped giggling and she cupped Luciel’s cheeks. That made Luciel stop almost throwing a fit. “Luciel, you will always be the best guardian for me.”

Those words…

Luciel stared at her. Those words were just simple. It’s not even that grand to make someone happy. In fact, a demon like him never felt such emotions like this ever since centuries passed by. But he felt the unknown warmth inside his chest because of the sincerity of Romina’s words.

"A-Am I?"

Romina smiled softly at him. "Yes, you are."

"I..."

"Hmm?"

For the first time, Luciel flaunted a sincere smile ever shown by a demon as the sunset behind them shone for them.

A shining white feather fell from his wings.

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Years ago, some of the theologians believed in demons who felt compassion for—and occasionally fell in love with—humans.

Human beings and fallen angels, now commonly known as demons, have a lot in common. Both humans and devils are banned from heaven, both exiled. For some reason, humans have a second chance, but since demons have no conversation with God anymore, they turn to us. And what they talk about is this, over and over: their fall, their exile, denial, damnation. This is what they know. They try to convince us that damnation is the only way to go, because that is what they experience. Fallen beings overwhelmed with compassion for mortal suffering, demons falling in love with men and women, even a banished race of half-human, half-demonic creatures, the unhappy offspring of unholy unions. As much as demons afflicted humans, it was clear to Renaissance scholars that they also needed them.

Even though they do not have bodies, demons can even fall in love.