Extra Story: When the Music Ends (1)

“Eli? Eli?!”

“Huh… huh?” Eli snapped out of his daze and looked at Edlyn, who was sitting across from him, hugging her milk tea.

With her hands on her hips, Edlyn huffed, a little annoyed. “What are you doing? We’re on a date and you’re spacing out?”

Eli gave her a shy smile. “Something a bit troublesome came up. I just took care of it.”

“Eh? What happened?” Hearing that, Edlyn dropped her angry expression and stared at Eli in confusion.

Eli shook his head lightly and propped his chin up with both hands. “Just something about a new species.”

“What’s wrong? They couldn’t handle it back in your original world?”

“Yeah, there were some minor issues. But it’s all resolved now. Don’t worry.” Eli reached over to ruffle her hair as he spoke.

“Eh… don’t tell me… there were a bunch of idiots causing trouble! Let’s go beat them up!” Edlyn said, clearly itching for a fight.

“That’s not it. Alright, stop asking. I already dealt with it, so let’s keep having fun.” Eli laughed and reached out again, gently mussing her hair.

“Tch. Fine, don’t say it then.” Edlyn turned her head away, sounding disdainful.

“Hahaha. Anywhere else you wanna go?” Eli looked at her with a squinty-eyed smile.

“Come on. What’s the point of you always asking me that? Figure it out yourself.” Edlyn giggled, snatched his milk tea, and started drinking happily.

Eli tilted his head, blinked, thought for a moment, then smiled. “Then… how about we hit the amusement park?”

“Amusement park?” Edlyn chewed on a pearl, puzzled. “Now that you mention it, we’ve been here this long and you’ve never actually taken me to one. What’s up with today?”

“Mm… it just suddenly came to mind. Wanna go?” Eli smiled.

“Sure. Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Edlyn smacked the table and shot to her feet.

It immediately drew the attention of the people around them.

Eli, a bit embarrassed, quickly pulled her to his side. After paying the bill, he rushed them out.

“I was mainly worried you’d get bored, you know?” Eli said as he held her hand. The two of them strolled lazily toward the biggest amusement park in the city.

“Why would I get bored? Is it all lame stuff? In that case maybe I shouldn’t go. No need to waste time, right?” Edlyn scratched her head, confused.

“Mm… since we’re already out, might as well broaden your horizons a bit. How’s that?” Eli looked at her small face and smiled.

“Mm. That works too.” Edlyn didn’t really care.

They had plenty of time now anyway, didn’t they?

Angela and the kids were either off working or in class, nowhere near the house.

In that huge mansion, only she and Eli were left. Anyone would get sick of it after staying cooped up that long.

So wandering around like this was a decent way to kill time.

“So what exactly would you think I’d find boring?” Edlyn walked beside Eli, face tilted up, asking innocently.

“Uh… how do I put this. Stuff like drop towers, roller coasters… Well, there are tons of other rides. But those are the classics. Oh, and the carousel they always use in cheesy love stories.”

“Mm? What’s a drop tower and what’s a roller coaster?”

“They haul you way up high and then drop you straight down. For people like us who can fly, it’s kinda nothing, right?” Eli thought for a moment, then chuckled.

Back when he’d first learned to fly, he’d often tried flight patterns like a roller coaster.

Basically, he would just… fly around in the sky like a maniac.

It was stupidly fun.

Which was why later, when he actually went on a coaster, it felt lame. Strapped into a seat, swinging around at a speed that had no chance of beating how fast he could fly on his own.

He’d almost been bored enough to fall asleep.

That was why he’d never brought Edlyn here before.

He’d taken the kids to play a few times, but he always felt Edlyn wouldn’t care about this kind of thing.

He sighed, a bit afraid today’s outing would be way too dull.

But…

Eli turned his head to look at the girl beside him, humming a tune, arm hooked through his, a satisfied smile on her face as she walked slowly at his side.

For some reason, Eli suddenly relaxed.

Well, no matter how boring the activity, as long as she was with him, it’d be a ridiculously pleasant time.

“Let’s just check it out anyway,” Edlyn said, blinking.

“Since you put it that way, of course I’ll accompany you, my dear wife.”

“Tch!”

“Come on, we’re already like an old married couple. What are you so shy about~”

“Shut up!”

............................................................

“Middle of the day and you want a haunted house? Really?” Eli’s face was dark as he stared at Edlyn, who was all excited, dragging him toward the haunted house.

Edlyn gave an awkward little laugh. “I-I just thought… checking out the ghosts in your world would be more fun than that roller coaster or drop tower thing.”

“Mm… alright then. Anywhere you wanna go is fine.” Eli sighed helplessly and ruffled her hair again.

When they came out of the haunted house, Edlyn was clearly in a great mood.

Though, thanks to getting startled a few times, she’d accidentally smashed some of the props inside, and Eli had to pay up afterward with a helpless look.

Edlyn sat on a bench. Today she was wearing a pink dress, her legs in white stockings swinging back and forth in the air.

Combined with her cuteness and that hint of mature charm, she drew plenty of stares.

When Eli came back and noticed, his face instantly darkened. Feeling a little annoyed, he pinched her cheeks. “Our Demonic Lord is getting prettier and prettier, huh?”

“Tch. I look this good and you’re not happy?” Edlyn glared at him in passing, then snatched the colorful cotton candy from his hand and grinned as she took a bite.

“Ah, it hurts, but I’m happy,” Eli said, looking up at the sky with a faint smile.

Then—

The two of them stood by the roller coaster. Eli looked at the impressive web of tracks, and at the cars whipping by with people screaming their lungs out, and nodded slightly.

He’d loved this kind of ride in the past, after all.

“Then, let’s get on,” Eli said, taking her hand, smiling.

“O-okay…” Edlyn blinked. She looked just a bit stiff, her grip on his hand tightening as her gaze drifted off into the distance.

Of course Eli noticed something was off. He raised a brow, and a random idea popped into his mind. Smirking, he scooped Edlyn up and sat them both down in the car. He carefully locked her safety harness, then ruffled her hair again with a smile.

With a touch of nostalgia, he laced his fingers tightly with hers.

Edlyn sat there like a wooden puppet, frozen in place.

Then the coaster slowly started to move~~~~

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“…”

....................

“Scared?” Eli asked, sitting on a park bench, smiling as he looked at Edlyn collapsed against his chest. “Ed-chan, you’re the Demon King, you know.”

“Mm… I-I just wasn’t used to it, that’s all. It-it’s been too long since I last flew, okay? Seriously.” Edlyn’s face was pale as she lifted her head and tried to sound tough.

Eli chuckled and pulled her closer. She knelt on the bench, legs folded under her in a duck-sit, obediently curled up in his arms.

Eli’s eyes lit up. “Then, Edlyn, we can’t just ride one thing and leave, right? Wanna try something else?”

“S-something… else? Like what?” Edlyn raised her head, big eyes blinking as she swallowed nervously.

“For example… the drop tower!”

…………

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

…………

“Uuuuu… I-I’m never coming to an amusement park again! Uuugh…”

Looking at Edlyn, who was crying her eyes out, Eli burst out laughing. He scooped her up and gently patted her back over and over, trying to calm the Demonic Lord down.

“Alright, alright. We won’t ride it again, okay? Be good. Don’t cry, don’t cry.” Eli whispered in her ear as he softly rubbed her head.

“R-really?”

“Really. If you ever say you wanna ride it again, I still won’t bring you, okay?”

“Mm… you’d better mean it!”

“Of course. If you really want that feeling again, I can just take you straight up into the sky.”

“You— I’ll hit you!”

After fooling around for a while, Edlyn finally pulled herself out of that weird shaken-up state.

Eli pinched her little nose and laughed. “Never thought our mighty Demon King would be scared of something like this.”

“That weightless feeling is terrifying, okay! It’s like you’re way up in the sky and suddenly lose all your strength and just drop straight down!” Edlyn argued.

“Well, Demonic Lord, why are you so scared of it?” Eli leaned in and kissed her soft cheek, smiling.

“I told you… it’s the weightlessness. I just hate things I can’t control,” Edlyn muttered, turning her head away with a pout.

Eli paused, then suddenly remembered something.

A faint blue glow appeared at his fingertip as he examined the tear that had fallen onto his hand earlier.

Then he smiled, reached out, and flicked her forehead lightly. “You…”

Face flushed red, Edlyn refused to move from his arms. “Carry me~”

Laughing, Eli stood up and lifted the Demonic Lord into a princess carry.

Alright. The Demonic Lord wasn’t actually scared.

Mmm… how to put it.

That’s just life. You gotta keep a bit of spice in it~

Put it that way, you all get it, right?