[This wasn't a grown-up. Wasn't someone who was too much older than him, probably. Skinny, bony, missing an eye - But there were people like that in the world, so that wasn't scary or anything. No, what scared him was how openly he cried.]
[Older kids weren't supposed to do that. Aki never saw people from the high school in town crying or wiping their noses. Sometimes, in movies, adults would cry or be emotional. In anime, people cried all the time. But none of that was real life. So why was this person crying so easily?]
[At first he thought he was speaking to him, and Aki opened his mouth to respond - No, he doesn't know that devil from Adam. But immediately it was clear that he was talking to the devil, itself. That he was right. It can understand people. Briefly a welling of pride ballooned inside (he got something right!) but it extinguished quickly enough when that wet, snotting face turned back toward him.]
...Um, yeah.
[He kind of didn't believe him about being peachy. Suddenly realizing something, Aki slid a shoulder free from his randoseru and pulled it around, undoing the clasp and pulling it open to dig around inside until he found what he wanted. He held out the located powder blue handkerchief, lacking any kind of design but made of soft cotton.]
That devil was on the road over there, back there, and he was looking for something. And I'm from here so I was showing him around.
[Like a tour guide or something. He hoisted his backpack back around and again offered out the hanky.]
no subject
[Older kids weren't supposed to do that. Aki never saw people from the high school in town crying or wiping their noses. Sometimes, in movies, adults would cry or be emotional. In anime, people cried all the time. But none of that was real life. So why was this person crying so easily?]
[At first he thought he was speaking to him, and Aki opened his mouth to respond - No, he doesn't know that devil from Adam. But immediately it was clear that he was talking to the devil, itself. That he was right. It can understand people. Briefly a welling of pride ballooned inside (he got something right!) but it extinguished quickly enough when that wet, snotting face turned back toward him.]
...Um, yeah.
[He kind of didn't believe him about being peachy. Suddenly realizing something, Aki slid a shoulder free from his randoseru and pulled it around, undoing the clasp and pulling it open to dig around inside until he found what he wanted. He held out the located powder blue handkerchief, lacking any kind of design but made of soft cotton.]
That devil was on the road over there, back there, and he was looking for something. And I'm from here so I was showing him around.
[Like a tour guide or something. He hoisted his backpack back around and again offered out the hanky.]
Is he yours?