Demon Bookshop - Chapter 9 - A New Demon Friend
Ia, wearing a white apron, was cleaning a large room in the Wolf Merchant Guild. The room was so spacious and luxurious that her own room in the Bear Merchant Guild felt like a stable or a restroom in comparison.
'Is that candlestick really made of gold? I should try biting it when no one’s around~'
While cleaning and looking at things that could make money, Ia approached the golden candlestick next to the bed. However, she was stunned and had to retreat from the candlestick when she heard a sudden sigh from the bed.
"Oh, boss! Can’t you at least give me some sign that you’re here? I thought my heart was going to stop!"
"This is my room…" Pablo replied in a blank voice. He had been lying on the bed in the same posture even before Ia came in.
"No, why are you like this? Why does someone who lives in such a nice room look like they’ve lost everything in the world?"
"Ia…" Pablo looked at Ia hesitantly. He wanted to confide his worries to someone, however, it was a story that he could not tell anyone, not even his fellow beastmen or his family.
"I have a problem that no one can know about."
"Don’t worry. No demons want to listen to a slave like me after all."
"Really…? Then please listen to my troubles."
"What happened?"
Feeling relieved by Ia's words, Pablo carefully revealed what happened between him and Paul that day. Of course, he omitted all the details about the kiss.
"…Please keep it a secret."
Ia was inwardly embarrassed upon hearing Pablo’s story. It was she who had set up the appointment on 'that day' to help Paul out. Pablo ended with a vague statement by saying 'I made a mistake,' but it was clearly a drama that Pablo had touched Paul on that day.
'This guy's rougher than I thought? He looks like an innocent puppy who doesn't know anything about it,' Ia thought to herself.
She spoke, "Boss is definitely in the wrong. I don't know what happened, but if you make a big mistake, it’s only natural for Paul to avoid you, boss."
"Is that so…?" Pablo felt down again. Since that day, Pablo begged Paul for forgiveness whenever he delivered the books to the shop, but Paul's reaction was infinitely cold.
"I'm so sorry, Teeter-nim. I must have gone crazy. Please forgive me."
"…" Paul kept his mouth shut and remained still unlike his usual talkative self.
"Then what should I do for Teeter-nim to accept my apology?"
"What should you do? If your words don't work, then you should bring a gift or something," Ia answered earnestly as if she still had a conscience.
"A gift? That's a good idea! Then what would Ia-nim like to get?"
"Me? I don’t want to nag, but I just want to get out of slavery."
"Haven't we already made a promise? Then let me change the question. What gift do you think Teeter-nim would like?"
Ia thought it over. Something Paul might like? That smug Fomor would take care of everything. Did Paul lack anything? Suddenly, one thing came to her mind.
"Boss, what about earrings? They’re expensive, but you have a lot of gold anyway."
"Earrings? Do you think Teeter-nim would like earrings?"
"To be exact, it’s an item in the shape of earrings. I've seen it at the Bear Merchant Guild before."
Pablo doubted Ia's answer, but clapped his hands upon hearing the explanation that followed. It was simply a personalized gift for Paul. He stood up from his seat.
"I'll be right back."
"Sure. Please come back a little later if you can."
After confirming that Pablo had left, Ia took her hand back to the candlestick.
"Siiigh…"
"Paul."
"Oh, boss! Are you done with your work?"
Meanwhile, Paul, who had been treating Pablo coldly, was also feeling uneasy. As Pablo had told Ia, Paul did not even open his mouth to Pablo. However, it was not because he was angry, but because he did not know how to treat him.
'Pablo-nim is a good person, no, a good beastman. I don't want to lose my only friend like this.'
The boss approached Paul, who sighed deeply until he almost broke the ground. He bent down and looked into Paul’s eyes while asking, "What's going on? Tell me if you have any worries."
Fortunately, the boss returned to the bookshop the day after the lamb skewer incident. Moreover, for the next few days, he was only rummaging through books in the room as if he was working on something, so Paul's perfect crime was a success.
However, Paul's chest was so stuffy so he began to talk honestly, leaving out all the important information that he had left without the boss knowing.
"Well… Actually, I touched Pablo-nim's tail a while ago, and his reaction was weird."
"Weird, you said?"
"I mean… That's a secret."
‘He suddenly covered my lips and put his tongue in my mouth. He even caressed me with his hands! How can I bring such embarrassing words up in front of the boss?‘
The boss then spoke, "But, you touched Pablo's tail?"
"Yes…"
"Paul, Beastmen’s ears and tail are important parts, so you shouldn't touch them without permission."
"But Pablo-nim asked me to touch it."
"That's surprising. Was there anything else strange about Pablo?"
Strange? Paul's face slowly flamed up as he recalled that night.
"That day, unlike usual, Pablo-nim avoided my hand. He said it was probably a sensitive day…"
The boss's eyebrows twitched as he listened to Paul. He understood the situation at once.
"Beastmen like Pablo go into rut periodically. That must be what happened"
"What?!"
Paul would have dropped the books he was holding on the floor if the boss had not caught them quickly.
"R-rut?"
"Yes, just like animals. I heard that they become aroused even if they do nothing on that day."
"What if I touch their tail during their rut?"
"It will be like touching their erogenous zone when they’re sensitive."
Oh my god, I didn't know that and I asked him to drink with me! Moreover, I cuddled Pablo-nim's tail against my face?! When Paul covered his mouth with his eyes widened, the boss's expression darkened a little as he observed his reaction.
"What did Pablo do? Did he touch you?"
"N-no way! It's just that Pablo-nim suddenly pulled his tail back and I fell. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt badly but a little bit surprised, so I’ve been treating him coldly after that."
Paul randomly made an explanation. The boss remained silent for a moment before continuing.
"Anyway, you're worried about how to get back together with Pablo like before, right?"
"That's right. Pablo-nim is my only friend."
"Then why don’t you cook something for him? No matter what anyone says, your cooking skills are worth acknowledging."
"Really…? That's it! Thank you, boss!"
With a hint from the boss, Paul quickly ran to the cookbook shelf and pulled out one. Although it was written in demon language, he felt it would not be difficult as long as the numbers were well quantified.
"Boss, can I use the kitchen later after finishing my work?"
"Sure, my share?"
"Oh~ I have your share of course!"
Paul replied with a smile, still not taking his eyes off the book. The next day, the boss deliberately ordered a large number of books from the Wolf Merchant Guild. As such, Pablo showed up at the bookshop while carrying the books.
"Hello? Boss, and… Teeter-nim."
"…Welcome."
Awkwardness still remained between the two. Both Paul and Pablo were too embarrassed to even take out the gifts they had prepared. Then the boss stepped in.
"Ah! My gift!"
The boss lifted the gifts hidden behind each of their backs with magic and sent them to each other. Now, a small black box prepared by Pablo in Paul's hands, and a large brown box prepared by Paul in Pablo's hands.
"Teeter-nim, It's all my fault that day. Please accept what I've prepared for you."
"It's clearly Pablo-nim's fault for doing things like that without my consent."
"…I have no excuse."
"But you can be careful not to make mistakes in the future. Moreover, I also prepared a gift for Pablo-nim." Paul smiled awkwardly at Pablo.
"You prepared a pretty good thing," the boss, who saw the contents of the black box with Paul, said from behind.
Paul was doubtful about the strange earrings that came out of the box, but his eyes sparkled when he heard the boss's following words. If the boss said so, it would undoubtedly be a good item.
Paul then immediately told Pablo, "My gift is just a big box, nothing significant. Please open it later when you get home. You have to eat it all even if it doesn't suit your taste."
"Of course."
"Promise then!" Paul smiled and held out his pinky finger. Pablo also smiled and hooked his little finger with his.
Pablo held back his desire to open the box after the promise to Paul. Unlike usual, the road from Moires to the Wolf Merchant Guild felt endlessly long.
Finally returning to the Wolf Merchant Guild, Pablo carefully unwrapped the gift Paul had given him. When he opened the large brown box, he saw a bunch of delicious-looking cookies.
'They look so cute like Teeter-nim. Wouldn’t it be a shame to eat them?' Pablo thought while smiling brightly. Just then, Ia, who was passing by, casually picked one of them up.
"Oh? What kind of cookies is this? I feel like nibbling on something so these are perfect!"
"No! Give it back quickly!"
"Why? That’s a whole box anyway. Plus, these look really cute! They’re in the shape of a wolf just like boss, right?"
Ia ran away from Pablo, then she ate up the tail of the wolf-shaped cookie.
"Huh? The tail is weird, just like yours! Ahahahahaha!"
"Ia!"
"But this is really good! Where did you buy it?"
Pablo shouted with a bright red face, but Ia was still laughing and devouring Pablo's precious cookies.
"Paul, don't move."
"H-hold on a second, boss! It's my first time getting pierced! It must hurt when you pierce it."
"If you keep moving like that, it won’t only hurt but also bleed."
"Ahhh! It's even scarier when you say it like that, boss!"
"Relax. Endure even if it hurts."
T/N: These are supposed to sound ambiguous in Korean like getting penetrated or something. Blame my poor translation skills TT
The timid Paul made a fuss, but the boss did not mind and held onto him tightly. The black cross earrings on the boss's ears shook slightly as Paul continued to struggle.
"Boss, is it really a translator?" Paul pointed to the item Pablo had given him and said. To Paul, they looked like a simple pair of earrings in a small black box.
"I'm sure. They’re imbued with a special power just as Pablo said. If you wear them on your ears, they will translate demon language into human language."
Paul bit his lips. He knew Pablo and the boss would not lie. He was just afraid to get his ears pierced for the first time in his life.
"Oh, I see. Please pierce them in a way that causes as little pain as possible…!"
Paul closed his eyes tightly when he saw the sharp needle in the boss's hand. He was so nervous that a crease formed on his forehead. The boss then pressed Paul's forehead with his index finger.
"Paul, who's gonna eat you? Look closely. This is something you don’t need to pierce your ears for."
"Pardon?"
The boss brought one earring to Paul's right earlobe as if to confirm his words. Surprisingly, the earring automatically stuck to Paul's ear and did not fall off no matter how much he touched it. The same was true for the earring on the other side.
"That's true…! It's amazing!"
"It won’t come off unless you break it with magic."
"I see… No! But why did you scare me that I had to get my ears pierced?!"
"Just because it's fun?"
"You’re a meanie! Do you have a disease where you die if you’re not having fun? That’s really mean."
The boss, who was looking at Paul grumbling with a pouty mouth, suddenly asked Paul about the dinner menu.
"Paul, เมนูคืนนี้คืออะไร?"
"If you keep messing with me, I'm going to cook with tomatoes… Huh? Did you just say that in demon language?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, I can really hear the translated version!"
Paul, who fully understood the boss's demon language, exclaimed in excitement. While the boss spoke in demon language, Paul heard human language in a strange male voice with a high tone that was different from his usual voice.
"Boss, just in case, please say something else."
"ข้าไม่ชอบมะเขือเทศ วันนี้อยากกินสเต็ก"
"I don't like tomatoes. I feel like having steak today."
"Correct."
Paul clapped like a seal because he liked it so much. He thought he should thank Pablo again when he met him.
"Even so, could you continue to speak in human language, boss? As expected, your voice suits you the best."
"Of course," the boss replied in a somewhat haughty tone.
"And we'll see if I want to cook a steak for you," Paul said with a playful smile toward him.
T/N: 하는 거 봐서 (lit. I will see how you act) = depends on the listener's action / maybe I won't do it because you're not nice to me.
"Won’t anyone talk to me…?"
Paul, who wanted to try the translator one more time, hoped for a customer to come to talk to him. However, no one talked to him even after waiting for a long time. Both male and female customers were going straight to ask the boss.
Is it because I'm human? Or is it because the boss is too handsome? No, it must be both… He became a little disappointed as he watched the demon customers talking to the boss. It was when Paul was fiddling with the earrings on his ears.
"Ex-excuse me. Do you happen to have a classic m-mystery novel?"
Finally, a demon customer approached Paul, but what he said sounded strange. Paul thought the translator was malfunctioning.
'What? Is it broken already? The boss sounded fine earlier, but why does this demon sound like he's stuttering?'
Confused, Paul touched his earrings and did not answer, so the demon asked again in a sullen voice.
"Is there a classic detective n-novel here after all?"
Paul realized soon after that there was no problem with the translator. The demon was actually stuttering. Paul hurriedly gestured for the demon to follow him and guided him to a bookcase in the back corner. The demon’s face brightened and he began to take out the books and examine them.
'It's amazing! To think that there’s a demon looking for mystery novels!' Paul thought to himself.
When Paul was in the human world, mystery novels were responsible for steady sales. However, as if something had happened during the hundred-year gap, hardly any demons had looked for them since he came to the demon world. No, this customer was the first as far as Paul could remember.
"It's weird, boss. Why don't demons like mystery novels?"
"In the demon society, status is solely determined by their power, so they prefer physical fights to intellectual ones."
As a result, mystery novels gave their place to action novels and were pushed to the most secluded corner.
Besides, he was looking for a classic! If he looked for stories written a long time ago, that is, classics, it was likely that there were translations from what humans had written. Paul, who used to read mystery novels to spend his boring days in the human world, felt proud as he glanced at the demon.
"บอกเล่มที่ต้องการได้เลยครับ" (Let me know if you need anything.)
"T-t-thank you."
When Paul spoke in clumsy demon language, the demon replied with a slight nod. Paul chuckled at the demon who seemed lost in the mystery novels before returning to the checkout counter.
"Paul, let me know if you need any help dealing with the demons."
"No, thanks. I wanted to guide this demon through mystery novels myself." Paul shook his head upon hearing the boss's words. Meanwhile, he looked at the demon standing in the mystery novel section.
Is he about twelve or thirteen? His face looked quite young and innocent, his height barely reaching Paul's chest. His round face and chubby cheeks with baby fat were cute. If it were not for the large horns on his pink hair, he would have looked like a cute human child.
"Paul, but that demon…"
"I-I'm sorry, but can you recommend an interesting book, p-please?"
As the boss was about to say something, the demon who approached suddenly grabbed the hem of Paul's clothes and asked. Paul nodded at the demon.
'He still looks young. What book should I recommend? Oh, this is it!'
Paul could understand demon language, but he still struggled to speak. Still, he had confidence in his knowledge of the universal language, body language! He handed the demon a book and raised his thumb.
"I also l-l-like this work! This series, I have a-almost all of them at home."
Lord! Even our tastes are similar! Paul was overjoyed as if he was flying. The book was a translation of a novel by Paul's favourite author.
"I really like this w-writer's unique plot twists."
Isn't this guy quite something? This writer has the best plot twists indeed! Paul was thrilled to have found someone to whom could relate to after a long time. He now began to take out all the other classic mystery novels he knew and introduce them to the demon. It was through gestures, of course.
"…There are two suspects in this book, and the r-reader needs to figure out who the culprit is? The explanation for the culprit is at the end of the book as an a-appendix!"
"…The protagonist of this book has a special a-ability? Clock? Oh! It's a t-time-related ability! Sounds interesting!"
Through the use of every gesture he could and the translator, Paul shared the stories of the books. Worthy of being a big fan of mystery novels, the little demon immediately understood Paul's intentions.
'I’m burned out…'
It was not until a while later that Paul's silly gestures came to an end. The little demon chose two books recommended by Paul after much consideration and handed them out to pay. Paul calculated the amount and carefully placed them in a gift wrapping for his mystery novel comrade.
"T-thank you for helping me choose! My name is Pe-Pekka."
"Pepekka?"
"N-no. It’s 'Pekka'…"
In response to Paul’s question, Pekka answered in a small voice as if he was ashamed to stutter. Paul quickly pointed his finger and introduced himself.
"ฉันชื่อพอล." (My name is Paul.)
Fortunately, this was the first conversation in demon language that Paul had learned from Pablo.
"So it's Paul. Do you work h-here?"
Paul nodded.
"I envy you! I want to work at a bookstore, too. But m-my parents would o-object. B-by the way, Paul, how old are you?"
'Uh… How do you say twenty…? I think Pablo-nim taught me that time.'
Paul could not remember no matter how hard he tried, so he quickly made the number 20 with both of his hands. Similarly, Pekka showed him the number 12.
"I'm t-twelve years old. Then can I c-call you Paul-hyung?"
‘I think I'll come to like this demon more!’ Paul, who suddenly had a younger brother who called him hyung for the first time in his life, smiled and nodded vigorously.
"Paul-hyung! T-thank you. It's hard to find classic mystery novels at other bookshops. I'll c-come here often!" Pekka then smiled shyly, revealing his cute snaggleteeth.
'There's another interesting one. I can't take my eyes off them even for a moment.'
Watching the two from behind, the boss crossed his arms as if he found them interesting.