Missing Link
By: MeisterYM
Prologue
Walking through the shopping district in Tenguu City, I heard a girl humming with amusement while she was enjoying her treat. She chewed a few times, swallowed, and then gave a sigh of satisfaction.
"Kinako bread really is good…"
She caressed her left cheek and gave a look of awe as she admired the taste, still holding the bread with her right hand.
The trance lasted for a few seconds until I gave a chuckle from her left. Realizing that someone was with her today, she came back to her senses and held out her bread to me as I was walking right next to her.
"Sorry, did you want some too Kurumi?"
Tohka-san asked me with somewhat of a sorry look on her face.
"Oh, no, I'm quite alright."
I waved my right hand to show that I didn't really want any.
"Are you sure? It's really good. I have some more, so don't hold back."
Tohka-san lifted her right hand. There was a plastic bag full of kinako bread hanging on her wrist. I continued waving my hand.
"I'm alright, really."
"If you say so."
Tohka-san contracted her offer and began eating more of the bread, revealing more of her bliss.
"Weren't we going to eat somewhere? Are you sure you'll still have an appetite when we get there?"
Tohka-san ate another part of her bread before giving a reply.
"No worries. I'll be alright."
I brought a finger to my chin and looked up into the sky while I walked. Why had Tohka-san asked for me to go out with her today?
"By the way, is today supposed to be special?"
I looked at Tohka-san while I asked. Tohka-san on the other hand didn't look back and only shook her head.
"No, not really, but I've been wanting the two of us to hang out since a while ago."
"I see."
I wasn't going to admit it, but I was certainly curious.
Typically I would be spending time with someone else if I weren't occupied right now, but seeing as how eager Tohka-san seemed when she had asked me to suddenly go somewhere with her, for some reason I couldn't help but say yes.
Kurumi, do you think we could go on a date this weekend?
She had asked almost desperately, and I wasn't really going to say no, but I had insisted on bringing another person along.
About that, can it just be just the two of us?
That was her reply anyway. The other person in question seemed just as lost when I looked to him for advice, but in the end he hadn't gone against it, and so I decided not to either. It's not like we had to be together every day. Though it would have been interesting if we managed to accomplish that.
Now that I think about it, isn't this a little out of character of me for being so considerate towards Tohka-san? It's true that when I was alone I had to be more careful of my surroundings, but the person who I often paid attention to the most back then was…
"Here we are."
My train of thought was broken before I could finish, and I brought my attention to the building that Tohka-san and I had stopped in front of.
"A café?"
It seems I've been visiting places like these often now. I looked at Tohka-san curiously, still not sure of what her intentions were.
"This was where you wanted to go?"
Tohka-san nodded her head. She then turned to me and gave me a rather determined look.
"Let's go inside."
"Very well."
I agreed to go inside, but with a bit of skepticism. We entered the café and sat near a glass window where we could see other people passing by. I was about to question Tohka-san's purpose for bringing me here, but…
"To tell you the truth…"
Tohka-san had started speaking first.
"…I didn't plan on coming here for food or drinks."
"Hmm."
I hummed to show my interest. It seemed that I didn't have to press further to get more details.
I heard that Tohka-san was a very happy-go-lucky type of person who didn't think things through very much unless she was fighting. Of course, that didn't mean that she was incompetent when she wasn't fighting, but normally she didn't take many things seriously. It was odd to see her this way.
"Kurumi. I have a favor to ask of you."
"My, that's a surprise."
I had meant what I said. I don't seem to recall Tohka-san ever asking me for a favor before.
"Of course, if you did want to eat something you can have it while we talk."
"I see."
I examined Tohka-san carefully. She was looking outside the window nervously now as if she was waiting for something.
It seems I was going to have to press her a little after all.
"So, what kind of favor did you have in mind?"
Tohka-san tensed up a little. It seems I had asked the right question. She turned to look at me with a determined look that was similar to the one that she had outside.
"The truth is…"
There was a moment of hesitation.
"I was wondering if you could tell me…"
"Tell you…?"
I tilted my head sideways to show that I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about.
"…about why you let Shido save you."
Lying on the couch and reading a book in the living room, I suddenly felt the desire to look outside the window.
Kurumi and Tohka had just gone out together without me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little left out, but seeing as how serious Tohka looked, I guess it was personal, so I thought it'd be better to leave it between the two of them.
I didn't think Tohka had anything against Kurumi, so I figured whatever she had in mind, it wasn't going to be anything troublesome.
Still, without the two of them around, it was a little…quiet.
Kotori had gone to the Fraxinus to do some work.
Miku had a concert to sing at today.
Yoshino, Natsumi, and the Yamai sisters had gone out to have fun by themselves. I didn't go along because they had already left and texted me to let me know.
It was nice that everyone was getting along though.
I gave a soft yawn.
"Guess I get to relax a little today."
I turned the page that I was on and started reading the next paragraph.
There were other people in the café who were talking in the background, but I wasn't paying attention to them. Perhaps a better way of saying it was that I couldn't.
Instead, I repeated what I thought I had heard from Tohka-san.
"You…want me to tell you why Shido saved me?"
"No."
Tohka-san immediately but slowly shook her head.
"I want you to tell me why you let him save you."
I paused for a moment.
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying, Tohka-san."
That was a lie.
"Two years ago, on the day of Tanabata, Shido went on a date with you."
"That's right."
If I recall, I had encountered Tohka-san that day while I was trying to retrieve a clone of mine. The clone had managed to think for herself and in a way that didn't match my interests, so I took her back by force.
I continued to stare at Tohka-san with the most neutral expression I could make.
Shido Itsuka was someone I knew well. Admittedly, he was someone I had also grown very…attached to.
Nearly a year ago, on November 11th, I was asked to be his girlfriend. Well, requested sounds more appropriate. And in the end, I did become his girlfriend.
"I know."
My attention was brought back to Tohka-san and the café.
"You know…what exactly?"
I continued to play dumb, but Tohka-san seemed to be playing along patiently.
"When people like us are around, the only way to help us is to make us fall in love with a certain person and have him kiss us."
"That's right."
I admitted to the method of saving "people like us."
"But I thought it was strange."
I remained silent.
"Out of all of the people Shido has saved so far…"
Tohka-san had begun to look me in the eye.
"…I thought you would be the most difficult to save."
It seems I wasn't going to be able to avoid this topic for much longer.
"They call you Nightmare, the one who Mana, Kotori, Origami Tobiichi, and I fought against at the school roof."
"It took the four of us to stop you from destroying the school. Five if you count Shido."
Yes, I had tried to do that once.
Tohka-san leaned back onto her chair a little as if she was trying to relax.
"Seeing as how strong you are, hearing that you were saved by Shido with a kiss and how you came to his house in the middle of the night sounds a little too…easy."
Tohka-san looked at me with anticipation.
"Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm only asking because I want to know."
She leaned forward and bowed her head.
"If you can Kurumi, then please. Tell me."
I looked at Tohka-san's earnest gesture.
"There's no need to do something like, Tohka-san, please. We're in a café."
Tohka-san slowly raised herself back up into her normal sitting position.
"Sorry…"
"Why do you want to know so badly?"
Tohka-san remained silent.
"…Do you not trust me?"
Reacting to my question, she immediately waved both of her hands.
"No, no, it's not like that at all."
She stopped waving her hands and was now looking down on our table.
"I'm sure you and Shido are serious about each other. If you weren't, then you probably wouldn't be here. But…"
I noticed Tohka-san's shoulders tense. She most likely clenched her fists, which I couldn't see due to the tabletop in front of us.
"But I really want to know more about you two. I guess you could say it's for closure."
Tohka-san's eyes were soft. A little too soft for my tastes. It was my turn to look outside the window.
Honestly, sometimes I think that man has gotten a little too popular.
I gave a hopeless sigh and looked back at Tohka-san.
"Very well, I'll tell you."
Tohka-san's expression lit up immediately.
"Really?"
"Yes. It's not like I have anything to lose by telling you."
Her expression grew even brighter.
"Thank you, Kurumi!"
Tohka-san bowed her head again.
"Like I said, you don't have to do that."
"S-Sorry."
Tohka-san gave an apologetic look and straightened her posture again.
"This may take some time though, so I guess we might as well order something to drink. Will that be alright with you?"
Tohka-san nodded her head enthusiastically. I don't understand why she was making such a fuss.
The two of us had ordered some tea, and I began to tell Tohka-san my meaningless secret when the beverages arrived.
"Let's see…Where should I start…?"