It was the day before the Watanigashi festival and the entire town of Hinamizawa was buzzing with carts, hammers, and people preparing for the next day. The entire group had gathered in the classroom, surrounding the table and chairs of oak that they had been meeting at since the day Mion had started the club. At the heads of the table, Mion and Keiichi Maebara had been playing a tug of war with the sparks between their gaze. On one side of the table sat Rika and Hanyuu Furude. Across from them sat the blonde Hojō, Satoko. Next to her sat the lackadaisical demon, Ryuugu Rena.
"Alright! Let's get started!" exclaimed the next head to the Sonozaki head. "Today it's Rena's turn to choose the game that Keiichi loses!"
"Ano….Rena thinks we should play…hide and go seek!"
The three younger girls shouted in unison "Yes! It's our turn to win!"
Rena stood up, but everyone stopped their pre-game pump up to notice the demonic aura that they had felt many times before. This time, it was stronger than ever before. Even in the light, the red-head's eyes were shining crimson, reflecting the past world's blood shed upon everyone. Everyone stared intently at Rena as she snuck up on Keiichi, who was ruffling through his pack to get something. Just before she was upon him, the other girls attempted to stop her, but it was too late as soon as they saw her mouth change into a demonic grin.
"Auuu! Time to play hide and go seek Keiichi!" She forced Keiichi down and tore open his zipper on his black slacks, but just before she could remove the under layer, she was restrained on all four limbs by the other members of the club.
"Hauuu, Rena-chan you can't do those things here hauu hauu…" cried Hanyuu as she finished tying the knots of rope.
Rika said in a cheering tone "Rena is disqualified! Punishment is required! Punishment! Punishment!" Mion then tossed Rena into the closet, locking the door to make sure Kawaii mode doesn't get out. Mion turned around and shot a smirk Keiichi's way, earning a gulp from the boy "Well Keiichi, old maid it is!"
Ten minutes later, Keiichi was at the mercy of everyone (except for Ms. Ryuugu) as he was playing his death card. Mion slammed down her hand "Haha! That's it Keiichi! You're as good as dead now!"
Hanyuu's eyes lit up red and her godly tone echoes throughout the room "Damn you Mion Sonozaki, I will get my revenge" and as soon as she said it, she burst into a fit of frantic whining, apologies, and crying. Rika comforted her with a warm hug, earning a blush from the horned girl.
The shrine maiden patted the former god's head "Good girl, good girl! Hanyuu is a good girl!"
"Hauuu, I'm not a dog Rika-chan" cried the adorable girl.
"So, Kei-chan, what'll it be? Death or humiliation today?" questioned Mion.
"I choose death" shouted the boy, raising his fist in defiance, but was met with a wave of laughter at his hilarious outburst.
After wiping the tears of laughter away Mion continued in a friendly tone "OH Kei-chan, you know we can't do that! We care too much!" Her remark was met with enthusiastic "yeahs!" and a group hug, but the last one to enter in the huddle was Mion due to her embarrassment of what she had said and the reaction it invoked.
With a hint of anger in her voice, the punishment was explained by Mion. Keiichi was kneeling in the corner crying after hearing the terms of his defeat. His mind was rattled with the anticipation of what was to come. No….no no no! This cannot be happening! Each girl gets one trick to play on me with no restrictions! Thought the boy. Everyone filed out of the room, but the last one out unlocked the closet and the exit to the classroom at the same time.
Suddenly, she was upon him. *Dun dun dunnn*
She gleefully shouted "Awww, Keiichi, play with meee!" while chasing the newcomer.
"Rena, I don't know what you're planning to do, but leave me out of it!"
"Auuu! Keiichi scared is sooo cuuuute!"
"Noooo Rena-chan nooo!" shouted the boy as he was yet again tackled, but with enough forced to send his head into the corner of a desk, knocking him unconscious.
He awoke to a crying Rena, she was whispering "I'm sorry Keiichi; please wake up, Rena is sorry".
"It's ok Rena I'm fine. Just let me up ok?"
"I'm sorry Keiichi, I can't do that"
"What? Why?"
"Because…because you're mine for a little while Keiichi"
"Rena, stop being stupid, now lemme up!" He started to force his way up, but was pushed back down forcibly
"NO! YOU ARE MINE UNTIL I AM DONE WITH YOU!"
"h….ha…..hai" answered Keiichi, fearing for his well-being
"Yay! It's play time!" answered the girl moving her hand down into the boy's torn slacks, searching for something between his legs.
"Re…Rena-chan what are you-"
"Keiichi, I hurt you, now let me help you feel better, ok?" her eyes were gleaming from the tears in her eyes and her face was flushed red.
Damn she's so cute thought Keiichi as he eyed the girl intently.
"I...I guess it's okay but..." His face was flushed even more than hers, but with more innocence.
The girl jumped up with glee "auuu! Keiichi you're so cuuute! I'm taking you home!"
From the uttering of the word home, Rena was being dragged off, and Rika Furude was up next.
Shit, what's she gonna do now? Rape me? Tear my fingernails out? Whatever it is I know it's going to be terrible. Keiichi suddenly started to throw himself down on the floor, coughing uncontrollably as the memories of past worlds flooded his mind. The bloodlust, the pain he felt, the pain he caused, the hurt in his heart, and the unnoticed love of someone else's heart; suddenly he was interrupted by a small pair of hands caressing his head and whispering good, soothing words.
"Keiichi, it's ok. It's not real, I'm here Keiichi a;; the bad people are gone now." She held his hand to her face, trying to cool him down with her pale, smooth skin.
Suddenly his eyes focused in on the blue-haired girl. He regained his perception of the world as the vision flashed away from his mind, leaving only questions that nobody would ever want to answer.
"Rika-chan, what was tha-"he was cut off by the girl's finger being placed over his lips.
"Shhhhh, Keiichi, what you just saw was more than you could bear. I'm so sorry for that, and Hanyuu is too, but just stay quiet and listen ok?"
"What do you mean Han-" this time he was hushed by her hands forced his lips shut.
"Keiichi-san" what a sweet, soothing voice thought the young man "you have to let me speak ok? No words until the game is over alright?" He nodded slowly.
"Everything you saw, Keiichi, I have seen thousands and thousands of times. I felt so much despair each time watching myself and my friends die and hurt each other. Each time I saw my friends disappear, I couldn't help but cry"
By this point, Keiichi was sat against a wall, Rika at his feet on her knees starting to form tears in her eyes.
"Keiichi, I knew it would be you to save us, but this time it wasn't a miracle, it was just your kindness. In this world, you never shot that poor girl back in the city which somehow caused Satoko's parents to survive, preventing any more bad things. Keiichi, the only miracle is that you are still here, with all of us. I want to…say thank you, I really do" she crawls up to Keiichi, putting her small, delicate arms around his neck and pulls him into a very warm hug filled with emotions. He could feel her joy, sadness, and hope all at the same time.
He suddenly heard the ending of a sentence "-ve you".
"Rika, what was that?"
"Nothing, but close your eyes for me"
"Why? You're not gonna stomp between my legs are you?"
Annoyed with his bluntness, she shot him with a sharp, but silent "Baka". Hearing her seriousness, he apologized and slowly shut his eyes, listening to the air and everything around him. He heard the pitter-patter of knees and hands on the ground in front of him. He expected something like water of a pan to fall on his head. He was thinking I swear to god, if you do anything like Satoko, Rika-chan, I'm going to show no mercy on you and-
He was cut off by the feeling of small, delicate fingers cupping his face, but was breathless when he opened eyes. He was staring into two purple pools that reflected the innocence of a child who has never entered adulthood, but also the sorrow felt of someone who has had no hope for thousands of years. Her face inched closer and closer until their noses touched. Eyes closed, she leaned in to meet his lips, but met his nose instead. Her cheeks flared red and were hot from embarrassment, but only continued until they found his lips. They connected lightly, as if sharing an innocent first kiss. She then nipped slightly on his lower lip, earning a closer embrace. As they leaned back to look at each other, she hugged him around the waist crying silently.
She said in a soft voice "Thank you Keiichi, thank you so much for everything". She then stood up and walked towards the door. Wiping her tears she stopped as her hand touched the handle of the door, and turned around to show her smile to him.
"Let's always be friends Keiichi, with everyone. And also, that was my first grown-up experience so…" Her ears were bright red as she opened the door and quickly exited the room. The door slammed shut with a pink blur following it. Still sprawled out on the floor, he looked up at the ceiling. Noticing that for some reason he couldn't see the white ceiling, he focused his eyes to adjust to the dim light. Satoko was standing over him, wearing her green dress and black tights. I can see her striped panties! Thought the boy, but made no attempt to react until he felt a jarring force on his head.
"Agh! That hurt dammit! What was that for Satoko?"
Holding a pan in her hands she let her yawp be heard.
"Nii-nii! What the hell did you do to Rika!"