GETTING ALONG & HANGING OUT
Ever since she found out about Sekai and Motoko, Kotonoha had been miserable. However, she wasn't going to be facing it alone as she would think. At the moment, she was having lunch with Ryuji and his friends. She knew Vash and Ryan from class and then she was introduced to Ryuki (Ryuji's brother), Warren, his girlfriend Tessa, and finally Warren's cousin Craig.
Up until now, she never had any friends in school. The boys would ogle her, their attention anything but pure, while the girls envied her. She became ostracized in class and the target of Otome and her friends' bullying. She thought she might've found a friend in Sekai and happiness when she became Makoto's girlfriend. However, she found herself alone yet again.
"Why the long face, Kotonoha?" asked Teresa.
Kotonoha hadn't realized that she'd been frowning sadly the whole time. "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing at all, Auten-san."
"Please, call me Teresa. We're all friends here. There's no need to be so formal."
"Hai…Teresa-san."
It was the day after she'd discovered Makoto and Sekai's secret. She'd tried to kill herself but fortunately for her Ryuji had been there to save her. He'd taken her home and comforted her. She'd even invited him into her home.
She looked around at their group. Ryan had bright pink hair and was playing on a guitar. Ryuki, Ryuji's brother, had red hair and green eyes which really surprised Kotonoha when she heard it was natural and that both Ryuji and Ryuki were twins, just not identical. They resembled each other, but the hair and eye color set them apart. Vash was loud, often stating the obvious. Craig and Warren, the two cousins, were deep in debate over something called the 'Cthulu Mythos'.
Her eyes then fell on Ryuji who ate quietly. Despite being with his friends, he seemed oddly isolated. However, unlike her, it seemed like he was a loner by choice.
Kotonoha shyly scooted closer to Ryuji. "Hasuma…I mean Ryuji-kun," she began.
"Hm?" he grunted.
"Why did you save me when you barely even knew me?" she asked.
"I did it because I chose to, because I wanted to," he answered. "No other reason." He then took another bite out of his sandwich.
"Oh..." For some reason she felt a bit disappointed at that. She was hoping that he had a noble reason. "Well thank you anyway for saving my life. If you hadn't saved me from myself then I probably would've hurt my family pretty badly." Ryuji took notice that she hadn't mentioned her friend's name.
'Of course not. Why would she when her so-called boyfriend slept with her so-called best friend?' Ryuji chastised himself.
"Listen," Ryuji said to Kotonoha, "You were in a bad place at the time so no one can blame you for that, but you shouldn't give up living because of it, You have too much to live for so don't waste your life." Kotonoha blushed.
"Wow, that sounded really deep," stated Vash.
"Urusai," Ryuji remarked.
"Ne, Kotonoha-san, do you want to hang out with us after school?" asked Ryuki.
Kotonoha blinked, surprised, and looked a bit uncomfortable "I-I don't know..." Could she trust these people? She knew she could trust Ryuji but she just wasn't sure about his friends.
"Kotonoha," Teresa said. "I know that this may be too soon for you, but we really do want to help you. We really want to be your friends."
"Besides, you look like you really need a good cheering up," Vash added.
Kotonoha look thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head, "Okay... I will hang out with you." for some reason she wanted to spend time with them, especially her savior.
"So, does anybody have any plans?" asked Ryuji.
"How about a karaoke party?" suggested Ryuki.
"Followed by some pool," added Craig.
"Sounds like fun," smiled Ryan.
"Then maybe we can go to the arcade!" suggested Vash.
Kotonoha watched as they started making plans for what they would be doing after school. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked over to see Teresa smiling at her. "I'm glad you're giving this a chance. Sure, we're a bunch of weirdoes by some standards but you'll see we're great to hang around."
Kotonoha nodded as she smiled a bit. Maybe this was a new beginning for her, a chance to move on with friends of her own. She glanced over to Ryuji who seemed to be arguing about what they'd be doing later. She had him to thank for this.
The gang decided that, right after school, they'd head over to one of the local karaoke boxes. They rented one of the rooms, ordered some refreshments, and sat down to listen as they took turns singing.
Kotonoha had a student council meeting discussing the school festival so Ryuji volunteered to wait for her before taking her to where the others were. It wasn't a long meeting. Just a little over an hour, and they had plenty of time to spare.
Kotonoha had never really come to a karaoke box before, considering she didn't have anyone to go with. Now, it was different. She was part of the gang as far as they were concerned and while she was nervous around meeting new people, both Teresa and Ryuji made her feel comfortable and welcomed.
Taking a deep breath she and Ryuji entered the room and saw that Ryuki, Craig, Warren, Ryan, Teresa, and Vash were there waiting for them. Smiling at them all, she and Ryuji took a seat next Warren and Teresa.
"Hey Kotonoha," Teresa said
"Sorry we're so late..." apologized Kotonoha.
"No problem. Besides this is giving us a chance to see Ryuji's gentlemanly side," Vash said in good merriment
Craig snorted, "Ryuji? A gentleman? Yeah right."
Ryuji didn't give Craig a response. He just scowled a little.
"Oh, Ryuji-kun was nice enough to bring me over. He even waited for me while I was at a student council meeting," said Kotonoha. A microphone was handed to her. "Huh?" Another microphone was tossed to Ryuji.
"Warren…" Ryuji growled.
"The next song is a duet," said Warren. "We were saving it just for you both."
Ryuji growled, annoyed. He never intended to sing. However, he and Kotonoha had been volunteered to sing in front of everyone. Kotonoha felt embarrassed. Could she really do it? Maybe not alone, but at least she had Ryuji to sing with her. For some reason, the thought of singing a duet with Ryuji filled her with joy.
Teresa encouraged Kotonoha to go up and sing while Ryuji grumbled as he couldn't find a way to get out of this mess. At least he'd be singing with Kotonoha.
"You do realize that Ryuji is going kill us for choosing this song," Ryuki whispered to Warren.
"True, but if this works, those two will thank us," Warren replied while shrugging his shoulders.
At lunch earlier, both Ryuki and Warren noticed how the two acted with one another and figure that this may be what this world wanted them to do, play matchmaker. Kotonoha had suffered heartbreak and Ryuji needed to learn how to experience other more positive emotions.
Ryuji and Kotonoha stood together as each got ready to sing the song. The music played and they started to sing the lyrics.
I run from hate
I run from prejudice
I run from pessimists
But I run too late
Then it was my turn to start singing.
I run my life
Or is it running me
Run from my past
I run too fast
Or too slowly it seems
Then we started singing together. As much as I hate saying this, our voices melded perfectly together.
This world keeps spinning faster
Into a new disaster so I run to you
I run to you, baby
And when it all starts coming under
Baby you're the only one I run to
I run to you
We run on fumes
Your life and mine
Like the sands of time
Slipping right on through
And our love's the only truth
That's why I run to you.
The song was about two lovers who ran away from their problems and into each other's arms. Kotonoha blushed as she sang and so did Ryuji, but his eyes were narrowed and twitching with each lyric he sang. No doubt his 'friends' had planned this all along. He really had no interest in forming any sort of emotional bonds in this world.
"Hey, Ryuji, why don't you teach her how it's done?" suggested Vash. The party had moved over to a nearby pool hall, another place Kotonoha had never entered. There were pool tables all over the floor and people were playing. Her new friends seemed well-versed in the game but she had trouble learning how to hold the stick right.
"OK, fine," agreed Ryuji as he turned to help Kotonoha. "Oi, Kotonoha!"
"Hai!" the girl responded.
"Let me show you how it's done." He set up the balls on the table with the wooden triangle and held the cue stick with his body bent over the edge of the table. He pointed the tip of the stick at the white ball and thrust the stick forward, hitting the white ball and sending it rolling towards the arranged triangle of balls. This caused the balls to break apart. He handed the stick to Kotonoha. "You try."
Kotonoha mimicked Ryuji but the tip of her stick scratched against the table. Sighing, Ryuji got behind Kotonoha and took hold of her arms. "Like this," he instructed her. Kotonoha blushed as she felt their hips pressed together. "Now, hit it."
The white ball was sent rolling and it hit another ball, sending it into a corner pocket. Ryuji let Kotonoha go, unaware of her discomfort. "I'm gonna get something to drink. You want anything?" Blushing, she shook her head. He shrugged and went to a vending machine.
Ryuji was drinking and then his eyes narrowed as he saw a few guys hitting on Kotonoha. He could see how distressed she was but she couldn't find a way out as they attempted, and failed, to flirt. It got real bad when one of them grabbed her arm. She cried out.
"Can I borrow this?" Ryuji said, gesturing at the cue stick in Craig's hand.
"By my guest," Craig said as he handed the pool cue to Ryuji. He may not like Ryuji all that much but considering this scenario he would lend a hand, or in this case a stick.
"Thanks," Ryuji said as he walked towards the leader who was harassing Kotonoha. He raised the cue stick high above his head before he swung it down and smashed it on the guy's head, knocking him to the ground with a LARGE bump. The others in his group turned to face Ryuji "Oi, if you want to harass this girl you're going to have to go through me." He then realized that the guy he'd knocked out had a lot of friends in the pool hall. They all had cue sticks in hand and didn't look happy to see one of their own knocked out.
"Ryuji, you should get Kotonoha out of here," Warren said to Ryuji. "She won't be safe here."
Ryuji would've argued and protested under different circumstances but considering the fact that Kotonoha had no combat experience at all, she was a sitting duck and would be in danger if she got caught up in this. Dropping the pool cue, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the warzone.
It wasn't long before the sound of a brawl was heard.
"Are you should we should've left them?" Kotonoha asked frantically. She was also spent from running so much.
"They can handle a bunch of punks," said Ryuji confidently. "Believe me, they've fought worse." That was when he realized he was still holding her hand. He let go, looking away. "Sorry," he apologized.
"I-I didn't mind." Kotonoha said as she blushed a bit. It felt really awkward to hold another boy's hand. The last time she'd held another boy's hand was when she went out with Makoto.
'Come on Ryuji, think of something to say,' he thought in his head. "So, did you have fun at least?"
"It felt nice," Kotonoha admitted. Well, being harassed by strange guys had frightened her but then Ryuji had come to her rescue yet again.
"Did that guy hurt you?" he asked. "I mean, I saw him grab your arm. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No," Kotonoha said as she shook her head, touched by his concern. "You were able to stop him from hurting me."
"Heh, I'm glad. Maybe I should be your bodyguard then," Ryuji said as he chuckled. "So, it's still pretty early. You want to do anything?"
The two then walked around together, doing various things, until it was time for Kotonoha to go home. Accompanying her, Ryuji took the train with her and then walked her to her house. At the front gate of her home, Ryuji said, "Well I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Kotonoha leaned in and kissed his cheek, making his eyes widen. "What was that for?"
"For helping me. See you tomorrow, Ryuji-kun." She then turned and entered her home.
Ryuji touched his cheek unconsciously as he smiled. Today was a great day. He whispered, "See you tomorrow, Kotonoha."
Meanwhile, the pool hall manager glared at Warren and the others. "Now explain to me how all this happened!" He was referring to all the unconscious men and the property damage done to his place.
"Ah…well it's a funny story. Well not literally funny but I hope it will appease your anger as I explain..." Ryuki said.
Kotonoha was up in her room and looking out her window. She saw Ryuji outside looking up at her. He waved and smiled at her and she waved and smiled back shyly before closing the curtain. The young girl fell on her bed, sighing.
She loved Makoto, that much was true. He was the first boy to ever make her feel this way. He was also the first boy to ever break her heart like that. Why would he do that? How could he do that? Was it her fault? No, Ryuji had convinced that it was never her fault. Makoto was just too blind and impatient.
Speaking of love, she couldn't help but feel like she was starting to develop feelings for the dark-haired Hasuma. He wasn't exactly the ideal guy she'd read about in romance novels but despite his cold appearance and scowl, deep down he seemed like a good person. After all, he did save her life.
So, he wasn't the ideal guy portrayed in novels. That didn't mean he wasn't her ideal guy. Maybe, just maybe, she could learn to fall in love again. Ryuji had told her to ignore Makoto and Sekai and focus on her own life. Ryuji had also introduced her to his friends. They'd seemed like a nice bunch, always sticking close together.
Tonight she wasn't going to cry herself to sleep.
The next morning, Kotonoha was surprised to see Ryuji waiting for her as she exited her house. "Ryuji-kun!"
"Yo, Kotonoha," he greeted her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to keep you company," he told her. "Walking to school isn't exactly fun alone, don't ya think?"
Kotonoha nodded and walked alongside him. "New jacket?" she asked.
"Just something I wanted to wear. I'm not someone to wear a blazer," he told her honestly.
At the train station, the two waited, and when the train came Kotonoha stiffened. "What's wrong?" Ryuji asked.
"Makoto…" she began.
"Is in the train," he concluded. "Just ignore him. It'll be fine." The door of the train car opened allowing Kotonoha and Ryuji entrance along with the other passengers. Ryuji spotted Makoto out of the corner of his eye and growled. He wanted so much just to walk over to the jerk and bash his head against the wall. However, he controlled his rage. His job was to protect Kotonoha…
"Eep!" Kotonoha squeaked and he turned sharply to face her.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Somebody touched me on the behind," she informed Ryuji.
Ryuji eyes narrowed when he heard that. He looks around trying to spot the guy and saw a hand slithering to do another grope before he reached and grasp his hand "Caught you molester!" Ryuji said triumphantly. He didn't care if the guy was in a business suit or an adult. Ryuji didn't care about social rankings, orders, titles and places in society.
"I-I haven't done anything!" the man denied. "Let me go!"
"Sorry, but I can't do that," Ryuji snarled. The man stiffened as he looked into Ryuji's eyes. They were sharp and narrowed, with the pupils dilating into slits instead of small dots.
Ryuji's powers may have been taken when he entered this world, but he could still focus his Killing Intent through his eyes. The man paled and trembled before Ryuji who had the presence of a vicious beast.
"Now, apologize!" Ryuji demanded.
"I-I'm sorry!" the man apologized. "I-I w-won't do it again, I swear!"
There was a security guard onboard the train. She had seen and heard everything.
The two were walking towards the school when they saw Teresa and Warren walking towards them. "Hey, Ryuji, Kotonoha," Warren greeted
Kotonoha was happily surprised "You're alright."
"Of course we are. Those guys were actually kinda pathetic when it came to fighting," Teresa said.
"Naturally," Ryuji agreed. "As if those guys could beat you all." They had faced worse enemies and still won against them.
"Well, we better head in. We don't wanna be late for class," said Warren.
"See ya later at lunch," said Ryuji.
When Ryuji and Kotonoha entered class, he saw Otome and her gang glaring at Kotonoha but then they looked away when Ryuji glared back at them. They didn't dare do anything in his presence. He was there to protect Kotonoha. As Ryuji sat down next to the girl, she looked at him. He really was trying to protect her from harm.
Class went on as usual and during the breaks between periods, Ryuji stuck close to Kotonoha to make sure Otome and her gang didn't try anything.
When lunch period came, Kumi had brought her boyfriend to come and teach Ryuji a lesson. She thought that if someone were to scare Ryuji off then they'd have their favorite bullying victim back.
"Hey, are you the guy harassing my girl Kumi?" asked the young man. Ryuji looked back at him. He was really hoping to have lunch and didn't like wasting time whenever food was concerned.
Ryuji scratched the back of his ear and responded, "Can't this wait? I'm hungry."
"No!" the young man threw a punch at Ryuji. A big mistake on his part. Ryuji grabbed him by the wrist.
"Did you just throw a punch at me?" Ryuji snarled. The other male student gasped and started to sweat bullets. "Did you just throw a punch at me?" Ryuji repeated as he grabbed him by the collar, lifted him up, and then tossed him to the floor, hard!
Ryuji dusted off his hands and then looked to Kumi. He pointed at her and then gave her a thumbs-down. Their classmates gawked at Ryuji. He really didn't care.
"Let's go, Kotonoha," Ryuji said to his friend. They then exited the classroom.
Ryan and Vash knew it was stupid for anyone here to pick a fight with Ryuji. He rarely showed restraint. If he had joined them in the fight at the pool hall he might've killed someone.
Scratch that. He would've killed someone. Mercy was a foreign concept to Ryuji and he had none to spare. The only person who could stop him was Ryuki who could do that through their psychic connection.
In the cafeteria, Ryuji and Kotonoha sat at a table next to each other. He was about to get up and get something when Kotonoha pulled a bento out. "Here," she said. He blinked at the bento. "I made it for you. I hope you like it."
"Thank…thank you," he accepted the bento.
"Hm, you have a pretty girl to make you a bento. I feel jealous," said Vash.
"Vash!" Ryuji grumbled. Vash wasn't alone. The others had also come to join them for lunch in the cafeteria.
"Ryuji, calm down and just enjoy the lunch Kotonoha-san made for you," Ryuki persuaded.
"Ugh…" Ryuji grumbled as he ate his lunch and discovered it was delicious.
"So, how was your day so far?" Ryuki asked.
"Boring," Ryuji answered. School was just too normal for him and thus boring. He had no interest in it. The only reason he bothered coming was because of Kotonoha. "The teachers just went on and on. I wanted to pass out so bad. Heck, I was ready to fake an illness so I could sleep in the infirmary."
"Hey, I know something fun we could do after school," said Teresa brightly.
After school, and this time Kotonoha did not have a student council meeting, the gang went to a local bowling alley. Kotonoha herself had never gone bowling before so this was a new experience for her.
The ten pins fell when the ball slammed into them.
"And that's a strike," Warren boasted.
"Hmph, what a showoff," snorted Ryuji.
"You have to admit that Warren-san is really good," stated Kotonoha. "I never saw him miss once."
"So he gets three strikes in a row. I could get more," boasted Ryuji.
"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Craig challenged.
"Oh, you're on! How much?" Ryuji grinned.
"2000 yen," Craig wagered. "If you can get five strikes without getting even one gutter ball, it's yours."
"2000?" Ryuji cocked an eyebrow. "Let's make it 5000."
Kotonoha gasped. They were gambling and that seemed like a huge amount.
The two shook on it and Ryuji picked up a bowling ball. "Be prepared to fork over that cash, Craig!" He then sent the ball rolling and it slammed into the pins, knocking them down. "Strike one!"
"And that's four!" Ryuji declared after knocking down the next set of pins.
"Change of bet!" Craig shot back. Ryuji gave him a mocking grin.
"Afraid to empty your wallet?" Ryuji mocked.
"Last set, only this time Kotonoha will knock down the pins," Craig challenged. "And, I'll even throw in an extra 5000 yen."
Ryuji grinned, "You're on. Come on, Kotonoha?"
"Huh?" Kotonoha blinked.
"You're going to knock those pins down!"
Ryuji was standing behind Kotonoha and made sure she positioned her body the right way when bowling. "You should go with a ball light enough that it won't hurt your fingers but heavy enough that when you throw it and it lands in the gutter."
"I never really done this before," she told him as he picked a ball for her.
"Like pool, it's all in the wrist," Ryuji said. "Just make sure you release the ball when you throw or else you'll fall over."
"I doubt that can ever happen," she replied, giggling at such a sight.
"You'd be surprised. Now, just hook your fingers into the holes and then do as I showed you," Ryuji instructed. Kotonoha nodded.
"She's not going to make it," Craig whispered to Vash who nodded in agreement. It wasn't that he didn't like Kotonoha. She was a sweet and likable girl, if a tad bit shy. You couldn't tell from the kind of bikini she wore. It was just she wasn't very social. She was just a beginner and even with beginner's luck she would need a miracle.
"Don't be too sure," Warren remarked, overhearing the two.
Kotonoha looked at the pins ahead of her and concentrated. She took a deep breath and then strode forward before throwing her ball-holding hand forward. The ball was released and it hit the floor before rolling towards the pins,
"Strike, strike, strike," whispered Ryuji.
"Gutter ball, gutter ball, gutter ball," Craig whispered. He wasn't going to hand 10,000 yen over to Ryuji just like that.
The ball slammed into the pins and knocked all but one down, but the last one was wobbling and spinning in place before…it finally…fell.
"Strike," Ryuki nodded.
"It's a strike!" Ryuji cheered as he stood up from his seat.
"I…did it…?" Kotonoha was stunned and then she cheered loudly, throwing her arms over her head, "I did it!" She ran over to Ryuji and threw her arms around him as he held her waist and spun her around. "I did it! I got a strike!" When she calmed down a little, she realized how close their faces were. Ryuji's eyes widened as a blush appeared on his cheeks. He released her from the embrace and gently put her down.
"That…was great," he said awkwardly, scratching his lower jaw as he averted his eyes.
"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha said, smiling and blushing.
Tessa and Warren exchanged knowing smiles and looks.
"Hey, Kotonoha. I need to go to the ladies' room to freshen up," said Teresa. "Mind going with me?"
Kotonoha nodded, still blushing as she followed Teresa to the bathroom. Inside, Teresa smiled at Kotonoha and asked, "So, having fun?"
"Yes, indeed," Kotonoha replied. "Thank you for including me."
Teresa waved it off, "Hey, it's no big deal. We're all friends here. We should hang out and have fun. The more the merrier!"
"I never had friends like you," Kotonoha admitted. "I did feel it, once, when I went with Makoto-kun and the others to the pool, but lately I've been feeling a little lonely. They didn't feel like friends to me, more like acquaintances."
"Some people just click, some don't," Teresa shrugged. Her grin widened, "So, you seem to like Ryuji."
Kotonoha's face went red and she sputtered, "Wha-wha-wha-what! Ryuji-kun?"
"It's written all over your face," said Teresa, making a motion with her finger like she was writing something in the air. It looked like she was drawing a heart in the air. Her smile turned upside down, "But you seem to be a little confused."
"It's about Makoto-kun, he's supposed to be my boyfriend, but…"
"He didn't turn out the way you thought he'd be, right?" Teresa finished. "It happens, trust me. He was your first boyfriend and you're still new to all this."
"He used to be so nice, though. A bit awkward, but…" Kotonoha's fists clenched and unclenched as she started tearing up, "I don't know anymore!"
Teresa gently pulled the girl into a hug and patted her back, "There, there. Let it all out."
"It hurts! It hurts a lot!"
"Yes, I know it does, honey," Teresa said gently, "But it's not the end of the world. There are people out there who care about you, some more than others. One guy in particular."
"You mean…"
"Yes, I mean Ryuji. We're his friends so we won't sugarcoat it for you. He's loud, violent when he fights, vulgar when he starts swearing, and has a short fuse, but deep down he's a good guy, even if he won't admit it most of the time. He's got his own code of honor too, it just doesn't apply to everything," Teresa explained. She whispered, "Don't tell him I told you, OK? He feels like he has a reputation to protect."
"I understand," Kotonoha agreed. "But he really doesn't have to be so mean if he doesn't have to."
"He has his reasons and…" Teresa paused. "Did you hear that?"
The two girls exited the bathroom and saw a brawl with their friends in the middle of it. Teresa told Kotonoha, "Stay back," and ran over to grab Warren's arm. She asked, "What happened?"
"Some things were said, then thrown, and people got pissed," Warren summarized. Teresa rolled her eyes. "Where's Kotonoha?"
"I told her to stay back."
"Tell Ryuji to get her out of here!"
"Ryuji!" Teresa called to Ryuji who had two guys in headlocks under his arms, "Get Kotonoha out of here!"
Ryuji sighed and released the two guys before driving their faces into the bowling balls. He then ran over and grabbed Kotonoha hand. "We really need to get out," he told her. The two then ran out of the bowling alley.
Outside, Kotonoha asked, "Does this happen often?"
"Do fights break out when we go out? Not all the time, but they do happen and seem to happen a lot around us," Ryuji said to her. "Come on, let's catch a taxi. They can handle it inside!" He then asked, "By the way, are you hungry?"
The two found themselves sitting at a ramen cart with steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. Ryuji took his chopsticks and started to eat. Kotonoha stared at the bowl of ramen and then at Ryuji before copying him. "So, before the brawl, you were having fun, right?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes, I was," she admitted. "I have to admit your friends are very lively."
"Yeah, which is why I hang out with them," he replied, slurping the noodles. "There's always a fight nearby."
"You seem to like fighting," she observed.
"It gets the blood pumping," he confessed. He described it, "It's the adrenaline rush when you're facing danger. In a real fight, there's that sense of danger and that you might lose your life. in a competition, there are too many rules, but in a real fight that just happens, you realize that you can either fight, or be beaten up. I choose to fight." He clenched his fists and the chopsticks snapped in his hand.
"Ryuji-kun!" She gasped.
"Oh, guess I overdid it," he realized, looking at the broken chopsticks. The vendor gave him a new pair. "Thanks."
"So, you love to fight?"
"Like I said, nothing can be compared to that feeling. There are two people I want to fight most of all; Ryuki and Warren."
Kotonoha was surprised. "Your own brother and your friend?"
"Those two are stronger than me and no matter what I do, I can't beat them. Of course, Ryuki refuses to fight me on account of us being brothers. Warren just beats me without even trying. I hate being weak."
"You're not weak. It's just that they're stronger."
"I know, and I want to be stronger."
"Why?"
"Because…because…I just have to. I can't really explain why but I just need to prove I can do this. My life means nothing if I'm not strong." It was a shallow excuse but that was all he knew. Ever since the beginning he'd always fought for the sake of his own existence within Ryuki's mind. He could be absorbed and reintegrated into Ryuki at any time but he refused. He wasn't a piece of Ryuki that had broken off, not anymore, and he deserved to exist.
But that was just it. He simply existed. He never really lived. All he knew was fighting and violence. There seemed to be nothing else in his life.
This world, even with its problems, was a peaceful one. Back home in Ryuki's world there were superheroes and supervillains as well as monsters of all kinds. There were moments of peace but they never lasted. It was like in the pool hall the day before and the bowling alley today. A fight would erupt at anytime and at higher intensities.
He looked to Kotonoha. There was something about her that drew him to her and it was not just the resemblance she had to Ryuki's mother. She was just so sweet, innocent and gentle. Generally, Ryuji disliked normies (humans with no special abilities) because they would discriminate against anyone or anything different. Kotonoha had suffered from such discrimination from her classmates, Katou's group especially who bullied her.
He didn't understand why he stood up for her but the act of bullying people weaker than him disgusted him. Sure, from time to time he would use intimidation tactics and maybe he would enjoy it, but only against people who deserved it. Kotonoha didn't deserve that type of treatment. They just mistook her shyness for arrogance and never thought twice about it.
Ryuji was by no means a protector like Ryuki. All Ryuji ever protected was himself. Self-preservation was at the top of his list of priorities. He only worked together with Ryuki if his existence was at stake. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else, until now.
He wasn't used to such feelings since he was the physical embodiment of Ryuki's negative emotions, his anger being one of the most prominent ones. Ryuji just seemed to be in a permanent bad mood.
What changed, really? What was so special about this world that it could mellow him out?
Kotonoha nodded. Even though he couldn't explain it, she figured he had his own deep reasons for being strong. It made her feel a little jealous, actually. "I wish I was as strong as you," said Kotonoha. "I'm just so weak that I can't even stand up for myself."
"You're not weak," he protested. "If you were, you'd be running away from me."
"But if I was only better, than maybe…"
"Itou went to Saionji because he's an asshole, not because of you, so stop blaming yourself. It was probably not meant to be, anyway."
"How can you be so sure?"
"The first person you fall in love with sometimes isn't always the person you're destined to end up with," Ryuji answered. "My brother dated a few girls before he met his current girlfriend and they haven't even split up after all this time. His past relationships never lasted as long as that." He knew them well. They were just so brief, even if they had been good, but circumstances caused Ryuki to part with his girlfriends like Caitlin and Alex.
"Have you ever fallen in love?" Kotonoha asked. Ryuji's frown deepened. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have..."
"I thought it was love," he told her, "But it wasn't. It was obsession and I was just being selfish." That was the day he took over Ryuki and tried to take Jinx against her will. However, his plan was foiled by Tiger who split him and Ryuki up so they could fight. Ryuki had won and he ended up being sealed inside Ryuji, locked up like a wild animal. "So no, I haven't really fallen in love and I don't know what it feels like."
Kotonoha looked at him sympathetically as he started finishing his ramen.
"Here," said Ryuji as he put the money on the table. "Thanks for the ramen."
The taxi stopped in front of Kotonoha's house and she exited it. "Thanks for tonight, Ryuji-kun."
"Sure…" he replied, blushing. "Say, would you mind it if I called you 'Koto-chan'?"
"Huh?" Kotonoha blinked but once his request registered she blushed. "What?"
"Never mind! Good night! See you later!"
Kotonoha watched the taxi drive away before entering her house. As usual, it was just Kokoro waiting for her. She greeted her little sister and went up to take a bath.
Inside the bathtub, Kotonoha was deep in thought. Her heart was still beating fast. When she was alone with Ryuji, she couldn't help but feel nervous but relaxed at the same time. Was that even possible? It was like the way she felt when she first started going out with Makoto but she was more nervous then. So why was Ryuji so different?
Maybe he was like her. Maybe he too had been judged by his appearance. He looked like a delinquent since he grew his hair out and he had a constant scowl, but he didn't act like one. He admitted that he liked to fight but he didn't pick on the weak unless they were asking for it. He was kind enough to her, even going as far as introducing her to his friends so she wouldn't be alone.
Also, as much as he liked to fight, he'd abandoned two of them to protect her. He seemed like he wanted to fight but had prioritized her. They even found themselves alone together after the last couple of group outings.
At first, she felt a bit nervous around him like with most boys until she met Makoto but then she found herself more relaxed in his presence, just like how Makoto made her feel relaxed, but only slightly more.
Even Kokoro had mistook Ryuji for her new boyfriend and when she thought of Ryuji as her boyfriend, she blushed. Wasn't Makoto her boyfriend, but then why was it that thoughts of Ryuji occupied her mind more than thoughts of Makoto?
"Am I…could I be…?"
Meanwhile, back at the ChronoLiner, Ryuji was lying on his bed in his room. Again, the night ended with a brawl. Oddly, he wasn't all that upset. He got to spend time with Kotonoha alone, even if it was over some ramen. There was something about that girl that allowed him to open up like that. He never thought he could talk about himself like that since he normally used his fists to do all the talking for him.
What changed? What was going on? Why had he asked if he could call her 'Koto-chan' like that? He was never the type to give people cute nicknames. That was Kat's job. So, why had he asked that?
He looked at his hand. How he wished he had his powers back but this world had affected him like it had the others, depowering them like normies. He hated being like them!
For a long time, Ryuji held a deep disgust for normies. Normal humans just rejected anything strange and abnormal. There were exceptions but they were just the minority and Ryuji had seen the hatred through Ryuki's eyes. The prejudice. Ryuki was only loved because he was a superhero but what if he wasn't? He'd just be another freak.
Ryuji didn't care about what normies felt about him. He hated them too and if they tried to attack him, he'd fight back, and didn't care if he killed a few. Ryuki would have a few words with him but Ryuji wouldn't have cared. They deserved it.
Also, he hated how they smelt. The scent of normies sickened him. Sitting in a stuffy classroom full of normies made him want to just throw up but he just had to endure it while they were in this world. He had to get used to it, as much as he didn't want it. Only Kotonoha's presence next to him in class served to make it bearable. He even got along with her better than the others.
He scratched his head, growling. Just what was wrong with him? Why did he feel like he had to protect Kotonoha all of a sudden? It couldn't just be because he resembled Ryuki's mother. That was ridiculous! He even fled two brawls in order to protect her without hesitation.
He was no hero. He wasn't selfless like Ryuki. Even if he was part of Ryuki, he shared nothing with him except for memories. They were just two different beings now.
Or, was it that he was more alike to Ryuki than he cared to admit?
"What's going on…?" He put a palm to his heart. It was beating quickly. "It's impossible. I can't be…"
'Falling in love?' the two thought at the same time.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Now, this oneshot takes place somewhere in the middle of "School Days of the ChronoLiner Riders" and you can see how Kotonoha and Ryuji start developing feelings for each other. It's focused mostly on Ryuji and Kotonoha, though. If you were expecting more than you'd be disappointed.