Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own it. Wakaki does.
A/N: Hey ho~ Everyone! Rankin here with my first TWGoK fan fic.
As you all know, the manga has just ended in a... Well... Let's just say mediocre way.
and I was just left wholly unsatisfied with the author's choice of ending. I hope to correct that with this.
I'll leave my ranting for later, but for now, Operation: Katsuragi begins!
It was a beautiful spring morning over Maijima City with blue skies and fluffy white clouds rolling along. The city was starting to bustle with activity as its people came to waken. Students were rushing along streets of blooming cherry trees as schools were about to start and it was time for the workers to open up shop.
In the shopping district, a game store was open early and a girl wearing the Maijima High school uniform exited the store. "This will work out... Right, Mel?" Ayumi said as she walked out of the store and re checked her purchase and slipped the box inside her back pack. She glanced at her reflection on the glass door, as her image was replaced by a white haired, dark skinned, red eyed girl starring back at her.
'It might. It might not.' Said the goddess, Mercury, 'Schemes and plans were never really my forte, Ayumi. And especially not romantic ones. That's Apollo's area. And even she failed with that man." She yawned, as she always did, "In any case, you should hurry. You're going to be late.'
Ayumi smiled. "Me? Late? We got 5 whole minutes! I'll make it in time."
The goddess shook her head, but smiled all the same and crossed her arms infront of her Mai-High Uniform. 'If you think so, Mai-High's Missile.'
Ayumi turned from her reflection, and readied for a running start. She would have worried about her skirt revealing too much to the on lookers, but thank God for sport shorts! And she doubted any of them would get a second long glimpse of it.
She dashed off. Startling the barley awakened shopping district as the only thing that revealed her passing was the strong gusts of wind. Mai-High's missile was making her speedy passing across town once more.
"B-b-but kami-nii-sama!" Eri whined. Eri, who was formerly Elsie, the devil 'half' sister of Keima, then shortly as the 'last boss' with powers that could change the fabrics of reality, now full twin sister of the intrepid capturing-god, could not accept the results of the reality she created and clung heavily to her brothers neck.
"Its your own damn fault, you stupid she devil! Now let go, let go! I can't breathe!" Keima squealed.
They were outside of the main building, in front of the announcement board. Cherry blossoms rained down from the trees, welcoming the start of the new year. Even the giant tree of Mai-High blossomed in celebration on the return of its students. The students gathered around, and mingled in front of the announcement board, saying their greetings or telling of what they did on their spring break. Everyone in the front row of the gathered group was looking up their class assignments and discussed in merry excitement or dreaded in fear on where they were placed and if they were separated from their friends. Keima didn't have to look his up. His was the same every year. 'Katsuragi, Keima' was under class 3-B, having a 'near' perfect record on his test, but not in class A due to his gaming behavior.
'Katsurag, Eri' however, had the test scores of a 5 year old and was placed down towards class 3-D.
"B-but Nii-sama!" She said as she finally let go of her brother. Virtually on the verge of tears.
"Just be thankful you're not in 3-F! Or even 3-E, for that matter!" Keima replied as he fixed his uniform. "Look, we'll still have the same curriculum so I'll still be able to teach you after class, but nothing can be done about the change of classes as you we're all 'fire truck' during my tutoring session for the final exam."
The other students were dissolving with their group of friends or new classmates and walking back towards the main building to their new class rooms. To a whole new year of school.
"Listen Els-... Eri, the people in 3-D aren't delinquents, and shouldn't you be used to meeting new people, considering you're a thousand something year old devil?" Keima told her, glancing back at the list of names, searching for a name. He found her under class 3-A.
'So you're doing well huh, Chihiro?' He thought privately.
"But I don't want to be separated from you, nii-sama! " Eri said, as the bell rang.
"You'll be fine, Eri Katsuragi." Keima said simply, as he took out his PFP Lit and began a new game on his galge. He meant is an encouragement towards his twin sister, and it worked. To a degree. As he heard Eri sighing in acceptance and walking in pace next to him.
Ayumi made it to the gate right as the bell rang. "Ha! Made it!" She exclaimed. "Now, class assignment, class assignment." She said merrily, and jogged towards the boards, just missing the other students. She stopped right in front of 3-B's list of names. She prayed, closing her eyes and clapping her hands.
"Oh, great, and powerful Mercury-sama! Please let me be in 3-B!"
'Mercury-sama?' Mel laughed 'you need two of my other sisters to grant what you want, Ayumi. And it should be a petition of at least 2 months. Not immediately.'
Ayumi sighed audibly and looked at the paper. Takahara, Ayumi. 3-B.
"YES!" She exclaimed audibly, then blushed, then sighed once more seeing that no one was with her.
'Ayumi. I really shouldn't be the one saying this, but your teacher might mark you as tardy, unless you hurry.' Mel said.
"Oh, Right! The bell rang already. But is he..." Ayumi said and looked backed at the list.
Katsuragi, Keima. 3-B.
"Yes! He's there!" She beamed. Then dashed off towards the main building.
Keima made it to his classroom, somehow managing to convince Eri not to be troublesome and go to her own class. The room was a standard Japanese classroom. Two doors at one side, windows parallel to that, then the blackboard and teachers desk adjacent, with the back wall having little to no interesting things placed on it, besides the broom closet. The desk were of course organized in neat and clean rows. He scanned the room for available seats and, to his pleasure, found the chair on the last row at the corner, the one next to the window, empty, so is the seat next to that.
'Finally! Maybe this year the 'real' can be avoided. No one likes to sit next to the Otamegane, unless...' he scanned the room for any troublesome women that he knew. Or perhaps previous conquest. Most of his classmates he knew, but had never gone into a conversation with. They all mingled in their own group of friends or perhaps new acquaintances, talking of their spring break and dreading who the homeroom teacher would be. No one! No Shiori, no Mio, no Yui, not even Ayumi! 'Finally! The heavens have smiles down on me! They must be in song at the return of their capturing god!' Keima thought triumphantly, and proceeded to his desired chair, laughing darkly in delight. His classmates gave him worried looks but no one bothered to confront him about it.
'Excellent! Spring really is the start of new beginnings!'
Keima took his seat and resumed his galge. The others wondered about but eventually took their seats as well, but Keima didn't care. He could already see the ending on his latest heroine. 'Hahahaha! No point in resisting, my tsundere heroine! I am the capturing g-'
Someone took the seat next to him.
"Good morning. Keima."
Keima froze. 'No. Nononono no! Dam you real!' He knew the voice. How could he not? She was his first kiss. He turned his head to glare at Ayumi Takahara. She was smiling brightly, in spite of their history.
"Why?! Why is the real interfering with me?! Haven't I done enough?!" Keima said in a hushed, yet urgent tone, leaning close to Ayumi.
He noticed she was sweating and slightly out of breath, blushing even. He remarked that she must of ran to school, but it was unlike her to do so because she wakes up on time. She always jogs in the morning. She even smelled... what? Nice? Could sweat ever smell nice? Her short hair was slightly ruffled, but not so much that indicated she tied her hair, and her hair band slightly out of placed. All in all she looked like she rushed to fix herself up.
In response, she flicked him on the forehead. Ayumi sighed, but kept on smiling. "Its good to see you too, Katsuragi." She said, returning to the more formal way of speech.
Which just annoyed Keima more. "You! Why did you call me Keima first, then returned to Katsuragi? Is it:
A.) Because you realized our history.
B.) You regret reviving old memories.
C.) You forgot about the formalities.
Or D.) All of the above."
"E.) Because I want to. I hope we have a good year this time, Keima." She said, smiling broadly again.
Keima just slammed his face on his desk. "Dam you real, you raised my hope then dashed them quite expertly. Bravo."
"I have no idea what you're saying, but here comes the teacher so you better put the game away. Or not. I don't think they care anymore." Ayumi mused, just as the door opened and all conversation stopped.
Keima was only slightly curious at who their homeroom teacher would be, only because he dared the real to screw with him more, as he raised his head to look at his homeroom teacher.
It was Nikaido. Otherwise known as Dokuro-Imouto. Keima's one time sister.
She met his gaze and smiled and said, in her sister voice she had when she was younger. "Good morning." 'Onii-chan' she would have said. But she didn't. Nevertheless, It got through to him and sailed right over everyone else in the room.
Keima laughed with sorrow. "Amazing. Simply amazing. Curse you real." And returned his face to the desk.
And so Keima spent his morning classes in misery at the outlook of the whole year, barley able to go through his games, especially with Ayumi deciding to sit next to him which basically sent his thoughts into a fluster when he thought of what he did and what he had to do or else his head was gonna go clean off. Even more so at the end. Of him going for Chihiro. That ended quite shortly.
In reality Ayumi kept to herself for most of the morning period. In fact, she was having second thoughts about her plan, and Mel was basically encouraging her.
Dokuro/Nikaido played her teacher role well as she had years of experience to deal with it and kept her thoughts to herself. She'll have her chance to talk with her 'big brother' soon enough.
After homeroom was English, then followed by math, and finally Science. But it just blurred through the gloomy duo as they battled with their inner demons throughout the morning. One of the teachers tried getting Keima to stop playing by asking him questions on the subject they were teaching, even ones that were suppose to be on the final term, later the year. Or even college level questions. And he'd always have an answer for them. Though gloomier than he usually does. Then the very same teacher went on to give a sermon about how hard college life would be and without education, the students would find themselves jobless and poor, of whatever insulting name he could think of ranging from delinquent to hooligans, and to more colorful names such as his rear end. Or in this case, his face.
Keima just tuned him out and went back to TRYING to play. Ayumi was the same, just ignoring the teacher completely and rehearsing her plan with Mel.
The lunch bell finally rang.
And Keima got up suddenly and headed for the door.
"K-Katsuragi?" Ayumi said, startled.
'After him, Ayumi!' Mel yelled.
"Ah! R-right! Oh! And this!" She said, grabbing her back pack. She followed Keima out to the hallway and saw him dash to the stairs with speed she didn't know he had.
"H-Hey! Wait up!" Ayumi called, and ran after him. Fast as he was, no way could he out run her. Keima already reached the stairs and began going down, Ayumi right after him. Mid way down, on the platform in between the stairs, he turned around and caught Ayumi, then pinned her to the wall, clasping his hand over her mouth and signaling her to be quiet with his other hand.
They only had to wait a moment to hear it, over the sound of the other students exiting their classrooms, Eri yelling happily "Kami-nii-saaaammmaaaa!", and hearing her rushing footsteps past under the stairs.
Keima sighed and released Ayumi. She sighed too. 'Oh, thank god it wasn't because of me' she though silently.
"Listen Ayumi!" Keima said in a somewhat hushed voice. "Dont follow me! Leave me to play with my games! The real got too involved during the summer and the games are piling up and I have to play them!" And with that Keima dashed back down the stairs.
Ayumi stared at his back for a moment, then shook her head. She wasn't about to just give up. She started following him dispite what he said.
'Are you sure you should follow him? He made it clear that he didn't want any company. Perhaps now may not be a good time' Mel pipped in.
'No.' She replied. 'Now is the perfect time to do this! When else is he going to be alone? Elsie- I mean, Eri... was she always Eri? Anyway, Eri would stick to him like glue, and the others would also try to go after him! Now is the best chance I have!'
'If you think it wise.' Mel said, in surrender to the logic.
Keima hurried off towards the old theater building, the only place he could think of to get some peace and quiet from the real. He wasn't exactly ready with a large amount of girls. Especially attack types like Yui.
He exited the main building and headed to the secluded area where the old theater was built. Keima was preoccupied with his thoughts. Thinking of how he could reset the flags with Ayumi, Chihiro, and everyone else. Making them angry, just for them to leave him alone wasn't an option as guilt would just interfere with his daily life.
A curtain of cherry blossom petals obstructed his vision, draggin him away from his thoughts, and he realized he had walked all the way to his destination without much thought. Still. It was good to be away from people. Even Ayumi.
"Hey" Ayumi's voice came from behind.
'Speak of the devil.' Keima thought, sourly. He whirlled to face Ayumi angrily, only for her to within reach. "I told you to leave me be with my games, woman!" It was true that he wanted to be left alone. But he doubted he could play, before any of the heroines he would capture remind him of all the girls.
"And I will! I just thought you could help me with something." Ayumi said, smiling.
Keima twitched, suspicious. "And? What would that be?" He said coldly, crossing his arms.
Ayumi took off her back pack and began rummaging its contents. "Let's see... ah! Here it is... Ta da!" She exclaimed triumphantly. She held a box with one hand and showed it off to Katsuragi, arm extended. It was a 3DF. A handheld console like his PFP Lit , only its competitor in the gaming market.
Keima could actually smell the half-baked attempt at an event. He twitched once more.
"Ayumi..." Keima said, eyes down cast.
"Hmm?"
"Do you realise... that what you have... is a 3DF? The complete opposite of my PFP?"
"Eh!?" She exclaimed, eyes wideing and eyebrows rising.
"Whats more..." Keima fixed his glasses with one hand, starring at Ayumi, "The 3DF has absolutely no galge games, so I have no desire to learn of its functions.
"Ehhh!?"
"And finally." Keima said, then promptly pointed an accusing finger at Ayumi, which made her take a step back, the arm that held the 3DF going defensively between them, "I can plainly see a half thought up attempt at a capturing event!"
Instead of making another surprised exclamation, Ayumi just sighed, lowering her arms. "That bad?"
"Please! On a normal person, there's a slight chance that it might have worked!" Keima said, roboticaly, then leaned in close towards Ayumi, "but the real should stop screwing with me!"
"Geez... The clerk told me this was the most likely game-y thing." Ayumi sighed,
placing her hands on her hips.
"It's called a handheld!" Keima yelled to the sky, but Ayumi ignored the comment.
"I spent my whole summer getting this too..."
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't try and make me guilty about your decision!" Keima said, leaning in close to Ayumi.
"Oh, shut up!" Ayumi said angrily, then softened her expression and looked guiltily to the ground. "Still... it'll be a waste if I don't at least try it..." She looked up to meet Keima's gaze, which made him step back a bit, he really was weak against attacks. A blush ran across Ayumi's face, "won't you... at least teach me?"
Ayumi's blush somehow travelled the distance between them, and now Keima was blushing slightly, causing him to look to the side, closing his eyes. "I-its fine, I guess!" He turned around and reached for the theater door, looking back to Ayumi only for a moment, "come on. We won't be able to see the screen with the sun this bright." And he walked into the old building.
Ayumi smiled. "Coming!" She said, 3DF in one hand, slinging her back pack to her shoulder on the other.
'You're better at this than Apollo!' Mel said casually.
'Not now, Mel!' She said.
Author's note: Wheew~ Chapter 1 done! How many chapters are there? I have no idea! No, seriously, I just made this because I'm really irritated at how the manga ended. And me, rooting for Ayumi all the way from the beginning is just left with a bad taste in my mouth. I can only imagine what personal hell Wakaki left the Tenri-fans *shudder*
As for those of you that know me from my Fire Emblem fic... I'm sorry! I don't mean to go on a indefinite hiatus, but I am! I just... Lost my drive. Not for FE:A, as I even still play it, but just my writing mood in general. I am just devastated by TWGoK ending that I'm aiming to correct this. Hopefully I don't drop this out of nowhere. But I don't intend to just let them rot, forgotten. I just need... Something! I don't know! When I find it, you'll know with an update! Maybe I'm being too obsessed by view counts though I never intended to pay attention to that :))
I do say this for the ending I'm aiming. I want them together. No, not just starting the relationship of boyfriend/girlfriend, but together. With a period. No idea what that is yet, but that's all I can tell you.
In any case, Rankin signing off for now! See ya soon!