BlackLynx17: How do you forget something you don't want to remember? I'm trying to, but I keep thinking about it. Sigh, read the new chapter. Chitoge looked so cute. I love her so much. They have a keychain of her key online but it's $23. Way too much. Anyways, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy.
.
Mr. & Ms. Nisekoi
.
It was scary how fast Onodera, Ruri and Chitoge had became friends... very scary. He knew Chitoge wasn't a bad person, but the minute he came home all Chitoge talked about was Onodera and when he ran into Onodera all she would talk about was Chitoge. He was happy for Chitoge in the least, at least she had friends now. She seemed happier and didn't bring up that strange kiss to the cheek once, which was good because Raku didn't know what to think about it so he simply forgot about it.
The day he returned home though he noticed something strange. He found Chitoge sleeping in the kitchen just like he had before, there was his pendent in her hand though. Raku walked over and took it from her hands, pulling off the ribbon around his neck and placing it in her hand instead. He noticed something else strange though in her other hand and when he reached out to grab it, he started yelling.
Chitoge's head shot up and she reached for her gun, aiming at Raku's head but he didn't seem to notice it as he held out the key in front of him.
"Why do you have this?!" He yelled.
"You do not just yell randomly, I could have killed you!" Chitoge screamed at him.
"Why do you have this key?!" Raku yelled.
Chitoge sighed and placed her gun on the table, spotting her ribbon next to it. She reached out and grabbed it, tying it back around her hair.
"Keep calm, it's not your girlfriend's. I mean it is, but it's not your first crush's." Chitoge said.
Raku did not keep calm, he got even angrier.
"What do you mean?!"
"Beansprout, it turns out we knew each other when we were younger. We played together as kids and for some reason, you gave me this key." Chitoge said.
"I- I did?" Raku asked.
"Yeah, my Father told me. He said I didn't give you the locket though which was obvious since the girl who did is... yeah. I thought you were coming home last night so I wanted to ask you about it but it seems that wasn't the case." Chitoge said.
"I- I don't remember giving this to you, all I remember is her having a key and me having the locket." Raku said.
"Well it seems that me you and the girl all played together as children." Chitoge said.
"Was there anyone else?" Raku asked.
Chitoge blinked, "what do you mean?"
"Are you sure it was only the three of us, are you sure there wasn't anyone else?" He asked.
"I don't know, my father didn't even say it was three. I only assumed because... yeah. Why?"
There had to be four, there had to be because Onodera had a key as well. She had a key, Chitoge had a key and her crush had a key. The four of them must have been childhood friends, why after all this time though had they met? Why had this suddenly mattered anymore?
"No reason."
And that was the end of their conversation. Things returned to normal in their household, the relationship between the two of them staying exactly the same. Nothing changed between them and Chitoge wasn't liking this... or was she? She always found herself thinking of him more often, looking forward to seeing him everyday though she always argued with him, all she seemed to talk about with Onodera was him as well. Maybe she should just ask him straight up... if only she had the courage.
Asking Chitoge to kill people, easy, but asking her to ask Raku about their feelings? Impossible. Chitoge groaned and poured fish food into her fish bowl, watching Au and Un eat up.
"Chitoge! What did I tell you, I'll feed Au and Un from now on!" Raku yelled coming into the room.
He grabbed the fish food from her fingers and Chitoge looked up at him, "what do you feel about me?"
Her face exploded and turned bright red, smoke coming from her ears while Raku just opened his eyes. He couldn't believe what she asked and Chitoge couldn't believe it either but somehow she was able to say it and she wasn't going to take it back. Raku waited for her to say she was kidding, but it didn't. Her face may have been red and full with embarrassment, but her eyes were serious. Raku gulped and placed the fish food on the table.
"Feel? I feel like... I feel like, I feel for you like a friend." Raku finished quickly.
Chitoge frowned lightly, "is that all you feel?"
"Well what do you want me to feel?" Raku asked.
"It's been months since we've lived together and yet we only think of each other as friends?" Chitoge asked looking down.
"What do you want us to feel Chitoge?" He asked again.
She closed her eyes and shook her head lightly.
"I'm going out with Onodera and Ruri tonight, they invited me out to celebrate since Onodera got an A on her test of something. I'll be back late." Chitoge said standing up.
She walked passed him and into the other room, pausing in mid-step for a second. She took a deep breath and shook her head, continuing the way to her room. Raku clenched his fists and walked into the other room, stopping at the stairway.
"Chitoge, I like you." He told her.
Chitoge looked back at him and blinked, her heart fluttering. She smiled lightly, "I like you too Raku," then continued walking back to her room.
Raku covered his face with his hands and reached for his cellphone. Just because his girlfriend was having a night out didn't mean he couldn't have one either.
"So what's happening now Raku?" Shu asked slamming his drink on the table.
Raku grabbed the sake bottle and filled his glass back up, "I'm confused. The only thing that makes sense in my life anymore is killing."
It took a full bottle of sake for Raku to explain everything that's been happening since the last time he saw him, from running back into Onodera to all the keys then earlier this day where Chitoge confessed her feelings, or at least he thought were her feelings. All through the story Shu laughed so hard at his friend.
"She said it like, I like you too Raku, like obviously but truthfully. Not like as friend, but as a girl confessing kind of I like you." Raku explain.
"Well what do you think Raku?" Shu asked.
"I just told you, I think she said it like a girl confessing!" Raku said.
"Well what do you prefer then Raku?" Shu asked.
Raku scrunched his eyebrows together, "what are you?"
"Would you prefer it if she liked you as in like like or just like you as a friend... wow, like like. I haven't said that since middle school." Shu blinked and laughed.
"I, I'm not sure." Raku said.
"Last time we talked we were talking about how you could fall in love with this girl, now why all of a sudden when she says she likes you do you second doubt it? Is it because of Onodera? Do you like her as well Raku?" Shu asked.
"I, I, I DON'T KNOW! THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Raku yelled downing his drink.
"Raku, Raku, Raku, you're so complicated my friend. You have two beautiful woman in your life who love you and you can't choose between them." SHu said.
"Neither of them love me. I've just recently started befriending Onodera and Chitoge only said like."
"You're missing the point, the point being who do you want?" Shu asked.
Raku gulped. "It doesn't matter, even if I want Onodera I can't be with her since I'm pretending to date Chitoge-"
"So you want Onodera?" Shu asked.
"How'd you come to that?!"
"Because you said it doesn't matter and you only say that in a situation when you want the thing you can't have. So you choose Onodera, it makes sense. She isn't like us and you always said you'd quit the business when you'd settle down with a normal girl, but Raku. Are you sure the only reason you like her isn't because she might be your childhood friend?"
Raku's eyes slowly darkened, "Shu. She's dead."
"I know that, I know that, but do you know that. You find out that a girl you haven't seen in years has a key, exactly like the girl from your childhood, and then you find out that your girlfriend has a key as well. And THEN you find out you all were together as children, that you gave more than one girl one key. Can you honestly say without a doubt in your mind that you don't think Onodera or Chitoge isn't her?"
Isn't that what he thought when he first say Onodera's key? And then again with Chitoge's? She told him it wasn't her though, but Onodera... she didn't know. He didn't know.
"Raku, you were only 10. Are you sure she died back then?"
"She got shot in the chest Shu!" Raku yelled.
"Calm down Raku, I was only saying. People survive from the chest, remember Dean? He was able to make a full recovery, a scar left from where the gunshot hit him. Maybe-"
"If that was the case then why didn't Father tell me she was alive? Why didn't she tell me she was alive?" Raku asked.
"I don't know Raku, we're sorta getting off of topic here! Back to Chitoge and Onodera! So, who are you going to give a try?" Shu asked.
Raku raised an eyebrow, "a try?"
"You know, who are you going to go after? Who are you going to pursue ? I think you should try them both out, take them both out on a date before you decide which one."
"Shu-"
"Only a suggestion, at the end this is your choice Raku. You've always wanted a girl like Onodera, but never dreamed of finding a girl like Chitoge. The choice is yours." Shu said.
Raku blinked, "if the choice was yours, who would you pick Shu?"
"Honestly, I'd have you pick Chitoge and that is for two reasons. One, if you pick her you wouldn't have to quit your job and we could still be friends, and two because she already knows you're a killer and she accepts you for it. Will Onodera feel the same or will you have to lie to her all her life?"
Raku paused, never putting it together like that before. How had it even come to this? He only ran into Onodera a couple of times and yet he liked her like he does? Did he like her back in middle school? Were these feelings resurfacing because she was back in his life? Raku had no idea what to think so he just drowned his questions away. He had time, it was not like he had to choose at this very moment.
"I-I told him I liked him!" Chitoge screeched, covering her face with her hands.
Onodera and Ruri shared a look with each other before looking back at her.
"Who are you talking about Chitoge?" Onodera asked.
"Raku, I told Raku I liked him and acted all cool about it and just UGH! What was I thinking?!" Chitoge asked slamming her head on the table.
Now Onodera and Ruri were confused for sure.
"What are you talking about Chitoge? Isn't he your boyfriend? Don't you love him?" Ruri asked.
Chitoge opened her mouth and paused. What was she talking about? Her friends didn't know about her and Raku's situation together, they probably thought she was crazy. They were her friends though, weren't they? Chitoge was far away from home and she didn't see any of the Beehive members hanging around. This was Kosaki and Ruri she was talking about, she could tell them the truth.
And so she did.
She watched what she said, telling them because of a certain situation between their families they had to pretend to date, and didn't give too much important details. After she rounded right back to the part where she liked him, in which she didn't know if it was even true or not. Well of course it was true because she said it, but then Chitoge explained about all the horrible things about Raku (which weren't many) that proved that couldn't be the case. By the end of the night Chitoge went home drunk without a single one of her questions answered, but feeling some relief for being able to get the secret off of her chest.
Onodera and Ruri walked home in silence together, Ruri waiting for the right moment to tell Onodera.
"You heard what she said right?"
Onodera blinked, "hmm?"
"They aren't dating Kosaki. They may be living together, but the don't love each other. They aren't a couple." Ruri said.
"Ruri-"
"No, this is your chance."
"She likes him Ruri."
"But you've liked him since middle school! Chitoge has only just recently liked him, if you swoop in then she'll heal. This is your chance Kosaki, don't lose your chance. You won't get another one." Ruri yelled.
"Ruri-"
"I've watched you watch him for four years in middle school, watched you heal for three years in high school then watched you destroy your dating life for a year in college. You love him don't you? You want him? Well why aren't you doing anything about it?!" She yelled.
"It's not that easy!"
"Yes it is, you've had years to be scared of this Kosaki but not anymore! You can't afford to be scared anymore... tell him you love him."
Onodera said nothing as she hung her head down.
"The next time you two meet, tell him you love him. That will completely overshadow Chitoge's like, I want you to be happy Kosaki."
"I am happy Ruri." Onodera mumbled.
"I want you to be truly happy then."
Onodera and Ruri didn't talk again for the rest of that night. On Chitoge's side of the world, she was stumbling as she tried to make it from the bar to her home. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to refuse Kosaki's and Ruri's offer to walk her home, it was too late though! Chitoge was already walking and she blamed Raku if she didn't make it home safely. It was his fault after all, making her love him.
Hold on, did Chitoge think love? She meant like. Making her like him, much better. Chitoge sang lightly to herself as she walked down the streets, getting interrupted in her showtune when her phone started buzzing. That's it! She could just call a taxi to take her home, stupid Chitoge. She opened up her phone ready to dial the number when she saw a text from Claude. The only times he ever texted were for missions, Chitoge blinked as she opened the text and read through her.
Her staggering stopped and she stood up straight and tall, her eyes lowering a little bit as she stared at the words appearing on her screen. Back to work it seemed.
Raku woke up the next morning in his bed. He didn't remember how he got home last night, but apparently he had since he was in his room. Yawning out loudly, he stared at his clock and checked the time. That was the last time he was ever going to get that drunk with Shu ever again he thought making his way to the bathroom. After a long shower he walked downstairs planning to make breakfast for him and Chitoge. He wondered why he didn't find her in the living room overfeeding their fish and found out the answer when he saw a sticky note on the fish bowl.
Raku walked over to it and picked it up, reading the note. Job, already fed the fish. Of course she would have fed the fish before leaving. Raku crumbled up the note and went to the kitchen, making a breakfast for one. As he ate alone his mind wandered back to his conversation with Shu. Onodera and Chitoge. Through all the horrible advices Shu has told him in the past and in that conversation, one thing was smart. What would Onodera do once she learned he was a killer? How could she look passed that from him, like Chitoge had.
Well it hadn't been very fair since Chitoge was a killer herself, she accepted him as one because she herself was one. Though unfair, it didn't matter. There was only one love in Raku's life for years and suddenly there was three... two. Maybe the advice about dating both was a smart idea, well maybe not dating both but going out on a date with both of them and finding out, finding out what Raku wanted more, what he preferred more. Onodera was the perfect woman but Chitoge, Chitoge...
Raku chuckled to himself. Chitoge was Chitoge. He had been on dates with her before, but none of them he considered seriously. Maybe Raku was going to try it out, first being Onodera because Chitoge didn't seem to be here. With that resolution Raku cleared the table and redressed himself into something more casual but still nice. He nodded at himself in the mirror then set off to find Onodera.
She was surprised in the least when he suddenly called her out of the blue, asking where she lived. She nearly fainted when he arrived at her doorstep and asked if she wanted to go out and do something. Ruri had jumped and pushed her out of the way, telling him she'd be ready in ten minutes then slammed the door in his face. Raku blinked and ten minutes later the door reopened and Onodera came tumbling out wearing a bright pink dress. She stumbled into Raku who caught her and Ruri flashed Onodera a thumbs up before slamming the door close.
Onodera chuckled nervously and stood up, whispering a small thank you. Raku smiled at her and asked, "where you wanna go?"
When she answered anywhere Raku chose a café for the both of them. Since he already ate he ordered himself a cup of coffee while Onodera got strawberry tea. Then the two of them just... talked. Talked about anything really, never staying on one subject too long and never once having nothing to say. Raku asked about school while Onodera asked about work, the both of them laughing at the funny stories they told each other. One of the stories though weren't so funny, in fact it was very shocking and very confusing.
"Wait, what did you just say Onodera?" Raku asked.
"Huh? Oh, um... I know." Onodera whispered.
Raku eye's widened, he started shaking his head frantically back and forth. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"It's okay Ichijou, Chitoge explained everything about the situation about the two of you and how you have to 'date' because of your parents. I hope you don't mind, I swore I wouldn't tell a soul." Onodera said.
"Wait a second, she explained EVERYTHING?!" Raku asked in disbelief.
How stupid was Chitoge?
"Not everything, she couldn't explain why, only that it had to do something with your families." Onodera said.
Not stupid at all it seemed.
"Oh... yeah. So you know we're only pretend dating." Raku said.
"Yes, is that... okay? Would you prefer it if I didn't know?" She asked.
Raku shook his head, "it's fine, it's fine. As long as you don't tell anyone it's fake we'll be okay."
Onodera and Raku both gazed into each others eyes before both of them looking down, noticing what laid on each other's necks. Raku's eyes widened while Onodera's heart quicken. He was wearing it again, he could see her wearing it. Raku was the more bold one where as Onodera would have probably ignored the whole thing.
"Did you know Onodera, I think we played together when we were younger. Me, you and Chitoge." Raku suddenly said out of the blue.
Onodera blinked, "excuse me?"
"Because of this, your necklace." Raku said pointing to his own chest.
"Chitoge has the same exact key, as well as an old friend of mine. I think the four of us played together when we were younger because we all have the same keys and my locket." Raku said.
"Really?!" Onodera asked, not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice.
"Yeah, I think that's the reason why you and Chitoge hit it off so much. Because you two already knew each other."
"Wow, I did think when I first met her that I could oddly get along with her. That's cool." Onodera giggled.
Raku smiled.
"Back in middle school when I first saw your necklace I remembered you, well maybe not you but I remembered the boy who gave it to me. That boy was you though. What about the other girl? Are you two still friends with her? I feel so bad for forgetting all of you." Onodera said.
She regretted what she said at once though when she saw the look on Raku's face. She leaned back into her seat and bit her bottom lip, placing her hands together.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"No, it's not your fault. She's um, she's no longer with us anymore." Raku said lowly.
"Was she someone special?" Onodera asked.
"My first love. I can't remember why the three of you all had keys, but I knew hers opened mine. We promised to get married when we grew up, we weren't able to keep that promise though." Raku said.
Onodera frowned and reached of for Raku's hand. He neither made a move to grab hers back or remove his hand.
"At least you have Chitoge now, and me." She smiled lightly at him.
Raku looked up at her and blinked, "what do you mean you too?"
Onodera's eyes widened slowly and she started blushing, "na-na-na-nothing!"
Raku stared at her confusingly, Ondera shutting her eyes closed tightly. Ruri would be shaking her head at her if she knew what she just did. Raku shrugged it off and didn't make a big deal out of it, which Onodera wished he had. If he had, that meant he would have cared right? He could have cared that she was there for him, cared why she quickly forgot about it.
"Onodera, are you ready to leave?" Raku asked.
And now there date was over. Onodera sighed as she nodded her head, getting up from her seat. Raku followed suit and after he paid for the bill the two of them were off. They came across a split path and this is where Onodera left, her head down as she started walking back home.
"Onodera, where are you heading?" Raku called out to her.
She quickly lifted up her head and looked back at him, her eyes wide.
"Come on, I have a whole day planned out unless you have something else to do?" Raku asked.
Onodera had nothing she had to do. Even if she had though, she would have dropped them all to spend one day with Raku like this. Onodera smiled as she caught back up with him, doing the very daring thing of grabbing his arm as the two of the walked down the street together.
Chitoge didn't like drinking hard liquor. There would always have to be something in the mixture, juice or something sweet or milk, never straight out the bottle and never just by itself. When times were hard though, she couldn't help but break down and need something strong enough to make her numb and alcohol with sweet mixtures weren't going to help her at the moment.
Raku woke up to a glass being broken. He reached for his gun underneath his pillow and turned the safety off, sneaking out of his room to check Chitoge's. She wasn't in there, still must be out on a mission. Raku was relieved to know she was gone if a burglar was downstairs, though he knew she could handle herself if she was here. Raku held tighter onto his gun as he slowly made his way downstairs, checking the living room first before making his way to the kitchen. He put his guard down when he saw Chitoge in the kitchen, a broken glass cup on the side of her feet.
"You had me thinking you were a burglar." Raku sighed out in relief.
Chitoge didn't reply back. Raku stared at her and looked at the bottle of jack in her hands.
"Why are you drinking at... 2am in the morning?" Raku asked.
"Raku, have you ever killed a woman or child?" Chitoge asked quietly.
Raku blinked, "what are you talking about?"
She turned back to look at him ever so slowly and Raku felt his heard stop beating.
"Have you ever gotten a job before, where the mission was to kill a woman or child?" She repeated.
Raku felt himself go cold, "have you?"
"No. That's where I draw the line, no women or children. But you know, just because we refuse the mission doesn't mean someone else will. Either way those people are going to die." Chitoge whispered.
Raku walked over to her slowly and Chitoge dropped her bottle of Jack, letting it crash on the floor. Raku didn't flinch and neither did she.
"How many people have you killed Raku?" She asked.
"Does it really matter?" Raku asked then shook his head, "I don't really keep track. It's high fifties though or low sixties."
Chitoge hummed, "I've killed 321."
"Three hundre- three hundred and twenty one? How is that even possible?!" Raku asked.
"Sometimes it was by twos... I'm tired Raku." She told him.
Raku blinked and gulped, holding out his arms for her.
"Come on then, I'll take you to bed." He said.
"No." Chitoge shook her head but stood up and fell into his arms anyway.
She gripped his shirt and looked up at him, tears nearly falling out of her eyes.
"I'm tired of this, killing. It's beginning to get, to get to be too much... please Raku, please." Chitoge started whining.
"Please what?" Raku asked.
"Please, please just comfort me." Chitoge said standing up on her tip toes.
Raku would never forget how his first kiss went. How wet his socks were as they got stained with jack, how warm Chitoge was pressed against his chest, how soft her lips were and how it tasted like straight alcohol. He would never forget her tears either, how they cried herself to sleep in his arms. There was a lot of things Raku wouldn't forget this night.