The World Only the Girls Know: A Sorrel's Teasing

Chapter 21: Reaching Out

Author's Note: Sister Fic of the Azalea Side

Characters from the Light Novels and Manga will be included as well.

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Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ

Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki

Written by: wrathie

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She was a little shocked at how the librarian, a certain Shiomiya Shiori approached them, an odd but stern look on her face as she placed one hand on the table firmly before looking from her to Katsuragi-kun.

Shiomiya Shiori is a person that she had met and 'befriended' since the start of school as she liked to go to the library to relax and to stay away from her 'friends' that would like to ask her out.

She really did like her, Shiori-chan that is as she was quiet, diligent and did not pry into her affairs.

Soon she began to visit the library whenever she could slip away unnoticed, to spend her time being alone reading or just daydreaming in a quiet corner.

As she was the duty librarian, she sometimes came upon her resting in one corner all by herself.

Ordinarily any other librarian on duty would wake her up or chide her for wasting library resources, even if the argument was just a reason to kick her out of the library. There have been various incidents of couples making out in the library because it was private after all and that was bad for the library's image.

But Shiori was different, instead of waking her up, she would sit by her side instead, reading her book till she woke up, after which she'll gently remind her of the time and to ask her to leave politely.

Asami knew she was doing her job and she would accede to her request as soon as she asked her to leave.

But eventually they got to talking a little, her spending time with her at the reception desk reading or generally resting with her by her side.

It wasn't really friendship, per se, but just mutual acceptance of individuals who are remarkably alike.

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'Yoshino-san, Katsuragi-san… I expected better from the both of you.'

It was a change that she didn't quite expect from her. The new Shiori she knew had been a quiet and unassuming girl, fond of thinking through her speech before speaking softly and with much detail.

She had been surprised at her breaking her silence one day and she noticed that Shiori did change quite a bit the next time she saw her and the next and the next time.

She was changing and she realized that she was left behind as she continued to make her way forward in her life.

But she too changed after meeting Katsuragi-kun and she found herself asking quietly the unspoken question that had been raised the moment she saw Shiori-chan smiling at Katsuragi-kun.

'Do you know Katsuragi-kun as well?'

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'…!'

All of a sudden, she felt like her head had split open when contemplating that train of thought, it was like something is obstructing her from doing so and she clutched her head to lessen the pain somewhat.

'Asami?'

The joy of hearing him call her by her name was forgotten when Shiori pulled him away and said she will be calling the School Nurse for help.

'N-no! D-don't go!'

She clung on to Katsuragi-kun, who seemed to be contemplating the next course of his action as she tried to make him stay, the opposite of which was Shiori, who was trying to get him to come with her.

It is a losing fight for her though and although in pain from that unexplained sickness, she found that she cherished the victory that she gained when he decided to stay with her instead.

'Someone should stay to look after her… would you go, Shiomiya?'

He quietly muttered and from the corner of her eye she could see that Shiori-chan seemed a little stunned by her words and she muttered a quiet apology to the girl, who ran off as though he had just said something hurtful to her, which he actually had.

Victory was sweet, even if she felt bad towards Shiori, she had nothing against the poor girl, but as they say:

All's Fair in Love and War.

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Even if she was left puzzled at what she had been thinking about earlier… really, what had she been thinking before she had that headache?

'…?'

Blinking in confusion, Yoshino Asami scratched her head and enjoyed the attention that Katsuragi Keima was now showering her as he hovered anxiously over her. It made her feel safe somehow, even if she still felt the effects of that headache making it hard to think.

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To say that Katsuragi Keima, the Capturing God was in a panic was an understatement, he had overheard that question and his mind had almost gone blank immediately in the implications and the questions that will follow if Asami continued on with that train of thought.

Thankfully and mysteriously however, she was unable to pursue that train of thought as she suffered a splitting headache in front of him.

He was no believer in coincidences and he was convinced something was up, the timing was too perfect to even be considered remotely coincidental. It was something that either New Hell, Haqua or Elsi had prepared. A failsafe or sorts in case the wrong questions are asked?

But right now was not the time to dwell on this question, right now she has to get Shiomiya out of the equation right away. There is a definite link between Yoshino and Shiomiya, something that he noticed as there was a flicker of recognition in Yoshino's eyes when Shiomiya popped up behind him.

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He supposed it was inevitable that a situation like this was to develop as it is very difficult for him to expect or to reason that amongst the 'targets' there would be a few who would know each other.

Mai-High is not a big school but the student population has a female majority, much to the delight of the male population and it is remarkably easy for someone, anyone to be well known in school as gossip spread like wildfire among girls.

Or so he is told, but actually thinking about it, Asami and Shiori were well matched personality wise. As whether it is before or after the 'capture' of the two girls, their personalities were remarkable similar.

Shiori did like to keep to herself, was quiet and of course liked her small pool of friends in the library club and it was the same for Asami, even if he did notice that Asami did become a little more assertive in her behavior towards her friends.

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'K-katsuragi-kun…'

She asked for him again as she was laid down on both of the chairs that they had been sitting on, it was the only way to get her to lie down without wandering too far for Shiori to locate them again. He briefly flitted with the idea of letting her rest her head on his lap, but he decided against it almost as quickly.

They weren't that close and the last thing that he wanted now was to place even more false hopes in her mind, he had his hands full with dealing with Haqua and the potential threat of Aoba at the moment.

But right now she was trying her best to get his attention and he pressed one hand on her forehead in a bid to placate her for a moment. Ordinarily that would have done the trick, he rarely offered any physical contact or even allowed them close into his personal space.

That has changed however and it seemed that they were trying to get more than they are 'entitled to' as she tugged at his hands, placing her hands above hers and making gestures that she hoped to hold his hands as well.

'…'

There is a saying: 'Action Speaks Louder Than Words' and it seems that Asami preferred using her actions rather than words to show her feelings for him.

It is a tricky situation as this is neither a flag nor an event, it was probably just one part of a flag that would lead to an event, a kind of crossroad to determine whether he wanted to go down this road to 'capture' her.

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Honestly, she was not his type, the preferred type would be someone energetic like Takahara Ayumi, but this was a rare opportunity as well, Yoshino Asami might have a clue on who is the one who started this event in the first place.

There is a definite link between her and Shiori and as a result, she might be able to pinpoint any shared memories the girl had. That would enable him to find the truth…

'… Yes, Yoshino?'

'Please don't go…'

She spoke softly and he could detect the subtle shaking of her voice that symbolized that she was still affected by pain and occasionally he could see that she would still move in discomfort.

Whatever happened, it was sufficient to actually affect her so greatly and he felt a little guilty at that realization, after all, if it was not for him and Elsi , he would not have to say so many lies, come up with so many excuses to cover up what they did, no what he did, they wouldn't be hurt.

Even if they had not asked to be possessed by the weiss themselves, the fact is that they were 'saved' by him before and deserved better than to go through the same experience again.

Thankfully though they did not have to go through heartbreak, an experience he knew from his games to be not a pretty experience.

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'I won't.'

He promised in reflex and he wanted desperately to take those words back as he saw how her eyes flashed with hope and joy. He might be betraying those hopes like he did with Minami and the memory of how close he almost caused the death of the poor girl made swallow nervously.

The last thing he wanted was a repeat of that episode and he knew that close call will forever be like a shadow hanging over him, over every decision he makes and every hard call that will come to his hands from now on.

He will be second guessing himself, weighting the consequences and doubting his assessment of the mental strength or frailty of the 'target' in question.

But there was nothing he could do about it, he was not a heartless person even if others might want to think otherwise and the last thing he wanted was to risk someone's life.

Now he understood the weight and the responsibility of a 'True God'. His followers were all depending on him and to some extent with his strong influence, their lives were in his hands.

One wrong move and a life would be at stake…. Even if he doubted their resolve could match up to Minami, who seemingly viewed him more precious than her own life, he could not afford gambling when there is this big 'what if' hovering above his head.

It was with uncertainty clouding his mind when he finally acceded to her request and allowed her to clutch and hold his hands.

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He is changing and he doubted that this change is really good, he was getting soft and afraid of his own judgment, questioning himself and seeking the easier way out.

It would only serve to hurt the girls and to hurt him, even with the impenetrable wall that he has built to shield him from anyone who wishes to get close to him.

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But with this new approach, can he keep them out? Or will they finally get a chance to carve a cliché in his heart?

Only time will tell and Keima was not looking forward to it, especially since there was nothing he can do about it.

He has made the first step and bolstered their confidence, not to mention experience their desire for him. It would be foolish for him to expect they to back off right now.

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'…'

Shiori did not understand why she was turned away and that same thought keep circulating through her mind as she hurried to fetch the school nurse.

She had missed the look of triumph from Asami as she had left reluctantly or more thoughts would continue to plague her, further dampening her confidence.

Still, she was gratified to see that Keima did appreciate her gesture as he had looked at her meaningfully before apologizing to her softly.

'I'm sorry…Shiomiya'

Well, if it's a favor for him, she suppose she can accept it as an errand and call it as that.

But even she did not miss the perplex look the teacher on duty gave her when she entered the Infirmary. It was Nikaido Yuri-sensei, a teacher that teachers Japanese language to her class as well and she bowed to her immediately, apologizing for her intrusion.

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'What's wrong, Shiomiya?'

Confused that she knew her name, Shiori nonetheless explained the situation to her and she blinked a little when Nikaido-sensei seemed to be a little disturbed by her description of the illness. Did Yoshino-san has a medical condition that she was not aware of?

If that is so, perhaps she has been too harsh on her, she could be really seriously ill.

'…'

Rubbing her chin, Nikaido-sensei seemed to be in a world of her own until Shiori coughed discreetly and softly, reminding her of her predicament politely to her again.

'Nikaido-sensei… is the Doctor in? Perhaps he would like to take a look at Yoshino-san?'

'More than that, I'm more concerned about you, Shiomiya.'

Jumping a little as she saw Nikaido-sensei look at her intently, Shiomiya Shiori took a nervous step back as she seemed to look right through her soul as she sat there, all imposing and predatory in her seat by the window.

She suddenly felt afraid as her eyes seemed to glint a different color and Shiori stumbled back a little towards the door. It might just be her, but she felt that it was dangerous being here…

Despite Nikaido Yuri-sensei being well known to being a 'mean' teacher, Shiori knew that she won't hurt anyone who didn't defy her.

'I-I'm fine sensei…'

It took almost all of her willpower to not run away or to break down in the spot. But some inner part of her screamed at her and told her to corporate with her, it would be bad if she did not do so.

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'Do you feel something odd? Like nausea or perhaps any headaches?'

Gesturing for her to come over closer, Nikaido Yuri pulled out an instrument that Shiori did not recognize, it didn't look like a medical instrument and it looked more like a scanner of some sort. What made her even more nervous was the fact that it was glowing purple at portion where one normally scans the barcode.

Eerily purple at that and she suddenly didn't want to go closer to her and wanted to flee instead. But she seemed to be under a spell, unable to resist her as she slowly walked over to her.

'Good girl, Shiomiya… now just have a seat right here…'

Even her voice seemed a little too controlled, hiding some strong emotions no doubt and Shiori swallowed when she blurted out by accident.

'Will it hurt?'

'No, of course it will not hurt… why would it?'

And Shiori really knew no more when Nikaido Yuri ran that foreign device over her forehead.

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He was a little worried when Shiori did not return after 20 minutes has passed by and he was considering dialing for Elsi, the girl had not popped up this time, much to his surprise and he was considering the implications of it when Shiori staggered into the scene along with Nikaido Yuri, the same Nikaido Yuri that had without any reason, changed the way she treated him.

Something was up, especially so when he was certain that she was not qualified or trained to be a medic in anyway and he stood up suddenly, startling Asami as she slowly tried to get up as well.

In a gesture that could be mistaken for trying to protect Asami, Keima narrowed his eyes when Shiori had no reaction as well. The girl seemed dazed and unfocused and it took some effort to control his temper and to keep his tone even as he asked softly.

'What do you need from us, Nikaido…sensei.'

It was hard to not spit out the word sensei as he was sure, no he was certain that she has interfered or had a role to play in all this, somehow…

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Author's Notes: PLOT ADVANCEMENT! R&R!