Connection 31: A Return to Form

Thursday

Today was supposed to be a good one for Ayumi Takahara. It was to be her triumphant return to her daily school life, the one she had lived before being subjected to that suspension. She'd get to jump her hurdles, eat with her best buds, and do the other things she had taken for granted in the past.

So why was she dying on the inside, trying her best not to let a blush show on her face as she ate with her friends on the high school building's rooftop?

That botched confession of hers made her more and more frustrated the more she thought about it. Why did that dork of hers have to have the dumbest reason for rejecting her? Not to mention he apparently had a line of girls sliding into his DMs. She was so going to run laps around her peers on Saturday and cinch that gold medal, one hundred percent.

As the short-haired runner fumed quietly, Miyako said, "Hey, Ayumi-chan, you went wild during practice earlier. It's like the hurdles barely slowed you down!"

Brought back to reality, Ayumi shook her head, both to deny her friend's claim and to try to get rid of the redness gracing her features. "Nah, just had a hearty meal for breakfast earlier."

"Sure, I believe you," Miyako said, rolling her eyes. "Oh hey, did you get a message from Chihiro-chan about the band?"

"Um," she racked her brain and recalled that she told Chihiro she could play a bit of the guitar, "I think so, yeah. I'm definitely on board after this weekend."

"Sweet!" Chihiro said, balling up her pork bun and lining up a shot at the nearby trash bin. She launches it up and it's nothing but net. "Okay, so I was thinking we could arrange it this way: Miyako-chan on keys, Ayum-chan on lead guitar, and I can do rhythm guitar and vocals."

"Sounds good to me," Ayumi said as she could feel a smile form on her face. Chihiro's enthusiasm was contagious.

Chihiro's expression was tempered a bit. "Kinda sucks that we don't have a bassist or a drummer. Once I save up, maybe I can buy a really cheap bass guitar and learn it, but I wanted to get in some practice as soon as possible. There's only so much time until the cultural festival."

"Hmm," Miyako said, putting a finger to her chin, "none of my other friends can play instruments. Never thought I'd say this, but maybe Katsuragi-kun might have a clue. I've seen him pop in and out of the student council room. He might have some connections we don't know about."

'You're damn right he has connections, that dork,' Ayumi fumed. 'Why did my first love have to be so complicated?'

Chihiro whipped out her phone. "I already sent a message to him this morning. He still hasn't replied though."

"Well he is Katsuragi-kun. He's probably just gaming the lunch period away, right?"

Ayumi thought back to all of the shenanigans she saw Keima go through since the fateful day she asked him to be her tutor. The Shiori case. The Kusunoki case. The business he had with that small blonde girl. The runner had almost no doubt that Keima was busy, most likely with another attractive girl.

She tried her best to swallow her possessiveness down. She was not going to let her feelings for Keima ruin her time with her friends.

"Yeah, Miyako-chan. He probably is."

Ayumi was right. Keima was once again sacrificing his treasured gaming time for a cause that was beneath an Otoshigami of his stature, and it vexed him to no end. After this shogi assignment, it would be best to start thinking about how to renege from his student council duties, though having to drop by their office once a week to fulfill his club secretary duties wasn't going to make that easy.

He shook his head of those thoughts. His legs had taken him to where the student council said the shogi club room was located. Keima rolled his shoulders and slid the door open.

The nerd has seen the shogi club a hundred thousand times. In games. He expected a few tables and cushions here and there to play shogi on, some shelves to store the boards on, maybe even a stove for tea to accompany a game. None of that was present. The tables were all gathered in the center of the room to form one big one. Like a banquet hall, the clubroom's table had a smorgasbord of junk food, bread, and soda on it. Not a single shogi piece in sight. Instead, there were three tall, lanky men squatting around the table, sloshing soda down their gizzards like they were chilling at home. One had a tattoo of a skull on the back of his hand, while another one had a bokken slung over his shoulder like a delinquent chuunibyou. The one seated at the head of the table had blond hair and was giving Keima a cool stare.

The Parsley Boys - Encounter Mk. II.

The bespectacled boy combed his fingers through his hair. God, Reality brought back the dumbest mob characters.

"Whacha lookin' at, four-eyes?" the blond said, causing his two buddies to pivot their gazes Keima's way.

"I'm looking for the shogi club." Maybe Secretary Hana had made a mistake, though Keima had a feeling the student council wrote the shogi club off for a reason, and-

"You're looking at it." He made a show of crushing the can of pop in his hand and chucking it aside. Keima tried not to make a show of rolling his eyes.

Keima, against his better judgement, decided to try and pry the story of the shogi club out of the parsley gang. "Right. You three don't seem like the type to play shogi."

"Hell yeah," the one with the tattoo chimed in, shoveling a rice ball into his maw. His words ended up being muffled. "We ain't nerds like you, four-eyes."

"Tell 'em!" the other one said, his bokken remaining steadfast on his shoulder. "We kicked all those pencil-pushing losers out of the club. Ey, you remember that one dude who said he'd tell on us?"

"I'd never forget. The moment I showed him this," the tattooed man said, pulling out what looked like a penknife from his pocket, "he started to grovel at our feet!"

They reached across the table and bumped fists.

Meanwhile, their supposed leader pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. If Keima could see correctly from the other side of the room, the kanji on the brass knuckles said "unending pain" and "instant death". Kinda cringe, but Keima wasn't going to say that in front of the parsleys. He was tired of reality's shit, not suicidal.

"So yeah, this is our hideout, freak, so scram. And don't even think of telling the teachers, unless you wanna be treated to a gun show." He flexed his arms, though since he had on a long sleeved button-on, it wasn't that impressive of a display.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Keima said, already pissed that his time was wasted on mob characters. He spun on his heels and left.

'Okay, I thought I could train up at least two members of the shogi club,' Keima mused to himself, 'but I'd be lucky to get them to even remember what the names of the pieces are, let alone teach them how to play the game. It'd be hard to get the original shogi members to sign up for the tournament 'cause they might still be afraid of those useless side characters. Hmm. Back to the drawing board.'

Still, there was probably no harm in at least posting something on the school's notice board, and since this was an 'official' student council project, the print ad would most likely get approved. Keima's art was far from good, however, so he'd have to find someone who could handle the graphic design for him.

As Keima was lost in thought, Shiori caught sight of him. She had been looking for him all lunch period in order to get an actual answer out of the gamer. "God only knows" when he's free? What a load of hogwash.

She walked up to him. If she were to ask outright what his schedule was like, she'd just be met with the exact same obfuscating response, so she decided to take the conversation the casual route for now. "Hi, Keima-kun."

"Shiori-san." Keima said, giving a nod. She watched as his eyes glazed over; he was obviously deep in thought.

"Saw you come out of the shogi clubroom. What's up?"

Keima looked at the girl in front of him. She looked back up at him, an expectant look on her face. Keima had no reason to hide his predicament from her. After what Kanon and Ayumi had put him through the past few days, he could probably handle whatever Shiori could throw his way.

"Student council business. There's a shogi tournament soon. Have to assemble a team to represent Mai-High, and the only shogi club members now are lackadaisical delinquents. Still thinking about where to start."

The bookworm could almost see him shuffling through his gaming library in his head. "How many times has this happened in your games?"

"...twice," Keima said. Shiori's brows rose. "Not much data to work with, admittedly."

Shiori saw a hint of desperation flutter across his expression. This was her chance, and she'd sink her fangs into it. "W-well, I have read a lot of books on shogi. Endgame states. Openings. There are approximately five shogi guides in the library, and if I recall correctly, as of two weeks ago, all of those books have been returned to the library's possession."

"...name your price."

Shiori had to hold in a giggle. Keima's downcast expression was delectable. It was so rare to actually win a verbal bout against the bespectacled boy, so even if the current odds were heavily stacked in her favor, she'd take the W.

"Sunday, like usual? I wasn't joking about going to the movies."

"Sunday's no good."

"W-what?" Shiori felt her newfound confidence start to leave her. "Not even dinner?"

He looked her in the eye. She could see her exasperation reflected in his own expression. "No, I'm busy the entire day. A family thing."

"How i-interesting." She called bullshit. She didn't know whether or not it was because she was getting closer to him or if he was just tired, but Shiori could see a crack in his normally perfect acting. She felt something bubble up inside her as she slowly pieced everything together. If Keima already had a different task from the student council, that meant the one Keima did for Ayumi's sake was done. "By the way, Ayumi-san's suspension has been lifted, right?"

"Yes." A flicker of a smile appeared on Keima's face.

Shiori couldn't help but smile a bit as well. "Good, the kouhais will be happy to hear that. When's that track meet of hers?"

Keima could see a black flag of death hoist itself on top of Shiori's head. "...Saturday."

"And the real reason why you're busy this Sunday is because of her, correct? Probably to celebrate if she were to win."

Keima looked like he was going to protest, but instead he said, "Yes."

Shiori pursed her lips as her temperature rose. "Alright. Can't we go out for movies after your date with her?"

"She wants to hang out the entire day."

Keima's entire Sunday? Ok, Ayumi definitely realized her feelings and confessed. Her clinginess was obvious, and thanks to her own romantic experience, Shiori could see it from a mile away. She couldn't help hang her head low. She had thought Ayumi had her back, but it turned out she was also a contender for the heart of the boy in front of her.

Shiori's sadness spiraled downwards. Keima obviously wasn't interested in her. Well, real women in general. But even putting that aside, the people around him were gorgeous. Kanon was an idol. Ayumi was a star athlete. What could she provide?

She remembered what Keima had told her. Did she want to maintain the status quo? Or did she want to protect her budding first love?

She could recall the feel of his lips on hers, the courage that kiss had enveloped her in. Giving up after she's come so far would be betraying those feelings.

Still, she needed a plan of attack. She had to play an angle that was unique to her. The How to Make Him Fall for You in a Fortnight guide was a good start - she doubted that girls like Kanon who didn't spend that much time with Keima could match her in terms of quality time. As for girls like Ayumi who did spend a good amount of time with Keima, Shiori had the ability to truly understand him. As unparalleled aficionados of their hobbies, they were really similar. Much like how he entered her world that fateful day, she could worm her way into his world too. Even if she did have a dislike for those newfangled devices he loved.

She needed more quality time than ever before. With the competition she had, every minute was precious.

Shiori had to be bold. "Well, if you want me to play shogi for you, give me your entire Saturday."

She saw Keima's eyes widen, and it seemed like he couldn't hold in a smile, as if what she said was so ludicrous it was hard to believe. The reticent librarian could hardly believe it either. Her heart was pounding.

After a million heartbeats, Keima said, "You'll have to go with me to the track meet, then. Ayumi-san would make me run a marathon with her on Sunday if I missed it."

"Good, it's a date."

"Mom, I'm home, got the groceries." Mio walked into the Aoyama bakery, bags of groceries in her hands. For the week or so that Keima had worked for them, he had done the grocery shopping, but it seemed that life didn't want her to forget the absence of her most recent friend.

As her daughter passed by the counter to get to the staircase that led to their living space, Rin Aoyama said, "You look like you're working up a sweat. I bet you miss the times when Keima would do the heavy lifting for you, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's not like we're gonna see him anytime soon unless the LEDs get busted again," she heard the blonde say as she ascended the stairs. The older Aoyama pursed her lips. Her late husband's untimely departure wrested Mio's friends away from her, and with her having to help around the shop as it was getting established, the poor teen didn't have the time to make any new ones. Rin had enough overhead to pay for another part-timer, but Mio needed more ways to make friends.

After a bit, she heard Mio descend the stairs, dressed up in her Aoyama bakery apron. Before she could get to work, Rin said, "You're looking a bit under the weather, Mio. You should go outside for today, get some fresh air."

She saw her daughter frown. It reminded her of the way Yuuki would grimace at an awful trade deal that managed to find its way onto his desk. Rin's smile grew wistful. "I'm fine, I gotta help you out with the store."

"Aw, you're so sweet!" Rin said, stretching Mio's cheeks like dough, "but I think I'm old enough to handle the store every now and then."

The mother and daughter pair looked at each other and had a hearty laugh.

"Alright, alright, I can tell when I'm not wanted," Mio jested, "I'll go get changed. I'll be back at around eight, Mom."

"Take your time, just give me a heads up if you end up staying past that time."

Mio ascended the stairs, a weight falling off her shoulders. As she rifled through her closet to hash together an outfit - a simple white blouse and black leggings - she couldn't help but smile. Her mom somehow managed to juggle being a single mother alongside being a new business owner. She was awesome, and Mio was proud to be her daughter.

As she headed back downstairs, she caught a glimpse of the shrine they had for her dad. She hoped he approved of his wife from the heavens above.

Well, now that she was free, where could she go? It had been a while since she had a scone, so maybe a visit to a tea house was in order. She paused at the top of the staircase to check her belongings. Keys to the shop, a small handbag made of faux leather to house her second-hand feature phone and a cheap wallet that contained her meager savings - she was ready to go. Time to destress and binge on her favorite food for an afternoon.

As she descended down the flight of stairs, she saw someone in a Mai-High uniform standing in front of the cashier. There was something off about him, though. His frame was slender - Katsuragi's was as well, but couple that with perfectly round nails with no nail bed and lashes an inch long? This 'guy' in front of her-

-was Yui?

Mio rubbed her eyes to get a clear look as 'Yui' talked to Mio's mom. Neither had noticed the blonde yet. Mio's mom seemed to have no idea that the 'guy' was one of Mio's cherished childhood friends as she talked with him. As the older Aoyama turned towards her, Mio could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"You never told me about this friend of yours, Mio. What a kind young man." Rin said, tossing a meat floss bun into a plastic bag.

Mio was stunned. It really was Yui in a men's uniform, and for some reason, she pulled it off rather well, and Mio had no idea how. "W-what are you doing here, Y-"

"Yoshii. Makoto Yoshii, Aoyama-san," Yui said, fishing some yen from her pocket. She plopped it onto the counter, and Rin was more than happy to accept it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. And this meat floss bun smells delectable."

As the 'boy' and Mio's mother continued to exchange pleasantries, Mio head started to hurt. Yui's alto could pass off as a prepubescent boy's voice, and she was just tall enough that with subtle platform shoes, she towered over Mio in her flats. Her posture, honed from all the etiquette lessons she must have taken as a child, made her seem ethereal dressed as a woman, but as a guy, she looked cool, confident. All those factors and more combined to made her look like a very pretty boy whose voice drop was delayed a few years.

"Anyway, Aoyama-san," the 'boy' in front of her said, turning around to face her, 'I came to discuss the history project with you today. I know an excellent cafe nearby - that should serve as the perfect place to hold our meeting. Would that be alright with you?"

Mio looked from the gently smile on "Makoto's" face to the cheeky grin on her mother's, and she couldn't help but hold back a sigh. Just when she was starting to feel bored with her everyday life, crazy things just seemed to fall out of the sky. "A-alright, lead the way."

The two left, but not without a bit of cooing from the elder Aoyama. If Mio had actually been with a real boy, she'd be annoyed at her mother's antics, but all the blonde felt at the moment was confusion.

Once they were far enough away, Mio spoke under her breath, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Yui-san. Or should I say 'Yoshii-kun'?"

"Haha, of course you'd be the first one to catch me out," Yui said as she scratched the nape of her neck. "I changed into this in the limo in the parking lot. Walked around to see how effective my 'disguise' was. Everyone at school was none the wiser. I'm surprised your mother didn't notice, but I guess she isn't used to me without the kimono and the make-up."

Mio shook her head. "Where did you even get the idea for this?"

She saw Yui's cheeks take a shade of red. "...I may have seen it in a TV drama. You may not be able to hang out with aristocrat Yui, but a commoner like Makoto Yoshii? That should be acceptable."

"A TV drama? You gotta be kidding me. I thought your mother banned those kinds of shows." Mio's headache grew. She had to start rubbing her temples to let the pain ebb away.

"I've garnered a bit of leeway since she made me resign from the wind instruments club a while back," Yui said, "as long as I do all the tasks required of me and I don't do anything extreme, she'll probably look the other way."

"'Anything extreme', huh?" Mio said, tugging at Yui's cravat as she raised a brow.

"I admit I was getting rather, um, desperate, to put it lightly," the aristocrat in disguise sheepishly admitted. "It's currently working, right?"

Mio gave her friend a once over. With her hair prepared the proper way and with her chest bound, she had to admit, "Yes it is."

The two eventually found their way to a cafe. Luckily for Mio's cravings, they also happened to be serving tea and scones. Huh, almost as if Yui was familiar with the preferences Mio had when she was still in the aristocracy. She looked at her companion and her gentle smile. Mio couldn't help but feel a smile grow on her face to match.

"This is a bit different from the old days, but I'm still having fun," Mio said, sinking her teeth into one of the scones. The sweetness of the fruit really contrasted well with the bitterness of the tea. While her tastes were becoming more and more pedestrian - omelet bread was a gift from the gods - she still had a bit of sophistication left in her.

"I feel the same way, Mio-san," Yui said. "I'm afraid I won't be able to pull this off all the time, but once a week perhaps should be doable."

Mio knew this was a temporary solution. Even if Yui were to never get caught, after high school, their lives would definitely drift apart. Yui would go to take up the family business, while Mio would probably go to a college nearby. She didn't want to dwell on that distance future. For now, she was content with simply living in the moment and enjoying her time with her old friend as much as possible.

"Alright, let's discuss that history project, 'Yoshii-kun'."

Pending Deadlines

Track meet: 2 days remaining

Shogi team evaluation: 8 days remaining

Kanon's Monthsary: 10 days remaining

I'm surprised at how quickly I was able to churn this chapter out compared to my usual pace. I should be working on other things (就活が嫌だ＞。＜) but instead, I've used the power of procrastination (TM) to push out another one of these. I've given this minimal proofreading because it's 1am and I should probably go to sleep, so if some parts come out badly, I'll fix it when I wake up.

1. For some reason, I went ahead and took the time to "calculate" how much screentime each heroine has. Of course, Ayumi has the highest percentage. Out of 31 chapters, she's been in 80.65% of them. Tied for lowest (for obvious reasons) are the Yoshino twins and Kaori at 6.45%. Oh, and Kanon has 48.39%. I'm doing my best to hide my Kanon bias, I swear. A more comprehensive breakdown of the percentages can (probably) be found on my profile if you're interested in it. Hopefully this will help me identify which heroines deserve more attention. Speaking of which...

2. Shiori Shinomiya. After her little arc with her self-made book, she's fallen off a bit. She used to appear fairly frequently because of the How to Make Him Fall for You in a Fortnight chapter entries, but that took a backseat to a ton of other threads. I'm glad to have her take a more proactive role once again. This weekend is going to be another chaotic one, that's for sure.

3. Yui Goidou. Or Makoto Yoshii. Really glad to finally get cross-dressing Yui back into the fold, even if it won't be as frequent. While canon Yui was able to crossdress because of the freaky friday scenario she had with Keima and the confidence that event brought her, Connections' Yui has been fueled by desperation and one too many TV dramas.

4. 2-B Pencils. We have three of the five members. We could have Yui reprise her role as the drummer, though she'll need to have the confidence to stand up to her mother to do that. That still leaves the bass guitar role unfilled. Hmm, I wonder who can step up to the task?

5. The alternate endings. Perhaps my wording was bad, but we still have a long way to go for most of them. Well, except for one. Still, even that one is quite a few days away. To put things into perspective, after 31 chapters and 130k words, we're only on day #25 in Connections time. As you can see in the Pending Deadlines section, 10 days is a long time in terms of chapters. Kinda sucks since I'm excited to write it. I even have it outlined already. I'm just scared I'll botch the execution, but now, I have a lot of time to prepare for it I suppose.