It was Monday morning, and Yuuto was waiting outside the local train station for his date for the day, Blare. It was the height of summer, and the train station was bustling with both humans and liminals, whether they were couples, families, or just people going about their everyday lives. The blonde agent had made plans for them to go to the nearby amusement park, though he wanted to keep it a surprise for her for the time being. He remembered how excited she was for the date on their run this morning, but after he said he wanted to keep their destination a surprise, her anticipation sky rocketed, and she wouldn't stop pestering him about where they were going. Yuuto did enjoy the hellhound's company, though her excitableness could be too much to bare at times. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. It was currently 10:07AM.
''Where is hell is she? We agreed to meet up here at ten.'' The blonde agent thought to himself as he started to worry about his squad mate's whereabouts.
''HEY! STUD!''
Yuuto looked up from his phone to where the shouting was coming from. Surely enough, it was Blare, who had a massive grin on her face, running towards him through the crowds as fast as her paws could carry her, waving a hand at him excitedly as her flame lashes burnt fiercely from the corners of her eyes. She was wearing a grey tank top under a black hoodie with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of denim shorts, and a studded choker around her neck. Her outfit wasn't that much different from his, as he was wearing a white t-shirt under his burgundy hoodie with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of loose blue jeans, brown trainers, and his black leather fingerless gloves.
''Hey Blare.'' Yuuto replied, waving a hand back at her.
As the hellhound neared him, he noticed that she wasn't slowing down at all, but by the time he realised that, Blare had leapt at him and tackled him to the ground with a massive hug. The human landed on his back and groaned in pain as his squad mate nuzzled her cheek against his chest affectionately.
''Okay, this whole getting tackled trend is starting to get annoying…'' He complained to himself internally as he tried to sit up straight with Blare still on top of him.
As he propped himself up on his elbows, Blare stopped her nuzzling and looked up at the blonde with her cheeks now bright red and her grin still present. ''Sorry I'm late. I wanted to make sure I looked my best for our date.'' She said with her tail wagging frantically and her flames lashes burning.
Yuuto looked down at the excitable hellhound and furrowed his eyebrows at her. ''Okay, that's fine, but do you mind getting off of me? I think we're causing a scene.'' He asked, his own cheeks going red from the compromising position they found themselves in.
Blare looked around her at his prodding, and noticed that a large number of people were staring at the pair, many of which were making comments about them to one another.
''Did you see that? That girl's practically all over him. Lucky bastard…'' One young man commented, feeling very jealous.
''You'd think she'd have more self-control in public. It sets a bad image for the rest of us.'' A werecat woman said out loud, unimpressed by what the pair were doing.
''Ah, young love. Makes me wish I was sixty years younger again.'' An elderly gentleman added as he was passing by.
''Damn, I knew I should've signed up for the exchange program…'' Another young man muttered to himself.
Blare's eyes widened as she was hit with a wall of embarrassment before she got off of Yuuto and shot up to her paws. ''Oh, sorry Stud!'' She started as she waved her hands apologetically at him. ''I got a bit too excited! Here let me help you up!'' She continued as she extended a padded hand towards him.
Yuuto looked up at her for a moment before he sighed to himself and grabbed her hand, now smiling back at her. The hellhound pulled him up to his feet with great ease as she smiled back at him, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red as she did so.
''So, are you going to tell me where we're going now, or do I have to coax it out of you?'' Blare teased in a seductive tone, winking at his suggestively.
''You haven't caught on to how surprises work yet, have you?'' Yuuto replied teasingly with a grin as he started making his way to the train station without her.
''Aww, c'mon Stud! Just tell me already!'' She shouted as she caught up with him, wrapping her arms around his and trapping it in between her cleavage.
''You'll just have to wait and see, Blare. I promise it'll be worth it.'' The blonde said as a sincere smile crossed his lips.
Blare paused for a moment as she pouted at him, before sighing to herself, admitting defeat. ''Fine, but you'd better treat me big time when we finally get there, got it?''
''Deal.'' Yuuto answered back before chuckling to himself over how his squad mate was acting.
As the pair made their way to the train station, a certain blue-skinned woman was watching them, hidden around the corner of one of the nearby building. Lala was wearing a black jacket with a white button up shirt underneath and a black skirt, as well as her black scarf, corset, thigh-high stockings, and a pair of black ankle boots. She glared at the pair enviously as they walked off together arm in arm, wishing she was the one currently clinging to Yuuto.
''I know I can trust me Love tae stay faithful tae me, but I canna take me eyes off the guardian o' the underworld fer one second.'' The dullahan worried to herself internally, her jealousy growing by the second. ''She may have relented to the fact that I'm Yuuto's chosen lover, but it is plain as day that she does nay wish tae surrender her desires fer him. Why must the Organization test me patience as they force me Love tae undergo such hardships? As vexing as it may be, this is all fer the sake o' our inevitable union, so I must endure. But fer now, I must make sure his comrades do nay lead him astray fer their own desires, whatever the cost.''
''Err, excuse me, Miss?'' The voice of a man spoke from behind her.
Lala flinched for a moment before turning to face the stranger that had snuck up behind her. She saw a police officer with short black hair with a bicycle held to his side, looking at her with nervous eyes that also held great suspicion.
''Are you by chance an interspecies exchange student, and if so, where is your host family?'' The bicycle cop asked.
At his prodding, Lala immediately shifted into her reaper persona and placed a hand over her face. ''Do nay fear me, Mortal, fer I am a Knight o' Death, and I am on a mission tae-!''
''I'm sorry, Miss, but I must ask to see your ID, otherwise you'll have to come with me.'' The officer interrupted as his tone grew more serious.
Lala was in a bind. She had to make sure she didn't lose sight of Yuuto and Blare, but she could scarcely afford to get in trouble with the police officer in front of her. She had to find a means of escape, otherwise she could risk losing her place in the program and possibly get deported from Japan, with a real possibility of never seeing Yuuto again. With that in mind, she mustered all her courage, and did something she thought she could never do. Lie to the police. It couldn't be any lie though, it had to be one that would distract the bicycle cop's attention away from her, long enough for her to make a getaway, so she came up with the most disastrous, but plausible scenario she could think of, well, in her mind it was plausible.
''By the Gods! The Crimson Dragon o' Oblivion has come tae steal that woman's treasures!'' She shouted overdramatically in mock horror, pointing directly behind the officer. She had no idea if he would believe her or not, but by some sheer miracle, the officer spun around immediately in a panic.
''Vera! How many times have I told you not to take other people's belongings?! They might be shiny, but that's no reason to-!''
The bicycle cop stopped mid-sentence as he realised that the person he thought was there was nowhere to be seen. He was expecting to see a red scaled, pink haired wyvern girl trying to take something shiny home with her, but all he saw was a group of people staring at him in confusion. Realising that he had been fooled, he immediately turned back to face the dullahan.
''Miss, it's a criminal offence to lie to… eh?'' He was left dumbfounded as the blue skinned girl he was confronting earlier had disappeared, and had probably made her escape while he was distracted. ''Where did she go?'' He asked himself, looking around frantically for her, but his efforts were in vain. Lala was long gone, and she had a quest to fulfil, a quest to protect her boyfriend from the temptations of a certain guard dog of Hades.
Sometime later, Yuuto and Blare found themselves standing in front of the amusement park, and the hellhound couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight in front of her. There were hordes of people entering the park, ready do enjoy a day filled with fun and excitement.
''Well, was it worth it?'' Yuuto asked with a cheesy grin as Blare continued to marvel at the park's entrance.
''OH MY GOD I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO OKALAND!'' She yelled out of pure joy before she wrapped her arms around the blonde and nuzzled her cheek against his excitedly. ''THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!''
Yuuto could understand why she was so excited, but the park itself wasn't anything special. It was like any other amusement park, the only difference being that it's mascot was an anthropomorphised green hermit crab called Oka-kun. An odd choice, but the kids loved him.
''Hey, it's alright. Let's just get in already, no point wasting time out here.''
''No need to tell me twice!'' The hellhound replied before she grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the park's entrance. ''C'mon, let's go!''
''Hey, calm down a sec, will you?!'' The blonde exclaimed in annoyance. ''We need to get tickets first!''
As the day went by, Yuuto and Blare had gone on as many rides as they could, starting with the roller coaster, aptly named the Blitzkrieg. The queue for is was massive, but the wait had been worth it. They sat themselves in in the front carriage and locked their harnesses in place, and once everyone else on the ride had done the same, the carriages started moving as it was now ascending the tracks.
As they were ascending, Yuuto looked towards Blare who was sitting right next to him, and noticed she was giddy with anticipation. ''Hey Blare, is this your first time on a roller coaster?'' The human asked as he smiled at her.
''This is my first time going to a theme park, period!'' She replied ecstatically, her flame lashes burning brightly. ''So yeah, I'm hella stoked right now!''
As the carriage reached the peak of it's ascent, Yuuto looked away from the hellhound and gripped onto the harness tightly. ''Well, you'd better brace yourself. It's going to be a bumpy ride.''
''Oh, c'mon Stud. I bet it isn't anything I can't handAAAAAAHHHH!''
The carriage started speeding down the steep descent along the track, racing around tight corners and flying through the loop the loops. Yuuto looked back towards Blare to see how she was coping, but saw she had her hands raised in the air, screaming with joy and excitement with a massive grin on her face as the wind rushed through her hair and across her cropped ears.
''HOLY CRAP! THIS IS AWESOME!'' She exclaimed excitedly, clearly enjoying herself.
The blonde smiled to himself, happy to see that his date was having the time of her life. ''This is just the first ride! Wait till we try out the others!'' He shouted in reply so she could hear him.
''THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST DAY EVER! WOOOOOOOO!''
The ride came to an end, and the pair made their way off to find the next ride to go on. Blare was still buzzing from the rush of adrenaline as she hurriedly dragged Yuuto towards the next ride.
''Okay, let's go on the Helldiver next! Ooh, and after that, we can try the Tidal Tirade! And we can't miss out on-!''
''Blare, calm down a sec, will you?'' Yuuto interrupted her, causing the pair to stop momentarily, and the hellhound to look back at him quizzically. ''I know you're enjoying yourself, but at this rate, you'll yank my arm from it's socket.'' He pleaded, feeling it was a real possibility.
Blare stared at him for a moment in silence before letting go of his hand, holding her arms behind her back as she gave him an apologetic look. ''Oh, sorry Stud. I was just so excited that I wasn't thinking straight.'' She replied with an innocent smile on her lips as her crimson tail wagged from side to side at a leisurely pace and her flame lashes ignited gently from the corners of her eyes.
''Don't worry, it's fine.'' The blonde replied with a smile of his own as he rolled his arm around in a circular motion to make sure it was alright.
While they were talking, they noticed that the park's mascot was standing to the side of them, taking a keen interest in them. The person dressed up as Oka-kun was wearing a white t-shirt, blue trousers with black braces strapped over the shoulders, and a pair of oversized brown shoes. The arms of the costume were green, and ended in large Styrofoam pincers, and the person was wearing a piece of head gear shaped to look like the face of a hermit crab with a large cone shell on top of its head.
''Hey, it's Oka-kun!'' Blare exclaimed excitedly before she frantically pulled out her phone and gave it to Yuuto. ''Stud, take a picture of us!'' She continued as she wrapped an arm around the mascot and posed herself doing the peace sign.
The poor person in the Oka-kun costume was frozen in place like a deer in the headlights as the hellhound practically glued herself to their side, too nervous to move.
Yuuto fiddled with Blare's phone until he found the camera function, before pointing it at the pair. ''Alright, say cheese.''
Blare did so, and the blonde took the picture with the flash going off on the phone. With that, the hellhound separated herself from the mascot and made her way to Yuuto's side once more to look at the photo he just took.
''It looks great.'' She said with a joyous smile before taking her phone back. ''I'm definitely making that my screensaver.'' She then pocketed her phone and returned her attention to the mascot, now waving an arm at them. ''Thanks for the photo, Oka-kun!'' She exclaimed before she grabbed her date by the wrist and started dragging him towards the next ride. ''C'mon, Stud! We're burning daylight here!''
''Alright, I'm coming.'' He replied, before turning his attention towards the mascot himself as he was being dragged away. ''Thanks again.'' He said with a wave of the hand.
Once the human and hellhound couple were far enough away, the mascot started walking after them, still fixated on the pair.
Next was the Helldiver, and the pair braced themselves for what would be one of the highest drops in Japan. As they were lifted to the top of the tower, Yuuto was suddenly having second thoughts. Blare looked over to him from her seat to notice that his face had gone pale.
''C'mon Stud, don't tell me that you're afraid of heights now.'' The hellhound teased with a massive grin on her face.
''It's not that I'm afraid of heights, I just don't like the feeling of negative-G I get from the drop.'' He replied weakly while avoiding eye contact with her.
''Don't be such a wuss. It can't be that bad.''
Suddenly, an automated voice came through from the speakers on the ride. ''Dropping in three, two, one. Bye-bye.''
''HOLY CRAAAAAAAAAAAAP!'' It was safe to say that Blare wasn't prepared for the negative-G from the drop.
After they got off, they headed for the Tidal Tirade. Yuuto and Blare were at the front of the ride again, and the blonde agent was wise enough to buy himself a cheap raincoat at the entrance of the ride. Blare however did not follow his example, not wanting to waste any money where it could be avoided, though she would soon regret that decision.
''You sure it was a good idea not to get a raincoat?'' Yuuto asked the hellhound with a slight smirk on his face, already envisioning what would happen to his poor squad mate.
''I'll be fine, a little water never hurt anyone.'' The hellhound replied confidently.
''Well, we'll see about that.'' He muttered to himself as he pulled the hood of the raincoat over his head.
As they reached the peak of the ride just before the drop, Blare's eyes widened as she realised just how much water they'd splash into on the way down. She looked back at Yuuto with a look of worry, only to see his face partially cover by the hood of his raincoat, just able to make out the sinister grin on his face.
''Stud! You told me it'd only be a little splAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!''
The log went speeding down the drop before hitting the water with a massive splash, drenching all the passengers. Once all was calm, Yuuto raised his head and took his hood off to see the state that Blare was in. Unsurprisingly, what he found was the poor hellhound staring at him with a deadpan look on her face, totally drenched from the head down. The blonde was now struggling to stifle his laughter as she was now furrowing her eyebrows at him.
''Pffft! Sorry, I didn't realise the drowned rat look was in right now.'' She said out loud as he was now laughing to himself.
''NOT FUNNY STUD!'' She shouted back at him in annoyance before shaking herself dry like a dog.
Despite her complaint, this didn't deter the blonde from his laughing fit.
Not long after, the pair got themselves dried off before going to get something to eat. Yuuto had gone to get some crepes while Blare sat at a free table after taking her hoodie off, letting her pitch black and crimson fur dry in the warm summer air. As she sat there in silence, she thought about what kind of person her squad captain was to her. Blare both admired and respected the blonde agent in many aspects, from his courageous attitude, to his humorous nature, and he was smart enough to be a hacker, which was impressive enough for her. But what stood out the most about him was how kind-hearted he was. Despite what situation he was in, he'd always put the people he cared about before himself, even if it meant putting himself in harms way, and that's what the hellhound loved most about him. She smiled to herself and a blush appeared on her cheeks as the thought crossed her mind, but her smile dropped as she'd remember the fact that he already had a girlfriend he cared deeply about. Blare felt conflicted, she wanted Yuuto to be happy, but at the same time, she wanted to be with him so badly that she'd do anything to have him. She hung her head in shame as she felt guilty for even thinking about the possibility of breaking Yuuto and Lala up for her own happiness, but her love and admiration for him was so strong, it was hard to repress at times.
''I'm back!'' The blonde agent called out to her with a crepe in each hand.
Blare shot up straight at the sound of his voice, and she turned to him with a grin on her face as she eyed up the crepes in his hands, her tail now wagging furiously and her flame lashes igniting from the corners of her eyes. ''Hey, took you long enough!'' She teased him, now in a better mood with her crush now being present.
''Sorry, the queue was massive, plus crepes are pretty popular this time of year.'' He apologised with an embarrassed smile as he approached the hellhound, handing the girl her crepe as he reached her. ''One strawberry and whipped cream crepe for the lady.'' He teased in a bad posh-British accent, which caused Blare to giggle in amusement.
''Why thank you, kind sir.'' She replied in an equally bad posh accent as she took the crepe from him, before biting into the creamy treat. ''Mmm, this is pretty good.''
''Glad you like it.'' Yuuto said as he took a seat opposite her. ''Nice to see it's worth the hefty price they charge here.'' He added as he let out a defeated sigh.
''Yeah, it sucks that the food here is so expensive.'' The hellhound responded before stuffing her face with her crepe again, obviously enjoying it. ''What flavour did you get?'' She asked after swallowing her mouth-full of crepe.
''Chocolate. Simple, but enjoyable.'' Yuuto replied before taking a bite from his own crepe. ''Damn, so good.''
Blare merely smiled at him as her cheeks went red again, happy to see her squad captain enjoying himself, despite the fact that he had been practically forced to go on a date with her. Yuuto looked up from his crepe to see her stare longingly at him. He knew that she felt strongly about him, that much was certain, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for her, knowing he couldn't make her happy in the way she wanted him to. He couldn't exactly bring himself to cheat on Lala, not after what he and the young dullahan had been through. He had to say something. He couldn't let this situation between him and Blare continue on like this, not just for his and Lala's sake, but for the hellhound's sake too.
''Blare. Listen, I…''
''HEY, OKA-KUN!''
Yuuto and Blare turned to see where the shouting was coming from. They saw the mascot from before being mobbed by a group of young children, all clambering to get Oka-kun's attention. The mascot in question looked like they were panicking from being surrounded by a hoard of kids. Blare giggled at the adorable sight, while Yuuto let out a frustrated sigh to himself, annoyed that his conversation with his squad mate was interrupted.
''Looks like the guy can't handle kids very well.'' Blare commented as she tried to stifle her laughter.
''Then why get a job as a theme park's mascot?'' the blonde asked in an annoyed tone, to which the hellhound started laughing again.
''Maybe they were desperate for money.'' She answered once she had calmed down enough, taking a deep breath to recompose herself. She then finished off the rest of her crepe in a single bite, wiping off the excess cream off her cheek with the back of her hand. ''Thanks for the snack, Stud. Let's go to one of the calmer rides once you're done with yours.'' She added, giving him a massive grin.
''Okay, sure.'' He replied with a smile before taking another bite from his crepe.
''And then after that, I wanted to check out the haunted house too.''
''Alright, just don't blame me when you get scared shitless.'' Yuuto said with a slight snicker.
Blare furrowed her eyebrows at him, though she wouldn't mind getting scared. At the very least she'd have an excuse to cling to him without the human making a big deal out of it.
Once he was done with his crepe, he wiped him mouth clean and stood to his feet. ''Ready when you are, Trouble.'' Yuuto said looking down at the hellhound with a cheesy grin on his face.
Blare eyes widened in surprise, not expecting him to call her by a nickname. She was happy though, despite their current situation, at least they were close enough in his eyes to start calling her by a nickname. Her eyes went half-lidded and she gave him a wry smile as flames slowly simmered from the corners of her eyes.
''Oh, is that a nickname I hear? I feel so honoured.'' She teased as she stood to her paws, bumping her shoulder against Yuuto's as she did so.
''Well, I think it suits you down to a T.'' He replied jokingly before he started heading off towards one of the more family oriented rides in the park. ''C'mon, we might as well make the most of our time here.''
''Yes Sir!'' She replied mockingly with a salute before running to his side and wrapping an arm around his, wishing to follow his instructions to the letter.
As the pair walked off, Oka-kun jumped his way out of the hoard of children he was surrounded by, and made a timely escape. Once in hiding, the mascot pulled the head gear from their shoulders, revealing a headless neck with a black scarf wrapped around it. They then pulled the Styrofoam pincers from their hands to reveal blue-skinned hands. They placed an arm inside the head gear, and fished out Lala's head, which she promptly placed back on her shoulders.
''This plan tae stay hidden in plain sight has failed astoundingly in one aspect, but it seems that me Love and Blare are unaware o' me presence. The youths o' the mortal coil are far more o' a hindrance then I had anticipated.'' The young dullahan thought to herself as she made sure her head was on right. ''Fer now, I must keep me distance from them, but I must make sure she does nay try tae seduce him. I can sense the tension between them, and I fear she may act upon her instincts soon. Please stay strong, Yuuto.''
With that, she took off the costume, now revealing her usual outfit, and started making her way after the human and hellhound pair from a distance, hoping that her fears didn't come to fruition.
After going on some of the calmer rides, such as the flying scooters and the carousel, Yuuto and Blare started making their way to the park's haunted house, simply called the Quarantine Zone. It was modelled after a zombie apocalypse scenario, and took you through an urban sprawl, filled to the brim with the undead. Some people initially feared this would be racially insensitive to zombies and their sub-species, but to the surprise of the general populace, they thought it was great, some of the people working at the attraction being undead themselves, or at least looked the part. As the pair made their way to the front entrance, Yuuto looked up at the sign with a slight snicker.
''It's kind of a shame really, Zee would've loved to have come here.'' He said to himself with a smug look on his face. ''Besides, with all the time I've spent with Zee and Doppel, this place will hardly faze me.''
''Oh, feeling confident, are we?'' Blare teased before leaning in to whisper in his ear. ''If you get scared, it's alright if you cling to me. I don't mind.'' She continued as she spoke in a sultry tone, to which the blonde blushed at.
''We'll see who pisses themselves first. The loser has to buy drinks.'' The human boasted as he stepped away from the flirtatious hellhound, making his way inside the attraction.
''You're on!'' She yelled back as she caught up to him.
Once they were inside, they found themselves walking down a dark deserted corridor, the interior of which looked like a hospital ward, with paint flaking off the wall and blood stains splattered everywhere. As they made their way through, Blare was holding onto Yuuto's hand tightly, feeling slightly unnerved by her surroundings. This didn't escape the human's notice.
''What happened to all that bravado from earlier?'' The blonde teased with a smug look on his face.
''Just keeping quiet just so I don't spook you too soon.'' She replied with a wry smile. ''This place isn't even as bad as I thought it'd be.'' She continued, now looking away from him.
''Then why are you shaking?''
''I'm not shaking!'' She shouted back in an embarrassed tone. ''I'm just-!''
Suddenly from one of the rooms to the side, a woman in a tattered nurse's outfit, covered with cuts and dried blood jump out at them, wailing like a banshee.
''KYAAAAAAAAA!'' Blare screamed from the top of her lungs and latched herself around Yuuto's chest instinctively.
''Well, looks like I won our bet, though it's better if I don't tell her that until after we get out.'' He thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around the hellhound comfortingly. ''Hey, it's okay. It's just an act, remember?''
''She caught me off guard, that's all! This doesn't count!'' She protested, clinging to him tighter.
''Alright, alright. Let's just move on for now.'' He replied as he escorted her further down the corridor.
''Seriously though, this place gives me the creeps. It even smells like blood in here.'' Blare said, only slightly loosening her grip on her squad captain.
''That's some serious attention to detail, though I doubt they used actually blood for that, at least I hope not.''
''Seriously Stud, how did you not get freaked out back there.'' The hellhound asked, looking up at him in amazement.''
''Well, when you hang out with a zombie for so long, stuff like this is hardly a big deal anymore.'' The blonde explained confidently, unsuspecting to the next scare up ahead. ''To be fair, I don't blame you for- ''
From the other side of the glass panel he was walking past, what looked like the rotting corpse of a circus clown slammed his face against the panel with a loud thud. The clown let out a maniacal laugh, baring his fanged teeth at the pair.
''AAAAAAHHHHHH!''
Yuuto almost leapt out of his skin as he jumped up and wrapped his arms around Blare's neck, landing in her arms in a princess carry. The blonde looked back at his squad mate with wide eyes, seeing that she had massive grin on her face, giving him a teasing look.
''What happened to mister strong and brave?'' Blare asked him, trying to stifle her laughter.
''That was a cheap jump scare and you know it!'' He yelled in reply as he jumped back down from her grasp, embarrassed about what just happened.
''Aww, it's okay. You're safe with miss big bad hellhound here.'' She replied in a cutesy tone, before laughing to herself again.
Yuuto let out a defeated sigh as he tried to calm himself down. ''C'mon, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.'' He said as he raised a hand to her, to which she responded by wrapping her arms around his and nestled it in between her cleavage.
''Agreed.'' Blare replied, giving him a sincere smile. ''How much time do we have left?''
''Long enough for one more ride.'' He replied, returning the smile. ''What do you want to do?''
''Can we go on the Ferris wheel? Seems like the best thing to finish the day off with.'' She replied, now nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder.
''Sure, sounds great after this place.''
With that, the pair walked down the corridor towards the exit, though at a quicker pace than they anticipated, desperate to get out of the haunted house. Not far behind them, another couple were making their way through with an amused look on their faces. They comprised of a pale-skinned man with dirty blonde hair and equally scruffy facial hair, and a tanned woman with bleach blonde hair tied back in a large bun.
''Man, this place is a shit show! I hear they have real zombies in here!'' The man exclaimed in a harsh tone.
''Eww, that's so gross!'' The woman replied harshly, not caring if the staff overheard them. ''I bet this is the only job they can get cause they're that gross to look at!''
The pair cackled to each other until a voice spoke from behind them.
''Excuse me, mortals.''
The pair looked back to see the head of a blue-skinned woman with long white hair, held in the arm of a headless body, with light from her phone cascading her face so she could make herself seen to them.
''Have ye seen a blonde man with a hellhound woman around here?'' Lala asked in her usual chuunibyou tone, though it did little to help in this current situation.
''AAAAHHHH!''
The pair of racist humans screamed from the top of their lungs and ran as fast as they could from the young reaper, failing to answer her question in the process.
Lala pouted to herself as she placed her head back on her shoulders. ''I only wish tae know what fate has befallen me Love and Blare…''
Sometime later, Yuuto and Blare were waiting in the queue to get onto the Ferris wheel, their last ride for the day. After a few minutes of waiting, the pair were let into their carriage and the ride attendant shut the down for them. They took their seats facing opposite each other as the wheel slowly started to turn, lifting their carriage off the ground. As they got high, Blare stared out the window in amazement as the pair saw the sun starting to set over the horizon, casting its light across Tokyo Bay. Yuuto looked back at the hellhound and saw her eyes sparkle at the sight in front of her as her tail swayed from side to side happily. He couldn't help but smile at how adorable Blare was acting right now, it seemed she was a big kid at heart.
''So, did you enjoy your date?'' He asked the hellhound, already knowing the answer to his question.
Blare looked back at him with a sincere smile on her face, her cheeks turning red as their eyes locked with one another. ''Yeah, I had a blast today.'' She replied as she turned her body to face him, before she clutched her padded hands together and held them on her lap. ''I know you were kind of forced into going out with me today, but thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me.'' She continued, her smile soon taking on a sadder tone.
Yuuto raised his eyebrows at her, starting to worry about his hellhound squad mate. ''You alright, Blare?'' The blonde asked, his voice taking on a concerned tone.
Her ears pressed down against her head and her tail stopped wagging completely. She stood up and walked over to Yuuto before taking a seat right next to him. She hung her head low, contemplating what she should do next. The blonde looked on with concern at Blare's current behaviour, not sure what to do for her. He slowly raised his hand and moved it towards her shoulder, hopeful that the simple act would put her mind at ease.
''Blare, if there's something wrong, you can- ''
Before he could finish, the hellhound lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his chest tightly as his back hit the side of the carriage. He looked down at the girl again, noticing she was sobbing quietly into his chest. He sat there in silence, waiting for her to make the first move, not wanting to say anything that could upset her anymore than she was already.
Blare looked up at him with tear-stained eyes, trying her best to compose herself for what she had to say to him. ''It's now or never, Blare. He needs to know.'' She thought to herself before she took a deep breath, ready to tell him how she felt.
''I know you already have Lala, but I need to be honest with you. Ever since we first met, you've always been so good to me. You have no idea how hard it is to find someone who doesn't get put off by the fact that I'm not even human, but you treated me just like anyone else despite that. Since then, you've continued to be kind to me, even when you would scold me. You always put a smile on my face when I feel down, and you always help me when I need it, even if I don't ask. In the short time we've known each other, you've become a very important part of my life.'' While she was saying this, she slowly loosened her grip on him, and pushed herself up till they were face to face, her hands now gripping tightly on his shirt. ''I know I'm being really selfish here, but the truth is, I love you, and it hurts that I don't get to be with you! I just… I just wish that-!''
Blare was cut short as Yuuto placed his hands on her shoulders, and slowly pushed her back as he sat up straight. Her eyes widened in surprise as she noticed the serious look on his face, his eyes staring straight at hers as if looking into her very soul.
''Blare, trust me when I say I care about you, and I do like you, but…'' He paused and took a deep breath to recompose himself. ''I'm sorry, but I can't return those same feelings to you. You are important to me, but I have something with Lala that I could never replace. I love her, and that'll never change.''
Yuuto was starting to get emotional, and Blare could easily tell that he was serious about being with Lala. She recognised that the pair clearly had a deep bond that couldn't easily be broken, and it hurt her to realised that he truly couldn't feel the same for her. Yuuto averted his gaze from the hellhound's, hanging his head low as he struggled to keep himself from crying. Before he realised it, Blare had placed a padded hand on top of his head, and ruffled his head lightly. He looked up to see her with a sad smile on her face. She then wiped the tears from her cheeks before she spoke.
''That's all I needed to hear, Stud. I'm sorry I made you go through this, but I wanted to clear things between us, and thank you for being honest with me, it means so much.'' She said before removing her hand from his head.
Yuuto smiled back at her, and finally got his feelings back in check. ''So, what happens now?'' He asked, concerned that she might start crying again at any point.
''Well, it's obvious that you're not changing you mind, so I guess I'll have to move on.'' She replied as she sat herself back in the seat properly. ''We're still friends, right?'' She asked, but she knew she had nothing to worry about, it was Stud after all.
The blonde smirked to himself as he got himself seated properly again after the emotional ordeal. ''Do you even need to ask?'' He replied, placing a hand on top of her head and started stroking her ears gently. ''As far as I'm concerned, we'll always be friends.''
The hellhound's ears perked up again and her tail wagged gently from side to side, her flame lashes quietly igniting from her eyes. She then rested her head against his shoulder and started nuzzling her cheek against it, a smile of joy crossing her lips. ''Good to know, it would've made things at work awkward otherwise.'' She then looked up at him with a carefree look on her face. ''Has anyone ever told you that you give the best ear rubs?''
''Flattery will get you nowhere, Trouble.'' He replied with a cheesy grin. ''Just don't expect me to make a habit of it.''
''I don't know about that. I could get addicted to this.''
The pair laughed in unison, enjoying the now calm atmosphere between them. They stayed like this till the ride came to an end, and they both of off the carriage. As they started to make their way out of Okaland, Yuuto glimpse to his right, and saw his girlfriend sitting on a bench by herself, a look of melancholy on her face. As if sensing his presence, the dullahan looked straight at him as her features grew softer, her dour expression replaced with one of love and joy. She got off the bench and made her way to him as fast as she could without losing her head, while the human returned the smile and walked towards her. They met in the middle and embraced each other, Lala nestling her forehead in the crook of his neck. Blare looked on with a smile on her face, happy to see them now reunited.
''I have to know; how long have you been following us?'' Yuuto chided her playfully as he stroked her hair lovingly.
Lala looked up at him with her cheek beet red, embarrassed about being called out on her stalking. ''S-Since ye and Blare gathered by the train station. I wished tae make sure that ye stayed faithful tae me, but it seems me doubts were unwarranted.'' She replied nervously, refusing to meet his gaze, though her smile never left her face.
Yuuto quickly pecked her on the cheek while no one was looking, apart from Blare, which caused the dullahan to look back at him lovingly. ''You are just too damn cute sometimes. On a serious note though, quit the stalking, it's an arrestable offence, and I don't want you getting deported. Got that?''
Lala merely pressed her lips against his, enjoying the act before separating from him as quickly as it happened. ''A Spectre o' Death is friend tae the shadows. Ye have nothing tae fear in that regard.'' She replied with a wry smile on her face.
''Hey lovebirds. Last time I checked, it illegal for the two of you to suck face in public.'' Blare teased them from the side lines with a massive grin on her face.
The pair quickly separated from each other at her remark, not wanting to risk getting into trouble.
The hellhound giggled to herself at their reaction before walking up to them. ''Relax, there's no one else around right now, so quit your worrying.''
''Thanks for the heads up, Blare.'' Yuuto said while rubbing the back of his head nervously.
''No worries, Stud.'' She replied before turning her attention to the dullahan. ''Lala, you'll be happy to know that Yuuto has officially friend-zoned me, so you can stop worrying about me digging my claws into him.''
The reaper's eyes widened in surprise at the hellhound's declaration, but it was nonetheless welcomed news to her. ''I see. Then it seems that we can truly call ourselves allies now.'' She replied with a slight nod and a smile.
''That's one less problem for me then at least.'' Yuuto muttered to himself with a sigh of relief, happy that both Blare and Lala were now being more civil with each other. ''Now, if I can repeat this with everyone else on the squad, I'm golden.''
''Easier said than done.'' Blare interjected with a cheeky grin.
''If I can pull it off with you, then everyone else will be a cakewalk.''
''Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!'' She exclaimed in annoyance.
Lala walked up to Yuuto and wrapped her arms around his. ''In any case, this is but the first step in our journey towards our eternal union, me Love.'' She said before pecking him on the cheek again.
''If everything goes without a hitch at least. If worst comes to worst, eloping is always an option.'' He replied jokingly, hoping it would never get to that stage.
''Damn, you really are serious about this, Stud.'' Blare commented from behind the couple.
''Damn straight I am.''
With that, the trio made their way out of the park, ready to head back home.
Later on, in the evening at the Oni's Tavern, Blare and Doppel were at the bar as the hellhound tried to drown her worries with a fountain of Bloody Marys. Mimi, the usagimimi waitress that worked there, decided it was a good idea to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't go comatose on her, while her boss and owner of the bar, Hisao Kaminari, who was a blue oni with short black hair, thick beard, and two black horns protruding from his head, was busy serving the other patrons at the bar.
''So, how did your date go, Pup?'' Doppel asked with a wry smile on her face as she lifted a mango cocktail with her hair to her lips.
''It went great. Stud was a really gentleman.'' Blare replied with a sad smile before taking a sip of her third glass of Bloody Mary for the evening.
''I'm sensing a big ass but here.'' The doppelganger added, circling her finger around the rim of her glass.
''Yeah, he ended up rejecting me in the end, but at least we're still friends.''
''Aww, I'm sorry to hear, Blare.'' Mimi interjected, trying her best to comfort the hellhound. ''I'm sure there's plenty of other guys out there that would love to be with someone like you.''
''Yeah, but I bet most of them are probably nothing like Stud.'' Blare replied in a dejected tone, taking a larger gulp of her drink this time.
''Well, shit happens. You just got to move on.'' Doppel said as she used several strands of hair to pat the hellhound on the back comfortingly.
Hisao was listening in intently at their conversation, and decided to step in to help the heartbroken hellhound. ''In my years working as a bartender, I've seen many people in your position, Miss. One thing I can say it that there's someone for everyone, and they might just be around the corner, so my advice is to perk up, stay strong, and look towards the future with an open heart. That's how I met my wife at least.'' The blue oni spoke with such confidence, it brought Blare a ray of hope just listening to his words.
''Aww, that's so sweet, Boss.'' Mimi said in a joyful tone.
''Thanks Blue,'' Blare replied, calling him by the name most of the regulars gave him. ''but I'll believe it when I see it.'' She continued, finishing off the rest of her drink.
As if on cue, a man with short jet-black hair and blue eyes, wearing a green button up shirt, blue jeans, and brown leather shoes, walked into the building and made his way towards the bar, stopping not too far from where Blare was. ''Hey Blue, hey Mimi. Just the usual please.'' The man spoke up in a happy mood.
''Hey Hase, one Jack Daniels and coke coming right up.'' Mimi replied cheerily before she started preparing the drink.
''Thank you kindly.'' He responded before turning his attention to Blare. ''Miss. Is this seat taken?''
Blare shook herself back into reality at his prodding, looking up at him with a polite smile. ''It's all yours, enjoy it.''
''Now this is my lucky day.'' He replied jokingly before taking his seat.
''Don't get too cocky, Hase.'' Doppel interjected, eying up human with a mischievous grin. ''She already got rejected once today, and this one bites.''
''Sorry to hear, Miss. Didn't me to intrude if ya preferred some time alone.'' Hase said to the hellhound apologetically.
''Nah, it's fine. I'll be okay.'' Blare replied, now turning to face him as she extended a hand in greeting. ''I'm Blare by the way, it's nice to meet you.
The human smiled back at her, and grasped her had with is own. ''Itaru Hase, and the pleasure is all mine.''
A/N: Well, here it is, the first chapter of 2018! I know it's been a month since I last posted, but with Christmas and New Year coming up, I wanted to take a short break so I didn't get burnt out on the story. Hopefully you enjoyed the latest chapter, and next up on the list is our resident shinobi, Kasumi. As always, follow and favourite if you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a review or any suggestions if you feel it's needed. Finally, thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for the next installment of MON - Squad Bravo!