"Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it's hard to go back to sleep."


A quick trip to the desk— literally a trip: my legs were quite shaky— brought me face to face with a mirror. And perhaps more importantly, face to face with a face that definitely wasn't mine.

Because I don't remember dyeing my hair blue, growing it out all wild, putting in contacts, buying a cross-shaped hairpin, and... I dunno', becoming an anime character?

Scratch whatever I said earlier, this is a fanboy's wet dream.

Pulling one of my bangs in front of my eyes confirmed that yes, it was the color of every ten year-old boy's bedspread. Neat.

Looking down at my exposed skin, I ran an open palm over it. Smooth. The kind of smooth where you don't feel the bump of pores, or the fine baby-dusting of hair a teenager should naturally possess, regardless of gender.

For some reason, it clicked almost instantly. I have none because I was drawn with none.

...Well that's just disturbing. If anything, you'd figure Shaft would be the studio to do something like that… I blame Monogatari.

I took the next few minutes to tug at my skin and make faces in the glass. Each one was decidedly more… animated than what I was used to. In more ways than one.

Okay, so I'm Raku Ichijou. What else is new?

Most people would either scream or faint upon that realization, but I knew better. That's not to say I wasn't freaking out of course— trust me, I was freaking out— but acting irrationally wouldn't help. After all, this is a dream come true for most people. Heck, it probably is a dream. So I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.

Of course, dream sequences aren't quite as vivid, and the pain shooting through every fiber of my being tells me otherwise, but I'm just gonna' call this a dream for now. For my sanity's sake.

'Alright… alright. I need to get my thoughts in order,' I breathed, 'Hyperventilating isn't going to help me.' I lay down against the thin mattress, easing my head into the padding. If standing up was the cause of my nausea, it'd be better to rest easy for the moment. 'I'm Raku Ichijou,' I took deep breaths, 'Despite how impossible that is, I need to accept that. I'm a teenage high school boy with a yakuza family, a dramatic past, and a memory problem.'

The lack of any kind of metallic chill across my torso told me that Raku did not, in fact, sleep with his necklace. That was kind of reassuring. The pendant's base had some sharp-looking pointy things that I would not want to roll over in my sleep. But then where was the pendant? If I'm Raku, I'm supposed to wear it every day, right? For that matter, how am I supposed to do all the things Raku does? He cooks for an entire Yakuza clan! Pile all the school work onto family responsibilities and his crazy love life and…

'Wow. I haven't been in his shoes for ten minutes, and I'm already stressed out. Poor guy.'

So my biggest questions right now.

1) Where are we in the timeline?

2) Should I act like I'm Raku Ichijou?

3) Why am I here?

That third one is the lowest on the agenda. If things play out as they do in canon, I don't think I'll get my answer for a long while.

Speaking of canon, that brings us to number two: should I adhere to canon? I know enough about the Nisekoi story to try— granted, it's not a line-for-line familiarity. I read the manga… hell, it was my favorite for a while, but it ended a long time ago.

Can you believe the anime aired in 2013? Wild.

But I should focus on the most immediate question: where are we in the timeline? Given the state of my body and the soreness of my muscles, I could be recovering from one of Chitoge's famous beatdowns. Or Tsugumi's. Or maybe I just had some of Kosaki's cooking…

A glance to the left brought a phone into my vision. Reaching out, I unlocked it and—

Huh. 0829. How did I know that? That's not my passcode.

Choosing to file that away for later, the open phone— wow, default home screen? lame.— told me that it was April 10th, 2012, 6 AM. Which means this should be around the time Chitoge transfers into their school. With the way these plots typically play out, today's probably the day she transfers in.

Well, sweet. There's my answer. Now back to Numero Dos.

Should I follow the manga? Or the anime, I guess. Aside from a few chapters missing in Season 1, and a lot of chapters missing in Season 2, the two were pretty much the same… That's besides the point though.

"Young Master!" a gruff voice called, "It's morning! If you don't hurry up, you're gonna' be late!"

"Huh?" I slurred back tiredly, "Oh… Okay, I'm getting up now…"

"It's horse mackerel day!" Ryuu's voice rang through the door, "We're countin' on ya', Boss!"

Right. Raku makes breakfast for the clan.

Well that's just another problem… I've never even had horse mackerel before, how am I supposed to—

!

My body pushed itself up and onto its feet almost robotically. Putting one foot in front of the other, it made its way to the nearest washroom.

...Being in someone else's body is one thing, but having it move against your will is another. I struggled to take back control from… whatever was possessing me, but all I managed to do was give myself a bigger headache. I noticed something odd though, as I moved the toothbrush through my mouth... These controlled movements of my arms and legs didn't ache like they did when I got up earlier... is it because this is Raku's morning routine? What he usually does? Is my existence and minor divergences from the timeline causing that splitting pain? Is that even possible? Then again, it's not like this had happened to anyone before…

Whoever was pulling the strings either didn't hear my inner monologue or didn't care, as my legs carried me back through the hall, to my room.

'I have so many questions…' I grumbled, 'Aren't I supposed to have a guide or something? Someone who answers those questions, tells me where I am, why I'm there, and what I should do? If you're gonna' drop someone in the middle of someone else's life, at least have the decency to give 'em that much! Sheesh!'

Cursing out whatever divine power shoved my consciousness into a harem protagonist, I continued preparing for the day. My arms pulled a dress shirt around my torso, leaving the top few buttons undone. On came the pants, socks, shoes… I guess he wears shoes in his house. Raku Ichijou was ready for the day… but there was one thing missing.

Confident strides took me to the boy's desk, unwavering arms opening its topmost drawer. Gentle hands took a glimmering locket and draped it over his neck, taking care as the pendant slid down into his shirt.

Ah… so this was Raku Ichijou. Brusque and firm… yet caring and kind. And that's the vibe I get from like, five seconds worth of body movement. Onodera, I totally get it.

Suddenly, like a puppet with its strings cut, control of my body returned to me. Unfortunately, my mind was preoccupied, and my body crumpled to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

"Note to self…" I muttered, facedown on the floor, "Raku Ichijou's Body is a jerk."


Pushing myself up, I noticed that the pain had indeed gone away. Strange, but I wasn't going to complain. My head felt much clearer now.

"Okay… breakfast. Time to cook breakfast, time to cook breakfast," I chanted like a mantra, "...but where's the kitchen?"

My legs seemed to know the answer to that question, as they took me down the hall, step by step. I shuffled through, admittedly less robotically now, waving to the passing yakuza. At least I had control of my upper body this time.

I was in the kitchen, cooking up a storm in under ten minutes. And no, I was not wearing that silly chef's outfit, no matter what my body told me to do.

'Okay, so... auto-pilot,' I mused, 'A little invasive, but I guess it has its perks.' My calloused hands worked a knife like a pro, slicing open the fish cleanly, and throwing it onto the pan. I must've finished at least twenty by now. 'This morning's been a mess… I'm still reeling, to be honest. So many things I still have to figure out…'

Thinking back to earlier, Ryuunosuke and the others were speaking Japanese… though I had no trouble interpreting it. Good to know the language center in Raku's brain wasn't damaged by… whatever you'd call my situation. It was weird though, I understood them perfectly and I spoke perfectly… yet some part of my brain vaguely recognized it as foreign. I really hope that disappears with time. Conversations are gonna' be pretty annoying with that thought tickling my head.

I wonder if I can still speak English though. Raku's skill with the language was never the best, and if I inherited his natural Japanese then…

"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

Well hey, I guess I can speak English. Takes a conscious effort though.

Pfft. What a cop-out.

I had to catch myself as my body slumped again, strings cut, control returned to me. I managed to remain standing this time, and avoid cutting my hand on the knife I was still holding.

Alright, either whoever's moving my body doesn't like being criticized, or they just have some really uncanny timing.

As per last time, auto-pilot ending meant whatever task I was doing had been completed. Finished cooking breakfast, so… I poked my head out of the curtain and put on my best "rugged" voice, "Hey! Grub's ready, ya' bastards!"

Don't look at me, I didn't write the line. Blame Komi.

"Mornin' Young Master!"

A chorus of voices echoed as I brought out the meal. This was the Shuei Faction of Yakuza, operating in Bonyari City… but you already knew that. If I'm remembering right, we're currently in a little turf war with the BeeHive Gang, from America… though I guess I shouldn't know that at this point.

"Your cookin's the best, Young Master! With you headin' the clan, the Shuei-gumi's got nothin' to fear!"

With a sigh, I looked up from my bowl of rice, "I'm not your future leader!" I shouted back (with considerably less enthusiasm than my canon-counterpart), "It's not in my plans to lead the yakuza. I'm gonna' be a civil servant. Straight and narrow."

That reply only served to rile up the crowd. Guess there was no losing here. These guys hung off my every word.

"Makin' a ruckus an' the sun's barely up…" a gruff voice cut through the cheers, "Youth these days."

"Good morning, Boss!" the men bowed to their clan head, as I moved to put away some finished plates.

"Mornin' old man," I called over my shoulder, "Anything I can do for you?"

The man blinked, bemused. Guess this wasn't typical Raku behavior.

"...That's right. I do have somethin' I need ta talk to ya 'bout… later."

I just smiled awkwardly. Looks like I was right. This was the day Chitoge transferred in.

"Ah, crap," I glanced down at my watch, "I might be late..."

"What!? Outta' the question!" Ryuu leapt to his feet and hollered, "Boys, get a limo ready! One of them super stretch ones!"

I sent the man a worried grin. "Thanks Ryuu," I sputtered, "I'll just, uh… grab my jacket from my room and meet you out in front?"

The man blinked in confusion and opened his mouth to say something… He must've decided against it, as he grinned right back.

I heard them talking when they thought I was out of earshot.

"Hey… don'tcha think Bocchan's kinda'... off, today?" said someone.

"Ehh, Raku's a growin' boy," I heard "my" father say, "Ya' never know what's clunkin' around his head at that age."

I laughed to myself, sheepishly. Acting was never my strong suit.

Finding my room in this labyrinth of a home, I took my jacket and threw it on over my shoulder. It was spring, so I'd probably need it. Picking up my schoolbag, I skimmed the room to make sure everything was in order… Huh. I left the drawer open when I put on the locket.

Moving to close it, my hand brushed the worn cover of a notebook. For school maybe? I'll take it, just in case…

Checking again to see if I'd forgotten anything— I hadn't this time— I stepped out of the room and slid the paper door shut behind me.

Alright… I said I'd meet Ryu in the front.

Soooo where's the front?

Apparently, whoever was in charge of my body's robotic tendencies was listening. My legs took me to the front entrance of the Yakuza household and I sighed with relief.

'Thanks, whoever you are. You're a life-saver.'

My right hand rose and gave me a thumbs-up. Looks like they are always listening.


I rode in the back of the limo silently, trying to ignore the hot wash of embarrassment from all the stares. I'm not really the kind of person who cracks under pressure, but this many eyes would make anyone self-conscious. Especially when they're the eyes of your peers…

Oh yeah. I was heading into high school again.

As a first year.

Again.

Lovely.

Well, there's something new to worry about. Classmates. I know Kosaki, Ruri, Shuu, soon Chitoge, and eventually Tsugumi and Marika, but… aside from them, no one really stands out. There are recurring background characters, sure, but they barely get screentime, let alone dialogue, or even names

I lay my head back against the posh seats of the car, 'I don't suppose this is something you could help with, is it?' I wondered.

Sure enough, they were listening. My hand began to move, unzipping part of my bag and pulling out the notebook I'd taken from my desk. Frowning, I let my fingers open to a seemingly random page and drop it into my lap.

Taking in the rather neat script, I recognized it. This was one of those "friend notebooks" Raku would write about his classmates in hopes of making friends… He told Chitoge he used to do them. Guess he was just too embarrassed to admit he still did.

But yeah, this was good… I could read up on students and maybe strike up a conversation? If they weren't too afraid of me, that is.

"Some extra studyin', Bocchan?" Ryuu whooped, "So diligent, young master!"

"Oh! Uh…" I folded in on myself a bit, "Yeah... you could say that."

...I'll be careful not to pull this out in public. I guess it is kind of embarrassing.


"Young Master!" the men bellowed, "A spirited day of education!"

"Y-Yeah!..." I cheered, half-heartedly, "Thanks everyone. See you after."

They nodded and bowed slightly, piling into the limousine and driving away. Satisfied, I crossed the courtyard into the grass, taking the long way around. Hopefully this'd get some eyes off me… I bet that's a Raku thing. I never would've thought of something like this. Wonder if that's why he takes this path all the time...?

I'm taking to this pretty quickly, aren't I? Being someone else, I mean. Well, not so much the acting like someone else— I don't have that down quite yet. But this life, someone else's life… I'm just walking around in their skin. I'm not them. What right do I have to live it for them?

I sighed, heavily. That was the core of it. As fun as it would be to experience this… crazy, fantastical teenage romance, it isn't mine.

It isn't mine…

I stopped walking and sighed again, hands jammed in my pockets, 'People seem to notice I'm different… but nobody's done anything different. Nothing's changed. As far as I can tell, this is exactly how things play out for Raku today…'

I looked up at the passing clouds with a huff, 'But… people noticing I'm different could be a change itself, right?'

'Gagh, this is so confusing!' I ruffled my own hair in frustration, 'Do I follow the timeline or not?!' I threw my hands to the sky, 'Hey, whoever's been helping me out! You think you could give me a sign or something? I'd really appreciate it!'

"H-Hey, look out!"

My head snapped over to where the voice had come fro—

Oh.

My head snapped back violently in the other direction, as stocking-clad legs kneed me in the face.

I felt the distinct crack of my nose being busted, our bodies tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Just before we hit the ground, instincts took over— err, her instincts, that is. Surprisingly strong arms twirled me around, and I landed face down in the dirt, the girl straddling my waist in a safe landing.

With strength like that and the acrobatics to top it off, I think I get the nickname now. Monkey-Girl, huh? Or was is Gorilla? "Girl-illa"? Something like that.

I let out a grunt as she pushed herself off me… pretty roughly. The girl smoothed out her skirt, looking around for her lost toast before giving up, shrugging, and looking down at her landing pad.

"Sorry about that! I'm in a hurry!"

I looked up as she disappeared into the distance. "I'm really sorry!" she called… though I'm not too sure she was. Raku yells at her for this later, right? That sounds pretty cathartic right about now…

I rolled over and sat up, wiping the dust off my uniform. 'Was that supposed to be my sign?' I wondered, 'She did come from the sky, I guess…' I pat down my shirt—

Whoa, that's wild. The locket really is gone. I wasn't even twirling it on my finger like the anime.

A quick search of the area settled it: my pendant had vanished. Poof. Into thin air. Gone. Chitoge's breakfast was gone too… though she may have dropped it on the other side of the wall...

Ah.

There was my sign. My necklace had been safe, sound, and secure around my neck, and under my shirt. Sure, Raku leaves the top two buttons off, but there's no way I could have lost it like that. No matter how much Chitoge tossed me around like a ragdoll, the odds of it leaving my shirt at all wasn't unlikely— it wasn't improbable— it was damn near impossible.

Although, this is a universe where Tsugumi exists… a woman who can shatter a concrete pillar with a single kick. I shouldn't expect this world to play by the rules I'm used to...

My face drooped, and my expression darkened slightly. I took on a hopeless grin.

That confirms it. No matter what I do, I can't change Raku's story…

So why am I even here?


...

The next two weeks went by in a blur.

Chitoge was introduced to our class… and we both screamed at each other a bit. I got decked in the face again, and after class I guilted her into helping me search for my pendant. The days flew by, uneventful. I never stepped out of line once. After all, what was the point? Even if I did try something, it wouldn't matter in the end… Fate would take its course, and Raku would end up dating Chitoge.

I trudged through this colorless life with heavy feet. I acted my part. I yelled when I had to, I fought bitterly with the girl like Raku would, but... there was no purpose. It was empty. The heavens are mocking me. Why put me in Raku's body if I can't change anything? I might as well be a spectator for all the damn difference it makes. Whoever stuck me in this world must have a twisted sense of humor…

Ugh.

I hate telling this part. It makes me sound jaded.

Trust me, everything was about to change…


"Y-Your dad's… the boss of the mafia!?"

"What about you!? You're the Yakuza Boss' kid!"

Shaky fingers were pointed awkwardly at each other, as Adelt Kirisaki-Wagner and Issei Ichijou made their plans known. I'd gotten much better at playing my part— that is, aforementioned Yakuza Boss' kid— though dealing with someone like Chitoge made it easy. She was lively, that one… and a real hassle. I've never been punched, beaten, or thrown around this much in my entire life.

"This is the boss of the BeeHive gangster outfit, Adelt Kirisaki-Wagner. I see you've already met his daughter, Chitoge Kirisaki?"

I nodded robotically. Chitoge though, she just stood there gaping.

"I've heard so much about you, Raku-kun," Adelt moved to shake my hand, "Take good care of my daughter, won't you?"

"Excuse me!?"

Adelt and Issei turned to look at the blond heiress, whose teeth were still bared from her outburst. "Yes, darling?" her father inquired.

"No, no, no, no, no! No way! Anyone else'd be fine, but not him!"

That made me stop and blink. I didn't remember this.

"This stupid beansprout's been working me to the bone all week! Taking all my free time, keeping me from making friends, and now he's infringing on my love life!? No! No thank you!"

I gulped. Yeah, this definitely wasn't in the show.

"Ch-Chitoge, please…" Adelt held his hands out placatingly, "Bear with it for now. It's only for three years, and it'd save countless li—"

"You don't get it, papa!" she pushed his hands away, "This guy's a jerk! Scum! All that help I did out of the goodness of my heart, and I don't even get a thank you! Two simple words, is that too much to ask for?!"

She crossed her arms with a huff. "I don't care what you say, I won't give this asshole another minute of my time! Guys like him… living day to day with no purpose, people with no drive or dedication… It makes me sick!"

Every word she spoke drove through my heart like a blade. This… this was not supposed to happen. Did I mess up somewhere? But I thought things couldn't change…

Was I wrong then?

My gut suddenly filled with a huge sinking feeling. Oh no… I screwed up. I screwed up bad. Chitoge hates me! Not the usual kind either, but she despises me. How the hell was I supposed to turn this around?

!

A huge explosion rocked the earth beneath us, and the wall came tumbling down. Men in suits and bowler hats stormed the premises, filling the room in an instant. Leading the charge was Claude, the glasses-wearing second-in-command of the BeeHive group. His gun was at the ready. "We came as quickly as we could my Mistress!" he roared, "It seems those Shuei-gumi swine really did kidnap you!"

"Ah, Claude. It appears there's been a bit of a misunderstanding…" Adelt began, rubbing his hands together, "Chitoge here was just taking me to meet her new boyfriend's family! Isn't that right, dear?"

The girl scoffed, and turned her head.

"As if I'd date someone like him…" she spat, pointing at me, "He's trying to get me to go out with him after treating me like dirt the past two weeks!"

Huh?

"Huh?"

"HAAH!?"

The room darkened as Chitoge ranted more and more. Adelt's smile faltered, and Claude's glare turned absolutely murderous.

"Treat my mistress like dirt, did you?"

I let out a squeak as the man strode across the room, magnum in tow.

"ROT IN HELL, YOU DAMN BRAT!"

(*BLAM*)

Pain.

So much pain. It was all I could feel. My body slumped and hit the floor but it barely registered. It was cold. So cold. I could hear screaming and gunfire but none of it mattered. I was… I was…

Dead.


Did…

Did I just die?

Did Claude just kill me? Are you serious?

"Shot'cha right through the head," a whimsical voice rang out, "You bit the dust faster than I thought'cha would, kid! Ufufufu~"

My eye twitched. I really just died, and now the angels are laughing at me?

"Oh please, I may be a deity, but I'm no angel!" the voice called, "Look over here! Ufu~"

And I did just that. Laughing at me with a hand over her mouth was a young girl in an orange kimono. She had violet hair, orange eyeshadow, magatama hanging from her neck and a fan sticking out of her obi… but most startling were the fox ears and two tails she seemed to have.

This was Otama. A fox deity from the Nisekoi game. Long story short, Raku brings her inari sushi as an offering, she appears before him declaring that she has to grant wishes to become a true fox deity… And like a true fox goddess— a trickster, that is— she grants the various wishes of the Nisekoi heroines… in the most inconvenient way possible. Kosaki wants to be alone with Raku so her confession will go uninterrupted, and Otama removes the entirety of Earth's population. Chitoge wants to be more feminine so Otama takes her "feminine" side and gives her its own body. Tsugumi wants to be closer to Chitoge, and Otama switches her body with Raku's. Speaking of which…

O-Otama! So you're the one who put me in Raku's body!

"Ding ding ding! We got a winner!" the girl giggled, "And your prize isanother chance at life! Ta-daaa~!"

"It's better with a drumroll," she admitted, scratching the back of her head, "And confetti. And streamers!"

I rubbed my proverbial temples. Proverbial because I had none. I had no body. We were floating in a black void. In contrast, the bright colors of Otama's clothing were an assault on the senses.

"Hey! Take that back!"

Apparently she can hear my thoughts. Perfect.

"Yeah, I can hear your thoughts! You have nothin' to keep 'em bottled up," she pointed out, "You died, remember?"

Oh right. How could I forget?

"The girl, the blonde one…" the goddess hummed, "She didn't like your, uhboring personality. Try to liven it up a little, 'kay?"

W-What? You're not making any sense.

The girl flicked her tails in annoyance, "I'm saying, when I bring you back to life, quit being such a stick in the mud! Your actions make a difference, so stop whining about fate and start being interesting!"

Okay, you're gonna' need to slow down. I'm kind of freaking out here.

"Ugh, do I have to spell it out for you?" the girl muttered, floating closer, "Looks like it. Mmkay."

"You," she pointed at my chest (or lack thereof), "...are not Raku Ichijou. But you are in his body. I put you there because you're not him. I want to see change." She sighed, laying back in zero gravity. "Buuut, I guess you didn't get the memo. You wasted your chance, trying to be Raku Ichijou, and to top it off, you went and died! So disappointing…"

I gawked in indignation. I'm not some toy, you know! I'm a human being! One with feelings!

"Well, whatever. I'm bringing you back to life, but I don't want any of this 'woe is me' crap! I'm telling you right now, your actions make a difference. Your fate isn't predetermined, it can change. It has changed! So quit draggin' your feet and show me something worth resurrecting you for!"

I blinked. So… you want me to change his path?

"Yes! Please! That's why I granted your wish in the first place! Sheesh!"

My wish? What?

"Of course, you don't remember. I swear to Me, humans are so confusing."

You know, you're a lot nicer in the game...

Okay… okay, I'm starting to get it.

Otama brought me to this world because I wished for it. I don't remember doing anything like that, but I'll take her word for it. She wants me to live Raku's life differently… but I didn't know that, and tried to play it safe. Now that I died, she's going to bring me back to life, and I should try to make changes this time. Is that right?

"That's the long and short of it!" she smiled, "Anything else you wanna' ask?"

Hmm… are you the one who takes over my body from time to time?

"In a way. I take control from you, and I give it back to you when the task is complete. Why?"

Is it really necessary to let me fall on my face like that?

"Nah, it's just funnier that way! Ufufufu~"

Ah.

...Is there any reason I don't remember making this wish? A wish that put me in the body of Raku Ichijou?

The girl shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "It was part of your wish to wipe part of your memoriesand you told me not to tell you any more than that."

Great. Past-me is a jerk.

I tapped my nonexistent chin in thought. Was there anything else I wanted to know?

...Why was I in so much pain when I first got here?

The goddess had the decency to look sheepish. "Well, I told you to take it easy when you woke up... That ended up being forgotten when I wiped your memory though, sooops. Your body and mind were both exhausted from the integration of your conscious and memories. The pain went away after I took control away from you, didn't it?"

Yeah, it did. Okay, that makes sense.

As we spoke, a light began to glow above us, growing brighter and brighter. I guess that was the waking world.

"Our time's running out," the girl crossed her arms behind the back of her head, smiling, "I hope this helped you. If you need to contact me, just visit the shrine in the woods with some inarizushi! Or you could die again. Whichever comes first."

I mentally shivered, recalling the sensation. Yeah... make some sushi for a 5K hike, or get shot in the face? I think the choice is pretty clear.

"Is it really okay to make changes?" I called down to her, as I floated toward the new day, "I don't know about this…"

"You have a god's blessing!" she called back, "Make whatever changes you want, the grander the better!"

"This is your story now!"

I could only smile, as the light took me.


My eyes snapped open and I sat up with a shout.

A hand shot to my forehead… poor choice of words. Good news was, there wasn't a bullet hole anymore. Nice.

Looking around, I noticed I was in my room again. Alright… if we're following the timeline, Chitoge's gonna' come by for a date today, I think. It should be Saturday...

A quick check of my phone told me it was not Saturday. In fact...

"A-April 9th?" I mumbled, "That's the day before Chitoge transferred in…"

Was this some kind of mistake? Or was Otama trying to give me more time to… "make changes"? I shook my head. Whatever it was, I wouldn't let this chance go to waste.

This is my life now. My story.


"Oh-hoh~! Hey Raku!" Shuu waved, "You're early today! Wanna' do a brother a solid and buy me a soda?"

Shuu Maiko… Raku's best friend. My best friend. I didn't really pay attention to anyone during my first two weeks… this is my first real interaction with the guy isn't it? He seems nice, and I know from the manga that despite his reputation, he's a good kid.

"Using your friend like an errand boy?" drawled a monotone, "I'm sure he appreciates it."

Ruri Miyamoto… The glasses-wearing straight-man in this comedy sketch of a life. She and Maiko make up the "Glasses Buddies" as he calls it: seemingly the only two who can see clearly, despite the epithet. Shuu may be fine letting things play out, but Ruri sees our struggles as simple problems with simple solutions. Our dancing around each other's feelings frustrates her… only because she wants us to be happy though.

But no… neither of them were why I was here.

Confident smile, confident strides, I walked right up to her.

"I-Ichijou-kun? Is something wrong?"

Kosaki Onodera… I never got the chance to really look at her last time. A lock of chestnut hair flowed over one ear, a lock tucked away behind the other. A waterfall of chocolate framed a heart-shaped face, glimmering amber eyes, long, lovely eyelashes, and a light blush doting about her cheeks. She was… beautiful.

I smiled.

"Onodera… are you free after school?" I asked, "There's something I have to tell you."

And the classroom erupted in noise.