(Inside the Cathedral of Causality)

Aah… It has been some time since we revised the progress of our two competitors. I cannot deny it has been interesting to watch them struggle to keep up with this world. What do you think Muru Muru?

Indeed, Deus! They're just weak and lame humans after all. So, what do you think of their progress?

It is interesting. Even though he has stated otherwise, Hachiman Hikigaya has quickly caught onto the intricacies of socializing with those he is meant to be amicable with. Kiyotaka Ayanokouji would have struggled more had he not more closely shared similar behaviors with the Kiyotaka Ayanokouji of this world. Hachiman Hikigaya does not share in that fortune, the similarities between he and this world's version of himself is much more vast.

And it totally blew up in his face last night!

That is correct, Muru Muru. However, Takumi Usui is a very sharp individual. It should come of no surprise that someone of his caliber would be able to deduce the differences between both Hachiman Hikigayas. He may very well have been a candidate had his Prime self's ambitions been much broader than they are. Hachiman Hikigaya was wise to recruit his assistance.

Well, that guy sure does have the looks! I wonder why you didn't choose him as a competitor? Meh, can't be helped. Hehehe! Kiyotaka is actually having it rough, heh… that gambling addict is interesting and all but she's proving to be more of a hindrance to him than help.

I expected as much. Both Hachiman Hikigaya and Kiyotaka Ayanokouji seem to have their respective troubles with the females in their lives. But I have faith that both will act accordingly to the circumstances since discovering who my creation will only be possible if they manage to get to know them beyond their superficial covers. As of now, Hachiman Hikigaya has encountered a higher number of new females, however, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji has acquainted himself with a larger number of his pre-existing acquaintances. They appear to be balanced as of now.

This game is soooo boring, Deus! Can't you just have them kill one another, like how you first planned? Although, watching them struggling is somewhat amusing. I wonder who will die first?

It is an interesting question, Muru Muru. While I did not purposefully lay obstacles that may warrant potential death, this world's chaotic nature may otherwise prove itself dangerous. As an example, the young Devilukean princess herself will expose Hachiman Hikigaya to much peril in the near future and she will not be the only one to do so. Although, there is still my former candidate to consider. She is very much like a wild card.

Just as that girl from the Lion King Organization is to Kiyotaka, hehe! It's a wonder how he managed to stay alive after that battle. And he still has to deal with his own school. How cute! I wonder what will happen today? Hachiman caught that goddess spying on him!

I know what may happen, and I look forward to them changing that future once more. Shall we, Muru Muru?

Of course, Deus! Let's have fun watching them!

Itherael: Alright! Let's get to the review response!

vietnamese guy: That world you say, huh? You're pretty close, but at the same time, so far away. When the time comes, the truth will be revealed.

Sweet Lulu-chan: Yeah, Usui is and interesting character, along with the others. Hachikumi? That's actually funny, and Ebina would ship it more than anybody.

Lady Dalila: Another Usui fan, I see haha. Well, you'll have plenty more to see.

jam99chgo: I already discussed our different points of view, so there's that. Thanks either way. (NirvFrk97: Begone troll.)

Abyss Trinity: Wish Maid-sama continued too, but what can we do? Well, knowing Hachiman, he will try to not change. His thinking may be selfish, even naive, but when you lose everything and you only have yourself, you'll do anything to save the last thing you had that made you… you, right? Whether he changes or not eventually, it will be something he will accept as part of him.

R-king 93: He will most likely do. I have no doubt of that. Canon Hayama Hayato said it, that Hachiman had the ability to make people change and improve. Such words can't be denied.

CacciaFulmini: Thanks. It's actually hard to keep up, but given the time and thought we both give into every scene, we strive to make it the best when can manage. Look forward to more.

WhiteHero: Great that you like it so far, and thanks for sticking with us. Usui will be a great helping hand, which he needs to advance. And yeah, Usui is a troll. And the maids of Maid Latte, they will have their time to shine eventually.

Captaindrake123: Well, we didn't really explored much of her character until this point, so it was to be expected eh? Don't be anxious, here it is!

EvilMagicman: A One-Man-Service-Club? That's one interesting way to put it. Usui is a sharp fellow, allowing him to notice every change in Hikigaya. Since he probably noticed many differences, little and big, he reached that conclusion.

Now you'll be able to see who Belldandy truly is. Kotegawa may be right about disapproving perverted behaviour, but she exaggerates, so she had that coming.

(NirvFrk97): The thing about Yuigahama is a complex situation. Compared to everyone else, both the Yuigahama and Yukinoshita of this new world will affect him the most. He knows she isn't fake, but he refuses to see her as that fake of a person, I hope you know where I'm getting at. You can see it when Usui tries calling 8-man 'Hikki,' it pissed him off immensely.

Katsugi: You should give it a try, reading Maid-sama that is. Despite being a shoujo, it's funny and interesting. I suggest watching the anime at least. (NirvFrk97): It was my first manga, actually.

Time Masters: Usui and Harima are opposites, which is the reason they get along and don't get along at the same time. Look forward to more interactions between them and 8-man.

Killusion: Glad you like seeing Sayaka, and haha, I see your point. Well, Usui's past will be important at some point, so I hope you can enjoy that part anyway. Usui does know a lot and he will be a great source of info to Hachiman.

TheLaughingStalk Lenny-kun: Well, I wouldn't be entirely happy with tiny chapters, and I enjoy having a lot to read, so it's cool you feel the same.

shiroryuu012: Haha, this chapter will answer a lot of your inquiries.

BentShuriken: You felt Hachiman was like that, huh? Maybe that is what everyone thought of him during the previous chapter. It's funny because that actually was not what he intended to seem like, people are just misunderstanding him. Waifus? There are a lot, yeah. Well, I have the story planned, so any character will appear when it's necessary. Also, School Days could work, but Boku no Pico? Haven't seen that one, but I heard of it, and I'm positive that I won't use it. *NirvFrk97 shudders*

tsun: Sekirei, huh? So you got that Strike the Blood reference, haha. There's simply so much stuff that will have to happen, but let's be patient, shall we?

Supreme King of all Kings: (NirvFrk97): Can you blame the guy for constantly comparing the people of his world to these newer versions of themselves? You can't expect him to take everything new and different in stride, four of the most important people in his life have a negative relationship with him. Besides his comparisons haven't really messed with anyone other than Yuigahama. Everyone else only gets similarities brought up, nothing wrong with that, right?

Mokkel: Usui is Usui after all. I hope you continue to enjoy this story and any other you read.

adv: Fate, huh? It's tempting but I'll rather keep this story away from the Sacred Grail. A certain green-clad Hero will deal with some of it though in another story… oops spoiler alert.

Roanem: Usui is really fun to write (My co-writer does 90% of his dialogues *NirvFrk97 waves*), and it really is a refreshing change to see the 8-man being the target of observation eh? Usui is really sharp.

(NirvFrk97): I would say almost, if not equally, as sharp as Hikigaya.

And while he did say a lot of things that helped others, I wouldn't say it was him being caring enough to do it. He doesn't really care about these people yet. Everything he did was calculated, in both Yuuki and Harima's case, he did it to ensure that they make progress on the girls they pine for. If they make progress, the larger chance Hikigaya has to hear about them when the two ultimately begin to gloat and bring them along to the meet ups. Think of these moments like Hikigaya casting his net, all he's doing is baiting the additional females he'll need to keep an eye on.

Alciel: Well, Hanai won't be happy to know that Yakumo will possibly befriend a certain loner, especially since his bad reputation is equal to that of Harima's, so yeah. I also look forward to Yakumo and Hikigaya interacting! The others maids will appear eventually, so look forward to that. Usui knowing those two may happen sooner than you can imagine.

ChaoticCrimson: That's actually a very interesting idea, and I'll seriously consider it. Who knows, maybe she will appear… or maybe not. We'll see how it goes.

The Reader of Souls: Well, I understand why you'll root for Yakumo. She's actually one of my favorite female characters, so look forward to seeing more of her.

Yumiko and Miko-chin? Haha, the second was expected, yet the third… interesting.

Captain Mango: I think just the same as you captain, we need to break the cliche and overused things such as the protag having one unpopular friend with no back story only used for comedic relief. At least, I bring a refreshing experience, don't you think?

A Geeky Nerd: Indeed, this will be a tale to never forget! And yeah, I have plans for Asuka, which I'll hope you'll enjoy.

Fellowman: Living too comfortably? Yeah, you can say that, but it may be too soon to have that as a fact. I'll see what I can do about the monologues, and about the Oregairu cast, I already mentioned something in a PM, but yeah, they still are a very important part of this story. Have no doubt. I only ask for patience on your part.

Croniklerx: (NirvFrk97): Well, your complaint about there being too many characters should be taken up with the boss, though I was able to convince him to lower the amount he initially had planned. But take heed, they all have their importance, and I try my best not to just immediately lower their prominence. Treat it like real life, if you know many people, you can't focus on all of them at the same time, you need to spend time with everyone else. Or at least that's what I'm led to believe since I'm a loner.

You lose a lot of credibility once you admit you started skimming you knoooow?

Be patient about Yuuno, she will strike soon enough.

Hikigaya is aggressive due to his frustrations, you can hardly blame him for it. And he doesn't pick fights, where on earth did you get him being confrontational? If you mean when he was being snarky against Kotegawa, he admitted the reason, he was venting. He's going to have many quirks like that in this story, sure it might seem OOC, but it's done for a reason.

You're just trying to insult us now aren't you? Hikigaya isn't being 'needlessly' edgy, he lost everything that matters to him. I challenge any other person to handle it better than Hikigaya has done.

Itherael: Well, we do appreciate the advice, and I understand your point, but I only ask you to understand that there's a reason for everything we do. Having so many characters is kind of difficult to handle, but I need to do it like that, because I wouldn't reach that end I had in my mind. If we start changing the story because of that, then I would just stop writing you know?

I'll understand if the story stops being engaging to your tastes, and I'll respect if you decide to drop it. I'll take into account what you have mentioned, and if you decide to still stick with us, then welcome, if not, then thanks for reading anyway.

The Azure Heart: We try our best, thanks.

The SENDER and the TRAVELER: Well, Junko Enoshima could prove to be more that Hachiman can chew. When the time comes, if it comes, let's hope he's prepared.

PhatomRPG: They will make an appearance later on. Now enjoy what's below!

Mugiwara N0 Luffy: Wow, I'm honored to have caught the interest of such a great One Piece Writer. Well, there are plenty, but if you really want to know, I could mention a couple that wouldn't cause spoilers. Feel free to send a PM if that's the case good author-san!

kou: Don't despair, we're here!

Dark Durian: Well, I personally think that Harima never abandoning the hope of being with Tenma is what makes him what he is, that idiot we all love. About Yakumo, nobody knows how things can turn out. Let's see what happens!

AndyBurgundy: (NirvFrk97): You may be right, then again how polite would you be if this random god you never heard of dragged you away from everything you knew without your consent?

Itherael: Interesting way of referring to this world, eh?

(NirvFrk97): Hikigaya has to take responsibility for his Alter-Ego's actions because he now shares his life, it's not hard to figure out why. Most of the people in his don't know he's changed.

Itherael: Trust me, Hachiman will be in Roka's club later. Look forward to it. Also, Sayaka's future is uncertain now that she's involved with Hikigaya, so who knows?

(NirvFrk97): 8-man isn't really scapegoating his alternate self. He takes responsibility when he personally screws up, like with Kasumigaoka. He mostly blames his previous self for forcing him to deal with all of the outrageous situations he encounters.

Itherael: Well, it's too soon to even try to understand who E-Hachiman really was. Hopefully, you'll manage to read it when it's revealed.

blahto: You'll see who that maid is in due time. Ayanokouji's prefecture isn't specified as far as I know since his past is a mystery.

Gabriel790: That actually means a lot dude, thanks!

nhehvnukl: I appreciate the information.

MakhlukZamanNow: I understand, but rest assured they all will have their time to shine.

roger9481: We already discussed about our points of view, so in any case, thanks for reading and bon voyage! (NirvFrk97): Maybe if you actually paid attention to what we wrote you'd understand what's going on, too bad you spent your time whining. First and foremost: It was confirmed he is in the 'past' when Hiratsuka-sensei told him that the Sports Festival had just passed. That's season 1, episode 13.

Galeiam: Just think what would you do in that situation and then put Hachiman in you shoes. He's a human that had suffered rejection and disappointment almost his entire life, so it's hard thinking that he would react differently. That's just my opinion of course. (NirvFrk97): If you think our 8-man is 'too' cynical, you wouldn't like his early LN version.

Hikio8man: Interesting idea, but no worries, that won't be necessary. You'll notice why eventually.

With that done. Let me apologize for the wait, but invested some of my time in my other story, and NirvanaFrk97 helped me in that regard. I can't abandon my other stories, you know?

In any case, open a tab to the profile of the story via my profile so you can all enjoy the music selection and the images created for this chapter.

Enjoy!

Logic is My Sword

Chapter 05: Surprisingly, Belldandy Isn't as Naive as One Would Expect

5-0

Naivete.

Synonymous with innocence, purity, gullibility… ignorance. What does it entail exactly?

As its root word implies, naivete is the state of having or showing a lack of experience or understanding, often in a context where one neglects pragmatism in favor of a moral idealism.

I think it was first used as the definition to describe an individual as innocent, without connoting ineptitude, however, this certain word, originating from the French language, later took on a meaning that displayed disbelief, with a certain degree of mockery, to one's thoughts and beliefs. Time wasn't kind enough to remove it's passive-aggressive connotation since then.

This is a word that could easily describe me during my younger years, when I still had a blind faith in humanity. Actually, this word should be a must-use to describe young inexperienced teenagers, such as my younger self, and many other people that fail to realize the kind of superficial society we live in.

For example, my whole childhood could be described by that accursed word, though I suppose it extends to most people as well.

When we're born, people are blank slates. This is what I believe. We are not inherently evil, good, nor are we reincarnations of people that previously existed, but simply a blank canvas ready to be corrupted by society. As infants, we're much too stupid to pay attention to our indoctrination courtesy of our parents, it's when we reach the age of roughly 5 years that it begins.

Source: Me, technically.

When you reach that stage of your life, parents begin to instill you with their ideals, whether they be their personal philosophies, overall points of views and religious ideologies, among other things. But because of my parents' busy schedules, I was only able to grasp the first two while only getting small snippets of the latter.

I was pretty quick to disregard their philosophies once I realized how much of corporate slaves they were as I got older. Their points of views, as rarely as I heard them, did stick with me. Religiously, I'm more an agnostic than anything, not actually believing, but going along with shrines and things like that for the heck of it.

But with this introduction to a god of time, looks like all our religions were wrong, huh? Not surprising, they're all human created institutions to quell the masses anyway, of course none were going to be correct. It's just arrogant to think so.

But I digress.

My old man, before he declared us (one-sidedly) archrivals for Komachi's attention, would be the one to tell me that our most idealistic dreams are highly unlikely to come true. Even if we devoted all of our time into working for them, the chance is that they may not come into fruition because life was not so kind to do so. He taught me that. Now this can be seen as an embittered old man trying to dash his son's dreams, but only the ignorant can declare it as such.

Source: Me.

It goes without saying that I didn't believe him, as a child I was ignorant at how cruel reality can be even when my experiences with others weren't the best. I fully believed that if you try your hardest, you can reach your dreams through sheer determination. Heh, I was star-eyed youth, what else can I say?

My mother… It was different with her. She wasn't maternal in the classical sense. She cared, but it wasn't in the warm sense people seem to regard every mother as. She was actually methodical when it came to me, though she significantly relaxed once Komachi came along. I can't really blame her, I was her first child, and with the amount of child-raising books along with her inexperience as a single child, it doesn't surprise me that she lacked the 'warmth' that mothers are supposed to have. But I suppose it could have been worse.

Anyway, what she taught me was that life wasn't easy, and it sure as hell wasn't convenient for people like us. I guess in hindsight, she merely added a bit more to what Pops told me, but I didn't catch it then. It went over my head of course, my then-innocent mind couldn't possibly register that sort of advice. I had rose-tinted glasses, and even with the regular rejections I experienced among the other children, I still held hope that things would be better soon enough.

…How ignorant of me, huh?

It took me awhile to realize what they said was very much true. I was very stubborn in holding my naivete, hoping that everything wasn't as morose as it seemed. Even throughout my middle school torment, I held on to that hope while it was beaten down each and every day. My enrollment into Sobu was done out of my foolish ideals that I can start off new and have the high school experience that I always wanted. Reality crashed into that, quite literally.

Now I keep things rational and it's helped me by leaps and bounds. I learned to draw comfort in solitude, I gained a critical eye in how superficial people could actually be, and most importantly, I learned that my ideals had no foundation other than a naive boy's hopes and dreams. I was disillusioned, and I am thankful for it. Delusions wouldn't help me survive against the real world.

Especially now that this new world's reality goes against everything I knew. I can't afford to be ignorant, doing so may cost me everything.

There's no room for pretty ideals inside this insane reality.

5-1

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Picture 01

"Why are you here?"

I ask sharply once more, noting the reluctance the goddess's facial expression displayed. The godly being I came to know as Belldandy, gazes at me with uncertainty.

"Hachiman-san…"

I furrow my brows, "Well?"

"…I believe I told you that I came to fulfill Komachi-sama's wish…"

This woman… is she seriously going to pretend that nothing happened just now? It's surprising that she would try to divert the subject, considering how self-righteous she claimed to be, being a creature from 'heaven' and all that crap.

"Why are you monitoring me?" I wasn't going to drag this out. It's late, and I'm exhausted after being cornered and forced to reveal my situation by a certain blonde with stalkerish tendencies a few hours ago, leaving me in no mood to play games.

Belldandy's gaze trails away, apparently as she searched for an excuse. She would have already revealed the truth if she was willing to do so, so I'm sure she will try to resist.

"I… I can't say it…" Is her response, her voice barely audible.

I slowly begin to glare at her, "Why not?"

"It's classified," My gaze hardens even more at her reply, meanwhile she raises a hand to her chest as she forces herself to look me in the eyes. "I don't have authorization to reveal it. I'm sorry…"

"You…" I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my cool. "Do you think that I'll be okay with you staying here now that I know that I'm under surveillance?" I growl, pocketing my hands as I stood still.

The goddess bites her bottom lip, looking more than troubled, yet, still refuses to relent. The fact that she's trying to hide the truth from me actually shows that this may be a matter of a higher priority than I first anticipated. I need to get the truth out of her.

"It's just that…" Belldandy trails off, looking guilty. "I…"

I heave a sigh, "I practically brainwashed my parents for you to stay in my house. You know, since you came, I never expected anything from you other than helping Komachi, goddess. So the least you can do is tell me the truth. This is a matter that concerns me directly, considering that I'm apparently being referred as an anomaly."

"But… I could compromise your safety if I were to do so… " She looked unexpectedly hurt, "I would never bring you harm, Hachiman-san… which is the reason I can't say anything…"

"You're trying to protect me?" I snort in disbelief, "Yeah… right…"

"I mean it, Hachiman-san," She stepped to me, "I would never hurt you in any way."

"But you're willing to survey me?" I ask sarcastically.

"We're watching over you, Hachiman-san," I raise an eyebrow at the particular way of excusing herself. Sorry, but I can't buy it, and I won't.

"That much has been established already," I roll my eyes, "I want to know why. Was this your intent this whole time? Was that why you suddenly arrived to grant Komachi's wish? To use her as a way to observe me more closely?"

"Komachi-sama's wish for me to remain with her was not expected…" She clarifies, "I… was surprised back then, which is the reason I contacted Heaven to ask about Komachi-sama's wish… and then…"

Her voice trails off as she looks down at the ground again.

I think I'm beginning to piece all this together. She was honestly surprised when Komachi first made her wish, and after the light show that signified it being granted happened, the goddess panicked and left the room with Komachi's phone. I can easily guess she did so to confirm what she would have to do, it probably inconvenienced her though her positive personality wasn't affected afterwards.

But after confirming that Komachi's wish was granted, I remember Belldandy left the room to speak to someone privately, and that's when I began to notice how her behavior around me changed. Maybe it was then that she learned of me becoming an anomaly and she didn't know how to properly act around me, being this foreign existence that defies the higher power she belongs to.

I could be wrong, though.

How can I assume this without taking in the possibility of her trying to deceive me? If she already did during these days? She's stated firmly that as a goddess, she never lies, and it may even be true, but that doesn't mean she isn't capable of omitting the truth. Heh, funny how I was the one who told her that. Maybe she did listen to me.

If I were evil, I would dare say that I'm starting to corrupt her, but meh, I gain nothing from it, nor am I interested in corrupting celestial beings… although… it could prove to be entertaining…

Shut it Hachiman, leave that sort of thinking for that shitty counterpart of yours. You're a being with a pure soul; people should aspire to be like you.

"You learned about me becoming an anomaly," I state dryly, "Which is the reason why you were assigned to monitor me. Am I wrong?"

From the goddess' apparent shocked expression, I must have hit the nail right on the head.

"No… you're not…" She responds weakly.

Alright… we're advancing… albeit slowly. Much too slowly for my tastes.

"Am I a threat to your people?" Me being an oddity could lead to them thinking me as such. She may not be human, but I feel fearing the unknown is a universal aspect.

"It is… difficult to explain…" She starts, yet she appears once more hesitant to speak, "I… can't do it… Hachiman-san… It would be better if you let Yggdrasil find a solution for this."

I remain silent for a moment as I mull over her options. She didn't say I wasn't a threat but… how am I supposed to even consider her advice when she's asking me to trust the system that potentially sees me as a danger?

No, that'd be foolish of me to do. To blindly trust the very system responsible for labelling me an anomaly is not an option. Doing so would be beyond naive and senseless.

"Hold on," I check the time, it's late and everyone's probably asleep, "We shouldn't be talking about this down here, someone might come down."

"I… don't think we should continue this conversation…" She says slowly, almost like a whisper.

I turn around, my back towards her, "If you think I'm going to just drop this, you're more naive than I gave you credit for."

And with that I make my way upstairs. It was quiet, but I heard her footsteps follow me up the stairs. How faithful of her. I feel a bit of triumph when I heard her behind me up until I reached my door. Thank goodness for her straightforward and honest personality.

I close the door once we both enter. Belldandy looked around, blinking as she observed closely the room. She's been here before, so why is she…? Wait, she wasn't actually. As far as I recall, only Deviluke has… geez… I got them mixed up. I must be more exhausted than I thought I was.

Gesturing a hand forward, I wordlessly invite her to make herself comfortable as I leaned against the wall. She nods her head and once more, scans the room before making her way towards the bed. She sits on it, and looks at me expectantly. Woman… you just don't make that kind of face when sitting on my bed… Someone could mistake this situation for something else, you knoooow?

Jokes aside, that would be plain embarrassing.

"Oi," I start after an extended silence.

"Y-yes?"

I know I won't be getting an answer from her by just asking, but I won't relent either. I need an effective way to approach this matter. Wait… now that I think about it, there may be just the way to do so. Considering that Belldandy used my safety as an excuse to avoid telling me the truth, whether she truly means it or not, I think I can work with that.

I would have rather avoided things coming to this, but it's better to snip this in the bud.

Looking at her impassively, I finally speak.

"If I say that you can't stay here if you don't tell me, what would you do?"

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 01

As expected, her face displayed fear and worry. Huh… as expected of the kind Belldandy.

"H-Hachiman-san… you have seen what will happen if you become an obstacle to Komachi-sama's wish. The Ultimate Force will remove you if you try to-"

A let out a dry chuckle, cutting her off, "And? What if I let it?"

"B-but… you can't!" She whimpers, hands over her chest, "You could die, Hachiman-san!"

"Maybe," I stand up straight and walk towards her, "But it probably won't change my decision."

We both turn towards the sound of a loud creak. It was my bookshelf, and I was standing right in its vicinity. I'm reminded of the moment where the one in Komachi's room tried to flatten me. I feel my body tense, and my heart rate rise as fear begins to build up within me. I force myself to not show it as I turn back to Belldandy, who of course has the face of pure horror.

"Mm…" I hum casually, playing dumb, "Must be a breaking down from age. Might not last too long either."

The creak resonates louder this time. I'm really tempting this Ultimate Force aren't I? How scary.

"P-please! Stop this before you really get hurt!" She demands desperately, rising from the bed, the marks on her face glowing, "If you continue, not even my powers will be able to stop it!"

"Eehh?" I play dumb, borrowing a tone belonging to a certain blonde stalker, "I have no idea what you're taaaalking about."

Again, the shelf creaks loudly, but this time some of my items are knocked off. Not only that, but, my ceiling fan begins to sway as if it were just about to fall.

It's funny, my heart rate is through the roof and yet my fear has become manageable to the point that I'm practically calm. The adrenaline surging through my body must be causing this. This is a scary situation to be in.

Her eyes dart to every part of my room that began to show signs of the Ultimate Force's influence. I blink, noticing tears building up in the corner of her eyes, before she slumped over her knees, sobs eventually escaping her lips, her hands gripping her skirt in almost palpable fear.

The ground was beginning to shake by this point, and I'm sure my parents and Komachi will begin to notice it if this continues… Belldandy's tears finally met the wooden ground beneath her, and I blink yet again.

"It's because you could be killed by the Valkyries!" She screams desperately, still unable to raise her gaze, "If… if you were to ask for a wish that would bring harm to the world, then… then…"

With widened eyes, I look at her now fragile form in silence. She's crying…? Damn it… this isn't…

No, I can't think of that now. Spilled milk and all that. I got the answer I wanted, it was in the worst way possible but I have it. My revolting farce was no longer needed.

Immediately our surroundings settle down. That was quick. I wait a few moments, looks like no one noticed the chaos, good. I let silence take reign in my room once more. Huh, no actual damage was done… The place is a mess now though.

So, I managed to become a candidate to get a wish granted, huh?

But aside from that. I look down at the still sobbing form of Belldandy and feel guilt prick at me as the disgust I bear towards myself intensifies. I did it again… I used that method again. But I underestimated the effects. No… I underestimated and abused Belldandy's kindness. And hurt her in the process… What the hell am I doing?

Usually, my methods end with no one getting hurt; I get the heat once it's over with, but… I guess not this time.

Shit…

Slowly, I crouch to her level. I momentarily hesitate since I'm unsure what to do, comforting people isn't something that comes naturally to me.

"…" I try to say something but I'm unable to find my words. I can't simply apologize for this, even if I didn't mean to cause her to cry. Even if it led to a result that I didn't see coming, I purposefully caused her distress and later tears. But I'm seriously bad with crying girls…

What was it that I used to do whenever Komachi used to cry?

Before I knew it, my hovering hand was resting on Belldandy's head. Ack, I underestimated my passive ability of Onii-chan Mode, even though I don't actually know her age.

She looks up at me, eyes glimmering and red, tears still trailing down, "Hachiman-san…"

"I can't really apologize…" I say with a bit of wry humor, "Since… well, I did it on purpose."

She blinks, seemingly confused. After wiping some soon-to-fall tears, she speaks, "I-I don't understand, Hachiman-san…"

I chuckled a bit in exasperation, "Ah, I expected as much from you."

This girl really is too innocent. She doesn't even realize how I managed to manipulate her.

"Well, let's just say I needed to know what you were hiding from me." I admit, removing my hand from her head.

Her eyes widen in realization, tears stopping, a frown slowly forming on her features. She gazes at me disapprovingly, before dropping her head, "You… lied?"

"I told you before, didn't I?" I ask with a humored smile, "Everybody lies, the only variable is about what. In my case, I did it to learn about my situation with your people."

She bites her lower lip, lost in thought. I give her some seconds of silence so she can muse about this matter. This probably must be hard for her to accept, as she probably only saw the good side of people. I'm sure it will serve her well to know how low humans can go.

I'm not referring to myself of course… although, I did make her cry…

Well, even someone of high quality like me isn't completely flawless. I have to allow other mortals to shine, don't I? Wouldn't want to get all the attention now from others. That'd goes against my loner instincts.

"You risked your life and possibly your family's just to make me say it?" She asks in what was obvious sheer disbelief.

"I did," I grunt, my eyes directed to the ceiling, "Better to be in control of my own fate right now, than blindly trusting your higher ups with it."

"Do you mean you…?" She starts, yet her voice trails off.

"Ah, I'd be an idiot to trust them when I only just heard of them, wouldn't I?" I ask with a bit of sarcasm in my tone.

"But heaven only strives to help people and assist them should they meet misfortune!" She argues desperately. "We only have the human world's best interests at heart! There's no way that Yggdrasil or the agency would harm you!"

"Wouldn't they?" I ask rhetorically, "What was that about Valkyries then?"

My sharp inquiry came to her like a slap to her face. Her eyes darted briefly from one side to the other as she tried to find her voice. Celestial beings are more like humans than I had expected, taking into account every reaction I've been getting from Belldandy.

I lean my head towards her, a gesture made to signal that I was waiting for a response.

"They…" Resting a hand over her chest, she raises from the ground, sitting on the bed again, "They would appear in case you were to wish harm on the world…" She says meekly.

I cocked an eyebrow at that, "And why would they allow me to do such a thing?" I interrogate.

"That is…" She hesitates, before looking down again. Her tears were mostly gone, although she still had an aura of sadness surrounding her. She takes a deep, unsteady breath. "You were made eligible in being granted a wish by Yggdrasil. It came as a shock because…" She trails off, not knowing how to expand but I know where she's heading with this.

"Because I wasn't supposed to become a candidate, right?" I complete her answer, before letting out a sigh, "But I did, and that makes me an anomaly. Is that it?"

She meets my stare briefly and shyly nods her head, "Yes…"

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I sat on the bed, at her side, resting my arms over my knees, "How exactly does Yggdrasil choose candidates?"

The goddess shifts uncomfortably at my somewhat close proximity, but I don't let that bother me. At any other time I'd be self-conscious about her and an embarrassed mess, but I don't have the mind to be caring about such trivialities right now. My life is possibly at stake here.

"Usually, the system monitors people that start to gain the favor of heaven, thus becoming a future candidate. Such would be a person suffering from unfortunate events on a daily basis," Belldandy elaborates as I listen attentively, "The agency assigns a watcher to this potential candidate until it is determined by Yggdrasil that this person abides by the rules of goodness, heaven and humanity."

Makes sense, how their system works. They make sure the candidates hold no ill will to avoid granting wishes that would cause harm. It also seems that going through bad fortune is a condition to become eligible. Huh, it's sort of like a hand-out to make life easier for yourself. I'm not sure if I like that concept too much.

"And that's how it worked for Komachi?" I ask, but it's more of a confirmation.

"Komachi's misfortune had become worthy of concern, which is the reason I was assigned to grant her a wish."

"Is that right?" I ask rhetorically.

"Yes, Hachiman-san." She nods her head, shyly peeking at me.

There's a lot to contemplate about this matter. First, it appears that Komachi's problems are troublesome enough to earn divine intervention. Hmm… The idea of Komachi living a miserable life, enough to warrant a wish, doesn't sit right with me at all.

Komachi could have used it as she first intended to solve her problems directly, but my advice against it took her instead to ask Belldandy to remain with her until she managed to solve it by her own. Indirectly, I may be the cause of further prolonging her hardships in school, so I'll have to look into that myself.

Now… back to the main matter…

"Me being an anomaly," I begin, "That's because I wasn't deserving of a wish before now, right?"

"Yes, Hachiman-san…" She looks at nothing in particular, her voice a bit grave, "Normally, the system would evaluate with utmost precaution someone that had a questionable past, but…" She puts a finger under her chin. "Your case…"

"I was an unexpected outlier," I completed, "What made me ineligible?"

"I am unsure of that myself," The goddess shakes her head, "All I know was that certain events in your past led Yggdrasil to determine that Hikigaya Hachiman-san was undeserving of our intervention despite the misfortune you experienced on a regular basis."

So she's not actually aware of my past, and is only following orders? Most likely due to her superiors or the Yggdrasil system itself. Plus there's the fact that they have Valkyries on standby in case I make a wish full of ill-intent? Wait, Valkyries? That's more Norse mythology, isn't it? This agency Belldandy belongs to seems to be based off of it, or could it be that in this world her agency is the reason why that Norse beliefs came to be? That's… insane.

Though it's weird, with the inclusion of heaven and hell, both of which are concepts of that Christian religion, it makes things confusing. Hey, now that I think about it, this means that the Norse actually have merit if their mythologies are true, don't they? Funny. The old 'obsolete' religion has more evidence than the existing ones. Well, whatever, it doesn't mean I'm going to be faithful.

Well, considering this world is some sort of mix of many other realities, maybe their heaven is also a combination of certain religions and myths? Meh… this is a matter I won't bother concerning myself with, I already have a headache.

"So basically, I'm technically eligible for a wish, but your agency would prefer not to grant it?" I inquire, gazing at her directly in the eyes, "I won't be getting that wish, will I?"

Belldandy purses her lips, and nods in confirmation, "We won't grant you a wish until we discover what made Yggdrasil change it's judgment," She notices my blank expression, "W-which is the reason why I was assigned as your watcher while I help Komachi-sama."

"And afterwards? What were you supposed to do if Komachi didn't ask you to stay?"

She blinks, "I'm not sure of that either… I only came here to grant Komachi-sama a wish. The fact that I had to contact the agency to corroborate the validity of her wish led them to tell me about your special circumstances."

"It was a coincidence then? If you hadn't contact heaven, then they could have assigned another watcher?"

"Yes… possibly."

One thing led to another, and we reached these current circumstances. Though I wonder, would the other watcher have been covertly watching me as this goddess tried to do? Maybe as a new 'acquaintance' that I would run into like in manga. Though, run-ins with later revealed exchange students is overdone already.

"So what happens now that I know this?"

"I… don't know…" She answers truthfully, "All we can do is wait…"

Something comes to my mind, "You won't get punished, will you? For revealing this classified information, I mean."

Belldandy puts a thoughtful expression, "I'm not sure of that either…"

I groan in exasperation. Nothing is certain, which means that is beyond my grasp. Despite that I have lost control over my life since I was dragged into this world, I still can't bring myself to accept being so powerless.

In any case, there's one more thing to address.

"What are your thoughts on this?" I'm curious, she's following her people's orders but how does she personally feel about them? Her being the honest type might clash with her task in spying on me, this girl doesn't seem to have a single deceptive bone in her body.

Huh, maybe that's why she's been timid around me.

Belldandy is momentarily stunned by my question, but she eventually calms herself, breathing deeply. She turns to me, hands resting on her knees as she, for the first time, sports a rather serious expression.

"I…" It's rather noticeable how difficult this is for her, not referring to saying the truth, but expressing her thoughts entirely more like. "I… do not agree with the agency." Eyes closed, her voice comes out solemn. "I understand that someone that had acted wrong in the past should be put under surveillance, but if Yggdrasil chose Hachiman-san as a candidate without the proper observation, there must be a reason for the system's Judgment… and I trust it."

"Whatever Yggdrasil is exactly, you can't just blindly place your trust in it," I say after a sigh, "Or else you'd be no better than a simple tool. Obviously I dislike it, but, the acts of your agency are pretty reasonable in this sort of situation when you look at it from the outside."

"Never has Yggdrasil failed before, never has it been wrong. The agency considers you a threat, and that is no way of treating humans, people we strive to help," Belldandy argued, "All Mighty One may punish me for thinking such, but I… I just can't disregard this. I don't like having to watch you like this… I don't want this, Hachiman-san…"

I raise an eyebrow at that, "You act as if humans are deserving of special treatment or something."

She shakes her head, "I just have faith in them, and I believe that humans can change. Humans deserve a second chance… you deserve a second chance."

Funny how things turned out, huh? She's defending the point I initially thought I'd use.

"…That might be true, but, you know that can't possibly apply to everyone, don't you?"

"I do, Hachiman-san. Some people may have committed many mistakes in their lives, but it's never too late for them to reflect and correct them."

I frown at her naive words. No, there is a point of no return. There should always be a line that can't be crossed. Thinking otherwise… that's way too idealistic.

"Would you say that to the person who's going around killing people in Chiba?" I ask seriously.

Her eyes widen, "T-that's…"

"That's what?" I press, "Do you think that this killer deserve a second chance?" I let out a dry chuckle before sternly looking at her. "What of the people that were murdered then? Didn't they deserve a chance too?"

"…" She averts her gaze, unable to answer. Not entirely unexpected, although, she looked hurt.

"Not everyone is deserving of second chances, Belldandy. In fact, I don't think anyone should be getting second chances at all."

"…Why?" She asks, leaning towards me. I blink, feeling uncomfortable at her even closer proximity. I unconsciously avert my eyes.

I really would prefer if she gave me some space. But since I did the same earlier, I don't have room to complain.

"Uh…" I scratch my cheek and sigh, "Life can be many things, convenient shouldn't be one of them. That's what the option of being given a second chance through wishes does."

"But… haven't you done something wrong that you wanted to amend?" She asks hopefully.

I chuckled humorlessly, "I've done plenty."

"T-then?" Her eyes brighten.

And mercilessly, I crush that hope. "But trying to erase it would be a pathetic attempt of running away from reality. I made the mistakes, so I deserve to pay the consequences for them. Wishing it away… it just denies me from learning from them. In the end, if wishes could grant me anything, if my desires could be fulfilled, then I wouldn't wish or desire for anything at all."

If I do so, whatever I wanted would be handed to me on a silver platter. It wouldn't be genuine, nor would it be everlasting. The attachment I would have to my granted desire would be superficial, I would eventually grow bored of it and lose my previous longing for it. That's why I will always continue searching for that genuine thing on my own.

I want to struggle and writhe in my quest to find it. Doing so and being successful will let me know if what I found truly was something genuine.

She stares at me, unblinking, for several seconds, and I cannot help getting nervous. Eventually, she bites her lip and speaks.

"Hachiman-san…" Belldandy whispers, "I'm sorry…"

Huh? What?

Having cocked an eyebrow, I ask, "What for?"

"You must have suffered a lot… And I failed to see it…" She closes her eyes, looking ashamed of something I have yet to understand. "I'm so sorry for acting oddly around you. I let my orders cloud my mind, and for that I began to fear you. I'm so sorry…"

Where did this come from?

"Stop that," I said flatly, "There's nothing to apologize for. Treating something that you don't understand with trepidation is a hu-… Er, a universal thing to do. Besides, my life isn't so horrible."

Even with my current situation I'd never say I have the worst kind of life. I'm fed, I live in comfort, and I have the opportunity of a formal education. There are many others who don't get that option throughout the world. Sure, I have my issues but I'm not so self-absorbed in self pity to honestly think my life is the absolute worst.

Though this survival game I'm stuck in does add a lot of stress for me.

The goddess doesn't look convinced, "You seem to first expect the worst from people. Something wrong must have happened for you to hold such cynical judgments," I blink as she continues, "Every word, every statement… whether it was to your parents, to Komachi-sama or to Lala-san and me, I can sense it clearly, your distrust in them…"

My eyes widen at that. Crap, while she does have a point, the only reason I act that way with my family is because of the fact that they're not actually my family. But she obviously wouldn't understand, and I don't think revealing myself to her is a good idea, especially with that agency and the other god-like being that she works for investigating me. Her apparent loyalty would have her report to them about it and that could possibly lead to problems. What if they're at odds with Deus Ex? What if, because I shouldn't exist here, they declare me as a danger and sick their Valkyries on me? No, she can't learn about me.

Not to mention that Belldandy could be the being Deus Ex created… although I honestly think it's unlikely. What are the chances of an agency like hers having anyone less than seventeen years old in their ranks? The grace and behavior of Belldandy speaks of maturity far past of someone in their teenage years, though her innocence does the exact opposite. For all I know, she can be centuries if not a millennium old with the appearance of a young adult. And seeing how this world shares many anime aspects, her being one of those 'Younger than they look' types wouldn't surprise me. Thank goodness she's not one of the loli kind.

Wait, wasn't there one of those in Deus-Ex's realm? That annoying brat?

"That's…" I start slowly, "Well, how can I be expected to immediately trust an invading alien and goddess? I didn't know your intentions. Like I said before, fearing the unknown is universal."

She frowns, probably not understanding why, "And your family?"

"They, uhh… my relationship with them is rocky due to certain circumstances of the past," I answer in what I hope is a tone that indicates my lack of desire to elaborate. I don't like having to 'admit' that I don't trust Komachi or my parents, even if it might be the case, but I know it's necessary. "But I'm trying to relax that part of myself."

"I see…" She falls silent, lost in thought.

I'm silent as well, and we remain so until I decide to break it.

"I asked you this before but… what do you think of me? Honestly," I asked suddenly, "All the anomaly crap aside."

She stares at me in utter silence, her eyes trailing across my face. Hmm? What's with that sudden expression? Is there something on my face?

To my utter shock, she grabs my hands. Eyes wide, I find myself frozen completely stiff by this display. Just like when my mother hugged me yesterday, I didn't expect this sort of intimacy at all and found myself at a loss. I desperately want to pull away from the goddess's touch, but the look on her face has me halt my attempts.

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"Hachiman-san…" She starts, looking directly at my eyes, "My answer hasn't changed. I do think you're a good person. It doesn't matter if you're reserved, I can tell that you always mean good despite the harsh way you tend to say things. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself as we met not so long ago, but that's what I feel. I can sense your kindness, covered by that dry and somewhat sarcastic personality perhaps, but it's there."

She smiles warmly, and I can only stare at her in pure astonishment.

…Huh?

My words were stuck in my throat, I didn't expect that kind of answer at all. It takes a while, but I finally look away and clear my throat.

"Y-you're giving me too much credit…" I offer weakly.

"No… Komachi-sama has also started to notice it, the way you speak, your intentions are clear as day," Resting a hand over her chest, with eyes closed she adds, "I can see Hachiman-san trying to earn her trust, I can feel Hachiman-san's concern towards her. Despite that you still act cautious with her and with your parents, I can see that you care for them," A tiny smile crawls into her features as she once more holds my hands, "You helped Lala-san as well. Even if you keep her at a distance, you were able to understand her afflictions, and convinced Zastin-sama of letting her choose her own future. Now I can see how wrong I was… I'm ashamed of having doubted you, Hachiman-san… Whether Heaven considers you an anomaly or not, it won't change what I think of you."

Her grip tightens on my hands, her deep blue eyes showing total resolution.

I'm completely speechless now, even if I had my voice, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to say anything.

I slowly avert my gaze as embarrassment floods my being. But… There's something else, this odd sensation within my chest. It's foreign, something I'd never experienced before. It wasn't the dull ache I've been closely familiar with, nor was it the deceptive hope I've come to loathe. It's light, yet heavy, I had no idea what to call it.

We remain in silence for an extended moment, she was still smiling and I didn't know what to say. I misjudged her, she may be considerably naive about people but she is very capable of reading them. She observed and deconstructed my actions, read my intent whenever I interacted with others, and pieced together everything to reach a conclusion that even I couldn't deny.

How can she think this of me when I had manipulated her, even made her cry to get the truth from her?

Maybe she realized that it was just an act… But I… I don't think of myself as nobly as she seems to see me as, nor as compassionate. I just… I don't know… I don't feel I deserve to be seen in that kind of light. I'm not the good person she thinks I am…

"Hachiman-san?" She tilts her head to the side, raising her brows, "Hachiman-san?"

"Noth…" I whisper, "Nothing… That's… all I needed to know…" I finally meet her gaze, "Make sure you try your best to help Komachi during your stay."

This girl… She's dangerous. Her innocence and honest nature are truly terrifying aspect of hers.

Her eyes shine a bit, probably due to the fact that she cried recently, "I'll call the agency to inform them that I won't monitor Hachiman-san anymore. I have seen enough to know that should you receive a wish, it will be well-deserved," She smiles bashfully, "Even if you may not use it."

I only nod silently at her, finally pulling my hands away from hers.

"Right…" I rubbed the back of my head, "It's late. I think you should go to sleep."

She nods her head happily, "Hai! Hachiman-san!"

As she leaves the room, not before bowing to me respectfully and smiling bashfully, I fight the urge to laugh derisively. It figures, she doesn't realize the impact her words had. That's what makes her so terrifying for me.

Ugh… It's going to take forever for me to fall asleep, isn't it?

5-2

"Hachiman-san! Breakfast is ready!"

I slowly opened my eyes at the voice of the goddess that mentally and emotionally exhausted me last night calling to me. I remain prone on the bed for a few moments, gazing at the ceiling. Another day, huh? I have to wonder, what's gonna happen today…? Since the first, it has been eventful for me, and I'm positive this day will be just the same. I'm not really looking forward to it.

I raise from the bed lazily, letting a soft yawn escape my lips. As I stretch my limbs and hear satisfying cracks, I realize that I don't feel tired even though I slept fairly late. Must be thanks to my accelerated recovery.

I sat on the edge, looking blankly at nothing in particular before sighing. I really wasn't looking forward to this day…

I had an outing with Takao and that other gamer girl, Tendou, after class and I was already dreading dealing with these two obsessive gamers. Not to mention that I'm gonna have to somehow leave Sobu on my own after classes, avoiding Miura, Shiromeguri and probably Yuuki. Although… I could have Yuuki tag with me so he can deal with them in my instead. Or I could tell Harima or Usui.

Hold on a minute… did I really just think that? Considering those guys…? I let out a sigh, I'm probably still sleepy. Yep, it's totally that.

I rub my eyes and stand up, when a sudden flash of light calls my attention. It soon fades as quickly it came, where I see, on the ground, a device of some kind. I raise an eyebrow, glancing around before warily approaching it.

They're some sort of glasses. For some reason, they had some buttons at the sides, and even a tiny lever. They were rather large actually, and were of purple color. How did this come here?

Out of curiosity, I pick them up to examine them. There was a turn on/off button, so I pressed it… and nothing happened. Is this a joke or they are broken? Meh, whose is this anyway? Probably Deviluke seeing how she's the one with the gadgetry. I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow put them here, although, considering the flash of light from before…

I put them on, only to be startled as the lens displayed several number and options, as if this was a screen. Wow… Deviluke's planet sure is advanced, this thing's really high tech.

So that leaves the question… why did she put this in my room? And how? Did she break in again when I was asleep? Argh… Damn idiot…

I move the tiny lever on the right side of the glasses, some numbers spreading over the screen in the lens. Alright, this looks rather cool, like in those futuristic anime. Maybe I should stop playing with this, I've seen enough movies to know that never good comes with manipulating devices of unknown origin.

I'll just ask Deviluke. As I remove it, I accidentally press a previously unseen button.

…

Huh?

Before I can even blink, the lens emit a deafening light.

l-ll-lll-lll-ll-l

What is this…? Everything is… foggy… Everywhere I see it's the same. Where am I?

Suddenly, a mighty gust of wind erupts from somewhere, the fog before me being expelled to reveal a sight I never imagined seeing.

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I was standing over some sort of platform, metallic as far as I could see. It somehow seemed to be floating in the sky, considering the clouds I could see from here as it apparently moved in some direction.

But that didn't matter. There was something else worth noting besides this place, and that was the individual standing some meters away from me. It was someone familiar.

It was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

Sporting his usual school uniform, he gazed at me impassively, his hands in his pockets. The wind continues to blow as unknown people stand at Ayanokouji's side.

One was a girl that sported a red blazer with black trim lining the cuffs and collar, a white button-up dress shirt, a dark pleated skirt, a tie and black/grey colored stockings. Her black hair and intimidating red eyes were worthy of notice. She clutched Ayanokouji's arm affectionately, and it didn't seem to make him lose his cool.

The guy at his left had blue eyes and dark silver-blue hair, an odd color to be sure. This guy's outfit consisted of a white button up shirt, black pants, and a white hoodie.

The third person was a girl with emerald-colored eyes, with long, rosy-pink hair styled in pigtails secured with dark-pink ribbons. She seemed to be wearing a shoulderless white dress with black markings, light blue stockings and white, strange-looking long boots. However, her most defining feature was actually the set of wings protruding from her back. She looked exactly like an angel.

…What the hell?

"Hikigaya," Ayanokouji's voice was heard, "Is there a problem?"

What is this guy talking about? This doesn't make any sense… am I dreaming? Did I fall asleep when I put on the glasses?

"Isn't that obvious!? You tricked us all and took the Synapse for yourself!"

I blink at my left, another unfamiliar girl with golden long hair that reached her ankles stepped forward furiously. She sported a similar outfit to the angel standing by Ayanokouji, but hers was blue. While her red eyes should have been here most notorious feature, the fact that wings protruded from her back made me realize she also resembled an angel. Though, her outfit was uh, kind of unbefitting… Especially with her… proportions being, well, generous to put it lightly.

It looked like she was carrying a shining sword and a shield. Could she be one of those Valkyries? No, I don't think that's it.

"Astraea-san is correct. What do you intend to do with it, Ayanokouji-sama?" A voice I knew well followed. I turn to see the very woman I had an emotional conversation with last night, who wore that strange costume of hers, however, something was different this time. Her hair had become silver… is it a dye or something…?

Belldandy…?

Huh? Even the marks on her face were changed slightly. Just… what was going on?

"That's none of your concern," Responded the bland-looking boy.

"Wait, Kiyotaka. We should make a gamble!" The intimidating blackhead with red eyes said, her fingers trailing across her lips in a really disturbing way, "If you win, we could tell you! I know just the game we can play…"

I don't understand… am I having some weird dream? Weirder than those with Deus Ex Machina?

"I honestly appreciate that you took down Minos," A new voice was heard. "That guy was an obstacle to my plans!"

I turn to see someone walking past me. It was a boy, ordinary in appearance with dark green messy hair and orange eyes. He wore a short-sleeved red t-shirt with a button-up collar under some sort of cape with intricate spaulders. Wait… why is this guy wearing that shady looking cape?

The boy while dark-silver hair deadpanned, "Dude. Are you still with that world conquering thing? You should just focus on that business of yours…"

Suddenly, many winged beings just like those called Ikaros and Astraea appears in large numbers all across the sky. Were these angels? Do they have a connection to Belldandy since she's a goddess? If so, how is Ayanokouji controlling them? What the hell is happening!?

"Of course I am. The best way to ensure the survival of humanity and my race is by conquering the world!" The boy with dark green hair stated, waved an arm, then pointing a finger at Ayanokouji, "I don't think you have taken the Synapse just for having it. You must be planning something."

The area becomes dark before a sudden beam comes from the sky towards us at high speed. I watch in awe and fear at it, yet the blonde girl effortlessly deflects it with her shield. I thought I was a goner there…

My surprise didn't end there though.

A blue haired girl falls from the sky, just behind Ayanokouji's group. Considering what I just witnessed at face value, this girl obviously can't be human… Before I knew it, she sprinted past them, heading in my direction. I barely have the time to blink when I feel someone pulling me back, long silver hair waving with a sudden motion just before my eyes.

Both of them crash their fists, a shockwave expanding from the point of impact. Belldandy holds me protectively, much to my surprise, some sort of energy covering us while strangely enough, the ordinary-looking boy just stood there with arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Even that angel-looking girl Astraea is having it difficulty withstanding the pulse while that guy isn't.

Ayanokouji seems to be protected by a barrier created by the other angel-like girl at his side.

Both the silver-haired girl and the bluehead jump back, giving one another some distance, both smirking. I stare in disbelief at them, finally managing to get a view of the both.

The one by Ayanokouji's side had really long hair that reached her waist along with an ahoge, and her bangs barely overlapped her red eyes. The bluehead wore a uniform of sorts, which was composed of a dark green blazer with many yellow details, a light blue-colored short skirt and blue stockings. It was worth mentioning that she wore two armbands. Is she a school's student council president? What kind of school exists with students having these kinds of abilities?

The silver-haired girl that protected me also sported a uniform, a green blazer with both its and the white undershirt's upper buttons opened, revealing her… bust. Goodness me, how scandalous for this pure heart of mine. She wore a short brown skirt with black knee-high socks and… indoor shoes? Did she not change out of them? That's not very efficient when you're about to fight Silver Haired-san. But what caught my attention was the choker she wore on her neck. It was hardly the first one I've seen, those things were fairly popular among teenagers, but it was the beads that were connected to it, along with large chain looking things that hung off of it. Was something supposed to be there? I'm not very knowledgeable on fashion but people tend to have accessories hanging from there, don't they?

Just… what on earth is going on? What is this place?

Ayanokouji's gaze becomes sharp, "I told you to stay with the others," The brunette sighed, "You just never listen to me Medaka."

"Really? Well, it's too late for that," She shrugs her shoulders before focusing on the silver-haired girl, "I knew you he would come here, Akashiya," The blue head smirked, folding her arms, before she looked behind her, "Hey Kiyotaka, you wouldn't mind if we finished what we started?"

The brunette sighed, "Even if I ask you to stand down, you wouldn't hear me. Medaka, I don't intend to fight them, so try to refrain from making this more troublesome."

The girl called Medaka frowns, "We have to settle this, you know?" She returns her attention to the girl she referred as Akashiya, "Isn't that right?"

"Hmph! Your power may be impressive, human, but it does not compare to one of a Shinso Vampire's, nor a progenitor's. You bare your fangs at Hikigaya, so I will not hold back. It's finally time for me to teach you your place!"

W-wait… she said vampire? How on earth do I know a vampire?

That intimidating girl called Medaka cocked an eyebrow in amusement, "I knew my place since the first time I met you, vampire, and that is, standing over you in victory."

The guy with the hoodie walked between them, raising his hands in a gesture to make them stop, "C'mon. I told you guys there's no need to fight. We're not enemies."

"That sort of attitude is undeserving of someone of your class, Akatsuki," The… vampire… growled, waving her silver hair gracefully. "Do not get involved or else I will prove to you that my vampire blood is greater than yours, regardless if you're a progenitor."

A progenitor? What the heck is that?

"C'mon… We all know who the real enemy is. Let's just calm down a bit," The guy that was addressed as Akatsuki spoke, a drop of sweat trailing down his cheek. He turns to the impassive brunette, "Kiyotaka, give me a hand here. I knew that this was gonna happen. At least do something to stop them, would you?"

"It's not really my problem," Ayanokouji shrugs his shoulders.

"Whatever the case," Akatsuki raises his voice, rolling his eyes, and earning everyone's attention, "Be rest assured that Kiyotaka will use the Synapse responsibly. We just want to make a difference."

"By gathering an overpowered army?" The boy with dark green hair comments snarkily, "That sounds rather evil… even for me."

Ayanokouji walks past the vampire, the guy called progenitor and the bluehead, and stands before the blonde with wings, who was for some reason shielding me from him.

"Don't get any closer or I won't hold back!" Shouts Astraea rather aggressively.

And despite her threat, he wasn't affected by it.

"It's amusing…" Ayanokouji starts, "We both have incredible individuals on our respective sides. We could even take on 'that' guy's faction now." He closes his eyes, "In any case, I think we're now even, considering that you're favored by those goddesses, aliens and the youkai."

"Ayanokouji-san…" Belldandy grabs my hand, and I immediately wanted to shy away from the intimate touch, yet I couldn't do anything. I was like some sort of bystander, unable to say or do anything, "We're here because we trust him. Hachiman-san didn't ask us to come, and here we are to support him. This is friendship and understanding, not gathering a force."

The silver-haired vampire suddenly glared daggers at us, glancing at our intertwined hands. She's the one grabbing me, I have done nothing, vampire-san! And even so, my blood is bitter! You wouldn't find it appetizing at all, I swear!

"Whatever the case," Ayanokouji looks directly at me, "What matters now is what you intend to do, Hikigaya." I blink as Medaka and that blackhead with red, scary eyes stand by his sides. Akashiya folds her arms, standing by Astraea's side. Geez… this is going to get crazy, "I'm the Master of the Synapse now. What are you going to do about it?"

Something is clearly wrong, and it's his doing.

I stare at Ayanokouji for several seconds, when I feel my mouth opening. But before any sort of sound can be heard, a flash of light blinds my sight.

5-3

I blink, and then blink again.

Huh? Where…?

I'm back?

The advanced lens displayed a message.

*Error. Error. Transmission Interrupted. Error. Reloading…*

I frown at that. Looks like this thing's malfunctioning… snapping me out of whatever its purpose was. But… what the heck did I just see? Did these weird glasses make me hallucinate? Or fall asleep and dream all that? …It seemed way too vivid for a dream but I'm in my room.

Was it some kind of virtual reality? I mean, it could be but what happened inside involved Ayanokouji and even Belldandy. That has to mean something, right?

Checking my phone, I can see that only some minutes had passed rather than the near eternity that experience felt like… so what exactly happened?

I remove the glasses to check them carefully. I can't really come to understand what this did at all.

I saw… Ayanokouji and Belldandy along with many people that I didn't recognize. Two of them were angel-esque, possibly related to Belldandy, two others were supposedly vampires, and there was that girl that was willing to fight one of those vampires. The others looked normal enough, like regular humans, even if one had a cape on for some reason. But still, who were they? One of the vampires and the blonde angel girl acted like they knew me. But, even in this world I haven't seen any sign of those kinds of fantastic beings outside Belldandy and Deviluke. Though if I remember right, Ayanokouji did say his supposed best friend was a vampire.

But… Master of the Synapse? What is that?

My head's starting to hurt trying to make sense of all of this.

I look back at the advanced glasses. I don't know how it got here, but if it's Deviluke's, I should ask her about them. I glance at the mirror. Just when I need him, that fake bastard is not here.

Better get ready first before doing anything else.

But honestly… Now I have two things that are going to be bothering me all day. My talk with Belldandy last night, and now this.

This day's already become so tiresome… and it's so early too…

5-4

"Heehh…? You took your sweet time, Hikigaya-kun~"

What the hell was this…?

There he was, the one that managed to get me to reveal who I was, enjoying breakfast in my kitchen with that stupid smile of his. The suave, teasing, admittingly a stalker, Usui Takumi.

I stare at him momentarily as he casually enjoys the food in front of him.

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Picture 02

"...What are you doing here?" I ask flatly.

"Eehh? How cruel…" The blonde idiot smirks cockily, "You're the one that invited me over."

"I meant at a later date," I mutter before taking my seat at the table. Looks like the old man isn't here this morning, must be finished setting up the guest room already.

"You never specified," The blonde retorted childishly, "Komachi-chan let me in when she saw me waiting outside."

Ignoring his casual way of referring to her, I glance over at my aforementioned younger sister. She avoided my gaze timidly, looking sheepish and guilty. I inwardly sigh at her reserved reaction. Even though Belldandy said she noticed a change within me, Komachi is still intimidated by my presence.

Agh, damn.

Before she tries to eek out an unnecessary apology, I decide to cut in with a shrug, "Well, it can't be helped I guess."

She blinks, slightly startled, probably because of my lackadaisical behavior. I try not to frown at it.

"So Hikigaya, would you be so kind and hand me the sugar?" I roll my eyes before looking at Usui, who was exuding that strange aura with flowers in the background. There were even light particles! How the heck does he do that!?

Before I could even bother to do so, Komachi hands him the sugar, and I cocked an eyebrow at that, "Here it is, Usui-san."

"Thank you Komachi-chan. As always, so obliging~" He gives her a charming smile.

Oi. Who the hell are you smiling at like that?

When Komachi nods cheerfully, and I can't help twitching a brow, "Looks like you already met Belldandy," I glance over my shoulder at the kitchen where said woman, or more accurately, goddess was at the current moment. "Well?"

She meets my gaze with her regular bright smile. I look away and scratch my head as I'm reminded about last night. It looks like I still haven't recovered from our talk.

"Mmm…? She's interesting…" Komachi cocks an eyebrow, and he notices it. Oh, we may have to watch our mouth in front of my little sister. She doesn't know that Usui knows the truth. "Is this one…?"

"Ah," I grunted out, "She's my Aunt's protege from America. You know, the famous doctor over there?"

"…Ah, yeah, Kimishima, right?" He says slowly. So he knows about her, huh? Well, more importantly, he caught on to keeping him knowing the truth from the others pretty quickly. This guy, he's pretty sharp. "So, how is she liking the country so far?"

I shoot him a blank gaze, "She said she's visited before, and she likes Chiba well enough. Right, Belldandy?"

Usui raises an eyebrow, probably at her odd-sounding name. The woman in question approaches us with warm smile, placing a cup of coffee by my side. Ahh~ I was waiting for this. She giggles as I take a sip, satisfaction filling my entire being. It was even at a temperature my cat's tongue could appreciate.

"Right, Hachiman-san."

The blonde seems startled, if only momentarily, yet a knowing smile spread across his face as he faces her, "Eehh… That's interesting. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Belldandy, I'm a friend of Hachiman's. Takumi Usui."

I nearly spit out my drink. This guy… Why is he speaking in English all of a sudden? And it's fluent too… I guess he was taught to speak it due to his estranged family.

And don't call yourself my friend or I may just believe you.

This time the goddess is the one who's startled but still answers our guest, "Likewise, Mr. Takumi Usui. It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Hachiman's."

Ugh… Curse the English language for their primary use of given names and lack of honorifics. Represent your families before yourselves, dammit. How arrogant are you?

He smiles pleasantly before looking back at me in amusement, "First name basis, huh?"

I click my tongue, "Well, she's American. She doesn't have the obligation to completely adhere to the Japanese culture."

He laughs at that, "Riiight… so… what about you?" I can practically hear his smug tone.

"U-uhh… She feels more comfortable with us using her given name." I stutter out. It takes a bit more than I would like to keep composed at his obvious teasing, but I'm successfully able to do so.

Belldandy frowns, "Hachiman-san asked me to refer to him that way. He didn't feel comfortable so I started addressing him like that."

I see Usui eyes shine in mischief. A sense a foreboding fills me, so I cut him off before I have to suffer from it, "She means honorifics. She learned and uses a very polite speech pattern and it was kind of weird for me. I didn't want to be called '-sama'."

Usui only looks on with the same playful and amused smile he has when teasing others. Stop putting that face, dammit!

"Belldandy…" The blonde's expression changes as he seems to focus on her name for a short while.

"Yes?" Belldandy blinks at his sudden change in demeanor. It is odd.

"You wouldn't happen to have been named after the Norse figure: Verdandi, would you?" He asks curiously.

"Oh my…" Belldandy looks troubled at the question, she more than likely wants to reveal the truth but knows she shouldn't to keep her cover. Why do I feel the truth is that she is this Verdandi character and the Norse people got it wrong? I throw her a metaphorical safety tube.

"How would you know something like that?" I ask him, while shooting him a brief shake of the head. Him cocking his lip upwards is his response to my gesture.

"Oh," He smiles innocently, "I read a lot about other cultures during my spare time."

"You just have a surplus of time to waste, don't you?"

"Probably," The blonde laughs and I can't help but snort.

The other two also laugh to themselves. Looks like we were able to distract them from the previous question.

Usui then grins playfully, "So tell me Belldandy, has Hikigaya treated you well during your stay? He can be rather…" He glances at me with a dumb expression, "Well, let's just go with unique."

Oi, oi! You insulted me just now, didn't you?

However, to his surprise, and mine as well, she gazed at me warmly, responding the following, "Hachiman-san has been very patient handling our sudden arrival. I… couldn't be more grateful…" An odd expression invades her face, one that I'm rapidly becoming more aware of the longer I spend in this world.

I could only shift my eyes away from hers in discomfort, "I didn't do anything…"

"Hehh… How generous of you," Usui smiles at me. Bastard. "Doesn't it get boring after a while?"

I blinked at him. That's a rather odd thing to ask all of a sudden.

"Hachimaaaaan~" A voice cuts us off before Belldandy could give an answer.

Suddenly, two arms envelop my neck, I can feel the head of Lala Deviluke leaning over my shoulder as she peeks at me. I distinctly feel two soft mounds against the back of my shoulder. Woman, are you trying to kill me of fright!?

Ugh… The fact that I'm growing used to her invading my personal space is worrying, but it seriously doesn't look like she's going to stop anytime soon. The faster I accept that part of her, the sooner I can write off her behavior as an annoyance.

"…What is it?" I ask with veiled displeasure.

"Nooothing~" She replied cheerfully, her grip tightening. Hey wait, you're going to choke me if you go any tighter. Stop it. "Can't I just greet my darling this morning?"

"Then bother whoever that is and leave me alone…" I grumble.

She merely giggles in response before finally noticing the other male in the room. Said male was looking on with a humored smile and a raised eyebrow. I click my tongue in irritation.

"Wooow… Now who might this be?" His teasing tone makes itself known once more.

Deviluke tilts her head, smiling, "I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke, Hachiman's future wife!"

I suppress a groan and merely sigh in exasperation. Despite that I already told her to stop saying that nonsense, she's too stubborn. It's a pain to deal with the attention this lie seems to drag.

"Heehh…" I roll my eyes at his smirk, "Really?"

"Deviluke's a daughter of an old family friend," I flawlessly ignore him, and introduce her cover, "She's an exchange student."

"From a very far place, right Hachiman?" Deviluke grins enthusiastically.

Usui sends me a subtle, knowing look and I return it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's the alien after her failure at being covert just now. Tch… I still can't believe I managed to blow her cover before she did…

"Right… She's always been interested in Japan and my parents offered to have her here," I explained.

"Is that so?" He looks ready to laugh at any moment. I huff to myself and finally dig into the bowl in front of me after a quiet thanks.

"Are you another one of Hachiman's friends?" Deviluke finally releases her grip on me and sits down to my left, smiling brightly as she continues conversing with Usui.

"I suppose you can call me that. I'm Usui Takumi," Usui greets with a pleasant smile, "I don't think I need to tell you how interesting he is."

"He sure is~" Deviluke giggles in response, "Hachiman's really, really cool!"

I calmly continue eating. If I react, the blonde would use that as fuel to try and tease me.

As they engage in some small talk, I offhandedly notice Belldandy walk up to the table with her own bowl. Though I momentarily pause when she takes a seat next between Komachi and I. Usually it would have been next to Komachi on the opposite side of me, this would be the first time she's ever willingly sat next to me as we ate. Not sure if I should be happy with that.

In any case, I guess that conversation we had really helped her with her discomfort around me. Though this could very well be a double-edged sword if I think about it. There's no more awkwardness on her part, yet now she may try and befriend me, which would be awkward for me.

I glance at the goddess, only to see her smile at me. I'm left with no other choice than accept what had happened between us. I respond to her smile with a brief nod of acknowledgement.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I notice Usui staring at us in silence. I furrow my brows, "What?"

"No, nothing," A playful smile makes its way back to his face, "I'm simply surprised at how much of a charmer Hikigaya-kun is."

This time I briefly choke on my drink at his words.

"W-what the heck are you on about?" Despite that I force myself to remain cool, my nervous tone came noticeable even to me, which only gave fuel that that teasing idiot. I glance to my right and see Belldandy blushing lightly while Komachi looks on in confusion.

"Who knows?" Usui deliberately averts his gaze, his tone reeking amusement.

I feel a weight on my left and turn to see Deviluke grinning bashfully before wrapping her arms around my own. I try to ignore it and focus on the blonde. "If you have time to waste saying that kind of crap, hurry up and eat your breakfast."

"Hai, hai~" Usui takes a bite of his bowl.

The alien girl was staring right at my face, I could almost feel it… "You too, Deviluke."

"Feed me then, darling~" I back away from her as she closes her eyes and opens her mouth, letting out an… "Aahhhh…"

What exactly are trying to do here, woman?

"I'm eating, do it yourself." I mutter.

"But I would be soooo happy if my darling did it for me!" She exclaims cheerfully.

"No." I respond flatly.

"Just like husband and wife," Usui comments in amusement. However, instead of furthering his teasing, he directs his attention to the goddess. "I assume Deviluke won Hikigaya over you, Belldandy-san?"

The goddess blinks, glancing at me briefly, "W-we're not in a-any sort of competition, Usui-sama…" I can see her cheeks reddening. Geez… that's not the reaction you should give him! This irritating guy will use it against you! Or me rather!

Instead of following up with his teasing, Usui smiles at Belldandy and puts a hand up in a 'stop' motion.

"Please, just 'Usui-san.' I am also uncomfortable at the usage of that honorific," His smile is polite, but I can see the tension on his face.

"Who the hell is competing for what?" I cut in, "Keep talking and see if you enjoy your meal in the streets."

Usui raises his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay. I'll stop. Hikigaya is so grumpy this morning! I wonder how you two deal with that…" And his sly smile makes it's unwelcome return. "But when there's love…"

My eye twitches in annoyance. This guy is seriously infuriating! My pity for the maid he likes has skyrocketed! No doubt the poor girl has had to suffer this constantly the entire time they've known each other.

"I like his grumpiness! It's unique and his dry personality's hot! It reminds me a bit of daddy!" Deviluke states excitedly, while I momentarily choked on my food in shock at her words. Oi, oi, we didn't ask about that! You… Are you a dad-con? Is the reminder of the patriarch of your family an attractive quality for you!?

"Heehh… really?" Usui shoots me glance, a cocky smile painting his face.

"Yeah! I love his personality! In fact I…" She continued before stopping briefly, and I cocked an eyebrow at the strange expression she sported in that one moment. It was a mix of realization and something I couldn't put my finger on. "I… just love him…"

...eh?

Usui blinks in shock, Komachi blushes wildly and gapes, all the while I stare at her completely stunned. I couldn't even find it in myself to react, it was that insane to hear. Belldandy looks at Deviluke with widened eyes.

Did she truly mean that? She couldn't be… She must still be riding the high after her confrontation with her people two nights ago. That has to be it. There's no other possible way she would honestly mean those words.

As if it were that simple. Mind you, I know nothing of this particular subject, but this kind of thing doesn't happen so fast… Even someone as inexperienced as me can tell that much. It would be naive of me to think so… actually, it would be simply stupid and delusional.

How can she bring herself to state that she has fallen in love after just meeting me a couple of days ago? Don't come to me with the crap line of 'love at first sight' as that is only a pathetic phrase to justify the idiotic thinking of those hot-blooded and inexperienced in the matter. People often mistake love with attraction, which is the main reason of the rising quantity of divorces in this country and many others.

Maybe my self of the past would have fallen for this line, but I know better. Whatever she's trying to pull, she's using this mysterious emotion to her advantage. I can only see this as some sort of manipulation on her part due to the reason that her stay on Earth basically depends on me.

I let out an exasperated sigh, before turning to her, "Oi. Quit saying nonsense already."

Deviluke blinks, yet she refuses to let go of my arm and frowns, "It's not nonsense."

"It is," I argue. "Who are you trying to fool? Do you really expect me, or anyone to believe such a shallow statement? That you fell in love with me in just a couple of days?"

Komachi looked between us, confused and nervous.

Deviluke's grip hardens, yet someone speaks before she could, "Hachiman-san… I don't feel any insincerity in her confession." I turn with a narrowed gaze at Belldandy, who looked more troubled that I would have imagined, "Love is unexplainable, and it can't be measured, or understood. It can happen so fast, or very well take many years to occur. It's a wonderful feeling to have. It's genuine…"

Her words struck a chord in me, but I force myself to shrug it off for the sake of my principles. Logic demands I stand my ground on this matter, for both Deviluke's sake and mine.

"Don't be so naive, Belldandy," I growled, noticing Usui's focused expression, which remained otherwise ignored, "It takes more than just that to justify such declaration. One can't love a person they don't know. It's simple logic."

Deviluke bites her lower lip and averts her gaze. However, her grip didn't loosen in the slightest, "Love can't be analyzed or explained like you're trying to do, Hachiman. It simply happens."

A woman of science speaking like that… But her words remind of Hiratsuka-sensei's, emotions can't be analyzed or rationalized, but that isn't what I was doing. I'm simply stating that something as deceptive and complicated as love isn't likely to come about when both parties have only just met and barely know each other.

Hah… And here I thought I would have a calm breakfast… how foolish.

I raised an eyebrow, a wry smile accompanying it, "Then explain, would you? What exactly made you fall for me? Because I don't remember doing anything in particular."

Usui's gaze gained a sharp light, yet he remained as an observer. Good, I don't need your interference, stalker. There may be that so called love between you and your maid, considering how long you two have known each other, but my circumstances are different.

The alien pinkette lets go of my arm, yet her hands gripped my blazer, not allowing me any form of escape for about she was going to say. Her green orbs stared directly into my eyes, and I notice, for the second time, something I ignored since she first showed up.

Her eyes were that of someone who knows what it's like to be alone. I may have deliberately forgot the expression she sported when I almost kicked her out of the house, but once more that strange glint was there in her gaze. My loner sensors couldn't detect anything else than the solitude they transmitted.

Could it be that she's also a loner? I blink in realization, recalling that she was the daughter of the king of a whole planet. As a princess, she must have had a solitary childhood considering her status. It could be possible and yet…

Her cheerful and friendly behaviour rivals the one of Yuigahama's, her beauty is undeniable. But even if she was a princess, she could have managed to befriend others nobles… right? I came to realize then and there that even now that I became aware of Deviluke's situation, I really knew nothing more than that. How can I bring myself to judge her if I don't know her true self?

I don't have that right.

"You are…" I blink, brought back to reality by her voice as I notice the alien girl pursing her lips. However, despite that I expected an answer, she puffs her cheeks and pushes me back, eyes closed and waving her arms while she shouts right to my face. "Baka! Baka-Hachiman!"

'Baka'? Wait… what for?

Deviluke raises from her seat and runs out of the living room, and up the stairs. Seconds later, the stomp of a door echoes, silence reigning for few seconds.

I let out a sigh, then noticing a frown on Belldandy's face. Can't say I didn't see this coming. It's just so like her to disapprove on this point considering her naivete. Well… we did manage to fix the problem between us yesterday about her Heaven monitoring me, but that doesn't mean I'll go along with her ideals and beliefs.

I pick up my cup of coffee, and before taking a sip, I ask uninterestedly, "Do you have something to say, Belldandy?" I glance at her from the corner of my eyes.

"I don't understand why you keep treating her like that," She says sternly, "All she seeks is for you to give her attention, Hachiman-san."

"I give her plenty attention," I retort, "What she wants is from me is to play along with her ridiculous farce."

The goddess closes her eyes, "Have you ever considered that her feelings may be true?"

"She's known me for three days. And almost all of our conversations were based on pointless banter, what exactly led to those kind of feelings?" I ask.

"Have you forgotten the fact that it was you that allowed Lala-san to stay?" She counters, "You said she could live her life and choose her own future. She chose you as her future."

And now my own words come to bite me in the ass, huh?

"So I did. So let me ask you something," I raise an eyebrow, "Does that mean I should nod my head at her selfishly declaring such a thing?"

It isn't my fault that Deviluke misinterpreted my actions in a way that would benefit her. She decided this on her own without giving a care about what I thought, so why am I the bad guy here? If anything, Deviluke is just imposing herself on me.

Usui raises his hand, sporting that dumb expression of his, "Can I make a comment?"

"No./Yes!" Both me and Belldandy respond simultaneously.

"Eehhh? Is that a yes or a no?" He asks innocently.

"No./Yes…" And once more, we both respond at the same time.

Usui turns to Komachi, who was somehow giggling at their antics, although hiding her smile behind a hand, "Komachi-chan. Is it like this everyday?"

"N-not really…" Komachi squeaks out.

"Well, it's actually fun," The blonde grins, "I wouldn't mind coming to have breakfast everyday~"

Stars appear in Komachi's eyes, "Really!? Usui-san will make us company!" She exclaims before noticing my surprised expression, "Oh, eh… O-onii-chan… a-aren't you happy to have him here?"

"No." I respond curtly.

"You know that's a lie, Hikigaya," Adds Usui with a sing song voice, "You like my company~"

"Hardly," I grumbled.

I hear someone getting up, it was Belldandy, "I appreciate the visit, Usui-san. I hope you enjoyed the breakfast. If you excuse me, Komachi-sama…" She gazes at me, disappointment on her features.

I cocked an eyebrow as she leaves. We three look at her go up the stairs, probably to her shared room with Deviluke. So… she's mad at me? How unfair, just because I won't uphold her childish ideals.

"Heehh, Hikigaya-kun. Ever the charming guy, eh?" He teases, "You ran off both of your guests in record time."

"T-then… I'll be h-heading off!" Komachi suddenly stutters, before pushing her seat out.

"Ah, take care." I say automatically, but I doubt she heard me in her rush. Then I hear the door slam. Hah… She really wanted to escape from me, didn't she?

"Hoh…" I look back at Usui, "That's the most emotion you've shown this whole morning besides getting annoyed."

"The differences with her are among those that bother me the most," I sigh, dropping our previous pretenses.

"I can guess that you got along with your version of Komachi-chan?" Usui inquired after taking a final sip from his orange juice.

"Yeah…" I nodded slowly, "We were close, because we were always together growing up."

"Sis-con?" He raises an eyebrow in amusement, much to my irritation.

"Hell no," I growled immediately. I wasn't a sis-con, dammit. I just made sure she had the support our parents didn't give her due to their slave-driving jobs. That's what any good brother would do, wouldn't they?

I release a deep sigh and lean my head on my hand while looking at nothing in particular, "I watched over her most of her life since our parents weren't home that often."

"And that also differs now, I assume?"

"Ah," I confirm, "Them being home regularly is something I'm not used to."

Usui folds his arms, reflecting the implications. Well, it's still weird for me that I'm having this sort of conversation with someone not from the… Service Club, where I actually cared for what they had to say. My circle of trust was tiny, only having them, Isshiki, Komachi and Hiratsuka-sensei, so this continues to be weird. Much more now that this time it's a guy.

Could this possibly be the bromance experience I've read about in manga? Ebina would be having conniptions if she saw us here. I feel grossed out just thinking about her reaction.

"You really have it difficult, Hikigaya-kun," Usui rest his elbows on the table, "Well, while I can't say I disagree with you about the love part… Don't you need her for the game? You won't find out if she's the fake being if you push her away like that."

I let loose another sigh, and rub my face. It's barely morning, and I'm already fed up with the day. Give me a break…

"I know…" I admit slowly, "But I don't want to compromise my ideals by going along with that kind of stuff… I can't afford to."

"But if you don't, wouldn't that keep you from winning that game?" Usui asks.

I purse my lips, "I don't intend to lose this game, Usui. But I have to do this at my pace while staying true to myself. If that god chose me of all people for this game, then he must believe that I'll pull through, so, I'll just have to pull through."

"Your competitor may leave you behind, though," He points out, "He may give up his ideology for the sake of the game."

Would he? Usui has a point, but honestly speaking, I highly doubt it. Ayanokouji doesn't look like the kind of guy that would stray from his ethics, whatever they may be. I'm sure he will play the game with his own methods.

"What's the point of sacrificing myself just to win?" I ask him seriously, "If I look into a mirror and don't recognize myself at the end of the day, I've already lost. I refuse to do that to myself."

You see this often in those Isekai stories. Protagonists that want to return to their original worlds tread upon their moral compasses and principles in their effort to get back that when they finally do, none of their family recognizes who they are anymore.

They're works of fiction of course, but that idea holds a modicum of truth. People are stupid enough to think that they'd be able to handle this situation without a problem, as if they're objective machines that can't be influenced. Not only is it naive, it's pure foolishness.

The second I sacrifice my personal ethics and morality, I lost to the game and should immediately give up trying to go back to my world.

"Hoh… you sounded cool right there," Usui chuckles. "I suppose I can respect that."

I nodded my head, "Right…"

He raises a finger, smiling cockily, "But you will need to make up for your callousness towards them. We need to start reducing the number of suspects if you're to win, Hikigaya. Better start with those living here, right?"

I stare at him for a brief moment. He's right, even if I have justifications about my actions, it'd be stupid of me to alienate those two. Belldandy will be easy enough, but Deviluke will be a lot trickier to solve. Well, it's not like I have to do it right now, right? I have to head out already.

"Right," I agree before finally getting up, "We should get going already."

"Sure enough," He grins, "Can't wait to see Ayuzawa~"

I raise an eyebrow, "Ayuzawa?"

He blinks, realizing he had slipped, "Ah… I meant, Misa-chan…"

I smirk at him for once, "So much for not that not being your secret to tell."

I try to mimic his teasing tone, but I'm sure I failed horribly. It got the message across at least.

"Just… Keep that to yourself, Hikigaya. You know how it is for maids," Usui grimaces.

"Hai, hai…" I offer casually, recalling my strange experience with the glasses. "Oi, Usui, have you ever heard about something called… Synapse?"

He pauses at my question, "Synapse?" He pursed his lips for a moment as if he was lulling an answer in his head. He looked surprisingly serious, at least until he snapped his fingers with a ridiculous expression.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in neuroscience."

"Not that," I roll my eyes, "It's a place or something… related to angels?"

"Nope. I've never heard of that kind of place, but I'll be sure to check the database of Planet Pheromone," He states dumbly.

"Why don't you return to your planet already if you're going to joke around?" I growl.

"Ehh… maybe I should find your sense of humor there," He chuckles.

I scoff in exasperation, "I was being serious," I replied curtly before collecting our dishes and setting them in the sink. "Whatever, it's late. Let's go."

Well, with that said, we finally head out.

5-5

"Usui? What are you doing here?"

We both turn to our left, spotting Yuuki Rito leaving his house.

"Ah, Short-kun," Usui casually waves a hand at him, "Long time no see. How's your venture to capture Sairenji-chan's heart?"

Yuuki blinks, and scratches the back of his head, "Oh, haha… Well… I was actually planning to talk to her today. And yeah, cool to see you again, dude. Been some time."

"Yo," I offer the younger boy.

"Hey, Hachiman. So, what are you two up to?" Yuuki asks as he adjusts his school bag, "Isn't your apartment closer to Seika? Why did you come all the way here, Usui?"

"I felt like visiting Hikigaya-kun~" Usui grins playfully, then blinks and out at random, "Oh, isn't that Sairenji-chan?"

Yuuki becomes red and robotically turns around, "Where!? Where!?"

I blink, failing to find the bluehead. Usui leans to me and whispers, "Forgot to ask, did you tell anybody else of your situation?"

"No." I whisper back as the resident idiot looks around wildly for his crush.

"What about Aikawa-kun? He knows about the alien and the goddess, right?"

"But not about the game and my special circumstances," I mutter in response.

The short brunette frowns and turns back to the blonde, "She's not here, dude."

"Ooh, too bad~" Usui singsongs in his teasing voice, facing Yuuki again, "You must have missed her~"

"You were like a dog in heat," I add mercilessly.

Yuuki let's out a sigh of relief, "Well, I wasn't really prepared to see her, you know?"

"Is that why you looked so eager at the thought of her being around?" I ask offhandedly.

Yuuki reddens and begins to sputter. As he was about to respond, another door is opened, at the other side to the right. My other neighbor, Aikawa Ayumu, who yawned before approaching to us three. Just what I needed… Oi, oi, it's pretty cold out here, why are you were just in a simple shirt?

"You guys," Aikawa notices the blonde, who turned to him, sporting a cocky smile, "Eh? What is this guy doing here?"

Usui chuckles, pocketing his hands, "Hey there, Lazy-kun~"

Aikawa deadpans, "Well, is this some sort of gathering or something?" He massages his neck, "Oh, is it about Yukihira? He's leaving after today, right? Are you going to plan a goodbye party for him or something?"

Oh, yeah. He did say that he would be returning to that culinary academy of his in Tokyo.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 05

"Heehh… I haven't seen Yukihira-kun since he left some time ago," He tilts his head as if mulling over something, "Maybe I should swing by, Misa-chan isn't scheduled to work today."

It always comes back to that maid for him, doesn't it?

"Yeah, we should all go and have a party!" Yuuki raises a fist in excitement, "Let's tell the rest of the guys!"

Aikawa shrugs his shoulders, "I was planning to take a relaxing nap, but I suppose I can go, too."

Yuuki nods, "What about you two?" He asks hopefully.

Of course, my automatic response would be no. But I have to play nice, and since Yukihira will be the center of attention, I might be able to get away with hiding in the corner.

"Sure." I shrug my shoulders.

"Eehh…" Usui smiles, "It's hardly a party when you have to cook your own food, and have to feed everyone else for free."

Aikawa smirks, "Not when you love cooking like Souma does. I swear that guy would never mind cooking for his friends."

"Oh… is that another way of saying you're freeloaders?" I ask cleverly.

Usui chuckles at my remark, "Wouldn't that apply to the both of us as well?"

I flinch at that, grunting in exasperation, "At least I'd admit it and not give a runaround."

Usui laughs at that, as Yuuki looks on, sweat dropping.

"Weren't you supposed to say something cool instead…?"

"Hikigaya is fresh out of those," Usui teases.

I blink, a sudden realization coming to me. Was this what they experienced? Hayama, Miura, Yuigahama, Ebina, Tobe and that nameless duo? But I have to wonder, are we like them? Shallow ties that we pretend are meaningful? Would a single deviance between this group cause its implosion? I can't help but feel curious if we're the same. If it was, I'd probably do all I can to destroy it. I protected it back in my world because I thought there may have been something genuine hidden between them and I almost lost everything back when I hadn't realized just how important it was to me.

No, I wouldn't put up with one in this world. If my ties to these guys are superficial, I won't be asked to pretend to be as close of friends as they think we are.

But… If that wasn't the case… Well, it'd be both shocking and interesting.

"Alright!" Yuuki exclaims, "Let's meet at Souma's restaurant after school!"

Aikawa lazily shrugs his shoulders, "Sounds good to me."

"Well, I guess I'll come along." Usui also shrugs and turns to me with a wry smile, "What about you, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Might as well," I answered casually, "Free food tastes the best."

The boy with greish, almost white hair grins snarkily, "Say what about freeloaders?" I twitch an eyebrow at Akikawa's cocky tone.

"Like I said, I didn't hide it by saying Yukihira is happy about it," I mutter.

"You got a point," Aikawa agrees, "Can't deny it. I'll give a call to Harima."

Usui shakes his head, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

I blink, Yuuki doing just the same. Is it me or was there this wrong and evil glint in his eyes? Just what the heck are you planning, Usui?

Considering his teasing nature, not to mention his undeniable awareness of his surroundings, I'm positive about this guy pranking the delinquent. He'll probably use that girl he likes for it.

"A-alright?" Yuuki forces a smile while sweat dropping, "Then I'll give a call to Tomoya to let him know." He gives a glance at his phone, "Ow, I think Tomoki arrives today to Chiba for the weekend."

Tomoki sounds familiar… Wasn't that the guy that told me he was chained to an angel or something along those lines? I'd blow it off as insanity, but considering what happened these last few days…

"Why don't you give him a call, Hachiman?" Yuuki suggests, "You two investigated a lot about the sea freezing before he returned to his town, right?"

Is… that right? Huh… This person, Tomoki, could know something worthwhile. Maybe talking to him could give me valuable information about myself and that ocean freezing my former self was interested in.

"…I'll send him a message when I get to class."

"Then it's all set!" Yuuki nods his head cheerfully, "I'll talk to Haruna-chan today and tell you all later! I promise!"

Hoh… so he's indeed dead set on that.

"Pfft," Usui chuckles before chiming in his usual teasing tone, "Try your best, Short-kun~"

The words may sound reassuring, but your voice says otherwise, Blondie.

Aikawa puts a hand under his chin in amusement, "I'll say it again, dude. Having a girlfriend is probably too stressing. I'd rather have a peaceful life than dealing with that."

Huh…? I can't really say he's wrong there.

Humans seek to interact with one another, and depending on the age of a certain individual, that need of forming relationships could prove to be stronger. I would say it's unnecessary, but sadly enough, it can't be avoided as the human race can only exist and progress through societies.

Although, does that mean that pursuing a romantic relationship is as important as establishing this bonds? Not necessarily, I've learned that one person cannot advance through life by themselves and will need others eventually, but romance isn't specifically required.

I… don't really know anything when it comes to romance. What I experienced were mere infatuations, nothing that can be called love. Even before I arrived… I wasn't really sure what my relationship with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama was. But it was something that was important to me.

Whatever the case, Aikawa is correct to some extent as romantic relationships usually led people to reveal their true nature, usually to the worst. Having one is just asking for trouble and even depression should those involved make mistakes.

Well, this doesn't even have to concern me, I'm not getting involved in one.

"You just say that because you're too lazy to even notice a girl," Yuuki shoots back at him, "I don't even know how can you ignore Hiramatsu-san! She's kind, and pretty cute, and bothers talking to you despite that you avoid everybody in school."

I cocked an eyebrow at that. So, Aikawa's also a loner? What is this? Is everyone of them a loner of sorts? Although thinking about it carefully, Yuuki also seems to be a loner himself, considering the hate he received for apparently destroying the garden plants, even if he didn't, and the fact that hanging out with my former self gave him a bad reputation.

I blink in realization. What about the others…?

Harima, considering delinquent reputation, is most likely feared in his school, which would automatically grant him the title of loner. Usui proved me yesterday he was one too before he met that maid of his… I'm not sure about the otaku, though I know nothing of him. But if he's the sort to respect Zaimokuza, I wouldn't be surprised if he was on his own too.

Geez… are we some sort of a League of Loners or something? I'm not going to find out that we have this secret base with code words and membership rings, right? That'd be ridiculous.

Aikawa averts his gaze awkwardly, "She's nice to everybody, so it doesn't really matter. Just drop it, Rito. You have your own trouble to deal with. Besides, I do talk with my classmates… I would even call them friends, you know?"

Yuuki scratches his head, "Not when you never hang out with them, but suit yourself, Ayumu. I was just saying."

"Well, I just want a peaceful life," Aikawa mutters. "Cozy days when I can just relax are great, and bothering with a girl or anybody else would go against it. Hanging out with you guys is wild enough already."

Usui chuckles, "That's a lame excuse, Lazy-kun."

I twitch an eyebrow, "Whatever, let's just go already or we'll be late."

Usui nods his head, "Hai, hai. We'll meet at Yukihira's then."

Yuuki nods his head in affirmative while Aikawa shrugs his shoulders, "Since we leave early today, it'll be right after school I suppose."

"Yeah," The shortest of us confirms.

"I guess…" Suddenly, it dawns on me, the fact that I already made plans with the crybaby Takao and that Tendou girl . "Ah, umm… I… might have something to do actually…"

Yuuki blinks, "Really? Well, that's a bummer."

Usui steps up to me, "Hey now, don't back out now, Hikigaya. Everyone will be there."

It's not like I really want to go, I'm sure I'll learn something if I do. I suppose I could ditch Takao, but I'll probably never hear the end of it, considering the whiner she seems to be. Well, this is my chance to learn about her as she was apparently close to my former self. With Tendou there, I could even make some progress in the game… maybe?

If I manage to make that girl buy her game quick, I could go to the restaurant after that. Might as well see how this goes… feels like I'm working dammit.

"I'll drop by later…" They stare at me, "Oi, I said I'm going. Stop it with those creepy stares."

"You'd better," Aikawa deadpans. "Harima told us that you two met a gamer girl. And that she was 'alright,' which means 'cute' in his language. You gotta fill us in about that."

"Tch… You don't bother with your own life and you care about that?" I ask evenly, deadpanning as well.

"Don't play with our hearts, Hikigaya. We'll wait for you~" Usui sing songs.

I roll my eyes as Usui and Aikawa leave together, the latter waving a hand at us, "See ya guys later!"

Mmm…? Their schools must be located in the same direction for them to leave together. I recall Usui mentioning that he wasn't that fond of Aikawa, Yuuki and the otaku. Well, I suppose that they can get along even if that's the case.

Though, maybe he bothered to interact in order to make things easier for me. I glance back at the disappearing form of the blonde. Huh… Maybe.

"Let's go, Hachiman!" Yuuki says while moving forward.

I stare blankly as he moves before letting out a sigh.

5-6

"I guess Souma isn't here. Maybe he's doing some shopping to restock his groceries."

I glance at Yuuki after he made one last attempt of knocking the door of Restaurant Yukihira, to no avail. Well, can't be helped I suppose.

"Probably," I mutter.

"Should I give him a call?" Yuuki asks.

"Well, we'll see him later anyway."

"Sure enough," He shrugs his shoulders.

5-7

Lunch break at Sobu.

I'm actually pleased that nothing major happened upon arriving to Sobu. Yuuki simply left for his school. Surprisingly, or I should say unsurprisingly considering their behavior around each other, I didn't see Sairenji, and this time I was able to avoid seeing that annoying Kote-something girl again. Putting aside Usui's intrusion in my house and whatever I saw with those glasses, this day has been rather uneventful since. That may change with Takao and Tendou's outing to the game store, or the gathering in Yukihira's restaurant. I just know that I'm going to suffer constant headaches during both events.

The Fire Queen Miura Yumiko was currently staring at me, with an expectant look on her face too.

She's probably waiting for me so we can eat lunch together again. This is going to become a regular thing, isn't it? In any case, I still have to contact that guy called Tomoki. I wonder if I have his contact info… Wait, Miura is still staring… she's waiting for me, isn't she?

* Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you.*

Miura blinks at the sound of her phone, and hurriedly reads my message. Not even two seconds pass as she is already writing her reply, looking so focused that it's actually cute.

- Why, Hikio? (ಠ_ಠ)

I blink and notice her glaring at me. Dear me, she's already mad?

* Just need to write some notes. Don't worry, I'll see you there.

- I can wait for you. (˘з˘) ~

Woman… I need some space, you know? If she's insisting this much for just the lunch break, how bad will it be later? There's no way she can know about me meeting with two girls… geez… why do I feel like I'm cheating on her? It's not like we're a couple, but…

Whatever, I don't want people hating her because of hanging out with me. It's either me going first, or she doing so. Oh… I think I can make her relent with this.

* Shiromeguri is surely waiting for you, Miura. Don't leave her hanging.

I raise my head to see her thoughtful for several seconds. She then rapidly writes me back, and sticks her tongue at me playfully before getting up and leaving the class. I huff in amusement and shake my head, as different as she acts, Miura's behavior is something I don't particularly mind.

I finally look at her message.

- Alright, Hikio. But if you don't show up, I'll haunt you! (◣_◢)

I scoff at that, but look over my shoulder just in case. Don't say something that sounds that scary so casually, woman. Well, I'll text that guy Tomoki. He oughta be in… Wait, is he even attending classes? He's visiting Chiba, implying he lives somewhere outside of it, and depending on where could mean that he didn't go today.

Oi, shouldn't you be focused on your academics before hanging out with the rest of us? Unless his school doesn't include Saturday classes?

Well, he must have a good reason for coming here, I suppose.

- Oi. If you already got here, everyone's gathering at Restaurant Yukihira after classes for a brief reunion since Yukihira's leaving again soon.*

Well, that should be enough I think. If he's part of this group, I'm sure he knows where Yukihira's restaurant is, although it's only an assumption on my part. Should he not know, he'll just have to bother calling one of us to ask about it. I did my part, nobody can blame me if he doesn't show up.

I got some other messages too, I suppose I should just read them before seeing Miura and Shiromeguri. I would appreciate no more death threats. I already had to block the other numbers from when I first got here, I'd rather not have to go through that hassle again.

Mmm… seven messages, and three are death threats indeed. Just how on earth do these people even know my number? I'll just block them and move on.

Damn… one of them is from that damned woman, Yukinoshita Haruno. I don't want to read it, but I have no other choice. She might not qualify as a candidate due to her age, but she may hold useful information. She might also be able to tell me whether or not her sister and I are familiar with each other. It would be too much of a coincidence if I only had a relationship with someone three years my senior rather than her younger sister who's my age.

And… She unfortunately already has an established relationship with me. One that everyone knows about. I can't just cut ties from her all of a sudden.

- Hachi-kun~ You've been sooooo silent lately. What's wrong…? Now you got me worried… I miss you, you know…? I miss your touch… your lips… I madly miss you forcing your way on me… I know you made me promise that I wouldn't call you, but I need you… Please, give me a call or I will do it. I don't care if my mother or Yukino-chan get mad, but I will. You don't want that, do you?

…hah?

Ugh… How the hell am I supposed to respond to this? The one person I hate the most, and I have to play along with this… whatever the hell her relationship is with me? What the hell?

Not only is she saying how she misses my physical company, she's practically threatening me to get in touch with her. Gah… That could be taken either way with this depraved woman… And what's with this 'forcing myself on her'? Is she really into that kind of play? The notoriously sadistic woman back in my world is a closet masochist here? What a fucking joke.

Seriously, if that disgusting collection in his closet hadn't already convinced me, I would have said that previous self of mine was a damn pervert, in a league that I would call sick.

I have to think this through carefully. I have to keep her at bay and at the same time, keep her under control. Ignoring this new disgusting facade of hers, I'm pretty sure she's still as capable and calculating as she is in my world, and her threat actually shows how far she would go for her own desires, even considering going against her mother's will and Yukinoshita's.

Just what the heck is going on? What's my past with the Yukinoshita family?

Despite how much aversion I feel towards Haruno and these bothersome circumstances, I'm gonna have to avoid showing it. For my sake… and Yukinoshita's too… damnit.

* Calm down. I've been stuck with schoolwork and some family matters. It's not like I don't have a life, but I won't be going anywhere if that is what you're worried about.

I'm cringing internally. To think I just wrote that to give Haruno a false sense of security. Well, I just hope this is enough to get her off my back for a while. Though I'm sure she's going to be annoying me for requests for my company regularly.

I'll worry about that when I decide to bother with her, but right now, I have too much on my plate.

The next message is from… wait, it's from a certain pleasant-mouthed blonde girl.

- Hello Hikigaya-kun. It's Tendou, we exchanged contacts yesterday, remember? I talked to Takao and she's actually ecstatic about me coming too. Isn't that great? (ᵔᴥᵔ)

That makes things easier for me. If Takao can be distracted by a gamer of her fellow gender talking about the game she wants, the less I'll be expected to participate in conversations.

* Ah, sure. I figured she'd like the additional company.

Alright… next is… Suou again. Hoh…

- Wassup, Higikaya! (•‿•) Wanna hang out today? I know u'll be coming 2 my sweet home 2morrow, but I have nuthing 2 do today. XD Wut do u say?

This girl sure is energetic. Though it's pretty surprising how willingly she seems to want to hang out with me when we don't know each other. Then again, she's already invited me to her home. I appreciate the enthusiasm(lol), Suou, but don't you think you should be a little more cautious? There's a serial killer roaming Chiba, you know?

And at least make sure to spell my name right even if you engage in 'text talk'.

In any case, I'm already plenty busy later, so I'm going to have to turn her down.

* I already have plans for today. Sorry.

I'm positive that Suou will whine about it, given her personality. But meh, it can't be helped.

As I'm about to read the last message, a new one pops up. Mmm? It's from...

Sairenji? Oh, we exchanged contacts yesterday now that I recall. I assume she's using her own lunch break to text me.

- Hikigaya-senpai. Hello… It's kind of embarrassing to message a boy, but I just wanted to say hi… Yuuki-kun seems happy today… It makes me glad that he's cheerful today. About what we spoke of yesterday, I think we should wait a bit. Midterms are starting next week for us, and I don't want to distract Yuuki-kun with… you know… Besides, Sobu's midterms begin in two weeks, right? So I think you should focus on that before anything else. I hope you have a good day.

* Right. Thanks.

And the last is from Takao, huh?

- Hachiman, so you met Karen!? This was supposed to be our outing! I like hanging out with her, but there were some things I wanted to ask you in private! About… you know what…

Wait, didn't she want to buy a game? Or was that just an excuse? So much for being 'ecstatic' for a classic game. And didn't Tendou say you were excited at her joining us?

* I ran into her yesterday. I thought you'd enjoy having a gamer to talk to.

More like, have someone you'd actually get along with to talk to rather than me putting up with your nonsense. I still can't believe she pulled the crybaby card… is she really a high school student?

Crap, how much time have I spent of lunch break already? Miura isn't going to be happy. I raise from my seat, noticing Kawa-something sleeping over her desk. Well, that's actually a good way to spend lunch break, I admit. I do wonder though if this version of her also had a part-time job that consumes her energy.

Just as I reach the door, my phone vibrates, signalling a new message. I continue to walk as I read Takao's reply, ignoring the girl that almost bumped into me, who yelped when I left the class.

- I know, but I need your advice… and I just can't ask you about 'that' with someone around. Baka Hachiman! You're so inconsiderate! Stupid, dummy!

I roll my eyes. Who can understand women? First they say one thing, and then they come up with another. Well, Tendou is so naive, thinking that her 'friend' will be happy to have her around. Friendships they call it, huh… Disappointing.

* Aren't you the one being inconsiderate here? Your friend Tendou was actually looking forward to buy games with you since you're always busy with Aki's project.

I continue to advance through the corridor, my destination, the tennis courts. As I walk down the stairs, another message from Takao arrives.

- She was? …sorry… I haven't seen you in days, and I wanted to talk with you a bit… I haven't made any progress with you-know-who and my competition is increasing. Even Roka has noticed it… Don't mind me then… we can leave that for another day. I'll meet up with Karen and see you at the game store then. (^-^)

* Sure.

I wonder who this 'you-know-who' was? I can only assume she's trying to win a competition or something in her school, but making progress with someone… why does that sound familiar?

No use thinking about that, she'll probably bring it up when she thinks is possible. Now, she didn't tell me the name of the store, so it's probably one I should know. It must be the store where I met Tendou. I just hope we don't run again into those 14 Demons, or whatever those delinquents were called, again.

I finally reach the tennis court, noticing where Miura and Shiromeguri sat and chatting by the staircase. They haven't noticed me yet so I'll just use Stealth Hikki and slip behind them and pretend like I was always there.

I slowly made my way towards them and successfully reach my intended spot, although a bit away from the two. Any closer and they would obviously notice me. My stealth skill is good but not that good.

I unpack the bento Belldandy left prepared, even before I went to have breakfast according my blonde companion. I'm actually a bit intimidated by her overwhelming kindness… she really got me yesterday.

Ah~ her food is glorious as usual. Almost for a second I felt like I was flying on heaven. After swallowing a puff of godly-made rice, I turn to my left only to find myself satisfied as the two still seemed to be engaged in their conversation.

Alright… it seems my plan worked somehow. Something good at last. I continue to dig in the bento to my heart's content and… they were still talking among themselves? I cocked an eyebrow before I stare at the two. It just seemed as if they were ignoring me.

Are they doing it on purpose? Well, it's better this way. It's been embarrassing enough to deal with Miura's bold display of her affections towards me since she confessed, so I'd rather relax this time.

Minutes passed as I enjoy myself, drinking the coffee Belldandy prepared in a thermos. Now I don't have to spend money on buying MAX Coffee, although I will still buy one from time to time. I wouldn't dare to give my back to my precious brewed drink.

I look at my phone upon sensing a vibration. It's a message from Suou apparently. I'm sure she's going to whine for turning her down, or at least she'll insult me.

- Jerk! xp haVe a gud day!1! o

Heh, figures… Well, I can't help smirking at that. While I first found Suou problematic, considering that she punched me out of embarrassment, she's actually sort of… amusing… I guess… the more I interact with her. I think she may be the first tomboy I've ever met. I never thought they could be this interesting.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 06

Suddenly, something pinches my cheek. I blink and turn towards the perpetrator of such an act with a scowl on my face, which disappears almost instantly as I find myself being subjected to Miura's glare. It would have been scarier but she was puffing her cheeks so, no, it was in fact, cute.

"W-what is it?"

Her green eyes drill into mine as she leans towards me. Oi woman, you're doing something really dangerous here…

"Hikio. You're late…" She starts as I back away from her, "You thought I wouldn't notice how long it took you to get here?" I grimaced slightly, forcing myself to remain calm, "And the worse is that you make no attempt of apologizing or, like, even talking to us!"

Gah… It was naive of me to think I succeeded. Miura must have some sort of skill that counteracts with Stealth Hikki!

My senpai, Shiromeguri Meguri, sits at my other side, smiling nervously, "Yeah, we actually feigned not noticing you so you would try to speak to us…" She leaned her head cutely, "Guess our plan didn't work. Hachiman-kun is such a dummy." My senpai giggles.

So it was that, huh? Give me a break here you two… I'm not the kind to easily catch these kinds of social cues, dammit.

"…I didn't want to interrupt you two."

"It, like, looked like you were enjoying yourself without us…" Miura pouts, "You were looking at your phone with that creepy smile…" She bites her lip, "It's gross…"

I sputter a bit. I really didn't miss those type of comments… "…It wasn't like that." I look away with a frown.

Are my smiles really that creepy? It's a wonder how my self esteem hasn't been torn to shreds hearing these kinds of comments so often. I guess that speaks volumes about the integrity of my character. Hah~ I really am a person of high quality!

Miura drops her gaze, "A-ah. N-no… I didn't mean it like that." She grabs the sleeve of my blazer, still refusing to look at me. "I know I shouldn't be angry, I have no right to demand anything from you. But… I just, like… want to spend as much time as I can with you, Hikio…"

I press my lips hard, doing whatever possible to contain a blush from spreading. Dear me, this girl just knows how to make me embarrassed… or anyone for that matter. The fact that she's so vocal of her feelings and wishes is rather impressive, and somewhat admirable… if not for the fact that she was making a mistake by choosing me as the receptor of her infatuation.

"Well…" I massage the back of my neck as I search for a reply.

"…Can't I?" She leans to me, looking so fragile that I just want to protect her forever! Gah! You have to calm down, Hachiman! You must… resist…

"I… don't… see why not…" I respond weakly.

Someone then tugs my blazer from the other side, "I want to spend time with Hachiman-kun, too. As much as I can… before the year ends…"

This is too much! My heart will stop at any moment if you two keep this up!

"Sure…" I say uncertainly to my bubbly senpai.

Her grip on my blazer tightens, her green eyes shining with hope, "You mean it, Hachiman-kun?" I nodded my head, "You can't go back on your word!"

The two stare at me expectantly, so I clear my throat and stand up, "I won't."

My relationship with these two is pretty new, both on their parts as well as mine. The previous Hachiman had not bothered with Shiromeguri even though she silently supported him. In Miura's case… What he did to her was simply unforgivable. It may have not been my sin, but, sharing bodies with him makes me inherit every wrong that he ever committed. This being one of many.

Maybe it's my bias because they're people I recognize and their relationship with me is fairly positive. Maybe I'm desperate to have familiar faces in my life even if I didn't have the best relationship with their original selves. I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think fixing his mistakes when it comes to these two is wrong.

Whatever this leads me to, I'll accept it without having any regrets.

"Miura… Shiromeguri…" They blink at my call, before I turn around, giving them my back as I stare at the horizon, "Thanks…"

The bell rings. Signalling that our break has ended.

5-8

End of classes.

Crap… now I'm in trouble.

I tried but I couldn't come up with an excuse to prevent Miura and Shiromeguri from tagging along with me once school ended. I may just be killed if Miura finds out I agreed to an outing with two other girls. What am I going to do now?

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I check it out.

- Hikio, let's go! I want to try some desserts! ヾ(｡^ω^｡)ノ

Damn…

How exactly do I break it to them without incurring the Fire Queen's wrath? Maybe I can say that I'm needed at home today? Ack, but what if Miura brings up Deviluke and gets mad anyway?

Before I'm able to respond to her message I notice a certain less-tolerable blonde riajuu get up from behind my desk and walk up to her. Miura blinks in surprise as Hayama Hayato calls for her attention. He sends her one of his usually fake smiles and says something to her. I feel a sense of pleasure at seeing her not blush at him, only simply paying attention before I remember why, her liking me instead.

Ugh… That's just too weird.

Because of their distance and the general noise in the classroom, I'm unable to catch what they're talking about. I do however notice Miura take occasional glances in my direction as Hayama pesters her. Maybe she's scared that I'll ignore her request and leave without her?

I feel my phone vibrate again. I glance at it. Shiromeguri, eh?

- Hachiman-kun. I don't think I can join you or Yumiko-chan after classes today. We're having trouble with the Presidential Elections, and I need to address our situation with the faculty. (ó﹏ò｡)

Hoh… How nostalgic. Trouble with the elections in this world too, senpai? I send a brief 'Don't worry about it.' to Megu-Megu-Megurin, as I remember the elections back in my world. It's what led me to meet that foxy, sly kohai of mine after all.

"I told you to never speak to me again!"

Mmm… That's right. She's not a particular fan of mine here, is she?

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to keep tabs on her when she wants nothing to do with me. Unlike with Miura and Shiromeguri, whatever bridge my previous self had with Isshiki was burned by him in some manner. It may be past mending by apology.

Suddenly I notice someone standing beside me. I cringe internally at the idea of Yuigahama trying to talk to me again, but upon looking to this person, it was Miura, who sported a frown. I blink, a little startled.

"Hikio… Meguri is having some problems with the elections of the next student council president, and Hayato told me the Service Club will, like, support her, but…" She bites her lip, dripping her gaze, "I don't want to leave her alone, you know?" I cocked an eyebrow, something she caught immediately, "I-I would ask you to help her, too, but you don't like the others in the Service Club…"

I can notice that fake blonde gazing at Miura in disbelief. Heh, you don't like this don't you? An innocent girl like Miura talking to a miscreant such as me? For all I care, really… Maybe I should use this opportunity to annoy him… just for a bit of entertainment.

"I see…" I nodded my head, with a subtle curl of my lips, "Well, it can't be helped. Be sure to help Shiromeguri out. We'll hang out some other time." I stand up, picking my bag and pat her head, causing her to blush, subtly glancing at the frown forming on Hayama's face. Heh… what can you say now, fake hero?

"Y-yeah, Hikio… in c-case we finish sooner, I'll let you know." She responds, her eyes unable to meet mine. That's too cute Miura-tan! You're one step closer to being in Totsuka's league! How could that be possible!?

"Sure thing. Laters, Miura." I nodded once more and walk out of the class, not before sparing Hayama a cocky smirk. Seeing his face contorted into a scowl, makes me feel fuzzy inside.

Heh… now I'm starting to sound like a villain. But how can I resist attacking that guy's riajuu facade? Chances like this don't come often, so I might as well enjoy them. In any case, Miura doesn't care that her 'friend' isn't fond of me, and I'm sure he will voice his opinion about the matter… not that it will change anything knowing Miura. She's a bit too strong-minded to allow others to influence her on these things so easily. And since she's not charmed by Hayama's aura of charisma, well, that makes him even less effective.

"Bye Hikio! Don't go looking for trouble!" Miura shouts as I walk into the corridor.

"As if…" I mutter before heading out.

5-9

Well, I can't deny I got lucky right then. The Student Council elections managed to prevent my massacre from occurring. And thinking about it, it feels weird that I won't be involved in those affairs. Granted, I'd rather not relive the strenuous times I went through in the Service Club. Still, it makes me wonder…

Will Ishikki be experiencing the same problem as the one in my world? Should that be the case, things may change now that I won't be convincing her of becoming the president. I'm actually interested in how it will turn out.

Well, as long as I'm not dragged into it, it's not my problem to deal with.

I didn't run into Sairenji or anybody else when I left Sobu, which was welcomed. Nothing better than walking alone without having to engage in conversation. Seriously, this is an unusual event, being on my own, that is. One of the aspects I preferred back in my world, is uncommon in this one. Let me take full advantage of it as I retrace my steps back to that game store.

But like always, good things don't last forever. No matter how much you'd wish them to…

Ah, come back peaceful solitude!

Feh… In time far less than I would have liked, I'm currently standing in front of the gaming store from yesterday. There was no sign of Tendou outside, or any other girl that could have been Takao. There were however, many male students from different school congregated outside, most of them looking inside the store through the windows.

I approach them to get a glance of whatever caught their attention. Then I blink, recognizing Tendou Karen with another girl browsing the selection of games displayed in the store. The two seemed unaware of all the attention they were drawing outside.

Hormonal teens, huh? Hot-headed males crowding to contemplate girls of remarkable beauty. Especially when said beautiful girls are gamers. It's so cliche and lame that makes me wonder how pathetic they could be, considering that most of these teens usually settle with just admiring from afar than ever trying to speak to a girl they fancy. Can't say I wasn't one when I was younger, but one can learn from mistakes.

I sure did so.

Whatever the case, I assume the unfamiliar girl next to Tendou is Takao.

This girl's wearing a uniform, but from another school. I think I saw that particular uniform on some girl during my visit to Maid Latte, on one of the few females that visited the cafe yesterday. It was a brief glance so I'm not entirely sure. The new brunette's uniform was composed of a white shirt under a dark turquoise vest, a grayish blue ribbon around the neck, a black skirt, long socks, and brown shoes.

As for her appearance, Takao had quite the looks, and even from here, it was quite noticeable. She had fair skin, light brown hair and… yep, matching eyes. Her hair was really long and reached down her waist, tied into a braid with a hair tie. Bangs and locks of hair framed her face. She also used a red headband.

Well, I can't really deny these two were quite the sight, but it's only a superficial attribute. Besides, there have only been two girls whose presence together took my breath away every time. And it's not these two.

Mmm… I really have to stop doing that…

Well, Tendou showed to be reasonable enough despite her outburst once she was caught liking games. I'm not entirely sure what the problem was, but she said something about trying to revive some gaming club in her school, or I think she did at least. So much happened last night that I sort of wrote off what she ranted about. I'm human, sue me. Once she relaxed, she was easy enough to converse with. In fact, she was quite willing to exchange contacts with me, surprisingly so.

Now, from here Takao seems to be rather normal, however, considering all her whining about me ignoring her, being mean to her and making Tendou tag along with us, it's not hard to tell that she's quite immature, and that's not even including the crybaby part of her.

Seriously… A high school student crying about someone not paying attention to them… How pathetic is that? Usually that kind of thing is meant for the superficial infatuations the idiots of youth experience. But between two supposedly 'platonic' acquaintances? I've never heard of that sort of thing.

Everything about this Takao girl tells me that she's nothing but trouble. And I curse the game and the previous Hachiman for making me have to bother with that girl. She's fairly annoying, she's pushy when it comes to her own desires without caring about what I want, and when she doesn't get her way she starts crying like some brat.

Even Deviluke scores two out of three, one and a half if I'm being generous.

Tch… why am I here again?

Whatever. The quicker I get this over with, the sooner I'll be… dealing with a… party…

Gah… It'll just be out of the frying pan and into the fire, won't it? Damn it…

Whatever the case, I could swear neither of them looked how one would think of hardcore gamers. Looks are really deceiving, huh…?

Well, there's no use standing here. I should hurry inside and deal with this already…

I make my way inside the store, catching the attention of the male crowd as I do. I ignore them and look around the store. There was a stand displaying phones and tablets near the entrance, and even a poster of some girl in a bathing suit. Seems this store also sells dvds.

Advancing further, I reach the stands where games are on display for one to pick. It's rather impressive to see the amount of games inside the store. Maybe I could buy one for my dear Vita-chan now that I'm here. Oh, I didn't bring enough money. Geez…

I feel a vibration in my pocket, rapidly coming to grips that it's my phone. I raised an eyebrow, seeing who the message was from. I check it after heaving a sigh.

Hikigaya~ I have the feeling that you're going to have 'fun' with Gamer-chan today~ If you want to know the basics, she's really easy to tease, while somewhat stubborn and a rather huge whiner. I figure you don't have patience for that kind of person. So if you want my advice, it'd be better for you to focus on talking about the games she likes to keep her under control. There's another thing about some guy she likes, but I'm sure you'll find out eventually. You're welcome, Hi. ki. ga. ya~

Geh… I want to be grateful for the advice, but I can practically hear Pretty Boy's teasing tone just from reading this… But my main problem is…

* How the hell did you know?

I don't recall anyone knowing about this. Harima was the only one who was there when I invited Tendou along. Guess that guy managed to blab about it to Usui when I wasn't around.

Delinquent-kun is a surprisingly good source of trivial information~ Good luck~

I knew it! Annoying! This guy's really annoying!

"Hachiman?"

The sudden call of my name interrupts my focus. I turn to my left to finally meet gazes with Takao. We stare at one another before she struts up to me with a furious gait, putting her hands on her hips. Oh boy…

"…Yeah…?" I respond to her call with uncertainty.

It is during her stomping march that I notice it, er, them… How could I not? They're probably as prominent as Gahama-san's. Possibly even more so… not that it really matters… I guess… yeah…

It takes a bit for me to keep my eyes on her face. They must have their own gravity well that forces my gaze onto them. Yep, it's definitely that. It's their fau- I mean, her fault… Totally not my fault at all.

In an effort to protect my chivalrous nature, I avert my gaze. There's no response from her, but I can see her standing just in front of me, even if I'm avoiding looking at her directly. I hope she didn't notice the fact that I looked to where I shouldn't have… well… it's not like I meant to…

She's still standing in front of me without speaking… uh… what is she waiting for? She called out to me. Social protocol dictates that you answer a person once you grab their attention.

After a few moments of silence, I start to get annoyed at her just staring at me.

"What?" I ask as I finally meet her stare, a bit irritated.

I blink then, as she's puffing her cheeks in a childish manner. Seriously, how old are you?

"You're hiding something…" She says slowly.

"You know in most societies, it's considered impolite to yell at someone and not greet them properly, right?" I state offhandedly and she frowns.

"You are…" Her frown evaporates all of a sudden, replaced by confusion, "You're different…"

Well, there's not really any way to avoid those kinds of accusations. I don't know how I'm supposed to act with everyone here. Well, the best thing to do is cause a diversion.

"Am I?" I shrug, before gesturing to my eyes, "Everyone's been picking on these for a while now. Must be that."

Takao narrows her gaze, "What are you talking about? I meant, why do you seem so stiff?" She deadpans, "Your eyes are as weird as always. Maybe even weirder, but why should I care about them?"

I blink at that. That was… unexpected… Someone that doesn't care about how my eyes look? Everyone I've met so far had pointed them out to me as a sign of how rotten I am. Could it be that the secret to it this whole time was for me to mention them first?!

Well, she still insulted them anyway, so it's not completely inescapable…

"Ah, Hikigaya-kun!" I blink once more as the blonde, Tendou, makes her appearance from behind Takao. She smiles brightly and nods her head in greeting. "Hello, we were waiting for you!"

"Yo," I greet lamely, "We meet again."

"Yes we have," She leans her head to the side in a rather cute manner, "Takao told me a lot about you. I hope we get along as you do with her." She suddenly stares blankly at me, "Your rude friend isn't here, I hope?"

"He isn't," I answer, "Uh, sorry about yesterday. He doesn't really think before speaking… most of the time."

Harima, huh? Looks like he made a bad impression on her yesterday. Not surprising considering how he laughed at her tripping and then proceeded to insult her due to her blonde hair. Be thankful idiot, I'm apologizing for you.

Tendou seems pleased, "Oh, it's not really a problem. As long as he doesn't do that to another person, it's all good to me."

Hoh… What pleasant words. She must be another of the nice types.

"Well, he's kind of a… handful," I respond with a bit of dryness, "I can't promise he won't do it again."

"This is the first time Hachiman ignores me…" I blink at a depressed voice reaching my earshot. It was barely audible but I could still hear it.

Oh, crap… And I initially came here for her too. It really can't be helped though, Tendou's proving to be much more pleasant company, you knooooow?

"My bad," I turn back to the other girl, "Did you need something, Takao?"

Ack… I used her given name… Couldn't I have gotten away from having to do so? Wait, what the heck's her surname anyway? My phone didn't include anything else but her name.

Tendou smiles awkwardly, "Takao? I'm sure he wasn't…"

"Why do you say that? You speak as if you know him well…" Takao mutters, looking depressed.

"You're imagining things," I interrupt her wallowing, "We only just met yesterday."

She turns to me with a glare, "It doesn't seem that way."

Dear me… she's acting a little too irrational. What's her deal? Tendou is looking between us, lost at what to do.

"It's rude to assume things without any basis," I respond evenly.

Takao averts her gaze guiltily, "…I wasn't assuming anything."

"Weren't you?" I ask with some amount of sarcasm.

She slides her gaze away from me, "M-maybe a little a bit…"

"Then?"

She looks away, "S-sorry…"

"So what did you want?" I ask her again.

The brunette bites her lip, apparently unable to respond before she actually does.

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Picture 03

"I just wanted to see my best male friend…" She responds weakly, her mouth contorting, her cheeks reddening, tears forming. "It's been a while since we saw each other…"

I stare at her blankly, "Eh?"

"But you don't seem to care! Bwaaahhhh!"

My eyes widen at her suddenly crying. Oi, oi. We're in public, don't cause a scene in front of all of these people dammit. Look! They're staring at us now!

I glance at our mutual acquaintance. Tch, even Tendou looks troubled.

"Oi!" I hiss out at her, "Stop crying. I told you I was busy."

"B-but you always made time for me…" She sobs, "Hachi-baka!"

Honestly woman, how selfish can you get? Who taught you to expect that my world revolves around you? Oi, shitty counterpart, why were you spoiling some random girl instead of Komachi? Seriously get your priorities straight dammit.

"Sorry… and calm down, would you?" I shrug, not liking that I had to apologize, "I couldn't back then. But I'm here now, aren't I?"

After wiping her tears, she nods curtly, "I guess…"

Tendou puts her hands over Takao's shoulders, "C'mon, silly. Don't be like that… Remember that you didn't have time for me because you were busy with Aki-kun's project? Hikigaya-kun must have been busy, too," The blonde shoots me a smile, "Isn't that right?"

I blink at her intrusion, well, it's welcomed so it's fine.

"Basically," I nod at the blonde girl.

Takao pursed her lips, "Alright, I get it! Sorry for overreacting!"

I cocked an eyebrow at her outburst. How childish.

"Well, what's this game you wanted?" I ask, deciding to take Usui's advice.

And just when I thought I saw it all, suddenly, their eyes became shining stars, somehow expelling light… What the heck? More anime elements? Just… how…? Ugh, forget it Hachiman…

And putting that aside, you two are starting to look seriously creepy…

"Here it is!" Takao practically shoves the game in my face, "Blue Encore! I've been meaning to buy it for a long time! I asked for this game like six months ago, and a sole copy arrived!"

"Yes! One of the RPG classics that had one of the best plots! Even better than its prequel!" Tendou adds excitedly, "Not to mention that it was one of the first games to ever allow multiple endings!"

I back away from them before they start giggling among themselves. Geez… that burst of energy was startling to say the least…

"…Is that so?" I ask slowly. I'm not really a gamer, so I doubt I'd be able to chime in without looking like anything less than an idiot. It'd be pretentious of me to even try.

Before I could even blink, I find myself being dragged by my arm by Takao, who cheerfully giggled. Oi, oi… Is there really a need to touch me? You could've just told me to follow you instead…

I try my best to hide my grimace and not fight back against her tugging. No, hey wait… I can feel them! Stop it! Get my arm away from them!

"C'mon Hachiman, now that we're here, let's get you something for your Vita too!" Takao said excitedly.

Tendou smiled brightly before she makes her way towards another part of the store, some games catching her interest, leaving me alone with this girl… just my rotten luck.

"S-sure…" I mutter out. That enthusiasm is a lot more that I'm used to dealing with…

Takao picked some potential games for Vita-chan, and shoved them to my chest. Oi, oi! I didn't bring money for this kind of splurge. Weren't you supposed to be the one buying stuff? I can't afford any of this right now!

"Oi, Takao. I don't have money on me right now. I can't buy all this," I point out, giving a glance at the games.

Platformers, and Dating RPGs? Well, it's not like I haven't played these genres before. Though I don't recognize some of these titles at all. PoL HxD: Time Hunter? What is this?

Takao sighed, "Really, Hachiman. Don't be so dumb! I'll buy this for you of course."

"No, wait. It's fine, you don't have to." I reject her offer. It's one thing to have free food, but taking gifts without reimbursement? No thanks, I don't want to feel like I owe her.

She looks at me irritated, letting go of my arm and standing before me with a glare on her face, "This is the least I can do for having you accompany me here, Hachiman." She puts her hands on her hips, deadpanning, "Besides… I want to make up to you for all the times you were there for me. These games may not be much, but…"

"It's fine, really," I assured her, "You don't need to do that."

Tch… I don't know what my previous self did for this girl that she feels the need to repay me for it, but I have no desire to take any kind of compensation. It's nothing really to do with her, but it's more because I've done nothing to deserve being reimbursed. If I take it, then I feel as though I'm abusing her generosity.

Even back in my world, I never did anything that was worth being thanked for. And I never acted for gratitude in the first place.

I was already cornered into hearing Miura's confession, and I still feel sick about it whenever I'm reminded about it. It wasn't meant for me, nor was I deserving of listening to that kind of thing…

I could admit that I let Miura have the chance to confess as I didn't keep her at bay as my previous self did, which would mean that I'm at fault here, but still… she wasn't thinking about 'me' when she said those embarrassing words. I just… can't relent on this matter.

I don't want to do it again.

"Mmm…" I blink, hearing a sound, only to blink once more. Takao was puffing her cheeks, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. What now?

"Mean Baka-Hachiman…" She says, her cheeks gaining color, "Can't you just accept it? You're making me feel bad and stupid."

"It's not about being mean…" I mutter, "I just don't think you should feel the need to do that."

"But I just wanted to give something to you…" Takao mutters, her voice breaking, "Bwahhhh!"

I suppress a groan. She's crying again… Honestly, I'm trying to be nice here and say that she doesn't need to pay me for whatever help I gave her. Isn't that usually seen as being thoughtful?

I know that I'm not good with crying girls, but knowing that these are basically crocodile tears really helps me not get phased by Takao acting like a brat.

Ack, I can feel glares from other customers being leveled at me… Oi, I'm not the bad guy here… I didn't do anything wrong.

"Takao? Why are you crying?" I turn to my left, the blonde girl approaching us, "Did something happen?"

The brunette sobs, wiping her tears, "Baka-Hachiman just doesn't let me thank him! That's hurtful!"

"I-is that right?" Tendou scratches her cheeks, uncertain of the situation, "Why don't you let her thank you?"

"That's not the case," I grunt out with an annoyed scowl, "I only said she doesn't need to give me anything."

Argh… What did I do to deserve having to interact with that brunette? This is so bothersome.

"I see…" The blonde nodded her head, "I don't think Hikigaya-kun would ever seek to hurt you on purpose. He must have his reasons. Right?"

I don't trust myself to say anything that isn't derisive, so I merely nod back in agreement while keeping my features cool. Usui wasn't kidding, I'm really not suited to interact with Takao on my own. What great foresight I had in inviting Tendou…

"But… But!" She wipes her tears, still sobbing slightly, "I don't get why he's acting so distant… He was never like this to me before…"

Considering I'm not the same Hikigaya you're familiar with, that's to be expected, you knoooow?

Still, I have to at least alleviate the situation.

"You're overreacting," I say sternly, recalling something Usui mentioned that should come in handy, "Besides, shouldn't you save these sort of gifts for that person?" Emphasizing that word, the brunette manages to catch my intent.

Of course, I was referring to the guy she apparently likes, whoever that is, which Usui mentioned in his message. I'm glad that I'm not stuck neck-deep in someone's love affairs for a change at least. I pity the accursed soul whom Takao had decided to put her affections on, however.

Blinking, she nods her head slowly, "Oh… Y-you're right…" She averts her gaze with a frown, "I suppose… still… you're so stingy."

Ignoring that last part, I fold my arms in exasperation, "So, is there any other game you want?"

Takao glares at me, "Yes, there are others… but it's not like you really care, is it?"

Not really… I'm very tempted to say it, but I keep myself from doing so. Of course I don't, but… I have a part to play.

"It's important to you, right?" I ask, leaving her to decide how to take what was left unsaid.

Tendou smiles, clutching her arm, "C'mon, Takao. I also want to check more games! Let's go!"

The brunette looks between us and sighs, "A-alright…"

The two go up ahead, and I watch them walk away in silence. With my hands in my pockets, I let out a sigh, musing about my current situation.

By all means, Takao was a piece of work to deal with. She was immature, and I'm not just talking about her obsessing over games or crying for dumb reasons, but with the fact that she strived to hog my attention to herself, acting childishly should she not get her desired results. For instance, whining just because I was greeting Tendou, or whining about me being mean when in fact I was being considerate.

Honestly. This girl… She's just a pain to deal with.

I haven't forgotten I have a game to win, but I won't act completely like that bastard to win. I'll do so by my own means and methods, while trying to keep 'myself' in… character… If Takao truly cherishes Hikigaya Hachiman, she'll have to accept the slight changes that will inevitably come. This could make my cover a bit difficult to maintain, but it's the best compromise I can come up with. I refuse to let this world change who I am.

If there is something that is as important as winning the game, it's not losing myself because of it. And I intend to do both.

I walk towards a vending machine, inserting a 100 yen coin to get a can of MAX Coffee. Then I take a seat by a sofa located by the entrance, and wait patiently for those two to finish buying whatever else they wanted to get, enjoying my drink in the meantime.

*Bzzt. Bzzt.*

I pocket out my phone, noticing that Usui was calling me. What on earth could he want? Well, at least he decided to call when those two weren't around.

Now that I think about it, this guy has really great timing. First the message just before meeting Takao, now this? Maybe he is an alien.

I answer, "Yeah?"

"Hikigaya~" I hear a familiar teasing tone on the other line.

"I'm hanging up," I say flatly.

"Eehh? How mean," He complains, "And I wanted to check up on Hikigaya-kun."

I resist the urge to sigh, yet I find myself facepalming in exasperation, "What is it?"

"Oh? I can hear the irritation in your voice, Hikigaya-kun. Are you having fun with Gamer-chan and her little friend?"

"Plenty," I respond sarcastically. "Are you only going to waste my time, or do you have something useful to tell me?"

"Hikigaya-kun is no fun," Usui whines childishly before responding a bit seriously, "Shall we be expecting you at Yukihira-kun's anytime soon?"

"Probably," I glance at the girls gushing over announced games to pre-order, "These two are pretty absorbed with the games here."

I hear him chuckle lightly, "Yes, I can imagine. I've heard many stories from Yukihira-kun and Short-kun."

"Is that right?" I ask rhetorically, "Is Takao… always like this?"

He chuckles, "Yes she is, unfortunately. Your predecessor, had a bad habit of… Shall we say, enabling her behavior."

I merely scoff in response. Looks like I was right. That damn previous Hachiman left me with so many troubles to deal with. I can't catch a break, it seems.

I remain silent momentarily as Usui chuckles in amusement at my reaction. Offhandedly watching the two girls squeal over some game that's been teased for a release next year, I remember about the help Usui's gave me without me asking for it.

"I… uh… appreciate this… thanks I guess," I say suddenly.

"Heehh… I feel flattered," Usui's voice brightens in a way not unlike its usual teasing tone, "This new Hikigaya is thanking me."

I roll my eyes, "Don't let it get to your head, idiot." A laugh comes from him after my remark. Glancing at the female duo focused on reading some sort of game guide, I ask, "You said something about a guy she likes."

"Oh? I did, didn't I? Well, basically, there's a certain fellow she likes from Fujou High, which is her school if you don't already know. I think his surname was Kazama, I didn't catch his given name."

"Kazama?" I repeat slowly. Where have I heard that before?

"I don't know much about that, but Delinquent-kun knows him personally," I cocked an eyebrow at this revelation. "This fellow is another delinquent, a rather known one actually. I heard he became an underling of… pfft… Ultimate Darkness…"

"What…?" I cocked an eyebrow.

Why is he suppressing a laugh? Well, he did say a cringeworthy 'ominous' name… wait, I heard that name before, haven't I? Those gamer bullies from yesterday mentioned it… And I remember that Usui laughed to himself after hearing that name, so it's someone he probably knows.

"Nothing, Hikigaya-kun~" I narrow my gaze, suspecting something ominous.

"Right…"

"Oh, that guy has a cousin, who is known to stop fights between gangs. As you can imagine, Delinquent-kun knows her too. She's quite the fighter."

A girl fighting gangs? That sounds awfully familiar… Geez, with so much stuff invading my brain, I could start to forget things… But, this girl must be tough to accomplish such a feat. Why do I feel I'm forgetting something really important right now…

"Alright, this… information… will be useful."

"You owe me one, Hikigaya-kun~" He sing-songs.

As much as I hate to admit it, I do owe him a favor, considering that he is bothering to tell me all this so I can know how to proceed in this outing. I seriously don't like depending on people, but I guess I'll have to relent a bit, for the sake of this game.

Putting his teasing part aside, he's rather… reliable? Tch… whatever.

"Do you know how close I was to that girl?" I inquire, just to make sure how I should treat her. I haven't been completely disrespectful to her… yet… but somehow she already has me on the negatives. I may need to change that… as much as I don't want to.

"Let's make a comparison," Usui starts, his tone lacking that usual mockery. "She's as close to you as Writer-san is… or was anyway."

"Ah, you heard about that too?" I asked blankly.

"Yep. Glasses-kun mentioned that she might not be joining his otaku circle now that you blew her off for you-know-who," He replied easily, "That was a major mistake, Hikigaya. I suggest you don't mess up with Gamer-chan, or the others will start to suspect even more. They already found what happened before odd."

"I know… and I'm planning to patch things up with Kasumigaoka too…" I release a sigh, "I wasn't really fair to her, so I'll see what I can do."

"Heehhh? Is that so?"

"Yeah," I heard some shouts coming from the phone from afar, "Everyone's already there?"

"Yeah, even Pervert-kun is here," He chuckles.

"Who…?"

"The guy we mentioned in the morning, Sakurai Tomoki?" He clarifies.

"Oh, right… him," I recall.

But… 'Pervert-kun'? Why is he…? Actually, I don't want to know. Rather, I want to stay in the dark for as long as possible. It may not be much since I'll be meeting him later, but I'd rather not think about it until I get there.

Usui chuckles again, "Then, we'll wait for you, Hikigaya-kun~ Don't make us wait too long."

I deadpan, "That isn't really up to me," And stand up, "I'll be there once I get away from these two."

"Oh, and Hikigaya… I don't know if you heard about the Galax app, but you should use it instead of text messages. Your previous self disliked it, which is the reason everybody messages you. That app is quite handy. I use it to check up on Misa-chan when she logs in. You should probably use it."

Translation: He uses it to stalk her.

"Is that right? I'll probably look into that later."

"Hai, hai. Later~"

"Right, right…" I roll my eyes, ending the call.

Pocketing my phone I look around, spotting the two gamer girls by the cash register. Good grief, Tendou already bought many games yesterday, and she's taking all of those today? She's a hardcore gamer, isn't she?

Takao looked at me over her shoulder with a frustrated expression. Dear me, it appears she hasn't let go of what happened before. Is refusing to accept a gift that bad to her? I'm not even the guy she likes, so why is she making such a big deal out of this?

I approach them, hand in my pockets, "Are you two done?" I ask, closing my eyes in disinterest. Oops… that may not have been the best way to phrase it. Well, too late to take it back.

Tendou nods her head with a smile adorning her face, "Yes, Hikigaya-kun! Now I have games to play for the rest of this month."

Oi, oi you gamer… adding the games from yesterday and today, you pretty much have material for six months, even more. How on earth are you planning to finish them all in one? It's not even a complete month! She's an addict, isn't she? And how much money do you have?

Mm? Takao only bought a couple of games apart from that Blue Encore. She probably only plays once in a while, unlike Tendou… Mmm… or she's saving money to buy something else for that guy Kazama, since I mentioned him.

The cashier is a blushing mess. I suppose he was dazzled by their attractiveness to some degree, but you're naive, cashier boy. These two may look good on the outside, but they are crazy gaming addicts, and one of them is an annoying whiner. Back out, before you realize you bit off more than you can chew.

I look at Takao, "If you're done, then I-"

"You're going to leave already?" She asks in disbelief.

"Well…" I scratch my head, "Yukihira, an acquaintance of mine, is leaving Chiba soon, so the others are planning to throw him a goodbye party or something. I have to be there."

Takao blinks in shock, "Souma's already leaving!?"

So she knows him, too? She just called him by his given name too. I'm starting to notice that as with me, Yukihira is known by a lot of people, and he's friends with them. It's not surprising if I think about it, that guy isn't half bad. Plus, having a rather famous restaurant probably helps out his reputation.

Tendou's eyes blink, "Yukihira? As in, Restaurant Yukihira?" She turns back at Takao, "You didn't tell me you knew him!"

Takao giggles nervously, "It may… have slipped from my mind…"

"His restaurant is open? Since when!?" I narrow my gaze at the clear interest Tendou's showing for the cook. Hoh, there may be something here.

"For three days I think… but I was so busy… and I couldn't visit him…" Takao drops her gaze, "Mooouuu! I'm such an idiot!"

Wow, what an outburst. While you think you may have a point, don't go screaming like that, woman. I've been ignoring the glares from the boys outside since I started talking to you two, and I don't need more people glaring at me for causing a ruckus. Especially when I'm not at fault.

"Me too! I love the food!" Tendou chimes in, putting a weird face.

Oh, so Tendou is not only hardcore gamer, but also a fan of Yukihira's joint? It's funny that I can't agree with her, if only for the fact that I have yet to taste the food. I wonder if today will finally be the day.

It is then that they both of them turn to me, staring in silence. I raise an eyebrow, glancing between the two when realization dawned on me.

"No," I say immediately.

Takao frowns, but it's Tendou who voices her thoughts, "N-no? But we haven't asked anything yet."

"You were going to, so that's my reply," I shrug my shoulders. "If we're done, then I'll take my le-"

"No, takes us with you," Takao demanded much to my surprise.

"Excuse me?" I look at her in awed disbelief. Not even going to ask? Just demand?

"Takes us with you, Hachiman. We haven't eaten yet, so we could eat something there," Takao responds, cautiously looking at me. "I'm hungry…"

Tendou laughs nervously, "Haha… I-I wouldn't mind eating there. Now would be a good time as any, don't you agree?"

"If you want to go, you don't need me to take you," I really want to reject them coming along, but I have to listen to Usui. Still, they don't need me to escort them, right?

Besides, these two weren't exactly invited. Well, it's not like they were barred from entry either, but it's not like I knew. I wasn't going to bring in others when I had no hand in the planning.

"Actually… it would be better if you didn't go," I added.

"What? Are you afraid we'll spoil your party? Souma is my friend too! I want to see him before he leaves."

"It isn't up to me," I reply, "Those guys planned the thing, not me."

Takao puffs her cheeks, "Even if that's true, I can be a customer eating in the restaurant!"

Seriously, this chick irks me to no end. I'm sick of dealing with her!

"Tch, do what you want. It's not like I need to take you," I growled out, fixing my school bag. I look at Tendou, who was nervous, and nod at her, "Later."

With that, I turn around, and start walking away before I feel my left sleeve being gripped. I turn around, dryly gazing at Takao, whose eyes I couldn't see as they were hidden in the darkness of her bangs. I twitched a brow, trying to move my arm out of her grasp, to no avail. Oi, you're going to stretch the fabric.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently, yet she doesn't respond, "What is it?"

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 07

Tendou looked between us nervously, wanting to speak, but not having the courage to do so. Silence echoes when suddenly, a drop falls to the ground. I frown as more follow. So she was crying again? Tch… give me a br-

She raises her head, her eyes finally being displayed at me, trembling orbs looking directly at mine. Wait… this… isn't like before…

"I won't let you go like that! We promised that we would be friends forever! You promised that you'd never abandon me!"

What the hell is with this cliched reaction? Is there going to be some kind of flashback later explaining how she was the girl that was always at my side the whole time?

Just kidding.

But seriously, what's with all these girls crying? Deviluke, Belldandy… Miura… and now her? It's like they all know that I'm not good against tears, that's totally unfair. Well, she's not making a scene again, that much I can tell. But her eyes are transmitting something that wasn't there before. I can't explain it but it bothers me. It was familiar…

Maybe… I misjudged her a bit… Either way, I better fix this before it gets worse.

"Who's abandoning who?" I sigh deeply, "I'm just going on ahead while you two drop off your things." They blinked, startled, "Well, you're not going carrying all those games along, right?"

Tendou stares at me, but she smiles, closing her eyes, "Right… Although, I live a bit away from here." She turns to Takao, who still remained silent, her gaze focused on me, "Takao, how about if we have a sleepover today?"

Takao doesn't respond, her gaze unwavering to a point that I think she's in some sort of trance. What could have possibly happened in the past… our past to trigger such a reaction from her?

Tendou approaches her, concerned, "Takao?"

"Oi," I get her attention and she finally reacts, shaking her head, "You okay?"

"Y-yes… I'm sorry…" She bows to me, "It's just… I don't feel well…"

"What's wrong Takao?" The blonde asks.

"N-nothing… Don't mind me…" The busty brunette palms her cheeks, letting a tiny smile grace her lips, "Alright! Then we'll leave the games in my house and meet you at Souma's restaurant."

Tendou and me exchange a glance. She's probably as confused as me about this matter.

"…Alright," I nodded my head, "I'll see you there."

"I'll see you later, Hikigaya-kun," Tendou waves a hand at me.

"Yeah…" I say while turning around and stop mid-way, "Oi, Takao," She perks up her head, her big brown eyes eyes blinking, "Not sure what were you thinking just now," She drops her gaze, "But, you can count on me."

Ugh… I managed to say it… To make sure she was reassured in case she held doubts about me of course. Still, I can feel my stomach churn at those disgusting words.

She stares at me and finally smiles brightly at me, her cheeks reddening, "Yeah, Hachiman!"

Oh dear, this feels a bit like my interactions with Isshiki. Though somehow even more one-sided. Any worse and it'd be like my interactions with Haruno, just a lot less devious. Still, I shudder at the thought.

With that I finally leave the gaming store.

5-10

The doors are open, huh? Wow, that's a lot of people. Well, everyone talks wonders about the food, so I guess it's not surprising to see this kind of mass of people on the weekend. I suppose I'll be eating here… although I wanted to try one of those meals from that shop two blocks down from here… the Chiba Karaage Roll, huh? For another time, I suppose.

People were already leaving though, in pretty heavy droves too. Closing time must be coming up already. I hate having to deal with crowds of people, so the better for me. Still, most tables are occupied. Oh, Harima and Aki have one occupied, although there was no food on their tables but plenty of papers and some folders. They must be revising stuff about that project Aki has been nagging about. They didn't notice me enter, entirely focused on their tasks.

"Hey, Hachiman," I turned to see Yuuki calling to me, and wait, he was holding a tray full of dishes. He's helping Yukihira, huh? "You finally made it."

"Yeah, you seem busy," I comment curtly.

Yuuki looks at himself and grins, "Haha, yeah. We'll have the party once the restaurant closes. Take a seat with Harima and Aki in the meanwhile."

"Where are the others?" I inquire, noticing a girl also helping with the delivery of orders to the tables.

"Ayumu and Usui are helping Souma in the kitchen. You know, there were so many people that those two decided to give him a hand despite that Souma never asked. That guy is too confident, but I can see his studies in that Academy paid off. He seems different."

Oi, oi, don't tell me the whole story. I want to wait for the movie to come out first.

"Are you sure you have time to gossip?" I asked dryly, "Aren't you still working?"

"Yuuki-kun, can you pick the empty dishes in table nine?" The girl from before shouts him from the other side of the salon.

"Y-yeah…" He turns to me and shrugs his shoulders, "Well, talk to you later."

As Yuuki focuses once more on his task, I finally manage to have a good look at the girl.

Short brown hair with bangs that curved inwards and covered part of her cheeks, matching eyes, a pleasant face and a slim figure. Well, she seemed to be rather ordinary unlike most girls I have seen since I woke up in this world.

A welcome breath of fresh air actually. With the amount of beautiful girls I've encountered, I can almost hear the irate screams of the pathetic telling me to 'Hurry up and die!' Her being relatively normal like that maid from yesterday allows me to not be overly conscious of them.

We meet gazes and she gasps slightly, recognizing me. A frown makes itself present in her face, and she turns away from me once she notices that I'm focusing my eyes on her. Alright… and yet another girl I'm apparently acquaintanced with, or maybe not, taking into account her reaction.

"…What's her deal?" I mutter to myself. I should probably start getting used to this already. This Hachiman really knows too many people for my own good. The amount of socializing he must have done makes me feel faint.

But, who knows, maybe it's my bad reputation rearing its ugly head once more? I've met many that have had a positive reaction towards me, it's been a while since the opposite has happened.

Well, I suppose the time will come when I'll deal with her, so I'm not going to bother myself with this right now.

I make my way towards the duo I'm familiar with, the bespectacled boy noticing me approaching, "Hey, Hachiman-kun! I thought you were coming later."

The delinquent boy, Harima Kenji turns to me, a smirk spreading across his face, "Heh, I thought he wasn't coming at all."

"I was otherwise occupied," I shrug.

"Ever the busy one, eh?" Aki laughs, "It's funny though as you attend no club, or job, yet you're 'busy' most of the time."

Harima nods his head, "Yeah, somethin' tells me he might have found the love of his life, eh? Heh. About time!"

"If you're going to make such ridiculous jokes, hurry up and finish your work," I grumbled.

Harima merely chortles loudly in response.

"That is a waste of time, Kenji-kun," Aki Tomoya states with conviction, and I'm surprised to finally agree with him on something, "Anyway, we're having a bit of a problem for the plot of the other two routes," Aki says to me, fixing his glasses, "I just can't make something that is good enough for the other two heroines."

"Damn… I'm only supposed to be designing characters, Otaku," Harima growls and scratches his head. "I don't need the additional work when I have my manga to work on."

"Not to mention his studies for the coming exams," I added with a shrug, taking a seat.

Harima cocks an eyebrow, and slams a fist on his palm, "Oh yeah! That too!"

Seriously? Did you forget about it already? We seriously just talked about it yesterday.

"Looks like you're going to have a busy Sunday tomorrow," I say casually, "Too bad for you."

"Shaddup," Harima grumbles, "Don't forget that you and Imouto-san are gonna ink my pages on Monday."

I grimace at that. That's right… I accidentally got dragged into that…

Aki puts a hand under his chin, smiling cockily, "How did it go, Hachiman-kun? To work is to be stupid? So make everyone else work for you?" I narrow my eyes, "You don't seem to be following your own trademark phrase."

"'To work is to lose,'" I correct and gesture to the delinquent, "And I was joking that time, this idiot just didn't let me get to the punchline."

The bespectacled otaku blinks, "To lose?" He glances at the Harima before deadpanning, "Tends to happen, I know…"

"Too late for that, Hikigaya!" Harima remarks with a clever grin, "Imouto-san will be expecting you, too, so you can't go back on your word."

I send him a minor glare. It was you who who decided everything, don't go trying to make me responsible for this.

"Whatever," I roll my eyes. Well, what's done is done, no use trying to fight it.

Harima laughs, when a sudden growl erupted from his stomach, "Shit."

I raise an eyebrow, "What? Didn't eat yet?"

"We were waitin' for ya, dumbass," He mutters.

What, seriously?

What would you gain in doing that? Just because I wasn't here doesn't mean you should just deprive yourselves of a meal. Besides, aren't parties supposed to be more than just eating together? I mean, that's the most important part for me, free food and all, but isn't it different for others?

Waiting for everyone to arrive and digging in together just seems ridiculous. Not mention it's pretty wasteful. What if the food gets cold? What if the noodles get soggy?

I shudder at the thought of wasted free food.

"You could've eaten a snack or something," I lean on my hand and look at the remaining customers enjoying their meals. Again I'm reminded that I never did get to taste the food here. I gave my leftovers to Suou. Hah… Remembering just makes me sad for my loss. But alas, it was for a noble(?) cause.

"Heh," Harima folds his arms, leaning back on the chair. "You think eating four karaage rolls will suffice my appetite, Hikigaya?"

There goes my thinking about waiting for me to eat… well, it doesn't really matter to me so whatever.

"That was like two hours ago," Aki turns to me, "Ever since Souma created it, Kenji-kun has been eating at least one daily."

Mmm? Yukihira created that snack that seems to be sort of popular? Hoh… not bad.

"What? It's just a snack. It isn't filling at all," Harima retorts.

"Only you can say that meal isn't filling enough, Kenji-kun…" Aki deadpans, "One of those is enough for me."

"You eat like a chick!" Harima says jokingly, pointing a finger at him. Oi, oi Delinquent-kun… it may be the truth but the way you said it… people will think you're sexist, you know?

Aki facepalms at that, "No, I don't eat like a girl. The problem is that you eat like some starving animal. Seriously, I was at the brink of fainting with the second one you ordered without my authorization when you started on your fourth Karaage roll."

"Well, I gotta be healthy and eat a lot to keep myself at the best condition for Tenma-chan!" Harima yawns, "And we were waiting for this guy too." He points a thumbs to me.

"You said that already," I point out, lethargically. "So, who else is coming?" I ask, albeit knowing that this guy called Tomoki is the person missing so far. Now that I think about it, I never did check if he answered my message.

See ya there!

It's from him, so he got my message after all. Oh right, Usui told me he was already here, so, where is he? Just as I'm about to ask about it, I notice both of my two companions sweat dropping while looking towards the other side of the restaurant. Now what exactly could be going o-

"Y-you pervert!"

Huh… Looks like a girl had a bad experience with the more scummy side of my gender. Hmm? What the heck is she stomping on?

"Hmph, that damn Midget Perv is still doin' that kind of stuff?" Harima scowled.

Midget Perv?

"I would have hoped he grew out of that by now…" Aki says, a bit embarrassed for some reason, cringing when the stomping became more ferocious. Uh, why is everyone ignoring that?

Someone they know, eh? Which possibly means I should know them too. I blink when I feel my phone vibrate all of a sudden. Who could it be?

Sakurai Tomoki. Quite the pervert.

Usui, huh? Seriously, that guy has insane timing. Aren't you cooking in there? How could you even have time to write this?

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 08

I look back at the scene, the girl was still stomping on what I guess was Sakurai Tomoki. So, I know that kind of person too, huh? Well, I can't say that the previous Hachiman doesn't have a diverse group of acquaintances. But to have interacted with that kind of pervert, what was he thinking?

Then again… There was that large cache of… research material in my closet, wasn't there? I guess they got along over that kind of stuff? Gross. I really need to get rid of that garbage already.

Looking a bit closely, I can see Sakurai sporting a disgusting smile as his nose bled. Ugh… I can already tell that he won't be someone I'll want to mix with.

Whoever the girl was that stomped him left angrily, the other customers shrugging their shoulders before focusing back on their food. This is nothing new, I guess. People usually don't care about other people's business. Though isn't it bad that they ignored a girl being blatantly harassed? You people are going to give Chiba a bad name, you knoooow?

I catch sight then of the current manager of the restaurant, Yukihira Souma, peeking his head out of the kitchen with a deadpan, "Tomoki, stop chasing away the clients." He blinks, noticing me, and waves a hand while grinning, "Yo! Glad to see you here! Bear with the business a bit, alright?"

"Sure," I answer back, leaning my head against my hand again. What a nice day I could have spent doing nothing at home…

Yukihira only grins before returning to the kitchen.

The otaku suddenly leans to me, whispering, "Hey… did Sakurai mentioned anything about a chained angel to you? He's yet to mention anything about that since he came."

Did something like that happen? Ah… I think I remember reading a message he sent to me about that sort of thing.

"Probably," I shrug, "But how seriously are we supposed to take it if he doesn't say anything about it?"

"That Perverted Shrimp probably read too much of his trash that it's messin' with his head," I hear Harima grumble as he went back to work.

Is this really the guy with whom I used to research about the sea freezing incident? Well, if he happens to know anything that could prove useful to me, then I'll see to it… even if he is a pervert. Geez…

I direct my attention back towards Sakurai as he sat up on the ground where he was just stomped with a satisfied grin. He wore casual clothes and seemed to be my age, wait… not really, he actually looks younger. His black hair with an ahoge and his brown eyes could be his most defining features, however, when he stood up from the ground, I came to notice he was short, even shorter than Yuuki. How old was he?

He solemnly walks towards us when suddenly… what the heck!? He got even shorter!?

Before I could even blink, before us was Sakurai Tomoki in his… chibi form? How, I haven't the foggiest idea… Goodness me, these anime elements are getting out of hand already.

As I stare at him in disbelief and shock, the chibi guy jumps to one of the empty chairs by our table, "Yo!"

I cocked an eyebrow, " Yo…" I respond with uncertainty. How am I supposed to talk to this guy?

"You're late Hachiman," The chibi folds his arms, furrowing his brows, "Heard about your fight a few days ago. They really got you in the eyes, man. Not cool!"

"I'll be sure to tell them you said that," I replied sarcastically. My poor eyes put up with way too much abuse.

"So how's it going?" He asks, and I can't help irking a brow as I have interacted with a ridiculous-looking chibi like him.

"Fine," I say bluntly.

"I also heard that you went out with some babes!" He grins at me in awe.

"I kept Takao and a friend of hers company to buy some games," I shrug before turning towards Aki, "Ah, they're planning to pass by later for the farewell thing."

"Yes!" Chibi Sakurai raises a fist in excitement, "Chance!"

A chance for what exactly, Pervert-kun?

"That isn't a very good idea, Sakurai-kun," Aki interjects, "You know how protective Hachiman-kun is of Takao-san."

Was I really? Great, not only did my past self spoil the girl, he coddled her as well… Goodness me… in what sort of situation do I find myself in now?

"Oh, haha…" The chibi-Sakurai suddenly becomes normal-looking again… I'm not going to bother thinking about it anymore. "That hasn't changed, huh?"

It's surprising the great contrast between the previous chibi-Sakurai and the one I'm looking at now. Before, even his voice sounded ridiculous, yet now it seems somewhat composed… Does this guy have two personalities or something? Schizo…thermia? … uh… something like that, right?

Maybe I should take some time going over the sciences so I don't wind up needing supplementary classes…

Well, I was mostly kidding anyways. But… who knows really? For all I know I could be right without realizing it.

"So?" I glance back at the short boy, "What's this about a chained angel?"

Sakurai blinks, not expecting my direct question. I'm not going to beat around the bush, this might be too important to not address. I may learn more about Belldandy and her race… maybe? Although… he specifically said angels instead of goddesses. Are they even the same?

Argh! This is so confusing!

Sakurai averts his gaze, "Oh… that…" He scratches his cheek.

"He's right Sakurai-kun," Aki added, "You were rather adamant about this 'angel' these last few days. What was that about?"

"Hmph," Harima butts in, "It's just his stupid fetishes gettin' ta him."

The short blackhead shakes his head, "Not this time, Harima-san. I'm not interested in non humans, no matter how hot they look," Resting his hands intertwined over table, he elaborates. "Just… what I've been seeing these last few days is the real deal, dude."

The bespectacled otaku clears his throat, earning our attention, "Are you sure? Maybe it's someone wearing cosplay of high quality?"

Huh… what a joke…

"It's not a cosplay!" Sakurai yells out.

"Quiet down, would you?" I try to placate him, "There's no use people overhearing you. Whatever it is, don't you think it's better to keep it low?"

"Sorry…" He looks down and takes a breath, "But, I would've recognized if she wore cosplay. Besides…" Sakurai leans in conspiratorially. The two others lean in closer, though both Harima and I have a raised eyebrow. "She actually fell from the sky. Saw it with my own eyes."

Silence comes over our table, us three exchanging glances as we reflect on this revelation.

Aki sweat drops, dropping his face, "You're probably watching too much TV. Even for me, that's just too unbelievable, Sakurai-kun. "

"I'm tellin' ya, he's losin' it," Harima says out loud dismissively, and returns to continue his work.

I simply remain silent. I would have ignored him if had I not already been exposed to the existence of Belldandy and Deviluke and their races, which is the reason I don't find what Sakurai is saying as crazy or demented as the other two. Especially since one of the invading non humans also crashed into my room.

Still, I'm going to need him to prove his story. If I take his word for it, I'll not only be thought of as gullible by the others, something I'm sure my alternate self wasn't, but I'll be going against my own rationality. I don't know who this guy is other than the fact that we researched together at one point. Is he even trustworthy in the first place? Harima was quick to blow him off.

"Okay, okay, I get it! But this isn't the time, ya know?" Sakurai deadpans, "We can talk about that when there's no people around."

Harima starts rummaging through his nose, "Like hell if talkin' about that later is gonna make it less of a shitty joke. Just forget about it."

"I would like to believe you, Sakurai-kun, but that's too far-fetched… even if we consider your dream," Aki adds, scratching his cheek.

Dream? What does dreaming have anything to do with this?

I silently glance at the short boy from the corner of my eye, not giving any reaction when he lets his hands rest over the table once more, looking serious at nothing in particular.

"I have proof…" He states with utter conviction, not giving any sort of room for doubt.

Silence reigns, each one of us exchanging gazes once more. Proof? What exactly does he have that he can use to prove his claim? Wait, he didn't bring whatever being he saw, right? That's beyond reckless, especially in broad daylight and in such a public area.

But if he does have this proof, then it'll be something that will require more privacy. There's too many witnesses around to allow Sakurai to show us anything really concrete.

"Well, he's right about one thing," I close my eyes, finally deciding to add my two cents, "This isn't the time to talk about this sort of thing. Once Yukihira closes up, Sakurai can show us whatever proof he has." I glance at the other two, "Is that fine?"

"Tch, it's probably bullshit anyways…" Harima scowls to himself.

Chibi-Sakurai makes his return, yelling at him indignantly, "You'll be eating your words later, Harima-san!"

"That so?" The muscular guy smirks, "Heh, keep spouting off bullshit Midget Perv. Don't cry later when I laugh my ass off at your 'proof'."

I ignore their comments, "It doesn't matter now, leave that for later."

"Yeah, let's change the topic," Aki says, turning to me. "So did yo-"

"No," I reply instantly.

He blinks, "T-that again!? Wait, Hachiman-kun! At least let me finish before you answer!"

I nod dryly, "Alright… shoot."

The otaku clears his throat, "So as I was saying, did you cha-"

"No."

A tick mark appears on his forehead, "You're not planning to let me finish, are you?"

And as before, I give him my honest reply, "Not at all."

Harima and Sakurai start laughing at that, and I casually shrug my shoulders, not really minding it. Who would have thought? Maybe messing with this guy will prove to be my temporary source of entertainment.

"It's not just your eyes, haha!" Sakurai says between laughs, "Hachiman has become a troll!"

Who's the troll, you perverted little runt?

I only roll my eyes at that, and look back towards the restaurant. More and more people were clearing the building, the small amount left were only chatting amongst themselves. Oi, if you're done eating, leave already. Stop loitering.

"Say," Aki starts. "How come you don't have bruises anymore? You were all bandaged just two days ago."

"Oh, yeah," Harima butts in while grinning, "Don't tell me you used makeup?"

I take a while to think on an answer. Logically, it doesn't make sense for someone as heavily bruised as I was to look completely healed in just two days.

"I just used a bunch of ointments to get rid of the bruising," I shrug, "I'm still pretty sore."

I wasn't, but they don't need to know that.

Chibi-Sakurai raises his arms upwards, "Those jerks! Don't they have better things to do than bothering the peaceful lives of other people?"

"Probably not," I add, stifling a yawn.

"They're just shitty assholes!" Harima shrugs his shoulders, "We can only kick their sorry asses when they mess with us."

I would agree with him, but that's obviously not the way anything would get solved. Answering to violence with even more violence just drags you into a cycle of resentment, anger, and, you guessed it, violence. I honestly think it's just a waste of time and energy. Totally not worth it.

Of course, I don't say so vocally. Usui already told me that my previous self was the vengeful sort of person and me not acting against my attackers was already out of character enough. So if he, someone who wasn't particularly close to me in the first place caught that, then it should be obvious that these others did as well.

"So, when are you planning to get back at them?" Sakurai asks, his chibi form unsubtly peeking at a girl with short hair passing by. This guy… At least look at me if you're going to try to engage in conversation.

"Who knows?" I respond vaguely, not really denying that I'm going to act, but not saying I will.

Sakurai returns to normality, looking pleased, "Haha, something tells me you're not doing anything at all. Could it be that Hikigaya Hachiman has finally taken my advice? Have you finally realized that peace and quiet is the best?"

"Of course it is," I agree, "Obligations should only be upheld towards things that matter, people don't fit in that mold."

"While I know what you were going for, I still feel I heard something really weird just now…" Sakurai deadpans, exchanging a glance with the otaku.

"Heehh… Look who it is~" My brow twitches, recognizing that teasing voice, "Hikigaya-kun has come out to play~"

I don't even bother to look behind me, "I came to eat, not to play."

"How cruel," Usui chuckles lightly, "Can you only think of food during Yukihira-kun's farewell party?"

"It's not like it started yet, so yeah," I respond, supporting my chin on my hand.

Harima looks around lazily, "If these dumbasses could hurry up and leave, we could get this shit started. I'm starving."

Wha-

"What vulgar words, Delinquent-kun," Usui teases, taking a seat with us.

What the hell?! I was just about to think that! Did he read my mind?! He's an alien! An alien!

The girl helping in the restaurant comes out from the kitchen to pick up some empty plates from a table at our side. Once I look at her, she averts her gaze in discomfort. Alright… that's definitely not a good sign. I subtly glance at Usui with a frown, which he catches on to quickly.

He waits until she's back to the kitchen to speak, "You're not in speaking terms with her yet? "

"Can't you tell?"

"Well, considering that you practically called her a coward, it doesn't really come as a surprise. How mean of you, Hikigaya-kun," Usui replies, giving away what I need to know. So my former self did that?

"Whoa, whoa. That's the reason why you two stopped talking?" Sakurai asks in disbelief, leaning to me. "Why would you say that to Kurase?"

So her name's Kurase? Surname, most likely. I have no idea why I'm supposed to be at odds with her, but hopefully someone can reveal it soon enough.

"Well, well, Pervert-kun," Usui suddenly smiles idiotically, "Adding 'nosy' to your list of 'wonderful' qualities?"

"Wha!?" Chibi-Sakurai makes his return, "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Fufufufu," Usui laughs to himself in an exaggerated manner.

As ridiculous as their exchange has become, I appreciate Usui guiding the conversation someplace else. I don't know anything there is to know about this Kurase girl, I'd be found out by the others if they start asking questions.

"Thanks for the visit! Come back soon!" I turn to see Yuuki and Kurase bowing to the last couple of customers. And with that, the restaurant is finally empty.

I glance at the clock on the wall. 4:02 p.m. huh?

The girl smiles at Yuuki, who with a red face, scratches the back of his head as he starts laughing like an idiot. He's seriously bad with every person of the opposite sex, isn't he?

I see Yukihira and Aikawa appear from the kitchen, bumping their fists in a friendly manner. That's when I notice it. That girl, Kurase, becomes red and shy all of a sudden when she looks at them. So, she likes either Yukihira or Aikawa? If I were to guess, I would say it's Yukihira. I may not be an expert in these kinds of things, but nothing about Aikawa seems like an attractive quality for the female population.

The redhead walks towards them, and pats her back, laughing in an amicable manner. She averts her gaze, her face as red as a strawberry. Yep, as I figured. She totally has the look of a lovesick girl, and it's easy to notice that Yukihira is unaware of it. The dense type, eh?

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but I don't think Yukihira is remotely interested in her, or in any other girl for that matter. He seems to be the kind of guy that only has his mind focused on his goals, which is to be a great chef in his case. I can respect that. Getting into a relationship is just troublesome anyway. Not that I have any experience, but it's easy enough to tell regardless.

She waves a hand at our group, Aki and Sakurai waving back at her. Usui only gave her a smile of acknowledgment, causing her to blush slightly, but not as much as she did with Yukihira. Well, considering his attractiveness, even if she has her mind set on a particular guy, it doesn't mean she will be blind to other people. Usui's a good-looking guy, infuriatingly so.

I choose to not react in any manner, I glance at her, but don't bother doing anything else. It's easy enough for me since I don't usually do that sort of stuff in the first place. Harima offhandedly nods, but he wasn't looking at her so it probably wasn't even a greeting. Either that, or he's a lot more aware of his surroundings than he lets on. Doubtful though.

Kurase finally leaves after that, saying she couldn't stay and bids Yukihira farewell. Harima stands up, and drags another table to the one we're using. Hoh… Looks like our delinquent acquaintance does have a modicum of decency.

"You looked busy," I state the obvious as Yukihira comes up to us alongside Aikawa, the latter putting some of our favorite drinks on the table. Coffee for me, huh? Then, they take their seats on the aligned tables, though Aikawa immediately slumps in his and looks like he's just about to fall asleep.

"Yeah," Yukihira grins. "The last day of the restaurant, so yeah, pretty much."

I wasn't referring to that, but it doesn't matter anyway. Since he's returning to Tokyo, that girl Kurase might not even have a chance to even act on whatever attraction she has towards him. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on her or have Usui tell me about her later. Another potential candidate it seems.

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Picture 04

Finally the whole group is gathered around the two tables once Yuuki sits with us. So… this is my circle of male friends, huh? It's actually interesting to see the contrast between each one of us. It's a wonder how being so different, we managed to create this group.

And with everyone together, chatter begins. I watch them in silence when Chibi-Sakurai, with a fruit juice can on his mouth, says, "Wow, Harima looks so pumped up. Hasn't he confessed to Tsukamoto yet?"

I pick up my cup of coffee, taking a sip before replying, "Who knows?"

Then I glance at the others.

Usui is smiling in amusement, "Hehh… You shouldn't encourage Delinquent-kun to cook, or else he will end up scaring that girl away from food entirely, Yukihira-kun."

Despite the blonde's comment, Harima looks completely focused on the recipe Yukihira was explaining to him. Well, it's actually a good idea to try to impress a girl with great cooking, but as my blonde companion stated, you probably will end up scaring her off. I wonder if he ever cooked anything before.

"Okay, okay!" Harima nods his head, raising two fists in concentration.

Aikawa turns his chair around and rests an elbow over the back of the furniture, also supporting his back on it while cooly watching Harima's demeanor, "I tell you bro, it's a waste of time. I know how to cook, and that didn't help me at all."

Yuuki turns to him, "What, really? Mikan told me that cooks are popular."

"Seriously, Kenji-kun…" Aki, while resting his arms on the table, comments in apparent disapproval, "You're wasting your time with 3D girls."

I don't think Harima will be successful with 2D girls either, but whatever.

The reunion continues…

Yukihira suddenly looks at each one of us, "I appreciate everyone coming. It really means a lot."

Yuuki grins dumbly, "What are you talking about? We're friends, right?"

Harima gives him a thumbs up, Aikawa and Aki nodding their heads. Usui simply folds his arms, smiling lightly to himself while Sakurai rests his chin over the table while grinning.

The redhead smirks, "That we are, yeah."

I sigh inwardly. It just feels weird being in this sort of situation, hanging out with people that consider me a friend, not caring in the slightest if one had a bad reputation or a shady past. The fact that we were all gathered here shows that we had apparently walked past our differences to become what we are now. Thing is, I'm not actually a part of them, I'm just an extra in this group of theirs. It's really uncomfortable the more I think about it.

But I know one thing for certain. They are all naive, placing their blind trust in whoever the previous Hachiman was. Given his behavior, he doesn't seem deserving of so many trusting him. But, it's not like I'm any better.

I remain silent as they all start chatting, their subjects of interest being games, manga, Aki's game, Yukihira's soon departure, and about some of their crushes. I just look at them cooly, not really having anything to say. Mmm? It seems Yukihira and Usui get along fairly well, they're talking about some recipes and even about the food of Maid Latte. The redhead was praising Usui's cooking still being at such a high quality even with the former being in a specialized cooking academy.

"Tch, that bitch is such a bother. I just don't know what her fucking problem is!" Harima suddenly says with a growl, "The other day she chased me for 20 minutes because she thought I kicked some dumbass."

Aikawa narrows his gaze in recognition, "Wait a minute… this sounds familiar…" He turns to Yuuki, "Oooiii Yuuki! What was the name of the girl that used the bear costume?"

I blink, this subject calling my attention, "It was Kazama Asuka-san, why?" Yuuki responds, sporting confusion.

The guy with sunglasses sweat drops, "So you two met that meddlesome chick too?"

I cocked an eyebrow. Harima apparently knows that terrifying brute of a girl, Kazama Asuka. Now that I think about it, she was looking for delinquents that time… so was she something like a vigilante or a self-proclaimed bringer of justice? What a joke… although she has the strength to pull that off.

"I'd be fine never seeing her again," I mutter.

Yuuki laughs nervously, "Putting that aside… she was rather nice…"

"Shut up, Shorty!" Harima growls, "You just see every annoying chick that bothers talkin' to ya as nice."

I inwardly cringe at that comment. Way to remind me how naive and idiotic I was in the past Delinquent-kun. At least, I got something out of it. I learnt of the true nature of 'nice girls' and how gullible I was, which helped me get over it. Thanks to that, I can see beyond every 'nice' facade.

"It's ironic huh, as her cousin is known as a delinquent," Sakurai adds.

Usui put a hand under his chin, his smile tells me that he's about to drop a bomb on the subject, "Heehhh… it's actually funny. Hikigaya-kun's beloved friend has a crush on that guy."

"Gamer Girl, right?" Harima asks to confirm it.

Sakurai blinks in shock, "Wait, what?" He looks at me in disbelief, "What the heck happened since the last time I was in Chiba?"

Why are you asking me? Oh… I'm suppose to know that…

Usui comes to the rescue and responds in my instead, "Considering that they both attend Fujou High, she must have developed a crush on him at some point."

Sakurai grits his teeth, "I already hate that bastard!" Chibi Sakurai starts rolling on the ground, "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him! He isn't worthy of Takao's glorious boobs!"

What the hell is with that reasoning?

Ignoring that disgusting comment, it seems someone has a crush on Takao… but I'm not so sure about this, taking into account Sakurai only referred to her striking assets, he probably just likes her looks.

I blankly stare at him, "You have a warped head on your shoulders."

"I'm inclined to agree," Aki fixes his glasses.

"Kazama Asuka-san…" Yuuki starts, looking thoughtful, "Kazama Kenji… they do have the same surname."

"Heeehhh… all 'Kenjis' are delinquents~" Usui comments with a teasing tone, "I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Shut up, Pretty Boy!" Harima yells indignantly.

Yukihira laughs, "Well, for my part, Asuka has been helpful." I cocked an eyebrow as he used her given name. He not only knows that scary girl, but he's close to her to some degree… This is actually surprising. "I don't think I ever told you guys, but remember that day when the restaurant was robbed? She was actually the girl that found them and called the police."

"So that wasn't an anonymous call?" Aki raised a brow, startled at the revelation, "Why didn't you tell us she was the one who called?"

Yukihira shrugs his shoulders, "She asked me to keep her name out of it. Since she helped, I couldn't refuse her request… it wasn't really important anyway. The thing is that we recovered the stolen goods, right?"

"She has a hero-complex," I commented, looking uninterested. "That sort of person is simple-minded and they tend to create more trouble than any good. If she managed to help you, then that was probably just luck."

Yukihira rolls his eyes, "What matters is that she did without asking anything in return. That's my kind of person."

Yuuki deadpans, "What a fright! I thought you were going to say, that's my kind of girl."

Even Usui looked on with slightly widened eyes, "That would have been rather shocking."

As they continue their banter, I think about the red headed chef once more.

Just as I mentioned earlier, Yukihira has probably never showed any interest in the opposite sex, and I'm not saying that he doesn't like women in general, but he indeed is the type of person that puts love and anything related to it at the bottom of his priorities. Well, I can respect that aspect.

My attention is caught when Yukihira pushes Yuuki's face against the table, although playfully, "Shut up, Rito! What do you have to tell about Sairenji, eh?" He grins, "I was thinking of challenging her to a duel! I heard she's quite the cook!"

"W-w-w-w-wait, don't you dare!" Yuuki spats indignantly, "If there is someone that's going to challenge her, then it will b-be me! I mean, eh, I don't really want to challenge her to do anything… but… you get my point!"

Alright… Yuuki was literally red, almost like Yukihira's hair color. The cook does know how to push his weak points, heh.

"Hahaha!" Harima starts laughing, "Shorty's face is on fire! Let's put him on the fridge to cool him down! Hahaha!"

Usui cocks an eyebrow, "Eeehhh? Are you one to talk Delinquent-kun?" He rests both his arms on his side of the table, supporting his face with both hands, "Have you confessed to Yaku-chan's older sister yet?"

Harima grits his teeth, "You bastard! Do you know how delicate my situation is with Tenma-chan!?" He slams a hand on the table, "You don't! So don't give me that bullshit!"

Why the heck does he look so angry?

"Now, now Delinquent-kun," Usui attempts to placate, "There's no need to get worked up. This is Yukihira-kun's day after all."

The delinquent scowls but says nothing as he sits back down. The others looked between themselves nervously, while Yukihira and I looked the most unaffected. Well, I say unaffected but, Yukihira looked troubled at the scene and I was inwardly terrified.

"We all have our problems," Aikawa comments after yawning. "One way or another, neither of us have it easy. But, when has that have stopped any of us before?" He points thumb at Yuuki, "He's being blamed for something he didn't commit, and hated for it. What about Hachi? Everyone in his school loathe him to the point of ganging up on him to just beat him. Should I continue?"

As cliche as he put it, Aikawa does have a point… No person here has it easy. But who the hell are you calling Hachi?

Harima sighs, "Yeah, yeah…" While he doesn't look at Usui, he grumbles, "Sorry about that, Blondie."

"Pfft," Usui holds back a laugh, "Delinquent-kun is so obedient~"

"Yo-"

*Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap*

Yukihira blinks, and everyone follows his gaze at the entrance door, "Who is it!?" He shouts.

"S-Souma!?"

I recognize that voice, it's Takao's. They're here already?

"Takao-san!?" Chibi-Sakurai yells in excitement.

"T-Takao-s-san!?" Yuuki stammers.

"Gamer Girl?" Harima says while once more rummaging his nose. Seriously dude, quit doing that.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 09

Since I'm partly the cause for these two coming here, I have no choice but to take responsibility of letting them in myself. I know Yukihira will do so, but I might as well do it. I stand from my seat, raising a hand to stop Yukihira from moving, also Sakurai who looked eager to do it. Oi, your ulterior motives are way too obvious.

"I'll go. Since they found out about this through me," I deliberately look at Harima while saying the next. "And her friend is not very fond of the only person she knows besides me."

"Tch! Like it's my fault she tripped like an idiot."

"I heard that, you jerk!" Tendou's voice echoes from outside, making Harima sweatdrop.

Heh, what a funny girl.

"Well, it's not like you needed to laugh at her," I point out before heading to the door.

"Eeehh? That's not very nice Delinquent-kun," I hear Usui tease. I ignore Harima's indignant yelling as the others began to gang up on him.

I look behind me to see Sakurai, Yuuki, Aki and Aikawa restraining Harima by his arms, and even then, those four were having a rough time trying to keep him still, all while a grinning Yukihira pockets out a feather.

"No! Stop it!" The biker yells in desperation.

Yukihira puts on a dumb, yet creepy face, "You've been a bad boy, Harima. Mehehe!" He slowly approaches with the feather, Usui now restraining his head, "Punishment time!"

"Wooow, this is fun," The annoyingly good looking blonde states with an amused smile. With the addition of Usui restraining him, Harima's struggles become significantly more futile. Wow, the blonde's strength is pretty impressive.

"Don't fucking tickle my nose! Bwahahahaha!"

I sweatdrop at their antics. They're all pretty close, aren't they?

Well, I can't say that guy doesn't deserve it. I finally opened the door, revealing Takao with now casual clothes, that somehow accentuated her… clea- uh… form… and Tendou still wore her uniform.

"Hikigaya-kun!" Tendou smiles, tilting her head to the side. Huh… It's just me, I don't see why you're so happy.

"Yo," I greet back lamely.

Takao blinks, hearing the noise coming from behind and frowns, "What's going on inside?"

I look over my shoulder with a bored expression, "I guess you could call it retribution."

"Huh?" The brunette looks confused and walks inside, "What are they doing to Harima?"

"Well, the others found out about his 'behavior' yesterday," I expand, gesturing towards Tendou, "So… this happened."

Tendou stares blankly alongside Takao as Harima's punishment continued. As we stare at them, I blink, noticing something I have failed to see before. Even Usui, who downright stated that he wasn't really fond of the others looked like he was enjoying himself. For the first time I could see a meaningful sight, which showed something I've been meaning to see with my own eyes.

A real friendship. This particular scene reeked of it. Maybe the fact that I wasn't there allowed me to see the trust they had in one another with an unbiased eye. The simple grins they exchanged as Harima laughed uncontrollably and sneezed were there, and showed how close they were to one another. This was nothing like Hayama's shallow group.

Then… was this… genuine? I… don't know… possibly…

And here I am… intruding when I wasn't wanted. What a nice bitter dose of reality.

"Looks… like they are having fun…" The female blonde with emerald eyes states uncomfortably, "Maybe we shouldn't intrude…?"

"It's fine, isn't it?" I drawl as I walk back in, "They're just being idiots."

"Bwahahahaha! Achoo! Stop it, ya fuckers! Achoo! Ahahaha! I'm gonna die!" Harima wails, laughing and sneezing uncontrollably.

The brunette of the two girls deadpanned at Harima's punishment, "What the heck is this?" Takao says robotically, "Weren't you supposed to be celebrating Souma's departure?"

"We can leave and return later…" Mutters Tendou uneasily.

I wave a hand at her dismissively, "Nah, there's no need," I turn towards the idiots with a blank stare, "Oi, quit screwing around already. We have guests. Don't traumatize them."

They stop their shenanigans and look at us before letting the delinquent go. Harima breathes a sigh of relief and sneezes some more.

"Y-you… Fucking assholes… Achoo!" He growls out weakly before succumbing to another sneeze.

"Yo!" Yukihira casually greets the two. To his surprise, and the rest of ours, Takao jumps to envelop him in a tight hug. "H-hey, there Takao. L-long time no see."

Uh… Gamer-chan? You're squeezing him a bit too tightly there.

"Yeah!" She backs away, grinning. "How is Tokyo treating you?"

The redhead shrugs his shoulders, "It was rough at first, I guess." And raises a thumbs up at her, smiling confidently, "But nothing I can't overcome."

Takao folds her arms, a tick mark appearing on her forehead, "You could have called me to tell me you were in Chiba, baka!"

Hmmm? Didn't she say that she couldn't visit him? She did know that Yukihira arrived to Chiba some days ago…

Yukihira scratches the back of his head, "I guess it slipped my mind…" He clasps his hands together, bowing his head in an apologetic manner, "Sorry for that."

Takao blinks at first, but then smiles, and then turns to me with a blank stare, "Can't you be a bit more like him? He actually seems happy to see me after all this time, while you…"

I simply shrug lethargically, "It's different. He hasn't seen you in months."

She puffs her cheeks in response, "I'm not entirely sure about that… whatever!" She drags Yukihira by the arm to the kitchen, "Now that we've seen each other, let's catch up! I have a lot to tell you!"

"Sure, sure. But you're going to help serve the dishes, deal?" Yukihira says as both walk inside the kitchen.

The rest of the group stares in silence at their exit, Sakurai watching them wide-eyed, "Waa… We were completely ignored…"

Yuuki adds in his own disbelief, "Totally…"

Aikawa yawns, "Yep, pretty much."

"Gamer-chan's so childish," Usui chuckles lightly.

"Yes," Aki glances at me while trying to find his words, "I agree…"

Harima's still trying to recover from his previous attack.

I only make a sound of agreement, but don't actually say anything. I reflexively wanted to say the same thing, but knowing my supposed relationship with her, it'd look odd if I blew her off. As much as I really wanted to…

That said, Takao is a really selfish girl. As if all she wants to be is doted upon, heck, she tried to give me lip just now because Yukihira threw her a bone. Not only that, she managed to flawlessly ignore the others and left her friend by herself with only one other familiar person that she just met. Well, the only one that has a sort of positive tie to.

Yikes, this level of selfishness is alarming.

Even back in my world, when it came to the more selfish types, Miura wasn't this bad. She at least valued her group enough to not simply ignore them… anymore. But… I just can't jump to conclusions yet, this may not be the whole depth of her character. I know my past self didn't help things because of the fact that he spoiled her. Whatever reasons he had for doing so is something I should find out. No action is done without a cause.

"She's like that," I simply state flatly.

Tendou nods in agreement, "Yes… most of the time…"

I glance at the blonde girl in slight surprise. Looks like Takao's selfish streak goes past our humble group here. Though what I find most surprising is the fact that Tendou didn't do something as cliche as jumping to the brunette's defense, but, she readily admitted the latter's flaw.

I didn't expect it from someone as nice and pleasant like her. She had reminded me a bit of Yuigahama in that regard, too nice to point out someone's flaws who wasn't me. Looks like I was wrong.

"You are…?" Aki asks, fixing his glasses.

"Oopsie! Where are my manners?" Tendou rests a hand over her chest, reddening slightly, "Hi everyone, I'm Karen Tendou!" She turns to Harima with an indifferent stare, "Hello, rude person."

Usui and I both snort in amusement. He really made a bad impression on her, it seems. Not entirely unwarranted if I'm to be honest, but what else could she have expected from someone like him? He has, by default, a rough way of speaking.

"Tch," Harima growls, now better, "No good rotten bi-"

"Now, now, Delinquent-kun," Usui places a hand on his shoulder with a smile, "You shouldn't be rude."

Tendou frowns, "Excuse me?" She walks to him and stand just at his side, gazing at his sitting form with disapproval, "You were mean to me and now you insult me? Did I ever do anything wrong to you?"

"Tch," Harima scowls, "All you blondes are dramatic. You're the du-"

"Oi," I interrupt him before he starts a scene, "Calm down and just apologize."

Harima raises an eyebrow, "Wha? Why? I didn't do any-"

"Don't you want to improve yourself as a man for her?" I cut him off again, "I've heard they readily admit their mistakes."

"Y-you…" Harima looks like he's having a battle between himself. He opens and closes his mouth multiple times before finally grumbling. "My bad… Barbie Gamer…"

Tendou purses her lips, unsurprisingly not satisfied with the conditions for Harima's pathetic apology. Oi, did you really need to give her a stupid nickname right now? Couldn't you wait until you were on a more positive note with her?

She glances at me momentarily and I nod at her. Might as well accept the crappy expression of regret. He'll leave you alone afterwards most likely. I don't know who's that girl he likes is, but she has a lot of power over the delinquent.

"Fine," She says with a 'harumph'.

We remain silent for a bit. The tension was still around to make things awkward. Other than Usui, who looked downright bored, and Harima, the others looked amongst themselves in indecision. Most likely unsure what to make of this situation.

Finally, the laziest one of our group steps up with a scratch of his head.

"Well," Aikawa begins, his eyes looking tired, "I'm Aikawa Ayumu," He motions his head to the left, towards Yuuki, who blinked in surprise, "He's Yuuki Rito," Then points a finger to the otaku. "He's Aki Tomoya." And another is directed to Sakurai, "That's Sakurai Tomoki."

"And I'm just a hardcore maid follower," Usui adds with a soft, teasing tone.

"Maid stalker, more like…" I scoff.

"Pfft," Usui smiles in amusement, "That's true as well."

Tendou looks on between us, probably confused at the blonde male's introduction. She looks him over, slightly bashful.

"Sure…" She shoots me an uncertain stare, "N-nice to meet you all." She bows to us, before glancing at the kitchen. "So… what's going on?" She asks casually.

"Nothing yet," Responds Aikawa. "So, do you know Souma?"

The female blonde nods her head, "I used to visit this restaurant a lot with my mother when I was little. I wouldn't call Yukihira-kun a friend, but yeah, we are acquainted."

Makes sense. Tendou seemed very eager to come, so I guess it's either that she finds Yukihira interesting or that she probably liked the food. If it's the latter, I may have found a fellow free food enthusiast.

"Eehh? Childhood friends reunited?" Usui feigns shock in his usual teasing tone.

Tendou turns to him, blinking in confusion, "Childhood friends? Didn't I just say that we were just acquaintances?"

The blonde male blinks at his female counterpart, er, hair wise of course. I guess he didn't expect someone to not take his bait. I recognize the smile that begins to spread across his face. He wants to try again.

"He's messing with you," I say before Usui could try teasing her.

"Why would he? I mean, we just met, didn't we?" She turns to him, "And I don't think I heard your name."

"You're quite right, apologies," Usui says politely. This guy… "My name is Usui Takumi. It's a pleasure."

He smiles warmly and manages to release a pleasant aura behind him. He knows what he's doing…

The girl blinked, her eyes trailing across the room, "Y-yeah…" She bows to him, a tint of red spreading lightly across her cheeks. "Nice to meet you, too."

"U-Usui-san, you bastard!" Sakurai whines, swinging an arm, "Stop seducing every girl you meet!"

"I don't know what you could possibly mean," Usui looks away with a bored expression.

Yuuki raises his fists, looking at the good looking guy in admiration, "Usui-sensei! I'll imprint this lesson in my memory. This will help me speak with Haru- I-I mean, Sairenji…"

"Is that so?" Usui asks non committedly. He didn't seem too interested in the direction the conversation was heading towards.

"Kenji-kun told me you were willing to give me hand in my project," Aki comments out of the blue, looking at her in interest, "If so, then welcome aboard, Tendou Karen!" He smirks, "And Takao made mention of your vast knowledge of the game industry before." He fixes his glasses, "Am I correct?"

Tendou giggles awkwardly, "Ehehe… I wouldn't… call it vast…"

I dryly glance at her. I'm sure having bought well over a dozen games in a two-day span speaks of your enthusiasm when it comes to games.

Aki cocks an eyebrow, "Really? Since Takao said you knew as much as her, I imagined…" The blonde drops her head in embarrassment, eyes hidden behind her bangs. I shoot him a warning glare to back off, "Oh… I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. In any case, your contribution will be appreciated, Tendou-san!"

"Y-yeah…" She stammers quietly, refusing to look at any of us.

I heave a sigh, watching her with a modicum of pity. It seems she's still embarrassed about her tastes, and while she admitted them to Harima and me already, though it was only because she cornered herself into doing so, she seems uncomfortable with letting more people know about it. Can't blame her, I guess; since she probably has a reputation to protect. It doesn't matter who does it, being a gaming enthusiast is disapproved amongst the youth. They get labelled as otakus, or hikikomoris at worst.

Silence comes, an awkward one; as we start exchanging glances due to her reaction. I really don't want to get involved but it's a pain to witness this. Well, she has been a rather pleasant person to speak to, so maybe I could give her a hand… or something…

"So… Tendou…" She raises her head, shyly looking at me, "Did you make progress with opening your gaming club?"

She blinked, becoming pale, "T-that's…"

Aki suddenly stands up, looking solemn, making her blink once more in discomfort, "Tendou-san… are you really trying to open a game club in your school?"

She seems hesitant, probably because she's unsure on how would they react to this piece of information should she confirm it. The otaku suddenly rests a hand on her shoulder, making her yelp, "If you need any help with that, I'll be glad to lend it!"

"Eh?" Tendou looks confused as expected.

Sakurai's chibi form returns, "If I attended your school, I would totally join your club! When are you planning to open it?"

Yuuki deadpans, "Dude, you won't be staying in Chiba that long, you know?"

"Heeehhh…" Usui looks at Sakurai with a predatory glint in his eye, "I didn't know you were also an avid gamer. What exactly are your favorite kind of games, Sa. ku. rai. -kun?"

The chibi starts to sweat in nervousness, his eyes panicking as we waited for his response. He glances at me, and I had to frown. Don't tell me… you like that kind of games? To what extent does your perversion go? Seriously.

"Nyaha… ha… ha…" Chibi-Sakurai scratches his head, laughing awkwardly, "I… like… RPGs?"

"Really?" Usui eyes widen in feigned interest, "What kind are you interested in? Mass-multiplayers? Single player? Ooo, what about the western ones?"

I offhandedly hear Yuuki snicker in the background. Harima watched the scene in simple curiosity, he probably hasn't caught on to Usui's intent. Aki, in contrast, facepalmed while Tendou tilted her head to the side in puzzlement.

"Etto…" Harima and Usui begin to lean towards him, expecting an answer, which caused Chibi Sakurai to start sweating more profusely, "I l-like the…"

Usui smirks, his eyes focused and sharp, "The…?"

Sakurai starts to sweat in nervousness, when a thud suddenly came from the ceiling above. Only Yuuki and I caught it, but we shrug it off as everyone else seemed to not care, or they simply didn't hear anything at all. Maybe something in the upper floors fell or something.

"Hey, Usui, give the guy a break," Aikawa mutters, resting his arms over the table. "I don't think Tendou will be interested in knowing that."

"Phooie," Usui pouts, "You're no fun, Lazy-kun."

Sakurai returns to his normal self, resting a hand over the table and breathing harshly, "Geez… that was close…" He mutters to himself, though I managed to catch it.

I glance at him flatly. We all knew his intentions in joining Tendou's club, honestly, Usui throwing him under the bus would have been justified.

Yuuki scratches his head, blushing as he looks back at Tendou, "I-in any case, it's pretty cool that you want t-to open a game club." He grins at her with Aki nodding his head in agreement, "Isn't that right?"

Hoh, I didn't expect him to speak to her directly. His face is still a blushing mess but that's certainly an improvement to his problem. Barely, but it's there.

"Definitely Rito-kun! Definitely!"

The blonde girl looks at us, startled, before letting a tiny smile invade her face, "I… I see…" She giggles to herself, her hands intertwined, "Thank you guys… hearing this means a lot." She glances at me with a meek grin, probably because she realized that I purposefully commented about the fact that she was striving to open the Game Club in her school. It let her open up a bit, while relaxing as the others showcased their personalities and overall support of gamers.

I simply respond to her gesture with a casual shug when I catch sight of Usui shooting me a I-know-what-you-did-there look. I flawlessly ignore him, knowing well that if I don't, he would use that against me the next time we find each other amongst our own company.

Everyone start conversing when the door is suddenly opened, I blink in that moment. Who else was expected to arrive?

It was a girl I had seen before, technically. Of course I never actually met her prior to today, but I saw her. She was one of those that appeared at Ayanokouji's side in that vision created by the weird looking glasses. Except that she wore casual clothing befitting of extroverted females, which is funny considering the lack of emotion on her face, her hollow eyes specifically. It was a simple white tank top and a short denim skirt. Strangely enough, there was a piece of chain attached to her… collar? Wasn't that what that silver-haired vampire wore?

And instead of having easily noticeable wings on her back like in the vision, they were significantly smaller, enough so that they looked like cosplay. High quality cosplay, but cosplay nonetheless. Luckily(?), I knew better. They were the real deal.

The others look at her in surprise and confusion. Of course, they don't know who she was and were stumped at why she arrived. Though I notice Chibi-Sakurai blanch at her appearing. That means… It's her, the supposedly chained angel-like being he was talking about.

I send Usui a brief, knowing, look. It takes him awhile since he seemed very focused on her appearance for a moment, it's no small wonder why, before he notices my gaze. He raises an eyebrow in wonder before catching on that I recognize her. Looks like Sakurai messaged the blonde about his encounter too.

"What incredible wings!" Aki exclaims out of nowhere while smirking, "But who is this cosplayer?"

"Beats me," Harima shrugs his shoulders. "Never seen her before."

"I-Ikaros!?" Sakurai raises from his sit, alarmed, "Didn't I tell you to wait outside?"

I narrow my gaze, attentive of this. Whoever this girl was, she seemed to be an ally of Ayanokouji in that vision, so unless I'm proven otherwise, she's possibly a threat to me.

"Master, I sensed your distress," The new arrival says softly, in an emotionless tone. "Have you stumbled across trouble once again?"

She sensed that? Well, that's one thing that confirms her as a supernatural being.

"Nevermind that!" The chibified male screeches, "I told you not to come in until I said so!"

"Hold on a minute!" Aikawa scratches his head, "What's going on?"

"She called him 'Master'," Usui points out in feigned awe, "Oh my, Pervert-kun. What on earth is this situation?"

Tendou blinks in confusion before shooting him a disgusted gaze, making him pale. Well, that goes any chance he might have gotten her to see him in a positive light.

"Wai-wai-wai-wai-wait!" He shakes his head adamantly, "That's not the case at all!"

"Master…?" She, whom Sakurai addressed as Ikaros stepped up to him. She seemed worried about him despite that her face showed no actual emotion. It was mostly through how she tilted her head at him, her body expression showed her concern.

"Don't call me that! You're just making things worse for me!" Chibi-Sakurai began to cry pathetically.

"Hey now~" Usui singsongs, "What could that be around her neck? Is that a collar and chain?"

The implications of that comment are soon to be caught by every person in the room. It wasn't hard to figure what that meant, and honestly thinking, was there any other conclusion one could have arrived to?

I merely raise an eyebrow in amusement. Usui's teasing is rapidly becoming an art form. The way he can flawlessly throw others under the bus is frankly an amazing thing to see.

"Seriously dude?" Yuuki says in disbelief, "Y-you're doing that kind of stuff with this…" His face gets red, "With t-this… g-girl?"

"That's low," Aki points out, "Even for you."

"Damn Perverted Shrimp…" Harima growls out.

Each insult seems to act as physical blows for the shortest of us all. Don't be so dramatic. Whatever the case, this perverted fellow is important, since he's aware of the reason why my previous self researched about the sea freezing. Besides, Ikaros, whoever, or whatever she is, appeared in that vision, so I may have to investigate her.

I'll ask Belldandy about her later, since she comes from Heaven. This angelic being must be related to her in some way, right?

Tendou stands up, "I-I'll see what Takao is doing…" She says nervously, clearly uncomfortable with these turn of events.

And with that, she escapes successfully.

I watch with a dry gaze as she enters the kitchen before turning to Sakurai. This might be a good time to clarify this matter, and since Tendou is not here, he'll be able to speak freely.

"Oi, is she the angel you mentioned in that message?"

Everyone turns to Sakurai, silence reigning in the room.

Chibi-Sakurai reverts to his normal form, "Eh? Ah, er… Y-yeah… Guys, this is, uh, Ikaros."

Harima raises an eyebrow in disbelief, "Dude, you think that just cuz she's cosplayin', she's an angel? Dumbass! Stop shitting around!"

Aki folds his arms, nodding in agreement, "Those tiny wings look realistic, but these days, outfits are just this good, Sakurai-kun." He closes his eyes, rising his tone, "Don't you agree, Rito-kun?"

"it's just hard to believe, you know?" His eyes land on Ikaros, and he starts blushing, "S-sorry, dude."

Usui looks on silently, same as me. His expression may seem unreadable, but I can see tell-tale signs of his intrigue. However, Aikawa seemed lost in thought, which is probably because he had witnessed what Belldandy and Deviluke are a few nights ago.

The short boy with black hair looked at everyone of us, and sighed, rubbing his temple, "Alright, alright… I'll prove you all right now that it's the truth."

"Wait, wait… before you do anything, I wouldn't recommend showing this proof with Tendou and Takao around," I glance towards the kitchen, "The less people know about this, the better, don't you think?"

"C'mon dude. You're talking like all this crap could be anything other than bull," Harima states, resting his back on the chair, looking bored.

"But he has a point, Harima-kun," Usui folds his arms, looking uncharacteristically serious. "Sakurai-kun seems earnest, so we should at least give him a chance to prove it." He stands up and walks towards the kitchen. "I'll make sure no one leaves the kitchen. Hikigaya can fill me in on the details later."

With that said, the blonde entered the kitchen. Our eyes met briefly, and we nod at each other as the door closes. I turn back towards Sakurai, signalling him to go on ahead.

He closes his eyes, "Alright…" He stands up from his chair and approaches the so-called angel with a smirk, "Ikaros, fly."

The girl nods her head, "As you wish Master…"

We blink in surprise when her tiny wings somehow spread and become larger, light pink feathers being released. Aki's glasses crack, Yuuki actually falls from his chair from shock, while Harima and Aikawa stare at her, mouth agape.

I stare at her with wide eyes when Ikaros starts to float, her wings flapping. I may have seen Belldandy do otherworldly acts, but still, seeing someone suddenly start flying isn't something that you can't react to.

Harima breaks out in a cold sweat, gritting his teeth in utter shock, "What the hell!?"

"I can't believe it! It's not a cosplay!?" Aki exclaims, although he seems more intrigued rather than surprised.

"That's enough, Ikaros," Sakurai sighs, his gaze lost for several seconds. The girls lands on the floor, her wings returning to their tiny form. Before any of us could ask anything, he pulls up from his pocket a shiny, weird-looking card. "Look at this."

Aikawa helps Yuuki to his feet as Sakurai sits once more, putting the card in the middle of the table for us to see it closely. Just what the heck is this? It looks like really advanced technology.

"What is that?" Yuuki asks.

"Ikaros, mind explaining it?" The short guy motions his head at her.

The rosy pink-haired inexpressive girl nods her head, "Yes, Master." With hands intertwined she approaches the table, "This is a transport card, more exactly, a transportation device. It sends an order request for various things to the Synapse. However, it's an outdated card, so it can only grant one wish."

I blink, dread spreading throughout my entire being. The Synapse? If I remember correctly, Ayanokouji became the master of it, whatever it is, in that vision. But he had Ikaros under his control in that vision, what connection could he possibly have with the two of them.

"Is that for real?" Aikawa asks, "Something that good exists?"

It's not that surprising for me as I have in my very home a wish-granter goddess. While the existence of such a device is worthy of consideration, there's a much more pressing matter to discuss.

"What is the Synapse?" I inquire sternly.

Sakurai shrugs his shoulders, "According to Sugata-senpai, it's the New World or something like that, floating around Earth."

"The heck?" Aikawa mutters.

"Another world?" Yuuki deadpans, "This is… insane…"

"Could it be…" Aki replaces his obsolete eyewear as he looks at Sakurai seriously, "That your senpai was referring to the anomaly in the Earth's magnetic field? I remember hearing how it passed over Japan recently."

By the face he sported, Sakurai obviously has no idea, but the being at his side must know the answer. I rest my elbows over the table, assuming a certain NERV commander's trademark posture. Though I have no intention to yell at her anyone get in a robot or anything like that…

"Ikaros… right?"

"Yes…" She responds blankly. Her eyes look completely empty, it's eerie just to look at them.

"Do you know what the Synapse is?" I asked dryly.

"I was not designed to know the specifics of the Synapse," She responds, and I honestly can't tell if she's lying or telling the truth, since her voice doesn't betray any emotion. "The Synapse allows these cards to work. That is all I can say."

This is troublesome. While I was reluctant to accept it, I'm beginning to think that whatever I saw with those glasses was a vision of the future, and in case my assumption was correct, then this means that Ayanokouji will become the master of whatever gives that card such power. This can't be good.

"And what are you exactly?" I inquire seriously. "You should know that at least."

"I'm a Pet-Class Angeloid, Type-Alpha [Ikaros]." She responds. "…and I only exist to please my Master."

"Angeloid?" Aki repeats slowly, "Like… an angel and… android?"

Makes sense now that the otaku mentions it. She clearly resembled an angel when she released her wings, but that robotic way of speaking… And specifically saying that she was designed was a give away. To think… Something out there exists that can create sentient beings like her. Well, almost sentient, she's practically emotionless. Well, Deus did create a sentient, but fake human for this game…

Still. Being able to create artificial life… I don't think anybody should have that kind of power.

"And Sakurai is that master you speak of, right?" I add and she nods her head.

"Yes. I imprinted Master shortly after meeting him."

Almost everyone's jaws drop at that.

"Imprint? Pet-class? Tomoki, you bastard!" Aikawa growls at the short boy, "What kind of sick perverted game is this!?"

Yuuki raises his hands to stop them, "C'mon guys, this isn't the time. Something really weird is going on."

Harima starts, scratching his head, "Just what the fuck is all this!? I don't get it at all!"

"G-guys calm down," Sakurai tries to placate them. "I think this has something to do those weird dreams I've been having."

Aki frowns, "You're still having them? With that unknown woman asking your help?"

"Yeah… It's really weird. I still have no idea who it is," Sakurai mutters.

"Seriously…" Harima starts to mumble, "Things started to get all weird… The fuck is happening…?"

It is then that a certain stalker peeks his head out of the kitchen, "Everything alright?"

Sakurai waves a hand in response, also pocketing that strange device, "Yeah, things are clear."

Usui nods his head, sporting an intrigued expression, "That's good to hear. The food's ready and Yukihira is about to serve the dishes. I would suggest you drop that subject for later." He accentuated that word, glancing at the self-proclaimed angeloid.

"Yeah…" Aki sighs, trying to relax, "We should drop this subject for now. The less people know about this, the less troublesome this will be for us."

Sakurai pats his back with a smirk, "You're right, Tomoya." He turns towards the winged being, "Ikaros, can you go back to my friend's house? I gave you directions, remember? And don't fly or do anything a human wouldn't do!"

She nods her head, "As you wish, Master."

The angel-like girl bows to us before setting off, leaving the restaurant. We exchange glances for few seconds when Yukihira, alongside Tendou and Takao, appear from the kitchen with trays filled with dishes. The blonde one of the three glances at me in concern, I nod back at her in order to assure her that the matter was handled, albeit temporarily. She sends me a small, relieved smile.

It's no surprise really. She's practically an innocent bystander here, not having any real connections other than loose ties to Yukihira and a friendship with Takao. Other than that, it's just familiarity with Harima and I, so it wasn't in her best interest to get dragged into a matter that has nothing to do with her. Smart girl actually. I wish I had that option.

"Alright! Who's ready to eat?" Yukihira says with excitement, however, he got no response, not even from Harima who was always vocal about his hungriness, "Huh? What's wrong?"

Aki fixes his glasses, "Y-yeah… I am. Isn't that right, Kenji-kun?" He gets no response either as the delinquent-looking boy seems lost in thought, "Am I right, Kenji-kun?" He repeats, although this time, rising his tone.

Harima finally breaks out from his trance, and responds, "Y-yeah… I think… yeah…"

The cook raises a brow, "Wow, this is a weird day. Harima's doesn't look overly excited for my food? Is the end of the world coming?" He snickered.

It's funny to think that maybe could actually happen. Or so says Deus Ex.

"Hachiman?" I blink as Takao calls my name, "You look… tense? Did something happen?"

Wow… she can notice that kind of thing? How well did she know my previous self that she could catch my own body language? I know we're not the same, but she somehow manages to notice even the tiniest change within me. I'm not particularly happy with that.

"I'm just hungry…"

She makes a humming sound, not looking convinced. Aikawa and Yuuki line one more table together, pulling some chairs for the girls. Aki and Harima seemed to be still musing about the revelations brought by Sakurai, and it's not surprising… their reactions that is.

Finally everyone was sitting, the food ready before our eyes and looking just amazing. Usui looks pleased, Yukihira, who was sat at his side, palming his back, "Heehhh… It seems this will be fun, watching everyone eat the food."

I had to frown. What did he mean by that?

Tendou and Takao's faces are completely red as they gaze at their meals, looking so focused that it was sort of funny. There are really eager to dig on their food, huh? Well, can't say I'm not guilty of that. I'm actually starving.

Whatever the case, I finally get to eat Yukihira's famous food.

Everyone starts to eat, but I decided to wait as Usui is doing. What's the deal? However, my doubts would soon be answered. Just what the heck is this!?

Everyone is trembling after only one bite of their food, when suddenly, Harima stands up, raising his fists with tears streaming down his face, "This is what I needed!"

Yuuki and Aikawa are sporting creepy faces, as if fantasising. Oi, you're eating food, just what the heck are you thinking just now? Aki in contrast is gripping his fork and making a fist. I blinked in surprise when he shouts out of nowhere, "I'm so inspired!"

I know they're a bunch of idiots, and I can expect this sort of reaction from them, but what I didn't see coming was the…

"Kya! / It's so good!" Both Tendou and Takao, holding their hands together, scream at the same time, or more like, eh… like… moan… Geez, just what is wrong with you two? It's embarrassing just to look at you!

For some reason, people tend to display exaggerated reactions when eating great food. I witnessed as much to a lesser extent with Belldandy's food, but Yukihira sure knows how to get reactions from his food. This is what Usui was referring to, it seems.

Sakurai was simply over the floor in his chibi form mumbling something I won't even care to listen. Usui while smiling in amusement, finally digs in his great-looking filleted steak. I suspect it's grilled since there are marks on the meat, not to mention the aroma of the glaze he probably made from the marinade… wait… did I just think that?

Oi, that's a really embarrassing face to put Usui, and don't look at me! You're making me uncomfortable! Save that weird expression for that maid of yours!

"Hehehe… it's nice having everybody here," The redhead grins, "Although I wish there was someone else here too." I raise an eyebrow as he glances at me dryly. "Can't be helped I guess."

Oi, I know very well you're referring to Kasumigaoka. Hitting below the belt, eh?

Takao tilts her head, finally recovered from… whatever her reactions were… "Who are you talking about, Souma?" She frowns, putting hand under her chin, "Oh, Utaha isn't here…" She pinches Souma's arm with a pout, "Why didn't you tell her to come? I should have done so!"

Dear me… So Takao is a friend of the writer too? Give me a break dammit.

Yukihira averts his gaze, everyone becoming silent. The girls observe the unexpected changed in the room, and frown. Everything is connected somehow. But… why do I have to be in the middle of it? I already have too many problems to deal with to have more weight added to my back!

"S-so, it was true that you knew that famous writer?" Tendou speaks, trying to relax the atmosphere. "Y-Yukihira-kun is also her friend?"

"Yeah," He nods, "But don't mind what I said, c'mon dig in."

Takao pinches his cheek, fuming, "Don't ignore me!" She whines as Yukihira looks at her dumbly, "I thought you would call her to come here since you were planning this dinner!"

Aki raises his hands, "Calm down, Takao. This reunion was planned just this morning, so we didn't have time to tell everybody."

"But… isn't Utaha you friend, Souma?" She asks in irritation, leaning to him with a glare, which he responds with a sigh. "Something happened, didn't it?"

I may have to intervene as she's practically blaming him for her absence, which is my fault. Idiot cook, you should just say what happened. I already endured all her whining in the game store, so I'm sure I can handle a bit more of it. Hah… Why am I such a good guy?

I was about to speak, when Yukihira beat me to the punch, "I actually talked to her…" He responds, and by the severity in his tone, I can tell he isn't lying about that. "She's not feeling well. So she can't come."

The busty brunette blinks, concern painting her face, "Utaha is sick?" She pulls out her phone, but Yukihira snatches it from her grasp. She grits her teeth and growls, "What are you doing Sou-baka!?"

"Just leave her be," He states in a serious manner, which causes her to frown.

"A-alright… but I'll call her later. If you did something to her, I swear…"

"Oi, Takao. Your food is getting cold," She pouts at me.

"Alright…"

Tension is filling the air again, so Yuuki, in an effort to relax the atmosphere, scratches the back of his head and says, "I'll miss the food when you leave, dude." He grins, and I had to raise an eyebrow. Hoh… was he teasing the cook?

Yukihira deadpans, "Thanks for only missing the food, Sairenji."

Yuuki flushes red, almost spilling the food, "Man, can't I make I joke?"

"Can't I either?" He snickered.

Aikawa and Aki laughs, Tendou giggling with a hand on her mouth. Usui chuckles lightly at the jovial rib, as I merely look on without really reacting. They're all good friends, close enough that even a new girl like Tendou feels at ease with them. Takao, however, seems to be still thinking about the writer. It does bother her, huh?

*Tap Tap Tap*

I blink, another visitor? Or maybe that winged girl Ikaros again? Sakurai thought just the same as me as he quickly stood from his seat, waving a hand at us, "Don't worry guys, I'll see who it is."

"Maybe it's Utaha?" Takao mumbled to herself, yet I caught her words. I just hope it's not, I'm not in the mood to deal with that yet.

Chatter and more weird reactions continue, but I remain focused on the entrance door as Sakurai opens it. He blinks, and turns back into his chibi form. A stupid smile spread across his face, "Heeey, Hachiman. Your parents send a gift to Souma."

I blink at the reveal. A gift? For Yukihira? And what the hell is with that reaction?

I glance at the red headed chef, he looks just as surprised as I do. Looks like he didn't expect a gift to arrive either. Hmm… Well, from what I remember in my second morning here, Yukihira and his family were close enough that Komachi would regard his father as a sort of an uncle. And if my parents' behavior was anything to go by, they'd treat him fairly closely as well. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Yukihira was like the son they always wanted. That's all well and good now, but I hope they remember that they do have a son.

But looking back at Sakurai… I don't like that idiotic expression on his face. It better not be Komachi you're looking at like that you little runt.

"Who was it?" I ask the shorter boy, with a bit of warning in my tone. Oi, that'd seriously better not be Komachi. Don't you dare corrupt my beloved sister.

He only gives a ridiculous laugh, as he stares at whoever's at the door.

Fed up with his lack of answers, I get up and walk towards the entrance. Honestly, I wanted to enjoy the free food. Was that too much to ask for?

As I make my way towards him, I hear Aki commenting to the others, "Well, it's not surprising, considering how they've known each other since childhood."

As I reach the door, my eyes widen as I they meet with the gaze of a certain goddess. Without thought, I shove Sakurai behind me, and slam the door shut once I stepped outside.

The goddess was dressed in casual wear, probably borrowed from my mother again. Her denim skirt was short so her legs were exposed, it went well with the rest of her matching denim jacket. Huh, that might be new apparel actually. My mother wasn't the type to wear skirts. Then again, might be another difference in this world.

Really, that outfit really accentuated her figure and made her look quite captiva-

Gah… What the heck am I saying? I shake my head to get rid of my idiotic thoughts. Must be my hunger messing with my head…

"Belldandy," I say evenly, "What are you doing here?"

She blinks, also surprised, but her expression changes to one of worry, "A-are you okay, Hachiman-san?"

"I'm fine," I say calmly, though I'm curious about her worry, "What's wrong?"

She turns around, looking at the street, "It's… I don't want to worry you, Hachiman-san."

"It's pointless to say that sort of thing when I already noticed your uneasiness, you know?" I point out with a hint of wryness.

"…I'm not sure if you're aware, but… I ran into an… Angeloid some minutes ago," She bites her lip, resting a hand on her chest, "She didn't seem to be a threat since her Uranus Mode wasn't active. But an angeloid of her caliber being amongst humans, is something that should be treated with extreme caution."

I pause for a moment as I take in what she said, "You know what she really is?"

She blinks, "So you met her in person, Hachiman-san?"

"Yeah," I nodded at her, and gesture behind me. "That idiot who was staring at you, was imprinted by her. Whatever that means."

She puts a hand under her chin, musing profoundly, "That is odd… I didn't think an angeloid of her type would have been allowed to imprint a human."

"Her type?" I ask her. She wasn't a Pet-Class, then?

She looks at me seriously, "Did she say anything?"

"Not much," I shrug, "Only that she was a Pet-Class and that she wasn't designed to know more than that."

"Pet-Class… That would explain why that boy could have imprinted her… but… she didn't look like that sort. I probably should contact Heaven and inform them of this."

So this is a situation serious enough to warrant her agency getting notified? That means that there's a connection between angeloids and Belldandy's people.

"What are angeloids to you?" I ask her seriously. Belldandy knowing exactly what she was, and apparently knowing who Ikaros was specifically, is suspicious. Plus add the fact that they're both connected to some kind of divinity, with Ikaros being angel-like and Belldandy being a goddess, they must be related to one another in some way. It'd be too much of a coincidence if they weren't.

"Angeloids are heretical beings, and a threat to human kind. That angeloid specifically has attacked humans multiple times in the past. All at the command of her previous master."

My eyes widen as she reveals that information. I think back at the pink-haired angeloid, other than her wings and her expressionless gaze, she didn't seem threatening in any way.

"How long ago was she doing that stuff?"

She blinks, "You mean… attacking humans?"

"Yeah," I nodded at her.

"Since ancient times she has done so," She closes her eyes, "Many goddesses and valkyries fell in battle trying to stop her and others like her. It has been many centuries since her last attack, though you understand why would be cautious of her sudden appearance."

I nod in understanding as I think things over. There's something that doesn't add up. Ikaros didn't really look like someone who could accomplish that. Maybe she's mistaking her with someone else. Doesn't make any sense that such a powerful being could become the 'pet' of a mere human. Could it be amnesia? Or, I guess, her being a machine and all, maybe her memory was wiped? Maybe the latter. Without memory, all-the-while classifying herself as a different kind of angeloid, and including the fact that she was able to imprint Sakurai as her new master, perhaps Ikaros had a falling out with her creators?

"Let's talk about that later," I gaze at the window, noticing many heads piling up. Nosy lot, aren't you?

"Y-yes…" She nods, also noticing the people amassing by the window.

Well, it goes without saying that hiding Belldandy is not an option now that they have seen her. And with my grand exit, they're probably even more curious about her. Though I can notice Usui looking at me with a raised eyebrow. Yeah… I wasn't very subtle right then.

Aikawa also looked on in surprise, but it quickly shifted into a knowing look. Seriously, what exactly are you thinking in that head of yours?

"Well," I start with a release of breath, "Since you're already here, you might as well come in, I guess. You still didn't tell me why you came now that I think about it."

"Oh…" She raises a hand that held a bag, "Your parents sent me to Restaurant Yukihira to leave a gift for Yukihira Souma-sama."

"Why didn't…" I stop myself there, I knew why Komachi didn't do so. She was probably still too intimidated to come here knowing that I was most likely to be here. I release a brief sigh, "Nevermind. It's better that you're here. It's getting late for a girl Komachi's age to be out in public."

I glance at the sun beginning to set. Did so much time pass already?

"Actually, Komachi-sama will be staying with a friend today," I narrow my gaze, not liking what I was hearing. It's not that bug, is it? "A girl called Yuuki Mikan-sama."

Yuuki Mikan? That's Yuuki's sister right? I think he mentioned her once before.

"I see," I nodded, relieved, as I open the door, "Well, c'mon, get inside."

The goddess finally steps inside, but not without saying, "With your permission."

Silence comes once more as the whole group stood looking at us in awe. Yukihira and Harima didn't seem as surprised anymore, along with Usui and Aikawa, though the latter was smiling cockily. Aki observed her closely, while Yuuki stared at Belldandy with a flush on his face. Tendou looked surprised but Takao was puffing her cheeks. What now?

Mmm? Sakurai is lying unconscious on the floor. Whoops… I may have slammed the door on his face just a moment ago. If he wants to sue me, he can do so. I'll be declared innocent either way once I claim that he held lecherous thoughts towards Belldandy and that I was merely defending her honor.

"Now who could this be?" I hear Usui's jovial voice. Oi, you already met her. Don't act dumb.

Belldandy's eyes trails to one side to the other in uncertainty before she bows to them, "Greetings. My name is Belldandy. I am a guest currently staying in the Hikigaya household."

"She's a protégé of Naomi's, my 'aunt' in America." I finish for her.

"Of aunt Naomi?" Yukihira smiles, "Haven't seen her in a while." He blinks, his expressión darkening, "Is she still…" I nodded my head, "I see."

"What is it?" Takao asks, "Did something happen with your aunt?"

"Nothing more than usual," I say cryptically.

"S-so?" Tendou begins, while facing Belldandy with an embarrassed face, "Is she living in your h-house, Hikigaya-kun?"

I raise an eyebrow, "Yeah, she's staying with my family as she studies in Japan."

Belldandy frowns, averting her gaze. Seriously woman, are you going to react like that every time I lie? I guess that no matter the circumstances, she will never be fine with it. The world of humans isn't for someone like you, Belldandy.

"It's nice to see you again Belldandy-san," Usui greets with some jovial tone in his voice. Then he faces me, and I suppress a groan as I recognize his expression, "How is Deviluke-chan?"

I level him with a glare. Bastard, did you really have to bring her up?

"Y-you know her, Usui-san?" Yuuki asks the blonde male, reddening when he looks at Belldandy.

"We met this morning, when I visited Hikigaya-kun~" Usui sing songs.

Belldandy was about to respond to Usui with a pleasant smile, but a voice cuts through.

"Who's 'Deviluke-chan'?"

I slowly turn to see Takao's brow twitching. I put my hands inside my pockets, closing my eyes, "She's the daughter of a family friend that wanted to visit Japan. As she had no place to stay, my family offered her to live in my house for a while. She's from Europe. The others met her two days ago."

Usui cocks an eyebrow, "Heehh… Hikigaya-kun is getting good at saying it."

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 05 Section: Song 10

I shrug my shoulders, "Whatever that means," I look at the goddess, "In any case, didn't you bring him something?" I motion my head at Yukihira. "He's the guy you're looking for."

"Yes, Komachi-sama showed me a picture of him with you two," She smiles at me, "It was quite charming…"

Takao folds her arms, and Tendou scratches her cheek in embarrassment. I can feel my cheeks getting warm, so I have to avert my eyes from her. Geez, since that talk we had yesterday, it's hard to look her in the eyes.

Belldandy's smile become warmer at my reaction, and I swear I won't be able to resist it anymore if she doesn't become more careful! To my relief, she walks towards Yukihira and extends the bag. He blinks, but a grin finds it way to his face. Accepting the bag, he looks inside and pulls out a black long box.

"What is it?" Yuuki grabs the bag to let him manipulate the box.

"Ehrm…" Yukihira opens it, his gaze remaining locked on whatever was inside. I couldn't get a view from my position, but it's not like he isn't showing it, so I don't move and wait patiently. I'm actually pretty curious about what my parents got him.

"It's…" Takao starts, yet her voice trails off.

"A knife?" Harima massages his neck as he stares at the object.

Oh, that was it? Well, I guess for a cook, he'll need it. Just another knife he can use I suppose. However, why is he looking at it with disbelief? It's just a knife, you know?

"Well, since you're a cook, then you now have more knives," Aikawa comments with a shrug, "Makes sense, this gift I mean."

Yukihira smirks to himself, "I don't know if I can accept this…"

"Why not?" Takao asks, "It's just a knife."

"No it's not," He retorts almost immediately, making her blink. "It's not just a knife. It's the knife that my mother gave to Hachiman's mom when we were kids. Haven't seen it in a while…" He pulls it out, shining with the lights from the ceiling. The handle was black and had some gold designs at the sides. I would dare say it was a cool piece of cutlery, if… I was interested in that sort of stuff.

So there's a story behind that knife, huh?

Aki makes a fist, "This is one of those meaningful moments where the protagonist remembers the past to find the strength to continue facing all hardships!" He looks moved, but he's just overreacting.

Yukihira turns to me with a serious gaze, "Say… can I seriously have this?"

"It's not like you need my permission," I shrug casually, "If my folks wanted to give it you, then it's yours."

He looks at the knife uneasily, "Are you sure?"

I scoff at him, and in an effort to seem jovial, I patted his back. Er, that's what you're supposed to do for these kinds of things, right? I see Yukihira slightly wince at the contact, oops, might have been too hard. Well, too bad. You should be glad I actually went ahead and did this, it won't happen again, you knoooow?

Takao cocks an eyebrow at my reaction, which I assume she takes as something I normally don't do. Tendou in contrast shoots me a pleased smile. The other guys just exchangeld grins between them, even Sakurai raises a thumbs up from the floor.

Geez… I'm not used to this…

"It's fine," I respond.

Yukihira stares at me and nods, "I'll take care of it. It's a promise."

I'm sure this is supposed to be some heartfelt exchange, but I don't particularly feel anything. How can I? I don't have any connection to this situation. Yukihira's supposed to be a childhood friend when I only just met him three days ago, and as interesting as he is, I can't be asked to particularly care about him. He's still a stranger after all, regardless if he's interesting or not.

"Sure," I respond easily. "Well, the food is getting cold," I glance at the goddess, "Did you eat already?"

She shakes her head, "Not yet, but don't worry about me."

"Nah," I turn to the cook. "Is there food for her?"

"Oh… sorry but, I barely made enough food for our lot," Scratching his cheeks, he adds, "The sales were massive today, and I ran out of ingredients."

Hmm… Well, I guess that leaves only one thing left.

"Yuuki volunteers to give up his food," I state easily.

"Wha!? Me!?" Yuuki screeches out.

"Hachiman-san…" Belldandy looks at me in disapproval.

"I was kidding," I merely scoff at her before gesturing towards my seat. As much as I prioritize free food, I am a gentleman first and foremost. How can I merely stand by as a fair maiden hasn't had food?

Hah~ I'm such a great person! I should have novels written about me as a central character!

"Nice, Hikigaya!" Harima raises a thumbs up, "I'm definitely doing that in front of Tenma-chan!"

Oi, I'm being a gentleman here, not trying to look cool. Don't corrupt my chivalry with your ulterior motives!

"It's impressive," Aki says with a pleased smile, "Hachi-kun is developing the skills of a shoujo male love interest!"

I level the otaku with an annoyed glare. What gibberish are you saying? I am merely being the polite party here, nothing more.

"I agree," Usui comments in amusement, "You're learning, Hikigaya-kun, you're learning."

"I need some paper to write this!" Yuuki comments in excitement, putting out from his schoolbag a book and a pen, "That was a great move!"

Ignoring all their idiotic comments, the goddess stares at me, and then drops her gaze, "Thank you…"

I look away in discomfort. Geh… The situation's going down a route I didn't intend for it to go towards.

"I wouldn't really mind giving my part to her," Says the cook.

"No, leave it like that," I retort.

Takao doesn't look particularly happy, so she grabs my hand and starts pulling me, "You're eating with me then! I don't eat that much."

Souma puts on a dumb face, "I beg to differ."

"Shut it, Souma!" She growls at him.

Luckily for me I was able to remain steady at her forceful tugging. If I hadn't, I probably would have tripped.

"It's fine, Takao," I tell the brunette, "I wasn't that hungry anyway."

Aikawa pats my back, "Now you are trying to look cool."

"Stop saying nonsense and finish eating already," I command them after a sigh.

As everyone followed my order, Belldandy shyly takes the seat between Souma and Tendou, and I notice Takao still glaring at me. This girl is really stubborn, isn't she? I didn't even do anything wrong this time.

"Eat with me. You must be hungry," She says, irritated. I know you're trying to sound considerate, Gamer Girl, but you're not supposed to make a demand when doing so.

"And there we go again…" Aikawa rolls his eyes, and starts eating.

"Look, Yukihira is waiting for you," I cleverly said, "You came here for him so the least you can do is eat with him."

Takao is striving to find a retort, but fails in the end, sighing in defeat, "Alright… baka."

With the whiny girl off of my back, I look at Belldandy, who seems hesitant, but Yukihira, noticing her uncertainty, motions his head, wordlessly telling her to go ahead. She shoots me a glance, and I simply nod my head in confirmation as I take a seat on one of the bar stools across the table.

With that, she finally eats a piece of the pork Yukihira prepàred for me. Damn it, I really wanted that! Calm down, Hachiman. What's done is done… I just can't eat Yukihira's food. Again…

Belldandy closes her eyes, trying to repress a sound from coming from her mouth. She trembles, her face as red as the tomato by the counter. Her breathing becomes agitated. It's too damn moe for it to be real! This is impossible! Must not look!

I tear my gaze away from the table, noticing Sakurai getting to his feet while massaging his nose, "What happened? Did I fall asleep?"

"Not really," And before he starts asking what happened, I add. "Your food is getting cold."

"Oh yeah… but… what about you?"

"Just eat already. I'm not up for a story."

He shrugs his shoulders, "Hai, hai."

"How can you be so rude?" Heh… Tendou is having yet another argument with Harima. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up becoming best friends. That sort of thing tends to happen, right? Polar opposites attract each other, or so they say.

Nah… who am I kidding? That only happens in TV shows.

The reunion continues, and I just observe them in silence while the sound of chatter and laughter spreads across the table. This atmosphere of friendship isn't one I normally look at, much less be a part of, but… it doesn't look too bad from the outside…

Belldandy and Tendou are giggling among themselves. They seem to get along well enough, and that's actually good. Wouldn't want the goddess becoming uncomfortable with my current company. Usui and Aki are also speaking to her, helping her to feel at ease with us.

I take out my phone, trying to ignore the fact that they're eating while I haven't. I guess I'll check it to distract myself. There are two messages. Mmm… maybe I should download that app Usui mentioned. Meh, I'll do it at home.

Shidare Hotaru is the sender of… two messages? Who was she again? Oh, right. The one that talks about dagashi.

- Hachiman! Where are you? Your mother told me you haven't returned from school yet. Talk to me once you read my message.

Alright… let's see the other.

- I came again and you still haven't returned… at least send me a message. I have a lot of Dagashi to taste, and I'm controlling myself to not open any just for you.

* My bad. A lot things came up these last few days. Go ahead without me.

Who could this girl be? She's very casual with me and she's apparently familiar with my family. And what's with her obsession with dagashi? Seriously, that's what almost all of her messages to me have revolved around.

I check the time. 6:14 p.m., huh?

As I pocket my phone, I glance back at the table with everyone else. They're still having fun amongst themselves. Well, that's how these parties go, don't they?

Offhandedly, I can hear some of the more rambunctious of them teasing Yuuki about his 'interaction' with Sairenji. Apparently he only managed to stutter out a brief greeting to her before running off like an idiot. And knowing that crush of his, she probably froze and barely managed to stutter a greeting back. Lovesick idiots…

Takao was defending him for some reason. Hoh… That's pretty mean of her to say that Harima took months to even talk to his own crush. Women always know what buttons to press, don't they?

Usui sat by with an amused expression on his face, but he didn't actually engage. Even considering his participation with messing with Harima earlier, Usui really isn't particularly close with everyone else. He said it was mostly Yukihira that kept him around, and that Harima was amusing enough entertainment for him as well. I guess I could count myself as another person of interest for the blonde, he did say he liked me better than the previous Hachiman.

And Sakurai… That little runt was in his chibi form staring appreciatively at Belldandy with a stupid grin. Ugh… Why did I have to be 'friends' with someone like him?

Luckily for her, Belldandy either didn't notice it or only ignored his gaze. I'm leaning towards the former, the goddess is much too nice to attempt the latter. If she noticed it, the intent behind his smile would only go over her head.

Aki, Takao and Tendou are talking about his plans for the game, so that's that. Aikawa is just silent, observing the rest with a smile plastered on his face. He must have noticed that looking at the others is better than dealing with them.

I blink when the man of the hour sits at my side.

"I'll miss Chiba, eh?" He comments with a grin, "But I'll miss these reunions even more though."

"Is that so?" I ask while taking a drink of refilled coffee. I've had a lot today, haven't I?

"Yeah…" His eyes fall on the table where my parent's gift was resting upon, "I still don't believe they gave me that."

Is it really that big of a deal?

I mulled over the proper words I should say for a moment, "Make sure you take care of it."

"Sure," He says determinedly. After that we both stare at the table, everyone having fun, even Harima as he laughed at Takao kicking Chibi Sakurai for trespassing her life of comfort. "Takao is still worried about Utaha…"

Tch, had to bring that up again, didn't you?

"I'm sure." I reply.

"I'll trust that when I get back, you'd have to talk things with her, right?" He says without looking at me. Yukihira seems to care a lot about the writer. And just when I'm about to respond, he puts a dumb face, "Mwehehe! If you don't, I'll make you taste my new dishes! They say that apples, octopus and milk make a good mix!"

I reflexively frown in a bit of disgust, "What's with this blatant blackmail? Now I'm too scared to even bother."

He snickered at that, "Haha, she's been calling me all day, you know?" He shows me his phone screen, "Just like now." I blink, seeing that Kasumigaoka was indeed calling him.

"Shouldn't you answer?" I asked with a frown.

He blinks, looking thoughtful, "I guess…" He stands up from the bank, "Come on, let's go to the kitchen."

As I watch him walk towards the back, I look back at the festivities. Either I go with him and deal with whatever Kasumigaoka has to say to him, or I stay here and potentially get dragged into socializing.

Talk about a rock in a hard place…

I sigh and finish off my drink, before following him into the kitchen.

Once inside, Yukihira makes sure to have the door closed before looking at me, "I'll put it on loudspeaker, so don't open your mouth."

I shrug my shoulders, "It's not like I was planning to."

Alright, whatever Yukihira is planning by doing this, I'll just have to listen attentively. I'll probably learn something of importance about Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Yukihira finally answers the call, "Hey, how you holding up?"

"Souma-kun… I'm fine, I suppose," Her voice comes from the phone as he puts it over a furniture, "How's the get together going?"

The redhead glances at me before replying, "Good. Everyone is already eating. Have you already eaten what I delivered to your house?"

"Mmm… half of it," She says weakly.

"Hey, Utaha. Don't you dare leave it like that," He reprimands. "I made that dish only because you asked for it, you know?"

"I will finish it, I promise. So…" I narrow my gaze as her voice fades for some seconds, "How is Ronriteki-kun?"

Yukihira scratches his cheek, "Calling him that again, huh? Like always… you know him."

"I don't think I do," She responds gravely, "I thought I did but… you know…"

I would think that this is a touch on the dramatic side, but that'd be my ignorance talking. From what I know, I mean a great deal to Kasumigaoka and I practically rejected her for someone I was supposed to hate, well, it's no surprise it caused her to question many things about the two of us.

I really did mess things up there.

"Yeah…" The cook seems at a loss for words.

"But like I told you before, I'll get over it. My new novel will be published soon, so I'll focus on that." We both blink as she becomes silent. Yukihira purses his lips and gazes at me before shaking his head.

Ah, so that's it… She's putting up a strong front for him. He knows that Kasumigaoka won't be able to get over this situation so easily. She probably knows it too, and is saying it in order to convince herself.

"Things will be alright," He states.

"I don't know… has he… has he mentioned me at all?" She asks.

"No, but he's been brooding this whole time," Yukihira says, with a bit of a teasing smile. I glare at him for that, don't use my behavior as a convenience to give her blind hope. And who are you saying was brooding exactly? "Just be patient, eh?"

"I see… but I won't make this easy on him," I blinked as her tone gains some sort of edge. "When Ronriteki-kun tries to apologize, I'll make him beg for it."

Yukihira chuckles, "That's the Utaha I know."

I merely sweatdrop at this and only just keep myself from clicking my tongue. What kind of messed up relationship did I have with the writer that she wants me to beg for her forgiveness?

"I feel somewhat better," Kasumigaoka says with a more cheerful tone. "Thank you, Souma-kun."

He smirks, picking up the phone, "What are you talking about? I'm just glad that you feel better, Utaha."

She giggles, "Watch him for me, okay?" And once more her tone darkens, "And don't let Takao-san rub into him too much…"

The cook deadpans, "You do know that if I do that, she'll just start rubbing on me more than she already does, right?"

"So?"

I resist the urge to chuckle as Yukihira raises an eyebrow in irritation, "Tsss… whatever… senpai."

"Good, boy," She giggles again. "I'll take a bath, but I'll call you again after that, Souma-kun. Don't you dare not answer."

"Yeah, yeah…" He says before she finally hangs up. Then, Yukihira looks at me drily, "So, what do you think?"

"About?" I ask him cooly.

He smiles snarkily, "You know what, don't play dumb. When are you…"

"I'll handle it," I tell him seriously, interrupting what was going to be his tirade.

He stares at me neutrally, before a wide grin spreads from side to side, "You know… somehow I knew you would even before we came to the kitchen."

"Tch, then why bother dragging me in here? I told you I would handle it, and I will."

He laughs heartily at that, and I just scoff.

After that I opened the door, everyone was still having fun. Usui waves a hand as we both look at them from the kitchen. Yukihira rests his elbow on my shoulder with a smirk. I have to keep myself from reflexively shying away from the touch.

"Let's join them," He says.

"Yeah…"

And so, the festivities continued…

5-11

8:34 p.m.

The farewell party lasted pretty long. It was mostly spent with the others recalling their stories while Yukihira was away. It went as well as one would expect. Yuuki was a shy idiot, Harima was a loud one, Aki kept making references of either his game or other video games, Tendou and Takao enjoyed them though, while Usui remained on the quiet side only making the occasional tease every short while. He covertly sent me a message about how he can't appear too close to me all of a sudden when we never interacted much previously. That explained why he's keeping a pretty wide berth from me, I guess the breakfast visit was enough of a surprise for everyone else.

Belldandy enjoyed herself. She smiled as she listened to every story, and laughed when it was appropriate. I had to lend her a hand whenever the others tried to get to know her, too. It was mostly me misguiding the conversations, or lying for her when the situation called for it. Each time she would send me a mixed expression of both gratitude and disapproval. And each time I shrugged back at her, it couldn't be helped after all.

I sat back in boredom for the most part. I did listen to each story and made sure to remember the ones in which I was involved. Fortunately, Usui helped me out by adding in his two cents and guiding the attention back to him. Either in the form of teasing someone else, or, if he were involved, by adding his perspective.

All in all, I got a good amount of information in that span of time. I'm probably going to have to find a notebook to write all of it down. Thank goodness for my great memory.

After a while, Takao and Tendou had to leave first. Since it was late, they were going to be sleeping over at Takao's. Harima offered them a ride, however Tendou declined it. She really doesn't like him. It took a bit of arguing, but ultimately Usui offered to walk them to the tramline. He added that he needed to leave as well so he could enjoy his date tomorrow in a bashful tone.

Sakurai wound up taking that offer from Harima though. He was staying at a friends house, someone who was also Harima's classmate.

It was then that I decided that Belldandy and I should leave. Yuuki and Aikawa tried to join with us, but Aki somehow managed to strongarm them into joining him in a gaming session at his house. It was both amusing and terrfying to see such a one-sided argument against two opponents.

One by one, we all shared our farewells with Yukihira. He was going to leave very early in the morning tomorrow, so chance was he wasn't going to see everyone else until he came back. It was hard for me to convincingly portray my best wishes for the redhead, since of course I didn't really care, but I think I managed to pull it off. If Usui's approving nod before he left was a good indication.

Now it was just Belldandy and I walking towards my humble home-not-home. I was thoroughly enjoying the silence after all the noise I had to endure in the restaurant. My sensitive ears were thankful to be away from the abuse.

However it was going to be short-lived because I could tell that the goddess wanted to say something, but had some trouble speaking her mind. Sometimes I curse my hyper-awareness.

"What is it?" My voice cuts through the peaceful silence. There wasn't that many people outside right now, just the occasional corporate slave walking to their respective homes.

"Thank you, Hachiman-san…" She says softly, "This is the first time I've taken part in a reunion, and I had fun… everyone was really kind to me. Even Harima-sama despite his rough manner of speaking."

"I see," I respond, "Glad to hear."

"And… I apologize for overreacting this morning, Hachiman-san…" She says apologetically.

"It's fine," I waved her off. It's water under the bridge, no use to bring it back up. "How's… Deviluke?"

Regardless of whether I was in the right, I managed to cause a rift between Deviluke and I. I may not like her attachment to me, nor her pushy manner during her flirtations, but I still need her around. The game demands it.

"She has been a bit quiet…" Belldandy closes her eyes, "She's was speaking to Peke-sama when I left the house." She stops, and turns to me, "Despite the way she came to your home, I can feel that Lala-san truly cares about you and your family, and I'm sure she'll get your trust eventually."

I take some time to choose my words, "It's not about trust. Well, not just about it."

"Hachiman-san?"

"It's about her realizing that what she wants does not correspond to what I want and respecting that," I answer the goddess, "You'd do well to understand that not everyone gets their desires fulfilled even if you can grant them their every wish."

"I… see… you don't feel the same way…" She whispers in realization.

I glanced at her briefly, "I told you, something like that doesn't come to be in such a short span of time. Either she's naive to think that it's… what she thought it was… or I would be for thinking the same."

"Can you tell me… what you will do now?" She asks with uncertainty.

I release a sigh, "I'm not going to kick her out, if that's what you're worried about," I scratch the back of my head, "I'll have a talk with her about this nonsense. Tell her my side of the story."

She looks at me startled, but she nods her head with a tiny smile, "Hachiman-san is a very considerate person… Am I naive to think so?"

Ack…

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"Of course you are…" I grumble out in discomfort, "It's not like that at all."

Honestly. Where is she getting that idea from? I'm only… looking out for my investment in Deviluke being the creation of the time god. Yeah, that's it. Being considerate has nothing to do with it.

Honest. So don't say something so embarrassing. People might get the wrong idea about me.

"Yes…" Belldandy replied, yet her smile didn't waver. To me it seems that she does believe what she thinks of me. Geez… her naivete is taking her to regard me in a totally wrong away.

"Just forget it…" I start walking again, "I'll talk with her later, so…" I stop for a second, "Don't worry…" With that said, I advance once more.

Belldandy soon catches up to me, "Yes, Hachiman-san… Somehow, I knew you wouldn't leave things like this…" Her eyes are directed to the sky as we continue to walk home, "I'm glad…"

"How could you possibly guess that?" I ask the goddess, "Seriously Belldandy, you're too naive for your own good. What if I had done nothing?"

She stops again, her gaze directed at my face, "Would you?"

"Let's just say I didn't bother dealing with Deviluke?" I comment off-handedly, meeting her gaze without flinching, "What then?"

"I know you wouldn't," She responds, convinced of her answer. "What if doesn't exist, Hachiman-san. We either do it or not. We can be good or evil, and like that, we can change, we can forgive, and we can love. Komachi-sama is afraid of you, because she can't understand you. But I have watched you closely, and I am certain that you would never leave anyone behind. Not even Lala-san… Despite your aversion towards her."

Can't really reject what she says. I can't afford to leave people behind.

I look at her silently for a few moments before turning away with a scoff, continuing forward, "If you were so sure of my actions, then why ask?"

I actually was just being sarcastic, but to my surprise, she decided to give a serious reply.

"Because you're trying to convince yourself that you're not kind to people. You strive to push people away…" She drops her gaze, her hands resting on her chest, "I failed to see what you truly were because I didn't knew who you were, and all I had was the warning of my superiors." She looks ashamed, "I felt so guilty when I began to fear you, but then… you defended Lala-san with such sincere words that made me realize… I was doing everything wrong."

"Look," I start, "You're committing the same mistake as Deviluke. You're forgetting my own ethics, covering them with your own. Like her, we've only known each other for just the same amount of time, and speak as if you knew who I am." I turn around, giving her my back, "You're imposing your naive ideals on me, putting expectations and faith in someone you barely know. I admit that you might be right in some points, but I can't just accept what you're saying."

She frowns, "You're mistaken, Hachiman-san. This isn't an ideal, this is what I feel when I'm close to you," She raises a hand to her cheek, "I can sense your kindness, I can feel your distress when you fail to speak to Komachi-sama. Your worry is almost palpable when you look at your sister, at your parents. You're afraid of failing them, which is the reason you push them away." She rests a hand on my chest, where my heart is located, "I can sense your doubts each time you speak to your family or to us. I can even notice the anger building inside of you when you realize that something bad happened and was out of your grasp…" She closes her eyes… "Hachiman-san… you're not alone…"

I widen my eyes, and I feel a sudden spurt of disgust towards myself. That isn't true. I'm only doing all this to win the game. I'm don't deserve her praise.

"I'm sorry, Belldandy, but I can't keep listening to this," I growled, walking away from her. "I'm not who you think I am."

"That may be true… but what I do know is that Hachiman-san… is the most genuine person I've ever met…"

I freeze at her words.

"Hachiman-san?"

…Genuine? Me? No… That's not…

I'm trying to find a genuine thing. I wanted to avoid superficiality. But that doesn't mean…

I…

There it was again. The odd, yet heavy sensation in my chest. What on Earth was this sensation?

Like last night, it's neither the dull ache I'm familiar with -but is just as heavy- nor is it the light feeling I would have when I made the mistake of holding hope. And like last night… I'm not sure I like it. This feeling is unknown to me.

And like the unknown, I unconsciously fear this sensation because I do not understand it.

I frown to myself as I fight to quell this feeling.

Hah… I know it's a fool's errand to try and rationalize the irrational, but I would like if it were possible. It's much more preferable than going through this.

"I'm not who you think I am…" I say hollowly, sitting in a nearby bench. She follows suit and sits at my side.

"Then who are you, Hachiman-san?" She presses, her tone becoming desperate, "Do you know that answer yourself?"

I remain silent for an extended amount of time.

Who was I?

It's a question many people may come across throughout their lives. It tends to come around when you're at your most lost. When you realize that your life was more empty than you initially thought.

Among adults this leads to a mid-life crisis. A period of time when they foolishly think that reliving their youth will add to their miserable lives. What they do is get stylish clothing, get cool vehicles, and pretend to be 'hip', whatever that could possibly mean.

While pathetic, it just goes to show what this kind of existential crisis can lead to.

Generally it's during our teenage years that a person decides who they are. In my case, I've never really focused on it. I mean, I joke around about being supported when I get older, but I know how unlikely that actually is.

Thing is, I've never really thought about this stuff. I was always so focused on keeping it to myself and avoiding needless contact that I guess it never came into my mind.

So where did that leave me?

Was I a simple High School student? A typical cynical teenager? A self-deluded future house-husband?

Was I truly a chosen one of an actual god?

Or am I an intruder in somebody else's life? A fake pretending to live as someone I'm not?

I don't think I have an honest answer…

Because… I don't even know it myself. All I do know, in both this world and mine, is what I am. And what I am is…

"I'm just someone trying to survive in this world."

Belldandy blinks, looking confused. I turn away while releasing a deep breath. I close my eyes and scratch the back of my head.

If there was something I was completely sure of… it was that. I was brought here to stop the end, just as Ayanokouji was. I know I'm far from even accomplishing a speck of that goal, but I still need to make it through. The quicker I win, the quicker I can leave this world and go back to mine.

The people in this world, while some interesting, can not… do not matter to me at the end of the day. Everything I do might come out of my own sense of right-and-wrong, but it's also my survival instincts at play. Take Takao and Sakurai for example, they're people that I'd otherwise want nothing to do with and yet I have to go along and interact with them because of necessity. I even had to reassure the brunette's insecurity when I really didn't want to. It almost sickens me.

But if there is something I excel at, it's ignoring such superficialities and focusing on the true matter at hand. I have always done so, having to put up with the stupidity that came with youth, and the hollow society we live in. And while I may find my current life troublesome and annoying, and not because of my own fault, this isn't something I can't handle, and as such, I'll deal with it in the best way I can. In my way.

"Survive…?" Her eyes wander around aimlessly as she tries to understand my words, "Are you referring to the Ultimate Force and the Valkyries?"

I blink at her inquiry as I turn to face her in surprise. I wasn't even thinking of that… Oh dear, did my words completely miss their mark and impact? Great, I'm going to be screaming about this in regret and embarrassment in my bed later on.

"U-uh…" I try to recover, "Y-yeah…"

Well, she reached her conclusion on her own. No need to correct her if I don't have to.

"It's my fault…" She looks away, "The longer Komachi-sama's wish takes to complete, the longer Hachiman-san and his family are in danger… "

"Don't worry about it," I wave off her concerns, "We already took care of my parents getting in your way. Other than me doing it on purpose last night, we'll be fine from now on."

"But I've only caused you problems, Hachiman-san…" She says guiltily, "I wish I could do something to make up for it…"

That's a very dangerous thing you said just now, goddess… If it'd have been anyone else hearing it, they'd ask for you to fulfill their lecherous desires. Thank goodness I'm as chivalrous as I am.

Though for some reason, I pictured Sakurai when I mentioned lecherous desires…

"Looks like neither of us can get a wish granted," I joke sarcastically with a huff. I glance at her easily and add, "But seriously, don't worry about it."

She stares at me before finally bowing with a smile, "As you wish, Hachiman-san."

I nod back at her, "We've spent enough time out here, we should get home already."

"Yes…"

She rests her hands over her chest, her eyes contemplating the horizon. Somehow it seems there's something else on her mind.

"Mmm… you okay?" I ask, but I got no response.

Few seconds elapse as I stare at her, waiting patiently before she finally speaks. I rest my hands over my knees, counting the passing seconds.

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"It's… it's not so difficult to understand why Lala-san feels that way," With her hands resting on her chest, she says quietly.

I look at her with blinking eyes, slightly surprised. This came out like Belldandy was saying that to herself rather than me. She only looked at the horizon, as if lost in thought.

And with those words out, she stands to her feet, and walks away while giggling to herself. I stood there, puzzled by her comment.

What was that supposed to mean? Was she…?

Nah. I'm reading too much into this and getting ahead of myself again.

She was probably thinking that I was being considerate again. Don't know why she's so adamant about that. It's not like I did anything worth of note. She just doesn't have to needlessly worry about troubling us. As long as she's doing what she can for Komachi, things will be fine.

I sigh and follow after her silently.

5-12

10:18 p.m.

Geez… I've been coming home late these last few days. If I'm not careful, I'll be thought of as a delinquent. Wait, I'm already seen as a delinquent(lol).

By the time we arrived, my mother was not downstairs, Komachi out at a sleepover, and I expect Deviluke to be in the guest room. Only the old geezer was around, watching television in the living room apparently.

He notices us, "Look who it is, my son has finally decided to show up," He glances at the goddess and cocks an eyebrow, "I was wondering why you took so long when you were only giving Souma the gift. Now I see…"

He shoots me a knowing smirk, but I just waved a hand dismissively at him, though I hear Belldandy give out a brief squeak behind me.

"Get your head out of the gutter, old man," I grunted out, "It wasn't anything like that."

"Well, sorry for misunderstanding," He responds sarcastically. "I obviously got it all wrong seeing you two arrive this late together."

I click my tongue in irritation before heading into the kitchen. I'm way too hungry to even try to argue about this. Belldandy walks to the kitchen but I raise a stopping hand, signalling that I'll take care of getting the food myself. She blinks and nods her head before heading to our coffeemaker.

"She stayed to enjoy the festivities," I answer once inside, "And we live in the same house. How else were we supposed to get home?"

The old man smirks, "I see… well, it's good anyway. Bell-chan surely learnt a lot today about humans, eh?" He laughs, turning to the goddess. "Did you have a good time?"

She smiles at him, "Yes!" She tilts her head rather… cutely… "Everyone was kind and I enjoyed their company."

"Well, that's good to hear," He seems pleased, "How is Souma by the way?"

I walk up to the dining room, with a plate of Teriyaki salmon, which I found covered by another plate by the counter. My name was on it, with my mother's handwriting, that's a first. There was another for Belldandy, but since she already ate in the restaurant, she places it inside the fridge.

I pick a bite from my dish, blinking in realization. Ups, of course the food it's cold. I return to the kitchen and place it in the microwave to let it warm up.

With that done, I finally respond, since the old geezer was still waiting for my response.

"As well as to be expected," I say casually as I skulk through the fridge for a drink. Before I try to get some MAX Coffee or something, Belldandy stops me with a warm smile. I avert my gaze and allow her to do what she wants.

The ability to have me stop in my tracks with only a smile. This goddess is a terrifying woman…

"Hehh…" I hear the geezer from the living room, "You two look like a wife and husband, haha!"

"You're muttering nonsense again," I retort, "A geezer your age shouldn't be up so late. It'll make you senile."

"Tch! I bet I could remain awake for three days in a row!" He shoots back, and I roll my eyes, scoffing in wry amusement. Looks like he was going through his own mid-life crisis in this world.

Huh, bantering with the old man really feels weird. Our relationship in my world was almost non-existent, he was much to worried about being a daughter-con to focus on me. Well, when he wasn't being a corporate slave at least.

"Yeah, yeah…" I roll my eyes, "So, what are you watching?"

The old geezer lets out a yawn, "Nothing really interesting… just some news about the independence day of that shady city."

"Independence day? Of a city?" I asked slowly, and pocket out my phone, looking at the screen for the current date, "October 9th, huh?"

I don't remember hearing about an independence day existing on that date.

Pops lets out another yawn, Belldandy noticing it.

"Yeah, Academy City is a ticking time bomb," He states sternly, "With all that damned technology they have, they're gonna cause a conflict eventually. Things are already tense. Hah… Japan doesn't need to be the focus of another war again…"

I blink. What? Academy City? Can't say I heard that name before, so I assume it's one of the new aspects of this crazy reality. So, is this city an independent sovereign state or something? I think Ayanokouji mentioned something about that existing in Japan… What did he mean about the technology though?

"Really? A war?" I say in mimicking disbelief to try and lighten the mood, "Like that could happen. You should go to sleep already. You're hallucinating old man."

He never talked about it -granted, neither did my mother- but my old man was born towards the end of the era of post-war Japan, I assumed it was pretty rough as child to pay for the previous generation's decisions while the Americans occupied the country. My grandparents, especially my grandfather, refused to speak of his experience. All I knew is that he holds resentment for both America and some of Japan's actions during its empirical reign, still, he's very patriotic. So I'm sure the threat of war would make my father tense.

"Tch! I'm serious boy," He growls at me. Well, I guess I failed.

"Otou-sama?" I raise an eyebrow at that. Wait, don't tell me he asked Belldandy to call him that? Geez, old man… "While that may not be the most appropriate way of saying it, Hachiman-san is only worried for you. It's late, and you should rest."

That was not it, you naive goddess… but, whatever. It got the message across at least.

"Phesh…" He look away in defeat, "Alright…"

As expected, he won't say no to her, or to any beautiful woman for that matter. How could it be that I'm his son? Seriously? Could it be that his only transmitting traits are these dead-fish eyes? Thanks for nothing you stupid father of mine…

Well, actually, it's hard for me to say no to women either. They're just that damned scary. So I do it out of self-preservation, not because I was charmed or I'm trying to earn points with them.

Onii-chan points are enough for me! But I'm not a sis-con, honest.

I raise an eyebrow as I see pops walking out of the living room in a desultory fashion. Belldandy hands him a cup of coffee, decaffeinated probably, with a warm expression before he leaves, and in response, the old scratches his cheek, slightly startled.

"Thanks, Bell-chan," He accepts it with a nod.

"Have a good night, Otou-sama," She bows to him.

With that, and waving a hand at me as he walks away, he goes up the stairs, and I'm finally left alone with the celestial being. Oh dear… what have I done? I don't want to be with her alone again… Pops, come back! I take back what I said before!

"You should go to sleep after the meal, Hachiman-san," She says, getting my food from the microwave, and placing it on the dining table. "Here."

"Thanks…" I respond.

I start to dig in, relieved that I finally get glorious food inside my system. I was starving, so this fish tastes especially good. Can't tell if it was Belldandy who cooked it, or my mother. Since they say that food tastes even better when you're hungry. Doesn't matter in the end, I guess. As long as it's this good.

And thinking about it, I won't be tasting Yukihira's food anytime soon, considering that he's leaving to Tokyo tomorrow. Well, I'm not particularly disappointed, but I'm still very curious about it.

My phone rings. Who could be calling so late? As I gaze at the screen, I cocked an eyebrow.

"Pops, what do you want?" I ask, wondering what he wants to say now, "Are you so lazy that you can't just come back?"

"Shut it boy, you'd do just the same," I narrow my gaze. Can't really deny it… But, I'd probably be too lazy to make the call in the first place so the point is moot. And who would have thought? Yet another similarity between my previous self and I. Though it's very minute.

This doesn't make me happy though.

"Alright. What is it?" I inquire, nodding to Belldandy as she puts a cup of coffee in the table.

"Taru-chan was here, if you didn't know already," He says, and I frown. Who the heck is Taru-chan? "Be sure to give her a call before going to sleep."

Great… another female.

"Right, I'll be sure to do so," I answer him.

"Good to hear. Okaa-san will probably invite her to eat tomorrow again since you weren't here today. So that's that," I take a sip of my coffee as he adds. "And don't you try to put your hands on Be-"

I end the call before he finishes. Looks like I spoke too soon about his daughter-con tendencies. I do hope he realizes that she isn't actually his daughter. I heave a sigh at that.

"Is something wrong?" Belldandy asks, concerned.

"Not really. Just the old geezer saying lames jokes."

She tilts her head, "Oh?"

I waved a hand at her dismissively, "Don't mind it." And I start eating again.

However, after grabbing some bites of my food, I come to a stop, recalling a certain message.

Wait… that 'Taru-chan' girl is most likely the sender of the dagashi-centric messages, Shidare Hotaru. She said she passed by earlier, although I didn't expect her to have stayed for dinner. Who knows, with my parents around in the afternoon they probably got lonely without Komachi and Belldandy around and invited Shidare to join them. I know Deviluke was here as well but considering what Belldandy said about her behavior after I left, she's probably less energetic than usual.

Really, were my words that impactful on her?

Hah… No use brooding about it now, I'll make things right with her soon enough.

But there's been something that's been buzzing around in my head whenever I thought of Deviluke. And it's that she's the only female in this world that has no past experience with someone named Hikigaya Hachiman other than me. Well, actually that's wrong, Suou counts as well. That reminds me, I have to visit her tomorrow, don't I? Gah…

I would count Tendou and Belldandy as well, but, they both have access to knowing about me. Through Takao for the former, and through her agency for the latter. It may be second hand knowledge, but it's knowledge nonetheless. They'll know what's to be expected of me, and as much as I'd like the opposite, it'll be based on my previous self. So in the end, they'll expect things of me that 'I' probably won't do and be surprised if I do something 'I' wouldn't normally do.

Anyway, I think that's my biggest deal with Deviluke and her… attraction towards me. At least with Miura and Kasumigaoka I know that they held feelings towards my previous self, so while discomforting at times, I can still manage to deal with it. The thing with Deviluke is that… her feelings are towards me and I just can't understand why.

I didn't do anything to warrant them, okay, yeah, I spoke out for her that one time. But was it really enough to garner that interest from her?

I mean, I wasn't particularly nice to her, nor was I patient, yet she still holds those feelings. That's why I can't take them seriously. All I can think is that she got ahead of herself and is confusing whatever gratitude she thinks she has for me for something as deceptive as infatuation and she's confusing that with… love…

Source: Me.

While normally my best choice of action would be to wait out this infatuation stage until they fade away and perhaps it can lead to a reset to our acquaintanceship. However, that runs the risk of her no longer having interest in staying here. Think about it, she came and stayed around only because she wanted to pretend that she had a human fiance in order to avoid her propositions back on her planet. And because of the game, I need her around. So that means…

I might have to lead her on.

I immediately feel sick to my stomach at that thought. Could I do that? Manipulate some girl's childish ideals of romance for my selfish gains?

'If I look into a mirror and don't recognize myself at the end of the day, I've already lost.'

No I can't. I can't.

Something like that is completely despicable. It's a method that only the most heinous would be able to commit.

Just like the other Hachiman did with Miura…

I don't know how I'll deal with keeping Deviluke around, but I'll solve it in the best way possible for the both of us. I'd hate myself if I used a person's misguided affections to force them to stick around.

I'll find a solution whatever it takes, a solution that won't compromise my principles. A solution that won't lead me to resenting myself…

"Hachiman-san?" I blink at that, "Hachiman-san?"

"Y-yeah?" I choke out in surprise.

"You've… stopped eating," She sits by my side. "Don't you like it? I could cook something for you if-"

"No, no… It's fine," I ease her worry, "I was… just thinking over some things is all."

"Are you worried about the angeloid?"

I wasn't actually thinking of her, but since she brought it up…

"I wouldn't say I'm worried, but I am curious about it," I tell the goddess. Actually, I'm more than curious, considering what I saw in that vision.

"I understand. Is there anything you want to know in particular?"

"Well, first off. What is an angeloid, exactly?" I figure asking the obvious is most suitable.

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She takes on a stern expression as she's about to answer, "Angeloids are hybrid machines created to obey the orders of the Masters of the Synapse via biological engineering."

What? So these angeloids aren't divine beings? Then why did this Ikaros look like an angel specifically? I guess I'll have to continue asking if I'm to learn something.

"What's their purpose?"

"I am unsure of that, we've only encountered Battle-Class angeloids in the past," She expands, "That is why hearing that angeloid refer to herself as a Pet-Class came as a shock."

I didn't miss Belldandy's emphasis when referring to the pink-haired false angel.

"Do you know her?"

"Not personally, until today that is," She responds, "But her infamy precedes her."

"I see…" I fold my arms, "What is the Synapse then? You talked about these so-called angeloids as a threat. But even Ikaros says that she was created, implying there are makers," I'm slightly surprised to see her so focused and serious, but I suppose this matter demands it.

"The Synapse is a hidden safe haven for fallen beings of Heaven," The goddess explains, "They refer themselves as 'Angels'."

"Angels?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Indeed," She confirms, "The self-proclaimed angels initially created the angeloids in order to combat our Valkyries. Before…" Her expression saddens, "Before they began to use them against humans in defiance against the Almighty. They would have hindered human progress multiple times had the Agency not intervened. However, they mysteriously went silent many centuries ago."

"Wait, wait. Your telling me that these angeloids were created by the people that left heaven?" My eyes wander aimlessly as I try to assimilate this information, "Why would they leave Heaven in the first place?"

"I do not believe I am authorized to reveal anything," The goddess starts, "But this situation is unprecedented…"

She takes on a troubled expression, unsure what she should do. Too bad for me that I used blackmail against her last night. It won't work twice, especially since she knew that I had no intention of purposefully bringing harm to myself.

"An unprecedented situation requires an unprecedented response, don't you think?" I offer the divine brunette.

She blinks in surprise before nodding with a smile, "Yes…"

"All ears here."

"Very well…" She nods her head, "There was a time when Heaven's population became divided. Those that abided by the rules of the All Mighty One, and those that decided to pursue their own wishes." She elaborates, "A fellow god spread that idea amongst many of our kind, claiming that having our own desires fulfilled instead of helping the lesser beings was what we deserved." She looked troubled saying this, as if she couldn't understand the logic behind that god's reasons. It's not really much of a mystery, I guess even divine beings could suffer from selfishness.

"Was he someone that had the power to go against your boss?"

"He was…" She confirms, "His original name was expunged for his betrayal and is forever lost to history, however, he took the name Prometheus after declaring his rebellion. He was formerly a higher-ranking god, who was in charge of Yggdrasil's central system." She closes her eyes as she continues, "The Valkyries eventually started aprehening them, so Prometheus escaped Heaven with his followers and disappeared for many years."

Prometheus… That's Greek mythology, isn't it?

"Right… I assume he returned?" I inquire.

"Yes, he did, but he was prepared this time. He developed highly advanced technology, and created the Synapse, a hidden location where the revolting 'Angels' could reside in, far away from Heaven's detection and grasp," Her expression becomes stern, "To counter our Valkyries, his followers created the Battle-Class Angeloids for defensive purposes. However, every so often, there would be an angeloid deployed in order to attack humans."

I narrow my gaze, "Why humans?"

"I believe it is because they are the youngest species in the universe," She explains, "They were only beginning to develop when we found ourselves in a stalemate. Other planets were already prospering at the time. It may have also been convenience…"

"Convenience?"

"Yes…" She has a troubled look on her face again, "We have reasons to believe that Synapse resides somewhere on Earth. This is due to their technology jamming Yggdrasil's signal on this planet. And also… there is a disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field that does not allow our tracking devices to function properly. We can only observe the planet through visual feeds."

There it was again, that magnetic field disturbance.

"This is the reason why the Agency is very active on Earth," Belldandy looks at me seriously, "We want to grant the deserving humans their desires while also being ready to protect them in case another angeloid raid occurs."

"But you haven't seen signs of anything happening until today?"

"That is correct, Hachiman-san," She nods at me, "Strangely enough, by the time they managed to successfully jam Yggdrasil, the 'angels' went silent. And as I have mentioned before, it's worrying that after so much time, one of their most powerful angeloids would appear on Earth. If she was imprinted, then her master must be of importance to the Synapse, or at least, to someone residing in it."

This means that Sakurai Tomoki is a key element in this insane matter? How is it that that perverted guy got involved in this anyway? As far as I can tell, he has no idea what's happening. Damn it… this is way more complicated than I anticipated.

I would have let this slip from my mind, but that accursed vision showed Ayanokouji actually becoming the master of this hidden place. Just how the heck can a human even take control of something as incredible as the Synapse? Because of Ikaros's presence and custody under Ayanokouji, something is surely going to happen to Sakurai.

Man, this headache will surely become a chronic migraine soon with all this amount of worrisome information!

Give me a fucking break…

"Belldandy," I address the goddess seriously.

"Yes?"

"What are you going to do now that this angeloid appeared?" She mentioned before that she would inform her superiors, but I better confirm it before deciding on a course of action.

At my inquiry, she meets my gaze in the same fashion, "I'll give a report to the agency so we can take preemptive measures."

So she plans to tell them… I wonder, should I intervene?

Should I do nothing, Heaven could start monitoring both Sakurai and Ikaros, which would most likely compromise his ordinary life much more than Ikaros herself had done. Then again, that isn't my problem. Plus, I feel like I already got her in enough trouble already with what happened last night.

She hasn't said anything about it, but, I doubt things went well for her. Besides, if she gets saddened about not reporting about Ikaros's presence then it might affect her when helping Komachi, and if she doesn't do her job well then Komachi suffers for it.

So ultimately, letting Belldandy do her job will also help Komachi. That would score me so many Hachiman points!

Then again…

How would her agency handle this? In my case, they decided to have Belldandy monitor me once she was sent to Komachi and it was discovered that I became eligible for a wish. Would the same be done for Sakurai and his angeloid?

Belldandy didn't give me an answer when I asked her about it, saying she didn't know what would have been done if she wasn't sent ahead of time. So I have to base this off of assumptions.

Well, Belldandy admitted that the only thing that Yggdrasil can do on Earth is visually observe humanity because of Synapse's affect with the hole in the magnetic field. That leads to more of her fellow wish granters being present on Earth. Which probably confirms that a god or goddess will be sent to watch over Sakurai.

And if Ayanokouji will at one point meet Sakurai and take control of Ikaros…

I can't allow him to do the same with a divine being that can be equally as powerful as Belldandy. I have to tread lightly if I'm to win this competition. Gifting that guy with a potentially powerful ally does me no favors. Even if he isn't eligible for a wish, he might just have a friend that is and he can use them to give him another means of offense.

Now… what can I say to convince her to not follow the protocol as a goddess of Heaven?

"Belldandy," I call out her name again.

"Yes, Hachiman-san?" And so she says mine again.

"What if…" I start slowly, "What if you don't report this yet?"

She frowns, "What do you-"

"Since she hasn't shown to be a threat yet," I interrupt the goddess.

The frown on her face deepens, disapproval slowly covering his features, "That would be reckless. It's been many years since angeloids were seen on Earth according to the database of Yggdrasil. If one appeared, we can't leave this matter unattended. We have to protect every life from a possible attack, Hachiman-san."

"I'm just saying that you should wait before you start assuming things," I offer, "Even under his command, Ikaros told Sakurai that she couldn't recall prior events other than her being a Pet-Class."

"Even so, that could prove to be a plan of her creator," She counters. "We can't risk human lives, Hachiman-san. Why would you think not doing so is better?"

Ack… gotta come up with something convincing or else…

"Look, Sakurai was imprinted by her, right? And now she's under his command?" I ask, "If that's the case, that means that her creators let her imprint someone else on purpose."

"Yes… Sakurai-sama may possibly be connected to Synapse in some manner because of that," She looks thoughtful.

"Even if that's the case, what do they gain by giving him an innate, and amnesiac version of an infamous Battle-Class angeloid like her?"

She bites her lower lip, "We don't know that for certain, Hachiman-san…"

"Which is the reason we should investigate ourselves before jumping to any conclusions," I take a sip of the lukewarm coffee. This conversation made me forget about the food… "I'm just saying that we should think about this carefully."

Her gaze drops to her legs, as she muses profoundly, "I… don't know…"

I have her cornered, all that's left is the knockout blow.

"Don't you think more civilians would be endangered if you notified your agency and Ikaros's offensive capabilities activate if she sees one of your people?"

Her eyes widen, worry rapidly spreading across her face, "That's a possibility."

"Right now she doesn't look like she'll mean any harm and Sakurai won't make those kinds of commands. For now, I think we should keep this under wraps."

"Until we discover something useful, or at least, something that could help us understand the reason behind her sudden appearance." She nods her head, looking resolute. "It does make sense."

"Good," I nodded back at her, "Acting rashly could make things go bad."

"Indeed," She still looks worried though.

"Hey," She blinks. "I understand your fear. Some dangerous being that's done damage to both of our people in the past has returned to Earth."

"It's kind of odd…" She smiles, "Despite what you say, you don't seem fearful at all."

"I am," I admit to her, "I'm completely terrified at the thought of something that strong destroying everything I know. I thought it was bad enough that those aliens from a few nights ago were around, but at least they didn't have a track record against humanity like angeloids do."

She rests a hand over her chest as she says the following, "But… wouldn't Hachiman-san feel safer with Heaven watching over this angeloid?"

"Well, like I said," I rubbed the back of my neck, "Handling this poorly could result in catastrophic consequences. And I also know that acting on fear doesn't help anybody. If I did, I would be letting your agency handle this while not thinking about the consequences of that act."

"I… see…"

I clear my throat, "We're not exactly leaving this matter unattended, Belldandy. I'm not sure how yet, but, we're going to be keeping tabs on Sakurai and the angeloid."

"It will be difficult…" She drops her gaze, "But if this is the best way to handle it, then I accept your advice, Hachiman-san."

I nodded my head, pleased to have reached an agreement, "Yeah. And, since we can't use your abilities on the off chance your higher ups find out about her through you, we can probably get Deviluke's help," I take another sip of my coffee before continuing, "Her gadgets might be useful to keep track of what they're doing. After I mend things with her, I'll ask if she can help."

Her smile returns, but it's warmer than before, "You do deserve a wish, Hachiman-san. The fact that you're willing to intervene in a matter that will not lead to your gain is the proof of how kind and caring you are."

And once again her naivete arises… she has it all wrong. This isn't me being nice or anything like that. I'm acting to prevent Ayanokouji from getting any advantages over me. If it were up to me, I'd let her people do what they want with Sakurai and Ikaros. Their quality of life is none of my business, while of course I don't wish them harm, I don't presume myself as someone who should be in control of their lives.

Especially considering Ikaros's infamy. While I said that acting rashly does more harm than good, leaving a potential superweapon unchecked is a fool's gambit. There's no doubt that a battle between Ikaros and a god or goddess of Belldandy's caliber will be nothing short of disastrous, but at least if it leads to the prevention of human progress being halted and reversed, the losses may prove worth it.

…

How is it that I've come to this? I'm getting used to such insane things so fast that it's kind of worrying. There's nothing I can do about it, though, rather than walking forward.

"Why don't you take some time to really see who I am before saying something like that?" I ask with a dry smirk, "It could give me the wrong idea, you know?"

She becomes startled by my comment, a soft tint of red spreading across her cheeks, "T-then… I'll look forward to learning more about you, Hachiman-san."

Ugh… Did she have to say it like that? That makes it sound so embarrassing…

"At least I know for certain how wise you are, teehee!" She finishes with a giggle.

I avert my gaze, and shrug my shoulders, "It's nothing special… I'm just thinking about things rationally. It's not like it's exclusive to me or anything."

She tilts her head, "You're special."

I nearly lose my grip on the cup I was drinking out of. My eyes go very wide as well. I'm quick to try and compose myself, though it's very hard to do.

"…What are you talking about?" My voice is not as composed as I would have liked. If anything, it was only above a whisper. The goddess is really good at critical hits against me.

She looks at my plate, I've barely eaten half of it, "Ah, it's probably cold by now. Let me warm it."

Hey, wait, you shouldn't walk off after casually dropping such a bomb on me.

"Yeah, thanks…" Is all I can say. After picking the plate, she goes to the kitchen.

I feel seriously exhausted… mentally of course. Yet another eventful day, geez…

I take my phone out, noticing a new message, from Sakurai. I appreciate the distraction.

- Hey, don't worry about ikaros. Sugata-senpai went ahead and is trying to uncover what she is, so he'll probably figure things out eventually and nag me about it. He's seriously trying to destroy the peace and quiet in my life! I know you probably will, but keep it a secret. I'll stay in chiba until monday so let's hang out later to discuss things. Ah! And I'll pass by sometime to withdraw from our stash! hehe, I want to see if you've gained new tastes while i was away!

This guy is gross…

5-12

"Are you sure you don't want to rest yet, Hachiman-san?" Belldandy asks me from the staircase as I head towards the door.

I nod at the goddess, "Yeah. I want to clear my head for a while before heading to bed."

"I can keep you company if you'd like," The goddess offers.

I know you're being considerate in thinking I'd like the company. But I'd really prefer finally having a moment to myself right now, plus I'm still reeling from what you told me.

"Nah, don't worry," I waved her off casually, "You should get some sleep. I'll be fine. Oh, before you go." She blinks, but motions her head for me to speak, "Do… you happen to know anything about some glasses I found in my room this morning?"

Realization dawns on her clearly, "So Lala-san's glasses ended in Hachiman-san's room…"

I raise an eyebrow, looks like they belonged to that alien after all.

"Alright… how did they end in my room?" I ask.

"Early in the morning, Lala-san pulled out one of her inventions, which were glasses that could allow one to look into the future," She confirms what I had imagined. "She wanted to see if she would marry you. However you woke up moments before she was able to use them. Lala-san must have dropped them in a panic."

I deadpan at that, "That girl…" I frown, and ask, "So… did she use them?"

I'm actually curious about it, but honestly, I just hope she didn't see our supposed wedding happening in the future. I can't even begin to imagine living with her and… wait, I am living with her and she acts as if we're a couple… geez…

"I advised her not to," Belldandy responded. "One must not look into the future, because knowing it could change it."

Makes sense… and now that she said it, that vision was indeed an event of the future. Not sure when, but it may change now that I'm aware of it. Heck, I may have already changed it now that I convinced the goddess of not informing about that angeloid's presence on Earth. Hell, it probably already changed the second I saw it. That's how it should work, right? Or else if it's inevitable, and that means that we only have the illusion of control over our lives.

Who could know? I certainly don't. But I prefer life not being predestined.

Whatever the case, that's all I needed to know. I nodded my head at her in appreciation, "Thanks Belldandy."

"Yes, Hachiman-san. Have a good night," I watch her walk up the stairs, but she stops at the last step. "Hachiman-san?" She calls my name without turning around.

"Mmm? What is it?"

Some briefs seconds of silence transcur before she speaks.

"I'm glad I came to this house. Because of that I met so many wonderful people," Belldandy finally looks at me over her shoulder, a tiny, yet radiant smile plastered on her face, "Thank you for having me here, even if it was only because of Komachi-sama's wish, I'm truly thankful."

"Uh, yeah… Night."

With that said, she finally walks away from my sight.

That woman… I don't know what to think of her…

She's pretty terrifying with her expressions though. They always catch me off guard and they do critical damage. Maybe I should notify the moderators about this. The Rom-Com Gods brought in a broken opponent, nerf her dammit.

Well, nothing I can do about it now. I release a brief huff of breath before exiting outside.

Ack, it's pretty cold out here. I should have brought a sweater out. Well, I'm not staying out for too long anyway, my blazer will have to suffice.

It was an eventful day again, huh?

There was that vision thing early in the morning when I pressed a button on those high-tech glasses on. Now that Belldandy confirmed that they have the power of foresight, I know that someday soon Ayanokouji will gain knowledge of and a desire to control the Synapse.

I don't know how, nor why, but he'll find out about Ikaros and will take her from Sakurai's custody somehow. Perhaps, he will come in contact with a lesser angeloid of his own? And once he learns about Ikaros's potential might, he'll probably gain an ambition for possessing such power.

He's a frightening fellow.

Well, assuming is all well and good, but at the end of the day, I have nothing to back this up. It could simply wind up as pure speculation on my part. There are countless possibilities and it'd be pointless for me to try and guess all of them. All I can do is use my time wisely and gain more knowledge in the meantime.

Feh… I'm going to give myself a headache if I keep thinking about this.

And talking about headaches, one invaded my very home and joined us for breakfast. That shameless stalker… Usui Takumi. At least, he's been a helping hand during the events of the day. Though his helpfulness was vastly overshadowed by that annoying teasing behavior he has.

Plus I drove a wedge between Deviluke and I when I kept rejecting the existence of her feelings. Even if I was right about them not being genuine, she seems to think they are, so it's no wonder why she got hurt by my words. I still don't know how, but I need to find a way to mend that.

Then there was that brief mention of Student Council elections having trouble in this world too. Of course because of how vastly different everything is in Sobu, I'm not expecting the same thing to occur with Isshiki being the only one being nominated. Frankly, I could probably mark this as unimportant since I won't be personally involved. Other than seeing Miura and Shiromeguri less often due to this, I doubt it will affect me. I'm not in the Service Club and my reputation is horrible so it's likely that I'm not going to be asked to help out.

Huh… I feel a bit disappointed at that even though the elections were a very stressful time back in my world. It's probably because of the same thing that originally caused my stress that time. My situation with the Service Club.

Hah… No use thinking about it.

Afterwards I had to deal with the outing between the two gaming females. Tendou was fine I suppose, I had no problems interacting with her again, but I had the displeasure of meeting Takao. I really don't imagine I'm going to like that girl at all. She's even more obnoxious than Aki is, and she's spoiled for attention. Honestly, what teenage girl throws a childish tantrum just because someone wasn't excited to see her? Do other people treat her that way? Why? What 'great' qualities could she possibly have to justify pampering her?

Tch… Just thinking about that girl is pissing me off. Honestly… I came outside for the purpose of cooling off dammit.

Then there was that get together at Yukihira's joint. It went as well as parties tend to go. Luckily, I was able to stay in the sidelines as it went down. As a loner, social occasions such as parties are naturally things that I want to avoid. At least, I gained plenty of information about everyone there.

The most important part was what happened before. Sakurai's reveal of Ikaros and the existence of beings called angeloids alongside something called the Synapse. Then Belldandy later arriving and subsequently elucidating on what she really was. It was an interesting thing to think of, that such divine beings essentially had a civil war amongst themselves. I don't fail to see the irony of 'Angels' creating angeloids through the use of sophisticated technology.

However, it's very fascinating to think that not only did Belldandy's people possibly have a hand in the founding of Norse Mythology, but their 'angelic' rebels inspired Greek mythology. That must mean that they've been around for a very long time, the both of them.

The fact that there's some sort of floating fortress orbiting the Earth is weird thing to think about: The Synapse, the safe haven for 'Angels' and angeloids, plus something that will become of great importance to Ayanokouji. It's existence brings weariness to Belldandy, someone who I saw capable of catching a pick-up truck without a beat. That in itself is enough to bring fear at the possibility of another war being fought between the two factions.

Well, with me telling Belldandy not to report Ikaros's appearance, hopefully this delays that from happening if not outright preventing it. I don't need to get killed before the world is set to end.

For all I know, this could be the very end Deus Ex Machina spoke of. Though he was specific when he mentioned despair bring that end. Could it be that the despair he spoke of was for the religious people who would come to realize that their beliefs were wrong? That might actually be the case, the revelation of celestial beings that have nothing to do with the current dominant monotheistic religions will no doubt cause mass hysteria throughout the planet.

Well, other than the Shinto faith, I'm glad that Japan's monotheistic population is in the minority. That might help quell the panic that may occur. Though, with Ikaros being here, we're also in the potential epicenter of future battles…

I scratch the back of my head in frustration. This is too much to think about.

Well, at least Sakurai's problem won't be a bother for now since Ikaros seems to have forgotten her past. Can't be sure about that yet, but I don't think that matter will become a problem for now. Geez… I should just hit the sack for today and stop thinking…

At least, everything had been cleared and I feel somewhat in control of my life… missed that feeling.

I turned around to head inside when some steps echoed in the silent street making me freeze. Then a sudden vibration coming from my phone, signalling that I just received a message. I felt tense for a second there, geez… Whatever.

This message is from an unknown contact.

- Hachi~ It's been a while, my sweetheart! How have you been!?

Who the hell is Hachi? Scratch that, who on earth could this be?

An admirer? For who?

Poor girl who sent this, must have gotten the wrong contact information. This Hachi guy must be something special to garner a girl's admiration.

Or maybe it was an idiotic guy who was given false information so he would leave whoever he asked alone. I've been there, fellow reject. You're not alone!

Wait, doesn't that make me the garbage contact in this case!?

Well, in any case, I don't know who this person is, so I won't bother replying. I grab the doorknob, when another message arrives. I cocked an eyebrow in annoyance, looking into the screen of my phone. Tch… it's from the same number.

- Hachi! Meanie! How can you ignore me so easily when I'm basically standing right next to you…

A sudden chill runs down my spine, my muscles tense as I turn to both my sides. There was no one around here as far as I could see. Tch! Someone's pranking me and I fell for it like an idiot.

I let out a sigh when suddenly, I feel a presence just behind me. My eyes widen in realization, my skin becoming cold, I feel my scalp pricking, a drop of sweat trailing from my forehead. I could sense a deep gaze directed at the back of my head, I couldn't even move out of fear and anxiety.

"Hachi~ I finally had the courage to come see you…"

Don't tell me… it's…

I slowly turn my head, looking over my shoulder. I became paralyzed as my eyes and deep pink ones meet. Pink-hair matched them, styled in pigtails, two hanging as frontal locks, displaying a pair of red bows, while those in the back were left bare.

Just like the first day I saw her from my balcony, she sported a light blue shirt with a ribbon on her chest. Her skirt had just the same color, and she wore high socks. Her green phone emitted a dim lights as she let it rest over her chest.

It was that girl… the frightening stalker. Damn…

"Hachi…" She begins with a sweet tone that didn't seem appropriate considering the circumstances, "Lately you've been surrounding yourself with too many vixens…" She makes a pout, "But I forgive you! I will deal with them eventually~" Yet her features change abruptly, her pupils somehow enlarging. "But that's not important, Hachi. I know what happened at your school. You told me to not get involved in your matters, but I can't just let those brutes get away with hurting you…"

Hold on a minute… she's talking about the incident with the people of the sports club.

And she continues, "But don't worry, I'm currently dealing with that matter! I want you to see their deserved punishment."

What… is she saying…? There's no way she did something bad to them… right?

And while I strive to move, to say something, anything. I can't. Her arms then envelop me, her body and head resting on my chest. This is too damn scary to even think about the fact that she's having such close physical contact with me. She giggles, "Hmm~ Your scent is intoxicating… I love it…"

"I… don't…" These few words of mine come out, barely, and it is then that I feel her grip on me tightening.

"So you won't come?" Her tone becomes curt and cold, "But I'm afraid I'll have to take you with me anyway…"

I blink, dread filling my entire being as I notice in her hand a stun gun. Where the hell did she get-

A huge surge of pain passes through my body before I suddenly feel it stiffen like a board, losing control of all my motor skills in the process. My whole body hurt, and while I tried to speak or to do anything, I just couldn't at all. I felt limply to the ground after several seconds that seemed endless.

I felt strange. While I was fully aware, and conscious, my muscles did not respond. I could only watch in fear as the pinkette pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and place in over my mouth and nose. I feel a sharp smelling invading my nostrils.

"Don't worry, Hachi~" She says with a smile, "It's not chloroform! I don't want to kill you silly. Just breathe and fall asleep my sweet Hachi~ I'll take care of you…"

Don't say something that terrifying while smiling, dammit.

She's using some sort of inhalant anesthetic on me… and I can't do anything to stop her.

The paralysis in my body begins to lessen, yet within each passing second, I feel my consciousness fading. Not much of an exchange actually… I feel ripped off.

Heh, even in these sort of moment, I manage crack a joke…

My vision is beginning to fail, even though this girl was right in front of me, I was having trouble making out her face.

Shit…

I was naive…

Once again reality comes to slap me in the face when I feel everything is under control. And in doing so I'm proven how careless I really was.

Just like when it happened when Usui figured out I wasn't who I said I was, it comes down to the fact that I'm still naive. I keep expecting things that won't happen, with both people familiar and unfamiliar. And I failed to learn that it wasn't the case.

Honestly, I totally forgot about that scary girl from a few days ago. I don't know how, I guess her silence since then lulled me into this false sense of security.

Geh… I'm… going to kick myself for that for a long time…

I… called Belldandy naive, but I wasn't… much better myself…

Do… I really have what it takes to win? Basing things off that vision of the future alone, I could tell that Ayanokouji would make important progress on his side, but… what about me? Who was I in that moment when my competitor became Master of the Synapse?

Maybe… I'm… I'm… just giving false hope to myself… maybe… I'm just being naive… thinking that I could win, thinking that I would have the ability to steel myself to… kill someone… when the time came, even if it's a fake human…

I… can't… think… clearly…

"Sleep Hachi… I'll watch over you… as I always have…"

After hearing those final words, I finally black out.

Chapter 05 End

GTO The Host 05

A man with short blonde hair, wearing a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, white pants and brown shoes was over a random desk. He let out a yawn as he observed the readers lazily.

"This again…" He mutters, "Well, I'm Onizuka Eikichi, 22 years old. As usual, I'm here to present the new characters of this latest chapter. Without any further ado, let's get to it."

"I told you to quit doing that in public!"

"Yes."

"Don't 'Yes' me! People don't just fly!"

"Yes."

Voices were heard arguing outside the classroom. The topic of their particular conversation was quite odd.

A short boy with black hair, who sported a uniform composed of a light cherry-coloured blazer and gray pants enters the class, followed by a taller girl with rosy-pink hair, while sporting a white dress with a notorious cleavage. Her most defining features though were the wings on her back and her expressionless face.

Onizuka raises an eyebrow as the boy walks in with an annoyed scowl.

"You're such a headache…" The short boy grumbles out.

"Master, are you displeased?" The girl tilts her head.

"...Well, your unfamiliarity of humans can't be helped," The boy answers, relaxing.

Onizuka takes out a cigar and lights it, "Can you stop that unnecessary banter and present yourself already?"

"Eh? Oh, I'm Sakurai Tomoki, main protagonist the manga and anime of Sora No Otoshimono (Heaven's Lost Property). I'm a believer of a peaceful and quiet lifestyle. But I'm now surrounded by...a girl with a murderous karate chop, and a weird guy who flies out of the sky; and as if that weren't enough, I'm getting loads of SOS messages in my dreams and an alien creature dropped out of the sky!" The boy says devolving into hysterics.

Admittingly, it was fascinating to witness such a breakdown.

"Alright," He turns to the winged angel, trying his best to not stare at her cleavage, "Ehrm, be my guest angel-like girl."

"Yes," The girl says emotionlessly, "I am also a major character in Master's story. I am a Pet-Class angeloid Type-Alpha [Ikaros], created to serve as entertainment for my master. I will do anything he bids."

"Don't say something that will cause a misunderstanding!" The boy wails.

Onizuka frowns and rests a hand on Sakurai's shoulder, gazing at him stoically, "Kid…"

Sakurai gulps, "Y-yeah?"

He raises a thumbs up at him with a wide smirk, "Good job boy, I approve! The dream of every man is having a sexy servant attending all our needs."

"A teacher shouldn't be telling their students that! Even if it's true!" The short boy cries out.

"Master? Is that what you would like?" The angelic girl looks at him curiously, "I only wish to serve you."

"!? I-I-I n-never said that!" Sakurai goes beet red, "N-no! Don't listen to him! I don't want you as my-"

Blood spurts out of his nose before he can finish the thought.

THe blonde teacher lets out a laugh as Ikaros leans towards Sakurai, concerned.

"Master?"

However, her proximity to him only makes his overworked brain short-circuit. Sakurai merely whimpers pathetically before fainting. Ikaros stares at him in confusion.

Onizuka sweat drops at that but shrugs his shoulders.

"Well, since we're out of characters to present for today's segment, I bid you all great readers farewell!" Onizuka throws his cigarette away and smirks, "I'm Onizuka Eikichi, 22 years old, and believe it or not, still single. Bwahaha! I won't be available for much longer!"

"We really doubt that!" The class shouts in unison.

"Shut up!" He growls, "See you all in the next installment!"

"Show Your True Self!" by Kujikawa Rise

A girl with long copper-colored hair tied into two pigtails, brown eyes and pale skin was sat on a large stylish sofa located in the middle of the medium sized room. Many lights across the ceiling illuminated the room with utmost perfection.

The girl, who had her legs crossed sported Yasogami High's school uniform, composed of a black colored sports jacket, and plaid skirt of the same color as well as matching leggings, black shoes and a yellow ascot. She waved her pigtails gracefully as she finally addressed the public.

"Hello! This is Kujikawa Rise! You can address me by Risette too!" She states cheerfully. "I will be the presenter of this new segment!" She winks at the readers, "As most of you should know, I'm a popular Idol and one of the main characters in the game Persona 4."

Applauses and whistles erupts among the public until they eventually end.

"Thanks lovely people," She giggles. "So, this segment will start officially after some chapters of the main story, and it will have various of the female leads answering questions in an interview I'll conduct myself." She raises a hand, pointing slyly a finger at the public, "Now, before we can even begin, I'll give the readers the chance to have their own questions used in every interview we conduct with the female leads. No perverted questions though!"

She stands up, resting both hands on her hips, "Feel free to leave your list of questions in your reviews and we'll make a selection from all of them before the show officially starts." She tilts her head cutely, and winks at the readers one more. "I hope you all look forward to this segment! I'm Kujikawa Rise! See you all guys soon!"

She waves a hand enthusiastically as the lights of the stage are turned off.

NirvFrk97: *dizzy* So many new segments… I tried to say something, but our dear Itherael was not in a listening (reading?) mood. Though the Deus Ex and Muru Muru recap in the beginning was my brainchild.

Itherael: So, a reader actually gave me the idea and so I decided to add a new segment, which will only appear when there's no new character to be introduced by Onizuka. I personally love Rise from P4, and the fact that she's an Idol gave me the idea that she could conduct this segment and interview the main female leads of the story. Don't be shy and leave the questions you'd like to have answered. This way you'll get to know the girls more closely.

In any case, let me apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I had to focus a bit on my first one since it had been a year since I last updated it, and that one deserves it as much as this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and heck, it seems these keep getting longer. Some people have told me that maybe I should write shorter chapters, so what do you think about that?

What Hachiman saw was a vision of the future, so no character was introduced from that part since they hold no relevance in the current plot. Don't mind them much for now. Though keep it in the back of your head.

Whatever the case, thanks you beautiful people for reading. As usual, I appreciate every kind of review, whether if it's just saying that you liked the chap or if it's constructive criticism. I started getting some of the latter and I do appreciate the advice.

Anyhow, share your thoughts and thanks for reading as always.

- Frank

NirvanaFrk97: And looks like our dear Itherael decided to get Doki Doki Literature Club. Press F to pay respects. *two-fingered salute*