The World The Girls Also Knows: The Girls God Can Only Save
AU after Goddesses Arc. Keima needs to maintain the power of the Goddesses by giving love and affection towards their hosts, while at the same time continuing his duties as a member of the Runaway Spirit Squad. How will he balance his duties, how will the hosts view him as he makes girls fall in love with him, and how can he maximize his game time while doing all of this?
And I do not own The World God Only Knows.
And thanks to xellos540 for the beta job!
Oh and an announcement and request. In the near future, I probably would run out of events that the girls could do with Keima during their "official" time. So if any of you could suggest activities that they could engage in one hour, two hours, or three, as long as those activities are in character, please tell me. I'd probably include it, with full credit of course.
Flag IV
Ayumi Takahara's Passion
Part 25 – Venting
Her heart pounded hard as Keima Katsuragi approached. His face was serious, his eyes piercing, and she fought the urge to back away. She recalled what she was going to say. She was going to leave him.
As soon as he was close enough, she opened her mouth, "Katsuragi, I don't—"
She was utterly surprised by what he did next.
He knelt in front of her, his head looking on the ground, and said, "Ayumi, kick me."
"What?" she could only say as all her prepared lines vanished.
"Kick me until you're satisfied. I did something terrible," he continued in a contrite voice, his eyes staring at hers. "I'm the worst. I'm scum. I don't deserve anything but pain. Please."
"What are you talking about?" she said, freaked out. "Get up! You're not making sense."
"I… hurt you… and your best friend. Doing all that. I've done such an unforgivable act, and…"
His voice was cracking, and her heart melted. She knelt in front of him and took his hands. "Come on, get up. Don't do that."
He collapsed on the ground instead. Luckily, he was near the wall, so he rested there. Ayumi knelt in front of his prone form. He continued, "Seeing you only reminds me of my guilt. How can you look at me? Why were you even here? You shouldn't even go near me."
"Katsuragi—"
"You said it. I really am the worst!" he said, his voice dejected.
"Don't say that!"
"You're mad at me, aren't you," he said.
"I am. Was. Look, I forgive you, okay? Diana explained. You had no choice," she gently said, her aching heart going out to the boy that she loved.
The truth was, a lot of her anger and bitterness remained even after the entire story was told. The explanation was logical, but it did not make what he did to her and Chihiro right or even excuse it. There was that feeling inside of her that demanded that he pay, that he be punished, that he be hurt.
She knew it was wrong, and she ruthlessly suppressed it. She must rise above her petty feelings. She couldn't just hurt people when they do something wrong. She couldn't just kick her way out of her problems.
Besides, he didn't mean any of it. He really did care, so why should she harbor that grudge? Why should she want to hurt him?
Still, there was a nagging feeling inside of her that just screams, hurt this guy.
No, no! I can't let that get to me.
He raised his head and finally looked at her, and she blushed as he removed his glasses to wipe it on his cravat.
"T-thank you. I already apologized to Chihiro, and she forgave me too. I was afraid that you won't do so. But something's still weighing you down, isn't it? You're still hurt by what happened," he said. "Why didn't you kick me? Shouldn't you do so to teach the rude, insensitive Otamegane a lesson? Wouldn't you feel better doing so? You're welcome to do so. Don't worry. If you don't say anything, I won't tell Chihiro how hard you socked me today."
"Why would I do so? Why would I want to do that?" she asked.
"The same reason you always hurt me before. Because I deserve it and it makes you feel better," he said. "You're still feeling bad about it. Please, kick me as hard as you can, and don't hold back. I won't mind. Just as long as you get it out of your system."
He again knelt in front her and put himself in a position so she could kick him.
"KICK ME!" he commanded.
"Don't tell me—"
"Are you afraid? You're a coward! You are a fat, ugly, coward, you're slow, and can't win a race without cheating! I don't—" he began, with a hateful glare, in a vicious tone that made her angry.
She lost her temper and gave him a powerful kick in the stomach that knocked the wind out of him and sent him crashing into the other wall. She was so enraged by him that she immediately went over and started to kick him again, and again, and again. She couldn't stop. Her mind replayed all the horrible things he did during the search for the Goddesses. She felt catharsis. Relief. At making the boy who was the source of the pain feel her pain. She lost herself, revelling at what she was doing.
Was that laughing?
That finally made her stop, and there was Keima Katsuragi, injured, laughing like a maniac.
"Did that feel good?" he said as he put his glasses back on.
"I—"
"Of course it did. I could see it in your eyes, in your face," he said, picking himself up, even as he limped a bit. He ended collapsing on the floor, still in pain, and sitting with his back on the wall. It was not like before, where he recovered fast. This time, he really was damaged goods. "Despite all the explanations, all the apologies, deep down inside, you still want to lash out. You want to really hurt the one that hurt you. I hope that satisfied you."
Ayumi realized how she had been played. "Idiot!" she shouted and was about to hit him again when she stopped. She felt a little guilty that he was right. It did feel nice to vent a little. And in truth, she really got a load off her chest by beating him up the way she did. Yet that was replaced by a feeling of guilt and worry because of the same beating.
"Idiot! Stupid! Don't do that! Don't say things just to make me hurt you! It's not nice!" she said, her voice panicking at seeing his pitiable condition, all anger, bitterness, and hurt just vanishing.
"I'm not nice," he said. "Look, I'm really sorry. For everything. I have a reason for it, for everything, but you already know that. But I'm still sorry."
"I know," she said, getting her handkerchief and getting the dirt and blood off his face. "Katsuragi, I'll forget everything about what you did. Get out of this…funk. It's the past. You're not acting like yourself."
He chuckled a bit. "You really are forgiving me? Please don't if you don't mean it."
"Yes, I am. Don't question it, or I'll make you accept it!" she said.
"Okay. I'll stop beating myself over it if you stop beating me for real. Deal?"
"Fine, deal. C'mon. Let's get you to the infirmary," she said, helping him stand up. She put his arm around her shoulders to help him. "You know, it's not a good way to get on someone's good side by getting yourself beat up."
"But in this case, seeing you feel better, it's worth it," he said weakly as they walked.
She stopped and looked at him, who was looking straight ahead.
This boy… What kind of person was he…That he was willing to get himself in such a state just to make herself feel better?
And she bit her tongue. What could she say to that? That she really felt better?
Part 26 – Sacrifice For Your Friend
They went to the school infirmary. While the doctor and nurse treated him, Ayumi bought food. She handed it to him just as he was finished being treated.
"It's nothing," said the doctor. "Your boyfriend got nothing permanent."
"He's not my boyfriend," Ayumi denied, her face as red as her gym clothes.
He looked at her with that look that says, 'Sure he isn't.' He looked at the injured boy. "Don't go into fights you can't win."
"I'll take that into consideration, Doctor," Keima said, as he looked at the doctor. "By the way, I won."
"I'll leave the two of you alone," the doctor said, thinking that the boy was delusional.
When they were alone, they ate in silence. Then he started playing.
He gave a sigh of relief. "Good! I was afraid my PFP got busted! Thank God! Look, there isn't a scratch!" He was giddy like a little boy as he hugged the gaming device.
"You're more concerned that your PFP might have been scratched than the fact that you got beaten up?" she asked.
"Yes. The ideal is always better than the real," he declared as he began playing.
She was a bit irritated, but smiled. This was the Katsuragi that she always knew. She was glad he was having fun after having beat him up. She felt guilty at having so little self-control.
…
They walked side by side towards the school gate after they were released by the doctor.
"Listen, I'll walk you home," she said.
"No need," he said.
"No. Listen, don't be stubborn. You can't possibly go alone—"
"I'm not alone. I'll call Elsie. She'll fly me home," he said. "I'll call her outside the school."
And Ayumi had nothing to say to that. What was she compared to a literal devil who can do supernatural things?
"Yeah. I guess so," she merely said.
She looked at him again, and she blushed. Here was the boy that she loved—that she chose to fall in love with. Yes. Chose. Despite knowing that he manipulated her feelings so she would do so. She decided to marry him even if he admitted that he didn't love her to her face.
Why? Why him?
Because he was the reason why she was the champion runner, the unguided missile. He easily figured out she faked her injury and helped her get over her insecurity.
She owed him so much! And here she was, beating him because he saved the world and he happened to hurt her and her best friend. And he was feeling so guilty. Feeling guilty about something he had no choice. In effect, both of them were victims of whatever cosmic force that guided their universe. They were both playthings. Only he was making sure that everything was all right. And she was… pouting like a little child, raising tantrums like a bully, hurting those whom she cared about.
She wanted to be with him. She wanted to be part of the schedule. She wanted him to choose her at the end…
And she would gladly do so, if it were not for her friend, Chihiro. She promised that she would give him up to her.
And she would keep her promise.
"Listen, Katsuragi," she began as they stopped at the school gate. "I need to tell you something."
She wished she never had to say those words.
"It's about my best friend," she began.
"I know. Something about Terada," he said.
"Yes, it's about… Miyako?" she continued, caught off guard.
"You observe something's off with her, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"Remember when Elsie's headpiece made that racket?"
"That skull thing?"
"Yeah. Remember what I told you about? I hunt Weiss. That skull ornament is an alarm. If there is a loose soul nearby, then it would go off. Do you remember who just got in when it went off?"
"Miyako," she whispered. "Oh, God, no! What are we gonna do? We gotta do something!"
"I am," he said. "I'm going to get that loose soul out of her. Though you may be able to help."
"Anything," she said.
"You see, the Weiss needs a gap in her heart to possess her," he began. "I need to know why there's a gap."
"You want me to find out about it?"
"Not exactly. Elsie found out something. Apparently, it's about her running."
"Yeah. She does seem a little off," the runner said.
"It might be about her running. I think she's jealous of you. A little bit. She wants to win, but with you there…"
"She has no chance," Ayumi finished. It's not as if Miyako was terrible. She was excellent. But compared to Ayumi, she might as well be a caterpillar.
"I think she's under pressure from somebody, her parents probably, to win," he continued. "I don't think she can do it. And she knows that too. It's a burden too great for her. At least, that's what I think. It's just a theory. I'm still waiting for confirmation."
"So you want me to talk to her about it?" she asked.
"I want you to withdraw. I want you to take yourself out of the track and field club for her sake," Keima asked.
Part 27 – Life Lessons
"But why? That's not fair to me!" she immediately said, defensive. "I mean, I'll talk to her."
"Winning the next meet is the only thing that could fill the gap in her heart," he said. "Her dream is also to be the fastest, but she can't if you're around."
"There must be another way," Ayumi said. He must be mistaken. No way. But what if he's right? He did, after all, figure out her problem when she had the loose soul inside of her.
"There's no other way," he said. "You're her friend, right? She wants to win. She has to win. The best way you can be her friend is to withdraw or let her win."
"You really think so?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"I'm afraid that she's so fixated on winning the next meet that it would affect your friendship if she doesn't. Do you really want your friendship to end just over a meet victory?"
"She shouldn't be so selfish. And I know her. She's not that selfish. What is victory if won by such means?" she began. "Just because we compete in it doesn't mean we become enemies. As long as we play fair, then there's nothing wrong with that."
"But running is everything to you, right? It's becoming that way with Terada, too. Running is becoming her obsession. It's becoming everything with her. She wants to win. Badly. Please, withdraw. Or at least, even if she doesn't realize it, make her win. Run a little slower, but not so much as someone might notice it," he said.
"Can't you just make her fall in love with you?" she shot back. "I mean, that's how you saved all the others. And even if you're right, I can't accept it. Gaining victory by such a means, I'm sure it won't fill the gap in her heart. It will only make it worse. If she wants to win that badly, then she must do so fairly, by making sure that she's better than the competition, not because she got a handicap. Winning that way is not good for her. And it's not good for me too."
"So you're saying, that no matter what, you will not withdraw, and won't hand the win to your best friend on a silver platter? Aren't you concerned about the Weiss? About her life?"
"I know about the Weiss and the gap in the heart. I also know that you've filled the gap of the 19 girls by getting at the root of their problems," she says, "but you might be mistaken. I think you're wrong. When you filled the gap in my heart, you did so by giving me the right solution to my problem. And letting Miyako win like that is wrong. It won't solve her problem. I know there's a right solution out there that will let you fill the gap in her heart. I have faith that you will find it."
"I'm glad you said that," he said. "You're right. No matter what, you must not give up. You must never give way to another just because she's your friend, if to do so would mean you would give up what you really want. You must be a little selfish, Ayumi. Being a martyr and giving up your own happiness for friendship's sake is never a healthy thing if you know you have a good chance at it."
"I'm glad you agree with me, Katsuragi," she said. Still, there was a nagging question in her mind. Would that affect her friendship with her best friend?
"It won't end your friendship. As long as you play fair, your friendship must never be affected. If your friend's a true friend, she will accept you as a true competitor, and accept her defeat in grace if she lost and congratulate you and be happy if you won. Same for you. You'd be happy for her if she wins, but you want her to be happy for you if you win. Am I right?"
"You're right. You finally get it, Keima," she approved. Then hugged Keima. "Thank you, thank you. I needed that. I'll talk to Miyako. We'll figure something out."
"Just remember, this lesson not only applies to sports but in life as well," he said.
Part 27 – Ayumi's Choice
Then they heard a sound from Keima's PFP. "Wait a minute."
She watched his face, and his eyes widened as he read an email.
He sighed. "Elsie's mistaken. It wasn't her running at all. Forget what I said about Miyako needing to win. Her gap is still unknown."
Ayumi sighed in relief. "I told you, you were mistaken. I won't need to withdraw just for friendship's sake!"
"You're right. You won't need to withdraw," he said, looking at her. "Well, look at the time. Goodbye then. Shall we see each tomorrow?"
"Of course! What kind of question is that?" asked Ayumi.
"So, you're going to stick to the schedule?" he asked.
"Yes, because—" she stopped herself. What happened to her plan to give way to Chihiro? She needed to speak, or he might get the wrong impression.
"Then see you tomorrow," he said.
"I mean, Katsu—"
She was cut off when he took her hand, and in a swift movement, pulled her to him, put his other arm around her and drew her to him. His lips met hers in a deep kiss.
"Something to remember you by, just in case you decide to choose to sacrifice what you really want for your friend's sake," he said after he broke off. "I'll wait for your decision tomorrow, at our meeting."
He began walking, or rather, limping away. Ayumi was in a daze. It felt beautiful, but what was that about?
Then it hit her. The friend was not Miyako, but Chihiro. How could she justify giving him up just for her friend? She could not. She could not rationalize it. How come her earlier decision was now unthinkable, like a cop-out? She thought of all her reasons why she decided it earlier, and all of them felt wrong.
She made up her mind.
"Katsuragi!" she shouted.
The gamer turned around and looked at her.
"That was a dirty trick! But thanks. I know my decision," she said.
"And that is?" Keima asked.
Ayumi replied by closing the distance between them and kissing him on the lips, surprising him.
"I'll wait for you for the next five years. And I'll take part in your schedule," she said after she backed off, her face as red as a tomato. "I won't give you up to Chihiro or to anyone else, you hear? You're gonna pick me after five years!"
With that, she ran away in the other direction, her face flushed.
She knew she had made the right decision. After all that she said about Miyako earlier, what else should she do? What about Chihiro?
She called her best friend when she was far enough.
"Hello?"
"Chihiro, I can't give up just to let Miyako win."
"Come again?"
"Forget about that. It's nothing. What I'm saying is that I'm taking part in Katsuragi's schedule. I'm sorry, but I'm going after him."
There was silence.
"Are you mad at me after what I told you earlier?"
"Huh? No, no. Let's play fair. That's the only thing I want, Ayumi," replied Chihiro.
"Yes, as long as it's fair," said Ayumi. "I'm so sorry, Chihiro."
"That's fine. It just means we both made the right choice in boys," Chihiro joked. "But Ayumi, I won't give up Katsuragi for you."
"And I won't give him up for you," replied the runner. "Let's remain friends, okay?"
"Sure. Our friendship is not worth ruining over a boy," laughed Chihiro. "Good luck."
"Good luck to you too," said Ayumi.
The Mai-High Unguided Missile gave a sigh of relief. Chihiro took it way better than expected. They were still friends. And now, rivals.
She was happy.
…
"Are you okay, Divine One?" asked Elsie as she turned visible when Ayumi was out of sight.
"Ugh! Do I look like I'm okay?" he asked. Seriously, he did not expect Ayumi to beat him as much as she did. Perhaps one kick or two, but not more than twenty or so that she gave him. But it did the job. She just needed to vent. Plus, it gave her a little guilty feeling to help lead the way, and generated its own sick, or in this case, injury event. That event always generates sufficient affection points on the girl. All the flags that it raised would be enough to sustain her affection for a long time.
"You really shouldn't have let her kick you like that," Elsie said, her voice dripping with concern. "That's the worst I've seen you take. She went too far."
"It's necessary to make herself feel good about a lot of things," he said. "And Elsie, don't talk to her about Miyako having a Weiss. It's top secret. If you have to talk, tell them you made a mistake about something about her to me."
"Huh?"
"I'll explain later. For now, could you please fly me to just around Tenri's house? I'm already five minutes late."
"Okay, Exalted brother!" she said. She picked him up, both turned invisible, and she flew him to near Tenri's house.
…
Part 28 – Magic Tricks
"Keima! What happened?" asked Tenri as he limped towards her house after landing a corner away.
"Oh nothing, just some parsleys," he answered as he looked up from his game.
"It's Ayumi, wasn't it?" she asked, in a worried tone.
"Huh? No, I mean—"
"It's her time, and she can kick hard. You let yourself get beat up, didn't you? Oh, please don't do that again!" she said as she helped him inside her house.
He laughed, "You got me! But don't tell anyone. I don't care what the real thinks, but it's better to keep this under wraps."
He sat down on her couch. "Oh, my God. Keima, what happened?" Mrs. Ayukawa exclaimed when she saw the gamer.
He stood up, bowed, and politely said, "Oh, it's nothing. Just got into a fight with a couple of bullies."
"Oh, you poor thing. You must take care of him, Tenri," she cooed, resisting the opportunity to mother him.
"I promised to watch Tenri do some of her magic tricks," he replied, giving her a slight smile that gave an impression of an eager and curious boy. "Would you and Mr. Ayukawa watch with me?"
Her eyes widened, and she smiled. Where was this Keima before? "Such a polite young man! Oh no, no, we already saw all of them. We were the first ones she showed it to, after all. I think it's better if you both go upstairs. The place is better for magic tricks."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"And I hope you'll join us for dinner," she said.
"I'm sorry, but I already promised my mother I'll be eating at home," he said. "But thanks for the offer."
…
"And look at the hat," she said, giving the top hat to Keima. "Do you see anything inside?"
The gamer took the hat and looked at it. "Nothing."
"Thank you," she said, bowing a bit. She took the hat back, rested it on the table, and covered it with a handkerchief.
"Abra Cadabra," she said while waving her wand. Then she took the handkerchief away, and a bouquet of flowers was revealed inside.
He wasn't overly impressed, as he knew what she did, but clapped politely nonetheless. It would at least raise her affection points, though truth be told, her points were so high that it doesn't need much work at all.
"Thank you, but I still need work," she said, looking at him. It was the eight magic trick of the night, and he saw through most of them.
"How about you use Diana to enhance your tricks?" he suggested as she cleaned up.
"She did suggest that, but I said, no. That would be cheating, and I won't feel like a proper magician," she said.
He nodded, and he stood up, but involuntarily winced from the pain from his ribs. The painkillers he had been given in the infirmary must have worn off. Oh well. He had endured worse.
"Don't push yourself," said Tenri, concerned. "Please, don't do that again. Did you really have to do that?"
"I had to," he said as he rested himself on her bed. "You know I have no choice. Ayumi was still hurting, and an apology wouldn't cut it. The only thing to do is to let her vent. And how does she vent? She beats up the source of her frustration."
She tried to glare at him, but it turned into an adorable pout.
"And it worked," he said as he sat down and took his PFP. That made Tenri smile. It was such a joy to her to see him drown himself in games.
"And in the process, you made her feel guilty," she said. "Oh Keima, I don't like you playing with people's hearts, but I know you have a good reason. But be careful. I don't like you to be hurt."
"I will save all of you," he said seriously. "Just trust me on this one."
"I do, I do," she said. She was silent for a bit. "Keima, this has something to do with the Goddesses, right? Nothing but the Goddesses would make you want to do this."
He looked at her. And nodded.
"You said that if you're gonna pick now, you already had a choice. And it isn't me."
He looked at her. "Tenri, now, but in five—"
She put a hand on his lips, silencing him.
"It's Chihiro, right?"
He tried to deny it, but she shook her head.
"She doesn't have a Goddess. So why would you want to involve her?" she said.
"She's already involved, and—"
"You love her, don't you?"
"What? I said to all of you that I don't love—"
"You were lying when talking about Chihiro," she said.
"Fine. I give up! I love her. But I can't show it. That would be favoritism. And you'd lose hope," he said, giving up trying to lie to her. "For a very good reason, you need to keep loving me until the Weiss are gone. And I need to show you, and other hostesses, love too, even if I don't love you. I can't tell you why. And I meant it when I said all of you have a chance. Today, I only love Chihiro. Today."
He expected anger from her, but there was only understanding in her eyes. "I know. Please, give us a chance to go into your heart. I hope that by the end of it, you'll love all of us like you love Chihiro."
"That's not impossible," he said. "There's a chance of it."
She nodded. She could detect no lie from him. She hugged him. "Keima, I won't stop loving you, even if you ignore me or don't spend time with me."
He knew that. How else can Diana not fall asleep during those ten years? If she had stopped loving him, Tenri would have died. But now that Diana was much more powerful because of recent events, she needed more energy and meant he had to show Tenri love.
"You don't need to do much if you want to show it to me. Just go and play your games all day. I'll be by your side, and if you need help, I want to be the one to help you solve it. That's all I need," she said, and she started sobbing into his shirt as emotion overwhelmed her. He stroked her hair as he leaned his head against hers.
For the next five minutes, they were in that position, Tenri hugging him close and tight, her head on his chest, Keima stroking her hair with one hand, and playing his game with another. For some reason, hearing the game sounds made her even more comfortable and happy. She wasn't lying when she said she wanted him to play his games by his side.
After that, she let go of him and looked at his big brown eyes as it locked on to his PFP.
"Keima, I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"Diana suggested I do this," she said. "She insisted."
"Do what?" he said, his eyes still on his PFP.
For a brief moment, her eyes turned to pink. She held him by his shoulders. She closed in, and her eyes returned to bluish purple just as her lips pressed on to his.
He was surprised. His eyes widened at the sudden and unexpected gesture from the timid and shy girl in front of him. Was that Diana? No, there's no halo, and there are no wings.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she pulled back, her face the same color as Diana's eyes. She nearly fainted and fell to the floor. "Diana said I should kiss you, and I don't know what came over me."
Perhaps the Goddess gave her a little push? He gave a small but genuine smile, and Tenri knew he wasn't faking it. Then his face returned to normal.
For the first time in his life, he felt as if he didn't mind doing things for New Hell and the Goddesses.
Tenri was the best heroine he had.
…
Part 29 – With Parents
"Would you join us for dinner?" Mrs. Ayukawa asked.
"I can't, I told—"
"Don't worry. I already called Mari," she said.
What can he say? The forty-five minutes allotted to Tenri was nearly over. But this time, it was not Tenri asking for his time, but her mother. So the rules don't apply. Even if a side-effect would be him spending time with the heroine. Many flags would be raised by this event. Hopefully, not so many that he'd lose control.
"Thanks. I'd love to," said Keima finally.
Mr. Ayukawa had already arrived. The gamer once more played the part of the polite young man visiting the home of his friend. There were lots of teasing from the parents, and he answered politely as best he could.
…
When he arrived home, he was met by Mari. "Hello Mom," he greeted as she sat on the living room couch.
"What happened to you Keima?" she asked as she saw his injuries.
"It's nothing. Just some parsleys and other mob characters," he tried to dismiss.
"What nothing! Look at you!" she said, worry evident in her voice.
"Don't worry, I already went to the infirmary," he said, hoping that with his sorry-looking condition, she would relent and let him go. She would think he'd go to bed, but instead, he'd go to this "throne" and get his gaming fix for the day, after getting an update from Haqua regarding Miyako.
"Mom! Divine Brother was beaten up by bullies!" Elsie shouted as she went down and hugged her brother. "Don't do that again, Exalted brother! I don't like it when you get beaten up."
"So who beat up your brother?" asked Mari.
"Some mean bullies. There were ten of them. That's the only reason why Divine Brother lost. Otherwise, he would win and send them back to wherever they came from!" she shouted. "I mean, there were five of them before, and he was showing them who's boss. Then the other five appeared, and even Divine brother can't deal with it."
"What happened?" she asked. "We should complain. They'll find out who did it and—"
"It'd be useless. They're delinquents from God knows where," he lied. "I didn't recognize them. I was just going through a shortcut to look at some games in the store, passed through some empty alleys, but they weren't so empty after all."
Her concern was such that Mari forgot to interrogate him about going to dinner with Tenri.
"Then rest. Take the day off tomorrow," she said.
"No, I can't," he said. "I'd missed too much. After missing five days, I can't afford to miss more. Don't worry. By tomorrow, I'll feel much better."
"Fine. Go and rest," she relented, "and I mean rest. Don't play games. Go straight to bed."
"Mom!"
"No buts," she said. "I'm going to tuck you in, just to be sure."
He yielded. He did feel tired. Mari and Elsie fussed over him as he washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed into his pajamas. Mari then tucked him in and kissed him his cheeks goodnight.
Keima planned to get out of bed as soon as she left, but he was so tired that he fell asleep. He didn't even get to call Haqua to review the footage of Miyako for that day.
…
Part 30 – Chihiro's Homework
Tuesday…
He was still sore when he left his home to walk to school, but at least he wasn't limping anymore. The next girl on his schedule was Ayumi, and that was lunch. Of course, he would check Chihiro's homework before class, but that wasn't official.
"Katsuragi!"
He didn't even need to raise his head from his PFP. "Chihiro."
He felt the average girl run to his side. "You remember, you're gonna check my homework and I—… What happened to you?"
"Some mob characters beat me up," he said. "Don't worry about it. I'll live."
"Geez! You really should be more careful," she scolded, "just because you think delinquents are mob characters doesn't mean you could just say it to their faces."
She remembered a rumor about when he called some bullies 'parsleys' and that didn't end up well for the gamer. If it weren't for Kusonoki Kasuga…
"They were in my way," he said, remembering Elsie's story. "They were blocking the alley I was passing through, and so I called them what they are—parsleys. May I see your homework?"
"What? We aren't even in school yet!" she said.
"Your homework, please," he said, putting his game in his pocket. The sooner he finishes this event, the sooner he could get back to his game.
"Fine, doofus," she said, and she took out her homework from her bag and handed it to him.
Chihiro didn't even need to tell him to watch where he was going. He was somehow able to walk while his eyes were glued to his PFP. Reading homework while walking was nothing to him.
"So?" she asked as they walked to school.
"It's mostly fine, you did well. Though there are a couple of mistakes," he said as he switched to the next homework. "I'll tell you in the band room."
They walked silently together to the band room. There, the two sat down, and he gave another lecture on her homework, showing her how to get the correct answer, and making her do it until she got it right.
"That way, you learn, and you can answer those type of questions without asking anyone for help," he said.
"Thank you, dweeb," she said, looking at her homework with the corrections.
Afterward, they walked back to the 2B Classroom, him playing his PFP as usual.
The entire class looked at them. Rumors began to swirl. What happened to the Otamegane? Who beat him up? Why is Chihiro with the dweeb?
"What happened?" Miyako asked.
"He got beat by bullies in an alley," Chihiro said to Ayumi, Elsie, and Miyako.
"Only because they were ten of them! He would have beaten them if they were only five!" Elsie asserted. "He's God, after all!"
Ayumi blushed and looked down, unable to look at him.
"Are you okay?" asked Miyako.
"I'm fine," he said. "Don't worry about me. I just made a mistake in that alley."
He hoped that the infirmary won't spread rumors about what they saw.
…
Part 31 – Ayumi's Lunch
Ayumi was already waiting for him when he arrived at his usual place at the rooftop.
"Katsuragi," she greeted.
"Ayumi," he said, glancing briefly at her before his eyes went back to his game. It was Ayumi's schedule, but he wanted her to love the game playing nut. She should get used to his odd habits.
She was sitting on his usual bench, and he sat beside her.
"Listen, I'm sorry about—" she began, looking at her knees, unable to look at him.
"I provoked you. You didn't do anything wrong. And I deserved that," he said, cutting her off.
"Well, I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have lost myself," Ayumi insisted, raising her voice, irritated that he was not letting her apologize. "Even if you deserved that, that's no excuse for what I did."
He sighed, and looked at the runner, her eyes unable to meet his. "I forgive you. If you forgive yourself too."
She finally looked at him, her eyes grateful. "Thanks. Here," she said, giving him a bento.
"Huh?" he asked.
"You don't have lunch," she stated.
"I've eaten lunch," he answered.
"In your games?" she retorted.
"Yes! That's the only food that I need!"
"Idiot! You need food to heal! And to have the energy to play! You don't learn, do you?" she said, irritated at the boy in front of her. "Take it!"
He sighed and saved his game. "Fine." He took the bento and started eating. Ayumi ate her own.
"Listen, did you really mean it?" asked Ayumi.
"What do you mean?"
"That I have a chance?"
"You have. I was not lying," he said, reassuring her. He learned that a major chore of his new duties was to reassure his heroines over and over again that all their efforts were not in vain.
"Thanks," she said, staring at her food. "Um, so," she stuttered, but unable to say anything. She couldn't think of a topic that would be comfortable for both of them. "So how are you today?"
"Fine," he said as he finished his lunch and took his PFP and played again.
There was a bit of silence as he continued playing. She sat there, besides him, unsure of what to do next.
"Um Kei—Katsuragi, I wonder if we should do something," she said.
"It's your call. It's your schedule. You decide what we do. If you can't decide, I'll call the shots," he said. "So, what have you decided?"
She never thought about it. "Well, how about we walk around the school?"
"Are you sure about that? Do you want the entire student body to think we're together?"
"Well, I'm not ashamed of you, if that's what you're thinking. How about this. We walk around the top of the roof," she suggested.
"Fine then," he said, standing up. "Let's go."
"Aren't you gonna offer your arm?" she teased, her face sporting a blush.
He nodded. It was her event, after all. He offered her arm. She took it. "Let's walk around here, slowly."
"Slowly? Are you really the school's unguided missile?" mocked Keima.
"Don't spoil the mood," she scolded.
"You want me to put away my PFP?"
"No, play it while we walk," she said.
"Do you want me to act?"
"Huh?"
"Do you want me to be myself, or do you want me to act differently?" he asked.
She thought for a bit, and said, "How about differently. Make me feel like a lady."
"Okay," he said and pried her off his arm. He pocketed his PFP. He took his glasses off.
"My lady," he bowed, his voice gentle and respectful.
She blushed hard. He was really cute without his glasses.
He offered his arm, and again, she took it. "Let me show you around the school roof, Lady Ayumi."
And they walked around the roof, through the trees, on the side, in the middle, crisscrossing the place, and such. He treated her very well, and acted like the perfect gentleman. And Ayumi enjoyed herself very much.
After more than thirty minutes, Ayumi finally said, "Keima, enough of that. You're a good actor, but I'd rather see you as yourself."
So it's Keima, now, huh?
He wore his glasses, took his PFP, and began playing. He ignored her even as he let her cling to him as they walked. Ayumi held on to him, and they walked in silence.
She decided that even if the Keima the actor was very charming, suave, and cute, she'd rather have the real Keima. But she wouldn't mind him acting a bit for her from time to time.
So that's why he could get any girl he wants, Ayumi thought.
Part 32 – The So-Called Normal Girl
…
The rumors about the Otamegane were amusing. First, he was beaten up by ten delinquents when while passing through an alley on the way to the game store. He limped back to school, where Ayumi chanced upon him after Track and Field practice. Then Ayumi took pity on him and accompanied him to the infirmary.
There were more rumors. Apparently, the Otamegane was not only with Kanon, but with Ayumi, Yui, and Chihiro too. It was concluded that he was helping them with the 2B Pencils band. That's the only reason that he was close to the three, right? He was probably helping his sister, and so got dragged to the 2B Pencils' business. Was he their manager?
Those rumors suited Keima just fine. At least he won't be called a playboy. He was too nerdy, too out of this world for any girl to like him, at least that's the opinion of the student body regarding him. Except for Kanon. But she was an exception. She was not normal.
Usually, he wouldn't care about the opinions of mob characters. However, to do his job for the next five years, it would be too troublesome to have a playboy reputation.
So far, except for getting beaten up more than he expected, things went smoothly. Too smoothly. The real rarely left him alone. Luck was usually not with him. Something, he sensed, was going to go wrong. Still, he had prepared himself for whatever would happen. He hoped that it won't be too bad.
Chihiro and Ayumi were taken care of. With those two on board, he felt that the most laborious work was done. He internally sighed. The remaining girls won't give him as much trouble as those two. At least he hoped so. Who knows that the real had in store for him?
And there was Miyako. Despite claiming that he was not working on her the entire week, he was discreetly observing her while he played. Miyako seemed the normal type. An average girl with no distinctive characteristics. Like Chihiro. But Chihiro's first conquest didn't go too well, so that experience wouldn't be much help. He needed to know more. What made her tick?
Hopefully, the recording in Haqua's raiment would give him more information. And there was still the matter of Elsie's task. Did Elsie find out anything about her? He hasn't talked to his sister about Miyako yet.
Speaking of the normal girl…
"Hey Katsuragi," Miyako Terada greeted while they were waiting for their teacher.
Should he act normally? She was, after all, a conquest target.
He looked at her, and said, "Terada," in a polite tone, before going back to his games. Couldn't she wait until next week?
"Congratulations on that English exam," she said, a smile on her face. "That was tough. I nearly didn't finish it. I got about five minutes to spare. Yet you finished it in forty minutes! How do you do it?"
He looked at her, and was that admiration in her eyes? He supposed that that was expected after his achievement in the exam. Most of the other students would curse him for his accomplishments, but she at least wasn't like them. He assumed that it's because she's bandmates with Elsie, and thus, she's obligated to be polite to him.
"That's Katsuragi!" Chihiro said. "He always gets perfect. What's surprising about that?"
"Yeah. His tutorial made all of us get 100 on that other English exam," Ayumi added, blushing as she said so.
The entire class stopped. What? Ayumi, Chihiro, and Miyako complimenting the Otamegane? Madness. Surely, it must be because of him being Elsie's brother. And Elsie being their bandmate. Yes, that must be it. That was the most rational thing that they could think of. The Otamegane could not have made friends with them, right?
"It was nothing," he said. "Like I said, if you study right, everything is easy."
"So how do you study right?" asked Miyako.
"Ask Ayumi or Chihiro," he said. "They could better explain."
"You won't dump this on us," Chihiro replied.
Before he could respond, the teacher came in.
…
Part 33 – Around the Playground
"So, Chihiro, do you have anything in mind?" asked Keima as they walked from their classroom to the school gate. It was Chihiro's second hour for the week.
The normal girl had been thinking of what she liked to do ever since she heard of what he and Ayumi did during lunchtime. So what could they do? Katsuragi was playing his PFP as usual. And they only had one hour before he had to go to the library so Shiori could have her time with Keima.
"If you can't decide, I can decide for you," he said.
She imagined what they would do if the dweeb decides. Go shopping for galges or worse.
"No, no, I can think of something," she said. "How about we go to the park?"
"Fine. Do you want me to be myself, or do you want me to act?" he asked.
That question surprised Chihiro. What does he mean by 'act?'
"How about you act?" she said, curious as to what he meant.
He removed his glasses and put this PFP in his pocket. He looked at her and gave her a warm smile.
"Chihiro, let's go," he said in the gentlest voice she had ever heard.
Chihiro looked at him, and her knees nearly buckled. 'He's cute,' she thought as she blushed hard.
"K-k-k-katsuragi, yeah, sure," she barely got out, and nearly screamed as her hands were taken by him.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a very considerate voice. He had held her hands before when he was pulling her around during the Goddess hunt, but this… Was an entirely different matter.
He let go of her hand and offered her his arm. She shyly took it and clung to it as they walked out of the school. Students stared at them, and Chihiro wanted to bury her head in the sand. It was so embarrassing. While Keima looked cool and brushed aside the comments thrown his way.
They arrived at the park and went to the playground. He went to the swing and indicated for her to sit. "Would you like to, Chihiro?"
"Y-yes," she said, and nervously sat on the swing. And he began to push. Gently at first. Soon, she was swinging with wild abandon. The swings became harder and harder until she was screaming and laughing.
They next went to the slides. It was mostly Chihiro who actually slid, with Keima giving her a push down, or waiting at the bottom to catch her.
After that, Chihiro was tempted to try the other rides, but she was seventeen years old, and it was too embarrassing to do so with other people around.
They elected to have a walk, Keima being the gentleman, always paying attention to her, always making her feel special.
No wonder so many girls had fallen for him.
"So this is how you are when you act?"
"Yes," he said, with a smile on his face.
It was a bit too much. Yes, she enjoyed it, but there was an element of artificiality about it. It didn't help that she knew his real personality. It was the one she fell in love with.
"Okay, you could stop acting now," she said.
"Thank you. That was getting stifling," he said, in his usual cold, rude voice. He put his glasses back on, got his PFP, and started playing. "We still have about twenty minutes till Shiori. What do you want to do?"
His shift of personality was jarring. He did so easily and naturally like he was just changing masks. That freaked her out a little. But at least he wasn't making her so nervous or making her stutter every time she looked at him. And he with glasses was still quite handsome, she had to admit, even if it was not as cute as him without it.
"You could be an actor, you know," she complimented.
"True. Acting for me is just acting like a protagonist in the ideal world, so the heroine would be more amenable in accepting me as her hero," he explained.
"So you change yourself to charm girls?"
"Yes," he bluntly admitted. "And I never failed."
Chihiro sighed. She really was lucky she fell in love with his real personality. Otherwise, she would've been disappointed when she learned of his authentic self. Guess she had better taste than all those girls. They fell in love with a fake Keima. How could they still love him after knowing the real him?
She brushed that question aside. So how to spend the little time that they had? "You hungry? How about some meat buns? Shiori wouldn't like it if you don't have the energy to spare for her," she teased.
"It's your time. You decide," he said. "I'll eat whatever you want, as long as it's not sweet."
They walked to a meat bun stand, and Keima paid for both of them. Like before, he ate really fast so he could return to his gaming, while Chihiro savored the taste of her favorite food.
"Well, it's nearly time," he said. "I need to get going now, or I'm going to be late for my appointment with Shiori."
"Well, thanks, Katsuragi. I had fun," she said. "See you next time." She still had one more hour within the week with him.
He gave a small nod, and resumed his gaming, walking back to school towards the library.
His gaming was interrupted when he received a message.
You got mail.
So much for peaceful gaming.
Hello Keima. I was checking my past email when I found this mysterious address. God of Conquests, right? I remembered—it's you! Thank you for helping me all this time. Love, Kanon.
He groaned. He wanted to just crawl into his game world. He knew what would follow.
Yes, Kanon. It's me, Keima Katsuragi. Don't tell anyone this email address, okay? Let's keep this our special secret. Katsuragi.
A shared secret was a powerful tool in conquering, as was shown in the Mio Aoyama conquest. Hopefully, it would also motivate the idol to not spill the beans. He shuddered to think what would happen if all the conquered girls who had their memories returned would get a hold of it.
…
Don't worry, Keima. I won't tell anyone else. Love, Kanon.
…
Thanks. Katsuragi.
…
Oh, I heard you got beat up by ten bullies. That's awful! I'm coming right over and have Apollo heal you. Love, Kanon
Keima wanted to slap his head. Seriously? Right now?
Thanks. But I've got an appointment with Shiori. Katsuragi.
…
Don't worry, Keima dear. I won't disturb Shiori's time. But I'll be waiting afterward. Don't worry. This is not for spending time with you. It's not yet Saturday. Love, Kanon.
…
Thanks. Bye-bye. Katsuragi.
He sighed. Hopefully, Kanon will keep her word and won't butt in on Shiori's time. If she does, even if through email, that would earn her serious demerits. He would be very disappointed with her. Shiori had a lot going against her, and she does not need a nationally famous yandere idol robbing her of her time.
He made one final email.
Kanon, please do not email me during Shiori's or any other girls' time. Please. Katsuragi.
Yes. Don't worry. Love, Kanon.
By the time he sent the last email and read her reply, he was in front of the library front door. He went in. Time to get serious.
End of Flag IV
Stats for the Week
Monday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Chihiro – Lunch – 1 hour
Ayumi – After School Event – 1 hour
Tenri – Visit After School – 45 minutes
Tuesday – Official Time
Ayumi – Lunch – 1 hour
Chihiro – After School Event – 1 hour
Total:
Tenri – 1 hour
Chihiro – 2 hours
Ayumi – 2 hours
Author Notes
I tried putting on the actual email address of Keima, but this site kept messing it up. Anyway, it's in the manga, so there.
Oh and an announcement and request. In the near future, I probably would run out of events that the girls could do with Keima during their "official" time. So if any of you could suggest activities that they could engage in one hour, two hours, or three, as long as those activities are in character, please tell me. I'd probably include it, with full credit of course.
To xellos540, thanks.
Yes, I got inspired by Wraithie's stories, so a lot of the style and even plot elements were derived from him. However, I fear of being afraid of just copying, so I try to differ…
Yes, the best Keima is one where he had a goal, or even a long term goal, even if it's related to games. That includes finishing his contract as soon as possible to remove the collar and he would be able to resume his game as fast as possible, to saving Kanon, to making sure that the Goddesses receive their power. Here, Keima also has a long term goal—to save his heroines. So he is like playing a game. Which means that he'll do everything to achieve it. The end justifies the means. He's God, and the devil, at the same time.
Yeah. Keima, by the mere existence of his harem, knew that the end game was to choose one. Not to choose would just mean trouble, as it would not end the courting attempts of the girls and the Goddesses. The thing is, he can't choose now. And his character still remains the same. He still consider 2D girls better than 3D ones.
Thanks about Yui. My reading of Yui was that she does not consider it wrong to be aggressively physical to Keima, and believes wholeheartedly that that is the key to winning his heart. But the rules made her change her approach—outside of her schedule. What happens in Yui's schedule is still up in the air.
As for intelligence, what happened during homework tells more about the effectiveness of Keima's teaching methods than how smart she is. Remember this is Keima who made Ayumi go from 35 to 100 in the English exam. And Keima does not do things half-assed. He does things thoroughly to get rid of it as soon as possible so he can return to games. Like Mio in your story says, he is a "loafer genius".
So here, Keima is teaching her homework in such a way that Yui would not need his help in the same questions and the same problems in the future, thus she would less likely ask his help, and his gaming time would be increased. And as you stated, she is above average intelligence, so provided the teaching is done right, she could pick things up.
And yes, her memorizing the rules was just a means to an end. She really wanted to know it by heart so she will be picked by Keima in the end. Let's just say she spent the entire Saturday night and all of Sunday doing nothing but reciting and memorizing the rules. That's why she needed help in her homework.
As for Chihiro, yes, it was extremely unusual. But Keima's mistakes in the past was due to his wrong reading of her—not realizing that Chihiro loves him outside of conquest, and that Chihiro does not have a Goddess. Here, he knows she loves him, and he knows she already forgave him, but she was still angry and upset. It's not hard to figure out. Still, she may stump Keima in the future as his feelings may interfere with his thought processes and logic. It required a supreme effort to act as God in front of Chihiro because of such emotions. He could easily trip in the future.
Already, he stumbled. A cold calculation would state that the best course of action was to exclude Chihiro and wipe out her memories. But because he loves her, he did not just do that. Logic would dictate that the fewer members of the schedule, the more gaming time he would have and easier it would be to handle. But…
As for Ayumi, ah yes. I hoped you liked how Keima "persuaded" her. It's kinda devilish, but Ayumi would be a hard one to break if he made a direct attack. And yes, Ayumi is also a favorite of mine. I really like her for Keima. But I also several other heroines (but not all) for him.
And yeah, their schedules will come soon!
And as for Miyako, we'll see. The interesting parts would be now the heroines react to his conquest, and realize it's full implications. How would they react when he started to romance Miyako, confess to her, kiss her, etc? Even if they knew what was really going on, it would still be hard for them.
Thank you.
To Soulbow109, Thank you.
Yep. It's like Keima in the Goddess arc. He genuinely cares for the girls, he would risk his own life to save them, but he's still the same game loving nerd.
I really adored Tenri. She's one of my favorite characters. She understood Keima the most—even more than Chihiro. She can read Keima like a book. Sadly, I got spoiled before I even read the manga that Chihiro would be chosen in the end, so I already read it with those expectations in mind.
Don't worry, Tenri would remain prominent throughout the entire story.