The World The Girls Also Knows: The Girls God Can Only Save
AU after Goddesses Arc. Keima has to keep the affection of the seven Goddess hosts and Chihiro at the same time. And he still has to exorcise loose souls from girls by making them fall in love with him. Miyako has a loose soul that needs to be exorcised, and the God of Conquests gets himself a new disciple in the game world named Aoba Fuse.
And I do not own The World God Only Knows.
And thanks to xellos540 for the beta job!
First of all, full credit to xellos540 for the idea of moon-gazing for Tsukiyo and Shiori going to the Ramen shop. Although I got the place of Maijima Shrine from the manga.
Speaking of Manga, I got the idea and the dialogue of Shiori and Tsukiyo's meeting each other from the Manga. It was too beautiful not to happen. Since it happened in the Heart of Jupiter arc, I needed to make it happen in this fic. So yeah, expect Shiori and Tsukiyo to hang out more often together.
Aoba Fuse is a light novel heroine. I took her characterization both from the light novel, and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.
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 IX
Yui's Friday
Translation of Manga Terms that I use
Nii-sama = Big Brother, Exalted Brother, Beloved Brother
Kami-Nii-sama or Kami-Onii-Sama = Divine Brother
Kami-sama = Divine One, Godly One, God. Aoba Fuse calls Keima Kami-sama, so I use Divine One.
Kami = God
Sama = Lord or Lady so Kujo-Sama is Lady Kujo, or Tsukiyo Sama is Lady Tsukiyo
Otamegane or Otamega = Glasses Wearing Game Nerd or Game Nut. I left it mostly untranslated.
Sensei = Teacher. But in context, I use Mr. or Miss. So Kodoma-Sensei would be Mr. Kodoma.
Otome Games = Games for Girls. The female equivalent of male dating sims.
Ojou-sama = aristocratic lady or noble lady
Please review! Reviews would make me a very happy author!
Part 78 – Friday Walk with Tenri
Friday…
It was morning, and Keima Katsuragi and Tenri Ayukawa met at the gate of Tenri's home and were currently walking to school. It was time for Tenri's fifteen minutes.
They walked in silence for a while, until Keima spoke.
"Tenri, there's something I need to tell you," he began. He was playing his PFP, and his eyes remained on the gaming console as he spoke.
"Keima?" Tenri said, looking at her neighbor.
"Do you know Miyako Terada?"
"Um, no."
"She's a member of the 2B Pencils."
"Huh?"
"It's a school band in Mai High Private School."
"Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell."
"There are five members. Four of them are my sister Elsie, and Ayumi, Chihiro, and Yui, my conquests."
Tenri just nodded as Keima continued.
"The fifth member is Miyako Terada."
"Wait. Was it the same band that played at the end of the Goddess search?" Tenri asked. She remembered sitting in the rafters of a stage in Keima's school and saw three of the Goddess hosts and Elsie plus another girl play on stage. Their wings of the hosts sprouted during the said concert.
"The very same."
"Them? So they're called the 2B Pencils."
"As I was saying, Miyako Terada was the only member of that band not associated with me or New Hell. That is going to change."
"What do you mean?"
"Miyako has a loose soul."
She looked at him before sighing. "You're gonna make her fall in love with you then?"
"Yes. You know what that means."
"I understand. You need to save her, right? And save yourself too."
"That's right. I have no choice."
"She'll forget everything afterward, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, good luck. I'll support whatever you do, Keima. I'm sure Diana will too," she said, though she doubted that, remembering how the Tactician Goddess reacted when she learned Keima would have to kiss Nanaka during her conquest. Still, everything had been explained during the meeting at the café, so Diana should not be angry at what Keima would be doing.
"So, have you started?"
"Yes. I have lain the groundwork. As soon as this week's activities are done, the conquest will commence."
Tenri did not need to be told what those 'activities' were. It was what Keima does with the girls on their 'schedules'. She blushed at the thought.
"You're afraid what the other girls might think if they see what you're doing with Terada?"
"Yes. But I'm taking care of it. If I do things right, then even if they catch me kissing Miyako, they wouldn't be too mad."
"But you already explained during the café meeting. Surely, that must count, right?"
"You would think so, but emotions are a funny thing. They still might get angry even if they knew what was really going on. That's why I need to reassure them over and over again."
"You don't need to reassure me, Keima. I understand. It's for the best."
"I know, I know," he said. He, once again, was astounded by Tenri's understanding. He was truly blessed to have her.
"Well, see you later," he said, and gave her a quick peck on her left cheek, before the two separated.
Part 79 – Report of the Disciple
Tenri had not gotten ten steps away from Keima when Aoba Fuse stepped beside him.
"Master."
"Aoba."
"I'll give a report, as well as ask some questions," she said as she played her PFP while the two walked.
"Go on."
"I already talked with Shiomiya, Goido, Ayukawa, and Kujo, in addition to Kosaka and Takahara."
"So how did it go?"
"It went well with Shiomiya, Ayukawa, Kosaka, and Takahara. They believed me. I don't think there's a problem with those girls. As for Kujo, I don't think she really believed me, but she believes you, Divine One, so she won't object. Only Goido is the problem."
"Yui? What about her?"
"She doesn't believe me when I tried to reason with her. I think it's because she thinks we're really dating on Saturday," she said. "But she won't be mad at you."
"Yui's always a problem," he sighed.
"I managed to salvage something. I asked her to ask you to join us on Saturday."
"She's interested in my God of Conquest mode?"
"No. I invited her so she could see that there really is nothing going on between us. That's the only thing that could convince her, other than her ludicrous suggestion."
"Ludicrous suggestion?"
"That I marry my first master," she said. "Not that I won't in the future when I find him, but now? I'm 17 and a high school girl. She then claimed the preposterous idea that Takahara would be perfectly willing to marry you right now!"
"Yeah. Very funny," Keima laughed, shaking his head.
"I mean, in games in older settings, like in the Tokugawa Era, or Meiji period, or in Medieval Europe, or any setting prior to the twentieth century, it's perfectly possible for a girl to have an ending by marrying the protagonist when she's just seventeen or even younger, without even graduating from high school. But that is almost impossible in games set in the current time period," Aoba continued in a cold voice. "That only shows that Yui had already made up her mind about the two of us. I feel that we need to show to her that she is wrong. She must join us during the demonstration of your gaming prowess."
"If Yui asks to join us on Saturday, I'm going to allow it. Just to squelch this absurd idea."
"Thank you," she said. "One more thing. Yui and Tsukiyo mentioned a schedule. Yui said I should join it since I'm in love with you, and Tsukiyo said that if I'm really in love with you, I should join it. They both told me to ask you about it. So what were they talking about? What is this schedule?"
Keima lost his concentration on his game, and he nearly made the wrong choice. He quickly saved his game even as he mentally cursed Yui and Tsukiyo for mentioning the schedule. What happened to not telling anyone? Well, technically, they did not tell Aoba. They said to ask him. But still! What happened to prudence and being discreet? And how was he going to explain the situation with Aoba?
"Before that, I'd like to ask, just how did you acquire your harem? I know it's against your will, but I'd like to know," she inquired.
And he was thankful for that. He really did not want to answer questions about the schedule, but this one was easy to answer. "Do you have a guess? Have you tried to figure it out?"
Part 80 – The Fuse Theory
"I have a theory."
"Go on."
"Your sister, Elly, forced you to help the girls. As a result of your help, the girls fell in love with you. Except for Ayukawa, as she's your childhood friend. She fell in love you because of what happened when you were kids."
He stopped and looked at her. "How did you come up with that?"
"It's one of the situations I'm familiar with. In games. I played many games in the harem genre, and generally, heroines fall in love because the hero helped them in some way, and the hero may or may not be aware of the girls falling for him as a result. In your case, you were obviously aware. You helped them, and they fell in love with you."
She stopped as she reached a save point in her game.
"Go on," Keima encouraged.
"You said that it was against your will. What does that mean? It could only mean that you really did not want to help the girls. That fits with your archetype and your personality."
"My archetype?"
"Your public archetype, which is a game nerd who plays games all day," she said. "Such heroes generally are asocial and would not associate with the opposite sex, or if they want to do so, would lack the social skills to do so. As you have great social skills if you tried, as I have observed, then that means you really do not want to associate with real girls. And I know you prefer 2D to 3D girls."
Keima wanted to laugh. That's how he classified girls! And now, he's being reduced to a game character!
"If you hate the real, how did you come to help the girls? It's clearly not because of the goodness of your heart. Outside of games, you do not care for anything, even other people except your close family. In games, with your archetype, it's usually a close friend or relative who forces the asocial hero or protagonist to help the heroines. And who is the relative that is in the best position to force you to? Your sister Elly, of course. So Elly forced you to save or help the girls, the girls fell in love with you as a result, and so, your harem was created. Then, coincidentally, your childhood friend came back."
Keima laughed harder. Aoba was so brilliant. She came so close to the truth. And the only reason she did not discover the whole truth was the presence of supernatural elements. "You are correct. For a certain reason, I really can't refuse Elsie when she asks me to save a heroine. And as you said, that always results in the heroine falling in love with me," Keima admitted. "I guess that I disappointed you. A God like me a slave to the whims of my little sister?"
"No, it showed me that you care for your family very much," she said. "You care for your sister, and I admire you for that. How can I be disappointed with that?"
He kept silent. No need to lie. Just let her think that.
"Of course, you don't love any of the haremettes, or even if you do love one of them, for some reason, you can't pick one right now," she continued. "Otherwise, you would go for the obvious solution in resolving a harem situation."
"And what is the obvious solution?"
"To pick one girl. That's the only way to get out of an unwanted harem."
"That's right," he laughed. "I can't tell you the reason why I can't pick right now."
"I understand. It's personal. And whatever the reason, I'm sure it's a good one. Even if it's not, it's none of my business. Anyway, I want to ask, what is the schedule?" she asked Keima.
Part 81 – The Normal Girl Saves the Day
But before he could reply, they heard someone as they entered the school gate.
"Hey, dweeb!" shouted Chihiro Kosaka as she joined them. "Hello, Fuse!"
"Hello, Kosaka," greeted Aoba.
"Chihiro," he said nodding. He was extremely grateful for this interruption. The truth was, he was not ready with a satisfactory answer. At least this would buy him time to come up with a plausible excuse for his disciple. Hindsight would say that telling Aoba to talk to the seven girls might not be ideal, but what else could he do? The alternatives were worse.
"Well, you're going to the classroom right away, Katsuragi?"
He nodded.
"Good. I'm going there too! Might as well walk together."
"So, it's not for the sole reason of spending time with me?" he asked skeptically. He would not allow his free gaming time to be taken away by the girls.
"Of course not, you doofus! That's not the sole reason I'm here! I have another valid reason even if it's not my time!" Kosaka answered.
He looked at her suspiciously. "Fine. What's the reason then?"
"I want to talk about Miyako," Chihiro answered with uncertainty after thinking a bit. The truth was, she just wanted to walk with Keima to the classroom, but she knew it would count as stealing time if she did not have another reason. She was so jealous of Yui coming up with homework all the time, but she could not do the same as 2B did not have any homework for that day. Then she remembered about Miyako having a Weiss.
"Miyako?" asked Keima. What are you doing? Someone's here, you idiot!
"About her problem," she said, looking at Aoba Fuse. "I need to talk to Keima."
The gamer got the hint, and went to the back, about a yard behind them, even as she continued to follow. It was enough.
"So, what's this about Miyako? What's her problem?" Chihiro whispered as they walked.
"I don't know yet," he said.
"What are you going to do?"
"I think you know."
"You gonna make her fall in love with you?"
"Yes."
There was a bit of silence, before Chihiro said, "I don't like it. Couldn't you do it some other way?" The normal girl already knew how Keima operated, but it still stabbed her heart to learn that the boy she loved would romance another one of her best friends, even if he had no choice and it was for Miyako's sake. Thinking about it in abstract terms was one thing. Having it applied in practice was another. Seeing Keima romance Ayumi during the goddess search had been painful. Seeing him do so to Miyako would no doubt be as horrific.
"I can't. I exorcise girls using the tools that I have. I can't do it any other way," he said.
Chihiro bit her lip. She wished she knew of some other way so she can teach Keima how to do it. Why does it have to be love? It was so unfair for the normal girl, but what can she do? "I guess you have no choice. But still, what are you planning? How are you gonna court Miyako?"
"I'm not yet sure. I won't start until after Kanon's three hours. I still need to explain to all of you, so you won't think I'm a cheating bastard if you see me kiss Miyako and say that I love her."
"Don't say that like it's nothing!" scolded the normal girl. Hearing Keima say those words without any feeling set her off. It's like he's just playing a game. Which, in a sense, he was. That's how he made Ayumi and the rest of them fall in love with him. Except her. She fell in love with him on her own.
"So you're really not sure about how to court Miyako?" she asked skeptically. Keima had successfully conquered nineteen girls. So it was unbelievable, to her at least, that he was still not sure. "C'mon. You could tell me."
"Don't tell anyone," he began.
"I won't. So spill."
"I still don't know," Keima said, not bothering to tell Chihiro about his plans involving Elsie. He did not want any of his conquered heroines to interfere.
"Well, if you need any help, you could ask me," she said as they neared the classroom.
"Sure," he said. Not a chance, Chihiro. You'll just mess things up by trying to help. And I can't trust you to be composed when I try to raise Miyako's affection points.
He turned to the girl behind them. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Aoba."
Sometimes, he wished he could tell his disciple the truth about the Weiss. She would be extremely useful in conquering girls.
The blue-haired girl continued to class 2C while Chihiro and Keima entered the 2B classroom.
Keima knew that the entire scenario was just an excuse. He already informed Chihiro of the Miyako situation during the Ferris Wheel ride last Wednesday, and nothing Chihiro told him would justify a new talk. It was like Yui's homework or Kanon walking to the café with him.
…
Part 82 – Yui's Plans
Yui Goido was nervous. Usually, she would be full of confidence. For a long time, she had no doubt about what she wanted and how she was going to do it. But lately, her certainty showed a few signs of cracking.
The rules of engagement were a blessing for the heiress, for it redirected her energies. No more random physical attacks on Keima. It forced her to think of ways to spend time with him outside the schedule. And for the most part, it worked. She got far more time with Keima than if she would just randomly accost him with physical contact, and he would run away as a result. Now, he would actually stay with Yui and spend time with her. Granted, not in the way that Yui would wish, but it was far better than before. She enjoyed being close to him, even if it was something as ordinary as helping with homework.
For the first time, she was happy when teachers would give her homework.
She got a leg-up on the other girls on that front. As far as she knew, nobody was as aggressive as her in pursuit. Only Kanon could rival her in audacity, but she was limited by her idol work. Yui could only admire her brazenness during the walk to the café—it was so transparent! But to do that, Yui would have to do a great favor to Keima, like what Apollo did when she healed him.
And that was just outside her three hours for the week!
Her plan was coming nicely along until Fuse appeared. That threw a monkey wrench in her schemes.
At first, she had been mollified when she declared that she had no interest in Keima. Thus, the time the girl gamer spent with him was of no consequence. But then, Fuse tricked Keima into inviting herself to his room, while they were alone, in a date. She would not be fooled twice by her. Mars was right. She was a threat.
Yui can only feel admiration for the Fuse's plan. It was brilliant in its simplicity. She would just pretend not to be in love with Keima, and tell all the other girls that she loved someone else. She would monopolize all of his time outside their schedules, under the guise of being a disciple, and make him fall in love with her right under the noses of the seven girls in the schedule. Fuse got four hours of Keima's time in his house in his room, while the rest of the girls only got three and couldn't even approach him without suspicion cast on their motives outside their time.
And more than that, she had an advantage that the other girls could only dream of having. Fuse was a gamer. She enjoyed playing the same games Keima played. And talks the same way like Keima does. They understood each other. And it gave her perfect cover for her conquest of Keima—by requesting to be his disciple. It was so good, so brilliant that she could only admire her adversary.
Not that Fuse was a bad girl. On the contrary, despite her iciness, she was a fair girl. That was shown when she did not interfere with her plan to have Keima look at her homework. Yui was grateful for that, and she ended up liking the girl. And she could see that she really did not want to be a burden to Keima. Thus, Yui couldn't bring herself to hate or even dislike the blue-haired girl, despite Mars egging her on.
Yui had to change something, or her new rival would take all the spare time of Keima. It was unacceptable. Mars agreed, and they formulated a plan, that, hopefully, would put her on even footing with her. And maybe even an advantage.
…
Part 83 – Yui's Lunch
Keima Katsuragi walked toward the rooftop with a sense of foreboding. He rarely was afraid. Very few things could scare him. But he was dreading his time with a certain cross-dressing heiress. For lunch was Yui's first hour, and the rules said that the girl would decide how to spend it.
He knew what he must do. Though he was a player, this time, it was the reverse. Yui was a player character who would take control. So, he should play the hero or maybe even the heroine.
He entered the rooftop, and as soon as he stepped into the sunlight, he was hugged.
"Keima darling! I missed you! You have no idea how much I wanted to do this all week!" the crossdresser said as she squeezed him, their cheeks against each other.
She then let go of him but grabbed his right hand in her left, pulled him close to her, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "From the moment I set eyes on you, darling, I love you," she said, her left hand cupping his cheek.
He nearly panicked and blood rushed to his head. Physical contact! I can't take it! I can't take it! I need to get out of here! This is a mistake! But I can't! It's her time. I promised that she can do whatever she wanted. And damn it! I forgot to make limits on what the girls could do! This is bad! Bad! But what can I do? I can't change the rules in the middle of the game!
Suddenly, he had an idea. Act like a girl! He faked a bashful look on his face, gently tugged against the crossdresser, and said, in his most girlish yet still boyish voice that he could muster, "Oh, Yui. Not yet. It's too fast," he said, avoiding her eyes.
That made Yui blush, and she let go of the gamer. "I'm sorry, I just, I missed you, darling. Don't worry! I'll be the perfect knight! Yes, I'll be a knight to you Keima! A knight to a knight!"
Keima wanted to groan and wondered if Yui knew Nanaka. "Well, here's something for you," he said, shyly handing over a bento over to Yui. Typically, it was the girls who were supposed to give a bento lunch to the boy, but this was Yui.
"For me? Thanks!" she grabbed it earlier. Like during Yui's reconquest, Keima did the job incompetently, as being a rich girl, she would see the charm of a homemade meal.
"Hope you like it. I did my best," Keima lied. Then Yui grabbed another bento and gave it to Keima. "For you, my gentleman."
He took it. He did not plan on eating lunch, so he only prepared one set. Thus, it was a welcome treat. He rather not be smothered by the crossdresser on an empty stomach.
They just ate for the next few minutes, Yui hungrily devouring her Keima-made meal, while Keima eating slowly, dreading what would happen next, and hoping that the hour would end soon.
Keima needed to make his next move. Or he would lose control of the situation. Scratch that—he already had lost control. He needed to seize it back.
…
After the meal, Yui offered her arm. "Let's take a walk. I'll walk you around the roof," she said. She had heard what he did for Ayumi last Tuesday, so she will do the same for Keima. She just knew that her darling would like it.
He sighed but took the proffered arm, just like a girl would take a boy's arm. It was kinda awkward with Yui being shorter, but they made it work. Yui led the walk, and he just followed.
"Don't worry, darling. I'm going to protect you! When you marry me, you won't have to leave the house, and you can play games all day!" she proclaimed.
Part 84 – Yui and the Schedule
He sighed. "Yui, we need to talk."
"What is it, darling?"
"Are you really sure you're up to this? I mean, I know you want me to yourself, but you can't have that for the next five years," he began. "It would be unfair for you to share me with the other six. Could you even look at such an unfaithful man like myself?"
"Don't think about it. At the end of five years, I'll pick you, and you'll say yes," she said confidently. "Don't worry. I'm gonna court you, and you'll fall in love with me. Love conquers all, as they say."
"Aren't you gonna get jealous?"
"Maybe. But that's natural! Just don't go courting girls outside of the schedule," she declared. "That's cheating, you playboy. But worry not! I'm going to make you a nice boy! Love will fix all our problems!"
He wanted to recoil and just run away, but it would ruin his carefully laid plans. If he did not let Yui do what she wanted to do, she might not behave herself outside of her scheduled time.
Remember, Keima. It's just for three hours. After the three hours, Yui would behave again. Better now than the rest of the week.
"Well, I thought that you were just swayed by the crowd in the café because I don't think a nice girl like you would accept the schedule. Do you really want to be part of it? To share me? To wait for that long? Maybe you shouldn't. It was selfish of me, you know."
The crossdresser stopped and looked at him. Yui grabbed him by the shoulders and looked at him in the eye. He tried to look away, but she took hold of his chin and turned his head.
"Don't say that. You won't look as handsome as before," she said with a smile. "I wasn't swayed by the crowd, okay? I know your situation with the Devils and Goddesses, and how you can't choose among us, and that's fine. It's not your fault. And if you think this is the best solution, I'll accept it!"
"So, you'll be part of the schedule? You really mean it? Even if I still don't love you?"
"Yes. I really mean it. And I know you don't love any of us. I'm here to change it," she said, smiling.
"Oh, thank you," Keima said, and bending his knees, so Yui was a head taller, he wrapped his hands around her neck, and gave her a kiss on the lips, just like a girl would kiss a guy.
Truthfully, he already knew that Yui liked him and that she would go after him. What he was uncertain of was her willingness to share him with other girls and to wait for five long years. Her actions could prove disruptive of his plans if she would insist on having him by herself immediately or if she disregarded the "rights" of the other girls.
With this, he would not have to worry that Yui would break the peace he had worked hard for. And based on her actions during the week, he need not fear that she would blatantly contravene any of the rules he made regarding the schedule. So that was mission accomplished.
There were two more objectives he needed to achieve.
…
Part 85 – Forgotten Memories
Yui was walking Keima around the rooftop. She was happy as a lark! Keima kissed him! For the first time ever, he was the one who initiated it. Both her previous kisses, it was she who kissed him. It felt so good. She blushed as she thought about it, a warm feeling forming on her stomach. Maybe letting him take the lead was not such a bad idea? She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked, feeling content and happy.
Keima leaned his head against Yui's head as they walked. Clutching Yui's arm, he began to think.
He really needed to take control of the flags when it came to Yui. So far, it was the crossdresser who made most of the moves and took all the initiative. The only thing that Keima initiated was the kiss to seal the deal. That threw her off and made her act like a blushing and sputtering schoolgirl.
His long-term goal with regards to Yui was to make the relationship a bit normal—so he could play the boy and be the player of the game. But it would take a long time for that to happen. For now, he had to be satisfied with his immediate short-term goals.
Now to complete those objectives.
"Yui," he began.
"Darling?"
"You know the reason I can't pick any of you right now," he began.
"Yes. You're soul hunting if I remember correctly."
"Weiss, that's what they are called. Miyako has a Weiss."
That stopped Yui.
"Miyako?"
"Yes. The 2B pianist. The same one," he said.
"We need to save her! We need to do something!" she said, panic lacing her voice.
"No need to worry. I'll save her," he said. "You don't need to do anything."
"But you can't do it alone! A fragile boy such as yourself needs to be protected too!"
"Don't worry. The Weiss does not target boys," he rebutted gently. "It's my job. I'm going to save Miyako."
"I'll help you. Just say the word, and I'll do anything!"
"Don't worry. I'm going to call you if I find that I need your help," he conceded. Fat chance of that happening. You might even mess up the conquest even worse than Chihiro.
"I'm going to be the best partner in soul catching that there could ever be!"
He did not react to that. "You know how I save girls, right? I make them fall in love with me, and I kiss them to seal the deal. I'm going to do that to Miyako."
Again, Yui stopped her walk and looked up to him. Again, his height irritated her, as she dearly wanted to be able to look down on him. "I know. I'll still help you if you want. And if you need someone to talk to about it afterward, I'm here to listen."
"A mission is just a game. I don't need any comforting," he denied.
"You know, Keima, sometimes, I wonder how it is you could do all that, make girls fall in love with you, knowing that they'll forget all that afterward as if all your efforts were for nothing. It must hurt, right?"
Keima scoffed. "It doesn't."
She continued as if he didn't respond. "It hurt me a lot when I realized I basically forgot you for a while, despite switching bodies. Even after I lost my memories, I always looked at you. I wondered why I kept doing that. Part of the reason I was so happy in the band was that your sister was there too, and you'd visit because of Elly.
"I fell in love with you all over again, without remembering first. Remember, when I approached you in the library? When I introduced myself? Back then I didn't remember what had happened yet. It's only after we went to Dezeni Sea, and I met Mars, that I remembered everything.
"It hurt me that I forgot you. How could I forget the love of my life? How could I forget my first kiss? Now I know it was the Devils who were responsible for that. But it didn't make me feel any better. I'm so happy when I remembered everything.
"And now I'm happy that I fell in love with you before I remembered. Because it tells me that I don't need the memories for my love to blossom. How many girls fell in love with you without remembering? I'm one of the exceptions to the rule, huh?
Keima was getting impatient. "What is your point?"
"Like I said, I really felt terrible when I realized I forgot. But if it hurt me, then it's the same for you. I try to imagine myself in your situation. What if you were the one who forgot me after all that we've been through and only I remembered? It would hurt me so much. It would stab my heart. I would cry if that happened.
"Oh Keima, I know it must hurt you to see their eyes after they were saved, and not recognize you, or appreciate what you've done. Because, after all, no matter how you really did not love any of them, you saved them, and you deserved all their love. It's not fair for them to forget about how wonderful you are, how you changed their lives, our lives. It's not fair to you!"
"That doesn't hurt. I don't love any of them. Or any of you, for that matter."
"I know. And I don't blame you. Imagine if you loved all of them like the girls loved you. How much that would have killed you knowing that they will forget after every mission," she said, a small tear falling from her eye. "So, it's best to keep your distance. But I know that no matter what, even if you don't love us, it still hurt, right? You can't be human and not feel hurt about their memories being wiped out. Even if it's just a little bit. But all those girls, all those memories, all those little bits add up, and over time, it became a big hurt."
Keima would not admit it out loud, but Yui was right. There was a tiny bit of him that was hurt when his conquest targets forget, but he immediately quashed that feeling. It would do no good to dwell upon it.
"Keima, you sacrificed so much that it's so sad, so heartbreaking, to see you like this. That's why I'm so happy that we remembered. Because I can imagine that no matter how much it might irk you, that you were glad that at least some of your heroines could remember and appreciate you. That's why I loved you, even more, when I found out. Because you were so kind, so brave, so noble, more than the so-called nice guys out there. You sacrificed your happiness for us, your heroines. I love you, Keima. More than ever. Especially knowing what you have to do"
"Yui, it's nothing. I hated doing all this."
"And yet, you still did it to save us because you cared."
Keima had nothing to say to that.
"It took me a long time to admit that, but I know I can't have you for myself until your mission is over. Save Miyako, and save all the heroines who have a Weiss in them. And when Miyako loses her memories, please remember, all of us, the Goddess hosts. We still remember what you've done for us," she said, and her voice cracked, more tears spilling. "Maybe it won't hurt that much if you think that we will always remember and be there for you when it's over. I certainly will."
She took a handkerchief from her coat and wiped her eyes. "Sorry for the waterworks. I needed to get that out of my chest. So yeah. Make her love you. Kiss her. Save her. I'll even help if you need it."
Keima wrapped an arm around her head and pulled it towards his chest, while his other hand stroked her hair. She wrapped her arms around his torso, and for the first time, Yui looked like a girl and Keima, a boy, in their respective positions.
"Don't cry, Yui. It's fine," he said. "Right now, I'm happy you remembered. I don't regret any of my actions, but I'm just glad someone appreciated it. I just want you to know because I don't want you to be hurt when you catch me romancing Miyako."
…
Near the end of lunch…
"One more thing, Yui," he said as they sat on the bench, waiting out the time.
The crossdresser looked at him and said, "yes, Keima darling?"
"I have a disciple," he began.
"Aoba Fuse. I know. She loves you, you know," she began.
"What? No, you're mistaken. She doesn't love me! She's forgotten about her conquest! And she loves someone else."
Looks like Fuse even fooled him. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I looked into her eyes, and she loves that person," he said. "Look, nothing is going on between us. She's my disciple. I'm her master. All in the game world. Nothing else!"
She just nodded. "If that is the case, can I come with you on your date tomorrow?"
"You mean my demonstration of my God of Conquest mode? You know that's not a date."
"No matter what you game logic tells you, that's still a date, you playboy!" the drummer cheekily said. "Don't even try to contradict me. I'm right, and you're wrong."
He looked at her eye, and he resisted the overwhelming urge to lecture. She would not believe him anyway. "Fine, you can go with us. You'll see the amazing God of Conquest mode!"
…
Things had not gone according to plan. A girl who was able to reverse his emotional and psychological games on him was rare, but Yui did it. Her talk about all the emotional damage the memory wipes did got to him, even if it was Yui who cried. And that touched him. She was crying, not for herself, but for him. That was rare.
And he got nowhere with the Aoba-Yui situation. She had already made up her mind. He cursed himself with that silly slip. Why couldn't he just have fun in the ideal? What was so wrong with just showing off his God of Conquest mode to an awe-struck disciple? Hopefully, that would persuade the drummer that nothing was going on between them.
…
Part 86 – Tea for Two
Shiori Shiomiya was nervous as she ascended the stairs of the building. As she reached the top floor, her anxiety became a crescendo.
Was Miss Kujo serious? What if she was just teasing me? Maybe she really did not mean to invite me for lunch. And I'm just too dumb to realize the joke. Ha, ha, the joke is on me. I can see it now. I'll knock and enter, and Miss Kujo would laugh at me for having fallen for such a trick. I mean, I'm just a riff-raff mouse. How can she think I can be someone worth having lunch with? Should I go?
She finally reached the top floor. That she was not tired was a testament to her slowness and indecisiveness in going upstairs. She reached the front door of the Astronomy Club.
I should leave. Yes. She was just teasing me or setting me up for a prank when she invited me for lunch. It would be better to just ignore it to save my dignity. I could always later claim that I just forgot. Better to be thought of as forgetful than be thought of as stupid. But what if she was serious and wasn't joking? Then she'll be offended with me for having stood her up. And I would be terrible for thinking such shameful thoughts. I would be an awful girl if I did that. So what to do? What to do? What to do?
I should knock. Yes. Knock.
She put her hand before the door and stopped. As long as I haven't knocked, I can still back out. Should I? Or shouldn't I? To knock or not to knock, that is the question.
"Just knock, Shiori," Minerva, who appeared beside her, said. "I want to see Big Sister!"
When Shiori hesitated, the Goddess knocked on the door, before disappearing.
"Ahhh!" Shiori silently shrieked when she did that. She wanted to hide in a corner.
But before she could do anything, the door opened, and Tsukiyo Kujo appeared before her. "You're late," she said in an even voice. "Come in, come in, Shiomiya."
"I'm sorry, Miss Kujo," the librarian apologized as she bowed.
"It's fine. They say it's fashionable to be late. And I'm not the easiest girl to get along with, so I understand that you may have jitters coming here for the first time," she said as she motioned for her to sit down, on the chair beside where Luna was sitting. "And Minerva, you can sit beside Luna."
"T-thank y-y-you," said the child Goddess, sitting besides Luna. "Big sister," she acknowledged to the doll.
"Minerva," said the eldest goddess, "I am not the doll."
And the two goddesses chatted, ignoring their hosts.
…
Tsukiyo served Shiori with lunch and tea.
"Thank you for inviting me," Shiori said. Even with her social anxiety, she could normally talk with someone other than Keima.
"And thank you for coming. Frankly, I was beginning to think you won't come," she said, looking at the clock. "I am glad you came. And don't be put off with me. This is just my normal self. That doesn't mean I hate you or anything."
"Sorry about that. It's just that, nobody ever invited me for tea or anything really, other than Katsuragi, of course."
"And nobody ever came here for lunch. They were too freaked out or something. They're all silly. They do not know anything about beautiful things. Except Keima. He came to me."
"I hope I'm not imposing by coming."
"I was the one who invited you, so how can you impose? I should be the one to apologize for taking your precious time. No doubt you're thinking of how to spend your three hours next week?"
That made Shiori blush.
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm also thinking of the same thing. I bet all girls in this schedule of ours are thinking of the same thing. Keima is a precious thing. We shouldn't let our time with him go to waste."
"Yes, I was."
"Do you have an idea of what you're going to do?"
"I have. But I can't tell you. It's a surprise."
"You don't have to tell. Speaking of Keima, let's be honest with ourselves, or we can't be friends. Let's make our stand clear."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's not pretend to wish each other well in our rivalry. We all want the same thing, and getting what we want means the other six will have a broken heart. Listen, Shiomiya, don't be offended, but after five years, Keima will be mine. It's inevitable."
"No, he'll be mine," Shiori snapped, surprising herself by her direct answer. She wasn't usually like this, but she would not shrink from her rivals in the topic dearest to her heart. "He's going to pick me! He's going to break your heart, not mine."
Tsukiyo nodded. "It's best to be honest and straightforward about our intentions. We know where we stand. Let's be friends."
"Oh. I guess that makes sense."
"Let's not dwell upon it. Tell you what. What about we tell each other how we spent our time with him? That way, we can compare notes."
Shiori thought about his. But she can't tell Tsukiyo about her time. The One Leaf book was her special weapon to capture Keima. She can't share it. But she could share the other things.
"Maybe," said Shiori. She would just tell her about her time with the Ramen place.
"Don't worry. If you have a secret you can't tell, I won't press," she said. "And if you're not too comfortable about it, let's drop the topic."
"Well, Keima and I went to a Ramen place. There were vending machines to place orders to," said Shiori.
"Do you like Ramen?"
"Yes," replied the shy librarian. "And that Ramen place is special. Not only is the food really to die for, but I don't have to talk to anyone to get the Ramen."
"Well, if you want Ramen, may I make a recommendation? In Narusawa City, I hear of rumors of a famous Ramen Place. Uemoto Store, formerly. It changed its name recently, but I haven't gotten the new name yet," said Tsukiyo. "I've eaten there once or twice before. I don't think it has vending machines, but if you're going with Keima, just have him order for you."
"Uemoto Store?" asked Shiori.
"Yes. But don't use that name. Ask around about the Ramen place that changed names."
"Um, thanks. So how about you? How was your Keima time?" the shy girl asked.
"We ate lunch here," she began. "And last night, after we parted, we viewed the moon together. And danced to Beethoven's music. It was beautiful."
"That's nice," Shiori said. She wasn't sure if Keima wanted those activities. She was sure it was the doll-like girl who chose those events. Unlike reading One Leaf. She was sure Keima really enjoyed himself reading that book.
…
The two girls spent the rest of the lunch period chatting and gossiping. The talk was mostly one-sided, with Tsukiyo doing the talking in her haughty cold tone, and Shiori mostly nodding and listening, and making the occasional comment. Still, Shiori noticed that despite her attempts to remain aloof, Tsukiyo softened considerably.
"Well, see you next time. I insist you visit here every lunch if you and I are not busy," Tsukiyo said. Both girls knew what "busy" meant for them.
"I will. Thank you for the lunch," said Shiori as she bowed and left the Astronomy Club.
…
Part 87 – Keima's Ordeal
After School…
It was after class that Friday afternoon. It was time for Yui's afterschool event.
Keima Katsuragi stared at the large box in front of him. He knew what it was for. Elsie was beside him.
Please wear my present.
That single message from Yui Goido sent a cold shiver up his spine. He really regretted giving the girls free reign over their time. He had anticipated such a request and had requested Elsie to bring it with her. Luckily, the 2B Pencils had no practice that afternoon, so he was alone with the devil in the clubroom.
"Are you sure no one could sneak in or take a look?"
"I'm sure, Divine Brother," Elsie said. "I cast a spell."
"Okay. You can go out now. I'll call you when I'm done," he said.
The devil nodded and waited just outside.
And he changed to the Mai High Private School's girls' uniform and a long orange wig. It was the same outfit he wore during the reconquest of the crossdresser.
"Elsie!" he called.
His younger sister entered, and her eyes widened. "Oh, Divine Brother! You're so cute! I can't believe you look so good as a girl!"
She hugged him, squeezing him a bit.
"Yeah, yeah. Can you cast an illusion spell so no one except Yui can recognize me?"
"Sure thing," she replied, and she cast the spell.
"Let's go," he said. "Follow behind and make sure no one could even suspect I'm Keima."
"Shouldn't I go and stick with Miyako?" she asked as she packed Keima's male uniform.
"Normally, yes, but this is an emergency. And don't worry. Haqua is following her around," he said.
With that, he walked out of the room and headed towards the gate. Like before, no one recognized him. He met Yui at the gate for their two hours.
"I said it before, but you look really cute!" Yui shrieked as she hugged him. "We're really now a set! A girl in boy's clothes, and a boy in a girls' uniform!"
"I'm thrilled," he said in a deadpan voice. Elsie's spell made sure that all the other people would hear a genuine girl's voice and not a male voice.
"But don't worry. Believe it or not, I actually have a reason for having you dress like that!"
Aside from your whims, Yui?
"We're gonna go to my house. I'm gonna bring you home. My parents really dislike you because of my conquest, so I can't just bring you there. And you're a boy, so it makes things awkward. But they won't object if I bring a female friend home," she explained.
That made sense. He could remember Yui in Keima's body being beaten up several times by the bodyguards in Yui's home.
"Act like a polite lady, to prove that you can be a friend to the daughter of the Goido family," she instructed as a limousine approached.
An old man with gray hair and glasses emerged from the driver's side. He bowed to Yui and opened the back door. "Lady Yui."
"Mr. Okamoto, this is my friend, Keim…Keiko Kastura… Katsura... Keiko Katsura! Yes, she's my new friend. I want to invite her home. Is Mother at home right now?"
"She's not. Neither is your father," Mr. Okamoto answered. "I'm not sure you can bring a friend home."
"Why not? It's not like Keim…Keiko is a boy or anything!" she said. "Please?"
"Very well, Lady Yui. You may come with us, Miss Katsura."
"Thank you, Mr. Okamoto," the heiress answered with a big smile on her face. She grabbed Keima by the hand as she entered and pulled him in. "Oh Keim… Keiko, this is Mr. Okamoto, our chauffeur."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Okamoto," Keima greeted politely.
"A pleasure to meet you too. I'm glad Yui's bringing home one of her friends," he answered.
…
Part 88 - A Happy Memory
When they arrived at the Yui estate, the crossdresser quickly pulled Keima through the grounds of the estate. Keima was glad for his disguise. They ran into several bodyguards, and he could imagine what they would have done if they realized who "she" really was.
They went to a tall building—there was a sign that said "warehouse".
"Why are we in a warehouse?" the boy wondered.
"Don't you worry. You're going to like it," Yui smiled as she took his hand and led him inside.
And he reacted just like Yui expected. It was a gaming room.
…
When Yui and Keima returned to normal, Yui, like all the previous conquest targets, lost her memories of the body-switching incident. However, it left many traces, including the conversion of her room into a gaming complex, with eight huge monitors, dozens of gaming devices, and tons of games, both galges, and guy games.
Yui, at the time, had no idea what to do with them.
Fortunately, her mother thought that this was just a phase that Yui was going through. And instead of throwing everything out when Yui got "tired" of it, decided to store everything in the warehouse just in case she had a craving for games. While Mrs. Goido was glad that her daughter was over that phase, she knew that she might want to have a game or two in her spare time, so she stored it. It was not ladylike, but she had seen the effects when she tried to take it away.
When Yui regained her memories of her original conquest, the heiress was overjoyed that all the gaming devices were still in the estate. That meant that she had tons of mementos of her time with Keima. Almost every day, since she regained her memories, she would visit the warehouse. Seeing all the game devices would always remind her of the game nerd, and her heart would always skip a beat while she stared at it.
Yui was determined that if Keima were going to marry her, he would become the happiest husband there was. The heiress wanted to show him that he would be very happy with her. She made the warehouse like her room during the body-switching episode.
This was the result.
And seeing Keima's reaction made it all worth it.
…
"Wow! Wow! You didn't throw it out! It's still here! I can't believe it!"
Yui smiled. "Mother and Father decided it's better to be safe than sorry. They said that it's a better hobby than drums and commoner boys. It keeps me at home."
Keima looked around and analyzed the throne. It was as he remembered it. Mostly. He looked at the wire connections. And it was a mess. Yui really didn't have much knowledge of gaming equipment. He rerouted the wires and fixed the placement of the joysticks and controllers for ease of use in the chair.
In front of the "throne" were eight huge flat-screen monitors mounted on the walls. It made Keima's mouth water as he recalled the time he played as Yui.
And on shelves, against the walls, was a library of games. It was not as large as his own library at home, but it was not small either. All the games that he had bought while in Yui's body, both galges, and otome games, were there. He recognized it all. And then he noticed all the brand-new games that he had not bought as Yui.
"Did you?"
"I recently bought it," Yui said. "I'm not sure if you like it, but I figured out that to you, a game is a game." Truthfully, she got advice from Fuse about what games she ought to buy. That girl gamer, despite lying about loving Keima, was very useful.
Without waiting for permission, he got some six new titles on the shelf, loaded the CDs on the various game devices, and sat down on the throne.
Part 89 – The God of Conquests
"Keim…Keiko, I'm sorry, I have to call you Keiko here," she said.
"Don't worry about it," he replied, knowing that Elsie had probably sealed the place to prevent eavesdropping.
"Keiko, you said that you could play six games at the same time," she began, "could you show it to me?" Now I would have something over Fuse! Take that! I'm going to be the first girl to see him do that! Well, Elly's probably the first already, but she doesn't count.
He smiled as he activated the six games at the same time. "With pleasure. Prepare to meet the God of Conquests!"
He began tapping the controllers. And he did it so fast.
Wait. Does he have multiple arms? No. Those are afterimages!
Six screens came to life, and she could see six game heroines all at the same time. And choices being selected at the same time. And the crossdresser looked at the other crossdresser—he had that look of concentration on his face—his brown eyes darted all over the place.
And even as he looked like a girl with that long wig, he still looked like God.
Yui was in awe of Keima as she watched.
That was an emotion she never expected to feel.
Yes, he was creepy. If she were not in love with him, she would be repelled. But…
But she was in love with him. Thus, she was in awe. His arms, his fingers, his body, it was something out of this world. It was like he was playing a piano. Or typing on a keyboard. Here, he was playing six games simultaneously.
Were that tears on his face?
"Are you crying?"
"I can't help it! That game on the uppermost screen was very touching!"
"You're empathizing with the game characters?"
"Why shouldn't I? They're my heroines? Oh no, don't do that!" he shouted at the middle screen as he made a choice, and he gave a huge sigh. "Dodged a bullet on that one."
Yui was mesmerized as her beloved played six games at once. She was not sure if she approved this habit of his, but if that were what gave him joy, she would put up with it. Looking at his eyes, she could see that he was… happy.
She felt a warm feeling in her heart. She made him happy. She yelled and shouted and jumped. "I made you happy!" she said. "Finally! I figured out the key to your heart!"
She stopped herself from hugging Keima. That might ruin his concentration and his game. No, she should just let him play. Unlike the other girls, she can let him have his fun.
She got another chair, placed it besides the gaming "throne", sat and just stared at his face for a few minutes, loving the look of concentration, happiness, and even empathy for game heroines that was on in his face. If he could be like this every time, then he could become very popular in school. She felt privileged to witness this side of him.
…
Keima Katsuragi just completed the second set of six games, finishing by kissing all the game heroines at the same time. He felt a twinge of satisfaction. Who knew that he could enjoy Yui's time?
He wanted to play another set of games, but the two hours allotted to Yui was coming to a close. And he still had forty-five minutes with Tenri left for the day. He reluctantly put aside the games and returned the CDs to their shelves.
He noticed Yui staring at him with those eyes that just screamed love. And around them was food. Mostly snacks. He was hungry, so he accepted her offering.
"Did you enjoy your stay?" she asked.
"Very much," he admitted before he chewed his snack. "I was able to partially clear my backlog."
"When I told you that if you marry me, you wouldn't need to work and you can just play all day, I wasn't kidding," she declared. "I can't wait until the five years are over! Then we can have the grandest wedding! I'm going to buy a ton of games for wedding presents!"
He did not say anything to that as his mouth was full.
"And I can see that you're pleased, Lord Keima," she continued. Keima remembered that Yui called him that when she was trapped in his body. "And I'm happy I made you happy. I'm sure you'll pick me after five years!"
…
90 – Yui's Request
"So, Keiko, do you think I could be your disciple?" asked Yui. That was the climax of Mars' grand plan to win Keima's heart. Seeing how close Fuse was getting to Keima, she did not doubt its efficacy.
"Huh?" he answered, caught off guard by her request. "What do you mean?"
"I want to be your disciple in games," she repeated.
There was only one answer to that.
If he took Yui as a disciple, it would be evident to everyone that it was just a ploy to win his heart. That would ruin the hard work he had been doing with Aoba as her situation would parallel the crossdresser. The girls in the schedule may conclude that Aoba really was in love with him, and it would be a disaster. They would scream that he was unfair, since, by virtue of being his disciple, Yui could, theoretically, spend almost an unlimited time with him.
The key to maintaining a harem relationship was balance. Making Yui a disciple would upset the applecart.
"No."
"But Keiko darling, why?"
"Tell me, what is a route? What are flags?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"Exactly. You don't know. How can I take you as a disciple?"
"But you're going to teach me," she said, taking his hand and bringing her face dangerously close to him.
He backed away. "I can't."
"But you took one already," she argued.
"But Aoba already knew so much. All she needed was polishing," he answered.
"So if I become good enough, you'll take me in. Is that's what you're telling me?"
"Well—"
"Please! I really want to know more about games! I want to know why it's so fun! Seeing you play in that chair, you look so awesome! I wanna do it too! But I can't because I don't know enough! You always talk about the ideal, and how the real sucks! I want to know why that is so! Let me be your disciple, ppplease?" she asked in her most pleading voice.
"Look, if you prove to me that you really want to learn about it, then maybe, I'll take you in," he finally relented. "If it's just an excuse to get close to me, then no, I won't."
"If you allow me that chance to prove that I can be worthy, then I promise, every week, during my time, I'm going to have an event here, and you can play every time like this," she said.
"Deal!" he snapped. Gaming was his oxygen. And it could also be his greatest weakness.
Keima really enjoyed his time, and he wanted to go back and play at Yui's gaming throne. And there was no guarantee that Yui could become good enough to qualify as a disciple. If the standard was Aoba Fuse, he felt confident that the drummer could never match it. It was a win-win situation.
"I knew it! Thank you, darling!" she said, hugging Keima, before giving him another kiss on the lips.
Yui was determined to learn on her own so she could be proficient enough to qualify as a disciple. And she knew just the person who could teach her.
…
The butler and maids all tried to invite 'Keiko' for dinner, but 'she' demurred, saying that 'she' had a curfew.
After the two hours were done, Yui escorted him to the entrance of the estate. Thankfully, her parents were still out of the house. Keima did not want to deal with them. He shuddered at the memories of Yui's parents and her bodyguards. They were all too ready to resort to violence, and Keima's body always suffered for it.
"I can't believe this, but I actually enjoyed this day," said Keima as they stood outside the gate.
"Are you sure you don't want my chauffeur to drive you home?" asked Yui as she stared at Keima in the Mai High female uniform and wig.
"No, no. I'll get Elsie to fly me home," he said. And he did not want his mother to see him in girls' clothes. With Elsie, he could turn invisible.
"Well, bye then. See you tomorrow," said Yui as she gave him a hug and a peck on his left cheek, after making sure no one saw them. Then disappeared behind her door.
Keima walked until he was out of sight of the estate. Then he called his sister. "Elsie!"
"I'm right here, Divine Brother!" she said as she tossed him a bag that contains his male uniform.
"Yes, yes. Look at the time, I'm going to be late for Tenri," he said, looking at his watch. "I need you to—"
"I'm on it, beloved Brother!" Elsie said as she turned both of them invisible, and flew him towards Tenri's house.
And since according to the schedule, Keima was already running late, Elsie flew fast. Luckily, Elsie had the presence of mind to wrap him in a protective bubble to make sure the wind will not mess him up at the speed she flew.
They reached Tenri's house in less than a minute. Tenri was standing by the gate, looking at her watch.
Then he realized something. They flew so fast that he had not changed and was still in the female uniform. He needed to change before he appeared before Tenri. "Elsie, don't—"
But she was so fast that they landed in front of Tenri, and turned visible before he could finish his sentence. "We're not late!" Elsie proclaimed.
…
"Eeek!" Tenri shrieked in surprise at the sudden appearance, right in front of her, of Elsie and a strange girl.
"See you later, Divine Brother!" Elsie then vanished.
"Damn that bug demon!" the girl shouted in a familiar voice, waving her fist at the disappearing demon.
Tenri then recognized her neighbor's voice. "Keima? Is that you? Why are you—"
End of Flag IX
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
Shiori – After School Event – 1 hour
Wednesday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Tsukiyo – Lunch – 1 hour
Chihiro – After School Event – 1 hour (shared with Ayumi)
Ayumi – After School Event – 1 hour (shared with Chihiro)
Tenri – Visit After School – 45 minutes
Thursday – Official Time
Tsukiyo – Lunch – 1 hour
Shiori – After School Events – 2 hours
Tsukiyo – Nighttime Event – 1 hour
Friday – Official Time
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Yui – Lunch – 1 hour
Yui – After School Events – 2 hours
Total:
Tenri – 2 hours, 15 minutes
Chihiro – 3 hours
Ayumi – 3 hours
Shiori – 3 hours
Tsukiyo – 3 hours
Yui – 3 hours
Author Notes
First of all, I got the idea of crossdressing and playing games at Yui's house from xellos540. I also got the idea from a certain manga chapter in the Heart of Jupiter arc, when Yui and the child Keima in his teen-age body went to the warehouse that was converted into a gaming center by Yui. Several dialogues of Yui were also directed lifted from the manga.
And thanks to ZeldagisGW for the idea of Shiori going to Narusawa City for Ramen.
As for some characters:
Aoba Fuse is a light novel heroine. I took her characterization both from the light novel, and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.
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.
And now for review replies!
To The Hansa, thanks for your review.
Yes, I like writing of Keima's interactions with the girls. They were very fun to write. Each girl brings something different to the table, and the trick is to keep everything unique, although there would be some things that are repeated, sad to say.
As for Fuse, yeah. The nature of Keima's mission to her dictated her approach. She had say that to each girl, to dissuade the girls from thinking the worse about the situation. And each girl had a different response to it. And in this chapter, we saw how the entry of Fuse affected Yui.
And yeah, I think it's in Fuse's character to do it the way she did.
Me too. Tsukiyo was not my favorite character before I started this fic, although writing it gave me appreciation for our moon-lover. And hopefully, you like how I handled Yui and gaming. We'll see if she would have an addiction to gaming.
To xellos540, thanks. This was part of the reply I gave, but I'm also posting it for the benefit of readers who might want to be enlightened by this.
So let's begin.
About Tsukiyo reaching to Keima, yeah. If they're going to be competing for Keima's heart with each other, and not just Keima making them fall in love all over again, I think it's realistic for the girls themselves make an effort to make Keima like them more than the other girls, especially as Keima has repeatedly made clear he doesn't love or like any of them. Yet. They don't know he actually loves Chihiro. All they know was that they all love him, and he's actually giving them a chance. So they better take it.
Well, internal beauty, yeah, though some would be physically beautiful. As Keima said, physical parameters aren't that important. But then again, Keima probably considers Yokkyun the most beautiful girl he had seen, so maybe he was using the Yokkyun standard in assessing physical beauty. But it's not that important overall. As for beauty type, I would think Keima's type is whatever beauty type Yokkyun belongs to.
Ha yeah. Keima really has to thread on eggshells here. He can't just say words that would only influence his current target, but also the other girls.
As for who'd turn out to be true, whether Tsukiyo or Aoba, we'll see. But I think it's obvious what direction this fic is going to. As for the fair schedule, our moon-lover really believes its destiny or fate that Keima would choose her. So she doesn't really see Aoba, or anyone else for that matter, as a real threat. That could bite her in the future. But she doesn't like others playing dirty in this game.
As for Aoba supporting the girls, well, let's just say she's just doing what Keima told her to—to try to make friends to the members of the harem, and to try to convince them that she is no rival. By supporting them in their quest, that would go a long way in both goals. As long as Aoba thinks she's not in the running for Keima's heart, that would work. Still, if she learns the truth about her conquest and her first master, that would…
But right now, if given the choice, she would go with Tenri, as Tenri was the one who gained the most favorable impression on the girl gamer.
One Leaf. I know Keima would like it. And if there's one thing that could make Keima act like a child again, it's Yokkyun. Keima was just so excited and happy that he can't help himself there.
Because of his duties as a member of the runaway spirit squad, he needs to keep his harem a secret, or just a rumor. If all his conquest targets knows about it, it would be much more difficult for him to capture loose souls. As for all of them being popular, not all of them at the beginning. Shiori is there mainly because of her book, for example. Kanon, and Ayumi, were stated to be popular by the manga. Chihiro became popular because of the concert at the festival. Yui became popular because of the crossdressing. So I decided to make Tsukiyo popular too by using her mystique, etc. even if it's a foolhardy errand to hit on her because of her personality. Only Tenri isn't popular.
Fujidera is third year and graduating, so who else but Shiori should succeed her?
Love that scene between Shiori and Tsukiyo. It opens up the plot to so much possibilities! And Tsukiyo indeed is underestimating Shiori. She had no idea Shiori had managed to make Keima very happy, something that she has yet to do.
As for dancing, Keima is also much taller than Mio, so I guess the same principle applies to Tsukiyo.
As for how Keima survives Yui, who's to say he can even survive? :D
Thanks for the review!