Don't be afraid of the chapter length. The chapter is much shorter, as I gave very long replies to reviewers at the end of the chapter that took up so much word count that it inflated the length of this chapter. The actual length of the chapter is about 12,500 words, not more than 17,000 worlds.
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!
And I do not own The World God Only Knows.
Summary of the last chapter
Aoba and Elsie walk together. Kanon talks to Elsie and Aoba. They see the new clubroom. Yui and Aoba eat lunch together. Keima's future opponent is revealed. Asami gets caught. Miyako decides on the piano duet.
As for some characters:
Aoba Fuse, Ikumi Yoshino, and Asami Yoshino are light novel heroines. I took their characterizations both from the light novel and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.
ARC II - CONSPIRACIES
Flag XX
Enter the Parents
Translation of Manga Terms that I use
Nii-sama = Big Brother, Exalted Brother, Beloved Brother
Kami-Nii-sama or Kama-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
Mai-Hime = Princess from Maijima, the title of Aoba Fuse in the Gaming Community
Senpai = Upperclassmen. I mostly left it untranslated. And for consistency's sake, I reversed the order. So instead of Fuse-senpai, I went with Senpai Fuse.
Plot Points
There are currently five ongoing plot points in this story. Every scene belongs to one of the five.
1. Miyako's Conquest
2. Keima spending time with the girls of the schedule (yes, this is the main focus of the story since the beginning, and I will tell all that happened during the hours of the girls in the week. Because after this week, I won't do this again since it takes too much time).
3. Yui's quest to include Aoba Fuse in the schedule.
4. Aoba's quest to make Keima respected and feared in the school.
5. Mari and the parents getting involved in the Schedule
Part 214 – A Middleschooler's Tale
Minami Ikoma was intimidated by her upperclassman Aoba Fuse as she followed her into the clubroom. Inside, she saw another girl—with black hair and a side ponytail.
That girl looked at her and gave a slight smile before returning to her book.
"This is Asami Yoshino," the club Secretary introduced. "And Yoshino, this is Minami Ikoma."
"Hello, Senpai Yoshino," Minami bowed to the newly-minted club member.
"Hello, Miss Ikoma," Asami answered as she stood up and bowed her head.
"Take a seat," Aoba said, and Minami complied.
"Now tell me, why do you want to join our club?" the club secretary asked.
…
As she heard the question, her mind recalled the chain of events that led to her facing that formidable ice-princess, Aoba Fuse.
She was just a normal third-year middle-schooler in Maijima Private High. She was a member of the swimming club, but her failure to qualify for the swimming meet disappointed her. She had wanted to quit the swimming club as a result. But somehow, she got through that rough patch and regained her love of swimming.
Her journey started when she heard a rumor that her upperclassman, a second-year high school student, was the boyfriend of the famous idol Kanon Nakagawa. She didn't care much for the news, even as her best friends Akko and Saitou endlessly gossiped about it.
That is, until one day, that boyfriend, who, according to Akko and Saitou, was named Keima Katsuragi, visited her while she was with her friends.
And he called her by her name. Like he knew her before. How did that happen? He asked her if she remembered him. Of course, she didn't. She never met him before. So, she said she didn't. And then Katsuragi realized that he made a mistake.
She got terribly frightened by his abrupt actions.
Then he asked her if she was still swimming.
That got her. How did he know that? Was he some stalker or something?
That left an imprint on her. She could not forget about him. It was clear, that whatever he said, Kanon's boyfriend knew her—why else could he know her name? Or where to find her? Or the fact that she was swimming? One instance might just be happenstance. Two is coincidence. But thrice means that he probably knew her. But how? She's nothing but an unassuming third year middle schooler.
That question and that meeting kept repeating over and over in her mind.
Because despite being scary and creepy when they met, he was handsome. And the way he talked and looked at her during that all too brief moment affected her deeply.
And even when she tried to ignore him, her mind kept drifting back to him. How did he know her? And as she was a massive fan of Kanon, it was impossible to just forget about him. She always heard something about "Kanon's boyfriend" from the rumor mill.
She tried to suppress the memory and kept her curiosity at bay.
For one week.
Then on Monday the previous week, she could bear it no longer. She just had to go to Senpai Katsuragi. She wanted to see what he was really like. Just to confirm or deny the rumors.
She kept telling herself that she was just acting as Kanon's fan.
She began to follow him, or rather, stalk him, day by day. She went to the High School Building just to see him. And it confirmed several things. He was a weirdo. He was a nerd. He had strange habits. But most surprisingly, for such a weirdo, he had friends. Lots of friends. Female friends.
She came to know a few of them by sight. His airheaded younger sister. That athletic runner. That crossdresser heiress. The mousy librarian. And especially the girl currently in front of her, Senpai Aoba Fuse, who rumors called Katsuragi's shadow. Minami had seen her with him and had observed her gaming habits while she was with him, too many times, that she remembered her name above all others.
At first, she thought that all those girls were all after him and that he was a bit of a playboy. That made her sad. But why? Maybe because that meant he was cheating on Kanon? But was that the real reason she was unhappy? Would she be sad if Senpai Katsuragi was cheating on Kanon with her?
She blushed at the thought and shook her head.
But according to Akko and Saitou, who were always connected with the grapevine, those girls were not after Keima. According to her friends, all his meetings with those girls were just innocent. To Minami, some of those excuses were ridiculous. But for some reason, Minami desperately wanted to believe those were true. But why? Why would Minami care?
Then, after another week, there was the Kanon announcement. That Senpai Katsuragi was like her "brother." Whether he was dumped, or whether he was really seen as a brother, it didn't matter. What mattered was that Senpai Katsuragi was single.
Single.
Her heart leapt when the implications became clear. She smiled.
But why?
Because that would mean that she had a chance with him. And that made her happy. Because despite barely meeting with the guy, she had fallen for him.
How could she have fallen for someone she just talked to just once? And because of mistaken identity at that?
But she could not deny it. Every time she thought of him, her heart would skip a beat. Every time she saw his picture in the paper, she always stared at his handsome face. Every time she spied him walking on campus, her head turned, and her eyes always followed him. And each time she imagined him, she always got red in the face.
How pathetic was she that she could fall in love so easily like that?
But what could she do?
Continue to follow him around for a start. More like stalk. She wanted to bury her head in the sand. What she was doing was so embarrassing.
But she couldn't help it. Senpai Katsuragi was so wonderful, helping Kanon in her career like that. How can she do anything else but admire him? That brother announcement was what pushed her over the edge to actual love—that's what she believed. Or rather, it made her realize her feelings.
Because if she's a fan of Kanon, it's only natural to be a fan of the "brother" who helped her, and thus, it was a logical progression to fall in love with him.
Then she saw a notice on the High School bulletin board announcing a new club. That announcement named the founding members—Keima Katsuragi of Class 2B, who was directly named as President, and Aoba Fuse of Class 2C.
Her eyes brightened. Finally, she can be close to her beloved senpai! Since it was near winter, she couldn't go swimming. She had only one club, and two were permitted. All the stars were aligned.
Still, it took all her courage to knock on that door.
…
Part 215 – Scary Interrogation
At present…
As Minami looked on at Senpai Fuse, she could not tell her the real reason for joining the club.
What could she say?
"I'm here to read books and play games," she whispered almost inaudibly. Lame. Lame. That was the worst excuse to have. She could see the blue-haired girl raise an eyebrow.
"So tell me, what are your favorite books to read? Or games to play?"
And she wanted to run away as she had no ready answer. The only books she read were her school textbooks. And how lame was that? How about games? Maybe that would give her an escape. She regretted her impulsive move to knock on that door.
"I want to play games like crossword puzzle. Or cards," she almost whispered in a very soft voice.
She could feel Senpai Yoshino and Fuse's eyes on her, and she knew she was sinking.
The blue-haired girl smirked. "Never mind that. Let me be blunt. You're here because of Keima Katsuragi, are you not?"
Minami wanted to run away. "No, no. It's not that. I mean, you're mistaken. I don't mean that."
And Fuse's smile widened. "Tell me, how do you view Keima Katsuragi?"
"That's he's nice, and he helped Kanon. And he's good-looking—oh my." Did I just say that out loud? And Minami got red in the face. That was so embarrassing to say. "Please don't mind that. Um, he's Kanon's brother, and I'm Kanon's fan."
"Right. Do you have a negative opinion about him?"
"No. No. He's perfect!" she squeaked. She had no idea why Senpai Fuse's asking that.
"Nobody's perfect, including the Club President. But those who think badly of him, or insulted him, or called him awful names, or dislike him, have no place in this club. So Miss Ikoma, do you like Keima Katsuragi?"
"Um, yes, I mean no, but, uh… yes, I like him," she finally mouthed even as she sank under her gaze, and she became even redder in the face if that was possible. She was hot and nervous as her heart pounded. Did she really admit that to her? Because if she said she didn't, by the way Senpai Fuse worded the question, then the middle-schooler would give the impression that she hated Senpai Katsuragi.
"Of course, you mean that you don't hate him, and don't dislike him because he's a gamer, right? And you like him as a person who deserved respect, right?"
And Minami was so grateful that the older girl gave her an escape. "Yes, Senpai Fuse. You read my mind."
The genius then gave Minami three pieces of paper. "Those are the club rules. Read it, and if you agree to abide by it, I may recommend you to the President. If I do so, do you want to meet him and thank him personally if he approves of you?"
Her heart leapt at that invitation. "I would like that very much."
"One more thing, Ikoma. I have a favor to ask. It's not much, but it's crucial."
"I'll try my best, Senpai."
"Good. I know how you feel about the President of this club. But how about the rest of middle school? How do they feel about Keima Katsuragi before he became known as Kanon's boyfriend?"
"I'm not sure middle-schoolers have any opinion on him before they heard about him being Kanon's boyfriend."
"So middle-schoolers don't think of him as the, I'm sorry for saying this—the Otamegane—the weirdest weirdo, the rude gamer, you know?"
"To be honest, before Kanon's confession, I don't think middle-school knew him at all. The only High Schooler we knew about before Senpai Katsuragi was Senpai Yuuzaki. I only found about his reputation by doing research after he mistook me for someone else. So we didn't even know that he existed before."
Part 216 – Senpai Factor
Senpai Fuse seemed to ponder. "So in High School, he has an infamous reputation. And in Middle School, he is unknown, am I right?"
"Before. But now, he's famous."
"Famous? Not infamous? Does that mean that he does not have the same reputation in Middle School as in High School?"
"He doesn't have the same reputation, Senpai. At least that I know of. In middle school, he's simply known as Kanon's boyfriend, then Kanon's brother."
"So Middle School doesn't hate him?"
"We have no reason to hate him, Senpai. I don't even understand why High School hates him. I mean, pardon me for saying this, he seemed a bit strange when I learned of his habits, but it's nothing to be hated for. There are lots of nerds around, yet you don't hate them. So why hate Senpai Katsuragi?"
"Even after Kanon confessed?"
"To be honest, a lot of boys got jealous, but none really hated him. They don't know him well enough for that. As for the girls, well, he got a bit popular. And after the brother announcement, he became even more popular. Even with the boys."
"What? Are you sure?"
"Well, after the TV announcement, I kept hearing about how nice Senpai Katsuragi was for helping Kanon's career. Some are very sorry that he got dumped on national TV. Some thought it nice that Kanon thought of him as a brother. A few even thought that Kanon was lying and that her agents made her tell it to save her career. But more than a few middle-school girls got crushes on Senpai Katsuragi. He became really popular because of that. Well, he became popular when Kanon confessed, but he became even more so with the brother announcement."
At that point, Minami was happy that Akko and Saitou were so great on the grapevine. They knew virtually every rumor that goes around middle school, and they always talk about their latest findings with Minami.
"So he's quite popular in Middle School?"
"Very much so."
"How about the rumors about him being a weirdo or those things?"
"Well, a lot of middle schoolers don't believe it. They don't believe Kanon would ever confess to him if it were true. So we think that Senpai Katsuragi was someone wonderful if Kanon confessed to him. After the brother announcement, middle schoolers thought very highly of him for helping Kanon in her career, and thus, don't believe all those bad things from High Schoolers. To us, it seems that High Schoolers simply got jealous of Senpai Katsuragi being close to Kanon, and so they spread untrue rumors about him to get Kanon away from him. That's what I hear, anyway."
"Okay. How about Lady Kaori Yuuzaki. Do you know her?"
"Yes. She's a member of the Student Council. She's known in Middle School because she occasionally goes to our building and hangs out with us."
"So she's popular too?"
"Very much so."
"Who's more popular in middle school then? Is it him or her? Be honest."
"Well, Senpai Yuuzaki is more popular, but right now, I don't think Senpai Katsuragi is that far behind. But I'm not sure. They are both popular with us."
"Thank you very much. Anyway, please read the rules carefully. Come back tomorrow after school, and I'll decide about your membership. Oh, and please try to keep up with rumors about Keima Katsuragi and Kaori Yuuzaki. I may ask you more in the future."
"I will do so. Thank you very much, Senpai Fuse," Minami bowed before she left.
When she stepped out of the door, she nearly fell to the ground, weak-kneed. That was the most intense questioning she had ever endured. Senpai Fuse was scary and cold. Yet strangely, she seemed to get friendlier as the examination went on.
At least she got through the interview. She looked at the rules. She would swear by anything just to get in that club.
…
"That was mean of you, Secretary," Asami remarked after Minami had left. "That poor girl's so scared."
"Minami Ikoma is in love with the Divine One," muttered Aoba.
"Do you think so?"
"It's obvious."
"Yes, I noticed that too. But you're happy, am I right?"
"Yes. Our task becomes much easier. My master is very unpopular in High School. But he is popular in Middle School! Who would've thought? Well, I'm not yet sure that Minami's 100% correct. I'll have to confirm that. But if she's right—"
"There's a path for him to win!" Asami concurred. By this time, she decided to wholeheartedly throw herself into helping Aoba achieve her goal for Katsuragi.
"Yes. As you know, both the High School and Middle School vote for the same Student Council President. And today's Third-Year Middle Schoolers will be next year's First Year High School students. So, if we get all of Middle School, we can easily win."
"Yes. But Lady Yuuzaki's still more popular in Middle School," Asami pointed out.
"But it's better than High School. This is the Senpai Factor writ large. That will carry the Divine One to the Student Council's office."'
"So why is the President hated in high school but not in middle-school?" Asami wondered.
"I'm not sure, but I think I know why. It's a familiar scenario in games. In High School, he's hated because he's rude to his classmates and teachers, and he constantly showed his contempt for them. And more importantly, they see that rudeness and contempt every day, and so, our peers grew to hate him. Not because he's an otaku or a gamer. There are plenty of those, but they didn't inspire such hate. Laughter or pity maybe, but not hate. Anyway, that hate didn't change with Kanon's confession, of course."
"And in middle school, they don't see his rudeness or contempt, nor did they see the worst of his otakuness," Asami finished, "and so they don't get the fuss about hating him for his weird habits. I get it! I've read plenty of those from books!"
Fuse nodded. Yoshino really understood human beings. "And so the middle-schoolers admired him after the Kanon confession because how could Kanon, that famous idol Kanon, confess to the Divine One if he is as bad as rumors from High School say he is? As Ikoma says, to middle school, that only looked like sour grapes from jealous peers. And the Senpai factor took care of the rest and made him really popular. Not as popular as Yuuzaki, but more than what I thought possible at the beginning."
"Um, Secretary, what is the Senpai Factor?" asked Asami.
…
Part 217 – Tall Tales
Aoba Fuse felt wonderful as she walked out of the school. She could already see the path. Thanks to that Minami Ikoma girl. And she wouldn't have met her if it wasn't for the club.
She had left the clubroom key with Asami Yoshino as she had left early—she had an appointment with Yui Goido, Tsukiyo Kujo, and Tenri Ayukawa. It was a pity that Ayukawa was not their schoolmate—it meant that she could not teach them at school. The clubroom would have made a wonderful classroom for learning games.
It was to be their third session of game teaching.
And to her surprise, progress was rapid. All of the three girls were eager students. They were already excellent beginners. Even Tsukiyo Kujo, who at the start didn't want to learn gaming itself, was getting addicted.
Pretty soon, they would all qualify to be disciples of Keima Katsuragi. Not as good as herself, of course, but way better than others. Her Master would be pleasantly surprised that some of his haremettes were learning to play games!
"Hey Fuse!" she heard, and she could see Yui Goido running towards her. She stopped, panting. "I saw you, and since I'm going to your house anyway, let's walk together."
The genius shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"Hey, any progress on finding your master?"
"Same as always. None."
"I have something to tell you. Please keep this a secret."
Aoba stopped and looked at the heiress in the eye. "I promise."
"Good. Now, this seems too incredible to be true, but I assure you, that is 100% the truth."
And Yui told her some far-fetched tale about how devils contracted Keima Katsuragi, and how Elsie was really a devil, and how Keima has to exorcise loose-souls by kissing the girl after making her fall in love with him, or his head would explode.
"That's the most interesting fairy-tale I've ever heard, Yui," Aoba answered. "Where did you get that?"
"It's the truth!"
"Yes, it's the truth," she concurred, her tone of voice saying otherwise. "How's your playing? Did you complete Love of Haruhi?"
"Yes, I did. It's effortless—hey, you didn't believe me!"
"I believe you. Now, for your next game, I'm going to ask you to play, along with Tenri and Tsukiyo, Adventures of Miho Nishizumi the Tanker Girl. That's a fascinating take on a female tank otaku. It's harder, but not that much harder than your last game."
"Fuse, you've got to listen—"
"Yui, I know you want to tell stories, but we can do that after your game teaching session, okay?"
"Wait! I can prove it! I have one more thing to tell you. I have a Goddess inside of me! Mars, the Roman Deity of War! She's a blonde girl with red eyes!"
"Really now!"
"Look at me!"
Aoba Fuse sighed as she stopped and looked at the heiress. Really, how big an ego does she have that she believes she has a God inside of her? And Mars too! What was she thinking? And why Mars? The God of War of Roman myth doesn't have anything in common with the spoiled heiress in front of her.
Yui stretched her arms to her side. "Okay, Mars, you can come out now."
And Yui just stood there, eyes closed. For a minute.
"Are you done yet?" asked the girl gamer.
"Wait! You didn't see Mars? You didn't see her take over? Didn't you see my hair turn blonde?"
"We can talk about your story after the game tutorial. For now, we'll review the different types of heroines and heroes in the Tanker genre of galges. Of course, there are those for otome games too, but they are much rarer."
Yui gave up, and they talked about games the rest of the way.
…
The third gaming session was successful. That day, the three students of Aoba completed three routes into a very basic and simple game in the two hours Aoba allotted. And they were able to satisfactorily answer the girl gamer's questions about games.
"Yeah! Pretty soon, I'll be better than darling!" Yui exclaimed as they wrapped up their session.
"I must say, Miss Fuse, your choice of games is beautiful. I was able to feel the plight of the heroine. It makes me appreciate Keima better," Tsukiyo complimented.
Tenri nodded. "This is so much fun." And Tenri was not lying. She was still not enamored of it, but every time she played, she could feel and see Keima. Every time she made a choice, she could see her understanding of Keima increase. And every time she saved a heroine, she sensed she could feel what Keima experiences when he sees the "Good Ending" screen.
It was so much fun to immerse herself in the world of her beloved.
…
Part 218 – Meet the Mother
Tenri was walking home after the game teaching session concluded, looking forward to her one hour with her Keima. She was wishing that the fifteen-minute walks with Keima in the morning be removed and traded for more one-hour times—not that she didn't enjoy her walking time with Keima, but she preferred quality over quantity. Compared to the time spent with the other girls—she knew it because the Goddesses love to gossip with each other about their hosts' time with Keima, and Diana then told her—her walking time was not that great.
When she got home, she spotted Elsie Katsuragi leaning on her gate.
"Hey, Tenri!" she shouted as she waved her hand.
Tenri nodded as she sauntered. The devil walked to her and took her hand. "Let's go to my house!"
Tenri was bewildered. What was happening? What about her time with Keima? Wait a minute! Was this part of Keima's plan? She then remembered what he said earlier. Just go with the flow.
So Tenri, without protest, let Elsie lead her into the Katsuragi household.
"Mom! Tenri's here!" shouted Elsie.
Mari Katsuragi was on the couch, drinking tea. In the center table was a teapot, some empty cups, and an array of snacks. "Hello, Tenri. Please, take a seat."
Elsie pushed the reluctant girl into sitting, so Tenri ended up opposite Mari.
"So, how was your day?"
"Fine, Mrs. Katsuragi," she replied as she helped herself with the snacks.
Mari looked at Elsie, and the younger sister skedaddled after helping herself with choice sweets from the table. "I'll be doing my homework!"
Now Tenri, left alone with Mari, got even more nervous as she watched the mother drink her tea.
Mari looked at her. "Don't be afraid. I just want to ask you something."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Do you like my son Keima?"
And Tenri froze. How can she answer that question? Then she remembered what Keima told her that morning.
She gave a tiny nod, unable to voice her sentiments.
"How much?"
And she was unable to answer, her face becoming red.
"You love him with all your life, don't you? Since you were seven years old?"
How did she know that? Tenri sat frozen, unable to say anything, rooted on the couch. Suddenly, the table looked very alluring as she was unable to look at Mrs. Katsuragi. Again, she nodded just a tiny bit.
"Yes, yes, I know," the mother continued. "Such a shame, though."
And she began to dread.
"I"m sorry but, right now, you and Keima being girlfriend and boyfriend is impossible, at least in the traditional sense."
And her dreams began to shatter as she began to panic internally. The last thing she needed was Mari disapproving of her.
She wanted to say something, anything.
"I'm afraid that someone got to my son before you—Kanon Nakagawa," she informed.
"No—" Tenri squeaked. What was happening? Kanon wasn't in front of her. She was, in fact—she couldn't think of the words that could satisfy Mari without her choking on her own voice.
"Let me be frank," Mari began. "Keima is in an undesirable situation. You see, the good news for you is that he does not like Kanon. The bad news is that he doesn't like any other girl."
Including me, Tenri finished in her mind.
And Mari described the deal between Keima, herself, Kanon, and Okada. Even though Tenri already knew that from Keima, it was still surreal coming from Mari.
"Now, the good news is, the deal we had allows Keima to see other girls. The bad news is that those girls cannot have more rights than what he gave Kanon. Or Okada will have Keima's head. So here's my offer. Keima doesn't know this yet, but do you want to spend three hours per week with my son? But I'm afraid he won't be able to choose you or Kanon until after five years."
There was her cue. She grabbed it with all her life. She remembered Keima's instructions on their morning walk. She imagined Keima and drew strength from his words and face.
"Y-y-y-yes. All I-I-I-I w-w-w-want is a-a-a chance. A ch-ch-chance to win his heart," she proclaimed in a soft voice. It took all out of her just to say those words to the mother of her beloved.
"Good. Now, here's the problem. Your parents think that you and my son are girlfriend and boyfriend. In the traditional sense, right?"
Tenri nodded. She wished she could run away and hide in her room forever. But she must stay strong for Keima's sake.
"And that was because they caught you kissing him. By the way, nice try using that made-up play to kiss him. I don't think there's any other way to do that with my darling son."
Tenri was silent. What else can she do? She can't lie about that!
"Look, don't be afraid. I approve of you as a potential daughter-in-law for my son," Mari began.
And Tenri ascended into the heavens.
"But you may not be the only one. Kanon too is in contention. She is a formidable rival."
"I, I, I d-d-d-d-don't care. I will win," Tenri managed. She was sweating, and her heart was pounding in nervousness. She remembered that it was Mari who was supposed to be relatively uninformed. That Tenri should have an advantage. Yet why does she feel that she was on the spot when facing Mrs. Katsuragi?
"You don't mind him seeing other girls during the five years? Because that is the price of giving you a chance."
Despite knowing that this was all part of Keima's plan, she still felt uneasy. "I, I, I don't m-m-m-m-m-m-mind. As l-l-l-long as I can spend t-t-t-t-t-t-time with him, that's all I want."
"Are you sure?"
Tenri nodded.
"You are a brave girl. No other girl would accept such terms," Mari complimented. "Now that we've got that clear, if you want a chance at my son, listen to me. We're going to make your parents accept this weird arrangement."
Tenri's heartbeat was pounding. This was the tensest interview she ever had to endure! And that was knowing that this was all part of the plan. Now, at the thought of the coming confrontation with her parents—she began to feel even worse.
Part 219 – Realization of the Son
Later…
"You can come out now," Mari said as soon as Tenri had left.
Keima had been hiding in a drawing room adjacent to the living room and had seen the entire meeting through a peephole. He emerged, and walked towards Mari, his face solemn, his eyes trained towards his smiling mother.
"So, are you satisfied?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Do you admit it?"
Keima sighed. "I still can't believe it. I thought it was impossible. Tenri—my friend Tenri—actually, l-l-l-likes me, Mom? Not like how a sister likes a brother, but like a girl likes a boy?"
His face had that look of utter confusion that nearly made Mari laugh. Oh, my dear sweet naïve son. It's hard to accept the truth, huh?
"Yes, she does."
"Now, I know. I know Tenri, and it's obvious by the way she acted. How could I have been so blind?" Keima cried. "But why? Why? What does she see in me? I'm not the ideal boy. I'm a shut-in! I'm a nerd! I'm rude! I won't pay attention to her if I can help it! She's just setting herself up for a world of hurt by going after me!"
Mari just wanted to hug and cuddle her son. His cluelessness was so adorable.
"Who knows? Love is blind, as they say. And you have many qualities that a girl may like if you only realize it. For example, you're quite good-looking, you're very, very smart, you're strong, not physically, but mentally. And many others. You're just like your father."
"And she actually agreed to it! Why? Why would she agree with that deal? With sharing me with other girls and getting only three hours? Because that's what she agreed to!"
"If I have to guess, it's because it's better than having no chance at all," Mari mused. "That shows how much she loves you. And yes, I know it's not ideal. It's too late to change it, though. That Okada really had us cornered with that deal. You can't have a proper relationship with any girl because of that."
"Imagine that! Two girls willing to share me for five years!" he exclaimed. "I still can't wrap my head around it. Or the fact that you're okay with this."
"I know, my son. In any other circumstances, I would be screeching your head off for playing with the girls' hearts. But you're not like that. I know you. You're no playboy, my son. And I know you wouldn't willingly hurt girls, would you?"
"Mom, I would not willingly hurt any girl if I could help it. But sometimes—"
"Yes, I know my son, you have no choice."
Looking at him, Mari really wanted to kill Okada for subjecting her son to this predicament. That manager only wanted what's best for Kanon's career, and nothing else. That Okada would do anything was proven by how she essentially forced Keima to act like a playboy.
"So, Mom, do you really want me to give this to Tenri?"
"Yes, Keima. I'll be delighted if you do."
"Then, for you, Mom, I guess I'll give her that chance. Tenri's a nice girl, and she deserves no less. Imagine that—she'd be on equal footing with the famous idol Kanon Nakagawa!" he exclaimed. "Very few girls could say that."
"I'm glad of that," smiled Mari. "Now that you know that Tenri loves you and that she'll accept those terms, let's get on with the second part of the plan."
"Yes, I know. Guess all our planning wasn't just theoretical, huh?"
Part 220 –Parents' Talk
Yuuko Ayukawa was humming to herself as she did some household chores.
It was just a few months since they had moved back to Maijima City. And by luck, their new next-door neighbors were the same neighbors they had before they had left ten years ago—the Katsuragis!
And just as well. For she had noticed that her daughter Tenri had a crush on the neighbor boy—Keima Katsuragi. Tenri had it when they were seven, and it didn't diminish during the ten years of absence. So she and her husband Kaito were overjoyed when they noticed that Keima had been paying attention to Tenri—visiting her at least thrice the past week and spending time with her alone in her room. She did not need much imagination to guess what those two had been up to.
And what a delight Keima had turned out to be! He was polite, handsome, charming, intelligent, suave—everything they could ever hope for a son-in-law.
And it was sealed last Friday night, after one of Keima's visits. She and her husband caught Tenri kissing Keima when the two lovebirds thought that they had some privacy. And like good parents, they teased their daughter about it.
Poor Tenri! She refused to say anything about it.
But Yuuko and her husband had already figured it out. Tenri was a shy, proper girl. She would not dare do something as daring and suggestive as kissing a boy on the lips if she did not have the knowledge and a commitment that the boy loved her. So that meant that Keima had already confessed to Tenri—and that they were already boyfriend and girlfriend!
Yuuko began to imagine their wedding. She started making plans in her mind. She, of course, would have to coordinate with Keiichi and Mari Katsuragi for that.
The phone rang, and she picked it up. It was Mari.
"Hello, Mari... Sure, you can... You and Keima? Of course, of course... Yes, he's here... See you soon."
…
About fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Yuuko opened the door. Yuuko, Tenri, and Kaito Ayukawa greeted their visitors—Mari and Keima Katsuragi.
Immediately, Mari set the tone. "Yuuko, Kaito, can I speak with you privately?"
"Of course. Keima, you and Tenri go upstairs to Tenri's room, like always, okay?"
Mari raised an eyebrow at that. Yuuko just smiled. It looked as if Mari didn't know what was happening between their children.
…
After a few pleasantries over a cup of tea and a tray of cookies, Mari dropped a bombshell.
"Yuuko, Kaito, I hope you don't get mad. But there's a misunderstanding. I must correct it, or it may have bad consequences."
"Huh?" replied the mother of Tenri.
"There's a rumor going on that Keima and Tenri are boyfriend and girlfriend in the traditional sense. That isn't true."
"But it is true!" Yuuko asserted. "I saw them kiss! Last Friday night."
"Tenri wouldn't do that unless they were already a couple!" Kaito asserted. "Tenri isn't that type of girl."
"Never mind that then. Two issues are preventing your daughter and my son from being together. At least right now. You've heard of the Kanon announcement?"
"Who hasn't? But doesn't that make it more likely that Tenri and Keima could be together now?"
Mari sighed as she put her cup of tea on the table. "If only that were true. Yuuko, Kaito, we've known each other for a long time, since before I was a biker, when we were kids. I need to tell you something. But only if you promise not to tell anyone."
Yuuko and Kaito looked at each other.
"We promise," Yuuko said.
"Yes. We're all friends here," Kaito added.
Mari nodded. And began to tell them about Kanon and Keima.
…
Yuuko and Kaito were flabbergasted by the tale.
"So you see, Tenri and Keima being together, right now, is impossible. Okada would get angry, and she could make our lives miserable if we reneged on it. We had no choice. I am so sorry."
"But does Keima love or like Kanon?" asked Kaito.
"No. My son does not," Mari answered. "Kanon has to earn that love. Or some other girl might."
Yuuko's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean some other girl?"
"Kanon only has a chance. It's not guaranteed she'll win Keima after five years. That also means another girl may win Keima's heart. There was no promise of exclusivity. In fact, Kanon and Okada specifically rejected that Kanon be the only girl in Keima's life while she waits because that would ruin the ruse that they're only like brother and sister. Of course, Tenri being the other girl is out of the question. That would be unthinkable. I mean, I'm sure Tenri has her pride and would not want to share Keima if she could help it."
"Yes, that is unthinkable," Yuuko agreed. She was sad, but she had no choice. She can't ask Tenri to do that.
"Yes, I'm glad you think so, Mari. Utterly unacceptable. I guess Tenri will have to find another one," Kaito said with a sad sigh. "I'm just a bit disappointed. I mean, if your son chose another girl because he loves her, that would be one thing, but for Tenri to be deprived of him because of Okada's plotting? That's another! Isn't there a way where we could break that manager's grip on Keima? If we can work together, we can figure something out."
"Yes. My daughter loves your son! I saw them kiss! And I know your son loves Tenri too!" Yuuko pleaded. "Isn't there some way that they could be together? We should do everything to make true love prevail!"
"If it were a normal romance, I would say, let the teen-agers talk it out and make their own decisions, and we should support whatever they decide. But sadly, this isn't normal. And I'm sorry for saying this, but my son does not love your daughter."
Part 221 – Plea of the Young Girl
There was a bit of silence.
Yuuko felt her daughter's world crumbling, and she fought to retain composure. "But, what about, about the visits, the kiss—"
"Keima cares about Tenri. But he does not love her as a boy loves a girl. As for the kiss, Tenri did that, not my son. Why don't we ask them?"
"But my daughter would never kiss him if that's the case! Did Keima falsely confess?" Haito demanded.
"My son did not!" Mari countered, her eyes raging at the mere suggestion. "He is too naive to manipulate girls like that! He's the one being manipulated by Okada here!"
"Wait. Keima does not like Kanon or Tenri. Does Keima love any other girl?" asked Yuuko.
"None. He's still the same game addict," Mari answered.
"But it means that Tenri could still have a chance, right?" Yuuko insisted.
"Yes. But as we discussed earlier, that kind of chance is unthinkable."
And there was silence. Yuuko berated herself for even thinking of that.
But her husband apparently was curious. "Yes, it's unthinkable. But tell us more."
"Do you really want to know?"
He nodded.
"It would have the same terms as Kanon has. Three hours a week with my son for five years. Keima may give girls other than Tenri or Kanon the same chance. After five years, he would choose. And you don't have to tell me. Such terms are unacceptable for a nice sweet girl like Tenri."
There was a bit more silence.
Mari sighed dejectedly. "Anyway, that's it then. Thank you for your time. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but things can't work out—"
"Wait!"
And to the shock of Yuuko and Kaito, there was Tenri, in her pajamas. At the entrance to the living room.
"I… want that chance. Please…"
"Tenri! Do you even know what we're talking about?"
"I… heard... everything, Mom."
"Where's Keima?" Mari asked.
"I left him upstairs. I went to the bathroom, and I overheard you on the way, and I listened."
"Did you really?" asked Mr. Ayukawa.
Tenri looked at the floor as if it were the most exciting thing in the world. Then she looked at her parents with determination.
"Yes. Three hours, five years, share Keima with other girls. If that's the only way, I'll take it."
"Tenri, you can't! You don't know what you're saying!" Yuuko protested.
"I do, Mom. I l-l-l-l-love K-K-K-Kat—Keima. More than anything. And… I prefer this to having…having….having nothing at all."
"That's unthinkable!" Mari answered. "Unacceptable!"
"But Mrs. Katsuragi…. I think it. I accept it. Please," Tenri answered, her eyes shy, but steely.
"You weren't even supposed to hear about this!" Keima's mother said.
"But I did. Don't I have a right to decide about it?"
Mr. and Mrs. Ayukawa were numbed into silence. It was all too much. Their daughter was becoming more assertive, less shy over this topic.
"Would Keima accept me on those terms?" the shy girl finally asked.
"Um, Keima is upstairs, in your room, right? Can you tell me where your room is?" Mari asked
Tenri told her where her room was.
"Excuse me for a moment," she said. And hurried up upstairs. A few seconds later, the Ayukawas heard her come back and saw a strange sight.
"You will listen to her, Keima, if you know what's good for you!" they heard Mari snap harshly.
And they saw her drag him in, holding him by the right ear, even as both his hands were on his PFP, his eyes playing. "Just let me save, Mom!"
Suddenly, it's as if they realized they were in front of others, and they adjusted their behavior. She let go of his ear.
"Sorry about that!" Mari tried to giggle away.
"Got it! Saved!" he exclaimed before turning off his device, pocketing it. "Um, yes? Tenri! What's taking you so long? I thought you were just going to the bathroom? I was dying to show you how to beat Gamer Girl Heart sixth edition! I'm sure you're gonna love it."
Yuuko wanted to face-palm. By the looks of it, that boy had no idea what had been happening.
And Haito Ayukawa, if it weren't for the serious situation, would have laughed hard.
"Not now, my son. Tenri has something to ask of you," Mari said with a big sweet smile on her face.
"Is this about the game?"
Mari suddenly smacked him in the head. "This isn't about games! This is serious!"
"Games are serious business, Mom! But okay, I'll listen."
Tenri looked at the gamer. "Keima… I already know about your deal with Kanon and Okada. Um, I want to have the same deal with you."
Then Keima's face became serious. "Are you crazy? Why?"
"Because, Keima, I love you. I've loved you for ten years. And if that's my only chance, as your mother told me, then I'll take it."
"Yy-y-y-y-you love me?" he asked, his face in a state of shock, his mouth wide open, and eyes bulging. To Yuuko and Haito, that's all the proof that they needed that he really didn't know. Even after that kiss! He really was a naïve ignorant boy. Apparently, Tenri had been too shy to tell him her feelings.
"I do."
He snapped back and said in a gentle but firm voice, "I had no idea! But Tenri, I don't like you. I'm sorry."
"I know. B-b-b-but you don't like Kanon too, or any other girls. Please, you care for me, right? If you do, p-p-p-please accept me."
"I do care for you. But I don't think it's right that you have to share me with other girls. And even if I let you, I can't let you do this without your parents or my Mother approving of it. And I don't have to ask them to know that they won't."
And to the surprise of everyone in the room, Tenri suddenly walked forward, grabbed his head, and kissed him lip-to-lip in a brief but passionate moment.
Keima's eyes were wide as that happened, shock written in them. Mr. and Mrs. Ayukawa just stared at them, unable to comprehend what was happening. Mari's eyes were glued to the scene.
"Keima, I don't care about other girls. You can have three, five, ten, or even twenty, as long as I'm one of them. And you'll choose me in the end, I know it," she cried after the kiss, her face as red as blood, after looking at him. "And I lied about that play. There isn't any. It was just an excuse."
Tenri then looked at her parents, tears pouring from her eyes. "Mom, Dad, please allow me to do this. I want this. Please."
Part 222 – Parents' Decision
Yuuko and Haito were in shock. Who was this girl, and what has she done with Tenri? But it was Tenri! Those eyes, that face! It seems that her love for Keima had overcome all her natural inhibitions. At least for this decisive moment.
Finally, Haito spoke. "Tenri, I pray to God that you know what you're doing. You're a big girl. And for any other boy, I would absolutely refuse! But I know Keima. He's an absolute gentleman, and wouldn't take advantage of you. This night just proves it. He asked our permission first, after all. And Keima?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I'm disappointed that you don't like my daughter like I thought you did. But don't play with Tenri's heart. Does Tenri have a chance after five years?"
"If I do give this to her, yes, but it's not guaranteed. I'm sorry to say this, but she would have rivals. I'm sorry it has to be this way."
"Kanon, I know. And don't apologize. I know this thing's all Okada's doing. I'm sorry about that. But hurt Tenri, and you will answer to me, got it?"
"Yes, Mr. Ayukawa."
"Keima," Yuuko said, "I don't like this, but Okada didn't leave us much of a choice, did she? Yes, I'll give my blessing to this bizarre arrangement. And yes, even if this sounds totally crazy, you can have other girls. Just don't lie and deceive Tenri, okay?"
"Don't worry, Mrs. Ayukawa. I can't deceive Tenri even if my life depended on it," Keima admitted.
"And since everyone said yes, then I have no choice but to say yes," Mari said, her eyes solemn. "Now, you and Tenri go back upstairs and do whatever it is you're doing."
After the two teen-agers have gone up, the parents resumed their discussions, mostly talking about what had happened and to hammer out the details of what the deal with Tenri entailed.
…
When the two reentered Tenri's room, Diana suddenly assaulted Tenri.
"How dare you! That wasn't part of the plan! Kissing Katsuragi!" the Goddess shouted as Diana grabbed the girl by the shoulder and tackled her to the floor. The Goddess slammed "Tenri" against the floor repeatedly.
"Tenri" suddenly turned into someone else. With violet hair. "Hey, part of the plan is improvisation. Did you really think I would be able to convince Tenri's parents without that kiss?" she said as soon as she was able to talk. She was too flustered to fight Diana, so it resembled more of a beating than a fight. The girl just defended herself.
"That's just an excuse, Haqua!" Diana hissed as she tried to hit the blushing valedictorian, who was still too much in a daze to fight back. "And you know it!"
"Calm down, girls!" Keima yelled. It was a good thing that Diana had earlier cast a spell around Tenri's room to prevent any noise from leaking out.
"Katsuragi! Are you letting Haqua get away with this? Using this plan as an excuse to kiss you! When she isn't even part of the schedule! And during Tenri's time no less! Tenri should kiss you, not her!" Diana demanded, fury evident in her eyes.
"First of all, Diana, let go of Haqua."
Diana, still furious, let go, and the devil immediately got up and fixed her appearance.
"Listen. I know that Haqua only did that because it's absolutely necessary. And yes, I did not tell or ask her to kiss me. But I did tell her to improvise and ad-lib the entire conversation to make it as effective as possible, to bounce off what was being told around her. And it worked! It's just acting, so don't read too much into it. Right, Haqua?"
Haqua was blushing hard. "Yes. Acting. I did well, didn't I? How did I perform?"
"You did magnificently. I never should have doubted you, Haqua. You're acting skills were top-notch!"
"Hey, theatre is part of a Devil's education at the academy!" the valedictorian declared, beaming from the boys' compliments.
"And I'm so sorry that I had to put you in that predicament, where you thought you had no choice other than to do that."
"No, no, it's for the plan. You don't have to be sorry about that," the devil answered. "If you have other plans that you need my help for, just ask."
Diana glared at her even as she was ready to wring her neck. "You just want another excuse so you can kiss him!"
"Now ladies, it's still Tenri's time. Haqua, thank you. I'll see you soon."
"Oh, yeah. See you soon, Katsuragi!" the valedictorian said before leaving.
Keima looked at fuming Diana. "It's just acting, and it's for Tenri's sake. Don't get too mad."
"I know, Katsuragi. It's just—I can't help it!" she answered, blushing as Keima stared at her. "Look at Haqua! She's blushing hard! That's because she's after you too!"
"Haqua? Nonsense. She blushed because she's so embarrassed to do that! I mean, kissing a lowly mortal like me! I didn't think her valedictorian self could stoop that low! She's probably gagging and feeling disgusted with herself. I feel sorry for her."
"Geez, Katsuragi, for someone so smart, you can sometimes be as dense as you pretend to your mother!"
"Huh?"
"Remember, your story is Tenri pretending to have a play to kiss you for real. And Haqua was in an actual play you directed. She has the same excuse. Rings any bells?"
"I have no idea what you're implying," said Keima, his face confused by Diana's analogy. "Haqua dislikes me! Why else would she keep cloberring me for no reason? Anyway, it's Tenri's time now. And you know the deal."
"Yes. Goddesses are not to interfere with their hosts' time with you. Take care of Tenri."
And Diana let Tenri take over.
Part 223 – Telling Tenri
"Keima!" she said, "what happened?"
"It's fine. Your parents are on board."
"The plan worked?"
"It did."
"How did Haqua do? I saw Haqua kiss you—"
"Wait—how?"
"Diana made a portal that made me see what was going on, and I saw and heard everything until the point that Haqua kissed you, then Diana got mad, and I can't remember anything else."
Keima then told her the rest of what happened.
Then there was a bit of silence as Tenri sat on her bed while Keima sat on a chair while playing his PFP.
"I'm so sorry."
"Tenri, don't—"
"I mean, it's my fault you had to do this. And I can't even do my part to fix it. You had to rely on Haqua for that!" she said.
"It's alright. It's not your fault. You can't act as well as Haqua or me. So what do you want to do? There's an hour left before we would be called downstairs."
"One hour?"
"That's the time I told Mom. I told her that I need to explain things to you," he said.
"Oh. So, explain."
"Huh?"
"Well, that's what I want you to do. First of all, how was your weekend?"
"Stressful."
"Please tell me what happened."
"With the girls?"
She nodded.
And so Keima told Tenri what happened during Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. He told everything except the evaluation.
Tenri just listened, her eyes full of understanding, and making comments every now and then.
…
"I wish I was there to see you in the God of Conquest mode," Tenri commented.
…
"Don't get too mad at Kanon. It's just natural to want you for herself."
…
"You're so mean to Kanon! I can't believe you!"
…
"That's so great with Okada and Kanon! I can't believe she fell for that!"
…
"So that's Miyako's problem? And Chihiro and Ayumi wanted to help?"
…
"I want to be there too. I want to see the conquest."
"You want to see me kiss Miyako?"
"Yes. I want to show that I understand you too."
"Fine."
…
"Wait! Wait! You promised to kiss Yui three times during the week?"
"I know, I know, I wasn't thinking, Rule 9 and all that. Don't worry, I'll kiss you thrice too if you want, okay? So I won't be accused of favoritism."
…
"You're now President of a club? Oh, I wish I was at your school too. I would have joined in a heartbeat."
…
"That's so sweet of you to bring back Chihiro's memories. Although, I think it was Yui's doing."
"Yeah. Yui really wanted her friend's memories back."
…
"And now you're playing a duet with Miyako. I want to see that!"
…
"Thanks. Anyway, your plan was very nice. I'm happy that everything's resolved now."
"I can't take full credit for that. Most of the details were Mom's idea."
Tenri raised an eyebrow. "Not you? I thought you were the greatest planner and schemer ever!"
"Where do you think I got my plotting skills from? My intelligence? My acting skills? From dear old Mom and Dad! I am better than each of them, but that's only because I've got their combined talent and skills in one body. In fact, Mom would have figured out the truth a long time ago if it weren't for the fact that it involved supernatural elements."
"I never knew that."
"Yes, Mom and Dad can run circles around anyone. Mom was the greatest matchmaker in high-school, at least that's what I've heard. Mari the Master Conspirator they called her. Dad was a plotter and schemer that would have made Machiavelli proud. And both could charm their way through anything. How do you think Dad got all those exclusive interviews abroad and earned so much from newspapers?"
"Machia- who?"
"Nevermind that. You didn't see that since Dad was always out at work, and Mom settled down," he said. "Mom is a biker, you know that, but there are far more brains under that biker helmet of hers than anyone could have guessed just by looking at her."
"So, Keima, why?"
"Why?"
"Please tell me. Tell me everything. Why do all of this?"
And Tenri looked at him with those precious eyes. He knew he can't lie to her. She's Tenri, his lie detector.
Maybe it's time to get that load off his chest. But first, he needed to organize his thoughts. "Maybe later."
"Promise?"
"Before your hour is up. Promise."
"I don't know. You've broken so many promises and lied so many times," Tenri began.
And Keima pouted.
"But you asked us to have faith in you even if you did so. Don't worry. I'll always believe in you," Tenri answered.
Part 224 – Magician Gamer
"Thanks. So how do you want to spend the rest of your hour?"
Tenri skipped and got a handkerchief.
"A magic show?"
Tenri just smiled and placed the handkerchief on her desk. She put on her long black cape and placed an oversized top hat on her head. Then she took her wand. She waved the said black wand, chanting, "abracadabra!"
She picked up the handkerchief, and there was nothing beneath it. Then put it back.
"Please pick it up," Tenri asked.
Keima already knew how the trick was done, but he played along. And voila! Underneath the handkerchief was a PFP.
"When did you—"
"This isn't mine," she said.
"Yui lent it?" he guessed.
And she nodded.
He watched as she took the console and loaded a game.
And he wanted to laugh upon seeing the title screen.
Magician Heroine version 2.
It was a galge where the player, who happened to be a nerd, tries to conquer a shy girl who loves to play magic tricks.
"Can you watch me play and tell me how I do? This is my favorite game."
"Favorite? So there are more?"
"Yes. Yui lent me a lot," Tenri admitted as she began playing.
And Keima watched her play. And it was very entertaining. Tenri would get annoyed when he tried to correct her, saying that she could do it on her own. And she could! Version 2 was a straightforward game. Very short too. The current iteration was version 9, which was very complicated and lengthy. So Tenri was able to complete one of the routes.
"So how did I do?"
"You did well," Keima complimented. "You got a good ending, although it was not the best ending considering the route. I'd say, for your level, being a total newbie, you get A-minus. Or 83%. Pretty good. Still, if I were playing that, you should…"
And he began to lecture, telling Tenri how to get the best ending playing the route.
So Tenri ended replaying up the route and got the best ending.
"So? Did I do well?"
"A plus plus," he declared. "98%!"
Tenri beamed inside. She was happy at making Keima happy.
"Now, how about trying the other routes?"
"Okay. Watch me, Keima!" she declared as she played once more.
Keima was eager to watch her progress. Who knew that watching and teaching Tenri play was so much fun? Not as fun as playing himself, but enough that it raised Tenri's positive points to high territory. He really appreciated her efforts to learn, because he knew that, during the previous week, she did not know much about games.
…
It was about fifteen minutes to the end of the hour when Tenri finally finished another route of her game.
"So, tell me everything," Tenri asked. "What's your plan?"
Keima sighed. He steeled himself. He has not told anyone what he was about to tell his neighbor and friend.
"Okay, Tenri. I'll tell the truth. The thing is, this may seem funny, but I love my mother. Very much. More than any person in the world except my Dad. I love them both equally. But, because of what happened ever since Elsie entered my life, things had gone pear-shaped. Elsie nearly wrecked my family. Almost split my parents apart. But, Elsie made up for it by being Mom's wonderful daughter, so how can I stay mad at her? Yes, before you ask, I already had forgiven that devil.
"But that's not the end of it. This collar around my neck made me lie to my mother. And I hate it. I did not deceive Mom before. What she sees is what she gets—a gamer who cares for nothing but games. In many ways, I failed as a son, so I try to make it up to her by being the best academically. That's the second reason I try so hard to be on top. The first one, of course, was that so I can play in class. But Mom doesn't mind as long as I top my class.
"At first, it wasn't so bad. A little white lie here, a little white lie there. Nobody gets hurt, and since the conquered girls forget, what's the harm in that? Of course, that all changed with the Goddess search. I did that most monstrous of all lies—that Dad was in danger of dying in South America. Of course, it had the added benefit of reconciling Mom and Dad, but that was so painful for me to do.
"And now, there's the schedule. This isn't some passing fancy like a conquest or something temporary like the Goddess Search. This is a five-year commitment. And I decided that I want Mom to know. I need her to know. If only because I would eventually be caught if I didn't tell her, and that would be far worse for me. It's better to tell her the truth.
"Of course, I know I can't tell her the entire truth. Do you really think I'm free to tell her everything when I can't even do so to you? All those supernatural stuff would have to remain a secret. But otherwise, I want her to know what's going on, to involve her in my struggles, to help me when I needed it, to do all those things. Because I love her.
Part 225 – Keima's Plan for the Parents
"But how can I? I can't just tell her what I told you. I need to construct a lie in such a way that I won't have to lie much afterward. And I needed to tell her in such a way that she would accept that I needed to do this. "
"So, you don't want your mother to think of you as a playboy?"
"I am not a playboy!" he snapped back. "I was not one, I am currently not one, and I will never be one! And I don't want Mom to think of me as such!"
"I know, Keima. That's why it's so hard. You can't tell her about the collar around your neck, but without it, she'll think you're doing this on purpose."
"So that's why I did. I used Kanon to rope Okada into my plans. With Kanon's announcement, Okada cannot move against me without imperiling Kanon's career. Then I used Okada to make my case to my mother. Okada played the perfect villain, substituting for the collar in my neck. Yes, Okada willingly played the part for Kanon's sake. Of course, the price is that I need to keep Okada happy by making her little requests, like being Kanon's chaperon."
"Then you used your mother to rope my parents," Tenri concluded.
"Yes. I'll then make Mother accept the other five girls of the schedule, then she'll be my full partner in this thing. Then I won't have to lie much to her anymore, and she can help me when I'm in trouble," he said. "Everything, except that supernatural stuff, and the truth about Okada, will be transparent between us. That way, all seven of you girls could openly go to my house, and we don't have to hide what we're doing from her."
"How about your Dad when he comes home?"
"Oh, Mom will explain to Dad for me. That's why she needs to approve of all seven of you before Dad comes back. Then Dad will know too, and he also can help me in the next five years."
"And the parents of the other girls?"
"I think I can keep this a secret from them. Your parents are different because they always see me because I always visit you at home. Not to mention that you're our next door neighbor. But, if the other parents catch me and their daughters, Mom and Dad will take care of them for me. They know them far better than me. If not, I'm sure I can ask them to get to know them better just in case."
"Will the other girls meet your Mom too? She was very scary, yet quite friendly too," Tenri admitted.
"That's Mom, alright. Yes, they'll all meet Mom soon. Hopefully, by the end of the week. And they'll all confess that they love me in front of her, and they'll tell her that they want to have the same chance as you and Kanon have. Mom will demand that I accept you all. I will at first refuse, but all of you girls, and Mom, would insist. Then, I would, most reluctantly say yes because I have no other choice, and because I want to please Mom, and because I care for all of you."
"I guess the other girls will want to do that for you," Tenri remarked. "If not, I'm sure you can make them do it. Because we're all puppets to your strings, Keima, dancing to your tune. But that's not a bad thing. Because you're doing this for our sake. To save us. You have no choice, right?"
"Yes, Tenri."
"But not all of them can act well," Tenri pointed out. "I can't imagine Shiori doing that."
"That's where Haqua or Elsie comes in. They can substitute for any girl that just can't do it."
Tenri smiled slyly. "Will Haqua have to kiss you again in that case?"
"Huh? If she thinks it's necessary, though I doubt Haqua could stomach another one of those," he answered. "But I'd rather the other girls do it in person rather than by substitute. I want them to show how much they love me. Because that's the only way Mom will approve of this thing."
"So, you already have plans for the others?"
"Yes. All of them, by the end of the week, will be in Mom's good graces," he smiled. "Mom already knows they're in love with me. That's why I arranged for her to be at the café when all of you are there, and I entered."
"You mean your Mom being there was no accident?"
"Everything that happened that day was by design."
"Will you have enough time?"
"I must have! Dad will come home next week. Don't worry."
"So, who's first?"
"Who's first? That's not important. Don't tell anyone this, but I'm, well, Elsie is going to invite all of you for a sleepover. All of you would accept, and then, Mom will interview you one by one, except you and Kanon," he said. "She'll ask the same questions she asked you."
"Would your Mom even approve of you having seven girls at the same time?"
"She already approved two. Getting from one girl to two was the greatest mental leap since it violates so many of her beliefs. But once she was reconciled with me having two girls at the same time, getting from two to three to four isn't that great a barrier. And I already have plans for that."
"I'm glad I'm over that," Tenri said. "I don't think I can take another of her interviews!"
"Yes. Looking at you, I thought you were going to have a heart attack," Keima smiled.
"Y-y-you saw me? I thought I was alone with your mother!"
"Yep. I was hiding and watching the entire thing!"
"Oh, I wish I knew you were there. Then I wouldn't have been so scared."
"Then you wouldn't act natural. Remember, you were supposed to pretend that you know that I didn't know that you love me. That wouldn't work if I were there, no matter how much I acted."
"You saw me, and that's why you decided to call Haqua. You saw that I can't do the things you want me to do in front of my parents."
What can he do but admit it? "Yes. I knew that you couldn't do it," he confirmed as her eyes lost its light.
Part 226 – Tenri's Regret
"I'm sorry, Keima. I really, really, wanted to do it myself, but I just can't. I'm not like Kanon who can act any way she likes. I can't act my way out of a paper bag. And I know how much of what you're doing depends on how us girls of the schedule act like you want us to, so I know I'm not that good of a girl for you, Keima. I'm sorry."
Keima looked at Tenri, her eyes looking at her bed, unable to look at him. She felt utterly terrible at how things turned out. Not the result—she was happy that Keima's plan went off without a hitch, but of her imagined incompetence.
"Listen, Tenri. I understand. Don't worry about it," he comforted.
"I love you, Keima, and I want to help you, be at your side when you needed it most, to help you when you're down," said Tenri. "But—I can't even do that."
Keima looked at the girl in front of him. She was downcast. She, who he had earlier called his best heroine. Certain feelings began to course through him, though he suppressed it. But should he, though?
He loves Chihiro. That much was clear. But he could also love some other girl of the schedule, and he may love that girl more than Chihiro in the end, and choose that girl instead of the normal girl.
So what if it turned out that he loved Tenri in the end? And chose her?
A small smile crept into his face. That wasn't such a bad idea, after all. He could do worse than Tenri. Maybe Tenri would be the second girl who he would fall in love with? Who knows? By the way things were going, that's certainly a strong possibility. After all, Tenri won the evaluation of the first week.
Tenri, Tenri, Tenri. His sweet Tenri. Maybe she really is his childhood friend that he often denied to himself.
Does he love her?
No.
Still, if he fell in love with Tenri second, he needed to have supreme discipline. He would outwardly deny loving any girl until the five years were over, no matter his true feelings, and he would have to lie and make Tenri believe that he doesn't love her, to balance the schedule. But the problem was, Tenri could detect his lies. So he couldn't afford to fall in love with Tenri second, third or fourth. He could only do so last or he would risk the entire edifice he had built up.
Unless he can hide that fact from Tenri. Who knows? He knew, from games, that the person being loved could be blind to that fact, even if that person was very perceptive of all other things. Maybe the same could apply to Tenri?
But since he still does not love Tenri, that was just a hypothetical problem in the future. Right now, there was the immediate problem of how to comfort Tenri.
There was one thing he could do for Tenri without disrupting the status quo. And it had the added benefit of making things fair now that Yui had spilled the beans. Tenri hasn't claimed that right, but to not kiss her thrice in the week would send a signal to the other girls that maybe Tenri was inferior to those he did kiss thrice.
He walked over to Tenri and sat next to her on the bed. He cupped her chin so his eyes were on hers. He could see tears straining to flow on those eyes that were looking at his.
"Tenri, I forgive you."
And he pressed his lips against hers.
…
Tenri felt happiness and pleasure at the kiss. She closed her eyes as she felt his genuine forgiveness at her failure and her inability to measure up to his expectations. And she felt herself feeling okay as if she heard his voice inside her head saying that it was fine. As her lips savored his, a huge burden was lifted off her shoulder.
It was fine, he knew she did her best.
He would never ask for her to do something she never could do.
It was not her fault.
Keima cared for her.
Cared for her.
And the kiss went on and on, longer than their previous kisses, as the emotions burst forth inside of her at the pleasure he gave. And even if she knew that he didn't love her, she felt his love in that kiss.
She was too spent to kiss back, and he finally broke off, both out of breath.
She couldn't take it any longer, as her excitement got the better of her, and she saw black.
…
Part 227 – Preparing for the Next Girl
When he gave Tenri her first kiss, she collapsed in ecstasy. Now, that he gave Tenri her first long kiss like he gave Yui and Kanon, Tenri again collapsed into unconsciousness, a look of pure bliss on her face. He wondered when she would stop swooning at his kisses. He recalled Tenri got weak-kneed at being kissed on the cheek. Perhaps not anytime soon.
He hoped Tenri would get used to it, as he was getting used to longer kisses.
He looked at her closed eyes. The tears that threatened to burst were no longer there.
He tucked her into bed. "Goodnight, Tenri."
He looked at his watch. He timed it exactly right. She collapsed just as the hour ended.
…
"Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Ayukawa, I need to go home now. Tenri is tired and exhausted and turned in early, and I need to do my homework," Keima explained to the adults in the living room.
"So how was your time with Tenri?" asked Mari.
Looking at the parents of the said girl, he answered, "we mostly discussed what having the same rights as Kanon actually meant."
"I'm so sorry you have to put up with this, with Okada and all this," Mr. Ayukawa said.
"I'm sorry that Tenri has to put up with this," Keima answered. "I really do not wish to put her in that predicament."
"But she insisted," Mrs. Ayukawa finished. "We understand. Your mother told us what happened with you and Kanon. That's very kind of you. Pity that Kanon's manager is such a bit— I'm sorry, I mean such a mean woman."
Keima internally leapt for joy. Mission accomplished. All the blame was on Okada, who will gladly take it for Kanon. He was in the clear. And his mother was on board and fully supportive of his decisions.
He then made his farewells before heading out.
"Elsie," he called as he walked from the Ayukawa home.
"Divine Brother! How did it go?" Elsie asked as she appeared.
"Fine. Do you have the female uniform ready?" Keima asked as they entered the Katsuragi home.
"Yes, Exalted Brother!"
"Okay. Seal the house so that no one will walk in on me wearing that, okay?" Keima ordered as he entered his room.
"Already on it!"
…
Keima was actually looking forward to his two hours with Yui. Based on what they agreed upon, in exchange for allowing Yui to become a disciple if she became good enough in games, she would always schedule a weekly event in her house where he could play on Yui's gaming throne. The catch was that he needed to go as a girl since her parents were so strict with Yui with regards to bringing home a boy.
And so, Keiko Katsura once again emerged.
"Oh, you're really so cute Divine Broth—I mean Divine Sister!" Elsie squealed as she cast the spell that would change Keima's voice to be more feminine to outsiders.
"Yeah, yeah. Just carry me to our rendezvous point, okay?"
"Um, ronday what?"
"The place where Yui and I would meet. I already told you," Keima said as Elsie encased Keiko Katsura in a protective bubble before she picked him up and flew through the window of the house. Like before, they were invisible.
Keima was really looking forward to more gaming in Yui's warehouse.
End of Flag XX
Stats for the Week
Official Time
Monday
Tenri – Morning Walk – 15 minutes
Yui – Lunch – 1 hour
Kanon – Night Event – 1 hour
Tuesday
Tenri - Morning Walk - 15 minutes
Chihiro – Lunch – 1 hour
Tenri – After School Visit – 1 hour
Total:
Tenri – 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yui – 1 hour
Kanon – 1 hour
Chihiro – 1 hour
Author Notes
Aoba Fuse and Asami Yoshino are a light novel heroines. I took their characterization both from the light novel, and also from Wrathie Winsre's stories.
Review Replies
Thank you for your review.
Once again, this was originally sent by PM. I'm sharing it for the enlightenment of the readers.
True, Miyako was the master of interruptions, but she's too busy being script-played by everyone to interrupt anything xD.
I know! Elsie wanting to join a club for reading books or playing games! XD. But I'd say the same thing about going to school! But I'm sure she could be quiet as long she's staring at all the pretty red firetrucks!
Well, come to think of it, what Elsie was doing while Keima was conquering girls was kind of stalkerish. Even if she's really not a stalker because Keima knows. But the way she just described it certainly makes her a stalker.
By this time, I don't think kissing would be such a big deal with Elsie. I mean, how many times did Elsie witness Keima kiss girls? It's probably very ordinary for her.
Ha, Elsie couldn't live down being described as a bug demon in the manga and anime, can't she? XD
I don't think Keima would like Aoba learning everything about his situation. Especially what he does with girls with the schedule. And it did contaminate the phrase "spending time with Keima in the schedule" for Aoba. Remember that phrase.
Anyway, yeah, Elsie was just dumb enough to tell that to Aoba. To her, Aoba is almost like a member of the schedule, so it's safe to tell her everything as long as no mention of any supernatural stuff gets mentioned. The problem was, it sounded very odd.
I do wonder how much Keima really do love Elsie at the end of the Goddess search, as opposed to the end of the Heart of Jupiter saga.
Yep. Kanon could be a little ignorant about a lot of things, including being a little sister to Keima, or the effects of her confession. But I guess, for the latter, she hasn't been to school much, and thus, would see the effects first hand, so unless she was being told by Keima or Okada, it didn't affect her personally.
Yep. So many teaching going around. Let's see how effective Elsie is. And Elsie should get a lot of perks. After all, for a week, Elsie was Kanon!
Aoba is like a female Keima. So yeah, she could be cruel and cold. Actually, being cold was her default personality. And as to why, it's to salve her own conscience. She knew that its Keima's project to have Kanon or Ayumi get elected school council president, but she's destroying his plans by doing what she's doing. So she's asking Kanon first to make sure.
Aoba likes Keima the way he is. And since Aoba could also be incredibly rude, she doesn't see much as a negative. Only that it could hamper her plans for him as a candidate. And yes, she hangs around Keima a lot and knows that he's normally rude. Which makes her plans very challenging.
Of course Keima won't be happy getting such a high and responsible position. It's part of the real! That's why Keima immediately shut off the idea when Aoba proposed it first. That's why Aoba was doing it secretively. But Aoba was doing it for Keima's sake. So in her mind, it's for Keima's own good, and she's justified in defying what he wants for the sake of what he needs. It's actually like Keima manipulating the members of the schedule for their own good.
And she thinks that she would be serving the ideal if Keima gets to be the most powerful student in the school. It would be the triumph of the ideal over the real.
And yeah, I can imagine Keima doing a lot of delegating once he gets the job. Because he's part of the ideal, whatever happens.
And Keima playing Okada bit him in the ass! But maybe it will do him good in the long run!
Nope, Aoba hasn't seen the room yet before that. She only heard about it's contents.
Well, true. But remember the room also has a lot of junk that's to be thrown away. Maybe part of the junk was the shelves, the carpet, and even the TV and the console? Haha! Maybe the reason they're being thrown away or aren't working is because it's full of dust or dirty, and thus, cleaning them could make them work again? I'm sure Keima will make an explanation in the future about the clubroom.
Yep. I bet the Book and Games club would have the best clubroom in the entire school.
I don't think Aoba would ask Kodama, but if she does, then that meant Keima lied. But of course, Aoba will conclude that he lied for a reason, and that it's for her own good, and that she must have faith in him. And maybe, by that time, she would already know about the truth about devils.
Making out? But Keima in KanonNomi, Flag 11, when confronted by Ayumi, said, "But it wasn't making out! It was two kisses!" xD.
Well, Yui, for all her weirdness and eccentricity, was still an aristocratic girl, an 'ojou-sama', if you will. And she still wants to please her parents. She doesn't hate her parents, doesn't reject their world view, doesn't rebel, except when it came to Keima. So it's just natural for her to want to get Keima to conform to her ideal husband, and the ideal husband would of course be influenced by what her parents think an ideal husband for Yui would be. Only if she fails would she give up having her cake and eating it too.
Yes, she wants to marry Keima, and wants her parents to approve of it. Just like any other girl would want her parents to approve the guy she likes to marry.
As for the others girls, I don't think their parents would have as lofty standards about the ideal son-in-law as the Goidos.
Yep. Aoba is trying to get the support of the girls. And not only their support, their help. Kanon and Yui would be extremely helpful in the upcoming campaign. Asami, less so, but she would have her use too. Minami would be the most valuable team member and would be the key to Keima winning or losing. Why? This chapter answers that question.
Yep. I like Kaori Yuuzaki. She's so evil! And proved to be a challenge to Keima when she was just a sixth grader and he was mentally 17 years old. How much more if she's mature and mentally 22 and he's still 17? But then again, she's going against two geniuses this time instead of one. So we'll see how that develops.
Well, the relationship between Yui and Kaori will be explored in the future.
About Haqua, ha! But true. Keima doesn't have a deity inside of him to protect him from Haqua's clobbering! xD.
Yui was already aware of Haqua's feelings. She guessed it on Flag XVIII, Part 187. So she knew how to push the devil's buttons!
As for the alarm bells on Aoba's head, it's more on the body language and mannerisms which didn't match what "Asami" showed the day before.
As to why Keima agreed, that would be explained in the future. But a large part of it was that he delegated the matter to Aoba Fuse, and Aoba supported Asami's membership.
Well, Asami did say a lot of things that even a split personality could not explain, like her ignorance of why she called Keima "Divine" and that "God of Conquests" relate to games, when it was clearly explained just the day before. And she didn't immediately figure it out. It was just a hunch, and she went with it and manage to trick Asami into admitting it. With Keima originally, I don't think Asami or Ikumi said anything that would contradict the ruse that they were just one person initially. That's why it took far longer for Keima to figure it out.
Yep. Asami knows that Keima probably knows, but until Keima confronts her about it, they're pretending that Keima doesn't know.
Why was Aoba laughing? Remember the phrase "spending time with Keima in the schedule" and what it meant to Aoba after talking to Elsie? And Asami just said it innocently. That's what made Aoba laugh. She remembered Elsie talking about what that meant. To Aoba, Asami was inadvertently saying that she wanted Keima to kiss her over and over.
As for your questions on Minami, this chapter answers it.
And congratulations on inventing a new term, "script-played"! Very appropriate to use that term to what happened to Miyako. And yeah, how Ayumi and Chihiro acted was how they acted towards Keima in the past, so it wasn't hard for them to act like that. It's just that Chihiro felt guilty that she could easily do so even while she's in love with Keima.
And yes, Miyako now is playing a duet!
Well, three other competitors, so there are four in total.
No, Chihiro asking Keima to join the band was not scripted. Though I wonder if she remembered Keima (actually Yui) joining as drummer. Did Yui tell Ayumi and Chihiro that she was the one who actually joined the band, not Keima?
Yep. Kaori did something ten years ago and became younger. And yes, Lune is here.
Nope, it wasn't a direct order to restore Aoba's memories. What Dokuro ordered Haqua to do was to somehow get Aoba in the schedule, so they won't have to erase Aoba's memories in the event she did find out about the truth. So Haqua would have to someone get Aoba in the schedule, which is hard because it involves the consent of so many girls as well as Keima himself, and Haqua can't tell the real reason Aoba should be in the schedule, because she can't tell about Kaori's real nature in the meanwhile.
Luckily, or unluckily, she knows someone who already has a plan for Aoba joining.
As for Rimyuel, we'll see. And maybe Akari would make an appearance. The only thing that makes it dodgy was Akari was a third year student and is going to graduate soon. That's one reason I'm hesitating to use Kusonoki Kasuga, because she'll graduate soon too, and the plot would extend to their last year in school.
Anyway, do they hold back students in Japan? Could Akari plausibly repeat third year because of her absence and disappearance in the last part of the school year? I'm not sure. Nor am I sure I want to do that with Akari. But it would be easier if that were possible.
As for how I'm going to manage them, just wait and see.
Anyway, for Kaori, I'll first finish the plotlines for Aoba Fuse and Miyako before we would actually see her. But she would be mentioned lots of times as a looming presence before we see her in the flesh!
And yes, I welcome long reviews! I love it, and I love reading it over and over again. It gives me encouragement to continue writing.
To issei,
Thanks for your review. And yes, Keima, Kaori is the devil woman! Run away! Fortunately, it would be quite a long time until he actually confronts her!
To Rahmanism,
Thanks. Yep, Keima has no idea what will happen! For now! By the way, what does futaba mean?
Why did Kaori not contact him? I don't know. Time travel loops make my head spin. I mean, what if Keima never time travelled at all? Will no one stop her ten years ago?
I assume by Yuri you mean Dokuro Skull, who was Yuri Nikaido, right? To be honest, I'm not sure how Dokuro and Yuri relate to each other. I mean, I know that Dokuro and Yuri are supposed to be one and the same, right? Yet they existed at the same time! So I'm not sure how I can relate to that. So I'll try to see what I can do, but it's hard to make something logical out of it since Dokuro isn't dead in my fic.
I'll see what I can do.
To ty,
Thank you for your review.
Now to reply to some of your points.
First, the Chihiro arc. I think there's a misunderstanding. Chihiro's arc and almost all her issues with Keima (specifically his cold rejection of her, etc) were resolved way back in Flag 3. Her memories of her first conquest was part of her grievance against Katsuragi, but with the explanation and forgiveness and acceptance, most of that was swept away.
Remember that in the first part of the story, the character arc of each of the girls would always culminate in accepting being part of the schedule and accepting the need to wait for five years and to share Keima in the meantime, without any reservations.
And Chihiro already knew what generally happened. That 'mysterious' boys was Keima, since Chihiro knew that Keima conquered Ayumi, Yui, etc, that their memories were erased, and their memories were restored thanks to the Goddess, and that her own memory wasn't restored because of the lack of a Goddess. She knew that Katsuragi gave her her first kiss. But she knew it only from deduction from what Keima told her that first café meeting.
Remember, Keima told them, including Chihiro, that he conquered them, and that they forgot, but those with Goddesses remembered. Chihiro would be very stupid not to conclude that it was Keima who first conquered her and gave her her first kiss. She knew, like Ayumi, that she had a Weiss before and that Keima saved her.
But what she lacked was the actual experience of living through it since her memories were locked away. It's like knowing some event by reading a book, compared to actually experiencing that event by participating in it. Her knowledge of who the mysterious boy who helped her was second-hand before, but she knew it was Keima. So why should she run away to that mysterious boy when she knew it was Keima?
She just wanted to know what actually happened from her point of view, what are the circumstances of her conquest (since nobody told her the how, only the what), and most importantly, regain the experience of being kissed for the first time, and everything that went with it. It actually won't threaten her love for Keima, as she already knew it was Keima who saved her.
Anyway, she put the issue on the back of her mind about it because she's happy with her situation with Keima. She's in love with Keima, and that was that. It was only because Yui reminded her about it, because Yui has her own reasons, that she became obsessed by it again.
So the memory restoration, in relation to Chihiro's arc, is not the climax, but merely a distant epilogue to an arc already long resolved.
It was a problem for Chihiro that was tangled up with the plot of another character for another purpose.
In addition, Chihiro's restoration of her memories is only tangentially part of her character arc. It was mainly part of Yui's quest to restore Aoba's memories as part of her plot to bring her to the schedule. In fact, it was Yui who brought about Chihiro's memory restoration, not Chihiro or Keima unprompted—both would never have brought it up again if it weren't for Yui. For Yui, Chihiro was simply the girl who had the most similar situation with Aoba, and whose restoration of her memories won't cause any objection from the other characters as it really won't affect the status-quo. It was simply a means to an end for Yui and Mars, to know if it was possible to restore the memories of a conquered girl without any Goddesses.
So look at it as part of the long running arc of Yui trying to get Aoba in the schedule, and with Chihiro's part only an accidental part of it.
On to another point.
I promised readers that I will write about how Keima spent time with each girl of the schedule during their time. So by doing the memory restoration during Chihiro's weekly time Keima, it actually served two plot points.
And because of that, even if my story would look like a series of unrelated vignettes, that's the risk I'm going to have to take. Because I want to show the second week of the schedule, how Keima spends the time with each girl of the schedule now that almost all their issues had been resolved. I will show it, even if it seems to drag the other plot points, even if it seems to be totally unrelated to other plot points—because Keima spending time with the girls during their hours is the primary purpose of this fic. It is the major plot point. Remember that the plot basically boils down to Keima spending time with the girls of the schedule while extracting loose souls.
But that's only for the second week. I won't show the third week, fourth week, etc. So two weeks spending time would be the last time I'll delve into this much detail.
Apologies for the shortness of the Miyako scene. This would contain spoilers, so don't read this paragraph is you don't want to be spoiled, but the next major part of that Arc is in the duet contest itself, which would happen on Thursday. So anything in between would be merely practice for the duet. And since in story, it's still Tuesday afternoon, and I've placed many events for other plot points in between Tuesday and Thursday night, it would understandably be given less space than other events during that time frame. For Miyako's conquest itself would have far reaching consequences on almost all characters, not only for Miyako, and Keima.
End spoiler alert.
And I have to progress other plot points in the meantime.
Anyway, the Aoba Yui arc is a major current plot by itself, so it'll keep on cropping up. It's one of the main plots, since Aoba Fuse, by this part of the story, by screen time, is the second main character of the fic after Keima. And you will see Aoba for a very long time since I have plans for her way beyond her character arc. And Yui too will have a substantial role after the Miyako and Aoba Fuse arcs.
The Aoba and Yui plot would intersect with so many other storylines. For example, the Aoba getting Keima respected and Yui getting Aoba into the schedule already crossed and intersected at the end of Flag XIX. But there are more.
Anyway, just remember that all scenes serve at least one of five plot points I've laid out at the beginning of the chapter. The five plot points currently are:
1. Keima spending time with the girls in the schedule
2. Miyako's conquest
3. Yui trying to get Aoba into the schedule
4. Aoba getting Keima respected and feared in the school.
5. Mari and the parents getting involved in the schedule.
If it's part of any of the above five, that scene isn't pointless, I don't consider it a drag or a vignette or filler or whatever, even if it seems that way to you. It's an integral part of the story. The Miyako plot line is just one of five, and not even the most important, and if it was given the shaft, it was only to serve the other plot lines.
And don't worry, I'll just remind readers when that far-off climax arrives all the set-ups I've done.
Yes, it's sometimes a pain to manage such a huge cast. And yes, sometimes, arcs get crowded out. But here we are! I can't just simply ignore or wish that some threads disappear. Or ignore all the characters I've introduced. I need to resolve it. Happily, I know how to resolve most of the current threads in such a way that it would involve, in a meaningful way, most of the characters, and make sense of most of the events that I've written. And it would happen very soon. Maybe it's my fault it's not that obvious, but I'm not just meandering about with no object in sight.
Because when the Miyako and Aoba and Yui threads are resolved, this story would take on an almost different tone from before.
Anyway, I'm sorry if I came off as too defensive. I appreciate your reviews for their honesty and their intelligence. But I've already written many future chapters, and have laid out how the plot points would be resolved. I have already laid the events to come so that everything will come together and make sense. It would be impossible to change the general flow of events to come, or the roles that I have assigned each character, without wrecking the entire edifice. But I'll try to see what changes I can do to satisfy your criticisms, even if it's necessarily going to be small changes since that's what's possible at this point.
My only plea for you is to be patient. Just be patient.
Thank you very much.