There was a boat in the middle of the ocean. The setting sun gave the sky a beautiful orange glow that cast itself over the vessel. The boat was really the Katsura family yacht and lying on the deck were two teenagers, both with long black hair, but with opposite genders.
"This…feels nice," said Ryuji from where he lay on his side, facing Kotonoha who lay on her side too, facing him. "Being here with you, alone, leaving everything behind." He ran his fingers over her cheek. These fingers were harsh on his enemies but they caressed her cheek gently.
Kotonoha held his hand against her face for a little longer as she gazed into his blue eyes. They stared coldly at others but she was the only one whom saw the warmth in them. She moved in a little closer as he moved his hand down to her waist, pulling the girl close against his body. They soon embraced each other.
"I agree," she said as they cuddled. "I've always dreamt of drifting aimlessly into sea with a boy on a boat."
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, and I'm glad that boy is you, Ryuji-kun," she smiled softly. "You've made me very happy."
"You too," he replied. "I never knew real happiness until I met you."
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm not." He added, "I was never really happy before. Remember, I'm just-"
"Don't say it."
"But-"
"You're not half a person. You're not a monster. You're human. Don't ever doubt that." She was almost pleading.
"Gomen," he apologized. He held her close to him and kissed her deeply. "Ore no Tenshi."
"SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY!"
Ryuji couldn't believe it. In all his time here he'd fantasized Kotonoha getting dressed in that, but he thought he would never see her in it at all. Well, it would appear that his dream had come true.
Kotonoha had called him over to meet with her at the Radish Restaurant for a surprise and being the good boyfriend that he was, he really couldn't refuse his sweet girlfriend. He owed her that much after she'd risked herself to save him. Of course, he couldn't refuse her anyway. He loved her so much and vowed to make her happy anyway he could.
Valentine's Day was only days away and while most guys would wait for girls to give them something and do nothing until White Day, Ryuji already made plans for himself and Kotonoha; a nice and romantic date on Valentine's Day with just the two of them. Kenzaki, Neko and Warren could take care of the Imagin for all he cared. The last Imagin had gotten him a huge reward.
Now, Ryuji was standing in the doorway, gawking, as Kotonoha came to greet him. Now, Ryuji always thought Kotonoha was sexy but right now she was downright irresistible. To put it simply, she was wearing the skimpy Radish waitress uniform. It was made up of white top that could pass off as a bikini or bra with blue straps, blue arm sleeves, a white mini skirt that came down to mid-thigh with slits on the sides and cute little sandals. The entire uniform revealed her beautiful long legs and sexy flat stomach. The top also barely contained her ample bosom.
"Ko-Ko-Ko-Koto-chan," he stuttered, his face going red as his blue eyes just stared at her. She was holding the round tray to her chest, blushing while looking down at her feet.
"Surprise, Ryuji-kun," she smiled shyly, blushing as well. "I asked Saionji-san if I could work here."
Ryuji's eyes went towards Sekai who was grinning and winking. He also eyed all the males in the restaurant whose eyes were on Kotonoha. He glared at them coldly, causing the temperature to go down and they all averted their eyes in fear. Kotonoha shivered, knowing that her boyfriend was using his power.
"Oh, you're cold," he said. He removed his leather bomber jacket, leaving him in a black t-shirt and jeans, and draped it over her shoulders. "Here."
Kotonoha looked up at him and beamed before saying, "Welcome to Radish, sir. Let me take you to your seat." She led him to an empty table, swaying her hips. This didn't go unnoticed by the other male patrons but they all froze when Ryuji glared at them. Kotonoha was his and for his eyes only. He sat down and she handed him a menu. "I'll be back soon to take your order," she said before skipping off to the kitchen to pick up another order.
"Hey, Hasuma," said Sekai as she slipped into the seat across from Ryuji. "Like the surprise?"
"I'm surprised, alright," Ryuji retorted, eyes glaring straight at the girl. "I'm just not amused. You turned Koto-chan into eye candy for a bunch of hormonal boys."
"Hey, she asked me to."
"You could've declined."
"She wanted to surprise you."
"Well, she did that very well."
Sekai grinned teasingly, "You just want her all to yourself."
Ryuji remarked, "Can you blame me?"
When Kotonoha came out with an order, he looked to see her smiling. His expression softened at seeing this but then hardened when he saw one of the boys she was serving flirting with her. "Teme…" he growled, getting ready to beat that guy up but controlled herself. Unless the guy actually did something that offended Kotonoha, then he would act. He didn't want to come off as an overly-jealous and possessive boyfriend, which he was, but by attacking a person for the smallest reason would hurt him more since Kotonoha would be upset with him.
"Well, she said she wanted to try it out," said Sekai. "And well since she showed up here today, business has been good."
"They all just want to ogle her," he growled.
"OH, KATSURA-SAN!" Ryuji heard and he groaned.
"Damn it," Ryuji cursed as he looked up to see Taisuke. He was clenching his fists and digging his fingers into the palm, nearly drawing blood.
"OK, I know you don't like Sawanaga…" Sekai began.
"I like him less than I like you," Ryuji stated, "And I like Itou less than I like him." When Taisuke saw Ryuji at one of the tables, he froze, before he ran out the door. Ryuji smirked. "Heh, at least he knows better."
Sekai sighed. This guy sure knew how to hold a grudge. Whatever Kotonoha saw in Ryuji, it was probably a side he didn't show quite often. He did have a bad reputation. He also scared a lot of students and teachers as well, just by glaring at them. Of course, she had to admit that his glare was effective.
"I know you don't like me and Makoto, and we deserve it," said Sekai.
"I've already forgiven you," said Ryuji. Sekai blinked, "Just you. Koto-chan made me, but it will take a lot of convincing until I forgive that boyfriend of yours."
"Right," Sekai nodded. She was just glad he'd forgiven her.
"Sorry," apologized Kotonoha as she came over. "Ryuji-kun, would you like to order something?"
Sekai stood up and said, "I've got work to do. Have fun."
Ryuji looked at the menu, a few thoughts forming in his mind. "OK, I'd like a club sandwich, a glass of ice tea…" his eyes went over Kotonoha and looked her up and down. "And you in nothing but covered in whipped cream."
That declaration made Kotonoha blush and it deepened when she saw the hungry look in his eyes. She shuddered pleasantly under his gaze, which promised wonderful things being done to her body. He licked his lips for added effect as Kotonoha got her heart rate and breathing under control.
"Alright, sir," she said, taking note of his order. "But the last thing isn't on the menu."
"I'm sure you can make a home delivery," he said suggestively.
'Oh, Ryuji-kun,' Kotonoha sighed. 'You're such a tease.'
Kotonoha turned as the bell rang, signaling the arrival of more customers. "Welcome to the Radish!" said Sekai happily as she went to greet the new customers.
"Hey, Sekai," greeted the customer.
"Oh! Warren-san!" said Sekai. Standing at the door was Warren, as well as Raven, Teresa. Grasping Raven's hand was Alex, with Tessa sound asleep in her dad's arms.
"Is there an empty table for us?" asked Warren. Tessa yawned cutely and rubbed her eyes. She looked at Sekai and smiled.
"You look pretty," she said. Sekai giggled.
"Come on in," said Sekai as she led the family inside. Warren sent a telepathic message to both Teresa and Raven who blushed. "We got an empty spot."
Ryuji looked over his seat to look at the family. Family…what a wonderful word. He looked towards Kotonoha and briefly imagined what it would be like to raise a family with her. Kotonoha Hasuma. It had a nice ring to it.
Kokoro was spending her day just milling around her house. She was feeling bored and none of her friends felt like playing. Valentine's Day was coming up and they were busy picking out boys they wanted to give chocolates to. Of course, Kokoro had wanted to join in, but there was only one boy she really wanted to give chocolate to.
Ryuji-niichan.
He was really a strange guy, but was a lot of fun. Way more fun than that Makoto guy who made Kotonoha cry so much. Ryuji acted mean a lot of the time, but only to people who were mean to him or did something to hurt him, Kotonoha, or Kokoro herself. She remembered when one boy tried to shake her down for her lunch money and Ryuji punched him since he and Kotonoha went to pick her up from school.
That was the kind of guy she wanted to give chocolate to. A guy like her Ryuji-niichan. The perfect big brother a girl could ask for.
As Kokoro was busy with her Valentine's Day planning for giving Ryuji chocolate, she didn't notice a ball of light slip through her open window. It hovered near her ceiling as it watched Kokoro work on a Valentine's Day card that she wanted to give with her candy. Shivering in excitement, the ball fired down and entered her body in a flash.
"Huh?" Kokoro blinked in confusion. Looking down, she found sand spilling out of her clothes. "Oh!"
The sand piled up on the floor before merging together to create the upper half of some kind of being. It seemed to have Greek-style armor and clothes. His face was covered by a Greek-helmet that hid his eyes and most of his features. Small feathered wings stuck out of his back along with a large bow and a quiver filled with arrows. Oddly, a pair of sandaled feet hung from above the sandy man.
"Hello," the being waved. "Do you have a wish today? I hope you do. I'd looooooove it if you did!"
Kotonoha and Ryuji were enjoying an evening stroll as they walked towards Kotonoha's home, hand in hand. She was back in her street clothes but still wearing his jacket. The boy wore a slightly apologetic look on his face as he cast Kotonoha a brief gaze.
"I'm sorry about what happened," said Ryuji. Kotonoha, despite loving the boy, was still a little angry. At least she wasn't mad enough to not hold hands with him. Well, she wasn't completely angry. She was just partly annoyed by his violent temper.
"You didn't have to break that man's wrist," she scolded.
"Hey, he slapped your rear," Ryuji retorted "I could've done a whole lot worse to him." The man who'd slapped Kotonoha's rear was a college student and well one of the people now added to Ryuji's list. The list had names of people he didn't like. Sekai's name had been crossed out but Makoto and Taisuke's names still remained.
Kotonoha sighed, "I know, I know." She spoke, "But you really need to learn to control that temper of yours."
"I have perfect control of my temper," he boasted. "I just don't like it when people treat you like an object instead of a person. They shouldn't be touching you like that."
"Oh, Ryuji-kun…" She stopped to face him and then stood up on the tips of her toes to kiss him.
Above them was an Imagin that looked like an angel. "So, he's the one, huh?" the Imagin wondered. "Well, it's her wish and I'm sworn to grant it."
Ryuji and Kotonoha were just getting comfortable, with his arms around her waist holding her close, when all of a sudden his watch started to beep, alerting him on the presence of an Imagin. Kotonoha moaned, mortified, knowing what this meant, as Ryuji furrowed his eyebrows.
'Will I never have a moment's peace?' the Rider thought. Probably not. He looked for the source of the alarm when his sharper than average sense of hearing caught the sound of flapping. It was not from a bird as it was far too big. He looked upwards and there he saw an Imagin. The Imagin looked humanoid, in Greek style armor and clothing. It wore a white tunic with a gold armor covering its right shoulder and chest. It also wore golden bracelets around its wrists. On its head was a golden Greek-style gladiator's helmet and on its feet were sandals. What proved its inhuman status were the white wings on its back and its bronze skin.
The Imagin landed in front of the couple. Ryuji immediately pushed Kotonoha behind him, standing in front of her protectively, as he eyed this Imagin. He could see the bow and quiver of arrows.
"Excuse me," the Imagin began. "Are you Ryuji Hasuma?"
Ryuji blinked. This Imagin was strangely polite. He was briefly reminded of Loki but shook his head. This Imagin may just be pretending. Ryuji, nevertheless, answered, "Yes, that's me."
"Oh, good!" the Imagin smiled. "I've been looking for you. I'm Eros, by the way."
Ryuji quirked an eyebrow, hand going into his pocket and gripping his Pass. "Oh, and why have you been looking for me?"
"Well, because my contractor wants you," Eros answered honestly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to come with me."
Ryuji rolled his eyes. As if he would willingly go with an Imagin. "Sorry, Eros, but I'm not going anywhere."
"But I need to grant this wish!" Eros replied.
"Not my problem," said Ryuji as he pulled his belt from his jacket and with a swing wrapped it around his waist. He fastened the belt and pressed the switch.
"I didn't know about this!" exclaimed Eros as he gawked at the belt.
"Well, be shocked and amazed!" shouted Ryuji as he called, "Henshin!" He slid the Rider Pass into his belt and charged at Eros.
"IFRIT FORM!"
(Play Song: Double Action Sword Form)
The energy shards bonded to Ryuji's body and transformed him into Kamen Rider Ifrit.
"Wargh!" Eros shouted as he ducked under a punch. He held up his hands in front of him. "Wait, hold on!" Ryuji kicked Eros hard in the stomach, causing the Imagin to double over. "OK, that hurt," groaned Eros. Ifrit went for an axe kick but Eros flew upwards to avoid the strike. He hovered in front of Ifrit, saying, "Can't you at least let me explain?"
"Enough talk!" yelled Ifrit as he produced one of his Ifrit Dao. "You're going down!" He started slashing at Eros, who had to dodge from the vicious slashes of Ifrit's sword. Kotonoha watched the one-sided fight with some confusion. Why wasn't the Imagin fighting back?
Ifrit leapt up and smashed both his feet into Eros' chest, sending him sailing through the air. Eros managed to right himself with his wings and looked ahead to see Ifrit charging. He gasped, "Not good!" and fumbled for his bow. When he got it in his hand, he reached behind him for his quiver and pulled out an arrow, tipped with a heart-shaped arrowhead. "Sorry about this, but you need to calm down!" Eros notched the arrow and aimed for the charging Rider.
Kotonoha shouted, "Ryuji-kun, watch out!"
Eros let the arrow fly and it got stuck in Ifrit's chest. It glowed before it vanished. Ifrit gasped and dropped his sword before he collapsed onto his knees, hugging himself. "What…what did you do?" demanded Ifrit as he felt a rush of a familiar emotion…
(End Song: Double Action Sword Form)
"Ryuji-kun!" shouted Kotonoha as she ran towards her boyfriend. She knelt down, as he turned to face her. "Are you okay?"
Ifrit then realized that he was. "Actually…I feel fine," said Ifrit. Eros just stared.
"OK, that wasn't supposed to happen," Eros scratched his head. "That arrow was supposed to make you fall in love with the person I wanted you to."
This made Kotonoha do a double-take. "Nani?"
"Oh, I should explain who I am," Eros said. "I am Eros, the Cupid Imagin, at your service!" He bowed with his right fist to his chest and his left arm behind him. Ifrit and Kotonoha blinked at the declaration. Cupid Imagin?
"OK, time out," said Ifrit as he did the 'time-out' hand signal. He stood up with Kotonoha and his armor vanished. "Those arrows make people fall in love with whoever you want?"
"Pretty much," said Eros. "But it looks like they don't work on people who are already in love. Well, true love, anyway." He looked at Ryuji and Kotonoha. "You, Mr. Hasuma, feel strongly for this girl, which is why my arrow had no effect. That's true unconditional love right there." Eros sighed. "And Kokoro was really looking forward for me to grant her wish."
Now Ryuji and Kotonoha's eyes widened.
"Kokoro-chan?" Ryuji said.
"What does my sister have to do with this?" asked Kotonoha.
"Oh, she's my contractor," Eros answered. "For a girl her age she has a really good imagination to think of this form."
Kotonoha and Ryuji exchanged knowing looks.
"I have a feeling that your little sis' wish involved me," stated Ryuji.
"Come on, we should get home," said Kotonoha. She turned towards Eros. "Ano…Eros-san?"
"Yes?" Eros responded.
"Would you like to come with us to talk to my sister?"
"Oh, of course," nodded Eros. "She's such a sweet girl and I wanted to see her again after I finished my mission anyway."
"Of course you did," muttered Ryuji.
"Tadaima, Kokoro-chan!" Kotonoha called. The sound of running could be heard as Kokoro went to the door, a bright smile on her face. She jumped and hugged her sister.
"Okaeri, onee-chan!" beamed Kokoro. She then noticed who else was with her sister. "Ryuji-niichan, Eros-niichan!" Her eyes brightened. "You granted my wish!"
"Um…not exactly," said Eros, rubbing the back of his head.
"Kokoro-chan, let's go inside the living room and talk about this," said Kotonoha.
"Hai, Onee-chan," nodded Kokoro. Kokoro hummed a tune as she skipped into the house with the others following her inside. They all sat in the living room and instantly Kokoro looped her arms around Ryuji's.
"Kokoro-chan," asked Kotonoha. "Did you ask Eros-san for a wish?"
"Sure did," nodded Kokoro.
"And what was it?"
"I asked for Ryuji-niichan to be mine!" beamed Kokoro.
Kotonoha sighed. She knew her sister was rather fond of Ryuji, but she never knew it was this much.
"Well, Kokoro-chan," admitted Eros, "I tried to use my arrows on him, and it didn't work."
Kokoro frowned sadly, "So, Ryuji-niichan isn't mine?"
"I can be your brother if you want," said Ryuji.
"Really?" Kokoro's eyes sparkled.
"Um, Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha whispered into Ryuji's ear. "I think she was thinking more along the lines of you being her boyfriend." Ryuji blinked. "She has a crush on you."
"She does?" he responded as Kokoro started to cuddle his arm with a warm blush on her face. He stared. How could he have missed that?
"Well, if she's satisfied then it looks like the contract is complete," said Eros. He was about to walk over to the little girl when sand poured out from Kotonoha and Ryuji's clothing, before forming into their Imagin partners. Kokoro gasped in shock when they saw this. Loki had his arms crossed as Athena placed her hands to her hips.
"You're not going into the past to cause trouble," said Loki defensively.
"If you wish to harm this girl," said Athena as she went for her sword. "You must go through us."
"You misunderstand," said Eros. "I don't want to destroy anything. I just want to spread love."
Everyone stared and facefaulted at the blunt admittance.
"Spread…love?" asked Ryuji. "Are you kidding me?"
"No," Eros shook his head. "This form has given me a reason to live for! I shall live for love and spread it!"
"Great, he's delusional," mumbled Ryuji.
"Onee-chan, Ryuji-niichan!" Kokoro exclaimed in surprise, "You have sand people too?"
"They are called Imagin," said Ryuji. The secret was out, might as well tell Kokoro. "This is Loki."
"And my partner is Athena," said Kotonoha.
"Partner?" questioned Kokoro.
"It's when an Imagin becomes bound to a person by their contracts," explained Loki. "From the day I came to being, I vowed to serve Ryuji."
"And I've made a vow to protect Lady Kotonoha," stated Athena.
"I see," Kokoro nodded.
"Kokoro-chan," said Ryuji as he tried to pull his arm away from the little girl, with limited success. "Eros shot me with one of his arrows." Kokoro gasped.
"Eros-niichan!" she exclaimed.
"Hey, I use my arrows to induce love," Eros said defensively. "It's how my power works."
"Yet, even if the wish is somewhat granted," frowned Ryuji. "You're still not going to the past."
"I know," Eros sighed. "But, I can still do this!" He turned into a golden orb and then darted into Kokoro's body.
"Damn it!" cursed Ryuji.
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha scolded. "Language!"
"Gomen, Koto-chan," he apologized.
Kokoro removed her arms from Ryuji and felt a warm feeling inside of her. "Eros-niichan?"
Eros replied, 'I didn't exactly grant your wish, so I think I'll stay in here and figure out a way to do it. For now, I want to rest.'
Makoto looked out his window. Valentine's Day was coming and he was expecting chocolate from Sekai. But still, he did want more chocolates too? Maybe a few dozen? Was that being greedy? He didn't think so.
A golden orb hovered outside his window. It observed him for a second before bobbing up and down and then flying off.
It was several days later when Valentine's Day finally arrived. Since Eros really wasn't causing trouble, Ryuji didn't have any excuse to try and hurt him. Besides, if he was just trying to help Kokoro then he had even less reason to take him down. He seemed okay, and Kokoro just adored him, but Ryuji was just annoyed by him. He was always spouting out about love and such, but the most annoying thing was that he would always give Kokoro support and encouragement in her campaign to snag Ryuji as a boyfriend just like her sister had.
"This is giving me a headache," Ryuji sighed. He and Kotonoha were on the train heading for school. Kokoro had tracked him down and given him a big box of chocolates that she and Eros had picked out. It was in his backpack. The annoying part was the card that said 'please be my boyfriend too' on it.
"I don't think Kokoro-chan knows how relationships work entirely," Kotonoha giggled. She wasn't worried about Kokoro's behavior. Kokoro was just young and experiencing her first crush. She would get over it soon enough.
Thinking about relationships got Kotonoha's mind to turn towards her own Valentine's Day gift. She almost squealed in excitement when she thought about it. She and Sekai had been searching for a surprise for their boyfriends for a while and finally found what they were looking for. She couldn't wait to show it to Ryuji later.
Ryuji just enjoyed the feeling of sitting next to Kotonoha while holding her close. As he tried to keep Eros out of his mind, he heard sighing. Turning his gaze to the sound, he saw several girls with blushes on their faces looking his way. He quirked his eyebrow and all the girls squealed before they turned away.
"Do all girls act weird on this day?" Ryuji asked his girlfriend.
"If we have the right guy," Kotonoha smiled. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Ryuji shrugged. He pushed the oddly-acting girls out of his mind. He figured they all saw some guy near him and went all fangirl over him. He knew girls beyond those that knew him would try to talk to him.
He already made plans to spend Valentine's Day with Kotonoha, but more often than not the best laid plans would get derailed by the most unexpected of things and for one Ryuji Hasuma he was going to have one really unexpected day.
"Ohayo!" Neko greeted Kotonoha and Ryuji at the gate of Sakakino High School. With her was Kenzaki.
"Ohayo, Neko-san, Kenzaki-san," Kotonoha greeted.
"Hey," Ryuji greeted.
"So, how's that Cupid Imagin problem?" asked Kenzaki in deep interest. The two GaroLiner Hunters had heard about Eros a few days ago.
"Presently, he's still alive," Ryuji said grouchily.
"You don't sound too happy," observed Neko.
"Neko-nee, that 'fairy' is annoying enough to make me want to kill him," spoke up Ryuji. "Unfortunately, he hasn't done anything remotely evil so I have to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"You just don't want to upset Kokoro-chan," teased Neko. Ryuji blushed.
"That's not true!" he denied.
"Whatever," Kenzaki rolled his eyes. "Well, Happy Valentine's Day to the both of you."
"You got your gift yet?" questioned Ryuji.
"We have plans," replied Kenzaki. "You?"
"The same."
"Ryuji-kun, let's go before the late bell rings," said Kotonoha as she tugged on her boyfriend's arm.
"Right," nodded Ryuji. "Well, see you in class, Kenzaki."
The two Hunters watched as the Rider and his girlfriend walked through the gate. The wielder of Gekiryuken instantly took notice of something.
"Is it just me," Neko began. "Or are all the girls checking Ifrit-chan out?"
"I don't know, but it's not you," answered Kenzaki. "There might be something more about this Cupid Imagin than meets the eye."
At the shoe lockers, as soon as Ryuji opened his, several colorful wrapped up boxes spilled out it. He gawked as he saw half a dozen of these boxes and he squatted down to inspect them. He picked up one that was blue with pink hearts on it along with a red bow. "What's this?"
Kotonoha gasped, "Valentine's Day chocolates!"
"Are you sure?" he responded as he picked each of them up. "Because I thought most of the girls were afraid of me."
Kotonoha narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth in jealousy. She spoke in a sweet voice, "Ryuji-kun, what are you going to do with those?" The look in her eyes frightened him and the tone of her voice sent shivers down his spine, unpleasant shivers.
"Well…" He took out his indoor shoes and slipped out of his sneakers. "I'm not sure." He shoved the chocolates into his locker along with his sneakers. "But I guess I'll keep them here for now." He put on his indoor shoes.
Kotonoha frowned. She was hoping that he would just throw them away. However, she was also confused. Ryuji had a bad reputation around school so who would send him chocolates. She had to get to the bottom of this.
She felt Ryuji's hand squeezing hers and looked up to see his smiling face, something nobody else ever saw, and smiled back. "Let's go, Koto-chan."
"Hai," she nodded as they both walked hand in hand into the building. All the while, several girls were watching them go with blushes on their faces.
In class, as soon as Kenzaki entered, he took notice of the girls checking Ryuji out. Currently, the long haired boy was reviewing some homework with Kotonoha. He even saw Natsumi, Minami, Kumi and Otome looking at Ryuji with blushes on their faces. Kenzaki cocked his eyebrow curiously. Didn't Ryuji notice nearly all the girls just staring at him?
Apparently not. It would appear that Ryuji and Ryuki were both dense when it came to girls being attracted to them.
"OK, now I get it," said Ryuji as he corrected one of the equations. "Arigato, Koto-chan." He would've kissed her cheek but then the teacher came into the room. Kenzaki went to his seat and sat down as the teacher opened up the record book and started counting heads.
During PE class, the attention Ryuji was getting increased. The boys were having a basketball game while the girls were doing some gymnastics. Kenzaki could sense that the girls were looking at Ryuji as he performed a perfect three-point shot and then a slam dunk. When he removed his shirt, the girls started to squeal.
"OK, since when has he gotten so popular?" Kenzaki wondered out loud.
Later, in the cafeteria, during lunch period, Neko just gaped at Kenzaki over her bowl of ramen. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm not kidding," said Kenzaki. "I even saw some of the girls trying to sneak into the showers."
"OK," Neko frowned. "Since when has Ifrit-chan been popular with girls?"
"He has a pretty bad reputation that repels most girls," stated Kenzaki, "He scares them off most of the time or insults them without a care. I can't see him being popular like this so easily…it doesn't make sense."
"He hasn't noticed, has he?" Neko deadpanned.
"Not to my knowledge," said Kenzaki.
"Looks like he and Ryu-chan have that in common. They're both extremely clueless when it comes to girls they don't have interest in but have interest in them."
"That true?"
"I had a front row seat to the whole thing way back when. They're as dense as bricks."
"Okay, I am seriously getting ticked," Ryuji scowled. "I'm tired of this stuff going on and it has to stop!"
"Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha sighed.
"I'm serious!" Ryuji frowned. "I mean, these chocolates keep popping up. Where are they coming from? There can't be that many girls in the school."
Ryuji's day hadn't been going as scheduled. All day, cards and chocolate had been snuck into every possible place where he could find them. His shoe locker was just the beginning. His desk was filled with various gifts and such. Heck, somehow his gym bag had gotten some stuff in it. Sadly, all his gym clothes had been stolen at the same time. He silently swore to get to the bottom of the mess he was in.
Kotonoha had been having the worst day so far. She had been seeing girls checking out her boyfriend all day and she hated it. Worse, some of the cards were very explicit in what they wanted from Ryuji. Others had even set up meetings in janitor closets or unused classrooms, saying they were waiting for him. Fortunately, for Kotonoha's nerves, Ryuji either tossed the cards out or tried to find discrete ways to get rid of the chocolate. Today was just reminding Kotonoha of the days where Makoto had been cheating on her. She was losing him then and she didn't even notice. She didn't want some other girl to try and seduce Ryuji away from her.
Both were on the roof, having lunch together. Loki had prepared Ryuji's bento and the boy was sharing his food with the girl he loved. Kotonoha also made food for Ryuji so now both of them were sitting on the rooftop on a blanket.
Ryuji's lunch was made up of three onigiri that were double the size of normal ones. Ryuji had a large appetite, true, but even this was a little much. He'd given one to Kotonoha to enjoy, and she was surprised that an Imagin could cook so well. Ryuji explained that Imagin were once humans whose world was erased while they lost their physical bodies. So, it just came naturally.
"I think that Cupid-teme is responsible for this," accused Ryuji.
"What makes you think that?" Kotonoha asked.
"His arrows make anyone he wants fall in love with anyone he wants," said Ryuji. "Maybe he just shot his arrows at all the girls to make them fall for me."
"That doesn't sound nice, but I don't think he would go that far. He didn't seem evil," Kotonoha frowned.
"You don't have to be evil to pull pranks," Ryuji retorted. "The one thing that annoys me is that I can't beat up girls. If they were Imagin, maybe, but I can't hit girls."
"You can't?"
"I don't hit women, unless they hit me first," recited Ryuji. "It's a code of honor that Ryuki and I share."
"Well, hopefully this will all blow over," said Kotonoha with a smile.
"Hopefully," sighed Ryuji. "Now, I'm ready for dessert." He grinned.
She blinked. "Dessert?" She was caught by surprise as Ryuji leaned over and stole a quick kiss.
"Um…" he licked his lips. "Strawberry lip gloss. My fave."
Kotonoha giggled. "Oh, you naughty boy!" She then tackled him onto the ground and kissed him passionately.
"I have the feeling that right now those two are getting it on," said Kenzaki as he finished his plate of fried rice.
"You're talking like they're a bunch of nymphos," said Neko as she slurped some more of her noodles.
"You know they do it a lot," said Kenzaki.
"They just love each other really much. That's how they show it, but I don't think they have the guts to do it on school grounds."
"You'll never know." Kenzaki then began thinking, 'If that's how Ryuji and Kotonoha show their love…how do Neko and I show ours?'
"Ryuji-kun, we can't do it up here," Kotonoha reminded. She was buttoning up her shirt and fixing her bowtie. "We might get caught."
"I know, but it was worth a shot," he retorted. He didn't want to put his jacket or tie back on anyway. "It's just that you look so good, I can't help myself."
"I trust that you won't take advantage of me," she smiled.
"Hey, I know when a girl says no and means it," he crossed his arms. "I may have been evil but I still have a code of honor." He caught Kotonoha frowning. "What's wrong?"
"You're not evil," she stated.
"I was, Koto-chan," he said with a sigh. "A long time I thought I was. I was locked up because of that too."
"But you're not anymore," Kotonoha said.
"Yes, I know," he nodded. He'd made her upset. What kind of boyfriend was he? He wasn't evil, but he still had some evil impulses remaining inside of him. He couldn't shake them off. It was his nature. But…after getting his own body and spending time in this world, he understood why Ryuki wanted to protect the people around him. He never understood it locked up in that prison. He just helped his other half because he loved to fight. Now…he finally found someone he loved more than fighting. The irony was that he fought to protect her.
"Sorry for upsetting you," he apologized. He checked his watch, "Come on, let's clean up. The bell is about to ring."
"I DO NOT FREAKING BELIEVE THIS!" exclaimed Ryuji as he and Kotonoha returned to class. What they saw nearly made Ryuji explode in annoyance and Kotonoha explode in jealousy. Piled up on Ryuji's desk were love notes, Valentine's Day cards and chocolates. "Is there something wrong with the girls here or something!"
"Ryuji-kun, calm down," said Kotonoha, trying to calm him down while quelling her own jealousy induced anger. "Maybe they're not for you. Maybe they got the wrong desk." He gave her a deadpan look.
Kenzaki came into the class and saw the pile of gifts on Ryuji's desk. He stared at the single box of chocolates Neko had given him and felt a little envious. Of course, he didn't need to. It wasn't quantity that mattered, but quality.
"Hey, you two," Kenzaki said as he came in. "What's up?"
"You need to ask?" Ryuji glared at his fellow Rider.
"You know, most guys would love to be in your place. You're like the centre of attention. You're the most popular boy in school."
"I'd rather not be. I just don't get how these girls can like me so much. Look at my reputation!"
"Maybe they're attracted by you because you're the dangerous bad-boy type," suggested Kenzaki. "It's a possibility."
Ryuji moved towards his desk and just stared at the assortment of chocolates, notes and cards. Something strange was definitely going on since it looked like the entire female student body had suddenly started liking him. He cursed and swore a lot because he didn't want this attention and he built up his reputation to avoid as much female attention as possible. The only female attention he wanted was from Kotonoha and even that was currently being threatened.
"I don't want any of these girls," Ryuji growled as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He turned to face his girlfriend. "I just want you."
Kotonoha smiled and held Ryuji's arm comfortingly. He may have been acting tough, but this was really bothering him. It was like being mobbed but worse. Instead of being hated where he could fight his way out, he would be trapped since they didn't want to hurt him. It hadn't gotten to that point yet, but if things escalated like they had been so far, these love-struck girls might just try that.
"It will be okay, Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha smiled as she gently rubbed his shoulder to try and calm him down. "When today is over, we can go on a nice romantic date with just the two of us."
"How did you know what I had planned for you?" Ryuji smiled with a small purr in his voice. "Of course, I do plan to make it a night to remember for you."
"Every time I spend with you is a moment to remember," Kotonoha smiled. Somehow, Ryuji had made her insecurities vanish while she tried to do the same to him.
"Oh sure," Ryuji chuckled. "Make my job that much harder."
Kotonoha giggled as Ryuji wrapped her up in a hug. What they didn't notice was several girls peeking into the classroom with vehement jealousy on their faces.
"You know, if you want to be all mushy, you could wait till I left," said Kenzaki.
"Go away," ordered Ryuji.
Makoto sat in class, listening to Taisuke complaining about not getting any chocolates. Makoto, himself, had gotten some chocolate from Sekai but he just couldn't believe the rumor he was hearing about Ryuji. How could Ryuji, who purposely repelled girls, get so many Valentine's cards and chocolates? It just didn't make sense to him.
Makoto was jealous. Ryuji had gotten Kotonoha as a girlfriend. Though Makoto was with Sekai, he did still have some feelings for Kotonoha. But, he just had to accept that they'd broken up. But still, Makoto should've gotten more chocolates than Ryuji.
The golden orb darted through the window and floated above Makoto. It observed him before darting into his body, unnoticed. Makoto stood up and went out of class, headed for the bathroom.
Inside the bathroom, he stood over the sink and stared into the mirror. Sand began to pour out of his clothing and then piled up beside him. The pile on floor became the upper half of a humanoid being with its legs dangling above him. Makoto was shocked when he saw this thing.
"Do you have a wish? I'd like to hear it. Come on, don't be shy," the Imagin said.
Ryuji had shoved all the chocolates, notes and cards under his desk, waiting for the right time to dispose of them. The girls were all staring at him adoringly as the boys looked upon him in contempt and jealousy. Ryuji didn't seem to care. He now just looked bored as the teacher lectured in front. Kotonoha was diligently taking notes as he looked ready to fall asleep. He knew he should be paying attention, but how was all this going to help him in future?
Kotonoha had asked him about what he would do after he graduated and he just told her that he would continue fighting the Imagin. But then she posed a question. What would he do when it was all over? Didn't he have plans to go to college?
His grades from the last few tests had stunk. How would he ever get into a good college with these kinds of results? Of course, Kotonoha had gotten the number one spot and he'd gotten…well he wasn't last but it wasn't exactly something to brag about. The only subject he did well at was PE.
Kotonoha wanted to go to Tokyo University and really hoped Ryuji would go with her. Still, it was hard for him to pay attention. He may be a student, but he was also a fighter.
Suddenly, the door burst wide open and at the same time his watch beeped. Everyone looked towards the door to see a large brown figure coming into class.
"GIVE ME ALL YOUR CHOCOLATES!" the figure bellowed. It was an Imagin. Now, normally an Imagin would be scary and threatening. However, that was not the case here as the Imagin looked like a big Gingerbread man. His entire body was golden brown, with black dots for eyes, purple gumdrop buttons and a licorice bowtie. Ryuji and the rest of the class stared at the Imagin.
"You have got to be kidding me," muttered Ryuji. Still, an Imagin was an Imagin and this one was evil, even if its demands sounded stupid. At least it came when Ryuji was feeling bored.
The Imagin grabbed the teacher by his shirt and tossed him into the blackboard. It started to scan the area and then its eyes fell upon Ryuji. "YOU! GIVE ME ALL YOUR-"
"Here you go," Ryuji said nonchalantly, dumping all the chocolates he'd been given on his desk. "It's all yours."
The Imagin blinked and grinned. "Thanks." The Gingerbread Imagin started to collect all the boxes of chocolate into a sack it'd brought with him. The Imagin then eyed Kotonoha. "You have chocolate! Give it here!"
"No!" she objected defiantly.
"I said give it to me!" the Gingerbread Imagin went to grab her but Ryuji's hand grabbed its wrist.
"Sorry, but if she has something for me, I want it, so you can't have it," said Ryuji with a growl. He balled his other fist and threw it into the Imagin's face, causing it to scramble backwards and drop its sack. Ryuji flicked his wrist as everyone gaped at him. Kenzaki rolled his eyes.
"Showoff," the Wolf Rider muttered. Kenzaki just thought he'd let Ryuji fight this one. This Imagin was ridiculous even for him.
"You…BASTARD!" the Imagin roared and then it increased in height, becoming 10 feet tall as it increased in muscle mass. "HOW DARE YOU!"
The rest of the class screamed and high-tailed it out of there as Ryuji and Kotonoha stared, wide-eyed, at the larger Imagin. Kenzaki watched from his seat and decided to intervene when he needed.
Sand spilt out from Kotonoha and reformed into Athena, whom glared at Ryuji. "Once again, like a typical male, you put my Lady Kotonoha at risk."
"Just get Koto-chan out of here!" he ordered. "I'll distract Mr. Gingerbread here!" He took out his belt and Rider Pass. Kenzaki stepped down to stand next to him. "Kenzaki?"
"Hey, I'm bored too," shrugged Kenzaki.
The Gingerbread Imagin roared and slammed his fists down on the two Riders. Athena grabbed Kotonoha and jumped out of the way as Ryuji and Kenzaki leapt up, belts fastened and Rider Passes gripped tightly.
"Henshin!" the two called out.
"IFRIT FORM!"
"HUNTER FORM!"
"Gekiwaza! Ban Ban Chu!"
"Gengi! Jigoku Tsume!"
Ifrit swiped the Imagin in the face with claws of Mythical Ki as Garoh smashed his fist into its head. The Imagin roared in pain and toppled backwards as the two Riders landed and did their respective Beast Fist poses.
"Iron Will! GekiJyu Wolf-Ken! Garoh!"
"Infernal Demon! GenJyu Ifrit-Ken! Ifrit!"
Ice covered the Gingerbread Imagin's face from where Ifrit slashed it and it growled. It pushed itself back up to its feet and then charged at the two Riders.
The wall exploded as the Imagin smashed through it, the two Riders doing somersaults to avoid its swipes. Garoh then bounded off the ground and then swung his leg at the Imagin, "Ro Ro Shu!" The kick sent the Imagin staggering backwards.
There was a crowd of students forming and at the sight of Ifrit, they excitably went, "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Oh, Kami! It's Ifrit!"
"I want his autograph!"
"Does anyone have a camera phone?"
"Oh, for crying out loud," Ifrit groaned when he hard all this. It would appear the girls' admiration for his Rider alter-ego had also increased. He so did not need this. Fangirls were just so annoying.
When the Imagin laid its eyes on Makoto, it grinned. Shrinking back to normal size, it then ran towards the boy, holding several chocolates it'd managed to get. The crowd panicked as the Imagin came close and it tossed the chocolates to Makoto. "Contract Complete!" the Imagin shouted, splitting Makoto open and revealing the swirling green portal before darting inside.
"Kuso!" cursed Ifrit as he and Garoh ran to the boy. They took out their tickets and held them over Makoto's head. The tickets displayed the Imagin's image along with the date: 10th April 2007.
"Oi," said Garoh, catching Makoto's attention. "What happened on this day?"
Makoto gazed on the date and said, "That was when I first saw Kotonoha."
Ifrit gritted his teeth and removed his Pass from his belt to slide in the time ticket, while at the same time shrugging of the girls who wanted his autograph. "I'm going," he said. The tune of the ChronoLiner played and said train appeared out of its portal and raced above the crowd. Ifrit jumped up, caught a door by its frame and pulled himself inside. The ChronoLiner then vanished into an exit portal.
"Wait for me!" called Garoh as his train came and he jumped aboard, entering its own portal.
10th April 2007
Makoto gazed on the beautiful girl as she looked upon the class assignments during the entrance ceremony. He wanted to talk to her so much. Suddenly, his body convulsed as sand spilt from his clothes. The sand then reformed into the Gingerbread Imagin, now laughing gleefully as he was in the past. Upon seeing the monster, everyone let out a scream.
"Now, to do some damage!" the Imagin shouted. It sucked in air to increase in size, growing 15 feet in height. With a roar, it started to attack the school building, smashing it apart with its fists.
The ChronoLiner appeared in the air and one of the doors slid open. Ifrit leapt out of it and down towards the Imagin.
"DON'T THINK SO, TEME!" Ifrit shouted, brandishing his swords. He slashed at the Imagin's eyes who howled in pain. Ifrit landed on one knee before standing up. "Heh, didn't think I could follow you, huh?"
The Imagin roared and a stray fist hit a portion of the building, causing several chunks of it to fall upon the students. Ifrit heard a familiar scream and turned his head to see Kotonoha. His eyes widened as one of the chunks hit her on the head and she collapsed, blood oozing from the wound. He froze in horror.
"KOTO-CHAN!" he shouted. The Imagin recovered and kicked Ifrit away. The Rider tumbled along the ground, his swords vanishing. He stopped facedown and pushed himself onto his hands and knees. He looked across from him to see Kotonoha, injured, and it was all his fault. She could be dead and he…
He had to save her. He had to…
The tune of the GaroLiner played and Garoh dropped down next to Ifrit. "Hey, Ifrit!"
"It's my fault…" Ifrit spoke.
"Huh?"
"She got hurt…"
Garoh wondered what Ifrit meant but got his answer when he pointed to where Kotonoha's past self was lying on the ground. Garoh ordered, "Go and get her out of here. I'll finish off Mr. Gingerbread."
Ifrit nodded and dashed towards Kotonoha. Garoh decided to switch forms and pressed the red button before swiping his Pass over the buckle.
"SAVAGE FORM!"
The Imagin was too busy going on a rampage to notice Ifrit coming for Kotonoha. The Rider picked up her prone body and cradled her in his arms like a bride, before carrying her away. She had blood covering her face and probably had a concussion. He was relieved to see her alive. He could never forgive himself if anything bad were to happen to the girl he loved.
The Imagin suddenly found itself being bombarded by gunshots and turned its head to look at Garoh, who'd assumed his draconic Savage Form. "Everything burns!" shouted Garoh, "Let me light the fire!" The Gingerbread Imagin roared and charged at Garoh, ready to crush him under its feet. Garoh smirked and swiped the Pass over his belt.
"FULL CHARGE!"
"One gingerbread man, done extra black and crispy, coming right up!" shouted Garoh as he aimed his gun at the monster. It was charging up and a ball of fire formed at the barrel. He aimed and then pulled the trigger, letting loose the crackling ball of flames. It made impact on the Imagin's head and it exploded. The Imagin, now headless, toppled forward as it shrunk. Its body then exploded in a fiery blaze. Garoh watched, satisfied, but wondered where Ifrit had gone to.
"You're going to be okay," said Ryuji reassuringly as he ran with Kotonoha in his arms. He was looking for a hospital, or at least a clinic. "Damn it, where is it?" he growled. He'd made a makeshift bandage out of one of his sleeves and wrapped it around her wound. He then found a hospital, thanked god, and went in. "I need help!" he shouted as he stood in the lobby, "Please, this girl's injured!" He hoped his pleas for help would be answered.
The nurses immediately came to his aid, taking the girls off his hands and onto a stretcher. Kotonoha opened her eyes slightly to look at the boy.
"Who…who are you?" she asked. He gave her a soft smile.
He said mysteriously, "You'll find out soon enough."
"Huh?" Kotonoha noticed she was blushing as she gazed at his smiling face before her mysterious savior turned around and walked out.
The Present…
As soon as he returned, Ryuji hugged Kotonoha tightly, whispering, "You're okay," repeatedly. He was relieved. He'd never been so afraid in his life.
"I am," Kotonoha smiled as she returned the hug. As she held the distraught boy, a stray thought crossed her mind. "Ryuji-kun…did something happen to me in the past?"
"Uhhh," Ryuji gulped as he leaned back. His hands were still clamped onto Kotonoha's hips. "Remember when Itou first saw you? At the entrance ceremony?"
"A little fuzzy," Kotonoha replied. "I remember a monster and then the doctors said I got hit in the head. After that, I was told a boy…that was you!"
"Me?" Ryuji asked innocently.
"You were the one who saved me!" Kotonoha gasped in realization. "You were the one who took me to the hospital!"
"I wondered if you would remember," Ryuji sighed. "Are you mad at me?"
"For what?" asked Kotonoha. "You were just doing your job. There was no way you could have known I was in danger."
"Maybe," Ryuji frowned. "But what kind of boyfriend am I if I can't even protect the girl I love?"
"Don't say that!" Kotonoha cried. "You're the best boyfriend a girl could hope for! A lot of people just can't see that! I feel so blessed that I have you in my life! I thank Kami-sama for it all the time!"
"I'm glad to have met you too," he said, smiling. He then turned serious, "Of course, there's another issue."
"Which is?"
"I need to have a chat with your little sister's Imagin."
"Why?"
"I have a feeling he's responsible for this whole mess I've been in all day," Ryuji answered. She knew that look on his face. He was going to get answers even if he had to beat them out of someone.
"Oh, before you do that, I got something to give you," said Kotonoha. He reluctantly let her go as she dug into her bag for something. She then pulled out a blue box with a black bow ribbon. "Here, this is for you."
"Valentine's Day chocolate?" he asked as he held it in his hand.
"Made by my own hands," Kotonoha nodded.
"Arigatou, Koto-chan," he smiled. He then dug into his pocket and pulled out an item. He turned his hand over and opened his palm to reveal a beautiful ring that looked like it'd been made from crystal. "This is for you." She gasped.
With a trembling hand, she took the ring and then slipped it on. She was surprised at how cold it felt but it wasn't unpleasant or uncomfortable. She stared at it, "Sugoi…it's beautiful..." The 'stone' on the band was shaped like a heart.
"Took me a pretty long time to make it just right," he told her. He then pulled her into a hug. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ore no Tenshi (my angel)." Kotonoha sighed as she closed her eyes.
"Aishiteru, Watashi no Senshi (my warrior)," she replied.