Chapter 2: Quiet Girls and Troubled Stars
Kumuro sat on the couch, screaming like a little girl. The image of Kanon on the widescreen hi-def TV excited him. She stood amongst other singers, smiling at the crowd and waving at them. Kirino entered the living room, checking up on his son. Her luscious purple hair glowed from the energy-efficient lights hanging on the ceiling. Her ruby red eyes glimmer from the TV. The host carefully opened up the letter on his hands.
"And the winner of this year's NNS Best Newcomer artist… Goes to…"
He pulled out a piece of paper from the letter. His eyes looked down, studying the imprinted words carefully. He threw it away from him, showing his gleaming face.
"I don't believe this! It's our rising idol Nakagawa Kanon!"
Kumuro jumped off the sofa, raising his legs up. He screamed loudly, forcing Kirino to cover her ears. He clapped his hands in joy, bouncing on the sofa. The song called out of the TV, soothing Kumuro's happy head. Kirino grumbled, annoyed of the song and her son's obsessions.
"If I knew I have raised an idol-loving weirdo, I would've gotten an abortion ages ago…"
Kumuro turned around, staring at Kirino.
"Oh mother! You exaggerate too much."
Kirino clenched her fists.
"Boys are supposed to be tough! Watching something like this and screaming at that girl degrades your manhood!"
Kumuro blinked at her.
"I just love her songs. I don't find any problems with myself."
Kirino quickly pointed at Kumuro.
"Look! A spider!"
Kumuro screamed like a girl and jumped off the couch. Kirino rolled her eyes, leaving behind her scared son inside the living room. Kumuro slowly lifted his body up.
"That's very mean of you, mother!"
Kumuro quietly sat at his desk. He stared at the students huddling together and holding their cameras. Some cameras were bigger than others. Some were small enough for a few people to notice. One student placed his laptop on his lap, typing quickly on his keyboard. He tilted his head to the right, noticing the corridors packed up, like a herd of cattle. He scratched his head, wondering why many students are around him. He turned to his right, finding Chihiro and another girl talking amongst each other.
"Excuse me girls. D'ya know what's going on?"
Chihiro stared at Kumuro's face. She gave him a disappointed look.
"It's that follower again…"
The girl turned her head, following what Chihiro's looking at.
"Oh. Didn't you know?"
Kumuro blinked at the girl.
"Know what?"
"Today's the day Kanon-chan moved to this school. She'll be attending this class."
Kumuro widened his eyes, feeling a powerful rush of energy in his head.
Keima sat on a bench, feeling the breeze brushing his hair. The bright sun shined from the top of the building. He's tapping his buttons quickly, rushing himself to complete a game. His brain ached from some girl near him talking to herself. His eyes squinted, determined to overcome his obstacles. I need no more interruptions for today! Kys4r4000 needs my help by today! A huge shadow crept onto his body, blocking the sun. He slowly lowered his PFP down, wondering who's in front of him.
"Hello there!"
Kanon stood in front of Keima, smiling brightly. Her back was leaning towards him. Her short fluorescent pink hair brightened from the sun. Her glasses formed reflections of his face. Her soft baby face reminded him of some ditzy girl from a juice ad.
"Do you know where I can find Class 2-B?"
Keima blinked at her, studying her face.
"Who are you?"
Kanon blinked back at him. Keima lifted his PFP, resuming his mission.
"I'm busy. Please leave me alone."
Kanon studied the PFP on his hands. Kanon slowly fixed her back straight. She turned her body, extending her arms out. She flexed her hands and chuckled to herself.
"That's right. There are also people who had never heard of me before…"
She stared at her hands for a while. Her eyes twitched. Her hands and arms shook. Feeling the silence irritating her, she quickly pulled out her taser. She darted it towards Keima's face, attacking him senseless. Keima screamed in agony, feeling his body imbued with hazardous electric shocks. His body blackened from extreme heat. He jumped away from her, landing on the ground. Kanon formed a sad face, pointing her taser at him.
"Wh... Why don't you know me..?"
Keima twitched his body, feeling numb.
"I'm… I'm not really an idol…"
Kanon slowly walked towards Keima.
"I… I really am a nobody…"
Keima slowly turned his head, seeing Kanon coming for his head.
"Stop making me insecure!"
Kanon lowered herself to Keima, lunging her taser forward. Keima screamed again, absorbing more electric shocks. Keima's body jerked violently, trying to escape from Kanon's fury. Kumuro ran towards Keima, waving his arms at him.
"Hey Keima buddy! You wouldn't believe this, but Kanon's here in this school!"
Kumuro stood near Keima.
"And she's also in the same class too! How awesome is-"
Kanon turned away from Keima, lifting her taser off him. Keima's eyes twirled around, feeling his brain dizzy. Kumuro's eyes watered, opening it out wide. His jaw dropped at the sight of Kanon's face. He screamed like a girl, bursting Keima's ears.
"OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!"
Kumuro quickly pulled his bag of his back whilst dashing towards Kanon. He pulled out album CDs, books, pencil cases, cups, and DVDs containing pictures of Kanon on the covers. His face sparkled like a star.
"Kanon-chan, I am like your biggest fan EVER!"
He extended his arms out, showing her his collection.
"I will be gobsmacked if you can sign all of these for me!"
Kanon blinked at Kumuro. Shrugging off the confusion, she smiled. Feeling wanted from Kumuro, she quickly holstered her taser and pulled a permanent marker from her pocket.
"Sure! Whatever my fan wants!"
Kanon collected each item from Kumuro's hands, scribbling on it. Keima slowly raised his body from the ground. He lifted his PFP from the bottom, staring at the screen. He then cried, finding his screen appearing black. Why? Why my PFP? Is this reality's doing? Why would reality do this to me? As Kanon placed the items back on Kumuro's hands, his eyes glowed in glee.
"I am so psyched! Having a famous person at my school… Best day of my life!"
Kanon blushed, placing her hands on her delicate cheeks.
"I'm not really close to that…"
Kanon elevated her head, facing the sun.
"Hopefully when I do get famous, everyone will be touched by my songs."
Kumuro pushed the items back inside his bag. He then placed his hand on his heart.
"Your soothing songs always had me at hello!"
He pointed his finger at Keima.
"I'm sure my class-buddy of mine will be touched too…"
Kanon's eyes twitched.
"Cl… Class-buddy?"
Kanon placed her marker inside her pocket and pulled out her taser. She lunged it against Keima, causing him to scream again. Kumuro scratched his head, feeling confused. Keima's body jerked violently from excess electricity.
"Even people from the same class don't know me!"
Keima dropped to the ground, feeling KO'd from her tasers. She pointed her taser, making her killing blow on him.
"What's your name?"
Her voice sounded like a monster ready to devour him alive. Keima shook his body, feeling fear crawling inside him.
"K-k-katsuragi!"
Kanon took a step forward, causing Keima to flinch and whimpering like a dog.
"Katsuragi-kun!"
She gazed upon his watery eyes. She then ran away from him.
"I will defeat you!"
Kumuro stared at Keima's dying body.
"Wow… What did you do to her?"
Keima gazed upon the sun, making his eyes squint.
"I'm… I'm stepping into the light…"
Keima closed his eyes, gasping for air.
"2D girls' world… Here I… Come…"
Keima's body lied lifelessly on the ground. Kumuro looked around, wondering if anyone's watching.
Keima strolled through the corridors with Kumuro. He formed a poker face on his head, preventing anyone from discovering his fears. Mini Keima huddled his body inside Keima's mind, traumatised of the events. Kumuro stared at his PFP, playing it whilst walking.
"I'm telling you now Keima, whatever you had done to poor Kanon-chan, you should make up with her now!"
Keima shook his head.
"Not after what she had done!"
Kumuro rapidly tapped the buttons, making a monster on the screen scream out in pain.
"Simply ignoring her will force her to cause further destruction on your body you know."
Keima gritted his teeth.
"If there's one thing I hate more than 3D girls, that'll be 3D girls with stun guns!"
Keima clenched his fist forward.
"My last PFP got fried yesterday thanks to her! Now I have to wait for at least a week to replace it!"
Kumuro sighed. He then held out his PFP in front of Keima.
"You can use this until your replacement PFP has arrived..."
Keima stared at Kumuro's PFP.
"No thanks."
Kumuro pushed his PFP inside his pocket as the boys entered the classroom. Keima took a good look around, searching for Kanon's presence.
"Thank god this bitch is absent today..."
Keima strolled to his desk. To his surprise, Keima noticed a CD as he picked it up. Kumuro crept behind Keima, staring at the CD. "To Katsuragi-kun. Please come to yesterday's place after school please. If you don't come, I'll punish you severely!" Keima's hands shook. His eyes widened. He slowly turned around, finding Kumuro walking away from him.
"Hey! Where d'ya think you're going?"
Kumuro turned around.
"Sorry buddy. But this is the only way for you to make up with Kanon-chan."
Kumuro departed the classroom, sending Keima in a fitting rage.
"Come back here! I thought you're supposed to be my friend!"
Kumuro stared at the library, studying its exquisite modern-day structure. The glass windows formed a geometric pattern shining brightly. Wow... This library is very modern indeed! A good place to begin my goals early! He entered inside the library, witnessing many shelves packed around. Many elevators carried students to their destination. Kumuro strolled through the aisles, witnessing books with different shapes and sizes. There are so many shelves here! I might have to ask a librarian for the books I need. He turned his head, facing a girl sitting at her desk. The sign marked "Information desk".
Many books piled up evenly, lying on the desk. He stared at Shiori reading a book. Her black hair shined from the window behind her. The yellow ribbons dangled from each side. Her shiny brown eyes were well focused on the book. She carefully flipped through pages, taking her time. Kumuruo smiled at her, admiring her pale delicate face. He walked towards her, wanting to ask her something.
"Excuse me. Do you know where I can find guides on writing novels?"
Kumuro paused for a moment. Shiori's eyes continued to focus on the book. She flipped a few more pages, reaching the end. She placed the book neatly on the desk and gazed over yonder. Her eyes glimmered, feeling empowered. She smiled from something she had enjoyed. Feeling tired, her eyes slowly closed. Her head tilted down. Kumuro blinked at her. He moved his hands near her ears and started clicking his hands. Within a few clicks, her eyes quickly opened. She quickly faced Kumuro, noticing his presence. Her face blushed at the sight of his face. His eyes glimmered from the sun. His hair swayed side to side.
Snapping out of her gazing, she quickly pulled a few books towards her, holding them tight. She slowly stood up, levelling with Kumuro.
"How... May we serve you your majesty?"
Kumuro blinked at her. He moved his hands away from her.
"Majesty?"
Her faced reddened. She covered her face with her book. Kumuro stared at the title "The queen and the black knights".
"Ah... You must've enjoyed the book a lot!"
Shiori lowered the book slightly.
"H... how may I help you?"
Kumuro smiled at her, showing his friendliness.
"Do you have any books on how to write novels?"
Shiori stared at him. Kumuro scratched his head, wondering if she will reply. He leaned his head forward, taking a closer look. She leaned back in reaction, holding her book against his face.
"Pl... Please come back after school..."
Kumuro blinked at her.
"Umm... Why?"
Kumuro leaned closer to her face. She flinched away, cowering against him. She moved away from him, escaping from his gaze. Kumuro stared at her moving to another location. He then shrugged off the confusion.
"Oh well! Who needs help on writing anyway?"
Kumuro placed a stack of paper in front of him, sitting at a vacant table. He lifted the pen from the pencil cup, writing a few notes down.
"Let's start by practicing romantic comedies!"
Kumuro paused momentarily. He burst out laughing.
"No way am I doing that! There's already lot of them!"
Kumuro drew a spaceship on his piece of paper. Then he drew a samurai.
"How about I have a group of samurais interacting with a whole race of aliens?"
Kumuro sighed, realising something.
"Shit. I got that from Gintama!"
Kumuro laid his head on the ground.
"I wish I have something original to work on..."
Shiori pushed a cart full of books towards Kumuro. She sighed, hoping that Kumuro will notice. Kumuro turned his head facing her. He widened his eyes, amazed at the pile of books stacked inside the cart. Shiori stopped, allowing Kumuro to walk close to the cart.
"Wow... There are so many books in there."
He lifted a book from the pile.
"This book is almost the one I wanted."
He lifted another book up.
"And this one has many tips and exercises for me to do!"
He smiled at Shiori.
"You must have a powerful system with book searching."
Shiori walked towards Kumuro, staring at him. Her cheeks reddened from the look on his face. She sighed, having a lot of things in her mind. Kumuro blinked at her, wondering what she's doing. Her body started shaking, feeling fear devouring her whole. Her eyes were watery at the sight of Kumuro's concerned look. She leaned forward, studying his face. She then turned away from him, retreating to her desk. She sat there and lifted a book from her desk, covering her face. Kumuro shrugged once again, returning to his spot. He placed another piece of paper in front of him.
"Time to get more ideas before commencing my project!"
Shiori lowered her book, gazing upon Kumuro.
Keima moaned, having to sit on the same bench as yesterday. Damn that Kumuro! I couldn't even find him! Keima sighed. Oh well... I guess I have to confront my fears... Keima moved his head away from his lap and stared at Kanon. Her coat covers most of her body. Her huge beanie concealed her hair from the naked eye. She bowed down to Keima.
"I'm sorry Katsuragi-kun... Intentionally asking you to come..."
She frowned at him, showing her determination.
"I'll end it soon through this secret weapon I have made!"
Keima widened his eyes, imagining Kanon pulling a huge stun gun out of her coat.
"S-s-secret weapon?"
Kanon pulled off her hat.
"I'm sorry, but I WILL defeat you!"
She pulled off her glasses and coat, revealing her shiny silver coat. She rushed towards the huge stage and picked up the microphone lying there. She opened her eyes, revealing her glimmering emerald eyes. As the background song played out, she danced and sang to the beat. Her body twirled around, trying to impress Keima. What a waste of time! Feeling something odd, he placed his hands inside his pocket. His hands felt something familiar as he pulled it out. Oh crap! I thought I ran out of spare PFPs. I wonder if it has a game inside... Keima lifted his PFP to eye level and began playing it.
There we go! This will pass time more quickly... Suddenly, Kanon faced Keima. Feeling disappointed, she dropped the microphone and pulled out her taser. Keima looked up, wondering about the song ending too soon. He quickly jumped off the bench, screaming like a girl.
"Oh god! Oh god! OH GOOOOD!"
She marched towards Keima, feeling no mercy for him. Keima screamed like a girl, begging her to stop. A pager inside her shirt beeped. Responding to the beep, she turned away from Keima and collected her possessions on the floor.
"Be here tomorrow again! I will conquer you once and for all."
Keima stared at her running away from him. His hands shook, feeling more traumatised. He then frowned, feeling the fire inside him.
"This Kumuro guy's gonna get the vengeance he deserves!"
Kumuro strolled through the aisle of books.
"Man, writing original stories is sure hard work!"
Kumuro's tucked his hands inside his pocket.
"Maybe reading a few books will get me going..."
He stopped, noticing Shiori standing near the shelves. She pulled each book out of the shelves, placing them inside a box. She took her time gazing upon the covers of each book she pulled out. She sighed, thinking of something terrible. Kumuro approached her closer, taking a good look at the box. Inside contained a piece of paper written "Disposals". She looked up above, being drawn to a huge black book on the top. Slowly, she pushed her body towards the book whilst holding a book in one hand, trying to grab it. Her hands grasped firm of it. The weight of the book made her body lean away.
Losing her balance, her body fell towards the ground. Kumuro rushed towards her, hoping to save Shiori in time. The black book landed on Kumuro's hand. Shiori's eyes were closed, bracing herself for a hard impact. However, she felt her body landed on a smooth comfy surface. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering what had saved her. She slowly turned her head, noticing Kumuro's face. Kumuro smiled at her.
"Are you okay there?"
Shiori blushed as she moved away from him. Kumuro placed the book inside the pile and stared at her. She stared back, studying his face. As she slowly moved closer to him, her body trembled. She looked down, staring at the title of the book "Kei-Zai-Gen-Ron". She lifted her head up, having her cheeks redden more.
"Arigaron!" (Note: This is supposed to be "arigatou/thank you", but the last set of words "tou" is replaced with "ron")
Kumuro blinked at Shiori, feeling confused. She quickly covered her face with the books. She turned away from him, retreating to the box sitting on the cart. She slowly pulled the cart forward, travelling to a different destination. Kumuro turned around, shrugging off the confusion.
"Now that I think about it, I don't think books are a good idea..."
Shiori's body froze. She turned around and slowly approached him.
"Books these days... The number of people reading them has decreased."
Shiori glared at him, feeling offend. She then sighed feeling powerless. She turned away from him, returning to the cart.
"If I think about it, people would just scan the pages and throw every single book away."
Shiori opened her eyes widely.
"Maybe I should go with making manga instead..."
Shiori turned around, frowning at him. Kumuro turned his head, noticing Shiori. She shouted at him, expressing her anger.
"St...Stupid!"
Kumuro turned his body whilst blinking at her.
"What's stupid? Making manga?"
Shiori's eyes watered. Her hands shook. She quickly turned away from him and retreated to the cart. Kumuro stared at her walking away from him. He turned around and shrugged again.
"Nah... I think I should stick to writing novels..."
Kumuro lifted his hands up, staring at the watch.
"Time flies by when you're having fun!"
Kumuro walked away from Shiori. She turned her head and gazed upon Kumuro's back. She sighed, forming a sad look on her face. She then faced away from him. Kumuro travelled through a maze of shelves, reaching the huge door. It opened its mouth, letting him leave the library. Outside the library, Kumuro spotted Keima standing in front of him. He wielded a huge stick on his right hand. He pointed the stick at Kumuro.
"This is for trying to get me killed!"
Keima charged towards Kumuro, possessing the rage of a warrior. He swung his weapon with all his might. Effortlessly, Kumuro grabbed the stick, deflecting Keima's attack. Keima blinked, staring at Kumuro. He tried pulling the stick off Kumuro's hands. His weak arms gasped, begging him to stop. Kumuro glared at Keima, forcing him to shiver in fear.
"Did you make Kanon-chan sad again?"
Kumuro's voice deepened, remind Keima of his scolding mother. Kumuro pulled the stick off Keima and threw it away.
"What did I just tell you to do?"
Keima cowered, feeling his god-like spirit shrinking. Kumuro sighed and shook his head.
"Thanks to your screw-up, you just made the situation for Kanon-chan and yourself much worse..."
Keima frowned.
"And what wrong did I do exactly?"
Kumuro frowned. His face covered in shadows.
"You somehow provoked her, didn't you?"
Keima's frown quickly disappeared.
"Well..."
"Stop provoking her and set things RIGHT!"
Kumuro jumped back, landing his back on the ground. Kumuro's shadow disappeared, revealing his cheery smile. He walked towards him and held his hands out stretching afar.
"In the meanwhile, let's go and give ourselves some treat!"
Keima stared at Kumuro walking past him. He could turn out to be some psychopath...
"Today's Wednesday!"
Kumuro pulled out his usually cheery face. He stared at the library shining brightly from the sun.
"Hopefully, I will get some more ideas before my project commences!"
Kumuro entered the library, finding the same table he used yesterday. He placed the books he grabbed from shelves on it and sat down. Hearing noises from another tabled, Kumuro faced a group of people sitting amongst each other. Shiori scribbled some notes on her books, minding her own business. A girl stood up and spoke to the crowd
"Today, I'd like to proudly say that our newest addition, the audio visual booth, will be welcomed dearly."
The crowd clapped for her. Shiori sighed.
"Of course the renovations inside the library gulped up most of the school budget, but it'll be worth the wait."
The girl pointed her fingers to the ceiling.
"Once we dispose many books that were from these renovated areas, it'll be set for next week,"
Shiori stood up, staring at the girl. The crowd stared at her, wondering what she wanted.
"Shiori, what's wrong?" the girl asked.
The crowd then faced each other, giving out opinions to each other.
"Maybe there's something she needed to say?"
"It's probably a bathroom question."
"Well since we all agree on this exciting development, let's end this week's meeting!"
Kumuro stared at Shiori standing there. The crowd walked out of the table, walking away from her. Kumuro snapped out of his daydream and noticed a small book away from him.
"Ooo! A puzzle book!"
He grabbed the book and pulled out his pen. He scribbled on a few pages, making him smile with content. Shirio sighed as she walked away from the table. She strolled through the aisle, walking towards Kumuro. Just as she went past him, her eyes opened widely. She turned around and noticed the scribbles printed on the pages. She frowned at him, and yanked the book off him. Kumuro turned his head, staring at Shiori's face. Shiori blushed, gazing upon his eyes.
"N... No tampering!"
Kumuro blinked at her. He scratched his head, feeling stupid.
"Oh sorry... I had a huge habit of doing that,"
He faced away from her, staring at the shelves.
"With computers, you can edit stuff out so that it doesn't seem like words have been crossed out. I guess books these days will soon become useless..."
She clenched her fist, leaning her body towards him.
"I...I...IDIOT!"
Kumuro turned his head, immediately responding to her anger. Her eyes watered, feeling bad about herself. She turned away from him, hiding her face. She then walked off to another location. Kumuro blinked, trying to make sense of his situation. His face brightened, striking an idea in his head.
"I got an idea for my story!"
Keima moaned, feeling déjà vu. Damn that Kumuro! Where could he possibly hide? Keima sighed. Maybe I should take his advice... Keima frowned, feeling angered towards submission. I will not be forced to take any advice! Keima wiped the frown off his face and moved his head upwards. He stared at Kanon standing on the stage. Her clothes were different from yesterday. She held her microphone out, smiling at Keima.
"This new song is especially for you! Please listen to it!"
A different song from the speakers played out. Kanon danced and sang to the beat. Keima's eyes opened widely, feeling a strange vibe on his body. Wha... What's this strange feeling? I have never been moved like this before. His eyes started to close. Am... Am I getting sleepy? Keima's body slowly leaned to the side. Is... Is it so good that I'm... falling asleep? Keima started snoring, drawing Kanon's attention. Kanon dropped the microphone in defeat. Her eyes watery, drawing tears out. She walked away from Keima, heading for a ledge. Keima opened his eyes, having the sleeping spell broken.
He turned his head facing Kanon, noticing her standing on the ledge.
"No... No one's listening to my song..."
Keima opened his eyes widely. Mini Kumuro appeared in front of him, wearing a judge's clothes. He pointed his mini hammer at Keima.
"For your putrid man slaughter on poor Kanon, I sentence you to a life's worth in hell!"
Keima gasped, feeling very worried. Kanon moved her hand against her head.
"Goodbye cruel world. I guess no one had ever wanted me!"
Keima screamed, dashing towards her.
"WWWWAAAAAAAIIIIITTTT!"
Kanon looked at Keima standing near her. He huffed and puffed to regain his energy. He placed his hands on his heart and gave her a satisfied look.
"I did listen to your song wholeheartedly!"
Kanon stepped off the ledge, pulling out her taser. She jabbed it against Keima, forcing him to scream loudly. He collapsed on the ground, having his body blackened. Kanon frowned at him.
"But you were sleeping!"
Keima slowly raised his body, trying to stand up.
"That's because... Your beautiful song made me fall asleep..."
Kanon blinked at him. He extended his arms out and smiled at her.
"No song had ever made me feel like this. It brought a fine tune to my ears!"
Kanon stared at him for a while. Her faced glowed, having renewed energy inside of her.
"Really?"
She spun around whilst keeping herself from the ledge.
"Oh thank god! I was stressing out because of this! Now I feel much better!"
Keima blinked, feeling confused. She moved towards him, seeing his face up close. Keima blushed, having a weird feeling inside his stomach.
"Can we exchange emails?"
Keima's body shook.
"I... I don't really have friends at school... You're the first person I'd ever talked to!"
Should... Should I trust her? Keima sighed as he pulled out his pen form his pocket.
"Give me your hand."
Kanon blushed as she held her hand out. Keima scribbled on her hand, writing his email address on it. She pulled out her marker and wrote her address on his hands. She pulled the marker away and ran away from him. She waved at him, making his cheek redden further.
"I'll see you later!"
Keima stared at her exiting the roof-top.
"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"
Keima groaned, lying on the seat. The PFP called Keima, beckoning him to take the message. Kumuro glared at him, feeling annoyed.
"Dude, it may be Friday, but can't you keep it quiet inside this library?"
Keima slowly faced Kumuro.
"Look what your suggestion did to me! Not only did I end up being "friends" with this Kanon girl, but now she calls me 96 times a day on my PFP!"
Kumuro's smiled brighten.
"Dude, you got her email address? That's so freaking awesome!"
Keima frowned at him.
"Then why don't you have it and talk to her instead?"
Kumuro blinked at him.
"Then I would just be stalking her..."
Kumuro sighed, facing his notebook.
"At this rate, I won't be able to finish my novel..."
Keima blinked at him.
"What novel?"
Kumuro stood up and walked away from Keima. Keima gritted his teeth.
"Hey! Come back here! I thought you're my friend!"
Kumuro raised his hands up.
"Sorry buddy, but you should attend to Kanon as much as she wants. I need to finish my novel right now."
Kumuro arrived at an unoccupied table and sat on it. He opened his notebook up and pulled out his pen. He scribbled on the pages whilst having his face glowed.
"Maybe this should have pirates in it... Nah... Too weird to implement it..."
Suddenly, his notebook got pulled away. His eyes opened widely, finding his precious taken away. He turned around, finding Shiori clutching his book tightly. Her eyes looked down on his face like an angry goddess. Kumuro whimpered, showing his weakness.
"That's my book you're holding..."
Shiori's eyes widened, feeling surprised. Kumuro held his hands out.
"Please give it back..."
Summoning all of her strength, she frowned at him and shouted.
"You are not allowed to scribble!"
Kumuro blinked at her.
"In fact, you should never be here at all! If the visual and audio booth is formed, people like you will..."
Her eyes opened widely. She covered her mouth and turned away from him, having her cheeks reddened.
"Why... Why did I say the opposite of what... I thought?"
She ran way, retreating to her spot. Kumuro held his hands up.
"My book!"
Kumuro sighed. He then smiled, shrugging off his sadness.
"Who needs books, when I can use my laptop?"
Kumuro returned to the library, carrying his laptop case. He strolled towards a table and placed the case there. He unzipped it carefully like his life depended on it. He turned on the laptop, waiting for the screen to shine brightly. He smiled as he rapidly tapped on his keyboard. Words zoomed through the line like growing bacteria. As paragraphs formed, he created his first page. He smiled brightly, gazing upon the words he written.
"If I continue like this, I'll get it done in no time!"
Shiori popped her head from the shelf observing Kumuro. She pushed her books against her tightly, feeling nervous.
"I told him not to be here anymore… But... He'ss till here... Has… Has he ever listened to what I said?"
Hearing her talk, Kumuro raised his head up. He remembered all the things Shiori did to him. Shrugging off these memories, he smiled at her.
"Who are you hiding from?"
Shiori blinked at him, wondering if he had payed attention to anything. Kumuro waved his hand back and forth, beckoning her to come here. Like a cautious zebra, she approached Kumuro carefully. She studied his face, looking for any traps being set.
"Do you wanna read what I've written so far?"
Shiori searched for a chair nearby and sat on it. She gazed upon his eyes, admiring something inside him. Kumuro turned his laptop around, revealing the screen to her. She blushed, realising that no one had ever talked this much to her before. She nodded her head and stared at the screen. Her eyes glimmered to the following words printed:
The book warrior stood in front of the gate, pointing her sword towards the cybernetic marauder. A pile of books stacked up behind the gate like a huge mountain. The marauder pointed his laser rifle at her. She pulled out her glare of the lioness, showing her fury.
"These books should not be tampered by the likes of you!"
The marauder laughed sinisterly.
"How foolish of you to protect something that will eventually die out? We're only here to extract knowledge from these useless books and preserve them inside our global database!"
She gritted her teeth in rage.
"These books are sacred! Every word! Every page! Every cover!"
She charged towards them swinging her sword at him.
Shiori smiled at the laptop, feeling empowered by Kumuro's unfinished story. Kumuro smiled, feeling fulfilled.
"I should thank you for being my inspiration. This story is practically unique, unlike any other stories I have read."
Kumuro stood up, gazing upon the shelves.
"When I first came to this library, it made me realise how lucky I am to work on my novel here! I guess I should appreciate it for giving me little interference…"
Shiori gazed upon Kumuro's eyes, watching them glow like the heavenly light. She stood up, feeling inspired.
"You're right."
Kumuro moved his head, noticing Shiori talking to him.
"This library is a… Wonderful place…"
Kumuro blushed, feeling strange vibes on his arms.
"It protects you from reality, with the fortress of books…"
Kumuro quickly turned his laptop facing him. He tapped his keyboard on the laptop, taking notes from Shiori. He then lifted his head away from the screen.
"You know… We haven't introduced our names yet…"
He extended his arms towards Shiori.
"I'm Muhara Kumuro!"
Her cheeks further reddened.
"Shi…Shiomiya Shiori… Is my name…"
She quickly stood up and walked away from him.
"Ha… Have a nice stay!"
Kumuro blinked at her.
Keima and Kumuro sat on beanbags, tapping the buttons on the controllers. On the screen, Keima's samurai pointed his sword against Kumuro's ninja. The samurai charged towards the ninja, waving around his sword. The ninja effortlessly countered every blow. Keima grumbled, thinking about his new annoying friend.
"This has been going on for 4 days now!"
Kumuro shook his head, smiling at Keima.
"If it wasn't for me, she might end up having a breakdown and jump off a cliff…"
Sweat poured out of Keima's head.
"Yeah… Thanks for... that…"
The ninja got knocked on the ground, having his health bar on the screen lowered. Keima continued grumbling.
"The worse thing about it is that she gave me tickets to see her perform on Wednesday night!"
Kumuro screamed like a little girl, forcing Keima to cover his ears. The ninja's head got decapitated, having his health bar empty. Kumuro moved towards him, having his face near Keima.
"Oh my god! How many tickets d'ya have?"
Keima sighed.
"Two… She knew that you have been with me all the time…"
Kumuro squealed with joy.
"This year gets better and better!"
Keima placed the controller down.
"So why did you spend time in the library writing your novel?"
Kumuro face changed.
"Well… Let's just say that ever since I was young, I tried to find ways to unleash my imagination…"
Kumuro gazed in front of the screen, staring at the samurai cheering in joy.
"Everyday, when I was around 6, I spent my time conjuring up possibilities inside my head. I somehow created original cartoon inside my head."
He grabbed the remote in front of him, changing channels. An image of cartoon characters came up.
"The first thing I tried is drawing. I was so bad at it my imagination frowned at me."
The TV showed pictures of two people arguing with each other.
"I then tried acting… but somehow I can't seem to get my voice changing at certain characters…"
It then revealed Kanon performing in front of the audience.
"Over the next nine years before coming to Majima, story writing is the way to go for me. And I've gotten much better!"
He pulled out a piece of paper from a bag near him, holding his arm to Keima.
"You wanna read the first page?"
Keima shook his head.
"I need to complete more games for the people who need me."
Keima pulled out his PFP from his pocket. The screen showed a letter icon with the number "50" next to it. Keima gritted his teeth.
"When will she stop calling me?"
Kumuro whistled through the school grounds, feeling excited. Oh boy, today's another Wednesday! He though. It felt like last Wednesday's yesterday! Outside the library, he noticed angry mobs causing uproar. He walked towards them, wondering what's going on.
"What happened to the equipment for the audio visual booth?"
"I checked the front office. Shiori was last seen there."
"Shiori? That girl what has never talked?"
"We should find her! We need to get this project done!"
Kumuro opened his eyes, travelling back to yesterday's moment:
"Today, I'd like to proudly say that our newest addition, the audio visual booth, will be welcomed dearly."
Shiori sighed.
"Once we dispose many books that were from these renovated areas, it'll be set for next week,"
Shiori stood up.
Shiori... I need to find her quickly! He ran away from the library, racing across the footpath. The crowd turned around, noticing Kumuro.
Shiori stared at the old abandoned building inside the school, holding the cart in front of her. She took a deep breath, summoning all her courage to enter inside. She moved away from the cart, opening the door. Inside appeared almost dark, making her a bit frightened. She frowned, not letting fear get the best of her. Leaving the door out wide, she walked back to the cart and pushed it inside. Her body and the cart submerged inside the darkness. She pushed as far as she could to take the cart as far away as possible. The cart got pushed into the wall, forcing Shiori to stop. She released the handles and turned around.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut, trapping her in the darkness. Her body shook in fear, afraid of the dark. She knelt to the ground, surrendering herself to fear. Thoughts boomed inside her mind.
"It's no use."
"I've always been in the dark, trying to call out."
"But no one will be able to hear me."
"If I speak, people will hate me."
"I wish… I wish I have the courage…"
"…the courage to speak up more…"
The door reopened, releasing the light from outside. A familiar figure entered inside, walking towards Shiori. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Kumuro's face.
"Shiomiya-san! Are you okay?"
Shiori blushed. He… He remembered my name…
"Mu..Muhara-kun!"
Kumuro smiled at him.
"You remembered my name!"
Kumuro approached Shiori.
"I know what you did with the audio visual equipment…"
Shiori widened her eyes. Oh no! Will I be in trouble? Kumuro placed his hands on her shoulders.
"It's okay. You're only doing this to try and communicate."
Her body shook. No… It's not true… Kumuro gazed upon her eyes.
"I'll help you explain to them! I promise that you won't get punished!"
The lights shined above Shiori and Kumuro, revealing the cart behind Shiori. The two turned around, noticing a group of mobs marching towards them. He pulled his hands off her and faced the crowd. The crowd grumbled at them, expressing their anger.
"I told you that boy will lead us to her!"
Kumuro gazed upon the crowd, showing his courage.
"I can assure you that she did not do this to cause trouble to the school!"
He pointed his fingers at Shiori.
"She had done this because she really wanted-"
"Those books to be saved."
Shiori's voice sounded firm. Kumuro turned around, witnessing a more confident Shiori taking over. The crowd gazed at her, feeling astonished. She frowned at the crowd, mustering up all of her courage.
"I'm… I'm sorry to cause all these problems… But I… I won't allow books to be thrown out. I believe books have their place in this library, and taking one away is like taking a sacred heritage from local villagers!"
The crowd faced amongst each other.
"Wow… She's actually talking?"
"Who knew that she had a big voice?"
The girl standing out of the crowd took a step forward.
"Fine, we'll hold up a meeting about what to do with the books."
She pointed at the cart.
"But first, you should take it back to the library. We're behind schedule at the moment."
The crowd turned away from Shiori and Kumuro, returning to the library. Kumuro approached the cart and pulled it away from the wall. Shiori stared at him, having her cheeks reddened.
"Th… Thank you."
Kumuro stopped pulling the cart and stared at her. He then smiled.
"You're welcome."
He turned the cart around and pushed it out of the building. She followed him out, walking back to the library.
Keima stood outside the huge dome, staring at Kanon. She waved at him enthusiastically. Keima waved back at her. It seemed like Kanon's very happy today. He strolled towards her whilst smiling at her.
"Keima-kun!"
Kanon clenched her fists tightly.
"I'm gonna perform in front of 10000 people today! This the first time I'll be in a big place doing this by myself!"
She lowered her arms and smiled at him.
"Isn't that great!"
Keima smiled back.
"Yeah… That's good to hear!"
She sighed, having something in her mind.
"It's great that people will come to see me… I don't feel like a nobody…"
She frowned at Keima playing his PFP. Earphones are attached to it.
"You always play your games and not listen!"
She peered behind him, making her face glow brighter.
"Wow! You're listening to my songs!"
Her face blushed.
"Keima-kun is listening to my songs! And in preparation for the concert!"
Keima's hands twitched, feeling embarrassed. Kanon moved her head closer, causing Keima to move his head. He blushed at the sight of her gorgeous face.
"Are my songs good? If they are, praise me!"
Keima slowly leaned his body away from her.
"Praise me! Praise me!"
He turned his head away from him. He gently patted her on her head. Feeling wanted, Kanon closed her eyes and moved her hands closer to her. Her cheeks reddened further. She stood up and ran away from him. She turned her head and waved back whilst running.
"See you there!"
Keima and Kumuro lined up, waiting to enter the dome. A lot of people were in front of them, chatting about the concert. Some sang to Kanon's songs. Others danced to pass time. Kumuro's body were filled with goose bumps. Keima sighed, thinking about Kanon. For someone who annoyed me for the past week, I'm somehow starting to… Keima shook his head, feeling annoyed at himself. No! This isn't right! I'm not supposed to have these emotions inside me! Hold on! Is this reality's master plans? Suddenly, a loud shout startled the crowd.
"What? Kanon's missing?"
A huge uproar occurred. Some argued amongst each other while others cried. Kumuro's eyes widened.
"This is bad Keima! How the hell did that happen?"
Keima widened his eyes, remembering something from Kanon.
"Katsuragi-kun. Will you promise me to come to this place if I get really scared?"
"I… I promise."
Keima ran out of the line, rushing off. Kumuro watched Keima running away from him.
"Keima buddy! Where are you going?"
Keima rushed through the bridge, arriving at his destination. He saw Kanon standing by the light pole above her. He rushed to her, tending to her calls.
"Kanon-chan, why are you not at the concert?"
Kanon turned around, blushing at Keima.
"Keima-kun!"
Keima sighed.
"Are you afraid?"
Kanon stared at him, feeling more secured.
"Are you afraid that when you want people to notice, you fear that they won't praise you if you somehow screwed up?"
"Yes, yes it is! You knew everything about me!"
Keima dropped a sweat out of his head.
"Well…"
Kanon rushed towards him, clinging onto his body. He widened his eyes, having goose bumps all over his body. Steam poured out of his head. His face reddened like a red traffic light. Kanon closed her eyes, feeling safe.
"Keima-kun! Please stand by me forever! I need you! I need you to face my fears!"
Kanon opened her eyes, gazing upon Keima's glowing face.
"I can't perform at the concert if I don't have you…"
She slowly moved her head, placing her lips on him.
"I…"
Keima's hand's trembled.
"I…"
Suddenly, Keima projected many thoughts inside his mind.
"Holy shit! How did I end up with this "I'm getting a girlfriend by making her feel secure on me" route?"
"This is bad! I'm having 3D girls fall for me!"
"Think Keima! Get out of this situation!"
"The time is now!"
Keima's head glowed, striking an idea inside his mind. He swiftly moved his head away from her.
"No!"
Kanon widened her eyes, feeling worried.
"Are you relying on what people think of you?"
Kanon's hand shook, feeling a different energy inside her body.
"You'll be a nobody to the crowd by doing so!"
Keima frowned at her.
"Stop entrusting to other people like me!"
Keima pushed himself away from her. He turned around, facing Kanon's confused face.
"Your songs… They're excellent…"
Keima turned around and clenched his fist.
"You're more powerful without me! You can shine!"
Kanon's eyes were watery.
"I… I can't… I can't do this alone."
Keima smiled at her.
"You already have done this alone!"
The crowd chanted from the dome, calling for Kanon. Her eyes opened widely, hearing their calls.
"The fans demand you to come. They need you."
Keima sighed.
"I can't have you all to myself! I won't even prevent my friend Kumruo from seeing you on stage!"
Kanon stared at him for a moment. She smiled before turning away from him. She strolled through the bridge, returning to the dome.
"Even though I have only sung for one person so far… I think I can sing for others now…"
She stopped for a moment, making Keima cock his eyebrows. She turned around and charged towards him. Keima widened his eyes, bracing for her gift. Her lips softly touched his, sending new vibes to his body. Keima closed his eyes, experiencing something very different. As Kanon pulled her head away from Keima, he fell on the ground. Kanon chuckled at him, finding him adorable.
"See ya!"
She turned around and walked away from Keima. Keima stared at her, feeling speechless.
The crowd walked away from the dome, chatting excitedly amongst each other. Kumuro jumped his way out of the dome, feeling empowered by the concert. Keima followed after Kumuro.
"This is so awesome! I've never been so happy in my life!"
Kumuro spun around in circles, waitng for Keima to catch up.
"She's the best idol in da world!"
Keima stared at him.
"No... She's not an idol."
Kumuro blinked at Keima.
"She... She isn't?"
Keima sighed, having his face blushing.
"She's now shining by herself, becoming a star."
Kumuro smiled at him.
"You're right! She's gonna have the world at her fingertips!"
Keima and Kumuro strolled away from the dome.
"Let's go back to my place! You can stay over for the night!"
Author's note: Hey there! I hope you enjoyed the 2nd chapter.