Chapter 4: Rainy Days of Gloom
The following chapter contains some use of racial slurs (particularly Lebanese stereotypes). This is not meant to offend any Lebanese in anyway, but only used as a gag material. I apologize to any Lebanese people if it's still wrong for me to use stereotypical terms.
Keima sighed, placing his hands on his chin. After going through all of the possibilities... It turns out that it will never be. I'm sorry Sora! Kumuro sighed, staring at the window. The window revealed grey clouds creeping towards him.
"Mondays are always gloomy!"
Amika turned her head, smiling at Kumuro.
"Kumuro-sama, don't worry about what day it is."
Kumuro turned around, noticing Amika sitting behind him. Her face glowed like a small sun shining around.
"Just think about everyday as a day you like the most, and you'll get through them more quickly!"
Kumuro smiled back.
"You're right!"
Amika closed her eyes, showing him her blushing cheeks. Kumuro turned around, noticing Keima laying his head on the desk.
"Keima buddy. Is there something wrong?"
Keima groaned.
"I feel depressed."
Kumuro rolled his eyes.
"Are you going on about that crappy game again?"
Keima sulked, thinking about it.
"Sora... I'm sorry..."
Kumuro sighed.
"I heard that it's gonna rain today. I guess everyone's feeling the gloom..."
Kumuro turned around. He saw Chihiro staring at her small pink bag. She sighed, having her mind drifted off. He took a closer look at the bag.
"What's that you got there?"
Chihiro noticed Kumuro, snatching her bag and hiding it underneath the desk.
"None of your business!"
Her glare forced Kumuro to turn around. Nikaido entered the room, getting ready to begin her lessons.
Keima sulked on the bench, covering his head with his arms. Kumuro sat next to him, watching the clouds darken.
"It's gonna get heavy..."
Keima stood up, walking away from Kumuro.
"I'm going home..."
Kumuro stared at him drifting off at another direction. Suddenly, a boy screamed, catching Kumuro's attention. He saw a little student surrounded by a group of bullies. The little boy cowered against the bullies, feeling alone and vulnerable. Kumuro walked towards the group, trying to make sense of the situation.
"Hey weirdo, what's with that girly DVD?"
The little boy growled at one of the bullies.
"It's not mine! This is for my little sister!"
One of the bullies kneed him down, making him collapse on the ground. The DVD dropped on the ground, lying near him. The bullies laughed at him.
"Seems like this fag's trying to lie to us!"
The bullies advanced on him, kicking him senseless. Kumuro gritted his teeth and shouted at them.
"Leave that poor kid alone!"
The bullies turned around, laughing at him.
"Hey, it's that follower!"
"This kid must be with him!"
"Let's leave them so they can have their alone time together!"
The bullies jeered as they walked away from the boy. Kumuro moved his body near him, finding bruises on the boy's body.
"Hey kid, are you okay?"
The boy glared at him. He raised his body up, picking up the DVD, and move away from Kumuro.
"Leave me alone!"
Kumuro watched the boy running away from him. Drops of water pelted to the ground, making Kumuro sigh.
Keima drudged through the ground, reflecting by himself. Am I... Am I really the capturing God? Or have I been a fraud all this time? His body budged into Amika, falling on the ground. They both exchanged glares with each other.
"Watch where you're going!"
"Why don't you look up next time, Otamegane?"
Keima gritted his teeth at her.
"Just what dya think you're doing here anyway?"
Amika pointed at Chihiro.
"She's trying to confess to this guy here."
Keima turned his body, having his cheeks red at the sight of Chihiro's smile. His body trembled at the sight of her arms held out, revealing a pink bag. The tall boy pointed at his body, feeling dazzled. What... What atrocity is this? What world would let a girl pursue a boy of her dreams? He formed a picture of a burning building inside his mind. If something like this got included, the company who made it would burn in hell! The clouds boomed with thunder, drawing attention to Amika.
"Seems like the rain's here..."
Amika pulled out an umbrella from her bag, opening it up. She placed it above her head before drips of water pelted onto Keima. Chihiro turned away, looking down. She strolled past Amika and Keima, having Keima's heart thumping slowly. He turned around and watched her walk away in defeat. She turned her head, revealing her saddened face. Her eyes were watery, forcing Keima to sympathise with her. After gazing upon Keima's face, she turned away and retreated.
Keima stared at the window, watching the rain pouring down. Kumuro followed Keima's actions, feeling depressed. (Keima) I... I had never seen Chihiro like this... (Kumuro) This boy... I can't believe some people would do something like this... (Keima) I guess strong people have moments of weakness... (Kumuro) I need to do something about it. I feel that he's been alone all his life... (Keima) Why am I thinking about this? I'm not supposed to get involved with reality! (Kumuro) If I find him again, I'm gonna use everything in my powers to help him... Chihiro entered the room, grabbing Keima's attention. She stared at Amika and sighed.
"Amika-chan..."
Amika stared at Chihiro, watching her take her seat.
"About yesterday..."
Chihiro took a deep breath.
"What you saw... Was uncool..."
Amika placed her hands on her back.
"Even though I tried my best into my confession... I got rejected effortlessly..."
Keima stood up, wanting to say something. I don't like to do this, but somehow, reality had desperately asked me a favour... Suddenly, Chihiro's face changed, shrugging off her depression.
"Oh well, on with the next guy!"
Keima's eyes widened. His jaws dropped. Amika blinked at her, pulling her hand away.
"If you think about it, the head captain of a soccer club has a lot more standards than I do..."
She lifted her head up.
"I guess this is just like many confessions I made..."
She pulled her phone out.
"You see, when I think "Oh, he's so cool!", I ended up confessing to him out of the blue..."
She moved her phone near Amika's face. Amika gazed upon a picture of a boy.
"What dya think of this person?"
Amika hummed, taking her time.
"I'd give him a 7. That hair looks ugly!"
Chihiro blushed.
"But his face does look cute, eh?"
Amika nodded.
"I suppose so."
She closed her eyes, smiling.
"Oh love, how dull the world would be without you?"
"That's not love..."
Chihiro opened her eyes turning her head. Keima's body enveloped with the shadows, forming a demonic figure.
"A heroine's love is a lot heavier than yours! Immediately forgetting it and changing... is very ridiculous!"
Chihiro gritted her teeth. She jumped out of her desk and growled at him.
"What's up with you, Otamegane?"
Kumuro turned around, noticing Keima exchanging glares with Chihiro.
"This doesn't concern you!"
"Shut up! Give me back my concern!"
Kumuro broke a sweat from his head.
"What did you do this time, Keima?"
Keima's head were focused on Chihiro, watching her blink at him.
"Concern? What were you concerned about?"
"You've never done any hobbies, you've never worked hard on anything you liked to do, you call people unfavourable names, and when you open your mouth, you whinge and moan about getting boys to like you without wondering why!"
Keima pointed his fingers at her.
"It's people like you who stink of reality! That's-"
"You."
Chihiro glared at him, folding her arms. Feeling a strange aura, his anger died out. His mouth was open wide, feeling vulnerable. Kumuro lifted himself from his chair, staring at Keima. Her shouts caused Keima cowering in fear.
"You're always in your "Go Home" club, you always say shit to people, and you've now been whinging and moaning about some game I don't even want to know!"
She pointed his fingers at him, making him get on all fours like a wimpy dog.
"Do you think you're that self-righteous, you LOW LEVEL COCKROACH GUY?"
Keima ran away from her, leaving the classroom. Kumuro's eyes watered, feeling sorry for Keima.
"Chihiro-san, was it really necessary to say something like that to him?"
Chihiro turned around, glaring at him.
"Shut up follower! You know it served him right!"
Keima crawled through the corridors, running away from his problems. Many students outside stared at him. Even after I've done reality a favour, it chewed me up and spat me out like an ungrateful child! Well that's it! Reality can go screw himself and jump off a cliff! I'm through with him!
Kumuro entered the cafe, holding a pile of game cases in his arms. Mari entered form the kitchen, greeting Kumuro. He greeted back, smiling at her.
"How's Keima going?"
Mari sighed.
"He's still in his room..."
Mari turned around, facing the kitchen.
"I'm starting to worry a lot. He hasn't been to school for a few days now. The teachers are complaining about his absence."
Mari faced Kumuro.
"Is there something going on at school?"
Kumuro shrugged.
"Whatever it is, I'll try and get him out."
Kumuro walked passed Mari, walking to Keima's room. The door sealed tightly, preventing any trespassers from access. Kumuro knocked on the door, trying to get Keima's attention.
"Hey there, Keima buddy! I bought some games for you to play."
A note flew from the door slips. Kumuro picked it up and read it. Go away! I need not to see anyone! Kumuro sighed.
"I know you're sad from that fight the other day. Can't you at least talk to me about this?"
Another note flew by as he picked it up. You're disturbing my game time! Kumuro sighed again, feeling defeated. He walked away from the room, walking past Mari and leaving the cafe.
"I'm sorry... I... I seemed to fail..."
Kumuro held his umbrella, protecting his body from drips of dangerous water. He gazed over yonder, walking through a crowd of people. Some were drenched in the rain, feeling depressed. Others held their umbrella above them, smiling with no worries at all. A tear dripped form his eyes, thinking about Keima.
"I thought that being someone's friend means that you can help people get better after something bad happens to them..."
Kumuro sighed, thinking about Keima's impervious prison.
"But I... I can't do anything about Keima..."
He lifted his head up, reading the sign saying "Aioki games and videos galore!"
"Maybe this shop will cheer me up..."
He entered the shop as he shrunk his umbrella. He strolled through aisles, checking out new titles. His head faced the counter, seeing the boy (the one he saw at school) handing a DVD case to the cashier. The cashier smiled at the boy.
"Luckily, I saved a copy of this for you!"
Kumuro peered at the DVD cover, noticing the title "Card Catcher Hitomi". The boy placed a note on the bench and smiled at him, feeling thankful.
"You really are the best, Mr Toushi!"
The cashier swapped the note for a few coins. The boy placed the coins inside his pocket. Pleased to see the boy filled with joy, Kumuro walked towards him, holding his hands out.
"Hey there!"
The boy turned around. He widened his eyes, hiding the case.
"You!"
He ran away from Kumuro, escaping from him.
"Wait up!"
Mr Toushi watched Kumuro chase after him. Kumuro grew his umbrella and held it above him. He suddenly stopped moving, noticing the boy surrounded by the same bullies.
"Hey look, it's that gay poofter again!"
"I wonder what he's got inside this time!"
The bullies pushed him around, forcing him to drop the case. Kumuro marched to the bullies, taking action for the boy.
"Stop it!"
The bullies stared at Kumuro.
"What do you have against this poor boy here?"
Instead of answering him, the bullies laughed at him.
"I can't believe this fag needs his boyfriend to defend her all the time!"
Kumuro gritted his teeth, feeling insulted. The bullies turned away, jeering with each other. Kumuro turned around, noticing the boy running away. He turned his head, glaring at Kumuro.
"Why do you keep giving more problems to me?"
Kumuro's eyes watered, feeling powerless.
Kumuro stared at the blackboard, ignoring the rain outside. His eyes watered, traumatised by yesterday's outcome. He placed his head on the desk and covered his head. His arms were wrapped around it, attempting to soothe his sorrows. Tears poured out, wetting the desk. Why... Why can't I do anything? Why doesn't anything I do make things better for people I choose to help? Why are they still sad? Why won't they let me help them? Chihiro stared at Kumuro, feeling a bit anxious. Ayumi sat on a desk nearby, looking at Chihiro. Amika's eyes watered, feeling concerned for him.
"Poor Kumuro-sama... That Otamegane hasn't talked to him for ages..."
Chihiro stared at Keima focusing on his PFP.
"I doubt that's what he was crying about."
Her voice started trembling.
"Well... I don't think I'm the one to blame anyway."
Chihiro faced Ayumi, giving her a concerned look.
"I'm not that mean, right? That Otamegane started it anyway!"
Ayumi hummed to herself.
"Katsuragi... Is that depressed, huh?"
Amika stared at Ayumi, noticing her cheeks slightly redden.
Keima laid his body on the ground, feeling his body numb. His stomach growled, demanding Keima to take drastic measures. Many people stared at him whilst walking passed him. Keima stared at the ground, having his final moments at his school. After trying to rebel against you reality, I'm the one who's about to be on my knees... Well played reality... Well played trying to force me into submission... Well played proving your superiority...
"Enough of this... Stand up..."
Hearing the voice, Keima slowly raised his head up. His eyes widened, catching glimpse of Ayumi crouching near him. Her shiny brown eye glimmered brightly from the shining sunlight. Her short black hair, smooth as silk. Her gentle smiled forced Keima blushing.
"If you sleep in a place like this, I'll run you over."
She stood up, straightening her body.
"Anyway, I have something to tell you..."
He lifted his head up, studying her body.
"A... Ayumi…"
She blushed as her hands moved closely. Her body trembled at the voice of Keima saying her name. She reacted by pushing her feet to his face. Keima groan in pain, rolling his body over. Footmarks were printed on his face. She turned her head away, checking if anyone was close by.
"Ple... Please don't call me Ayumi..."
Keima's voice croaked.
"So... What are you going to say?"
Ayumi turned around, facing him again.
"Oh yeah... I heard you got into the fight with Chihiro."
Keima tried standing up whilst fixing his glasses.
"I..."
He stood up from the ground, facing Ayumi.
"I'm not fighting with her."
Keima turned away, trying to walk away from her. His mind questioned itself about Ayumi. Why... Why would she want to help me? Yes... I did say some stuff to her... And I cheered for her at the race...but... could she... His body collapsed on the ground, feeling low on energy. He gasped, feeling his stomach growing angrier. Ayumi walked towards him, taking a closer look.
"You... You hungry?"
Keima continued groaning, feeling breathless. Ayumi dragged his body, taking him somewhere else.
Keima sat near Ayumi on the stairway, holding a fruit box and a piece of omelette soba bread. He stared at her facing away from him. She locked her legs tightly using her arms.
"This is my secret stash of calories, so eat up while you can..."
Keima chewed on the bread, tasting the delicious sauce made fresh. Ayumi faced Keima, asking him a favour.
"Please make up with Chihiro..."
Keima blinked at her.
"You know... Chihiro's a good friend of mine."
Keima faced away from her, lowering his eyelids.
"Then please, by all means cultivate that friendship you have with her from now on..."
Ayumi shouted at him with anger.
"I don't mean that!"
She sighed, facing away from Keima. He gulped the last piece of the bread before sucking on the straw from the fruit box.
"You see... When I heard that Chihiro said some bad things to you, I had a bad feeling about it..."
Keima turned his head, feeling confused.
"Why did you have a bad feeling about this?"
Ayumi blushed, being taken by surprise.
"Umm... Well... Why is that...?"
She kicked him in the head, making his body fall flat on the ground. Keima groaned from his pain.
"I'm really a punch bag, aren't I?"
Ayumi scratched her head.
"Umm... Sorry about that..."
She stood up, helping him stand up again. Ayumi smiled at Keima, causing him to blush again.
"One more thing… It's our turn to clean the classroom... Don't forget to come."
Ayumi ran away from him. He continued staring at her, trying to make sense of his situation.
Kumuro sat on the table, staring at the shelves. Usually he would continue with his novels... But his mind was filled with sorrows and worries. Shiori sat at her desk, having a handwritten notebook and a pen lying on the desk. The notebook titled "Affection in Space". She sighed, showing concern for him. Poor Muhara-kun. I wonder what's going on in his mind. She sighed, pointing her eyes at the ceiling. If this world have invented telepathy, I would know right away about his thoughts, then I can help him overcome these problems he beared. She slowly moved her eyes away. Her eyes widened, noticing Amika sitting next to Kumuro.
Her eyes widened in shock. Wha... Who's this girl? I've never seen her before! Her face blushed at the sight of her glasses shining. Amika placed her hands on Kumuro's shoulders, making Shiori blush more. No... It's can't be...
"What's wrong, Kumuro-sama?"
Shiori lifted a book nearby, covering her face. Are... Are they really that close? Kumuro sighed.
"Hey there..."
Shiori slightly lowered her book. Oh wait. He's not referring to her by her first name... Unless... No. I shouldn't get any ideas... Amika stared at his saddened face.
"Is this about Keima not talking to you?"
Kumuro shook his head.
"It's..."
Amika nodded her head. This is the perfect time to get closer! Maybe I could ask him out soon! No... Wait... This is a bit soon... Is it?
"Go on..."
Tears flowed from his eyes
"It's about yesterday... and a few days ago... I tried helping this boy... He seemed to get teased a lot... But this boy..."
Kumuro sighed.
"He keeps rejecting me."
Amika awed at him, giving him affection.
"I never knew how much of a Samaritan you are..."
Kumuro took a deep breath.
"I... I just wish he would let me... then I can make things better for him..."
"Listen..."
Kumuro turned around, facing Amika.
"This isn't really your fault. If that boy doesn't want you help, then he might either be too scared to get help, or he fears that more problems will be caused if he gets help from you. Even then, he's foolish not to accept your help."
Kumuro smiled at her.
"I guess you're right... You know what will cheer me up?"
His face glowed, making Amika blush. Is this..? No, it can't be... It's too soon! Is it..?
"Wha... What is it?"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"Shiomiya-san."
Amika blinked at her.
"What."
Kumuro pointed at Shiori, causing her to hide her face with her book.
"I'm gonna go talk to her now..."
As Kumuro got off his seat, Amika gritted her teeth in rage. She glared at Kumuro standing near Shiori. Who the hell is this "Shiomiya" girl? I didn't calculate that Kumuro-sama has another girl! Kumuro waved at Shiori, smiling at her.
"Hey there!"
Shiori blushed, feeling more nervous than before. Wow... This has been very long since that incident... Is he here to... no... I think he just wanted to talk to me.
"So watcha doing at the moment?"
He gazed upon her notebook, noticing the title "Affection in Space".
"Oh I see... You're writing a novel like I've been doing!"
Her body trembled, feeling embarrassed. She quickly pulled her notebook off the desk and stood up.
"I... I have to give this book back..."
Kumuro blinked.
"Any particular reason?"
Shiori slowly nodded her head.
"Well... This book is... written by a friend of mine... And she wanted me to read it."
Shiori walked away from Kumuro.
"Have a nice stay!"
Amika smiled sinisterly, tasting victory. What am I worried about? Even if she liked him, she has no chance against me! Now he's all mine... Amika walked towards Kumuro, having her arms on her back.
"So... Is there anything else that will cheer you up...? Something... Physical?"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"I must help this boy now!"
Amika dropped her jaws, feeling disappointed. He raised his fists up, having renewed determination.
"I don't care if he rejects my help or not! It's clear that he needs someone's intervention, and I'm not gonna sit around and do nothing!"
Kumuro ran away from Amika. Fumes exhaust out of her head.
"K—k-k-kk-ku-mu-kk-kk-k-kk-kumu-ro-k-k-k-k..."
Keima and Chihiro stood inside the classroom. Her hands grasped onto a mop and a dustpan. His hands carried a broom. They both exchanged stares, filling the room with silence. Keima clenched the handle tightly, expressing his anger. Oh reality. Now you're trying to force me to do your bidding by using this girl? Just how much more will you do to prove your point? Chihiro gazed upon Keima's eyes, picturing him getting killed by a giant spider. Ayumi told me that she's doing training today and asked me a favour. Seems like she's more cunning than I thought... She closed her eyes, disgusted to see his face.
"I have nothing to say to you!"
Keima faced away from her.
"Well same to you..."
He lifted a chair up, moving it to another location. Chihiro opened her eyes and stared at him. Her cheeks slightly redden. She then sighed.
"Well actually, I have one thing to say..."
Keima stopped, being caught by surprise.
"I don't think I'm sorry... Even though calling you a cockroach is a bit much..."
Keima turned his head, feeling more puzzled. She quickly turned away from him, whistling. Chihiro... Is she being..? Keima shook his head. No no no. This is just my imagination. There's nothing between us, and I have nothing to do with real girls! Suddenly, a picture of Kanon appeared in his mind, making him face away from Chihiro. Dammit! Why is this girl appearing now? Why can't I forget that moment? Chihiro's eyes widened. Swiftly, she dashed to Keima.
"Otamegane! Duck!"
Keima's body submerged below the window, hiding beside Chihiro. The two popped their heads, staring at two handsome boys standing next to the classroom. They chat about baseball and chicks, laughing loudly. Keima turned his head, staring at her blushing face. She lowered her head and sighed. Fumes of affection exhausted out of her head.
"He's so cool, Yuuta-kun..."
She placed her hands on her head.
"I wonder if I can get a little closer to him somehow... His birthday's coming up soon..."
Keima blinked at her. Chihiro is pretty much out of her mind right now...
"I'm looking for a good present for him... but..."
Keima chuckled, holding his glasses.
"Foolish girl! If you were to fall for someone like that Yuuta guy, you wouldn't really have that problem."
Keima moved his head closer.
"I will ask you this: What does he like? His personality? Hair colour? What hobbies he has?"
Chihiro's eyes widened.
"Your approach will be based on those things."
Chihiro faced away from him.
"I don't know! I just got to know him recently..."
Keima closed his eyes, smiling.
"To capture your partner without research... Is almost suicidal."
He held his hands out.
"It's like going through a minefield while skipping naked!"
Chihiro turned her head, facing Keima.
"What's your point?"
Keima grinned sinisterly.
"I never neglect to do some research. Therefore, I can get my confessions in every time."
Chihiro giggled, placing her hands on her lips
"That's just game talk anyway."
Keima stood up from the ground.
"So what if it is just game talk? Have you ever confessed and succeeded before?"
Chihiro blushed, staring at Keima.
"Well..."
She leaned on the desk nearby, facing away from him.
"Who cares about that?"
He placed his hands on his glasses, facing away from her.
"To group me together with failures of the gaming world or the real world... Is Idiotic!"
Chihiro turned around, pointing her fingers at him.
"BIG TALK FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE!"
She gripped his shirt, trying to lift him up.
"Have you ever gotten close to real girls before?"
Keima blushed, seeing Kanon standing away from him. His body ended up standing on the bridge at night. She turned around and charged towards him. Keima opened his eyes widely, bracing for her love attack. Her lips softly touched his, sending those awkward vibes to his body. Keima closed his eyes, wanting to forget the incident. He opened his eyes, noticing Chihiro staring at him. He faced away from her, trying not to think about Kanon.
"I guess not..."
She shook his body, making his head feel dizzy.
"I can't believe it! That was a lie! Oh my god! Who's that girl? Who's the one you were with?"
Chihiro turned her head, noticing the students staring at her and Keima. The two duck down.
"Be quiet now..."
Chihiro's whisper sent Keima in shivers. Her face changed, forcing him to look up.
"If you have been in love... Tell me."
Keima widened his eyes.
"Tell me what to do... Tell me how to make successful confessions!"
Keima's eyes watered. Reality... Are you really desperate for my help?
Kumuro strolled through the streets, finding the Aioki shop. In order for me to somehow help this poor boy, I guess I have to find someone he trusts first. He spotted a sign above the open door as he entered through. He walked through the aisles, staring at Mr Toushi waving at him.
"Hello there! You must be the boy form yesterday."
Kumuro walked towards him, waving back. Mr Toushi smiled at him.
"Say, are you a friend of Ichigou?"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"I'm actually from his school. Do you know where I can find him?"
Mr Toushi shrugged.
"I don't really keep addresses when pre-ordering, but he comes here every day and chat to me."
His left eyebrow lifted up.
"Say, is there something you need from him?"
Kumuro sighed.
"Well I just saw him getting bullied, and I tried helping him."
Mr Toushi sighed.
"So you must be the 'follower' guy Ichigou was crying about. He was depicting you as an outcast he doesn't want to be with when they mentioned you."
Kumuro sighed.
"I have ideas I can try to help him, but so far, he still rejects me..."
Mr Toushi shook his head.
"All I can say that he will see you as some contagious disease for a long time, so it will be hard for you to gain his trust..."
Toushi's eyes focused on Ichigou, making Kumuro turn around. Ichigou gritted his teeth, feeling angry.
"Why do you keep following me?"
Mr Toushi sighed.
"Listen kid, he's not here to make your life hell."
Ichigou ignored him, glaring at Kumuro.
"Ever since you arrived, you always make things worse than it already has been! What do you want from me? Tell me!"
Kumuro shed a tear form his eyes.
"I... I just want to help you."
A river of tears poured out, making Ichigou lift his eyebrows up. He lifted the pressure on his gritting teeth, reacting to Kumuro's sad face.
"But... You just keep pushing me away. It makes me sad when people like you won't let me help."
Kumuro wiped the tears off his face. Ichigou sighed.
"I... I didn't realise... Then tell me? How are you going to help me?"
Kumuro's lips waned.
"Do you have friends at school?"
Ichigou shook his head. Kumuro nodded his head.
"Then I can help you get more friends, so you won't have to feel left out."
Ichigou blinked at him.
"How?"
Kumuro pulled out his PFP, showing him an image of anime girls.
"There's a fan club in here. Maybe it's a good start to meet new friends."
Mr Toushi smiled, feeling joyful.
"Wow! This guy has a really good mind!"
Ichigou frowned at him.
"I don't need to join a club to make friends!"
Ichigou left the shop, making Kumuro and Mr Toushi sigh.
"Well... This kid is a bit stubborn... Don't worry too much about him."
Keima stood behind the blackboard, pointing at the image of a boy. Surrounding the boys were six circles. Chihiro sat on a desk, placing her hands on her cheeks. She stared at Keima's face, drawing her attention away from the blackboard.
"Okay, since we decided to pull back for now, next step is to create perimeters between you and Yuuta."
He turned around and wrote different words in each circle.
"We first create events that have nothing to do with love..."
He crossed out the words and wrote "love" inside each circle.
"... And then gradually change them into love!"
He faced Chihiro, noticing her staring at him. He frowned at her, feeling ignored.
"Did you get anything I said?"
Chihiro snapped out of her daydream, straightening her back upright.
"Ah... Sorry..."
Kumuro entered the classroom, walking towards Keima.
"Dude, why are you still in here?"
Keima turned around, grinding his teeth.
"Stop interrupting my lessons!"
Kumuro cocked his eyebrow.
"What lessons?"
Chihiro faced Kumuro, smiling at him.
"He's gonna help me succeed in my confessions?"
Kumuro turned his head, facing Chihiro.
"What confessions?"
Keima shouted, pointing his hands at the door.
"GET OOOUT!"
Kumuro frowned, feeling pushed out.
"Geez, I thought we would be hanging out as usual..."
Kumuro turned away from Keima, leaving the classroom. Chihiro sighed, feeling sorry for him.
"Do you have to be mean to your friend?"
Keima adjusted his glasses.
"I'm only concerned with helping you out..."
Kumuro strolled through the corridors, gazing over yonder. Why did I have to pick a friend who will always treat me like a jerk? Oh well... I can always come to the library... Suddenly, he stopped moving, seeing Ichigou standing in his way.
"H... Hey there?"
Ichigou sighed.
"I thought about yesterday... So tell me more about this place I can go to?"
Kumuro stared at Ichigou's face, feeling a bit confused. He smiled, shrugging off the confusion.
"After school, I'll take you there."
Kumuro and Ichigou entered the room, noticing many people sitting amongst each other in a circle. Each held out figurines of their favourite characters. Ichigou blinked at the crowd, feeling uneasy.
"I'm having second thoughts about this..."
Kumuro placed his hands on Ichigou's shoulders.
"Don't worry! You'll fit in fine!"
Suddenly, a tall grim-looking thug stood behind them. Feeling the shivers, Kumuro and Ichigou turned around, having their bodies shaken.
"I remember this guy..." Ichigo's voice trembled. "H-h-h-he's form our sch-school, right?"
Kumuro gulped. The thug glared at the two, revealing his angry red eyes. He reached his arms out, preparing his attack. Suddenly, his face changed.
"Oh my god! There are actually Majima High students who love Hitomi!"
Kumuro and Ichigou blinked, feeling bewildered. The thug hugged them, squeezing their bodies with affection.
"I'm so glad that I'm not the only one!"
Kumuro and Ichigou suffocated, crying out for air. Feeling embarrassed, the thug released them and scratched his head.
"Sorry about that... It's just that you guys were from my school!"
The thug smiled.
"I'm Heihachi!"
Kumuro smiled.
"Like Heihachi from the Dakkon series?"
The guy called Heihachi laughed.
"Do you play that game?"
Kumuro smiled.
"I have a whole collection of them."
Heihachi nodded his head.
"So what drove you to come here?"
Kumuro hesitated.
"Well... I wanted to help this guy, Ichigou, find more friends who like Card Catcher Hitomi!"
Heihachi crossed his lips.
"So... You don't really like that show?"
Kumuro shook his head.
"I kinda liked it. I watched it when I got bored."
Heihachi let out a heart-warming laugh.
"Well you should watch all of the episodes! It'll blow your mind!"
He pulled his thumb out, holding it upwards.
"Any fan of Hitomi is a friend of mine."
Kumuro and Ichigou nodded his head. Ichigou then spoke out
"Hey, do you know the most famous quote?"
Heihachi nodded his head.
"I sure do!"
Ichigou and Heihaci held their arms up high.
"I, the card catcher, shall prevail!"
They high-five each other, smiling with joy.
"This is so much of a classic quote!"
"Come! Let's go join the others!"
Kumuro, Hehachi and Ichigo strolled together, chatting amongst each other.
Chihiro crouched near Keima, placing her hands on her cheeks. She gazed upon his eyes, blushing at the sight of his glasses glimmering. Their bodies were covered by the umbrella, being protected by the rain. He pointed his hands at a sheet of paper on the ground whilst talking about an "attack-plan". He lifted his head, glaring at her.
"Are you listening?"
Chihiro sighed.
"Ah, sorry..."
Kumuro strolled towards Keima, holding his umbrella up. Both Ichigou and Heihachi followed him, carrying their umbrellas with them.
"You wanna come with us today?"
Keima growled at Kumuro, feeling annoyed.
"Can't you see that I'm helping Chihiro out?"
Kumuro sighed.
"Sheesh! You're sounding like Chihiro's boyfriend!"
Keima's cheeks blushed. Chihiro's hands trembled.
"Don't say something like that! Just go on with those new friends of yours!"
Kumuro sighed again.
"Why do you have to be moody all the time?"
Kumuro strolled away from Keima, letting Heihachi and Ichigou follow suit.
Chihiro sat on her bed, watching a news reporter on TV. She hugged her Miffy doll close to her while pyjamas. She sighed, watching the reporter pointing at raining cloud icons. She picked out a remote near her. She pushed a button on it, making the screen reveal an image of Kanon. Chihiro sighed, pushing the button again. A tall man pointed his gun at a bleeding victim, smiling sinisterly. The screen changed again, revealing three contestants staring at a huge picture of a fire truck. She pushed a different button on the remote, making the screen go black. She lifted herself of the bed, placing the remote near the TV.
Chihiro walked towards a bookshelf, picking up a yearbook. She flipped through the pages, revealing a picture of Keima. Kumuro's voice resonated inside her mind. You're sounding like Chihiro's boyfriend! She strolled towards her desk, holding her yearbook out. She picked her phone up and pushed a few buttons. A picture of Yuuta appeared on the phone screen. She looked at the pictures of Keima and Yuuta, admiring their looks. She sighed, thinking about tomorrow. She placed the book on the desk, leaving the pages open. The screen changed, revealing a list of her friends' names.
Chihiro pushed a button on the phone repeatedly, highlighting the words "Tereda Miyako". She pressed the green button and placed it near her ears.
"Hey there Miyako-chan."
Keima laid his body on the bench, staring at the clear sky. Today's not going to rain eh? Seems like a good day for Chihiro to confess. He sighed, thinking about her. However, she doesn't seem to take anything serious. Real women... How I don't really know them... Suddenly, Chihiro appeared in front of him, holding out a paper bag.
"Hey there! I got you some pork buns from 7-11!"
Keima slowly lifted his body, letting her sit down.
"You do know that you're confessing today, right?"
Chihiro slowly opened the bag.
"More importantly, let's eat them while they're hot!"
He pulled out a notebook sitting near him, holding it out.
"I wrote your lines, so you better study them hard!"
His eyes widened, noticing Chihiro handing a pork bun to him.
"Feeling hungry, capturing god?"
Keima sighed as he placed the notebook away. He snatched it off her as he faced away from her. Chihiro took her time munching her bun. Keima took a huge bite off it, trying to eat it as quickly as possible. After finishing the bun, she turned her head facing Keima and smiled.
"I heard that a new Chinese restaurant opened up. You wanna go there together?"
Keima shook his head.
"We got a more important task at hand. After finishing the confession, our project will be finished."
Chihiro crossed her legs.
"About that, I don't think I wanna do this anymore..."
Keima widened his eyes.
"If you think about it... I don't think I really liked him after all... So let's ditch this and-"
Keima threw his notebook down, feeling angry.
"I worked hard to make this happen for you, and you're giving up now?"
Chihiro swiftly stood up, glaring at him.
"Did I actually force you to help me out?"
"That's not the problem! I have met many people who are different, yet they gave it their all!"
Keima moved his head closer.
"Can't you at least be a bit serious?"
Chihiro's eyes watered, forcing her to shed a tear.
"I… I admit it…"
Keima's eyes shifted, feeling a bit concerned.
"I don't have any talent, I'm not really pretty, my friends all shine brightly, but I… I can't shine like everyone."
Chihiro closed her eyes, blocking the tears from escaping.
"Even if I'm serious, nothing good will happen!"
She pushed him away, moving away from him. She then stopped, glaring at the ground.
"I may as well be care-free forever!"
Keima's eyes widened, watching her walking away from him. Images of Ayumi and Kanon appeared in his mind, reminding him of their sorrows in the past. Ayumi sat on the ground, trying to mend her leg. Her saddened face and her cries from her pain forced him to shed a tear. Kanon stood on a ledge, moving her hand against her head. Why… Why now? Why am I seeing this? Keima sighed, feeling stupid of himself. Tears poured out of Kanon and Ayumi's eyes, facing Keima. They shouted at him, speaking at the same time.
"Why? Why did you hurt her?"
Keima shed a tear, wanting the girls to disappear. He wiped the tears off his face as the girls vanished from his mind.
"I'm not gonna screw up anymore!"
Keima ran from the bench, chasing after Chihiro.
Kumuro and Ichigou strolled together, looking forward to another day. Ichigou smiled brightly whilst holding a figurine.
"These friends of mine will be pleased to see this!"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"I'm glad that you're enjoying this right now."
Suddenly, they stopped, facing the bullies. They laughed at Kumuro and Ichigou. Ichigou trembled with fear.
"Well well well. It seems like that poofter's showing his doll to his boyfriend!"
"Looks like the gay couple are having a good time together!"
They laugh sinisterly, forcing Ichigou to run away. Kumuro held his arms, making him open his eyes widely.
"You don't have to run. Trust me."
Kumuro released his arms. Ichigou stared at him, noticing his face filled with conviction. Kumuro marched towards him, glaring at them.
"What's your problem throwing insults at that poor kid and I?"
The bullies continued laughing.
"Hey look! That's follower's defending his girlfriend!"
"Don't piss him off! He'll use his poofter arm to bash us up!"
Kumuro clenched his fist. I'm sorry, but you asked for it! Striking a punch at a bully's face, he sent him flying away. Ichigou's eyes widened, being caught by surprise. The bully collapsed on the ground, crying in agony.
"Owie! That bastard punched me!"
Blood poured out of his nose, forcing him to cry. His friends gritted in rage.
"You little piece of shit! You're gonna get it now!"
The bully charged at him, throwing their arms at him. Kumuro held his arms out, deflecting their blows. Using his might, he slammed the bullies into each other, knocking them to the ground. The crying baby opened his eyes widely, feeling fear from Kumuro's vengeful face.
"What kind of Otaku are you?"
The bullies ran away from him, leaving the baby behind. The baby slowly stood up, pointing at Kumuro.
"You're gonna pay for this! I'm gonna bring all of my friends, and all of my brothers, and all of my sisters, and all of my cousins, and-"
"Dude, why are you speaking like a Leb?"
The baby gritted his teeth.
"Shut up! You're so gonna pay now!"
The baby ran away, leaving Ichigou excited.
"Wow! How did you hit those bullies hard?"
Kumuro smiled, facing Ichigou.
"Let's just say that a friend of mine and I had helped each other out… But violence will never solve any problems…"
Ichigou giggled.
"Then why did you use it?"
Kumuro shrugged.
"I guess reasoning only works on those who do have a brain…"
Ichigou laughed loudly.
"Man, you're so funny!"
Kumuro turned away, continuing to walk.
"We better get going now! I think we're late!"
Keima strolled through the pier, staring at a huge stationary ship. He held an empty bag that used to carry pork buns. I hope Chihiro's right there. I need to set things right once and for all! Noticing a huge plank leading to the main deck, he placed the bag inside a nearby bin and climbed aboard. He gazed upon Chihiro standing far away from him. She held her hands on her umbrella and the rails tightly, gazing upon the open sea. She sighed, feeling depressed. Trying to grab her attention, he dashed towards her.
"Don't jump!"
Chihiro screamed whilst being tackled on the ground by Keima. She lifted her body up, trying to find who pushed her. Her eyes widened, seeing his face. He placed his hands on his head, staring at her.
"I thought you're gonna jump off."
Chihiro gritted her teeth.
"Like hell I would!"
She stood up and walked away from him, climbing through the stairs in front of her.
"Why did you follow me?"
She turned around, shooing him off.
"You don't like me, right?"
"I just came here since I felt worried!"
She stopped moving at the top of the stairs, blushing her cheeks. She then frowned at him.
"Just don't worry about me, okay?"
She pointed at him.
"You and I already know that I'm just an half-ass girl."
She started walking around back and forth, swinging her umbrella around.
"Besides, it's better if I just hang loose and try not to do anything serious!"
Keima climbed through the stairs, trying to reach her.
"Listen, if you weren't in love after all, why chase after a guy?"
Chihiro stared at Keima. Drips of rain started pelting onto the ship. She sighed as she lifted the umbrella up.
"In the end, I realised that I'm just looking for someone that shined…"
She turned away from him.
"When... When I longed for him, I felt like I'm shining along with him… Guess that makes me naïve…"
Keima slipped under Chihiro's umbrella.
"Sounds like it!"
Chihiro barked at him.
"Get away from me!"
Keima stared at her.
"But it's now raining!"
Chihiro turned away from him.
"What… What I was thinking… Was that we were alike… For you who's been playing games all the time, escaping from reality… I thought you would understand how I feel…"
Keima's eyes watered, feeling sorrow from her.
"But you absolutely don't…"
Keima sighed.
"When I first arrived at this shitty world, I expected everything from it. It turned out that it not only ignores some of my suggestions, it also mocks me for hearing my calls…"
He smiled, thinking about something else.
"But I don't feel disappointed about myself…"
Chihiro moved her head, staring at his glowing eyes.
"Because I don't need to follow anyone to shape into the person I am today…"
He turned around, gazing upon her.
"You're the only person controlling your own body. No one else can tell you what you can or can't do!"
She lowered her umbrella, frowning at him.
"That's bullshit! If I really wanted to shape my body, I wouldn't be an idol like Kanon-chan by now!"
Keima nodded his head.
"It's up to you to decide, Chihiro!"
Chihiro swung her umbrella at him, making him collapse.
"Don't' call me that! It's impossible!"
Keima tried standing up.
"Even though I though you're bland, you're the most independent girl I know so far!"
Chihiro's eyes widened.
"You can say shit to people without giving a damn, and you're the only one who can knock me down hard."
Chihiro swung her umbrella again, sending Keima on the ground.
"I would've shined if I could!"
He stood up again, smiling.
"The only problem is your way of thinking. Just stop thinking it's impossible. You'll be fine."
Her body trembled, feeling nervous.
"N… No matter what I do, I'll always be…"
She lifted her umbrella above her, preparing to strike again.
"I'll always be bland!"
Keima quickly placed his hand on her shoulders, causing her to blush. They both stared at each other.
"How about..." Keima's voice trembled, causing him to blush. "How about going around town and finding something that will make you shine?"
The rain stopped, letting the sun shine on Keima and Chihiro. Frowning at him, she smashed the umbrella on Keima's head, causing him to collapse again. She closed her eyes, turning her head away.
"Fine! But only if you don't touch me again!"
Keima and Chihiro strolled through the streets. Chihiro faced away from him, staring at windows she passed by. Keima sighed, staring at his drenched PFP. I did reality a favour... at a cost of my soaked PFP... Why? Why? Chihiro's eyes caught a glimpse of a music store. She stopped moving and sighed, feeling hopeless. Keima stopped moving and faced her.
"I'm gonna go inside there."
Chihiro pointed her fingers at the shop. She walked towards it as Keima's eyes glared at her. She... She's giving up already? Keima followed after her, entering the shop.
"You're giving up again?"
Chihiro stood in the middle of an aisle.
"I searched all over for something I can do..."
Keima blinked at her.
"Not even tap dancing?"
Chihiro turned around, glaring at him.
"Why the hell would I do that?"
Her eyes changed, making Keima concerned. She faced a pile of CDs, picking up one.
"When I saw the people inside each building, they had a lot more years than I did to shine... Maybe it's too late for me..."
Keima walked towards her, staring at the CD cover.
"It's never too late. You can start right now."
Chihiro turned her head, cocking her eyebrows.
"What do you mean?"
Keima pointed a picture of a lead guitarist.
"Have you tried guitars before?"
Chihiro stared at the CD cover.
"Well... "
Keima smiled at her. Chihiro blinked at him, feeling confused. Shrugging them off, she chuckled at him.
"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way that..."
She placed her hands on her lips.
"Could I?"
She stared at the CD, watching the people inside it come alive. They all wave at Chihiro, beckoning her to join them. Her face grew a smile, feeling enlightened.
"I think my uncle has a guitar he's not using for years..."
Keima nodded his head.
"You got nothing to lose now that you have found your calling..."
Kumuro, Ichigou and Heihachi strolled through the streets, laughing amongst each other.
"That was the best day ever!" cried Ichigou.
"You guys wanna go to a mall and get some slushies?" asked Kumuro.
Suddenly, they stopped moving, witnessing hordes of thugs surrounding them. They all clenched their fists, ready to bash up innocent victims. The baby stood out, pointing his fingers at him.
"You're gonna get it now, Otaku bastard!"
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Wha-? You bought Heihachi with you!"
Heihachi clenched his fist.
"So you're one of those guys who have been throwing insults at my friends!"
He pulled out his sinister grin.
"Come and get us... if you dare..."
The thugs shook their hands in fear. The baby stuttered.
"D-d-don't worry about that guy! Focus on those otaku wimps!"
Slowly, the thugs charged after them. Heihachi, Kumuro and Ichigou stared at each other, smiling. They backed themselves against each other, watching the thugs launching their arms at them.
Author's Note: This is personally my favourite chapter. It not only reflects on how at days, we start feeling down when we were expecting things to happen to us, but it also makes us think about how we can get back up from the ground. As I have said, my apologies for using the term "leb" and how they say "I'm gonna birng all of ym cousins, and all of my sisters" thing if any one feels offended. As I have mentioned earlier, fi you really enjoyed this series, and you want em to include sum stuff or wanted me to fix some things, by all means send me comments or PMs. Hope you enoy this chapter nonetheless!