Chapter 8: Childhood Reunion
Keima chuckled sinisterly, walking out of the school grounds. He tucked his hands inside his pants. His glasses shined from the bright sun. Just as he strolled past the huge school gates, He raised his hands up, shouting at the clear blue sky.
"HELLOOO SUMMER VACATION!"
He skipped across the city streets, drawing public eyes to him.
"I can spend half a day on homework… So that I can get 40 days of gaming!"
He bounced into a video games store and pulled off many games from the shelves.
"No more real girls! No more real school! And definitely no more real Kumuro!"
He placed huge stacks on the counter, making the shopkeeper nervous.
"Fifty games?"
Keima skipped out of the games store, carrying huge bags of games. He entered a convenience store, pulling out processed packets of food into his bags. He placed them on the counter, making the shopkeeper busy.
"Okay… 12 beef bowl packs, 15 packs of instant noodles with soup base…"
He opened the door, carrying a backpack and two bags of food with him.
"Mom! I'm going to disappear for about 40 days. But don't worry about me!"
Mari turned her head away from her friend, blinking at Keima. Keima turned around, heading to the door.
"Be seeing you at the end of August!"
Mari snatched him on his bag, immobilizing him.
"Hold on."
Keima waved his arms, crying like a child.
"Let go! 1000 hours! My 1000 hours!"
Mari placed him on the couch.
"Oh come on, we have a guest here, so at least say hello."
Keima blinked at her friend.
"You remember don't you? It's Ayukawa-san. She used to live next door."
Her friend placed her hands on her lips.
"You've grown up alright!"
Keima's body stood still. He then bowed down.
"Hi"
Keima jumped off the couch, running for the door. Mari grabbed her again, making Keima struggle.
"1000 hours! 1000 hours!"
She slapped him on the head, making him dizzy. He placed him back on the couch, wrapping sticky tape to the couch. Her friend smiled, staring at Keima.
"I guess it's been 10 years. Sometimes people forget after all these years!"
She leaned forward.
"You're about the same age as my little girl, aren't you?"
She turned her head away from Keima.
"Hey Tenri, Keima-kun's here…"
Keima turned his head to Tenri. Her body trembled, having her head lowered down. Her pink ribbon stood out behind her hair. Her black hair shined from the ceiling lights. Her eye covered by her hair. Her teeth chattered. She popped some bubbles on her bubble wrap. Mari turned her head around.
"Keima, you used to go to class together with her at elementary school. It's Tenri-chan."
Keima blinked at Tenri. He leaned forward, taking a closer look. Mari moved her hand to her face, whispering to Keima.
"You remember her, don't you?"
"Not really…"
Mari's friend turned her head, facing Tenri.
"Tenri, he's Keima-kun!"
Tenri sighed.
"Who… was it?"
Mari and her friend blinked at each other.
"I'm sorry about Tenri. She's being a bit sullen."
"I'm sorry that my son Keima's been weird all the time…"
Keima pulled the tape off him, jumping off the couch.
"I'm free at last!"
He pointed his hands towards the ceiling.
"No one can stop me from my 1000 hours now!"
Kumuro opened the door, carrying a huge backpack on him.
"Hey there, Keima buddy! You wanna waste 100 hours of games at my house?"
Kumuro shouted at him, feeling tormented.
"WHY CAN'T YOU LEMME PLAY AT LEAST ONE GAME?"
Kumuro blinked at him.
"You are going to…"
Keima sighed, resting his head on the table. Mari poured tea on the cup and pushed it to Kumuro.
"Keima, it's not polite to talk to your childhood friend like that!"
Keima sighed.
"Now that you mentioned about this awkward girl I kinda knew at my school…"
Keima stood up from his chair.
"I should teach you both about the real meaning of childhood friends…"
A huge TV screen appeared, making Mari and Kumuro blink in confusion. A picture of Keima sitting on a Toyota appeared. A model sat inside a seat, staring at Keima. Words emerged out of nowhere, reading "Drive your dreams! A reliable childhood friend, made by Toyota." The screen revealed a picture of two adjacent houses. Keima adjusted his glasses, preparing to talk.
"The T stands for 'the house next door'. I must be next to that girl's house if I was that childhood friend. This is the basic of all basics!"
The screen changed, revealing a girl warning her friend about eating too much.
"The O stands for "over-caring"! Caring too much is like giving your soul away to that one person you absolutely want to give to the most during the previous times. It can't just be a relationship with names like "onii-chan" or "otouto"."
The two friends strolled towards a marked tree.
"The Y stands for Yakusoku. It must be there to hold the pinnacle relationship of being childhood friends!"
The screen changed again, revealing a picture of a teenage boy walking through the streets.
"The most important O, old memories, must be included, or you would may as well say that you've never seen her in your whole life!"
The boy widened his eyes, gasping at a very hot school girl.
"Finally, Ta stands for tachiba. They must completely change over time. I can be over one year. Hell it can be over 100 years!"
The TV lifted towards the ceiling, hiding form Mari and Kumuro.
"This concludes my explanation. To put it simple, I don't want to assume this kind of relationship is a childhood friendship!"
Mari sighed.
"They do live next door…"
Keima rolled his eyes.
"You think houses touching each other diagonally would count?"
Mari frowned at him.
"God you're so annoying…"
Keima rushed for the bags on the ground, picking them up. Kumuro hugged Keima's legs tightly!
"Take me with you! Then we can camp together!"
Keima moved his legs around.
"Let go of me!"
Tenri moved out of her house, strolling through the streets. She sighed, feeling nervous. Each step she took caused her to move slower. Her hands trebled, clinging on her bubble wrap tightly. She popped a few bubbles, trying to soothe her worried face. She lifted her head up, gazing upon Keima's house. She stood still, feeling her heart thumping. She slowly turned around, facing away from the house. Kumuro emerged from the house. He faced the door, shouting at it.
"You're no fun at all!"
He turned away from the door strolling through the foot path. He turned his head around, noticing Tenri shaking her body. Hey! It's that childhood friend of Keima buddy. I'm gonna go meet her. Kumuro strolled towards her, holding his hand out. He gently placed them onto her shoulders. She gasped, feeling her cheeks reddened. Her heart thumped faster, feeling her teeth chattering. Her body shook more violently.
"K-k-k-keima-kun?"
Kumuro blinked at her.
"I'm not actually…"
Tenri slowly moved her head, studying his face carefully.
"Who… Who are you?"
Kumuro lifted his hand off her shoulder. He held it out, wanting a handshake from her.
"I'm Keima's friend! Muhara Kumuro!"
Tenri blinked at Kumuro. Her heart thumped slower. Her cheeks went pale.
"Friend?"
Kumuro nodded his head. He paused, waiting for Tenri to respond to his hands. She turned her head, strolling away from Kumuro. Kumuro lowered his arms.
"Hey wait."
Tenri stopped moving.
"Are you here to reach out for Keima?"
The sound of Keima's name sent her shivering. She popped a few bubbles on her bubble wrap. Kumuro sighed, watching an image of Shiori appear near Tenri.
"You know… You remind me of a friend at school."
Kumuro smiled at her.
"She wanted to communicate with others, but feels too shy to do so."
Tenri turned around, gazing upon Kumuro's cheery face.
"Maybe I can help you…"
Tenri sat on the couch, staring at her bubble wrap. Kumuro stood next to a canvas holder holding huge sheets of attack plans. His army officer uniform matched Kumuro's determined eyes. His dark green beret laid flat on his hair. He pointed his chalkboard stick at one of his pictures he drew.
"Okay, so for plan A, I'll walk with Keima over to this street. Once you see me walk past you, you can come along and try grabbing his attention near the road."
He removed a piece of paper from the canvas holder, revealing a different picture. He pointed his stick at an image of a coffee cup.
"For plan B, you can buy two cups of coffee from some shop and give one to him at some super mall."
He removed another piece of paper, revealing a picture of a house.
"If the first two plans don't work, we can try plan C."
He moved the stick, pointing at Tenri's face.
"I'll somehow get some kind of life-like mechanical creature from someone who can make those babies and get 'em into his house. Of course it'll be designed to chase after him. Then you can get in the action and save his life!"
He moved the stick away from the diagrams.
"Any questions?"
He stared at her, waiting for her response. Her body stood still on the couch like a marble statue.
"Can I get a word from you?"
Tenri sighed. Kumuro blinked at her.
"Well… At least you've made some noise…"
He pulled out pieces of folded paper from his pocket and placed it on the table. Tenri slowly lowered her head, gazing upon the notes.
"If you've forgotten about the plans for tomorrow, this will help you remember."
Keima stood still, waiting for Tenri to grasp hold on the notes. She continued gasping, staring at the table. Kumuro sighed. I guess she's still feeling a bit nervous… He lifted the notes up, placing it on her lap. She moved her eyes, gazing upon them. She slowly lifted them up, getting a closer look at them. She placed them back on the desk. Kumuro blinked at her. Okay… Maybe she doesn't like the plans I had made… Suddenly, Kirino kicked the door hard, sending it flying off. Kumuro whimpered from his living nightmare. Why? Why does it have to be now? She stormed towards Kumuro, glaring at his face.
"Oh come on! Now you're dating wimpy girls?"
Kumuro stuttered.
"B-b-but mother… Th-that's one of Keima's friends…"
Kirino moved her head next to his.
"I don't care whose friend you picked it up from…"
She lifted him up from the floor, making him struggle. Tenri turned her head, staring at Kirino growling at her son.
"Why can't you find someone who can toughen you up?"
Kumuro's body trembled in fear.
"But mother… There was a girl I kinda went out with before… She was kinda tough..."
Kirino threw him to the ground and turned away from him.
"Well I guess no tough girl wants someone as wimpy as you are…"
Kirino strolled away from Kumuro. Tenri moved her head, following Kirino's direction.
"If I haven't married your father, you wouldn't be like this in the first place!"
Kumuro whimpered at her.
"Mother! Why are you saying bad things to me?"
Kirino stood still. Her body trembled, feeling strange vibes from Kumuro.
"I thought you loved me!"
She widened her eyes, creating an image of her husband. He stood in the rain, whimpering at her. Why are you pushing me away? I love you… She sighed, closing her eyes. She left the living room, leaving Tenri and Kumuro behind.
Tenri stood near Kumuro, finding herself inside an alleyway. She stared at Kumuro wearing his white t-shirt. She held her bubble wrap tightly. He slowly walked backwards, holding his hands out.
"Stay here. I'm gonna get Keima."
Kumuro walked through the streets, leaving Tenri behind. He smiled and waved at passing pedestrians, feeling cheerful. He spotted Keima's house, commanding his feet to move there. He walked through the foot path, gazing upon the door. Let's see if Keima's in there. He knocked on the door. He placed his hands on his lap, waiting patiently. The door opened, revealing Mari. She smiled at him, excited to see him again.
"Hey there. Kumuro's in his room."
Kumuro nodded as he walked passed her. He walked towards Keima's room, holding his hands out. Suddenly, Keima emerged from his room. His pouted his lips, feeling depressed. Kumuro blinked at him, wondering what happened.
"Why the long face?"
Keima cried on the floor, banging his fists on it.
"Damn earthquake! It destroyed some of my games!"
Keima lifted his body off the floor, walking past him. Kumuro turned around, following him.
"Hey buddy, wait up!"
Keima drudged out of the house, trekking through the footpath. Kumuro walked alongside him, gazing upon his defeated body.
"What? So you're buying damaged games?"
Keima nodded his head.
"If they're the games you've completed, why bother?"
Keima glared at Kumuro.
"Because I feel like it!"
Keima and Kumuro strolled past Tenri. Tenri gasped, gazing upon Keima's face. Kumuro turned his head around, holding his thumb up. Her body shook, nervous to see Keima again. She took a few steps, building up her confidence. She emerged out of the alleyway, turning her head to Keima. She slowly marched towards him, holding her hands out. Her body shook more violently, feeling her heart thumping faster. Kumuro turned his head, smiling at her. She tried straightening her arms, calming herself down. Suddenly, she tripped over a banana peel, falling towards Keima.
Keima turned around, noticing the shadows. He widened his eyes, witnessing Tenri moving her hands towards his body. She pushed Keima towards the road, causing him to stagger through. Tenri fell on the ground as Kumuro gasped. A truck drove towards Keima, drawing his attention. Keima screamed, fearing for his life. The truck moved passed him, sparing his life.
"Hey Dumbass! Don't block my way!"
Keima leaped across the road, returning to Kumuro and Tenri. Tenri stood up from the ground, witnessing Keima's anger. Keima pointed his fingers at her.
"You're that girl from yesterday!"
She cowered, covering her head.
"What did you do that for?"
Her body trembled, feeling her ears throb. She turned around, walking away from him. Keima sighed, drifting his mind to a different matter.
"Oh well. Let's go to Izuma-mart!"
Keima strolled through the crossing line. Kumuro held his hands out.
"I forgot to get something at my house! I'll meet you there."
Keima held his hands out.
"Take your time."
Kumuro turned away from Keima, running towards Tenri. He reached his hand out, grasping on Tenri's shoulders. Tenri stopped moving, feeling Kumuro's hands.
"That wasn't your fault. You still have a chance."
Tenri sighed. An image appeared inside her mind, replaying the moment where Keima got angry. Kumuro turned her body around, smiling at her.
"Let's go to plan B for now."
Kumuro and Tenri stood near the escalators. He pointed his hands at the coffee shop.
"There's a coffee shop that you can go to. That way, you can make up for plan A and get a chance to talk to him."
Tenri's body shivered. She slowly marched towards the coffee shop. Kumuro smiled at her, watching her entering the shop. He turned away and walked towards a games store. Keima stood near the window, gazing upon the game "Starry-eyes Juliet – First Edition A". He opened his jaw, drooling on the floor.
"I'm so glad this game's still there!"
Keima turned his head, glaring at Kumuro.
"Stay here and keep guard of it! I'm getting out cash!"
Keima walked away from Kumuro. Kumuro glared at him, feeling offended.
"I'm not your bloody slave you know!"
Keima strolled through the stairs, walking towards an ATM machine. He stood there, pulling out his card. As he slipped it in, the screen changed, showing the words "Select command". Keima pressed his fingers against a square around the word "Withdraw". The screen changed, asking Keima how much to withdraw. He pushed the screen a few times, commanding it to give him 20000 yen. The screen asked him "Are you sure?" Keima pushed the "yes button". The screen asked him "Are you really sure?" Keima grumbled at the machine. Keima pushed the same button. "Are you really really sure?" Keima gritted his teeth.
"Give me the damn money already!"
He continued pressing the button until the machine spat out a note. Keima sighed as he picked it up. The screen asked him "Do you want to take a survey on how you think about the new yes/no system?" Keima pushed the button "No". The screen asked. "Are you sure?" Keima screamed, pulling his hair out.
"Screw you and your damn system!"
He turned away from the machine, carrying the note with him. He climbed through the escalator, smiling at the money. With that damn machine out of the way, now I can buy that game I wanted! Suddenly, he saw Tenri blocking his way, holding two cups of coffee. He widened his eyes. What th-? Her again? He carefully walked passed her, trying to avoid her. She advanced onto him, holding out her coffee to him. She tilted the cup forward, causing the coffee to spill on his note. He widened his eyes, screaming from his clothes burning.
"What the hell did you do that for?"
Tenri cowered again, dropping her other cup on the floor. Her body shivered, feeling scared. Keima pointed his hands at Tenri.
"What do you want from me?"
Keima glared at her, forcing her to turn away from him. She moved towards the glass fence, grasping onto it. Keima shrugged as he moved away from her. Tears shed from her eyes.
Keima and Kumuro strolled away from the games store. Keima held his bag tightly, cuddling it with affection. Kumuro turned his head, facing Tenri. She gazed upon the ground floor, feeling her cheeks wet from her tears. Keima turned his head, glaring at Tenri.
"Don't look! She's been annoying the crap outta me this whole time!"
Kumuro turned his head, frowning at him. Wow. I can't believe he's that unappreciative! He held his stomach tightly, groaning in pain.
"Dammit! I knew I shouldn't have a huge breakfast this morning…"
Keima blinked at him. Kumuro held his hands out.
"Go on without me… I'll come to your house later…"
Keima smiled. He turned around, climbing through the stairs. He lifted his hand up.
"Okay then."
Kumuro slowly moved his hands away. He crept towards the escalator, watching Keima leave the mart. He turned his head, watching Tenri moving away from the glass fence. Tears dripped on the floor. Kumuro's eyes watered, making him sigh. Poor Tenri… She's still struggling… Kumuro strolled towards her, holding his hands out. Tenri held her hands out in front of him.
"Don't…"
Kumuro gazed upon her watery eyes.
"There's still one more plan to try…"
Tenri wiped the tears from her eyes. She walked past Kumuro, heading for the escalator. Kumuro followed after her, holding onto the rails.
"Listen. You're doing well so far."
Tenri gazed upon the ground floor, holding her body still.
"Don't give up yet! We still haven't tried plan C yet."
Tenri hopped off the stairways, strolling towards the mall exit. Kumuro twiddled his arms, thinking up a plan to cheer her up. His mind clicked, making his face glow. He ran around Tenri, blocking her path. She stopped moving and looked up. Kumuro smiled at her.
"You wanna show me where your house is?"
Tenri blinked at him.
"Uh… Why?"
Kumuro closed his eyes.
"Then I can help you, of course!"
Kumuro strolled through the streets, whistling cheerfully. He walked towards Keima's house and knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Mari. She smiled at him again.
"Keima's back inside his room."
Kumuro nodded his head as he walked past her. He march to Keima's room and knocked on the door. Keima opened his door, glaring at him.
"I'm up to my 23rd hour. Why are you here now?"
Kumuro blinked at him. Is he actually trying to get 1000 hours? No matter… Kumuro smiled at him.
"You know, I forgot to tell you about that one shop near this neighbourhood."
Keima blinked at him.
"What dya mean?"
Mini-devil Kumuro appeared on Kumuro's shoulders, chuckling sinisterly.
"I heard that this shop contain a whole heap of games being marked as "collector's edition". Maybe they have the rest of the games you need to replace!"
Keima stared at him. His face glowed, feeling enlightened.
"Really?"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"We better hurry though. I think they're going to be low on stock."
Keima emerged out of his room, smiling cheerfully.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Kumuro nodded. He strolled past Keima, taking the lead. Keima strutted behind him like a cheerful dog, imagining him grabbing out a lot of games inside his shop. Keima and Kumuro left the house, strolling through the streets. Kumuro smiled sinisterly, forming an evil face. Yes… My plan is working… Soon… Keima won't be able to escape from my clutches… He emitted an evil laugh, making Keima blink at him. He scratched his head in confusion.
"Why the evil laugh?"
Kumuro widened his eyes. He hesitated to make an excuse.
"Well… Umm… That's because…"
Keima cocked his eyebrow. Kumuro raised his fingers, pointing it towards the sky.
"I remember about some game where this person laughed evilly."
Keima slowly nodded his head.
"Okaaayy then…"
Kumuro turned around, reaching Tenri's house. Kumuro stood near the front entrance, waiting for Keima to catch up. Keima blinked at him, wondering why he stopped.
"Are we there yet?"
Keima turned his head, facing Tenri's house.
"Wait a minute… Is that…"
Keima widened his eyes. He turned around, trying to escape from Kumuro's trap. Kumuro jumped on him, launching his ambush. He pulled out a rope from his bag, tying him up. Keima screamed out loud, feeling violated.
"Damn you Kumuro! Release me at once!"
Kumuro shook his head.
"You have to meet someone first!"
Kumuro carried him on his shoulders, travelling to Tenri's house. Keima struggled, moaning like an ungrateful child. Kumuro pushed the door bell, waiting for someone to answer. Tenri's mother opened the door, gazing upon Kumuro's face. She smiled, holding her hands out.
"Wow! You must be Keima-kun's friend."
Kumuro nodded at her.
"We're here to visit Tenri."
She nodded her head in joy.
"Tenri's just upstairs."
Kumuro walked past her, carrying Keima through the stairs. Keima gritted his teeth, glaring at Kumuro.
"Wait a minute. You're the one who made that damn girl do awkward things like attempting to kill me AND spilling coffee on me?"
Kumuro sighed.
"The only thing I wanted to do is to help your dear friend talk to you."
Keima howled at him.
"She's not my childhood friend!"
Kumuro opened a door near him, finding Tenri sitting on her bed. Tenri's body trembled, gazing upon Keima's face. Kumuro placed Keima on the floor, standing near Tenri.
"At least there's nothing else that can go wrong Tenri! Go ahead and talk to Keima all you want!"
Kumuro stared at Tenri. Her cheeks reddened at the sight of Keima's calm god-like eyes. She hugged her bubble wrap tightly, feeling her heart thumping. Keima blinked at Tenri. He turned his head to Kumuro, glaring at him.
"Did you ever consider that SHE DOESN'T KNOW ME EITHER?"
Tenri lowered her arms. She hesitantly spoke a few words.
"I… I do… know you…"
Keima turned his head, showing his widened eyes to Tenri. A drip of tears flew from her eyes.
"I… I got worried that you'd forgotten…"
Keima blinked at her.
"But… I don't know you…"
Keima struggled, trying to break free from his clipped body. Tenri sighed, creating a river of tears. Kumuro glared at Keima.
"Seriously! Why the hell are you being so mean?"
Keima howled at him.
"I should be the one saying that to you!"
Keima crawled out of the room like a caterpillar. Kumuro followed after him, blinking at Keima.
"Where are you going?"
Keima bounced through the floor, reaching for the stairs.
"I had enough being interrupted! I am leaving right now!"
Keima lifted his body up and hopped towards the stairs. He fell over and tumbled through the stairs, having his head knocked a few times. He landed on the ground floor, resting still like a lifeless doll. Tenri emerged out of the room, finding Keima. She covered her lips, horrified to see Keima lying there.
"Keima-kun!"
Keima slowly opened his eyes, finding himself on a bus seat. Wh… Where am I? He looked around. Small school children sat around him, talking to each other cheerfully. Why are there school children? He lifted his small hands up. He blinked at them, noticing something strange. My hands… They're… He lowered his head, observing the seat he's on. He picked up a "Play Boy Upgrade" from the seat, having his eyes gleamed with joy. Wow! I remember this console so much! A tear dropped from his eyes. Brings me back so many memories! His body swayed around, feeling the bus stopping.
"Okay kids! We're at the seaside park!"
The sound of a familiar teacher sparked his mind brightly. I remember her… That's Mrs Himoko. Keima sighed as he got off the seat. He placed his bag on his back and carried his Play Boy in his hands. He strolled through the aisle with his small legs, turning on his Play Boy. The first game I played here was… He jumped out of the bus, walking towards the school kids. The sandy ground annoyed him, feeling bits of sand invading his shoes. The screen brightened, revealing the title "Warlords 2: Revenge". His eyes glimmered with excitement, ignoring his itchy feet. This is one of my favourite games! How awesome!
Mrs Himoko moved away from her students, marching towards him. She bent her body downwards, smiling at Keima.
"Keima-kun."
She held a shell out in front of him.
"Won't you put the game away and play with us?"
Keima sighed.
"I stay cool and dry whenever I play games near the ocean."
The teacher grumbled at him. She slapped him on the head.
"Then there's no point in coming to the sea!"
She strolled away from him, grumbling to herself.
"Being that kid's homeroom teacher is a pain!"
Keima sighed again. It's such a pain to somehow experience all of that again. Why am I here again anyway? The screen changed, showing two samurais side by side. Maybe I've somehow went back in time. If that's the case, I might be able to undo my encounters with that Kumuro guy. That way, I'll be able to avoid him easily! He turned his head, staring at a huge wooden ship called the Akanemaru. But first, I have to get away from her constant nagging. He strolled towards it whilst staring at his Play Boy. He climbed through the planks sitting on the pier. He boarded the deck and strolled towards a spot.
He sat on the wooden floor, pulling his bag off his back. He pulled out a leisure sheet, covering his body with him. He lowered his head, giving more attention to his Play Boy. If I did went back in time, I'd probably have to wait another ten years for that. There's a possible chance that I will forget, repeating history again. He placed his Play Boy on the floor, pulling out a pen and paper from his bag. He scribbled all over, creating alien words. Crap. I forgot that I can write decently one year later. I won't be able to read this in ten years… He pushed the pen and paper back inside the box, picking up his Play Boy.
Suddenly, the ship trembled violently, sending Keima falling sideways. His sheet flew off him, flying away from him. I remember this event. He quickly stood up and reached for his sheet. He grasped it tightly, pulling it back in his bag. I remember how I first thought it was a level 3 earthquake… He placed his PFP back in his bag. He moved towards the rails, gazing upon the sand below him. It actually turned out that this ship landed on a stranded island. Why am I here exactly? He lifted his head up, staring at the beach opposite to him.
"Surrounded by the ocean eh? Had the tide came of?"
Noticing someone behind him, Keima turned around. He widened his eyes, noticing Tenri's small body. That… That's the girl who annoyed me. Tenri stared at Keima, standing near him. Keima turned away from her, walking towards sheets of bed covers. He pulled each cover out, tying them together. Maybe that's why she had claimed to have remembered me… He carried his handmade rope towards the edge of the ship, tying one end onto the rails. He threw the rope off the ship, landing it on the sand. He turned around and climbed down, trying to get off the ship. Tenri moved towards the rope, staring at Keima.
Keima slipped his hands off the rope, falling half-way to the ground. He fell on his stomach, groaning from his pain. Tenri held the ropes tightly, shouting at him.
"Excuse me… What are you doing?"
Keima drudged through the sand, entering the shores.
"I'm thinking of a way to get back!"
He stopped moving, feeling his feet submerged. Tenri climbed through the rope, trying to reach the sand. He folded his arms, gazing upon the beach.
"It's impossible to cross this sea without getting my games wet."
He turned around, staring at the ship's masts. I remember how that ship was somehow in bad conditions. There's also one thing bugging me. He lowered his head, gazing upon a hole on the ship. Why is there a cave inside? Keima walked towards the whole. He looked down, gazing upon the darkness concealing the cave. Tenri stood beside him, watching Keima climbing down the cave like a brave explorer.
"We'll keep going till we reach the centre."
Keima turned his head around.
"Uh… What your name again?"
Tenri blinked at him.
"Never mind! You stay here for now."
Tenri climbed down the cave. Keima blinked at her, wondering why she's following him.
"Why are you coming here? I told you to wait."
Tenri sighed. Keima shrugged as he continued climbing down. As Tenri and Keima advanced further, the cave darkened.
"It's really dark. You got any light?"
The Play Boy brightened, revealing Tenri holding it. Keima glared at her, pointing his fingers.
"Hey! These games aren't meant to be for that!"
Tenri gazed upon the dark surfaces.
"One's not enough. I still can't see clearly."
Keima sighed. I guess that's how I ran out of batteries quickly in that field trip… He pulled out 8 Play Boys from his bag, making Tenri blink at him.
"I got eight if you need it."
"What for?"
Keima held out two play-boys and switched it on. Tenri grabbed one from the ground, holding it out wide. Keima placed the remaining Play Boys back inside his bag and carried it back on his bag. They continued further into the cave, letting the lights guide them. The lights formed a huge area.
"It's quite spacious inside… The sound of water! I heard that the tide can make landmasses disappear and create caves. This cave might also be connected to the land…"
Tenri turned her head, blinking at him.
"You really know a lot, don't you?"
Keima shrugged.
"It's a popular videogame situation."
Keima and Tenri reached a wall, holding a hole above them. Tenri walked towards the wall, pointing at the hole.
"Help me get up."
Keima placed the Play Boys on the ground, lifting her up. His arms struggled from excess weight.
"You're really heavy you know!"
As Tenri reached the Hole, Keima picked up his Play Boys. Tenri pulled him up, reaching there. Tenri gasped, feeling tired.
"Can we stop now?"
Keima sighed. I remember how she gets easily tired… He pointed at a wall.
"Let's sit there."
Keima and Tenri hugged their backs against the wall. Tenri held her bubble wrap in front of her. Keima held his Play Boy in front of him.
"I wonder if the batteries will run out… I only have around 100."
"100?"
Keima widened his eyes, staring at the credits on the screen.
"Dammit! I just finished a game."
Tenri turned her head.
"You play a lot, don't you?"
Keima pulled out a cartridge from the Play Boy, changing games.
"If I had known about this, I could've brought more batteries."
Tenri began sobbing, drawing Keima's attention.
"Don't cry…"
Tenri sniffed.
"It's dark and scary…"
Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. She hugged it tightly, feeling her head spinning.
"Are you hungry? Where's ya stuff?"
Tenri sighed.
"I put it with everyone else's…"
Keima pulled out a bento from his bag, holding it out in front of her.
"Here. Eat my bento."
Tenri carefully held it on her hands. She turned her head, staring at him.
"I'm fine as long as I have my game."
He pulled out pieces of candy from his pocket, holding out to her.
"If you're still hungry, you can have this. I don't like sweets."
Keima walked away from her, resting his body on the ground. I wonder if she has a huge appetite...
"Hurry out and eat."
She quickly nibbled on Keima food. After finishing everything, she turned her head, staring at Keima.
"Keima-kun. How are you so strong?"
A screen of a superhero fighting a monster appeared on his Play Boy.
"I'm not strong. I've never fought anyone."
"You… You are strong."
Tenri sighed.
"I'm… I'm scared… even when someone talks to me…"
Keima rapidly tapped the buttons on his Play Boy. No wonder she hasn't spoke much since we've started seeing each other again…
"Aren't you scared now?"
Tenri cheeks reddened.
"I'm… I'm fine…"
Suddenly, the lights went off. Keima widened his eyes. Okay… I don't exactly remember this event… Keima stood up, feeling a bit scared.
"What's going on?"
Tenri stood up.
"The games suddenly turned off, even when I changed batteries."
The lights gradually returned, revealing their bodies. Tenri and Keima turned around, noticing the lights growing bigger. Keima's body trembled, somewhat feeling more nervous. Tenri hugged Keima, afraid of the unknown. The lights formed into ghosts – ghosts carrying huge swords. Their faces formed, revealing huge fangs and demonic horns. They slowly advanced onto Keima and Tenri, laughing evilly at them.
"What do we have here?"
"We got ourselves the lost children, eh?"
"I feel hungry right now. Let's go eat them up."
The ghosts circled around them, swinging their swords around. Tenri poured tears out of her eyes. Keima's eyes widened, feeling more scared than ever. This is getting weirder! How the hell are there ghosts in there? And why do they want to eat us? It's almost logically impossible! The ghosts licked their lips, witnessing sweat dripping from Tenri and Keima. Tenri cried on Keima's shoulders.
"Do something, Keima-kun!"
Keima stuttered.
"I d-d-d-don't know what t-to d-do…"
The ghosts charged at them. The light inside their bodies shimmered brightly blinding Keima's eyes.
Keima's eyes slowly opened, revealing a ceiling with fluorescent lights. Where am I now? He tilted his head, facing Tenri and Kumuro. Oh… I remember how I fell down… And I somehow remembered everything about Tenri… I think… Kumuro hugged Keima tightly, squeezing him hard.
"Oh Keima! Thank god you're alright! I thought you're going to die! Oh god, I even prayed to Kami-sama for this! Oh my god!"
Keima gasped.
"Get… Offa… Meee…"
Kumuro moved away from Kumuro, scratching his head.
"Oh… Sorry man…"
Keima sighed. He turned his head to Tenri.
"Tenri..."
Tenri covered her lips. Keima smiled at her.
"I remembered."
Tenri widened her eyes, having her cheeks reddened.
"I remembered where we have first met. It was at the ship that somehow got us stranded. I remember when we went inside a cave. And I remembered how you got scared inside."
Tenri formed a huge smile on her face. Tears dripped from her eyes. She leaned to him, hugging him firmly. She closed her eyes, feeling the golden warmth around him. Keima formed a smile on his face.
"Tenri, don't cry."
Tenri chuckled. She wiped the tears off her face, leaning her body away from him.
"I… I thought you will never remember…"
Keima shrugged.
"There's only one bit of memory I'm not sure about actually…"
Tenri and Kumuro blinked at him.
"What is it?"
Keima lowered his eyelids.
"Tenri and I somehow got attacked by ghosts inside the cave."
Kumuro blinked at Keima.
"What cave?"
Tenri giggled, placing her hand on her lips.
"Keima-kun. That was when I thought they were ghosts. But they turned out to be the rescue team."
Keima turned his head, facing an opened window.
"I see…"
Kumuro smiled at him.
"Well… I'm glad that everything turned out well, and I got the two of you talking again!"
Keima sighed. Damn that Kumuro… He turned his head, facing Kumuro.
"So what's my condition?"
Kumuro lifted a clipboard from a table, skimming through the details.
"Just some minor concussion. You'll be fine in a few days."
Keima sighed.
"I'm gonna miss out on at least 2 days of games, aren't I?"
Tenri smile grew bigger.
"You haven't changed a bit…"
Kumuro scratched his head.
"Here's the bad news… You've been in a coma for 3 days…"
Keima widened his eyes. He screamed loudly, letting the whole world hear.
If you think that's bad for Keima, and it can't get any worse…
Keima strolled through the streets. His head covered by huge bandages. Five days of delay… I hope this can't get any worse… Suddenly, he stopped moving. He saw a delivery truck standing next to a house next to Keima's. Delivery men emerged out of the truck, carrying heavy objects to the house. He widened his eyes. No… Is this… Noticing Mari standing outside, he walked towards her.
"Mum! What's going on?"
She turned around, smiling at him.
"The Ayukawa family are moving in there!"
Keima dropped his jaws. He pointed at the house.
"What's with this unnatural development? Why did they move next door?"
Mari pointed her hands up.
"The previous owner moved out, and the house somehow got smashed down. So when I told the family about it, they decided to move next door!"
She pointed at the truck.
"Keima. Go help out!"
He turned away, walking to the front gate.
"I don't wanna… The games are piling up…"
Mari clutched Keima's shoulders tightly. Her voice sounded like a raging demon.
"Don't you wanna help your childhood friend out? Or do you rather have me spending time with you?"
Keima gulped. This is gonna end badly… Mari held his body tightly, throwing him towards Terni. His body smashed into the foot paving.
"GO HELP ALREADY!"
Tenri covered her face with her hands, gasping at Keima. His body twitched from excess pain. He slowly turned his head, facing Tenri.
"You need any help?"
Keima slowly stood up, recovering from his pain. Tenri tried lifting a huge box up. Keima sighed. He held his hands out, helping her lift it up. Tenri and Keima carried the box towards her house.
"I said I'd help… but it looks like it's already finished."
Tenri blushed at the sight of Keima's face.
"I… I just want to carry this box myself…"
As the two entered the living room, Keima gazed upon her hair.
"Did you cut your bangs?"
Tenri's cheeks reddened further.
"Ah… Yes…"
Keima turned his head. His eyes widened, noticing Kumuro holding a broom inside the living room. Tenri's mother patted him on the head. What the hell's he doing here? Tenri sighed, thinking of something inside his mind.
"I didn't really get to see you very often after that incident… What happened then?"
Keima turned his head, facing Tenri.
"Now that you've mentioned it..."
Keima and Tenri climbed through the stairs.
"There was an earthquake the day after that incident…"
Keima sighed, remembering the tragic events.
"It smashed my previous house along with the games inside it. So practically my gramps lent the house to my family and went out of town."
Keima and Tenri entered her bedroom. They placed the box on the ground. Kumuro entered her room, smiling at Keima.
"Hey there Keima buddy! Nice of you to recover from that injury!"
Keima growled at Kumuro.
"Why the hell were you in this house anyway?"
Kumuro lowered his eyelids.
"You know… Tenri and I are now friends."
Tenri nodded at Kumuro.
"I should thank you for helping me out…"
She pulled the bubble wraps off the box, revealing a black box with words "magic" around it. An image of an angel and devil stood on the top. Kumuro widened his eyes.
"Wow! You do magic?"
Tenri nodded her head.
"I can show you guys a few tricks of you want."
She opened the box, hopping her body inside. Keima and Kumuro watched her carefully.
"In a few moments, I'll be teleporting. Keep your eyes open, okay?"
She closed the box, sealing her body inside. Kumuro moved closer to the box. He opened it carefully, finding it empty. Tenri slowly raised her body behind the couch, catching Keima's attention.
"Ta-da!"
Kumuro turned his head around, clapping at her.
"That's really impressive!"
Tenri's cheeks reddened.
"Thanks…"
Kumuro hugged himself, feeling golden warmth around him.
"It makes me want to say "ily illy"!"
Keima and Tenri gazed upon his face, blinking in confusion. Kumuro blinked back. He scratched his head, feeling embarrassed.
"Umm... About that 'ily illy' part... That was... from some game I play..."
Keima turned his head, facing Tenri.
"Have you shown this to anyone?"
Tenri shook her head.
"I don't really have any friends. I've only shown this to my mom."
Keima slowly nodded his head.
"I see."
Tenri smiled at Keima.
"I'm just glad that the two of you are here now…"
Keima and Kumuro turned their heads, facing each other. They nodded their heads at each other. Tenri pulled out a sword from the floor, handing it out to Keima.
"You wanna help me with this next trick?"
Keima turned his head, witnessing her glowing smiled. Having little option, he smiled back.
"I guess so…"
Author's note: Sorry for some people who wanted to see this very soon. BUT IT'S FINALLY HERE! I kinda liked how Kumuro becomes the helper of Tenri - they seemed to be a bit adorable together :D I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! The enxt chapter will continue the summer adventures of Keima and Kumuro!
P.S: ILY ILLY (This request is from a reader of mine)