Chapter 21: The growing troubles for Keima
Amika sat on her desk, gazing upon her drawings. Rain pelted heavily on the roof outside, disturbing her from her work. I… I don't know what I'm doing anymore… I was so absorbed with my misery and depression that I didn't once consider his feelings… An image of Kumuro appeared in her mind. She watched the tears drip from his eyes. I don't want to get lonely again! Not after what happened during middle school! She imagined herself getting hugged by Kumuro. Please! Don't leave me! If this friendship costs me an arm and a leg, it's better than living a lonely life! Please! Please don't leave me!
Amika sighed, watching Kumuro vanish in thin air. I've spent most of my time bitching and moaning about how boys don't care about girls like me… am I really that selfish as Kumuro's friend? She pushed her chair away from the desk, standing up. She retreated to her bed, resting on it. She folded her arms, resting her head on her hands. Well… I should be glad that he won't see any other girls anymore… Amika crossed her lips. So… why don't I feel glad about it?
Kumuro sighed, gazing upon his computer screen. I can't believe Nanaka-san was there… who would've thought it would come to this… His hands rested on his keyboard, watching his wizard move around the desolate wasteland. The creatures surrounding him sparked their bodies, imbuing their bodies with huge flames. Is this it? Is this where I tell myself that I can only choose between friends and love interest? Is this how the world actually works? Kumuro sighed, watching his wizard burn the creatures into crisp. In this world… I thought I get to do anything I want, performing multiple things. And explore many places this world can offer…
A huge scorpion appeared in front of him, breathing out fire from its mouth. But if this about the paths you can only take… The wizard's allies marched towards him, holding their weapons out. Maybe Keima buddy's right… The group of warriors charged towards the scorpion, using all of their might to take it down. Maybe reality is a crappy game after all, forcing people to abide by his own rules… An image of Amika appeared inside his mind. I should be glad that I haven't lost any friends of mine though… Kumuro crossed his lips. So… why don't I feel glad about it?
Keima chuckled happily, resting his body in his chair. Three days straight, and I can't believe I get so many uninterrupted hours going! He gazed upon multiple screens hanging on the wall. Keima moved his hands around, tapping the buttons on many controllers. I now only have to complete about 30% of the games I bought! Soon… soon I will be up to date and ready to conquer heroines before anyone else does! Many girls cheered for him on many screens. Maybe reality has finally realised my needs to perform such delicate tasks! Maybe reality is a benevolent being after all, rewarding such sufferers like me for their stupid mistakes!
"Keima honey! Your friend's here!"
Keima groaned, lowering his eyelids. Is this your plan reality? To make me say something I don't usually say and then take my rights? Is that it? Keima sighed, lifting himself off his chair. He drudged through corridors, exiting his room. If it's damn Kumuro moaning and bitching about that incident, I'm gonna be pissed off! He entered the living room, gazing upon the couch. He widened his eyes and levelled his back, noticing Tenri gazing upon the table.
"T…Tenri-chan?"
Tenri turned her head around, noticing Keima strolling towards her. Her cheeks slightly reddened, watching his face glow.
"Keima-kun… can you tell me what happened?"
Keima watched Tenri popped a few bubbles on her bubble wrap. Of course… she's there because of Nanaka…
"Well… I guess you heard Kumuro saying about how he promises his friend never to go out with anyone anymore, right?"
Tenri slowly nodded her head.
"Why did he say that?"
Keima adjusted his glasses, causing Tenri to blink at him.
"Well… Did your friend tell you about how Kumuro's friend got upset?"
Tenri shook her head.
"She didn't tell me about Kumuro's friend…"
"Well…"
Keima moved around the couch, sitting next to Tenri. Her heart thumped quickly, feeling her hands slightly shivering.
"She got upset because she thought Kumuro and your friend were going out together. Kumuro wanted to find a way to cheer her up. And so some students from school got Kumuro and his friend into a mix-up, making Amika think it was a date when it wasn't really one…"
Tenri moved her hands to her lips.
"Haibara-san didn't tell me Kumuro's friend was jealous."
Keima rested his back on the couch placing his hands on his head.
"Well… Kumuro doesn't actually realise that his friend had some interest for him. And I don't know how long Kumuro will take to figure it out…"
"Should… should we tell Kumuro-kun about this?"
Keima shrugged.
"To be honest with you… I think we should leave Kumuro alone for now, letting him figure things out on his own…"
Tenri leaned her head closer to his.
"Wha… What about Haibara-san…?"
Keima turned his head facing Tenri.
"Oh… you need me to find a way to cheer her up, huh?"
Tenri nodded her head.
"Well… she's my only other friend besides you and Kumuro-kun…"
Keima sighed. And yet reality had got me involved again… and this time, I have to help the same people… Why did I complement reality so carelessly?
"Well… we should make sure your friend's not extremely depressed first."
Tenri nodded her head again.
Keima and Tenri strolled through the streets, holding their own umbrellas. Tenri gazed over yonder, feeling her heart thumping. I've never get to see Keima-kun very often… lately… it kinda feels like I'm drifting apart from him… She imagined Keima standing on an iceberg drifting away from her. I… I just hope it won't happen to me right now… She slowly turned her head, gazing upon Keima's calm face. I… I just wanted to get close to him as much as possible… even though I should be thankful to get closer to him… She faced away from him, focusing on what's ahead of her. Maybe I already had my chances…
"Tenri…"
Tenri widened her eyes. She moved her head, noticing Keima gazing upon her face.
"Did you get to speak with her after that incident?"
Tenri faced away from him.
"No… No I didn't…"
Keima placed his hands on his lips and hummed. This could be bad… the cause of Tenri's friend's depression is Kumuro breaking her heart. He was pretty much her inspiration and her lucky charm for Shogi… the obvious solution is to replace one with something more suitable… perhaps something that is not human… Tenri stopped moving, causing Keima to follow her actions.
"We…we're here now."
Keima turned around, gazing upon the house. Tenri strolled towards the door. Keima followed behind her, watching her push the door bell. The door swung open, revealing a cheery lady. She held her hands out to Tenri, gleaming brightly.
"Ahh… you must be Nanaka-san's friend!"
She moved her head, finding Keima behind Tenri. The lady frowned at Keima with conviction.
"Is this Nanaka's boyfriend?"
Tenri shook her head.
"This is a friend of mine…"
The lady wiped the frown of her face, covering her lips.
"Oh… He kinda looks like the heartbreaker type…"
Keima lowered his eyelids. How do I even look like the type who acts like a jerk? The lady moved her body away from the door, holding her arms out.
"Come in then! She's just in her room!"
Keima and Tenri strolled inside the house, marching through the corridors. Keima gazed upon a picture of Nanaka on the walls. She held her right hand up, smiling at the camera. Her left hand carried her Shogi board. Keima faced away from the picture, arriving at Nanaka's room. Her body curled up into a ball, sitting on her bed. Her purple pyjamas caused Tenri to cross her lips. Poor Haibara-san… she hasn't gone out today? Keima sighed, gazing upon her depressed face. It's much worse than expected… at this rate, the only solution is getting Kumuro to stop seeing Amika…
Nanaka turned her head around, finding Keima staring at her. Nanaka gritted her teeth in rage, frowning at him.
"Are you just here because that damn coward won't show his face in front of her?"
Keima shook his head.
"I just came to see how you're feeling…"
Nanaka faced away from Keima, folding her arms.
"If you wanted to go out with me, you should try hard harder than that!"
Keima lowered his eyelids. What? Tenri moved closer to Nanaka, holding her hands out.
"Haibara-san… he's not here for that…"
Nanaka glared at the poster in front of her.
"What is he here for?"
Tenri placed her hands on Nanaka's shoulders.
"Well… We kinda felt bad on what happened between you and-"
"Don't say his name!"
Keima placed his hands on his chin, watching a few tears drip from her eyes. Even if that might be the only option, looks like she clearly doesn't want to see him again… At this rate, the games will pile up again! Tenri turned her head facing Keima.
"Keima-kun. What should we do?"
Keima shrugged at her.
"Maybe get her to play shogi?"
Nanaka and Tenri sat opposite to each other, gazing upon the Shogi board. Nanaka sighed, imagining one of her pieces turn into Kumuro. Another piece formed into Amika, commanding Kumuro not to see anyone but her. Tenri moved her eyes, noticing Nanaka's eyes misty. Poor Haibara-san… Keima gazed upon Nanaka, covering his lips with his hand. Well it's obvious that she needed someone by her side… well… I have little idea on what to do actually… Tenri moved one of her pieces forward, grabbing Nanaka's attention.
"I'll go first. It's your move…"
Nanaka sighed.
"What's the point of playing anymore…?"
Nanaka lifted herself of the chair, marching away from Tenri and Keima. Tenri turned her head, facing Keima.
"Keima-kun… she's getting more depressed."
Keima sighed, finding a chair to sit on.
"Well I guess the only thing left to do is find a substitution for your friend…"
The crowd cheered for Kanon standing on the stage. Two hosts holding the microphone strolled towards her.
"And there you have it! The new single "I got a secret (lover)!" sung by none other than Kanon-chan!"
"It's a pleasure to sing for us, Kanon-chan!"
Kanon closed her eyes, giggling cheerfully.
"Thank you so much!"
The crowd roared louder for Kanon, making one of the hosts giggle.
"My my! Your fans are in awe right now!"
Kanon bowed down to her crowd before turning around and leaving the stage. She strolled towards her manager and her other workers, watching them cheer for her. She closed her eyes, smiling at them.
"I really appreciate it!"
Her manager closed her eyes, smiling back.
"You did well Kanon. I think your new songs will also get good feedback!"
Her manager turned around and strolled away from her. She opened her eyes, making her gasp. She quickly followed after her. Another man strolled towards her, holding his pen out.
"Could you spare a moment for an interview? It's for BVD."
Kanon turned her head, smiling at the man. Her manager turned her head, holding her notebook up.
"We need to get into the venue right now! But you can interview her until we reach the car."
The man nodded his head. He started asking questions, having Kanon answer all of them. Her smile filled the man with comfort and warmth. This girl sure is charismatic for her age! As Kanon entered the car outside, she popped her head out, smiling at the man.
"Final question. What's your impression in the drama you starred in?"
She closed her eyes, smiling at him.
"I enjoyed it very much!"
She moved her away, letting the car window close in front of her. The car drove away from the man, travelling to the next destination. Kanon rested her head on her seat, closing her eyes. It's very wonderful seeing many of my fans there! Though… I wonder what happened to my number one fan… She crossed his lips, trying to picture Kumuro in her mind. His face is getting blurry in my mind… maybe it's because he hasn't been seeing me very often…
"Kanon. Please sign the promotional articles at this place."
She opened her eyes, turning her head around. As she emerged out of the car, she gazed upon the sign "Makuto Book shop". She entered inside the store, finding many fans lining up in front of the table. She sat at her seat, printing her signatures on each book. Her manager lifted her book up, reading the timeline.
"Today, we'll go through with 3 audio books recordings at the radio station. You then have a guest role where your first one begins right after we arrive at the Aokawa studio. After the two other roles, if all goes well, we should be done by next week."
Kanon nodded her head at everything her manager mentioned.
Kanon held her English book in front of her, crossing her lips. Now that school has been mentioned, I haven't started it yet… She turned her head, facing her Manager.
"Okada-san. Umm… Could I study for a bit? I have tests tomorrow…"
The manager blinked at Kanon momentarily.
"Ah right the tests!"
She slammed her notebook on her face.
"I completely forgot about them! Gotta reschedule!"
Kanon entered her dressing room, closing the door behind her. She turned around, watching her manager hold the door knob.
"I'll wait outside until the recording. Please use this time to study then!"
Kanon bowed down.
"Thnak you so much."
As her manager shut the door tightly, Kanon sat at her chair. She turned around gazing upon the mirror. Sleeping time… 3 hours… study time… Oh I don't know! I've really gotten busier and busier… I wish I can take the test at the end of semester… Kanon slowly leaned her head forward. She abruptly moved away from the table, widening her eyes.
"I should be studying! Focus! Focus!"
Her eyes twitched, feeling her head aching. Her head rested on the table, closing her eyes. She strolled through a field of flowers smiling at them. She twirled around, smiling the freeze breezes flying pass her. Her body fell on the bed of flowers, making her close her eyes. A whisper echoed inside her mind, causing her to open her eyes again. She saw Keima smiling at her, holding a bouquet of roses. He held his hands out, beckoning her to dance with him. She smiled at she held his hands. He pulled her off from her bed, twirling around together. Kanon chuckled happily, gazing upon Keima's shining face.
"Kanon-chan! It's time for your recording!"
Kanon screamed, raising her head up from the table. She turned her head around, chuckling nervously.
"Uh… I'll be right there!"
The manager sighed, placing her hands on her lips.
"You've been snoozing off again… haven't you?"
Chihiro placed her hands on her head, tilting her chair backwards.
"Awwh man! I can't believe it's only a few days until those damn tests!"
Ayumi groaned, resting her head on the desk.
"I feel so exhausted from yesterday's training! Why can't this festival be another fun festival?"
Miyako waved her pen around, scribbling notes down.
"I'm kinda excited about this test actually… the best part is that we'll be doing the dance festival soon!"
Chihiro closed her eyes, imaging herself performing in front of millions of people.
"Yeah… it'll be nice to hear those people calling for us…"
Ayumi lowered her eyelids, gazing upon Chihiro.
"You always have that thing playing in your head…"
Miyako turned her head, facing Amika. She blinked at Amika gazing upon a book in front of her.
"Amika-chan… is there something wrong?"
Amika turned her head, showing her face.
"No… Is there a problem?"
Ayumi and Chihiro turned around, blinking at Amika.
"Are you depressed about that day with that follower?"
"Did he hurt you again?"
Amika sighed, having an image of Kumuro in her mind.
"No… he didn't. Don't worry about that…"
She turned her head around, watching Kumuro sitting in front of her. Oh Kumuro-sama… I feel so guilty… Kumuro sighed, gazing upon his notes. My mind's not clear on studying, eh? He imagined the words on the piece of paper forming into Nanaka and Amika. I always see the two of them all the time… makes me wonder what happens if I didn't cheer Amika-chan up… Kumuro placed his head on his desk, groaning with frustration. Who am I kidding? Either way, I'll be losing one! Amika crossed her lips, watching Kumuro's sorrows. This… this is my fault… Keima sat at his desk, gazing upon his notebook.
He tapped his pen on his notebook, gazing upon the words "Substitution for Nanaka". Now that I think about it, love is a lot more powerful than I first thought… He drew a picture of stick figures around the title. When we find love, it brings out our ugly side whenever people see others as potential competition… perhaps Nanaka's love for Kumuro cannot be substituted… A picture of Tenri appeared inside his mind, calling out for help. Still… Tenri's counting on me to help her friend out. I can't just leave it at that… can I? Keima groaned, laying his head on the ground. This is almost like answering a rhetorical question!
Ayumi turned her head, facing Keima. She blinked at him, finding something odd about him. What's going on with Katsuragi-kun?
Kumuro strolled through the school grounds, gazing upon the ground. Funny… I'm now not bothered to walk around this school without one of my friends… not even Keima buddy huh? A cloud hovered above his head, showering raindrops on him. Maybe it's because I've been under the blue lately… I shouldn't really be depressed though… but… Kumuro sighed. I seem to unable to refrain myself form this… Kumuro drudged towards a bench to sit on. He placed his hands on his cheeks, continuing to gaze upon the ground. Somehow, I'm not looking forward to classes anymore… is this how Keima buddy feels?
He imagined his body morphing into Keima's. A PFP emerged on his hands, beckoning him to play it. Kumuro moved his hands, levelling the PFP to his face. Maybe Keima buddy couldn't cope with the depression he might have for a long time, thus abandoning reality for good… He could also be in a war with him… Would I be joining Keima's force in this state? Kumuro's body returned to normal, finding himself staring at the ground again. I guess maybe he was unable to love anyone, maybe even before I became friends with him… I guess I could end up being like him if I can never love anymore…
Suddenly, Kumuro moved his head, noticing Ichigou and Heihachi strolling towards him. They waved at him, drawing his attention.
"Hey Kumuro! We got something to show you!"
"We didn't get a chance to do so before! So we bought our fellow members with us!"
Kumuro blinked at his friends.
"Members?"
Two shady-looking twins emerged from Ichigou and Hehachi, carrying their guitars and portable amps with them. Each black-coloured guitar contained drawings of skulls and death. Kumuro gazed upon the twin's makeup covering their entire faces.
"What's going on?"
Ichigou and Heihachi blink at them.
"Didn't we tell you before?"
"We recruited these guys to be in our band after we got rejected by those bitches from your class!"
Kumuro frowned at Ichigou and Heihachi.
"Hey! Don't you dare call one of my friends a bitch!"
Ichigou and Heihachi leaned forward, studying Kumuro's face.
"Say… are you really Kumuro?"
Kumuro folded his arms.
"That's getting old you know…"
Ichigou and Heihachi shrugged, leaning back from Kumuro.
"Anyway, these guys not only share common tastes of music with us, they might be able to wow the crowds over them girls with their slick skills!"
Heihachi and Ichigou took a step back, letting the twins place their amps on the ground.
"Hit it boys!"
The older twin quickly moved his fingers around the fret board, speeding through the noises. Its loud screeching caused Kumuro to drop his frown and smile. The younger twin strummed the chords hard, creating a heavy atmosphere and complementing his brother's melody. Their flurry of guitar noises attracted unwary student, luring them to the boys. Some cheered for them whiles others banged their heads to the beat. The older twin moved his hands towards his body, creating a higher pitch. The audience moved their hands around, summoning their air guitars. The younger twin strummed the chords slower, finishing the beat.
A huge finale to their riffs caused the audience to clap and cheer for them. Heihachi nodded his head, smiling at the feedback from his audience.
"These guys are from my band! If you want to hear awesome music from these prodigy stars, by all means join the dance festival! We'll be there to rock this shit out!"
The audience moved away from the boys, chatting amongst each other.
"Wow… And I thought there won't be a good performance this year!"
"I actually wished this festival would be fresh from their usual main attractions this year! Well… maybe besides Kanon-chan but that's not the point!"
"Now I'm so looking forward to these guys! The line up of bands and singers will surely be awesome!"
"I heard that a girl's band had entered the festival as well. They just formed a few months ago."
"Pfft. Good luck with those amateurs! These guys and Kanon will surely win the crowds this year!"
Kumuro's eyes glimmered, pressing his hands together.
"I have never been moved by music like this before! Can you get your friends to play more songs for me?"
Heihachi nodded his head.
"You are our number 1 fan after all!"
Kumuro crossed his head.
"Well actually… I'm more of a number 1 fan to Kanon-chan…"
Ichigou and Heihachi turned around.
"Oh okay then. Looks like we'll find our true number 1 fan…"
Kumuro held his hands out.
"WWAAAAIT!"
Kumuro followed after his friends. The twins picked their amps up, following after Kumuro.
Keima grumbled to himself, strolling out of school. I've given up my gaming time just to get stuck on a damn problem I shouldn't have gotten involved with! An image of Nanaka holding a four leaf clover appeared inside his head. If I give her an object and just call it a lucky charm, she would simply dismiss it with anger... The four leaf clover disappeared on her hands, making her lift her head up. She blinked at a guy standing next to her. If I find some other guy for her to fall in love with, I have to make sure I make Kumuro less of her knight… the only real problem with that is finding a problem where her true knight will help her with…
Keima gritted his teeth in rage. God! This feels like I'm playing a shitty galge game! Keima pulled his PFP out of his pocket. That's it! I'm done for today! I need to finish more games before newer games get released! Suddenly, Keima stood still, watching Tenri blocking his way. She gazed upon Keima's god-like eyes, making cheeks blush slightly.
"K…Keima-kun…"
Keima sighed. She must've been waiting for me to come up with an answer.
"Listen… I kinda did think up of a solution… but it has a few problems…"
Tenri moved towards Keima, feeling her heart thumping quicker.
"What… what problems?"
Keima moved his eyes away from her.
"Well… for starters, I need to find another guy who has feelings for your friend…"
Suddenly, Keima blinked at a familiar figure standing next to his followers. I… I remember him! Isn't that some Shogi master called Tazaka? Tenri turned her head, blinking at Tazaka. His white tuxedo glimmered brightly, standing out from the crowd. He held a bouquet of flowers on his hands. His glasses glinted, hiding parts of his nervous face from the crowd. His followers cheered for him, attempting to get his confidence out.
"Come on chief! You can do this!"
Tazaka sighed, gazing upon the bouquet. Summoning all of his courage, he placed a demonic look on his face.
"I will succeed!"
He turned away from his minions, storming through the streets. Keima and Tenri followed after him, satisfying their curiosity. Tazaka arrived at a house, standing near the door. Keima and Tenri hid behind a fence. They slowly popped their head up. Watching Tazaka ring the door bell. Tazaka's face grew red. His heart thumped quickly. Goose bumps slithered all over his body. Stay cool now! This is your chance right now! The slowly opened, making his heart pump faster. He closed his eyes, afraid to witness the unravelling of the events. Oh god! This is tense! MY eyes are throbbing!
"May I help you young man?"
Tazaka slowly opened his eyes, finding Yuki standing near him. His heart pumped slower, making the shivers disappear. He face went pale, reforming his brave face.
"Umm… Is… Is Haibara Nanaka-san here?"
Keima blinked at Tazaka. Nanaka-san…? Hang on… Tenri blinked at Tazaka, scratching her head. Why is he at the wrong address? And who is that guy? I've never seen him before. Yuki blinked at Tazaka.
"Nanaka-san? My my… I don't have a daughter residing at my house! I only have shipments of Gokult waiting to be sold…"
Tazaka dropped his jaws, feeling his heart shattering. WWWWHHHAAA? His eyes widened, making him drop his bouquet.
"I GOT THE WRONG ADRESS FOR HAIBARA-SAN AGAIN!"
He turned away from Yuki, retreating back to his lair. Yuki blinked at Tazaka running away.
"What a strange young man…"
Yuki faced the door, entering her house. She shut the door behind her, making sure no intruder followed after her. Keima placed his hands on his chin. An idea appeared inside his mind. This guy is the perfect candidate to cure Nanaka's problems and get Kumuro out of her mind…
Ayumi, Chihiro, Miyako, Yui and Amika entered Miyako's room. The girls sat next to the table, placing their notebooks out. Chihiro held her hands out, drawing attention to her friends.
"Ladies. Before we begin studying, let's talk about the dance festival!"
She pulled out pieces of paper from her bag, handing them out to each girl. The girls placed the paper on their hands, skimming through the words. Chihiro closed her eyes, smiling at them.
"So… what dya think of the lyrics for the song we're going to play?"
Miyako nodded her head.
"You know… the lyrics aren't exactly too cheesy, but with the right beat, it won't sound too much of a ballad."
Ayumi crossed her lips, having the song play out form band practice.
"I don't know if this song is compatible to the stuff we were playing at the moment… ours is more bubbly and fun than serious and melancholic…"
Yui tapped her pen on the paper, creating a beat.
"Well ladies… I think I can adapt to any atmosphere or tone for the song. After all, I have been in the wind instrument club before."
Ayumi and Chihiro turned their heads around, blinking at Yui.
"You've been with the wind instrument before?"
"Funny… Katsuragi-kun claimed to be in the wind instrument club before… well he did trick us that damn guy…"
Yui closed her eyes. She scratched her head, chuckling loudly. Oh… Have I caused this much trouble for Keima-sama?
"Well… I don't personally know about this guy…"
Ayumi and Chihiro continued chattering at Keima. Yui nodded her head, hearing secret information. Amika gazed upon the letter, reading lines from Chihiro's songs. I have been a fool all along! Why did I make a mistake in the first place? She sighed, watching the words form into Kumuro's face. All of a sudden, I had lost interest in being a part of this band… It's kinda funny how emotions had gotten the best of me… I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore… Miyako blinked at Amika's depressed face.
"Amika-chan. Are you alright?"
Ayumi, Chihiro and Yui moved their heads, blinking at Amika.
"Now that I think about, you've been a bit quite all of a sudden…"
"Is there something bothering you?"
"Maybe some foul man caused her to be like this."
Amika concealed her true feelings, forming a smile on her face.
"It's fine. I… I was thinking about some sad show from last night…"
Kanon gazed through the balcony door outside her apartment. She watched the moon shine brightly. She sighed, watching Keima floating beside the moon. I don't know long it's been since I last saw Keima-kun… Maybe that's why I've been having more dreams about him… She imagined herself soaring through the skies of darkness with Keima. She turned her head, gazing upon Keima's glimmering face. Her cheeks blushed, watching Keima turn his head facing her. He eyes shined. His glasses glinted. He formed a smile on his face, making her heart thump quickly. The moon shined onto Keima and Kanon, illuminating their bodies.
Kanon and Keima moved closer to each other, holding their hands together. Her heart thumped faster as she moved closer to him. She closed her eyes, waiting to embrace her gift. Suddenly, the wind blew in her face, making her open her eyes. She found herself standing near the doors swung open. She covered her mouth, feeling embarrassed. Oh my! I somehow opened the door again! She shut it tightly, preventing more winds from invading her homestead. She turned away from the balcony, heading for her bed. She rested her body on her mattress, covering her body with her blanket.
She yawned, closing her eyes. Tomorrow's the first day of tests. Maybe I'll find Keima-kun before the exam periods…
Keima and Kumuro strolled through the streets, heading to school. Keima gazed upon his PFP, barging into oncoming pedestrians. Some turned their heads around, waving their arms and swearing at him. A girl inside the screen hesitated, feeling nervous. I think the best option for me is to find that shogi master around lunch time. It won't take long before he'll agree to take part in my complimentary lessons on confessions! Kumuro groaned, feeling his head aching. God… how long did I stay up for listening to heavy metal? His eyes and ears throbbed. His body ached from excessive movement. I'm not gonna get involved with metal ever again!
He barged into other pedestrians, making them wave their arms and swear at him. Not to mention that I have tests today… I hope I won't fail because of that... Suddenly, Keima got pulled away from Kumuro. Kumuro turned his head around, finding an alleyway entrance. Ke… Keima buddy? He drudged towards the alleyway, finding Kanon holding Keima's shoulders. Keima gasped, finding Kanon standing near him. Dammit! She's here again! Her eyes glimmered, complimenting her radiant smile. Her glasses concealed her identity from unwary citizens. Kanon wrapped her arms around Keima, closing her eyes.
"Keima-kun! I'm so glad to see you again!"
Kumuro crossed his lips. Oh boy… there goes Keima buddy again… Keima's body trembled in fear, making his cheeks red. This is what I get for not cutting off this relationship, huh?
"K-k-kanon-chan… I… I didn't think-"
Kanon leaned her body away from him, gazing upon his face.
"I also tried to visit you on the last day of summer vacation! But you were found exhausted… and…"
Kanon faced away from Keima and sighed.
"Since… since there were other friends of yours in there…"
Keima blinked at Kanon, feeling his heart thumping. What… what's this feeling? I… I've never felt like this before… Kanon gazed upon Kumuro standing near them.
"I… I didn't let them know that the two of us are going out together."
Keima's body formed goose bumps. She… she even considered about my status… and I thought that she was careless and- Keima formed his poker face, adjusting his glassed. No no no! Why am I suddenly caring about this Kanon girl? I shouldn't get pulled into this kind of trap!
"Well… I didn't know how you felt about me but… I guess this is perfect what you did now…"
Kanon turned her head, making her eyes glimmer. She smiled at Keima, making Keima widen his eyes in fear. Oh god… I have a bad feeling about this! She darted her head towards his, pressing her lips against his. She closed her eyes, imagining herself entering heaven again. His hands trembled… only to stop moving. Wha… what's this feeling? It's… it's taking over me… Keima's cheeks blushed again, making his eyes closed. Though… somehow it's nice… it's like this is almost the feeling I wanted… maybe this is really what I- NO! This isn't me! I am the capturing god! I will not allow myself to get overwhelmed by these inferior feelings!
An image of Mini-Keima appeared on his shoulders, whacking Keima's head with a small mallet. Snap out of it Keima! Fight it! Kumuro blinked at Kanon and Keima sharing tender moments with each other.
"Wow… The two of you seemed to be perfect couples…"
Kanon widened her eyes, moving her lips away from Keima's. Mini-Keima disappeared, allowing Keima to turn his head. Keima widened his eyes, making his face red. Kumuro? He was watching the whole time? Kanon covered her lips, making her face red.
"Ku…Kumuro-kun! I…"
Kumuro formed a smile on his face.
"Don't worry about me! No one's gonna know…"
Kumuro moved his hands to his head, reading the watch. He widened his eyes in fear.
"Shit! We're almost late!"
Kumuro ran away from Keima and Kanon, leaving the alleyway. Kanon turned away from Kumuro, smiling at Keima.
"I'll see you later!"
Kanon pressed her lips on his cheeks, making Keima gasp. She ran away from Keima, making his head conjure floods of thoughts. Wha… what's going on with me? A shady man popped his head from the garbage can, gazing upon Keima. Alright! I got myself a scoop of the century! I even took a snap shot of the couple kissing!
Kanon sat at her desk, gazing upon Keima. He held his PFP on his hands, drawing Kodama's attention. She tapped her pen on the desk and sighed. Every time I get wonderful moments… it feels like I want it more… but before I know it… She watched Kodoma slapping Keima on the head, shouting at him. I can no longer have him right now… I… I just hope I get to see more of Keima… Chihiro and Ayumi moved their heads, watching Kanon staring at Keima. (Chihiro) Kanon-chan's seemed to be a bit odd today… I wonder what's up with her? (Ayumi) Why is Kanon-chan gazing upon Katsuragi-kun?
Miyako turned her head, gazing upon her friends. I wonder what these two are doing this time? They somehow always act strange together… She moved his head to Keima. Now that I think about it… does this involve Katsuragi? She shrugged, moving her head to her test papers. Some things are definitely full of mysteries! Especially those that can never be solved! Kumuro grumbled, gazing upon the test. Oww… my head… it's not thinking straight! Why did I have to temporarily join my friends' band as their groupie? I don't think I can handle that much noise… Amika gazed upon Kumuro, tapping her pen on the desk.
She crossed her lips, feeling guilty. I don't know how much longer I can take… I haven't talked to him in a few days. Amika formed a frown, feeling fired up. I can't just sit there and run away from my problems! I need to talk to Kumuro about this! Keima held his pen on one hand, holding his PFP in another. He wrote down the answers whilst tapping the buttons on it. This is gonna be problematic… I need to find a way to get Tazaka to take lessons while avoiding Kanon… well… I'll figure out after these tests are done… Kodama gritted his teeth in rage. He slammed his fist on the desk, grabbing the student's attention.
"Tests are over! Hand in your papers now!"
The students moved their heads around, blinking at each other.
"We have only done 15 minutes of it!"
Kanon strolled through the corridors, moving her head around. Where did Keima-kun go? I swear I've seen him walk this way… As Kanon strolled past the janitor room, the door slowly swung open. Keima popped his head out of the room, watching Kanon leave him out of sight. He emerged out of the room, closing the door behind him. I have redirected her to the opposite direction of the shogi master's location. Now it's smooth sailing ahead! Suddenly, he stood still, finding Chihiro standing near him. She scratched her head, feeling her cheeks red.
"Umm… have you and Kanon-chan known each other?"
Keima blinked at Chihiro. What makes her think of that?
"No… why do you ask?"
Chihiro blinked back. Shrugging of her worries, she laughed loudly.
"What am I saying? How could a celebrity like Kanon-chan be going out with someone as disgusting as you?"
Keima frowned at Chihiro.
"Don't use that as a form insult!"
Keima strolled past Chihiro, eager to get to his destination. Suddenly, he saw Ayumi standing next to him. Chihiro turned her head, finding Keima and Ayumi standing together.
"Uhh…. Katsuragi-kun…"
Chihiro moved closer to Ayumi, blinking at her.
"A-Ayumi? What are you doing there?"
Ayumi turned her head, facing Chihiro. She widened her eyes, feeling her face red.
"Oh… Chihiro-san… I… I was saying hi to him!"
Ayumi dashed past Keima, making him and Chihiro turn around. Ayumi bumped into a wall, slowing her down. Keima sighed, closing his eyes.
"I really need to go…"
Keima turned away from Chihiro, walking away from her. Chihiro moved her head and held her arms out.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
Amika and Kumuro stood on top of the school building, gazing upon each other. (Kumuro) Oh god… this is scary meeting her again… I… I don't want to know what will happen next! (Amika) This is it… Perhaps he needed to hear the truth… He must know of my love! This is the only way I will relieve myself form this newfound depression I have… Amika took a deep breath, summoning all of her courage inside her. Here goes nothing…
"Ku… Kumuro-sama…"
Amika paused for a moment.
"About that time at the amusement park… I…"
Amika's body trembled, feeling scared. Oh who am I kidding! How am I ready to confess? What happens if he says no? Kumuro placed his hands on her shoulders, making her gaze upon his glowing smile.
"Listen… I should've told you about this girl beforehand… I.. I didn't know how you don't want me to be with her…"
Kumuro giggled, having an image of Nanaka inside her head.
"Maybe she might become mean to me later in while we're dating… if… if this is what you're worried about… I… I won't go out with her…"
"No…"
Kumuro blinked at Amika. Amika crossed her lips.
"Don't worry about it… I… I was kinda scared about you going out with someone else… but I guess I was too selfish to consider your feelings…"
Kumuro closed his eyes, making his smile grow bigger.
"Then how about this: next time I find someone else, I'll let you decide if she's right for me or not! Is that okay?"
Amika blinked at Kumuro's naïve face. I should really tell him about me… but… Amika formed a fake smile on her face.
"Sure! That'll be great!"
Kumuro nodded his head.
"You wanna go study together?"
Amika watched Kumuro open his eyes again. Maybe… maybe it's best if I leave it at that for now…
"Sure… maybe we can study at the library."
Amika and Kumuro strolled together, heading out of the building.
Tazaka placed a shogi piece forward, making his minion sweat in fear. He grinned sinisterly, smelling fear inside him. Yes… soon… my minion will crumble and shatter into pieces! Soon… no one will stop me in this club! He moved his shiny piece, delivering the final blow.
"Check… and mate!"
His minion fell on the ground, pouring tears out of his eyes.
"Dammit! I was so close to beating you!"
The other minions around him cheered for him.
"You did well Chief!"
"That's the 9th win in a row!"
The minion's praises grew his body, making his head gently touch the ceiling. That's right… Praise me! Worship me as your superior! Soon… I will win the prefectural tournament where this Haibara-san will be… be… His eyes widened in fear, causing his body to shrink back to size. Oh Haibara-san! How will I ever reach to you before the tournament? I need you so badly! Suddenly, Keima entered the room, drawing attention to Tazaka's minions. They frowned at him and hissed at him, trying to scare Keima away.
"Hey! It's that infamous guy at school!"
"What do you want with this club, Otamegane!"
Keima grinned sinisterly. This is the perfect time to get the master joining… He turned his head, facing Tazaka.
"Ah… you must be the chief of this shogi club… Sankichi Tazaka is it?"
Tazaka widened his eyes, dropping his jaws.
"WWHHAAAAA-? How did you manage to find out about my name?"
Keima adjusted his glasses, making them glint form the sunlight.
"Well… I am the capturing god after all! I have my sources of details! In fact, details like these can help me capture any target of my choice!"
Tazaka gritted his teeth, pointing his hands at Keima.
"Hey! You can't just copy my trend of adjusting glasses like that!"
Keima moved his hands away from his face. Right… He thinks this 'trend' belong to his…
"I also know you have some interest for Haibara Nanaka-san, am I correct?"
Tazaka dropped his jaws, feeling flabbergasted. H… HOW DOES HE KNOW ABOUT THIS? WHAT DOES HE WANT FROM ME? IS HE BLACKMAILING MEE? His minions advanced towards Keima, locking his body tightly.
"You best leave right now! Or we'll use our flimsy hands on you!"
Keima chuckled sinisterly, making the minions sweat in fear.
"Why… why would you do that for your master? I came here just to offer him my assistance!"
Tazaka frowned at him.
"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I'M THE DEMON WARLORD!"
Keima moved away from the minions, heading for the exit.
"Suit yourself, "demon warlord"."
Tazaka held his hands out in submission.
"WWWAAAAIIIITTT!"
Keima stopped moving, gazing upon the door. Just as I anticipated… Tazaka grumbled, making his cheeks red.
"So what you want form me in exchange for your help in winning her heart?"
Keima turned around, making his glasses shine.
"I told you… I just came here to assist you in your capture… I require nothing from you…"
Keima turned away from Tazaka, exiting the room.
"The lesson starts tomorrow. That way, you will understand the basics of your capture while we're working on it."
The minions turned around, facing each other.
"I don't trust this guy!"
"He's here for his own agenda! There's no way he would simply offer his help!"
Tazaka moved his hands near his lips. This Otamegane… I wonder how useful he is to me…
Keima strolled through the streets, holding out his notepad in front of him. He wrote a few notes down, gazing upon it. Okay… I've completed phase 1. Onto phase 2 – reanalysing the enemy… An image of Nanaka appeared on the notepad. So… If I can recall correctly, she likes winning… however… he wants to win his heart… Maybe I need to somehow reuse the strategy for Tenri… Keima shook his head. No… this won't do… maybe I should try the old traditional galge technique of walking her home from school… no… that's only if he's in the same school… Suddenly, Keima stopped, noticing Tenri standing next to him again.
"Keima-kun… did you get him on your side?"
Keima nodded his head.
"He obviously shares common traits with Nanaka… but the problem is the method on him getting her attention… for this situation, he might have a hard road ahead of him…"
Tenri crossed her lips.
"Should… should I do something about Nanaka-san?"
Keima placed his hands on her shoulders, making her gasp. Her heart thumped quickly, making her cheeks redden.
"Don't worry about it. I still have time to figure things out."
Tenri nodded her head. Keima lifted his hands off, strolling past Tenri. Tenri turned around and strolled beside him.
"So… how… how was school today?"
The shady-looking man strolled through a room filled with desks, waving at him workers. Alright! After a few days of sitting inside that damn garbage can waiting for something interesting to happen, it finally paid off! What's more, this Kanon girl's the 3rd most popular thing in Japan as of now! This will not only make her gain more publicity, but this will also make me damn rich! The man closed his eyes, smiling with joy. Goodbye shitty apartment life! Hello rich world! The man stood near the door with the sigh "main editor's room". He knocked on the door, grabbing his boss's attention.
"Who is it?"
The man grinned.
"It's me, The Spiderman!"
He blinked at the door, waiting for a reply.
"Oh god… What is it this time, Pita Baka?"
Baka opened the door, entering the room. He gazed upon the editor's bald head and grim-looking face. He placed himself on the chair in front of the editor, smiling sinisterly.
"I got something that you wouldn't believe that actually happened?"
The editor sighed.
"Go on…"
Baka pulled out a photo from his jacket pocket, revealing a picture of Kanon and Keima kissing each other. The editor widened his eyes in disbelief, leaning his head forward.
"Holy shit! Is this even real?"
The editor swiped his arms around, trying to grab the photo. Baka lifted it up, waving his finger around.
"Ah ah ah! Not so fast!"
The editor blinked at the shady looking man.
"What's the catch this time? Are you sure it's real?"
Baka nodded his head, grinning sinisterly.
"I can assure you it's real. I've been watching them the whole time, making sure I didn't draw attention to him. I even heard them talking to each other like couples! I got the recordings and the photos to back up my claims!"
Baka placed the photo back inside the pocket.
"Now… Do you know the top three popular things in Japan right now?"
The Chief leaned back, gazing upon the ceiling.
"Let's see… The revolutionary Hologram TV… that's number 1… The first ever robot human that can interact with basic conversations… that's 2… so I guess this Kanon girl's number 3…"
Baka nodded his head.
"Mhmm…. And you know… number 1 stuff costs about 5 million yen per photo… the 2's cost 2 million… guess how much I want for this scoop?"
The Chief lowered his eyes.
"You know… This place ain't got enough cash for your liking! Why don't you walk away with a more feasible amount?"
Baka sighed.
"Suit yourself. I'm sure I'll find other people willing to pay that much!"
He turned away from the editor, heading for the exit. The editor held his hands out.
"WWAAAIT!"
Baka stopped moving, hearing the editor hesitating.
"Umm… Perhaps we could arrange something for that million yen of yours…"
Keima and Kumuro sat on the couch. Kumuro sighed, gazing upon two mages casting spells at each other. Now I feel a whole lot better! Now I can feel like loving people again! Keima gazed upon the notes written on hi notepad. Okay… I guess I will use the approach for Chihiro with that guy called… umm… never mind about his name! This shogi master will be able to use Chihiro's root before confessing his love. However, I have to make a few adjustments to make sure Nanaka's attention is drawn to him and he gets an even relationship with her… Kumuro hugged Keiam tightly, making Keima groan.
"I loooove you Keima buddy!"
Keima gritted his teeth in rage.
"Hey! Hey! What's with this unexpected development?"
Keima pushed Kumuro away from him. Kumuro scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
"Umm… sorry about it…"
Kumuro moved his eyes to Keima's notes, blinking at them.
"Why are you writing stuff about Nanaka?"
Keima sighed. I guess he should know about this…
"Kumuro. Tenri asked me to help Nanaka get better. The only way is to replace her love for you with her love for someone else…"
Kumuro crossed his lips. Yeah… I guess it has to end, ne?
"Well… how's it going?"
Keima lifted the notepad up, gazing upon it.
"Well… by the looks of it, it might just-"
"We interrupt this program to bring you something more shocking than other worldwide news being presented soon!"
Keima and Kumuro turned their heads away from each other, watching the news reporter standing inside the TV screen.
"There is yet an unconfirmed rumour that's been spreading wide from the country of Japan, and it all started in a city called Majima."
An image of Kanon and Keima kissing each other appeared on screen. Keima and Kumuro widened their eyes, dropping their jaws. (Kumuro) Wwwha-? Who the hell took this photo? This is exactly what happened! AND I'M ON TTTVVV! (Keima) What the hell? What's going on? Reality… Are you responsible for this? Do you realise what you have done to me? Is this some sick joke, telling me that I should be with her forever? To get involved with your twisted world forever? Keima screamed, letting the whole world hear.
Author's Notes: Surprised to find many many developments and plots rising in this chapter? You should be! Because this is the first chapter of the 2nd half of this fanfic series! For those who is new to this fanfic, I welcome you humbly to this. I'll also assure you that there will be twists and turns in the next few chapters before things will slightly settle down as the series progress.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and this series!