Chapter 26: Recruitment and Training
Ryou stood near the gates, gazing upon the house in front of him. This house doesn't look as different as that wrong house... He lifted his watch up, gazing upon the time. Too bad that I'm about to miss out on my favourite shows! Why can't this lazy shit do it himself? An image of Yutuka appeared inside Ryou's mind. We need someone at least good looking to make a good impact on first impression! You should be able to charm anyone with at least those assets. Ryou closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. Brother! My looks should not be worn down! I have to work hard to get it! An image of Ryou visiting a female salon appeared inside his mind.
This place had costed me a fortune! Took me months to save up! He opened his eyes, gazing upon the door. Well I can't just blabber to myself. I really really need to get this done before I miss out on more of my shows. He opened the gate, strolling through the footpath. He stood near the door, pushing the bell. He folded his arms, tapping his feet impatiently. The door swung open, revealing a lady wearing a pink apron.
"My my. I didn't expect visitors at this time!"
Ryou placed his hand on his hair, pushing it upwards.
"Do you have a son called-"
Ryou hesitated, feeling his mind blank.
"Umm... umm..."
The lady blinked at Ryou.
"Did you forget something?"
Ryou held his hands out, lifting a piece of paper out.
"Umm... Kumori Sweat?"
The lady scratched her head in confusion.
"Isn't that a drink?"
He widened his eyes, gazing upon the big words "shopping list".
"No, wait. Wrong paper!"
He lifted the piece of paper up, gazing upon it.
"Pokori Kyonshi..."
The lady widened her eyes, forming stars around it. She hugged him tightly, making Ryou gasp for air.
"My little precious has finally made some friends instead of spending his time being an anti-socialist!"
She lowered her eyelids, moving her eyes away from Ryou.
"Though this guy's a bit weird..."
Ryou frowned at the lady.
"Hey! I can hear you loud and clear!"
The lady released him, making him fall on the ground. She closed his eyes, stepping aside and holding her hands out.
"Come then! He's just in his room upstairs."
Ryou moved past the lady, climbing through the stairs. He pulled out another piece of paper, reading the notes carefully. Okay... I just now have to do this... and then... He blinked at the door with a sign "Do not disturb". He knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.
"Mum! I told you not to disturb me!"
Ryou scratched his head. What should I say to him? Ryou lifted the piece of paper up, gazing upon the notes. If he does not wish to be disturbed, read the following lines. He tilted his head, gazing upon the sign again. I think he's ignoring me again. I'll do one more knock and then I'll read it out loud. Ryou knocked on it again, waiting for another response.
"Mum! Stop it!"
"I have some business to discuss with you."
The voice hesitated temporarily.
"Wh-who are you? Are you trying to kidnap me? What have you done to my mum?"
Ryou blinked at the door.
"I'm not a kidnapper. I'm just here to discuss business with you."
Ryou tapped his feet impatiently, waiting for the reply.
"You got ten seconds to tell me your business or-"
"Kyo-kun! What's going on up there?"
Ryou turned his head around, gazing upon the lady. Her face reminded him of a giant demon from an anime show. She clenched her fists, blowing steam form her head.
"You haven't let your friend in there yet?"
The voice sighed.
"But mum-"
"NO BUTS!"
Ryou cowered before her, watching her finger pointing at the door.
"You let that dear friend of yours in right now, or you won't get dinner tonight!"
"Urgh! Fine..."
The lady turned her head, gazing upon Ryou. She changed her face, trying to quench his fears.
"I'm sorry about my son. He's always like that!"
The door swung open, revealing Kyo's body. Ryou turned his head, gazing upon Kyo's pale face. The black spots above the wearly wrinkles clutched onto his eyelids tightly. His hair poked upwards, pointing at the ceiling. Kyo blinked at Ryou's shining blonde hair gleaming from the lights outside.
"You don't look like a kidnapper..."
His mother folded her arms, glaring at her son.
"Kyonshi!"
Kyo glared back at his mother. He turned away from her mother, returning inside hsi room.
"Come in. You better have a good reason why you had interrupted my work!"
Ryou entered inside the room, closing the door behind him. Ryou squinted his eyes, gazing upon the shining lamp. The windows covered tightly, forming darkness around the desk. Piles of paper were stacked up neatly. Ryou tilted his head, gazing upon the floors filled with scrunched-up paper balls.
"You know... you could at least tidy this place up a-"
Kyo turned around, glaring at him.
"I did not let you in so that you can play mom!"
He sat on his chair, turning it around.
"Don't waste my time and hurry up!"
Ryou pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it carefully.
"Now... where should I begin?"
He moved his finger around, pointing at the words on the top.
"I am the messenger of god, and I have come to fulfil your deepest desires!"
Kyo turned away from Ryou, moving his pen around the paper. He gazed upon the lines coming alive.
"If you mean my dreams of becoming an artist, I don't need any help!"
Ryou lowered the piece of paper, blinking at Kyo.
"I actually mean a chance to win a girl's heart and make her yours."
Kyo slammed his pen on the desk, flicking ink all over it.
"Who are you exactly? Are you working for that Rokushi bully?"
Ryou broke sweat from his face, crossing his lips. Crap! What should I do now! A light bulb glowed inside his head as he lifted his paper up, skimming through the notes. I know there's a line about what to do when he's under the impression that I'm his enemy at this stage... umm... I swear I've seen tha line somewhere be- He pointed his finger at a line of words. There we go! Now let's see... di di di di di di di- oh... of course! I need to show him some evidence! He shoved his paper back inside his pocket. He moved his hand inside another pocket, jerking it around. C'mon... where's that photo? I really need it! Kyo turned around, glaring at Ryou.
"You got about ten seconds to leave before–"
He widened his eyes, gazing upon a photo lying on the floor. He stood up from his chair, strolling towards it. He picked the photo up, gazing upon Tsukiyo's body. His body trembled, feeling his heart beating. Ryou blinked at Kyo holding the photo. He stood near Kyo, gazing upon Tsukiyo's face.
"Hey. Where did you get that from?"
Kyo's eyes glimmered, feeling his cheeks blushing.
"This face..."
He turned his head, facing Ryou.
"You know this girl personally right?"
Ryou paused for a moment. He placed his hands on his hair, flicking it around.
"I do as a matter of fact. I could even help you win that girl's heart!"
Kyo formed a thrilled look, picturing Ryou forming wings from his back and a halo above his head.
"It's as if the prophecy has come true! An angel came to me with the picture of my beloved Rukia!"
Ryou scratched his head, blinking at him.
"Actually, that's not her name..."
He pulled a mazagine out of the desk, holding the front page to Ryou.
"I did not actually create this character. It was based on a dream I had – a dream where this girl exist inside this world..."
Ryou blinked at Kyo. I don't get it... Shrugging off the confusion, he pulled his crumpled piece of paper form his pocket, ironing it out straight. His eyes caught glimpse of a few shining words on the page.
"If you accept to try winning your dream girl's heart, you will be put under intense training by none other than the messenger himself. As god's chosen, I will do my best to-"
Kyo leaned forward smiling at him.
"Can I at least see her in person first?"
Ryou slammed his paper on the ground, shouting at him.
"Hey! At least let me finish this-"
Ryou moved his hands to his chin, humming to himself.
"Hey... that really is a good question..."
He picked up the paper, skimming through the notes. By the looks of it, there wasn't anything stated about getting the candidate to see his dream girl... what would he say if a situation like that would ever come... An image of Yutuka stood on his shoulders, folding his arms. It is important that we at least get to know his enemy before he sets foot into unexplored territories... He dropped the paper on the ground, smiling at him.
"Now that I think about it... I don't see why not..."
He placed his hands on his shoulders, forming a star near his face. I may be competent in following orders, but I specialise in doing things without being asked! After all, I know my brother better than anyone else...
Hana strolled through the school grounds, folding her arms. Where is that Keima? I can't believe I let myself lost sight of him! She sighed, standing near the school gate. Well since school is over, perhaps he had gone without me... Why did I have to get distracted in the process? Hana sighed, placing herself on the ground. I don't really know how helping Keima will get me closer to him... after he's done with every single threat neutralise... what would he do with me? Would he try getting rid of me? She closed her eyes, picturing Keima holding a gun. He pointed at her head, pushing the top trigger down.
Hana cowered against him, feeling her eyes watery. But he's not exactly harsh though... I know that he has a soft gentle side to him... but he tends to hide that from others... An image of an armoured coffin appeared inside her mind. It slowly opened up, revealing Keima's naked body. He crossed his legs, whimpering in fear. I can feel him inside that thick shell! I just have to open his heart once I find his weak spot... She watched herself drifting towards him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Then... maybe I could open his heart to me... and only me... The images disappear as she opened her eyes.
She lifted her head up, gazing upon the setting sun. For now, I'll continue to aid Keima in his missions... Ayumi and Chihiro strolled towards Hana, talking amongst each other. Suddenly, they turned their heads, noticing Hana sitting near the school gates.
"Hey. I've never seen this girl before..."
"Maybe we should see who she is..."
Hana turned her head around, gazing upon the girls. Ayumi and Chihiro widened their eyes, recognising Hana's face.
"I remember that girl! She was on TV!"
"I can't believe she's at our school now."
Hana blinked at the girls. Hmm... More students I have to deal with I see... I had hundreds of them coming to me quite often so far... Chihiro closed her eyes, holding her hand out.
"I'm Kosaka Chihiro!"
Ayumi followed Chihiro's example.
"I'm Takahara Ayumi!"
Hana gazed upon their hands. I guess I should do my normal routine then... She lifted herself from the ground, smiling at the girl.
"I'm Kumina Hana!"
She held her hand out, shaking each girl's hand. Chihiro gazed upon Hana's sparkling golden hair complementing her blue opal eyes.
"Speaking of which, what are you doing here all alone?"
Hana sighed.
"I guess I was waiting for someone, but it looks like I might need to walk home..."
Chihiro closed her eyes, smiling at Hana.
"Dya wanna come with us? We're going to have a look around a few shops."
Ayumi tilted her head to the side, placing her arms behind her back.
"It'll be heaps cool if you come along!"
Hana hummed to herself, generating thoughts in her mind. Well... since I told my parents I wanted to live a life of lower class people... I guess this is a good time to keep up this charade... She closed her eyes, returning Chihiro's favour with a smile.
"I guess I have nothing better to do today..."
Keima, Kumuro and Heihachi stood near the house, gazing upon the door blocking their path. Heihachi pushed the door bell, waiting for someone to answer. Ichigou's mother opened the door, smiling at Heihachi.
"Hekkun! I'm glad that you've came here to visit my poor boy! It's pretty much unfortunate that he got sick today..."
The mother closed her eyes, placing her hands together near her right cheek.
"I can't stand one of my kids in a risk of dying from these conditions... what a tragedy it would be to think of the horrors becoming true..."
Keima lowered his eyelids. There really is serious over-dramatisation going on right here... The mother turned her head, gazing upon Keima and Kumuro.
"I see you brought your friends too. How wonderful of you to let my boy have many more friends!"
She took a step towards the wall, placing her hands out.
"Come in boys! Ichigou's just in his room!"
Keima, Kumuro and Heihachi strolled inside the house, marching through the corridors. The boys climbed through the stairs gazing upon the pictures. They stood near a door with a sign reading "potential rock star here". Heihachi moved his hand near the knob, turning it around. Suddenly, the boys blinked at Ichigou, witnessing a very strange event. Ichigou spun his dress around in circles, singing a song coming from the speakers. He pointed his sceptre at the boys, winking at them. He blinked at them, noticing their presence. He widened his eyes, dropping his jaws and his sceptre.
He waved his arm up and down, feeling his teeth chattering.
"H-h-how much did you see?"
Keima continued blinking at Ichigou. In this shitty world, this is definitely an example of a freaky bug created by reality. Kumuro scratched his head, chucking nervously. Oh boy... this might turn out bad. Heihachi gasped, drawing Ichigou's attention. His eyes watered, witnessing Heihachi's presence.
"He-heihachi. Th... this..."
Ichigou's cheeks slightly blushed, feeling his heart throbbing. Heihachi dropped his jaws, forming stars around his eyes.
"Ichigou my man! You really are a talented cos-player!"
Keima and Kumuro turned their heads around, widening their eyes and dropping their jaws. (Keima) This guy's definitely bugged as well! (Kumuro) What the? I thought Heihachi would bash him up for that! Ichigou blinked at Heihachi, being caught by surprised.
"You... you do?"
Heihachi held his hands out, forming hearts around his eyes.
"With this stunning look, you would definitely win a cos-play competition against other Hitomi cos-player wannabes! We should really think about your costumes for the Mai High Fest!"
Ichigou's cheeks grew redder, making him hesitate.
"Umm... does... does this mean-?"
Heihachi placed his hands on ichigous shoulders, smiling at him.
"Think about other rock stars who cross-dressed. Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson had made this possible, and so you will be the next cross-dressing rock star to have ever hit the stages!"
Keima placed his hands on his glasses, making it shine.
"This brings me to my proposal, Ichigou..."
Heihachi and Ichigou turned around, blinking at Keima.
"What proposal?"
Keima formed a god-like grin.
"I can help you win Yui's heart, Ichigou?"
Heihachi blinked at Keima.
"You're kidding... why would Ichigou even think about going out with that man-girl freak?"
Heihachi turned his head, gazing upon Ichigou's bashful face. He widened his eyes, dropping his jaws.
"Wait, you actually like that freak?"
Ichigou turned his head away from Keima and sighed.
"You... you actually can?"
Kumuro moved his hands, pointing at Keima.
"He had helped another student at school win a girl's heart. He decided to use his powers for the good and aid you in getting Yui's heart!"
Keima moved his hands away from hsi glasses.
"So... Do you humbly accept the capturing god's offer?"
Ichigou crossed his lips.
"Well..."
Ichigou's mother climbed through the stairs, walking towards the boys.
"So... how's everything g-"
Suddenly, she widened her eyes at Ichigou, feeling her heart exploding. Her body slowly moved away from the boys, landing on the ground.
Hana gazed upon Chihiro and Ayumi gazing through the window, admiring the dresses worn by the mannequins. The girls imagined themselves strutting through the catwalk, twirling their chosen dresses around. Hana sighed, folding her arms. I guess it's kinda similar to my theories about lower class people – these people keep dreaming about getting what they want, even though they have other needs to attend to. I guess it's better to dream about the desires that are yet to be reached than to think about how someone like me can almost get everything... She imagined herself standing near a huge row of clothes lining up.
Chihiro and Ayumi turned their heads around, gazing upon Hana's face
"Is everything alright?"
"Have we been talking too much?"
Hana blinked at the girls. I guess they are nice people... I'll give them some credit for that. Hana smiled cheerfully at them.
"Not at all."
Chihiro pointed her finger at the dress.
"Do you buy clothes every day?"
Hana placed her hands on her hips.
"Well... Only occasionally. I sometimes choose the clothes I really want."
Ayumi closed her eyes, scratching her head.
"Well I kinda imagine rich girls doing so. I'm not saying that you do these things, but rich girls would usually demand for more expensive clothing."
Hana folded her arms, nodding at the girls.
"Ah yes. A classic example of how TV shows would heavy rely on such stereotypes to gain ratings..."
Chihiro placed her finger near her lip, conjuring a question inside her mind.
"Say, do you know anyone at our school."
Hana nodded her head.
"Well I'm a childhood friend of Kumuro-kun..."
Chihiro and Ayumi widened their eyes.
"Wait... do you mean... the follower of otamegane?"
Hana blinked at the girls.
"Umm... enlighten me about that 'follower' and that 'otamegane' you have mentioned..."
Ayumi and Chihiro turned their heads, blinking at each other. They moved their heads back, straightening their necks.
"There is a guy at school who always plays games at class..."
Hana conjured an image of Keima playing his PFP near a tree. Well I do notice that machine of his... Ayumi placed her hands on her back, making her cheeks slightly red.
"He doesn't talk much to anyone..."
Chihiro closed her eyes, holding her hand out.
"Not only he believes that '2D girls' are better than '3D girls', but he also claims himself to be 'the capturing god'. I fail to see any girl who would ever want to be near him! ... maybe except for Kanon-chan, but I don't believe that!"
Hana blinked at the girls. Am... am I falling in love with someone who's being perceived as an outcast?
"Also, I strongly believe that he follows everything that Otamegane does."
Hana placed her hands near her mouth, giggling quiet.
"Kumuro-kun would follow any friend he makes. I guess you can say that he's very friendly..."
Chihiro and Ayumi blinked at Hana. Hana pulled her phone out of her pocket, flipping it open. The screen showed "4:12pm".
"I guess I should really be getting back home now..."
Hana strolled away from Ayumi and Chihiro. She twisted her torso around, waving at the girls.
"Nice meeting you people!"
She turned away from Ayumi and Chihiro, strolling through the streets. She sighed, picturing Keima in his mind. Keima... are you really my dream partner... Or was it my imagination all along...
Keima and Kumuro strolled through the streets, walking past moving pedestrians. Kumuro turned his head around, gazing upon Keima's glasses glowing from his PFP screen.
"So what are you going to do now?"
Keima moved his fingers around, tapping the buttons rapidly.
"Well... I guess the first thing I should do is to write another script based on the resources he could use. I can see this being a huge piece of cake! It's like writing a fan fiction!"
The word "fan fiction" echoed inside Kumuro's mind, causing him to widen his eye in fear.
"Shit! I forgot about Shiomiya-san!"
Kumuro ran away from Keima, making him lower his PFP.
"Hey! Where are you going now?"
Keima sighed, levelling his PFP to his head.
"Why do I care? I'm gonna go home anyway..."
"Mind if I escort you to your home, Keima-sama?"
Keima widened his eyes, feeling his hands shaking. Oh crap... this is bad! Why did that damn idiot leave me out in the open? Yui placed her arms on his shoulders, smiling at Keima.
"If I'm not careful, I might've let you get your fragile body harmed by many mean guys..."
Keima's eyes twitched, feeling his heart beating. Dammit... I didn't anticipate such event that will occur as of now... I need to keep escaping or else- An idea popped inside his head, giving him an idea. Hang on... at the moment, Yui acts like a magnet... the more negative I become, the greater her lover for me will increase... Keima sighed inside his mind. I guess the courtship stuff explains her aggressive behaviour... The simple solution in diverting her attention to my student Ichigou is to give what she wants so that she'll soon get sick of me. He turned around, gazing upon Yui's face. I really hate to do this, but...
"So what... do you want to walk home with me?"
Yui blinked at Keima's sudden change of attitude. Shurgging off the confusion, she closed her eyes, moving a hand away from him.
"Even better! I figured we could hang out around this town for a while..."
Keima folded his arms.
"Well... I guess I might have time but..."
Yui pointed her fingers at a games store.
"We can go into your favourite games store and buy a lot of games there. I'll pay for everything you buy, my treat..."
Keima crossed his lips.
"I was gonna buy all of the games myself... but if you insist..."
Keima gazed upon the games lying on the shelves, humming to himself. There aren't many games that I need to buy at the moment... I guess I could walk off with a few new releases, though the games are still flooding... if only I could get a lot of- Keima pushed his palm on his face, groaning to himself. Dammit! I'm supposed to feed her desires so that she gets sick of me! Not just stand there and decide the games to buy! Yui stood near Keima, smiling at his face.
"Say, you figured out what you want yet?"
Keima moved his hands off his face, humming to himself. I need to come up with the best response to decrease her interest points as much as possible... Keima pulled a few games out of the shelves, stacking them together.
"Maybe these ones will do…"
Yui placed her arms around Keima's shoulders, making him widen his eyes. His heart thumped quickly, making his cheeks red. Why do I have to get touched all the time?
"I thought you would want more than just that…"
Keima closed his eyes, turning his head away from her.
"Well… it's just that usually I spend my money on games often… Are you gonna buy some yourself?"
Yui turned Keima around, forcing him to gaze upon her cheery face.
"I'm happy enough to watch you awe over your interests in game."
Keima widened his eyes, feeling goose bumps all over his body. He pushed himself away from Yui, turning away from her.
"Well umm… let's go to the counter then…"
Keima strolled towards the counter, gritting his teeth. Dammit. I'm still not feeling well… damn that crystal!
Amika strolled through the streets, humming to herself. She imagined herself holding her bass in front of live audience. Chihiro wrapped her bandana around her head, placing her guitar strap over her body. She gripped it tightly, holding her head near the microphone. Ayumi held her hands out, revealing her black leather gloves. Yui sat on the drum seat, revealing her gruffy beard. Miyako's revealed her vampiric face from the shadows, placing her hands on the keyboard. Amika snapped out of her daydream, shaking her head. Damn that weird daydream! I really need to stop fantasising about that!
Suddenly, she saw Kumuro dashing through the street, making her scratch her head. Kumuro-sama? Wonder why he's running fast… Wait… where is he going in such a hurry? Suddenly, a stone slammed itself into a window, making her gasp. She watched it falling on the ground, holding a note. She pulled the note form the stone, reading it carefully. Leave Kumuro-kun out of his life, you witch… huh? She turned around, noticing a shadowy figure standing in the alleyway. She frowned at the figure, scrunching the note up.
"Hey…"
She dashed through the street, glaring at the figure. It turned away from her, running through the alleyway. She waved her arm around, shouting at it.
"Where are you going, stalker?"
She pushed her feet against the ground, stopping herself near a huge wall. She moved her head around, finding signs of the mysterious person.
Ryou and Kyo hid behind a bush, popping their heads out. They gazed upon Tsukiyo sitting on her bench. She peered through the telescope, hugging Luna around her firmly. Kyo's heart thumped at the sight of her glowing blonde hair. Her pale face glowered from the setting sun. He closed his eyes, forming a huge grin. It's like a dream come true! I'll be able to get close to the love of my life… Ryou turned his head, facing Kyo.
"We better get going now. I'll teach you how to win her heart tomorrow."
Kyo widened his eyes in disappointment.
"But we just got here! Can't I at least go near her?"
Ryou shook his head.
"We yet to have time to do such thing yet! We need to prepare for the days where you can meet her!"
Kyo pushed his body up, gazing upon Tsukiyo's face.
"I'm not letting this opportunity slip by! This is my fated encounter, and I'm not going to let someone like you ruin it!"
Ryou grabbed his body, trying to pull him down.
"Don't let her see us! You're gonna blow our cover!"
Kyo fell into the bushes, grabbing Tsukiyo's attention. She moved her head away from the telescope, gazing upon the bush. I swear I heard something… She turned her head, gazing upon Luna's face. Did you find something peculiar, Luna? Ryou's hands were wrapped around Kyo's face, making him jerk around. Ryou sighed, feeling his arms weakening.
"We had enough looking. Let's get you back home…"
Shiori walked out of the library entrance, closing the door behind her. She sighed, gazing upon her reflection. I… I can't believe it… An image of Kumuro appeared inside her mind. He didn't come today… I… I don't understand… Simone stood near her, growng horns from her head. It's obvious that he didn't really care about you and your work. He was disgusted with the latest story you made! In fact, he might've hated all of the stories. Kurt appeared next to Simone, forming a halo around his head. Don't listen to her. I'm sure there's a really good explanation for this... I wouldn't think he's a bad person…
Shiori sighed as she moved away from the door. Kumuro dashed through the school buildings, gazing upon the library. Almost there… Just a few more hundred steps… He stood near the door, trying to open it up. Kumuro crossed his lips, gazing upon the time – 5:00pm. Dammit! I was too late for her… in fact… I made her wait for very very long… Kumuro turned away from the door, placing his hands on his head. Dammit! I can't believe I got distracted… I just hope that Shiomiya-san's alright… An image of Shiori appeared inside his mind, covering her face and holding the tears on them.
Kumuro shed a tear from his eyes. He wiped the tear off his face, moving away from the library. Calm down Kumuro. We'll go see her tomorrow around lunch time…
Keima and Yui sat at a table, gazing upon plates of cake. Keima sighed, spinning his fork around. Okay… why did I even agree to eat out at a cake shop? Oh that's right… I was the one who though that giving Yui what she wanted was a good idea… The two tiled their heads, gazing upon the faces. Keima watched Yui closed her eyes, smiling at him. I don't think there was any signs of boredom I made on her… was that really a good idea after all?
"Dig in Keima-sama."
Keima tilted his head, grumbling at the cake. So do I really have to eat those disgusting things then? Keima pushed the spoon inside it, pulling fleshes of cake layers out of its body. He pushed the soon inside the mouth, chewing them slowly. He gazed upon Yui staring at him.
"Aren't you gonna eat yours?"
Yui shook her head.
"I'm fine enough as it is – watching your adorable self spending time eating cake…"
Inside Keima's mind, a group of small Keimas, wearing business suit, sat around the table near the whiteboard. The words in the whiteboard read "avoiding Yui meeting".
"This new tactic is going out of hand! Not only are we forced to suffer from those acidic atrocities, but we are finding no signs of damage we made on her!"
"Even if we kept using our old tactics, she'll soon be going after us! It'll only be a matter of time before she'll eventually enslave us all of her manly charms!"
"We need to change our way of thinking! The magnetism strategy was completely useless and bullshit!"
Mini Keimas hummed to themselves, placing their hands on their chins. Outside Keiam's brain, Keima broke sweat on his face. I'm guessing I accidentally raised her love points for me… If only I had a bit more time to analyse the situation instead of being in this condition… Suddenly, an armed robber entered the café, holding a gun out.
"Don't move! This is an armed robbery!"
The robber strolled towards Keima, pointing the gun at his head.
"Give me everything you-"
Yui punched him in the face, knocking him towards the wall. Yui leaned towards the robber, shouting at him.
"Don't interrupt our wonderful moments you scum!"
He dropped his gun, feeling his back aching. Everyone inside the café (especially Keima) widened their eyes, dropping their jaws. Keima's body trembled in fear. Hey hey hey! What's the deal with this unexpected event? Yui pulled her sleeves down and held her arms out, flexing them tightly.
"It's a good thing I did some workout in case one day the two of us got married. It'll even help me carry you around after the ceremony!"
Keima barked at Yui, grabbing her attention.
"Are you still going on about that marriage crap?"
Yui placed her hands on her cheeks, smiling at him.
"Well I can't wait for that day anyway. Just you and I going through our honeymoon – I'll be only wearing my boxers while you'll be showing off your bikini!"
Keima gritted his teeth, shouting at Yui.
"I would look disgusting in a bikini and-"
Keima blinked at Yui, making his rage disappear.
"Hang on… you're going to be topless?"
Yui closed her eyes and shrugged.
"Well, it's not really necessary for a man to wear something underneath their torsos while swimming..."
Keima lowered his eyelids. This is really starting to get twisted… why did I even bother giving her my attention?
Tenri laid her body on her bed, gazing upon the ceiling. Nanaka-san seemed to be acting a bit strange lately… I wonder what happened to her… She imagined herself walking alongside Nanaka, exiting out of a school building. Tenri turned her head, smiling at Nanaka.
"Do you wanna come to my house?"
Nanaka sighed, placing her hands on her head.
"Actually, I'm kinda busy with a few things…"
Tenri crossed her lips.
"Are you sure? My mother's not coming home until around 6…"
Nanaka turned her head around, gazing upon Tenri.
"Well you got your lover to visit to anyway…"
Tenri blinked at Nanaka.
"Haibara-san…"
Tenri snapped out of her daydream, returning to her room. I hope Keima-kun is still working on helping Nanaka-san… speaking of Keima-kun… She lifted herself out of her bed, strolling towards the window. Tenri stood near the window, gazing upon Keima's house. She sighed, waiting for Keima to show up near the door. Where is Keima-kun? I have yet to see him come home yet… The doppelganger stood near Tenri, placing its hands on her shoulders.
"Tenri…"
She turned her head around, gazing upon its identical face. It smiled at her, witnessing Tenri blushing.
"Have you confessed to Keima yet?"
Tenri hesitantly shook her head.
"Keima-kun's not there yet…"
The doppelganger moved away from her, gzing upon the mirror.
"I have a funny feeling that guy's been hanging out with other girls you don't know about…"
Tenri blinked at it.
"Wha… what dya mean?"
It closed its eyes, placing its hands near its heart.
"I just hope he's not going out with many girls at a time… perhaps we have to punish him for those crimes committed if something like that were to occur…"
Tenri crossed her lips.
"Y… you don't have to be harsh about it… Keima-kun's different from other boys after all…"
The doppelganger strolled towards Tenri, placing its hands on Tenri's shoulders again.
"Please understand my concerns for you. He should be yours after all…"
Tenri shook her head.
"Keima-kun's no one's boyfriend."
It closed its eyes, shaking its head in disappointment.
"Why must you think as shallow as this?"
Suddenly, the door swung open, making the doppelganger disappear. Tenri's mother entered the room, holding her hands out.
"Tenri-chan, I'm home now!"
Yui and Keima strolled alongside each other, facing away from each other. Keima gritted his teeth, placing his hands inside his pocket. I accidentally made things harder for Ichigou to conquer Yui. I have to create a script that would really grab her attention when I get home… Yui closed her eyes, feeling her heart beating. What a wonderful date it has been! I get to see many sides of Keima-sama… maybe… maybe the time is right… She placed her hands on Keima's shoulders, turning him around. Keima's heart thumped, feeling his cheeks red. Dammit… what is it this time?
"Before I go home, I got something else to give to you."
Yui closed her eyes, moving her head against his. Keima widened his eyes, feeling his body shaking. Hang on! I don't want a kiss! No! Stop it! You're making things a lot harder for Ichigou! His body tried moving… yet they felt lifeless like a doll. Her lips gently touched his, making his heart accelerate like a v8 supercar. OH GOD! AAARRRGGGGHHHH! STOOOOOP IIIIIIIIIIIIITT! Yui moved her head away from Keima, revealing her blushing cheeks. He took a few steps back, whimpering at her. Yui chuckled at him, turning away from him.
"I'll see you later."
She strolled away from him, holding her hand up. Keima gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. Dammit! What have I done to myself?
Amika sat at her desk, gazing upon the note. The words "Leave Kumuro-kun out of his life" echoed inside her mind. Now that I think about it, I didn't think I would have an enemy watching my back… unless… An image of Kusunoki appeared inside her mind. Oh yeah… perhaps she didn't take it lightly after my Kumuro-sama declined her offer… Amika formed a frown on her face. I need to confront her as soon as possible. God knows what she'll do next…
Ryou sat on his couch, holding the remote. After so many hours of work, I've finally got a chance to at least watch this show… He closed his eyes, smiling brightly. Now I get to see if Katsumi will break up with Maki… Suddenly, Yutuka yanked the remote off Ryou's hands, making him open his eyes. Ryou frowned at Yutuka holding his remote.
"What do you want this time? I did you a favour!"
Yutuka slapped Ryou on the back of his head, making Ryou groan in pain.
"That's for getting our candidate near Tsukiyo at unnecessary times!"
Ryou pouted his lips, rubbing his head gently.
"How am I supposed to convince Kyo without letting him show him her target anyway?"
Yutuka folded his arms.
"If you had realised, there are also notes as to how to continue convincing him. You almost compromised the operations back there!"
Ryou turned away from him, folding his arms.
"I still don't see why you can't go and help him out yourself!"
Yutuka shook his head.
"There will be suspicions if another otaku visits an otaku's house. You on the other hand seemed to be normal, and so he'll somehow become convinced easily. I guess you did well there."
He placed a huge script on the table, drawing Ryou's attention.
"Study the scripts for tomorrow. I need you to teach him the basics of confessing his love and initiate his first event."
Keima gritted his teeth, tapping the keys with his fingers. My brain's still not functioning after this ordeal! Dammit! It needs to stop soon! I can't let Ichigou get disappointed due to my mistakes! Now's the time to come up with something that will blow Yui away from me… Keima groaned, tapping the backspace key repeatedly. So far, I'm not getting any good ideas as of yet… C'mon… think of something… think! Keiam turned his head, gazoing upon the unwrapped package. He moved it near him, reopening it. He gazed upon the school uniform, creating an image of Ichigou on his mind.
Hang on… Yui became a cross-dresser after that ordeal… Ichigou seemed to cosplay as some anime girl… Yui gave me this uniform… she was going on about performing marriages while corssdressing… Keima's eyes formed stars, widening his mouth. That's it! It should've been obvious in the first place! All I need to do is to get Ichigou to cross-dress for many events! He pictured Ichigou and Yui standing next to Yui. Ichigou's wig rested on his dress. Yui snuggled against Ichigou, revealing her blushing cheeks. I could easily get Ichigou to grab her attention… that way, Yui will start losing interest in me…
Mari strolled towards Keima, holding a broom out
"Keima honey! Could you at least–"
Suddenly, she blinked at Keima holding a school uniform. She widened her eyes, dropping her jaws. K-Keima honey? She fell on the ground unconscious, drawing Keima's attention.
Kumuro and Ichigou widened his eyes, watching Keima hold out a girl's school uniform. Ichigou's body trembled in fear, gazing upon the dress hanging down. His cheeks reddened at the sight of the wig lying on the whiteboard. He-hey! Isn't this supposed to be a dating lesson and not some cross-dressing fest? Kumuro dropped his jaws in disgust.
"What's going on buddy? Why the hell did you bring this uniform with you?"
Keima sighed.
"This is a part of initiating the first event…"
Ichigou gritted his teeth, shouting at Keima.
"I did not come here to humiliate myself with this shameful hobby of mine! Why are you getting me to crossdress?"
Keima pointed his hands at a drawing of Yui.
"I like to point out that Yui is wearing men's clothing. I have a hunch that she could bear huge interests in men wearing dresses."
Kumuro folded his arms, frowning at Keima.
"Are you sure you really are helping Ichigou? It seems like you're just trying to humiliate poor Ichigou!"
Keima shook his head.
"You know what, if you guys don't believe I'm helping you, you can leave right now and try getting Yui's heart without me."
Ichigou sighed, tilting his head down.
"So are you sure Yui likes those type of men?"
Keima raised his head, gazing upon the ceiling.
"I guess you can say that I've met her many times... she is pretty aggressive for a manly girl..."
Keima turned his head to the board, lifting his marker up. He moved it around, drawing a picture of a flower.
"Let's go into your first lesson of the day – the concept behind confessing and capturing!"
He pointed his marker at his drawings.
"Let's say the length and width of the stem represents the number of events. Like relationships and statuses, they will grow as you create more events."
Ichigou placed his head on the desk, groaning in frustration.
"Boooo-ring! You sound like my grumpy teacher!"
Keima clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at him.
"Are you gonna be like this throughout the whole lesson or what?"
Ichigou slowly moved his head, gazing upon Kumuro.
"See what I mean? I don't get why this has to be like a school lesson!"
Keima stormed away from the boys, climbing through the stairs. He stood near the door, opening it up. He turned his head around, glaring at Ichigou.
"If you don't want to be dedicated to this, I'll let you do all the work then!"
Ichigou widened his eyes, holding his hands out.
"Wait! Please come back!"
As Keima tired closing the door, he felt something blocking hsi way. He blinked at it, swinging it open again. He gazed upon Hana folding her arms.
"Where were you yesterday? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Keima sighed.
"I'm in the middle of teaching that boy."
Hana turned her head around, watching Ichigou whimper in fear.
"I uh... It's not what you think... I still like you!"
Hana blinked at Ichigou's scared face, feeling confused. Shrugging off the confusion, she strolled past Keima, climbing down the stairs.
"I don't like you anyway..."
Ichigou dropped his jaws, feeling his heart broken. Keima followed after Hana, returning to the board.
Ryou stood near the whiteboard, holding out a huge book. He flicked through the pages, gazing upon the letters using his glasses. Kyo sat at his desk, gazing upon Ryou. He sighed, placing his hands on his head. Ryou closed the book, placing it on a desk near him. He lifted his stick up, pointing at the picture of the flower.
"Let's say the relationship between you and your dream girl is like a flower. As you create more events, the relationship begins to grow."
Kyo thumped his head on the desk, groaning in agony.
"I thought I would skip classes so that I don't have to hear boring lectures!"
Ryou slammed the book on the ground, shouting at him.
"What dya want me to do? Tell you everything you need to do in order to get your girlfriend?"
Kyo lifted his head up from the desk.
"Well if you think about it, it' easier that way. Plus I have a chapter due next week, so I don't really want my time into working on my chapter to get wasted by some boring lecture!"
Ryou faced away from Kyo, folding his arms.
"You know what? Fine! If you want to spend the rest of your life making manga while wondering why you still haven't got a girlfriend yet, go ahead and diss this lesson!"
Ryou strolled towards the door, holding his hands out.
"If you truly want a girlfriend, at least take some initiative!"
Kyo sighed, watch ryou turn the knob.
"Fine... can you please come back now?"
Ryou grinned, forming a star around his face. Reverse psychiatry works every time!
Shiori strolled through the corridors, walking past many students. She hugged her book tightly, huddling herself from many monsters lurking around. Wh... why am I doing this in the first place? An image of Kumuro walking away from her appeared inside his mind. He might've forgotten about yesterday... or perhaps... Kumuro stood near a crowd of people, talking to his friends. He doesn't really care about me... Shiori sighed, gazing upon the signs above the classroom doors. If he doesn't, then there's no reason for me to find his class... right? She closed her eyes, shaking her head.
Muhara-kun wouldn't do something like that! There should be a good explanation to it! She stopped moving, gazing upon the sign "2–B". I... I think this is his class... right? Amika strolled towards Shiori, humming to herself. Shiori moved her head, noticing Amika's presence. I've seen this girl many times... I wonder if she's in the same class as Muhara-kun... Amika stood still, blinking at Shiori. Hey... I've seen that girl around... why is she here ll of a sudden? An image of Shiori hugging Kumuro tightly appeared inside her mind. Oh I see now... you're trying to get Kumuro-sama without me catching offguard...
She imagined herself holding a pitchfork, grinning sinisterly and cackling like a witch. Fat chance! I'm not letting you get to him! Shiori blinked at Amika, watching flames coming out of her body. Wonder what she's fired up for... should I go ask her about Kumuro?
"A... are you friends with Muhara-kun?"
Amika imagined herself glaring at Shiori. Oh... I see you're going on the offensive huh? I can see every single trick you do! She folded ehr arms, closing her eyes.
"I guess I am? Why's that?"
Shiori slightly lowered her books.
"Umm... Is he in his classroom now?"
Amika imagined herself grinning sinisterly again. She's being more aggressive than I thought... I'll just pretend to have a look in class before dismissing her... Amika opened her eyes, straightening her arms out.
"Well... I'll go check for you."
Amika stood near the door, gazing through the classroom. She widened her eyes, finding Kumuro's desk empty. Hey... where did he go? An image of Kumuro strolling with Keima and Hana appeared inside his mind. Hang on... he went with those two... didn't they? Well... at least she still won't be able to see him. She turned around, holding her arm out.
"I'm sorry, but-"
Amika blinked at the corridors, finding Shiori disappeared.
"Hey... where did she go?"
Ichigou gazed upon the wig resting on his hands. He crossed his lips, feeling his skirt wrapped around his legs. He lifted his head up, gazing upon Keima, Kumuro and Hana.
"I'm having second thoughts about this... what happens if my friends see me like this?"
Kumuro leaned forward, gazing upon Ichigou.
"You mean Heihachi? He wouldn't care!"
Ichigou's body shook, whimpering in fear.
"Why are we out in the open? People will start looking at me like this! It's too embarrassing to think about it!"
Keima pulled the wig off his hands, placing them on his head. He straightened the wig, hiding most of his real hair.
"If you do this, you'll be able to get noticed by Yui."
He turned Ichigou's body around, pointing it at a direction.
"Now go out there and get Yui's attention!"
Ichigou sighed as he trudged through the school grounds. Hana moved towards Keima, gazing upon him.
"You think this first event will go well? There might be little things that could ruin it."
Keima placed his hands on his glasses, making it shine.
"The diversion has begun. There is no way that things will go wrong! Not for Ichigou's case at least..."
Author's Notes: sorry for the delay, but here's chapter 26. It seems like this series might be paused for a while... Don't worry, there'll be at least chapter 27 by nex week...