Chapter 30: Taking Initiations
Amika folded her arms, glaring at Hana. Hana jerked her body around, feeling her hands tied up to the chair. The bright yellow light shined at the girls, consuming the darkness inside the room. Amika leaned her head forward, making her eyes squint.
"Tell me your plans! I want to know every single detail!"
Hana gritted her teeth in rage, feeling her eyes burning from the searing beam on her body.
"Untie me at once! I will not be treated like this! This is extremely uncouth of you!"
Amika grinned and chuckled sinisterly.
"Acting like some spoilt rich girl now, I see?"
Hana's body froze, making Amika cock her eyebrows. Hana tilted her head, gazing upon the floor.
"So that's it? You're just gonna let Kumuro be taken by other girls?"
Amika's body trembled in fear, feeling her cheeks blushing.
"H... hey! Why are you bringing this topic up again?"
She slowly leaned her head forward, observing Hana's depressed face.
"Wait. You're actually serious about this, aren't you?"
Hana slowly elevated her head, gazing upon Amika's shocked face.
"I heard how Kumuro's still unsure about his decisions on keeping his promise. He might abandon you for another girl. Do you want to regret having to miss out on your chance?"
Amika glared at Hana again, making her glasses shine.
"If he ever does that to me, that just mean he's not a good friend of mine after all!"
Hana blinked at Amika, watching her face change into sadness. Amika shed a few tears, feeling her heart aching.
"But I don't want that to happen to me again..."
Hana sighed, watching a tear creep through Amika's cheeks.
"It's about time you get out of your comfort zone and win him once and for all. You took too long waiting for him!"
Amika wiped the tears of her face, hiding her emotions.
"I'm still not gonna do that. Not even to you..."
Hana lowered her eyelids and sighed.
"What's it gonna take to get that stubborn person out of her comfort zone? It doesn't hurt to try anyway..."
Amika turned her backs on Hana, taking a deep breath. I've been pressured to take the chance for a very long time... why do they keep urging me to take action? She placed her hands near her heart, clenching her fists.
"If you're going to keep pestering like this... I guess I should try..."
Chihiro opened the door, letting out foreign light from outside.
"Hey Amika-chan! What's taking you so long?"
Keima peered through the door gaps, watching Kusunoki standing in the middle of the practice room. She briskly pushed her arms out, glaring at the wall. Her feet placed firmly on the ground. She took a few steps forward, thrusting her legs out. Keima leaned away from the door, turning his head to Heihachi.
"Have you studied the script for your first event?"
Hehachi blinked at Keima.
"Hang on... do you mean that huge pile of paper? Am I actually supposed to study the whole thing?"
Keima drove his palm towards his face, groaning to himself. Whenever I help idiots like him, they always lack devotion and initiation! Why can't I just ignore them? Heihachi glared at Keima, holding his finger out.
"Don't you dare give me that look! You shouldn't expect any decent person to be studying something like this!"
Keima waved his arms out, glaring back at Heihachi.
"You said you wanted me to help you so badly! Now you're rejecting the help you're getting from me! I've helped you prepare for this first event and this is how you repay me?"
Heihachi and Keima shouted at each other, waving their arms around. Suddenly, the door swung open, drawing their attention. They widened their eyes, finding Kusunoki standing by the door. Her bright eyes sparkled, making Heihachi's heart thump. Daaaammmnn... She turned her head, glaring at Keima.
"I don't know what the two of you are bickering about, but I don't tolerate any unnecessary noise outside this room!"
She paused momentarily, blinking at Keima's face. She leaned her head forward, carefully examining his glasses.
"Have I seen you around before?"
Keima closed his eyes and chuckled, scratching his head.
"Oh... umm... maybe you mistook me for someone else..."
Kusunoki turned her head away from Keima, noticing Heihachi's love struck face.
"You however... why are you here?"
Snapping out of his daydream, Heihachi poured sweat from his head. He scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
"Oh... umm... well... you see..."
"He's here to take a few lessons from you!"
Heihachi turned his head, witnessing Keima's fake smile. Wow! What a save there! I had no idea what to tell her! Suddenly, Kusnoki lifted Heihachi up, making him widen his eyes. Wait... why doesn't it feel so good?
"You know... I had someone before who wanted to practice at this dojo... yet he also wanted to receive personal gains... are you any different from that guy?"
Heihachi whimpered, closing his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about... I... I'm just here to gain more knowledge on being a better fighter..."
Kusunoki sniffed at Heihachi, making him bite his lips. She dropped him on the ground, making him land on his butt.
"Your body reeks of scum... Even if I somehow do allow one 'male' pupil in here, will you use this just to gain up on weaker people?"
Heihachi placed his arms and legs flat on the floor, bowing his head down to her.
"I swear I'm a good person! I've never bashed up innocent people in my entire life! I swear to god!"
Kusunoki blinked at Heihachi's tear dripping from his eyes. She closed her eyes, folding her arms.
"Well I'm not really going to accept any boys in this dojo. If you really are dedicated, I suggest you try out the male classes..."
Heihachi crouched near Ksuunoki's legs, wrapping his arms around them. Kusunoki widened her eyes, feeling her cheeks blushing. Heihachi rubbed his cheeks against her legs, sobbing hard.
"Oh please! I'll do anything to be in your class! Maybe I'll just start with cleaning up this place! I swear I'll be ten times better than the previous guy!"
Heihachi's body flew towards the wall. He groaned in pain, feeling his body crushed from the wall's grasp. He slowly fell on the ground, feeling his eyes spinning around. Keima blinked at Heihachi's broken body. He and Kumuro somehow have things in common... Kusunoki's eyes twitched, gritting her teeth in humiliation.
"F... fine... be here tomorrow morning..."
Hana stood behind the tree, gazing upon Kumuro sitting on a bench. He held the PFP firmly, gazing upon the screen. He widened his eyes in joy, watching two warriors fighting against each other. Hana moved her head away from Kumuro, folding her arms together. Firstly, I'm going to do some reconnaissance with my dear Kumuro-kun. I can't rely on information dating back to a few years ago... Perhaps I'll just ask him about his love-life... then perhaps I'll try and come up with an idea to at least get him to like that damn fool... She emerged out of the tree, strolling towards Kumuro.
He turned his head around, watching Hana coming towards him. He smiled at her, waving his arms out.
"Good to see you there! It's like we rarely talk to each other nowadays, even after you enrolled at this school!"
Hana closed her eyes, nodding her head.
"Yeah... I guess I was too busy making new friends..."
Hana sat near Kumuro, gazing upon his PFP. Well this machine certainly is the key difference from a few years ago... I would've thought of him to be a bit less tech-savvy...
"I see you and your friend play with those machines..."
Kumuro nodded his head.
"Well there's one thing I've learned from middle school – just be yourself! Who would've thought using them as a comfort source would turn out to be one of my favourite hobbies?"
Hana opened her eyes, making them glimmer from the sun.
"Say... what exactly happened there? I thought you would've followed my advice after our graduation from elementary school..."
Kumuro sighed, gazing upon the PFP screen. His eyes became misty from his past memories rising from the surface of his mind.
"Yes... I did follow your advice... I tried making as many friends as possible at middle school, trying to please them..."
An image of a mean-looking kid appeared inside his mind, clenching his fists. Snapping out of his misery, he wiped his eyes, destroying any evidence of sorrow. He turned his head away from his PFP, pulling out his fake smile.
"Well... never mind about that... do you like this school better than your old school?"
Hana folded her arms, smiling at her.
"I wouldn't exactly say this one's necessarily better. I believe each school has their own benefits... well, there's also something I like to talk to you about..."
Kumuro moved closer to Hana, blinking at her.
"Umm... what about?"
She took a deep breath, clearing her mind.
"Wh... what type of girls do you like?"
Kumuro widened his eyes, leaning away from her. Hey! What's this all about? She never asked me before!
"Why are you asking me that? You haven't been this concerned about me that way until now!"
Hana shrugged at him.
"Well... I haven't forgotten how you used to have a crush on me..."
Kumuro closed his eyes, scratching his head.
"Well... you are the first person I had a crush on... but that's a long time ago anyway..."
Hana leaned towards him, making his cheek blush. Well... he somewhat still has feelings for me... that or he's more surprised by my actions... Kumuro's eyes twitched.
"Hey umm... y... you're a bit close to me, don't you think?"
She leaned away from him, lowering her eyelids. She grinned sinisterly, placing her finger near her lips.
"Oh... I see now... I'm the ideal type you prefer, right?"
Kumuro hesitantly shook his head.
"Uh... not really... I don't even remember how or why I liked you in the first place..."
Hana flung her hair around.
"Well, I am an elegant lady after all, even when I was a child... I've seen many people at my old schools fall for me..."
Kumuro sighed, placing his hands on his lap.
"If you really want to know, I'll try my best to think about my ideal girl..."
Hana slowly nodded her head. There we go... now we're getting somewhere! He placed his hand on his chin, humming to himself.
"What do I want from a girl... umm... maybe I want someone who wanted to be honest with their feelings... maybe someone cute... Somehow I have things for more outgoing girls... maybe besides Shiomiya-san... she's cute as well..."
Hana nodded her head. Basically, this is what I wanted that idiot to do in the first place! I don't see what the huge fuss is about for her... Kumuro opened his eyes, holding his finger out.
"But the most important thing is that these girls may have to be marked as my potential partners through this one thing I have all along..."
Hana cocked her eyebrow at him.
"Umm, what is that?"
"I also remembered one of the reasons why I liked you... I think I relied a lot on 'love at first sight'..."
Hana blinked at Kumuro, feeling puzzled.
"Umm... what?"
Kumuro held his hands out.
"Love at first sight, it's when..."
Kumuro's mouth jerked around, emitting useless information out of his mouth. Hana's ear ached, making her eyes twitch. I didn't ask him to be a damn dictionary! That's one of the most illogical things I've ever heard!
"Listen... There's one thing you need to know about..."
Kumuro slowly nodded his head.
"Umm... yeah?"
Hana held her hands out, pointing her finger to the sky.
"Love at first sight – It may somehow work in many stories you heard... but in reality, it won't work for most people! It's simply because not everyone feels that's how they find love. "
Kumuro crossed his lips.
"Well... I kinda realised when shiomiya-san-"
Hana placed her hands on Kumuro's, gazing upon his eyes.
"Listen very carefully. There's also another girl right under your nose this whole time... She has been near you ever since you've met this girl! You should start paying more attention to that girl..."
Kumuro blinked at Hana momentarily. His mind clicked, forming a picture of Mio. R... really... she's been close to me? But... I don't think I've seen her very often... unless... He stood up from the bench, pointing at the sky.
"I'm going to that girl right now! I know where to find her after school..."
He strolled away from Hana, making her drop her jaws. Oh god... how think is that damn brain of his! He suddenly gets a different idea from me?
Keima strolled through the school grounds, gazing upon his PFP. With that damn 'side quest' out of the way for now, I should finally be able to focus on what's more important – reality's soldiers... A picture of Tsukiyo appeared inside his mind, making him grit his teeth in rage. These helpers of mine have been taking longer than expected... this isn't good... Well even though I'll assist them after school... something tells me that I might have to rely on other methods in order to get her away from me... He snapped out of daydream, returning to reality. I mustn't let these girls overwhelm me! I will be victorious against reality's unholy tyranny!
"I've been looking all over for you!"
Keima widened his eyes, finding Tsukiyo standing near him. Crap! How did I manage to get caught? He shifted his eyes away from her, finding the telescope standing near the bench. Crap! I spaced out and didn't take note of where I'm going! This isn't good! This might decrease chances of success to get her away from me! Tsukiyo held her arms out, leaping towards him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his chest. Keima widened his eyes, drawing sweat from his forehead. I need to get away from her as soon as possible! I can't afford to make her love points to increase!
She elevated her head, smiling at Keima.
"I'm glad to see you again! I can't stand being near that grotesque person..."
Keima blinked at Tsukiyo, feeling his teeth chattering quietly. She must be talking about that candidate... This is bad... now she's forcing me to increase her love points... I can't allow that to happen!
"Umm... who's that "grotesque" person 'you're' talking about?"
Tsukiyo faced away from Keima, gritting her teeth.
"He... he always came to me ever since..."
Her arms tightened Keima's body, making him choke for air.
"I can't take it anymore! I don't want him near me anymore! Please! Stick by me from now on..."
Keima's eyes twitched in horror. Dammit! I can't believe she's unaffected by the recent efforts that candidate had put... I need to get out of here... but how? She's got me right where she wanted...
"KEIMA BUUUUUDDDYYYYYY!"
Keima and Tsukiyo turned their heads, blinking at Kumuro running towards him. His feet skid through the floor, leaving friction tracks behind. He placed his hands on his lap, panting for air. He then lifted his head up, gazing upon Keima.
"Do you know any girl who has blonde hair, twin tails and used to belong to a rich family?"
Keima's head clicked, feeling his brain glowing brightly. He chuckled boldly, placing his hand on his hips.
"You know, I think I know where to find her exactly!"
He gently pushed Tsukiyo away from him, grabbing her attention. She blinked at Keima, watching him wrap his arm around Kumuro's shoulders.
"Come now! I shall lead you to this very girl you're talking about..."
Keima and Kumuro turned away from Tsukiyo, strolling towards the opposite direction. She blinked at him in confusion.
Kumuro stood behind a tree, watching Keima huddle near the wall and rock back and forth. He scratched his head in confusion.
"Umm... weren't we looking for this girl I mentioned just then?"
Whispers uttered out of Keima's mouth.
"Thank god I escaped... thank god I escaped... thank god I escaped... thank god I escaped..."
Kumuro leaned his head to Keima, blinking at his face.
"Keima... are you alright there?"
Keima's head slowly turned around, revealing tears flowing form his eyes. He sobbed loudly, revealing his vulnerable state.
"I never knew how useful you could actually be..."
Kumuro widened his eyes in fear. Uhh... why don't I feel glad to see him happy? Keima leapt towards him, wrapping his arms around Kumuro. Keima rubbed his head against Kumuro and closed his eyes.
"If it wasn't for you, I don't know how man love points I'll accidentally raise for that damn girl! I'll be in huge trouble if I have to be bound to her forever!"
His arms tightened Kumuro's body, forcing him to breathe for ait.
"B... Buddy... y-you're making me..."
Keima released Kumuro's body, dropping him on the ground. Kumuro groaned in nausea, feeling his eyes twirl around. I never knew how annoying having a dedicated buddy can be... Keima placed his hands on his glasses, making it shine brightly.
"Before I've been saved by you, I didn't realise how benefitcial having a friend can be! From now on, I shall treat every friend I have with respect and dignity and I'll also-"
Kumuro scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
"That's nice Keima buddy, but shouldn't we be looking for the girl I had mentioned just now?"
Kumuro blinked at Keima's body, waiting for signs of movement. Uh... did I say something wrong?
"What girl? I thought you used that excuse on Tsukiyo to give me a chance to escape..."
Kumuro broke sweat from his face. What girl? Who's Tsukiyo? I didn't even see anyone near him... Keima slowly turned his head to Kumuro.
"...So you only came to me just to ask for help... right?"
Keima and Kumuro gazed upon each other, blinking in confusion. Keima lowered his eyelids. Once again, I've been deceived by reality, making me believe I've been saved by someone unexpected... great... more problems had risen...
"Okay... what girl are you looking for again?"
Kumuro lifted his head up, gazing upon the sky. He placed his hands on his chin, humming to himself.
"Ummm... blonde hair... twin tails... used to belong to a rich family..."
Keima placed his hand on his chin, following Kumuro's actions.
"Nope... I don't recall any girl of your description... though there were some rumours about how 2A contained rich girls..."
Kumuro ran away from Keima, holding his arm out.
"I know where I might find that class! I'll see you later!"
Keima slowly placed himself on the ground, gazing upon the sky. Well... at least I can hide here for a bit... no one should be able to find me...
"Oh hey there! Whatcha doing lying on the ground..."
Keima cocked his eyebrows, hearing an unfamiliar voice. Who's that person calling out to me? I never heard of that voice before... Keima slowly turned his head. He blinked at Miyako's face, noticing her cheery smile. She somehow looks familiar... yet... She closed her eyes, leaning forward.
"You feeling a bit sleepy there?"
Keima continued blinking at her.
"Uhh... who are you?"
Miyako's body froze. She chuckled casually, scratching her head.
"Now that I think about it, we've barely known each other..."
She held her hand out to Keima.
"I'm Tereda Miyako. I'm in the same class as you..."
Keima turned away from Miyako, humming to himself. Hmm... Miyako... now that I think about it... wasn't she from some band one of Kumuro's friends joined? Even if I've never interacted with her, why is she here all of a sudden? Miyako opened her eyes, staring blankly at him.
"Are you alright?"
Keima's head spun around. Now she acts as if she knows me a lot? What event did I trigger this kind of situation? I swear I've never interacted with her!
"Uhh... yeah... about that... have we spoken to each other the first time?"
Miyako hummed nervously.
"Well... not really... we only see each other a few times... after all, we are in the same class..."
Keima slowly stood up from the ground, facing away from her.
"Umm... you know what... I'm gonna go find Kumuro..."
Keima strolled away from Miyako, making her cross her lips. I think I kinda made him a bit nervous... well we both knew we've never talked... Shrugging off her concern, she formed a cheery smile on her face again. Maybe it'll take some time before I get to know him more...
Hana strolled through the corridors, groaning to herself. I can't believe that idiot friend left off without me! And how the hell did I imply some other girl to him? She closed her eyes, clenching her fists tightly. This is ridiculous! I demand to see what was going through his mind this whole time! She stopped moving, forcing students nearby to walk around her. This isn't very elegant of me, getting angry to something trivial… all of this isn't important right now… Amika emerged out of the classroom, grabbing Hana's attention. She turned around and waved her hands out.
"I'll see you guys later..."
As she faced Hana, her eyes and jaws widened. Oh no... not again... Hana snatched Amika's arms, clutching them tightly. Amika waved her arms out, shouting at her.
"I thought you won't stop doing this to me anymore!"
Ayumi and Chihiro popped their heads out, blinking at Amika. Hana dragged her through the corridors and sighed.
"Come on... we've got things to prepare..."
Amika pouted her lips, folding her arms wrapped around each other. She glared at Hana standing near the whiteboard.
"Why are we in the basement? Is this some kind of extra lessons?"
Hana sighed, feeling her head aching. This girl's getting on my nerves... I guess this is how Keima felt trying to teach idiots like her... She held her hand out, pointing at the pictures.
"We're just going through the basics before you can actually make a good impression on Kumuro..."
Amika held her fists out, waving it at Hana.
"Hey! I did leave good impressions on him! Isn't this supposed to be about maybe 'confessing' to him?"
Hana stood near Amika, placing her hands on the desk.
"Okay... Tell me the events in which you somehow did then..."
Amika blinked at Hana, sitting silent at her desk. Hana formed a sinister smile before leaning away from Amika and pulling her hands off the desk.
"I thought so..."
Hana turned around and marched back to the whiteboard.
"Today, you shall learn the most basic principle of a successful confession: the events between you and Kumuro..."
Amika scratched her head in confusion.
"But... didn't I trigger a lot of events?"
Hana pulled out a marker, scribbling it on the board.
"Judging by the current conditions of Kumuro... I'd say that it didn't get you anywhere... maybe only a few events that almost stood out, but that's about it..."
Amika gritted her teeth.
"Don't you dare downgrade my efforts like that! I used up everything I had to get-"
"Do you want my help? Or are you going to keep on blabbering like this?"
Amika glared at Hana in silence. She groaned in defeat, resting her head on the desk.
"Fine… teach me whatever… there's no point arguing now, is there?"
Yui and Ichigou sat on the bench, revealing their blushing cheeks to each other. They gazed upon each other, ignoring students passing by. They held hands together, exchanging goose bumps and heat. Ichigou's heart thumped slowly, feeling chills from his wig. So this is what it feels like, having a girlfriend of my own… He slowly closed his eyes and sighed. Well… I've gotten this far thanks to Kumuro's friend… All I need to do now is to find another place to have our second date… you know… I'm having trouble deciding which one to-
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Ichigou widened his eyes, hearing Kumuro's voice. Yui and Ichigou turned their heads, watching Kumuro run towards them. He stood near the couple, placing his hands on his lap and squatting down. He huffed and puffed, feeling his body about to collapse. Ichigou leaned towards Kumuro, blinking at him.
"Kumuro… is there something you want from us?"
Kumuro slowly lifted his head up.
"Say... Do you know any rich girls from 2A?"
Ichigou's mind swirled around in confusion. Rich girl? 2A? I'm not even i the 2nd year! He scratched his head in confusion.
"Umm... I don't think I'm in that class... Am I?"
Yui lifted herself from the bench, gazing upon Kumuro.
"You know... I am a rich girl here! What do you need from me?"
Kumuro turned his head to Yui, blinking at her.
"Well actually... I'm kinda looking for a different rich girl... she has blonde hair, twin tails..."
Yui formed a disturbing grin, walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around Kumuro confidently
"Ah... I see now... you're trying to hit on a friend of mine... I do warn you though, she's like a cold-blooded reptile at first... but you just have to make them warm enough for them to get close to you... you know what I'm saying?"
Kumuro broke sweat from his head. She seemed a lot like a man now that I think about it... maybe too manly for her own good... Yui pulled Kumuro away from Ichigou, strolling together through the school grounds.
"Well I'll lead you to this girl... but be sure to give her everything you got... if you know what I mean..."
Yui and Kumuro strolled through the corridors. Kumuro twiddled his thumb, feeling nervous. You know... I haven't got a chance to see her for a long time... Maybe... maybe this is the part where she's the one... But I don't know much about her! How the hell will ever go well? He moved his hands away from each other, lifting his head up. I shouldn't let myself get too nervous... maybe things will go well if I just act "smooth"...
"We're almost there! Be sure to wow her!"
Kumuro shifted his eyes to the sign reading "2-A". His heart thumped quickly, conjuring an image of Mio. Shit! What should I say to her? "Hello? Do you remember me?" No... This won't work! I highly doubt she'll recognise me immediately... Yui lifted her arms off Kumuro before entering her classroom.
"Wait here. I'm gonna see if she's here..."
Kumuro crossed his lips, feeling his heart beating quicker. I... I don't know what to do or what to say? Maybe this isn't a good idea to just see her immediately... He closed his eyes, placing his hands on his head. Oh god! Now I wanna start running away from here! I can't do that! Why am I thinking of running away right now? Oh god, this feels so wrong!
"You scaredy cat! Open your eyes now! She's here!"
Sh... should I do so... I... I don't know how she'll react... Kumuro slowly opened his eyes, revealing another girl standing next to Yui. Kumuro blinked at her, feeling unfamiliar with her face. Huh? This one has blonde hair and twin tails? Am I imagining things or is this really Mio? The girl's face reddened, giggling nervously. Kumuro sighed, feeling defeated.
"Yui. Can I talk to you in private for a moment?"
Kumuro pulled Yui away from the girl, standing far away. Yui lowered her eyelids, grinning at Kumuro.
"Oh I see now... you're feeling ner-"
"Actually... it's not that..."
Yui blinked at him in confusion. Kumuro took a deep breath.
"I... I don't think this is the girl I was talking about. Have you mistaken my description for another girl?"
Yui scratched her head in confusion.
"I'm sure this fits your description... unless..."
Yui sighed, folding her arms.
"Oh... you're talking about a rich girl whose father was deceased... right?"
Kumuro slowly nodded her head.
"Umm... yeah... I think so... why? Is there anything wrong?"
Yui turned her head to the girl, watching her place her hands on her cheeks. Yui shook her head.
"He's not here for you. Don't worry about it..."
The girl tilted her head in disappointment before walking back inside the classroom. Yui turned her head to Kumuro and sighed again.
"Firstly, she's away today... maybe working at her mother's place again..."
Kumuro slowly nodded her head. Oh yeah... I remember her working at a bakery when I was in Yui's body...
"But if I remember correctly, she's not the type to be looking for boys... she's been telling me that she wanted to rise back to the top lately. I don't know why she's been saying that, but I don't think you should bother with her..."
Ichigou strolled towards Kumuro and Yui, twirling his wig around.
"Are you guys done yet?"
Yui turned her head to him, smiling at him.
"Yeah... we're done..."
Yui strolled towards him, placing her hands on his carefully. Ichigou sighed, feeling his heart thumping. They walked away from Kumuro whilst gazing upon each other. Kumuro sighed, tilting his head down.
"Maybe it's just my imagination after all..."
"There... you... are..."
Kumuro turned his body around, facing Keima. He watched Keima placing his hands on his lap, panting for air.
"Where... have... you been?"
Kumuro placed his hands on his shoulders.
"I just realised she's not the one for me... watcha been doing all this time?"
Keima and Kumuro stood outside the school gate, folding their arms together. Keima moved his fingers around, tapping the buttons on the PFP. Kumuro gazed upon Keima's face, blinking at him.
"Keima buddy... I'm starting to get a little bit worried about you..."
Keima lowered his PFP, staring at Kumuro.
"What do you mean?"
Kumuro scratched his head.
"After you've found me, you dragged me inside some janitor's room and just hide there for the rest of lunch. Are you afraid of someone or something?"
Keima lifted his hands up, gazing upon the PFP screen.
"You already know that I have to avoid any girl who shows any interest in me. I can sense many girls coming closer to me... I need to be more careful..."
Kumuro placed his hands on Keima's shoulders. Keima turned his head to Kumuro, watching him sigh.
"Before you resorted to doing this, you used to be anywhere in this school, not caring about anyone else... I thought you're much more courageous than that, having to spend every day without fear inside you..."
Keima pulled Kumuro's hand off his shoulders, gritting his teeth.
"Why would I be afraid of what reality is doing to me? I'm more annoyed that reality has bothered me for so long!"
Keima lifted his head up, gazing upon the sun. Keima's eyes grew watering, whimpering to himself.
"Before reality came and annoyed me 24/7, I always come to this benevolent world... a world full of 2D girls..."
He clenched his fists tightly, feeling his eyes twitching.
"Now thanks to reality and those shitty 3D girls, this world I have is becoming torn apart! I am only merely trying to seal the barrier between me and reality before it becomes completely destroyed!"
Kumuro folded his arms tightly.
"I'm not entirely sure what you just said, but aren't you escaping from your own problems by avoiding these girls that have been 'bothering' you? If you don't really want them to see you again, why don't you just tell them the truth?"
Keima pushed his palm against his face, shaking his head.
"Idiot! Not everyone will just stop like that! That includes some of the girls I despise the most..."
"There you are Kumuro-kun! So that's where you've been hiding from me all this time!"
Keima and Kumuro turned their heads around, watching Hana and Amika stroll towards them. Amika faced away from Kumuro, revealing her blushing cheeks. Hana pushed Amika forward, gazing upon Kumuro.
"There's something Amika wants to say to you..."
Amika giggled nervously, placing her hands behind her back. Kumuro blinked at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.
"Umm... do... do you wanna hang out today?"
Kumuro placed his hands on Amika's shoulders, making her gasp. Kumuro closed his eyes, smiling at her.
"We haven't done so in a long time! Where do you want to go for today?"
Amika shifted her eyes to Kumuro, watching his face shine.
"Umm... I... I heard about a new place around this town... we can... we cna check it out there..."
Keima and Hana marched away from the school grounds, leaving Kumuro and Amika behind.
"We'll see you tomorrow then..."
Nanaka stood opposite to Kumuro and Amika, glaring at them. I'm gonna get rid of that bitch no matter what!
Yutuka and Ryou tilted their heads down in shame. Keima and Hana widened their eyes in shock. (Hana) This is bad... Now we practically have to start all over again... (Keima) Damn you reality... now you're trying to sabotage my candidates! Yutuka whacked his hands on Ryou's head, making him scream in pain.
"I am truly sorry, my capturing god... I have failed you..."
He pushed Ryou to the ground, making him groan.
"For bring you this inconvenience, by all means take your anger out on this idiot brother of mine."
Ryou lifted himself off the ground, glaring at Yutuka. He lifted his hands out, waving his fist at him.
"Why are you making me some punch bag! I should not have to put up with all of this crap!"
Hana placed her hands on her chin, humming to herself.
"Tell me what happened exactly... I still don't believe that he would abandon this quest so easily..."
Yutuka turned his head, glaring at Ryou.
"According to my brother, he came to the candidate's house to offer him another chance. Apparently, he not only refused, but he also claimed that he needed to sumbit another chapter of his series by tomorrow. Either that happened or my brother didn't actually go there today..."
Ryou shouted at him, feeling his eyes glowing red.
"Do you want to go to his house and find out for yourself?"
Yutuka moved away from Ryou, standing near the window. He gazed upon the clear blue skies, placing his hands on his back.
"None of that matters right now... To redeem myself from this, I shall find an alternative solution by myself... I won't let you down this time, my god..."
Hana and Keima leaned towards each other, holding their hands close to their mouths.
"What do you think about this?"
"I have yet to come up with an alternative myself. Perhaps we can give him a second chance..."
Keima pulled his hands down, nodding his head.
"I do hope you will succeed this time, my fellow pupil..."
Hana closed her eyes and shook her head. Why does he have to take things a bit far?
Kumuro's eyes glowed, watching rows of machines flashing their screens brightly. The newest Jokaland is really here! I can't believe it finally arrived at majima! He turned his head around, noticing different machines around him. There are so many things to go to I don't know where to begin... Amika twiddled her thumbs, feeling her heart beating quickly. I... I'm not sure if I'm ready for this... I mean, we only had a few dates... as friends though... An image of Hana appeared inside her mind, pointing the whiteboard with her stick.
"Now that we've covered the basics, at least we should be able to plan for today..."
An image of an arcade store appeared on the whiteboard.
"There's a new store that has opened recently. From there, you can try out as many "prize-driven" machines as possible. Make him win prizes for you in this first phase..."
Her body shivered, blinking at unfamiliar machines. I don't even know what machines give out prizes... I've never been to this kind of store before! She closed her eyes, placing her hands on her face. Why can't she choose a different place for me?
"Is everything alright there Amika-chan?"
Amika turned her head, gazing upon Kumuro. She scratched her head, chuckling nervously.
"Umm... I... I was looking for a machine that gives out huge plushie toys..."
Kumuro held her arm firmly, making her widen her eyes. He pulled her across the aisle of machines, reaching his destination.
"I think I've seen one like that. I'll help you find it..."
Amika and Kumuro stood near a huge machine, dropping their jaws. (Amika) Wait. Aren't these toys... supposed to be a bit smaller? (Kumuro) This must be one of the hardest games to play... plus these prizes are massive... An image of mini-Hana appeared on her shoulders, folding her arms.
"Now that we've found one machine, urge him to win prizes for him... and no, this is not considered as being selfish. He shouldn't have to refuse you."
Amika took a deep breath, clearing her mind. I gotta ask him. I gotta ask him. I gotta ask him. I gotta ask him. She turned her head to Kumuro, smiling at him.
"Say... Mind if you get me a huge toy for me?"
Kumuro turned his head, witnessing Amika's cheery face. Inside his mind, mini Kumuro huddled around his body, whimpering in fear. I don't wanna do this... It might be too hard for me... but I have to... I have to answer to Amika-chan. He closed his eyes, smiling at her.
"Sure... no problem..."
Nanaka stood opposite to Kumuro, folding her arms and glaring at Amika. Watching her coming close to him makes me sick...
Hana sat next to Keima, watching the crowd standing in front of her. She held onto the train phamplet firmly, forming creases on it. She turned her head, gazing upon Keima occupied with his PFP. She closed her eyes and sighed. Sometimes I wish he doesn't play his game machine often… well… maybe that's asking him too much…
"Do you think we should search for other girls that could come after you? There's nothing much we can do for today..."
Keima's glasses glowed from the screen light. I haven't forgotten about them...Especially this Miyako girl...
"So are you really sure Tenri's one of them?"
Hana nodded her head.
"I can tell by her behaviour around you. She seemed a bit shy to reveal her feelings to you, but keep an eye on her."
Keima sighed, watching a girl on the screen cower in fear. I still don't believe that's true... I guess she hasn't realised that I don't really see her as my childhood friend... if I can recall from my early days... Memories of him and Tenri flash inside his eyes. I highly doubt that only one event would significantly make me consider her as friends at least... I only told her I remembered only because of that event... He lowered his PFP towards his lap, turning his head to Hana.
"Have you discovered any other girls that could be chasing after me?"
Hana shook her head.
"None that have been significant..."
The doors opened widely, drawing Keima an Hana's attention. They quickly stood up before leaving the train.
Kumuro huddled against the machine, rocking back and forth. I lost at least 10000 yen today... I don't know how much I can take this... Amika gazed upon him, crossing her lips in guilt. I didn't mean to make him like this... maybe it wasn't such a good idea listening to her advice... An image of mini Hana appeared on Amika's shoulders, folding her arms.
"If your potential lover is struggling with such simple tasks, the least you can do is to encourage him more."
Amika squatted down, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't give up yet. You'll win the prize for me..."
Kumuro turned his head, watching her close her eyes and smile. Yeah... she's right... He straightened his body, lifting himself off the ground. He raised his fists up high, frowning with determination.
"I can't let some machine beat me easily! I shall win this prize for my dear friend Amika!"
Kumuro turned around, facing the machine. Amika stood up from the ground, gazing upon him. He pulled out a coin, gazing upon it. Kami-sama, please let me win this prize for my friend Amika-chan... He carefully inserted the coin inside the machine, making the lights flash rapidly. He watched the wheel spin around quickly, tapping his fingers. I need to concentrate now... all I need is to find the right time... He closed his eyes, humming to himself. Amika covered her lips with her hands, feeling her heart ticking quickly. Quickly, Kumuro tapped the button above his hand, making the wheel stop.
The sign "Jumbo Prize" flashed, making Kumuro open his eyes quickly. He jumped up and down in triumph. HOORAY! Amika leapt towards him, wrapping her arms around him.
"I knew you could do it!"
Kumuro tilted his head, blinking at Amika. Amika slowly widened her eyes in fear. She jumped away from him, whimpering in fear.
"I-I-I'm sorry for doing that!"
Shrugging off the confusion, Kumuro pulled out a huge doll from the machine. He held it out, smiling at Amika.
"I reckon this will go well at your house..."
Kumuro strolled past Amika, holding his hands out.
"I'm gonna get more tokens. I'll be back!"
He strolled through the aisle of game machines, walking past gamers. I don't care if my mom will get mad at me for wasting a lot of money... I had a fun day today... Suddenly, he stopped moving, noticing Nanaka standing in front of him. He crossed his lips, gazing at her folded arms. Nanaka? I didn't expect her to be here! Umm... what should I do? Nanaka's eyes watered, making him cock his eyebrows. Wait... is she... She leapt towards him, holding her arms out. She wrapped them around Kumuro's body, resting her head on his shoulders. Tears poured out of her eyes as she whimpered.
"Please come back to me!"
Kumuro widened his eyes in fear, feeling his body trembling. No... She's not supposed to be like this! I thought Keima buddy had fixed it...
"I... I thought you've moved on..."
Nanaka lifted her head up, blinking at him.
"Wh... what?"
She wiped the tears off her face.
"What are ya talking about?"
Nanaka and Kumuro turned around, watching Amika's petrified body. Amika dropped her toy, feeling her eyes watery. Kumuro widened his eyes, pulling himself away from Nanaka's grasp.
"Amika-chan!"
He held her hands firmly.
"It... it's not what it looks like..."
Nanaka gritted her teeth, glaring at Amika.
"Why are ya stealing him away from me? Are ya afraid that ya won't be able to obtain him one day?"
Kumuro turned his head around, frowning at Nanaka.
"What are you talking about?"
Nanaka folded her arms.
"What? Ya haven't realised? She was hogging ya all to herself!"
Kumuro cocked his eyebrows.
"What do you mean? We're just friends..."
Amika clenched her fists, dripping tears from her eyes.
"Yeah... she's right..."
Kumuro faced away from Nanaka, widenening his eyes.
"Wh... what... Do you-"
Amika covered her face, concealing her sadness.
"I... I've been the one selfish all along... I didn't tell you how I actually feel for you... maybe until now..."
Kumuro held his hands near her lips, hearing his mind echoing. There's also another girl right under your nose this whole time...
"No... You don't mean..."
His body trembled more violently. She has been near you ever since you've met this girl! Amika nodded her head.
"I... I was afraid that I might lose you... if... if I confessed..."
Amika turned away from Kumuro, making his eyes misty. You should start paying more attention to that girl...
"It's no use! No matter what I do, I just make things worse for everyone!"
She ran away from him, making Kumuro hold his hands out.
"Wait! Come back!"
Kumuro tilted his head down, gazing upon the toy. Its fur drenched in tears. Tears trickled from his eyes, feeling his heart aching. Wh... what have I done? I'm such an idiot... Nanaka stood near him, feeling her heart throbbing.
"A... are ya alright?"
Kumuro lifted the toy up before walking away from her.
Yutuka strolled through the streets, holding his bag tightly. He sighed, lifting his hands up. He gazed upon the shopping list on his hand. I can't stop thinking about this... I can't just let it out of my mind easily... He sighed, pushing the list back inside his pants pocket. Usually I would accomplish tasks easily... however... He turned his head, gazing upon groups of students strolling past him. They laughed and chattered, making his head ache. This world is full of shit... It only wants people to follow its own rules... He strolled past a window filled with TVs, having its screen show people from different races.
They claim this world to be better from the past... having diversity, kindness, multiculturalism, teamwork... The screens changed, showing politicians shouting at each other. The world has never changed! It's still barbaric and tyranny still exists... He turned around, facing the supermarket. The doors slid open, letting him inside. You would think I would be able to get any girl I want with my knowledge on winning their hearts, right? He trekked through the aisle filled with processed foods. Wrong. Reality only allows "good-looking" people the chance to win hearts... He doesn't allow anyone else.
He stood still, noticing rows of apples in front of him. He held his hand out, pulling out a shiny apple. Maybe this world is like an ungrateful child, unwilling to eat "rotten foods"... He placed a few inside the bag before walking away. In the end, the only one being rotten is himself... An image of Keima appeared inside his mind. I've seen my god's blogs many times... he truly understands how shit this world really is... Each aisle he stopped by, he pulling out some carrots, tomatos and broccoli from their resting homes. Sometimes I prefer a better world than this myself... maybe a world filled with 2D girls might be nice...
He stood in a line, tapping his feet impatiently. Sure I can't definitely marry them. Only delusional people would actually do something like that... He moved forward as the line shortens. But they represent the purity of what everyone should be. The symbol of their uncorrupted ways... He placed the fruits and vegetables on the counter, watching them get carried over. I can't say that I'm completely pure. It's this world's fault that I've also been tainted by their ways... He handed over a note before picking up his bag full of groceries. But I only believe in one god... the rest are only lies...
He walked out of the supermarket, holding his bag firmly. Enough blabbering about myself... I need to find another candidate... He placed his hands on his chin, humming to himself. I guess the first thing I should do is to actually gain information about this girl... that way... He stopped moving, noticing a girl blocking his way. Her hood concealed her face from her true identity. He gritted his teeth in frustration. She's in my way I see. I should walk past her so that-
"Why am I surrounded by grotesque people?"
Yutuka paused momentarily. He then burst out in laughter.
"I haven't heard that before! That's a good way to insult my own shitty image!"
The girl strolled past her, hugging her doll tightly.
"I don't want to hear your grotesque voice. You almost remind me of that other grotesque man..."
Yutuka gritted his teeth in rage. He turned around, reaching his arm out. He grabbed her body, turning her around.
"I don't know who you are, but I won't let you-!"
He widened his eyes, gazing upon Tsukiyo's face.
Author's Note: Sorry it took about 4 weeks to complete (though I did say that I'm struggling the will to keep going ). This series is about 75% complete so I'll still aim to get it done. After all, once you start something, you shouldn't really have to quick midway. I hope you enjoy this chapter and this series. I also hope I'll still have the will to continue this...