Reason For Her Love
"What the hell is going on?!" Tsugumi shouted who was on top of a building. Secretly, she had been tailing Raku all day until he entered an apartment complex.
"I see no point in hiding it any longer, Black Tiger." Honda responded calmly who stood between Tsugumi and the apartment Raku entered. Explaining a part of the situation, Honda stated "Raku is sharing an apartment with milady, Marika."
Becoming flustered at the thought of Raku sharing an apartment with another girl, Tsugumi exclaimed "S-Sharing?! There's no way Raku would do something like that. H-He already has milady, Chitoge!"
"Yes, but you see, Raku and Chitoge aren't in the happy relationship you think they are." Honda started and proceeded to fill Tsugumi in on their forced relationship.
"No way…" Tsugumi muttered in disbelief. Regaining the fire in her eyes, the Black Tiger pointed her gun at Honda and exclaimed "You're trying to startle me to the point where I let down my guard, aren't you?!"
Sighing, Honda went on "You're free to think whatever you want; however, I insist you confirm things with Chitoge first before taking any action."
While Tsugumi was enraged with these new developments, she also knew it would be completely reckless to act in the heat of the moment. Calming down, Tsugumi stood down "Fine. I'll leave for now, but just tell me one thing. Why is Raku living with Marika?"
Looking away, Honda explained "Marika won't be living here for much longer. You have heard of the Tachibana's family lineage, haven't you? Marika is next in line in that lineage. Therefore…"
-The next day-
It was an average winter's day. It was cold, yet not terribly freezing with endless clouds covering the sky.
"So… where do you want to go?" Raku inquired to his roommate.
Looking up at the clouds, Marika replied "I'm not sure. I was hoping you would have some thoughts, Raku."
"You ask me on a date and make me decide on where to go? You sound like Chitoge." Raku complained who didn't know where to begin planning a date with Marika.
Raku's statement got Marika's blood boiling who became serious "You've gone done it now. I didn' wanna have to do this, but you leave me no choice! It's time for-
Marika epically takes out a book and shows it off to Raku.
"the dating rulebook!" Marika finishes with a huge smile.
"Here we go." Raku mentally sighed.
Opening the book, Marika read aloud "Step one... Wait, this doesn't make any sense… Let's just move on to step two… We already did that." Marika began to read more frantically as she continued "Let's see here… Aha! Step three: put on nice clothes to show you care!"
Raku saw Marika lifting her eyes slightly from the page with longing of praise in them. Marika looked rather charming today so Raku felt inclined to compliment her.
"Well, you do look really nice today, Marika." Raku scratched the back of his head as he said this.
Clearly satisfied with the comment, Marika blushed and she beamed "Really?! I always put effort into looking beautiful as womanly possible for your sake, but to actually get praised for it means the world to me. Thank you, Raku! You look quite handsome today." Marika last comment added a slight blush on Raku's face.
Returning her attention back on the book, Marika started to read "Okay! Time for step-"
"Hahaha! What is this?!" Raku laughed as he started reading the book as well.
Seeing the love of her life laugh so innocently gave Marika a warm, bubbly feeling inside of her heart who started laughing as well.
Even though he stopped laughing, the warm smile on his face hadn't vanished as he suggested "How about we go to the mall for now? There's quite a few activities and food choices there."
"Sounds like a wonderful idea. I hear they have an interesting miniature golf course that I've been meaning to go to." Marika agreed happily.
Once the two arrived at the mall, Raku took Marika's suggestion into account and said "Hey, do you know where this miniature golf course is?"
"I do. Allow me to lead the way." Marika answered as she took Raku's hand.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey." Raku repeated the word "hey" for emphasis and asked "Why are you grabbing my hand?"
Turning to look at Raku, Marika blushed slightly and started "Because…" Looking towards the ground, Marika admitted "It makes me feel at ease with so many people around. If it bothers you-"
"Nah, don't worry about it. This is a… a date, after all. If it makes you feel better, then I'm fine with it." Raku reasoned who was almost used to holding a girl's hand by now. Key word: almost. Unknown to Marika, Raku's heart started beating faster as a small blush appeared on his face.
"There really are no bounds on your kindness, Raku. Thank you." Marika smiled as her uneasiness went away.
Once the two reached the putt-putt golf, Raku couldn't help but be impressed.
"Wow, I've never seen a glow in the dark miniature golf course." Raku examined the course.
"I saw it the last time I came in and I just knew it was a first experience I wanted to share with you." Marika explained who smiled at Raku's reaction to the course.
The two bought their putters and made their way to the first hole. Raku went first and took two strokes to sink his ball into the hole.
"Great job, Raku!" Marika beamed who was impressed.
Scratching his cheek, Raku answered "I wasn't all the great. It's just the first hole. Anyways, you're up."
Taking her turn now, Marika's first stroke landed her ball less than halfway down the lane. Her next stroke knocked her ball off the course. Her next few shots followed this pattern.
"Why… won't you… go in the blasted hole..?" Marika asked her ball in frustration which was still a fair amount of distance from the hole.
"Did you try going to your 'happy place'?" Raku suggested.
"What?" Marika asked in confusion.
Sighing, Raku walked towards Marika and said "Never mind. I'll help you out."
Standing behind Marika, Raku grabbed Marika's putter to help guide her and instructed "When you golf, you want to firmly plant your feet and have a firm grip on the putter with your shoulders somewhat locked. I don't know if it's what professionals do, but it helps my accuracy. Also, when you're close to the hole like this, light taps will get the job done. Oh, and you want to line up the line on your putter with the ball."
Getting slightly flustered, Marika blushed "Rakkun is so close."
Realizing the extent of his closeness, Raku instantly let go of Marika and backed up. "S-Sorry! I didn't realize I was so-" Raku began to apologize.
"I didn't want you to let go." Marika told Raku as she continued to eye the ball because she was too embarrassed to look at him.
A blush rising to his face as well, Raku returned to Marika's back and once again grabbed the putter. Eyeing the ball, Raku whispered "Okay, but only for this one stroke."
Feelings of intense warmth spreading throughout her body, Marika planned her shot aloud "Okay. Firmly plant feet, firm grip on putter, shoulders locked, line up the putter, and lightly tap."
Once Marika did all of the above, the ball sank flawlessly in the hole.
"You did it!" Raku beamed with delight. It wasn't exactly the easiest shot so he was impressed Marika could pull it off with a simple set of instructions.
Completely overjoyed by their teamwork, Marika embraced Raku and beamed as well "We did it, Raku!"
For the first time, Marika's embrace was actually welcomed and Raku went as far as to hug her as well. After a few seconds, the embarrassment kicked in and Raku let go of Marika and stuttered "W-Well, I guess we should continue then."
The significance of the moment wasn't lost on Marika who noted "That's the first time since we were kids that you've actually returned a hug."
Raku couldn't think of anything to say to this, so he simply scratched the back of his head and tried to hide his blush.
The two continued the course and Marika stood her ground pretty well even as the course increased with difficulty. In the middle of Marika's turn, the two heard a pair of random long-haired girls talking about them.
"Hey, do you see those two? That girl is so gorgeous! She's probably only on a date with that guy out of pity."
"Hahaha! No way! That has to be her brother or something!"
Hearing it all before, Raku shrugged it off and turned his attention back on Marika and was shocked at what he saw. With her charged stance, Raku wouldn't be surprised if Marika intended on driving her ball four hundred yards. There was no trace of a smile left on her lips and her eyes were burning like a wildfire that consumes everything in its path.
"H-Hey, Marika? Maybe you shouldn't-" Raku tried persuading Marika from doing something hasty, but it was too late. Marika swung the putter with fierce strength and sent the ball ricocheting a countless number of times until it finally flew just a few inches from the two girls' faces and slamming into a wall, leaving a huge indent.
Biting her nail, Marika hissed silently "Dammit, I missed." Raku then watched with horror as Marika, whose facial appearance could only be described as "pissed off", made her way towards the two frightened girls.
Forcing an obviously fake smile, Marika "apologized" "I'm sorry, I believe I had just a tad too much power on my swing. Excuse me." Marika aggressively pushed the two out of her way to retrieve her ball which was lodged in the wall. Once claiming her ball from the wall, a few fragments from the wall fell to the floor.
As Raku watched Marika retrieve her ball, he couldn't help but feel that Marika was going too overboard; however, knowing that she stood up for him had a profound impact on him. Whenever he was with Chitoge and others talked down on him, Chitoge always laughed. Marika is the only one to defend him like this and he greatly respected her for it.
Once Marika returned, Raku lightly scolded "You went too far, Marika. Somebody could've gotten hurt."
Her expression calming down some, Marika answered "That was the blasted point; however, I will try behaving myself for the remainder of the day."
Still having something to say, Raku placed a hand on her head and finished "What you did was incredibly reckless… but it was also really sweet of you, Marika. Thank you."
All of the traces of anger vanished from Marika's face and her warm and gentle smile returned. At least something good came out of her rage.
Once the two got to the last hole, Marika suggested "I just had an idea. Let's take our turn at the same time."
Getting into Marika's idea, Raku added "Yeah, it can be a race to see who sinks their ball first!"
The two got into position and lined up their shots. "One… two… three!" The two counted in unison and stoked at the same time. After both balls traversed the complicated lane of obstacles, they both landed in the hole, seemingly at the same time.
"…WHAT?!" Raku and Marika yelled in unison, forgetting that they were in a public place. To them, it was like a miracle just took place. Not only did they not get a hole-in-one until now, but for their strokes to sink into the hole at indiscernibly similar times.
After everything that happened on the miniature golf course, the two were overdue for a break and got lunch at the food court.
Marika, who had a blissful smile on her face, beamed "I can't believe we sank our putts at the same time. I think that's what you call destiny, Raku."
"Instead of saying embarrassing things, I think you should eat your food before it gets cold." Raku answered tiredly, who was mentally exhausted after all the excitement and the earlier rampage Marika went on.
Looking at her food, Marika agreed "You're right, Raku. Forgive me, I guess I'm just a little too happy right now." Having one last thing to say, Marika picked up a french fry and mumbled "Still, I have to say that those girls from earlier are ruining my near perfect mood. Who are they to judge another person by their outward appearance? Seriously, it's always them damned longed-haired girls that gets my blood boiling."
"Let me tell you something I told Chitoge once." Raku started and proceeded to share one of his beliefs with Marika "'If you hit someone as worthless as them, then you're just admitting that you're the same as them. Don't be so lame.' Well, you never actually hit them, but you did acknowledge their lame words. If you let those kinds of people bother you, then they'll always win. I know you're better than that."
While Marika took Raku's speech to heart, she had one thing to say "I truly think you're right on that matter, Raku. Usually, I wouldn't let those kinds of people bother me; however, if someone attacks you, even if it's verbally, I can't help but get, well, angered. I'll try shutting out arrogant, insults to humanity, scum of the earth, people from this point forward."
With that, the two began eating their food without another word. After finishing her food, Marika stated "Raku, I have a question that I would like to ask you."
"Ask away." Raku replied who was taking a drink of his soda.
"Do you… Do you love Chitoge?" Marika asked as she looked away.
Somehow, Raku almost choked on his drink as he struggled to say "H-Huh?! What?!" Taking a good look at her, Raku saw that Marika was afraid with her eyes avoiding his and she had an obviously nervous facial expression. Despite her fear, she still wanted to know so Raku found himself unable to reject her question.
"To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm in love with Chitoge; however, I can't deny that I like her." Raku confessed as he looked away as well. Once Raku glanced at her face, Raku saw that she was actually quite happy.
"That's better than I expected. If you're feelings haven't outright blossomed into love, then that makes it easier to compete against her and Kosaki. Take it from me, Raku, you'll know when you're in love with someone." Marika concluded with a smile.
Getting a weird vibe, Raku admitted "You know, it's weird. For some reason, it feels like you've already asked me that question. Right here, in this very spot."
"I have that feeling too, Raku. That's also why I asked." Marika confessed to having that same feeling. Wanting to explore the mall, Marika smiled "Let's take a break from the serious talk and progress with our date."
The two started visiting shops at random and browsed items until they visited a very unique store.
"Well this place is pretty cool. I didn't know they sell lava lamps and party lights. Maybe I'll get something." Raku thought as he browsed one section of the store.
"Raku, what do you think about these?" Raku heard Marika ask. Turning to face her, Raku saw that she was holding very, and I mean VERY suggestive undergarments. Although there was a slight blush on her face, there was no hint of shame in her wide smile.
Already getting flustered by her selection, Raku looked at the rest of the store and realized this wasn't the kind of store he thought it was and he made a mad dash to leave.
Once they browsed another store, Raku complained "Geez, Marika, I knew you were crazy, but I didn't think you would take me to a store like that."
Giggling, Marika replied "Now, Raku, we aren't children anymore. Having interest in those kinds of things is completely natural at our age."
Deciding not to answer, Raku simply picked out a scarf and a plush cat to purchase.
Once the two left the store, Marika questioned "Did you buy that scarf because you were cold? If you asked me, I would've bought you one."
Shaking his head, Raku answered "I didn't buy a scarf because I was cold, but because you seemed cold while walking outside, so here." Raku held out the plush cat and scarf towards Marika.
Not expecting gifts, Marika blushed and beamed with a bright smile "Thank you very much, Raku! I'll cherish them!"
Seeing that Marika's hands were now full, Raku apologized "Oops, I forgot to get a bag for them. Sorry about that, I'll go ask for one."
Stopping Raku, Marika insisted "No, that's okay, Raku. To be honest, I'm excited to wear the scarf, so I wouldn't mind putting it on now. The only problem is I can't put on the scarf while holding this plush, so can I ask you to put in on?"
Happy that Marika was satisfied with her gifts, Raku agreed with a smile "Sure." Marika held the cat plush happily against her chest as Raku wrapped the scarf around her.
"How do I look, Raku? Marika asked once he finished wrapping the scarf around her.
"You look… very pretty. Wait, you already asked me that question earlier." Raku answered honestly. Although admitting these kinds of things to her was still embarrassing, he found it much easier this time to answer. Were things starting to become more natural between him and Marika?
"I feel much closer to Marika now." Raku mentally noted as he saw a dazzling smile appear on Marika's face.
Looking at the cat plush, Raku asked "So, what are you going to name him?"
Deep in thought, a light bulb went off in Marika's head who suggested "Oh, I know! How about Raku-"
"Do not call it 'Raku-sama'. Be more creative." Raku cut Marika off who didn't want everything she owned to be named after him.
Thinking it over again, Marika came up with another name "How about... Frisk? That sounds like a cat's name to me."
"If that's what you want to call him, then go for it. I like that name." Raku agreed and Marika started humming to herself. Although it wasn't the name she wanted, Frisk was a great name as well.
After browsing a few more shops, Raku asked "Is there anything else you wanted to do?"
"Well, there is one more thing I had in mind." Marika answered and took Raku's hand to guide them.
"A… photo booth?" Raku asked once they arrived at one.
"It's always been a dream of mine to enter one with you." Marika answered back with a wide smile.
"Well… I guess I'm okay with it." Raku replied who was a tad nervous.
After entering the booth together, Raku couldn't help but feel his personal space diminish. It was slightly cramped and Raku couldn't help but push up against Marika's side.
"S-Sorry about this." Raku apologized for invading Marika's personal space.
"Oh, Raku, you should know by now that I enjoy feeling your touch." Marika reassured him and her eyes were practically sparkling.
"Please select a theme." The two heard the machine say.
"Oh, these have certain themes? I haven't used a photo booth since middle school so I forgot." Raku explained as he browsed through the themes. Finding one he liked, Raku asked "Hey, Marika? How about-"
"This one!" Marika beamed as she aggressively press the "in love" theme.
"Great selection! Get ready for your first pose!" The machine instructed.
"Y-You idiot! W-We can't do that!" Raku strongly disagreed with a blush but he knew there was no going back.
"I think it's appropriate since this is a date. Besides, none of the other themes interested me." Marika reasoned as that crafty yet charming smile formed on her lips.
"There's a huge difference between going on a date and being in love!" Raku shouted in his nervousness.
Fortunately for Raku, the first two pictures were normal with the first one being a normal picture and the second being a silly picture where Marika pushed her plush cat against Raku's cheek. However…
"Excellent photo! Now, please get in a lovey-dovey pose."
Before Raku had any time to react, Marika's head was leaning on his shoulder and her arms were wrapped securely around him.
"5… 4… 3… 2…" The machine counted down.
"Hurry!" Marika insisted as the clock ran down.
At the last moment, Raku wrapped one of his arms around Marika and put on a smile just in time.
"Excellent photo! Now, please kiss your partner."
This time, both Raku and Marika blushed with Raku protesting "Nope, nope, not happening."
"5… 4…" The machine counted down once again.
"Wait, Raku! You've got some food still on your face!" Marika gasped.
"Wait, what?! Has it been there this whole time?!" Raku yelled who was afraid of it ruining all of the photos.
"3… 2…"
Moving closer to Raku, Marika placed her hand on one of his cheeks, another hand on the back of his head, and planted her lips on his forehead. Once the picture was taken, Marika whispered affectionately "I got it off, Raku."
"Excellent photo! Your photos are printing now. Have a nice day!" The machine said.
After all the excitement, Raku fell out of the booth and landed on the floor and felt too dazed to get up.
Startled by the sight of Raku laying face first onto the floor, Marika held out her hand and asked with worry "R-Raku? Are you okay?! Here, let me help you up!"
Taking her hand, Raku accepted her help wordlessly and stood once more; although, his face was absolutely crimson.
Seeing Raku's blush, Marika giggled "I guess that's another victory for me. I believe that's the third time I've tricked and kissed you."
Once the pictures came out, Raku took a good look at the pictures. Raku couldn't help but feel like this simple strip was incredibly dangerous; after all, if Chitoge's mafia family found this, this could brand Raku a cheater and start a war out of vengeance.
Besides feeling dangerous, Raku couldn't help but like the pictures a lot. Sure, it was incredibly embarrassing, but seeing Marika enjoy herself in the photos gave them a very charming aspect to them. Besides… Raku admitted that he enjoyed being so closed to her and the third and fourth pictures made his heart skip a beat.
"Wait a second. Does this mean I like..?" Raku contemplated as he turned his attention from the photos to Marika. There was a very gentle smile and blush on her face as she held her hand to her heart. Shocking to Raku, tears also ran down her face.
Rubbing the tears out of her eyes, Marika smiled "Oops, it looks like I've gone done it now. Sorry about the waterworks, Rakkun. It's just been so long since I've been this happy."
"Oh, umm, you don't need to apologize, Marika. I'm just glad you weren't upset or anything." Raku answered back who panicked for just a second.
"Raku?" A familiar voice called out gently.
Marika and Raku found Chitoge and Kosaki standing just a few feet away from them.
"Oh… hey guys." Raku uttered hopelessly.
Taking a quick glance at the pictures in Raku's hand, Chitoge gave Raku a cold look and said to Kosaki "We should go."
Seeing the photos as well, Kosaki blushed and agreed "O-Okay."
Raku watched helplessly as Kosaki and Chitoge walked away with the wrong idea… or the right one?
"No, no. It's definitely the wrong idea. We may be on a date, but we're not in love or anything… right?" Raku reasoned with himself but couldn't help but wonder his feelings for Marika.
"We… we should probably go home now. It's starting to get late." Raku said to Marika.
As the two walked home, Raku kept taking a look at Marika who had the guiltiest expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Marika?" Raku ended the silence.
Looking away, Marika apologized in almost a whisper. "I've caused you so much trouble, Raku. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Worried that Marika was about to cry, Raku assured her "Hey, don't worry about it. I had a really fun time today. I don't regret any of it, I promise. I'll talk to them about it at school on Monday."
Although Raku's words made some impact, Marika knew that he was still in a delicate situation with Chitoge now and made things complicated between him and Kosaki as well. "I'm sorry that I'm so aggressive with you. I'm selfish, I know, but I really do love you, Raku. That's why I'm like this." Marika continued her apology and tried explaining herself.
"Geez, there you go again." Raku complained as a blush once again appeared on his face. "If you keep embarrassing me so much, my face is going to stay red." Raku chuckled despite the embarrassment.
Raku's comment made Marika feel a little better who giggled. Feeling warmth in her hand, Marika looked down and saw Raku's hand holding hers.
"This is our first date and I don't want to end it with you sad." Raku smiled as he scratched the back of his head frantically.
Marika's heart skipped a beat. For the first time, she wasn't making the first move. Noticing an error in Raku's reasoning, Marika pointed out "This is actually our second date."
"W-Well then, this is our first date that I haven't been forced into." Raku corrected himself and this caused them both to laugh a little.
The two continued walking silently until Raku asked a question he had been wondering for a very long time "Hey, Marika, why do you… why you love me?"
Marika has been expecting this question for a while and warned "To answer that, I have to tell you some, well, unpleasant things. To be honest, I want you to know, but I just want to make sure you're fine with a heavy answer."
Raku simply nodded which signaled Marika to continue "I'm just going to come out and say it, Raku. I wasn't supposed to live past childhood. The life I had before I met you wasn't a life worth living. Everyone took pity on me and treated me like I was going to die the next day. Surrounded by so much talk of death, I didn't even feel like I was alive, like my life was just an error that death would soon correct. Then, one day you came in through my window and showered me with something I never experienced before, friendship. You were the first person besides my dad to treat me like a living human being. Beyond that, you were so kind to me to the point where I became addicted to you. When you went home after you visited me for the first time, I found myself eagerly awaiting your return, and that's when it hit me. I realized that for the first time in my life, I wanted to live. My mother may have given me life, but after it was stolen, you gave it back to me. For that, I will always love you, Raku."
After Marika's long speech, Raku couldn't help but be completely speechless. A painful feeling appeared in Raku's chest and he continued looking at the gentle smile on Marika's face. Just thinking that Marika went through all of that as a child and how she thought her existence was a mistake made Raku's heart ache.
Wrapping his arms around Marika softly, Raku whispered "You've been through so much, haven't you? I'm sorry that I didn't spend much time with you back then, but I promise things are different now. I'll support you all of the way from here on out."
Marika's vulnerable spot was hit yet again as tears started welling up in her eyes. Wrapping her arms very tightly around Raku, she started weeping into his chest.
"R-Raku… Rakkun!" Marika sobbed the name of the love of her life. Seeing Marika in her current state was too much for Raku who started shedding tears as well as he held her closer.
After what seemed like a long time to say the least, the two ended the embrace.
"Thank you, Raku. I really needed that." Marika broke the silence with her whisper.
Embarrassment kicking in, Raku answered "Oh, well, you know, it wasn't much."
Shaking her head, Marika wiped away the last of her tears and replied "If it wasn't much, then I wouldn't have cried as much as I did. It seems you've shed some tears as well."
Thinking he did a great job at hiding it, Raku became flustered and asked "H-How did you know?! I didn't make a single noise!"
Placing her hand on Raku's cheek, Marika answered "I just… know these things. It was barely felt, but I know you were quivering. Also, you lied about not making a sound. It was just once, but I heard you sniffle."
"I was shaking from the freezing temperatures and I think I'm coming down with a cold." Raku looked away as he said this because he was embarrassed by Marika's touch.
"Then your red eyes?" Marika pointed out as she rubbed Raku's cheek.
"…I caught something in my eyes, that's all." Raku retorted once again.
"Oh? And what did you catch in your eyes?" Marika asked curiously.
"…Tears." Raku answered who finally gave up on hiding the fact.
"You really are adorable, Raku." Marika giggled as she lightly poked his cheek.
Feeling incredibly embarrassed after Marika's teasing, Raku took her hand and murmured "Let's just get home before I really do catch a cold."
"Okay!" Marika beamed and let Raku lead the way. Having one last thing to say, Marika added "Hey, Raku? Thank you for crying for me."
"Anytime." Raku simply responded who started scratching the back of his head.
Once the two made their way back, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. It was Marika's turn to make dinner that night and she went into the kitchen to prepare food.
Hearing the humming of a girl and the chopping of food, Raku came out of his room.
"Hey, are you preparing dinner already?" Raku questioned.
Happy to see Raku, Marika smiled "Yes, I figured since we ate lunch especially early today that you would be hungry and-"
Growl
Her face becoming crimson from the growling of her stomach, Marika stuttered "A-And I reckon I'm pretty darned hungry too."
A soft smile forming on his face, Raku said "You sound pretty hungry. I have an idea. Let's make a ton of food so we know we'll get stuffed!"
"It might take a while for me to prepare such a feast. Besides, don't you think eating so much is bad for you?" Marika questioned whose blush softened.
Shaking his head, Raku answered "I think it's okay to let loose and eat a ton of food every once in a while. Also, it won't take that long if two people cook."
"You mean you'll..?" Marika questioned with excitement and sparkling eyes.
Giving her a thumbs up, Raku volunteered "You can count on me. To be honest, the skill I'm proud of the most is my cooking ability, but you've proven to me that you're just as good if not better than me in that regard. I think it would be fun to let loose and make a ton of food with you."
For some reason, Raku was in an excellent mood and only wanted to make his day brighter. To be honest, it wasn't about feasting on so much food; but rather, it was about cooking with someone he considered an equal. It was also about spending more time with Marika, but he would never admit that.
The next hour was accompanied by smiles and laughter as the two cooked joyfully together. Once the food was done, they realized that they might've overdone it a bit.
"This could feed a family of four…" Raku murmured who felt ashamed of himself for getting so carried away.
"Well, at least there's no shortage of food for us… Hehe." Marika laughed at their own demise for she knew there was no way they could finish all of the food.
An idea popping into her head, Marika called out "Time to call in the support. Honda!"
"Yes, milady?" Honda answered as she popped out from one of the kitchen tiles in the floor.
"Whoa!" Raku yelled in shock who was still not used to Honda's crazy entrances.
Pointing towards the food, Marika ordered "It seems Raku and I have made too much food. Please take whatever you can, but don't be wasteful. That's Raku's pet peeve."
"Yes, milady." Honda answered and took a little over a third of the food and left through the hole in the kitchen floor.
"She sure does… eat a lot." Raku commented, seeing that a lot of food had been taken.
"Honda doesn't eat that much. Knowing her, she has a way of putting that food to good use." Marika pointed out.
The two looked at the remaining food which seemed a lot more manageable but still a challenge to finish.
"Well, Marika, I will try carrying the team by eating most of this." Raku sacrificed himself and he started eating.
"Don't eat too much, Raku. I'll help out the best I can." Marika said with conviction as she started eating as well.
After a long dinner, they surprisingly finished all of the food. Raku was leaning back in his chair while holding his stomach and Marika had her head down on the table.
Still shocked by the whole thing, Raku thought with disbelief "She ate just as much food as me." Still feeling pain in his stomach, Raku couldn't help but laugh at the situation "Marika, please, stop me the next time I come up with such a terrible idea."
"Will do." Marika murmured and lifted her head off the table. Because Raku's smile was contagious, Marika found herself smiling as well.
-On top of a random building-
"Why did you call me out here, Honda?" Tsugumi asked as her hand firmly grasped her pistol.
Not on guard at all, Honda held out a plastic container and asked "Would you like something to eat?"
Just like that, the two found themselves sitting down to eat the food Honda brought.
"I have to admit, this is really good. Is this your way of buying my silence?" Tsugumi questioned as she continued to eat.
"Your loyalty to Chitoge isn't something that can be bought off. The only reason as to why I am doing this is because Raku and milady prepared too much food." Honda answered back as she took small bites out of her food.
A blushing rising to her face, Tsugumi stuttered "T-This was made by R-Raku?!"
"And milady." Honda added. Looking at the flustered Tsugumi, Honda went on "There's one other reason. Pretty soon, we'll surely clash in battle with you protecting Chitoge and I protecting that which milady cherishes. I just wanted you to know that it's nothing personal."
Her embarrassment completely erased, Tsugumi asked "Why do you say that? I don't plan on telling Claude or anyone else. You were right. Milady told me that her relationship with Raku is fake. I hate saying this, but with Marika's family condition, I can't bring myself to interfere."
Looking up at the moon, Honda answered "Well, I'm glad you know the truth; however, that won't stop the mafia from engaging the yakuza. With the way things are going, Marika and Raku will be found out soon." Standing up, Honda said her goodbyes "This was a nice talk, but I must be going now. If we do end up fighting each other, I will not fight to kill you. Goodbye."
Before Tsugumi had any time to react, Honda was out of sight.
"The feeling's mutual, ninja of the Tachibana's."
-In Raku's bedroom-
His stomach had settled down and he was having some late night thoughts before going to bed. "It was bad enough already liking two different girls, but then Marika came into the mix as well. To be honest, I think I like Marika as well. Today proved that after we spent so much time together and I honestly enjoyed every part of it… except for when Marika almost sent two girls to the hospital. I wonder if she'll get the reference if I call her 'Happy'."
"Wait, Raku! You've got some food still on your face!" Raku recalled an event from earlier today.
Continuing his thoughts with a slight blush, Raku went on "And then there was that kiss on my forehead. To be honest, I knew what Marika was up to when she said that. So why did I pretend to be ignorant? Did I want her to kiss me?"
Shaking his head, Raku's previous thoughts were too embarrassing so he switched topics "So, I like Chitoge, Kosaki, and Marika and they all have keys. I guess I'll have to choose between them. It would be selfish of me to make it an 'everyone loses' situation. Still, there's that one thing that's been bothering me. Well, make that two things that are bothering me."
"Out of all the girls, why is Marika the only one you remember from your childhood?" Shuu's words crept back into Raku's thoughts.
"Please decide soon. She doesn't have much time remaining." Honda's words intruded on Raku's thoughts as well.
Raku continued his thoughts "How should I know?! I didn't remember Kosaki or Chitoge, but I remember Mari… And what do you mean 'she doesn't have much time left'?! Is she transferring or something?! Or… is it something else?" Coming up with no solutions, Raku retired for the day and went to sleep.
Suddenly, Raku found himself in a hospital bed and he felt a lot… shorter. He was wrapped with bandages and hooked up to medical equipment. There was a short girl with orange hair crying beside his bed.
"Rakkun… Rakkun! Wake up, Rakkun!" The young girl sobbed as she softly held his hand.
Raku wanted to answer her, but he found himself unable to speak and his body wouldn't move either.
"Ma…ri…" Raku used all of his strength to utter her name.
"Rakkun!" A voice that didn't belong to the young girl screamed. It was strange, the voice sounded so far away, yet so incredibly near.
It also sounded so familiar to Raku and his surroundings completely changed. He was back in his bedroom.
"RAKKUN!" Raku heard Marika scream.
As his eyes began to focus, he saw that Marika was laying right on top of him with her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Mari…ka?" Raku called out her name as his senses started to awaken as well.
"Rakkun…" Marika breathed heavily and started panting.
Initially, Raku's first thought was that this was some sort of scheme for her to be with him, but he quickly realized this wasn't the case. Not only was she breathing really hard, but she was sweating excessively. It was like she had just gotten back from a workout, but Raku knew that Marika was too frail to do such things and that still wouldn't explain her earlier screams.
"Marika, what's wrong?!" Raku panicked at Marika's current state. All Raku got was heavy panting so he shouted "I'll call an ambulance!"
"No! Don't!" Marika shouted and held Raku tighter to stop him.
"But, Marika-"
"Please don't… leave again! Please!" Marika begged in between breaths.
Once Marika lifted her face and showed Raku a face he wouldn't soon forget. Marika's face was full of sweat and tears and her eyes lost some of their color.
"Please stay…" Marika continued to beg as she continued to breathe heavily.
Not having any idea of what was going on, Raku put his trust in Marika and answered "Okay, Marika. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."
"Rakkun!" Marika cried out as she continued panting and placed her face on his chest. Raku wrapped his arms softly around Marika and hoped with all of his might that Marika would turn out okay.
Several minutes passed by with Marika steadily calming down. After finally catching her breath, Marika apologized "I'm sorry, Raku… I was having an anxiety attack."
"Are you okay?!" Raku asked with great worry.
Lifting her head from his chest, Marika regained the bright color in her eyes and answered "Yes, I'm fine now."
"Thank goodness." Raku sighed with incredible relief.
Still terrified, Marika asked "Raku… My body is completely exhausted and I won't be able to make it back to my room. And I'm scared… really scared. Please, can I stay here for tonight? I promise, I'm not trying to trick you or anything, I just-"
"Sure, but I can't sleep with you on top of me." Raku answered before Marika could finish. Raku knew most of the situation and he also knew that Marika wasn't deceiving him either. She was truly terrified, and to be honest, so was he. Staying in the same room would be the only way to sleep tonight.
"A-Are you sure?" Marika needed confirmation because she thought her request was impossible to grant.
"Yeah. After what happened, it would make me feel better if you were nearby." Raku answered honestly.
Marika finally ended her fierce grip on Raku who couldn't help but feel incredibly sore. It was like the grip of a gorilla. Raku helped Marika get under the covers and got her a spare pillow.
Once Raku laid down, arms were wrapped softly around him and he felt Marika's forehead on the back of his neck. While this comforted him, it also felt completely inappropriate. Raku was about to ask Marika to let go of him, but he couldn't bring himself to say it because it felt too cruel to a girl who just went through all of that.
"If you need anything, I'll be right here, Marika. Goodnight." Raku whispered to her.
Blushing slightly, Marika whispered back "I will. Thank you for granting my unreasonable request. Sweet dreams, Raku. I love you."
Even after everything, Marika was still able to embarrass him as a blush rose to his face. In a matter of minutes, the two exhausted teens fell asleep.
Author's notes: Well, that was quick. I know I wanted to upload this chapter quickly since the last chapter wasn't the best, but I didn't think I would get this out this early. So this is what it means to be hyped to write a fanfiction. Hope this chapter makes up for the last one, because, in my humble opinion, I think this chapter turned out great. This is the chapter I wanted to post last Sunday so I guess this is a last happy Valentines Day!
Some of you may be seeing a few references in my fanfictions, a lot towards Undertale. I'm now trying to cut down on references because it can ruin the story if used to much, but I think I have a good balance. Who spotted the references in this chapter? There was an Undertale reference, two Happy Gilmore references, I even referenced one of my other fanfictions: "Zawsze In Love With A Stupid Beansprout". There may be other references I unconsciously added too. Oh, and before I played Undertale, I totally thought Frisk was like the ultimate cats name, and I still do. So naming the cat frisk was more about my cat naming preferences rather than a reference to Undertale.
I have made a terrible mistake. In my first chapter's author's notes, I talked about how I make characters address each other by their first names, regardless of their relationship (except if it's student to teacher, or anything like that). So, I found out the other day that I've been messing up Seishiro's name for over a year. I read chapter 204 when Claude said "Get Seishiro" and I asked "Who the heck is Seish- what have I done?!" I just assumed her first name was Tsugumi because everyone else calls her by that, EVEN CHITOGE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Mistakes have been made. To be honest, I feel like it's far too late to correct it, so I'm just going to refer to Seishiro by her last name. SORRY GUYS.