Letting Go
As he slowly awoke, Raku felt discomfort in his head and something warm was holding his right hand.
"You're finally up!" Raku heard a young girl's voice.
Looking to his left, a young orange-haired girl came into view. Tears were racing down her face; however, there was a brilliant smile on her lips.
"Where… am I?" Raku murmured who was still groggy.
"You're in the hospital. Don't you remember what happened?" The young girl asked as she moved her face closer.
"I don't… I don't remember anything. What happened? Who are you?" Raku asked as he tried lifting his body up from the bed but to no avail.
The young girl's expression quickly changed from joyful to shock. Releasing Raku's hand, the girl wept new tears and cried before dashing out of the room "Rakkun, you idiot!"
Suddenly remembering everything about the orange-haired girl, Raku called out "Wait, Mari!"
"Mari!" Raku yelled and found himself in a different room entirely. All of his belongings were there, but the style of the room was western.
"It was just a dream." Raku realized once his senses started waking up as well.
"Raku?" Raku heard Marika call out to him from behind.
Feeling something holding him, Raku looked down and saw a pair of arms wrapped softly around his stomach. Before having time to freak out, Raku remembered the events of last night and turned around to see Marika just centimeters away from his face.
With a soft blush and concern showing on her face, Marika explained "You kept shaking in your sleep and you were calling out my name. Were you having a nightmare?"
"N-No." Raku answered with a blush rising to his cheeks. Remembering Marika's panic attack, Raku became serious and asked "How are you feeling, Marika?"
Smiling out of Raku's concern for her, Marika replied "I'm okay. I think sleeping with you gave me the medicine I needed."
Marika's soft smile and her closeness was too much for Raku whose heart started beating faster. They were laying in the same bed, the gap between their faces was incredibly short, and Marika's smell intoxicated Raku who started blushing madly.
Wild ideas sprouting in her mind, Marika placed her hand softly on Raku's cheek as she lessened the already short gap between their faces.
"H-Hey, now! W-What are you doing?!" Raku stuttered quietly who started panicking.
As Marika's lips drew towards Raku's, they took a detour towards Raku's ear and she whispered "I think I want pancakes for breakfast, Raku."
Once again, Marika teased him to the max. Pulling her face back, Marika couldn't help but giggle at Raku's dazed expression.
Raku had no words to say to this, so he quietly got up and headed towards the kitchen. Before Marika got up, she laid down for just a few more seconds and whispered to herself "It smells like Rakkun."
Things went by normally throughout most of the day. The two had a pancake breakfast and went about their daily routines until the sun was starting to dip below the horizon.
Entering Raku's room, Marika beamed "Hey, Raku? Remember when you promised to massage sunscreen lotion on my body?"
"Oh dear god." Raku shuddered as he remembered his promise.
With an unfaltering look, Marika pressed Raku "Well, I'd like you to fulfill your end of the bargain now. Of course, I'm no longer in need of sunscreen; however, I think a back massage is a nice substitute."
"… Fine, but just a back massage." Raku gave in.
Sitting down with her back facing Raku, Marika instructed "Raku, if you'd kindly take off my shirt."
"Absolutely not!" Raku rejected loudly.
"Do not worry, I'm wearing a bikini under this." Marika reassured her flustered fiancé.
"Why don't you just… Okay, fine." Raku bitterly agreed who carefully and very slowly removed Marika's shirt. Surely enough, Marika was wearing that white bikini top that she wore to the beach that one time.
Laying down on her stomach, Marika requested "Alright, now you can start rubbing the massage oil on my back."
Pouring some of the oil on his hand, Raku gentle applied the liquid to Marika's back.
"Eek!" Marika squealed from the touch of the cold liquid.
On instinct, Raku's hands darted away from Marika's back and asked "Y-You okay?"
Giggling softly, Marika answered "Yes, it's just that my back need to adjust to the cold oil. Please continue."
Obeying her command, Raku's hand returned to her back and spread out the massage oil. With her back now covered, Raku asked embarrassingly "So… what do I do now?"
"Proceed with the massage." Marika answered back matter-of-factly.
Raku knew this; however, it felt like he was invading Marika's personal space which seemed ridiculous since she's the one who asked for the massage. Still, touching and rubbing a girl's back was uncharted territory for Raku who had the innocence of a toddler.
"Okay, here I go." Raku said as he proceeded with the massage. Throughout the massage, Raku heard Marika moan which made his face turn scarlet.
After quite a while, Marika ended her paradise "You may stop now, Raku. I am completely satisfied."
"Thank goodness. I don't know how much more I could've handle." Raku sighed with relief as he took his hands off of Marika's back.
Remembering all of the sounds that escaped her lips, Marika asked "I wonder, Raku, have you ever heard those kinds of sounds from another girl before?"
"No, I haven't! You know, you shouldn't dance around those kinds of subjects with a guy. First you walk in on me while I'm in the shower, then you show me weird undergarments at that store, and now you're making those weird noises. Guys might try doing something to you if you keep acting like this."
Marika felt Raku's concern and that made her happy; however, Raku didn't understand so she explained it for him "I only act this way towards you, Raku. You're not a bad person, so I know you won't take advantage of my advances. Besides… when you return my affections, I hope you do try… doing something to me."
Thump thump thump
"Marika…" Raku uttered almost speechlessly as his heart started beating faster again. Raku knows that Marika holds great affection towards him, but he just never thought her feelings went that far.
Getting up, Marika faced Raku and added to her previous statement with a soft blush "I do love you, Raku, and I'm willing to become one with you whenever you are ready."
There wasn't a hint of a tease or deception in Marika's words and Raku knew that she was being completely serious. Once again, he found himself not knowing what to say. What could he say to a girl that was willing to give her body and soul to him?
Using the time to his advantage, Raku got up and made his escape "W-Well, it's my turn to make dinner tonight. You can relax here, Marika."
Right before Raku exited his room, Marika added almost desperately "I would do anything for you, Raku. So when you're about make your decision, at least consider me."
"I will." Raku answered before leaving to make dinner.
Once Raku left the room, Marika looked at the empty floor and whispered "You may come out, Honda."
Entering from the ceiling, Honda landed on the floor softly and answered "Yes, milady."
Still staring at the floor, Marika asked her attendant "Honda… am I doing the right thing? Is it really alright to chase after Raku when I'm about to depart?"
Honda was about to give a response as a subordinate, but then realized giving a personal which would be more relatable to Marika "My mother taught me many things."
Honda's words startled Marika whose eyes widened in shock. Not once has Honda ever talked about her family or personal life.
After letting her introduction sink in, Honda went on with the rest of her story "My mother taught me what it meant to be a ninja. All of my skills and principles were taught to me by her. 'A ninja must always put the mission first', 'a ninja must never show their tears', and 'a ninja must never show any weakness'. My mother taught me many things indeed; however, she never taught me what to do if she never came back. The more Raku becomes attached to you, the more it will hurt him once it's your time to leave."
"… You may leave now, Honda. Thank you for sharing your feelings with me." Marika said softly.
Before leaving, Honda looked at Marika's faltering expression and said "If you need anything, please let me know."
With that, Marika was alone in the room of her beloved. As she clenched her fists, tears raced down her face and she cried "It really does smell like Rakkun in here…"
-The next day at school-
"Hey, honey." Raku gently greeted his "girlfriend".
"We need to talk." Chitoge answered back with a glare.
It was over. Chitoge had just said the infamous four worded statement of death and Raku knew there was no way of escaping. Raku could practically feel the noose around his neck already.
"Tomorrow after class at four. Don't you dare be late." Chitoge warned without looking at Raku.
With a gulp, Raku agreed "O-Okay." Once Kosaki took a seat next to him, Raku greeted formally "Good morning, Kosaki."
"Good morning, Raku!" Kosaki greeted a little too loudly which startled Raku. Kosaki meant to reply quietly, but Raku's voice startled her after the events of Saturday. Calming down, Kosaki apologized with a blush "I-I'm sorry about that."
"N-No worries." Raku answered back who was still a bit startled.
Seeing the awkwardness between Raku and Kosaki, Ruri wondered "What's gotten into those two? Did something happen between them?"
The rest of the school day went by normally until Raku got a weird text message from Ruri telling him to meet her in their homeroom classroom.
"What does Ruri want with me?" Raku wondered as he walked towards the classroom. Once he entered, he found Ruri sitting in her desk with nobody else around.
In another part of the school, Kosaki was walking through the hallway and wondered "I wonder why Ruri asked me to help her study. She's way better at me in every subject so it's weird for her to ask for my help."
Once Kosaki reached the classroom, she was about to enter but then heard Ruri ask "Do you like Kosaki or not?"
"…WHAT?! Why is she- who is she- what's going on?!" Kosaki started to mentally scream and hid behind the wall to eavesdrop.
Ruri's question caught Raku off guard as he wondered "G-Geez, Ruri! I know you can be blunt at times, but still!" Still not ready to answer, Raku asked "Why are you asking me that?"
"Oh my god, it's Raku!" Kosaki realized with dread.
Going through with her explanation, Ruri said "It seems like you two were in love with each other; however, your feelings seems to have changed lately. You no longer look at Kosaki the same way and things seemed awkward between the two of you today. I'll ask again, do you like Kosaki?"
As much as Kosaki wanted to interrupt the two, her curiosity held her in place as her legs trembled.
This was hard for Raku to answer, mostly because he didn't know the answer. As images of Marika and Chitoge popped into his head, Raku answered "I did."
"You… did?" Ruri asked as her eyes widened a bit.
"He did..?" Kosaki's mind couldn't process Raku's words.
Scratching his head, Raku explained "Yeah, I did. I was in love with Kosaki, but now… I'm in love with somebody else. I've been thinking about my feelings a lot lately, and you're right. I don't look at Kosaki the same way because she isn't somebody I love anymore. Kosaki is… the sweetest and kindest girl I know and I'm so happy to be her friend, but my feelings for her don't go beyond friendship anymore."
Getting irritated, Ruri asked "What the hell changed your mind?"
Once Kosaki understood what Raku was trying to get across, she decided she didn't want to hear anymore and quietly left but that didn't stop her from hearing Raku's response.
"Kosaki has always felt so distant from me."
Once Raku was home, his first instinct was to retire to his bed. Realizing that he no longer had special feelings for Kosaki was a blow to Raku who felt like he had lost something special. The apartment sounded oddly silent for some reason and Marika wasn't in the living room or bathroom but Raku saw that her door was wide open as if it begged for someone to enter.
Entering her room, Raku saw Marika laying in her bed with her eyes closed.
"Are you awake?" Raku asked in a whisper.
Opening her eyes, Marika answered "I am."
"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Raku asked.
Turning to face him, Marika pleaded softly "Please stay."
After hearing her plea, Raku moved closer and took a seat on her bed. Sitting up, Marika inched closer to Raku and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder.
Putting up no resistance to Marika's closeness, Raku asked "What's wrong?"
Closing her eyes, Marika answered "It feels like everything I do is a burden on you."
"Nah, that's not true. Actually, I really appreciate the things you do for me and I'm not lying. I bet you have some sort of Raku lie detector built into your brain, so you should know I'm telling the truth." Raku replied with a slight chuckle.
"Raku… What if I went far away? Would you still appreciate everything I did for you?" Marika asked with a hint of pain in her voice.
"Where are you going?" Raku asked with a tad of fear in his voice. Once Marika refused to answer, Raku confessed "I don't want you to leave, Marika. I need you here with me."
Not thinking before speaking, Raku instantly regretted adding the last part which embarrassed him greatly as he tried correcting himself "W-Wait, that's not what I meant! What I meant to say was-"
Before Raku could finish, Marika's hold on him became tighter and he could hear her crying on his shoulder.
As Marika continued to cry, she managed to apologize "I don't want… to leave you either. I want to tell you everything… but I also don't want you to know. Please forgive me, I'm so sorry!"
Turning around, Raku wrapped one arm around Marika's waist and the other ran through her hair. Raku had so many questions he wanted answered and fears he wanted to address, but Marika wasn't ready to answer them so he just whispered "It's okay, Marika. You don't have to tell me anything. For right now, just stay here with me."
As Raku held Marika close, he realized so many feelings "Without a doubt, I really do like Marika. When she's close, I want her to stay close to me. When she holds me, I want to hold her and never let go. When she cries, I feel a deep pain in my heart. Just like I said, it really feels like I need her. If that's the case, then how do I feel about Chitoge? I like both of them, but which one of them do I really love?"
Once Marika stopped crying, she still held Raku as she said her thanks "Thank you, Raku. Once again, you comforted me while I cried. I really am a crybaby, aren't I?"
"Nah, you're actually pretty strong, Marika. For you to cry like that must mean it's something pretty serious." Raku replied as his fears swirled in his brain.
"Now that I've cleared my mind at bit. Tell me, what's bothering you? I could tell something was wrong since the moment you walked in." Marika asked as she ended the embrace.
Once again, Marika's eyes were dazzling to Raku. Every time, her eyes seemed to see right through him. Scratching the back of his head, Raku answered "Man, you really are all knowing. Well, today I told Ruri that I didn't like Kosaki anymore. It's the first time I admitted that my affections have changed."
"What?!" Marika gasped as she held her hand over her mouth. Raku only nodded to Marika's reaction and had a slight blush on his face.
Marika should've been happy with the elimination of her main rival. Sure, Chitoge was still in the picture; however, Kosaki was always the main threat because she was the one Raku had affections for.
"Are you sure about that, Raku? Kosaki is such a charming girl, after all. She could make you incredibly happy." Marika asked out of her conflicting feelings.
Despite having an obstacle out of the way, Marika couldn't bring herself to be happy. Was she finally afraid of her affections being returned?
Looking away out of embarrassment, Raku answered "Kosaki is an amazing girl, but I've never felt a strong bond with her. She always felt out of my reach and things between us were always so formal and awkward. I really liked her, but we just never… clicked."
"…I see." Marika could only manage to say that. With such startling information and conflicting feelings, she honestly didn't know what to say.
Not knowing what to say either, Raku made his escape "Well, I'm going to go work on homework now. If you need me, I'll be in the dining room."
The two didn't say another word to each other the rest of the night.
Once the next school day began, Raku was dreading his meeting with Chitoge. Never before has Raku wanted class to last just a little bit longer. As promised, Raku made his way towards the school's zoo after his last class was over and found Chitoge who was sweeping up trash with a broom.
"Hey." Raku greeted weakly from the pressure.
Not even turning to face him, Chitoge ordered "Start talking."
"Oh no, she's still amazingly pissed. Maybe I should've told someone about me meeting with Chitoge today in case I go… missing." Raku thought with dread as he gulped. Knowing he couldn't explain everything, Raku tried the best he could "Marika and I were… on a date. We aren't-"
"You two were on a date?" Chitoge asked to clarify as her hair started flying upward.
"Yeah…" Raku answered as he started sweating.
After breaking the broom she was holding, Chitoge held out one of the broken edges threateningly at Raku as she yelled "How dare you! After everything we worked for, you're willing to risk the peace of this entire city just to have some fun with another girl?!"
"I'm going to die." Raku accepted his fate mentally and tried his best to calm his enraged friend "We aren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend! That was just some stupid theme she chose our pictures to be!"
"It doesn't matter!" Chitoge yelled back as she gritted her teeth.
Once Raku found out arguing with her would only get him killed, he tried bargaining "Okay, so what do you want me to do?"
This question caught Chitoge off guard which cooled her anger slightly. Thinking of an answer, Chitoge blushed and whispered "Only look at me."
"Huh?" Raku asked who had no idea what Chitoge was implying.
As her blush intensified, Chitoge spoke more loudly "I want your eyes to only be looking at me! Don't look at any other girls! Don't hang around any other girls unless I'm there! To make things even, I'll do the same for you and if it will make you feel better, I-I'll be y-your… your girlfriend! Your real girlfriend! Nothing would secure the safety of this town better than the two of us dating for real! S-So, Raku, I'm asking you to be my boyfriend!"
Once Chitoge's words finally sunk in, Raku was left with a mad blush on his face as he shouted "Y-You can't be serious!"
"I am! I'll do anything to stay peacefully in this town, even if it means satisfying your stupid desires of having a girlfriend!" Chitoge yelled back who couldn't bring herself to look at Raku.
At first, Raku thought Chitoge's offer was a confession out of love, but then he remembered her talking about keeping the peace.
Collecting his thoughts, Raku answered Chitoge calmly "Chitoge, you don't have to take it that far just for the sake of our families. It's already bad that we're being forced to date, but I won't let you force yourself to date me for real. You shouldn't be in a nisekoi with your first true boyfriend, so I can't accept your offer."
Raku's words were heavy blows to Chitoge who started faltering and shaking. Sure, it was her fault for using the town's peace as an excuse, but Raku should've known her feelings by now. As tears welled up in her eyes, she muttered "You don't get it, Raku. You don't get it at all! You're so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, stupid! This isn't about our families or about this town anymore. Raku, I… I…"
"I really hate you!" Chitoge screamed as she slapped Raku across the face. After the slap, Raku got a good look of Chitoge's tearful and somber face before she ran away.
Feeling the part of his face that Chitoge slapped, Raku finally realized "Chitoge… don't tell me you…"
After hearing the rustling of leaves, Raku looked over at a nearby tree and only saw the rustling branches. "Must've been my imagination." Raku thought to himself who thought he had saw someone.
After making his way back home, Raku opened the door was surprised to see Marika sitting in a chair while facing the door as if she had been waiting for him.
"Umm… is everything okay?" Raku asked while feeling uneasy. It didn't help that Marika's hair was covering her eyes.
"You should go back home to your yakuza family." Marika uttered emotionlessly as she continued staring at the floor.
"W-What?!" Raku shouted with surprise. What happened to cause such a change of heart in Marika, he wondered.
"You need to go back home, Raku." Marika asserted as her arms started trembling.
Raku, who just wanted answers at this point, asked "What's going on?"
"Nothing is going on! Now just get out of here! Your stuff's already back at your house so go!" Marika ordered loudly as she stood up.
Raku couldn't catch a break who just got done dealing with a pissed off girl less than an hour ago. If it were anyone else, Raku could've handled it but this was the over-affection Marika.
"Marika, just calm-"
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" Marika roared as she showed her tear-filled face as she continued to scream "I can't take this anymore! I've tried to win over your affection for so long only to see myself fail time after time! I thought if I continued to be aggressive with you, I'd eventually get my happy ending. These past few days, I felt like we were finally starting to connect on a deeper level, BUT I'M OUT OF TIME! SO JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" By the end, Marika was screaming at the top of her lungs.
After all of her shouting, Marika crouched down and started sobbing uncontrollably.
Raku stood there still dazed by the whole thing and frantically thought of what he should do.
"Please… just go… I'm begging you." Marika managed to utter between sobs.
It seems like Marika decided for him as he quietly exited the room and headed back to his home with a painful and perplexed expression on his face.
"Please do not take her words to heart. She only means well." Honda informed Raku who came out of nowhere yet again.
With everything that's happened, Honda's sudden appearance didn't surprise Raku in the slightest who asked "What do you mean 'she means well'? Can you tell me just what the hell's going on?"
As Honda looked around, she explained "Marika is taking on the role of a villain in order to protect you. It's a clichéd role she inherited from her mother. Marika said she wanted you out of the apartment, when in reality she really wanted you to return to your family. You would be safer there."
"'Safer there'?" Raku questioned who suddenly felt like his life was in danger. It wouldn't be too surprising for the son of a yakuza to be targeted.
Getting close to Raku's ear, Honda whispered "Today I was observing you as per Marika's orders; however, I wasn't the only one observing you two. That guy with the silver hair and glasses, I believe his name was Claude, watched the whole scene and heard everything."
Raku's body went numb and he felt shivers up his spine. Once he regained feeling in his body, Raku was led by his first instinct which told him to run as fast as he could to warn his family. Once there, Raku was out of breath and entered through the gate which wasn't locked anymore.
"Hey, Raku, you shouldn't be back here just yet. Your room is still-" Ryu tried stopping Raku.
"I need to talk to my dad! It's an emergency!" Raku interrupted Ryu as he breathed heavily.
Seeing Raku's panicking, Ryu took him to see his father and left the two alone.
"You look like you just ran a mile. Is everything okay?" Raku's father asked with concern.
"I did just run a mile! There's big trouble! I think four-eyes, I mean Claude, knows about the fake relationship!" Raku panted as he looked at his father for help.
His father's eyes widened a bit as he sighed "Hmm, so I guess the cat's out of the bag. I'm surprised you kept your fake relationship going until now. This isn't your fault, Raku, and I'm sorry to have placed such a heavy burden on you. Don't worry, I'll take it from here."
"What are you going to do?!" Raku asked who trembled with fear. War was going to break out soon.
Scratching the back of his head, Raku's father answered "Well, I'll try diplomacy one more time with the mafia family. Maybe that will at least buy some time. I'll probably talk to Marika's father and see what the police can do to help evacuate the citizens. Raku, stay here for tonight. It's safe here."
"I can't just leave Marika!" Raku roared back who suddenly became really angry.
"That is not necessary. Marika is with her father right now. She'll be safe." Honda said out of nowhere.
Looking to his left, Raku was shocked to see Honda standing there unfazed.
"H-Honda?! Were you following me the entire time?!" Raku asked who was surprising to see her come all of this way without breaking a sweat.
"Yes, I did. I had orders from Marika to make sure you safely returned here." Honda informed Raku.
With a smile on his face, Raku's father greeted "Ah, Honda. It's been awhile. Let me guess, you were there when the secret slip and you also saw Claude observing them, am I right?"
"It's as you say. I then informed Marika's father. After Marika kicked Raku out, she was immediately moved to a more secure location." Honda finished matter-of-factly.
Standing up, Raku's father announced "Well, Raku, it appears that Marika is out of harm's way. I will head over to the mafia's mansion with Ryu and discuss matters with them. Do not worry, they may be the mafia, but they have their standards. They won't thank advantage of the negotiation to assassinate me… probably."
With that, Raku watched helplessly as his father and Ryu departed.
Before departing herself, Honda told Raku "These negotiations are only meant to stall for time so that the citizens can escape. War is sure to happen in the following days. Knowing that, will you stay and fight or will you run away. Neither choice is wrong since you are still only a boy; however, you are the only person who can save Marika now. What will you do, Raku?"
Before Raku had time to react, Honda vanished yet again. With so much going on, Raku went into the guest room to collect his thoughts "So, war's breaking out. I've dreaded this day for so long, but now that it's happening I'm scared to the point where I can't stop trembling and apparently Marika needs saving too. How is all of this happening?! What am I going to do?! Hell, what can I do?"
A few hours later, there was a knock on the door which was opened and his father was revealed on the other side. The man stood straight up and had a serious look on his face. Before Raku could even say anything, his father announced "The mafia has declared war on us. The fighting will begin tomorrow after sunset. Raku, tomorrow I'm having Yui drive you to the next town over. I will not have you stay and experience the bloodshed since you're so fixated on becoming a civil servant."
Raku, who came up with no answers on his own, simply nodded. Everything afterwards was like a blur to Raku who just laid down and tried his best to sleep.
-The next day-
As Raku examined the town he was leaving behind through the passenger seat, Raku asked "Is it really alright for me to leave this town?"
"Deep down, I know you love your family, but none of them want you to dirty your hands over this." Yui tried comforting Raku as she continued to drive. Evacuations had already started and the traffic was heavy. They've been stuck at the same light for a while.
Last night, Raku agreed to his father's order without question. Now that he was leaving, he couldn't help but have second thoughts. Raku just knew that Marika was still somewhere in this city and that strongly compelled him to stay. What could he do even if he stayed? He wasn't strong and didn't have what it takes to harm another person.
Still...
"R-Raku! What are you doing?!" Yui yelled as Raku opened his door to get out.
"Sorry, Yui, but I have to stay." Raku smiled before closing his door and dashing off.
Once Raku was a good distance away, he tried coming up with a plan "If I go back to my dad's house, he'll just send me far away. I still have the key so I can always return to the apartment. After that, then what?"
"I heard that your family is going to war. Do you want me to help?" Raku heard his best friend offer.
Not startled at all by his best friend's sudden appearance, Raku declined "Thanks, Shuu, but I'll be fine on my own this time."
"You're talking about joining a war between men. Do you know what you're going to do?" Shuu asked as he looked up at the sky.
"I still have time to think of something." Raku answered back.
"What if you don't think of anything?" Shuu continued to pick Raku's brain.
"I don't know. I guess I'll just… do it." Raku chuckled who started feeling better. Deep down, Raku knew what he was going to do. He just needed Shuu to bring it out of him.
Laughing in return, Shuu beamed "That's my best friend for you! Reckless but foolishly brave! Well, I wish you luck with that, Raku. If you end up needing my help, give me a call."
"Will do." Raku smiled back and watched as Shuu walked away.
Once the sun started touching the horizon, all of the innocent civilians had been evacuated. The two factions met face to face with Ryu leading the yakuza family and Claude leading the mafia family.
"This is your last warning! Don't mess with us!" Ryu shouted as he stood in front of all of his men.
"Your families' existence was something we allowed because of the relationship between Chitoge and that despicable boy. Now that we know he's just been toying with her, there's nothing left for you but annihilation." Claude stated matter-of-factly but was hiding an infinite rage.
"Don't belittle our master! Men, charge!" Ryu thrust forward his katana as he roared.
Gunshot sounds, yelling of men, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air that night as the battle progressed.
In her apartment, Marika stared out and watched the battle from the window.
"I'm sorry, Mari, but most of my forces are too busy covering every entrance to the city. The forces left would surely get wiped out." Marika's father apologized to her daughter.
Still looking out at the city, Marika replied coldly "This fight doesn't interest me. All that matters is that Rakkun is safe far away from this hell."
Feeling too powerless to face her, Marika's father simply left the apartment without another word.
"Does this bloodshed not interest you in the slightest?" Honda asked who once again appeared out of nowhere.
Still not taking her empty gaze off of the scene, Marika answered "People die in vain every day. Struggling to the point where you lose everything in vain. Vain… that's the nature of humanity. Honestly, it would've been simpler not to have tried at all. Tell me, what came out of my struggling? I've struggled for so many years and I even put off death for Raku, but what came out of it? Nothing. I will likely never see him again."
Looking at her lifeless master, Honda said "You're right, people do a lot of things in vain. Everyone has dreams, a lot of which do not come true. Still, there's a beauty to their struggling. It's most certainly more inspiring than a person who's given up."
Honda's words hitting a nerve, Marika finally took her gaze off of the battling and shouted to Honda "What the hell did you say to me?!"
"Raku is still in this city. I know this to be true." Honda finally informed Marika.
Honda's statement catching Marika off guard, she exclaimed "T-That's impossible! You told me that his father was sending him somewhere safe!"
"I did say that and I wasn't stretching the truth at all; however, Raku didn't really like the idea of leaving this city." Honda informed Marika.
"It's a damned bloodbath and I know Raku doesn't crave for battle like his family! So why is he still here?!" Marika shouted who started falling apart emotionally.
"I can't say that I know what's going through his head; however, I know for almost a fact that he's here because you're still here." Honda looked directly into Marika's eyes as she said this.
This hit Marika in a very vulnerable spot who was speechless. After everything she did to push Raku away, why was he still here?
Suddenly, Honda started walking towards the door as she said "Don't bother going to him. He wouldn't want to see you the way you are now."
"Where do you think you're going?!" Marika demanded.
Without stopping, Honda replied "You didn't let me finish my story about my mother. Losing her forced me to break several ninja rules and put me in such a disgraceful state; however, I don't regret any of it. I still love my mother and the agony I went through was proof of that. So I'm going to protect what milady loved with all of her heart regardless of what the current you says."
Just like that Honda was gone and Marika was alone in the room. Overcome by weakness, Marika knelt on the floor and cried.
"What should I do? Rakkun is… Rakkun is-"
Back at the mafia's mansion, Tsugumi was keeping watch to prevent anyone from sabotaging the place or harming Chitoge. Once Tsugumi saw the silhouette of a person, she jumped down from her perch and asked "Who are you?"
Once the person came into view, Tsugumi was shocked to find out that it was Raku who was approaching the mansion; however, that didn't mean he could enter and so she pointed a gun towards him and stated "Raku Ichijou, since you are affiliated with the yakuza, I must ask you to leave."
"Not without seeing Chitoge. She's the only one who can end this." Raku answered as he continued moving forward.
Pulling the trigger, Tsugumi fired a warning shot that went past Raku whose face went pale.
"I will not warn you again. Turn away and-" Tsugumi was in the middle of warning Raku until a chain came out of nowhere and almost hit her.
"A kusari-fundou?! That's…" Tsugumi thought as she dodged the attack and stated calmly "So it really is you, Honda."
Appearing right next to Raku, Honda said "Go on ahead, Raku. I'll keep her here so you can meet with Chitoge."
"Thanks, Honda! You're the best!" Raku smiled as he dashed towards the entrance of the mansion.
"No you don't!" Tsugumi shouted as she shot at Raku's leg. Not only was it blocked by Honda's weapon, but it ricocheted back at Tsugumi who dodged once again and pulled out her knife.
Quickly realizing that she would have to defeat Honda first, Tsugumi stated her feelings "You know, it feels like our rolls are switched somehow. Like I was supposed to be the one stalling for time when we fought."
Although Honda didn't answer Tsugumi, she too had the same feeling as she charged towards Tsugumi.
As Raku dashed through the mansion, he finally made it to Chitoge's room and he quickly opened up that door.
"Tsugumi, is that-" Chitoge started to say but then corrected herself "Raku."
Panting, Raku held up his hand and huffed "I just… a few seconds… to catch my-"
BAM
Once Raku was hit across the face, he retreated a few steps backwards and panted "Hey! What are you-"
BAM
This time, Chitoge jammed her fist into Raku's stomach and he collapsed to the floor in pain.
"How dare you come here, Raku!" Chitoge roared as she clenched her fist for another attack.
"Chitoge, please listen to me! I-"
POW
This time, Chitoge pummeled Raku's head with both of her fists.
Lifting Raku by his hair, Chitoge screamed into his face "Just shut up already! Because of you, our families are at war. While our families are fighting to the death, you want to have some sort of shitty tea party with me to talk over things?!" Chitoge then threw Raku against a wall and held him by the collar.
"After all of this, what could you possibly have to say to me?" Chitoge asked as she leaned in threateningly.
Raku, who was already pretty banged up to the point where it hurt to even think, managed to utter "I never noticed it before, but I realized something yesterday. You were… about to say that you loved me, didn't you."
Chitoge froze as a shocked expression came over her face. She was about to start pounding him, but slowly and unconsciously retracted her fist.
Raku continued to tell Chitoge what he noticed "You gave me Valentine's chocolates every year, you called our situation 'fun', you said that the person you like was a 'dense worrywart and a loud-mouth, and above all else, you're fine with our forced relationship despite liking someone. Chitoge, the person you like is me, isn't it?"
Chitoge faltered for a few seconds and lost all of her strength; however, it all quickly came back in a blazing anger as she head-butted Raku several times while shouting "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
Raku, who was used to being physically abused by her, decided to take every hit head on, literally. Once Chitoge stopped, she wrapped her arms weakly around Raku and started to cry "I'm madly in love with you. I treated every fake date like a real one and that's why I've always gave it my all in this fake relationship. I want you to be mine so badly that I take advantage of our fake relationship every day to be close to you. I'm nothing but a gorilla, I know, but if you accept me, then I'll do everything in my power to be a wonderful girlfriend for you. It's not too late to stop our families from fighting. So please, Raku, will you return my feelings?"
Chitoge's confession had a huge impact on Raku who tried desperately to come up with an answer. If Raku said yes, he would have a beautiful girlfriend that he was already really close with and cherished. Even better, their families would stop fighting; however, did he really love Chitoge? What about Marika? The more he thought about it, the closer his answer became until…
"I'm sorry, Chitoge. You're someone I truly care about, but the one I love is…"
"Marika."
Once again, Chitoge was rejected; however, she didn't hide behind their families' as an excuse this time. No, Chitoge was rejected for herself. The heartbreak that followed was unbearable for Chitoge who took it out on Raku as she let go of him and started to snap "I only see one end to this. I'll just have to beat you until you're unconscious and take you as a hostage. That'll surely stop the yakuza from fighting."
"W-Woah! Chitoge, you can't be serious!" Raku exclaimed.
Clenching her fist, Chitoge intended on punching Raku dead in the face.
BAM
It felt like a freight train ran into Chitoge's cheek as she was sent tumbling across the hall.
"Unlike Rakkun, I'm not afraid of hitting a girl!" Marika shouted as she stood in front of Raku protectively.
Completely shocked at Marika's appearance, Raku called out her name "M-Marika?!" As she turned to face him, Raku saw that her eyes were practically on fire as a confident smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm here to save ya, Rakkun!" Marika declared who had a confident aura about her.
Author's notes: Well, that escalated quickly. I really didn't put much time in writing about the war between the two factions. I pretty much said "so these guys are fighting now" in just a few lines. I feel bad about devoting so much time to everything BESIDES the two factions fighting; however, I really didn't want to focus on fighting in this fanfiction, well except for the fight between two teenagers because THAT IS WAY MORE INTERESTING THAN A BLOODBATH... right? Probably not.
As for references, I don't think I put many in this. The last chapter felt like a nice filler with some plot progression so I was able to use references to my hearts content. This chapter; however, was mostly plot progression so I felt more restricted. I put in a very general Bleach reference and a reference to the ninja rules in Naruto.
Ah, poor Kosaki. I write because I feel inspired to, and I was planning on giving Kosaki more of a chance; however, I simply didn't want to write about her. Kosaki is a sweetheart and it makes me feel bad about saying this, but she's kinda my least favorite character. I sincerely apologize to the KosakiXRaku fans, but I simply did not know how to make Raku satisfyingly reject her in this.
Ah, poor Chitoge. Just one fanfiction ago she was my waifu and ChitogeXRaku was my main ship, but things change. I still love Chitoge's character; however, she made for a good antagonist at this part of the story. IT STILL HURTS MY HEART TO WRITE ABOUT HER THOUGH!
While writing this fanfiction, I was listening to one of those "Best Romance Anime OST's" video compilation on YouTube and one struck me very hard. It's called "To The Same Heights" from Clannad After Story. While I have some major problems with the ending, the story until then is completely beautiful and so is the soundtrack. Give the OST a listen if you want.
One of the parts that I struggled with when writing this chapter was Marika's giving up. It seemed like she would never give up in the manga and she still pursues Raku even after being rejected. Well, at least she's better by the end of this chapter. Also, there's going to be a... reveal in the next chapter. Stay tuned because it should be great! And as sometimes, I will see you... in the next chapter. BYE BYEEEEEEE!