A Double Date...

A few weeks had passed since Leviathan's defeat. The whole world was rather busy with repairing the damage the crisis had caused so far. As for Japan, half of Tokio City was destroyed, not to mention the Second World was in ruins after Big Tank wreaked havoc in it. There was a lot to tend to for the government.

On the bright side, all those behind the incident were successfully apprehend and were awaiting their trials. Eva for once woke up from her long coma and was awaiting her verdict in jail. So was Garshield and Reiji. As for Dream Future, it was closed for the time being. The members of the World Saver were also mostly caught with only those of the lower ranks fleeing.

Sayaka, Aya and Lillia traveled back to their countries. Touko's visits reduced and they all could tell it was because she and her team were most needed in reestablishing the city order.

The Kamui Daimon's kids stayed around in Tiny Orbit until their school reopened after doing some fixing here and there.

Mirai's stay wasn't long as well, she had to move to Paris as soon as possible for her exams.

Life seemed to slightly beam at them finally. That's until...

Asuka: " OMG! You're being serious! You're taking Elie to the amusement park!"

Jin almost groaned as Asuka called him that morning, questioning him about it. He didn't have the slightest idea how she came across the news.

Jin: " yes..."

He admitted. Asuka's eyes sparkled on the other side and she almost squealed but he cut off.

Jin: " and Ban-kun is coming with us. So it's not what it seems."

Asuka: " eh?"

She obviously sounded disappointed.

Jin: " Elie kind of insisted she wanted to go one last time there before we head back to country A."

Asuka: " that's no fun at all! Why should he interfere!"

Jin gave a sigh and cut the line as soon as she began rumbling.

Jessica: " seems getting him to admit it's a date will be rather hard."

She said from Asuka's side.

Asuka: " you heard him, Ban's going to be there. I doubt it's."

Jessica: " well, of course Ban would be there, but who said it would be just the three of them."

Asuka tapped her chin at that.

Asuka: " you're not probably suggesting?"

Jessica winked at her.

Jessica: " it's definitely that~"

Ami: " a double date, that's exactly it."

Ami stated once they met in Kitajima's shop at Tokio Sia.

Jessica: " that's what I thought as well. Ban told Jin to say he would be around so none of us will suspect it's a date. But Ban is intending to take Lilyan out as well."

Evangeline looked from Ami to Jessica, bewildered.

Evangeline : " and so... what does it have to do with us?"

Ami: " are you being serious, Eva!"

Evangeline backed with a sweat drop as the girl snapped.

Jessica: " of course we're not letting go of this chance! Ban and Jin are going out for a double date, don't you feel excited to know what will go on with them?!"

Evangeline : " no thanks, I'm no fun of stalking people."

Asuka: " it's not stalking!"

Mizel: " stalking, the stealthy pursuit of someone or something. Yep, that's definitely what you're going for."

Jessica: " not you too!"

Sendou looked up from his LBX to the girls gathering at the corner of the room.

Sendou: " did you forget what happened when Jin found out Asuka took a picture of him and Elie together? What do you think the Split Second Killer Emperor will do if he finds out you were stalking him on his first date?"

Asuka gulped.

Asuka: " well, that's a point."

Jessica: " still, it's because it's Jin and Elie's first date that we must do it."

Sendou shrugged.

Sendou: " suit yourself, it was a pleasure knowing you guys."

Jessica ignored him and turned to Ami and Asuka.

Jessica: " so Eva is out. Anyone else might be actually interested in joining us."

Asuka: " Ran! Oh no, I remembered now, she still has her exams to worry about."

Ami: " Ruri, Riko and Mika are rather busy as well."

Jessica: " Runa has cram school. "

After a while, they gave up on it.

Jessica: " alright, it's only the three of us!"

Asuka: " the lesser the better!"

" Hold your horses!"

They all turned back to see Jennifer dragging Ryan behind her.

Jennifer: " we're on board as well!"

She announced with a wide smile. Evangeline shook her head at them.

Evangeline: " they'll be all dead."

Elie stood before the mirror, checking herself for the last time. Her outfit wasn't that special at all, it consisted of a red hoodie with white linings down the shoulder and arms, a black skirt and over-the-knee black socks, but she felt rather at ease while wearing it.

Looking back at her face in the mirror, she was rather flustered to see it was glowing with excitement.

Elie: " I can't believe this is happening!"

She said covering her face with her hands before parting them, she could feel her face heating up.

Now Elie would rather have an excursion to the amusement park with everyone if it was possible, seeing that she would be traveling to A country the next day. That was her plan from the start, like the time after the Mizel incident when she practically dragged everyone else to the newly built park to have fun with them.

However, the appeal of finally going out on a date with Jin was stronger and so, she settled for the latter as soon as he asked her.

She looked back at her clock, she ought to be meeting everyone soon.

She stepped out of her room only to see her brother stepping out as well. They each took in the other's outfit before pointing at each other.

Ban&Elie: " why did you decide on the same hoodie as me!"

Taking a moment to comprehend what happened, they both then burst into laughter.

Elie: " welp, guess we do think alike after all."

Ban: " if you want, I can go change."

He almost retreated to his bedroom when she grasped his arm.

Elie: " no, it's fine. It's funny and cool. I want to keep it."

Ban: " if you say so."

As they stepped downstairs, Lilyan walked out of her room. She was wearing a long-sleeveless dress with a white buttoned-up top and an azure blue bottom.

Elie: " woah! Lilyan-san you look gorgeous!"

Lilyan gave a small blush as she looked away, playing around with her side tails. Elie couldn't hold back a giggle catching her brother staring, his face practically glowing.

Elie: " c'mon now! We don't want to be late!"

She said intertwining her arms with the other two and dragging them to the door...

Jin checked his watch, it hadn't been long since he was dropped before the park's entrance by his butler, who insisted on giving him a ride and wished him good luck.

His attire was simple as well, a black shirt, crimson trousers, and dress shoes. Not to mention the pedant he bore whenever he went.

Ban: " as early as expected."

He said as the three of them walked over to him.

Jin: " you might consider keeping your time as well."

He retorted and Ban gave a sheepish laugh.

Ban: " so we'll head each on our way, and meet around for lunch, is that okay with you both?"

Elie and Jin nodded.

Ban: " well then, have fun!"

He said leading Lilyan in first.

Unbeknownst to them, Jessica and the rest were watching out for them from a nearby alley.

Jessica: " told you it was a double date."

Jennifer: " so this is Papa and Mama's first date. Yosh, let's follow after them."

Ryan: " why did I have to come too?"

He heaved a tired sigh only to be pulled by Jennifer.

Jennifer: " hurry up."

Elie: " hee, so Asuka called to ask about it. Typical her."

Jin: " I told her Ban-kun would be around and she apparently got disappointed."

Elie giggled.

Elie: " I can tell why. Hey, let's head for the horror house!"

She tugged on his arm, pulling him to the tunnel a few meters away from them.

Jin: " that's quite a bold choice coming from you."

Elie frowned slightly at him.

Elie: " I will be fine with a few scary jumps. It's not like my heart will stop. Or are you trying to evade it?"

Jin's eyebrow rose upward.

Jin: " the horror house it's."

Elie: " yay!"

She was hopping as they walked to the attraction. Jennifer and Ryan's heads popped out from behind a bush, taking a few visitors by surprise.

Ryan: " I didn't know Aunt Elie could be so daring. The horror house would never be my first choice."

Jennifer: " believe me you didn't see anything yet."

Jessica: " it will take a while before they come out, let's go find Ban and Lilyan."

Asuka pointed at a giant squid far away, each of its tentacles holding a chariot and spinning fast, the chariots bobbing up and down.

Asuka: " thought I heard Lilyan wanting to try it out."

Ami: " let's go take a look then."

They changed spots, only to find both Ban and Lilyan queuing to get on.

Lilyan: " it's been a while since I've been to an amusement park. I'm quite excited."

Her face seemed to glow brightly at that.

Ban: " we can get on as much attraction as you want, you just have fun."

He patted her shoulder with a broad smile and she beamed at him before getting on their chariot, hand in hand.

Jessica's CCM was held high, capturing as many pictures as she could of them.

Jessica: " man, Touko and Ran would like to see this."

Ami: " Ban is actually holding hands with a girl."

Asuka: " and he hasn't been talking about LBXs at all."

Jennifer: " come on, Papa and Mama will be coming out soon too."

Jessica: " alright, just one more picture."

Half the day had passed while they trudged from the mirror maze to the roller coaster and the water pool. Finally all four of them went in to watch a movie before heading out to lunch.

Elie: " man, I need such a boost after the whole crisis."

She stretched up before the waiter came along with their orders.

Elie: " Lilyan-san, what did you think of the movie?"

She looked back at the blonde sitting on the table behind her.

Lilyan: " do you actually need to ask that? You know I've grown up with Ghibli movies!"

Elie: " so it was the right call to pick Spirited Away!"

Jin: " frankly I thought you would be much into Totoro."

Ban: " Jin, you watched Totoro!?"

Jin: " as a kid, yeah."

Elie: " you see, I love that one too! But Spirited Away offers more when it comes to storytelling!"

She said digging into her sandwich.

Lilyan: " I know, it's however my first time watching it in Japanese. I've been watching it in English ever since I was a child. Never actually thought it would be rather interesting to switch language."

Elie then cast a look outside the window of the restaurant and her eyes sparkled when they fell on the small fair outside. Multiple booths were erected in lines right in the middle of the park.

Elie: " hey guys, wanna go there next?"

Lilyan looked out and immediately gave a nod.

Lilyan: " ah, let's go!"

Soon after they finished launch, they headed for the fairgrounds. Elie and Lilyan marveled their eyes over the booths and various games in there before finally settling on a shooting gallery with gigantic stuffed animals.

Elie: " look at how cute they're!"

Lilyan: " Elie-san..."

Both girls nodded at each other with wide grins.

Elie&Lilyan: " execuse us! We want a round please!"

" Ayo!"

The booth keeper trotted over to them.

Booth keeper: " the game is simple, hit the prize you want with three of these, it's yours."

He said presenting them each with three darts. Ban and Jin merely gave bemused smiles at how fast they both were captured by the stuffed animals.

Ban: " they'll get parched soon. I'm going to get some drinks."

He said heading to the vending machine near them while Jin sat down on a bench across the shooting gallery, watching as the two girls were struggling to hit their desired prizes. Going on for more and more rounds.

Absentmindedly, his hand dipped into his pock, catching something that rested there.

Ban: " seems they're set on getting them."

He said offering his friend a cup of coffee and sitting beside him.

Jin: " knowing Elie, she wouldn't give up on winning that pink teddy bear easily."

Ban: " I would rather have them worried about winning a teddy bear than worrying about winning the world's safety. It's been quite the rough ride for all of us, and I want them to take it easy from here on."

He shrugged, bringing up the juice can to his lips before casting a look at Jin.

Ban: " so... did you tell her yet?"

Jin: " tell her what?"

Ban: " come on, you're not fooling me."

Jin's eyes swerved away for a moment.

Jin: " do I really have to?"

Ban: " not that again. The purpose of this whole excursion you know, so you could tell her clearly."

Jin: " but she knows! Else why do you think she is here!"

Ban: " yes, but it's rather convenient to tell her."

Jin looked back at the girl fuming after having failed to land the last arrow for the fourth time.

Elie: " one more round!"

Jin: " are you sure... It's okay..."

Ban nearly choked on his juice at that and stared back at his friend.

Jin: " what?"

Ban: " for god's sake Jin, don't tell me you're worried because I'm her brother and your friend!"

Jin: " well, you're exactly the overprotective brother of your sister."

Jin didn't even want to think about what would happen if he ever made one wrong move or approached her too much in front of him. Just as much as he loved Elie, he also didn't fancy their friendship falling apart.

Ban: " well... yeah, I mean, I can get carried away at times... Elie's safety is all that matters to me..."

His eyes landed on Jin's.

Ban: " but it's all different for you. It couldn't have been any better for me, for Elie to choose you of all people. I know I can trust you with her."

Jin: " still..."

Ban: " if you're worried about our parents, don't bother at all. Mom likes you so much and would be glad to have you on the family register any time soon. And Dad would agree that he wouldn't find anyone better than you."

Jin almost, almost, blushed at that and Ban heaved a tired sigh.

Ban: " you're so serious as ever. Well, I can't say it's a bad thing in this context. But don't you just hold back."

His eyes went over to his sister, she was furious when Lilyan got her huge unicorn stuffed toy and she was yet unable to win hers.

Ban: " Just, be sure to make her happy. That would be enough."

Jin looked back at him, gave a small smile and then stood up, walking over to the girls.

Jin: " mind if I have a turn too?"

Elie: " Jin!"

It only took him one round and then Elie was happily hugging her teddy bear, burying her face in it.

Elie: " it's so fluffy! Thank you, Jin!"

Ban: " ready to go home now, we've got a long day tomorrow!"

Elie&Lilyan: " No!"

They said crossly before pointing at the Ferris Wheel.

Elie: " we can't call it a day before getting on there."

Ban rubbed his head but finally obliged, and so all four of them went to the Ferris wheel, leaving the stuffed animals with the booth keeper till they got back.

They finally climbed on two gondolas, and as they slowly soared up skyward, Elie pressed her face on the glass eagerly, taking in the sight of the newly rebuilt Tokio City.

Elie: " they're sure fast."

She said before sitting down next to Jin.

Elie: " you remember the last time we were here?"

Jin: " it was 5 years ago, right? When you dragged us all in here."

Elie: " true."

Her face fell slightly as she recalled that.

Elie: " then the next day, you announced suddenly that you will be leaving for country A."

Jin's eyes softened slightly as she closed on to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Elie: " I knew you had to go. I understood that you had to pursue your future. But at the same time I didn't want that. I was hoping to spend much more time with you back then since I was finally released. But you disappeared so soon. You never visited, and your calls were getting rarer. Before I knew it, you vanished into thin air."

He pulled her closer, holding onto her hand.

Jin: " I'm sorry about that."

She shook her head, holding tight into his hand.

Elie: " just, stay by my side to the very end, will you?"

He pushed her off gently so he could look into her eyes. He wanted her to see how serious he was as he answered her.

Jin: " I will."

Elie: " thank you."

She smiled, leaning back on his shoulder. Now it was his chance. If he was ever to tell her how much he loved her, it was then. However, as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard her mutter.

Elie: " now I can die happily."

His heart sank at that and his eyes shot towards the ground. The words got caught in his throat and he couldn't voice them out, not now. Not after hearing that phrase.

Jin: " there is something I need to tell you."

Elie shifted, looking up at him curiously.

Jin: " something very important."

Elie: " yes...?"

Her eyes stared into his expectantly.

Jin: " but I can't tell you now."

Elie: " eh?"

From his pocket, he slid out a beautiful small golden necklace with a bear's head ornament. Elie gapped her mouth at it.

Jin: " would you turn around."

She happily did, lifting her hair so he could fasten it around her neck. She looked down at it, taken in by its shimmer.

Elie: " you didn't have to."

Jin: " I have to disagree."

He smiled gently as he reached for her hands, taking them in his.

Jin: " listen, I need to tell you something, but I want to tell you after your operation is over so..."

She looked at his eyes before smiling as she got what he meant.

Elie: " I understand. I need to tell you something too, but I think I will have to delay it as well."

She beamed at him.

Elie: " I will make sure to live then, so we can both tell each other."

Jin's smile softened as he gave a nod. Before they knew it, they both leaned forward, exchanging a kiss. And in that moment, nothing could have disturbed the peace and joy they had experienced. It was like the whole world didn't matter anymore for them. Let it burn to ashes as if they care as long as they could stay that way.

By the time they hit the ground again and met up with Ban and Lilyan, it was nearing sunset. They went on to retrieve the stuffed animals and head home.

Lilyan, who was walking behind both Elie and Jin, couldn't help a smile as she saw them chatting and beaming at each other.

Lilyan: " I'm happy for them."

Ban looked back at her as her smile grew wider.

Lilyan: " it's just a relief, having to see them as close as this. I knew they had been through a lot. But, in the end, they managed to help each other up."

Ban: " yeah, I have to agree on that."

Elie: " oh!"

Elie suddenly stopped, incurring their attention.

Jin: " what's the matter?"

She smiled as she pointed at a booth by the park's gate.

Elie: " we can't let this day end without having pictures!"

Ban heaved a sigh at that.

Ban: " nope, we can't!"

Little did they know, that Jessica had them covered already...