Back again. The Mayuri movie is almost complete, halfway to go from this point. As I said before, this was a bit late from the weekly update promise due to a busy schedule, but the next ones shouldn't have any issues. Of course, I will remain transparent if anything does come up.
Plus at this time of posting this, this story has gotten over 13 thousand views! Who'd have thunk it?
I have been writing a new story lately, and it might sound strange, but it's a crossover between Pokemon and Date A Live. It's doing pretty well, and who knows? You might like it. Its called: Poke A Live, and it does have one full chapter on it in its chapter 4.
Figured a Friday is a bit better to post as its the end of the week, maybe get more eyeballs here as well (wonder what you all think).
From Lildeevil:
Not only has the Harem God fosaken Michael, but the Fortune Cookie God as well? Why must moment in his life be drowned in misery?
Bakuganman: Been awhile since you Space Quaked in, but that's not even the worst part…
From Twilightiger1602:
Eh, just some minor insomnia, nothing major. Kinda comes with working the night-shift. I'm just glad I'm not working in some broken down pizza joint with possessed animatronics, otherwise I'd get no sleep.
Anyways, we start off with Yuzuru, obviously nervous after seeing how her twins date panned out, asking Origami dating advice over the phone, with the latter evidently not doing too well at the moment. While she herself might not realize it just yet, but not only are the events thus far are starting to take their toll on her, but seeing/hearing about her ex-boyfriend having a good time (Sorta) dating the spirits makes her longing for the days where they were still together. Subconsciously wondering how things would've turned out they she and Mikey not split, what she could've had if not for that fateful day. Definitely made it all the more heartwarming at the end when he decides to give her a late night visit... though here's hoping he doesn't get caught on the way out.
*Cue COPS theme song*
Sidenote, I can only wonder what exactly Origami had Yuzuru do with that Chinese Soft-shell Turtle. Last time I checked, those little guys are kind of endangered.
Next we have two smaller scenes before Yoshino's date; one involving Kotori and the other with Hiroto and the trio. Though they are admitably short, I do appreciate bit scenes like these if only for how much they flesh out the characters when they aren't involved in any Spirit Business. Between the back and forth snark between Michael and Kotori, making their relationship seem a little more equal than what the latter had with Shido in canon, and Hiroto's attempt at finding Michelle (potentially to get "her" number) plus Mikey desperately trying to keep him and the trio from figuring how "she" is "He", it's scenes like these that end up making the characters feel more alive and 3Dimenisonal.
Truly the mark of a good writer to make these characters feel like real people to your viewers... either that or I'm just talking out of my ass here.
Now, as for Yoshino's date, it's as every bit as wholesome and peaceful as one would expect. Having the two of them play around at the same shrine where they first met definitely gives her date a much more personal feel to it, almost like making a cherished memory in a place that holds a lot of meaning to the little snow rabbit. Granted, it was bogged down a little by Mikey's rather understandable awkwardness, considering Yoshino's age-range and all, but he made up for it for how kind and respectful he was to Yoshino, even letting her hold his hand for a little while as they walked home which, not gonna lie, was nothing short of adorable.
... let's just hope some terminally-online nutjob wasn't skulking around with their phone out, otherwise Michael would never hear the end of it.
Lastly we come to Mana's surprise late-night date/hang out with Michael. Compared to most of the other dates he's had thus far, I was actually surprised at just how casual it ultimately turned out to be. Between the locale (Can't get any more casual than McD's), the playful banter between the two cousins, and the notably sweet heart-to-heart they had when Mikey easily figures out Mana's worry was not just refreshing, but it also really hammered home just how close they are to know each other on such a personal level.
Add on top of that, we also figure out that it was Mana herself that suggested the idea of Michael going to Japan in the first place, and it's clear as day that it's been eating at her for a while. Sure, she didn't really know Michael would actually do it, much less know about Kotori and Ratatoskr, but the very thought that her own joking suggestion caused her cousin to get wrapped up in all of this was most likely a bitter pill to swallow. The fact that she kept that all in for such a long while really demonstrates just how strong her own mental fortitude is. Nevertheless, like Mikey said; she might've been the one who suggested it, it was ultimately Michael who acted on it. Everything else just happened as they did, so she shouldn't really beat herself up over it, and the hug they shared at the end of it just made this whole section just downright precious. You made me use the words "precious", that's how good it was!
Though with that in mind, with the new bits of info we learned between the two cousins, it definitely left me with even more questions than before... chief among them being that I am now beginning to question if Shinji, and by extension Shido, was just outright ret-gonned entirely when he was killed. Kind of a stretch I know, but it really does make you think, especially since neither Mana nor Michael thus far has ever once mentioned the former having a brother.
Bakuganman: Least you don't work at an inky studio either…
In addition to Origami's scene, if you remember her flashbacks in her special lemon chapter (chapter 14), this serves as the slow beginning towards that eventual downward spiral, when she ultimately ends up becoming the very type of being she originally wanted to destroy because she's seen her precious ex-boyfriend put in danger X too many times ("X" stands for number of girls in his ever-growing harem).
As for Kotori and the side characters' additional scenes, I'm glad you think so, and may come to appreciate it more when we get to Kotori's turn. And for Ai, Mai, Mii, and Hiroto… that was only part of the expansion I was talking about…
Not much else I can say about Yoshino's turn as that was the point. Get Mikey to maybe not necessarily open up to the idea from his background, but accept that she isn't human so it shouldn't matter since Yoshino is over 30 anyway (LN spoiler). Even then, their loving relationship doesn't have to be sexual or flirtatious, just more akin to big brother and little sister since Kotori is more of a roommate in this canon.
Lastly for Mana's surprise turn. Yup, it was her suggestion to fly over to Japan. She's more involved in the story that way. Speaking of surprise turns…
Mayuri Judgement - Part 7, Yuzuru Twist/Kurumi A Favor:
Back at the Yamais' apartment, Yuzuru was shown standing in the shower, enjoying the warm water dripping down her body.
'Respect. Master Origami truly is amazing. It's no wonder she had successfully dated Michael before us.' She thought to herself. She then turned off the water and began to step out, grabbing a towel and drying herself. She wondered why they broke up in the first place, but not even Kotori knew why.
Wasn't her business, but the more developed Wind Spirit couldn't help wonder the actual reason.
'But I mustn't rely too heavily on her either.' She added, just finishing drying herself to look in the mirror, which was somewhat fogged up by the steam. '… Decision. I'll add some of my own twists. Improv just like Kaguya and Michael did.'
XXX
Michael ended up home sometime later… maybe trying to visit Ori was a bad idea, mainly because he had less time to sleep now. Not that it was a problem, but that would effect him if this went on for more nights in a row. After his and Yuzuru's date tomorrow, as long as there were no shenanigans, he should probably get a good nights sleep.
He'll just add a shower in the morning, so he went straight to bed after dressing in a pair of boxers and a shirt, and retiring to his mattress after shutting light and closing his eyes while laying on his side to start counting Z's.
…
...
… why was he feeling something crawl into bed with him? This making his eyes snap back open and quickly turn. "Wh-…?" When he snapped up, a girl's face was away from his, one that he recognized even in the darkness. "Y-Yuzuru? W-What are you doing here?!" Indeed it was the second of Yamai Twins, and he could make an educated guess as to why she was here. But that's not the reason he was stuttering.
She had the complete opposite approach to Kaguya, where instead of pouncing on him, the second twin gently entered his bed (which wasn't too much better for a healthy teenage boy's mind). The difference in their eyes also had an effect, with Yuzuru being the more sensational one of the two, and her eyes gentler compared to Kaguya's sharper ones.
This was STILL. NOT why he was a bit nervous…
The REAL reason he was: while she dressed in a similar nighttime outfit to Kaguya only in pink, its just that unlike her sister, this sister looked damp and that included her hair as he could tell it had not fully dried yet (from her shower). Sure it wasn't overly wet, but she was wet just enough so her clothes clung to each crevice of her body, exposing all of her curves, most of which Kaguya did not have.
That's not to say Kaguya was any less in his eyes, but facts were facts…
"Inform. I wanted to tell you where to met me tomorrow for our date." Yuzuru said.
"Now?" Michael asked, not like how he asked Mana, mainly because she wasn't making his imagination slowly start running wild like Yuzuru was. Couldn't this wait till morning, or at the very least: when she dried off first?!
"Request. I would like to meet at the fountain at the station." Yuzuru said, leaning in closer like Kaguya did when she said this. Michael knew that location well. It's where he and Kurumi were gonna date at for their first one, only for Origami to insert herself into the equation, which then forced Tohka to distract her.
Though the closeness of her face did nothing to slow his climbing pulse.
"S-Sure… T-T-That's fine." Michael said. "Do I have to come on an empty stomach too?"
Yuzuru simply shook her head. "Negative. Not necessary."
"Okay, cool, soooooo…" Michael said, then tried dropping a subtle hint. While Yuzuru did get out of his bed, this was not because of his words and only because she decided to on her own. She got to his door to leave, but turned her head back to him.
"Anticipation. I am looking forward to tomorrow, Michael. You won't forget our date." She said.
"I have a feeling I won't either." Michael said. Yuruzu gave him a gentle smile as a response before exiting his room and closing the door behind her. Like seeing Miku in a bikini, he had to release heat that built up inside his shirt via his collar, though this time it wasn't nearly as much from how short this encounter lasted.
"When this blows over, I need a real vacation…" He muttered, going back to sleep shortly after.
XXX
Arriving at the station as requested, Michael waited for Yuzuru. He actually didn't even wait too long for not only did she come on time, but did so calmly unlike Kaguya. She must have gotten ready earlier so she had time to walk. Very punctual of her.
"Greeting. Good morning, Michael. Did you wait long?" Yuzuru greeted him.
"Not at all, just got here a bit ago." Michael said, then took her appearance in. Unlike Kaguya who dressed elegantly last time, Yuzuru went for a more casual appearance. She was wearing a pink overshirt with a main light-beige one. She was also wearing a blue skirt with a pink bow attached to it.
Nothing too crazy, yet very simple. It looked good on her.
Yuzuru noted him looking right at her, and she couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. Was there something wrong with her? "Worry. Does this look dumb?" She asked while glancing away, repeating what Kaguya said on her date.
Michael couldn't help but mentally chuckle. For awhile now, Yuzuru would show her emotions, but only around him or if she was pushed far enough. Despite talking a big game, she was just like Kaguya in many ways. "No. You look great." He said, repeating what he said to Kaguya, figuring that would cheer Yuzuru up.
It worked with Yuzuru looking back toward him with a warm smile. "Inquiry. You mean it?"
"Can't you see the jealous looks we're getting? We're the cutest couple on the block." Clearly Michael was joking and this was obvious to Yuzuru, but it did make her feel much better about this.
Of course, the daters weren't alone…
"Wait a minute! He's saying nearly the same things to me!" Kaguya said. She, Yoshino, Tohka, and even Miku were together watching from another railing; though Miku was in an outfit that hid her appearance. The Pop Idol was wearing a pink shirt and black skirt, and huge glasses and a hat to make her stand out less in case she was recognized.
"That's because she asked nearly the same things you did." Yohsinon pointed out.
"You are both Twins after all." Yoshino said.
"That's gotta be an illegal move, isn't it?" Kaguya asked.
"Huh." Miku began, thinking of something. "Well if you think about it, the rules were we can't influence or interfere. If anything, she appears to be taking inspiration; like how Tohka is with all of ours."
Aside from Tohka who was writing stuff down and the couple currently on a date, the Fraxinus crew and the Spirits couldn't help but look at Miku in shock… she can really be smart when she wants to be. Kotori specifically specified that none can barge in or take over, add to that from Yoshinon's point that watching wasn't illegal, then using other tactics from other dates wasn't bending the rules either as Tohka has been doing that since date one.
Ironic Miku would be the one to say this, considering the stunt she pulled during her turn, and it wasn't the crossdressing…
"Sounds like exploiting a loophole to me…" Kaguya muttered.
"Interesting… I'll put all this in my notes." Tohka jotted down more in her date plan notebook. With all the information she was writing down about everyone else's dates', the others couldn't help but wonder she had to have SOME sort of plan. But as to what it entails, they had no idea. Had to be something big though.
XXX
Hiroto, Aii, Mai and Mii were handing out Missing Person flyers with "Michelle" Pelham on it; so they were too busy to see Mike and Yuzuru together. If they did, one or all of the female trio would probably give him lip about why he was here and not looking for his second cousin.
He ignored this as he and Yuzuru walked by, the American praying they never find out the truth about "her"…
'Hunch. The first stop Master Origami mentioned should be around the next corner.' Yuzuru thought to herself, but then felt a tad guilty. Here she was, having gotten advice from an outside force; but Kaguya was brave enough to try all on her own. While this wasn't against the established rules, she still felt like she had cheated to a degree.
Michael noted this as they walked, Yuzuru seeming uneasy for some reason. "You okay, Yuzy?" He asked Yuzuru, who looked at him to respond. "Or is it Kaguya?" He guessed before she could answer.
Her cheeks flushed. "Confirmation. This is a bit strange." She admitted while glancing away. "Normally, Kaguya would be making a dramatic comment right about now."
Michael mentally laughed again. This was just like with Kaguya, where she too reacted to being alone with him and no Yuzuru in sight. While those two buttedheads, and while not nearly as much as he and Kotori did; like his own sister, the Yamai sisters really did care about each other.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze which got her attention and the lightly gasp. Then Yuzuru looked at their joined hands to see where the sudden pressure came from only to then realize it was Michael, looking back at him questioningly... She couldn't think of a logical reason why, but for whatever reason, she felt that much more secure from his light squeeze, as well as her heartbeat quickening for a moment.
"And like I told her before, this is our time." Michael told her in a gentle voice while making eye contact. "Whatever happens today… that's all us. My yin to your yang. Just you and me…" He then grinned at her. "Unless your gonna let her one-up you that easily?"
Yuzuru didn't know what to say, not having expected that to be directed at her. But then returned a smile to him while also copying the squeeze he gave her. That was just the pep talk she needed… Michael always knew exactly what to say. It reminded her when he ended her's and Kaguya's 100th duel, saying he chose neither; which yes pissed them off even more, but only because he saw they were both scared to die. This drive caused them both to clash and when they met Michael, they found a way to end it. That's why Kaguya suggested it, and Yuzuru then agreed to it. They both secretly wanted that one final moment with their sister, then told Michael to choose one of over the other.
That's when Michael finally saw through both of them. Regardless of who he chose, the other would end up being miserable the moment her opponent was absorbed by the victor, and leave an empty hole that would never be filled. Even if that girl ended up being happy with Michael, half of that person would be lost forever.
They continued down the path before they ended up at a less populated area of the street. Some kind of restaurant about Turtles and Reptiles… odd. This was a date Origami took him too prior to meeting any of the Sprits.
"Alternation. This needs a twist." Was all Yuzuru said before pulling him in another direction before Mike could asked what that meant. He wasn't pulled too hard, but it aggravated his arm from Miku's and Mana's dates from all the bag-carrying and arm-yanking respectively.
"Argh! D-Do you girls not understand 'sore arms'?" He asked her, but he never got a response for that question.
XXX
Randomly, Yuzuru entered a store a few stores down from the Turrtle-Viper shop. It was an art museum. After pulling him in, Yuzuru glanced around in wonder. It was Obviousl to Micael that this stop was on the fly rather than planned judging by her expression.
"Question. This is an Art Gallery, correct?" Yuzuru asked Michael. Due to her odd speech patterns, the clerk couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at this before shrugging the cute couple off. Long as they bought something, or sent someone that would, he didn't care.
'I feel ya there, pal.' Michael thought to the salesman, as he had too get used to Yuzuru's and Kaguya's odd ways of speaking, though Yuzuru talked like an AI program which was a little less natural/normal than Kaguya who spoke more energetically/dramatically. "Yeah why?"
For once, Yuzuru did not respond back when responded too. Rather she was looking at all the pictures and sculptures with awe. All this art to her was beautiful, not to mention expensive. In fact, she saw one of Kinkaku-ji temple that was absolutely gorgeous, but the price was far beyond her range. Miku could probably afford this no problem.
Michael noted her staring at that particular painting, and while she was distracted by it, he took a few steps away and quietly got out his cell phone and began dialing a number. He held it up his ear, hearing it ring a few times.
?: You rang?
Michael: Listen, I need a favor…
We don't get to hear the rest of that conversation with Mike and the unknown caller, for it skips to where he and Yuzuru walk out together. Michael did call out 'thank you' when they left, the store clerk responded lowly with 'have a good one' right as the shop door closed and he went back around his desk.
Literally three seconds later, the shop doorbell went off to signal the door had opened. This confused the shop owner, were they coming back to actually buy something? When he looked up, he saw a girl in black clothing, but we only see her left leg walking in from the camera angle…
XXX
After leaving the gallery, Mike assumed they'd probably go back to that strange restaurant, but Yuzuru went in the opposite direction, this time towards a different restaurant all together. Mike didn't even get to register what the restaurant was about with his eyes, for Yurzuru just said "More Twist." before dragging him into a 100 yen shop… this was one confusing date. Was she just making shit up as she went along? Because that's what it was starting to feel like.
He didn't even bother mentioning his sore arms this time. Wasn't gonna do him any good…
"Astonishment. They have quite a large selection. They are all the same price?" Yuzuru asked about the yen shop as they walked around inside, seeing that none of the items on display had any price tags, but the store name was literally called 100 Yen Shop and she assumed that was the price.
"Yeah, regular Dollar Store, isn't it?" Michael said. Yuzuru merely blinked. "… never mind." He added.
The duo walked around the store some more until something caught Yuzuru's eye. She stopped in front of a jewelry rack, seeing a heart-shaped necklace in a small box with other necklaces of the same type. She stared at it for a decent amount of time before she looked back at Michael.
"Request. Michael, I want this." Yuzuru said, which judging by her staring at the item in question is what Michael gathered she would end up doing.
"I mean, I'm not gonna say you can't have it, but it's nothing special." Michael said.
Yuruzu shook her head. "Disagreement. Its from Michael."
STAB!
Another cupid arrow. "… Don't you want something a little more expensive?" Michael asked after a moment to recover, seeing how the piece of jewelry was pretty cheap. Cute little thing, don't get him wrong, but it might not last very long as would other kinds of jewelry. 'As long as it's not a whole fucking rack…' he thought back to this weeks date with Miku.
"Negative. The price doesn't matter if its from Michael." Yuzuru said.
STAB! STAB, STAB, STAB!
Michael has lost count of how many of these cupid arrows hit him. Hanging with all this girls was turning him into one. "You sure that's what you want?" He had to ask one final time. Yuzuru only nodded once.
Giving in, Michael ended up buying the cheap necklace for her which made Yuzuru very happy. It's also one of the few times Michael has actually seen her smile, which she had a cute one. When the cashier put the single item in a bag, Michael said it wasn't necessary and took Yuzuru's new necklace out of the bag before giving the empty bag back. He and Yuzuru walked out shortly after. Once they got outside the store though…
"Turn around." Was all Michael said to Yuzuru while spinning his index finger in a circle using the muscles in his hand, and you can tell by the look on her face she did not understand why. She did concede a moment later.
"Affirmative. Ok…" She said.
That's when she felt it, and saw it.
Not even a full 2 seconds after she turned around, she saw something invade her line of sight before it fell down and she felt it on her shirt and going around the skin of her neck. It was here she realized exactly what Michael was doing… he was putting it on for her.
Now its not the first time Yuzuru put jewelry on herself, but for some reason she did not understand, it felt very different when Michael was the one doing it. Her mouth was slightly open, and was looking down at the heart-shape hanging from her neck. She didn't have an answer why, but she felt her chest warm up from the inside. Her heart didn't feel like it skipped a beat from this but rather, it felt like it punched a tiny bit further out of her rib cage than it was supposed to.
Michael: Too tight?
Yes she heard Michael stoically ask her that question, but she seemed to have lost her ability to speak for a moment. "… … N… Negative. I-It's fine." Was what Yuzuru managed to get out of her system. "… Gratitude. Thank you." She thanked her boyfriend-for-the-day as they walked down the path away from the yen shop. She had that same smile back on her face.
Michael looked at her… at her chest?… She was confused. Was he being a pervert?
"Looks good on ya. You could be Miku at her own game." Michael complimented, so now Yuzuru realized he wasn't being a pervert right now. She went back to smiling at him. She knew she was bigger in that area in comparison to her sister, and honestly should've known better than to assume Mike was thinking along those lines.
Although… that last thought didn't put Yuzuru in a bad mood…
They approached a fork in the road, giving them two directions to go in. One was the community center, the other was the hospital. Origami's instructions echoed in Yuzuru's head, about bringing him to a room for a checkup (unknown to Yuzuru was actually Origami's room). Yuzuru looked between both options.
"… theeeeere somewhere else you wanna go? We still got some daylight left." Michael said, seeing as they had at least an hour or so left of the day so enough time for maybe one more stop, and he also noted Yuzuru's expression. She was obviously thinking about something, but as to what, he had no idea.
"… Modification. More Twist." Was Yuzuru's answer. And she looked around the immediate area before locking onto something a few feet behind them. Of course by this point, Michael realized whenever she made a twist, she was clearly spontaneous and the twist was not planned. This was not a problem.
The problem was: what she saw.
'Alien Denai?!' Michael squeaked in his mind. It was that hotel company Origami once tried taking him too, but the one he (almost) went into originally was only in one location. He didn't know how the fuck or how long one of those hotels were around here, for it seemed just pop up out of nowhere or maybe they became popular enough to expand their business.
To keep things PG, it was a place minors should stand clear from at all times.
"Yuzuru! That is a very bad idea!" Michael began to panic in a high-pitched, but either his date did not hear him because she either ignored him or was too focused on her objective. Either way, he was being pulled into the establishment against his will, his shoes scraping the sidewalk but Yuzuru was strong enough to pull him along.
Michael: Caution! CAUTION! (voice cracks) YUZURU, HOLD OOOOOOOON!
Giving her the warning in her speech pattern did not work, and Michael was dragged into a place far hotter than hell…
XXX
Origami's hospital room…
"Origami! We're back!" Said Mikie, she and Mildred coming back into the room, both holding snacks and other items. "We brought you some-"
Mikie did not get to finish her sentence because a rope on the floor that she stepped on tightened around her leg and lift her upside down into the air, the petite girl gasping out in shock as this happened (of course dropping her snacks); though Mildred looked quite impressed at the display. Turned out the trap was connected to a contraption on the ceiling, comprised of all rope and wheels. Mikie was deposited onto Origami's bed, tied up tightly, and Mildred put down her stuff so she could clap.
Mikie was normally not one to get angry easily, but sat up while looking aggravated at Origami for what she did to her. "O-Origami-san?! What the heck's all this for?!"
Origami turned away, annoyed and a little embarrassed that this trap had been wasted on one of her co-workers and not her intended target. "You aren't the one…"
"I'm not what one?!" Mikie asked, demanding an explanation.
XXX
Yuzuru and Michael were back in front of their homes some time later. "Appreciation. Thank you for today, Michael. I had fun." Yuzuru said to him.
"Same. There was never a dull moment." Said Michael, then added a chukle. "Though that last twist was pretty twisted."
Yuzuru gave an embarrassed sigh, kind of wishing Michael did not bring that back up. "A… Apology… I didn't realize it was… that sort of thing…" she said, adding a cute grumble at the end of her sentence while still looking mortally embarrassed.
Thinking back to that moment, both kids left the resort in less than a minute, with Yuzuru's eyes obscured by her hair. Michael himself found this funny and cute at the same time. Yuzuru talked a big game when it came to intimacy, but she was just like Kaguya in this department. He didn't find either twin unattractive by any means, both having their pros and cons; and as a healthy teenage boy, he'd be lying if he said getting together with one of them wasn't appealing.
Thinking back Yuzuru's initial reaction to finding out exactly what kind of hotel it was, her normal poker face slowly cracked the more information she absorbed by looking around and what the receptionist was telling them until it completely failed the Berserk Twin, and it was so red you could see steam coming out of her ears in utter embarrassment, then she slowly walked out from shame and overload.
And hey… that receptionist was kind enough to call them a cute couple…
"Ashamed. It looked to be a beautiful exhibition." Yuzuru added.
'Yeeeeah, one way to put it…' Michael thought.
"Question. Is Michael disappointed?" Yuzuru asked, looking back up at him.
"No! Not at all!" Michael said quickly. The healthy teenage boy part of him was because again, Yuzuru was an attractive girl. If their relationship ever built up to that point, that would not be a bad thing, but he could tell from Yuzuru's current level of embarrassment that she was far from ready from that step.
Would anything like that happen between them? Who knows?
"Refect. I will investigate locations in advance." Yuzuru said, then glanced down at the pendant around her neck and smiled again before holding it on her hand. "Promise. I'll will take good care of this. I'll cherish it always." She said while wrapping her fingers around it and clutching it in her fist.
"You'd better. That was very expensive." Michael joked. "You were very interested in the paintings though."
"Affirm. I was. They were very pretty." Yuzuru admitted. "Request. Can we go again sometime?" She asked, hopefully.
"Whenever you want. Just give me a call." Michael said. He then began to around to head back into his home. "I'll cya later, Yuzy." He said his goodbyes to her, nearly completely turning around to walk away. His cheek was facing her when…
*smooch*
Michael froze. Stopping after feeling softness on his cheek, and when he looked back to Yuzuru, he saw her leaning back down. She must have taken a step forward along with raising her height to plant a quick kiss on him. Her face was red again, but she was still smiling.
"… Farewell. Good night, Michael." After softly saying good night to him, Yuzuru turned away to go back into her apartment, with Michael just standing there watching her go. Out of all the girls, he least expected Yuzuru to do that. After a few more seconds of processing what just happened, he gave a small smile himself and a slight shake of his head before heading back inside his own home.
Yuzuru ended up back up to her room, having that same bright smile on her face and humming to her self, her having leftover feelings like everyone else had after their dates. However when she opened to door to head into her bedroom, she saw something odd hanging on the wall near her bed that made her mouth drop (and if she was holding any items, she would've dropped them too)…
That painting!… The one from the gallery… The temple one she was staring at almost the entire time they were there!… How did…?
She smiled happily, the emotion visible on her face. She didn't know how he pulled this off, but her chest felt like it was a warm fireplace, clutching her new necklace again only tighter. She was so lucky to have met him that fateful day, and now felt like the luckiest girl in the world…
XXX
At exactly the same time when Yuzuru and Mike parted for the night, the mysterious girl in the white uniform suddenly appeared in the now empty 100 yen shop. She had picked up the exact same type of pendant Yuzuru had Michael buy for her. She even went up to a mirror to see how it looked.
The moment after she did that, her earrings flashed colors…
XXX
Up above Tenju, Fraxinus was scanning the invisible orb again, studying it and making sure nothing funny was going on.
"How's the orb looking?" Kotori asked her crew.
Kyouji: Nothing.
Kozue: No issues on my end.
Hinako: Neither on mine.
Masaomi: Just ran a scan. The signals for Miku, Yoshino, Kaguya and Yuzuru have all faded.
"That means your up next, Commander." Munechika said, which made Kotori stiffen a bit.
"We are all getting excited," said Kannazuki, which got Kotori's attention and made her snap her head back at him while also turning her chair, seeing her second-in-command look at her slyly. "We're all anxiously wondering what kind of date you'll have with Michael. How it will go and how long will it last."
"Excuse me?" Kotori asked.
"Yup." Mana said, cheekily and with a smile. "We've even been taking bets. Including where it will be and when you'll both end up bickering." The other crew members were giving Kotori silly smiles (excluding Reine, although she did bet too).
"Quit gambling on me without my permission!" Kotori snapped, then stood up from her seat.
KICK!
You would think that kick (with an audible crack) would have went to Mana for her comment, but Kotori kicked Kannazuki in the dead center of his knee. For a spilt second his face showed pain, only to be replaced by with pleasure soon after.
"Understood!" Kannazuki said before falling to the ground. Kotori sighed after that, probably from both the situation and Kannazuki's constant antics.
"No need to be nervous, Captain." Mana said, putting a hand on Kotori's shoulder in good faith. "As something of a little sister myself, I'm rooting for you all the way!"
"'Something of a little sister'?" Kotori asked. "Good God, give me a break. Your his cousin!" Kotori said, her tone sounding like something Michael would say. While it was true Mana was the same age as her, Mana was his cousin.
"Exactly!" Mana said. "I'm his cousin. Your his roommate. Therefore, we're both something of family to him." She continued, holding a fist up for Kotori. "Your gonna do great. You know him better than anyone."
Kotori did not give a verbal response to Mana's encouragement, but sat back down in her chair with another sigh… but gave a very small smile.
XXX
After another long date with another pretty girl, Michael returned to his room and fell face first on his bed in a dramatic fashion, like when a character in a show does it to express exhaustion… geez, his life was not getting any easier. Juggling all these girls was hard.
…
…
He slowly lifted up his head, as if he heard something despite the room being quiet, his eyes darting around… then his face went blank before he turned around and sat up straight, looking into his room. "… Your getting really bad at this Demogorgon thing, ya know?"
Nothing happened for exactly 5 seconds, but then a dark mass opened on his bedroom ceiling, where there descended the Worst Spirit in all her glory from the inky blackness… he could never forget how beautiful she was in her Astral Dress, even in this partial one.
"You caught me." Kurumi said as she landed gracefully on his bedroom floor. "I can't help it, though. You look cute when you sleep."
"I'm not appetizing?" Michael asked with a smirk.
"I didn't say that." Kurumi said. "Speaking of, you owe me for Yuzy's gift." She added, jabbing at him by using Yuzuru's nickname.
-FLASHBACK-
Right after Yuzuru and Michael left the art gallery, Michael purposefully dropped his credit card from out of his pocket as they walked away. The card wasn't on the ground for long before a black pool swallowed it. Then back at the art gallery itself, the unknown person who entered the gallery immediately after was revealed to be Kurumi, dressed in her typical black gothic dress.
"Excuse me, but this art is for sale, correct?" Kurumi asked the store clerk.
"Yes ma'am." The clerk said, getting excited somebody was actually going to buy merchandise this time. "Anything peak your interest?"
"Actually, I'd like that one on the back left corner." Kurumi pointed to the very same picture Yuzuru was eyeing before. "And no box necessary. I have means of safe transport."
The clerk got it for her as requested and Kurumi handed him Michael's credit card… that's when the clerk looked rightfully confused, as the name on the card was a male name (a Hebrew name if he remembered correctly), not matching the corresponding gender of his current customer.
"Oh, its fine. He's my boyfriend." Kurumi thought up that answer well before making it this far. She even pulled out a picture if her and her 'boyfriend' together, presenting it to the clerk. "Isn't he cute?" She added, making sure to sound girly when saying that.
The clerk looked at the picture the girl presented him and raised an eyebrow, recognizing the boyfriend in the photo immediately…
…
…
He physically shrugged. Wasn't his business…
-END FLASHBACK-
Michael sighed. He knew Kurumi was going to come and collect eventually, but didn't think it would be this soon. "… fine, but leave me my writing hand at least."
Kurumi gave a soft chuckle. "As tempting at that sounds, I have something else in mind." She said, then did an over-dramatic pose. "Ahhhh… I've just been sooooo stressed lately, and I think I deserve a quick date to unwind with my adorable Harem Starter."
"For the Darletto'd time, there is no harem." Michael said, dryly. "And if you weren't at the ball, then you don't count. Goodnight." He flipped back over immediately after he said good night, also using 'at the ball' as a metaphor for the apartment more-so rather than the actual ball over his house. It could also be for the style of her Astral Dress, all of which were clever puns.
Kurumi strolled over and rested her head on her arms while her arms were rested on his side. You, and of course Kurumi, could see him biting his lip to keep his mouth shut, but she only continued to pester him purposefully by sighing in content with her eyes closed and a relaxed (yet very much purposeful) smile.
…
…
"Your belly is a comfortable pillow."
Mike groaned lowly at Kurumi acting like a cat again. "… If I say yes, can I go to sleep?"
"Maaaaay-be."
Taking the gamble, he sat up after contemplating on it for a few more seconds and decided it would be less aggravating to just give in, to which Kurumi did back off and was sitting on his bed once she felt him move. "What do you want?" He asked.
"Ya know that cafe just before the train station?" Kurumi asked, hinting at what she wanted.
"You want to go there now?" Michael asked, knowing what cafe she meant, then glanced at his alarm clock. It was 9:29pm. "It's gonna close any second!" Despite that fact, Kurumi's expression did not change. "Can we take a raincheck for next time?" He asked.
His answer was a shadow mass below both of them. "No Time like the present." Was all Kurumi said before she sunk into the mass. Michael himself was wrapped gently by long white arms with one covering his mouth, yet they were still too tight for him to break out of. His gave out a muffled cry or groan (it was hard to tell which) as he was pulled into the inky depths of Kurumi's shadow.
At the same time, another white arm placed that "Do Not Disturb" sign they got from that hotel back in America on Michael's doorknob before that arm too disappeared into shadows.
XXX
In the Yamai apartment room, Kaguya stepped out of the bathroom dressed in her PJ's, having finished her bathing and was gonna head to bed. Yuzuru had already taken her shower earlier, but she took a little longer this time around. The curvier twin's head was in the clouds ever since she got home from her date with Michael.
And that new picture she got was beautiful. Even as Kaguya looked at it right now, she was struggling to grasp how exactly Michael managed to sneak that past them, but it was a very sweet gesture.
XXX
Michael was sitting alone at a table in the cafe Kurumi took him to… it was closed when they stopped by, not that that small detail was gonna stop Kurumi.
"Your order, Master." Said Kurumi, walking over while carrying a platter like a typical waitress. We don't get to see what she looks like unlike Michael looked up from his phone, and she was wearing something much different.
Kurumi was now wearing a pair of cat ears perfectly behind her net bow, her dress was still backless though it had no straps at all, and her skirt was close to nonexistent, leaving nothing to the imagination which included her lingerie that was now visible. She was also wearing red heels instead of black boots, and the bow from the center of her Astral Dress was now on the back of instead of the front, as well as sporting a cat tail from behind.
Was he into cat girls?… Not really, but he did find some anime girls of that type cute; though he never saw the appeal… before anyway.
Footnote: He never ordered anything.
"One milkshake and one matcha crack pie," Kurumi continued while staying in character, then leaned forward to give Mikey a generous view of her 'costume'. "On the house."
Deciding to just play along, Michael kept his eyes on her own while taking 'his order' off the platter himself. He then took a sip of his shake, again not breaking eye contact. He waited a few seconds before responding. "… its purr-fect." He said. "Though I prefer mine stirred."
"I'll let management know for next time." Kurumi said, then finally dropped the act after a few seconds and sat with him, though she kept the outfit on. "So how do you like it? I reserved this place all for ourselves." Kurumi added, using the term 'reserve' loosely.
"Like I told Tohka, I'm more of a dog person." Michael said. "Floppy ears, all that fur, that wagging tail, UH! Really gets me going." He then took another sip of his drink when he put it back down, he noticed Kurumi had gotten a piece of the pie in-between 2 chopsticks and was holding it up… didn't take him long to guess why. "… Best Girl or not, no way."
Kurumi gave a very Miku-like whine, which did almost get him, but he held his resolve. "… can't I keep some pride as a man?" He asked, but that only got Kurumi to now whimper, and her expression matched it so perfectly that it would melt the heart of anyone that saw it. He groaned before finally opening his mouth, not in the mood to argue. He then went as simply as possible: "ah."
Kurumi then looked insulted (doing that purposefully) and pulled back the desert slightly. "At least pretend and make a girl happy."
Mentally groaning this time, Mike took a breath before trying again. "… aaaaaaaah."
This was close enough for Kurumi, and she ended up feeding the treat too him. He didn't give her the full satisfaction by still not going all the way, but that's why she liked him. He kept things interesting. Plus from the amount of times she instigated physical contact with him, be it laying on him or whatnot, he did have nice muscles on him that weren't overpowering, but just right to keep a girl eyeing every once in a while. He wasn't too bad shirtless either.
"How is it?" She asked him.
"Meow-some." He answered without any hesitation. "Though maybe we could come in the day when the cats aren't away. That's kinda the appeal of these places."
"Maybe if your a good boy, I'll take you to a puppy one." Kurumi said. "By the way, you gonna tell Yuzuru the truth?"
Now at first Mike thought she was referring to the invisible floating secret due to guilt of not being honest, but kept his cool. "About the painting or Origami's advice?" He asked… yes, he knew nearly the whole time that Yuzuru must've gotten directions from Origami. The moment she took him to that turtle-snake shop, there was a 95% chance she had bent the rules a bit like Miku did, albeit with different intentions and context.
Kurumi continued to smile for unbeknownst to him, she punned him back, knowing full well about the sky orb. She could mess with him a bit more about it, but other Hers' were still gathering more information about it. For now, she'll think along the same lines he did: until the invisible bubble pops, somethings are better left unsaid…
"Either or is a valid option," Kurumi said. "But I would suppose that discussing cheating would be a more appropriate topic."
"It isn't cheating if there was no rule established." Michael shrugged it off, eating a piece of pie.
"So she, Mana and Miku haven't twisted the rules at all is what your saying?" Kurumi asked him.
He finished chewing and swallowed before he countered with: "I could ask you the same thing."
Kurumi smiled even more, but had no comeback for him. Another reason why she liked him, always keeping her on her toes, never knowing exactly what he was going to say or do (which gave their relationship another layer of interest) and not afraid to call her out. Sometimes he ended up handing her more L's than W's.
They spent another hour together before Kurumi was finally satisfied and took him back home via her shadow powers.
TO BE CONTINUED…