Separate
Chapter 01 - Chapter 04
By : Charlotte Eraviel
...
Summary
Months after sealing Miku's Spirit Powers, Itsuka Shidou haven't encountered a single spirit, and finally returned to his everyday normal life. But is it going to be what it was? Life is no longer a bed of roses even after his previous struggles, and something that cannot be explained by mere words might fall before him... or it fell before him already...
Chapter 01: Guest
School. Abbreviated by some people as Seven Crappy Hours Of Our Life. They also say that school is hell, because of assignments, exams and projects, which is true, but not in an exaggerated description.
To a certain person, being able to stay in school from morning to afternoon means that there's peace, no more trouble and all's well. That certain person is Itsuka Shidou, the one who possesses an unnatural ability to seal the power of the beings called Spirits, who bring destruction whenever they directly manifest themselves on earth from another dimension or realm. And not to mention, all spirits known were females, and he sealed the power of a total of six spirits at that time. And by sealing them, he needs to go on a date with them, make them open up with him, and finally kiss them when their affection for him are on the maximum to seal the deal.
And yes, he has gone through so many troubles and hardships, just to make a single spirit open up to him. Sounds evil, but there's nothing like that when we're talking about Itsuka Shidou, who somewhat doesn't know hatred, even though his friend tried to kill his sister before.
Shidou could be seen walking down the streets with a certain dark-night haired girl wearing a red bow tying a part of her hair in a ponytail style, and wearing the girl's uniform of Raizen High School, the school where they're currently attending. That girl is named Yatogami Tohka, the first spirit that Shidou saved, and the girl that made Shidou decide to save all the spirits that will appear on earth.
"It's nice to be back at school." Shidou said as he sighed in relief. Going back to his usual lifestyle after a hellish journey feels really great. Everyone knows this feeling.
"Umu! It's like everything's just a dream!" Tohka said as she smiled at him.
"A dream, huh." Shidou said as he looked up to the skies. "Well, it could be described like that."
"Right?" Tohka said. "Oh, right… I wonder where's Kaguya and Yuzuru? They didn't walk with us today." Tohka wondered.
"Ah, they passed by earlier, and told me that they have club practice, so they left early." Shidou answered her question. "I was surprised that they joined a club, but they didn't tell me when I asked them." He continued.
"Oooohh, a club!" Tohka brightened when she heard the word 'club'. Somehow, it piqued her interest and curiosity. "So Shidou, what's a club?" She asked with an innocent look with smile.
'As I expected…' Shidou thought and sighed internally.
~o~O~o~
Shidou and Tohka arrived at school around 10 minutes before eight.
And yes, Shidou's in class now. Around 8am in the morning, waiting for their homeroom teacher to arrive and start his 'peaceful' life. A lot of things happened before and after sealing Miku's powers, and now she's added to his harem. Plus, there's Tohka's inversed form, which was really breath-taking. Yep, and now, there're six girls who had their eyes set on to him and would do anything to get him. Uh, excluding someone, since she's not going as far as doing anything or everything.
"…Shidou?" A girl called Shidou as he was daydreaming.
Shidou looked to the person who just called him, and saw a girl with a long night dark hair with a ribbon tied on her hair, with crystal eyes and had this irritated expression on her face.
"What's up, Tohka?" Shidou asked the girl whose name was Tohka.
"Mou, you're spacing out! I've been calling your attention ten times already!" Tohka said as she pouted at him.
Woah, just how deep was his daydreaming?
"…Ah, sorry, I was just thinking about something." Shidou said as he patted Tohka's head, which made her purr. "By the way, I bet you have something to say?"
"Umu! I'm thinking that if we can go to the beach when our summer vacation starts." Tohka said and then showed Shidou a flyer. "We could go here!" Tohka said as she pointed something on the flyer.
Shidou checked the thing that Tohka held. It was a beach, with an inn where you can stay overnight or two, plus there's an event every afternoon, starting from the day of the start of their summer vacation.
Their summer vacation starts the day after tomorrow since it's already Thursday. Of course, there's no class on Saturday and Sunday so it's counted to the days of the vacation.
"Hmm, I guess we could go. I'll ask Kotori then." Shidou said as he smiled. Going to that place is not bad and it's a good experience too. Not like he's never been to one though.
"Yay!" Tohka jumped out in happiness and then died down immediately after a certain girl went towards them.
"Then, count me in too, Shidou." The girl said straightforward without any excuses.
"O-Origami…?" Shidou called the name of the girl who just appeared in front of them.
"Tobiichi Origami! What are you doing?! You're not needed here and there!" Tohka said as she stepped in front of her.
"Yatogami Tohka…" Origami said with a vague expression. "I didn't notice you here, since your presence is not noticeable, or I'd say it's not worth noticing."
"Wha-?" Tohka retaliated as she heard her statement. "What did you say?!"
There were sparks going between the eyes of the two girls who seem to be having an imaginary fight as they stared to each other. Good thing, the Yamai sisters, Kaguya and Yuzuru, the third and the first pair of spirits that Shidou saved at their school trip, wasn't at the scene, or else there'll be a war early in the morning.
"Hey, you two, cut it out already. You're making a scene early in the morning." Shidou said as he separated the two. "Decide by rock-paper-scissors on who's going to come and not."
A good, but cruel idea. There's no other means other than this one to get rid one of them, not in a literal way.
After saying that, the two girls prepared their hands for the ultimate battle. Yes, ultimate.
"Jan… Ken-"
They lifted their hands and immediately dropped it and showed their hands.
"Pon!"
Surprisingly, Tohka got a scissors hand and Origami got a paper hand.
"Hahahaha! Serves you right!" Tohka said as she bragged her victory against her archenemy.
Surprisingly, her opponent didn't do any tricks.
Origami just clicked her tongue and went back to her seat. Shidou seemed to be relieved that the fighting has stopped but he got a bad feeling about this.
"Why do I think that there's something sinister that will fall before me…?" Shidou mumbled as he straightened up on his seat and sighed.
"Shidou…?" Tohka said with a sad look on her face. "… Am I causing trouble for you…?" She asked.
"…!" Shidou was surprised from her question. He didn't see that coming. "No, no, no! I'm just thinking about something. You needn't to worry about it." Shidou said as he reassured the spirit girl in front of her.
"Is that so…? That's a relief." Tohka said as she sighed in relief. "I thought that I'm causing you trouble, that you might hate me for it."
"Come on, stop thinking about those things, you know that I can never hate you." Shidou said as she patted her head.
"Mmmm!" Tohka purred on his patting.
During that lovey-dovey moment, there's someone who's glaring at him. It was Tobiichi Origami. But he didn't notice her glare, or maybe didn't pay heed on it? Who knows.
Few moments later, their homeroom teacher, Okamine Tamae, entered the room with her usual greeting.
"Alright, everyone! Get back to your seats! Homeroom is starting!" Tamae, or I'd say, Tama-chan, since it's more comfortable calling her that, said to all students inside the classroom.
Everyone inside the classroom abided to her bidding, no more questions and reactions included.
"Ehem… Before I start, I have an announcement to make for today, though this will be quite surprising at this point of time." Tama-chan announced to the whole class, which made them show question marks above their heads and showed a confused aura.
"We have a new student joining our class starting today!" She announced again.
"Eh…?"
"New transfer student?"
"At the time before the summer vacation?"
"I wonder who that is."
"Is it a boy, or a girl?"
The students inside the classroom gave different reactions and opinions from Tama-chan's announcement. Well, having a transfer student before summer vacation is really weird.
"Hai, Hai, everyone! Settle down!" Tama-chan said as she tried to calm the students down, which she successfully did. She then walked to the door, knocked on it and said, "Alright, you can come in now."
The door opened and a girl with long, blue hair, with a flower hair pin attached to her hair beside her left eye, wearing a beige school uniform that looks like jacket, paired with a short blue skirt; walked inside the room. She got a pair of brown eyes, and is a little taller from the other girls.
Everybody was surprised. But there were people who were more surprised than the others.
"Hello everyone, I'm Itsuka Shiori, it's nice to meet you, again!" The girl who introduced herself as Shiori said, while looking to a certain someone as she emphasized the word 'again'. She then waved at everyone which made their heart beat a little faster than normal, probably due to her appeal.
"Wha-"
"Hooooohhhh?!"
"A beauty!"
"No! A Goddess!"
"….!"
Different reactions were shown from the people inside the classroom as the girl named Itsuka Shiori made her introduction. But then again, there were people who had different reactions apart from the others.
And then, there's a single person who didn't quite process what was happening at that time immediately.
.
.
.
Chapter 02: Reveal
"Huh…?" Origami said as her mouth opened in surprise. She then looked to Shidou whose thoughts seem to be wandering somewhere.
"S-S-Shiori…?" Tohka mumbled as she saw the figure in front of the class. She's one of the people who can't believe this happening. Well, it's pretty obvious for her since she's simultaneously looking from Shidou to Shiori in a repetitive manner.
Shidou just stared to the girl in front as his head was leaning on his hand. Possibly processing what was happening. And by the time it hit him, his head slipped down from his hand and hit the table.
"Owww…!" He groaned in pain.
"Ah…!" The transfer student at the front reacted as she saw Shidou got hurt, and immediately went to his aid.
"Are you alright, Shidou?" Shiori asked with a worried look.
"You're… Shiori-chan… right…?" Shidou said as he covered his lower face with his hand as he can't believe what he's seeing right now. Shiori just nodded at him.
Little she didn't know that her actions triggered something.
"Are you two siblings?" A blonde girl, named Yamabuki Ai, asked as she went to Shiori and Shidou, along with her two friends, Hazakura Mai and Fujibakama Mii, and along with a massive crowd behind them.
"You look really alike." Mai said as she inspected both of them, which gave them discomfort.
"That's so lame…" Mii said with a vague expression.
Shidou and Shiori looked at each other and gave an awkward looks.
"Shidou! What is going on here?!" Tohka asked as she went in front of him. She's confused not because of Shiori's actions towards Shidou, but about something else which is beyond human logic and science.
"Tohka…?" Shiori said as she walked to her and patted her head. "You're really Tohka…!" Shiori said as her face brightened.
"Wha-" Tohka blushed from her actions. She didn't expect that move. She became flustered as she got patted since she's feeling the same whenever Shidou does that to her.
"Now, back to her question." Origami butted in. "Are you two siblings…? You really do look alike."
Shidou pondered on that question and decided to come clean and honest.
"Uhh, we're not." Shidou answered.
"Then how're you going to explain your family names?" Origami asked again.
"Uhh, you know, I'm not the only Itsuka in Japan, right…?" Shidou said to Shiori as he looked directly to her, asking for help.
"Huh…? We're cousins." Shiori said straightforward, which made Shidou's mouth open in surprise. "But we're not full cousins. I believe I told you that before…?" Shiori continued as she directed her attention to the trio, Ai, Mai, and Mii.
"Huh…?" Ai said in confusion.
"When…?" Mai asked too in confusion.
"That's so lame…?" Mii had her usual catchphrase.
Their surprised expressions were far lesser than Shidou's, because he remembered him saying those things to them. Yes, Shidou disguised as Shiori, during the Tenou Festival. It's like, his memories were also hers. And another concern of his was, how the trio did forget it.
But what concerned him most was, why and how his disguised self appeared before him? And Shiori's a legitimate girl! What on earth could prove this phenomenon?
"Huh…?" Shiori was dumbfounded when they can't remember her. Then something which was totally critical hit her in the head.
'I see, they got their memories reset… and I'm someone that is… Huh…?' She thought to herself. 'I'm… what…?' She tried to remember something but her attempts were futile.
Those 'memories' were the ones during the Tenou Festival. And it's very clear that 'she' told Ai, Mai and Mii personally about who 'she' really is. Anything beyond that was not clear to her.
She was totally confused.
After a few moments, two figures opened the classroom door and made a very, very loud entrance. Additionally, they're not from this class, and they just got a habit of barging inside during mornings, especially a minute or two after Tama-chan enters the room.
"Err, guys… Calm-"
"What's with the noise early in the morning?!" One of the girls, whose hair was braided up, and has a lean figure, said as she stepped inside the room.
It was Kaguya, Yamai Kaguya.
"Yamai-san…" Tama-chan turned to the source of the voice and saw Kaguya went inside. She forgot that there were two Yamai's in the school. And she totally forgot that she's supposed to start Homeroom.
So much for early class.
"Sensei!" Kaguya called as she heard her call. "There are two Yamai's in the school, so please refer us by our first names or we'll never know who you're calling."
"Y-Yes!"
Somehow, Tama-chan's terrified with this girl.
"Ask. What is going on here, Shidou?" The other girl, whose hair was braided in three portions, and has a 'body of the model' as described by a certain someone, asked as she walked to Shidou who's with someone she's not expecting to be here with him. She pointed the question directly to Shidou.
"Nuuu- SHIDOU?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kaguya burst out as she saw 'her'. Kaguya didn't see Shidou behind Shiori so she didn't know what's really going on.
The transfer student was surprised that the spirits were able to remember her, with the exception of Origami, which she already knew the reason why.
And she knew that Kaguya mistook her for Shidou because she's covering him behind her, and probably didn't see him.
"Uhm, Kaguya, this is Shidou." Shiori said as she stepped aside and revealed Shidou.
"Nu-!" Kaguya froze with what she just witnessed. She maybe at that state for a few minutes or so.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Kaguya finally snapped. "Why are there two of you?! And why the hell the other one is dressing as a girl?!"
The whole class was left dumbfounded with her intense question.
"Dressing as a girl?"
"What does that mean?"
"Shiori's a guy?"
"Shiori's a trap?!"
Shiori's gone red as she kept on hearing the comments from her classmates. She wanted to defend herself but her embarrassment was not letting her do it.
They totally forgot that they should have homeroom today.
"I AM A GIRL!" Shiori defended herself.
Kaguya narrowed her eyes before speaking, "Well, there's only one way to find out."
The orange-haired girl then walked towards the poor girl who has everyone's attention.
"What are you- Nnh—Ahh!"
Before Shiori knew it, Kaguya was already fondling her breasts.
"OHHHH YEAAAAHHH!" The guys mostly cried as they enjoyed the scene played in front of them.
"It does seem legit…" Kaguya said nonchalantly before releasing the poor girl. "Yes, she's a legit girl."
Shiori fell down on her knees as she tried to catch her breathing. "I-I already t-told you I am…!"
The ruckus inside the classroom continued, but their teacher, Tama-chan, couldn't do a single thing to calm the storm.
"Uhmm, guys…?" She tried to catch everyone's attention, but she failed on doing so as they were too focused on the transfer student.
As they chaos continued, a certain silverish purple-haired woman who seemed to be in her late thirties, went inside the classroom unnoticed by the students.
"…What's going on here?" She asked.
"M-Murasame-sensei, please help me out here!" Tama-chan requested.
Murasame Reine. She's a physics teacher in Raizen High.
"…Cover your ears." Reine whispered to the troubled teacher.
Tama-chan complied with her request and covered her ears using both of her hands. Reine then wore earplugs, took a chalk and scratched it hard on the blackboard, creating an intense, high pitched sound that could almost pierce everyone's eardrums.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Everyone cringed in pain as they heard the extreme sound and covered their ears.
"…Cooled of yet, kids?" Reine asked as she removed the earplugs on her ears.
Nobody said a word. Most likely they didn't hear her clearly.
Reine sighed.
"…Itsuka-kun, please come to the faculty room after your homeroom." She said.
Two people raised their hands after hearing Reine's request.
"Which one of us, Murasame-sensei?" Shidou asked in a polite, yet embarrassed manner.
Reine just made an 'Ah' expression afterwards. She forgot that there were two Itsukas in the classroom right now. And for the reason how she knew that? Simple, she's a teacher, assistant homeroom teacher of Shidou, after all.
"…The two of you, I guess." Reine said.
"Why do you sound not so sure?!" He then sighed in defeat.
Reine left without replying a word. Seems like the ruckus died down and Tama-chan finally got her place back and started the homeroom, late homeroom class to be specific.
~o~O~o~
After homeroom was finished, Shidou and Shiori excused themselves and went out of the classroom. They walked down the corridors with the faculty room as their destination, in silence.
The atmosphere around the two blue-haired students was getting awkward. Well, pretty much because the two of them were looking sideways in the opposite direction of each other.
"W-What do you think Re-, I mean, Murasame-sensei wants to talk about?" Shidou asked the girl beside him to break the awkward situation.
"I… I have no idea…" Shiori said nervously.
Shidou seemed to have noticed Shiori's nervousness, but he decided not to pry on it as it might be a sensitive topic to talk about. Then again, he might be able to hear it once they arrive in the faculty room.
They arrived at the faculty after a few moments. Shidou knocked at the door twice before opening it.
"Excuse us…" He then slid the door open. The room was silent, as there's only one person inside. It was their assistant homeroom teacher, Murasame Reine, who was present, sitting at the other side of the room.
"…Oh, Shin, Shiori, over here." Reine called in a low voice.
The two students walked towards Reine's desk.
"What'd you call us for, Reine-san?" Shidou asked.
"…It's about Shiori." Reine replied with a vague expression.
"What about me?" Shiori asked in confusion.
Reine didn't seem to be satisfied. "…How did you get in here?"
Shiori didn't seem to get what Reine was asking. She wanted to answer the obvious but she got a feeling that it's not what the older woman wants to hear.
"Reine-san, that's-"
Shiori interrupted Shidou before he could finish what he was about to say. "No, it's all right, Shidou."
"To be honest, I…" Shiori paused for a bit. She seemed to be troubled by whatever she's thinking. "I… don't remember anything. I just found myself in a certain abandoned building three days ago with a note with me."
She then took out something from her pocket, revealing a piece of paper and gave it to Reine. The note said:
Go to Raizen High at all costs
"…Oh? How come your papers are all fixed?" Reine then took a bunch of papers inside her drawer, which contained all information about the questioned girl.
Shiori swung her head. "I don't know; whoever sent me here might've done a lot of preparations."
"…Seems like it." Reine said as she looked through the papers. Though one thing that was bugging her was, the words, or rather, the instructions from the note is so desperate.
The atmosphere calmed a little for a few minutes until Shidou noticed that something was off with what Shiori just said.
"Wait, Shiori-chan…" Shidou called. The blue-haired girl turned to him with a confused look. "You said that you don't remember anything, right?"
Shiori nodded as a response.
"Then, how are you going to explain what you just said earlier in the classroom?"
Shiori's eyes widened. It just hit her. She now questioned herself how come she knew all of those things. She had this feeling too earlier, but she couldn't remember anything also.
She couldn't think straight. All she could feel inside her head was pain every time she tries to complete the puzzle.
"A-Are you okay, Shiori-chan?" Shidou asked with complete worry. "I-I'm sorry, forget that I asked."
Shiori made a weak smile. "N-No, it's fine."
Reine clapped her hands to get the attention of the two. "…Okay, you can go back to your class now. Thanks for sparing some time for me."
Shidou and Shiori bowed down and left the faculty room.
~o~O~o~
The two Itsuka students were walking down the empty corridors. Classes were still going on, that's why the hallway's empty.
"So… Shiori-chan, you really don't remember anything…?" Shidou asked nervously. Of course, he doesn't want to touch that sensitive topic, but he was curious as there's really something off with it.
"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry, Shidou…" Shiori said dejectedly.
Shidou tried to reassure the troubled girl, but somehow, it's not working. "N-No, it's fine. I just find it off because that thing about me being your cousin and telling those three is something I clearly remember doing myself."
Shiori stopped on her tracks as she heard Shidou's explanation.
"What's wrong?"
The blue-haired girl didn't say anything as she was too shocked to say anything. It was painted all over her face, and Shidou knows it too.
"A-Ah, no, it's nothing." She said. It was clear to her that whatever memory she had right now belongs to Shidou; for the reason how did that happen, is something unknown to her, along with Ai, Mai, and Mii forgetting about that certain event.
"I see… sorry about asking again." Shidou apologized.
"No, it's fine." Shiori said as she smiled at him, which made the young man blush.
They headed back to the classroom without further ado. They might miss a lot if they don't hurry up.
'I… I think it's better to keep this to myself for now. He'll realize it later in the future anyway.' Shiori thought.
~o~O~o~
Classes had ended without a hitch. Well, for the teachers only, at the very least. But for Shidou's class, it didn't go well. Every vacant time, there's this someone who gets everyone's attention, and she couldn't be more inconvenienced that she was since morning.
But that ended as she, not, 'they' got out of the school.
"Man… that was a long day." Shidou said as he sighed.
"I should be the one saying that, Shidou…" Shiori said.
There's the two of them only. There should be another three, but Shidou talked to them that he'll explain later.
"Right, right, sorry about that." Shidou said with an awkward smile. "So, where do you live?"
"Well, I'm staying in a cheap inn, and I did a part-time job which gives a pay every day, and I paid the rent for three days." Shiori said as she sighed. "But I'm not cut out for that, and I easily get exhausted, so…"
"You can't pay the rent anymore?" Shidou finished.
Shiori nodded in embarrassment.
Shidou sighed. "Alright, how about you stay in my place?"
He said that without thinking through it.
"E-Eh…?! A-A-Are y-you sure…?" Shiori went red instantly as she heard Shidou's offer.
The blue-haired boy seemed to be confused about why the girl with him suddenly became flustered. "What's wrong, you don't want to?"
The young lady's heart raced faster. Seriously, Shidou's a dense idiot.
"I-It's not l-like I d-don't want to… but…" Shiori said as she fidgeted her fingers and looked away from Shidou.
That was the time it hit the dense boy. He instantly turned red after realizing what she just said to the bewildered lady with him.
"N-No, p-please don't m-misunderstand!" Shidou tried to calm the girl, but he himself couldn't calm. "T-There's an apartment b-beside our house, y-you can stay there!"
The perplexed girl finally calmed down after hearing Shidou's explanation. Shidou seemed to have calmed down also.
"I-I see. How about the rent?" She asked.
"I'll negotiate with my sister; she had the authority with that." Shidou replied.
"Negotiate?"
Shidou waved off her question by saying that he'll take care of it.
~o~O~o~
After a few minutes of walk, the arrived at the Itsuka residence after taking Shiori's stuff from her former place. She doesn't have many things to bring with her, so the baggage wasn't really that many.
A lot of things did happen in a single day.
Shidou opened the gates and led the young lady with him inside the house. As they entered, they could hear voices from the inside.
"I'm home!" Shidou said. He got no replies, which seems to be unusual for him. Not that he cared about it though.
The two blue-haired students headed to the living room, only to find 5 girls and a puppet, playing cards on the floor.
"Oh, Shidou! Welcome back!" A dark night-haired girl greeted. "Hey, Miku! Stop looking at my cards!"
The girl named Miku, who has a light purple hair, stuck her tongue out as she bailed away from the angered girl and turned her attention to the ones who just arrived.
"Ara, Darling, welcome ba-" She instantly and unconsciously dropped the cards on her hands as she saw Shidou and Shiori standing at the door.
"Miku, what's wrong?" Shidou asked.
Miku was frozen in place. Trying to process whatever she's trying to process in her mind. Probably it's about Shidou again.
"Shi-" She muttered something.
"Shi-?" Everyone said in unison.
"Shi-Shi-Shiori-san?!" Miku suddenly jerked backwards after finally grasping the situation. Took her long enough, though.
"Wh-Wh-Why is Shi-Shi-Shiori-san h-here?!"
"D-D-Darling i-i-is also h-h-here…!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH W-W-What is g-g-going o-on here…?!"
She said 'here' three times.
Miku went nuts. She continued to say incomprehensible stuffs.
"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you?!" One of the orange-haired twins, whose hair was braided up, tried to get the attention of the person who somehow lost her sanity.
"AAAHHHHH I can't take this anymore!" Miku crazily stood up and ran out of the living room, or to be precise, she ran out of the house, leaving the six people.
"Someone go after her?" Shidou said as he stared at the door, which seems to be broken, but hopefully not.
"I… I think it's better to leave her alone." Shiori replied.
Nobody objected with against her. It's definitely a bad idea to chase her down.
"So, Shidou… I guess it's about time that you give an explanation?" The dark night-haired girl said.
Shidou froze.
"I… I think… Reine-san's better off explaining things to you." Shidou said. "Shiori-chan doesn't even know how she got here."
"A-Amnesia…?" The blue-haired little girl with a puppet on her left hand said.
"It could be like that, Yoshino." Shidou said. "So, Tohka, Kaguya, Yuzuru, I'm sorry!"
The three exchanged looks. After a few moments, they smiled at each other.
"Well, not that it would change anything anyway." Kaguya said as she dropped the cards on her hands.
"Agree. It doesn't matter." Yuzuru said.
Tohka just gave a smile at them.
"You girls…" Shidou felt relieved.
It seems like Shidou and Shiori put out a fire, for now. Now there's only one more problem to face. It was none other than her sister.
~o~O~o~
Shidou started to cook dinner as he encouraged Shiori to spend some time with Tohka and the others. Miku has yet to come back, and she's not answering any of his calls, so he just let her cool of for a bit. Well, it seems like it was hard for her to swallow everything.
After a few minutes, he finished cooking dinner and served them on the table.
"Dinner's ready!" Shidou called the girls in the living room.
With that call, the living room was emptied instantly as the people in there immediately headed to the table.
"Wow, a feast!" Kaguya said as she sat down.
Shidou removed his apron. "Come on, you're exaggerating it."
"I'm home!"
Shidou heard a voice from the entrance. He recognized the voice. It belonged to nobody other than his sister.
Perfect timing.
"I'll be right back." Shidou said and headed for the entrance. As he arrived there, he was greeted by two people, one is a redhead, twin-tailed girl; and the other one is a woman with silverish-purple hair, who seemed to be in her late thirties, and appears to be sleepy.
"Oh, Shidou. We seem to have a lot of visitors tonight, huh?" The redhead said as she stepped in the house.
"Well, you could say that, Kotori." Shidou said. "Dinner's ready, you're just in time."
Shidou then led the two to the living room. As they stepped in their destination, Kotori stopped on her tracks. She had her eyes glued on a certain someone sitting on the chair at their dining table.
"Kotori?"
"Shidou…" Kotori called. "Seems like we'll have a talk later."
Just as Shidou wanted.
Kotori then walked to that someone who had her attention since she arrived here. "So, you must be Shiori, am I right?"
Shiori instantly turned to see who just spoke to her. And there, she saw Kotori, Shidou's little sister, behind her.
"Y-Yes, that's me." She said nervously.
The redhead just stared at her for a few moments, and then she sighed. "I thought Reine was joking. Seems like it's true."
Shiori was left dumbfounded.
~o~O~o~
After dinner, Shidou could be seen washing the dishes, while everyone else was in the living room, watching TV. Shidou didn't mind doing the chores himself, as he's already used to.
"Shidou."
The blue-haired boy momentarily paused his activity and turned around to see who called him. She then saw his sister, Itsuka Kotori, sitting on the tall stool behind him, with her gaze directed to the new girl inside the house.
"Did you know what the cause of it is?" She then turned her attention to her brother.
Shidou resumed washing the dishes. "Not even in the slightest."
"I see." Kotori said. "But, there's only one thing that I'm sure."
"What is it?"
Kotori looked back to Shiori once more. "She's not from this world."
Shidou nearly dropped a plate after hearing Kotori's answer. "What do you mean?!" He seemed to be startled.
"Literally what I said." Kotori said nonchalantly. "Or most likely, she's from another timeline, universe, or whatever similar to that."
Shidou was speechless. He couldn't imagine what Kotori was saying. It would appear that Shiori is like an alien or something, but he discarded that thought. She's a legit human.
"So, what do we do then?" Shidou asked as he finished washing the dishes.
"Find the person who sent her here." Kotori said like it's a matter of fact. "I know it's no easy task, but there's no other way."
"Yeah." Shidou replied. "But, where do we even start looking?"
Kotori froze for a second.
"I… I'll try to do some investigations; for now, just stay with her." Kotori said. "Oh, she can live here."
"Wha-?" Shidou was surprised and startled with Kotori's suggestion. "D-Do you know what y-you're saying?!"
Kotori seemed to be confused for a bit about Shidou's reaction, and then made a smug look as she realized the cause of his perplexing.
"Well, the empty rooms of the apartment are currently unusable, because of facility malfunctioning, so we can't let her stay in there." Kotori said. "Though we've kept Tohka and the other's room functioning as much as we can."
Shidou seemed suspicious with Kotori's explanation. That apartment is owned by Ratatoskr; and how the hell can't they maintain that shelter in good condition?
"You're running out of budget or what?" Shidou asked suspiciously.
Kotori swung her head. "You could say it like that. Well, a certain someone is using too many resources, so we have to cut out on the expenses."
"Ah…"
Shidou got what Kotori was saying. Well, it's pretty easy for him to know the perpetrator.
"Come on, it's no big deal, just think of her as your family member." Kotori said as she patted Shidou's shoulder.
"Whatever…" Shidou sighed in defeat. "Just don't do some pranks here, I don't wanna get caught in a scandalous situation, and I don't want Shiori-chan to get caught either."
Kotori's smirk grew wider. "Oh…? Looking after her already like a-" She was interrupted by Shidou before she could finish her sentence by shrugging her off.
"Okay, Okay, Okay, I'm not listening to you anymore." Shidou said as he left Kotori alone, who was still smirking as she stared at her brother.
.
.
.
Chapter 03: Concerns
6:00AM
A certain blue-haired boy tossed and turned on his futon as he heard his alarm clock ring. It's Friday, the most awaited day of most people who doesn't have classes and work on Saturdays. He reached for his alarm clock to silence it but he inevitably failed as he was still half asleep, tapping it accidentally and dropping it on his head.
"Owww…!" He jolted up and sat up on his bed as he felt pain on his head.
What a nice way to start the morning.
He hit his cheeks and got out of bed. He took a shower and changed to his school uniform. As he entered the living room, he could smell something pleasant. Smells like breakfast.
He then saw a girl with long, blue hair, wearing an apron in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. He couldn't help but smile at the person doing the morning necessity.
"I didn't think you could cook, Shiori-chan." He said as he sat on the tall stool near the kitchen.
The girl named Shiori turned around. "That's rude, Shidou. Girls at my age should know how to cook." She said.
Shidou chuckled.
"Yeah, 'should'." Shidou said, emphasizing the word 'should'.
Shiori somehow got the idea about what Shidou was talking about and just laughed on it as she turned her attention back to their breakfast.
"Tohka and the others will arrive in a few moments; can you set the table up, Shidou?" She asked as she turned the stove off.
"Sure thing."
~o~O~o~
It was around 7:30AM when Shidou went out of the house with Tohka and the others. Usually, there were only four of them, but now, they're five as they have another companion.
"Say, what happened to Miku yesterday?" Shidou asked as he remembered something.
"You just remembered her today?!" Kaguya said.
Shidou didn't pay heed to her reaction.
"Well, she went home late last night, and for the reason she couldn't come this morning…" Tohka paused.
Shiori somehow feel unnerved.
"…is because she said that she's not mentally prepared or something, I don't know."
"Ah…" Shidou and Shiori said in unison.
Looks like they think alike and they know what Miku's up to.
"Well, not like we can do anything about it…" Kaguya said as she crossed her arms. "You two should be prepared once she gets back on her feet though."
Chills ran down in the spines of the identical 'cousins'.
"We'll deal with it when the time comes."
~o~O~o~
The five high school students arrived at their respective classrooms at exactly eight in the morning. Shidou's homeroom teacher hasn't arrived yet; well, it's the usual routine that his teacher arrives a little late.
"Say, Shidou…"
Shidou turned to the person who just called him, and saw a girl with the same color of his eyes and hair, standing beside him.
"What's up, Shiori-chan?" He asked.
"…You can drop that honorific now, it's somewhat embarrassing…" Shiori said. "A-Anyways, do you have plans for summer vacation?"
Shidou remembered what he and Tohka were talking about yesterday. She even had a fight with Origami with that matter, and fortunately, it was settled in a peaceful way.
"Well, Tohka said she wanted to go to the beach, and most likely, Kaguya and Yuzuru will be tagging along." Shidou said. "You can come too."
"…Sure, I'll tag along." Shiori said in a somehow dejected tone.
Shidou noticed her sad expression. "What's wrong, Shiori?"
The blue-haired girl snapped back and waved her arms. "N-No, it's nothing! I just remembered something…"
"Did you remember some of-?!" In an instant, Shiori covered Shidou's mouth to avoid leaking information and attract attention.
"N-No, I didn't! It was just from the other day, nothing special."
Shidou sighed.
Tohka noticed that Shidou and Shiori was so close to each other, and was about to butt in between them, but their homeroom teacher, Okamine Tamae, entered the room.
"Alright, class, homeroom is starting!"
This will be a long day, probably.
~o~O~o~
Lunch break.
One by one, the students in Raizen High went out of their classrooms and headed to wherever they feel like eating to. Some of them went to the cafeteria, while others headed to the rooftop or the backyard. Students with lunch boxes stayed inside their classrooms as it's a pain to find a spot to eat peacefully.
"Shidou, let's go to the cafeteria!" Tohka said as she slammed her hands on Shidou's desk, startling the young man.
"Will you stop doing that?! You're going to give me a heart attack." Shidou said as she sighed in relief. Well, more likely to calm his heart down.
Tohka just stuck her tongue out and made a silly expression. Shidou wondered where Tohka pulls her hyperactive energy from.
"How about you, Shiori?" Shidou then asked the girl sitting next to him.
The girl named Shiori was startled with Shidou's sudden call. "A-Ah, Rei-, I mean, Murasame-sensei called for me, so I gotta run!" She said as she darted out of the room.
The two just stared at the door at which Shiori just made her exit as they wonder what was wrong with her suddenly bolting out.
~o~O~o~
"Haaahh…"
A certain blue-haired girl sighed deeply as she walked down on Raizen's hallways. She seemed to be disappointed with something, or rather, with herself.
"Why did I even lie about that…"
She sighed once more. She can't understand herself. Yesterday, she had no problems talking with Shidou, but now, she can't even look at him at the eyes. Maybe that 'memory' somehow made her feel restless.
"…You know, when you sigh that deep, you're letting some of your happiness out of you." A voice suddenly spoke behind her.
The blue-haired girl turned around and saw a woman, who seemed to be in her late 30's, and looked tired as her eye bags were pretty much visible. She wondered if this woman is sleeping at all.
"I don't know about that, Murasame-sensei…" She said and sighed again.
"…Something bothering you?" Reine asked. The blue-haired girl just swung her head in disagreement, but her face says the otherwise, not convincing the teacher in front of her.
"…The face you're making doesn't match your answer." Reine said as she leaned on the wall beside the window. "…I'm all ears, so if you wish to let some weights out, I'll be here."
Shiori sighed once more as she gave up. It seems like she couldn't hide anything from Reine. Well, she's also bad at lying, like a certain someone who's too honest to lie.
"…Is it youth?" Reine asked as she curved a small smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Shiori replied.
"…Must be love, then."
"I had a thought that you're implying that with what you've said previously."
"…Then, it's about Shin."
Shiori didn't reply. Looks like Reine hit the nail.
"…Something happened between you and Shin?" Reine asked in concern.
Shiori swung her head. "No, nothing really… it's just, I find it hard to strike a conversation with him…"
"…You didn't have problems talking to him yesterday… what's wrong?" Reine asked.
"I don't know… maybe because…"
Shiori explained to Reine about what she and Shidou talked about yesterday. It was about her memories; about how she and Shidou shared the same memories, exactly the same memories, to be precise.
But there was one gap on her story. It was something that Reine noticed after listening to the young lady's explanation.
It was, who did she cover for when she told Ai, Mai, Mii that Shidou's her cousin. One thing she could only theorize about it was, it was originally Shidou's memory and it was just implanted to her by something, or someone.
But then, for the trio to forget that Shiori told them about it, cancels her theory. Because what would be the purpose of implanting that memory if the main target were to forget about it?
There were a lot of questions circling inside the physics teacher as she thought about it deeply.
But she didn't ask Shiori about it. She knew that the girl's confused more than she could handle already, and Reine doesn't want to add more of it anymore.
"…From the looks of it, you're feeling like you have no identity of yourself, right?" Reine asked.
Shiori nodded.
"…What you're thinking is wrong. Just because you and Shin has the same memory, and you have no recollection of your memories prior to the other day, doesn't mean you should feel that way."
Shiori was confused.
"…What I'm saying is, you need not to worry about that right now, don't let your youth be wasted with such things…" Reine said as she smiled at the troubled girl. "…It's pointless to think about things that you don't even know…"
"…Plus, Shin could be dense most of the time. So don't worry."
Shiori couldn't help but smile also, awkwardly, that is. She felt a little relieved after talking to Reine for a while. It seems like she just needed a release of weights.
"T-Thanks, Murasame-sensei. I feel a lot better now." Shiori said as she bowed down. "I'm going back to class now." She said and walked away as she waved to the physics teacher.
Well, she really didn't need to worry about that stuff. She'll just be wasting her breath and time.
~o~O~o~
3:00PM
School has ended. The students from Raizen High exited their classrooms as the dismissal bell rang throughout the school. Today's the last day of school, as the school will not be accessible tomorrow, which is Saturday. Normally, there should be classes on Saturdays but for some reason, the school decided to end the activities early.
A certain blue-haired girl sighed as she was staring outside the windows. The pleasant scenery playing in front of her was soothing, and she felt like sleeping just by looking at it.
"-iori?" She heard a voice, but she didn't pay heed on it. "Shiori?!"
This time, she heard it and freaked out. "…W-What?!"
"You were spacing out, something wrong?" A blue-haired boy asked her.
"A-Ah, yeah, I probably was daydreaming…" She said as she laughed awkwardly. "So, what's up, Shidou?"
"We're going home now." Shidou said and Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru appeared behind him.
And somehow, it didn't make her happy.
"A-Ah, I have to be somewhere else today, so I can't go with you guys." Shiori said as she waved her hand nervously.
Shidou frowned a bit. "Oh, is that so? That's too bad."
"Sorry." Shiori apologized wholeheartedly.
"No, it's okay. I'll see you back home." Shidou said as he left with the other girls. "Be careful on your way."
"That's my line." Shiori replied.
After Shidou and the others left the classroom, Shiori sighed again.
'Damn it, why can't I just get along with everyone…?'
She kept on telling herself that there's nothing to worry about, but she couldn't see herself being in Shidou's circle. She couldn't understand why she's feeling like that.
Or maybe, she's just insecure.
She just brushed off those thoughts and went out of Raizen High. She better start getting to know the others as she'll be living with them.
After a few minutes of walking, she found herself in a nearby park. It doesn't look like someone's in there, so she decided to hang around here for a bit.
Only to find out that she was wrong.
She saw a girl with a long, light indigo hair, who was sitting on a bench near the swing. Shiori knew this person, as she was the one who ran away from home yesterday the moment this girl saw her together with Shidou.
"Miku…" She called her name.
Yes, it was Miku, Izayoi Miku, the sixth spirit that Shidou saved.
Miku heard Shiori's call and directed her attention to her. The spirit seemed to be surprised when she saw the blue-haired girl walking towards her.
"Sh-Shiori-san?!" Miku was startled. She definitely wasn't prepared for this… or for her. "H-H-How…?!"
"How… you ask…" Shiori said as she scratched her cheek. "I would be able to answer you if you asked me 'why am I here'."
Shiori didn't seem to understand what Miku asked, and it made the spirit upset. "I-I mean… How did this happen…?" Miku asked again.
Shiori really couldn't understand what Miku was talking about. "What is it that is bothering you?" She asked.
"Y-You and D-Darling…!"
Shiori raised an eyebrow. She wondered who this 'darling' was, and made an 'ah' expression as she learned that it was Shidou because of what Miku just called him yesterday.
"What about me and Shidou?"
Miku swung her head repeatedly. "Y-You and d-d-darling… existing together… H-How?!"
"AH, NOT YOU TOO!" Shiori snapped as she sat down on the ground and ridiculously swung her head with her hands. "I've been trying to forget that and you just had to remind me again!"
With that said, Miku finally calmed down a little. "S-Sorry, I just can't believe what I'm seeing right now, and my heart is going crazy."
Shiori tensed up a bit. She felt an imminent danger from this girl, but she couldn't act right away.
Miku offered her hand to Shiori, who accepted it hesitantly. As soon as Shiori grabbed on to Miku's hand, the spirit immediately pulled her up and embraced her tightly.
"M-M-Miku-san…?!" Shiori was startled with the spirit's sudden actions.
Miku didn't reply to her and just kept Shiori in her arms. She was too captivated by the blue-haired girl.
"M-Miku…?" Shiori called once more, but she still didn't get any replies. She tried to break free from the spirit's grasp, but she couldn't get away because of the spirit's strength.
She couldn't do a thing, so she just let Miku do whatever she wanted for now. After a few minutes, Miku broke away from Shiori and sighed in relief.
"Thank you, Shiori-san. I feel much better now." Miku said and smiled at the flabbergasted blue-haired girl.
"Y-You're welcome…"
"I'll see you at dinner, Shiori-san. Be careful on your way home~" The spirit said and walked out of the park, leaving Shiori alone.
'W-What was that all about…?' Shiori wondered.
She had a feeling that it's not going to go well later.
~o~O~o~
Inside the Itsuka residence, Shidou was sorting the groceries he just bought earlier. Her companions didn't bother helping him, or rather, Shidou told them not to help him because for some reason, it won't turn out pretty well, so he just told them to stay in the living room.
He was wondering why his so-called cousin, Itsuka Shiori, seemed to be distant. She had no problem getting along with everyone yesterday, but today's a different story. Something must've happened to her, was what Shidou had in mind.
"I'm home!"
He heard a voice coming from the entrance. From the sound of it, the voice belonged to the person who just ran away yesterday with a conflicted mind.
After a few moments, a girl with long, light indigo hair; wearing the uniform of Rindouji All-Girls Private School, appeared in the living room. She immediately spotted Shidou near the kitchen and instantly ran towards him.
"DARLING~!" The girl who just arrived said as she jumped to Shidou, startling the poor boy who was fixing the groceries.
"M-Miku?!" Shidou called her name as he tried to break free from the spirit, but alas, he can't because her grip was too tight. "W-What's gotten in y-you?"
Miku didn't reply anything and just snuggled onto Shidou.
"HEY, YOU SLY CAT! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kaguya stood up and approached the Diva, pulling her away from Shidou but failed in doing so. "Let go of Shidou, you mongrel!"
Still, Miku didn't let go.
"Yuzuru, Tohka! Help me out here!" Kaguya called her sister and the dark night-haired spirit for help, in which Yuzuru and Tohka abided and successfully pulling Miku away from Shidou.
"Darling~, Darling~!" Miku called while she got dragged away.
'Is she drunk or something?' Shidou thought as he sighed in relief.
The struggle of Kaguya, Yuzuru and Tohka to keep Miku away from Shidou continued, until someone entered the living room, unintentionally stopping the ruckus.
"What are you guys doing?" The person who just entered asked everyone as she saw Miku being restrained by the three other spirits.
"SHIORI-SAAAAAAN~!" The restrained spirit ridiculously gained strength to break free from the twins and Tohka, leaping onto Shiori like a predator. Well, she's indeed a predator right now.
"Eh?"
The next thing Shiori knew was she's already lying on the ground with her back. She cringed in pain as her back hit the ground; add the person above her who was snuggling on her.
"Shi-ori-san~!"
"M-M-Miku?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Shiori asked the crazy girl on her. "Get off me!" She tried to break away from her chains, but she couldn't.
"Hey! Help me out here!" Shiori said as she turned to Tohka, Kaguya and Yuzuru, who were helplessly watching her get crunched by the Diva.
The three looked at each other and made an awkward look.
"You guys are so mean!"
~o~O~o~
It took almost an hour before Miku calmed down. Shiori found herself leaning on the backrest of the sofa; her energy was completely drained from her, thanks to her indecisive companions who reluctantly helped her get out of that mess.
"Haahh…" Shiori sighed, not in relief, but disappointment.
Well, there was someone lying down on her lap. It was none other than the same crazy girl earlier. At least, she's not hyperactive unlike earlier, so it's better this way.
Shiori looked down to the girl on her lap, and found out that she was fast asleep. She couldn't help but smile at the peaceful look this girl was giving her.
Shiori reached for the girl's hair and caressed it, making the sleeping girl purr on her sleep.
'S-So cute…! What is this c-creature here…?' The blue-haired girl thought as she got flustered by touching the sleeping spirit's hair.
Little that she didn't know that the people around her were staring at her, and just realized it by the time they started chuckling.
"W-What are you guys laughing for?" Shiori asked, even though she knew what the answer would be.
"Just a while ago… you seem to be in a struggle for survival, but now…" Kaguya grinned evilly.
"W-W-Wha-?" Shiori blushed. "O-Of course, it would be rude if I were to disturb her sleep!" She replied, carefully not waking up the sleeping girl on her lap.
"Sure, let's leave it at that, then." Kaguya said as her grin widened with sarcasm.
"Stop making that face!"
~O~O~o~
"Haahh…"
Shiori sighed in relief as got inside the bathtub. The water's warm enough to drive her fatigue away.
"Today sure is a long day…" She muttered to herself.
Well, it was indeed a long day, for her, at least. She couldn't complain though, as she got along pretty well with Shidou's girl friends; just like what Reine said earlier, that she didn't need to worry about things that she's not aware of.
Just when she's about to rest her body completely, she heard the bathroom door open, which made her tense. She then looked to the door, and saw a figure from the other side of the glass door that leads to the changing room.
And the person who just entered was the last person she wanted to share a bath with.
Shiori panicked as the person from the other side approached the glass door.
"Shiori-san~?" A playful voice asked the girl who was taking a bath with panic.
The blue-haired girl didn't reply.
"I'm coming in~"
A girl with long, light indigo hair, wearing only a towel, appeared inside the bath. Her voluptuous body overwhelmed the poor girl in the bathtub, making her flustered big time.
"M-M-Miku?!" Shiori called as she covered her face with her palm. Well, specifically, her nose only.
"Yes, Shiori-san~?" Miku had this sinister smile as she replied to the blue-haired girl.
"W-W-What in God's name are you doing here?!"
"Ara, Shiori-san, I'm here to wash your back." Miku replied.
However, Shiori seriously didn't believe what Miku just said, if she were to read between the lines, that is.
"A-Ah, I did that earlier, so I'm f-fine!"
Miku frowned for a moment and then smiled again. "Then, may I request you to wash my back later?" Miku then pulled the towel that was covering her, revealing her well-endowed body to the flustered girl in the bathtub.
Holy mother of God.
Shiori was speechless as she saw a naked Miku in front of her. The spirit girl's curves were turning her on as she kept herself from getting a nosebleed. She then turned around to keep herself from bursting out.
"Ara, Shiori-san? What's wrong?" Miku asked as she slowly walked towards the panicking girl. "We're both girls, so there's no need to be shy~" She whispered on the blue-haired girl's ear.
Shiori was startled and her heart was beating about five times faster than normal. Well, anyone who would be caught in that situation will definitely get excited… unless that person doesn't have a libido.
"T-T-That's not the issue here!" Shiori said. She couldn't contain her excitement anymore.
Miku then grabbed Shiori by the shoulders and leaned on her as she whispered on her ear. "Then what is, Shiori-san~?"
Shiori felt a soft sensation on her back. Her blood rushed up to her face instantly as she realized what those soft things that were giving her heaven were. At the same moment, her arms lost strength, and went limp down under the water.
"Miku…" Shiori called in a low voice.
"Yes, what is it, Shiori-san?" Miku asked in a polite but seductive tone.
Shiori turned back to Miku. The light indigo-haired girl was surprised as she saw Shiori's face. Her eyes were going in circles, and her face was red as a tomato.
"I'm sorry, I can't hold it anymore…"
In an instant, Shiori's nose bled and she fainted on the spot.
"Shiori-san?!"
Imagining it in an exaggerated manner is no problem.
~o~O~o~
A certain blue-haired girl slowly opened her eyes as her consciousness went back to her. She could feel her head a little heavy, along with her body. She met the ceiling of her room as she completely regained her vision, and realized that she was lying on her bed.
"…What…?" Was the first word she asked, particularly to nobody.
"How are you feeling?" A voice suddenly spoke.
The girl turned to the source of the voice and saw a boy with the same blue-colored hair as hers.
"…Shidou…" She called.
"You passed out while inside the bath earlier." Shidou said with a smile. "Tohka, Kaguya and Yuzuru carried you here."
"…Ah, I see."
"Do you still feel light-headed?" Shidou asked again.
"…Yeah, and I think I caught a cold…" The girl said as she slowly closed her eyes.
Shidou patted the girl's head. "Okay, just get some rest. Tell me if you need anything." He then turned around and headed to the door, but he stopped as something grabbed her hand.
He turned back around and saw the girl holding his hand. "Shiori? What's wrong?"
"…Are you free tomorrow?" Shiori asked.
"I think I don't have any plans set." Shidou said. "Why do you ask?"
Shiori brightened up after hearing his answer. "…Then, will you accompany me tomorrow?"
"Where'd you want to go?"
Shiori's cheeks went red. "T-To buy some stuff… for the trip to the… beach…" She said in a low voice as she pulled the blanket up to the lower part of her face, but Shidou heard it enough as the room was deafeningly silent.
"No problem with me." Shidou said. "Focus on getting better first though."
Shiori nodded shyly and let go of Shidou's hand.
Tomorrow's gonna be fun, was what Shiori had in mind.
.
.
.
Chapter 04: Chance!
6:00AM.
A certain blue-haired girl slowly opened her eyes as she woke up from her sleep. She could hear her alarm clock ringing off like hell early in the morning. She reached for it and shut the noisy object off.
She then touched her forehead, and noticed that there's a towel on it. As far as she could remember, she didn't have anything like this last night.
'Must be Shidou's work…' She thought and smiled.
She took the towel off her forehead and checked her temperature. Seems like it went down back to normal.
She sighed in relief. Looks like her plans won't be cancelled today.
She sat up on her bed and stretched her arms upward to ease the stiffness of her body from sleep before opening the windows. The sunlight went straight inside her room, illuminating the place.
"Today's going to be a good day." Shiori said.
More likely, she hoped for it.
Afterwards, she heard a knock on the door.
"Shiori, are you up?"
She knew that voice pretty well, and responded excitedly. "Yeah, I'm up, Shidou. I'll be out in a few."
"Okay then. Breakfast's ready; just come down when you're done." Shidou said as he walked downstairs.
With that said, Shiori got up from her bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
~o~O~o~
After Shiori changed into her school uniform, as she doesn't have that many clothes, and also, she wouldn't need to think of matching outfit; she headed downstairs for breakfast. The food was already prepared on the table, with Shidou in the kitchen cooking the last batch of breakfast.
"You're wearing your school uniform?" Shidou asked as she saw Shiori appear in the dining area.
Shiori made an embarrassed look. "W-Well, I don't have that many clothes, and most of them doesn't match so…"
"I-Is that so?" Shidou regretted asking that. "Anyways, take a seat. Breakfast's ready." He said and put the last cooking he did on the table.
"O-Okay." Shiori said as she sat down on her chair.
Surprisingly, Tohka and the others didn't come for breakfast.
~o~O~o~
After breakfast, Shidou and Shiori went on their way to do their objective. And that is to buy Shiori her needs for their trip and for the house. Though the thing is, they haven't decided about their trip's venue. One thing Shidou knew is, Tohka would want to go the beach, but didn't specify where.
"Shidou?" Shiori called.
Shidou jerked up after hearing the call. "Y-Yes?"
Shiori narrowed her eyes. "Why do you look so surprised?"
"E-Eh, do I now?" Shidou said as he made an awkward look. Shiori just had her eyes glued on him, implying that he's not getting away with it. "Yes, I do…" He said and sighed in defeat.
"Something on your mind, Shidou?"
Shidou swung his head. "Nothing, I was just thinking about the beach Tohka said that we're supposed to go… which is still currently unknown."
"Oh, how about asking Kotori-san?" Shiori suggested. She knew about Kotori and her position in Ratatoskr, by the way.
Shidou sighed a little. "Well, I did try, but Reine-san said that she's on Ratatoskr's HQ for a few days, so I can't get in touch with her."
"Oh, I see…"
Silence.
They didn't talk about anything after that conversation, up until they arrived to the shopping mall.
"So, where do you want to go first?" Shidou asked as they stepped inside the mall. The place isn't that really crowded, as it just opened few minutes ago.
Shiori looked around. "Uhm, I wanna go buy some clothes first, but…" She then paused and lowered her head, and looked away from Shidou.
"But?"
Shiori didn't reply. Well, the reason why is, of course, she's short on money. And she can't buy that many clothes with her current inventory.
"If you're worrying about money, don't worry, I got it all covered." Shidou said as he gave a smile to the troubled girl.
"E-E-Eh…? I h-haven't said anything yet!" Shiori could feel her cheeks heating up due to embarrassment.
Shidou chuckled for a bit. "Your reaction gives everything away."
"Shidou, you meanie…" The blue-haired girl pouted.
"Sorry, sorry." Shidou apologized. "Alright, let's go." He then offered his hand to Shiori, which made the girl blush.
Shiori reluctantly accepted Shidou's offer and they started to walk around with their hands linked together.
~o~O~o~
After a few hours, Shiori and Shidou could be seen walking around the mall, with a few paper bags on their hands. But it seems like they're not done yet as they entered another clothes shop.
"Shidou, over here!" Shiori said as she called the young man who was with her and went inside a certain shop.
Shidou let out a breath and smiled at the girl who was calling him. It seems like she's enjoying his company today, and Shidou does like it.
As soon as he entered the shop, he could already see Shiori grabbing multiple clothes. It didn't bother him one bit because whatever the amount of clothes that Shiori would take, she'd only pick one of them. It's proven.
Shidou followed Shiori and waited for her to get out of the changing room. She did try multiple clothes already.
"How is it, Shidou?"
Shidou stared at the beauty in front of her. She's wearing a light blue one piece dress, with a ribbon around her neck. The sleeves doesn't really look that hot to wear even if it's somewhat frilly, and the length is down to below her knees.
He didn't realize that he's staring at her for a few moments now. And Shiori knows it. It's a little embarrassing for her but she didn't mind if it's Shidou.
"Shidou?" Shiori called his attention.
"A-Ah, you look good." Shidou said. His cheeks were getting hotter the more he stares at Shiori.
"Hmm? I'll take this then~" Shiori said and changed back to her school uniform.
They went out of the store as they bought the dress. Shidou looked at his wristwatch, and learned that it's past noon already.
"It's past noon already, where do you want to eat?" Shidou asked his companion, Shiori.
"Anywhere is fine, Shidou." Shiori said as she sat down on a nearby bench and took a breath.
"You okay?" Shidou asked as he sat down beside her. She then touched her forehead afterwards. "Your fever didn't seem to come back."
Shiori was startled for a bit from Shidou's actions. Her heart raced and her cheeks went pink. "N-No! I'm fine; I'm just a little tired, that's all." She then chuckled awkwardly.
Shidou didn't seem to be convinced but didn't pry on it anymore. Shiori was definitely having fun, was what Shidou noticed. It's not every day that one person can go all out like this by the way.
"Alright then, let's go." Shidou said as she picked up Shiori's stuff. "Let's grab something to eat."
Shiori nodded and followed Shidou to the food court.
~o~O~o~
After eating lunch, they headed back to the department store to see if Shiori missed some stuff, especially the ones for the trip. So far she got her house clothes, casual clothes, a pair of slippers and shoes because all she had was her school shoes, bath towel; almost everything needed in home.
"Looks like I got everything, Shidou." Shiori said.
Shidou smiled and turned around. "Is that so? Let's-" He was interrupted by Shiori who was tugging on his shirt.
"Shidou…" Shiori called.
Shidou turned back to Shiori, who was tugging on his shirt madly. "What's up? You forgot something?"
He saw Shiori staring at something. He then directed his attention to whatever Shiori was staring at, and saw a raffle section not too far away from their place.
"A raffle?"
Shiori nodded. "Look at the prizes, Shidou."
They then walked to the said place. There's a lot of people in line to that place, around ten to fifteen people. Most probably going for the first prize. Shidou took a look at the rewards, and was surprised afterwards.
"A 5-day-4-night trip to Arubi Island! Shidou!" Shiori excitedly said.
Shidou knew that place. It was the place where he met Kaguya and Yuzuru for the first time. He wasn't really eager to go back to that place because there are some not-so-good experience that happened to him, especially that incident with Ellen Mira Mathers.
Just by thinking about it made him grit his teeth a bit.
"Shidou?"
The blue-haired young man was startled as he heard a call. "A-Ah, y-yeah?"
"You were spacing out, is something wrong?" Shiori asked.
Shidou reassured her by giving a smile. "No, nothing. I was just thinking about something that's not really important."
Shiori narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't think about something if it's not important, Shidou."
He froze.
"W-Well, that's true… But I have a tendency to do so from time to time." He said.
It was a lie though. He just hoped that she'd buy it.
"Alright then." Shiori said. "How about we give this thing a try?"
Shidou was seriously opposed to the idea, but he couldn't discourage this girl with him.
'Might as well enjoy it.' He thought. True, he didn't get to enjoy his previous trip to the island because of those stuff that had happened to him, and maybe this time, he'll get to relax.
"Can we even win it? This raffle thing has 100 prizes in it, and it doesn't seem like a lot has been claimed already." Shidou said. "You have a few-to-a hundred chance of getting it, and we only have one receipt." He then gave their receipt of purchase to Shiori.
Yep, you need a receipt of the stuff you bought in the department store to participate. And what's worse, you can only join once. Yeah, ONCE. If you fail to get the first prize, then it's all over.
"There's nothing to lose anyway, so why not?" Shiori said as she walked towards the stall. Shidou then followed Shiori after a few moments.
Shiori fell in line at the back. The line moves a little bit fast, and she could hear the despair of the challengers in front of her, which made her heart race. Be it excitement or nervousness, she didn't know, and she didn't care a bit either.
Her heartbeat went faster than before when her turn arrived. So far, none of the previous challengers got the first prize, so that means, there's still a chance for her to draw the ultimate reward.
She looked to Shidou, who was standing beside her, only to receive a nod from him. She nodded back and turned to the raffle wheel again. She then held on to the handle, took a deep breath, and slowly turned the raffle.
Shiori closed her eyes. She wasn't really expecting anything, but she thought that it would be nice if she won the first prize. It would save Shidou a lot of trouble on organizing their trip.
She then heard a thud sound, indicating that the result of her draw was revealed. She kept her eyes closed, as the silence veiled around the area as well.
After a few seconds…
*DING DING DING*
"CONGRATULATIONS! You won our raffle's special prize: a 5-day and 4-night trip to Arubi Island!" The operator said as she kept on shaking her bell.
"Woooaaahhhh!"
Shiori then opened her eyes, and saw a gold marble on the tray under the raffle wheel. Her expression became a delighted one as she turned to Shidou, who had a surprised look on his face.
"Shidou! I did it!" She jumped out to Shidou in excitement and hugged him tightly.
Shidou was surprised with Shiori's sudden action, but he just let her be. He can't believe that Shiori actually won the special prize. He then patted her on the head, and congratulated her personally.
"Atta girl!" Shidou said.
Shiori broke away from the hug and gave him a smile, which made Shidou blush slightly.
The operator handed Shiori the reward. It came in a form of a voucher, and the trip allows up to seven people to tag along. She gladly accepted the reward, and thanked the people around her who congratulated her.
After that, they made their way out of the store. Shiori's been leaping happily as soon as they stepped out of the store.
"That was some luck, Shiori." Shidou commented as they made their way out of the mall.
Shiori just laughed at him. "Maybe you call that, beginner's luck?" She said and stuck her tongue out.
"How would that count as beginner's luck when nobody could get professional on that thing?" Shidou asked.
"Beats me~"
They both started to laugh at each other. Until Shiori remembered something.
"Ah!" Shiori reacted. "I forgot something…!"
Shidou stopped on his tracks and asked, "What did you forget?"
Shiori didn't reply a word, and instead, her cheeks went red as she turned to Shidou.
"Something wrong?"
She definitely can't say it. But, if she won't, she'd definitely have problems during the trip, because it's the most important thing that she must have.
"Shiori?"
Shiori snapped back as she heard Shidou's call. "A-A-Ah?! W-What's up…?"
"Your face is red. Are you feeling well?" Shidou asked. He was about to touch her forehead but then Shiori instinctively backed away.
"I-I'm f-fine! D-Don't worry a-about me!" Shiori desperately said. "…Hawawawa…"
Shidou raised an eyebrow. He doesn't have the slightest idea about what Shiori's thinking, or most probably, troubling her right now.
If you're wondering what that thing that she had forgotten, it was her swimsuit. Well, it is definitely the most important thing when you're going to the beach, right?
"Hm?"
She couldn't decide. She wanted Shidou to help her pick her swimsuit, but at the same time, she wanted to surprise him on the trip.
With that thought, her face went redder than earlier. 'W-W-W-Why do I n-n-need to s-surprise him anyway?!'
Just decide already, for heaven's sake.
"I-I'll be right back!" Shiori said as she pushed her stuff to Shidou and made a run, confusing the blue-haired boy in the process.
~o~O~o~
In a distance not too far from Shidou and Shiori's position, a certain black-haired girl, wearing the uniform of Raizen High, could be seen staring at him. She was doing that for a while now since they went out of the department store.
"Is that…?"
She then saw the blue-haired girl run away as she gave her stuff to Shidou, which made her chuckle a bit, but immediately died down.
"Ara… This is interesting…" She whispered to herself as she observed the two identical people.
Afterwards, she disappeared to thin air.
~o~O~o~
After an hour, Shiori went back to where Shidou was. She's breathing heavier than usual, as she ran as fast as she could from the store where she came from.
"I… I'm sorry for the wait!" Shiori apologized as she tried to catch her breath.
Shidou just sighed in relief. "No problem, I was just surprised with you running away so suddenly."
Shiori made an awkward smile as she held on the paper bag she had with her.
"What did you buy anyway?" Shidou asked as he tried to take Shiori's paper bag.
Shiori backed away for a bit before replying, "N-No! It's a secret!"
"Okay?"
Shiori just hoped that Shidou would like whatever swimsuit she had bought. In her and the saleswoman's eyes, it did look good on her.
But it's going to be a different story for Shidou. Or is it really?
"Alright, let's go home then. We've bought the needed clothes and stuffs for you, right?" Shidou said.
Shiori sighed and nodded. "Yes, let's be on our way now."
They then went out of the mall. As soon as they stepped out, Shiori felt something around her, and immediately turned back.
"What's wrong, you forgot something?" Shidou asked.
She could've sworn that there was someone following her, but she saw nobody.
'Was it my imagination?' She thought to herself.
"Shiori?"
Shiori turned back to Shidou. "No, I'm fine. Let's go."
~o~O~o~
"My, my, what a keen observation." A certain black-haired girl dressed in black school uniform of Raizen High, said as she stared at the leaving figure of the two Itsuka's from inside the mall.
"This is getting entertaining… fufu…" She said as she drank her tea. "I want to see how this game unfolds."
"Yet, I might be one of the players here, rather than an observer…"
~o~O~o~
4:00PM.
Shidou and Shiori found themselves walking down the street where their house is located. They quite have more stuff with them than what they expected.
"Did you have fun?" Shidou asked.
Shiori was surprised with his sudden question, but decided to play along. "Yes, it was fun. We should do this again sometime."
It took a few seconds before she realized what she just said, and gradually blushed.
"Buying stuff for you again?!"
Her blushes disappeared and then popped a nerve after hearing his reply. "You blockhead."
"What did I do now?" Shidou asked as he made a problematic look.
"Nothing. I just thought about what Reine-san just said to me about you was true." Shiori said.
Shidou had grown suspicious. 'What did Reine-san even tell her?!'
Well, he doubted that she'll get answers from her or Shiori anyway, so he decided not to ask about it. Either way, he had a feeling that he's not going to like it.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived back at home.
"We're home."
In an instant, a girl with dark-night hair appeared in the hallway, looking so frustrated.
"Shidou! Where have you been?!" She asked as she walked towards them.
Shidou was startled with the girl's sudden appearance. "Tohka! Calm down! I just accompanied Shiori to buy her stuff." Shidou said as he tried to suppress Tohka.
Tohka then glared at Shiori, which gave chills to the blue-haired girl. Afterwards, she looked at whatever they were holding.
Tohka sighed.
"Alright. I believe you."
Shidou and Shiori sighed in relief. "What did you even think we were doing out there anyway?"
Tohka started to fidget her fingers and then looked away from Shidou.
"W-Well, I thought that you two were on a d-date…" She said in a low voice.
Shiori went red after hearing Tohka's answer. Well, it did look like that they went on a date.
And Shidou knew it as well.
"C-Come on, it's not like that…" Shidou said in an awkward tone, which made Tohka suspicious. Shidou knew this and immediately went past through her. "Here, Shiori, I'll help you carry your stuff to your room."
Shiori didn't say anything and followed Shidou upstairs, while Tohka just stared at them.
~o~O~o~
7:30PM.
The 7 people inside the Itsuka residence were eating their dinner, while having a chat with each other. The topic? Well, it's a bit complicated. Not in a confusing way but because each person talking to another had a different topic.
Not that they really mind though.
Until Shidou remembered something.
"By the way guys…" Shidou said as he called everyone's attention. "Especially Tohka."
Tohka tilted her head as Shidou mentioned her name. "What's up?"
"You said that you wanted to go to the beach, right?" Shidou said.
Tohka nodded in response.
"Well, Shiori just made it possible for us." Shidou said as he turned to Shiori.
"Eh?! Really?" Tohka couldn't believe what she just heard. "Thank you, Shiori!" She then crossed the other side of the table and grabbed Shiori's hand.
"E-Eh? It was just pure luck…" Shiori's cheeks went red.
Tohka's eyes sparkled. "How did you manage?!"
"W-Well, there was a r-raffle in the department store earlier…" Shiori said. "And I luckily pulled out the first prize."
The rest of the girls were surprised. "Wow, that's amazing." One of the two orange-haired girls, Kaguya, said.
"Salute. You are incredible." The other orange-haired girl, Yuzuru, said.
Shiori's getting embarrassed with the praises she's receiving from the spirits. Not that she hated it though.
"So, where is that place, Shidou?" Tohka asked.
"Well…"
Shidou was having trouble about how to break it up to them. The reason is, of course, they had been there before. And going back there for the second time not too long after the first one is somewhat weird.
But he's got no choice anyway.
Yet, there's still a good part, at least.
"It's in Arubi Island, again." He said. "But we're staying in a different hotel."
Yes, that's the good part. It's not the same hotel that they would be staying.
"Oh, fine by me." Kaguya said. "I didn't get to completely enjoy the trip before anyway."
"Agree. It's an OK for me." Yuzuru said as she gave a thumbs up.
Shidou was surprised with their replies. He expected that they would somewhat complain about it, but they didn't. He was now wondering what he worried about.
'What am I worrying about anyway?' He thought to himself and sighed mentally.
"Alright, great." Shidou said. "It'll be the first time for Yoshino and Miku, so it's good."
Miku was delighted with Shidou's words. "Ara, thank you very much, Darling." She then gave him a flying kiss, in which Tohka instantly caught with her fists.
"Not so fast, speedy."
Miku just pouted at Tohka who was wearing a smug look.
Yoshino just thanked Shidou politely in a low voice. Shidou assured that girl that it was okay, that she didn't need to worry about it.
"It's going to be next Monday, so pack up the things that you needed before that day." Shidou instructed.
Everyone agreed in unison.
Shiori couldn't help but feel the excitement already. It's gonna be a long week for her.
TO BE CONTINUED...