It Happened Right Here
After Shinra collected the Seishu and making sure it is deactivated, he, Kasumi, Celty and everyone else, including a very confused Haruna, leave the rooftop and walk down the stairs as they make their way back to the bottom of Sunshine 60. When they arrive at the observation deck, they see all the men, women and children who were once under Saika's spell now freed from their mind control, much to their relief. As the civilians ask among themselves what happened during the last hour, Kasumi and the others casually walk over to the elevators, although Shirley did struggle to stay calm as she is still clinging onto the rocket that would have infected the entire city. After getting inside one of the elevators, Kasumi turns around and sees a small boy staring at them in confusion. The redhead smiles back at him while holding up a finger in front of her lips before the doors close in front of them.
They leave the building and journey back to where they parked their vehicles, which is at the road beside the curb of East Ikebukuro Central Park. As Celty and Haruna now stand beside Shooter, the headless rider uses her smoke to create a helmet for the former missing schoolgirl. Haruna nervously turns to Kasumi and the others who are standing a few feet away from them.
"Will everything be okay for me back home?" Haruna asked worriedly. Kasumi nodded to her with a warm smile while holding her staff in her left hand.
"You got to stay positive." Kasumi said reassuringly. "Even if you were missing for more than a year, your parents must still believe you will return. Nobody loves you more than your family."
"She's right. So don't keep them waiting." Celty holds up her phone and plays her latest message as the schoolgirl looks back at her. Haruna glances at Kasumi and the others once more before putting on the helmet Celty had made for her and mounting on the back of Shooter. As she waited, the headless rider types another message on her phone while walking over to Kasumi and the others.
"I can handle the rest from here. I'll make sure Haruna and Saika are safely transported back to Earth Land." Celty shows her phone to them.
"When you do return to your world, what happens next?" Anri inquired.
Celty types her response. "When I reach the transport hub that we built on Earth, I'll contact Rita and the Magic Council that I've secured Haruna and Saika. Haruna and I will take a ship back to Earth Land's transport hub where some representatives of the Magic Council are waiting for us. Haruna will be sent back to her family in Freesia while I accompany the Magic Council in bringing Saika to justice."
"Any chance you can tell us where this transport hub on Earth is?" Shinra asked.
"Sorry. I can't." Celty played her reply. The doctor sighs dejectedly in response.
"I guess it will be a while before we can see each other again." Shinra hangs his head. "If we ever see each other again."
"Actually, I'm thinking the same thing as Shinra. It would be nice to see you visiting Earth again in the future. Would you?" Kasumi asked.
"I'm still in the process of rebuilding my trust with humans. So, I'll think about it." Celty responded with her phone.
"I understand." Kasumi nodded before Celty types on her phone again.
"But I cannot deny that we all make one heck of a team." The headless rider added. Kasumi and her friends smiled back at her as Celty types once more. "Thank you all so much for your help in apprehending Saika. I will never forget what we have accomplished here."
"And we will never forget that we fought alongside the best demihuman fighter we've ever known." Kasumi said before extending her right hand to Celty. The headless rider lowers her phone and they both give each other a brief and solemn handshake. The two women silently stood and stared at each other for a few moments, both expressing their respect and gratitude.
After letting go of Kasumi's hand, Celty quietly turns and walks back to Shooter. Haruna shifts back to allow the headless rider to mount on her companion and place herself in front of the schoolgirl. The rider types one last message on her phone and plays it to her human allies.
"If I ever return to Earth though, I promise Shinra will be the first I pay a visit to."
Shinra gasped in response. He exhaled and cried happily while on the verge of tears, "Arigatou Celty-san! I look forward to that day!"
After putting away her phone, Celty and Haruna wave their hands at Kasumi and her friends.
"Goodbye Celty! Goodbye Haruna!" Kasumi cried happily as she and the others wave back at them.
"Have a safe trip back to Earth Land!" Shirley added.
"See you again soon!" Masaomi added.
"Yes, please!" Shinra cried ecstatically.
"Goodbye!" Anri and Mikado both said in unison with their arms around the back of their shoulders.
"Thank you all so much!" Haruna replied as Celty looks back to her front and drives off with Shooter. Kasumi and her friends rush over to the sidewalk and stand there as they continue watching the headless rider leave with Haruna until they disappear from their sights. When they did, Shinra lets out another sigh and adjusts his glasses.
"Now then, shall we head back to my apartment so that I can tend to any injuries we may had gotten from our fight?" Shinra asked as he turned to everyone standing beside him on his left.
"Not to mention, putting this thing in a safe place already!" Shirley cried anxiously, still clinging onto the rocket in her hands.
Kasumi, Masaomi, Mikado and Anri chuckled before the redhead gently wipes some blood off from the left side of her head. She glances at her fingers before looking back at Shinra. "Yeah, we should."
"I'm just glad we all made it out of there in one piece." Masaomi said as he stood beside Kasumi on her right.
"And I'm glad you refrained yourself from killing Haruna this time." Kasumi said to her friend as he turns to her.
"Well…" Masaomi shrugged. "I realized now that killing is never the right way to get back at your enemies."
Kasumi's lips curved into a smile. "Not only that, but you also saved me from becoming Saika's new host. Thank you…for being my Superman again."
Masaomi's cheeks blushed as he stared blankly at his red-haired friend. But it did not take long for a huge smile to plaster across his face. The two continue smiling and gazing at each other, blissfully unaware that they are being watched by their friends. Anri turns to her right and whispers to Mikado and Shirley, "They're gonna get along just fine."
The three friends struggle to suppress their chuckles.
As expected by Kasumi, things went back to normal in Tokyo the following day, and the city's residents carried on with their daily activities, completely oblivious to the fact that something disastrous and devastating could have happened last night. But despite not receiving a hero's welcome for what they have done, Kasumi and her friends are nevertheless proud that they have saved their home and the lives of over fourteen million innocent people.
After a long day of much needed rest, Kasumi, Anri, and Shirley leave their apartment, traverse through the streets of Ikebukuro, and meet up with Masaomi, Mikado and Shinra who are already standing outside the karaoke bar where they planned to celebrate their victory. Instead of putting on his usual lab coat, Shinra chose to wear a plain white-collar shirt, black pants, and black shoes for the occasion. Kasumi and Anri both remark their former teacher look good in his current attire, much to Shinra's delight. Masaomi asked concernedly if Kasumi is doing fine as he sees the bandage that is now plastered on the left side of her head, and she and her friends reassured him that she is.
The six friends enter the place together and they spend the rest of the night eating, drinking, and singing songs together. At one point, Kasumi, Masaomi, Anri and Mikado all sang Mabataki by back number together with Shirley and Shinra clapping along to their performance.
Mikado and Shinra played a drinking game with each other while the others cheer for them. To the surprise of everyone, Shinra won three out of five rounds, although the amount of beer he consumed made him sombre over the absence of Celty. Everyone else did their best to comfort him.
Shirley also sang both the Japanese and English versions of Idol by YOASOBI, much to the pleasure of everyone, including Shinra who barely recovers from his sadness.
Finally, with five minutes left, Kasumi and her friends ended their karaoke session by raising their drinks and giving a toast to Celty and themselves for saving Tokyo and everything they loved.
The next day, thanks to the encouragement from his friends, Masaomi mustered up the courage to return to Ikebukuro Bridge and meet up with Sayako. With her new boyfriend standing beside her and witnessing the display, Masaomi solemnly bowed and apologized to Sayako for getting her kidnapped and injured by his former gang. How he should have told her about his double life as a gang member so that nothing horrific would have happened to her in the first place. He finished by removing his scarf and bowing to Sayako once more as he extends it to her.
However, rather than taking it back, Sayako places her hands on the scarf and gently pushes it back to Masaomi. Much to his confusion, the former gang member stands up and looks at his former girlfriend, who smiled weakly at him.
Sayako explained that although she only ever learnt about his double life as a gang member from his former leader before he made that call and got her injured, she still never held any contempt towards Masaomi. She knew he was the one who came to her rescue because she temporarily regained her consciousness to see him running and carrying her to the hospital before passing out again. She also expressed her regret for being afraid to reach out and thank him for saving her life, thinking that it would be best for them to move on from what happened that night.
She finished by telling Masaomi to keep the scarf she bought for him as a memento of their friendship and encourage him to move forward in life. The former gang member was moved to tears by his former girlfriend's words, and he bowed again to express his gratitude.
Sayako and her boyfriend bowed back to him before Masaomi wished them both the best. The couple did the same thing to him in return. Masaomi and Sayako bid a final farewell to each other as the couple turn and make their departure.
As they leave, Masaomi puts on his yellow scarf and caress his fingers across it with a frown. But it soon turns into a smile as he lifts his head back up with newfound hope for his future.
The next day at Nebula's main office, Shinra and a few of his fellow board members oversee the repairs to the private museum. They observe the repairmen replacing the glass window and cases that were damaged by, in the words of Shinra, the bad winds blowing across Tokyo lately.
Thanks to the help of multiple scientists from the Itabashi branch, they were able to extract all the deadly diseases that were stored inside the Seishu's rocket during the last two days and the device can safely return to where it was originally displayed. Shinra stands by and watches the curator carefully places the Seishu in the centre of the glass case before getting up and closing it. The curator turns to Shinra and they both nod to each other.
After Kasumi finished another babysitting job at Nerima, she returned to Toshima to meet up with Shirley and Anri outside Grand Sunshine Cinema. Before the redhead could answer Anri's question if she is ready to join them for dinner, Kasumi felt her phone rumbling inside her pocket. She takes it out to see Masaomi's response to her invitation to join her and her roommates for dinner.
Bacura: Sorry, Kasumi. Not tonight. I already promised Mikado that I'll be joining him and his colleagues for dinner.
Kasumi smiled and replied to his message.
Raiden: No worries. Have fun! :)
After putting away her phone, Kasumi looks back at Anri and Shirley and nods her head. Shirley gestures Kasumi to come along and the three friends make their way to the restaurant.
Meanwhile at Akihabara, soon after Masaomi puts away his own phone, he heard Mikado calling out to him. Masaomi turns and smiles upon seeing Mikado and three of his co-workers walking down the sidewalk and over to him.
As they now stand in front of him, Mikado introduces Kyohei, Walker, and Erika to Masaomi and the three bow to him. Masaomi bows back to them, and the three Nebula employees take turns to shake hands with him. Kyohei tells Masaomi to come along with them to a restaurant that he recommended for dinner. Soon after Masaomi nodded to him, Walker suddenly steps forward and asks him a random question regarding the latest episode of a fantasy anime. Masaomi answers it correctly, much to the delight of Walker and Erika. Mikado explained to Masaomi that he had told them how much of an otaku he is, and both Walker and Erika excitedly invite the dark blonde-haired man to join them in a shopping spree throughout the streets of Akihabara after dinner. After Masaomi accepts their invitation, Kyohei chides Walker and Erika to calm down. The two said yes to Kyohei before they all burst into laughter and begin walking together to the restaurant.
Shinra returns home later than usual due to the larger amount of work and repairs in his office that he and his fellow board members must deal with today. Knowing that he is all alone in his apartment, the doctor dully cooks some instant noodles along with an egg and a few slices of ham for dinner. He later pours them into a bowl, grabs a cold can of green tea from his fridge and walks over to the dining table.
Shinra takes a moment to look around the empty dining area, reminiscing the time when he, Celty, Kasumi and the others were gathered here to have a hotpot dinner. He sighs heavily, wishing that he can have another lively gathering of friends here in his home again sometime in the future. He claps his hands, bows to his food, and picks up his cutlery.
Before he could start eating, he heard the doorbell ring. Confused, Shinra places his cutlery down, gets up and walks over to the main door. Shortly after turning the knob and opening the door, the doctor widens his eyes and drops his jaw as he fell into utter disbelief upon seeing who is standing outside his home right now.
A certain woman dressed in a yellow motorcycle helmet and black suit types a message on her phone and shows it to the lonely doctor.
"What do you know? Everything in Earth Land ended sooner than I expected."
Feeling tears in his eyes, Shinra sniffled and managed to crack a wide grin at Celty before he unlocks the gate to allow the headless rider to step into his home.
After putting away her phone, Celty walks over, wraps her arms around Shinra and pushes him over to the sofa. The doctor did not put up any kind of resistance as they both fall onto the sofa together, with Shinra now sitting down on it and Celty placing herself on top of him. With a blissful smile, Shinra hugs the headless rider back and lets out a sigh.
"It's good to have you back, my little patient." Shinra said softly. The doctor turns his head to his right to see Celty holding up her phone in her left hand and typing a message in response.
"You are such an idiot."
Meanwhile, as they waited for the washing machine to finish cleaning their clothes, Anri and Shirley sat at the living room to watch television while Kasumi stood at the balcony of their home to stare out at the streets of Toshima.
Now dressed in a plain white shirt and light grey shorts, the redhead takes a careful review of everything that happened a few days ago. Although their mission to save Tokyo from Saika and Takashi only last for two days, Kasumi cannot believe how much she and her friends have grown and accomplished.
What started out as a mission to bring peace and justice to her former schoolmate ended up being a journey of hardship, teamwork, and self-discovery.
Shirley Fenette and Shinra Kishitani, two people who made use of their intelligence and bravery to save the people and city they care.
Anri Sonohara and Mikado Ryugamine, a couple who realized that forgiveness and teamwork are pathways to rebuilding trust and achieving reconciliation.
Masaomi Kida, a man who found the strength and will to overcome the past and free himself from the shackles of remorse.
Celty Sturluson, a headless woman who discovers that being able to put her trust in others can help her accomplish many things.
And finally, herself. Kasumi Kinomoto, a woman who now truly believes that everyone, both human and not, has the capacity for growth and change. To do better, be stronger, think differently, and create a better future for themselves.
"Come on, Kasumi. The show is about to start!" The redhead could hear Shirley calling out to her.
Kasumi elicits a sigh and looks up the night sky with a warm smile. She turns around a few seconds later and walks over to her friends in the living area as she now returns to the real world. A world where hope and unity do exist.
The next day, after Kasumi had her breakfast, she left her apartment for another day of work. This time, it was not another babysitting request at another part of Tokyo, but a return to familiar territory.
Now dressed in a white haori, white robes, red hakama, white socks and sandals, Kasumi brushes the dry leaves off the courtyard of a small traditional Shinto shrine located in the middle of Ikebukuro and out through the Torii gate with a bamboo broom. With the repairs and renovations to the Miyamizu Shrine and its braided cord shop finally complete, Kasumi felt happy and relieved to be working for the Miyamizus again. After sweeping the leaves over the boundaries of the shrine, the redhead stops and smiles as she places her left hand on the side of her hip.
She turns around to see her newest co-worker making his way to the Torii gate while sweeping the last of the dry leaves with his own bamboo broom. Like his friend, Masaomi sweeps them through the gate and onto the sidewalk. He stands beside Kasumi and lets out a sigh of relief, knowing that his first task of the day is now complete.
"Feeling tired already?" Kasumi asked her friend who is now dressed in a blue haori, grey kimono, white socks, and sandals.
"Nope, not really." Masaomi shrugged. "Kinda."
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Kasumi said before glaring back at him. "But you better not drop out of this job. Miyamizu-sama maybe the nicest lady you'll ever know, but she won't hold back if you infuriate her."
"I rather not upset her then." Masaomi said, averting his eyes with a nervous chuckle.
"Good." Kasumi nodded with a smirk.
"Besides…" Masaomi looked back at the redhead with a warm smile. "It's about time I start taking my adulthood seriously. Isn't it?"
Kasumi smiles back at him before they both hear a cheerful voice coming from the doorway to the shrine behind them.
"Here you go, children! Come have something to eat!" Hitoha cried as Kasumi and Masaomi turn around to see the old woman holding a plate of fresh watermelon slices.
"Yes, Miyamizu-sama!" The two friends responded in unison. They walked past the vertical rows of stone lantern pedestals that lead up to the entrance of the shrine and over to the elder Miyamizu. After taking off their sandals and putting their brooms aside, Kasumi and Masaomi laid out five large cushions on the floor, with two of them near the doorway and the other three placed behind them. They solemnly bow to Hitoha, each grab a slice of watermelon and kneel on the cushions near the doorway.
"Itadakimasu!" Kasumi and Masaomi cried cheerfully as they now face the Torii gate and eat their slices. Hitoha slowly kneels on the center cushion behind the two young adults, places the plate down on the floor and grabs her own watermelon slice.
"How do you like your new job so far, Masaomi-kun?" Hitoha asked before taking a bite of her food.
"Pretty good, Miyamizu-sama." Masaomi replied as he looked back at her. "If this job is that simple, maybe I'll get through it just fine."
"Oh, just you wait." Kasumi said slyly to her friend as she turned her head to her right. "Being a Shinto priest is more than just sweeping dry leaves off the courtyard."
"What else is there to do?" Masaomi asked the redhead.
"Running the braided cord shop. Using the marudai and takadai. Preparing the ritual to make kuchikamizake. Learning and memorizing the religious texts of Shintoism…"
As Kasumi continued, Masaomi's jaw slowly gape open until he cuts her off by hanging his head and blowing out a heavy sigh.
"I take back what I said." Masaomi said dejectedly.
"Don't worry, Masaomi-kun." Hitoha chuckled. "We are all here to help you out whenever you're in doubt." She paused as she turned her head and looked over her left shoulder. "Isn't that right, Mitsuha-chan?"
"Hai, Obaa-chan."
A woman with brown eyes and has a red braided cord tied to a ribbon at the back and center of her long black hair approaches her grandmother from behind. Dressed in a white kimono, a teal sash, and a teal hakama, such as the one worn by her late mother, Mitsuha Miyamizu kneels on the cushion beside Hitoha on her left and behind Kasumi and takes a watermelon slice from her grandmother's plate.
"I assure you, Kida-san. While you're under my guidance, memorizing the religious texts of Shintoism is just like studying a subject throughout a whole school year." Mitsuha said reassuringly to Masaomi with a jovial smile.
"Only if it isn't as hard as math." Masaomi muttered.
"What about art, Kida-san?" Another voice inquired. Everyone turns to see a man with nape-length dark brown hair and dark blue eyes walking over to them with a tray full of cups of tea in his hands. He also wore a white kimono, a teal sash and a teal hakama just like the one his wife is currently wearing.
"Kasumi told us you excelled in your studies and even graduated from university with flying colors. So, if you are good at art, I'm sure learning to braid cords shouldn't be a problem for you. Right?" Taki Miyamizu asked as he kneels on the cushion beside Hitoha on her right and behind Masaomi and carefully places the tray down and next to the remaining watermelon slice.
"Well…I once tried to replicate The Last Supper…" Masaomi cringed and averted his eyes from Taki. "With characters from Getter Robo."
Kasumi groaned and rolled her eyes back. "Basically, you're not good at art either, huh?"
"Hey, you can't expect every student to become the next Einstein or Van Gogh by the end of their senior year!" Masaomi cried at Kasumi in annoyance. The redhead sighed while Taki, Mitsuha and Hitoha laughed in amusement.
"Anyways, how was your honeymoon, Taki-sama? Mitsuha-sama?" Kasumi asked the married couple.
"Oh, it was wonderful!" Mitsuha said cheerfully while Taki picks up the last watermelon slice from his grandmother-in-law's plate.
"And um…" Taki briefly averts his eyes before giving Kasumi a nod. "Interesting. But honestly, visiting Singapore was a great experience for us."
"We even made some friends there and invite them to pay a visit to our home and shrine." Mitsuha added.
"How delightful." Hitoha commented, adjusting her glasses with a smile.
"Hopefully we won't have to wait long for them." Taki said to his wife and grandmother-in-law before turning to Kasumi and Masaomi. "And judging by their character, I'm sure you two will get along with them."
"If that's true, I look forward to seeing them." Kasumi said.
"And I guess I better buckle up in my braiding skills and religious studies if I wish to impress our guests." Masaomi said.
"That's the spirit, Kida-san!" Mitsuha cheered.
Hitoha sighed blissfully and remarked, "My, oh, my, this shrine has gotten livelier than before, hasn't it, Kasumi-chan?"
Kasumi smiled at the elder Miyamizu and nodded in agreement. "Right you are, Miyamizu-sama."
The redhead and Masaomi look back at each other and nod their heads with smiles on their faces. As the Miyamizus continue eating their watermelon slices and drinking their tea, the two friends turn to the direction of the Torii gate and look skyward with excitement and optimism for the future.
Although the city they saved from Saika and Takashi stays the same as usual, both Kasumi and Masaomi felt they have drastically changed as people since the night they defeated them. It truly was a strange and phenomenal experience, yet it seems normal for every person to witness something similar in their lives.
And for Kasumi, Masaomi and their friends, it happened right here in the district shrouded with wonder and mystery. The district of Ikebukuro.
The End
Song Suggestions:
The Sought-after Extraordinary by Makoto Yoshimori (Throughout the chapter)
Trust Me by Yuya Matsushita (After you have finished reading the chapter)
Uragirinoyuuyake by Theatre Brook (After listening to Trust Me)
Sovereign: I would like to thank Darth Necron and LayLay lives for reviewing this story.
With that, my Durarara! story has officially come to an end, and although it took longer than I expected, I feel very happy and satisfied to have another completed story under my belt. Thank you so much to everyone who has favorited, followed and reviewed this story, and I really hope to see you all again soon. ;)