Reviews:
DCDGojira: Glad you liked it
FlameFireZero X: Honestly that's a great idea. I was thinking about what to do about Riders when they made a contract with a second or third monster. Ouja did the whole Unite Vent in the show to make Genocider but not much otherwise. I had a few ideas and yours can work out. Though maybe not summoning the Riders themselves since it would make their deaths less impactful and would be kind of OP since whoever goes on a killing spree can have their mini army. I'll think about how to adapt your idea and let you know when it's ready for use. Thank you for your help!
maxfz19: Me alegra que te haya gustado. Los problems familiares entre los chicos aumentaran en lo que resta de temporada.
Chapter 24
My Motivation Is You
"And then you add a little bit of paprika to add a little bit of a spicy taste to it. You know, give it flavor."
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that. Thank you, Jades-onee-chan."
The siblings gathered around in an abandoned hospital where they had made their base of operations. They were currently in the cafeteria, preparing dinner for the whole group with the leftover food they had left. Shirabe was tasked with preparing dinner, but the young girl had asked her oldest brother for a hand. Kirika was washing the dishes to get them ready and Raiden and Andreas were setting the tables.
"No problem, Shira-chan." Jades beamed, stepping to the side to continue chopping the vegetables."I'm happy you're learning fast. You're a little genius, aren't you?"
"Only because I have a good teacher." She humbly said, shrugging."Besides, you're always cooking for us. I want you to take a breather from that. Not to mention when you were out for your mission, we had to scrape by with what we could."
"It wasn't that bad." Kirika said, handing the cups to Raiden as he began to set them in front of each chair."We just ate fast food."
"Which is unhealthy." Jades frowned, causing the blonde to nervously chuckle."It's okay to eat fast food but only in moderation. Young girls like you need to watch their figure."
"Tell that to this guy right here." Raiden jabbed his thumb at Andreas, who was drinking a can of iced tea."He eats nothing but sweets all day."
Jades shook his head, continuing on his task."So, Shirabe, what's on the menu for tonight?"
"We only have enough for beef stew." The girl responded, grabbing a spoon and trying the taste of the broth."It's good."
"Let me try." Jades moved closer, grabbing the spoon and trying it himself."Hey, this is some good broth. We make a nice team in the kitchen, don't we? Nice work! Give me five!"
Shirabe giggled, high-fiving Jades."But this will be the last of our food. After this, we're done. And our portions will be considerably smaller."
"I see..." Jades frowned, rubbing his chin."We'll have to go grocery shopping tomorrow..."
Shirabe nodded, her lips pursing. She was worried about them going out to the public after their little stunt.
Jades noticed her sunken expression and his brotherly instincts immediately went off. He suddenly crouched down, lifting her on one of his arms."Up you go!"
"O-Onee-chan?" Shirabe gasped, blushing as her brother carried her around on his bicep."Jeez, I'm not a kid anymore..."
"To your big brother, you will always be his baby sister." He cooed, bouncing her up and down as he ran around."Who wants to jump on the Tiger Express?!"
"Oh! Me too! Me too!" Kirika rose her hand, jumping on the table and lunging at Jades, who scooped her up on his free arm.
"Me too!" Andreas crawled his way up his back, sitting atop his shoulders.
Raiden only stared as they laughed together, having a good time despite their current predicament.
"You could join them too." Maria's voice reached his ears. She took a seat next to him, watching the others with a smile."They seem to be having fun."
"They're acting like kids." Raiden scoffed."How can they be so careless?"
"I wouldn't say they're being careless." Maria rubbed his back, causing him to purr like a cat."They're just having fun before things get complicated. Now that things have kicked off, things will only get harder. So it's not a bad idea to relax before we have to act."
"Maybe, but..."
"You shouldn't keep them at bay." Maria said, her hand rubbing the back of his head."Jades-nii loves you too. And I know you love him."
"I do but I just don't understand, Maria-nii." He sighed, resting his head in his arms on the table."Why can't he just trust us to handle ourselves? We're capable too."
"You are. And he thinks so too. He's always praising you, believe it or not. But he worries too. Not just about you. About all of us."
"Ever since what happened years ago..." He trailed off.
"Don't hold it against him. We're all worried. Serena...was one thing but then Teru-nii and Atticus-nii..." Maria's expression saddened as she reminisced about their past."It got to all of us. But...it got to him the most. He feels guilty."
"He sure does...He took the punishment for their escape and nearly died. Because he was looking after us...But that was because he thought it'd be a good idea for Teru-nii to go back home. And he risked everything for that to happen and Atticus-nii died for it. Does think he'll get us killed and that's why he's so overprotective?"
"He loves us, Raiden. But there is another reason why. He told me this and told me not to tell you guys because he didn't want you to worry." Her lips curved downward."It was Jades-nii's biggest dream to be a big brother. He admired and looked up to Atticus-nii. He wanted to give his love to someone like Atticus did to him. Their parents listened to his wishes and eventually, his mom got pregnant. He was going to be an older brother."
Raiden's lips thinned in a line."I guess something bad happened."
"It did. She suffered a miscarriage. They couldn't save the baby." Maria grimaced, closing her eyes.."It broke him. And worst of all, his mom ended up committing suicide. At first, I didn't get it either, but then I realized that he's this way because he doesn't want to lose another younger sibling like before. He's afraid of feeling like that ever again. As someone who lost her younger sister, I can relate...I also don't want to lose any of you. So...please try to be patient with him. He only does it for your own good."
"He wanted to be a big brother?" Raiden felt bad for having yelled at his brother earlier."Crap...So Serena and Teru-nii dying..."
"I'm scared." Maria confessed, her eyes following Jades and the others running around."I'm scared to think what would happen to him if he were to lose one of us. I...I don't think his heart could take it. None of us could. We're all we have along with Mom."
"You're right..." Raiden nodded."I think I've been too harsh on him. But I still would want him to rely on us a little more. He tries to carry all our pain but we want to carry it with him, right?"
"That's something he'll have to realize for himself." Maria stood up, kissing Raiden on top of his head."We just have to trust him. Girls! Time to shower!"
"Guess that's that." Jades knelt down, Shirabe and Kirika jumping off his arms."I'll take over kitchen duty, Shirabe."
"Thank you." The black-haired girl nodded, following Kirika and Maria out of the cafeteria. Jades took out his earbuds from his pocket, plugging them into his phone as he resumed preparing dinner.
"Anyway, Andreas, get over here." Raiden waved Andreas over."Let's talk strategy. We need to get ready next time we fight that Ryuki guy."
After half an hour, the siblings continued their squabble about strategies while Jades finished up dinner, unaware of their argument due to how loud his music was."I'm telling you to think smarter, Andreas. When did I say your power sucks?"
"It doesn't...?"
"No. I think your ability is pretty cool." Raiden admitted, much to the younger boy's delight and confidence."It's just that maybe that Deck would have been better off with someone more...strategic. For instance, you can make your Gazelles get in formation to confuse the enemy and give them complex orders. You have a mini army with you."
"Yeah but I don't call the shots. That's Gigazelle."
"But you control Gigazelle."
"Well..." Andreas twirled his thumbs."Advent Monsters have their own personality, after all. I can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do."
"Never mind." Raiden gave up, deciding to get a second opinion."Hey, Jades-nii, what do you think about how Andreas can use his Monsters?"
"Love me, love me~ Say that you love me!" Jades was completely immersed in his music, shaking his hips with the tune.
"We're here-desu!"
Kirika, Shirabe, and Maria came into the cafeteria wearing their respective nightgowns."Smells delicious."
"And it'll taste delicious too." Jades said after he had taken off his earbuds when he saw the girls coming in."I already got Dr. Ver and mom their portions. The rest is ours. Andreas, mind giving me a hand?"
"Yes, sir!" Andreas practically ran to his brother, grabbing a pot while he grabbed two.
Kirika decided to help as well, carrying a plate full of cookies for dessert. Raiden and Shirabe poured some water into their empty cups. Maria beamed at watching her siblings work together like clockwork, deciding to join in by grabbing some napkins and spreading them around for them to use. Once they were ready, everyone began helping themselves with the food.
"Is this it?" Andreas frowned upon seeing his portion.
"We ran out of food." Shirabe informed him."We have to go buy some tomorrow."
"Give Shirabe some more meat. God knows she'll need it." Raiden blurted his backhanded insult with a small grin.
"What do you mean?" Andreas tilted his head being none the wiser.
"Guys..." Jades sighed, annoyed that they were already bickering before even eating.
"She's just too flat." Raiden shrugged nonchalantly."Even Kirika is bigger than she is and they're practically the same age."
"Raiden, please." Maria chided him with a disappointed glare."That's inappropriate."
"No, he's telling the truth..." Shirabe glanced down at her chest."I am pretty small."
"Don't worry about that, Shirabe. You're still growing." Jades offered a smile."Besides, don't let something as trivial as your chest size be what defines you. What makes someone special is who they are, not how they look. And boys, don't judge a girl for their physique. It's rude and they'll end up ignoring you."
"Oh! I see!" Andreas nodded with a goofy smile."So you can't tell those things to a girl, huh? You must be an expert at talking with girls, Nii-chan!"
"They're just girls." Raiden said, taking a sip from his water."It's not hard talking to them."
"So you say but you've only ever spoken to us." Kirika pointed out, much to his chagrin.
"Jades-nii isn't exactly an expert in talking to girls either." Maria smirked at Jades."When he first started as my manager, he was totally socially awkward. Couldn't talk to most people, let alone girls. He was very bashful around them. But eventually, he got a little better."
"A little?" Jades snorted indignantly."Give me some credit here..."
He eyed his plate, then his siblings'. He grabbed his fork and gave some meat to Shirabe."Here. You guys need it more than me. Kirika, try some of these potatoes. They're really good."
He stood up, marching around the table and giving them some of his food, making his plate smaller and smaller."Andreas, I'll give you my cookies."
"Really?!" Andreas stared at his brother with stars in his eyes.
"Yup. But only if you eat some veggies."
"Aw, man..." Andreas deflated but nodded. Jades served him some of his vegetables and offered his cookies. By the time he gave part of his portion to Raiden and Maria, he only had a bit of stew left and a small piece of bread.
"Jades-nii..." Maria furrowed her brow."What about you? You're hungry too."
"Meh, I'm fine." Jades said as he chew on the bread."The kids are still growing and they need the food more than I do. Kirika, Shirabe, Andreas, and Raiden won't grow unless we give them enough food. Shirabe and Andreas especially, since they're the youngest."
"But...why me?"
"Because you need to keep up your appearance." Jades flashed her a toothy grin."Can't have you going skinny now. Can't disappoint whatever fans you have left."
"Seriously..." Raiden sighed."You've always done this, Jades-nii. Give your food to us so we can get more. Especially back when we were younger. Sometimes I wonder how you got so muscular if you don't each much."
"Hey, I'll have you know I do eat from time to time. Just not often." He shrugged, already done with his food."Man, that was delicious. My compliments to our chef, Shirabe."
"But you helped me..." Shirabe said, not wanting to take all the credit."And you finished things off when I was bathing."
"Only because you made the foundation." Jades shook his head, giving her a thumbs up."You're the one who prepared everything for me. You did great."
"Yeah! This is really good-desu!" Kirika said as she continued enjoying her meal."You're a great cook, Shirabe!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Raiden rolled his eyes."It's unbecoming of a lady, right?"
"Like you would know anything about ladies." Shirabe stared into his eyes."Stare..."
"Stop looking at me like that. It creeps me out when you do that." Raiden flinched, avoiding her gaze."Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of your chest size. I'm sure you'll grow."
"Stare..."
"Just stop..."
The group resumed on their meal quietly with the occasional quip between Shirabe and Raiden with Andreas trying to diffuse the situation.
"By the way, I think now's a good time as any to talk about the elephant in the room." Raiden set his empty cup down. A tense silence followed after, everyone growing uncomfortable at the mention of the topic.
"About...Teru-nii-chan?" Kirika whispered, as if nervous to bring up the subject.
"He's alive..." Shirabe muttered, still perplexed."I can't believe it. Is he the one we know?"
"I scooped up the place." Raiden nodded, clasping his hands together."It's him alright. He works at this real estate agency. I think we should talk to him."
"But...if he was alive, why didn't he contact us?" Maria pondered."Or something..."
"Maybe they convinced him not to say anything in exchange for his freedom." Shirabe suggested, a finger on her chin."It's possible that he was also afraid of going back to the facility..."
"But then that begs the question...does he know who took the Gai Deck and killed Atticus?" Maria asked, not expecting to receive an answer."Maybe Atticus is alive too?"
"I doubt it." Raiden grimaced."Remember that Atticus was Gai's first owner. Once you make a contract with your Advent Monster and transform for the first time, only you can use it. Unless the user dies and it gets passed along."
"So he did die," Andreas said with a crestfallen expression.
"There's only one can we can know for sure-desu." Kirika turned to her oldest brother."Onee-chan, what do you think?"
"I...Is it a good idea?" Jades rubbed his arm, unsure of the plan."I mean, we got him out of the facility for a reason, right? He has a life right now and works at a really good company. He probably doesn't want to hear from us. Especially me..."
"Do you think he still blames you?" Maria asked, her brow furrowing.
"Not only that, he always thought I tried to steal his lightning." He forced a chuckle."But I guess it's true we could get some valuable information out of him. And besides...I want him to know we're doing everything we can do to win the Rider War and revive Serena."
"Good idea-desu!" Kirika beamed."Can I be the one to talk to him?!"
"Oh, me too!"
"You kids should go."
"Why them?" Maria tilted her head.
"Look at them. At first glance, they're a group of cute kids. TeruTeru has a weakness for cute things. Remember how we would always get Serena to come to join us to eat?"
Maria giggled at the memory, recalling all the times Serena would drag Terunosuke with her to spend time with them."He cared about her..."
"Which is why we have to let him know we're fighting. It may give him hope. But we can't ask him to join us. Like I said, he has a life of his own and his parents. So no one mentions this to mom. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!/desu!"
"Alright." Jades nodded, pleased with their enthusiasm."We'll set up the meeting and you guys will bring him to us."
The next day, Kuwana sat in the breakroom with a couple of ladies who had invited him over after seeing him alone at his desk.
The young man was distracted writing information in his notebook regarding the Rider War. How many Riders there were, and how many died. Their powers and abilities.
'So far, counting the idiots, we have Ryuki, Knight, Zolda, Scissors who is dead, Ouja, me, Ryuga, Tiger, Imperer, Raia, and Odin. That leaves 3 more Riders. But Odin said Ryuga was the 14th, so clearly he wasn't part of the game. Does that mean Ryuga is a separate entity unrelated to the Rider War? If so, what role does he play in this? Furthermore, who are the remaining Riders? I doubt the hag got herself more Riders. It was a surprise to see that Raiden and Andreas became Riders after I left, but..."
"You look deep in thought, Kuwana-chan." An older woman with short brown hair sat next to him, reading a newspaper.
"Ah...It's nothing, Hamako-san." Kuwana brushed her off."Just thinking, that's all."
"Always the thinker, Kuwana-kun." A younger foreign woman giggled."I suppose that's why your sales are always so great."
"Really? Ahahaha...thank you, Morgan-san." Kuwana bowed in appreciation to the compliment.
"Kuwana-chan! You have visitors!" An even older lady burst through the door.
"Shit... hopefully it's not my parents."
"Your parents?" Morgan parroted.
"After I became independent, I cut all communication with them and haven't spoken to them in years. I mean, I doubt it's anyone else, so..."
His heart stopped for a second when he noticed the group of children entering the room."OH FUCK NO..."
"TERU-NII!" Everyone cheered, immediately tackling the older male into a hug. Terunosuke rose his arms, not able to process what was happening. He immediately tried yanking them off one at a time, but every time he focused his attention on one of them, the other would come back to latch onto him."Get the hell off me!"
"Who are these children, Kuwana-chan?"
"A-ah! Well..." Kuwana sighed, feeling his shirt get wet as they sobbed, all of them saying things that he could not fully make up. But one that was clear to him was "We're sorry."."They're...my siblings."
"Aw~!" Morgan cooed, enjoying the sight."They're so cute! They must have missed their older brother very much."
"You have no idea..."
"Mmmm...None of them look like you." Hamako-san rubbed her chin."In fact, they all look completely different. This one here is blonde, the other one has green hair."
"We're..." Kuwana bit his lower lip, trying to come up with a believable excuse.
"We're soul brothers." Raiden answered for him, pushing up his glasses."None of us are blood-related, but we love each other as if we're real siblings."
"Yeah...that." Kuwana grumbled, cringing at the stan in his shirt due to all the tears."Mind if I step out for a bit?"
"Not at all." The lady shook her head."Have some quality time with them. We'll save your seat and keep your lunch warm."
"Thanks." Kuwana nodded, tapping Kirika and Andreas' heads."Okay. You guys need to let me get up. I can't walk with the lot of you grabbing me."
"B-but I don't wanna let go-desu!" Kirika wailed, tightening her grip on the lean man.
"Guys, give him some space. We're making a scene." Shirabe pointed out, pulling on their ears.
"Ow!" Andreas yelped as Shirabe forced them off Kuwana.
"Nice thinking," Raiden commented, his eyes still fixated on Kuwana who was brushing his shirt. He still couldn't believe it. The person they thought was dead was in reality alive. Standing here in front of them. There were so many emotions and so many questions. But Kuwana narrowed his eyes at them.
"Outside. Now."
The children followed their brother out of the building, curious to see what he would tell them after all these years. The older boy led them to the back, closing the door behind them.
"Teru-ni-"
Before Andreas could utter another word, Kuwana grabbed him by the neck, slamming him against the wall.
"What the hell did I tell you?!" Kuwana seethed."First thing I tell you and the first thing you do!"
"Teru-nii-chan!" Kirika grabbed his arm."Stop! You're hurting him!"
"What? You're going to cry?" Kuwana narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to freeze. In effect, tears were glistening in her eyes."Don't feel bad. It's your nature."
"We wanted to see you! We thought you were dead!" Andreas cried, his hands around Kuwana's."I'm sorry I broke my promise! But I don't want to lie to my family!"
"Lies, huh?" Kuwana suddenly released him, turning on his heel."How did you find me? Don't tell me the old hag put you up to this."
"N-no..." Shirabe muttered, hands behind her back as she stared at Kuwana with curious eyes."She doesn't know we're here."
"You dropped this." Raiden showed him his business card."Andreas picked it up. Look...we're not here to bring you back or whatever it is that you think. We...we just really missed you. And we thought you were dead. We just want to talk to you. That's all. Maria-nii and Jades-nii invited you to have lunch with us. Together, as we used to before."
"You came all the way here just for that?" Kuwana scoffed, leaning against the wall. He reached for his pocket, taking out a pack of cigarettes and his handy lighter.
"We thought you died...Mom said that-"
"The hag says a lot of dumb shit." Kuwana puffed some smoke from his cigarette. Shirabe squinted her eyes, backing out to prevent smoke from getting in her eyes.
"We wanted to see you so badly." Kirika continued, tears of utter joy still streaming down her face."When Andreas said you were alive, we were so thrilled-desu! We couldn't even sleep in anticipation."
"It's understandable if you feel a bit apprehensive, given the circumstances..." Raiden began, rubbing his arm."We just declared war on the whole world, after all. And we're all wanted criminals."
"The fuck happened? FIS is growing desperate in getting their hands on that wish?" Kuwuna snorted, scowling when he noticed his siblings sharing nervous glances."What?"
"It's better if Maria-nii and Jades-nii fill you in," Raiden replied, hoping Kuwana would agree to the meeting.
"Hmmm..." Kuwana weighed his choices. This was perfect. He could play both sides at the same time. On one hand, Second Division was "working" together with Gai. And now, he could emotionally manipulate his siblings into a position of weakness. Once both sides fight, he could easily swoop in and kill them all, growing even stronger.'In total, I could end up taking 6 Riders' powers. Not even Ryuga and Ouja could stand up to me.'
However, deep inside Kuwana's heart, he couldn't help but feel a weird sense of pride at seeing the once small brats having grown into bigger brats. He exhaled some smoke, a crooked smile on his face as he approached the girls. He ruffled Kirika's hair, though, in contrast to Jades' gentle hand, Kuwana's was rough, messing up her hair.
"Look at you, squirt." Kuwana chuckled, patting her on the head and causing her to flinch."Baby Kirika is all grown up. Damn, you gonna grow taller than me at this rate."
"Do you think so?!" Kirika's eyes widened with sparkles around them."I've been eating my veggies and-Mmm!"
Kuwana grabbed her cheeks, pulling and squishing them as he laughed."Remember when I used to do this when you were pretty much in diapers? Used to get a laugh out of you. I guess you're not as ticklish as you were."
Releasing her cheeks, Kuwana shifted his attention to the purple-eyed girl."What about you, Shirabe-chan? No love for your older brother?"
Shirabe seemed reluctant to approach the man after her initial assessment of him. She remembered him being less than pleasant before, often mocking them and looking down on him. But despite all of that, there were times when they connected with him and felt like a genuine family. Though she wasn't sure how he had changed in the past 6 years. Wordlessly, Shirabe wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him and burying her face in his chest.
Kuwana rose his brows."Huh. You're a little more touchy than before."
"People change, Teru-nii-chan." The twin-tailed girl's voice was muffled, but he understood.
"They sure do." He smirked, his hand running circles on the back of her head.."Andreas. How were the sweets you bought with the money I gave you?'
"They were delicious!" Andreas beamed, jumping up and down as if he wasn't just being pinned against the wall.."Thank you so much, Teru-nii-chan! I'm sorry...I broke our promise."
"Don't sweat it." Once Shirabe let go of Kuwana, the taller boy approached Raiden."I imagine it's tough taking care of all the kids, eh?"
"Compare to what Jades-nii and Maria-nii go through, this is nothing." Raiden shook his head.
"Heh. Give yourself some credit." Kuwana placed a hand on his shoulder."A guy has gotta be proud of what he does."
"Brother..." Raiden muttered, marbling at the sight of his once-lost brother.
"So...why don't you take me to where our big siblings are?' Kuwana shot them a warm smile, hiding nothing but malice."There's a LOT we have to talk about, after all."
The children, none the wiser, eagerly cheered in unison, tackling Kuwana in another group hug. Unbeknownst to them, the Deck they were so desperately searching for was in his back pocket.
"Teru-nii-chan..." Andreas grabbed his attention timidly."Is...is Atticus-nii-chan alive too? Is he with you? Do you think...we could meet him too?"
Shirabe and Raiden exchanged worried glances, knowing the answer in their hearts.
"He's dead." Kuwana answered without a hint of remorse."Been dead for a while now. I'll explain later. Let's go."
Hibiki checked the time for the fifth time in the past 40 seconds. It was 6:30 at night, 30 minutes before her date with Hajime officially started. They were going to an amusement park for the night and he was to take her home by 11 at the latest.
"I'm trusting Hibiki to you, Hajime-san." Miku had told him over the phone. The cream-haired girl covered her mouth, holding her laughter while Miku continued to berate him."She needs to be here before 12. It's a school night and she can't be falling asleep in class again. The teacher got angry last time."
"Miku-san, trust me, everything is-"
"I want a yes." Miku glared at him, a dark aura surrounding her."Not a minute later. I know where you live."
"G-got it!"
Hibiki giggled at how overprotective Miku was of her and how she sounded like a mom.'I'll have to do the same if she ever goes out with Haz-san.'
She wore a pair of purple boots, black shorts, and an orange jacket with black highlights.
Much to her ignorance, there was a group of people watching from afar, wearing sunglasses and hats to hide their identity.
"Why the hell is she here so early?!" Chris used a pair of binoculars to observe her kohai.
"I did suggest for her to be early." Tsubasa sweatdropped."Though I wasn't expecting her to be this early."
"Of course, you'd tell her that." Chris muttered under her breath."Oh! He's here!"
"Hibiki-san!" Hajime exclaimed in surprise. He was wearing black jeans with a black jacket over a red shirt."You're early."
"So are you." She quipped, giggling."I guess we both had the same idea, huh?"
"Guess so." He rubbed the back of his neck."Oh, you look lovely today. I mean, you always do, but...you know?"
"A-ah...thank you." Hibiki flushed, playing with one of her bangs."You look handsome..."
He cleared his throat, holding his arm out."So...shall we get going, milady?"
"Of course, milord." She playfully said, grabbing onto his arm as they headed for the ticket booth.
Meanwhile, yet another undiscovered duo was keeping tabs on the unofficial couple.
"Good, good. Everything is going according to keikaku." Takeru nodded in satisfaction, using a pair of binoculars to better see them.
"I can't believe I have to be the one buying us our tickets." Yosuke sighed, taking some yen out of his pocket and counting the money.
"To be fair, I just started getting paid." Takeru shrugged shamelessly, offering an excuse."Besides, you're the responsible one and are supposed to watch over all of us. So this is on you."
After buying their tickets, Hajime and Hibiki headed for their first attraction. The carousel. The raven-haired boy gently helped Hibiki up her horse. Though he knew she was more than capable of such a feat, considering her skills in combat, he felt the need to be a gentleman, following Genjuro's advice.
"Make Hibiki-kun feel special." He boomed when they were finishing up their training."She might be a capable fighter and a warrior, but she's still a girl. She wants to be treated like a girl. And it's your job to make sure she feels happy."
Once their ride finished, they decided to get some cotton candy to get their appetites going.
"I haven't been to an amusement park in so long," Hibiki said, taking a bite from her fluffy treat.
"Me neither. I used to come sometimes because Setsuna wanted to come, but she seems to have lost interest."
"Sounds like you have your hands full being an older brother."
"It can be quite...annoying sometimes." He confessed, a fond smile flashing on his face."But I wouldn't change it for the world. She's my pride and joy."
"I can tell." Hibiki smiled, using a napkin to clean some cotton candy around Hajime's cheeks."She loves you very much. It must be nice to have a sibling."
"You have a sister too." Hajime said without missing a beat."Miku-san's been with you since you were kids, right? Stuck with you in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hell, she even gave me a call earlier today saying that I had to get you back to your dormitory at a certain time."
"You're right. Miku is more than a friend. She's practically family to me." Hibiki placed a hand on her chest."I don't know where I'd be without her right now. Back when I was outcasted, she was the only one pushing me forward along with my mom and grandmother."
"I still can't believe that happened to you." Hajime grimaced as they started walking again, looking for a new attraction. The many rides shined brightly in the night, creating a sense of fantasy and joy to those around."It's too bad I didn't meet you sooner. If I had heard those assholes treat you that way..."
"You'd have just picked a fight." Hibiki shook her head with a lopsided smile."It's a good thing you didn't then. I wouldn't want you getting into fights over me."
"Damn right I would." Hajime puffed his chest."At least, back then I would have jumped into a fight without a question. But now...I think it wouldn't be my first option."
"I'm glad you stopped getting into fights at school." Hibiki told him."You're better than that."
"Yeah, I know..." Hajime sighed."Though it's also because of our new school situation. After the whole Fine thing, Lydian was rebuilt and moved to another place thanks to the government's intervention. Thank God the Commander put in a good word for us Kaiser Academy students and somehow got Lydian to accept male students, at least for now."
"For now?"
"Yeah, they have plans of rebuilding Kaiser Academy but since that's just a regular school, they're not in a rush. Besides, its name is forever tainted after...you know. Anyway, this year is a test drive for us. If male students manage to prove that they can coexist with the girls, then they might make Lydian a school for both genders next year."
"But Kaiser Academy had girls too, right?" Hibiki cocked her head to the side.
"Right. And they were transferred without issues. As for the guys...we can't exactly do some things with the girls. For instance, we can't sleep in the dormitories. We can't go to the pool when the girls are using them and we have different PE classes separately. This is temporary because they want to test the waters. I imagine they'll change the rules in the future."
"Well, the boys have been nice, so far." Hibiki informed him, as they got in the line for the bumper carts."There are some rowdy ones, of course, but the majority are behaving."
"Good to hear." Hajime smirked."Let me know if any of them bothers you or the girls. Me, the Captain, and Yanagi will give them hell."
"No violence." She scolded him, poking his cheek.
"Fine..." Hajime rolled his eyes, standing closer to her. Their hands momentarily brushed against each other, causing their faces to turn beat red.
"Oh! They're about to hold hands!" Chris exclaimed, her face blushing. They were riding on the Ferris wheel, watching the date from the top.
"Let me see." Tsubasa took the binoculars from her."Oh...do you think they'll do it? They seem hesitant?"
"God damn it!" Chris slammed her hands on the window."He better not pussy out of this!"
Coincidentally, in the car below them, Yosuke and Takeru were freaking out.
"He's going to do it! Our boy is going to make us proud!" Takeru cried, excited to see their relationship take the next step.
"Sakamoto, stop moving so much." Yosuke covered his mouth, feeling nauseous due to the motion sickness."I'm getting sick..."'
"You know..." Hajime started, slowly gazing upon Hibiki's face, his hand slowly reaching for hers."I meant what I said. You didn't deserve to go through that. And all because of something you couldn't control. But...now you're different. Instead of needing protection, you give protection. Your fists protect those who need saving. And honestly? You've saved me more times than I have saved you."
"That's not true. When we first met, you saved me and that little girl, even though we weren't aware of our powers. You always stuck up for me when I needed it. And you've been supportive when I felt like I couldn't get up. As far as I'm concerned, you're my greatest hero."
"Me...? A hero?" Hajime trailed off, a dry chuckle escaping his lips."You're the first one who's ever said that to me. Everyone's been going around calling me a villain. First Ryuga and now Imperer and Raia. But...I guess it's all about perspective, right? Thank you. That makes me feel better."
"After you've made me feel better countless times, it's the least I can do. I treasure you with my heart."
Those words were what gave Hajime the courage to grab Hibiki's hand.'So soft...'
'I didn't know Hajime's hands were almost as small as mine...' Hibiki smiled warmly.'Then again, we are still growing. We're way over our heads in this whole thing. And yet we motivate each other to continue. Just being this close to him makes me feel safe. And I can keep him safe when he's with me.'
"We did it!" Takeru yelled, cheering loudly."Hell yeah!"
"Keep it down!" Chris screamed, yelling at Takeru, though she didn't know it was him."Gosh, that guy below us is so loud!"
"Tachibana...Adachi..." Tsubasa smiled as if she were a mother observing her children with pride.
As Hibiki and Hajime continued on their date, Yosuke and Takeru were taking a break, eating some nachos on a bench.
"You know something, I still can't believe we're out here."
"Tell me about it. I can't believe I agreed to this idea." Yosuke exhaled but grabbed a handful of nachos."If people see us they'll think we're stalkers."
"No, not that. I mean, here. In an amusement park, enjoying a day off. In peace."
"I wouldn't say peace." Yosuke grumbled."Those Fine guys are still hiding. And with Tiger at their disposal, we'll have a hard time dealing with them. But...I guess for you, this is peaceful."
"It is. I mean, take it from me, my "peaceful" days back then were watching Netflix in my room in Fine's mansion. But now...I go to school, meet new people, and fight for a good cause. It's great. Though the school part might need some work..."
"Is that tutor I got you helping you?"
"Oh, yeah. She's great. Nakahara-chan is an amazing tutor. Thanks for getting her to help me." Takeru nodded with a toothy smile."But you know me...Not much of a model student."
"They didn't give you proper education in Val Verde?"
"They did, it's just that I spent most of my time partaking parts in wars and stuff."
"I see...well, worse comes to pass. I'll give you a hand as well. Speaking of, I'll see if I can buy one of those slushies. I've been craving one for a while now."
"Make sure to get me one." Takeru waved him off, checking his phone.
"Takeru?"
Takeru turned to the voice, noticing his girlfriend standing nearby with a plate of french fries."Chrissy, hey."
"What are you doing here?" Chris rose a brow in suspicion, taking a seat where Yanagi was.
"I could say the same to you." Takeru quipped, stealing a french fry, much to her annoyance.
"I asked first, dummy." Chris narrowed her eyes after failing to stop Takeru from stealing another fry."Hey! That's mine!"
"Sorry, babe. We share everything, right?" He wagged his eyebrows at her with a smug smile."Besides, you ate the cupcakes the girls from your class made for me. So we're even."
"They were mine to begin with!" Chris slammed her fist on the table."They just gave them to you because I wasn't there!"
"Because you're avoiding them." Takeru pointed out."Sweet girls, by the way. I'm happy you found a nice group of friends."
"Whatever. Look, just tell me what you're doing here. I have a feeling it's the same reason I'm here."
"I'm here to make sure the Luitenant doesn't screw up."
"Huh. I'm here to make sure Hibiki doesn't screw up."
They both gaped at each other before erupting into laughter.
"Shit, really?" Takeru wiped the tear streaming down his cheek."Guess we both worry about our kohai, huh?"
"Of course. Those dummies don't know what they're doing."
"Not like we were any better, honestly."
"H-huh?! It wasn't that bad." Chris scowled, throwing a fry at his face.
"Maybe...But they look like they're doing fine so I guess they don't need our help anymore." Takeru shrugged, leaning on the table."Wanna go home and watch a movie?"
"Only if I get to pick it." Chris smirked, poking his nose."And you'll buy the pizza today."
"Damn it..." Takeru groaned."I didn't want to spend money today..."
"Aw, suck it up, babe." Chris stood up, peeking at him on his lips.
"I still can't believe we both got dragged into this." Tsubasa sighed, standing in line with Yosuke to get a cold slushie.
"You're telling me. Sakamoto made me buy his ticket like he doesn't get paid." Yosuke scratched his head."All because he thought their date was going to go badly like their first date."
"To be fair, they didn't have any experience on the subject." Tsubasa shrugged."So I understand where they're coming from. But still, this is...stalking."
"Maybe. But no one will know." Yosuke said, a gentle smile gracing his lips."But I'm happy Adachi and Tachibana are progressing in their relationship."
"That's funny."
"What is?"
"You stopped calling him Ryu-kid like you used to before." Tsubasa pointed out, causing Yosuke to blush."He's grown on you, huh?"
"He started calling me Yanagi-san instead of just Yanagi. He's making an effort so I thought I would too."
"That's nice." Tsubasa commented as she had also developed her friendship with Hibiki."So...what do you want to do now?"
"Let's just pretend we came here together to have some fun." Yosuke suggested with a coy smile."Unless the great Tsubasa doesn't want to disappoint her fans by being seen with a guy."
"Yeah, right." Tsubasa chuckled, playfully grabbing onto his arm."Can't two friends go out together from time to time? Besides, these glasses are surprisingly helpful in hiding my identity."
"People not realizing who you are with that hair of yours just because you're wearing a hat and glasses is beyond me." Yosuke said, a small smile gracing his features."But...I guess enjoying ourselves from time to time isn't bad."
"It's what Goro would have wanted." Tsubasa glanced up at Yosuke."We have to be ready to fight but we also need time for ourselves. I'm glad we agreed to come here."
"Me too. And next time we face them, we'll win." Yosuke declared. The childhood friends got their drinks and continued walking around, chatting about their school lives.
Meanwhile, the youngest members of the Second Division were about to get on the Ferris wheel. Hibiki seemed happy and eager to get on the ride, but Hajime trembled in place, his face pale.
"What's wrong, Hajime-kun?" Hibiki asked in concern, squeezing his hand."Are you feeling sick? Did you eat something bad?"
"N-no...it's just..." He adverted his gaze, embarrassed."I'm afraid of heights..."
"Oh, right." Hibiki nodded her head."I remember when we jumped off the helicopter you were freaking out. We can go on another ride if you want."
"No, no. You want to try this one, right?" Hajime offered a reassuring smile."It's fine. I'm a Kamen Rider. I have to face my fears eventually."
"Only if you're sure. Plus, I'll be with you the whole ride." Hibiki pulled him along and they both got in the car. They sat on the same seat, Hibiki squeezing his hand tenderly to make him comfortable. The poor boy shivered as they began to ascend in the air.
"How come you're so scared of heights?" Hibiki asked, hoping to get to the heart of the matter."I mean, don't you sometimes ride on Dragreder's back?"
"Yeah but that's me in the heat of the moment." Hajime replied, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves."It's just...when you're fighting, you're not really thinking of things you normally do. If I was Ryuki right now, I'd be fine no problem. But now..."
"You are Ryuki." Hibiki's face flushed ever so slightly."And...you're special. With or without the suit. You're still Hajime Adachi."
"Maybe so...But I don't know. Everything looks so tiny and I'm afraid of just falling. It trips me out."
"Then I'll just have to hold onto you to make you feel safe." Hibiki hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Hajime felt his heart about to burst out of his body. But he was none the wiser to realize Hibiki was also freaking out internally.
'Oh gosh! What did I do?! What if he rejects me?!' Hibiki kicked herself, waiting for the inevitable.'I ruined our friendship!'
All her worries disappeared once she felt Hajime's head resting on top of hers."Huh?"
"Hey, I recognize this smell." Hajime hummed."It smells like that shampoo Setsuna recently bought. I know what it smells like because I used it by accident. I didn't hear the end of it at school."
Hibiki giggled as they both felt each other's warmth, watching the city once their car was at the top.
"It's a beautiful sight. One worth protecting, as Kazanari-san said." Hajime remarked."We'll continue to do our best."
"We will. But...I don't know how we'll be able to talk to those people." Hibiki muttered, her voice nearly a whisper."They seem so..."
"Dedicated?"
"I guess. Like what they're doing is truly for the better of the world. Connecting with Chris-chan and Takeru-san was different because they didn't fully believe in Fine's plans. But now? I'm not so sure."
"I think we can talk to them." Hajime said, earning a surprised glance from Hibiki."While I think that some people can be talked to, others need to learn the hard way. Gai wants to get his wish for his girlfriend or whatever. He never really clarified. But after what he did...all those innocent people that died because of him...But these guys seem like they truly love each other. As siblings. As an older brother, I can relate. Besides, they kept their word and left all those people to go during the concert."
"I wonder what their reason is?" Hibiki pondered."If we can figure it out, maybe we can appeal to them and make them stop."
"It's possible. I sure wish we can get another chance to talk to them." Hajime admitted."I...I still can't believe Maria is part of this."
"She means a lot to you, right?"
"She does. Her music was one of the factors that motivated me when I was at my lowest. Her lyrics spoke to me and made me want to aim for the stars and be a better version of myself. I always dreamt of one day meeting her. And when I did...well, this happened. I know I make it sound like I'm into her. But I'm not. She's just my idol. Someone I aspire to be. Give the same kind of energy to others as she does."
"I think you do a well enough job." Hibiki said, feeling relief after hearing him say that."Your confidence makes people feel like everything is going to be fine. Your never-give-up attitude. Maybe that's another form of motivating others."
"You think so?" Hajime's eyes widened at her words."Huh. Do you think so?"
"Of course I do, silly. You motivate me."
"Oh..." Hajime's blush covered his whole face, now red as a tomato. Hibiki yelped, realizing what she had just said, and shifted her gaze elsewhere."Thank you...you motivate me as well to be a better person. Before I used to think anything could be solved with a good fight. But now? You taught me that words can be just as effective if not more."
"I'm glad..." She beamed, her nervousness dissipating little by little."And you taught me that sometimes it's okay to use your fists to get someone to understand your words. With moderation, of course."
"Talk and if they don't listen, then punch until they talk." Hajime muttered those words."It...sounds kinda weird when you put it that way. But hey, it worked before."
After their date was over, Hajime walked Hibiki back to campus as he had promised Miku he would.
"It's too bad they don't allow guys here past curfew. I wouldn't have minded crashing on a couch or something." Hajime yawned, worn out from their date.
"Maybe we could sneak you in?" Hibiki suggested, though unsure."We don't use our bottom bunk bed other than to store things. But I'm sure Miku and I could clean it up for you."
"Nah, it's fine. I don't want to get into trouble and make us guys look bad." Hajime dismissed the idea with a grin."Though thank you for the concern."
They halted in their march just in front of the girls' dorm, staring into each other's eyes.
"I had so much fun today, Hajime-kun. Thank you for inviting me to hang out with you." Hibiki bowed slightly.
"Thank you for accepting to go out with me." Hajime bashfully rubbed his nape."I meant to do it before but...things just kept coming up. But honestly, it was worth the wait."
The youths continued staring dreamingly at each other's eyes as they began to lean forward slowly. Both of them closed their eyes in anticipation, pursing their lips to finally seal the deal.
"ACHOO!"
Before their lips could touch, they yelped upon hearing the loud sneeze coming from the bushes around them.
"Who's there?" Hajime asked, slowly reaching for his pocket in case they needed to fight.
"Damn it, Yumi! Couldn't you have covered your nose!"
"It's Miku's fault! Her hair keeps tickling my nose!"
On cue, a whole group of people emerged from the small bush they were hiding in.
"What the hell?" Hajime couldn't help but blurt out."Shiori-san? Yumi-san? Miku-san? Kuriyo-san and...Hazzy-san?!"
In effect, Hazuki was the last one to show themselves from the bush, coughing in his hand."Hey...Sorry to ruin the moment. We kinda..."
"We've been following you the whole night!" Shiori confessed, causing everyone to protest."I'm sorry!"
"Why were you following us?" Hibiki inquired.
"Because it's your first date!" Kuriyo replied."We wanted to make sure that Hajime-kun wouldn't try anything funny."
"Huh?! The hell do you guys take me for?!" Hajime exclaimed, offended by their remark.
"But we saw you were happy and well...we started to think it was okay to let you be." Yumi trailed off, her eyes landing on Miku."But she wanted to keep on watching you."
"Okay, but how does Hazzy-san fit into the picture?"
"We ran into him following you guys back to school." Miku elaborated."He saw us sneaking around and wanted to see what we were up to."
"The last thing I imagined was you guys going on a date." Hazuki folded his arms with a coy smile."I didn't think you guys had it in you. And to think you were about to kiss."
"W-we were?!" Both Hibiki and Hajime echoed, turning a deep shade of red.
"They got caught up in the heat of the moment. It's too bad we interrupted them otherwise they would have kissed." Yumi lamented."It'd be just like an anime. After a day of fun at the park, the couple kisses under the moonlight. So romantic!"
"They could kiss right now," Shiori suggested, much to Miku's dismay.
"Nope! It's 11!" Miku stormed over, grabbing Hibiki's hand."Thank you for keeping your word, Hajime-san! But we must get to bed!"
"H-Hajime-san!" Hibiki waved at him with a grin."Goodnight! And thank you again!"
"Goodnight!" Hajime waved back, giggling like a child.
"Seriously, Hajime-san, how far did you guys go?" Yumi pressed for details, nudging him in the ribs."Tell us everything!"
"They didn't kiss." Shiori joined in as the girls crowded Hajime."But did you hug? Hold hands maybe?"
"We...did hold hands, yes."
"Wow! I didn't expect that from Biki!" Kuriyo clasped her hands together."No wonder Miku was freaking out over the phone. You act fast, Hajime-kun!"
"Again, I didn't try anything bad..." Hajime rose his hands in defense."Hazzy-san, help me out here!"
"Honestly, I want to know myself too." Hazuki hid his hands in his pockets, giving him an innocent smile that screamed fake."Go on. Give us the details."
"No!" Hajime yelled, immediately breaking into a sprint. The girls followed after him along with Hazuki.
"You must tell us!" Yumi yelled, shaking her fist."You did something, didn't you?! You better not have tainted her pure heart!"
"I didn't!" Hajime cried, shaking his head frantically."I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO KISS HER, DAMN IT!"
Earlier that day, Maria, who was wearing a trench coat to hide her figure, sunglasses, and a long had to hide her hair, sat in a food court of a mall along with Jades as they waited for their siblings to show up. He was wearing a heavy olive green jacket over a black t-shirt with camouflage cargo pants, a black leather double grommet belt with a silver double prong buckle, and black ankle-length leather combat boots.
"They should be here soon." Maria took a look at her phone after receiving a text from Shirabe. Her eyes darted to her older brother, who had a blank look on his face."Everything okay?"
"I'm just...nervous. I can't believe this is happening." He grabbed his silver hair."It's funny. Sometimes I would imagine I had him right in front of him and would rehearse what I would have told him back then. But now? I don't know what to say. It's my fault all of this happened."
"You can't blame yourself for that, Jades-nii." Maria placed a supporting hand on his shoulder."It was no one's fault. Life...just doesn't work out sometimes."
"I don't know. We never really got along that well. I tried to talk to him and get him to grow comfortable around us. But he always thought of me as an obstacle in his way. More so when I became a Rider..." He clenched his hands."It's all my fault...my fault..."
"But you-"
"We're here-desu!"
The group of kids approached them with a grown man behind them wearing a business suit.
"Those grey eyes..." Maria gaped, recalling back to her mental image of Kuwana and comparing it to the man in front of them."Teru-nii...!"
"He's alive..." Jades felt tears welling up in his eyes.
"We brought him as we promised." Shirabe stood to the side."This is him."
"Yo." Kuwana scratched his cheek."This is a little awkward. But then again, family reunions are always like that huh? Hey, Maria. Nice outfit."
Maria and Jades jumped from their seats, immediately lunging at Terunosuke for a hug.
"Oof...Jesus, you're all going to be the end of me with these hugs..." Kuwana patted their backs awkwardly."When did you get so damn strong?"
"You're alive!" Maria cried, grabbing his face as tears rained down her face."Thank God, you're alive! We were so worried! We thought you died!"
"Sorry to disappoint." Kuwana cringed at how damped his shirt was after having so many people crying on it.
"We mourned and cried for you. There hasn't been a day when we haven't missed you." Jades's bigger frame was enough to engulf him and Maria in a hug with no problem.
"I'm...honored?" Kuwana rose a brow, unsure of what to say."I missed you too. Mind letting me go now?"
It took a bit of time, maybe around a minute or two, before they finally released him between tears. Kuwana smiled, feeling a weird sensation in his heart."Anyway, I got 50 minutes before my break ends. So...mind telling me what the hell this is?"