DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or the series. Kagerou Project/Mekakucity Actors was made by Jin. I'm just fanfic-ing out of love.

"Oh? What's that tied to your phone, Kisaragi?" a curious Kido Tsubomi saw a strange item when she was in the kitchen one day.

"This?" the Kisaragi girl, Momo, picked up her phone and dangled her strange strap. It was a charm which had a picture of a bunny in a heart on it. "It's a special omamori. Mary-chan and I saw a shop selling these after last week's festival."

"An omamori?"

"Yeah. Apparently if you give one to someone you know, then your relationship will get closer!" the blonde girl smiled as she searched her belongings for a flyer. "Here."

The flyer Kido was given was brightly colored. It had the image of the strange charm on it with its gaudy image of hearts and bunnies. "L-Love-Love Rabbit Charms?" Kido repeated what was written on the flyer. Her face was red, but her eyes were fixed on the charm.

"The clerk told us close friends and couples buy them all the time." Momo explained. "We didn't have much money on hand, but Mary-chan and I bought two and gave them to each other."

"Mmmm… I see… Maybe I should-"

"Hey, what are you all reading over here?" a new person suddenly entered the conversation. It was a cat-eyed boy in dark clothes.

"Kano!" Kido was more than a little surprised when the boy yanked the flyer right out of her hands.

The two girls in the room watched as Kano glanced over the flyer. His usual grin was present on his face the entire time, but the boy said no words…

… Then came the "Pfft!" as Kano tried his best to cover his laughter. "How cute! What's with this flyer? It looks like a shoujo mangaka threw up on it. All the hearts and little rabbits everywhere… Love-Love Rabbit Charms? I can't tell if it's kiddy or just plain gaudy.

"They're not kiddy! They're omamori! Don't call them gau… um…" Momo tried to defend her purchase, but even she couldn't argue about the flyer looking gaudy. Kido also kept silent about her similar thoughts

"Right, right," Kano waved off the idol girl's comment. He turned his attention towards Kido. "Are you buying one then, Kido?"

"Me?" Kido had to choose her words carefully. If she didn't, Kano would continue pestering her. Now, having spent a long time with Kano, Kido was already well acquainted with the blonde's jokes and laughter. In fact, she had grown somewhat immune to his antics…

"Pfft! Love-Love! Love-Love! What the heck is this?"

… Somewhat… immune… Ok, not even the slightest bit immune. Having Kano laugh at her set the girl on edge, so if she were to stop his playful banter, she had to phrase things properly like a leader.

"Well, Kido?" Kano waited for his answer. Momo too had to admit she was curious about the response of the girl in charge of their Mekakushi Dan.

Kido's reply consisted of pulling the hood of Kano's black jacket further down to cover his face. Softly, she muttered, "Idiot." Then, she began to walk out of the room, saying, "Don't make fun of people's purchases. People buy what they want to buy."

And with that, the girl in the purple hoodie made her graceful exit out of the kitchen. Honestly, how could she keep calm when she had an idiot always pestering her? To blow off some steam, the Mekakushi Dan's No. 1 member left the base, hiding her presence as she did.

An amulet for luck and protection was what omamori were. The charms were religious in origin, but there were generic commercial charms that could be sold for fun. Most likely, the 'Love-Love Rabbit Charm' was of that variety. They probably weren't any bit helpful in relationships. Commercial charms were just superficial items that innocent daydreaming school girls would buy to give themselves a temporary boost in motivation. The picture on it was gaudy proof of that…

"…"

… Even knowing so, Kido was still on her way to purchase one. Her 'walk' to blow off steam consisted of her taking the bus to the shopping district. It had piqued her curiosity the moment she saw it dangling off of Momo's phone. The image on the charm… she just couldn't get it out of her mind. She didn't care if it was for relationships. She had to have one.

No, she wasn't going to admit that it was cute. It was just attention grabbing. Saying it was cute would make Kano question her tastes like he did when he discovered the one dress she hid in the back of her closet. It was just something to have, to tell herself, "I have it. I don't need another."

"This is the place," Kido spoke aloud. Nobody would notice her thanks to her ability, so she was unconcerned over the idea that she was talking to herself.

Reaching into her hoodie pocket for her iPod and headphones, Kido put on the ear buds and turned on her music. She had no need to concern herself with others. She wouldn't be noticed by them, and now they wouldn't be heard by her. Doing so relaxed Kido. Relaxation was definitely something the girl needed, so she wouldn't be embarrassed by her actions.

She was just going to buy one and leave. That was her plan. She would use her presence hiding 'Concealment' ability to blur her identity, so she could make the purchase without anybody remembering her. Then, she would sneak back into her room and hide it away. The idea was foolproof. It was a serious mission to Kido Tsubomi, and now it would begin.

"Mission start."

The Mekakushi Dan leader found herself standing in front of a strange looking store. She wondered if she remembered the address on the flyer correctly. She had it right… right? She wasn't so sure upon seeing the shop in person. Its front door was covered in warding talismans and the smell of incense wafted from the inside. Two bronze dragon statues stood by the entrance. To be honest, the appearance of the shop wasn't the type of gaudy she was expecting. It was intense in its own right.

Well, she had come all that way, so she wouldn't be deterred by the entrance. Although she questioned Kisaragi Momo's tastes and courage for being able to enter the shop without hesitation, she stepped forward and placed her hand on the talisman wrapped doorknob.

"?!"

Kido opened her mouth to let out a squeak of surprise, but found her voice leave her. The minute she entered, she was forced to cover her nose with both hands. The incense was stronger than she had expected. Caught off guard, Kido accidentally deactivated her eye ability, drawing the attention of the person behind the counter.

"Oh, a customer. I didn't hear you come in," the woman spoke with a dry voice. She was old but appeared to have aged well. Her white hair was tied back into a bun by a noticeably red ribbon. She was dressed in a flowery kimono which looked as though it was just recently purchased.

"Aah… Yeah…," murmured Kido, removing a single ear bud to hear what the woman was saying. It wouldn't do any good to reactive her ability now that she was seen. Instead, the girl took a good look at the shop she had entered. There were no other people in the store, but Kido still felt the place was crowded enough. To say the least, it was overwhelming for her to just walk through the store.

A mismatch of knick-knacks and religious items filled the shop floor, walls, and shelves. She saw prayer beads the size of baseballs, calligraphy brushes longer than she was tall, and even a model of a battleship she could only assume was the Nagato. There were wooden carvings of phoenixes, Noh masks of all kinds, and even what she hoped to be a fake scythe. For some reason, there was even a case of colored contacts and an assortment of cell phones. Maybe it was just a hobby shop… Then again, she did not want to think about whose hobby involved the 'magical girl'-like staff in the barrel of wooden swords. She regretted not double checking the name of the shop but in the end concluded she did not want to figure out what the target demographic was.

With so many miscellaneous items around the shop, Kido wondered if she could locate the "Love Love Rabbit Charms" she had been informed of. Up, down, left, right, there were just too many knick-knacks to sort through. Actually, she hadn't seen a single omamori since she started looking.

"E-excuse me," Kido called the store owner. She was as embarrassed as she was nervous.

"Yes?" the woman turned her head toward Kido.

Kido bit her lip. Her 'fight-or-flight' instinct was telling her the sprout wings and escape. Focus, she had to focus. "I'm looking for an omamori. My… friend pointed me here."

"Omamori?" the old woman paused for a moment before realizing what Kido was asking for. "Oh, you must be friends with those two girls, the ones with colorful hair."

Kido couldn't really object to the hair colors of her friends. She supposed they did stand out in a crowd, especially with Kisaragi's ability. The fact that the two went out on their own was curious enough.

"They ran into this store as though they were being chased by the devil. I'm glad you jogged my memory when you did. I almost forgot such a sight," laughed the store owner as she searched through the area behind the cashier counter.

It looked like Kisaragi wasn't without trouble when she went outside. Well, maybe the panic wasn't as large because the incense caused her ability to stop like it did to Kido. Getting used to the smell was still a bit difficult, however.

The store owner placed a pair of charms on the counter. Kido approached to see that they were indeed the "Love Love Rabbit Charms" she had been searching for. The design's gaudiness was just as extreme as the store's inventory.

"Here, dear. They're perfect for close friends and couples."

"Thank you. How much is it?"

"Ah. Normally, they're 2000 yen but…" the woman gave Kido a wink, "As a special for being my first customer today, I'll cut the price in half."

"Eh?" Kido was more than surprised. She was reaching into her pocket to search for her money. Upon hearing the discount, she dropped a few coins. "N-No. I couldn't."

Seeing Kido's reaction made the store owner laugh. "Now, now. A young girl like yourself deserves a few trinkets now and then. Why not take this old woman's offer while she's still alive and kicking?"

The Mekakushi Dan leader didn't know what to say, but she struggled to speak and at least mustered a "T-Thank you" as she pulled the hood of her jacket over her eyes to hide her face.

Upon paying and accepting the charms, Kido bowed, grateful for the store owner's kindness. The smiling woman simply waved her good-bye and a "Thank you for your business."

Back out on the streets, Kido held tightly onto the charms which she kept in her hoodie pocket. She took a deep breath in and then out. That was that. She had actually succeeded. There were a few surprises here and there, but she had received a discount to go with the charms she had coveted. No extremely unforeseen events had occurred during her purchase.

Activating her "Concealment" ability, Kido took one charm out of her pocket and looked at its design. She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly to relax. She was surprised at how hard her heart was beating. She could feel it, hear it through the music of her headphones playing at full blast. "Haha," a brief chuckle and a small grin escaped her. "All this for a silly amulet."

It would be better if she calmed down before returning home, the Mekakushi Dan leader concluded. Leaning against the store window she held her ability active, erasing her presence. She rummaged through her pocket for the second charm, taking note of its condition. It was exactly like the first one. Her eyes shifted between both of the "Love Love Rabbit Charms" she held.

They were supposed to be shared between two people. It would be nice to be able to hand one charm to somebody else, but it was an embarrassing thought. Kisaragi and Mary both had one. She really didn't want to give it to any guy either. Perish the thought of her giving one to the digital prankster, Ene, too. That would almost be akin to handing it to Shintaro. In the end, Kido supposed there really wasn't anyone to hand the second charm to.

"Maybe I'll just keep both of these a secret then," the girl sighed, a little disappointed. Placing her hands and both charms into her hoodie pocket, the invisible leader straightened up, readying to leave. It was then that she spotted a familiar figure walk by her. "Hm?"

"Tch. I can't win when it's two against one, can it? Those two make a good double team when they're mad," a familiar casual speaking voice entered Kido's ears when she took off her headphones.

Kano? Kido covered her mouth in disbelief. What was he doing at the store? She was caught completely off guard. Almost instinctively, the girl turned the corner, forgetting her ability was still active, so the cat-eyed boy wouldn't have noticed her anyways. Peering from behind the corner, she noticed Kano holding the flyer he had taken from Kisaragi and her earlier.

"Apologize to Kido… I know I should, but do I really have to buy this? It's so gaudy," Kano was looking at the flyer trying to suppress a laugh. He wasn't very successful in doing so. "Making a guy buy something like this on his own is pretty embarrassing. Kisaragi-chan's a lot crueler than I expected."

Kano was talking to himself a little too much, Kido thought to herself. Then again, she wasn't too surprised about it. She was doing the same thing earlier. It helped her cope with the strangeness of the place.

"This… is the right place… right?" the blonde kept shifting his eyes from the flyer to the store.

Well, now Kido knew she was right about the place. The address was correct. Of course, the appearance of the shop was unexpected. Seeing Kano react as she did earlier was somewhat humorous. It would be interesting to watch him purchase the charms. It would be appropriate payback for his constant antics.

The girl expected Kano to open the door to the store. It was to Kido's surprise, however, to see Kano start to walk away. She noticed his red face as he passed by, not noticing her.

"Maybe I'll just tell Kisaragi they're sold out," Kano was biting his lip, debating on whether or not to go inside.

Kido was in half-disbelief. The other half was suppressing the small smile that would have formed on her face seeing Kano sweat. His ever present smile was still there, but there was a sort of nervousness in his voice. Was it from the imposing entrance? Or was it the embarrassment of buying the gaudy charm that forced him into such a state? It was a bit too unbelievable to see the blonde searching for a way to escape making the purchase.

"…Fufu," Kido straightened up. For some reason, she couldn't help herself. She was amused enough. She supposed as payment for making her laugh, she could "help" the boy out. Deactivating her "Concealment", the Mekakushi Dan leader walked out into the street, raised a hand in the air and called out. "Kano."

Seeing the "Deceiver" jump only added to Kido's amusement. "K-Kido," the blonde turned around. He was smiling and appeared calm, but the nervousness in his voice could not be hidden by his "Deceive" ability. Kido knew him too well to be tricked by a startled Kano.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as though nothing was a matter.

Kano also tried to play the conversation off casually. "I should be asking you that. You didn't come back for a while. Kisaragi-chan was getting worried, so she sent me after you."

"Oh?" Kido knew the truth. Kano didn't seem to realize she was present earlier. Pointing at the flyer in the boy's hands with amusement, she asked, "Not buying a charm for yourself?"

"Tch!" clicking his tongue, the blonde tucked the flyer away into the pocket of his black hoodie. He realized Kido had heard him talk to himself. "so you were here, huh?"

"'Maybe I'll just tell Kisaragi they're sold out', right?" Kido repeated one of Kano's lines. "'Apologize', huh?"

Busted. Kano was probably cursing himself for talking out loud. Vengeance tasted sweet to Kido who was often messed with by the prankster boy with the Cheshire cat grin. Kido was surprised by her fortune. Maybe the omamori she had purchased was for revenge instead of for friendship.

"C'mon, Kido. I don't have to buy it right? I was just joking after all," Kano wanted some reassurance since he knew he would have to go back to Kisaragi and Mary. Getting hit by Mary's ability had to be something the blonde did not want to deal with on a daily basis.

The Mekakushi Dan leader sighed. Kano still actually hadn't apologized had he? Then again, did he ever? Not without it sound like a joke, at least. Luckily for Kano, Kido already felt she had received some compensation. For Kano's surprised face to be enough payback, the girl wondered she was too soft.

"Here."

Kido tossed the second of the charms from her pocket at Kano. She watched as the boy scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground.

"You're better off not going inside, anyways," Kido assumed the Leader persona. She turned away so Kano would face her back. "They gave me a free sample earlier when I walked by. Now you can say you gave a second one to me."

"K-kido…," the boy's voice was filled with surprise for a moment, but without even looking back, Kido was certain a smile was slowly returning to the prankster's face. "Fufufu~ So you bought one after all?"

"I said it was a free sample!" Kido was glad Kano hadn't caught up to her to see her face. "I'm sparing you the embarrassment. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

"This and that are different things," was Kano's reasoning. "Let me see your charm!"

Sidestepping to the left, The Mekakushi-Dan leader avoided Kano's grabby hands which were aimed at her hoodie pocket. Her hand shot out and pushed the boy's head down gently, ruffling his hair. She was a little happy noting she was taller than him.

Kido couldn't hide her bemused smile. It was strange: giving the blonde boy the second charm felt somewhat natural to the girl. Why?

"Shut up, you moron," she slowed her pace to match Kano's. The two walked side-by-side down the sidewalk toward the bus stop. "Let's go shopping. What do you want for dinner?"

"What? I get to decide? Alright!"

The omamori she purchased was for deepening relationships, but what could be better than their current partnership? The Leader of the Mekakushi Dan and the No. 3 member had been together since they were children.

"How about Omurice?"

"Rejected. You've had too many eggs this week. Watch your health."

"Eh? But Kido~!"

Although she wouldn't ever admit it, despite their constant bickering, nothing could be deeper than how they already were.

Okay, I haven't uploaded anything in ages because of college classes. Trying to sign up for a creative writing class so I was focusing on another story for a while. I wanted to get this one done since January since it was Kido's Birthday, but I'm over a month late. Kano and Kido are just the perfect pair. I love them so much. For the plot, I decided on this because I talked to a friend about omamori. He's a chronic liar and a deceiver like Kano, so I'm not sure if what I know about omamori is correct.

Can't wait for the anime. The current announced CM's keep me going through the week. I have a soft spot for Kana Asumi. (Congrats on her marriage!) Kido's just perfect. Waiting on Kano now. Would totally cosplay as him for Fanime. ~Richi