Connection 34: Epilogue 1

Saturday

The boy took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he...

A: ...do his novel search alone?

►B: ...ask Shiori for help?

Keima ran a thumb over the cover of the book, the coarse texture reminding him of the stories that were kept in its folds.

In Keima's heart, he didn't feel like he had much of a choice. If he didn't pull out all the stops, and he ended up missing even just a single book Heroine, could he really call himself an Otoshigami?

Keima's head hung low. As much as it pained him to admit, he needed Shiori's help for real this time. This was different from her lending him a hand with the shoji club shenanigans or with Ayumi's case. Keima's games were his sanctuary, and if he were to let her in to help with the book hunt, it would change the dynamic between the two forever, possibly even change Keima's dynamic with other Real people as well.

Keima shook his headand reached for his phone that had been laying on his desk untouched for the better part of three hours. With a few taps, he reached Shiori's LINE profile. His thumb hovered over the call button.

'Do it for the heroines', Keima whispered in his head as he pressed it.

As the dial tone reverberated in his ears, Keima steeled himself.

'Today went so well!' Shiori thought to herself, leaning back into her chair as she flashed a goofy grin towards the book that sat on her desk. How to Make Him Fall for You in a Fortnight it said on the book's dust jacket in subdued cursive with katakana sitting underneath it. While it has been more than a fortnight since she had bought the book, she was still more than satisfied with her purchase. After having that real conversation with Keima earlier that day, she knew she had a real shot at taking her beloved's heart for herself.

The bookworm pulled out a mechanical pencil and paper and started jotting down the chapters of the book just so she could note down her progress.

The first day was "Make Him Breakfast", which she did, and that was also the day when she first met Mari, Keima's mother. She honestly scared Shiori a bit, but her looks didn't betray her age, and Shiori could tell that the older Katsuragi had a soft spot for her. When she thought that she'd soon have to call Mari "Mother", Shiori had to gently pat her reddening cheeks.

Second: learn more about him. All Shiori could remember was that she had asked him what type of girl he preferred, and he just said, "2D girls," and continued to brush off her advances. She remembered making him a promise that day.

"I-I promise you," Shiori declared, her hold on his hands getting tighter and tighter, "I'm going to win your heart. Before Ayumi, before Kanon, before any other girl."

The bookworm buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

Third: wear something new (to work). Shiori looked at her closet. She could picture the sundress she wore that day when they went to Concordia together and how expensive it was for the girl who had only worn clothes her parents had given to her. At least it was a bit of fun reading the tag that was attached to it.

Fourth: the home visit. At that point, Shiori had grown short of breath. She reached out for a nearby glass of water and downed the entire thing in one go in an effort to regain her composure.

Fanning her shirt, she tried to make her voice as low and sultry as possible, "S-so what do you want to do after this? My parents won't be home for hours."

No no no! Shiori's arms flailed around, knocking aside the thought bubble before her shame killed her.

Fifth and sixth: show him your talents; give him a gift. She remembered the wild grind she was on when she had written that book in record time. Thanks to that project, her typed words per minutes shot up from thirty to eighty. That and just the mere satisfaction of finishing a big project made her heart aflutter even discounting Keima's reaction to it.

Seventh: work on your self-confidence. Taking those mortifying quotes into account, the normally reticent librarian definitely made strides over the three weeks, though she supposed she owed a lot of that to Keima, the boy who dragged her out of her shell. She was eager to return the favor.

Eighth: go out on a date. Shiori scribbled a little heart next to that entry then twisted in her chair, resting her cheek against the back of her chair. If she closed her eyes and imagined hard enough, she could pretend she was leaning on Keima's shoulder and go back to that romantic ride down the Tunnel of Love.

Pulling herself away from her reminiscing, Shiori looked at her list. She had accomplished so many things, and if she got things her way, she'd reach even higher heights.

She picked up the pencil once again, ready to write her plans for the chapters she had yet to complete when she heard ringing from the corner of her desk. On it sat her phone which was sounding wildly to catch her attention. Shiori's heart leapt into her esophagus. Very few people knew her LINE address, so the possibility that Keima was the person on the other side of the line was huge.

Shiori wasn't mentally prepared! She darted for her phone, almost dropping it as she fumbled for it. As she expected, Keima's name was on her screen. She took a deep breath and hit the green call button.

"Shiori." The bookworm felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up when she heard Keima say her first name in that tone. "I need your help."

Sunday

Ayumi, hands clasped in front of her, pursed her lips so hard she was surprised they hadn't burst yet as she looked to the man walking beside her. Today was supposed to be her victory lap day. After yesterday's dub, she'd be able to spend the entire day just hanging out with Keima. She didn't really have anything in mind, and she didn't expect him to come up with anything special, but she felt that as long as they spent time together, their dynamic could go back to how things used to be. That was shown when he had helped her with some of her probation errands. They still had the chemistry, Ayumi thought.

However, or most of the date, Keima had a vacant look on his face. He had bags under his eyes, and while he had at least taken the effort to wash his face before walking out of the house that morning, it didn't stop his complexion from looking haggard, more than it normally would after a night of incessant gaming. There was something on his mind for sure, something bigger than the new game releases or the subpar game-to-anime adaptions he usually obsessed about.

The runner was used to not really understanding him. They came from different worlds. She was a star athlete, he was a game fanatic. That distance wasn't easy to bridge, but for the most part, she felt like they had a connection in spite of that. He'd listen to her ramble about schoolwork as he'd play games, she'd learn more gaming lingo over time - Ayumi wanted a deeper relationship with him for sure, but she was happy with what they had.

That day, she felt like the distance had grown into a chasm that threatened to swallow up the thread holding their relationship together. Keima seemed more closed off than usual, responding to her with little more than back channeling. The athlete could hardly believe that this boy was the same one who had help her of his own volition with her suspension.

Was this just the result of the time they had spent apart? Her suspension lasted only a week, and even then, according to those magazines Chihiro used to always spout lines from, distance tended to make the heart grow fonder.

Ayumi recalled what had happened just a day prior. Shiori had looked so peaceful sleeping on Keima's shoulder, as if she was different from the world around her. Seeing the librarian so close to him had sucked out much of the joy Ayumi had at mopping the floor with her hurdling peers. Ayumi was glad that the wallflower had been coming out of her shell, but did she have to do it around the guy Ayumi loved?

Her teeth still hurt a bit after biting down on the gold medal just a little too hard.

Ayumi grip on her hands tightened in an effort to release some of the frustration she was feeling.

She needed to know what happened yesterday.

Then, before she could voice her concerns, she saw Keima's eyes light up. Ayumi's heart leaped out of her chest. She followed his gaze, her own landing on a used bookstore. That just made her more confused. With the way Keima's breath suddenly grew shorter, it was like he was looking at a game store or something...

"Hey, I'm going to go to the bookstore for a bit." Without even a glance to make sure she heard him, the boy in glasses made his way to the bookstore, his excitement betrayed in how big his gait became.

No, Shiori couldn't have converted him into a book lover. After one day? Just how far did those two go?

Ayumi was struck with an inordinate amount of distress, locking up her joints and muscles. Palms sweaty, throat dry, the runner had to muster all her effort just to reach out for the back of his vest. Her grip on it was tenuous, but it managed to keep Keima in place. "Keima, l-look at me."

She let go as Keima turn around, his eyes widening. She didn't know what expression he saw adorning her face. She couldn't read him anymore. Was there ever a time when she knew how he felt about her? Ayumi felt like her doubts were swallowing her up. "Takahara-"

"I don't know what you two did yesterday, and a part of me never wants to find out" Ayumi started, her chest growing heavier with each word that left her lips, "but I was your first friend. I was the one who pushed you to reach out to others, to empathize with them, to see them not as side characters but as people worthy of your time and attention. A-and I know this is selfish, but it feels so unfair that for the first time, it feels like there's no room for me in your heart anymore."

Ayumi saw Keima tear his gaze away from her as she felt her eyes grow puffy, as she felt hot tears make their way down her face, as she truly felt the distance between them. She tried her best to wipe away her tears and regain a semblance of composure, but inside, her heart was screaming, Say something, Keima! Anything!

Outwardly, the runner chuckled. It sounded hollow even to her. "You know, this feels even worse than the time you rejected me. Maybe because this time, it feels real. My heart will never jump at the sight of you again. My arms will never wrap themselves around you again. My lips will never get to taste yours again. I... I... this is so unfair."

She saw him open his mouth, no doubt planning on using his silver tongue to use the right words to say, but she didn't want to hear any of it. Just looking at him made her feel dread in her stomach. Even just being near that boy hurt her.

Before Keima could speak, Ayumi turned on her heels and ran. His back slumped, as if a great weight had been placed on his shoulder. He had been so distracted by the breadth of knowledge Shiori had given him that night that he hadn't given Ayumi enough attention to make her feel comfortable speaking openly with him. Instead, she bottled up her insecurities until they burst.

Did Ayumi really have a Heroine inside of her? Keima didn't know, and now that he had closed off Ayumi's route, he would never find out. That was fine. Keima had chosen not to be an observer anymore, to put his effort into exploring the new world Shiori had offered, to see if that world hosted a Heroine of its own. He had to commit to the route he chose.

Despite all the logical arguments he could form in his head, he still felt empty.

Six weeks later, things had changed significantly.

Keima and Ayumi were not on speaking terms anymore. They each pretended the other didn't exist. Neither Chihiro nor Miyako helped reconcile the two, and the former stopped asking Keima for advice.

Keima's relationship with Kusunoki didn't change much, except when she tried to kiss him again, he said he didn't like it when she did that, that they weren't dating and that he wasn't interested in dating her. It was rather harsh, but Keima had reached the point of no return a long time ago. Kusunoki, for her part, took it like a champ. She had visibly deflated, but managed to keep her head held high, and whenever Keima had to do paperwork for the Women's Martial Arts Club, Kusunoki still greeted him warmly.

The other Kasuga had taken the news worse than her younger sister. Hinoki had ambushed him in a dark alleyway while he was on his way to buy a book Shiori had requested of him. After being on the receiving end of a devastating blow to his groin, Keima, crumpled on the ground, had to remind the former martial artist that Kusunoki was strong, and that the rejection wouldn't impede her from embracing her strong and soft sides.

"Tch, don't take that tone with me, fucking know-it-all. I know that already," Hinoki had said, spitting on his lying form. "Damn, what did I ever see in you?"

Keima never saw Hinoki again, and from what little he knew, Kusunoki had stayed strong, still going to Uemoto-ya to strengthen her culinary skills, albeit without him by her side.

The relationships he had with the other girls in his life remained the same as ever.

He didn't really talk to the aristocrat trio anymore.

He remained acquainted with Tsukiyo. She still refused to play any game that was less than an eighty five out of a hundred review score-wise, but luckily for her, Keima still had plenty of classics lining his gaming shelf for him to lend to her.

He also remained on speaking terms with Tenri, politely greeting her when their eyes would meet in the hallway. He still never figured out hwy her mood swings were so wild, but they stopped eventually, so he counted himself lucky.

One girl who had gotten closer to Keima after he started spending more and more time with Shiori was Minami. She had been struggling a bit with her algebra, and when Shiori heard that, she tapped Keima for the position as tutor. With the Senpai-Kouhai relationship and the long nights of studying in close proximity at the library, it was only a matter of time until a crush would develop. Luckily, it was easy for Keima to see the Ending to that route, so he nipped that affection in the bud before it could sprout into anything problematic.

Speaking of problematic, dealing with Kanon was a nightmare, but after the stunt he had pulled, he was sure she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He didn't want to risk sending her down the Bad End path, but he didn't really have any choice. There was no going back.

And that was a sentiment Shiori shared with him. The finish line was within sight; she could feel it. She just had to finish the rest of the Fortnight entries and then hit him with one last confession.

The two were in the library, as was routine. Every day, the two would retreat to Shiori's inner sanctum to read their respective books. Shiori was surprised at just how normal it felt to see Keima enjoying a piece of analog entertainment in front of him when the thought was so foreign a month ago. It also had shocked her at how fast he could read and how good his reading comprehension was. Shiori had read her fair share of books - literally every title in the library - so it shocked her to find out the gamer could read just as fast as her, chewing through monstrous tomes like bubblegum.

While she was glad Keima was enjoying his newfound love for choose-your-own-adventure books, she also felt a bit insecure.

"Hey," Shiori said, disturbing the tranquil silence with her dull drone, "what will happen when we run out of the kinds of novels you like? Will we have to stop... whatever this is?"

Keima looked up from his book, gave a little hum, then closed it, leaning forward so she could get a good look at his face. He flashed a bright, disarming smile. He rarely ever showed it to her. She has only ever seen it after he completes a book or a game, and it never failed to make her legs feel like jelly.

"...Perhaps, I'll get you into visual novels. Who knows?"

Shiori eventually tried one, but she always played on mute and just pretended it was a really overly technical picture book.

Chapter 9: Act Depressed - Complete!

One day, Keima arrived at the library a little later than when the two would usually meet. The WMA club had been requesting new punching bags again, and Tsukiyo's Astronomy Club finally got her first member, and he had to process a permit to have them stargaze at school past the school's closing time as an official club activity, so there was a lot more paperwork to sort through than normal.

He looked towards their usual gathering spot - a small table tucked into a quiet little corner on one of the higher floors of the library where people seldom ascended to - and found Shiori sitting at it with a cute little pocketbook in her hand. A different book sat on the otherwise empty table. _Stay the Night: A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Thriller_ it said on the cover. That must have been the new book Shiori had managed to fleece for for him at a very low price.

"Hello, Shiori, apologies for keeping you waiting," Keima said, taking his seat next to her. Shiori looked engrossed by what seemed to be a rather run-of-the-mill Japanese-to-French phrase book, but she managed to tear her eyes away from the pages to show him a small smile, as if she was saying "Salut" in her head.

Without missing a beat, Keima picked up the book, eager to find out what kind of Heroines lay within its folds when a small envelope fell out of it. "To Keima" was written on the front in gold kanji. Keima looked up and raised an eyebrow at Shiori. She gave him a shrug and leaned closer to him.

Making sure Shiori could see the envelope over his shoulder, he opened it, a small slip of paper within its enclosure. The letter itself was short.

"I love you, and I want to cherish our time in the library forever."

When Keima turned around to face Shiori, she sneaked in a quick kiss.

Chapter 10: Write Him a Letter - Complete!

Today was one of the rare days when Keima didn't have a book in his hands in the library. Instead, he had a laptop in front of him, and he diligently clacked away on the keys. While Shiori head spun at the cursor that raced across the screen, the librarian did her best to absorb what she could from Keima's explanation.

"...so in an effort to get people to write more choose-your-own-adventure novels, I've decided to start up this blog," Keima said. "I should be able to convert some of the visual novel fanatics with the cheap price and interesting premises as compelling points."

"O-oh," Shiori sputtered out, "can I help you? I can write down the premises for you."

After all, she had memorized the description of literally ever book she's ever touched, and while her typing speed wasn't as fast as Keima's, she was sure she could keep up with the work load.

The God of Conquests gave her a glance, then slid the laptop towards her. He pointed at one of the elements of the web page. "So this is where you input..."

Chapter 11: Be His Assistant for the Day - Complete!

Shiori was on shift at the help desk that day. Usually, when that would happen, Keima would occupy a table close to it just 'cause she liked it that way. That was fortunate for her because of what she needed to attempt in order to complete the Fortnight steps.

She looked to the boy next to her. He was a fellow library committee member. Unfortunately, his plain face and his common name made him rather unremarkable, but it suited her purposes well.

She followed the book's advice. She had worn a bit of make-up that day, just enough to brighten up her features but not so brazenly as to attract the ire of the public morals committee. Whenever he'd ask her for help regarding where to place the returned books, she'd giggle loudly, giving him gentle touches to his shoulder, his back, and his arms when she could, all while flashing him a bright smile.

By the end of the day, the boy had warmed up to her significantly. "I-I didn't know you were this nice, Shiomiya-senpai. Thanks for taking care of me today. Are you sure you can handle clean-up by yourself?"

"Yes, I'll see you at the next committee meeting, Tanaka-kun." With one last giggle, the boy went on his way, and once the doors were closed, it was just her and Keima left in the library.

As Shiori turned around to clean up her work station, she could here footsteps coming from behind. Before she could turn around, she felt a hand on her shoulder and breath tickle her ear.

"...Were you trying to make me jealous?" she could hear Keima say in a measured tone.

Silence. Shiori was frozen in place. Had she gone too far? She didn't think she did...

Right when Shiori was about to curse the Fortnight author for ruining the good chemistry she had with her crush, Keima stepped back and said, "I don't know what guide you're following, but I don't think you're doing it right."

What followed was a thirty minute long lecture about captures and flag sequencing. It wasn't how Shiori quite pictured this section of the book going, but watching Keima ramble about his game terminology still made her smile, so she chalked it up as a success.

Chapter 12: Flirt... with Someone Else - Complete!

Chapter 13: Make Your Move

They were in Shiori's house. Specifically, Shiori's room. Shiori's parents were out to attend a medical conference, and they had left the house in her care. They wouldn't be back until the end of the week, so the pair found it to be the perfect time to tune up Shiori's PC. While it had served the bookworm well when it came to doing her homework and writing book descriptions for their blog, it had started to show its age, chugging whenever her word processor had to open a document that was more than a few pages long.

She had opened up her PC tower for Keima's inspection the other day, and today, he had brought a box of components. Keima mentioned something about having to swap out her dying HH-Double Doohickey and replacing it with a Super Sonic Disc or something, but all that went over her head. She just enjoyed watching Keima work, pulling out parts and ribbons like clockwork.

She also liked doing things for him, so the librophile went downstairs and fixed him a cup of coffee. She had secretly finessed the Katsuragi coffee techniques from the matriarch, and with a little charm and promises to keep Keima out of trouble, the girl managed to get a small bag of coffee beans for free. Shiori hoped she'd be able to surprise her beloved with a little taste of home away from home.

A handful of minutes later, Shiori had a nice, aromatic brew of coffee come pouring out of the French press's spout. She slipped in milk for the texture, and instead of adding sweetener - Mari stresssed that part - Shiori added a little bit of raw cocoa powder just to add a little extra bite of bitterness to the drink.

She placed that mug of brew on one end of a serving tray, and on the other sat hers. Unlike Keima's drink, Shiori liked her coffee as sweet as her beloved - one-hundred percent. She didn't want to get diabetes at an early age, so she didn't make her own coffee too often, but when she did, she could go through a surprising amount of sugar cubes.

Satisfied with her labor of love, Shiori ascended the stairs.

Her hands full, the librarian had no choice but to say, "Keima, can you open the door for me?"

"One second." After a few moments of waiting in front of her room, Keima opened the door, and Shiori could tell the exact millisecond Keima smelled what she had made. "...When did Mom teach you?"

"She made me promise to keep it a secret," Shiori said, following Keima into her room.

She gingerly placed the tray next to her monitor as Keima stood in front of the keyboard. The nerd took the mug in his hand and gave it a good swig. The hum of approval was all Shiori needed to make her feel warm inside.

With a few button presses, Shiori was greeted by the same old desktop wallpaper that she had no idea how to change.

"That about does it," Keima said, placing the coffee back on its tray. "Is there anything else? Because if there isn't..."

Shiori had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She had promised him that she'd play one of his games _with audio_ after reluctantly admitting she enjoyed the prose of the last game. As much as she had indoctrinated him into the world of books, Keima tried just as hard to get her to see the beauty of his games.

Even though it was usually sensory overload for her, she usually went along with it.

Usually. That day, she had different plans.

With one last glance at the Fortnight book that sat on her bookshelf, Shiori jumped at Keima, tackling his midsection. She wasn't a very heavy girl, but she had enough momentum to send the pair tumbling onto her bed.

She remembered to spread out the nice sheets this time.

She crawled her way up to Keima's face and planted her lips on his. It tasted just like the coffee she had made for him but sweeter. Maybe it was because they usually hung out in public. Maybe it was because Shiori didn't want to bite off more than she could chew, but despite how close the two had become ever since that trip to Dezini Sea, they hadn't kissed since.

Their previous kisses had also been short and chaste, usually due to her shyness or the fact that they were forty-six meters in the air.

All that resulted in her bottled up passion pouring forth. She allowed herself to deepen the kiss. One hand reached out to cup his cheek while the other felt the breadth of his chest.

Shiori had to resist the urge to yelp as Keima's own hands pulled her deeper, his lips moving in tandem with hers. The flush that sat on Shiori's cheeks grew three times deeper.

Did he just... kiss her back?

Reluctantly, she drew away, going from lying on top of him to straddling his sides. Shiori was in a daze, struggling to regain her breath. Shiori couldn't think straight. All she could see, all she could feel, was him.

Her voice felt shaky, but she managed to gather enough composure to say, "Go out with me, Keima."

She almost fell over when Keima raised himself up, propping himself up on his hands. Her hands instinctively reached for his shoulders to stabilize herself.

"...is this the right path? I can see a bit of 2D in you. In your devotion to your books. In the care you show to your underclassmen. In the love you show me," Keima murmured to himself. Shiori didn't quite know what he was talking about, but she chose to keep quiet. "For the first time in a long time, I'm not sure about the ending, but... I'll take a chance on you."

Keima leaned in towards her, and she felt enveloped in his warmth.

Chapter 14: Confess - Complete!

All other connections have now been severed.

Shiori End.

So... yeah. There it is. We've reached the first ending, and Shiori stands atop the mountain victorious. Now I can tag this story as complete and go on hiatus for another year :D

Jokes aside, I couldn't really touch on too many plot points since I didn't want to write a 10k long chapter (and potential spoilers regarding how Keima escaped Kanon's jaws), but I hope it was satisfying enough.

Honestly, I'm rather nervous releasing this - even more nervous than when I released the last chapter. I anxiously await your responses.