(Inside the Cathedral of Causality)

Deuxy? Are you alright?

Idiot! Something must be going on! Don't interrupt him!

Tch! Screw you, Aqua! I want to know what's happening too!

Stupid mole! Hope you get punished for being nosy!

Enough!

Wahhh!

D-D-Deuxy!?

The competitors have done well, but it is time.

Eh… for what exactly, Deuxy? Does your reunion with the biggy red lizard have something to do with it?

That matter does not concern you, Muru Muru. Aqua, refrain from bringing humans into my realm for now. There is an important matter that needs to be addressed within the Cathedral.

B-but… I already have seven people waiting…

Then I suggest you deal with them with haste.

S-sure! No problem, Deux Ex Machina!

Buh…

Review Response:

TheGenesis: (NirvFrk97): We very appreciate it :D

Abyss Trinity: (NirvFrk97): Hopefully these last few months haven't starved you…

Lucius: (NirvFrk97): I knew GTO was gonna make an appearance, but I was surprised that Itherael brought him in so soon. He originally said he was coming in later in the story.

Time Masters: (NirvFrk97): She'll be his support in her own way, though right now she's gotta better his view of her. She's in the negatives right now for what she did to him in laughing about his wish in his face.

vietnamese guy: (NirvFrk97): Haha, not exactly. Deus Ex was merely stating that GS was like both Ayanokouji and Hikigaya in that he's capable of changing people around him, which he is if you read Goblin Slayer. Like Deus Ex said, he met that requirement, but his stunted character from his childhood trauma eliminated him as a viable replacement. GS served as a reference and small teaser since we wrote that when Itherael was smitten for Goblin Slayer. He was late to the party on that one.

Lawoi: (NirvFrk97): Aren't we all slowly reaching our deaths as each day passes? Sorry for the long wait then, and the long wait now, it's just that life gets in the way a lot. Itherael, the Chad he has become, can attest to that.

EiNyx: (NirvFrk97): You might be exaggerating with GTO right there, friend. Sure he's from an old series, but what does he do that other characters after him don't? Let's not forget that he's not that old either, he's barely any older than his own students. Is it inappropriate? Of course. Is it disturbing? Mildly if you take it too seriously. He's nowhere near archaic as you put him out to be, modern ecchi anime can attest to that. Besides, his jarring presence is the point of his appearance in the series and it'll change as the story progresses.

Just be patient. If you can't, we won't lose any sleep.

ArmantusCumPinnae: (NirvFrk97): This story will have horribly slow updates but it will never be abandoned. Itherael's too stubborn and I'll nag him if he ever decided to not give LiMS any love.

2theMoon: (NirvFrk97): It was 7 months this time, but who's counting? ;p

Guest 1: (NirvFrk97): Thank Itherael, he's the slave dri- er, genius who brings in all these characters.

Lady Dalila: (NirvFrk97): Aqua's relationship with 8man will take its time to mend, she's pretty bad off even if 8man says otherwise. She'll have to fix it herself.

And never underestimate old animes. JoJo is from the mid 80s and look how beloved it became since SDC made it huge. Berserk is an all-time classic and influential as hell too and it's from the late 80s.

Guest 2: (NirvFrk97): You can wait? Oh boy, does that help in us not feeling as bad…

Echonic: (NirvFrk97): Wait, that other reviewer wasn't joking? It really took 4 hours!? Oh man, that gives me mixed feelings, haha. Especially since the long waits force you guys to reread…

Yep, Onizuka stole a few scenes from Miura but it also provided her some time with 8man too. Isn't it true to life that some people can derail your plans? And, uh, sorry, but Kasumigaoka's pretty important to the story. She's gonna have to be prominent, hopefully this chapter helps out in your patience with her. Lala's chapter apparently helped others appreciate her if their reviews are to be believed, hopefully the same strikes true for Kasumigaoka.

Sorry about any wishes for Hiratsuka though, Hikigaya can't visit her because of their lack of relationship. He has to think about her too, what would others think if a student that never spoke of her in school suddenly visited her in the hospital. Rumor-mongering sucks.

Espers will be a looooong while from now.

Maaaybe~

cell: (NirvFrk97): Gotta explain more, my dude. We don't know what you mean by that.

AndyBurgundy: (Itherael): I suppose we'll have to wait and see if that happens, no?

The Epic Legion: (NirvFrk97): I was just as surprised at GTO's debut as you were.

I have a soft spot for Mikan's interactions with 8man, though I will admit that we wrote ourselves into a corner the first time we attempted that scene. Had to change things up because of it. But the chase scene was fun too. I like writing 8man losing his shit like that, and Miura terrifying everyone in her immediate vicinity was as funny as it was anime as hell.

Now she does, at least. 8man took good care of Iori for Yakumo.

Sweet Lulu-chan: (NirvFrk97): He's totes an idiot. But he's helpful in his own unique way if Itherael is to be believed.

I'm more of a dog person, but 8man's softness for cats is nice.

Meckly: (NirvFrk97): I'll do you one better! Gureto desu yo, koitsu wa!

shiroryuu012: (NirvFrk97): I kid you not, Itherael nagged me into including the "Shit, here we go again…" reference. He was so pitiful when begging that I just had to give it to him.

We took even longer this time. Can't even blame the epidemic all that much either, we started writing this well into February I think. Sorry…

Guest 3: (NirvFrk97): We've got your fix.

Epic Snow: (NirvFrk97): Itherael is good with characters that aren't 8man. ;p (Though he's gradually getting better at it)

BentShuriken: (Itherael): Does Hachiman have any chance? Well, the only way to really succeed is to be unfair against a foe that surpasses you in certain aspects, wouldn't you say?

Yeah, Lala is top tier waifu. And well… Aqua still has a long way to go. And to that, I agree.

Guest 4: (NirvFrk97): Really depends on what strikes Itherael's fancy. Jokes aside, there will be more, they're just surprises it is all.

Masquer Q: (NirvFrk97): Stay tuned. :D

Lektorr: (Itherael): Gracias por tu comentario, mi buen amigo.

CacciaFulmini: (NirvFrk97): I'm glad you aren't getting bored at least. It's a long story, ain't it?

WhiteHero: (NirvFrk97): You know too much!

(Itherael): No shit.

HarryCollins: (NirvFrk97): *shipping war intensifies*

tsun: (Itherael): Indeed, Onizuka has a lot of work to do.

I agree, he had no obligation, much less when the weather was that bad, but I assure you this isn't Utaha's fault at all. You'll get with the chapter below. Body heat? Who knows?

prietar: (NirvFrk97): 8man be sneaking when it comes to the Service Club. He scared.

Yamma: (NirvFrk97): All I really have to say is that I applaud you for making it this far for a story you don't seem to like. I'm not being a smart ass about it either, I wouldn't have your patience to get this far if I didn't like how it was set up from the very beginning. And you've dealt with it for a lot of chapters now.

(Itherael): It's a matter of opinion in the end, but calling a story 'trash' that so many other people enjoy is outright disrespectful. I suggest you search for stories that comply with your preferences, and save yourself the "bad experience".

jam99chgo: (Itherael): Alright my friend, many times I have thought about that, but I want to convey a message with every chapter, so short updates don't help me in that regard. I can assure you one thing however, Haruno will have her time shine.

Sven Vollfield: (NirvFrk97): Thanks for sticking with us, it's appreciated.

Bell-kun: (Itherael): I got the reference.

JerichoCross: (Itherael): That's the point, no? Everyone has to be themselves.

adv: (NirvFrk97): We hope we don't disappoint.

PhatomRPG: (Itherael): Yeah, there's a lot to happen with GTO and our favorite MC. Can't spoil anything my friend, but you won't be disappointed.

(Risette): Thanks! I'll be sure to use them when the interviews come.

exile0021: (NirvFrk97): You have our thanks.

NaWaTsurai: (NirvFrk97): We're glad we subverted your expectations. But our story was recommended to you? Truly? That actually makes me feel a bit happy that it's good enough for others to recommend.

(Itherael): Prepare to be amazed!

stormsyaf: (NirvFrk97): We're glad you like it. We're trying to really take advantage of the fact that 8man doesn't know anybody either, I feel it helps readers in that they're meeting these new faces along with 8man. Plus, it helps garner interest in other series, that's a plus.

Alas, we cannot ignore people who don't like what we write, good reader. They have every right to express their feelings on our story like anyone else.

Dimiel: (Itherael): Not many people have seen GTO, since it's an old anime, but if I'm to be honest, it's the one that got into me actually liking anime as much as I do now. It's greato for me, so if you have the chance, watch. You'll enjoy it.

Aqua is well, it's not the Aqua we all know and love since she still holds her comfortable status within the realm of gods, so she basically doesn't understand what humans have to go through.

Thanks and despite the wait, here you go.

NPwall: (NirvFrk97): You have our thanks.

JustARegularGuy: (NirvFrk97): You'll find that the newer characters from other series, as opposed to pre-existing ones, are only just starting their story when it comes to meeting 8man. That's the case with Onizuka. Aqua was easy enough since 8man ain't dying and going to an Isekai, haha.

8man's shock is what kept him from acting between Utaha and Miura, he couldn't believe that it was happening because of him. It's not really OOC seeing how he's been culled by the Fire Queen in canon, and he was internally freaking out when she and Kawasaki were arguing. The dude always backs down when he faces an overwhelming force.

Markus-Antonius: (NirvFrk97): We're glad you enjoyed it.

Guest 356 (No seriously, that's their name): (NirvFrk97): We're really happy that the story gives you plenty of amusement. And don't worry, I'm shocked that this is still the intro arc too. But we've finally reached the end of it. Huzzah!

RookiesCookies: (NirvFrk97): We always do that's the problem, haha. Itherael's got life and other stories to worry about.

RayDjok: (NirvFrk97): Unfortunately, Totsuka isn't gonna be too important to the story.

Arcane Valor: (NirvFrk97): We're glad we drew a laugh out of you :D

BorderLand: (Itherael): I do agree with your first comment. Twins, eh? That would make an interesting story.

Man of culture, huh? Respect. And Deux knows his shit, he's the god of time after all.

Yeah, Miura is a cutie pie… when she wants to be at least. Now, well, let's hope she's not. I'm glad you liked the story, I really appreciate it.

The world had become insane all of a sudden, no? Maybe it's protecting itself from us? To all of you, stay safe and be cautious. Our families' well-being depends on how responsible we are. I know we'll make it through this crisis.

Another long wait, and for that I apologize. Real life is way more difficult for everybody now, but writing is my passion, and more chapters will continue to come regardless.

On a side note, FanFiction had manage to become far more stupid, making my picture links useless. So I suggest that you go directly to my deviantArt account: "MakerOfSouls", and enter my gallery, where the pics are separated in folders for each chapter. FanFiction just likes to make "sharing a different experience" more difficult. The song links still work, thankfully.

Anyhow, enjoy.

-Frank

NirvFrk97: Hope you appreciate my commitment in writing this even towards the start of Finals Week. :p

Logic is My Sword

Chapter 09: A Love Interview With Kasumigaoka Utaha

9-0

If one searched for a way to define love, they would find that it describes compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals. In its various forms, love acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts. Love has been postulated to be a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.

(Source: Wikipedia search.)

If there's a concept that I would hesitate, if not outright refuse, to try and decipher, it's love. I wouldn't be so presumptuous to attempt to explain something that is so foreign to me. It would be nothing less than pretentious for me to even make a comment when I understand nothing of love as a whole.

Well, no, that's not entirely right, is it? I'm simply speaking of not understanding romantic love. When it comes to love outside of romance, I am familiar with some of the notions of them.

Like, familial love.

I know that I love Komachi, as well as my parents; I have never doubted that, nor did I ever feel the need to question it. I want them to be happy and, at the risk of not sounding too sappy, I know that I'll always love them. Komachi is my precious little sister, and my parents, even with them not being around, matter to me. Even if the old man is an idiot most of the time…

Forget about existing, my first indubitable truth is knowing that I love Komachi!

Haa~ That must have earned me plenty of Hachiman points!

Ahem. But familial love is simply one portion of the broad spectrum that entails 'love.' It does not encompass the entirety of it, but perhaps it helps me discover more about it? Like my love for our pet.

I love Kamakura even knowing that it isn't reciprocated, nor shall it ever be. I would dote on Kamakura and relish the rare affections he would give me when he deigns it appropriate. Wait… Isn't that just an abusive relationship!? Is that what it means to love something unconditionally!? Why have I never had a problem with this before!? Why am I okay with such a one-sided bond that will end with me depleted and alone!?

Does that mean that dogs really are the better pet!?

No, Hachiman! There's no need for an existential crisis, your love for Kamakura stems from the natural human empathy for smaller animals and your admiration (read: jealousy) of him living the life that you want. It is that reason that you prefer felines; dogs are needy and demand your constant attention, cats take what they want and only interact with you at their whims.

Phew… I almost thought something blasphemous there… But I came out learning that this love is similar to that of familial love. In fact, many cases of love are the same as well. My love of particular foods, colors, music, and plenty of other types of things; they're all fundamentally similar. The familial love I have comes from the ideal of having a place to come home to, which makes me happy. The love for the aforementioned objects mentioned before is also due to their effects on me; if I didn't enjoy them, I wouldn't attach myself to them. One could say that that's the first sign of the selfishness of love.

But what about people outside of your family? Are the stipulations the same? Logic dictates that it must be, although obviously with some alterations. Let's focus on unromantic love first.

One could say that this sort of love is a step underneath a family's but higher than material objects. However, it has the capability to reach the importance of familial love if one is able to level up their Social Links high enough. Familial ties have early advantages by already being maxed out (of course, they can still be destroyed), however something like friends has the growth potential to rise to that level as well.

Or at least, that's what I've been told by mass media and videogames. Surely they wouldn't lie about that just to make an income, right?(lol)

In any case, this is sort of a more unfamiliar territory for me, rather, it's uncharted territory to be more accurate. I'm at the chaotic frontier of (unromantic) love for other people outside of my family, I can see the vast horizon that it entails, but I do not know what makes up what is actually inside of it. Like a great forest, I can see how far it spreads, but unless I walk through it, I am unable to determine anything else. This is where I find myself right now.

After the car accident during first year, I had accepted the fact that I wasn't meant to make friends and that I would be better off alone. On occasion, I still complain that being on my own would be less troubling, and yet… I find myself thinking that I wouldn't trade what I had for the solitary life I once coveted.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, joining the Service Club is what led to that change.

Joining the club led me to care about others. Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, Isshiki; they're important to me. They mattered to me, and together we had decided to struggle together to determine what exactly that entailed. I believe this old saying that states that one doesn't know what they have until they lose it is what helps make it easier for me to say that these three counted as probable friends, though a certain Ice Queen would no doubt reject me.

Does that translate that I love them? N-no way! Well… technically, it could be said that I did…? I mean, I care for them and I value their opinions… Gah! This is so confusing! And I'm getting kind of embarrassed here… geez…

L-look! Caring for others is a form of love, and it wouldn't be too far to liken it to a younger sibling. S-so without beating around the bush, it could be said that I 'love' them as close acquaintances.

Also, if you expect me to readily say that to them, you're in for major disappointment, you knoooow!

But when I think of Belldandy though… and her kindness…

Compassionate, that's the easiest way to describe Belldandy. In fact, one could argue that she has an unconditional love for all things. It doesn't need to have a reason, and it doesn't need to factor in ties with others. Belldandy cares for everything and everyone, and has no inclination to leave anybody behind no matter what. I have a feeling that even if someone wronged her, she wouldn't spite them and would continue to be considerate of them.

She's more courageous than I'll ever be in that regard. But, I do worry for her. That sort of life leaves her open to pain, the sort of pain that I wouldn't want her to experience.

Ack, if I'm thinking of her this way then that really means that I care about her too, huh? And if that's the case, in a way 'love' factors in here too… geez…

Argh… I'm getting a headache because of this… I think I covered as much as I could with that.

Unromantic love is one thing, but when you add romance into the mix… Things get messy. Romantic love is a wild card compared to the previous forms, it carries a sort of instability that throws everything into a twist. That's not to say the unromantic versions are impervious to negativity, but romantic love is an entirely different beast. They are at the same time different as they are similar to each other.

I guess that it can be similar to family love? Couples do care for one another and they strive to reach some kind of "happiness" together… whatever that means. Of course, this kind of love involves an intimacy that goes beyond caring for someone like family and friendship. So it's not entirely the same.

By definition, love refers to a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment towards another. On the surface that would imply that all three categories are the same, right? They share prerequisites for attractions and attachments, so one could speculate that it makes them the same, right?

But that's wrong. The love towards a mother fundamentally differs from the love for a spouse, which in turn differs from the love of food. They share attributes but there is a crucial difference that separates one another. I couldn't say what this difference is, because romantic love is even more unfamiliar to me than it's unromantic counterpart. Whereas I liken love without romance to uncharted territory, romance is outright undiscovered. It's like how the westerners in the 'Old World' saw North and South America prior to its "discovery," nonexistent.

To put it simply, I have no experience with it. I can't deny I've felt attracted to the opposite sex several times… as any healthy teen of my age would, but such instances were only superficial attractions fueled by my budding hormones, and not any of them developed further than that since I got rejected countless times…

Orimoto Kaori is the best example of it. However the emotion I felt for her was simple infatuation, a superficial form of romantic love. I hardly think I was 'in love' with her. Her nice treatment made me misunderstand my position, and so, I didn't even make it to her circle of friends. Such naivety on my part really.

Oh wait, I'm digressing.

Theoretically speaking, this strange feeling encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepests interpersonal affection and to the simplest pleasure. But that's not all.

This type of love can be considered as a positive and negative: with its virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection, as 'the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another;' and its vice representing human moral flaw, akin to vanity, selfishness, amour-propre, and egotism, as it potentially leads people into a type of mania, obsessiveness or codependency.

In other words, romantic love comes in many types of subcategories. Some are theoretically good, some can lead to bad ones. Love can lead to obsession, thus it leads to death (usually figuratively) in most cases. Love often leads to jealousy, and if unrequited, it can create an endless source of hate and depression. It's not all wine and roses.

If I want to talk about the negative side of love, I'd look no further than Gasai Yuno. My emotion wipe over what happened that night may have removed any sense of fear and hatred I had for the woman, but it doesn't mean I'll sweep what took place under the rug. Her 'love' or rather, her obsession with me led her to do morally bankrupt things in the name of that depraved 'love.' Thing is… she's convinced that the love she speaks of is true, and even if it's correct to label her as obsessed, her belief that it is love makes it true.

Gasai isn't the only one to hold this type of love. The world is vast, perhaps there are people who are even worse, or at least willing to sink into further depths than she does. While she's capable of traversing that abyss, I was at least able to talk her out of doing so before. I wouldn't go far as to say I'm capable of 'bringing her to the light,' I'm not that presumptuous, but at the very least I know that she can be somewhat tempered.

It's funny, they say that the opposite of love isn't actually hatred but instead it is just on the other side of the same spectrum. This is said because hatred and love share the amount of attention the object of focus is given; people go out of their way to think of loved ones just as often as they focus on their hatred for others. It's like I once said, you can only fight with people who you are close to; you can only hate people if they matter to you in some way or if they're against something that you care for. So that means that the opposite of love isn't hatred, it's indifference. When a person doesn't even register in your mind, that's the antithesis of loving a person.

And that's what makes it funny. I don't hate Gasai while she 'loves' me; I made myself indifferent to her. What we currently think of each other is truly polarizing.

But that's the bad, it's the stuff my regular cynicism is easily able to tackle. The good, well, that's even 'scarier' to think about.

Just thinking that has me recall that both Miura, and even Deviluke hold romantic feelings towards me in this world. It's almost too much to take. Both have confessed to me already, and Deviluke has been more vocal about her love… The former is 'easier' to handle because it's sort of transference, but the latter is a different case.

I have nothing but empty ideals to advise me how to test those waters. I don't know what to think or even how to; I know that Hiratsuka-sensei said that emotions can't be easily understood, but that only really adds to the anxiety.

Should I treat it like how I do that genuine thing I wanted? Just trust that I'll know how to differentiate what people refer to as actual love or mere infatuation?

…

I'm not sure why I'm even thinking about that. It's not like I can reciprocate their feelings because of the game… And when I don't have those feelings myself… if I'll ever have them for anybody.

9-1

Sakura City. Well… what else is there to say other than it looks really busy, even at this later hour? Regardless of the heavy rain, people roamed the wet streets from one place to another, most geared with either umbrellas or raincoats.

It doesn't elude me that many glances came my way due to the 'unique' umbrella I was using… There's nothing to see here, dammit! Can't I use an item from the time of our ancestors? And why the heck would that girl give me an umbrella from the Edo period anyway!? I know it's a collectible of some sort but still…

I can't really complain too much, at least this thing isn't just looks and works effectively against the rain.

The city had wide avenues and small places to sit and eat, or relax, abandoned at the current time given the rainy weather. It was simply urban, just like I'd imagined -tall buildings in an exact grid pattern. Ubiquitous skyscrapers were smudged by the cloud-filled sky, no dying sunlight, no birds. Cars raced between red traffic lights, stubbornly flickering in the grey, accompanied by splashes of water moving along with them.

And here I am, standing in the middle of the commercial area within the city, where many restaurants, cafes, hotels and entertainment-related facilities were concentrated.

Just… What am I doing here…? I know this is the seventh time I asked myself that today, and it had endured through the whole journey. Well, at least I had Kasumigaoka's story to read during the train ride. I even managed to finish the first volume and get started on the next one.

Can't deny it, it's certainly enjoyable to read, and Sakuya-chan, the female lead, has finally shown unexpected sharp mannerisms by the end of the first book. I think there is more to her than was let on so far. Also, some new heroine appeared in the prologue of the second volume, and I can already see her becoming an archrival to Sakuya-chan.

It's funny to think that scary woman actually wrote something like this… well, they do say that geniuses are eccentric in some ways, so I guess it can't be helped.

Before I could proceed to chapter 1 though, the automatic doors of the somewhat empty train were opened, interrupting my reading. I honestly wished the ride would have taken a bit longer… since I momentarily forgot my current predicament, which was solving my current situation with Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Argh…! Why did I agree to this!? I could have been at home enjoying a warm meal and buried underneath the kotatsu! And yet here I am like an idiot in an unfamiliar city, and in still damp clothing. It may be because I'm that much of an idiot that I didn't catch a cold.

Heh…

Well, now that I'm here in a city unknown to me, I may as well see things through. If there's anything I hate more than having others waste my time, it's me pointlessly wasting it instead.

With a reluctant sigh, I searched for the directions I was given by Machida-san. My phone still has enough battery for me to input the address into my map application. Huh, never thought I'd ever have to say that before today.

That reminds me, Usui mentioned some app, didn't he? What was its name? Well, it's not like I have an immediate use for it that I'd need to download it now anyway. Maybe in the hotel I'll be staying at, I can do it there after borrowing a charger.

Whatever the case, I should head there as soon as I can to deal with this thing already.

"Ugh, what a pain…"

9-2

Oh, isn't this just perfect…?

Not even fifteen minutes into my arrival and I can't figure out where that damned hotel the women are supposed to be in. And because I'm not an idiot, I didn't attempt to trek further into the urban jungle and remained close to the station as my only landmark. But because I was an idiot, I refused to let a city that wasn't my beloved Chiba get the better of me and did not move to make a retreat.

Hah… I have to call that nosy woman, don't I?

I pull out my phone with great hesitation and search for Machida Sonoko-san's contact information. My finger hovers over the call icon. I turn away and press it with gritted teeth, the sound of the dial the only indication that I successfully made the call.

And after a few moments, "Hello, Hiki-kun. Didn't expect the call." I narrow my eyes as she chuckles over the phone. "Where are you? It's getting late."

I unconsciously scowl at the familiar sounding nickname, but this time prevent myself from lashing out like I did to Usui. I didn't like anyone calling me that in this world, but I balled my fist regardless.

"Ah, Machida-sama," Taking a page out of my foxy kohai, my voice seemed playful but there was a clear undertone of my annoyance being broadcasted, "If you could help this Hikigaya Hachiman with the directions to your hotel, it would deeply be appreciated."

"Hurry the hell up and tell me where you are." Was basically what I was saying. All I was missing was the thousand-watt smile.

She lets another laugh come out before responding, "Well, since you're asking so nicely, I may have to relent. Where are you exactly?"

I look around, barely distinguishing my surroundings due to the rainy night, only noting some sort of entrance to a shopping mall with the name Ace Diamond. Wait, like the sports manga?

"Well, I'm by a mall close to the station."

"There are two shopping malls near the station. Be more detailed, please?"

I repress a groan at her teasing tone, "Unless it's owned by a certain fictional loud-mouthed pitcher, it'd be in legal trouble for copyright infringement."

I'll support Sawamura's road in becoming a true Ace forever!

"Really?" She makes a humming sound, "Since when are you so cryptic?" With a sigh out of her system, she then responds, "Well if you brought up a pitcher, then I suppose you're referring to Ace Diamond? That's the name of some sort of baseball team, right?"

"Probably," I respond uncaringly, just wanting to get the directions.

"Well, you're close to us at least. Can you see the cafe two buildings down the block?"

I turn to follow where she wants to lead me, and indeed I find a cafe a short distance from me, "I see it. Is that the place?"

I notice someone waving at me through the window, "That sexy woman waving at you, can you see her?" Her tone becomes playful, "If you can, then you're correct!"

"Oh?" I can't help but pipe up wryly, "Did you bring a friend along?"

Dear me, I am flirting with danger, aren't I?

"Hehe, yeah, she's a bit aggressive, you know that?" Her voice takes a sharp tone, "I'd love for you to meet her."

Wait, she's still going with this farce? Isn't she supposed to be scolding me, or pouting that I didn't bother playing along with her tune? Is this the gap between a woman and a teenage girl? W-were we flirting without me realizing it!?

"Er, well, I didn't come here as a pleasure trip," I lose the steam I initially had.

"Just get your butt over here already," She mutters before ending the call abruptly.

What just happened? Why did she stop all of a sudden? I've been conditioned to think that women take advantage of any sign of weakness that a man displays in order to wrap them around their fingers. I just stumbled here and she didn't strike?

I'd thank the RomCom Gods for watching over me, but I feel like this instance of luck is more of an omen…

I finally head inside, not before closing that Edo-esque umbrella. I'm greeted with a warm atmosphere, soft music and barely any people within. Most tables were lined at the side of the large windows at my left, with two long couches each, a long counter occupying the other side.

I spot the woman and approach her after releasing a short sigh, finally getting a look at her. She was attractive by all means, sporting chin-length dark blue hair and matching light-blue eyes. She wore a black work blazer over a white button up shirt, a black knee pencil skirt and long black stockings. She certainly had the outlook of a corporate sla— I mean, a self-respecting office worker(lol).

Well, it's clear that she's older than what Deus Ex stated his creation being, that's for sure.

"Oh, Hiki-kun. Didn't expect you," The woman —who I assume is Machida Sonoko-san— says with a grin despite the fact that it was already established that I'd come. Aren't you the reason why I'm here, woman!?

And I still don't like your usage of that name!

"Were you expecting another fellow of high quality like me?" I couldn't help but snark back, "They're pretty hard-pressed to find. Although the fact that you asked another underage student to visit you this late might be a bit risque, don't you think?"

She cocks an eyebrow in amusement, "That's the last thing I'd do since someone would kill me in the blink of an eye. I'm just here to make sure my writer's problems are resolved."

Given my growing familiarity with Kasumigaoka's character, I feel inclined to agree just a bit.

"How noble," I grunt and then look around while asking, "Where's Kasumigaoka then?"

She points a finger to a corridor some tables behind her, "In the toilet. She excused herself just a moment ago. Her friend Yukihira was calling so I think she wanted some privacy."

Reminded about the redhead's actions during his send-off party, I gave a snort, "That guy's definition of privacy is a lot looser than the average person's. With me here, at least we know he's not broadcasting to anyone else. Probably."

Machida-san raises a brow before motioning her head for me to take a seat, "I suppose…" She glances at my umbrella, "So… were you time traveling before coming here?"

I sit in front of her, giving a click of my tongue, "Let's just say that the person who lent this to me might be even more oblivious to contemporary style than I am."

"Is that person Doraemon?" She asks with a smirk, "The cosmic cat?"

I chuckled a bit, "You're doing it wrong Machida-san. When you make those kinds of references, you have to be vague about it; there's no fun in just giving me the answer."

The woman folds her arms, "It's not like I would know the norms of otakus."

Hey, now…

"Oi. Who's the otaku? I'll have you know that I can apply that method to historical figures as well." I felt the need to defend myself. "An otaku wouldn't bother leaving their cave and come to this wonderful city on a rainy night."

She snickers, before taking a sip of her coffee. Hehh… maybe I should order one for myself too, I could certainly use a hot beverage. The wonderful drink I was given earlier had long since run dry during my trek here.

"So… now that you're here, you can settle your affair with Shi-chan once and for all," She leans towards me over the table. "It's time for you to satisfy all her needs."

I silently stare at the woman in slight disbelief. What the heck is with that phrasing, woman?

I clear my throat, "…I don't know about satisfying needs, but I do know I'm here to make things right with Kasumigaoka."

She stares at me for a moment, before leaning back on the long couch, "Of course I was referring to that, Hiki-kun. So, what exactly happened?"

My first instinct is to outright reject the woman's inquiry on the matter because frankly it wasn't any of her business, but I hesitate. I don't know my relationship with this woman. While I doubt she's my confidant, she has ties to Kasumigaoka and could be something like a mentor to her. Although it's also just as likely to not be the case. Either way, I'm familiar enough with the woman, and women in general, to know that they do not like blabbermouths, so there's only one good way to proceed.

"I doubt Kasumigaoka would like me breaching her privacy like this. I'm not Yukihira, after all. You'd be better off asking her instead, I already have enough things to apologize for as it is." I choose the neutral option. I don't entirely reject Machida-san and at the same time, I still look considerate towards Kasumigaoka.

The woman tilts her head, "Well, if it's something personal, I'm not one to pry on it." She rests her elbows over the table and smiles, "Should I order you some coffee? Seeing your clothes, I can assume your 'traditional' umbrella didn't work much."

I grunt in affirmative, and take the offer for the free beverage, "I'd appreciate something sweet and decaffeinated, thanks."

I've already had coffee before, the last thing I want to do is confront Kasumigaoka while hyper from the excess caffeine. I'd die of embarrassment if my eye twitched in the middle of our inevitable conversation; I'd lose all credibility.

The woman nods her head, "Sure, She looks around and frowns, "Where's the waiter?" After grumbling, she turns to me again, "Let me take care of that."

Standing up, she takes a couple of steps away when suddenly, the woman looks at me over her shoulder with an unexpected sharp gaze, "Say Hiki-kun? Do you do something after school? I have this part-time job and I think someone like you would be good for it." I open my mouth to respond, yet she cuts me off, "Nope, think about it first. The money is good… fufufu…"

Machida leaves after that and I'm left in yet another unexpected situation.

A part-time job? Me? What could I possibly do for a professional editor as a high school student?

And besides, I've never been able to hold onto my old part time jobs because of my adamant position of never wanting to become a corporate slave! Well, laziness factored in too, but it was mainly on the principle of not becoming my parents!

Although I don't think I can afford not to have an income… I've been noticing some passive aggressive signs from the Hikigaya Matriarch when it comes to this topic. I think she may have taken my offer to financially support our two invaders seriously. Crap… I thought that was forgotten when I had Deviluke mess with their minds…

Doesn't that basically mean I'm basically paying rent for both girls!?

But do I really want to accept the first job offer available without regard to what's expected of me? And what if it calls for me and Kasumigaoka running into each other regularly? Ugh…

I blink, when I suddenly see a cup of coffee being put before me, "There you go, Hiki-kun."

"Ah, thanks," I nod at the older woman, and proceed to test out the drink. Hmm, it's still a bit hot for me so I let it rest for a while longer.

"No problem, it will be reduced from your salary anyway," She winks at me playfully.

I send her a dry look, "I don't remember accepting the offer, Machida-san. Hey, wait, I owe you for the drink you offered to get me?"

"Don't act tsun tsun, besides, you won't get a better part-time job anywhere, I assure you." She responds easily. "Maybe you'd like some insight into it to make you change your mind?"

"I'm open to at least hear you out," I respond plainly with crossed arms.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 01

She crosses her fingers over the table, "You see, thanks to Shi-chan's success, I was promoted to vice editorial chief, which means I'm too busy to take care of her now. Oh, but you know that already."

I feel an uneasy pit in my stomach as I slowly put the pieces together about what she's asking from me, "Right."

"Naturally, I handed Shi-chan over to a new editor. However…" I raise an eyebrow as her eyes are averted, "I got a message the next day from him saying that he couldn't deal with her. I don't have to tell you what happened exactly since you know her better than I do." She chuckles and relaxes over the couch. "So in the end, he got discharged."

"I… see…" I mutter in uncertainty, knowing where this was going.

"While we have a plot submitted already, we can no longer postpone the schedule concerning cooperation with other departments," She sighs, resting a hand on her cheek. "I'm in so much trouble…"

Woman, I can clearly see you trying to manipulate me there. You don't look troubled at all!

"What can I do?" I ask in confusion, "I'm not a professional or anything."

"I… we don't need a professional," She raises a finger as she elaborates, "You see, this job requires certain qualities that someone I know has."

"Great, you can ask them then," I responded wryly. Not feeling up with beating around the bush, I sigh and ask, "And what particular qualities are you talking about?"

She sends me a knowing glance before replying, "You see, a normal person can't handle Utako. After all, her personality is quite unique, as we both know. Besides, she's shy with people."

Utako? Ah, yeah, Kasumi Utako was Kasumigaoka's pen name as a writer.

"That's not really an answer to my question," I say with a raised eyebrow, "It's not like she's required to interact with them for anything more than her story, right?"

"You can say that to her previous editor," She laughs awkwardly. "Well, the person I have in mind happens to be quite audacious and has the prospect of removing her armor with ease."

"Weren't you the one complaining about me being cryptic?" I ask blandly, "What are you asking of me, Machida-san?"

"I first thought of Taki-kun to take the job since he manages Utako's fan page," I narrowed my gaze, failing to recognize the name. She notices my expression and adds, "Your friend Aki, I mean. But I'm sure Utako would hand me his corpse after a couple of days."

"That or she'll quit being a writer entirely because of his annoying personality," I mutter offhandedly.

"Hahaha! She would kill him first before quitting, or maybe she would quit after killing him," She laughs in amusement.

"Either way, the world's a bit quieter afterwards," I huff wryly before reaching for my warm drink.

Her smile widens, "Can't disagree there. Anyway, you'll become Shi-chan's editor, right?"

I raise an eyebrow, "You still haven't told me what I'm supposed to do if I take up the offer."

"Well, basically, you'll have to make sure she's motivated to write, make sure she's responsible with the deadlines, attend interviews, among other things."

"This is starting to sound more like a secretary's position…" I can't help but point that out. And how the heck am I supposed to maintain her muse!?

She shakes her head, "Don't worry, I'll handle most of the paperwork. You just make sure Shi-chan is well-taken care of." She suddenly smiles evilly, which is very scary, "And more importantly, make sure she's… satisfied… when required…"

Stop assuming that I already accepted the job, dammit! And what's with the constant innuendos!?

Argh… I know I can't just outright reject this… Just like with Miura's study sessions, this job provides me a good opportunity to improve my standing with Kasumigaoka. But why's there a constant order for me to keep her satisfied!? Am I supposed to be a slave!?

Ugh… I have to accept, but I can't let this job take over my entire schedule. I have other things to do as well other than being Kasumigaoka's glorified servant.

"If I take this job," I start with no regard to her previous insinuation, "I can't afford to have anything less than a flexible schedule. I'm still a student, Machida-san, I have academic responsibilities to worry about. Unlike Kasumigaoka, writing isn't my career."

Although working from home does sound a bit tempting. Nah… Too much pressure and constant need for originality/creativity…

"Don't worry, Hiki-kun," She says easily, raising a hand as she explains, "This is a part-time job after all. Fushikawa Shoten will take care of your transport and food expenses, and you may handle some things from your house. The money is good, and you can spend more time with your beloved Shi-chan. It's a win-win proposition."

It's sounding like a pretty good offer, but I'm still not satisfied, "What about when I have classes when I have to accompany her to interviews? Am I supposed to just abandon them?"

She folds her arms, making a humming sound, "Maybe, but like Shi-chan, I can come to an agreement with your school's director. Don't you have extremely great grades already?" She leans back, looking relaxed. "Shi-chan spends almost every class sleeping, so it's like she doesn't attend them and she's one of the top students."

"Oi, attendance is important too, woman. As a full-fledged author, Kasumigaoka being in school is more of a matter of choice compared to it being mandatory for me."

She shrugs her shoulders, "I'm sure you can manage, Hiki-kun. You're exceptionally intelligent after all. It would be surprising if you couldn't handle something so… simple."

I'm about to snark back at her before realizing the most important factor that I hadn't even thought about.

"Wait… What does Kasumigaoka think of this?" I ask in sudden bemusement, "We haven't even settled things yet; I doubt she'd sign off on this given our current situation."

"The more for you to fix things with her, right?" She replies with another shrug, "I'm completely sure she'll like the idea, and we do need someone that can deal with her anyway."

"No, wait a second, if you don't have her consent, I obviously can't take the job," I put my hands up in a stopping motion, "I already told you, woman; I'm not planning to add more onto that pi—"

"That's right, I don't want him as my editor."

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Picture 01

We both turn to see the familiar girl, center of this whole predicament. There it was, the black-haired girl with crimson eyes, sporting a white headband, her school uniform and black stockings, holding a phone. Her face suggested she was irritated, which is not that much of a surprise really.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had finally appeared.

"Shi-chan?" Machida-san starts, somewhat startled by her statement.

"Did you set this up?" Kasumigaoka questions darkly. I wisely choose to remain silent.

The editor smiles at her, "No? Why would I?"

She grits her teeth, "Then why…"

"I'm just interviewing the best candidate for the position of Kasumi Utako's editor," She stands on her feet, "Hiki-kun happens to possess the qualities for the job, don't you think?"

She glances at me with a frown, "Not anymore…"

Geez…

"Don't you think this is the time to solve your differe—"

"That's why I came here in the first place," I finally interrupted.

Silence reigns after my claim. The author pins me with a glare of disbelief, "…Is that so? Then what is there to solve?"

"I made a mistake, and you suffered for it," I state outright, cutting straight to the point, "Me prolonging it made it worse. That wasn't fair to you."

Kasumigaoka blinks, a small change in her stance, "Choosing her over me didn't seem like a mistake. It's clear who you prefer."

I keep myself from clicking my tongue, "It wasn't about preference, I just didn't like how the situation had devolved. I won't say I regret defending Miura, but I do regret making you think you were alone. I wasn't mad at you at the time, I was mad at myself and unfairly took it out on you. And my silence for the past few days only made things worse; I was being a child."

This was true in hindsight. The initial anger I held for Kasumigaoka slowly moved towards my alternate self, it was clear that he was the culprit.

"I… I think I'll go get another dessert, hehe," Machida whispers, uncomfortable at our exchange. "I may take a bit, yeah?" And with that she slips away, leaving us alone.

Silence once more comes between us, and Kasumigaoka refused to look at me, her stance suggesting she was trembling. Geez… this isn't good…

"I-I know I slipped badly, but… it really hurt…" She stuttered, holding her arms firmly in an attempt to gain strength, yet she was failing miserably.

I look at her sympathetically, she somewhat reminded me of a vulnerable Yukinoshita. However the comparison was pretty much at surface level. Either way, seeing her like that made me realize just how badly I hurt her. I felt my guilt returning to me in spades. Just because I didn't know her well didn't mean I should have disregarded her feelings. Even if I didn't want it, my words had power over her because of her attachment to my previous self.

Contrary to belief, I didn't really have a plan on what to say to Kasumigaoka. There wasn't a rehearsed line for me to voice in order to best get on her good side. So I preferred to stick with the truth.

"I know," I mutter softly, "I'm sorry for that."

"Does that mean you won't see that girl Miura again?" She asks, the fragility in her voice disappearing, replaced by expectation and something else I couldn't identify.

Geez… I knew that was coming…

Usui already explained to me why my alternate self, and possibly Kasumigaoka, hated Miura and sought to make her life hell through manipulating her feelings. Yukihira's exposition also led me to realize why the author went along with it as well. There was a true resentment that was held between both women, and it all stemmed from jealousy. I know that Miura likes 'me' and Yukihira stated that it was the same for Kasumigaoka as if it were common knowledge. Luckily, there wasn't an actual relationship between us which implies that there hasn't been a confession yet from her part. Or 'mine' even.

The relationship between Kasumigaoka and I utterly confounds me. It seemingly appears that we should be going out, and yet we aren't for some reason. I don't even want to know where Haruno-san fits into this when my alternate self had sexual relations with her for gods know why. Ah, well, I shouldn't ponder that yet. I have something else to focus on right now.

I knew the answer Kasumigaoka wanted to hear, but I didn't want to do the same to Miura what I did to her.

"I will," I affirm to her, "I did her wrong as well, Kasumigaoka, even if she didn't know it before that day. And I need to make amends for it…I went too far."

Kasumigaoka's gaze hardens, tiny tears becoming visible in the corners of her eyes, "You're not the same…" She steps back, pressing a hand on her chest, "You will keep seeing her then… despite what she did to us… You're a hypocrite and I don't have to keep listening to you!"

Before I can even say anything in response, she turns away and runs out of the cafe despite that it was raining heavily still. I blink, noticing the curious gazes around me, but I couldn't care less. The situation was completely torn out of my control, and if I don't do anything, I'd lose the chance to rectify my previous failure… and my progress in the game will be crippled.

I had to make a choice.

Well, I say that, but my body has already reached a decision for me, for I had already stood up before I could realize it, running after the author.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 02

"Idiot!"

I don't know this woman, and if I were to be rational about this, I'm only really obligated to apologize to her for my mistake. But that wasn't what was fueling me at the moment. I saw her eyes before she stormed off, it was the countenance of someone's world crumbling down and terrified at realizing that they were alone.

It's one that I knew fairly well. And it's not an expression I want to see on anyone.

Damn it woman, I said I wasn't going to do that to you! You got me of all people to say that and you still decide to run!?

Tch, like I'd let you. You're stuck with me now, dammit.

Even with her head start, I can still see the direction that she's headed. It's not like I needed that anyway, I could just as easily follow the trail of disgruntled people grumbling about an 'inconsiderate girl.' I know how you feel, fellow pedestrians, that girl is a complete pain.

Luckily for me, this improved body allows me to gradually close the distance between the two of us.

"We're not in a damn soap opera!" I yell over the rain and the urban noise, "What the hell are you doing, woman!?"

"Only you would think that!" She yells back, refusing to stop. "Go away!"

"I'm either not the same or I'm saying something that's expected of me!" I can't help but holler back; I'm getting closer.

"Shut up, Ronriteki-baka! G-go back to that woman!" She shouts, her speed visibly decreasing, "I… I've had enough!"

'Logical Idiot?' Is that like an idiot savant?

Ugh, this really is going down the route of some cheesy soap opera… Even with the line for me to go to another woman…

I notice that we're starting to near an intersection up ahead, and I have no interest in continuing this cliché with the climax being me saving her from Truck-kun only to suffer mortal injuries in the process. I'm not interested in seeing Aqua so soon, you knoooow~

With that boost of motivation, I increase my speed and grab one of Kasumigaoka's flailing limbs. This is met with extreme resistance, of course.

"Eh!? Let… go! You're… hurting… me!" She says between pants, still refusing to look at me.

That's a complete lie. My grip on her is steady enough that she couldn't easily break out of it, but loose enough that I wouldn't leave a bruise. As a gentleman, I would never physically harm a woman if I could help it. The emotional part still needs some work though…

"The only things being hurt here are your lungs and legs for running while so out of shape!" I position myself right next to her, but she's stubborn enough to keep running even then.

It doesn't take much for her to gradually stop trying to get out of my grip. She looks pale and exhausted with her breathing so hard to the point that it makes me wonder if she'll faint anytime soon. Seriously woman, it's not even a block and you're this fatigued?

"J-just… le-let me… catch… my breath…" Her voice is barely audible, her throat forcibly letting out more words even if it seemed to be a pain to do so, "And… I'll… leave… you… in… the… d-dust…"

Goodness, woman. Your stubbornness is damn near applaudable. You really are bringing honor to a certain family's secret technique with all that running.

Jokes aside, I don't want to forcibly stop this woman through physical means. I really can hurt her if I'm not careful, especially with this rain and given how winded she is. I also have no interest in doing something as bold as sweeping her off her feet; we'd probably both fall and eat dirt, well mud in this instance. Talking has already failed, and it'd be too sad to have her stop on her own due to her own fatigue.

So that leaves me with doing something really stupid…

I sigh briefly before enacting my risky plan. I let go of Kasumigaoka's arm and pick up my speed enough to overtake her and even then she refuses to stop, even going so far as to glare at me. The glare immediately withers when I turn to face her, and place myself right in front of her, seemingly uncaring what I can run into.

Tch, I've always hated running backwards… I just hope I don't wind up tripping like during the marathon…

"W-what… are you doing!?" She asks in shock, "We're… getting close to that…"

Swallowing my fear like the time with Belldandy, I mimic Usui's playful tone while looking over my shoulder, "Oh, well, would you look at that? Isn't that funny?"

"What's… funny?" Her steps lessen in speed, seemingly slowing down by choice instead of tiredness. "Y-you're going… to get hurt…"

I couldn't help but quirk a smirk at that, "Well, it's preferable to you getting hurt, don't you think?"

"That's…" And finally, she stops completely, panting heavily. Heh… my plan was a success, "…You're so… irritating…"

"I don't want to hear that from the woman who ran into the rain this late at night," I breathe evenly, "Are you a kid? There's nothing logical about doing that, y'know?"

Her eyes widen, hands balled into fists, her teeth pressed tightly as she glares at me. I'm taken aback at the intense expression, sensing more than just wrath building inside of her. It was like a bomb about to explode! Where can I hide!?

"'Logical!?'" She repeats in utter disbelief, restrained anger within her voice, "Of course that's what you would think. It all revolves around being logical, isn't it!?"

I look at her with wide eyes before carefully asking, "…Where did this come from?"

Her glares intensifies, "Now you want to play dumb, Ronriteki-kun!?" She gives a step closer to me, her face so scary that I couldn't help gulping in fear, "Isn't it logical for you to apologize for that nonsense then!? You're such a despicable wimp that only plays with the hearts of girls!"

Play with… Who am I, Don Juan? No, wait, I don't want that to be confirmed. Leave me in ignorant bliss, dammit.

Although given how heated she is, this is probably her venting all of her frustrations all at once. Well, I deserve it, I let it simmer within her for the past few days.

"…" So I choose to remain silent and relax my features. I'll let her vent as much as she wants, and I'll hear her out the whole time. It's the least I can do for her.

And, hey, who knows? It might be a learning experience for me too.

"What"? Got nothing to say!?" She seems to only get angrier by the second, "Of course you don't! You're probably making a long, stupid monologue inside that twisted head of yours to come up with something logical again, aren't you!?" She takes yet another step towards me, "What, won't you read my manuscript then!? Because it's illogical for you to do so!?"

Is she talking about the book she left behind for me that day? Was it that important for me to read it? Was it the privilege I had for being so close to her?

Damn, I really screwed up… I ignored what's more and more seeming to be my most important relationship in this world. I didn't even have the dignity to learn about her in order to at least be able to communicate. Like a child, I avoided her and now I have to deal with the consequences…

"I…" I start slowly, "I felt like I lost that privilege after what happened."

This was a technical truth. While I may not have truly felt this, if I analyzed the situation from the outside, I would have reached the same conclusion.

"Of course you won't!" Kasumigaoka is standing just before me, and while I try to get away, I'm afraid I must take it like a man. "If you refused to read the manuscript of the last volume of Metronome in Love for being logical, of course you won't read this one! It would be soooo unlike you, wouldn't it!?"

Wait, was she not listening?

"Despite everything we saw through together, you never dared to take that step!" She takes hold of my blazer with both her hands, pulling me uncomfortably close, "You just had to ask that damn question and I would have said yes! But nooooo! Your reasoning made you refrain from it!"

Now she's talking about something else and I have no idea what it's about. Our proximity wasn't really my biggest concern at the moment; no, I was most worried about how lost in the dark I was now.

But there was one thing that I picked out from her rant that I could cling to. The question that I was supposed to have asked would have been answered with an affirmative from her. I don't know what the question was, I don't know what she was so ready to accept had 'I' asked, but I can only guess that it would have had a massive influence on her writing. And I didn't like that implication, I shouldn't have that much power over her, and she shouldn't be so dependent on me that she'd stake her life's work on a single question.

"I don't want to hold that sort of power over you," I mutter, "I shouldn't be able to dictate what you can and can't write."

"And that Yukinoshita woman ALWAYS rubbing onto you!" She starts shaking me much to my surprise, "What!? Wasn't it logical for you to push her away when you already had me!?"

Yep, definitely not listening at all. What point is there for me to even answer right now…?

"Kasumigaoka…" I vainly try to get her attention, but I may as well be trying to talk to a wall.

"Or was it that other Yukinoshita then!? Since you three have been childhood friends forever!" She's now becoming near hysterical, gripping my face and pressing my cheeks together! "It's logical then that you wouldn't decide on anybody, isn't it!? "

You're not making sense, woman, you already know I don't get along with the younger Yukinoshita in this world. My patience continues to hold strong however.

"Oi, I'm telling you…" I attempt to get her to stop messing with my face, but she's even ignoring that. I'm not clay, dammit, stop trying to warp my decently good looks!

She's pressing my cheeks even more! "Say it! Say that I'm the only one!"

Damn it, just because I had to make amends with you doesn't mean you get to decide things for me based on your selfish whims!

"UTAHA!" I forcibly shook her out of her stupor after hearing her given name. It wasn't something I was comfortable in doing but she really was losing it for a minute there. It was fascinating to see the woman who was so focused on me blink as if just realizing I was here the entire time.

"H-Hachiman-kun…" She lets go of me, looking exhausted and breathing fast. I sigh in annoyance as I remove my blazer, I was so focused on her spiel that I hadn't realized just how soaked through her clothes were. Rather than noting how dangerous letting my gaze lower from her face would be, my chivalry won out.

"Good grief, woman… Here you are overexerting yourself in the pouring rain and then you start screaming; are you trying to get sick?" I couldn't help but scold her, as I draped my wet blazer over her shoulders. It's better than nothing, "I can hear you just fine, y'know?"

"S-sorry… I… don't know… what overcame… me…" She's still gasping to catch her breath but she seems to be relaxing little by little.

"Don't worry about it, it's probably my fault anyway," I could help but chuckle wryly at my understatement. I look at her seriously, "…Are you alright now?"

She sighs and nods her head, "I could probably use a bath with hot water…"

"Well, that's not really available at the moment," I frown at her before promptly pulling her underneath a covered portion of the street and out of the rain.

"I should just head back to the hotel," She says slowly, turning around. "The last thing I need is to catch pneumonia."

"If you were worried about that, you wouldn't have run outside in the first place…" I mutter to myself.

I can tell that she wants to end the conversation then and there. Hell, she hasn't even brought up the things she was yelling about. She either wanted to pretend that it didn't happen, or she no longer had the fire to get in an argument about it.

Well, all the more advantageous to me. Just need an extra boost so that she'll be forced to listen to me. But how…?

A brief observation of Kasumigaoka provided me with an opportunity. It was going to be embarrassing, but I had to take the risk! Either way, my older brother (even if she's probably the older one here) instincts also kicked in because of the slight worry I felt.

I grabbed her arm before she could try leaving, "Are you alright to walk?" I ask her while gesturing to her trembling legs. It wasn't just the cold that seeped into her bones that's making her shake that bad, it looked like she was only barely able to stand through sheer willpower. If a gust of wind hit her, she'd no doubt face plant onto the ground.

"I can," She responds dryly. "Let go."

"Riiiight," I drawl in kind, "You look like you're just about to collapse."

Her cheeks became visibly red, and still she didn't look at me directly, "Stop… you're just… making it worse for me…"

Honestly, first you demand that I declare you as my 'only one,' and now you want me to go away? It's funny how much people deny their expressed innermost desires once their filters return to them.

"Yeah, yeah, it's all my fault…" I grumble at her as I give her my back and crouch down, "Hurry up, and get on."

I'm very thankful that the cold rain keeps my blood from rushing to my face, preferring to keep me as internally warm as possible.

It takes some seconds before I hear her step behind me. I tense in anticipation, willing myself to not make a big deal out of this, "You must be tired too." She says suddenly.

"I'm more worried about you," I say honestly, "Now, come on."

And after a whole minute of silence, I finally feel her hands grasping my shoulders hesitantly, "I don't want to hear you complain later…"

I sigh in slight frustration and grab her hands, pulling them so that her arms are draped over my shoulder. She gasps in surprise at my sudden action. This is already embarrassing enough as it is, dammit. With my clothes being wet, you won't have a good grip on me and might fall.

"I can complain now, if that's what you prefer," I grumble trying to stamp out my awkwardness. I grimace as I feel a familiar dual sensation land on my back. I would've hoped that Deviluke's clinginess would have numbed me to this by now, but the fact that Kasumigaoka's drenched in rain makes me all the more self-conscious.

And it's even worse that some small part of me can't help but feel elated because of this! Damn my hormones!

"Too late, I won't listen to them now." Her soft voice is directly behind my right ear, and I stiffen as I feel a shock run down my spine. This was a very dangerous sensation…

"Fine," I scoff, I slowly rise to my feet after hooking my arms around her legs. She's not heavy, huh? "But in exchange you have to hear me out for everything else."

"You're so sly, Ronriteki-kun…" She whispers to my ear, "You had all this planned out…"

Definitely dangerous!

"Like I'm able to predict all of your actions, woman," I grunt back with a grimace, "This opportunity to talk to you without you trying to get away is just a bonus. It's not like I was going to let you walk back in your state anyway."

"You're so hard to understand…"

Tell me about it…

"I've heard that mysterious guys were all the rage," I attempt some dry humor as I begin my slow trek back to the cafe. The rain lessened, but there was still a bit of drizzling. "Cover yourself with my blazer, no point in the both of us getting further wet, right?"

She lets out a soft giggle, "Now you're saying such embarrassing things…"

I glance at her in confusion. Embarrassing? What the heck are you talking about? My only answer to the question on my face is more giggling.

"I think it might be too late to worry about you getting sick seeing how you're spouting off nonsense," I say dryly.

"Maybe… or you're just feigning ignorance as usual," She presses herself against me even more, much to my discomfort.

"Keep that up and I'll drop you," I growl back, but it's obviously an empty threat given how much care I put into keeping her steady. I'm an older brother, experiences with Komachi have me well-versed in the art of the piggyback. I might be out of practice since I was unable to carry her after a while, but this body circumvents that and muscle memory kept me from screwing up.

"Fine…" That's all she says, though I can feel the playful pout behind it.

We walk in silence for a short moment before I decide to finally address what happened.

"Kasumigaoka," I break the tranquility. I think the seriousness of my tone was noticed because I felt her arms tighten their hold on me.

"…What is it?"

I mull over the words I could say in my head. I'm unsure of what to tell her after listening to everything that was ailing her. So I did something I'll hate myself for, but hopefully will be enough to console her.

"I won't leave you alone again."

I give her an empty promise.

I wouldn't be able to fulfill this vow; I'll eventually have to leave once this game ends. I either have my memories wiped as I'm forcibly conscripted as the new god of time, or I return to my world. It doesn't matter which of the two happen, the end result is that I'm purposefully lying to Kasumigaoka even when knowing that.

I'm no better than my alternate self, but at least I know that he'll pick up the slack for me seeing how he apparently cares for her. Kasumigaoka can be reunited with the actual Hachiman that she holds dear instead of being tricked by a fake.

I come to a stop as I feel her embrace tighten, "You're not being fair…"

I turn to face her, tensing at the expression she sported. She was completely red, and her red eyes bore into mine without any hesitation. It wasn't raining anymore.

"What?" I didn't expect that response.

"I want to be mad at you, but I can't," She responds with a sulk, "I don't even know what to think… it's like you're different… like you changed without giving any explanation."

It doesn't matter how many times I hear it, when someone in this world points out how I'm 'different,' it always makes me uneasy. But like every time outside of actually being found out by Usui, I don't reveal myself to her. She was a possible candidate for Deus Ex's game at the end of the day, and I don't imagine anything good from coming clean other than soothing my conscience.

"I… want to do things differently now," I tell her what I told the others, "I want to change the principles that I held. The life I was leading before, it had a lot of short term payoffs, but… I don't think I ever gave too much of a regard to the long term stuff than I should have."

It doesn't escape me how close to home my words were to what happened in my world.

She lets out a soft chuckle, "Why this sudden change of heart? It doesn't make any sense."

"It's nothing as virtuous as that," I repeat to her what I said to Takanashi Touka, "I just want to reprioritize what I find important. But because of that tumultuous decision, I made the mistake of hurting you." I choose my words carefully while feeling sick to my stomach, "Doing the exact opposite of what I first intended."

"Is that why you want to become my editor?" She inquires, her voice as low as a whisper. "For that reason?"

"I really was just here for you instead of the job," I have to keep myself from getting embarrassed at the insinuation, "But I did prefer taking the offer in order to forgo me begging for forgiveness like you wanted," I state with some humor, chuckling when she hitches her breath at the familiar phrase.

"Souma-kun…" She mutters scarily, "I'm going to kill hi— kya!"

I didn't really want to listen to her plot another guy's death, so I bounced her in my grip. At least I was gifted with a cute yelp. With that interruption, I resumed my walk.

"He was just looking out for you, in his own nosy way."

"At the cost of my pride? That's simply rude…"

"Well, if that's your main complaint, that means that you feel better, right?" I ask with wry humor.

"Idiot…" She mutters, burying her face on my back. Something about the way she tightens her hold on me makes me imagine she was embracing me instead of steadying her grip. I took it as me being successful in making things right with her, even if it was embarrassing.

I feel nostalgic about similar things happening with Komachi in the past. But the budding smile on my face dies when I remember how I was able to get here. The silence that she took comfort in, only served to remind me of how scummy I am.

And the rain seems to be returning again.

Fortunately for me, we were already near the cafe. I was glad for it, realizing what I had done to Kasumigaoka was smothering me. I shake my head to try and get those thoughts out of my head. Focusing straight ahead, I notice a certain woman waiting in front of the cafe for us.

"Looks like Machida-san waited up for us."

"Hmph," Kasumigaoka made some sound, her breathing warming my back. She didn't even bother to raise her head…

As we approach her, the woman runs to us, extending my 'traditional' umbrella over us, she holding one for her own along with my book bag, "Well, well. If that is not some character development there, I don't know what that is."

The girl on my back doesn't even react, so I guess I'll be the one talking.

I glower at the proffered rain deterrent. It's pointless when none of my arms are free and I'm supposed to be heading inside.

"We're not characters in a story," I mutter dryly. Zaimokuza wouldn't be capable of writing something so complex as character growth.

"Still, there was development, yeah?" She asks teasingly.

I grunt, "Something like that."

"Which left you both…" She stands at my side, observing us, "…wet…" Her smile contorts into one of slyness. I sense a slight reaction in Kasumigaoka at such a remark.

Still, I couldn't keep the disgust from showing on my face, and let that speak for me.

"Joking of course," The older woman chuckles in amusement. "We should hurry back to the hotel, though. You two will catch a cold."

I roll my eyes but still nod in response as I follow Machida-san's lead. Drats, I'd wanted another hot drink before heading out.

Although… Excuse me, Kasumigaoka-san? I'm pretty sure I only agreed to bring you here so why am I still tasked with carrying you? Aren't you getting a little too comfortable? Moshi, moshi?

Well… After what I did, I owe her that much, don't I?

I release a sigh and trudge on as the dark-haired beauty enjoys her spot on my back. Although that fact was the furthest thing in my mind. As expected of me, only I can ruin such a special event as this.

Hah… What a pain…

9-3

There was something enjoyable about being inside a nice, warm bath after being out in the cold rain. Although even that wasn't enough for me to just not want to be out in the rain in the first place.

I took my time there to think about what I did. I hate that I had to do it, but I couldn't take it back. I couldn't reveal myself to Kasumigaoka even after she bared her vulnerabilities to me. But my empty promise that will eventually be broken won't leave me alone…

…Did I do the right thing?

Hah… So much for the peaceful experience in a hotel's bath…

I simply sigh, it's too late to take it back. But I can't get it out of my mind.

I idly recall that I did have an option to help with that. I could call Usui and tell him about it, see what he thinks. Maybe I'm just trying to find someone to tell me that I made the right choice and I wasn't a total piece of shit. It was pathetic that I needed that kind of reassurance from what's basically a stranger.

My eyes glance at the clock above the door. 8:58pm.

Shit, I need to call my parents and let them know where I am too. They're probably still paranoid from Thursday, and with the rain… My mother might just kill me herself this time…

I'll need to come up with an excuse first. I doubt they'll be happy to learn that I went to a different city and checked into a hotel. I'll leave calling them after thinking up an excuse then, I suppose. So, I guess that leaves Usui first?

I sigh deeply before exiting the tub. I was already done a few minutes ago and was just enjoying the soak, I can cut that short. Kasumigaoka was probably in her room bathing while Machida-san procured me my own room; I was borrowing the older woman's bath for the time being.

My clothes were obviously not in a state to be worn and were currently being washed, so I was forced to wrap myself in the room's complimentary bathrobe. Talk about fancy… Now how the heck do I put this on?

After wrestling with the article of clothing for a solid minute, I'm able to figure out how to wear it properly. Huh, these things are pretty comfortable actually… Maybe I should look into getting one of my own.

I exit the bathroom into the empty bedroom to retrieve my charging phone. Forty-eight percent? That's fine, but having seen it lower than fifty, let alone eleven, was something I never experienced before today.

And it was all without playing games on it!

I grab the mobile device, and make sure to lock the door before heading back into the bathroom. I might come off as paranoid, but the last thing I need is Machida-san overhearing my talk with Usui and relaying it back to Kasumigaoka. I make doubly sure to sit behind the shut door in order to be able to hear if the main entrance is opened with a key.

I make myself 'comfortable' on the floor and interact with my phone. Yikes… Multiple missed calls from home, and even some from Belldandy and Deviluke themselves. Geez… I probably made them worry…

Either way, I ignore the notifications for now and search for Usui's contact information.

As opposed to yesterday, I don't hesitate to call the blonde male this time.

The phone rings twice, this time the call connects instead of him making me wait, "Woooow… Two calls in two days? To what do I owe the pleasure this time, Hikigaya-kun?"

"Hey," I simply grunt out, I don't have the energy to play our usual game, "You got time?"

There was some silence on the other end. No doubt the tall blonde didn't expect that question, "I suppose I do. Did something happen?"

"Plenty," I sigh, "I came across Kasumigaoka sooner than I thought…"

"Uh-oh. That was reckless of you, Hikigaya," I hear his slight exasperation, "You should have better prepared yourself before you spoke to her."

And by that he no doubt meant I should have gotten a hold of him beforehand.

"I'm not a fan of relying on others…" I admit to him, "Not into the habit of doing so either…"

"Hehh… You know you can't afford that anymore," He states frankly, "You should use as many advantages as you can find, right? Like, having made this call at least an hour ago."

"I know…" I mutter with a frown as I notice how his timing correlates around the time before Kasumigaoka entered the cafe. He's way too good at that…

"So what's the damage this time?" I can't help but wince at his accurate assumption.

I sigh before giving him a brief summary of what happened between Kasumigaoka and I. I made it as short as possible since I didn't want to take up too much time. Hmm… Recollecting the promise made my guilt and disgust return once again.

"Hehh… That sounded sooo romantic, Hikigaya-kun," I scoff as he teases me lightly, "I might have to use that with Misa-chan someday~"

"Did I do the right thing?" I can't help but ask instead. I had no interest in his attempts of teasing. He takes a second to gather his thoughts as he gives me an answer.

"Well, for starters, you should have given Machida-san a more immediate answer to her offer," He began, "'You' have a tendency to be more direct about that sort of thing, not cautious."

"Right…" It wasn't what I was looking for, but it's informative nonetheless. I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time. Hopefully the fact that Kasumigaoka and I weren't seeing eye-to-eye at the time will keep things from being suspicious.

"Also, you should have properly explained your intentions with Miura so Kasumigaoka wouldn't have run out like she did," Usui adds with a bit of a scolding tone.

"She didn't even let me try," I weakly tried to argue. I did intend to expand on my situation with the Fire Queen before the author decided to storm off.

"Then you should have started with it instead, don't you think?" He states as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course using hindsight makes things easy for you to criticize me," I growl out.

"Hey now, I'm just telling you what the other Hikigaya Hachiman would have done," His tone shifts to somewhat playful but also has a sense of 'You asked for my help.'

I pinch the bridge of my nose, "Yeah, my bad."

"Hehh… If it makes you feel any better, your recovery of the situation was masterfully done afterwards," I can hear the teasing smile growing on his face, "Dare I say that you did it even more charmingly than the original Hikigaya would have! Make sure to keep that up."

I hum in response to that and remain silent for a moment before speaking up again, "Was it wrong of me to have made that promise to her?"

"About never leaving her alone?" I answered him with a grunt, "No, I don't think it was. He would have said the same thing to her."

"It's not what I mean," I sigh, "Saying that to her got me thinking about how I essentially manipulated her with something I'll never follow through."

"Mm… What do you mean?" I hear his curiosity.

"I don't mind getting others to do what I want by provoking them in some manner or the other," I explain to the blonde, "But outright lying to Kasumigaoka by taking advantage of her feelings after she told me her innermost thoughts? It's not something I liked doing."

"I don't think you should concern yourself with that," He surprisingly says, "If you win and leave, the original Hikigaya will pick up the slack easily enough. And if you lose… Well, you don't need me to tell you that it's pointless to even worry."

That does ease my guilt a bit, although I still hold some reservations, "I said something similar to Takao back on Saturday too. And there's Miura as well."

"Ah, well, lying to Gamer-chan might be easier since you don't like her anyway," He chuckles lightly, "Although I did tell you before that you made a mistake in choosing Miura."

"…"

"Although," He sighs helplessly, "It was inevitable if we take that game you're participating in into account. It's not fun at all, is it?"

I let out a humorless chuckle, "Yeah, guess not…"

Silence passes between us for a moment. I glance at the clock and note we've been speaking for a little over ten minutes now. I should probably end this call and tell my parents where I am soon.

"Say, Hikigaya-kun," Usui suddenly breaks the quiet.

"What is it?" I idly ask.

"You owe me a few favors, don't you? For all the help I've given you?" His mischievous tone makes an unwelcome return.

I repress a groan at him bringing that up, but he's no less right. As aggravating as he may be at times, Usui has been plenty of help to me when the time calls for it. Whether it was with Harima yesterday evening, or him keeping the spotlight off me while also providing me information when we were gathered as a group on Saturday.

"…why?" Regardless, I couldn't help but feel wary.

"There's a certain someone that I mentioned before that I might need your help taking care of," He casually says.

'Certain someone?' I pondered about any mention of such a person that the blonde spoke of to me before. Ah, that's right… The summer festival he once mentioned.

"That woman who interrupted your date with your maid?"

"So you did remember. How sweet of you, Hikigaya~" Usui sing-songs. Geh…

"Just get to the point already…" I grumble out.

"Let's just say I need your charm for now. This isn't something we should talk about over the phone, don't you agree?" He playfully asks.

Ugh… I didn't like how he phrased that, but I leave my displeasure for later.

"It's why I was going to ask for something else as well," Usui's voice loses its previous playfulness, "I'd like it if you can spend a night with me as soon as possible."

If I had been drinking anything, I would have choked. Honestly, even when he's serious that guy still manages to say something that can be misunderstood.

"While I appreciate the invitation, I don't think my heart is ready for that sort of jump in our relationship," I sarcastically quip.

He laughs, "It's nothing like that, Hikigaya~ That sort of offer would only be given to Misa-chan~"

"Right before she hits you for sexual harassment," I pipe up with a smirk.

There's another laugh, "Probably~"

His invitation, as scandalous as he may have asked it, was something I should take. He'd no doubt give me as much information as he could during the night. I'd be a fool not to take it. Besides, it sort of gives me an idea.

"That's fine, it's a good idea," I tell him before adding, "I'll need you to cover for me tonight, I'll tell my parents I was with you because of the rain. It'll help give an excuse why I spend the night away tomorrow."

"Hmm… Alright, I don't mi—" His voice is drowned out by a new noise in the background.

*Knock Knock*

I reflexively turned towards the sound of the knocking even though I was still in the restroom. Looks like I ran out of time. Well, it's fine, I didn't have anything more to say to the blonde alien.

"Looks like someone wants my attention again," I raise to my feet, "Being popular sure is a pain…"

There's a chuckle this time, "It sure is, do your best~"

I scoff, as I open the door to exit the restroom, "Thanks."

"It's my pleasure, Hikigaya~" He annoyingly sings-songs, but I don't get annoyed by it this time.

"Later."

"Make sure Author-chan leaves the hotel compleeeetely satisfied~" He adds unnecessarily, while toppling whatever good impressions he built up with me these last few minutes.

"I'm hanging up." And immediately end the call. I groan at the fact of two people teasing me with the same insinuation when it came to Kasumigaoka. Worry about your own love lives before butting into the ones I'm stuck with…

With a sigh, I unlock the main door. I stare at it for a moment, hesitating to open it. I wisely decide to look through the peephole. I don't need any more surprises.

"…"

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 03

Not that it did me any good considering that it was a nervous-looking Kasumigaoka standing right outside. Good grief, what could she want?

I feel a wave of self-consciousness hit me when I notice that while she was still in her uniform —hadn't she bathed?— I was still in a robe. For some reason, the time when she sucked my finger runs through my mind. Geh… I'm wearing this thing right, aren't I?

I shake the image out of my head, and swallow my trepidation. I can't really stall any longer than I have.

I open the door.

"Kasumigaoka?" Even having seen her, my surprise and confusion are still there, "What is it?"

She stares at me with uncertainty, saying nothing in response. I cock an eyebrow at her silence, waiting for a reply, yet the only thing she does is attempting to take some steps inside, now assuming a dignified expression.

I don't see anything good coming from her acting haughty so I don't budge from my spot, even going so far as to lean against the frame with my arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. She might be dissuaded from doing anything that would gather attention from other visitors.

"Ronriteki-kun… I need to take a bath."

"I would have imagined that's what you were doing when I took mine," I point out, "Weren't you the one who wanted a hot bath the most? Besides, can't you bathe in your room?"

She frowns, narrowing her gaze, "That's exactly what I intend to do." She walks forward and I'm forced to step aside to prevent us from bumping into one another, slightly confused at her statement.

"Wait, hold on, what are you talking about?" I put my hand out in stopping motion, "Isn't this Machida-san's room?"

"No, this is my room," She responds with notable signs of irritation.

"No, no, I distinctly remember Machida-san saying that this was her—" I try to say.

She glares daggers at me, "This… is… MY… room…" Every word held such a powerful note that I felt alarms blaring in my head to shut up. "Machida is already making herself comfortable in her room."

And with that, she pushed my arm away, heading inside, picking out one of the hanging bathrobes just by the bathroom door.

"So where am I supposed to stay?" If Machida-san's already getting ready for bed while simultaneously forcing Kasumigaoka here, where does that leave me? I'm not going to be told to sleep in the alleyway, right? RIGHT!?

She looks at me over her shoulder, tilting her head back slightly, "If Machida said she only reserved two rooms, and she will use one for herself…" Her red eyes move away from me in discomfort, her cheeks reddening, "I suppose… you can guess the rest…"

The door closing behind her is heard and I'm left there with widened eyes, disbelief dominating my features.

There are only two rooms… One that Machida-san took for herself and the other for Kasumigaoka and…

…

Damn it woman! The logical course was for the two women to share a room while the lecherous man has his own room in order to protect their purity! Aren't you supposed to be looking out for Kasumigaoka!? Aren't you the adult here!?

And why did I so readily declare myself as the lecherous party!?

Argh… I knew you were straightforward about your innuendos when it came to me and Kasumigaoka, but I didn't think you'd actually set things up so we'd be stuck sleeping in the same room! That can't be legal, can it!? An adult shouldn't be able to place underage students into this kind of precarious situation, can they!?

That Machida-san… She's got a rotten brain…

What should I do then? I- wait… There's only one bed in this room…

I curse the RomCom Gods in my head.

Maybe I should just leave… No, I'm in another city, idiot. Where the hell would I go?

Should I just sleep in the tub? No way, it's gonna be wet all night… Not to mention how pathetic it'll seem, Kasumigaoka might even call me out on it… Who in their right mind would think that's a good idea?

…You know, sleeping in the alleyway is starting to sound more tempting by the minute… But I don't want to run into trouble with the local law enforcement either… And it's still raining too, so I guess I'm stuck here…

Ugh…

"Give me a break…" I groan, almost reflexively pulling down the bill of my nonexistent half-hat.

This wasn't how I was planning to spend my first night with a girl… I wanted to save myself for my financially supporting wife! Kyaa! I can't get married anymore!

Semi-serious jokes aside, I'm going to be stuck sleeping in the same room with an unknown woman who is most likely romantically invested in 'me.' That alone makes things alarmingly dangerous for me, a maiden at heart. Not only that, but given her actions with my bloody, soy-sauced finger at Yukihira's joint, she's shown to be capable of alluring actions if she sets her mind to it.

Oh, dear me… What have I gotten myself into?

Well, it's obvious that I'm not going to sleep in the same bed as her. That option went out the window from the beginning. I'd be too scared to share it, and I wouldn't be able to get any sleep either. But to be frank, I doubt I'm gonna get a decent sleep anyway…

Since the bathtub's a no-go, I can probably take one of the sofas here. It won't be too comfortable since they're for single person use, and the armrests are too high for me to lay across. I might come off with neck stiffness in the morning, but at least the chances of a hormonal woman straddling me in the dead of night is significantly lowered.

…Well that's how these situations go, don't they?

I sigh to myself, the only thing left is to persuade Kasumigaoka into agreeing with my proposition. That's going to be trouble no doubt, she might even be adamant about me sleeping alongside her. And the most troublesome part will be to convince her without angering her again. I'll have to think of something that ruins the mood short-term, but doesn't damage 'our relationship' again.

Geez… I'm really starting to regret coming to Sakura city…

I sigh again. Well, that's for after she gets out of her bath anyway.

…I'm suddenly made very aware that an attractive girl is naked and bathing in the bathroom with the only thing separating us is a simple door. Well, isn't that just peachy…?

I give a shake to my head to get rid of those useless thoughts. There's not point in me working myself up, so get out of the gutter, you stupid brain of mine.

I have more important matters to focus on while the room is free. Namely, finally giving my parents their long-deserved call. Oh man… I'm really in for it, aren't I?

This time I hesitate in pressing the call icon, but knowing that taking any longer makes things worse for me, I force my hand; figuratively and literally. Hah… There's no escape…

*Ring Ring*

It's kind of anxiety-raising, isn't it? I used to be such a good son… This world's turned me into a delinquent!

*Ring Ring*

Ugh… Pick up, pick up…

"Sup! Who is it?"

I immediately frowned at the foreign female voice. Who the hell was this? And why are you answering the phone? Family friend? Or could I actually have relatives my age in this new world?

Great… I have to interact with someone who most likely knows me over the phone again. I'm reminded of Kasumigaoka's call from a few days ago, but this is worse because I have no information since I'm the caller this time.

Well, I have an easy excuse to keep me from talking to them.

"Hey. Are my parents there?" I simply ask in the most casual manner possible.

"Huh? Is that you, Hikigaya?"

"Oi! Is that Hikigaya!?" I hear a familiar voice in the background. Hey wait just a minute… What the heck is Harima doing at my house?

"Yeah," I gave an affirmative to the faceless voice, "I need to talk to my folks. Mind passing it to them?"

"Ehh… give me a sec," I raise an eyebrow as I hear some voices in the background, this new voice asking about them. "Your cousin said they weren't here. Something about some gathering with some of their friends." I frown at that before she continues, "Where're ya anyway? Kenji wanted to crash at yer place and told me to tag along."

Cousin? Wait, I was right? I have new family members in this reality!? That's terrifying!

"Tch… He could have run that by me first," I mutter before releasing a sigh, "Well, if they're not here, can I talk to Belldandy then?"

Might as well ask for the second most responsible person in the household.

"You wanna talk to your cousin? She's a bit busy talking to someone, too."

Wait, she was talking about Belldandy? Where did this girl get the bizarre idea that I was related to the (non)goddess? There was nothing about her that seemed remotely Japanese except for her perfect ability to speak our language, and I'm sure that can be explained by her origin.

"We're not related; does she even look Japanese to you?" I can't help but ask in exasperation, "If she's busy, hand the phone over to either Komachi or Deviluke."

I included the alien on the chance of my sister not wanting to talk to me. That's a depressing thought right there…

"They aren't?" Whoever it is asks in surprise, "Hey Kenji, didn't you say they were his cousins?" I can only assume that was directed at the delinquent.

"That's what the Lazy Bastard told me!" I overhear the delinquent's yelling. I didn't feel like waiting for this new girl to repeat his message so I answered.

"They're daughters of some family friends. They were interested in Japan, so they moved in with us for a while."

The girl on the phone chuckles, "Oh, it was that then. I'm damned sure it's not Aikawa's fault though."

"I'm telling you! That's what that guy said, Himeko!" Once more, the distant voice of my ex-delinquent companion is heard.

Himeko? That's definitely a new name I don't recognize, but whoever it is, seems rather close to Harima, even referring to him by his name.

I sighed as they began to bicker amongst each other. Honestly, what were Harima and this Himeko person doing at my-but-not-really-mine house? Harima never mentioned wanting to stay at my house, unless I accidentally ignored his messages on my way here?

That… may have actually been what happened. Oops… Oh, crap. That means that he found out about Belldandy and Deviluke living with me too. I wanted to keep that between the neighbors and Usui. Well, it was bound to be found out eventually.

"So, can I talk to one of the others then?" I glance over at the bathroom door, "I'm kinda pressed for time here."

"Sure, sure… but…" I blink, guessing she wants to say something else. "Aren't you surrounded by so many cute girls already, that you have to have two of them living with you?"

"Please don't say it in a way that implies that I'm out there looking for them…"

I know I'm technically supposed to, but I'm not a womanizer, dammit!

"Duly noted, but whatever. It's your life," She says easily before I hear some sounds. Oi, don't just write me off. I wait patiently for a moment before Himeko speaks again, "Here's your sister. Hang on."

"O-Onii-chan?" Comes the shaky voice of Komachi, I'm slightly surprised that she answered, "W-what's wrong?"

"Hey," I greeted her warmly enough; with the hectic night I was having, hearing my precious sister's voice was a breath of fresh air. Although, I could tell how reluctant she was to talk to me. That Himeko girl probably chose her out of convenience sake, "Sorry that you're stuck with those two. How are you holding up?"

"Ah, d-don't worry, Onii-chan," She says, her voice relaxing, or that's what I can sense, at any rate. "They've been here other times, so I'm used to them."

"That's good at least," I say idly, "Where's Kaa-san and our old man?"

"They had a reunion with some friends from Tou-san's job, I think," She explains slowly. "I barely heard Kaa-chan when she called since it was really noisy where they were."

"Is that so?" Oi, you reckless parents, I know that Belldandy's the responsible one, but you can't just leave three girls at home on their own. Even if there's nothing to worry about, it's the principle that's the issue.

"How much trouble am I in?" I ask with some amusement.

It takes her a few seconds to respond, "A-actually, they don't know you haven't come home. Kaa-chan didn't ask about you, s-so I guess they thought you're already here."

Oh, dear, that just makes things worse for me… Well, since they're probably occupied hobnobbing with fellow corporate slaves, there's little chance of them answering my calls. I'll just send them a text. They'll kill me either way, but at least I'm not the one who left the three girls home alone.

Belldandy and Deviluke's abilities might keep anything bad from happening, but it's the principle, dammit.

"Do they think I have that little of a social life?" I ask humorously, trying to get her to laugh a bit at my expense, "No, wait, don't actually answer that. I might just cry."

It takes a few moments but I eventually hear the sound of a giggle being muffled, probably by her other hand, indicating I successfully managed to humor her. I pumped my fist up. Good going me.

"Y-yeah," She responds then, adding. "Should I call them, or… is something wrong, Onii-chan? You're not coming home yet?"

"Nah, I stayed late after school like an idiot and got caught in the rain," I start with my cover, "I ran into Usui and he offered me residence before I got sick. Sorry."

"Okay, then t-take care, Onii-chan. I'll tell everyone here you're not coming."

"Not coming!? Whaddya mean, 'not coming?!'" Came the delinquent's voice.

"Ignore him," I casually tell her, "Make sure to lock up before bed, and don't stay up too late. Oh, right, try to keep Deviluke from destroying the house."

She lets out another giggle, and I feel at ease knowing that she can speak to me without wanting to end the call now. I'm trailing in the right path it seems.

"Sure…" I blink as her voice fades, "Um… Onii-chan?"

"Yeah?" I question easily enough.

"Be… be careful… okay?"

I felt a small smile grow on her face at her words. When I first 'met' this new Komachi, she probably would have hesitated to even say that to me then. I don't know why and resent the fact that my alternate self treated our younger sister so poorly. If I ever meet him, I'll make sure to threaten him to cherish our precious imouto like how she deserves to be.

"Yeah, thanks, Komachi. Take care of yourself," I tell her gently enough, "Pass it to Harima, will you?"

"Ah, okay."

It takes some seconds for the rough voice to answer, "Oi, the hell are you?"

"Usui's," I briefly answered before Onii-chan Mode takes over, "If you're staying, you're sleeping on the couch; stay away from Komachi and the other girls' rooms, and their well-being is your responsibility. You make sure that nothing bad happens to them."

My orders were straightforward, and allowed for no refusal.

"Wasn't even planning on staying anymore," He grumbles, "Might as well stick around till your parents show up though. Hey, what the heck was that about me staying away from their rooms?"

"Hey!" Himeko's voice echoed from away, "What about me?"

"Shaddup! I'll take you home when his parents show up, so quit yer whining!" He yells at her and I huff in amusement. "Alright, I'll protect the house as if it were Tenma-chan's. Leave it to me."

"Make sure you do," I say seriously before accidentally adding, "I'll owe you for this."

"Heh, now you won't be able to back out when I need your help next time, Hikigaya!"

"Tch, I didn't back out on Monday," I mutter in slight annoyance, "I got dragged into doing other people's biddings."

I distinctly hear the sound of a hairdryer in the bathroom at this point. Living with two females has taught me very well that I was fine for another few minutes. Girls apparently like their hair at a certain level of dryness after they bathe. Things only women understand I assume.

I sigh, "So, mind telling me why you two are at my house?"

"Thought you'd be here," Harima responds with annoyance coating his tone. "Ran into Himeko, told her to tag along for ol' times sake I guess. Whatever, even with that bastard Pretty Boy messing around with his stupid teasing, we finished the manga, and you saved my butt on Sunday with Tenma-chan. Had to treat you to something, y'know?"

"It would have helped if you let me know about this beforehand…" I roll my eyes, "Let's just call it even with you being there tonight in my stead."

"Whatever you say, Skirt Chaser," Comes his taunting, some feminine laugh following in the background.

I felt my eye twitch at the unwelcome nickname. Was it finally my turn, Delinquent-kun?

"Just…" I grind my palm into my face, "…keep an eye on the others."

"Yeah, yeah. Laters." Oi, Stop waving me off. I'm no skirt chaser, dammit.

"Later."

With that I end the call. I glanced at the door that separated me from a woman close to naked, or naked, how could I know? Gah, I'm going to burst a vein if I let my mind start wandering there. She's still using the hair dryer, so I guess I'll send a message to my parents and then check the rest of my inbox to see if something else came up.

- Oi yout sis sys yo aint hom,e the hell are yu?

Oh, so Harima did reach out, huh… Well, this was still after he showed up.

- Im getin sleep y here dan t!

Tch, you barge into my home and then get pissy about me not being there? And your horrible grammar just makes things worse, dammit! What would it cost to write things out legibly?

Whatever, there're three more. This one is from Yukihira Souma.

- Hey Hachiman, wassup? I heard some stuff about a serial killer in Chiba, better watch your butt and your family's just in case. By the way, it seems I'll need your help soon. I know you're having exams soon, but mine will apparently require something crazy. Hope I can count on you.

And immediately expectations are placed on me. Good grief, what exactly can I provide to a guy in a cooking school? You're training to be a top chef, Yukihira, I can barely be regarded as an amateur cook.

Still, I doubt I can get away with a "Do it yourself." type of response…

* Don't expect too much.

With that out of the way, let's see the nex— Oh? A new message? It's… from Belldandy?

- Hachiman-san, I hope this message doesn't pose to you any discomfort, but I trust you and I wanted to inform you that Heaven requires my assistance for a scout mission. I do not know the exact details yet, but I must head out of Chiba to check on a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field. I suspect it may have to do with the angeloid we saw some days ago, but I can't be certain yet. Komachi-sama told me you are at a friend's house, so please take care of yourself. I shall try to return as soon as possible.

"…" I frown at the screen.

I'm not sure I like this situation. Not only is the only responsible person at my house suddenly leaving, but the appearance of that angeloid, Ikarus, was discovered by Belldandy's people. Damn, it completely slipped my mind. We never went through having Sakurai be tracked in order to monitor his unassuming living weapon ourselves.

Wait, a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field? Didn't Sakurai and Aki mention something about that? No, it was Belldandy that said it. The Synapse, where the Angeloid and supposed Angels are from, jams Yggradsil's signal as well as appears as an anomaly in Earth's magnetic field.

Either way, I don't like the possibility of her and other (non)goddesses from her agency picking a fight with a walking (flying?) W.M.D. It gives me conniptions…

But it's out of my hands now, not like it ever really was in the first place. Thankfully wherever this assignment is located isn't in my beloved Chiba, so I can sleep with the knowledge that it won't be rendered into a crater tomorrow morning.

Mm… There's still some lingering uneasiness that I feel about this, and it's not about the assignment. I find myself a bit worried about Belldandy's safety actually…

Ugh… I'm not sure why; she's capable of catching a truck with her magic like if it were nothing. She's easily the strongest being I've interacted with that wasn't Deus Ex; so why's the idea of her accepting this assignment bothering me so much? It makes no sense for me to be so overly worried.

Feh, now's not the time to get into that anyway…

* I see. Then I guess it can't be helped. Good luck tonight.

I stare at my message. It felt like something was missing. I hesitantly added one last thing.

* Be careful.

'Send?' Yes. Wait, no! Telling her that makes it sound like I'm a househusband waiting anxiously for Belldandy to come back safely! Kyaaa! That's soooo embarrassing!

Whatever… now this one is from Tendou Karen, huh?

- Hikigaya-kun! What's up? I really enjoyed hanging out with you, and your friends are a lot of fun. I was wondering if you'd like to go out again? Maybe play some video games? Exams are coming soon so relaxing one day before they start will be good, don't you think? ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

That's… pretty forward, isn't it? We've met, like, twice and she's inviting me to an outing with her. Well, at least I'm not so hot-blooded as to think that it's a date or anything. This was like with Suou, just an innocent outing with some random guy who barged into their lives all of a sudden and piqued their interest. Surely, they should think of themselves as lucky for running into a man of high quality such as I.

Losing free time is still a huge loss, but the benefits of getting closer to another potential girl might cancel that out. Besides, she's pretty decent.

Say… Those lines seem kind of harem-ish, don't they?

I shudder at the thought and answer the blonde gamer girl. …I'm being ridiculous.

* I don't mind.

Oh, right, my evenings won't be free this week if I go through with studying sessions with Miura.

* Weekend works best.

It physically hurts me to type that out. I almost didn't send it.

What's done is done, I'll deal with her when the time comes. Seriously, having to respond to this many people is taxing… I pity you popular people, for having to put up with so much expectations! And I still have more messages to respond to! Wait, there is one from Deviluke… I guess I'll read that one first.

- Hachimaaaaaannnn! (❤‿❤)

…Er… was that it? I was actually expecting a bit more… I'm slightly disappointed.

Ack. What am I saying?

Meh, there's only one left to read. I'll better ignore Deviluke for now and see the othe—

The sound of a door opening breaks my concentration. I say that, but my eyes are still glued to my phone. I'm not even reading anything, it's more like I'm trying to look through my phone and at the floor.

This is actually pretty daunting…

I'm scared to look up because of what I'd find. No doubt Kasumigaoka would be in the bathrobe she picked up, and I was intimidated to see how well it'd… 'suit' her. Ugh… but I really don't think I'd be able to get away with not looking at her until the lights are off.

Okay… okay… Treat it like a band-aid, Hachiman, and just get it over with! Alright… Go!

I tear my gaze from my phone and look towards my tem…po…rary… Room…mate…

Uh… whoa…

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 04

She stood there, somehow looking relaxed as her crimson eyes stared at me calmly. Her hair still looked a bit wet, some drops of water trailing down her face. My eyes widen as I stare at how alluring and intimidating she looks just wearing a bathrobe, hiding only what is necessary, but leaving little to imagination. It was almost mocking in how it did that!

There was something though that stole my whole attention… the bathrobe she's using was too short! Her legs were completely exposed to me, and I couldn't tear my gaze from them… I watch closely as some drops travel down her perfect limbs… eh…

It's mesmerizing… her curves were captivating, and it wasn't hard to notice her imposing cleavage too… she neared perfection!

I breathe in sharply to snap me back to reality. That was close… Phew, for a minute there, I lost myself…

Luckily for me, my gentlemanly instincts kept me from outright gawking at the bewitching woman. The only indicator of my brief captivation were my wide eyes that had stared for a decent moment. …hopefully it wasn't as obvious as I felt it was.

My Hachiman Skill: Composure, truly was brought to its near breaking point. I don't even want to know what would've happened if it failed me…

That isn't to say that I gained some new immunity to the author's entrancing appearance or anything. In fact, I could swear that there was a hex on that bathrobe that was forcing my eyes to look at anything but Kasumigaoka's face. Did that robe have its own gravitational pull that only affects my eyes!?

Okay, okay… Just focus on her thighs— Eyes! Y-yeah… her eyes… stay focused on those, Hachiman…

She silently walks towards the bed, her soft steps making me tense in anticipation. I sigh to myself, averting my eyes and trying my hardest to seem stoic. I feel her gaze landing directly on my face until she sits on the opposite side of the bed without saying a single word.

Silence makes its unwelcome return as she starts drying some still wet locks of hair. My focus returns, my breathing also back to its default degree, my shoulders relaxing. This was certainly going to be a long night.

"So, Ronriteki-kun…" She begins, her back still facing me, her voice calm and collected, "I've been meaning to ask you a couple of things."

I mentally prepare myself and raise an eyebrow, "What about?"

"Why do you want to become my editor?"

"I told you, the main reason I came to this place was for you, not the job," I say evenly, "Wait a second, I never actually accepted the position. Machida-san was still in the process of convincing me."

"I see… so you don't want to become my editor…" She drops the towel on the bed, and yet she still doesn't turn around.

I stare at the back of her head, sensing a sort of melancholic undertone in her voice, something intimidating as well. Was it disappointment mixed in with indignation, who knows?

Either way, what I want doesn't really matter now, does it? My wants basically became irrelevant the moment I was dragged into this world by Deus Ex. If I had gotten my way, I wouldn't have willingly endured half of the crap that took place this past week.

"It's more about what you want, isn't it?" I rub the back of my head, "You were the one that rejected me for the position, remember?"

Instead of responding, she pats the bed at her side. I cock an eyebrow at that, not liking the implication of her action. She can't possibly be asking me to sit with her under these circumstances.

I suspect that she has a sort of expectant expression on her face right now. She still hasn't said anything, meaning that she doesn't want to continue talking if I don't comply. I sigh to myself. This woman's taking control of the flow of our conversation.

Hah… I either comply, which opens me up to dangerous situations with someone as coquettish as her, or I don't, which I don't see as working in my favor either way.

Instead, I choose a more cheeky option and sit at the foot of the bed where I could have her in the periphery of my sight. She did request I sit on the bed, after all, and I wasn't going to have my back to her. That was just asking for trouble.

She glances at me over her shoulder, "Are you scared?"

I give a wry chuckle, "I'm not so stupid as to give into your whims, woman."

Kasumigaoka tilts her head in amusement, "Is that so?" She stands on her feet and walks around the bed, and to my discomfort, the woman casually sits at my side. Not very close, but close enough to be disconcerting nonetheless. "Are you scared now, Ronriteki-kun?"

I was, I totally was.

"Oh? Is the room haunted…?" I mentally gulp as I try to fight fire with fire. I look at the author right in her eyes before uttering, "Utaha?"

I attempt to gamble that my casual use of her given name is enough to impede this vixen of a woman.

It looks to be effective. She drops her gaze, her cheeks rapidly becoming red, her eyes hidden under her bangs as she rests a hand over her chest. I watch closely as Kasumigaoka purses her lips for a moment before she suddenly raises her head. I blink twice, alarms ringing in my head.

"Haunted rooms are supposed to make people scream, correct?" She says slowly, her body language becoming slightly… tense…? "Will either of us be screaming tonight, Hachiman-kun?"

Huh? Why would any of us be screaming?

I cut that oblivious thought when I took a second look at her. She was… intently looking at me, her red orbs focused entirely on my face. Her lips were still pressed against one another, as if… I… I have no idea what's going inside her head… but… it makes me nervous… stop looking at me that way! Is she by any chance expecting something!? What you want, I don't have, woman!

It takes my all not to be ensnared by her expression. I take back what I said before, Kasumigaoka is the most dangerous woman in this world.

"…" I remain silent for a moment, stumped at how I should respond, "…Well, this hotel would have low ratings if it were haunted…"

With a slight tilt of her head, she smiles, "Are you really talking about haunted hotels?"

The alarm bells continue to blare in my head, but still I continue to play dumb, "Weren't we?"

I feel paranoid at the possibility of my question coming off as coy. Never thought I'd ever be scared about that before…

"Not really. I think what we're talking about is how scared you are," She moves her body closer, and I feel my body becoming stiff for a moment. "Trying to act like a naive wimp isn't going to save you, Hachiman-kun."

"I resent that," I force out a humorous tone, desperately keeping my tone from wavering, "There's nothing about me that's naive."

"Then you do know what I'm talking about then?"

Argh… Read the mood and stop bringing that up…

I groan in frustration while pinching the bridge of my nose, "Good grief, woman…"

She giggles at that, "Might as well give you a break." Her eyes are closed for a moment, when she speaks again. "Anyway, I don't want you to be my editor."

I almost scoff but still keep my exasperation from showing, "Are you still on that?"

"Yes. I haven't changed my mind," She looks away, still her smile remains. "I know you don't want to be my editor. And you choosing to accept the job because you feel obligated is the last thing I want."

Well, it's nice to know that I didn't have to accept the job. However, the job is still an opportunity for me to learn more about you. I can't let it slip through my fingers just because it inconveniences me. 'So sorry Author-chan, you're not getting rid of me so easily!'

Man… thinking like that… this is so ironic…

We sit in silence for a moment as I decide my next course of action.

"I've started rereading your earlier works."

She blinks, visibly surprised, "You're reading Metronome in Love again? Why…?"

"Just started the second volume," I idly tell her, "I wanted to read it with a new perspective."

Or my first perspective, but, you know, shhh…

"And for what exactly?" She lets out a sigh, "Don't tell me that your fanaticism over my story returned, making you want to become my editor. That would be so Aki-kun-like, which is not you."

"Don't think that highly of yourself, woman," I smirk wryly, "I'm no blind fanatic of yours."

She shoots me an inquisitive look, "Then what are you, Ronriteki-kun?" She says quietly, leaning to me, my eyes briefly catching sight of her bouncing chest before I force my gaze back to her face.

"Just a simple reader, Kasumi Utako-sensei," I say with a small hint of sarcasm.

She giggles, a very cute reaction to be honest, "I already knew that, light novel worm."

I couldn't help but snort at that accurate statement, "Is that like a bookworm's second-rate cousin?"

"Such is in your case, so maybe," She leans against me, her shoulder resting on mine. For a moment I almost pull away from her, but I refrain, seeing as I have no place to run should she get angry. This delicate situation requires me to act and react as stoically as possible. My heart was still hammering like crazy though. "I meant more about the worm part though." She adds with a cocky smile, her eyes closing as she seems to relax.

"Is that so?" I look at her dryly, and promptly turn away when I realize the eyeful of her I got in doing so. Good grief woman, at least keep your guard up, "Looks like I got demoted from fish to its bait."

Kasumigaoka makes a humming sound, as if agreeing with me, "Maybe you'll catch a nice fish since worms have no creepy eyes to scare them off."

I feel a bit nostalgic at her words. While nowhere near biting or soul-crushing as the Ice Queen's, I'm reminded of the old banter nonetheless.

"Now you're just being cruel," I point out flatly.

She giggles in response, "You deserve it though."

I borrow a certain alien's tone, "Eeeeh… Do I?"

I feel her grip on my bathrobe, her voice coming out deep, and somewhat somber, "You really think I forgave you for what you did?"

I immediately sober up at both her sudden action and her tone. The alarms that were blaring in my head earlier returned with a vengeance. Reflexively, I grab her wandering arm by the wrist. I kept myself from wrenching it off of me, but effectively prevented her from moving any further.

"Kasumigaoka," There's a warning tone in my voice. I don't know if she'll heed it, but it doesn't hurt to try.

"What is it?" She asks easily, and I'm unsure of her current line of thought since her face showed no change, nor reaction.

What was this situation? Tch, I liked you better when we were bantering.

I wasn't sure what to say next. I had a bad feeling that any continued defiance would land me in hot water, she's taught me that. This woman thinks that she has me wrapped around her finger, and hell, I admit that she was capable. She lulls me into a false sense of security in order to ensnare me when I least expect it. Maybe her easygoing banter was fake, or perhaps it was a tactical choice. Either way, Kasumigaoka has proven that she was a head above the rest with how dangerous she is.

She and Gasai might be equally as dangerous for polarizing reasons. So what should I do? Well, so far the most effective thing against the author was…

"I'm going to continue seeing Miura."

Derail the control she thought she had over me.

Her grip loosens, yet she still remains leaning on my shoulder despite my statement, "…You will?" Crimson eyes are open now, staring at nothing in particular, "As in, seeing her because you're in the same class?"

I keep my expression neutral, "As in, seeing her outside of class as well."

She blinks twice, but still refuses to look at me, "Why would that be, all of a sudden?"

I didn't answer, instead choosing to ask a question of my own, "Kasumigaoka, do you truly hate Miura?"

"I don't hate her," She responds with a sigh. "But she hates me."

"Jealousy is a human response. Typically it doesn't translate into actual hatred, it has more to do with self-doubts and transference," I say to her, "You've known me longer, and that causes her to lash out at you because she feels as if she lacks something. That's Miura's case, so where's that leave you?"

She lets out an insincere chuckle, "You truly fail to understand women, Hachiman-kun." She finally leans away, standing up and walking towards the wide window, her eyes lost within the nightly sight. "I'm not jealous… I'm just… doubtful…" She rests a hand on the window, also leaning her forehead on it. "I don't want to lose you, but you've made it so difficult for me to keep up with you. That Haruno woman changed you, made you uncaring for others, and her sister suffered for it… and so did I…"

This was unexpected, to put it lightly. I hadn't realized how detrimental my supposed relationship to Haruno-san was to others. Maybe it was my inexperience that led me to believe that whatever I had with her was isolated from others. But it wasn't, it damaged my pre-existing ties not only with Kasumigaoka, but possibly with Yukinoshita as well. I didn't like that, not one bit.

"So that's why you went along with what I did to Miura," I slowly deduce, "You saw it as an opportunity."

The author turns her head slightly, observing me from over her shoulder, "I think I was just being stupid. Feigning I enjoyed antagonizing her seemed to be the most effective way to earn your approval, and while she kind of deserved it, what you kept doing was just… it didn't sit well with me. It's funny… I was so desperate for your attention that you managed to bring out the worst in me. You made me realize how much I hated myself…" She chuckles slightly, but I failed to find the humor in her words.

I… didn't know what to say. I didn't expect Kasumigaoka to have self-reflected enough to realize her faults. To think my previous self would have unintentionally had a hand in causing this. What would he have thought? How would he have reacted?

I would applaud Kasumigaoka for reaching this point, but the fact of the matter is that if I hadn't forced it out of her, she may not have ever said anything. She would have continued whatever farce she had a few minutes ago if I hadn't shut it down.

She realized her faults and instead of running away from them, she deigned to put them in the back of her mind. If she had her way, she would have kept them hidden until the day came that the weight she carried crushed her.

For the sake of not losing her relationship with the previous Hachiman, she enabled his actions that went against her own morals and even actively participated. Over time it opened her eyes to the ugliness inside of her, the ugliness that all humans were capable of. Yet she made no move to confront it.

Was it cowardice or sheer helplessness that stilled her? Perhaps the fear of breaking her ties with my alternate self outweighed the hatred she had for herself, or perhaps she despised herself because her attachment to him stunted her personal growth.

And here I had written off Kasumigaoka as a simple, jealous and spiteful woman.

Before I could even say anything, she continued, "And nothing will change the fact that Miura hates me for just existing. That's how things go, and not even you will stop her from doing so."

Her acceptance of the situation didn't sit right with me. In fact, it pissed me off.

"It sounds like you're using others as an excuse for you to stay how you are," I respond, resting my arms on my knees.

"Is that wrong?" Kasumigaoka asks, her tone indicating she's more curious than anything else.

"Of course it is," I keep myself from growling, preferring to stay neutral, "Keeping the status quo at the cost of yourself, who would want to engage in something as disgusting as that? Not only that, but then to blame others for the choice you made? You're not running from your problems, Kasumigaoka. You're ignoring them entirely even though you know they exist."

My response earns me a glare, courtesy of the woman, "What, so now you're going to give me a righteous speech? You of all people?" She sits on the edge of the window, looking amused, "Don't make me laugh, Hachiman-kun."

I kept myself from glaring at her for her insinuating tone. I may have unconsciously engaged in keeping the status quo with my clubmates, but I never truly compromised myself in doing so and then blaming them for it.

I mentally shake my head to quell my indignation. She wasn't talking about me, she meant him.

"Righteous nothing, woman," I say with a frown, "I just can't stand listening to this sanctimonious talk from you. You think you're a martyr or something?"

Her glare intensifies, "A martyr? All I did was to please you! And got nothing in return for it!" She growled, ire hiding within her words.

I hated the words she spoke. Was this their relationship? Kasumigaoka always wanting to appease the other Hachiman at the cost of her own self? Again, I saw snippets of Yukinoshita in the author.

"Why stick around in such a seemingly toxic relationship then?" This time I couldn't help but hiss back at her.

She stared at me for several seconds, before averting her gaze, "…Because I…" She purses her lips for a moment, struggling to continue, "We both know why…"

I calm down as I see the girl deflate, "We aren't a couple, Kasumigaoka. Even if we were, you're not obligated to keep me appeased at every turn."

"Yet there's always someone ready to snatch you away," She argues, her face starting to show clear signs of annoyance. "And we aren't because you refuse to accept that you're scared. If there had been always someone keeping the status quo, that's you. Since the day we met, you have done so, and now you reproach me? Don't be a hypocrite."

Feh.

"Feh," I echo my thoughts with a scoff, "I don't know what I should be more insulted by; you think me so weak against other women, or that I would engage in a relationship that's clearly toxic for us both."

Silence comes for a moment when she suddenly sits again by my side, leaning to me with a menacing gaze. I force my Composed Hikki to its limits, and remain stoic.

Her red eyes narrow, "Why's that then, Hachiman-kun? Don't I reach your questionable standards?" She smiles insincerely, "Or what? You're protecting me from you?"

I was getting sick of playing her game already. I don't know what she wants to hear, but she lost that opportunity the second she spoke to me instead of him.

"You don't reach them, actually," I state frankly, "I don't want someone willing to pointlessly hurt themselves for mine or anyone else's sake."

The moment the words came out of my mouth, I pictured both Yuigahama and Yukinoshita's reactions after my 'confession' in Kyoto.

I think I understood why they hated my old methods so much back then a bit better. I remember Hiratsuka-sensei telling me that people don't like seeing loved ones being hurt, even if they were capable of shrugging off pain.

The difference between Kasumigaoka and I is that I'm a veteran at losing. Things that would bother others don't matter to me; I don't think she's had to face this until she met me. That being the case, it is the reason why she's so lost and scared.

I don't let her talk, instead staring straight into her eyes that were full of shock and hurt.

"I don't want you to ever think that it'd ever be fine to ever do that yourself," I begin, "Instead of me being the one who's scared, we both know that it's you. A person who isn't scared would have never let insecurities get to them, they wouldn't have betrayed their ethics just so they could remain connected to someone that matters to them, and they especially wouldn't have thought that this situation was fine."

My gaze towards her intensifies, "I would have much rather prefer you cut ties with me than for you to do what you did. I don't ever want to have that kind of disgusting power over you."

"I… I'm…" She grabs my bathrobe in a desperate attempt to find the strength to continue, "I hate this… I truly hate what you made me become… but what can I do…?"

I slowly grasp her arms, but don't pull away. I feel as if something may break inside her if she thought I was abandoning her just because I was uncomfortable at our proximity.

"I don't know…" I slowly tell her, "Scream, cry, hell, slap me if you think that'd make you feel better. The only mistake you made was thinking I was worth it."

He wasn't. That bastard alternate self wasn't worth shit.

Kasumigaoka stared at me, as if truly deciding on one of those options, yet she didn't speak, probably because she was confused. Not unexpected honestly.

Kasumigaoka, Miura, Komachi. That bastard got his claws into these three and did nothing but damage them. And what terrifies me most is that they aren't the only ones. Takao and Haruno-san are important ties to him as well, and the latter was detrimental for everyone just for the sake of carnal pleasure it seems.

I knew it was a losing fight for me to even attempt to pretend to be that bastard, but I didn't think it'd be this hopeless. I couldn't do what he did to these people. They might be strangers, but… for me to treat them as he did…

Seeing Kasumigaoka's state reminded me of Miura's after their argument. They were both victims the entire time. Victims to the man I'm masquerading.

I think of the kind-hearted Belldandy, and the naive Deviluke. The image of them both embracing me during my lowest point comes to my mind. Even if I can't recall what I felt at that time, that moment remained ingrained in my mind.

I would have had to treat them similarly as well, wouldn't I? Could I do so knowing how they both cared for me?

I… I can't…

Treating others like garbage, destroying their social lives, ruining what makes them them… That's too inhumane. I may be a low, but even I knew that was going too far.

The corner of her eyes begins showing moisture as she studies my face with uncertainty, her grasp weakens but she still refuses to let go, "That's not fair… Now I'm feeling more guilty than before…"

I didn't want to patronize her by saying she was free of guilt, even if I didn't know what she was talking about. So I forgo saying anything and simply allow bemusement to settle on my face.

"Stop it, Hachiman-kun…" She says quietly, "Stop playing with me…"

Playing with her? What?

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"…You always make me feel like I'm your toy…" I feel my body tensing up as she lets her head rest on my chest. Thank goodness that my bathrobe remained tied or else… "What do you want from me…?"

If I had it my way, I wouldn't have her associated with me for her sake. I would want her to be independent of me entirely so she would be free to be herself again without me hampering her. But that can't be, not entirely. I needed her to remain with me.

Er, not with me… Just, you know… with me… Ugh…

Alright, Hachiman… this requires a more… delicate… touch. Hate to say it but logic won't help you here. Well, I have to start somewhere with dealing with emotional stuff, right?

"I…" I start slowly, struggling to find the right words to say, "I… I want you to be true to yourself," I say finally, deciding that only my honest thoughts would work, "This world is harsh, and in order to live peacefully, society can ask you to conform in manners that you don't want to. But, we're not just products of our environment. We have the ability to break away from those social burdens that are placed on us."

She blinks twice, her hands letting go of me, yet she keeps her steady gaze on my face with complete focus.

"You have the right to complain when you're displeased, you know? Defy others when you think they're asking too much of you." I close my eyes for a moment, calming down, "No matter if it's as you as a person, or if it's through your work as an author."

Our faces are rather close, yet I couldn't let that bother me.

"Living for other people's expectations… that's just a pathetic justification for the brainless," I say severely, meeting her eyes. "Pasting a fake smile on your face at the cost of your own integrity… I can't stand the very thought of you taking part. You're better than that."

Conforming for the sake of conforming. Lying to yourself in order to preserve what you think are important ties. Who would want that?

I release the sigh I'd been holding for several seconds before continuing, "You have the potential of becoming something… that I can never be, Kasumigaoka."

She reduced the already small gap between us even more, my nose almost touching hers, yet I refused to back away. "What is it… that I can become?" She asks hopefully, a hand unconsciously pressing against her chest in the scope of an answer that would clear her doubts.

…

Something I'll never be, huh…

Yes. It's the one thing I lost when I came here. The one thing I refuted when Belldandy wrongly referred to me as such.

"You can be someone who is… genuine…"

My last statement flies out of my mouth before I could reign it in. When I catch myself, I immediately shut my mouth and look away with heat on my face.

Geez… I got way too carried away… She's probably gonna make fun of me…

Out of the blue I notice Kasumigaoka backing away, giving me her back and supporting herself on the edge of the window. I observe her in awe as she drops to her knees and embraces her own body as if she was cold. What on earth is she doing?

"Hey… you okay?" I ask, trying to get a better view of her. She doesn't respond to my call, so I tentatively approach her, attempting to get a peek at her face, only to notice her face flushing so red that I thought she was going to pass out. Her eyes were shut and her lips pressed against one another hard. "Oi, what's with you all of a sudden?"

I stand there, expecting a response, or any sort of reaction for that matter, which doesn't come.

Is she sick? Oh man, don't tell me she got a fever? Damn, she shouldn't have run into the rain.

To my surprise, she stands up and shoots me a warm gaze, her cheeks are still red but… there was something different this time. I couldn't tell what it was exactly but it feels familiar, like, I've seen it before …On other faces.

And for that reason the alarms in my head were blaring again.

"…What is it?" I blurted out, no longer being able to handle the silence. Not to mention that creepy stare she's giving.

"Ronriteki-kun," She whispers, a tiny smile popping up. "Will you be my editor?"

That's surprising. What brought up this change of mind?

I raise an eyebrow, "You're fine with it now?"

"Maybe I had a sudden change of heart too," She responds casually. "Remember though, if you come aboard, I won't let you go. If this ship sinks, we'll drown together. Are you ready for this commitment, Ronriteki-kun?"

What the heck was with this blood-oath sounding pact? Are you planning on us dying?

Either way, I grimace in response, "Don't say things that could be misunderstood, woman."

"We'll be like in that western movie, when the protagonist sacrifices his life to keep the heroine alive," She chuckles lightly, a hand treading across her lips in a very seductive manner, "Titanic, was it?"

I recall watching that movie once at Komachi's behest a few years ago. For some reason my allergies acted up during the end. It was soooo weird, y'know?

"Quit killing me off in your hypotheticals," I scoff in exasperation.

"Shouldn't you be happy?" She walks towards the bed and sits comfortably. Thankfully, the redness on her cheeks was gone. "You get to be the tragic hero, whom I'll always cherish dearly."

"Tch… I'd rather be alive for that…" I reflexively mutter before realizing what had come from my mouth a second too late. What the hell did I just say!?

Red orbs observe me in surprise, but only for a moment. Kasumigaoka smiles coyly, leaning her head to the side, "Did you mean that? I certainly wouldn't mind if you lived too."

Oh dear… I slipped really bad there…

"W-well, you know, I just don't like the idea that I'd have to die in order to escape from you…" I mentally curse my stutter.

A dangerous glint invades her eyes, her smile broadening, "It's either death, or life with me, Ronriteki-kun. I'd suggest thinking this through."

Stop trying to kill me, dammit!

"Good grief, woman…" I pinch the bridge of my nose; I've been saying that a lot around her… "I'd rather just take the job."

"There's no backing out," She states seriously, one eye closed. "Once you're in, you'll go all the way through."

'All the way…?' Was this a job offer or indentured servitude?

"Oi. That's enough already," I say with some annoyance, "I'll take the job. Don't push it."

She sticks out her tongue playfully, "I recommend you to actually push it when the time comes."

I simply sighed, I felt exhausted all of a sudden, "Whatever that means…"

She pins me with a knowing look, "Playing dumb, huh?" She pats the bed's surface again. "Aren't you tired?"

"Very," With a mutter, I move towards one of the small couches and shoot her a dry glance, "You can have the bed."

"Ronriteki-kun," Her voice comes sharp, her lips contorting.

I almost instinctively prostrate at her commanding tone. Luckily, I kept myself together.

"What is it?" I asked almost casually, keeping my posture relaxed.

"The bed is big enough for us to share it," She explains, crossing her legs. 'Curiosity' compels me to glance at them for a moment, cursing my fleeting weakness. "I'm a fast sleeper, as you well know."

Your ability to fall asleep quickly may be superior to my Hachiman Skill to 'appear' asleep, but it doesn't take away the fact that I'd be too panicked to actually rest. I may not require a full 8 hours of sleep anymore, but it doesn't mean I now prefer staying awake longer than needed, and much less in awkward circumstances such as this one.

"Like I'd actually be able to sleep there…" I grumble. I'm still a male dammit, sleeping next to a woman in a simple bathrobe is too much for my poor heart to handle.

She tilts her head, "Oh, you don't want to sleep then?"

I give her a dry look, "I'll sleep well enough on the couch."

"We both know you won't," She argues, resting a hand on her cheek. "You have school tomorrow, Ronriteki-kun. You require a good night's sleep."

"Nice of you to remember," I harmlessly snark back as I took a seat on the couch, "But if you keep up your nagging, you'll cut into my precious sleep."

I'm still a growing boy, Kasumigaoka-san, I don't want to wind up stunted because I didn't get enough sleep.

"Actually, there's something I want to ask you," She slid over the bed—closer to me— in a way that struck me as incredibly alarming, "Something intimate, if you will…"

Uh-oh…

Call it a gut feeling because of my exposure to Deviluke's slyness, but suddenly being seated doesn't seem like the wisest course of action at the moment. I can feel my tension rising, but I don't let it show for the sake of my stoic cover.

"Well, it's not like I have a choice. Go ahead," I sigh and stand back up, walking towards the window. Looking out, I could see it was raining again.

"Alright then…" I force myself to not turn around, instead focusing on the sight before me, "So… from what I understand, you came all the way to Sakura city, despite that it would be the last train, to… resolve things with me?"

Ugh… If she puts it like that… Usui was right. It sounds almost romantic, doesn't it? And with the addition of her running into the rain along with everything after… Man, it really was like a soap opera. Just thinking about it makes my desire for screaming into a pillow skyrocket.

In any case, I choose to slowly nod back at her. I didn't trust myself not to stutter an affirmative because of the way she phrased it.

"Why not wait a little longer?"

Why indeed… Well, aside from my lingering guilt after what happened, Machida-san also did make things to be desperate. Although I'm starting to suspect that it was a manipulation from her part; making things seem worse than they actually were.

Although maybe not, Kasumigaoka had festered plenty of detrimental feelings within herself. I shouldn't be so quick to write it off.

Either way…

I spy at her over my shoulder before speaking, "I figured I already made you wait long enough."

She stares at me for a transient moment, when a light chuckle suddenly escapes her lips, "You're such an idiot, you know that?"

I huff at that and gaze at the urban horizon, "Looks like I'm not a worm anymore, so I must be doing something right."

My hearing manages to catch the sound of Kasumigaoka's cute giggle, "What can I say? At least you're not doing anything wrong," She returned as easily as ever. "That much I can say for sure, Ronriteki-kun."

I smirk, not really minding her response. Gotta admit she truly has her unique way of teasing, and while similar to Yukinoshita's, Kasumigaoka's weren't just poorly veiled insults. Thankfully, I happen to be a high quality individual, because anyone else in my shoes would have been utterly destroyed by the Ice Queen's particular way of addressing people.

This Ronriteki-kun's skin is plenty thick! Ah, great… I'm endorsing that nickname now…

And just as I'm about to respond to her comment, her voice breaks through, "In any case, no matter how you choose to argue, I'm not letting you sleep anywhere but on the bed…" She averts her gaze with a blush, "…with me…"

Oi, oi! What kind of embarrassing declaration is that!? The last part wasn't even needed, you know? You didn't need to confirm the obvious, dammit! Aren't you supposed to be convincing me, woman? Saying that does the opposite! Give me a break, would you?

I heave a sigh, turning to her with a defeated expression, "You're really okay with that?"

She frowns, a hand resting on her cheek, "Of course I am, otherwise I would just let you sleep in the corridor."

Saying something like that so easily, with not even the slightest hint of remorse to add… Shi-chan can be cruel in her own way too, eh? She might actually go through with it.

Though I still have yet to witness the full extent of her slyness… and her previous impulses really left me with a wary bell on my head.

Regardless, after assessing the situation, the only viable option is to concede on the matter… for now… I mean, like she previously mentioned, enduring some minutes of utter awkwardness may be enough for her to be lulled into slumber, and me an escape back to the (dis)comfort of the couch.

Given her resolve on us both sharing the bed, all I can do is tread extra lightly.

I won't just let her win that easily though.

"Fine," I nod my head, my neutral gaze meeting hers. "Won't you be embarrassed, though?"

Kasumigaoka opens her mouth, yet nothing comes out. Hesitance takes over her face, the redness of her cheeks returning as she struggles to respond. Gaze aside, and her legs pressing against one another for some reason, her voice echoes, a faint whisper filling the room.

"By all means I am embarrassed… but if it's you… I don't mind…"

I stare at her in surprise, wondering how much stock she put in that bold statement.

To think that I'm the person she doesn't mind being with under these circumstances, yet I literally am not the Hikigaya Hachiman she knew. The cruel irony continues on.

I scratch my cheek in uncertainty, focused on suppressing my apprehension, which is unavoidably becoming harder by the minute. Showing weakness under these circumstances is not an option. Push your Hachiman Skills to their limit!

"…Is that right?" I mutter slowly, "You shouldn't say something so misleading, Kasumigaoka. You're lucky a man such as myself is a gentleman first and foremost."

She cocks an eyebrow, her eyes lit with amusement at something only she seems to understand, "An upfront gentleman then?" Letting out resigned sigh, she mutters next, "Maybe that's the problem… or maybe… that's a problem you hold exclusively for Takao and I…"

Takao? Oh… that annoying crybaby did mention Kasumigaoka during Yukihira's get-together, whining that her friend wasn't invited. These two are close to one another, that much is obvious… but what does Takao have to do with any of this?

And with the way she phrased it, I gained two underlying pieces of information from her statement.

The first seems to indicate that she doesn't desire my chivalry, implying that she would have preferred a more… dubious conduct for reasons I'd rather not know. The second part, which involves the irritating crybaby, seems to imply however that my past self only behaved in a questioning manner with other women, leaving these two out of the 'hunting field,' so to speak. Seriously, my previous self was a damn perverted asshole. Not to mention annoyingly inconsistent.

I hold my head, suspicious, yet still uncertain of the true meaning of her statement, "What I did in the past is just that, in the past. I won't deny it didn't happen, but that's over now. I have no interest in engaging in that sort of behavior from now on."

Kasumigaoka smiles, but the insincerity she displayed is quite striking, I mean, it's just too obvious… it's like she wanted me to notice, "…You're no fun… Ronriteki-kun."

"That's not true at all, Kasumigaoka. I'm a totally fun guy to be around, you just don't realize how niche I am to others," I respond with a smirk. "It's your sense of fun that's warped here."

She giggles, before letting herself fall on the bed, face-up and arms extended, "Aristotle did say that no great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness."

"Heh… well someone other fellow, whoever it could be, said that genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recaptured at will." I counter with a bit of sarcasm, "Naturally, mine made me the outstanding person I am now."

Still relaxed over the bed, she spies on me, "Can't disagree there… since you're also a genius…" She then gazes at the ceiling, though I can tell her eyes are lost within inner reflection. "It's funny. I think this is the first time we had a talk this… deep." She raises her body to a sitting position, "I think I like it… deep…"

I pin her with a blank stare, quickly catching her underlying message, "Oi, that one was on purpose, wasn't it?"

She sticks out her tongue, "Who knows?"

"Right…" I heave a sigh before sitting on my side of the bed, "Whatever the case, I'm hitting the sack."

"Wait… we're not sleeping yet," She stands on her feet and casually walks to my side. "It's early… which means we still have plenty of time."

I tense slightly, a rising sense of dread slowly invading me, "…for what?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha only smiles slyly in response, much to my dismay.

9-4

"K-Kasumigaoka, you're being a little rough…"

"Really? Shouldn't that line be used by women?"

"Still… Isn't it sloppy for you?"

Her agitated gasp comes out loudly, before she can even bring herself to speak, "Of course it's sloppy! Just shut up, don't move and let me take care of it, yeah?"

"But, cool down a bit, would you? The sheets are falling off the bed."

Her breathing was becoming even more ragged than before, her face flushed… oh dear… she's about to become more… wild…

"I appreciate the advice, but this scene needs more emotion."

Yes, indeed, what the author wanted was my counsel in re-writing some scenes of her newest story since I was to be her editor, so that's where I found myself at the moment. She gave me about 10 minutes to skim through the whole manuscript before she pulled out a laptop from her bag and started writing a certain scene.

I actually felt intrigued, and offered her some ideas to improve the scene where the third heroine is presented in her story. Yeah… third heroine… Turns out her new series will be a harem. I had to suppress a sigh at the revelation, however, I wasn't planning to judge her work despite the genre she chose. Her story does have potential afterall. For a trash harem story, that is.

Needless to say, as she wrote about the interactions between this third heroine and the male protagonist, she started deviating from the planned course as she abruptly forced the second heroine into the scene, making her hit both of them with a pot… yeah… an actual pot…

This was seriously escalating into something scary…

"That annoying girl is a bitch! Who the hell does she think she is!?" Kasumigaoka shouts out of nowhere, "Appearing out of nowhere and trying to steal my man!"

I stare at Kasumigaoka in disbelief as she continued to write on her laptop in a very aggressive manner, her bathrobe had slid down, little by little, her shoulders being revealed and her cleavage… well… I was close to having a heart attack since any small movement on her part threatened to show me something I wouldn't forget in days… weeks… years…?

Good grief, from the outside what was going on with Kasumigaoka's vocal tirade may have led to misunderstandings, wouldn't it? Well, only those dirty and depraved of mind would think it's something perverted… It's totally not my fault if people in the neighboring rooms listen to us through the walls. That's a breach of privacy, you knoooow!

Wait… the fact that I can tell that people would think of something perverted… What does that make me then?

I'm not a pervert, I swear! Leave that title to the likes of Yuuki Rito and what was his name again? Oh, Sakurai Tomoki… that chibi pervert.

My line of thought is however interrupted by another creepy whine, "I won't let this happen! I'll kill you… I will murder you!" I stare dumbfounded as she continues to type on the keyboard so fast and furiously, "I refuse to accept that you'll be a part of his life! Return my childhood friend to me!"

Hey now, what did your laptop do to deserve such abuse? She wasn't tapping on the keys as she typed, she was almost slamming her digits into them. I sent out a silent prayer for the poor piece of technology. Hold on a minute… should I ignore that the second heroine she's emulating has become a yandere? Is Kasumigaoka a yandere as well!? Maybe she's leaking her true nature into this character!?

Whatever… she's making a big fuss, which is the last thing we need right now. I don't want to end up apologizing to the staff of the hotel for causing such a scandal.

…

Why am I the one that'll be stuck apologizing!?

Anyway…

"We're going to get noise complaints…" I try to warn her, preparing myself to hear a knock on the wall from our complaining neighbors or a knock on the door courtesy of the staff.

However, it doesn't seem like she heard me. At all. Again… Tch, this woman…

"I loved you, and yet…" She whispers wistfully, and I furrow my brows as she continues, "I loved you so much and yet…" She keeps moving and her assets are also doing the same, gah! Stop, Kasumigaoka! "Why don't my feelings reach you!?"

Geez… she looks so irritated and helpless… where is this coming from?

"Give me a break, woman…" I interrupt her muttering and forcibly pull up her robe with an inflamed face (Damn my Onii-chan instincts!). "Are you planning to be your character's live-action actress too? Quiet down, sheesh."

With all her sudden shouting, now anyone would think we were an idiotic couple fighting over something senseless. And here I thought the soap opera ended earlier in the night…

Silence comes for a prolonged moment, her face obscured by her bangs. It seems she finally managed to calm down… at lea—

My mouth shuts, an ominous gaze is directed at me.

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Picture 02

"Are you saying it's wrong for an author to feel love!?" I back away at her sudden outburst, staring at her blankly. Her eyes had become disturbingly scary, her voice as well.

Geez… this woman has many, many issues…

Since it seems she's not done yet, I chose to not interrupt, seeing that my well being could be compromised if I tried anything.

"You think an author can't go all out for her fans!?"

I cock an eyebrow, my eyes carefully studying her scary face, "You're losing me here. Is that a line for your heroine's dialogue, or is it from the author?"

Red orbs stare at me for a moment before Kasumigaoka lets her body fall to the side. I turn away immediately as my keen eyes notice an opening on her bathrobe, my gentlemanly nature taking over. I wait for a few seconds before I glance at her form, hoping it's safe to look at her again.

Thankfully, the coast was clear. She's actually gripping her bathrobe, the opening gone, though her averted eyes give away she may have noticed the bold opening. Being shy now actually makes this all the more embarrassing, you knoooow?

Silence envelops the room, the girl remaining over the bed, still looking away.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 05

For once, I choose the least tactful approach and voice the bare minimum of my grievances, "What a pain…"

"Yeah… it's a pain…" She agrees with me, but I'm certain we're on a different page here. I was talking about you, woman. "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore…"

"Then stop writing for now," I give her a shrug, "I'm no expert, but even I know that you shouldn't force these things."

"It's not that…" She mutters after releasing a sigh, "I just… I think I may have made a mistake by attempting to write a harem driven story in a school setting…" Her fingers start playing with a lock of hair, "I'm not sure if Kasumi Utako will be capable of handling it…"

So that's the real problem with her story now, huh…

"Well, stories with harems are just glorified fanservice masquerading as literature," I say with some dryness, "You really gave yourself a hard challenge in trying to take it seriously, Kasumi-sensei. I applaud your courage."

It's true. If it were Zaimokuza, he'd prioritize his female characters to be as one-dimensional as possible while checking off the cliché characteristics that otakus like to see. Kasumigaoka wasn't free of them, but she really was trying to create fleshed out characters with unique dynamics with the main protagonist. It was a damn near impossible thing to do, especially when she had no experience with this genre.

Worse still, she wanted to keep the harem intact instead of taking the shortcut of having a clear end-game pairing throughout the story while giving fans of other girls false hope.

(Source: A certain dumpster fire story revolving around having a 'home girlfriend.')

Kudos to her, seriously. How often do you see harem-ends happening?

"It wasn't my choice… Machida-san forced it on me…" She rolled over the bed, to the side opposite of me, thus leaving me to watch her curve— I mean, her back… "I've given it some thought, and in the end, I decided to do it… but…" She rolls back again to the previous position, "How am I supposed to write a bath scene for every volume? Not to mention to keep up with countless unbelievable interactions with the stupid, indecisive main character?"

Was a regular bath scene per volume really necessary? I kept that question to myself, however, not wanting to go down that particular rabbit hole.

"What a pitiful protagonist," I give an helpless sigh, "His own creator is rejecting his existence."

She starts poking the sheet beneath her as she says, "Of course I reject him. Having such a lame character that plays with the hearts of those maidens for a main protagonist. I pity the girls that will fall for him…"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," I wave my finger in an exaggerated fashion like a certain fictional egyptian, "How does it reflect on you, the creator, for having such a weak character then?"

"It's not really a creation since people like that exist… I'm just using the idea."

"Doesn't that make it worse?" I give casual tilt of my head, "You're borrowing an outside concept instead of making your own. That sort of thing might be fine with a side character, but this is the main protagonist we're talking about, y'know?"

Kasumigaoka observes me with curiosity for a moment, and then seats again, "Well, technically, this concept isn't really used. I'm not copying anybody, I'm simply usi—"

"Excuse me, Kasumi Utako-sensei," I interrupt her terrible justification, "But indecisive, poor excuses of harem kings make up 90% of the harem protagonists in this industry. You may not be copying a particular character, but you are utilizing an overused trope."

She seems slightly offended, "Well, how am I supposed to keep five girls fighting for him over so many volumes if I don't make him that way? Otherwise, it would just be impossible, or unbelievable."

That was pretty true. If harem stories didn't have protagonists that weren't dense or indecisive, they wouldn't be harem stories. In fact, the romantic tale would end that much more quickly leaving everyone disappointed before the climax of the story(lol).

Well, as her official editor, I have to make sure to inspire her to write this story. Much as I don't like it, my words are pivotal as her motivator, might as well take advantage.

"That's something only you can figure out, right?" I curl my lip upwards a bit trying to appear reassuring, "A competent harem story written by Kasumi Utako? I sure hit the jackpot that I can watch its creation from the ground up."

If I were to be honest, there is a small excitement in personally watching a respected author write. It's one positive that I find in this new venture I'm in.

Her eyes widen, a hand resting on her chest as she looks at me with surprise, "Ronriteki-kun…" Then, she drops her gaze, looking slightly anxious, "It's just… one mistake with this story… and I might be berated…" She sighs, "I don't really care what happens to me, but my work…"

"An attack on your work is an attack on you, woman," I retorted before sighing myself, "Well, if it's so daunting to write something so far from your comfort zone, can't you tell your publisher something about it?"

She bites her lip, "Not anymore… I already presented the script with the plot of the story…" She giggles, but it's too obvious how forced it is, "Say… would you really enjoy a harem story written by me? Don't lie…"

"Yeah," I nod at her, and jokingly add, "I'd probably be that one idiot who camps out so he'd be first to get an autographed copy, even when he personally knows the author herself."

The uncertainty on her face suddenly evaporates, a warm smile creeping across her face, "Yeah? You were actually one of the first in line the first day I was signing books. I already knew you from your reputation, and it really surprised me to see Sobu's Shadow Fist in the line." Her cheeks become red once more, "I still remember that day like if it happened an hour ago, when we first spoke…"

Ugh… I really don't like that miserable nickname, it causes mental damage every time I hear it.

"Is my reputation really that widespread…?" I massage my temples with an exasperated groan.

"Even back then you were known…" She puts a thoughtful finger on her chin, "Although, thinking about it, it may have been because you hung out a lot with Harima-kun. He was already known, so people started associating you with him. You can guess the rest."

Not at all, Kasumigaoka-san, I don't know what to guess about my delinquent reputation at all. Ah, well, I can use this small opportunity to hear about it from her.

"Being associated with Harima doesn't really seem like enough justification for me to have earned that stupid nickname," I raise an eyebrow, "I doubt the others have their own labels aside from the inane ones Harima and Usui give them."

"Really? Well, fighting so many people may have earned you that title, so it's your own fault, Ronriteki-kun."

Geez… I really did get into that many fights?

"They could have done better than Shadow Fist…" I almost sulk, "What am I, a Dark Type move?"

"Didn't Harima-kun say it himself?" She seems to be reflecting for a moment, "It was something like you were so fast and moved like a shadow that your opponents didn't manage to see your punches… or something along those lines."

Ugh… That sounds like a line a side character says to hype someone up during a fight. Or something the Otaku would say…

"Aki's a bad influence on you," I groan into my hand, "And Usui's probably faster than I am too."

"Blame your friend Onizuka-san for it. She did present you to some gang with that label, and then it spread like wildfire. Funny," She giggles in amusement.

Onizuka? Wait, like Onizuka-sensei?

The stunned bemusement must have been reflected in my face because the author caught it.

"Something on your mind?" She questions after a moment of silence. I curse internally for letting that name distract me, but I react quickly enough and craft a rapid diversion.

"Ah, well, I didn't think it'd be her who came up with it," I play it off, "It's annoying, but at least it wasn't something that came from the people I beat."

Wow, just saying that feels weird…

"Wait… you knew she gave you that nickname, yeah?" Her eyes narrow, "Did you really forget? That's not like you."

Shit.

Way to go me. Ugh… I probably would have had it better if I dumbly asked if she was related to Onizuka-sensei… Seeing as how I just met the man this Monday, I would have been justified in asking something as stupid as that just because they shared surnames.

I rub the back of my head as I attempt to appear to be annoyed, "I actively try to forget that I have that epithet at every turn. I'm emulating the Three Wise Monkeys, you know?"

She continues her stare, suspicion still etched on her face, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?" She tilts her head a little, "I guess that can be true. Anyway, having one of the most feared delinquents in line did scare me a bit, but leaving wasn't much of a choice," Kasumigaoka smiles again, but to herself as she seems to be reminiscing. "And when it was your turn… well… what you said about my book… it changed everything for me."

Whew… My quick thinking got me out of trouble for now, but I shouldn't push it. Feigning ignorance is one thing, but actually appearing ignorant is dangerous. I need to be more careful with the things I ask.

Like now, feigning ignorance even if I am ignorant of what I said to Kasumigaoka is the worst possible thing I could do. That means too much for her for me to do that. And I also don't want her to go off in her own world and try anything with me because she set off her own heart meter.

This calls for a tactical retreat.

"I met your friend, Maizono, at Maid Latte last week," I bluntly changed topics, "Tried scolding me for what happened. How much did you tell her?"

She looks away instantly, tension visibly settling on her posture, "Not… much…"

"Relax, you're allowed to vent to others about your problems. I'm not so selfish to get mad about that," I try to placate her. I really wasn't bothered by it, as I was that Maizono felt the need to involve herself with the problem. That part was annoying,

"Now that you mention it, being more selfish would have done you wonders, Ronriteki-kun," She says with a wink. "But I suppose that's part of your charm."

What's that supposed to mean?

"Er… right," I wave off her… compliment?

"Sayaka was a bit mad when she called me later that day," She comments, suppressing a laugh. "She said you were so rude, and whined quite a bit about it. She was so cute."

Rude? I can barely remember what I said to her, but I wasn't really. Harima and Usui were being idiots because they weren't the least bit interested in her. So yeah, I was a gentleman as far as I can recall!

Although I did tell her to not meddle in the problem that only concerned Utaha and I. Maybe it was at that moment? Having such a reason, I probably could have done so, knowing me.

"Isn't calling me rude a bit much?" I can't help but ask, "Supporting you is one thing, but she shouldn't have stuck her nose in our business like she tried to. Did she expect me to ignore that just because she's an idol?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "Don't let it bother you. Your character is… unique, so I bet she didn't know how to take whatever you said to her."

I let her brief hesitation when calling me unique go, but sent a wry glance her way.

"Well, she seems like a good enough friend, even if she's too nosy for her own good," I lean backwards from my sitting position supported by my arms and look up at the ceiling.

I felt a glare coming so I focused on the blackhead. Kasumigaoka is pursing her lips, as if displeased, "Although, she has been asking me about you every time we talk. Why is that, Ronriteki-kun?"

"Who knows?" I drawl, uncaring, "Probably because I'm the only person who treated her like a human instead of holding her up on some pedestal? …or outright ignoring her like those two idiots…"

I mutter that last part.

"Let's hope it's just that…" Her voice is lacking any emotion there… "Usui-kun and Harima-kun, huh? It's not that surprising that they ignored her though."

I ignore the unsubtle warning in her first statement. I don't want to get into that so late into the night. And just because their hearts were spoken for with their respective objects of adoration, doesn't mean they should outright ignore people. That's bad manners.

(Source: A certain Irohasu)

"Right," I idly agree. This brief break has been good, but we should get back to our main focus. I want the night to end already, dammit. Seeing how well it worked, I decided to be blunt about it.

"Still think you can't write a harem story?"

She blinks at my unexpected question, "Umm… I don't know… maybe I just lack motivation. I guess I just don't care about my next work after all…"

That's bad, isn't it?

"That makes things even worse," I sigh, "If your muse is at zero, then there's nothing to be done except to find something to inspire you, right?"

"So what do you suggest we do, Editor-kun?"

I'm not particularly happy with that new moniker, but whatever.

"What, it's on me now?" I ask in exasperation, "This is your motivation as a writer we're talking about, woman."

"Aren't you supposed to solve that kind of problem?" She adds, eyes shut.

If it were that easy to get you inspired, then writers' block wouldn't be a thing, dammit.

"I'm not a wish granter…" I mutter, maybe I can get Belldandy to make things easier? Nah, she can't grant wishes for anyone but Komachi. Didn't that Sakurai guy mention some card that helps grant wishes?

Feh, knowing my luck, it wouldn't work either.

It's a bad idea to have her read works from other authors as well. Chances are that her desperation to get this story will cause her to accidentally plagiarize them, if not just write something uninspiring. Yeah, sure, something generic will sell just because it has her name on it, but in the long-run it'll damage her legitimacy.

I think of the current weaknesses I see in her Metronome story; maybe it can help me find something?

Oh, what if—

"Fuu…"

I sense air blowing into my left ear, a soft feminine sound accompanying it.

What the…!?

"Wha- Whoa!" I jerk at the sensation before accidentally tumbling off the bed like an idiot with my sudden movement. It wasn't a rough landing, but it wasn't particularly pleasant either. At least I didn't crack my skull; I could imagine the shame of my parents when they see that their son died in a bathrobe.

"Ronriteki-kun?"

"Argh…" I groan to myself, "Damn it, woman, were you serious about wanting me to die on your terms?"

"What are you talking about?" She asks, apparently in confusion as she leans to me from the bed, her assets becoming once more a dangerous sight. "You had that serious look on your face, so I just wanted you to relax a little."

"W-well, I have sensitive ears…" I tear my gaze away from the ample view I had, "And I hardly doubt that would help anybody relax anyway."

She waves at me with a shrug, "You're overreacting, Ronriteki-kun. Besides, I thought that maybe if I tried doing some new things myself, I might be able to understand my characters' feelings." She drags her laptop to the edge of the bed, showing me the screen with a certain scene she apparently wrote yesterday. "Why don't we try and get these emotions through experience? That way I may be able to make my story more believable."

"What? Are you going to get yourself a reverse-harem or something?" I ask jokingly, not liking how she phrased that, "I pity the poor souls whose hearts you'll toy with in the name of experience."

She pouts slightly, "That's not what I meant."

I look up to stare at the ceiling with a bland expression, "Then what do you mean? I can't read minds, y'know?"

"You see, most people think stories are created by just our imagination, but I have to disagree," She stops for a moment, sitting by the side of the bed, my eyes lingering for a moment on her incredible legs— Get ahold of yourself! "Writing a story is much more than that. Don't you think that the best stories are those that were written based on real experience and meaningful memories?"

"That sounds about right, I suppose," I agree with her point. Stories that have a realistic tie-in, tend to be more impactful on the audience.

She smiles to herself, "How can anyone like a character if it's fake? Most people just see the cover, ignoring what's inside. For example, spid- I mean… cockroaches are just killed because people fear their ugliness, or they're simply grossed out, without thinking what makes them that way, or wha—"

"Oi, oi…" I interrupt the start of a recognizable speech. My eyes were wide as I slowly sat up from my position on the floor, staring at her in pure astonishment.

She blinks twice, "W-what is it?"

Yeah, her words had sounded awfully familiar… and I do wonder if she truly believes that nonsense of the spider/cockroach example. Mmm…

"Isn't that a spider right by your foot?" I point at nothing in particular, but in her right foot's general direction. I felt the need to deconstruct her blatant plagiarism first and foremost.

"Kya!" She gets on her feet with a jump, and slips somehow. Aw, crap… She's going to fall on top of me!? I watch in horror as her body tumbles forward and crashes onto me.

My back is forced down to the ground due to the added weight, but thankfully I again manage to keep my head from hitting the carpeted floor.

I looked down to see the top of her head, meaning that her face was basically buried into my chest and go stock still.

Erk… Seriously? I unlocked another ecchi event? Now of all times!?

I'm unsure of what to do as I don't think that putting my hands on her will make things better. No, no, if anything that's the last thing I should do right now. What if I accidentally messed with her robe and I see something unforgettable when she tries to get up!? N-no way can I let that happen!

Seeing how there was nothing I could do, I remain frozen while desperately trying to keep the heat off my face.

I hear some sort of grunt coming out of her, her breathing on my skin. I shiver at the sensation. I'm glad that my bathrobe is still closed, but still… and then, right then and there two big forms come to my sight as she raises her body, her eyes closed, but flinching from pain.

Her bathrobe was open from the top… Revealing something that I was trying to prevent the entire night.

And it would have been a glorious sight. However, I had already abandoned thought. Any further and I would have eventually stopped thinking entirely.

I sharply inhale and look up so quickly that I slam the back of my head onto the floor. But I ignore the pain as I think of anything but the brief scenery I was bles- cursed with.

"Ronriteki-kun…" She whispers as I glance at her out of the corner of my eyes. She has yet to notice her embarrassing circumstances, but only for a moment. Her red eyes moved from my face to herself and before I knew it, another loud "KYA!" comes as she presses her whole body onto me, her flushed face so red as she envelops me in her arms.

Stop it! You're only making it worse for me!

We remain in stifling silence as neither of us could find any words to say about the sudden situation we found ourselves in. At least I now know that for all her bluster, even Kasumigaoka is weak to accidental intimacy that I'm loath to admit we're in considering our supposed closeness.

"I, uh… I didn't see anything," I murmur dumbly, "I-in case you were, you know, wondering or something…"

Ugh… I wanted the earth to open up beneath me and swallow me into an abyss, never to be heard from again… All I needed was for my voice to crack to make things worse! But it wasn't a lie, I whited out the moment I saw her open robe!

"Don't believe you…" She said with muffled sounds as her head still remained against my neck.

I keep myself from shuddering. It's like I could feel the vibration that her voice caused on my neck travel throughout my body. I was that hyper aware of her position.

"I didn't see!" I couldn't help but almost screech at my defense.

"D-don't deny it! You saw!" She spluttered, squeezing my neck tighter.

"I didn't! I didn't!" She tightens her hold, "K-Kasumigaoka!"

You're choking me! You're choking me, dammit!

"You definitely saw me! The only way I wouldn't feel embarrassed would be if I saw you too!" She shouts when her grip suddenly comes to an end. I blink twice, glad that I could breathe again, however, the implication behind her comment dawns on me. What the hell was that logic!?

A hand lands on my face, covering my eyes as the weight on me is lifted. It takes not even a single second before her other hand starts removing my own bathrobe, much to my shock.

"W-wait… Wait! What the hell are you doing!?" I grab her wandering hand by the wrist in a deathlock. And to cover all my bases, I grab her other hand and pull it away from my face.

I tried to send a desperate glare at the woman, but her eyes had a crazed look in them. She probably wasn't listening to me either.

"Let go! I have to see or else I will be embarrassed for the rest of my life!"

"I'm telling you…" She was flailing around, trying to break out of my grip. In doing so, I could feel them bouncing on me. I pinch my eyes shut in order to keep me from seeing anything on the chance that I glance down at the incensed woman.

"I'm going to be a dirty bride! I won't be able to get married!"

"For the last time…" I'm starting to feel my frustration boil underneath my skin, gradually overtaking my initial panic and embarrassment, "Kasumigaoka…"

But again, she wasn't listening. This time I give up the pretense of trying to calm her down by making her listen to reason.

"Stop."

Just like that time with Aqua, my voice was void of emotion. This wasn't a request or a suggestion; it was a demand.

And all movement came to a stop, and silence overtook the room, it only being cut by our agitated breathing. I kept my eyes closed, not daring to open them, and of course, the only method to keep her virtue as intact as possible.

"Ha-Hachiman-kun…" Her weak voice echoes within the room, "I…"

The fragility in her voice reminded me of a jilted kitten's. And with my eyes firmly shut, that vocal cue was that much more noticeable. In response, I let go of my annoyance with a sigh. Relaxing the tension I allowed to build up.

I obviously didn't like where the situation was heading, much less Kasumigaoka's zeal, but there was no point in staying angry by it. It's better to let it go.

"It's… it's fine," I quietly tell her, releasing my grip on her wrists. My tone wasn't entirely comforting, but it wasn't begrudging either. "Just forget about it. Anyhow, you should cover yourself so I can open my eyes. It's pretty silly speaking like this, you know?"

A short moment passes as some light sounds echo around, as I continue forcing myself to remain composed. A wild imagination is especially dangerous when it tries to paint the picture of what I denied myself of seeing. I know it's Kasumigaoka lifting herself up and most likely sitting on the bed, but still holding onto some worry is simply logical, considering her previous reaction.

And when my anxiety began to skyrocket, her voice finally came through, "You can open them…"

I sit up first. I was way too paranoid of where she went, I didn't want to run the risk of extending my Ecchi Event into looking up her robe should she be right above me. That may stop my already overworked heart.

When I'm sitting upright, I hesitantly open my eyes. In front of me Kasumigaoka is sitting on the bed, her back to me. I think she was hugging her knees as well. Was she sulking?

Well, it's to be expected. What happened just now was something out of Zaimokuza's wildest dreams, seriously, if he learned about this he'd yell about how I betrayed him somehow. Hell, I'm still processing it myself.

If I were told that a beauty of Kasumigaoka's caliber were to share a room with me, I'd report that person to the authorities. Factoring the fact that we were only in robes and the author would later trip on me, undoing her own robe in the process, leading to something that would make an ecchi mangaka proud… Well, I'd think I was suffering from a fever dream that let my delusions run wild.

But no, it really did happen. The RomCom Gods were surely laughing at me right now. Bastards.

Not wanting to be stifled by the renewed silence, I slowly ask, "Hey, you alright?"

"Dunno… but at least I got all that experience I was talking about…" As I stand on my feet, I notice her burrowing her head in between her knees. "I don't think we need to rehearse a scene from my story anymore…"

So that's what she wanted when she mentioned the obviously stolen speech about writing a believable story? Saying that upfront would have worked better, you know? Instead of elaborating such an excuse to just make me go along with her desires. I wouldn't have hesitated to say "Daga Kotowaru!"

Women really make things unnecessarily complicated.

"Oh, that's good," I say evenly, my voice oozing sarcasm, "I was almost worried that you were going to look for a spider to lick. Ah, sorry, you said cockroach, right?"

I see her flinch at that, but I smirked a bit and continued on.

"Actually, maybe I should be even more worried now," I feign a ponderous tone, "Not only are you borrowing concepts from other stories, you're even plagiarising a fictional mangaka from a certain crazy, noisy, bizarre town…"

Her response doesn't come immediately, saggy shoulders and a sigh following, "It's not plagiarism if you also believe in it. What just happened a moment ago truly showed me how a girl would feel if seen naked on accident, something that usually happens in harem stories. I completely agree with Rohan-sensei, even if he's creepy."

"Tch, so long as you leave it at that, I'll look the other way for now," I make my displeasure known, "And I keep telling you, I didn't see anything."

"Liar…" She mutters depressedly.

Good grief, what kind of girl gets mad at me for not looking at her?

"You're such a pain…" I mutter my complaint.

"Since you're my editor, then I'm your pain now, Ronriteki-kun…"

"Ugh…" I merely groan as I lay back down on the floor, covering my face with my hands. I regret taking this job now… It's a new personal record, typically I say that the next morning, not the same night.

"Are you sleepy, Ronriteki-kun?" She asks, still refusing to look at me.

Exhausted would be a better way of putting it…

"You could say that…" I murmur into my hands before removing them.

"Then…" I blink, her voice as soft as a whisper, "…Do you wanna sleep with me?

Damn it, woman…

"I don't know…" I mutter dryly, I'm starting to get used to her misleading words, "The ground feels kind of comfortable…"

"…Don't make me feel more miserable…"

Guilt-tripping me?

"Whose fault is that?" I grumble, but comply as I lift myself off the floor again.

"Your fault, obviously."

"Yeah, yeah…" I roll my eyes and take a seat on the bed. Opposite, not to mention far, from the author.

"So… are we going to do it?" She says slowly as she finally turns around and stares at me.

Why does she have to say it that way…?

"…shut up and go to sleep…" My usual chivalry finally shatters. Maybe I wasn't as used to it as I thought…

"Ronriteki-kun?" Puppy eyes assault me all of a sudden as she peeks at me from my left.

"What, woman?" I glance at her. Damn my older brother instincts!

I widen my eyes as she looks at me with one of the sweetest smiles I've even seen in my life, and gotta say, those were few. Anyhow, I just found myself mesmerized for a moment before turning away, heat overwhelming my cheeks.

"Thank you," That's all she says.

Somehow even though the bed was in a good state and of better quality than my own, I didn't feel comfortable at all.

"Y-yeah…" I quietly tell her.

We both finally get underneath the covers of the bed, and of course, I face the other side. This is just too weird already, and seeing her this close in such circumstances wouldn't do at all.

Minutes pass, long minutes. I'm unable to even shut my eyes, wondering if she's already asleep or not. My doubts however, are answered the moment I hear a whisper close to my ear.

"Sweet dreams…"

My body freezes.

I ignored how her proximity to me had shortened again. I ignored the fact that I left a wide berth for her to sleep on. I ignored the usual shock that would course through my body whenever she whispered in my ear. All I could focus on was how sweet her voice sounded just now.

And it served to remind me how this girl unknowingly lost the man those words were meant for.

I remained silent, for I didn't know how to respond. I was too scared to even face her. Maybe she'll think I'm already asleep.

Either way, having sweet dreams was something I doubt I'll have…

Nor do I think I deserve them.

9-5

…Mmm?

When had I fallen asleep? Hah… the author really did a number on my energy levels tonight. Damn, I wasn't able to outlast her after all.

…

Ugh… I'm starting to sound as misleading as her now…

It should be explained that I had tried to give Kasumigaoka around fifteen minutes or so for her to be in a deep enough sleep so I could make my escape from the confines of the bed. Unfortunately for me, it was ten minutes too long. She didn't snore, and her breathing was too inaudible for me to make sure if she really was asleep.

I wasn't going to turn around and stare at her, obviously. I didn't want to stumble upon another Event on the off chance she caught me looking at her.

Because of this disadvantage, I didn't think much of her movements other than her trying to get comfortable. That was a mistake because before I knew it, her free arm wrapped around my torso and she pulled herself behind me. I don't think I need to state that the dual sensations on my back made their un(welcome) return.

At first, I tried to gently shove her off but she wasn't having it. Her grip wasn't vice-like per se, but she just pulled herself even closer against me. She really didn't want to let go of me. And I was rapidly starting to realize that I unknowingly reached the Spooning Event to my ever growing mortification.

After a few more moments (which worked against me in hindsight), I tried and failed to use my words to get her to move. I learned that she was a deep sleeper even when I almost screamed for her to get off.

So that's where I found myself for most of the night. My sheer fatigue eventually caught up to me and so I succumbed to a fitful slumber. I probably didn't sleep for more than an hour or two since it was still dark out. Then again, it might be the retreating clouds that made things appear a bit darker as well.

Well, it wasn't my alarm I set to early 5:30-ish that woke me up so I didn't have to worry about getting up just yet.

I may have said I had a restless nap (because I obviously didn't sleep properly) and my energy levels were at the bare minimum, but it was passable. Probably at a slightly lower state than they were on Sunday after my eventful night with Gasai.

I'll probably need another half hour at least if I want to function enough to tackle the day. But if I could get that in the position I'm in is another story.

I sigh to myself and reach for my charging phone on the nightstand on my side of the bed.

5:12? I beat the alarm then? Tch, another eighteen minutes would have been appreciated… I deactivate the upcoming alarm. It's not like I could sleep anymore.

Mm? It was a bit too quiet in the room, wasn't it?

Prior to falling asleep, I grew accustomed to hearing Kasumigaoka sighing in content every once in a while. It was pure mental torture at first, but eventually I grew numb to it. Well, as much as one can grow numb to alluring annoyances anyway.

I sharply inhale to help jumpstart my brain and blink the fatigue that clouded my mind. It seemed to work a bit as the gears in my head began to work more efficiently.

That was when my Hikki senses told me that a hole was being stared through my head. And that I hadn't noticed how a certain someone's chin was resting on my shoulder.

Ah. I wasn't the only one awake on the bed.

Hold on… I wasn't the only one!?

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 06

"Hey there…" A soft, intimidating voice comes right at my ear, "Awake already? After all we did last night?"

Of course that's how she'd start the morning off…

"Anyone would have woken up after being stared for so long and brazenly…" I mutter dryly.

I hear a giggle, "Who… me? Well, I couldn't help myself. You were so wild last night…"

I suppress my urge to groan. My kingdom for a normal morning…

"Right…" It's worse because I'm starting to suspect that she's not going for innuendos. They come way too naturally to her for them to all be intentional. Argh… It's harder to tell which ones are her being reckless and which ones are on purpose, "Mind letting me go? My arm's cramping from laying on it all night."

It wasn't the case because of my accelerated healing, but she didn't need to know that. Still, it was one of many things that added to my discomfort.

"Aww…" She whines cutel— annoyingly, that's what I meant, "And here I thought you were up for another round."

Now, that was on purpose.

"…Just get off already…" I sigh exasperatedly sending her a small glare, extremely careful that our faces didn't make contact with her being so close. I was already tired of talking with her…

She lets go, much to my relief, "Stinky Editor-kun. You really suck at this job."

Leave me alone…

I watch her as she sits at her side of the bed. She takes her time to ensure her bathrobe is properly tied before heading into the bathroom. I finally let myself enjoy the softness of the bed, spreading my arms and legs… finally.

This probably would have been one of the best sleeps I might have gotten if not for some parasite binding itself to me and robbing me of that.

Well, I doubt she'll take long in there, so allowing myself even a short nap is out of the question. Who knows what she might do if she finds me snoozing.

In any case, I chose instead to reflect on yesterday's events.

I never thought I'd end up like this when I decided to take the train to Sakura City, I mean, I technically spent the night with a girl, in the same room, on the same bed, both of us in bathrobes… and previously to that, I got a glimpse at her glorious… Er, I may have said I blanked out when I saw, but my sight didn't actually fail or anything… If I think about it more, I'll start… recalling… So I should just stop there…

However…

While many guys would think I'm lucky, the only positive thing I gained is that I made quite the development with her, also managing to return to Kasumigaoka's good graces once more. For the game, I advanced, yet the fact that —just like with Miura— I can't bring myself to accept any of this… and it's not like I'm accepting Deviluke's affections either, but… whatever the author feels for me, is not for me in reality. All she had been doing was essentially talking to an empty husk that wouldn't be able to return any of her feelings.

I'm just not the Hikigaya Hachiman she fell in love with.

Yeah, despite that I hold no knowledge about love whatsoever, I'm not as blind to ignore how her affections for the previous Hachiman go beyond mere infatuation. They share quite a bit of history, my bastard self and her.

I'm most likely misreading it, but for some reason, I just can feel the difference when she looks directly in my eyes. As I have come to notice during last night, Kasumigaoka Utaha is quite the deceptive woman, a sly manipulator and a very, very sharp and scary individual.

Yet…

There's a soft, shy and fearful girl underneath that strives to find love, whatever it is. To hold that one special person for her at arm's reach, even if it meant depriving herself of her own morals, of her own freedom. She's been broken by none other than the previous Hikigaya Hachiman.

Can I really just ignore all of this?

Whether I win the game or not, that bastard will probably take hold of this life once I'm gone, and Kasumigaoka will end up again in that toxic relationship they shared. I know I shouldn't care as she is an unknown to me like all the rest. Focusing only on the game would definitely be the best approach but…

It really bothers me…

I just realized it's not only her, but all the people I have met so far.

I don't care for a lot of them to be honest, but just thinking about leaving Miura, Belldandy, Deviluke, my parents, and above all else, Komachi with the asshole that uses my very name…

It's starting to piss me off.

I want to return to my own world, but just thinking about it leaving this one behind to that guy makes me sick.

Am I pathetic for thinking this way? Selfish definitely, but it's so difficult to find the choice that would leave me at peace.

Huh… why am I making such a big deal of this? It doesn't matter if I win or lose, I'll be leaving anyway. Huh… now it's way more simple than I expected, to make a choice I mean.

I can only win, because I don't intend to become a time god.

I'm crap, but still crap that belongs to a certain crappy world.

I must win… I must retur—

"Ronriteki-kun?"

I blink, my train of thought interrupted. My head turns to the left, my eyes spotting the red-eyed girl already dressed up in her uniform. She gazes at me in bewilderment, not quite the expression I expected to see. Her surprise was on the negative side.

How long had I been brooding?

"Ah, already done?" I relax, assuming a sitting position, "Well, I should…" I furrow my brow as she still kept staring at me in uncertainty, "What is it?"

"Ah… dunno… it was your face…" She responds, the previous tension fading, if ever slightly. "I suppose I just didn't like the expression you were making. What was on your mind? Are you worried about anything?"

"Something like that," I say easily enough while getting up, then jokingly adding, "My bad, but these eyes of mine seem to be a permanent feature now. I'll use the bathroom now."

I walk past her towards the pristine bathroom. Mm, maybe I should wash my face with cold water so I can wake myself up? Decisions, decisions…

"Hachiman-kun," Pointedly, she calls my name.

I stop in my tracks, and look at her over my shoulder, the girl already turned to me, "If there's something wrong, you can tell me. I'm here for you."

No dice, Shi-chan. If there's one thing I can't do, it's speaking to you about my issues. Not that I would in the first place seeing how we're technically strangers. Plus, I run the risk of letting my severe guilt tell you the truth, and that's a huge no-no.

Although, you're a pretty nice girl to offer.

I turn back, the wry smirk on my face hollowing slightly, "I know."

With that, I enter the bathroom.

9-6

Figures that the moment I decide to take a short nap on my train ride back to Chiba I get dragged back into the time god's dwelling. So where does that leave my body? Will I just not respond to Kasumigaoka if she tried getting my attention? I doubt it'd be so easy to snap me out of the cathedral without Deus Ex's permission.

Yeah, while I initially thought the author would remain in Sakura City, turns out she was already done with her business there and was heading back to Chiba herself. I realized Machida-san had tricked me about that as well when Kasumigaoka said that we both would be returning together. All that talk about her being so busy so I couldn't see her in some time was a complete lie, and I totally fell for it. And surprisingly, the author had no words for my umbrella, only giving me an odd look that I responded with a shrug.

Well, a gentleman such as myself can't look the other way when the cry of helpless women made themselves known. Heh, jokes aside, I probably would have gone anyway, for Kasumigaoka was important to the game. Machida-san simply gave me a justification to confront her sooner, so in all, it all worked out in my favor somehow.

What a nice way to kick off my second week in this crazy world, eh?

Whatever, now I'm stuck in this ethereal place again, without knowing why. Again.

Geez… another unwanted dream-not-dream…

It's said that dreams actually take place between very short periods of time as you sleep. So theoretically I could think I experienced an entire day's worth in here and wake up before I reached my stop. Just because this wasn't an actual dreamscape, doesn't mean it won't apply here, right? It always took place whenever I slept.

That's not really a prospect I can look forward to though, given my special case.

Hah… So who was it this time? Who felt the need to summon little ol' me?

As I look around in the darkened area I find myself in, those strange particles of light still hovered across the large space as if they owned it. As my steps echo within the gloomy atmosphere, I notice two chairs positioned one in front of the other, just like last time, and like last time, a certain blue-haired goddess is sitting on one of them.

Oh great, it was her again…

I stand still for a moment, reflecting for some seconds, deciding if I should approach that annoying Isekai goddess. She was nothing but a pain, not the vision of folk of their kind I expected. Belldandy would no doubt give her a lesson on how goddesses should behave if she were to come here.

There's someone else there too, in the other chair.

It's a girl. I idly remember then what was mentioned during my previous dream.

Aqua was supposed to redirect dead people, as if giving them a chance to live again, but in another world… which means… is that girl dead? I wonder…

As I approach —compelled by morbid curiosity— I come to notice the casual clothing worn by this new short-haired girl. By all means she came from the world I was in, the clothes gave away that much, and she seemed anxious.

"Oh, Hikigaya Hachiman…san?" I narrow my eyes, already disliking the familiar voice, "So you were summoned again?"

She wasn't responsible then?

I merely glance at the goddess known as Aqua as I continue onward, closing the gap between them and I. At this distance, I can see the unknown girl staring at me in surprise.

"It seems so," I shrug without much care.

She grins, "Missed me?"

"Not particularly," I say flatly, "Who wanted to see me if it wasn't you?"

Despite my dryness, she takes my inquiry in stride, not erasing that smile from her face, "Must be the big guy. So not even a bit? My overwhelming beauty surely left a mark on your mortal mind, yes?"

"I've seen better," I simply say and turn my back to her, heading towards Deus Ex's usual spot in the cathedral.

"Hey, don't be so rude," She says, getting up from the chair. "Wait!"

I release a sigh, "What now?"

With arms folded and an unexpected serious face, she responds, "Wanted to say something. Don't leave me talking to the air."

It's what you're mostly good for, isn't it?

Say, was there even air here? No, wait, I don't want to get into that kind of abstract thought.

"Get to the point then," I face her again, "You're obviously busy."

The 'goddess' puffs her cheeks for a moment, "Why do I have to do this…?" She mutters to herself before speaking directly, "So, I have been told that my behaviour was… unbefitting of a goddess. I shouldn't have mocked you. Humans never have it easy, and I kinda forgot that."

I silently stare at the blue-haired divine being for an extended moment. Was she a kid that was scolded into apologizing by an adult?

"Forget about it," I tell her. It's not like it mattered to me.

"No, I should have thought better," She put a hand on her chest, looking solemn, "Aria really had a point there. I'm a goddess that people adore and worship, so it's only expected of me to be an example to all lesser beings. It won't happen again."

Who's Aria, another goddess? And what's with this obviously fake act?

"If you say so," I give a noncommittal shrug of compliance.

"As long as you understand," She nods to herself. I give her my back again with a subtle nod.

"Oh, there's one thing though…" I pipe up again, glancing at her over my shoulder.

She blinks, curiosity painting her face, "Yes?"

"If it's something you have to be told to do instead of figuring it out yourself, then keep your insincere apologies to yourself next time," My voice is as cold as my gaze, "Let's just leave things at that."

I'll let go how you derided me for my desire to find something genuine, goddess. For one, it doesn't matter in the long run; two, what you and other gods outside Deus Ex think of me doesn't matter period; and three, you aren't worth the effort.

"Hey, that was—"

"A-ano!" The unknown girl is standing at the goddess' side, "What's going on? Is… is he dead too?"

So I was right in that regard? I can't help but pity the girl, knowing that she'll be possibly sent to another world without knowing anything about it. I can sort of relate to her.

Aqua seemed ready to voice a complaint, but in the end she refrained, giving her attention to the girl, "Ah, forgot about you. Let's see…" She glances at me before motioning a hand to the girl to return to her seat, "So did you make up your mind?" She asks her, "Will you be reborn in…"

I decide to just walk away. The recently dead girl deserves some privacy at least. Damn, that just feels weird to think about. She's right about my age too. And even more so, she's the right age for Deus Ex's creation. Cut down before they could live, but 'lucking out' by being given a second chance in a new world.

And… I'd have to kill someone just like her, maybe even younger if they're that unlucky. Except, they don't get a second chance at life…

Give me a fucking break…

Walking for a while, away from the duo already hidden within expansive darkness, the floating, minuscule cubes of light barely spreading illumination, I hear some steps in the distance, the silhouette of a person becoming easier to determine with every given step.

I come to a stop, my facial expression hardening, if ever slightly, due to the previous expectation plus the fact that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka walked up to me with that everlasting blank expression on his. Never I thought I'd meet someone with a profile as close as mine, in regard of our social status and external covers.

It really leaves a distaste in my mouth, meeting someone like me, but with an underlying aura of danger that I myself don't possess. We appear similar only at the superficial level.

His steps echo louder and louder as he approaches, stopping just in front of me. We gaze at one another sharply, not uttering a single word for a moment. Like the other times, he wore the same school uniform, just like I wore Sobu's… Does that mean that our school uniforms are our default clothing?

I mean, other than right now, this usually happens when I'm out of uniform and in bed…

"Hey," He says, casually (read:awkwardly). "Met your goddess. She's something else."

I wave dismissively, "You're wrong, on both accounts. She's isn't mine, and it's arguable if she's even a goddess. I just see a kid with too much power and status on her hands."

He cocks an eyebrow, "I suppose I can agree on both ends. Though, isn't she supposed to be on your side? That weird kid is on mine apparently."

Now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow, "You only just realized?"

He blinks, "Yeah. So you were summoned here before without me then?"

I probably shouldn't have let him know, but it's too late. Whatever, I'll just move on with this unwanted chitchat, "Yeah. I'm not sure why, but whatever, it's an annoyance I'm getting used to. I guess the god of time has something to say to us?"

He takes a moment before responding, "Who knows?" With a hand on his waist, a sigh escaping his lips, he adds, "I've been meaning to talk to him, actually."

Hmm? Does he? I wonder…

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

It has to be about the game, that much is obvious, which makes me anxious. If he has something to address, it could mean he made progress in the game. It could also mean he simply wants to corroborate the rules of the game, or ask something related to them.

For myself, I haven't really thought that much about it, only focusing to keep those possible suspects at arms reach. I still think this is an unfair game with unfair rules. The number of girls that fits the descriptions is way too big, and even if the god says that every person we meet matters, I wonder how much time will pass before we discover Deus Ex's creation, if ever.

I shouldn't be so reckless… Ayanokouji's going to get even further ahead of me if my resolve stays this weak…

"So, any progress?" He asks suddenly, "Not in the game, but in improving your social skills?"

"It's getting more tolerable, if that's what you mean," I give a shrug, "Still plenty annoying. I don't know how riajuus do it."

He rubs the back of his head, "I sort of pity them now. Having to deal with so many people… but it's not as bad as I thought. They can be useful."

That word again…

"Right," I try not to betray the unease I felt. You don't tend to hear others refer to people as useful, and blatantly too.

Ayanokouji stares at me for a moment as he probably realized my reservation. I know I do have people that mean something to me, like Komachi, my parents and even those two freeloaders… probably, but he still doesn't seem to regard anyone in such standards, still referring to them as mere tools for him to use.

He and I aren't alike at all in the end.

"I don't think we'll ever win the game. The prospects are way too wide for us alone to handle it," His countenance becomes sharp, "We're still talking about millions of possible suspects."

"You're right about that," I slowly nod in agreement, "For a guy who said that time was of the essence, Deus Ex sure gave us a task that would take too long to solve. There's probably a catch he didn't tell us about."

"I foresaw you would come to such a conclusion, eventually."

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Picture 03

The darkness is dispelled before us, revealing in presence the very reason for our current circumstances. Atop of a large floating platform was Deux Ex Machina, sat in a throne as large as his body. I look around, spotting the goddess far away, and now alone.

So, did she send that girl to that other world afterall?

She shoots us a glance, tilting her head a little before she starts walking in our direction. I hold back a sigh, dreading that I'll have to keep listening to her irritating squawking about proper goddess behavior and other nonsense.

I decide to focus on the large being instead, "Of course you did. With the title of god of time, you probably got it down to the second when we'd ask, right? "

"Indeed Hachiman Hikigaya. I can assume you had something to ask of me as well?"

Did I?

"Well, probably," I give a shrug before gesturing to my 'rival,' "But he's been waiting patiently for you, you know? I'd feel bad if you skipped over him."

"I'm positive he's thinking just the same as me," Responds Ayanokouji easily with a shrug of his own. "We're not winning this game any time soon. It's simply ridiculous."

"Do you think that as well, Hachiman Hikigaya?" The large skull-like head of good turns slightly.

"Don't act coy," I furrow my brow slightly, "I'm sure you heard what I said when you got here."

The large being lets out a laugh of amusement, his voice so powerful it made the whole place tremble. I could hear some squeaks that probably came from the goddess, which is interesting considering her status. Aqua seems to be nothing compared to the god of time.

Although, this is the first time I think he's ever actually laughed…

"Humans tend to be very dubious and insecure about their own reasonings. I was merely confirming your previous statement."

If he foresaw the previous thing, why even try to get confirmation? Couldn't he just foresee what we're going to say, too? There's something fishy in here… And seeing that other guy's face, I think he's arriving to the same conclusion… maybe.

"Right… so… what happens now?" I inquire seriously.

Pocketing his hands, the brunette at my side says, "You can either change the rules to make it winnable, or just choose one of us as the god of time."

I massage my neck, hoping the god doesn't abruptly just decide on it as there are still things I need to solve. It could very well be the best approach so I don't have to go through that stupid game, but if I were to become the god of time, leaving my humanity behind… at least with the game I have the chance of putting the odds in my favor.

Deus Ex intertwines it's bony hands, "The game will proceed by all means. We will now discuss the current status of the game, and its repercussions in the world you now live in."

What, this again? Are his changes going to be so severe that we need to reevaluate everything from square one? Says a lot about your poor planning if things have to change that often.

"What? You're changing the game now?" Aqua asks in surprise. Of course she wouldn't know, "Just like that?"

"Indeed, Aqua. The Dimensional Wanderer has entered this world, and his very presence has turned the wheels of fate more than I have anticipated," He responds gravely. "Alongside Great Red, I have been watching his journey, and he has finally reached the world my participants now call home."

She blinks in surprise, "For real!?"

"It seems like," Muru Muru, floating upside down at the goddess's side, comments without care. "Things are getting out of hand."

Tch… Another pest appears. What's with this reunion? Does that mean our bastard doppelgangers will appear too? And what the heck is with all that terminology? What on earth are they talking about?

"The very reason behind the first rules was giving time for the Wanderer to act." The large god extends his hands to the sides, "Now, we may begin the game for certain."

What the hell? What's that make last week, the introduction?

"So our efforts so far were just a waste, then?" I ask with an annoyed click of my tongue.

"No, the progress you two made, as little as it was, is invaluable. To find my creation, that has not changed," We watch in confusion as the god explains himself, "The conditions my creation must hold to be considered a suspect will remain."

Ayanokouji steps forward, "So we still have to find a girl, living in Japan, between the ages of 11 and 17, who knows of your existence."

"Indeed," He replies as I focus, knowing that missing any valuable information could cripple my side in the game. "However, I will grant you both the ability to identify the possible suspects that were chosen even before you two were brought."

"Chosen?" I echoed before blinking, "Wait, that means… Even amongst the women we've come across, only some might be regarded as part of the actual suspects."

He might have said that our time in the world for the past week wasn't a waste, but until I gain that ridiculous ability to identify his suspects, there's a chance that none of the women I've met were even in the game! Sure, I gained more experience in the art of socializing, but a loss is still a loss. I won't break even if all that work I put into Kasumigaoka last night was for naught!

But it's a bitter feeling. Sure, it'd be a waste of time if she wasn't a suspect, but, I'd be relieved that it wasn't her either. It'd be the same for the others as well, I think. I might not have an emotional attachment to them like I did to my former clubmates, but I couldn't stand here and say I'm capable of killing them either.

This game really is cruel. Unless I'm an emotionless robot, I'd in some way or the other get attached to the girl who becomes the creation. And once I figure out it is her…

I balled my hands tightly into fists.

"And how does this ability work exactly?" Ayanokouji asks with a more relaxed tone than before. It may seem that these changes in the game are to his liking. That's only a guess though.

"Consider it a passive ability of your eyes when you awake," Responds the god calmly. "Each time you visually come across a suspect within a ten meter radius of yourselves, a glowing mark floating above them will appear before you. Only you two shall be able to see it."

What, like a sharingan?

But with an ability like that… That means that the number of suspects really has been narrowed down, but… The fact that they were predetermined has to mean something.

While this is certainly good news, I can't help feel that there's something missing, which makes me a little restless to be honest. Maybe it's just me… but…

"But beware, competitors, once your ability spots a mark, it will fade after 42 seconds, never to appear ever again."

Wait, just 42 seconds? Why that exact number? It's too short!

Doesn't that mean that we have to act immediately once we see the woman!? You can't just ask a trained loner to immediately be ready to socialize in a span of 42 seconds! What if she takes the bus? Will I have to chase after her!?

Just because I'm regularly called a creep, doesn't mean I am one, dammit!

"That's not good, hehehe!" The annoying weird brat laughs, "But it will be fun watching you two struggle to not let the suspects get away!"

I glare at her, but she just ignores me, though my attention is drawn for a moment to the pensive expression Aqua sported in that moment, the kind of face you never expect to see in one of her kind. Maybe there's something more to this?

"I already had to chase a girl, and almost got killed by some sort of magical sword bow," Mutters Ayanokouji after sighing. "I was hoping to avoid repeating such kinds of experiences. Hopefully, this ability will show me that Kirasaka-san isn't a suspect."

"Aww, don't be like that, creepy-kun! I bet she liked you!"

He merely glances at her, "Who knows?"

I silently groaned into my palm. Magical weapons have made their appearance in this world. Ayanokouji didn't specify that she wasn't human so I have no idea what the source of that magic could be. At least I had the excuse that Belldandy was a supernatural being…

Is it connected to that weird scientific city?

"So if we fail to keep track of a suspect, or lose someone after seeing them, then it can be a huge setback for your plans, yeah?" I begin, starting to become impatient. "Aren't you supposed to have one of us win? If neither of us can't find a suspect that may have eluded us, the game is useless."

"Such risk is necessary, Hachiman Hikigaya. I hold faith that if that should come to occur, you will use the resources at your disposal to correct your mistake."

Pompous bastard… Who's the one who put us in this situation in the first place? You don't have the right to say that, not one!

I swallow my anger, however, "The suspects we'll see… Is there a reason why you chose them in particular?"

Deus Ex leans back on his throne, "There is, but your inquiry shall remain unanswered."

Damn it… It's looking like there's something special about the chosen women after all… Something, more than just being a suspect.

Does it have to do with their importance to us Prime contestants? But it can't be just that, what if someone like Ayuzawa is a suspect, she's clearly more important to Usui than she'll ever be of me. There must be a reason, and I'll definitely keep this information in mind.

Maybe I can find a connection between the suspects that at least will help make some sense of this craziness, and hopefully, shed some light on Deus Ex's plan.

"Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, do you hold any other inquiry?"

He seems thoughtful for a moment, "What are those doppelgangers we have?"

"Your query shall remain unanswered."

He shrugs his shoulders, "Had to try."

There's still the mystery behind them, now that he mentions it. What do they have to do with the game? Who were they, really? Watchers to keep track of us? Possible lifesavers should the worst happen? Replacements? I can't even begin to think what their true purpose is.

"There is one more important element about the ability you must know, participants," The god states strongly, my attention back to my 'current reality' as his deep voice echoes eerily. "Once either of you find a mark, it shall not appear again."

Does that mean that if I see a marked girl, Ayanokouji won't be able to know it's a suspect because the mark will be gone forever? So the same would be for my case then…

I won't be able to know who the suspects are on his side, and neither will he know of those on my own… which makes the game way more difficult… It's likely we'll be forced at some point to face off one another, the only goal to discover the suspects we each have on our side.

And a decent strategy can be to bring in women who aren't involved in order to serve as red herrings. That line of thought disgusts me, and it disturbs me that how quick I was to think of it as an option.

But there's something that's still really bugging me about all of this…

"That can't be true," I state with a frown, "If one of us misses a potential target, we're both screwed? No, you wouldn't let something like that ruin your precious game. I don't know why you'll choose whoever gets stuck with the mark from now on, but if I don't pursue them, doesn't that mean that I'm essentially shrinking the population of which woman is the creation? You don't strike me the type to leave such a fatal flaw. Especially considering how it'd correspond with our introverted natures."

"If neither of you succeed, you shall die with this world, and then I will make use of the one who was better qualified until that point to become my successor, even if it means that I will have to resurrect him. Failure is not an option if you desire to return."

"Quit screwing around, damn bastard. That wasn't what I was talking about," I growl at his stupid ultimatum, "Who's to say that Ayanokouji screwing up and losing his suspect that winds up being the creation is what leads to you choosing me as the next time god? What's the point of the game if something like that has me losing either way?"

Silence comes after that, and can sense the stares at my side, most likely from Ayanokouji, that annoying brat and the goddess.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 07

All of a sudden, I feel a strong pressure on my body, forcing myself to fall on my knees. For a second I can see the other guy also stammering and kneeling as well, yet the goddess and that kid only trembled in fear.

"The new rules have been given, mortal," The fearsome spoke with such authority and force that I felt my head close to exploding. "You both have the freedom to interpret the game as you see fit, however, such freedom comes at a cost. You either win, or die and serve my purpose either way. Only one of you shall return if the game is won properly. You hold no choice, nor power over your lives anymore."

Silence comes once again, however the pressure starts to fade little by little… doesn't mean I had control over my body yet… damnit…

"Geh, so…" The other boy says between elaborated gasps of breath, his voice weak and noticeably shaky, "Y-you've finally decided to show your t-true colors…"

Aqua falls back, landing on hear rear, still shocked and unable to even speak, while the brat starts floating, a smile appearing slowly, "Been some time since I last saw you like that Deuxy."

Yet, the god of time didn't reply to her.

Another moment of complete silence engulf the surroundings, until I finally manage to get a hold of myself… if only a bit.

"H-heh… Hehehe…" A laugh escapes from me, even as terrified as I was. If I could move my body, it would be shaking like a leaf. Yet I somehow found my voice, and a vicious grin accompanied my no doubt fearful expression. "L-look at you… C-can't stand the idea of a mere human plaything questioning you, so you just exert your power over him… You… You're just like some schoolyard brat with a magnifying glass messing with an anthill who gets mad once they're bitten."

Forcibly, I spit at the ground, to get my point across. I don't bother questioning if it's real or not, it's the principle that counts.

"Your limited perception deceives you, Hachiman Hikigaya. You fail to understand the true meaning of your circumstances," The god raises its large hand, an orb of light appears above it, "It is trivial what either of us think of one another. We all now hold an objective to complete and all that can be done is follow it until the end. What you may see as a flaw, I see it as an opportunity."

Ayanokouji suddenly punches the ground, "Of course humans can't comprehend this kind of bullshit. And yet, you still want one of us to become your successor…"

"He's nothing but a piece of shit at the end of the day," I mutter sardonically, my own arms trembling as I force myself up. Through sheer willpower, I stand, but my legs give out for a moment leaving me to crouch and catch my breath. Slowly, I coerce my legs to remain upright as I finally stand against Deus Ex's pressure.

"Such terminology holds no meaning to me, mortal. The rules have been given. You two hold the potential to win, and whether you choose to succeed or fail, only one will return… or nobody will."

Muru Muru stares at us in expectation, "So creepy-kuns… what will you do?"

Ayanokouji also stands on his own, resting his hand on his knees for a moment before managing to stand straight. His breathing relaxes, his anger gone, replaced by his usual neutral expression.

"I will win," He states sharply. "No matter what I have to do, I won't fail. I'll use everything within my grasp to succeed, and no one will stop me," He pins me with a dry gaze. "Not even you, Hikigaya. I'll take you down if you stand in my way."

So that's your decision, huh? What can I say, I'm sort of disappointed there. But I get it, if things were different, I would have been exactly the same. I might not have gone so far as to give the Protagonist Speech of being the one who wins in the end, but I would have rejected his resolve from spite.

"Pheh, you're no better," I derisively scoff at him, "Just dancing to the tune he wants just because he thinks he can force us."

I point a finger towards the silent god, his impenetrable mask not showcasing any sort of expression, "I'm not losing, time god, but I refuse to let you get your way either!"

Ayanokouji smiles slightly, "Winning is all that matters… and thinking he can't force us when he could just end it all in a moment… you're just naive."

"…" I stare at him in silence before turning away from him, "If that's your line of thought, then you're nothing more than a chess piece on the board. A queen with all the power that still must answer to her king, whoever that may be."

"You misunderstand Hikigaya. I will play by his rules, but only because of my own gain," He responds casually, "You may think you're better, thinking that you can remain true to your ideals, but you will play the game, because like me, you have your own desires," He pockets a hand and stands before me. "You will try to win for your own selfish reasons. We're human after all."

I narrow my gaze, fully facing him.

"…You're probably right," I eventually tell him, "Chances are that what I say winds up being nothing but hot air and I fully participate in the game. It'd be human of me to be that kind of hypocrite." I grin wryly afterwards, "Then again, doing something that's expected of you just because I'm human is pretty boring. I'm the type to spite social norms just for existing."

"That may be the case, but that doesn't mean we can't use them in our favor," He counters with a shrug.

"Says you," I smirk back at him, "I can be pretty stubborn, you know?"

"Then I expect you to amuse me when we meet again," He responds blandly.

"It has been decided," The god of time announces. "Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, Hachiman Hikigaya. Go forth and show me you can surpass my expectations."

The orb on Deus's hand begins to shine brightly, our surroundings becoming lost within the blinding light. Ayanokouji simply closes his eyes, waiting to be returned, and while I intend to do the same, I sense someone suddenly grabbing my wrist.

Even as little as I can see, I notice Aqua standing just at my side, seriousness etched on her face. I frown when she pulls me close to her, our shoulders meeting as she leans to my ear and says…

"I think that false goddess of yours may know something about the dimensional traveler Deus mentioned," She whispers as I'm forced to close my eyes due to the light's intensity. "You may figure out something if you investigate that."

And those are the last unexpected words I hear before my senses fade completely.

9-6

With a sharp inhale, I jolt awake, my eyes wide and wildly observing where I was.

"Our next stop is Chiba. Bound to Chiba on the Sobu Line. Our next stop will be Ichihara."

My gaze is set on a familiar face, a concerned familiar face. Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at me in anticipation, uncertainty visible in her features, with hints of worry mixed in. I only stare at her for a moment before I finally scan around me, recalling that I'm still in the train on my way back to Chiba.

The people around observed us, some in curiosity, others in worry or annoyance. Could it be that I did something during this dream-not-dream? Great, even in my dreams I manage to act weird enough to garner attention… If Yukinoshita were here, she would never let me live it down.

…Or be the one who reports me for inappropriate behavior.

I glance at my phone as I relax in my seat… I only took a 10 minute nap and yet that damn dream felt much longer than that…

I guess it was right to assume that time didn't mattered in that stupid Cathedral.

"Hachiman-kun, you okay?"

I glance back at the black-haired girl sitting at my side, her hands grasping my shoulder and my arm. She was still holding my blazer tightly and doesn't seem she's going to let go. However, above all, my complete focus is drawn to something else entirely.

For a moment I feel like everything fades into nothingness, only leaving the girl at my side in my immediate sight. A faint aura envelops her entirely as some sort of symbol appears above her.

The symbol was circular in shape, and inside it had three smaller circles positioned separately, each one of them having a different design inside of them. There were other drawings in the space left inside the bigger circle, and I couldn't make any sense of them. It was some weird symbol that as a whole somehow resembled a clock… Nah, not really… Where do I see a clock…?

This is the mark Deus was talking about… which means… Kasumigaoka Utaha is one of the chosen for the game… which means… I'll be asked to…

"Thank you."

I ball my hidden hand into a fist as I perfectly recall the sincere smile she sent me after uttering those words to me. It was like a cruel joke.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was not safe from the game.

The mark above her shines brightly, and I feel a surge of pain curse through my head. I hold my face, gritting my teeth due to the ache. It takes some seconds for the mark and the aura around her to fade as if they never existed, the pain lessening as my perception of the surroundings return back to normality.

And with it dissipating, it felt like time began to move again. I had been so focused on whatever that mark was that I hadn't noticed that she had been talking to me. I give a shake of my head to rid myself of the cobwebs inside and focus on her face despite the lingering pain in my head.

She almost looked as distraught as I felt seeing that symbol floating over her. Not to the degree of last night, obviously, but she still appeared at a loss on what to do. I must have worried her pretty badly even as I slept, and awakening in panic probably before staring at her silently for a near minute didn't do me any favors. Hopefully, my panic was just before coming to. How could I explain to her my lack of response if she tried to jostle me awake? Nobody sleeps deeply during small naps.

Tch, stupid time god, causing me problems even in the physical realm… You already ruined my sleep, now you're after my everyday life? Petty bastard didn't even mention anything about our heads hurting after seeing the marker on our targets.

"I…" I release a deep breath, "I'm fine."

"Didn't seem that way…" Kasumigaoka responds weakly, "You even spaced out for a bit… as if you saw something terrible."

She wasn't really wrong. Seeing that symbol hover over her was an immediate dose of reality that Deus Ex's game really did change.

"I couldn't tell you," I rub the back of my head in what I hope is a sheepish manner, "Everything's a bit hazy right now."

"But the face you made…" She mutters, still refusing to let go, "I've never seen you so scared… "

Scared, huh?

"Probably just a bad dream, then," I huff sardonically, it did sound a bit pathetic, "I can't even remember what happened anymore."

"Bad dream? It seemed you were having a nightmare, and I couldn't wake you up…" She leans closer, "You seemed to be in pain after waking up too… "

Crap. So it did happen… and she saw every reaction of mine. Shit.

"Ah, it was just a sudden headache from waking up so abruptly," I ran a hand through my hair. "Sorry for worrying you."

She stares at me for a moment, and I only look at her out of the corner of my eye, before the hold on my blazer weakens, "Has this happened before, or is it the first time?"

I recall the last time that the dream-not-dream shocked me awake. Well, it was due to Ayanokouji that time so it's technically the first. I'm not really lying, y'know? Besides, she's the first person that's witnessed me having it, so I can't be certain. The pain though… It reminds me of the first time I woke up after being summoned into Deus Ex's realm, the morning after I was brought to this world. The pain at the time was just as intense as it was just now.

"First time," I tell her, massaging my temples, "It's probably a one time thing; a consequence for not sleeping well or something."

"Now you're blaming me, Ronriteki-kun?" She mutters, sounding displeased.

I merely grunt back noncommittally, focusing on relaxing the painful throbbing in my cranium. Damn it. All these new aspects to the game are clearly making it impossible to keep myself together… but I can't keep worrying her…

As I force myself to relax, the pain seems to be fading more and more, probably because of the accelerated healing process. With a better working mind, I can tell Kasumigaoka's last line tried to help me relax with our unique banter… I guess that was considerate of her.

I have to try my best to meet her halfway at least.

"I never inferred such a thing, Kasumigaoka-san," I pipe up with a somewhat forced formality, "That's just your guilty conscience speaking. At least your subconscious knows when you've caused me trouble."

She backs away with a resigned sigh, "I… well, I-I don't know what you're talking about," Eyes closed, she sits properly, and thankfully, at a reasonable distance, "Anyone else would have worried too."

Looks like I wasn't too successful either…

It takes me a second to respond, and tentatively offer, "I appreciate the thought. I shouldn't have worried you, that's my bad."

She keeps herself in silence for a brief moment, before opening one eye, "Okay… I suppose I overreacted but…" She smiles warmly. "I'm glad it wasn't anything serious."

As glad as I was that the tense atmosphere dispersed, I still awkwardly shifted my gaze, "Y-yeah…"

"Don't worry, though. I'll take responsibility the next time you don't sleep well because of me, okay?"

Typically, I would have groaned at her possible innuendo, but she had such an honest expression that I was wondering if she hadn't meant it as one for once. It really is confusing with her.

"You don't have to go that far…" I rub the back of my head.

Her coy smile makes its unwelcome return as her previous worry seems to be a thing of the past. I guess, in a way, I prefer to deal with this version of her…

"Then I'll let you go as far as you want with me…" Her voice comes out seductive.

Or maybe not.

"Oi, oi…" I send her an annoyed glare, "What kind of guy do you take me for?"

"That's what you always sa—"

Her voice is interrupted when some steps come to a stop right before us… or more accurately, before me, "Finally, you show your face."

I blink, before my eyes slowly move to see the person in detail. And all I could notice was a woman with the same aura as before surrounding her, and with that same odd mark over her head. And like before, it was as if seeing this took over my vision.

I decide to look away, not wanting to stare for too long this time. My perception returns as I feel the same sting of pain in my head, less in intensity, but it still aches enough to be bothersome. I hold my forehead for a second as a concerned gaze comes from the author again, but this time I manage to focus on calming my throbbing nerves.

"Hey… is the pain back?" Kasumigaoka asks.

"Ah, sorry," I grunt slightly with a bit of snark, "Looks like my headache is warning me about an upcoming annoyance."

Hey, anyone who experiences the pain I did would have been riled up too. It's thanks to my curbed tongue that I kept the comment as simple passive aggressiveness. Bad thing is, my barbed comment was meant towards the game, not this new face.

Kasumigaoka says nothing and instead, glances at the girl standing just before us. I also take the chance to get a good look at her, cursing the fact that I'll have to keep whoever this is within my reach. She's the second confirmed suspect after all.

I got two of them so fast, geez…

The girl, who has dark red hair tied in a bun, seems to be my age despite that she doesn't wear a school uniform, instead sporting one that seems to belong to a security organization. Now that I think about it, it's somewhat similar as it's conformed by a turquoise tie, a dark blazer with golden linings, a white shirt underneath it, a short… skirt, a black pantyhouse and matching shoes.

Vivid blue eyes clash into mine as she speaks again, "Are you going to pretend you hit your head now?" She asks with furrowed brows, leaning slightly before glancing at Kasumigaoka, "Of course, you're here with him, Kasumigaoka."

The author merely crossed her legs —in a very intimidating manner I might add— and folds her arms, smiling insincerely, "Naturally, Sakurai-san. We're very close after all, and now he works for me."

Sakurai? First Onizuka, now another Sakurai… Is this world so small that these people are even connected to the adults I know in Sobu? Wait, don't conclude things so fast… the Sakurai surname is rather common… maybe they don't share anything and I'm just overthinking it… but knowing my luck.

Either way, that means that I know two Sakurais my age in this world like I know the Yukinoshitas in mine. Even if I didn't realize I got lucky in calling Sakurai Tomoki by his surname, that must mean it's different with this new girl. So like the Yukinoshitas, I probably called this girl by her given name along with the appropriate honorific. I doubt the author next to me liked that, but it had to be the case, right? It's not like I'm a fan either, but I liken it to Haruno-san, so it isn't as embarrassing. The thing was…

I didn't know who this girl was at all…

She smiles in the same fashion, "Really? Last I checked, he already had a job with the Train Security Company, no? Hikigaya answers to the PSF, not to some writer."

That sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't tell from what. And I definitely don't recall being employed by anyone before last night. My mother would have let me know about me missing work this past week if that were the case. Before or after getting mad at me, of course.

"Sakurai… Aoi-san, was it? As always sooo slow…" Kasumigaoka smiles cockily, "I thought that even you would realize that he was ditching that job, and you in fact."

I thank the RomCom gods for the exposition I sorely needed. I won't turn the other cheek even if it sometimes seems convenient!

So… Sakurai Aoi, huh…? My first impression of her is already bad, given her initial reaction. But like before, what I think doesn't really matter because she's someone I'm supposed to know. And to add onto that, she's a suspect I can't really ignore.

"Well, starting the previous night, I do somewhat answer to her now," I give a shrug before sending Kasumigaoka a slightly questioning look, "Or do you answer to me since I'm basically your babysitter now?"

Wait, now I'm seriously curious. As her editor, isn't she under my care now? Er… I shouldn't have asked. That just leaves me open to so many innuendos from the author, knowing her…

Kasumigaoka only tilts her head, and shrugs at me in response. Don't treat this like it has nothing to do with you, dammit!

Sakurai furrows her brows in suspicion, staring right at my face for a moment. I purse my lips as her inquisitive stare bores a hole in my forehead for just a moment, her blue eyes suddenly widening, "You two… taking this train to Chiba this early…"

Kasumigaoka grasps my arm and pulls me to her, smiling as if in victory, "Took you that long to realize it, Sakurai-san? So slow…" She giggles to herself.

Sakurai's frown becomes a scowl, "Then… you two… you two…"

Us what? What the hell kind of thoughts are going through your head?

I glanced back at the author, who'd tightened her hold on my arm, and she was sending the redhead an impish grin. Wait… What are you trying to do woman?

The newly arrived girl was looking down at me as if I were nothing but a bug, not unlike what I was subjected to by the Ice and Fire Queens of Old. Her gaze was torn between my trapped arm and me particularly, her mood looked like it was worsening the longer it went on.

And it suddenly dawns on me… Kasumigaoka and I, together. Taking the same train this early in the morning. The woman damn near manhandling me the moment this new girl arrived.

Hey, hey… Wait a second! Nothing happened! We didn't do anything!

I extended my free arm towards her, ignoring the fact that I could feel Kasumigaoka's… er… Whatever… just don't think about them, "Hold on, don't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story, woman."

I don't think it worked well seeing how I didn't try and break free from the author's hold.

Sakurai folds her arms, "Well, I'm not interested in hearing it." She looks away, certainly displeased despite that she's trying to convey disinterest. Can't you be less obvious at least? It's written all over your face how much you dislike the possibility of us being together.

"Is that so, Sakurai-san? Why do you look so mad at the thought then?" Kasumigaoka presses on as she seems to be enjoying herself. Seriously…

With hands resting on her hips, the redhead retorts, "Who's mad here? The only thing I care about is him being responsible with the third peacekeeper squad which, by the way, he belongs to."

For some reason, I'm reminded of the barbed comments made between Haruno-san and that one girl from my first day. I already forgot her name, but at least I know Kawa-something knows her. That girl might be a suspect I'll need to track, but I hope it's not the case.

"The only responsibility he has is being my editor, Sakurai-san. And of course, satisfying all my needs."

"What kind of editor does that?" She argues with a ticking brow, "Only a shady author such as you would require that."

I blink as Kasumigaoka releases my arm and stands face to face with Sakurai, their glares clashing. I facepalm, realizing that Miura isn't the only one capable of getting on her nerves. This might be unfounded, but does this woman have any female friends? Should I expect an explosion if her idol friend shows anymore interest in me?

Like that could happen… but… then again…

I just hope Kasumigaoka doesn't start this kind of scene with the other girls she'll unavoidably meet along the way. I can already sense that headache creeping up again at the mere thought…

Whatever the case, I shouldn't let their argument scalate any further. I failed at doing so with Miura, and these two hurting one another won't do.

"Oi… You two are going a little too fa—"

"Not only slow, but so jealous!" The red-eyed girl declares with amusement.

Sakurai leans menacingly at her, "Like I'd be interested in that useless guy that ditches his responsibilities!"

But it fails!

I sigh, my annoyance building up at a fast rate. Everyone is already watching us, and these two don't care at all. Quit calling attention to me.

Kasumigaoka huffs, "Then stop nagging Hachiman-kun and leave him be. Now he belongs to me!"

"He belongs to the Public Security Force of Chiba Station!" Retorts the blue eyed girl.

"No, he doesn—"

"Enough!" My hardened voice finally cuts through.

I don't belong to anyone, and I resent the possibility.

"Good grief, you're disturbing the other passengers." I straighten out my uniform, "I would think you two would be old enough to not cause a scene in public. Especially you, PSF-san."

Sakurai bites her lip, and turns to the bystanders, "T-there's nothing to see here. I got it under control."

That hardly sounds reassuring when you were the one of the main parties causing a ruckus, PSF-san.

"Ha, you clearly don't," Mutters Kasumigaoka.

"Kasumigaoka…" The warning in my tone is made clear. Don't start, woman.

The author averts her gaze and sits again while the redhead shoots me a glance and sighs to herself. Without uttering a word, Sakurai sits at my other side, much to my surprise, her face still showing annoyance.

I glance between the two, their sudden silence as awkward as it's bothersome.

Talk about being a rock in a hard place… Honestly, you're like kids sulking after being scolded for your behavior.

Hah… It's not even seven in the morning and I'm already dealing with a huge headache. Well, it'd be my third one, really, but that's besides the point. Well, at least I kept this particular fight between felines from going overboard. I mean, they were an insult or two away from outright clawing at each other. So that has to be a win, right?

I decide to just keep my face straight and away from them, hoping that no further interaction occurs until we arrive to the station. Since I no doubt have Sakurai Aoi's contact already, I can just reach her when Kasumigaoka isn't around… and when I find the courage anyway.

Me, specifically calling a girl? That's not something I've ever done, but I have to, given that making any progress with her is out of the question when the author is around.

Well, I did call Shiromeguri, but it turned out I no longer can feel anything when either speaking or thinking about her, so it doesn't really count anymore. I just hope Deviluke finds a way to fix that.

I shake my head as the usual 'calming' sensation comes over me when my thoughts fall upon my senpai. I wasn't a particular fan of it doing that everytime. Well, it can't be helped.

For now I'll serve as a natural barrier between them before Kasumigaoka and I reach our stop. Hopefully, this new girl is working so she has to stay on.

Just a minute passes when the sound of Sakurai's heels against the metal floor is heard, but I know better and only keep my gaze on the empty seat in front of me. It doesn't take long though to sense Kasumigaoka sitting closer, her hip touching mine. I purse my lips but decide against reacting in any way.

However, Sakurai does exactly the same, any space I had gone.

Wait, don't tell me… Not her too!

I make sure to keep my head facing forward, and glance at the author first out of the corner of my eye. What was this woman up to?

It seemed as if she found her nails to be the most interesting things in the world. They were nicely trimmed and looked after, but there was no way they deserved the sort of attention she was giving them. There's no doubt that she's biding her time for something. And I have no idea what it could be…

Resigning myself to that upcoming trouble, I glance the opposite way and observe the moping redheaded girl. And she was…

Doing maintenance on her revolver as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

…

I couldn't even find it in me to freak out at the fact that there was clearly a person carelessly brandishing her firearm out on public transportation, where all the passengers were essentially trapped until we came to a stop. I don't even question that she has access to a weapon as simple security, not to mention with her being a minor. This world never ceases to throw everything I saw as normal for a loop. Makes me think of the normalcy I took for granted, really.

Hah… This is Japan, you idiot. We're not like a certain country that practices a right to bear arms, you can't just flash out that weapon in front of everybody. No matter what, seeing an official brandishing their weapon makes any civilian uneasy. I can already see some other passengers edging away from the three of us.

After having been threatened and somewhat humbled by Deus Ex's pressure, the prospect of a gun really doesn't seem to affect me too much. Well, its presence anyway, the tune might shift if it were pointed at me with ill intent. And I have no interest in testing that theory out at the moment.

I silently sigh in my seat and pinch the bridge of my nose. Pain, pain, go away…

And when things couldn't get any worse, Kasumigaoka leans her head on my shoulder with a pleased smile. I tried to shoot her a warning glare, but with her eyes shut, it immediately made my attempt futile. This woman never stops.

On instinct, my eyes look at the other side, meeting Sakurai's curt gaze as she polishes the barrel of her revolver with a small cloth.

What? You planning on letting interlopers see themselves in the reflection of your gun?

Oi, hair-trigger, you shouldn't act so eager to use that thing. That should be your last resort, especially considering that we're in Chiba, the greatest place to be in our glorious Nippon!

And quit staring at me.

I don't let any of what's going on get to me and resign myself to this fate for the remainder of the trip. One girl using me as a human pillow (which was unwelcome) and the other trying to burn a whole through my head with her stare alone (the attention which was also unwelcome). Thankfully the ride is meant to be just over twenty minutes and I slept through a solid portion of it. I keep myself from slumping, but return my sight to the empty seat in front of me.

Ah. I would prefer to be there if I didn't know that separating myself would lead to more conflict…

"Thank you for using today's rapid train, the Shinkansen Rail Kurihama. We're about to reach the Chiba Station momentarily. Exit for arrival at Sobu Line 13 is at the left hand side."

I notice through the windows that we're already nearing the station, most people around getting ready to move. I couldn't blame them. However, I can still feel Sakurai's stare on me, and Kasumigaoka still seemed to be pleasantly resting on my shoulder.

Geez…

"Please, refrain from rushing to leave your cart."

And so, the automatic double doors within this wagon are opened. A flow of people begin to move through the only two doors within, students rushing despite the warning, while adults move on with a much more calmed pace. I try to get up, but none of the girls at my sides make the effort to even give me space.

"Oi, I'm not planning on getting off at the next stop." I flatly state.

Kasumigaoka leans away, "Oh sorry, Hachiman-kun. I was so comfortable that I didn't realize we arrived already."

No, that clearly wasn't the case. Comfort doesn't mean you're able to ignore audio cues.

"So, will you be going to classes then?" Sakurai asks curtly, glancing at me as she stands on her feet, putting her gun away back to the holdster hanging from her hip.

Honestly, it's a relief that she did, since she looks like the kind of girl that wouldn't think twice if she bid necessary to fire her gun. Deus Ex said the conditions remain despite that we have the ability to find the suspects, so she really has to be underage…

How come she's got that gun then? Does enrolling in a security organization grant underage idiots a license to wield firearms? I don't think that kind of power on teens is a good call, but maybe that's not even a problem in this crazy world.

I can only hope this woman took the psychological test that would deem her as prudent and reasonable to wield one, after all, understanding the burden in holding a gun instead of it inflating her ego can make all the difference.

"Hey, I asked you a question."

I raise an eyebrow at her commanding tone, and scoff slightly, "Probably."

I keep my voice uncaring, and stand up to make my exit before the doors close.

"But before that, we'll be having breakfast," The author says with a wink. "I'm actually starving from all our activity from last night."

"I don't care!" Retorts the redhead.

Kasumigaoka's weird wording aside, you're the one who asked, woman.

I send an annoyed glare at the author, "Cut that out…"

"I can cut it out, Hachiman-kun, but I'm going to treat you for all the help you gave me," She fixes a lock of hair behind her ear, "It's the least I can do."

Knowing she most likely won't take no for an answer, and being pretty hungry myself, and I can't say no to free food, "Do what you want." Wait, that's too dangerous, "…As long as it's within reason."

Better.

Sakurai didn't look happy, but thankfully, she refrained from making any uncalled remark.

We three leave the train. I keep myself from groaning that the redhead stuck around. The platform —even this early in the morning— is crowded, people either leaving the other wagons, or entering them. Just another day in the Chiba Station, as well as for me.

Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to it.

Kasumigaoka grabs my hand (I grimace at the contact) and pulls me to an empty spot. I just let her since that seemed to be the only place that wasn't congested with unwanted humanity. Sakurai follows, a displeased grunt the only thing that comes out of her mouth.

"Hachiman-kun," She lets go of me, thankfully, as she takes out her phone. "Let me make a call before we decide where to have breakfast."

"Sure," I nod easily enough. Just don't take too long, I want to enjoy my meal. With the atrocious morning I had so far, it's the least I deserve, right?

The girl takes some steps away, as if attempting to get some privacy, so I decide to do just the same, widening our gap just a bit more. Unfortunately, that left me in a rather close proximity of an annoyed security guard.

Instead of worrying about her, I scan my surroundings… no other mark comes in sight. I sigh in relief since the amount of girls around that fit the conditions are endless, and knowing I won't have to 'befriend' any of them is one less trouble in my already huge list. Plus, I had no desire in chasing after another female so soon after yesterday. I might get arrested this time…

"Hikigaya," My attention is called to the frowning redhead. "Are you two dating?"

Of course that's what she would get, but can't really blame her anyway. Kasumigaoka said so many misleading things after all. But I am glad she chose to ignore my archaic umbrella.

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 08

"No," My denial leaves no room for doubt, but it isn't harsh either. It was a fact, and I wasn't some sort of tsundere. B-baka!

She blinks, "You don't have to lie. If she's the reason why you abandoned our squa—?"

"Don't decide on my lovelife on your own, woman," I interrupt her spiel, "We aren't dating. Kasumigaoka is just being her usual self, I can't control that part of her."

She stares for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, "Whatever you say. So you're really becoming her author? You're going to ditch the squad? Just like that?"

How to handle this… I had no idea about this sort of promise being made.

"Editor," I correct her, "And don't say it like that. I just don't think I'm cut out for security work. The do-gooder instinct doesn't come naturally to me."

Not really a lie.

"Well, I don't like to admit it, but you got great scores during the OJT, and you even saved one of the CEOs in that incident with the bomb. I do think it comes naturally to you."

How is it that I'm apparently such a great guy, yet at the same time be regarded as a criminal? And shouldn't I be a minor celebrity then? Not just an infamous former delinquent? I'm not going to find an '8' suit hidden behind my closet full of research material next, am I?

Great, that just may mean that I know how to use a gun too. Hah… yet another ability that I may 'remember' like being able to fight.

"The physical part, maybe," I admit to her, "Besides, I don't think people will like someone like me to be their protector. What am I supposed to do when they report me as a suspicious figure?"

I say the last part with some dry humor.

"Now that you mention it, what happened to your eyes?" She takes a step forward and leans towards me, "They look creepy."

I just set myself up for that this time…

"My point exactly," I sacrifice my dignity, and throw my appearance under the bus.

"Still… you can't quit. I won't accept losing to a guy," She pins me with a glare. "I'll prove that I'm better than you."

Is this a competition now?

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Picture 04

"Can't you take the victory in the fact that I essentially wussed out?" I offer, mildly exasperated. Are we supposed to be rivals?

Her glare intensifies, leaning at me as she points a finger right at my face, "Don't be a spineless wimp!"

"You're asking too much from me." I deadpan.

She steps closer again, "Stop fooling around, Hikigaya!"

You're being irritating…

"What more do you want me to say?" I ask her outright, taking a step back, "I already said I'm not taking the job."

"Because of her?" Another step forward, another step back,

If we go by technicalities, Kasumigaoka came first.

"Maybe," I sigh, "It's not what you think though. I owed her for a screw-up last week."

She closes the distance again, but I don't let her, giving another step back, "Maybe I just have to staple your balls back on for you!" A wide smirk spread across her face as she pointed at herself, "What do you say?"

…Staple my what?

"Please leave my body out of this…" I grimace slightly, "And the answer is still 'No,' woman."

And yet again, she gets closer, and while I attempt to back away, I find my back meeting the solid surface of a large column. I blink when Sakurai slams a hand at the wall, right at the side of my head. What the hell!? Kabedon!? My heart's not ready for this! And you're shorter than me, dammit!

"You're not running away so easily, Hikigaya."

"Think what you will," I mutter with a shrug. I keep my irritation in check, I didn't want to antagonize her and extend this argument. But knowing what I know from this brief conversation, she's going to keep it going regardless. She doesn't seem to want to accept my outright rejection, and now she's basically wanting to intimidate me into joining her stupid squad.

What an annoying girl…

"Listen, taking up that job offer is out of the question right now. What with my upcoming exams, and everything," I start. Maybe she'll accept a compromise, "This editor gig is only for this one story, probably. If your place really wants me, they won't rescind their offer, right?"

I let her reach the conclusion my implications guided her to.

The aggressiveness she displayed before starts to diminish, "Ah, yes. It's the squad that wants you…" Her voice fades, so I furrow my brows, "Y-yeah…" She backs away, her gaze refusing to meet mine for some reason, "So after your exams then?"

I take this opportunity to mess with her instead of answering, "Eeeh? Was it just them that passionately wanted me to join? You were just their spokesperson?"

First, I desperately wanted her to drop the job talk. Second, I needed to take a stand against this girl; being at her heel will do me no good with her being a suspect. And lastly, I'm feeling really petty about being subjected to a Kabedon and wanted to pay her pack two-fold. Her earlier shyness gave away that she didn't want to admit that she wanted me in her squad, even after how heated she got trying to drag me in.

Needless to say, I borrowed a particular tone of voice.

Sakurai grits her teeth, a small flush on her cheeks, most likely of anger rather than embarrassment. Maybe teasing her wasn't a good idea after all…

"What the hell are you implying Hikigaya!?"

Yep, totes wasn't. Well, I already dug my grave, might as well just lay in it.

"Well, if you don't actually want me to be in your squad…" I tweak my tone to sound somewhat understanding.

Her blues eyes avert to the side as she starts twiddling her index fingers, not the reaction I expected of someone clearly aggressive. "Well… you did help me a couple of times…" Then she turns away, "And you got yourself hurt because of me too…" She turns at me again as she rubs her temple, her flush gone, a pensive expression painting her face, "I guess I… wouldn't mind you coming back. You were a good partner."

Another mysterious past with a woman… Give me a break. And looks like I was involved in her job even without being formally employed by her security force. What the hell? Did I used to be a vigilante? Hey, I was kidding about finding a supersuit in my house!

"Is that so?" I ask offhandedly, "Good to know I have your approval."

She glances at me and frowns, "In a way, I guess…"

"I'll keep that in mind," I couldn't help but scoff, humored by her odd stubbornness. How funny.

…I think I'm starting to gain some sort of sixth-sense when it comes to being scorned by others. For I felt the glare from what I guessed was the author on the back of my head without turning to face her. Hah… Leave me alone, you envious woman. At this rate you might hold Komachi in contempt just because she's the closest female to me as my precious younger sister.

Good grief, I'm going to have to deal with that as soon as possible.

"Finished with your call?" I casually ask the woman behind me.

"One minute ago actually," She replies with a tone that suggested she was slightly irritated. Oh dear, she probably saw some of our exchange…

I turn to see Kasumigaoka, who is inquisitively staring, the hand holding her phone resting on her hip. She was standing there, glaring at me, for a minute? I don't question it for the sake of sanity.

"It has nothing to do with you, Kasumigaoka," Comments the redhead with a shrug.

"Quiet down," I declare, "Act your damn ages, the both of you."

Kasumigaoka stands at my side and sighs, "Fine."

"Whatever you say," Sakurai puts a hand on her hip, "Anyway, I have a report to make, and a patrol after that. Things are already crazy, so people are starting to panic, even more after the Eurotunnel got bombed." She turns around, "Bye-bye."

Wait, what?

And without saying anymore, she walks away, and of course, I don't miss her looking at me over her shoulder before she leaves my line of sight.

The Eurotunnel? That's… isn't that the tunnel that connects France to England? It's like a shorter version of the Seikan Tunnel that connects Hokkaido to Honshu up north. And someone bombed it?

That's terrifying… just what the hell is going on with this world?

But at the risk of sounding cruel, I don't need to think too much about it. It's scary that it happened, and I do hope that not too many people were harmed, but at the end of the day, it has nothing to do with me. Maybe keep it somewhat in mind, on the off chance that it's something bigger than localized terrorism in Western Europe.

Thanks for leaving us with this stifling silence, PSF-san…

"…I assume you'll keep seeing that woman too," A hesitant voice draws my attention, and as expected, my exasperation as well. At least it's something to fill in the current void.

"Not just women, but the men and the children too," I butcher a certain quote. Hopefully some humor helps.

Kasumigaoka tilts her head in amusement, so I guess she caught the reference, which also confirms that she doesn't want to talk about the bombing. It's probably on the news now, we'll hear about it then. Being in ignorance for now is better than letting groundless anxiety get the best of us.

"Oh my… at least I change the quotes instead of shamelessly using them."

Oh really, Spider-no-Cockroach-san?

"You humble me, Rohan-sensei," I huff lightly, "Are you ready to go, then?"

She puffs her cheeks in response, "Meanie… You should be more considerate and let me win an argument, baka."

"As your editor, it falls on me to prevent you from gaining hubris," I make a small gesture as if I were suddenly the most reliable guy ever.

She lets out a sigh, before smiling warmly, definitely not the reaction I was expecting to get, "Aw… Editor-kun already working so hard for me," She winks, "I may give you a prize."

"…I'll make do with the free breakfast," I immediately retreat, losing the previous humor in my voice.

Her smile lingers however, and for some reason, it just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness. I can't help the unexpected warmth that rushes through me, forcing me to avert my gaze.

"I'm really glad you came after me. I don't even care if you did just because Sonoko called you, you still came knowing I was in another city… despite that it was late and there were not going to be any trains to take you back," She rests a hand on her chest. "It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to just apologize."

It's a mixed feeling. But I think I'd rather deal with her overbearing flirtations than her sincerity. Is this cowardice?

"…" I hesitate for a moment, saying 'It's nothing,' wouldn't help, "I still made you wait…"

Kasumigaoka turns around and starts walking, "Better late than never, don't you agree?" And she stops out of the blue and spins around, her long black hair flailing with the motion, her crimson eyes shining, a finger delicately trailing across her lips. "Maybe I can forget about it if you address me by my given name again."

Honestly…

"Let's just get going," I abruptly state, turning my back to her.

"You never cut me any slack…" Her voice comes out between the many sounds of the busy station, "A shame…"

I take a few steps, and I could tell she wasn't following yet.

"What are you waiting for? You said you were going to cover breakfast, didn't you?" I ask without facing her, "…Utaha."

I cast her a glance over my shoulder, her face sporting surprise, her cheeks as red as a tomato (but nowhere near as revolting) and her mouth hanging open. I just can't help but smirk wryly. She shakes her head and rushes to catch up to me.

This woman can be such a pain.

Strangely enough, it's not really as bad as I thought.

9-7

The comfortable atmosphere we had didn't last long.

Turns out that the restaurant we wound up going to had a television set to a channel that spoke about the Eurotunnel incident Aoi-san mentioned. More than just our eyes were glued on the screen giving the details that were coming in.

Apparently, it has yet to be established if the explosion that took down the three massive underground tunnels was an accident, or a terrorist attack. Different media outlets are talking about the incident with different causes behind it, and the governments of both countries have yet to speak about the explosion. Kind of suspicious if you ask me.

Thankfully, it seems there weren't any casualties. Injuries aplenty, but at least no deaths.

While the broadcast was continually receiving updates, Kasumigaoka scoured the web to investigate for herself. She relayed a few things to me in that the news would later mention in more detail, but it was informative nonetheless.

There were like 300 people or more trapped within the debris, and they were currently being rescued and evacuated. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong there.

Now, it seemed there was some sort of economic crisis hitting both England and France according to what Kasumigaoka had digged in some site. There was some big incident in France some days ago that caused the destruction of a large part of Avignon, which is a French commune.

Not much is known about it, but they say that a lot of people had to be relocated after a ferocious firefight originated by large riots occurring in that city. There was a group of people that hated Academy City enough to warrant them. I wonder what all that is about.

In any case, that incident as well as many others created great instability in the economies of not only France, but in England, and having the Eurotunnel being rendered useless is going to further worsen their impending crisis as it was predominantly used for commerce.

How could things have reached this point in just a span of some weeks?

But it was the rumor-mongering that had us become more solemn.

Now these were scarier.

Some blogs talked about the explosion being intended, by none other than the France government itself, to cripple England's economy further since they heavily depended on it more than them. It seems there's some sort of hostility between those two counties.

Whatever the case, what is troubling is the fact that France was being supported by other european countries and Russia, while England had been receiving support from the United States. All this points out to a possible conflict of interest between the most powerful countries in the world, which could in fact lead to… war…

Shit…

I put a stop to it after a while, using my distaste for rumors as a justification. I didn't like the amount of pessimism it contained, and I didn't want to think about living in a time with the world sitting atop of a figurative powderkeg. It didn't end well the last two times.

Needless to say, but because of the more somber atmosphere with the serious issue, Kasumigaoka and I managed to act civil as we ate in respect of what took place. However, because of the gravity of the situation, we couldn't really find it in ourselves to enjoy the food.

Once we finished our meal (it hadn't taken long given the mood), I offered to walk Kasumigaoka (Utaha) to her campus. I was still a gentleman, so there should be no surprises there.

She accepted it, which was fine because it helped lift her spirits after what we learned. For that sake, I let her do what she wanted. That may have been a mistake because she took this as an invitation to take my arm in hers. I groaned to myself, but let it go. It cheered her up at least.

I made sure to insert my hand into my pocket in order to prevent further degeneracy. I think I saw a pout, but mercifully she remained silent for once. It was actually peaceful in its silence, I didn't have a sudden headache or catch sight of a floating symbol.

It took a few minutes, but we eventually reached her campus. I expected that someone as beautiful as Kasumigaoka (Utaha, dammit) would garner regular attention from the normies, but I severely underestimated the amount of eyes would focus on me because of our proximity. There weren't any students who came up to her as we said our goodbyes, yet another similarity with Yukinoshita. Unreachable people that plebeians wouldn't dare sully.

Dumbasses.

I let it be however; it wasn't my school. And I didn't see a single symbol rise up as I looked over the arriving students. Besides, I want to get out of here before Aki sees me. Really don't feel like dealing with that guy.

"This is it then," I mention pulling my arm out of hers. I only lent it temporarily, you knoooow?

She merely tilts her head as she looks at me in response. It made me feel small for some reason.

"What is it…?" I hesitantly ask.

"I've been thinking what you said…" I cock an eyebrow, "About you still hanging with Miura, and possibly other girls." Oh dear… I don't like where this is going, "I may need to become a tad more… aggressive, Editor-kun. I'm not planning on losing, just so you know." She declares with the most casual tone I've ever heard from her up until now.

Wait, what the hell did you call all of your blatant innuendos then? Was that just innocent flirting to you!? S-scary! Kasumigaoka's (Utaha's) scary!

"Good grief, woman…" I close my eyes with an exasperated sigh.

That proves to be my folly and a warning to never let my guard down.

"I know exams are coming, so I might give you some free time before you start working for me, Editor-kun," She pulls me closer, much to my shock, and gives me a kiss on my cheek before whispering, "That is just a small sample of what's to come."

Wha!?

She finally lets go and pushes me back from my chest with some silly, yet alluring smile. I watch her, dumbfounded as she waves at me in a very shy way before heading inside school. And I'm sure that action broke the hearts of all of her kouhais that held her on a pedestal. I mean, I can feel the despairing glares from many students wishing I would blow up.

What the hell…? I'm the riajuu now? This truly is the darkest of times…

Either way, it was an uphill battle for me in keeping my face from doing its best impression of a cherry. Deviluke's constant kisses only barely gave me a slight resistance to not fall apart with Kasumigaoka (Utaha). If it wasn't the case, I would have had a stupid grin on my face.

"Damn woman…" I mutter to myself, with a disbelieving huff. I said it before and I'll say it again, Kasumigaoka Utaha is a very dangerous woman.

With a shake of my head, I begin my own trek to my own campus. It wasn't too long of a walk away, but it wasn't necessarily near either. Well, barring unforeseen circumstances, I doubt I'll be late to class. I might even have some free time if I'm lucky.

But in the meantime, I'll enjoy the solitude that I felt I earned after another eventful morning. Regular solitude is vital to loners after all. It was a calm morning, if a bit cold. Not enough to be a problem, but at least no more rain.

Or at least that was my plan before I caught something in my periphery. It was brief, but I thought I saw a certain symbol floating up ahead. The people in front of me blocked whatever girl was the next suspect, but I'm sure I saw it.

I acted quickly to narrow down the chosen female, and sped up in order to be right behind her. The act of a creep, I know, but I couldn't let her get away. It doesn't really help that I'm carrying this old-fashioned umbrella, which I have to return… somehow…

Geh… I hated this new rule.

Luckily I was only a few steps behind her before a rapidly-becoming-familiar pain burst into my head as I fully saw the queer symbol and its surrounding aura. The pain wasn't nearly as debilitating as the first two times, but it still wasn't pleasant. I grunted softly and held my head in one hand, one eye clenched shut and the other following the girl's back.

She was blonde, and her uniform looked slightly familiar, but without looking at her face, I couldn't determine who she was for later. And I also doubt I could just strut up to her and introduce myself.

One. That goes against everything I've learned as a loner and is a sure way to get immediately rejected. (It is!?)

And two. She seemed to have friends with her at the moment. And once groups are made, it's hard to insert oneself into them.

What to do? What to do?

As the symbol dissipates along with the pain in my head, I come up with a plan utilizing some of my 108 Hachiman Skills. We were coming up to a crosswalk and at the rate we walked I deduce we'll arrive just as the light turns red. As we approach the stop, I'll overtake the girl and her group and with my Stealth Hikki I'll take a glance at her and memorize her face with Memorize Hikki during our wait. Afterwards, I'll make my hasty retreat before I'm reported!

It's foolproof! Sort of…

With a reluctant sigh, I begin to quicken my pace, dodging some people as I go around the group of schoolgirls. I was successful in avoiding awkward collisions with the adults that were in my way. Phase 1 was nearing completion.

However, I hit a small snag once I overtook the group.

"H-Hikigaya-kun?"

Huh? I was recognized? I didn't even get to engage Stealth Hikki!

I slowly turned to my right, immediately facing three pairs of eyes gazing at me in curiosity, and one of which also contained a small amount of surprise. I recognized the girl who those green eyes belonged to.

"Ah."

It was Tendou Karen. The video game enthusiast whom I promised an outing with in the coming weekend. And also, the girl who had the symbol that signalled that she was a suspect.

I didn't know how to feel. Sure, I already knew that meeting her in the first place was a sign that she was someone to keep an eye on, but it being confirmed that she may be the creation wasn't a nice revelation. Even if I was a bit ahead and already made some progress with her.

Hah… Well, it's not like I can do anything about that.

Now that I was facing her, I also saw her companions. One was a brunette, the shortest of the bunch, and the other had orange hair styled in pig-tails with eyes to match. Were they contacts? Ah, wait that's not important right now.

"Yo…" I lamely greet her.

"Hikigaya-kun!" I stare blankly as she approaches with hurried steps. Concern takes hold of her face as she examines my face closely, "A-are you alright?"

Your close!

On instinct, I pull my head away, "H-huh?"

"Hikigaya-kun?"

"Ah, uh, sorry," I sheepishly rub the back of my head, "You surprised me, is all."

She tilts her head, "You look a bit pale. Are you sure?"

Was I? Damn, I hadn't realized that those migraines would leave me that bad off. Stupid time god, was the pain on purpose so I would gain some sympathy on the chance the subject noticed my obvious agony?

Tch, what if the trio of schoolgirls I ran into disregarded me as creepy in the face of my obvious pain, and instead ran away? I don't want to explode after touching a doorknob!

"Er, yeah, I'm fine," I awkwardly wave off her concern, "I just had a rough night, I guess."

"Oh, I see. Heading to school then?"

While I attempt to reply, I notice the two behind her whispering among themselves, their faces giving away their intrigue, and I bet they're already misunderstanding this situation.

Good grief… people are always jumping to the wrong conclusions, aren't they?

"Ah, sorry. Of course you're heading to school," She giggles, smacking playfully her head. "How silly of me."

That's… This girl is quite endearing, isn't she? With that response alone, she could have had plenty of males wrapped around her finger. She even managed to pull off a 'Tehe-pero~' (Impossible!)

"Yeah," I merely nod back at her.

Tendou's classmates approach, their steps calling her attention. I have the feeling that something bad's gonna happen. Call it intuition over all the experience I gained since I was dragged to this crazy world.

"Kare-rin! You didn't tell us you had a boyfriend!" The short-haired girl says with a grin.

I knew it… the Rom-Com gods are still messing with me… Thankfully, Tendou seems to be the kind of person that wouldn't really put stock into such baseless comments.

"Ah, it's nothing like that," She replies calmly as expected. "He's a good friend of Takao's."

Nice one there, Tendou. No overreaction there, or nothing that could mess this up. Frankly, I'm impressed at how straightforward you were. Say, should I be insulted at how quick and composed she was at the denial? Was I not even regarded as a man?

"Really? That's lame…" The pig-tailed girls pout.

The other laughs awkwardly, "Kinda expected it… but still lame." She eyes me from top to bottom, and I feel uncomfortable from it, "Ano… you're from Sobu, right?"

"I am," I slowly nod back at her.

"Ah! That's one of the best schools around!" The girls pipes up.

I could have agreed there, but the Sobu High in this world seems to be nothing more than trouble to its students. For starters, that stupid bald subdirector, or all those problems the chairwoman mentioned. Not to mention having someone like Onizuka-sensei living there.

Whatever.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so."

The trio exchange glances, noting my disinterest. I really didn't feel any need to interact with her friends, given they held no mark, so extended small talk was the last thing I wanted. Sorry Tendou, my social obligations end with you.

Also, it didn't elude me how those two glanced at the umbrella in my hand.

"Ah, yeah…" Tendou scratches her cheek awkwardly, "So… are you prepared for the coming exams? Oh! We three are from Otobuki High."

Otobuki Highschool must be another new element of this world since I haven't heard about it. It just doesn't make any sense to cram so many schools in one area. I idly note that like Sobu, her school has yet to take their exams yet.

"Is that so?" I ask plainly, "Is your school close to Sobu?"

She tilts her head, "Kinda. About seven blocks away give or take."

So it is close… I wonder if they're aware of the rumors about Sobu's Shadowfist. Just how accurate are they anyway? Do people simply talk about an infamous delinquent from Sobu, or is there some description about me along them?

Whatever the case, I'd prefer to prevent Tendou's friends from spreading rumors, I mean, I can tell just by their mannerisms they enjoy their gossip, and they would no doubt press Tendou later to speak about me. These could very well lead other people into the matter, people that may link any description of mine to my infamy.

I mean, all it will take to confirm 'my' shady past is seeing how I'm ostracized on campus. If looks could kill, the student body would have killed me twenty times over on my first day.

Just like now. I can feel the numerous stares that are all focused on me as we stood in the middle of the street. Some gazes set off warnings of ill-intent not unlike Thursday, others are the usual jealousy (probably because of Tendou this time), and some… are wary…

That was enough sign that two-thirds of the stares I'm receiving know who I am by sight. While the students that fear me is an odd aspect, I am at least assured that they won't take action against me. The jealous normies are probably just cursing me internally, but unless they're pompous idiots, they won't try anything. No, it's the ones that are burning holes in me that I'm not sure about. They're no different to the one I was subjected to at my locker last week, but at least this time I wasn't overcome by dread.

I could do without getting used to death glares, but I'm grateful nonetheless.

In any case, I should make my retreat before someone tries something. I really don't want to get in trouble for defending myself against students from other schools. With my luck and reputation, I'll be the one said to have instigated anything.

"I shouldn't keep you," I suddenly pipe up.

"Ah, don't worry," She shakes her hands. "It's early anyway."

"For you maybe," I raise an eyebrow, "I still have a ways more to go before reaching Sobu."

The blonde girl blinks in realization, the other two exchanging glances, "Ah, that's right… Sorry about that."

"It's fine," I give her a lackadaisical shrug.

She nods her head with a smile, "Then don't let me hold you back any longer."

I glanced at the other two, who decided to remain in silence. Can't tell if that's a good sign, so I should just make my escape.

"Yeah," I nod at her, "See ya."

I also nod at Tendou's classmates before turning around, and start walking away.

It doesn't take long before I hear the blonde's voice again.

"Hikigaya-kun!"

I turn around as the girl approaches again, although this time her friends are away, thankfully.

"What?"

Her smile is now sheepish, "I never got to text you back, so I wanted to confirm you about the outing. You said we could go out on the weekend?"

For some reason, I could feel the lingering glares on my back immediately sharpen.

I kept myself from frowning, "If that's fine with you…"

Ah… Losing even one day of my weekend really was the worst…

She winks at me, holding her school bag with both her hands behind her, "Of course it's fine, Hikigaya-kun. I like your umbrella by the way," And with one fluid motion, she waves at me before running back to her friends.

Reunited, the three start to walk away. Though I caught the other girls glancing at me one last time. They'll probably ask her what our relationship was again since the blonde gamer did linger to tell me something in private. She probably did it to avoid telling her friends about our future outing, and most importantly the gaming she wants to engage in.

Well, I have nothing to worry about, Tendou holds a surprising amount of composure to her if what happened earlier was any indication. She won't be embarrassed to come up with whatever cover story she can about what we spoke about in private. Well, as private as one could be in a public setting. So, if I ever run into her and her friends again, there won't be teasing that we're a secret couple and a flustered Tendou.

I have to give it to her. Tendou Karen, while a textbook nice girl, is interesting in her own right.

Unlike that other gamer girl who shall not be named… Oh, man… She's not going to join us on our outing, is she? I don't think I have the patience to handle her on my own!

Hah… If I ask her about it, Tendou might wonder if I want to invite that annoying… woman… And I'll be hard pressed to say no since I'm supposed to be a really close friend.

Argh… whatever…

I look at the clock on my phone. Yeah, no way I'll be able to stop by my house and drop off this stupid umbrella. Not without being late, and that's a huge no-go since I can't imagine my parents being too happy that I wasn't home last night and didn't show up in the morning either.

Ack, mom's gonna kill me…

Well, luckily for me, they're probably already at work by now. With it being a different world, I'll expect them home early and not exhausted as I'm used to. What luck… That much sooner to get killed by the matriarch.

With them not there, and Komachi probably already at school too, that leaves Belldandy and Deviluke. Heck, I don't even know if Belldandy made it back home by now. For all I know Deviluke can be all on her… own…

Oooh, crap…

That's bad, real bad. Who knows what kind of trouble she'll get to without Belldandy there to keep her company?

Maybe I'll make a quick call to my humble abode…

I quickly search for the contact info and dial my house phone. I don't want to call either girl's cell phones, because it won't tell me who's home when they answer and also I don't want to give Deviluke any ideas about calling me whenever she wants. The saccharine messages are already enough trouble to deal with.

*Ring* *Ring*

Well, it's dialing so at least the phone lines still work and the house hasn't been destroyed. Probably.

*Ring* *Ring*

"Hikigaya Residence? Hello?"

Phew… That divine voice brought me more peace than she'll ever realize, and that I'll ever admit.

"It's me," I answer her calmly.

"Hachiman-san? Oh, I'm so glad you called," The relief in her voice is almost palpable, which is kind of unsettling. "Everyone was worried about you."

Ack.

"Er, sorry for that," I relay honestly, "The rain kind of ruined my plans yesterday, I didn't want to get sick so Usui offered me to stay over at his place."

I make sure to use my cover story, but I feel guilty about lying to the (non)goddess nonetheless.

"Yes, Komachi-sama told me about it…" Her voice fades, and so I look at my phone to check if the call is still connected, and it is, "…This may sound inappropriate, but I was scared when I didn't sense Hachiman-san in the house. I'm so glad to know you're really fine."

Geh…

"You're overreacting…" I mutter awkwardly, "There was nothing to worry about."

"Still…" Her obvious concern activated my Onii-chan Mode.

"I'm fine, Belldandy," I try to reassure her unfounded worries, "Nothing bad happened last night. Honest."

"Yes…" No good, eh? Maybe a different approach is necessary.

I chuckle slightly, "If anything, the one worried about last night should be me."

"Hachiman-san?" Her voice pipes up in curiosity.

"Didn't you say that you were given a mission last night to investigate a disturbance?"

"Ah, sorry Hachiman-san!" It's kinda cute how eager she sounds, err… yeah… "I'm fine as well. I apologize for making you worry too…"

"I wasn't really worried," I admit to her, "I knew you'd be fine."

"Ah!" She lets out yet another odd sound.

I cock an eyebrow at her unexpected yelp, "What's wrong?"

"I-I must apologize again, Hachiman-san," She stammers, "I didn't expect your vote of trust…"

"Any girl who can casually throw a truck at someone is pretty reliable in my book," I jokingly tell her.

"Y-yes…" I rolled my eyes, my attempt to make her relax failed.

"Right," I huff slightly, "So should I expect Deviluke to try and break my back when she tackles me when I get home?"

"Most likely, Hachiman-san. Lala-san was still awake when I returned," She explains and I can tell suppressed a sigh, "Not seeing you almost all day was a bit sad… f-for her I mean. Ah… for me too…"

Ack. That's not good for my heart, (non)goddess. I know you added that last portion to not seem rude, but it still caused my heart to race a bit. Having two girls waiting for me at home who aren't family seems really surreal. No doubt any normie would be salivating if they were in my spot.

Although, Belldandy seems to be acting a little odd, no? I mean, she seems rather vulnerable because of me… Nah… probably just overthinking it since she worries about everybody.

"Well, at least you'll be around to put me back together." I murmur with a sigh. I notice that I'm nearing Sobu's main gates.

"O-of course, Hachiman-san! You can count on me whenever you'd like."

Careful there, Belldandy, you shouldn't be so quick to accept that. Since I'm a gentleman, there's no problem, but other people could take advantage, you know?

"Ah, thanks," I respond back, "I'm heading to class, so I'll see you later. Give Deviluke my rega-"

"Is that Hachiman!?"

Deviluke's distinctive voice echoes in the background, which is not what I wanted to hear. Some sounds come from the phone, most likely Deviluke snatching the phone from Belldandy.

"Hachiman! Where are you? Are you okay? Should I get you? Do you want a hot shower!?"

"I'm hanging up," I declare flatly, heaving a sigh. And what the heck is with the last question?

"No! No! Hachiman! Where are you?!"

Seeing how it was a bad idea for me to pull my phone away from my ear, I instead just lower the volume for the phone call, "I'm at school, you airhead. It's a weekday."

"But can't you come home?"

"I'm bound by law to attend my classes," I quip, "Failure to meet this results in severe maternal scolding by ou-the house's matriarch."

…Did I almost unconsciously admit that I accepted Deviluke and Belldandy's residency?

"But I want to see Hachimaaaaan!"

Goodness me, I might actually have to prepare for her to tackle me once I get home…

"I'll be back before you know it," I try to placate her, weirded out at the thought that someone was that eager to see me. Pull yourself together idiot, she's just being herself.

"…Fine… but you owe me, Hachiman!" Her voice seems slightly off, just like her logic.

"…Owe you for what?" I can't help but ask the scatterbrained girl.

"For not letting me see you, silly," She responds casually.

This girl…

"I can't help being caught in the rain…" Why do I feel the need to defend myself?

"You should have called me!" She retorts, as if irritated. "I could have used one of my inventions to stop the rain, Hachiman."

…I wouldn't put it past the alien actually having something like that.

"Please don't," I say in exaggeration, "Last thing we need is messing with the natural order…"

I looked up, I was outside the gates now. I was still on good time before the bell rang, but I was open to being ambushed by someone if I continued the call. Yikes, I should start ending it before Miura shows up and notices. I personally haven't endured her jealous streak at its worst, but if it was anything like my world's Fire Queen…

I shuddered. Yeah, that's something I should avoid.

Before the alien responds, I pipe up again, "I have to go now, I just reached campus."

"H-Hachiman!"

"Ah, sorry, there's this weird, huge cave I'm walking into," I say flatly, "Kersh! The line's-Kersh! -eaking up! Kersh!"

And with that I end the call.

It takes literally one second before my home number is calling back, obviously Deviluke. I silence my phone and pocket it before heading inside. And as expected, in my locker there's the usual amount of 'love letters.' I toss them like usual before changing my shoes and deciding to head to class.

Glares, glances and murmurs accompany me as I make my way to my classroom. As I approached the opened door, I spotted Miura at her desk, typing away on her phone. What calls my attention however, is the familiar mark shining over her head, verifying that she was another suspect.

These confirmations don't help me feel better at all…

She doesn't notice me, so I step back, out of her sight. I feel a headache coming as I lean against the wall, trying to keep my breathing steady. I grasp my forehead for a moment until the pain starts to lessen. It was getting easier to handle, bit by bit. A boy walked past me, nervously glancing at me, but I paid no mind.

Once I feel well enough, I peek at the class through the opened door, and Miura still seems to be busy with her phone, the mark gone.

Damn it… Miura, she really was a part of this game… Like before, it's a mixed feeling that females I made decent strides in terms of social links are confirmed suspects. There is a convenience to it, but I also dislike the fact that they are in the game. I'm not sure what to think…

Pheh… It's pointless to complain.

I wonder what I should do then. I could just burn time before class actually starts, or just deal with Miura for the remaining amount of time. It's not like the latter's a huge deal, but I'm kind of spent with the constant socializing since I woke up. I could go for a small break, but knowing my luck…

I take out my phone to see the 5 missing calls from my home number and an additional 6 from Deviluke herself. Seriously, that woman… Well, since she apparently gave up, I removed the silence just in case something came up. I slid it back to my pocket after that.

Ah, that reminds me. I still have the antique umbrella. Normally there would be an area for me to store it, but seeing what happened to my bike, I didn't want to risk leaving it in the open. It might be outdated and ridiculous, but it was lent to me by a grateful and considerate cat person, far be it from me to let it get ruined by the petty idiots in this school.

I don't want to take it to class. I may be able to keep an eye on it, but it will get in the way since my seat is no longer against the wall. I could have had it leaning behind me if that were the case. So what should I do then…? Where could I leave it until classes end?

Oh, maybe I could see if Onizuka-sensei could hold onto it? I'm not too eager to see the perverted teacher, but I also didn't want to carry this thing around all day either. The lesser of two evils might be dealing with my former-delinquent of a substitute, dealing with him for just a few minutes offsets the multiple hours of carrying the parasol.

My perpetual laziness made my choice for me as I began to walk to the special building he now calls home in a bizarre twist.

Then, as I began my trek, it hit me.

I stopped for a second, feeling a wave of fear overcome me. Would I see symbols over those two? Anxiety ran through me, wanting to see whether or not they were free of the game but also frozen in place by the fear of having it confirmed that they were. Seeing the symbol above their heads… I don't think I'd be able to do anything if I saw it.

Tch, but it wasn't up to me. My desperate wish for them to be uninvolved are nothing but naive ideals. Deus Ex said that every person I meet is important to me, so why wouldn't the alternate versions of the two most important women in my life be potential suspects?

I slouched even more than usual, a deep frown on my face and began to walk with heavy steps. I resigned myself to the possibility of seeing symbols floating on both the Ice Queen and the social butterfly of the Service Club. I hated it with all my soul, but I expected it to happen.

There's no use thinking about it, I'll just have to cross that bridge when I reach it.

As I move along, I reach the stairs and come to a stop, my eyes widening in shock.

Damn it! Damn it all! Not them…

I guess it was too early to say that I'd cross that bridge when I get to it, I mean, that bridge is here right now…

Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui, both stood before me with similar expressions. There was surprise on their faces, a small amount really, but I could sense the overwhelming displeasure just by observing Yukinoshita's gaze alone. Meanwhile, Yuigahama was trepid, probably after what I said to her the other day.

However, my mind couldn't linger on them as all I registered was the glowing mark shining before my very eyes, professing a very bad omen to come.

While I somehow expected it deep inside, the fact that it only surrounded Yuigahama was what struck a nerve with me. The girl in question averted her eyes away from me as I felt that agonizing headache return with vengeance.

The pain courses through my head like a wild flame, far more painful than the previous ones I experienced, which forces me to grasp my forehead, teeth gritted as I lean on the rail at my left for support. My vision blurs for a moment as my breathing becomes erratic. S-shit! Why was it so much worse this time!?

"A-are you okay?"

I try to focus, distinguishing Yuigahama's voice. Even when fearing me, her worry over my state overpowers it; she was as much of a nice girl as I knew her as. I look up again, seeing the girl looking at me in concern, while Yukinoshita stared at me with uncertainty. I must look really bad for them to display such reactions, given it's me that's causing them.

This is bad… it's… wrong…

As the pain lessens, I force myself to stand straight, breathing deeply, a drop of sweat trailing down my cheek. There was silence, not what I wanted either, but I can't let them question what just happened. I must go forward despite how much I don't want to.

With a pained snarl, I force a first step, and my legs start moving up the stairs as if only through sheer willpower. I keep my gaze steadily on the ground, holding the umbrella and my bookbag firmly until I walk past them. I can sense their gazes as I move onward, and I can't help but feel pathetic.

Shit… Shit…

What made that fucking god choose Yuigahama? What made him not choose Yukinoshita? It was almost like he was mocking me! It would just seem that it's for the best that I don't have to do anything regarding Sobu's Ice Queen, yet… I feel so much dread just thinking about what I'll have to do regarding Yuigahama.

What it will cause to those that surround her.

This will be a compromise I'll have to endure for the sake of the game… even if I end up hating myself for it. Yuigahama wasn't the one I knew, but I couldn't just disregard her entirely, because she's just a Yuigahama who's path hasn't intertwined with my own. She's the girl who she would have been if it weren't for the car accident and us later joining the same club binding our lives together.

It's funny that I didn't care as much before having the ability to detect potential suspects. Wait, that's wrong, I did care, but the thing is that no matter what happens now, I'll have to break down the walls separating us with my own hands.

I'll have to destroy the fear she has for me, and I'm completely sure Yukinoshita and the more self-righteous Hayama will stand in my way, one way or another, for I'm only a despicable person that would no doubt bring harm to the resident nice girl in their minds.

Without realizing it, I was standing in the middle of the corridor where the Service Club was located. I stared at nothing as my breathing relaxed dramatically, my shoulders dropping. I felt a stinging pain in my hand; apparently, I was still gripping the umbrella so tightly without realizing it.

Onizuka's room was still one floor above… What am I doing here?

Damn it…

9-8

When I finally arrived at the classroom turned storage area, turned place of residence, there was seemingly no one inside. At first I suspected that Onizuka-sensei had accidentally overslept as the reason why no one answered my knocking. I wouldn't put it past the guy to do that in his eagerness to prove himself to the Headmistress. He struck me as the type to recklessly stay up late to get up to standards only to miss the class entirely.

As a concerned member of the student body, I put it on me to check on my formerly delinquent substitute teacher. Ah~ I'm such a diligent student!

However as I opened the door I realized that the room really was empty. Not exactly clean, but not really much of a pigsty. Really, it was just disorganized with an undone futon in the corner. Heh, the Headmistress probably keeps the custodians from coming here.

Well, the path of adulthood in our society is to be hygienic. Onizuka-sensei will have much to learn over the course of his employment.

Either way, I place the umbrella against the wall by the door. I made sure to leave a note with my name on it. I know he might give me flak for having it, but it's fine, better than carrying it around.

As I exit Onizuka sensei's room, I hear a loud sound coming from a door down the corridor. I blink twice and shut Onizuka's door before heading to where the noise originated. I stand in front of the door, hearing a girl's voice inside babbling incomprehensible words.

I stare blankly at it, wondering if I should look into it. Whoever it is does sound desperate now… Could she have gotten hurt doing… whatever it was she's doing in there? Shouldn't she be in class?

I could just take a glance right? If nothing wrong is going on, I could simply turn around and walk away. Hah… Such a caring person I am, worrying about a stranger's well-being!

I shot a glance at the sign that said: Chemistry Prep Room, wondering if this room could in fact be a club dedicated to magic as the second sign hanging from it implies. Was creating a school club for such a purpose even possible? What kind of teacher would even approve something like that. Aren't we in high school already?

I would love to think that this place is just for the cheap pull-a-bunny-out-of-a-hat sort of deal. I don't want to learn that my school has someone actually engaging in the supernatural. It's already hard enough to deal with Belldandy being able to practice it and the whole 'Esper' thing in Academy City. At least let me believe that regular humans can't do anything like it, dammit.

I sigh again before glancing at the second sign once more.

Magic Club.

I blink as another loud noise comes from inside, a yelp following this time.

Geez… I guess a short peek is all I need. Just to make everything's fine, right?

I slide the door open slowly, "Sorry for intruding…"

"It worked! It worked! Now all I need to…"

I stand frozen solid, my eyes catching the sight of the accursed mark, floating over the head of a girl that wore a strange costume as she seems to be rummaging inside a large box with a question mark on it. As no matter how much I try to focus, all I can see clearly is that damned mark.

I hold myself better this time as the unwanted headache returns, keeping my stance straight, the only proof of the headache being my most likely the obvious grimace on my face. Yet another suspect, huh?

Go to profile, SEE: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Picture 05

First, she stands on her feet, holding her hat with a hand as she stares at me dumbfounded.

"Err—"

And then, the girl steps back with a yelp, some cards slipping from her hand at a sudden realization.

Mm…? I must be putting on a very scary face for this girl to react the way she did, I mean, she looks terrified to a notable degree. Some small tears pooled in the corner of her eyes, ready to fall, and her face looked absurdly red.

The mark starts to fade as the girl starts to crawl towards a bucket in the ground, more weird sounds coming out of her. Just… What the heck is she doing?

"Buuoogghhh…"

Why the heck is she throwing up!?

Oh… that's just gross…

Honestly, the lessening throb in my head was nowhere near as unpleasant as watching someone suddenly throw up.

Wait, she threw up once she caught a glimpse of me… Was… Am I at fault!? Could it be that not only are my eyes disgusting but my entire face!? No way! I don't want this kind of an ability, dammit! To think I managed to get an even worse reaction out of someone when I thought it wasn't possible…

Please, Magician-san! Tell me that I wasn't the reason! My self-worth hinges on your answer!

The magician… girl? Er… well, after emptying whatever was in her stomach, she stands and turns around, resting a hand on her chest as she gasps for breath. She looks really pale, probably even more than me when this new ability of mine starts working.

Well, it seems she's someone I must get to know… despite how much trouble she seems to be…

With the pain in my head only being a bad memory, I take the time to study her.

Physically, she doesn't strike me as a first year despite her childish expressions. Her eyes were blue… wait… they were turquoise actually… huh… And her shoulder-length hair was grey-ish, not an usual color, but considering… Honda-san? Whatever… Considering her and the saint that is Totsuka, it's not really that huge of a discovery. Her eye color is a different story, they're not one of a Japanese person's. Half foreigner, maybe?

As for what she's wearing, this girl sported a turquoise sweater over her shirt, Sobu's usual plaid skirt and a red ribbon tie. I notice her blazer is hanging in a chair behind her… alright… all that seems in order but… I get it, this is a club to practice magic tricks, but why go to such lengths as to actually wear a cape and a magician's hat?

What the heck? No, no, just take it in stride, Hachiman…

Anyway… she had a slender figure, but… her… her…

…Does she really have to breathe that heavily? They're bouncing…

Geh, she was… big, probably bigger than Gahama-san. I'll leave it at that and look at the ceiling in order to safeguard her modesty while she gets her breathing under control. I don't want to be accused as a pervert when I was here as a concerned citizen.

Well, before I head to class as the proper student I was, I should at least get her name. She was someone I needed to interact with from now on. How to make it a regular occurence without forcing the issue after this is something I'll have to figure out later.

"Are… you alright?" I awkwardly ask with a scratch of my cheek, still not looking at her.

It takes some seconds for her breathing to stabilize, just then she's able to respond, "I-I-I'm f-fine! D-Don't worry!" She waves her hands nervously, "I-I have the j-just the m-medicine for it!"

Medicine? Is she sick then? Well, it's a relief to know I'm not the cause of her throwing up… My ego wouldn't be able to take it.

"I-I'll just write the word 'person' three times…" She says erratically while drawing on her palm the kanji of the aforementioned word with her index finger, "And then swallow!" She pretends to swallow what she apparently had on her palm.

That old superstition, eh?

The purpose for it was for people to calm themselves down when they're at their most anxious. Why they draw and subsequently 'swallow' the kanji for 'person' is because it serves as a symbolic gesture to overcome whatever caused their unease. Sort of a swallow your nerves type of deal.

Although typically, it's done when a person has stage fright. Seeing how she was the only one in the room, I couldn't help but wonder what set her off. Unless she's got such a bad case that even spirits watching over her is enough to make her freeze in her performance. That'd just be sad if that's what happened.

Hold on a minute… I'm here, no? Which means I'm actually the one causing her current distress. Well, at least the reason she threw up is completely different now, so I suppose it's fine…

For me, not for her though. She definitely has a problem.

"Bluuaagghhh…"

Wait… why are you throwing up again? Ugh…

The girl cleans her mouth with some paper after her disgusting display and turns to me with a cheerful smile, "Alrighty! I feel better!" She exclaims loudly, raising an arm.

You do?! Why bother with the superstition if you still threw up again!? It doesn't look like it helped at all!

"Right…" Was all I could say. It looked like she just needed to puke to relax her nerves instead of following that superstition.

I could still detect the underlying nervousness behind her obvious attempt to seem relaxed. "Let's do this!" And just then, her face seems to pale again.

Woman, you need real medicine.

"Uwoooooo!" I blink at her sudden cry as she runs back to that big box again in the corner and starts rummaging through its insides again.

Or… a trip to a psychiatric ward…

And once again, I've come across another colorful side character in the epic that is my life story. I would love to back away slowly from this odd girl, but… You know, socializing with the newest suspect takes precedence. Upgrade from 'Strangers' to 'Recognizable Strangers.'

"Er, what are you doing?" I slowly ask.

"Preparing my trick to welcome newcomers, of course!" She responds, still shuffling whatever she was shuffling. No thanks, I don't need to see you blow chunks for a third time. It was already hard enough for me to not gag.

I'm savoring my free breakfast, dammit!

"Shouldn't you be getting to class instead…?" I inquire plainly. We had less than ten minutes left before the warning bell, you knoooow?

"It won't take long, I promise!" She says, and right then and there I notice her hat moving on its own. I cock an eyebrow at that, seeing some feathers falling from inside. She pulls a red cloth from the box, exclaiming, "Finally found it!"

Is she planning to pull some bird from her hat? Well, the magic's already lost its luster since I could see it… I'll just keep it to myself. Let the poor girl perform her trick to satisfy her, and act surprised. Easy enough, I can manage that. The quicker the better, since I still need her name.

I select not to say anything and appear to look on expectantly. Hopefully her stage fright has gotten out of her system. She pulls two desks together and urges me to stand opposite of her, the red cloth lying on their surface at her side.

I raise an eyebrow as she closes the door. I suspect she doesn't want to risk a wider audience for now.

She stares at me for a moment, and blinks as if realizing something, "Hold on… aren't you that second year everyone talks about? The one with the creepy eyes?"

Ugh… Is that the newest rumor now…? Leave my eyes alone, dammit.

Actually, what are you doing insulting your audience? I have the right mind to boo you for that!

"Could be," I answer vaguely, rubbing the back of my head in a lackadaisical manner. Trying to look harmless for her, which is still weird for me to think of. Me, intimidating? Me?

Her stare lingers, "Maybe you aren't then…" Her smile becomes smug, hands resting on her hips, "Anyway, I'll introduce you to my very special partner!"

I have the hinch something won't go well…

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 09

"Behold!" She exclaims with a dumb tone, and pulls her hat down, showing me its insides. As she expected, there was nothing, but another suspicious feather lingered, "Nothing inside, is there?"

I keep my face from betraying that I saw it, "Doesn't look like."

However, my eyes glance at her head for just a moment, before focusing on her again. I feel the urge to gaze at her head again for some reason, and when I do so, I come to see what caught my attention in the first place. Like usual, it's an odd color to see, but once noticed it's obvious what it was.

The bird had relieved itself on the very top of her head. And it was slowly running down her hair… Fortunately(?) it didn't look like it'd reach her uniform, but it wasn't a particularly pleasant thing to see. If what Komachi taught me about women and hair was right, what was happening now was nothing less than travesty to the highest degree.

Ah, my chivalrous nature is clashing with my natural cynicism birthed from my experience with women. I don't think she'll let me interrupt her, but I really do want to point out what happened so she can be spared of any further humiliation.

I purse my lips as she puts her hat upside down over the desk, still blissfully unaware, "Now, when I drape it with this cloth," She picks said cloth and extends it over her hat. "My lovely partner will come out of—"

And then it happens.

A drip of the excrement falls from her hair and onto the red cloth… damn…

The 'magician' blinks twice, yet to realize and understand what happened. Her eyes move down, to examine the… white liquid staining the cloth, and yet another drop follows. I look on with a blank stare as her eyes move upward, directed at the ceiling, and when she does, the bird's poop trails across her forehead down her nose.

Oh… No…

She blinks again, silence engulfing the room.

Yikes, the awkwardness is so stifling… What the hell am I supposed to do?

"T-then… m-my f-friend…" Looking at her pale, yet flushed face is too painful… "When I p-pull…"

No, no! Don't keep going, that just makes things worse! It's too sad to watch!

Getting a bit too much for me, I pull out my handkerchief from inside my blazer. Stiffly, and awkwardly, I offer it to the girl that was on the brink of crying. I couldn't find myself to say anything, choosing to remain silent in this terribly uncomfortable situation.

She stops her act and averts her gaze for a moment, before reaching out a hand, "Thanks…"

Slowly the girl reaches into a bag —that was hanging on a chair— for a bottle of water, before stepping into a corner. I scratch my cheek in discomfort as she starts cleaning as best as she can the mess over her head and face.

I hear some murmurs coming from the girl, more like whining. I manage to make up an: "Gross…" And after a moment, an: "…ou betrayed me, Bahamut…" Finally, one last, "...mbarrasing…"

Bahamut? Is… is that the bird's name?

Good grief… this is easily one of the most awkward moments I experienced…

After she cleaned up —or at least her best attempt at it— her hair as much as possible with the handkerchief, she glanced at the red cloth and grabbed a lock of hair, which was still dripping. Does she want to use it to dry the rest of her hair? Isn't the bird under…

And so, she pulls the cloth and a white dove flies out of the hat, right to her face, prompting the girl to stumble back with a yelp before tripping and landing on her butt. Her head pushes the table where she left the half-empty bottle of water, and as expected, water spills on her face and her uniform as well. The dove lands over a tall shelf casually.

I couldn't even move, or react…

Did she really forget the bird was still inside the hat?

This is getting bad… I'm starting to feel embarrassed for her now.

And while I thought things couldn't take a turn for the worse, the door slid open before us as a certain blonde teacher peeks his face through the entrance.

"What the heck? Why's this lewd gi—" Onizuka stops as I turn to glare at him, and then adds, "What's going on, Hikigaya?"

The man enters the room, sporting his white suit, a folder pinned between his arm and body. I instantly sniffed the unpleasant aroma of tobacco as he approached.

"Just a small accident, Sensei," I state flatly.

My homeroom teacher arks a brow, and glances at the 'magician' again before his face contorts into a creepy expression, "Woohooo! This girl looks too damn se-!"

"Get your head out of the gutter, you lecherous teacher," I growl at him, stepping in to block his line of sight. Usually I would refrain from outright insulting the man, but I was sympathetic to the pitiful state of the woman. No bullying the magical girl!

He lets out an awkward laugh, "What? You're going after her, too?"

What the heck is that supposed to mean?

"Hell no," I snap back with a furrow of my brow.

He stares at me seriously all of the sudden before smirking and making a thumbs up, a soft glint in his teeth and eyes, "I get it, Hikigaya." He steps back with a raised hand, "Hehehe! Take your time. I'll just say that I had you do an errand for me, hehehe!"

"Wha— Oi!" I call out to him, but he only raises his hand up as he continues walking away. Don't try to act like you're cool, dammit! You've got it all wrong!

And the door is shut, leaving me again with the suffocating silence.

I look at the girl over my shoulder, who is just hugging herself, her lips trembling. Is… is she going to cry? I know she has all the reasons to, but… I'm no good with crying girls.

Damn it… I have to say something, this awkwardness is getting out of hand! Look, try and cheer her up first. That's priority one!

"Uh, sorry about him," I start hesitantly, keeping my eyes on anything but her, "His interruption kept you from trying your act again."

"I can't… I'm wet…" She responds weakly.

What is with me and wet girls lately…?

Wait… Ugh… I'm doing it too… Damn it, Kasumigaoka… You're a horrible influence on your editor.

Ah, wait, forget that! Chance!

"Ah, well, I guess that means I should come back later for it, right?" An excuse to keep socializing after this spectacular failure!

Her eyes start to shine, filled with hope as she seems to want to cry again…

"R-Really?" She asks with utmost expectation… a bit too much for my liking, "You'll come back?"

I stare at her hopeful eyes, and I can't help but wonder why she seemed to be so eager to show me a magic trick, or even now, looking at me with newfound optimism.

And it was right there that I recognized them… her eyes… They were eyes of a loner that didn't want to be alone.

I glance around the room, noticing it is filled with many boxes and articles that are seemingly related to magic and the like, and then, my eyes catch sight of a lone mug, white in its entirety, yet it has a cute draw of a raccoon on it. For some reason, my eyes linger on it before the sound of the girl standing on her feet draws my attention.

She… really looked miserable right now…

And yet my eyes return to that sole mug on the table.

"Is it just you here?" I ask the obvious question, as I continue to focus on her mug. My gaze then wanders around the room once more, before landing back on the girl.

She blinks and tilts her head, "Not anymore, you're here, no?"

Goodness me, I landed me another airhead…

I rub my temple, "That's not what I meant. Aren't there other members here?"

She stares at me, and then adverts her eyes, a depressive aura suddenly popping up, "Ah… yeah…? I-I told them they could h-have a rest-from the c-club so they can polish their tricks…"

She's really a bad liar. So that's it then? She's on her own? It doesn't come as a surprise, given that most students in Sobu often go for more popular clubs for the sake of socialization, and I really doubt a magic club is at all attractive for such a purpose. It might be too childish for the normies as they gossip and giggle over their astrology(lol).

How does she run a club with only one member anyway? I didn't think they'd be allowed to continue this far into the year without other members, assuming she just created it. Hiratsuka-sensei was probably the reason why the Service Club wasn't shut down with Yukinoshita as its only member since it was the older woman's social experiment for her and eventually myself. Then again, I joined relatively early and Yuigahama wasn't that long after me.

I can see now why she was so eager… why she tried, despite her obvious stage fright, to perform a trick for —most likely— the first student that had walked through the doors behind me. On a side note, that also means that she wasn't able to take part in the cultural festival since she was on her own. She could probably only try and seek out others to become members in vain.

Was she meaning to impress me then, possibly convince me to join?

Now that I think about it, I did see some handmade fliers on some walls about something related to magic, but I guess I disregarded them completely, given my unusual circumstances and the constant wariness I was subjected to.

"S-so!?" I blink, the girl's voice interrupting my train of thought, "You'll come back?"

I wonder… I had no intention of joining her club, but I still needed a reason to keep seeing her. Then again, what I wanted didn't matter because of this game. It's not like I desired to become Kasumigaoka's editor either, I just needed a reason to see her more often. I can't really do that here though, I don't have the time to join a club, especially since I still need to figure out how to become the smartest student in Sobu in less than a week.

Besides, with her being a fellow loner, associating with me might lead her to be ostracized by others. Miura and Shiromeguri-senpai can get away with it because the former is still the Fire Queen and the latter is the Student Council President. And that Kawa-something girl is a loner herself, assumingly, she can take things in stride. Plus, she's pretty tough. This girl however, doesn't like being alone and wants to share her passions with someone.

Luckily, she doesn't seem to recognize me as 'Most-Hated-Man-In-School-san' as Yukinoshita once aptly put it, so I don't have to expect her seeking me out for now. And with this girl's club being in the special building, I won't have to worry about others seeing where I was going when I next visit.

Well of course I was going to have to visit this place again. I can't just leave her to her own devices with her being a suspect to observe. But I wasn't going to outright join her club just to keep her close either. That's something I can't compromise on.

So what I can't offer in joining, I can in being a regular audience? Maybe every so often I can come around and see what kind of tricks she's practicing? Be the drifter type, sans the mysterious aura and replaced by alleged creepiness.

But I'm not a creep, honest.

"Might as well," I finally shrug, trying to look cool as I reassured her anxieties, "I need to get my money's worth after all your big talk."

A smile pops up on her face, and she nods sheepishly, "Great! Come around lunch break, I'll prepare something spectacular just for you!"

What? Lunch break? Aw, damn it… Why'd it have to be then…?

"Right…" I'll make sure to figure something out to keep Miura from getting mad, "Well, I'll se—"

What the hell is she doing!?

I feel embarrassment climb up my face as the magician-wannabe pulls off her wet sweater, giving me clear sight of her —also— wet shirt… I had to tear my eyes away in an instant, given that her underwear had become visible through it.

Geez… this woman…

"I'll have to use the blazer over my wet shirt…" She whines despairingly, "But it could be worse…"

As she puts it on, I calm my nerves and heat. Once I'm sure she has the blazer on, I look at her again. Ah… such a gentleman I am. Someone praise me, dammit! Anyone else would have just shamelessly basked in such a sight!

"Anyway, I'll be on my way. Class is about to start," I say, heading to the door.

"Y-yeah, I don't want to be late either."

She grins and follows suit, both of us exiting the room. Well, without her hat and cape, also being properly dressed, she does look her age now, kind of like a senpai really, I suppose. She fixes her bookbag on her shoulder and waves at me as she runs away.

"I'll see you at break then, Assistant-kun!"

I stare blankly as she almost trips just before she reaches the stairs, avoiding a BAD END. It didn't look like she learned anything though as she rushed the rest of the way down, letting out some yelps until her voice fades away completely. I'm not going to walk into a murder scene once I reach the bottom, right?

And then her parting words register in my mind.

Hah?

Assistant? Who's your assistant? Me? I'm the…? When was this decided? Where did you get the idea I was looking to be your assistant?

There's been an influx of women wanting me to work under them since last night I noticed. Was this the rumored popularity once you're spoken for? When a fellow finds a girlfriend and all of a sudden other girls find him interesting? They wouldn't glance at him before, but now, they want his attention?

That doesn't make me happy at all! It's a stupid job that's causing all of this!

"Hah…" I sigh loudly, reassured that I was the only person here. "Mornings suck…"

And just as I take my first step, My phone vibrates, the default ringtone following. I pocket it out and look at the caller's name.

Yukihira Souma.

I stare at the screen for a moment,

Does this guy have no consideration of what time it was? Class was about to start, dumbass. You might have a loose schedule with being at a chef's academy, but I still had to report to class in the next five minutes. I had half a mind of ignoring his call, but didn't go through with it. As the person stuck with the 'close friend' moniker, I was under obligation to answer. What a pain…

Let's hope it doesn't take long.

"Are you trying to make me late?" I ask the redheaded cook in lieu of a greeting.

"I'm glad to hear you missed me," I rolled my eyes at his witty response. "Anyway, I happened to get a message from Utaha. She seemed very pleased with a certain guy that is wasting his culinary skills."

"Yeah. Who woulda thought she'd prefer that sort of guy over a certain loudmouth food fanatic?" I quipped back with my own brand of sarcasm.

It takes a moment for him to reply, "…huh?" And another moment then for him to realize it, "You bastard! Did you actually tell her? That's low! Even for you!"

"Sorry, I respect her privacy too much unlike a certain somebody," My sarcasm borders on the line of mimicking that alleged alien's usual teasing.

"Tch! I was giving you a hand, you know? Letting you hear how she was feeling," He responds curtly. "I'm not one to usually let other people listen to private calls, but given the circumstances, it was kinda needed."

"Even so, there are things you shouldn't do," My lecturing tone is condescending, "You have much to learn about women, it seems. Kasumigaoka will be sure to teach you well."

"Yeah, yeah. You're not really a good example to follow, so I don't feel that bad about it," He lets out a sigh, "Whatever. What matters is that you two patched up."

Looks like this guy was willing to accept his incoming punishment from the author for the sake of helping me out. That means that he saw the mending of our relationship as important enough to take that kind of risk. Was it that he didn't want to see Kasumigaoka and I at odds for our sake or his own because we're his friends, I didn't know. Either way, he did make it his business since I was still hesitating in taking action.

Was he protecting his ties to his close friends, or did he not want to break the status quo of his group? Now that is the question.

"It was a pain, but I managed it," I reassured him, glancing at the clock, "Did you need something?"

"Can't I just call a friend?" He responds with a dumb tone, "And yeah, I do need a favor."

"A friend wouldn't call someone five minutes before his class started unless he wanted something," I stated flatly before sighing, "What do you want? Is this about yesterday's message?"

"Yeah… so… well, can you come to Tokyo? Three days at most."

What? Me going to Tokyo? That came out of nowhere.

It's still the middle of the week, I can't just drop what I was doing just for you. Isn't that a little too selfish? What on earth could you need me for anyway? I might be an allegedly talented cook in this world but that doesn't compare to professionally trained students studying culinary arts.

No way, I can't afford to pause everything. There was still too much for me to take care of in Chiba and reigning in everything before I set my eyes on anything else.

"That's funny, I thought I heard you say something as stupid as me going to Tokyo," My sarcasm is palpable before derisively adding, "Are you expecting something other than 'no,' idiot?"

"No way!" He responded with the same amount of sarcasm, "I thought you'd say yes from the get-go!" He chuckles and I cock an eyebrow, "Jokes aside, I really need your help, dude."

"Ask someone else, I'm busy," I tell him outright.

"Just listen before you decide," He mutters in annoyance, "There's this big exam here in Totsuki, and every student has to bring two students that haven't studied in a cooking Academy. Don't know all the details yet, but it seems each of us will have to pass the test along with them. Usui already agreed to come, so you're the only one missing for the unstoppable team."

"I have classes, you know?" I state the obvious, "Not to mention upcoming exams."

"Sobu's exams are next week, no?" He responds cleverly. Of course he'd know, living in Chiba before and knowing the previous 'me'.

"Yeah, and I still have to study for them," I counter. "And missing classes will get me in trouble anyway."

He snickers again, "That's where you're wrong. Totsuki can easily arrange special permission that lets you skip classes and take part in the assignment for the three days, no problem. Dunno how it works really, but that's what we have been told. So yeah, you won't have any problem."

How did his school have the power to call on other students from their studying at this point of the year? I get that he said that it's prestigious, but how famous does it have to be that other schools would willingly allow their students to just leave for three days? They must be desperate for the attention it brings.

While it's interesting to note that Usui accepted joining, I write it off as him owing Yukihira for a previous favor or something. I just needed him for tonight, he's free to do whatever he wants after. Just because he's the closest thing I have for an ally doesn't mean I dictate his entire life.

"Isn't it fine just with him?" I drawl my question, "That guy can probably do it for you if you let him, what do you need me for?"

"C'mon now. We were a great team before, yeah?" He responds with a lazy undertone, "Look, just think it over and call me back after your classes are done for the day."

I heave a sigh before replying, "Don't hold your breath for anything other than 'No.' There's a lot of stuff piled on my plate lately, and I really doubt I can allow myself time off for something like that."

"I get it, I get it. You just think it over, alright?"

Do these people not understand the concept of 'no?'

I clear my throat, "Fine."

He chuckles, "Cool. Talk to you later, man."

"Later."

And with that, the call ends.

Well… what can I say? This just came out of the blue, and honestly, I don't think I'll accept. The upcoming exams, while being the biggest reason for me to desist, it's the fact that losing three days that I can use to deepen my relationships with the females around me, and finding more suspects along the way has a higher priority.

Yeah, I could in fact find more suspects in Tokyo too, but going to another district is out of the question for now. I need to cover my own territory first before heading to others.

Sorry Yukihira, but you'll be disappoin—

*Bzzzzzt* *Bzzzzzt*

My phone starts to vibrate again… Probably Yukihira again. Geez, he's more persistently annoying than I thought. Take a hint already.

I look at the caller and… it's not him but Usui Takumi.

What on earth could this guy want at this hour? Should I answer? Two minutes till the bell rings…

I know Onizuka-sensei will probably mention me doing some errand for him if someone were to ask, like Miura. That won't be good since Onizuka's reputation about hitting the subdirector is still roaming the school, which in turn will create more rumors about me doing questionable matters on his behalf. That's how it works, no? Always assume the worst of people you don't know or dislike. He might have made a better impression during his introduction, but his association with me is gonna make him look at least somewhat shady.

Then again, Usui's call could be important… meh, might as well.

"I'm heading to class, what is it?" I say blankly.

A laugh comes from the phone, "How cold, Hikigaya-kun," His teasing tone is as clear as the sky outside. Now that I think about it, having such a sunny day in this season is quite unlikely, "And here I was thinking you decided to take a day off from school to spend it with your dear author."

I start walking, "No doubt you'd try that with your maid," I reply with a smirk. "But sorry to disappoint you, being a responsible student won out."

"Pfft…" I overhear the alien chuckle, "You and Misa-chan are both the same in that regard."

"Did you call to check on my academic responsibilities or was there something you wanted?" I cut to the chase seeing how there was literally no time left. Onizuka-sensei might have said he'd cover for my being tardy, but I don't want him thinking I was doing anything with…

Oh, crap, I never got that Light Magician Girl's name! Well done, me…

"You're no fun, Hikigaya," I hear him whine before he sobers up, "I take it that you heard from Yukihira-kun."

What the!? I just got off the phone with him when you called! How the hell would you have known that happened!? That insane timing of his is no joke.

"How the hell did you know that…?" I felt the need to look over my shoulder, as ridiculous as it was.

There's a laugh on the other line, "It could be my alleged alien powers from the Planet Pheromone."

He meant it as a joke, but I almost believed him because of his supernatural timing. But then I remembered what Yukihira had said, and utilized simple deductive reasoning.

"He called you already?" The chef must have reached out to the pretty boy before calling me. It doesn't explain how the admitted stalker knew exactly when to call me but at least I can be assured that he's not a psychic alien. Probably.

"He did, just about fifteen minutes ago," He tells me, "Are you going?"

"Are you?" I ask instead of answering him. I decide to play dumb and dodge the question for now, preferring to know why he was going.

"So stingy," There's a small chuckle, "I am."

"That's pretty shocking," I say truthfully, "I didn't think you'd give up seeing your maid for three days."

"Ah, so he didn't tell you…" Instead of finding the humor in my comment he says that instead.

I narrow my gaze, "Tell me what?"

"I initially refused him myself," Usui admits to me, "I wasn't interested in participating in his competition. I was only just able to start seeing Misa-chan regularly again after all."

So she did factor into his decision.

"So what changed?" I couldn't help but be curious. My blonde acquaintance didn't seem to be the type to make sudden decisions without a reason, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

"He mentioned a name," He said cryptically.

When he didn't add anything, I was forced to ask, "Someone you know?"

"In a way, I suppose."

"Oi, quit it with your shitty riddles and come out with it," I finally demand out of irritation.

"Phooie…" I can hear his pout, "You didn't play along Hikigaya…"

*Riiiiiinnngggg*

And officially classes started. Well, I'm officially late to class… again.

"I'm not up for playing games, Pretty Boy," I growl back.

"I was going to mention that the person he spoke of was someone you knew as well," His tone is somewhat sulking. This guy…

Wait, what's he talking about?

"What do you mean?" I question.

"Yukihira-kun said that a fellow classmate was bringing in help; and that help is in the form of someone you know," He takes up a serious note again. I ponder what he said with his uncharacteristic tone, the person he was talking about seems to be a big deal.

Wait, someone I knew…? Not to mention, it's someone that's important enough that even Usui would break away from his norm. There's only one person that we see eye-to-eye on when it comes to threats…

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." The alien confirms it for me, "That's the name of the other player of your game, right?"

I feel ice in my veins at that revelation. I didn't suspect Ayanokouji would step into my world, in a manner of speaking, so soon. Really, I was under the impression we wouldn't meet in person until the climax of our story. What the heck!? This face-off is being given away too soon!

"Yeah, that's him," I confirm, feeling my throat dry all of a sudden. "What did Yukihira say exactly?"

"Well, I asked him about it, actually," He responds lazily. "You see, there's a girl that lives in the same dorm of Yukihira-kun. Ah, prepare to be surprised!"

I raise an eyebrow at his shift in tone, "What is it?"

"This girl happens to be a distant relative of Short-kun's!" He reveals, much to my surprise. He knew I was gonna be, "Yuuki-kun's father had to cut ties with his brother a long time ago, so this man moved to Tokyo, slightly changed his surname and raised a family."

"Too much detail, get back to the point," I say impatient.

"I'm also missing homeroom, you know?" He whines, "Let me have my fun."

"No, hurry up," I reject immediately, "You can gossip all you want later tonight."

"Alright… so this girl is called Yuki Yoshino. Their surnames sound basically the same, but the kanji is different. Anyway, Yoshino-chan had a conversation with Yukihira-kun, and she mentioned that she was bringing her childhood friend, who's name is Galko or something like that."

I sigh at his unneeded exposition, "Where does Ayanokouji come into all of this? And how the hell do you know all of this by just asking Yukihira?"

He chuckles, "These tests require two students, right?" He asks and I grunt affirmatively, "Well, this girl, Galko, offered Yoshino-chan to bring the other person she needed. And there you go, Ayanokouji enters the scene."

It was too long winded! You could have simply told me that last part without the backstories! I didn't need to get invested in these characters, dammit.

"While nothing points to Ayanokouji influencing this, I just feel that this is more than a mere coincidence," Usui adds, his serious tone back. "Apparently, Galko's friend comes from a prestigious school within the city, and only the elite of the elite can attend it."

"So, you're saying Ayanokouji attends that high-class school? There's no way to be sure of that," I release a sigh.

"That's fair, we have no way of confirming that part. But at the very least, he may live in Tokyo."

It wouldn't be farfetched to make an assumption, but this is all hanging on the thread of that Galko girl being a credible source. Ayanokouji isn't above manipulating others to serve his purpose, hell, the bastard readily admitted to it. This could all be a part of his plan, whatever it could be.

But there were too many holes to his sudden appearance. Anybody would question his participation when he had nothing to do with Yukihira's classmate other than being mutual friends with that Galko person. There's also the fact that he's calling attention to himself by doing this, especially if he really does attend an elite school. Thing is, the stoic boy didn't strike me as that reckless. Well, the same could be me. I've done a lot of things in this world that I would have previously regarded as reckless.

Seriously, it was almost as if Ayanokouji was only taking part in this cook-off because of… Galko…

That's it. She's a suspect… potentially. It hinges on whether he accepted the invitation before today or not, but Galko was someone that Ayanokouji suspected was part of the game. And because of this fact, he was roped into joining the competition. He saw it as a calculated risk worth investing his time into.

This all depends on whether Galko really is a suspect, and that's something I can't confirm. If she is, Ayanokouji would have seen her symbol, which means I would no longer be able to see it myself. But that doesn't matter anymore, I have to engage in damage control now and prevent any further advantage for him.

He's going to Tokyo, to Yukihira's school, an option I can also take. What if he finds more suspects within the academy? Then he'll have a huge advantage against me. I can't afford that happening, his only connection to Yukihira's academy is whatever relationship he has with Galko, and if Yukihira's classmate who brought her in is also a suspect, he'll have to deal with her too. But she's merely a mutual acquaintance at the moment and so he'll have no way to handle any possible suspect other than noting who they were and keeping that information to himself.

I, on the other hand, have Yukihira, my supposed 'best friend.' Through him, I can handle any possible suspect by showing interest in their cooking or whatever. I might be hard pressed with the outside students being brought in, but I can at least see who they are.

There's also a timing issue, either Ayanokouji or I can essentially 'lay claim' to possible suspects if we play our cards right. I can find my own suspects before he notices and vice-versa, that'll make things tough.

Well, that's for later. Going to Tokyo, seems like I'll have to leave my beloved Chiba then. There's a lot I still need to take care of here, but, they're not that immediate, I think. I won't like it, but putting a pin on them is fairly fallible.

"Monologuing, Hikigaya?" Usui's teasing voice cuts through my thoughts.

I'm caught off guard by it and sputter, "J-just weighing my options…" I clear my throat, "Is he why you're going then?"

"Well, I have to see the man who could put my dear Misa-chan at risk for myself, don't I?" He chuckles lightly, but I'm sure he wasn't smiling on the other line.

"That makes two of us…" I sigh on my side, "I've 'met' him before, but looks like I have to see him in person now."

"Oh?" He questions, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

I look around to make sure I'm on my own, "There's been a few changes to the game. I'll tell you about them later tonight. To put it simply, one of the changes warrants me having to be there so I don't fall behind him."

"Sounds interesting enough," His voice is casual, but I can detect wariness underneath it.

Yeah, explaining my newest 'ability' is going to be hard to do. Oh, wait… Maybe I can show him, while taking a gander if his maid is involved in the game or not.

"If you want, I can come by your school," I start, "And I can tell you if your maid is part of the game or not."

There's silence for a few seconds.

"…Can you do that?" His voice is deprived of any humor as he questions me.

"It's what that particular change consists of," I respond back evenly.

"…" He goes silent again, "I'll be sure to text you the directions."

"That's fine."

"Well, make sure to tell Yukihira-kun about your decision, Hikigaya-kun. He'll appreciate it~" He tries to singsong, and it almost works, but I can tell that he's straining to do so.

"Yeah," I grunt back, "I'll see you then."

"Byebye, Hikigaya," I'll give it to him, he's trying his best not to let what I said get to him.

"Later," And I hung up. I release a large and audible sigh, willing all of my tension to escape my body. This much stress before classes even start, give me a break…

I take a few moments to realign myself. Then I look at my phone one more time. Better tell Yukihira that I'm going then. I don't want to call him again, it'll open me up to too many questions that I don't want to answer. Besides, I'm not in a good enough mood to handle him potentially being smug at me 'crawling back' and having my rejection thrown back at me.

A message then. I can at least pretend to not notice any of his responses, and I can be back in class if he tries to call me again. Nodding to myself, I go to the appropriate application.

{I'm going.}

That's all I type but I don't send it immediately.

A lot has started to happen all of a sudden and it doesn't seem to be slowing down, much less now that I managed to possibly locate my 'rival'.

I amended my mistake with Kasumi… with Utaha, while enduring her particular personality, and ended up being roped into becoming her editor. While this may turn out to be a major headache in the future, I'll at least receive an income to sustain the two freeloaders at my home, while also having an excuse to have her around. Certainly killing two birds with one stone.

But her obvious affection towards me was really unsettling, as it went far beyond a mere crush. As inexperienced as I am in the matter, it's uncomfortably easy to tell how much she cares for m— I mean, for my previous self. It's that mysterious feeling people call romantic 'love', and she holds that feeling for a man called Hikigaya Hachiman, whether I like it or not.

Because of the game, I made her a promise, an empty promise… and all that comes to my head when thinking about it is how guilty I feel, how trashy I have to be. In a sense, I was manipulating her, like Haruno-san did with everyone around her, and like Ayanokouji… probably… most likely.

Maybe I was in fact compromising my morals, my conviction, my own self…

Nothing has changed, eh? I still was the biggest liar of them all.

But… there's so much at play now, and I'm not only talking about me returning to my world, but also, the lives of everyone around here. Komachi, my parents, and the people I started meeting during these last few days are at risk of a danger that Deus Ex has yet to explain. Only clearly stating that failure was not an option, for doing so meant everything would be destroyed.

I have yet to figure his true goal behind his actions. Why make us both play such a despicable game? What can be gained from it? Why doesn't he choose one of us already? There is something that Deus Ex must be accomplishing with this game of his.

Does he simply want to find out who of both of us is most worthy as his replacement? Why not make the winner his successor? Maybe he will in the end, breaking the rules he made, his own promise. But we have our hands tied and there's nothing we can do but to play along… for now.

Honestly, I think his true objective is something far more sinister, whether it is for the good of this world… or not.

I still refuse to let that bastard god use me against my will, but I can't allow myself to be reckless. Letting my emotions choose my actions is not the way I'll succeed, whether it is about the game, or managing to somehow get rid of Deus Ex.

Ronriteki-kun… huh? It's a fitting nickname the more I think about it.

Yeah… I must be 'Logical-kun'.

I have to stop being reckless, since Deus Ex is not only a new enemy I made, but he's also the god of time himself. And I'm certain countless threats will emerge in due time, too. So being methodical, planning ahead and being extra cautious is the best Hikigaya Hachiman I can be.

I may be stronger than before, I may have other skills now, not to mention the accelerated healing… I know I'm not a simple civilian anymore, but within a world where the supernatural exists as the main rule of the world, I might as well be powerless.

But at least, I'm a human that can see the true nature of people, for I always strived to understand them, even when I wouldn't be understood in the end. I have faced failure on a daily basis when it comes to social standing, but I learned, I adapted, and all was thanks to…

Logic.

Yeah… I'll have to rely on Logic, despite this being an illogical world.

It's the only thing that will keep me sane, will keep me being me… to a certain extent at least.

[I was getting impatient… finally, things will start moving.]

Go to profile, LISTEN: Link in Logic Is My Sword: Chapter 09 Section: Song 10

I blink twice as I turn behind me, the sudden voice awfully familiar. My eyes widen as I see myself standing some steps away within the corridor. I rub my eyes before looking again, and he was still there, that damn doppelganger. He was there, but he didn't cast a shadow.

I thought he was only able to appear inside mirrors… What the hell is going on now?

[Don't worry. Despite that I can be anywhere I want now, only you can see me. I can't interact with anything either, if that also worries you.]

"You…" I pin him down with a sharp gaze, "Why are you here?"

He steps closer, his face betraying no emotion.

[Why do you think? The game is beginning, for real this time.]

So, the previous rules and all that crap was planned? It's like he was waiting for the game to change, he knew it would. Then, before getting the ability to spot the suspects…

[Exactly what you're thinking. It was a test.]

My breath hitches at that. That didn't sound like a guess, he knew… He knew exactly what was going through my mind.

[Of course, I know everything now. What you think, what you want, what you fear. All your memories are within my grasp. You can't hide anything from me now.]

My heart rate accelerates. What did he just say?

This… this was…

[That's right. I have what you wanted. That downright despicable and disgusting wish that you desperately longed for.]

No, no…

[I'm able to understand you, and I'm no longer in the dark about the person you are. All without having to be understood. Just like you told those women.]

I could only stare in silent horror as he threw my words from that time back in face.

[But unlike your wish… You will not be freed by me. Nothing genuine will come from me.]

I couldn't say anything. A pain pierced through my heart, as if something tore a huge chunk out of me. And a painful throb slowly settled within my chest.

[Don't misunderstand, I'm not your enemy. Our desires are aligned, now I know for certain. We'll get what we desire. No matter how much you deny it, I'm part of you now.]

I ball my fists into balls, clenching my eyes shut in frustration. I wanted to run away. This wasn't happening. He wasn't doing this to me.

I'm not here. This isn't happening.

[You can stop your whimpering, it's annoying. You thought it through before, logic is what you have the most, with which you excel at, Monster of Self-Preservation. Consider me as nothing but your new asset in the game.]

I'm not here… I'm not here.

I continue my chant of dissociation as I offhandedly listen. My panic and fear slowly dull, morphing into something I could control.

[I'll still give you privacy when you need it, we're allies after all, you and I. All I have in mind is our best interest.]

Control. Control. I slowly regain control over myself. My breathing stabilizes, my rigid muscles relax… My emotional turmoil is leashed and reigned in. Scream, whine, resent everything about my position…

And get over it.

Things have changed, but it didn't matter.

I look up at the figure that nearly brought me to ruin, and I stare coldly at him.

The pain I felt has fully dulled and numbed. I felt… Nothing.

[Good, now that's better. Ayanokouji will do anything at his disposal to get advantage over us, so it's in fact a good call to go to Tokyo. Now, what are you waiting for? Send the message.]

Yes, Ayanokouji wouldn't hesitate whatever tools are available to him if he were here. He would make use of his doppelganger. I raise my phone to my face.

[Heh, now the game is officially on. Let's make the most of it.]

I would continue on, ever defiant towards the world and all the troubles it continues to stack on me. It will not break me. I won't let it, or anybody do that to me. This bastard being more prominent in my life, knowing every one of my thoughts… I'll take on this new burden and continue on my new quest to break this game. His presence won't shatter my resolve.

I stare at the pending message, clenching the device tightly in my hand.

Send.

Yes… the game was on.

Chapter 09 END

There is Nothing Genuine in Dreamland END

GTH The Hostess (Great Teacher Hiratsuka)

There was a tall woman with long, black hair that reached below her waist, sporting her usual lab-like jacket, a black vest over a dress shirt, a loose tie, black pants and a brown belt.

The woman was sitting at her office, boredly glancing at many tests on a folder. She hums a random song for a minute when suddenly, a video chat invitation pops up on her laptop's screen, reminding her of the presentation she was tasked to do.

"Oh, crap! I forgot!" She fixes her hair and accepts the invitation. A new window opens, showing the readers, eager to know the new addition to the story.

"Hello readers. This is Hiratsuka Shizuka, best woman to marry, and supporting character in Oregairu," She states with a wink. "So, today we have only two guests to present," She turns at the double doors and says out loud, "You there? If you are, please enter."

A redhead enters the room, sporting a security guard uniform, "Yeah, I'm here."

Hiratsuka motions her to sit at her side, yet the girl shakes her head, "My target practice is in ten minutes, so I want to make this quick."

Writing off the odd schedule, Hiratsuka nods, "Be my guest then."

The redhead directs the laptop at her, the camera focusing on her entirely. She points a finger at herself, and speaks, her voice fierce, "The name is Sakurai Aoi, I'm one of the main characters in the "Rail Wars!" series. Together with my team, we take down thugs and threats directed at the railway stations."

The teacher cocks an eyebrow, "I thought it was mainly about trains?"

She glares at her, "There are trains obviously, they're the only damn thing that idiot cares about. But we have a job, and kicking 'criminals' butts is it!"

"Where in Japan would you find that sort of violence…?" Hiratsuka sweat drops, muttering to herself, "New series these days…"

"Can I go now?"

"Yeah, tell the other one to get in if you don't mind."

Aoi nods her head and leaves her office.

Soon, from the opened door, playing cards are suddenly propelled in all directions. Hiratsuka blinks as a silver-haired girl enters the room, tripping as she tries to grab the flying cards desperately.

"My cards! Nooooo!" The girl whines loudly.

"What with the sudden commotion?" The female teacher comments in disbelief.

The young girl, wearing a magician hat and a cape over her uniform, stops on her tracks, her face red, drops of sweat trailing down her face at the attention. "E-eh?"

Silence reigns for a moment before Hiratsuka releases a sigh, "C'mon now, you didn't come here to pull a magic trick." She pulls a chair at her side, the laptop positioned before them over her desk. "The readers are waiting, girl. Just introduce yourself."

The embarrassed and nervous girl nods her head frantically and proceeds to sit, nervously watching the screen, shocked to see the readers, congregated within a room in the video chat window.

"Relax," Advises Hiratsuka playfully. "Don't tell me you're embarrassed because of the readers?"

"Of course not! A-as the ultimate m-magician, I-I have n-no problems d-dealing w-with crowds!"

The woman stares at her suspiciously, "Alright, so go ahead, present yourself."

The flustered magician nervously gazes at the screen, drops of cold sweat trailing down her cheek, "I-I-I'm referred to as Senpai in the m-manga s-series known as Tejina-Senpai. I-I'm the f-founder of the m-magic club w-within Tanenashi High School. T-together with m-my a-assista-tant we m-make magic tricks!"

"Alright, but what's your name?" Hiratsuka asks.

The girl blinks, momentarily forgetting the audience, "It hasn't been revealed yet, so everyone just calls me Senpai."

Incredulity paints the teacher's face, "Seriously?"

"Something wrong with that?"

The woman shakes her head, "Nevermind. Authors really are getting lazy…"

"So, wanna see a magic trick?" The girl asks with a smirk.

"Are you really up for it? You looked a bit pale before."

Her smirk widens, "D-don't worry! I can handle…"

"The viewers are still here too."

"Ara?" Her terrified visage returns, when her hat moves on its own, a white pigeon flying out of it. The girl blinks and turns around, spotting the bird, "B-Bahamut! You were s-supposed to w-wait!"

The girl clumsily tries to catch the bird, tripping over her desk. Hiratsuka was quick to grab the laptop, taking it out of harm's way, "This girl… Anyway, that would be all for today. This is Hiratsuka Shizuka, not taken yet!"

"Bahamut!"

The pigeon flew all around the office, followed by the whining of her owner, which the female teacher opted to ignore, "Well, see you all next time."

The JoJo references are here in abundance! Run from it as much as you'd like, you'll never escape it!

(Source: Me.)

Also, I have two Radiohead references in the chapter. They're pretty blatant if you know the band, but still I wonder if you found both. Ah, but writing that last section hurt me. Itherael only had to write how 8man's "Shadow" now knew everything and it all just clicked for me. Itherael's turning me into a sadist too! NOOOOO!

Well, what can we say except the age old excuse that our lives got the better of us? Sure we can say that the virus that's currently rampaging kind of shortened our schedules, but that wasn't the main reason. I trudged on as a full-time college student that's completely burnt out from almost twenty straight years of educational institutions, Itherael became a Chad, a god amongst men, you know how it goes.

On a serious note, the shit with the ongoing epidemic is pretty fucked. Just, you know, be careful out there and don't do anything stupid to run the risk of infection. We're not in the clear yet, there will be future waves as the strain mutates, hopefully by then a cure will be found. Who knows? Not happy with how things are, I doubt anyone is, but let's just leave it at that. Hopefully this chapter cheers up the few of you that are having a hard time.

Also, as you can see in the character intro in "GTH" Tejina-Senpai's heroine doesn't have an actual name. Like Goblin Slayer, that series has characters with no names, just titles, but also some characters with names so it's weird. So we have a small request for anyone who follows that series: Does "Senpai" have a name that is revealed in the future? Itherael has read four volumes out of the six that are out but he's not sure if anything has been revealed in the later volumes. I strong-armed him into giving her an original name that plays off "Tejina" ("Magic," in Japanese), but if there is a canon name we aren't aware of, it'd be nice to learn it.

There's already going to be a planned running gag when it comes to Takao from " " not having a surname, so having "Senpai" outright not having a name entirely would be a bit too much. It'd get obnoxious, I feel. Plus, the "Senpai" moniker already belongs to 8man, you knoooow~ (Even if Isshiki no longer likes him, dammit!)

Anyways, any expertise in this matter is appreciated.

Oh, and for anybody curious, Itherael's gonna make a slow transition into using AO3 (archive of our own). No, we aren't leaving FF, don't worry, I just managed to convince him since that site allows him to post his images and music directly in his chapters instead of readers having to open separate tabs. As of this chapter, he's uploaded two chapters of ANRoN, afterwards he'll put up his other stories. We want to spread the stories as much as we can so it can provide entertainment to others. So if you want to check it out, his pen name there is "ItheraelFF" (Someone else already took Itherael, haha). But as a warning, he doesn't plan to answer reviews there, so make sure to keep them here even if you find preference in AO3. It'll take a while until LiMS starts to appear there, but, you know, make sure to keep an eye out.

So with that out the way, I'll get out of your hair. This annoyingly talkative co-author has taken up enough time out of your valuable day so I won't keep you.

Ah, I hope that through our writing we were able to showcase the relationship Kasumigaoka had with the Hikigaya Hachiman she knew and how bad off it left her. So I have a small request for you guys if you're willing. Please listen to Radiohead's "Present Tense" and see if you agree if that song is fitting for the Kasumigaoka we wrote. Itherael first referenced how it suited her, and a second opinion helped solidify that for me.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and trudge on fellow Strugglers.

-NirvanaFrk97