The World Only the Girls Know: Azalea Side
Chapter 91: Epilogue
Author's Note: Characters from the Light Novels and Manga will be included as well
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Original Title: The World Only God Knows / 神のみぞ知るセカイ
Original Concept by Tamiki Wakaki
Written by: wrathie
Author's Notes: Thank you, Kaiser dude for beta-ing this chapter. I'll dedicate this chapter to Furiseirei, I hope he/she gets better soon. I'm sorry but no genders over the internetz!
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It came to no one's surprise that Haqua captured the Weiss without any problems at all, and with his plan working far better than he would have expected it to be, Keima made the choice to modify only the 2B Pencil's and Kanon's memories to edit out all the supernatural things that they might have seen.
'Are you... sure about this, Katsuragi? I mean... Elsi was possessed after all...'
'No, it's fine. Elsi needs to know and she needs to remember. Even if it's alright if we do that as the gap in her heart is healed anyway, I want her to remember this.'
'Is it... a punishment for her?'
'No, it isn't.'
Keima had then gave Haqua one of those outright haughty smiles that mocked her for what she didn't understand, but surprisingly, Haqua didn't complain. His plan had worked out in the end, and just like how he said it would, the 2B Pencils were able to deal with and possibly grow stronger from the pain of their first rejection together.
Together and forever, the 2B Pencils, that was the entity that he created to resolve this issue in the least stressful manner possible.
When asked about what memories he wanted to modify besides that, Keima had surprisingly wanted Haqua to remove the memories of him serving as Kanon and the 2B Pencils' manager. When pressed about why he wanted to do that and why he would want to give up everything he had worked for up until now. Keima would only reply that it was what he wanted.
There was no way that he would have been able to maintain the same relationship that he had built up for so long without sacrifice more than one of the girls. As painful as it might be to others, for someone like Keima, who had not even considered what he wanted from the relationship in the first place, it was nothing to him.
It had been at least a month since the start and end of the capture, but when Keima said that was just a means to an end to make sure that the Weiss never resurfaced itself, Haqua can't help but feel a little awed and disturbed by the human in front of him.
Here was a person who was willing, eager, and able to go to such an extent, to give up so many sacrifices and rewards just to accomplish his mission.
They had retained the status-quo, helped stabilize all of the girls that had regained their memories and at the same time resolve the Weiss issue. Keima had achieved what he set up to do even if he had lost the chance to be the person beside Kanon's help.
Oh yes, Keima had Haqua change the part about the 'confession' into 'admitting her feelings' for Keima.
There wasn't a doubt that eventually one day Kanon might confess to Keima again, but until then, Keima was able to preserve the status quo due to the fact that the 2B Pencils themselves gave up after discovering Kanon had feelings for Kanon and Keima not having the courage or the will to confess to Keima just yet.
As to how it happened, Haqua would rather not comment on how it was done as it wasn't her who had done it.
It was Nikaido Yuri who did it after she admitted to Keima that she was part of the grand scheme of things. When she said that she could remove Keima's own memories as well to punish him for the great risk that he had done, Keima simply shrugged and said that if she wanted to, she would have done so already.
That was enough for Yuri to refrain from doing that, but she had still removed the memories that revealed that she was part of New Hell from Haqua and Keima.
She had her own agenda here after all.
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'We still haven't found the one who returned the memories to the girls.'
Keima mentioned suddenly to Haqua and the demon nodded even as she sat back on Elsi's desk. It had been a week since that terrorist attack during the Mai-High festival but even that wasn't enough to dampen the mood of the fans of the 2B Pencils and Kanon as the mysterious fan club website owner had subsequently uploaded sample videos of their performance and even revealed that Kanon and the 2B Pencils were going to record a song together.
'I know... but perhaps we would never find that person.'
Haqua admitted even as Keima nodded as well. There was certainly the chance that would happen but till then, they had to continue searching on.
'We've wasted too much time on this... but then we didn't have much leads anyway...'
'And any leads that we had probably had gone cold by now...'
Haqua admitted gloomily but she cheered up when the 2B Pencils entered their classroom and she waved to them happily.
'Ah, Haqua! You're all set right?'
Chihiro grinned even as she saw Haqua gesturing to where she had packed up her drum set with her beside Keima.
'You're coming with us too, Keima-kun? Thank you for your help.'
Ayumi thanked Keima even as the other girls greeted her as well. To the public, all of the 2B Pencils were very familiar with Keima despite them having no links to him besides his sister Elsi. But to each and every one of them, it was natural, it was perhaps something that they did before, something that he had helped with that they couldn't place their finger on, but they all liked him.
As in, really liked him. So there wasn't any reason for them to ignore or treat him badly, especially since they had the suspicions that Keima was their mysterious website owner, and who had created and managed all their different media-related accounts online.
If he wasn't going to tell them why, they weren't going to ask, and to be honest, they enjoyed his company when he dropped by to check on his sister during practises.
Katsuragi Keima was someone who they felt belong within the 2B Pencils themselves. That was something that they were certain of.
'Would you like to joins us for our recording then, Katsuragi? You should be honored that you might get to meet...'
Chihiro paused before whispering Kanon's name to him, but for some reason he didn't seem to affected by it, something that all of them were actually very happy about.
'Shall we go, Elsi?'
The younger sister of the Katsuragi household paused but then she smiled and nodded her head.
'Yes, let's go, Kami-Onii-sama!'
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'Are you ready then?'
Kanon didn't know who wrote this song and why they all chose this song to perform together in her first collaboration, but it felt right. Whoever wrote this song was able to invoke feelings of love inside her, the person who wrote this had to be someone who really loved the person who they writing it for.
Even the Singing Wizards, who had composed and performed the melody for them couldn't shed any light for who it had been who had commissioned them to perform this song.
But it was the one where everyone, her and the 2B Pencils, wanted to perform together.
'We're born ready!'
Ai no Yokan
Singer: Kami Nomizo Shiri-Tai
Lyrics: Urushino Junya
Composition: Suda Nobuhiro
Lyrics are courtesy of: / mewpudding101
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Koi janakute ai yo Anata wo omou dake de Setsunai / It's not a crush, it's love. Just by thinking about you, I get lonely.
Mainichi no iro ga azayaka ni / The colors of everyday become vivid.
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It was able to invoke in all of them the feeling of love like Kanon said, and just like the lyrics when they were singing, they knew instinctively that they were singing in the stead for the one who wrote this.
Or perhaps this was something that he left for those he had left behind, the girls that had felt something special for him but could never allow to be with him.
A song that he gave them to comfort and remind both themselves and him that this was special, this was something that was different from the other emotions that they had experienced before.
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Itsuka aeru to Uranai shinjite / Believing in the divination that someday we would meet,
Hadena SUKAAFU wo Mune ni kazatteta / I decorated myself with a stylish scarf.
Sora wa aokute Kotori ga saezuru / The sky is so blue, and the little birds chirp.
Nanika hajimari sou Sonna yokan suru / That gives me the premonition that something is starting.
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The lyrics were fitting, they were always fitting, and the 2B Pencils remembered or realized that whatever song they had performing before were the same. Was this song by the same person who had picked those songs for them?
Just singing it was enough to cause goosebumps to form on their arms as they felt like it was echoing what they felt for someone.
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"Suki" to wa chigau Kono kanjou ga / This feeling is different from "like".
Otona no kaidan noboru Ippo me ne / Knowing that is the first step up the stairway to adulthood.
Kinou no watashi Mou nugisutete / I throw off the me of yesterday
Michi naru (michi naru) Sekai e (Sekai e) Atarashii tanjoubi / And I have a new birthday in the not-yet-known world.
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It wasn't simply liking someone and it wasn't love and all the girls that were singing found themselves unconsciously looking at each other before blushing as well. The two words and feelings were different but somehow the girls felt like due to this song they could distinctly separate the two of them now with confidence.
The 2B Pencils hadn't changed after the concert, but perhaps that was a lie, something was missing in the mechanisms that made them tick. It wasn't something obvious but it still nagged at them nonetheless.
It was the same with Kanon as well, and just by singing this song, it was enough to soothe their uneasiness just a little.
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Koi janakute ai yo Dare ni mo watashitaku wa nai no / It's not a crush, it's love. I don't want to hand it over to anyone.
Hitorijime shitai Namida ga afuredasu no / I want to keep you to myself, and my teardrops overflow.
Koi janakute ai yo Anata dake ga watashi no subete yo / It's not a crush, it's love. You only are my everything.
Nichijou no oto ga kirameku no / The sounds of everyday shine.
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For it felt soothing and similar. They had said those words before, or had at least whispered them to themselves at least once before. It was a harsh and difficult promise that would surely cause pain, suffering, and regret on their parts but somehow.
Once again.
They felt that it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing they could do in the might of such feelings.
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Kuuki mitai ni Watashi ni hitsuyou / You're necessary to me like air to breathe.
Fui ni hohoenda Egao Taisetsu yo / The smile you showed me suddenly is precious.
Kaze ga futari wo Yasashiku tsutsunde / The wind envelops us gently.
Kiseki okori souna kitai Dakishimete / I embrace the expectation of a miracle happening.
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Like the lyrics said, perhaps it really was a miracle and perhaps they really needed that person that they were missing.
But then again, perhaps not... or perhaps it was this song and their own emotions that they felt that they were able to keep on going.
Because they didn't know or couldn't remember who that person was could they keep on waiting and believing for that time when they could remember.
No matter how harsh or how painful it was, they could stand it. Because like what it read...
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"Suki" yori motto Atsui kimochi ga / A feeling hotter than "like"
Osakirenai kurai ni Tokimeku no / Makes my heart beat so much I can't hold it back.
Modokashii koi Mou tsugi no Stage / An impatient love already goes on to the next stage
Tsunagaru (Tsunagaru) Ashita e (Ashita e) Atarashii kinenbi ne / And connects to tomorrow to make a new anniversary.
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It was a feeling that they couldn't ignore, something that consumed them from the inside out as they sang together and yet separate at the same time. All of them had different experiences, different reasons, and different expectations for the person that they were missing. But there was no reason for them to ignore and to hate each other.
They all felt something for him...
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"Koi janakute ai yo Kimi ni todoketai no wa Motto / "It's not a crush, it's love. What I want to reach to you more is
Hateshinai KIMOCHI dakishime Mitsumetai no" / This endless feeling I embrace. I want to gaze at you."
Koi janakute ai yo Anata wo omou dake de Setsunai / It's not a crush, it's love. Just by thinking about you, I get lonely.
Mainichi no iro ga azayaka ni / The colors of everyday become vivid.
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They wanted to see him, they could feel it in their hearts, and yet at the same time they couldn't ignore the fact that perhaps they were already looking at him all the time.
He was close by, the person that they all liked was there standing in front of them behind the screen, and just that was enough.
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Koi janakute ai yo Dare ni mo watashitaku wa nai no / It's not a crush, it's love. I don't want to hand it over to anyone.
Hitorijime shitai Namida ga afuredasu no / I want to keep you to myself, and my teardrops overflow.
Koi janakute ai yo Anata dake ga watashi no subete yo / It's not a crush, it's love. You only are my everything.
Nichijou no oto ga kirameku no / The sounds of everyday shine.
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The song was harder than they thought to sing, and it wasn't because it was hard to sing per-se.
It was hard to keep themselves from being emotional just singing as it awakened memories inside them that they didn't want to admit right now in front of each other.
But that was only for a moment as they realized that it wasn't just each other that was affected. All of them were affected in some way and they gathered together to sing the last portion of the song.
A song they were sure to express their feelings to the person who they liked, and most possibly wrote for them as well.
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Koi janakute ai yo Zettai ushinaitaku wa nai no / It's not a crush, it's love. I absolutely don't want to lose
Ima made no hito to Nanika ga chigau DESTINY / The person I've become up till now and this destiny that has something different about it.
Koi janakute ai yo Anata wo omou dake de Setsunai / It's not a crush, it's love. Just by thinking about you, I get lonely.
Aishiteru Dareyori mo Aishiteru I love you Kokoro kara / I love you. I love you more than anyone. I love you from my heart.
(aiyai-aiyai)
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It wasn't fair, it just... wasn't fair for him to make them all sing this line together while so emotional. Perhaps it was what he wanted as well, to make all of them express themselves willingly and openly to themselves, all of them rivals for the same person's heart as Katsuragi Keima stared back at them solemnly from behind the glass of the recording room.
If they weren't sure that their songs had reached him before, they definitely knew now as he smiled at them, a real sincere smile that left all of them shellshocked and embarrassed as he excused himself and left the room.
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There was only one thing left to say about this whole incident, and it's all about Elsi.
The main character of the story, really, the main reason why all this happened in the first place.
She might have ended up with a Weiss inside her, but do not question the validity of her statement. She is the heroine of this story and the story itself in the first place. For without her, there wouldn't be a beginning.
So, this part is dedicated to her, to what she said to her savior, her hero, and her god.
Katsuragi Elsi, the demon from New Hell, the partner for Katsuragi Keima the Capturing God.
'Thank you for saving me, Katsuragi Keima-san.'
The little demon thanked the stranger that she had formed a pact with with a small kiss that same night that she had been saved. Not one between a demon and a human, nor between a brother and a sister, or not even between a rescuer and her savior.
It was between two partners who would continue on tomorrow as if this never happened. Not because they didn't take this incident into consideration, nor did they not care.
They had gone through too much together to care, individuals who had seen and witnessed each other's exploits, and in the end, the only two individuals who could prove each other's existence and accomplishments to each other.
'I'll be... in your care tomorrow too.'
The demon ignored the flushed cheeks on her face and his as she excused herself as quickly as she had came to him in the first place.
For this was the World not just the Girl or the God knows, but the World that only the Two of them knew.
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Author's Notes: There are two author notes this time around. Firstly would be my own personal notes at this point of time and the other when I first finished this chapter!
But feel free to tl;dr after my request: Please, do drop a review tell me how you felt about this ending. It's what I envisioned it to be, at least as much as I could do at that moment of time. And, and, a new poll is up! Please do it!
As an author, I'm loathe to go back and fix it unless it has flaws or discrepancies so... your comments and thoughts would really help me know if I got my message across.
Lastly, a big thank you to all of my loyal readers for being with me for this long, long, LONG journey. It's a rite of passage for me in a sense and I'll be working on other projects on hand, notably my Persona fic: Piecing the Fragments. Moonflower's Wish will be continued on it's usual pace, I have grand plans for it.
But if I won't see you, the reader, in those other works, I hope that we would see each other again in the future. To those who would continue to support me, thank you, all of you for giving me a reason to write!
-regards
wrathie
08/02/13
Author's Notes: 2nd Ver.
It's... Chapter 91 and I FINALLY FINISHED THIS STORY On 29/12/122 days before the second year anniversary to The World Only God Knows: Azalea Side.
Honestly, honestly, honestly, I can't believe I finished it and I can't believe that I managed to get this story to 91 chapters.
It SHOULD have ended around chapter 60 or so but I guess I was having lots of fun just expanding it all.
On to my thoughts with all this, it has been a great honor to finish this story, not mentioning having all of my loyal readers, supporters and beta-readers being there for me.
Even if I did whine a lot about reviews and all that, it's true that without them I wouldn't have gotten the drive to finish this story.
Special thanks to my betas goes to Kaiser dude for being there from the middle to the end, dongaro my good pal who did help develop some of my style, Wolf's Honour for being such a great friend to discuss my works with when I'm feeling a little locked up.
To my reviewers too, A Meandering Ghostie, you might be blunt but I needed that and a few others who have been around for quite a long time! I appreciate all your support but I couldn't possible name all of you without making this AN too long. Notable mentions for Furiseirei and Sacchin who has been there for a very long time!
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Come to think of it, this is only my second Fanfic that I actually finished it, the first being The Shrine of Gensokyo, what I consider my maiden work, go figure. I do apologize for all of my other fans of my work, but I can't see myself finishing a bulk of them at this current rate.
TWOGK: AZ has seen a lot of changes, most notable my change in style from SoG to what you see now today. Even when I read through my older chapters, I find myself cringing and laughing in disbelief at how I wrote before and how I am writing now.
Whether it is a good or a bad thing, I'm not sure myself.
I'm pretty sure that the last chapter would be published when I actually get swamped with IRL, I'm starting university/college and working at the same time so you can expect a lot less from me.
Thankfully due to other reasons and other stories, I'm sure that I'm able to provide all of you with TWOGK works for a while at least, so don't worry! Though my betas should worry.. fufuufuu.
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As for my thoughts to Azalea Side, I think... in the end it ended up being less violent than I thought I wanted it to be but the ending ended being the style of AZ, with the symbolism of a song. Ai No Yokan is a song that was released when I was half way into the story and when I heard it for the first time, I KNEW that it was the song that I wanted inside it.
Koi No Shirushi might be awesome, it still is but Ai No Yokan is still my favorite and I hoped all of you enjoyed it.
The entire process has been such a nightmare and an experiment gone wrong for me that I'm still AMAZED that I actually could finish it without giving up half way.
I admit that having Miyako being so popular really surprised me and that I would actually break and not break my own personal rule of letting Keima be with any girl, (I broke that with Sorrel's Teasing but I digress), so in many ways once again my own story rebelled against it's own creator.
If I have to admit something it would be that out of all the stories, Azalea Side is one of my least favorites despite it being the one that started it all. It was something that dragged on a lot, it had a lot of failed ideas (I screwed up the Ayumi being hurt scene so bad) but at the same time it was one that I knew I had to finish. If I didn't I'll never forgive myself for it.
So whatever my readers might say about the ending, it's one that I'm happy with, one that I actually think is better than what I had planned for so you'll have to accept it.
As to why Elsi of all people, I think that Elsi has been given a very harsh deal... and there were signs that Elsi could actually like Keima during the first capture with Ayumi.
Normally I'm not a sister x brother fan but to be perfectly honest, Elsi is my favorite of the TWOGK girls even if I DID say that Minami is my fave girl to ship Keima with.
But Elsi is the one girl who has a different role in all my stories, regardless of AZ, ST, BRP or MW. In a way, Elsi is the one who shapes Keima's world the most. I hope you enjoyed my version of Elsi and Keima's dynamics!
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As to my way forward, I'm about to make a shocking confession here.
Azalea side is actually part of a trilogy and is the first instalment, hence there isn't going to be any big hunt for the culprit yet.
Sorrel's Teasing is the sister story and the second part of the trilogy and it would give serious hints as to who was involved.
The last part of the trilogy, tentatively named Daffodil's Longing is the one who would reveal the one who had helped the girls regain their memories right off the block.
But with my writer's block for ST due to how negative the story is, I'm unsure as to my way ahead for the trilogy so we'll see how it goes.
As for my other stories, specifically Moonflower's Wish, I hope you'll enjoy it and support it! It'll be great if I could see all of you guys in my other endeavor.
Till the next time we meet!
-wrathie winsre
29/12/12 1808hrs