Drumming Hearts

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Wherein Yui sets out to play a certain videogame and just so happens to walk into Keima who is ultimately dragged into the arcade. Set right after Chapter 89, before the serious hunting in the "goddess arc". Pairing: KeimaxYui

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

"Aren't you Katsuragi-kun?"

"That voice… Yui?"

It was really an unexpected meeting but even so, it was an eventful one. Yui was heading towards somewhere when she met Keima who was standing on a bench. He was apparently getting signal for an event in his game. Upon retrieval, the tomboyish girl sat down right beside him. He was too busy with his PFP that he didn't even look at her. There was something about the boy that she couldn't quite put. He just seemed… special.

"You know me? Ahh, somehow that makes me happy." She held a wide smile that even he could see from the corner of his eyes. What else does he know about her?

"Yeah, you're the drummer of the band my sister's in." Sister?

"Oh, right. Somehow I find it hard to believe you're siblings." They were completely different. But she shouldn't be surprised. That was the case in her family too. She and her sister were worlds apart.

"Tch. It's not like I have a say in it." And just like that, his face finally animated. Total annoyance was painted all over it with a dab of anger or maybe even buckets of it.

"Haha. You should be happy you at least have one." He looked really alive talking about his sister. Irritated, but still alive. Yui thought that it must be great to have siblings. She has one but she wasn't always home and when she was, they never really talk. Her mother too, always did make her feel like an only child. "It's lonely without brothers or sisters."

"I was perfectly fine without her before." In Keima's mind, he wasn't just fine. He was perfect. He had no obligations to the REAL until she came and ruined it all.

"Before?"

"Nothing." Crud. He forgot that no one knew they weren't really blood related. He thought of changing the topic fast. "Are you fine with that?"

"You having no sister?"

"No, not that. The band name."

"You mean 2B Pencils? What about it?" She couldn't think of anything wrong with that.

"Names like that… It obviously wasn't thought well. Half-hearted names like those should be tossed and burned!" He too seemed flaming with passion or more likely, hatred. They should choose a better name, a more suiting one, just like in games. "I understand the pun and creativity but there's no history whatsoever. Furthermore, it fails the most in you."

"Me?" That was a shocking revelation.

"The name is clearly borrowed from our section. Are you fine playing in a band that is clearly labelled as not your section?" He pushed up his glasses which in turn, reflected his serious eyes.

She blinked a few times. Was he concerned? She was right, Katsuragi-kun was nice despite his reputation. "It doesn't really matter." She placed an arm over his shoulders and held him closer. He turned just in time to see her smile turn into a full blown grin. "As long as I get to play the drums, anything is fine with me."

"Too close!" He jerked her arm off. He would never admit it but he was blushing hard. Why was his body reacting that way? He convinced himself that it was all only because he was caught by surprise. That must be it.

For a moment, she frowned but it wasn't there any longer than that. Don't guys usually put their arms around each other's shoulders? Maybe Katsuragi-kun was just really sensitive. That's when she remembered she had to do something. And she couldn't have picked a better person to find. "Great timing! Come with me."

"No thanks."

"C'mon!" She didn't even give him a chance to refuse because she practically hauled him. This time however, she was being cautious enough to drag him by his bag. It wouldn't do her any good if he gets mad.

Finally, they had arrived at the arcade center which was filled with teens trying to be noisier than the already loud games. Keima looked exasperated by this while Yui on the other hand had other thoughts. This place was another house of freedom. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want; which was something she had only recently grasped. The huge room was bright and filled with potential just like her when she first decided to live her own life.

"You said you wanted to play a certain game here?" Keima tapped his right foot, clearly running out of patience.

"Yeah, I only overheard it in class though so I'm not really sure where it is." She scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. But even so, she still thought of coming here. If it was true then it was worth it. A knuckle to her waist, a pose which was more masculine, she surveyed the area. "This place sure is packed. Good thing we found each other. Right, Katsuragi-kun?"

"No, I'd rather be home playing my own games." Unsurprisingly, he was still on his PFP. Never did his eyes leave the screen. He had endurance when he needed it; she had to give him props for that.

"But doing it alone is no fun."

"No, you have it backwards. Doing it alone is the only way with the outcome of true fun."

"Could you at least help me find it, please?" Her voice sounded an octave higher which was in all honesty, making her even cuter.

Since he was already there he didn't really want to waste any more time. The sooner he helps her, the sooner he gets her off his back. "Fine. After which, you'll hold no more responsibilities on me."

"Of course. I am a woman of my word." She firmly placed her fist right above her chest where her heart would be.

"Let's get this on with. This way." If he noticed the itchy feeling in his heart when he saw her serious face, he did an excellent job of hiding it. He started walking past her.

"Wait! I haven't told you the game yet." She ran a few steps to stop him.

"I already know it."

"Huh?" He continued his pace. She did a mental retake on him. He was sensitive and pushy… but also considerate and nice. He was more than just interesting. "Wait!"

"What is it?" He paused only to have his hand off his game console and into hers. The same rush of heat from a while ago just returned to his face.

"This way we won't get separated."

"There's no need for such contact!" He yelled at her. She's making him all flustered. Wait, flustered? That's supposed to happen to girls only.

"But I like holding your hand." There it was again. Her earnest smile.

"Whatever. Walk fast." Just who does she think she is? He'll show her the true power of a god. He'll pass this event with flying colors. Knowing Yui's limited hobbies, he expertly sifted through the jumbled crowd towards his goal. In his mind, he'll impress her and thus winning this game. It was full proof. "Here."

"What do you mean by here?" They stopped in front of a particular game.

"We've arrived. What else could I possibly mean?"

"I think there was a misunderstanding. Or was it miscommunication?" As confused as she was, he had it worse.

"What?" Had he miscalculated? Of course not! This has to be it.

"Sorry but that's not the game I was looking for." She winced. She didn't want to disappoint him but there was really nothing else for her to say. In the face of problems, one has to man up to the truth.

"Impossible! Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"

"That was a nice guess though." She knew where he was coming from. From an outsider's point of view, the obvious choice for her was DrumMania. "It was pretty close. Which means it should be… there!"

"What is this!" His jaw dropped.

"This? It's the game." Joy was practically overflowing in her. She felt extra giddy. At last, she finally found it. The one whose name has been constantly calling out to her, Taiko: Drum Master!

"It's the same type as the last one." He argued with her. She couldn't be seriously messing up his pace!

"Just because they're both drums doesn't mean I'd go for any." She frowned a bit because pouting would be more girly.

"But why this one? Aren't you in a band? One would speculate you'd chase for the first one." Not just speculate, it was the only logical solution.

"Oh, that? The drums at school sound way better than that." There was an evident smirk on her face. Why play something that can't even sound right when you have the real thing? "This one is special."

Music was her salvation. She remembered her first fateful encounter, it wasn't even up close and yet the righteous sounds still reached her. That's right, her first love… was with a taiko drum. That's why she loved festivals. That's why she got excited about school. That's why she was somewhat sad that there were none. And that's why she fell in love with the common drum set which she's been beating. Because unlike her first, she fell harder the second time since she could actually play them.

"Out of all the girls I've conquered, you're the most unpredictable." He muttered to himself.

"Hm? Were you saying something?"

"N-nothing."

"Say, Katsuragi-kun. How about we play just one game on it?" She patted his back good-naturedly. The instrument wasn't the real deal but it was close enough. Maybe she could practice on it so that when she actually gets a chance on a real taiko drum she'd beat it right. She wanted to make such music like those she's heard in festivals, booming with power, with freedom!

"I refuse." He bluntly said.

"Why not? It wouldn't hurt to try."

"Or so they say. People like you…" He was shaking. Was he nervouse? No, he was trembling… with barely contained rage. "People like you make me furious! What's the point in playing a game if there is no heroine to conquer?"

"That's it?" Her head tilted.

"Tch. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand-"

"Then how about if I become the heroine?" She volunteered with a very convincing and persuasive smile. "It's fine as long there's one, right? I'm a girl so that at least makes me qualified."

"Unacceptable! You expect me to allow a REAL to substitute an IDEAL?" It was a preposterous idea.

"Let's see… Usually in the games you play, when you win the heroine, she'll love you in the end." She pondered for no more than a moment and reverted back to her happy self if not brighter. "I guess I could be fine with that. Katsuragi-kun has a cute face."

"Cute? Never use that word on the male species. Never." What was with her line of thinking?

"And I get a kiss from you too. I'm excited to play already." At the mention of the word kiss, she thought she felt something but quickly dismissed it as her being too thrilled.

"Who said anything about a kiss?" He turned his back. She wasn't supposed to decide and create events so sketchily!

"Isn't it classical in those games to end with a kiss?" She spoke as if it was the most obvious thing, which it was.

"Like I said earlier, don't mix the IDEAL with the REAL."

"Alright! I already put in some tokens."

"Are you even listening to me? And when did you get tokens?"

"There's a karaoke booth over there that uses the same tokens. The girls from our band took me out there once but we kept running out of credits. We took turns in buying." Yui recounted that day or rather, night. She had never done that before when she was stuck in her mother's shadow. It's great to be out and have friends. Her voice softened. "I've been learning a lot of things from them. They may seem unimportant to Katsuragi-kun but I appreciate even the small things that I'm given each day."

"Why are you telling me this?" He noticed the sudden change in atmosphere. He had to be careful.

"I don't really know. Maybe it's because I'm talking to such a lovely boy who makes me feel lighter."

"Lovely? Stop using such terms on me." He thought she would say more but halfway she went back to advancing on him. As he anticipated, she was capricious.

"I bet you would look more beautiful in a girl's uniform than the actual girls." She openly shared her opinion. For some reason even she couldn't quite tell, she really wanted him to wear that.

"I like my current uniform just fine." It would take dire circumstances before he'll ever cross-dresses and he hopes to never see the day.

"It started!" The screen flashed. Working on instincts, she immediately turned to Keima. "Now what?"

"Looks like you leave me no choice." He sighed. "I shall help you this once but only because it is for the sake of a game no matter how lacking it is." He still wouldn't accept her compromise on the heroine.

At first it was supposed to be only one game and then it became best out of three then five and so on and so forth. Counting was pointless since the outcome would always be the same. It carried on until two sticks clattered as they hit the floor defeatedly.

"I lost…"

"Well, that was fun!"

"I, a god, lost in a game…" He felt as if his soul was leaving his body.

"Are you alright, Katsuragi-kun?" A very pumped up Yui was looking worriedly at Keima who was depressed beyond anything she has ever seen.

"I lost… I am unworthy of a title." It's true that Katsuragi-kun lived in his own world within games but he had something that not everyone was brave enough to tackle. Yui believed that he was a man of virtue and values albeit of a different dimension. He was truthful no matter how much the outside world looked down on him. He didn't care, he did his own thing. It was something worth admiring about him.

"Take it easy on yourself. Besides you didn't lose, it was a tie."

"Not winning the battle is the same as losing it as well."

"Does it really matter?"

"My pride as a god depends on it." His blank eyes suddenly sharpened. "As long as it is a game, I cannot lose!"

"If you're that worked up on losing, don't worry!" If he only paid attention then he would've seen that something on her face. Maybe then, he wouldn't be so surprised by her next line. "You've already won my heart." And then she kissed him.

On the cheek.

This was even worse than before. Aside from a blush, he also had this warm fuzzy feeling. Not good, he was getting lightheaded as well. "Wh-What was that for?" He couldn't think right. Counter it!

"For winning the heroine, of course. We already talked about it earlier." Her smile was just dazzling… Did he just use such a word?

"I never agreed to such a thing!" The aftershock was really getting to him.

"You didn't say no either." She almost sang it. Then she did her usual routine of rotating her arms after drumming. She was exhausted. "That was more tiring than I thought. Guess I kind of got too excited."

"You were holding back?" Seriously? So he was already lucky this time? It was a wrong move on his part to challenge someone else' forte.

"It would be impolite if I didn't. A frail boy such as yourself could break." She charmingly took his abused hand as if she was a prince with him being the princess.

"I am no such weakling." He retracted his hand. The last thing he needed was a part two of that dizzy episode.

"When I'm with you, I get that same great feeling as when I play the drums." She gathered the courage to look at him in his eyes and he noticed that were was something about her eyes. "I really love drums. That makes me like you too, Katsuragi-kun." She didn't say it but it was heavily implied. Her every word was so tender, so sincere. "So I'll stay by your side forever."

"Doing as you please, you haven't even asked for my permission." Alert! Episode two was seriously trying to take over his body. This is the true battle. Shove the warm nice feelings into the abyss. His opponent, these feelings, had the upper hand. He would not give in.

"I'm not asking any. I'll always be by your side unconditionally." She said it as if it was her only reason to live. There was so much emotion in it.

"Looks like you won't let me out of this one." He had lost again… no, it was a tie. "Just be sure not to fall back."

"Never. I'll be with you until the end." She hugged him tightly but let go before he could even retaliate. Keima somehow felt cheated but he'd ignore the notion. Getting attached to the REAL is a sin to the IDEAL. Yui switched back to her spirited self. "Let's do this more often!"

"Give me one good reason." He huffed. Go ahead and try.

Why? Does there have to be a reason? That's just the type of person he was, she supposed. For starters, today was really fun. She doubted she'll have even half the joy she experienced today had she gone alone or with someone else. Couldn't she just tell him that she just wants to spend time with him?

There's definitely more to the boy than what the people tells him to be. He was a better man than most males. That's right. She didn't have a good reason because she had many. However, she could think of a great reason but won't actually say it. She needs to think about it first and when she's sure, she'll tell him. So for now, she'll hold it in and tell him the next best thing.

Katsuragi-kun can turn Yui's heart into the one thing she loves the most. You make my heart drum.

"This is the only time I get to play the drums for you only."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Shinra-ex-SOLDIER

So this makes my second story with KeimaxYui. This time however, I wanted a little more depth into Yui. Sadly though, since this takes place before Mars comes out, I'm handicapped with a limited array of fluff. It pains me to finish this without having Yui say "I love you!" to Keima. But I did make her say something close enough.

I started this with the idea that Yui was an only child but wiki says she has a sister. I went back to check on the pages and found her (though not liking her one bit). So I had to edit the conversation, sorry if it feels off there. It's longer but somehow I feel like a lot more happened in the other fic.
This was inspired by Chapter 85 page 4 (oh look, young Yui!). I've only played Taiko once until I came back for it and they didn't have it anymore (sob story). Don't know if I improved or regressed on this one, it's hard to self-evaluate. XD

I guess you could say I'm running a campaign for Yui? She's really underappreciated in the fandom (especially in fanfics) which is why I've been dedicating my other account to her. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did while writing. :D