The World Girls Only Know: Blue Rose Paradox

Chapter 11: The Paradox

Note: Characters from the Light Novel 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: This chapter is brought to you with the help of Wolf's Honor! Thank you for the edit as always~

..

The requests were almost over and his time with the girls was about to end. That was the agreement that they had all agreed on and after the last request have been granted, Katsuragi Keima would be free to live his life the way he wanted to.

So why was he reflecting on everything that has happened so far?

..

''Thank you, Keima-kun. Thank you for saving me, for saving us... '

Ayumi smiled as she looked at him fondly, her body so close to him that he could smell her scent and her breath on him.

She thanked her for saving her from the Weiss, told her that she did not regret or minded that it was him that did that.

That was her reply to him and it was something that he acknowledged, that he was happy about knowing.

Not that it stroked his pride or make everything seemed worth it, it feels... like he was being recognized, acknowledged by the people that he had reserved a small spot in his life for.

..

'No... I guess, without... Katsuragi-san... none of this would have happened. This experience... I... have strengthened it.'

Shiori muttered softly as she looked at her hands in surprise, in shock even as she admitted her own feelings. She had recalled what had happened and had become braver due to it, her experiences and her memories had made her stronger... even if she wasn't progressing further than she would have liked, she had indeed moved on.

He was contented to see her go forward, to try doing what she liked for her own sake even if he could not be with her as much as she would liked.

No, he... should never returned to her, or to them. If they continued derailing his thoughts like this...

..

'… So do not feel regret about what you did for me. What you should regret is... letting me, your master, wait for you and you leaving me, commoner.'

Mio remarked while she stood on her front door, the path that she has chosen was a difficult one but it was one that she has taken on her own will and her own choice.

Even if he was the one that had guided her to this path, even if he was the one that had literally forced this on her, she had the courage to take up this path.

Does he have the same courage to reap what he had sown? It was unbecoming of him to question himself and what he can or cannot do, he is the Capturing God after all. There is nothing that can phase him!

..

Asami smiled sadly as she looked down at her hands before speaking softly, almost as if to hide her words from him. It was futile in the end since she wanted those words to be heard whether she liked it or not.

'As... I know more than any one else... how difficult and painful it is to always wear a mask in front of others.'

She could read through him like a book, there was no one before her that could boast of that achievement. No matter what he tried to hide from her, she was able to peer through the wall that he had build around him.

Perhaps Ayumi has been right before, he had gotten soft. He had allowed the girls to enter his heart but it was different for Yoshino Asami, this girl who shared the same attribute was able to see his unease, to see his weakness and to try and accept all of him.

It was impossible for her to accept a God inside her but she was willing to try, even if it might hurt herself if she did so.

He... could not reject her or any of the other girls if they sought him out.

..

''Your passion... isn't just to play your games, Katsuragi... it's about saving the 'girls' in the game, no? When you are talking about the games, you focused... on the girls, you wanted everyone to know about them, to know their plight and their struggles and... you wanted to save them, all of them don't you?'

He did, that was the truth and for him to be told that by Kosaka Chihiro of all people was embarrassing to admit.

Still, he acknowledged her words, the courage as well as the long hours it must have taken for her to come to this answer. The many hours necessary for her to think about him, for him and to put herself into his shoes before she hit on the right answer, the perfect answer or the perfect excuse him.

'… Hah... I don't know what it is now.'

Was that an excuse? He didn't know but if Chihiro could accept that answer and to give it to him on a silver platter, it was probably the best one she could come up with.

Out of all the girls, Chihiro had the biggest benefit in the sense that he had not forgotten the promise he had given her. He had lent a helping hand when they needed it and has not isolated her and Ayumi.

'Still, was it true kindness that led her to give me that answer?'

He doubted that... she wanted an answer too and even if what she said was the truth, was it the real truth that he was holding in him?

As the Capturing God, he must have the winning card in his hands at all time. That was to be expected of him.

..

'I... I will make sempai fall in love with me too! It might not be now, or soon... but I won't give up, sempai! I... promise myself... and sempai that.'

For a shy girl like Minami to say that it would mean that she was literally putting her life on the line to try and catch him. Was he worth that? Why would she be willing to put everything on him when he was the one that had abandoned her.

It was a mystery to even him but as the Capturing God, he knew the answer to that all too well. There really was no reason for her to do that and that's the reason.

'There is no reason, for love, after all.'

..

'… Really, this is a very beautiful thing that you showed me, Katsu... No... Keima.'

Tsukiyo muttered while wiping away some tears in her eyes, her hands leaving Luna for a while before she got up from her seat. This ending that she needed and yearned for was granted by him and she showed signs of opening up to more people with his encouragement.

It wasn't that she wanted to progress forward, Tsukiyo had never felt that was necessary but for all the purposes of the recapture, Keima had to make sure that she was able and willing to accept others beside him.

No one asked him to do that but it was the most logical thing to do for her and for his sake as well. There was no use in Tsukiyo chasing a shadow, especially a shadow of him that only existed because of him.

That was why, he chose to show her the way forward without being asked or begged to.

'… My... duty... huh?'

..

''I'm, just a normal, ordinary girl, that wished to be with the boy that she liked, Keima-kun... that's who I am...when I am with you, I don't want to be called a 'star' or an 'idol' or anything like that... I'm just, Nakagawa Kanon... the ordinary high student together with Katsuragi Keima, the boy that I like...'

Nakagawa Kanon confessed that to him as she clung tightly to Keima's shirt and body, not willing to let anyone get close to him and he returned the gesture by telling her that was the right answer.

All of them, all of the captured girls were really just girls at heart. They did not want anything fancy from him, they wanted closure, at least that's what he imagined their goals where.

The fact was that everything really wasn't complicated, the girls just wanted to know whether they still liked him and in Kanon's case, whether she still loved him.

All the other details and facts were all minor details and noise in the environment from all of their true objectives. They might be mad, might be upset or even confused but all in all, they just wanted to clarify their own feelings.

Whether they did that was something that he could influence but could not coax from them if they are unwilling. Girls like Kanon, Minami, Asami and even Ayumi were honest with themselves but others like Tsukiyo, Mio and Chihiro were unable to make up their minds for now.

They had a choice and he'll have to wait for their choice to be made before he replied.

..

'Nonetheless, I will strive to remember the promise that I make you. No, I will train my mind and soul to remember it. It is something that I gained that is very precious to me... and I don't wish to lose it through that.'

Kasuga Kusonoki made a promise to him before they parted ways and despite looking a little lonely as he left, Kusonoki managed to give another honest smile as she bowed to him respectfully.

She did not thank him for what he has done unlike Ayumi but she acknowledged that whatever had happened between them was something that she would not regret and would keep close to her heart.

All of the girls agreed on that fact, something that Keima was sure of as they looked back at their memories fondly and some of the girls were even motivated by their past together to move forward.

So what does all of this mean for him? For him as a person and not as the Capturing God? It has been a while since he asked that question but now he could ask him that again.

His future as the Capturing God was guaranteed but wasn't it time for him to consider the future as well? With or without them... was he moving forward in the way that he wanted to?

..

All the facts, truth and their feelings were affecting him more than he had expected and he leaned against a wall in his room trying to recover from the date he had went with Ayumi.

Ayumi was his first, the person that started this entire chain of captures but with her blessings and thanks, Keima felt a little more confident in dealing with the girls, all of them actually.

His previous relationships with the girl was of apprehensiveness as he was never sure what they wanted or treated him till the actual day. That uncertainty can be due to their different point of views, experiences and feelings towards him and the façade that he adopted when he approached them.

He was not regretful for what he has done. Just like he had told Ayumi, everything that had happened had a reason for it and a meaning before and after the action itself.

Both mistakes, hard calls had been made in the past and upon reflecting upon all the things that have happened so far, Keima could only say that it was a testament to his skills, knowledge and the blessings of lady luck that everything has turned out well so far.

There were many scenarios which had blown up in front of his face but he had managed to get through all of them to capture the girls in the end as well.

Now that they had shown him what they wanted from him, does that mean he has to continue giving and guiding them along as well?

..

Even if there was no reason for love, there was also no reason for him to go out of his way and to abandon his title and life for them or even one of the, right?

'Why.. am I worrying about this?'

Katsuragi Keima asked himself as he saw his PFP in the distance and he picked it up before turned it on and entering the world that he has always lived in.

The world that he would still be living in if not for the devil that had dragged the God out of his world and into the real world.

Come to think of it, he has not faced the two of them that had started this fiasco in the first place, he has no idea when this madness would end but he dearly wished that it would end soon or perhaps right here, right now.

He was God and he has no reason to stay with the humans and devils that was trying to dethrone him at all.

Admit it, mere mortals and devils alike, you have now done what you have done to do.

He, the Capturing God, still sits comfortably on his throne, looking down on all that tries to reach the same level as he did while he started to do what he did best, going through the games and the heroines that he had to save from their unhappy fates.

..

'So... it's my turn, this Saturday.'

The person who had came closest to him, Fuse Aoba and the Mai-Hime looked at the calendar in her room momentarily before her eyes went back to what she had been focusing on before. It was going to take place in a few days and it was something she was looking forward to.

It had been fun and enjoyable seeing Keima's reaction to hers and in extension, Haqua's new attitude and treatment of him and she was ascertained that in the ultimate irony, the Capturing God was weak to direct assaults and of course, to being the target of a capture as well.

It was tricky to explain but basically if someone was active, assertive, stubborn and straightforward in their chase and capturing attempts of Katsuragi Keima, he would fall easily.

Being the Capturing God, Aoba knew that he was able to take control of the situation and had the capabilities to turn the tables on anyone who was unable to adapt quickly to his countermeasures and of course, be willing to set the pace for the entire capture.

It was difficult to sweep him up in one's own pace but if one achieved that and continued to do so, he would fall for that person easily.

AT least, that's what Aoba believed from her observations.

If anyone could continue to keep that momentum and tempo where they wanted to, the chances for him to be swept by their feet was incredibly high for someone of his calibre and skill.

Perhaps he had never been challenged at the top or perhaps no one had ever tried to 'capture' him before? The latter made more sense than the former as he had not reacted or had seemed so vulnerable when she challenged him while in the middle of her own capturing.

She was proud to say that she was someone who had bested him in everything but his games so far and she grudgingly admitted that she still had a long way to go before she could match up to him even with her current skills and his lack of time gaming.

By knowing that she has to be constantly on the offensive and thus forcing him to be defensive to keep up to her pace was a major breakthrough for her and perhaps the other girls as well.

Aoba didn't publicly declare her discovery but one could say that her success thus far in forcing Keima's hands was enough to tell showcase her efforts.

..

To a certain extent, her discovery scared her as it meant that he wasn't as high up as she'd imagined him to be. Being the Mai-Hime and an expert in the otome-game market and it's varieties, Aoba could quite easily classify him into few selected archetypes as though he was a capture target and of course, subsequently plan for a viable and workable capture plan for him as well.

'But... am I even... allowed to do this?'

She mumbled to herself while thinking about the situation that was laid in front of her. It might be one thing to look at it in a systematic approach and generally it was the acceptable way to do so as it was the most efficient, fair and impartial way to handle disputes and issues that might be delicate in nature.

In this case however, Aoba must not dispute and ignore the influences and effect she and the rest of the girls were influencing on the Capturing God. She wasn't proud to say that she had technically forced his hands to agree to their request, even if it was his fault in the first place.

It was a hollow victory for them if he had to be forced to agree to their request but in the end he had done so willingly, making some of them feel guilty at their initial actions and unfair opinion about him

Not only was she a party involved in this huge mess, Mai-hime was also an observant person and she knew that all of the girls were satisfied and overjoyed even at having their request granted by the Capturing God.

No doubt his actions were more to appease the girls than anything else but it seemed that whatever his intent or desired outcome was; his actions ultimately resulted in him capturing most of the girls again in the end.

Sure, their affection level has been unnaturally high for some of them, higher than one would have for the average classmate anyway and with a few minor tweaks, well delivered lines and scenes, it was easy to restore the feelings of affection they had for him to their original level.

..

No, the question now was how... they should all move forward. It was all and good that their past with him was resolved and everything was laid to rest for a brand new start.

'Should... I be the one to close this chapter after all?'

She was not the first heroine nor was she the last heroine and that gave her no right to press her own opinions to him about this matter. Being just one of a few individuals who had a stake in him, Aoba reasoned and knew that it was ultimately his decision to make in the end without her assistance or their influence.

No doubt that some of the girls, most of the girls even, had given hints on how they wished to progress forward with him and Aoba felt that although unfair, they had the rights to do so if they so wished.

However she felt that it was not the way forward after all. It is all fine and good if they wished for happiness with him and perhaps, just perhaps, the Capturing God could provide the happiness for the girls like they hoped he would.

She felt it was unreasonable for them to expect that of him, perhaps the only girl that felt so as she found the Capturing God to be impressive as what he is, the Capturing God and not anyone else.

If he ended up as another person, would he be the same person? As a bystander and with no relation to the other girl's relationship and capturing scenes with him, Aoba could not truly say which façade of the Capturing God that the girls have witnessed.

As the Mai-hime, she knew that the different faces that could have arisen due to the situation and like him, she herself knew how... emotionally detached he had to be in order to capture so many girls in such a short time.

Which one of his faces is the 'real' him? To that she could not say for sure but she was certain that amongst all of the faces that he had displayed when meeting the girls, when facing ll of them, he has not shown who he really was even once.

Yes, there might be times that his genuine emotions showed through but more often than not the mask over him has never been lifted at all.

'I... might never see his true self, would I?'

Feeling doubt for the first time in a long while, Aoba placed her PFP down as she compared herself to him.

It is extremely difficult for one faker to tell another faker to give up his disguise, especially if he knew of her capabilities and intentions.

Every single 'victory' she had scored against him was like a double-edged sword as he would no doubt be wary of her every move.

If she were to see his true self, she would have to be true to him as well. Nothing else would suffice but it was a calculated gamble and one that might not even pay off in the end.

Still, I must try... Just like how he did for me.. I... owe him that much.'

He had 'captured' her and had in along the way exposed her weakness for the two of them to learn and adapt to. It was time to show him that he was not the only one to have grown.

..

'Good morning~!'

Elsi greeted Keima with a huge smile as today was the day where they were going out on a group date! Her, Kami-Onii-sama, Haqua and all of the 'captured' girls were going out together at Disneyland! It was surely going to be a great day ahead and she told Mari how much she was looking forward to the date today.

'Eh... I wish I can go too.'

Mari pouted while sipping the coffee that she had prepared for them and she turned to look sternly at Keima, who was still playing on his PFP while eating his breakfast at the same time.

'Keima... it has been years since we went out together...'

Mari was tempted to add some drama to her plea by wetting her eyes but she was promptly cut off by Keima who noted that they had went out earlier though, on her birthday.

'W-Well... that didn't count, it was my birthday.'

Mari tried to say that but was met with a raised eyebrow from Keima before he went back to his game, clearly not interested in continuing this conversation any more.

'… How I gave birth to a son like you is beyond me... like father like son after all.'

Mari nagged unhappily before being rebutted quickly by Keima, who commented that Mari was the one that had fallen in love with his father too.

'… Katsuragi-kun...'

Dropping the splinters of what had been a pair of chopsticks in front of him, Mari glowered angrily at Keima while Elsi tried her best to calm her down.

'I-I'm sure that... If Oka-sama wanted to go out with Kami-Onii-sama, Kami-Onii-sama would oblige too, desho?'

Looking meaningfully at him, Elsi sighed in relief as he simply nodded slowly in reply, causing Mari's anger to evaporate almost immediately as well.

'~~ That's my son~~'

Walking over to hug him, Mari smiled as the siblings excused themselves after breakfast to get dressed for their day out.

It was another first for Mari to hear Keima going out to play with Elsi and her friends and it was a momentous occasion for him too. Mari just hoped that Elsi remembered her promise to take plenty of photos for her.

'Enjoy yourself, dears!'

Mari reminded them as she prepared to et the cafe open for the day, only to be promptly surprised by their first visitor waiting for her impatiently on their doorstep, a certain girl that was the first person to be introduced to her by Keima.

'Ah... Tsukiyo... chan!'

..

It was indeed a rude shock to be greeted by Tsukiyo calmly sipping tea elegantly in the living room when Keima finally dragged himself out of his room to avoid being late for their little gathering.

'Ah, Tsukiyo.'

He mumbled weakly as it was obvious from the displeased from on her face that she was mad, very mad at being made to wait for him and as he slowly made his way to Tsukiyo, taking care to stay out of her arm's reach before sitting himself in front of her.

'You are late.'

A statement from her and Keima nodded slowly while gauging her response, the wrong move right now would surely bring disaster to him and he considered his response carefully before noting that her cup was empty and he seized upon that as a chance to appease her anger in some way.

'I'll prepare some tea for you, if you wish, ojou-sama.'

Dropping that line to her, Keima knew that he had failed in his immediate objective as Tsukiyo looked even crosser before she mumbled to him.

'Did you use that line on someone else before, Katsuragi?'

Her icy cold tone made it official and Keima swallowed nervously while trying to come up with a new line to hold her back before he stopped and narrowed his eyes.

Why was he so afraid of making her mad? It wasn't as if he had done anything wrong up till now? She wasn't the only person that could throw a tantrum after all! Perhaps he was obliged to treat Tsukiyo delicately to appease her anger at his 'cheating' on her before but with that matter resolved and her request granted, there was no longer any reason for him to continue to be at her beck and call, was there?

At least, that's what he thought at the moment before he reconsidered. Till the final request was granted, Keima was still at the mercy of the girls and whatever punishment they had in store for him.

Even if it had been a terrible week with so little time for his games and his heroines, Keima knew that it could be worse if the girls had followed Fuse Aoba's instructions for Hell on Earth for him.

If word ever got out that he was involved with Kanon, all hell would break loose and if that wasn't enough, to be found out that he was cheating on her would probably be asking him to sign a death certificate on the spot.

..

Adjusting his collar and finding his composure again, Keima shrugged as he commented that his family was running a cafe after all and it would be expected for him to have done that before.

A blatant lie as Keima would rather die than to do that but since Mari was out of earshot, this lie was successful in making Tsukiyo fall silent and she nodded her head slowly in reply and perhaps recognition of his words.

'I expect the quality of the tea to match my standards, Keima.'

She offered weakly while Keima left to prepare the tea, Keima knew that he had taken the initiative from her and hurried to prepare the tea for her.

'Here you go.'

Returning with the pot of tea, Keima served her the tea without spilling a single drop while dropping two lumps of sugar into her cup.

'For you, ojou-sama, just the way you like it.'

Smiling at Tsukiyo as he stirred the tea for her, Keima presented the cup to her and watched with satisfaction as Tsukiyo blushed while accepting the tea, her hands touching his briefly when she took the cup from her. The look of surprise after she sipped the tea was gratification for him and Tsukiyo remained silent for quite a while till she whispered that it was good.

'A... ah.'

A look of surprised suddenly appeared on her face and she turned to the side anxiously with a blush on her face as another voice spoke up behind him.

'Ano... Keima-san... O-Ohayo...'

..

Speaking nervously, Keima whirled back to see none other than Yoshino Asami, the girl-next-door looking at him anxiously before bowing to Tsukiyo nervously as well.

It seemed that she had decided to walk with him to their destination today though and despite Tsukiyo looking very awkward, she did not comment on the situation. There must be an agreement made between the girls regarding this as Asami didn't seem too bothered by the development and choose to sit beside Tsukiyo after asking if it was okay.

Keima knew that Asami would rather sit with him while Tsukiyo would rather be alone so it must be a concession between the two girls and he poured Asami a cup of tea as well before asking if they were well.

It was difficult making small talk if the two of them were basically trying to ignore each other, not to mention how Keima was typically laconic as well.

'Thank you for asking, Keima-san, I'm fine... and I'm looking forward to the outing later.'

Noticing that Asami had to correct herself mid-way to say 'outing' instead of date, Keima held back a small sigh as Tsukiyo reacted to her words a little by narrowing her eyes and subsequently sipping her tea as well.

'… It is the same for me as well... let us look for beautiful things, together, Keima.'

Smirking a little as she placed emphasis on the word together as well as how she called him by his name, Tsukiyo seemed to be emboldened by her words and asked for more tea.

'W-Well... we'll be going out for the whole... day right? Keima-san... well, I prepared lunch too... so if you like, you can have some of mine... I prepared lots, so Kujyo-san could have some too.'

Asami had came prepared with a sizeable bag and this was in contrast to Tsukiyo, who was carrying her usual handbag with Luna. The weather forecast had said that there'll be good weather throughout the entire day but the jibe was obvious and Tsukiyo's mood darkened considerably as Asami talked about the weather while ignoring him.

'… I do not need that...'

Mumbling to herself, the score was currently standing at Asami 2 and Tsukiyo 1 and it would stay that way for a while as Elsi bounced down from the stairs carrying a large bag similar to Asami.

'Let's go, Kami-Onii-sama! Ah, Tsukiyo-chan, Asami-chan~ Ohayo~ let's go together too, kay?'

..

There was still time before the meeting time but as they had to take the bus to their destination, Elsi was taking no chances and she dragged Keima along with the other two girls with her as they made their way there.

'It sure is good weather~ Let's have lots of fun together, kay? there's a lot of things I want to try out!'

Before Elsi could say more, Keima was struck from behind by a speeding missile or rather, Takahara Ayumi as the athletic and genki girl slapped her palm across Keima's back before screeching to a halt beside Elsi.

'Good MORNING!'

Pumping a fist into the air as a greeting, Elsi and her exchanged hugs while Keima just nursed his aching back even as Asami fussed over him.

Tsukiyo on the other hand simply walked on, seemingly not interested in their antics at all. It would seem that either Tsukiyo was jealous or she simply did not like the company of these few girls.

It was common knowledge that even the captured girls had their own little cliques and groupings. Chihiro and Ayumi was one of the best examples but other examples include Tsukiyo and Mio, Kusonoki with Minami and trinity of Asami, Aoba and Shiori.

The girls that were mostly independent were Kanon and Aoba, the latter due to her own preference but if they were to hang out together, she would be in the company of Asami and Shiori without fail as the two girls looked up to her image as well as her ability.

For Mio and Tsukiyo,the running theory was that their temperament matched each other almost perfectly and it was no surprise to Keima to see the two of them getting along well. Well, if not getting along but at least understanding each other.

Kusonoki and Minami being firm friends or at least, Minami liking to tag along to the senior girl was a surprise to many but there were many hints as to why and how it could have happened.

The two of them were almost exactly the opposite of each other. One was a junior studying in junior high at the moment and the other their senior from a year up.

Minami gave the impression of a quiet and typical girl while Kusonoki was a popular and well-known figure in the school. It might have been more than likely that Minami's hero worship of Kusonoki had resulted in the two of them being friends and from how Kusonoki interacted with her, Minami was a good friend for her as well.

'Good morning to you too, Asami~ And you too, Tsukiyo-san~'

Being polite to all the girls present around him, Ayumi was all smiles as she started talking to Elsi about the plans for today.

..

Ayumi and him had not spoken at all after their date together and Keima reckoned that Ayumi would want to take things slowly and easy for her as well as for him. She had more or less straightened her own feelings and thoughts and was giving him the chance to come and accept her again into his life.

There was no way he was going to do that though and so he kept quiet and his distance from Ayumi. For Ayumi's benefit though, he had no idea that Ayumi had even considered their relationship further than he had ever done so and that meant that she was more likely than ever to keep waiting for an answer till the end.

That'll be troublesome... as well.

'Hey~ Where are we meeting the others again?'

Ayumi asked out of the blue and Asami meekly offered the answer without hesitation, causing Ayumi to nod and pull her into the gaggle of girls as well.

'Mm~ I see, I see~ Well, Asami~~ let's see what you prepared today, shall we~~'

Tugging at Asami's bag, the three girls started talking with each other again even as Tsukiyo slowed her pace down to walk beside Keima, gradually of course, she was totally not tired from setting that fast pace.

'Should I take the bag for you, Tsukiyo?'

Offering as he continued playing his game, Keima gave a barely audible sigh as Tsukiyo did pass him the bag and offered her thanks in return.

'You should not have came over, Tsukiyo... especially if you didn't pack an umbrella.'

Noting that she was getting uncomfortable with the heat even if she was just wearing her school uniform, all the girls were wearing one for some reason, even him, Tsukiyo blushed as she said that she'll be fine.

'… Right...'

Placing his PFP into her bag, something which made Tsukiyo open her eyes wider in surprise, Keima opened up his umbrella and continued to walk on while sheltering the delicate girl.

'T-Thank... you. Keima...'

Thanking him again, Tsukiyo took the chance to walk a little bit closer to him as she relaxed considerably under the shade. It had been thoughtful of him to do that after all and Tsukiyo felt a little better despite 'losing' to that other girl earlier.

'… Would... you spend time with me today? A-Alone?'

Tsukiyo whispered as the other girls were still caught up in their conversation to notice the two of them having quite a scene together. If one were to plaster the word: 'Lovers' on that umbrella, it wouldn't be inappropriate at all!

'If there is a place... that you want to, then sure...'

Keima replied quickly while wondering why he was capturing Tsukiyo all over again, well... as long as it doesn't give him trouble he supposed he could entertain them today.

'T-Thank you...

..

'Ah, all of you finally made it!'

Waving at them energetically was Kosaka Chihiro as well as Ikoma Minami, who seemed very excited at being able to spend the day together with her seniors. Sitting in the shade of the train station was Kasuga Kusonoki, who seemed a little awkward at being there together with Fuse Aoba, the Mai-Hime.

'Glad you made it, I thought I'll be late but I ran into the others here~ Minami-chan was here really early right?'

Rubbing Minami's hair while her junior protested, Minami didn't seem to mind as it was all in good fun as the seniors did dote on her quite a lot.

She had been intimidated by them at the start, especially some of the quieter girls like Fuse Aoba and Kujyo Tsukiyo but the person that she was most awed and intimidated by was Kasuga Kusonoki.

To think that the two of them had became friends and were going out together was a great feeling and a dream come true. Minami wasn't shy to admit that she was happier with all her seniors than her friends and she liked Takahara, Kosaka and Katsuragi-san. The three of them seemed to have so much energy and optimism. Other seniors like Yoshino, Aoba and Shiomiya-san were there to balance their energy out with their quiet comments and opinions and Minami felt that it was a nice contrast and was not surprised at how all of them got along with each other.

Other seniors like Kujyo or Aoyama-san was way above her league but they ignored her too, something that made her feel a little sad but not too much seeing that she knew she wasn't up at their level at all.

That said, it was the first time since their date together that Minami had seen Keima and she realized she wasn't as nervous as she was the last time.

Had she gotten used to his presence or had she... not loved him at all?

No, it's not that... if she looked at him for just a little while, Minami could feel her heart beating faster and faster and her mind going blank if she did not direct her attention to somewhere else.

Was this the limit to her resolve? She said that she would do her best to make him fall in love with her right?

..

'Ohayo, Katsuragi-sempai. Tha-thank you for inviting me to come with all of you too! L-let's enjoy our day together...!'

Smiling and greeting him, Minami tried her best to be natural but all her composure evaporated when Keima looked at him closely, scrutinized her even before he reached out to her.

'E-Eh? Ehhh?'

Minami panicked even as the other girls looked on, some a little disapprovingly while Minami could swear that she heard Kujyo-sempai clicking her tongue in unhappiness

'You put on make-up today, right, Minami?'

"A-Ah... y-yes... it's my first time trying some... well, I do put some... but today I was trying something different.'

Sticking her tongue out in embarrassment, Minami almost fainted when Keima reached out to run his finger below her eyes tenderly.

'Well, going natural suits you more, Minami.'

Keima remarked softly before turning to look at the other girls who were all suddenly very interested in their surroundings with the exception of one, Kosaka Chihiro as she grinned and approached the two of them.

'Having fun flirting with Minami-chan, Katsuragi? That's not good of you to tease her like that you know~'

Grinning from ear to ear as she swung her arms over their shoulders, Chihiro decided that she has teased Minami enough when her junior promptly disentangled herself from them and ran off to Kusonoki after apologizing to them both.

'Ah, she could try a little harder though...'

Chihiro remarked while Keima just looked and studied her for some reaction, she didn't seem to have any ulterior motive and he relaxed a little when Chihiro released her hold on Keima while winking at him.

'Like I said, it's really mean if you keep teasing her, Katsuragi~'

'Well, I'm just stating the truth...'

Muttering softly as he watched Tsukiyo stomp off, annoyed at his antics and he guessed he had earned that one. He really had a soft spot for Minami after all and it was picked up by Chihiro as she walked with him to the train station for shelter.

'I know that Minami-chan is cute, she's a junior under classman after all! I'll have to step in and intervene if you get too cozy with her~'

'You're saying that but you're just jealous, aren't you?'

Keima offered a simply retort but he didn't expect her to laugh at his comment.

'Just a little~ You know, you're quite mean to some of us... you treat some of us differently you know~ Don't think that we don't see it, we women are very sharp when it comes to love.'

'Is that a warning, Kosaka?'

'Hehe~ Maybe~~ A-Anyway, here you go, an offering for the Great Capturing God~!'

Offering a meat bun to him in a respectful manner, Chihiro laughed when Keima took it and swallowed it hungrily like it was the tastiest thing in the world.

'… I think I figured you out just a little more, Katsuragi.'

'Eh?'

Chihiro mumbled to herself but Keima didn't catch what she said.

'Nothing, nothing~ Well, I guess we should wait for the rest, huh? There's this little shop in the place that sells meat buns too, how about we get some there later?'

'If we have the time, Kosaka...'

Keima offered as the two of them walked to regroup with the rest of the girls that were waiting patiently for them.

Fuse Aoba had came out of the shade with the coaxing of Asami and the two of them sat together quietly while in the other corner was Tsukiyo, who was reading and staring a map of the place.

..

Kasuga Kusonoki was uneasy, why was she uneasy she knew well enough as she really wasn't willing to come to this place in the first place. Ever since she had remembered her memories and had realized that instead of going to Disneyland together with the guys in the dojo, she had went on a date with Keima … alone, just the two of them...

It was utterly embarrassing! And now she was going on a group date with him, oh woe is her...

But Kusonoki hadn't been able to reject the invitation as Minami had been the one to invite her after all. This girl wasn't afraid of her reputation, she was awed though but not enough to not try and be her friend.

Friend... it has been a while since she used that word but she could definitely call Minami a friend of hers. Although embarrassed that Minami treated her like her an idol, she wasn't worshipping her either. She came to her for advice, for help with her homework or with friends and in turn, she would listen to Kusonoki's own worries about the dojo while she told of the latest happenings in fashion or in the entertainment industry.

In fact, Kusonoki would go to the lengths to say that Minami provided more for her than she could ever provide for her in return.

'There, there...'

Stroking her hair as Minami clung to her while trying to calm down her frazzled nerves, Kusonoki felt it was a shame that Chihiro had intervened just then while things were getting interesting between her and Katsuragi but she supposed that Chihiro had her own reasons for doing that. All of them were love rivals after all.

Kusonoki knew that she was feeling a little... unhappy at how Minami was favoured by Keima at times but she shrugged that traitorous thought away before it could affect her more.

'You should be a little bolder, Ikoma... you had his attention then.'

Who ever knew that the day would come when she was the one who would dispense love advice to someone else and she swore that this moment would be forever captured in her heart even as Minami nodded unhappily while sitting beside her. Minami had gotten very comfortable and used to her seniors presence and this resulted in more body contact between the two of them.

'Y-yes... but it isn't fair... I... I wanted to make him fall for me... n-not the other way around.'

Minami blurted out something outrageous that Kusonoki couldn't help but laugh at her words. Her, the shy and younger Ikoma Minami, trying to make Keima fall in love with her? That is a challenge indeed!

'Mm, I'm proud of you, Ikoma. Trying to achieve that is something admirable. Rest assured I would be rooting for you as well.'

Nodding her head in acknowledgement to her efforts and bravery, Kusonoki's face reddened when Minami shook her head and poked her in her stomach to get her attention.

'That's... not what I want... I want, Kusonoki-sempai... to compete with me too... I don't want sempai to put away your own wish and happiness for me.'

'E-Eh? W-What? What do you mean by that Ikoma, I... I don't...'

'You do, sempai, I know you do!'

Looking at her in determination, Minami's resolve reflected in her eyes and Kusonoki knew that she had lost to this iron-willed girl again. She had the determination and will power of someone way above her age and even if she herself might not know it, it's that stubbornness and determination that might allow her to achieve her dream in the end.

Well, if only Katsuragi Keima wasn't her eternal bane, able to bring her down effortlessly without trying at all.

'You have a long way to go, Ikoma...'

Especially if she wasn't able to even look at him properly in the eye... well, she knew that she had her own flaws and shouldn't compare.

Not when, she herself was unable to get off the fact that she owed him, owed Katsuragi Keima a huge debt for saving her from her problems. Until that was repaid, she probably couldn't see him eye to eye as equals...

'… well, not now anyway...'

The day that her pride could be shoved away by her own womanly instincts would be the day... till then, she'll just have to be patient.

..

It was interesting for Fuse Aoba to see the interactions between the girls and the Capturing God. She was aware that the Capturing God himself has his reservations about the situation but he was not going to make any comments when he was tied down like this, by all of them.

It wasn't natural, it just wasn't and she admitted that it was a flaw that she should have realized earlier but had only realized it when it was too late.

He wasn't comfortable with them as even at this point of time he had to carefully balance his own actions and thoughts between the 'capture' and the 'truth'. It'll be best if he did not hold anything back from them but from her personal experience and testimonials from the rest of the girls, he was adamant in not giving anything away.

Now, Elsi was a loose cannon and would say more if she could but since she herself had clammed up, there was no way they were going to have the opportunity to drag that information from him until he was willing.

Or when he learnt to trust her again... it was like what she had surmised the night earlier, he was still apprehensive about her and when he was around her as he had not even looked at her even once.

It tore her apart just a little to see him him treat her that way but she admitted that if she was in his shoes, she'll do the same thing.

'… A battle of wills that I will surely lose.'

Aoba whispered to herself and checked her own words with a small smile as Yoshino Asami blinked in confusion at her words.

'Is there something wrong, Aoba-san?'

'No there isn't... and please, there is no reason for you to be so formal with me.'

Aoba sniffed unhappily as Asami nodded again while leaning back and stretching herself.

'I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous I guess... I... don't like crowds... or being with too many people...'

'But you have done well on our previous gatherings.'

Aoba pointed out and Asami nodded while giggling, saying that everyone here was different.

'I guess I just didn't want to lose by default... so I'll try my best today as well.'

Asami nodded even as Aoba offered a small smile back in reply.

'That is all we can do for now.'

'Mm!'

..

All of them waited for a while before another member of the entourage appeared and due to her height, she was almost missed till she made her presence known by greeting all of them with an unsatisfied sniff.

'I've arrived. We can set off now.'

It was Aoyama Mio and although she wanted to show the confident side of her, Mio only managed to make herself look plainly embarrassed as Chihiro remarked that they were still waiting for Shiori and Kanon to turn up.

'Well... if you insist you can go on ahead...'

Chihiro smiled wryly even as Mio relented and stomped off to sit beside Tsukiyo, who made space for her even as Chihiro was chided by Ayumi for being too mean to the girl.

'Well, sorry...'

Scratching her head, Chihiro walked over to apologize to Mio but only ended up being in a small argument with the ex-rich girl before she was pulled away by Keima, who looked crossly at the two of them for arguing like this.

A lesser man would have tried to appease the two of them with words but the Capturing God was no man and he simply looked at them briefly before giving a disappointed sigh and walking away to join Aoba and Asami.

His preferred way of dealing with volatile but silly arguments was to make the two of them feel guilty at being so childish and from the way Chihiro and Mio apologized to the each other, it was working well enough and Aoba congratulated him on doing that perfectly.

'That was well done, Capturing God.'

'You flatter me...Aoba.'

He offered even as Tsukiyo and Mio sat there together, looking a little awkward at how the other group of girls alienated themselves from them. That said, Tsukiyo was nonplussed by the situation and she simply sat there, almost as if she was a doll on display while Mio sat beside her.

It was a while before Mio spoke and when she did, the two of them spoke so quietly that only the two of them were able to hear what they were discussing with each other.

..

'It's just not fair. Why must he pick a date where I had to rush off earlier...'

Mio complained to Tsukiyo who looked mildly amused at how the ojou-sama was concerned about her own part-time job but she supposed everyone has their problems as well.

Tsukiyo only got along with Mio as they shared the same concept of beauty and carried themselves with the dignity that only they could. It seems that the rest of the girls were partly accurate but one has to mention that Tsukiyo does like Mio as a friend for they understood each other to some degree.

They might even have met each other once as their parents were well-known and established figures in the business world and so they shared the same tastes, same upbringing and even similar demeanour, meaning that they understood each other.

Right now however, Mio was behaving in a way that was not befitting of her image or her upbringing but Tsukiyo ignored it for now as she knew that the two of them had more important things to talk about.

'Hence, we should not waste our time on such idle banter. We should make use of the time that we have today.'

Tsukiyo didn't want to admit it but she knew that her stamina or lack of it, meant that she couldn't possibly keep up with the girls or him for that matter and she looked meaningfully at Mio, who seemed to understand what she meant almost immediately, saving her the trouble of explaining the details.

'I concur... But how should we get about doing it?'

'We would have to work it out together, to make it perfect and satisfactory. Anything less would be disappointing and not worth the effort.'

Tsukiyo smiled wordlessly at Mio as the blonde girl considered Tsukiyo's proposal before she shrugged, a very commoner like behaviour that she might have picked up while working.

'I concur. Let us put our heads together.'

..

Privately though, Mio felt that Tsukiyo could be a bit of bore at times with her preference for speaking in the lingo and manner that she was educated in. That was in the past though but when Mio was with Tsukiyo, she felt as though the time had been stripped by and she was back when her father was around.

That was a wonderful and nostalgic feeling and perhaps that was her initial reason for interacting Tsukiyo. As time passed and the meetings with the other girls grew, Mio found that Tsukiyo had many similarities with her and as they shared common experiences in their childhood, found her to be a good listening ear.

What was a little jarring for her was how after working and interacting side-by-side with the commoners for some time, she had gotten used to their lingos, their manner of speeches and it had gotten increasingly difficult to converse with Tsukiyo.

Lately however, she had been more... 'normal', at least normal to her and was even asking her more about how life was like in her new 'world'.

Mio was about to lash back at her when she realized that she had thought that way too in the past and she realized and came to terms with how she was coping with her new lifestyle on that same day.

That was the day that Mio realized and remembered that Tsukiyo was supposed to meet Katsuragi Keima and when she met with her the next day, Mio was glad to see that she had returned to her normal self.

Only different in many ways; she was more accepting and perhaps a little more optimistic, unlike her previously sullen and pessimistic self.

It was like staring into a mirror and Mio realized for the first time that perhaps she was the more mature of the two of them after all.

'Well, let us put our heads together...'

Tsukiyo's words shook Mio out of her thoughts and she smiled at her friend, trying to concentrate on the task at hand.

..

'G-Good morning...'

Lowering her head slightly as she bumped into no one else but the idol, Nakagawa Kanon, Shiomiya Shiori looked at her own book to distract her even as Kanon looked at her in surprise.

The teen idol didn't expect anyone to be able to see through her disguise, not when she tried her best to cover her hair with a large beret and her body with a large and uncomfortable large coat. That was no doubt one of the lows of being a well-known figure as she can't go anywhere without attracting attention and close scrutiny from the media or the public.

That was why she had no choice but to adopt a disguise whenever she goes out even if it shows her in an unflattering light.

Kanon had tried using glasses but apparently that made her look cuter to some and so after much trail and error, Kanon found out the best way was to hide her shocking pink hair as well as to obscure her figure.

It was common knowledge that people actually remember things through visual recognition, that is, through seeing an object and associating that object with something else and for most people Kanon was recognizable due to that pink hair of hers.

Take that away and it becomes difficult to recognize her, at least that's what she believed and which might work in theory.

That doesn't apply to the most die hard of fans however as they recognize Kanon through her facial details and would recognize Kanon even if she dyed her hair in another colour.

Actually it was quite easy to see the flaw in Kanon's assumption as she acted in some drama serials as well. How would anyone recognize her if she changed her hair style then? People recognize other's faces with the aid of a roughly triangle patch in one's facial features, that small patch is all that we need to recognize and differentiate someone, at least that's what some scientists belief and it seems to make sense.

How can someone be recognizable with their more defining features, like their eyes or mouth be covered?

Either way, Kanon was a little depressed at seeing her disguise fail to hide herself from Shiori but she needn't have bother as her beret, glasses and jacket made it very difficult for anyone to recognize at all due to how she liked to avoid eye contact and her habit of looking down on the floor.

That made it almost impossible for one to have a good look at her face, much less think and ponder on how she seems familiar.

..

It turned out that Shiori was only able to recognize Kanon due to how Kanon kept looking at her as she got on the bus, taking another seat directly in front of her and after numerous peeks and quite a while thinking about it, she was able to recognize the teen idol.

So 'bump into' wasn't the right phrase, she had merely gotten on the same bus as her and had recognized her in the end. That was the sequence of events that had brought her to sit beside Kanon.

Shiori didn't have much time to interact with Kanon as when she was able to make it to their sessions together, which was a rarity, Kanon was always in the company of Kosaka Chihiro or Takahara Ayumi and her group of friends.

As Shiori was a quiet individual who liked to spend her own time reading or at least, being 'part' of something rather than taking an active part, Shiori didn't speak with Kanon at all till now.

'Morning... Shiori... -chan desu ka? I'm sorry for not saying hi earlier! I wasn't sure if that was you...'

Clapping her hands together in apology, Kanon's words hurt Shiori a little as that meant that to Kanon she was just another face in the crowd. How could she be so mean? She thought that it was polite to remember the faces and even the names of the other girls that were her love rivals but could it be that Kanon never once considered them as rivals at all?

T-That's really mean! Even if they weren't as cute, talented or as brave as Kanon, they were still her love rivals right?

'….'

Realizing that she was digging herself into a bigger hole by herself, Shiori tried hard to keep her mind from going into overdrive till Kanon spoke out again, seemingly uncomfortably at the awkward silence between the two of them.

'Shiori-chan you kept hiding your face behind the book... it's a shame as Shiori-chan has such a cute face~ I'm sure that Keima-kun would agree if you emphasized your eyes...'

Kanon bit her lip before she pulled out her another pair of glasses and pushed it to Shiori, causing the other girl to panic a little while she tried to reject her.

'Please, Shiori-chan, just try it on! I'm sure that you'll look great with it!'

Pushing the glasses to her eagerly, Shiori was struck at how Kanon was like the exact opposite of her as she was outgoing while she preferred solitude, Kanon was confident in her own opinions while Shiori always second-guessed herself, Kanon does not shy away from the limelight while Shiori preferred to blend in with the crowd and most telling of all was how Kanon expressed herself and her feelings.

She did it with songs, a much higher level of conversation that she could never pull off while Shiori struggled to put her feelings into her words.

There was no doubt the love Kanon felt for Shiori and for a moment she felt like she could never win against her, the girl and the idol's love for Keima surely surpassed hers and Shiori was about to say that to her when she remembered what she was holding in her hands.

Her book and of course in extension, her novel and that thought gave her confidence to stand up against the teen idol again.

If Kanon could express her emotions through her songs, Shiori could do it herself with her written words and phrases with her novels.

Her love, can't lose to Kanon without a fight and like what Keima had told her, even if she can't express herself with words, she can express herself through her literary works and there was nothing with that.

Especially if Shiori knew that she could 'act' it out for Keima again even if he might dislike it. She has to be confident and so with that thought, Shiori shook her head and said that she really wouldn't like to try that on.

'… I think... Katsuragi-san... would not judge us with just our looks.'

It was just a hypothesises but it could be right and her words had an unexpected effect on Kanon as she looked away suddenly, almost as if she was struck by Shiori.

'Kanon...chan? D-did... I say... something wrong?'

Shiori asked in concern as the teen idol took a few breaths to calm herself down and she reassured Shiori that she was alright.

'I-I'm fine... really.'

..

Kanon was surprised to find how much emotion and determination was shown in Shiori's eyes and her words were said with so much conviction despite her stuttering that she just had to look away. It was not like Shiori had screamed at her and she was certain that was not a jibe at her as well.

Shiomiya Shiori, one of the girls that Katsuragi Keima, her crush, had been seeing together with her and Kanon admitted that she had not paid much attention to her.

It wasn't all her fault as she knew that within the girls themselves there were a few of them that stood out by themselves. One of them was Kujyo Tsukiyo, who basically demanded things from Keima-kun like she deserved them and of course Fuse Aoba, the one girl that Kanon knew that he was flat out unable to win an argument in.

Shiomiya Shiori belonged to the latter category, the girls who just hung around in the background and enjoying the attention that Keima still showed them. Not that Kanon was jealous, she knew that Keima-kun was too gentle and kind to everyone in particular and there was nothing wrong in him doing that bit of kindness.

Apparently she was wrong about what the girls themselves viewed it and to them that was not kindness at all. Those girls were in love with him too and his gestures only lit their flames of love on fire even more. They were not giving up without a fight even though they knew who they were going against, her, Nakagawa Kanon.

It was something terrifying to know and yet at the same time gratifying. Now that she knew that the stakes that she was fighting for was higher than she ever imagined, Kanon would have no regrets in pulling out all the stops.

Today, was the day that she made Keima-kun fall in love with her as well!

'I'm looking forward to today, aren't you, Shiori-chan?'

'… I am... I will.'

Shiori managed to say after a while and she was surprised when Kanon offered a hand to her out of the blue.

'No... regrets, okay, Shiori-chan?'

Her words could mean nothing else and after a brief moment of hesitation, Shiori nodded and bravely shook her hands as well.

'None... Kanon-chan...'

..

It was a big surprise to see Kanon and Shiori reach the meeting spot together and with their arrival everyone was here and the girls instinctively looked at Aoba Fuse for what to do next, something which was noted by Keima as being very disturbing.

Kanon didn't even run straight up to him when she saw him and she seemed contented or at least satisfied in letting Aoba take the limelight today. He assumed that the girls were doing that out of politeness than anything else as today was Aoba's day and not theirs... even so, one can never tell what the girls thought amongst themselves privately.

'Let us go in then, we have the entire today together with Katsuragi, so we should enjoy ourselves.'

Putting on a small smile as she stood up and passed the tickets to everyone, Aoba wasn't surprised when Asami and Kanon strode up immediately to take their positions besides the two of them.

As a friend and somewhat of an advisor to Asami, Aoba was heartened to see that Kanon didn't seem too perturbed by how forward Asami was. Even though she was not clinging on to Keima's hands like the idol was, Asami was not budging from her spot beside Keima. To Kanon's benefit, she herself was not making too much of a fuss about the situation as the three of them went in through the gate together while the attendees and employees bowed and greeted them when they entered.

It was clear from the get-go that although the girls had made plans on where they wanted to go together they did not have a concrete plan on how to start as all of them had different ideas on where to start first.

As they stood around awkwardly at the front gate of the park, Aoba took control again and told Keima to head off with Asami and Kanon first along with whoever wanted to go with them.

'This is a group date, but I would wish that at any time there shouldn't be more than three girls with Katsuragi, that would be too much even for him. As for the rest, I suggest we take turns in hourly intervals?'

As Aoba dismissed them, she was amused to see Elsi recognizing and spotting Haqua hiding away in the distance and she shook her head while muttering that she didn't need to hide from them at all.

'… there is something I have to do today after all.'

Aoba muttered to herself and she was startled to hear Shiori ask her what she needed to do today. The quiet librarian had impressed her by coming to their meeting spot together with Kanon and apparently was in a conversation with her and Aoba raised Shiori's stock value by a little even as she shook her head.

'Closure... I have to seek closure.'

'Hai?'

..

For Haqua, this was the start of an extremely frustrating day as she knew of the group date that was happening later on that day but she just couldn't bring herself to just drop by seeing that she was not one of the 'captured' girls. Sure, she had been present to most of the meetings due to Elsi or Aoba's insistence but she was not a 'captured' heroine.

Right? Right...

So she couldn't just waltzed in and join them despite wanting to... she had became quite firm friends with Elsi's friends, Ayumi and Chihiro and their energy could rival Elsi's in many ways. They were just humans, but they were fun to be with and Haqua liked the two of them.

Haqua liked the quieter girls as well like Shiomiya Shiori and Yoshino Asami, the two of them were always very polite to her and to her surprise, very respectful as well. Shiori in particular seemed to lapse into silence once in a while and it was only after Aoba explained that she was probably too overwhelmed with her own thoughts to say much and when Shiori shook hands with her, Shiori looked like she was replaced with a plaster statue as she literally froze on that spot.

Thankfully Asami wasn't like that and even though Haqua found her hero-worship of Keima jarring, it was her life and she had no right to comment on what was right and wrong after all.

The same cannot be said for her relations with the other girls as she knew that she wasn't very welcomed by the Kujyo Tsukiyo or Aoyama Mio. The two of them seemed to see her as an oddity the same way that they saw Elsi, beings which were different from them and she was fine with that. What bothered her a little was how Elsi seemed to be getting along with Tsukiyo but not Mio, the other girl finding it difficult to converse with Elsi at times.

Friendly rivalry remained between her and Kasuga Kusonoki due to their first meeting with each other. As she recalled it, Kusonoki had wanted to settle things with Keima in a physical matter and it had came down to her to stop Kusonoki before she injured Keima.

Circumstances happened and the two of them were involved in a physical test of their skills and to Haqua's disbelief and to Kusonoki's bitterness, their bout had ended up in a draw between the two of them.

Kusonoki was undoubtedly better, faster and stronger with her blows but Haqua had more skills and tricks up her sleeve thanks to her raiment and she was able to hold Kusonoki off. Yes, she, a demon was unable to defeat and had to result to holding off a normal human with all her strength.

After that bout, the girls were understandably more mellow and approached the situation with ideas and discussions on non-physical methods of persuasion, the results of which one could see today.

Finally, there was one girl that were plainly afraid of her and that girl was Ikoma Minami, who had witnessed her bout with Kusonoki and despite Haqua knowing that she had her reasons, the damage was done and Minami ran from her every time Haqua approached her. Well, it was just a minor detail but the most important part was how Haqua really didn't know how to deal with Fuse Aoba.

The girl genius had her running in circles ever since the first time that they met and although Aoba had her moments, one of them being able to secure Keima for lunch with her help. It was embarrassing to admit but Fuse Aoba was someone who was way above her league in many ways than one... even her chest size was one size above hers.

There seemed to be nothing that she cannot do better than her and that made Haqua very nervous when dealing with Aoba, who knows what she would be scheming next.

..

'Let's go, let's go, Haqua~'

Pulling her hand, Elsi was all smiles as they queued up to have a go in the race karts followed with Chihiro and Ayumi. The three of them girls had decided to hang together after being 'dumped' by Keima. No, it would be more accurate to say that the two of them had their date 'snatched' away by Asami and Kanon and she felt a little bad for them.

'So how do we play this...'

Looking in confusion at how the others in front of them got into the vehicles and they drove off when a flag was waved.

'It's a race, you haven't been on one of these before eh, Haqua? Well, we can have a race together then~ The first person to get back to the starting line wins.'

Chihiro explained while Ayumi just stared wide eyed at another attraction just beside the current one, a UFO ride and she didn't say a word even as the other girls filled Haqua in on what was going on later.

'I guess I'll be going with Ayumi later on. Will the two of you be taking a turn as well?'

Asking that question seemed to awaken Ayumi from her daydream and she snapped to attention when Elsi said that if it'll be okay, she wanted to as well.

'Kami-Onii-sama has been ignoring me for the past week... that's not fair at all~'

Pouting, Elsi found herself being teased by Ayumi and Chihiro, who asked her if she was jealous while Haqua's heart quickened at the prospect. Was she going to go out with Katsuragi after all? S-she wasn't mentally prepared at all!

'T-That's not it!'

She told herself crossly and found herself in the centre of the attention as everyone else just stared at her outburst in confusion.

'… Haqua?'

'Is something wrong?'

Saying that everything was fine, Haqua couldn't suppress the anxiety that she felt even as she got into the race-kart and she was caught napping when Ayumi and Chihiro dashed forward when the lights turned green.

'H-Hey! Wait for me!'

..

It took a while but eventually Fuse Aoba was able to sit down with Keima in a small cafe without any further distractions or people around her.

It had been extremely difficult to do so as he was constantly on the move, whether it was with Mio and Tsukiyo in their tour of the museum or with Kusonoki and Minami together at the arcades.

It was understandable that the other girls were all excited about spending the day with him and she had given them a little lee-way to have fun for now. Aoba wasn't sure that the person in question was having fun though but she told herself that that was really the least of their concern.

He had made the choice to come down and thus he was reaping the punishment or the seeds that he had sowed by agreeing to her request.

Sure, his hands was forced but if he was the true god, he should be able to keep everything under control, under his pace and where he wished to lead the girls too, be it heaven or hell.

His skills were being tested and Aoba was glad and gratified to see him pass the test with energy left to spare.

'So... you choose to be neutral till the end, Capturing God-sama.'

Smiling respectfully to him as she ordered a cup of black coffee from the attendant serving them, Aoba watched evenly as Keima ordered a pot of tea for himself before answer tersely back.

'That has always been the case as it is the ideal situation to be in, Fuse. Or should I call you Mai-Hime today, you shipper.'

He was cross at her, no, not cross, that was flattering herself, he was mad at her and he had all the rights to be.

'Please call me whatever you wish, Kami-sama... I am forever indebted and below you after all. I am aware of that much at least... despite the skills and knowledge that I've gained throughout my journey to this point... there are still things that I cannot compare against you.

'You flatter me, use, my title and throne was gifted to me due to my dedication to the world. Belonging to our side, you should understand that as well.'

Aoba was specialized in more of Otome-games but yes, she was quite well versed and knew what Keima was talking about. He was the one who thought her that at first and she nodded while leaning back on her chair thoughtfully.

'I do acknowledge that. Your love for the world is undeniable but... I am afraid that is changing even as we speak.'

Aoba took a moment to consider her own words as Keima narrowed his eyes at her. It was her fault this happened in the first place, wasn't it? He was stuck in damage-control mode till she was satisfied so why was she not happy with this outcome. Didn't you think this up to in the first place?

'It... is not my intention to drag you from your throne, Kami-sama... that was not my intention at all. I admit that I am one of the catalyst that started this chain of reactions and was the guide that brought us to this point. I admit all of that, it is... the least I could do as well. Lapses have happened, errors in judgement have been made in my side.'

Looking down and falling silent as a waitress served the coffee and tea to the two of them, Aoba took the time to readjust her own feelings about the matter while Keima simply looked back at her, challenging to finish her provocative words.

..

He was the Capturing God, someone who she looked up to and of course, viewed as someone special but she came very close to admitting that she had betrayed him and it was something that he could not overlook.

There might be moments in time where his lost sheep had lost their way and perhaps even lost their faith in him.

That was their choice and despite him feeling the need to rectify their error, Keima knew that the right actions to take was to always stand for what he believed for.

To now aver, adapt or change his core values despite everything or everyone else tells him to. Perhaps there could be concessions to be made, methods to be amended but all of them would have to be within the acceptable range of deviation from his values.

All the girls seemed to be happy with that, if he changed himself he wouldn't be Katsuragi Keima after all.

Fuse Aoba was the exception, the only person who seemed to want to change him directly or indirectly with her actions. She wanted something form him, perhaps something precious about him or perhaps she wanted to know what made him tick.

This was something that goes against everything that he stood for as he was God, he should be above them all and despite knowing that more than anyone else, Fuse Aoba was still trying to reach for the forbidden fruit of knowledge or risk trying to open Pandora's Box.

There was a folk tale called: 'The crane that returned the favour' where a crane who has returned to help his saviour was forced to leave when he discovered her secret identity.

That was the exact scenario here as by forcing his hand, trying to discover who he really was, she was forcing him away from her more for her sake than for his. If not for the unfilled wish that Aoba bad bargained for him, he would rather not have anything to do with her considering what she has repaid his kindness with.

..

'… I have nothing more to add on... but...'

Aoba interrupted him as he was about to lash out at her and for her benefit, she did flinch a little at how he opened his mouth, ready to let loose a barrage of accusations that Keima relented just a little when he saw how much emotion she was showing today.

She was the Ice-Princess of the entire group of girls and she was also the pseudo leader of all of them, this was shown quite clearly today.

By showing a moment of weakness, she was letting the momentum and advantage that she had over him to slip away. Was this part of her plan after all or was that a genuine slip up and confession to him?

'But to say that... I hope to be forgiven. Although I should have realized this from the start... I had not. That is my sin and my error. All of this, the changes that I've forced on you, concessions you have to make was indirectly due to me. Your actions to us, for us have been warranted by your experience and knowledge of the situation at hand.

As for myself, I cannot say that I had done the same thing. For the mental anguish, stress and of course, hard decisions that you have to make due to my slip up, I apologize.'

Fuse Aoba, the Mai-Hime got up and bowed to him respectfully and of course sincerely as she held her head down for several seconds before raising it.

Being an Ice-Princess archetype, Aoba still thought that she had to be more sincere than most despite her archetype symbolizing that any apology from her was a rare event worth noting but since she was in Keima's good books at all, she'd rather go for broke.

That doesn't mean that she wasn't sincere there, she really was apologetic.

'Would you forgive me? Forgiving me for not following the rules of engagement?'

It was her last sentence that rouse something in Keima and for a moment he seemed to want to speak out but decided against it as he contemplated her words for a while.

When he did spoke though, he looked to the side while asking her to continue.

'Rules of engagement... huh? Fuse... it has been a while since anyone has spoken to me on that. I believe the rules of engagement only applies to capturing targets... So am I one to you after all?'

It was a question, not a statement but from Fuse Aoba's little start at being found out, Keima had his answer and it really pissed him off.

'… you are incredible... well, that is to be expected from the Capturing God. You are the one that taught me about the rules of engagement in the first place. Every encounter would have to begin with something, regardless of the setting, a trigger from a previous scene or due to the passing of time but at the same time, there are established rules on how one can engage an encounter.'

'That is accurate, it applies to all encounters provided that they offer the chance to raise love points for a capture. Of course, it is true that those same rules can be used in both the real and the world.'

Nodding his head at Fuse's summary, Keima waited for her to continue while sipping a sip of his tea.

Brushing her hair back, Aoba looked at her coffee thoughtfully for a moment before gulping a mouthful to keep herself alert. She needed to be nothing less in a battle of wits and wills against the Capturing God, especially if she was alone without backup.

His presence when he was serious was befitting of his title and she felt pressure just looking at him in the eye. Aoba felt happy too as this was a sign that he was treating her seriously and she sighed.

'Yes, that is accurate and that is where it all went wrong. It had been wrong at the start... the fundamentals were solid, my theories were accurate and my method was successfully seeing that I had forced your hand, kami-sama... I admit that I thought that was my greatest triumph yet... but at the same time, it was all wrong. The gears had aligned itself in the wrong way from the beginning.

The basis of my theory and of my capturing road map was flawed at the base. There had been no base in the first place. If you are the Capturing God, the god of capturing himself... then it was impossible for you to be a 'capturing' target and the rules of engagement did not apply at all.'

..

Aoba's words struck a chord with Keima and he nodded his head in agreement. That was the same conclusion that he had ended up with in the end. He was God, someone who had gone out of his way to help his lost lambs and not the other way around.

He was not the one being 'captured' here or rather, as a God there was no way he could be captured.

That was the flaw in this entire façade that Aoba had pulled over his eyes. If there was a case where he could be captured, then it would have to be the time when he was the protagonist of the story and had relinquished his role.

Since he was still firmly in control of the situation, no matter what Aoba did to try and wrest control from him, it was futile.

'… you are decent player, Fuse... that said, you are playing the wrong game.'

Keima's words made Aoba laugh, a rare sight and Keima took the opportunity to sip his tea. Now that she had confessed to him about her mistake, his annoyance and anger against Aoba had mostly been relieved. She too was a lost sheep that had lost her way but unlike other lost sheep, she had found her way back in front of him.

'It is embarrassing to admit that... but yes, perhaps that has been true. I may have told myself that I am more than capable of being a player character, without realizing that in the end, in the world there is only one player games.'

This earned a chuckle from Keima and after a while, the two of them just laughed at their own little jokes while sipping their drinks.

'That is my error and my flaw, you are the protagonist, Kami-sama... and till the end of this story, you would forever be. As a heroine, I should have the patience to wait and to believe, is that not right?

Instead of taking that role, I had tried to turn the chessboard over and taking it into my hands to change my own role, not knowing that it was impossible.'

'That would be enough, Fuse... You have made your point... by understanding the mistake you have made, I can forgive you... as at the same time, you showed yourself to be worthy to be called my one and only student.'

As Keima reached out to stroke her hair, Keima was rewarded with a full on blush from Fuse Aoba as she recoiled violently at his touch. Never had she reacted like this before but he was even more surprised when she mumbled that she wanted him to do it again.

'Please... I wish to be acknowledged more... it has been... so hard, to reach this far...'

It must have been a lonely journey to reach this point, she was the Mai-Hime, one of the possible successors to his throne that his world had accepted but one have to remember the hard work and sacrifice she must have did to update her own blog, submit her own ideas, he own capturing road map... and the love for the characters to be recognized as such.

As to what Fuse said that she lacked, Keima knew that she lacked love. She tends to show favouritism to some specific archetypes and to his amusement, it seemed to be archetypes that fitted his personality.

The Mai-hime had said once that she was always chasing after someone, someone that would like to meet and even when she did reach him, he wanted to keep her at arms length due to how she was.

That must have been terrible for her even if she had not admitted that as such.

Now that she had been forgiven, all the emotions that she had been bottled up could be released in one fell swoop and that was why she had given up so easily when she was praised.

Gone was the Ice-Princess, the Mai-Hime, the one in front of him right now was Fuse Aoba. The girl that had fought so hard to reach him at long last, not as the genius girl, but as the girl who liked Katsuragi Keima.

In a way, the same way as Nakagawa Kanon, Fuse Aoba had held her own feelings in check to help the girls gain a foothold within him. Now that the time has passed, it was time for her to get her scene as a heroine.

..

'I.. I would have to request that you... not tell any one about my breakdown.'

Wiping away the tears in her eyes as she sat beside Keima, her head resting on the table as Keima continued to stroke her hair gently and fondly.

Aoba never really liked keeping her hair long as it was so hard to maintain and right now, with her hair barely touching her shoulder, Aoba wondered how it would feel like if he ran his fingers through a much longer length of hair.

It was a weird thought and Aoba immediately banished it from her before coughing and sitting back on her chair again.

'Please... Kami-sama...'

The barest signs of a blush was still apparent as Keima nodded his head in promise.

'It won't get out through me... though I'm unsure if there were other witnesses to your break down, Heroine.'

Keima seemed to want to dig at her a little more but she let it slide as she tried to get her game face back on, a considerably hard task considering she had just lost all the momentum and initiative she had over him.

Being a heroine huh... it didn't seem that bad but there was something left that they have to discuss between the two of them.

'S-Stop it... K-Kami-sama.. w...we have more urgent matters to turn to. Despite... myself wishing that this could go on... it is undeniably not to be. You have granted our wish, all of us... to help us remember what we have felt and had been covered up for us. For that, we thank you... I am certain that I am saying this on behalf of all of them when I said so.'

Aoba struggled to keep her cool and seeing that Aoba was actively trying to get out of the scene that she had fought so hard to get, Keima relented and listened to her.

'However, what lies ahead of us is solely in your hands. No doubt that all of us want answers... some of us has gotten closure, some of us has been given initiatives to go on... some an opportunity to reflect on the past and to plot the future... but I believe that all of us want to know the answer to the question that you have been asking yourself.'

Putting a hand on Keima's hand, Fuse Aoba stared at Keima as she asked the final question of this chapter, of this arc and possibly the story.

..

'Who are you, Katsuragi Keima. Are you God or are you human? When you answer that question truthfully, is the time that all of us get our answer as well.'

..

Was he god or was he human?

Being a god meant choosing the world over the real and by being human, it meant that he would be abandoning the world that he has always embraced.

'It is difficult question and one that I have not been able to solve or to figure out. You are an enigma, being a being that can be both when looked at different scenarios. You are no doubt the protagonist but at the same time, you are the player of the game. This is... a game for you, or is it not? I have not been able to know as you have all the cards and I do not. I may have been able to peek at the card that you have in your hands but not the card that has been dealt to you.

Please, Capturing God-sama... no, Katsuragi Keima-sama... I, Fuse Aoba... would like you to decide now... whether you are God or Human. With the answer, I know what we can do... to preserve this situation, the balance that you crave and have been fighting for. I pledge this, with my name and my title of Mai-hime. Even... if means that you have to take away our precious memories from us'

Looking at him, Fuse Aoba held his breath as he seemed to consider her question before a small, lonely smile appeared on his face.

'There has always been one answer, Mai-Hime, you should know that more than anything else.'

A lonely smile that she has seen only once, immediately after confronting him about the truth and Aoba felt shivers run up her spine at how handsome he looked at the moment, as if he was literally glowing when he delivered the verdict that she and all the girls had been waiting for.

..

..

'Ah, Katsuragi?'

Blinking in confusion as her friends in the trek team asked her about the Otamegane, Takahara Ayumi shrugged while asking them what they wanted to know.

'You're friends with him right? As in... real friends, not classmates?'

'Yep, Katsuragi's a friend of mine... What's with that look of surprise for? He's surprisingly a nice guy when you know him.'

Jogging on the spot to get her blood flowing just right, Takahara Ayumi laughed again when her friends discussed her words amongst themselves. Even if no one believed her, she knew that she was saying the truth and she skimmed the stairs hoping to see his figure in the shadows.

'Aw nuts~'

Kicking a stone away from the track, Ayumi tied her hair up in a ponytail even as her friends asked her again.

'Really...? He's the otamegane after all~ Did something happen between the two of you, Ayumi?'

They started teasing her but they were shocked to see Ayumi laughing at their comments, clutching at her stomach to stop her from laughing too much and after wiping her tears of laughter away, Ayumi shrugged while getting into position again.

'Well, what do you think?'

With that statement, Ayumi dashed off like a speeding missile in surely another personal record-breaking run as she felt that her heart and her body seemed lighter than ever before.

..

'… You seem to be quieter than usual, Mio-chan.'

Blinking in surprise as she was asked that by one of her regulars, Aoyama Mio tilted her head in consideration before shaking her head.

'You're just imagining it, commoner. Why would I be worried about anything at all.'

Narrowing her eyes as she roughly exchanged the colder bread she had in her basket with a much fresher one, causing the elderly lady to laugh at her antics again.

'Oh my, Mio-chan... back to your normal mood again aren't you? That's nice to see you so energetic.'

Laughing to herself even as Mio worked the cashier, Mio gave a small jump as her customer asked her about the boy that had been working with her that one time.

'He looked like a nice boy... Mio-chan always likes to work on a one-person shift... so I was surprised to see him helping you out, Mio-chan.'

That was right, it was a mistake to take shift together with him on the busiest hours of the whole day but since it has already been done, she shouldn't think too much about it.

'Hmph, he's everything but that. You won't see him ever again, now go away, I'm busy.'

Crossing her arms even as the elderly lady left the shop while wishing her well, Mio slumped down against the cashier before flicking away at the receipts that she had collected today.

'… stupid... it's not that I want him to come over again... or anything...'

..

'You've been working harder than usual Kanon-chan? What is the matter?'

Looking over Kanon's shoulder, Kanon's manager, Okada Tomoe was confused to see even more stage lines in the folder that Kanon was carrying with her. She would have thought that Kanon was working on her homework so why was she practising her lines?

Anyway, Kanon's little drama serial was about all wrapped up and there was only a few more scenes before filming was wrapped up so where did these lines came from.

'Gomen, it's a secret... I think, I'll want to pursue any path as well in the future. I hope that Okada-san would continue to support my decision though.'

Smiling while rubbing away at her eyes in an attempt to ignore the fatigue, Kanon returned to her script when Okada did agree to her request.

'I'll do my best, Kanon-chan, as always of course.'

Kanon nodded but when she stepped out of her changing room, she did breathe easier before pulling her brand new PFP out and plugging into it.

'… Now then, how did it go again?'

Rubbing her throat and drinking a sip of the honey herbal concoction that she had prepared for herself, Kanon tried her best in the new line of work that she had discovered while accompanying her most precious person that fateful day.

..

'Well, I'm surprised that you really finished it, Shiori.'

'T-Thank you...'

Looking happy as she submitted the manuscript to the chairperson, Shiomiya Shiori looked at her expectedly while her senior flipped through the pages for a quick glance.

'Hmm... a romance novel huh? I wouldn't expect you to write that...'

'Eh... w-why not?'

Looking a little surprised at how quickly Shiori reacted to her words, the chairperson of the Library committee thought for a moment while looking through and she shrugged.

'I'd thought that you'll be taking ideas from the books that you have been reading lately... but I suppose I was worried for nothing... this story, it's an original isn't it? It might be a little simple, but I could see Shiori's style inside it.'

'… my style...'

Closing her eyes and leaning back against her chair in relief, Shiori spent a few moments contemplating about what she has written before she nodded while resting her head on the table in front of her.

'… I think... so too... it's something, that … I have to write... as I can't lose...'

'Can't lose?'

Shrugging as she dropped the question, the chairperson left Shiori alone to her own devices as she left but before she walked out of earshot, she called Shiori again.

'Shiori, I'm looking forward to the sequel. This story isn't over yet, right?'

Watching in satisfaction as Shiori nodded her head energetically before reaching for her notebook and pen, she left while wondering about the 'K x S' written clearly at the end of the story.

'I wonder what that meant?'

..

'Why do you ask that all of a sudden?'

Frowning as she was suddenly interviewed by the Schools newspaper and the topic was of course, regarding the person that she had been seen speaking with in more than one occasion. There had been plenty of gossip going around the school about that particular person but right now the spotlight rested on Kasuga Kusonoki and the current head of the Girl's Karate Club.

'Welll~ the school and their inhabitants has the right to know the truth! So if you don't mind, tell us what happened between the two of you~'

Helming the interview was a second year student who was well known for her stubbornness and determination to dig as deep as possible to unearth juicy news for the school paper. Kusonoki knew that and she realized that if she backed away now, she would probably dig up another unsavoury truth in the quest for some juicy story and she sighed in resignation.

Taking that sigh as consent, the nosy interviewer pulled out her notebook and listened intently.

'Katsuragi has helped me out in the past. It was something that I was unable to deal with by myself and as such, he helped me and I was successful in a task of mine. Due to that, I am in his debt and has been trying to repay the debt, unfortunately I have been unable to do so even now.'

It was the truth and from the expression that the interviewer was giving, it was good enough for a scoop and she started on her way again.

'W-Wait! Are you admitting that there is something that you cannot do that the Otamegane can do?'

If there was any doubt of which side she was standing on before, Kasuga Kusonoki blew that question away when she slammed a fist and another hole into yet another concrete pillar before saying that it was the truth.

'And his name is Katsuragi, a honourable person who I owe a debt to. I will defend his honour if necessary.'

Cracking her knuckles to make the duo flee, Kusonoki sighed before shaking her hand to relieve it of the pain.

'That was a little too much... ow...'

..

'Since I started, why not get some for him too.'

Muttering to herself while she was hanging out with her friend, Terada Miyako, Kosaka Chihiro picked up another meat bun while her friend looked at her in confusion.

'First it was Ayumi, now you too... what's happened?'

Looking at her curiously, Miyako didn't get a reply from Chihiro as the girl popped to the cashier to pay for the food that she was going to bring back to school for lunch.

'Eh? Sorry, I didn't quite hear you, Miyako. Could you repeat that?'

Scratching her head in apology, Chihiro looked at her for a while but Miyako simply shook her head and commented that love itself was blind.

'Eh? Well... I agree with that. Who would have known eh?'

Smiling happily as she cradled the two meat buns in her arms, Kosaka Chihiro looked forward to the expression that the boy would give him when she offered the offering to him again today.

The warmth that she felt while holding the buns were surely not due to how warm the buns were but it came from her heart while remembering the things that have happened.

'You've changed, Chihiro... I think it's for the better... although I'm not sure on your taste and eye for men... you suck at that.'

Miyako commented while Chihiro nodded in agreement.

'Yeah, I have a totally bad eye for guys in general... but trial and error isn't that bad of a thing... I guess all I needed was some conviction and belief.'

'T-That's surprisingly deep, Chihiro... have you been thinking about that?'

Teasing her again, Miyako was rendered speechless as Chihiro shook her head and just smiled back at her in reply. It was then that Miyako realized that Chihiro was in her own way, much more than she seemed in the outside.

As if transcending her mortal frame and looks, she was someone who was dazzling in her own way.

'Not really, I... just know that.'

..

'Good afternoon.'

Ringing the bell as she stepped into Cafe Grampa, Kujyo Tsukiyo smiled wordlessly at Katsuragi Mari as she made her way to guide her to her usual booth at the corner of the cafe.

'Good afternoon Tsukiyo-chan~ I'll get the usual for you and I made something special for you today too! Please wait a minute.'

Smiling and nodding at her, Tsukiyo seated herself while adjusting the cushion and the curtains beside her. This was a booth that was reserved specially for her ever since she had taken it to come down every afternoon for a pot of tea in Cafe Grampa.

The atmosphere, the setting, the people and the memories she had of this place were all beautiful and what's more it provided her with an excellent vantage point to see who was coming into the cafe.

Despite being hit on in several occasions, Tsukiyo had reasoned that overall, the experience here was much better than she could have had in school.

'Here you go, Tsukiyo-chan~ how bout you try it? A mango meringue just for you~ I coloured it so that it matches your hair, Tsukiyo-chan~ I won't disturb you further but you must tell me how it tasted, okay?'

Taking her leave as Mari knew that Tsukiyo liked to be alone, Mari had became accustomed to Tsukiyo's odd behaviour, mannerism and habits by now and she had even set aside a small plate and cutleries for Luna as well.

'… It is a beautiful thing...'

Studying the dessert, Tsukiyo felt her stomach rumble in anticipation of the treat but she held herself in check after pouring a cup of tea for herself.

'Be patient, Luna... our guest is arriving after all.'

Yes, one of the main reasons for her being here was to meet with a certain someone, someone who had shown her something beautiful every day, regardless of what he was doing or what he brought.

'… Another beautiful thing to add to my collection.

Tsukiyo mumbled while seeing the familiar person walk up to the front gate even as a small smile graced her features.

..

'That's a great job today, Minami! A new personal record!'

Hitting her on her back as they headed off, Minami's fellow swimming team members bid their goodbyes while she was still changing and she smiled to herself while clutching her swimsuit in another hand.

It was perhaps time to switch another swimsuit but unlike the last time, she would buy a new one... this one had so many memories in it and it would be a lie if Minami said that she wouldn't miss it.

'Minami-chan, are you going back now?'

As she finished changing, she bumped into some of her seniors in the High School swimming team and she nodded to them in reply.

'Mm~ I'm done practising for today.'

'You're so hard-working, Minami-chan , we should learn more from you, huh?'

As she was fond of going to the High-School section to speak with Kasuga-sempai, Minami had caught the eye of the high-school swimming team members and occasionally they would practise together if their schedules met up.

It was odd but Minami felt more free and happy with her seniors than with her other friends, who had skipped practise in their pursuit for boys.

As they left school, Minami smiled while trying to brush her hair as her seniors discussed and gossiped all about the goings on in school.

'Do you know that Kasuga-san is indebted to the Otamegane, that was a surprise! I always thought that Kasuga-sempai was almighty but there are things that she wasn't good at after all.'

It wasn't a jibe at Kasuga Kusonoki but they were all curious about the article that had been recently published and despite herself, Minami found herself in the centre of the spotlight as they asked Minami if they knew anything about it.

'Minami-chan, you're close to Kasuga-san right? What could the Otamegane has done to earn her favour, huh? Do you know?'

'… it's Katsuragi-sempai... desu ka? He's a very remarkable person.'

Her words seemed to shock her seniors but Minami didn't even seem to mind them questioning her as she just smiled even brighter while looking back at the swimming compound.

'You might not believe me... but to me and Kasuga-sempai, Katsuragi-sempai is someone who helped us through... many things.'

..

'So are you going out with him at all, Yoshino?'

Being badgered by another boy who wanted to confess to her, Yoshino Asami shook her head after rejecting him once again.

'But then why not? Why can't you go out with me?'

It had been surprising to note that the number of confessions that she had received over the past few weeks were double the amount she would have in an entire year and she wondered if the boys were finally getting a little panicking after she showed so much courage to get closer to her crush.

'… as I have someone that I like.'

Asami answered softly but firmly and she bowed to him before excusing herself.

'He doesn't even like you!'

His words together with how he grabbed her shoulder made her wince in pain but unlike previous attempts, Yoshino Asami slowly pried his hands away from her shoulder and calmly stated that even if he doesn't, it won't change her feelings.

'I... like Keima-san. That is all that is and I won't go out with you, I'm sorry.'

It was a display of courage and confidence that finally made the boy give up and she went on her way back to class where she would try to catch her crush's attention again.

It was not that she had not read the article that had been published about him and Kusonoki sempai but that doesn't mean that she should stop trying, especially since she was the first recorded case of a girl that liked him.

'I hope that he... will like lunch.'

Yoshino Asami smiled to herself as her footsteps got more urgent as she knew that competition for him had heated up thanks to the article that had been published. By adding such confusing stories into the mix, the legend and stories about the Otamegane was surely changing and for the better.

Besides the boys confessing to her, Asami knew that she had gotten a little... more used to crowds as she was able to stand up for him after a group of boys asked her to stop hanging around him.

'… I won't... as that was what I promised myself.'

..

'So it all ends like this.'

Fuse Aoba, the Mai-Hime looked at her cup of coffee before nodding in amusement at how simple and complex it has been.

'Hiding away in plain sight... huh? That is... definitely something that I would never have thought that he'll have the courage to do so.'

Looking thoughtful as she swirled the cup of coffee that she was holding, Aoba commented to her guest while she leaned back against her chair while musing aloud.

'Till the end, he has decided to keep the rule of a protagonist as well as keeping her own stand unique as an observer and passer-by. Well I do not think that is a bad thing, nor is it a good thing as it is making us wait for an answer in his own schedule. That said, as heroines, we can only wait, believe and pray. Pray that the protagonist would eventually come and give us the answer that we desperately needed.

Truly a masterful technique, even if I do think that your life would be more difficult from now on. Once a protagonist, always a protagonist and the number of encounters, scenes and events would increase steeply once the world declares you as such. It all depends on whether the real works in the same way.'

It was enough though as it served the grant the girl their wishes for an eventual answer while keeping his hold on the world and it was certainly something that she didn't think of.

'Till the end, I am no match for you, Capturing God... you are truly a God and a Devil together... not to mention.'

Fuse Aoba smiled she looked at the company that she was having coffee, a certain flat-chested demon girl as she shook her head in annoyance.

'A human...'

..

..

..

'Kami-Onii-sama~ Wait for me!'

Running after him as he continued to play on his PFP, Katsuragi Elsi smiled happily as she latched onto his arm to keep him from running away.

'Get off me... you're slowing me down.'

'Ehh~ that's not what you told Asami-chan though~'

'That's a different issue... you're my sister, not the girl-next-door.'

'Ehh~ Discrimination, uu uu~~'

Life goes on like how it does as life finds a way. No, in this case, the God found a way to coexist with the girls. The girls that he had acknowledged and not recognize, leaving them to continue holding their crush on him in public as well as in private.

This is, the world that only the girls know!

..

Author's Notes: With that, that's the end of The World Only the Girl's Know: Blue Rose Paradox~ Looking back it has came from a secret project born out of the hilarious scene with Haqua and Aoba to this 11 chapter long story that you see here.

Perhaps you are disappointed by the ending, perhaps you are not, so please drop a review to tell me what you truly felt about the end of this particular story while doing my new poll too!~

Once again, thank you to dongaro, Kaiser Dude, Wolf's Honor and my followers, especially my reviewers, who had stuck by me till the end of this spin-off.

The sequel of this story would be published together with this chapter and so if you don't mind, please do check it out!

Till the next time we meet!