"—Tch!"
"Kyaa…"
A light collision as Shidou, hurrying down the hall, bumps into a student descending the stairs. His haste and inattention are to blame.
"Sorry, my fault—Kurumi!?"
"No, I… Shidou-san?"
Shidou steps back, startled, as Kurumi's eyes widen in recognition.
Her reaction sparks a question. Shidou's used to flustering, but Kurumi showing such clear… panic? It's rare, especially after that footage.
"You came from upstairs? …Something happen?"
"Well… just a small errand. It's done, no need to worry."
Errand? The roof's up there—mostly deserted. What was she doing? Her serene smile, masking any panic, makes probing harder.
"What about you, Shidou-san? Why the rush?"
"Uh… well…"
Her question catches him off guard. He was rushing for her, assuming she'd be in class. Facing her now, nerves choke his words.
Hours ago, he'd have stumbled, but not now. His mouth's dry, heart pounding—first time he's felt this tense. Still, he has words for her.
"…I've got business with you."
"With me?"
"Yeah, uh… tomorrow's the school's founding anniversary, a holiday, right? So… wanna hang out somewhere?"
"—That's…"
"Wait, hold on!"
Cutting her off, Shidou takes a deep breath, calming himself. He wanted to say it first—call it a guy's pride.
He'd planned this, Spirit or not. Not Ratatosk's training, but his own mirror rehearsals. Early, but he genuinely wants this with her.
From the heart, with utmost sincerity, he unleashes his feelings.
"Kurumi, go on a date with me."
A direct, earnest shot—the war date's opening salvo. Kurumi's response—
"…Eh…!?"
Blushing furiously, her eyes blink rapidly, face turning crimson. Shidou's seen her shy twice, but this explosive flush—sound effect included—is new. His own face heats up.
"Kurumi… san?"
Momentum gone, sanity returns. He expected her usual composure, maybe a playful dodge, not this adorable, girlish reaction. It's a critical hit to his brain—typical.
"Y-Yes! I understand! A date, right!? I know all about it!"
"Alright, calm down!?"
He's hardly calm himself, but his words help. She exhales, visibly settling, though her fluster is unbelievable for the usually aloof Kurumi.
"Sorry… I've never been so earnestly invited by a gentleman. I showed an unsightly side."
"Nah, I was sudden…"
Unsightly? A treasure for Shidou's mental Kurumi folder—permanently saved.
"So… how about it?"
"…I'm honored. If I'm acceptable, I gladly accept your invitation."
"Phew, great…"
Relief washes over him. Rejection would've crushed him, despite Kotori's assurance of high affection. First hurdle cleared.
"…"
"…"
Silence falls. Embarrassed, Shidou avoids her gaze, scratching his cheek. Unseen, Kurumi's in a similar state.
It's lunch break—standing in the hall, blushing, they're conspicuous. Shidou, rumor-prone, and Kurumi, the transfer student, draw suggestive stares. More misunderstandings—however true—are the last thing he needs.
"Let's head back to class! Tohka's waiting!"
"Yes, Tohka-san's waiting."
They walk, slightly apart, but somehow like a nervous couple before their first date, as someone later notes.
"Shidou… um…"
"Yeah…?"
Why does this keep happening? The phrase loops in Shidou's mind, tally rising. Before him, Tohka, clothes loosened, a ticket tucked in her ample cleavage, face redder than a tomato, attempts to seduce him.
How did this happen?
Recent events honed his ability to assess chaos. Shaking off distractions, he recaps.
Lunch break: He felt Tohka's fidgety stares after returning with Kurumi. School ended, he subtly set a time and place with Kurumi—Origami's glares were intense—and headed home with Tohka to cook dinner. Now, this.
Curtains drawn, door locked. The vibe screams forbidden.
"What's… up?"
"…W-Wanna… go on a d-date?"
"Date?"
His sanity's at risk. Stunned, he didn't expect this. A date? He'd agree instantly without this theatrics—what's going on?
The ticket's a clear signal. No reason to refuse, and rejecting feels dangerous. Trembling, he reaches—
"U-Um! Tomorrow… date with me!"
"—!!"
His trembling stops—hand, heart, everything. Panic fades, head clears. She said tomorrow. That won't do.
"…Tomorrow's no good."
"Huh…?"
His muttered words make Tohka's face fall, puppy-like. He hates seeing her like that, but tomorrow's off-limits.
"That's not it…!? Then—"
"No, listen, Tohka."
She glances at a paper on the table, ready to act. He grabs her shoulders—soft, deadly, beautiful—shaking off stray thoughts, and speaks firmly.
"Tomorrow, I'm dating Kurumi."
"—! Shidou…"
Her eyes widen, then glisten, lost like an abandoned pup.
He panics—too blunt. He calms himself.
"Don't misunderstand. It's not about later or sooner. Tomorrow, I'm dating Kurumi… to save her."
It's a cheap excuse, he knows. But he believes Tohka, who helped save Yoshino, will understand.
"Kurumi's a Spirit, like you and Yoshino. But AST nearly killed her…!!"
"What…!?"
Tohka, who shrugs off AST easily, looks shocked. He presses on, desperate for her to believe. He doesn't want Kurumi hurt. He needs to face her properly.
"If we wait, she could be attacked again—maybe for good. So, give me tomorrow! I'll cook anything you want! Any other day, I'll date you anywhere!!"
"Shidou…"
"Give me time to save Kurumi."
He bows. It's unfair, using Kurumi as a shield, but it's all he has. Dating is his only way to save Spirits.
Silence stretches—seconds or minutes.
"…That's unfair."
"…"
Tohka breaks the quiet, looking away, slightly pouty but not angry. Adjusting her clothes, she heads out, like before.
"Hmph, go date Kurumi. Dummy, dummy."
"Hey, Tohka!?"
Did he mess up? Panicking, he stands to fix her mood, but she pauses at the door.
"Save Kurumi… like you did me."
Her soft words reach him, bringing relief and a smile.
"Thanks, Tohka."
They promised to save Spirits together. Forcing her to understand wasn't fair, but he must save Kurumi. Afterward, he'll treat Tohka to a grand date, granting all her whims, he grins.
He believes he can save her.
Phew.
Nine PM—Shidou, a healthy high schooler, should be active, but tonight he's in bed early, staring at the ceiling. Not a hobby—just restless. Tomorrow's date keeps him wired, unable to sleep. Closing his eyes, he sees her.
"Tomorrow… I'm dating Kurumi…"
It feels unreal, yet his heart races. He's dating Tokisaki Kurumi—something he's wanted, though not like this.
Date and charm. That otherworldly beauty, that enigmatic girl—he must charm her. A daunting date. Failure risks her life—a literal war date. No backing down. He'll charm her, and—
"…Hm?"
A critical oversight hits him. Charm a Spirit, then what?
"…Kiss Kurumi?"
A nosebleed drips. Just nosebleed, but still.
"Gah!? Wait, wait, calm down!!"
Scrambling for tissues, he's a mess. A dateless teen, Shidou's a hopeless virgin, flustered by imagining a kiss with her.
The night before the war date, he dreams not—because sleep never comes.
"Shidou invited you on a date?"
"Yes… in simple terms."
"It's a date, plain and simple. Perfect—alone, you're closer to your goal."
No interruptions, all benefits. Yet Kurumi, invited by Shidou, sits on the sofa, expression complex—not dissatisfied, but unsettled.
"True, but…"
"What? Don't tell me you planned to toy with him but got charmed by his serious face—"
Kurumi flinches, trembling visibly. Face down, her uncharacteristic shakes speak volumes.
Seriously? The robed girl freezes, stunned.
"…No way. Kurumi, you really—"
"Impossible! Me, charmed by Shidou-san? A terrible joke. I was just distracted by trifles and caught off guard!!"
Ignoring the girl's disbelief, Kurumi, uncharacteristically, pounds the sofa, piling excuses. The girl smirks under her hood—denial confirms it.
Knowing the aloof Kurumi, this fluster is shocking. Her heart's unguarded. Shidou's effect on her has always surprised the girl.
"Why're you acting like I saw it!?"
"Don't snap at me… I didn't see, just figured Shidou'd practice asking you out in a mirror."
Kurumi glares, but the girl shrugs it off, face hidden. The charmed bit was a jest, but Shidou practicing? True—guessed from memory.
Still, Kurumi's reaction to a date invite is… telling. The clone's jest wasn't a jest. Those feelings aren't all good, the girl knows. Meet, fall, kiss, happy end—if only Kurumi were that simple. They wouldn't be here, nor met Shidou.
Those feelings are poison—maddening, world-changing. The girl doesn't know them but does.
Yet Kurumi's unyielding will swallows conflicting emotions, pushing forward. But those feelings gnaw at her resolve.
"Fine. I'll retire early for tomorrow."
"Sure—"
She's suffering, hiding it even from herself. Perhaps unaware of her creaking heart. At least—
"Goodnight, my queen. Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams for a Nightmare? Quite the ironic jest."
At least, a moment's peace for her queen.
The night deepens, the clock ticks, morning nears. The war date begins.