Shidou exhales, calming his strange excitement. It's 11:57 PM, late for a high schooler to be out, but Ratatosk likely has it covered. He's too consumed by his feelings for Kurumi to care—emotions he's now aware of but struggles to contain.
Kurumi's chosen meeting spot holds special meaning for Shidou alone—a promise made when he was just an ignorant high schooler, unaware of spirits, AST, or world crises. Reflecting, he chuckles at how desperate he was back then, though that desperation persists.
"What'll she say? If it's a rejection… I might not recover," he mutters, smirking bitterly at the starry sky. He shakes off the negativity—pointless before meeting her.
At the hilltop park, Shidou is truly alone. The city lights below are dim, and he's ditched his usual earpiece, insisting it's unnecessary for this date. Kurumi's invitation, his acceptance—it's a continuation of their past, following her rules. It could be a trap, but Shidou trusts she'd be more cunning if that were her intent. Kotori, sensing this, reluctantly allowed his whim, though Fraxinus will forcibly retrieve him if things turn dangerous—a precaution born of her care for her ribbon-loving brother.
At midnight, the appointed time, Shidou senses her. "You're there, Kurumi," he calls.
Footsteps echo. A figure emerges in a radiant red-and-black dress, her beauty devilishly captivating, like a goddess from a dream. "Good evening, Shidou-san. Lovely night, isn't it?" Kurumi says with a queenly smile.
"The moon's stunning… but you're far more beautiful," Shidou replies.
They laugh, their intertwined fates converging in this moment.
"I meant to surprise you. How did you know I was here?" Kurumi asks.
"Just a hunch. That spirit dress doesn't exactly blend in," Shidou teases.
"A miscalculation. I'm good at hide-and-seek, but perhaps different attire was needed," she concedes, noting her glowing dress's visibility—a rare oversight.
"Don't change. I love you in anything, but that dress? Stunning," Shidou says earnestly.
"My, you've grown smooth," Kurumi teases.
"I'm… trying hard," he admits, scratching his cheek, face flushed.
His cheesy lines aren't effortless—only Kurumi draws them out naturally. The midnight setting and their solitude amplify his excitement, though he knows he'll cringe later.
"You're so you, Shidou-san. I prefer your honest charm over a slick playboy," Kurumi says.
"Is that… a compliment?" he asks.
"Yes. I adore your honesty," she replies.
He blushes, thrilled by her words. Her smile shifts to melancholy, her beauty like a painting. "What's wrong?" he asks.
"Why did you trust me, Shidou-san?" she questions.
"Huh?" Shidou tilts his head. He thought he'd made it clear. "Was I unclear? I love you, Kurumi. I decided to trust you no matter what. I'll shout it if I must—"
"No, no! It's clear!" she interrupts, flustered—a rare sight Shidou mentally saves. But her expression darkens again. "Trusting someone targeting you the next day… why?"
"You mad?" he teases.
"Not at all," she huffs, clearly annoyed. "I'm not bothered by your recklessness."
She's mad, but Shidou holds back, sensing her concern mirrors his own. "You're one to talk. Acting all villainous but always worrying about others. Think about yourself too," he retorts.
"I'm not playing villain or worrying. I'm not as reckless as you," she counters.
"I'll manage," he says.
"Then so will I," she snaps.
Shidou concedes, knowing he can't win this argument. They both risked themselves to protect each other before—mutual recklessness. "My love for you is the main reason, but… Tohka helped me recover," he admits.
"Tohka?" Kurumi's eyes widen.
Despite Kotori's warnings against mentioning other girls, Shidou stays honest. "Yeah. Your rejection hit hard—getting dumped before confessing? Ouch."
"That's it, isn't it?" she sighs.
"I told you, I'm not scared of you. Guys are sensitive—rejection stings," he jokes, though her words truly shook him. "Tohka said your smile couldn't be fake. That reminded me of your smile at the end."
Kurumi falters, her brief, unguarded smile from that moment exposed. "I'm no actress," she murmurs.
"That smile convinced me you're not bad," Shidou says. "No one with that smile could be."
"You're too naive. Who trusts their would-be killer like this?" she challenges.
"And you protected me despite targeting me. That's just as wild," he counters.
She grimaces, caught. In that desperate moment, her body acted on instinct, not reason—a weak excuse for her time-rewinding abilities, but Shidou doesn't know that.
"You're vital to my goal. Losing you would ruin everything," she says.
"Still, thanks for saving me. And… I'm glad you're okay," Shidou replies.
Her heart skips. His selflessness—always running straight for others—disarms her. "If I saved you, why shield me?" she asks.
"Kotori called me an idiot for it. But I'd do it again. I said I'd give my life for you," he declares.
"You fool," she whispers.
"Yup," he grins.
His honesty, recklessness, and sincerity—she loves it all. "Then… thank you," she says softly. "Being protected… it meant a lot."
It was her first time feeling so cherished, so wanted. That warmth, his feelings, overwhelmed her with joy. She'd suppressed her emotions, believing they were unnecessary as a spirit. But both spirit and girl are Tokisaki Kurumi. She'll embrace the contradiction and struggle.
"It's unfair to let you do all the talking," she says. "How much do you love me, Shidou-san?"
"Uh… fine," he stammers, caught off guard but eager. "I can't sum it up. I want to be with you every day, talk nonsense, go on dates, do everything together—"
"I love you, Shidou-san," Kurumi interrupts.
Time seems to stop. Her radiant, shy smile is the most beautiful thing Shidou's ever seen—a moment he wants to freeze forever. Her words unleash a dizzying, uncontrollable longing. This is love.
"That's… not fair!" he protests, face burning.
"I'm a cunning woman," she teases, covering her face, likely smirking.
"If I could, I'd stay by your side forever. I tried to bury these feelings as unnecessary, but they're mine too," she confesses.
"Kurumi…" Shidou breathes.
"Remember our promise?" she asks.
He nods. It's why he's here.
"I'm in trouble, Shidou-san. You want to seal my powers, but I can't let that happen—not even now, knowing my feelings," she says.
"I figured," he replies, understanding her unyielding resolve.
"So… give me everything," she demands boldly.
"Huh?" Shidou blinks, stunned by her audacity.
"Let's make a bet," she declares, exuding confidence. "I'll make you abandon everything—family, duty, future—to offer your life to me."
"What—" Shidou starts, then pauses. Deep down, hasn't he thought he'd let her take his life? Her serious, radiant expression confirms she means it.
"I'll make you fall completely for me. Your 'love' isn't enough. I'll claim every part of you," she vows.
Her seductive touch grazes his cheek. He meets her gaze fiercely. "Challenge accepted. I'll make you fall so hard you can't live without me. I'll become your reason to live."
"Can you? My purpose outweighs my life," she counters.
"Then I'll take your life," he says, tilting her chin with a dramatic whisper.
Her cheeks flush faintly. "How violent. Almost a proposal," she teases.
"Guess I'll need a better one," he quips, ignoring his fleeting rationality warning of Fraxinus's panic and future embarrassment. Right now, only Kurumi matters.
"Fine with this bet? I won't stop until you say 'yes.' I'll haunt you relentlessly," he says.
"I won't yield until you do. No mercy," she retorts.
They exchange taunts, then laugh, their resolve unspoken. They'll make each other fall, staking their lives. Hands extend—not to hold, but to signal the start of battle.
"Let's start our war date," they say in unison.
The longest war date begins.
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