Volume 11 - CH 4(3/4)
“......meeting spot and time understood. Okay....”
But, her hands stopped right before sending the mail.
---Is this reply really okay? Is this just too simple for all that matters?
“..............”
After Origami silently erased her text, she fixed her posture and retyped the mail again.
She replied back to Shidou’s mail with each words typed in carefully; she expressed poetically that she was happy to talk to him, she can’t wait for next Saturday and she would get a strange feeling every time she thinks about Shidou. But.
“....am I a maiden, seriously!”
Feeling embarrassed half-way through, Origami’s cheeks blushed before erasing the text again.
In the end, Origami only managed to send a mail reply to Shidou on the next day.
11th of November, Saturday.
Shidou walked to the Tenguu station alone.
The sky was clear blue. Although the air was a little chilly, the sun was warm and it doesn’t feel like the temperature of a day closing to winter. It was the best weather for a date.
“-------even so, aren’t you a little too early? The promised time is at 11 right?”
Kotori’s voice could be heard from the small Incam equipped in his right ear.
This Incam was connected to the airship <Fraxinus> floating about Shidou’s spot approximately by 15000 meters and the whole crew in that bridge will be providing support to Shidou’s date.
“No........”
Shidou replied back softly while taking a glance at his cell phone’s screen. 10:12 am. There was still 48 minutes until the meeting time.
“It won’t be weird if Origami is already here. Of course, I can’t say that this Origami is slightly different from the one I know but........it’s better than making her wait long right?”
After Shidou said that, Kotori [Fuuun........] talked with a meaning behind her voice, through the Incam.
“You are quite informed huh-----for just a mere classmate.”
Kotori said it with thorns in her tone. Shidou made a dry smile while sweat was flowing down his forehead.
When she asked his relationship with the Origami in the previous world, he replied that as his answer but........it looks like, Kotori didn’t believe him.
“......it was because of you all that I became acquainted with Origami in the first place, know this.”
Shidou twitched his cheeks while complaining to the Incam. Actually, even though it started because of the event in 5 years ago, the reason why Shidou started talking to Origami frequently was because of the [Training] Kotori proposed and the love chat with Origami. He told that to Kotori too just in case but......
“Who knows~~I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Guh......”
In reality; the Kotori of this world probably has no memories of saying that. Shidou clenched his teeth, wondering how to reply back.
He reached the station hall right when they were talking about that.
The meeting place with Origami was in front of the fountain in the station hall. It was the same meeting spot when he had to go through a triple booking date with Tohka and Kurumi too.
“Ah-----“
Having stepped into the hall, Shidou let out a short word and stopped on the spot.
The reason was simple. Origami was already in front of the fountain.
Nonetheless, it’s not like he was shocked to see Origami there. The reason why Shidou stopped there for a moment was because of her clothes.
She was in a blouse with a cute design, and a cardigan. A skirt with autumn colors. Shidou’s eyes were stolen away unintentionally when he saw that girly style that doesn’t fit with the Origami in his memories.
“Shidou?”
“.......! Y-yeah.”
He twitched his body when Kotori called him.
“Haa......the future looks bleak”
“So-sorry......”
“Please focus. I don’t know what happened in the previous world but, at the very least, the girl in front of you right now is the Spirit hunter <Devil>. We don’t know what she would do if you lower your guard. Please go in with the preparations of handling Tokisaki Kurumi”
Kotori warned him. Shidou took a deep breath to arrange his heart beat before tilting his head forward.
“Yeah I understand”
“Good”
Kotori *suuu* exhaled before,
"Okay-----let’s begin our?dateWar”
Saying that, and announced the start of the plan.
At the same time, Shidou started moving his legs, which he stopped, towards the fountain.
She probably noticed him when he did that. Origami, who was standing in front of the fountain, lifted her face and looked surprised.
“Itsuka-kun? You are so early”
“Haha.......that goes for us too right?”
After Shidou said that, Origami looked at the clock standing in the hall, and shrunk her shoulders in embarrassment.
“Err, I didn’t want to make you wait”
“Aah, I thought that too”
Origami widen her eyes after said that. After a while, she leaked a carefree smile.
“Thank you for inviting me for today, Itsuka-kun........but err, this may sound embarrassing but, I have no experience going out alone with a guy so, there might be unforeseen problems”
“N-no no, even I don’t have that experience”
Shidou swung his head at Origami’s words. When he did that, Kotori’s voice echoed in his right ears to retort him.
“I’m amazed that you can say that after dating that many Spirits”
“Shu-shut up”
“? What are you saying, Itsuka-kun”
Origami tilted her head in wonder. Shidou quickly [No, nothing] played it off.
“Rather.........we are classmates so, can you stop the honorifics?”
“But”
“Here, it will make me feel awkward. So please?”
Shidou said that before clapping his hands together; Origami made her eyebrows look like a 八 shape for a while but, she nodded in understanding soon later.
“I understand......err.......I get it”
Origami said it with an unfamiliar manner. Shidou relaxed his cheeks in nostalgia.
“Haha........Origami has to be like that, as expected”
“Heh?”
Origami let out a dumb-witted voice at Shidou’s words. He realized that he called her [Origami] unconsciously again like what he did few days ago.
“Ah.....Sorry, I called you in reflex. Err.....it’s because it’s a beautiful name”
Shidou tried to play it off. He wasn’t lying but, in reality, the reason was leaning more towards the fact he called her that in the previous world. He used to call her Tobiichi at first but, he gotten used to calling her name before he noticed.
Origami looked restless but, she doesn’t look bad. Her mouth made a broad smile.
“Thank you. -------It’s the name my father and mother gave me”
“I see.........”
Father and mother. Those worlds made Shidou feel something complex spreading out in him.
But, Origami slightly looked away while moving her lips, maybe because she noticed what Shidou was thinking.
“That’s why, I don’t mind-----if Itsuka-kun calls me that way”
“Eh?”
“Err, I mean Origami”
Origami said that with slightly blushing cheeks. Shidou’s heart pounded unexpectedly when he saw that.
“Shidou, why are you keeping quiet! Your partner finally got closer you know?”
“Ah-----“
Shidou quickly continued his words when Kotori’s words came into his ears.
“Th-thanks.....Origami”
Even though it was a name he said out naturally just now, it turned out embarrassing now that he officially gain permission for do so. Just like him, Origami slightly looked away from his eyes and replied.
“Un”
“Ah---then, about that. You can call me Shidou if you want. It will be unfair if you don’t”
“Eh?”
Origami widen her eyes in reflex when Shidou said that. And after mumbling something softly, she let out her voice.
“Shid-----, ........”
But, after he stopped his words half-way, he scratched his cheeks in a restless manner.
“.........I don’t mind until you get used to it”
“Eh? Aah, o-of course!”
After Shidou agreed, a few seconds of silence flowed by.
“Shidou I don’t recommend staying quiet for too long. Anything is okay, just connect the lines”
Kotori’s command flew to him. It was just as she says. He looked for a topic in his head before moving his mouth.
“Hey err”
“Err”
But, his voice covered Origami voice too. A strange embarrassing feeling attacked them.
Origami was the one that broke that situation first. She looked back at Shidou and asked him.
“Now that I think about it, Itsuka-kun, what are we doing today?”
“Eh?”
“Sorry. But, I only heard about the time and meeting place”
“Y-yeah, I forgotten about that. Today------“
After Shidou said that, he heard a certain sound which he has not heard for a long time in his right ear.
Right now in the bridge of the airship- <Fraxinus> floating 15000 meters up the Tenguu city, <Ratatoskr>’s elites were lined up inside.
Under Kotori’s orders, all of the elite love masters were to support Shidou. Everyone was maintaining an ideal nervous situation while looking at the giant main monitor installed in the bridge.
The image of the ground sent by the automate camera was shown in the main monitor. As if to trace Shidou’s view point, the target for this time-Tobiichi Origami’s picture was zoomed in, several different angles were taken from the cameras nearby and all sorts of parameters were on it.
And---right now. The moment Origami asked a question, *Pikon!* such a sound echoed in the bridge and a window was displayed on the screen.
“The choices are out........!”
Kotori, who’s sitting on the commander seat located at the upper bridge, was moving the rod of the Chupa chups up and down while hitting her lap.
The AI installed in the <Fraxinus>, will observe the target’s the movements of her emotions and will show 3 choices for Shidou to pick.
① [Actually, there is a movie I want to watch with you] watch a romance movie in the cinema.
② [I was thinking of shopping] enjoy shopping.
③ [Let’s stop with the annoying parts] straight to an adult hotel.
“All members, your choice!”
Obeying Kotori’s order, the crews clicked on the button at their hands reach at the same time.
Immediately, the total votes were displayed on the main monitor.
The most was----②.
“Fumu......② huh. It’s the safe road huh”
After Kotori stroke her chin, a crew member at the lower deck; <Bad Marriage> Kawagoe raised his voice.
“It’s hard to throw ① away but, going to a space with no conversation at the first go will make things uneasy”
Afterwards, <Deprive> Minowa opened her lips to show her agreement.
“....Rather, why did ③ suddenly appear in the choices......”
Everyone wasn’t disagreeing and nodded. Within them, sweat was flowing down the <Nail knocker> Shiizaki’s cheeks.
“We won’t know unless we ask <Fraxinus>’s AI”
Kotori shrugs her shoulders while saying that. In reality, Kotori tried to lure Shidou and Tohka to a hotel to rest during Tohka’s conquest but, that was because the Spirit knows nothing about this world (This was a digression but, if Shidou was about to do something above a kiss then, it was planned that an organization member disguised as a garbage collector will step in).
But, the target this time was previously a human. Which means, the probability that she knows about what [That] was built for, was high. If someone was brought to a place like that on a first date then getting slapped can’t be arguable.
After Kotori brought the mike closer, she threw an order to Shidou.
“Shidou, I decided. ②-----“
“----wait for a sec”
But, Shidou interrupted Kotori’s voice with a whisper soft enough to avoid Origami from hearing.
“What’s wrong”
“........I have something I want to test out with those choices”
“Eh?”
She widens her eyes at Shidou’s unusual serious voice. This was the first time Shidou said this.
However; she noticed something. The Spirit this time-----Tobiichi Origami was a special girl.
If Shidou’s words were correct; this world was a world branched out from the events from 5 years ago-----and Shidou might be intimate with Origami in another parallel world.
If that’s the case then, it won’t be weird for Shidou to already know about Origami’s tastes that they have not yet grasped.
After a moment of thinking, Kotori flicked the rod of her Chupa chups.
“-----I get it. It’s special this time. Please choose the choices you like, Shidou”
“...........”
After Kotori said that, Shidou poked the Incam silently to show that he understood.
The main monitor then moved towards Origami.
“Hey, Origami. There’s somewhere I want to go so, can I?”
“Uh, okay”
Origami nodded and followed after Shidou.
And, after a while of walking. Shidou suddenly stopped.
“Ehh?”
Origami looked up at the building in front of her, and made a blank face.
However, it was only normal. That’s because, the place Shidou brought Origami was a castle-like building with lodging fees and resting fees posted on the signboard.
A very loud alarm echoed inside the bridge immediately. At the same time, <President> Mikimoto and <Dimension Breaker> Nakatsugawa were shouting while they were looking at their personal monitors.
“The emotion values are not stabilizing”
“Tobiichi Origami! Is feeling shaken!”
“Obviously, just what are you thinking Shidouuuuuuu!!”
After Kotori shouted, she tugged the mike closer to her.
“Shidou! Play it off before Origami gets angry!”
“Eh? But”
“Hurry up before it’s too late!!”
After Kotori said that, Shidou faked looking lost for a moment before making a smile to Origami.
“Okay, over here, come”
“Ah......this isn’t the place”
Origami exhaled in relief.
“W-well of course. Come on, let’s go”
“U-un”
Shidou brought Origami pass the hotel. The alarm then finally stopped ringing.
“Haa........what were you thinking Shidou. It’s so obvious that she would pull back if she was brought to a place like that in her first date”
After Kotori wiped the sweat on her forehead, Shidou made a confused face while letting out a soft voice.
“Sorry. I thought this would definitely be the spot for Origami.......”
“No, why is that”
She did not understand why Shidou fixed Origami and a hotel together. She replied back with twitching cheeks.
“Anyway, pick ②. Go shopping”
“.........I got it”
Shidou nodded and told Origami that they were going shopping.
While looking at the scene on the main monitor, Kotori talked to the crew at the lower deck.
“So, how is Origami’s affection level? It would be nice if it didn’t drop much though.......”
“A-about that.....”
Nakatsugawa fixed his glasses position in a troubled manner.
“Her emotion values were shaken greatly but.......her affection level has not dropped at all......no, instead, it slightly got higher.......?”
“What did you say?”
Kotori raised a doubtful voice at Nakatsugawa’s words.
While accompanying Origami, they passed the back alley and walked straight into the main street.
Half-way through, Origami suddenly raised her voice.
“So, where are we going?”
“Yeah, I thought of going shopping”
After Shidou asked, Origami tilted her head.
“What are you shopping for?”
“Ah....Errr........”
Now that he thinks about it, they haven’t decided on what to shop for. He scratched his cheeks while immersed in thought.
“Stop. The choices are out”
Kotori’s voice then appeared in the Incam in his right ear and the automated voice message read out the choices.
3 choices were displayed on the bridge’s main monitor.
① Coordinate her in a selection shop.
② Play with animals in a pet shop and shrink their distances.
③ Go to a pharmacy located at the back alley’s which sells strong vitality drinks and aphrodisiacs.
“Everyone, your choice!”
The total votes were displayed on the monitor once Kotori shouted. The votes were at ① which was the most while ② was close by a slim margin.
“① huh. Same with me”
The crew replied back to Kotori’s voice.
“Well, those are appropriate”
“② isn’t bad but, we don’t know if she likes animal or not”
“........rather, what is with this ③? This feels kind of special but.......”
Kawagoe raised his eyebrows and asked. It’s true that only one choice was a different kind. What’s the AI thinking?.............is a big scale maintenance needed?
“Shidou, you hear me? Let’s be appropriate and go with ①-----“
“No, it has to be ③”
From the opposite side of the Incam, Shidou let out his voice naturally.
“Huh?”
She brought her eyebrows closer at Shidou’s words.
“What are you saying Shidou. Please calm down. It’s obviously not a place for a teenager to go!”
“No, but its Origami we are talking about here....”
“What does that mean!?”
She does not understand. Kotori shouted.
“Even though you ask me what............speaking of Origami, it’s going to be vitality drinks; speaking of vitality drinks, it will be Origami I guess”
Shidou said it as if it was common sense. Kotori placed her hands on her head at that direct manner.
“No seriously, I don’t understand. Just what kind of girl is [Tobiichi Origami] that you know?”
“Eh......? Let’s see, she’s someone that would make me drink the combination of boiled mixed vitality drinks, she would install traps to prevent me from running away from her house, and she would lick my neck when I give her a piggyback ride....”
“Haaa!? Are you joking here? There’s no way such a girl would exist!”
“E-even if you tell me that........”
Shidou distorted his eyebrows in a troubled manner. It looks like he was not joking and was serious about it.
At that moment, Kotori recalled back Tobiichi Origami’s affection level movements from just now.
Although she was shaken from that overly unexpected choice, her affection did not drop at all. Possibly this might........
After Kotori settled her thoughts in 2 seconds, *Fuun* she sighed.
“.......okay. Go try it”
“Commander!?”
A surprised voice came down from the lower deck. However, Kotori did not look away from the main monitor and continued on.
“As replacement, if her affection level drops even a bit or her emotion level turns unstable then, quickly move to ①. Okay?”
“Y-yeah, I get it”
After replying to her, Shidou brought Origami into the back alley.
“------okay, this is the place if I am correct”
“Eh?”
Origami opened her eyes wide in shock when Shidou stopped his legs in front a certain pharmacy in the back-alley.
But it was normal. It looks like a multi-tenant building at first glance. However, after entering the building and heading up to the 2nd floor, a pharmacy with a ghost house-like interior. It’s a secretive spot that won’t be discovered if a person was living a normal life. If Shidou wasn’t told about the existence of this shop by Origami in the previous world then, he probably wouldn’t be able to reach here.
Packaged bottle not commonly seen in drug stores were overflowing the shop. The words written on the label were clearly not Japanese giving this place a 100% for strangeness.
“What......is this shop?”
Origami asked dubiously. But, as expected he couldn’t say [Origami is a regular customer here right], and made something up.
“Well, let’s take a look. Let’s go somewhere else if you don’t like it”
“U-un.......”
Origami looked around the strange medicines lined up in the shop curiously. However, some of it didn’t make sense to her and would sometimes tilt her head......Is her taste different than the Origami Shidou knew?”
If that was the case then, it might be a good idea to quickly change his objectives like what Kotori said. If he was correct, Kotori’s orders were to bring Origami to see clothes, about that? Well, that choice was undeniable correct for a normal girl.
“Itsuka-kun”
Origami talked to Shidou when he was thinking that.
“Like I thought......I don’t understand anything. Let’s go somewhere else?”
“Y-yeah, I see. Sorry----“
But, Shidou stopped his words.
The reason was simple. Origami was making her eyebrows into a 八 shape because she was troubled when she was looking at the products lined up in the shop but...........she was holding a shopping basket filled with the shop’s most effective looking vitality drinks and aphrodisiacs in the shop.
“Origami, what’s that....?”
“Ehh?”
When Shidou pointed at it, Origami opened her eyes wide in surprise as if she just realized that.
“Th-this is........when did I....?”
Origami pressed her forehead and was wobbling as if she was feeling lightheaded.
“Ar-are you okay?”
The moment Shidou quickly supported her body, a loud alarm echoed inside the Incam.
“Shidou! Origami’s emotion values are making strong waves!”
“Le-let’s go out for now! Okay!?”
Shidou heard Kotori’s voice and quickly brought the groaning Origami out the shop.
After a while passed, Origami finally calmed down.
“Sorry, Itsuka-kun......just what happened to me I wonder”
“W-well don’t worry too much about it. It’s my fault for bringing you to such a place. -----oh yeah, let’s go check out some clothes”
Origami nodded when Shidou said that.
They then once again walked side by side on the road.
But, Shidou scratched his cheeks at that moment. It was good to tell her to look for clothes but, he did not know what kind of shop Origami uses. If he was correct he heard that Origami in the previous world would almost always purchase her personal clothes through airmail.
“Speaking of which, what kind of shop does Origami usually buy from?”
“Uuuun.........I buy them near my house most of the time”
After saying that, she made a wry smile and looked slightly embarrassed.
“Actually, I wanted to make it more elaborate but......I am just bad with that kind of stuff. I don’t have sense for them”
“That’s not true. Your clothes for today are really cute you know?”
“..........uh!”
After Shidou said that, Origami looked surprised and quickly looked away.
“Origami?”
“U-un........nothing. M-more importantly, if you want to look for clothes, can we go to the building at the station, even though we might have to back track a bit? I rarely go there”
“Aah, of course”
Shidou agreed at Origami’s words. They then passed the back street and walked towards the main street leading to the station.
“Fuun........I was worried there for a moment but things don’t look so bad”
Half-way through, Kotori’s voice echoed in his right ear.
“Her affection level is increasing. If things go well, then we might be able to settle this within today.----but, don’t lower your guard. I don’t know the reason but, her sudden emotion value changes are extreme. Please be aware to not startle her too much.”
“Understood.....”
After saying that softly, Shidou walked forward.
Not long later, both of them reached the twin-building soaring in front the station. The building was crowded with shoppers; maybe because it was a rest day.
After reaching the 3rd floor with the escalator, Shidou and Origami entered a stylish selection shop that they found before looking around at the clothes lined up in there.
“Come on Shidou, don’t just look”
Kotori said that in an irritated manner. After Shidou [Ah] moved his eyebrows, he called out to Origami, who was touching the fur of a coat.
“Since we are here, I’ll give you one piece as a present. What do you want?”
“Eh?”
Origami opened her eyes wide.
“No, I’ll feel bad.....see, it’s quite expensive”
Origami showed the coat’s price tag to Shidou while whispering. 39800 yen........it’s quite a critical price for a high school male student.
But, <Ratatoskr> was backing Shidou up now. Shidou *Don* hit his chest.
“Leave it to me”
“But”
“Show me the first time you wear that as payment. So have that as your thanks”
Origami made a wry smile in embarrassment at Shidou’s words.
“Itsuka-kun, you often make girls cry?[11C 1]”
“Heh? Wh-why....?”
“I was just wondering that, you seem quite used to this”
After saying that, Origami looked at Shidou with half her eyes opened. Sweat flow down Shidou’s cheeks.
“O-oi oi......”
Origami then relaxed her cheeks.
“Fufu, it’s a joke.----then, I’ll take you for your word. But since I am at it, can you let me look around a little more? Since showing you first is the condition, I want to choice one that would make Itsuka-kun happy”
Origami said that jokingly.
“Y-yeah”
After Shidou nodded, Origami started looking around the shop with light footsteps.
“Upupu.......make girls cry. You got seen through, Shidou”
“Give me a break......”
He mixed in a sigh in his reply when he heard Kotori’s voice in his right ear.
“I don’t say you can’t be that. Of course, Shidou being too used on handling girls is something to think about but, it’s alright since its Shidou”
“.......what do you mean by that”
“Your inerasable cherry boy smell”
“Sorry, please don’t say it”
Shidou covered his face with both his hands and looked like he was about to cry sorrowfully. Kotori *Haaa* sigh could be heard.
“More importantly, don’t leave Origami alone”
“Ah.......that’s right”
He looked around when he was told that. But, just where did she go? Origami could not be seen anywhere.
“Ah-re.....where did she go?”
“See, what did I tell you........Reine, where is her location?”
“.........hnn, approximately 20 meters behind Shin”
Reine talked to respond to Kotori’s words. As <Ratatoskr>’s analyst, she’s also providing support to Shidou.
“Sorry and thanks”
After saying that, Shidou listened to Reine’s words. He then started walking at the back direction.
He then found out that his goal was a dressing room separated by a curtain.
“Aah, I see. So that’s what’s going on”
Shidou nodded in agreement. No wonder Origami couldn't be found anywhere. It seems that she already picked her clothes and has gone to try it on.
While looking at the products in display on the shelf nearby, he randomly spent some time until Origami comes out.
But------
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”
Origami’s shout suddenly echoed out from the dressing room, and caused Shidou to gasp.
“W-what’s wrong Origami!”
“W-why am I in........”
After Shidou shouted, Origami’s frightened voice could be heard from the opposite side of the curtain.
He had a bad premonition. Shidou made up his mind and placed his hands on the curtain.
“Sorry Origami! I am opening this!”
“Eh.........? Ah, no, don’t do it, Itsuka-k------“
Origami tried to stop him but, he still ended up opening the curtain.
“..........heh?”
But. Shidou opened his mouth blankly with his eyes opened when he saw her.
However, it was only natural. That’s because, Origami, who collapsed down powerlessly in the dressing room was right now wearing a school swimsuit, incidentally; she was also wearing accessories like dog ear headband on her head, a dog tail on her butt, and a leather collar around her neck. Anyone will probably go blank for a moment.
“O-origami.........? That appearance........”
She twitched her shoulders when Shidou said that.
“D-don’t misunderstand! I won’t-----won’t........!”
Origami’s eyes were swimming around in chaos. It’s as if Origami does not know why she was in this outfit herself too.
“I don’t remember taking these clothes and yet when did I........! Why am I in a school swimsuit-------“
While saying that, Origami frowned her face because of a sudden headache.
“School swimsuit......dog ears....uu, my head......”
The moment Origami said that painfully while pressing her head, *Piii**Piii* the alarm could be heard in the Incam.
“Shidou! Origami’s emotions value!”
“O-Origami! Come, let’s get you changed and see something else! Okay!”
Shidou turned flustered and shouted before closing the dressing room curtain. <-->>