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Chapter Text

This takes place after Yukiteru sees that his diary changed to Yuno visiting him.

Amano Yukiteru

I once thought that a world without Yuno would be meaningless. There was no point to anything if my beloved wasn't with me, right? Every single day while I was the new God, I yearned for her. Well, if you could call it a day. I lost track of time. Months turned into year, years into decades, and decades into centuries. As God, you really don't acknowledge time anymore. All I could do was stare at my phone's screen, for it was the only thing left of Yuno. Murmur would occasionally complain, and would sometimes work herself up, becoming violent and trying to get me to create the universe or whatever. I didn't really feel like it, so I would just ignore her and relive my sweetest memories of Yuno in my brain. Then, something pulled me out of my pit of depression and agony. My phone, for the first time, came to life and made that static noise which I had always dreaded during the survival game. This time though, I was ecstatic to find out what had made it change. I flipped it open and read the new development.

"Yuno came to visit me today"

I stared at the screen for a few minutes, not fully registering what I was reading. Then, I heard that high-pitched voice I grew to love so much.

"Yuuuuuuki!"

I turned around. There was no way this was real! I had thought. Sure enough, there she was. She was running toward me, her pink piggy-tails bobbing up and down, with a smile on her face. She ran right smack into me, almost causing me to tip over. She embraced me in a big bear hug, and was short of strangling me. It took a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, but I then warmly returned her hug.

"Yuno..! Is it.. really you?" My voice cracked, and I realized my cheeks were wet with tears that were now flowing from my red-rimmed eyes. Yuno then proceeded to wipe those tears from my face and pulled apart from my arms just enough to look into my eyes and whisper,

"Yes Yuki. It's really me. I missed you."

I didn't have time to respond, because Yuno put her lips over mine, and as if she knew how very fragile I had become, she kissed me softly and decided not to rough me up too much. I, on the other hand, had been waiting for this moment for a really long time, and I wanted more. I pulled her closer into our romantic embrace, and kissed her like I would never see her ever again. Which was quite likely. I wasn't sure how things worked anymore, so I wouldn't be surprised if she just up and disappeared again.

From then on, we spent a lot of our time just enjoying each other's company in that outer space world. I had never been happier in my life, knowing that I could spend eternity with my beloved Yuno. Something was nagging me from the back of my head; there was feeling of regret I couldn't quite shake off, but I wrote it off as nothing and returned to my girlfriend. I didn't even ask her how she got back. It didn't matter. She was here. That was what mattered. Anyway, all was well. Then one day, while we were entangled in our usual cuddling sessions, Yuno asked me a question.

"So when are you gonna rebuild Earth and all that? I mean, now that I'm here, don't you think you should start fulfilling your duty as God?"

"Yuno, you're starting to sound like Murmur." I chuckled. Yuno averted her gaze from me. I paid little attention to this, as I was playing with her long pink strands of hair.

"Well you're going to have to do it sometime, y'know? You were made God for a reason. I didn't die for nothin'" Yuno pouted. Her last sentence brought me back to my senses. She did die. Why was she here? I thought souls couldn't be brought back. When I asked her this, she again darted her eyes away from me and stammered,

"D-does that really matter? I'm with you again, Yuki~" Yuno paused to kiss me lightly on the cheek and then continued. "Anyways, stop trying to change the subject. You know that you have to create the universe again, right? You have to."

"You're right, I'll do that." I reasoned with her. "Right after this." I then proceeded to kiss her roughly on the lips and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. I was expecting her to try to top me, but instead, she pulled away. She looked at me, determination in her rosy pink eyes.

"Now. You have to do it now." Her lips were set in a straight line, and her eyebrows were furrowed in a deep "V".

"All right, all right. I'll do it right now." With that, I turned my back to her and placed my arms in front of me, creating a small triangle with my thumbs and index fingers. A ray of blinding white light shot out from this "triangle", and hit a star not too far in front of me. There was a big explosion, and other stars went flying about everywhere. I felt the heat from the explosion;hot searing pain throughout my exposed hands and face. The light then simply faded away, and where the ray had hit the star, was now a planet. A planet that resembled Earth. Though there was no life on this planet yet, just doing this simple action required all of my energy. I was drained, and my senses were all muddled. My vision was failing me, and I was feeling light-headed. I heard a distorted, "Yuki!" and I felt myself falling. I had already blacked out before my body even hit the floor.

Chapter Text

Uryu Minene

BANG!

I heard the explosion from.. ah, what was it those scientists called it? Oh yes, light years. I heard it light years away. I got up from the comfy red couch and I ran to my window. I saw a small light in the distance. It faded away, and I then turned back around, finding that the house I was just in had disappeared. That was because I willed it to disappear. I was floating in space again, drifting through the stars. Shit. What just happened? I wondered. That seemed pretty far away, but still. I need to get away. My cover could be blown. I couldn't let myself be discovered. I began to fly the opposite direction of which the explosion came from. As I was making progress and distancing myself from the explosion, the thoughts in my head were racing. I couldn't hold onto a single thought, before it evolved (or should I say devolve?) into something else completely differently. My mind finally settled on bringing the past up. The sound of the explosion probably triggered that. Since I was given godly powers, I was able to survive when the world was ending. Even though I didn't feel bad when I took from survivor's supplies, I could still hear their cries and see their tear-streaked and dirt-encrusted faces; begging me to stop. Hey, it was every man for himself. Later on, I taught myself how to manifest certain things. It was only the essentials at first. Food, water, toilet paper, ect. Hell, even toilet paper was a luxury. I remembered looking up at the now red-stained sky and thinking, "What the fuck are you doing up there Yukiteru? I died for a reason, and you're just going to let humanity die out?" I mean, I know I killed lots of people before, but it's not like I was gonna destroy the whole fuckin' world! Well anyway, the world finally fell apart, and I was there to see the whole thing go down. With Deus' powers, I flew off and secluded myself into a house of my very own, complete with all the necessities. I had managed to learn how to manifest bigger things, though it cost me almost all of my energy. The only reason I didn't go bug Yukiteru, or God or whatever the hell he is, is because I knew Murmur was with him. And I knew that poor kid was unstable, what with his girlfriend committing suicide in front of him and all. That confused boy could kill me if he wanted to. All he had to do was order Murmur to do it, and I'd be as good as dead. No, I couldn't risk it. So in the meantime, I decided to retreat to my den and think about how I could go about killing the kid. If he wasn't going to fix this world, I was. Besides, he needed to be put out of his miser-

Thud!

I hadn't even noticed where I was going, until I flew right into something. I instinctively lashed out with the only weapon I had available; my hands. I threw a punch, but my fist got caught. I looked up to see that psychotic bitch with her stupid pink hair, blocking my fist. What the hell is she even doing here? I thought she was dead! Whatever. Didn't matter. I tried to punch her again with my other hand, but she caught that one too. Just what I was hoping for. I pulled my arms apart, causing her to fall forward and get closer to me. Her head bobbed down for the slightest of seconds, and in that moment, I brought my knee up as hard as I could. It hit home with a loud smack! Yuno's guard was brought down, and I managed to break free from her iron grip. I shot upward and was staring at her from above.

"I thought you killed yourself, you little prick!" I yelled at her. As I was staring at her, I realized something was wrong. Her hair was not pink, as I thought it was. It was a light purple. And her skin tone was slightly darker, too. I realized that this was not the dreaded crazy girl, but Murmur, taking Yuno's form. Great. I don't have to worry about that insane girl anymore. No, I have to deal with this demon now. "Oi! You're not Yuno! It's you!" I narrowed my eyes. "Murmur! Care to explain why you're dressed up like that?" I referred to "that" as her outfit with a wave of my hand.

"Listen, you can't speak a word of this to Yukiteru. He'll go crazy. Might even destroy the world he just created. Look, I know you don't want to be seen by Yukiteru. Let's make a compromise. You don't tell him that his precious "Yuno" is me, and I don't tell him that you're still lurking around here. Got it?~" Murmur calmly replied. I was about to object, when I heard a distressed call coming not too far from where we were.

"Yuno! Are you here?!" Yukiteru was flying around aimlessly, searching for his "Yuno". I could tell he was about to break down again from how his voice was cracking, and even from afar, I could see his flushed face and disheveled mess that was his hair. He spotted the girl he was looking for, and he flew right into her, causing her to topple over. "Yuno! What happened? I thought you left me again.." Tears were rolling down his cheeks now. "Yuno" caressed and comforted him, explaining that the force of the explosion caused her to fly back. The sight just sickened me, knowing who Yuno really was, and I let out an involuntary sneer. At this, Yukiteru whipped his head back toward my direction. Shit. I stood still, waiting for any sort of reaction to come. He might rage and charge at me, for reasons unknown, or he might embrace me, also for reasons unknown. I was bracing for impact, trying to expect the unexpected. None of that happened, though. He just seemed to stare straight past me, as if I wasn't even there.

"Yuno? Did you.. did you happen to hear someone..?" Yukiteru questioned her. His eyes were still on me, or rather, just looking in my general direction. I looked at Murmur for answers. She silently put one finger to her lips, signaling me to be quiet, before she turned to Yukiteru and gave her reply.

"You must be imagining things, Yuki. I didn't hear anything." Murmur then proceeded to kiss the God on the cheek.

"You must be right. There's no one left out here but me and you." He agreed, sounding less than convinced. "And Murmur." He added as an afterthought. Yukiteru and the fake Yuno got up and started to fly away. Murmur even managed to wink at me when Yukiteru was looking the other way. Whatever. Guess I can go home for now.

Chapter Text

Amano Yukiteru

Akise-kun? I saw the familiar white-haired boy from a distance. A-akise-kun, is it really you..?! I let my body move without thinking, and I reached forward to try to grab the beloved albino. Before I could, the boy turned around to reveal bright blue eyes framed by small, round glasses. I felt my heart fill with disappointment. Ha. That would've been a miracle. I shook my head, as if trying to clear the said disappointment and regret, then proceeded to continue revising my handiwork. It'd been a few centuries or so since I had first created this planet, and ever since then, I had begun to populate and construct just about everything. It had started with the dinosaurs, just like the past Earth, and eventually evolved into the age of primates, cavemen, more intelligent men, and so on. Evolution and all that business. Right now, I was standing in what seemed to be a 1800s town in England. I had made myself invisible, as not to disturb the humans from their usual, everyday lives. I watched as the white-haired boy ran off, hand in hand, with another boy. I thought this strange, since the people from this time rarely showed such public affections, unless drunk, then I realized that this pair of boys was smaller than I had initially thought. Childhood friends, I thought. I was still looking on at them, when a speeding carriage had run right into me. A cold feeling washed over me as I passed right through the carriage, and I managed to get a glimpse of the occupants. There were three young women conversing with one another, most likely complimenting each other on their dresses, or gossiping, or even, "My my, did you see that Mr. Alexander!? I wonder if he's currently seeing anyone, heheheh~" The carriage rounded a corner, and as a result, I had been effectively pulled from my earlier thoughts. I hadn't even taken two steps when I heard a familiar voice.

"Yuki!~ I wish you would be more careful! I mean, I know you can't get hurt, but still!" A pouting Yuno appeared by my side, tugging on my arm to pull me away from the street. I let out a small chuckle, trying to sound cheerful and reckless, but my voice betrayed me, and my chuckle deformed into a strange, nervous gasp. Smooth, I thought to myself.

"Sorry Yuno. I thought I saw Akise-kun and I-" Crap! She probably still hates him for.. I let my thoughts drift off, trying to block the memories. I cringed as I felt my cheeks heat up. Stupid! Why did you do that?! I mentally kicked myself and I turned to look at Yuno, preparing for the worst. What I saw surprised me. Instead of a usual murderous glare on her face, a look of amusement replaced it. She giggled a little, before ducking into a small restaurant and dragging me along with her. We sat at an empty table, and took in our surroundings. The restaurant was a little small, with flowered wallpaper and black and white pictures of smiling people in front of said restaurant hung on the wall and were scattered around; some hung slightly crooked. The place was only occupied by a few couples, who seemed to be fully immersed in their conversations. The girls were fanning themselves off, since the lazy fans overhead did very little to stave off the heat. Yuno and I paid no attention to the heat, since we couldn't really feel it. We weren't of that world, so the rules didn't necessarily apply to us. An awkward silence hung in between them as I continued to look around, trying to occupy myself with the small room. Yuno was the one to break the silence.

"So, Akise-kun, was it? I almost thought you forgot about him?" Yuno stated. I expected her voice to be dripping with jealousy and/or hatred, but her voice showed no emotion.

"Y-yeah." I replied, looking away as I felt my cheeks heat up again.

"Yukiteru-kun, I have something to tell you."

Yukiteru-kun? Since when did she stop calling me Yuki? I felt slightly confused, but I ignored it and focused on answering her. "Yes?"

"I-I… This is hard for me to say, so please don't hate me. I did it only because you had to create Earth again, and you weren't going to do it on your own…. So I had to improvise and I thought… Why not? I mean, it'd be the most effective way, b-because I already tried to do it other ways multiple times and you… y-you ignored me and I'm really sorry.." Yuno was pausing in between some words, and stuttering and trailing off. I was still not looking at her throughout all this, and I listened with little interest. I was thinking about Akise-kun again. I thought of all the times he helped me back when he was alive. In my mind, I could see him smirking as he watched the group go about their usual bickering. Then my mind went back to when he.. he kissed me. It wasn't fair! His lips were super soft and his eyes such a mesmerizing shade of red and- everything about him was just so perfect! Why did he have to die? Oh right, Yuno killed him. I didn't even notice I was frowning when Yuno yelled,

"Yukiteru-kun! Look at me!"

I turned to look her, only to find that the girl sitting in front of me wasn't Yuno. She had suddenly shrunk, had gotten a tan, and thought her hair was still tied in her usual pig-tails, they were lavender instead of pink. My mind reeled, and I had gotten up from my chair and was backing away slowly, trying to comprehend what had happened. Murmur was standing before me, in Yuno's outfit.

"M-murmur!? What did you do to Yuno?!" I tried to sound demanding, but my stammering did not help at all.

The now purpled-haired girl stared back at me, eyebrows furrowed, and biting her lip. She seemed unsure of what to say, but she took a step forward regardless. I took another step back. I felt moisture on my cheeks, and I recognized them as tears. My fists were balled up, and I was shaking with anger.

"Murmur! You lied to me! How dare you!? Aren't you supposed to be my assistant or something like that!?" I yelled at her, spit flying from my mouth, face contorting into an extremely dark expression.

"I am your assistant! That's why I did what I did, so that you could rebuild Earth! You weren't listening to anything I was saying, so I had to resort to drastic measures!" Tears were welling in her eyes too, and it was getting harder to stay mad at her, since she looked like such a cute kid.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" I shot back.

"I… I tried to, but you just seemed so happy, and I didn't want to upset you! I'm sorry, ok?!" Murmur was crying now, yelling louder and shaking. I let the silence drag out between us, contemplating on what I should do. I looked back at her and I saw her red-rimmed eyes, her whole face colored the shade of a tomato and tears and snot were intermingling, and I felt sort of… guilty. Right then, I just wanted some quiet. I decided quickly that I had to leave, but before I could, I knew I had to say something.

"It's ok. I forgive you. You did what you had to." I suddenly replied, no traceable emotion in my voice. I turned, cloak making a whooshing sound, and promptly vanished, leaving a hurt and confused Murmur behind. I materialized in what appeared to be my old room. I didn't know why I exactly conjured up this place in particular. Guess it was the comfort that came with it. I plopped myself down on my bed, and then hugged one of my pillows tightly. I could feel that my face was still hot, and that tears were still flowing down my cheeks. Despite the upset act I was putting up, I wasn't necessarily feeling so hurt. Yeah, it still hated the fact that Murmur lied to me, but I felt… relief? Relief about what, exactly? That Yuno was gone? No, no ,no, that can't be it. I loved her. Err, I mean I love her. So why…? I mean, Yuno always scared me a little, even when she showed her sweet and innocent side to me. Just knowing what she was capable of, and being able to hide it so flawlessly under that cute smile of hers was just… ugh. It sent shivers down my spine. Still, I managed to will this fear of mine down, just so I could enjoy her company. I guess I really was a needy baby back then, huh? Maybe… maybe if I had been able to start a healthy relationship with Kousaka and the group, I wouldn't have given in so easily to Yuno. Sudden waves of regret and remorse crashed into my heart, and I became uneasy, tossing and turning in my bed. As God, you don't really need to sleep, but boy, I sure wish I could sleep right now, just as a temporary relief. I closed my eyes, trying to make myself go to sleep, but that didn't work. I remembered mom's lullaby she sang to me when I was little, and though it calmed me down a little, I was still far from tired. Scratch that, I was tired, but I just couldn't get some sleep. Frustrated, I manifested a small screen in front of my face, and replayed many happy memories from my life. This was just another cool thing you could do as God, and I took full advantage of it. I found myself replaying many memories involving me and my friends. The scene splayed out in front of me consisted of Mao making rude gestures with her hands, causing an agitated and flustered Hinata to yell at her, while Kousaka was rambling on about being a hero ect.,ect, and my past self was standing on the sidelines, laughing and conversing with an amused Akise. It seemed that we were on our way home from school, and upon closer inspection, I noticed Yuno stealthily coming up on behind us. The scene would've been perfect if it weren't for her and her creepy-

My god, what am I thinking? Yuno was my girlfriend! Well, she's not with me anymore.. so it's ok if I just think like this, right? No, I had pulled out the memories to forget about that topic. I shook my head, and swiped the screen with my finger to go on to the next memory. There, in absolute HD clarity and zoomed in, was the scene of Akise-kun k-k…. kissing me! My eyes widened in surprise, cheeks flaring, much like the face I was pulling in the scene before me. I didn't expect that one to pop up so soon. Embarrassed, I looked away. You big baby, look at the screen already! I heard a voice in my head reprimanding me. I forced myself to look back, and I couldn't look away. I started to observe Akise-kun closer now. I mentally took note of the way his hair framed his face, and how his usual red eyes seemed to glow and radiate a more rosy color. I noticed how that little one tuft of hair came right in between his eyes, and I found myself wanting to pull it back so I could study his face more thoroughly. I let myself imagine a time where I could've done that, where I could've pulled him in closer and maybe even kiss him back. My heart felt like it was ripping in two, and fresh tears burst from my eyes. Before I finally passed out, the last thought I had was: after all this time, I know now you loved me Akise-kun. And I.. I loved you.

Chapter Text

Uryu Minene

It was a peaceful day today, birds chirping, sunshine pouring in through the windows. I was sitting on my favorite, comfy, red couch, reading a mystery novel. I found it a little annoying that the author had put in a random side-story involving romance, but I ignored that part and concentrated on the mystery at hand. It was getting harder and harder to ignore though, because the man from the story reminded me of Nishijima. It didn't help that he was the one who gave me that stupid novel either. I let out a small sigh, and I contemplated on whether or not I should continue reading, but before I could make the decision, there came a small knock, knock, knock, on my door.

I dropped my book in surprise, turning to look at the door. No way! How did she manage to find me already?! I had never stayed in one place for too long, always tearing down the house I lived in and moving it to another place far away. Thinking it was Murmur again, I stomped towards the door and angrily tore the door open, causing one of the hinges to fall off.

"Murmur what do you want?! I swear, if you want me to read more of your weird, gay mangas, I'll-" I stopped yelling when I realized it wasn't the usual midget, but Yukiteru, standing at my porch, looking quite terrified with tears in his eyes. Yukiteru? How did he..? GODDAMMIT MURMUR I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL, I almost screamed, but I didn't want to scare the "almighty" God more than I already had. Instead, I calmly (with as much calmness as I could muster, which wasn't much) asked Yukiteru what was wrong, and I motioned for him to follow me inside, forgetting about the broken door for now. I sat back down on my beloved couch, and the God sat down on the one opposite of me.

"Hey kid, how'd you know I was here?" I asked him.

"Well.. Murmur told me that you were alive, and I couldn't quite believe it, so I had to go check it out myself." The brunette responded tentatively. Stupid fuckin' chibi ratted me out, huh? Looks like I'd have to go pay her a visit later. I guess Yukiteru must've seen the anger on my face, because he instantly started talking again. "Err..! I mean, I kinda forced her to tell me after I found out that she was pretending to…. Be Yuno, so I told her that I would never forgive her if she was keeping more secrets from me… so don't blame her, o-ok?! It was all my fault! I know you don't like to be b-bothered so it was probably a mistake coming here so I guess I-I-I…" He paused, his stuttering becoming more frequent, and more tears running down his face cause me to slightly furrow my brows in worry and lay a hand on Yukiteru's shoulder.

"Hey now, it's fine. Just forget about all that. You probably didn't come here just to see if I was alive, so tell me, what's the problem?" I tried to reassure him with my "motherly" skills, but even Nishijima had admitted they need to be worked on. Yukiteru didn't seem to mind though, and he just stared down into his lap, allowing his tears to pool in his open hands. The God stammered and opened and closed his mouth, resembling a fish. After a moment or two of silence, Yukiteru proceeded.

"Minene….? I.. I think I love Akise-kun…" I wasn't surprised.

"Took you long enough."

"Wh-what?! You knew?!" The boy lifted his head to look at me with wide eyes.

"Though I never spied on you and your loser friends like that psychotic girlfriend of yours, I did catch a glimpse of you and that Akise guy walking together. You were totally blushing~" I poked fun at Yukiteru.

"Sh-shut up!" He squealed.

A small chuckle escaped my mouth. That's almost adorable, I thought. Wait, I'm a heartless terrorist, what am I thinking? Deciding to lay off the teasing (for now), I replied with, "Well anyways, that's cool and all, but what does this have to do with me? And why now?"

Yukiteru looked up at me, a bit taken aback. "I-I.. Well, I realized I kinda just always knew, but I didn't want to admit it, not even to myself… A-and with the whole Murmur.. 'incident'.." I cringed a little at this. He still hadn't answered my first question, but I let him go on. "I really don't know. I saw a kid back when I was on Earth, and he looked a little like Akise-kun, and I really wanted to go over and talk to him, but then he turned around and he looked different and-" He was talking fast now. " It wasn't Akise-kun, of course, though I really wanted it to be! But I'll never be able to see him again! Because Y-" His voice faltered here. "Yuno killed him! It was my fault, too. It was my fault for not stopping Yuno. It was my fault for not believing him, and now look where it's got me!" His voice cracked at 'where', making him sound like a pre-pubescent kid. Tears now freely flowed down his face.

Here's a sight. God's crying here. Pathetic. Despite my snide remarks I made in my head, I sort of, maybe, kinda, felt bad for the kid. Just a little. And what was up with him just knocking on my door and spewing out all sorts of confessions to me? I decided to ask him later on, once he cooled down a bit.

"Hey now, you shouldn't cry. You're God, so you gotta man up now! Look kid, you can't change the past, so there's nothing you can do about it now. You just gotta move on. And besides, if you loved this Akise guy, you'd go on to like, honor him or something like that, right?" I didn't really know about all that mushy romance shit, and Nishijima never really got around to showing me much. Nishijima. I sighed. I knew what the brunette was going through. Guess my "mother skills" were kicking in now because I reached out and patted his head. I almost instantly regretted it, thinking, geez, you going soft now? I half-expected him to push me away, but he did nothing of the sort. In fact, you could say he almost appreciated it. God, you're such a kid. Ah no wait, you're God.

"A-ah well… You're right. I-I gotta do what's best! For A-Akise-kun! That's why I came up with a plan!" Yukiteru looked at me, eyes twinkling.

"A plan? Hey, didn't you just hear me? I said there's nothing you can-" I was so rudely cut off by Yukiteru.

"Yes, a plan! If I can't be happy, well I can make another me be happy! 3rd world me, to be exact. I can set Akise-kun and the other me up! A-and maybe then, I'll be able to continue my role here as God..!"

"Yukiteru. Messing with other world is.. well, do I really need to explain it? I mean, you saw what that bit-" I stopped myself and looked over at him. He didn't really seem to mind, but I continued a little more cautiously. "I mean Yuno, did. Do you want that to happen again? Even worse, it could your precious 'Akise-kun' who would have to suffer the consequences of your actions! Do you realize how dangerous that is?" I paused, then added, "And besides, aren't you not allowed to leave your post as God, or whatever?"

"Yes. Which is why I'm trusting you to go and do it for me."

Um, what? "And why would I do that? I mean, I think you're a like-able person, but that doesn't mean I have to do anything for you."

"You don't have to do anything for me, even though I am God. But I thought that while you're doing this for me, you could also set 3rd world you up with Nishijima.~"

I felt my cheeks heat up. Who does that guy think he is?! "W-what?! Why would I want to go do that?! And b-besides, there's no way you can trust me to go do that on my own!"

"I trust you." Yukiteru said this with a rather grim and deep voice, and his eyes showed that he wasn't playing around.

"A-are you serious?! Me? World-renowned terrorist, known for killing thousands of people here!" I felt my violet hair bob up and down from all the swift and dramatic (a girl's gotta sell the act, y'know?) movements I was making.

"Please Minene." The God practically whined, and looked at me with such cute, innocent eyes. I really should've said no. But that idiot just looked so adorable, how could I say no? I gave in and agreed to proceed with his plan.

"Thank you very much! I really appreciate it!" Yukiteru leaped from his seat and crushed me in a big bear hug. Boy is stronger than he looks. Or maybe it's just his God powers. Yeah, it's just his God powers.

"Aha" I let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, you're welcome. I guess you should get going now. Go and be God and all that" I just wanted him to leave me alone and let me read peacefully. Hopefully, he'll get the clue.

"You're right, you're right, I should get going now. Well, give Akise-kun my regards!" I heard a loud ripping noise come from behind me. Now alert, I jumped back and turned to see a huge portal in front of me. I couldn't really see much into it, just a swirl of dark purples and blacks, and a few greens. I was about to ask (more like yell) what this thing was doing here, but I never got the chance to. I felt hands push me forward, into the abyss, with faint parting words that sounded something like,

"Good luck with Nishijima!~"

God, what an asshole. I felt myself falling, my long hair pushing to the front of my face, making it difficult to see. It's not like I would've seen much anything anyways. Just a lot of darkness. I fell for only a few more seconds, then hit concrete floor ass-down. I stood up and rubbed my head, examining myself for any serious injuries. Finding none, I looked up to absorb my surroundings. It was nighttime, and it seemed I had landed in small city, smack in front of a hotel. I materialized some money into my hands and walked in, going to get a room. At least the loser was nice enough to put me in front of a hotel. But I am still soooo gonna kill him when I get back.

I found my way to my room. A little small, no T.V, but it would do. I lied down on the bed, allowing myself to fall into sleep's embrace. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Chapter Text

Uryu Minene

The person in front of me had short, choppy hair, with bangs forming an uneven line across her forehead. Though her hair was a bright blonde, the expression she wore was not bright at all. She scowled, grabbed bunches of her hair, and tried to even out the ends of it with a pair of scissors. She let the strands fall to the bathroom floor and sink, seemingly more concerned with the state of her hair rather than the mess she was making. The frustrated girl stopped for a moment, seemed to be somewhat satisfied with her handiwork, then picked at her outfit. She was wearing a maroon shirt with a plunging "V" neckline, and a pair of washed out, torn shorts, with shiny, silver sandals to complete the outfit. This girl was curvaceous, and the skimpy outfit she wore only showcased her D-cups and full thighs.

One would think a girl like this would be strutting down a walkway on the beach, proudly displaying herself to everyone. But this girl seemed.. embarrassed. She kept picking at the clothes she was wearing, desperately trying to cover as many inches of her skin as she could. Her lips were set in a deep frown, and she glared at me. Her fingers tightly curled around the scissors, and she reached forward and stabbed. The image of the girl cracked, distorting her.

Goddamn stupid hair stupid clothes stupid Yukiteru. Why am I even doing this? I turned away from the mirror, stepping over small piles of hair, and left the bathroom. I picked up the note from the small table of my room and reread it.

"Minene I am sorry I pushed you so quickly into this, but Murmur was against my plan, so I had to do something quick. She doesn't know what I'm going to do (or did, since you'll be reading this in the future), so forgive me, but you must follow my instructions.

First, you gotta make yourself inconspicuous. I know you can manifest things, so you won't have too much trouble with that. I did some research, and the picture of the lady I stapled to this note is supposed to be a famous director. Dress up as her and pretend to scout for talent for your new movie. Attract both 3rd world me and 3rd world Akise-kun somehow. Akise-kun is an amazing detective, so maybe you should make your fake movie be a murder mystery. You'll manage to do it somehow, right?

Second, you have to meet up with Deus somehow and convince him not to include Yuno in the game, for obvious reasons. Maybe you could get your 3rd world self to take you. Figure it out somehow. This is crucial. In fact, I probably should've listed this first.. Anyways, you have to do this. We don't want another Yuno cycle to happen.

Third, I know you might want to talk to 3rd world Nishijima, but you shouldn't talk to him more than is necessary. You could get attached and kill your 3rd world self and well.. basically become another Yuno. I know it's hard. But you can't.

Finally, I just wanted to say good luck. I'm sorry for pushing all this on you, but I had no other choice. Please, take care of yourself.

-Yukiteru"

I guess he must've stuck it in my pocket when that loser pushed me, but I decided not to dwell on it any further. I had work to do. I went to Yukiteru's school first, thinking I should hurry up and get the hard part over with. The kid was a complete loner and a bit of a weirdo, so it'd be hard to get him to volunteer. Not to mention the lunatic was still there, and though she wasn't that bad of a person in this world, I might still wanna scratch her eyes out..

Maybe I should just kidnap the two and put them together. That'd be sooooo much easier. I shook the thoughts from my head, knowing I had to do this right, or I'd never hear the end of it.

I took the bus, still not fully done with all my planning, but I figured I could finish on the way. After many stares from men and glares from women, I ended up thinking I should simply wait for the boy to get out of school and pretend to be all impressed and shit. Give him my card, and then catch him again a few days later. The time in-between should be enough for me to "convince" the bigwigs of some production company to lend me a studio and a crew. And maybe give me some time to work on things with Nishijima..

No, I'm not here for that! Well, God did say I could fix other issues if I wanted to.. But no, if I had any free time, it'd be best to start to try to get to Deus about the whole Yuno thing.

I would've missed my stop if I didn't notice a group of students making a ruckus right outside my window. I got out, and looked down at my watch. A few minutes left before he arrives. (I did a little research to find out when his class ends [Shit, am I turning into Yuno?].) You need to be more observant, geez, seriously? I reprimanded myself.

After a few moments of looking around, I saw the aforementioned brunette walking my way. His head was cast down as he punched the buttons on his phone, not paying much attention to the world around him. How has this idiot not gotten run over yet?

I pushed my sunglasses on, and put on an air of cool self-confidence, folding my arms in front of my chest. I waited until he was a couple of feet away and called out,

"Ey kid! You look cute enough for this role. Wanna be famous?" I walked forward and shoved a poster of a random movie I manifested at the last second into his hands. I realized it depicted an attractive man, holding what seemed to be an equally attractive female salsa dancer in one hand, and a magnifying glass in the other hand;with other shady-looking people in the background. Some sort of mystery/romance. Well the director I'm supposed to be is all cheesy like that, despite her slutty outfits.

Yukiteru looked down at the poster with little interest, and then looked up at me. His reaction was a little late, but after a couple of moments, his half-lidded eyes widened, and I couldn't help but think of how adorable he could look sometimes.

Hey you're not his fucking mother or something like that, what are thinking? I mentally slapped myself.

The boy in front of me laughed nervously. "A-are you serious? I could never play someone.. like that.." He pointed to the main character. Now it was my turn to laugh.

"No, no, no, you wouldn't be playing that guy! We've already got that spot filled. You'll be playing this guy." I pointed to one of the characters in the far back, who was visibly blushing while another boy seemed to be laughing and ruffling his hair. I know just who to pick for that role.

At first, Yukiteru seemed to be ashamed that he thought he could be the "main hot guy" of the movie, and his cheeks turned a light shade of red. Then, once he really looked at his character, and the interactions of the other character, his cheeks slightly darkened more.

"Oh…" He paused. "Oh! Haha! U-um… W-well.. I have school and all. A-and besides" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not a very good actor.. Y-you could probably find someone else who's… more suitable." His gaze fell to the sidewalk.

"If we were interviewing you right now, you would totes (Really? Totes? Guess one has to sell the act) pass the test. You're acting just like him right now! You'd be perfect!" I paused to dig through my ginormous purse and pulled out a card. "Well, if you change your mind, give us a call! And about the school thing, our schedule is flexible and we could do it after school or on weekends. Anyways.." I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If you're in a movie, think of all the fame and friends you'll make!"

With that, I winked at him and turned to walk the opposite way. I would've turned around just to see the hilarious expression he was most likely pulling right now, but that would've ruined the effect, so I kept walking until I was out of sight so I could call for a cab. It was getting dark, and the next bus wouldn't be there until 30 minutes, which I did not feel like waiting. Not because I was scared, but because some shady looking guys were staring at me and looked like they wanted to get more "acquainted". I could've easily knocked them out, but police could get involved, or there could be witnesses, and my cover would be blown.

After a measly 5 minutes, my taxi arrived. I got in and told him to drop me off a few streets away from where I was renting a room. Never hurt to take extra precautions.

"Ey, aren't ya that Morrigan Everest lady who made Long Walks on the Beach?" The cab driver abruptly asked.

"I might be." I replied with a hint of mischief in my voice.

"Don't you usually have a limo for this kinda stuff?" By the time he said this, my stop had already come up. This was perfect timing. Maybe that idiot God is looking over me. I internally laughed. I then proceeded to get out of the taxi, lean in on the driver's window and "oh-so-innocently" bend down to reveal cleavage, and reply with,

"You never saw me, got it short stuff?" I pulled out a wad of cash from my pockets and stuffed it into the driver's brim of his hat. I winked and stood back up, sashaying my way down the street. Inside, a storm was brewing. I had to keep up appearances. But shit man. This Morrigan lady had to calm down. I later had to manifest a punching bag as soon as I got to my room.

Yukiteru will pay. I consoled myself.

Chapter Text

3rd World Amano Yukiteru

Thud!

I felt the softness of the pillow crushing into my face as I collapsed onto my bed. Lately, school had been tiring. Tests had been springing up from out of nowhere, and my classmates seemed to take up teasing me again. I thought they had gotten over it, since I wasn't giving any reactions, but I guess they wanted to take their own stress out on me. And there was that strange offer that director lady gave me about being in that movie.. Also, I had heard about a serial killer that had popped up in my neighborhood, and that, coupled with the fact that I always felt like someone was watching me, and my mom not being home too often, was too much for me to take.

Ugh.

I decided I should pay a long over-due visit to Deus. I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, there I was, looking up at the enormity that was Deus, and his small assistant that was Murmur.

"Yuki~!" The midget barreled toward me and trapped me in a tight hug. "I haven't seen you in forever you loser!" Seeming to quickly lose interest, she went over to her purple beanie-bag and picked up her chocolate bar and manga. This girl. Still, I had missed her, despite her quirks.

"Yukiteru-kun. How nice of you to visit us today." Deus' voice boomed throughout the enormous, purple-tinted room. I jumped a bit at his voice. No matter how many times I visited, I would never get used to such a deep voice, dripping with authority and perhaps a bit of wisdom.

Once, I had tried to imagine his voice a bit more.. friendlier. I mean, he was just in my imagination after all, so I could just change things as I saw fit, right? I was able to do other things, like make sweets appear out of thin air and offer them to Murmur (most of the time she just stole them from me), or carve things into the roof and walls with a single flick of the wrist. So it wasn't that much of a stretch, right? But when I closed my eyes in concentration while facing Deus, he simply chuckled at me (Deus rarely showed any emotion, oh my this was kind of scary) and proceeded to swipe at the multiple screens surrounding him.

"Ah, hi Deus! I know it's been awhile, but I'm here now! Anything interesting going on the world?" I inquired politely.

"Well a couple of days ago, there was an interference of sorts, in my surveillance. This has never happened before. Though it only lasted for a few seconds, I'm still worried.." The gigantic god replied carefully.

"Well nothing that important could've happened in those few seconds, right? I'm sure you have nothing to worry about!" I grinned up at him.

"I hope you're right Yukit-" Deus was interrupted as a blonde woman appeared in the corner of my eye. She was cursing, seeing as she had landed face down on the floor. Muttering something about why this always happened to her. I swiveled around to get a better look.

No way. It was that director I had met earlier! What was she doing here, of all places?!

I tried to reason out that it was all in my head, so I might be subconsciously drawing out my worries. Yeah, that was probably it. I hadn't even gotten over the initial shock before she started going off on Deus. Oh no. This isn't good. No one yells at Deus. He can be really scary when he's mad.

"Hey listen up you! I'm Minene from the past world and I'm here to tell you not to recruit Yuno! She's a crazy bitch!" The blonde was now flying up, trying to reach Deus at eye level.

Yuno? You mean that girl from school?

"You don't look like Minene." Was Deus' cold response. I knew Deus was getting annoyed, since he didn't much like visitors. I once asked him why no one else ever visited, and he said he didn't let others visit him unless it was for business. Though I failed to know what "business" constituted as in my imaginary world.

" Yeah stupid Yukiteru from my own world made me dress up like this to keep a low profile. Though this isn't very subtle.." The acclaimed "Minene" snorted at this and then continued. "Oh yeah, you know that loser is God of my world? Well you better fuckin' believe it. And he sent me here to tell you not to recruit Yuno. That bitch is insane! She wanted to keep leaving all the other worlds just to spend time with her "precious Yuki~" Minene mimicked Yuno's honey-filled voice. "Damn disgusting."

"Hey! I think Yuno-chan would make a suitable God! And who do you think you are, just barging in here, claiming you're from another world?!" Murmur yelled down from below, her sweets and books forgotten and tossed aside.

Deus completely ignored Murmur's outburst, and skipped over the whole Yuno issue, instead replying, "So Yukiteru-kun wound up winning last game huh? Interesting.. I was thinking of involving him, but I thought he might be a little too innocent for that.." Deus contemplated as he rest his chin of his hand.

Two pairs of violet eyes glared at Deus. "Hello?! This is about Yuno! Don't include her in the game! Seriously!" The blonde yelled, visibly irritated.

"Hey! Don't listen to what this stranger says! Listen to your assistant!" Murmur flew up into Deus' face. Deus frowned, and promptly swatted the small girl away. Murmur flew into the wall, leaving a huge imprint and a cascade of tile showering down from the wall. I hid behind my bed, deciding it'd be best to avoid such a situation as much as possible. I contemplated leaving, but I wanted to see what this was all about. Why was she mentioning my name, anyways? It seemed as if she had already known me.

Murmur flew back up again, with mussed up hair and a few cuts, but otherwise, she seemed fine. "Deus! Don't be like that!" She whined.

Deus turned towards the blonde and away from the lavender-haired girl. "I was thinking I shouldn't involve Gasai-san.. There's something… off about her. But we would still have to find a replacement.." Deus seemed to stare off into space for a few moments before continuing. "Was Yukiteru-kun a good God?"

"Hell no! It took him forever to create the universe again, because all he could do was just mope around about his dead girlfriend. This one even had to dress up as her to encourage the idiot." Minene casually pointed at Murmur.

Ignoring Murmur's outbursts of how rude Minene was being, Deus proceeded to ask, "If he wasn't willing, then why did he even become God?"

"Because the psycho killed everyone and then killed herself."

Deus seemed to drink this in, and then replied with, "Maybe I should take her out of the game. Good thing you came at this point of time, because the game was about to start. Guess I'll have to search for a replacement."

"Are you serious?! Deus, you're listening to this girl who claims she's from another world?! Rather than me?!" Murmur screamed up at Deus, fists balled up and her face red-hot.

Minene rolled her eyes and looked like she wanted to say something back to midget, but seemed to think better of it and turned. "Anyways, thanks for this pleasant conversation. I really fuckin' hope you consider what I'm asking, because I went through some shit to do this." With that, the blonde simply faded into the background, as if she was never there. My head was swimming with questions.

Why did that director lady appear in my mind? Why did she talk about me as if she knew me? And what was this about a game? Why was that Yuno girl involved, too? My vision was fading, and I clutched my head. I keeled over, and hit the cold tiled floor.

When I woke up again, I was in my bed. Reaching across the covers, I grabbed my alarm clock on my bedside table, I realized I had been gone for way too long. It was the middle of the night, and I knew I had to get some rest. I didn't want to think about what had just happened, so I turned on my side and closed my eyes, falling into a vast sea of sleep.

Chapter Text

3rd World Aru Akise

I was lying on my bed when I heard my parents bickering again. They were always fighting nowadays.

"Can't you get him to study something else?! Him playing detective is just so ridiculous! I mean, it was ok when he was a kid, but he's growing up now!" A deep voice rumbled throughout the kitchen and echoed down the hallways, assaulting my eardrums.

"Hush!" A soft, wisp of a voice commanded. Continuing in a low voice (Though I could still hear her; these walls were paper-thin. Geez, she didn't know how to whisper herself), she replied, "Our son is trying to sleep! And don't talk like that about him! He's just.." A pause.

"Just what? I'm sorry but, he's got to face reality! Why can't he just become a lawyer or something? I mean, that's close to being a detective, right? He's just got so much potential. All his teachers dote on his excellent work, though they do complain about his skipping class so much.." The deep voice continued, only lowering his voice a couple of degrees.

"No. You know it's nothing like a lawyer. I know how bright of a kid he is, I mean, he is our son after all. But don't you think we should just let him do what he wants..?"

"It's not about doing what he wants! It's about honoring the Aru family! I didn't become founder and owner of NAXANDAT Industries to have such a foolish son turn our name into a laughingstock! Did you hear what our co-workers were talking about the other day?!"

I love you too dad. I sneered. I stopped letting his words hurt me long ago.

"Hey, what about that movie thing he was invited to? We could sure use the publicity. Our sales are dropping…"

Shit. I should've just thrown that poster away when I had the chance. I had met up with a blonde woman when I was leaving school, making me offers about being in some movie and making me famous. Of course, I said no. The glint in her eye was enough to tell me she was up to no good. She would probably sell me off to the black market as a "toy" or something if I decided to accept and follow her. I may be "foolish" as my father put it, but I wasn't dumb enough to trust strangers.

I had gone home that day, tossing the poster on the kitchen table while I turned the small T.V on to the local news and taking out some left-overs from yesterday's dinner. My mother came in, about to leave for work when she saw the poster on the table. After much coaxing, and possibly handing over some money, I told her about the offer. She practically squealed in joy, encouraging me to accept the offer.

For some self-proclaimed respective parents, they simply ignored the fact that a complete stranger gave me the poster, and were encouraging me to go with said stranger.

"Don't talk about our son like he's some sort of tool to fix our company! And about the offer, I think he should take it too, but for different reasons. He could maybe meet some friends there."

I didn't want to listen anymore, so I stuffed my earphones in, and turned up my iPod. I didn't turn it up all the way, knowing it could cause damage. I thought about the offer more seriously. I guess it couldn't hurt to go. See what it's about. It's not like I was going just to make my father proud. Pfft! Who cared what he thought of me! I'm going for my own interests, and not for his!

The next day

I looked up to meet a black dome, large enough to take up half of the street. The bus behind me took off, and I was left alone. A big sign adorned on the front said, "Dandy Studios" in big, bright red letters. It seemed official enough, and as I walked toward the building, I noticed a young boy standing at the entrance. He looked to be around the same age as me. As I got closer, I noticed his tan skin and black hair poking out from a beige beanie. His oversized jacket gave little indication to how frail he actually was, but I could tell by the way his bony legs popped out from under his shorts.

His back was turned to me, but I could hear him muttering something about why he had even come to this place. I walked up behind him, about to politely ask him if he could move out of the way so I could go in, but then, I overheard something that sounded like, "Maybe I should just go.." and he promptly swirled around and barreled straight into me. Taken by surprise, I tumbled backwards and fell onto the hard cement. Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed ahold of the boy's waist as he fell down on top of me. A small yelp escaped from the boy, and he buried his head into my chest. His body heat melted right through my clothing, and into me. A smell of sugar and mint invaded my nose. I noticed that he was clutching fistfuls of my shirt tightly, and my heart suddenly began to pick up its pace. Looking down at the boy, I realized that his hair was actually dark brown, and not black.

Suddenly, he looked up and I was met with two strikingly bright blue orbs that were his eyes. His dark bangs framed his face perfectly, albeit they were a bit messed up from the fall. His rosy lips were slightly parted, and a small gasp escaped from them. This kid was just waaay to adorable.

Before I had time to mentally kick myself for thinking such things, the brunette's face flared up, and in an instant, scrambled off of me. I found myself missing the way he felt in my arms.

"Ahhh! I am so sorry! I-I didn't see you there!" His face was completely red, and he looked around nervously. I sat up, rubbing the back of my head. I winced, knowing how much it'd hurt later on. I started,

"Ah, it's ok, real-"

"Ah! Did I hurt you?! I'm so sorry! Here." The frail boy extended his hand out towards me. Gratefully, I took it and stood up. The skin contact sent electrics bolts all throughout my body. I held on to his hand a little longer than necessary, not wanting to end this contact. The boy looked away, face still beet-red, and awkwardly rubbed his arm.

"S-sorry! I should be going now!" He turned towards the double doors and ran right through. Sighing, I lingered a little, relishing in any warmth still left on my chest that seeped out from the brunette. Deciding that I needed to continue my task, I went through the doors too. Noting he wasn't there, I walked towards the front desk and politely smiled at the desk attendant.

"Aru Akise. I'm here for one of the roles of this movie." I pulled out the poster from my pocket and displayed it to her.

"Ah yes! I was told you'd be coming. Room 208 down that way." She pointed at the hallway to her left. Thanking the woman, I made my way down the hallway, intrigued by what I might find.

I opened the door that had the number 208 painted on it, and what I saw was a complete mess.

There were many people with pale blue t-shirts running amok, yelling various things about settings, numbers, and why the hell they hadn't had lunch break yet. A couple of yards away was a green screen with multiple actors walking around, talking, while the microphone guy seemed to be having trouble keeping said microphone from bumping to the actors' heads. I saw the blonde director, yelling at some guy about who knows what, when she suddenly turned around to face me.

"Ah! Akise-kun! I knew you would come!" She paused to shuffle through a stack of papers she held to her chest. "Ah, yes, here you are. This is the script. The highlighted parts are yours. You can go over to the other new actor and practice with him." She distractedly shoved a packet into my hands and motioned over to a corner where someone was already sitting.

"Thanks." I replied. She seemed to ignore me as she continued to yell at others, waving her hands around like a maniac. Shaking my head, I walked towards the person sitting in the corner. The boy was already staring right at me. His face seemed to pale. Geez, I feel so welcomed here.

It was only until I was a few feet away from him that I realized it was the boy who had bumped into me outside. Great. Trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach, I offered him my hand.

"Hi, I'm Aru Akise. I look forward to working with you." The brunette just gaped at me at first, but then seemed to snap out of it and took ahold of my hand. The same electric sensation washed over me. He was the first to pull away. I sat on the floor across from him.

"I-I'm Amano Yukiteru. I look forward to working w-with you too." He replied, his voice slightly wavering. Crap. He probably thinks I'm some sort of weird stalker or something. I guess I should apologize.

"Hey, I'm sorry for bumping into you outside. I was just gonna ask for you to move out-of-the-way. You were blocking the entrance, after all." When I mentioned the incident, Yukiteru squeaked. My god, that was cute.

"N-no, it's ok! It was my fault!" Yukiteru looked down in shame, avoiding my gaze.

"Well, at any rate, let's just start over, ok? From now on, we're co-workers." With that, the brunette lifted his head slightly, looking at me from under his eyelashes. I offered a smile, and he simply stared back, wide-eyed. His face turned slightly red, but not as red as it had been from outside the dome.

"R-right! Let's work together Aru-san!" He returned my smile, showing off his dazzling white teeth. I felt my cheeks heat up a bit, and my heart skipped a beat. It was almost a sin for such a cute face to exist.

"Yes, lets, Amano-san."

Chapter Text

Uryu Minene

"… and the infamous Uryu Minene is still on the loose. If you have any information on the terrorist, please contact the police." The large T.V mounted on to the wall blared. I was barely paying any attention to the news station, pre-occupying myself with the mundane task of refurbishing my new flat, until I heard the nasally reporter announce my name. I barely looked up in time to catch a glimpse of my own face appear on the screen as the reporter droned on. An unfocused and grimy video clipping of the purple-haired girl destroying a building looped as officials gave out instructions to get in contact with them if they saw any suspicious activity.

Way to go, me! I silently cheered on the Minene from this world. Leaning over and grabbing the remote control on the ground, I looked back up again and stopped. Frozen, I noticed a familiar police officer hiding in the background as the me of this world cackled. Nishijima? No, it couldn't be. There are thousands of brunette police officers. There was no way of knowing if it really was Nishijima, so I quickly turned the television off and continued my unpacking. As I opened the next box, I let my mind wander back to the police officer.

What if it really was him? What was he doing around me? I pulled out some silverware and placed them in kitchen cabinets. Tsk. He always was chasing me, even before the game. Annoyed, I looked at the time and decided to continue tomorrow. Though I might not get much time tomorrow, since I was planning to meet up with Deus again and make sure he didn't involve Yuno. I checked up on her sometimes, just to make sure she wasn't starting any trouble, and was pleased to say that besides her stalking of Yukiteru, she wasn't really doing much.

That boy will be the end of me, I thought as I wearily plopped down on my bed. I was still tired from my job at Dandy Studios. I had to hand them a big sum of cash, but that was nothing if I could manifest whatever the hell I wanted. Still, it was nice to see my hard work pay off. The two boys had officially met now, thought they still went to different schools, it was nice to see the pair hit it off at the studios.

I was able to get the Yukiteru of this world to play the shy boy of the movie. Everyone agreed that he would be the perfect person to play the role, a bit to his discomfort. What bugged me, was that the Akise of this world filled in the main role. No matter how much I begged and pleaded, I was overruled with the votes of who could play that character the best. Seeing that Akise already had the mysterious air around him, and that he was attractive enough, the whole crew dubbed him as the main character.

Which caused some problems, seeing as Akise would now be expected to work with a girl named Rika as the love interest of the movie. I had planned the entire movie to have the boys play the role of the gay couple in the movie, but it was now completely ruined. And now the other role that was supposed to be for Akise was filled in too. I couldn't remember the name of the boy, but his name wasn't Akise, and that's all I cared about.

How annoying. Still, they were now working together, even if it wasn't the way I wanted them to. So that much was fine. My mind was restless, still finding other problems to think about. Mostly about on how to deal with production and whatnot. I was getting irritated, not being able to sleep. Well, if I couldn't sleep, I thought I should do something productive. Like go back to Deus.

Don't ask how, but I was still able to communicate with Deus, despite my lack of owning a diary. I ended up falling on my ass this time, instead of my face. Can't I ever be graceful? I growled, but refrained from saying anything, seeing as Murmur was just sitting there, examining me from behind her novels.

"Hey Deus! I just wanted to drop by and see how the whole replacement thing is moving along. So, how's it going?" I turned my gaze up at the towering god, and away from Murmur's glares.

"Yes, I've found a suitable replacement. I decided not to go with Aru Akise, since I understand he'd just want to play the hero and save everyone." I sighed in relief as I heard this. "Yes, I think it'd be more interesting if Yukiteru's father came into play. I've taken a look into his life, and I think it's safe to assume the father could slay his son, under the given circumstances."

"Hold on, you're saying you want Yukiteru to die? Didn't you say that you wanted him to be your successor?" I protested, not wanting to push my luck, but still not wanting Yukiteru to go through more than what was needed.

"I never once said that." Deus replied gruffly.

"But you implied it!" I argued.

"This will be a test. To see if he has what it takes to be the new god. That is the end of that." With that, I was forced to open my eyes as I heard an alarm go off to the right of me. I slammed my hand down upon it, effectively silencing it as the piece of technology shattered to bits, and crackled with electricity. I paid no attention to the broken thing, leaving it behind as I stood up to go take a much-needed shower.

At least Yuno is out of the question. Right?

3rd World Amano Yukiteru

My dad? What does he have to do with anything? Same goes for Aru-san.. I was just leaving Deus, when I heard the blonde come in and start talking. I hid from view behind my bed, again eavesdropping on the blonde's and Deus' conversation. Something about having my own father slayme…? Surely they meant as in a game of dungeons and dragons, right? I mean, who says "slay" anymore?

I got up, dreading school again. Lately, I've felt like somebody was watching me. Whenever I was walking home, sometimes I swear I could hear movement behind me. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but that sort of reasoning didn't make me feel any better. I just wanted to get the day over with already, so I could spend the day working with Aru-san. I was slightly jealous that he had gotten the main role, but he was perfect for it. I decided I shouldn't feel jealous, but rather happy for him, since he had gotten the big role.

Still, I didn't like the parts when he had to work with that other girl. She was really beautiful. Tan skin, coupled with jet black, flowing hair and emerald eyes. She looked to be Hispanic. Perfect, since the role she was playing was one of a Hispanic culture.

I stepped into the shower, hoping the water would wash away my dark thoughts. It didn't work. I wondered why I didn't like it when the two would talk, or act out the romantic scenes of the movie. I knew the kiss scene was coming soon, and I couldn't help but think, if I feel so bad right now, wait until that scene pops up. I laid my hands against the now wet tile, letting the water run down my head. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander over Aru-san again. I recalled the way we first met; me barreling into him.

Ahhh, that was so embarrassing! Totally uncool. Despite that, we were able to put it behind us, and work together. We actually got along pretty well, and every time we had to part ways, I found myself wanting to call out to the albino, just to spend more time with him. Sometimes, I thought it would be nice if we could go grab a bite to eat after work, but it'd usually be late by then, and I had my homework to do.

Still, it'd be nice to go somewhere with Aru-san. He was the only one I actually talked to, even if most of it was work-related. I found myself thinking about him as I worked the shampoo in my hair into a lather. I remembered the way I got an up-close look at Aru-san's face when I fell on top of him. The first thing I noticed was his wine-red eyes. They had such intensity to them, I couldn't look away. I felt my cheeks heat up at the memory, knowing it wasn't because of the hot water.

I sank to the bottom, allowing the water to hit my chest. My thoughts continued to circulate around Aru-san and his perfectly pale skin, and his dazzling smile, and the way his muscle contracted whenever he stretched, and his soft, yet firm hands, and-

I let out a small gasp as I felt my own fingers close over my already hardening member. I slowly began to pump, letting the heat build up. Geez, when was the last time I did this? I scrunched my eyes shut, making my lack of vision heighten my other senses. I thought of Aru-san holding me in his arms when we fell to the ground and increased the speed. A small voice in the back of my mind was scolding me for thinking of my co-worker while I was doing such things, but I pushed it away as I imagined Aru-san's own hands coming to work on me.

"A-Akise-kun.." Saying his first name out loud had pushed me over the edge, and I exploded into my hand. Still feeling waves of after-pleasure, I allowed myself to sit there a moment longer, still thinking about the white-haired boy. Blushing, I stood up and began to rinse myself off. I knew now wasn't the time for this, especially since I had already woken up late, but it had felt so good.. Maybe later, I might feel extremely ashamed, but right now, I decided it was totally worth it. I stepped out of the shower, feeling my lips curl up a bit.

I dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. I noticed the time. Shit. I grabbed a couple of granola bars and ran out my door. I ripped one open, allowing the crumbs to gather on the collar of my shirt, and stuffed it into my mouth. I figured they'd fall off themselves, since I was running. I noticed there weren't many people out on the streets, since I was using back streets as shortcuts. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket, granola bar still stuffed in my mouth, to look at the time. I had a few minutes left. I knew I could make it in time if I ran faster. So I pushed my small body to the limit, panting loudly as I picked up the pace. I was looking down at the screen of my phone when I bumped into something hard. I fell face-down, taking whatever had hit me down with me, too. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I began to sit up, trying to rub the pain away from my nose.

Once I removed my hands away from my face, I looked down at the perpetrator. Lying down below me was the very boy I had jerked off to this morning. Aru-san stared at me from down below. He almost looked.. amused. I felt my cheeks heat up, though it was for a different reason than what my co-worker probably suspected.

"A-Aru-san! W-what are you doing here?!" I tried to stay calm and composed, but I winced as I heard my voice become unnaturally high. Aru-san simply picked the half-eaten granola bar from off of his chest, for it had snapped from my mouth when I fell, and plopped it back into my mouth.

"We seem to be doing this a lot lately." The pale boy chuckled underneath me, and I felt the vibrations from within his chest reach my legs that were sitting on top of him. I was reminded yet again of the horrendous deed I had done this morning. I felt my entire face heat up, and my heart skipped a beat. I quickly scrambled off, not wanting anymore contact between us. That was a lie; I really just wanted to lie back down and feel his arms envelop me like the first time they did when we met, even if we were laying on the hard sidewalk. But I pulled myself apart, not trusting myself, fearing what I'd do if given the chance.

"Anyways, to answer your question, I decided not to go to class today, and I just started to roam around. I saw you running at full speed towards me, and I figured you had already seen me and would stop, but before I had chance to say anything, you just ran right into me. I guess you were too busy looking down at your phone." Aru-san had gotten up and was dusting himself off. He winced, and held the back of his head. I realized that I had hurt him, again, and felt extremely guilty.

"Ah! I hurt you! I'm so sorry! Ah.. Um.." I stuttered, not sure as of how we'd be able to brush this one off, but then I remembered he had mentioned my phone. I looked back down at the screen. Ah, I was too late. School would start in five minutes. There was no way I could make it in time. Debating on whether I should go in late, or just not go in at all, Aru-san piped up.

"It's fine. Hey, why don't you make it up for me and come with me to the new festival? There's not going to be a lot of people, since it's a weekday, so what do you say?" What Aru-san was suggesting seemed fun, but I was the kind of follow-the-rules person, so I wasn't too sure about that… Though I did hurt him. Again.. And I was already late, so what was the point of going to school?

I could still feel that my face was heated, but I slowly nodded, accepting the offer. Besides, I wanted to ask him many things. And the fact that he was able to say he was ditching so nonchalantly was… a bit alluring.

Ah! What are you thinking!? You sound like such a love-sick girl in those chick flicks! Shaking those thoughts from my head, I took my place beside Aru-san and followed him as he led the way to the festival. I couldn't stop my heart from pounding inside my chest as I racked my brain for interesting conversation starters. It took a few minutes before I was able to say anything.

"Hey Aru-san?" I began.

Chapter Text

3rd World Amano Yukiteru

"You can say my first name, y'know." Aru-san simply stated.

"W-what?" I was a bit irritated that he chose to ignore my question and chose to focus on the smaller part.

"Well we're not at work, are we? And besides, I don't really like my last name." I noticed that Aru-san crinkled his nose at this. It was interesting to see the other expressions of him, since all he did was smile that goddamn charming smile with his perfect teeth and rosy lips and-

"…so you can call me Akise-kun." That last bit was what brought me back to reality, making me recall yet again about the unspeakable horrendous act I committed in the morning. I swiveled my head around to face him, feeling the heat that had just managed to go down rise back up again. I must've pulled another one of my "classic faces" because Aru-san was having a hard time keeping in his laughter.

Way to go. Now Aru-san is laughing at you. I pouted, knowing it was very unlike me to act so nervous (I had a reputation of being Mr. No Fun [It was necessary to keep the bullies at bay]), but I couldn't stop my body from showing my inner feelings whilst I was around my albino co-worker.

"Does my first name really taste that bad on the tongue?" Aru-san finally said once he was done wiping his eyes.

"N-no! Not at all! I just…" I trailed off, wanting to clear the misunderstanding, but knowing I couldn't exactly say, Oh gee, I'm so sorry Aru-san, but when I was jacking off to you this morning, I came when I said your first name. So it's a bit embarrassing to say right now, so give me some time, please? No, I definitely wasn't going to confess to that. I had to go along with it. I would forget about it sooner or later, right?

"A-Akise-kun…" I managed to look him in the eyes, hoping to prove to him that I wasn't such a difficult person. To my surprise, Akise-kun only looked back, cheeks lightly dusted with a pinkish color. He was the first to break the gaze, turning and continuing to walk. I hadn't even noticed we had stopped, and ran to catch up with him.

"W-wait! Akise-kun!" The boy only glanced back the slightest, still obscuring his own face. I wondered what I had done to make him behave like that, but I pushed those thoughts away and continued. "Y-you can call me Yukiteru-kun, too.."I unintentionally lowered my voice a few degrees. I looked at Akise-kun's back, willing him to turn around and just look at me, because, well.. I didn't like that he was clearly trying to ignore me. He was my only friend nowadays, and I didn't want him to be angry with me because I wanted to keep up the formalities, even if I did have a good reason for that.

Akise-kun finally turned to look at me, and he must've seen the worry on my face, or something, because he suddenly pulled me into a hug. I let put a squeak of surprise, but nonetheless returned his hug, wrapping my arms around his middle. I ignored all the logical voices in my head, asking why Akise-kun would suddenly show such affection, and snuggled closer to him, inhaling his scent. He smelled like… Well, it was certainly refreshing.. and I recognized that scent.. I buried my head into the crook of his shoulder, trying to get a better whiff of it.

Ah that's it! He smells like rain! I finally figured out, smiling like I had just figured a big mystery out. Abruptly, I pulled back, wanting to tell Akise-kun of my victory, when I noticed that his usually pale face was completely red. Oh no. Did I do something wrong again? "H-hey Akise-kun... Your face is red. D-did I do something wrong?"

At this, Akise-kun's eyes widened, and he placed a hand to his cheek as if to test out if what I said was true. "We're almost there. Let's keep moving." He replied gruffly, once again ignoring my question. He pulled my hand and continued walking. The skin-on-skin contact surprised me, sending waves of warmth all throughout my body. I suddenly felt safe, as if nothing could ever get to me. The simple action felt so… right. So familiar. But at the same time, different, and exciting. I was disappointed once he let go, apparently satisfied once he noticed I had continued along beside him.

An awkward silence filled the air, the only thing to be heard was our footsteps, and the occasional whirl of wind as cars passed by. Akise-kun was the first to break it.

"Sorry, Yukiteru-kun. I don't normally act all that strange." He apologized, saying my first name for the first time. I thought it sounded better than Amano-san.

"Y-yeah, you're usually all cool and stuff." Oh no. Did I really just say that out loud? I winced, knowing Akise-kun was definitely going to think I was a total weirdo. I looked to the side, hoping he wouldn't see the blush on my face.

"So you think I'm cool, do you?" The albino chuckled. "Do you still think that after I pulled that creepy stunt back there?" Creepy? Did he think it was creepy? Did he think I was creepy? I must've accidentally voiced my own concerns, or Akise-kun could read minds (it was probably the former), because he only laughed harder.

"No, Yukiteru-kun, I didn't mean it that way. You're not creepy. You're the opposite of that. You're ador-" He quickly stopped talking, not finishing his sentence.

"H-hey! I'm what?!" I tugged at his shirt, putting on my most demanding face I could manage. My co-worker only looked down at me and smiled, before announcing,

"We're here."

I stopped pulling at him and turned to look at the striped sign in front of us, noticing the huge ferris wheel off in the distance and the multicolored tents littering a large field. The smell of sweet caramel and yakisoba came wafting in, assaulting my nose. There was little commotion to be heard, since Akise-kun had pointed out earlier that today was a weekday. I saw car of a rollercoaster come zooming right past me and go back up a hill. I couldn't wait to try some of the food! Having completely forgotten about the earlier awkward situation, I ran up the register and began to search through my pockets. I was quiet eager to get in; it'd been awhile since I was at a festival!

Come to think of it.. last time I attended one was with mom and dad.. before the divorce.. before my life took a turn for the worse…

"…will be your total, sir." Ah, right! I was paying for my ticket! I continued my search, coming up empty-handed. Shit. I hadn't brought much money for me. Only enough for the bus, and a little extra for if I got hungry or something after school. I didn't even get to start panicking when Akise-kun handed over the money and picked our two tickets up. He pushed me forward, ignoring my protests.

"Akise-kun! You didn't have to!" I pulled at his arm, again feeling the waves of warmth flow through me.

"I saw you search like crazy throughout your clothes, and I knew you didn't bring any money with you, so I decided to pay for you. Don't thank me." The white-haired boy winked at me, causing me to stumble over my words when I kept protesting.

"I had a-a little m-money! I could've paid for m-my own ticket!"

"And then have none left for any rides or food?" Akise-kun had a point there. I quickly shut up, deciding to show my gratitude by giving him a quick hug. He seemed a bit too shocked to return the hug. Well, or maybe I didn't give him the time to. It didn't matter, because I instantly smelled the delicious food coming from a stand beside me and walked over to it, Akise-kun soon following after.

"Now now, Yukiteru-kun. Save the food for later. We can't have you puking all over me when we ride that." Akise-kun pointed at the tallest rollercoaster at the festival. Just looking at the height of the hills, and all those crazy turns and loops gave me goose bumps.

"W-we're going on that one?" I asked tentatively.

"I paid for your ticket. Shouldn't it only be fair if I picked the rides?" He smiled mischievously, red eyes alight with joy.

"I didn't ask you to!" I yelled at the chuckling teen in front of me, vaguely aware of my red face.

"We don't have to go on that one right away. I know there's a pool around here somewhere.." Akise-kun suggested.

"A pool?" The thought of being half-naked around my fellow co-worker only made my face grow brighter, even if he was male like me.

"Yeah, to help beat the heat, y'know?" I dumbly nodded, caving in easily since the trek to the festival hadn't exactly been short, and the multiple layers I wore weren't helping.

"O-ok… But I'm paying for the rental shorts!" I agreed, which for unknown reasons caused Akise-kun to chuckle and pat my head.

"Sure thing." He then proceeded to walk away, leaving me and my heart to calm down a bit before I ran to catch up with him.

Once we arrived and had gone through the tasks of renting the swimwear, we went to go change. It took me a while longer than Akise-kun, since I had many layers of clothing on, and to tell the truth, I was a bit nervous to come out. I wasn't really sure why, though. Akise-kun was becoming a good friend, and he probably wouldn't laugh at my scrawniness like the others would… but still…

I was sitting behind a tree when Akise-kun found me. He startled me, coming up from around the thin trunk and seizing my hat.

"My hat! Give it back!" I pleaded with the albino, looking up at him from my hiding spot.

"Yukiteru-kun. You can't exactly go swimming with a hat on." I knew he was right, but I was feeling extremely insecure, and my hat always brought me a bit of comfort. I pouted, but let him keep it.

"We'll leave it here and come back for it later, ok?"

"…. Ok…" I reluctantly agreed. He then gave me his hand, which I graciously took as he helped me up. It was only until then that I really noticed him.

Akise-kun was sculpted, with perfectly pale muscles contracting when he moved. His periwinkle shorts hung dangerously low on his hips, and I was able to see two defined lines forming a "V" leading into the elastic waistband. I still continued staring after he'd jump into the pool and came up for air, wiping his now-soaked hair back and away from his face. I watched the multiple droplets of water run down his chest, over ridges and marble-like skin. He's so.. big..

I felt unworthy and puny in comparison. I knew I was a fragile little thing, and didn't want to be mocked. I covered my chest with my arms, though this only caused Akise-kun to laugh.

"C'mon Yukiteru-kun! The water's fine!" He called out. A pause. "Don't tell me you're.. embarrassed?~" Akise-kun taunted. No way was I going to admit that to him!

"Of course I'm not!" I immediately argued.

"Then come on in!" Akise-kun moved to make more space. As if it was needed. We were the only two there. I reasoned that it would be okay if it was just with Akise-kun, so I sat at the edge and dipped my legs in. I wasn't daring enough to jump right in like that cool albino. I guess he didn't really like that about me, or maybe he was just impatient, because he grabbed ahold of my legs and pulled me right in, without any warning.

I instinctively held onto him for fear of my life, screwing my eyes shut as my yelp was (quite literally) drowned out when we went underwater. Once we floated back up, Akise-kun started laughing loudly.

"N-not cool! That was sooo not cool!" I spit water out, trying to get a hold of my bearings. I noticed my hair had gone in my face, and was about to wipe it away when I saw, or rather felt, that I was still holding onto Akise-kun tightly. Instead, he was the one to pull my hair back, smiling ever so charmingly. His response was,

"Not cool? But earlier I thought you said I was sooo cool, and that I was so amazing and smart and handsome!"

"I did not say that! Akise-kun, you big liar!" I blushed furiously, instantly detaching myself from him, trying to get away. I was stopped when two wet arms circled my waist from behind. I felt Akise-kun's wet hair tickle my shoulder when he leaned in and whispered dangerously in my ear.

"Aww c'mon, I'm not a liar. You can't say that about me when we haven't even gotten to know each other very well.." I shivered, unsure if it was the cold water or if it had to do with my drenched back hitting Akise-kun's chest. I placed my hands over his own that were restraining me, and was barely able to breathe out,

"T-then let's get to know each other… t-twenty questions…?" I wanted an excuse to get away from my attacker. Well, I needed one to insure the fact that I was not into whatever the heck Akise-kun was pulling, because I was most certainly not gay. I-I had a crush on that Wakaba Moe! My heart was just going crazy because of the adrenaline of the fall, that's all!

"Good idea." Akise-kun whispered huskily before backing away. (and god, why did I want to be back in his arms? No, stop it!) He crossed to the opposite side of me and sat on the edge. I still stood in the water, not wanting to come back out so that he wouldn't have to see my pathetic body. I tried to calm my erratic breathing.

"Shoot."

Chapter Text

3rd World Aru Akise

I sat on the edge of the pool, glancing down at Yukiteru-kun, waiting for him to ask me his question. I was reluctant to break away from our… unusual encounter, but I was also eager to find out more from him. I could tell he was an introvert and didn't have many friends, that much was obvious. I also knew that he mostly likely didn't have parents- or at least not very caring ones –since on the rare occasion that work slipped into the late night, he'd go home alone. I offered him a ride with my mother a few times, but he politely refused, muttering a few incoherent excuses. I felt pity towards the boy, but I tried to shake my emotions off whenever I did my profiling.

A detective doesn't let their emotions blur information, and Yukiteru-kun was a big mystery I desperately wanted to unravel. He shuts everyone out, I can tell, because his social skills are lacking. It's endearing, in a way, but I don't want to let my opinions get in the way. So even as I see Yukiteru-kun awkwardly shuffle around in the water, I don't allow myself the thoughts that come to surface. Thoughts about how adorable he can be, how his expressive face can easily twist up into embarrassment, or joy, or amazement. No, they must be pushed away.

I couldn't control myself a few moments ago. As a result of those thoughts, I had pulled him back to me selfishly. Even if I had enjoyed it in the moment, I had a case to crack, and I wasn't going to scare my current project away. I had to muster up as much self-control as possible.

One look back at a soaking, half-naked, blushing Yukiteru-kun was all it took shatter my common sense, and I was finding the task of not tackling the boy to be impossible. There he goes again, being waaay too cute for his own good. He was looking up at me with wide, teal eyes, still in the water. He seemed to be searching for what to ask, and I repressed a chuckle when he did his imitation of a fish with no water.

"Wh-why don't you like your last name?" He finally spoke up.

Crap. I didn't expect that one this early on. I hadn't meant to let it slip out when I first told him, but I was somehow more comfortable around the brunette. I felt as if he wouldn't be one to judge, if I ever told him about my past. And I guess it didn't help that at the time, he was being adorable again. Did he do it on purpose? To disarm me? It was definitely working. Well, I had been honest to him up until now, so I'd have to continue. At least for now. Though I hoped I wouldn't have to give everything away, since detectives never let others know more than they should.

"Ah, well.. my father is the owner of this bigwig medical company and my mother is a well-known attorney, so people just assume I'm riding on their coattails when I go inquire about these prestigious universities. They try to be nice to me in the hopes of obtaining any leftovers; which I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't go behind my back and plot against me with blackmail and such," There. I said it. It's a bit of a relief to get if off my chest, even if the details are all murky and vague, but it's more of a worry now; knowing that Yukiteru-kun could try to get at my money, too. Even if he doesn't seem like the type of guy to do that, I've met others that were similar to him.

"…Oh. I didn't know.." Yukiteru-kun is looking at me strangely now. Do I see pity in his eyes? With just a hint of.. jealousy? Why would he be jealous? Oh, right. I practically just claimed that my parents earn a lot of money.

"Yes, I realized that when you elbowed me in the face the other day in the studios and didn't even bother apologizing," I clucked my tongue and crossed my arms in a way that my mother often did when my father compared her to someone else. Guess it's an inherited trait.

"I did?! Why didn't you say anything?! I never noticed! Oh my gosh- I am so sorry! Forgive me Akise-kun!" I heard him thrash around in the water, trying to get my attention. I kept my gaze on the rollercoaster in the distance, trying to keep a stoic face. I utterly failed when I heard a meek, "Please?" and I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. I turned towards Yukiteru-kun once more, and was pleased to see furrowed brows and flushed cheeks. Does he know what he's doing? Because he's an expert on manipulating me. Seriously, it has to stop, or I'll be tempted to kidnap the kid and take him home with me.

"All right, all right, I'll forgive you," At this, Yukiteru-kun let out a sigh of relief. What, he honestly didn't think I was mad at him, did he? Well, I guess the lack of friends can explain that. I was trying to treat him like just another case again, but I found the usual clinical tone slightly unwanted. I wasn't sure why, since it helped me distance myself from my cases, but I somehow didn't feel comfortable being at a distance again. I was interrupted from my thoughts when Yukiteru-kun decided to speak up again.

"Th-thanks.. And umm.. I'm not like those other guys.." Damn right you aren't. But what does that have to do with anything? I cocked my head to the side, giving off a confused expression indicating that he needed to be a bit clearer. "I mean! I.. don't care who your parents are. Akise-kun is Akise-kun, and not some money cow that needs to be milked dry or whatever. I like Akise-kun for who he is, and not for his rich parents!" Yukiteru-kun's smile shone brightly in the sun, splashing merrily in the water. The sight caused my heart to speed up a bit, and the words stunned me. He shouldn't say something like that so carelessly! Or at least, not without the expectation of getting jumped!

Luckily I was a few feet away from him, so it made the temptation a bit easier to resist. I exchanged my best smile, while saying my thanks, hoping it would be enough for him. It seemed like it was, because he simply nodded, adding a smaller smile to it. I suddenly felt at ease now, being able to converse with Yukiteru-kun. I slipped back into the pool, letting my body get re-adjusted before I let myself float on my back as I searched for one of the many questions I had for him. Since we seemed to be on the topic of parents, and me wanting to confirm my suspicions, I asked,

"What about your parents? What do they do for a living?"

Silence. The only sounds to be heard were the waves in the pool. I didn't look up from my positions in the water, but I could tell Yukiteru-kun was caught off-guard. Normally, I'd cheer myself on for being able to correctly guess what other peoples' issues were, but this seemed… a bit off. I suddenly regretted asking, knowing I should've been able to find out anyway without being so direct. Ah, well.

"My mom is a video game programmer, but she has to travel a lot because of it, so she's never really home. And my dad.. I don't know what he does. Last I heard he was having money troubles, so he can't be doing anything too spectacular," The brunette responded icily.

Well at least I was right. Not sure if that makes me feel any better. Perhaps it might be best to move on from that. I don't really know how to comfort people. Though I guess it doesn't hurt to try, right?

I pushed myself up and swam over to Yukiteru-kun. He didn't look up, though I knew he took note of my presence because he tensed when I moved in front of him. I cupped his wet cheek, causing him to finally acknowledge me and look up. I gave him a soft smile, hoping to calm him, and spoke in a soothing voice,

"Like you said, it doesn't matter what your parents do. You're still yourself. Cheer up. Although that pout of yours is extremely adorable, you look even more adorable when you smile. Now hurry up and ask me your next question." I smirked when I saw his cheeks light up. He wasn't even trying to move away, though he did frantically try to look at everything but me.

"Akise-kun, are you gay?"

He might as well have slapped me in the face, because that what it felt like. My smirk disappeared, and I let my hand drop back down. I took a few steps back, miraculously not slipping on the wet tile. Was I gay? Are you serious? Well, I guess it did kind of seem like it with all the stuff I was pulling. No, I wasn't gay. At least, I didn't think so. I've never questioned it before. I just never had time for girlfriends and such. Ok, that was a lie. I had plenty of time in between cases. It just… never occurred to me. And the thought that I could be, actually didn't horrify me. I've dealt with homosexual or bisexual people in my line of work, and I've never had a problem with them before.

Though there are others who do have problems with that. Was Yukiteru-kun one of them? If he was, then I didn't want to risk losing my new favorite case. What was one little lie? I lied all the time to clients. Besides, I didn't think it was necessarily a lie. At least not fully.

"Ah, sorry Yukiteru-kun. I bet it seemed like I am, but I am not. I'll try to stop doing things like that in the future," I apologized to him. Taking control of the situation before it got even more awkward, I climbed out of the pool and called out, "We should probably get going if we want to be able to get on any rides!"

I left to go take care of business, not waiting for him, since I knew he would soon follow. A half hour later, I met up with a tense Yukiteru-kun outside. I guess that was partly my fault. Still, we were here to have fun, not be all awkward around each other and stay silent. I saw the rollercoaster I had mentioned earlier and almost grabbed his arm to lead him to it, but I refrained from doing so, chastising myself in my mind. Instead, I called out for Yukiteru-kun to follow, which he hesitantly did.

After much screaming and clinging on for dear life, it was my idea to go inside the haunted house and do some more of that wonderful screaming. Though it was only he who held on to me for dear life, which was, yet again, too cute. I had decided that it was enough for now, hearing Yukiteru-kun's stomach growl, him flushing in response. I paid for our meal, continuing our little game of twenty questions.

By the end, I had learned that his favorite color is blue, though a darker shade, whereas my favorite color is a lighter blue. I had also learned several other things, like who his crush was (unsurprisingly a girl), his favorite type of food, his secret passion for reading, and his dream to go see the stars with his parents among many other things. I revealed a couple of other things too, but nothing too personal. I decided it was best for the two of us if we didn't let that mistake happen again.

"Oh no!" Yukiteru-kun exclaimed as he looked at the setting sun. "We totally forgot about work! Ms. Everest is going to be super mad!" Seemingly forgotten about the earlier incident, he frantically pulled at my sleeve, looking stressed. It's his fault that he keeps looking like that, it's not mine for not being able to resist. I patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Hey, don't worry about it. She probably didn't notice we were gone, with all the yelling that she does, I'm surprised she even notices the people around her." He giggled slightly at this, which only made my want to try harder to reassure him. "And even if she does get mad, just say that I kidnapped you and you had no choice in the matter." At this, he only tightened his grip on my sleeve.

"Akise-kun can't take the blame! You're the one with the big role; you can't get fired over a stupid reason like me!"

Stupid? Yukiteru-kun, you're not stupid. Don't say those things. I only thought it, though, since I knew he was a bit touchy with that sort of thing now. Instead, I opted for, "It's ok, I'm sure she won't get mad anyways," I waved him off. "Hey, let's go on one last ride before we go! How does that sound?" I offered, wanting him to stop worrying.

"But the rollercoasters were scary…" He looked up at me with wide eyes, seemingly frightened. I desperately wanted to lean down and peck his forehead, but I refrained from doing so. That would only scare him more. I instantly came up with a solution.

"We don't have to go ride one of those. We can ride the ferris wheel. Does that sound better?" I asked softly, smiling down at him. He nodded, and I lead him to the giant wheel. Once we got on, I heard a static-like noise come from Yukiteru-kun's pocket. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen, seemingly enraptured by the device.

Strange noise for a phone to make. I silently remarked. He had been typing on it while we were eating and answering questions, though it had never made that noise before. I had thought not much of it before, but when he looked up from the screen to stare at me in horror, a dusky pink decorating his cheeks, I was concerned.

"What is it, Yukiteru-kun?" I inquired, looking at the phone in his hands and back up at him. I was sitting on the opposite side of him, so I couldn't see what was on the phone. I tried leaning forward to catch a peek, but he only shifted away from me, cheeks now blazing red. What was on that phone of his?

"I-it's nothing…" Yukiteru-kun kept pushing away from, edging closer to the exit. I understood if he was uncomfortable, but he was getting to close to the edge, and I couldn't risk him falling off, especially when we were this high up in the air. I reached out, but he only shifted farther away.

"Yukiteru-kun, what's wrong? You need to be more careful, you could fall-" That must've jinxed me or something, because it was at that moment that he leaned too far to the right and almost plummeted to his death. Luckily, I grabbed his arm in time and pulled him back in. My heart was beating from the risk of losing Yukiteru-kun like that. I felt each individual pump trying to hammer its way through my chest, and I even felt it spread across my left side.

Wait, what? No, it was another person's heart beating against me. It could only be one other person. Yukiteru-kun. I guess I must've pulled too hard, but can you blame me? I was terrified for his life! And as a result of that, he was sitting up on my lap. In this position, he was actually taller than me, with his legs bent and on either side of my hips, chest flush with mine. Guess that explains the extra heartbeat I was feeling. Which seemed to be in a competition against my own to see who could go the fastest. His head was tucked away into my neck- shivering- and arms tightly wrapped around my waist. He seemed to be clinging on for dear life, and I couldn't blame him. He had almost fallen out at hundreds of feet in the air, even if it was his fault for sliding away so much.

Well. This won't help with the whole gay issue. I desperately wanted to clear the misunderstanding, knowing he wouldn't take it too well once he got over his panic attack, so I gently pushed him back far enough so that he could at least look at me. He unwrapped his arms from my waist, and I suddenly regretted not relishing in the moment a bit longer.

Thud!

The ferris wheel had unexpectedly stopped for a brief second, causing Yukiteru-kun to re-wrap his arms around me, though this time it was around my neck. He squealed, holding on tightly. I, too, was caught off-guard, and gripped his hips, slightly digging my nails in. The contraption quickly continued again, slowly revolving.

This time, he pulled back on his own accord, though still not removing his arms. I felt extremely grateful for that. His warmth was seeping through my button-up shirt, and his breath smelled of cotton candy. I looked into his questioning eyes, tears starting to form at the corners. He was biting his lower lip, eyebrows furrowed and face flustered. We reached the highest point in the ferris wheel, and the sun was setting behind Yukiteru-kun. With his seemingly black bangs framing his face, the sun illuminated the edges of the locks and revealed their dark brown color. He was truly a sight to behold.

I looked into his cerulean eyes, silently asking for permission. Though I didn't really expect him to know what I was asking for, he nodded after a beat, eyes moving down to stare at my own lips. I smiled, and pulled him to me. I moved against his rosy pink lips, trying to be subtle. He didn't seem to be so sure of himself, but when I gently rubbed my hands over his sides, he seemed to relax. He finally started taking part, eagerly moving with me. One of his hands carded through my hair, and I leaned into the touch. I licked at his upper lip, the taste of cotton candy a bit more evident when I did that. I didn't ask for more, though. I didn't want to rough the kid up too much. I could tell it was his first kiss. You need to work on that, Yukiteru-kun~

Once breathing became a problem, we pulled apart, panting. I could still feel his heart beat against my chest. He shakily smiled, reached out, grabbed the strands that fell between my eyes, and pulled them back. It would've made my heart throb, but instead it just made my head throb, because he had pulled waaaay too hard...

"Ouch!" I winced. This kid was stronger than I thought. Yukiteru-kun instantly released his grip.

"Ah! S-sorry Aise-kun! I just w-wanted to see your face be-better… I thought it would be romant-tic.." He stared down at me with his watery eyes. How could anyone be mad at that?

"It's okay, you can try again, if you like," I chuckled and leaned up, letting my bangs flop on my forehead. He tentatively nodded and pulled my hair back again, though much softer this time. I smiled up at him. He was standing on his knees now, making it easier for me to push him closer to me. I ran my hands up his back, feeling the tremors underneath. I was vaguely aware of the blood vessels running to my face when he leaned back in and kissed me. He was still a horrible kisser, but the shy innocence of it took my breath away. A bit literally. I kissed him back, holding him upright as he fully leaned on me. He was very light, so that task was easy.

The sun was barely visible anymore, and I shivered, forgetting to bring along a jacket. Yukiteru-kun must've noticed my trembling, so he unzipped his own jacket and tried to sternly instruct me to slip my arms inside; utterly failing to look serious. But. He was really cute. So I happily obliged, making sure to add a, "Yes, sir." We continued to kiss for a little, breaking away now and then for big gulps of air. It remained chaste and sweet. I suddenly didn't care about my policy for emotions on cases, nor for the fact that Yukiteru-kun claimed he was straight. All that mattered, was that I had this adorable little bundle sitting in my lap, sharing cotton candy flavored kisses under the dying sun.

What, I can be poetic, too, y'know?

The shadow saw them get off the giant machinery, desperately trying to evenly share the sweater between them; which only forced them to walk flush beside each other. The jacket may have been a bit big, but they were obviously having trouble. The shadow stared at them, or more so at the white-haired boy. Something would have to be done about this. But later. It's too risky to try anything right now. The dark figure trailed them all the way home; close enough to keep them in sight, but (sadly) far enough to not being able to pick up their conversations. With a kiss on the lips, the one with a beige beanie disappeared into his house. The other was still being trailed, and the stalker was about to strike.

He unexpectedly pulled out his phone and dialed someone. "Hey mom. I'm heading home already, but can you pick me up?" He seemed to almost call out to the attacker, glancing his way. After that, he continued speaking on the phone in a hushed tone, seemingly in no hurry to hang up.

The kid was smart. The shadow didn't try to attack while he was in contact with someone. Who knew how far their parents were already? The being glared, but begrudgingly left, using the shadows of the night as cover.

Chapter Text

Uryu Minene

Just what was the deal with policemen? Especially brunette policemen. It's like they had never heard of privacy. They were really bad at lying, too. A certain police officer had arrived at my flat this morning under the pretense of collecting data for a census. True, I had only lived there for a few weeks, but I was pretty sure it wasn't time for that yet. After I had politely (well it was as polite as I could be, which certainly had fewer vulgarities than I'm used to) asked him to leave, he refused and had the audacity to barge in and touch my things! As if that wasn't enough, he started to ask me personal questions, that had nothing to do with the damned census. Minene would've decked the bastard right then and there, but I was not the infamous terrorist. I was the ever so popular Morrigan.

So I couldn't do that. I had to smile at the idiot and ask him to leave again, since he obviously wasn't here under official government work. He had decided to flash his police badge then, which made me want to strangle him, but I simply shut my mouth and let him continue his search. He didn't find anything anyways. I wasn't dumb enough to have a 'My-Life-with-an-Idiotic-God' diary.

He did ask if I was in any way involved with the terrorist Uryu Minene, and that one caught me off guard. I had been so careful! I hadn't even come into contact with the self from this world, so how did he manage to find me?

Of course Nishijima came up with a stupid excuse as in saying something about the increased amount of her attacks and my increased support in my newest movie were of no coincidence, and I had thought that either he was really sharp, or he was just getting desperate. I preferred thinking it was the latter. He had also muttered something about Aru-san leading him to a dead-end. After my initial shock was over, I had thought it was rather obvious that he would've ratted me out if he thought his 'precious Yukiteru-kun' was in any danger. He did seem overprotective nowadays, but I knew that was just because the game had started.

How did I know? Well the Minene of this world was risking herself by launching more and more attacks, seemingly never getting caught. She was certainly getting help from the Escape Diary. I was now completely sure of it when I heard Yukiteru's phone go off at some points during the studios. That was also how he always managed to avoid me once I wanted him to do any romantic scenes with that other boy.

What was his name again? I didn't even know, and quite frankly, I didn't care. I was just glad to see the two getting along better after their impromptu date. Oh yes, I had found out about their date when I inquired about their absence that day and Akise had charmingly hinted at having fun at a pool. I had teased the boy for the rest of the day. The Yukiteru of my world would've loved to seen that! I had gotten a strange sense of home-sickness then, oddly wanting to go back and report everything to him and then after that I would…

What, read? I didn't have much to do when I got home… If I got home. That stupid kid didn't even tell me how I could return! I made a vow to punch him as soon as I saw him. I was then interrupted from my lovely vengeful fantasies when I spotted a Nishijima heading towards me with a cloth in his hand.

"Miss, can I ask why you have the same type of panties as Uryu?" He held out the cloth in his hand and I finally realized what it was.

It wasn't my fault he left my place with multiple cuts and bruises. The limp suited him. He looked better with a black eye anyways. He had made some lame excuse involving the wind and the terrorist's ignorance to cover up as she was too busy wreaking havoc, which might be true. But. He was still a pervert. Perverts had to be brought to justice!

… Now I am starting to sound like that psycho 12th. No matter. I had more pressing matters at hand. It was around this time that I had gotten a whiff of Yukiteru's 'luck streak' and decided to go settle things on my accord. That meant the Minene of this world was getting ready to attack. I had to find some way to warn him… but how? I couldn't give up my cover even if I wanted to, because the moron probably wouldn't believe me. I could possibly depend on the bitch to protect him when it happened, but there weren't any guarantees since the Yuno of this world was a bit more on the sane side. Besides, I didn't want her to be anywhere near my Yukiteru!

…

Stop it Minene, you're not his mom. You'd be a horrible mother, remember?

Anywhooooo.. it was time to plan! I could probably set up another date with the two, though it might be hard to convince the brunette to go.. He was being insecure, as always.

"… serial killer Hiyama Takao is still missing, so we advise that you to be careful. If you have any information about him, call…" The television mounted on my wall caught my attention when a mug shot of 3rd appeared on the screen. I never got the chance to see him in person in the past game, but I knew who he was now since Akise had taken to accompanying Yukiteru as much as possible as to ensure his safety. He had even gone to go pick him up at his school before work started, even when Yukiteru protested and claimed he would be more careful. Akise was probably just happy to be around him more, and I think Yukiteru gave up just a bit too easily.. It was.. cu-

No, not cute. A better word would be… endearing? That sounded a bit less mushy and girly, so yes, that would work out just fine.

Damn, all these movies I'm directing are getting to my head. It's best to just get some sleep now. After a nice shower. Fuck it, I'm taking a bath. I had a lot to think about.

I gave myself one last look in the mirror, searching for any stray strands of hair or smudges of my eyeliner. I tugged at my beige pencil skirt, smoothing it out and with my black blazer tucked in the crook of my elbow, I slipped on my large purse and walked out of the bathroom. It was dark out, and I suddenly realized that walking in heels at nighttime was a bit tougher than doing it in daylight. At least then I could see if there were any obstacles in my way. I noticed that there was no one out, and I tightened my hold on the handle of my purse. The wind picked up and ruffled my collared blouse, sending shivers down my spine.

I desperately searched for any sign of human activity on the streets, but found none. I started walking a bit faster, the clacking of my polished shoes echoing down dark alleys. I knew that if I called out now, not even the desolate and decrepit buildings would answer. A rattle from a dumpster nearby caused me to jump, and upon finding the one responsible for it (a hungry cat), I glared at the culprit, trying to make it feel guilty for scaring a poor, innocent worker half to death.

It was this kind of situation that found a distressed woman walking home from work late at night that made easy prey. And I was playing the role exceptionally well, if you ask me. I was baiting 3rd to come out and play. It'd be easier to just get him out of the way. As much as I love seeing Akise walk home with the kid, it's time to take care of this. It'd be an easy task, too. His diary doesn't predict whether the victim will retaliate. Kind of useless if you ask me.

Hm? Seems like 3rd is biting. A shadow moved in the alley I just passed. Mm, I can't fight in these heels very well. It might look a bit suspicious, but I have to take them off. Can't go tripping into the hands of a killer now, can we? I paused on the sidewalk, bending over to unclasp the wretched torture mechanisms when I suddenly felt a presence behind me. He seemed to falter a bit.

Great. More perverts. Ah, no matter, in the end, it helped me. In the moment of hesitation, I instantly pulled the small handgun from the purse and turned to shoot him point-blank in the chest. The gun was almost able to touch his coat, and I could practically feel the heat from the bullet as it passed through his clothing. I smirked, looking at his wide eyes under his mask. I lowered my gun, reveling in my victory. I looked up again, and to my surprise, he was smirking back. In one second flat, he reached out and took ahold of my arm, forcefully pulling me to him (causing my very expensive blouse to rip), and plunge a knife in gut.

I looked down to see a red stain start to bloom, making a stark contrast on the white of my shirt. I tore my gaze from the wound when he suddenly pulled the knife out. I gaped up at him as I felt pain course through me. I might have some god-powers, but that shit still hurt! 3rd opened his coat to reveal a bullet-proof vest, smirking at me. Of course! Why didn't I consider that?!

Maybe I had gotten soft. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that I was out of the terrorist business for far too long. I liked to think it was reason number two.

Anger coursed through my veins, possibly trying to make up for all the blood loss. I spat into his eyewear, some of that blood muddling his vision up. I took that chance to kick him in the groin, like any woman would do, and I socked him the face with as much strength as I could muster. Which was probably a bad thing to do, since he flew into the brick wall behind him and slumped down like a bag of boneless meat. I noticed that his mask had broken too, and I was stuck picking the shards out of my fist. It hurt, but I was most likely better off than 3rd over there. I was picking my fallen gun off the floor, about to finish the bastard when an ear-grating noise echoed behind me.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" A large eye came bouncing down the street, seemingly distressed.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Damn 12th decided to show up to our little party, too. Argh, was this really necessary?! He couldn't just mind his own business?

"What are you yelling about; I caught the killer, didn't I? He's been brought to justice," I tried to appeal to his stupid heroic side, but it was to no avail.

"Y-you killed the guy! That's not the way-" The Kamen Rider impersonator was interrupted by a small grunt, proving him wrong.

"See? He's not dead," I mumbled under my breath, "Unfortunately." I fiddled with the gun in my hand, trying to find the most efficient way to distract 12th while I finished 3rd off. And maybe kill him as well. "Besides, he attacked me first.." I tried to look as innocent as possible, which was really killing me, but it seemed to pay off.

"Ah, I can't believe I almost forgot to ask! Are you okay young lady? Did he hurt you?" He surged forward, stepping out of the shadows to finally reveal his skin tight clothing and rope hanging from his neck. A bit tacky, if you ask me.

I glared at him, trying to convey, 'really'? As I glanced down at the crimson-soaked blouse I was wearing. A couple of plans ran through my mind, one of them involving me playing the innocent victim and getting him to go run off to get help while I get my minute alone with 3rd. It could work, but that meant there'd be a witness, and worse, 12th would be allowed to run off just like that..

I wanted to hit the two birds, so that plan was out..

"H-hey.. could you help me..? I mean, stop the bleeding?" I held my stomach, painting a hurt expression on my face, which I didn't have to fake too much.

"Ah, of course! Hmm, but.. wouldn't it be better to get you some help from the professionals..?" He seemed to hesitate.

"But you're a hero! Wouldn't you know how to do at least this much? Besides… I feel a bit light-headed.." I stumbled back into the store wall, hands now covered in my own blood. It didn't bother me, I was used to it, but I continued, "I-I don't want to be seen like this… I'm scared.." I shakily slid my way around the corner deeper into an alley, 12th hesitantly following. He was behind me, so he couldn't see from this angle, but held the gun to my stomach, shoulders hunched in pain as I lead him further down.

"Miss, stop! We need to take care of you! Please, turn around and let me see your wound!" 12th commanded.

"All right, if you say so.." I whipped around and shot the annoying hero, satisfied to see the bullet rip through the thin clothing and pierce the skin underneath. Serves him right for wearing that shit.

He looked down the barrel of the gun, then at me, and I could swear I could see that shocked expression underneath that huge globe of a mask of his. He cradled the wound, blood dripping down the black gloves. I pulled the trigger a few more times to make sure, and once his body flopped down, I searched him for his diary. It turned out to be underneath his outfit, which was slightly disturbing, but once found, I snapped it in half.

Standing up, I gazed down on his lifeless form as I saw his body swirl into nothingness. Satisfied that I wouldn't leave much of a trace, I walked over to finish off 3rd. He had fallen to his side, and if it weren't for the broken mask and blood running down his face, one could've assumed it was just your typical drunkard passing out late at night. I smiled, feeling lucky I was able to hit the two birds with one stone.

Well, there were more than one 'stones', but that wasn't the point!

I kneeled on the cement next to him, pulling his large hat from his face. His loose hair was a complete mess by now, tangled and matted with sweat and blood. It was really his fault for having such long hair and letting it loose, it could easily bet ruined. Ah, but I knew how that felt. You really need to look your best when you kill! It makes the moment more special. Ah well, it was a shame I was looking like I was, but the job had to be done. I tilted his chin up so he could look at me with half-lidded eyes, still somehow managing to look panicked.

It was lovely. I had missed this. The adrenaline. The power surge you get when your prey looks at you helplessly, knowing they can't do a damn thing about it. I smirked, put the cold metal of the gun to his forehead and shot the teacher. I then searched for his phone too, repeating the process of 12th with 3rd. Once I had somewhat cleaned the scene with a towel I had stowed away in my purse, I glanced down at my phone; reading the time. It was a bit past midnight, so I could be a bit more relaxed as I was less likely to bump into anyone out here on the streets.

I climbed in through the window of a bathroom since I didn't want to walk in through a store in the state I was in (though I doubt they'd be open) and dressed into a more comfortable set of clothes. Blood-free ones, too. I mentally went through a list of trustworthy dealers I could sell my gun to as I walked down the street, this time keeping to back streets and alleys. There wasn't much of a chance of anyone finding out, but it didn't hurt to be on the safe side.

When I finally arrived at my flat, I collapsed on my bed. The actual mission itself wasn't tiring, but all that preparing and applying make-up and whatnot certainly was. I wondered how others could do it every day, and I felt glad that I wasn't like them. They probably didn't kill people either, so I guess it was evened out.

I had almost fallen asleep when I felt something cold wrap around my wrist, and with a click, I felt the bed dip beside me. My eyes snapped open, seeing a shadow loom over me; I instinctively tried to lash out. I found that I couldn't as my hand was handcuffed to the headboard of my bed. I could easily break it, but I decided to fool the idiot who thought they could ambush me at my own place. I stared back up at the shadow, glaring at them through the darkness. As my eyes got accustomed to the pitch black of the night, I noticed who I was looking at and gasped.

Sitting before me, was a certain policeman.

"N-Nishijima?!" I was bewildered. How did he get in?! Well, I hadn't exactly taken any security measures, but surely I would've noticed… right?

"I saw what you did," He stated with a deep frown on his face. Oh no. He wasn't supposed to see! If I had any witnesses, I was supposed to kill them, too, but… did it have to be this one?! I didn't want to steal this Minene's chance at happiness, too!

He must've seen the worry on my face, because he quickly added, "I wasn't able to see everything from where I was hiding, but I saw you get attacked and heard gunshots. It was quiet for about ten minutes and then I heard another one. Then it was silent again for another ten minutes and I saw you walk out, perfectly fine!" He stared at me, eyebrows furrowed. "And when I went to check it out, there was nobody there!" Nishijima shook my shoulders. "What did you do?"

My eyes narrowed at this. He wouldn't understand any of it, and I wasn't going to bother to tell him. I was about to tell him to shut up when he spoke quietly.

"You're related to Uryu aren't you? Maybe that's why you guys look alike. You're trying to protect her, aren't you?" He gazed down at me, eyes trying to seek out the truth. The guy was close, but I could never let him find out.

I snarled, lifting my wrist up and snapping the metal bar while a piece of it clung to the handcuff dangling down. He gave me a terrified expression as I shoved him off my bed and kept pushing him towards the window, hoping to kick him out through there. I'd have to fix the broken glass later, but it'd be a small matter. I was a few seconds away from doing that when he again had gasped, eyes terribly wide in the moonlight.

Unfortunately I stepped in the light, too, allowing him to get a better view of me. I'd been meaning to re-touch the roots of my hair, as the purple had started to show through, but I obviously had some other problems to deal with. Now though, he was able to see it. It was a big mistake not to just kill him right then and there, but he managed to stop me with a quiet,

"You're Uryu Minene?"

Chapter Text

3rd World Amano Yukiteru

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

This class never seemed to end. I internally sighed as I watched the clock, trying to will the hands to move faster, but no such luck.

Only one more hour 'till I see Akise-kun..

It had been a few days after the k-k-k…

Kiss..

At first, I locked myself in my room, refusing to go out to school or work. I was desperately trying to convince myself that I was not gay, because I had always thought girls were cute. I even shamelessly included the fact that I had a hidden stash of straight porn, so that must count for something, right? I had decided that I would never go outside ever again, because that… was just so..

Embarrassing!

I had liked it at the time, but it all felt like it was just a dream. That was part of the reason of why I let myself continue with Akise-kun like that. I thought that maybe it wasn't real, but then I had woken up and found some of the cotton candy Akise-kun had given me lying on my table. I remembered placing a hand over my lips and freaking out badly. I definitely didn't want to go back out, ever again!

That plan only worked for a while because soon I had to go grocery shopping. At first, I considered starving myself, but my stomach disagreed strongly so I was forced to leave my safe haven.

When I went to the store, all seemed fine and dandy, but then I had run into the albino there at the register. After an awkward conversation and many hateful glares from his parents, he had pulled me aside long enough to write his phone number on my arm and give me another kiss.

Hopefully his parents didn't see that… They didn't seem to like me at all.

I entered the number on my phone but didn't text him. I wanted to send a quick 'How are you?' but I always chickened out before I could hit 'send'. I just felt that it would be so… awkward. Would I acknowledge the kiss? Was it ok to ask him if we were like.. a couple now? Or could I just ignore it and hope we could go back to being friends? I hoped he'd still want to be at least friends. But that kiss earlier meant that he still had the intention of getting together, right?

When I finally decided to venture out into the real world again, I discovered I had a test coming up and I had missed an entire unit! Asking my classmates for help was not an option. Before I knew what I was doing, I had texted Akise-kun for help. It wasn't until the message was sent that I realized what I'd done, and I had tried not to hyperventilate.

I noticed a pink flash reflect on my screen at the time, but when I turned around I had found no one there. Still, the thought of someone catching me in the act scared me so I hurried home as fast as I could.

… In the act of what, exactly? I was just asking someone to tutor me, and that was perfectly normal… right? Still, my short realization of it being okay was ruined when Akise-kun had knocked on my door.

We did nothing but study, and I was extremely grateful for Akise-kun's patience as I wasn't the brightest in calculus, but.. I almost wanted something to happen.

Argh, I hated myself for even thinking it! The idiot knew what he was doing, too! He'd hover a bit too closely when checking my work or his hands would linger just a bit more than what was necessary to hand over papers. And the looks he'd give me… I still get chills thinking about it now.

By the end of the session, he couldn't resist teasing me once more and gave me a peck on cheek. I watched his back recede into the night with a hand cradling the kissed cheek. I remember wanting to demand that he 'come back right this instant and kiss me!', but I bit my tongue and slipped back inside.

That night was the worst and best thing that ever happened to me. It was the best because I was finally able to talk to Akise-kun again, but the worst because I happened to have an…embarrassing and disturbing dream after he left…

I felt ashamed and just dirty. It didn't help that I had woken up to a text message that read,

Sleep well last night?

From Akise-kun. At least I had passed my test, but I only remembered anything because of what actions Akise-kun made while he spoke the words. I was most likely blushing during the whole thing.

Well. After that, we had started texting while we weren't working together in the studio. I had accidentally let an ambiguous desire to see the albino more slip out and Akise-kun had taken it upon himself to wait for me at the entrance of my school so he could walk me to the studio and start walking me home, too.

I was looking forward to it today. It has only been a couple of days since he started doing that. I wished I had asked him to do this sooner. It felt nice to come home to someone like Akise-kun. Well, not even come home to, I had him waiting outside for me.

… All of a sudden I felt guilty for making him wait outside, as if he were some sort of lap dog. That didn't feel right. As soon as the bell rang I sprinted out the front doors, for the first time not caring about the stares I got from my classmates around me. I spotted my target and catapulted myself into him, almost knocking him over. I had an apology on the tip of my tongue; to beg for forgiveness, but I instantly forgot how to speak when I looked up into his fiery eyes.

They seemed to be doing that more often; melting into hot lava and radiating a sense of heat. I felt something tug at my heart, something coil in my gut. I was completely content to keep staring like that for a while longer, but it was at that moment that I heard a familiar voice draw my attention.

"Oi Akise- Hey you know this loser?"

Kousaka. Kousaka stood in front of us. I hadn't seen him since he decided to leave the school to enroll in a different one because it had 'better athletic opportunities'. He had never outright bullied me, but he had never stood up for either. He wasn't necessarily my favorite person in the world right now, as he had also interrupted a moment with my Akise-kun.

… Wait he's not really 'mine'; what am I thinking? Oh wait, I'm still holding onto him.. This is awkward.

I slowly detached myself from the warm embrace and fully turned to look at Kousaka. I noticed that he changed a lot since I last saw him. He grew a few inches and filled out, while I had stayed mostly the same. His black t-shirt stretched a bit around his shoulders, causing him to look slightly more intimidating than I remember from when we were just kids. He also let his hair grow out and become slightly shaggy, but he exuded so much self-confidence that he managed to make it look good.

His golden, scrutinizing eyes roamed over me, then became warmer once they passed over Akise-kun. Kousaka walked over to him and clapped his shoulder; and they exchanged warm greetings. It was strange to see this. My crush talking enthusiastically chatting with my former 'bully'.

They were friends? But how did they know each other? As if Akise-kun could hear my thoughts, he turned to me and explained that they went to the same school, or at least tried to when Kousaka butt in.

"We went to the same school, but not anymore. I have to go to this dump now, 'cause my house got bombed. Can you believe that?! I managed to save my cat, too! I looked so cool! Anyways, some terrorist lady did it, I know she did! You'll help me, right Akise-kun? I know you like doing this kinda stuff!" The athlete had swung an arm around Akise-kuns' shoulders and grinned. The latter smiled back and nodded. I observed quietly, noting how at ease they both seemed to be with each other. I tried to follow along with their conversation, but it usually consisted of inside jokes and subjects I knew nothing about. Like sports. I had started to tune them out when a voice brought me back to reality.

"Yo, answer the question already!" A can hit the side of my head and I felt left-over drops of sticky juice paint my face and stain my jacket. I winced but bent over to pick it up and dispose of it in its corresponding bin. When I looked back at them, Kousaka looked displeased but I wasn't surprised about that.

What I was surprised about was that Akise-kun looked slightly irritated. He clucked his tongue as he crossed his arms, imitating the part at the pool where he'd gotten mad at me. I felt the same urgent need to apologize, to seek his forgiveness. I managed to squeak out a small, "Yes?" and hope that it would suffice for now.

It seemed like it worked because as I searched the floor with my eyes, I felt a warm hand caress my head. "It's okay, Yukiteru-kun," I shivered as I heard my name be called in a deep voice. "Kousaka here just wanted to know how we met, so I told him to ask you,"

At the mention of Kousaka my brain crawled back from its holiday and began to process the fact that there were still people here, watching us. I tentatively pulled away but stayed close to Akise-kun, giving him my full attention after I took a glance at the prince's disapproving expression.

"But you didn't seem to be listening, am I right?" He continued with a hint of annoyance in his tone. I shook my head vigorously as I offered up my apology. I searched his face with pleading eyes, praying I wouldn't find the fire in his eyes to be extinguished. Luckily, it was still there.

"Yeah yeah, we get it. You guys are all buddy-buddy now! So tell me how a guy like you met the amazing detective Akise-kun?" He jutted his chin out at me.

It took a moment for my tongue to start working, but I was finally able to respond. "W-well.. we met at the studios when we were given our r-roles-" I left out the part where I bumped into Akise-kun earlier, because that was not cool at all! I was going to include the fact that we went to the festival together, just to rub it in Kousaka's face, but he seemed to love interrupting people.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! You guys work in a studio?" He grabbed Akise-kuns' shoulders and shook him violently, though the detective didn't seem to mind and only laughed.

"YOU'RE IN A MOVIE AND DIDN'T INVITE ME FOR THE TRY-OUTS?! That could've been my amazing début! You've ruined my chance, you idiot! I could've been rubbing it in Mao-chan's face right about now!" Kousaka's voice leveled out a bit towards the end of his rant, and he stopped shaking Akise-kun but still held onto him strongly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! They seemed to just be scouting out people on the streets and one happened to pick me. It was pure luck," Akise-kun gave Kousaka the kind of smile you give to a child that can only win second-place. He grabbed the athlete's hands from their position on his shoulders.

"But if it helps any, I'll recommend you to the director. If that doesn't work, you can have my role. Being in the spotlight just doesn't suit me."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!? Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You're the best!" I could practically see the stars in Kousakas' eyes when he strangled Akise-kun half-way to death in a hug.

I shifted uncomfortably in my boots as I tried to make up my mind on whether I should voice my concerns or not. If Akise-kun wasn't going to be in the movie anymore, then what's my excuse to go see him anymore?

Luckily Akise-kun has this thing where he can hear my thoughts so I don't have to say anything to him. He handles everything himself. I feel extremely grateful when he directs his words over Kousaka's shoulder towards me and says,

"We can still see each other after school, of course. It just means I'll have to wait for you to get out of work is all. Gives me time to catch up on my schoolwork, too."

Suddenly the gracious feeling I had devolves into guilt as I imagine Akise-kun scrambling around at home, trying to do his assignment at the last minute because he wasted his time walking me home. My emotions are all over the place and Akise-kun can see it, too. He pulls free from Kousaka's vice-like grip and heads over to me. He wraps an arm around my waist and I get goose bumps when I hear his low voice tickle my ear.

"I can't seem to make you happy, can I?" I can already imagine the smirk on his face, so I don't need to turn my head to look at him. I just keep looking at my shoes and pout, knowing I can get him to shut up if I look upset. He thinks he can manipulate me, but he doesn't know the half of it.

I look up and fully expect his gaze to be softer, which it is, but what I don't expect is a kiss.

It was just a small peck on the lips, but-

We're out in public! Kousaka is standing right there! There are people here! Doesn't he understand?! Oh god, what if my bullies saw us?! What if Wakaba-san saw us?! I'm going to get picked on for days! I'm trying not to hyperventilate as I push at Akise-kun through my now cloudy vision.

I have to go. Now. Before anyone starts to laugh at me.

I vaguely hear my name being called twice; one in an incredulous tone and the other in a more worried tone. I blindly push students out of the way as I feel tears streak down my face. I'm barely aware of putting my bus card in the slot, sitting between a pack of hyped-up girls and getting off at my stop. I don't even take a step towards my house when a hand clamps down on my shoulder.

"I saw that back there, y'know," A strangely squeaky voice pipes up behind me. A bit weird for a bully, but I don't let that faze me as I struggle against their grip.

"Hey, wait," Dainty but callused hands slip around my middle, dragging me in closer. I can feel that it's a girl's body and blush a little. She leans forward to whisper in my ear, and her hair cascades over me in shiny, pink strands. The strong scent of candy wafted over me in waves and intoxicated me. All of a sudden, I can't move.

"I know that guy. Aru Akise. He's a real lady's man. Really smooth," She switches over to my other ear. "Does he tell you sweet things? Give you gifts? Make you feel like you're worth something?" I open my mouth to say something, to defend him, but she clasps her hand over my mouth. I don't like where this is going. I mentally kick myself for not checking my phone earlier. I had heard the diary change again, but I ignored it like I usually did.

I had tried to turn it off before, but it would still buzz regardless. The whole future thing left me feeling confused and apprehensive; I wasn't sure if I really trusted the thing. But that was a whole different thing and it wasn't important at the moment. What was important was my safety at hand.

"Hush. You don't know him at all. Did you know that we used to date? No, he hasn't told you of his ex-girlfriends yet, has he? Well guess what? Five weeks into it and he dumps me because I came crying to him one day and he declares I'm getting 'too serious about this'," I feel the hot air against my cheek as she sneers. She finally releases me and I swivel around to look at my attacker. It's one of my classmates. I can't quite recall her name, but I recognize the pink hair and blue outfit.

"Oh, he still talks to me sometimes, but only when it's convenient to him. Other than that, it's like I'm just another stranger," She barks out a high-pitched laugh. "It's funny, really. I didn't know he rolls that way. And what's funnier is that he picked someone like you."

Someone like you. It was the same thing Kousaka said. What was wrong with 'someone like me'? I felt anger start to boil inside my gut, but the girl must've noticed because she quickly raised her hands in surrender and laughed.

"Hey, hey, calm down now, Amano-kun~. I'm only trying to help. I just think you deserve someone.. better. If I were you, I'd break it off before I get heart-broken and find myself a cute girl. Oh, and if you don't believe me, take a look at this," She held up a small photo of what looked like the girl in question and Akise-kun kissing. The shot was a bit far-away and there were crowds of people, but the couple could be easily seen from the side.

My nostrils flared and my eyes began to tear up, but I bravely fought back. "Y-yeah? So what? This could've been years ago for all I know!" I was proud of myself for not letting my voice crack.

"True, but do you notice anything? Like the location? And those posters on the wall?"

I squinted and I picked out the small bushes in the background. It seemed like it was the entrance of my school….

Okay, so what? Wait, but she mentioned the posters.. Class 2-B had made some motivational posters about the up-coming tests today and had stapled them to the wall in the entrance today…

This happened earlier today?! I gasped and dropped the photo like it had burned me. My head whipped up to glare at my classmate. I opened my mouth to start yelling at her, but she quickly intervened with,

"Whoa now, he just up and grabbed me. He does that sometimes to his ex-girlfriends 'cause he knows they won't do much more than slap him afterwards," The girl checks her phone and smiles, then leans forwards to give me a small kiss on the cheek. I feel my face heat up and scowl at her.

"Well, it was fun talking to you, Amano-kun! If you ever want to talk to me again just ask, ok? Byeee~!"

I watch her leave and stumble towards my house, heart pounding and thoughts bouncing off the walls of my head. I nervously bite my fingernails when I'm safely inside and slink down a wall in my living room. My mom isn't home yet, and I'm grateful for the silence. Everything that the girl has said or implied finally hits me and I hug myself tightly. I feel my nails cut into my skin but the pain doesn't register, really.

I don't know what to think. If what this girl said was true then… Well there's not much room for 'if', is there? She seemed to know what she was talking about and she even gave me proof… Besides, she looked too sweet to lie about something like that. And she had no reason to lie, right? Even if she was a stranger, she'd never bullied me. I also remember now that she has stood up for me a couple of times before. That's a trust-worthy person in my book.

…. That still doesn't solve anything though… If Akise-kun is just playing with me… But it all seemed real-! He- he.. He always made sure to take care of me and make sure I was safe! And he never asked me for anything I didn't want to do. That would be an easy sign of him just playing with me if he just pushed for what he wanted and didn't consider how I felt, so…

Then again, I had only known Akise-kun for about a month.. that wasn't enough time to really get to know someone.. What if that girl was right..?

But, if she was right about Akise-kun, and he was just toying with me.. Where did that leave me? When was he going to stop the charade and break it off with me? How much longer did he plan on hurting me..?

I didn't remember lying on the floor, nor soaking in my own tears and shivering when I heard my front door open. Great, my mom's going to lecture me for leaving the door unlocked. I couldn't be bothered to stand up and face her, so I just stayed where I was and hoped she wouldn't see me in the dark and go straight up to bed.

"Yuiteru-kun?"

Today was not my lucky day. The voice that spoke wasn't a feminine voice, no. It was the voice of someone I definitely didn't want to talk to right now. Upon hearing this voice, I instantly felt betrayal twist my heart and heat coil in my gut. Two completely different things which I didnot welcome at all.

I curled up tighter hoping I would simply disappear, but no such luck. I heard the hurried scuffles of someone taking off their shoes and quick footsteps getting higher in volume. I saw a shadow appear in front of me and I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt two strong arms pick me up. If I wasn't feeling so depressed right now I'd be completely mortified.

"Yukiteru-kun, I am soooo sorry! I didn't think you would react that way, I just-! You know you can't look at me like that, not without the expectation of getting attacked. You don't know what you do to me, Yukiteru-kun!" I heard his voice crack as he walked upstairs to my room. I numbly looked to the side, not wanting to see those red eyes.

He set me down on my bed and kneeled beside me, taking my hand.

It's almost as if he cares.

I felt so hurt, but I didn't want him to see me crying. I placed my forearm over my eyes.

"Yukiteru-kun?"

"Don't call me that."

I surprised even myself as I heard absolutely no emotion in my voice. I pulled out the wadded photo from my pocket and blindly threw it at him. I had kept the photo just so he wouldn't be able to bull-shit his way through anything. It was good of me to do that because I heard him make a small choked noise from the back of his throat.

I bet he didn't expect to be caught.

"I know. One of your ex-girlfriends told me. There's no need to explain. So just g-" My voice betrayed me and cracked here. "Get out." There was a pause and then a small puff of air; something that could've been a short laugh.

"Yukiteru-kun, who gave you this? What did they tell you? That I was a player?"

"So you admit it?"

"Was the person who gave you this, the same person in this picture?"

"I-.. yes? But what does that have to do with-" Akise-kun placed a finger over my lips.

"Doesn't that mean that she asked someone else to take this picture for her, since she obviously didn't do it herself? In her asking that someone else, doesn't that mean she planned it? It just doesn't make any sense as to why she'd have a picture of herself and not another girl she would've 'oh-so-conveniently' caught," He smiled softly as he shook his head.

"I wasn't going to tell you about this because it was simply irrelevant and I didn't want to worry you, but I see that I should have. This girl in the photo simply walked up to me, kissed me, and left. It's never happened to me before, but the whole thing happened so fast that no one else seemed to notice. I was debating on if I simply imagined it or not. I see now that I didn't."

My brain was taking a moment to catch up to everything, but when it finally did, I felt relieved.

Still… He could be lying… I wasn't sure if I wanted to trust him..

"I-… I don't know Akise-kun… She said you lied a lot and that you just wanted to toy around with me…" I looked up imploringly and searched for any ticks, sweat or anything that might point to lying. The only thing that registered was that Akise-kun looked good when the moonlight was on him.

… Ack, no! Don't do this to me, stupid brain! Don't get fooled by his good looks!

Akise-kun chuckled darkly and smiled at me, and all of a sudden I couldn't think clearly anymore. He removed my beanie and swept my hair out of the way as he kissed my forehead. That sent shivers down my spine.

"If you think I just want you for.. carnal uses, then think again, Yukiteru-kun. I won't degrade you like that, so no need to worry," He pulled away slightly to stare down at me, moonlight bouncing off his perfect teeth and shining in his pupils. If I looked closely, I could see the faintest of blushes.

"In fact, if you don't believe me still, let me stay with you tonight. If you make it out un-molested by the morning, then you have to agree to stay my boyfriend, ok"

I blushed insanely, that I could feel. "I'm your b-boyfriend?"

Wow. That was dumb of me to ask.

Akise-kun just laughed warmly and nodded. I thought my heart wanted to claw out of my chest at that point. Well… It would serve as a good test.. and it wasn't just because I didn't want Akise-kun to leave yet! I-it was because I didn't fully trust him yet, so I had to make sure!

Yes, I had to be positive that he wasn't going to back-stab me…

So I agreed.