Kamen Rider Date A Live

Shido ran up to Yoshino and, seeing that she had noticed him, stopped panicking and started staring at her with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"...Yoshino, could you tell me what happened? If I'm not mistaken, I think I know where Yoshino disappeared to."

Shido lowered his head, recalling the familiar object that Origami had taken during yesterday's battle.

"Um...this is how it is...Mr. Shido..."

———Yoshino's Explanation———

It turns out that while Shido and AST were engaged in a fierce battle, Origami, who had been ordered not to attack, was actually quite idle, and Origami herself wouldn't attack Shido at all. So... it's more like it's only natural that Origami, who hates spirits, wouldn't be idle; instead, she went to fight Yoshino alone!

Of course, Origami isn't stupid. If it were any other spirit, unless it were (Efreet), it would never set off on its own. Unfortunately, this time the spirit is (Hermit), which is Yoshino.

The kind-hearted Yoshino would never retaliate against Origami, so while Shido and Ryoko were fighting (pure torture), Origami was chasing Yoshino around that building.

During the chase, Yoshino disappeared at some point (Yoshino ran too fast, and Origami chased even faster, so the puppet accidentally fell). Just as Yoshino was about to summon her angel to find Yoshino, it suddenly vanished (lost). So today, she immediately manifested to find Yoshino.

———Yoshino's explanation complete———

"I see, so that's how Yoshino disappeared... I understand now. Yoshino, let's search the area first. If we can't find her today, I'll bring her back safe and sound tomorrow. Can you trust me?"

Shido crouched down, gently stroking Yoshino's hair, while giving her a warm, radiant smile that made her seem very reliable.

"Um... I'm counting on you... Mr. Shido..."

Yoshino nodded in response to Shido's question as she comfortably squinted her eyes.

"Then, let's go first..."

Glug glug glug glug~~

A voice that Shido was very familiar with appeared (specifically referring to Tohka~). Shido looked towards the source of the sound and found that it was coming from Yoshino. When she saw Shido turn to look at her, her face turned red and she pulled her hat down even further, trying to cover her face.

"Hehe~ It's okay, Yoshino. You've probably been looking for Yoshina for a long time, so it's normal to be hungry. Don't be shy. By the way, if Yoshino doesn't mind, how about coming to my house for a meal?"

"Um... thank you for your help... Mr. Shido..."

"It's okay. Oh, by the way, Yoshino, here you go."

Shido gave one of the two umbrellas he brought to Yoshino.

"???"

"Yes, this is how it should be used."

Feeling bewildered, Yoshino tilted her head and accepted the umbrella.

Startled as if the raindrops hadn't touched her body, Yoshino opened her eyes wide and looked up.

The transparent plastic umbrella bounced off the raindrops that hit it, turning them into sparkling specks of light that fell away.

"...!...!"

Yoshino felt very excited, and her hand, which wasn't holding the umbrella, started moving back and forth.

"Oh, you really like it? Here, take it!"

Then, after Shido finished speaking, Yoshino looked at him as if she had a question.

"Huh?... Mr. Shido... Is that alright?"

"Um, I have a question. Okay, here you can use it."

"Thank you... Mr. Shido."

Seeing Yoshino become happy just because she got an umbrella, Shido could only manage a wry smile from the bottom of his heart.

(They're so happy just because they got an umbrella? Are all elves like this? Or is it only a small number of elves?)

(Regardless of which one, it's all...)

———Homecoming———

"Um... eggs and... ah! Chicken too. There's still some rice left in the rice cooker... let's make oyako-don."

After taking a quick look at the refrigerator and deciding on the menu, I took out the necessary ingredients and looked towards the hall.

There sat Yoshino on the sofa, looking around curiously.

After returning home, Shido first looked for Kotori and Tohka, but neither of them were there. He couldn't get into the 'villa' either, so he knew that Kotori and Tohka had gone to the 'villa'. Although he didn't know what they were going to do, he locked the 'villa'.

However, what Shido needs to do now is to fill Yoshino's stomach first!

Shido chopped and peeled onions, then added broth to water and brought it to a boil. He then added the chopped onions and chicken. After cooking, he poured in the beaten eggs.

Next, pour it into the bowl of cooked rice, and finally sprinkle with parsley. Done! The whole process takes less than ten minutes!

"It's ready, Yoshino! Fill your stomachs up and hurry up and find Yoshina!"

After saying that, Shido walked into the hall with both rice bowls in his hands.

After placing a bowl in front of Yoshino and her own portion opposite her, he went back into the kitchen, picked up chopsticks, and, just in case, a spoon, returned to the living room.

"Well then, I'm going to start now."

After Shido finished speaking with his hands clasped together, Yoshino also lowered her head and spoke in the same manner. Then she picked up her spoon, took a bite of the carefully prepared oyakodon by Shido, and put it in her mouth.

"…………!"

As soon as she took a bite, Yoshino's eyes widened in surprise, and she excitedly tapped her rice bowl with her spoon.

"Well?"

However, after being spotted by Shido, she shyly looked away.

Then Yoshino, as if she wanted to convey something but was too shy to speak, gave Shido a thumbs-up with that expression.

"Oh……"

It seemed that Yoshino really liked it. Shido smiled wryly and gave a thumbs up in response. The food was indeed very delicious, filling Yoshino's small mouth, and she quickly emptied it.

"Um... Yoshino. There's something I want to ask you, is that alright?"

Shido looked at Yoshino, who was letting out a satisfied sigh after finishing her oyako-don, and asked a question.

Yoshino slowly nodded.

"Oh, thanks, Yoshino. By the way, although I didn't ask last time, Yoshino, what kind of existence does Yoshina hold in your heart...?"

After asking the question, Yoshino opened her mouth with a gloomy expression.

"Yoshino is... a friend... and... a hero."

"A hero, huh..."

"Hmm... Yoshina is... my ideal... my idol... my... self. I want to become... no longer weak, I want to become... no longer hesitant... strong, cool..."

"My ideal self...?"

(An ideal... that word, it's so distant, yet so close...)

Indeed, the Yoshino who speaks through the doll is completely different from the Yoshino we know now; her tone and attitude are like those of a different person. But—

"However... I prefer Yoshino as she is now..."

But the moment Shido said that, Yoshino's face turned bright red, and she bent over, covering her face with her hood.

"Yoshino? What's wrong?"

As Shido peered at her face, Yoshino spoke, and then she loosened her grip on the hood and slowly raised her head.

"...This is the first time I've ever been told this..."

"Is that so..."

Based on his conversation with Yoshino today and what he said yesterday, Shido couldn't help but bite his lip.

Yoshino, this little girl, is too gentle—too sad.

You must really hate things that hurt a lot and things that are scary.

Considering the opponent who has repeatedly shown hostility and malicious intent towards you—you don't want to hurt them. That, just how difficult, is it?

Yoshino—is she very weak?

He shook his head at Yoshino's self-assessment. — How could she be weak?

Ah, but that is—too kind and gentle, so kind and gentle that it is almost not allowed to exist in the world!

Shido couldn't help but stand up from his seat, then walked around the table and bent down next to Yoshino, gently stroking her head.

"Yoshino... I will definitely save you!"

After he finished speaking, Yoshino's eyes widened, clearly showing her surprise. But it didn't matter, Shido continued.

“I absolutely must find Yoshina, and then… give it to you. That’s not enough! I must also protect Yoshina so that it never disappears again, and never let you be near anything painful or terrible again. I want to—be your hero, and protect you forever!”

He stroked his head through the hood while speaking his heartfelt words, but... he couldn't stop.

Because Yoshino's gentleness has a major flaw: none of her saintly compassion is directed towards herself. Even from the perspective of the law of conservation, this is not right. Therefore, it can only be given from the outside.

Yoshino—if this overly gentle girl cannot be saved… I absolutely cannot forgive her!

"...Thank you very much..."

"...Shido...sir...Yoshino, please...find her."

"I will, I definitely will...?"

Suddenly, the touch in my arms disappeared, and all I felt was emptiness, and a heavy weight—a sense of responsibility.

"You're gone... Yoshino... Don't worry... Your hero... Yoshino... I will definitely... find him for you... I'll stake my... dignity as a Kamen Rider!" (Mysterious voice: Wasn't it because you already knew? (Don't ruin the mood!))

Eyes' Tip

Tea — 1 cup!

The Thirty-Sixth Evolution of the AST and New Enemies (5)

The Thirty-Sixth Evolution of Ast and New Enemies (5)

"Holy crap!! What, what's going on here?! What's going on?!"

Seeing this, even someone with the self-discipline of a scholar couldn't help but swear. The reason, if you ask why, is quite simple.

—Let's go back to yesterday—

Yesterday, after Yoshino disappeared, Shido sat quietly by himself, his hand under his chin, striking a pose reminiscent of "The Thinker." Of course, he wasn't doing it like students in China, dozing off. (The author admits to having done it himself.)