Kamen Rider Date A Live

...Kurumi's appearance was clearly off. Of course, given Kurumi's personality, she might just be playing a prank on herself...but for some reason, the aura emanating from this Kurumi was completely different from that of the most dangerous spirit she had encountered before.

Moreover... Kurumi said before that she had no intention of harming Shido today.

This is just a verbal agreement; it can be reneged on at any time and has no binding force whatsoever.

However, in Shido's memory, although Kurumi often concealed things in her words and often talked about other things, she never contradicted what she said.

More importantly, the current situation is extremely unfavorable to me. If I refuse her invitation now and upset her, that would be a terrible mistake that would lead me into a dead end. I'm afraid that the moment I say sorry, I'll be pulled into the shadows by several arms.

Shido quickly gathered his thoughts and finally nodded slightly.

Okay, I'll go with you.

As soon as she finished speaking, Kurumi's expression brightened.

really?

Kurumi's joy was palpable, as undisguised as a flower in full bloom, which surprised Shido. She had clearly considered several possibilities and made some calculations in her mind... this truly left Shido at a loss for words.

Hehe, I'm so happy! Shido is such a kind person.

Kurumi said excitedly as she reached out and hugged Shido's arm.

Wow! Kurumi!? You...

The sudden turn of events startled Shido, who blushed crimson like a young girl. Even though Kurumi possessed the inner most dangerous spirit, she still appeared as a pitiful girl. How could Shido, a perfectly healthy high school boy, possibly handle such a bold move?

& nbs

Hey, I mean, isn't this a bit too intimate...?

is it?

However, Kurumi simply laughed at Shido's panicked expression and pressed herself even closer to him.

What's wrong with that? We're on a date right now, you know. Hehe, right now... only now, Shido-kun is my man alone. Or... do you find it disgusting that I'm holding your arm like this?

Kurumi asked the question in a dejected voice, which made Shido feel an indescribable sense of guilt. He couldn't help but groan and frown.

No, of course I don't dislike you...

Is that so? Hehe, then let's get going!

So Kurumi took a step. And drawn by her petite body, Shido reluctantly followed her into the bustling street.

—It happens to be Qixi Festival.

Like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, separated by the vast Milky Way at opposite ends of the sky.

Wandering through wide streets, through dense crowds—

The boy and girl finally reunited here.

...But hey, Kurumi. We're supposed to be on a date, but where are we going?

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Shido finally couldn't hold back and asked.

Well, actually, there's a place I'd like to go.

Where do you want to go? Where is it?

Hehe, it's a secret for now.

At the same time, Kurumi didn't forget to put her finger to her lips. Seeing Kurumi making such an adorable gesture, Shido's heart couldn't help but flutter.

However, this incident served as a wake-up call for him. This opportunity to interact with Kurumi was a hard-won stroke of luck, but her level of danger had not diminished as a result. Traveling with her meant that even a moment of carelessness could lead to a fatal outcome.

As Shido was pondering these things, Kurumi, who had been pulling Shido forward, suddenly stopped.

Then, she gave a sly smile, licked her lips with her tongue, and stared intently at Shido.

—Ah, ah. It looks so delicious.

...!!

Such remarks sent chills down Shido's spine.

What... could it be that you really intend to—

His voice trembled with terror as Shido tried to distance himself from Kurumi. But Kurumi's arms were like chains, showing no intention of letting go of Shido even slightly.

Ah, ah—……

Kurumi smiled, her lips curving into a crescent shape, and then pointed to Shido—the open-air shop behind him.

They sell small desserts called bamboo leaf cakes there. These desserts seem to be cakes about the size of a mouth, filled with a filling like red bean paste or cream. They certainly look very appetizing.

Hey, Shido. Don't you think that looks delicious too?

Huh? So you mean... an egg, a cake...?

—Oh dear, what do you think I'm talking about?

Shido immediately relaxed. Kurumi, seeing his strange reaction, couldn't help but chuckle... Sigh, I always feel like a clown in Kurumi's palm.

I'm talking to you...

Hehehe, but it really looks appetizing, right? Look, there are so many strange little things all around. That over there seems to be something called Tianhe Shaved Ice.

Following Kurumi's directions, Shido looked and indeed saw a shop selling shaved ice topped with condensed milk on a layer of blue Hawaiian syrup and decorated with colorful decorations.

Ah... I see, so that's what they call the Milky Way. It's really creative.

Look, there's a Weaver Girl cotton candy over there.

Connecting making cotton candy with weaving? That seems a bit far-fetched...

The other one looks like beef jerky from a male escort.

Well... it doesn't seem right for a male escort to eat beef.

"Businessmen really don't care about the means," Shido frowned, a bead of cold sweat appearing on his cheek.

Kurumi then brought her hand to her lips and smiled.

Hehe, it's so nice to be with Shido.

No, I didn't either...

However, before she could finish speaking, Kurumi grabbed Shido's arm again with all her might.

Let's go this way, Shido.

Hey, Kurumi, don't pull me away!

Hehehe, time waits for no one! Come on, Shido-kun. Let's cherish the little time we have together.

Kurumi walked along with a smile, while Shido, led by her, crossed the shopping street.

After walking for about 15 minutes, Kurumi pointed to the building in front of her and said to Shido.

It is here.

This is... oh, a planetarium?

Indeed, what the two were standing in front of was the planetarium, located a little further away from the shopping street.

Yes, I've wanted to go in and take a look for a long time.

Really... That's a bit unexpected.

Oh dear, what do you mean by that?

Ah, no...

Shido was pondering what excuse to use, but...

He was suddenly jolted awake—surprised that his nerves had relaxed to the point of joking with Kurumi.

No, I shouldn't have let my guard down. However, on the way from the shopping street to here, I really didn't sense any hostility or intent to harm from Kurumi, which seemed to have made me lose my vigilance towards her without realizing it.

Yes, today's Kurumi is really just an ordinary girl.

They happily crossed their arms, chatted cheerfully, and smiled contentedly... everything seemed so ordinary.

Such ordinariness—so much so that in those brief moments, Shido actually forgot about the deadly battle of last month.

…………

Shido stared at Kurumi without saying a word.

...I wonder what she's thinking. Is she trying to make Shido careless so she can take advantage of him? But if that's the case, why would Kurumi go through all this trouble? She could just pull me into her shadow the moment we meet and that would be it. So why is she doing this? Could it really just be a date...? No, that's even more foolish. Since she's risking being discovered by the <running henchmen> to make contact with Shido, she must have some purpose—

...? Shido-kun? What's wrong?

Ah...it's nothing. Let's go in, Kurumi.

Shido, not wanting Kurumi to notice his doubts, walked with her toward the planetarium.

I bought two tickets and took my seat. Shortly afterward, the lights in the venue suddenly went out, and the narrator's voice rang out in the darkness.

Thank you for visiting our planetarium today. Today's program is—

After the prescribed lines, countless stars began to shine on the inverted hemispherical canopy.

Wow……

Hearing such a gasp from the seat next to him, Shido couldn't help but look away from the ceiling.

There, Kurumi's eyes shone with magnificent light as she gazed intently at the twinkling stardust above.

…………

Seeing her pure and innocent appearance, Shido scratched his cheek... then sighed softly and turned his gaze back to the sky.

...You can see the stars, but you can't see Kurumi's heart at all.

Unrelated to Shido's inner turmoil, countless stars in the sky gathered together, forming a magnificent band of light—the Milky Way. On its left and right sides, two more stars shone with a dazzling brilliance that surpassed all others.

—The Weaver Girl, daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, who lived by the Tianchuan River, was a celestial maiden who could weave beautiful cloth.

However, after she married the cowherd, she neglected her work and spent all her time playing and frolicking with him. The Jade Emperor was furious when he saw this, so he forcibly separated the two and made them work seriously.

From then on, the two were only allowed to meet once a year, on the night of July 7th. But if it rained that day, the Milky Way would overflow, making it impossible to cross—

So that's how it is. Today's program is about the origin of Qixi Festival, which is indeed very fitting for the festive atmosphere of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

Shido subtly glanced to his right, only to find his gaze meeting Kurumi's.