Chapter 8: No Regrets

"So, you found my place by following the address written on my school handbook?"

"Yes. I found it inside your uniform."

"And you came just to return this handbook to me?"

"...yes." Kishimoto hesitated for a second, but still nodded. After that, she headed out, while saying, "Well, that all. By then."

"Hey, wait." Kurono stopped her. The girl showed a flash of hope in her eyes, as she looked back at Kurono.

"Come in. I'll give you some water. Your place is quite far from my home. You should be thirsty after walking that long distances."

Kurono let her enter into his small house. As he handed out a glass of cool water, he said, "My place is quite small and there is not much of furniture here. So, I'm sorry that you have to sit on the floor."

"No no. No problem, I'm okay with it." Kishimoto hurriedly waved her hand.

"Actually, I haven't had my lunch yet. You haven't had yours too, right?"

"... Actually, I already..."

Before Kishimoto could lie about her situation, Kurono just walked to his little kitchen, while saying, "Okay, it's decided. Wait for a bit. I'll cook something for our lunch."

Kishimoto could not say anything as Kurono has already started cooking some food. Looking at the handsome boy busying himself in the kitchen, it somehow calmed her restless heart.

As soon as the cooking produced a delicious smells, Kishimoto's stomach growled. She involuntarily swallowed her saliva that was about to flow out of her lips.

A couple of minutes later, Kurono brought out two serving of fried rice. He gave one to Kishimoto and one for his own.

"Let's dig in."

Kishimoto could no longer hold her hunger, and ate her food hurriedly. However, she almost let go of her plate as the hot food almost burned her tongue.

"Slow down. The foot is still hot. Here." Kurono gave her a glass of water. After that, he helped her to blow off the hotness on her food. "Here you go. It should be a lot cooler now."

"Thank you." Kishimoto blushed a bit. This time, she ate the food slowly.

Kurono also started to eat his fried rice. However, after he finished eating half of his food, he felt someone is staring at him. gazing to the front, he saw the girl was looking at his plate, while showing a tendency to drool.

"Here, eat the rest. I'm already full." He decided to gave the rest of his food to her.

"Eeh? Really? Can I really eat that?"

"Go on."

Kishimoto's eyes brightened, and she took the food. She thanked him and then ate the half plate fried rice.

After the late lunch, they rested to let their stomach digest the foods. Right then, Kurono could see that the girl was looking restless.

After a moment, Kishimoto still decided to stand up and said, "Thank you for the foods. It's time for me to go home."

Kishimoto then slowly walked down the stairs. While walking down, she was thinking whether to ask Kurono to let her stay or not.

"You can't go home, right?"

At this time, Kurono suddenly said from the back. "Your original body is still alive. So, you are unable to go home, right?"

As soon as he speaks those words, Kishimoto froze on her steps. She could not help but look back, and ask, "How...how did you know?"

"So, I was right."

Kishimoto was stunned. Did he just try to guess my situation? Did I just confirmed his guess?

"If you cannot go back to you house, you can stay here at my house." Kurono smiled at her, and invited her to come back.

"...I..." Kishimoto lost her words for reply.

"Just come in."

Kishimoto looked down. she could felt her eyes turning red. The notion of someone else are able to guess her situation, and were willing to help her caused her to wanted to shed some tears.

Seeing her suddenly turning silent, Kurono approached her, "It's okay. Just stay here as if this is your house."

"...My mom called from hospital and I took the call."

Huh? Kurono was surprised when the girl suddenly talk of her situation. However, he kept silent, and waited for her to finish.

"She thought I am my sister. She told me that I...I mean, my original self survived and got hospitalized."

"If she is alive, that's mean I am just some stranger, without any parents and a home to return to."

"I also found out that although I looked identical to my previous self, I also am different from the original. I used to have many scars on my body. But now, all of that is gone. Who am I? Who sob...am I?"

As the girl talked more, she become more and more emotional. Seeing her behaving like that caused Kurono to sigh.

"Am I just someone who doesn't have any meaning? What if I turned out to be some kind of alien?"

"No no no. Don't say something like that. Calm down okay." Kurono stopped her, and pulled her in his embrace. The moment he hugged her, the girls started to cry. This caused Kurono to sigh even more.

At first, Kurono's mind was wandering about how he should influence the girl to have sex with him. He even though of several postures of him doing those dirty deed with her. However, all of those thought was immediately got shut down right at this moment.

Right now, Kurono was only thinking of calming her down. He also contemplated about her unfortunate situation. Compared to him, he was lucky that the original Kurono really died, being crushed by the train days ago.

After Kishimoto cried for a while, Kurono let her take a rest. The girl rested, and before long, she fall asleep on Kurono's bed. A calm expression was shown on her face as she sleep comfortably on the bed.

"Sigh. What am I gonna do with you?" Kurono looked at her innocent face, and could not muster his courage to defile this unfortunate girl.

<So, you already planned to defile her?>

"...can you stop sounding out all my thoughts?"

<Can't help it. You are a pervert. Always thinking about dirty things.>

"Wha...no! That's not true."

<Didn't you just thought of touching her butt when you hugged her just now?>

"Hey! Stop stop! I'm begging you to stop." Kurono can only kneel down in defeat. It would be even more embarrassing if Rose talked out the rest of his desire.

<You seems to be fidgeting about you deepest desire.>

"Okay okay. I don't want to discuss about my thought anymore." Kurono hurriedly stopped the conversation. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the girl sleeping on his bed. He approached her, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Sorry, I didn't consider your feeling, and only thought about lusting over your body."

After that Kurono left the girl sleeping peacefully.

...

Next day.

Today, Kurono accompanied Kishimoto to visit her house. As they reached the house, Kishimoto stopped one block away from it.

"Let's just wait here. I don't really feel good to meet my own self." said Kishimoto, while peeking at the door of her house. At this hour, she should be going out to go to school.

They didn't wait long, before they saw the real Kei Kishimoto to come out. She walked pass the two without any care. It seems like she have a lot of thing on her mind.

After the girl walked further away, the new Kishimoto turned around and looked at that 'her'. So, that's how I usually behave when I go to school?

After that small trip, the two decided to head back to Kurono's house.

"Ahhh. I feel much better now. What a relief." Kishimoto showed a brighter expression compared to yesterday.

"Huh? You sure you are okay?"

"Yeah. I feel a lot better than yesterday." Kishimoto nodded, and smiled brightly at Kurono. "Now that I think about it, it feels like I've been living my entire life just for my mother.

I was so serious, and all I did was study just to appear better in front of my mother."

She exhaled and felt a bit melancholy about her life. "When I think that I'm no longer the girl that only know to please that woman, I feel relieved. Like I now have a bright future.

But, that other me has to live that kind of life for the rest of her life. Poor thing."

On the side, Kurono just silently listened to her story. He thought of something and asked, "You talked about yourself trying hard to please your mother. So, what about your father?"

"My father...he is a drug addict. It's already been years since he got jailed. He was charged for being physically abusive and conducting domestic violence." Kishimoto looked gloomy when she talked about her father.

"Ah, sorry about that. I didn't know of your situation. I'm really sorry."

"No worries. It's all in the past now."

Feeling the awkwardness, Kurono tried to find another topic. "Do you want to go shopping?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you are staying with me. You don't have any spare of clothes. So, we should go buy you some. Well, if you don't mind, you can also use my clothes."

"I think I will just borrow some of your clothes."

"That's okay too. But let's just go shopping. You still have to wear a different underclothes."

Kishimoto blushed when she thought about it. She can't borrow and use Kurono's underclothes. That's totally not right!

Seeing that she was looking down in silence, Kurono thought that she must be worried about imposing on him. He said, "Don't worry, I still have enough pocket money. Buying you some lingerie should not be a problem. Let's go."

Kurono didn't wait, and just pulled her. The girl blushed when she felt his hand holding hers. However, she didn't resist, and just enjoyed the feeling.

Kurono then brought her towards some nearby shops that sell some girls clothes.

After some shopping, they then headed back with some bags of clothes. Kurono ended up spending almost all of his pocket money. He sighed when he looked at his wallet.

"Sorry to trouble you."

"Nah. Don't worry about it. Let's just go home."

As for money, I will think of a way to earn it, thought Kurono silently.

As they reached the house, the two suddenly felt a chill at the back of their neck.

"Ah, did you feel that?"

"Yeah. I suddenly felt a chill just now."

The Gantz is about to send us back to that place! Kurono was alerted. "I think we need to hurry inside."

"Eh? Why? What happened?" Kishimoto become agitated when she saw the serious look on Kurono's face.

"If the both of us can feel it, that's mean it is something that related to the both of us. Gantz! It must be the Gantz!"

"What should we do?"

"Let just prepare ourselves."

The two then hurriedly headed inside. They hurriedly took their respective suits and started undressing and wearing the Gantz clothes.

Suddenly they realized that they are undressing in front of each other.

"Ah!" Kishimoto hurriedly covered herself.

"Sorry sorry. I didn't meant to look." Kurono hurriedly turned away.

Kishimoto blushed but suddenly thought of their uncertain life inside the Gantz. She then calmed down. After that, she continued dressing up while saying, "That's okay. You already have seen me naked anyway."

Kurono was surprised at her bold attitude. He then calmed down and undressed himself. After that, he wore his Gantz suits.

Kishimoto still blushed when she saw his naked body. At this time they heard the ringing sounds in their head.

"Ah, it's coming again."

Kishimoto heard the ringing getting louder and louder, and her heart feel more restless. At this time, she looked at Kurono and made a decision. She approached him and tiptoed to make her face reach Kurono's.

Chup!

A kiss was planted on Kurono's lips, causing him to momentarily froze up. The kiss lasted for some seconds, before Kishimoto looked away with a red face. However, she turned back to look at Kurono and said, "I don't know what will happen to us after this. However, I wanted to be with you. I want to have no regrets if we suddenly died there inside Gantz."

Kurono at this moment was lost in that momentarily taste. He still wanted more! He hugged the girl and returned a kiss on her lips.