The Beginning of their story

Akari was already sitting in the classroom, waiting for the teacher to officially welcome them to their new school. A lot of her new classmates have already arrived, but no one has tried to start a conversation with her. She was fine with that; she knew that this was a very stressful day for all of them. Akari opened her book and started to read, but then she heard loud voices coming from outside the classroom.

- How can you be so sure that this is the right classroom? What if we make a mistake on the first day in high school? It would be really awkward... - a soft, girly voice asked someone.

Then, the door opened and a tall boy with black curly hair walked inside. Hiding behind him there was a girl with incredibly green eyes.

- Hello everyone, nice to meet you! My name is Kano Tadomeki, I hope we will get along! - he said with a warm smile, but she noticed that it felt kinda forced. She was good at noticing this kinds of little giveaways in people facial features since she was a child.

"At least I think it was from the time a was young..." she thought to herself and focused on the boy that came into the classroom once more. Nonetheless, he was really handsome, and she saw few girls from class already glancing him. He began to walk across the classroom and stopped right next to her desk. Akari finally could take a closer look at his face. He had beautiful blue eyes. From his eyes alone she noticed that he looked really tired.

- Excuse me, is this seat taken? - Tadomeki asked her with a grin, pointing to the chair next to her.

This time his smile wasn't fake.

- N-No, you can take it if you want to - she blushed slightly and looked away. He sat down while the girl who entered the classroom with him took a seat behind them, looking a little sad. Akari didn't know what to think about him. He had so much courage, something she would never have on her first day in a new school, and also he seemed familiar to her for some reason.

- Can I ask you one more question?

She turned to face him and looked him in the eyes. With a warm grin he said one thing that started their entire relationship

- What's your name?

- Ak... Akari. My name is Nakamura Akari. It's nice to meet you.

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Their first days at school went smoothly and exactly the same as he remembered. Akari slowly began to become friends with Tadomeki and Tsumigi. Every night he tried to enter his Asylum but with no avail. He began practicing sword fighting as well, but it wasn't quite what you would expect from swordsmanship training. He bought a wooden sword and started to just swing it all day, creating his own style of fighting. Legends say that if a true swordsman were to witness his efforts, they would have probably killed him for such a disgrace to the way of the sword. Tadomeki tried to practice every day for only about an hour, because he felt like he still had plenty of time before the festival. He also tried to see how his regeneration works. After cutting himself with a knife, it healed in around thirty seconds. He wasn't going to try it with a larger wound, but it was proof that everything he had heard about demons in the Asylum was true. "Now, the only thing I need to do is to make the same decisions as before and do my best to enter that place again". He then heard a notification sound from his phone. He received a few messages from different people. Ren asked him if he wants to play games today. Hinari responded with: "I wish you a good day!" and an emoji. The last message belonged to Tsumigi.

"Can we meet today at my house?". Tadomeki looked at her text with curiosity. She had never ask him that in any timeline before. "But I did everything the same way as before... I think I worry too much..." he thought and replied to everyone messages.

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An hour later he was standing at Tsumigi's house door. He rang the doorbell.

- Wait a second I'm coming! - she shouted.

It has been a long time since he last visited Tsumigi's house. Last time it was when he was twelve, so counting his age along with other timelines, it was over a hundred years ago. "Oh god... I'm so old... Thank heavens only Akari's image knows that...".

- Hello Tadomeki! - Tsumigi smiled as she opened the door - Come on in!

Memories of this place started coming back to him as soon as he entered.

- It's been so long, since I've been here... Good to see nothing changed.

The house was still the same as he remembered. They walked into the living room where they used to play so much as kids. Despite it being Saturday, Tadomeki couldn't notice anyone else inside the house except for them.

- Where are your parents Tsumigi? It's quite weird not seeing your mom shoving cookies in my face the moment I arrive.

- Oh... They went on a trip for their anniversary. They will be back on Monday.

Tadomeki couldn't help but get slightly nervous. "Alone with Tsumigi in her house? I hope she doesn't want to do anything stupid..."

- Anyway, let's go to my room, okay? - she said quietly, slightly blushing.

"Oh crap..." He thought.

- Okay... So... Why did you invite me here today? 

- I... You know... - Tsumigi started to stutter and her face got really red - C-could you cook dinner for me today?

Tadomeki started laughing.

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While walking around her room, he noticed a crack in the wall that Ren accidentally made while they were playing. "So many memories we've made here..." He looked at the notes she had on her desk and the meal right next to them. It looked so bad he didn't even recognize it as food.

- So, your parents made you instructions on how to cook your meals while they're gone, but you couldn't make them anyway?

- Do... Don't make fun of me - she said red like a beetroot.

- I'm not, I just saw you as someone who can do everything. Of course, I can help you prepare something.

Tsumigi got even more embarrassed due to Tadomeki's words. While he walked around her room, thinking about what to cook for her, something caught his interest.

- Is that…? It is!

He picked up a toy standing on Tsumigi's desk.

- It's the figurine I gave you when we first met! You really still have it?

- Of course... It's a gift, you can't throw them away. I have all of your birthday gifts still somewhere in my room.

Tadomeki then patted her on her head. "I wonder if she will still keep it in the future".

- Now shall we go shopping for some new ingredients? - he smiled warmly.

Tsumigi nodded even more vigorously, her face turning even redder than before, if that's even possible.

"His hand was so warm..." she thought to herself and stood up now with a smile on her face. While Tadomeki talked about what he wanted to cook she didn't listen. She was so charmed by him at that moment that she couldn't hear anything. She loved him since their first meeting. Every day they played, she could feel her heart flutter every time he talked to her. Years passed and she still loved him as much as back then, but since they started high school, she couldn't help but notice how much attention he gave to Akari. Tsumigi felt really jealous because of this, but she couldn't do anything but watch them develop their relationship even more. She was scared, that if she reveals her feelings, Tadomeki will reject them. If he did that they would never come back to the way they are now. That's why she decided to stay quiet in all of this.

- Are you listening Tsumigi?

- Huh? I'm sorry I dozed off a little...

- It's okay. How does lasagna sound? It can last for two days, so you won't need to worry about making dinner tomorrow.

- Sure... I believe your judgement.

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Tadomeki yawned. It was already quite late when he left Tsumigi's house.

"The day is almost over… I think I will skip my training today…"

While he was heading home he had heard two loud voices.

- What do you think you're doing? Do you want us to die from his hands?

- I already told you, I don't know what you're talking about Dad!

Tadomeki turned his gaze in the direction from which he heard people arguing. After looking closely, he realized that it was Akari and her dad. When he saw her father raising his hand, he decided to step in.

- Excuse me? Why are you shouting at my friend here? - Tadomeki asked, when he got closer to them

- Your friend? This is my daughter, and I can scold her whenever I want.

- I don't care about who you are. If anyone is going to do something to her, I will do whatever I want to do as well. So why don't you back off?

While he said that, he started to concentrate his divine energy in his body to make sure her father will be able to sense it. He wasn't sure if that would work, but since he was appointed to be Akari's guardian by her true father, he must have been able to know when he is facing a demon. Tadomeki's guess was right.

- How... You know, nevermind... I'm going back home. Akari you too, please come back soon...

When he walked away from them, Tadomeki stopped emitting the energy and turned to Akari.

- Are you okay? Is everything alright?

- Y-yes... Thank you, but... What are you doing here? 

She looked less stressed than a moment before. Tadomeki turned away his gaze from her, realizing what he did. He just talked back to his future father-in-law and might have made Akari really uncomfortable by doing so.

- I was just on my way back home from Tsumigi's house and I saw you two arguing. I'm sorry I stepped in, but I couldn't just stand by. I hope you're not mad...

He finally looked at her face. She was blushing and looking at him with a shocked expression.

- Th...Thank You Kano-kun... You're truly amazing…

- Eh? I didn't do anything that great, honestly I don't know what I would do if he still wanted to argue...

Akari smiled. She really felt inspired by him and his actions. If it was her, she could never help another person in need in a situation like that, but he did it without hesitation.

- It doesn't matter. I'm truly grateful to you Ka... I mean, Tadomeki-kun.

- Then I'm glad - he smiled as well - So anyway, if you ever need me, just text me. I will arrive as soon as I can. Goodnight Akari-san.

When Tadomeki began to walk away she grabbed him by his wrist.

- I-I don't want to go back home tonight...

Tadomeki was shocked, but he understood how she felt. Even so, he couldn't just let her come into his house. They have only known each other for a week in her point of view afterall.

"And also I didn't clean my room..."

But then an idea came to his mind.

- You know, Tsumigi's parents left for a trip. I think she will be happy to let you stay in her house for tonight if we explain your situation to her.

- Will she really? - she asked with hope.

- Of course, besides she owes me for helping her today. Let's go there now! - he said as he held out his hand to Akari. She hesitated at first but she grabbed it anyway.

- Thank you Tadomeki-kun...