Chapter 28: Couch

"Phew~ man that was intense, I thought for sure that you two would start fighting." Amane grinned, giving Alex a side glance.

Alex rolled his eyes, "Aren't you the one who called her? Why are you acting like its not your fault."

"What? No way~!" She laughed, "Aunt Miki found out on her own, I was actually surprised when she just appeared you know? Hahaha."

Alex stared at her for a few moments before shrugging, "Whatever. You guys can't stop me anyway. I actually wasn't really planning on doing it, but what you said to me earlier made me change my mind."

"About the conceptual attacks, huh?" Amane smiled, "But still, if you decided to do it and go to "that" place, you might not be able to come back."

Alex look surprised, "You know about it?"

She rolled her eyes and sent him a smirk, "Of course I do. I'm quite close to aunt Miki you know, she's been telling me stories. And that's exactly why I know how dangerous that place is."

Alex remained silent, he was confident that his soul is completely safe due to "Anti-interference" imbued into it, not only that, Judecca is also partially fused with him, if push comes to shove, she will be able to bring him back.

Besides, if it really worked out, he'll probably obtain power that will allow him to play around with reality as he please.

"Speaking of," Amane began as Alex looked at her, "as far as I can remember, you need Yesod to do what you plan on doing. The Yesod of Earth surely won't help, and I'm pretty sure you won't use that little girl. What do you plan to do?"

Alex looked at her for a moment before saying, "I know someone who has a fragment of Yesod, I'll borrow it later."

With those words, Alex left the lighthouse, leaving Amane staring at his back. After a few moments, she released an amused snort and shook her head before following after him.

"Sigh, I like headstrong and determined men, but that guy is in a whole new level."

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Later that night....

"Hey, wanna set off some fireworks?" Amane asked with a grinned, as the group gathered in Ohguro-ya, still in their swimsuits, "We can't have any that shoots into the sky, but light one of those sudden death sparkles, and man! The sea breeze makes it burn like TNT!"

"Fireworks...?" Apacci perked up, she has seen those in some movies she watched from time to time, and she really wanted to try it.

She was wearing a dark blue one piece swimsuit or sports suit, and black flip-flops, she was also holding a dark blue goggles.

"Hmm, we have yet to experience those..." Said Sung-sun, expectation can be heard on her voice. She was wearing a cyan colored flounce top, and cyan colored skirted bottom. She also wears a pair of light brown beach sandals.

"That sounds fun," said Mila Rose with a grin. She was wearing a yellow plunge top and yellow tie-side bottoms, and a yellow flip-flops. She was also holding a ball.

"Hm, its been awhile since I lit up some "hanabi" as well." Sagiri smiled and nodded. She was wearing a black tie-front bikini top and black thin-stringed bottom.

"Yosh! Its decided then!" Amane grinned and took out a box from...somewhere, and opened it. It was full of various types of sparklers.

"Come on! Come on! Take your pick! Take your pick!" Amane laughed as the group quickly took some for themselves.

Alex just sat quietly at the corner, looking at the group having fun as they went out of the snackbar and lit up their "hanabi".

"Uwaaa~! Mama! Sparkwy, sparkwy!" Alice smiled as she looked at sparklers that was lit up.

Emi smiled and held her on her arms, "We can just watch together okay, Alice."

"Un! Un!" Alice nodded, looking at the colorful lights with "sparkling" eyes.

"I wonder what's so fun about this?" Lucifer looked at the round "hanabi" spinning while sparkling on his feet with a bored look, "we can make something prettier than this with magic."

"Its not about that, idiot." Said Hisui as she was holding a piece of sparkler which was shooting some lights, "Its about the experience and having fun in a group."

"....still don't get it." He replied, though a smile appeared on his face as he look at the "Tres Bestias" playing around with sparklers on their hands.

"Oh yeah, then why are you smiling?" Sagiri smirked as Lucifer lost his smile and look away.

"Mila Rose! Give me a light! I'm gonna try six of these at once!" Apacci grinned while holding six sticks between her fingers.

"No wa—hey! What are you doing!? Go away! Shoo! Shoo!" Mila Rose frowned as Apacci tried to reach for her sparklers to light up her own.

"Come on! Give me some light here!"

"No way! Get away from me!

"Come you two, stop bickering like little girls and act your age." Sung-sun frowned, though she wasn't really looking at them as her focus was completely on the sparkler she was holding on her hands.

Back in the snackbar, Harribel, Nonko, and Amane were drinking some wine while watching the group with a smile.

"They sure are having fun." Nonko smiled as she took a sip from her glass of wine.

"Hm," Harribel nodded as she also took a sip of her wine. They haven't been into the world of living for a long time and they have yet to experience things that normal people should have.

For centuries, they have been fighting, killing, just so they could survive. Even when they became Arrancars it was still the same. Though they no longer felt hunger, they did have to be wary of everyone else, after all who knew what might happen if they relax their guard.

But now, they can pretty much do what they can't do when they are still a Hollow. No need to worry of someone stabbing them in the back, no need to worry about hunger.

They truly have such a peaceful life.

"Stop acting like some old ladies please?" Amane grinned as she took a sip of her wine, "We're still young. We should be having fun as well, not watch them like our children who already grown up."

"I've come into being for several centuries already." Said Harribel.

"Don't mind the small stuffs!"

Alex suddenly stood up, "Hey Amane, is there any vending machine nearby?"

Amane raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless, "Yep, there's three near the parking lot, its the only one we've got here."

"Thanks." He thanked Amane as she smiled at him. He left the snackbar, but not before smiling at Emi.

Sagiri looked at his back and bit her lips. She was contemplating whether or not to follow him. And after a few seconds of hesitation she decided to follow after him.

She already prepared and gathered enough courage. No matter what, she's ready. After that, she'll talk to Emi, apologize for liking her man, and tell her that she won't give up.

She should probably tell Emi first, but Sagiri knew that if she did that, she won't be able to get near Alex again. So she needed to confess first.

Emi furrowed her brows and watched Sagiri leave. She looked at Alice and smiled as she put her down, with Alice looking at her mama, confused.

"I bet Alice isn't afraid of those little sparklers are you? So why don't you go and join in the fun?"

"Really?" Alice smiled, and when she saw Emi nodded she immediately run off, "Looshifer!"

Emi glared at the fallen angel, "Take care of her."

Lucifer closed his mouth and nodded his head like his life depends on it. She glared at him for a few more moments before leaving.

Nonko and Amane were just watching this with a smirk.

"You thik there'll be bloodbath?" Amane asked.

Nonko shrugs, "Nah. Emi might be a bit possessive, but she isn't in the level of a Yandere yet."

Harribel just silently watched Emi's back.

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"Hmm, oh, a milk tea, yosh, Imma try this one." Alex smiled as he inserted his money and chose to buy a milk tea.

He picked it up before sitting on a bench beside the vending machine and opened it.

"Hm?" He looked up and saw Sagiri standing at the side of the bench, looking worried and fearful about something.

He smiled and patted the space next to him, "Come sit. You want some too?"

Sagiri shyly sat down and shook her head at Alex's question and just remained silent.

"Alright," he shrugs and drank his milk tea, while giving Sagiri a side glance. She looks worried, as if she did something and couldn't forgive herself for doing it.

Sagiri bit her lips as she stared at the ground, she was really afraid right now. All those courage she gathered seem to dissipate, leaving her alone.

"Something on your mind?" He asks.

Sagiri looked at him and shook her head, "....Its...nothing."

"Your expression tells me that its not just "nothing", I apologize if I'm trying to pry, but we're friends, let me help."

"I...I can handle it myself." She just needed time, she will definitely do it.

Alex smiled and stood up and went to the vending machine and purchased another milk tea before handing it to her.

He sat down next to her with a grin, "Come on, don't be such a stranger. If you have a problem, you can weep and ask for my help, you can lean on me with runny nose. When your tearing up with an ugly face, I'll give a good cry with an uglier face, when you're laughing so hard your stomach hurts, I'll laugh with a louder voice. That's how it should be, that's how friends should be."

Sagiri stared at Alex, in a daze. It took her a few moments before she snapped out of her daze and smiled, "Friends....huh."

"Yup."

"Will you, really listen to me?"

"Yeah, so you can go ahead and tell me. I'll be here to listen to you."

"Good," she smiled and stood up, before looking at Alex with a soft and gentle gaze, "Alexander Gremory.....I love you."

Emi, who was hiding not too far away from them, flinched as her body turned cold. A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes for moment before disappearing.

But she remained silent and unmoved, as she just calmly listened.

Alex almost choked on his milk tea as he stared at Sagiri with wide eyes. Sure he already has an idea about her feelings for him, but he wasn't expecting her to be so....straightforward and direct.

She didn't stutter, she didn't blush, she didn't avert her eyes! She just look at him with a smile and a soft and gentle look, saying those three words as if it was completely natural!

It was different from the usual her!

But...

...he really can't accept her feelings.

When he was about to open his mouth to reject her, Sagiri put a finger on his lips to shut him up. He looked at Sagiri, who was still smiling at him.

"I know, I already know what you're going to say, and...if you say the words that I wasn't hoping to hear, my heart may just break," a trace of sadness was seen in her eyes for but a moment before it was replaced with a firm determination, "But, don't answer me yet, Alex. We don't know what will happen in the future, so I'll do my best to make you say those words, the words I really wanted to hear. So before that, don't give me your answer."

She took her fingers from her lips and turned around as she looked at him over her shoulders, "So just chill and wait Alex, because in the future, you will be the one to confess to me...and when that happens...I'm gonna say "I told you so", and laugh with tears flowing out of my eyes, because it will be one of the happiest moment of my life."

Alex stared at her and said, "I have Emi you know."

"I know, and—?"

"I have Alice."

"I know, and—?"

"My answer won't change."

"We don't know that yet, the future is uncertain. And I'm gonna make sure, that the future I wanted, will happen."

Alex stared at her for a few moments before sighing, "....do what you wished."

She smiled and nodded, "I will."

Meanwhile, Emi, who was hiding and listening not too far away from them left the place.

'You're so going to sleep in the couch tonight, Alex.'

"Anyway, I'll be going now Alex," Sagiri smiled and began to walk away, "I still need to talk to Emi."

Alex watched her leave and sighed as he leaned back on the bench and looked at his milk tea before throwing it at the trashcan.

"I'm so going to sleep in the couch tonight, I just knew it."