It was a hot day. Under the scorching sun a certain girl was returning to her home. She had two braids that she tied with pink ribbons. Her slightly tired figure was mirrored in the window of the shop she was passing by. She was shielding herself from the sun with her hand.

Suddenly her mirrored image turned towards her. It had a sharper look in its eyes, but seemed as bothered by the heat as the girl.

“It’s too hot! How about we stop by this café you like, Tenri?”

The girl didn’t seem surprised by the fact that her reflection suddenly addressed her.

“That… may be good idea,” she agreed quietly. Her home was still far off and the heat was hard to bear. Cooling herself in the café seemed to be the best course of action.

The reflection averted her eyes for a moment.

“Sorry, Tenri. If only I had more power I would probably be able to cool your body with magic,” she said with regret in her voice.

“Don’t worry about that, Diana,” the girl replied as she moved towards the entrance. For the last several months Diana couldn’t use her magic as effectively as she used to in the past. She always blamed herself for that, but Tenri knew better than that.

It was her fault that Diana couldn’t use her magic properly. She often felt like apologizing for that, but because the goddess made sure to never sound as if she was blaming Tenri for that they were in a stalemate. However, magic was not something either of them needed now that Heaven, Hell and Earth were at peace, so they rarely broached this topic.

Tenri felt a relief immediately as she stepped into the cool interior of the café. She timidly moved forward , glancing around as she looked for a free table, and then froze as she spotted a familiar figure. A brow haired boy with glasses, who was looking at his portable gaming console.

For a moment she felt like running away, but before she could make a decision the boy also noticed her from above his PFP. He looked surprised, but quickly composed himself and waved at her. Tenri hesitated for a moment, before approaching his table.

“Hey. Didn’t expect to run into you, Tenri,” he said. There was a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

“H-hi, Keima,” she replies, with a slight fluster. She also felt a bit uneasy. Despite the fact that they were neighbours they ended up not talking much after the conflict with Devils and Goddesses was resolved. It didn’t mean that they didn’t interact, but Tenri was painfully aware that this was the first time that they met since then without presence of any other acquaintances. Usually there would be Elsie or Mari accompanying them.

Reluctantly, Tenri took a seat. She noticed a menu and quickly grasped it to hide behind it.

“Were you going home?” Keima asked, as he turned on the PFP. Tenri realized that he must have been planning to leave the café before he saw her.

“Yes… It was hot,” Tenri admitted. There was a pause. She glanced from above the menu at the boy, but quickly hid herself back, when he looked at her from above his PFP. However, her curiosity was stronger than her shyness. “Were you waiting for someone?”

Keima tilted his head slightly.

“Yeah, Chihiro. I was supposed to meet with her after the band’s rehearsal, but their group ran into some technical difficulties. She phoned to tell me not to wait for her just before you came,” he explained.

“Were you going to wait for her despite that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

“Ah, no,” he admitted flatly. Then he noticed Tenri’s expression, since she lowered the menu slightly. “It’s fine! We agreed to meet tomorrow instead!” he added more flustered.

Tenri chuckled slightly seeing Keima lose his composure. He sighed.

“Don’t laugh at me,” he asked, the embarrassment visible on his face.

“I’m sorry. It’s just,” Tenri started cheerfully, pausing to find the right words. “You always act so composed, I didn’t think I would see you fretting over someone like that.”

“Indeed, what a sorry sight,” Diana said from Tenri’s reflection in the window.

“Not you too!” Keima shouted and then theatrically fell onto the table. However, after that he sighed and continued in a more level tone of voice without raising his face from the table. “Well, you may be right. I might be the Capture God, but there are things you only learn once you actually start dating a real girl.”

“Oh, so even a monkey like you can learn something after all,” Diana mused.

Keima shoot an unamused glance at her.

“Stop it, Diana,” Tenri said strongly. Diana flinched slightly at that.

“Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have interrupted you, since you haven’t talked in a long time,” Diana pointed out. “Don’t worry about me.”

As she said that, Tenri’s reflection returned to normal.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Tenri apologized, as she bowed slightly.

“Ah, no, that’s okay,” Keima said quickly, as he gestured to her not to bow. “I would be more surprised if she wasn’t angry at me after I, well…”

An awkward silence descended, as both of them averted their eyes. In the end, the topic of Tenri’s feelings had never been touched on after Keima returned from the past. At first Tenri felt sad. Diana did her best to cheer her up, despite the fact that she was also upset. After about two weeks of watching her host being heartbroken she finally snapped and started badmouthing Keima. Surprisingly, this did help Tenri sort her feelings a bit. She wasn’t good at getting truly angry, so having Diana be angry for her helped her vent some of her emotions.

After that Tenri’s life seemed to have returned to its track. Seemed being the keyword. Her daily routine didn’t change, nor did she act different than before. However, she was trapped in her own thoughts.

Was everything truly over? Was everything resolved? Was this really the ending Keima wanted to achieve? If so, why wasn’t this a happy ending for her? She knew she wasn’t supposed to be the one, but deep down in her heart she always hoped this wasn’t true. That if she worked hard enough, tried hard enough, she would be able to convey her feelings. But Keima really chose a different girl. Did this mean she lost her chance? Or did this mean that from the beginning there was no chance at all that her feelings would be requited? That she only deluded herself into thinking it was possible to change the future? That the happy ending she dreamed of was only a pipe dream?

At first she agonized over those questions every day, but as time moved on she started to think less about it. There were tests to take care of, homework to do, and magic tricks to try out. Tenri allowed the life to push her forward for now, hoping that one day she will simply outgrow her feelings. After all, no matter how much she thought about, she loved Keima. It was such a simple emotion, she couldn’t pretend it was anything else, even if she felt embarrassed by it. However, that also meant she couldn’t simply get rid of it. Even after Keima started dating Chihiro, it was impossible for Tenri to discard her feelings. They were too precious and unmovable and she clung to them for the past several years. She couldn’t discard them, as if they were nothing.

“I’m sorry,” Keima finally said, interrupting Tenri’s thoughts. She looked at him in surprise. “I only realize it now, but I should have talked to you after I returned from the past. I thought that it was okay since I told you clearly back then and even left a letter… but feelings aren’t that simple.”

Tenri felt a sudden rush of anxiety. She did not think she was prepared for this conversation, however she also felt unable to escape.

“I… You… I mean, it’s my fault that I still hoped that…” she started, but the words ended up disjointed and she wasn’t able to finish her thought.

“No,” Keima said strongly as he interrupted her. Tenri almost jumped as she realized that Keima was holding her hand. Her heart started to beat faster, but at the same time the touch felt reassuring. “You shouldn’t apologize about your feelings. I don’t want you to apologize for them. You… you are my important friend,” Keima said with a slight blush. Tenri who was already slightly red blushed even fiercer as she heard that. “Without you I wouldn’t have been able to save everyone now and in the past. I’m really thankful for your help. However,” suddenly the gentleness in his voice seemed to have escaped. What appeared instead was a harsh sound of truth, “I don’t love you, Tenri.”

A timid sound escaped from her. Tears immediately formed in her eyes.

“W-why?” she whispered. Why did he have to suddenly say it to her face? Why now? Why ever? Why did he have to come and say that cruel thing? She was already disillusioned about having any chances to win his heart. Why did he have to torment her more? This was supposed to be an accidental meeting in a café, but for some reason it turned into a disaster. Tenri barely kept herself together.

“I’m saying that because you are an important friend,” Keima continued. “But I have no romantic feelings towards you. I can’t return your feelings.”

At this point she snapped. Tears completely blurred her vision. A quiet wail left her lips. Before Keima could stop her Tenri rose from the table and dashed into the only secluded place she could think of.

The toilet.

She closed the door behind her and slumped onto the toilet seat. It was small toilet which could only be used by one person at time. Nobody would bother her here for now. As she sat there, Tenri cried. Tears fell from her eyes and she did nothing to stop them. She cried and cried, as her feelings swirled inside her painfully. After several minutes her tears finally slowed down. Tenri felt exhausted. She hadn’t cried so much in a long time.

”It’s okay, Tenri…”

Diana’s gentle voice suddenly resounded in her head.

“Why?” Tenri asked in hoarsed voice. “Why didn’t you…?”

”Stop him?” Diana finished. There was a pause, as if she searched for words. ”I decided I shouldn’t. I… I’m sorry Tenri, but I think… I think it was something you should have heard.”

“Why?” Tenri repeated. Her throat was too strained and dry to form longer sentences and the words seemed to escape her, even when she tried to find them.

”Because I think you should move on,” Diana admitted. Her voice was gentle and caring. Tenri wanted to be angry with Diana, but she couldn’t be when she spoke like that. ”I really hoped you and Keima would come together. You should know how much I cheered for you. However, I did it because I wanted what’s the best for you. You are my precious friend. I never wanted you to be rejected, but even more than that… It pains me to see you unable to move on.”

Tenri almost gasped in surprise. She didn’t expect Diana to feel like that. She thought the goddess was also unable to get over the fact that Keima rejected them.

But this wasn’t the case. Diana had already came to terms with that. Tenri was the only one to still struggle with the reality. When she realized that, tears once more gathered in her eyes.

”Ah, Tenri wait! Please calm down!” Diana shouted as she noticed her host was about to have a new bout of tears.

“I’m such a bother…” Tenri muttered between the tears.

”You are not! It’s okay to struggle with your feelings. This is what makes your human. This is what makes you strong.”

“I’m not…” Tenri tried to deny her words, but Diana interrupted her.

”Yes, you are. You are strong Tenri. Keima also said it. Without you he would have been unable to help us save the world. He never viewed you as a bother! So don’t look down on yourself!”

A strange warmness started to fill her chest. Tenri felt herself calm down. She slowly stood up and approached the sink. Diana was looking at her from the mirror placed above the sink.

”You are a great girl, Tenri. Your first love may have been unrequited, but there are more people in this world than that. I’m sure someone there will return your feelings,” she said, while Tenri splashed her face with the water.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked, her voice still strained, but calmer.

”There are already many people who worry and care about you. Your parents, Mari, Elsie, Shiori, me and even Keima. We are all hoping that you will find happiness. We are all going to help you, so please, don’t give up on yourself.”

Tenri was silent for a moment, as she thought about all the people close to her.

“…I won’t,” she finally muttered. Diana smiled to her from the mirror.

”See, you are strong.”

Tenri still disagreed with that, but decided that she may need this lie for now. After she cleaned her face, she decided to return to the table. Part of her, wanted to escape from the café, but the other part felt that it would be the best to listen to the rest of what Keima wanted to say to her.

Keima was still sitting at the table, but he wasn’t playing on his PFP. Instead, he was looking in the direction from which Tenri would emerge, if she left the toilet. It made her feel slightly unsteady, but she moved towards the table and sat at her place.

“Uh, how are you?” Keima asked as he looked at her with worry.

Tenri shrugged, unable to voice any meaningful answer.

“I, uh, sorry I said this so suddenly,” Keima apologized.

Tenri shook her head in disagreement. She didn’t think it was Keima’s fault.

“I guess you want to have some time for yourself, so I will be going. I already said almost all I wanted to say. I only wanted to add… This isn’t your fault. I just, fell for someone else… I can’t really explain properly why it was Chihiro, not you, but it isn’t something that you should feel bad about. I might have not been the one for you, but I’m pretty sure there is someone out there for who you will be a main heroine!” Keima said the last sentence with so much confidence that Tenri couldn’t bring herself to disagree. “That is all. I ordered something for you, they should bring it soon. Just rest for some time. I… hope to see you later.”

Tenri only nodded at those words. Somehow she felt strangely inspired by them. As she watched Keima leave, the waitress brought a huge serving of juice for her. Keima had already paid for it. Tenri felt dehydrated after all she experienced so she drank it voraciously.

“Do you feel better now?” Diana asked.

“Maybe…” the girl muttered.

She still wasn’t sure what she was feeling exactly. She felt exhausted after all the crying, but at the same time she felt lighter. It might take her some more time to get completely over Keima, but somehow she was sure she would be now able to move on.