NOVEL NEXT Kei Kishimoto Origin
Kishimoto's sobs echo in my ears as she clings to me, her tears dropping onto the Gantz Suit.
"Kishimoto... I'm sorry but... what's going on?"
I think it's understandable that by now I have a feeling of immense emotional Whiplash and deja vu. I mean this is almost the exact same scene that played out after the fight against the tall Onion Aliens just a few hours ago.
Back then the rough battle took a toll on both of us but I could easier cope with how it played out because all this to me was presented before in a fictional work. As much as I am aware of the severity of the Situation and some changes appearing out of the blue, I still have knowledge that creates a safety net for me.
Kishimoto doesn't have that luxury. For her all this is completely out of nowhere, just yesterday she was a normal schoolgirl. I could already kinda tell earlier that she was trying to not completely focus on the reality she now finds herself in. She also didn't really have the opportunity to reflect before with everything happening so fast. But there is no more looking away from it at this point and all that pent-up emotion pours out of her now when she is directly faced with the personal revelation that is....
"I-I-I'm..."
She draws back and looks me in the eyes again.
*sniff
She tries to compose herself but her face is full of tears and she is trembling in her voice.
"M-my original b-body is still a-alive..."
She is barely able to bring the words across her lips as she breaks down into tears again and goes back into my embrace.
I knew that this was coming but it's still rough for me seeing this person that saved my life just a few hours ago completely in shambles.
She continues her sobbing outcries while leaning over my shoulder.
"K-Kurono I-I-I don't know what to do now! What am I even supposed to do?! W-Where am I supposed to go?! This House has been my home my entire life and now I can't return to it!"
Instead of trying to say anything to her I just hold her in my Arms trying to console her.
"I-I won't be able to see or talk to my family ever again! My entire life is now just... gone"
She becomes quiet after those last few words and just continues to cry over my shoulder.
Goddamn... I also need some time to think after that...
I wait for a while... quite a while actually. After about 5 minutes I pull out of her embrace again and look her straight in the eyes with as much conviction as I can muster at this very moment.
"Kishimoto you can live with me."
She looks back at me with a shocked expression that at least slightly pulls her out of her current mood.
"Look I can't even begin to understand how you feel right now... and if I'm completely honest I don't know what to exactly tell you right now either..."
I hope she doesn't misunderstand this...
"This is the only way that I can think of at the moment to at least help you with one of your problems..."
I don't seem to get an immediate reaction as her face remains stale.
"I know that's a shitty answer but I can't think of anything else right now...."
I can see that the tears are already starting to develop in her eyes again...
"I-I-I'm sorry I-I-I really don't know what else to do.... What am I even saying? We know each other for just about 5 hours... I'm sorry that I made this creepy suggestion... How about you just hit me in the face may-"
*thump
She hugged me again and I can feel her tears flowing down my Shoulder and some into my Hair.
"K-Kurono th-thank you so much!"
I wait for a small amount of time and put her out of my embrace again.
"So... is that a yes?"
"Y-Yes it is"
*sniff
She tries to compose herself again
"I know we know each other for only a very short time but we fought for our lives together... after everything that happened how couldn't I trust you about this?"
"Well that's true..."
Kishimoto's crying seems to have died down
"Kurono don't sell yourself short all the time. Since we met you have been nothing but kind to me and lead me to believe you are an honest and nice person..."
Well, that's nice to hear but there are some things I have no other option than to never be able to tell you. Sorry Kishimoto...
"I also really don't have anywhere else to go so... again thank you Kurono" Kishimoto says with a smile
I can't help but get a little red-faced after that and scrubbing the back of my head.
"Soooo... do we just go to my Home now?"
Kishimoto nods and I start walking into the Direction of Kurono's home (which seems to also have plopped into my head after the Kato incident) with her following me.
But we just make a couple of steps to the next street crossing as Kishimoto starts to speak up again...
"Um... Kurono?" she questions as she pulls on my Arm
"Yes?"
"Well, I think I have to go back again..."
"Oh... you wanna get your stuff? But wouldn't that be kinda suspicious? I don't have super much Money myself but I would buy you all the things you need"
Kishimoto begins to blush and whispers something to herself that I can't understand, before responding back to me
"Well that is very kind but it's not about my 'personal possessions'" she says with a laugh "I already accepted the reality of never seeing them again..." Kishimoto contemplates
Wow good job of reminding her… I'm such a dumbass
"It's about the Suit..." Kishimoto begins
Oh right, she is now wearing some kind of blouse jacket attire with a short skirt. So that means that she...
"I left it back there after changing int-"
As Kishimoto speaks an expensive-looking car is driving past us on the street
"Oh no... shit!" Kishimoto says
"what is it?"
"That...That was my Mom's car"
Well shit indeed… but we ain't got time to waist
"Ok I'll get it for you just wait here"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I am don't worry"
"Okay then try to go through the open Window on the right side of the house I think I left it open after changing"
"Alright"
So with that, I run back towards the house. As I get within close proximity of it I see the Kishimoto family car in front and try to hide from their view.
The "original" Kishimoto has her head down while she gets pulled out of the car by her mother. Kishimoto's Mom seems to be a slightly overweight middle-aged woman with about the same height as her and a slightly darker hair color which is put into locks. The Mother speaks with the Person that is driving but I can't make out what is said. However, after they are finished talking the car takes off again and both Kishimoto and her Mother make it towards the entrance with the Mother dragging her by her Arm as they make their way inside.
After no one seems to be around anymore I make my way towards the property and towards the stonewall at the right side of it which I easily grapple over, harnessing the abilities of the Gantz suit.
I see both a trash can and a bike that is leaning on the house wall in front of me. I look up and can see the open window Kishimoto talked about just a few seconds ago. Her room seems to be on the second floor.
Here goes nothing...
I try to use enough but not too much power of the Gantz Suit to make it up there…
*swoosh
Ah goddammit
I make it high enough but a little too far and am not able to reach the Window Opening and can only grab onto the roof which I land on a little roughly due to my speed.
*Dong
*Clirr
"Ah shit"
Some of the roof tiles that I just landed on fall and make a sound as they drop to the ground and break
Whatever...
I put both my hands on the side of the roof and cautiously climb into Kishimoto's room through the open window.
As I get inside it seems like I am lucky and no one walked in here until now besides "My" Kishimoto... (Ok that sounded a little weird)
I kind of expected that cause who wouldn't have a long talk with their family after attempting suicide. Even if the person who did it probably doesn't like to talk about it...
But this gives me a lot of wiggle room as I can easily gently drop onto Kishimoto's bed to enter silently. Although I also can't help but catch onto the pretty loud conversation that is taking place outside the room probably on the first floor...
It is easily audible even though I can't quite make out what is said... But I have no time to focus on that! Finding Suit is priority Nr.1!
As I take in the Room one thing is very apparent it is very very... normal. Especially not overly girlish or any other stereotype…
Kishimoto's Room consists of one small bed which I am currently on top of, one make-up table, and one desk with some school utensils. Some of Kishimoto's tears that she dropped just a few minutes ago are still barely visible on top of it...
The rest of the furniture is just made up of drawers, wardrobes, and Bookshelves with what looks like education and school books mostly occupying them.
Due to all of that and also the small size of the room, it reminds me a lot of where I used to live in my past life (baring the make-up table of course).
The other grand separator that exists is the plants standing on the windowsill next to... the Gantz Suit!
Thank god she didn't drop it outside of this Room...
I quickly walk over to it and pick it up only for me to hear a loud scream:
"AS IF YOU'D NOW CARE!!!"
Ok I am pretty sure that was the original Kishimoto and I need to get out of here ASAP!
I run towards the Window and quickly jump over the bed as I can already hear footsteps going up some stairs behind me.
I pretty much fly out of the room and land inside some trees that are planted between this and the neighbor's house.
"Urgh"
It doesn't hurt thanks to the suit but it's still weird feeling all these Branches tickling me
I wait entangled for a short amount of time until I hear a massive:
*Wham!
That was probably "Og" Kishimoto closing her Window
I make it toward the Wall next to the street and slowly climb over it to not make too much of a scene
I slowly walk past the Kishimoto Housing one more time and towards the spot where I left Kishimoto to meet her again
"You did it!"
Kishimoto hugs me again for a few seconds before looking me in the eyes, as I hold the Gantz Suit in my Hand.
"I'm sorry but... did you jump out of my Window?" Kishimoto questions with a funny face
"Yeah just... can we finally leave? I think I've had enough stress today to last a lifetime..."
"Of course! I very much get where you're coming from." Kishimoto answers with a small smile
And so we walk towards Kurono's/My Home.
As we move I take in our surroundings…
All around us are these large family housings in which the people living inside are probably already asleep due to the fact it should be close to 0 o'clock right now. Most of them don't radiate any Light at this hour and the main illumination source comes from the street lights shining down on us. The City night road is pretty eerie as although we are in such a highly populated area like Tokyo no one is out on the streets. Has this maybe to do with some kind of fiction logic...? Like there is no one in the places the original source doesn't expand on...? And here I am again trying to make sense of some kind of Isekai'esk scenario that I find myself now in...
It takes about 30 Minutes for us to arrive at the residential complex that houses "my new domicile".
As we go to the left side of it and make it up the stairs that lead towards the entrances of the first-floor apartments, Kishimoto asks me something:
"Um sorry but could I know why you live alone? Are your parents also... Wait never mind!" Kishimoto fastly apologizes as she shakes her whole body.
Ok, I should let her know my situation isn't close to as serious as Kato's...
"Kishimoto listen. Everything's fine don't apologize. My parents are still alive but... let's just say they enjoy not having to see me so much that they are willing to finance me living on my own"
Kishimoto is snapped out of her embarrassment but is still a little bit shocked
"That doesn't sound like a healthy family dynamic..." she says
"Well... I'll tell you the details some other time..." I answer
I don't know what to say again...
"But I guess that's something we both have in common huh?"
Kishimoto hangs her head down and seems sad, similarly to before.
Why the fuck did I say that? How dumb can I be? Sometimes I should just shut up...
We both make it towards the entrance of our new home and I take the key (which I also somehow know?) that is placed under the welcome mat outside and open the apartment up.
"Welcome to my humble abode!" I try to lighten the mood after my misstep...
The first thing we see is a small kitchen with just the most essential furniture imaginable. A closet on the wall, an oven with some pots on it, and a big sink. The most "revolutionary" piece of equipment inside it was probably the Microwave placed on top of a medium-sized fridge in the corner.
At the end of the room, we see a glas door that leads to the bathroom and an open slide door that leads to the living room which we make our way towards.
Kei's living room is at least a little interesting with a One-Person bed, a small table, a TV, some cupboards with what look like Gundam-Anime figurines placed atop of them, a desk, two stereo systems, and for whatever reason about 4 pictures of some girls my age that... I guess are Japanese musical Artists?
"Wow, you like Idols huh...?" Kishimoto questions accusatorily
"Well..." gotta come up with an excuse! "... I really like to read the Young Jump and these Posters are always inside so... I thought why not use them for decoratory purposes."
"Actually... you have a point. They do have an aesthetically pleasing touch to them..." Kishimoto says while looking at one of them for a while.
I am not just able to defeat danger that comes in the form of bloodthirsty aliens but I am also able to save my neck from the accusations that girls my age have towards my Lifestyle!
I wish these qualities would've also shown up more in my past life...
"Alright..." Kishimoto draws herself away from the poster and looks at me again "...Kurono? Can we now finally go to bed?"
"Yes of course!" I push the table in the middle of the room to the side "I think I should have one extra Futon back here" I say as I push open a slide-door that leads to some kind of small storage room
"Oh... Okay..." I just hear Kishimoto say
In the Manga and Anime Kurono said that he didn't have a futon for Kishimoto at the start. But after the second mission, he had one out of nowhere so I hope that he was just lying for... nefarious purposes...
And I am correct!
I draw the Futon from the storage and place it beside the bed.
"So this will be my spot to sleep tonight, as I will humbly donate the fluffy goodness of my pristine 5000 yen solo bed to you!" I say with the last energy I have as I make an exaggerated bowing-down pose.
"Are you sure? I mean I'm the guest..." Kishimoto answers while looking at the floor.
"First up it's my decision as the host of my domain to decide who sleeps where and second up I don't think this ruffed-up futon is acceptable for a female specimen of your caliber" I say while continuing the pose.
Kishimoto blushes
"You got way too much energy after everything that happened today" she says while shaking her head "... but I'll accept your offer. Thank you very much"
Okay I think it's finally time to finish this crazy ass day
"Alright I'll finally change out of this Suit in the Bathroom you can already lie down if you want" I say as I make my way toward the Bathroom
As I pull the Suit with its pieces of me I reflect again on everything that happened in the last 12 Hours...
I got killed by a Train, Reincarnation exists and I get brought into Gantz. But it's not entirely like the original with changes that just seem to make this life harder for me...
At first, I was really excited about all of the prospects that opened themselves up through this but now I had to curb my enthusiasm with it all getting serious so quickly.
It is way more exciting than my past life and I think I prefer it over all but it wouldn't be bad if it was a bit easier...
And last but not least the one undoubtedly good thing that came out of this: I got a Hot Girl who is willing to live together with me and also seems to be kinda into me.
But who knows maybe this is all just some kind of lucid dream and I'm gonna wake up in my shitty ass room tomorrow getting faced with the depressing reality again...
I put on a loose shirt and short shorts that I took from one of the wardrobes outside and make my way towards the futon to finally catch some sleep while throwing both the Gantz suits that are now in my possession over one of the chairs.
Kishimoto seems to be or at least is trying to sleep as her face is towards the wall.
I snugle into the Futon but as I look towards the ceiling I don't feel like closing my eyes as i realise something...
I don't want this to be over!
This is no dream. I felt real pain. I had real feelings. I killed real Monsters today.
All this is just the beginning! I don't care if this shitty fucked up version of OG Gantz is gonna try to end me again and again. I'm gonna get through it.
However, as I stretch my hand towards the ceiling and slowly close it I hear something to my right...
*sniff
"Kishimoto?" I ask
"Y-Yeah?" I hear her respond
I slowly get out of the futon and sit on my knees while drawing myself towards her.
"Are you okay?"
She still looks at the wall
"I-I just don't know"
I can hear a whimper in her voice...
Okay here goes nothing...
I slowly reach over and tip her shoulder. At first, she doesn't respond but after a while, she turns around and I can see her face is full of tears again, while she is still lying there with the blanket over the rest of her body.
I take the shot and climb into the bed, getting under the blanket and looking her in the eyes.
"Wow..." goddamn she is beautiful...
"W-What?" she says a little distraught
"I just want to say that I'm here for you. Whatever you need I'll help you. If you wanna talk about it it's fine, if you don't want to that's also fine. Whatever you want I'll apply." I say with conviction
Kishimoto just moves over towards me goes near my face and...
hugs me again.
I slowly also move my arms around her, as she did with me just now.
She tries to speak again and I can feel her tears spilling on my shirt like before.
"C-Can we just stay like this... f-for a while?"
"Nothing rather than that Kishimoto, Nothing rather than that..."
