I did something incredibly stupid on Thursday afternoon.
I asked Koneko out on a date.
It wasn't planned. Wasn't some calculated move or strategic decision. We were on the roof during lunch—our usual spot, our usual comfortable silence—and I was exhausted from three nights of fruitless patrols trying to anticipate the Reverse Flash's next move. My mind was spinning with contingencies and worst-case scenarios, and Koneko was just… there. Steady. Real. The one normal thing in my increasingly chaotic life.
"Do you want to go out this Saturday?" The words left my mouth before my brain caught up. "Like… on a date. With me."
Koneko looked up from her book, golden eyes wide with surprise. A piece of candy stopped halfway to her mouth.
The silence stretched for approximately three years.
"I mean, if you don't want to, that's totally fine," I backpedaled quickly. "I just thought, you know, we spend a lot of time together anyway, and it might be nice to do something outside of school, but no pressure, seriously—"
"Okay."
I blinked. "Okay?"
"Okay, I'll go on a date with you." A small smile tugged at her lips. "You're nervous. It's cute."
"I'm not nervous," I lied, while internally screaming WHAT DID I JUST DO.
"You asked me out and immediately tried to take it back. That's nervous." She set down her book with deliberate care. "Saturday afternoon? Around two?"
"Yeah. Two works. Great. Perfect." I was definitely not panicking. "I'll, uh, plan something. Something fun. Definitely fun."
"Kaito-kun."
"Yeah?"
"Stop panicking. It's just a date." Her smile widened slightly—by Koneko standards, that was practically beaming. "I'm looking forward to it."
Just a date, I thought as she went back to her book. With a Nekomata who's part of a devil's peerage, while I'm secretly a speedster vigilante being hunted by supernatural factions and an evil version of myself. Totally normal date situation.
What could possibly go wrong?
Issei's Distance
That evening at dinner, Issei was different in ways that confirmed what I'd suspected.
He'd joined the Occult Research Club recently—maybe two or three days ago, based on the timing of when I'd noticed the changes. But something more fundamental had shifted. The way he held himself, more confident despite the exhaustion. The way his eyes occasionally unfocused, like he was seeing or sensing things beyond normal perception.
And there were the scales. Brief flashes of red on his left arm when he reached for dishes, gone so quickly Mom and Dad didn't notice.
He'd awakened his Sacred Gear. The Boosted Gear. Which meant everything canon predicted was in motion—Raynare's betrayal, the death, the resurrection. All of it had happened while I'd been distracted with my own situation.
Part of me wanted to ask him about it. To acknowledge what had happened, offer support, maybe warn him about future threats I knew were coming.
But I couldn't. And more importantly, Issei couldn't tell me even if I asked.
"How's the club going?" Dad asked, oblivious to the weight behind the question.
"Good! Really good." Issei's enthusiasm was genuine but carefully managed. "President Rias has us doing a lot of… community outreach. Helping people with various problems. It's more involved than I expected."
"That's wonderful," Mom said warmly. "It's good to see you so dedicated to something."
"Yeah, the other members are great too. Really talented people." He was choosing his words carefully, I noticed. Not lying, exactly, but dancing around truths he couldn't share. "It's been eye-opening. Makes you realize there's a lot more going on in the world than you think."
I caught his eye for a moment, and something passed between us—a mutual recognition of secrets kept, of double lives lived, of conversations we couldn't have at this table.
Then he looked away, focusing on his food with perhaps more attention than it warranted.
The distance between us felt wider than ever. We were both living secret lives now, both involved in things we couldn't discuss. But where his secrets came with a support network—Rias, the peerage, people who understood what he was going through—mine were carried alone.
Well. Mostly alone.
"Kaito's been busy too," Mom said, turning her attention to me. "Always studying, always working on projects. You're not pushing yourself too hard, are you?"
"I'm fine, Mom. Just… focused." On stopping an evil speedster, monitoring supernatural networks, and apparently now going on a date with a supernatural being. "Got a lot on my mind."
"Both my boys, so serious and dedicated." Mom's eyes misted up slightly. "I worry sometimes that you're growing up too fast."
If only you knew, I thought. If she had any idea what we were really dealing with—me running around as a vigilante, Issei fighting as a devil—she'd probably never let us leave the house again.
Issei and I exchanged another glance. For just a moment, there was understanding there. We were both protecting our parents from truths they couldn't handle, both carrying burdens that isolated us from the family we loved.
Then the moment passed, and we went back to our careful performances of normalcy.
Saturday Preparation
I spent Friday night and Saturday morning in a state of controlled panic.
A date. With Koneko. What was I thinking?
I'd never been on a date in either life. My previous existence had been a lonely string of work, anime, and social isolation. This life had been focused on training and preparation for threats I knew were coming. Romance hadn't exactly been a priority.
But now I'd committed, and I needed a plan.
I researched obsessively—cafes in the area, the local bookstore Koneko might like, a park with a good reputation. I planned a route, considered timing, thought about conversation topics that wouldn't accidentally reveal I knew things I shouldn't.
"You're overthinking this," I muttered to myself at 1 PM, standing in front of my closet trying to decide on clothes.
Not the Flash suit, obviously. But not too formal—this wasn't a fancy restaurant. Casual but nice. Approachable but showing I'd made an effort.
I settled on dark jeans and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to my elbows. The mirror showed someone who looked approximately like they knew what they were doing on a date.
The mirror was a liar.
I was supposed to meet Koneko at the station at 2 PM. I left at 1:45, walking instead of using speed because I needed the time to calm down.
As I passed Issei's room, I heard voices—him talking on the phone, his tone serious in a way that was new. "Yeah, I understand, Buchou. I'll be ready if anything comes up. No, I won't take unnecessary risks."
A pause.
"I know it's dangerous. I'm being careful. I promise."
I kept walking, pretending I hadn't heard. Whatever Issei was involved in—the specifics of his new devil life—wasn't my business unless he chose to share it. And given the supernatural world's secrecy requirements, he probably couldn't even if he wanted to.
The isolation of our parallel secret lives was almost painful.
The Date Begins
Koneko was waiting at the station when I arrived at 1:58 PM.
She'd changed from her usual school uniform into a white sundress with a light cardigan. Her white hair was styled slightly differently—still short, but with a small clip that caught the afternoon light. She looked… really pretty.
"Hi," I said intelligently.
"Hi." She smiled—that rare, genuine smile that made her whole face light up. "You look nice."
"So do you. Really nice. That dress is—you look great." I was definitely not blushing. "Should we go?"
I'd planned our first stop at a small cafe known for its desserts. Given Koneko's apparent addiction to sweets, it seemed like a safe choice.
We walked side by side, close enough that our hands occasionally brushed. The comfortable silence we'd mastered over weeks of lunches on the roof translated easily to this new context.
"Thank you for asking me out," Koneko said as we entered the cafe. "I was starting to think you never would."
"You were… waiting for me to ask?"
"Mmm." She studied the dessert menu with intense focus. "You're interesting, Kaito-kun. Smart, kind, dedicated. And you have secrets that make you even more interesting."
My heart skipped. "Secrets?"
"Everyone has secrets." She pointed at a particularly elaborate parfait. "I want that one. And yes, before you ask, I can eat the whole thing."
The cafe was cozy, with soft lighting and quiet music that allowed for easy conversation. We ordered—an absurd amount of sweets for Koneko, coffee for me—and settled into a corner booth.
"So," Koneko said, taking a delicate bite of her parfait. "What made you finally ask me out?"
Good question. What had made me ask her out?
"Honestly? I'm not sure," I admitted. "I just… you're the best part of my day, most days. Lunch on the roof, studying in the library, even just seeing you in class. And I thought, maybe we could do more of that. Outside of school."
She paused mid-bite, a slight blush coloring her pale cheeks. "That's… really sweet."
"I mean it. Things have been complicated lately, and you're like this anchor point. Something real and good in the middle of everything else."
"Complicated how?" She set down her spoon, giving me her full attention. "Is it related to what we've talked about before? Hypothetically?"
We were dancing around it again—the unspoken acknowledgment of my secret identity, the Flash situation, all of it.
"Maybe," I said carefully. "But today, I don't want to think about complications. I just want to be here with you."
Koneko studied me for a long moment, then smiled. "Okay. No complications today. Just us."
The Bookstore
Our second stop was a bookstore—three stories of used books, manga, and quiet reading nooks. Heaven for anyone who loved reading, which both of us did.
"My favorite place in the city," Koneko confessed as we browsed the fiction section. "I come here whenever I need to think."
"What do you think about?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Lots of things. Family. The past. Who I want to be versus who I'm afraid I might become." She pulled a book from the shelf, examined it thoughtfully. "Do you ever feel like you're two different people? One version for the world, and one version that's… more real but also more dangerous?"
The question hit closer to home than she probably intended.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "All the time."
"It's hard," she continued, still focused on the book. "Keeping parts of yourself hidden. Worrying that if people saw everything, they'd be scared or disgusted or hurt."
I wanted to tell her that I understood more than she knew. That I carried my own fears about revelation, about people seeing what I really was. But the words stuck in my throat.
Instead, I said, "For what it's worth, I don't think the real you could be scary or disgusting. Different, maybe. But not bad."
She looked at me then, golden eyes searching my face for something. "Even if the real me was… not quite human?"
My breath caught. This was as close as she'd come to revealing her true nature. To trusting me with part of the truth.
"Even then," I said firmly. "Being different doesn't make someone bad. Actions do that, not nature."
Koneko was quiet for a moment, then stepped closer and took my hand. Her grip was gentle despite the supernatural strength I knew she possessed.
"Thank you," she said softly. "For seeing me. Not just the quiet girl who sits in front of you in class, but… more than that."
"Always," I promised, squeezing her hand back.
We browsed in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally pointing out interesting books to each other. Koneko favored fantasy novels with strong female protagonists. I gravitated toward science fiction and theoretical physics, though I picked up a few manga volumes she recommended.
"Your taste in books says a lot about you," she observed as we left the store, each carrying a small bag of purchases.
"What does mine say?"
"That you're always trying to understand how things work. Rules, systems, the underlying mechanics of reality." She smiled slightly. "Very you."
"And yours says you like stories about people overcoming their nature to become something better."
She stopped walking, looking at me with surprise. "That's… very perceptive."
"I pay attention."
"I've noticed." She resumed walking, still holding my hand. "It's one of the things I like about you."
The Park
Our final stop was a park overlooking the city—quiet, scenic, with benches positioned to catch the afternoon sun.
We found a spot and sat, watching the city below. From this vantage point, Kuoh looked peaceful. No visible crime, no supernatural threats, just a normal city on a pleasant Saturday afternoon.
"Can I ask you something?" Koneko said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
"Sure."
"Are you happy? With your life, I mean. With how things are?"
Complicated question. Was I happy? I had power, purpose, a chance to make a difference. But I also carried crushing secrets, lived in constant fear of exposure, and knew terrible things were coming that I might not be able to prevent.
"Sometimes," I said honestly. "When I'm doing something that matters, helping someone, making a difference—yeah, I'm happy then. And times like this, with you, I'm happy."
"But?"
"But there's always this weight. This knowledge that things could go wrong, that I might not be enough, that the people I care about could get hurt because of me or despite me."
Koneko leaned against my shoulder—a small gesture, but intimate. "You carry too much alone."
"I'm working on that."
"Are you?" She looked up at me. "Because from where I'm sitting, you still seem very alone. Even when you're with people."
She wasn't wrong.
"Maybe I'm just used to it," I said quietly.
"Maybe. Or maybe you're scared to let people in because you think they can't handle the real you." She sat up, turning to face me directly. "But I can handle it, Kaito-kun. Whatever you're dealing with, whatever secrets you're carrying—I can handle it."
This was it. Another opening, another chance to tell her the truth. To share the burden, accept her offer of alliance and support.
I opened my mouth to respond—
And felt it.
That disturbance in the Speed Force. Familiar and wrong, like nails on a chalkboard translated into energy.
The Reverse Flash was here.
Close. Very close.
"Kaito?" Koneko's expression shifted to concern. "What's wrong?"
"I—" How could I explain without explaining everything? "Something's wrong. I need to—"
"You feel it too." Not a question. Her golden eyes had sharpened, taken on that predator awareness that marked her true nature. "The wrongness in the air. Like something dangerous is nearby."
She could sense it. Not the Speed Force specifically, but the disturbance it caused in the ambient energy. Her supernatural senses picking up what humans couldn't.
"Koneko—"
"Go." She stood, her entire demeanor changed from date to warrior in an instant. "Do what you need to do. I'll make sure civilians stay clear of the area."
She knew. Maybe not everything, but enough. Enough to understand I needed to act, to trust that I had a reason.
"Thank you," I said. "Stay safe. Please."
"You too." She squeezed my hand once more. "And Kaito? We're finishing this date later. You're not getting out of it that easily."
Despite everything, I smiled. Then I ran.
Not at super-speed—not yet, not in front of witnesses—but fast enough. I needed to find somewhere private, somewhere I could change into the suit I'd hidden in my bag (always prepared, always paranoid) and confront whatever the Reverse Flash was planning.
The Confrontation
I found them in an alley four blocks from the park, standing over two figures I recognized from the supernatural networks I'd been monitoring.
Low-level devils. Probably part of Rias's territory management, doing contract work or patrols. Young, inexperienced, and currently terrified as the Reverse Flash loomed over them with crackling red lightning.
"You're not killing them," I said, dropping into the alley at speed, my suit now on, golden lightning dancing around me.
The Reverse Flash turned, and I could practically hear the smile in their distorted voice. "Flash. Decided to interrupt your date to play hero again?"
My blood ran cold. They'd been watching me. Watching Koneko and me, waiting for an opportunity.
"Let them go," I said, ignoring the comment. "They're not worth your time."
"Aren't they?" The Reverse Flash gestured at the two devils. "These two were collecting 'payments' from humans. Debts from devil contracts. You know what happens when humans can't pay devil debts, Flash?"
I did. From canon knowledge and supernatural network monitoring. Depending on the contract terms, failure to pay could result in anything from extended servitude to soul ownership to death.
"That's between them and their contractors," I said. "It's not your place to interfere."
"It's exactly my place! These humans had no idea what they were agreeing to. The contracts are deliberately confusing, designed to trap people." The red lightning intensified. "The devil system is corrupt from top to bottom, and someone needs to break it."
"By killing low-level collectors? That's not justice, that's murder!"
"It's a message." The Reverse Flash's posture shifted, became more aggressive. "Every devil in this territory needs to understand that their actions have consequences. That they're not untouchable just because they have power."
"And what about these two?" I gestured at the terrified devils. "They're just doing their jobs. Following orders. You think killing them will change anything?"
"It's a start."
This was spiraling. I could feel it—the Reverse Flash was past the point of reasoning. They'd made up their mind, and these devils were going to die unless I stopped it.
Which meant fighting. Really fighting, not just sparring like last time.
"I won't let you do this," I said, lightning crackling more intensely around me.
"Then stop me." The Reverse Flash launched forward in a blur of red.
We collided at super-speed, fists and lightning clashing in the narrow alley. The two devils scrambled out of the way, smart enough to flee while we were distracted.
Good. At least they'd survive this.
The Reverse Flash was faster than last time—they'd been training, pushing their Speed Force connection harder. We were more evenly matched now, trading blows at velocities that made the world blur around us.
"You're holding back again!" they snarled, landing a hit to my ribs that sent me crashing through a dumpster. "Fight me seriously or get out of my way!"
"I don't want to hurt you!"
"Why not? I'm a murderer, remember? A killer who needs to be stopped!" They were on me again, relentless. "Or is it because you know I'm right? Deep down, you know this world's justice system is broken and I'm the only one willing to fix it!"
I dodged, countered, tried to create distance. "There are better ways—"
"SHOW ME!" The scream was anguished, broken. "Show me one better way! One system that actually protects the innocent from the powerful! Because I've looked, Flash. I've searched this whole damn world, and all I see is corruption and abuse and people suffering while the strong do whatever they want!"
The raw pain in that voice made me hesitate for a fraction of a second.
It was enough.
The Reverse Flash's fist connected with my jaw, sending me spinning. Before I could recover, they were gone—vanished in a blur of red lightning, leaving me alone in the destroyed alley.
I stood there, breathing hard, tasting blood from a split lip.
They were getting stronger. More skilled. And more importantly—they were getting more desperate. That scream, that pain—the Reverse Flash wasn't just evil. They were broken, traumatized, lashing out at a world they saw as fundamentally unjust.
Which somehow made them more dangerous.
Because broken people with power and conviction were the hardest to stop.
Aftermath
I made it back to the park twenty minutes later, back in civilian clothes, trying to look like I hadn't just been in a super-speed fight with an evil alternate version of myself.
Koneko was waiting on the same bench, and she'd somehow acquired two coffees.
"You're okay," she said as I sat down, relief evident in her voice.
"Mostly." I accepted the coffee gratefully. "Thank you. For understanding. For not asking questions."
"I have questions," she admitted. "Lots of them. But I can wait." She looked at me seriously. "Whatever you're involved in, it's dangerous. I could feel the energy from here—two sources, fighting. Both incredibly powerful."
"I know."
"And one of them was you."
Not a question. Statement of fact.
I could deny it. Laugh it off, maintain the lie. But after everything—after she'd trusted me, after she'd let me go without demanding explanations—I couldn't do that to her.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "One of them was me."
Koneko nodded slowly, like I'd confirmed something she'd already known. "The golden lightning. The Flash everyone talks about. That's you."
"Yes."
"And the other one? The red lightning?"
"Someone like me. Someone with the same powers but very different ideas about how to use them." I stared at my coffee. "They're going to hurt people, Koneko. Maybe kill more people. And I don't know how to stop them."
We sat in silence for a long moment.
Then Koneko took my hand again. "You're not alone anymore. You understand that, right? Whatever this is, whatever you're fighting—you don't have to do it by yourself."
"I don't want to put you in danger."
"Too late. I'm already involved." She squeezed my hand. "And for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing. Trying to protect people, trying to stop someone dangerous without becoming like them. That takes strength."
"It doesn't feel like strength. It feels like I'm barely keeping up."
"Then we'll figure it out together." She smiled slightly. "After we finish our date. You promised me ice cream."
Despite everything—the fight, the fear, the weight of secrets partially revealed—I laughed.
"Ice cream. Right. I can do that."
We stood, still holding hands, and walked toward the shopping district where I knew there was a good ice cream place.
The Reverse Flash was still out there. The supernatural factions were still hunting. My brother was a new devil facing threats I knew were coming but couldn't warn him about. And I'd just partially revealed my identity to a girl I really, really liked.
Everything was complicated and dangerous and possibly about to explode.
But for right now, in this moment, I was walking through the city with Koneko Toujou, heading for ice cream, and that was enough.
The future would come soon enough, with all its threats and challenges. But this moment—this small, perfect moment of normalcy in the chaos—I could hold onto.
Even if just for a little while longer.