Super Sentai & Kamen Rider Crossover Short Stories/One-shot Collection

Next To You (KR Drive: Chase/Ninninger: Kasumi)

I know I can't turn back a promise that I've already broken, but I want to live and breathe next to you for all my life... ― Promise, EXO

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If one would ask Chase, he only wanted to do one thing amidst the chaos ― or the lack thereof ― as he stood there and watch things unfold in front of him at the moment. He was smiling ― no matter how small ― as he saw Shinnosuke and Kiriko get out of the church, walking hand in hand and looking blissful to be with each other. They were all surrounded by their friends and loved ones ― old and new ones ― and greeted for the new start of their lives.

He would've been there with the others to do the same. Only except he couldn't. He could only watch, because doing this had made him realize something upon hearing the news of the marriage. The news had made him think of an event that would've changed his life if only he decided to pursue it before.

Great... Another of those "if only" moments that he could only think of. Then again, that particular "if only" would only remain as such if he let it be. Nothing would happen if he doesn't find a way to move forward.

Chase took something fromhis pocket and looked at it with such longing in his eyes. One that Gou even noticed when the two of them passed by an accessory store. It was a pink scrunchie that he had been holding on to all this time since he decided to move away, eventually leaving the girl who owned that scrunchie in his possession.

"Maybe it's time to go back," he said to himself before looking at the happily married couple from afar once again.

He wished them the best and started to ride away from the venue.

xxxxxx

A sigh and a longing look at the blue sky... It was the only thing Kasumi could do while taking a break from her research. She had been doing a lot of that lately, for some reason. Or maybe not just lately. It actually started when her cousin Fuuka got married, come to think of it.

And she would only be fooling herself if she'd keep telling that she doesn't know the reason. She was the oldest between the two of them, and yet how come...?

How come Fuuka got to achieve something that she was supposed to have at first? Of course, there was no use feeling bitter about that fact. It already happened. It would be childish of Kasumi if she became bitter about something that had obviously made Fuuka really happy, after all that her cousin went through to reach it.

But a memory that she ended up recalling because of that happy event in their family's lives could only put an ache on her still longing heart. Yes, she still longed for something to happen. At this point, she could still be asking for a miracle.

Is that even possible?

Once again, she sighed. This time, with a tinge of near hopelessness. Two years had already passed. "What else is left for me to expect?"

Funny question. But it was all there was to ask. No answer in sight, until she could see him again.

When she knew her thinking would head nowhere ― again, she decided to leave the chain-wire fence that she was leaning at and head back to her laboratory. But she had only taken a few steps when the door suddenly opened and revealed a heavily panting handsome man. Without a doubt, the sight of that froze her. Not only because it was all too sudden, but also because of one other thing.

Kasumi knew who that man was.

"Chase..." she could only utter in surprise.

Even when still panting, Chase stood up properly and faced her ― several emotions were visible in his eyes. And it only made her choke.

"They told me you're here... So I came..."

She couldn't find a proper reply to that, though. Before she could even stop herself, she chuckled and subconsciously wiped the tears that she didn't realize had fallen.

"They just told you that, huh?"

Okay. This was a really funny set-up between them for people who who had no idea about each other's actions for two years. But even with that, Kasumi could tell that there was still a gap and she had no idea on how to fill that up.

"I'm sorry."

Chase's words brought her out of her reverie, and it made her face the man who had taken a few more steps to approach her.

"I'm sorry I just left you like that."

This was something she had wished to hear from him for so long. But was it all he really wanted to say?

"It still hurts, just to let you know," she ended up uttering before she could even stop herself. But she just held it in her. Blurting it out could possibly provide a way to fill the gap that she'd been feeling.

No words came from Chase after that. But she waited. She knew him as a man of few words. And she had learned to be patient when it comes to him.

"Then let me do my best to fade it away. This time..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "This time, I'm not letting you go."

Okay. Now that was definitely the first time she heard something like that from him. But this was also the words that she had longed to hear from him. The words of assurance that their fate to be together through it all had never been broken all this time.

Despite the tears continuously falling on her beautiful face, Kasumi managed to smile. And before she could even stop herself, she took the steps forward and ran towards Chase who opened his arms to welcome her. The next thing she knew, she was embracing him so tight ― as if afraid that he would disappear again.

"I'm not going to let you go again. You can count on me on that," he said softly as he returned her embrace in the same degree.

Nothing was certain on what was about to happen right after that. One thing they were both sure of ― they won't let go of each other abd be separated ever again. They had this second chance to make it happen.

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Okay. I can't believe I got to write something featuring the one of the most popular SS x KR crossover pairings (I think). But even with that, I'm proud of what I did. Thank you for reading!