Dragon Ball x Date a Live

The Saiyan and Tohka

"...Nn, okay. Go ahead."

Kotori extended her fork and pierced the raspberry on the plate in front of Reine. Slowly, she brought the fork to her mouth, savoring the sweet and sour sensation.

"Mmm, yum. Why don't you like this, Reine?"

"...Isn't it sour?"

Reine quickly finished her apple tea, which was generously sweetened with sugar. The two of them were currently sitting in a café on Tenguu Avenue.

Kotori wore her middle school uniform and a white ribbon, while Reine opted for a lightly colored cutsew and denim. Despite attending school as usual, her school had suffered damage from the spacequake the previous day and had to be closed.

Thinking it would be strange to go straight home, Kotori invited Reine to enjoy some snack time together.

"...Oh, this is the perfect opportunity. So, tell me!"

Reine opened her mouth, recalling something. "What?"

"...Sorry if this is a basic question, but Kotori, why did you choose him as the negotiator with the Spirits?"

"Mm..."

Reine's question made Kotori furrow her brow.

"You won't tell anyone?"

"...I promise."

In a soft voice, Reine nodded. Kotori knew that Murasame Reine always kept her word.

"Actually, my brother and I aren't blood-related. It's like something out of a dating sim."

"...Hrm?"

Reine tilted her head slightly, showing neither amusement nor surprise. She quickly processed Kotori's words, making a gesture that seemed to ask, 'What does that have to do with my question?'

"That's why I love you, Reine~"

Reine looked puzzled.

"Never mind... Let me continue. I can't recall how old I was at the time, but I remember when my brother was abandoned by his biological mother and ended up living in the mountains. Suddenly, he came to our house, and our family took him in or something like that. It was so long ago that I don't remember the details, but he was quite troublesome when we first took him in. Not only was he a handful to take care of, always emptying our entire fridge in one go, but beneath all that happiness, he seemed a little down."

For some reason, Reine appeared surprised. "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing, please continue."

"Nn. Well, there was nothing we could do about it. Most of the time, he had a big smile on his face, but there was a time when he even contemplated suicide. However, his condition eventually stabilized, and his extreme eating habits diminished too."

Taking a deep breath, Kotori continued.

"Since then, my brother has been driven by something even I don't know. It's as if he transformed into a completely different person. If he saw someone with a sad expression, even a stranger, he would rush to help them without a second thought."

That's why her eyes conveyed, as she cast them downward.

"So I thought, 'If it's him-the only person I can think of who can bring joy to the Spirits, it's my brother.'"

Kotori said this, and Reine responded with a quiet "I see," lowering her gaze.

"...But what I want to know is not that emotional reason."

At Reine's words, Kotori's brows furrowed in surprise. "What do you mean, then?"

"It's troublesome when you pretend to be ignorant. I won't believe you don't understand. -What exactly is he?"