Rest of the week goes by rather quick, and soon enough, we are at Saturday, and I will be at Tsukushi's home to try out her curry.

Still, it's a bit nerve-racking that I am going to be at someone else's house, even more so because it's one of the girls I like.

Right now though, I am waiting for Tsukushi to arrive, but as I am waiting, a brown haired girl passes by me, before she stops and does a double take.

"...Wait a minute, are you Stephan?"

"Huh? How do you know my name?"

"So this is you, eh? Mizuki really talks endlessly about you, hehe."

"...Whoa, you're Ena!"

"Eh, how did you..?"

"Your brother almost hit me not too long ago."

"What?! Oooh, when I meet him again..!" Ena says as she clenches her fists together, but she soon calms down and bows to me.

"I am so sorry for Akito!"

"Eh, it's nothing, but glad at least to finally see the one he seemed to be protective of."

"He's so embarrassing at times..." Ena says while shaking her head, but she soon looks at me with a smile.

"But yeah, I am Ena Shinonome, nice to meet you."

"Though how come you came earlier by here? Don't you have night classes?"

"I do, but I needed to do some stuff before it starts, hence why I come by here a little earlier on the day."

"I see, well, I shall not hold you up more, I am waiting for a person myself to come by here, going to walk with her home and spend time with her and such."

"Oh, like a date?"

"Sort of, but it's more so her wanting me to try out her cooking, which I am sure will be amazing."

"That's actually a surprisingly sweet date, not that I know much about dating myself, but it isn't the typical watch a movie or go to some theme park, yadda yadda."

"I agree honestly, even if I have been on rather simple dates already-"

"Ah, so you really have been on several dates before, eh?"

"Not several, no! But some, yes."

Ena just nods, having a look like she doesn't believe me.

"Look, all I'll say is to maybe hang out with Mizuki someday? She talks endlessly about you, and it's only due to her detailed description of you that I were able to recognize you."

"Why would she... Nevermind, I will invite her out someday."

"Good, well, see you around!" Ena says as she waves goodbye to me as she enters the school building and I continue on my waiting for Tsukushi.

A few more minutes and she finally arrives, brimming with a big smile as she spots me outside the gates.

"I really hope I didn't have you wait too long! I had to do some stuff before going..."

"Not at all, you came at a perfect time. Let's head to you at once then, or is it something you would want to do beforehand?"

"Glad you asked, I think I need to buy some extra things for the curry, so if we could drop by a supermarket, that would be great!"

"Then that's what we will be doing, lead the way, Tsukushi!"

And so we head towards the closest supermarket and buy various stuff from there, both of us contributing to tonight's dinner.

"Oof, this is heavy..!" Tsukushi says as she struggles with the overfilled plastic bag.

"Wait, let's each take a handle so we can carry it together."

"Ooh, great idea!"

So I take the left side and Tsukushi the right side, and together, it makes it much easier to carry all the wares we got.

"I haven't really ever thought about this sort of way to carry a bag."

"Ah, I tended to that with my mother back in my home country, made it easier to carry stuff further distances and such."

"Mhm, teamwork makes the dream work, after all!"

"Exactly!"

We both let out a hearty laugh as we continue on towards the Futaba residence, and we arrive there towards dinner time luckily enough.

Tsukushi immediately begins with cooking, not even intending on changing out of her uniform.

But eh, can't complain, she looks really cute in that uniform...

"I'm very sorry Stephan about asking, but could you help me just a bit?"

Tsukushi calls for me from the kitchen, snapping me out of my small trance I were in thinking about her.

"Of course, I will gladly help."

I enter the kitchen and see Tsukushi standing there, now with an apron over her uniform.

"Here is another apron for you!"

Tsukushi grabs a nearby apron laying close to the sink, hangs it around my neck and even helps me knitting it around my waist.

"Thank you, well, then I am ready to go ahead with helping!"

---------

"Oh yeah, Tsukushi, while it is a nice gesture of you to cook dinner for your crush, you should also let him help you, just so you two can be a little closer~"

"A-ah, I never thought about that..!"

"Two people gets the closest if they can do equally as much after all in many scenarios!"

Tsukushi thinks back on her mother's words the other day as she glances over to Stephan as he is cutting up vegetables while she is preparing the rice.

She feels very light in her body, almost thinking a little bit too far about a future between her and him.

"I shouldn't think like that when we aren't even a couple, but..."

"Tsukushi? You daydreaming?"

------------

I look a Tsukushi as she seems to be lost in thought.

"Oh? Oh no, I'm sorry, I was just having something on my mind!"

I do wonder what she could've had on her mind smiling so widely while looking at me...

Or well, I guess... She does like me back, or she is just happy I am here, either of that really.

Ah well, no use thinking about it, now we are making curry!

As we are making it, Tsukushi's mom and sisters arrive, having been out until now.

The sisters runs in and sees I am helping their sister.

"Whoa, big sis's boyfriend is actually her husband!"

"E-EH?!"

"I am what now?"

"Hey now, you two, I told you not to call your big sister's friend her 'boyfriend'!"

"But she-"

Mrs Futaba is quick to pick up her two younger daughters as she rushes with them out to the living room, while they are just laughing about their mother's action.

"S-Sorry about that..."

"Hey, it's fine, they are just kids after all."

"Heh, yeah."

We are soon finished with the curry and we all can finally sit and eat.

And man is it good! The best curry I have eaten in fact!

"You weren't kidding about this being hella great, Tsukushi!"

"Hehe, told you!"

We all continue having conversations about various things, with me properly introducing myself to Mrs Futaba, who is delighted over having me here.

Before we know it, it's soon time to say our goodbyes for the day.

"Well, thanks for having me over, Tsukushi, I had a great time cooking together with you."

"And so did I! Well, I'll see you soon again at CiRCLE." She says as we both smile at each other... Until an explosion a bit further away is heard.

"Crap, guess it's hero time!"

I look back to Tsukushi, who looks back to me with a worried look.

"I'll see you, I am going to check what happened!" I tell her as I run in the direction of the explosion, hoping no one has gotten hurt..!

"B-But, you don't need to..!" Tsukushi says as I am running away, feeling a bit sad I had to abruptly go so soon.

I definitely feel shit having to do that when we were hitting it off so well, but I want to also save people after all, that's why I am became a Kamen Rider...

"Man, how will I be able to balance all of this in the long run?!"

I keep on running, mentally beating myself over not being able to properly say farewell to Tsukushi, until I finally reach the explosion source, and there is a minotaur kaijin, currently harassing a person.

"Hey, hell is up with you going for just one person, dumbass?!"

"Hmm? What business do you have in that, kiddo!"

"A lot in fact, I am someone that stops any shits like you do from hurting people!"

"Just give it up and let me make this person fall into despair!"

"Stephan, it's a Phantom!" Lavenza says as she as usual comes out from nowhere.

"A Phantom you say? Guess it's finally time to see how the power of Wizard is like!"

I take out the Driver On ring and hold it up to the belt I had been wearing today.

"Driver On! Please!"

Once again, the Wizardriver appears on my waist, but this time I pull out the red ring that has a helmet design on it.

Shifting the levers so the hand symbol switches sides, it immediately begins chanting:

"Shabadoobie touch henshin!"

"Shabadoobie touch henshin!"

"Shabadoobie touch henshin!"

Pulling down the visor on the red ring, it completes the helmet design, and I soon say the word.

"Henshin!"

Holding it in front of the driver, it and the ring lights up.

"Flame! Please!"

Holding up my arm with the red Wizard ring straight to the left, a red magic circle appears and begins passing through me.

"Hi! Hi! Hi hi hi!"

And I have soon transformed into Kamen Rider Wizard.

"W-W-Wizard?!"

"What, where did that cockiness and rudeness from before disappear to, eh?"

"Grraah, forget this person for now then, I need to kill you, Wizard, right here and now!"

"Well, then... It's showtime!"

Like other kaijins, the Phantom uses a projectile based attack, dirty tactics, but it works, to a degree.

I dodge the shot, before reminding myself of the different magic spells I will be able to cast with the rings on me.

"Actually..."

I take out the Connect ring, shift the levers so the hand is on the other side, and while it chants, I hold it over the driver.

"Lupachi magic touch go!"

"Connect! Please!"

I reach my hand into the magic circle and pull out the WizarSwordGun (a damn handful to say).

Readying it, I shoot with it at the Phantom while it's still in its gun mode.

The bullets appears to be homing thanks the magic I can use now, and hits the Phantom without any problem.

A piece of its left horn falls off, which riles up the Phantom even more as it begins rushing at me with its axe.

I unfold the SwordGun into its sword form, and strike the Phantom, before I open the hand on my weapon, which makes it go into a standby and chant.

"Come on a slash, shake hands!"

"Come on a slash, shake hands!"

I bring my Flame ring to it, and it changes the chanting.

"Hi hi hi! Hi hi hi! Hi hi hi!"

"Alright... The finale- OOF!"

"Don't think I will just wait around for you to finish with your spells, Wizard! We have only just begun- GAAAH!"

"Eh?!"

The minotaur Phantom suddenly gets struck by something, and... it's another kaijin?!

"What the? The Phantom's also an enemy of yours?!"

"What? As if, this Phantom is merely in the way of letting that person continue be consumed by greed!"

"Damn it, so you are a Yummy?!"

How can one person be so unlucky and have both a Phantom and Yummy out for their ass?!

Well, no matter, I will try battling both, it might be easy because they will be infighting-

"Let us fight together against Wizard before we decide who will get that stinking human!"

"Hmph, deal. But I won't go easy on you once we are done with the Kamen Rider!"

...Well, fuck.

The Phantom and Yummy immediately charge at me, making me almost fly back from the force of their hit.

"Damn it, two different kaijin species, yet they will fight united, huh?"

I get up and fold the SwordGun back to gun mode, before I shoot at the two kaijin, the bullets once again homing on them and striking them.

"As if that will end us!"

"Then what about this!"

I take out the Excite magic ring, shift the levers two times so I will once again be able to use a magic ring and soon bring it over the driver.

"Lupachi magic touch go!"

"Excite! Please!"

Suddenly, my whole body swells up with muscles all over, I become buffer than I got when I tried the ring the other day..!

"OOOH YEAH!"

"What in the world?!" Both kaijins utter out as I grab the both them by the head and smash them into the ground.

"BOOYAH!"

The Phantom and Yummy groan out in pain, but they aren't out of the game, not until I do the finisher-

"HELP, HELP!"

It's the man the kaijins are out after, but is that... a Chemy?!

The Chemy gets absorbed by the man, and he turns into a Malgam that looks like a mushroom.

"So... That's the Kamen Rider? It will be a pleasure to help get rid of him!"

I brace myself, but the effect of Excite wears off as I shrink back to normal size, at which the Phantom and Yummy hits me, before the Malgam rams right into me..!

Three versus one, I did not expect this at all, the hell...

Suddenly, Lavenza jumps in front of the kaijin with... a huge chainsaw?!

"What the, what's with the chainsaw?!"

"Just a remnant of how I operated before, I still keep it just in case. Besides, no time for talk, you are getting ambushed by way too many kaijins!"

"Yeah, no shit..." I say as I get up with a groan before the Wizardriver deactivates and I detransform. "S-Shit..!"

"Excite used up too much mana!"

Lavenza begins thinking, before she seems to come up with an idea.

A quick door to somewhere and she is soon back again, now holding one of belts I am storing in my room.

"Wait, which one is this?"

"It's the Rider Belt."

"But all of my belts are rider belts!"

"Well yes, but this is the Rider Belt-"

"Are we going to fight or should we just rip you apart here and now?!"

The kaijins are very ready to kill me right here and now, so I take the Rider Belt and put it around my waist, however...

"How I am supposed to even transform??"

"Wait for it..." Lavenza says before I begin hearing a buzzing, a buzzing that sounds like a flying beetle.

And I would be correct, but it's a robotic looking beetle, and it begins circulating me.

"Catch it!"

Doing as Lavenza says, I catch the beetle, as I slowly start getting the gist of what to do.

"I see..!"

I get more confidence as I strike a pose at the kaijins.

"Henshin!"

Sliding the beetle into the Rider Belt, it activates at once.

"Henshin!"

And I am soon in a heavily armored form.

"...Lavenza, this feels a little clunky..!"

"You need to do Cast Off! Pull the horn a bit first!"

Pulling the horn a little, it seems to begin charging.

"Ugh, let's just get this little shit already!" The Malgam exclaims as it and the other kaijin begins running towards me.

"NOW!"

"Cast Off!"

I fully pull the horn to the other side, which makes the beetle also transform a bit.

"Cast Off!"

The armor around me shatters as the parts flies against the kaijins, damaging and making them fly back from the force.

"Change Beetle!"

And now I have transformed into a much sleeker and comfortable form!

"Whoa, I feel sleeker than usual..! So this is Kamen Rider Kabuto, huh?"

"Indeed, now try out Clock Up that's on your hip on the three kaijin, and quickly!"

The three kaijins are getting up again, ready to rush me for a second time.

"Alright! Clock Up!"

I press on the side of my hip, with an activation noise playing.

"Clock Up!"

Time suddenly stops around me, as I seem to have gotten a lot of speed now.

"Heh, I see how it is." I say as I crack my knuckles while looking at the kaijin. "It's time for some punishment for you naughty kaijins!"

I run up to the frozen kaijins as I deliver a ton of punches at them, all while making sure I don't harm the Malgam too much due to it having a human inside currently.

Running around even more like the Flash or something, I am able to do other things to reduce the damages after all of this is over, like extinguishing fires from the car that exploded and also moving Lavenza out of the way so she doesn't get hurt.

"Clock Over!"

As time begins flowing normally again, the Phantom and Yummy immediately explode from all the punches I delivered, making the Malgam fall over from the force of the explosion.

"W-What just happened?!"

"Time happened. Now just you and me, asshole!"

I take out the sword I have with my Kabuto form, and begin fighting the Malgam one on one.

"No, this is unfair, so unfair!"

"Says the one who initiated a three on one battle!"

"GAAAAAAH!"

The Malgam releases some sort of toxic gas, but I jump away from it so I don't inhale it.

"Hope I can use it again after just using it... Clock Up!"

"Stephan, wait-!"

But Lavenza doesn't manage to to warn me in time as I press on my hip to initiate Clock Up again.

"Clock Up!"

Once again I run up to the Malgam, slashing at it to make sure I might end the battle here and now.

"I better finish this..!"

Jumping up, I begin diving down towards the Malgam with a Rider Kick.

"Clock Over!"

And as I hit the Malgam, my time stopping ends and it explodes into flames as I land, looking away from the explosion.

"Venoooo!"

"Ah, the Chemy!"

I take out a blank Chemy card and let the Chemy enter it.

"Venomdake, eh? Nice to meet you!"

"Venom!"

"Bit different to catch a Chemy when I am not Gotchard, but I ain't complaining- NGH!"

I suddenly feel a tense pain in my whole body, guess all my adrenaline from the battle wore off...

The beetle ejects from the belt so I detransform, before I almost collapse.

"I tried to warn you! Clock Up strains your body if used too much!"

"S-Sorry, I just needed to get that Malgam to release the Chemy..."

"You should head back to Tsukushi and see if you can get some rest at her place, it's way too far from your home, and I cannot open a door to there either currently."

"But how did you do it earlier?"

"Because I used up how many more times I can open up a door in the day. At most, I should only come to your world when a kaijin appears, but now with this, I had to do it more times."

"And if you do it more times?"

"I will have to wait till the next day until I can bring up any other doors, it's a big disadvantage for me when I am not in my home world."

"Well, I guess that sort of explains it... Alright, back to Tsukushi it is..!"

"I will take care of the Rider Belt for now and give it back to you tomorrow." Lavenza says as she opens her last door for the day so she can head to her pocket dimension.

So after that, I head back to the Futaba residence, and ring the doorbell, it's Tsukushi, having changed into casual clothes now, who opens it up.

"Hello- Stephan? You're back?"

"Ah, sorry that I came back so suddenly after that I ran off to check what happened!"

"No, no, it's fine! But how come-"

But before I could hear her question or even answer, I almost collapse again.

"Stephan?! Are you hurt..?!"

"It's fine..."

"It absolutely is not, you do not look good at all currently..! Here, come inside to the living room!"

Tsukushi helps me take off my shoes as she holds onto me so I won't fall from the pain and exhaustion I am feeling.

"Oh my, what happened to Stephan?"

"He came back just now and he seems to be very exhausted and in pain..."

Mrs Futaba gets up to fetch the first aid kit while I sit down on the sofa.

"Sorry again about this, there wasn't anyone else close by that could help me, and I trust you."

Tsukushi smiles at me as she begins checking were I am hurt by lightly pressing here and there.

"Seems you react mostly at these spots in your arm and leg. What even happened over there..?"

"It was a kaijin that was attacking again, and it was targeting a person, so I tried helping that person, but luckily enough, the Kamen Rider arrived and saved both him and me from further harm."

"Heh, that Kamen Rider sure loves helping people and making sure no one is hurt from all these strange attacks that has been happening!"

"Yeah, it's nice to have a hero around."

"But you were also a hero, because you were doing your best protecting a person, even if he was a total stranger to you."

Tsukushi looks at me with a very soft smile, as if she has even more trust in me now...

"I heard big sis' boyfriend mention the Kamen Rider!" The eldest sister to Tsukushi says as she runs into the living room and shows me a drawing of Gotchard.

"Whoa, that's spot on!"

"Hihi, thanks!"

"Come on now, mom said already to you two that Stephan isn't my boyfriend..!"

"Don't worry I don't mind being called that at all."

...Realization hits me and I look to Tsukushi as I realize my mistake with what I said, but she only looks at me, shocked and wordless.

"I-I mean, it's fine, but of course, we aren't couple, ahaha..!"

"A-ah... Yes, we aren't, heh..."

"Sounds like excuuuseees!" The sister says as she runs away and fetches another drawing, this time of OOO.

"Ooh, this one looks great as well!" I say, immediately trying to loosen up the tense air that built up from my mistake.

Tsukushi sighs out as she soon smiles again, also looking at her sister's drawings.

"The Kamen Rider is so cool that he has several forms! He can beat up those monsters and protect everyone in Japan, maybe even the whole world!"

"Yes indeed, the Kamen Rider wants everyone to smile and feel safe and at peace, so he goes out of his way to defeat those monsters so kids like you also can keep on smiling."

"I need to thank the Kamen Rider someday when I meet him!"

"You will for sure meet him, I just know it!"

----------

While Stephan and her sister are talking, Tsukushi admires just how well he is doing with kids, and is happy her sisters already get along so well with him.

But it still lingers in her mind about Stephan just casually saying he doesn't mind being called her boyfriend.

"Stephan, do you... like me back?"

Tsukushi can't help but smile, almost shaking a little on the thought that he actually does like, or even love, her back.

It's a fleeting feeling for her as she closes her eyes and laughs a little.

"Oh? Something on your mind, Tsukushi?" Stephan asks her as she opens her eyes and just shakes her head, while still smiling and looking at him, though having a hard time keeping eye contact at all.

"No, was just something I quickly thought of and it soon disappeared, heh."

But she knows herself that she does have something on her mind, and that being Stephan.

"Hopefully, one day I can tell you how I feel."

-----------

"Aah, seems someone has recovered a little!" Mrs Futaba says as she is back with the first aid kit, and takes out some band aids.

Though among the band aids, I see some with penguin designs and get reminded of Tomori, and in turn, Sakiko.

Hm, I haven't seen Sakiko since last time, but eh, guess that's how it is, and besides, I shouldn't let my mind go elsewhere for now, I am with a wonderful and beautiful girl right here after all.

"Stephan..." Tsukushi says as she sees that I am smiling, which she does back.

Though without us noticing, I have laid my hand on top of Tsukushi's, and when we do notice that, we retract our hands as we are both blushing.

Oh man, I really love Tsukushi as well, eh..?

After I recover enough, I now say my proper goodbyes to Tsukushi and her family.

"Let's hang out more, Tsukushi."

"I would love to, I really liked today's date after all!"

On my way home, I feel extra happy.

Maybe I am just not a hero that saves people, perhaps I also spread love, a love hero even.

"Heh, I should check if any of the belts and drivers has love related stuff to them~"

To Be Continued.