A date with a Spirit... and her puppet. Seven days to thaw a frozen heart.
Shidou Itsuka has sealed the powers of Spirits before—but never one quite like Yoshino Himekawa. Shy to the point of silence, the gentle Spirit speaks only through Yoshinon, the irreverent rabbit puppet on her left hand. And Yoshinon? She's not impressed.
With a localized rain cloud parked stubbornly over Tengu City and the forecast calling for seven straight days of downpour, Shidou has one week to win over both the gi
Date A Live IF: A Do-Over Date With Yoshino - When the false snow melts, the promise of a blue sky
At the heart of the ice labyrinth, Shidou kept his grip on Yoshino's hand.
He couldn't feel his fingertips anymore. Frostbite had turned his skin white, and his joints wouldn't bend. Even so, Shidou's right hand stayed wrapped around Yoshino's small one, refusing to let go.
(...I won't let go. Never.)
His lungs felt like they were freezing solid. Every breath drove needles of ice deeper into his throat. Frost clung to his eyelashes, wavering white at the edge of his vision.
"...Yoshinon."
Shidou spoke to the rabbit puppet fitted over Yoshino's left hand. A comical design, complete with an eyepatch. And yet, that puppet was nothing less than the wall around Yoshino's heart.
Yoshinon was silent.
Her usual chatty voice was nowhere to be found.
"You've been protecting Yoshino all this time, haven't you."
Shidou's voice dissolved white into the frozen air.
"So no one could hurt her. So she wouldn't have to be afraid. You've been her shield, all along."
The puppet's mouth moved, just barely.
"...You're wrong."
Yoshinon's voice echoed through the ice labyrinth. Not her usual bright tone. Cold, quiet—and somewhere inside it, trembling.
"I'm not protecting Yoshino. Yoshino is the one who needs me."
Shidou stared at the puppet's face. Its button eyes reflected him back.
"...Hey, Shidou-san."
Yoshinon's voice dropped lower still.
"I'm a lie."
Through the puppet's stuffing, the chill seeped into Shidou's fingertips.
"Yoshino was so afraid. So afraid of being hurt that she created a false personality—someone who could never be wounded. The real me doesn't exist anywhere."
Shidou listened without a word.
"Chatty. Fond of jokes. A little tough on the outside. ...All of it, manufactured. Just armor to protect Yoshino."
Yoshinon's voice wavered, faintly.
"So, Shidou-san. The 'Yoshinon' you're trying to accept—she never existed to begin with."
—Silence.
The ice labyrinth went utterly still.
Somewhere far off, only Origami's breathing echoed faintly. She was still trapped inside her frozen equipment, unable to move.
Slowly, Shidou opened his mouth.
"...I don't care if you're a lie."
Yoshinon's button eyes widened, just slightly.
"Even if you're a lie, the fact that you protected Yoshino—that's real."
Shidou gripped Yoshino's hand even tighter.
"How terrified Yoshino was. How much she trembled, all alone. ...Because you were there, Yoshino made it this far."
Shidou's voice was shaking. Not just from the cold.
"Fake, real—I don't care. Yoshino and Yoshinon. I'll accept you both, together."
Yoshinon fell silent.
A long, long silence.
And then—
"...nn."
Inside the puppet, a small sob escaped.
A faint trembling traveled through the stuffing. Yoshinon's voice shook, as if she were crying.
"...That's not fair, Shidou-san."
Yoshinon's voice was wet with tears.
"If you say things like that... what am I supposed to do?"
Shidou smiled quietly.
His frozen lips moved, just barely.
"You don't have to do anything. Just stay there. That's enough."
And that was the moment.
Inside Shidou's hand, Yoshino's fingers moved—clearly, unmistakably.
Her small, frozen fingers squeezed his hand back.
"...Shi, dou...-san."
A faint voice.
Yoshino's sapphire eyes slowly opened. They were still hazy. But they were definitely looking at Shidou.
Shidou gazed straight into Yoshino's face.
Water-blue hair. Pale skin. The frozen tracks of tears.
And then, Shidou—
pressed his lips to Yoshino's.
Cold. Bitterly cold.
But beneath that cold, there was a definite warmth.
—In that instant.
Light overflowed.
Pale blue particles of light drifted up softly from Yoshino's body. The light passed through Shidou's lips and flowed into him.
Sealing.
The technique of drawing a Spirit's spiritual power out through a kiss, transforming her into something closer to human. The core of Ratatoskr's Spirit-sealing operation.
The particles of light raced through Shidou's entire body. The cold spiritual power slowly healed his cells, half-dead from frostbite.
At the same time—
Crack.
A small sound.
A fissure split the ice barrier.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
The fissures spread like a spiderweb. The frozen shopping district arcade. The glass. The streets. All the ice began to melt quietly, from the inside out.
"...The ice."
Origami's murmur reached him.
The ice encasing her CR-Unit was melting away before his eyes. Her white armor emerged once more.
Warm color returned to Yoshino's hair. The water-blue took on a faint, gentle hue. Her sapphire eyes slowly lifted to Shidou.
"...Shidou-san."
Yoshino's lips moved, just barely.
In her own voice.
Not through the puppet.
"Can I... talk to you again...?"
Shidou smiled.
"Yeah. As many times as you want."
Tears welled in Yoshino's eyes.
Big drops rolled down her frozen cheeks and fell.
"...Th-thank you. Thank you so much."
Yoshino gently hugged the puppet on her left hand.
Inside it, Yoshinon had gone quiet, as if asleep.
Shidou softly stroked Yoshino's head.
"You did well. You really held on."
Yoshino gave a small nod.
—The ice barrier vanished completely.
Sunlight poured down on the Tengu City Station shopping arcade for the first time in days. Water dripped from the frozen signboards. Meltwater pattered down from the arcade roof.
The city was breathing again.
"...Itsuka Shidou."
Origami stood. Her white CR-Unit was still frozen in places, but she could move now.
"The Spirit's spiritual response has disappeared. ...You sealed her."
"Yeah. Yoshino won't go out of control anymore."
Origami stared at Shidou. Her expression unchanged.
"...I see."
That was all she said before turning her back.
"I'm returning to the AST. I have to report."
"Origami."
Shidou called after her.
"...Thanks."
Origami didn't turn around.
"You have no reason to thank me. I only came to eliminate a Spirit."
"Even so—because you came, I was able to protect Yoshino."
Origami's steps stopped for just a moment.
"...Don't misunderstand. I didn't do it for you."
Leaving those words behind, Origami activated her boosters. A white shadow soared into the sky.
Shidou watched the sky where Origami had vanished.
"...Still can't be honest, as always."
Shidou gave a small laugh.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
"Shidou! You did it! Yoshino's spiritual response has completely stabilized!"
Kotori's voice burst from the speaker. It was her Commander-mode voice, but it carried obvious relief and excitement.
"Yeah. The sealing's complete. Yoshino's safe."
"I know, I was watching the monitors. ...You did well, Shidou."
Kotori's voice softened, just a little.
"...You really did well."
Still holding Yoshino's hand, Shidou looked up at the sky.
The rain clouds were gone.
A blue sky, the first in days, stretched over Tengu City.
"Yeah. ...I'm home, Kotori."
"Welcome home, Onii-chan."
The call ended.
Shidou looked at Yoshino.
Still holding his hand, Yoshino was smiling faintly.
That smile was warmer than any light he had seen inside the ice labyrinth.
—.
The next morning.
Morning sun streamed into the Itsuka living room.
Light leaking through the gap in the curtains drew soft patterns on the floor.
Shidou stood in the kitchen.
The smell of miso soup spread through the house. Starting from the dashi—the usual morning routine.
"Yoshino, breakfast's ready."
At his call, Yoshino—who had been sitting on the living room sofa—rose slowly.
Her water-blue hair shimmered, translucent in the morning light. Her sapphire eyes found Shidou.
Yoshino gently hugged the puppet on her left hand to her chest.
And then—
"...Good morning, Shidou-san."
In her own voice.
Not through the puppet.
Warmth spread gently through Shidou's chest.
"...Good morning, Yoshino."
Shidou answered in the gentlest voice he could manage.
Yoshino's cheeks flushed, just slightly.
"I-I said it... all by myself..."
Yoshino gave a small laugh—happy, but shy.
"Yeah. I heard you, loud and clear."
Shidou lightly patted Yoshino's head.
Yoshino narrowed her eyes, ticklish.
"Morning! Onii-chan! Yoshino-chan!"
A cheerful voice came bounding down from the second floor.
Kotori, in little-sister mode with her white ribbon, came racing down the stairs. Her red twintails bounced with every step.
"Wow! It's such nice weather today! The rain stopped!"
Kotori threw open the living room window.
Blue sky rushed into view.
"Yeah. First blue sky in a while."
Shidou looked outside too.
The rain clouds had vanished completely from the skies over Tengu City. Blue, stretching on forever. From all over the city came the sound of meltwater dripping.
"Yoshino-chan, I heard yesterday was awful! But it's okay now! Onii-chan will protect you!"
Kotori grabbed Yoshino's hand.
Yoshino looked at her, startled, but quickly gave a small nod.
"...Yes. Shidou-san protected me."
Yoshino's voice was still small. But they were definitely her own words.
"Oh my, Yoshino, you're already head over heels for Onii-chan!"
Kotori laughed, teasing.
"Th-that's not true...!"
Yoshino's face went bright red.
"Hey, Kotori, don't say weird stuff."
Shidou gave Kotori a light smack on the head to hide his embarrassment.
"But it's true, isn't it? Yoshino-chan's been watching Onii-chan nonstop since yesterday!"
"Th-that's not...!"
Yoshino hugged the puppet tight and hid her face.
Shidou sighed.
"Sheesh... noisy from the crack of dawn."
But the corners of his mouth were smiling.
The three of them sat down to breakfast together.
Miso soup, rolled omelet, grilled fish. The usual breakfast, made by Shidou.
Yoshino timidly brought a bite of omelet to her mouth.
"...It's delicious."
Yoshino's eyes lit up.
"Glad to hear it. Don't hold back, eat up."
Shidou poured miso soup into Yoshino's bowl.
"Yoshino-chan, Onii-chan's cooking is super good, right! I love it too!"
Kotori happily stuffed her cheeks with omelet.
Yoshino gave a small nod.
"...Shidou-san can do anything, can't he."
Yoshino murmured.
"Huh? No, that's not..."
Shidou fumbled for words, embarrassed.
"Oh my, Shidou-san, you're blushing!"
Kotori said it in a perfect impression of Yoshinon's tone.
"Shut up! Don't you start!"
Shidou shouted, face red.
Seeing him like that, Yoshino gave a small laugh.
"Hehe..."
That laugh was not through the puppet—it was Yoshino's own voice.
Hearing it, Shidou felt a gentle warmth spread deep in his chest.
(...Thank goodness.)
Yoshino was laughing.
In her own voice.
Just that made everything up to now feel worth it.
—That night.
The outskirts of Tengu City.
DEM Industries, Far East Branch.
On the surface, a private research institute. But deep underground, the command room of the Spirit capture unit existed.
Rows of sterile monitors cast a pale blue glow.
A man stood before the monitors.
Silver hair. Narrow, sharp eyes. Skin sickly white.
Westcott. DEM's Executive Director. The man who schemed to weaponize Spirits—Ratatoskr's greatest adversary.
"...So the capture of 〈Hermit〉's Spirit Crystal failed."
Westcott picked up the report.
"Ratatoskr's Spirit negotiator, Itsuka Shidou. ...An interesting man."
Westcott's lips curved in a thin smile.
"But the spiritual data from 〈Hermit〉 is of immeasurable value. Analysis of her freezing spiritual power will advance our research considerably."
Westcott stared at the data on the monitor.
"Our next target is... 〈Princess〉."
An image of a girl appeared on the screen.
Night-colored hair. Crystal eyes.
Yatogami Tohka.
"〈Princess〉—among Spirits, she boasts one of the strongest attack capabilities. If we obtain her Spirit Crystal, our plan will advance greatly."
Westcott wore a cold smile.
"Begin preparations for the capture operation. This time, failure will not be tolerated."
"Understood."
The subordinate saluted and left the room.
Westcott remained alone, gazing at the monitors.
"...Itsuka Shidou. Let's see how far you can protect these Spirits."
—.
The Itsuka house.
The guest room lent to Yoshino.
Soft moonlight slipped
Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.