Story: RCM Shojo Magnet

Yet another one of these RCMs, I hope you like them.


So here he was, very nearly skipping out of the front door of his home on his way to a wonderful day at school! This was it! He could feel it even now! His life would turn around based entirely on this moment! Today he would finally - finally! Get himself a cute girlfriend!

“What’s an idiot like you doing looking so happy so early in the morning?”

Heavy sigh! “And a delightful morning to you as well, Miyako Marugo!” he said to his *charming* next-door neighbour. The two of them had known one another forever or so it felt, and while she certainly had attractive physical attributes, he simply couldn’t stand her personality! “Did you have pleasant dreams? No, don’t tell me what they were, I think I can probably guess. Standing on people’s toes, shoving them over when they beat your high score, generally tormenting people like that. Right?”

“Well, I’d rather have those dreams than the perverted sort you’d have any day of the week!” Miyako huffed, turning up her nose at him. Hiroyuki stuck his tongue out while her back was turned. “Knowing you, it was another one of those harem dreams like from those stupid comics you like to r-”

“Ixnay on the omicsay!” Hiroyuki said, suddenly clamping his hand around her mouth. “Unless, of course, you’d like me to share a few things about your own past?”

“Hmph!” she yanked his hand away from her mouth, not biting him for once. A definite bonus for the day! “The old mutually assured social destruction gambit, eh? One of these days, I’ll call your bluff on that!”

Off she stormed down the street to make some other poor bastard’s life a complete and abject misery. Well, he didn’t have time to dwell on someone like that! He absolutely had to get to school! If he was late - well, he could flush down the toilet what his fortune said about being lucky in love today! All the signs pointed to the same thing: Super duper impossibly high mega delicious overwhelming chances of amazing stupendous love fortune lay his way today! He could hardly wait to see what it was!

<hr>

The previous night, Miyako Miyako was sitting down and writing out her diary while <i>most definitely not</i> glimpsing over at the house just next to hers, nor was she thinking about what the big geeky idiot was up to, no, ma’am!

She turned towards the mirror on her desk and tried a little smile. In the reflection was a rather pretty face, if she said so herself. Twin pigtails adorning her head with bright red hair that almost looked like it had caught fire.

But then for no adequately explained reason, the reflection in the mirror sort of shifted. Her skin became much darker, her pigtails became pointier, her canines began to protrude from her mouth -

“Can you hear me, beloved daughter?” a sinister voice said. Miyako slowly turned around and fell off her chair as she stared up at a tall woman with bright red skin and horns atop her head. The very image of a demon stood before her and Miyako felt simultaneously petrified with terror and longing for something. Only once the shock had worn off did she start to realise something strange about this woman. She looked so… desperately lonely.

“At long last. My beloved Miyako… Oh, how you’ve grown! Are you happy up here in the human world? No. No, there is no time for this, not now of all times. You must have so many questions -”

“Who are you?” Miyako asked, and the demon winced.

“I… am your mother. It is a long and difficult story, but suffice it to say that you are half human and half demon. My dear, you are standing on top of a dangerous line. I have come here to warn you: If you do not succeed in falling in requited love by your next birthday, the forces of Hell shall drag you there for all eternity. If you wish to remain in the human world, you absolutely must find true love!”

The next thing Miyako knew, she was jerking upright in bed with heavy, laboured breathing and sweat pouring from her brow. What was that? Some sort of nightmare, surely! No, of course it was! She shouldn’t be so stupid! That sort of superstitious nonsense was the kind of thing Hiroyuki went for! She slipped out of bed, dropped her pyjamas onto her bed, turned towards the wardrobe -

And was greeted by a reflection with red skin, horns on her head where her pigtails should be, and a forked tail protruding from her butt. It was smiling maliciously at her with great big fangs and a forked tongue. Miyako blinked. It didn’t vanish. It was still there. She looked at her arm. No trace of red here. No sign of a tail anywhere either, and her teeth were still the same as ever.

<i>”Find true love by your next birthday, or you shall be dragged to Hell!”</i>

What was that? What sort of nonsense was that supposed to be? Sure, she’d always wanted to meet her mother, but the idea she could be a demon… No, that was absurd on the face of it! The idea rolled around her head so much she barely even realised she was outside until she saw that stupid next-door neighbour, and the next thing she knew she was hurling insults right at him….

<hr>

Oh man, he was even later than he’d thought! Hiroyuki picked up the pace a little bit more, grateful that he’d lately taken to reading comics while doing push-ups. His body hadn’t been such good shape in years! This time last year a flat run like this would’ve already left him winded and gasping for air. It was amazing how much he’d changed; in fact, he doubted many would even recognise -

Which is when he collided with something and fell to the ground in a heap, only realising it was a person after a few moments and then only realising it was a cute girl a second or so after that.

“Hey, sorry there!” he said. “Didn’t see you turning the corner like tha-?”

“I suggest you back away from Miss Arakida, and do so immediately,” said a new voice, pressing something metal and cold right up against the back of his neck. Right. Slowly standing up and backing away from the girl now seemed like a good idea, actually. It also gave him the perfect opportunity to take a better look at her. The girl that had been pressing something against the back of his neck - wait, was that just a pencil? - was rather tall, had closed eyes and there was a strange smile on her lips that never seemed to move. Almost like her face had been entirely designed to smile. Little bit disconcerting, really. “Are you harmed?” the tall girl asked a much smaller one that showed absolutely no emotion whatsoever.

“Thank you, but it’s not really necessary,” Miss Arakida said in monotone. “It was a complete accident.” She turned her attention directly towards Hiroyuki, and he could swear there was the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. “I would like to apologise for colliding with you like that. We are new to the area, and would appreciate it if you could help us locate our school.”

Hm? “Well, with that uniform, surely you must attend the same school that I do! Well, why don’t you come with me and I’ll take you right there.”

“Oh dear, Miss Arakida! Are you quite sure that’s a wise decision?” the taller, nameless girl said.

“Quite certain, Miss Bodyguard. And please, call me Romi.”

<hr>

Bored. Bored, bored, bored. Nobody ever let her have any fun. Everyone always tried to control what she did. Whom she talked to. Bored. Where she went. Bored. How she dressed. Bored. How she felt. <i>Bored.</i>

“Good morning, Miss Arakida!” her bodyguard said, a gleaming example of the life she led. Nobody could tell she was an android at first glance. Nobody could even dream that she was mostly circuits and metal with a synthetic skin. Not at first. Not until they spent a lot of time with her. “Please remain in bed and I shall bring you breakfast!”

Romi sighed and collapsed back into her bed. Some might think it was a good life being treated like a princess, but she knew better than anyone that dreams didn’t come that easily. There was always something wrong. It was a prison of a different sort. Oh, sure, she knew there were people out there that had it worse. She knew that. She’d have to be a complete idiot not to realise that obvious fact. The knowledge of the rationally obvious didn’t exactly help keep her mind from being occupied by things, though! She wanted a boyfriend! And not the creeps her father approved for her! It was a miracle she was even able to attend a normal high school and even then her bodyguard android would perform full background checks on anyone she talked to!

Huh, breakfast sure did smell weird today. In fact it almost sort of smelled like chloro-

Romi’s eyes rolled up into her head and her head rolled back onto the pillow. The pillow did not roll anywhere, except off the bed after she was picked up by her kidnapper.

The next thing Romi knew she was jerked awake by the rude sensation of a truck driving over a pothole. All around her was darkness and motion, and her wrists and ankles had been expertly bound.

“Went off without a hitch!” a gruff voice exclaimed. “That old fool will pay through the nose to get the girl back, no question of it!”

Romi sighed into the gag in her mouth. Alright then. In about five… four… three…

“How rude!”

The truck stopped. There were a few screams, the sound of electricity and then the blindfold was removed from her eyes. Standing right in front of her was her bodyguard, smiling as always and holding her new school uniform.

“Please, Miss Arakida! We must hurry and get you ready for school. It would be so rude and improper if you were late for your first day!”

Romi sighed wearily and pulled the uniform on in record time. As expected, Miss Bodyguard had all her supplies ready and prepared breakfast to be on the go. Was this what her life was doomed to be like from now on? Was this all there was? This thought danced around her mind even as she hurriedly turned the corner and ran right into a boy -

<hr>

It was a bit annoying, but no matter where Hiroyuki looked he could find neither hide nor hair of that girl from this morning. Such a shame! He had believed she might well be the one his romantic fortunes were telling him about. Oh well! Never mind that for now; he’d meet the girl sooner or later. For the time being he would keep himself content by wandering the campus a bit and finding a nice place to eat. Maybe then he’d run into a cute girl and fall -

Speaking of cute girls and falling, that one was about to have a very nasty spill! He ran forward without a second thought and swept her up in his arms, grateful that his workout regime had been useful to him a second time. Why, this girl could’ve easily done herself a terrible injury!

“Are you alright?” he asked, staring at the girl. Hey, not bad! Not bad at all, in fact. He set her back on her feet, and she dusted herself down. “You should be a bit more careful in future,” he advised, trying to pretend he wasn’t seeing the way she was looking at him.

“Huh?” the girl said. “Oh. Don’t worry about it. I’m quite alright, thank you. Oh!”

She fainted, and he caught her again. Ah! “Are you sure about that?” Hiroyuki asked. Maybe this girl wasn’t that well at all! “Would you like to go to the infirmary?”

“No, no!” the girl insisted. “I’m fine! Really! I just lose my footing really easily!”

… Someone that clumsy shouldn’t even be alive. Heck. She didn’t even take another two steps before he had to move in to catch her again, and he didn’t like the way she was breathing hard. She must be really unwell!

“That’s it, I’m taking you to the infirmary!” he insisted. “What was your name?”

“Omitsu Aida,” the girl giggled. “You really shouldn’t worry about me all that much, I’m fine! Really!”

Her forehead said a different story entirely. “You’re burning up!” he said. “Come on, don’t be stubborn! There’s no way I can let a cute girl like you go around tripping up and hurting yourself when you should be resting!”

“A noble sentiment indeed!” said another girl’s voice, this one very deep and resonant, even if it was coming from a very sexy and busty girl. “It is a privilege to witness such chivalry in this day and age! I shall assist you in carrying Miss Aida to the infirmary immediately! Ah! My name is Maru Fujikage! It is a pleasure to meet you both.”

A pleasure for him just as much as it was for her, he was quite certain.

<hr>

“It’s a miracle she’s still alive.”

It was a sentiment she had heard more times than she knew how to count. “How is she still breathing? Her heart should have given out by now!”

Well, that was the trick, wasn’t it? The heart. Her heart ached for something. Love. She had first seen him so long ago, having fun with his friends. Joking around with some comics or games. He always seemed so happy. So full of life. That is why Omitsu Aida lived. She lived for his happiness. She lived because there was a chance he could fall in love. Fall in love with her, just as she had for him.

If only she had the courage to speak to Hiroyuki… If only… Just for one conversation, that was all she’d ever need. Night after night, day after day, she’d screw up the courage and never bring herself to manage it. Every day! This time would be different! This time would be different!

This time was different, but she hadn’t even triggered it herself. She’d fallen off the stairs and into his life, and she didn’t care if it only lasted this long. She could die tomorrow happy…

Except that she’d never see his smile again.

<hr>

It was a rare thing these days to see someone undertake chivalric activity. Those ideas seemed rather outdated in today’s society. Simple tenets of politeness. Protect the innocent. Show mercy. Show compassion. Help the weak wherever you can, even - especially - at your own inconvenience! Go out of your way to do good deeds!

“Come on, hand over the dough!” one rough voice commanded.

“Yeah, come on! We’re just a bit short for lunch, is all!” shouted another.

Maru stepped around the corner and leaned against the wall with a sour look in her eyes. “Typical,” she said, causing the two bullies to nearly jump out of their skin. “The weak picked on by the strong. You should be using that strength to aide others, not yourselves. That is the purpose of strength in this world.”

“Hey, come on now! Get lost!” one of the bullies unwisely snapped. “Or maybe you wanna stick around a little bit and have some -”

And then he was unconscious. His friend gulped nervously, and seemed to rethink his plan of jumping her back. “You yield?” she asked, and the boy nodded. “Then apologise for your wrongdoing. I shall bring him to the nurse, and explain what has transpired.”

She then reached into her pocket, and made her phone stop recording. It may be good to be chivalrous, but it was almost as good to be intelligent and have evidence to back you up. A quick deposit of the would-be bully and a listen through of the conversation later, she was wandering from the infirmary wondering if she would ever meet someone that met her standards. They weren’t particularly high in her opinion. Just a man who looked out for people while expecting nothing in return. A man who saw the weak and stepped in to help without question or hesitation.

But just as she was thinking that, she saw a girl start to fall down the stairs and one of the boys - much closer than Maru -  running forward to catch her.

<hr>

“Don’t tell me! Let me guess. You’re looking for love. Right?”

Well, wasn’t this girl confrontational all of a sudden? Hiroyuki nodded, if only because she was telling the truth and her personality was just that forceful.

“Typical! Alright, tell me who it is and I’ll see what I can do!”

He blinked, suddenly feeling pretty stupid. What was this girl even talking about? That wasn’t why he’d approached her at all!

“Come on, come on! I don’t have all day! Hmph! If you won’t tell me who it is, how can you expect even Yuya Idane to help you?!”

“Uh… Actually. I just wanted to give you this book. It fell from a rip in your bag, and I think you should check to see if you have everything.”

The dawning realisation sort of set into her face, and she snatched the book from his hands like a cobra striking its prey. “W-Well, thank you very much for helping me out with that!” she said.

“Not a problem,” Hiroyuki replied, backing off very slowly. Bit of a weird girl, and he had to get to his next class.

<hr>

“Thanks to you, we’re celebrating our one-month anniversary!”

“We would’ve never been able to date if not for you!”

Yuya Idane heard that refrain every single day of her life. Something like it, anyway. “Thank you so much for setting us up! You really are the cupid of -” Blah blah blah. It wasn’t even really like she tried to do it or anything. People just sort of asked her what they should do, she gave them generic-sounding advice, they followed it. Boom. It wasn’t as if she did anything, really. They did most of the work themselves.

Today was one of the worst examples. The two of them had been crushing on each other for ages, but never worked up the courage to do anything more than ask her within a space of two minutes of the other! She’d dragged that girl down the corridor and all but forced them to make out then and there! Ugh! People were so damned stupid about love!

So why was it she couldn’t get a boyfriend of her own?!

Well, the answer to that was easy. All the boys that talked to her already had their eye on someone else, and only wanted to know how to have a chance with her. That’s it. That’s all they ever wanted from her! She’d heard boys had only one thing on their mind, but -

Ugh! Just once! Just one boy! Any boy would do! Any boy that wanted to talk to her about something other than love! Anything else! It could be the most innane topic in the universe, and she’d go for the throat. It wouldn’t be difficult or anything, given how she was the cupid of the damn school, and -

“Excuse me!” a boy said, looking shifty and holding a book in his hand. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

<hr>

Why oh why oh <i>why</i> did this school have mandatory clubs? Any and all students that went to this particular school had to join a club. Had you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life? And the manga/anime club wasn’t even accepting new members! Ridiculous! Completely ridiculous! Hiroyuki sighed and staggered along to the only other club he had the slightest interest in, the occult club. Bit weird, and he expected it wasn’t exactly popular either -

So imagine his surprise when he threw open the door and found himself staring at six very familiar girls. Whatever were the odds of that?

<hr>

Main: Hiroyuki Noburo  “Occult Club Harem”

Believes himself the centre of a harem comedy after meeting a collection of quirky girls that quickly express interest in him, but soon learns that this is not quite the case at all!

Girl 1: Romi Arakida  “Bodyguard’s Android”

The daughter of a politician trying to live a normal life. There’s just one problem. Her best friend is secretly an android designed to protect her from threats to her life. Can she live a normal life?

Girl 2: Miyako Marugo  “Demonesses’ Factories”

For most of her life Miyako Miyako did not realise she was actually half demon until the day her mother arrived from hell to give her a warning: She must fall in requited love by her next birthday or be forced to live the rest of her life as a demon!

Girl 3: Maru Fujikage  “Gallantry - Craving”

Maru is a very strange girl that is addicted to chivalry. Can she overcome this completely bizarre personality quirk, or will it scare off anyone that might otherwise be her friend?

Girl 4: Yuya Idane  “My Helping Romances”

For as long as she can remember Yuya has been playing cupid with everyone around her, and now she’s fed up and wants her own turn! Will this expert in love prevail in the end?

Girl 5: Omitsu Aida  “Your Surgeons’ Romance”

As a girl with terrible stamina and worse health, it’s a wonder Omitsu has such a sunny disposition. Her doctors are amazed, but she knows better! Her medicine is love.

1.     Bit more backstory on one of the girls.
2.     The first club meeting!
3.     Hiroyuki does have male friends, so what are they like?
4.     Something else