note: this route episode does not intervene with the actual plot. what happens in the ike route didn't happen in the main story.

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⛥┊オカルトクラブ ˎˊ˗

┊₍✞︎₎ ..⃗. ꒰ ⁰¹· the blue charm ꒱ ⛥ೄ ･ﾟˊˎ

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✞︎ y/n was humming in every step, leaving the steaming ike behind.

his body was steaming for three sole reasons. one, he just went out of the pool which has made his body relaxed. just don't make him remember the part where luca jumped on him and almost drowned him with a big ass body built.

two, he couldn't forget how y/n looked underwater. he could even still feel her touch lingering on his cheek, especially how adorable she was in the pool too.

don't get him wrong, y/n is adorable every day— his words, not mine— but y/n underwater with a little light from the charms, all concentrating and serious, made his heart swoon.

he was nervous, sure, but behind his nervousness was his remaining brain cells, painting y/n's ethereal looks in his mind for safekeeping.

and lastly, the third reason for his steaming self was because of how cute y/n is being. again. just like every day. fuck.

she's skipping away from the shadows! she's so cute! aaaaaaahh—! ike fanboyed.

okay, calm down ike. yeah ike, calm down. we all know y/n is cute you're not alone.

y/n paused after realizing that she was almost leaving ike alone. but she saw how he was in a trance that she doesn't have the heart to break it.

"hi." y/n greeted after ike reached her.

he almost jumped in surprise. "hello, y/n."

y/n giggled and followed ike's pace. "are you alright? you must be feeling light due to fresh bath."

ike hummed. "aren't you?"

"kinda..." y/n slumped down a bit.

the both of them sighed, in a good way, as they continued walking.

"soooo how were you feeling? about your charm and everything?" y/n asked. although she would be lying if she say she wasn't hesitant in asking ike this question.

y/n really likes ike a lot. there's just something about him that makes him so likable.

and she's planning to find out what is it.

"the charms and everything in general..?" ike asked. "uh... would you like me to be honest?"

"yes please."

ike bit his lower lip a little. "maybe... maybe we shouldn't talk about it right now, y/n. i don't want to disappoint you and everything—"

"ike." y/n called gently, tugging his shirt a little bit.

just like what he did before. when he tugged y/n's shirt in the cafeteria.

"i agreed to walk with you for a reason, not just because i don't feel safe walking home alone." y/n honestly said.

"i'm not forcing you to tell me. but i'd like you to know, that whatever you have in your mind will never ever disappoint me. always remember that." y/n said and gave him a cute smile.

ike's heart skipped a beat by the sudden beam of cuteness. oh ike, you and your like of cuteness.

"thank you. that made me feel a little bit better." ike said.

y/n hummed.

the two of them continued walking. and when no one bothered speaking, that was when y/n figured out that ike will never tell her anything at all. at least not tonight.

"when i got my charm's ability, i was scared." y/n opened up. "it was a very weird and... really weird that i cried at my senpais and asked them to take it back and give me another one," she said.

"i wasn't just scared of the ability itself, but i was also scared of how i'll use it in the future. up until now, actually, i'm still scared." y/n continued.

"it wasn't quite reassuring when enna-senpai told me, 'don't worry y/n. if ever you misused your quirk, we'll still accept you' or something like that." y/n then giggled. "but i knew she was joking."

"i don't know about how you feel with that ability you've got just now. it must've been... overbearing and... overwhelming. especially with all the magic that has been happening too."

"it's alright to feel anxious. it's alright to be scared, ike." y/n said and held the end of his sleeve. "fear is an emotion, and it's normal to have an emotion. what your feeling is totally valid, so don't let anyone say otherwise."

"maybe someday... like me..." y/n said and looked up at the skies.

they were filled with stars.

"you'll turn this fear of yours to love. to accept it and face it, conquer it and acknowledge it." she said. "because it's really nice to sleep at 10 pm without a heavy heart." she finished with a little joke and a small giggle.

ike was... stunned. not just by the beauty of the lady, but also by her words and the way they flowed into his ears.

her words were simple and clear yet he felt so loved and embraced like it was the lullaby he has been longing for centuries.

"y/n, i... i don't know what to say..." ike said.

"it's fine! the stars will show you the way." y/n said and pointed up. "look! it's almost like a gemini, your zodiac!"

"how did you know?" ike asked, looking up as well. and she was right. it was almost like a gemini.

"i asked mysta for everyone's birth dates." y/n answered.

and the way her eyes twinkled just like the stars above when she saw the vending machine?

oooh god, it's so painfully cute! ike exclaimed in his mind.

"ike, ike, ike! would you like to get anything?" y/n excitedly asked.

"i'll have a can of cola then." ike said.

y/n got her favorite canned beverage while she got ike a can of soda.

"soda at night? without dinner? not good." y/n said.

"it's my favorite drink and i am admittedly guilty. i apologize." ike said.

y/n just laughed a bit. "it's fine. know your limits though, not all people can be healthy. and being admitted to the hospital just because of uti is sooo painful. and expensive!"

"hmm, really?" ike smugly asked. "what does uti stands for, then?"

y/n's eyebrows furrowed before she frowned at ike. "are you serious?"

"deadly." ike said.

"urhmm uh... uterinary..." y/n mumbled before she clapped her hands loudly. "uterinary track infection!"

"it's urinary, idiot." ike said and softly bonked the lady's head. "uterinary? where did you get that?" he asked with a little laugh.

y/n just laughed as well, although it was awkward on her part because she just embarrassed herself in front of ike.

oh well. uterinary was close.

the both of them resumed talking while drinking their drinks.

"i should be the one asking." ike suddenly brought up. "what do you think about us? me and the boys joining your club and us as a club member?"

y/n shrugged. "cool. vox definitely regrets saying my club is uncanny, that's for sure. shu is very kind and supportive. luca may be annoying but he actually isn't. ike is very gentle and caring."

"gentle and caring, huh?"

"and mysta... erm mysta... he's weird." y/n said while watching her foot in every step.

"weird? in a good way or bad way?" ike asked.

"i don't know. maybe in a good way. don't you think he's also weird?" she asked.

ike frowned with a shadow over his eyes. "he is weird."

"but he's really fun to be with, despite being an introvert and shy bean." y/n continued.

"i see, i see."

"how about you?" y/n asked and peeked at ike. "what do you think of... me?"

ike paused and blinked. "what i think of... you?"

y/n nodded with a little 'mhmm mhmm' sound.

"you're..." ike stared at her for a few seconds. "well for starters, you are very... cute."

y/n frowned a little bit with a smile. "i get that a lot."

"and you're an amazing person, y/n." ike honestly said. "you're kind of... surreal too. too good to be true. too good for this cruel... world." ike continued as his voice slowly faded.

y/n gave him a wide cheeky smile. "thank you, ike. you're cute too, especially when you're serious and concentrating."

the sudden throw of compliment made ike flustered immediately. he couldn't make his mind up for a reply that he just stood there silently, with his mouth opened.

"ike to earth, earth to ike?"

"d-don't throw a compliment so suddenly, y/n! jeez!" ike whined, making y/n laugh.

after they finished their drink, they threw the cans in their respective bin.

a few moments of silence wasn't so bad. it was just them, the wind, the lampposts, and the stars.

"i was scared." ike blurted out a confession in the middle of silence.

"i was scared when i first heard what my ability does. an ability that lets people hold spirits was already weirder compared to what the others got... let alone the ability to also allow people to be possessed by a spirit."

"don't get me wrong. i am very thankful that you gave me an ability just like the rest..." ike continued. "it's just that i'm... i'm scared. i think i'm too scared to use it. what if i use it wrong?"

"what if i mess up the rituals because of my anxiety? what if i weigh the club down and burden you? i don't want that, y/n, i—"

"calm down, ike." y/n gently said after holding his hand.

"i get what you're saying and i know what you mean." she said, rest assured. "but... you won't."

ike chuckled lowly and hopelessly. "you're not so sure of that."

y/n shook her head. "it won't happen if i'm with you. trust me."

"how? how can i trust you, y/n?" ike snapped. "how can i make sure that nothing will happen to all of us with this dangerous ability, huh?! how can you assure me that if we don't even know what's about to come—?!"

"ike!" y/n exclaimed and cupped the man's cheek.

"i have the ability to not let things go to that extent." y/n said carefully. "with my ability, i can make sure that everything can go all according to plan. just trust me. please."

ike huffed, still not complaining about the hands on his cheek. "why? do you have the power to turn back time or something?"

"nope. but i can stop it." y/n said as a matter of fact before letting him go.

"really?"

"yep. i can show you later."

it was good that ike calmed down a bit, but he had no comment when y/n told him to trust her.

a little more push, y/n.

"i'm feeling cake." y/n said all of a sudden. coincidentally, they just stopped by the park too.

"and here she was, craving for cake after she said that coke was bad for me." ike joked, earning a pout from y/n.

i should start earning pouts instead of money. he suddenly thought.

"i'll order us a cake. any flavor you fancy?"

"eh? are you serious?" ike asked, sweating.

"un." y/n said while seated at the swing and typing on her phone. "would you like a mousse? or a strawberry shortcake?"

"you choose." ike said and sat at the other swing.

"let's get strawberry shortcake!"

"okay." ike chuckled.

"there. done." y/n said and hid her phone.

"you know, ike, spirits are always around us." y/n suddenly said. "any normal people could never see them, but spirit mediums could. the only con is that they appear like a normal person."

"a spirit medium?"

"a spirit medium. like me, you, mysta, shu, luca, vox, my senpais." y/n said. "we're called exorcists in modern day. we're spirit mediums."

"maybe because we're spirit mediums... that when we look around..."

ike looked around the park where there were a few people and passersby.

"... we know which one of them are real and spirits."

ike bumped his fist on his palm. "ah. you mean we can see spirits mixed with other people without doing anything because we're spirit mediums?"

"yes, yes! you catch up quickly. i really admire your fast thinking." y/n said, catching ike off guard. "i still have to explain it to the others, they might not get it..."

"then luca's ability to let people see spirits, what's that?"

"only spirit mediums can see spirits among the mortals. spirits have something in them that makes them distinguishable from the humans," y/n explained.

"uhm... i don't know how to explain it very well." y/n hesitated and stood up. she then took a stick nearby.

"normal people can't see spirits, but spirit mediums can." y/n said while drawing on the sand. "so spirit mediums don't need to stop time just so they can see spirits."

"stop time?"

"my ability. it is to stop time." y/n softly said.

ike hummed. "yeah. it... it surprisingly fits you."

"you'll say otherwise if you learn what my original ability is." y/n mumbled to herself.

"if i stop time while in contact with a normal person, that will give them the ability to see the spirits." y/n said and continued doodling. "they can see all spirits... except the spirits they were acquainted with before."

"i remember." ike said. "you told us, if a person is related to the spirit in any way, they won't see the spirit."

"yes. luca can then use his ability on the normal person so they and the spirit can see each other." y/n said.

"the limitation is that they're only allowed to see and talk to each other. not touch." y/n said. "that's where you come in."

"you can make them touch each other."

"but to some abnormal extent, you can also make that spirit possess anyone."

"and how is that ability... any useful to the club?" ike asked. "i'm sorry. it's just..."

y/n glanced at the slide. ike first thought she was staring at nowhere, until he saw the kid sitting inside.

"everyone's abilities won't work if time isn't stopped. that's how elira-senpai came up with a ritual we could all use in exchange for using time freeze." y/n said and tugged ike's sleeve. "did you see that kid?"

"that... she's... she's a spirit, isn't she?"

"and how could you say..?"

"uhm... i don't know. there's just something in her that tells me so."

"i get you." y/n giggled. "yeah, that kid's a spirit."

"we can talk to her this way." y/n said. "however, communicating with her without looking like idiots would be easier if time is frozen."

"give me your hand."

ike held his hand out and placed it on top of y/n's.

the moment y/n wrapped her fingers around ike's hand has changed his world, figuratively snd literally. like a light sweeping through the earth's surface, he was caught in it. earning a loud pang in his chest and a flash of bright light in his eyes.

ike held his mouth. he almost barfed his stomach out with the impact. it made him dizzy for a moment.

"what happened..?"

"i stopped time." y/n said and asked ike to stare at the trees. the air was supposed to be blowing them away, but they stayed slanted. so did the little fountain, the passersby, and the birds. even the winds were silent.

the two of them walked to the kid on the slide.

"hi." ike greeted.

"huh? oh... hello. you can see me huh."

but the three of them were paused when they heard a stomach grumbling.

"probably mine?" ike asked and held his stomach.

"n-no... it's mine." y/n shyly said.

that made ike laugh while the little kid shook her head with a smile.

"big sister. i heard you ordered cake."

"i never knew i could attract spirits that way." y/n mumbled.

"d-do you think i can have a taste too..?" the child asked. "i missed having cake!"

"if the kid insists..." y/n turned to ike. "we can use your ability, ike."

ike was paused. he then immediately took a step back. "n-no. no no no. no way."

"is this your request?" y/n asked the kid, ignoring ike.

the kid was also silent for a few more minutes before she nodded to y/n. "yes, big sister."

"y/n. please, not now. i'm still not ready—!"

"you can never be ready." y/n darkly said and held ike's hand again.

ike closed his eyes tightly in shock and in fear. the pang happened again, and he couldn't forget how y/n last looked at him. is she angry? but why?

"ah. the cake's here!" y/n beamed when she saw the delivery guy.

like nothing just happened.

now ike felt a bit... anxious. nervous. hesitant. he couldn't figure out what just happened.

"are you alright?" y/n asked the pale driver.

"haha i'm fine. just a little hungry." the driver said and gave the box of cake to her.

"hungry..?" y/n asked. "would you like to eat cake with us?"

"huh?"

"y-y/n, i—!"

y/n has used her charm for the second time. but she forgot to hold ike so he was also frozen together with the delivery guy.

the lady coughed. and a little puddle of blood in her hand welcomed her sight. she just shook her head and wiped it with her handkerchief before going to ike and giving him a little poke on his cheek.

"— don't really—!" ike stopped. "ah. you activated it again." he said after seeing the delivery guy."

"i could go easy or hard on you. choose." y/n said with a gentle smile.

ike gulped.

"do you want to face your fear or not?"

"y/n i don't really want to d—"

"why?"

"i told you! i'm afraid i might get it wrong! and if i do, i might burden you—!"

"you'll burden me more if you won't try." y/n coldly said while sending icepick stares at him.

ike cursed under his breath. he has never been afraid of seeing how disappointed y/n could look.

"i'll try."

y/n smiled. "try it on me."

ike held y/n's shoulder and passed his energy to her. just like the energy he felt in receiving his charm's ability.

y/n went to the girl at the slide and offered her hand.

"what's your name?"

"tirami." the kid said and took y/n's hand.

it felt cold, making y/n flinch and take her hand back.

"b-big sister..?"

"i'm sorry. i-i..." y/n breathed a little heavier as she had a hard time coming up with words. it felt cold. she never liked the cold.

"i can't..." y/n whispered.

her vision was darkening, until she saw another hand reaching for tirami.

"come on, tirami. let's have a taste of your cake."

"thank you." y/n mumbled and went to the delivery guy first.

"... does big sister hate me?" y/n heard tirami asking ike.

"nah... she's just overwhelmed, that's all." ike answered while walking to the delivery guy, hand in hand with a spirit.

y/n watched how ike worked with the delivery guy's body and the little girl's soul. he opened a door in his body that has let tirami's soul inside, pushing the delivery guy's soul out of the body.

y/n just stared at the delivery guy's spirit resting on the floor. it was fast asleep.

y/n touched the delivery man's body, allowing tirami to move it on her own. "yay! let's eat!"

"let's eat!" ike said with the cake.

y/n just chuckled and gave them forks that came with the delivery. the three of them ate the cake in the cold.

"we can't take too long. that spirit will wake up soon." y/n said, talking about the spirit, sleeping on the floor. "a spirit without a shell will soon reject its own body if we won't give it back."

"i understand."

"are you still scared?" y/n asked.

ike huffed. "a little bit... but at least i already know i can do it."