Kamen Rider is the Villain in Pretty Cure

[Extra] Case File 81: Identity Exposed

"Sister, brother-in-law, bad news! Something big happened, you're on the news!"

"Brother-in-law... well, if you like calling me that?"

Ash, who had just snapped back to reality, was a little surprised but didn't dwell on it. He and Hana leaned closer to the phone Kotori handed them, their eyes scanning the news report.

A photo at the very top of the front page was particularly striking. It captured Ash, his back to the sun, removing his helmet and deeply embracing Hana, kissing her passionately, with the V rex robot impaled in his chest. Bathed in the light and conveyed through indescribable visual language, it presented a scene like a "masterpiece of the century."

"Haha, I look pretty cool, don't I?" Ash nodded smugly, comparing himself to the frozen image, completely unfazed and without any dissatisfaction.

Of course, Ms. Hana beside him was far from as calm.

"Pfft, cough cough cough!" Seeing the image, so clear and complete, even carrying a hint of artistic flair, was too stimulating for Hana, who was still very shy about matters of romance. She nearly choked on her fried egg.

"Th-this is!"

"Ah, when that Mirai Crystal dispelled all the darkness, human media must have arrived. It's not surprising they'd take a photo like this." Ash genuinely didn't see anything wrong with it. However, Hana, whose hand clutching her sister's was starting to tremble, couldn't accept it as easily as he did.

"Wait, if that's the case, doesn't that mean Ash being Time Fire has been exposed to everyone?!"

"Yeah, what's so surprising about that?"

Ash wasn't worried about his identity being exposed at all. The quality of people in this world was simply too high; there was no way the kind of persecution against civilian identities seen in other worlds would happen. At most, some trolls would complain on anonymous websites, so what was there to worry about?

"Are you worried about your identity crisis? I don't think you need to be. After all, from this angle, my face is completely blocked by you, so you don't have to worry."

"Wait!" Hana, suddenly realizing something, quickly exited the image and did a high-intensity self-search. As expected, the CP (coupling) between Time Fire and Cure Yell had instantly shifted from forbidden to canon, with a global trending topic reaching hundreds of millions.

This meant that her and Ash's first kiss...

"I, I! Our—kiss!"

For a moment, the girl's brain buzzed with stimulation, her tongue even getting tied. The color symbolizing shyness and health spread from her neck to the roots of her ears, and the heat radiating from her forehead was enough to lift a kettle lid, indicating a continuous rise in temperature.

"Yeah, it's likely the whole world has seen our first kiss live by now." Completely unfazed by Hana's dramatic color changes, Ash smiled as he looked at the various search results on his phone. "Including that confession, it was also worldwide. It's the first time we've managed something on this scale~ Hana, we might even end up in a textbook."

"Bang~"

"Ah!" Kotori, letting out a scream, quickly closed her eyes and kicked her legs back, catching Hana as she fell backward. "Sister fainted!"

"Hah~" Ash, amused and exasperated, squatted in front of her, her eyes spinning like pinwheels. He flicked her nose twice with his index finger. "Already fainted? Are you even capable, Ms. Precure?"

"So, is it really okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know why you're so worried?" Ash, who was changing clothes, didn't quite understand Hana's years of hiding and her fear of her identity being exposed. "I mean, the average level of people in your world isn't low. It's not like a situation where after your civilian identity is exposed, uninformed citizens will shout to expel dangerous individuals or drag you away for phototherapy. What are you afraid of?"

In fact, based on the information on Ash's phone, considering Hana's incredible reputation built up over the years by traveling and saving the world, even if she held a press conference and declared, "I am Precure!" and then ran for UN Secretary-General, she would absolutely win unanimously with no abstentions.

"So what are you afraid of?"

"I really don't want Mom, Dad, and Kotori to worry..." A simple and pure wish. Looking back, she saw Kotori giving her a thumbs-up from behind the wall, mouthing "You can do it!" with a warm feeling that brought a smile back to Hana's face. "Although it looks like they've already guessed it to some extent."

"After all, they are your family."

"Yes." Hana replied happily to Ash, then paused, nervously rubbing the hem of her pink dress with her hands. "And also... I don't like being surrounded by strangers. I, I'm shy around new people, you won't laugh at me, will you?"

Ash recalled her being bullied in elementary school and nodded, not surprised.

"Indeed. If we're surrounded by a bunch of clueless people when we go out later, I'll also find it quite troublesome."

After all, he wanted to enjoy their precious time together, just the two of them.

"I might laugh, because I think it's cute." With a casual remark that lifted Hana's mood back to happiness, the man put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Since you're scared, you can just stick closer to me. I'll protect you, and then you won't be afraid."

Hana looked up at the man's confident expression, nodded, and leaned into him.

"Ash, what are we going out to do this time?"

Standing at the open door, Hana, who was usually shy about romantic matters, took Ash's hand instead. It was as if she was afraid Ash would run away and disappear outside.

Now, she lacked a sense of security anywhere but by his side.

"It's not necessarily about doing anything specific." Feeling the nervousness transmitted from her palm, Ash gently squeezed her soft hand, trying to get her to relax. "Isn't dating just about happily passing the time?"

"Besides, it's a perfectly reasonable request for the hero who protected the world to take a break, so, Miss Hana, would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Yes!"

Hana answered without hesitation, then hugged his arm tightly, her heart no longer filled with fear as she stepped out into the bright world beyond the door.

[Extra] Case File 82: Date (Part 1)

"Um, Ash, is this really okay?"

Hana was naturally overjoyed at the prospect of going on a date with Ash and spending unforgettable time together.

But to avoid her current fiery status from being disturbed by outsiders, Ash said he wanted to disguise himself. Hana had readily agreed, but when the result came out...

Hana wished she had two more hands to cover her eyes. Who could save her man's sense of style? Who taught him this?!

"What's not good about it? I think it's very stylish!"

Hana's almost tearful expression didn't dampen Ash's currently high spirits. He put on the final sleeveless vest and a pair of small glasses, similar to those worn by a famous erhu player.

The combination of a crisp vest and jeans inside, a sleeveless vest with what seemed to be the autograph of a popular band, and the small glasses as an accent made Ash look like a rock singer.

If you're going to disguise yourself, wearing sunglasses and a suit would have been very cool, Hana thought... What kind of boyfriend dresses like this for a date with his girlfriend?!

"Next, it's time to witness a miracle!"

As he spoke, Ash's facial muscles contorted into a bizarre, exaggerated grin. If any fans of The Mask were present, their cheers for Jim Carrey's return could have likely shattered the ceiling of the clothing store. But the spectacle didn't end there. Under the astonished gazes of everyone in the store, Ash's normal hairstyle miraculously transformed.

Sharp spikes shot up, expanding outwards from the center—a perfectly executed hedgehog cut!

"A Saiyan, it's a Saiyan!" a customer shouted.

"And the Super Two Vegeta version!"

For some reason, Nono Hana felt a sense of unease from the increasingly fervent atmosphere in the store. She tugged at Ash's hem, and he responded with surprising attentiveness.

He pulled her into his arms, then hoisted the stunned Rumi E, whom they'd coincidentally met, over his shoulder like a sack and sprinted out of the clothing store—not forgetting to pay, of course.

"Ash… weren't we supposed to be here in disguise?" Hana asked, one of her eyes, not covered by her hair, looking tearfully at her show-off, conceited lover.

"Yes, disguise. Do you think anyone would see through it?" the man lied with his eyes open.

"As long as they think I'm cosplaying, no one will suspect I'm Time Fire."

"But you don't look like a Saiyan either," Rumi E, who had been dumbfounded, finally chimed in. "You look like some kind of scene kid, like a shady punk hanging around Hana."

After speaking, she quickly broke free from Ash's grip, which felt like a human trafficker abducting a child, and jumped to the ground, dusting off her clothes with a look of disdain.

"So this is what Time Fire's true form is like, so wild. Hana, are you sure you can handle him?"

"I… I can handle him… probably!" Hana nodded, her cheeks flushed, her voice as small as a buzzing fly. Rumi E's choice of words reminded her of some overly stimulating events from the previous night, and thinking about it now, her stomach started to feel warm again.

But don't let my appearance fool you, I was pretty amazing last night too. At least I didn't lose to him!

"There's no issue of 'handling' or not," Ash shrugged. "If Hana wants to 'handle' me, I'd be happy to strap on dozens of pounds of iron. That should be enough to counteract my weight."

"Dozens of pounds of iron… that's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"

"Not really. That way, you'd be able to hold me down."

"I, I don't want to hold Ash down… but when you hold me down, Ash, you!"

The beginning! You were so gentle with me at first, you tricked me! The beginning, is this how you treat your lover, The Beginning? This was genuinely my first time!

"I'm very happy. After all, you were so cute back then, Hana."

"C-cute, I don't think so. I, I used to always, sob…" Hana's attempt to utter a dejected phrase out of overwhelmed emotion was cut off by Ash's finger.

"Let's not think about the past. Let's just think about the future."

Ash's sudden, direct approach struck Hana's weakness. Steam began to rise from her head, hidden beneath her straw hat. Only when Ash removed the finger from her mouth did he, as if performing magic, present a colorful ice cream cone to her lips.

"Mmm! This is so sweet." The sweet, cool sensation in her mouth helped her brain cool down, making her forget everything that had just happened. Leaning against Ash's arm, Hana happily savored the ice cream like a little squirrel.

"Is this how you guys usually interact?" Rumi E, whose mouth felt like it was making "crunch, crunch" sounds, looked at Ash, who was watching Hana lick the ice cream.

Ah, it's definitely sweet. Does anyone have coffee? Preferably a bitter Americano~

"Is there something wrong with that? If your lover is showing signs of anger or sadness, it's normal to comfort them and make them smile through their tears," Ash said with a smile. "By the way, Rumi E, there's a small problem. Are you still on time for your concert?"

"Concert—Ahhh! I'm going to be late! What do I do, what do I do!" Hearing Ash's reminder, she remembered that she wasn't just out shopping but also had a concert to prepare for. As she let out a high-pitched scream and fumbled around in a panic, the kind Ash gave her another reminder.

"If you can't use the V-Rex to get there, then take a taxi."

"Right, right, a taxi, a taxi!!" With that thought, Rumi E dashed towards the main road with unprecedented speed. She almost had a close encounter with a taxi due to her excessive haste. She yanked open the door, fastened her seatbelt, told the driver the destination, and, ignoring his surprised look upon seeing an idol, earnestly requested him to drive as fast as possible.

Everything was flawless, except for the fact that she had forgotten to bring Ash and Hana with her.

Ash took a deep breath of the air kicked up by the speeding taxi and turned to look at Hana, who was still engrossed in her ice cream.

"Hana."

I remember you said you wanted to see your friend's concert today.

"Hm? What's wrong, Ash?" Hana looked up, her expression one of innocent confusion. Coupled with the ice cream smudge on her lips, her bewildered look intensified.

"Hold on tight in a moment." He wiped the cream from Hana's lips with his finger. The cryptic words deepened Hana's confusion. By the time she looked around and realized Rumi E was no longer there, it was already too late.

Her perspective shifted violently. When she came to her senses, Ash was holding her in a princess carry.

"We're going to sprint."

"Eh? What, Ash, wait!"

After licking the white cream off his other thumb, the man, wearing a mischievous grin, unleashed his leg strength, more than three times that of an ordinary person, and sprinted off with the girl's cries of dismay trailing behind him.

Ash, at this moment, was free and happy.

[Extra]Case File 83 Date (Part 2)

"Everyone, thank you for coming to listen to my performance!"

To heal the hearts of people who had just emerged from the shadow of losing their future, the concert originally scheduled for today was not canceled but proceeded as planned. As expected, it was completely full. On the specially constructed stage in the center of Nursery City Plaza, the popular genius pianist Emiru was greeting the audience below.

Seeing Hana take her seat as expected, the girl dressed formally on stage waved excitedly towards them. However, Ash, who was beside her and dressed in such an unconventional manner, caused her to not recognize him at first. Once she did, she was stunned.

Even though his face represented the identity of a nationally recognized "superstar," no one had recognized him along the way. His disguise was practically perfect… or perhaps a little too perfect. The security guard at the entrance almost mistook him for someone from a heavy metal band trying to cause trouble. If it weren't for the VIP ticket, he might have been kicked out.

"Isn't it… a little too flashy?"

"No, I think it's just right." Hana, perhaps worried about drawing attention, adjusted her glasses, revealing a confident, trustworthy smile. "My handsomeness is a given; it needs no further proof!"

"No, that's not what I meant…" Hana complained weakly but was also happy about his reassuring confidence. "Never mind, as long as you're happy."

Ash attracted a lot more attention than I did on our journey. People kept asking for his contact information, but he refused them all. Come to think of it, Ash really does have a right to brag about himself.

Ever since he revealed himself to the whole world that one time, Ash has become a "superstar." Now, whenever Hana browses the internet on her phone, she can easily find tons of "confession" posts from fans about Ash in related comment sections or forums. Some of the extreme comments made her feel quite strange, and she'd secretly glance at the person next to her.

Her gaze quietly swept over Ash, who seemed completely unaware of this. The worry and slight inferiority complex that had just arisen instantly shattered when she saw his charming smile from the side. Instead, a sense of satisfaction from a proud display surged within her, and the fullness in her heart made her hug his arm with a silly grin.

I belong to Ash, and Ash belongs to me... That was his promise to me last night. Now I have someone with whom I can share a future!

"Ash is mine now~"

Ash didn't know what this woman suddenly hugging him was thinking, but he still playfully ruffled her hair into a mess in response.

For now, just rely on me as much as you want.

"The next performance," Rumi E said, sitting down at the piano while holding the microphone. She subtly glanced at Ash and Hana again. "I want to dedicate it to the two heroes of our world!"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh—" Rumi E's announcement was met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience. After all, the voice that called out for love to the entire world that day had pushed both of their reputations to the peak. A couple who had actually saved the world and each other—how could anyone not be moved by such a dreamlike and romantic deed?

"Look," she said, tidying her messy hair and nudging the man next to her with her elbow. "They're calling you a hero too~ Hehe, how about that? You were always pursuing the ideal of being a hero, but doesn't it feel pretty good to become a hero yourself now?"

"He's talking about both of us."

Seeing the finger reaching out, Hana, thinking he was going to play a prank again, hastily raised her hand to cover her hair. But she saw his thumb stop in front of her, then gently brush aside a lock of her bangs, allowing her right eye, which had been obscured by her gloomy heart, to see the light of day again.

"While the decadent and dispirited vibe is fun for role-playing, especially since the sounds you make are quite amusing," Ash said, revealing both of her blushing eyes. The incongruity that had always bothered Ash disappeared. "I still think you'd look better, Hana, if you were a bit more sunny and cheerful."

You look happier like this.