3rd POV

A white tour bus drives down a road that seems to lead no where with a thick fog cloaking the surroundings. The tour bus drives at a slow pace, being cautious of anything that can jump out of the fog. Inside the tour bus, there are two passengers; sitting patiently in the silent car as if waiting for something.

Inside the tour bus, it was sparkling clean, the walls and flooring of the bus coated in blue. But unlike most tour buses that were filled with furniture, and kitchen counters; this bus was empty with a violet blue corner couch and a single white grand piano inside. The piano was sitting perfectly next to the two passengers, in perfect condition.

One of the passengers is an old man with an unusually long nose, big eyes, and an odd smile hiding behind his hands that he had tied in front of his face. The man sat by the partition window, while the other passenger sat to his left. A young woman with platinum-blonde curly hair, pale skin, dressed in violet blue that matched the colored interior of the tour bus while an old and tattered tome sat on her lap. The old man smirked to himself as his attention focused on their guest who sat across from him.

"Welcome... to the 'Velvet Room'" the old man said, his voice sounding somehow smooth; despite it's high tone.

"My, it would seem we have a guest, with an intriguing destiny!" the old man said with an amused tone as he waved his hand, displaying the Velvet Room. After a good amount of time had passed, the old man looked at the guest; showing his small pupils.

"Some Introductions! I am Igor! And I am quite please to make your acquaintance" Igor introduced, a slight chuckle escaping. The young woman next to Igor opened her eyes and looked at the guest, showing her golden eyes.

"Yes, welcome. And I will be here to accompany you on your journey on your travels. You may call me, 'Margret'" Margret introduced, her voice sounding like a twenty year old woman. Based on the way she said that sentence, their guest assumed that Margret was an assistant of Igor.

"You see, this realms exists between mind and matter. It separates dream from reality" Igor began to explain. "Generally speaking, only those who have forged a contract, are allowed to enter this room. And perhaps in the very near future, such a fate will be awaiting you, as well." Igor closed his eyes for a moment before looking back over to his guest with a sly grin that caused their guest to blink in slight discomfort.

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor asked as he untied his right hand from his left and hovered it on top of the small round table in front of him. A deck of cards, their backs designed with a blue and black mask. Igor waved his right hand over the table, causing the card to magically spread across the table. Igor chuckled as he noticed that his guest was stunned into silence.

"Each reading is done by the same cards, but the results are always... Different. Life itself fallows the same principles, doesn't it?" Igor said with a grin as he flipped a card in the upright position. It was a picture of a tower being struck by lightening, two figures falling out.

"The tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. The card indicating the future beyond that is..." Igor began as he flipped another card. It was a picture of a crescent moon that seemed to hover above a river. "The moon, in the upright position. This card represents 'hesitation' and'mystery'... Very interesting indeed." Igor looked up at his guest with a wide grin, as if he was amused by his guests misfortunate reading.

"It seems you will encounter a great misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you. In the following days, you will enter a contract of some sort, after which you will return here" Igor explained calmly, despite his slightly amused tone. He then suddenly become very serious and stared directly at his guest, causing them to also become serious.

"The coming year is a turning point in your destiny. If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to assure that does not happen" Igor explained. He waved his hand over the table, and magically disappeared.

"Let's hope... Your journey will be quite interesting at the least. Until our paths cross again" Margret said with a momentum tone before she and Igor returned to their earlier position. The guest felt somewhat light headed as they began to lose consciousness.

Protagonist's POV

"Why go on a diet? Enough with heading to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!" a smooth and silky voice chuckled, catching my attention. I looked over my shoulder to the television-covered wall. It was an advertisement for a drink that was supposedly so good that it slimmed you down. The owner of the smooth and silky voice was a boy who was wearing a swim trunks, around my age, with copper colored fluffy hair. He has tan skin, and sharp brown eyes.

"Slim down this summer with the refreshing taste of Queloie Magic" a calm and collected voice said as the boy on screen winked, a star swirling forward and shaping into the beverage product. I blinked at the screen before mentally shrugging and looked forward, waiting for the bullet train to arrive. I wasn't a big fan of fizzy drinks like soda. But I didn't hate it or don't drink it.

"And, we're back. Now for some juicy news, the 'Mayumi-Yamano' scandal-" a voice began. I sighed silently as I closed my eyes in slight annoyance. The Mayumi-Yamano scandal. The news won't stop talking about it. It's thanks to the news that those involved with the affair have to deal a lot with the shame and such. Please news people, leave them be. A nearby scoff catches my attention as I looked over to my right. A man and a woman stood next together, their hands locked. A couple? Well, whatever relationship they are in; the man gave a confused glare at the television wall.

"First he bangs a singer, and then he has an affair with a T.V announcer on the side? Do chicks really dig politicians?" the man huffed, a confused look on his face as he looked at the woman. The woman smiles with a raised eyebrow as she hooks an arm with his.

"Isn't it just stuff like money and connections? When you get down to it, financial and political powers are what matters" the woman teased, resting her head on his shoulder. I blinked at them as the screeching sound of metal tires pound at my ear. I readjusted my duffle bag strap and my grip on a souvenir bag I was carrying as I took a step back, using my legs that have been holding my body for an hour or so. The train's doors open as people began to flood out on the other side, like a swarm of puppies being released from a kennel. I braced myself as people began to push me forward into the trains doors. Once I settled in, I grabbed onto one of the hanging handles; seeing as how the seats were all taken. I was slightly uncomfortable, seeing as how girls in Tokyo have to be extremely cautious.

I dully stared out the window in front of me, just above the man who sat in front of me. My reflection on the mirror showed my small frame, short silver hair, gray eyes, and bored expression caused me to frown slightly. The train began to move, causing the familiar train station that I had finally gotten used to slowly began to slide to my right- escaping from my vision. I closed my eyes, feeling strangely more tired than usual as I recalled the events a few days ago... The face of my saddened parents and upset classmates sketched into my mind. I sighed silently as I rubbed the back of my head. Another year, another school, another uniform. This time for a year, which will break my longest recorded which used to be five months.

I was starting to lose count of the amount of school uniforms I've worn in the past years. All because of her. It's not like I can blame her though. All I really need to do is let go. But I know better than anyone that I can never let go. It's too painful. Especially now, seeing as how she and my parents decided to go overseas without me. Instead, I have to live with an uncle I didn't even know. I blinked in surprise as I remembered something. I gently placed my souvenir bag down on the ground between my feet as I slugged my duffel bag off my shoulder and reached into the side pockets. I pulled out my cell phone and flipped it open, searching for a particular text message.

Meet us outside YasoInaba Station at 4PM.

I mentally nodded as I closed my phone again, stuffing it into my side pockets of the bag. It's going to be a while since I arrive to the next train station. Might as well make a plan. Let's see... After this train, I'll need to ride another one before arriving to my destination. After that, I'll meet my uncle. He'll most likely take me straight over to his house where my stuff will be already waiting for me to unpack. If he knows how to cook, then I'll go on ahead and unpack a little. If he doesn't and ends up getting me something from a convenient store, I'll go on ahead and eat with him first then unpack. It's been a long couple of days, so I want to go to bed early tonight. Especially since school will start tomorrow. Hm... Maybe I should double check my bag before I go to bed?

"We will be arriving at YasoInaba terminal in a few minutes," a voice announced over the train's PA system, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. "Passengers heading for Inaba City and YasoInaba terminal, please move to the other side of the platform." Before I knew it, my stop had arrived. Not too surprising, seeing as how I was on the bullet train. I was already fifteen or so minutes behind my original schedule, and the last thing I wanted was someone from my family, whom I haven't even met, to go farther than planned to pick me up. I quickly grab my souvenir bag and slung my duffel bag over my shoulder once again as I fallowed the rest of the passengers. I was able to slip out of the train with ease and made my way across the cement boarding station. Thankfully, my next train was already waiting for me.

I boarded onto the next train, noticing that only a few people had followed me on board. So Inaba isn't all that popular? Hmm, now that I think about it... I haven't heard of Inaba until my mother had told me about it. That must mean that it's a rather quite little town.

To my advantage, there weren't many passengers on board which made it easy to get a seat. Once I found a good spot to sit in, I stood on my tipped toes to shove my duffel bag slightly on the overhead storage rack. I made sure that a strap was loosely hanging, so it would be easy to remove once it was time to go. Knowing that it would be impossible to take out the souvenir bag from up there, I place it down next to me and plop down on the comfy blue train seat. I let out a long sigh as my eye lids became heavy. Have I really been this tired? I groaned softly as I rested my head onto the glass window next to my seat, letting myself doze off.

3rd POV

"I-I'm so sorry, dear..." a familiar feminine voice began, clearly sounding apologetic.

"I know that your birthday will be sometime during your trip to Inaba... I'm so sorry that your father and I couldn't celebrate it with you. I'm sorry, really. Especially after last years celebration, when she came in and made that big tantrum." A child's voice along with a smooth man's voice suddenly calls out from somewhere far away, catching the woman's attention.

"They're home already? Oh dear... Listen, I'm really sorry... This is the least that I could do, please. Buy yourself something nice as a gift from your father and I" the woman said softly, almost in a whisper. The same child's voice called out again.

"Coming!" the woman called back, her voice sounding much happier than it did when talking to the first person.

"...I'm so sorry. Happy birthday sweetie, your father and I... We love you" the woman said weakly before leaving.

The person that the woman was talking too started to cry, tears uncontrollably falling down their face. Suddenly, the sound of static along with fuzzy memories began to form in the persons head. Multiple voice began to cry out in distress, telling one another to run away or to do something.

"-Narukami-chan!" a voice called out.

Protagonist's POV

I abruptly awoke from my slumber as the voice from my dream fades away. What was that? The train suddenly enters a tunnel, causing me to remember that I was on the train to Inaba. I placed a hand over my mouth as I yawned softly. I think that little nap only made me more exhausted.

Once the train exited the tunnel, I took a look outside; observing the greenery and bare surroundings. I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the spring sunlight. I looked over to the right, to the other window and seats which were empty. I peeked out of my seat section and noticed that there was two, maybe three other people on the train with me.

"...It's so quite here" I muttered to myself as I sat back down, combing my short hair with my fingers. I smoothed out my white turtleneck shawl, readjusted my light brown scarf, tugged my lavender buttoned dress, and puffed my turquoise buttoned shirt that was aligned perfectly with my dress. I tapped the heels of my knee-high brown boots against the floor to help my feet wake up, while my black leggings got to breathe for a few seconds.

"Thank you for riding with us. In just a few moments, we'll reach our final stop; YasoInaba Station" a voice over the trains PA system began, catching my attention. I stood up from my seat and stood on my tipped toes, dragging my duffel bag down with the strap I left dangling. "Please prepare to exit." I grabbed my souvenirs bag and walked towards the doors that would allow me to embrace the spring's warm sun and cold winds. Once the doors opened, I walked off the train and breathed in the atmosphere of the rural town.

"Final stop, YasoInaba. YasoInaba station" the voice from the PA system called out. I blinked as I looked around the station. The train station looked bare, the cement ground covered with sakura petals from the trees. The ground looked filthy, patches of filth here and there as the ceilings collected small amounts of dust.

Brushing off the condition of the station, I walked forward to where a small patch of stairs awaited me. I blinked in surprise as I walked down the stairs, slightly amazed at how little there seemed to be. There was a small number of three buildings visible to me, green hills and mountains could be seen behind the buildings. I looked up slightly and saw all the telephone wires hovering in the air as they were held by their telephone poles. I blinked in surprise as I looked around the area, slowly taking in it's little offers.

"There's... Absolutely nothing here..." I muttered to myself. I closed my eyes as I listened to the wind that gently began to blow. It's been a while since I've had the chance to just relax and let the breeze cool me from the suns hot rays. It felt rather nice.

"Oh, there you are!" a man's voice called out. I opened my eyes in surprise and looked over to my right, where a man began to head towards me. I blinked in slight confusion at the person as I turned towards him. The man seemed to be in his early thirties and was dressed in a gray shirt, a dark red tie lazily hanging from his neck, and a pair of brown slacks on his feet. I couldn't help but notice a pack of cigarettes sticking out of his shirt pocket.

"You look more beautiful in person than in that picture" the man complimented as he continued to walk towards me, a smile on his face. I felt my face heat up slightly, forming an, almost visible, blush on my cheeks.

"You're a whole lot bigger than the last time I saw ya. You were just a little girl in diapers back then" the man said carelessly as he stuck out his left arm and lowered it towards the ground, showing how tall I was when we had met the first time. I shifted slightly, a slightly embarrassed vibe coming from me. This man must be my uncle. Noticing the somewhat awkward and embarrassed atmosphere I had, the man blinked in surprise.

"Hm? What, don't you remember me? Well, it has been a while..." the man said with a slightly embarrassed tone, scratching the back of his head with his left hand. Shortly after a good scratch, the man placed hand on his hip as he gave me a welcoming smile.

"The name's Ryoutaro Dojima. I just happen to be your mothers younger brother" the man explained. I nodded, trying to repeat the name in my head. Uncle Dojima. My guardian for this coming year. Dojima then looked down over to his right, the smile still on his face.

"And... This here is my daughter, Nanako" Dojima introduced as I followed his gaze. There, cowering behind Dojima's legs was a brown hair, short pig tailed girl with big brown eyes. Holding her hair were two small pink ribbons that matched the one of the colors of her dress. The little girl, known as Nanako, was wearing a white turtleneck underneath her dress that had three different shades of pink.

Nanako stared at me with a soft pink on her cheeks for a while before hiding half of her face behind Dojima's arm.

"Go on Nanako, introduce yourself to your cousin" Dojima encouraged with a smile. I mentally giggled at how cute Nanako was as I squatted down to her height, keeping my legs together as I tilted my head to the side slightly.

"Hello" I greeted, a soft look in my eyes that was accompanied with no smile. Nanako's cheeks deepened at my actions as she looked down at her feet.

"Ah... Um... Hello!" Nanako stammered before hiding behind Dojima. Dojima chuckled as I stood back up. Dojima leaned forward slightly to smile at his daughter with a teasing look.

"What're you so shy for? I thought you were excited to have another girl in the house" Dojima chuckled before Nanako smacked him at his backside, causing him to yelp. Soon, Dojima began to chuckle again as Nanako glanced at me again. Dojima looked over at me and pointed his thumb over behind him, showing a car of some sort. It was one of those popular ones recommended for those who had a family. I wasn't into cars, so I didn't know what brand. All I do know right now is that it's white with a spare tire on the back.

"My car's over that way. Let's head home, shall we?" Dojima suggested. I nodded as the three of us began to walk forward.

The silence in the car was slightly unbearable for the others as I gazed out the window. My eyelids continued to threaten to close as I stared outside of my window, my right hand holding my head up. The radio was on and it continued to talk about the Mayumi-Yamano scandal. Can't the news change topics like it usually does?

"Well, you're here" Dojima began, catching my attention. "But damn, sorry it's like this. It sucks that you have to pick up and move just because of your parents." I blinked in surprise at the language Dojima had carelessly blurted in front of his daughter. I blinked twice as I lowered my head slightly, thinking that it might be slightly normal for people now a days to say words like that.

"Regardless, I'm glad your spending the year here" Dojima continued, as he looked over his shoulder once reaching a stop light. "It'll be fun!" He flashed a comforting smile, one that made me feel welcomed. I nodded with a shy look in my eyes.

"...Yeah" I muttered in reply. Dojima closed his eyes as he smiled, a soft chuckle from him. Nanako tapped Dojima on the shoulder shyly, catching both of our attention.

"Potty time, hurry...!" Nanako said softly, sounding embarrassed. I couldn't tell what her face looked like, but based on her personality I have met so far and the sound of her voice; I would say she's rather red in the face. Dojima blinked at Nanako nervously and glanced at me. I nodded at him, telling him that I was okay with a side trip. Dojima nod in reply, thanking me as he began to drive forward with permission from the green light.

After driving a little bit more, I noticed a town coming into sight; a car or two passing by us. I blinked in curiosity as I stared out my window, noticing how little people were outside on a beautiful day like today. Soon, Dojima pulled over into a small looking gas station as a delivery truck drove away.

"Welcome!" a male voice called out as Dojima stopped next to a gas pump. Nanako quickly unbuckled herself and jumped out of the car, Dojima slowly exiting the car with her. I stared at Nanako's back as she ran inside the little convenient store, looking like she was at her breaking point.

"Are you going to be alright on your own?" Dojima called out as he poked his head towards the back of the car, watching Nanako enter the store. Feeling a little stuffy inside the car and wanting to see more of the rural town, I slowly stepped out of the car; feeling my legs become heavy for some reason.

"Hey, are you heading out?" the same male voice from earlier asked. I looked over to the figure who was dressed in red, orange, and white; clearly looking like an employee. I walked over to the back of Dojima's car and looked around at the rural town, trying to stay out of eavesdropping their conversation.

"No, I just got back from picking my niece up train station. She's moving here from the big city today" I heard Dojima reply, causing me to look at him. He was pointing a thumb over to my general direction, causing the employee to follow Dojima's thumb. A gentle breeze blew over us, causing my short hair to sway as I looked around the town. It's so small, I doubt that I'll get lost here; which is a good thing.

"Regular please, and uh... Fill 'er up?" Dojima asked the employee as he walked over to me. I heard the employee say, "Cool thank you" as my attention fixed on Dojima.

"Wait here until Nanako get's back, alright? Don't go wandering around" Dojima instructed as he pulled out the little packet of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. I nodded in reply, causing Dojima to smile as he walked towards the convenient store.

I turned back my attention towards the rode in front of me, observing it's quietness. Not a single soul was outside, almost making the town like a ghost town. I could see a few shops closed in front of the gas station, a bus stop sign not all that far away. I noticed that in bold writing, it said on top of the sign- "Central District". I looked down the road that lined up from the gas station, seeing that a few shops were still open. There was a bookstore, a tofu shop, and another convenient store as far as I could tell. It seemed like there were more stores than just those three, but I couldn't see from where I was standing.

"So, you're from the city huh? In high school?" the employee asked, catching my attention. I turned around to face him as he instructed the gas pump into the car.

"What's a cute girl like yourself doing all the way out here?" the employee asked, smiling slightly. I felt my face heat up slightly as I blinked twice. I blinked twice at his comment as I moved my shoulder up slightly, feeling shy.

"...My parents" I muttered softly, trying to calm my face down. The employee smirked at my reaction as he placed a hand on his hip. I couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable aura around the man. It was somewhat nerve racking.

"Oh, got'cha. Hey, we're looking for part-timers here. You interested?" the employee asked, sending me a bigger smile that almost seemed like a smirk. I shook my head slightly, becoming slightly more shy at the employee's stare.

"Thank you, but no" I replied, my head lowering a bit while keeping our eyes locked.

"Still trying to get used to how dull it is here compared to the big city?" the employee chuckled as he looked out towards the road, lined up with shops. I fallowed his gaze as I looked out towards the buildings.

"You'll be bored to tears if you don't have a job or something. But, by looking at you; I can tell you'll get a lot of friends" the employee said with a sly tone, a hint of amusement as he caught my attention. He walked over to me and extended his hand out towards me. I blinked in surprise as I took a slight step back.

"But hey look, give my job offer some thought. Sound good?" the employee asked, a friendly smile on his face. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the employee had pale skin with shoulder-length light gray colored hair, with eyes that matched. I couldn't help but stare at him with slightly wide eyes that were filled with surprise. I looked down at his hand and shook it with my own.

"...Alright" I muttered under my breath. The employee smirked for some reason as he gave my hand a tight squeeze, not letting go. I felt my face become more warm as I shyly tried to remove my hand from his. But for whatever reason, the employee wouldn't let go and continued to squeeze my hand. The sound of footsteps caught our attention as I instantly shot my head up. Thankfully, Dojima and Nanako were heading back towards us; causing me to sigh in relief silently. Dojima saw the employee and I holding hands, causing him to raise an eyebrow as he glared at him.

"Hey, there's no need for you to hit on my niece" Dojima growled, causing the employee to let go of my hand. I took my hand back near my body as I held my wrist with my other hand. The employee chuckled nervously as he hid his gray eyes.

"Whoops, busted! All right, back to work then!" the employee said as he pulled the gas pump out of the car, and quickly walking back inside the convenient store. I looked over to Dojima and looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed. I couldn't find any words to use for my gratitude, so I nodded instead; causing Dojima to blink at me in surprise. He looked at me with slightly sympathetic eyes before smiling and patting my head as he walked past me to the drivers side.

"Sorry about the delay" Dojima apologized cheerfully as he ruffled my hair a bit.

"Ready to go?" he asked as his hand slid off my silver head. I nodded slightly and faced forward, ready to get back inside the car. Suddenly, a massively throbbing pain pounded at my brain. I wobbled a bit, my legs suddenly giving out as I caught my balance with the spare tire. I placed my right hand over my right eye, closing my eyes as the sunlight made me feel worse.

"Are you okay?" I heard Nanako ask. As if on cue, my throbbing headache slowly drifted away as I looked at Nanako. She had a worried look on her face as she titled her head slightly.

"You don't look so good. Are you... Car sicky?" Nanako asked, a concerned tone in her voice. I blinked in surprise as I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"...I'm fine. It passed" I replied softly, still a little woozy. Nanako stared at me with a worried look on her face as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over my shoulder slightly and saw Dojima giving me a concerned loo as well.

"You must be exhausted after that long trip. Come on, let's go" Dojima instructed. I nodded, finding words to be slightly more exhausting. As Dojima started the car up again to take the three of us to the Dojima residence, the atmosphere in the car was intense as the Dojima's shot glances over my way. I stopped noticing as the car began to move, my mind going blank as I stared at the car seat in front of me, which Nanako sat in.

"Hitomi? We're here" I heard a voice call out. I opened my heavy eyelids, noticing that the car had stopped moving. I slowly leaned forward, rubbing my tired eyes. In the corner of my eye, I noticed a bag from a store called 'Junes' sitting next to me. I blinked at it in confusion as the sound of the car doors opening and closing echoed in my ears. Questions began to pop in my head as I slowly unbuckled my seat belt. When did I fall asleep? What was a bag from 'June' doing sitting next to me? The door next to me suddenly opened as Dojima smiled nervously at me.

"You passed out on our way home. I remembered about the food that I was planning on getting today and made a quick errand. Sorry I didn't wake you" Dojima apologized as he grabbed the bag. I shook my head slightly as I opened my door.

"It's fine, I don't mind" I replied softly, sounding drowsy. Nanako stood next to my door with a slightly worried look on her face as I wobbled down to the ground. I tilted my head at her with gentle eyes, letting her know that I was okay. Nanako got the message and smiled shyly at me before walking behind Dojima to the house.

I grabbed my duffel and souvenir bag that was in the trunk before walking towards the two-story traditional style house. I looked up near the rooftop, observing it's deep chocolate color. It was rather late, the sunset rays shining on the roof top. The house looked simple enough. I rubbed my yes once more as I opened the door and walked in.

I blinked in surprise once I saw the condition of the house. Over in the kitchen, where Dojima was getting something out of the fridge while Nanako stood patiently behind him; I noticed that it was fairly clean. There was a toaster on the kitchen table that had a panda on top of the toaster, some news papers and other documents stacked on the corner near the living room, and a cabinet that faced the table- filled with plates, cups, pots, pans, spices, and come china ware. Dojima's brown coat hanged lazily over one of the chairs, near the doorway. In the kitchen itself, there was a fridge which was decorated with childish drawings, documents, and a towel hanging from a magnetic clip for wiping your hands.

Over in the living room, there was a dark brown couch, a chabudai surrounded with four purple zabuton, tatami mats, and a small television that sat in the corner; facing the chabudai. On top of the chabudai were three boxes of to go sushi. I couldn't help but notice the two small brown bears that sat on top of the T.V, finding it cute.

Behind the television was a sliding door that, I assume, is a closet. Near the stairway that was to my right, on the shining wooden floor, was a small wooden cabinet of sorts that had a landline phone on top along with a small green shaded lamp and a vase that held flowers. On the wall behind the flowers is a calendar with a picture of Mount. Fuji on it. I took off my shoes as I walked on to the wooden floor, taking in the house. Dojima closed the fridge as he pulled out three drinks. He placed them down as he walked over to me, a small smile on his face.

"Why don't you and Nanako go on ahead and wait for me at the table? I'll put your things in your room" Dojima said as he took my duffel and souvenir bag. I nodded obediently and walked over to the chabudai. Nanako quickly walked over to the chabudai with the drinks that Dojima had pulled out earlier and took a seat next to the dark blue curtains, while I choose to sit across from her. Nanako placed down an orange drink in front of her as she offered me a can of green tea. I nodded a thank you to her as I took the can. After a moment, Dojima came back from upstairs. He chuckled nervously as he sat down at the end of the chabudai, between Nanako and I.

"This was supposed to be your welcoming party..." Dojima began, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish look. "But I'm not much of a cook, so this was the best I could throw together." I tilted my head slightly with a nod, letting him know that I understood. Nanako happily offered the other can of green tea to Dojima, in which he smiled at her. I looked down over to my can and open it up, Dojima and Nanako fallowing. Dojima then raised up his can of green tea, Nanako and I fallowing his lead.

"Well... Bottoms up!" Dojima cheered happily. The three of us held our cans slightly higher before drinking. Nanako and I took a small sip as Dojima took a big gulp. Placing our cans down, Nanako clapped her hands together; thanking for the food as Dojima smiled at me.

"So, it looks like we're going to be your family for a while" Dojima began, starting up a conversation. "Do your best to try and make yourself feel at home here, okay?" I blinked at him with a surprised face. A family...? My face couldn't help but warm up as I looked down, nodding shyly.

"...Alright, thank you" I muttered, timidly. Dojima laughed as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Well, let's have some sushi then" Dojima chirped, hungry for the cheap brand. I picked up my chopsticks slowly, when suddenly; Dojima's phone went off. I blinked in surprise as I saw him sigh in exhaustion.

"Of course, perfect timing..." Dojima grumbled as he took out his phone, standing up from the table. Dojima flipped open his cell as he turned his back on Nanako and me, a sigh escaping him. I sat up on my knees a little as I sat in the same spot, but towards Dojima's back.

"Dojima here" he began. There was a small pause, when I noticed in the corner of my eye that Nanako looked rather upset. My eyes softened in sympathy at her, knowing exactly how it feels.

"...Got it, I'm on my way" Dojima said, hanging up his phone and stuffing it in his pocket shortly after. Nanako and I looked back over to Dojima as he walked towards the door.

"Sorry, I gotta go. Feel free to dig in. Oh, and make sure to help her out okay; Nanako" Dojima instructed as he grabbed a coat that hanged from one of the chairs, slugging it over his shoulders. Nanako stood up, catching my attention.

"Daddy...!" Nanako called out, a hint of sadness and disappointment in her voice. I looked back over to Dojima, a slightly worried look on my face.

"Don't wait up for me. It could be kinda late..." Dojima muttered as he did a little dance, fixing his feet into his shoes. My shoulders slouched as Dojima opened the door and stepped a foot out the door. I blinked in surprise as I heard the sound of rain hitting the ground outside. Dojima looked over to the right and left, surprised at the fact it was raining.

"Nanako, it's raining out! What did you do with the laundry?" Dojima asked as he held his arm out. Nanako blinked in surprise at Dojima's hesitation to leave the house.

"I brought it in! All dry..." Nanako called out, saying the last part softly to herself. Dojima nodded as he stuffed his arms through the sleeves of his coat.

"Great, I'm off" Dojima called out as he closed the door behind him. I blinked after him in confusion. I looked over to Nanako, just in time for her to sit down as if nothing had happened. I looked back over to the door, raising an eye brow in confusion. Did he just go off to work? Based on the way that his pone call went, he seems to be involved with legal fairs. I looked over to Nanako, sitting properly as I smoothed out my skirt. I nervously looked up at Nanako, who was calmly eating her meal. It surprised me a little at how calm she was able to just eat after her father left.

"...What does your father do?" I asked, wanting to know the answer. Nanako swallowed the sushi bits in her mouth.

"He... investigates stuff. Like crime scenes" Nanako began, trying to find the proper words. I blinked in surprise at two things.

1) Nanako's vocabulary.
2) Dojima's occupation.

"My dad's a detective at the police department. It's kinda always like this" Nanako explained as he looked over to Dojima's untouched sushi box. I nodded slowly, looking down at my skirt. So, Dojima's a detective... Nanako must worry constantly about him. I looked up over to Nanako, finding it astonishing at how much Nanako and I had in common. Well, we had somewhat similarity. After a long pause of silence, Nanako fidgeted in the silence and turned on the television.

"-And after a word from our sponsors, the weather" a male voice stated. I looked over to the television as a cheery tone began, balloons floating diagonally. Nanako suddenly perked up at the tone and screen, a big smile on her face as she giggled.

"At Junes, everyday is 'Costumer Appreciation Day'! Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products!" a cheerful woman's voice said as produce with cheap prices began to float along the screen. Soon the top of a store appeared, a sign with orange letters spelling out, 'Junes'. I blinked in surprise as I recalled the shopping bag that contained the sushi from earlier.

"Every day's great at your Junes~" the woman sang, a simple yet cheerful tone in the background. Nanako smiled happily as she began to sway to the sides, her brown pigtails bouncing in sync.

"Every day's great at your Junes~!" Nanako sang, her voice sounding bad. It was expected from a child. I stared at Nanako as she continued to sway. Noticing my stare, Nanako stopped swaying and blinked at me.

"You're not hungry?" she asked, noticing that my sushi box hasn't even been opened yet. I tensed up and looked at my food, my face heating up a little bit.

"No, it looks great...!" I stammered, my face becoming even more hot. I nervously began to eat as a stiff silence accompanied Nanako and I for the rest of the night.

After dinner...

After putting away Dojima's dinner in the fridge for him to eat later, I walked took a quick bath and went upstairs to my bedroom. Besides from all the boxes that had beaten me to this place, my room was pretty empty. I stretched my arms up high, letting my big V-neck gray shirt show a bit of my stomach. I yawned as my arms plopped down to my sides, smacking my thighs that was protected by my comfortable black pajama bottoms. I nodded to myself and walked over to a box that sat on top of a low coffee table that sat in front of a blue couch, in front of a matching blue curtained window. The box was labeled, 'school', which had everything I needed for tomorrow.

I let out a silent sigh of exhaustion as I pulled out my school's uniform from the box. I haven't touched it since I got it, so it was still wrapped up in plastic; folded neatly. I was exhausted after traveling for three days, but I still had to unpack just a little bit. I was using the guest futon that Dojima had already set up for me earlier today before leaving dinner, seeing as how delivering a futon to another person's house could be tiring. I pulled out my bag, notebooks, textbooks, and my pencil case filled with pens and pencils. I blinked at the items in front of me, realizing that I didn't have my small green notebook. I sighed as I opened up a random box next to me, hoping that the notebook was inside. I blinked in surprise before tensing up at what I saw inside.

It was my old school's uniform. I closed my eyes in pain as the voices of disappointment echoed into my head.

-Flashback-

I stood next to the teachers desk, my head down as the class murmured with questions.

"You've probably heard by now, but Narukami will be transferring schools. Her parents will be working abroad for a while. So as of this spring, she will..." my old teacher began before his voice was forcefully pushed out of my head. My eyes narrowed slightly, finding the usual pain I would feel when transferringschools to be different this time. Could it be perhaps that I was transferring not because of her, but because of both of them?

My fellow classmates booed and muttered among themselves as I remained at the front of the class.

"So Narukami-san is transferring to another school? But she only got here!"

My hand twitched as my classmates voices found their way into my head.

"This is nothing though. She used to transfer a lot of school after the incident! This time however, it's because of her parents and her!"

"How many schools have she been to already because of that brat? Like, 25?"

I slowly began to bite my teeth down together, finding the words 'brat' uncalled for. It wasn't her fault.

"I've always been impressed with Narukami-san. I mean, if it were me; I'd be out of that family by now."

Stop it.

It wasn't her fault. Don't blame her.

Blame me.

I am the one to blame.

-End flashback-

Not able to bear the painful memories, I quickly closed the box with my old school uniform and shook my head. Sitting on the back of my thighs, I looked over to my school stuff that laid on my coffee table. After a short pause, I blinked in surprise when I noticed a familiar green fabric stick out from underneath a textbook. I lifted the textbook up, and there I saw my little green notebook. I sweat dropped as I groan softly.

I slowly fell backwards into my futon and quickly buried myself underneath it's covers. I rolled over to my stomach, resting my face on my pillow. I quickly crossed my arms underneath my pillow, resting my chin on it instead as I looked around the barren room. There was nothing inside besides from the mountain of boxes, a small coffee table, and a blue couch behind it. There was also a small wooden desk over to my left, a wide cabinet meant for undergarments on my right, a small television set held by a wooden stand that was painted black stood to the left of the wide cabinet, a somewhat large wooden closet to the left of the television, and right across from my futon was an empty wired shelf. My eye lids became heavy as darkness slowly engulfed me. So... I'm stuck here for a whole year, huh? May it be a good one...

"Do you wish to learn the truth?"

I opened my left eye, hearing a mysterious voice from somewhere. My vision was blurry, not as sharp as it usually was as I looked around; not feeling my body. Is this... A dream? I was surrounded with a thick fog, a shadowy figuring standing in front of me. The voice was mixed, sounding like a man... But at the same time, a woman. Was the figure even human?

"Then try your best to catch it"

What? Who is that? But as I tried to answer these questions, reaching out for an answer; I started to loose consciousness...

Tuesday, April 12th

My eyes slowly opened. I looked around my surroundings, wondering where I was. Then I remembered. I was living with my uncle and cousin, the Dojima's. I sat up groggily, rubbing my tired eyes. I stretched out my legs and arms, a small yawn escaping my lips. Soon, there was a knock on my door.

"Breakfast is ready" a girls voice called out through the door. I blinked in surprise as I recognized it as Nanako's voice. I got on my feet and began to fold my futon.

"Alright, I'll be down soon" I replied. I heard footsteps become quieter, telling me that Nanako had walked downstairs.

Once my futon was folded, I got dressed into my new school uniform. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I smoothed out my clothes while noting the bland colors. The uniform was a sailor style with a dark shade of gray, almost black, with a yellow stash. I readjusted my stash, when I noticed that the skirt was a little short. It was spring too, so showing my legs this time around isn't going to be all that comfortable. Knowing this, I decided to wear a long-sleeved white turtleneck, and a pair of black pantyhose's. With a small yawn, I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Once I was downstairs, I noticed that the house was empty like last night. I looked over to the kitchen, noticing that Nanako was setting out plates of food on the kitchen table instead of the chabudai. Noticing my presence, Nanako smiled slightly at me.

"Good morning" Nanako greeted. I blinked at her and nodded a hello.

"'Morning, Nanako..." I greeted, walking towards the table. Two pieces of toast popped out from the toaster as Nanako placed down a plate in front of a chair closest to the refrigerator. I blinked at the food, noticing that there was only two selections of food types. There seemed to be fresh sunny-side up eggs and toast on the plates, a cup of milk next to them as a nice aroma filling the room. I looked over to Nanako and tilted my head slightly as she took a seat.

"Did you make breakfast?" I asked before sitting down as well. Nanako nodded, making her pigtails bounce.

"I can toast bread and cook sunny-side up eggs in the morning" Nanako explained. I nodded with a slightly surprised look on my face. So since Dojima can't cook, Nanako does it for him in stead? But she's so young, so she can probably only make this. They probably buy dinner.

I looked around the room, taking note that Dojima hadn't returned home from last night. Or he left already. Nanako and I simultaneously clapped out hands together and thanked for the food before eating the simple, yet well made meal.

"You're starting school today, right?" Nanako asked after a moment of silence. I looked up from my food, swallowing the bits of my egg and bread in my mouth.

"Yeah" I replied with a nod. Nanako smiled brightly as her cheeks became slightly pink.

"My school's on the way, so... Let's go together!" Nanako chirped. I blinked in surprise at her offer, finding it cute. I nodded, agreeing to go with her. I did need directions. And Nanako seemed somewhat restless, so there was no way I can say no. Nanako smiled happily before eating the rest of her food.

Once the two of us were done eating, we walked together through the central district underneath our umbrellas; protected from the rain that continued to pour from last night. I had a green umbrella while Nanako's was the classic elementary school color, yellow. I couldn't help but notice all the people Nanako and I passed by through the central district. I looked around in astonishment, finding it amazing that what was once a ghost town had turned into a somewhat lively one. Where were they yesterday, when the weather was nice?

After Nanako and I continued to walk for a bit, we came across a grassy plain, with a sloping hill that lead to a flowing river. The river looked somewhat high due to the rain, oozing onto the gravel. Nanako stopped in place as she turned around, facing me.

"This is the Samegawa flood plain" Nanako explained. I blinked at her before looking back over to the river. So, is that river called the 'Samegawa river'? It would certainly make scenes. I nodded and looked back to Nanako. Nanako looked forward and pointed up ahead, where I saw some bobbing heads in the distance.

"You keep going straight from here" Nanako instructed. I blinked at her before fallowing her finger.

"To reach the high school?" I asked, making sure that I was going to be at my desired location.

"Uh-huh" Nanako replied. I looked back over to her and nodded a thank you. Nanako smiled and nodded back. She then turned around and bowed the the side a little.

"My school's this way. Bye!" Nanako chirped as she began to walk towards the direction we came in. I waved bye to her as she walked, before walking forward as Nanako had instructed.

After walking for a while, I spotted a few students wearing the same uniform as me walking down the same direction. The small tension I felt quickly left my body as I sighed silently in relief. This year, I wouldn't have to deal with her. No one would have to know about my situation in regards to her. So, maybe... I'll be able to make friends this time around.

As I walked forward, fallowing the students who chatted among themselves, I heard a soft squeaking noise behind me. I blinked in surprise, before mentally shrugging it off. But soon, the squeaking noise became gradually louder; along with grunts of a boy. I blinked in surprise again before looking over my shoulder. There, I saw a boy with slightly unkempt fawn colored hair staggerly ride a beat up yellow bike with one hand. The other was holding his umbrella, trying to keep the boy dry. I stared at him with slightly wide eyes as he began to loose control of his bike.

"Whoaaaa...!" the boy gasped as he hit a telephone pole. I wince at his pain, stopping at the sight. I blinked nervously at the crash sight, a little worried about the boys health. The guy was whimpering as he held his groin, jumping from one foot to the other. I felt my face heat up and quickly looked away, walking forward. I'm sorry guy-I-don't-know... But I'm just going to let you be for now.

As I approached the gates of the school, I paused and looked at the building. The building was fairly glamorous for a school in my opinion. Out of all of my schools that I've been too, this one certainly sticks out. But in a good way, or course. The courtyard was clean, bikes were well kept in the racks off to the side, and sakura trees were on both sides of the entrance. I flinched in surprise as the school bells began to ring. Not wanting to be late, I quickly scurried off inside and found my shoe locker; switching my shoes.

I had already shipped my student information here, so they had already given me a shoe locker as well as all of my classes. I placed my umbrella inside the rack that sat in the corner of the entrance inside and looked around for the faculty office. Thankfully, there were signs above each door; allowing me to find it rather quickly. I was able to make myself invisible to the others, quietly entering the room. I turned around and saw that the room was fairly empty, a few teachers quickly gathering their things.

"You there, girl!" a voice shouted, causing me to straighten in surprise. My eyes locked onto a man with a straight bob-cut black hair, hazel eyes, and buck teeth. He wore a dark navy suit with white lines and a white collar long sleeved shirt with a yellow and orange checkered tie. The man marched over to my direction, while I stood in place; blinking nervously. The man stopped right in front of me, his hands on his hips.

"Didn't you hear the bell? School has started, so get to class!" the man scolded. I blinked nervously as I lowered my head sheepishly.

"Um, this appears to be a misunderstanding. I'm the new transfer student, Hitomi Narukami" I explained calmly, standing up straight once again. The man stared at me for a bit, making my face heat up slightly. I didn't know why, but I was rather uncomfortable by the mans stare. Suddenly, the man cleared his throat and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Ah, so you're the one?" the man asked himself, glancing at the paper then at me, then back at the paper. It must have been my student information. The man nodded and threw the paper over to a messy desk, which I assume is his. The man then opened the door next to me and waved his hand, telling me to fallow him. I rubbed the back of my neck as he began to walk. Was he my teacher? He certainly is a character...

"Hey, new girl! Keep up!" the man shouted, catching my attention. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment as I quickly fallowed him.

3rd POV

Classroom 2-2 buzzed with students as they talked about whatever came to mind. Aside from two students, everyone was wearing their student uniforms properly. A few students laid on their desk, taking a nap; unaccustomed yet to waking up early.

"Ugh, talk about bad luck... The homeroom here is Morooka, isn't it?" a male student groaned while sitting in his seat. Another male student who was standing next to him crossed their arms over their chest with a disappointed look on his face.

"Yeah, it's King Moron alright... We get to enjoy his long-ass sermons every day for a whole year..." the other student complained, getting annoyed already at the facts. The student who was sitting down slouched as a female student walked over, an excited look on her face.

"Hey you guys, I heard there's going to be a student from the city in this class!" the girl chirped, catching other students attention.

"Whoa, seriously?" a group from across the room asked. The girl nodded happily, causing the students to start talking about the mysterious new transfer student. The boy sitting down next to the girl raised an eyebrow in amusement, tilting his chair back.

"Really now? A guy or a girl?" he asked, an intrigued tone in his voice. His friend instantly placed his hand onto the desk, a big grin on his face.

"I bet you five hundred yen it's a girl!" he said with confidence, causing the boy to smirk.

"Heh, you're on!" he snickered. Suddenly, the door slid open, causing the students to instantly head to their seats. The man, known to the students as 'King Moron' walked over to his desk with a notebook in hand. The students eyes, besides from one who was lying on his desk, instantly fell on Hitomi who walked behind him. A few of the boys smiled a little, their cheeks becoming a little red as a few of the girls stared at Hitomi with interest.

"Alright, take your seats, on the double" the man barked, causing those who were still standing to sit down. Hitomi found a piece of chalk and quickly wrote her name down on the board.

"I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward!" the man introduced, a dull and annoyed tone in his voice. The man glared at the students with his piercing eyes, causing the room to become uncomfortably quite. Hitomi finished writing her name on the board and turned around to face the class.

"First things first! Just cuz it's spring doesn't mean you can swoon over each other like love-struck baboons" Morooka growled, glaring at the male students who were staring at Hitomi. The students shifted uncomfortably in their seats, a few of the boys had their eyebrows twitching in annoyance.

"Long as I'm around, you students are going to be pure as the driven snow!" Morooka said with a slap of his notebook onto his desk. Hitomi mentally corrected him, thinking 'pure as the fallen snow'. Morooka looked over to Hitomi as he placed his hand on his desk, holding himself up.

"This girl up here is our new transfer student. She got booted from our putrid capital to out here to the boonies..." Morooka said, causing Hitomi to flinch slightly. After a pause with Morooka staring at the girl, as if trying to read her; he suddenly turned to the class with dangerous eyes that made everyone stop breathing.

"That doesn't make this innocent girl a fugitive!" Morooka began, causing the class to jump in surprise. "None of you perverted boys better make a move on this innocent girl!" Hitomi blinked nervously at Morooka, feeling somewhat uncomfortable before mentally shrugging it off. Hitomi looked over to Morooka as he nodded at her.

"Go on, introduce yourself" Morooka instructed. Hitomi cleared her throat as she looked out to the class.

"My name is Hitomi Narukami. It's a pleasure to be here" Hitomi introduced as she bowed slightly. Morooka suddenly pointed at one of the students in the front row, causing Hitomi to flinch in surprise and stand up again.

"Fiend! You were just ogling this innocent young girl just now, weren't you?!" Morooka called out, slapping his notebook on the desk. The boy blushed at the acquisition, his mouth gaped with shock.

"Huh?!" the boy asked, clearly confused. Hitomi blinked at the boy then back over to Morooka, wondering who was really ogling her.

"That's the problem with you kids these days, thinking you can just do anything you want because you 'feel' that it was right!" Morooka lectured, slamming his hand on his desk. There was an audible groan that swept through the class as Morooka continued to lecture them. Hitomi shifted a little in discomfort, scanning the room for an empty seat. Suddenly, a hand shot up, catching Hitomi's attention.

"Uh, hey! 'Scuse me, sir?" the owner of the hand called out, stopping Morooka from lecturing. Hitomi blinked in surprise at the owner of the raised hand, noticing how much he stuck out from the other students. It was a boy with light brown, bowl-shaped hair, and cheerfully, perky brown eyes. He was wearing a light green, high collared athletic jacket. Morooka turned his attention to the boy and glared at him.

"There's an empty seat over here! Can she sit next to me?" the boy asked, earning a grunt fro Morooka.

"Fine" Morooka grunted. Hitomi nodded a goodbye to Morooka and walked over to the empty seat. As she walked toward the empty seat, she could hear the other students gossiping.

"Told ya the transfer was a girl! You owe me five hundred yen!"
"Wow! She's a cutie!"
"She's right up there with Amagi and Ichijo!"

With a silent sigh of relief, Hitomi placed her bag onto the bag hook and pulled out the chair. Once she was seated, the boy who had saved her and the entire class from more lectures leaned over slightly towards Hitomi, grabbing her attention. Hitomi looked over to the boy. She noticed that he had somewhat of a baby face, making him look a little feminine.

"We call him, 'King Moron'. He's horrible" the boy whispered. Hitomi nodded slightly in agreement. Having a teacher protect the girls virginity was somewhat creepy.

"Shut it, Satonaka!" Morooka shouted, causing the two of them to straighten up. Morooka slapped his notebook a few times on the desk, causing the few students who were whispering to stop.

"Listen up, homeroom's about to begin!" Morooka barked. Hitomi blinked in surprise with her normal blank face, letting out a small quite sigh. She had a feeling that it was going to be a long first day of school. Glancing over to the left, Hitomi noticed that it had stopped raining outside. Hitomi blinked in surprise once she saw all the fog that roamed outside. It was so thick, she couldn't even see the telephone polls. Shaking off the strange fog, Hitomi looked up front and listened to Morooka call out students names.

Hitomi's POV

"That's it for today. Come tomorrow, we'll be back in our usual routine. So be prepared!" Morooka barked as the bell rang, letting everyone know it was the end of the day. Morooka grabbed his notebook and left the classroom, some students fallowing after him.

"I finally saw that midnight channel!" a boy said with an excited tone, as he and a friend exited the classroom.

"Man, that Miss Yamano lady is, like the woman of my dreams!" the friend said, a slight redness to his face.

"Totally!" the first boy cheered, nodding with a thumbs up. I rested my head on my desk while waiting for the announcement allowing everyone to leave. Even though there are conversations going on around me, I didn't jump in because that would be rude.

Having enough of doing nothing, I stretched my legs and arms a little bit, feeling a bit stiff. With a small sigh, I began to pack my things. I had to go straight home today and unpack the rest of my stuff. Having a bunch of boxes as room interior was not all that nice.

As I continued to pack my bag, the intercom bell came on; causing students to look up at the speakers in confusion.

"Attention all students, there has been an incident on campus" the intercom began, casing the room to go abuzz with intrigued chatter. I blinked in surprise at the sudden announcement and began to pack my stuff faster.

"Please remain calm and head directly home. Do not distract the police officers who have been dispatched around the school zone" the intercom finished. Once I was done packing up my bag, I stood up from my seat, pushing in my chair. I began to walk towards the back door of the classroom, not looking at anything besides from the door.

"Yo, new girl!" a voice called out. I stopped in my tracks and turned around. There I saw the boy from earlier who sat next to me standing next to a girl with long straight black hair that is kept neat by a red hairband. The girl was wearing the normal uniform along with a red sweater and black opaque pantyhose, like me. Looking at the boy now, I realized that he had some decorative buttons on his pants sleeve that were rolled up a little above his ankles. He also had a blue backpack on instead of the accustomed school bag.

"Are you going home alone? Why don't you come with us! This thing sounds kinda freaky, and it'd be best if everyone walked in groups, you know?" the boy said, a slightly nervous look on his face. I blinked in surprise before nodding with a slightly heated face.

"Sure..." I muttered shyly, my face becoming even more warm. I inhaled through my nose, trying to keep my composure and cool down my blushed face as the boy and the girl next to him walked towards me. Now that I had the opportunity to make friends, I was a little scared to make them. I'll only be here for a year, which means any friends I make will have to say goodbye.

"Cool! The name's Nise Satonaka, and this here is my friend Yukiko Amagi" Satonaka introduced, gesturing to the girl next to him. I nodded a hello to her as she blinked nervously at me.

"I'm sorry for pestering you" Amagi apologized, causing me to blink in surprise. Why was she apologizing? Satonaka made a strange expression as he stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Yukiko, don't apologies! It makes me look bad!" Satonaka said with a nervous yet angry tone. He continued to mutter, saying some things I didn't catch when someone caught my attention. I looked over to the left and noticed the bike boy from this morning with a nervous look on his face.

"Hey, wassup Satonaka... San" the boy said nervously, a matching smile on his face. He held up a DVD case that had a picture of a dragon, a man in purple fighting attire; the title reading, "Trail of the Dragon".

"Thanks! I loved it, it was way cool!" the boy said nervously, sweat rolling down his face. I blinked in surprise and confusion as he suddenly dropped the DVD into Satonaka's hands.

"Well, later!" he said and quickly headed for the door. I don't know why, but I had a feeling something was about to go down between these two. Satonaka glared at the boys head, tripping him with his long legs.

"Hold it!" Satonaka growled as the boy fell down, his body skidding outside of the classroom. I winced at the poor guys pain, thinking that today was not his day. Satonaka opened up the DVD case before gasping with horror.

"What the hell?! You cracked the disk, you SOB!" Satonaka shouted, stomping on the poor guy's back, causing him to grunt in pain.

"How could you do this to my 'Trial of the Dragon'?!" Satonaka asked, his voice cloaked in anger as he continued to stomp on the guy.

"Sorry, it was an accident...! I'll make it up to you after I get my paycheck...!" the boy breathed, finally getting air after that stomping from Satonaka. I blinked nervously at the guy with a worried look on my face.

"Are you okay?" Amagi asked, a slightly concerned tone in her voice. Satonaka looked over to Amagi and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't be nice to this jerk! Let him suffer!" Satonaka growled, a vain popping out of his head. I blinked nervously as a pity look cam down on my face. The poor guy. Satonaka twirled around and walked right past the guy as he laid on the floor.

"Come on, we're goinin' home!" Satonaka huffed, Amagi and I right behind him. I looked over my shoulder to where the poor guy was at, feeling truly sorry for him and slightly guilty. I'm sorry, but I'm leaving you again...

"That's the last time I ever lend him anything!" Satonaka snarled, still venting as we walked down the stairs to the first floor. "How did he break it, anyways? Did he shove it into the DVD player or something? Whatever he did, he owes me big time! I saved up for weeks…"

I wanted to point out that Satonaka may have overreacted to the broken DVD – that boy did say he would pay him back as soon as he could – but decide not to. It's best not to bring up such things while someone is angry. Just let him get it all off his chest. Amagi seems to have the same idea as me, as she also remains quiet. Or maybe she's just shy; I haven't heard her talk since we left the classroom.

Once Satonaka, Amagi, and I got to the first floor and Satonaka had finally calmed down; he turned around and walked backwards, facing me and Amagi.

"So! I know this is a question you might have to answer a lot, but why did you move all the way out here?" Satonaka asked, a hint of excitement in his eyes. I blinked at him in surprise before closing them and lowering my head a bit.

"I move around a lot because of my family situation. Nothing too interesting" I explained, sounding a little blunt.

"Oh, so like... Are your parents divorced or something?" I heard Satonaka ask. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, seeing that he had a curious look on his face. It seemed that he wasn't going to let this go, looking for a bit more juicy. I sighed silently as I reached my shoe locker, opening it.

"You're rather nosy, aren't you?" I said bluntly, grabbing my shoes. I heard Amagi giggle as Satonaka made some strange sound, pretending to fall backwards.

"Aw, come on! Don't pin me like that, I'm just curious! After all, there are many 'family situations' out there!" Satonaka explained as he opened up his locker. I let out a soft sigh of defeat, finding Satonaka to be rather humorous. I placed my shoes down and swapped them with my indoor shoes.

"Alright then. My parents are quite the workaholics, so I move around because of their jobs. I'm only going to be here for a year" I explained. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. I couldn't just go on ahead and spill out my life story. I didn't want too. I'm not the sort of person. Amagi, Satonaka, and I grabbed our umbrellas after putting our shoes on and stepped outside; to the foggy like area.

"So only for a year, huh? And it's only because of your parents work? I was hoping it would be something juicer than that!" Satonaka complained as he tied his hands together behind his head. I sweat dropped at his blunt words as Amagi looked over at him from over her shoulder.

"Nise, don't be rude" Amagi scolded gently, causing Satonaka to chuckle.

"Sorry, sorry! No hard feelings, right Narukami-san?" Satonaka asked, looking over at me. I nodded at him in reply. Satonaka was certainly an interesting person. Amagi was a little shy, somewhat like me. Hopefully, the three of us can become friends.

When I arrived to the Dojima Residence, I took off my shoes with a slightly exhausted sigh. The first days of school were always tiring. I walked over to the living room and saw Nanako watching television, unaware of my presence.

"Hello, Nanako" I said as I walked over to her. Nanako blinked in surprise and looked over to me. She smiled slightly as I took my seat across from her.

"Hello!" Nanako replied, before staring intently at the television. I turned my head to the television, blinking in surprise that what Nanako was watching was a quiz show. I looked over to Nanako and saw how intense she was taking it. I tucked a flock of my short hair behind my ear as I stood up again. She was really into the show, so the best thing I should do is go an unpack the rest of my things.

"I'm going to unpack my things, alright?" I told Nanako hesitantly, unsure if I should tell her. Nanako blinked in surprise and looked at me with slightly wide eyes.

"Do you want me to help?" she asked, slowly reaching over to the television remote. I shook my head, causing her arm to instantly drop. I turned around and began to head towards the stairs.

"I just wanted to let you know" I explained as I took a final look at her before climbing the wooden stairs.

I ended up unpacking and designing my room for a good solid three hours, right until Nanako declared that she was going to buy dinner. I told her that I would go with her, but she refused my offer; saying that she always shopped alone. I was able to convince her that I would cook up a simple meal once I was done unpacking. With the incident going about, I couldn't let Nanako wonder the streets by herself. The news hadn't aired yet, so I didn't have any new information on where it happened and what had happened.

Once my room was finished, I sighed proudly at the finishing touches. Starting at the left of the room, where my door was; I had placed a calendar from Ouran High School Host Club nest to the door. I had decorated the once empty shelf with a radio and a full deck of music CD's piled next to it; standing on the bottom shelf. On the second shelf, I had decorated it with a small mirror, a small comb, two watches stored in a pouch, and an Aiko Fujioka figurine. On the very top of the shelf, I had placed my small collection of books piled on one another. The wooden closet was filled with my clothes, of course. The television that was held from a wooden stand painted black was filled with movies I had bought over the years, along with some anime. The wide cabinet was filled with my underwear and such inside while I stacked my manga collection on top, along with a spinning toy that resembled an atom. I wiped my forehead that was starting to sweat as I walked downstairs, ready to make dinner.

Nanako watched me as I cook a very simple meal of miso soup, grilled fish, and rice. Not so surprisingly, the Dojima's didn't have a lot of food inside the refrigerator. With a little girl who buys dinner and a man in his thirties who can't cook, you tend to forget all about ingredients.

Every time I did something while preparing the meal, Nanako would gasp in amazement, her eyes twinkling. I couldn't help but find Nanako's intrigued eyes an encouragement boost. I had always cooked for myself, seeing as how I was in a similar situation as Nanako when I was young. I always thought that store bought food was unhealthy, and that they had no love in it. With home made cooking, you can feel the emotions put inside the food. But, that was me then. Now, I don't really mind. Food is food. With the current situation happening though, it would be safer to make the meal myself.

Once the food was done and set out at the table, Nanako happily clapped her hands together, thanked for the meal, and started digging in. I blinked at her in surprise, thinking it was amusing to see Nanako not even wait for me to also give thanks. Right as I thanked the food in my head, Nanako looked at me with big sparkling eyes; causing me to blink with slightly wide eyes.

"This is really good! You're an amazing cook!" Nanako chirped after swallowing the food in her mouth. I felt myself blush at the compliment as I looked down.

"That's good to know" I replied before taking a bite of the fish. Nanako stared at me for a while before blushing a little. I tilted my head at her in confusion, in which she avoided my eye contact and turned on the television. It was a commercial about some sort of sleep product. I didn't really pay any mind to it and continued to eat my fish.

"I wonder if dad's not coming home tonight..." Nanako muttered to herself, noticing the time. I looked over to the plate that I had made for Dojima, laying untouched at the kitchen table. I looked back to my food as questions popped into my head. There was an incident near the school grounds, in which the police have been dispatched. Since that's where Dojima works, could he be investigating the crime? I shivered slightly as my body tensed. I was really glad that Satonaka, Amagi, or I didn't run into the crime scene on our way to the crossing roads; just before going our separate ways home.

"-back. Our top story this evening concerns a bizarre case in a quite suburb" a man from the news center began, catching my attention. "Around three o'clock PM today, a woman was found dead near the Samegawa River in Inaba." I nearly chocked on my fish as I heard the words from the news reporter. I covered my mouth as I looked over to the screen, seeing the school zone on screen. This must be about the incident from today.

"The deceased has been identified as Ms. Mayumi Yamano, a 27-year-old from the local television station. The initial results of the Inaba Police Department's Investigation have revealed..." the reporter began, his voice heard despite the school being shown. Nanako swallowed her food as her eyes widened.

"Ah! The Inaba Police Department! Th-That's where dad works!" Nanako stammered, surprised by the sudden turn of events. Nanako's eyes softened in worry as she clenched her chopsticks. I blinked at her in surprise before closing my eyes and gathered some rice onto my chopsticks.

"He'll be alright. It's his job, isn't it?" I reassured Nanako, taking a bite of the rice. Nanako looked over to me with wide eyes as I opened my left eye at her. Nanako's tension drifted away as she nodded, looking back at the television.

"I know... It's his job, so this stuff happens" Nanako muttered to herself. I opened both of my eyes as I chewed slowly, taking in Nanako's worried expression. Poor Nanako...

"The body was found hanging from a large television antenna atop a local resident's roof. Authorities are uncertain as to why the body was in such a state. And with the cause of death uncertain, the police continues to investigate whether the death is an accident or a homicide" the report explained as the screen fixed back over to him. I winced in fear as an image of the victims body appeared in my head. They were a little bit descriptive about the position the body was in. Children like Nanako watch the news, they had to watch what they say. Not wanting Nanako to become scared by the news, I looked over to her and pointed at her meal with my chopsticks.

"Nanako, your food is getting cold" I said, catching her attention. She suddenly became nervous and started to eat again, forgetting about the news. I mentally sighed in my head, glad that my plan to grab her attention was successful. A murderer, hanging their victim by an antenna. Quite freaky. I looked back over to the television screen and saw a familiar commercial of a certain store. Junes, of course. I looked back over to Nanako and pointed at the screen, catching her attention.

"At Junes, everyday is 'Costumer Appreciation Day'! Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products!" a cheerful woman's voice said as produce with cheap prices began to float along the screen. Soon the top of a store appeared, a sign with orange letters spelling out, 'Junes'.

"Every day's great at your Junes~" the woman sang, a simple yet cheerful tone in the background. Nanako smiled happily as sh began to sway to the sides, her brown pigtails bouncing in sync.

"Every day's great at your Junes~!" Nanako sang, just like last time. I did a thumbs up towards the television screen as a soft pink cloaked my cheeks. Nanako stopped swaying as she stared at me with surprise and confusion in her eyes.

I had always liked big convenient stores. They always have so much to offer and the prices are always good. Back when I was still a kid, I would always go over to the furniture section with her and jump on the beds or try out the message chairs. Then, after finally being noticed by the workers of the store; they'd chase us around. I was always a trouble maker back then, but then after the accident... I lowered my hand and shook my head a little, pushing back my memories. I ran my hand through my hair as I picked up the bowl of miso, taking a sip. It's been a long day, I should go to bed early tonight.