Chapter 1

A/N: Original work is on Wattpad and is also posted on Archive of Our Own. Head to Wattpad for bonus content like character profiles and back stories.

ALSO ON WATTPAD, PICTURES OF MY OCs are THERE.

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Tsuki's POV

"Hey, look at that. Someone new is moving in."

"Hai, I heard that that girl is moving to that luxury apartment building for rich people down the street. What's it called again?"

"Ayakashi Hall I think... Only people with serious cash can live there... But it's full of weirdos..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... there are rumors circling that building is that Ayakashi Hall is haunted..."

"By what?"

I stand and watch the mover people move my stuff out of the truck, listening to the housewives gossiping nearby. I click my tongue in annoyance and shoot them a look. The ladies whip their heads in my direction, giving me a wry smile before walking off, only resuming their banter when they turn the corner.

Tsk, these people must be seriously bored if they're gossiping about every single new thing that happens in their lives. How meaningless. I tuck a strand of white hair behind my ear before picking up one of the boxes and carrying it. I pause in front of the majestic gates, fixing my gaze up on the building that looms before me, the late afternoon sun as its background.

Ayakashi Hall, or known as Maison de Ayakashi is a high security apartment building that only certain people who meet some special standards can live in. One of these is the ability to fork over wads of cash for the rent. It's that high class. Besides high quality service and beautiful rooms which can compete with a 5 star hotel, there's one more thing that is provided for every tenant.

The Secret Service.

Every tenant has a personal bodyguard that will ensure your safety and offer 24/7 protection from all manners of threat. That's what my annoying mom said anyway. I can still remember our exchange yesterday…

-flash back-

"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE GETTING A FREAKING SS AGENT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, TSUKI YOAKE!" The white haired woman shouts at me, her magenta eyes ablaze with fury.

"I don't want a damn SS! I can look after myself just fine, I'm not a kid anymore, mom!" I shout back at her, my own red eyes burning with defiance.

"That's the whole problem! If you could look after yourself, you wouldn't have done that! Like it or not, you're going there, and not until you change will you set foot in this house!"

"IT'S NOT EVEN A FREAKING HOUSE! IT'S A SHOP!" I gesture at my surroundings and at the merchandise littering the floor.

"It's because of you I'm what I am now! Do you think I want to be in this stupid business, going around begging people for money?!"

"Well, you seem to like it! Tricking and pranking people every day, I don't see you being bored!"

She flushes with fury, baring her fangs. "THAT IS IT! YOUNG LADY, UNTIL YOU CONTROL THAT TEMPER OF YOURS YOU'RE NOT COMING BACK HERE! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO STAY THERE UNTIL YOUR NEXT LIFE! I DON'T CARE! AND YOU WILL HAVE A SS AGENT NO MATTER WHAT!"

"IT'S NOT FAIR! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THAT MADHOUSE!"

-end of flashback-

I click my tongue and roll my eyes at the memory. Like hell I'll listen to whatever trash my mom says. Whatever she says is hard to believe anyway. I mean I can look after myself just fine, I don't need protecting like some fragile girl that always needs saving or whatever. I want to prove to her that I can handle myself, yet she insisted on the stupid SS. But what she doesn't know is that when she sent the form, I managed to pull a few tricks and change a few details. Like refusing an SS. So now I won't have anyone bothering me. In the end, I get what I want!

I spot shadows lurking out of the corner of my eye. But they keep their distance, wary of me. Good, stay as far as you all can.

"Is that girl over there an albino or something? Her hair is all white and her eyes are red… Creepy."

"Well, she's cute but she's a freak all right."

Vaguely, I register the feeling of the box falling from my hands.

I narrow my eyes and dash towards the source of the voice, grabbing a guy with a cap by his collar. He gasps and stares at me in disbelief, his cap slowly sliding off his head.

"What the hell are you doing you little bitch?" He says, trying to defend himself.

"Who the hell are you calling freak, punk…" I hiss, tightening my grip on his collar, looking into his eyes with my red ones. His pupils spasm, eyes darting around my face as he tries to say something but nothing comes out. The other guy he was talking to takes a tentative step backwards, pointing a finger at me.

"S-shit! How the hell did you hear what we said? You…you freak!"

I can feel the anger boiling and bubbling up inside of me as I push the cap guy aside, making my way towards his friend. The cap guy whimpers and takes off, abandoning his friend to my wrath.

"S-shit…your eyes… you freakin' weirdo!" He staggers backwards tripping over himself and landing on his behind. I stop and look down, hovering menacingly before him.

"You called me a freak twice…do you know what happened to the last person to say that to my face?" My chest feels tight. My skin is tingling. I'm doing it again. I need to calm down but I can't control myself. Please don't do it now!

But my hand is already moving, power coursing through my veins. The shadows start to gather around me, licking at my heels; the ground trembles at my feet, pulsing in time with my pounding heartbeat.

But as I look at the guy's face, another face comes to mind. A wide eyed look, face as pale as plaster.

"We're sorry… P-please…" The terrified voice rings in my head along with snippets of whispered words, the shadows egging me on in hushed tones.

I close my eyes. If I do it again, that would defeat the purpose of my being here, right?

With a shuddering breath, I take hold of the thrashing reins of my rage and pull them back into me. The power I'm leaking recedes, flowing back into me.

As the shadows retreat, I loosen my grip on the guy's shirt and he scrambles on to his feet, running with his tail between his legs.

I put a hand to my forehead and take a deep breath. That was close. I nearly lost it again. I can still hear the murmurs of the shadows in my ear, lurking out of sight at the corner of my eye. It's all your fault…

"Go AWAY already!" I whip around and shout, releasing my anger into the atmosphere. The shadows vanish instantly, escaping my wrath. I look around, satisfied with their absence. Take that, phantoms. But… I nearly did that again. I'm so useless. I can't even control my own emotions…

This is my fatal flaw. I can't control my anger. Ever since I was a child, I've always had anger management issues. I would throw tantrums and wreak havoc, and only when the wave of anger subsided would my conscience return. Grief and regret would then wash over me, making me recoil in disgust over what I done. It was as if I was possessed; I would blindly vent my feelings until it was too late.

That's why my mom sent me here. So my temper can be contained and hopefully controlled. Also, to be in a more protected environment.

I clench my teeth and storm back to where I left my box earlier and pick it up roughly, my fingers digging into the cardboard.

I don't want to be here! I don't belong here in this madhouse! But I can't go home. I'm a stray with nowhere to call home.

"Hmph, are you just going to stand there like an idiot?" A voice says smugly. I look towards the building and I see a figure standing on the path leading to it.

A girl with black, straight hair that reaches her waist looks at me with her big purple eyes. Her bangs cut across the forehead of a delicate, doll-like face. A smug smile is plastered on her face as she looks at me.

"Can't you see I'm moving boxes here or are you blind?" I snap back at her, feeling my body temperature rising. Despite her angelic and fragile appearance, I hate that tone of hers. It pisses me off. No one talks to me like that, not even a cute girl like her.

"Hmph, I'm not going to get my hands dirty helping a weakling like you." She says snobbishly, blinking her big purple eyes.

"If you're not going to freaking help me, you might as well GET LOST." I mumble and keep walking ahead; keeping my eyes on the box in my hands so I don't have to look at her face. Pretend she's not there, non-existent. Forget about it, keep your cool and don't lose your head like just now.

But because I'm looking down, I can't see where I'm going. I stumble and the box nearly slips out of my hands. Someone grabs my arm firmly, letting me regain my balance.

By instinct, I look up into a white haired male's face. He has one blue eye and one gold one. Heterochromia, I assume. His face has a gentle expression and he smiles at me, one of his hands holding onto my arm. He's wearing a suit and gloves, making he look very smart along with his tall stature.

"Are you all right?" He asks me and his two odd color eyes twinkle. I nod stiffly at him.

"I'm quite all right, thank you. You can let go of my arm now."

He lets go of my arm and takes a step backwards, smiling at me politely.

"You must be the new tenant that everyone has been talking about."

"Hai."

While I'm conversing with the white haired male, the black haired girl makes her way towards me, coming to stand in front of me. I turn towards her.

"What do you want?" I say coldly to her. Is she now here to make fun of me for falling? Bring it on, you little bitch.

Instead, she turns her face away from me, slowly extending a hand towards me.

"Ri-Ririchiyo Shirakiin, resident of Room 4." She stammers, her face scarlet and her gaze averted from me. I look at her outstretched hand and shiver as a memory resurfaces from the depths of my mind.

"Kiss my hand you little freak. Because that's all you'll be."

As the painful memories rush past in my mind, I gaze straight ahead and walk past the black haired girl, ignoring her hand still hanging in midair. If you're truly sincere, can you at least look me in the eye? I'm not asking for much, I only want to have the right to be acknowledged as a proper person.

Not as some sort of freak.

"If you were sincere, you would at least look me in the face. I'm not some kind of dog you know." The words escape my mouth before I can stop them.

Ririchiyo's POV

I watch the white haired girl walk away from me, her words still ringing in my ears.

"If you were sincere, you would at least look me in the face, I'm not some kind of dog you know."

I let my outstretched hand fall to my side. Why can't I be honest with my real feelings? I'm always scorning people for no reason and I'm too shy to express my true emotions. Now she hates me. I look down at the ground and clench my hands into fists.

I wanted to welcome her so badly. Just like when I first came to Ayakashi Hall, I want to make her feel welcome, like she made the right choice to come here. I want to get to know her, maybe even become friends with her. But it looks like I just made things worse. My eyes are tearing up, and I try to blink the tears away to no avail. I'm so…

"Ririchiyo-sama…"

Out of the corner of my eye, Soushi's eyes widen and his lips purse into a thin line.

"Hmph, it's nothing. There's something in my eye that's all. That sheep can do whatever she -." Soushi cuts off my muttering by walking briskly away from me towards the white haired girl. He grabs her arm again but this time with more force, her box nearly falling again, preventing her from walking any further.

Tsuki's POV

"Let go of me." I say, trying to hold my anger back.

"You made Ririchiyo-sama cry."

I turn around and see the fragile frame of the black haired girl, her back facing me. Her shoulders are hunched and her eyes cast downwards. The ground glistens with moisture.

"Let go of my arm, please." I try to pull my arm away again but he tightens his grip on me.

"Do you know Ririchiyo-sama has been waiting for you since this morning? She was so eager to meet you; she's been here ever since she finished breakfast. Ririchiyo-sama made preparations all week for your arrival and this is how you treat Ririchiyo-sama?"

It's as if someone slapped me in the face. I raise my eyes and look into his beautiful, oddly-coloured eyes. They're trembling and have a sort of harshness in them, as if he were scolding a small child. I hold my gaze with him, attempting to find the slightest waver in his expression. But he doesn't break eye contact, his eyes glimmering with truth.

"Ririchiyo-sama is a very earnest and sincere person. She is just shy and has difficulty expressing her real feelings. So how can you judge her when you don't know Ririchiyo-sama at all?"

His voice knocks some sense into me. I can't bear to look at him anymore. I look at the black haired girl again and regret washes over me. Yes, he's right. I shouldn't take out my trust issues on her, I didn't even give her a chance to even approach me. I was wrong for hurting her, even after she was so enthusiastic to meet me. Just because of my past, I judged her too harshly.

I'm really a terrible excuse for a person. I feel so horrible inside. I hurt someone again. Maybe it's time for me to start trusting people. At least give them an opportunity.

I break out of the white haired male's slackened grip and walk towards the black haired girl, box still in hand. I stop before her and look down at my feet.

"L-Look. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you like that. I should have given you a chance. I'm Tsuki Yoake, R-Room 5. Forgive me, I'll try to trust you from now on." I slowly hold out my free hand, looking at her apprehensively. It's fine if she doesn't reciprocate, it was my fault. I'm willing to bear the consequences.

An awkward silence falls over us. She doesn't do anything, her eyes still trained on the ground. Maybe she doesn't want to forgive me. I'm just about to withdraw my hand when she slowly lifts her head, her purple orbs moist. With a trembling hand, she takes my hand in hers and shakes it firmly, looking into my red eyes with some difficulty.

"Ri-Ririchiyo Shirakiin, Room 4. W-WELCOME TO A-AYAKASHI H-HALL!" She stammers and stumbles over the words in a voice on the edge of a shout, her face burning crimson, squeezing her eyes shut at the end. I can't believe I didn't see how hard it must be for her to actually look into my eyes and say those words, the incredible bravery and sincerity she must have.

My chest is feeling tight again but this time I know it's not anger. In my 17 years of life, no one has ever been this sincere and truthful to me, nor have they actually gone out of their way for me. No one has ever gave me a thought or even cared for me, yet this petite girl waited for almost more than six hours for me… I blink my eyes rapidly and wrinkle my nose as I feel overwhelmed by this feeling in me.

"Shirakiin-san, arigato. I hope you can forgive me for my horrible behavior…and that we can eventually become great friends." I break into a rare smile and squeeze her hand before we both let go.

Ririchiyo's eyes widen as she hears what I said, glistening with moisture.

"I-I DID NOT! I-I was just admiring the scenery! Hmph, as if I would waste my time waiting for a sheep like you! Don't believe what Soushi says. "She turns her head away and says, blushing profusely.

The white haired male approaches me and bows.

"Soushi Miketsukami, Ririchiyo-sama's SS agent. Nice to meet you. Forgive me for my actions. Ririchiyo-sama's friends are my friends too." He says politely.

"Thank you for making me realize something, Miketsukami-san." I nod at him and say seriously. He smiles back at me.

Ririchiyo flushes crimson and mumbles.

"S-She's not my friend... I wouldn't want to be friends with someone like her... Here." She shoves something into my free hand. It's a stationary set for writing letters; nice felt pens and pretty writing paper along with letters too. A welcome gift? How thoughtful of her…

"I had extras and this is my ugly looking set so you can have it... This too. It tastes horrible and I don't like this flavor anyway." Ririchiyo takes out a small package and opens it, placing it on top of the box I'm carrying. I peer into it and see…

A box of expensive chocolates.

My body trembles as I drop the box with a loud 'thud' on the ground. Why is she being so nice to me? This is too much…Without thinking, I take a step towards her and hug her.

"T-Thank you…Ririchiyo." I hug her tightly, trying to convey my gratitude towards her.

"Eh? Why are you hugging me? Let go!" She says but she also hugs me back. When I pull away from her, she smiles at me.

The sweetest smile I have ever seen.

"Will you show me around later, Chiyo-chan? Um…you don't mind me calling you that, right?"

"Call me whatever you want, Ts-tsu-tsuki-chan. I don't really care." Ririchiyo takes my hand and squeezes it, smiling at me.

Looks like I made a new friend. And we're already on first name basis. But somehow I know that underneath that arrogant mask of us is a sincere girl that is looking for a true friend. Like me. Maybe the both of us are really similar after all.

"Ririchiyo-sama, I am glad that the both of you are friends now." Soushi says. Ririchiyo blushes slightly.

"… Whatever." She's too flustered to think of a retort now.

"So you're giving this to me because you don't like it?" I gesture to the stuff that she had placed on top of my box.

"Hai-" Ririchiyo is about to say something witty when someone interrupts her.

"She's always saying that... She actually looked up your personal information to find out what you like and she went shopping the whole day yesterday just to get you those things. She can never be frank at all... "A voice comes from a bolt of black cloth floating next to Ririchiyo.

Wait, what?