Why yes, I too read the Korean manhwa, "Killing, Stalking" and this was inspired after having a conversation about the two. Keep in mind that, in no way, do I not think this is a healthy portrayal. This is not meant to be a shipping fic. This is more of an attempt of a character study between these two characters. Allow me to be self-indulgent.

SAL (Story About Lies)

Chapter One

When I First Saw You

A young teenaged girl, about 15 years old in age, named Yukako Yamagishi was in love. For someone like Yukako, she didn't have a particularly hard life growing up in the quiet, sleepy town of Morioh. She was always known to be cold, especially when people first met her. Her long, black wavy hair with her pale skin – along with her piercing eyes would frighten people away.

Even though she didn't have a hard life growing up, this still made her lonely. People averted their eyes once they realized how much of a bad temper she truly had. They would push her to her limits and she'd react. And people would get surprised, and they'd long abandon her. It didn't surprise her. What surprised her, though, was that people tried.

"Oh," the blond man chuckled as the two fell to the ground. Yukako had accidentally bumped into this business man on his way to work and she on her way to school. "My apologies." He extended out his hand to her, even though she grew angry immediately. She didn't want to extend her hand out. She had to make sure she wasn't hurt first.

Still, Yukako had to be polite. She had to at least thank the stranger for at least offering. She lifted her head to give the man eye contact to his blue eyes.

The man was extremely handsome to say the very least. An office worker who adorned a purple suit with a green shirt underneath. His tie had quite an unusual design – a skull similar to a cat's which surprised her and somewhat scared her. Still, with his combed back hair, save for a few strands that somehow framed his face to accentuate his features.

She could feel a throb in her chest. Like most young girls, she had longed for this feeling to show up – proof, she was a normal high school girl. Proof that she isn't just a cold monster for people to talk about. They think they she didn't hear them talk about how monstrous and how weird she was… she couldn't help but let the anger overwhelm the new deep feelings she had. Tears started to fall from her forlorn eyes. She had forgotten she was in the man's presence until that very moment.

"Oh? Why are you crying?" He got out a white handkerchief and reached over. Once he was close, he dabbed tears out of the way and Yukako could smell his rich, mahogany cologne wrapping itself around her heart, her mind, and her soul. Her heartbeats became heavier and louder.

She wanted to run. Could he hear the heartbeats? Couldn't he hear her thoughts of insecurity?

Did he realize what kind of power he had?

Yukako could feel her heart explode within her of a new emotion as he gave him a reassuring smile.

He gave out a chuckle. Every rumbling chuckle he made only made her heartbeat faster. She clicked her tongue as he put away the handkerchief in a breast pocket.

"Ah, you should hurry up before you're late for class." His voice was smooth as he was kind. Although, Yukako noticed he would glance at her hands every once in a while. She found this a little weird but paid no mind to it. She had to focus on her emotions. Those emotions that swelled up and down at a moment's notice, it seemed. She could slowly feel herself being enveloped by the new emotion. All she wanted to do this morning was to get to school.

She nodded. She tried to repress her emotions within her. Yukako brushed herself off. She just nodded politely and thanked the strange man. She tried to avoid his gaze. There wasn't a way she could look at him without falling. She couldn't look at him without drowning. She could never swim in the eyes of another soul like his. There was a power he had that he must've known. He must've casted his magic on this young witch, she determined.

"Thank you," she tried to say as composed as possible. She quickly turned around and ran as quickly as she could. She didn't know what the man had said in response with. She didn't want to stay to find out.

.x.

Class was hard for Yukako. She could hardly focus on her studies. All she could think about was him – the man she ran into earlier. The kind man who wordlessly dabbed her tears away – ignoring her cruel eyes, her cold demeanor. He saw her for the high school girl she was. He didn't call her stuck up, weird, or a freak. Instead of anger and fear, he treated her with a smile. It's the only she ever asked for her fellow classmates.

During her usual lonely lunch, Yukako watched the other students around her and felt truly alone. It wasn't until then she felt lonely and worthless. People would always comment on her beauty before her person. The boys would make lewd comments about her beauty. The girls would comment on her ugly anger. All she wanted was to be left alone but after the interaction, she never truly realized how alone she was.

Tears, once more, came out and sprinkled all over her cute lunch. She couldn't help her feelings. She just wanted a friend but the man's kindness reopened wounds in her heart that she forced herself to forget. She wanted to just go on with the day. She just wanted to be left alone.

She just wanted someone to understand her.

People's laughter around her along with their gossip echoed in her ears. Maybe they didn't mean to do that. Maybe they did. She had learned from an early age, since she was an early bloomer, that people could be mean. Everything echoed bigger than it was. Did their ugly comments matter? Did they ever share a shred of humanity towards her?

That man did, her thoughts echoed. The rest of the day flew by, though it weighed on her heart. Yukako's heart swelled as she searched for the man. Maybe destiny would be kind. Maybe destiny would be gentle, for once.

Unfortunately, Yukako did not have such luck. Still, she decided to take a walk around the town for a bit longer before she went home. Her parents were always under the impression that she had friends but they never bothered to get to know her. Like so many others, they didn't want to take the time to understand her. Assumptions were always made about her – she's pretty so she must have friends. She's pretty so better tell her to not be a whore. She's this. She's that.

She could've sworn she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw the smaller Koichi Hirose. He seemed to go about his day with his delinquent looking friends. One of them looked strange with his outdated hairstyle while another had all kinds of money symbols adorned on him.

She momentarily stopped walking… in case they did call her. But it was clear they didn't. They laughed at some kind of joke that she wasn't privy to.

Maybe they laughed at her. Maybe it's because she answered. Maybe it's because she crossed their paths. How foolish of her. She turned away and kept walking. There wasn't any way she would be missed if she were to be gone.

The only impact she could ever have is a footnote on the tragedies of Morioh.

And she was fine with that.

She didn't know when she started walking again. She didn't know when the town became dark and deserted. Was she so lost in her thoughts she lost track of time?

There was suddenly a scream. A scream that belonged to an unknown woman. Being a human, she grew concerned and fled towards the noise. She started to run towards the source of the noise, against her better judgement, along with her self-destructive feelings. However, the scream was short lived.

She stopped when she realized it was quiet. She didn't recognize the part of town she was at. Yukako tried to find something familiar about the area and failed even as the streetlights came on. She decided to wander around. Maybe she could find a payphone to call her parents… She could use the excuse that her "friends" led her to such a shady part of town.

She grabbed her hair, a source of comfort, as she walked aimlessly. She wondered what that scream was. She wondered if they had gotten help. She wondered if she could even find help for herself. She brought a finger to her mouth. She started to bite on it. She felt nervous. She couldn't have done anything. Her hair was long and full, but it wasn't like she had powers to do anything about it.

She was just a stupid teenager.

"Oh, I didn't expect to see you." A familiar voice rang out. She didn't realize she cried once more. She whipped herself up to see the familiar man. He had a darker expression on his face but… it was rather late. "What are you doing out here? Didn't you hear about the serial killer in Morioh?"

He had his one of his hands behind his back for some reason and he seem to have winced. Yukako noticed some dark splotches on him as well but, because of the darkness, couldn't discern it.

"N-no…" Yukako replied softly.

"Here, use my cellular phone to call home." He fished with his 'clean' hand in his pockets. He seemed nervous. He seemed tired. He seemed exhilarated. Soon, he found it. He handed it to her – his breath became heavy.

Again, Yukako thought this was strange but she felt a sense of urgency from the man. Carefully, swiftly, hurriedly, she dialed her usual number.

A couple of rings echoed in her ear when she heard the other line pick up. She acted apologetic, still, never changing her facial features.

"Mama," she said into the receiver, "I'm sorry! I got a little lost. I'm at this area of Morioh… ah, I'm with my friends. You know how Aiko is!" She forced a laugh. She felt exposed. She knew the man knew the truth but Yukako was curious about her own truth.

She slowly explained the corner's names as she tried to read the characters off the sign and she, just as slowly, got the directions to the place. "Okay, Mama," she said gratefully. And hung up. She handed it back to the man.

She bowed once more, touched again by the man's kindness. She could feel herself smile naturally for the first time, but it's because she found another who could understand her.

"Thank you, once again. We keep running into each other… My name is Yamagichi Yukako!"

The man laughed nervously and seemed to sweat at the greeting. He seemed to want to decide on something before finally acknowledging her greeting.

"I'm Yoshikige Kira."