Mitzuki: Ahhhh, a new story!! Hooray!!
Izumi: ... Is that the thing you should be saying after having neglected to update your stories for the past two months...?
Mitzuki (eyes turn big like saucers) : Omg, I'M SO SORRRYYYYY:( Forgive me!! Well, it's a new story now, so... Izumi-san!
Izumi (looking annoyed) : What?
Mitzuki: Your line!!
Izumi: ...How much will you pay me?
Mitzuki: (glares)
Izumi (sighs): Fullmoon wo Sagashite does not belong to Mitzuki, it belongs to Arina Tanemura-san.
Mitzuki (smiles like nothing happened): Enjoy the story!!
Chapter 1 : The New Assignment
"Mitsuki Koyama, your next assignment will be Takuto Kira, the youngest member of a band called Route..L."
"R-Rou…toh..elu…?"
"His death is scheduled to be four months from now, so you have no need of a partner. Your job is to wait until his time is up, then retrieve his soul when he dies."
"Hai."
"Go, now."
"Hai."
Silver wings unfurled as the Shinigami took off towards the human world, leaving behind only a single feather in her place.
Takuto hummed quietly to himself as he stared up at the ceiling. He'd been in the hospital for quite a while now, but nothing could get him to change his mind about the operation. If having it would take away his voice, then he'd rather sing to his death.
Klink!
Takuto shot upright in his bed, his eyes searching for the source of the sound. To his surprise, a girl stood in his room, her long brown hair blowing softly in the wind. That's strange, where had she come from? He hadn't heard the door open…then the curious boy spotted the open window. Oh, he'd figured it out! So that's how –wait, WHAT?? Or not. Takuto had just realized that his room was located on the eighth floor of the building. (Congratulations Takuto.)
Bewildered, he turned back to the girl. She was now examining his tiny room with startling intensity, which was weird, considering the fact that there wasn't anything inside his tiny room… What she saw seemed to satsify her, and her serious look suddenly vanished, to be replaced by a childish smile as she chirped brightly, "This is it! Takuto Kira, age 19, hospital room 109, youngest member of Route..L, suffering from throat sarcoma, an orphan, just broke up with his girlfriend Hikari, and he won't have the operation to heal his throat because he's afraid of never being able to sing again!" She took a deep breath, then giggled.
Takuto slowly inched away from the edge of the bed, wondering if this was what crazy stalker fans are like. Crazy, because she'd just hopped into his room from a window and was now giggling like a three-year old; stalker, because she'd just reported most of the facts of his entire life in one breath. Actually, he was somewhat surprised that she hadn't included his birthday and elementary school teachers in that mix.
Suddenly, he heard light footsteps approaching his bed, and the face of the girl came into view, as she turned her cross-examination on him instead. She'd stopped giggling, and her eyes were wide and serious again, but shining with excitement and delight. She patted him on the head and murmured, "He's rather cute isn't he? Too bad he doesn't have much time left…" Then her tone brightened and she announced, "Hi! My name's Mitsuki! I'm a fox Shinigami, and I'll be watching over you until you die!" Then she laughed and shook her head like she couldn't believe what she was doing.
Takuto had been watching her in fascination, really, she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen in his life, when suddenly, her words registered. '…he doesn't have much time left…' '…until you die…'
"Who says I'll be dying anytime soon?" he looked at her indignantly, daring her to say something. The girl froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Y-Y-YOU CAN SEE ME?!?!"
Takuto gave her a funny look. "Uh, yeah."
Now, Mitsuki hadn't been a Shinigami for very long, she'd only completed one assignment so far, and that had been with the help of Meroko. So, in other words, she was still very inexperienced. And what do inexperienced Shinigamiiz do? Yes, they panic.
"Waahh!! How can he see me I'm not in animal form and I've done everything properly oh nooo I need to call Meroko!!!"
Mitsuki whipped a cell phone out of her fox-eared hat and turned her back to Takuto. Only then did he realize that she was stranger than what he had first established, for fluttering gently from her back were a silver pair of wings. Takuto rubbed his eyes, thinking it was due to his lack of sleep and his mind was playing tricks on him, but when he looked again, they were still there. SHE ACTUALLY HAD WINGS!
His mind raced with possibilities, who is this weirdo if she wasn't some sort of crazy fan, with her fox ears, silver wings and flying through windows?
Huh. Now that he really thought about it, she doesn't even fit the description of a human, crazy or not. He could hear her sobbing pathetically, "Mero-chan, Mero-chan! Whhhhyyyy????"
She'd mentioned something about being a Shinigami… Above Takuto's head, a big question marked formed. But what the hell would that be?? Takuto was still trying to figure out this particular puzzle when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to look…and found himself face-to-face with an orange fox. Floating in midair.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
As Takuto's scream echoed off the walls of the hospital room, the door flew open and Dr Wakaoji dashed in.
"Takuto! What's wrong?!"
The doctor looked at the white-faced boy who was now coughing and hacking like his life depended on it, and his eyes shifted immediately to the orange fox plushie sitting rigidly by his bedside. Maybe it's allergies? I need to ask them to stop giving him the presents from the fans…He got a glass of water, and offered it to Takuto, who took it gratefully, downing it in one gulp. "Better now?" Takuto nodded. The doctor's gaze slid to the suspicious plushie again, "I think I'll be taking that, it might've been what set you off…"
"No! Don't touch it." Takuto grabbed the orange puffball and held it to his chest protectively. Dr Wakaoji looked at him in surprise, "But –"
"No."
Takuto's face was set and determined, and the doctor could see that he was fighting a lost battle. There was no way the kid was going to give up that toy, even if it killed him. He sighed, "Alright then, but if it really starts causing problems…" he let that threat hang. "So…how come you were screaming? I heard you all the way from the second floor."
Takuto looked at him, his face the picture of innocence. "What are you talking about?" He pointed over to the other room. "Someone over there screamed, not me."
Dr Wakaoji wasn't convinced, noooooo, he wasn't convinced at all, and he was sure there was something strange about that plushie…but reasoning with Takuto when the boy was in this sort of mood would be like trying to get a mountain to move from its foundations. In other words, it was impossible. So he let the subject drop. "Never mind then, get some rest. I'll be back in an hour for your check-up." He looked over at the boy, who was now glaring furiously down at the orange fox. "Takuto, are you really sure you would rather not go on with the operation? It would be –"
"NO." Bitterness edged his voice, making the word harsher then he'd intended for it to be. Looking up, he could see that he'd hurt the doctor's feelings. Softening his tone, he said, "No, Keiichi. If…I lose my voice…and live…but I could never sing again…that would be…an even worse punishment…than death itself." Upon hearing those words, the struggling fox that he clutched in his hands stilled, and he felt, rather than saw, Mitsuki look up at him in concern.
Dr Wakaoji nodded and walked out, leaving behind a bottle of medicine and instructions to take it. Takuto looked at it in disgust, then pushed it off the edge of the table. The glass bottle shattered, the shards flying across the floor and the amber liquid pooling on the ground. He knew that he would get in trouble later, but at the moment, he couldn't care less. The silent boy stared out the window, as a single tear fell, and Mitsuki, having been forgotten, held his hand, hoping to comfort the crying boy who was more afraid of death than he wished to reveal.
A/N : Huh, kinda short...gomen-ne, I promise to work harder next time!!