Prologue

I looked at myself in the mirror, scowling. I ran my fingers through my black hair that was at one time brown, annoyed with ink, pens, and pretty much every other writing utensil. Shaking my head in dismay, I mumbled, "I can't believe it hasn't grown out yet. Man, if I see him again, I'm gonna kill 'em. Tear him apart, limb from—" I was cut off by a voice from in the other room.

"Mirai, get in here!" Yukio's seemingly always angry voice (he always seemed to use that tone only with me) came from his room, I could tell. Of course, he probably didn't want to get off his lazy butt.

I put my hair into a ponytail while walking out of the room, grumbling, "Kuso..." I let out a sigh of aggravation, hoping that no one heard my foul language. But everyone in this household should be used to it by now.

I walked into Yukio's room, seeing him watching TV while playing with his cell phone. At my entry, he tossed the phone onto his dresser. "Finally," he moaned, as if it took me a century just to walk to his room, "Get me a soda."

I gritted my teeth while glaring at him, barely containing my instantaneous anger. "Damare Konoyarou!" I turned around, about to leave. I knew already Mom and Dad were going to find out what I said. But it wasn't like I cared.

Yukio laughed at my cursing. "Fine. If you won't get me a soda, then get me a Shibuya map." This statement took me by surprise. He couldn't use a map to save his life, and as far as I knew, that's what he needed it for.

I spun around to face him, a look of perplexity plastered onto my face. "Why?" I questioned.

He gestured to his phone. "I got a message from this weird lady saying I had to take the five forty-five o'clock Shibuya bound train." He shrugged and took a long pause, as if this was to be a signal to me or something. "C'mon, get me a map!"

I swiped the phone from on his dresser. Running out of the room, I shouted back at him, "Jigoku e ike!" I grabbed a hat and zipped my navy blue sweatshirt, running out the door, using this mysterious message as a chance to get away from home. I hated it there and all of the stupid people that lived there. Especially, Yukio. The favorite.

Running down the sidewalk, I jammed the cell phone into my pocket and tucked my hair into the hat. If Yukio was the one expected to show up, then at least I could at look like a guy. It wouldn't be of any trouble to be on the safe side, though it could cause some problems later on if I wasn't prepared.

I pulled out the phone, the text of the message covering the screen, "Take the 5:45 Shibuya bound train from Jiyuugaoko Station".

I sighed, running toward Jiyuugaoko Station. I had a general idea of where it was located, since my putrid school had to use maps in Social Studies. I hated all of that interaction I had to do. I just never was part of the group, metaphorically speaking.

Entering the station, I looked around. "Kuso, I need at ticket!" I nearly crushed Yukio's cell phone out of my frustration. Suddenly, I heard a weird beeping noise and a bunch of cries of slight panic arise.

I glanced around. The machine that ejected the tickets was shooting out the tickets left and right. Fleeing from the scene, I saw I kid…with…goggles…? Oh. My. Kamisama.

Ignoring all of the thoughts of homicide entering my mind (and all of thoughts of trying to remember what his name was), I ran and picked up a ticket. Running for the train, many memories came back into my head. Many thoughts that made me want to kill a few people. Namely one person.

I darted toward the train in a full sprint, looking quickly at the clock. I only had a little time to get onto the train. It was make it or bust. And I knew that defeat wasn't an option I was going to accept lying down.

I saw the train before me. People were flooding in on the side closest to me, so I wouldn't make it in. I had to go to the other side, that was my only hope. And still, it may be the same as this side.

With a large running start, I jumped through the gap in between where the individual cars connected (something you probably shouldn't do when the train could leave at any second) and made a sharp ninety-degree turn. Immediately I saw the door had neither closed nor was crowded with people. I instantly gave a long, loud sigh of relief.

I ran through the doors, just a split-second before they closed. Instantly when I stepped through the doors, I ran into someone, nearly losing my balance and my hat, but I secured the cap with my hand in one smooth motion.

He looked at me in mystification, and I gazed back into his cobalt eyes, not so much in apology as it should have been, but in a kind of perplexity of my very own. There was something about him that caught my attention…

I broke myself out of my stare. He had looked away as quickly as he had laid his eyes on me, so I looked like an absolute idiot just standing there staring at him. That immediate realization made my face glow a slight pink.

I heard Yukio's cell phone make noise, and I pulled it out of my pocket. The on-screen text said:

Transfer to the

6 o'clock subway

from Shibuya

Station

On the other side of the train opposite of me, much to my outmost irritation, was the goggle kid yelling out, "Gaaahh! Come on! Give me a break! I'm doing the best I can!"

I had to agree with him, except it was about my own terms. I was doing the best I could, it still had that chance of not being enough. Sure, I was fulfilling my own, personal goal of getting far away from home, but I still had to wonder about what was going on. From what I saw, I wasn't (well, technically not me. Technically Yukio) the only one getting these messages. I just wanted to know why.

We stopped at Shibuya Station about five minutes to six. I darted off of the train, though it was hard since I was shoved back and forth in the claustrophobic crowds, so much that I couldn't take a single step without hitting someone. From behind me, the goggle-wearing wonder rammed right into me.

"Watch it!" I snarled angrily, but by the time I opened my mouth, he was already out of sight. I knew if he was going the same place I was, I'd better kick it up a notch. There was no turning back now.

I made a beeline toward the elevator. When it came into my view, I saw it was already closing, and the goggle kid (I was surprised I didn't remember his name yet) was diving in. I was hoping he'd be cut in half by the doors.

I knew for certain I wouldn't make it to the elevator in time, so I instantly headed for the stairs. Descending quickly, I wasn't watching anything other than my own feet so I wouldn't lose my balance. I nailed someone head-on. He dropped his drink (whatever it was) all over the stairs, so much I almost slipped. I apologized (this is when I realized hitting people was a reoccurring theme right now) and kept going, hoping I didn't cause any casualties to anyone that was in a hurry and running down the stairs.

"The bottom floor," I mumbled, going down what felt like the millionth staircase, nearly collapsing then and there out of exhaustion. It lead to a rather open are with about ten trains.

I pulled out the cell phone as a voice emitting from it said, "It's up to you now. Which one will you choose?" It must have been the lady Yukio was talking about.

"Which one will I choose? Well, since I'm pretending to be Yukio, I should act like 'em. And if this was him, he'd choose the one closest to the stairs." I nodded to myself, knowing my statement was quite true.

As I headed for the nearest train, I saw the elevator come down and the doors open. The same azure-eyed kid that I bumped into on the train ran out and to the same train I was headed to.

A voice called after him, "Wait! Which one are you choosing?" As if fate couldn't hate me any more than it did, I immediately recognized the voice. I wanted to bang my head on the wall. Repeatedly.

Figuring, since I knew him overall pretty well, I came to the conclusion that he'd probably go to the train closest to him, which was the one next to the train that I was getting on.

Content with my decision, I ran to my train and got on. I stood by a window and looked as the clock struck six and all of the doors slammed shut, moments after the trains beginning to leave.

A few minutes later, the back door opened. I came face to face with the kid with cobalt eyes. I stared at him with the same perplexity as before. He really didn't seem to notice.

This was the moment I noticed his true features. He had long, black hair, darker than the night itself and it was held back in a navy blue bandana. He wore a royal blue sweatshirt over a yellow t-shirt. Out of his entire appearance, it was his shining cyan eyes that stood out like a diamond in the rough. They were deep and full of thought, deep enough that it seemed as though he was looking into my very soul.

A moment of silence passed, and I felt like I should say something to break the silence. "I guess we're the only ones here…" I trailed off, as he said nothing in response to this. An urge came to say more. "By the way, I'm—" I thought quickly of a guy's name. "—Kazuma Imouto." I held out my hand for him to introduce himself and shake, but he just stared at me as if he was saying, 'Do you really expect me to believe that?'

Kuso. I was already caught. I sighed, knowing that my gig was up as soon as it had started. "Fine…I'm Mirai Kimishima, but please don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to be here…"

He smiled slightly. "Koji Minamoto." He returned my offer and shook my hand.

As soon as our hands touched, the train jerked abnormally, and, caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell on top of him. As soon as I noticed where I landed, I felt my face turn crimson and jumped back onto my feet. Sitting down on a seat, I sighed. Hopefully the rest of my trip to wherever wouldn't be so chaotic.