Don't say 'I wish' out loud. Not ever, Chihiro. You never know who might be listening.

Who would listen, Daddy?

The spirit world is full of both kind and cruel entities. Either might hear, and grant the wish in ways you would never want. You mustn't wish out loud unless you really mean it.

Okay.

Doumeki Chihiro was popular as teen girls go. She had her mother's cheerful disposition without her bad luck, and her father's good looks without his antisocial stoicism. She knew she was lucky because she had many friends – unheard of in her family, on either side – and because from time to time, she found little gifts on important days from some unknown person. Chihiro suspected that, though they were lovely gifts, she had never met the person sending them to her.

Her parents always looked frightened whenever they appeared. Himawari would ask Chihiro questions that made no sense, really, and become increasingly hysterical as Chihiro tried to answer the questions. Shizuka would have to escort her to their room and talk to her for a while before asking his own questions. It didn't really matter. Chihiro loved the gifts. For San-Go-Shichi, she found an odd little plush toy that her father called a 'mokona', whatever that was. A pencil case with charms for happiness and good luck embossed on it appeared on her first day of school. When she was rejected by her first crush, the most perfect fondant au chocolat ever created appeared. Chihiro treasured them all, even though they made her parents nervous.

After all, she left return gifts. A handmade money pouch was left out in place of the mokana; a picture and write up of her first day of school for the pencil case; and not-quite-perfect inari sushi for the fondant au chocolat. As long as she gave return gifts, it was balanced, so she wouldn't owe, right?

So it was a particularly normal day when she first saw the shop. Yuuki and Michiko, her two best friends, were worrying over a big math test that was coming up, so the three girls were going to study together. Chihiro had spotted something shiny across the street, and suddenly, in place of the usual empty lot that was just there, an odd looking house liberally decorated with crescent moons sat, looking as though it had been there for centuries.

"Um, Chihiro?" said Yuuki, concerned. "Is something wrong? Oh, it's that little shop-house."

"You know it?" asked Chihiro. There was something familiar about that house. "What is it?"

"I've never been in," said Yuuki. "Sometimes I really notice it, but mostly I forget it's there."

"We should go in," said Michiko. "I bet it has cute pins and things in it!"

The three girls passed through the moon-tipped gates and gazed around at the silent front yard. The doors slid open as they approached. A pair of girls, one with short pink hair and the other with long blue curly pigtails, stood in the entranceway.

"Welcome to the shop!" they said in eerie unison, seizing hold of Yuuki and Michiko's hands. "Master is waiting. He's been expecting you. Come this way."

Chihiro followed the odd twins and her bewildered friends through the shop. She had been here before, she was sure of it. She only had a moment to note the crescent emblazoned red doors (she tripped over her feet and fell through the paper doors. Mama caught her, and they laughed about it as they fixed the door) before they were flung open and the girls were ushered into a smoky room. The doors clicked shut behind them.

"It was no accident that you came to my shop today," a cold voice purred through the haze. The smoke began to clear and the girls looked around anxiously. "It was inevitable that we would meet here and now. Please, sit."

The girls sat. A young man with old eyes came into view. He draped himself over a chaise lounge, elaborate kimono falling elegantly over his legs and off the edge of his couch. Short black hair framed a pair of mismatched eyes and a pale, almost delicate face. Within arm's reach sat a plain red box large enough to double as a table (the sake tray sat there, and Mama would drink by the bottle. Papa said Mama was like Yuuko, but they were laughing, so who Yuuko was didn't matter) and perched on the box were two very odd creatures.

"Excuse me," said Chihiro shyly, "but are those mokona?"

"Capitalize, Chihiro," said the man in his coldly amused voice. "Mokona are Mokona, after all. Isn't that so, Mokona?"

"Yup!" said the black Mokona. "Mokona's a Mokona. And that one's a Mokona too!"

"How do you know who she is?" asked Michiko.

"I know a lot, Iwase Michiko," said the man. "I know you do not know what this shop is. It is a shop that sells wishes; only those who have wishes may enter. So, what is your wish, Michiko?"

"There's this boy I like," said Michiko. "I wish he would notice me. Just once will do. I just want him to look at me once."

"In your bag, there is a bottle of perfume," said the man. "Give me that. It will do as payment for your wish being granted."

"My perfume?" said Michiko. "But it's a custom blend that my mother made for me."

"It is a suitable payment," said the man. "You see, all things must be in balance. Valentine's Day and White Day. When you go to the store to get bread, you give money for it. I have little use for money. And a wish is worth more than a loaf of bread. As such, proper payment must be made."

"Whoever pays less than is proper will be afflicted with bad luck," said Chihiro, not knowing where her knowledge came from. "Accidents, little injuries. If the debt is high enough, you can even die or find yourself in indentured servitude to whomever you owe."

"Oh," said Michiko. "I see. You know a lot, Chihiro." She handed the man the perfume, which he passed to the white Mokona, who scampered off the red box and out of the room.

"And you, Yamamoto Yuuki?" asked the man. "What is your wish?"

"Careful you don't overdo it," warned the black Mokona.

"I'm fine," said the man irritably. "Your wish?"

"My father just lost his job," said Yuuki, "and he hasn't been himself since even before he was fired. Usually, he's so quiet and gentle, but lately he's been nasty and picking fights with people. I wish for him to feel better and to get a new job."

"A large wish," said the man, "and very expensive. Chihiro, have you seen this man recently, by chance?"

"I have," said Chihiro, startled. "It was odd. I'm sure I saw a small pair of wings on his back. But that's impossible… people can't grow wings."

"Take this man to your temple, Chihiro," said the man, "And tell your father that the Time Witch sent him, and that the problem is a fallen angel. Shizuka will understand."

"Will that help?" asked Yuuki anxiously.

"Well, it will certainly lessen the cost," said the man. "As for the other half… deliver these three boxes for me. Take the one with the black ribbon to a blue-haired woman by the hydrangeas in the park by the elementary school. Take the box with the pink ribbon to the shrine maiden at the shrine to Inari-sama. And the blue ribboned box goes to the fortune teller on Haruhari Street. Can you manage that?"

"Of course!" said Yuuki. "Chihiro, you'll help me, won't you? I'm afraid for Father."

"I'll help you," agreed Chihiro. "We should go, if we're going to get this done today."

"What about your wish, Chihiro?" asked Michiko.

"Come back tomorrow, Doumeki Chihiro," said the man. "Perhaps you'll know your wish by then."

"Okay, said Chihiro. "See you tomorrow then."

"Maru, Moro, show them out please," said the man. "And bring in the laundry as well. It's going to pour."

"Going to rain, going to rain," cheered the girls. The three teenagers followed the girls out of the shop and onto the street for their errands. The man fell back on his couch.

"Hey, Kimihiro," black Mokona said, "you okay?"

"Of course," said Kimihiro contentedly. Chihiro came to see me, didn't she? And she'll come back again tomorrow…"

"Yeah," said black Mokona. "She's grown up, hasn't she?"

"Not yet," said Kimihiro. "But she's getting there at her own pace. She'll be just fine."