A/N: Here it is! Manga spoilers up to the God's Greatest Secret arc, so be warned.
Disclaimer: I do not own Noragami, or its characters.
Chapter 1: Just a Week Ago, I Didn't Even Know You
Trees flew past the window in a blur, while mountains took their time making their way across the landscape- ever changing, ever transforming. Sometimes, it seemed as though figures were entrapped within the confines of the clouded spring sky, ranging from odd human expressions to giant creatures in strange poses.
A truck drove down the highway alongside the picturesque landscape. Inside, three family members bounced along with the bumps in the road. They were busy marveling over the scenery and chatting about the journey.
The ride from Hiyori's rural hometown in the mountains to the lively city of Tokyo had taken several hours and multiple rants from her mother, instructing her on the customs and lifestyle of the city. For most of the drive, she had conversed with her mother- but once her brother, Masaomi, intervened, Hiyori put in her headphones in an attempt to block out the pair's eventual bickering. She gazed out the window at the passing scenery, which gradually morphed from rolling hills to rice fields to small towns- and finally, the city of Tokyo.
Hiyori gasped in awe, looking onto the new city that rose against the beautiful blue sky.
"I've never seen so many buildings in my life," she murmured, eyes widening.
"Yeah? Well, wait until you see your school," Masaomi replied. "That'll be a surprise."
"Oh, Hiyori!" her mother cried. "This must be such a new experience for you! It's like you're beginning a new life!"
Hiyori's eyebrows furrowed at the comment.
"A new life, huh?" she whispered.
"Honey, are all the boxes that you need in your room? The ones with the chargers, your stationery, clothes?" Hiyori's mother called from the hallway.
"Yes, Mother!" replied Hiyori, ripping off tape from the boxes to reveal her personal belongings that had been neatly stacked inside. Hiyori wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was not one to slack on tedious jobs, but physical jobs tired her.
After much time spent searching for her apartment building, she had finally arrived in her new apartment in Tokyo. What she had come across so far in the city proved a much more bustling, exciting setting than her old town in the mountains of Gifu-ken. Hiyori had only heard second-hand tales and seen photographs of Tokyo, so seeing the city with her own eyes was a breathtaking experience; all of the buildings, and windows, and lights- the cars, the overwhelming noise, the different scent that permeated the air; everything was different.
Her mother entered her bedroom, scouring the hill of boxes surrounding Hiyori.
"Honey, are you going to finish soon?" her mother asked, pacing around the room. She frowned, seeing most remained unopened.
"Mother, we just got here." Hiyori tore the tape off of another box. "There's no way I would even be close to finishing-"
"Hiyori!" a masculine voice called from the hallway, cutting her off. The sounds of footsteps approached the open door. Masaomi, standing far taller than her mother, appeared in the doorway. "Help out a brother, will you? I really want to check out the city and all-"
"Masaomi!" their mother scolded, raising a finger. "I swear, you cannot do anything yourself! You're supposed to be the man in the house, so go back to the living room and start unpacking!"
Masaomi huffed, raising his arms in quick surrender and mumbling to himself- setting off their mother once more. Hiyori chuckled at the bickering exchange between her family members. She stood up, pushing her hair back. "It's alright, Masaomi." Her mother paused her reprimanding, and the arguing pair turned to glance at the interruption. "I can help out after I finish this box. Mother, can you prepare my bed while I help him out?"
"Oh, Hiyori," her mother sighed in defeat. Masaomi cheered. "Alright, honey. Just- finish what you're doing, and go help out your brother."
Hiyori soon found that the apartment her family had moved into was located near the Tokyo tower, as well as her new school for convenience. Though it was rather small for her taste, it was a nice apartment, suitable for a family of three.
Starting that day, Hiyori would be walking to school every morning in the coming trimester, down a couple of busy blocks to her new high school, which happened to be rather prestigious.
"Don't be nervous, honey," her mother spoke, setting aside plates for breakfast. She watched her daughter who had clammed up, ignoring the food in front of her. Being a mother, she knew her daughter's nervous habits. "You'll always meet new people and experience new things. This is just another step in your life."
"I know that, Mother," Hiyori set her hands on the table, breathing out. "It's just- I'm nervous. It's going to be hard, making new friends again."
"You'll be fine, Hiyori," her mother smiled. "Our family- we've been through a lot. You can do this. You might even make some of the best friends of your life at this school- so give it a chance."
Hiyori sighed once more before she stood up. She held her satchel, tightening her grip around the handle. She allowed a smile to blossom on her face as she felt a layer of anxiety melt off her shoulders.
Her mother mirrored her pleasant expression. "Go, Hiyori," she spoke.
"Of course, Mother," Hiyori replied. "Please take care of yourself, too."
Receiving a small burst of energy from her mother's words of encouragement, Hiyori left her apartment with a swing in her steps. She skipped down the stairs, her hair swinging back and forth in the air. She leapt down the bottom few steps with grace, a plentiful sum of joy evident on her content face. At first glance, no passerby would think that Hiyori was attending her first day of high school.
No passerby, save for two suspicious figures that lurked in the shadows around the corner of a dimly lit corridor.
"Who is she?" one whispered, peeking out from behind the wall to watch Hiyori, who, at that moment, happened to exit out of the main glass doors of the apartment building. The first spy adjusted their glasses on the tip of their nose, narrowing their eyes at the disappearing figure of Hiyori.
"I don't know, but she's wearing the high school uniform," the other murmured. "I've never seen her before, but let's see if she's a new student!"
"Won't we technically be stalking her?" the first questioned, adjusting their knees that had been cramping up.
"Not really. We're just going to school, too! And we can corner her there and try talking to her," the second exclaimed, smirking.
"Huh," the first replied, dusting off their knees as they stood up. "Let's go."
"Look, Mommy!" a boy cried, holding a bouquet of blue morning glories in his grubby hands. "Flower!"
"Yes, Yato," the woman smiled. Her violet eyes, crinkled at the edges in a smile, glistened in the sunlight. She clasped her hands around his, leaning over. Her long chestnut hair fluttered in the light breeze. "They're called morning glories."
"Morn-ing Lory..." the boy whispered, his eyes sparkling with wonder.
"They match your eyes, too," she observed, holding up the flowers. "Like sapphires."
The boy bit his lip, staring at his mother for a few more seconds. A particularly large breeze rustled through the leaves, and he turned to look at the trees. Cherry blossom petals twirled around them in a wild storm of pinks and whites. The boy reached towards them with desperation, blindly trying to grab at them. His mother chuckled, watching her son.
"Sakura!" the boy yelled, pointing at the vortex of blossoms, gasping in awe. "Pretty!"
"Oh, Yato," the mother whispered, laughing, before he jumped into her arms. She embraced him, taking care to wrap her arms around him as gently as possible.
"I love you, Mommy," the boy murmured, burrowing his face deeper into her shoulder.
"I love you, too," the woman whispered, as she closed her eyes, sighing with content.
Yato's azure eyes snapped open, his chest pounding- only to be reminded that he was still in his room, sleeping on his bed. He exhaled loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "God damn it," he whispered. He'd been trying to suppress the memories of the past with the entire force of his consciousness, but it seemed as though his mind worked counterintuitively; the more he tried to get rid of a thought, the more it stuck around like an irritating fly.
His eyes were naturally drawn to the small, wooden picture frame that rested on the shelf beside his bed- it held the only memento that he had left of his own mother. He could sense the warmth emanating from the photograph, yet he similarly felt miles away- the past was the past, after all. An unwelcome rush of memories flooded his mind, ranging from the morning glory flowers to her favorite kimono she always wore during festivities-
He shook his head. He was thinking about his past too much, again. Groaning, he pulled himself out of bed; his chest was sore as always. From last night, he thought, narrowing his eyes with bitterness. He got me good, again. With a loud sigh, he swung his body up to a sitting position from the comfort of his blankets. His bed creaked as he leaned forward. It was time to go to school, yet again, after the bittersweet spring break. He was now a first-grader in the newly renovated high school- something that should've made him nervous, but his apathetic nature muted his ability to feel much of anything.
He jumped as his phone blasted an ear-jarring alarm- it was silenced by a quick slide of his finger on the screen. It returned to its home screen, where he noticed the red bubble icon on the message application. With the few contacts he had, it could only be one of few things. He sighed as he clicked the notification.
"You have another assignment this weekend," was all it read. Of course; he wouldn't give him a break, even if it was the first week of high school- not that it surprised Yato at all. With a loud groan, he began to slide off his clothes.
It was time to head to school.
Hiyori strolled down the sidewalk of the bustling city, nearly crashing into strangers every second, repeating a surprised, "Excuse me!" every time. Not being used to the herds of people, businessmen and other schoolchildren alike, Hiyori felt like she was walking through a minefield to avoid any potential accidents. It was not to say that she did not enjoy the city stroll, however- despite the lack of fresh-smelling air, Hiyori found that she quickly became fond of aspects unique to the city, such as the stores displaying fashionable clothing in glass cases and the blinking lights of every street corner.
Before she had even realized, she had passed by the brick wall that enclosed most of the school courtyard, and she stood in front of the main gates of the school. The metal bars looming over her appeared intimidating, but what was even more surprising to her was the large school building with its windows glinting in the sunlight. The courtyard, decorated with pruned bushes and cherry blossom trees was abuzz with the voices of reuniting students and excited first-years. It was enormous compared to any other school she had ever seen before- at least, the one back in her village could not come close to comparing.
"Hey-o!" A high-pitched, feminine shriek pierced the air. Hiyori jumped around to find two female figures, rushing towards her out of the blue.
"What the-" Hiyori yelped, as the two girls halted just in front of her, both gasping for breath.
"Yama, I swear, you run-, so fast," panted the girl with glasses.
"Ami, join a sports club, for God's sake," the other girl, Yama, responded. She recovered faster than her other friend, and stood up straight to meet Hiyori's eyes.
"Wh-who are you two?" Hiyori finally spoke, eyes wide in surprise. The pair shared a glance before looking at Hiyori.
"I'm Yama!" yelled the girl with the short, chestnut hair. She waved, giving her a goofy smile.
"And I'm Ami," the other girl with the glasses followed. She brushed a lock of black hair behind her ear. "We just saw you walking out of our apartment building, and you were wearing our schools' uniform- we'd never seen you before, so we kind of followed you to see if we could talk to you. It was mainly Yama's idea, by the way. Not mine."
Hiyori blinked. The two girls, Yama and Ami, stared at her in anticipation. A large crowd of giggling students pushed past them, forcing the trio near the gates. Hiyori chuckled out of nervousness. "Okay," Hiyori paused. "Well, my name is Iki Hiyori, I'm new to the city, and I'm a first year-"
"We are too!" Yama cried, jumping with energy. "Wow, that's so cool! Great! You can be friends with us!"
Hiyori smiled. Despite the odd introduction, she was relieved to fit into the social life of the new school. A ball of anxiety had unwound itself in her chest with the knowledge that she was already befriending new people. "What classroom are you two in?" she asked.
"I'm 1-2," Yama replied. "So is Ami."
Hiyori frowned. "Oh, I'm in 1-1."
"Aw," Yama made a face. "Well, we can walk to school in the mornings, and talk before class, and at lunch," she rambled. "And also-" The sound of the school bell jolted the trio, cutting off Yama. All the students strolling about in the center of the courtyard headed for the main doors.
Ami sighed in disappointment."Oh, and so it begins," she muttered.
Yama placed an arm on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, stop looking so down, Ami!" Yama shouted. "It's high school! Time to get dates, join clubs, do sports, and make new friends! And we've already done one of them!"
Hiyori giggled at the two. Moving to Tokyo might've been a great decision after all.
The beginning of another school year, huh, Yato mused, carelessly running his fingers through his hair. He twirled his pencil in his other hand. The teacher, Mr. Tenjin, was calling attendance, making students introduce themselves- the usual.
"We also have a new student, who just moved here from the town of Tsukechi, Gifu-ken," Mr. Tenjin announced. "Iki Hiyori-san, please introduce yourself to the class."
The sound of a door screeching open made Yato slant his eyes in irritation. He glanced at the source of the noise; at the front of the class stood a girl with brown hair and pink eyes. How odd, he mused. Murmurs resonated throughout the room- words such as "pink eyes," "cute," and "pretty" standing out in particular.
"Hi, I'm Iki Hiyori," she said, smiling. Her eyes scanned the room, meeting his. Yato's breath caught for a second, though there was no reason for it. "I'm so excited to be in a city like Tokyo! I hope I can make new friends and meet lots of new people." She folded her hands before her and bowed. The sound of clapping filled the room.
"Alright, please sit in that empty chair, near the window," Mr. Tenjin said, pointing right in Yato's direction. The recipient stared at the new student, who walked towards the back of the room, focused on the seat ahead of him. Yato payed particular attention to how she flicked strands of hair behind her shoulder as she sat down in her chair, screeching against the tiling of the floor as she took a seat. He returned his gaze to the window, now bored by the short intrusion to his thoughts. Though he'd been temporarily bothered by the disruption, the monotonousness of the teacher's voice about introductory information brought him back into his usual state of reverie, the outside world becoming a mere backdrop for his thoughts and worries to play out in. Memories, both pleasant and painful, wafted into his mind. To his irritation, they didn't leave.
"Here you go," a voice called. Yato stared down at the floor, refusing to pay attention.
"Hello?" the same voice repeated. A tap on his wrist brought him to reality, and he looked up to find the new girl staring at him. Her pinkish, violet eyes pierced into his own, seemingly digging into his past and deeply hidden secrets.
"Hello?" The girl questioned, continuing to hold the sheet of paper towards him. "Are you alright?" Her eyes shone with concern, disabling the rational part of his mind. He blinked- he couldn't seem to remember a single word.
"Y-Yes," Yato stumbled out, flustered. He quickly grabbed the papers from her grasp, throwing them down onto his own desk. His hands returned back underneath the table. He could sense the eyes of the girl watching him; whether it was with further concern, or with disdain, he wasn't sure. After an awkward pause, she turned around to listen to the teacher's lecture again. Yato gulped.
Something fluttered within his chest as he observed her from behind, the way the brown tresses of her hair naturally cascaded down her back. He clenched his clammy hands.
As class ended, Yato took his time packing his textbooks into his bag. He kept the girl in the corner of his vision, watching the way she organized her handouts with tidiness, tapping them against her desk before placing them into her book bag.
Feeling somebody's gaze on her, Hiyori turned to face the boy who sat behind her- the boy with the striking blue eyes.
He ripped his eyes away from her as soon as their eyes met. She tilted her head out of curiosity.
"Yes?" Hiyori asked. Yato jumped, shooting a brief gaze in her direction before quickly stuffing the rest of his papers in his bag without care. "Did you have a question?" She narrowed her eyes at how he shoved his notes into his bag, biting her lip.
"No, I uh," Yato muttered, snapping the clips of his bag shut. "Just- uh, gotta go!" He hurried away without looking back. In his blind hurry, he didn't hear the plop! of an object falling out his bag and onto the white tile floor.
"Wait, your..." Hiyori's words slowed as he threw the door open with a bang, making the remaining students turn to look at the source of the noise with irritation. Hiyori bent down to pick up the clear pencil case, containing a few standard mechanical pencils, and one pencil with a capyper on it.
How cute, Hiyori mused to herself. I've always wanted to go to that amusement park. Turning it over, she saw the scrawl of a name that read, Kogami Yato.
"Kogami Yato?" Hiyori whispered to herself, turning the pencil case over. She would have to return it to him tomorrow.
As soon as Yato exited the classroom, he realized something. He didn't even know remember her name.
Though that was probably for the better- girls like her shouldn't associate with guys like him.
A/N: So, hopefully that was alright. As all writers say, I promise it gets better. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. I already have a bit written in advance, so I'll probably be uploading the next chapter soon (within the next week?)
I also have a tumblr for noragami things "writeyatori", as well as one for writing things "exiethewriter" so check those out, maybe?
Also, some characters will be changed- as in their relationships (can't say too much, or I'll spoil it); for example, Sakura is now Yato's mother. Hopefully that doesn't bother anyone.
And also, this story could include some triggering things, like child abuse and drugs- I'll make sure to warn about those kinds of things at the beginning of the chapters that include them, but please be careful of that.
I intend to make this story multi-chapter, and it should be pretty long. Hooray for character development!
On a happier note, thanks for reading, everybody! :) Also, happy new years!