Prologue

No matter where I go

No matter how much I tried to hide

They`d always find me no matter how much I tried.

From the beginning of my life, I`ve been stalked by spirits and ghost wherever I go. I don't know why they were so attracted to me for, but I do know that they`re hungry for me by their looks. They want to eat, gobble, swallow, and even taste every single part of my body, and they won`t stop until they do. For years when I first saw them, they have been chasing me through streets, towns, even alleys, but I manage to escape from them. Yet even if I escape from them they`ll always find me, and always will.

I didn't bother to ask for help, because what`s the point of calling for help when they can`t see them one bit. I was confused at first about having this ability to see the unseen. It makes me feel kind of special to have this kind of gift when others don't yet I hated it. I hated it so much that I tried to kill myself for it. Why do I have to suffer from those 'things' when others don't? What did I do that caused my suffering?

I wanted these questions to be answered so badly, but what can I do? There`s no one who can see what I see, and my birth parents who gave me this kind of gene are gone like dust ever since I was little. I wanted help from anyone so badly however there`s no one by my side anymore. I`ll just be and always will be nothing but a lost girl who`s broken and hurt at the same time, same day, same year over, and over. And it`ll continue like that for the rest of my sick life.

With this gene in me that attracts the unseen, I forcibly continued to live my life alone as I grew. I wanted to disappear, but in my heart I felt that if I do it, then I would sadden my parents in heaven. So I forced myself to remain to live in a life with spirits. Fortunately I was taken by a kind landlord who given me a home to live, and spend my time there. Plus I was enrolled to school for my education.

However day after day when I come home from school where I was enrolled, I stayed home all day long without a single crack of light from my windows and my door, even when in weekends. I was afraid if a spirit would attack right in front of my door or window, and tries to eat me like other spirits do. So I stayed in my apartment for the rest of the day just to be safe from harm and others. I didn't bother to make friends in my school, or other people. Because if I do, then I would put that person in danger, and I swear to my heart that I won`t let that happen.

Therefore I shut myself from other people for their safety and mine too. Though, I only come out during special occasions like my landlord`s birthday, or mine. I`m sort of proud of myself for continuing to live, yet with all those 'things' stalking me like a stalker they are. I just wished…I just wish—in my honest words that comes from heart—that they would leave me alone in peace, and out of sight for the rest of my life in this world. And then my wish came true.

No more spirits chasing me, or stalking me. No more suffering for all their causes to me. However in order for this wish of mine to come true, I had to work for 'him'.

It was the day after school as I head for home; I was walking down a street ignoring the people who passed me. Until then, I felt a bloodcurdling aura that shivers down my back causing me to hunch my shoulders together. This feeling was too familiar for me so I pick up my pace as I continued to walk down the street—trying to ignore it. I kept on walking resisting the urge to look back to see what`s behind me. But there`s no need, because I already knew that there was a spirit behind me.

The aura grew stronger so that means it`s getting closer to me. I speed up my pace to get away from it, but it continued to grow. So then I started to run as fast as I can still trying to resist the urge to look back, yet I did. I widened my eyes from the enormous size of the spirit. It was almost the size of a full house.

Its body is like smoke, and has the color of copper. It has three blue eyes almost the same color as mine, but only paler, four serpent-like things were connected to its body, and each has eyes on them. Lastly its mouth was wide open big enough to swallow me whole. I couldn't help it but run yet at the time when I get an idea of escaping, it grew even larger than before. So I sustained to run.

"Darn! Darn! Darn!" I shouted softly so no one could hear me. Always! Always like this! I thought, running and running until I grew tired quickly and my breath shortened. I wanted to proceed, but I lost my breath as I slowly stopped near a wall. Damn, I thought hopelessly.

I turned around to see the spirit approaching me ready to pounce and gobble all of my body like it was nothing. I got few of my breath back, but my legs are too tired to move. I slowly walked backwards using my bag as a shield while it comes forward to me. Suddenly when my back and my hand touched the wall behind me, it disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"What? What happened?" I was completely confused about what just happened right now, but I was secretly glad that the spirit was gone. I moved away from the wall to see what`s behind it. There was a house with teal-colored roofs, and crescent-shape statues on top of them, even the entrance gateway. And between the house, there were two cherry blossom trees.

"How come there`s such a queer house like this out here?" I asked myself. "And also how come no one notice it?" I walked up to the entrance, until my legs started to move on their own. I tried to control them like I used to, but they wouldn't listen. Right before I was about to proceed to the entry door, my legs fell down onto the stoned path that leads to the entry. I was thankful that they stopped, yet when I tried to move them, I couldn't. And every time I tried, they hurt like a thousand needles that strike through the flesh.

Before I knew it, the door suddenly opened revealing a man wearing a red kimono with golden rose pattern imprinted on it, and a thin yet thick golden yellow sash tied around his waist. His hair was incredibly long and jet black like mine, and it was tied to a loose ponytail with bandages. His eyes were reddish brown, and his skin was almost as pale as snow. I have to admit he was handsome, but I felt like a fool to invade his property. So I have to apologize to him.

"Um…excuse me?" I called out, but he didn't say a word. "….I likes to apologize for intruding your property. So if you could help me, I would like to leave now."

"There`s no need for you to apologize, my dear," he finally spoken. "This was because you were destined to come here."

"Huh? What….what do you mean by 'destined'," I asked curiously.

"Destiny…refers to an event that would definitely happen. Without, nothing is possible. From one thing you see, many other things can be imagined….what I just said now, was from the Japanese-learning dictionary 2nd edition."

"Huh?" I was seriously confused.

"….You`re quite dull yet clumsy for a girl like you," He comments casually. I taken back by his comment, and resisted the desire to argue.

"Dull girl-! Clumsy girl-!" two girls appeared right beside me out of nowhere, and now they`re repeating the comment what he said before.

"Ah? Where do you two come from? And also why do you care?!" I yelled at both of them. They squeal after my outburst as they ran to the man in front me.

"Let me introduce these two girls…" He said, placing his hands on their shoulders.

"This is Maru," I face the blue-haired girl with extremely long fluffy-like pigtails that grew down to the ground. She wore a white collar shirt, dark chocolate-colored puffy-like shorts with spike-like edges, brown knee socks, which include her dark chocolate tailcoat with white collar, spike-like edges of her collar wrist, and the tails too, also there`s also bat wings behind her back. Her eyes were deep blue and her skin was awfully pale. It`s almost like she`s dead.

"And this is Moro," I turned away the girl to see the other. The girl was the opposite of the other girl. She wore a white dress with puffy-like short sleeves, and the skirt was showing some of her bloomer, but not all of it, a red ribbon tied around her waist to a thin bow, a slightly wavy collar around her neck that`s also attached to the top of her dress. "Their real names are Marudashi and Morodashi," he said, smiling. "Aren`t they such cute names for them? I mean they are just so cute when they come to these little girls."

"You mean to tell me that you named these two girls with those bizarre names that means 'Stripper and Hooker'!" I shouted at him. I can`t believe he named these two girl such inexplicable names that could make a mother cry. What is he, a pervert? Maybe, I thought to myself.

"Oh come on, you have to admit that they`re cute names," he tried to defend, but failed dejectedly.

"They`re not cute at all!"

"Anyway if I have to ask, how did you enter to my property?" he asked. I snapped back to reality as I stammered nervously. "Before I came here, I was being chased by a…stalker that been following me for a few months. But I manage to escape from him. At first I didn't see your house, when my hand touched the wall that in front your house….this place and then all this strange things happened. Anyhow when I saw your house, my feet began to walk themselves to this place. That`s how it was—even though some of it sounds defensive."

"Hmm…so you were stalked by a stalker that leads you to a dead end, and when you touched the wall and my house appeared right before your eyes. And then your feet started to move by themselves that made you enter this place…also you`re a terrible liar," he given me an insensitive comment again. But I have to admit that I was an awful liar like he said. "But to answer your question, it was because the wall is a barrier. A kekkai…when Buddhists practice Buddhism, there are often disturbances from the outside. So they find another area, which has both an inside and an outside, but with no entrance as to eliminate the noise. This is from the..."

"You know what; you don't need to answer the question!" I spoke out loudly.

"You are….really impatient!" he noted inconsiderably. "Impatient child! Impatient child!" the two girls said repeatedly in unison.

"That is also unnecessary!" I hold out a hand trying to shut them up. "Oh yeah, I never caught your name," he said. Now that he mentions that I never introduced myself, and I never caught his name either.

"Eh? Ah, it`s Wataunki Kiyomi," I called out my name.

"So your last name, Wataunki. Is it written like 'April First'?" I asked. "Ah, how did you know it was that?! I never said anything!" I was surprised that he found out what my last name means so suddenly, I have to confess that it was weird.

"Your birthday?" he asked.

"….April…..April 1st," I answered. I was embarrassed about my last name means the day of my birthday.

"I never knew anyone who would so willingly give their real name and birthday out to strangers," he chuckled. "What! It was you who asked!" I pointed it out.

"But that`s not my problem," he said. He took out a pipe from his sleeves, along with a small case of dry tobacco, and a petite box of matches. He opened the case to take out a minimum of tobacco as he stuffed it down to the opening of the pipe, and then he took out a match to set alight it as he lit the fire on the tobacco causing it to burn smoke that released a strange smell when he took a breath from it. "By giving out your name, you are giving them the ability to take your soul. By giving out your birthday, you have given over the control of your whole life."

"…I`m sorry, but I do not understand what you`re trying to say," I said.

"It`s alright, but aren`t you going to ask my name?" he asked, looking at me straight through my eyes.

"Um…uh…..what is your name?" I questioned curiously. At first I didn't care if I get his name or not, but for some reason I felt that I need to know his name.

"Yuu, Hajiwara Yuu. But obviously, it`s a fake name."

"Is it really necessary to have a fake name?" I questioned. What kind of guy would have a fake name, unless he`s a criminal? "Oh right. With this commotion going on, I needed to leave before it`s dark. So if you please, help me get up so I can return back for home before my landlord worries again?"

And also those spirits won`t try to capture me again, I thought. "You`re leaving? You`re leaving?" the two girls said in unison again, but this time their tone was a little sad. I felt sorry that I have to leave, even though I never planned to stay here. Yet I still don't want to deal with spirits at night.

"I`m sorry that I have to leave so early, but I have to go before night comes," I clarified.

"But you can`t," 'Yuu' said. What does he mean I can`t?

"Why?" I queried curiously.

"Because, fate refuses to let you leave here since this is inevitable. Haven`t I already said so…nothing in this world happened by random…everything is fated," he recalled. There`s the word again, 'fate'. Why does he care about how or what fate is? And how can fate controls the world when no one believes it? Snapping out of my thoughts, I heard him say…."Maru, Moro, could you bring me a large bowl of water from the well and my mirror, please?"

Huh? Why would he want a bowl of water, and a mirror for? More or less, what will he do with them both?

The girls brought out a huge beautiful bowl with elegant painting painted on it with clear water poured in it as they set it down between me and the man. One girl took out a mirror out of nowhere, and handed it to the man. It has strange cravings craved on it with an eye in the center. It was odd yet the craving looks so neat and clean. Once she gave it to the man, the man walked up to the bowl to place down the mirror onto the surface of the water.

Until then, it started spinning clockwise causing the water to whirl along while he speaks. And while he speaks, smoke appeared suddenly along with a wind that causes his hair to flow freely and mine too.

"Wataunki Kiyomi, Wataunki Kiyomi….somewhere in the middle, you moved…your birthplace, and the place you live now are not the same. Your family is unique…you aren't living with your real parents. And now, those people living in the same house with you—have a different last name. You have skillful hands…that do a lot of house work. But, also the place are living in, needs you to do the housework. Right now, and since the time you were young, you have always worried. However that is because of your family reasons. Also, there are things related to "Destiny!"…..you….can see magical things and beings. To answer to all those questions that you have thought, it is because of the blood that flows in your body. And thanks to it, your blood attracts all these things…."

"How did you know?" I sweat dropped nervously.

"You told me your real name and birthdate…" he explained.

"So it`s like this, then…"

"Of course, you just have to decipher to understand it," he said casually, then smiled. "Also…..since you heard everything you wanted to know in the first place, I have to take payment."

"Wait just a second! Why do I have to pay you if I didn't request for anything!?"

"For everything you desire, you have to pay an equal price in return. You can`t neither get more nor give more. It can`t be more or less, but in prefect balance. Otherwise, there will be a mishaps….whether it`s to a person`s physical self, or the hidden fates, or spirits from another world."

"Like I said, I didn't asked you for anything!" I yelled at him, but he completely ignored me while he asked the girls to put away the bowl and the mirror. "And also what`s really this place?"

"It`s a wish-fulfilling shop, where your desires are to be granted by yours truly…me," he explained. "However as I repeat it, I will take anything of equal value as trade for your wish….such as souls. But not killing one, because even if I did that, then I would be heavily burden till I`m ruined. Souls can represent a person`s important things. To fulfill a wish, your soul is presenting those important things as trade. That is the kind of shop we have here….and also don't you think that your life would be better without 'them'."

"Uh…what is…?" I stammered uneasily.

"You`re just too easy to read, you know," he pointed out. To others, I am nothing but a close book yet to him, I was open like a clam. Even though I just met him, and I feel like I can trust him, but he continued to explain. "Whether it is a meeting by chance or a major event, every occurrence will affect the future. The smallest thing, the shortest amount of time, the littlest piece of record or memory…the fate that accompanies you will never disappear. "Our meeting has a purpose and your entrance into here has a purpose as well," he said, taking another breath of the burning tobacco.

"Ah…what does this mean, if I have to ask?" I asked.

"Everything that happens in life has a meaning or purpose, of course," he exhaled a cloud of smoke out of his mouth again, and then smiled. "…And your wish…"

"…I…"

"Just name it."

"I know this is selfish and all, also I don't know if you can grant it or not, but…." I paused nervously, taking a deep breath to calm myself. "…I only wish that no spirits or ghosts would dodge my footsteps wherever I go….if that`s okay with you…."

"Is that what you want….?" He interrogated, while smiling.

"Uh…" I paused again, swallowing my nervousness down my throat before I resumed. "….yes…."

"All right then, I`ll grant your wish…but….the price?" he hold out a hand waiting for a trade. "Oh yeah, I have to mentioned that we don't take or accept forfeits. So you might have to accept it."

"Eh…..well, I don't have anything valuable in me, except for my watch that was given to me yet I won`t give it to you, even if it`s my wish or not," I said apologetically. I really wanted to have my wish to be granted and over with, but the watch has passed down to me—after my parents died. So I must keep it definitely. "Oh, that`s too bad. You were so eager to have your wish granted," he stated. "Unless…you work for me….?"

"Huh…work for you?" I repeated his words. "When your diligence has balanced out your wish, I will fulfill it. So the only solution is to just work for me," he elucidated cleverly. "And don't blame me for this, I`m only doing this for your benefit."

"She`s a maid now!" cried the two girl in unison again. They sounded happy, so that means they don't have to miss me leaving anymore. The half of me says to refuse, but the other half tell me to. I think and I thought over a few minutes—until then I have the solution. "Fine, I`ll work for you however if you tried anything that related to sexual harassment or rape, then I`ll swear to the Gods, I`ll perish you permanently," I threatened with a hint of anger, and narrowed eyes through my glasses.

"Wow, you`re feisty….I kind of like that…" he remarked with a sly smile printed his face. I blushed a little from his comment. Then he walked up to me as he leaned down to reach my hands and grabbed it to pull me out of the ground easily. It was oddly strange. Before I met him a few minutes ago, my legs refuses to get up, and now they did obey. I tried to get them to listen at first, but when I tried, it hurts like needles.

I was utterly confused at this day, even by that man I met today. But I had the feeling that everything will change from today to my future. And that`s how I meet him, I may not trust him fully but I`ll learn how. However my friends….the story are only just the beginning.