Joshua had no idea why he bought it.

Really, all he had been looking for was another novel to pass his time, having finished Paradise Lost by John Milton, along with Dante's Inferno. They were relatively interesting, but he had nevertheless finished both, and required a new source of entertainment.

He hence found himself in one of Shibuya's bookstores, hidden away in the nook and crannies of one of its alleys; where discounts could be easily obtained with a few choice words. He ignored the musty stack of Japanese novels, having read all before, and proceeded directly to the back of the store. He could probably come across a couple of decent books if he got a little bit... hands on.

"Let's see... Jodi Picoult's a tad too sappy... oh it's Dan Brow- wait, I already read this. Hm, this looks good... Sophie Kinsella? N-no thank you."

Joshua's finger caught on a stray thread as it trailed down the stack of haphazardly arranged books. Tugging it free, he slid the offending book out of line, out of sheer boredom and curiousity. It was a slim paperback, the cover a faded black. The binding was still intact, save for the thread; there was nothing else, no title, no author, no blurb, zilch.

Genuinely curious, Joshua flipped the book open... only to be greeted by blank pages paling brown with age. He blinked, shrugged and slotted the book back into its place.

Ten minutes later Joshua left the store, wondering why he had even bought the notebook in the first place.

It was a month before Joshua picked the notebook up again.

It was a tiring one at that. He had to run around the whole prefecture, call a number up and found himself knocking out the moment his head hit the pillow. His only solace, it seemed, was when he was alone and immobile.

In which the majority constituted of his sleep.

He picked up a stack of papers, carrying them over to his desk. The notebook, having stuck itself in some way into the pile, toppled out onto the floor and flipped open.

Joshua sighed and grabbed the book.

Then froze when he realised that the book had been written on.

It was nothing much, really, just a whole long list of algebraic sums. Some done incorrectly cancelled out the possibility of Sho writing on his stuff - he did pay for it - as well as Mitsuki. She wouldn't allow for mistakes.

The possibility of anything else that was formulating in Joshua's mind went completely out of the window when the book started spouting out more sums.

Joshua watched, bemused. This trick was too elaborate to be performed anywhere. The writing ceased, leaving a particularly difficult sum unfinished. After a long pause, he clicked open his pen and wrote.

'2a.'

There was another wait, this time with bated breath. The book printed out another question, stopping yet again at the answer. It was a slightly harder question, but Joshua did not like to be treated as a calculator.

'2x + 1. Really, now. I'm not a calculator, you know.'

'Oh.'Slightly messy words scrawled themselves out. 'Sorry. Who are you?'

"So you're not a calculator either," Joshua mused. "Let's play along for now."

'My name is,' Joshua paused. A pseudonym would be safer for now. A tad paranoid, but better safe than sorry, no?

'Virgil.' From Dante, the guide of Hell.

'Nice name.' A hasty reply.

'Thank you. What's yours?'

'Neku. Neku Sakuraba.'

Joshua frowned. Neku? Neku, Neku, Neku. Nope, didn't ring a bell.

'Charming. Nice to meet you, Neku.'

'Nice to meet you too, Virgil.'

Joshua tapped his pen against the table, his paperwork all but forgotten. Should he reply...? First course of action should be to gather information.

'I take that I'm talking to you through a notebook?'

'How did you know?'

'The sums, Neku.' He giggled.

'Oh. So I'm a notebook to you too?'

'Yes.' No harm in letting him know.

'Cool. So you're not Shiki playing a trick on me?'

'Apparently so. Who is Shiki?'

'My...' The ink trailed. 'Friend.'

'Girlfriend?'

'No.'

'That was quick. There's no need to get flustered now.'

'I am NOT flustered.'

'Whatever you say.'

Joshua was enjoying himself, work be damned. This Neku character was rather fun to tease...

'So... do YOU have a girlfriend?'

'No. I'm gay.'

'Serious?'

'No.'

'... You're definitely not Shiki, right...?'

'I'm not. Is Shiki gay?'

'NO!'

'Hee hee. Are you sure?'

'Just... drop it, Virgil.'

'Yessir.'

Joshua smirked and set his pen down. Things were going to perk up, he could tell. It was a rather unconventional way to make a new friend, and some things were unclear here and there, but at least he won't be bored.

A/N: 'Pen and Paper', 100 themes challenge on DeviantArt.

I was reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when this hit me. It was written and rewritten quite a number of times.

The next chapter is from Neku's perspective.