The world she lived in doesn't satisfy her very much as it used to, true she had friends who she cares for and cares for her back, a best friend who was always there for her, a boy who likes her and a happy life. Yes, she is contented, but she wasn't very much happy. Rather, she feel something lacking in her world, her whole being as she looked up at the sky…she was aware of this, yet she doesn't know what to do nor what it is. She sighed.

"Tsurara!" her friend called as her hair sways behind her, "what is it Maki?" she asked her long blond friend.

Her friend, Maki Saori, flashed her bag and grinned, "Let's go home!"

Tsurara smiled at her as she takes bag and followed her. The moment they got out of the room, they were greeted by the faces of her friends Shima, Torii, Kiyotsugu and Kana, "let's go then!" Tsurara stopped; she knew there was still someone missing…

"Sorry I'm late!" said a classmate of hers as she turned to the image of a young brown-haired boy behind her, "bathroom," he said with a sheepish grin. Tsurara could only stare blankly at the boy as he regains his stance after running back and forth. Noticing the girl's odd stare, he flashed his signature smile and said, "shall we get going, Tsurara?"

She smiled back at him and nodded, "sure…Rikuo-kun."

…

So the middle schoolers walk home together as a club. A club that is made for the sole purpose of studying and investigating the monsters called yokai and is founded by none other than their leader, Kiyotsugu himself. Hence the name Kiyo Cross squad. "okay! Men," their leader called their attention as he turns towards them, "club meeting!" he suddenly announced that made everyone look at him with funny looks on their faces.

And the next thing they knew, they were at this café sitting together as if they was just some friends having fun, it would've been better if it was the case. Kiyotsugu gets weirder and weirder every day. This yokai addict usually doesn't call out a club meeting when school's over, "what's the purpose of this so-called meeting anyway?" Torii asked as they order their chosen drinks and the waitress lists them down.

Maki nodded, "we could always do this tomorrow,"

Kiyo stared at them resting his head on his joined hands with a stern look on his face, "do you guys think mirrors are a complete mystery?" Tsurara, who was busy looking outside, turned to him, the matter seem to interest the girl, "it is said that yokais live at the other side of the mirror," he continued as he now crossed his arms to his chest with a smug look on his face, quite proud that it caught everyone's interest.

"w-what are you talking about this time?" Kana tried to keep her voice and her face from being scared. She remembered seeing a really scary movie about mirrors. It sent her cowering in her bed that night. Relieve then rushed into her as she sighted the waitress coming towards them with their orders, she smiled in delight.

"Yours will be up in a minute, hon," she gestured towards Tsurara as she holds the pan to her chest and walked briskly away. Tsurara pouted and averted her eyes away from everyone who are enjoying their drinks out of jealousy. Rikuo, who sat across the girl noticed her envious stare at them and decided to offer her his drink, urging her to take a sip, "I insist Tsurara!" he said with a smile. Everyone gaped at them, "Rikuo! How bold!" Maki commented then flinched at the sight of Shima glaring at them. Kana flashed them a look of jealousy as she takes a sip of her iced tea.

Tsurara blushed then denies their remarks and rejects her classmate's offer, much to the boy's disappointment, "are you sure?" he asked one last time and she replied with an extreme nod on the head, "one hundred percent!"

Right then, the lovely waitress came back with one last order as she stops in their table and put down Tsurara's order, a strawberry flavored shaved ice. She smiled amazingly at it that somehow made Shima fall for the girl more. After taking her first bite, she turned to Kiyo and asked, "Is there a chance that those yokais can cross over to this world?" she asked out of curiosity. Kiyo grinned, "good question," he praised her, "there is a slim chance, but there is a possibility," he answered her. Tsurara could only nod at his explanation and continue with her iced sweet.

After finishing their drinks, the group said their goodbyes. Though Kana was a bit unwilling to do so for it means that the two, Tsurara and Rikuo will be alone together since the way to their houses are in the same direction, there was nothing she could do but to walk along with Maki and Torii home.

"You really seem interested in what Kiyo said, huh?" Rikuo said as they walk home.

"It just caught my attention," she replied him with a sheepish grin.

The two of them met at the first year in middle school, Tsurara transferred here alone since her parents both work away from home so she hardly sees them. She and Rikuo one day started talking and all of a sudden, she started hanging out with his friends, then not long after, their not-school-official club was created.

Reaching the path they would both walk alone, both of them said their goodbyes, "Tsurara," Rikuo called her name softly, "if ever something happens, you can tell me about it," he told her. No one knows her as much as he does despite just meeting last year, and Tsurara was aware of that fact. She flashed a thoughtful smile at him, "thank you, Rikuo," she gratefully said as they walk their separate ways.

It was passed 7 when she got home to her empty house. It was a modern, two storey house. A house fitting for a happy family with its bright colors. It should have been but as she step inside, she was greeted by the same darkness that always greeted her since she moved here. She sighed and took her shoes off, prepared and ate dinner alone, took a short shower and reluctantly went to bed. This is her daily life in this lifeless house of hers, it just ran in circles. It would have been fine if she had a sibling to be with, but sadly, she died. It left a huge scar on her parents that made them both turn to working hard. She understands why they acted that way. And just seeing them try hard to make even the least bit time for her is enough for her, she was satisfied…

But still…

She can't say that she was happy from the bottom of her heart…

…

It was quarter to two when she was, out of the blue, awoken with the sudden gust of cold wind that no matter how much she covers herself, it was futile in the face of this coldness. She couldn't stand it and decided to get up and find the source of that chilly breeze. She looked around her dark room, all the windows are closed, same with the air conditioner. She wondered, where is it coming from, then?

She shivered. Her room now feels like she's inside a giant refrigerator. She traced where the wind was stronger and she was dumbfounded to find herself in the…

"Bathroom?" she scratched her head in confusion. She glanced around the room and saw that the windows are also shut closed. She was scared now, if the wind didn't come from the outside, where is it coming from?

She took a bat to defend herself and walked inside, aware of her surroundings as she readies herself for what might be coming. She may not look at it, but she is a bit confident on her skills, but that doesn't stop her from being scared. She then shuddered at the strong wind brushing against her skin to one side, she turned to where it came from and was shocked, "i-it came from…t-the mi-mirror?" she said, panic-stricken as she watched her image on the mirror screen slowly became more and more distorted, it became harder and harder to recognize it. She took a deep breath to gather her strength. She needs to throw this thing away now before something happens!

Slowly, her hand inched closer and closer to the mirror, then something came from it and grabbed her wrist and forcibly tried to pull her in. she struggled to keep herself from going inside it and felt that what was holding her— the hand holding her, was extremely cold. It was a pale and extremely white hand that was as cold as the ice itself, she then concluded that the cold atmosphere in her room was the doing of whatever is in the other side of this mirror.

She kept resisting but she was no match against it. She was sure that whatever is in this mirror was definitely NOT human, but a monster, it was impossible that such pale and fragile looking hand held such brute force. Her hand started to be sucked in and she needed to do something about it fast! She then started to reach out to something that can support her so as she wouldn't be sucked in completely and sighted a handle with a towel gangling in it just beside the bath tub. She reached to it moving violently just to get closer, "just a bit more," she muttered, heaving out heavy breaths. She was starting to get frost bite now especially in her other hand. She musters all her remaining strength just to reach for it but it was futile, she couldn't reach hard enough.

She gritted her teeth. Do or die, this was all she could do now. She just hoped… prayed, it would go on her odds and that luck was on her side. She forcibly grabbed the towel and threw it with all her might to the mirror in an attempt to distract the monster long enough to pull her freezing hand from its grasp.

Thankfully, it worked and the grip on her hand was loosened and she managed to pull her hand back. She then started to run out the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. This was surely a nightmare came true for Tsurara.

…

Morning came and she hadn't slept one bit, the whole incident traumatized her that every sound made in her room would jolt her awake and immediately grab something to defend herself. Seeing after that it was just her imagination, she would let out a deep breath and glanced at the bathroom. She definitely needs to burn it now. And she will…after school.

The moment she opened the door to the room, she went to her seat and immediately dozed off, her friends just stared at the sleeping maiden, wondering whatever happened to her. Rikuo stared at Tsurara full of worry…

"Is something wrong?" Rikuo asked, "Did you not sleep well last night?"

Tsurara looked up at him, her eyes still a bit drowsy. She didn't even notice it was lunch time already. And because she really wanted to get away from that house, she even forgot to make her own lunch. Today is not her day indeed. She yawned as she rubs her eyes, "i-I'm fine, just couldn't sleep right last night that's all," she reasoned as she stood up in her seat. She couldn't possibly tell Rikuo all that's happened, not that she was scared he wouldn't believe her outrageous story. It's just that she doesn't want to involve the boy especially when she doesn't even want to believe it herself. She clenched her fists, "I'll just head out to the infirmary to rest," she excused herself and then walked out.

IN THE INFIRMARY…

She lazily launched herself in the bed, lucky that she was the only human there. She turned her body to one side and closed her eyes, thinking of how she acted in from of the boy she likes, "I'm sorry, Rikuo." and with that in mind, she fell into a deep slumber…

Her eyes snapped open and she suddenly got up, "what time is it?" she asked herself as she glanced at the wall clock, "It's already pass four?" she shrieked as she got up and went straight to her room when a figure stopped her, "what's wrong, Tsurara?"

She blinked innocently at him, "Ri-Rikuo-kun?"

He smiled at her and took out her bag, "everyone's gone home now," he informed her as he walks beside her. Tsurara gazed at her bag, then back to him, "then what are you doing here?"

"I got worried for you, so I decided to bring your bag to you, as well as check up on you," he answered honestly, "are you really alright?"

Tsurara was touched at the boys actions that made her face red quite a bit, "thank you," she said to him appreciatively, "let's head home now, shall we?"

Rikuo nodded in agreement.

As they walk home, Tsurara kept fidgeting, she thought if she should tell her friend about this, well, Rikuo was always there for her, but this time it's different! It's not about Shima weirdly showing his love for her now, it was unbelievable! She took a deep breath, "say, Rikuo-kun, do you believe in monsters?" she asked.

Rikuo turned to her, blinking in surprise, he was a bit taken aback by her sudden question about such things, maybe this girl with him is starting to be interested in yokais as well Rikuo thought, "well, I haven't seen one yet, so for now… no, I guess," he answered candidly, looking up at the sky, "it's quite unusual for you to ask such a question like that, Tsurara," he turned to her, who was in deep thought. He was sure now that something did happen, "what's wrong? Don't tell me you saw a monster last night?"

Tsurara jerked back at how accurate what he said was. She stared at Rikuo with a frightened expression before composing herself and said to him with a serious expression on her face

"If I did, would you believe me?"

There was a momentary silence between them as Tsurara gazes at Rikuo with a serious look on her face. Right then, she sighed to herself. She knew it, she really couldn't bear to involve her most important person in all this. She faked a smile as she run passed him and gestured her bag up waving it at him, "it was a joke! Don't worry Rikuo-kun! Everything's alright!" and with that said, she ran to the direction of her home.

…

Arriving at her house, she immediately slammed the door shut behind her, panting hard. She then wondered if Rikuo would hate her for it was clearly seen that she was lying. Rikuo was the only person who could see through her lies and often scolds her for it.

She hopes terribly that he wouldn't be.

He could easily tell if something is wrong with her even sometimes without her noticing it herself. That's what she likes most about him. She unknowingly smiled as she turns on the lights and felt something cold at the base of her neck, feeling the sharp end of it on her skin. She immediately knew it was a blade. There was a thief in her house?

She frowned, why is this happening to me?

"Don't move," the man warned, "how dare you enter someone's house without proper authorization, you thief!"

Tsurara was speechless, how dare this man call her a thief when he should be referring that to himself! She gritted her teeth in frustration, she doesn't give a damn about anything anymore! She snapped as she quickly lowered her head to avoid the blade and ran from him, "h-hey!" the man called as she runs toward her, "come back here thief!"

Hearing this, Tsurara just exploded, "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!" she yelled, "THIS IS MY HOUSE DAMMIT!" she turned to him and staggered at the sight of the man as he snorts, "how can you be sure this is your house?" he asked her with a stern face.

Tsurara glared at him, "and how can you be sure to whom this house belonged to, hmm?" she retort back at him.

The man blinked at her innocently, well she does have a point, "good question," he looked up at the ceiling, thinking as Tsurara looked at him quizzically and examined him. A man with a medium height, wearing a long blue yukata , a long dark and white hair that seemed to defy gravity by swinging up to his side like that and those red mesmerizing eyes, "who are you?"

The man turned to her and smirked, "I am the one next in line on becoming the Lord of Pandemonium," he said with extreme confidence that left Tsurara speechless as to what this weirdo was saying, "Nura Rikuo,"

Tsurara gasped, "Ri-Rikuo-kun?"

TEMPTATION GOT ME! AND I (THE HELL) COULDN'T SAY NO!

This story had been stuck in my head for more than a year now bugging me to let it out, eating way at me! I'm so sorry Tsurara! Rikuo! But you both have to be the main characters for this one. I'll have to ignore my own rules here! T^T

Anyway, this is my first chapter, *looks at my story again* I seriously must stop myself from making more fanfics with this couple… T_T …It's getting too unfair to my other shipping characters xD

I'll have to hold up with updating this along with my other story, again with this couple… FROZEN MEMORIES… though the story is getting interesting, I'll have to prioritize my studying! So please bear with me! I don't even like this as much as you guys do… I mean, I hate studying but… "

Once again! Happy New Year! ^^

AND MAY YOUR YEAR 2012 BE A BLAST! ^^