"Please, Tenjin-sama! I'll do anything!"

"I'm sorry, but…"

Tenjin looked at the young teenage boy with pity in his expression. He glanced at his shrine maidens, all of them avoiding eye contact with the teenager.

"W-where am I supposed to go?!" he cried.

"I would take you in, but I already have enough shinki for now."

"If I don't find a master soon, I'll be eaten by ayakashi!"

Tenjin brought his fan up to his mouth and pressed it against his lips, thinking. Yes, there was someone.

"There might be a young goddess that could take you in… If you're willing to serve her."

"A young goddess? Who?" the boy - the boy without a name - asked, his navy blue eyes shining with hope.


"Ai-chan, have another cookie~"

"Kofuku, you're spoiling her," Daikoku scolded, scooting the plate of cookies closer to him and farther away from Kofuku.

"Ehhhhhh?! No, I'm not!" she pouted. "Ai-chan deserves these cookies because she's a good girl."

Daikoku sighed, allowing Kofuku to take the cookies back.

"It's fine, Daikoku-san," Hiyori smiled.

"I thought you were angry at Aiko for running off again," he commented.

Kofuku didn't hesitate in grabbing the cookies and telling Aiko to take whatever she wanted, without listening to Hiyori and Daikoku's conversation.

"No… I can't say that I'm angry. On one hand, she's still only five," she gave Aiko a quick glance. Her face twisted into worry. "But she's also a Goddess. I can't stop her from exploring."

"Even for Gods," - he lit a cigarette, it wouldn't damage Aiko - "Being five still requires supervision and guidance."

"I know that… it's just…" Hiyori dropped her head, looking into her cup of tea.

"Yato, huh?"

She took in a deep breath, picking her head up slowly and looking around to make sure he wasn't near.

"Aiko needs a shinki, but he doesn't want her to get one. He understands her need for one, but he wants to wait until she's a few years older," she told him in a low voice, leaning her head towards Daikoku.

"She's also taken a liking to going on her little adventures more than usual lately, hasn't she?" - he took in a deep breath of smoke - "You guys can't chase her around all the time, but a shinki…" - he exhaled - "a shinki will stick to the master no matter what."

"Exactly. And it makes me angry how he can just let her wander off when he won't even get her a shinki. If he doesn't want to get her one, then he should at least pay close attention to what she's doing," she complained.

"Well, why don't you tell…" his voice faded. This was Yato they were talking about.

"I've tried telling him, but he… He'll just say that he'll be more careful next time he watches her," she gave a quick glance at Kofuku as she giggled away and played with Aiko's hair. "And you know I can't watch her all the time."

Daikoku was about to say something, but his mouth shut closed when he spotted Yato walking in through the sliding door.

"I'm home," he announced wearily, taking off his shoes.

Not too far behind Yukine followed him, wearing the same exhausted expression.

"Hard day today?" Hiyori asked, praying in her mind that Yato hadn't heard any of what Daikoku and her were talking about.

"75 ayakashi today," he replied, sitting next to her.

"Yukki-nii's home!" Aiko trotted away from Kofuku and towards Yukine. She opened her arms widely and took a hold of Yukine in between them.

"Hi, Aiko-chan," Yukine smiled, petting her head, which only reached up to his waist.

This, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Yato.

"A-Aiko? Papa came home too, you know?" his bottom lip quivered.

She turned to look at Yato, arms still tightly holding onto Yukine.

"Yeah, but Mama says you make her angr-"

"OKAY!" Hiyori interrupted, clapping her hands together. "Why don't Kofuku and I go get dinner ready?" she faced Kofuku, who nodded, smiled, and made her way into the kitchen. Hiyori followed her.

"Did I do something?" Yato asked, eyeing the kitchen.

"When don't you?" Yukine sat against the wall once Aiko had let go of him. And Aiko imitated his actions.

Daikoku nervously put his cigarette on an ashtray in front of him, hoping that Yato wouldn't direct his attention toward him - which he didn't have time to do.

"Pardon the intrusion," was heard at the door.

"Tomone?!"

The short-haired woman frowned at the sight of Yato.

"6 years later and you're still calling me that."

"Oh, Mayu. Is there anything you need?" Daikoku questioned. "Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" He was about to get up and fetch whatever she asked for.

She directed her attention to Daikoku and shook her head, to which Daikoku sat back down.

"No, thank you. I won't be taking long."

"What brings you here, Mayu-san?" Yukine asked.

"Tenjin-sama sent me," she smiled gently at both Yukine and Aiko.

"Tomo-nee!" Aiko pointed her finger. She'd only met with Mayu a few times. And she wasn't very familiar with her yet. All she knew was that her name was Tomone, or so Yato claimed.

Mayu sighed in defeat. What point was there in correcting the little girl when she lived with… that?

"Ah, Mayu-san! I thought I heard something going on here," Hiyori exclaimed as she walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, Hiyori-san," she greeted politely, slightly bowing her head. "Tenjin-sama has an offer for Aiko."

Aiko's head shot up at the mention of her name. "For me?" She still wasn't quite certain on what "offer" meant, but anything and everything that was for her peaked her interest.

"What kind of offer?" Hiyori tilted her head curiously.

"Hey, Orange Hair, come in!"

Everyone in the room concentrated on the door, as if they could make this said "orange hair" appear faster.

A teenager - no older than 16 - shyly stepped into view. His hair, as Mayu had stated, was orange and his eyes were a shade of dark blue. He wore jeans - ripped and a simple white T-shirt.

At that moment, Kofuku stepped into the room as well. "A shinki?" she whispered to herself. Everyone was so distracted with the new face that they didn't see her.

"This young shinki needs a master," Mayu looked at Aiko, then back at the adults - specifically Yato and hiyori. "Are you willing to take him in?"

Hiyori grinned. It was the perfect opportunity for Aiko to get herself a shinki. Someone that could protect her.

"I - we - refuse," Yato said plainly, crossing his arms and glaring at the boy.

"Yato!" Hiyori scolded. "She needs a shinki and you know it!"

"We don't even know who this guy is! He could be a serial killer!"

"Yato, he's dead for God's sake!"

"You!" Yato scowled at the shinki. "What's your name?"

"Uh - uhm…."

"Haaa? What kind of idiot doesn't know his own name?"

"Yato, he doesn't have a name!"

Before Yato could continue with his nonsense, Aiko asked, "Will you be my friend?" to the teenager.

Having been caught off guard, he blinked, then smiled gently. "If you're willing to be my master."

Aiko turned her head to Yato. "Papa, can I give him a name?"

"But-" He looked at Hiyori, who gave him a glare that could cut through metal.

"If she doesn't give him a name, I might quit and become Aiko-chan's shinki instead, you know~" Yukine teased.

On the inside, he understood why Yato was overly suspicious of this guy. First off, he was a guy. But he also agreed that Aiko needed someone to protect her.

"F-fine…" Yato finally agreed.

Mayu nodded at the boy, who stepped forward, closer to Aiko.

Aiko stood from her seat beside Yukine. She stuck her index and middle finger together, folding the ring finger and pinky. Pointing at him, she began:

"You, with nowhere to go and nowhere to return. I grant you a place to belong. My name is Aiko. Bearing a posthumous name, you shall remain here. With this name, I make thee my servant. With this name and it's alternate, I use my life to make thee a shinki. Thou art Umi. As shinki, Kai. Come, Kaikki!"


Hi, guys! :D

Sorry for the slow updates, but I'm a busy person. I know, I know, I'll try to update sooner next time. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Aiko gets her shinki ^.^ I'm excited to write Umi's character! If you guys are wondering how Aiko doesn't know what "offer" is, but she is able to say "posthumous," it's because I assume that in the Noragami universe, Gods are born with the knowledge on how to name a shinki. So it's kinda like a natural thing for her. I hope you'll keep reading. Thank you for leaving reviews~

~Pinelle