Chapter 1: Strange Girl
Under the Sakura tree where we first met.
I'll take your hand in mine and we'll live forever.
" Come to the Sakura Tree, where we first met," a voice whispered
Sakaki looked out the window of an apartment and sighed. A vision of a girl had just vanished from his mind when the real estate agent cleared her throat.
" It's nice," Sakaki said, " but to expensive."
" You can think about it," the agent said
" I can't with the amount of money I make on my job. This apartment would put me on the streets," Sakaki said
He slipped his coat on and headed out into the cold. He wiped the snow of his motorcycle, then straddled over it and placed his helmet on. He turned and saw a girl, in a beautiful kimono, standing across the street; staring at him. He started his bike and shrugged off the girl's stare.
When he arrived back at the STN-J, he pulled up into the garage. He took his helmet off and headed up to the office.
" I'm back," Sakaki said
" So how'd it go? Did you buy a new apartment?" Karasuma asked
" I wish, it was to expensive for my own good…I'd be paying with body parts to pay the rent," Sakaki said
" What will cost body parts?" Doujima said walking in
" An apartment," Sakaki replied
Sakaki sat down and sighed leaning back into his seat. He thought about the strange girl that was staring at him at the apartment. He couldn't understand why though, it was just strange.
In the late afternoon Sakaki went to have a bite to eat at Harry's, as he pulled up he noticed the girl. Sakaki took his helmet off and looked at the girl across the street.
" Who are you?" he questioned
She didn't answer, just stared at him and he went to Harry's. He got his usual and sat down and ate it. He looked out and still saw the girl standing there.
" Is everything alright?" Harry asked
" Harry, do you see that girl there?" Sakaki replied
" Yes, she's been standing there since early this afternoon…do you know her?" Harry stated
" No, but she's everywhere I go," Sakaki said, " I saw her this morning."
" Perhaps she's to shy to speak to you," Harry said
" She's strange," Sakaki said
Harry kind of chuckled and walked off and Sakaki looked at her. He sighed as he finished up lunch then got up. He walked out and grabbed his helmet, then straddled his motorcycle. Sakaki looked over and the girl was gone, he sighed and started up his motorcycle. Sakaki returned to the STN-J and didn't see the girl, he was becoming paranoid and looked out the window.
" Sakaki," Karasuma called
" What?" he questioned
" Why are you looking out the window?" Karasuma replied
" It's a beautiful day, don't you look out the window?" Sakaki asked in a slightly nervous tone
" Your jumpy too," Karasuma said
Sakaki turned and looked at her and shook his head. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked off. Karasuma shrugged and walked to her work station, then looked at the window.
" Don't tell me your just going to look out the window cause he said it's a beautiful day?" Doujima remarked
" No, he was looking for something or someone, but who?" Karasuma stated, " He seemed nervous about it too."
Sakaki leaned against the back counter of the STN-J and sipped his coffee. He looked around finding it much to quiet since the factory incident. He sighed and ran his hand through his slightly long hair, forgetting that it was pulled back.
" Damn it," he thought
He redid it quickly and sighed, then looked out the back window, there he saw the girl standing there. He put his coffee down and ran out the office, down the stairs and then took the elevator the rest of the way. Sakaki ran out and looked at her across the street.
" What do you want?" he questioned
She didn't answer him, she just stared at him with the same look. He walked towards her and she stepped back a little.
" Please, I just want to know who you are?" he stated
The girl stopped and looked at him and bowed slightly to him. He came within feet of her and stared at her.
" Your following me, but you don't speak," Sakaki said, " Are you mute?"
The girl shook her head and folded her hands into one another, then placed them over her heart. The girl then reach up and undid the pendant around her neck. She put her hand out as to give it to him. He reached out his hand and she let the pendant fall into his hand. She then walked off in a hurry and Sakaki watched her just vanish. He opened his hand and looked at the pendant, it was a pendant with a Sakura tree on it.
" I don't understand," he whispered
" Sakaki," Karasuma called
Sakaki turned around and looked at Karasuma from across the way. He sighed and walked across the street and stood just next to her facing the opposite direction.
" Who was that girl?" she asked
" I don't know," he replied
Sakaki walked off and Karasuma turned and looked at Sakaki as he walked in. She went up after him and did not ask him anymore questions that pertained to the girl. She minded her business and just went to work.
" Jealous Miho?" Doujima asked
" I am certainly not," Karasuma replied
Doujima chuckled and went to work and Karasuma looked over at Sakaki. Sakaki looked at the pendant and moved it around.
" Ms. Karasuma, I have some information on a case," Michael said
" Could you send it to me?" Karasuma asked
" One step ahead of you," Michael said
" Thank you Michael," Karasuma said, " Sakaki maybe you should look into this too."
Later, as the clock struck 6, Sakaki got ready to go, but he didn't find any reason to just pick up and leave. Karasuma stacked old files into the back and Sakaki just cleaned up in the back.
" Alright, I'm leaving," Sakaki said
" See you later Sakaki," Doujima said
" By Doujima," Sakaki said
Sakaki walked out and Karasuma got up, she grabbed her purse.
" I'll see you tomorrow," Karasuma said, " I have to get some grocery shopping done."
She went downstairs and saw Sakaki leaving and in the a second he left, she felt something.
" What?" she thought, " I just got a huge psychic burst."
Karasuma knelt down and touched the ground, the feeling was so strong that it pushed her back. She hit her head on the wall of the building and blacked out, but as she did she saw the girl, Sakaki was talking to earlier.
" Who are you?" Karasuma whispered
" Stay away from Kingu," she said
" Kingu?" Karasuma thought