She stood up, dusting her apron off and staring out the window longingly. She watched the people pass under her on the street. A pale-haired boy stopped under her window and stared for a moment. She blushed a little as he disappeared under the balcony, and but a moment later there was a knock at her door.

"Hello?" she asked through the door.

"I have a delivery, for a Miss Shiori Hyakki," someone called back.

She opened the door, peering out tentatively, her bright amethyst eyes meeting a pair of empty shades of purple.

"Well, hello delivery boy," she greeted, letting the pale haired boy enter the room. She instantly hugged him when the door clicked back into place. "You're lucky Grandfather isn't home," she whispered into his hair.

"I'm not lucky, I watched him leave from across the street ten minutes ago," he told her smugly.

She pulled back and smiled. "Oh you, so what did I miss in the real world today?" she asked.

"Nothing at all," he replied.

Shiori giggled. "I don't miss much? They could drop a bomb on us, you'd walk in and tell me I didn't miss anything," she chastised teasingly.

"Really, Shiori, I just don't think the real world can handle you," he told her. "The real world would take away your innocence," he added.

Shiori looked a little taken aback. "Hakudoushi…" she mumbled, then her eyes flicked to the little window. "My grandfather's coming!" she gasped, seeing the man walking across the street.

He opened the door. "Tomorrow?" he asked smirking.

"I don't know," she said hurriedly.

He walked out of the apartment and she closed the door behind him, sitting down at her computer and opening a file.

She began typing a sentence.

My name is Shiori Hyakki, I've spent my entire life trapped in a cage….