Reaching for the Stars

Chapter 3: Negi Ramen's 2nd Job

Caz just stood there for awhile, staring at her sister. She felt like if she blinked, she'd wake up and find it was all a dream. It couldn't be real. Aiyun wasn't going to die. Not yet..not yet...

"What are you staring at?" Aiyun asked, scowling. She took a sip of her coffee.

"Whatever the hell I want." Caz snapped, without thinking. So much for trying to make things right.

"Watch your language."

"Yes, mother." Caz replied sarcastically. She escaped quickly to her room and shut the door. She immediately flopped down on her bed.

Meanwhile, Takuto and Meroko were still in the kitchen, watching Aiyun.

They don't have a very good relationship, do they?" Meroko said with a frown.

"I guess not." Takuto replied.

"I still feel bad. It's her sister." she sighed. "This is why we're not supposed to talk to mortals. Understand?"

She turned to Takuto who was staring off into the hall which lead to Caz's room.

"Takuto? You jerk! Stop ignoring me!" Meroko's pink book appeared in a puff of smoke and she smacked his head with it.

"Ow!" Takuto looked back and glared at her. "Damn it! What was that for?"

Meroko grabbed his arm. "You're not listening to me again!"

He shook her off. "Let go."

Then both of them froze as they heard the far-off sound of Caz's tears falling and hitting her pillow. A sad sound. It was like a melancholy organ playing at a funeral. Like the sound of a flute playing a soft melody. Like the sound of a violin wailing its mournful sorrow. A sound that could only be heard by those who were no longer living.

"She's...crying." Takuto whispered. He quickly flew down the hall and walked through the door. Meroko, once again left behind, flew after him mumbling to herself about how much of a idiot he was.

Takuto gazed upon Caz from up above. She wasn't crying anymore but she looked depressed and her black eyeliner was running down the side of her cheek. The girl clenched her pillow close to her chest. It was dotted with wetness, evidence that she had been crying a lot. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He just stared, wanting so much to be able to comfort her.

Meroko entered the room a few seconds later and also saw Caz. Seeing the girl in such a state made her want to cry, too. There were so many times when she herself had cried so much. Times when she felt like she was worthless. Those feelings were the reason she was a shinigami. Nobody should have to go through that, she thought. She had to cheer her up. Somehow. She looked up at Takuto and knew he felt the same way.

"Caz-chan? Are you okay?" Meroko asked. Caz ignored her and kept looking straight ahead. Meroko looked her and felt like she was also going to cry. Then she got an idea.

"Caz-chan, we never properly introduced ourselves." she said. Caz showed no change in her expression. "Takuto!" Meroko motioned to him. At first he looked confused but then nodded.

"We are the shinigami team that silences the tears of crying children..." he said.

"We are...Negi Ramen!" they said in unison.

"Meroko!"

"Takuto!"

Both did a dramatic-looking pose in the air.

"Now stop looking so sad. You look better when you're not crying." Meroko said.

Both of them landed in front of Caz, hoping for a smile. The blonde girl looked up at them with a frown.

"'Onion Noodles'? That's your name? Where did you come from, the grocery store? And I'm not a child. I'm sixteen." she said unenthusiastically, making a face.

"Takuto, why is that our name?" Meroko whispered.

"Shut up. I don't know." he hissed.

"I guess the boss likes food." she said thoughtfully to herself.

"So shinigami collect souls in teams, is that it?" Caz asked. The shinigami looked at her and nodded.

"Hai. Traveling shinigami usually do jobs in pairs. This is Takuto's first job." Meroko smiled at him in an 'awww-isn't-that-cute?' way. He folded his arms and looked away, embarrassed.

"I see. Then why didn't that shinigami didn't have a partner?" Caz wondered. Meroko blinked.

"What shinigami?"

"The one I saw..that took Akio's soul." she replied absently.

"Uh...maybe he didn't have a partner." Meroko suggested. She nervously fidgeted with the big bow on her hat.

"Maybe.." Caz repeated, unconvinced. "Are you sure you don't know the shinigami I saw?"

"Hey, who's this guy?" Meroko asked, changing the subject quickly. She was pointing to a picture on Caz's dresser.

"That's Akio. He...was my best friend." Caz replied, feeling a hot stinging in her eyes.

That was the boy Caz had mention early. The one that died. Meroko studied the image of the boy. He had long-ish black hair with a dyed red stripe in the front and pale blue eyes. He was wearing all black and chunky grey boots. The coat he was wearing..Meroko recognized it. It was the one Caz was wearing.

"He looks nice." Meroko said, not sure what else to say. Caz nodded.

"He was. He looked tough but it was just on the outside. He was...sweet on the inside. But few people got to know that side of him because he constantly locked his feelings away."

Takuto floated in the corner, silently listening.

"He does look tough." Meroko agreed. "But you can't judge a book by its cover, you know that old saying."

"Yeah. A lot of people...they didn't know how to deal with him. He was just different and they started to hate him for it. I guess it's the same way with me. People don't know what to do with me. Maybe that's why my sister and I don't get along."

"Ohhh. I see."

"My sister wants me to be like her when she was my age: always getting good grades, a member of every club, a player on almost every sports team, always looking perfect. I can't do that. I'm not her and I never will be so trying to be like her is an impossible task."

"Really? Well, you can't be exactly like your sister. It's not right that she expects that of you."

"Exactly. She doesn't get that but...despite that I still don't want her to die."

"Well, I've decided. I'm going to help you get closer to your sister before her time is up!" the shinigami declared. "And help you stay true to yourself at the same time." she added.

"Really?" Caz looked uncertain. "But don't you have to do your job?"

"My job is to watch Sutakyo Aiyun. But I can do that while helping you." she said with a wink.

"Me, too." Takuto said behind her. "I'll help."

Meroko turned and smiled.

"Takuto! I guess Negi Ramen has a second job to do."

Meroko wrapped him up in a giant hug. His cheeks reddened and tried to push her away.

"Stop that." he muttered.

Caz looked up at them and a smiled for the first time in months.

"A-arigatou. I...I really mean it." she said.