Okay, sorry this took so long to post on here but i was having a bit of writers block for this story... Well, thanks to my reveiwers; especially Sarah who gives me such in depth reveiws. I will try to follow your help...

Chapter 2: Encountering 'The Paper'

Home. It was a nice and sunny day in the middle of July. I had just got off from another great day at work. Eagerly, I raced down the streets of Jinbo-Cho towards home so I could finish a book called Midnight Delirium by an American author named J. McArthur that I had started to read the night before; the climax drew near in it and the main character was about to face his nightmarish reality that he had tried to deny since the chain-of-events that led to his slow insanity began. It was all too exiting, and I wanted so desperately to finish the book and find what happened to the hero of the story. I read so much of the book last night that I forgot to eat, and I even overslept for work…but my boss didn't mind too much.

I jumped over a stopped car at a street intersection that drove to far into the crosswalk. The man in the car stepped out to yell, "HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING" but all I could do was turn around and briefly apologize before heading on my way. I walked down the usual shortcut that I discovered many months ago: duck under the stairs here and climb over the building there. I linked a paper hook onto a light pole and jumped off the top of a particular building and down back into the streets. I landed safely on the ground and then pulled the paper hook back to me. I was almost out of Jinbo-Cho; all I had to do was turn a corner and I'd be home.

I turned the corner and BAM! A woman ran into me and knocked me flat on my ass, of coarse she suffered the same fate as well. I looked up from the ground and saw that she had a suitcase-on-wheels that was becoming popular. Slowly I stood up and studied her features. She wore black shoes, a long white coat that had brown shoulder covers and wrists, and a business looking outfit made up of a long black skirt, a light-brown vest that had a white shirt and red tie underneath it. She couldn't have been any taller than myself, at the most 5'4; she had long black hair that she obviously neglected to comb, and black glasses to decorate her face. And her eyes…I couldn't see her eyes; I had knocked her unconscious!

Kneeling down by her side, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up to a sitting position and began to shake her asking "Hey miss, are you alright?" For a moment there I was scared, thinking that I might have seriously hurt her; slowly I scanned her for any noticeable injuries. It took me a moment to realize that I had seen her at my work many times before, but I didn't ever pay attention to her until now. She looked very cute, and even though she wasn't conscious it was obvious that this was a very pretty girl.

I shook her again and to my surprise she woke. She placed her hand over her glasses and made sure they weren't misplaced or broken, and then with innocent blue eyes she looked up at me and asked "Ugh, what happened?"

Relieved I sighed and hugged her in a friendly way, and not even taking into consideration that I was felling her body against my own…(what? No I wouldn't lie about that!); and then helped her up off the ground. "You and I were turning the same corner way to fast, and then we collided," I explained to her. Then placing my hand on the back of my head and grinning I continued, "I guess you were the one who got the bad part of the deal…are you all right? Miss…"

She slowly stood and dusted herself off. Then collecting her suitcase she said, "It's Readman, Yomiko Readman, and I'm alright, just a few bumps and scratches. And I'm really sorry about running into you-its just that there's this book that I wanted to finish reading, but I lost it somewhere…"

"Oh? What book might that be?"

"Its called Midnight Delirium by this American author named…"

"J. McArthur," I interrupted, surprised that she was reading it too. "I'm reading the same book and I wanted to get home so I could finish it."

"Oh wow!" she exclaimed. "Isn't it a great book? I've just gotten to the part where Tom is about to face his nightmare of a life and-"

"No way, I'm at the same exact part!" I interrupted again, I have a tendency of doing that every time-to-time.

"Ohh, that's cool. Uh, hey what's your name?" she asked, remembering that she hadn't yet asked me.

"Its Matsuki Tetsuhiko, but you can call me Tetsu if you want…"

"Tetsuhiko huh…umm, do you think you can help me find my book?"

"Sure," I replied, glad to be in the company of someone besides myself. "Now try to remember, where did you last have it?"

"Aww…it could be anywhere…"

"Great…"

We searched for an hour, talking of small things and slowly getting to know each other better. It turned out we had quite a few things in common, such as the great love of books we shared and the fact that we were both paper masters (though she has always been a much better paper master than myself). She had a job as a substitute teacher at a nearby high school and had a writer friend there, Nenene Sumerigawa (of which who's writings I like rather well); and lived on this street, Jinbo-Cho. She was three years older than me, 23. But all this I'm sure you already know, that is, if you have heard about her story of saving the world…

But that is for further in this story and irrelevant for the time being. As I was saying, we searched for an hour, the sun setting above us as we asked every body we passed if they had seen the book. Nothing. No one knew of it, though several bookstore owners were eager to sell to us a new copy of it, though she hadn't the money to buy it and I had left my wallet at home, we were a pair of broke klutzes. She began to be saddened by the absence of her book.

"Its not here…its not anywhere," she said, beginning to tear in her eyes, though she tried to conceal it. "We're not going to find it…"

Her reaction to all of this pained me; I didn't want to see her like this. "Well…if you want I guess you can borrow my copy-"

"But your still reading it! I couldn't do that to you," she replied, surprised that I would do that for her.

"No really, its alright. I don't like seeing cute girls sad like this…oh, forgive me if you don't like being complimented by strangers."

She blushed, "Wow. No its alright, you can compliment me all you want. But are you sure you want to lend me your book?"

"Yes, but you have to do something for me though," I said, getting an idea in my head.

"Something?" she asked, finding it a bit fishy though what I wanted she hadn't a clue. "Like what?"

I thought about it for a moment, not wanting to seem so rude as to ask her out without hardly knowing her, but I wanted to see her again. "Just let me see you again…I know it sounds strange, but I really don't have anyone to 'hang out' with outside of work. I suppose I'm asking for your friendship, or maybe a chance to get to know you better, but I'm not sure which…"

I knew she would get freaked out and leave. That's how it always happens; I do something or say something that is disliked and all of the sudden I get abandoned. But to my surprise, she agreed.

"Well I suppose that's a fair trade, though it is kinda obvious what you're trying to do," she said, smiling. "…But it's alright. Now, where did you leave your book?"

"At my place, its that…way…" I replied, realizing that I didn't know where we were. I had lived in Jinbo-Cho for years and yet I didn't know where we were. "Umm…do you know where we are?"

"Why? Did you forget where we were?"

"Well isn't that obvious? I don't really go outside of my house unless for work or…never mind," I said, almost letting out my secret work for Dokusensha. "Well, I guess we should figure out which way it is back to Jinbo-Cho…"

"Don't worry, its this way," she said, pulling me by the wrist towards the way she went.

We had finally returned to Jinbo-Cho, though now it was well past eight and the sun had set, wakening the street lights that slept during the day. All of the bookstores had closed, as they usually don't stay open past six on Sundays. I guided her down the path towards my home that was at the end of the road. I had almost climbed over a certain building with my binding powers that was always in the way, but then I realized that I Yomiko was with me and I couldn't expect her to climb over a building. "This way," I said, directing her around the flagpole and turning into an alleyway, it was unusual for me to be taking this path since I had discovered that I could simply climb over a few particular buildings. "We're almost there."

"Okay…"

We hadn't really conversed since we started to head towards my home; it was obvious that she felt awkward from what I had said earlier and I thought I should apologize. "I'm sorry," I said, seeing the end of the alley.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"What I said earlier…I was out of line and shouldn't have said those things…"

"I said it's alright," she replied as I led her up the stairs towards the upper floor of the apartment building that I lived in. I pulled a key out from my pocket and opened the door.

"Wait here a moment, I don't want you to see my dirty place," I said, walking into my apartment and immediately tripping over a pile of books that I had left on the floor by the door. I fell to the floor, hitting it with a loud thud. Behind me I heard my door creaking open, was she coming in? Quickly I got up off the floor and turned around, seeing her standing in the doorway and looking at my apartment. I guess I should describe it, even though it's embarrassing to: I had a small apartment, it was like an American studio apartment, bedroom-a place with a small bed and a single pillow-and kitchen-a refrigerator with various foods in it and a sink that collected trash-combined into the same area with a door that led to my bathroom and shower; books were piled up everywhere I could put them, but only my most favorite of books were kept here, any other and I would sell them to Used Books for a trifle amount. I didn't have a television, I never needed one because all I do is read books and eat; but I did have a telephone, which is where I kept my more recently read books. Reaching into that pile I pulled out Midnight Delirium and handed it to Yomiko.

"You weren't supposed to see my mess of an apartment, but I guess its too late now."

Taking my book from me she said, "thanks Tetsu. And this place isn't that bad, it looks like mine. Maybe I'll let you see it one day."

Gesturing her towards the door we left my home, and I made sure to lock the door. I walked with her down the stairs, the pounding of our feet echoing against these cheaply made steps, and suddenly she stopped.

"Thank you so very much," she said, turning around and hugging me, letting me hold her for a second as to say 'thank you' in a different way. Letting go she said, "I know you want to walk me home, but I have something to do before I go, so you and I will just have to talk some other day…you work at Used Books, right?"

"Yes"

"Well then, I will come and visit you there and a few days. See you Tetsuhiko," she said. I watched her as she walked away, staring at the waving folds of her coat. I was mesmerized by the hug she gave me for gratitude. I would have stood there for minutes, but there was something flashing in the corner of my eye. I looked over to see that there was a throwing knife in the ground with the word 'revenge' inscribed in Japanese on its handle.