I think my current inspiration for the OC is Beelzebub (Oga Tatsumi), Detective Conan (Kaitou Kid), and Owari no Seraph (Hyakuya Mikaela). Bro, why no one told me about these godsends. Now I will have hard time trying to correctly say Miharu's name (Hīragu Miharu of Owari no Seraph). /lol'ed

EDITED;; Spelling mistakes.

chapter three

he's too adorable and cute

The district that Shimane was living in was abandoned.

I was shocked, wide eyes straining to see what more of what it's like to live in Japan, its geography, culture and such.

I was expecting a quiet district like how Japanese depicted theirs to be, everyone softly greeting each other when they pass by on the narrow street. It would be green and perfect, the nature appreciated with the leaves shining bright green and rustling with the crisp and cool air, small noise filtering through and adding the sereneful aura.

But instead, Shimane lived on the fifth floor of some rundown danchi, electricity and water still running, while the other buildings were eerily quiet, not a single sound penetrating though the surrounding except the boisterousness of Ukyo.

Honestly, I was terrified that Shimane found me bloody on his door―which also has few stained spots that were most likely blood―and in an abandoned area, but I held it down and tried my best to be neutral about this, because going into conclusions isn't the smartest of the move.

We went down the stairs and abandoned the apartment, now meeting Ukyo's motorbike, which is, I'm slightly impressed by the size and style from afar, only to turn it into dumbstruck when I finally can see the motorbike closer.

Holy Molly.

I gaped at the super bike, ignoring how Ukyo was yapping my ears off and how bland Shimane is, talking about who will pay for gasoline.

How the heck did Ukyo got Ducati 1299 Panigale R?!

The sleek bright red super racing motorbike was a freaking sight to behold. I was surprised that I was able to contain all of my bouncing happiness and not ending all of my monologue in exclamations and all that. I could have mistaken it as Ducati 1199 but oh my fucking God, how could I be fooled when there's this majestic king here?

The tires, which is Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP by the way, could power at 205 hp at 11,500 rpm with the fuel capacity of 4.5 gallons. The base version also retains front forks by Marzocchi and Sachs shock absorber. The S variant has new semi-active Öhlins Smart EC suspension that can be switched between different driving modes to match road conditions. I could also see the entire range is now equipped with new generation of electronics, including a new IMU, racing ABS and anti-wheelie. Also! the wheelbase is 1442 mm thanks to new steering geometry.

And―and―and―!

Gah! I bet my heart must've died because the God damn good of a super bike is here in front of me!

Shimane snorted when he noticed the bike. "But still, why the hell did you brought this over? I hate it."

Dude, I stared at Shimane like he got two heads, what's wrong with you? I also wanted to slap Shimane because don't ruin this dream!

"I'll bring it everyday then," Ukyo laughed merrily to jeer Shimane's fate, jostling me in my stupor by the force of his laughter.

I internally sighed in relief. Thank God.

・・・

There's something wonderful about feeling the air whipping around you.

Even though Ukyo is being careful enough not to drive that fast (to which Shimane complained that it is still fast) so that I wouldn't reel back from the force and get into something worst that might well result me getting into the hospital, I could still feel the cool air around me, giving me the delightful shivers.

The cool and crisp air was wonderful, which was a vast difference from the pitiful air from the AC in Shimane's room.

I breathe into life and felt that I could enjoy this forever.

And this is wonderful about the air on me on the super highway to Namimori. I'm breathing life, I'm living with it and it felt as alive as I am.

There was a huge silly grin on my face when I realized the little joys in nature: the force of the wind to reckon with, the beautiful view on the sidelines, the vastness of the blue sky with floating clouds who couldn't cover the grandeur of the sun, the happiness of riding this baby motor, and the fact that I'm experiencing this all with others.

This made me realized how stupid I was for wishing that I couldn't accept my death.

Experiencing this wild feeling strumming in my heart, the memories of how I died seemed to small compared to this wonderful life I'm living in. I had suffered for so long, bullied and tormented, and I've died a humiliating death, but now I'm alive and I relieved the bad memories away with this new life. It was so mind blowing at how fast I changed from the blank faced person to this smiling idiot. It felt like it was years when only a week passed by.

I remembered how I was brooding over my death in the bathroom, cursing myself and how this isn't what I wished for.

But now, I'm not that person.

I will be a person that will reach out to the star of happiness.

I will finally get one thing that I was missing before.

Happiness.

There was nothing wrong with the previous me, but there were little flaws that all humans also have. I used to be a quiet person, simply living through the day by daydreaming of a life I could never have, a person used to solitary and never giving life all that they got.

But here, I can be someone that I wish to be.

I can see how the chance at reincarnation isn't given to that many people. Many people didn't get a chance at having a reincarnation, and among them I bet that there are people who deserved this so much more because they had suffered a pain ten times the universe and they need a chance for a life they deserved.

But it was given to me. It recognized that I had suffered, and now, I am experiencing something so much worthy.

Have you ever felt so tired like you have been Atlas carrying the world, then there's a simple fleeting joy in life that made you realized that life is so much better than you give credits for, and when you looked around, you saw everything in a different view and you just felt too damn proud for that success because not many had achieve that?

Reincarnation, I let a wild grin spread over my lips, is a damn blessing.

・・・

Town Center of Namimori is certainly impressive.

Buildings stood tall in their glory, its polished glass gleaming in the high morning sun, and many people talking in Japanese walked by us, looking casual and sophisticated, a whole lot of varieties among the throngs in this street.

The streets were crowded, but not crowded enough that you have to push and excuse your way through. It was what would you expect from when a little town decided to have a town center. For certain I thought it would be crowded like Tokyo but then Tokyo is a large city. It would be like comparing a beach ball to a sun.

Across the buildings was a huge mall which cars beeping, things of people waiting to pass though the buzzy streets, and the mall's granduer. Inside the mall was filled with cold air, security machines and guards, food stands, floors and all that gizz gazz a mall would have. Just a bit more clean and cosmopolitan styled, also quite unique with its design on the wall.

It was funny how the two teens realized that I was barefooted the moment my cold feet made contact with Ukyo's side while we were walking to our destination. He almost shrieked like a banshee and fell over the window glass banister to the floor below us.

Shimane managed to wand off the annoyed looks from other people and scolded Ukyo, only for the blond to whined that I was barefooted and that "it was all his fault" to which Shimane retorted back in his native language and then they both got into a heated argument only for Ukyo to laughed it off and went to whatever place he had in mind.

Which is a department store just like what they had planned, although with a new set of reasons as to why they need to be in a department store, baby girl's clothing section. I was sure that it was because of the fact that I'm barefooted and looked too... girly, which tells that there's many things to dress me up in.

It was uncomfortable but okay. I can't help that I looked too girly and that I was a girl in their eyes. Too bad I have to deal with that. I'll come to accept with it.

However, things got ultimately weird when we got two teens who don't know what to do in a baby girl clothing section holding a barefooted baggy clothed kid.

Look at all the reactions we got from other moms in the department. It was ranging from shock to anger and to disturbed. I understand their feeling. It was shocking to see two teens with a child, and it was angering them to see how they were bickering in front of a child, and it was disturbing to see two male with a child.

I was amused at how the teens just shoved a hanger with a dress to my body (in Ukyo's case) before they deemed it perfect and good then dumped it on the shopping cart (in Shimane's case, also, he's the one to push the shopping cart while I'm standing in one, feeling real king bro).

The moment we got everything okay, I was out of the shipping cart, now walking with Ukyo's hand clutching mine as we went to the cashier counter. Shimane flipped a credit card out of his wallet (which briefly surprised me because he was living in an abandoned danchi but maybe it was his monthly allowance) and gave it to the pretty cashier, who swipped it and handed it back along with the clothes in the plastic bags. Shimane was also handed a long receipt to which he shrugged off and shoved it in his pocket.

Then we went to this cubicle for changing clothes.

It was like dreading for your turn for oral recitation of a certain subject. I was terrified at the image of someone older than me dressing me up. Even though it would be Ukyo or Shimane who I was familiar with, we weren't that close. Also, they had bought many of the girly clothes and wouldn't that be such a shame to have that many money wasted on?

Also, I wanted my privacy respected. The feeling of someone seeing me naked doesn't sit well with me because I'm conservative and all I can think of is just run for it, runrunrunRUN.

But fear plagued me as we walked and it was walking down to my death when I realized the levity of the situation.

I should do something.

But my lacking self-confidence to voice my thoughts out is rooting me down. I clenched and unclenched my other hand, hesitant due to some factors that comes with being bullied and a solitary person.

Fuck. My breathing was getting heavy as if I did labour, but goddamn my paranoia. I was scared to actually raise my voice to express what I need to goddamn do because of low self-confidence.

So when we both went closer to the dressing room,

(Go for it―but aren't you scared?―go for it―i can't do this―GOFORIT)

it took that much will power

(Don't go―i need to go how can I not?―you need this―youNEEDTHIS―)

to get my hands off Ukyo's hold and grabbed the clothes from Shimane's hand before rushing in and locking the door behind me. With my back against the door, I panted heavily, the adrenaline of my decision pumping wildly under my skin.

Clenching my shaking fist tighter into the clothes it was holding, I let out a breathe and did some breathing exercise to get rid of the fear and adrenaline before glancing at the clothes along with the shoes wrapped in the bundle of clothes. I sighed and removed everything I was wearing into those brand new clothes.

I dressed myself in a stylish white t-shirt with stitches and some words and this jogger black 3/4 pants. The shoes were those black sneakers that you can slip your feet in easily with plain white socks. And thank God the underwear was okay, albeit girly with Hello Kitty on the front with the word cutie on the back.

I looked at myself in the mirror at the back of the room, struck with the image of a blond boy wearing these stunning clothes and I shyly fingered with my hair. A light feeling blossomed in my chest when I find myself looking a bit too good in those clothes.

I shook my head to erase the thought. For goodness's sake, I was a boy, but I am now appreciating my good girly looks and gosh.

My blond hair, streaked with brown roots, were like those Emo or Scene puffy hair, though a bit toned down since my hair was not thick but smoothly thin. My eyes, golden irises rimmed with brown that was like a caramel-filled chocolate, were glowing like fire in the hearth. Then I have small nose and full pouty lips.

Gosh, I thought resignedly about my features, now understanding that I am a boy but will always be passed off as a girl, I could be a crossdressing model.

There's many things wrong with that and the fact that I'm a boy with girly face isn't the greatest thing to be happy for. I could be insulted with degrading words.

It was like someone has repeatedly stabbed at whatever masculinity pride I have, but I remembered that I was neutral about my gender, but damn it, my body was that of a boy physically. I was a boy, I am a boy, and yet seeing this face was destroying any image of a boy.

But perhaps... if I could wait until puberty...

Maybe, maybe it was because of my young age that I had this cute image. I briefly went back to the images of small children in the baby boy's department with shining slitted black eyes and soft hair mistaking them as girls.

No wonder why...

Also, I really don't know what will happen to boys when they have puberty, but only by the fact that boys will have cracky voice due to their vocal chords maturing. I hope it will come early but sadly that's impossible.

Be patient, I thought to myself, nodding. Puberty will come and it could get rid of this face.

When I went out, calm and holding my neatly folded previous clothes, Ukyo squealed and rushed forward to hug me while Shimane nodded approvingly from a good distance. I held into Ukyo's slender hand, marveling at the smoothness and also the callouses.

It was when we exited the departmemt store that Ukyo turned to Shimane with a apologetic look and said something. Shimane blinked before shaking his head with a sympathizing look and then giving a wave as if to placate whatever Ukyo was blabbering.

Ukyo beamed amd bent down on his knees, cooing and pinching my cheeks with no mercy. "So cute!" His eyes widened like he had sparked an idea and he looked up from his crouch to Shimane. "Hey, what's her name?"

Shimane languidly blinked his eye in a way that shows his non-existant knowledge of the topic at hand.

I blinked when they just noticed that they didn't know my name. I felt unsettled that I didn't have a name nor remembered my Previous name, but oh well, maybe I can think of one considering I didn't know my Previous name.

Silence ensured.

Then with a threateningly look, the blonde stared right up to the stoic black-haired teen, piercing blue eyes like sharpened daggers in the night. "What the hell? I am so gonna kill you."

Shimane tried to placate the angry blond by putting his hands up in defeat. "Calm down," he whispered harshly, glancing around with his eyes for the crowds who noticed their actions. He scrunched his nose up in a delinquent way, lips jutted out. "Okay, what the heck?"

The blond huffed and stood up to his tall height, towering over the black haired teen who only blankly stared back with narrowed eyes. Out of their zone, I could only watched while cringing a little bit when girls giggled by, and I stumbled on the way I stood and patted Ukyo on his leg, to which he jerked and looked at me.

Then Ukyo laughed and picked me up, jumping me in his hold and he was able to slap Shimane on the arm. "Oh God, I can't believe you actually took me on! Am I that terrifying?"

Shimane gave him the stink eyes.

Ukyo laughed merrily again and turned to face me. He squint his eyes before patting my head, making an exaggerated thinking sound. "Hmmm... hmmmm..." And then he sighed and turned to look at Shimane. "Seriously, I have to come up with some awesome name. Like superheroes. Like Captain America."

Shimane looked at the blond like he was plotting the terrible 'I knock, you speak' plan. "Don't tell me you've been into those hero shonen anime because if you dare give her a name based on a pun I swear―"

Ukyo shushed Shimane by kicking his knees and beamed like he won Nobel Prize. "My Hero Academia! My hero! Mai hiro! Mahiro!"

I was briefly impressed at how he came up with my name. I tested how it sounded and found that while it sounded similar to whatever feminine Japanese name like Miharu, it held this rough edge like a boy.

Well, I kinda liked it.

Shimane gave this dead look to Ukyo. "I can't believe you based her name on that anime. Are you crazy?

So it was an anime my name is from?

Ukyo gave a dramatic gasp, swirling us around to look at the blank teen. "It's a cute and powerful name! I was thinking of that because before I came to your house, I was actually depressed, and I need my cuddly buddy! But when I saw my daughter, I remembered Izuku and his wide terrified watery green eyes, and those freckles!" He gave a coo when he put me down and squished my cheeks together in emphasize, making me look like a fish while I tried to prattle him away. "See? She's paranoid like Izuku! IIIIIIIzukuuuuu! Izuku! Izuku! She's my hero! MAA~AAHHIRO."

He released my cheeks and I rubbed them, soothing the dull ache. The blond beamed at the black-haired teen, to which he snorted and said something in his native tongue, Ukyo nodding his head eagerly (reminding me of a Golden Retriever) before the short teen threw him the plastic bags along with my previous clothes.

Efficiently shoting his arm in the loop of the bags, the blomd assumed a pose where you leaned forward, sticked your ass out with one hand on hip and do the duck face, then give flying kisses.

Shimane flipped the birds off him as he dodged in a counterclockwise way, which is quite an amusing sight to see.

Ukyo laughed and waved us goodbye obnoxiously like he wants to rip his arm off. I watched him go and got lost in the mob of colors.

Shimane sighed out of relief besides me before he grasped my hands with his large one. "Okay, we'll be having a playtime in a park. Ukyo's gonna prepare some food, buy some stuff, and he'll come back from my apartment at lunch."

He danced with me for a while before I somehow ended stepping on his feet.

・・・

Being with Shimane means that I could also experience silence and nature.

It actually reminded me of the past, where solitary is a second nature to me. I could feel how brief happiness buzzed through my veins when I appreciated nature and can related to how Shimane seemed contented with the silence.

We were walking on one of the district where all variety of houses were beautiful and have this nice brick wall around the perimeters along with a single last name sign by the gate. The streets were wide and clean, but looked kind of similar, and I blinked when we came upon a park.

The park had a large rectangular perimeter with large trees as a shade for benches, a weird whale or animal dome where you can go inside or on top if you would be daring, a slide, two see-saw and three swings. It was a plain park with few children laughing merrily and some parents watching afar, chatting among themselves.

Shimane tightened his grip on my hand and bent down to my height. "Ukyo will come later for lunch at Take-Sushi, so go play with the other kid."

By Take-Sushi (I have to remind myself it's pronounced as ta-ke, not take), it must be a sushi house. I felt myself blanching at the thought, knowing that sushi would taste weird and so organic because there's no artificial flavors or something like that.

I nodded at Shimane and he gave a smile before ushering me to the kids who were curious at the new addition to their playmates. I blinked at their brown or black hair and unconsciously tugged on my blond hair, feeling like they were gazing at a museum artifact. They were talking in Japanese and I hesitate on joining the fun.

Now that I think about it, I blinked at why would I play with the other kids. I was eighteen for goodness's sake.

I nodded at the kids and went my way to the sand box, considering it's the place where at least only one kid was there. I would have went to the swings if only they weren't full and filled with laughing children.

The kid peered up from his yellow bell flower hat (which is quite adorable) and flinched at the sight of me, fidgeting with his plastic neon pink shovel, however, the curiosity in his wide doe brown eyes was something not to miss.

I felt myself giving him a small smile and a wave, feeling drawn to the way innocence sparkled around him.

There is something about children that I like. They were innocent beings and also adorable if you ignore all of their annoying qualities. For certain, I like small and cute things like children. They reminded me of the innocence that was gone from the cruel society. I might think that the reason why most people (especially teenagers) weren't good with children and/or dislike them is because they were blind to the reality and were so good and naïve.

I love children, but didn't know my way around them except some basic knowledge.

Which includes, if a kid flinched at you, twice or thrice or so, then something must be terribly wrong.

I was momentarily shocked at the kid's reaction before regaining myself and sending him a soft smile, trying to come off as someone who wouldn't cause harm.

Maybe my blond appearance must be terrifying? Is there some foreigner running gag that Japanese have?

He shrieked something under his breathe and blushed furiously under his hat, to which I let out a bright smile because isn't he just too adorable.

I whacked my brain to remember something from the speaking Japanese tutorial book about the basic things before I tried my hand at it. "O-oname wa Ma-Mahiro."

Well, I cringed, I just sounded like I inhale helium.

He blinked up at me, wide doe brown eyes widening before he shuffled on the sand. "O-oname wa Tsu-kun."

Tsu-kun. I mentally hummed, liking the name already. If I said it too fast, it could be an Arabic word sukoon.

Now what was the word that was basically overused in those shonen anime that Shimane would watch. It starts with to...

Remembering the word, I smiled and settled myself on the sand, not too near to the kid but across from him because he's kinda terrified at me. I held out a hand for him to shake. "Tomodachi?" I internally winced at my high-pitched voice. One day when puberty comes, I would get rid of the high pitched sound.

He stared at my hand oddly, eyebrows furrowed together before he let his small hand hesitantly came and held it. "U-un..."

I shook it gently before releasing my grip, sending a soft smile at him again, to which he flushed furiously at. I chuckled softly and gestured him for his bucket filled with plastic tools to which he was hesitant before giving them to me.

Aww, he's so adorable and cute.

I removed all contents in the bucket and used the neon green shovel to pick up all the sand in the now empty bucket. I tried to made a castle with no water to which I managed to succeeded and act like I was the princess and that Tsu-kun will be the 'kingu' or 'ojī-sama' or some Japanese word for king and prince.

He was clearly hesitant, fingers wiggling around his wrinkly boyish shirt. But I was patient and always smiling at him softly, showing him that it's okay to play with me. Tsu-kun took a long time to at least be remotely comfortable with me. He was hesitant, clumsy and very pudgy like how children are.

But he was so adorable and cute.

"Tsu-kun!"

The kid jerked his head to the sound and I followed soon, watching as Shimane and Ukyo along with a pretty long brown-haired woman was walking towards us, the brunette smiling broadly while Ukyo was fiddling with a camera, pressing the button too much and Shimane was blank faced as always.

"Mama!" Tsu-kun immediately brightened at her arrival.

I raised my eyebrows. So that's Tsu-kun's mom. She was quite young and I could see where he got the cute looks.

His mom giggled and rushed forward to hug him off the air, the poor kid shrieking and holding onto his mother as if she was his lifeline. I whistled, impressed by her show. Now that's a woman's strength to fear with, and she was also very thin to begin with.

All the three adults then engaged into a conversation with their native tongue, I was watching them curiously while feeling left out.

Whatever. I was not involved anyway. Tsu-kun was also just watching them curiously from his yellow bell flower cap on his mom's arms.

There was a time when the kid's mom turned to me with curious and kind eyes and asked. "Mahiro-chan speaks English?"

I briefly remember in some anime that English is an optional or basic subject in Japan (it depends on the education system of the school) and that most Japanese felt that it was kinda useless to learn such thing.

But everyone is speaking English so fluently.

I gave a smile to the pretty lady. "Yes."

How curt.

The lady smiled brightly and I was blinded momentarily as if she was the sun. "My, what a beautiful girl! My name is Nana Sawada and this is Tsunayoshi, but I call him Tsu-kun! He's two years old at the moment!"

There's wasn't a single Japanese accent in her English nor the slurring of the letters r-l. Also the way she introduced herself was how Westerners introduced themselves.

I know Japan is smart, but this is quite beyond of what I imagined.

Sawada turned to the two teens and asked. "Mahiro-chan would be studying in Namimori Kindergarten, right?"

Shimane came back with the bucket and its tool and replied "she will", to which Sawada squealed and let out a bright smile, jostling her hold on Tsu-kun―or Tsunayoshi, since we weren't that close―with her laugh. "Tsu-kun will have a pretty wife!"

Tsunayoshi immediately flushed and shrieked something, but I wasn't affected by her words. For sure, I know she was just joking. Young parents like her likes to joke about the future of their kids.

Ukyo beamed, the brightness paring with Sawada. "I hope you can pass your Yamato Nadeshiko skills to Mahiro."

Sawada laughed merrily, arranging her hold on young Tsunayoshi. "Well then, since it's been a long time, how about a lunch in my house? I'm sure you all are hungry."

Ukyo and Shimane had this dreamy look and the blond even dare to drool. "Mama, please cook a buffet for us~"

Mama? He was her son? Perhaps it was just an endearment and by their reactions, Sawada must be a great cook.

Sawada tutted and walked off with her son from the park, leaving the blond to moan for his agony and exaggeratedly fell to his knees. "Boys, let's go, I can hear the kitchen calling for me!"

Shimane's only response was a kick to Ukyo and a pull of his blank face.

Ukyo's retaliation came in the form of a middle finger.

I passed by them, making sure that I didn't notice heir crude behavior.

GLOSSARY;;

[1] danchi: Do any one of you watch One Punch Man? If yes, then Shimane's room is styled similarly like Saitama's room and the bald man's (Saitama) "abandoned apartment" is an example of a danchi.

TRANSLATION;;

"Oname wa..." ー My name is...

"Tomodachi?" ー Friends?

"U-un." ー Y-yeah.

I believe that Mahiro had a lot of character improvement later on. I also didn't established their first character impression other than the reluctant and bullied kid, but we will have a lot of improvement bro.

Peace off bros.

Question: How's Mahiro? Were they weird enough with all the introspective stuff?