Gaussian Distribution
Chapter 1 - Part 1: Arrival in Numbers
April 2nd, Eiji's Residence, 11:25 AM
Eiji, one of Amatsu's veteran tour guides, calmly placed his hand against the front door of his renovated apartment to greet his visitor. The sun was almost at its highest point in the sky, and the light that shone through the screened door was somewhat blinding. I need to fix the shade too, huh? He stopped for a second to brush up his gray hairs and slid the door open.
The visitor, who wore a shrine maiden's attire and appeared to be around 30, bowed politely to the aged homeowner. She had a pair of ribbons neatly tied on the back of her hair, and appeared to be in a hurry for an occasion. After wiping the sweat off her brow, she took in a deep breath...
"Good morning, Eiji-san." the maiden began. "I apologize for interrupting your business, but Ichiro-sama wants to have a word with you in his residence."
Recognizing the young lady immediately, Eiji simply smiled back as soon as she finished speaking. "We'll be glad to go."
Satisfied with the tour guide's answer, the lady decided to take her leave. She was about to turn around when she heard a voice coming from behind her. Huh? Someone was tugging her clothes, her skirt, to be exact.
"Who are you?" the voice simply asked.
Shifting her gaze towards the small hand clinging on her skirt, the maiden then realized that it belonged to a pale young boy, whose eyes were now sparkling with curiosity. A foreigner? Facing him, she squatted and patted the boy's crimson hair. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself. Everyone here calls me Hanabi. It's nice to meet you."
A pair of hands suddenly appeared from behind the boy and held him by the shoulders. Hanabi looked up and recognized the lady who appeared to be the young boy's mother. "Is that you, Gin?"
Gin smiled wryly as she took her son away. "I'm sorry if my son bothered you."
Hanabi shook her head. "It's alright. I'm just surprised that you've returned here in Amatsu. It's been like, what…7 years?"
"It's a long story, my dear." Gin chuckled. She tapped on the boy's shoulders and signaled him to go back to his room. Hanabi pondered for a second and asked Gin why the boy looked extremely familiar. Gin simply smiled, bowed to Hanabi, turned back and left without answering the maiden's question.