"Papa, could we talk for a moment?" Jun pulled up a chair next to her father who was reading a newspaper at the kitchen table.

"Of course, Jun." Taking off his glasses, he set down his paper and looked at his daughter. "What's on your mind?"

Her forehead furrowed, she leaned her chin on her hand as she spoke. "I'm worried about Kazuya," she began. Jerking her head in the direction of his room, she continued, "He's so isolative, you know? I mean, other than going outside to practice his karate, he stays in his room all day and only comes out for meals. He's barely said more than a few sentences to me every day and sometimes…" Lowering her voice, she looked behind her to make sure that he couldn't hear her. "I think he's talking to himself. It's kind of creepy, don't you think? And he didn't want any dinner tonight either."

Her father sighed. "I've noticed that too, but he's our guest and it's not our place to question him." Covering her hand with his, he smiled gently. "Give him some time, Jun. He's been on his own for a very long time. Maybe he just needs to adjust."

"I guess you're right," she conceded in a resigned tone. "Thanks, Papa." She kissed him lightly on the cheek before getting up.

"You're welcome, sweetie." He pricked up his ears as the phone rang and picked up the receiver. "Moshi-moshi? Hello, oni-chan! I – what?! My god, I'll be there as soon as I can!" Hurriedly hanging up the phone, he turned to Jun and explained, "Your cousin has been in a very bad car accident and is in the hospital! I have to go there immediately. Will you be alright on your own?"

"Of course, Dad. Plus, Kazuya's here. I think he can take care of the both of us." She motioned for him to go. "Hayaku-yukeh!" Grabbing his jacket and car keys, he bolted out the door to his car. When she heard the sound of the engine fade out, she knocked on Kazuya's door. The indistinct mumbling from inside the room stopped abruptly. "Kazuya, it's Jun. Can I come in?"

There was a long silence so she assumed that he didn't want her to come in. About to walk away, she was surprised when the door opened a crack. "Come in," his voice called. After she had entered his room, he told her, "Close the door please."

"Papa had to leave because of an emergency," she informed him. "No one's going to barge in on you."

"I'd still feel better if you closed the door," he replied flatly.

Puzzled by his odd behavior, she shut the door behind her and could barely make out Kazuya's form in the darkness. His curtains were pulled tight across his window. "Were you about to go to sleep?"

"No."

She looked around the dark room and seeing nothing, felt around with her hands. "Why are you sitting in the dark then?"

"I just prefer it," he said in monotone.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, she walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. Unable to keep her concerns hidden, she softly said, "Kazuya, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

His taciturn manner only worried her more. "Kazuya, I don't know how to say this. You're like…a completely different person! I feel like I don't know you at all. You sit in your room all day and barely say anything to us. I hear you talking to someone when it seems like there's nobody there. You don't eat much and the only thing you seem to be interested in at all anymore is your karate. What is going on?" After getting everything out in a rush, she waited on pins and needles for his answer.

He took so long to respond that she momentarily thought that he had ignored her question altogether, but he finally broke his silence. "You don't need to worry."

"That's it? That's all you have to say to me?"

"What more do you want me to say?"

Not knowing why she felt so scared for him, she caught him off guard by hugging him suddenly. "Kazuya, I'm really worried about you! This doesn't feel like you."

Still in disbelief that she had flung herself on him, he took a moment before speaking again. "Everything is fine."

Now she felt like crying. "Everything is not fine! Why are you holding out on me? I'm your friend, Kazuya, and I care about you a lot! It's not considerate of you to worry me like this!"

Feeling her shake in his arms, he felt a small twinge of remorse. "You…you wouldn't understand," he began hesitantly.

"I wouldn't understand what?" she repeated, confused.

Disentangling himself from her, he muttered, "Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything."

Shoving him harder than she intended, she cried, "Oh no you don't! Don't pull that nonsense on me! Finish what you were going to say!"

Her impassioned response caught him by surprise too. He was stunned that she was actually able to push him over. She was stronger than she looked. "Jun, don't."

Determined not to be put off so easily, she shook her head. "Kazuya, I'm going to turn on the light."

"No-"

Before he could object, she turned on the lamp next to his bed and let out a small shriek when she saw his face. In the diffuse light, he looked so odd. The only word that she could think of to describe his countenance was ominous. "Sorry," she stammered.

He regarded her stonily from under heavy-lidded eyes. "I told you not to do that."

He looked so haggard and drawn, ghostlike almost. Reaching out her hand, she touched his face lightly and was surprised when he withdrew from her. "Kazuya, please," she entreated him. "Don't shut me out. Tell me what's going on. What's happening to you?"

Again a long silence ensued. "Fine, but turn the light off first." Doing as he requested, she flicked off the light and waited. "So what do you want to know first?" he asked, once his face was hidden.

"Well for starters, why do you stay holed up in your room all day?"

"I can't explain it," he said with a shrug. "I just don't feel like going anywhere. I'm comfortable here."

"Then why do you sit in the dark with your door and curtains closed?" she pressed.

"I just…like being alone. I like my privacy." He waited quietly for her next question.

"What do you do all day, hidden away in here?"

"Nothing."

Exasperated, she retorted, "That's ridiculous. You must be doing something!"

"I don't know. Thinking I guess."

"What about?"

She heard his sigh float through the air. "Jun-"

"Kazuya, who is it that you're talking to when it seems like you're alone?" she demanded.

An eternity seemed to pass with no answer. "If I tell you, do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course. Now out with it."

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Remember when I was thrown off the cliff?"

"How could I forget? I was there when your dad threw you over." The memory still made her shudder.

"Well, I never told you what happened to me after I fell."

"What's there to tell?" she asked. "I found you and Papa and I took you to the hospital."

"No," he murmured. "Something happened in the time between when I fell and when you found me."

"Okay, what?"

It seemed to be quite difficult for him to put into words what he was about to say next. "Someone else found me, before you did, that is."

"Another person was in the ravine?"

"No, not exactly. Not a person anyway."

Now she was really confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I guess you could call it a spirit, or a demon, I suppose." He waited to see what her reaction would be.

"A what?"

"When I was at the bottom of the chasm, a demon offered me my life if he could inhabit my body. I didn't want to die, so of course I said yes." He saw her skepticism. "He's the one you always hear me talking to, except no one else can hear him because he speaks to me in my head."

"This spirit…talks to you?" she said incredulously.

"Yes."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, she asked, "And what do you two talk about?"

His voice hardened a bit. "That's none of your business, Jun."

Trying to process everything he had just told her, she sputtered, "Do you – do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

"Why do you think I didn't want to talk about it?" he said matter of factly.

"Kazuya, there's no such things as demons!"

Lying down on the bed, he answered, "I figured that's what you'd say. Forget I told you anything, and not a word of this to your dad."

"Kazuya…"

"If that's all, I think I'm going to go practice." Getting up off the bed, he pulled on his sneakers and excused himself. The longest conversation they had had since his arrival and it revolved around delusions of being possessed by demons. Feeling even worse than when she had initially entered, she ran outside to where he was going through his forms. "I think I've said everything you needed to know, Jun," he intoned without looking up from his exercises.

"That's not why I came out." He stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. "Does – does the demon hurt you in any way? Does he scare you?"

Kazuya shook his head. "No. In fact, he takes care of me. Sometimes I feel he's the only true friend I have."

It made her so sad to hear him say that. "Kazuya, I'm your friend. Do I not matter to you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then why shut me out?"

Another frustrated sigh escaped his lips. "Jun, the reason I spent the last two years wandering around Asia was because my sensei told me I had no choice but to leave. He said that the devil inside me was polluting my mind and he didn't want such an evil presence in his dojo." He turned away from her again. "It's best if you don't get too close to me."

Not knowing what to do, she approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. He turned around, ready to remind her to keep her distance, when she shocked him by pressing her lips gently against his. He'd never kissed anyone before. Other than her father, neither had she, but she held herself close to him and just let her mouth rest on his. Realizing that this was in fact happening, Kazuya slowly brought his arms around her to return her embrace. Enjoying the soft sensation of her lips brushing against his, he pulled her closer towards him. Blushing furiously, she broke out of his grasp and gasped, "Oh god, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me." Before he could say anything, she fled into the house and dove onto her bed, covering her head with her pillow. "Andda baga?!" she cursed herself out loud. What the hell was she thinking, kissing him like that?

Outside, Kazuya stood mutely where she had left him and raised a finger to his lips, still in disbelief that she had kissed him. What surprised him even more was that it made him happy to see her so concerned for him. Though he knew that she was a kind person, he never expected her to care for him so much. Walking back into his room, he shut the door and lay on his bed, still absent-mindedly touching his mouth. Allowing himself a small chuckle of delight, he turned over and went to sleep, his demon protector temporarily forgotten.


moshi-moshi: hello (on the telephone)

oni-chan: big sister

hayaku-yukeh: hurry, go now

andda baga: are you stupid