" Another night in cram school. Another lecture. Another problem I have to deal with. I wonder what life is like for others. Just one row behind me is a boy obsessed with 2D dimensional drawings, the guy sitting one row next to me is a jerk who wants nothing more than to torture kids, and the person sitting next to me is who I like to call Little Miss Princess. Another night. Another day. And yet I can't quit thinking something new is going to happen."
XXX
All the others kids were going to be picked up by their parents. Not Kousuke. He had to walk home. Even though it was raining, even though it was a long walk, and even though Kousuke was wet and didn't have anything to keep him dry, Kousuke had to deal with it until he got home.
" I hear that a parent gives their kids a treat in one of those special moments. I wonder if I have enough money for a book. Or maybe some music CD's. No, I think I should just go home and help myself to some fish and chips. Fish, the perfect brain food to a growing body like mine."
Something didn't look right. As Kousuke walked towards home he saw someone writhing in pain. What he saw was a little girl, short green hair with bobby pins in her frame, a one piece white dress, cute oval emerald eyes. As she sat Kousuke could see her underwear, which were black stripped tiger under.
" Can you believe it? Wearing such risqué things. That future little..."
Something didn't look right about the poor girl. Not only was she writhing in pain but their were scars on her legs. Her eyes were shaky. Kousuke could tell just by looking at her that she was hungry and in great pain.
" Walk away . Just walk away. This is none of your business. This is none of your..." Kousuke couldn't control his feet. He walked straight towards the little girl and looked her straight in the eyes. The little girl, who was shaky all over, looked back at him. " Hey there. Are you lost? Where are your parents?"
" My parents...?" The girl weeped tears from her eyes. " My parents..."
" Yeah, you know. Mom and dad. The whole choate. Why aren't your parents here? Are you waiting for them?"
" Parents...?"
The girl was in more pain than Kousuke originally thought. She lost all consciousness and fell to the ground. Luckily for her she was caught by Kousuke. Kousuke shaked her around in his arms, but she was so wiped out she wouldn't wake up.
" Come on, come on. Wake up. Come on. Hmrph! I really don't want to do this." Kousuke used what little strength he had on his body and threw the girl on his hunchback. Holding both hands on her tush he carried her towards the police station. " How can I be doing this for such a useless girl?"
XXX
" I'm sorry sir but we don't have her face in any of our records. Nor do we have any information on her parents."
" What. How can something as profound as this happen? Don't you have anything on her?"
" I'm sorry. We do however have a Lost Child program. If you just leave her here maybe I can send someone over to take care of her until someone shows up. And if no one does come we can always send her to an orphanage."
" An orphanage? Why would she want to go somewhere where she'll be surrounded by strangers?"
" Sir, trust me, this isn't just any ordinary orphanage we pick at random. My sister runs this orphanage. Ever since I was growing up she's always been good at babysitting and really likes children of all size and all age no matter whether their boy or girl."
" That sounds nice. I guess now I won't have to worry if I leave her in your hands. Farewell I guess."
" Okay. Would you like me to call an officer to drive you home? We're not a chauffeur program we know but we just can't let you walk home in this rain. Perhaps we can call your parents and they can come pick you up."
" Forget that. If my parents wanted to pick up a lost cause like me they would've picked me up after cram school. Goodbye and farewell, officer."
Kousuke turned around and walked to the door of the police station. It wasn't until his hands were touching the door did he start to think. All sorts of ideas started coursing through his mind. Finally, they pointed him in the direction of the girl where he gritted his teeth in frustration.
" Fuckin' shit." Kousuke turned around and walked back to the counter as he stared back up at the police officer behind the desk. " Hey. Would it be alright if she stayed with me for the time being?"
" Huh? I don't know. We'll need a signature from a parent or a guardian for that to happen. How old are you?"
" I'm fifteen years old."
" That's what I'm saying. You'll need to be at least old enough to drink before you can take such responsibility."
" Please. I just think she'll feel better if she's staying with me than with some police officer."
" I still just can't that. I'll lose my job if word of this was to ever get out."
" Come on. Please, please, please. How long do I need to beg like a dog before you're going to listen to me?"
" Hmmm. I think I can arrange for you to take her home, but only on the off chance that you two are closely related. You two wouldn't happen to be cousins, would you?"
" Well a...yes, we are cousins. The happiest cousins in the whole wide world. Hehe."
" Really. Can you please tell me what the name of your cousin is then?"
" Dammit. How did I get myself in this situation. Okay, I need to think fast. Here hair is green, green as in leaves, leaves as in trees...so her name should be..." Kousuke cleared his throat preparing to speak to the officer. " Hikari. Her name is Hikari."
XXX
" So this is really where you live?" A police officer asked dropping Kousuke back at his home.
" Yeah. You have a problem with that?"
" Not at all. I'm just thinking that looking at this helps me realize that my life isn't really that bad. Anyways, you take care now. I'll check up on you two tomorrow morning. Oh, and don't try to leave your home until morning."
" B-But I have school tomorrow."
" I'm sorry but it's standard protocols. Anyways, please take care."
The police officer drove away either heading back to his house or back to the station. No sooner did he leave did Kousuke turn around and walked away, young girl Hikari sleeping in his arms, and walked straight for his home. He however didn't realize that at the same time two pairs of eyes were leering at him and Hikari. In the bushes someone was laughing.
" I knew I sensed a Mamodo around here somewhere. And lookie here. Taking her out will be easy pickin'."
XXX
Kosuke was in a bath tube with the little girl he found on the streets. He had a sponge in his hands. Kosuke scrubbed her back, wearing nothing but his swim trunks, and growled like a lion through his mouth.
" I must look like a pedophile right now. Why do I have to give this girl a bath? Her bodies so small and so fragile I wonder if she could break. Must not think about it. I'm just going to give this girl a bath, cook her dinner, and send her straight to bed. Tomorrow I'm going to give her back to the police."
Kosuke finished scrubbing the little girls' back. Her entire back was killed with scars and bruises. Either she liked hurting herself like a young masochist or someone bruised her. All that was left was for him to get out of the tube to give her a towel, but he was hugged by her. Kosuke was frozen stiff like an icicle, his blood becoming rapidly hot, she rubbed her hair against his stomach.
" Daddy," the girl said rubbing Kosuke's stomach. " Daddy, where are you?"
" What the fuck? Who's her daddy? Is she the one who gave her these scars?"
" Daddy. Please sing to me daddy. Sing to me like you use too. Daddy..."
" A song? I don't know any songs. My parents never sang to me. They said they only got married because they were drunk and daddy knocked her up."
" Daddy...Daddy, why aren't you saying anything to me?"
" There's a light at the end of every road-or something like that,"
" You feel so cold, my dear..."
" But do not be afraid, for I am here."
" I'm here to protect you,"
" I will always keep you safe,"
" For you are my one and only and I love you..."
" My dear."
" Daddy...?" The girl finally opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of Kousuke, smiled. " Are you my big brother?"
" What? No I'm not your frickin' big brother. My name is Kousuke. Kousuke Amai. You were just dreaming about your real family. You fell asleep on the ride home in the police car and I decided to take care of you until the police can find your real family."
" So you're my big brother? You called me Hikari."
" I only called you that because I didn't know your real name. What is your real name, little girl?"
" Hikari."
" I'm sorry-what?"
" Hikari is the name my big brother gave me. My name is Hikari."
" You don't have to call yourself that stupid same. You should use your real name. You should-"
" Do you want me to be a boy or girl?"
" What?"
" My big brother is suppose to chose whether I'm boy or girl. So which one should I be, big brother."
" I-I...I think you should just be you."
" Really? Thank you, big brother.
" But if you are to live here, don't steal anything. I have a photographic memory. Before you leave I'm going to make sure nothing is missing. Now you wait here while I go make dinner."
Kousuke got out of the bathtub and journeyed towards the door. He closed the door to the bathroom and journeyed down the hall towards the kitchen. Hikari stayed in the tube. She dipped her mouth under the water thinking about Kousuke, then she smiled.
" He really is a good big brother. I wonder if he's my partner for this battle. But can I really stay here? I'm filthy. I'm filthy from the bones down. They did this to me. If he knew what they did...big brother would hate me."
XXX
Hikari was watching from the small television set while Kousuke was making dinner. Hikari watched a cartoon where a talking broccoli and a talking carrot were together talking about the " true meaning of friendship" while Kousuke growled to himself-none of anything they said helped him get any friends. Kousuke finally fished the food, ramen, and poured it in a bowl.
" TV off. Come and get it. Dinner's ready."
" Dinner? You really made dinner for me, big brother?"
" It's nothing. In Japan it's we make our own food or we do not eat. Just get over her and eat your dinner. It's ramen."
Hikari ran straight for the table for dinner. Kousuke prepared a high chair for her. It was the same high chair he had when he was her age. Hikari stood on the high chair and tried grabbing the ramen with her hands, but she was slapped by Kousuke.
" What are you some kind of animal? You eat ramen with cutlery." Kousuke handed two pairs of chopsticks to Hikari. " Now eat."
" What are those?"
" Your kidding me. You're really never used chopsticks? Have you been living in a cave?"
" Yes."
" Yes-what?"
" Yes I've been living in a cave. I woke up one morning and I was in a cave. I don't remember what happened back then but when I woke up I was covered in bruises and scratches."
" Hmm. Maybe you've suffered amnesia. Anyways, eat your ramen using chopsticks. I'll teach you how." Kousuke grabbed Hikari's right hand and squeezed it. " You only use one hand for chopsticks. Keep the gap open between your middle and pinky finger. One piece at a time you squeeze the piece and shove it in your mouth. Now you try."
Hikari did everything that Kousuke told her. Soon she was eating away at the ramen, one strand at a time, while Kousuke watched her. Kousuke finally got bored of watching her eat and walked upstairs.
" Your going to need pyjamas for bed. You can sleep in my bed. I'll be sleeping on the floor."
" Buw wer't yue bee cold ( But won't you be cold)?" Hikari asked with food still in her mouth.
" Don't talk with food in your mouth. And the floor should be enough for me. I have a hunchback how much worse can my back get? Just eat."
Kousuke left Hikari to his room. Hikari stayed silent continuing eating from her bowl of ramen while looking at Kousuke.
" He really is a nice guy. He's going out of his way to help garbage like me."
XXX
Hikari was dressed in yellow pyjamas with small pink pokka dots. Why his mother bought it for him he would never know. Kousuke just fluffed Hikari's pillow as he tucked her in.
" There. Now go to sleep. I have school tomorrow and I'd rather not refrain from sleep."
" Wait. Can you please read me a bedtime story."
" Hell no. Go to sleep."
" Can you please just sing to me?"
" Ugh. Fine. Rock abye Hikari in the hot oven..."
" Into my mouth for dinner and shoovin',"
" I want a real song! Something that comes from the heart!"
" Look sister, I don't know where you were raised but here in Japan we have no hearts."
" Yes you do. Everyone has a heart. You just haven't found it. Can't you please just read to me."
" Ugh. Fine. There is this one song I think I heard."
" In my world there's nothing I can do..."
" My tenacity is high, my soul is meek, and my head is full,"
" I can feel what's running through my eyes,"
" Looking through the mirrors that are reflecting my life,"
" And though there are thing's I can never change..."
" I can always count on my own way."
Hikari was already sleeping soundly. She made small snoring sounds from her mouth as she was sleeping. Kousuke was about to leave her alone and head back to his run when he noticed a book on his desk. It wasn't any of his; Hikari must've left it there. It was a giant book made of green leather.
" Hello. What's this." Kousuke walked to the book and picked it up. Kousuke skimmed through the book. " What's this. I can't read anything in this book. What language is it in? Oh, wait, there is this one word I can read. Thinking about it isn't going to help. I'll have to say it outloud. Re...Rea...Re..."
At the same time Hikari was waking up from her sleep. There she saw Kousuke trying to read from her book and she gasped at it.
" Big brother, no!"
" Reontree!"
Something strange happened to Hikari. First her eyes turned white and then a giant tree grew out of her mouth. The tree grew bigger than Kousuke's room and broke through the ceiling. Kousuke was so surprised by his he fell down. What he saw next was Hikari, or what would be Hikari. Instead of her he saw the boy running with that book before cram school...a tree in his mouth.
" What...?Who...?Why...? What's going on?"
Before Hikari-what he still thought to be Hikari-could answer his question Kousuke noticed two people standing in the darkness. The light was dim, their faces were obscure, but in the darkness their eyes glowed bright red.
" Lookie what we have here. A Mamodo and his partner."
" Yes. A fascinating sight indeed. Now let's send the little Mamodo back to his own world, and let's kill the human."