A/N: And here is my first chapter using material from The Answer. For those of you who haven't played or seen it, be warned that spoilers follow.
The central hub of Paulownia Mall was noisy. People talking and laughing, the constant rushing of water from the three fountains, the ringing of cutlery from the several cafes scattered around. It filled the ears of everyone in the area. Everyone, except Junpei. Watching the young boy across the mall ask his father for a coin to throw in the 'wishing' fountain, and having that request granted, the sounds around him were muffled. Why couldn't his father be someone like that? Responsible, caring, someone he could look up to. It was not that much to ask for.
Stupid old man he thought. How low do you have to be to get drunk on cooking wine?
Shifting his gaze away from the happy family, he wondered whether he could have prevented his father from being an alcoholic when a white Shiba Inu approached him.
"Yo, 'sup pooch? Here to join my 'Nowhere To Go' after-school club?" Junpei said, not caring if it was weird to be talking to a stray dog in public.
The dog barked happily in response and nuzzling against his shin, it gave him a pleading look.
"Sorry, I don't have any food for ya. Y'know, haven't I seen you around here before?"
The dog barked again and Junpei heard someone call his name. He looked up to see two classmates approaching.
"Hey man, why the long face?" the taller of the two asked. "Are you that sad we're in different homerooms now?"
"Still dumb as rocks aren't ya?" Junpei replied, shaking his head. "Wait, isn't it way past your dorm curfew? What're you guys doing out so late?"
"Oh we just snuck out using the secret exit. Hey, we're going to Club Escapade. Wanna come with? I'm helping this guy drown his sorrows over a girl."
The taller student yanked the arm of his companion, who immediately denied his failure in asking a girl out.
"Well that's what you get for going after someone like Takeba Yukari," the tall student said. He turned his attention back to Junpei. "Although, I never expected her to hook up with that new transfer student. I guess she likes that dark side of his."
Junpei raised an eyebrow. Apart from the fact that Minato had somehow fallen sick for a week, there did not seem to be any oddities about him. Falling sick for a week is pretty strange though.
"Dark? He's pretty normal," Junpei said.
"No, I'm serious. That transfer kid? Rumor has it both his parents died when he was little. Someone got a peek at his file when Toriumi-sensei left it lying around," the taller student replied.
These idiots and their bloody rumors. "Man you're so gullible. That kinda stuff only happens in movies."
"Hey, I did say it was a rumor. But anyway, let's get going! You snooze, no booze!"
"Booze?" Junpei asked, his expression darkening. "I think I'm gonna pass."
"What's the matter? C'mon, why don't you live a little–"
"I said I'm gonna pass!" he exclaimed, standing up. When he realized that several onlookers were eyeing him, he backed down. "I just...ain't in the mood."
"Whatever," his classmate said, turning on his heel and dragging his friend along towards the club.
Junpei watched them disappear into the bar. Booze? Really? They're not even of age yet! He looked down at the floor and was surprised that the dog was still standing by his feet. It seemed to approve of his declination. As he extended his left arm to pat the dog's head, his right arm reached into his pocket for his cell phone.
"Man, I had better get going," he muttered to himself upon seeing the time.
Adjusting his baseball cap, he bid the dog farewell and exited the mall, walking towards the convenience store across the road. He thought it strange that the temperature could drop this low on what was a warm spring day. The night mist had settled in and he could see wisps of his breath as he exhaled.
After gulping down the remnants of the soda he had bought, Junpei sighed. He never felt so lost and useless in his life. Even his home was no longer a safe haven, especially when he had to deal with his drunk father.
Just thinking about him made his blood curdle and in a sudden rage, he chucked the soda can onto the pavement and stomped on it. Every blow represented a moment of his life in which he resented his father for not being the man he should be. At the end of it, he kicked the flattened can like a striker kicking a goal and it disappeared into the nearby bushes. He stood there for a little while, his eyes still fixated on those bushes, before taking a seat on the curb in front of the convenience store.
Is my life really as bad as it seems now?
He took off his cap and looked up, gazing at the black sea that was the night sky. It was void of stars tonight.
I just wish there was like, something I could do to change the world. Like some awesome skill no one else has.
The thought made him smile to himself and reminded him of his immaturity. Of course there would not be any awesome skill. That sort of thing only happened in fiction. No, he would just be a regular guy who would get a regular job and live a regular life.
At least, that was what he thought before the lights went out.
The darkness caught him by surprise and he jumped up. He pivoted, and saw only the reflection of a very pale moon from the windows of the convenience store. He rushed into the store to find the checkout worker, only to find that the worker was not there anymore. In the place where the worker should have been standing, was a large black coffin standing upright. It looked to be very well polished as Junpei could see a clear reflection of himself. He backed away from it, eyes widening.
What the hell is this?
His back then hit something solid. He slowly turned around and saw a distorted version of himself in the glossy surface of another black coffin. The image was horrendous, like someone had used a photo editing program to liquidate his face, and startled, Junpei fell onto his backside. Scrambling to his feet, he exited the store, hoping that this was some dream or hallucination he was having.
What he saw outside confirmed that it was anything but.
The outskirts of Paulownia Mall was littered with coffins, some standing along the streets, and some on the road itself. All reflected the sickly green tinge of the sky. There was no one to be found. No electricity. Nothing. It was as if the apocalypse just happened.
As he looked around trying to find anything that resembled the world he knew, Junpei wondered if zombies would start pouring out of those coffins. He had seen something similar to this happen in some video game he once played (it was, he believed, an MMORPG called Innocent Sin Online), and the very thought sent shivers down his spine.
Something moved.
He noticed the black blur out of the corner of his eye. Oh geez, can my luck get any worse? He rummaged through his pockets in an effort to find something to defend himself with. Half a packet of gum, his cell phone and wallet, and a crumpled piece of paper.
Okay, I can do this.
He had seen people in movies improvise all the time and they always came out alive at the end of it. Perhaps he could bribe whatever it was in the alleyway with gum? He could tell the thing to swallow it all and hope that it would choke and–
Oh who am I kidding? Like hell that's gonna work!
A low pitched groan filled the empty night and Junpei's world darkened as an ominous shadow loomed over him. He turned, and saw a tall mass of black sludge towering in front of him. Its arms were raised and the blue mask that he assumed to be its face gave him an impassive stare.
So I guess this is it. I'm gonna become food for this freak.
He was glad there was no coffins around. He did not want to see the despair on his face. It would have probably scared him more than looking into the face of this thing. Junpei raised his arms and covered his face, waiting for the inevitable.
Fortunately, the thing never got the chance to consume him. It instead exploded in a spray of black blood. Through the gaps of his arms, Junpei saw a figure standing in its place. He was wearing a red sweater vest and his short silver hair gleamed in the moonlight. His clenched fists appeared to be holding a pair of bladed cestuses.
"Akihiko-senpai?" Junpei asked, lowering his arms.
The figure pivoted. It was Akihiko. But what was he doing here? And at this hour?
"Junpei? What the hell are you doing here?" Akihiko said, glancing around.
"Dude, I could ask ya the same thing," Junpei replied, sighing with relief. "But more importantly, WHAT THE FREAKIN' HELL WAS THAT?"
"They're called Shadows," Akihiko said, removing his cestuses and clipping them onto his belt. "I was tailing this one as it had managed to– Wait a minute. You're not a coffin. Which means..."
"A coffin? You mean those coffins everywhere are actually PEOPLE? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you have the potential and could possibly be of great help to us. I don't have the time to answer all your questions so if you want answers, come to this dorm tomorrow night."
Akihiko fished a small card out of his pocket and handed it to Junpei, who quickly examined it.
"You guys Shadow hunters or somethin'?" Junpei asked, pocketing the card.
"You catch on quick. Anyway, if you're serious about joining, you're going to have to transfer to the dorm. It just makes coordinating events...easier," Akihiko replied, turning to walk off. "Let me know your decision tomorrow at school."
Watching Akihiko walk off into the darkness, Junpei took out the card again. Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad? That's a funny name for a club. Maybe it would be a good idea to join. He never liked being left with unanswered questions. They were like a drug addiction, and the urge to know would constantly harass him until he had his dose.
Shoving the card back into his pocket, Junpei made his way home. Yes, he would join. He would be 'Junpei, the Shadow Hunter! Ordinary student by day, but elusive hero by night!' The thought made his smile stretch from cheek to cheek. For once, he was glad to be heading home and seeing his father again. It would be one of the last few times he did.