Serene Indigo

AN: I has read and watched the Shiki novel (unfinished due to the hiatus in English translation), the manga as well as the anime adaptation to be able to create an author universe that still sticks to the main plot. And I ships Yuuki Natsuno x Shimizu Megumi, so the story will focus mainly on the two of them.

I also learned about the culture of addressing, schools as well as festivals in Japan, the history and development of this astonishing cherry blossoms country in the 1990s to make the story more realistic, with the main story begins in the summer of 1994 in Sotoba, Japan.

Note: In Japan, the family name usually comes before the first name. To make honorifics more natural, all characters in Shiki will be addressed in the Japanese way. (Example: Megumi Shimizu – Shimizu Megumi)

I hope all of my readers will support and sympathize if my writing style is somewhat incoherent or confusing (because English is not my native language). Sincerely thankful for your patience.

The author does not own Shiki nor the characters in Shiki. Copyright belongs to novelist Fuyumi Ono and artist Ryu Fujisaki.

Chapter 1

Spring, 1993, Fukuoka city, southern Japan.

"Natsuno, come here, Mom and Dad have something to tell you." Yuuki, Natsuno's father called out from the living room.

"Just a moment," Natsuno replied, closing the notebook and unfinished homework on the desk and scratching his head. "I wonder what's going on?" He thought to himself.

"Natsuno, as you know, business at our wood workshop is quite stable, so we have saved up some money." Yuuki looked at Azusa, Natsuno's mother, both of them were radiant, then continued to Natsuno "So we decided that this summer, we will move to Sotoba village. Permanently."

"What?" Natsuno said in surprise "Why so suddenly? Isn't our whole family living in Fukuoka peacefully just like always?" Besides, I just entered my last year of middle school, dad..." Natsuno upset.

"Son, in the city, although the physical conditions and infrastructure are more developed than countryside, however, the living environment here is stressful, highly competitive, priority is given to independence, thus, compassion is lacking. This cradle of development in bustling city like Fukuoka will turn you into an emotionless young man." Yuuki frowned and looked at his son "Natsuno, I am your father, the pillar of this family. Azusa and I thought very carefully about moving to Sotoba before making the decision. You must understand, everything I do is for the good of you and our family's future." He sighed and said.

"Father, with all respect, I'm afraid it's difficult for me to accept this easily. You raised me as a city kid, and I never doubted that I didn't belong here. Although it is still too early to talk about this, but job opportunities in urban areas will be more open, and, ironically, all cities were once urbanized rural areas. Natsuno looked straight into his father's eyes and firmly said, "I don't mean anything bad, but is that no different from you wanting us to move away from modernity and return to outdatedness?"

"Yuuki Natsuno, my words are firm." Yuuki raised his hand, blocking his son's words "I don't want something that should be worth celebrating like this turn into a topic of argument between us. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, Natsuno. Believe me, give Sotoba time, and then it will become a part of you."

Natsuno's face was filled with disappointment. He understood clearly how steady his father was. "If you have decided so, then I have nothing more to say. Now please excuse me." Natsuno finished speaking and stood up and went back to his room.

"Sigh, this boy, although he is more mature than his age, he is so calm. I'm worried that if he keeps insisting on living in Fukuoka, his cold personality will never change." Yuuki looked at his son's silhouette, then turned to look at his wife thoughtfully.

"Honey, our son is still a teenager, there are still many things he has not yet contemplated, but he will understand later." Azusa comforted her husband.

"Hope so. Who knows, maybe moving to Sotoba will help him make more friends? He's always a quiet person. If everything goes well, he might even find a pretty girlfriend in the future. This kid is just as handsome as his old man." Yuuki laughed loudly, turned to look at his wife, and they both smiled and nodded at each other.

Natsuno heard everything his parents said in the living room. The soundproofing in this house was far from good, and his father happily raised his voice, so it was hard not to hear it.

"Ridiculous. They always do!" Natsuno thought to herself. Her eyes still read, her hands still write, but Natsuno couldn't concentrate on her desk. He narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his chair thinking. "This table…" Natsuno looked at his desk "This chair…" He reached back and touched the wooden backrest "And that bed too…" Natsuno turned his head to the left, five feet apart from the desk is his bed. "It's all his work. He's always been like that, an artistic person with passion for interior design who only lives in the moment." Natsuno bitterly said "Deciding everything based on emotions, without thoroughly considering what is reasonable for a long-term period."

Natsuno's parents met each other at Kyushu University, and both studied architecture. They became lovers, and Natsuno was the proof of their love, even though they were both still students.

The strange thing here is that these two people, with such an adventurous and spontaneous lifestyle, decided not to register their marriage, and as a result, Natsuno always had to endure awkward situations every time the teacher wondered whether to call him by his father's surname, Yuuki, or his mother's, Koide.

He scratched his head and sighed "It's okay. I know their personalities too well. Whether you complain, scream or are dissatisfied, the result stays the same. What I'm missing here is age. Indeed." Natsuno thought to himself "I will be content to follow them back to that remote village, and study hard. Just wait until I turn 18 and complete the university entrance exam, then I will register to study at a school in the city immediately."

Natsuno shook his head slightly, "Dad is such a funny guy. I've never been a sociable person. Even having normal friends is a luxury, let alone a girlfriend. No, I have no intention of becoming friends with anyone, I will try my best to study and wait to return to the city!"

With that belief and determination, he plugged his headphones into his Walkman music player, then continued to move his pen across the notebook page.