If words were used to describe Kannonsakazaki Private High School teacher Sakaki Guryū, they would probably be something along the lines of “talented,” “elegant,” “genius,” “stunning” – you could probably list out every positive adjective you knew and compare them to Sakaki, and none of them would seem out of place, because he was perhaps the most perfect human being in the world, a being bearing the closest resemblance to G.o.d. Terms like “G.o.dlike,” “flawless,” and “one-of-a-kind” seemed to match him – the pinnacle of human evolution, Sakaki Guryū.

Obtaining a doctorate at twelve, skilled in all fields, being hailed as the reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci – not only was he intellectually gifted, he was physically talented, too. Aikido was meant as a method of pa.s.sing time, but soon he found his way into the Olympics. His touch of the piano melted hearts, his paintings of the brush shook worlds. The t.i.tles “The Best," "The Finest," and "The Greatest,” seemed to perfectly suit him, and, backed by the extremely wealthy Sakaki Organization (the lynchpin of the j.a.panese economy) to which he was heir, it seemed that he had already succeeded in life. Failure was clearly not on the menu.

However, Sakaki had a weakness - no, more of a problem actually. This “problem” was the reason why, when he was nineteen, he went down to the countryside and started teaching at the private high school he used to attend. This was also why he no longer concentrated in literature, arts, or sports. It was a “problem” the large organization was powerless to deal with.

Yes, it was a “problem”, and the cause was known as Usagawa Rinne.

She was a normal high school girl that Sakaki loved, was obsessed with, even. In fact, you could even say that Sakaki worshiped the very ground she walked on.

It was because of her that Sakaki Guryū had strayed from the path of the elite.

Hoping to spend more time with her, Sakaki decided to become a teacher in her school. All other literary, artistic, and sports matters, which were merely ways to pa.s.s the time in the first place, were put on indefinite hold. All of her living expenses, including her apartment"s rent, water and electricity bills, tuition fees and pocket money, were fully sponsored out of Sakaki’s pocket. In short, he was her "Daddy-Long-Legs".

Since there was nothing wrong with that nickname, Sakaki silently acknowledged it.

“What a waste of talent! What the h.e.l.l are you doing?! Resign from being a teacher! Go do something proper instead!” These were words uttered by people who didn’t know Sakaki’s feelings: in other words, pointless words of advice. To Sakaki, there was something more important than producing a thesis which overturned the most fundamental laws of science, securing a gold medal by beating a world champion in the Olympics, or even making a name for himself as one of the most prominent artists in history – and that was spending the day with Usagawa Rinne, doing ordinary stuff, living an ordinary life. That was true happiness to him.

Priorities did, after all, differ from person to person.

And so did happiness.

The head teacher stood up and began making a speech about teenage delinquency and the current state of social safety, about how they were a threat to society, and what a better world it would be if they were all rounded up and expelled. From anyone else"s point of view, this would seem like anything but a peaceful discussion.

What was he angry about? Was his anger genuinely about the degeneration of society? That was highly unlikely – the Head Teacher was probably just p.i.s.sed, that’s all! p.i.s.sed at the fact that n.o.body wished him “Good morning” today, p.i.s.sed at the students who secretly called him “ant-eater” behind his back! In order to vent his anger, he was directing his hatred towards all teenagers in general.

“Boring,” Sakaki said softly.

It was indeed boring – everything was. Due to the low birth rate and a new policy to prioritize senior citizens introduced by politicians, the school was becoming poorer by the day. In order to save electricity, lights were not turned on, resulting in the meeting room being extremely dim. Married couples refused to have children, as raising them took too much money. Sn.o.bbish politicians prioritized elderly citizens, hoping for a higher voter turnout. Even if the school’s fortunes were rapidly declining, there was still no reason to pin it on the student. Plus, there was nothing wrong with being poor, Sakaki reasoned.

Looking at Usagawa Rinne made him think that way.

Human beings, after all, were only able to gain happiness by fulfilling their own goals. Even if someone owned a lot of property, if he felt that he hadn’t achieved his own goal and was unhappy, then he would, of course, be unhappy! Similarly, even if someone was poor, as long as she felt she was happy, then, of course, she would be happy! “He,” in this case, referred to Sakaki before he met Usagawa Rinne. “She,” in this case, referred to Rinne.

Rinne was extremely poor. Her only hobby was cooking, and even though she had to work hard to make ends meet, she still bravely lived on. She must be happy, and the one who got to meet her – Sakaki - must also be equally happy.

Sakaki, who was previously listening to the meeting in a corner, shifted his attention towards his cell phone upon receiving Rinne’s message.

The Head Teacher was still going on loudly about something. It must be hard on him. Screaming out loud like that in the winter will evidently give him a sore throat, Sakaki thought this as he withdrew the vibrating cell phone from his pocket, preparing to read his new message. Even though the Head Teacher visibly frowned at this, Sakaki pretended not to notice as he indifferently began replying to the message on the long table.

The Head Teacher immediately reprimanded him.

“Sakaki-sensei, please refrain from using your cell phone in a meeting…”

“I apologize.”

Sakaki said softly, while still maintaining a conceited att.i.tude.

“I previously evaluated which was more important, listening to you ranting or reading my message. I acted according to the order of importance. If I offended you, I hereby apologize.”

Sakaki haughtily – or should we say arrogantly - silenced the Head Teacher. The Head Teacher coughed, as if wanting to display an air of strictness and continued talking.

Not too long after, Sakaki’s phone made a “Rat-Tat-Tat” sound as it vibrated on the table. It seemed as though he had a new message. Sakaki naturally reached for his phone.

The Head Teacher, who was in the middle of another meaningless rant, warned, with spit flying everywhere, “Sakaki-sensei…”

“…I’m sorry, I suddenly have urgent matters to attend to, and need to be going now. Oh yeah, you, Head Teacher, make sure to send me the minutes by tonight. Only list down the points; there shouldn’t be much anyway seeing how things are going now.”

“Wha---”

Seeing the Head Teacher’s face darken, Sakaki immediately retorted, “No buts! I have urgent business to settle now. Don’t forget, this school is under the jurisdiction of the Sakaki Organization, and the teacher’s union is also funded by it, so I think that those who sit down and quietly listen are the bright ones.”

Sakaki stood up afterwards. Full of rage at being humiliated, the Head Teacher’s face was red as a tomato. Sakaki ignored him and continued to avoid his gaze. Nodding at the other teachers, who were rendered speechless, Sakaki turned and left the meeting room. “Usagawa Rinne is calling me. Why should I waste my time in such a pointless meeting. She should be my main priority.” Sakaki reasoned as his long strides echoed in the empty hallways.

Sakaki’s elegant stride would often make people stop in their tracks. Some girls would even point at him, as if trying to say “unbelievable!”

Be it a guy or girl, all who saw his elegant demeanor would be robbed of the ability to think for a few seconds, stopping in their tracks to marvel at him. Of course, “him” in this context refers to Sakaki Guryū, who was making his way to Usagawa Rinne’s apartment. Like a wave rippling outwards, Sakaki ignored the stares of the crowd and walked ahead.

His blonde hair, inherited from his American mother, shimmered transparently under the sunlight. This was in addition to a series of proper facial features and a perfectly proportioned body. Disliking outlandish outfits, Sakaki frequently wore a suit, save for occasions where he went to Rinne’s place. Every time he tried to wear something fancy, he would be mistaken as a celebrity, sometimes accompanied by fans screaming “Give me an autograph! Give me an autograph!!” while dashing towards him. Sakaki often wondered, “What use is it getting a high school teacher’s signature?” Even though he had a celebrity-like name (and signature), it didn’t mean he was a celebrity!

Since this was a countryside town, the crowds began to thin as soon as Sakaki left the main street. He began jogging on the long, dark, uneven path, as he made his way to Rinne"s apartment. He could have reached her place faster with a bike or car, but since Sakaki wanted to avoid his perfect hair (which took him great effort to dry and comb every day) getting messed up by the wind, he opted to go on foot. Besides, Rinne’s apartment wasn"t that far anyway. Looking at his new, handpicked clothes, Sakaki wondered, Do these clothes suit me? Although he never really felt comfortable wearing clothes marketed to youngsters, Sakaki felt that wearing a suit to a party was simply too ridiculous, and ended up putting up with it. Plus, wearing a suit often gave him a “teacher-ish” aura. Whenever he was alone with Rinne, Sakaki hoped to shed his teacher “sh.e.l.l”, and be himself with her.

It was quite a distance from the nearest station before there were any houses. Large fields were left abandoned without apparent reason, some with wooden houses erected on them. These wooden houses, some even having tile roofs, gave one a sense of antiquity, as if time had suddenly stopped.

Just as Sakaki was making a couple of pointless observations…

“Hey there, young sir…”

A voice drifted out from somewhere, a voice ambiguous in the extreme - he couldn"t even tell if was it the falsetto of a man or the contralto of a woman.

Sakaki turned towards the source of the voice and saw a small, odd-looking stall in the middle of the field.

But could that even pa.s.s as a stall? A purple mat was placed on the floor, hammered to the ground with nails, while a robe clad figure sat atop it silently. The figure’s face was hidden by a long hood, making it impossible to tell if the wearer was a man or a woman. There was also a large, crystal ball on the mat, which the person was gently polishing. There was also a small sign placed on the mat, which simply read “Fortune telling, 100 yen”.

“Fortune telling…?”

Why would a fortune teller be in such a place? Shouldn’t they be in a shopping district or something – no, wait, what was a fortune teller doing in the countryside anyway? And could one really make a living with a measly 100 yen per fortune? Many questions surfaced in Sakaki’s mind. This was a suspicious trader indeed.

The mysterious trader lifted both hands. Maybe it was due to the long sleeves on the robe, but this made the trader seem positively inhuman. The trader then said to Sakaki, “Yes, young sir, fortune telling. Would you like to give it a go? I’m very accurate, you know. Your fortune in wealth, in love, or life in general… Or perhaps you would like to hit it big? Win a big prize? Look for something long lost? Get rid of something bothering you? I can tell all sorts of fortunes!”

“Sorry, but I’m not interested.”

Sakaki replied shortly, as he quickly turned his back to the fortune teller.

“Wait, wait!!” The fortune teller said and hastily got up. The fortune teller then proceeded to say something that made Sakaki freeze in his steps.

“You won’t lose anything by just getting a reading, young sir! I sense a malicious aura around you, and if you don’t get rid of it soon, it is certain to bring you misfortune! You seem to be a powerful person, who doesn’t really care about what happens to himself. However, this malicious aura may cause misfortune to fall upon those around you! I know you don’t want that to happen, do you? Sakaki Guryū…”

“Huh…?”

Sakaki turned his head furiously. There was a crystal ball in the fortune teller’s outstretched hands as the fortune teller mystically continued, “… The one you like, ah, Usagawa Rinne? She will be the first victim, and die a very horrible death. You don’t wish such fate to befall your lover, do you, young sir? A corpse, with a gouged out eyeball…”

“You…”

Sakaki roared as he charged into the empty field, towards the stall. This shady character not only knew his name, but Rinne’s as well! He forcefully grabbed the fortune teller by the collar.

“Ouch! Don’t do that! It hurts!” The fortune teller yelled, somewhat unemotionally. Sakaki ripped open the fortune teller’s hood, revealing the face of a surprisingly young man. His expressionless face, however, gave Sakaki the chills. It was like a bug"s, totally void of expression.

The guy’s hair was messy, and his eyes shimmered in a frightening crimson.

Sakaki hollered in a loud voice, “Who the h.e.l.l are you? How do you know my and Rinne’s names? And what’s this about a corpse? Are you saying Rinne is going to die? What on earth do you mean? Answer me, brat!”

“That’s why…”

The fortune teller wasn’t the least bit shaken. He was also not the slightest bit attracted towards Sakaki, as he looked at him without blinking, his eyes looking rather like clear accessories.

“… I told you to come for a fortune reading, didn’t I? That’s what I could tell anyway. I’m a fortune teller after all. You will encounter a series of misfortunes after this, misfortunes which will destroy your normal days, shatter your everyday life, and bring forth pain and suffering! And the overture to this catastrophe, the first victim, will be the one you adore, the girl named Usagawa Rinne…”

The fortune teller said in one-breath. Not pausing to draw a breath, he continued, “… She will be killed by a devil, in a brutal, inhuman way – her eye sockets will be pierced by a spoon, and her eyeb.a.l.l.s will be gouged out! She will slowly die, with pain being the last thing registered in her brain! Because it’s such a painful way to die, I bet she’ll even hate you! Compared to being murdered like this, I bet she would wish to have died back then, in that big, blue sea. Ah, it would have been so much easier if I had died in the sea back then~ Why did you have to save me, sensei? I hate you, I’m going to curse you for all eternity…”

Sakaki whacked his fist into the fortune teller’s face, as if trying to stop that prediction from coming true.

Even after being walloped in the face, the fortune teller’s expression did not change. Since he was being grabbed by the collar, he did not fall as he said, in that feminine-yet-masculine tone, “That’s what’s going to happen in the future. Punching me isn’t going to change it.”

“What the… You son of a…!”

Sakaki yelled, clearly shocked by the fortune teller’s inhuman response. “Who the h.e.l.l are you? What is your motive? What are you planning to achieve? Why are you saying such things? You’re saying misfortune is about to befall me? What misfortune? Why must Rinne die?”

Sakaki had no doubt that this fortune teller was a real one now, most likely due to his inhuman reaction and aura. Also, Sakaki was clearly disturbed by his shimmering red eyes. Normal human eyes don’t glitter. This guy was clearly not human.

“We are called ‘Mushi’.”

The shady fortune teller said in the same tone.

“W-We?”

“…… Yes we. We do not have form, we do not have sentience. We only obey orders from our superiors, a collection of individuals who have forsaken individuality. We are known as ‘Mushi’.

The ‘Mushi’ said, with ironically bug-like eyes.

The purple mat Sakaki was standing on seemed to shimmer, as if it lacked substance, as if it were ethereal. What’s going on here? Is this really true? Those were the thoughts racing through Sakaki’s head.

“As a ‘Mushi’, my orders are to pa.s.s you these warnings from the future. You are to ponder upon my words, think of an appropriate strategy and try to delay the inevitable. Who knows? You might be able to avoid the worst case scenario.”

“Worse case scenario?”

“The coming of the devil.”

The "Mushi" spelled out.

“It could happen anytime – today, tomorrow, 10 years later, maybe even 10 seconds later. However, in the end, that day will still come. The devil will appear before you, murder Usagawa Rinne and cause the worst case scenario.”

“Worst case scenario?”

“I can’t tell you.”

The "Mushi" answered, rejecting Sakaki’s second question just like a faulty calculator failing at the last moment. Did he mean to say that that was not part of his fate?

“Even though I can’t tell you, what I can say is that it would be the worst case scenario.”

“Then to me, the worst case scenario would be Rinne dying. Even if you were to weight the Earth exploding or the universe imploding on one side of the scale and Rinne dying on the other, the scale would clearly tip towards her favor.”

“That might be it, I guess!”

People, after all, had different priorities. The "Mushi" ambiguously replied, before saying, “In a situation like this, it doesn’t matter what you hold as the worst case scenario. After all, if Usagawa Rinne isn’t murdered by the devil, then the worst case scenario will never occur. So try to keep it that way.”

The "Mushi" brushed Sakaki’s hand away, as he rummaged through a small cardboard box on the mat. A while later, he produced a giant egg and cupped it in both hands.

What kind of egg was that? It was slightly smaller than a human’s skull – around the size of an ostrich’s egg. It had a white base and, as if wanting to look less dull, had red and green patterns on it. However, these patterns seemed genuine, and it certainly didn’t look like something someone had painted on it.

Of course, this was no egg a bird, reptile, amphibian or insect could ever lay.

What was this egg? And why was the fortune teller holding it?

The "Mushi" carefully raised the egg, and handed it to Sakaki.

“This is the egg of a Dream World Beast. It’s not a creature of this world, so don’t bother searching any encyclopedias for it. Don’t forget to hand it to Usagawa Rinne. You don’t have to keep it warm; it will hatch after some time. If you’re lucky, it’ll hatch into a Dream World Beast before the devil arrives. Dream World Beasts are primitive beings, and just like animals, they have filial imprints, and will recognize the first thing they see as their mother. So it should theoretically recognize Usagawa Rinne as its mother, even though they are physically different. Since Dream World Beasts are very powerful, they should most likely be able to ward off the devil.”

“Because of its parents?”

“Because its parents are in danger. Dream World Beasts value family ties, and they are the best counter to the devil. Hmm… Before the Dream World Beast hatches, though, you should carry firearms on you in order to protect Usagawa Rinne, even though they are forbidden!”

The "Mushi" gently prodded Sakaki’s chest, and true enough, a handgun was hidden inside. How could he possibly tell? Sakaki was shocked. He felt as if he was breathing another planet’s air, and the air was composed of different components, causing him to feel very strange and dizzy. It was as if the world had suddenly gone mad.

“Who… What on Earth are you?”

Sakaki yelled, having asked this question for the third time.

For the first time throughout their encounter, the "Mushi" smiled.

“I wonder, what should I answer for you to believe me?”

For some reason, the old apartment Usagawa Rinne stayed in looked even more run-down today than the tile-roofed houses. It was a three storey building, with a total of six rooms, three of which were vacant. The second floor was where the office was situated, and room 1A, on the first floor, belonged to Rinne. Room 1B, which happened to be situated next door, was occupied by a self-claimed musician. According to Rinne, she was either bad at socializing or she just plain hated humans, since she rarely mixed with anyone at all.

There was also the question as to why an apartment was even built in a place like this. Despite being an apartment, however, the rooms were uncomfortably small and narrow, which in turn caused the rent to be very cheap – so cheap, in fact, that even Rinne could afford it with the money she earned from her part-time job. Also, despite Sakaki’s frequent “Don’t worry about the money, just go get a better house”, Rinne stubbornly refused to listen, replying with a simple “As long as the room is long enough for me to lie down, its all the same to me!” Not only did Rinne turn down Sakaki’s offers, she was also very against receiving any form of cash from him, insisting that she could take care of herself just fine.

Of course, Sakaki had, behind Rinne’s back, given her all forms of help. Like threatening her boss with the prospect of not being able to establish himself in society should he ever fire Rinne, or installing a water purifier in her apartment’s water supply in fear of her getting sick after drinking contaminated water.

Back to the story. By the time Sakaki reached Rinne’s apartment, it was already six. Treading on the old cement floor, he made his way to room 1A and stopped. He took a deep breath. Appearances were indeed deceiving. Sakaki was, in fact, quite vulnerable to girls, especially when the girl in question was Rinne. He tended to get nervous quite easily, so stopping by the door and taking a deep breath every time he visited this apartment was already a routine of his.

Again, for some unknown reason, this run-down apartment had an intercom. Sakaki pressed the door bell, and waited.

Rinne’s clear, chine-like voice quickly came out from the intercom.

“Who is it?”

“Milady Usarin, it"s me”

“Yes~~”

Even though he never said who he was, Rinne already knew who it was on the other side of the door. The only person who would address Rinne as “Milady” would be Sakaki. Rinne immediately let out a squeal, and cut her reply short.

Since the room was small, Rinne literally reached the door in less than two seconds.

Appearing behind the open door was the silhouette of a cute, little girl. Because her clothes were quite dated, she looked somewhat old-fashioned, but ignoring this fact, she was indeed really cute. Clean and straight hair, snow white skin, a gentle smile on her face; those alone were enough to make her very attractive, but what attracted Sakaki the most was her clear, chime-like voice.

Rinne, who was up to Sakaki’s chest in height, looked up to him and smiled, like a blossoming flower.

“Sensei, you really came!” Rinne said in a transparent, bell-like chime. “I’m so glad you did! Come in, it’s freezing outside!”

Rinne pulled Sakaki’s arm and dragged him into her room. There was only enough s.p.a.ce for one to take off his or her shoes (and also store them at the same spot – there wasn’t room for a shoe rack). Sakaki took off his shoes, and let her drag him into her room.

Rinne’s apartment was about 4 tatamis wide, and consisted of her room, a toilet and the kitchen, so the four-and-a-half tatami standard measurement for rooms (including a toilet) actually took up the entirety of Rinne’s apartment unit. There was no bathroom in her unit, so Rinne had to use the bathroom located outside everyday.

Sakaki took off his coat and placed it in a corner, along with the egg.

Most likely due to Rinne’s cooking, there was a strong aroma in the room that wouldn’t disperse. There was a small window in the room that was tightly shut, because of the cold outside. Even if she turned on the kitchen fan, it wouldn’t have helped much. After telling Rinne about his empty stomach, Sakaki snuggled both his legs into the futon beneath the table.

Rinne opened the fridge and withdrew a box and some malt tea. She poured the tea into a cup she withdrew from a sink, and placed it onto a saucer. She then took the box, along with the tea, and went to Sakaki’s side.

“It’s done!”

“Thanks a lot… But why are you sitting next to me? Isn’t it squishy? The table is square anyhow, you don’t have to squeeze beside me, right?”

“You don’t understand?”

Rinne smiled as she leaned on Sakaki.

“It’s because I want to be by your side! Even if its one centimeter closer, I still want to be closer to you”

“Happy birthday, sensei…” Rinne concluded as she looked up at Sakaki.

Sakaki looked as if he was trying very hard to withhold something.

“… Milady Usarin, if you utter such cute words, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold myself back. Please don’t be that way. I’ve already promised Milady Usarin that I won’t hold your hand or do anything before you graduate. So please, don’t make me break that promise.”

“I won’t mind if you break them those kind of promises. You shouldn’t have to restrain yourself in the first place.”

Rinne said matter-of-factly as she continued to lean on Sakaki.

This is bad, Sakaki thought. Rinne was too cute, to the point that Sakaki wanted to hug her on the spot. But he couldn’t. If a teacher did that to a student, it was considered an offense.

Sakaki resisted the notion with an iron-clad will, and steered the topic to a safe direction.

“Speaking of which, Milady Usarin, it seems that the things in your room have increased yet again?”

“They have?”

“Yeah, like that television for example. I didn’t notice it the last I was here? Did you buy it recently?”

“I wouldn’t be able to afford such a thing! It’s too expensive! You know how the shopping district has these lucky draws once in a while? Like on their 10-year-anniversary or grand sales and such? This was the prize for the runner-up!”

“So you drew the second place?”

“Nope, its just that n.o.body did, and the television became an extra. The middle-aged man who was in charge of the lucky draw said ‘It’s no use keeping it. I guess we’ll just give it to Rinne!’, so that’s how I got it~”

“He’s abusing his authority that way. It’s fairly easy to see what he was after.”

“Yeah! But since he said he would give it to me, there wasn’t any reason for me to refuse him, was there? Actually, I kinda wanted a television myself too. That’s why I accepted it. Oh, and I also took lots of instant noodles back with me.”

In a corner of the room, there was indeed a cardboard box labeled “Kannonsakazaki Shopping District”. If it was filled with instant noodles, then it would certainly have been a lot of instant noodles. Sakaki warned Rinne, “Don’t make it a habit to accept things from strangers. There have been lots of reports from school about students accepting such offers and then being charged with high-interest loans.”

“Okay…”

Rinne smiled bitterly, as she opened the box on the table. There were two slices of cake inside. She was too poor to purchase an entire cake.

Rinne placed the cakes on the saucers, and announced, “I don’t have any forks!” She then stood up, hesitated a while, and stood rooted to the spot as if thinking of something. After a while, she went to another corner of the room and took a paper bag.

Her face was flushing red. It was as if she was embarra.s.sed and frustrated at the same time.

“Erm…”

Sakaki more or less guessed what the paper bag meant and why she was hesitating.

The bag must have contained Sakaki’s birthday present, and Rinne was obviously hesitating whether or not to give it to him. She was probably thinking something along the lines of “Would this be appropriate? Would sensei like it, and what if he rejected it?”, and thus was hesitant to present Sakaki his present.

Sakaki understood. He said to Rinne with a benevolent expression never seen by anyone else, “Don’t worry! As long as its something from Milady Usarin, then I’ll definitely treasure it, no matter what!”

“R-Really? But sensei, you’re so rich. I bet your previous birthdays were much grander, and the presents must have been extraordinary, right? I’m sorry, or maybe I’m ashamed of myself.”

“That’s not true.”

Sakaki answered truthfully: “A present’s value is not measured by how much it cost. a birthday’s worth is not based on how big the celebration was. To me, Milady Usarin, being able to spend the day like today sitting by a warm table and enjoying cake, toasting with malt tea, this is more enjoyable than anything I’ve experienced thus far. This is definitely my best birthday by far, so please, don’t put on such a face.”

“B-b-but…”

“Stop "buting" anymore. I’ve sworn to you that I’m with you not because I pity you, but because I really love you from the depths of my heart. Trust me, you aren’t worthless. I’m not a superior being. Milady Usarin, you are more than a match for me. Please believe me when I say that you are a special girl to me. I’ve given you my word, am I right?”

“Yeah…”

I’ve given you my word.

Usagawa Rinne shouldn’t have been ashamed in the first place. Who cares if she was poor. As long as she was herself for Sakaki, she would be the one he loved the most. Sakaki had told her this before when the two of them had first met. Back then, Rinne hadn’t been able to smile naturally, and wasn’t too capable of having long conversations. Compared to then, she had become so cheerful.

“T-then, at least for today…”

Rinne said as she lowered her head, “Don’t call me ‘Milady Usarin’.”

She said in a voice that sounded as if she was pouting, yet teasing him at the same time.

This was Rinne’s true desire, expressed half-jokingly.

Sakaki obliged and said, “Usagawa.”

“Call me by my given name.”

“Rinne.”

“Yeah…”

Most likely satisfied, Rinne nodded, as she withdrew his present from the bag.

It was a wool scarf. Rinne’s handwork was good, and the weaving was absolutely fantastic.

“I was going to give you this for Christmas, but since I managed to finish it early, I’m going to give it to you now. I’ll prepare something else for Christmas.”

“Thanks. Wow, this really is some handwork. Did you learn it from anyone?”

“I learned it from one of my friends. I stayed at her place for about three nights, and begged her to teach me her secrets. All I needed to do was master the basics, and it was continuous repet.i.tion from then on, which is why it was surprisingly easy once I got the hang of it! Although the wool is of cheap material, its 100% hand-sewn with lots of love!”

“I see, it’s very warm!”

Sakaki smiled in joy. Love – it definitely provided the most warmth!

Rinne held the scarf with both hands, and sat down facing Sakaki.

“I’m going to help you wear it, lower your head a bit.”

“Okay.”

Sakaki obliged and lowered his head. The scarf gently went around his neck.

It was then that Rinne kissed Sakaki.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, as Sakaki’s face was plastered with shock. Rinne put her hands by his ears, and gently kissed his lips. The scarf, which was gently wrapped around his neck, softly fell to the ground. This sudden act caused Sakaki to blank out, as he felt the warmth emanating from Rinne’s hands, lips and heart.

“Umm…”

Suddenly, her lips parted.

Rinne slowly furrowed her eyebrows, and mumbled, “……I’m sorry sensei, I broke our promise.”

“Ah…”

Sakaki said at a loss of words. Rinne looked down, and her thick fringe veiled her expression from Sakaki.

“But I’m constantly in pain, wondering what I am to sensei. I like sensei. I like Guryū-san. But since we’re in a teacher-student relationship, and sensei refuses to hold hands or call me by my name and all, sometimes I feel really scared…”

Rinne said as she shook her head.

“… I’m very stubborn, aren’t I? Sensei treats me so well, yet here I am, asking for more. I wonder, what am I to sensei? Does sensei really like me? I believe you when you say you do, but even then… I’m scared, really scared, that’s why I wanted some affirmation…”

Rinne said, as if on the verge of tears. She wasn’t crying. Even though her voice was trembling, she wasn’t crying. Sakaki understood – it was because these were her true feelings, that’s why she wasn’t crying. He understood that these weren’t just words uttered at the spur of the moment. These were matters that were troubling her deep in her heart.

Sakaki suddenly felt the urge to curse himself. Rinne mentioned that she was in pain, in fear. Fear of being hated, being dumped by Sakaki. She loved him that much!

And just like how Usagawa Rinne loved him, Sakaki Guryū loved her just as much.

Because the two of them treated each other as important, they were afraid of losing that “importantness”, of losing each other. Just like the two sides of a coin – even though they were totally different, both of them were just as real. Even though both of them were technically unrelated, both of them were as tightly bound.

Sakaki caressed Rinne’s silky hair before bending down and kissing her lightly. Rinne’s hair gently trembled as she closed her eyes and cried, this time with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Because humans are a fragile species.

That was why we sometimes seek affirmation.

Affirmation of love, feelings, and a few other emotions.

That’s definitely not something bad.

So Rinne, you can stop crying now.

Sakaki Guryū’s 20th birthday ended with fond memories etched deep in his mind. By 10 o"clock, he decided to go back home. Even though he wanted to be with Rinne, it was, after all, already ten. Who knows what might happen if he stayed even later! It was best to retreat for now.

Rinne was so cute that Sakaki found it almost impossible to reject her. Since he was a healthy 20-year-old man after all, it was dangerous to continue staying by her side - dangerous in “that” sense, of course. No matter what, Sakaki wanted to avoid crossing the last line of defense, the point of no return.

Sakaki bade farewell to Rinne, with the scarf he received as a present around his neck and a slice of cake in his hands. In the end, he failed to think of a way to pa.s.s the Mushi’s strange egg to Rinne, because the atmosphere certainly didn’t permit it. Plus, upon further thought, the Mushi fellow did seem a bit too suspicious.

It was impossible, after all, for a human to predict the future. As for how he knew Sakaki and Rinne’s names, it was possible if one really wanted to investigate. And the glow in his eyeswas most likely a cheap trick. All that nonsense about Rinne being killed and a worst case scenario... what rubbish! When Sakaki had entered Rinne’s room, he had actually taken the Mushi’s premonition seriously for a while! After seeing Rinne’s cheerfulness, however, he dismissed the thought entirely. To think that Rinne would be killed, what a joke! Even if one went to h.e.l.l and back, one wouldn’t be able to find a reason Usagawa Rinne should be killed. What a load of codswallop!

But then…

For some reason, Sakaki still felt a tingle of anxiety. Was what that young man, that Mushi, said all a just a big lie? If it was a lie, why did he have to weave such a lie? And if it wasn’t, how in the world did he know in the first place?

Even as Sakaki stopped to think about it using his genius intellect, the conclusion seemed to steer towards a not-so-pleasant direction that caused Sakaki to dismiss the thoughts straight away. These anxious thoughts, however, seemed to pile up in his brain, casually sinking in like in mud.

Sakaki stood under a lamp post, in the middle of a pitch black street.

He was on the uneven, country-side path. In a few minutes, he would reach the shopping district. He could see the faint neon lights in the distance. The skies were a cloudy gray – there were no stars tonight and the moon was nowhere to be seen. Sakaki stood still, clutching the odd egg in his hand.

Was what the Mushi said really a lie?

What if it wasn’t? What if he had committed an irreversible mistake? That was a scary thought indeed, the though of “what if” terrified Sakaki tremendously.

Go back! Sakaki decided. Even though there was a chance he might be cheated, and maybe even laughed at, he would at least deliver the egg to Rinne and notify the security guard to secretly protect her. Or maybe he could bring her to his residence before the egg hatched. That would put her far away from harm"s reach.

I’ll protect Rinne.

That was what Sakaki thought.

Putting the matter of whether or not she would be killed aside, if there was any threat of impeding danger, the threat had to be neutralized no matter how subtle the threat may be. Even though there was a possibility of it being no more than a lie. Or a cruel prank. Or something of the sort.

Just as Sakaki made up his mind, and turned around…

A girl, holding a spoon in her right hand, pa.s.sed by his side.

At the same time…

“Ah!!”

Sakaki yelped in surprise, his heart throbbing furiously.

He looked at the silhouette of the young girl, whose footsteps seemed to be dancing in the shadow. The girl was dressed in old, tattered clothes, like a vagrant. She didn’t have any pants on, and was barefooted. She had long, untamed hair, like a wolf, and perhaps it was due to her not conditioning it, her hair appeared to be in a mess. The spoon in her right hand, however, appeared unusually shiny.

… A spoon.

The Mushi’s words once again flashed through his mind.

She will be killed by a devil, in a brutal, inhuman way – her eye sockets will be pierced by a spoon, and her eyeb.a.l.l.s will be gouged out! She will slowly die, with pain being the last thing registered in her brain...

That wasn’t a good sign! It wasn’t a good sign at all!!

A strange, young girl appearing in a place like this, at a time like this, with a spoon that was rendered unusually shiny by reflecting the light from the lamp post above – this all coincided with the mysterious fortune teller’s prophecy - the person who Sakaki treasured the most would have her eyes dug out with a spoon, and subsequently killed. This was all Sakaki needed to act.

“Hey you, wait!”

Sakaki hollered as he ran towards the girl, intending to stop her.

He stretched out his hand to block her path.

“Do you intend to get in my way?”

With a pure, monotonous voice that seemed to carry none of the noise we know as ‘emotion’, this voice came from behind Sakaki’s stiff back. Before Sakaki’s outstretched hands was… No one.

Sakaki immediately turned around.

“Anyone who wishes to stop Guriko, I’ll dig their eyes out. Are you a Mushi? Even though your eyes don’t glow red, are you a Mushi? Or are you some unrelated person?”

The girl rasped. From her appearance, she was no more than a high school student. Her voice sounded normal – if it wasn’t for the strange sense of defiance it contained. It was as if even the sun would freeze after hearing it.

The girl had thick, dark shadows underneath her eyes, which seemed like black holes sucking in all the spiraling darkness around them. She had a childish face and slender appendages – yet there was this strange, sinister air about her. She stared at Sakaki with deep, dark eyes. Sakaki felt as if he was peering into a gun barrel, cold and emotionless, while reeking of death.

He had no idea when she had sneaked behind him, but Sakaki was ready to put up a fight.

The girl’s face contorted.

“If you’re not a Mushi, why do you seek to stop me? Or do you not have any intentions of getting in my way after all? If you have nothing to say, then get out of my way!”

“Why you…!”

“Gankyū Eguriko.”

Gankyū Eguriko… Eyeball Gouger?

It was as if she dug people’s eyeb.a.l.l.s out!

“I don’t care what you’re called. What do you plan on doing?”

Sakaki had already noticed that this girl wasn’t human. A normal girl wouldn’t be able to move with speed exceeding his jurisdiction.

And… She knew about Mushi.

That means…

“If you’re not going to do anything, then buzz off.”

“What do you plan on doing? I don’t think I should let you pa.s.s.”

Sakaki calmly said, as he glared at the girl.

“Then so be it.”

Sakaki felt that the girl made no sense.

“If you don’t move…”

The voice came once again from Sakaki’s back…

“Then I’ll make you move.”

Sakaki felt a heavy blow at his neck. His mind wasn’t even aware of what was happening, let alone his body reacting. However, his sharp reflexes allowed him to steady his footing. It would need something more than that to topple Sakaki Guryū.

From his rapidly distorting vision, Sakaki caught sight of the girl, as she mumbled, “What a stubborn fellow. But you won’t be able to stop me for long.”

Sakaki felt a strong blow being delivered to his stomach. This merciless attacker didn’t give any chance for Sakaki to counter-attack, as she slammed her open palm against Sakaki’s lower jaw.

Sakaki fell down, unable to do anything else.

And the huge egg, which was previously resting in his hands, fell to the ground.

Rinne, Usagawa Rinne – these words flowed continuously within Sakaki’s mind. He was struggling, trying hard not to be swept away by the torrent of thoughts concerning Usagawa Rinne. After being mercilessly beaten back by the waves of Usagawa Rinne thoughts, Sakaki finally came to his senses as he furiously opened his eyes. He was still under the lamp post, on the uneven path. And the first thing he saw, from the corner of his eye, was a young man cradling a crystal ball.

“Oh, you’ve finally awoken!”

“Ugh…”

The Mushi, whom Sakaki had thought to be a part of his dream, appeared right beside him. Sakaki climbed to his feet, ignoring the aching in his body, and grabbed the Mushi by the front of his robes.

“Where’s Rinne?”

“Calm down. Shouting isn’t going to do your lower jaw any good, especially since it’s just been palmed, literally.”

“I don’t care what happens to me. Where’s Rinne? And that brat…”

Seeing Sakaki’s anxious face, the Mushi couldn’t help but let out a smile. “Who knows? I just happened to be pa.s.sing by, and met you here by chance, that’s all!”

“How would some random pa.s.serby know I was palmed? You were hiding somewhere here right from the start, weren’t you!”

The Mushi opened his eyes in awe.

“What great deduction! I’m sorry. It’s just that back then I didn’t think that I would be of much help. That’s why I didn’t step out to save you! Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“I just said that I don’t care what happens to me! Where’s Rinne? And that brat?”

“And I just said I didn’t know, didn’t I? Instead of asking me, why don’t you just go affirm for yourself where the devil is headed – Usagawa Rinne’s residence.”

“You said, Rinne’s… residence.”

Seeing Sakaki’s face grow paler, the Mushi said coldly, “That’s to be expected. Hmm… If you hurry over now, you might be able to stop her! Instead of wasting time talking to me here, why don’t you hurry over there instead?”

“Uh…”

Sakaki immediately pushed the Mushi aside and sprinted towards Rinne’s house.

“Oh, and don’t forget this.”

The Mushi said indifferently, as he placed the egg back in Sakaki’s hands. Sakaki accepted it without much thought.

On the uneven, gravel floor, Sakaki’s involuntary feet carried him forward as the Mushi’s figure slowly melted into the background, like a shadow disappearing behind his back.

Sakaki ignored him and continued running. Run. Keep running. That was what his brain was commanding his feet. Run like the wind! Along this long, empty road, reminiscent of h.e.l.l. Sakaki tried to suppress the urge to puke as he continued clinging on the tiny, almost non-existent sliver of hope, and dashed ahead.

Usagawa Rinne, Usagawa Rinne, Usagawa Rinne.

Her name swirled through his mind, sealing his other thought processes.

What’s happening now? Is this some form of punishment? Since when did the world go wrong? Since when did it go crazy? It was too strange, too bizarre. Sakaki felt like crying – this was totally illogical.

But then – this was reality.

He initially wanted to wait till Rinne had graduated before they get married. Since he was a teacher and Rinne was a student, he had continuously told himself to just cross his fingers and wait. It was nothing but three years – such a short amount of time, it would go by in the blink of an eye. He had firmly believed that his future lay three years ahead of him, even though G.o.d was most likely blind in one eye, even though fate was unnecessarily cruel.

“Rinne!!”

He was at the old apartment. Sakaki hammered the old, wooden door, as if trying to break it down by force. All the while, he was yelling her name at the top of his voice. Rinne! Rinne! Rinne!! There was no reply, no reply at all. That was strange, did she go for a shower perhaps? But how was that possible? He was just being overtly hopeful.

“Bang!”

Sakaki withdrew his handgun from his coat and shot the doork.n.o.b without a second thought. He then kicked the door open, as if he didn’t care if he broke it in the first place. True, someone might have heard the gunshot, but Sakaki couldn’t be bothered any more. Shoot first, questions later. Even if this became a criminal case, Sakaki didn’t care.

Rinne was in danger. Usagawa Rinne was in danger,

That left him no choice.

“Ah…”

The door to h.e.l.l swung open before his eyes.

The worst case scenario unraveled before him.

A girl, whose body was covered in blood.

It was Rinne’s corpse.

Sakaki’s emotions exploded that instant.

“…… So that’s how it is. I know, you hate me don’t you, G.o.d?”

There was no need for explanation. Rinne had died in a locked room. A blood-stained girl was standing next to her. It didn’t take a genius to guess that this was the criminal, Rinne’s murderer.

If that was the case – she should die too.

Go to h.e.l.l!!

Sakaki relentlessly fired at her on the spot. The girl was taken by surprise, as she took a bullet to the chest, followed by one to the head, and to one of her legs - A total of three bullets. In the dimly lit room, fresh blood splattered everywhere with a sickening “swish” as the crimson red fluid trickled down from the walls. Before the girl had the chance to scream, he head was already against the wall. She was dead. He had killed her – a human.

No, that wasn’t a human. That was Rinne’s murderer – a devil.

That was why she deserved to die.

Sakaki mumbled something as he approached the poor, mutilated corpse of Rinne. She was sitting, with her back against the table, her feet facing outwards. He head lay slumped on the table, and she had an absolutely blank look on her face. One of her usually sparkling eyes was now replaced with a spoon, while the other was laying dully open. Usagawa Rinne had died – just like what the Mushi predicted.

Sakaki pointed the gun barrel at his temple, as he fell to his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks. Looking at Rinne’s dead body, he had only one choice left – taking his own life. Sakaki didn’t have the strength to keep living in a world without Usagawa Rinne. There was no happiness in a world without her, just a boring, mundane life. That was why Sakaki decided to follow her by committing suicide. He cursed G.o.d and fate for being so cruel towards him as he edged towards Rinne and apologized. “I’m sorry Rinne. It hurts doesn’t it? Compared to being murdered like this, wasn’t it better if you had perished in the vast sea then? I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

Sakaki mumbled, as his fingers reached for the trigger.

“I love you, Rinne!!”

This was when Usagawa Rinne sat up.

As if waking up from a dream, Rinne slowly stretched her body and observed her surroundings. Her sight finally fell on Sakaki. The spoon was still stuck in her right eye, her tears were still flowing down her cheeks. Usagawa Rinne looked at Sakaki, and asked as if nothing was wrong, “Eh? What’s up, sensei?”

There was an unfathomable expression on Rinne’s face.

“Ah, I can’t see in my right eye!”

That’s strange. Rinne thought as she rubbed her right eye. It was as if something was lodged in her right eye. She stared at Sakaki as if asking him “Huh? What’s this?” Grabbing the spoon, Rinne pulled it out of her eye socket as a thick, gooey liquid oozed out from it. Sakaki was speechless. What was this? This was absurd. Had the Earth gone crazy after all? Or was he dreaming? Was this a dream! He certainly hoped it was!

Right then, something strange happened again.

“Ugh…”

Rinne’s expression suddenly contorted as she pressed against her right eye, her face twisting in pain.

“It’s hot! My eye, it feels so hot! It’s burning!”

“R-Rinne…”

Sakaki was unable to move, even though his most treasured person was suffering right in front of him.

“Sensei, my eye feels so hot all of a sudden. What’s happening? It’s burning, it hurts, sensei…”

She is calling, Usagawa Rinne is calling for me.

I should go and save her then.

Sakaki stood up, and immediately rushed to Rinne’s side. She was still pressing her hand against her eye.

Sakaki shook her shoulders and asked, “Rinne, are you alright? Rinne!”

“Sensei…”

Rinne mumbled in a soft tone, as she removed her hand from her eye.

Sakaki stared at her face, and immediately sensed a shiver travel down his spine.

“It’s too late!”

Usagawa Rinne’s right eye had completely regenerated. It was previously pierced by a spoon, but now there wasn’t a single scar visible. The only thing that remained was a trail of eye-fluid on her cheeks. But Sakaki was sure she had been hurt! He felt his mind go numb – it was unable to catch up with the rapidly crumbling reality.

He placed an arm around Rinne’s shoulders, as his gaze traveled to a corner of the room.

“Even digging her eyeb.a.l.l.s out failed to kill her. Its too late, so stop grieving…”

Even though her clothes were stained with blood, the girl continued to look at him with her expressionless, gun-barrel like eyes. There was no trace of emotion on her face, but her voice was surprisingly pure.

This girl, who had previously tried to murder Rinne, was poking her finger into the gunshot wound on her head as she withdrew the bullet in a casual manner that would certainly freak most people out. She then proceeded to do the same with her wounds on her chest and legs. Wasn’t it painful? No, before that, shouldn’t she be dead? A bullet was planted in her head! A real bullet! Sakaki stared as three blood-stained bullets fell to the floor, as her wounds instantly regenerated just like Rinne’s eye. What in the world is going on?! I’ve had enough of this! I can’t explain this in the least! Please stop, please give me back my normal life; my normal, ordinary life.

The girl ignored Sakaki and continued staring at Rinne. With a sad – no, more like a pitiful - expression, as if trying to say that they were in the same boat now, she explained to Rinne the situation she was currently in.

“You have obtained the Apple. It’s now deeply rooted within your heart, so it’s impossible to give up on it now. The Apple won’t even let you die – it’s that deep…”

The girl said as she headed towards the door.

“You can never live on as a normal human being again.”

The girl suddenly turned back and said, “In order to not be consumed by the Mushi, you better do your best to protect that Apple.”

The girl"s shadow silently vanished beyond the door. What was she planning to do? What in the world had just happened? In the midst of confusion, the girl had disappeared, leaving behind two very confused individuals.

A blood-stained world. A messed up room. Mushi. An immortal girl.

Sakaki was totally lost here. He abruptly had this urge to grab on to something, so he chose the nearest target – Rinne. He tightly hugged Rinne, much to her surprise. But she merely closed her eyes and quietly embraced Sakaki.

Rinne felt at peace. The expression on her face suggested that even though she had no idea what was happening, as long as Sakaki was around, everything was fine. It was a face of pure bliss, as if she had entrusted everything to Sakaki. Usagawa Rinne, my most important person.

“Sensei…”

“Yeah?”

Sakaki gently answered Rinne’s call.

“I suddenly recalled that long lost memory, my final memories before I almost died in the sea. That time, as death was fast approaching… I dreamed of an apple. The moment I ate the apple, I came back to life. I think it’s because I ate that apple… That I was able to survive till today. I have this sort of feeling.”

Rinne pressed her palm against her right eye.

“That girl, she could have been here to take back the apple!”

Even if the world was thrust into frenzy, even if the basic laws of nature were broken, life still goes on. The end of today marked the arrival of tomorrow. The first thing that came the next day was the morning dawn. And the morning dawn was synonymous with homeroom. Being the homeroom teacher of Cla.s.s 1-B, Sakaki Guryū was required to take attendance, as well as brief the students about their duties and responsibilities.

Yesterday, which was also the day Usagawa Rinne’s eyeball was gouged out by a spoon-wielding girl, Sakaki had brought her to a hospital just to be on the safe side. The doctors, however, were unable to find anything wrong with her. That’s why she attended school today, being her usual, cheerful self. As Sakaki Guryū went though the attendance list, though, he noticed, amongst a list of over 40 students, a name which he had never seen before. It wasn’t as though he had never heard the name before. In fact, he had heard it only just recently.

Gankyū Eguriko.

“…… Eh???”

He had a bad feeling about this.

Sakaki chalked it up to an optical illusion, as he took out a bottle of eye drops, applied it, and looked at the list again.

Gankyū Eguriko.

He would never mistake such a wild name. Seat number 11. That seat was still occupied by someone else yesterday! For some reason, however, the person in question was a.s.signed to Seat 12. Sakaki had a very bad feeling about this. What was happening? Just as he was wondering, the cla.s.sroom door was suddenly ripped open.

“Ah…”

The girl sported a unique, wolf-like haircut, a sailor uniform, white indoor shoes and the same, gun barrel-like eyes. She looked exactly the same as she had yesterday and, standing in the midst of normal high school students, she surprisingly didn’t seem too out of place. She stepped in the cla.s.sroom matter-of-factly, and proceeded towards the podium.

Sakaki Guryū stood stiffly at the podium.

The students shot curious glances at the girl. “What’s happening? Who is she?”

Sakaki thought of what to say to the girl, but his current state of mind was blank. Even as he was thinking of what to say to her, the girl had taken up a piece of chalk, and scribbled on the blackboard.

Transfer Student, Gankyū Eguriko.

It was the first time the students had heard of a transfer student transferring into their cla.s.s. They started discussing among themselves, and Gankyū Eguriko didn’t seem to mind.

With a sharp tone that clearly didn’t sound like what a transfer student should have sounded like, she faced the students and said, “I’m a new transfer student, Gankyū Eguriko. You can call me Guriko if you want, but if you don’t want to, then you might as well not approach me at all. As long as you mind your own business, I won’t harm you, so try not to mind me too much, or even bother to talk to me. If you anger me, I’ll dig your eyes out, no matter who you are, so if you treasure your own eyeb.a.l.l.s, then don’t provoke me. That goes for you busy-bodies, who can’t seem to keep your mouths shut. I don’t think anyone will miss you guys if you died anyway. That is all.”

Guriko said in one breath, as she lifted her head and looked at Sakaki, satisfied.

Because she was called Eguriko, that’s why she requested to be called Guriko? Her sense of naming was actually quite laughable!

Sakaki put up a straight face, and asked her, “What do you plan to do?”

Guriko said to Sakaki in a volume that only he could hear her, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill her.” Her voice was pure, void of any emotion, as usual. There wasn’t a sin