Chapter Six: Dacryphilia:

March 1st, 2010.

3:37 p.m.

The unsuspecting bride had her kimono and now for the accessories. First, she needed something for her hair. He turned to her in the street.

"Say," Tsuzuki said. "Would you like a hairpin to go with your kimono?"

"Hm?" Anna asked. Her fianc� grinned at her.

"Come with me," he whispered. The shinigami took her by the hand led her down the pathway. They happened to come across a hairpin stall a few blocks down. Anna's eyes lit up amazed at the display.

"Wow!" she whispered. Tsuzuki stood behind her, smiling.

"Pick one out," he said. She looked up at him with big eyes.

"You mean�" she began to ask.

"Yeah," he said. Anna looked at the various flowers on the pins on display.

"Oh wow," she said. "There are so many� Let's see�" The colors sang to her in the sunlight. She picked up one with white and pink flowers. She held it to her hair.

"How does this look?" Anna asked. Tsuzuki matched the pink and white plum blossoms to her new kimono in his head.

"Is that the one you want?" he asked. Anna turned to a mirror on the stall.

"Hm�" she said. The woman picked up a similar one with cherry and plum blossoms and held it to her head. Next followed a pin with pink and white chrysanthemums. Anna frowned after setting down the third one.

"This is not easy," she complained. Tsuzuki patted her on the shoulder.

"Take your time if you need to," he said. Anna glanced back at the pins.

"Okay�" she mumbled. Did they have to be so well made? She finally settled on her first choice. Tsuzuki bought the pin with pink and white plum blossoms. The vender wrapped them in tissue paper and put them in a bag.

"Thank you, come again," she said. The couple and the vendor bowed. One accessory down, a good number to go, and he had to get his kimono too!

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April 3rd, 2010.

7:30 a.m.

Two prostitutes headed to the local caf� to get some coffee. They pasted a Shinto shrine on their left. One of the women looked up and recognized one of two people on the steps. She tapped her friend on the arm.

"Hey," she whispered. "Isn't that Fukie-chan from the Pikku Neko?"

"Huh?" the other woman asked. She turned and squinted her eyes. A look of surprise covered her face. The stripper sat on her boyfriend's lap on the steps to the shrine. At first, they looked to be asleep. The first prostitute turned to each other.

"Think she had a long night with her boyfriend?" she asked.

"Maybe," her friend said. Both women giggled and headed on their way.

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8:07 a.m.

The priest of the shrine came out to sweep the steps. He had just gotten started when he looked and noticed the couple. He sighed and shook his head.

"Oi!" he yelled. "You can't sleep here! Oi! Oi!" He hurried over to the couple sitting on the stairs and shook the thug by the shoulder.

"Oi!" the priest yelled. "Oi! Oi!" The black-clad man's head fell backwards. The priest backed away in shock.

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8:27 a.m.

People watched as the police carried away the bodies. Tsuzuki and Hisoka stood among the crowd.

"Same MO?" Hisoka whispered. His partner nodded.

"How many is that so far?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Four dead."

"Oh� Any luck?"

"Nope, you?"

Tsuzuki shook his head, frowning. "Do we have to be here?"

"Yes," Hisoka said. The older shinigami buried his head in his hands. It's only day two� Suddenly, a low groan caught his ear. He looked up to see the boy rubbing his head.

"Hisoka-kun?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I feel fine," his partner said in a low voice.

"You sure?" Tsuzuki asked. "Did you drink too much?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?" He reached out to touch his shoulder, but the boy swatted him away.

"I said I'm fine!" he barked. Tsuzuki drew back as his partner walked away. Hisoka glanced over his shoulder.

"Let's go," he said.

"Right," his partner said. They teleported away to follow the police. He too was in the crowd. Though he hated morbid things, the sight of her being loaded away made him grin. He clutched her white crystal hairpin in his fist the whole time.