Chapter Thirty: Telephone
Scatolgia:
March 1st, 2010.
5:30 p.m.
"Make a wish," Tsuzuki said. Anna closed her eyes and
mumbled something before blowing out the candles. The couple clapped.
"Yay!" Tsuzuki cheered. "So what did you wish for?" Anna
turned to him, smiling.
"Secret!" she whispered. Her fianc� pouted.
"Aww."
"Sorry." Anna kissed him on the nose. Tsuzuki sighed
happily.
"Alright," he said. Anna turned to the cake.
"I suppose you want a piece now, huh?" she asked. The
shinigami nodded eagerly.
"Yes!" he said. "Please cut it!" His love gently shushed
him.
"Okay, okay," she said. "Hang
on." Anna picked up the knife and cut the first slice of cake. Tsuzuki waited
with an excited heart. I hope your wish comes true, he thought.
---------
April 9th, 2010.
6:30 p.m.
At another Shinto shrine, a miko had just opened up for
the day. She swept around the steps. Today looked like another slow one. The
miko came over to a stone bench outside. She paused when she looked out of the
corner of her eye. She backed up to see two women in black sitting hand-in-hand,
looking asleep.
"Ladies!" she called. "Please
don't sleep here. Go somewhere else." The miko puffed up her cheeks when she got
no response. "Ladies! You can't sleep here!" She shook on one of the women's
shoulders. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" The coldness of the woman's skin made her jump.
No� Not the Cupid Killer! She turned and fled into the temple.
"Help!" the miko cried. "Someone help! There's another
dead couple!"
---------
10:00 a.m.
The goth women fuelled him
again. Today, he would ask Kimiko out. All morning, he pumped himself up.
I can do this! He nodded and went into the high-tech company he worked for.
Maybe� he could come upstairs today. It wouldn't hurt, right? Had to give a
little in love, now?
He wandered down to the
cafeteria upstairs. Right away, they all stared at him. He expected the
whispered at this point. They didn't even reach him today as his eyes scanned
the room. Get something first and then
wait for Amaterasu. He walked up to the sweet bread stand. The caterer gave
him a puzzled look.
"You're actually out of the basement for a change!" she
said, gasping. He gave her a little smile.
"Can I have some red bean bread today?" he asked.
"Okay�" the curved caterer said, hiding her shock. She
pulled out a fresh one from the top.
"How much?" he asked.
"Eighty yen," she said. He paid up and took a seat in the
corner. At that time, the news came on the TV in the top corner of the
cafeteria.
"Another couple has been found at another shrine this
morning," the anchorwoman said. "Both female, but just like the previous couples
found. There are still no leads on the case." The room filled with chatter. He
smirked to himself. It felt strangely good to hear about his work in the news,
fuelled him more to ask his Amaterasu out.
"Scary, isn't it?" someone asked next to him. He glanced
to his right to see Kimiko sitting next to him. He changed back to his confident
self.
"When did you get here?" he asked.
"Just now," the tea girl said.
"I see," he replied. They looked up at the TV. He
unwrapped his bread.
"It won't be scary if I'm around," he said. The tea girl
turned to him.
"Hm?" she asked. He looked her straight in the eye.
"You said the murders were scary, right?" he asked.
Kimiko nodded with her lips pressed together. He gently placed his hand over
hers on the table.
"Come out with me on Friday night!" he said. "I'll keep
you safe." Kimiko blinked at him.
"Why?" she asked. He drew back with a nervous chuckle.
"That's if you're available on Friday night," he said.
"Wait, are you� asking me out on a date?" Kimiko asked,
tilting her head.
"Pretty much," he replied.
"Alright," she said. He smiled and bowed his head.
"Thank you," he said, modestly. Inside, he let out a loud cheer. I did it! She will be mine! The high from the kill last night still fired in his belly. The rest of his day saw roses and lollipops from that little victory as he waited for tonight at six o'clock to arrive.