".....zzzzzz"
[WAKE UP! WAKE UP ONII-CHAN…or…else I'll kiss you~]
"..."
What the hell could be making such an ungodly noise?
I rolled onto my side, grabbed my pillow, and covered my ears with it.
[WAKE UP—]
Ughhh~ what THE HELL!!! Was this thing made just to be annoying?
I squeezed my eyes shut, my head throbbing behind them.
[WAK—]
"JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!"
BAM!!!
I slapped my alarm clock off the nightstand. It hit the floor… but to my horror, it only continued to make noise.
Groaning, I slowly got up and removed my covers, and instantly regretted my choices as the cold air of the room wrapped around me.
I walked up to my alarm clock with a shiver and grabbed it off the floor.
On the cracked screen, an anime girl with a chainsaw winked at me.
I stared at the video for a second, a blank expression taking hold of my face, and sighed.
I turned the alarm clock off just as the girl jumped up, her chest bouncing as she moved.
I walked up to my trash can and threw the clock in.
'…What a waste of eight thousand yen.'
Opening my bedroom door, I made my way to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and even fixed up my hair.
Well, it wasn't like it'd make a difference. No girl would willingly look my way even if I tried.
After finishing up in the bathroom, I got changed into a dark middle school uniform and made my way to the dining room.
My father, Gorou Hyoudou, sat there with a black coffee in hand as he turned to look at me.
Saying nothing, I sat down across from him and took my chopsticks in hand, about to break off a piece of the amazingly cooked salmon in front of me.
No matter how awful mornings were… Mom's cooking always made getting up worth it.
I smiled a little as I brought the salmon to my mouth.
"AHEM!"
I stopped before the food entered my mouth.
"Don't you think you're forgetting something?"
Was I forgetting something?
"Oh… right, sorry. Thanks for the meal."
I took a bite, the flavors melting on my tongue.
But as I did, my father only looked at me with a worried expression on his face.
"Issei…" My father said, putting down his coffee.
He closed his eyes behind his glasses and sighed. "Has something been going on that we should know about?"
We? What is he talking about?
I shifted my gaze to my father's side, my mother sitting right next to him.
…When did she get there?
I swallowed the food in my mouth and looked at both my parents.
I unconsciously tightened my grip on my chopsticks… and lowered my gaze back down to my food.
"No…"
"Everything's fine."
I didn't look up… but I could feel it, the concern in their eyes.
"Are you sure… Issei, you haven't really been acting like yourself lately?"
"Honey, you know you can tell us anything," My mother chimed in.
Wow, double-teaming? That's cheating, you know.
I gave them a reassuring smile, "Really, it's… nothing. Just studying for entrance exams."
My father sighed, "I see. Well, don't overdo it, okay?"
I nodded at his words and took another bite of salmon…
It tasted bitter.
I put my chopsticks down and got up, "Breakfast was great, I'll be heading out."
"But… you barely touched your food—"
I didn't let my mother finish and walked to the main entrance, putting on my red winter coat and shoes.
As I opened the door, cold wind hit my face, trying to pull my hood back.
The snow crunched beneath my shoes with each step.
They were right…
Truthfully… they were right. I hadn't been honest with them.
Well, not fully, at least.
'It has been six days since Kuoh Park was turned into nothing but a wasteland.'
I stopped and looked right at… well, Kuoh Park.
It was fine, like nothing ever happened to it.
My gaze lingered, but I started walking again.
'…but somehow it was back to normal the very next morning, and to make it worse, nobody seemed to remember a beam of energy painting the sky.
Honestly, it felt like I woke up from a nightmare… but I knew better.
I could still feel it on my face, the blood of the boy who saved me.'
Arriving at school, I swapped out my shoes for slippers and stuffed my coat into my locker.
'He was younger than me; it was easy to tell by the height difference.'
I made my way to my classroom and sat at my seat in the corner, alone.
'But even if he was…'
My jaw tightened, and the image of his smiling face flashed into my mind… the same one he gave me as he told me to run.
'He was braver than I ever had been.'
I brought my head down into my arms, resting on my desk.
'But now because of me…'
I clenched my fist, tightening my hand, slowly going numb from the pressure.
'… he's dead.'
..
.
.
.
RATTLE!
The sound of the classroom door opening broke my train of thought.
"No, Saji, I'm telling you, you really gotta bring your A-game." A girl's voice broke through the silence.
I brought my head up enough to see who was talking, and I saw a red-haired girl with golden brown eyes talking to a blonde.
"Yeah, yeah, jeez, Himiko. It's just entrance exams. You're acting like we're signing up for the World Cup."
Oh, it was just those two.
Himiko pointed at Saji, pressing her finger on his cheek, "You'd better take it like you are. I don't care if you're in the top twenty in our year; I'll curse you if I'm the only one that makes it into Kuoh, you hear me."
Saji heaved a heavy sigh. "You're so intense for no reason…"
Himiko started waving her hands in a circle as they approached their seats, her eyes filled with dramatic darkness. "Curse~~"
I sighed and put my head back into my arms.
Saji Genshiro, your everyday run-of-the-mill blonde pretty boy… That's what I thought when I first saw him.
But honestly, he's not that bad of a guy. I heard his parents died in a car crash not too long ago, and he works a part-time job to help support his siblings.
Honestly, he is a respectable guy… well…
My eyelid twitched.
He is pretty respectable when you exclude the fact that he goes around showing off his relationship with a girl who is clearly into him!
I mean, seriously, just get with her, man, what's your deal? Do you like muscles or something?!
'Man, I feel like crying…'
After a few minutes, the classroom filled up. Our teacher walked in, and the rest of the morning went by in a blur.
I… didn't really pay attention. He was talking about future career paths or something…
Soon enough, the final bell rang. My classmates got up, talking to each other.
Eventually, the classroom fell into silence.
'Maybe… maybe it's time… '
I looked out the window.
And watched a tiny snowflake slowly fall… as the setting sun glistened off it.
"Yeah… "
"Maybe."
*****
Inside the produce section of a grocery store, Gasper, in a blue jacket with a yellow star on his back, stood in front of one of the many bins filled with vegetables and fruits.
His hair was noticeably shorter than before, his locks not passing his shoulders.
In his right hand, he held a pair of bananas right in front of his face.
'Damn, they're… so ripe.'
He brought his other hand forward, reaching into the bin in front, raising another pair of bananas. He looked between the two as a frown made its way onto his face.
'But… which would be better?' He stood there for a solid minute, eyes darting back and forth between the two, only to put the one on his left back down.
He gave himself a nod and turned around, looking for his shopping cart.
Only to see Koneko wrapped in an oversized snow jacket, throwing a mountain of sweets into the cart.
"You got everything?" Gasper asked, completely unfazed.
Koneko gave him a quick nod.
"Alright." He tossed his bananas into the cart and grabbed its handles, heading to the cash register, Koneko walking beside him.
"SONO—!!!!"
Gasper's heart dropped.
With swiftness, Gasper moved his hand into his pocket, whipping his phone out.
"Hello," Gasper said calmly, sweat dripping from his brow.
Koneko turned to look at him, an eyebrow slightly raised.
Gasper did not dare look back.
'I really need to change that ringtone…'
"Yo, Gasper, what's up?" said a familiar voice from the other side.
Gasper raised a brow. "Saji??"
In utter confusion, Gasper raised his wrist, looking at his watch, "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
Koneko, hearing the name, immediately lost interest.
It was the guy Gasper plays video games with.
"They let us out already."
A wry smile made its way onto Gasper's face.
"Oh… I see."
Koneko and Gasper made their way into a line.
"Well, that's not important…"
The other side went silent for a second as Koneko and Gasper moved up in the line.
"...dude, I have some news."
Gasper's eyes went dead serious.
The tone of Saji's voice… it was filled with nervousness.
"Is it… your grandpa?"
"What!? No no no… He's fine, actually. His condition's getting better… or so the doctor says…"
"Oh…" Gasper let out a sigh of relief.
Saji's grandfather, being the only pillar of support for Saji and his siblings, was a problem.
Especially when said grandfather was already so old.
The financial burden on the old man was so heavy that he had to come out of retirement just to provide for his late daughter and son-in-law's children.
And to make it worse, he was all alone; his wife had passed only a month before Gasper even met Saji.
"...Well, then what is it?"
"It's Crowley; he says I'm ready."
Gasper, reaching the cashier, let go of the phone, his head pressing it onto his shoulder.
He and Koneko began to unload the cart for the cashier to scan.
"Mhm. Right, just as he said that last week and the week before that… Look, man, just accept it and stop asking; let him tell you when you're really ready on his own."
"...."
"...he gave me a date."
Gasper's eyes went wide. "...a date?"
"Yeah!" Saji could barely contain his excitement. "February 12th!"
Gasper's eye twitched. 'He just had to tell him when I wasn't there!'
Gasper turned to Koneko and waved at her, getting her attention.
She looked at him.
He pointed at her, then at the cart, then at himself and the door.
She nodded.
Gasper reached into his pocket, taking out 8,000 yen, and handed it to her.
Without another word, he turned and walked towards the exit.
"Saji, are you sure… that's what he said?"
"Yeah? I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't."
Gasper let out a long breath.
"...Saji"
"Um? Yeah?"
"Are you sure…"
"That you can take another person's life?"
The other side went silent.
"No, I'm not."
Gasper smiled as he walked through the exit, the cold wind hitting his face like a wave.
.
.
.
'Good.'
"Alright… so next Monday, huh?"
"Oh… ah yeah, man," Saji's voice sounded confused, "You know. I thought you were going to fight me over it or something."
Gasper let out a short laugh. "I was, but I'll let you pass this one time."
"I see… then thank you for your mercy, almighty Vampire-Sama."
A small smile crawled up Gasper's face. "Well, a lord must be merciful with his subjects from time to time."
"Right~Well, I gotta go. Making dinner for two little brats waits for no one."
"Mhm, tell your grandpa I said hello. The same goes for the two hurricanes."
"Got it. See ya."
"See ya."
Bep!-Bep!
Gasper put the phone back into his pocket and sighed.
'Not even a week… honestly, it's a little too soon for my liking, but it is what it is now, I guess.'
Gasper put a hand on his chin. 'With how Saji is now… fighting a stray might give him a little trouble…'
'But…'
Gasper grinned, 'He should be able to win.'
Tap!
Tap!
"What are you grinning about?"
Gasper turned his head to the right. Koneko stood right next to him, eight bags in each hand.
"Oh, nothing, just got some good news from a friend."
Gasper reached out a hand with his palm open.
Koneko reached out her own, dropping eight bags into his hand.
Koneko walked out in front. Gasper slung the bags over his shoulder, gripping the handles tightly, and started to make his way toward her.
Eventually walking shoulder to shoulder with her…well, practically shoulder to shoulder.
Both said nothing and just kept walking, the cold air blowing at their clothes.
With every corner turned, every pedestrian passed.
The noise, the people, even the snow on the ground began to fade.
Gasper closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
He brought his head up, taking a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill his lungs.
"Hey Gaspy…"
Gasper opened his eyes, the colors of the sunset reflecting off them.
"Yeah?" He didn't look towards her, the sunset capturing his gaze.
Koneko took a deep breath. "Can…can I…"
"???" Gasper's heart dropped.
'What the hell?'
Since when does Koneko ever stutter?
"...join you?"
"In what exactly?"
"Training… with you and Kiba… I." She let a sharp breath out. "I want to get stronger."
It's been a while now since Gasper started training with Akeno and, in turn, Kiba.
At the start, she thought it was just to brush up on the basics… You know not to let the skills rust.
But she was wrong.
So so very wrong.
Gasper stopped dead in his tracks.
Koneko stopped as well, but something was off.
'Is he…shaking?'
Gasper lowered his head.
His shoulders trembling—
"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!" he let out a bellowing laugh.
Koneko's eyebrow twitched…Here she was being sincere, and he had the audacity to laugh?
Gasper brought a hand up, wiping away a stray tear. "Oh man, you don't know how long I was waiting for you to ask?"
"???"
"What do you mean?"
Gasper's gaze landed on her. "What I mean is yes, you can join us."
As those words left his mouth, Koneko let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
Gasper smiled at her, "Should we invite Rias too?"
"Buchou?"
"Yep, with the five of us, we could be the strongest friend group—OH, maybe we'll even start a crew."
"A…crew?"
What the hell was he even saying?
Gasper started walking again.
"Yep."
"A crew powered by friendship… maybe we'll even go find the two piece."
Koneko caught up to him, "What's next? We're going to call our ship the 'S.S Get Along?'"
She passed him.
Gasper watched her for a second, then took a step forward himself, quickly passing her.
"Actually… that's not a bad idea!"
He turned himself, walking backwards, his eyes staring into hers.
He grinned at her.
"But seriously, just show up and, well, we'll see what we can do."
Koneko just quickened her pace, sidestepping him.
Gasper turned, catching up to her.
She turned her face to the left. So Gasper sidestepped to her left, only for her to immediately look to the right…
So he went back to her right.
But she looked away again.
"Why won't you look at me?"
Koneko stayed quiet for a second.
"Because…"
"You're the worst."
"...."
"HUUUH?!" Gasper's face twisted, his eyes narrowing as his mouth opened wide, "What the hell did I do?!"
She said nothing.
A harsh wind blew by…
"NO! Seriously, what did I d—"
Gasper stopped.
His eye caught something… a familiar hair color.
And a horrible hairstyle… only for it to be covered back up by a hood.
Gasper stopped in place. His expression dead serious, "Hey, Koneko."
The tone in his voice made her stop in her tracks.
She turned to him. "Yeah?"
Her eyes narrowed, seeing the look on his face.
"The ice cream—you have it, right?"
"Um, yeah."
"Cool, I just remember I had to pick up a package, so~~"
Koneko nodded. "Oh, alright, so let's go get it."
Gasper turned in the opposite direction they were going. "No! We can't; the ice cream might melt."
Koneko blinked. "But it's freezing outside righ—"
"I'll see you back at home base!" he said, sprinting off.
She watched his back as he got further and further away.
"..."
She sighed.
"He really…is the worst."
*****
Crunch!
Crunch!
A figure in a red snow coat moved in between the trees of Kuoh Park, every step he took crumbling the snow beneath him.
The figure let down his hood, his brown hair blowing in the wind.
Issei exhaled, his breath coming out as mist.
He walked up to a bench, wiped off the snow, and took a seat, placing his plastic convenience store bag right next to him.
Reaching into the bag, he took out two cups of noodles, placing one right next to him.
Slowly, with a plastic fork in hand, he ripped off his cup's lid, steam rising from the cup.
Then he did the same for the other cup sitting on the bench.
Issei dipped his fork into his noodles, the hunger of skipping breakfast clinging to his gut.
But he did not raise the fork back up.
His gaze fell on the noodles sitting right next to him, then he looked up at the sky, his eyes catching a small snowflake slowly drifting down towards the earth.
He closed his eyes.
'You gave your life so that I could live…
But...
Someone like me… isn't even worth a fraction of what you were.'
He was a pervert.
Weak.
And worst of all…
A coward.
And yet...
"Beautiful sunset, isn't it?"
Issei opened his eyes and stared forward, the colors of the setting sun illuminating his eyes.
"...Yeah, it is."
.
.
.
.
"..." Issei turned to the voice slowly.
And his eyes widened.
Gasper was sitting right next to him, cradling the noodle cup between his hands.
But how?
"You—you're alive?"
Was he seeing things? Did his ghost come back to hunt him?
Gasper gave a dry chuckle, "Sure hope I am."
A smile spread on Gasper's face, "Though I did come pretty close to kicking the bucket."
Issei looked away, hearing that.
"But man… you look like shit."
"I haven't been sleeping well," Issei responded.
"I see."
They sat there in silence, the cups keeping their hands warm.
Gasper sighed, 'Man, this is awkward.'
Gasper brought up the cup—
GULP! GULP!
And drank it all in one go!
"Fu~~~"
"...Hey, Issei."
Blinking, Issei turned his gaze to him, "Yeah?"
"If you had the chance to forget everything you saw that night…"
"Would you?"
Issei stayed quiet.
"Truth be told, Issei, you stepped into something you were never supposed to see," Gasper set the empty noodle cup down on the frozen bench between them, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "But before you answer my question, let me tell one simple truth."
Gasper slowly put a hand out.
The snow stopped.
And every last bit of it raced into his palm!
"What you saw that night was not a dream. It was real, every last bit of it."
A sphere of water formed in his hand, and like a balloon it popped…
Issei's eyes widened as water droplets surrounded them, taking the shapes of a man throwing lightning, and the shapes of dragons...
Of every kind.
"...and so are the very myths and legends told throughout the annals of history."
The water took the shape of a boy in front of a stone...
With a sword embedded inside.
"The gods that are worshiped, even the ones dismissed as myths born from human faith..."
And in the center of it all was a table… with one man in the middle wearing robes.
"They, too, hear your prayers and answer with miracles."
Gasper clenched his fist tight, and the water rushed upwards into the sky!
And snow once again began to fall.
Issei sat there with his eyes covered by shadows.
Gasper looked at him and sighed, 'That… might have been too much for him to handle.'
"So are you, like that girl from before, are you…a devil?"
"Amongst other things, yes, I am a devil."
Issei… laughed?
"Ha~ wow to be saved by the devil… aren't you guys supposed to be the bad guys, you know, taking souls and ..."
Issei leaned away, "...dragging them to hell."
Gasper cracked a smile, "Nah, we don't do that anymore, haven't for a looooong time, way before you or I were ever even a thought."
"I see."
Issei looked forward as Gasper stared at him.
"I wouldn't."
Gasper blinked, "What?" his smile slowly faded.
"Even if I had the chance, I wouldn't take the offer."
"Why? You're afraid, aren't you? Of what you know… and are yet to know."
"You're right, I am afraid…" Issei's hand trembled around his cup of noodles.
He took a deep breath… and brought the cup up to his mouth, chugging the whole thing in one go!
GULP!
Exhaling, Issei rose to his feet. "But that's why I wouldn't."
"Tsk! So what's the plan? To live in fear forever?"
Issei just gave him a weak smile. "Honestly, I don't have a plan."
"But… I'll get stronger... somehow I'll make sure of it."
Gasper looked down with a complex look in his eyes, "Sorry to say, but… a human can never and will never truly match what's out there."
"And those who do never do it by their lonesome."
"Issei… to walk this path is to willingly walk with death."
Issei clenched his fist tightly, his fist turning white as the snow around them.
"You may be right…" Issei turned, looking at Gasper right in his glowing red eyes.
Issei brought his thumb to his heart.
"But I refuse."
Gasper blinked. "What?"
"Monsters, Gods, Devils…you say humans can't stand up to what's out there. That trying is to walk with death—but who the hell decided that? Who the hell decides how far I'll go?"
"Whoever thinks they can decide can go shove their opinion where the sun doesn't shine!"
Gasper sat there stunned, looking into Issei's eyes…
All he saw was a sea of green.
Gasper looked at the ground…
And smiled, "You talk big, but what if it's God that decides?" Gasper ignored the coming headache he brought upon himself.
Issei grinned, his teeth chattering slightly from the cold. "Then…"
"I'll beat the shit out of God."
Gasper launched himself off the bench...
Issei's eyes widened… Gasper, HE WAS GONE!
No…
Issei's gaze fell right beside him. It was Gasper, he was about to pass by him!
And…
He had a huge grin on his face!
"You're a weird guy, you know that? But I guess that's what makes us special."
Issei turned, only to see Gasper slowly start being enveloped by darkness, "If you truly mean what you say, then go to the place on the card…" Without turning back, Gasper gave him a one-handed wave, "And tell the old man Gasper sent ya!"
Issei reached out a hand, "Wait, what card ar—?!"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Gasper had already dispersed into a swarm of bats.
Issei covered his face as bats circled him.
Once he put his hands down… Gasper was gone.
'What card was he talking about?' Issei turned back to the bench they were sitting at with a sharp movement, thinking maybe Gasper had left one there, but as he turned, he felt something heavy in his pocket.
He reached inside…
"What the!?"
It was a card made out of pure steel!
"When did he…?"
On it was an address.
And one single name.
Gasper 'Vladi' Joestar.
←–TO BE CONTINUED—