Heart and Soul: Episode 01

This is an original series inspired by certain anime and Shinto legends. All characters belong to me, don’t use without permission.

Heart and Soul

Episode 01: Catching the Spirit

(Note: I will translate some Japanese used at the end.)

Four year old Saki’s little hand was holding her brother’s as they waited for her grandparents’ train to come in. She was very Kawaii, black hair done up in a small ponytail, blue shimmering eyes and a smile that lit up the world. Her parents were up in front as the train started to come in; suddenly a man with a bad cough accidentally knocked them off the platform and onto the track. “Okaa-sama! Otou-sama!” Saki yelled as her twelve year old brother Masa held her close and shielded her eyes as the train came in…

###

Fourteen year-old Saki Yamada woke in a cold sweat as her penguin alarm clock went off. She reached up and turned off the alarm. She had that same dream for ten years now. Her parents were taken away from her and the world on that fateful day. She and Masa had to move in to their grandparents’ house on Kyushu Island in the aftermath but had come back to Tokyo after her grandfather died and her grandmother’s medical needs became more expensive. It was strange to be back after all this time and to now head off to a new middle school. She got up, changed into her new uniform; a white senfuku with a red skirt and red collar; and did her hair in a single long braid. She went downstairs and saw her grandmother at the table. “Ohayo Sobo-sama.”

“Ohayo Saki-chan.” said her grandmother Sakuya. “Well today’s your first day at a new school.”

“I’m still a little nervous, where’s Masa?”

“He had an early class at college this morning; you better eat and then get going.”

Saki ate her breakfast packed some Bento and got on the bus for her new school.

###

As the got off the bus and turned a corner and saw her new school for the first time. Sumidagawa River Jr. high school looked like almost any other school in the city with more than three stories and a fenced off roof you could get to from inside the building, except it was right next to the big river it was named for. As she came up to the building and was looking at a lot of girls in senfukus like hers and boys in white gakurans she heard someone call her name. “Saki-chan?”

She turned around and saw three girls. One had red shoulder length hair and blue eyes, one had short purple hair and brown eyes and one seemed familiar with long blonde hair and green eyes. “Do I know you?”

“It’s me Miyaki!” said the blonde.

“Miyaki-chan? I haven’t seen you since preschool!”

“It great to see you again. These are some friends of mine Masako and Aiko.” Miyaki said first pointing to the redhead and then the purple haired girl.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” said Aiko.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” said Masako.

“Well looks like the Baka Trio has become a quartet!” said an exotic beauty of a girl with long black hair and violet eyes.

“Leave us alone Wazuka.” said Miyaki.

The bell rang. “Only because it’s time for class, ja ne.”

“Who was that?” asked Saki.

“Wazuka-san.” said Aiko. “Just because she is rich and beautiful she thinks she’s better than everyone else. If I could get my hands on her…” Aiko pounded her fist into her palm.

“We better get to class Minna.” said Masako.

###

Ms. Kido, the teacher introduced Saki to the class and then began the lessons by the time lunch came around Saki had renewed an old friendship and started two new ones. During lunch Saki and Masako were playing a card game. “It’s your move Saki.” said Masako.

“Ok, I think I’ll summon ‘Spirit of the Graveyard’. said Saki.

“Another ghost.” said Miyaki. “You must like them as much as I like magna and anime about magical girls.”

“Well when my parents died I thought that they became ghosts that watched over me, I guess in my mind if they were ghosts then they weren’t really gone. My grandparents and Onii-san eventually made me realize that my parents weren’t ghosts, but I still think they’re cool.”

“Then you’re gonna like this school.” said Aiko.

“Why’s that?”

“They say it’s haunted.”

“Haunted?”

“Yep.” said Miyaki. “Ever since I started attending I’ve seen some strange things happen. Shougi pieces moving on their own, weird messages appearing on blackboards overnight and sudden gusts of wind; the type that blows up your skirt to show your underwear.”

“What kind of ghost is it?”

“Some say it’s the ghost of a mischievous little girl.” said Masako.

“And others say it’s of an evil bandit.” said Aiko.

“Are you talking about the ghost?” said a boy in the school’s gakuran. He had spiky blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Ah Toma-kun!” said Miyaki with a blush. “Yes, we were telling Saki here about the ghost. She I and were friends when were chibi.”

“What do you think about the ghost?” asked Saki.

“I think it’s the ghost of Yoshiro Makino.” said Toma.

“Who?”

“You saw that fence around the roof ne?”

“Hai.”

“Well that wasn’t there twenty years ago. Back then Yoshiro was the school’s rising star, he made all A’s, he was a great athlete, was in all the clubs and he was a proficient martial artist, his one failing was his shyness around girls; they all had a crush on him including Kido-sensei who was a student here back then. Everyone thought that he would go to do great things. But one day he was on the roof at his usual thinking spot and a sudden gust of wind blew him off the roof and he fell to the ground breaking his neck killing him instantly. Everyone was saddened by this waste, a guy who could have been something great dying before he got the chance.”

“That is so tragic!” Aiko said seemly going against her strong bravado. “Poor Kido-sensei! Losing the man she loved in the prime of his life!”

“Don’t tell me you all believe that ghost nonsense?” said Wazuka. “Especially you Masako.”

“There are more things in heaven and earth…” said Masako.

“It’s not nonsense!” said Saki. “Ghosts are real!”

“Oh really, you aren’t scared?” said Wazuka.

“Iie.”

“Alright then, I dare you to break into the school building after dark.”

“Why should I?”

“If you don’t I’ll make sure the whole school will think that you’re a coward!”

“Don’t do it.” said Miyaki.

“It’s not worth getting into trouble.” said Masako.

“She’s baka anyway.” said Aiko.

“You’re on!” said Saki.

“Good.” said Wazuka. “But I’m going to need proof, bring a camera and take a picture from the roof to the apartment complex across the river, you can’t get one at ground level because of the wall around the school so I’ll know if you did it or not!” Wazuka then left.

“Why did you do that?” asked Miyaki.

“I don’t want everyone to think I’m a coward on the first day.” said Saki. “This is just something I gotta do.”

###

{I hated lying to my Sobo.} Saki thought as she snuck up to the roof that night. {But she’d never let me out this late at night, I had to tell her that I was spending some time tonight at Miyaki’s.} She got to the roof and went to the edge. {No wonder Yoshiro would come up here, the view is incredible.} She snapped the picture but as she turned around she saw this small bluish-white ball of fire floating in midair. {It’s the ghost, I knew they were real!} she snapped another picture and then came close. “Um, Mr. Ghost?”

The fireball turned around Saki saw that it had a masculine face with blue eyes. “You can see me?” it said. “Someone living actually sees me!” the fireball then changed into a boy wearing the school’s gakuran with the same blue eyes and brown hair that went down to point at his waist. “Konbawa! My name is Yoshiro Makino, what’s your name?”

“Saki Yamada.”

“Well it’s great to meet you Saki! You’re the first person in twenty years to see or hear me, how did you do it?”

“I don’t know, I just can.”

“You don’t know how?!” Yoshiro’s mood immediately soured. “That’s just great!”

“Um, I would like to ask you some questions.”

“Now what am I going to do?!”

“Can you tell me about…?”

“The first person in twenty years to see me and she doesn’t even know how or why!”

“I just want to ask you…”

“Being dead stinks so much…”

“Can you stop sulking and listen!” Saki yelled. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to talk with a real live, I mean a real dead ghost! I have a lot of questions for you about death and other things and I expect answers!”

“Sorry, twenty years without eating or sleeping can make a guy cranky, even if he doesn’t need to eat or sleep anymore.”

“Oh I’m sorry.”

“How about this, we’ll first get to know each other and then try to find answers for each others questions?”

“Seems fair.”

“Good then.”

“I better get home I have school in the morning.”

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, Saki-chan.”

“Until then, Yoshiro-kun.” Saki then left the school while Yoshiro looked at the full moon.

###

And so begins the adventures of Saki and Yoshiro. As they explore each others gifts and histories they will meet new friends, evil enemies and wonders beyond imagination. Join us for Episode 02: The Trouble with Yoshiro.

Japanese definitions

Kawaii-cute

Okaa-mother

Otou-father

Sama-honorific referring to some one higher then you like your parents or your boss

Senfuku-A sailor style girl’s school uniform

Ohayo-Good morning

Sobo-Grandmother (referring to yours)

Chan-an honorific showing affection for a girl, small child or pet

Bento-traditional Japanese boxed lunch

Gakuran-A Prussian cadet style boy’s school uniform

Baka-Idiot or stupid

San-general honorific like Mr. or Mrs.

Ja ne-see you later

Minna-Everyone

Onii-Big brother (here chan or kun refers to a short age distance and san refers to a larger age difference)

Shougi-Japanese chess

Kun-The masculine form of chan

Chibi-Little

Ne-Used in a question like right as in “She’s here right?” or “She’s here isn’t she?”

Hai-Yes

Iie-No

Sensei-Teacher, can be used as a honorific or on its own

Konbawa-Good evening