It was anything but peaceful at Saitou High School. In the middle of the night, Ryou Kazumi scurried down the hallway on all fours, with red eyes and foam pouring out of his mouth. Houji Haruto and Mutsuki Asahina followed at close range, dressed in long robes and a shinto priestess kimono. Suddenly they had him at a dead end. Turning from the wall, a possessed Kazumi hissed at his human prey.
“A-A-Asahina-kuuun!!” Haruto yelped, “Exorcise him already!! He’s going to eat us!!”
“Calm down, Kaichou.” Asahina replied, holding up her bamboo stick with holy papers tied to it, “I’m waiting for him to use up most of his power. If I try to exorcise him now, Kazumi might be lost along with the spirit.”
Haruto blinked. “Are you sure he’ll run out of power?? Look at him! It’s like he’s the energizing bunny! He keeps going and going and going and go---“
”Shhh! Kaichou, you’re invoking him more!”
“Oh gomen nasai!” he cried, bowing his head. Suddenly, they heard a whistle. Turning around, they saw a little boy running towards them. “Eh? Who’s that kid?!”
Asahina was in a dreamy state. “What a hottie! I want to get his autograph!”
”Asahina-kun!!” Haruto exclaimed, “What about Kazumi-kun! Surely you can’t leave him like that!”
But she didn’t hear him and skipped over to the little boy, taking out a notepad. “I collect the autographs of all the cute boys in the world - would you please?” The little boy nodded and signed. “Ah! Such a cute name for a cute boy! Ne, could I also have your picture?” He nodded. Asahina shoved a camera over to Haruto.
“D-Demo!!” he cried, looking over to Kazumi, who had started to scratch the wall. He turned back to the slanted eyed priestess, ready to bite his head off. “Okay okay!” He then focused the camera as Asahina and the kid posed. “Say cheese!” There was a flash. Haruto looked at the Polaroid as it developed. “EEEH?” The kid wasn’t in the picture. “That’s means… he’s a … GHOST!!”
Asahina sighed, “Why are all the cute boys ghosts?”
The ghost boy smiled. “Oneesan, I just came to get my pet, Pochi, back. If you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all. Hold on a minute.” Asahina then leaped up in the air, holding her ceromony stick high and saying her henshin: “MUTSUKI SPECIAL EXORCISE ATTACK!”
With that, she hammered the stick on Kazumi’s head, the spirit literally being beaten out of him. Kazumi fell over half dead, while the dog ran towards his owner.
“Arigato, Oneesan.” the ghost boy said, “For your help, I’ll do something in exchange for you.”
“Ah? Will you go on a date with me??” she asked anxiously.
“Gomen, Oneesan. I cannot. Afterall, I’m a ghost and I can’t leave the school grounds. No less, I will find someone who can go with you?”
Asahina clasped his hands. “Oh! You are such a kind boy! How I wish I could marry you!”
“Eheheh, you’re funny, Oneesan. Ja, I better go now. Bye Bye!” With that the boy disappeared.
Kazumi sat up, rubbing his head. “What happened? Was I possessed again?”
Haruto nodded. “You sure were. Asahina-kun had to use her special attack on you.”
“Oh? Kaichou, couldn’t you have just used your badge and called Hanako-san? It would have been less painful and more pleasant for me. Aaah, my sweet Hanako-san~!”
Haruto chuckled, “Hanako-san’s exorcism is always more powerful than Asahina-kun’s, but as a tolit spirit Hanako-san’s much too busy to help us out for little jobs. But don’t worry, next time we’ll send Red Mantle for you.”
”HIM?!” Kazumi cried, “Blech! Blech!”
Asahina was miffed. “What are you saying? My exorcism attack is the best! I perfect it everytime!”
“Yeah, but you gave me a concussion.” Kazumi said, putting bandaids on his head.
“So? That’s how it’s done!”
”Are you sure?” Haruto asked. He could have sworn Shintoism was a peaceful religion. They didn’t have bloody battles like his did. No, Buddhism was the peaceful religion. No, wait, he’s just confusing himself…
Asahina crossed her arms. “Is this the thanks I get? Well, if that’s the way you want it, I won’t use my exorcism attacks anymore.”
Kazumi chimed, “It’s Hanako-san everytime!”
”How cruel...” she muttered, “If only you two were just like that kind little boy…”
“EEEEH????” the two exclaimed.
“You know what I’m talking about!” she said, turning around, “That boy with the...” Her eyes widened as Haruto and Kazumi were no longer behind her. She looked down to the floor and saw that they had shrunk in height… and in looks. “EEEEEEH?!”
“I’m little.” Haruto squeaked, “My clothes don’t fit me…”
”NOOOO! Now Hanako-san would never go out with me!” Kazumi sighed.
Asahina was still staring in shock. Her face turned from shock to … Complete… Joy! “AH! At last!!!!! You two have become useful to me now!!”
“What do you mean, Asahina-kun?” Haruto asked.
She shook her head. “No, no, please call me ‘Asahina-chan’.”
”C-CHAAAN?!”
She started digging her robes. “AHA!” She pulled out a pair of tiny elephant underwear. “Onegaishimasu!!” she pleaded. Kazumi and Haruto screamed and ran in the opposite direction. “Wait come back!” she sang, chasing them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After being caught, Asahina took the two to her house. “You can’t go home until I reverse that spell that boy cast on you. Your parents would freak out.”
“What about your parents?” Haruto asked as she held their hands while they crossed the street together. For some reason, Asahina had outfits for boys their size stored in her locker. Kazumi was dressed like a sailor and Haruto was dressed like a cowboy.
She replied, “They’re out of town.”
Kazumi shrieked, “Then you’re going to TORTURE us?! NOOOOOO!!!”
”Calm down! I wouldn’t do anything of the sort!”
Haruto blinked. “But don’t you torture poor Nino-chan?” The sad ghost boy was forever Asahina’s slave. Till the day he died, wait he’s already dead.
“I am not that cruel! Nino-kun is excessively servile. If he ever could get any guts he’d save himself a lot of trouble. Considering he’s a ghost, it shouldn’t be too much for him. He’s the one with unfinished business.” she muttered, “But you two are humans! At last I’ve found… true happiness!!”
Kazumi and Haruto stared at her starry eyes and sighed. They were in for it now.
Once they had reached her house, she had them sit at the table while she came back with hot cocoa. “Do you want anything else? Tofu? Cake? Roasted Ham?”
”You can cook?” Haruto asked.
“Of course I can! Who else cooks around here? My father and mother are too busy running the temple. Who do you suppose does all the cleaning and laundry?”
Kazumi uttered, “I had no idea and you still have time to do Holy Student Council and chase under-aged boys around. Sugoi!”
She seemed pleased by his answer. ”Here’s some cake!” she said placing it in front of them.
“UMAI!” Kazumi started shoveling in. “Wait… is it… poisoned???”
”Why would it be poisoned?” Haruto started, but exclaimed, “It could be drugged!!”
Asahina smacked herself on the head. “You two are too suspicious! Just eat already! Look, I’m eating it and it’s fine!” They watched her for a moment, then nodded. Taking a bite, they realized that it was really good. “See, didn’t I tell you?” she said with a smile.
“This is a new side of Asahina-kun I’ve never seen before.” Haruto whispered to Kazumi.
“Yeah, usually she’s mean and violent. Here, she’s like a… goddess!!”
Asahina started taking the dishes away to wash. “Let’s go watch some TV. I’ll call your parents and say that we’re working on a project at school and that you two would be staying at each other’s house.”
After she had left, the two went into the parlor. “Is it because we’re little?” Haruto uttered, “Is that why she’s nice?”
“Must be. HEY! She’s has the new Playstation 2! Mutsuki-senpai rules!” Kazumi leaped down and started playing.
Meanwhile, Haruto was examining the room. ‘I wonder… why Asahina-kun only seems to like boys under 12. She could be kind if she wanted to, and therefore might even be appealing. She could be a great girlfriend… if she wanted to.'
He looked at a picture of her taken from kindergarten. She had a cute smiling face. Haruto stared at it until Kazumi hit him with a pillow. “ITAI!”
“Kaichou! Check it out! It’s two players! Let’s go!”
Asahina was standing in the door. 'Wow~! It’s my dream come true! Who knew that I would ever find someone… two someones no less. Ah… my two best friends turn out to be the ones~!'
* * * * * * * * * *
After playing all of her new games the boys were tired, so she set them up a place on the couch, then tucked them in. “Oyasumi~!” she said sweetly, turning off the lights and leaving the room.
Kazumi stared at the ceiling with tears in his eyes. “I’ve never had a girl this nice to before… sniff… I’m so happy~!”
Haruto nodded. “Same here~! Asahina-kun can be such an angel. I wish she was my girlfriend~!”
“Hold on now! I wish she was MY girlfriend!!”
The two boys were now up, glaring at each in the face. But the truth hit them; they weren’t going to be little forever. Someday, the spell would be removed and things would go back to normal. Back to the way they were. Both Kazumi and Haruto cringed. The kind, sweet Asahina would be lost once again…
“What do we do? Stay like this forever?!” Kazumi cried.
Haruto uttered, “You can’t stay the same age forever. You have to grow up eventually. Oh, I wonder why Asahina-kun only seems to like boys under twelve…”
”You would like to know?” a voice said from the shadows.
”Who’s there?!” Kazumi uttered as he and Haruto went to investigate. They saw a spirit coming from the locked keepsake box on the bookshelf. “That’s it! That’s what talked, Kaichou!”
The spirit formed into a face of another young boy. His smiling face beamed at them. “Asahina-chan’s first love was when she was that age… she treasures his image and his voice, which she sees in those boys that age. She’s never ever forgotten, and subconsciously never wants to forget…”
“But,” Haruto walked towards the spirit, “It’s not fair. Why can’t she understand… that people eventually grow up and change…”
”That’s just how it is.” The ghost said, fading, “Sorry… if only I… If only I had survived…” With that, he vanished from their eyes.
“What was that all about?” Kazumi uttered, “Who was that boy? I wonder if the answer is in that box.”
“We shouldn’t open that box. I mean it’s her possessions!”
But Kazumi had picked the lock and it had opened. Inside, there were pictures of Asahina and that boy from years ago. According to the document, the boy had died when he was in 3rd grade at the age of 10 under mysterious circumstances. He had been possessed by a demon, lost while they had tried to exorcise him. Asahina was present with him as he died…
“So that’s it.” Kazumi uttered, “I bet she’s never forgotten. That’s why she works hard on her exorcisms and never makes mistakes…. Kaichou, let’s go find her!”
Haruto nodded and they went to go look for her. But she wasn’t in her room or anywhere in the house. They at last found her in the shrine. “What are you doing, Asahina-kun?”
“Just trying to figure out how to undo the spell.” she replied, looking over old manuscripts. Both Haruto and Kazumi were surprised. Did she actually want them to return to their normal selves?
“But why?” Haruto uttered, “Don’t you…”
Asahina cut him off, “It would be selfish of me to force you two to stay like that for my own gain. Besides, the two of you have lives to live that you can’t in that form. It wouldn’t fair…”
“You’re right Mutsuki-senpai…” Kazumi uttered, “But you too have a live to live. Don’t let your bad memories hurt you.”
She nodded, getting up in her kimono. “But I think the spell will wear off by itself by sunrise.”
Outside the sun was already rising. The orange beams of light started the filling the shrine as Asahina chanted, hoping everything would go right. Haruto and Kazumi started glowing, they had put on their old clothes so that when they changed back, they would be wearing something that fit. They were nearly blinded by the light. They could see Asahina’s crying face before they blanked out.
‘If only…’ Haruto thought, wandering through space, ‘If only I had met you sooner…’ Visions of them playing together as kids flashed in his mind. The idea that they could have grown up together… the idea of what might’ve been.
With a crash, Haruto and Kazumi found themselves, lying on the shrine floor, ofuda flying all over the place. Asahina smiled over them, “Welcome back!”
Somtimes things don't work out the way you want them to. Gomen nasai.
FIN