Chapter 10: Training To Be A Catalyst
I
“Good morning Kotone-chan!” Megumi said with a cheery smile as she waved towards her best friend. Her fox-gold orange hair shimmered in the sunlight, drifting in a spring breeze that tousled it playfully in fairy locks in her custom pigtails. Her babydoll face glimmered with excitement flushed apple-red in her smooth cheeks for novelty and adventure.
Kotone walked over to Megumi and raised a hand in acknowledgment before she lowered her hand to her side, which Megumi latched onto. “We’re supposed to go on a hardcore sweets tour today! Sample everything that Tokyo has to offer! It will be great!”
“That sounds good to me,” Kotone said with a small smile, and Megumi cheered as she hugged Kotone’s arm happily.
“I personally wanna sample the chocolates at Coco Loco Cafe first. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate? Not only does chocolate taste good, it also releases endorphins in the brain, which are chemicals that make you feel happy!”
“You’ve been studying,” Kotone said with a smile. “Dark chocolate in particular has antioxidants within it that prevent heart disease. The greatest source of antioxidants comes from raw chocolate cocoa beans.”
“Oh, you’re so smart, Kotone-chan,” Megumi said approvingly. “Though I can’t imagine eating raw cocoa beans. Yuck!”
Kotone smiled at this, before saying. “I personally like treating myself with chocolate after I’ve done a good day of studying. Coco Loco Cafe has a great selection of chocolates, and they’re higher quality samples than you’ll find in regular stores. Their hot chocolates are especially known to be legendary.”
“Mm, I love a good cup of hot chocolate,” Megumi said with a smile. “It’s a great way to soothe the soul. Once we get our hot chocolates from Coco Loco Cafe where do you wanna go next?”
“Hm,” Kotone said while she pretended to consider. “I think we should actually get our hot chocolate first before we think about going to other places.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Megumi agreed when they entered the Coco Loco Cafe shop in Tokyo. They waited in line behind hungry customers, and they saw rows of chocolate delectables waiting to be sampled by the crowd. Megumi looked at the glass display, delightedly taking in the sights and smells of the chocolate cafe. Many displays of chocolate delectables were displayed on rows and sheets and wrappings, adorned with fruits and nuts and caramel and a menagerie of other sweets that you can imagine in a chocolate foodie’s paradise.
Kotone wanted to snap a picture of the display with her phone, or at least do that when they got a table and ordered their chocolate treats. It was a well-deserved reward after what Kotone did last time, which was to reunite two ghost lovers in the afterlife and send them onto their next life together. Kotone wondered how Hana the ghost was doing, and Misaki Hiraga, on their next great adventure and whether they were being reborn at this very moment, or whether vestiges of their spirit still lingered in the Shinigami world.
Once they ordered their hot chocolates for takeout, Megumi also ordered a selection of bonbons, raspberry chocolate gelato, and churros. They sat down at a table and began sampling the sweets, and the renowned chocolatier company didn’t disappoint in their sweets selection. Kotone took out a bon bon that Megumi shared with her, snapping a picture of t he wrapping and parcel and chocolates in wrappings themselves on her smartphone, before taking a small and deliberate bite.
Megumi simply popped one whole into her mouth, an expression of delight on her features as her green eyes glimmered.
“So Kotone-chan,” Megumi said curiously. “You’ve been acting a bit strange ever since Ayano came to class with us. Mind telling me what happened?”
Kotone felt a lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure what she should tell Megumi, and hated the thought of lying to her best friend, though telling Megumi the details of what actually transpired would probably strain their relationship with one another. “Well, when I met Ayano, she requested that I help her with homework. It was an all-nighter, let me tell you.”
Megumi cocked her head to teh side, causing her pigtails to sway to the side while a comical expression of endearing confusion melted her face into one of inquisitive curiosity. However, Megumi was more of a go with the flow type of girl anyway, so she didn’t tend to question things too deeply, or if she did, then she excused Kotone’s excuse because she treasured her friend like none other, and that only made Kotone feel even worse about her lie.
I can’t get her involved in this paranormal business, Kotone promised to herself. If she did, then she would be in danger. Can I really protect her when I’m still a novice at this entire thing? Even with Ayano…there’s no way that the both of us can still look after Megumi and train her too, if she even has magical abilities.
Megumi noted the expression on Kotone’s face.
“So that’s why you should have fun and relax!” Megumi said with a smile and pumped her fist into the air. “Let’s see, where to go to first…?”
Kotone smiled at Megumi’s enthusiasm, before it disappeared. She saw Ayano approach them, her black ribbon bobbing in her white hair while she walked. Ayano wore a Ghotic Lolita black and white scheme Victorian style dress with ribbons and lace that almost reminded her of French Maid uniforms in their style and aesthetic, and with the overflow of rippling ribbons and lace and bows on her dress, Ayano looked exactly like a doll with otherworldly white hair. She was quite distinctive to see in a crowd, and even though Ayano didn’t particularly seek one’s attention, there was some silvery element like the moon, an ethereal grace that caused men or women to pause or turn their head once or twice. Kotone certainly did, and felt her stomach drop like a stone.
Kotone silently wished that Ayano didn’t need her for anything, though her heart sank in disappointment when Ayano stopped in front of the both of them. Ayano then bowed towards Megumi and Kotone in turn, before saying, “Kotone-san, we have things to discuss. Things that relate to last night over ‘homework’”
Kotone knew that ‘homework’ actually meant magical related things, though they couldn’t utter that phrase aloud to Megumi, who was unaware of the spiritual shenanigans that have taken place with Hana the Ghost and the Shinigami that oversaw people’s karmas and destinies.
The brunette pressed her lips together. She didn’t like the thought of excluding Megumi from anything. She was her best friend, after all. Though she also didn’t want the complication of protecting someone inexperienced in the paranormal world when Kotone didn’t have the power or expertise to defend anyone from things like vampries or werewolves or whatever spooks that probably existed int he shadowy corners of Tokyo, darting in the hidden corners of shadow and dappled light and only seen through the grim reflection of the moon.
Though what Kotone knew about monsters and spooks was this—sometimes the darkness in one’s heart came from humanity itself. Wherever there was light, there was shadow cast behind something. Kotone felt that she were being examined underneath the scrutinizing light of the Shinigami and cast a wide light of sins behind her, of the promises left unfulfilled and the people that she couldn’t save or help.
“Sorry, Megumi,” Kotone said with a sheepish smile as Ayano grabbed Kotone’s hand and started to lead her away from the orange-haired girl. “Another time, maybe?”
“Sure thing,” Megumi said with a cheery smile, before Ayano and Kotone walked into a park where no one else could hear them. Greenery surrounded them and blossoms sprouted from the trees while wildflowers dotted the area in a vibrant streak of iridiscent colors. The earth smelled brand new, like minerals and clean water and growing things, and while people wandered in the park on the balustrade walkways, which Kotone and Ayano traced their steps, a cat pattered on by, watching them with glowing yellow eyes, before disappearing among a brush to startle a rabbit browsing for berries.
Kotone watched the darting rabbit and the cat giving chase, whipping its tail back and forth in hunter anticipation, before bouncing off on swift feet. She wondered with a sick fascination if there were any such creatures or terrors at night that preyed upon the Human realm like that cat chasing after the rabbit, and Kotone put a hand to her mouth, her stomach churning after having tasted her hot chocolate and bonbon that she shared with Megumi, her appetite diminished.
“What is it now,” Kotone said with a frown as she crossed her arms. “I promised Megumi that I would hang out with her today.”
“This is a matter of great significance,” Ayano said. “Now that you’re involved with the Shinigami and revealed yourself to be a Catalyst, there are things that you must be educated upon to ensure your safety. As you’ve promised the Shinigami a favor, they have no reason to eliminate you or do anything to harm you. But that’s not to say that there aren’t other people out there who might have caught wind about your being a Catalyst.”
“What’s the big deal about being a Catalyst anyway?” Kotone unfolded her arms.
“There are many things that you need to learn,” Ayano said. “And as much as you try to wiggle your way out of it, there is no denying it—you have a strong penchant for the supernatural and have great powers.”
“Well, you know, that’s great and all,” Kotone said. “But I thought after the ghost business, that everything would be done and over with. You know, like, I could go to my normal life after this?”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Takada-san,” Ayano said with a slow shake of her head. “Come with me, to my house.”
“And simply leave Megumi hanging by herself?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m fond of Megumi but this is something that we need to do. Tell her that something came up and you have urgent matters to attend to with me.”
Kotone let out a sigh. It sounded reasonable enough, and she was pretty sure that Megumi would understand, though it still felt kind of terrible to leave her friend hanging by herself in Tokyo. What if there was a creeper or stalker who tried to assault her while Kotone was gone? Normally people didn’t bother these kinds of stunts when Kotone was around, as she was very good with her shinai and hitting people with it if they had perverted or lewd intentions, but Megumi…well, maybe Megumi could take care of herself and it’s something that Kotone was overthinking or over-worrying about.
She went back to Megumi to tell her she had business with Ayano. Megumi waved and cheered, and when Kotone saw her smile, Kotone couldn’t help but smile back. Megumi’s laughter and positivity was infectious, and maybe things would be all right in the world. Maybe Kotone’s pessimism got the better of her at times.
Watching Megumi run off and explore more of Tokyo and everything the shops and venues and diners had to offer, Kotone turned her attention back to Ayano, letting out a soft sigh.
“Okay, so while we’re going to your house, we have some matters to discuss,” Kotone said with a frown, before she let out a sigh. “I was having a delicious sampling of hot chocolate and you ruined the immersion of the experience by popping up and telling me about all this paranormal and spook business.”
“It’s for your own good, I assure you,” Ayano said as she went into her Spartanly furnished room and took out the gold gilded mirror in front of her. Even though it was a suitably spacious room, no posters decorated the walls of J-Pop or K-Pop idols, no anime figurines of an otaku graced the small desk in the corner except a simple notebook and a few books strictly for studying only in the corner were there. A futon with a plain blue covering and white sheets lay in the other corner, and honestly Kotone wondered if Ayano could afford better or if Kotone should try to convince Ayano to get something more at her house. “First, the matter with the Shinigami.”
“I wanted to forget about them, actually,” Kotone muttered, before she said. “And I’m somehow involved with the Shinigami right now, right? Because I did one favor and went against Rin Kajiwara’s wish of sending Hana’s ghost to the Void, right?”
“You’ve become quite the popular topic in the Shinigami world,” Ayano said with a smile. “Though they’re also wondering about your abilities. About which side that you align yourself on.”
“Well it’s in my best interest to work with the Shinigami, right? So what don’t they trust about me?”
“They’re worried about what you might eventually become,” Ayano said while she held up a finger to stifle any questions that Kotone might’ve had. Kotone ran her hand through her long locks of brown hair. “A Catalyst has many implications and great powers that can eventually become something that is too much to handle if not moderated properly.”
“There’s a reason they’re keeping me around rather than outright eliminating me,” Kotone ventured to guess, while Ayano nodded.
“That is indeed correct. Think of me as a moderator of sorts between you and the Shinigami, Kotone-san.”
Kotone looked wary
“What do they want?”
“They want you to agree to the fact that the Shinigami can depend on you for supernatural cases, as it were,” Ayano said. “You abilities and powers would be useful for that. But in oder for that to happen and make you a full fledged detective or agent of the Spirit Realm, you must train underneath me.”
“So when does training start?” Kotone said, while Ayano thought about it for a little while.
“It begins right now.” Ayano said with a serious and determined look upon her features. “Prepare yourself, Kotone Takada.”
