Yami no Hikari: Shinigami Arubaito (闇の光: 死神アルバイト)

The One Who Collects Souls (魂を集める人)

(Perhaps, among those collected… is your heart.)

Evening, in this town…

A man, who looks to be in his late 60’s, wearing thick crescent glasses, and a full three-piece suit, was sitting on the sidewalk. His hands on his knees, he looked up to the sky.

Behind him was a nice, well-built, two-storey house. It looked to be built in the 90’s, and it looked to be owned by someone who was successful. It had a nice, small garden, which had a set of tables and chairs. From inside the house, one can hear several men and women sobbing both softly and loudly.

A young couple who was holding each other’s hands and chatting, passed by the old man sitting on the sidewalk. They didn’t seem to notice that he was there… but he looked at them, and his face cracked a sad smile.

“Excuse me. Are you… Uriu Masato-san?” he heard a girl’s voice say.

The old man turned around. Behind him was a young girl, probably in her teens, sporting black eyes and silvery-white hair. She was wearing a black dress that decked with lace. The skirt of her dress ended a little above the knee, and she was wearing white stockings and black dress shoes. She looked like of the dolls that had gained popularity among girls as of late.

“Yes, yes I am…” the old man said, standing up, bowing to the girl. “Uriu Masato, a Professor of Law at Tokyo University. I’m pleased to meet you.”

“Ah, yes…” The girl said, taken aback a little. “I am… Aoi, a Shinigami.” She said, bowing as well. “I’m pleased to meet you as well.”

“Shinigami?” Mr. Uriu said. “Well… I do not know if you’re tricking me or not, but if you’re not joking, then…”

“Yes that is right. I’m really sorry to say this, but… Uriu-san, you have… passed on.” Aoi said, her black eyes reflecting glowing softly. “I… I’m here to take you to the afterlife.”

“I see…” Mr. Uriu said, adjusting his glasses. “Ever since that day… it seems I really didn’t have that much time. But, I didn’t want to go yet…”

“Uriu-san…” Aoi said, a black book and a white quill materializing in her left hand. “I know that it’s hard, but… please accept your fate…”

“Fate, huh…” Mr. Uriu said, averting his look from her as he heard the continued sobs from inside the house. “That… it’s painful to hear…”

“Uriu-san… perhaps, to ease your pain…” Aoi said, the book and quill disappearing. “Is there anywhere you want to go to right now?”

“I see then. Miss Shinigami,” Mr. Uriu said. “Would you… mind coming with me to this town’s park?”

The town park…

Mr. Uriu sat down on a bench next to the fountain. The fountain caused sparkling moonlit water to dance, in the park that was illuminated by dim street lights.

“I remember.” He said, smiling slightly as he watched the fountain. “I remember this fountain almost fifty years ago, when it was first brought here.”

“Fifty years ago?” Aoi asked him.

“Yes.” Mr. Uriu said. “In front of this fountain, exactly fifty years ago, I confessed to her, and I told her that I want to be with her forever.”

He looked at the ring on his left hand.

“I… I did well, right? I… I was a good husband, a good father… and a good person, right?” Mr. Uriu looked at Aoi for an answer.

She responded only by giving him a slightly happy look.

“You look like my Kagami when she was your age.” Mr. Uriu said, smiling. “Do you… have a boyfriend?”

“Ah…” Aoi blushed.

“Haha, I was just kidding. Perhaps you don’t need something so trivial. You’re… a spirit after all, right?” Mr. Uriu said, taking off his glasses. “I’m sorry for keeping you, Miss Shinigami. I… I think I can go now…”

“I see…” Aoi said, the black book and the white quill materializing once more. Flipping through the pages, she opened it on one particular page, letting it float in mid-air.

Uriu Masato, read the only name in that page. Next to it was a blank space.

“Please sign your name on this, the Book of Souls.” Aoi said, giving him the quill. “Upon signing, you accept salvation, and will move on to paradise… However, you are not allowed to return to this world once you complete this contract.”

“Yet another contract for me to sign, huh?” Mr. Uriu said. “And it’s pretty steep too…”

Taking a deep breath, he signed his name onto to book.

“I… I will miss them… Kagami, my beloved… Hiro… Seki…”

“With your name in this book, you are permitted to go to paradise.” Aoi said. “Uriu Masato-san, may you rest in peace.”

“Thank you very much, Miss Shinigami…” Mr. Uriu said, smiling. At once, his translucent body began to glow with a bright white light, like it was illuminated by the sun. Fragments of light, like cherry blossoms, began to scatter from him. “I hope that, one day, you too… will find him…”

Mr. Uriu started to glow brighter and brighter, and then, in a sudden flash of light, his soul flew straight up, began to dart towards the sky, and beyond, to the stars…

“Alright, that’s the last soul for today.” Aoi said, as she flipped through the black book’s contents. She then let out a sigh. “Another day did… five souls…”

After closing the black book, she pulled out what looked like a PDA, and opened it to reveal a keypad. She pressed a couple of numbers, and suddenly, the ground in front of her began to glow a bright white light.

“Shall we go home?”

Perhaps you don’t need something so trivial. You’re… a spirit after all, right?

“Was that a good enough present for your birthday, Rai?”

In the cool spring night, three young men were walking down the street across from the town park.

The one called Rai was about 5’10 tall, had short dark red hair, and gold eyes. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and cargo pants, as well as a chain that was hanging from his right pocket.

Rai looked to the person who asked the question. He stood at about 5’11, with short, sky blue hair that seemed to glow in the night, deep brown eyes, and a slightly pale complexion. He was wearing a light green long-sleeved shirt, beige slacks, and white rubber shoes.

“Yeah, thanks Keiya.” Rai said, grinning. “All you can eat ramen buffet… you always knpw me so well.”

“Well… it wasn’t really good for my wallet now, was it? TT” Keiya said, looking a little glum.

“Well, I’d say that old man Mitsui’s ramen still tastes best, right?” Rai said, putting a red cap on. “It’s not salty at all, or bland… it’s just the right taste. You’d say it’s a perfect balance, right?”

“I guess so.” Keiya said, smiling lightly. “It brings back a lot of memories for me. But more than that, I think tonight is a good night, because it might be the last free night we’ll have for a little while.”

“Ah, yes…” Rai said, looking forward as they continued to walk. “As seniors, we’re going to be very busy. With me being the kendo club captain, and Kei’s gonna be busy with the debate society, right? And we have those entrance exams… well, I know someone who’s going to still have a lot of free time.”

Rai looked to the third person in the group. He was about 6’1 tall, sported messy short brown hair and green eyes. On top of the jeans and the red shirt that had a Gundam face on it, he was wearing a beige cargo vest that was decorated with about seven pins, all proudly displaying anime and manga prints. His face was buried in a thick a magazine, while his left hand was holding up a flashlight to illuminate the material he was reading. He looked positively annoyed, and was growling lightly.

“Eh, what’s wrong Takafumi? You look really annoyed for someone who ate four bowls of specialty beef ramen.” Keiya asked the brown-haired young man.

“Grrr… why is it that the girls in shoujo manga always choose the bad boy, tsundere-type over the dedicated, straight type!?” Takafumi exclaimed, clenching the magazine on his hand. Keiya and Rai stopped, looking a little puzzled.

“Is it the fate of all nice guys to ALWAYS finish last!?” Takafumi continued on. “Will the nice guys always be left behind by the girl they have poured THEIR PASSION AND LOVE INTO!? ARE GIRLS REALLY THAT MUCH OF MASOCHISTS!! IT IS SUCH A TRAGIC AND SAD EXISTENCE!! I MUST DO SOMETHING TO END THIS!! GOD, SHOW ME THE WAY TO END THIS HORRIBLE CYCL--GWEEEEH!!”

“Hey, cool down, dude. It’s not like you can change the story by being pissed out it.” Rai said, after he gave Takafumi a whack to the head with his practice shinai. “And besides, it’s simply a story, after all…”

“But, but… Take a look at this, man!” Takafumi waved the thick magazine in front of Rai’s eyes, which turned out to be the latest issue of a shoujo manga publication. “It’s the last chapter of this ‘Namida no Niji’ by Sakura Nichikawa, and just like every other shoujo manga, the girl picks the bad, grumpy asshole turned a little bit nice over the kind, dedicated, turned into hate item guy, all because she ‘warmed up to him’ near the end!

“I know it’s good for manga development, but still!!” Takafumi said, putting the magazine away, and began to shake his fist and shed tears. “Is it really hard to ask that the nice guy wins in the end for once!? Are we to truly never find true love!?”

“I don’t know which part I should be more horrified at… you getting into a heated analysis about manga, or the fact that you, an 18 year-old manly man is reading shoujo manga.” Rai said, scratching his head, looking a little miffed. “Look, it’s 9:00 in the evening, and we have to head home. After all, tomorrow’s the first day of the new school year, right Kei?”

Keiya was looking off into the distance, in what seems to be the direction of the park. It took a couple of seconds before he realized that Rai and Takafumi were looking at him.

“Y-Yeah…” Keiya said, quickly turning his attention to Rai. “I just thought I saw something interesting…”

“Eh!?” Takafumi ran up to Keiya’s face. “Like what, like what!? A HOT CHICK IN MAID COSPLAY!! TELL ME WHERE.”

“Um, well… like a girl wearing a black dress or so… ;;; You know, like one of those really fancy ones that some pop singers wear? I think they call it Gothic Lolita or something like that.”

“It must be just your imagination.” Rai said, looking at a positively disappointed Takafumi. “Besides, isn’t a maid YOUR fantasy, Taki?”

“Eh? Well, true, true, though I like school mizugi better, but…” Takafumi commented, looking a little disappointed. “Hehe, but still…speaking of cosplay…”

Takafumi then begins jabbing at Kei’s rib.

“… I didn’t know you were into that kind of cosplay dress. Now we know what gift to give you when you have your birthday!”

“H-hey, Takafumi! Don’t get any strange ideas!” Keiya said, blushing a little bit. “B-Besides, I don’t know how you got that idea! Right, Rai?” He continued, looking hopefully to Rai.

Instead of reprimanding Takafumi, Rai crossed his arms, and had his eyes hidden under his hat.

“Well, well, I don’t know, Your Highness.” Rai said, grinning widely. “Even though you’re pretty popular among the girls, you do have limited interaction with them. Perhaps if we got a girl that suits your taste, you’ll pay more attention to her? ”

“Mou… don’t team up on me like that!” He declared, being a little more flustered, which just made Rai and Takafumi laugh more.

“Alright, we’ll stop then.” Rai said. “Well, I guess I should get going. See you guys later.” Rai began to cross the street and went towards the direction of the park.

“Alright then. I guess I’ll see you later too, Kei.” Takafumi said, walking off in another direction.

“Don’t be late for class now, Takafumi!” Keiya called at Takafumi, who looked back at him.

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise! I heard they’re airing the 08th MS Team and Stardust Memory on cable tonight! Besides, my 1/60 scale Perfect Grade Gundam Vanguard and Gundam Black Rose just came in the mail this afternoon!”

“No excuses! Only challenges!” Rai called at Takafumi, who winced a little bit. “And hey, where’s your flashlight?”

“W-WHAT!? No, must find it!! How can I read manga without my…”

“Haha, just kidding. I’ll give it back tomorrow. At least it’ll stop you from reading too much manga.”

“WHAT!? WHY YOU…”

“That’s right…” Keiya said to himself. “This park is where we always part, since our homes are in different directions…”

After grabbing a hot coffee drink from a nearby vending machine, Keiya walked down the road, which was illuminated by both the dim street lights, and the dim starlight…

And with that, Yami no Hikari: Shinigami Arubaito starts. If you need any clarifications with the material above, please contact me through reviews or PMs, or you can most likely find it on Wikipedia. In any case, I’ll make sure to have the next release ready by next week, and will be releasing chapters on a weekly basis, with the exception of the next chapter, which may come sooner.

I would like to give credit to Hitomi Yuume for the characters, because they are hers. I have asked her use of the characters for the purpose of this story, which I am writing for her.

Yami no Hikari: Shinigami Arubaito © 2008