In the country of Aropa, in the far of region called Parue a boy was sent to maximum security prison. The prison is floating half a kilometer above ground and is surrounded by red lightning. The sound of thunder and breaking of the ground bellow can be heard to the deepest cells of the confine where sat two men on a metal bench.
"What are you in for kid?" Asked a tall muscular man the 17 year old boy.
". . . Theft, murder, rape, identity theft. . . Every crime you could think of, even Afropina." He said with a calm tone, looking at the man and revealing a burn scar under his right eye that is usually hidden under his messy hair. He got chills down his spine.
"A kid like you? Even committing Afropina? I don't believe it!
"Neither do I old man, but what they say in court is absolute right?" Ikustosu, the boy, revealed a sorrowful smile.
"What do you mean?" The man asked.
"I guess since I'm on death row I'll tell you my story, if you're willing to listen?" The man nodded and Ikustosu began. . .
13 days ago
The city of Neancy, population 1100, where Ikustosu goes to school. In the courtyard after class has already finished the kids start walking home.
"Look at his old ass clothes."
"I heard he lives in a swamp, he should just stay there." Whispers around Ikustosu are heard throughout the courtyard.
"HEY CYCLOPS! You're ruining our vibe, get lost." A student from a small group shouted, pointing out Ikustosu's hair that covers his right eye.
"..." He stayed silent and looked at them with a blank expression.
"Are we gonna have a problem here pal?" The kid walks up to Ikustosu eager for a fight.
"Did you say something?" Revealing his earphones Ikustosu reacts as clueless as possible.
"YOU WEREN'T EVEN LISTENING!" They all shouted with utter dismay. The kid who called him out felt flustered but now got filled with even more anger.
"Look here swampy, you don't just disrespect me like that!"
"Yeah! Get him Zack!" The crowed started riling up. Zack clenches his fists and gets ready to throw a punch but then-
"What do you think you are doing?" A teacher walks up behind Zack, and as he nervously tries to explain himself Ikustosu silently makes his way out of the school courtyard and into the heart of the city. The city is built around a giant plaza with a fountain in the middle where Ikustosu was currently waiting for someone.
"She said she'd meat me here, I wonder if she forgot-"
"Forgot about what?" Behind him stood a 10 year old girl with short white hair. It seemed the only look on her face was of constant boredom.
"Oh hey sis! Didn't think you'd show up." Ikustosu said sarcastically.
"What? To the meeting that I orchestrated?"
Ikustosu looks away in shame as his joke did not land well.
"So what's this about?" He asked curiously.
"Our business of ghost hunting is not doing to great, we need more people. So I asked a friend if she would help."
"Ahh really? I thought the two of us would be enough to get by." He said in a disappointing voice.
"Well you thought wrong, come on let's go."
They walk through the crowded streets of Neancy and make their way to a coffee shop where two people were waiting for them.
"Hey Ria, over here!" A girl with long permed hair and glasses was gesturing over to them and sitting besides her was a blue haired boy who had relatively short hair. He looked as though he was very eager to meat them.
"Hi Serena, glad you came, I see you found someone who is willing to work as well."
"Oh this is Cisou, he's a classmate and was interested in a job like this." Serena patted his head.
"Yo, hello, I'm glad to be working with you, I've always liked ghosts and the paranormal. And I found this book in my attic about the occult and-"
"Does he normally talk this much?" Asks Ria
"Usually when he gets excited." Replied Serena while Cisou was still talking in the background. Ikustosu silently sat down next to them.
"Yo, what's your name?" Cisou stopped rambling and looked at Ikustosu whilst extending his hand.
"Ikustosu, nice to meat you." He said as he shook his hand.
"Oh so you're the boss, got it."
"Well something like that, I guess. We don't really have a hierarchy here." Said Ikustosu
"So now that we are all here, let me officially enroll Serena and Cisou to our team." Said Ria, announcing it out loud.
"Just like that?" Asked both Cisou and Ikustosu confused.
"We don't need any evaluations?" Asks Serena
"Well we know each other for some time now and I trust you, it's also just me and my brother so we need any help we can get." Ria explained the whole situation and everyone sat down. Serena and Ria started talking about the job and Cisou kept bombarding Ikustosu with questions to which he would only silently nod to. They kept talking and got to know each other, Serena explained that she met Ria at charity event where people would help around town to clean up trash. There was also an 8 year age distance between them, Serena and Cisou both being 18.
"Oh by the way, do we need any more members?" Asked Cisou randomly.
"I mean our business isn't really made to have lots of people. . . But I guess if we had one more person it would still work." Ikustosu finally formed a sentence that was longer than three words.
"Oh okay, I was just thinking that we could use one more." Said Cisou.
"Well do you have anyone in mind?" He asked
". . . No one really." Ikustosu looked at him with utter dismay, it's as if he didn't even need words to describe his sudden lack of enthusiasm.
"What? Well don't look at me like that I was just asking." Cisou tried to explain himself. Looking a bit under the weather now his eyes wander of and as he looks around his eyes lock with a velvet read headed boy who is nervously standing in line at a near by bakery. Something sparks within Cisou and he didn't even know what, but he stood up and walked over to him. . . Then he dragged him over to the table.
"Hey what's your name kid?" He asked frantically with a big smile
"W-what? I-I mean. . . Ryutsu, can you please let me get back in line." He said quietly.
"Is it ok if he joins our paranormal hunting team?" Cisou did not even listen to him and payed all his attention to the inevitable response.
"Sure why not?" "Sounds good to me." Both Serena and Ria shrugged it of calmly and accepted it.
"Whaaatt? You can't just do that!" With utter shock on his face Ikustosu stood up from his chair.
"Awhh come on, he's totally got what it takes, I can feel it." Cisou told Ikustosu.
"You don't even know him. . ."
"Okay then I'll ask him. . . Hey do have any experience with the occult?" Asked Cisou.
"I-I um, have some experience yes, what's this about?" Ryutsu nervously answers. Cisou looks at Ikustosu with a smug grin and puts his hand on Ryutu's shoulder.
"Hey why don't you join us?" Cisou asks. Ryutsu is at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond he looks around for the other's response. Ikustosu looks at him with and apologetic face.
"Listen, you don't have to do this, you can go now."
"Don't put words in his mouth, let him decide. OK Ryutsu, you can decide for yourself, but we'll be waiting for you tomorrow at. . . Where do we work?" Asks Cisou
"Edge of town, the building with graffiti all over it." Ria explains.
"Alright, you heard her, think about it, we'll see you tomorrow." Cisou pats him on his shoulder and sends him back in line. Ikustosu out of utter dismay is left the only one standing as Cisou calmly sits down as if nothing happened.
"What just happened?" Asks Ikustosu.
"We got a potential new member. . . Oh shoot look at the time, Serena we better go, makeup classes start soon." Cisou frantically gets up out of his chair. Serena follows suit, and in a few seconds they were already on their way. Serena waves back at the two of them.
"Sorry, we have to go, we'll see you tomorrow at work, bye bye." She yelled and both of them started running. Ria waves back in silence.
"Wait. . . did they even pay?" Ikustosu asks. Ria looks at him with a shock and realization on her face.
"I hope you two are gonna pay up, or else we'll have to call your parents." Behind them stood one of the staff from the coffee shop who looked awfully annoyed. Ikustosu was forced to pay for all of them and with that his monthly allowance dropped to only 34 Pall, he was as good as broke. The two left and started walking.
"So I'm going to go home early today, do you have anything you still need to do?" Ria asks her older brother.
"Hmmm. . . I have to go back to the school because 'cause some of us have to clean up what's left of the end of the year party. I guess I'll see you back home." Ikustosu smiled. His sister gave him a hug and they both said goodbye, she got on the buss and headed straight home while Ikustosu made his way towards the school. On his way he decided to buy some tokoyaki with the few pall he had on himself. Once he bought them he walked past a group of little kids posing a delinquents.
"Hey, he stole some tokoyaki!" They were out of range from the vendor but the few people who were around started shouting at him and telling him to go back and pay for them. This seemed strange to Ikustosu but on the other hand he is used to mob mentality and without a care in the world he scarfs each and very one of the tokoyaki he bought and continued his way to school.
"What's up with those guys?" He said to himself.