"Well, that's good enough for me," I mutter, turning back to the stars.
I try to lose myself in the sky, thinking about what it would be like to be anywhere but here. But before I can finish my imaginary escape plan, I hear it them. The unmistakable sound of children laughing and yelling. Of course, it's those kids. The ones who make it their mission to remind me, on a daily basis, that I'm the "cursed fire demon" of Sorasei Village.
I roll my eyes and pretend I didn't hear them. Maybe if I ignore them, they'll magically disappear. Spoiler alert: they don't.
"Hey, freak!" one of them shouts, loud enough for half the village to hear. "Set anything on fire lately?"
Oh, great. Here we go.
I stand up slowly, brushing the dirt off my clothes. There they are a group of about six or seven of them, standing a safe distance away, like I'm some kind of rabid animal that might attack at any moment. They've got that annoying, smug look on their faces, like they're so clever for picking on the cursed kid. Real original, guys.
"Why don't you go burn down another house?" says the ringleader, a boy named Sota, who's about as charming as a pile of manure. He's the one who usually leads the pack when it comes to bullying me. Mostly because he's the loudest, and the others are too stupid to come up with their own insults.
"Why don't you shut your mouth before I decide to roast you?" I snap back, flashing him a grin that I know makes him nervous. It's not hard to scare these kids they've heard all the stories about me. How I supposedly burned down the house the day I was born, how the fire magic is dangerous and unpredictable.
Honestly, I could set him on fire if I wanted to. But that would require effort, and he's not worth it.
Sota hesitates for a second, then puffs out his chest, trying to act tough. "You don't scare me, demon girl!"
Demon girl. Really? That's the best he can come up with? I've heard more creative insults from barn animals.
I sigh dramatically. "Look, if you're going to insult me, at least try to be original. 'Demon girl' is getting old. Maybe something like 'Flame Queen' or 'Fire Witch'? You know, something that shows a little effort."
The other kids giggle nervously, but Sota glares at me like I just insulted his entire family. "Shut up! We're not scared of you!"
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
I take a slow step toward them, and like clockwork, they all take a step back. Cowards. I guess the rumors are stronger than their courage. I can feel the heat building in my palms not enough to actually set anything on fire, just enough to make them think I might.
"Maybe I should show you what happens when you make me mad," I say, letting the flames flicker just a little. Their eyes widen, and I can practically see the panic setting in.
"I-I'm not scared!" one of the younger kids squeaks, though he's clearly shaking in his boots.
"Sure you're not," I say, taking another step forward. The flames dance between my fingers, and now they're all backing up, tripping over themselves to get away from me.
Sota tries to hold his ground, but even he looks like he's about to wet himself. "Stop it!" he yells, his voice cracking. "You're a freak!"
I smirk. "And you're a coward."
That's all it takes. Sota turns and bolts, and the rest of the group follows, scrambling over each other to get as far away from me as possible. I watch them run, disappearing into the distance, and let the flames die out in my hands.
"Works every time," I mutter, turning back to the dirt patch where I'd been sitting. It's almost too easy to scare them at this point. You'd think they'd learn by now, but nope. Every day, it's the same routine: they call me names, I threaten to set them on fire, and they run away screaming.
Maybe I should feel bad about it. But honestly? I don't. Not even a little.
As I sit back down, I hear a rustle behind me. For a split second, I think the kids might've come back for round two, but when I turn around, I see it's just old man Hiroshi, the village blacksmith. He's standing there, arms crossed, giving me that same look he always gives me. The one that says, "Why are you still here?"
"Scaring the kids again, Yukari?" he says, his voice gruff but not unkind. At least, not as unkind as the others.
"Just giving them what they deserve," I say with a shrug.
Hiroshi shakes his head. "You know, you keep doing that, and one of these days, someone's going to get hurt."
"Good," I say, grinning. "Maybe then they'll leave me alone."
He chuckles, but it's a humorless sound. "You're a handful, kid. Just don't burn down my shop, alright?"
I roll my eyes. "I'm not gonna burn anything down, Hiroshi."
"Sure, sure," he says, turning to leave. "Just remember what I said."
I watch him walk away, then look back up at the sky. The stars are still there, as cold and distant as ever. Kind of like the people in this village. They all think I'm some kind of walking disaster, just waiting to destroy everything. It doesn't matter that I haven't set anything on fire in years they've already made up their minds about me.
And honestly? I'm getting real tired of it.
The next day is more of the same. The villagers avoid me like I'm a plague, the kids throw their usual insults, and I scare them off with a flicker of flame. It's a routine at this point, and I'm bored out of my mind.
By midday, I'm sitting by the village well, lazily tracing patterns in the dirt with my finger. A shadow falls over me, and I look up to see one of the village women Mina, I think her name is. She's glaring at me like I just set her favorite dress on fire.
"Don't you have anything better to do than sit around and cause trouble?" she snaps.
I blink up at her, pretending to think about it. "Nope, not really."
She huffs. "You're a menace, Yukari. If you had any sense, you'd leave this village and never come back."
I give her my sweetest smile. "If I had any sense, I'd have set it on fire by now."
Mina gasps, clutching her chest like I just threatened to burn her alive. Which, for the record, I didn't. Not out loud, anyway.
"You—!" she sputters, but before she can finish, I stand up, brushing off my pants.
"Relax, I'm kidding," I say, though I'm not sure she believes me. "Mostly."
With that, I walk away, leaving her standing there, mouth open like a fish. It's almost too easy to get under their skin. They're all so scared of me, and for what? A few flames? Big deal.
I head back toward the edge of the village, my usual spot where I can watch the sky and pretend I'm somewhere else. Somewhere where people don't hate me for existing. Somewhere where I'm more than just the cursed fire girl.