On another day at school, Keomi would sit down near the cherry tree. The wind would blow through her hair as she ate her lunch. She looked down at the grass and saw small ants going across the grass, she stared at them before getting a grain of rice from her lunch and dropping it in front of them. She watched the ants carry the rice away, a smile growing across her face.
Sometimes a grain is all you need to tip the scales in favor of a better day.
"Humility..." said an echoey voice, Keomi's eyes widened as she then turned around to the source and saw nothing. She stood up and backed up leaving her food at the base of the tree. She'd accidentally bumped into someone before then bowing as an apology. The student nodded as they walked away. Keomi's mind went to several different possibilities, but she'd shake it off. Later on in the day, Keomi would be in class writing down the teachings being taught. During that time, she'd once again be met with a voice-
"Compassion..." said the echoey voice. Keomi's head shot up as she looked around once again. She looked behind her subtly and then ahead of her, but nothing. No one seemed to have tried to talk to you. She had no idea what to think as she kept her attention on class. After class, she'd meet with Taga at the back of the school where she would see Taga wearing a kitsune mask.
"Woah! That's a cool mask!" Keomi said with sparkles in her eyes.
"Right? I got it yesterday, figured it'd help us in figuring out some more about the spiritual flow going through this school." Taga said. "Spiritual flow?" Keomi asked.
"Yeah, also called SF, by yours truly. It's just like a divine feeling or sense you can get in certain areas or environments. Mainly in places that have a lot of bad history or even good." Taga said. Keomi nodded, she was a bit hesitant to do so, but she decided to tell Taga about the voices anyway.
"Hey Taga, I wanted to tell you that I've been hearing...voices." Keomi said. Taga then froze as she slowly took off her mask showing her face painted with suspense and surprise. "...Are you pulling my leg?" Asked Taga as she grabbed Keomi's shoulder.
"No of course not, I am-"
"YES!" shouted Taga as she then jumped up and ran around the place, Keomi's head followed her as she jumped, rolled and even did a flip, and failed, all over the place.
"Ok ok ok, I'm calm now, tell me what happened?" Taga asked as she sat on the grass with Keomi then did the same.
"Well, it all started when I gave a cute string of ants a grain of rice. Then I heard it again when I was in class today, it was strange." Keomi said. Taga nodded as she began to open her book and go through the contents. "Ok, and what did the voices say?" Taga asked, "Mmmm, I think it said happiness? No, it was humility and then compassion later." Keomi said.
"AH HA!" Taga said as she pressed her finger on a page in her book. "What?" Keomi asked.
"This is the cause of an Onigiri-Yokai! And before you get a bit concerned, Yokai aren't all bad." Taga said. "I-I knew that." Keomi said to which Taga raised an eyebrow, Keomi's face got embarrassed as her head fell a bit.
"Ok, I didn't know that." said Keomi said bashfully. Taga smirked as she then showed her a picture of a pig in samurai armor and eating some onigiri. Keomi looked at it with amazement. "Wow, nice drawing." Keomi said.
"Thank the internet." Taga said. "Oh." Keomi said.
"Onigiri-Yokai are known to share rice balls and give them to others, they also follow a very strict samurai code. But mainly share rice balls. Your sharing of rice may have gotten the attention of one." Taga said.
"So how do we see it? or how do we communicate more with it?" Keomi asked. Taga tapped on her chin before snapping her fingers once an idea popped into her head. "We make a whole slew of rice balls to give people at school, getting us on the yokai's good side and maybe getting us closer to the more spiritual nature of the school." Taga said with a wide smile. Keomi nodded as the two then got up and jumped up giving each other a high five!
"YAY!" they both shouted as they landed. "There is one thing that's still running around in my head though Keomi." Taga said. "Hm?" Keomi asked.
"How did you hear these voices? It just seems so...strange. I've never heard any of these before and I've been doing this for years." Taga asked, but Keomi had no answer to that. Keomi didn't know how to answer and didn't know how it could happen. She knew for certain she had heard a voice, but to explain would make it sound...odd.
"It just...happened?" Keomi said as she shrugged. She was hoping that Taga would take this well. Taga looked at her with a bit of a confused expression and almost a bit of disappointment. Taga then took a breath and placed her hands on Keomi's shoulders. She then gave her a wide smile.
"That's okay, sometimes things do just happen. We should act fast then think slow." Taga said with a smile as she then patted her shoulder and picked up her kitsune mask.
"So, you have a good kitchen?" Taga asked, Keomi smiled as the two then later arrived at Keomi's home where her mother was fixing the sink. Keomi would close the door behind them as Taga entered behind her. "Hello mom! I'm home with a friend!" Keomi said as Mrs.Hollow then immediately shot up and blitzed over to the door nearly spooking Taga as she arrived.
"Welcome to our home! I'm Keomi's mother, but Mrs.Hollow will do just fine! So glad to finally meet Keomi's friend, she talks about you a lot." Mrs.Hollow said as she bowed with Taga doing the same.
"Ah, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here." Taga said with a wide smile. "Mom you're making me seem like a stalker." Keomi said as her mother just laughed as she walked away.
"Well make yourselves comfortable, I was getting ready to start making some rice. Oh, Keomi your father will be working late today again." Mrs.Hollow said. "Okay, hope he gets back safe." Keomi said as her and Taga took off their shoes and walked inside. As they did Mrs.Hollow would fill up Rusty's bowls of food.
"RUSTY! Dinner time!" Mrs.Hollow shouted, That was when Taga would hear heaven, the sound of a collar and paws coming down the stairs. Her eyes would grace a beautiful and drooling sight. Rusty coming down the stairs. Her eyes lit up at such a beautiful and furry sight.
"Never...Never have I felt such euphoria and joy as I do now. If the earth itself were to implode and explode spontaneously. I could die happy with this sight in my eyes now." Taga thought calmly, before completely losing her mind and getting on her knees with arms spread.
"OH MY GOD! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL POOCHIES! Oh who's a good boy, yes you are! Oh yes you are!" Taga said as Rusty saw the two girls and walked over to them. "Yes oh come here you little bundle of fluff!" Taga said...only for Rusty to walk past her and got to Keomi.
"Hi Rusty, been a good boy. I bet you have. Such a good boy." Keomi said as she pets Rusty. Taga stood there frozen, her face still holding a smile. Keomi giggled as she then went to one of the end tables in her home and went to a jar filled with dog treats. She walked over to Taga who looked to her.
"Here, he loves these. He tends to come to new people, but sometimes a little treat will get him going." Keomi said as Taga took the treat and that would be when Rusty would come over and begin to play with Taga who also did the same. Keomi smiled as she walked to the kitchen where her mom was at.
"Hey mom I have a favor." Keomi said. "What is it sweetheart?" asked Mrs.Hollow.
"Well, me and Taga wanted to know if would be okay to make a small thing of rice balls for people at school." Keomi said. Mrs.Hollow looked at her for a moment.
"Its for spiritual research." Keomi whispered as her mother nodded.
"Well, I would do anything to help out a cause, especially to the famous spiritual investigators." Mrs.Hollow said as she hugged Keomi who hugged her back.
"Thanks mom." she said. Keomi then walked over and began to play with Rusty with Taga, the day now complete.