Mio Kojima's sneakers thumped rhythmically against the pavement as he navigated the predawn streets, a misty haze enveloping the city like a shroud. He weaved through the tangle of narrow alleyways with practiced ease, his breath forming small puffs in the chilly air. As he rounded a corner, a shimmering blur darted across his path—a cat with eyes that flickered like candle flames. Mio sidestepped, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"Watch it," he muttered under his breath, though he knew the yokai couldn't hear or care. The spectral feline paused to glance back at him, its translucent ears twitching before it vanished into a wall.
"Show-off," he scoffed, shaking his head. Mio had long grown accustomed to these spiritual interlopers; his morning runs often felt like navigating an otherworldly obstacle course that only he could see.
After a few more minutes of dodging phantom creatures that frolicked unseen by the waking world, Mio slowed to a stop outside Sayuri Izumi's house. The elegant traditional home stood out among the urban sprawl, its manicured garden bathed in the soft glow of dawn. He rapped on the gate, a rhythmic pattern they'd established as kids.
"Sayuri! You in there?" His voice echoed slightly, betraying a touch of impatience.
Inside, Sayuri was curled up beneath a quilt, her purple-black hair splayed across the pillow like spilled ink. She slumbered peacefully, surrounded by a few feline spirits that twined between the sheets, their ethereal tails curling around her limbs. The yokai purred contentedly in their sleep, their faint glow lending a serene ambience to the room.
"Sayuri!" came the call again, this time followed by a persistent clanging.
"Ugh." Sayuri's brow furrowed, and she burrowed deeper under the covers. The disturbance, however, was not from the gate but from a small boy who burst into her room.
"Big sis, Mio's here!" Her little brother, oblivious to the spectral cats, bounced excitedly at the foot of her bed.
"Five more minutes," Sayuri mumbled, barely coherent, but the boy was relentless.
"Get up, lazybones! He's been calling forever!" He tugged at the quilt with determined little hands.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up," Sayuri relented with a sigh, pushing herself into a sitting position. The cat spirits stirred, stretching languidly before dissolving into the morning light that crept through the window.
"Tell him I'll be right down," she said, rubbing the sleep from her violet eyes. Her brother nodded enthusiastically and scampered off.
"Thanks for the wake-up call, guys," she whispered to the vanishing spirits, a fond smile gracing her lips as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
"About time," Mio called out when Sayuri finally emerged, tying her hair up in a hasty ponytail. "I was about to send a search party."
"Sorry, sorry," she laughed, the musical sound a sharp contrast to Mio's feigned annoyance. "Dreamt I was a princess in a castle made of cake. It was very convincing."
"Your sweet tooth's gonna be the death of you," he teased, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Better than being chased by ghost critters every morning," Sayuri shot back with a wink, stepping out to join him.
"Touché," Mio replied, the sarcasm in his tone belying the warmth in his mismatched eyes. "Ready for another day in our supernatural slice of life?"
"Always am with you by my side," she replied, closing the gate behind her as they set off into the city, where spirits mingled with the mundane and magic lurked around every corner.
YOU ARE READING
Whispers of the Yokai
Teen FictionIn an alternate world where Yokai exist, there are special humans who are able to see them; and Mio Kojima is one of those unlucky few. At fifteen years of age, he's just started his first year of high school and is looking forward to spending a rel...
