Stuck In The Life Of A Psychic Teenage Girl

28

Snow blanketed Tokyo, muffling the usual hustle and bustle of the city. Kuriko Saiki sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, staring at a pile of unopened presents by the bed. Ginger, her pink-striped yokai cat, lounged lazily on the windowsill, flicking his tail back and forth.

"Don't you love this time of year, darling?" Ginger purred. "The joy, the laughter, the—"

"—annoyance," Kuriko finished, cutting him off.

Before Ginger could respond, Kuriko's door burst open, and Kusuke bounded in, wearing a Santa hat two sizes too big for his head. "Kuriko, Mom says to get downstairs. We're decorating the tree!"

"I'm busy," Kuriko replied flatly.

"No, you're not. You're brooding," Kusuke said, grabbing her wrist.

"Ginger, help me," Kuriko muttered, but the yokai cat just smirked.

"Sorry, darling, this one's on you," Ginger said as Kusuke dragged her downstairs.

The Great Christmas Tree Disaster

In the living room, chaos reigned. The Saiki family tree was enormous—too large for their modest living space. Kuriko's father struggled to secure it in the stand while her mother directed him with the precision of a drill sergeant.

"Asano and Sano are here to help," her mother announced cheerfully as the two boys entered, arms full of ornaments.

Kuriko groaned. "Why are they always here?"

"Because your family loves me," Sano said, plopping onto the couch with a smug grin.

"Asano invited me," he added, as if it were the most logical explanation in the world.

While her father finally managed to stabilize the tree, her mother handed Kuriko a box of tangled lights.

"Why do I have to do this?" Kuriko asked.

"Because you're good at puzzles," her mother replied.

Ginger, perched invisibly on the mantelpiece, chuckled. "Oh, this will be fun."

Kuriko sat on the floor, unraveling the mess of wires. Sano joined her, picking up a strand and immediately making it worse.

"Stop touching things," Kuriko snapped.

"I'm helping!"

"No, you're not."

Asano, meanwhile, was carefully arranging ornaments on the tree, his movements precise and calculated. "Sano, if you're going to be useless, at least stay out of the way," he said.

"Excuse me?" Sano retorted, standing up to confront him.

Before an argument could break out, Kuriko's father accidentally knocked over the tree. Everyone scrambled to catch it, resulting in a pile of tangled lights, broken ornaments, and angry glares.

"Well, that went well," Ginger said, snickering.

A Surprise Letter

After hours of cleaning up the disaster, Kuriko escaped to her room, only to find an envelope on her desk.

"Another one?" she muttered, picking it up. Ginger hopped onto the desk, his eyes narrowing.

"Careful, darling. These letters are never simple."

Kuriko tore it open and read aloud:

"Kuriko Saiki,
Congratulations on being selected for the Winter Solstice Challenge. Your task is simple: retrieve the Star of Midnight hidden in the abandoned warehouse on 7th Avenue. You have until midnight. Good luck."

Kuriko groaned. "Why me?"

"Because you're special," Ginger said with a grin. "Now, let's go!"

The Challenge

The warehouse was dark and eerily quiet, the kind of place that screamed, "Turn back!" Kuriko, however, was more annoyed than scared. Ginger floated beside her, glowing faintly in the darkness.

"Lovely ambiance," he said sarcastically.

As they ventured deeper, strange noises echoed around them—whispers, creaking floors, and the distant sound of laughter.

"Who sets these things up?" Kuriko muttered.

Suddenly, a figure darted past them. Kuriko froze, her heart pounding.

"Did you see that?"

"Relax, darling. It's just a yokai," Ginger said. "Probably a minor one."

"Define 'minor.'"

Before Ginger could answer, the whispers grew louder, and a shadowy figure appeared in front of them. Its form shifted constantly, making it hard to tell what it was.

"You have no business here," it hissed.

Kuriko sighed. "Can we just skip to the part where I win?"

The figure lunged at her, but Ginger leapt into action, his claws glowing as he swiped at it. The creature dissolved into mist, leaving behind a shimmering crystal.

"Is that it?" Kuriko asked, picking it up.

"Looks like it," Ginger replied.

As they left the warehouse, Kuriko found another envelope taped to the door. Inside was a single gold coin and a note:

"Well done. Until next time. — L.D."

A Quiet Christmas Night

Kuriko returned home to find everyone gathered around the fireplace, laughing and sharing stories.

"Where have you been?" Sano asked, looking up from his cup of hot cocoa.

"Out," Kuriko replied, sitting down beside him.

Asano handed her a mug of cocoa without a word, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before looking away.

For the first time that day, Kuriko allowed herself to relax.

"Merry Christmas, darling," Ginger whispered, curling up beside her.

Kuriko smiled faintly. "Merry Christmas."