The Crow's Soul and The Scarecrow's Heart (On Hiatus)

Chapter 1

I guess I should start with my name... It's Rei Atsuna. I was born in the year of the horse and I was in a family that had issues and divorced when I was a little girl. I have siblings and I have fights and get along at times like regular siblings do I suppose. I finished high school and college, but I ended up working part time until I could successfully start my life long dream as a manga artist. I soon started living on my own in a single apartment as well as having on and off relationships with the ending result of two ex-boyfriends. That is until one day I met them....

I woke up to the sound of my buzzer on my cell phone playing throughout my apartment. I turned off my alarm on my dresser. I then stretched and sat up on my bed placing my slippers on before fully standing up. I walked over to my bathroom and sighed looking at my hair that was fully messy, so much so it looked like a bird's nest. I pulled out my brush and started brushing my hair like crazy. Finally when finished, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and then brushed my teeth. I soon paused when my phone started ringing. I groaned spat in the sink and walked over to my home phone, that was sitting on my dresser, and pressed the speaker button on the unit base. "What?" I questioned "What do you mean what? Why aren't you at the office?" asked my editor, as I rolled my eyes and walked back to the bathroom. "Rei, it's our companies anniversary and I will not have you skip on this" said my editor, as I finished brushing my teeth and walked out of the bathroom. "You know I don't do crowds" I said walking towards my closet. "Rei, the companies owner will be there as well as a bunch of other people that are important to the business, you are coming" said my editor, as she hung up the phone leaving the dial tone on my phone. I ended the speaker button and sighed walking back to my closet. I got changed into my suit and sighed heavily. Another day at the office. I grabbed my purse that was on my dresser as well as my keys and walked towards my front door. I locked my apartment behind me and made my way to the elevator. I got to the main level and soon made my way to Hamura Inc. A publishing company that first started editing and publishing writers but soon moved onto manga as well. I walked up to the building and soon paused as a man in a blue suit smoking a cigarette was waiting by the side of the building.

"Running late?" he asked, as I blinked a few times. "I guess you could say that" I said trying to avoid eye contact. "Well you must be" he said, as I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" I asked, as he smirked while puffing some smoke out of his mouth. "Everyone is upstairs talking already" he said, as I narrowed my eyes at him. "And what about you?" I asked, as he smirked. "Biding my time" he said, as I sighed walking passed him. I made my way inside the building and soon walked into the elevator to the top on the 50th floor. Once the doors opened, I walked out of the elevator and stopped seeing everyone in suits and fancy dresses looking at me. "Rei" said my editor walking towards me and grabbing my arm. "It's about time" she said leading me all around introducing me to everyone. I then paused as there was a commotion near the elevator doors. As the commotion died down my editor pulled my arm towards the elevator doors. I soon stopped seeing the man from outside the building. "Rei, this is Kakashi Hatake the famous romance novelist" she said, as I looked at her blushing and making googly eyes towards Kakashi. I reached out my hand and he smirked reaching his hand out towards me. As we shook hands, he smirked towards me. "Rei Atsuna, the manga artist, it's a pleasure to finally meet you" he said, as I stopped and looked at him shocked. "You know her?" asked my editor, as Kakashi smiled. "Of course, I get a lot of material on my books thanks to some of her drawings" he said, as I narrowed my eyes. "My manga is mostly about heroics, goth, and violence" I said, as I paused when my editor nudged my arm. "I know" he said, as we both looked at him a little shocked. "Say, why doesn't Rei come over to your place sometime and get an idea of how you work, maybe it could inspire her work or you can inspire each other" said my editor, as I narrowed my eyes at her. What the hell is she thinking? "I don't mind, if Rei thinks she can get inspired to do her work by seeing how I work" he said, as I narrowed my eyes at my editor. My editor then shook Kakashi's hand and wrote down his address. We walked away and I crossed my arms glaring at her. "Don't look at me like that, this is a once in a life time opportunity. Kakashi Hatake invited you to his house" she squealed. "You mean you forced him to invite me to his house" I said, as she shrugged. "Rei, if you don't show up for this I'm letting you go" she said, as she walked towards other clients. I growled and left the building entirely. I sat down at a park bench and took off my high heels. This was really pissing me off. I soon stopped hearing my cell phone ring. I picked it up and looked at the caller I.D. reading Bro. I sighed heavily before answering. I pressed the green button and held the phone to my right ear. "What's up?" I asked, as my brother sighed. "You forgot didn't you?" he asked, as I paused and blinked a few times. "Forgot?" I questioned, as my brother sighed again. "The arranged marriage meeting" said my brother, as my face gloomed and I pressed the end call button. If anything I was going to be dragged there before I went willingly. My phone rang again and this time I ignored it. I then got up and started walking towards my favorite cafe 'Deer Cafe' the name wasn't much, but the coffee and decor was very woodsy and moderate.

I walked in and sat at my usual booth. I then smiled seeing the owners wife Yoshino Nara. A very strong woman who kept her family in gear. "Morning Rei, the usual?" she asked, as I smiled. "Please" I said, as she wrote down on her note pad and walked away. "Shikaku, the usual for the manga artist" she shouted in the back causing me to giggle a bit. "Yeah, yeah" he shouted back, as I stared out the window. "Hey Rei" shouted a voice, as I gloomed and tried hiding my face from underneath the table. "Rei, what are you doing?" asked a voice, as I sighed while sitting up seeing my artist rival Tara Pennant. A transfer from over seas who is obsessed with copying my work. I've had to change my work a couple hundred times because of her. She sat in front of me, as Yoshino placed my coffee jelly in front of me. I was about to take my spoon when Tara grabbed my coffee jelly and took a bite out of it. I glared at her, as she swallowed the spoon full of coffee jelly that was now in her mouth. "I have amazing news" said Tara smiling while taking another spoonful of jelly and put it in her mouth. "The whole manga group has been invited to see the TV romance series filming and to meet "the" Itachi Uchiha" she said swallowing her now five spoonful of my coffee jelly. I narrowed my eyes and placed my hand in a fist. "Why do I care?" I asked, as she dropped her spoon in the cup and looked at me shocked. "He's the most hottest actor of our time not to mention the romance series is Kakashi Hatake's most brilliant work" she said, as I rolled my eyes. She puffed her cheeks and gobbled down the rest of my coffee jelly causing me to growl. "Well the whole group is going the day after tomorrow" she said standing up. I glared at her, as she walked out and I sighed seeing that my now glorious treat was gobbled down by a brat. "She doesn't seem to get it does she?" asked Yoshino, as I turned my head to her and paused when she placed a new coffee jelly in front of me. "I will charge her next time she comes in and this one is on the house" she said, as I smiled while slowly savoring the coffee jelly in my mouth. I then paused when Yoshino sat in front of me. "So... your here awfully early" she said resting her head on her hand while putting her elbow on the table. I narrowed my eyes and took another spoonful of coffee jelly in front of me. "You know, when my son is quiet like that it's usually because he has so much going on he doesn't know where to start" she said, as I stopped and then sighed while swallowing. "I skipped out on my marriage meeting, forced to go to a writer's home tomorrow, and now I have to go to a live TV drama set" I said, as Yoshino smiled. "Isn't that great though, your career is trying to take off, and who cares if you missed a marriage meeting there are going to be thousands more along the way" she said, as I smiled sadly at her. In a way Yoshino was like my fairy godmother, I go to her and bad things don't seem as bad as I think they are. "So which writer?" she asked, as I paused and then told her. Everyone then jumped and looked at her screeching with hearts in her eyes. "Kakashi Hatake, the famous romance novelist. I mean not as famous as Jirayia, but still his works are classics" she said holding her face with both her hands. I sighed getting up and placed a tip for Yoshino. I walked out of the cafe and slowly made my way back to my apartment. What wasn't I getting? Why was everyone so obsessed with this? Was it because I never had a real relationship myself? Or was it simply because I drew manga instead of writing novels? Either way I wanted at least to forget today and hope that the next two days flew by.

To Be Continued...