Hope ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 6: Beauty in the Rocks

There's something there.

Those words have been ringing through my ears since my talk with Yato yesterday. There's something there? Of course, there's something there. I tell myself. After all, what normal person sees this stuff? And seeing it I am. Most of them are small, but they're there. Little creatures that lurk in dark corners. Once upon a time ago I took medicine to avoid seeing them, but I ran out and I've been too busy to refill the prescription. So, I see them more.

However, I've noticed a difference from being in Nora versus everywhere else. In Nora, the phantoms are smaller with few and far in between. In places like Tokyo and such, they come in vast sizes -anywhere from the size of a small dog to a large plane. There are so many types, species, and colors. No two are completely identical. That said, all bring a certain fear to mind.

Diabolical creatures with malicious intentions, they are. They prey and feast upon the despair of people. They use their misfortune against them and devour their hopes. An evil like that is something I can't merely ignore. So, yeah, I'm afraid of them. I'm afraid they'll try to do the same to me. I guess that's why I haven't ventured to Tokyo recently. It's safer here in Nora.

That alone is sad and difficult for me to admit. I love Tokyo. I love the buildings. I love the hustle and bustle. I love the smells of the city. I love the people. I love everything about it. Between Nora and Tokyo, I prefer the limelight of the macro city over the calm waters of the micro village. However, despite my longing to be there, I want to protect myself from those things.

So, I ignore them. I live each day with a sense of normality, always avoiding turning my head at the sight of a shadow in the corner of my eyes. I keep facing forward, always keeping a tight grip on my bag's strap in constant fear of one moving toward me. Each day is spent cowering; however, I still can't shake mine and Yato's talk.

A demigod. It still doesn't feel real. Although it hasn't been confirmed, even thinking I could be such a thing seems outrageous. I always thought I was just a normal girl. Well, a normal girl who saw things that other people couldn't see. In the eyes of science and medicine, I was just sick...I could still just be sick. Yato said it himself--he's not sure if I'm a demigod or mentally unwell. All he knows is that I see what I should not.

And that's all I know too.

Feeling slightly defeated by my own thoughts, I exhale haggardly, watching as the waves roll back and forth against the shore. Of all the things I love about Tokyo, there is one thing I couldn't find. A scenic view like this located on a quiet beach. And it's true. As the ocean does her dance, I become mesmerized by her moves. Majestic. That's the only way to describe it. Majestic and serene. And as the warm breeze runs her fingers through my hair, blowing my loose strands in multiple directions, I try to lose myself in the wind.

I try to lose myself in the oceanic lullaby, feeling the sun's embrace swaddle me and the waves continuously crash against the shore. Birds sing in the distant as the gale blows muffled calls. All is calm. All is peaceful. All is beautiful. So, I lift my camera to my eye and begin to snap pictures.

It's the only thing that can distract me right now. Busying every part of myself--my hands, my eyes, my mind--that's what I need right now. It works. A tad. Just a little. In the end, my hands and eyes are busier than my mind.

"I figured I'd find you here," a soothing voice says.

I know the voice, causing me to turn. Approaching me is Mr. Sui. My all too kind landlord and boss. As usual, he is dressed in a pair of gray slacks and a well-pressed button-down shirt, which is neatly tucked into his trousers. His peppered hair is styled fashionably for a man his age, those dark eyes of his filled with so much kindness as he flashes a warm smile.