Spring Upon the Solstice

XXX - The Story of Katsune Iharu

{ 001 }

"Hey there."

I jerk my eyes up, though they still swim with fatigue.

"You okay?"

A little girl stands above me, and she wears a red ribbon tied into a bow in her ponytail. I sense no hostility on her face. There is simply kindness and curiosity.

"I—thank you," I manage, my voice higher pitched than normal. "Who are you?"

"My mom says I'm not supposed to tell my name to strangers, so I can't say."

"That's okay."

"Why are you so hurt? Shouldn't you be with your mom?"

"I don't really have a mom."

"That sucks. Do you have a dad?"

"I guess I have the Prince of Greed."

"Your dad is the Prince of Greed?"

"Well, yes, but no. He's my—" I pause for the word, "—guardian, I think he said."

"That's kind of cool."

"He's not cool, though."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He doesn't have time for me. Like he's always busy, or something."

"Same. My mom is always busy with work. She doesn't play with me." The girl casts her eyes down, and she sits down cross-legged next to me. "Do you wanna play with me?"

"I can't. I'm not allowed to."

"Why not?"

"I have to train, they say. I have to get stronger. I'm too weak."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It's to protect the world, but I don't know what the world is like. I don't know why I have to do this."

"That's not fair."

"They say that life isn't fair."

"Well, it should be. How could they be so mean?"

"I don't really know," I say earnestly.

"Anyways," the girl with the red ribbon murmurs, "do you want to play?"

"Sure. Can I at least have your name?"

"Mom says I shouldn't give it out, but you seem cool. My name's Yumei," she beams. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm 001. Nice to meet you too."

"001? What kind of a name is that?"

"It's what they call me. Sometimes they'll say 'One' or something like that."

"Well, that's not a name. I'm not calling you by some dumb number. Don't you have, like, some other name?"

I think for a moment. "No, not really."

"Hmm. Well, maybe we should give you one. What do you think about 'Hatsune'? There was this really cool lady singer I saw online. She's like a robot but she has a human form, and she sings songs in a future where music no longer exists! Isn't that kinda cool?"

"I can't sing very well. And I don't know, it doesn't feel right."

"Okay...what about 'Kasane'? She's a different type of singer, but she's really similar to the other lady. I've seen a lot of people get upset about the difference."