Seven Days

Chapter One: Agreement


I can remember when I first saw him. Of course, how could I forget? He was the only one that met my gaze, back when even those that had my back wouldn’t dare. Deep, fathomless eyes; he caught my gaze and held it tight. We stared at each other, him waiting under the overhang, me perched atop an abandoned car in the alley way across the street. One hundred feet or five, I couldn’t tell. I didn’t move, not until those eyes disappeared into a taxi and drove away. Glumly, I wasted no time to dwell on him. Instead, I turned my attention back to the sniveling duo at my feet. Rival gang members, caught stealing on our turf. Nothing that really demanded my attention, but I maintained a strict policy that I be at every lesson taught. Such things a leader has to do, to prove that they were always in charge, even when they weren’t dishing out the lesson themselves.

My cell rang, and I opened in to check, not even listening to the grunts and moans and sound of breaking bones. I saw it was my sister calling, and immediately swung through the window behind me. I walked until the sounds were muffled, and answered.

“Tia? What’s wrong?”

“Sera-neechan, why aren’t you home yet? It’s a school night and you said you’d be home before eleven on school nights.” My little sister’s voice, like an angel’s, swept over me in a wave of worried cuteness. Ready to graduate middle school, she was studying furiously for her high school entrance exams, aiming for the school I attended only periodically. My cute little sister.

“Sorry Tia-chan. I’m almost done here. As soon as it’s over, I’ll catch a ride and head home, alright?”

“Alright Nee-chan. Don’t stay out too late.” I heard her yawn, and then the call was disconnected. I stared at the lit screen for a while, and then returned to the window.

“We don’t wanna kill em, just lay em out for a while. Finish up.” My ‘teacher’, Morita, looked up and grinned sadistically at me. His assistant, Takuni, turned his angelic face up as well. Both were blood splattered and breathing hard from the beating. Eyes fever bright, hair and clothes disheveled, and the satisfaction aura would have led me to believe they had each gone and had the best sex of their lives, rather than beat two people to unconsciousness. I looked at the two bodies, and motioned to Sakura, my head girl.

“Wake them up.” Everyone moved out of her way as she aimed the hose. She let loose a spray of icy water, and the two guys jerked up, sputtering and groaning and cursing. I waited as Morita and Takuni each grabbed a head by the hair, and turned their faces up to me. I didn’t wince at the battered faces, offered no remorse or sympathy.

“You two were naughty kids, and we caught you. So, like all naughty kids, you were taught your lesson. Now, we are gonna drop you somewhere you’ll get the treatment you need, and let’s not have any déjà vu moments, yeah?” I leaned on the sill, and smiled down at them, well aware that it was humorless, and possibly as cold as the pink water dripping off them. My disposal duo came forward to drag them to the nearest hospital. I made a big show of checking my watch, and announced that the night had nothing else worth my trouble. The ones who knew better chuckled and Morita gave me another grin, while Takuni smiled angelically. I left out the back of the building, and hopped on the back of a bike.

I turned it on, and waited for the driver. He came around, and grinned.

“Sure ya have to go home so soon? I’m sure I can find something interesting for you to help me with, Sera-san.” I gave him a blank stare, and he shrugged. “Suit yourself.”


I walked through the front door, and was treated to the sight of my little sister asleep on the steps leading upstairs. I stood there; just drinking in the innocence, then took my shoes off and dropped my bag to the side. I scooped her up, and carried her up the stairs to her room. Pulling back the covers on the deep purple bed, I laid her down on her back, and waited for her to twist to the side before covering her again. I looked around the room, taking in the various faerie tale paraphernalia and posters of imaginary kingdoms before looking at the schoolwork on her desk. I picked up her math, and could tell that she’d finally gotten the formulas down. I looked over the rest, and saw only marginal errors. I replaced everything, and headed back downstairs to see what there was to eat.

On the way I made a stop at mom and dad’s shrine. I stared at them for a while, knowing that if they were alive right now they’d be asking me what I was doing, running a gang and not going to school. Mom would knuckle down and I’d be dragged back onto the strait and narrow path, while dad would be covering up everything I’d ever done. Then again, if they were alive, I probably wouldn’t be doing these things anyhow.

I found some leftovers and heated them up, as well as made some miso soup. I ate in silence, finding myself thinking on those eyes. There had been no scorn, no alarm, nothing I’d seen reflected so many times in the eyes that had dared look into mine. In fact, there had been almost some possessiveness. As if I had belonged to him, and he had found me again. I stared into the soup, seeing dark eyes stare back.


“NEE-CHAAAN!!! SCHOOL!” I woke to Tia’s banging on my door, her call of warning enough to let me know that life was continuing on as usual. I rolled out of bed and pulled on my uniform. Today was graduation day, a break from school for the rest of us students. I planned to watch Tia’s grad ceremony, and then treat her to a good lunch. Catch a movie; go to the theme park, whatever she wanted. Today was her day, and I made sure my gang had known about it ahead of time.

I stared at her across the okonomiyaki table, watching her eat with gusto, the look of pleasure on her face as she found something particularly tasty.

“Where do you want to go next? That new movie is out, and the theme park is open, anywhere you want.” She smiled at me, and I smiled back. Anyone looking at us would have to wonder at our relationship, until they saw the smiles. She is brown eyed, bouncy reddish brown curls, and proper school attire. I have straight black hair and dark blue eyes, so dark they almost look purple. My uniform is in disarray, and I have chains and bracelets and a colored bandana showing that I’m a gang member. Then we smile, and immediately we transform from strangers to sisters. I stood, and paid the tab while she finished her drink.

We left the shop, and headed down the street. Tia was telling me all about her school, and how she’ll miss this teacher, and what that student did when a girl he’d secretly has a crush on suddenly confessed to him. Which students cried, which ones were mobbed by other students, all the things a typical student sees and enjoys. I stopped to get her an ice, and my life changed drastically, just like when my parents died.

The screech of tires was the first thing I heard, next was a sound I’m familiar to; a body slamming into the ground. I whipped around, and there was my sweet little sister, lying on the pavement in front of a car. Her leg was at an odd angle, and I could tell it was broken. I couldn’t tell if she had any more injuries, but she was unconscious, and that meant she might have head trauma. I jumped over the hood of the car to the panicking driver, and dragged him out of the car. When he kept blubbering, I smacked him to get his attention. When I had it, I demanded he call an ambulance, and pay for the medical expenses.

I dropped him, but didn’t move away until he was on his cell, calling the police. I walked to Tia, and knelt beside her. I took hold her hand, careful to not move her anymore than that. I couldn’t feel my face, my body completely numb, and I focused on feeling her pulse, beating steadily under my fingers. When the ambulance arrived, I didn’t fight to ride with her, I just made sure the police knew who did it, then ran before they got around to asking me questions that would end up with me spending some time behind bars.


The steady beep of the heart monitor told me what I couldn’t feel for myself; that her heart was still beating. The hospital staff had been reluctant to let me in, much less even let me donate some of my blood for her. When I heard her kidney had ruptured and they needed a donor, I told them to take mine. I think the final say actually belongs to Tia, though. She had woken up, and reached for me, calling my name, then fell unconscious again. After that, the doctors had to let me stay; on the condition I not touch anything.

I was sitting with my legs drawn up, chin on my knees, when I saw him again. He was standing at the door, leaning on the frame, and smiling at me. I noticed his hair then. It was a deep, dark red. It was messy and fell to brush his shoulders in a casual cut. He was dressed like a business man or a white-collar stiff in that black suit, and for a moment I thought he was the driver’s lawyer, about to tell me I couldn’t scare his client into paying for the medial bills. I glared at him, not about to be told that my sister’s bills weren’t going to be paid by the guy who caused them.

“I can see that you’re not really up to talk, so you can listen while I go ahead.” He came inside, and shut the door. Leaning against it, he kept his eyes on me, eyes that have been haunting me since I first saw them.

“The driver was a drunk, and had fallen asleep; he doesn’t have the money to pay for the booze that got him in this situation, never mind the hospital bills. Your parents had left you girls a sizable fortune, but other than to pay for school and utilities, you can’t touch it until you turn 18. So, your sister’s bills aren’t going to be paid, and the hospital will soon find that out, unless you agree to a little business deal.” I stared at him, and to my shame, felt tears start to form. Unless I could come up with money fast, the hospital will evict me and my sister, and we will be in debt to them for the surgeries they’ve already performed. I stared at her sleeping face, unable to imagine me going on without her. As is, the only reason I ran with the gang was to protect her and where we lived, if I hadn’t we would have been prey to them a long time ago, and if she were gone, what reason would I have for living? I did everything for her.

I hadn’t noticed he’d moved until a gentle hand was pulling my face up, and a white handkerchief was wiping the tears away. I looked up into calm eyes, and finally heard the last part of what he’d said.

“What business deal?” He smiled.

“I will pay for the hospital bills, and keep the two of you safe for the rest of your lives, on one condition. You, Sera, you marry me.” I started. He wanted to WHAT?! He sighed, and sat in the chair across from me. I stared at him, my sister’s heart monitor the only sound in the room for a while.

“What?” He leaned back and studied me.

“I want you to marry me. Immediately. Your job as a wife will be to mind my house and keep me happy, at least when your sister’s life allows it. When she marries or turns 18, you will come live with me exclusively. Until then, I will protect and take care of you and her as my ability allows.” I bit my lower lip.

“You only have 20 minutes, give or take, until the doctor in charge finds out about the financial situation. Better decide quickly.” I glared at him, and then looked at my sister on the bed. I closed my eyes, and made up my mind. I looked him dead on.

“You got yourself a deal.”