JC: My contribution for the #MISAWADAY 2K17. A Misawa God AU inspired by CLAMP's XXXholic. I've recently caught up with XXXholic and got inspired to write this. I wish I could submit more works for each day, but time and IRL work wouldn't just let me.

Only The Inevitable

He first noticed it when he was four.

His ball broke the neighbor's window, and he got scolded when he got it back. The next day, a fire broke out and destroyed his neighbor's home, burning the residents along with it. The fire started in the exact same spot where his baseball landed.

When the little league coach of his baseball team patted his head and complimented him, he got into a car accident while on his way home from practice. The lady he bumped into the supermarket committed suicide the next day. The kids who bullied him for weeks eventually suffered severe injuries on the day of their field trip.

Sometimes it happened instantly, sometimes not. But every person he'd ever allowed to get close to him had either died or got hurt. By talking to people, touching them, getting involved with them, he unwillingly leads others to a path of misfortune. It was a never-ending nightmare from which he couldn't escape.

He didn't like it when people get hurt, yet people tend to get hurt around him.

There were no malicious spirits haunting him. No occults or black magic. He didn't possess any sort of special power either. Kazuya Miyuki was simply a normal boy who brings disaster to others, except for his parents.

And then his mother died. An illness was the cause. But he couldn't help but wonder if it was because of him…

Time moved on, ignorant of his problems, and pain became a memory.

0000

He was fresh out of elementary school when they moved.

Instead of skyscrapers there were trees. He could see farms and vegetation. Tokyo was nothing more but a ghost behind them. Their old apartment now replaced by a crooked two-story Japanese house isolated from the rest. No nosy neighbors to bother them from a mile away.

He clutched the pendant against his chest. It was a sterling silver key with a cubic zirconia embedded in the center. A memento of his mother.

It was better this way, he told himself.

Three days after their move, an old man happened on him practicing his swings in the front yard. He was such a friendly man, and Miyuki almost felt bad for avoiding him. Days later, death came and claimed his life.

His father said it was due to heart failure, but he wasn't convinced.

And so, he spent his days hiding, isolated in a room with an intense fear of human contact.

0000

He refused to attend school.

A new school year meant new possibilities. But those possibilities meant more misfortune.

His father did not force him, but Miyuki felt bad.

Days turned to weeks. And then, one day, he met a boy.

It was early in the morning when he decided to swing his bat.

Oh, how he longed to play baseball again with a team. He missed the risk and adventure of being a catcher, the sheer fun of game calling and striking out batters like it was nobody's business; the thrill of swinging a bat and running from base to base. His heart ached so much for the need to be on the field again. But baseball was just a dream now.

And he had all this pent-up energy waiting to burst. Swinging his bat was one way to release it. He didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him since the sun wasn't up—

"Hmm…So you play baseball."

Miyuki found himself holding his breath as he saw a pair of sharp eyes staring straight at him. A boy stood there on the other side of the fence, dressed in a black hoodie and dark blue sweats. Dark green was the color of his spiky hair.

"The way you swing shows training. Didn't peg you as a baseball idiot, but, hey, to each their own." The boy gave out a grin. "Anyway, you've been MIA for two weeks. What, you too cool for our school, city boy?" The words were mocking, but the look in his eyes was somewhat amused. "The name's Kuramochi Youichi by the way. You're Miyuki Kazuya, right?"

At loss for words, Miyuki dropped his bat, ran back into the house, and pressed his back against the door.

The boy, Kuramochi, just stared, dumbfounded and confused. "What a weirdo…"

When the boy finally left, Miyuki sank to the floor, burying his face in his knees.

0000

A pile of notebooks and papers were shoved into his arms the next day. Imagine his surprise to see the boy from yesterday looking fine and unharmed.

"Sensei told me to bring them," Kuramochi said with a shrug. "A real chore if you ask me, but since I live nearby, I got picked by default…" There was frustration on his face.

Miyuki hesitated. "You really don't have to do this."

Kuramochi raised a brow in skeptical expression. "Then just to school already."

"I…can't…"

"You can't? Or you won't?"

Silence.

After a moment, Kuramochi sighed. "I'm sure you've got your reasons. And maybe they're pretty complicated for me to understand. But I have breaking news for you, four-eyes: Life is too short not to live it up a little." Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and left, leaving Miyuki to ponder over his words.

0000

In the following days, Miyuki's astonishment was monumental.

Despite his tough façade, Kuramochi was a reliable classmate and he'd pay Miyuki a visit every day without fail and without any incidents. Little by little, they got to talk, and gradually, polite nods led to slight banters and then to witty conversations. They realized they didn't get along much, but some things changed a bit after their first catch ball together.

In a few weeks they'd become friends, and before long, meeting for late dinner, homework, or practice at Kazuya's had become a routine.

Miyuki never thought someone shorter than him could be such a goddamn brute with wrestling moves. Then again, Kuramochi never expected Miyuki to turn out to be a sadistic asshole either.

Yet Kuramochi continued his days with him.

For the first time in a long while Miyuki felt happy.

0000

The stares were as uncomfortable as the whispers, and yet Miyuki just stood there soundlessly after introducing himself to class. It wasn't a surprise really, considering his number of absences. The class wasn't particularly cold, but they weren't considerably welcoming either.

Only Kuramochi welcomed him with a smug grin. And once Miyuki was seated right behind him, he slapped a piece of paper on his desk. "Fill this up and give it to me when you're done."

Miyuki looked down, reading 'Baseball Club Application Form.' He couldn't hold back a grin as he pulled out his pen.

With the tragedies of misfortune now behind him, Miyuki moved forward with time on the path he has chosen.

Days became weeks. Weeks became months. Months became years.

0000

A scout came one day, telling them that she chanced upon one of their games last summer. A bespectacled beauty with brown hair, she spoke of Tokyo and a powerhouse team, and eventually extended an invitation.

Seido was the school, one of the best in West Tokyo, even though they have not successfully reached Nationals for years.

Kuramochi was ecstatic. Miyuki was thankful.

"I never would have predicted that my little out of town trip could lead me to discover you two. Such an amazing coincidence indeed," she mused, elegant hand adjusting the frame of her glasses.

Miyuki clutched the pendant against his chest. There were no such things as coincidences. He often heard this from his mother and thought nothing much of it. But he wanted to believe.

0000

Fresh out of middle school, Miyuki and Kuramochi settled into Seido steadily. Baseball practice was hell, the coaches were strict, and the seniors were demanding. Nevertheless, they didn't run away, they didn't stop, and didn't refuse either. By the end of spring, the two had greatly improved and earned their place in the first string.

When their first summer came, Seido broke through all rounds and eventually got to the semi-finals where they had to face Inashiro Industrial High, the reigning king of Tokyo. The starting players, including Kuramochi, were in tiptop shape. The game was so intense and exciting, and soon Miyuki felt an irresistible urge to play.

I want to play in this game…

And then, in the sixth inning, their third-year catcher sustained an injury on his right knee after he jumped in the air, trying to catch a relay throw on a two-run double. He was helped off the field by the medical staff, and was unable to put any weight on the leg.

Miyuki stood in the bullpen completely stunned by what had happened. Did the injury happen because he wanted to play? Did he unintentionally wish for his senior to get injured so he could play? No, that can't be. Such coincidence—

But coincidences were just illusions of the human mind. What happened just now was…

A hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his reverie.

"Miyuki, you're up." It was Kuramochi.

Miyuki masked his fears with false gaiety and a statistical optimism: this sort of thing was almost programmed. "Let's get cracking then."

But the damage didn't just end with their third-year catcher. Miyuki could only watch helplessly behind the plate as the team suffered a domino effect of misfortune. An outfield collision forced the left fielder and center fielder out of the game, and a wrist injury compelled them to switch out their ace pitcher. In addition to that, a female spectator got seriously injured when a bat spun out of control and the opposing team's shortstop had to retire due to a sprain.

In spite of all that, the game continued. In the end, Inashiro won by a landslide.

0000

Nothing else happened afterwards, as if it was just one big nightmare.

His injured seniors and the rival shortstop recovered just fine, the female spectator got discharged, and everything went back to normal.

Miyuki thought that maybe it had been one big coincidence.

Following the retirement of the seniors and Miyuki's promotion as starting catcher, they went on to play at the Tokyo Fall Tournament and managed to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Houmei High. After the grueling winter camp training, Seido participated in the Tokyo Metropolitan Spring Tournament and lost to Ichidaisan in the semifinals.

Up until this point, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Then came the injury bug. It plagued the team all summer until their lost to Inashiro for the second year in a row. Miraculously, only he and Kuramochi were unharmed.

His hand shook slightly as he clutched the pendant to his chest. Stabs of sheer terror and worry began to find cracks in his carefully schooled façade, only now Miyuki felt more able to handle them.

Indifferent to his problems, time went on.

0000

He'd seen three springs in high school now. A lot of things happened in that time.

While the team may be dealing with their fair share of offensive lineup issues, that hasn't seemed to damper their drive. And even though several players on this team found themselves out of the lineup with injuries, the other players stepped up and did their job.

After all, this was Seido.

Now on his last year of high school, Miyuki wanted to be voracious about winning.

Unfortunately, fate threw another curveball at him.

Norifumi Kawakami, always so meek and pleasant, was a hardworking teammate just like the rest, prepared to fight and strike out batters when the order was given. Everyone acknowledged him.

And this time misfortune befell on him. It was on a hot summer day at the end of Golden Week when it happened.

A line drive off the bat of Teito's cleanup, and Kawakami fell to the ground immediately.

He was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery to stop the bleeding.

It was scary.

A scary moment for the pitcher, a scary moment for the team, a scary moment for baseball.

Guilt-ridden, Teito's cleanup bowed deeply and apologized.

But Miyuki felt that he should be the one apologizing.

Once again he was assaulted with the same old question that has haunted him for years… Am I bad luck?

There was something in him that said he didn't want to know the answer.

0000

Then one night, while he was trying to take his mind off his troubles, misfortune smiled upon him.

On that night, the moon hung in the sky like a great, white pearl.

Although he was athletic, he was no match against three men. They had expressed interest in his accessory. The pendant was a gift from his mother. There was no way he could give it to them.

Bruised ribs, broken arm, he was truly busted from head to toe. His fate was to soon end up in a hospital.

One of them hit his legs with a metal bat. His legs gave out, his ankle twisting, knees scraping as he crumpled down to the ground. Their dreadful laughter filled the air around them. He watched as the guy raised his bat. This really sucked. Even though it was supposed to be a relaxing day for him, not one good thing had happened to him.

All of a sudden, there was a flash of light, followed by the sick wet crunch of flesh and bones. The delinquents fell, dropping like sacks of potatoes. A guy in yellow parka and jeans, as unmoving as a standing stone, stood amidst the unconscious bodies, settling into his line of sight.

Realization quickly set in. He had just been saved.

"You risked your life just because of a pendant? Are you stupid?"

Golden eyes glowed and glared at him like drills, and Miyuki's breath caught in his throat.

Blue-white moonlight glinted on his slender face, highlighting the striking symmetry of his features and his flawless luminescent skin. His unruly, brown hair glossed stunningly, tresses like expensive silk, with light shining like a halo. At that moment, Miyuki was no longer certain that he was human, for the bright flames burned through his eyes.

The only thought Miyuki could muster up that he looked beautiful. Yes, he'd never seen anything so beautiful, so ephemeral and otherworldly.

It felt like he was an angel sent from heaven.

At that point, no matter how trivial it may seem, a bond has been formed.

0000

Miyuki faded in and out of consciousness the entire night. At one point he could have sworn he was flying, and thought that maybe he had died. He started thinking of excuses for his mother before slipping back into nothingness. Later on, he realized it was all quiet around him. He no longer felt cold and something warm was covering him. He burrowed into it, inhaling the sweet, summer scent—a smell he'd associate with comfort.

A few hours later, when he finally came to his senses, he bolted upright, eyes flying open, and immediately flinched as pain spiked through his skull. His hand moved to his head and he rubbed his temple with his fingers. He closed his eyes tightly and rubbed them, too. If this was how hangovers felt like, he swore never to get wasted once he becomes legal.

When he opened his eyes, he spotted his glasses on a small table. Once he slipped them on, he noticed a light-blue fabric enclosing his wrist. It was a sleeve. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was dressed in pajamas.

Wondering where he was, Miyuki scanned his surroundings. It was a traditional Japanese room furnished with tatami mats, cushions and scrolls. The shoji doors were hand-painted with incredible cherry blossoms.

Taking this all in, Miyuki realized that this was definitely not his dorm room and the fact he shouldn't be wasting time checking out the place. He had no idea where he was or how he even ended up there. The last thing he remembered was a pair of mesmerizing golden eyes before a swirling darkness took him away.

Did that guy from last night bring him here?

He tried to remember his features, almost desperately attempting to recall his charming face. His memory was blurry, but he knew that his savior was beautiful.

Another realization suddenly sank in. There was no pain.

He took in a deep breath, steeling his resolve, and then tossed the cover aside. He examined himself in the mirror. His skin was still a little off in color, but his bruises and injuries were all healed. There wasn't even a scar. He was starting to wonder if he was still dreaming or if last night had been a dream. But then that wouldn't explain his reason for spending the night in an unknown house. He had no business here.

Okay, before anything else, clothes…

Much to his surprise, his black shirt and jeans were neatly folded on the table, his wallet, cellphone and belt resting on top of it. He picked up his wallet and snapped it open. Money was still intact, Suica card was there, and his ID too. Nothing was missing. Well, at least his savior wasn't some thief.

He checked his phone. About twenty missed calls and a whole lot of text messages from Kuramochi. It'd be hell to explain later.

He knew it was only polite to thank whoever saved him, so quickly he changed into his clothes and headed out of the room. He climbed down the stairs and navigated what it seemed to be like a Japanese mansion. The place was huge and old-fashioned yet well-maintained, kind of like the houses tourists would like to take a gander at. He made quick work of the first floor before reaching the genkan, where he only found his shoes.

He let out a long-suffering sigh. "Guess nobody's home… Should I just leave or wait? But something might happen to his house if I stay here any longer…" He raised a hand to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt. Then he suddenly froze, eyes widening, and patted his chest. He looked down at himself and felt dread wash over him.

His pendant was gone.

Not just any pendant, but the one his mother gave him; the last thing she gave him before she passed away. Miyuki frantically searched his clothes from head to toe, but found no pendant. What if it fell somewhere? What if someone had taken it?

He felt desperation tearing its way to the surface. He needed to get the pendant back. He could never find a substitute for his mother's last gift for him.

"You look like you lost something important."

A sly voice caught Miyuki's attention and his eyes discovered that the owner was someone with pink hair. Soft pink like cherry blossoms had colored his short hair, with bangs covering his forehead, and his eyes reminded Miyuki of a sly fox. He was short, petite, yet quite good-looking with smooth pale skin and nice bone structure. He wore a v-neck yellow sweater over a white oxford, and faded grey pants.

His recent dilemma had somehow distracted him from perceiving his surroundings. He certainly didn't notice this fine-looking young man making his entrance. But Miyuki sensed something dangerous about his smile.

"What exactly did you lose?" he asked Miyuki, his voice like silk, his expression betraying nothing.

Miyuki suddenly felt this ridiculous urge to run away. He couldn't pinpoint exactly how this pink-haired fox-like guy could strike fear in him. After a moment of silence, Miyuki replied, "A pendant and it's really important to me."

"Important enough to get beat up?" The pink head chuckled with sophisticated mirth.

Confused, Miyuki stared at him, arching one dark brow.

"Really, you humans tend to cling to sentimental items for a multitude of reasons—one being simply to honor the memory of a loved one. In your case, that would be your mother. She was such a lovely soul, but the world is cruel as it is beautiful. Losing your mother at such a young age has been difficult for you, hasn't it, Miyuki Kazuya?"

Miyuki's eyes widened in astonishment. The way the guy was referring to humans and talking as if he knew him and his mother. And there was something cold and dark in his smile now, which was enough to send chills down Miyuki's spine.

A chuckle escaped those devilish lips. "I'm not a stalker or anything along those lines, mind you… Your mother spoke often of you whenever I visited. People aren't meant to really like me, but she was kind of peculiar. She had always welcomed me with a smile."

Miyuki blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"Perhaps he has it… Your pendant I mean."

"You mean the guy who brought me here?"

The stranger gave Miyuki a mysterious smile. "There's a garden outside. He's probably pitching right now."

Miyuki blinked. "Huh?"

"Good luck," was the last thing the stranger said before he disappeared into the house.

0000

Needless to say, Miyuki was impressed with the mansion from outside. It was a beautiful, large, traditional Japanese house. The garden had a well-manicured landscape complete with flowering plants, and bonsai trees. The sound of trickling water and the sight of koi friskily swimming in the pond immediately put Miyuki in a tranquil, peaceful mood.

Never once to mince words, he was ready to shoot out questions. Well, maybe after stating words of gratitude first. The guy, who was probably well-adept in first-aid, did save him after all, though it still doesn't provide ample explanation for the miraculous disappearance of his injuries.

In no time Miyuki reached the pitching area, and the first time he saw him pitch Miyuki's whole world seemed to narrow in on him until nothing else mattered.

The pitcher toed the rubber, brimming with an aura of a true player. Raising his right leg, he displayed grace, poise, and balance all at once. As he stretched out toward the plate, he hurled the ball from his hand, pitching with considerable speed with the imperceptible whip-like motion of the arm.

Miyuki recognized with one look.

An idiosyncratic pitch…

A natural moving fastball had just been thrown by this southpaw.

Miyuki's catcher instincts stirred. He stood there frozen in time, in total awe of what he was staring at.

Another pitch came, a Changeup this time, and Miyuki watched his movements carefully. The southpaw was like art in motion, his actions from the windup to the delivery so supple. It was like he was born to be on the mound, born to pitch.

A Cutter came next, followed by a 4-seam fastball, and then a 2-seam that behaved like a Shuuto. The guy had a crazy number of pitches in his repertoire enough to arouse any seasoned player. He also displayed considerable control, pitching to corners—inside and outside—like it was nothing. It was insane.

Miyuki's body tingled with desire for the pitcher in front of his eyes. What would it be like to catch for him?

"You're not just awake, you're up and running."

The southpaw, who'd been pitching just now, was suddenly before him. He appeared so quickly Miyuki almost wondered if he'd blanked out for a moment. No one could move that fast.

"Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to grab a mitt and catch for me?"

His words brought Miyuki's eyes to his face. He sounded surprise, but no more surprised than Miyuki was at his words. The southpaw acted like they knew each other.

"How did you…?" Miyuki fumbled over his words for a moment, then shrugged, remembering the mystery pink-haired stranger back at the entrance. Though a tad curious about these people, who seemed to know him to a certain extent, he wasn't about to forget his business for being there in the first place.

"You're okay now, right?"

Miyuki then simply stared at him. The southpaw was definitely attractive, with dark brown hair and the most beautiful pair of golden eyes. He was dressed in a white shirt with blue sleeves and grey sweatpants.

"You were in a real bad shape when I found you. I had to carry you all the way to my house."

"So it was really—" Miyuki almost squeaked, stepping back involuntarily when the pitcher began to move closer.

"But it was my attendant who washed your clothes!" The southpaw grinned like a kid. "He's so reliable, you know!"

He'd said attendant and Miyuki wondered about that. But he was more interested in getting answers. Miyuki had several questions floating around in his head right now. Things like, who was he? What happened to his injuries? And where the heck was his pendant?

Miyuki peered at him warily, and asked, "So, who are you anyway?"

"Oh." The southpaw offered an awkward smile. "I suppose I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Sawamura Eijun."

"Sawamura Eijun," Miyuki echoed in a murmur. It was a nice name, but Miyuki was quite sure he'd never heard it before. Sawamura didn't look familiar either.

"How are you feeling?" Sawamura asked, eyeing him with concern.

"Fine," Miyuki said automatically, only then pausing to think about his injuries. There was no way he could have healed that quickly. That thought in mind, he asked, "How do you think I should feel?"

For some reason the question made Sawamura's lips twist with amusement. "I made sure your injuries have been properly tended to."

"How exactly did you treat me?" Miyuki asked sharply, suspicion rife within him. "Even if you're a doctor, you couldn't have possibly healed my injuries so quickly."

Sawamura's eyes narrowed and he was silent for a minute and then asked, "What was the last thing you remember?"

Miyuki briefly searched his mind for memories and came up with the same he'd had on waking. Yesterday had started off horribly. It was his day off and his main goal was to buy new shoes and treat himself to a steak lunch. Typically, this was a relatively simple thing to accomplish.

However, nothing had gone right. First, his half-asleep junior had ran into him that morning, spilling his still hot chocolate milk—but not boiling, thank god—right onto Miyuki. He managed to trip and spilled his breakfast on his baseball coach, and Miyuki was so not looking forward to next practice. As he was busy cleaning up the mess in the cafeteria, some cat got into his dorm room and did its business by pooping on his pillow. By the time he dealt everything in the dorm and got to the store, he was informed by the salesperson that his desired shoes were no longer in-stock. Moreover, the steak he wanted to eat was currently unavailable as well.

And he thought his day couldn't get any worse until he met those delinquents.

He was obviously missing the memories between that and landing in an unknown mansion. "I remember being saved by you."

"Yeah…after getting beat up by those hooligans. Seriously, you could've given them the pendant. It's just a piece of silver. You can easily buy another one like that," Sawamura said and Miyuki raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice. Sawamura sounded bewildered. Or maybe disapproving. Or both.

And Miyuki almost hated him in that moment, but maintained his cool. "That pendant means a lot to me and I'd like to have it back."

"The situation is a little more complicated than you realize, Miyuki Kazuya."

Miyuki tilted his head curiously, but simply asked, "What do you mean?"

A knowing smile graced the brunette's lips. "You see… Once a service is rendered, compensation is required to complete the transaction. There must be payment to that service."

Miyuki merely raised his eyebrows.

"You wished to be saved, did you not? And you knew exactly the circumstances of your condition. Your arm was so damaged it would have ended your baseball career in a snap," Sawamura explained, emphasizing with a snap of the fingers. "You didn't just wish for the present, but also for your future."

The words made Miyuki grimace. "Are you telling me that my pendant served as payment for your services?"

"Exactly, so thank you for the pendant!" Sawamura said cheerfully and with a bright smile. "I'll try to find good use for—"

"Hold on!" Miyuki interrupted sharply. "I didn't even agree to that. And why does it have be my pendant? You said it yourself, it's just a piece of silver."

"Because that pendant is as valuable as your life."

"That's…" Miyuki paused, rubbed one hand over his face, and then said determinedly under his breath, "Sorry, but I need it back. I'll pay you in some other way, just not my pendant."

Sawamura looked a little skeptical at that with one eyebrow cocked and his lips pressed together and didn't say anything.

"I can cook and clean, I'll do anything," Miyuki reasoned, getting more desperate in spite of his calm demeanor. "So, please…"

"It doesn't matter. It's been already decided for you," Sawamura said with a lighthearted tone, turning on his heel and walking away from Miyuki.

"What? Hey, wait!" Miyuki reached out for his shoulder, but only touched air. In a blink of an eye, the southpaw had vanished completely. "What just…happened?" He could only stand there in silence, looking stunned and confused as ever.

0000

The weather was absolutely dreary, and Miyuki's head was starting to hurt like a bitch. Perfect excuses for turning around and going back to his dorm, to lie down on his bed with scorebooks and baseball videos to keep him entertained. But there were more important things right now. He needed that pendant back, hence the reason why he was standing before the doors to the main lobby of the house.

"You're still here."

Miyuki turned his head.

There was a teenager, a slender and impossibly beautiful one with skin the color of rich cream and luxurious blonde hair. He had an earthly green gaze that held a cunning intelligence and coldness. He wore a pastel blue-white striped shirt and grey jeans, along with black leather wristband and silver bracelets. He looked quite fashionable and probably could have passed for a model of some sort.

"You've already recovered, so I see no reason for you to linger around here any further."

For some reason, the blonde reminded Miyuki of an extremely territorial wolf. Those green eyes were hostile. Miyuki almost expected to see some bared fangs. Still, he had to play it cool. "Judging from your words, you know what happened to me."

"I had to wash your stinky clothes after all that," the blonde said, boring his eyes through him till Miyuki felt uncomfortable standing there in front of him.

Miyuki didn't think much of his comment about his clothes and gave out a half-smile. "You're Sawamura's attendant?" To be honest, he expected someone older, not some pretty boy, or the mysterious stranger he met earlier.

Green eyes narrowed, as bright and intense as rain-splashed leaves in the spring. "He wasn't supposed to interfere." The words suggested disappointment. "If he'd just sat back he could save us some trouble."

Soon the door opened, and the brunette of charming form and countenance appeared with a big boyish grin on his face. "Can you blame me for being curious?"

Miyuki looked upon the boy known as Sawamura, ready to demand for his pendant when the blonde beat him to it.

"Curious, you say?" the blonde said with a quiet sigh. "Don't you know the saying? 'Curiosity killed the cat.'"

A boisterous laugh filled the air around them. "As if anything in this world is capable of killing me…"

Miyuki raised a brow, and then scoffed. "Acting all high-and-mighty, huh? Anyway, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my pendant back. I'm even willing to make a deal with you."

"A deal…?" Sawamura paused, several expressions flickering across his face before he finally said cautiously, "Even though you have no idea who I am, you still want to strike a deal?"

"You said my pendant was the payment for the wish I made," Miyuki said, resolution burning in his eyes. "So now I wish for my pendant back and in return I'll—"

"The payment must be of equal value," Sawamura interrupted abruptly. His cheerful façade had disappeared. His golden eyes blazed at Miyuki with a mysterious emotion. "There can be no deficiency or excess, only perfect balance, or harm will come." He turned on his heel, walking across the room and to the garden outside.

Shifting his weight, Miyuki swallowed involuntarily down a dry throat and walked right in. As soon as he stepped onto the cool wooden floor of the porch before the garden, the wind picked up, whipping cherry blossom petals into whirling dervishes. For just an instant, the petals blinded him. When he opened his eyes, the view had changed. The green of the trees have all been replaced by lush pink colors and numerous flowers had bloomed out of season. The summer garden was now a picturesque painting of spring.

Stepping out into the garden, Miyuki wondered if he was dreaming.

A hard pinch snapped him back to his senses. Miyuki let out a little yelp and slapped Sawamura's hand away.

Sawamura laughed, skipping backwards like a wayward child. "Good to see you're still with us, Miyuki Kazuya."

"You—"

Whatever insult Miyuki had meant to say flew right out the window as he took in the wonderful sight before him. Sawamura was now dressed in a silk blue and black long-sleeved changshan with floral patterns and golden piping. Over the fine clothing was a stunning silk purple robe loosely and partly worn while the right half drapes elegantly over the golden sash circling around his waist.

The face above the garment was no less beautiful: an ethereal vision with eyes shining brightly, reflecting the warmth of the sun. A blue band with a skillfully crafted ornament—one of gold, feathers, red gems and cords, and a cherry blossom brooch—adorned his smooth, shiny brown hair. A feather clip adornment held the band together, completing the look.

Miyuki was momentarily at a loss for words, which certainly wasn't like him.

"For your pendant, I need to take something of equal value…" Sawamura leaned forward, close to Miyuki's face.

It was too damn close for comfort, Miyuki thought with dismay, but damn his eyes were just so mesmerizing and his lips looked so soft. It was hard to look away.

"Let's see… Your soul, for example."

Miyuki's jaw dropped slightly and his eyes widened with surprise. "W-What?!" he exclaimed, immediately backing away from Sawamura.

Sawamura burst into a fit of laughter—loud, coarse, hard laughter. "You should have seen your face!"

"What are you planning to do with me?" Miyuki asked watchfully.

"Relax… I'm not gonna take your life. Onii-san might give me an earful."

"Huh?"

"So, yeah, in exchange for the pendant…Hmm…" Sawamura crossed his arms and thought deeply about the conditions before laying it out. "How about you take me to Koshien?"

Miyuki blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I've always wanted to experience Koshien for myself! Let's form a battery and dominate Nationals!"

"Are you kidding me?" Miyuki questioned, unable to hide his disbelief.

"When I get to play in Koshien, I will fulfill your wish and give the pendant back," Sawamura said, looking all giddy. "Besides, this is for your benefit not mine. Oh, and don't worry! Nothing bad will happen when I'm around. I'm blessed with good fortune!"

"I seriously doubt that," Miyuki said with contempt. "You planned this, didn't you? And how am I supposed to take you to Koshien? You don't even go to my school."

"That can be arranged."

Miyuki shot the blondie behind him with an incredulous look. He had almost forgotten that the attendant was still there. But it kind of surprised him to see that his clothing had also changed to a black silk changshan with an intricate silver wolf design on the left-side from shoulder to below the waist line. The sash around his waist was midnight blue and the sheathed sword in his hand was giving off a strong presence. The silver earpiece on his right ear was expertly fashioned in the shape of a wolf, garlanded with sapphire and emerald gems.

"We can make it possible."

He'd been experiencing some unusual things ever since he woke up—things that cannot be explained. The question had been floating around his mind, waiting to be heard, and Miyuki knew he couldn't put it off any longer. He faced Sawamura once again, eyes narrowing behind the glasses, and asked, "What are you?"

Sawamura smiled wryly and said chirpily under his breath, "I'm no ordinary being."

Miyuki scoffed. "Yeah, no duh. So, what? Are you some kind of National Treasure? A charismatic legend?"

"I'm not going to make a pickle of this like the others, so I'm just going to tell you flat out. A bit of a warning… It's going to sound crazy."

"Okay," Miyuki replied, not at all surprised. He had already thought there was something supernatural with Sawamura and his attendant.

"So here goes," Sawamura said, and then blurted, "I'm a god."