"Not looking for any money, just a conversation."
The malnourished, scrawny kid held up a cardboard sign, reading those exact words. He never wanted money or luxurious items, just true connection and to finally be seen for who he is.
Thousands of people pass by him every single day. After all, he does live on the streets of Sendai. Just about every other week, people would feel guilty enough and give the boy some spare pocket change. But throughout all of those people, not one has ever acknowledged him as a human.
The boy grounds his weak arms into the cold street and stands up, carrying a foul odor and creepy aura alongside him. After all, who wants to be near a seventeen year old who hasn't showered a day in their life?
He begins walking on the sidewalks of Sendai, hopelessly scrolling for an answer to an unknown question. Suddenly his eyes are lit up by a bright gas station, standing out in the dead of night. The neon signs are glowing so vibrantly in his empty eyes. "Huh? They must've built this recently," Sachiko huffs under his breath. He begins brushing his fingers along the walls of the gas station.
As Sachiko walks inside, the man at the counter happily shouts, "Hey, welcome in." "More pointless small talk," Sachiko thinks to himself. He waves and goes to the back-end of the store. After locating the personal hygiene section, he knows it'll be maybe a year before he can save up for a stick of deodorant or a bar of soap. "These prices get worse and worse," he says loud enough for the whole store to hear.
Sachiko spends a good ten minutes examining and comparing the prices within this gas station. "Finally! I found the cheapest thing money can buy you here... PROCESSED CHIPS!" He sarcastically yells in his head, using humor as a coping mechanism to his tragic life.
"Have trouble finding anything, kid?" the cashier says, obviously repulsed by the smell Sachiko carries on him. "Yup," Sachiko says with a snarky attitude. Right as Sachiko begins counting his change, an elderly man behind him collapses to the floor. A small crowd forms over the man, all eyes on him. Sachiko's eyes wander elsewhere, to an unattended purse.
Sachiko isn't typically the kind who resorts to crime. "This could really help me. Who wouldn't do this in my situation, right?" He quietly walks over and snags the woman's bag from the shelf, exiting the store with a free bag of chips, a designer purse, and zero regard for a stupid old man.
Sachiko notices that he's smiling more than he has ever smiled. He realizes that committing small crimes to those who have it good, might not be so bad after all.
He spots a woman digging through his stuff, and begins running over to his belongings. "Who is this girl, what is a someone as pretty as her doing around my stuff?"
He begins yelling for her to stay away, but she remains calm and doesn't move an inch. Sachiko reaches her and demands to know what she wants.
"Nothing, honestly," the white-haired girl reassures him. "I just wanted to talk to you, that's what your sign is asking... right?"
Sachiko is stunned at this breathtaking woman standing right in front of him, demanding a intimate moment with him. "What's the matter with you? I don't bite ya know!" she jokingly yells. Sachiko chuckles, "Yeah yeah... but you really want to do that, with me?"
"It's not like I'm confessing my love to you, stranger," the white-haired woman says.
Sachiko shrinks inside his own body, nervous to converse with such an intimidating and confident woman. "Uhh... what did you want to talk about, stranger," Sachiko mumbles nervously.
The ethereal woman, staring directly back at Sachiko with her ocean-like eyes, jokingly says, "You're not the most confident guy our age, I'm guessing?"
"No," Sachiko quietly says. "It's okay, I like my guys to be dorky anyway," the girl sarcastically claims.
She reassures him, "I'm Aiko, whats your name?"
"Sachiko, It's nice to meet you Aik-"
"Hey, are you love-dorks done yet or what," a black-haired man comes around the corner, carrying a nonchalant act.
"Jiichirō, will you cut the act, you are shy and we all know it," Aiko tells him. Sachiko gets a bit flustered but also jealous that his new friend is talking to another guy already.
"Please don't mind him, he's my annoying older brother," Aiko informs Sachiko.
Jiichirō calmly walks up to him, still carrying his fake persona: "Have you ever practiced sorcery before?" "No, I've lived right where we are standing, for the entirety of my life," Sachiko reminds them.
Both of the siblings audibly gasp, realizing how long that must've been.
Aiko, looking all around at their surroundings, and then right into Jiichirō's eyes: "Do you think we should ask him?"
"Go for it," Jiichirō says calmly.
Aiko takes a deep breath and looks back over at Jiichirō: "I swear to whoever is above, if you don't drop this nonchalant act, every time we leave campus, I will KILL you!"
"Sorry about him, Sachiko. Anyway, have you ever heard of Lux?" Aiko calmly says.
"I can't say I have, as I've lived on the streets for seventeen years," Sachiko says with serious intent, but Aiko and Jiichirō begin laughing. "At least you can use humor to lighten up your situation," Jiichirō says while chuckling.
Aiko pulls out a lancet and pricks Sachiko's finger. "Ouch! Give me a damn warning first would ya?" Sachiko mutters under his breath. Aiko inserts the drop of blood she took from Sachiko into a small device. Aiko and her brother stare at each other while the device makes strange noises, unlike anything Sachiko's ever heard. [1]
*Clink*
Aiko and Jiichirō stare down in horror, with a hint of confusion. Sachiko pushes his face near the device as it reads "Total Lux Reserve: 9724 Drops[2]," Sachiko smirks, "Heh, look at me go, I've just learned about sorcery and I'm already a god!"
Both, still perplexed by this number, prick Sachiko again and run a second trial. "Once again... I'D LIKE A DAMN WARNING!" Sachiko yells.
*Clink*
"Total Lux Reserve: 9724 Drops." Aiko, with sweat running down her face in a moment of pure chaos: "Uhh, just one more time, Sachiko?"
"Fine! But once more, then I'm done. I'm not liking this guinea pig treatment," Sachiko angrily yells. "Aiko! Use my Lux Trial, maybe yours is broken," Jiichirō says while trying to control his breath and remain calm.
They both stare in panic as the Lux Trial[3] reads once more. *Clink* "Total Lux Reserve: 9724 Drops." "So, what do I get for my awesome achievement!" Sachiko says in a cocky tone.
Aiko looks over at Jiichirō before looking back at Sachiko: "This is two times the highest Total Lux reserve in history."
"Who are you?"
[1] Reminder: Sachiko has never even laid his hands on any piece of modern technology. He is very out of touch with the modern world and spends most of his days sleeping or pondering.
[2] Lux is referenced as "Drops," while not actually a physical liquid.
[3] A Lux Trial is small, handheld device which you insert a drop of blood into to determine a human being's "Total Lux Reserve"