03
STRANGE OCCURENCE

 LIHUA WATCHED THE MEAT sizzle on the grill, thin wisps of smoke rising to the ceiling and carrying the rich, savory aroma around the room. Usually, the smell would have made her stomach growl, but not today. Not after what had happened earlier.

 Her thoughts drifted back to Haru──and to how her mother had cruelly shredded the little devil origami bird. The memory stung like a fresh cut. There had been no pause, no care for how much it meant to Lihua, just the sharp, tearing sound that felt like it ripped through her chest.

 She sat quietly, her chopsticks resting untouched on the table, while Tao chattered across from her. True to his promise, Tao had taken her to her favorite barbecue spot just across from their school. It was supposed to be an apology for earlier. But Lihua couldn't bring herself to eat. Not even one bite.

 She absently flipped the meat on the grill, watching the edges curl and brown. Part of her wanted to leave it there until it charred to ash, but the thought of wasting food she hadn't paid for made her stop.

 It's Didi's money, she thought bitterly.

 With a heavy sigh, she picked up a slice of meat and dropped it onto her plate. The glossy, deep-red juices on the surface glistened under the light, making her think of devils tearing into flesh. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

 She and Tao had been lucky. Protected. Their mother always hired Devil Hunters to watch over them, lurking just out of sight to guard against danger. But all the protection in the world couldn't erase her memories.

 The grill hissed as more fat dripped onto the flames, but Lihua barely noticed. Her mind was elsewhere, trapped in the past. That awful day rose up again in her thoughts──the day when everything changed. The blood. The screams. The devil's jaws ripping her parents apart, piece by piece, right in front of her. Her stomach turned at the thought. She gripped her chopsticks tighter as bile crept up her throat, forcing herself to swallow it down.

 The heat from the grill brushed against her face, but it felt distant. She wasn't here. She was still a child, standing frozen in the chaos of that nightmare.

 "Jiejie!" Tao's voice cut through the fog in her head, snapping her back to the present. She blinked and looked up, startled, her eyes meeting his worried frown.

 "Are you even listening?" he asked. His tone was sharp but edged with concern.

 "Huh?" Lihua muttered, disoriented.

 Tao sighed in frustration. He grabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks──overcooked, just the way he liked it──and popped it into his mouth, chewing with a slight shake of his head. After swallowing, he pointed his chopsticks at her like an accusing finger.

 "I was talking about Mitaka-san," he said, giving her a stern look. "And here you are, zoning out at your favorite barbecue place." He leaned closer, studying her face. Her bright, lively eyes had lost their usual spark. Her shoulders were slumped like she was carrying something too heavy to bear. "Normally, you'd be halfway through your plate by now. What's wrong with you?"

 Lihua shook her head, avoiding his concerned gaze. Her attention drifted back to the food on her plate. With a gulp, she picked up a piece of cooked meat and popped it into her mouth, forcing herself to chew. She followed it with a spoonful of rice, trying to focus on the flavors instead of the haunting images clawing at the edges of her mind──images of her parents, lifeless and bloodied.

 "Jiejie?" Tao frowned, worried, as her face turned pale, almost green.

 Before Lihua could respond, nausea rose like a tide. She clamped a hand over her mouth, her body lurching to its feet. The motion was too sudden──her knee banged against the edge of the table, sending a jolt of pain up her leg. She stumbled, nearly colliding with a student from her school seated nearby.

 "Sorry," she mumbled hastily, her voice muffled and strained. Without another word, she rushed outside, pushing past curious onlookers until she reached the sidewalk.

 The cold air hit her like a slap just as her stomach revolted. She doubled over on the sidewalk, bracing her hands on her knees as her stomach heaved violently. The sour bile burned her throat, leaving a disgusting taste in her mouth.

 "Jiejie!" Tao's voice came from behind her, panicked. He was at her side in moments, his hand resting on her back, rubbing soothing circles. "Are you okay? What happened?"

 Lihua barely heard him. Her mind was a storm, flashes of twisted forms and razor-sharp claws slicing through flesh blinding her to everything else. The grotesque images burned themselves into her thoughts, and another heave wracked her body, forcing her to retch again.

 Tao stood frozen, helpless, his thoughts racing. Was this about the paper bird? It was so small, so harmless-looking. And when their mother tore it apart, it was nothing──just folded paper, no guts, no blood.

 Who could be scared of an origami devil? Certainly not him. But he didn't say that. Not when Lihua looked so broken.

 Lihua wiped her mouth, glancing up from the mess she'd just left on the sidewalk──a slimy puddle on the pavement that could trip some unlucky passerby. Her stomach churned again, but her attention caught on someone nearby.

 A boy.

 He wasn't much older than her, with messy blond hair the color of golden bread rolls her mother used to buy on Sunday mornings. (Lihua always had a strange way of describing people.) He stood silently near a row of vending machines, a fiend at his side. The fiend had pointed horns and hair like crushed strawberries.

 The boy's gaze locked on her, curious and unnervingly amused. His eyes gleamed as if her humiliation was the most interesting thing he'd seen all day.

 Lihua's stomach twisted in disgust. She wasn't sure what repelled her more──the devils that fed on humans, her own vomit, or the boy's unsettling stare.

 Her appetite was gone. She glanced back at the barbecue restaurant, shaking her head. Eating here was no longer an option.

 Home food would have to do. Their mother always left meals for her and Tao in the freezer before heading to work──simple dishes, but comforting. It wasn't fresh barbecue, but it was better than this.

 Tao and Lihua lived next door to Makima, and because they were both allergic to dogs, Makima often came by to leave things for them──food, small gifts, groceries or supplies, whatever she thought they might need. That was one thing Lihua appreciated about her.

 Before she knew it, the words spilled out of her mouth. "Hey, do you want to eat?" she called toward the blond boy.

 Tao's eyes widened in horror. "Jiejie, what are you doing?!" He grabbed her arm, spinning her to face him. "Are you seriously inviting them to eat with us?!" His voice was sharp, filled with disbelief.

 Lihua frowned and jerked her arm free. "Who said anything about eating with us? We're going home. They can have whatever food's left on the table."

 Without waiting for his reply, she turned and strode back into the restaurant. Tao stood frozen, staring after her, his mouth gaping. She was giving their meal away? To some strange boy and his... creepy companion?

 He followed her, shaking his head. "You've lost it, Jiejie," he muttered under his breath.

 Lihua didn't answer. She gathered their bags swiftly while Tao watched in stunned silence. Not only had he paid for their food, but now she was handing it over like it was nothing.

 She marched back toward the blond boy, but her foot slipped on something wet and slick──her own vomit.

 "Whoa!" Tao lunged forward, catching her arm before she hit the ground.

 Lihua's cheeks flamed as she stared at her shoes, humiliated. Of all things, why that? She muttered angrily, scraping the sole of her shoe against the pavement, cringing at how gross it was. To make it worse, the blond boy was snickering, and his fiend companion wasn't even trying to hide her laughter.

 With a scowl, Lihua stomped toward them. "Table seven. Paid. Go eat. We're leaving," she snapped.

 The blond boy's face lit up like a child's on their birthday. "Seriously? Free food?" he said, grinning.

 But before he could move, his companion shot past him like a rocket, bolting toward the restaurant.

 "Power! Hey! Dammit!" he yelled, glaring through the window as the fiend dove into their table's barbecue, devouring it as if she hadn't eaten in days. She waved back gleefully, sauce smeared on her face.

 Lihua glanced at the boy, finally getting a better look at him. His brown eyes reminded her of autumn leaves, warm and earthy. He seemed too sweet to be so... odd. But then she noticed his sharp, angular teeth──a grin that looked like it belonged to a shark.

 Was he a fiend too? Or something else entirely?

 Her thoughts scattered when he turned his smile on her. His cheeks flushed a faint pink, almost bashful.

 Lihua frowned. What was his deal? Why was he blushing at her? All she'd done was give him free food!

 "Thank you! You're so kind!" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He shot her a shy glance. "You remind me of someone I like. She's just like you──kind and thoughtful! I can't wait to see Makima-san again after work!"

 Lihua stiffened, her stomach flipping. Tao gawked at the boy, his face pale with shock.

 Makima was their mother.

 Lihua and Tao exchanged a look, both equally disturbed. Sure, Makima had admirers, especially among the Public Safety Devil Hunters, but hearing this boy──who looked their age──gush over her? It was too much.

 He should be looking at girls his own age, not their mother.

 But then again, who were they to judge his feelings?

 "Um... thanks?" Lihua said, her voice unsure as she glanced at her brother.

 Tao couldn't hide his disgust. It was written all over his face, plain as day. That was the thing about him──his face seemed to speak volumes even when he didn't say a word.

 Lihua gave her brother's sleeve a light tug, a silent signal, and they walked off without a word. The blond boy didn't even notice, too busy darting into the restaurant to catch up with his friend. As Lihua walked alongside Tao, heading toward the familiar spot where their driver always waited, her mind swirled with unsettling thoughts.

 Denji's teeth. Sharp, jagged, almost animalistic.

 What would it feel like if he bit her? Would it hurt? Would she bleed?

 The questions wouldn't leave her alone, circling endlessly in her head. She didn't know why she was so fixated, but the curiosity burned

 When they reached the school gates, the sleek black car was already there, parked in its usual spot. The sun glinted off its polished surface, and their driver sat behind the wheel, window rolled down, a cigarette dangling lazily between his fingers. Thin tendrils of smoke curled up, vanishing into the crisp afternoon air. His gaze was distant, heavy-lidded, as though he'd been waiting forever and was losing patience.

 Lihua wrinkled her nose. She hated the smell of cigarettes.

 Tao, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. He actually liked the driver──thought he was cool, even with his odd topknot.

 "Ugh..." Lihua muttered under her breath as she and Tao approached the car. Her lips twisted in a sour grimace as she glared at the driver.

 "Aki-san!" Tao called out, his voice suddenly bright and cheerful. The usual serious expression on his face melted into a big, genuine smile. It was as if seeing the driver turned on a light inside him. "How's work today?"

 The man in the car, who had been staring ahead with a blank, tired look, turned his head at the sound of Tao's voice. His features softened instantly, and a warm smile appeared, transforming his whole demeanor. For a brief moment, Tao and the driver looked alike──not in appearance, but in the way their stern exteriors gave way to kindness. They seemed like long-lost brothers, both stoic on the outside but full of warmth beneath the surface.

 Aki wasn't much older than Lihua──only by two years──and that small age gap made him feel more like a friend than an adult. He seemed to understand them in a way most grown-ups couldn't.

 Sliding out of the car, Aki stood straight and gave a respectful bow, his smile still gentle. He greeted them as if he hadn't seen them in ages──despite having driven them home just yesterday.

 "Lihua-san, Tao-kun!" His voice was warm, welcoming. "Work was fine. How was school?" He glanced between them, clearly eager for conversation.

 "It was fine as always," Tao answered politely, always quick to respond. But Lihua...

 Her scowl deepened, her mood as sour as ever. She wasn't in the mood for chit-chat, especially not with him. Without a word, she turned on her heel, her feet moving almost on their own. Distracted and lost in her irritation, she wandered straight toward the front passenger seat.

 It was unlike her. That was Tao's unofficial spot, where he would chatter endlessly with Aki during the ride home. Lihua always claimed the back seat, where she could sink into the silence and avoid the conversation altogether. Yet here she was, breaking her own unspoken rule without even realizing it.

 It felt like an invisible force was guiding her, steering her steps until she found herself sinking into the passenger seat without a second thought.

 Her mind was a storm of emotions, spinning so wildly that she didn't even notice Tao and Aki watching her through the driver's window in confusion. Their faces were pressed close to the glass.

 Tao raised an eyebrow at Aki, who shrugged, equally baffled. They turned their attention back to Lihua, who was fumbling awkwardly with the seatbelt.

 Then, all at once, she froze. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her, snapping her out of her haze. Her hands stilled, and her expression shifted, as though a sudden, jarring realization had just hit her.

 Her thoughts finally caught up to her actions as her hand dropped from the seatbelt. It zipped back with a loud snap, hitting the side of the car. She flinched at the sound, her eyes darting around. Then the question hit her.

 "Why am I here?" she whispered.

 She glanced at the boys. Her cheeks burned as she caught their stares──wide-eyed and incredulous, like she'd just sprouted a second head. Lihua never sat in the front, especially not with Aki. She hated the stale, smoky scent clinging to his suit, a smell that always made her wrinkle her nose. Yet here she was, and she couldn't explain why.

 Her gaze flicked down to her hands, as if they might hold the answer, but they didn't. Ever since she nearly drowned in the Sacred Lake, nothing had felt normal. Strange things happened──things she didn't understand and didn't want to. It was like her life had unraveled one thread at a time, and now it was just a tangled mess.

 Haru's death had been the worst of it. But this? Sitting here, her heart racing for reasons she couldn't explain? It felt like too much.

 What was wrong with her?

 "Jiejie──" Tao began, but she cut him off instantly.

 Lihua shoved the door open and stepped out, slamming it shut behind her. She stood there for a moment, frozen, as she stared blankly over the roof of the car at her brother. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came out. She felt like a fish pulled from the water, gasping, floundering.

 Then her eyes shifted, almost on their own, toward Aki. He was already looking at her.

 His gaze sent a strange jolt through her chest. Her heart hammered against her ribs, so loud she wondered if he could hear it too. Heat rushed to her face, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She turned away quickly, horrified by the fluttering sensation in her stomach.

 No. Absolutely not.

 "Sorry," she muttered, not even sure who she was apologizing to. Without waiting for a response, she ducked into the back seat, sliding as far into the corner as she could.

 The car was quiet when Tao and Aki joined her, though she could feel their confused glances before the doors clicked shut.

 As Aki started the engine, her stomach dropped. She caught his eyes in the rearview mirror for just a moment before looking away. He kept glancing back, and his attention made her want to disappear.

 Let me die already, she thought, burying her face in her hands.

 Her mind wouldn't stop spinning, replaying every awkward moment from the day on an endless loop. She winced, cringing at the thought of herself.

 All she wanted now was to go home, crawl into bed, and sleep until the world forgot she existed.

✴

USING YOU | ❝I think I like you.❞