PrologueThe red-haired girl did not know where she had been born.
Yet by the age of two or three, she already knew who she was.
“I am me.”
In her understanding, that meant she was no one else but herself.
That may have been why that dangerous thing took a liking to her.
It came from somewhere, joined with a human, definitively changed that human, and took no responsibility for its actions. It had no form, was undetectable, and could not be proven to exist, but it had the same type of mind as a human. Or rather, it was nothing but that mind.
She met it before she turned four.
She had moved from a kind person’s house, to an orphanage, and then to orphanage after orphanage. Amid it all, she had begun to speak with someone. She would speak into empty air and laugh at a response no one else could hear. Those around her noticed, but they thought she simply had an imaginary friend like many children her age did.
However, she truly was speaking with what appeared deep within her eyes.
“Who are you?”
“I am no one, but I will become you.”
“Eh? But I’m me.”
“That too is correct.”
“Hm. Then will there be another one of me?”
“Yes. I will be with you.”
“Really? Then I won’t be lonely anymore!”
“Unfortunately, you will be alone.”
“Why? You won’t be my friend?”
“I will be you, so I will not be your friend. It is very sad, but you will always be alone. No one will understand you and you will go somewhere far away.”
“I don’t want that. I don’t.”
“It has already been decided. You are a special existence. You are more special than a four leafed clover or a male calico cat.”
“I’m that special!? I never understood why I was alone, why I have to keep changing homes, why the adults bow down to me, and why it seems like they’re making fun of me, but I guess it’s because I’m special. …But I don’t want to be alone.”
“You will always be alone, but do not worry. You can make one friend. Whenever you have a problem, just cry. If you do, someone will come to save you.”
“I just have to cry?”
“Yes. That is how the world works.”
That conversation had been their first meeting.
Afterwards, the red-haired girl lived with, spoke with, and was guided by it. Her life of moving from orphanage to orphanage did not change, but she had few problems due to the guidance of the voice.
She eventually forgot about it as she grew up, but that could also mean it had truly become a part of her. Even so, she would sometimes be driven to action by its words. One such incident was when she saw a certain boy. He had a twisted look to his face and he had a mature atmosphere for his age, but the word “cry” appeared in her mind when she saw him.
She cried and cried and he gave her a hair decoration.
“Is that how it works?” wondered that red-haired girl named Soga Keena.
Why was she in this environment? Why was she being moved from orphanage to orphanage? Why was she special? Why had she been born? Her questions quickly caused her to freeze up.
She tried to tell the boy how she felt, but she could not form the words properly. As she hesitated, he spoke as if he understood why she was crying and he left.
Keena understood that had been a destined meeting.
But when she put on the hair decoration, she forgot all about it.