Listening To My Needs

Chapter 1: Invocation

I must be out of my mind. Or maybe Sadayo is.

The Naginaki shrine was relatively empty at this time of day. I took the first train there Sunday morning, eschewing my usual MMORPG pre-rituals to do something different. I don't consider myself a religious person. However, praying to a Higher Power whenever one is in a dilemma seems part of human nature. Besides, I visited this shrine more often after Minato-kun passed away.

The shrine caretakers and the birds that frequented the shrine were up early. One priestess greeted me as I approached. I bowed back, offered a decent sum of money in the offering receptacle, knelt by the altar, closed my eyes, and prayed.

To whichever deity is listening, please help me with my concerns regarding my good friend, Sadayo, and her boyfriend, Amamiya-kun. Thank you.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Nothing felt out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, I rose, bowed, and took my leave, trusting it would all work out for the good.

The answer to my prayers arrived in record time. When I got home, a familiar blue butterfly was perched on my alarm clock, even if I had shut the windows.

It’s him...

The red numbers on the clock read 10:00 a.m. It was the precise time when "Tatsuya" and I logged on to the long-defunct Innocent Sin Online years ago.

“Oh, hello there, Minato-kun, I sniffed, tearing up a little and opening the window for some air. “It’s been a while. Stay with me for a bit, will you?”

The butterfly flapped its wings and flew to me, landing on my shoulder.

“Hey,” I said, struggling to hold it together as I peered at it. "I'm going to spill my guts to you, okay? Could you please listen to me just like you did before? God, I’ve missed talking to you."

He looked at me and waited.

I spent the next several hours pouring my heart out to the butterfly, forgetting about logging on to Reload Online. I paused only to eat and take bathroom breaks. I told him about everything that had transpired since he had last visited. I joked and laughed with him, cried unabashedly, and mentioned Sadayo's proposal.

Finally, I asked him, “So what do you think? Should I take her offer or not?”

The butterfly remained silent just as he did for the past several hours. As if in response, his wings fluttered.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Are you okay with it? I mean, honestly...I would’ve preferred it to have been...you.”

The butterfly transferred from my shoulder to my heart and lingered there a moment or two before taking off again, circling me three times, and flying out my window for parts unknown.

“Thank you,” I murmured as he left. “Thank you for everything. Let’s talk again soon, okay?”

I glanced at the clock and smiled. The numbers on the clock read 5:00 p.m. Again, it was the exact time Tatsuya and I had ended our chats many years ago.

When I finally booted up my computer to play “Reload Online,” my mind was set. I reached for my phone and speed-dialed Sadayo-chan's number.

“Hello? Sadayo-chan? Hi. It’s me, Isako. Is this a good time?” Pause. “When is the next time you’re free for a visit? There’s something else I need to talk to you about…”

To Be Continued