Meiko's Birthday

It's been days since I stopped the dog demon curse, without counting Pakya, there's only one demon left, but I can't find it, I hope that the owner of the "ALIVE" company doesn't have any hostage.

Today is a common day, I go to school, I talk to my friends, and I go back to my home because none of my friends wanted to hang out today.

On my way home, I see Yukino, and I talk to her, “Hey, how's it been?”

“Oh, hi Meiko, everything's fine.”

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere! Just wandering around, looking at the town.” she looks nervous.

“Oh, I see, if you want, I can accompany you.”

“That's not necessary, actually I have to go now. But can you go to the store and buy me a shoujo magazine? I forgot the name but is where, "Mahou shoujo 100% extreme" is published, I need the latest number, but I can't go now.”

“I see, I will get it for you.”

“Thanks, now I have to go.”

Yukino left fast, and I go to the convenience store to buy the magazine, then I arrive at my home and my dad, who Is at the entrance talks to me, “Meiko I want you to go to the backyard, there's something there.”

“Something? Like what, an animal? wouldn't be better to call pest control or the police?”

“You go there, don't ask anything more,” he's pointing to the backyard.

I go there, and I see all my friends, all of them tell me, “surprise! Happy birthday Meiko!”

Maybe it was because of the demons, but I forgot about my birthday.

I see all my friends sitting at a table in the backyard, and they wish me a happy birthday.

I seat, and Yukino is the first one that talks to me personally, I give her the magazine, and she tells me, “Happy birthday!” she gives me a hug, ”sorry but you were earlier than expected, so I invented the excuse for the magazine.”

“Oh, don't worry, then that's why you looked nervous and made me an unusual request.”

She looks ashamed, “You're right,” she then gives me a box, ”by the way, I have a present for you.”

I open it, and it's a cat plush, then I thanked her.

Then Hana gives me a hug and hands me a present too, “Senpai, Happy birthday, Take this gift, I hope you like this game.”

She gives me the new "ice emblem hero" game, I wanted this game! I thank her.

Kanako approaches me with a smile and gives me a present, “Here you have, Meiko, I hope you like it. Happy birthday.”

It's a headband with a panda design, it's funny that she chose that design. I thank her, and we all start to eat, there's some variety from sushi to pizza, it's fun to eat with friends.

Takeshi is doing exercise while eating, I think he will have a stomachache.

Maya and Kentaro are really close, and they are competing to see who can eat more.

My dad is eating like a pig, he won't stop until he's full, it's embarrassing.

Ms. Yukari is also here, but she's far away from my dad.

Even b-chan is here, he's singing some metal song, but luckily the microphone isn't plugged.

I think we are having fun, and now it's time for the cake, it's a raspberry cake.

We're eating and having fun, but I see someone approaching, it's the man with red hair and a Hawaiian shirt that I saw on my father's work some time ago.

“Hey, hey, I'm almost late for cake, happy birthday little lady,” The mysterious man talks.

“Do you know him?” Yukino whispers to my ear.

“He looks unusual.” Hana also talks quietly.

“No, I don't know who he is,” I tell them.

“Boss! I'm glad you're finally here!” my dad gets up from his seat with his arms open.

“Hey Ebihara, I didn't know where was your house, so it took me some time to get here.”

My father then looks at me and my friends and talks, “he's Yuta Banks, my boss and the owner of the "ALIVE" company.”

I heard everyone getting amazed because this important man is at the party.

I heard Takeshi talking, “What is the "ALIVE" company?”

Maya responds while being embarrassed, “The "ALIVE" company sells a variety of products. From simple ones like soap or instant ramen to technology things like smartphones.”

Finally, everyone gets quiet, and that man continues talking, “unfortunately, I won't be here for a long time, sorry, but I'm here with a little present for that lady.” Yuta points at me.

Everyone gets amazed again because of that, not everyone can get a present from someone rich.

“Well my present is an opportunity to study abroad, it doesn't matter which school or country.”

I can't believe that someone would say that to me, but it's still strange. All my friends couldn't believe it either.

That man continues talking, “But there's a problem, we need to leave now because I will leave this city tonight.”

“But I can't leave all my friends all of a sudden, I don't think I will go.” I see all my friends while saying that.

This is strange, I need to take care just like Shinichiro said.

“Are you sure? you will regret it later.” Yuta looks serious.

“Meiko, you should go, it's a big opportunity,” my father tells me.

“But I don't want,” I want to wish to escape from here, but there's a lot of people, and maybe if he's dangerous, he will harm them. Also, I need to call Shinichiro as soon as possible.

The man then gets pissed, “I was being polite, but you're not leaving me a choice!”

Suddenly some blue smoke appears out of nowhere, and everyone starts to sleep just like at the school festival.

“Don't worry, I won't do them any harm, I just want you to accompany me for a while.” That man is taking my hand, I'm struggling to get free, but I feel sleepy, so I lost any strength to move or even talk.

I can't stand anymore, I'm going to pass out.

I'm in a dark room, I can't see anything, but suddenly someone gets close, I can't see his face, but I heard his voice, “This is what you get for what you did to me!” I don't recognize him, but I feel like I saw him before.

I wake up hearing someone, “Good morning, wake now!”

The voice was from Yuta, I was sleeping. That black room was a dream then.

“Where am I? Why did you kidnap me?” I'm angry, but I'm still sleepy.

“Don't worry, you are just at my office, I just have a few questions.”

As he said, I'm on a sofa in his office, it looks elegant with some paintings and a big window with an awesome view of the town.

“What are your questions then?” I try to sound brave.

“Why do you stop my demons?” he looks like a nice man, but at the same time, he looks like he's pissed.

“why are the demons here in the first place?”

“Because of reasons, I'm the one making the questions here!”

“Reasons like what? I won't answer until you tell me!”

“Let's say that I have something I want to wish, but even with all the money I have, I can't make it true, so long time ago I discovered a rumor about some scrolls that can grant any wish. Long story short I want to know if any of the demons could make my wish come true.”

“And what's your wish?”

“I will tell you later, but now I want you to tell me why you ruin my other possibilities!” he sounds irrational.

I don't get what's he's referring to with possibilities, “Well I did it because the demons could kill any of the people that were with them!”

“But they're just people, there are more than 7 billion people, no one would care if 5 or 6 are missing, but there are only 6 demons!”

“I just liberate the people, I don't know what happened to the demons.”

“I also don't know, but the damn scrolls just disintegrated as if they were dust, there's only two left, and I just have one more chance to make my wish come true!”

“So you already made a wish? If so, what happened to the person with that demon? does that person is now in your service doing wishes for you or something?”

“Let's say my original plan was to do that, I would have used the people to give me everything that I wanted, and if they died I still had the scrolls to use them again and again. But don't worry I would have paid them until they die. Then after I get bored of them I would wish for what I want and see if someone can make it real.”

“I think you're just crazy.”

He does a scary smile, “I'm not crazy, I just want what I want. Sadly I had a little miscalculation on my plan.” Then a penguin with four horns enters the office.

Yuta then yells, “see! I call this penguin Pekya, it started to follow me, and I need to do a wish every six days!”

“So you thought you would never have a demon.”

“Yep, but the problem is that it won't make my wish come true, so I was searching for the other demons to see if they grant me that wish.”

“I think if one demon doesn't make a wish true then the others can't, they have the same rules with a few variations.”

“Perhaps, but I will never be sure of that because of you.”

“If the demons were so important, why you never found them before?”

“I'm a busy man, and I have some employees, so why would I search them by myself.”

“Ok, I guess. By the way, how do you stop your curse?”

“I might look dumb, but I'm not, you won't fool me.”

I don't know what to do, but I have an idea, “Then tell me your wish, and we would see if this panda can make it true.”

“Oh, you will cooperate then, I was planning to use you until you die, but if you make my wish first I wouldn't mind, plus I have this penguin to make every wish I want,” he now looks really happy, but he's scaring me, “ok, wish that I go back 25 years on the past.”

“I will do it then,” this is a problem, I don't think Pakya will make that wish true, so I might die, also I'm sure is dangerous to travel in time, and if Pakya fails with the wish then I will be a wish slave.

“Pakya, I wish to lea—”

He interrupts me, “stop right there, Pekya I wish that she can't talk until she asks that panda my wish!”

He's faster than me talking, plus I was still dizzy. The problem is that I can't escape and I haven't wished anything today. So if I can't talk, then I can't make any wish, and maybe I will die.

“When you're ready to make my wish I will liberate you!” Yuta is scary.