• One Wish


    Most stories start with once upon a time, however, this one is different. Staring out the window, a boy dreams of what he has, but can never use. His name is Korro. He actually died, two years ago to be exact. He has long lived by himself. One day he met someone and they became friends and lived together. This “someone” is named Kogo. Kogo saved Korro's living soul from dying, but payed a price.
    Korro stares out the window, thinking about what had happened. Kogo appears beside him. “whats wrong?” he asks him. Korro looks to him, then looks to his body. The bell for lunch rings. He watches as everyone leaves the classroom. He then looks to Kogo. “D... do you remember when we met?” he asked him. “...Of course I do.” he said to him. “How could I forget...”

    Korro was at the store buying groceries. He took hold of his bags and headed out the door. He looked at the normal route he took an saw a sign that said “CONSTRUCTION HERE – DO NOT CROSS”. “Oh well, I guess I'll have to take a different route home.” he said as he went off in another direction. Kogo also went shopping. The store he went to was in the opposite direction. Kogo left the store with bags in his hands and headed towards the park. Korro noticed a park that had a direct path to his apartment building, so he took it. He walked on the path towards his apartment building. There were kids on his left side shooting fireworks around. Korro watched them while walking down the path. Kogo was walking down the same path, but he was looking at the sky. He walked down he path until he noticed someone coming towards him on the path too. He walking pretty fast, so he couldn't really stop fast. Korro was watching the fireworks until he looked ahead of him and since he was walking fast too, when he tried to stop, he slipped i a puddle of water and crashed into Kogo. Kogo sat up and saw him lying on the ground rubbing his head. He quickly got up and went over to him. “Are you okay?” he asked Korro. Korro looked up at him and said “Yes, I'm fine.” Kogo put out his hand. Korro took his hand and was helped up to his feet. “I'm sorry.” said Korro. “It's fine, I should have been watching.” he said. Kogo picked up his bags and said “Be careful.” and walked away. Korro picked up his bags and started to walk . He stopped for a second and it started to rain. He looked up at the sky and then said “I better hurry home.” he swiftly ran towards his apartment, being sure not to bump into anyone else.

    Kogo got home and placed his bags in the kitchen. He started to unload some things. and he heard a clank noise. He looked and saw a small round object. It was a pocket watch. He opened it up and inside was a picture of an old man. Meanwhile, Korro was running all around the town looking for his pocket watch. It started to rain and he was still looking around for it. Kogo thought that he might be out there looking for it, so he grabbed an umbrella and went outside and looked for him. Korro suddenly remembered where he bumped into
    Kogo and went to that place.

    He looked everywhere for it and couldn't seem to find it. He heard someone behind him and turned around. He noticed Kogo was standing there. "is this yours?" Kogo asked him. He took out the pocket watch. Korro started to cry a little bit. He wiped his tears and took the watch. "thank you" he said. Kogo turned around and started to walk away. He heard a thump noise behind him and quickly turned around and saw Korro laying there on the ground, unconscious. He dropped his umbrella and ran over to him. "hey! are you okay?" he asked him. There was no response. He checked his pulse and it was a bit fast. He put his hand on his forehead, but removed it quickly due to his forehead being burning hot. He picked up Korro and put him on his back. He then ran and picked up his umbrella and carried Korro to his dojo.

    Then, the next morning, Korro awoke and saw that he wasn't in his apartment, but in a different place. He sat up and felt something hit his chest, it was the pocket watch. He looked at it and the chain that was around it. A door opened and Kogo stepped through. "You're that guy!" Korro said. "How are you feeling?" he asked him. "I'm alright.. but what am I doing here?" Korro asked him. "Yesterday, when I bumped into you, your pocket watch fell into my bag. I found it when I got home and decided to give it back to you, it seems to be precious to you. I found you looking for it in the spot where we collided, and gave it back to you. But I guess from worrying so much about it, you got a fever and fainted. I brought you here since I didn't know where you were staying, and helped you out. " he said to him as he sat down beside him. "I'm sorry for the trouble." he said to Kogo. "I want to repay you for helping me... How can I do that?" he asked him. Kogo looked at him and said "You don't need to repay me, I was only helping out a person in need." he said as he stood up. "Here, get changed," he said as he tossed him some clothes. he placed his hand on Korro's forehead."I'll take you home, in case you fall over again, you still have a fever." he said as he took his hand away from his forehead. He then left to let him change.

    When Korro was done changing, he left the room and followed the hallway down to some stairs. He went down the stairs and saw Kogo. He walked towards him and said "I'm sorry for all of the trouble." Kogo looked at him and smiled. "Its okay, I needed some company anyway, weekdays are kind of lonely." Korro still felt bad, even though he said that. After then, they left and went towards Korro's apartment. Kogo looked up at the sky, it was cloudy, but it was nice outside that day. He looked at Korro who was looking down and seemed to be thinking about something. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you feel faint again?" Kogo asked him. Korro looked up at him and shook his head. "I feel better now." he said and he smiled. Korro stopped and looked to his right. "This is it." he said to Kogo.

    Kogo looked at the apartment building. It was pretty small and the paint was peeling on the outside. Korro looked embarrassed "It looks nice." Kogo said to him. Korro and Kogo walked to the entrance and then to his apartment. He took out his key and opened the door. He walked into the dark room and opened the curtains. The light flew inside and engulfed the whole room. The floor was in bad shape, along with the walls and windows. There was only two rooms, the living room/bedroom/kitchen and the bathroom. "I try to fix this place up, but its so old, when ever I try to fix something, another thing breaks." Korro said to him. "Hey, whats your name?" Kogo asked him."Oh, my name is Korro, and yours?" he asked back to him. "My name is Kogo." Kogo said. "Hey, Korro..." Kogo said to him. "Yea?" Korro replied. "You said you wanted to repay me for helping you right?" he asked him. "Yes, I really want to repay you." he said to him. "Alright then, how about you come and help me at my dojo?" he asked him. Korro's face lit up. "I would love to! I mean... it sounds good to me." he said embarrassingly. "Alright, come by tomorrow at 2:30 pm and I'll get you started." he said to him.

    The next day Korro came by and Kogo told him what he would be doing. Korro's fever went away after sleeping a lot, but he was still healing, so Kogo didn't let him do too much and gave him breaks a lot. Sure enough, Korro did it and did it well. Every single thing he was asked to do, he did. After he was done with it all, Kogo came over to him. He sat down beside him. "After thinking this over many times in my head, I came to the conclusion that you are more than capable of receiving this offer." he said to him. Korro was confused, but listened. "W...would you like to stay here with me?" he asked him. Korro was even more confused now. "I thought you would like to live in a better place... but you will have to work here, you'll pay off your rent by doing that... It's your choice, If you don't want to, thats fine with me." he said to him. Korro was looking at his hands, he didn't know what to do. He didn't know weather to accept or decline. "When you decide, come downstairs and tell me, I wont be disappointed if you decline." he said to him. He left the room and went downstairs and waited for him.

    Korro thought about this for around half an hour. He came to a conclusion after that time passed. He stood up and left the room. He went down the stairs and to the room Kogo was waiting in. he opened the door and saw Kogo. He sat down across from Kogo and Kogo looked up at him. "whats your decision?" he asked him. Korro looked at him. "Can I join the martial arts classes? I think I should learn something while I'm here..." he said with a smile. Kogo smiled a bit too. "Alright, let me show you where you are staying..." he said to him as he stood up. "...friend." Kogo said as he put his hand out in front of him. Korro took his hand and said "Alright... friend."

    After a year of Korro's training, he was almost as good as Korro, but in that time, Kogo was also training. "You have advanced very well." Kogo said to Korro as he three pieces of wood in half. "It helps to have a good teacher." Korro said back with a smile. "The only thing you lack is your stance." Kogo said to him as Korro faced him to listen. "If you ever need to use self defense, your stance is something that can be targeted easily," Kogo took a look at the clock. "But, we can work on that tomorrow. it's time to eat dinner now." Korro walked into the house part of the dojo and said with a smile "I think I will make din-" And before he could even finish his sentence, Kogo was right next to him. "Do you happen to remember the last time you tried to make something?" Kogo asked him. They both looked up at the faint burn mark on the ceiling. "At least you got most of it to go away." Korro said with a slight laugh. "I'll make dinner." Kogo said to him while opening the fridge. After a few moments of silence, Korro said "What's wrong?" Kogo looked at him. "We are out of food... do you think you can go shopping?" "Alright, ill go." Korro said with a sigh. After Korro went upstairs and changed, he came back down and Kogo handed him the list. "Have a safe trip." Kogo said to him with a smile. "Don't worry." Korro replied.

    As the clock struck 9:00p.m. and loud DONG hit Kogo's ears, the feeling of worry grew stronger and stronger. It grew until it practically burst out of Kogo, causing him to run as fast as he could out the door. "It shouldn't of taken him 2 whole hours to go shopping." he thought as his feet danced the song of worry. Kogo ran straight to the shopping center, but Korro was nowhere to be found. He searched nearby places too, but Korro was nowhere. All of a sudden, Kogo knew where he was. He went as fast as he could to the park where they met. He ran hurriedly up the path by the pond. He looked around but all he could see was the new construction site. Then appeared Korro, walking up the path reading the list. He looked up to see Kogo standing there breathing hard. Kogo fell on his hands and knees due to exhaustion and happiness. "Kogo!" Korro yelled as he swiftly ran to him. "Are you alright?" he asked him worriedly. After catching his breath, Kogo said "Who takes two whole hours to get groceries from a store that is a 20-minute walk away?" Korro simply smiled and said "They didn't have the products we needed there, apparently they had a shortage in that store. I went to the store in the next town over, to get it." Kogo sat up and was about to say something, but it started to snow. They watched the snow fall on their faces and hands. A small explosion was heard and when they turned to see what was happening, lights in front of them blinded them. Korro pushed Kogo backwards. Kogo watched as if in slow motion the incident before his eyes. The vehicle from the construction site going towards them. Korro pushing him out of the way. His ankle getting hit by the vehicle. The bag of groceries going flying. And finally the clouded sky.

    Kogo woke up a minute later. He looked around and saw the tire marks on the grass and path. Then, with wide eyes filled with fear, he saw Korro, lying on the ground. He hurried to his feet, but flinched because of when his ankle got hit. He limped over to Korro. Kogo turned Korro over so that he was on his back. He put his head on his chest to listen for his heartbeat. Thump-Thump...... Thump-Thump........... Thump-Thum............ and it was gone. Tears of sadness streamed down his face like a hole in the side of a dam. The lights of red and blue shined on the streaks of water on the sides of his face. The hurried pattering of footsteps on the ground mixed in with the voices around him. His cries were so loud that it shook hearts. Korro was taken from him and placed in the ambulance. Then, all sound disappeared, and all vision turned black.

    There was a room with she lightest shade of blue on the walls and the air seemed to shimmer silver. The moon outside was a full one, and the rays glowed brightly. A faint voice said "Do you wish to see him again? Your pain is unlike any other before. I can bring him back to you, but under one condition." "Yes! I'll do whatever it takes, just don't take my only friend away..." Kogo replied. "You must protect..." the voice said. "Protect? Protect what?" Kogo paused. "...not what, but who. You must protect everyone. Become a guardian, a true guardian." the voice seriously stated. "Protect everyone from what?" Kogo wondered. "You shall see soon enough. Now, do you accept my offer?" the voice questioned. "I accept. Just please, bring back my friend to me." Kogo said while his voice was cracking. Then, the bright light became even brighter, the brightest ever possible, and there appeared Korro. "K-Korro..." Kogo whispered. "Korro!" he shouted in realization. Kogo ran over to him and gave him a hug, the kind of hug you would give your best friend who you haven't seen in 20 years. One filled with happiness, sorrow, anger, fear, and relief. The voice then appeared again and said "You are the only one who can touch him and see him, to everyone else, he is a ghost. He can become you and you can become a ghost and vice-versa at will. We shall meet again." Then the voice and the bright light disappeared. The room shined in harmony with the happiness they both felt then. They would be together not as best friends, but in a way, together like brothers.