A Pack of Life (APoL)

Chapter 1: For A Better Life

It is 20 seconds past midnight. The streets are quiet and most of the streetlamps are off in the Tokyo Prefecture,
besides the Central District, where the night is just about to start.
An airship makes an entrance unnoticed into the noisy city below, landing slowly on one of the highest buildings
in the middle of the bustling city. Suddenly, the small cockpit of the airship lands spot-on quietly on a helicopter pad like a
pin drop on a carpeted floor, making an immediate stop for a seemingly long journey.
As the balloon is being kept, shadows walk out of the cockpit, resembling the scene of a businessman landing for
a meeting. A confident man in a suit is giving instructions to a few subordinates. As they walk away, the businessman
stares into the dark sky.
This is going be another hectic arc, huh.
He sighs as he walks down the steps nearby into the building
Also, at this quiet night, among the group of terraces near the city district, lies a humble household. The
Kawazoe family is preparing for their sleep.
Their only son Myousuke was the last in bed, after he switches off the lights. He recalls, just hours ago where,
along with his family, celebrated his birthday. He stares out to the cityscape after he settles into bed, his eyelids soon
closed, and he went into slumber. He dreams of the many things in life, and how they changed his life till now.
Reminiscing into the past 17 years of his life, he embarks on the starting days of his High School life, on a college on the
other side of the city business district.
BI-BEEP!!!
The alarm clock breaks his wonderful dream yet again. He lifts himself up, while his left hand reaches for the
alarm clock. He squints on his right eye at the clock.
8.01AM.
Well, its about time for school.
He gets up and heads to the kitchen for his breakfast, closing the bedroom door behind him.
You had that birthday dream again?
It was all so good, and suddenly, it all turned into darkness. It seems ratherbad, isnt it?
Shinji saw the worried look on Myousukes face.
Well not to worry; I suppose it is just you thinking too much. Besides, it does not occur every day
Yeah, just once every year isnt it? It has been four years already, you know.
Myousukes classmate Shinji went silent without words.
You better keep your motivation for sarcasm to yourself, or you will offend more than me. Unlike you, my
motivation is-
Out of the blue, their walk to the college is disturbed by a long strand of hair by the street junction. A young girl
dressed in the same college uniform shakes her head and lets her long hair flutter in the wind, emitting a faint scent of
cherry blossoms. She is Kushieda Himiko, from the same class and coincidentally is Myousukes love at first sight, one will
say. She bends forward into the junction and looks around like a child in front of a crossing.
Oh! Kawazoe-kun!
See? She is better a motivation compared to your sarcasm.
Myousuke waves back in reply. She approaches and follows the pace of the couple, faces Myousuke and starts
the conversation.

Hey Kawazoe-kun, have you visited the new arcade across the street that opened during the weekend?
Oh yes! They have been promoting themselves having the cheapest rate in town!
Shinji gives a grin to Myousuke, who grumbles on him disrupting their meeting.
But then it suddenly closed down yesterday when I passed by it. I wonder why
How so?
Myousuke gives a stare at Shinji, hinting him not to take over the conversation.
Apparently, the shop had to relocate due to the takeover of a new card shop. What was the name, I forgot
As she is about to recall the name of the new establishment, they pass by a card shop with a minimalistic feel,
standing out contrastingly to the shops beside it.
A Pack of Life?
Yes! Thats the name! How do you know?
She then wonders what the boys are looking up at and lifts her head, She then notices another outlet is right in
front of her eyes, as students walk past them and the closed shop.

The lunch bell rings.

Ill get some snacks for later myself, Shinji.
Why? Gonna sneak in something into the Science Lab for later again?
Myousuke grins widely and shoos his friend away as he lays his head on the desk.
Minutes before the next period starts, Myousuke reaches for the canteen, but no queue is seen. Normally, it
would be a whole lot of people like him doing the last-minute queue.

Great, time saved queuing up.

Just as he walks to the counter, he felt a tinge of weirdness from behind and before he can look above, a heavy
object drops from above and lands right on his head, making him collapse on the ground.
BOOM!
Are you all right?
A crowd gathers round to help him to the Nurses Room.
Soon the final bell rings within the school. Myousuke spends the whole afternoon recovering from the hit during
lunch time. Shinji visits him, sees that he is fine, and decides to accompany him home.
Wow man that was an early dismissal!
Whats so good about that? I rather-
Stay back with Himiko-chan, right? Do you need another strike on your head again?
Come on, you seem more enthusiastic to leave the school because you cannot stand the lessons?
Myousuke is already wondering Shinjis intentions for sending him home.
Besides, rumours say that it is because of you that made the Principal end school today an hour earlier to check
on the recent upgrades done around the college.

Oh yes. That wonderful Principal

Myousuke touches the lump on his head, still pondering what actually hit him.
As they walk, they passed by, yet again, the card shop that is in the middle of the city district overflowing with
customers, mostly high school students and surprisingly the seniors.
Wow, look at the crowd.
Yeah.
The boys stare at the crowd as they pass by. Shinji suddenly holds his footsteps.
Hey how about you say we take a look? I havent bought you a birthday present yet, right? You better give me
one when mine comes!
But Im not even interes-
Before Myousuke could even finish, he was dragged into the humble card shop.
My extra time for computer games
They squeeze themselves into the interior of the shop and are fascinated by the bold, abstract theme of the
compound.
Wow look at the craze! Even the New Year Sale months ago arent as packed as this one!
behind.

Shinji sees Myousuke get pushed from behind by the crowd. He himself also feels a nudge from the crowd
Well at least were in.
Okay, well just get a pack of these cards for each of us and well leave, ok?
Like I said, I dont even want these as my-

Suddenly, the crowd gets pushed around within the shop like a hurricane, and whirls Myousuke and Shinji
towards the shelves. Shinji quickly grabs a pack from the shelves and Myosuuke follows suit.

It looks like an ordinary pack of Poker Cards

But as he grabs the pack of Cards, it starts to shine like a beacon, which instantaneously stops the pushing
within the shop. Bringing his hand down, the light on the deck suddenly changes to a beam, showing a path to the nearby
cashier. Shinji approaches him, squeezing out from a crowd in shock. He then sees a clear path in front of him.
You got a Pack?
Yeah. When I grabbed one, it felt rather weird though
After they makes their purchase (using Shinjis pocket money), the crowd around them starts to disperse, with
many walking out empty-handed. Myousuke then turns to find the cashier is being replaced.
So much for squeezing just now...
The pair continues to walk their way home out of the cityscape, both lost for words.
Well I hope you can get me something better next time, Shinji. You should know I would rather get the latest
computer game than
He stares unhappily at the pack of Poker cards, and looks at Shinji.
Okay, for next years present Ill surely get a part-time job during the Summer Holidays, even if it irks me.

Shinji puts his shoulders around him and they walk towards the sunset
As Myousuke settles down, he pounces on his bed beside the desk as a reward for finishing his homework. He
looks at the desk in front of him, on it the pack of cards Shinji bought for him. He grabs it and opens the packaging,
revealing a set of 52 game cards and an instruction card. It simply reads:
FIND OUT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR LIFE!
SHUFFLE AND DEAL THREE CARDS FROM THE DECK
FACED DOWN BEFORE YOU SLEEP EVERY NIGHT!
Hmm it didnt explain what would happen next. Oh well, here goes.
He then shuffles the deck of Cards reluctantly and slowly with a disinterested face and places three cards on the
table faced down as instructed. He pauses and went into a sudden daze.
Now what?
He stares at the remaining deck and the three cards, and decides to take a peek. He takes a card placed on the
table to reveal something like a card game, but he does not know how to play the game. He searches the Pack for any
other instruction and finds nothing. The rest of the deck is also made of similar game cards. There appears to be no
familiar mark or indication from what he knows about game cards. It is also all written in English and Katakana, which
makes him hardly able to understand the words. He then picks up the only instruction sheet smaller than a business card,
and came to an understanding.

Oh, so I have to sleep now.

Myou-chan! Are you asleep?
His mother shouts down the corridor to his room, making him jump. Scared that his mother would see him
playing with cards late at night, he quickly snuggles into bed. Not long after he goes into his dreamland, leaving the cards
untouched.

It is nightfall. A shadow with a flow of long, black hair appears outside the window, and is looking into the room.
She takes out something from her pocket and after staring at it for a while, sees her target awake and dashes away.

What was that?

He opened his eyes, and looked at the alarm clock on his right.

Oh, its already dawn

Myousuke leaves his house early, only to see Shinji already waiting at his front gate for him, looking impatient.
Hey what took you so long? We have morning duties today, you know.
I was just wondering about my dream last night.
A dream? Not again! Dont tell me its the one you had on the night of your birthday celebration?
Myousuke imagines how Shinji would sarcastically mention that dreams are for people who think too much, a
total waste of time and is better spent in resting ones mind, and changes the subject.
No, I was just wondering what happens when I picked up the three cards last night.
What? So you really followed the instructions of the deck of cards, eh?
Myousuke nods briefly.
Ha, as if that really works! Kushieda-san did not even experience anything different after she bought and tried
hers a few days ago. This is just another pack of normal cards which just look nice like any other card game. And if you
do not like it I can always take it back

Shinji looks towards Myousuke, who is staring at the nearby playground. A bunch of kids are quarrelling about
who shall take the swings. Myousuke - who was stuck to it like glue - received a pat on his shoulder.
What?
Hey we have to hurry, or well have to run later.
Myousuke pauses his reply and goes back to stare at the kids.
Oh, you cannot do that. Gifts are not meant to be-
As Myousuke continues to stare at the playground, a rowdy teenager on a skateboard zooms towards them.
Myousuke!
BAM!
He bumps onto Myousuke, and he falls to the ground. His sight suddenly shifts from the kids to the teenager and
he notices his position. The boy picks up his skateboard, waves in apology and runs away.
Hey watch your way, brat!
Shinji immediately rushes to his rescue, as Myousuke whines in pain from the impact of his tall build hitting the
solid ground.
Man what were you focusing so much on? Did you not see what was coming towards you?
No I was just looking at-
He wonders how he actually got interested at looking at kids, when Shinji starts laughing.
I thought you hated the sight of children! Well come on. Are you okay
He lifts Myousuke up as they proceed to the college which was not far in front of them.
And soon, it is lunch time. As Myousuke examines his ankle injury from that outrageous teenager who crashed
into him (which is partly due to himself), Shinji walks to Myousukes table.
Hey, the other guys in class are asking you to join them in a game of basketball.
He sees Myousukes injury, grins and turns around.
I think Myousuke is more interested in his ankle then play some basketball!
Myousuke pouts at his injury but faces outside of the classroom, looking at the empty basketball court and the
bright sun.
Wait for me! Im coming with you guys!
He stands up and leaves his seat, only to feel his ankle ache again, making him unable to leave his seat. The
guys, who were great basketball friends of his, walk away with laughs echoing the hallway.
I guess you should just rest here instead of worsening your injury. Ill get some bread for you.
Thanks.
Just being in this state reminds him of his Mum and his lesson from an incident years ago, involving basketball
and a trip to the hospital.
Well, theres always another day for basketball. Its such a good weather...
Across the classroom of 1-3 sit two girls, chatting as they stare across the room.

Is Myousuke really all right? He suffered a hit on his head yesterday too
Sacchi is sitting across the table, catches sight of her friends vision.
Ah some other classmate caught your eye, Himi-chan?
Eh?
Himikos face turns red, as she tries to explain herself.
No I was just
Yes, Himi-chan? Hm?
Sacchi says seductively in reply, as if Himiko was her lover.
I- I was just eyeing for your bento! Aha!
With a blink of the eye, she steals a piece of asparagus from Sacchis packed lunch.
Hey you!
She tries to steal from Himikos bento too, and soon they were fist fighting over their lunch.
It is dismissal time and Myousuke waves Shinji goodbye. He personally wants to take a visit to the convenience
store before he goes home, and since Shinji is not inclined to following him as it is far from his home, he decides to go
there himself.
Not long after, the convenience store appears in sight and so does a sign that is deliberately placed in front of
the shop door. It reads:
SHOP CLOSED FOR THE DAY
WILL RESUME OPERATION TOMORROW.
SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED.
Heh
He thought he heard another sound from behind him. He and the other person turn to face each other at a
corner with their faces almost touching each other.
Heh?
It was Himiko, and Myousuke immediately blushes upon the sight of her. He takes a step back in surprise.
Oh if it isnt Kawazoe-kun. What brings you here?
I- Im just here to buy something on my way home. Who knows it wouldve been closed today, of all days.
Himiko replies with a slight blush on her face. Myousuke smiles briefly back to Himiko.
As they both walk home, Myousuke then found out that Himiko actually was avoiding her usual route due to an
unusually dense gang activity.
There are a lot of delinquents around these days. I was taking a longer route to get here, and I saw you.
What a coincidence, isnt it?
Yes. See you.
Myousuke bids farewell to Himiko as they pass by a junction. He then looks back at Himiko.

What a coincidence, huh.

After a shower, Myousuke lies down by his bed at midnight.

Eh?
He looks at the deck of cards that are still on his desk. He then quickly turns on the monitor to his computer to
chat online with Shinji.
I just felt those cards I drew last night they somewhat had an effect on me today.
How so?
It was more like this
Myousuke explains to him by showing the three cards he picked last night.
The first card was Focus Here, which Myousuke relates to him being distracted by the bunch of children by the
playground for no reason in the morning.
The second was Salt Sprinkler, which he then related to how his minor ankle ache suddenly became more
painful as he stood up, even though he kept volunteering himself during morning lessons and also had to stand up.
The third was Close Coincidence, which explains how coincidental he was to meeting Himiko after school, who
also was visiting the shop.
And they are all in chronological order
From here, they both are already wondering if Myousukes deck is truly a pack of prediction cards.
A silence ensues between them.
Now what?
Why dont you try it again tonight, but this time faced down? You may have cheated by not following the
instructions, or your body might have reacted due to prior knowledge of the Cards? If it works again tomorrow then Ill
take your story.
Myousuke also wonders what to do, but listening to Shinjis suggestion, he decided to give it a try. He
disconnects with Shinji, and before he sleeps, he shuffles the deck and places three cards in front of him faced down
inside his desk drawer. He turns off the light in his room, jumps and lands flat on the bed, and not long after went into a
slumber.
In the dark night, with the room so silent that you can hear a pin drop, along with Myousukes slight snoring, the
deck of cards and the three cards in the drawer that was not entirely closed start to glow. Outside the room, a shadow
looms upon Myousukes room window again, taking out what looks like a phone. The device explicitly displays:
Name: Kawazoe Myousuke
Age: 15
Verdict: Immediate Acceptance of Card Guardian of Tokyo due to Possession of A Pack of Life
Executor: Mimanoe Jouhou, Chiba Card Guardian
Welcome, newbie.
A female tone voices out of the shadow. She keeps the device in her pocket and walks away into the
moonlight