"Mind if I tag along? I'm kind of lost right now."
"Sure. We owe you one," Geto replied. "It would be ungrateful of us to leave you on your own."
"Geto's right. Your name's Ichigo, isn't it?" Riko asked. "Thank you for saving me."
"No problem."
"We should get going," Geto said. "We still need to check on Kuroi-san."
"That's right! Kuroi!" Riko turned toward the exit. "Hurry!"
"Lead the way."
The three teenagers hurried toward the place where Geto and Riko had last seen Kuroi. To move faster, Geto carried Riko while Ichigo followed close behind.
"We're almost there. Kuroi-san should be right around he…re."
Geto slowed to a stop.
Kuroi lay motionless on the ground.
"Kuroi!"
The moment Geto set her down, Riko rushed to Kuroi's side.
"No, Kuroi! Please… please!"
She knelt beside her, clinging to the hope that she was only unconscious. With trembling hands, she searched for a pulse, then leaned closer to listen for a heartbeat.
There was nothing.
"…Kuroi?"
Geto approached slowly.
"Riko…"
He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't find the words.
A few steps behind them, Ichigo stood in silence. His gaze shifted from Kuroi's body to the woman standing beside it.
He couldn't bring her back. But there was still something he could do.
"Would you like to say goodbye to her?"
Riko turned toward him.
"Are you making fun of me? How am I supposed to say goodbye to her now?"
"No. Of course not." Ichigo paused. "Her spirit's still here. She's standing beside you."
"What?" Riko whispered.
"Her spirit?" Geto repeated.
They stared at him in disbelief.
"Look, I know how it sounds, but I'm serious."
Ichigo turned toward Kuroi's spirit.
"Is there anything you want to tell her before you go?"
"Who are you talking to?" Geto asked, watching him warily.
Kuroi stared at Ichigo.
"You… can see me?"
"I can."
"How?"
"I'm a Shinigami. Well, a Substitute Shinigami."
"I see…"
She looked down at her body, then at Riko kneeling beside it.
"So I really am dead, aren't I?"
"Yes."
Ichigo wished he had something more comforting to say. Instead, he waited, giving her a moment to take it in.
"Listen," Riko snapped. "I'm grateful you saved me, but that doesn't give you the right to mock us!"
"I'm not mocking you."
"Perhaps she would believe you if you told her something only I would know," Kuroi suggested.
"That would help."
"Stop talking to thin air and explain yourself!"
Riko stood and approached him, one hand clenched into a fist.
"When you were little, Kuroi took you to an aquarium."
She stopped.
"You saw a fish with black stripes. She noticed you watching it and asked if you liked it."
Ichigo glanced at her raised fist.
"Want me to keep going, or are you still going to hit me?"
Riko slowly lowered her hand.
"Please… keep going."
"You told her, 'I don't like it. I just feel sorry for it. It's trapped in a prison, and it'll never get to reach the ocean.'"
He paused.
"Pretty big words for a little kid."
Riko stared at him, her eyes wide.
For a moment, she couldn't speak. Then her gaze shifted toward the empty space beside Kuroi's body.
"Is… is K-Kuroi really here?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Right in front of you. She's listening."
Riko wiped her cheeks and tried to steady her breathing.
She couldn't see Kuroi, but she wanted to face her properly. At the very least, she wanted to say goodbye with a smile.
"Kuroi… I still can't believe you're gone. We were talking just a little while ago."
Her eyes drifted toward the body on the ground.
"But you're right here in front of me, so… I know I have to accept it."
"Riko…" Geto murmured.
Only yesterday, she had been laughing and enjoying herself without a care in the world. Now she was struggling to say goodbye to the woman who had raised her.
He felt helpless.
He needed to find Satoru. He needed to know whether Toji had been telling the truth. But he couldn't ask Riko to leave yet.
The least he could do was give her this time.
"I don't want you worrying about me, though," Riko continued. "So I promise I'll take care of myself. I'll eat properly instead of just eating sweets. I'll study, too."
Her smile trembled.
"And… one last thing."
She drew a shaky breath.
"I love you, Kuroi. Thank you for always being there for me."
Tears gathered in her eyes again.
"Thank you for being my family."
Kuroi reached toward her, then hesitated, her hand hovering near Riko's cheek.
"Please tell her what I say," she asked Ichigo.
He nodded.
"I'm glad to hear you'll take care of yourself, Riko. I know you can."
Ichigo gently relayed her words.
"And I love you, too. Every day I spent with you brought me joy."
Kuroi's voice wavered.
"My only regret is that I won't get to see you grow up. I wanted to see you graduate, find a job, fall in love… perhaps even have a family of your own."
Riko pressed her lips together, listening to every word Ichigo passed on.
"But I'm so happy you thought of me as your family. You were mine, too."
Kuroi's form began to fade.
She smiled at Riko with the warmth of a mother looking at her child.
"Goodbye, Riko."
Ichigo repeated the farewell softly.
"Goodbye, Kuroi."
For a while, neither Ichigo nor Geto spoke.
Eventually, Riko took a deep breath and turned toward them.
"Come on, Geto. Ichigo-san. We still have to see if that idiot's alive and kicking, right?"
"Right." Geto hesitated. "But we can stay a little longer if you need to."
Riko shook her head.
"It's okay. I said goodbye." She managed a small smile. "Besides, Kuroi always hated seeing me look sad."
Ichigo glanced down at Kuroi's body.
"Would you like me to carry her?"
"Please, Ichigo-san."
He carefully lifted Kuroi into his arms, and the three of them set off.
As they left, a faint whisper reached his ears.
"Thank you, Substitute Shinigami-san."