On the way to school, Kōki walked between Sayoko and Takuto. Groups of students chatted ahead, and some brushed past him, moving through Sayoko and Takuto without noticing. A faint chill lingered where their bodies passed, brushing against Kōki's arms.
Sayoko floated slightly behind him, humming softly, the faint vibration of her presence brushing his peripheral awareness.
"I can't wait to figure out how I… ended up like this." Sayoko tilted her head slightly, voice light and cheerful, contrasting with Kōki's stiff steps as his shoes struck the pavement with quiet tension.
Kōki sighed, fists tightening inside his pockets. "I hate to ruin your mood, Sayoko, but that's not something we can deal with right now." His jaw pressed tight, voice carrying a thread of irritation.
"Why not now?" Sayoko tilted her head, translucent black hair shifting as she hovered in place. Her gaze stayed fixed on Kōki.
"Because I have an exam today." Kōki's voice came out sharp, lips pressing together as he glared at Sayoko and Takuto. "And thanks to you two, I completely forgot about it yesterday. I barely had a chance to review anything!"
A few students glanced toward him, eyebrows rising in confusion, and quickened their pace to move past.
Takuto drifted ahead of them, arms crossed. His gaze stayed forward, voice flat and steady as it carried lightly in the early morning air. "It's your own fault for being such a coward."
Kōki's jaw tightened, shoulders stiffening. "Who wouldn't be freaked out by what I saw yesterday?" His voice came out sharper than he intended, and his stomach twisted with frustration.
The sound of the school bell rang through the streets just as they reached the entrance. Kōki hurried inside, his shoes squeaking faintly against the polished floor. His heartbeat thudded in his ears, thoughts still tangled with what had happened the previous day.
Inside the classroom, lips pressed together, breaths drawn in quick, uneven rhythm. Fingers tapped on desks, notebooks shifted, and the faint rustle of murmured words brushed across the rows, too soft to grasp but alive in the space around him.
The girl leaned closer to her desk, breath lowered, paper shifting beneath her fingers. "I'm surprised he even showed up for the exam after skipping class yesterday," the words barely carrying past the rustle of pages.
A chair moved softly behind her, fabric brushing against the seat as another student adjusted her posture. "Well, that's Kōki we're talking about," the response leaving her lips without emphasis.
The teacher's gaze swept across the room, lips pressing together. She leaned slightly on the edge of a desk. "Silence! No talking during exams. That's an automatic fail." She straightened, letting her eyes linger on the students who shifted nervously in their seats.
The students' heads dipped almost in unison, voices trembling. "R-right… sorry, Ms. Kurosawa," they murmured together, avoiding her gaze.
Ms. Kurosawa moved carefully down the rows, placing exam papers on each desk. When she reached Kōki, he lowered his eyes, focusing on the edge of his desk. His shoulders were tense as he remained still.
Ms. Kurosawa paused beside his desk, the exam paper held steady in one hand. Her eyes stayed on Kōki as her lips curved into a small smile, the expression fixed and controlled.
"Kōki… I remember you left the classroom yesterday, saying you were going to the bathroom… and you never came back." She placed the paper down in front of him, her posture unchanged. "I hope the time you missed was spent preparing for this exam. Otherwise, detention will be unavoidable."
Kōki swallowed and nodded too fast, his chin dipping once before he caught himself. His shoulders pulled in as he adjusted his position on the chair, knees drawing closer together. "Y-yes, Ms. Kurosawa," his voice came out low, clipped at the end.
Ms. Kurosawa turned back toward the front of the room. The papers in her hands brushed together as she placed them on the desk, the sound brief and controlled. After a short pause, her gaze lifted across the classroom. "You have one hour to complete the exam. …Begin."
The sound of paper shuffling and pens scratching filled the room. Some students groaned quietly, others tapped their pens anxiously, while a few stared at their papers blankly, eyes wide.
Kōki brought his fingers to his temple, holding them there as his eyes moved down the question. The pencil stayed just above the paper, his wrist stiff.
"I should be able to answer this…" the words slipped out in a breath barely louder than his own exhale. His jaw tightened before he added, quieter, "If it weren't for those ghosts."
His eyes moved between the choices, resting on each letter longer than necessary. His lips parted slightly as a quiet breath left him.
What is this answer supposed to be…
The pause stretched, his jaw setting as he looked back at the page.
Is it… A? Or C?
Takuto drifted forward until he hovered in front of Kōki, his arms crossed loosely and a faint smirk on his face. "Not as smart as you make yourself out to be, huh, Kōki?" His gaze flicked down toward Kōki's hands for a moment before returning to his eyes. "How are you supposed to help her pass on if you can't even handle these equations?"
Kōki brought the pencil down hard against the desk, the sharp sound cutting through the quiet room. His brows drew together as his shoulders tensed. "Shut up. I'm trying to focus." The words came out louder than he intended.
Several chairs shifted nearby as a few heads turned in his direction. Heat rose to his ears, and he stiffened in his seat as he became aware of the attention.
He let out a shaky breath, his shoulders dropping as his head lowered toward the desk. "This is bad… I don't understand anything on this paper."
A calm, steady voice came from beside him. "The answer is B."
Kōki lifted his head quickly, eyes widening as they shifted to the side. Sayoko hovered just above his shoulder, close enough that her presence pressed into his awareness. Her hand moved slowly over the paper, fingers stopping just short of touching it.
Kōki leaned slightly toward her, keeping his voice low as his eyes stayed on the paper. "You're… sure?" The hesitation lingered in the space between the words.
Sayoko's expression softened, a faint smile settling at the corner of her mouth as she hovered in place. "You can trust me."
His pencil moved almost on its own as he shaded in B. Throughout the next few minutes, Sayoko guided him quietly. Her finger traced invisible lines above the page, pointing out answers and nudging him when he paused too long on a question.
Kōki's brow drew together as his eyes followed where she indicated, his pencil moving more steadily as he worked through the remaining questions. "Hmm… okay," his voice stayed low as he paused, then continued, the tip pressing down with more confidence. "I see how this works."
He stopped once to cross out an earlier choice, the eraser leaving faint smudges on the paper. When he reached the last line, Sayoko drifted upward slightly and inclined her head in a small nod. "And… done." Her gaze lingered on the page. "See? It wasn't so difficult, right?" She lifted her hand as if to pat his head, her fingers passing through without resistance before she drew them back.
Kōki let out a small laugh, a genuine smile spreading across his face for the first time that morning. "Yeah… thanks to you."
The classroom clock ticked loudly, and Ms. Kurosawa's voice cut through again. "Time's up! All pens down."
She moved down the rows between the desks, her steps measured as papers were lifted from each surface in turn. When she reached Kōki, her hand paused briefly as she glanced at his page, then at his face. "Oh," her voice carried a note of mild surprise. "Kōki… it looks like you studied this time." Her gaze lingered for a second longer before she straightened. "I'm impressed."
Takuto drifts slightly higher, his feet hovering inches above the floor. "I wonder how Kurosawa-sensei would react if she knew a dead girl assisted you with the exam."
He tilts his head to the side, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth as he watches for a reaction. "No one would ever suspect you of such elite-level cheating, would they?"
Kōki turns his head sharply toward the space beside him, his knuckles whitening as his grip tightens on his bag strap. "Ugh... honestly, please just be quiet and get a life."
He looks down at the ground, the corner of his mouth twitching for a moment before he settles his jaw.
As he stepped into the hallway, a sharp voice cuts through the air. Kōki's shoulders jerk upward, his frame stiffening instantly.
"Hey, Sleepyhead!"
He remains frozen for a moment, his gaze fixed straight ahead as his breath hitches.
A girl with short brown hair and square glasses leans halfway out of the classroom doorway, her arm swinging in a wide, rapid arc. "There you are! I was certain you would fail the exam again."
She steps into the hallway, her shoulders shaking with a quiet laugh as she closes the distance.
Kōki's gaze drops to the floor tiles, his brow knitting together. Crap... not her again. He exhales a long, slow breath through his nose, his posture stiffening.
Kōki answered at once as she stopped in front of him, her shoulder brushing past his arm. His steps didn't slow. "I'm busy." His eyes stayed forward, jaw set as he shifted slightly to pass by her and continue down the hall.
She quickened her pace and came up beside him anyway, fingers closing around his hand before he could pull away. The contact made his arm tense as she leaned in slightly to keep stride with him. "Wait a minute, Takeda," her voice carried an easy, expectant tone. "You said you'd give me an answer later."
She looked up at him as she spoke, a small smile forming as the hallway lights caught briefly on the edge of her glasses.
Sayoko's eyes widened slightly as she hovered closer, her attention fixed on the two of them. An answer…? The thought surfaced with a flicker of surprise. What does she mean?
Kōki jerked his arm back, irritation tightening his shoulders as he tried to pull free. "I already gave you an answer. And it's no." The words came out sharp, breath cutting off at the end.
Her grip didn't loosen. His wrist remained caught in her hand as she held on, forcing him to slow despite his resistance.
"Great. Then you have time to talk about the supernatural club."
Takuto's lips pulled into a wide grin as he watched from the side, clearly entertained. Sayoko blinked once, hovering still, her expression caught between surprise and confusion.
"No." The word came out flat.
The girl's mood was unchanged as she stepped in closer. Her fingers slid up to the bridge of her glasses, nudging them back into place. "That's what you said last time," her tone stayed light. "And the time before that."
His jaw set as he pulled his hand free at last, creating a small gap between them. "I'm still not interested."
Her gaze stayed on him, steady, unblinking.
"You've been spending a lot of time near the old school wing lately. You don't have close friends. You vanish during class." She adjusted her stance, shoes scraping lightly against the floor. "People have started talking. They say strange things happen around you. Yesterday, someone saw you running through the streets, yelling."
She lifted both hands, her shoulders rising slightly as her mouth curved with amusement.
"Ah—ghosts," she added, tilting her head, copying his panic with exaggerated movements.
Warmth crept up Kōki's face. He looked away, fingers tightening at his sides.
"…That didn't happen."
She angled her body away slightly, fingers sliding along the frame of her glasses to set them straight. Her pause lingered before she continued.
"I don't see it that way. The people who noticed you are members of my club. They've been observing you."
Kōki's posture tightened. His weight shifted back a step, and his voice came out low.
"So you told them to follow me?"
The girl leaned closer as she lowered her voice, one hand lifting near her mouth.
"I know you go straight home after school. I've noticed that." She paused, watching his reaction. "Even if you don't want to join properly, you could still help us a little. Just observations. Writing things down. Maybe talking to a few people."
Kōki came to a stop and turned back toward her. His shoulders squared, and his gaze settled on her without wavering.
"I already told you no."
She hesitated for a brief moment. The corners of her mouth lifted, slow and deliberate.
"Alright. Then I'll ask again tomorrow."
Before he could speak, she pivoted away, her footsteps quickening down the hall. Her voice drifted back toward him without slowing.
"And we're meeting after school today. Just so you know."
Takuto hovered nearby, his attention fixed on the hallway she had left behind. His posture loosened slightly.
"Well… that's interesting. Looks like you're not as much of a loner as I thought."
Sayoko drifted closer, stopping just beside Kōki's shoulder. Her hands folded in front of her as she watched him.
"She's very… persistent." A brief pause followed. "Do you know her?"
Kōki drew in a deep breath as he continued down the hall, his steps slowing. One hand lifted to his head, fingers pressing briefly at his temple.
"Her name is Rina Hoshino. Class 2-D. She's the president of the supernatural club." His hand dropped, shoulders tense. "Ever since junior high, she's been a pain. She never misses a chance to bother me."
Sayoko's gaze lowered slightly, her expression settling as she drifted in place.
"I see."
Sayoko drifted to a stop, her movement slowing until she was nearly still. Her gaze rested on Kōki's back, unfocused. Her fingers tightened slightly. Now that I think about it… I don't really know anything about Kōki at all.
A quiet pause followed as she watched him walk ahead.
He's very different from how he was… from before I died.
The bell rang, sharp and brief. Kōki headed toward the old section of the school, his footsteps steady against the empty hallway floor. Sayoko and Takuto moved alongside him, unnoticed by the few remaining students.
The air felt cooler as they passed through the connecting corridor, dust shifting faintly with each step as the building settled into evening quiet.
Out of sight, a timid girl stood behind a row of lockers. Her skin was pale, shoulders drawn inward. Dark circles framed her eyes, and her bangs hung low, partly hiding her face. After a moment, she stepped forward, then again, keeping her distance as she followed Kōki with careful, uneven steps.
As she moved past the students, they shifted quickly aside, their footsteps hurried and voices low. One girl's eyes widened slightly, a shiver running through her shoulders.
"She's… creepy."
Another voice followed, quiet and hesitant, breath catching between words.
"And she's going to the old school building… I've heard that place is haunted. You don't think…"
The girl's gaze remained fixed on Kōki, blankness in her eyes and her hands trembling. Each step she took made the ground beneath her feet thud softly, betraying her presence despite her efforts to stay unnoticed.