Riku crashes through the side door of the school building, gasping, heart thundering in his ears. He slams the door shut behind him, chest heaving, and throws the lock with trembling fingers.
Click.
Silence.
Just the echo of his own breath in the empty hallway.
He presses his back to the door, sliding down to the floor. His hoodie's soaked from snow, hair plastered to his forehead.
"What the hell was that…" he whispers. "Mio? That was Mio, right? But—what the hell was with her face?!"
He tries to laugh, but it dies in his throat. With his eyes, he tries to glance around the empty corridor.
Then—softly—Tap.Tap.Tap.
Riku freezes.
No... No way. Not inside.
The footsteps are slow, deliberate... coming closer.
But no one should be there.
He scrambles to his feet, stumbling backwards. His phone's already out, hands shaking as he dials without thinking.
"Come on, come on-" he muttered, dialing his own voicemail. "Hey me-from-ten-minutes-ago, DON'T GO TO THE BACKYARD! NO GIRL LIKES YOU ENOUGH TO CHASE YOU IN A BLIZZARD. SHE'S PROBABLY A DEMON. ABORT. ABORT-"
Suddenly—
BANG!
The slam echoes like a gunshot. Riku's phone clatters, spinning to reveal "Incoming Call: HANA" as footsteps charge closer-
CRASH!
Hana and Tetsuya tumble into the hallway, skidding across the linoleum in a tangle of limbs and panic.
Hana brandishes a splintered stick like Excalibur's cheaper cousin. "SHE SMILED WITH HER TEETH, RIKU! HER TEETH WERE... WRONG!"
Tetsuya clings to her leg, glasses askew. "I SAW HER KNEES BEND BACKWARDS! HUMAN KNEES DON'T DO THAT! DO THEY?!"
Riku stares, mouth agape. "...You idiots followed me?!"
Flashback…
Just moments after Riku left the cafeteria in a flustered mess—
Hana leaned across the table, smirking.
"We have to follow him."
Tetsuya slurped the last of his noodles. "You're serious?"
"Of course I'm serious. This is prime rom-com bait. I'm not missing a real-life confession scene."
Sazanami University – 6:10 P.M. – Backyard Bushes
Unbeknownst to Riku, two shadows lurked behind a scraggly bush at the edge of the backyard. Hana and Tetsuya huddled together, breath fogging in the cold.
Hana peeked through the leaves, stifling a giggle. "Look at him. He's so nervous he's about to faint. I told you it was a love confession. This is better than TV."
Tetsuya: "I could be home, not freezing my butt off."
"Shh!" Hana hissed. "Something's happening."
Tetsuya, clutching his phone like a spy camera, whispered, "Need to record just in case."
Suddenly, the air shifted-a chill that wasn't just the snow. A figure emerged from the shadows at the far end of the yard.
Neither Hana nor Tetsuya recognized her.
Tetsuya whispered, voice cracking, "Is that even… human?"
"I don't think so," Hana whispered, reaching for a snow-covered stick.
The temperature dropped.
Wind stopped.
A figure stepped out from behind the trees.
Slow. Crooked. Like a puppet with tangled strings.
Hair hung like wet curtains. Her eyes—two glowing red embers beneath the fringe.She tilted her head… too far. A vertebra cracked.
Her steps were jerky. Head tilted. Hair hid her face. Red eyes glowed. Faint. Smirking.
The girl smiled.
Too wide.
Too many teeth.
Then she hummed—soft, broken piano notes, off-key and echoing like a haunted lullaby.
Hana: "That's… not romantic." Gulps. "She's creepy!"
Tetsuya: "That's not a girlfriend. That's a boss fight ! Run!"
Hana: "Aren't we going to help Riku?"
Tetsuya: "Ya After we save ourselves first, AH let's go to that side of the slammed door Riku is there"
Back to Present
Riku: "...You idiots followed me?!"
Hana: "We came to save yyou but wwhat was that?"
Tetsuya wheezes, "Is this what love feels like…? Because I hate it."
Hana: "Next time, let him confess alone. I value my soul."
Somewhere far off, the faint sound of off-key piano echoes again…