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Chapter 15: The Scars We Don't Speak Of
The news broke just before lunch.
Another teacher had gone missing—Mr. Harrow, the history teacher. His car was still in the lot, phone still at his desk. No signs of struggle, no witnesses. Just… vanished.
The staff tried to keep things under wraps, but the tension spread like smoke in the halls.
Kuro sat quietly at his desk, smiling like always. The kind of smile people wear to convince themselves they're okay. He doodled in the corner of his notebook—a tree. The same tree over and over.
He still stared at the woods through the classroom window. Just like last time.
Just like always.
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The others were gone that day.
Riku had a family emergency.
Sera had to help with her brother.
Jason had a doctor's appointment.
That left only Eve.
As silent as snowfall, she watched Kuro from behind her fringe. He hadn't looked at her once since class started. Not like yesterday.
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After school.
Eve wandered to their hangout spot—a cleared-out, cozy storage room Kuro had repurposed for them. He'd strung dim fairy lights and taped posters of anime and cryptids on the walls. Their names were even written on one side with childish handwriting and doodles beside each.
Today, it was quiet. Dustier than usual.
She stepped in.
Kuro stood at the window.
No hoodie today.
Just a thin shirt.
And skin.
Scarred. Scratched. Bruised.
His back was littered with claw-like marks. Thin slices like paper cuts crossed his arms. A deep bruise bloomed beneath his ribcage. Faint purple. Older ones. Newer ones. Some were healing, others still raw.
He didn't flinch as Eve entered. He just kept staring at the woods.
She didn't say anything.
She never did.
But her eyes said everything.
He finally spoke. His voice was soft. Not broken—just tired.
"Hey… Eve."
He turned slightly, revealing a cut under his collarbone, hastily closed with butterfly stitches. More bruises near his neck.
Still, he smiled.
"I forgot you were coming," he said. "Everyone else bailed, huh?"
She nodded slowly. Then sat on the floor, cross-legged. Watching him.
Kuro reached into a box near the corner and pulled out a first-aid kit. Quietly, methodically, like it was just another after-school routine, he began cleaning a scratch on his side.
Eve didn't move.
Didn't interrupt.
She watched as he wrapped gauze around his forearm. How he grimaced slightly but never stopped smiling.
The silence between them was thick. But not empty.
"I'm okay, you know," Kuro said suddenly, still looking at the window. "It looks bad, I get it. But… I'm fine."
He chuckled. "You don't need to worry about me."
Eve tilted her head. Still no words. But her eyes burned.
He finally looked at her.
And this time… the smile dropped. Only for a second.
"There's something out there," he whispered, nodding toward the trees. "I can't explain it. But it's been following me. Ever since…"
He stopped.
Shrugged. Smiled again. Mask on.
"It's probably nothing. I've always been dramatic."
He finished wrapping the bandage and stood up, offering her a hand.
"You hungry? I brought snacks. Jason would cry if we ate his chips without him."
She took his hand. He winced, barely. But kept pulling her up.
They sat. They snacked. They said nothing.
But every few minutes… Kuro still glanced at the woods.
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To be continued...