His body still ached despite the days spent in bed. His wounds had healed, but his mind had not.
As he packed his bag, he felt his chest tighten—sharp, burning pain twisting deep inside.
"A guy like you will always be haunted by his own choices. Was it destiny that brought you here… or something else?"
With a heavy weight on his shoulders, he left the building. The belongings of the others were still there. Only his were gone.
The halls were silent, his footsteps echoing as if no one else existed.
At the exit, he saw Kohaku. Without a word, Takumi walked past him.
Kohaku's eyes lingered on his slouched back, his fallen shoulders, the melancholy etched on his face.
"You'll come back. I know it," Kohaku sang mockingly, turning in the opposite direction. "But don't take too long, Takumi~!"
Takumi kept walking. A final glance over his shoulder was met with a strong gust of wind that tousled his hair. He turned forward again and didn't look back.
His journey was long, draining. When he finally reached his old apartment, he realized it was no longer his.
Children opened the door, staring at him in surprise.
"Do you need something, sir?" one whispered.
Of course… they wouldn't have kept the rent for me.
"…No, I'm sorry. I think I came to the wrong place."
The boy nodded and closed the door.
Laughter spilled out from behind it. That place wasn't his anymore.
But then—where would he go?
Lost, Takumi wandered through the streets of Tokyo with no destination, no one to turn to.
His phone had broken the day he visited his grandfather. Nothing was left.
In the busy center, someone suddenly tackled him. He turned—
It was Ren.
"Takumi! Where have you been!?"
Takumi froze, his chest tightening at the sound of his best friend's voice.
"…Ren…" he whispered, trembling. It had been days since he'd seen a familiar face. "Forgive me for asking, but… can I stay at your place for a few days?" His eyes pleaded.
"Eh? Of course. I… heard about your grandfather. I'm really sorry."
"Don't worry. He's in a better place now, I hope," Takumi chuckled bitterly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Doesn't matter. I'm your best friend," Ren said, draping an arm over his shoulder. "Stay as long as you want."
Takumi followed silently, telling him everything that had happened.
"For real?" Ren muttered. "A Cursed One…?"
"Yes. You know what that means, right?"
"I've heard of them. Exorcists hate them. Why, I don't know… They say it all started because of one of them."
They hate everyone because of just one…
They arrived at Ren's large house. As Ren unlocked the door, Takumi's senses sharpened.
The place smelled of expensive soap and reheated food. For the first time, he felt almost at home.
"This place…" he muttered, sensing a heavy energy in the air. "Did something happen here?"
"Eh? Well…" Ren rubbed his neck nervously. "My mom gave birth, remember? She's at the hospital now. Won't be back for three months." His voice carried annoyance.
"Ha, I see~ Guess your only-child privileges are over," Takumi teased lightly.
"Don't even joke about it! Now everything will be about my baby sister," Ren pouted, clearly irritated. "I never wanted a sibling. You're already my brother."
Takumi's lips curved into a small smile at those words.
He glanced around Ren's room, walls plastered with posters and merch of famous exorcists. Among them—Kohaku.
"…Kohaku…"
"Did you say something?" Ren asked.
"Nothing… just thinking. Anyway, how's your exorcist exam going?"
"My results aren't out yet. No letter of rejection, no acceptance either," Ren sighed. His voice cracked, betraying his hope.
Still, he helped Takumi carry his bags upstairs.
"Sorry for the mess. By the way—"
"It's fine. Thanks. What is it?" Takumi asked, noticing Ren's eyes shining with excitement.
Ren grinned wide. "Come on, tell me everything about the Academy! Every. Single. Detail!"
Takumi exhaled tiredly but gave in, recounting nearly everything he'd seen at the Exorcists' Academy.
"You met the actual Kohaku!?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
He left out the deaths of his comrades—he didn't want to frighten Ren.
The warmth of hot chocolate stung his tongue, but the burnt toast with butter softened the pain. For the first time in weeks, Takumi savored a fragile moment of peace.
But the nights remained cruel. Only darkness, only screams.
He returned to school, facing his classmates again. Some wished him well, others glared with disdain.
"Takumi, you've got tons to catch up on," Ren said, dropping thick books on the desk. "Don't worry—I'll help!"
"Sure," Takumi muttered, handing Ren a notebook. Around them, Ghosts feasted on the students' negative energy.
Dawn after dawn passed. To clear his head, Takumi wandered the city. That's when he saw it—
No way…
Beneath an abandoned bridge, a massive Ghost loomed—red light glowing from a single enormous eye, claws spread wide. And a little girl was walking right across the bridge.
"…I didn't see anything," Takumi whispered, speeding his steps, cold sweat dripping.
But then—
"Aaahhh! Help meee!"
The scream pierced him, dragging back every memory he wanted to forget.
His legs froze. Sweat slid down his forehead.
Am I really going to do this again…? No… I can't…
But adrenaline surged, his body moving before his mind.
He grabbed a branch without thinking.
"Y-you… l-leave her alone!" His knees shook like jelly. Fear devoured him, yet the girl's scream burned louder in his ears than his own cowardice.
The Ghost laughed, tightening its grip on the child, bones cracking under its claws.
"Help me!!"
The stench of rot and metal filled the air. Its guttural growls thundered under the bridge.
Takumi charged recklessly.
"Gut, gut, gut—" The Ghost's laugh shook the ground as it hurled the girl aside and snatched him up instead.
"Ghh…!" His cry was raw, his body crushed.
But then—he saw her. The little girl stood, trembling, throwing stones at the monster through her tears.
"Let him go! Don't hurt him!"
Something ignited within him. With his last ounce of strength, Takumi drove the branch straight into the Ghost's glowing eye.
"GAHHHH!!"
The monster howled, flinging him violently to the ground. His ribs screamed in agony.
Before he could faint, the girl grabbed his hand.
"Run!!"
If they stopped, they would die. He held on tight, dragging her as fast as his battered body allowed.
His vision blurred, his hands numb. Finally—they were safe.
"…Thank you, sir," the girl whispered, face pale with fear but lit with relief.
"…No. Thank you. You're braver than me."
Her small laugh soothed him like medicine.
"You're my hero!"
"Hero…?" he muttered, standing with care despite the stabbing pain in his ribs. "…I'm not a hero. I'm Takumi."
He led her home, each breath slicing his chest like fire. But her smile was worth more than the pain.
Something inside him grew lighter, a voice telling him he had to prove who he really was.
As he ran, he felt his grandmother's charm in his pocket. For the first time, it didn't weigh him down like a burden—
it felt like a promise.
"I'm not just a civilian. Not a Cursed One, not an exorcist, and not a hero either. My grandmother died protecting me… Now I finally understand why."
—FLASHBACK—
"…Grandma?"
His voice cracked, just before screams erupted from the forest—his grandmother and parents slain by a Ghost.
—BACK TO PRESENT—
Takumi staggered into Ren's house, panting.
Ren looked up from his phone.
"…Takumi?"
"If you were accepted into the Academy… would you go?"
"Of course! Powers, fame, respect—it'd be amazing!" Ren jumped up, eyes sparkling. "I'd be one of a kind! …Why are you asking?"
Takumi smiled. Weak, trembling—but real. His first smile in days not poisoned by despair.
He remembered their childhood dreams. He wanted to be a chef. Ren wanted to be a protector of justice.
Takumi climbed to Ren's room, unzipped his bag, clothes scattering. He pulled out a black card Kohaku had given him on the day they met.
He dialed the number. It rang for less than five seconds.
"I'm ready," he said, forcing confidence.
"Ohhh~? No more crying?" The voice on the other end was amused. "I thought you'd keep hiding."
"I want to do things right," Takumi whispered, wiping tears away.
"Or would you rather keep playing hide-and-seek, little mouse~?"
"…Take me with you," he said, voice trembling but resolute. "And I'm not a mouse."
"Ha ha ha! Tomorrow, 7 a.m. Don't be late, Takumi-kun. Though… seeing you arrive panicked and out of breath would be quite the show."
Ren stared, confused about who his friend was speaking to.
"What was that?"
Takumi put the phone away.
He looked at his hands. Fresh scars crossed the old ones—no longer marks of shame, but proof of his choice.
"Nothing. But if I can… I'll make sure you join me at the Academy."
"…What!? For real!? Don't joke about that! It'd be my greatest dream!" Ren's eyes glimmered as he threw his arms around Takumi.