The morning was quiet, the sky painted in pale shades of blue and orange as Yokohama slowly came alive. Birds chirped near the rooftops, and the gentle warmth of the sun spilled across the streets.
Fumiko, however, walked with her schoolbag slung across one shoulder, her eyes scanning every corner. Even though the streets looked normal, every shadow seemed suspicious, like something could leap out at her at any second.
Her mind drifted back to last night – the nightmare, the hands dragging her into the darkness, the strange cat with silver and red eyes. The way it had stared at her still lingered in her chest like an unshakable weight.
As she approached the bus stop, she caught herself glancing around again, hoping, or maybe fearing, to see the cat once more.
"What are you looking for?"
The sudden voice almost made her jump.
Fumiko turned to see Ami standing there, tilting her head curiously.
"Ah Ami...you, nothing. Just… the weather seems nice."
Ami raised a brow, then looked up at the sky and back down to the streets where Fumiko had been staring. A grin tugged at her lips.
"Since when did the sky shift to the ground?"
There was a short pause. Then both of them burst out laughing.
"Nevermind,"
Ami said, shaking her head as she adjusted her bag.
"Let's go."
"Y-yeah."
They started walking together toward school, but even as Fumiko laughed along, that heavy feeling of being watched never left her.
---
At school.
The corridors buzzed with chatter, lockers opening and shutting as students prepared for class. Fumiko placed her books into her locker absentmindedly, but her ears caught fragments of a conversation nearby.
"Did you hear about the accident last night?"
"Yeah, weird stuff's been happening. Firstly random car crashes, then the blackout… spooky."
Fumiko's hands froze on her notebook. The word accident sent a ripple of anxiety through her chest. She tried to act like she wasn't listening, but her mind began connecting dots she didn't want to connect.
"Lost in thought again, are we?"
Fumiko nearly dropped her book. Ami was standing there with her arms crossed, looking smug.
"Why do you always appear out of nowhere? Are you a ghost or something?"
"Oh? Did you got scared?"
Ami grinned, leaning closer.
"N-no I didn't!"
Fumiko blurted, cheeks flushing pink.
"Stop laughing!"
Ami giggled, her laugh echoing through the hall.
"Cracking jokes so early in the morning, huh?"
The voice came from behind them– Rin and Yuki had arrived. Rin had her hands shoved into her pockets, while Yuki bounced excitedly beside her.
"Tell me too!"
Yuki leaned forward eagerly.
"Too bad,"
Ami said with a mischievous smile.
"The joke was limited edition."
"Awww, nooo!"
Yuki pouted, puffing her cheeks like a child.
"Ami, you're so cruel!"
Fumiko and Rin both laughed at her reaction. But before Yuki could argue further, the bell rang, and the hallway quickly scattered into classrooms.
"Guess we'll see you two in recess,"
Rin said, waving lazily before she and Yuki disappeared in crowd, towards their classroom.
"Yep, see you later,"
Ami replied, and the two girls headed into their own class.
---
Distracted
The classroom was quiet, the sound of chalk scratching against the board as the teacher wrote out notes. Everyone copied diligently, except Fumiko.
She couldn't stop replaying the nightmare in her head. The hands. The choking. The blood. And that cat.
She didn't even realize she was staring blankly at her empty notebook until–
"Fumiko, are you with us? Fumiko!"
She snapped upright in her seat, blinking rapidly as the teacher's stern voice cut through her thoughts.
"S-sorry, ma'am… hehe…"
"Don't 'hehe' me. Write the notes down quickly."
"Yes, ma'am…"
The class chuckled lightly, and Ami sighed, shaking her head from the next seat. Her eyes lingered on Fumiko's face. The way she zoned out, the way her hands trembled slightly when holding her pen, Ami knew something wasn't right.
---
Recess
The cafeteria smelled faintly of fried food and miso soup. The four of them sat at their usual table: Rin scrolling casually on her phone while eating, Yuki hunched over her tray devouring her lunch like she hadn't eaten in days, and Ami watching them both with mild amusement.
"These accidents are only increasing…"
Rin muttered, scrolling through a news article.
"Sure are,"
Ami said, leaning her cheek on her palm. She glanced at Fumiko, who was quietly poking at her food without eating much.
"Fumiko,"
Ami finally spoke up, her voice softer than usual.
"Everything alright? You seem kinda lost these days…"
Fumiko froze, her chopsticks hovering above her bowl. Slowly, she looked up at them.
"Yeah… it's just…"
"Just what?"
Rin pressed, looking serious now.
"Speak up. We're here to help you, you know."
Fumiko hesitated. Her chest felt heavy. She didn't want to worry them, but the words slipped out before she could stop them.
"Well… it's about a cat. A white cat."
There was silence. Rin tilted her head.
"You wanna buy a cat? Didn't know you were a cat person, Fumi."
Fumiko shook her head quickly.
"No, not like that. It's more like– "
"GUYS!!"
Yuki's sudden yell nearly made everyone jump. She slapped her phone onto the table, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Look! A new karaoke shop opened near the station! Let's go after school today! I have sooo many songs I need to sing!"
Rin sighed but smiled faintly.
"Okay, princess. As you wish."
Everyone's attention immediately shifted to Yuki's enthusiasm. Even Fumiko was swept into the conversation, her worries fading into the background as they debated songs, snacks, and who would sing first.
For the first time that day, she managed to smile.
---
After school.
The final bell rang, and the school grounds buzzed with laughter and chatter as students poured out. Fumiko, Ami, Yuki, and Rin walked side by side, bags slung over their shoulders, still talking about karaoke plans.
Then– Thunk.
Something small and hard hit Fumiko lightly on the head.
"Ow…"
She rubbed the spot, frowning as she glanced around. But there was nothing, no pebble, no ball, no student nearby.
"Something the matter, Fumiko?"
Ami asked, looking concerned again.
Fumiko forced a smile.
"Nope. It's alright, let's go."
Ami didn't look convinced but let it slide, and the four of them continued down the road, their voices fading into laughter.
---
The field behind the school grew quiet again. The wind rustled gently through the tall grass.
And there, half-buried in the grass where Fumiko had been standing, something faintly glowed. A small, strange structure, humming with an energy that didn't belong to the daylight world.