After lunch period was over, Amane returned to class and slid into her seat as though her earlier conversation with Itsuki had never happened. Itsuki, however, couldn't take his eyes off their homeroom teacher, Mr. Renji—a tall, lanky man with slicked-back brown hair and equally brown eyes complementing his subtle build. He looked ordinary enough on the surface, but Itsuki couldn't shake the image of the thing that clinged to him.
A part of him wanted to dismiss everything Amane had said—it was insane, after all—but how could he? The "proof" was right there in front of him, coiled around their teacher like a parasite even though he couldn't see it anymore.
The rest of the day passed in a blur until the final bell rang. Students shot up from their seats, some rushing out, others lingering in noisy groups. As Itsuki packed his things, he glanced sideways—Amane was gone.
"…She was just here," he muttered.
At the front of the class, Mr. Renji remained at his desk, calmly grading papers. Itsuki slipped on his headphones and left.
"Damn you, Seiji. Why'd you have to miss today of all days?' he thought as he walked the crowded hallway. "Guess you never realize how much someone matters until they're gone—even if it's just for a little while.'
He exhaled a heavy sigh as he made his way outside. The school parking lot spread wide before him—about as large as the football field. Rows of cars lined the space, enough to hold the vehicles of parents, staff and outsiders.
He slipped behind a car near the handicap section, hiding himself from passersby. Peeking over, he spotted Mr. Renji's car parked not far away.
"How the hell does she even know where his car is—'
"You came quick."
The sudden voice nearly made him jump out of his skin.
"Geez! Where the hell did you come from?!" he replied, trying not to raise his voice.
Amane smirked, clearly entertained but still trying to hide it, making sure the Mysterious persona she put out was still clear. "Why are you whispering? The rest of the school's loud as hell, and it's just us here."
Itsuki scowled. "Don't mess with me'.
"What are we even doing here?" He asked trying his best to hide his irritation
"And why are we so close to his car? How do you even know which one it is—you've only been at this school for a day.'
"We're going to follow him," she said flatly. "When he leaves, we'll deal with the demon."
"…Deal with it how?"
"Don't worry about that yet." Her tone was calm, almost dismissive, as she set her bag down and sat on the pavement.
Itsuki let out a low sigh as he sat and joined her, though he kept a bit of distance. "Unbelievable. I'm stalking my teacher with a transfer student who says she can see the same freakshow monsters as me. And for all I know, one of those things is hanging off her right now…'
His thoughts trailed some more. "Does she even realize something ten times bigger than our teacher's demon was attached to her?'
He finally spoke aloud. "So, while we're waiting… why don't you tell me more about yourself?"
"Why would I do that?" Her gaze stayed fixed ahead, unbothered.
"Because I have no idea who you are,' he thought to himself. "Considering we're sitting here stalking a teacher together, it's kind of weird to be doing that with a complete stranger, don't you think?"
The truth was, he didn't really care who she was. What mattered was what was happening to him. If she really saw the same things he did, then she had answers—especially since she acted like she did.
Amane tilted her head slightly. "I can tell."
"…You can tell what?" Itsuki asked flatly.
"That you don't really care about who I am. You're just here to figure out what's wrong with you."
Her words hit sharper than he expected, and when she finally turned to look at him, he couldn't hide his surprise.
"You should also know," she added with a faint smirk, "I'm not doing all the work myself. So I hope you brought some paper bags."
Itsuki's eyes narrowed. Before he could give a reply she faced forward again, throwing her bag across her shoulders.
"He's here".
They crouched behind the car until the teacher moved. Amane watched him calmly as he opened the driver's door, dropped a bag into the seat, and walked away on foot toward the lot's exit.
"Where's he going?" Itsuki whispered, keeping his voice low as he squinted between the parked vehicles to stay hidden.
"Not sure," she replied, eyes tracking Renji's lanky movements. "We'll follow him from a distance."
They rose and threaded between the rows of cars, moving with the slow, careful rhythm of people who don't want to be noticed. When they got outside the parking lot, Tokyo offered them cover — crowds and random commuters that swallowed two figures into an anonymous flow. Itsuki kept his hand jammed into his pocket the whole time, an anchor against touching anyone .
After a stretch of walking that felt much longer than it should have, Itsuki edged closer to her and asked, "What did you mean earlier? About knowing what I was thinking… and the paper bags?"
She didn't look at him. "What are you talking about?"
He leaned in anyway, lowering his voice. "You said you could tell I didn't care about you. And that you hoped I brought paper bags."
She shrugged, eyes never leaving their teacher. "Doesn't matter."
"You talk too much, by the way," she added casually.
Itsuki bristled. "Talk too much? You're the one being vague and hard to read'. They continued in silence, shadowing Renji as he cut through a few side streets. The city around them shifted as they followed him—the glass towers and neon of downtown thinned into low-rise blocks — a mixed residential–commercial district you'd find on the fringe of Tokyo's center. Narrow streets lined with clapboard shops, a small bakery, a ramen joint whose steam curled into the chill air, and neat homes with potted plants outside. Local businesses clustered with family houses; the rhythm was slower and more serene than the chaotic nature Tokyo was known to have.
Renji turned into a long, narrow alley between two large but old looking buildings. Itsuki and Amane stopped at the mouth of it, peering down the corridor where the teacher strolled, still oblivious to the fact that they were behind him.
"We have him where we want," Amane said, voice flat in a whisper. "We'll corner him."
"Corner him how?" Itsuki whispered back.
Her plan came out straightforward. "I'll go round the building and come in from the other end."
Itsuki blinked. "Isn't that slower than just walking straight—?'.
"You find something to break one of his legs with."
He stared. "Wait — what?"
"I'm counting on you." With that she took off, clipping across the street and vanishing between storefronts. Itsuki watched her go, as he tried to remain calm. He could still see Renji's back as the teacher kept on heading forward. As he looked round searching for an object and contemplating if he should go through what Amane had asked him to do, he noticed a sign at the top of one of the street junctions. A moment of recognition sparked in Itsuki's head. "Hold up — this is Sugamo Street. I heard girls talking about the store where sweets are sold here once…' Maybe his teacher had an appointment in the store. Maybe he was meeting someone. The thought gave him a cold nausea.
Instantly, he scouted for anything metal or heavy — a discarded pipe, a bent signpost, anything. A rusted fragment of rebar leaned against a dumpster. Itsuki gripped it, felt its weight, swallowed, and then ran.
His footsteps clattered on the alleyway's pavement. For a second it seemed like Renji would turn, but before the teacher could react, Itsuki swung and struck the man's right leg hard. Renji pitched backward, the sound of his curse tearing through the narrow passage as he hit the ground, clutching his leg.
"Argh—what the fuck!" Renji snarled, hands pressed to his calf as pain laced his voice
Itsuki stood over him, rebar in hand, heart hammering. "Itsuki? Is that you?" Renji winced as he looked up at him.
Itsuki said nothing. The moment stretched until Amane stepped out from the alley's far end, nonchalant as if she'd been strolling. "Can't believe you actually did it," she said, smirking. "You really assaulted your own teacher."
The shock of his own action hit him. "Did I just—assault my teacher?' He couldn't quite believe he'd pulled it off either.
"You did good," Amane added, turning toward the prone Renji. From her bag she produced a small book, flipping it open with precise movements. The teacher muttered in confusion and pain. "Amane?" he managed.
She crouched by his side, palms hovering over his neck, then pressed down with calm, mechanical force. Renji's eyes rolled back as he slumped unconscious. Itsuki stared, bewildered. "Why didn't you just try to knock him out from the start if you knew how?" he asked, still panting.
"Because I wanted to see if you'd do it," she replied while drawing from the book a sheet of paper — thin, creamy, and stiff, the sort of paper used for talismans. She smoothed it with careful fingers, revealing inked characters and an outline on it.
"A seal?' Itsuki thought as he read it in his head.
"What is that?" he asked, curiosity overcoming his shock.
"You'll see." She said as she bent down placing four of the talisman's kind around their teacher forming an imaginary square.
Itsuki swallowed. He wasn't sure what he'd signed up for or what she was about to do. Not to mention, he couldn't see the demon anymore. So he wasn't sure what was going to happen. But nonetheless, the feeling of adrenaline and fear only made his curiosity peak even more.