Itsuki stepped out of the building, eyes fixed ahead, hands deep in his trousers, ignoring the noise and movement around him like he always did. He cut through the throng of students spilling onto the street, headphones hanging loosely around his neck.
Seiji still wasn't back from his sick leave. It was the first time Itsuki had really noticed him this much. Sure, there were days they didn't cross paths at school—different classes, different routines—but Seiji had always made an effort to find him. It was why this silence felt, different.
As he reached the school gates, at the corner, blended in with the throngs of students littered all around the school, was Amane, half-hidden behind a group of some students, watching him without moving.
"He actually didn't even try to look for me', she thought to herself, slipping into the stream of students pouring out of the school grounds. "I'll just have to go for Plan B.'
Meanwhile, Itsuki kept walking, lost in thought.
"I wonder just how many people have these demons on them.' he thought to himself as he tilted his head looking round at the people around him. "The streets are kind of busy right now—maybe it's a good time to figure out more about them."
He glanced around at the crowd some more, then faced forward. "Hopefully I don't throw up again.'
He took a deep breath, reaching for his headphones—when a shoulder brushed against his. He turned and blinked. Amane was suddenly beside him, hood up, hands stuffed into her pockets, keeping pace.
He tried to hide his surprise, but his expression betrayed him.
"Amane? What's she doing here?'
Finally, he spoke: "What are you doing here?"
"Probably stalking me.'
She didn't look at him, her eyes fixed straight ahead. "What do you mean? I thought we were friends."
"Friends? What gave you that idea?"
She flicked a glance at him so quick he almost missed it. "We assaulted and exorcised our teacher together. I'm pretty sure that's grounds for—"
He spun toward her, whispering under his breath, "Dude, can you not talk about us assaulting anyone in public?"
He caught the faintest twitch at the corner of her lips—a smirk. Almost like she was trying not to laugh.
"Now she thinks this is funny?'
He felt irritation prickle under his skin. Without another word, he veered toward a quieter part of the pavement, away from prying eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then followed him.
"What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
"What do you mean? I really just want us to be friends." Her tone stayed calm and unreadable, her expression giving away nothing.
"Yes, we did a lot of crazy stuff yesterday. But if you're going to hover around me, calling us friends after you shoved actual demons in my face and not explain anything, then you should probably just avoid me."
He stopped, waiting for her reaction. She only stood there, her eyes fixed somewhere at chest level, like she was looking through him.
"A waste of time', he thought, turning to leave.
"Wait." Her voice, calm but softer now, carried just enough weight to make him stop. "Fine. What do you wanna know?"
"Everything." He replied as he turned back to face her.
"Fine. Name the when and where."
"How about right now?" His gaze locked on hers, unwavering.
She scanned the street, then looked back at him. "We're in public."
He glanced around too, his patience thinning. "Fine, we can go back to school."
"Sure."
"Wait, that easy?' he wondered as they walked. "Maybe what she wants to tell me isn't as big of a deal as I thought. I honestly expected her to push back, but she's actually open to telling me.'
Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he followed her back through the gates. They slipped inside the library, a vast, serene space lined with towering shelves. The scent of paper and old wood lingered in the air, and the faint hum of the air conditioning filled the silence.
They settled into a secluded corner near the back, behind a row of shelves. The chairs were old but comfortable, tucked under a heavy oak table that shielded them from view. The atmosphere was calm, but the awkwardness between them felt almost tangible.
Amane sat beside him, quiet. She was striking—even Itsuki couldn't deny that—and he knew people would whisper if they saw them sitting together like this. Not that he cared about rumors, but he had no interest in being dragged into them either.
"If only I'd slept through the whole day like she did,' he thought. "That's definitely a rumor I'd want people to spread.'
He tilted his head toward her, ready to start with the obvious question—why she'd been asleep all day—when she suddenly cut in.
"What kind of dreams have you been having?"
Itsuki blinked, caught off guard. "What kind of dreams have I been having?"
"Yes."
"Why does that matter?" he asked, trying to sound blunt, but a thought nagged at him.
"Surely she doesn't mean that dream. It's been the only one I've had since that night with my mum… maybe?'
"I know you have dreams," she said, her voice low but steady. "Something happens to you, or you do something. I have them too. It's part of a bigger picture—a larger canvas—which is why I need to know what yours is. In detail."
"Quite the start to a conversation,' he thought before he finally decided to give in. "I've actually been getting this one weird dream, to be honest."
Amane moved her chair closer, leaning in. The proximity made his pulse skip. He shoved his hands into his pockets again, trying his best to avoid touching her. Seeing and knowing how one person dies he could deal with. But two, he wasn't sure.
"It's kind of confusing to me as well," he said. "A lot of weird things happen."
"It doesn't matter how weird you think it gets. Just tell me what it was about." Her voice had dropped to a whisper now.
Itsuki hesitated, then nodded. "I'm not sure what her game is here, but she did say she has dreams too. Maybe telling her could be good in the end.'
He let out a slow sigh.
Then he began to speak.