'How did she know? Was she stalking me?' Mallory glanced warily at June.
"Wh-what are you talking about? Yokai? You mean like ghosts? N-no, I didn't see them. Why you asked me that?" Mallory stammered and still clinging to denial. For him, ghosts were nothing more than illusions and tricks of the mind.
June exhaled softly, almost in disappointment, as she stepped away from the window. Her hands slipped casually into the pockets of her light brown sweater.
"It is so obvious and you still denying it?" she asked. Then she raised a single finger and pointed past him. "Then tell me… what's behind you?"
"Behind me?" Mallory turned slowly.
At the end of the dim corridor, a black, twisted creature clung upside down to the ceiling. Its wet curly long hair dangled toward the floor and droplets of water pattering softly as they fell. Two luminous green eyes locked directly onto Mallory's.
"K-Kiyaaaak!"
Mallory stumbled back, crashing onto his butt for the second time that day. His hand trembled as he pointed at the figure.
"Wh-what is that? It, it must've been following me from the restroom!"
"Pfft! Hahaha! You screamed like a girl," June said, clutching her abdomen as her laughter heard through the empty hall.
'Did she just… laugh at me? Damn it! To be humiliated in front of a girl like her… this is the worst.' Mallory's cheeks flushed red.
Mallory stood up and brushed the dust from his pants.
"Hahaha…" June was still laughing with her shoulders shaking.
"Oii, how long are you going to laugh? Is it really that funny?" Mallory snapped as his voice contained irritation.
"S-sorry," June managed between chuckles. "It's just… it's been such a long time since I've seen something this funny. Okay, okay, relax, huuuh… inhale… exhale…"
She pressed a hand to her chest as she doing a deep breathing exercise for a full minute.
Mallory crossed his arms and waited. His eyes frowning at her.
"Alright," June said finally, her tone shifting to something serious. "Let's get down to it. That thing over there, it's a yokai. You people call it ghost, apparition, specter… whatever name you like, it's all the same. And right now, that thing is attracted to you. If we leave it alone, it'll follow you home… maybe even to your bedroom."
"Are you serious?" Mallory's voice pitched up in panic. "I don't want to sleep with that thing beside me!" He shuddered at the thought of waking up to that hideous creature staring at him.
"Relax," June said calmly. "That's why I'm here."
She stepped in front of Mallory, positioning herself between him and the spirit. So close now that Mallory could smell her shampoo.
'Strawberry?'
June slowly raised both hands forward. Suddenly, her hair turned white.
"Come, Byakko!"
From her shadow, an immense tiger leapt out. Its fur gleamed pure white, and a massive blue spiritual pressure rippled through the surroundings. Its eyes were blank white, devoid of pupils and its radiating an unsettling aura.
The tiger turned its gaze toward June and Mallory. Instinctively, Mallory stepped backward as the beast's sharp stare bore into him.
"What is your wish, Princess?" the white tiger spoke, its voice deep.
"Obliterate the spirit over there. And please… do it modestly," June ordered.
"Your wish is my duty!"
With a powerful bound, the tiger vaulted over June and Mallory's heads before dashing straight at the spirit.
Roar!
Mallory clutched his ears against the loud roar.
Swoosh!
Byakko's claws slashed clean through the spirit, shredding it into black particles that dissolved into the air.
"Good job, Byakko!" June grinned, giving a thumbs up. The great beast padded back to her side, lowering its head as she reached out to gently stroke its snowy fur.
"That's all?" Mallory stared in disbelief.
"Yes. That's all."
"So easy! Are you sure that thing won't come back to haunt me?" Mallory still couldn't believe it.
"Why are you so skeptical? You think I'm lying to you? I don't stay after school just to prank someone, you know." June's voice grew sharper, irritation creeping in.
"S-sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… everything happened too suddenly for me."
"Hm. I understand." June's tone softened slightly. "But I wonder… why was that thing following you? When did you start seeing Yokai?"
"I think today. Out of nowhere I can see them all over the school. Even on the teachers' shoulders!" Mallory blurted. He started to believe that ghosts actually existed.
"I see. No wonder they're drawn to you. It seems your spirit point has recently opened."
"Spirit point? What's that? And why are they attracted to me?"
"Not everyone in this world can see spirits. Everyone has a Spirit Point within their body. Once it opens, you gain the ability to see them. Some are born with it already open, while for others it happens later in life. Once you open it, it is impossible to close it."
She crossed her arms and her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "And when someone's Spirit Point has just opened, they unconsciously release spiritual energy into the surroundings. That power draws spirits to them like moths to a flame."
"What do they want to do with the spiritual leak?" Mallory asked.
"They want to eat it!" June made a scary face, shining her phone's light under her chin.
"Eat? They eat human beings?!" Mallory's face turned pale green at the thought.
"Hahaha. Don't worry. They can't hurt someone with only their Spirit Point unlocked. Unless you open the next level of the spirit blockade, you're fine." June waved her hand dismissively.
'This girl… she acts so elegant and shy in public. But when she's alone, she's like a spoiled little kid,' Mallory narrowed his eyes.
Rumble!
Suddenly, the ground shook. Mallory lost his balance and pressed himself against the wall.
"Earthquake?" Mallory asked.
"Princess, look!" Byakko's voice came from near the window.
June's eyes widened as she saw dark clouds gathering over the nearby hill.
"No. This isn't an earthquake. This is spiritual pressure. But this strong…? Can it be…?" She clenched her fists.
"Byakko, let's go."
June leapt onto Byakko's back just as the tiger lunged through the window, shattering it into hundreds pieces.
"Hey, where are you going?" Mallory called as he rushed to the broken frame. Through the broken glass, he saw June astride Byakko and jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
"Go back home and stay inside! It's not safe out here!" June shouted back.
"I know that! But who's gonna pay for this window…?" Mallory muttered, but June was already too far to hear.
Silence swallowed the hallway. Alone now, Mallory glanced left, then right. An eerie chill crawled up his spine, spreading through the empty corridor.
"Damn it. Whatever."
Without another thought, Mallory swung a leg over the shattered window frame and jumped. It was only one storey high as he landed on a bush below
He sprinted toward the school gate, climbed over it, and took off in the direction of his house. Yet no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't shake the sensation creeping up behind him, a feeling of being watched. Dozens of unseen, yellow eyes burned into his back.
"FOUND YOU."