Prologue
"Get out of the way!" I yelled.
I couldn't believe I was going to be late on my very first day! I was pedaling my old bike like a maniac, almost running people over.
Damn it, I shouldn't have gone to high school! I could've just gotten a job, saved up for a new console, or just lazed around the house on this hot spring day. But no, I had to apply to Tenshin High School just so I wouldn't be like all my friends!
Honestly, there was another reason: physics, math, and all the hard sciences always fascinated me. That's why I don't believe in ghosts, spirits, curses, or even religion—though I do visit temples sometimes. Psychological horrors don't scare me, especially if they involve the paranormal. "That's impossible!" I tell myself, and immediately get bored. A sudden sound or an unexpected jumpscare can still give me goosebumps, though…
When the slow, monotonous school bell finally rang, I burst into class 10-A, out of breath. I was met with bored stares and whispering girls. The young teacher was standing at the board and just smiled, surprisingly not yelling at me.
The only empty seat was by the window—the second to last desk. Perfect! I sat down, and a cool breeze washed over me. I felt like the main character in a school anime—they always sit by the window, right? I'm not the only one who's noticed this, am I?
Introductions started from our row: everyone said their name, last name, previous school, and could share something unusual about themselves. I had to quickly come up with something to say, or it would get awkward.
With each passing minute, my turn got closer, but a fact about myself just wouldn't come to mind.
"Makoto Inudzuka," I began when the teacher pointed a pencil with an eraser at my desk. "From Midorigaoka Middle School."
It was time for the "interesting fact," and my mind was blank. Maybe I should just ignore it? Who would care about some random thing about me anyway? If they want to know, they can come up and ask.
"Well… I like onigiri!"
I plopped down in my seat. Go on, laugh! What a stupid fact… But to my surprise, nobody burst out laughing. It seemed there weren't any rude people in this class. Then again, maybe that's normal—not everyone has to be a clown.
"Rei Tono!" a loud voice rang out from behind me.
I wanted to take a better look at everyone, but with that nice breeze on my face, I was too lazy to turn around…
"From Rokkaku Middle School!" she continued. "And my fact is: I can see ghosts. They're among us, I'm sure of it. If there's anyone else like me in this class, speak up!"
I couldn't help but turn around then. How could you not look at such a weirdo?
Her skin was fair, almost porcelain, with a light blush on her cheeks—as if she'd stepped out of a Japanese woodblock print. Her pink lips were slightly parted as she scanned the classroom with her large green eyes—so bright they seemed to reflect the spring leaves.
Her dark chestnut hair, tied in a short ponytail, swayed gently with every movement. Her bangs, straight as if cut with a ruler, framed her face, giving her a stylish and mysterious look.
A real beauty. Nothing less.
Something inside me skipped a beat. Had I just fallen in love in five seconds? But I immediately pushed the thought away: "I definitely don't need a girl with these 'quirks'… unless she's just joking."
"Guess there aren't any," Rei clicked her tongue, and her gaze fell on me. "Can you see them?"
"No," I said bluntly.
With an annoyed huff, she sat back down, smoothing the pleats of her red and white sailor uniform skirt.
Maybe I should've laughed? But from the look on her face, it was clear she was completely serious. And now, it seemed, I had become just another skeptic she needed to convince.
And so began my first day of high school. Boring classes like Japanese, geography, and all that other stuff… If not for the events that followed, these three years would have been the most tedious of my life, and that girl would have just been a strange beauty with a wild imagination.
Chapter 1
It all started here—in Class 10-A, my main location at Tenshin High School. It was only the second day of school, and the first had flown by unnoticed. I probably slept through a good half of the lessons—the exhaustion from the morning commute took its toll. But one thing was etched in my memory: meeting that strange girl who sits behind me.
Speaking of her… Today she was wearing an unusual necklace: a black hexagon with a purple stone in the middle. Is this her "ghost protection"? Of course, what else would she come up with?
"Makoto, right?" a guy asked, walking up to my desk.
Short haircut, jacket sleeves rolled up, and hands rough like sandpaper. At first glance, he looked like a typical bully.
Here he was—the mandatory class delinquent. Every Japanese school has one. Someone has to torment the quiet kids into becoming hikikomori…
I'd seen guys like him before. One night, I saw a guy with dark circles under his eyes. When he saw me, he flinched and quickly scurried away. He was probably going out for ramen—specifically at night so no one would see him.
"Yeah, that's me," I replied, turning to face him in my chair.
"Listen," he started, glancing at Rei. "Wanna grab a bite to eat together before the break ends?"
I expected anything: "What are you looking at?", "Give me some money!"—but not an invitation to the cafeteria. My stomach clenched, but I didn't show it. The main thing was not to show fear. I heard somewhere that it's the same way with animals… Or did I make that up myself?
Well, I was hungry anyway.
We stood in line with our trays, choosing between curry rice, karaage, nikujaga, miso soup, and onigiri. A typical school menu—the same as in middle school.
Wait, nikujaga wasn't on the old menu!
"Have you chosen?" the guy asked. "Oh, onigiri! You like them, you said so yesterday."
"I hate them…"
"Oh, really!" he said, surprised.
My "interesting fact" during introductions was a complete lie. Just so I wouldn't look like an idiot.
I got miso soup and a couple of buns. The guy piled his tray full: chicken curry, with a minimal amount of rice. How does he have enough money for all that?
"Listen, don't take this the wrong way, but…" I began, leaning slightly towards him. "What's your name?"
The guy took a surprised bite of chicken. His look said: I introduced myself yesterday, weren't you listening?
No, I wasn't. The last thing I remembered from yesterday was Rei Tono's introduction. After that, I just gave in to the flow of the wind from the window and zoned out.
"Kaito. Kaito Shien," he said.
"Kaito, why did you choose me as your lunch company?"
He suddenly leaned in close, and I almost choked. What could I do? He looked like a typical member of a teenage gang. But… maybe this fried chicken lover isn't so bad after all?
"Well, about that girl…" he began.
"You mean Rei?" I asked. "What about her?"
The warm soup melted in my mouth, and I bit into the bun. "Does this have garlic?" After the bite, a nasty aftertaste lingered in my mouth, clearly coming from the baked good.
"I don't know, you're sitting next to her, maybe she told you something…"
Like I have nothing better to do than to think about that girl's quirks. I'm still convinced it's all just a prank. She'll fool the whole class, then yell, "You're all so naive and idiotic!" and laugh smugly.
"Yesterday she was running all over the school, looking for 'people like her,' you know?"
I pictured the scene… How would I react if a girl ran up to me asking about ghosts and spirits? I'd probably just turn and walk away. In those situations, it's best to say nothing—your psyche is already fragile, and this just shakes it even more.
But still… How brave do you have to be to declare something like that to the entire class?!
I didn't think I'd be a witness to her "investigations" so soon. I was exhausted—it was a nightmare! The day dragged on forever, even though the sun hadn't even started to set yet. I felt like I'd been in a stuffy room for an entire day.
I put my school shoes in my locker and was just starting to change when I heard:
"I'll hit you if you call me a 'moron' again!"
I couldn't ignore that voice.
Rei was walking behind two girls, clearly asking them about their "abilities"—just like Kaito had told me over our delicious soup and awful bun.
I would have run away as fast as possible…
But Rei, after being ignored, turned sharply toward the lockers and—of all things—stopped right next to me. Her locker was right next to mine. What a setup!
"Move."
I silently stepped back, and she sat down on the small stool that I had just been blocking.
And so I stood there, like a statue, watching her change her shoes.
"Someone told me you're looking for people with 'abilities'."
"You've already said all you need to," she stood up and stared intently into my eyes. "It doesn't concern you!"
Raising her head proudly, she walked outside, leaving me slightly stunned. Why did I even ask that?
Damn… I hope we're in different classes next year!
Days and weeks passed. Spring exams were getting closer and closer, and I hadn't even started studying. Everyone in our class was in a slight panic, but not her.
Rei sat in her usual seat, as quiet as a mouse, looking out the window—probably admiring the football team or the leaves, or maybe both. I noticed she wore a new necklace almost every day: sometimes a round one with flowers and a blue stone, sometimes even a square one! Today she had on a diamond-shaped one, with small purple stones on each corner. I remember seeing it last Thursday.
"Are those necklaces to keep the ghosts from eating you?" I asked, sitting down in my seat.
"You could say that. Are you interested?" the girl replied, turning her face toward me.
It was the first time Rei had answered me normally, without getting defensive, after I had admitted I was "normal" that one time.
"Interested?"
I thought about it. I didn't understand why I had asked her that. Maybe I just wanted to keep the conversation going?
"I'm not interested in the nature of these amulets, but why you wear them and why you wear a different one every day?"
"Well, listen…" she began. "The amulets are for my protection. There are some spirits that just love to attack me!..."
What was more surprising than the fact that we were finally having a conversation was that I was listening intently, hanging on every word. It was completely idiotic, but the way she talked about it was truly interesting. I still didn't believe a single word—I'm not gonna fall for that nonsense!
"And as for why they're different: some help against some spirits, others against others, and so on. The colors also matter: purple is against the spirits of people who were murdered but not laid to rest; blue is against those who have been recreated in the world of the dead; green is against possessed people."
Is it possible that her cute little head has come up with something so elaborate, and it's not just "for the sake of it"?
It was a good thing I was the only one listening to her. The class already made fun of her, and if they heard her talking about her protection, they'd think she was a complete fool. But I wasn't the only one who saw it… Kaito and another classmate were watching us and whispering about something. He better not say anything about our conversation! He might not be the type of bully to hurt me, but if he starts bugging me with questions, I'll punch him!
PE class. It was hard, very hard. Kaito and I were sitting on a bench, exhausted, trying to catch our breath.
A couple of days had passed since my conversation with Rei Tono. After that, we started talking more often, but it was either about her "quirks" or was so brief it had no real meaning.
What's more! Every night, I ask myself the same question: Why did I even start getting along with her? This is completely useless for me! We are completely different people—not just in gender, but in worldview. Although for a cheap light novel, the story of a skeptic and a girl medium is perfect.
Maybe the answer to my nightly question is pity? I can understand her—in my first year of middle school, I couldn't get along with anyone, either, but then everything started to look up. I know what it's like to feel lonely in such a crowded place.
When Rei set a new long jump record among the high schoolers, no one congratulated her—only the teacher said a few formal words. She just scowled and left the field immediately.
Speaking of which! In every PE class, I noticed her excellent physical condition more and more. She runs fast and for a long time, and she carried the whole team in volleyball.
A beauty, and an athlete too… Why does she have to be so "off" in the head?! If not for that, I would have definitely tried to ask her out right now!
Japanese class with our homeroom teacher. You know why I hate my own language so much? Kanji, kanji, and more kanji! What was the point of inventing hiragana then? The stress of all 12 years of school—and I've heard college too—is the thousands of characters they pound into your brain, and some of them have a magical power: you write one, and that's it! Of course, there are some that I use often. For example, it's better to write "I" with a character than with three hiragana symbols. It's just simpler and faster! But I still have to study them—no one has canceled the exams…
"I want to announce that there's only a week left until the exams!" the teacher began, but the start of his speech flew right over my head. "Also, today you need to get into pairs to do a partner project for my subject!"
What the…?
First of all, we have exams coming up, and not just in Japanese! Secondly… Is he even in his right mind?!
The monotonous bell for the last class rang. Everyone started looking for a partner, making arrangements on the fly. Before I could even get up from my chair, I saw Kaito slide up to me and offer to team up for the project.
"What about that one…? You know, the red-headed one!" The name of the guy who sits not far from my buddy slipped my mind.
Although it's hard to forget such a "miracle of Japanese nature." My older sister, as soon as she finished school, started dyeing her hair in bright colors. So I know what dyed hair looks like, and… Either he takes incredibly good care of it, or he's the first person I've seen with naturally red hair.
"You mean Haruto Aoki? I don't know, you look smarter than him!"
"So you're using my intelligence?"
"I guess so. Is that a problem for you? For people like you, that's a compliment!"
Without answering, I stole a glance at Rei's desk—she was already gone. She seems loud when she talks about her "quirks," but at the same time, she's secretive and quiet. I didn't even notice her leave.
"Thinking about Rei?" Kaito asked, following my gaze.
"No one from our class will want to partner with her."
"Well, you know, I still have Haruto. Go for it if you want!" He smirked. "Just don't get infected by her GHOSTS!"
"You're the one who's gonna catch something, you idiot!" I yelled after him as he left the classroom with the redhead.
He made me so mad!
No time to waste—since I was thinking about Rei, I had to act before she got too far.
I didn't have to run far. The girl was still at the lockers, changing her shoes.
"Listen," I began, joining her. "Do you want to work on the project together?"
"No, I don't have time for that."
"Suit yourself, but you must know how our teacher feels about his subject," she froze, waiting for me to continue. "He'll lower your grade—that's for sure, and that might be the least of his abilities."
She remained silent. That's when I realized I'd be without a partner myself, but I decided to push harder. I don't know what goes on in her head, but she definitely doesn't want to get a low grade in one of the main subjects.
"I warned you."
Finishing changing my shoes, I walked slowly but surely toward the exit. My plan was just to accept her refusal, but if I put myself in a risky position, it might affect her. My intuition didn't fail me.
"Fine!" she said, walking out of the school after me. "Then you do 80%, and I'll do 20%! No! You do 90%!"
"What are you doing?! I'm trying to save your skin, and you…" I held out my hand for a handshake. "I'll only agree to 60/40, otherwise we'll both get kicked out of here!"
She rolled her eyes but shook my hand.
"Tomorrow at the library," I said, letting go of her hand.
I'm starting to regret helping her more and more. I'll have to take on a bit more work. Though, I think it would have been even worse with Kaito.
So, to recap. I went to a new school and ended up in a class where a girl who is completely convinced of ghosts and other nonsense sits behind me. And instead of keeping my distance, after almost a month of school, I shook her hand to agree to a joint Japanese project!
Now she and I will be working on the same thing for a whole week.
I hope she doesn't get into any of her "quirks"…
New day—new opportunities, as they say!
I'm gradually starting to relearn the material to properly solidify my knowledge. I have to sleep less because the project is coming up. I decided to play it safe and come up with a topic for the project myself—what if she doesn't? I chose "The Influence of Foreign Languages on Japanese." The topic is debatable, but it's the only thing I could come up with with a splitting headache at one-thirty in the morning.
I was even falling asleep on my bike—learning is so hard… But I tried to stay in good spirits: I'll finish school, and I'll be able to get a better job, or choose a more prestigious university! For the second option, I have to study as hard as possible to get good final grades!
There was a light buzz in the classroom. My classmates were arguing, laughing, and just talking. Some were sitting with A4 sheets, clearly discussing the upcoming project. Following their example, I went up to Rei to discuss the topic as well.
What? Is she sleeping?
The first thing I saw when I looked at the girl was her snoring and drooling, immersed in the world of dreams. Maybe this is a good sign: maybe she spent the whole evening preparing something for the project or at least studying for the exams.
I gently shook her shoulder and sat down in my seat. She mumbled, lifted her head, and looked at me with sleepy eyes, wiping her mouth.
My heart is going to burst seeing her so disheveled…
"If you wanted something, say it, or I'll go back to…"
"You probably shouldn't. Class is about to start." I moved closer to hear her better over the noise in the classroom. "What were you doing all evening that you're so exhausted?"
Rei scratched the back of her head thoughtfully, and then said something that made my blood boil:
"Well… I saw a spirit on the street, and I hunted it!" she said happily.
"What?.."
At that moment, I was completely furious. Instead of helping us—or at least herself—she spent the whole time on her nonsense?!
"Are you kidding me?! I didn't sleep half the night for us, and you were chasing your 'spirits'?!" I looked down. "And then you slept so hard that your entire notebook is covered in drool!"
"Why are you yelling?!" She stood up and gave me a stern look. "And I was working—I came up with a topic right away!"
She leaned in and poked me on the forehead.
"Say one more bad thing about spirits, and I'll execute you!"
Now that's scary. For a girl who so stubbornly insists on her psychic abilities, I might actually believe her about the "execution." What goes on in her head—only she knows… And the spirits, probably.
It was only then that I noticed the silence in the classroom. I looked around and realized that our yelling had attracted everyone's attention. Rei noticed too and sat back down.
"Because of you, I don't feel like sleeping anymore!..." she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
Everyone went back to what they were doing, but some were still glancing in our direction and whispering.
Damn gossips! I wouldn't be surprised if they've already made up some story about us!...
I didn't have time to ask Rei what topics she had come up with because the teacher walked into the classroom. I hoped they were something reasonable and not related to her ghosts. Although… what could she even come up with related to Japanese?
"Today we'll review the material we've covered!" the teacher said, opening his list of students. "Inudzuka!"
And of course, my last name…
I stood up, ready to answer questions. Geology—it's probably the only subject I don't really like. It's not difficult, and it comes easily to me, but I just don't have a taste for all that earthly, natural stuff…
"Okay, what should I ask you…" Instead of his list, the teacher grabbed a small book and started flipping through it. "What is the name of the process when a river carves a deep gorge in the mountains? I hope you remember this, Makoto Inudzuka!"
Several options immediately popped into my head. And that's bad. When three or more smart-sounding words that could theoretically be the right answer come to mind, it's hard to choose the right one. I remembered Takachiho Gorge—I read about how it was formed, and there was…
That's it!
"Erosion! The destruction of rock by water, wind, or ice!"
"Correct," the teacher said with a proud smile. "Please, have a seat."
I won that one…
The first class passed, and so did the second. It was time for lunch! Kaito and I, as was our new tradition, met in the cafeteria and sat at a table with our food trays. Our selection of dishes had unexpectedly changed: now I had something as greasy as possible, and my friend's was the opposite.
"What about your favorite chicken?" I asked, pouring curry over my rice.
"I was diagnosed with gastritis over the weekend, so they told me to eat less of that stuff…" He took a sip of soup. "You wouldn't believe how much I'm suffering looking at you!"
I smiled smugly—now I could mess with my friend and eat something tasty at the same time. But the smile quickly left my face: Kaito loves that kind of food, and now he'll either have to give it up completely or eat it minimally.
"Is something going on between you and Tono?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well… You even talk during class, and this morning you were arguing. Everyone in class is like, 'they're fighting because they like each other'…"
So that's what it was… The rumor theory turned out to be true. Why do people attribute feelings at the first opportunity? It seems the very fact that we are in the same project pair has already spread throughout the class, and we were just arguing because of her irresponsibility! Or maybe my class is just full of idiots who can't even put "two and two" together…
"There's nothing going on!" I snapped. "She ditched the project, I started arguing, and Rei caught on."
"Too bad, you guys would look good together!" Kaito smirked.
I leaned closer, took a greasy chicken leg, and took a juicy bite right in front of his face. Let him know what it's like to say such nonsense!
"You traitor! I'll remember this…"
I swung the chicken leg like a sword. Kaito squeezed his eyes shut, but it was too late—a greasy streak decorated his cheek.
"If you say something that stupid again, it'll be worse!" I glared at him.
The day continued at the same slow, boring pace. I wanted to fall asleep, just like Rei did in the morning, and wake up after all the classes were over. But even if I managed to doze off, the teachers, as if on purpose, would call on me every time, burying me in a million questions.
By the way, it turns out Rei is also no slouch when it comes to her studies. Although it's unclear when she finds the time. Sometimes, we would get called to the board together, and the girl would answer everything without a single mistake. In those moments, it really seems like she's a little "magical" and can win at everything.
After the final bell, I went to the library and, hugging my school bag, started waiting. About ten minutes passed, and she still wasn't there, even though I warned her before she left.
"I'm here!" Rei exclaimed, a little too loudly for the library, as she ran up to my table. "A new student transferred to our class!"
Her cheerful tone was irritating—she seemed to be making too big a deal out of a normal thing.
"So what?"
"Don't you get it?" She sat down opposite me. "A student transfers right before exams! I mean, if we were in an elite school, fine, but ours is just an ordinary high school, the kind you find by the thousands in Japan. Something is definitely wrong here…"
"It seems you're able to find 'mystery' everywhere," I said, pointing to the window. "Even in that sparrow that's just sitting on the windowsill looking at us. Can we get to work already?"
"I think you're right…" Rei said thoughtfully.
"Good, we understand each other! What did you prepare?"
"…But that bird really does look suspicious!"
For crying out loud! She really does see something inexplicable in every moving and non-moving object! How can anyone believe in her "abilities" after that? A real medium wouldn't find "oddities" in every single thing!
"Okay, I give up!" I leaned back in my chair. "Let's talk about you until you decide to be quiet!"
"Why are you so easily annoyed?…" She pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Here are the ideas I came up with yesterday."
I unfolded the note, ready to be happy, but I only saw topics related to mysticism—like the similarity in sound between ordinary words and something ominous ("4" and "death"). I can't say the topic isn't original, and it might even be more interesting than mine, but I'm scared by her obsession with everything supernatural.
"I came up with something," I began, looking at the offended Rei. "What if we write about words with the same sound but different meanings? I'll handle the layout, the introduction, and the section with neutral examples, and you can write about… your stuff?"
She brightened up slightly, probably not expecting me to accept her ideas. She was probably thinking: "Now he's going to criticize me again and reject everything!"
"So, I can write about the scary meanings?" I nodded in response.
A smile spread across Rei's face, and her eyes lit up. This compromise was also beneficial for me—with a topic she was truly passionate about, she was unlikely to give up halfway through the work.
We started writing. At first, everything was easy, as I was just imagining our work. But when I got to the first main section, I ran into trouble. I told you I don't really like kanji, right? That's exactly the problem I faced. Good thing I chose a suitable place to work, where I could grab a dozen books.
"Write neatly!" Rei said, breaking the silence.
"I know!"
I tried my best to write a straight, complicated character. To be honest, it didn't turn out very well.
"Give it here!"
Rei snatched the paper and pen from me and started writing the words for me in a clear hand. It was a little awkward: at first I was grumbling, and now she was doing my part of the work for me… But it wasn't out of laziness—it was really difficult! So my conscience remained relatively clear.
At first, I thought she would just write one word, but in the end, Rei Tono finished the entire project.
"You owe me," she said, holding the pen between her nose and her pouty lips.
"Why should I?"
"We agreed on 60/40, and it turned out to be 0/100!" She dropped the pen on the table, then picked it up again.
"What do you mean 0? I did the introduction and wrote a ton of text up to the difficult parts!"
"Okay, 10/90! But that's still not what we agreed on!"
I gently tapped the table, trying not to make a sound. As angry as I was, she was right. Although no one asked her to finish the entire project for me, I still clenched my fists.
"So what do you want?" I asked, putting my palms on the table.
"I'll think about it…"
While we were working on the project, it started to rain outside. The clouds didn't look too thick, so we decided to wait it out, hoping we wouldn't get soaked on the way home.
Being alone with her and trying to avoid mystical topics, I discovered that Rei is a fun and energetic girl. A vibrant energy literally radiated from her; if it were material, it could probably light up the entire school district.
No matter how hard I tried to stay away from conversations about "mysticism," the topic still came up—and I was the one who started it.
"Why do you run all over the school looking for others like you?"
"Because I can't be the only one with this gift!"
It's strange to call it a "gift" if she has to change her protective amulets every day…
"Setting my skepticism aside, I wouldn't publicize my abilities if a girl ran up to me with questions."
"Do you think I might have already found someone with powers, but they're just hiding it?" She moved closer, staring at me with her bright green eyes.
"Maybe."
Rei leaned back in her chair and started twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
"So how do I find them?" Her question seemed pointless to me.
"I would create a place where people like that could gather. I guess…"
Here I was, sitting and discussing such nonsense with Rei… Why did I even bring it up? But at least she perked up. It's clear that she's much more interested in talking about this than about everyday things.
While we were talking, the rain stopped, and we decided to go home. On the way to the station, Rei was thoughtful, barely talking. A black cat ran in front of us, and I expected her to panic, but the girl didn't even break her train of thought.
Tono and I said goodbye and went our separate ways. I was left with the project—now I had to turn it in to the teacher…