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The blinding white crashes over them, loud and hard and so overwhelmingly intense—there’s simply nothing to make of it. For a moment, everything just ceases to feel real, to even be. And then it’s quiet. It’s quiet for what feels so long yet hardly a second at all. But the return of the feeling in themselves comes slowly in waves, one sense at a time at a slow crawl.
Huh…?
The first thing that stirs some sense of dizzying consciousness back is a tinny flickering and buzz far above him. Satoshi barely has the mind to process himself, nonetheless what’s there. But following that flickering buzz he’s promptly assaulted by something blindingly bright forcing its way through the faintest of cracks in his eyelids. Finally, the weight returns to his body as he brings an arm up to shield himself from the glare. As he blearily blinks his eyes open he manages to make out the fuzzy form of his hand in front of him. He clenches his fist briefly as if testing it. Pain shoots up from his hand, finally registering the various strains, sore calluses, and cuts littering it.
It’s there that his mind slowly starts coming back to him through the haze. Slowly at first as he lays in his spot in a daze. There was… The school… The ghosts… Their friends…? What happened next? While he lays there trying to retrace his steps as his vision spins around him, he starts hearing shifting and groaning. Others? Who’s around him? Some small part of him screams at him to sit up and get on guard, but the lead in his muscles weighing him down leaves him stock-still. He glances around briefly, counting four others in the room around him. He goes down the line from the top of the room, forcing his eyes to focus as he does. Ayumi, Yoshiki, Naomi, and Yuka not far from him. But where are they now? They were… they were in the bomb shelter of that school. That’s right, they made their way through. They hid. They saw Seiko be dragged off. They confronted Sachiko and Naomi made it back. Then they… They ran. They ran to get out!
The sharp inhale of breath shoots through him like ice. Green eyes snap open fully now—wide awake and sharp. He tries shoving himself upright but as pain ripples through his torso he finds himself stuttering halfway to his knees.
“Ngh—!” He catches himself, his breathing getting faster now as he finally soaks in their surroundings, the panic flooding his system one last time. Did they make it? Are they out? And, like something out of a miracle, Satoshi looks around to recognize the classroom. Their classroom. 2-9 at Kisaragi Academy. Just the same mess they left it. Cold sweat drips down his neck and he sits there stock-still, as if it's a mirage that’ll disappear if he dares to move a muscle.
Around him meanwhile, all the others stir like him, slowly managing to push themselves up and seemingly going through the same daze that he did. Everyone sports the same wide-eyed trepidation—not wanting their joy to be dashed in case it’s some kind of trick. But with that comes a heavy silence.
The classroom is filled only with the night’s ambiance; the buzz of the fluorescent strip-lights above them, the rain battering the school from outside followed by the distant roar of thunder and peal of lightning that blinds them, and, of course, the ragged breathing of five very overwhelmed kids. Like him, the others seem nervous to break the silence and the peace that comes with it compared to where they just were. Yuka even seems nervous to try moving from her spot for comfort, merely outstretching her hand to her brother which he takes readily. But Yoshiki, brave or stupid as ever, finally makes a move.
“Woah… Are—... Are we…?” He asks, his voice softer than Satoshi’s heard in a long time. His steely blue eyes frantically check around them, looking everyone over before they catch on Satoshi’s as they stare right into each other. Satoshi recognizes himself in the older teen as his throat runs dry and that question hangs in the air just waiting for someone else to confirm. Slowly at first, Satoshi begins to nod. Then faster, and his mouth begins to twitch into a smile as his heartbeat beats louder in his ears.
“We are… We’re home!” He says, a little laugh coming out of him with the words as tears sting his eyes in sheer relief. It’s like taking a hammer to glass, utterly shattering the fear and tension lingering in the air in one fell swoop. Just like him, the others begin to smile, then they start to laugh.
“We really made it…!” Naomi adds, though her laughter quickly intertwines with tears and cries. It reaches a point where he can’t say what they’re doing more of. There’s a lot of motion at once—Yoshiki lets out a whooping holler and throws his fists into the air, Satoshi swings his little sister up close and traps her in a bear hug which she readily clings to now. After clutching her properly, Satoshi swings up and reaches out to Naomi, pulling her in by the nape of her neck. She swings her arms around his shoulders without hesitation and eager to share in the relief. After a moment she pulls back and leans down to give Yuka a kiss on the head and the young girl greets her with a smile, letting her brother go to hug Naomi now instead. Ayumi clutches her hands together in a prayer until her knuckles are white, repeatedly trying to get the words out between the sobs that wrack her body.
“Yuki, thank you so much! Thank you—thank you thank you thank you. Oh god, thank you. Thank you…” She repeats on a cycle for a while. Yoshiki pulls her out of it with a gentle tug on her arm, greeting her with a shaky smile.
“Shinozaki… Hey. C’mon, c’mon now.”
Big, glassy blue eyes greet him with tears streaking through the grime coating her cheeks. But she smiles a radiant smile as she takes her time looking over them all. Another small cry escapes her lips as she presses her hands to her mouth, but she doesn’t stop smiling for the moment. Yoshiki dares to move a little further, pulling her into a gentle hug from the side, his arm slung over her shoulders. She accepts the little gesture with glee. It’s there that Yoshiki waves Satoshi over with that same smile. Catching on quick, he shuffles on up to the other side of Ayumi and mirrors him, pulling Naomi and Yuka in right along with him.
They all know where they fit like puzzle pieces, and as they sit there on their classroom’s dusty old floor huddled together, reality slowly seeps back in as they find comfort, safety, and warmth in each other. Their group is much smaller now. Unexpectedly so. It’s sobering to look around and expect to find four more faces amongst them. It feels bare to see Naomi without Seiko at her hip. And they’re packed in much tighter without Morishige, Mayu, and Ms. Yui. It’s almost claustrophobic with the way Satoshi could feel the breaths of any of the others on his cheeks. Yet there’s nothing in this world nor the next several over that could pry him from this moment.
He bows his head slightly as the exhaustion and pain rears its head, but he’s not alone for long. To his right, Ayumi bumps her head into his and their eyes meet—sparkling blue meeting olive green. There’s a mutual understanding in her gaze and a weight that cuts through him deeper than he expects. Two leaders with the weight of everything on their shoulders. He nods a little. Her lips press into a tense line and she matches the motion. After her, another head bonks into theirs—Yoshiki, sporting a serious look that’s almost scary, but worry shines in his eyes. Satoshi reaches out and claps him on the cheek just like the teen’s done to him a million times before. It brings a brief smile to his face and he reaches out to do the same in turn. His palm is sweaty and warm, but incredibly welcome against his bitterly cold cheeks. Finally, Naomi gently leans in, relaxing into the position as she rests her head amongst the others and holding Yuka at her side. Satoshi removes his hand from Yoshiki and drops it for his sister—the poor kid. She takes it and grips it like a lifeline.
And that’s where they stay. Foreheads pressed together and all dirty, bloody, sweaty messes. But they’re alive. And they’re all alive together. They can’t dare to ask for more at this point. They mourn—of course they mourn—and the tears come easy. But they pray with what little energy they have left for their friends’ fates, and for their forgiveness.
The time stretches on longer than they mean. They probably could’ve sat there all night and not have been bothered. But something has to move them, and it starts with a phone call.
The little ringing cuts through the serene quiet, stirring them all from their dazes. It almost takes them a moment to recognize the sound as a phone. It’s a muffled little sound and has them all reaching into their pockets. As Satoshi does so, he realizes that his phone is nowhere to be found and he momentarily panics as any teen would. Did he lose it?
“Not mine…” Yoshiki mumbles, “Shinozaki?”
“Mm-mm. Nakashima?”
“No… Nothing new.”
They all look at Satoshi now as he sits there stupidly fiddling with his pockets.
“Satoshi, your bag I think…” Yuka says, patting his arm to get his attention before pointing off at the discarded baseball bag on the other side of the classroom. Satoshi perks up, almost feeling dumbfounded by the bag—he’d forgotten he even had it somehow despite how crucial it was. Yuka continues her thought, “It’s probably mom.”
“Crap, what time is it?” He asks to no one in particular as he whips his head around for the clock on the wall—9:07. Late. He curses again under his breath and hurries to his bag, finding the pocket he tucked his cell in through sheer muscle memory. His phone’s out in an instant and he’s a second away from hitting the answer button when he catches himself. What on earth is he even going to say? He stands there staring at the glowing letters on his screen like a fool catching his breath.
“Oi, Satoshi,” Yoshiki snaps him out of his daze. The older teen points at his phone in hand, “Don’t let it go through.”
“R-Right!” What is he doing? He answers without another thought and brings the phone to his ear, “Mom?”
“Satoshi? Where are you two?”
“School.”
“Still? Didn’t your culture festival end hours ago? What have you been doing there?”
“W-We—” He pauses with his mouth just hanging open as everything flashes through his mind from start to finish. The day. The festival. Their friends. The charm. The school. The chaos. The repetition. Again and again and again and again and again and again and—
“Satoshi? Sweetheart, what’s wrong? You’re worrying me.”
“I-I’m sorry, I think I’m just um… Really tired.” His offhand runs through his hair and grips it as he starts wandering around the room, “We had a few accidents today at the festival so there was more to clean up than usual. We’re almost done! Yuka’s still with me. She’s— She’s safe. Do you wanna talk to her?”
“... Sure. Make sure she doesn’t hang up though, alright?”
“Okay.” Satoshi presses the phone into his shoulder briefly, “Yukes, mom wants to talk to you.”
The young girl’s eyes widen but she practically leaps to her feet and races over to him in a sprint. She doesn’t so much as wait for him to hand her the phone, leaping up and sloppily yanking it out of his hand—a habit of hers that usually irritates him to no end. But not tonight. She presses the flip phone to her ear, already teary-eyed and sniffling again.
“Momma? Hi.” She says simply and Satoshi can hear the faint sound of their mother pressing her from the other line, and while he doesn’t know what she’s saying, he can hear the strain in her voice.
Yuka looks up at him, obviously conflicted as she’s seemingly asked a question. It makes Satoshi’s heart sink as she looks for an answer from him as to what to say. He rolls his lips nervously and just shakes his head. Her face stays etched with the same nerves, but there’s an understanding despite her young age as she just nods.
“I-I’m okay. They just had a really good haunted house here. It freaked me out more than I thought it would—I thought I was brave enough.” She sniffles, a cry breaking through. Satoshi grimaces but leaves it be. He’ll be scolded surely, but that’d be easy to deal with compared to trying to get their parents to believe even a fragment of what they’ve experienced. Yuka’s young, but she’s not stupid. She knows that all the same. After a long but simple little conversation, Yuka tells their mother she loves her and hands back the phone, mouthing a quiet ‘Good luck.’ as she does. It gets a tired huff of a laugh out of him. He’ll take it.
“Hey.”
“A haunted house? Really? You know she spooks easily, Satoshi!”
“I-I know, I’m sorry. But she’s gonna be in middle school in a year or two—she’s getting big. She insisted she’d be fine so I caved.” He pauses a moment, “She really was brave though. Better than I was—you’d be really proud of her, Mom.”
“...” Their mom is quiet on the other for a long time before a quiet sigh comes through the line, “Alright, just come home. And be careful on your way back, okay?”
“I will. We’ll see you soon.” He rolls his lips nervously a moment, “Love you.”
“Love you too—don’t worry me so much though, okay?”
He smiles, “I’ll do my best.”
“I suppose I’ll take what I can get!” She says with a fond little laugh. They share quick little final ‘Bye’s and, with a quick press and flourish, he snaps his phone shut and turns back to the group. There’s a moment of awkward silence that fills the room now. He briefly glances at the clock on his phone then back to the group.
“We um… We need to get going.”
“Right.” Naomi says quietly, gripping her hands in her lap, “My mother’s going to start worrying soon as well…”
“My sister, too.” Ayumi mumbles. She swallows thickly however and clears her throat, “But, um, before anyone leaves I just—...” The words catch on her tongue with everyone’s expectant eyes on her. Her expression is intense and heavy as she speaks, her voice pittering out to near nothingness by the end, “Don’t… Don’t stay home tomorrow. Come to school. Please.”
Slowly, Satoshi’s the first to nod, “Okay.”
He can’t imagine what it’d be like to show up with none of the others here and expected to just go through the day like it was normal. One by one, they all agree.
“Sure.”
“I can do that.”
And it’s settled. Once again they’re left in silence, Satoshi knowing he and Yuka have to leave but not quite wanting to yet, nor even knowing how to take those first steps. Naomi picks herself up and gets to her feet now, catching the eyes of the others. She hobbles a little on her ankle which has Yoshiki shooting to his feet and ready to catch her if it comes to it. She stays upright however, but she openly gives herself a once-over and dusts her knees free of grime before just shaking her head and looking around at the others.
“Before any of us go anywhere, we need to clean up. Our families are gonna think we got attacked or something…”
Yoshiki scoffs, “Well, we were! That wasn’t exactly a walk in the park!”
“Kishinuma, that’s not the point.”Ayumi gets up and scolds him now, “There’s no world in which they’d believe us. They’re going to think we got high in the haunted house then beat up on our way home. We just… Have to ride this out and let things settle. But Nakashima’s right—we need to get cleaned up. We can use the gym showers. Does everyone have their gym uniforms in their lockers?”
Just like Ayumi to jump back into a leading position when they need it most. Satoshi listlessly nods along with the others, his mind feeling too bloated at this point to really add much else. A shower and fresh clothes sounds like a dream, even if they’re the shitty locker room showers.
“Great. If anyone asks, it’s simple—our uniforms got dirty during clean up and we didn’t want to wear our nice festival outfits home in the rain. Got it?”
“What about all the cuts and scrapes?” Yuka asks, showing off a nasty cut on her leg as she does. Naomi answers for her.
“After we all clean up I’ll patch everyone up the best I can. I know where they keep the First-Aid Kit in the Gym office and if we need anything more we can always get into the Nurse’s office.”
Ayumi nods, “I have a spare key to the nurse’s office in case of emergencies—it pays to be the class rep sometimes.”
“Sounds like we’ve got a plan then.” Yoshiki hums and the others all nod, “One more thing, then. I don’t want any of you walking back alone—let’s escort each other. We can drop Yuka off first, then Shinozaki, then Naomi. Satoshi,” He catches his eye again, “I can either walk you back home, or you can come back with me like we planned yesterday. I know you’ve got early baseball practice still, right?”
Satoshi blinks like a zombie, “Yesterday…?”
“Yeah. Just like we’ve done before when coach makes you guys run at the ass crack of dawn. Remember?”
He blows out a sigh and shakes his head, “It… It just feels like forever ago. But I think that’d be good. I’ll crash at your place.” He pauses then turns to Yuka, “Is that gonna be okay? Will you be alright without me home tonight?”
The girl hesitates a moment but then nods, “I’ll have mom and dad. You guys should hang out tonight… I think you’ll need it more than me.” She mumbles the little jab as she scuffs the toe of her shoe into the tile. He huffs out another figment of a laugh and can’t help but agree.
And with that, they have a plan, and once again they get moving. With a little less hustle than they’ve had in them now, but they’ve earned being a little zombie-like.
He was right about the shower at least. The water takes a few minutes to warm up properly, but it’s decadent regardless. Every muscle in his body feels looser and, despite his own paranoid fears, it really feels like he’s able to scrub away this horrible experience—at least for the meantime. The soap’s a little too fragrant, but he’ll readily take something bordering a perfume to the scents that have seared themselves into his nose all day. Days? He isn’t sure anymore. It’s been a long time. But this is all new—the conversations, the feelings, the results. A part of him isn’t quite ready to believe it. Not until he sees that date turnover at midnight. But, for now, he embraces the release in pressure.
Naomi makes quick work of the worst of their wounds, and he helps reapply a new splint to her ankle in turn. They’re more bandaged up than Ayumi was planning on, but they’ll figure it out. Another lie spun into the web they’ll have to start weaving. She said that they might have a chance at making a case once they get themselves and all their information together, but the emphasis is on taking care of themselves first and foremost. Can’t do it if they’re barely present. But who knows how long that’ll take. One day at a time, he supposes.
The hardest part, they realize now, are the questions they’ll expect from everyone. From peers. From teachers. From police, probably. What happened to the others? To Ms. Shishido? They’re the last ones to have seen them, after all. It churns his gut to think of what kind of mess this could turn into, but, again, one day at a time. For now, they know nothing. The others left early and they stayed behind to finish cleaning.
When they’re finally ready to leave campus, another hour has passed. Satoshi sends his mom a flurry of texts well in advance to stave off any more scolding he’s bound to get after school tomorrow. Yuka, for once in this situation, has his back and commits to helping stave their parent’s frustration off. They’ll have to see just how well it works, but he’s not exactly worried about it. There’s obviously bigger things at the forefront of his mind.
The rain has blessed them with a break as they leave, the clouds even parting enough to grace them with some stars. Water drenches the streets, reflecting the street lamps’ warm lights in rippling puddles all around them. It’s its own kind of serene with nothing but the sounds of distant traffic and the gentle rustling of leaves. There’s a cold breeze to the air that’s felt all the more in their airy basketball shorts and t-shirts, but it’s nothing they really mind. It almost feels like one final cleansing for them.
Gripping his sister’s hand, Satoshi’s the first one to cross the threshold from their schoolgrounds and out into town. It almost steals his breath away, feeling so bound to this damn property for so long. The others don’t stray far behind.
They don’t talk much. They don’t talk at all, really. There’s simply nothing more to be said right now. It’s only as they get within a block of Satoshi’s home that his mind shakes itself out of its daze—he has to at least talk to his mother, and certainly see Yuka off well. He feels foolish in a way, having to blink himself back awake in the midst of walking all the way there. But a brief glance around shows that the others are more than feeling the same.
As they approach the house, his mother actually opens the door as they start up the walkway—she must’ve been waiting. She’s stern off the bat, but relaxes upon getting Yuka in her arms. She scolds Satoshi again, he’s sure, but the words truly just flit in through one ear and out the other. In turn he just delivers the little speech he’d practiced as they walked up, and it works well enough. Or at least, he hopes it does.
“Are you sure you’re feeling well-enough, Satoshi? You look pale…” His mother asks almost suspiciously as she lifts her son’s face in her hands, inspecting him thoroughly. He prays that the bruises and scrapes he feels aren’t horrible or are just outright phantom pains. He offers up his best smile to her.
“I’m sure.” He lies, “It was just a long day and a big mess to clean. I’ll be fine.”
She holds him there for a long moment, olive green eyes that match his own skirting over all his features one final time before, finally, she lets go.
“Alrighty… Just make sure you boys go to bed somewhat early, would you?” She says, raising her voice and punctuating the ‘early’ with a look thrown over at Yoshiki. The teen in question offers a shaky laugh and nods.
“Hear you loud n’ clear.”
Satisfied, she steps back and pats Yuka on the back, “Say goodnight to your brother then go get your pajamas on, okay? I’ll warm some tea.” Before disappearing entirely she turns to her son one last time and gives him a peck on the temple, “Have a good night, sweetheart. Be safe on the walk over, okay?”
A pit in his stomach pulls Satoshi closer and before he responds outright, he surprises his mother with a hug. It takes a moment for her to respond, but she happily returns it with her warm chuckle ringing in his ears. It’s warm and, for the first time in what’s felt like eons, truly and utterly safe. He relishes in it for a little longer than he probably should, and probably a little tighter than he should. But he can’t help it—he just hopes she doesn’t think too hard on it, as far as she knows a friend did have to move away today. And he was always so sensitive.
Stepping back, he smiles, “Goodnight mom. We’ll be safe.”
While her lips part like she has something more she wants to say, she ultimately just presses them into a thin line and smiles with a small nod. Then, finally, she returns inside and leaves Yuka on the porch with Satoshi and the others closing in to say their goodbyes for the night. Satoshi drops to his knees first and pulls her into a hug—one she readily accepts. Prior to this, they were never much for physicality unless it meant wrestling or trying to throw one another around, but tonight—if he can even define it that way anymore—has certainly changed that dynamic. Perhaps even for good. Yuka clings to her older brother like her life is still depending on it, and while she keeps quiet he can feel the damp warmth from tears on his shoulder. His heart practically beats out of his chest as he hangs tight to her, trying not to let his thoughts wander too far into all the different ways she could’ve been—and was?—hurt in that place. She’s here, she’s okay—he has to hold tight to that and just push everything else away or down. Relief and dread swirl around in him nearly constantly, not letting him relax even in a moment like this.
Yuka eventually pushes off of him, sniffling a little and swiping at her eyes. He lets her go and smiles for her. She matches the expression, but he’s sure she can see through his just as easily as he can see through hers.
“Thank you—for everything.”
“Thank you for being so brave and strong tonight. I’m so sorry this happened… But you did so well and I couldn’t be more proud of you. Even if mom and dad won’t understand, I hope it’s enough coming from me.” He huffs with a little shrug. That’s when the others pipe up, starting with Naomi who places a gentle hand on Satoshi’s shoulder as she crouches down beside him.
“And us. Yuka, if you have anything that you need you can come to any of us, okay? Not just your brother. Right?” She asks as she looks over her shoulder at the others. Yoshiki and Ayumi nod readily with smiles and a little clap from Ayumi.
The little girl sniffles again and giggles, seemingly a little in disbelief as she averts her eyes downwards, “Thanks… You guys are really cool. Would it be okay if you guys came and picked me up from school?”
“Sure thing, Yukes.” Yoshiki says with a grin, “And if any other kids ever mess with you, you just let me know, okay? Your brother is cool, but I think he’d just end up getting bullied himself instead of scaring them off.”
“Hey!”
That makes Yuka laugh, and it’s a sound that’s bright and welcome for the otherwise exhausted and gloomy atmosphere. Satoshi holds his tongue with Yoshiki for the sake of letting it linger. He sighs and uselessly shrugs, keeping up a smile. She greets him with a mischievous glint in her eyes—one he hasn’t seen in forever now but comes to naturally for her. Good, that’s what they needed to see. Standing once more, Satoshi gives her a gentle bump towards the door.
“Have a good night, Yuka. Everything’s okay now—no more surprises.”
“Well I knew that.” She huffs, but it’s lighthearted. She gives him and the others a little wave as she steps back and starts closing the door, “Night-night!”
“Nuh-night!” Ayumi responds most readily with the others joining her in a chorus before turning their backs to the warmly lit house. Yoshiki drifts up to his side nearly immediately and he feels a warm and comforting arm slung up around his shoulders. He huffs and matches the gesture, feeling a pressure release in his chest as he does. It’s there that he realizes the door behind them finally shuts. He can’t help but glance back, silently wishing his sister a night of peace now. He gets a reassuring pat on the back from Yoshiki for it, and like that, they’re off again towards the next home—Ayumi’s.
They’re a little more talkative now as they putz through the streets—it’s probably sometime past 11 now. The world around them is asleep save for the occasional house lights they pass by. Just everyday folks burning the midnight oil for much more mundane reasons than they are. The conversation is light and simple, mainly focusing around Yuka and asking Satoshi about how she’s doing in her school. He feels embarrassed to struggle with the details of something his sister so readily brags about at the end of each day, he just barely conjures up the name of her friend Satsuki. The conversation pitters out as they realize just how thick the haze in his mind seems to be. They don’t press him, of course.
Arriving at Ayumi’s apartment is a relief in more ways than one—Hinoe and Misuto have always been friendly faces to them all, but now especially. They try not to get their hopes up, but of all people who’ll likely hear them out, it’ll be them. Not right now though. Perhaps tomorrow, or the day after, or whenever they’ve finally got their heads back on their shoulders. That or Hinoe will corner them like a hunter until they spill it all. Whichever comes first.
As Ayumi steps onto her apartment’s little stoop and fiddles with her keys, there’s a sudden clamouring inside—the sounds of rubber soles squeaking on wooden floors, and a loud thump against the door before it’s thrown open. They’re greeted with Hinoe’s wide-eyed expression before it quickly snaps into a smile as she practically scoops her little sister into a bear-hug.
“Yumi! Ohmigosh, I was getting worried!” She steps back as quickly as she came but then pauses there. There’s an unreadable look in her eyes as she examines her sister before those blue eyes are turned on the rest of them. But whatever she sees or senses, she doesn’t seem to be able to put her finger on it and it gives Ayumi ample opportunity to speak. She clears her throat then offers a small smile.
“The Culture Festival was… hectic.” She says with a strained little laugh. Hinoe blinks a few times but then lets out a little laugh with her—tension audibly releasing.
“Uh-huh.Well… It’s a bit late to wonder what that means. We can talk in the morning.” Hinoe turns her attention to the others, “Thank you for walking her home. Will the rest of you be okay? I can give you guys a ride if you’d like.”
The three remaining teens glance at each other, briefly considering it. But there’s a silent agreement quickly made—something they can simply see in each other’s eyes. No, they need the space. Satoshi swallows and takes up the speaking role, forcing yet another smile onto his face. He feels like each one is getting more unconvincing.
“T-Thank you for the offer! But we’re okay. We kinda wanna walk—the air is nice.”
Hinoe hums in thought but eventually nods along, “Okay, but you three still have me on speed-dial right? Lemme see those numbers!” She says, snapping her fingers quickly. Her abrasive concern gets little chuckles out of them all—it’s refreshing. Like finally landing in a safety net after a death defying fall. The three of them all tug out their phones, quickly bringing up Hinoe’s speed-dial and showing off all three little flip phones for her to see. She leans down and inspects them thoroughly, practically sticking her lip out, before finally bouncing back upright with a bright smile and little clap.
“Perfect! I’ll keep my ringer on for a few hours just in case you guys need something, okay?”
Naomi smiles nervously, “That isn’t necessary, but thank you. The boys are just walking me home and then going to Yoshiki’s.”
“Ah, I see. Well, still, if you change your minds, I don’t mind—you all know I keep odd hours.” She says with a little giggle that makes them smile. With that, Hinoe pats her sister’s shoulders, “Alright, let’s get you inside! Have a good night, guys!”
“I’ll be right there sis—could you make me some hot chocolate, actually?”
Hinoe pauses for a moment to consider her before smiling and nodding, “I can do that.” And with that, she gives the others a little wave of her fingers and disappears inside, leaving the door open behind her. Through the crack in it, they can actually spot Misuto inside in his sweats—as usual for him—and the man seems like he’s a deer caught in the headlights for a moment before awkwardly waving to them all in passing. Ayumi snorts as he shuffles off, and the four of them share a little laugh.
Ayumi approaches the three of them, seemingly with a million things on the tip of her tongue but no words to convey them. So instead, she just goes around to each of them with small gestures. She approaches Satoshi first, taking his hands in hers and clasping them tightly. When her blue eyes meet his green, there’s a storm brewing within them and a furrowed brow that speaks to the weight of everything so clearly. He’s sure his expression matches hers to a T, and he finds himself gripping her hands a little tighter for it. Two pillars of leadership. Two sides of the same coin. Neither of them would’ve been able to get it all done without the efforts of the other.
“Thank you.” The words spill from his mouth before he can think. She pauses for a moment, a little stunned it seems. But she regathers herself fairly quickly and nods.
“I should be thanking you. And apologizing, for everything…” She turns to the others on that note. Yoshiki steps up first without hesitation.
“I said it once, I’ll say it again, and I’ll keep saying it as many times as I have to—Nobody could’ve seen this coming. You just wanted to comfort Mayu… Who the hell would we be if we got pissed about that? It was all goddamn Naho.”
Naomi nods, “... Yeah. We all agreed. It was just… just supposed to be a fun little thing to keep us connected.”
Ayumi’s eyes become glassy as she hurries over to Naomi, taking her hands next as she looks up at her. Both girls meet each other in the eyes, recognizing a mutual loss between them with both Seiko and Mayu respectively. Naomi is the first to break with a shuddering breath and they quickly latch onto each other in a tight hug. While not the closest pair of the bunch before all this, there’s certainly a new respect and closeness now. Satoshi can’t help but note the bitter irony in just how well that damn charm really has connected them now. While they don’t outright break into sobs, the girls hang onto each other for a long minute before stepping back and checking on each other. Once both are satisfied, Ayumi steps back fully and turns to Yoshiki. Sensing a shift in the air, Satoshi gently grazes Naomi’s back with his hand, easing her back a pace to give them space.
Ayumi stands before Yoshiki with a difficult expression to read. There’s so much to be said. Yoshiki, ever the awkward one, just rubs at the back of his neck and darts his gaze around. Ayumi lets out a scoff at that, like the behavior is ridiculous to her. She shakes her head but gets straight to the point, going in and embracing him with a tight hug. Yoshiki is too stunned to even process it’s happening, and Satoshi can’t help the little grin as he watches his friend’s face flush so brightly even in the pale moonlight. But right as the poor teen moves to reciprocate, Ayumi steps right back, but not without hanging onto his arms.
“Kishinuma—thank you, for everything. I… I don’t know how far I would’ve made it without you there keeping me sane.”
Yoshiki struggles to get something out through his dry throat but nods readily, “You seriously coulda fooled me. You’re made of pure steel, Shinozaki. You were keeping me sane in there.”
A bitter smile pulls at her lips, “Whatever works—I suppose we were a good team. I’m glad you were there.”
Yoshiki practically beams at that, “Yeah! Yeah, we were! Ghosts better stay outta our way unless they want a one-way ticket to the afterlife.”
That gets a laugh out of Ayumi and she finally lets him go and steps back, “Goodnight you guys, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Satoshi replies quickly and for the others. She smiles and nods, waving them off. And like that, another one down. One more delivery to be made before making the final trek back to Yoshiki’s.
Again, they’re a tad more talkative this time around, though it’s moreso at Yoshiki’s expense as both Satoshi and Naomi tease him. While Satoshi has known for a while about his little crush on Ayumi, it’s news to Naomi—and a brilliant distraction for the meantime. This time the silence on the streets is broken with teenage chatter, as it should be. The energy lightens around them with it, and by the time they’re at Naomi’s, the parting seems a little easier.
Her mother doesn’t greet them at the door unlike the last two houses, but that’s fine. It’s nice to have a quiet parting. Naomi approaches Yoshiki first and gives him a hug from the side. He gives her a good squeeze on the shoulder in turn and a small smile. Satoshi doesn’t catch the quiet conversation they have, partially because he himself is trying to sort through all the things he wants to say. He perks up when he hears his name, not that they give him any indication they were talking about him. But with their parting completed, Naomi steps up to her little porch and finds her home’s spare key. It’s there that she finally turns to Satoshi, and Satoshi also realizes that Yoshiki has backed off towards the edge of the street, giving them plenty of space.
With that alone, Satoshi can’t help but feel his cheeks begin to flush. It’s only compounded when he meets Naomi’s warm brown eyes. He swallows a little as he steps onto the porch beside her, rubbing his own arms awkwardly as all the words he’d planned on saying suddenly fall out of his head. Instead, he does the next best thing and just acts and gently pulls her into a hug. She relaxes into him without hesitation, clutching his back and burying her face into the crook of his neck. It’s warm and electrifying and he finds himself melting right in to fit around her, nuzzling his chin into the side of her head. His heart batters his chest like a jackhammer, but the utter relief at having her safe and in his arms outweighs any of his normal nerves.
“I— I’m glad you’re safe.” is the best he can muster to breathe out. She nods into his shoulder.
“I am too—Thank you for not leaving without me… For— For saving me. I would’ve died without you.” She whispers and it sends a chill up his spine that’s felt through both of them as images he hopes to will away flash through his mind. It just makes him hold her tighter.
“I did it as many times as it took to get you home.”
“Huh?” She pulls back to look up at him a little confused at that. He stares down at her rather blankly as his mind spins. He just blinks, unable to really think of where to start or if he’s even able to right now. Seeing this—or hell, seeing something—Naomi just reaches up and grips his face with both of her hands, brushing his cheeks with her thumbs. It’s a gentle touch that gives him butterflies. He finds himself quickly cupping her hands with his own. Brown eyes scan olive green with a gentle intensity—she has a way of looking at people that just makes them want to spill their guts, he’d joked with her more than once that she’d make a great detective. But maybe he’s just biased in her favor.
After what feels like eons, Naomi gently tilts his head slightly and stands up on her toes to press her lips to the corner of his mouth. It’s soft, warm, sweet, and makes his head utterly spin. But, most of all, it flushes out all the other thoughts plaguing him, at least for the moment. His expression must show it too with the relieved smile she gives him. He notes how rosy her own cheeks have become now, no doubt matching his own. How silly, but a highlight to the end of a nightmare. He takes hold of one of her hands and presses his lips to her knuckles as he steps back.
“Have a good night, Naomi.”
“You too, Satoshi. Please, get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Right. It’s a date.” He adds with a little smile. She grins bashfully but nods. With that she waves and murmurs a quiet extra little ‘bye’ that he returns. Then he watches as she fiddles with her lock and, finally, makes it inside. Once the porch light goes out, that’s when he finally shifts on heel back towards the road. Yoshiki is waiting for him with a cockeyed grin. Satoshi makes sure to slug him in the gut as he passes then darts just out of reach as he gets yelled at for it. It’s fun. Innocent fun.
The walk back to Yoshiki’s is a blur from there, but a more pleasant experience than he’d thought it’d be. But as they get closer, the physical exhaustion finally starts settling back in. The idea of a bed being so close brings out how intensely their muscles and bruises ache, how sharply their scratches sting and burn, and how heavy their feet feel beneath them. Not to mention his damn bag weighing him down. He does his best to support Yoshiki at his side, but that idea seems to be more successful the other way around.
They practically stumble through the front door of the apartment. And from there, Yoshiki practically tosses him down on a nearby chair. Satoshi barely manages to process it before Yoshiki pulls his futon out. The teen is in and out of his room in seconds, tossing down blankets and a pillow in a snap. Either Yoshiki is moving incredibly efficiently, or his mind is just so tired that it feels fast. He’d put money on it being more of the latter. Still, he isn’t about to feel completely useless and shoves himself back upright despite all the ways his body protests. He carefully sets his bag out of the way in the little closet and kicks his shoes off back by the door. For good measure, he retreats to the bathroom to wash his hands and face. He still feels grody—he can’t imagine that feeling will wash away so easily.
Returning to the main room, he finds Yoshiki standing around seemingly aimlessly. He perks up at the sight of Satoshi, however. He seems to have a question on the tip of his tongue but hesitates, scratching his head as he does. Satoshi tilts his head in a wordless question. Yoshiki eventually nods to the futon.
“Wanna go for the classic sleepover setup? There’s room.”
Satoshi smiles—beating around the bush a little, but it’s honestly a welcome suggestion, “Yeah.”
“Okay, cool. Sick... Dibs on the wall…!” He says and practically throws himself down onto the backside of the futon. Satoshi chuckles and drops down onto the futon next to him. The sigh that escapes him feels like it bubbles up from the very core of his soul—he hasn’t felt so comfortable in so long. The futon’s cushioning is plush, but not so much that he’d feel the frame through it. It’s perfect. He blacks out for a long moment just from his head hitting the pillow alone. Yoshiki huffs and he glances at him just to see him nod—he gets it. With that, Yoshiki throws the blankets over them both and Satoshi quietly mumbles his thanks. He gets an even more slurred response with Yoshiki’s face already half buried in his pillow.
As exhausted as he is, he still envies how readily Yoshiki is able to lay down and sleep. He has one last thing keeping him awake. One last little hiccup that could still throw all of this out the window. So as he stares up at the steadily clicking analog clock, Satoshi lays there and waits in utter dread for midnight to come and go.
The room is filled with a soothing ambiance otherwise. The clock’s ticking, the faint buzz of electricity from somewhere in the apartment, Yoshiki’s breathing at his side keeping his own steady and slow, and the slow return of pattering rain from outside. It lulls him to the edge of sleep. But those eyes stay open and trained on those ticking hands. Twenty minutes. Fifteen. Ten. Five.
He can’t imagine what he’ll do if he wakes up in his bed again. It’s too much. This time felt so perfect—they did everything he could think of right. He runs through the checklist burned into his mind by now one more time. He can’t find any fault with it, they were utterly clean. Or at least as clean as a trip to that damn school can be.
The more he thinks about it, the more his mind naturally shifts back to that preparation mode he’s been so stuck in. How many times has he gone through it now? He doesn’t have the mind to count. Especially not as the panic of it not being over seeps in, just worsening as that minute hand ticks closer and closer to midnight. Three minutes. Two minutes. One.
There’s tears streaming down his face as he watches that second hand slowly march its way around the clockface. He’s not ready. He can’t go back again. He can’t do it again. He holds his breath for the last ten seconds, his heart hammering in his chest and cold sweat trickling down his neck. He’s already accepted it in his core, but he pleads and begs internally for anything but this again.
Then it passes. 12:01.
Satoshi freezes. He stares, utterly stiff in place. But nothing happens. He doesn’t black out. The ticking clock doesn’t stop. His friend’s breathing at his side never falters.
In a flash Satoshi jolts upright, gripping the edge of the futon as he practically has a staredown with the clock. It startles Yoshiki out of his doze, but he doesn’t even pay his friend any mind at this point. He stays locked into that clockface, white-knuckling the cushioning beneath him as his breathing becomes ragged.
12:02.
He crumbles. Relief and realization winds him once more—they’re out. They’re actually out. Completely. He doesn’t have to do it ever again. He heaves and an ugly sound comes out of him as he collapses in on himself.
“Satoshi?!” Yoshiki practically jumps to his side and that comforting arm wraps around his shoulder again. He’s far past any kind of self control though, barely able to cup his hands to his mouth to try and quell his crying. But it’s fruitless and he just opts to grip the blankets covering his lap still as his whole body shudders with his wails. He practically screams until his voice is hoarse, finally purging everything built up in him after so long. Repeating. Repeating. Repeating. He may finally be able to clear that pungent scent of rot from his life forever.
Yoshiki stops trying to ask questions and just acts, pulling him completely into his chest and arms and just clutching onto him as tight as he can. Satoshi lets it happen, shifting his own grip from the sheets to Yoshiki’s arms desperately as he sobs. It takes a little bit of maneuvering, but he manages to shift around and stifle some of the noise into Yoshiki’s chest and shoulder. He doesn’t know how long he cries for. It becomes a blur of emotion too fast to think. The truth simply punches him in the chest over and over, practically forcing everything he’d buried up and out all at once.
It’s over.
He’s free.
They’re all free.