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Sometimes, you really hated being a Nekoma graduate.
The loud sound of a horn jolts you out of your slumber. Wearily crawling out of bed, you stumble over to your window. A familiar-looking car idles in your driveway.
“Oh no,” you groan to yourself. “This cannot end well.”
Your suspicions were confirmed when you saw a tall, half-Russian man leaning out the car window and waving at you with a goofy grin on his face. Come outside, he mouths at you. Quickly changing into a hoodie and sweats, you jog outside to his car.
“Lev, you wanna tell me why you’re outside my house at 4 in the morning?” you ask, peering at him through the car window.
“You have to promise me you won’t be mad!” he says. Resisting the urge to kick something, you reach up and pinch the bridge of your nose.
“I absolutely will not promise you that, Lev. Now spit it out,” you snap.
“Okay, okay.” He raises both of his hands in a placating gesture. “You know that funeral home down the street?”
“Sendai funeral home? The one that’s rumored to be haunted?”
“Yeah, Kuroo-san dared me to sneak in there and find out if it’s actually haunted.”
“Lev, what the fuck? You’re 24 years old and you guys are still playing truth or dare?”
He laughs. “What can I say, we like to live on the edge.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re outside my house.”
His expression suddenly turns sheepish, as he mumbles something inaudible under his breath.
“What?”
“I need moral support. Please! I’ll buy you lunch for a month!” he pleads.
The idea of the funeral home being haunted didn’t scare you, as you had stopped believing in ghosts a long time ago. But the thought of babysitting a frightened Lev made you hesitate. You usually tried not to give in to Lev’s whims, but you were kind of broke, and Lev definitely had some cash to burn from all those modeling gigs he was doing.
You sigh. “Fine, I’ll come with you”. If he and Kuroo were going to be stupid, you might as well profit off of it. Opening the passenger door, you get in the car and resign yourself to your fate.
As Lev pulls into the funeral home’s parking lot, you quickly scan the surrounding area. The lights are all off in the building, so it doesn’t look like you’ll be caught by anyone. But wait…
“Hey, Lev?” you speak up. “Why is there another car in the parking lot?”
Lev gasps and looks at you with wide eyes. “Do you think it belongs to the ghost?” he whispers.
Taken aback, you give him a flat look. “Lev, what the fuck is wrong with you?” you groan.
Getting out of the car, you both approach the building.
“Okay, now how do we get in? They probably lock the main doors every night.”
“Kuroo-san said we should be able to open one of the first-floor windows and get in that way.”
“What do we do if an alarm goes off or something?”
Lev turns to look at you with a blank expression. “Uh… run I guess?”
Alright then. Fingers crossed you won’t walk away from tonight with a criminal record. Muttering obscenities under your breath, you follow him to the window.
As Lev occupies himself with prying open the window, you think back to all the other stupid stunts he and the other Nekoma alumni have gotten you involved in. Sneaking into a supposedly haunted funeral home may have been bad, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as the time you all TPed Coach Nekomata’s house. Or the time that you guys had poured food coloring into the public pool. Honestly, this was one of the tamer dares that Kuroo had given Lev.
“I got it!” Lev suddenly exclaims, pulling you out of your musings.
He hops in through the window, then turns and extends his arms out to you to help pull you in. For once, you were grateful for his freakishly long limbs.
Once you both were safely inside, you take the opportunity to catch your breath and look around. Honestly, you could understand why the funeral home was rumored to be haunted. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls, and there was only one light hanging from the ceiling. It flickered occasionally, casting ominous shadows along the long hallway. The faint sound of tree branches scraping at the windows could be heard, further emphasizing the eerie feel of the building.
“Man, it’s dark in here,” you say, rubbing your arms. Your hoodie only did so much to protect against the chill of the hallway.
“Good thing I brought this!” Lev exclaims, pulling a flashlight out of his pocket.
Wow, you think to yourself, surprised. Lev actually came prepared for once.
“So, going back to this dare,” you say as you both start slowly making your way down the hallway. “What kind of proof does Kuroo want to determine whether or not this place is haunted?”
“Apparently, Kuroo-san knows somebody who actually saw the ghost, and he said I should try to find it too!”
“The ghost? There’s only one?”
“Yeah. People say that he’s supposed to be tall and have really thick eyebrows.”
You look at him, a bit puzzled. That description certainly didn’t seem like it would fit a ghost. You open your mouth to enquire further, but a loud sound cuts you off. You instantly freeze, exchanging a nervous glance with Lev.
“Is it just me or does that sound like footsteps?” he murmurs, slowly moving to hide behind you.
No matter how insistent you were that ghosts didn’t exist, you couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of fear as you stand in the hallway. As the footsteps got closer, you could feel Lev tense behind you, ready to run away.
A figure rounds the corner, stopping just a few feet in front of you. He opens his mouth to speak.
“Yo.”
A piercing scream rings out from behind you, and it takes you a moment to realize that it came from Lev. Before you can react, Lev takes off, sprinting back down the hallway and jumping out the window from which you both entered.
You huff and roll your eyes. Some friend he is. Looking back at the figure, you take a moment to study him, not missing his thick eyebrows or the way he towers over you. Satisfied with his decidedly human appearance, you relax a bit.
“So, I’m guessing you’re the ghost that’s been haunting this place?” you question, raising an eyebrow.
He smirks. “Is that what people have been calling me? I knew it was a bad idea taking the night shift at a funeral home.”
You suddenly realize the predicament you’re in. Breaking and entering, trespassing, not to mention your dark hoodie. Oh god, I look like some kind of cat burglar, you thought. The idea of ending the night with a criminal record suddenly doesn’t seem too far off.
“I’m Matsukawa, by the way,” he says, and you introduce yourself in turn.
“So, what brings you here?” Matsukawa asks conversationally, looking you up and down. “Are you a fellow ghost here to challenge me for my haunting spot? Or are you some kind of ghostbuster here to exterminate me?”
Okay, it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to call the cops. That’s a good sign. And you were always up for some playful banter.
“Hypothetically, let’s say I was here to ‘exterminate you’,” you begin, crossing your arms, “what would you do then?”
“Well, first I’d escape,” he says. “Then, I’d come back to haunt you for the rest of your life.”
You chuckle. “Oh, I’m not too scared by that,” you tell him. He leans back against the wall.
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because no offense, but you don’t seem like a very good ghost. Isn’t it kind of predictable to haunt a funeral home? So cliché.”
He looks away, laughing, and you take the opportunity to quickly give him a once-over. Damn, he’s hot.
“Well, how about this, sweetheart?” Matsukawa takes a step towards you. “Let’s make a deal. I won’t call the cops on you.”
Is he flirting with you? He’s definitely flirting with you. Your hopes rise.
“What do you want in exchange, then?” you ask, walking towards him.
“Let me take you out this weekend.”
Wow, he’s bold. You tap a finger to your chin, pretending to be deep in thought. This mysterious hottie wants to take you out? You’d be a fool to decline.
“Hmm, that sounds fair I suppose. But what if I meet a cuter ghost before then?” you question.
He steps closer and cups your face.
“Then I guess I better make sure that I’m the only ghost on your mind.”
As Matsukawa leans in to meet your lips, you feel your heart pounding in your chest. You remind yourself to thank Kuroo when you get a chance.
Sometimes, you really loved being a Nekoma graduate.