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Kirari looked over the instructions Midari had given her once more. If this did work, she would be playing a dangerous game of tag. It would also be her first time playing with a ghost, if they were even real.
As the water filled the tub, she shed her clothes and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The expanse of smooth alabaster skin was worthy of admiration. She often wondered why her own identical twin worried about her looks when they were both beautiful creatures. It was a fact no one could deny. Not even Sayaka was immune to the effects.
Alas, she couldn’t admire herself forever. She turned off the tap before proceeding to turn off the lights. There was something eerie about being in the bathroom with the lights off, especially at night, knowing there was no light waiting for her. It was past midnight and the house was silent. The only thing she could hear was the drip, drip, drip of the faucet. Ririka had gone to bed a couple hours ago so if something were to happen to her, supernatural or not, she would be left to fend for herself.
Kirari carefully stepped into the warm bath and sat down facing the tap. The tub was large enough for her to lounge back, but she had a feeling she couldn’t do it for this. She grabbed the bottle of shampoo and dipped her head back to soak her hair. Closing her eyes, Kirari took great care in washing her hair all the while repeating the game’s incantation.
“Daruma-san fell down. Daruma-san fell down. Daruma-san fell down.”
She probably looked absurd, chanting and washing her hair in the dark. As strange as it was, there was a certain thrill in knowing she was about to experience something unknown, something otherworldly that not many would dare to try.
She rinsed the suds away, her eyes firmly shut, and waited. A cold chill surrounded the air around her. Even the water felt significantly cooler though it was steaming just a few minutes ago. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she wrapped her arms around her torso. As promised, she had a vision in her mind’s eye. It was almost like a partially recollected dream, short but clear. She could see it: a woman slipping and falling in a bathtub, losing her eye on a rusty tap. It was quite gruesome and reminded of the night Midari took her own eye.
Behind her was a presence. It was sudden. One moment she was alone then she felt something. The water rippled in small waves, barely noticeable but she could feel it. She kept her eyes closed and fought her instinct to turn around, see with her own eyes, mess up the summoning to see what happens. For all she knew, it was just paranoia and this whole game was just a waste of time.
Still, she asked aloud, “Why did you fall in the tub?”
A silence greeted her. She sat in the tub for a few more seconds before getting out, eyes still closed. Kirari was sure she left a trail of water on her way to the door. She felt for the doorknob and opened it. The light from her room bled through her eyelids. She closed the door behind her and opened her eyes. The towel she had prepared was folded on her bed. She quickly dried herself and climbed into bed. Strangely enough, she had no trouble sleeping that night, even with the possibility that something was in the connecting bathroom just beyond the closed door.
***
Her alarm going off the next morning woke her. Kirari grumbled, her restful sleep coming to an end. Her limbs stretched languidly in the large bed. She could hear the servants downstairs preparing breakfast. She assumed Ririka was already there. It was amusing how her sister had trouble controlling herself in the presence of food.
She sat up and the cold air chilled her nude form. It was times like these that made her miss the warmth of the summer. She got up and grabbed a discarded robe draped over the back of her vanity’s chair. She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes as she wrapped the robe around her body. She walked to the bathroom and as her fingers curled around the knob of the bathroom door, she remembered what she had done that night.
She stood to attention, the drowsiness seeping out of her at the memory. In her peripheral, she thought she spotted a woman with dark, tangled locks, but when she turned her body to face that corner of her room, there was no woman.
A sly smile spread across her face. The game was afoot.
***
Since that first possible sighting, she had been careful not to stay in one place for too long. She even used her sister’s bathroom since hers was currently… out of order. She made sure to tell the servants not go in for the duration of the day.
The second time she saw Daruma-san was when they were leaving for school. Ririka had one foot in the car when Kirari felt her just a few paces away from her back. A quick glance over her right shoulder confirmed her suspicions.
“Tomare.” Her voice was clear and the entity stopped its advances.
She could have won the game right then and there, but where was the fun in that? She had until midnight to secure her victory. Or her defeat.
She looked back to find a smiling mask staring in her direction. With a simple curl of blue tinted lips, Kirari climbed into the vehicle without an explanation. Her sister followed suit though her confusion was still apparent even with the mask on.
The drive was uneventful. It seems that ghosts can’t follow cars but Kirari was sure Daruma-san would turn up later. For now, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Ririka’s rhythmic tapping of her fingers on her phone and the rocking of the car lulled her into a light slumber. The sun had barely risen and they had a long night planned. It may be the only time she could rest today.
The sound of a door opening ended her short nap. Kirari opened her eyes to their driver holding the door. Her jaw clenched as she resisted the yawn that tried to escape. She grabbed her bag and stepped outside, a crisp breeze billowing around her. Her blazer wasn’t thick enough to ward off the late October chill and she could already feel her legs start to shiver underneath the thin layer of her stockings. Still, she made her way to the gates where her faithful secretary waited.
“Good morning, President, Vice President,” Sayaka greeted them both.
Kirari smiled at the red that dusted her cheeks. Whether it was from the cold or because of her, Kirari couldn’t help but admire the rosey color that stained her dear secretary’s features.
She leaned in close, their noses inches from touching. “A good morning indeed if I get to see you so bright and early.”
Her grin widened when the scarlet hue she loved so much deepened. Sayaka’s eyes flitted away from her own, to the ground, to the sky, to the trees.
Another gust of wind interrupted their shared moment, reminding her of the cold and the warm tea that she knew was waiting for her.
Kirari pulled away. “Shall we?”
She didn’t wait, walking briskly to the entrance. Two pairs of steps fell in place behind her.
She opened the doors of her office. As she expected, a steaming cup of tea rested on the table. On the opposite end were stacks of papers, no doubt Sayaka’s own workload for the school and tonight’s celebration.
Halloween was only a holiday she had been taking part in the past couple years. She didn’t find the appeal in it at first. She certainly found the tradition of dressing up entertaining. Watching people spend so much effort staining themselves in fake blood for one night of the year and making themselves appear unrecognizable only made her more curious. Surely it was too much effort to dress up like that for only one night. Stranger still, not everyone dressed like monsters. For one night, they could be anything they wanted—from glittering fairies to doctors. She didn’t understand until her first halloween celebration at Hyakkaou and seeing girls dressed in indecent nurse attire and police uniforms, complete with handcuffs. Even some of the boys were half dressed, torsos, muscular or not, out for the world to see.
Needless to say, she didn’t find the charm until she showed up to that party only to be met with her secretary dressed as a werewolf, fluffy ears and tail making her even cuter. Kirari felt like an outcast dressed in her standard uniform. From then on, she made sure to partake in the strange tradition. Last year she decided to be a vampire, a line of blood running down the corner of her lips and velvet dress sweeping the floor behind her. She would never forget the way Sayaka would try to avert her gaze the whole night.
Kirari made sure to top last year’s costume. She couldn’t wait to see Sayaka’s reaction later.
She sipped at her tea, warming herself from the inside out. She sighed softly as the cold that stiffened her fingers disappeared.
Sayaka took the seat on the couch across from her and opened her planner. “After classes, you have only one gamble today. Later this afternoon, we’re scheduled to check the preparations in the mess hall for tonight. After that, Yumemi has forced the whole council to let the makeup artists she hired to do our makeup for tonight as an act of ‘goodwill’.”
Kirari chuckled lightly at her disgruntled tone at the end. Despite Yumemi’s best efforts to be perfect in the eyes of the media, the council knew her better.
“Very well,” she replied. “It would be rude to turn down such a generous offer.”
Sayaka nodded and wrote the time down in the planner. With the itinerary out of the way, Sayaka went back to working on the stacks of forms waiting for her.
Blue eyes studied her intently over the rim of the cup. She liked the way her brows furrowed slightly in concentration, the way her lips slightly pouted as she went deep into thought, and she liked watching deft hands write her signature or make notes. Her level of concentration was certainly admirable. Kirari had lost count of the amount of times she would come back to find her desk bare of any paperwork besides the few that required her own signature. She truly didn’t reward her enough.
Sayaka’s eyes darted to the side, like she got distracted by something in the room. Her gaze returned to the papers only to return and land on something in the corner. Kirari tilted her head at this. It wasn’t often Sayaka got distracted and when she did, she was often the cause of it. She looked over her left shoulder, following the violet stare. There was nothing there.
She looked back to find Sayaka reinvested in her work. Strange.
She brought the tea back to her lips.
***
Class was uneventful, as usual. Her mind wandered during math, equations and steps going in one ear and out the other. Literature was slightly better. The inner workings of one’s psyche never failed to intrigue her, even if it is a fictional character. Science was much like math. She didn’t really care to learn about the inner workings of metabolism or the cellular processes. She’d much rather learn about ecosystemic relationships, though she knew a great deal about it already. She never failed to enjoy a good conversation about it.
And it wasn’t only her wayward mind that made her lose focus on the lectures going on. There was a persistent presence, a very constant one, that she couldn’t shake off. More than once, she would glance over her right shoulder, feigning a look out the window, to get a glimpse of a woman, dark tangled locks and a missing eye, standing in the corner of the room. With each class she would creep closer and closer and when Kirari raised her hand in a false attempt to end this little game of tag, Daruma-san would disappear, returning not long after. She even went to the bathroom a few times in an attempt to shake her off, perhaps for a little while.
For a moment, Kirari wondered what would happen if she did get caught. It was not specified in the article Midari had sent her, only that Daruma-san would enter her dreams if the game did not end in time. An unfair but perhaps fitting punishment for a draw.
The bell rang, indicating the end of class. Kirari packed her things and with one more glance over her right shoulder, she left Daruma-san standing in the middle of the classroom.
Kirari certainly enjoyed this little paranormal game of cat and mouse. Being the prey for a change, and to a supernatural being that could take her life, gave her a rush like no other. She had expected the one to finally take her out would be someone from the family or someone with enough strength to beat her at her own game. She was not upset at the idea that it could be someone from the other side of the grave.
As she traversed the hallways to her office, the presence of Daruma-san greatly diminished. She was still there, but the feeling of her was faint. It was like being watched from afar but far more chilling because Daruma-san couldn’t always be seen.
As she crossed the threshold into her office, Kirari went right to the magnificent tank built into the wall. She rested her hand on the glass. The fish inside didn’t react to her presence. They never do. They weren’t like the ones in her pond. They weren’t like the koi that piled on top of each other at the sight of her, ready to be fed, or her favorite albino arowana that would almost nip her fingers as she held a slice of meat just above the surface.
The focus of her eyes shifted from her precious fish to the reflection on the glass. She couldn’t see Daruma-san, but she could feel her in the room. She began to turn her head when Sayaka entered the room, the door opening with a low creak.
The younger secretary met her eyes as she announced, “President, your gamble starts in a few minutes.”
Sayaka didn’t look away as Kirari moved closer, almost like she was forcing herself not to look away. Odd. She was usually too nervous to make eye contact with her for long. That blush she loved so much reappeared but there was some hint of determination in her eyes. Was it because she was finally ready to admit her feelings? Feelings she had been suppressing—that they both had been suppressing—for so long.
Kirari felt a new kind of rush. Not of fear or of danger, but of excitement at the prospect that something new could become of them. Her hand moved upwards on its own accord. It reached for her secretary, wanting to get a hold of her waist, to wrap around the deep red of her blazer.
And for a moment she forgot. She forgot about the game she had started.
Dark eyes flicked to something behind her and Sayaka beckoned her out of the room.
Kirari felt her lips dip in an involuntary frown as Sayaka stepped back and held the door open.
In an instant, everything was normal again. Sayaka’s fist came up to press against her chest. Her scrunched in worry. Her eyes were earnest as she asked, “P-President? Did I do something wrong?”
The older girl schooled her features, her face becoming impassive once more. “No, Sayaka. Nothing is wrong.”
She stepped through the open door and waited for Sayaka to lock the room. The halls were empty as they made their way to the gambling den where her next game would be. Their footfalls echoed softly against the wooden surfaces surrounding them. Many of the students had gone home, their preparations for the night’s celebration was underway. The ones that stayed could be heard through closed doors, no doubt trying their luck a few more times before heading home.
As always, Sayaka walked behind her, ready to fulfill any requests at a moment’s notice. She wasn’t the only one following her, Kirari knew. Daruma-san was close by, waiting for the opportune time to catch her.
The gambling den used for this gamble was as standard as the game they would play. Poker. Not even choice poker at that. It would seem that her opponent was just as standard as well.
“Horo Jomaru.” The disinterest in her voice was clear. “I thought you already removed yourself from the election.”
He laughed softly as if her statement was a joke. “My dear, surely you know already that I would do everything I can to help you win back your seat as President.”
Sayaka’s hand clenched around the taser in her pocket, her jaw set. He didn’t pay her any mind.
His brown eyes gleamed as he watched her take her place across from him.
Kirari looked at Inaho tiredly. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Okay!” She saluted her and took out a brand new box of playing cards.
Kirari barely looked at the cards she was dealt, knowing her victory was already secured. With every bet she made, she came back with a few more. He didn’t bother going all in. He opted to draw out the game by betting in smaller increments as if that would make her like him any more than she already did. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t lose the measly 20 votes he had at the end.
Kirari rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly while her opponent made
At the beginning of the third round, Sayaka shifted slightly. Kirari’s hand paused when she noticed the small movement. It was subtle. Anyone could have mistaken it for Sayaka readjusting her posture, but Kirari knew that was not the case. Sayaka had moved further back, out of her peripheral.
As the game continued, Sayaka kept changing her position around her chair. Sometimes she would be standing to her left, then she would stand to her left, behind her, back to her left. It was like a strange dance, almost, though there was no pattern as she moved in a semicircle around her chair.
As amusing as she thought it was, they wasted enough time.
Kirari pushed her whole stack of chips ahead. “All in.”
Jomaru smirked. “Feeling gutsy today, President?”
She didn’t reply. He didn’t seem to mind her silence and bet his eight remaining chips. Kirari won with a two pair. Painfully average, just like the game.
Jomaru got up and walked around the table like he did last time. Sayaka didn’t even let him get close before she held up her taser, inches from touching his chest, finger resting on the trigger. Kirari looked up at them over her right shoulder, waiting to see if Sayaka would go through with it this time, only to see something more sinister waiting for her.
Daruma-san was standing a little more than an arm’s length away and the only thing between the two of them was Sayaka standing over her protectively. A dawning to realization washed over her. Sayaka knew, somehow, that she was in danger and of something that couldn’t—shouldn’t—be seen by anyone other than herself. That was the game.
The pale face of her ghost, stained with dried blood, twisted into something that resembled frustration. Bitterness radiated from her being. Kirari could feel it and for the first time since the game began, she felt the solid weight of fear reside in her chest. It wasn’t because she feared for herself. No, her one eye glared at her secretary, her shield she had been oblivious to this whole time. The fear settled in her chest, right next to the humming thrill of the chase.
She needed to end the game, and soon. Before she could even raise her hand this time, Daruma-san disappeared.
Kirari stood and walked out of the room while she still had a chance of escape. She heard running footsteps almost immediately.
“President!” Sayaka called from behind.
She didn’t stop until they arrived back at her office, Sayaka only a step behind.
She didn’t bother providing an explanation for her behavior. “Sayaka, do you mind preparing some tea? I’m quite thirsty.”
Her secretary stared at her, visibly conflicted. She wrung her hands in trepidation before clenching them into fists. “Yes, President.”
Oh, Sayaka… when will you learn to speak your mind?
She watched her secretary move to the cart stationed against the wall. It took a few minutes for the water to boil. A few minutes more to steep. In those few minutes, Kirari felt her presence return right as Sayaka turned around.
The cup rattled softly in the saucer as it was brought to her. Sayaka’s poorly masked alarm affirmed her suspicions. She could see what others could not and now she has unknowingly interfered in a dangerous game.
It was unfortunate they were being watched. She would just have to wait until the end to confront her.
***
The pulsing music made it hard to hear. The constantly flashing lights made it hard to see. The room was crowded with the majority of the student body making it hot and stuffy. A hand came up to gently dab at the sweat pooling at her neck. It didn’t help that she was stuck dressed up in a long robe. The makeup on her face was irritating and her cheek itched. She despised wearing it. So much was going on and her senses were overwhelmed.
She didn’t like parties much. It was loud and too many people were there to bother her and invade her space. Halloween was the only night Midari could make her come out of her room to celebrate and every time she does, Sayaka finds herself missing the four walls of her room and the soft sheets of her bed.
“OI!” Midari, dressed as a pirate, shoved a cup into her hands, yelling over the blaring noise. “You look like you could use a drink!”
Sayaka nodded in gratitude, feeling it was unnecessary to strain her voice just to say a simple “thank you”. She took a grateful sip, only to frown at the bitterness of the fruit punch she had been given. There was so much alcohol that the sweetness of the punch was merely an aftertaste. She spied the crowd. No wonder they looked like a mess. Half of them were probably at risk of alcohol poisoning by now. Sighing, she set the cup down on a nearby table. She should get some water. Ignoring Midari’s calls, Sayaka found herself squeezing between party goers in search of a drink and fresh air.
Trying to get through the crowd was like swimming in a tumultuous ocean. She was pushed and shoved every which way. She didn’t even know where she was anymore. She was disoriented and there were no stars to guide her here. Her robes were stepped on and pulled. There were too many to taze. It wouldn’t be worth it. Here, she was no secretary. Just another student dressed for the occasion with her dark robes and her face painted like a skeleton.
When she broke free of the crowd, Sayaka bumped right into someone. Hands grabbed at her upper arms to steady her.
A stuttered apology fought to be heard. Sayaka could only see a shimmering blue dress. Blue…
“My, Sayaka… you should be more careful next time.” That soft, soft voice right next to her ear was somehow enough to drown out the rest of the noise.
“P-P-President!” Her own voice was barely heard.
Her voice died in her throat, apology never properly delivered, when she was met with her beloved president… dressed as a mermaid.
Sayaka couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming up and down, the blue dress hugging every curve. The sequences on the bodice brought special attention to her chest and Sayaka made sure not to look there for too long. But her most striking feature wasn’t the ruffles that resembled the tail or the aquamarine makeup that resembled scales. It was the way her hair was curled to perfection and fell down her back. Sayaka had seen her with her hair down before—sometimes she braided it in the morning—but she never failed to find it alluring.
It took her some time to notice Kirari’s smile and even longer to realize that her mouth was parted, gaping like the fish the president loved so much. A finger pushed her chin up, effectively closing her jaw.
Shoulders shook as Kirari chuckled though it couldn’t be heard. Sayaka couldn’t bring herself to join her. They were so unbelievably close and with every flash of light, Sayaka was given another glimpse of her.
Since they met, Sayaka had always been easily distracted by the president. The mere thought of her made her stomach flutter and had her dazed for hours. Her presence alone made it easy to forget the world around her. Kirari was rather fortunate she hired a quick acting secretary.
The moment Sayaka saw the hand slowly creeping from behind her shoulder, she wrapped her arms around the president and twisted them so they switched places. Sayaka felt the hand land on her own shoulder. She shivered. Even through the cloak, she could feel it. She could feel the cold, cold grasp. Cold as ice and strong as steel. The pressure was immense, almost crushing.
Sayaka didn’t let it stop her. She pushed them into the crowd. As they moved deeper into the packed group of bodies, she felt the hand let go. Still, Sayaka felt the phantom touch linger on her shoulder. They were lucky this ghost only seemed to approach from behind, which was strange. As far as she knew, ghosts didn’t follow rules. Not unless…
“President!” Sayaka’s outraged voice matched her glowering expression. Her skeletal makeup only served to intensify the glare.
Kirari only returned the look with one of her intrigued ones having no idea what she did to deserve her secretary’s unexpected fury. Sayaka ignored it and led the President out of the mass surrounding them. They stopped at the table of refreshments against the wall. It wasn’t the ideal place to talk, but it would do for now.
Sayaka pleaded for an explanation. She needed an explanation. “President, please tell me why you’re playing a game with a ghost.”
Kirari studied her impassively.
This wouldn’t be the first time Sayaka felt the weight of her role as secretary. Besides the paperwork and the scheduling, that hardest part of her job was keeping the president safe. It was hard to guard someone who actively seeked danger on a daily basis. This time, however, Sayaka was virtually powerless against the threat. She could handle angry house pets, businessmen who got too comfortable, even surprise attacks. But her taser was useless against a being that wasn’t alive or even in the physical realm.
Sayaka felt helpless. It was a feeling she had gotten used to with every gamble she oversaw. She learned to have faith in Kirari as she watched her win every game in hardly any flaws. Now, she truly was helpless. They both were. But how different was this game from all the other ones she had spectated? They just needed to survive. Sayaka would make sure of it.
Without waiting for Kirari’s reasoning, she took off her cloak and wrapped it around Kirari’s form, leaving her in the black shirt and leggings she wore underneath. It probably wouldn’t do much, but it would be better than the eye catching dress. It was just in time, too. Sayaka spotted the ghastly specter that had been following the president around all day. Its one eye searched the room carefully. She hadn’t spotted them yet.
Slowly, as to not draw attention to them, Sayaka pushed the president against the wall. Her back was covered while Sayaka concealed her front. Her hands came up to fix the hood, making sure the president’s face wouldn’t be seen.
If it wasn’t for the fear paralyzing her body, Sayaka was sure she would have been trembling like the leaves outside. She could smell the president’s distinct perfume and her breath was warm against her cheek. Sayaka fought the urge to lean closer, rest her head on her shoulder, maybe even lay soft kisses on her neck if she was brave enough.
She was reminded of the reason they were in this position as the ghost passed. Sayaka felt the same chill that touched her shoulder. She tried not to shiver. It was like the winter wind, breezing past her back before fading. Cautiously looking over, Sayaka saw her moving away. She waited until it was out of sight before taking them through the nearest set of doors. As it closed gently behind them, Sayaka turned to the president, now getting a better look in the dimly lit hallway. She was probably imagining the hint of red in her cheeks.
“President—”
“How did you know?” Sayaka reeled back in surprise and confusion. “How did you know she was there?”
Of course the president noticed. She wasn’t exactly being subtle, especially during her gamble earlier that day.
Sayaka tried to come up with a response, a brief explanation for her behavior, but all she could come up with was, “M-Midari made me play a game and now I can see things other people can’t.” She got the feeling the president wanted a better answer, but they didn’t exactly have the time for it. “President, we need to do something.”
What would they do? What can she do? It didn’t help that Sayaka had no idea what kind of game they were playing.
The president tilted her head as she thought. Sayaka shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her eyes darting incessantly to the door. She could feel the tension in her muscles. Her blood rushed with adrenaline. If the need arises, she is ready to run at a moment’s notice. She would drag the president if she had to.
“You can be my eyes.”
Sayaka looked away from the door. “W-What do you mean by that?”
“Well…”
Sayaka wished the president didn’t take so long.
“You can clearly see her at all times, unlike myself.” She took her time explaining like they had all the time in the world.
Sayaka mentally urged her to hurry up.
“You tell me when she’s close enough so I can end the game.”
Sayaka was sure her heart stopped. They had to let her get close in order to end the game. Wonderful. And all this time she was trying to keep the ghost away.
“Uh, how close—”
The door opened with a bang. It almost hit the secretary standing between the president and the room where the spirit was lurking.
“Yo! There you are, Sayaka!” Midari swayed in a drunken stupor. The liquid in her cup sloshed around before hitting the floor in a dripping mess. She observed the pair standing in the hallway. “Shit, did I interrupt something?”
Sayaka’s breathing shortened as she spotted the dead woman behind Midari. Her arm reached out as her spectral form moved around Midari and through the open door. She grabbed the president’s hand and started backing up at the same pace.
“Hehe, my bad. You two carry on making out or whatever.” Midari went back through the door.
When the wood closed with a resounding click, Sayaka’s hand tightened before she turned and made a mad dash away from the ghost. She wasn’t even thinking of where she was running, only that they needed to get away.
She was fast. Too fast. Kirari stumbled as Sayaka tugged at her arm. She tripped with every step. Her dress severely impeded her ability to walk, let alone run, and the cloak Sayaka had given her fell off her shoulders. Kirari glanced back when she could. It was a terrifying sight straight out of the movies. Dark hair covered a bloodied face as Daruma-san pursued them. They could hear her, too. They could hear her getting closer. Heavy, haggard breaths mixed with pained groans. If she fell now, the game would be over. She would lose.
Sayaka was too desperate to let that happen.
Kirari wretched her arm out of Sayaka’s strong grip and with one glance over her shoulder, she voiced her command. “Tomare!”
Daruma-san stopped instantly.
Sayaka didn’t even try to process what just happened before she grabbed Kirari and the two of them disappeared around a corner and into the courtyard for the time being.
With the immediate threat gone, Sayaka’s legs were on the verge of collapsing. She bent over, hands on her knees, taking in mouthfuls of air. Kirari didn’t bother hiding her exhaustion. She sat on the ledge of a fountain, eyes closed, face tilted to the sky, as the cool night air dried the perspiration on her forehead and neck. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath.
Sayaka didn’t sit despite the burn she felt in her thighs. She kept a lookout, not sure when or where their ghost would appear next. She didn’t let the president distract her from her vigilance.
“President, how does the game end?” Sayaka paused between each word as she panted.
Kirari’s head lolled back down as she scrutinized her secretary. “It ends three ways. Either she catches me or I have to say a command while looking at her over my shoulder. If neither happens before midnight, the game ends in a draw.”
Sayaka felt hope bubble up within her. If they could just avoid getting caught for the next couple hours—
“If it does end in a draw, she can enter my dreams.”
Sayaka let out a high pitched whine at that little piece of information.
There was no way out of this. Sayaka would really have to let her get close.
She turned her head. There was no sign of her. The only movement she could see was the swaying of branches and leaves flying as another gust of wind passed through. It wouldn’t do them any good to lower their guard. Goosebumps rose on her skin, but it wasn’t from the chilling breeze. They were being watched.
From what Sayaka had examined earlier, this being only came from behind. It was a typical ambush. Attack from the prey’s blindspot. The prey was the president.
Sayaka’s attention shot to the president, daintily sitting without a care in the world. Behind her was a woman walking through the fountain reaching, coming closer. Her very being was drenched, much like the way she died. Sayaka swallowed her warning cry. Against her every will, she waited until she was just about to reach the president. Gangly fingers brushed ivory strands.
“President, behind you!”
Daruma-san froze as blue eyes caught her in her gaze.
Kirari didn’t hesitate before swinging her arm down. “Kitta!”
For a moment, a silence filled the space between the three of them. Not even the wind made an appearance. The stillness lasted for an eternity. Slowly, ever so slowly, Daruma-san backed away, her arm coming to a rest at her side. She faded. The water that clung to her fell back into the fountain.
Sayaka released the breath she had been holding. “President…”
Her energy seemed to disappear just as quick. Sayaka’s knees wobbled as she walked over to the president. She collapsed next to her on the fountain’s edge. An arm came around her and pulled her in. She didn’t fight it. Sayaka rested her head on the president’s shoulder as soft kisses were planted on her hairline. She was too tired to be embarrassed. Instead, she smiled. She could worry about this moment tomorrow.
***
Before, Sayaka would find comfort in the shadows of the night. After the sun sets, golden rays long disappeared below the horizon, she’d be awake. She would often study deep into the night and wake before the sun made a reappearance the next morning. It was during the night when she felt truly at peace. The world was asleep. All of its inconsistencies and unsolved variables of life were absent under the inky black sky. During the night, it was only Sayaka and her books and the thoughts of snow white hair and eyes of the ocean she allowed to run rampant in her head.
This night was no different.
Sayaka came out of the bathroom, face washed and ready for bed. She bit her lip as a smile refused to be kept off her face. As she climbed under the covers, her hand came up to her lips. It was right where the president—no, Kirari—gave her an award for saving her.
Sayaka flipped over and buried her face into the soft pillow under her head. A muffled scream filled the room as she thought back to their kiss.
It took her some time to fall asleep. Her mind was constantly triggered by the memory but eventually her eyes closed as she succumbed to the warmth of her blankets. Even in her dreams, Sayaka couldn’t escape the memory of their first kiss.
They sat at the edge of the fountain. Kirari cupped Sayaka’s face between her hands. Kirari’s hair was mused, no doubt from their frantic sprint. She was sure she didn’t look much different. Sayaka giggled at the sight.
Kirari smiled in response. A soft “thank you” left blue lips before they landed on her own black painted ones. For that moment, Sayaka forgot how to breathe. It was probably far from perfect, but after a day of worry and stressful situations, it was everything they could ever need.
They pulled apart. Sayaka breathed a shuddering sigh.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a pale face staring at them from behind Kirari. The utter bliss turned into dread. The temperature dropped all around her and she sat frozen for the longest time. Sayaka was defenseless against the attack.
She was pushed into the fountain and as her limbs flailed and the water filled her lungs, she could only see that bloody eye socket and tangled hair. Her own waterlogged scream filled her ears.
Sayaka shot up, gasping. Her lungs seemed to burn, an aftereffect of her nightmare. She calmed her heart with steadying breaths. The clock on her nightstand read 3:03. Sayaka happened to look into the open door to her bathroom. She froze at the sight of a feminine silhouette standing in her bathroom, watching, waiting.
It was game over for her.