Chapter Text
────୨ৎ────
Mafuyu Asahina lost her mother when she was 6, it was the worst day of her life. The day that started this whole mess. The two were just going out to buy a candied apple when a shadowy looking man pushed her mother in front of a passing car.
The news wrote it off as a freak accident, a woman accidentally tripping and falling onto the road and a distracted driver having a slow reaction time. Mafuyu knew that wasn't the case—
It was the work of a yokai.
Yokai were supernatural creatures, demons, ghosts, monsters. Some were described as good, but she'd only ever see them as monsters. Created with the purpose of deceit and spreading misery.
She saw these creatures her whole life, in her house, school, the corner store, everywhere.
They always had a distinct look from humans, a mask, an aura, battered clothing, battered faces. To her hey always looked so—dead.
But not this one.
Her day started out like any other in this loop, get up, get dressed, get ready for school, meet her friends, listen to them banter, go to class and survive it. That's what she did every day for the last year, it was the same at her old school too.
Somehow no matter where you are most things you wish would change don't.
She stared out the class window as she ate lunch, trying to ignore the creepily happy guy just standing there right outside the classroom. She would've confused him for a regular class man if it weren't for the fact he didn't approach her and every student passing seemed to not spot him.
'does he know I can see him?'
She glanced over at him then around the empty class, it wasn't odd for some students to walk by and stare at her while eating but to just stand there? That was odd, did she exude to many negative thoughts or something? Did that thing somehow sense it and make its way into the school?
She looked back down at her food pretending it didn't exist. If she couldn't see him, he couldn't see her. That rule always worked for yokai. If they thought you couldn't see them they'd get bored and go away—
Most of the time.
"Can you see me?"
A guy's voice rang out from behind her, she almost choked on her food and the sudden attention but refused to look back at him.
"Let me rephrase that, I know you can see me."
He sat in the desk in front of hers, resting his head on his hand and staring at her with that same smile.
Weirdo.
She looked up at him, slowly setting down her chopsticks.
"Fine, I can see you." She spoke cautious but calm. If she let this creature out of her view who knows what it could do.
"The quiet girl finally speaks" he teased, figures drumming idly against the fake wood of the desk. She always hated that noise.
And what a brat it is. Did this thing really just imply she was mute or something? So what if she didn't speak often, maybe it would too if saying something wrong could result in some mysterious death creature killing you.
"How did you know I could see you?"
"Well it's quite easy to tell when you were giving me a death glare." He tilted his head staring straight at her face.
Was she glaring? It wouldn't be surprising considering she absolutely despised things like that.
"Maybe because you're a yokai, a demon? Who wouldn't glare at you."
"How discriminatory, we yokai have feelings too you know~" he goaded.
She was already getting sick of this damn thing. His cat like smirk pissing her off more than it needed too.
"What do you even want." She put her hands on her lap to hide how she was almost stabbing her nails into her skin.
"Well to put it simply—I need your help."
His smile disappeared, and his tone became serious.
"Help me find my killer."
Help find it's killer?! Why would she do that?? Help the very thing she hates find out who killed it, wait—humans can become yokai?
She probably looked absolutely baffled at his request before thinking it over, if humans could become yokai does that mean her mother might have become one? Cursed to walk the streets of Japan with no goal and a thirst for killing? She didn't want that, but if this Yokai was telling the truth..
"Alright, I'll help you. Just answer a few of my questions first."
"Ask away, dear" his teasing returned along with that god awful smirk.
She almost gagged at the pet name.
"Don't call me that. First, what's your name?"
"Kamishiro Rui, have you heard of me? I mean, I was quite popular." He tilted his head.
"No. I'm an exchange student. When did you die even? Was it recently?" She crossed her arms on the desk staring straight into his eyes now.
"Four years ago, my freshman year. I'd be a senior now.." looking down at the desk he let a sad smile appear, reminiscing.
"I'm guessing all your friends moved on?"
"I don't know what happened to them, I barely remember them at all if I'm being honest.. I've forgotten my whole life as a living being."
"So that means you have zero leads on who killed you?"
"Correct."
Oh great—working with this guy was going to be harder than anticipated. He didn't remember ANYTHING, so the case needed to start from scratch rather than with any actual evidence.
"Alright then" she sighed "Putting that aside, how can a human become a yokai? I'm sure it's not as simple as just dying."
"Well— that's complicated. I can't really answer that~" he shrugged and that smug smile appeared again.
"How about this, once you help me figure out this murder that'll be your reward?"
That was a horrible deal, but if she wanted to know and figure out if her mother could've possibly become one—she had to entertain this Yokai a bit longer.
"Ok fine."
The lunch bell rang signaling the end of her 'peace and quiet' in the class which would soon fill up with students. She looked back where Rui was sitting, he was gone. Guess the guy wasn't a social person.
Other students soon started filling the class again, friends mumbling and conversing with each other as they walked to their seats. She watched them with a blank face before turning back to the teacher as the class started.
During the class she occasionally glanced out the window, letting her thoughts wonder back to the conversation. Being able to turn a human into a yokai—Was it really possible? It had to be, it didn't sound completely impossible after all.
But knowing yokais, they always lie.
After school, she stayed back in the library to help sort books. It was relaxing for her just to sort and let her mind wonder especially with music drowning out the oh to loud students in the library. She neatly placed books in one of the shelves when she her headphone was moved and someone was talking in her ear.
"Fufu~ you're still at school?"
She almost turned back to punch him but held back, knowing she'd just look crazy for punching 'air'. No one else could see him after all.
"Kamishiro, I don't need you talking to me in public."
"I'm just checking in on you, you know it's not safe in this school, especially after hours. I'm proof of that."
She gave him a slight glare over her shoulder, seeing his smug smile made her roll her eyes.
"I'll leave then. Just thought I'd be helpful around here." She sighed, sitting the remaining books on the shelf before standing and grabbing her bag, preparing to head out. "Plus I'll be able to get away from you."
Surprisingly, Rui just watched her. Smile still plastered on his face, creepy as ever, but he watched like he was waiting for her to leave. She didn't question and just walked out, anything to get away from that stupid yokai.
Rui's smile faded as she left, before he turned back to the books.
"Why do yokai like you always pray on innocent people?"
He heard the laughter behind him before a male voice spoke up "I knew the girl at one point, just checking on her. She's friends with my sister."
"Somehow you check up on every girl here." He turned back to look at the ginger haired man.
"Akito, why are you really here?"
Mafuyu set her bag down near her desk and opened her computer, seeing the rest of Niigo online she joined their call.
"Someone finally joined the call!"
"Enanan, She probably came home late like usual~" Mizuki chimed in before Ena could start, the bantering already starting—err continuing, they were probably arguing way before she joined.
"Still! How are we supposed to know if something happens! This is why I tell her not to stay after school."
"So overprotective, you're not her mother. Let her do whatever—"
"Mizuki."
"My bad fuyu!" She held her hands up.
Mafuyu sighed at the squabbling which soon tired up, the more she heard from them the more she'd wish to stick both of their heads underwater and just leave them there. Or just let herself jump into water and never come up instead. She couldn't choose. Whichever cured her headache quicker.
"Ena, are you alright? I know you've been really worried about others ever since Akito's disappearence so if you need to talk—"
"Shut up Mafuyu."
Ena has left the call.
"Well—" Mizuki broke the silence. "How was everyone's day?"
"Has K talked today?"
"Nah, she's been no go ever since last night. Probably passed out or something."
Hm, not unlikely but unlike Kanade to just disappear for a day with no warnings.
"Ya know, I wish Ena actually talked with us more. I mean, ever since her brother disappeared she's been distancing herself. It's getting worrying."
"I agree. I get she might still be recovering from it but—" she stopped talking not really knowing what to say, she wasn't good with comforting or reassuring people.
"I'll—"
She was interrupted by someone opening her door and quickly closed her computer.
"Mafuyu, are you on a call? I thought I told you to do your homework and got to bed, it's already late."
She turned back towards her father and nodded "I am dad don't worry, I was just finishing up my work."
"It sounded like you were talking—"
"I wasn't."
Her father gave her a skeptical look before stepping back to close the door "then sleep well honey, good night."
"Good night, dad." She watched him close the door then turned back to her computer. She quickly typed a message to both Mizuki and Kande before getting ready for bed.
She sat down on her bed looking over the few texts Mizuki replied with before setting her phone down. She started thinking back at the day hoping that Kamishiro guy would show up at school tomorrow just to learn more, but knowing spirits they'd always be there.
She put her glasses on the nightstand and laid back, looking down at her rabbit plush and rubbing one of it's ears, the fur slightly dusty from sitting around. It was what her mother made in the hospital while having her, well– after having her. Her mother had always said she put her soul into it and as a kid she honestly believed it, maybe she still does. She wasn't sure, she was never sure about anything. That's how her dad got into arguments with her after all.
A soft sigh escaped her mouth and she placed the plush next to her pillow, keeping one hand over it.
"Goodnight mom.."
────୨ৎ────