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“Hey, look at that. You actually showed up. I was starting to think you found a better partner,” I said when Shion finally got to the school.
I looked up at her. She looked upset about something. And it looks like she was crying. She looks down at my injured leg.
“I know….ruins the look, doesn’t it? A bit of a clumsy move on my part,” I say trying to act nonchalant, though it hurts like hell.
“Hey….Where’s Mika?” I ask.
Shion pauses for a second before shaking her head. Oh.
“I see,” I say, trying to not sound too upset.
We’re still on a mission. I can’t let my emotions get in the way. I can grieve later. But poor Mika, she was so young. Only twenty-two. I wonder what happened to her.
Shion leaves to go find something that can open the school gate.
While she’s gone, I think of one of the last things Mika said to me. Her promise to haunt me first if something happens to her. I hope she keeps that promise. I deserve it. I’m the one who suggested splitting up. I think she’s already haunting me.
Shion returns a few minutes later with bolt cutters.
She cuts the chains off the gate and pushes the gate open. She helps me get up and we make our way inside.
Once inside, I sit down on the floor and Shion goes to find some bandages for my leg.
I look down at my hands. Guilt swirls up inside me. I can’t help but blame myself for Mika’s death. If I never suggested splitting up then maybe she’d still be here right now.
“Damn it,” I mutter.
I was supposed to protect my comrades, and now Mika is dead. She was so innocent and cheerful. She didn’t deserve to die. And now I’m going to be a burden to Shion. I’m useless now.
Shion then comes back with some bandages.
She crouches down in front of me and starts wrapping the bandage around my leg.
“You’ve got a steady hand, Shion. Guess this is where I retire, huh? Opening a flower shop sounds better than this,” I say casually, trying to hide how guilty I feel inside right now. I don’t want Shion to worry about me.
I stand up and follow Shion.
“We should investigate this yokai further,” Shion says, “The school might be locked down because of her.”
“Of course,” I remark.
“It resisted IJO bullets,” Shion murmured, “If it can resist them, we have to let IJO know. This one is different.”
We climb up to the second floor. I trail behind her, my leg slowing me down. I can tell she’s going slow too so I can keep up with her. Great, another way I’m being a burden to her.
While walking, someone, or something, throws a rock through the window. Glass shatters everywhere across the hallway. The rock has a sticky note attached to it.
“You are going to die,” It reads. Well that’s just a wonderful thing to see.
We silently agree to ignore it and move on.
We find a bunch of notes scattered around the school as we walk around they all seem to be revolved about these kids bullying someone names Akari Mizuno.
Shion opens a locker in one of the classrooms and finds a diary. It belongs to Akari.
Shion reads through the diary. Basically, Akari’s parents died in an accident and ever since then, her classmates have been brutally bullying her. They say she stinks, pour stuff all over her desk, pushes her books out of her arms, they even went as far to say that her parents didn’t die in an accident and actually left her because of how crazy she was. Yeah, these kids are jerks.
Akari goes to a tunnel in the forest and starts speaking to it. The tunnel responds and promises to help her.
Then, A young girl in a school uniform suddenly appears behind Shion. She has short, dark, hair and her skin is grayish. This must be Akari.
Her face parts to reveal rows of sharp teeth inside her head. Oh no, it’s gonna kill Shion! I have to do something. I can’t let another one of my comrades die. I can’t fail anyone else. I sprint to Shion, even though my leg is screaming in pain, and push Akari away from Shion.
”SHION! RUN!” I scream.
Akari grabs my leg and she stands on the ceiling somehow. Then, she jumps out the window, taking me with her.
I guess this is it for me. Better me than Shion. Shion is still unharmed, she can complete the mission. And at least I wasn’t a complete burden for her. Even if it is gonna cost me my life. I managed to protect one of my friends.