Wednesday, April 12, 2021
Dojima Residence.
Nanako felt like a zombie that morning.
After that horrible nightmare last night, she had bolted from her bed and into the kitchen to gulp down a glass of water. The image of her teacher flailing into the deep abyss of the river frightened her and sent chills down her spine just thinking about it.
What the heck was happening?
As Nanako began to prepare herself breakfast, her thoughts drifted to the two gossiping girls she overheard yesterday. They said they both had scary dreams too. Actually, now that she thought about it, she's been having the strange dreams ever since she set foot in Inaba.
"...You don't think this town is...cursed is it?"
"Huh? Y-you don't really believe in that stuff do you?"
Is the town cursed? Nanako wasn't sure if she believed that either. Moreover, she had that even weirder dream of the 'Velvet Room' prior to coming to Inaba. Unbeknown to Nanako as she was thinking all this, she had let the slices of bread in the toaster turn into charcoal. Great, more burnt toast.
"Sheesh, is the toaster broken?" Dojima said.
Nanako looked up to see her father, already in his work attire. She smiled nervously and shook her head. "Huh? Oh, no, I just wasn't careful."
"Really now?" Dojima said with a raised eyebrow. "Huh...okay then." He shrugged and proceeded to prepare himself a cup of coffee. He then offered Nanako a cup and she nodded. The usual cream and sugar of course.
School Zone, Samegawa flood plain.
Why doesn't he ever see it coming?
Despite his excellent grades, Shiro Nakajima could have never predicted the awkward situation he found himself in. Could it be the stroke of bad luck? Probably. Because right now a dog was clinging onto his leg.
"Please," Shiro begged. "Just let me go-o-o..."
The dog, of Shikoku breed, refused, keeping its mouth tight on Shiro's pant leg. Despite its behaviour, it didn't seem to be hostile. Instead of growling, the dog whined and wagged its tail, as if playing with a chew toy. Which Shiro was most certainly not.
"Achoo!" Shiro yelped, almost toppling onto the cement but regained his balance. Why did it have to be a dog? Out of all the animals, it had to be a dog. Shiro dragged his foot again but the dog continued to stare at him happily. He just wanted to go to school, was that so hard?
Time for a new tactic. Shiro stopped walking, crossed his arms and scolded down at the dog. It still didn't seem to take a hint.
"In honesty, I admit that you're cute," Shiro huffed. "But this isn't going to work out mainly because-ACHOO!" Shiro sneezed again and promptly had to re-adjust his glasses. The dog tilted its head in response while still maintaining a hold of him.
"I'm allergic to you!" Shiro grumbled, waving his arms in the air. "In other words...you can't be near me! It's a medical condition!" The dog's tail wagged even faster and growled playfully. Seriously, when is this dog going to give up?
Abruptly, Nanako came into view and stopped short at the strange ordeal.
"Um Shiro? Do you need help?" she asked, worried.
Shiro turned his attention to her. "O-oh hey!" Shiro laughed nervously, hand reaching behind his head. "Ahaha, you can tell I'm in ah...predicament right now."
Nanako could tell his face was almost screaming 'help me'. She walked over to them and bent down to look at the dog. Yup, it was the same one from the Faculty Office yesterday. She instantly recognized its black and white fur. The dog's blue eyes seemed to have brighten upon seeing Nanako.
Nanako smiled at the dog and scratched behind his ears. He was like...a fluffy, little marshmallow. Or more like a s'more' to be accurate. Sigh. She always wanted to have a pet of her own.
"Hi there, little fella," Nanako cooed. "Where's your owner?"
The dog whimpered and finally opened his mouth to let Shiro go. In a big sigh of relief, the boy scooted away from the dog to recollect himself.
"Thanks...Nanako," Shiro sniffled. His eyes were still watered, as if he caught the flu. "I was just on my way to school when the dog just...just attacked me out of nowhere!"
"Arf!" The dog barked and rolled onto his back with pleading eyes. The dog was just too cute! Nanako rubbed the dog's belly and in that moment, she could tell he was in total bliss.
"I think he recognizes us from yesterday," Nanako said as she continued to pet the adorable animal. Shiro shrugged and pushed up his glasses. "It seems like it. But if we leave now, he'll just follow us."
"Maybe that's the point. I think he wants us to lead him to his owner."
Nanako remembered the girl with dark hair trying to bring her dog to school. She guessed that the dog didn't like the idea of being left alone and wanted to follow his owner. But what struck her as odd was the fact that the dog didn't have a collar or tag. So bringing him back home was out of the question.
Shiro sighed and probably came to the same conclusion. "It seems that's our only option then."
Nanako and Shiro walked together to school, the dog trotting happily behind them. Of course, the duo couldn't help but get strange looks from other students as they passed by. Suddenly, Shiro spoke up.
"Hey, I wanted to ask you this but," he began. "I think...I recognize you from somewhere. Do you think we met before?"
Nanako looked taken back by his question. She didn't want to be rude but...she hadn't recognized him at all. Perhaps it was along time ago? Or maybe his appearance changed? She took a moment to explain that she lived in Inaba all her life and had only lived in the city temporarily.
"Ah! That makes sense," Shiro said, lost in thought. "Maybe we had the same class once?"
As they approached their high school, the dog started to bark and scamper past them. Looks like he too noticed his owner standing by the school gate. The girl with long twintails was on her cellphone and perked up when she saw the Shikoku dashing towards her. Shiro and Nanako followed in suite.
"Michio!" The girl gasped.
The dog greeted the girl happily, tail wagging and tongue sticking out. The girl, noticing Shiro, tilted her head and said, "Heyyyy, Shiro, I didn't know you were friends with Michio too."
"Friends?" Shiro asked out loud. Nanako also wondered what the girl meant by 'friends'. Wasn't this her dog? The girl nodded.
"Oh! Michio isn't mine," she explained. "I just let him snooze on my porch!"
"Then who does he belong to?" Shiro inquired.
"This sweet old guy who lives near the shrine," she answered. "He owns like...like a thousand dogs!"
"A-a thousand!?" Shiro exclaimed and looked as if he was about to faint at the prospect. "Well…I can see his likeability," he admitted, although still hesitant around Michio. Nanako and the girl laughed. When the girl turned to Nanako, her amber eyes brightened.
"You're in my homeroom too, right?" she said. "I'm Kimi, by the way. Kimi Chou."
After Nanako introduced herself and the two girls shook hands, Kimi explained that she was a transfer student too, just about a year ago.
"And I really like your outfit! It's like you put your own elegance to the uniform," Kimi complimented with a smile.
Nanako looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a pink collared jacket over the regular Yasogami uniform.
"Oh, well, I wouldn't necessarily call it elegance but thanks," Nanako smiled and complimented on Kimi's choice of yellow-polka dot stockings to match the ribbon tied in front.
"I'm just gonna excuse myself now," Shiro said, looking bored from their conversation. He hurried off and Nanako figured he was probably thankful to be away from the dog. Speaking of the dog…
Michio started to growl angrily at the sight of a school administrator standing not too far away from them. Kimi's eyes widened and she crouched down to match Michio's line of sight.
"I'm sorry, you can't come to school with us," Kimi said in a rush. "You're gonna get me in trouble again."
Michio's ears folded back and whimpered. Kimi gave the dog a firm pat on the head before urging him to leave again. Reluctantly, the dog crouched by the gate and laid there, unmoving. Kimi stood back up and glanced at Nanako, who only shrugged.
Suddenly, the school bell rang and the two hurried towards the school entrance.
Yasogami High, room 2-2.
Lunch time had came around and the students of classroom 2-2 began conversing with each other. Nanako sat at her desk feeling quite a bit uneasy. Ms. Yoshiki hadn't come to class that morning and so an administrator had to monitor the class for the first hour. She only hoped everything was okay.
Suddenly, Kimi took a chair and plopped herself next her desk.
"It's kinda weird that our teacher didn't show up on the second day of school," Kimi began as she unwrapped her sandwich. It was peanut butter and jelly. "You think she...caught it?"
Caught it? As in something like a disease? Nanako asked what she meant.
"You mean you don't know?!" Kimi blurted but then shook her head. "Oh, that's right. You just got here, sorry."
Kimi leaned forward, her voice low. "Wellll...nobody knows what it is yet but there's like...an epidemic going around town. Of bad dreams."
She took a bite out of her sandwich. "I haven't had anything like it but I heard rumors. People say they have the same nightmare every night and lose lots of sleep."
She crossed her arms and leaned back, half-eaten sandwich still in hand. "But from the worst of what I heard is that some people get trapped sleeping and don't wake up. Ever." Kimi shivered at the prospect.
"So, you think that's what happened with Ms. Yoshiki, then?"
Kimi shrugged, finishing her sandwich. "That or she disappeared like that Takahashi girl."
"Oh...what happened with her?" Nanako asked. She remembered the girl from the news report yesterday. Apparently, she's been missing for five days now.
"I'm not sure if it's just rumor because it sounds even freakier buttt...some say she vanished. Like, in the middle of the fog one night."
Vanish? In the fog? Nanako had no idea how mysterious Inaba had become lately.
Of course, it could be a coincidence, right? Maybe Ms. Yoshiki was just feeling under the weather. And what she saw last night...it was only a dream, right? At least that's what Nanako kept telling herself.
Nanako didn't know how much to share with Kimi but decided to tell her what she dreamed last night. Throughout her story, Kimi listened intently.
"Whoaaa, freaky!" Kimi reacted when Nanako was done. "Our teacher, falling off a bridge? I wonder if that means anything."
Does it really mean anything? Nanako could only hope it didn't.
Amagi Inn, Kitchen.
Left and right, up and down, there's always activity in the Amagi Inn. Room attendees walked through the halls with trays of fine china. Waitresses zoom in and out of the kitchen with steaming meals of Amagi specialties. Guests, clad in yukatas, relaxed in the lounge or were preparing to dip in their infamous hot spring. Yes, this was a typical day for the manager and namesake, Yukiko Amagi.
"Hm, this will need a little more salt," Yukiko said as she took a teaspoon of soup from the pot. The chef nodded and drizzled a bit of seasoning, giving it a good stir. Once he tasted it, a look of 'aha!' spread across his face.
"Ah! That's just what it needed. You have a keen sense for taste, Ms. Amagi," the chef said with amaze. Yukiko smiled at the compliment.
"It just came with practice," Yukiko said. After the chef thanked her, Yukiko headed out of the busily kitchen for a breather.
This year was especially important for Yukiko. In just a few days, the Inn will be adding a communal dining era with exquisite specialties by she herself. All her years of hard work will finally pay off.
Yukiko couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She remembered how she was a terrible cook back then. She always miscalculated the seasoning and couldn't even chop vegetables right! Oh, and then there was that Mystery Food X from her high school camping trip.
"Snrk," Yukiko giggled. Mystery Food X. Perhaps she should add that to the new menu. With refinement of course.
"Amagi-san!"
Yukiko saw a room attendee rush to her.
"Is everything alright?" She asked gently. The young girl shook her head with an expression of worry.
"We have another…the man staying on the second floor," the girl trembled.
Yukiko sighed deeply. "Call the paramedics immediately."
The girl nodded and rushed past her. Yukiko straightened her red kimono before making her way up to the second floor. Once she reached atop the stairs, a crowd of visitors could be seen in front of one of the rooms and whispering among each other.
"Hello everyone," Yukiko said with a quick bow. "I am terribly sorry for the current situation. But if you please, step aside so that this man can get medical help straight away."
Reluctantly, the frightened visitors dispersed and Yukiko reached the doorway, where room attendees were aiding a man asleep on the floor mat. They were pressing a cold towel on his forehead. This has been the third case in the inn this week and Yukiko was starting to worry.
She didn't know how to comprehend it but somehow, some guests wouldn't wake from their sleep. It would start with failed check-ins for breakfast, then refusing to open a room for an attendee until finally, a family member or someone on staff would report to front desk. Because of such incidents, TV reporters would surround her with questions everywhere she went.
And it hasn't been just at the inn either. Apparently, there are more growing reports by the day. It really was quite strange and she felt worried for her town. Whatever it was, she can only hope that someone will find the answer soon.
Yomenaido Bookstore, Shopping District.
To keep her mind off of things, Nanako agreed to go with Kimi to the bookstore after school.
"I'm not a book person," Kimi said as they entered the store. "But they have a really, really, cool collection of mangas!"
The girls stopped at the manga section and scanned through an entire row of visual novels, all neatly organized in alphabetical order. Nanako hadn't read mangas in a while but she still managed to watch anime every now and then. Of course, she didn't admit to anyone that she would re-watch episodes of Magical Detective Loveline, her favorite series as a kid. She's not a big fan of the current reboot though.
"Oh! Check this out, this is my favorite series," Kimi said excitedly as she pulled out one of the titles. The front cover had a smiling girl in the embrace of a boy with distinct white hair and ears. The style looked of the shojo genre and a bit old-fashioned. The title read Kamisama Kiss.
"It's an amazing story of a girl falling in love in with a supernatural spirit," Kimi said as she flipped through the pages. "Yeah, it's the typical forbidden love stuff. I eat that up, okay?" She laughed embarrassingly.
As the girls continued to browse the section, the sound of a bell rung at the front entrance. Suddenly, Nanako felt her arm being yanked and then found herself crouching behind the shelf with Kimi.
"Ow!" Nanako hissed under her breath. Kimi had a tight grip.
"Shh! Look who just came in!" She whispered.
The girls peeked through the books to see none other than their classmate, Graham. His hands were stuffed in his pant pockets as he walked on over to the front desk. He started to have an indistinguishable conversation with the cashier.
"Look at him. The spitting image of an angelic god," Kimi swooned. "Holy smokes, wouldn't any girl be lucky to go on a date with the guy."
Nanako turned her attention back to the boy. Well, she wasn't going to deny that he was good looking. Although 'angelic god' was a bit of an extreme description.
"I wonder what he's doing here," Kimi said. "It's rare to see him out in town-oh! Actually!" Kimi perked up with an idea and rummaged through her bag for her cellphone. She then snapped a photo of him.
"What's that for?" Nanako asked in a low voice.
"For Bumblr! The fangirls are gonna scream over this," Kimi said as she captioned the picture. Nanako was amazed at how fast her fingers flew across the keyboard. She couldn't quite understand why anyone would care to see a photo of their classmate though, even if he was popular.
Kimi yanked her arm again.
"He's coming this way!" Kimi warned and immediately the girls stood up. As the boy walked up to them, Nanako noticed a couple of books under his arm. They seem to be about Japanese culture. Kimi gave a nervous wave.
"Oh, hey," Graham said with a look of surprise. "Wait a minute, where you two there the whole time?"
"Pshhh, no!" Kimi said, trying to look offended. Nanako bit her lip. From where they were standing, they were far from the entrance. Surely he would have saw them if they had just walked in. She wasn't sure if Graham noticed this but he shrugged anyway. He then looked over to Nanako and said, "Nanako right? You were with Shiro yesterday."
"Um, yeah I was," Nanako said.
Graham crossed his arms and looked hesitant for a moment. "I might be wrong on this but I think the dude has a thing for you."
Nanako's face instantly heated up. "What? Why would you say that?" She heard Kimi burst into laughter, which resulted in the bookstore owner scolding at them with a resounded 'shhh!'.
"Shiro has a crush on everyyy girl he comes across, no surprise there." Kimi said.
Nanako stood completely clueless. She didn't knew Shiro that well so she wouldn't know if he acted strange around her or not. Still...she hoped something like that didn't fly over her head.
"Thanks for letting me know...I guess?" She said. Kimi nudged her lightly on the arm and teased, "Nah, you're out of that nerd's league anyway." Nanako blushed a deeper red and looked away in embarrassment.
Graham laughed. "Anyway, I gotta head down to the station. You ladies have a good night." He waved them goodbye before heading out of the store.
"Does he host a show or something?" Nanako asked in curiosity. She remembered all the crazy fangirls gawking over him the day before.
"Yep, a radio show called," Kimi slowly waved her hands in the air as if imitating a rainbow. "Graham."
How original, Nanako thought. Yet, she found it pretty impressive someone her age is radio host. Well, even more impressive that he's successful with a medium that's been dead for decades.
"He basically receives song requests and takes calls from listeners," Kimi explained and snorted, "Of course, most of them are high school girls like us. He likes to give advice and stuff. It's nice."
She informed her that the radio show starts at 7 pm and ends at midnight. Hmmm...maybe she'll tune in sometime to see what the fuss is all about. And maybe she'll call in to ask how to a get a good night's sleep around here.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Thank you for reading chapter 3! This one was particularly hard to write since I'm still getting accustomed to the new characters. I hope you guys are too (;^_^) Reviews are appreciated!
