Hi, guys! I'm so sorry for not updating for that long! I've been busy-

J: You mean, you've been lazy.

J! You expect my brain to sprout out ideas, even though I've been away for a five-day Outward Bound course?

J: Well, yeah.

I hate you. Taiyou, disclaimer!

Taiyou: NemesisGoddessOfRevenge does not own IE or any of its characters. They all belong to Level-5.

J: I hate you too~

Shut up, J! Please enjoy!

Ghost Ch.4

"Ghoooost!" The person screamed again.

Hefting his bullhorn, Coach strode towards the source of the scream. He led the shaking girl to the school office. "Stay in the changing room! Don't go anywhere else!" Coach instructed before turning away.

Kariya stared. "Now, what was all that about?!"

"I dunno," Tenma shrugged, his enthusiasm gone.

"Do you guys want to, like, check out the gym?" Tsurugi said suddenly, his curiosity overpowering his common sense.

"You heard what Coach said, right?" Kariya scratched his head nervously.

"I'm curious. Anyone wants to join me?" Tsurugi looked at Tenma.

"I'll go!" volunteered Tenma.

"Me too!" Taiyou said.

"Well, Kariya?" Tsurugi turned around to look at the tealnet.

Kariya scowled. "Fine, fine." He turned his head away. "The wonders of peer pressure."

"You were saying?" Tsurugi raised an eyebrow at the defender.

"Nothing. Let's get going." Kariya pushed open the changing room door.

Taiyou peeked out, making sure that nobody was watching them. "Come on! There's no one in the hallway."

Kariya shoved past Taiyou. Taiyou scowled, but then followed him.

When they reached the gym, Tsurugi felt a familiar feeling wash over him. What was this place? He felt like he had already been there, a long time ago.

Without hesitation, Kariya walked inside the gym. Tenma clutched at Taiyou's arm.

"It's scary in here!" Tenma whined.

"It's fine," Taiyou said.

"No, it's not." An icy female voice said angrily.

Tsurugi whipped around. Where had he heard that voice before?

Taiyou gulped. "Who are you?"

A nasty chuckle came out of the darkness. "Oh, I'm nobody. Just a random girl who died in the gym, damned here for all eternity!" Wisps of mist curled around the owner of the voice, forming the image of a teenage girl. Her lips were curled in a sneer, her features twisted with fury. She wore a long white dress, and she was floating an inch above the floor.

"Are you the ghost?" Kariya asked, his body trembling.

"Ghost? What about my proper name? Sayaka Yuki? No one remembers me anymore; even my dear loving family won't ever visit this gym to pay tribute to me!" The girl floated next to Kariya, menance radiating off her.

Kariya gave a squeak of terror, and hid behind Tsurugi. Tsurugi gritted his teeth. "Who were you in the past, before you died?" He called out. "I think I know you."

The ghost girl rounded on him, her eyes boring hotly into him. "You know me? What is your name?"

"Tsurugi. Tsurugi Kyousuke."

Yuki gasped, the color draining out of her already pale face. "Kyousuke? It really is you! I thought that you and Yuuchi had forgotten about me."

Taiyou frowned. "You know her?"

Tsurugi felt bemused. "I think so, but the memories of her are so fuzzy…" Suddenly, his head felt really painful. It was as if someone were squeezing his brain with metal clamps. Tsurugi clutched at his head, clawing at the empty air in front of him. "Stop! Stop, please! What are you doing?"

Yuki grimaced. "You have to remember me, in order to help me."

Tsurugi's vision tunneled. All he could hear were the shouts of his friends, calling for help, and the soft giggle of a little girl, buried in his memories somewhere….. A black cloud drifted over his thoughts, and he passed out.

When Tsurugi woke up, he didn't recognize his surroundings at first. Squinting hard, he saw that he was in a brightly lit place. "Where am I?" he murmured, feeling woozy.

"You're in the Inazuma High school gym, ten years ago!" said a cheerful voice.

Tsurugi stared at the girl next to him. "Yuki?" he asked incredulously.

"You've got that right." Yuki didn't resemble the horrible ghost girl in the gym, fuelled by years and years of hatred and resentment. Yuki was still in her long white dress, but there was a relaxed expression on her face.

"Why did you take me here?" Tsurugi looked around. They were sitting on a balcony that overlooked the football court below.

"So that we can relieve the moment of my death, and try to find out what happened." Yuki pointed across the balcony. "See, there we are!"

Tsurugi couldn't believe his eyes. A younger version of himself and his brother were chatting happily with each other, and a thin girl was next to them, listening and making small comments.

"What's going to happen next?" He tried.

"That's for me to know, and for you to guess." Yuki said, her mood sobering.

They sat there for a while, watching the match. One side was winning big time, while the other was struggling to catch up.

"Look. It's starting!" Yuki gestured to their younger selves.

Tsurugi could hear the conversation clearly from across the aisles. What exactly was going to happen next?

Cliffhanger! Please review, guys! Or else I'll get lazy again.

J: So, you finally admit that you're lazy!

Yes, I learnt that from you. Review, onegai~