Sorry this took so long. I got distracted with exams and overall laziness and writers block. Well this is the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Corpse Party. Aika is my own character

Warning: This is an M rated fic. Blood and gore is a thing

Warning: This fic is unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own.

Edit: Two days later I'm rereading it and I realized that I uploaded the wrong document... I ended up writing a slightly different ending but the original ending got posted instead... Not sure how it happened but here it is.

Sometimes you just got to take a step back from everything. You've got to let go of the stress as you take a deep breath.

My tears were dried onto my cheeks as we ran as fast as we could. I wasn't sure if the ghost was going to follow us but I didn't want to take the chance.

Even though we should be focused on getting out, we were exhausted. We needed to take a breather to make sure we weren't going insane from the darkness of the school.

I don't think we made it far. I was already weak and tired from all the running around we did and dragging a wheezing Shimada-senpai behind wasn't easy.

When you decide to stop and smell the roses, you tend to learn different things about them – whether it's the softness of their petals, or the gentle secrets they whisper in your ears.

We eventually collapsed into wheezing piles of mess. Shimada-senpai was using the wall to support himself while I doubled over on my knees, my legs wobbling dangerously. He saw me struggle and offered a hand of support. I took it gratefully as he gently pulled me into his arms. Suddenly I found myself being dragged to the floor as he slid down the wall.

We stayed panting on the floor as I struggled to remember where we were so we didn't get lost. After running from the spirit, we turned down the hall away from the basement, considering it was a dead end. We haven't come across the main entrance yet, so we were still in the hall that connected the front of the school with the back.

I felt Shimada-senpai rub gently circles into my back as I allowed myself to slump into him. He didn't seem to mind; he shifted beneath me to get more comfortable. He felt warm compared to my still damp body – my shirt and skirt have yet to dry. I felt safe in his strong embrace; safer from the spirits than any protection spell could. I buried my head into his chest, sighing deeply as I breathed in his scent; his cologne seemed to be wearing off, being replaced with the smell of sweat but it didn't really bother me. At least he didn't smell like blood.

Speaking of which, I looked down at my hands, finding them still coated in the crimson liquid. My front and skirt was also covered too; I couldn't help but shiver in disgust. Seeing I had nothing left to lose, I wiped my hands in my shirt, drying to rid them of the girl's blood. It didn't come off very well, but at least most of it was gone. I could still feel her flesh caked under my fingertips.

Senpai must have noticed my discomfort as he grunted to me, "You alright…?"

"Huh…? Shouldn't I be asking you that…?"

I felt his sigh then shrug. I heard something thump against the wall, realizing it was his head resting against the wall. He looked down at me through half-lidded eyes.

"I guess… But stop avoiding the question. You were the one who had to dig through a dead body to read some stupid note…"

He had a point. It wasn't every day that you were told to dig through the body of a malevolent spirit while they had your friend held captive. I could still hear the maggots in my ears, crawling in the flesh as they helped decompose it. I could still smell the rot in my nose as I desperately tore into her. I could see her dead eye just watch me as I ripped open her guts like a monster just to read what she swallowed.

"I'm fine…" I lied softly.

He knew I was lying but was too tried to call me out on it. What else was I supposed to say? It wouldn't make the situation any easier if I told the truth and said I wasn't. It was just as well as to lie and move on than to try and work out how to make one feel better with bittersweet lies.

"What about you? How's your throat?"

He grimaced, rubbing his free hand on his neck. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed before he answered, "Sore, but I'll live."

The silence enveloped us like a blanket as we sat there, trying to conserve our energy. Now that we had water in us, the main task for us now was to find a way out… if there was one. I tried not to let the idea of there not being a way out of this hell consume me; things like that will make you go insane.

I listened closely as thunder rumbled above us. I couldn't hear the raindrops hit off the school but I could only assume it was still raining. A part of me still wanted to go back out and explore the second wing of the school but I didn't want to have another run in with Ryou-kun, or anything else potentially dangerous.

Shimada-senpai shifted beneath me. He propped himself properly against the wall as he sat up, dragging me with him. He sat me properly in his lap with a groan; I could feel the air that escape him on my neck. He didn't say a word when he gently pushed me forward, his hands finding their way into my ponytail. He took my wet locks out of the band, allowing it to fall free against my back again.

"So… Now what…?" he murmured softly into my ear.

I shrugged; I wasn't sure what to say anymore. There was so many topics we could have discussions on but what would be the point? Our words would be pointless sounds in the void of the school. I suppose that it would help us from going insane from the vacuum of the school but…

I felt his large hands start to detangle my hair. He didn't pull hard as he unknotted it; his fingers were deft and practiced as he worked it out. It felt nice as he gently massaged my head as he did; he helped me release any negative thoughts from my mind as I relaxed into his touch. I could feel him grab strands of my hair, twisting them together as he began to braid.

"We could… just talk, I guess."

I heard him grunt, "About?"

"Random things, I suppose."

I heard him hum, then we fell into silence again. I wracked my brain for anything we could talk about; conversations starters like "how's the weather" were pretty much useless as we both knew what the weather was out like now.

"You know, you sort of blew up back there…" Shimada-senpai said into the air with a touch of a smirk.

I felt my body freeze at his words. I wanted to forget about the encounter we just had; I never lost my temper before with a ghost. It was new territory for me – I was always patient when it came to the afterlife. Something about that girl though – perhaps the fact that Senpai's life on the line – made me lost my cool.

"Uh yeah… I guess I did…" I reinforced, unsure where to go with it.

I felt him shrug, "It's weird to hear you curse… it's almost hot."

He pulled gently on my head as he continued to braid my hair slowly. I was glad he couldn't see the face I made at his words; hot? Why did cursing make me physically attractive? Was that why Senpai always cursed? To seem more attractive to people?

"Though… I don't think it really suits you; oh by the way, French, fish or regular?"

He caught me off guard again. The way he was able to switch between topics so rapidly and dismissively struck me… that and I had no idea what he was talking about.

"What? French? Fish?" He wasn't talking about food, was he?

"Braids, Kouhai. What type of braid do you want? I'm just randomly playing with your hair," he sighed, running his fingers through his work, detangling it.

"Oh um… I… really don't care…"

I heard no sounds from him so I assumed he pursed his lips in annoyance. I felt him comb out my hair once more before he went back to work.

"So…" I called into the air. I wanted to ask him about his skill with hair, but I wasn't sure how to word it. He allowed me silence so I could piece together a proper sentence. "You're… pretty good at braiding hair…"

I heard him scoff, "Well I'd hope so. I do want to become a hairstylist after all."

"You weren't kidding about that…"

"You thought I was?"

"Uh… No not really… I just never really thought you'd be good at handling hair."

He paused for a second as he tugged a knot from my hair. "Well, you know… You don't really choose a profession without really knowing how to do it before hand, I guess."

I nod, which earned a scowl from the model. I don't know why I was so shocked; I was good at communicating with ghosts, especially since I wanted to become an international paranormalist.

"How… did you become so good at it?"

"What, braiding?"

"Well, that… and everything else with hair. Styling, stuff like that."

I wasn't expecting a straight answer. Shimada-senpai seemed to be a reserved despite his rambunctious lifestyle. Whenever I asked him something too personal before, he'd blow me off.

Needless to say, I was shocked when he responded, "I learned it from my Mom."

I didn't have long to process this. If I hesitated too long he'd take my silence wrongly and close back up again. I had to be swift if I wanted to keep this connection going.

"She taught you?" It was a simple question to his response. It shouldn't warrant too much of a retreat.

"Yeah… She's an American actress who married my dad. She used to teach me how to do her hair for outings instead of getting a hairdresser to do it – she always hated hairdressers… I sort of just picked up with skill overtime."

I felt overcome with joy. I could hear the honesty in his words and it made me happy that he was opening up to me. My mind was running a mile a minute, thinking of other questions I could ask him before he closed his walls again.

"What about you? I guess the paranormal thing was always a thing."

I almost took the bait before I realized that he was turning tables on me. He was redirecting the conversation back to me which was weird; someone like Senpai loves talking about himself. Why would he change the topic back to me when he could talk about himself all the time?

"Why'd you do that?" my mouth asked before my brain could process.

"Do what?"

I sighed. I couldn't turn back now. If I said nothing then he'd get incredibly pissed at me so I decided to roll with it. I'd rather him just blow me off for this than to lie to him.

"You… changed the subject back to me."

"And… you're bothered by that?"

"Well… Sort of, I guess? I just find it odd…"

"Odd?"

"Yeah. Like whenever it gets too personal, you change the topic or change it back on me. Why do you do that?"

He fell silent as he worked his fingers through my hair. My heart was pounding in my chest as I waited for him to formulate his response. He seemed to be taken off-guard by my accusation, but I couldn't see his face to be sure of it.

"I… don't know. I guess it's just a thing I do to keep nosy people from getting to close."

I swallowed, hearing the malice in his voice. He suddenly sighed.

"When you're a guy like me, Kouhai, who dates every other person, you have to do things in order to protect yourself. How many of my girlfriends do you think actually met my parents? Let alone know anything too personal like who taught me to braid hair…"

His logic actually made a lot of sense. There was no way someone like him would have his heart on his sleeve for everyone to see. He'd learn tactics to keep himself safe while being subtle so no one would notice or question his antics. He seemed uncomfortable that I noticed, but I suppose that was understandable.

Then there was the fact I now knew more about him than his ex-girlfriends. That made me feel good; superior in a way. A part of me wanted to know if Kirisaki-senpai knew that side of him, or if she only saw the perverted narcissist he allowed everyone to see.

"Anyway, seriously. You and ghosts. How goes it?"

"How… goes it?"

"Yeah. Like, what's it like seeing ghosts on a regular basis? Do you see them at school?"

I found my voice caught in my throat. I shouldn't be too surprised – what else are we supposed to talk about in a haunted school besides ghosts?

"It's… different, I suppose. Like it's not too out of the norm for me to see them on a regular basis." I felt his hands run through the braid he made again, starting over once more. "As for seeing them in our school… not really. Ghosts rarely leave their area of haunting…"

He said nothing so I assumed he nodded or was contemplating my words.

"Guess you don't like hospitals then… having to see people die and turn into ghosts all the time would be fucking draining."

I felt ice cold at his words. While true I did stay away from hospitals as much as possible, I never really witnessed something such like he described… until earlier.

"Actually… Katayama-san was the first person I've ever watched…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

Shimada-senpai froze behind me. "Wait what? Really?"

"Yeah… Well, I tend to focus exclusively on the afterlife… Not the living who are dying."

"Why not? You could make a fortune helping superstitious people pass."

"I'm not in it to make money," I snapped defensively.

"Sorry," he dismissed.

"Besides, it's not like everyone needs help passing…"

"Not everyone turns into a ghost?" he inquired.

"Well… no. I don't know that, but some people are able to pass through this world and into the next without issue. It's just those with baggage that needs the counselling."

"Got it. You're really just a ghost councilor."

I gave an exasperated sigh, earning a chuckle from the redhead.

"So… Katayama-san… What happened when he…?"

Neither of us could say it. Neither of us could say that Katayama-senpai was dead. How could we, when just hours earlier he was alive and well. Perhaps he would still be alive if he never got dragged om here like the rest of us…

I suddenly felt forty years older. It was hard to watch, let alone talk about. The hardest thing about the event wasn't his actual death – it was Ohkawa-senpai's reaction. He was so adamant that his friend was going to be okay. He was ignorant to the fact that everything wasn't going to be fine because it was his best friend on the line. He was ignorant to the to the fact that his best friend was dying and died; he still argued with everything he had that he was alright.

Then Katayama-senpai just left. He drifted off without even a bat of an eye towards Ohkawa-senpai. He didn't even care that he was leaving his best friend alone with his rotting body, still doting over the chilling flesh. Katayama-senpai just floated off into the void without any regard for those he was leaving behind.

"He… just left. He didn't even glance in Ohkawa-san's direction." My description was brief but it did its job.

Senpai fell silent at my words; I guess he was trying to make sense of them. It was a weird thought; why would you leave your best friend all alone with your bloody corpse.

"This place is just so fucked up…"

He was breathless. Perhaps he was thinking my thoughts and couldn't make sense of any of it. Maybe he was thinking of something like that happening to him – dying then have no regard for those he was leaving behind. Perhaps he was thinking about how dark dying here must be if Katayama-senpai would just leave his friend all alone such as he did.

His fingers released my hair. I was almost disappointed until I felt his arms wrap around my body and pull me towards him. I fell back into his broad chest while his chin rested on the top of my head. I felt him exhale through his nose shakily as his thumb idly stroked my arm. I said nothing, allowing him to calm down.

He was clearly upset about the situation, but I didn't know what to say or do to make him feel better. I tore through my thoughts, looking for anything that could be a safe topic to start with. I almost gasped when I remembered something I had wanted to ask about. I stayed mute for moments longer, allowing him more time to gather himself before I grated him with questions again.

"Can… I ask you a question…?" I finally asked into the air.

"You just did," I felt him smirk into my hair.

I glared at the wall in front of me, silently wishing he could see my face so he could see I wasn't amused. I felt him fall against the wall, dragging me down with him.

He sighed heavily yet again. "Okay fine. What is it?"

"What's with the paper scrap in your name tag?"

"Paper scrap?" he repeated.

"Yeah… You seemed pretty stressed out about making sure you had it earlier…"

"Oh. That thing."

He fell quiet, and for a second, I thought he wasn't going to say anything about it. After a long period of silence that was accompanied with a metronome of thunder, he spoke again, "It's part of that stupid charm I did."

I was almost thrown for a loop, wondering what he meant by "stupid charm", when my brain supplied the answer.

"Believe it or not, I took part in the Sachiko Ever After charm with the others."

I had almost forgot about that exchange from the infirmary. It had been the first time Shimada-senpai opened up to me, but immediately backed away when he was running his mouth. I remembered picking up on it, but I wished I had done something about it then. I could've gotten him to open up sooner if I picked up on it.

"What does the charm even do?"

I was curious. To be fair, I never heard of the charm before. I suppose it's just some sort of passing fad that teenagers made in order to mess with their friends.

"Well, if you do it right, you stay friends with the other participants forever… hence why I wanted to laugh at them when it failed."

"What does the paper scrap have to do with it?"

"Oh… I don't really know. We had to grab this paper doll or something, do a strange chant so many times and pull the paper apart. You're supposed to keep your piece safe if you want the charm to work… I guess I just got caught up in the moment and freaked out when I couldn't find it. Like I said, I could care less about the charm."

He did it again. He dismissed his involvement in it again without a second thought. A part of me wanted to just take his word for it; his entire personality made it very believable that he didn't care, but there was a small strain in his voice. He sounded too gruff than he should have, appeared too reminiscent.

I let it slide. He dismissed it so obviously he didn't want to talk about it. It made me feel happy that I could deduce how he really felt; everyone else would've probably just went with it and ignore his words.

"So… Did it work?"

"Well how am I supposed to know? Urabe-san said that there were repercussions if we did it wrong but then we got dragged in here the minute after… I know I didn't do it wrong… So, I don't know if this is our fuckin' punishment or not. If it is, then that charm is not fuckin' worth it."

The idea of someone messing up the charm and sent in here sounded too cruel. Despite his claim, I couldn't help but wonder if Shimada-senpai had anything to do with it possibly failing as he wanted to see it fail to begin with. I didn't want to see bad of him, especially since he was my only companionship, but I couldn't shake the feeling.

"Who's to say we failed and this is our punishment anyway? I mean, you're here. Clearly you didn't fail some charm to get here. You don't even know how you got here."

I had to bite my tongue. I did know how I got here – my mother turned into a little girl ghost accompanied with a headless ghost and a little boy… who were strikingly familiar.

I ground my jaw when I realized I recognized Ryou-kun and Tohkiko-chan from my memory. They were there when I was dragged in against my will. I could only wonder if my mother – Yuki – was here was well. I hadn't seen her yet, but that doesn't mean she isn't here.

This new knowledge burned on my tongue as I fought the urge to tell Senpai. I calmed my rapid thoughts as I tried to bring them back to the conversation at hand – I'll just contemplate about the ghosts later.

"Maybe it was just a coincidence… I don't think something that a teenager made up would create such a mess…"

"Yeah… That's what I'm trying to convince myself… but apparently, this charm is "the real deal,"" he snorted, obviously mimicking someone when his voice went an octave higher than normal. "Well, that's what Urabe-san said anyway. Got it from some supernatural blog by some chick. What was her name again? Saenoko or something."

I knew almost instantly who he was talking about.

Saenoki Naho was a well-known paranormalist who was still in high school. Her blog was popular amongst people of all ages who had an interest in the supernatural, including myself. While I never met her, Saenoki-san was well respected in her field. It was said she had a gift for the paranormal, which made me wonder if she could see ghosts like myself. I never had the chance to ever ask her that myself as her blog went inactive after a final post about some charm she found.

I suppose if we ever did meet, we wouldn't really see eye to eye as our views of the paranormal were different; I was actively seeking to appease the spirits while she would rather study them for her research.

I thought back to the last thing she posted being the charm. It wasn't really my thing; I never had a need for charms. I haven't checked up on the blog in a while myself; I've been busy with assignments and my own investigations to really find the time.

It was a chilling thought that Saenoki-san posted the charm and mysteriously disappeared. It was more disturbing that the charm was found on a well-known paranormal blog which was ran by someone who was wise and well respected. The fact that it could be the reason Shimada-senpai and his friends, along with countless other victims, were stuck in here didn't settle well with me.

Saenoki-san wouldn't do that on purpose, would she? It was just a coincidence… right?

"I lost you again, didn't I?"

I hadn't even noticed I zoned out. My thoughts distracted from me from the real world yet again.

"Sorry Senpai… I just –"

"I take it you know who this Saenoko person is?"

"Saenoki Naho-san," I corrected him. "And yeah… I followed some of her stuff – mainly because she was so well informed about the afterlife. She had some good theories and sort of helped me cope with my own gifts…"

"Cool I guess. I assume she's like some sort of idol to you?"

"I… Not really… She would rather study paranormal anomalies while I would just appease them and help them pass. While I do respect her work, I don't think we would ever really be good friends due to our drastic views on the afterlife…"

"Oh… I guess I shouldn't assume things then," he chuckled sheepishly, before continuing in English "It makes an ass out of you and me…"

I tilted my head back so he could get the idea I was trying to look at him. "What does that mean?"

"Huh? Oh, right. You don't speak English. You really should, Kouhai. It's a pretty handy skill, especially if you want to travel the world. English is pretty popular in most other countries."

I knew he was avoiding the question. I almost let him get away with it. I did make a note that he did have a point, and I should probably invest time into learning English for the future, I didn't let him drop the topic.

"What does it mean, Senpai?"

"Curious little bunny, aren't we?" he chuckled yet again. "Fine. It's just an English saying about assume. You wouldn't really understand unless you know the English language."

"Oh…" I filled the air.

I wished I knew English so I could catch the little snippets that Senpai would say every now and then. I couldn't help but think that perhaps he felt left out sometimes, being the only one in his group of friends understanding English. It could be helpful at times, being able to say things that other couldn't understand; I could only imagine that someone such as Senpai would do such a thing to say things that weren't all that nice. But it had to get lonely, and it must be a good feeling when someone got your jokes and quips.

I thought back to times when he spoke English instead of Japanese. He did it quite often; it was almost as if it was his first language instead of Japanese.

My mouth moved faster than my brain: "Did you learn English from your mother?"

He didn't move beneath me. He contemplated my question, perhaps analyzing his options.

"Yeah…" he finally admitted slowly. His voice was low and cold as he calculated his every word. "She's taught me since I was a little kid."

I was treading into unfamiliar territory for him. I had to tread light so I didn't step on a mine and blow everything away. I had to be careful if I wanted him to stay opened up to me; I could tell he was ready to throw his door to his heart shut at the sign of any danger.

My lips parted slightly as I closed my eyes. I couldn't wait too long; he would take it the wrong way. I had to be smart with my next question: I could either go deeper into his personal life and experience backlash or play it safe and back away a little to give him space.

"Oh. Well… could you tell me what kyute means then?"

I felt a rush of happiness wash over me as I felt him laugh against me. I was glad I chose the safe route as his melodious laughter filled the empty school. I felt lighter as he shook against my form as he hugged me tighter, burying his face into my hair as he tried to stifle his laughter. I wished I could listen to him forever instead of the residual moans of the school.

"You. It's what you are," he grinned into my hair before he leaned down to kiss my temple. My stomach flipped at the gesture.

"M-Me?" I stuttered out.

"Yes. You're cute."

I bowed my head down as I squeezed my eyes tight, blushing furiously. This roused another set of laughs from Senpai as he observed my reaction.

"That doesn't tell me what it means, Senpai…" I argued weakly, trying to stop my heart from beating so fast.

"Yes, it does," he mouthed into my temple. "You're very cute," he continued in English.

"I… don't know what any of that means…"

"You know, I think you would totally watch this one American T.V. series if you could speak English."

He was doing it again. I wondered if it was out of habit for him to change the subject whenever it involved him. It must have happened often as he ran through the same steps every other day with a new girl.

I really wanted to call him out on it but I was curious what he was talking about.

"Oh…?" I finally voiced.

"Mm. Never watched it myself, but there's this show that came out a few years ago that's getting pretty popular."

I almost squirmed in my seat. I swear he was purposely avoiding saying the name to see my reaction.

"Well? What's the name?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. It's called Supernatural… I'm not sure what it's about exactly but it's about hunting things that aren't… natural? Like demons, and ghosts and shit."

It certainly peaked my interest. I shifted in Senpai's lap to get more comfortable; his lips never really left my temple as he hummed softly into the skin. His hands gingerly caressed my arms as he gently rocked us back and forth.

I wished I knew English so I could watch the show. It sounded interesting, even in spite of his brief description. I had to remember to check it out when we escape… and hope there was a Japanese translation.

"I'll… definitely look into it," I acknowledged when I broke from my thoughts. "But don't think I never forgot you never told me what kyute meant," I added adamantly with a huff.

He laughed again, bringing a smile to my face. He kissed my temple again, another bubble of happiness flooding my body. He moved his lips down so they ghosted over my ear, nibbling at the lobe.

"You're so cute…" he admitted warmly, almost dreamily.

I nearly pulled out of his grasp at his words. He froze underneath me, signifying he hadn't meant to say it out loud… or perhaps in Japanese.

I almost smiled. "That's what it means?" I asked cheekily.

"What? No," he replied defiantly. "I… said you're so scary."

I grinned, allowing myself to relax my entire body against the model. He didn't reject my advancements as he sighed in defeat, idly nodding his head.

"I don't know what you're smiling about, Kouhai. I said you were scary. You should be sad or something. Maybe we should get your head checked… unless that's your aim in life – to be considered scary."

I let it slide, feeling that I wasn't going to win this argument. He seemed pretty adamant about being right – it was part of his character. Even in school, he seemed pretty set on proving he was the best out of his friends. Countless times I could remember snippets of broken conversations of Shimada-senpai saying or doing things to prove his superiority. Most of it was directed to Kirisaki-senpai, while his fuel seemed to be with Kizami-senpai.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a one-sided rivalry he had with him. Kizami-senpai never really did anything to warrant such a reaction from Senpai before we found out how messed up he was. I was curious, and since we were going on a streak, I decided to ask.

"So… what's with the rivalry between you and Kizami-senpai…?"

"Why are you asking?" he retorted defensively.

I nearly sighed. I suspected he was going to close himself off again without further discussion. "I… was just thinking about how you used to try to prove yourself with him in school… People used to talk about your antics."

It was pretty well known that Shimada-senpai would get into trouble often. While he never did anything too drastic, many of times he would end up with detentions at the end of the day. He was famous for vandalizing, as well as skipping many classes and mouthing off to teachers. On top of that, he was always doing outlandish things to prove himself within his group of friends; rumors spread like wildfire every time he brought Kizami-senpai in his schemes.

"That's a strange train of thought…" he admitted slowly, ever so careful. "I seriously wonder how you come up with these crazy thoughts of yours."

I nod curtly. He wasn't going to talk about it, which I was okay with. I knew it was a long shot; I was happy with what I got out of him. Who knows: maybe we'll become better friends once we get out of here… Nothing like bonding over being trapped in a haunted school.

I allowed us to drift into silence as my fingers drew patterns into the dusty floor. I stared blankly at the adjacent wall, trying to make out the colour of the chipping paint. The haze was ever present, blocking my sight from seeing too far down the hall. I found myself glad there wasn't any ghosts or decomposing bodies nearby.

"We're stuck in a haunted school anyway…" Shimada-senpai suddenly spoke into thin air. "I mean, it's not like you would tell anyone… right…?"

I figured he was talking out loud, more of a reassurance to himself as he talked himself through it. I wasn't exactly sure what he was going on about so I allowed him to rant on to himself.

"You're… good at keeping secrets, eh Kouhai? I mean, you deal with ghosts all the time, spilling their secrets to you and I haven't heard you utter a peep about them…"

I chewed on my lip as his voice carried through the void. He was starting to sound hysterical, but I did nothing to stop his monologuing.

"Can I trust you?"

I stayed mute, expecting him to continue before I realized he was waiting for an answer from me. I relaxed my shoulders, nodding gently, "Of course, Senpai…"

I heard him exhale – a breath of relief. I noted he was trembling slightly when his voice passed his lips again.

"You know, I was infatuated by her. I've never met another girl who confused me so fuckin' much… except you, but you're just strange," he started quietly.

Who she was, I wasn't sure… but I had an idea who.

He sighed again as he continued, "But the stupid bitch… I was completely infatuated with her but all she wanted was that stupid fuckin' bastard… I tried everything I could to prove to her that I was better than him… but it always backfired. No matter what I fuckin' did she would never fucking see how much better I was…" his voice broke off into what sounded like a sob.

It didn't take much to know who he was talking about. While anyone could tell Shimada-senpai had a weird fascination with Kirisaki-senpai, I never thought he was… so in love with her… And Kirisaki-senpai was obviously following Kizami-senpai around all the time like a lost little puppy didn't leave much to the imagination.

I twisted in his arms so I could face him, resting my head on his chest. My heart swelled for him; a part of was jealous that Kirisaki-senpai had stolen his heart. I could emphasize with him; while his attempts were outlandish and often stupid, he did what he thought could win her heart and lost. I couldn't help but feel sort of bad for him. While hopping between girls wasn't that admirable, but gossip whispered between classmates told stories of his odd escapades and schemes.

I couldn't help but wish it was me he wanted instead. I wanted to yell at Kirisaki-senpai for being so blind and inconsiderate. The other half of me was sad… I wanted Senpai to feel that way about me I couldn't shake the kisses he gave me was nothing more than a ruse – like he had darker intentions. I wanted to be the one that Shimada-senpai fought for affection from. I wanted to be the one he's infatuated and will do stupid things for. I wanted him to flirt with me relentlessly; the one he kissed passionately with no other thought but me running through his mind.

"And if that wasn't bad enough…" Senpai croaked, "My fuckin' parents would rather Kizami as a son than me… "Be more like Kizami-san, Kai!" "He's so kind and smart! Why aren't you as successful as him, son?""

I held my breath. I've been in this situation many times before with raving ghosts trying to get whatever troubles off their chest. With every word, he grew louder as his grip on me grew harsher; I was starting to fear something drastic would happen.

"Well excuse me for being my own person! I'm sorry I'm not so God-damned perfect like fuckin' Kizami! I guess I should go around murdering my classmates if everyone wants me to be like him so badly!"

I found one of the arms that held my body fast and wrapped my arms around it. I heard him give a sharp inhale as I clutched onto it, my fingers gently petting the back of his cold to soothe him.

"If… it's any consolation, Senpai… I… like you for who you are… Personality and all."

"Are you…" he paused, trying to place his question into words properly.

I felt my face flush as I looked to the side, chewing onto my bottom lip.

"Are you insinuating that I have a bad personality?" he inquired. I could practically hear the eyebrow raise.

I could only sigh, shaking my head in defeat. I honestly couldn't keep up with him anymore; one minute he seemingly has his heart on his sleeve, then the next he's back to his usual self.

"No Senpai, I – "

"Thanks, Kouhai."

I blinked, slightly taken aback, "Eh…?"

He slumped against me, sighing into my hair. "Just… you aren't allowed to tell that to anyone… ever. If I find out you even breathed this to anyone… I will find you."

I nod curtly, unable to find my voice. I had so many questions rushing through my mind I couldn't flag one down long enough to ask him about it.

It was almost strange to think that Senpai has a complex with Kizami-senpai. While Kizami-senpai did seem to have the more desirably traits, the fact that he parents seemingly rather him than their own son must have hurt. While Senpai could calm himself, and try to be nicer and such, Shimada-senpai is Shimada-senpai; sourness and all.

We were enveloped into the silence of the school once again. This time, it wasn't all that unforgiving; the tension in the air after Senpai's outburst called for silence once more. The sound of his metronome breathing and residence groans and thunder of the school.

I'm not sure how much time passed as we sat. Shimada-senpai was slumped against the wall, not uttering another word since his outburst. I was still feeling wet, but overall much dryer. My hair was still twisted in whatever braid Senpai decided on.

I felt my eyelids fall shut as I leaned into his chest. My mind drifted into nothing as his rhythmic breathing lulled me into a light sleep. He was still beneath me, so I figured he was napping himself, if not deep in thought.

My mind was slow in comparison to the rushing river it was earlier. It was able to rest and process everything that happened more properly. Between finding water, being attacked by ghosts, and digging through corpses, a lot happened that's rough to keep up with.

I almost drifted off completely, content in Senpai's arms when I was jolted awake with a bloodcurdling scream. A sharp gasp fell from my lips when I pulled away from Senpai. He was also startled; he cursed out loud in English as he jumped as well.

"What was that?"

"Like I fuckin' know… and I don't really care."

I crawled out of his lap so I could properly face him. My eyebrows knitted as I looked up at his face, wondering why he was sounding so heartless all of a sudden.

His eyes were shut once more as sweat dribbled down his temple. He looked ashen as he sighed softly, gently rubbing his bad hand.

"Senpai…?"

"We… can always try the infirmary I suppose… We aren't in need of water as desperately anymore."

He rolled his eyes at me, sneering hotly, "So we're going to backtrack now when we could have been there earlier… Right, good plan Kouhai." He sighed suddenly, "Just… give me a minute."

I nod, not saying anything to defend myself. He had a point; I wasn't sure why I didn't want to investigate the infirmary earlier… but I couldn't help but shake a bad feeling. Between the infirmary and the scream we heard… it feels like something is trying to tell us something…

I pulled away to give him a little more room. I never moved very far, still within arm's reach but I couldn't but notice a dark haze that seemed to surround us. I found it strange – although, the school did seem to have a natural haze with it. Perhaps I never noticed how close it was before…

Senpai exhaled dramatically, scratching his neck before tugging at his winged pendant. He sneered to himself, looking at me through half-lidded eyes as I watched his movements.

I couldn't help but feel that something was happening between us – something bad. As I try to connect with him and grow closer, something about his sour personality seems to push me away. Or maybe it was just the school influencing us instead…

I can't be quite sure.

"What? Are you just going to stare at me or something are you going to ask a question?"

"I…"

He waited for me to coherently speak to him.

I didn't really have much to say. I was talked out but I couldn't help but stare at the pendant that adorned his neck. It was almost a signature thing about him; I've never seen anyone else with one before. I was suddenly mesmerized by the light blue gem that had a swirl-like pattern in it. Sterling silver wing stretched out from the gem, tied to his neck with a black velvet rope.

"Where did you get your pendant? It's pretty unique…"

He scoffed, pulling his fingers away from the rope. "This old thing? I don't even remember… Just something stupid my parents bought me while on a trip."

"Oh… Well, it looks cool."

I thought he rolled his eyes but he closed them before I could call out on him. Instead he took a deep breath as if to calm himself before gazing at me once again with his icy-blue eyes that were full of untold intent.

"Would you like it, Kouhai?" he asked smoothly. Within seconds, his voice went from rude, 'I-don't-care-about-you', to smoother than a hot knife through butter.

I gulped.

"W-What do you mean…?"

"I mean, would you like to have it, Kouhai? I personally find it annoying, and a bit too tacky for my person. I was thinking about just throwing it away or telling my parent I lost it… but if you want it instead you can have it."

I couldn't help but be suspicious. There was a part of me said that there was more to what he was saying, that he was partially lying about some parts. Another part was saying that there was something awfully fishy about his sudden change in behaviour…

"Here. Just have it."

He reached up behind his neck, ignoring his ponytail as he unknotted the rope. He twisted it in his fingers so he could place it correctly around my own neck. His fingers tickled my skin as he quickly knotted it once more, smirking into my ear.

"Just… think of it was a gift from me to you, darling."

My eyes widened at his words as he pulled away, leaving the deceivingly light pendant to hand on my neck. My stomach was fluttering about as he grinned wolfishly at me.

My brain was running rapidly, telling me that this is a dream come true. A handsome guy being impossibly nice and giving me things – albeit things he doesn't want anymore.

However, although my heart was beating a mile a minute, it couldn't help but be suspicious. Between his seemingly bipolar personality and the dark haze suddenly surrounding him, I couldn't help but wonder…

What are his true intentions with me?

Did… he just give me his pendant to keep me satisfied with being with him?

I've already started setting up plots for things in the future... I feel so accomplished!

If things go as plan in the next chapter... Well, it's going to be "fun"