Laying the newspaper down, Ayumi walked over to the candle she had left before. "Hmm? What's my candle doing here? I'm sure I left it outside, in the hallway. Did someone move it?" She asked herself, rubbing her elbow uncomfortably. It was probably her imagination or something. She walked over to a desk, a note hanging next to it, clipped to the wall. "Monthly Goal: How to Remove a Tongue part 2. Draft."
The girl stuck out her tongue in disgust, but read on. "Cut the tongue with a pair of big scissors. It's so thick and warm! But how will you know whose tongue it is later, when you have a bunch more? Simple: Label it with a name tag! The tongue is very tender and squishy, so stick the safety pin in deep, to keep the label from slipping away. Eww...!" She mumbled, walking up towards the beds.
"...! There's a spirit here!" She half-shouted, half-squealed in terror, turning towards the entrance fleeing, in case she was chased. Luckily, as she stepped out, she could decide firmly that she was safe. She began to head north, since she already began on the way, however stopped eventually. "I can't go this way." She told herself, looking down at her feet. "I can't...bring myself...to see Suzumoto like that again... I feel like...I'll lose my mind..."
With that thought in mind, she started to head upstairs. As she walked on, a soft weeping sound came from somewhere close by. Looking around, her gaze affixed itself on the doll she was carrying. "...! Where...is that coming from...? Sounds muffled, like one of those toy Micca doll telephones...but it's definitely close..." She thought aloud, examining the toy in her hands. "It's the damned doll! It's making noises again!" She huffed, while the doll wept another couple times.
Realizing what had made the noises, she moved on, continuing her exploration. Being basically everywhere by now, she went back to class 2-A. As she entered the room, she saw the dead-fish-eyed girl again, crossing her arms on her chest. "Naho...Saenoki!" She called out to her, with no reply. "You're a liar! Liar, LIAR! Those child spirits didn't give a crap about the killer's stupid repentance! Give me back Suzumoto! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhnnnnnngg..." She demanded, stomping her foot childishly.
Suzumoto wasn't coming back though, and she'll basically have to deal with it sooner or later.
Her thoughts of mourning and anger were torn by a voice ringing from behind. A familiar one, bringing her to a stage of relaxation, almost. Relief, certainly. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Your voice really travels." The voice chuckled. Ayumi turned around to face whoever approached her. "Ah! Kishinuma!" She cooed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "... Urk... You okay, Shinozaki?"
She moved away, feeling her cheeks warm up. "You're the one to ask! What on Earth happened to you?! There's blood everywhere!" She exclaimed, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, feeling the sticky crimson liquid layer her skin on her fingers. "Heh... Well, soon as you turned that corner before, I got struck in the noggin from behind... ...Glk!..." With worry, Ayumi knelt before him, inspecting for any further injuries.
"... But I'm fine, don't worry. Dunno exactly where, but I was locked in some gloomy little room..." He assured her, pulling her back to her feet with a small frown on his features. "The child spirits were there...along with some really big dude holding a hammer." He went on, describing everything he saw, with little attention to detail. "...How...did you get here, then?" His companion inquired. "Well, after a little while in that room, I lost consciousness again..." Yoshiki admitted.
"...and when I woke up, I was in the first floor hallway." He shrugged, while she tapped her foot in thought, struggling to figure everything out. "So...did somebody carry you there...? Either way, I'm just glad you're all right. I don't know how much more of this I can take... I don't want anybody else to die!" She cried, curling her hands into fists. "Yeah..."
The conversation was broken by Naho, who came a tiny bit closer while the two talked. "I... am not mistaken." She said, almost to herself, like she was ignoring the presence of the couple. Yoshiki looked up, head cocked. Goddammit, that ghost couldn't just speak normally, could she? Did she suspect that they could just like that know what she meant? "If each of those ghost children were to find peace... even if they had to be appeased one by one..."
The pauses caused the bleach blonde to grow pretty annoyed. She just couldn't get to the point, could she? "... then these closed spaces, given shape by their bound souls... should not be able to remain in existence." Ayumi slowly stammered over to his side, staring at Naho, her opinion not changing one bit.
"We let them hear the killer's regrets, though...and it did nothing to help us! What kind of person are we dealing with here, anyway?!" Yoshiki argued with the girl, shaking his head, causing the pain to grow worse, but he ignored it. "The man with the hammer, who attacked you... He was their murderer." Naho replied, voice vicious with disgust. "Y-You serious?!" He mused, surprise painting itself on his features. "It seems he's got a violent streak even in death, as well. He harms the living indiscriminately. So your first order of business...should be to quell his wanton behavior."
This time, Ayumi, for the first time, replied. "And how are we supposed to do that?" This time, she was slightly calmer, seeing that they were finally getting somewhere. "Based on my mentor's research, that antique doll you've got in your hands should be a good place to start. It belonged to him in life. He was given it by his mother, and reportedly, he relies on it to keep his mind leveled and his heart in balance. I'm certain he must be looking for it..." Naho explained.
Her mentor? Where was he, anyways? She kept talking about him, but never saw him after death.
It was pretty weird, in Ayumi's mind. "Hold on a second... Who's this "mentor" of yours?" Yoshiki asked in turn, confusion in his voice. Without a second warning, the ground started to rumble under them, while Naho's expression twisted, voice growing dangerously loud. "My personal affairs are none of your concern!" She screamed at them. Gasping, Yoshiki took a hold onto Ayumi, to protect her just in case. "What's happening?" He mumbled.
The earthquake continued for another few moments, before Naho straightened, her normal expression returning. "Sorry about that!" She said carelessly, clearing her throat. "You'll need to find the man's body... or his remains, at any rate. They should be in this school building somewhere. And if you find them, and return the doll to their side... everything'll be juuuust fine!" Her words were slurred, like the one's of a drunk individual. "Gggggggllllllllrrrrrrggggghhhhhh..."
"Ms...Saenoki...?" Ayumi whispered, getting only pants and wheezes in response. "You're friends death... is your own fault." Naho said, before disappearing. She melted with the air, leaving only a brief breeze that lasted no longer than a second. "What the hell was all of that about? Can we really believe a word she said?!" Ayumi shrugged to respond to her companion, looking up at the tall boy. "Maybe not...but it's as good a place to start as any. Earlier, as I was passing through the first floor, the doll started crying...like, weeping, loudly." She admitted. "Seriously...? Let me tell you, I sure didn't miss having that thing around..."
Yoshiki wore a frown on his face, looking down where the tip of the doll's cap aroused from Ayumi's pocket. That damn doll. It didn't do anything, so why would it work this time around? "Well, we might be able to use it like a tracking device. It could lead us right to the murderer's body! Either way... Let's just keep moving, okay?" She narrowed her eyes, looking down.
"Or... can you? How's your head? Wow, that's quite a bump you got!" She said with obvious worry, looking up at the bloody spot on his head again. "Guy was a lousy aim, but he still hit my head full force with the handle. If he'd been more accurate, I'd be a goner for sure. Damned child killer..." He shrugged it off, taking his hand off his head and using his handkerchief to wipe away the blood, which by now stopped flowing.
"You're lucky I just happen to have some cloth bandages with me. I'll see what I can do about dressing that wound..." Ayumi said to him, motioning for him to lean over so she could dress the wound. "Part of your prop closet, I take it? Guess I should be thankful for your horror obsession after all... Heh...heheheh..." He chuckled, grinning. What would he do without her? Well, he would probably give up in the very beginning...
As soon as she was done, they headed out of the classroom, and down to the first floor again. As they climbed down the final step, the doll began to weep again.
"From red door
six steps horse
thirteen paces rooster."
Yoshiki looked over at the doll. "What the hell does that mean?" He asked, shaking his head. "The custodian's office have red doors, that should be it!" Ayumi said, proud that she figure out at least a part of the clue. Walking over to the doors, she stopped, looking around. "Six steps horse." She repeated after the doll, and with a "Aha!" She took six steps south, and then thirteen more to the west, being followed by Yoshiki. They ended up before a wall, one of the floorboards ahead slightly raised.
Peering underneath, she could barely make out the outline of a bag through the darkness. "What's that?" She asked herself. Yoshiki shrugged, picking up the floorboard and pulled it up, shuffling the bag out. The bag was made out of hemp, stained all over with crispy blood, showing it was significantly old. On the bag was a tag attached to it. "Heavenly Host Elementary School, Class 3-5, Ryou Yoshizawa."
A brown-haired boy lay neatly on the Infirmary bed, eyes of matching color dropping slowly, leaving them half-open, staring up at the girl hovering around him. Her own eyes were crystal, vision blurred with tears that rhythmically rolled down her cheeks. "Satoshi... I'm so, so sorry... But I can't... I can't stop the bleeding." She said sorrowfully, moving his bangs out of his face for him, finding them sticky with sweat.
He breathed shallowly, looking slightly confused, gaze unfocused. "Naomi... It's alright. Everything's going white. It's actually pretty. Hey, if I die, will you be sad?" Satoshi asked, trying his best to focus over at the girl. "Of course I will! Don't you dare die on me!" Naomi shouted at him, desperate not to be left alone. "When I do die, I want you... I want you to find the way out this place... I know, Naomi, that you'll do it... With me or without me... Leave me here... I would be just a burden." He whispered, weakly rising his hand to touch her cheek, while she took his hand and placed it on her moist skin where he aimed, closing her eyes.
"If you die... I can't, Satoshi... I can't do it without you..." The girl sobbed, shaking her head. "Of course you will! You have... Shinohara... She'll take care of you." Satoshi assured her. "What are you saying? You're an idiot!" She sobbed at him, of course not meaning it. He was everything but an idiot... Oh, how will she miss him. "Heh. I think I'm the first person in class to see you cry so much." He chuckled, relaxing his arm into her grasp.
"What is wrong with you?!" She shouted at him, afraid that he was going to just give up at this point. Why wouldn't he, then again. This was a lost cause. His chest was still bleeding, and the dressing didn't help. "I'm ready for this, Naomi. I'm ready to go. Don't feel bad about this, okay? Just leave me... and go..." He said weakly. Naomi sobbed, not replying. "... Naomi?" Naomi pouted, fiddling with her thumbs. "All right already! Don't worry about me. Relax..."
She ordered him, sounding indeed strangely demanding. "I'm cold." He murmured, causing Naomi to helplessly sob once more, nodding slowly. "I know... I know... It'll be okay... Satoshi..." She wailed, while he smiled up at her. She was the thing that he would for sure want to see in his final moments. "Dammit... I just realized that... that I'll die... without ever kissing anyone." If it was possible, his cheeks would begin to burn. But they didn't. Instead, another chill run down his spine. "Naomi...?"
She blinked down at him in surprise. All that time, she thought that he had a partner before, that some other girl had been in a relationship with him and they did stuff as such. The fact they were not was a little shocking to her, for he had a lovely persona, helping her fall for him almost instantly. "Huh? S-Seriously...?" She asked him with disbelief.
Satoshi nodded, smiling warmly. "I just... I want to know what it feels like." He answered sheepishly, closing his eyes, before re-opening them once again. "D-Don't be stupid..." She said to him, flinching slightly. "Please. It'll just be between us. You don't have to count it as your first kiss..." He tried to assure her, finding himself thinking that was the point of her dismissal. "That's not the poin-!" She began to argue, but he moved her hand in his own, tightly gripping onto it.
"Naomi..." He whispered. Taking in a deep breath, she blinked down at him and leaned in without another thought, planting a sloppy kiss on his lips, for her own liking too quickly pulling away. "Ha... Never thought that would happen." He muttered matter of factly, his cheeks a little rosey, but not warm, like any other part of him. In turn, Naomi could feel the burning sensation on her skin, drowning in it. "Uhh...uh-huh..." She agreed with a simple murmur. "Your lips are a lot softer than I would at first assumed." He continued after a moment of silence.
"Same here." Naomi chuckled, cocking her head down at him. Suddenly, his expression dropped, and tears began filling his eyes for the first time in a while. "Satoshi? Are you... crying?" She asked him quietly. "Why? Why, Naomi? I was ready... I was ready to go... But now I don't want to go... I don't want to leave you."
"Satoshi...!" The girl cried, covering her face with her hands to hide her tears. "No... I don't want to die... I want to be with you, Naomi! I want to be with you... for ever..." He cried, taking a final squeeze of her hand. "Satoshi!" She cried, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see him. "Goodbye, Naomi."
And just like that, Naomi at last woke up.