EX CHAPTER 4

SHADOWS

There were many things that Yuuya found strange about Heavenly Host Elementary. The complete absence of good lighting took some getting used to, and the way it would keep on surprising him with people who died in increasingly absurd ways kept him on his toes. However, as Yuuya stood on the roof, gazing up at the sky through a sheet of rain, he found that out of all the strange things in this world, it was the moon that stuck out as a true oddity.

Because it was normal.

Reaching up towards it, the raindrops falling straight through his ethereal form, Yuuya titled his head slightly at the celestial body. It looked so much like the one back home, he could almost fool himself into thinking he was back at Byakudan Senior High, having been dragged up by Kurosake or Katayama to hang out with the others. Back then he had despised those times.

And he still did.

A bit less though.

"Ahh."

Turning, Yuuya was greeted by a young woman around his age staring back at him with the same dead, lifeless gaze he'd seen in mirrors. She was wearing a uniform that vaguely reminded him of his own, and she had a pentagram hairpin, a quirky contrast to her thick, office glasses. Looking closer, Yuuya could see the pool through her, meaning she had to be a ghost.

Huh. She isn't blue or red, like me... Interesting...

"I wasn't expecting... someone else..." The girl said, the same thoughts likely running through her own head. In response Yuuya shrugged and turned back around, leaning on the railing as he resumed his stargazing After a few seconds, he noticed the girl walk forwards to join him, standing about a foot away, also enraptured by the sky. There the two stood, in silence. Yuuya had long since thrown away the concept of time, so he had no clue how long it had been until the girl finally said something.

"Naho."

Yuuya remained silent, his brow furrowed slightly in thought for a second or two, before relaxing.

"Yuuya."

"Ahh."

Another silence settled between the two ghosts. Glancing over, Yuuya's gaze briefly met Naho's, who quickly looked back up at the moon again. Raising an eyebrow, Yuuya too returned his sight to the sky.

"Do you come here often?" He asked.

"I... suppose..." Naho replied. "This is this the first time in awhile though."

"Ahh."

"..."

Looking back at her, Yuuya saw that Naho was now looking down, out towards the endless forest. A few times, Yuuya had gone out exploring, only to find himself back at Heavenly Host every time despite not turning back once. Sighing, Yuuya let his head rest in his hand.

"Do things get more exciting, or is this all the entertainment this place has to offer?"

Naho looked at him, slightly surprised by the question, before looking down in thought.

"A new group of victims have just arrived," she said, looking back up at him, finding herself gazing into his eyes. "If you want, we could watch them."

"Hmm." Yuuya's mouth twitched slightly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naho, who gave a small, hesitant smile in return.

"You should have said so sooner..."