Special thanks to MikoGalatea, the beta reader of my story and who really help me and my basics English.
Chapter 10
The two girls quickly found the ghosts; they were still in the ballroom. Kozue and Shiori walked in.
''Your attention, please!'' Shiori shouted. ''We have something to say!''
The ghosts stopped their party and looked at them. Most of them had never seen Shiori or Kozue before and wondered who they were.
''Listen, your former leader Chigusa went... to another world,'' Shiori explained. ''So I, Takatsuki Shiori, and my love Kaoru Kozue, are your new leaders.''
The ghosts were skeptical. Why should two girls they knew nothing about be their new leaders? Why didn't they just elect a leader? Why should they trust them? Those questions were asked by the three identical-looking boys.
''Why should we accept you as leader?''
''Why not someone else?''
''Gives us one reason to make you our leaders!''
Kozue smiled. ''Because I can do this!''
Kozue used her power to drop a luster on the three poor boys. The other ghosts were impressed.
''I think it's clear now they are our new leaders!'' said Keiko.
''Yes!'' the other ghosts said at once.
xx
In front of the burned building, Nemuro sat against a tree and waited.
''One day, you and your brother will come out of that building,'' he thought. ''I am sure of this. I have the eternity to wait and I am very patient.''
xx
Kaido had started walking along the road out of Ohtori. He had seen a lot of footage that answered his questions. Indeed, he'd seen that Utena had been in the academy and that she had left. He also saw how Shiori had acted.
''How could I have possibly been friendly with a slut like her?!'' Kaido thought. ''I was blind! She's manipulative, a liar, selfish... and she attacked my Utena!''
Kaido suddenly turned back. He had made a decision: before moved from Ohtori, he should say what he was thinking to Shiori. His mind knew he shouldn't do anything against a girl who had a witch as a friend, but his emotions, especially wanting Shiori to pay for her crimes, were stronger.
xx
Shiori was at a balcony, looking at the landscape. She was relaxing when a ghost suddenly came to see her. It was the boy who had danced with Keiko and her friends.
''Hello, Miss Shiori,'' said the brown haired boy.
''Don't call me Miss, please. That makes me feel old,'' Shiori said. ''Just Shiori is fine.''
''Shiori, I want to let you know that if you need a bodyguard, I can be the one! I would like to serve one of my two leaders.''
''That's nice, but I'm not sure if I need one.'' Shiori smiled.
Meanwhile, Kaido had returned to Ohtori and had searched everywhere for Shiori. Then he arrived at one room, saw her on the balcony, and moved in that direction. Shiori noticed him and how furious he seemed.
''Jerk!'' Kaido yelled. ''I know the truth!''
''I... I don't know what you're talking about.''
''Don't play innocent! I know what you tried to do with Utena!''
''I told you I don't know anyone named Utena!''
''You liar!''
Kaido approached more and more; Shiori was increasingly afraid of him.
''Listen... maybe I had met a girl called Utena in my past, but now I'm looking at my future... I don't remember my past anymore.''
''That makes no sense!'' yelled Kaido. ''Human minds don't work that way!''
By reflex, Shiori put her arms around her face to protect herself against Kaido.
''Stop playing the poor innocent victim and show your true colors!''
He was about to slap her when the ghost stopped him.
''Don't touch my leader!''
The ghost took Kaido by the arms and lifted him. Kaido was terrified; something he couldn't see was attacking him! Then the ghost threw him over, to the ground. Kaido fell on the grass, three floors down from the balcony, and hit his head on a rock. His eyes were closed, and he was bleeding from his head.
''Oh!'' Shiori said. ''He's probably dead.''
''What? He wasn't dead before?'' Asked the ghost.
''No, he wasn't. In fact, Kozue and myself aren't dead, but we've chosen to stay with the dead forever. Death is so fun!''
''I think that made me like you even more!'' The ghost smiled.
Kozue appeared on the balcony.
''Shiori, I felt something bad was happening to you.''
''For a reason I don't understand, Kaido tried to attack me, but the ghost protected me!''
''Why would people attack you?'' Kozue asked sadly. ''You're the nicest girl I've ever seen!''
''Don't know,'' answered Shiori. ''Now I think we should make sure no living people will ever come to bother us!''
''I think I have something in my books that can do that,'' smiled Kozue.
xx
The door of the academy opened, and a ghost walk in. It was Kaido.
''What did I do?'' he thought. ''Why didn't I just move on?''
Kaido continued walking and he meet three ghosts.
''Hello, girls,'' he said while walking by.
''Oh, look, the guy who acted like he didn't see you is talking to us!'' Aiko said.
''He knows his place now,'' Keiko said.
Kaido finished by entering a room where some ghosts were eating.
''Hmm, that was really good!'' said a boy.
''Indeed!'' one girl added.
A boy approached Kaido and showed him some food.
''Here, this is for you! It's really good!''
Kaido said nothing and sat in a chair.
''How can these dead students have fun? How can they eat? How can they act like everything is normal?! This isn't normal at all,'' thought the desperate boy. ''NOT NORMAL!''
xx
Kozue and Shiori were sitting on their bed; it was time for them to go to sleep. They both leaned their heads against their pillows and looked at each other with smiles.
''Shiori... would you like to have a daughter one day?''
''Oh... you mean you can...''
''Yes.''
''That would be nice. We'll raise her with love, and she would be happy with us and the ghosts! When I'm older, I want this!''
''Good.''
Shiori then closed her eyes and thought about how this was the first time in years that she'd felt this good.
''I don't know what's so bad about Ohtori,'' the girl thought. ''Everything is so much better here than in the real world!''
The End
