Chapter 4: The New Beginning, and the everlasting End.

'Another soul ferried to Hell,' I said quietly.

'This one was an unjust vengeance', Hone Onna said, as quietly as I did.

Wanyuudon chose to stay silent, and we all heard a soft, childish giggle break it.

'Kikuri... That brat.' Hone Onna stood up.

I sighed. Hone Onna never did like Kikuri.

Kikuri ran past. 'Ahhh! Waro-waro, old woman is chasing me again!'

It never ends. Our job never ends.

Ojou appeared, in a flurry of dust and wind, on the porch.

Ding.

The bell on her bracelet was tickled by the breeze.

But something seemed different.

Wanyuudon frowned. 'Ojou, you seem quite exhausted with ferrying.'

'My powers are weakening.'

Hone Onna, Kikuri, and Yamawaro stopped their chase. I was shocked. Wanyuudon's frown turned into a scowl.

'Ojou, could it be that...' Wanyuudon stopped, unsure.

'This is nothing. Only because she will be awakened.'

'Awakened? Who, Ojou?' I asked, anxious.

'The new beginning.'

Enma Ai's blood-red eyes glowed.

'The awakening of the new Jigoku Shoujo.'

***

When I woke up that day, I was startled by the visions that came upon my dreams.

I saw the suffering, the ferrying of a soul to Hell.

I saw her.

Enma Ai, the Jigoku Shoujo, perform her duty.

I remember her. Last night. She gave me a bracelet... The same exact one that I had lost.

I held up my hand, and the bracelet caught the light.

Maybe the visions had something to do with this bracelet?

I snorted.

Silly. Most probably not.

I looked in the mirror. My eyes had bagged a little, nothing visible to the human eye, but visible to my sharpened eyes. Looks like I didn't get a good sleep last night.

Something caught my eye. At the corner of my mirror.

It was her.

I turned around, and she held out her hand.

'Come with me.'

***

Driiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

I was walking to the classroom from my locker, when my heart started to beat wildly.

What if... She's there?

I couldn't breathe. I felt so numb.

'Yuzuki-chan, it would be best that you get moving. The teacher will not be pleased if you enter the classroom in less than five minutes.'

Atanashia Kent had stopped at my side, and my head snapped up.

She's right. Only way to find out.

Creaaak.

But she wasn't there.

Surprised, and relieved, I immediately went to my seat. The teacher entered, and seemed to be surprised too, that Jigoku Shoujo wasn't here.

'Does anyone know where Yuri-chan is?'

Everyone shook their heads, including me.

The teacher sighed, and said, 'Well, she must be tired. Jet-lag, probably. Or something of the sort.'

She began the lesson. 'The trigonometric value of...'

A piece of crumpled paper landed on my desk, while sensei had her back turned to us.

I looked to my immediate seatmate, who, by all apparent means, is Higeshizawa Airisu.

She winked at me, and pointed at the paper.

I nodded, and opened it.

She had written: 'Hey, Jigoku Shoujo isn't here. Think she went to send people to Hell?'

I looked at the teacher, who still hadn't finished writing the whole equation on the board.

Picking up my pencil, I wrote:

'I do not know, really. But that's quite a dreadful thought.'

***

Enma Ai landed beside me, holding my hand. I look up, and I begin to remember.

This was the place.

Our special place—mine, Ai's and Sentarou's.

The cherry blossom tree is now quite dead, the river flows still, quiet, serene.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

I looked at Ai, who was staring at the cherry blossom tree.

I smiled a bit, and said, 'Do you still like cherries, Ai?'

Her head slowly swivelled to look at me, and she nodded.

And... I couldn't be sure.

But...

Did Enma Ai, for a moment there, smile?

Even a very small smile?

If she did, it vanished.

Swiftly.

***