I rewrote the lost document and added the new details of our meeting at the coffee shop. Then I folded it carefully and placed it in my bra. There was no way in hell that he would be able to find it if it was on my person at all times. At night, I took to sleeping with a sport bra on with the piece of paper still folded in its depths. The only time I did not have that piece of paper touching my skin was when I was showering. At those times, I left it on the bathroom floor, clearly visible at all times.
But by the end of the week, there had been no reappearance of Naru and my sleep patterns had almost returned to normal, even if I had decided to sleep with a knife under my pillow.
In fact, on the following Friday, my mind was finally drawn away from my fear of that man to a new topic; the old school building.
We had been in a maths lesson when it had happened. I had been struggling through some trigonometric identities when a loud cracking noise distracted the entire class.
Everyone had rushed to the window to watch as the old school building collapsed piece by piece. It had been out of use for decades and I knew that the headmaster had attempted to have it knocked down properly a few times. But every time they had tried, weird accidents kept happening and in the end, they had given up and left it to rot.
"Woah…" I heard Keiko exclaim beside me before she tugged on my arm. "Do you think it was because of the ghosts?" She hissed.
"There's no such thing." I replied.
"Kuroda-san said there were spirits in that place. She said they were from the war or something." Keiko countered. "And she's always been receptive of those sorts of things."
I didn't reply. I mean I loved telling ghost stories as much as the next person, but still… I couldn't believe that ghosts – even if there was such a thing – could pull down a whole building.
The rest of the day's classes were highly disrupted. No one could concentrate as the fire engines pulled up outside the school and workmen started going through the rubble.
After lessons finished, Keiko, Michiru and I walked past the men working and I briefly wondered why they were bothering to go through the rubble at all. Then a sudden shout caused us to look back.
"There's a body!" One of the workmen had yelled.
"Oh no!" Keiko gasped. "You don't think someone got caught in that?"
"Maybe not…" I said slowly. "Last year there was that guy who hung himself in there wasn't there? Maybe it's just another suicide victim? So they were already dead?" I didn't want to think of the alternative.
"Oh that's horrible!" Michiru said. "Let's get away from here! I don't want to see a dead body."
As I happened to quite agree, we started walking again. Ten minutes later, I parted from my friends and returned to my flat.
For the first time since I had met Naru, I entered my flat without much caution though I still hadn't worked up to walking around with headphones in yet.
This lack of care turned out to be a mistake.
"Hello." A low voice said from the other side of the room and I screamed. I pulled my hand up to my mouth to silence myself and I turned to see him sat comfortably on my sofa. He was not smiling.
"What are you doing here?!" I hissed as I clutched at my chest.
"Tea." He said simply. Scowling, I dropped my school bag into a chair and flicked the kettle on. I could tell he was about to speak, but he was interrupted by a knock on my door. My eyes met his for a good ten seconds before he spoke. "Answer it."
I walked to the door, opened it a tad and stuck my head out.
"Are you alright Taniyama-san?" It was Ogawa-san, my neighbour.
"Yes, of course I am." I tried to smile reassuringly.
"I heard you scream?" He prompted; his face a mask of worry. But I knew I couldn't tell him even if I wanted to, telling him would result in both our deaths.
"It was a spider." I invented quickly. "It just surprised me; I have dealt with it now. Thank you for your concern."
"Oh alright then, well call if you need anything won't you?"
"Of course, good evening." I gave him a slight bow and shut the door.
"You're scared of spiders?" Naru asked behind me.
"No, but Ogawa-san doesn't know that." I said as I began to make tea.
"I heard about what happened at your school." He continued in his husky voice.
"The building collapse?"
"I imagine it'll be ruled down to land subsidence." He replied knowledgeably. "I heard there was a body."
How could he know that though? They had only found it no more than 15 minutes ago? Unless…
"Yes." I agreed. "I heard that too, though that building has been used for suicides before."
"I heard it was a local business man who had all sort of dodgy dealings." Naru said as I poured the tea from the pot.
"Is that so?" I took the two cups of tea and passed him one before sitting down on the opposite side of the small coffee table.
"I am not here just for gossip and tea though." He said, holding the mug and staring at the murky brown liquid.
"Go on?" I prompted and took a sip of my tea.
"I need that piece of paper." He said before taking a sip of his own.
"What piece of paper?"
"The piece of paper you've been keeping in your bra."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" I protested quickly, but I could feel my face going red.
"If you are going to make yourself a bother, I can arrange an alternative method of keeping you quiet."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" I replied flippantly.
"Keiko and Michiru were such nice friends." He said coldly.
"What do you mean 'were'?" I asked, my temper flaring.
But he did not reply to me. Instead, he pulled out his phone and tapped a button before holding it to his ear.
"Do you have the girl in your sights?" He asked calmly.
"Stop!" I protested. "If you are going to kill someone, kill me!" I didn't know which of my friends his associate had a sniper on, but there was no way I was going to let him kill one of them!
"Hold it." He said into the phone, before lowering it and looking up at me. "No one needs to die at all, if you hand over that piece of paper."
I fumbled at the neck of my blouse, reached down into my bra and pulled out the folded piece of paper. He took it from me and then spoke into the phone again.
"You can stand down for now."
I watched as he pocketed the phone and opened up the piece of paper. I watched him read it.
"As if kanji weren't stupid enough without your bad handwriting." He muttered.
"My handwriting is fine!" I protested. "Which bit can't you read?!" It was amazing how a minute ago I had been scared for my life and now I was indignantly protecting my handwriting of all things.
He didn't reply, but pocketed the piece of paper.
"If you write another thing like this, I will kill one of your friends." He said coldly. "Do you have a preference?"
"What?! You can't! They don't know anything!" I said angrily jumping to my feet.
"I'll take that as you don't." He said, finishing his tea and placing his cup down on the table. He then took a handkerchief out of another pocket and wiped the handle. I watched as he stood and walked to the door, opening it with the handkerchief covering the knob. He turned at the door and fixed me with those piercing blue eyes. "Be careful." And he left, closing the door behind him.
I rushed to my bag and found my mobile. I had to make sure both my friends were safe.
But as soon as Keiko answered and I heard her voice, I hung up and phoned Michiru and did the same. They were both alive.
I threw my phone onto the sofa and grabbed my keys before running out of the door. I could not see Naru on the stairs but I flew down them anyway. My apartment block was on the corner of the street. I looked down each way but I couldn't see over the heads of the other people walking. Damn it. Why was I so short?!
I spotted a public bin and ran over to it. Gingerly I climbed on top of it, much to the disgust of passers-by. I ignored them and looked down each of the streets.
Then I spotted him. A man sporting the black hair and long coat that he had been wearing the previous day was walking away from me about a block to my right. I jumped down from the bin and started running towards him.
I wasn't entirely sure why I was following him. I could imagine both of my friends scolding me for being rash, but I wanted to know more about this man and who he really was.
When I was about ten metres behind him, I slowed to a walk. He did not seem to be rushing, but merely striding purposely. I tried to look as if I was supposed to be walking this way and not looking suspicious, but I wasn't entirely sure I was managing it well.
At the end of this block, he turned right and I followed. We walked in a weird sort of procession down this street and then crossed the road. He turned left and I matched his movements.
But he was gone.
I could no longer see him.
Frowning, I continued to walk down the street. Perhaps I had just lost him in the crowd.
Then a hand covered my mouth and another dragged me into an alleyway. I screamed against the hand but it was no use. Why did I get myself into these situations?!
Author's note: Well here is chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed it! I might get another chapter up tonight because I don't think I can leave Mai in such a dangerous situation! Please review with your thoughts and guesses for what might happen!