AN: Yato/Hiyori has been added to the pairing

*Kohai means underclassman. The opposite of Senpai, which means upperclassman.

Chapter 12 Friends

Junpei couldn't return to his body no matter how much he tried. Iki told him that it had been weeks since this first happened to her, yet she still couldn't do it on command either, so there was no need for him to worry because this was normal.

…This was anything but normal.

If nothing else, Junpei was even more worried after hearing about her experience.

How could she be so nonchalant when faced with the possibility of dropping her body wherever she went? What if someone took advantage of her body while she was in her spirit form? She was a girl so this posed more of a threat to her than to him.

Though, Junpei had no doubt that his bullies would also take advantage of his unconscious body and mess with him while he was utterly defenseless.

…Great.

Having to ask a girl to give his unconscious body a piggyback ride had got to be the most humiliating thing he'd ever done. Yato and the other guy, who he learned was named Natsune, had already left to heal the bruise-like thing on the God's face, so if Junpei didn't want to leave his body lying around for god knows how long, his only option was to lay down his pride and ask Iki for help.

To his relief, Iki, after returning to her own body, didn't laugh at him or anything when she heard his request. She understood what he was currently going through, so she didn't judge him for it and instead picked up his body with ease and asked him to lead the way to his house.

"You live where!?"

Junpei repeated his answer.

"Why? Is it weird that I live there?"

"No, it's just that… I thought a student from our school would be from a more…upper class neighborhood. N-No offense! I just mean that…"

"It's okay. I get it. I told my mom that she didn't need to go through all that effort to enroll me in this school. She was already struggling to raise me as a single mother. I didn't want her to strain herself even further. That school isn't the only place I can get a high-quality education from. But my mom insisted that it's not about education, it's about networking. So many students are striving for top Universities not only for their education, but also for the connections they can build that can pave a path for them in the future. I couldn't talk her out of it in the end."

His mom wanted the best for him. The best way to pay her back was to work his hardest and show her that her effort wasn't for naught, that she made the right decision enrolling him in here. And yet, he repaid her by trying to kill himself. How would she feel if she found out about it? If he had succeeded? He couldn't even imagine the look on her face if she was told the news of her son, of her only son's passing. How could he even think of doing this to his mom?

Yato had said it wasn't Junpei's fault, that it was the fault of the Ayakashi for influencing his thoughts, but the fact that the only kind of "social connection" he'd built after enrolling in this school was the abusive relationship with his bullies was no one's fault but his own.

His mom was often gone before he woke up each morning and returned home after he'd gone to sleep. She worked tirelessly, never taking any leave even when she was sick, because her job wouldn't do paid sick leave. She didn't work herself to the bone just so Junpei could get trampled all over like the dirt beneath his foot.

"You're a third-year, right?" Iki asked.

"Yeah."

"So I should call you Yoshino-senpai, then."

"Th-There's no need—" Junpei spluttered, shaking his head like a pellet drum.

"No, I insist! You're my senpai so what else should I call you if not 'senpai'?"

She said it again. For the first time, someone (a girl, no less) was calling him senpai.

Junpei's soul nearly left his body.

(Oh wait, it already did.)

He was always the invisible kid, the one no one paid any attention to because he was just so insignificant. He barely even talked to classmates in his own class, let alone students in other classes and years. He'd never been called "senpai" in his whole life, and to finally being addressed as such filled his heart with joy.

He could only nod his head meekly.

"Great! That makes us friends, then!"

"F-Friends!?"

Junpei's immediate thoughts was that Iki was only saying it to make him feel better. He still remembered the pity in her eyes when Yato made an insensitive comment that unknowingly took a jab at Junpei for being a loner. And frankly, being pitied infuriated him more than anything else.

Being bullied to the point where resistance was futile was embarrassing, but being pitied was much more humiliating because it was a stomp on his pride, rather than a beating on his person.

"Yeah, let's be friends! You're my senpai so you should've learned all the materials I'm currently being taught. I had to miss a lot of classes due to my condition, so I'm a little behind on my classes. I'd really appreciate it if you can tutor me. You don't need to take a lot of time out of your day to do so. Just a little tutoring is fine with me. Think of it as…paying me back for saving you from these bullies." Iki grinned. The little mischievous crinkle in her eyes told him that she knew exactly how he felt and what he was thinking, so she made up this excuse to befriend him.

What a clever little kohai.

What else could he do but agree with her suggestion?

For the week after their first meeting, Junpei would meet with her in the library and tutor her for an hour or two every day after school ended. Sayama and his friends had teased him on the first few days, but after they got threatened by Iki, they stopped bothering him and didn't take advantage of him even when he suddenly dropped his body in the hallway.

Junpei and Iki were now known as the "Sleeping Beauties of Shiratori Academy" because their tendency to fall "asleep" anywhere at any time had reached the ears of almost everyone at the school. He was glad that he had Iki to start the "Sleeping Beauty" thing first, so by the time he started dropping his body out of the blue, everyone had already grown used to it and some would even help carry his body to the infirmary.

The first time it happened, Junpei almost couldn't believe his eyes. A random classmate he had never talked to before knelt down beside his body, picked him up, and lugged him all the way to the infirmary. The guy was a big dude, so he just slung Junpei over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and Junpei was experiencing secondhand embarrassment as he trailed behind in his spirit form but still he appreciated the gesture.

He thanked the guy sincerely after he woke up. The guy was confused as to how come Junpei knew it was him because he was already gone when Junpei woke up. Junpei didn't have a fun time coming up with an excuse on the spot, but thankfully the guy was a little slow so he believed Junpei's horrible excuse.

After school was over, he'd walk with Iki to meet with Yato and Natsune. Sometimes they'd eat dinner together, sometimes they'd accompany the God duo on a request, and sometimes they'd just hang out and enjoy each other's presence.

Junpei also learned more about the existence of Gods and Shinki and Ayakashi.

"So the Ayakashi aren't like demons and ghosts. They're a completely separate species."

"Yup!" Yato said with a mouth full of food. "They're created by the darkness that leaks out of humans. Emotions like fear are much stronger than any other negative emotions, so Ayakashi created out of stronger fear are far stronger than others."

"If there was a car Ayakashi, would it be weaker than a cockroach Ayakashi?"

Yato choked on his food. "Hey! Don't bring up that thing when I'm eating!"

"Sorry." Junpei chuckled.

"I can't tell you that because I've never met an Ayakashi of either kind before. It'll depend on whether humans fear cars more or uhhh that thing more. I personally bet my money on the latter."

"Me too," Iki said with her face sour.

"If Ayakashi are a completely different species compared to human spirits, how come Iki and I are considered 'Half-Ayakashi'?"

"Do you know what's the one thing we have in common with the Ayakashi?"

Junpei shook his head.

"We are all from the Far Shore. Near Shore is where living humans reside, while Far Shore is for Gods, Shinki, Ayakashi and the likes. When a human spirit slips out of their body, be it accidental or because their body dies, they end up on the border separating the two shores. In that state, they acquire characteristics similar to that of an Ayakashi, like how they'd become attracted to the scent of Gods. Ayakashi and Gods are mortal enemies after all. We're like predators that hunt each other. We Gods can sense them, and they can smell us. That's how this relationship works."

"So we're considered Half-Ayakashi because we're literally on the border that separates the two shores in half?"

"Yup. Humans can become Ayakashi with a single wrong step because the two species have much more in common than you think. While standing on the border as a Half-Ayakashi, if you were to become tempted by the Far Shore and stray from the path, then you'd turn into an Ayakashi. After you die and end up existing as a Loose Spirit, you can also become corrupted. Even Shinki," Yato jerked his thumb towards Natsune who was calmly drinking his iced coffee beside him, "aren't safe from that outcome either."

"What if I never strayed from the path as a Half-Ayakashi, and I wasn't corrupted after death either? Can I prevent myself from turning into an Ayakashi then?" The thought of turning into that hideous monster nauseated Junpei so much that he put down his spoon and stopped eating his crab omelet.

"Maybe, but some people can immediately become an Ayakashi after death. Do you know who Sugawara no Michizane is?" For some reason, Yato made an ill face when he said this name.

Both Junpei and Iki exclaimed, "Tenjin! The God of Learning!"

"That's right. As a human, Sugawara Michizane fell victim to a plot and died in exile, his fury and hatred causing him to become a Vengeful Spirit post-mortem. Ayakashi are a culmination of negative emotions, so a person would need to have enough darkness within them to rival that of a single Ayakashi in order to become a Vengeful Cursed Spirit after they die. It's not an easy feat to achieve. That's why there are only so many Vengeful Spirits in history."

"But then how did he become a God?" Iki asked. "He looked nothing like an Ayakashi to me. He looked human, just like you and I."

"Well, as a Vengeful Cursed Spirit, he caused many natural disasters in his fury, so people worshiped him in an attempt to appease him. They burned his exile order, restored his offices when he worked as a government official, and gave him the name 'Tenjin.' It worked, since their deification of him transcended him to Godhood. And ever since then, he took on his new name 'Tenjin' as the God of Learning."

"So in other words… A human…can become a God?" Junpei muttered.

Gods were beings that only existed in fiction. Even though there were shrines dedicated to them all over Japan, they were still beings that didn't exist. They lacked a physical body, a tangible presence in the reality everyone lived in. They existed only by word of mouth, and on text with no concrete proof backing them up.

The encounter with Yato introduced a whole new perspective to Junpei, but the whole concept of Gods living amongst them was still too foreign and far-fetched to comprehend, especially when his first encounter with Gods was with someone so humanlike such as Yato.

The idea that Gods were not only physically closer to the humans than they thought, but Godhood was also metaphorically closer in terms of possibility wasn't easy to come to terms with. There probably weren't that many Gods who were born from Vengeful Cursed Spirits, but if one or two could achieve Godhood this way, then so could the millions of others given enough time.

Junpei personally had no interest in becoming a God, but the idea of humans achieving Godhood and reaching ultimate supremacy… That filled him with excitement.

A week flew by just like that.

They had made plans to go to Capyper Land on Saturday, so Junpei went to sleep early.

…If only his spirit didn't slip out of his body just as he was about to go to sleep, he would have been asleep by now.

There was nothing he could do once he dropped his body. He'd already finished his homework. It was late at night and his body had fallen atop his bed, so he didn't need to worry about anyone stumbling upon it. Junpei was left with nothing to do, so he left his house and decided to explore the city.

When he first discovered this whole Half-Ayakashi thing, he was strictly against it due to how risky it was for his body to "faint" regardless of the time and location. He couldn't understand why Iki seemed so enthusiastic when she talked about being in her spirit form.

But now, he understood.

Jumping ten feet into the air and landing perfectly balanced on a telephone line was exhilarating.

To have incredible jumping power, infinite stamina, enhanced strength, speed, and agility…

It was like he was given superpowers.

This was the kind of body he always wanted.

Having to drop his body anytime, anywhere, was such a small price to pay in comparison to dying over and over again for the slim chance of being born with superpowers.

Junpei let out a cry of bliss as he ran on the telephone line and jumped forward, using the momentum to flip his body in the air using various acrobatic maneuvers he'd only ever seen on TV. Never in a million years did he think he could perform these moves one day, not in his dreams, but in real life, in his own (spiritual) body.

He landed nimbly on a roof and continued to dash forward, flying across rooftops and filling the night sky with his exuberant laughter.

He felt like his entire life, all the suffering he went through, was leading up to this exact moment.

What did they say? God closed the door but opened a window? Junpei nearly died under the Ayakashi's influence, and in return he was granted superpowers.

Iki considered it an unfair trade and would give anything to fix her condition, but Junpei would give anything to keep this condition. He hoped he'd never have to return to normal again. After experiencing a taste of the divine, he just couldn't live without it anymore.

Thirty minutes later, Junpei realized that his stamina wasn't infinite after all. As he lay panting on a building, he spotted a familiar sign in the distance. Kinema Cinema, his favorite movie theater, was the only one in the vicinity that'd play old films such as the Human Earthworm series.

In his current state, would he get caught if he were to sneak in?

Eager to find out, Junpei stepped off of the building and dived head first into a freefall, twisting and turning his body right before the impact to land on his feet without a scratch.

The young man manning the front desk was a familiar face he'd met many times before.

Returning to an empty home made him feel like he wasn't only alone at school but alone at home, too. Home should be the sanctuary that brought him comfort, the one place where he could shed his mask and be himself without fear of judgment. This cold, empty place where he slept at night was not a home. It was simply a house, a house that provided him no comfort nor any sense of belonging.

His mom wouldn't be there even if he went home early, so Junpei often spent his time at his favorite theater, watching movies until late at night. Tickets for old films didn't cost as much as newer films, so he could afford binging multiple films in a row with his allowance.

Normally, he'd greet the young man at the front desk. He wouldn't call themselves friends, but the man treated him friendlier than his classmates did, so Junpei had a good impression of him.

Today, however, he ducked his head and sneaked past the man. He couldn't be seen in this form so there was no need to duck, but he still felt self-conscious and the idea of waltzing into the theater like he owned the place was too embarrassing for him to even imagine, let alone do.

Human Earthworm 3 was playing in Theater 4. As expected of an old movie with poor receptions, there was barely anyone in the audience. Junpei froze on his way up the stairs when he saw the faces of the only other audience members aside from himself.

It was Sayama, Nishimura, and Honda.

Instincts told him to turn and bolt out the doors, but Junpei stood his ground instead. The fact that they couldn't see him in his spirit form didn't even cross his mind. What gave him the confidence to stand his ground was the time he'd spent with his new friends in the past few days. He'd learned so much from them, not only about the otherworldly beings, but also about what living was like.

Yato and Natsune were people who could live on forever, so there was this spontaneity in the way they lived their life. They didn't care about other people's judgment of them because they were "invisible," so they were freed from the mental restraints and could do whatever they wanted, living to their heart's content. They weren't confined by time, so they had all the time in the world to experience everything they found an interest in, never letting any opportunity slip them by.

Iki, too, amazed Junpei with her ferocity. She taught herself martial art moves due to her obsession with a mixed martial artist. Even if her skills weren't enough to take down an Ayakashi all by herself, she still tried and gave it her all every single time. If a kick didn't work, she'd try a punch. If a punch didn't work, she'd scratch and bite. If nothing worked, she'd taunt the Ayakashi with her tail to give her friends an opening to attack.

All of them were living their lives to the fullest. They understood the essence of life and enjoyed it for what it was, instead of letting things, people, that didn't matter ruin their life.

Junpei wanted to be like them. He also wanted to break free of his chains and live his life the way he wanted without fear of criticisms and judgment. If he couldn't win a three on one, he could at least intimidate them with his tenacity. No matter how many times they knocked him down, he should have gotten back up again and again. If they restrained his arms, he should have bit and headbutted them. No matter how they tried to subdue him, he should have never surrendered.

Freedom wasn't given, but earned. There were bound to be pesky flies obstructing his path. It was the case with Yato, Natsune, and Iki. All of them fought their way through life and earned their peace and repose. Junpei should have done the same instead of waiting for things to get better.

He continued walking up the stairs. But instead of going to an empty row to enjoy his movie, he headed straight to the row directly behind where his bullies were sitting.

In his current state, they couldn't see him, which meant he could do whatever he wanted.

Junpei thinned his lips, his fingers curling into fists.

He could do anything to them, and they'd be none the wiser.

So…

What should he do?

Junpei stood directly behind the three of them as they laughed rambunctiously and ate their popcorn.

He lifted one of his fists hesitantly, thinking, debating, pondering about his next move…

And it was at this moment that a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Ah!" Junpei yelped as he scurried away to put some distance between himself and the person who just touched him. Thoughts of worst case scenarios flashed through his mind. He was seen? By whom!? Were they gonna ask him for his ticket? Was he gonna get in trouble with the police!?

His panicking began to fade once he took in the stranger's appearance. They didn't look like someone who worked here, nor did they appear mad at Junpei.

The person who touched him was a man with heterochromia eyes and two perpendicular intersecting lines of sutures on his face. His pale skin, long eyelashes, lithe figure, and long, grayish-blue hair tied into three separate strands made him look almost like a girl. A rather pretty girl.

"You're staring," the guy said, and only then did Junpei realize how rude he was being, so he quickly looked away.

"Sorry."

If it was Yato in this situation, he might have been able to come up with some witty remark to make this situation less awkward. But Junpei wasn't as good of a conversationalist as the God was, so he could only manage a quiet apology with his eyes glued to the floor.

"Don't be, don't be! It makes me happy, actually! It's not everyday that a human can see me!"

Junpei's gaze shot towards the guy's face when he heard that last part. What did he mean? A human shouldn't be able to see him? Could it be that he…

"Are… Are you a…" Junpei gulped. He hoped he got this right, otherwise it'd be so embarrassing. "Are you a God?"

A strange look flickered across the guy's face before he smirked.

"You're an interesting one, aren't you?" He leaned in to hook an arm around Junpei's shoulders. The close proximity with someone so pretty had Junpei's face heating up. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"B-Because Gods can't be seen by humans. You look like a human, so you can't be an Ayakashi either. That leaves only one option."

"Hmm… Smart boy. Indeed, you're correct." The guy ruffled Junpei's hair. It was different from the way Sayama used to do it. Sayama did it as a show of superiority, while this guy did it in a way that was almost affectionate, as if he saw the worth within Junpei that he himself couldn't even see. "I am a God. What's your name, kiddo?"

This wasn't his first time meeting a God, so he wasn't as stupefied as he had been when he first met Yato. But even so, Junpei couldn't keep his voice from trembling when he introduced himself.

"M-My name is…is…Yoshino Junpei. What's your name?"

"You can call me…" The guy winked. "'Mahito-sama.'"

AN: Seems like FFN finally decided to fix itself so I hope everyone's getting notifications again. Maybe it's not time to give up on this site yet...