Morning came too fast.
I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw blood spreading across the floor and Naoko-sensei smiling beside it. By the time sunlight pushed through my curtains, my body already felt exhausted.
Still, life moved on like nothing happened.
"Haruko, you'll be late!" my mother called from the kitchen.
"I'm coming," I answered automatically. My voice sounded normal enough. That scared me more than anything.
I got dressed slowly, staring at myself in the mirror longer than usual. I looked the same. Same brown hair. Same tired green eyes. Same face.
So why did everything feel different?
Before leaving, my mother handed me a small lunch box with a warm smile.
"You barely ate breakfast," she sighed. "Make sure you eat this one properly, okay?"
I forced a small smile back.
"Okay."
She adjusted my collar gently like she always did before work.
"Have a good day, Haruko."
Good day.
The words almost felt cruel.
"…You too, Mom."
I stepped outside into the cool morning air, gripping my bag tightly. My chest already felt heavy.
And then,
"Harukoooo!"
Kei's voice nearly made me jump out of my skin.
The four of them stood near the gate waiting for me like usual. Etsuko waved immediately while Toshio yawned loudly beside her. Yori gave me a small nod.
"You look dead," Kei announced dramatically the second I got closer. "Did your mom make you clean the entire apartment or something?"
"She always looks dead," Etsuko replied flatly.
"WOW. That's so mean."
"It's true."
I almost laughed despite myself. Almost.
Toshio stretched his arms behind his head.
"You really disappeared yesterday though. Kei kept saying Naoko-sensei murdered you."
My heart stopped.
Kei blinked.
"I WAS JOKING."
Nobody noticed the way my face paled.
"…Sorry," I mumbled quietly. "Something came up at home."
Yori looked at me carefully for a moment. Too carefully.
"You seem tired," he said.
"I'm fine."
Lies.
We kept walking toward the school together while Kei complained about homework and Toshio argued with Etsuko over something stupid involving bread. Their voices blended into normal morning noise. Familiar. Safe.
But every step toward the school made my stomach twist tighter.
By the time we reached the classroom door, my hands were cold.
I opened it slowly.
And froze.
Naoko-sensei stood at the front of the room organizing papers like always. White hair. Calm smile. Soft expression.
Normal.
Completely normal.
Then she looked up and saw me.
And smiled.
"Good morning, Haruko," she said cheerfully. "You're just in time."
My throat tightened instantly.
"…G-Good morning."
No blood.
No darkness.
No knife.
Just her gentle voice filling the classroom like yesterday never happened.
I sat down quietly while my heartbeat hammered painfully against my ribs.
The entire lesson passed in a blur. Naoko taught normally, joked with students normally, smiled normally. She even laughed when Kei answered a question completely wrong. Nobody else noticed anything strange.
How could they?
Only I knew what her smile looked like in that room.
By lunchtime, I couldn't breathe inside the classroom anymore.
So I left.
My feet carried me automatically toward the backyard. The same cracked bench beneath the old trees where I first met her.
I sat down quietly and opened my lunch box. My appetite was gone, but I forced myself to eat anyway while my laptop rested on my knees.
Writing usually calmed me down. Usually.
The sound of typing filled the quiet air softly.
Then…
"BOO!"
I nearly screamed.
My entire body jerked violently as I slammed my laptop shut by accident.
Naoko burst into laughter beside me. Actual laughter. Bright and childish.
"Your reaction was adorable," she said between laughs.
I stared at her in horror, my breathing uneven.
She sat beside me casually like this was normal. Like she hadn't threatened my mother last night.
"You really scare easily, Haruko," she hummed happily.
"I-I thought you were…" I whispered.
"It's lunch break." She smiled innocently. "Teachers deserve freedom too, you know."
I couldn't answer.
Naoko leaned slightly to peek at my laptop screen.
"Writing again?"
"…Yeah."
"Good." She rested her chin against her hand. "You write better when you're emotional."
Something about that sentence made my stomach twist.
The wind moved softly through the trees. For a few moments, neither of us spoke.
Then Naoko suddenly smiled faintly and looked out toward the empty schoolyard.
"Don't you think it's quieter lately?" she asked casually.
My fingers froze above the keyboard.
Naoko continued lightly, almost playfully.
"That girl who kept bothering you…" She tilted her head. "She hasn't been around anymore."
My throat tightened instantly.
"I wonder why."
She smiled.
And somehow, that smile terrified me more in daylight than it did in the dark.
My hands trembled slightly above my keyboard. I couldn't even look at her properly. The image from last night kept forcing itself back into my mind. Blood on the floor, her smile in the dark, the knife in her hand.
The breeze moved through the trees quietly. Somewhere nearby, students laughed in the distance. Normal sounds. Safe sounds.
But sitting beside Naoko-sensei no longer felt safe at all.
I swallowed hard.
"…Why?"
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
Naoko blinked once.
"Hm?"
I forced myself to continue, even though every instinct told me not to.
"Why do you…" My throat tightened painfully. "Why do you kill people?"
For a moment, the world felt completely silent.
Naoko stared at me quietly. Then, unexpectedly, she laughed softly under her breath.
"That's a very direct question."
I looked down at my laptop immediately.
"S-Sorry—"
"No," she interrupted gently. "It's fine."
Her tone sounded genuinely amused. Like we were discussing favorite movies instead of murder.
Naoko leaned back against the bench, folding her arms loosely. Sunlight slipped through the leaves above us, painting shifting shadows across her white hair.
"You want the honest answer?" she asked casually.
I hesitated.
"…Yes."
She hummed thoughtfully.
"Because people like that continue hurting others if nobody stops them."
Her voice stayed light. Matter-of-fact.
"She bullied you every day, didn't she? And I'm pissed at that." Naoko continued. "And not just you. People like her always find someone weaker. Someone quieter. Someone easier to break."
My chest tightened.
Naoko glanced toward the school building lazily.
"And everyone ignores it," she said. "Teachers see signs but avoid paperwork. Students laugh because it's entertaining. Parents say things like 'kids will be kids.'"
Her smile thinned slightly.
"People are very good at pretending cruelty is normal."
I stayed silent.
Because part of me hated how much sense that made.
Naoko looked back at me again.
"So eventually," she continued softly, "someone has to become the consequence."
A chill crawled down my spine.
"You say that so easily…" I whispered.
"Well, yes." She tilted her head. "Should I cry while doing it?"
I flinched slightly.
Naoko noticed immediately and laughed under her breath again.
"You're thinking of killing as something dramatic," she said. "Something monstrous."
"…Isn't it?"
Her eyes met mine directly.
"Tell me honestly, Haruko."
My stomach twisted.
"When that girl disappeared…" Naoko's voice softened. "Did a part of you feel relieved?"
I froze.
The wind seemed colder suddenly.
Because the horrifying answer was yes.
No more whispers.
No more laughter behind my back.
No more hands grabbing my things.
The silence she left behind had felt easier to breathe in.
Naoko smiled slowly when I couldn't answer.
"I thought so."
"I-I didn't want her to die," I said quickly, my voice shaking. "I never said that."
"Of course not." Naoko sounded almost comforting. "You're kind...and honestly dumb at the same time. That's why you suffered quietly instead of hurting others back."
Her gaze drifted upward toward the trees.
"But kindness alone doesn't stop ugly people from existing."
I stared at her.
"You really think killing them fixes things?"
Naoko shrugged lightly.
"Not permanently."
That answer surprised me.
She noticed immediately.
"Oh? You thought I was going to say I'm saving the world?" she asked with a grin. "Haruko, I'm not naïve."
Then her expression softened slightly. Quieter. Colder.
"The world doesn't become cleaner. People don't suddenly become good. Cruelty doesn't disappear."
Her fingers tapped lazily against the bench beside her.
"But at least their victims can breathe afterward."
I didn't know what to say to that.
Because part of me remembered what school hallways felt like before this morning.
And part of me hated myself for noticing the difference now.
Naoko suddenly leaned closer to peek at my screen again.
"You stopped typing."
"…I can't focus."
"Because of me?" she asked cheerfully.
I didn't answer.
"That hurts my feelings."
"You threatened my mother," I whispered.
For the first time since sitting down, Naoko became completely still.
The playful tone disappeared from her face—not angry, not cruel, just… empty.
"I protected myself," she corrected calmly.
"That's not protection."
"No?"
Her blue eyes settled on me carefully.
"You think people keep secrets out of trust?" she asked softly. "Fear is far more reliable."
My throat tightened again.
Naoko watched my expression for a moment before suddenly smiling brightly like the conversation had never darkened at all.
"Anyway!" she chirped. "You should add more emotional conflict to your novel."
I blinked at the sudden shift.
"What?"
She pointed at my laptop screen enthusiastically.
"Your main character thinks too logically. Trauma makes people irrational. Fear changes how they think."
I stared at her in disbelief.
Was she seriously giving writing advice right now?
Naoko grinned at my expression.
"Oh, don't look so surprised." She rested her chin in her hand. "Humans are most interesting when they're breaking apart."
A cold shiver ran through me.
Then the school bell rang loudly in the distance.
Lunch break was over.
Students began flooding back toward the building, voices growing louder across the yard. The normal world was returning again.
Naoko stood up from the bench smoothly and brushed imaginary dust from her skirt.
"Well," she said happily, "back to being responsible members of society."
She started walking away before stopping suddenly.
Without turning around, she spoke softly.
"Oh, and Haruko?"
My chest tightened immediately.
"If you ever decide to hate me…"
She glanced back over her shoulder, smiling gently.
"…make sure it's for the right reasons."
Then she walked away toward the school building, disappearing into the crowd of students like she was just another normal teacher.
And somehow, that terrified me more than anything else.
Time skip!!
The hallway was louder than usual after school.
Lockers slamming. Shoes scraping. Voices bouncing off the walls in messy layers.
I walked with my friends like normal. Kei was arguing with Toshio again, Etsuko was laughing at something Kei said, and Yori was quietly walking beside me like always.
For a moment, I almost forgot everything from lunch. Almost.
"…So then I told him he's literally allergic to responsibility," Kei was saying dramatically.
"That's not even a real allergy," Toshio shot back.
"It is in my universe."
Etsuko laughed under her breath.
"Your universe sounds exhausting."
I smiled a little without thinking.
It felt normal.
Too normal.
Then the air changed.
Footsteps. Fast. Heavy. Coming straight toward us.
I barely had time to turn before someone grabbed my shirt.
Hard.
I stumbled backward. My bag slipped off my shoulder.
"IS IT YOU?!"
The voice was shaking but not weak. Angry. Desperate.
A group of students stood in front of us. I recognized them immediately. The girl's friends. Their faces were pale, eyes wide like they hadn't slept.
"Is it you?!" one of them shouted again, shaking me slightly. "You killed her, didn't you?! ANSWER ME!!"
My mind went completely blank.
"…W-what?"
Behind me, Kei stepped forward instantly.
"Yo, what the hell are you doing?"
Toshio frowned.
"Let go of her."
But the girl's grip only tightened.
"She's dead!" she snapped. "Her body was found near Area 23!"
The words made my stomach drop.
Area 23.
The abandoned place everyone whispered about. The one people avoided even talking about too loudly.
They say it's cursed.
They say people go in and don't come out the same.
They say screams still echo at night.
"I...what are you talking about?" I stammered. My voice cracked immediately. "I didn't- I didn't do anything!"
"She was your bully!" another girl shouted. "Everyone knows she targeted YOU!"
"That doesn't mean I-"
"Then who else?!"
My breath got stuck in my throat.
People were stopping now. Students gathering. Watching. Whispering.
I could feel it again...that familiar pressure. Eyes. Judgment.
No. Not again.
"I didn't kill anyone," I said, but my voice sounded too small. Too unsure. Even to me.
The girl looked like she didn't care what I said anymore.
"She was found like a human did it," she said sharply. "Not some ghost story. Not some demon nonsense! Someone did it!"
My chest tightened painfully.
"And you were the only one she ever fought with!"
I couldn't breathe properly.
"I..."
Nothing came out.
Because my mind betrayed me.
Naoko.
The image flashed so fast it made me dizzy.
But I couldn't say it. I couldn't even think it properly.
"What is all this noise?"
A calm voice cut through everything.
My entire body froze.
Naoko-sensei walked through the crowd like it was nothing. Students moved slightly aside without realizing it. Her expression was soft, confused, like she had just stumbled into a normal hallway argument.
"Sensei!" one of the girls immediately turned. "She-she killed her! The girl from our class! Her body was found in Area 23!"
All eyes shifted to Naoko.
Including mine.
My heart was beating so loudly I thought someone else could hear it.
Naoko blinked slowly. Then looked at me.
Just for a second.
Then back at them.
"Oh," she said quietly.
She stepped closer. Not rushed. Not emotional. Just calm.
"That's what this is about?"
The girls nodded quickly.
"Yes!"
Naoko tilted her head slightly, like she was thinking.
Then she sighed.
"I see."
She turned slightly toward the crowd now.
"Let's be rational," she said gently. "That girl was found in Area 23, correct?"
"Yes," they said again.
Naoko nodded.
"I've seen similar cases there before," she continued. "Bodies discovered in that area are… not consistent with a normal student's strength."
The crowd went quieter.
My breathing slowed without me realizing it.
Naoko's voice stayed steady.
"And Haruko," she added, glancing at me briefly, "To be honest…she's not physically capable of overpowering someone like that."
My heart skipped.
She said it so easily. So confidently.
"She struggles even carrying heavy books sometimes," Naoko continued calmly. "Let alone something like this."
A few people murmured.
The girls holding me hesitated slightly.
Naoko stepped forward just a little more.
"Besides," she said softly, "Area 23 is known for strange incidents. Even I would not recommend going there alone."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile stayed gentle.
"It is not a place where simple explanations work."
Silence spread through the hallway.
Then she turned back toward the girl's friends.
"Grief can make people desperate," she said softly. "But accusing someone without evidence won't bring your friend back."
The grip on my shirt loosened slightly.
I didn't even notice I was shaking until then.
Naoko's hand gently touched my shoulder.
Warm. Steady.
"I will handle this," she said quietly. "Go home."
The girls looked like they wanted to argue, but something in Naoko's tone stopped them.
Slowly, they backed away.
The crowd began to disperse, whispers fading into hallway noise again.
But I couldn't move.
I just stood there.
Naoko stayed beside me until the hallway emptied.
"Wait."
My voice came out sharper than I expected.
Naoko slowly turned back.
I didn't even understand why I said it at first. My body moved before my thoughts could catch up. My fingers curled into my sleeve so tightly it hurt.
"I… I want to talk," I said quietly.
A pause.
Then Naoko smiled again.
"Alone?"
I hesitated. Then nodded.
Behind us, Kei and the others exchanged confused looks.
"…Haruko?" Etsuko tilted her head.
"I'll be fine," I said quickly, too quickly.
Yori studied me for a moment, then Naoko.
Something about his silence felt like he noticed more than he said.
"Let's go," he muttered finally, pulling the others away. "We'll wait outside."
Kei frowned.
"Huh? Why?"
"Just come on."
Slowly, they walked off, still looking back at me.
Until it was just me and Naoko.
The hallway felt emptier than it should've. Even the sound of footsteps faded too quickly, like the building itself was holding its breath.
Naoko didn't speak first. She just waited. Calm. Patient.
Like she already knew what I was going to say.
We ended up outside, away from the school gates, near the side path where no students usually passed. The wind was colder here. Quiet. Almost uncomfortable in its stillness.
I finally turned to her.
My voice shook.
"…Those bodies in Area 23…"
Naoko blinked once.
I forced myself to continue. My chest hurt. My thoughts felt like they were breaking apart mid-sentence.
"Did you… kill them too?"
Silence.
Not denial. Not shock.
Just silence.
Then Naoko sighed softly, like I had asked something tiring instead of horrifying.
"Yes"