"Yes," she said simply.
My heart dropped so hard I thought I might fall.
"…What?"
Naoko looked at me, expression still calm. Almost bored now.
"The people found there," she continued gently, "aren't exactly innocent cases."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But people are stupid, Haruko. They like simple answers."
My hands started shaking again.
"So they choose fantasy," she said. "Demons. Ghosts. Curses. Anything except reality."
My voice cracked.
"So it's you…"
"Yes."
No hesitation. No emotion. Just fact.
I stepped back without realizing it.
Naoko noticed and gave a small, amused smile.
"And yes," she added lightly, "that place is haunted."
I froze.
She continued as if she was explaining something normal.
"There are stories for a reason. People don't just imagine screams in empty buildings."
My breathing got uneven.
"But I don't rely on ghosts," she said softly. "I rely on reality."
Her eyes met mine. Calm. Sharp.
"Humans are always more consistent than spirits."
My voice barely worked.
"…Why are you telling me this so easily?"
Naoko tilted her head.
"Because you asked."
That answer made my stomach twist.
I shook my head slightly.
"No… no, that's not. Normal people don't just admit that."
Naoko smiled faintly again.
"Normal people also let things like bullying continue until someone disappears," she said.
I flinched.
"That girl," she continued calmly, "hurt you every day. And now she won't, right?"
My chest tightened painfully.
"You didn't have to kill her," I whispered.
Naoko looked at me for a moment. Quiet. Studying.
Then she stepped closer just slightly.
"Haruko," she said softly, "if I didn't remove people like that…"
She paused.
"…how long do you think you would've lasted? I mean you're just so weak to be honest."
The question hit harder than anything else she had said.
Because I didn't have an answer.
Naoko straightened again, expression softening back into something almost gentle.
"I don't enjoy chaos," she said quietly. "I just remove what creates it."
I stared at her.
"You call that justice?"
Naoko gave a small shrug.
"I don't call it anything."
A pause.
"I just act."
The wind moved between us again, colder now.
My thoughts were spinning too fast. Fear. Confusion. Something worse underneath it I didn't want to name.
Naoko watched me for a moment longer.
Then her voice softened again.
"You're thinking too loudly again."
I flinched.
"…Am I dangerous to you too?" I asked before I could stop myself.
For the first time, Naoko's smile changed slightly. Smaller. Quieter.
"No," she said.
A beat.
"You're not like them."
That should've comforted me.
It didn't.
Because I didn't know what "like them" even meant anymore.
Naoko turned slightly, looking back toward the school.
"We should head back," she said casually. "Your mother might be worried again."
Like everything she had just said was normal conversation.
Like I wasn't standing there trying not to break apart.
And as she started walking, I realized something terrifying.
The scariest part wasn't that she admitted it.
It was that she didn't even seem changed by it.
The walk home felt strange after that.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just… wrong.
Like something invisible had settled inside my chest and refused to leave.
The moment I stepped outside the school gate, Kei spotted me immediately.
"There she is!" he shouted dramatically, throwing his arms up. "The mysterious main character returns!"
Etsuko rolled her eyes.
"You say weird things every single day."
"That's because I'm gifted."
Toshio pointed at me.
"So? What did you two talk about anyway?"
My heartbeat stumbled for a second.
I forced my face to stay normal.
"Oh… nothing important," I lied quickly. "She just asked if I was okay after earlier."
Yori looked at me quietly.
Too quietly.
"And?" he asked.
I looked away before answering.
"That's all."
Another lie.
Kei stretched his arms behind his head.
"Man, today sucked. First a murder case, then hallway drama. This school's becoming a horror movie."
The word murder made my stomach tighten again.
Toshio frowned slightly.
"Still can't believe they found her in Area 23 though…"
Etsuko crossed her arms.
"Who even goes there willingly?"
Nobody answered that.
Because everyone knew the rumors.
The screaming sounds at night.
The abandoned halls.
The bodies people whispered about but never fully explained.
Kei shivered dramatically.
"Bro, if a demon asked me to enter that building, I'd just die on the spot instead."
I almost spoke.
Almost said the real monster smiles like a teacher and drinks coffee during lunch breaks.
Instead, I stayed silent.
The conversation moved on eventually. Homework. Teachers. Random jokes. Normal things.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Because I was standing beside them carrying something horrible inside me, and none of them knew.
By the time we split ways, the sun had already started setting.
I walked home alone again.
The streets felt quieter today. Every passing stranger made me glance twice. Every shadow looked deeper than before.
When I finally reached the apartment, I could already hear the television from inside.
I stepped through the door slowly.
"I'm home," I called automatically.
"In here!" my mother answered.
She sat on the couch with the news playing in front of her, still wearing her work clothes. A bowl of cut fruit rested on the table beside her.
The second she saw me, her expression softened.
"Oh, good. Come sit for a second."
Something in her tone made my chest tighten immediately.
I walked closer slowly.
On the television screen was police tape. Flashing lights. A blurry image of the entrance to Area 23.
My blood ran cold.
"A student's body was found there this morning," my mother said quietly. "They're saying she was around your age."
I couldn't breathe properly for a second.
The reporter's voice blurred together into meaningless noise.
"Area 23… unidentified circumstances… investigation ongoing…"
"Do you know her?" my mother asked gently.
My throat tightened immediately.
I stared at the screen.
That girl's face flashed through my head again. Laughing at me. Mocking me. Then lying on the floor covered in blood.
"…She was in my old class," I answered quietly.
Not a lie.
Not the truth either.
"Oh…" My mother's face fell slightly. "That poor girl."
She looked back at the television with a sad expression.
"Why would someone her age even go somewhere like Area 23?" she murmured softly. "It's dangerous enough during daytime…"
Dangerous.
The word echoed strangely in my head.
And before I could stop myself before I could even fully process the thought forming inside me.
"She deserved it anyway."
The words slipped out quietly. Coldly.
Silence.
My eyes widened instantly.
What…?
My mother blinked and looked toward me.
"Hm? What did you say?"
Panic slammed into me.
"N-Nothing!" I said too fast. "I mean- nothing!"
But my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
Because for one horrible second…
I meant it.
The realization hit me so suddenly it made me feel sick.
That wasn't me.
I wasn't someone who thought like that.
…Right?
My mother studied my face carefully now.
"Haruko," she said softly, "are you sure you're okay?"
I forced myself to nod.
"I'm just tired."
Lie.
She gave me a worried look but eventually sighed gently.
"Go change, then. Dinner will be ready soon."
"…Okay."
I walked to my room slowly, shutting the door behind me a little too quickly.
The second I was alone, I leaned against the wall hard, breathing unevenly.
My mind replayed the sentence again.
"She deserved it anyway"
The words sounded wrong in my own voice.
I slid down against the wall until I was sitting on the floor. My hands trembled slightly as I pressed them against my face.
Why did I say that?
Because she hurt me?
Because part of me felt relieved she was gone?
Or because Naoko's voice was already starting to crawl into my thoughts?
I didn't know which answer scared me more.
Then my phone buzzed suddenly.
I flinched violently before grabbing it.
A message.
From Naoko.
I didn't even remember giving her my number.
Naoko-sensei:
You handled today well.
My stomach dropped instantly.
Another message appeared.
Naoko-sensei:
See? The world feels quieter already. So enjoy it! :]
I stared at the screen for a long time.
Then slowly, almost unconsciously, my fingers tightened around the phone.
And somewhere deep inside me…
Something felt disturbed.
But something else felt understood.
The next few days passed strangely.
Not peaceful.
Not normal.
Just… quieter.
Too quiet.
Every morning felt the same now. I'd wake up exhausted no matter how much I slept, eat breakfast while my mother talked about ordinary things, then walk to school pretending my life hadn't completely fallen apart.
And every morning, my friends waited for me near the gate.
Kei would complain about homework.
Toshio would yawn loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
Etsuko would insult Kei at least once before first period.
And Yori would quietly watch all of us like he noticed more than he said.
It almost felt normal again.
Almost.
But every time I entered the classroom and saw Naoko-sensei smiling at students like a perfectly ordinary teacher, my chest tightened painfully.
Because I knew.
And she knew that I knew.
That was the terrifying part.
Lunch became routine too.
I always ended up back at the same bench in the backyard with my laptop open and my lunch half-finished beside me. Writing felt harder lately. My thoughts kept drifting. My characters sounded emptier than before somehow.
Maybe because I couldn't stop thinking about reality anymore.
On the second day, I was typing quietly when a voice suddenly spoke right beside my ear.
"You're spelling it wrong."
I nearly threw my laptop off the bench.
Naoko burst into laughter immediately while I grabbed my chest in panic.
"Naoko S-Sensei?!"
"That reaction never gets old," she said happily, sitting beside me.
"You're going to kill me one day…" I muttered weakly.
Naoko smiled.
"Oh, I WISH I could do that!"
The sentence sounded playful.
But it still made my stomach twist.
That day, she unexpectedly brought Etsuko and the others over too.
"Haruko hides here every lunch break," Naoko announced dramatically. "I'm trying to socialize her."
"I KNEW IT," Kei said immediately, pointing at me like he solved a mystery. "You've secretly been living a double life as a lonely novelist."
"I literally told you I write novels," I mumbled.
"Yeah but hearing it and seeing it are different."
Toshio leaned over curiously.
"Can we read it?"
"No."
"Aw."
Etsuko sat beside me and smirked slightly.
"You answered that way too fast."
Yori glanced at my screen quietly.
"You seem serious about it."
"…I want to become a writer someday," I admitted softly.
The words felt embarrassing out loud.
But instead of laughing, everyone reacted normally.
"That's cool," Toshio said instantly.
"You better make me as the coolest character," Kei added.
"You'd die first in any serious story," Etsuko replied.
"I hate this class."
Naoko laughed softly while listening to us.
And somehow, for a little while, things felt light again.
Safe enough to forget.
Then it happened again the next day…And the next.
Naoko kept finding new ways to scare me during lunch.
One day she suddenly appeared upside down from behind the bench just to watch me scream.
Another day she silently sat beside me for almost ten whole minutes before whispering,
"You missed a spelling mistake, again."
I almost cried.
"You're way too easy to surprise," she laughed.
"You're terrifying!" I shot back before realizing what I said.
The air went quiet for half a second.
Then Naoko smiled strangely.
"…Maybe."
I didn't know why that single word bothered me so much afterward.
By the fourth day, I had started noticing patterns.
Naoko always approached from behind the left side of the bench because the trees hid her footsteps better there.
And right before she spoke, the shadow beside me shifted slightly first.
So when I noticed it again that afternoon, I sighed without looking up from my laptop.
"I know you're here, Sensei."
Silence.
Then Naoko stepped out from behind the tree looking genuinely offended.
"…Aww…"
I glanced up slightly and almost laughed at her expression. She actually looked disappointed.
"You keep doing the same thing," I said.
"That's unfortunate." Naoko crossed her arms dramatically. "You were much cuter when frightened."
"I'm adapting."
"How tragic."
She sat beside me anyway with an exaggerated sigh.
"The others?" she asked.
"They're lining up for lunch. I think they'll come afterwards."
Naoko nodded slightly.
"Ah. So it's just us for now."
Something about that sentence made the air feel colder.
The schoolyard was quieter than usual. Wind rustled softly through the trees above us while distant student voices echoed faintly from inside the building.
I returned my attention to my laptop.
Then Naoko suddenly spoke again.
"You should still be careful walking home."
I blinked.
"Why?"
Naoko rested her chin against her hand lazily.
"There's apparently a serial killer in town."
My fingers froze instantly over the keyboard.
"…That's not funny."
"I wasn't joking."
I slowly looked toward her.
Her expression stayed light. Calm. Almost amused.
"You're talking about yourself," I whispered.
Naoko smiled slightly.
"Technically, yes."
A chill crawled down my spine.
She said things like that too casually.
Way too casually.
Then her gaze drifted toward the school building.
"But humans are interesting," she murmured softly. "Once people become afraid, they stop thinking clearly."
I stayed silent.
Naoko continued calmly, like discussing weather.
"Now every violent incident will be blamed on one imaginary monster. Police become desperate. Rumors spread. People suspect neighbors. Friends. Teachers."
Her smile thinned slightly.
"Fear is very convenient."
My stomach twisted.
"…Why are you telling me this?"
Naoko looked at me for a long moment before answering.
"Because you'll be involved…somehow."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Involved.
Like this wasn't something I witnessed anymore.
Like somehow I had already become part of it.
I looked away quickly.
"I'm not like you."
Naoko's expression softened strangely at that.
"I know," she said quietly.
That answer should've relieved me.
Instead, it only made me more uncomfortable.
Then suddenly,
"WE'RE HERE!"
Kei's voice exploded from behind us.
This time I almost fell off the bench.
Naoko stared at me for exactly one second before bursting into laughter so hard she nearly covered her mouth.
"Oh, that's embarrassing," she said between laughs. "Now you're the one being scared."
Kei looked confused.
"Why does it feel like I interrupted something illegal?"
"You interrupt everything illegally," Etsuko replied while sitting down beside me.
And just like that, the moment shattered.
The tension disappeared into ordinary conversation again.
But even while Kei complained loudly about cafeteria bread and Toshio argued with him over juice flavors…
I could still hear Naoko's words echoing quietly in my head.
"Fear is very convenient"
The rest of lunch passed in a blur after that.
Kei kept talking nonstop about random things nobody asked about. Toshio argued with him over something stupid involving action movies, Etsuko kept insulting both of them, and Yori quietly listened while pretending not to enjoy it.
Normal.
Everything around me felt painfully normal.
"…And I'm telling you," Kei said dramatically while pointing his chopsticks at Toshio, "if aliens invaded Earth tomorrow, I'd survive the longest."
"You'd die first," Etsuko replied instantly.
"No, you'd die first because you'd start to insult the aliens."
"That's still a better death than yours."
Toshio nodded seriously.
"True."
"You people are fake friends."
I laughed quietly under my breath.
Kei immediately pointed at me.
"SEE? Haruko agrees with me."
"I literally laughed at you."
"Support comes in many forms."
Yori adjusted his glasses slightly while looking at me.
"You seem more relaxed today."
The sentence caught me off guard.
"…Do I?"
"A little," he answered.
I didn't know what to say to that.
Because maybe he was right.
And maybe that terrified me.
The girl who used to bully me was gone now.
The hallways were quieter.
Nobody whispered when I walked by anymore.
Part of me hated how relieved I felt.
And part of me hated that Naoko noticed it too.
The bell eventually rang, ending lunch.
Everyone groaned dramatically except Yori, who somehow always looked emotionally prepared for school.
As we walked back toward the building together, Kei suddenly looked at me suspiciously.
"You know," he said, narrowing his eyes, "you've changed a little lately."
My chest tightened instantly.
"…What?"
"You smile more now."
I blinked.
Etsuko nodded slightly.
"He's right."
Toshio pointed dramatically.
"Character development."
"That's not what character development means," Yori sighed.
"It means she's happier now," Toshio corrected proudly.
The word happier hit strangely.
Was I?
I didn't even know anymore.
Before I could answer, Kei suddenly leaned closer.
"Wait. Haruko. Be honest."
"…About what?"
"Are you secretly becoming cool without telling us?"
I stared at him.
Then Etsuko smacked the back of his head.
"Ow!"
And just like that, the moment dissolved into laughter again.
Time skip!!
The rest of the school day dragged slowly.
Classes blurred together. Chalk against whiteboards. Teachers talking. Students whispering.
Every now and then I'd glance toward Naoko-sensei at the front of the room.
And every single time, she looked completely normal.
Smiling softly.
Teaching calmly.
Praising students gently.
Like she hadn't stood over a dying body with blood on her hands.
That disconnect frightened me more than anything else.
Because monsters in stories looked like monsters.
Naoko didn't.
Another time skip!!
When the final bell rang, relief swept through the classroom instantly.
Students started packing up loudly. Chairs scraped against the floor.
Kei stretched dramatically like he'd survived a war.
"Freedom at last."
"You say that every day," Etsuko muttered.
"And every day I mean it."
We all walked out together, talking the entire way through the hallway.
Mostly Kei talking.
"…So then the teacher looked at me and said 'that's not how science works,'" he complained. "Which is rude because science should be more open-minded."
"That sentence physically hurt me," Yori replied.
Toshio laughed loudly beside him.
"You almost blew up the lab."
"ALMOST."
"That's not better."
I smiled faintly while listening to them.
The afternoon sunlight poured through the school windows, warm and golden across the hallway floors. Students crowded around us while heading home.
For a little while, I let myself sink into the noise.
Into normality.
Maybe because I wanted to pretend I still belonged in it.
We eventually reached the front gate together.
Kei waved dramatically.
"Goodbye, my emotionally unstable companions."
"We're unstable because of you," Etsuko replied.
"True friendship."
Toshio yawned loudly.
"I'm going straight to bed when I get home."
"It's barely evening," Yori pointed out.
"And?"
Etsuko looked toward me.
"Message us later, okay?"
I nodded lightly.
"Okay."
Then everyone slowly split off in different directions until I was alone again.
The streets were quieter today.
The sky had already started fading orange, the evening air cooler against my skin as I walked home. Cars passed occasionally. A bicycle rolled by somewhere behind me.
But my mind stayed restless.
Every time I tried not to think about Naoko, I somehow thought about her more.
Her smile.
Her voice.
The way she admitted horrible things so casually.
Humans are always more consistent than spirits.
I tightened my grip around my bag strap slightly.
By the time I reached my apartment building, the sun was nearly gone.
I climbed the stairs slowly, exhausted in a way sleep couldn't fix.
All I wanted was to get inside, eat dinner, and stop thinking for one night.
I reached the apartment door and pulled out my keys.
But the second I stepped inside, something felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Usually the television was on. Or my mother hummed while cooking. Something.
"…Mom?" I called softly while shutting the door behind me.
No answer.
A cold feeling crept slowly into my stomach.
I slipped off my shoes carefully and walked farther inside…
The living room lights were on, casting a soft yellow glow across the apartment.
At first, nothing looked wrong.
The television was still running quietly. A cup rested on the table. One of my mother's slippers had fallen sideways near the couch like she had moved too quickly.
"…Mom?" I called again, softer this time.
Still no answer.
That cold feeling in my stomach twisted harder.
Then I noticed it.
Something dark against the floor.
My footsteps slowed immediately.
For a second, my brain refused to understand what I was looking at…
"MOM!?!"