CHAPTER 15 - The Mentality of a Widow. Part 5.

(Pov- Yuki.)

"... So... How was your day?"

"... I suppose it was fine."

Ah... Having dinner without Saik is uncomfortable. Where did that idiot go?! He left without telling us anything. That was rude of him... Although it's something he would do.

He didn't even say goodbye, he just left, and he didn't let us leave the house! Maybe he just wants some privacy, but he could have at least said goodbye. Why is he acting so strange? Well, stranger than usual.

"Where do you think Saik went? It's strange for him to leave without telling us."

"It's not strange, it's something he would do, Noel."

Saik acts quite friendly with me, but his true personality is somewhat... selfish. He only cares about his own well-being. He's not toooo selfish since he cares about me, but I guess today was an exception.

Oh, I still remember the homeless man he kicked when he grabbed his arm. I know the homeless man's action was rude, but kicking him wasn't necessary!

And he did it in front of people, he didn't care about being seen.

Saik is not a good person, but he's definitely not a malicious one.

If he's not malicious but does bad things like kicking a homeless man, it leaves me with only one option: Saik is a person who only thinks about himself.

You don't need to be malicious to appear that way. Saik doesn't care about other people's opinions, not even mine; he only cares about his own opinions, which is why he refuses to comb his hair because he feels comfortable with that hairstyle and doesn't want to sacrifice that comfort to please others.

It's not arrogance, it's selfishness, the act of only thinking about oneself and only caring about oneself. The fact that I had to forcefully convince him to help Sylphie is proof of that. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble (and out of laziness), he didn't want to help her, even though he knew the pain Sylphie was going through with her mother and the school bullying.

Saik didn't want to help someone like Sylphie, despite knowing her pain.

Saik, a guy who lacks empathy for others... At least not for humans.

Saik is very kind to me, treats me very well. Is it because we're friends or because I'm a ghost?

He's told me several times that he feels uncomfortable around humans. Is that the reason he lacks empathy for them?

"Yuki, hey, Yuki."

"Eh? What's up?"

"You got lost in your thoughts. I was asking if you were sure about what you said. Saik seems like a very kind and polite guy."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Kind and polite? Yeah, right. Is the guy who ate a hamburger in front of a hungry homeless man just because he insulted his mother kind? Although, well, yes, the homeless man was wrong to insult Saik's deceased mother, but what Saik did was quite cruel, especially since he even bought another hamburger for a dog to eat in front of the homeless man (although that did seem like a good thing to me, as that dog was a stray and very thin. It was heartwarming to see it eat so happily).

Saik is a vengeful being (at least when it comes to his family); he's far from being considered kind. He's a guy who only cares about what he thinks and doesn't take others seriously.

He'll only help Iris because Noel will help him study.

And today, he helped Sylphie only because I threatened not to help him cheat.

Saik only thinks about himself.

If he doesn't get any benefit, he won't do anything... Won't do anything...

Is he kind to me because... he's afraid I'll hate him? I mean... Well... Saik lost his family... and he considers me his younger sister... Is he afraid I'll come to hate him, and that's why he treats me so well?

Ah... I don't know. And it's quite depressing to think about.

"Saik may seem kind, but he's not... Eh?"

S-someone put their hand on my head. I recognize this hand.

Uwaaaah! How did he come in without me noticing?!

"Aren't I kind, huh? You break my heart, Yuki."

"W-welcome back, Saik. Will you forgive me if I give you a back massage?"

"It's not necessary, I agree with you. I like your honesty, Yuki."

He started petting my head and sat down next to me.

Uffffff. I'm saved. See, Noel? Saik is a kind person. Why did you doubt him? No, no, no. Very bad, Noel.

"Ah, I had a long night. So tired."

"Where did you go, Saik? And why didn't you let me go with you?!"

"I went out to dinner."

"To dinner?! Why didn't you invite us?! That's quite selfish, Saik! I thought we were friends. Oh, my heart. I feel so betrayed. I'll pack my bags and leave the house!"

"It's your life, you decide what to do with it. I'll miss you, Yuki."

"Okay, okay, stop it, you convinced me. Stop crying for me, I'll stay. I'm not so cruel as to abandon you, Saik. Oh, I'm such a good friend, huh?"

"I like it when you act like that, Yuki. It's fun and adorable. Don't you think so, Noel?"

"Well... I suppose so, although your sudden mood swings catch me off guard sometimes," Noel said.

Fufu. Someone has to be the funny one around here. I'm the only normal and fun one in this house! Noel is a boring teacher who only cooks and writes study guides for Saik. And Saik is a cold and unexpressive guy who's only fun when he goes along with my jokes... Or answers me seriously? N-no, he definitely goes along with my jokes, I doubt he really took seriously the idea of me leaving the house... Right?

"In fact, I went out to buy some updated study guides for Noel to read and teach me in his own way. Oh, and I had a hamburger with someone because I got hungry. I didn't take you with me because... Well, I suspect the ghost hunters are suspicious of me. You know, because of the perfect score I got on the entrance exam despite my past grades. I feel eyes on me, and I'd rather avoid it."

"A-are they here?"

Uwaaaah! I'm in tr...! Hmm... Wait... Fufu. They can't see me. Hahahahahaha! Uffffff. I'm safe.

As long as Saik isn't discovered talking "alone," we shouldn't worry.

"Yes, but we can talk here without worries. I'm not a threat to them; I'm just a human who can see ghosts. With all the demons and evil spirits in the world, they can't afford to monitor me so closely."

"But, won't they have devices that allow them to listen to what's happening inside here? Isn't it dangerous to talk here?" Noel said.

It's true, such a secretive organization surely has very advanced technology.

"Yes, I think they should have it, that's why I bought this."

He took out... a black heart-shaped earring?

"The black heart represents mourning in some countries, but it has another meaning. The black heart, in the spiritual world, represents the soul. It's heart-shaped because the soul resides within the heart, and the black color represents spiritual power."

"Spiritual power?" Noel said.

"Yes. For example, you can pass through objects because you use spiritual power, which represents a power that doesn't belong to this world. In other words, ghosts themselves are spiritual beings, and that's why those who can control spiritual power can control ghosts, like me. Spiritual power comes in many forms and colors, but the basic spiritual power is black. This earring is something a ghost got for me from a certain secret shop. It took a long time because it was complicated to obtain this item, but I succeeded."

Eh? A secret shop?!

"A secret shop where they sell ghosts, magical objects, or things like that?!"

Something like that, but they mainly sell items for the protection of ghosts. Ghost hunters use their own ghosts to fight and use these kinds of objects to make them more powerful and protect them. I found a ghost and forced him to go buy this item for me. The shop is unrelated to ghost hunters; they sell to anyone, or that's what the ghost hunter who became a ghost, the one I mentioned earlier, told me. It was very expensive, but I think it will be worth it.

Oh, it all sounds so complicated. My head hurts. But in summary, I think that earring has some kind of power or something.

"And what does the earring do?"

"It absorbs the sound generated inside the house, sounds made by ghosts and my voice. We'll be safe."

"... Oh... I see..."

"It's hard to believe that something like that exists, but well, I'm a ghost, logic disappeared for me," Noel said.

"What if a ghost from the ghost hunters enters the house?"

"That's true; they could discover Yuki's clothes," Noel said.

"No, I shouldn't worry about that, right, Yuki?"

"Oh, I see, I see. No wonder I have to keep my clothes in a secret compartment behind the wall! I thought you were just being dramatic when you built it, but now I see it makes a lot of sense."

"The black paint I used on the inside of that secret compartment is also special, as only you can see the inside. Other ghosts and humans are oblivious to the existence of that secret compartment because the power of the paint makes them believe there's nothing there, just a wall."

Oh... My head hurts trying to understand how that works.

"I agree," Noel said.

"Don't worry; we'll be fine."

Saik placed a plastic bag on the table.

"I brought hamburgers for you."

"I take back what I said; you are kind! Give me, give me!"

Saik yawned and moved away from us.

"I'm going to sleep. Good night."

He left the dining room.

Wow... He really looks tired.

Poor guy. No parents. He spends almost all his time studying... And he thinks not having friends is a good thing... Saik, how much are you really suffering?

I have to help him make more friends!

Yep, that's what I'll do. Saik, friends will make you enjoy your life, I guarantee it!

•

•

(Pov- Saik.)

Just for tonight... Just for today, I won't study.

I lay on my bed and wiped the blood from my nose.

"It's been a long time since I've done this, but it was necessary... I hope I never have to do it again... Never again."

Ah... I know that's impossible.

I'll always need to do "that," whether I like it or not.

It's my destiny, and I've accepted it.

"But the less I do it, the better."

I'm sorry for lying to you, Yuki, but it's necessary. I don't want you to find out the truth... at least not yet.

"Fufu. A magical earring? Is that the best you could come up with?"

Ah...

Number 31 appeared above me and lay on top of me, hugging me and pressing her cheek against mine, and with an up-and-down motion, she started floating my cheek with hers, as if I were a puppy.

"A spiritual object is more believable than the power of a legendary ghost. Goodnight, I'm very tired."

"Tired, huh?"

She lay beside me and hugged me.

"Can I sleep with you?"

"As long as you don't try anything weird, yes."

"I'll try," she said, smiling.

Ah... So tired.

•

•

In a certain part of the country's capital, beneath a large shrine of the Dog religion, lies an underground secret base belonging to the large secretive organization called "Black Air."

In this place, ghost hunters gather to plan attacks, train, or simply socialize with other hunters.

It's a massive underground base consisting of 100 floors. The first 20 are comprised of laboratories, dormitories, and meeting rooms, while the remaining 80 were built for training. The rank of the ghost hunters depends on two factors: experience and the extent of their abilities, and to measure these abilities, they rely on the number of floors they have managed to surpass, and on average, they only reach the first 15 out of the 80.

Only those who have at least surpassed the first 50 have the right to the best benefits provided by the organization, but very few have achieved this, and they all share a common characteristic: the ability to naturally see ghosts.

And the current leader of the organization is an old man they call "89."

An 87-year-old man, with one foot in the grave. Quite young compared to the average lifespan of a leader, which is 130 years, but due to past circumstances, his life was affected.

He was a famous ghost hunter, respected and admired by thousands in his field, and he only knew defeat when he was surpassed by one person... And the name of that person is...

"Shadow... He's returned."

The skin of everyone prickled when the name "Shadow" was mentioned, as everyone in that place knew perfectly well who this Shadow was and what he was capable of achieving.

89 met with three other people to discuss something very important and strange that happened today.

An event too strange, with no logical explanation, and if it has no logical explanation, it only means one thing: it's related to ghosts.

"Father, it's too early to say that. Shadow only captured ghosts; he didn't kill just for the sake of killing. Or at least that's what we know. Yes, he killed innocents to capture legendary ghosts, but why kill those people? What would he gain from that? It doesn't make logical sense," said 90, 89's daughter.

Each generation inherits a higher number, making it clear who the new leader will be.

She is a 50-year-old woman, with a strong and cold demeanor, but even someone like her fears the power of Shadow.

"Mother, I agree with Grandfather. From what we know, Shadow is the only one capable of killing so many people without being discovered. He left no clues, or at least none so far," said 91, 90's daughter.

A young girl of only 13 years old, with a personality identical to her mother's.

"And with this, our suspicions will be confirmed."

A young man of 25 years, named "Faye," took a folder from his backpack and placed it on the table.

He opened it and displayed some photographs and information about a certain boy.

"And this shaggy-haired one?" 90 said.

"His name is Saik Norsai, yes, the same Norsai that comes to mind. He's 16 years old, his birthday is on September 4th, his parents died, and he has no one, not a single relative. He lives alone. Quite sad, isn't it? And what caught my attention the most are his grades. He managed to get into the elite school 'Raikon' with perfect grades."

"Perfect...? That's quite... incredible," 90 said.

"And this is the most suspicious part. His old grades at his previous schools were average... No, they were below average. How did someone like that manage to get perfect grades?"

"Are you saying he used ghosts to cheat?" 91 said.

"Yes, I'm sure he is Shadow."

"...Yes... It's probable... Shadow had the voice and appearance of a 6 or 7-year-old boy. Hard to believe considering his way of speaking and acting, but he didn't lie about his age... If we consider the time since the last time we saw him, he would currently be 15 or 16 years old," 89 said.

"He was 16, the same age as Hanako," 90 said.

"According to the information he gave to Hanako, he came from another country, moved here with his mother and stepfather. He even had a grandmother. We never detected lies in his words. I know the Norsai family, and Saik is very different from the information we have about Shadow. Could he have managed to deceive us without us noticing?" 89 said.

"And look at this."

Faye showed them images that a security camera managed to capture.

"The men who died today in the city 'Ceels' were following Saik today. A security camera managed to see them. And this is the most suspicious part. Saik went to a certain part of the city where there were no security cameras. After 25 minutes, another security camera found them, but they looked strange. Their faces were expressionless; they went straight to other men and killed each other."

"They were controlled by ghosts... Saik knew where there were and where there weren't security cameras... That boy... That boy is definitely Shadow," 90 said.

"But don't you think it's too obvious?" 89 said.

"It's worth checking. Our current situation is critical; we need the power of Shadow. Rookie had already noticed Saik before and sent his younger sister, Hanako, to school. So far, everything seems normal with Saik. They exchanged glances once, but Saik didn't seem to recognize her. Saik and Shadow seem so different, but their actions are definitely suspicious," Faye said.

"He didn't recognize her, and his heart didn't race? Considering their past together, that's unlikely. I don't think he's Shadow," 90 said.

"Mother, I want to meet him. I want to verify that he really is him," 91 said.

"Be careful. Remember, he's no longer our enemy."

"Yes, I know. Unlike others, Shadow is a special case... I must be very cautious."

A huge and grotesque ghost began to emerge from her back, and she smiled as the deformed ghost laughed with a deep voice behind her, unsettling everyone.

This ghost had a black aura, faces distorted all over its body, it was huge, fat, and disgusting to look at.

A ghost formed by the spirits of people cruelly murdered by a certain cult in the past.

"I want to meet the man who defeated you in a second, Grandfather."

She had a strange smile for a girl her age.

A smile that was frightening, even to her mother.

And combined with the ghost behind her, she looked terrifying and evil.

"This will be fun."

•

•

(Pov- Saik.)

My third day of school.

I think I've already gotten used to waking up early for school.

Before, waking up early used to be such a hassle.

And now? It's still a hassle, but I don't complain as much as before.

After taking a bath and having breakfast, I brush my teeth and leave the house, as usual, carrying Yuki on my shoulders, although this time, something is different from the usual.

"Saik, your hair smells delicious! You'd be popular with women if you styled it a bit."

Why bother styling my hair? I'd just be wasting my time. I like to keep my hair messy.

I turned a corner and "accidentally" bumped into a girl.

She was waiting for me; I could feel her presence. Yes, just as I suspected.

She fell to the ground, and a little "kya" escaped her when her backside hit the ground. You can't act, can you?

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

I offered her my hand and helped her up.

"Thanks."

Out of nowhere, a ghost emerged from her back and tried to scare me. How boring.

"I'll kill you!"

"Kya! A monster!" Yuki screamed, terrified.

Now, that "kya" was cute.

Yuki fell to the ground in fright, and I petted the girl's head, completely ignoring the ghost's attempts to scare me over and over.

"Hey, you should be more careful. Goodbye."

"Huh?"

I walked away from her and passed through the ghost as if nothing were there.

I showed no sign of fear or emotion. My heart keeps beating normally.

The ghost continued trying to scare me, showing me gruesome things with its body, but I kept walking without paying any attention.

"Ah, I got hungry."

I took a chocolate bar from my pocket and began to eat it.

"I didn't have time to do the homework because I was hiding. Ah, I hope someone takes pity on me and shares it with me," I said, speaking softly.

"Hiding? Hey," the girl said, grabbing the sleeve of my uniform.

I knew this girl had been following me. What I said was suspicious, but it was necessary to justify my alibi.

"Eh?"

I stopped and turned to look at her.

"What's up? I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"You said you were hiding. Why?"

"Ah, yes... Why do you care?"

"Just curious."

"Sounds suspicious... Oh well. Some students from my school wanted to beat me up, so I had to hide from them. I just hope I don't see them again. Remember, girl, don't support bullying, and report any aggression. Well, well, I feel like I'm teaching a student. Or a parent? Well, it doesn't matter."

Yuki kicked the ghost.

"I'm running late."

"Leave Saik alone, you creep!" Yuki said.

"Disappear from my sight, little girl! Do you want me to kill you?" the ghost said.

"Kya! Gross, gross!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Sorry, I have to go. I'll be late for school."

Yuki hid behind me, and I walked away.

"Hey."

I stopped and turned to look at her.

"What's up?"

The ghost tried to scare me again, but I didn't care. It didn't evoke any emotion in me.

Meh, I've seen worse.

"I'm in a hurry, I want to get to school early to copy the homework."

"It's useless; this guy can't see me."

"... Nothing," she said.

"Nothing? Well... you're quite strange. Well, it was a pleasure, but I have to go. Oh, by the way..."

I pulled out another chocolate bar and offered it to her.

"Do you want it?"

"Eh? Are you giving it to me? Why?"

"You're adorable."

"Don't treat me like a little girl, idiot!"

Ah, an aggressive girl. How adorable.

Well, she's adorable when you know you're stronger than her. It stops being adorable when the aggressive girl is stronger than you.

Her long, blue hair combined with those blood-red eyes make her look evil... Yes, she's quite adorable.

And she's completely flat... Definitely adorable.

"Don't want it? Well, more for me."

She snatched the chocolate bar.

"I'll accept it only because I'm hungry, idiot!"

"Well... you're even more adorable than I thought."

"Stop calling me adorable!"

"Sure, sure. Take care. Goodbye."

I walked away.

Well, everything went perfectly.

"I hope to never see you again, disgusting monster!"

Yuki stuck out her tongue.

"Saik is mine only, I won't let you get close to him!"

Ah, I'm sorry, but this will hurt you, Yuki.

"Kill that ghost," the girl whispered.

A normal person wouldn't hear her, but I heard her perfectly because I'm not normal. A final test to confirm my identity.

The ghost attacked Yuki, destroying her head with its huge fist, disintegrating Yuki.

The ghost disappeared, and I closed my eyes.

Yuki will appear in... Now.

When I opened my eyes, Yuki appeared in front of me, crying.

"You told me it wouldn't hurt! Liar, liar! It hurt a lot!" she said, crying heavily.

Ay... It hurts to see her like this.

I told Yuki about what might happen today, and we planned this.

The ghosts I control can't be seen by others... But if I want them to be seen, others will see them.

When the ghost hit Yuki, it used a technique to remove souls, a technique that had no effect on Yuki because I protected her with my power.

That technique only made Yuki disappear for a few seconds.

When she reappeared, only I could see her because I didn't want others to see her.

My plan worked perfectly.

If the ghost had killed Yuki in front of me and I hadn't reacted, they would have been convinced that I couldn't see ghosts.

A cruel plan, but necessary. I don't want ghost hunters messing up my life.

"It hurt a lot, a lot, a lot! Saik, I hate you!"

"I'll give you twice as much as we agreed." I said, whispering, out of that girl's reach.

I spoke softly as always, so I'm not in danger.

"This time it won't work!"

"With a huge chocolate cake just for you. With chocolate bars around the cake. And of course, a huge lemon ice cream. All for you."

Yuki started salivating and hugged me.

"I forgive you, Saik!"

"Thank you."

Well, I solved one problem, but it won't be the only one.

I have to stay on guard all the time.

A tiny bit of fear would make them suspicious, and they'd kidnap me.

•

•

"No... It wasn't... He didn't show any signs of emotion... He didn't seem afraid or nervous... His heart was beating normally... Even Dob eliminated a little ghost girl who was following him, and he was still the same, unaffected."

91 was talking to her mother on the phone to inform her about what happened.

"Is there anything strange about him? Any identifying characteristic?"

"Apart from his strange fashion sense of not combing his hair, I didn't find anything strange... He even gave me a chocolate bar because, according to him, I'm adorable. He's an idiot, not the Shadow I admire."

"I see... Bring the chocolate bar; I want to analyze it."

"Yes, yes, I know."

She hung up and sighed.

"Something strange is happening in this city... I'll stay a little longer."