The room was dim. The faint glow of Ayaka's laptop illuminated Kōki's desk and the surrounding furniture.
Kōki sat in his chair, his palms pressed flat against his knees.
Sayoko hovered beside the desk. Her translucent form flickered faintly as she leaned closer to the screen. She raised one hand and pointed.
The display flickered.
The pixels warped beneath her fingertip. A dry scratching sound crackled through the speakers.
"Ah!!"
Sayoko jerked backward. Her shoulders drew in.
Ayaka shifted her stance. One foot slid back against the floor as her gaze snapped toward the laptop.
"Do you believe me now...?"
Ayaka turned toward him. Her lips parted.
"Yes… I do. The only person who knew everything you said earlier was Sayoko."
Her hand rose to her chest.
"Hey, not bad, Sayoko. Keep at it like that, and maybe he'll agree to help us."
Takuto's voice drifted into the room.
"Well, looks like things are finally—"
His head slid straight through the wall. Half his body remained on the other side.
Sayoko's brows knitted. Her cheeks puffed out as she raised a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh!"
"Just be quiet. And stop doing that already. You're going to freak him out."
She lifted her leg and kicked through the space where Takuto's head hovered.
THWACK!
Her heel connected with his face, snapping his head back through the wall.
Kōki's shoulders jerked back. His eyes darted toward the wall Takuto had passed through.
"That was… not normal."
Sayoko lowered her finger from her lips.
"Oh, wait. I almost forgot to ask."
She turned toward Kōki in one quick motion.
"I haven't seen Yuri around today. Where is she?"
Kōki's gaze dropped to the floor. His fingers pressed against his knees.
"Yuri… died two years ago. She was run over by a car."
Sayoko froze mid-motion. Her lips pressed together, and her gaze lowered.
"Oh… I didn't know."
Poor cat.
Before Kōki could react, a brief flash of light flared near the window.
The glow reflected off the glass before vanishing.
Sayoko blinked. Her head turned toward the window.
"What was that just now?"
"Kō!! Come here. Look at this!"
Ayaka's voice trembled.
Kōki pushed himself upright and moved to her side. He leaned over her shoulder, his eyes fixed on the laptop screen.
A blurry image filled the display.
His brows drew together.
"It's not clear… but she's really there. She's floating."
Ayaka pointed at the screen as she spoke.
Sayoko drew in a small breath.
She stopped behind Kōki.
"Um… Kōki-kun?"
"Ahh!!"
Kōki stumbled backward, nearly bumping into the bed.
"What is it?" he muttered.
Sayoko hesitated.
"There's… something I wanted to tell you."
Kōki glanced over his shoulder.
"Wait. Is that why you followed me here?"
Sayoko nodded. Her lashes lowered.
"We… we have reason to believe my death wasn't an accident."
Kōki stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
Sayoko lifted her eyes toward him. A faint smile crossed her lips.
"That's why I'm glad you can see me… Kōki-kun. You can help me figure out what really happened to me."
"If I don't find out the truth…
She paused.
I won't be able to move on to the next life."
"I see…"
Kōki dragged his fingers along the side of his arm.
"I don't really know what you expect from me. This is all a lot to take in."
He scratched his cheek and let out a short breath.
"But… if you really think I can help, I'll see what I can do."
Sayoko's eyes widened. A glimmer spread across them as she flew toward him.
"Oh, thank you, Kōki-kun! Really. You're the best!"
"Stay away," Kōki said.
Sayoko moved closer, her arms stretching out to embrace him. Her form slipped straight through his body.
She stopped on the other side, her hands still hovering in the air.
Kōki's shoulders jerked. A chill ran down his back, and his fingers curled against his shirt.
His heart pounded against his chest.
"P-please don't do that again. It feels… weird."
A giggle escaped Sayoko's lips.
"Okay, okay! I won't."
She lifted both hands in front of her, her fingers spread.
"It's just… I'm really happy right now."
Kōki's cheeks reddened. He quickly turned his face away.
"I don't remember everything about my death. A lot of it's gone. When I crossed over, most of my memories disappeared. But… there are still a few things I remember."
Sayoko lifted her eyes toward him.
"I didn't forget you, Kōki-kun."
Her fingers tightened against the fabric of her uniform.
"Or Arata… There was a guy named Arata. He was… a good friend of mine."
Kōki's brows drew together.
"So… you're saying someone might've actually killed you?"
Ayaka frowned. She watched his lips move, her gaze shifting between his face and the empty space in front of him.
"Kō… who are you talking to?"
She tilted her head.
"Is it Sayoko now?"
"Hold on. Can you be quiet for a minute?"
Kōki raised one hand toward Ayaka, his palm half-open. His eyes remained fixed on Sayoko.
"I'm trying to think."
Ayaka's eyebrows twitched. She straightened her back.
"Excuse me?"
She planted both hands on her hips.
"Who do you think you're talking to like that, mister?"
"When I met Ayaka earlier… all these memories of her started coming back. Do you think that means anything?" Sayoko asked.
Kōki folded his arms. His fingers tapped against the sleeve of his uniform.
"Maybe. The people you remember could have something to do with your death. Or they might be able to help us figure out what happened."
"And those memory fragments… maybe seeing people you knew when you were alive is what brings them back."
Kōki rubbed his chin.
"If that's true, you should try to find more people from your past. Who knows? Maybe one of them will help you remember something important."
"That's great, Kōki-kun!"
Sayoko threw both hands into the air.
"So… can we start right now?"
She glanced around the room, her gaze lingering on the desk and the walls.
"Honestly, it's way too boring just sitting around in your room. There's nothing to do here!"
"So, you're insulting my room after I just agreed to help you, huh?"
Sayoko quickly waved both hands.
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Before Kōki could respond, Takuto's head poked through the wall again.
"Yeah, let's go already."
Kōki jolted. He spun around so quickly that his foot caught on the doorframe.
"Whoa—!"
His arms flailed as he stumbled backward. His footing slipped, and he tumbled down the stairs.
THUD! BANG! CRASH!
The noise echoed through the house.
"Kō!" Ayaka shouted, rushing to the edge of the stairs.
"Kōki-kun!" Sayoko floated down after him.
Kōki groaned. He sat against the wall, one hand gripping his lower back.
"Ow… damn it! Who the hell is that dead guy, anyway?! He keeps popping up and doing that creepy thing with his head!"
Sayoko hovered beside him.
"I'm not really sure myself. He told me his name was Takuto. I met him in the old section of the school, where I first woke up. He kept calling my name, so I thought he knew me."
Her gaze lowered.
"But… just like me, he doesn't remember anything from before."
"I see…" Kōki muttered.
He pushed himself to his feet, then pressed a hand against his back.
Sayoko smiled.
"It's strange, isn't it? Both of us stuck in this in-between world, trying to piece together who we were."
She glanced toward Takuto, then back at Kōki.
"But… I still have hope. With your help, Kōki-kun, maybe we can figure out what happened to me. And maybe we'll find out what's going on with Takuto, too."
Kōki rubbed the back of his neck.
"I have no idea how we're supposed to figure all this out…"
His eyes shifted toward Sayoko.
"But if it means helping you, I'll try. I'll do whatever I can."
Sayoko's eyes glistened. Her lips parted, and she lowered her head slightly.
"Thank you… Kōki-kun."