The moment Riku left for school, Yuki rubbed her ghostly hands together.
"Alright," she muttered, pacing mid-air and floating in circles. "It's time to show that mortal the true meaning of fear!"
She had all day to prepare.
No distractions. No interruptions. Just pure, concentrated haunting energy.
The plan was simple.
By nightfall, Riku would tremble before her.
She just had to make sure she didn't mess it up this time.
Meanwhile, at Sazanami University…
Riku adjusted his bag and walked into the lecture hall, scanning the room.
New city. New school. New start.
No big deal.
He wasn't nervous—just… mildly prepared for disaster.
The professor, an older man with glasses far too small for his face, cleared his throat. "Alright, everyone, settle down. Before we begin, we have a new student joining us today."
A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward Riku. Great.
"This is Riku. He just transferred here, so help him out if he needs anything."
Riku nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yo."
Silence.
The professor sighed. "Alright, take a seat."
He picked an empty seat near the middle and sat down. Within seconds, the girl next to him turned to whisper.
"You just transferred here?"
Riku nodded.
She grinned. "Good luck. The vending machines steal your money."
Riku paused. "Like… they don't give change?"
"No, I mean they literally steal. You'll see."
Before he could ask further, the professor began the lecture.
Riku focused, taking notes. He wasn't here to slack off. He was going to make this new start work.
Lunch Break
Riku wandered outside, checking out the campus. It was bigger than he expected, with old, towering trees shading most of the walkways.
Just as he sat on a bench, peeling open a convenience store sandwich, he felt… something.
A slight chill.
"…Weird," he muttered.
Before he could think too much about it, a shadow loomed over him.
"Yo, new guy!"
Riku turned to see a guy with messy brown hair and a laid-back grin. He carried a sports bag over his shoulder.
"You're Riku, right? I'm Daichi. Saw you in class."
Riku nodded. "Yo."
Daichi plopped onto the bench next to him. "Man, this place is full of weirdos, huh?"
Riku raised an eyebrow. "You included?"
Daichi smirked. "Obviously."
He leaned back, stretching his arms. "Anyway, did you feel that just now?"
Riku: "Feel what?"
Daichi shivered dramatically. "A chill. Like… an eerie presence."
Riku blinked. Then, he reached into his bag and pulled out the drink he had shoved in there this morning. It was warm.
"Yeah, definitely eerie," he muttered. "My drink's supposed to be cold."
Daichi snorted. "No, seriously, though. I think something's following you."
Riku shrugged. "Probably my debt."
Daichi burst out laughing. "Damn, man, you're fun."
He nudged Riku. "Anyway, you joinin' any clubs? There's a bunch."
"Haven't decided yet."
Daichi grinned. "If you want something exciting, try the Paranormal Club."
Riku blinked. "...Paranormal?"
"Yeah. Ghost stories, urban legends, real investigations… It's fun."
Riku sighed. "You're really into that stuff, huh?"
Daichi chuckled. "You could say that. Besides, with that weird aura around you, you'd fit right in."
Riku took a bite of his sandwich. "I'll think about it."