Characters: Yamada Ryosuke, Shida Mirai, Haruna Kawaguchi, Nishiuchi Mariya, Yuto Nakajima, Yuri Chinen, Jingi Irie, others, OC’s   Character Summary: Ryosuke has an Amakusa Ryuu vibes, Mirai is a yandere Jigoku Shoujo, Mariya is dead, Yuto is ert, Chinen is Chinen, Jingi is given another delinquent role   Warning: RATED T for sensuality. Not suitable for very young readers.     _____________________________________________________________________________________   He met her at the funeral.   It’s not the creepy dress that she’s wearing, nor the ugly doll she’s holding, neither her long black hair that almost cover her face, not even the fact that she’s been their standing next to the coffin for almost an hour. Neither of it made him looked at her unblinking. It’s her mere existence. Just her existence that caught his attention.   That day, seven years ago when he met her at the funeral.     *****     Ryosuke tried to stop the urge to throw up as he cover his mouth, pushing whatever is trying to escape from his throat upon seeing Mariya Nishiuchi’s corpse at the back of the school building from the fourth floor where class 3-D is.    Mariya is from his class. Yesterday, she asked him to have a detour after school but he refused her. After she spread the false rumors of them dating, Ryosuke tried to avoid her but the girl was persistent. Never thought he’ll see her dead today, blooded after jumping from the rooftop, her eyes open in terror that Ryosuke is not convinced it was suicide.   It was like a scene from a random horror film. Students gather around like there’s some kind of shop offering limited sales but all frightened with the sight they are watching. That even when the ambulance had just taken her body, some are still crying and shaking.   The class was suspended, but the next day, it’s like what happened yesterday was a nightmare that everyone only remembers by memory but not by emotions.  Ryosuke saw white flowers in Mariya’s seat and his classmates are talking about her death. It was sudden and unexpected. He is terrified of knowing the story of why she decided to die and what happened before she jumped from that height. Mariya is not the type to commit suicide but the police reports says so.   It was not the first time that someone died in his school. Last year, Miss Ichikawa, the school nurse hung herself in the ceiling of the clinic with tight rope in her neck. She was kind; Ryosuke knew so, because he’s always been in the clinic since he started playing soccer. It was suicide but Ryosuke knew it has to be murder. It could have been murder. And Mariya Nishiuchi must be murdered.   He felt a tap in his back. When he turned to see the one behind him, he saw Haruna Kawaguchi beyond his shoulder. She used to play softball but quit just last school year and decided to be the soccer team’s manager where Ryosuke is the new vice team captain. “Ohayo Yamada-kun.” She greeted and he forced a smile.     *****     “I still can’t believe what happened to Mariya-chan.” Yuto said as he put his hands inside his pockets and roam his eyes at the ceiling of the hallway.    “So am I.” Chinen agreed.   “Your dad is part of the investigation team who’s handling Nishiuchi-san’s case, right?” Ryosuke’s tone was curious as he turned to Chinen.   Chinen nodded. “Yeah. But I guess they’re already convinced that she committed suicide.” Considering, Chinen’s dad is one of the most famous detectives in town.   “She seemed fine the day before that. She even told you that she’ll be cooking for you, right?” Yuto pointed at Ryosuke next to him and tilted his head. “That’s so strange.”   “Maybe she’s really not fine. Family problem, financial problem. It could be something.” Chinen shrugged and took a sip of the canned coffee he is holding for quite some time now that it already adapted with the room’s temperature.   “Or maybe LOVE problem.” Yuto leaned closer to Ryosuke, trying to take a piss. Yuto was one living witness of how deeply in love is Mariya Nishiuchi to his friend who did nothing but refuse her when in fact, the girl was one of the pretty faces in school.    Chinen had to slap Yuto in the shoulders.   “I’m kidding, okay.”    Ryosuke can only sigh. He could have not said anything but there could have been an agreement inside his brain, considering Yuto’s words.   “I’m just fooling around, dude. No need to take that seriously.” Yuto tried to comfort his friend. He knows Ryosuke takes everything seriously and when he says everything, it could have meant nothing but everything.   “Wait.” Chinen tapped Yuto and pointed at something north of them. They have been in the hallway for about a half an hour now after their English teacher refused to have his class today, and Chinen saw some girls joining the three of them in the hallway. “That’s the girl Jingi confessed his feelings to last Friday, right?”    Jingi is a guy from their class. One of the badasses in school who hangs out with a group of crappy guys whose hobby is to vandal along pavements and public buildings just to satisfy their cravings for destruction. No wonder he ends up being turned down by anyone he confesses to. No girl in the right mind would want to date a bullsh*t like Jingi.   “Uh! Yeah.” Yuto smiled. “Mirai Shida from class 3-A.”   Upon hearing her name, Ryosuke slowly turned his face on the direction of three girls talking. He couldn’t help but stare at the one in the middle with beautiful round eyes, chapped lips that causes red tint of dried blood from each chap, long dark hair that falls with great volume. Her skin is Snow White which compliments her petite size making her look like an abandoned doll—broken but beautiful.   “She’s quite cute.” Yuto nodded to himself. “Do you think if I ask her out she’ll say ‘yes’? Awh!!!” He rubbed his shoulders when Chinen hit it again. Ryosuke could have been thankful that Chinen is always there to discipline such a player like Yuto Nakajima who hopped from one girl to another every week depending on how exciting or boring their relationship will become.   “Aren’t you already dating someone from class 1-A? Ohara-chan, right?” Chinen said while shaking his head in disbelief. Lately, Yuto was into first year students who think that senior guys are the coolest and now he ended up dating a girl next door who’s oh-so-kind with angelic-looking face and he can’t figure out how to make their relationship exciting when Ohara Sakurako is all so good and innocent.   Yuto forced a laugh. “You’re so serious. You know I’m kidding.” But at least, the player doesn’t hit two birds in one stone. He could have been the loyal type. While Ryosuke’s eyes never left Mirai Shida’s sight. He can’t believe she’s hanging out with some girls in her class. She used to be alone. But not today. She was just looking at the two girls talking; she’s not joining in the conversation. Maybe she has nothing to say after all.    To Ryosuke, Mirai Shida’s existence felt the same. The long black hair she had that falls randomly in each side of her face, trying to cover her pale complexion. It hasn’t change—the feeling he gets every time he sees her.    Mirai the three boys’ direction. Ryosuke never move his sight away from her. Her round eyes lovely with long lashes met his. She looked at him and it felt that he’s falling into an abyss of mystery. He can’t figure out what is she thinking. Never did he figure out what is she thinking. Not until a small smile arched in his beautifully chapped lips.   It was the same smile she gave him seven years ago when she found him looking at her that day...when he met her at the funeral.       Mirai turned her back to follow the two girls who are now calling her.    “Did she just smile at us?” Yuto said overwhelmed, turning on Chinen. “She did, right?”   Chinen shrugged.  “I think she just did.”   And the two guys laughed. They could have become some comedic duo but fate already has decided they won’t be successful in that field.   “She thinks we’re cute.”   “You or me?”   “Both!”   “You cheater! I’m gonna bust you to Umika!” Yuto laughed playfully.   “She just dumped me! And do you think, I’m not gonna tell Ohara-chan about your mobile girlfriend installed in your phone, you weirdo!”   “I’m gonna uninstall Suzuka now!” Pulling his phone from his pocket.   “And what’s with you naming that avatar, Suzuka?”   “Suzuka is the name of my first love back in grade school. What do you care?”   Chinen tilted his head. “You need some medication,” He turned to Ryosuke. “...right Ryosuke?”   “Huh?” Ryosuke blinked as if he was snapped awake. He rubbed his nape and he put both hands on the pockets and stare back at the girl.   “You’re not listening after all. “   Ryosuke was still looking at the retreating Mirai. Her pace was so slow that the other two she’s following were already at the end of the hallway asking her to be faster. He can still imagine her in that black dress which sleeves covered half of her palms and falls below her knees, her soft-looking fingers which are pinkish in its tip was holding a filthy doll with unpaired button eyes and stitched precisely with expensive thread but are ugly enough to be noticed, and her hair so long that it was touching her waist.   “Yamada-kun!”    He turned to the opposite direction and saw Haruna waving at her.   “The class meeting is starting.” She added.   “Uh! Okay.” Ryosuke said and Chinen and Yuto were running in the hallway.    Mirai was standing. She just stopped walking when she heard Haruna’s voice echoing Ryosuke’s name in the hallway. She batted her eyes and slowly turned her head at the back only to watch Ryosuke and Haruna walking away. Haruna was saying something that must be funny for him to smile like that.    There was nothing amusing but a creepy smile arched in Mirai’s lips before she straightened her face and continues walking to the other side of the hallway. And that smile never left her face.     *****     “Ryosuke, let’s go!” Yuto called after school. Chinen was fixing his shoes.    “Uhnn…You guys go ahead.” He said.   “Okay, we will go now.” Chinen stood up and stretch a little. “Let’s go.” He turned to Yuto.   Haruna looked at Ryosuke taking the stairs up. She sighed. She knew Ryosuke was going to the rooftop. After what happened to Mariya he has been completely spaced out. He could have been guilty for the unplanned suicide. He has been quiet lately, always looking at his phone as if waiting for a phone call or a message that won’t come. Haruna was worried but she decided to leave him alone for now and consume whatever he is feeling.   In the rooftop, Ryosuke felt the cold air mashing his face, winding his brown hair. He sighed and looked at the orange skies. The skies are painted in