Classes had finally ended, but my mind was still stuck on one thing—the whispers. I had spent the entire day coming up with countless explanations. Ghosts? A prank? Early signs of insanity?
None of them made sense.
And yet, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, the memory of that eerie voice wouldn't leave me alone.
I sat through every subject pretending to pay attention, but my head was running laps in another universe. Math equations looked more like ancient spells, and history felt more like horror stories. Great—now even textbooks were taunting me.
The worst part? No one else seemed to notice anything weird. Not the whisper. Not the blue-eyed cat. Not even the way time seemed to freeze when it happened. Either I was going crazy, or I was in the middle of some elaborate prank that would make the entire school laugh at my expense.
Before I knew it, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. I stood up, ready to make a swift exit and maybe finally enjoy a moment of peace.
But peace, apparently, had beef with me.
"Where do you think you're going, Leader?"
A sudden voice from behind nearly made me jump out of my skin. I turned slowly, already knowing who it was. Misaki Aisaka. Of course.
She stood there, arms crossed like a school prefect, expression balanced somewhere between "I caught you" and "I know all your secrets."
"Do you always sneak up on people like that?" I asked, already bracing myself for her chaos.
She ignored my question entirely. "You and Satoshi are hanging out, right? I'm coming too."
Wait, what? Since when was this a group event?
"And how exactly do you know about that?" I narrowed my eyes.
Misaki smirked. "Let's just say I have my ways."
I groaned. "That's not even a real answer."
"I don't remember needing your permission either," she added casually, brushing imaginary dust off her uniform.
Before I could argue, Satoshi appeared like he had been summoned by drama itself. "Oh! You must be Haruki's girlfriend, right? Calling him 'Leader' and all."
Misaki's eyes widened. Her ears turned red, then her face. It was like watching a thermometer explode in slow motion.
"W-What?! No! We're just—! I mean, it's not like that!" she stammered, flailing like she was trying to swat away invisible embarrassment.
I sighed. "Yeah, Satoshi. Calling her my girlfriend is an insult to every romantic relationship in history."
Misaki glared at me like she was mentally calculating how many bones she could break without going to jail. "You—!"
Satoshi chuckled, delighted by the chaos. "Oh? So you're mortal enemies then?"
"Exactly," I said, nodding. "This girl once secretly signed me up for a sports competition. Didn't even tell me until the day before."
"It was for your own good," she shot back. "Everyone had to participate anyway. I just made it easier for you."
"Oh yeah? It was a five-kilometer run, Misaki. I was surrounded by track team members. I was basically the guy from a drama who collapses halfway through and inspires the others to run faster."
Satoshi laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "Man, you two are comedy gold. Are you sure you're not secretly married?"
Misaki and I answered in unison: "We are NOT a couple!"
"Got it, got it," he said, waving his hands. "So, Misaki, since you're joining us, any place you'd like to suggest?"
She blinked. "Wait… you guys haven't decided yet?"
"We have," Satoshi said, pointing at me. "Haruki loves haunted stuff, so I thought we'd check out that abandoned building near the station. Burned down years ago. People say weird stuff happens there—creatures, shadows, you name it."
Misaki turned to me, horrified. "You like haunted stuff?!"
"I mean," I shrugged, "I don't hate it. Used to enjoy it when I was a kid."
Satoshi beamed. "Perfect, right? Let's go!"
Misaki took a cautious step back. "Actually… maybe I'll hang out with you guys some other time. Not really in the mood for ghosts today."
Satoshi pulled out his ultimate weapon—the puppy-dog eyes. "Come on~ It'll be fun. Think of it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We might even find treasure. Or a ghost cat."
"This is emotional manipulation," she muttered.
"And yet, it's working," I said, deadpan.
She sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine! But if I get possessed, I'm haunting you both."
Satoshi laughed. "Deal! Haunted leader sounds like a cool nickname anyway."
Misaki tilted her head, looking at me more intently this time. "You know… it's hard to imagine you being the 'leader' of anything."
I raised an eyebrow. "Gee, thanks."
"No, seriously," she said, ignoring the sarcasm. "You're quiet, reserved, always zoning out like you're trying to astral project out of the classroom. It's hard to picture you being the center of anything."
Satoshi grinned. "You should've seen him back then. Haruki used to be the loudest one in our group. Always had some crazy idea—treasure hunts, building forts, pretending we were on secret missions…"
"Okay, that's enough," I interrupted, clapping a hand on his shoulder a little too firmly.
Misaki's eyes lit up. "Wait, really? That… does not match the Haruki I know."
"Maybe the Haruki you know is an upgraded version," I said quickly. "Less noise, better battery life."
She laughed, but didn't let up. "What happened, though? You really changed, didn't you?"
I shrugged. "People grow up. Some faster than others."
Satoshi opened his mouth again, probably to drop another embarrassing childhood memory, but I shot him a look that said not another word.
"Anyway," I said, steering the conversation like a wheel about to fly off the road, "Misaki, I'm honestly surprised you agreed to this haunted house thing. I thought you'd run the moment someone said 'burned building.'"
Her expression shifted, and just like that, the moment passed—slipping away like sand through fingers.
I let out a quiet breath.
She was curious, sure. But not today.
For now, the past could stay where it belonged.