In total, we visited three sites.

Well, if we’re being pedantic, we went to four. Ayumi insisted on stopping by an antique store to marvel at some junk that wasn’t even that old in my eyes. It’s kind of a hobby of hers to collect such trash. I couldn’t find it in me to pull her out of there though, so we ended up losing some time.

The first place on the list was a cosplay store. Apparently, a handful of people saw a ghost there—a bunny girl costume floating on its own. I’ve heard stories about invisible bunny girls before, but never any about ghosts wearing bunny girl costumes. However, there were no photos or videos of the incident because the security cameras conveniently died right before it happened.

After looking around in a way the police would deem suspicious, Ayumi barraged the clerk with a thousand questions, but she hadn’t been working on the day of the ghost apparition so we didn’t gather any new information. When Ayumi asked if anyone had ever died on the premises, the displeased clerk kicked us out of the store.

“It was probably someone who died hundreds of years ago and is still haunting the site,” Ayumi said as we left. As to why such a ghost would possess a bunny girl costume, she had no explanation other than that they found it cute.

The second spot was an electronics store, fittingly enough. Many customers reported how all the devices inside stopped working simultaneously. Moments later, the various screens began showing garbled images before returning to normal. The owner corroborated these incidents, but…

“Yet again, the security cameras stopped recording during the incident, so there’s no proof it happened,” Ayumi said as we left the store. “I really doubt the validity of this one. It could have just been a power outage.”

I commented on Ayumi’s unusual display of common sense, which prompted her to punch me with more strength than necessary.

Then it was time for the third and final spot. Unlike the others, it was a park on the outskirts of the city. Some people swore they heard insistent barking in the area, but there were no dogs around at all. People tried to record it on their phones, but they all inexplicably stopped working.

When we got there, it was already four in the evening, so our investigation had to be short. Fortunately, no one seemed to be hanging in the area so we could look around without arousing suspicion. That said, it was impossible to not look like a pair of freaks when we were scouring the ground for clues.

We found absolutely nothing of interest.

“No pawprints, no smell, not even a coprolite,” Ayumi listed as we were leaving the park. “It’s almost like they were never here.”

“Do you even know what a coprolite is? You wouldn’t find one here.”

I wonder where she lost her common sense from earlier.

“What’s weird is that this time I found many independent reports of this incident. I hope angels didn’t already get rid of all the evidence.”

Such a convenient explanation every time.

“Ughhh. This whole thing was a disappointment,” Ayumi said, her shoulders drooping. “We came all this way and found nothing unusual again. It must be our timing. I was betting on this trip too.”

I was tempted to reply with my usual snark, but managed to reel myself in at the last second. I knew Ayumi would be disheartened if I hammered this into her any more than I already had.

“Don’t you think,” I started saying with a calm voice, “that it’s time you gave up on this fruitless search? You’re eighteen already, the university entrance exams are just over the horizon. I don’t want you to end up as one of those crackpots that appear in crappy documentaries defending conspiracy theories to earn a living.”

This is such a real prospect that it’s almost frightening.

We had had this conversation many times already. Ever since she started that TuTube channel, I’d been concerned about her future path in life. It’s okay to have some weird interests here and there, but she was taking this one way too seriously.

For once, Ayumi was quiet.

Did I finally illuminate her mind?

“I…” Her voice was raspy. “I know we aren’t getting anywhere. I know that. We’ve never found any evidence of angels existing, but I know they exist! They have to!”

“Why?” I simply asked her. She turned around to hear the rest of my question. “Why do you obsess over these things so much?!”

This, of course, was far from the first time I had asked her about it. But every time I’d brought it up, she’d clamped up and deflected the question. I wasn’t expecting this time to be any different.

Ayumi stared at her feet, her eyes hidden behind her disheveled bangs. I could see she was biting her lip.

I couldn’t quite give her some ultra-passionate speech to bring her back to the side of reason, so I just stood there in a daze.

Then, to my surprise, she opened her mouth.

“Takkun, what would you do if I said I have been living a lie this whole time?”

“Huh? You mean you don’t care about angels?”

“No, that part is true,” she insisted. “I mean… everything.”

What is that supposed to mean?

My mind immediately went to her family situation. However, deep down, I had a feeling this was something else entirely.

Something much grander.

After all, what did “living a lie” have anything to do with obsessing over some urban legend?

The pieces didn’t fit.

But before I could respond, Ayumi backpedaled.

“Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask. Forget what I said. Let’s just go home.”

The girl marched ahead, putting distance between us once again. I grinded my teeth in frustration.

But before I could take a step to follow her…

Ayumi vanished.

Completely vanished.

One second she was in front of me, and the next, she was gone.

It was so sudden that my brain couldn’t process what was happening. What brought me back to reality was a familiar voice, from close up.

“Huh? Takkun, where did…”

Ayumi’s voice sounded relaxed, as if she thought I had gone off somewhere.

It sounded as though she was in the exact same spot she had been in all along.

“I’m right here,” I replied, feeling like an idiot for talking to the air. “I haven’t moved a single step. You were the one who vanished right in front of my eyes.”

“Vanished? That’s what you did! I just turned around and all of a sudden—”

“Ditto.”

I squinted my eyes hard and tried pinching my cheeks. This wasn’t a dream; I really couldn’t see Ayumi at all. Yet, I could see myself just fine. In other words, the only conclusion was we couldn’t see each other, I explained to the girl.

“Y-You think that’s it? But that means…”

A supernatural incident, I think you’re about to say.

Trying to contain her excitement, I took back control of the conversation. “Before anything else, I want to make sure you’re really there. Can I try touching you?”

“That sounds awfully suggestive,” she replied without missing a beat.

Even in these circumstances she still has the state of mind to say those jokes?

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“You know what I mean, you idiot.”

“Okay, okay. Go ahead.”

With her approval, I reached out my arm in her general direction. Despite my actions, I didn’t actually expect to make contact. After all, there was no way Ayumi really was invisible. However, I soon felt like I had touched something—in the air. Fabric… then the squishy sensation of skin. A little further pressing led to some resistance—in other words, bone.

Concluding where I had touched her was obvious, but before I could say anything, a shriek pierced the air.

“Kya! W-What’s this?! W-Where are you touching me?!” Ayumi stammered.

“What are you saying? I’m touching your arm!” I hastily replied.

That seemed to calm her down. “Oh, you’re right. I was so sure you’d grab the opportunity to cop a feel. I was preparing myself for that.”

“Like I’d ever do that!”

This girl…

Thankfully, the internal fire for continuing this mindless jabbing extinguished itself. I had more serious matters to consider.

After all, my hand touching something in thin air contradicted all my other senses.

No, it was the other way around.

Now that I calmed myself down enough, I noticed my sight was the sense contradicting all others. Somehow, even excluding my sense of touch, I could still feel like someone was there. Every sense apart from sight indicated she was there—from her voice sounding in front of me to the faint smell of her chamomile shampoo.

This confirms it. Ayumi is really in front of me right now. This is absurd.

Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth, as someone famous once said.

“Hey, Takkun… Do you see anyone else?”

Her question caught me by surprise. Since this lunacy started, I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings at all. When I did, I could confirm that there indeed wasn’t a soul in sight. There were still cars zipping by, but there was no sign of any living thing on the sidewalks or inside any of the stores.

“I can’t see anyone… And you?”

“I can’t either. This part of town isn’t exactly busy, but still… Where’s everybody gone?”

Bingo?

Or more likely…

“You think we can’t see them, just like we can’t see each other?”

“That’s the most likely explanation. That means this incident isn’t exclusive to us, but it applies to the entire town.”

In the brief moment of silence that formed between us, I began paying more attention to my surroundings. More specifically, to the occasional piercing shouts that echoed in the empty city.

“All this shouting… I guess there really are other people around. This isn’t limited to us,” Ayumi replied with surprising calm. “Also, check your phone.”

I did as she ordered, and to no one’s surprise, I was greeted by a black screen.

“It’s totally dead.”

“Yeah, mine too. Takkun, I have a really bad feeling about this. If our theory is correct, with such a large-scale supernatural incident happening, angels are surely coming this way soon. This is a precious chance. If we get caught by them now, we’ll never find out the truth.”

I thought about regurgitating the usual tune, but reality had caught up to me. Although it was impossible angels existed in normal circumstances, these weren’t even close to normal circumstances. I couldn’t deny the possibility that something truly out of this world was happening in front of my eyes.

I subconsciously let out a sigh. “Okay, what’s your plan?”

“We need to find somewhere to hide and fast.” Ayumi paused for a few seconds. “I don’t see anything here that can keep us hidden. We better get moving.”

Only when she began moving did I realize I still had my hand resting on her arm. I thought about taking it back, but then I felt something touching the back of my hand.

“We should hold hands. That way we can make sure we won’t lose each other again,” Ayumi suggested.

“W-What?” I stammered.

“Come on, don’t act like a spineless chicken now. It’s just some casual skinshipping. Let’s get going!”

Without waiting for my complaints, she took off running, pulling me along. As we ran around looking for somewhere to hide, we bumped into a couple of people who panicked when we clashed. We also continued hearing screams coming from around us.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to endure this suspenseful atmosphere for too long. A distinct building in the distance happened to cross my line-of-sight.

“Ayumi, see that closed-off building over there? You think that could work?”

I pointed towards it with my free hand, realizing way too late that Ayumi couldn’t see me.

“That’s perfect! Nice work, Takkun!”

Ayumi changed course right away. On our way there, I began being able to see the outline of Ayumi’s body flicker into existence. It was a strange, ghostly-white image; I could see right through her as if she wasn’t there, but at the same time, I could distinguish the detailed contours of her body and clothes.

It’s almost as if… she’s a wireframe model.

At first, her new appearance was so brief that I doubted my own eyes. But by the third time, it was clear that her body was flickering in and out of existence. The duration of each materialization kept increasing with each cycle until she remained visible for longer than not.

“Hey, Ayumi, I can see you now. Sort of.”

“What? Oh, I can see you now too!” She stayed quiet for a moment, then made a neutral comment. “This is a weird effect, huh?”

“At least now we can tell where we are.”

Not sure if this is creepier or not…

We made our way inside the building—a closed-off apartment complex—and according to the notice on the barriers outside, it was set for demolition soon. Ayumi let go of my hand, and with no reserves whatsoever, barged through the barriers and entered the building. I followed without complaint.

The inside of the building was barren, with only the concrete structure remaining. As expected, it was devoid of people, though there were footprints indicating that someone had been there recently.

I kept following the wireframed version of Ayumi through the first floor of the building and up the staircase, exiting onto the fifth floor.

“I think this is high enough. Let’s hunker down near a window so we can see them.” I heard her rummaging through her gym bag. “Never thought I would get the chance to use the angel Observation Apparatus Mark I so soon.”

You even gave it a name? And what’s up with that “Mark I?” Are there going to be more Marks?

We sat down next to a window behind the bare walls of the building, trying our best to hide. Wasting no time, Ayumi took out the oblong tube and the binoculars. She assembled the strange contraption swiftly, adding even more duct tape to hold everything together.

“Here, see if this is working” Ayumi instructed as she handed me the device.

I carefully positioned the bent tip so it pointed outside. Right away, I could see there were people on the streets in the same state as Ayumi and I—mere transparent contours without any color or substance.

“Okay, Takkun. Since we only have one pair, I’ll keep watch with the goggles. If something happens, I’ll pass them onto you.”

Then we waited.

Waited for a miraculous event to happen.

Considering the strange incidents so far, I wouldn’t be that surprised if something did indeed happen.

But let’s be real. There’s no way some paranormal creatures will actually show up.

My mind was adamant on this notion the whole time I watched Ayumi, right until she gasped and her breathing stopped.

“Ah…” she cried out.

Then I heard sobbing, which quickly turned into crying. Ayumi noticed that, in this silent realm, her voice would give away our location. She took her eyes off the device and tried her best to quiet herself, but her emotions were overwhelming, and her attempts proved to be fruitless.

“Ayumi? What’s wrong?”

“I… saw them,” she whispered. “I’m sure… I’m sure I saw them. Finally, I’ve found them!” Ayumi said between hushed sobs, her chest convulsing erratically. “It’s been so long!”

“No way.”

I took the device she had built from her hands and took a look outside with my own eyes.

The green-tinted image beaming onto my retinas was so out of this world, I would have said it was fake if I wasn’t seeing it myself.

Bright lights were descending from the sky. Some brighter, some dimmer, all vaguely human-shaped. But there was no doubt they were there.

They were there.

The image was so mesmerizing it took me a while to snap back to reality.

When I took off the device, I was struck by a pure visage.

I saw Ayumi. It appeared that while I was looking outside, our bodies became fully visible.

Large tears fell onto her skirt, tinging it a dark blue. Her face was so full of bliss that it was hard to even look at her.

image [https://i.imgur.com/PEt7DUp.png]

She was so deep in her emotion that it took some time for her to notice that our invisible bodies had returned.

“Oh… I can see you again,” she said while drying her eyes with her oversized sleeves.

“Yeah.”

“Ah, gosh. How embarrassing, watching me cry like a little girl.”

“No, i-it’s okay. I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Eh-he… Thanks, Takkun. For being here with me,” she said with a smile wet with tears.

Please don’t say that now. That’s… unfair.

To hide my embarrassment, I returned my eyes to the periscope, but the image had changed during our talk. The lights weren’t just coming down from the sky. They were gaining form.

First, they became more tangible, turning into full-fledged humans. I couldn’t pick out many details due to the distance and the poor resolution of the device, but all of them seemed like young adults at most.

“Hey, Ayumi, they’re materializing!”

“What? Really? Let me see!”

I passed the periscope to her. Ayumi gasped in awe, covering her mouth to avoid making any noise.

She passed the device back to me after a little while, but the number of lights coming down and materializing was approaching zero. I was just about to take my eyes off of the device when a final one came in late. This one was incredibly dim, and I only managed to spot it against the black asphalt.

“Hey, there’s another one appearing.”

Like all the others, this one, too, began gaining shape and transformed into a human.

But unlike the others, this one didn’t have a random face and body.

That’s when I, too, lost my breath.

“Takkun? What’s going on?”

“I… I think you better see for yourself.”

I passed the device to her and she gasped in shock.

Because, despite the distance between us, we both recognized her.

“Wait… Takkun, is that...”

The words Ayumi was trying to say also got caught in my throat and refused to come out. But eventually, the name of the young woman I barely knew came out of my mouth, confirming the impossible observation we had made.

“No doubt about it. That was Shiina.”