A ghost?!

All the hairs on Aku's body rise as she quivers in fear, thinking of the possibility that it is a ghost.

Is it a ghost?!

No, no. no!! It is definitely a ghost!!

Aku's imagination ran wild as she wondered what would happen to her.

The thing in front of her might be a terrifying demon that would rip her apart. Or maybe a white lady that will suck the soul out of her. Or a vengeful spirit waiting for its prey in the dark. When Aku noticed the silhouette's head move a little, she came to a sudden realization.

Why the hell is she still standing here for doing nothing?! She needs to run fast!! The ghost has probably noticed her presence already. Aku pushes her feet off the ground, ready to turn back. However, her feet came to a full stop when she heard a soft chuckle and a faint yet familiar voice.

"What took you so long?" They are quite far apart, so Aku did not clearly hear what she said. But no matter what it said, she is out in here while she still has the time to run.

"Don't run!!" This time Aku heard it loud and clear.

Aku paused. "Sei...?"

It is... Sei's voice... but... her brain thinks of what if the ghost is using Sei's voice to deceive her? Aku slowly turned around to have one more look to confirm. Due to the darkness around her, Aku can only see her silhouette.

"Is that you, Sei...?" She called her again, but this time her voice was shaking and fainter that even she could barely hear. But as expected, she did not receive a response or even a flinch from the silhouette.

Aku looked back to the exit.

Do I go back...

or

She looked back at the silhouette...

Aku took a deep breath and then made a sign of the cross before she took five steps forward. With her hands clasped together, Aku murmured every step she took. "Please don't be a ghost... Please don't be a ghost..." Gradually her vision got used to the dark. Since she isn't facing her, Aku can only see her back. But upon closer look, she is now confident that it is Sei.

She can't be mistaken because only Sei has a beautiful golden blonde hair of a foreigner in the school. While over her shoulder is a black coat that she always brings to fight the cold. And on the ground are her favorite blue backpack and blue umbrella.

It is Sei's things...However, Aku doesn't have the strength and courage to move any closer to confirm whether it is Sei or a ghost pretending to be her

"Stop joking! Seriously I will leave if you don't answer!" Aku called out louder. If Sei still doesn't respond, then she will leave instantly.

Her legs are already shaking, just waiting for her response.

....

Half a minute passed, yet she heard nothing but dead silence. After a few more seconds without hearing any response from her, Aku decided to head back while she still had the strength to do so.

She was about to turn back when she heard a giggle.

Sei, who is enjoying herself scaring Aku, had enough. So she turns around and faces her.

"Don't be scared. I'm not a ghost." She stares right into her eyes.

Aku's eyes meet Sei's playful amber-colored eyes hidden behind the thick black eyeglasses.

It is indeed Sei... But what if it's a ghost imitating Sei's face trying to lure her?

Aku's confused eyes did not escape Sei's eyes. She changed her mind; scaring Aku a little more won't hurt her.

"Come." Sei coldly whispers in the wind. To finish things off, she gave her a petrifying smile revealing a set of vampire fangs she had bought in the street earlier.

"Fa... Faaa... FANGS??!! Aku's whole world came to a stop when she saw the fangs hidden behind her smile. A vampire?!

Seeing Aku's stunned face, Sei knew her plan worked. She slowly treads toward her.

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Aku woke up from her stupor when she saw her move.

It's not the time to be dumbstruck!! I need to run!! Aku wanted to move, but it felt like her legs were stuck on the ground, unable to lift it. Aku glared at her legs as if commanding them to move.

MOVE!! MOVE!!! ******* MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!

At the same time Sei was dying inside, trying to hold back her laughter, watching Aku glare at her legs. She's trying her hardest not to break character.

Hearing the footsteps getting closer and closer, Aku raises her head. When she realizes that she is about ten steps away from her, Aku raises her hands in a stopping motion in the air. "STOP!! Please let me go... I don't taste good; I ate too much junk food earlier... I still have dreams for my family..." Aku blurted out random things she could think of.

Aku's hand made a sign of the cross in a blink of an eye and started to pray. "Our father......" She thought prayers would scare her off to the point where she even finished three prayers under one breath. "Hail Mary...... Glory be...." Whenever Aku is distressed and runs out of options, she always remembers her mother's teaching.

Sei stopped in her tracks. She was caught off guard and almost laughed out loud. Good thing she managed to hold it in, but anymore, and she'll die holding back her laughter. She forgot that Aku's family is very religious. But if Aku thought that the prayers would make her stop. She made a mistake... That only gave her more reason to continue.

She slows down her steps. Because she knows that once she gets close enough, Aku will see that everything is fake, and it will be over.

"Don't be scared, little girl." Sei lowered her pitch and softly whispered. "Come here..."

"No!! No!! No!! Please, No!!!" When Aku sees that her prayer does not work, she begs. She regretted not running earlier; now, her legs are too scared to move. "Stay there!! Don't come any closer!!! I'll scream, I swear!!" Aku struggles to move, but a hand gently lands on her shoulders and slowly pushes her back into a wall.

"Nooo!!!"

"Pleaseee!!!

Sei ignored Aku's scream. "Don't worry; it won't hurt..." Sei brushes the hair on Aku's cheeks with her hand. At the same time, her face moves closer to hers so that she can see the fake fangs.

Sei's nails ran across Aku's cheeks, jolting her awake. The cold smile and Sei's icy gaze gradually fade, and tears start to flood her eyes.

But maybe Sei overdid it because Aku's whole body went stiff from fear when her hand reached her left ear. Her legs gave up, she went limp, and she collapsed on the floor in agony. "Stop!! I don't want to die!!" Tears poured out of her eyes, and she cried helplessly on the floor.

Sei halted when she saw Aku dissolve in tears and cries her heart out.

**** I got carried away!!

She felt bad. She hadn't thought Aku would be so scared that she would not notice the fake fangs.

"Mommy!!!" Aku's cries grew louder and louder each second.

Enough is enough...

Seeing this, Sei hurriedly removes the fake fangs. After removing them, she crouched beside Aku and shook her shoulder.

Aku's whole body trembled when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Aku, Aku, it's me Sei. I'm not a ghost. Look, it's a fake fang." Sei uttered as softly as possible to not scare her. Sei opens her palm close to her face so that she can clearly see the fake fangs this time. "Sorry, look, I won't hurt you."

Aku spaced out as she stared at her palm for a few seconds, and Sei waited silently as Aku's mind processed the fangs.

Although her tears fogged her vision, Aku could still tell that the fangs were fake and made of plastic. Aku slowly lifted her head and was met with Sei's brightest smile without the fangs. "It's me..." Aku breathes a sigh of relief.

"Sorry..." Sei apologized. Even though she didn't mean to hurt her, it was still her fault.

"Sei!!!" Aku isn't listening to Sei at all. She throws herself around her neck and begins yelling and crying. Her arms wrapping around Sei grow firmer, locking her in tightly.

Sei pats her on the back of her head to calm her down. "There, there."

Although she was running out of air from being squeezed so tightly, Sei did not complain. It is her fault, after all. Hopefully, Aku will learn her lesson this time

...

It took some time before Aku finally calmed down. Her arms loosened around her and broke out of each other's embrace. Seeing Aku trembling from the cold, Sei removed her coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. She also helped her wipe her tears.

Since Aku has calmed down, it's time to scold her. "Look at you, wandering in the night alone without preparing anything. That's why I told you not to come. You can't even move once you see a ghost. What do you think would happen to you if I didn't come? Tsk.. tsk..."

Sei looked behind the wall, seeing no one there. Sei shook her head in disappointment. "Look, those scumbags even left you as soon as they heard you scream. What will I say to auntie and uncle if something wrong happens to you." She thought that Aku would repent, but she was smiling instead when she looked at her as if she had done nothing wrong.

"Thanks," Although she almost scared her to death, Aku is still grateful to Sei for coming. Most of the time, Sei acts like she doesn't care, but for the first time, she shows that she cares for her.

Sigh...

Sei sighs; Aku never learns... She looked at her watch, and seeing that it was still eleven o'clock, she hurriedly helped Aku up. "Let's go; we still have tons of time." Sei grabs her arm and drags her.

She did not forget to take her backpack and umbrella.

Aku looks at her in confusion. "Time for?" Then she remembers it is already very late; her parents should be worried since she did not ask for their permission. "But mom and dad..."

"Don't worry; I called auntie earlier that I'll bring you home safely. Going home early when we are already here is a waste, so let's enjoy Halloween by ghost hunting." Sei looked back just in time to see Aku's terrified face.

"G... Ghost hunting..."

"Here, hold this." Sei gave her the umbrella. "It's a spiritual umbrella. If you see a ghost, swing it around, and it will scare them off." Aku stared at the umbrella in her hand.

Sei wanted to enjoy messing with her more, but she couldn't drag Aku's stiff body anymore. "I'm joking."

Aku's body relaxed a little, but she was still confused about where they were going.

"I'm bringing you to a night date." Sei resumes dragging Aku.

"Night date?"