"Sorry for taking up your time on such a short notice."

I was sitting at one of the desks in the classroom. Ueda-sensei had moved one of the desks to face towards me. The rest of the class had already left, as school was over for the day. Mika was waiting for me outside the classroom.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. What did you want to talk to me about?" I was wondering why she wanted to talk to me in particular. As far as I knew, there wasn't anything special about me, except for one thing...

Ueda-sensei looked outside the window, watching the students chatting and leaving the school grounds, then looked back at me. There was something different about her eyes, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. "Mm... It's nothing much, to be honest. I just wanted to check in on you."

Check in on me? Was there something worrying her?

"Has anything been bothering you lately?" Ueda-sensei asked. Her expression was much more serious this time.

Her question threw me off. Was I giving that kind of impression?

"What do you mean?"

Ueda-sensei was closely monitoring my expression, and it stressed me out a little.

"Oh, just anything that might disturb you, or some changes that are hard for you to adjust to, family problems, things like that. I know we just met, but I just want you to know that as your teacher I am here for you, and that you can talk to me about anything."

I couldn't help but trust Ueda-sensei. Something about her gave me a comforting feeling, and I genuinely thought about it. Well, aside from the general shock from recent events...

The image of the hanging person flashed through my mind. Their eyes stared at me, yet saw nothing. They wouldn't see anything ever again.

Why did they have to die like that? To die alone, in the dark, by a monster worse than a nightmare... A monster that would mercilessly tear people into pieces-

"Miyake-san, are you okay?"

Ueda-sensei managed to pull me back to reality. I could hear my own breathing, almost like I was detached from my body.

I had been trying to forget about the sight of the body, the smell of it. But despite me burying its memory deep within my mind, it would resurface if I wasn't careful. Ueda-sensei looked concerned.

"Y-yeah... I'm alright..."

Her eyes once again looked right into mine, as if they were scouring through my mind. She sighed. "Miyake-san, I can't say I know for sure what you're struggling with. But, promise me you'll talk to a trusted adult about it, alright? I'm always available, but if not me, make sure you at least try and talk to someone."

A trusted adult... I could always talk to my parents about it, but I don't want to worry them more. If I was going to be honest, I was also worried that they would change their minds. Maybe I could talk to Hasegawa-san?

I nodded, and Ueda-san's worried face broke into a smile again. "Thank you." She looked at her watch. "That should be all. You shouldn't keep Tanaka-san waiting."

I got up from my desk and thanked her, and started to walk out the door.

"Oh, by the way..."

I looked back at Ueda-san. She looked thoughtful.

"When Suzuki-san comes back, can you keep an eye out for me? I'm worried the poor child won't be able to make friends...."

The funny thing is, that was already my intention.

"Of course."

_________________________________________________________

"She's quite perceptive, isn't she?"

I was sitting at a booth with Mika, in the cafe we saw earlier. I had just recounted my meeting with Ueda-san.

"I mean, I was meaning to ask you too. You've been acting kinda off lately. You alright?"

I prodded my cake with a fork. What do I tell her? To be honest, I felt like she wouldn't believe me if I just said no.

"Well, I think it's the stress about starting high school. I mean, I'm really glad that we got into Kiyomizu, but now that we're actually here, I hope I can meet expectations..."

Mika tried a piece of my cake. "Well, you shouldn't have much of a problem. You've always been pretty hardworking. I mean, you got into the school for a reason, didn't you?"

That is true, but I can't say for sure now that I have a pretty busy part-time job.

"Oh yeah, did you hear about that rumor?" Though she didn't show it, I could tell that Mika was pretty excited about what she was about to tell me.

"No, why don't you tell me?" It was pretty unusual for there to be a rumor the first day of school.

Almost like she read my mind, Mika said, "Well, this rumor seems to be several years old, which is whyI already heard about it on the first day." She smiled mischievously. "It's a horror story."

Ah, that explains it. Mika loves this kind of stuff. She's always getting me to watch horror movies. It's kind of a problem. But now that I'm thinking about it, there might be a chance that it leads me to a Youkai. "Go on."

"Well, while I was outside waiting for you, I overheard some of the students talking about this one story. According to the upperclassmen, there is an apartment nearby the school. If you go all the way to the top floor, no one actually lives there. People say that those who move in move out only a week or two later, looking like the dead..."

"Why is that?"

"Well, it's all because of this specific room at the very end of the hallway. If you listen closely outside of it, you can hear footsteps. But, according to the rumor, these footsteps actually move through to the other rooms. Even to the rooms of those living up there..."

The thought of footsteps in my room while trying to sleep unsettled me. Even if it didn't happen every night, just the paranoia would be too much...

"That's freaky. If it were me, I wouldn't even last three days." As I said this, I dryly thought that the instant I heard footsteps, I'd have Hoshi beat up whatever was causing them.

Mika's smile got even bigger. "Good thing it's not real, huh? Kind of a shame though. Ghost hunting sounds fun."

If only she knew. It gets even scarier when you realize it's not just your own life on the line. Which reminds me, shouldn't I tell Hasegawa-san? Even if it might possibly be just a rumor, I should find out what he thinks.

Almost right on cue, my phone buzzed. I picked it up. "Ah. Sorry, Mika, just give me a second."

[The school year is starting! Make sure not to miss these sales!]

Never mind. It wasn't Hasegawa-san after all.

Slightly annoyed, I was about to put my phone down, but decided to message Hasegawa-san anyway, since Mika needed to go to the bathroom. I opened the Youbidase app.

[Hasegawa-san, can I ask you something?]

He answered immediately. I felt a little bad, since he seemed like the busy type. I have no doubt that he was prioritizing me over his work, probably since he wanted to help me as much as possible.

[Of course! Also, how was your first day of school?]

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

[It was pretty fun. I made a new friend, and I like my homeroom teacher too. Anyhow, I heard about a rumor here at the school, and it seems to be a ghost story. I was wondering if I should investigate in case it's a Youkai.]

Hasegawa-san sent a sticker of a kappa with a puzzled look.

[Is it the one about the apartment?]

He already knew about it?

[Yes, exactly that one. I was wondering if you think I'm capable enough to investigate it myself.]

[Oh ho, you're quite brave. Well... I do think you're ready, depending on the strength of this Youkai in particular. Thankfully, I think this kind of Youkai is perfect to find out.]

There's different kinds of Youkai?

[What do you mean?]

[Well, put simply, over time we've found some patterns of behavior that Youkai often follow. The rumor you're talking about sounds like it would be a haunted space. Kumo was like that too. These kinds of Youkai are attached to a specific location, either in the real world like an apartment, or its own created world. The latter are usually more common with stronger Youkai.]

I should ask him how that works later. Well, maybe when I have more time.

[So how do I check how strong this Youkai is?]

[Good question. Usually, Youkai are more active and aggressive at night. If you go to the location during the day, you can use your phone's scanner to check. It should have an option for daytime, and it can predict how strong the Youkai is at night. But once you scan it, regardless of the rank, make sure to come back to the office and talk to me.]

[Got it. I'll message you once I get more information.]

[Good luck! Make sure to prioritize your safety.]

After the last mission, I knew just how dangerous Youkai can be. I promised my parents I would be careful, so Hasegawa-san didn't have to tell me twice. But something was still bugging me...

[By the way, how did you know about the rumor?]

[I have my sources. (>ᴗ•) You'll find out soon enough anyway!]

Strange... I guess I shouldn't underestimate the government. But what did he mean by "I'll find out soon anyway"? Whatever. I'll think about that later.

As I was finishing the rest of my cake, Mika returned and sat at the table.

"You ready to head back home?"

"Yep!"

_________________________________________________________

I didn't really think this through, huh.

I bid farewell to Mika at my stop, and then immedietaly walked to the line going back once her train was out of sight. Kind of a waste of time, but I don't want her to follow me, since that would cause several problems that I would rather not deal with.

Once I arrived back at the Kiyomizu station, I felt like slapping myself. I didn't bring any of my gear, and I was going off to investigate a Youkai alone? Even if they're not as hostile during the day, I don't want to risk anything... Well, I'll just have to rely on Hoshi and run the moment I see danger.

I decided to use the radar on the Youbidase app while walking down the nearby street. The tall, uniform apartments looked rather high end. My family used to live in an apartment, but once Kenta and I grew up my parents decided to find a bigger house. But these apartments looked much fancier than our old apartment complex.

I passed by a handful of students while walking on the street, who all appeared on my radar. Although, I could tell that my signal was much stronger than theirs, probably because I had awoken a Kami. Speaking of which...

Without even letting me finish my thought, a small bright light spiraled around me and materialized into Hoshi. The cheerful spirit flicked me on the nose, and flew around the area to help me look for the Youkai. It was amusing to watch her signal zoom across my phone.

Right as I passed a group of students chatting about their plans for the weekend, I noticed a signal that was slightly larger than usual. It wasn't too far away, and I decided to track it down.

I could feel my body heating up as each step increased my excitement and, admittedly, dread. I ran past a grocery store, and with Hoshi flying beside me, turned the corner.

"Oof!"

I ran into something, and fell to the ground.

I lay on the ground, and tried to ignore the pain in my lower back and... well, you get the idea.

I'm kind of feeling some deja vu.

"You alright?"

I was looking up at a boy wearing glasses. His eyes were wide open. I stood up and dusted myself off.

"Oh yeah, don't worry about it. Are you okay? I'm really sorry about that, I was in a hurry." I looked closer at him, and realized something.

"Oh! Are you in class A3 with Ms. Ueda?"

Looking rather relieved, the boy grinned.

"Yep! I'm a first-year too. My name's Itsuki Sato. What's yours?"

"Sayuri Miyake. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Miyake-san." He looked over his shoulder ."Shouldn't you get going? You were in a hurry, right?"

"Ah! You're right!" I bowed and hurriedly thanked Sato, and hurried on.

I pulled out my phone, and saw that I had just left the large signal. I whipped around, and saw Sato in the distance walking into a bookstore. Was he the source of the large signal? That would mean that he has higher soul energy than average... although the signal wasn't quite as large as me or Hoshi. Still, I should keep an eye on him just in case he attracts any Youkai.

Ah. Yeah. Now I have no clue where to go. Where in the world is this Youkai??

Hold on, assuming the rumor is true and there is a Youkai at an apartment, it's likely that the people living there would notice that something was off. That means that, for the highest chance of success, I should start looking at the- ouch!

Hoshi had interrupted my thoughts by flicking me right in the middle of my forehead.

"What is it? I'm trying to thi-"

She was pointing at an apartment building in the distance, and for some reason, something about it felt off. I ran down the street towards it, and it was quite apparent why I had felt that way. The apartment was largely run down and abandoned, like a discarded toy on the side of the road.

...Yeah.. I guess we came to the same conclusion. It's a bit embarrassing that I even had to think it through. Most media portray haunted spots as abandoned and broken... Maybe they hold some truth to them after all. Well, consider this a test.

I cautiously stepped over a shattered concrete brick laying on the ground. The ground was overgrown with grass everywhere, and the building's name plate was chipped beyond recognition. Now that I was within a closer range, I pulled out my phone.

The screen was completely devoid of signals, aside from mine and Hoshi's. Looks like it's a dud.

I sighed, and was about to put my phone away when I noticed a light flicker, right next to mine!

"GAH!"

I jumped backwards, tripped over the concrete block I'd just walked over, and fell to the ground.

Nothing happened.

Hoshi initially looked down at me with concern, but after realizing I was alright she started to giggle.

"Yeah yeah, very funny..."

After Hoshi helped me up, I checked my phone again. Was it just my imagination?

The dot reappeared. I looked up apprehensively, but nothing appeared. The shadows of the empty building remained silent. Was it just hiding?

I stared down at the phone. The light continued to blink in and out of existence. It seemed completely random.

Morse code? No, that doesn't make sense. Don't go overboard with those stories, Sayuri. Hold on, what if it's because of the way the map is designed...?

I looked up. The apartment complex stretched several stories above me.

The map's in 2D, so there's no real way to show if something were to appear above or below me, right? Well, only one way to find out.

I swallowed my anxiety, and walked into the building. The glass doors were shattered, and I made sure not to step on the broken glads strewn across the ground. Sunlight managed to seep through some parts of the abandoned lobby, but it was hard to see. Thankfully, I had Hoshi with me.

Hoshi flew around the room, illuminating the area with her soft, blue glow. The light revealed crumbling walls and dusty furniture.

I hope the infrastructure is secure...

I slowly walked down the lobby, and located the stairs. I didn't trust the elevators, if they even worked to begin with.

My heart pounded with apprehension, but I took a deep breath and started up the stairs, making sure to watch out for any broken steps.

To be honest, the creepy atmosphere was getting to me.

Ever since the mission, I've done my best not to think too much about what I saw, but the memories seeped back in with the shadows.

What if there really is a Youkai, and what if it's stronger than I thought? It'll be hard to get away. I don't have Nakamura-san or Abe-senpai to rely on. Or worse, what if I turn around this corner and find a bod-

No. Snap out of it, Sayuri. You're here to prevent exactly that from happening. You need to learn to be strong yourself so you can be the one others depend on. It can't be the other way forever.

Well, if I do have to fight, I do think I have a trump card. It's not very reliable due to just being a theory, so I'd rather it not come to that.

I stopped at the door labeled "Second Floor", and took a deep breath.

I wish this were one of those buildings where the hallways were outside. This is terrifying.

I made a silent prayer, and opened the door. It creaked much louder than I'd wanted it to.

An empty abyss of darkness lay before me. Hoshi's light wasn't strong enough to penetrate it, so I scrambled to take out a flashlight that had been part of the tools Hasegawa-san gave me. Ugh, should've done that earlier.

I turned the flashlight on, revealing a long hallway with doors on each end. 201, 202, 203... Some of the doors had their labels scratched off, but I could guess what number they were.

I reluctantly tried opening one of the doors, but it was locked. The rest of the doors were the same. The signal on my phone continued to blink, but I couldn't sense anything nearby.

"Should we try the next floor?"

Hoshi nodded, and gripped her naginata firmly.

"I really hope there aren't too many floors."

_________________________________________________________

Of course, life had to be hard.

I panted after reaching the ninth and final floor, having run out of breath from all of the stairs.

"At this rate, I hope there is a Youkai, or else I'm going to go crazy."

But pretty soon, I shut up. I wasn't sure if it was all in my head, but I felt like there was something on this floor. Something sinister.

I shone my flashlight down the hallway. This floor was in the worst condition by far.

As I walked down the hall towards the signal, my sense of dread grew. Finally, I stopped at the final room: room 910. The energy emanating from the door both repulsed and drew me in, almost like a stranger offering me candy. Hoshi gripped her naginata like it was trying to fly away.

I looked down at my phone. The signal was blinking around ten feet in front of me. This was it.

Thud.

Every inch of my body froze. There was definitely something inside.

...do I have to go in? Hasegawa-san said all I had to do at the moment was measure the Youkai's strength level.

Thud.

It sounded like footsteps. Was this the source of that urban legend?

I took a deep breath. I'll try to open it, just to check.

"Hoshi, I'll count to ten, and then open the door."

Hoshi raised her weapon in a battle stance.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!"

Despite every one of my nerves warning me of the danger, I twisted the cool doorknob, and pushed on the door.

Locked.

Slightly relieved, I pulled my phone out again.

I clicked on the blinking dot, and a popup appeared on my glowing screen.

[Scan?]

I clicked yes.

[Scanning...]

A bar slowly filled up underneath the words.

[Scan complete. This signal is predicted to be C rank.]