Akio walked to school thinking to himself "Spring exams are a few weeks away.." as Akio heard footsteps behind him, turning around. He then saw Nishiyama as Nishiyama ran up to him, saying "How are you today Hayashi??" and being curious. "I'm doing well I guess" Akio replied as both of them walked towards the school.

"It's nice to walk by Nishiyama.." Akio thought to himself as he looked over his shoulder, "What is it?" Nishiyama asked him as he replied "oh it's nothing" as Akio kept his eye behind them. "I swore I saw someone following us.." Akio thought to himself as he remembered what Kazuki told him.

We are connected to the spirit realm...

Akio realized that the thing tailing them was either a ghost or something else entirely, as both of them reached the school gate entrance. "Nishiyama, can you go ahead first?" Akio asked her as she looked at him saying "You sure?" as he nodded. "Alright then Hayashi" she said as she went ahead of him.

"you can stop hiding now.." Akio said as a spirit came out of the ground saying "I didn't think you'd notice me" as Akio looked at the spirit. "Why did you follow me?" Akio questioned the spirit as it replied "I wanted you to send me to the afterlife.." with Akio seeming confused at the answer. "Why me?" Akio questioned it again as the spirit replied "I sensed your spiritual energy that of a shinigami, so I thought you were able to help me pass on and leave this world..".

"I can try to help, but I don't know how to do that.." Akio said in a lower tone as the spirit replied to him "Oh, well I guess you can try to find out how to do it here" as the ghost seemed more cooperative. "Alright then, Lets see..." Akio said as the Kanji on his hand formed with Akio trying to think of a way to send the spirit to the afterlife. "Purifying won't work since it's not a demon, exorcisms don't work either since that's forcing a demon out.." as Akio then thought of an idea.

Akio ripped a piece of his skin off and wrote 応援 or aid on the spirit. Suddenly, a bright light shot up into the air. The spirit was being lifted up as the spirit said "Thank you shinigami, I can rest peacefully now.." as the light went away after the spirit was brought above the clouds. Akio then looked at his bleeding finger and thought to himself "So I have to aid them towards the afterlife..." as Akio then walked through the gate and towards the school building.

He then opened the door to his homeroom class, everyone looked at him as Akio said "Sorry for being late, I got caught up in something." as the teacher then said "just sit down Hayashi" as he walked over to his seat and sat down.

Akio's kanji formed on his hand, with Akio noticing it. "A demons nearby.." he thought to himself, scanning around. He felt a cold breath down his neck, hearing a growling behind him as Akio didn't move a single bit.

"What...What is that behind me..." as Akio was frozen in terror. "Hayashi, What is the answer?" As Akio looked up. "It's..." as another student answered for him, "It's the battle of Okehazama." as the teacher nodded saying to Akio "Stay after class Akio" as Akio sighed, laying his head down onto his desk. The bell rang for lunchtime, Akio stayed in class as the teacher asked him "Is something on your mind Hayashi?".

Akio then nodded, with the teacher looking at him and said to him "You're a good student Hayashi, Your grades are passing but I can't have you look away while class is happening..". She then said "Spring exams are coming soon, I want you to write a personal journal about yourself." as Akio looked at her confused.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"My job is to pass my students, not hold them back another year, not hold back the potential of the next generation. If you write this journal, I'll take it as extra credit, the extra credit will be more than most other works.".

She puts out her hand saying to him "Deal Hayashi?" as Akio looked at her hand and thought to himself "I can't tell her.." as Akio became hesitant. His teacher sat there and waited patiently, as she sighed then said "I'll give you tomorrow to think it over alright?" as Akio nodded. He then said "I'll..I'll think about it.." as Akio picked up his bag and left the homeroom.

Akio walked down the hallway, thinking to himself "I..I didn't think this was the price..." regretting his decision to become a hunter. "Hey watch out!" a voice shouted as Akio turned around and Nishiyama bumped into him and fell down with him. Nishiyama looked at the person she bumped into as she said to him "Akio, You need to protect me!" as Akio was confused at what was going on.

Both of them got up as they heard a shout "Get back here Nishiyama!!" as Nishiyama hid behind him. Akio stood his ground as a delinquent from another school walked in and saw Akio and Nishiyama behind her. "Hey get out of the way" the delinquent said as Akio replied "No" as he stared them down.

"What do you have with Nishiyama.." Akio asked the delinquent as they replied "She has a date to go on, but it seems like she has a last minute boyfriend!" as Akio was shocked by this information.

Akio looked at her as she looked away, ashamed. "Is that true.." Akio said as she quietly said to herself "It...It's you...". "Is it true, answer me Nishiyama!" as she shouted "Yes! Yes it's true!!" as Akio's heart dropped a bit. "Enough of this!" the delinquent shouted as he punched Akio out of the way and grabbed Nishiyama by the arm.

Nishiyama broke into tears trying desperately to get out shouting "Stop!!" as Akio got up and ran towards them. "Hey Jackass!!" Akio shouted as the Delinquent turned and Akio knee'd his face in. He let go of Nishiyama as Akio threw consecutive punches out of rage and mixed emotions. Akio wasn't holding back as his punches somewhat cracked the ground.

"Hayashi STOP!!" Nishiyama shouted as Akio stopped, seeing the delinquent's face bloody, broken, and barely alive. Akio got up as he looked at his bloodied hands, horrified at the thing he did, running out of the school at top speeds, zipping out. Akio sat at the top of the school rooftop, looking up at the dark and cloudy skies. The atmosphere got a whole lot darker from Akio's outrage, as Akio thought to himself "I really Fucked up..." as he heard footsteps come up the stairs.

Akio then hid behind a wall, hearing the footsteps stop and someone sitting down, "It's all my fault.." the person said as Akio recognized the voice as Nishiyama. "Only if I told him... None of this would have happened.." Nishiyama said as Akio sat there, listening and regretting his choices as Nishiyama went on.

I should have told him I loved him since Primary school... If I did, then maybe I could be happier than I am today. Instead of dealing with Depression, I could be laughing with him... I can't keep this a secret anymore...

Nishiyama cried as Akio sat there crying as well, but keeping quiet. Nishiyama then wiped her tears, got up and then left back downstairs. Akio then cried out in frustration and in sadness at the rooftop, as the dark clouds got even worse.

Akiyama, Tani, and Kazama stood at the front of the school gate as Tani said to Akiayma "Is he going to be alright?" as Akiyama replied "This is normal, We all have to deal with balancing our normal lives with our part-time job. Eventually he's going to choose one or the other.." as Akiyama left the front and Tani followed behind.

Kazama stood there looking and thought to herself "Please... Find that hope you need to push forward, Hayashi.." as Kazama also left with Akiyama and Tani.