The Two Who Rose

Part 4

The next morning in school, all seemed normal but not to Mirai. As she sat at her classroom desk, she still can't believe he was gone. How can everyone not care? She looked around. How can they think that everything would be over once Izumi is gone? Her shoulders stooped.

Yahiko and Hiroshi entered the classroom, both seemed to not care either. Mirai looked down. I can't let this go on, I have to prove to everyone that Izumi is not the one who's responsible.

"Mirai," Mr Arashi stood, looking down at her "Can I talk to you about something? I think it's important."

They both went outside the classroom which was crowded with kids and class time neared. Arashi exhaled. She wasn't sure what Mr Arashi would think about Izumi. Does he think he's responsible as well? Mirai wondered

"Do you believe that Izumi is behind Daichi's death?" Arashi eyes lowered

Mirai glanced her eyes into the classroom. Why would he be asking this? Did something happened? "No, I don't think he's the one behind this."

"I thought so.....the teachers thought he might be but I didn't think so," Arashi came to her ear "I want you to keep this a secret. This morning, a teacher was killed in her classroom and died like Daichi did."

Mirai's eyes bulged, stepped back.

"So we might be wrong about blaming Izumi," Arashi looked inside the classroom "We've reported this to the police but until we have conclusive evidence, they won't take their chances on letting him go."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I am telling you this because you knew him in middle school," Mr Arashi said "And I am passing a warning to you, be cautious. The murder hasn't stopped or maybe its now targeting us teachers instead. I wouldn't know."

Then both returned into class and it resumed like normal but during the studies, Mirai couldn't concentrate as the haunting thoughts crossed her mind again and again. She wasn't sure what to do. While in the background, Joshua babbled with radiance more so than the others.

School seemed normal, no deaths or word about such things now with Izumi gone and everyone was happier about it. Mirai knew otherwise. This was all an illusion to her. She knew something else was going but she can't telling anyone, not even Hiroshi. He wouldn't believe her, she thought. When school ended, Mirai trod on the sidewalk, heading to the bus stop, where all the other kids were.

"Mirai," Hiroshi tapped her shoulder and walked next to her "You've been too quiet, what's wrong?"

She pursued her lips. Wasn't sure what to tell him or whether to tell him at all. "Don't worry about it."

"Now hold on a second," Hiroshi narrowed his eyes "You've been keeping something from me right?"

There was silence.

"You haven't been saying or doing much since yesterday," Hiroshi said "So what's wrong and what are you so disturbed about?"

"Do you think Daichi dying was Izumi's fault too?"

Hiroshi grimaced "There is no other explanation, who else could've done that? I doubt anyone in school would even do that," his eyes widened "So that's what's bugging you, him gone?"

"No one gets it," Mirai said "Izumi is not the one who caused this."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I know him. He was never the type of person who would even think about doing something like this. He won't murder a student and then a teacher!"

Hiroshi silenced for a moment "What do you mean by teacher? Did....."

She nodded "This morning, a teacher died and was as cut up and wounded as Daichi was. Mr Arashi told me the whole thing," she averted her eyes.

"Then who could be doing this?!"

"How would I know?!" Mirai glared at him "You can see that ghost too right? Then you probably already know the answer!"

Hiroshi shook his head "You're not thinking straight, ghosts don't exist and they never have or will either," he stomped past her "I don't know what's gotten into you but I know that ghosts don't exist and that is that."

Her expression pinched. I should've known better than to tell this to anyone, she thought. No one will listen, then I'll have to do this on my own. She headed to the bus stop and embarked on the vehicle.

Sitting on the back, Hiroshi scowled out the window with Yahiko next to him, explaining to him what went down.

Yahiko looked on the front, where Mirai is "Don't bother her. She knows Izumi since middle school so she isn't thinking right," he said "You're right to not believe in ghosts cause I don't either."

Hiroshi nodded. There is no ghosts. All I saw were illusions or something but then, who could've been killing Daichi? Can't be a student so a teacher? He closed his eyes and his head looked upwards. "I know but still, who could've been the one who did that to Daichi?"

"I don't know," Yahiko said "With Izumi gone, nothing else happened so it might be him who did it," he rested on his chair "Doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that no more people will die and that's what's important right now, not solving a mystery. Leave it to the cops."

Despite what he said, Hiroshi was not content on sitting around, doing nothing about it. He pondered over it as the bus drove down the streets, chatting within the vehicle between kids and during the bus stopping on the stops. Eventually, the bus reached his destination.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Yahiko said

Hiroshi nodded and headed out the bus, then he glanced at Mirai on the way but she glared back at him. I guess we won't get along again. He queued as Adam and Joshua along with the three others lined up ahead.

"Let's get something to eat," said Joshua to the others.

"Alright then, let's go!" The boy with the cap said, leaped out the bus

A car hammered him. Hiroshi's eyes and mouth gaped. And his heart smacked. The other kids in the bus sprang onto the bus window and looked outside. The guy was dead, Hiroshi thought.

Adam screamed and went down his knees, shaking his head "I don't want to die!"

"Calm down!" Joshua shouted at him, then he looked back at his friend's corpse "This is nuts."

Hiroshi looked at the car, which killed the kid but there was no driver. Or rather human. The driver instead was a ghost but not one.

Two.

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