幽霊物語 7

I opened my locker to find a singular envelope. The envelope was white, and the only thing written on the outside was "To Yuji-kun". The envelope was sealed with a single heart sticker. When I opened the letter, it read "Dear Yuji, for a good while I have been in love with you. You are the light of my life and I knew you were the one the first time I saw you. I promise to one day hold you tight and never let you go, I'll give you all the love and affection I have, all the love and affection you deserve. You are an amazing person, and I've observed this through the kind way you treat others, your sweet words that you praise others with, the volunteer janitor work that you do for the school every day,Not to mention all the other kind things you do for others. You're so nice, it's no surprise Ms. Hasegawa likes you so much. I know all this is a lot to take in at once, but don't worry. Our time of meeting is very soon. Then, I'll express all of my true feelings for you, and you can respond to me with how you truly feel. I can't wait for the day when you will complete me. I love you, and I can't wait for the day when you'll start spending your time by my side. Please come to the gym storage room after school in three days. I'll be waiting for you". With that amount of detail, it almost sounded like Noriko wrote it. It wasn't her though. I had no idea who put the letter in my locker, but I deduced that because they mentioned Ayumi, they are most likely in my class. If I cared enough, I could get the letter searched for fingerprints, and go to the person directly before the fateful day. After all, no schoolgirl bothers to make sure she doesn't leave prints on her love letter. But I did the normal thing, and waited out the three days. I had no idea how things were going to go, but one thing was for sure.

Until I get this over with, Noriko can not find out about this. Else, there will be a casualty or two.

When I went home that day, nothing happened.

The same cannot be said for school the next day.

I arrived to my class several minutes early, to be greeted to every student standing, staring at my desk. I was initially confused as to what the commotion was about, but I got the memo after some students moved out of the way. My desk had been seemingly carved up with a knife. The words "I love Yuji" were enscribed all over the desk. Not only that, but a giant crimson heart was drawn on the top of the desk. The material used to draw the heart was seemingly that of blood. I wasn't sure at first, but a faint smell confirmed my suspicion. It was fresh. Inside the heart was a taped page from a notebook. On the page was written "Hello, my dear Yuji. I hope you like the tribute to our love that I've prepared. I've done this to make sure that everyone knows that you're mine, and anyone who tries to take you from me will be punished. Don't worry though, I would never hurt my Yuji. Love you!"

The whole classroom was in disarray. Because of this, the lid was flipped on the "don't let Noriko find out" mission. She was fuming. Before she flipped, Ayumi asked to speak with me outside of the classroom. She took me to an unused classroom to discuss the current situation.

She said "It would seem someone has a bit of a crush on you, Yuji."

"Could you be the one behind this?

"I have more sane ways planned to make you mine. Just kidding. Mostly."

"Have you any idea who the culprit may be, Ayumi?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. However-"

"I suspect it is one of my students."

"I had the same idea.In the initial letter, she wrote that she wasn't shocked that you had taken a liking to me."

"So I guess most of the school knows that we've warmed up to each other."

"Well, Who cares? We're not doing anything unethical, so there's nothing to worry about. There would only be a problem I do things as a teacher that are unfit to do to a student."

"I will decide what is and isn't unfit for us to to as teacher and student."

"Anyway, we will just have to wait it out until tomorrow when my secret admirer reveals herself to me. Ayumi, if it's no trouble, please drop by my place after school. I have some things to discuss with you then. You know how to get there, so I hope you show."

"Is this your way of hitting on me and asking me out? A little sudden, but I'm not opposed to it."

"This is my way of asking you to come over because I have things to discuss with you. Don't get it twisted. If you're feeling offput by coming over, there will be other guests present."

Ayumi saved herself some face and came over later that day like I asked her to.

"Bringing our teacher home, Yuji? How awfully bold of you. And, how awfully bold of you." Noriko said, in a subtly angry manner. Ayumi had locked arms with me when I went to greet her at the door. Not very professional, but I had no complaints.

Noriko asked Ayumi "What business do you have with my Yuji?"

"Oh, you didn't tell me miss Noriko was your girlfriend. And here I was, thinking I stood a chance this whole time."

"She's not my girlfriend, she just likes to think she is and act like she is."

"Oh, good! So I can still claim you for myself."

I forced them to drop the topic after Noriko threatened to kill her.

"Noriko, no death threats. Ayumi, be less obvious with your flirting."

"I didn't know you were on first name basis with Ms. Hasegawa. Just now close are you two?"

Dammit.

"Just be quiet for a bit please, Noriko. She's an associate with my new job, and I have some business to discuss with her. That's why I brought her over. Not to mingle. By the way, where's Miwa?"

Noriko told me Miwa had left to buy groceries.

Ayumi was not made aware that Miwa was living with me.

"Wow, so you've got a cute but psychotic high school girl living with you, and a beautiful immortal shinigami under the same roof? You really are lucky."

"Let's talk about the main subject here, Ayumi."

Noriko interrupted, saying "Is it about how the mystery girl made your desk into a shrine to worship her one sided love?"

I informed her that yes, it was about that. Then, Noriko informed me about her plan to kill the person responsible.

"No! While it takes crazy to beat crazy, no killing or harming. If you have any ideas like that, I'm probably better off leaving you out of this one, Noriko."

"This involved a thieving hussy who is not only trying to take you from me, but is also messed up in the head. Why should you exclude me from this?"

Because you just expressed your desire to kill the culprit.

"So, Ayumi, this person is obviously dangerous. If they can paint my desk with blood and carve marks, they could probably also hurt someone. So, here's the plan. I will enter the gym storage room tomorrow with recording on my phone already started before the encounter. I'll have you, Ayumi placed outside the storage room somewhere that isn't suspicious. Once I get the confession, I'll give the audio to the student council and let them handle it further."

Ayumi replied with "That's a solid plan, but I wouldn't go to the student council. From public knowledge, the student council is lazy and enforces the rules in such an unjust manner, they're basically just harassing students for no reason. I recommend you go straight to the principal with this one."

I told her "Because of the shitty social hierarchy at this school, getting to the principal without going through the student council first is next to impossible."

I could find a way with magic, but I prefer to keep that a secret, and I also want to keep regular people out of that.

"We will deal with it when the time comes." Ayumi said.

After Noriko left the room for whatever reason, Ayumi said "Another thing Yuji, could you do me a favor? My car is low on gas, and I probably won't make it to the nearest has station, so I was wondering if I could stay the night?"

"Bullshit, but fine by me."

"Yay, thanks Yuji! Now, which one is your room?"

"No. I mean, maybe if Noriko was out for a while, but tonight, pick any room except the one adjacent to mine. That's Noriko's. Goodnight."

I escorted her to her room, and she tried to get me to stay for a bit. I refused.

The day of reckoning was now upon me. I'll skip over the school day because nothing happened at all. No sign from my secret admirer. After school I entered the gym storage room, phone pre-recording and all. But, the room seemed empty.

"Yuji, you came!"

I heard a voice that I swore I've heard before, yet recognize me. But behind me, there she was.

Mochizuki Kiyomi.

"Oh, so it was you."

I helped her pick up her stuff one time, and now she loves me. Does that happen?

"I'm so happy you came. I was worried you wouldn't show up. But I wanted to tell you in person how much I love you. I've felt this way since you first helped me that day. Since then, I've been watching over you, seeing how you go about life, and how you treat other people. You're the model human and the only one for me. Since then I've dreamed about the day that I could tell you my true feelings and we could be together."

"I understand your feelings very well, and I get where you are coming from, and I will acknowledge them. I'd like to spend some more time with you, and get to know you a lot better before giving you a definitive answer though, if that's okay."

"That's okay with me."

"I do have a burning question for you though."

"Yes?"

"Was Carving my desk and painting on it with blood really necessary?"

"What do you mean? I've never gone near your desk."