Chapter 14: A Simple Monday

The morning sun streamed through my window as I groggily dragged myself out of bed. Mondays were always the same—half-asleep, rushing through breakfast, and barely making it to school on time.

My older brother muttered something about me being late again as I grabbed my bag and bolted out the door. The walk to school was uneventful, the same quiet streets and familiar faces passing by.

As I reached the gates, I saw my friends waiting near the entrance.

"Yo, Kaito!" Kenji called out, waving. "Did you finish the math homework?"

I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly. "Not really. Got too distracted this weekend."

"Let me guess," Ryo smirked. "You were thinking about that white-haired girl again."

I felt my face heat up. "W-What? No! I mean…" I trailed off as they burst into laughter.

As the day went on, the usual rhythm of school took over. Classes were boring, the teachers droned on, and I found myself zoning out. During a short break, Nana, the zombie you remember? approached me.

"Kaito-kun," she said with a polite smile. "I heard you've been hanging out with that Goddess."

Her tone was casual, but something about her expression felt off.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No reason. Just be careful, okay?"

"Be careful of what?" I pressed, but she was already walking away.

Weird.

During free period, Yumi and I met in the library. She had that mischievous glint in her blue eyes, carrying a thick leather-bound book under her arm.

"Hey, Kaito-kun," she whispered, sliding into the seat beside me. "Look what I found."

I glanced at the book. Its cover was old and faded, with strange symbols etched into the leather. "What is that?"

She opened it to reveal pages filled with names and dates, each one meticulously written in crimson ink. "It's called the Dead Book," she said, her tone teasing but with a hint of seriousness. "It lists the names of those who've died, and sometimes… those who are about to."

"Creepy," I muttered, leaning back. "Where did you even get this?"

She shrugged, a sly smile playing on her lips. "A goddess has her ways."

Despite her teasing tone, I couldn't shake the chill that ran down my spine as I stared at the book.

At lunchtime, Yumi insisted we eat outside under the cherry blossom trees. She seemed unusually cheerful, humming to herself as she unwrapped her bento.

"Kaito-kun, try this!" she said, holding up a piece of tamagoyaki.

I hesitated, but her expectant look made it impossible to refuse. Taking a bite, I was surprised by how good it was. "Wow, this is really good."

"Of course it is," she said, puffing out her chest proudly. "I made it myself."

We talked and laughed, the awkwardness from the weekend slowly fading. For a moment, everything felt normal.

### The Turning Point

As the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, Yumi's expression suddenly changed. Her cheerful demeanor was replaced by something colder, more distant.

"Kaito-kun," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder why you're still alive?"

The question caught me off guard. "What are you talking about?"

She didn't answer right away, instead pulling out the Dead Book and flipping to a page. My heart stopped when I saw my name written there.

The date next to it was today.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded, my voice trembling.

Yumi's blue eyes locked onto mine, a mixture of sadness and determination in her gaze. "Kaito-kun, listen to me. No matter what happens, don't leave my side today. Promise me."

Before I could respond, the classroom door burst open. A loud crash echoed through the hallway, followed by screams.

Yumi stood up, her expression now deadly serious. "It's starting."

I turned to her, my chest tightening. "What's starting?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

As we stepped into the chaos unfolding outside, a chilling wind swept through the hallway. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the walls, and the air felt suffocating.

At the far end of the corridor stood a figure cloaked in darkness, its eyes glowing a sickly yellow.

Yumi's grip on my hand tightened. "Stay close, Kaito-kun."

The figure raised a hand, and the world seemed to tilt. A wave of darkness surged toward us, and just before it hit, Yumi stepped in front of me, her voice firm and commanding.

"Not yet," she said, her blue eyes glowing with an unearthly light.

And then, everything went black.