CH:02. You can see me?

"Tadaima!"

"Oniisan! What took you so long?!"

"Ryo-nii! What's for dinner?"

The twins came running across the wooden floor of their house, their footsteps echoing loudly as Ryo took off his worn-out shoes by the door.

"Where's Dad?" Ryo asked, looking down at his twin sisters, Rika and Rina. Both of them clung to his legs, already excited about whatever he was going to cook for dinner.

"He's still not home. He's probably still out in the fields," Rina answered, sniffling. Without a second thought, she wiped her runny nose on Ryo's pants.

"Hey! I'm wearing these again tomorrow! Don't use them as your tissue!" Ryo protested, quickly striding toward the kitchen to escape the twins. But they were relentless, still hanging onto his legs and laughing as they were dragged along.

Ryo walked like a malfunctioning robot, barely able to move with two little girls clinging to his thin legs—legs that felt like they'd snap at any moment.

"Ryo-nii, do you have any money?" A voice called from the sliding door. It was Ryosuke, the second eldest of the Okame siblings. "I need to buy materials for our school project next week."

Ryo frowned. He did not know if today's earnings would be enough to cover this unexpected expense.

"Hold on, let me check," he said, patting his pockets while Ryosuke waited expectantly.

Unlike Ryo, Ryosuke had the perfect student image—smart, popular, and the junior high school president. His grades were off the charts, and he was a scholar, effortlessly balancing academics and sports. Everyone at school admired him, and he was well-known across the campus.

"How much do you need?" Ryo asked as he set down the bags of meat he had just bought for dinner.

"Just 300 yen," Ryosuke replied. Without hesitation, Ryo handed the money to Rika, signaling her to give it to their older brother.

"Thanks, Aniki!" Ryosuke said cheerfully before hurrying back to his studies. Meanwhile, the twins dashed into the living room, ready to pester their other brother, Rintaro, who was doing nothing but binge-watching his favorite anime.

Ryo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Guess I need to earn more money again." He rolled up the sleeves of his uniform and started washing the ingredients for dinner. Just then, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Rin, his sister right after Ryosuke, carried their youngest brother, four-year-old Ryota, in her arms.

"Ryo-nii, let me handle that. You should take a break," Rin said, passing the little one to Ryo.

Ryo exhaled but smiled. Rin was the one who helped out at home the most—she looked so much like their late mother, too.

"Where's Baba? I haven't seen her," Ryo asked while playing with Ryota, watching as Rin skillfully chopped vegetables.

"She's resting," Rin replied, pausing for a moment before sighing. "But did you know she almost went missing again today? Good thing Rintaro found her at the neighbor's house."

She glanced at Ryo, then sighed, concern evident in her eyes.

How many times had they sighed like this because of all their problems?

"Her Alzheimer's is getting worse, Ryo-nii. Shouldn't we get her checked?" Rin asked, though deep down, she probably already knew the answer.

Ryo had no response. What could he even say?

Money was tight. With so many siblings to feed and send to school, they were already struggling just to cover daily expenses. Their father was only a farmer, earning just enough to scrape by—sometimes even less when the equipment broke down, which happened more often than not. Instead of making money, they ended up in more debt.

Where was he supposed to find extra cash to help his family?

"I'll figure something out," Ryo finally said, ruffling Rin's hair with a reassuring smile. "I'll find another side job so we can get Grandma checked."

"Thanks, Ryo-nii," Rin said softly.

Ryo stepped out of the kitchen, leaving his youngest brother in Rintaro's care while the latter watched over the twins.

He headed upstairs to the second floor, where their bedrooms were, took a quick shower, changed into fresh clothes, and sat down to do his homework. Not that it made any difference—he couldn't answer a single thing.

Unlike Ryosuke, a model student, Ryo had no motivation for school. Academically challenged and constantly zoning out, he was often the target of bullies. His weird habits, outdated fashion sense, and complete inability to keep up with trends made him an easy victim.

People always misunderstood him, labeling him as emo—though, to be fair, his long, messy hairstyle wasn't helping his case. But he had grown his bangs that way on purpose—it helped him avoid the one thing he saw every single day but wished he didn't.

Ghosts.

He also wore glasses, even though his vision was perfectly fine. It was just another excuse—something to hide behind whenever he accidentally made eye contact with wandering spirits.

The problem with having a third eye was that once ghosts realized someone could see them, they'd never leave that person alone. They would follow him home, haunt his every step, and sometimes, if he was unlucky enough to encounter a vengeful spirit, even try to harm him.

When he first discovered his ability, it had been terrifying. No one ever prepares you for seeing the dead—especially not the ones who were still covered in blood, missing body parts, or worse, had rotting faces.

So he kept his head down. Avoided people. Became a loner. His classmates had long since given up on trying to talk to him.

And when they did see him whispering to himself or talking to thin air, it only made things worse. No one else could see the spirits he was speaking to.

But at some point, Ryo had just accepted it.

Friends? Not happening.

The only company he'd ever have were ghosts.

"I don't wanna go to school tomorrow," Ryo groaned, stretching his arms before staring at the small pile of money on his desk. With a sigh, he started counting it and dividing it up for their expenses.

"Tsk. Broke again! As if I even had anything left to save. Ugh..." He pouted, slumping over his study table before turning his gaze outside. Their house was surrounded by vast rice fields stretching endlessly under the evening sky.

"I just wanna be rich already. Guess I need to find another ghost I can boss around."

He wanted to cry—or maybe just scream—because of all the bills piling up in his head. And now, he had a new problem. Finding a ghost like Sato-san, one he could actually command and use for fortune-telling scams—er, business—wasn't exactly easy.

Most spirits he met wanted something in return. Some had impossible requests—like possessing a human body just to reunite with their loved ones. Others sought revenge or even wanted someone dead, which was definitely out of the question.

What he needed was a lost soul, one just lingering around, waiting to cross over. Someone with unfinished business, preferably something simple—like delivering a message or fulfilling a last wish—before ascending to the afterlife.

"Oniisan! Dinner's ready! Dad's home too, so get down here already!"

Ryo heard Rintaro's voice from the bottom of the stairs. Letting out another deep sigh, he pushed himself up from his chair and stepped out of his room.

As Ryo descended the stairs, he spotted his youngest brother, Ryota, playing under the staircase.

But the figure sitting in the corner, quietly talking to his little brother, made him stop in his tracks.

Ryo frowned.

He didn't recognize this guy. Pale skin. Soaking wet. Clothes dripping onto the floor. Mud-caked feet.

Shit. How did a ghost get inside the house?

Keeping his composure, Ryo calmly walked toward Ryota.

"What's your name? Where do you live?" Ryota asked innocently, poking at the stranger's damp hair. The man sat curled up, hugging his knees in the shadows beneath the stairs.

Children often had the ability to see spirits and supernatural beings—things that were invisible to most adults. At a young age, a person's third eye was wide open but would gradually close as they grew older, typically shutting completely by age seven.

But there were exceptions. People like Ryo, for instance. His third eye never closed, leaving him permanently exposed to things others weren't meant to see.

"Ryota, let's go. Dinner's ready," Ryo called, ignoring the ghost entirely. He had no reason to bother with it as long as it wasn't violent. Most spirits like this one eventually wandered off on their own.

"But, Ryo-nii! There's a man under the stairs. Shouldn't we invite him to eat?" Ryota asked, his voice full of childlike concern.

Ryo sighed and turned back—only to freeze in horror.

The ghost was no longer in the corner.

It was right behind him.

Deathly pale. Lips tinged a sickly violet. Its sunken eyes locked onto him with a piercing stare.

"You can see me?"

The ghost's voice was hoarse, its breath cold against Ryo's skin.

"You can see me, right?"

It took a step closer.

"You do see me... don't you?!"