Chapter 12

The next day at school, Luna approached Jay with a bright smile. "Thanks for helping me communicate with Iris. It really means a lot," she said.

Jay gave her a nod, but he could tell from the way she hesitated that she had more to say.

"So…something weird happened last night," Luna continued. "Apparently, Iris followed me home."

Jay blinked. "She did?"

Luna nodded. "At first, I could just feel her presence. So, I tried different ways to talk to her. I started with the knocking method—you know, two knocks for yes, one for no. But it only worked for simple questions. And…it annoyed my parents a lot." She giggled, then continued, "So I asked her if she could lift something. And, oh my God, Jay, she lifted a chair! I almost screamed."

Jay's eyes widened. "She lifted a whole chair?"

"Yeah! But it wasn't helpful for actual conversations. So, we finally came up with the best method—pen and paper. I'd ask something, and she'd write the answer. It was…amazing." Luna's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Just then, Iris materialized beside her. She crossed her arms and glared at Jay. "Look, I'm grateful that you helped Luna talk to me, but no offense—I hate men. And you, a perv who has a little girl as his girlfriend, better stay away from my Luna."

Jay's face flushed with shock. "She's not my girlfriend!"

Ellie, who had been floating near Jay's shoulder, chimed in. "I'm not his girlfriend. I'm his wife."

"How dare you make a little girl your wife!" Iris hissed. "You're disgusting! Stay away from my Luna!"

Luna, who couldn't hear Iris, was confused. "Who's not your girlfriend?"

Jay sighed. "It's…a long story."

Jay took a deep breath and began explaining. "I found Ellie all alone. She had nowhere to go, and I couldn't just leave her. She said she lost her parents. So, know I'm trying to help her parents." He deliberately left out the terrifying details—the tall, eerie figure and the wolf-like demon that lurked in the shadows. He wasn't sure how Luna would react to that part of the story.

"Hi there," Luna said, waving in the wrong direction.

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Ellie is on the other side."

Luna gasped and spun around. "Oops, sorry. Hi, Ellie."

Ellie huffed and looked away, arms crossed.

"So, what did she say?" Luna asked.

Jay scratched the back of his head. "Uh, nothing really. I think she's just shy."

From a distance, Katie was watching with fury in her eyes. She had been holding back for too long. Seeing Luna and Jay together, smiling and laughing, made her blood boil. This time, she was going to act.

Without thinking, she stormed toward Jay's desk and slammed her hands down. "Jay!"

Jay jumped. It was the second time the prettiest girl in school had spoken to him directly. He stared at Katie, wide-eyed.

Katie opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was nervous. Why was she nervous? She had spoken to so many boys before, yet now, in front of Jay, she was speechless. She hadn't thought this through. Her entire plan was just to walk up to him, but now that she was here, she didn't know what to say.

Before she could say anything, the teacher entered the room. "Everyone, sit down."

Katie reluctantly walked away, her face burning in embarrassment.

Nick, who had been watching from across the room, clenched his fists. Jealousy coursed through his veins. He had done everything to get Katie's attention. He built muscle, kept himself well-groomed, showed off his athleticism, and asked her out multiple times. But she ignored him. And now, she was approaching this loser?

No. He wasn't going to let this slide.

During the break, Nick cornered Jay in the hallway. "Hey, freak!"

Jay stopped in his tracks as the hallway fell silent. Students turned to watch the confrontation.

Nick's face twisted with rage. "Stay away from Katie."

Luna, who had been walking beside Jay, stepped forward. "I'm sorry but you need to calm down."

Nick sneered at her. "And what are you, his goth girlfriend? What's with the freaky makeup? Trying to look like a Halloween decoration?"

Before Jay could react, Iris appeared. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair floated wildly around her as if caught in a storm. "This is why I hate men," she growled.

Jay's instincts screamed that something bad was about to happen.

Before things could escalate, a sharp voice cut through the tension. "Enough."

Chiaki appeared in her nurse's coat, her arms crossed. "All of you, get back to class. Jay, stay. I need to talk to you."

Nick scoffed but backed off. The crowd dispersed, leaving Jay alone with Chiaki.

"What was that about?" Chiaki asked as they walked down the hallway.

Jay sighed. "Nick's been bullying me since childhood. Back then, he locked me in the gym equipment room for hours. That's when he started calling me 'freak.' He made sure the entire school picked up on it. No one questioned it—they just went along with it."

Chiaki nodded. "And the ghost girl?"

Jay hesitated before explaining everything about Iris—the abandoned school, her friendship with Luna, and how she was still lingering as a spirit.

Chiaki narrowed her eyes. "And you're sure she doesn't need to be exorcised?"

Jay shook his head. "No, she's not evil. She's just…protective of Luna."

Chiaki sighed. "Alright. Just be careful. Speaking of which, the old man wants you at the shrine after school."

Jay groaned. "Exorcism training again?"

Chiaki smirked. "Yep."

After school, Jay was about to leave when Luna approached him. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink at this new cafe—"

Jay turned as he saw Chiaki waiting at the school gate. "Sorry, I have to go. Maybe tomorrow?"

Luna tried to hide her disappointment. "Yeah…sure. Tomorrow."

At the shrine, the old man stood with his arms crossed. "Your training today is simple: Take the red belt off my waist."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"If it's so easy, then do it," the old man challenged.

Jay smirked. He lunged for the belt—but the moment his fingers brushed it, the old man moved so fast he seemed to vanish. Jay stumbled forward, completely missing his target.

"Try again," the old man said, appearing behind him.

Jay spun around and made another grab, only for the old man to sidestep effortlessly. Jay tried again. And again. And again. But no matter how fast he moved, the old man was always quicker.

Panting, Jay fell to his knees. "This…is impossible."