A New Beginning

A New Beginning

One month had passed since Hikari's battle with Dai Ichi No Yami, the malevolent spirit that had possessed Sato. With Kuina Chihiro finally at peace in the Light World, reunited with her parents, Hikari was now on the cusp of a full recovery. As he prepared for school on this sunny Monday morning, the warm rays of the sun streaming through the windows lifted his spirits.

In the kitchen, his mother, Sasha Yamada, was busy cooking up a storm, the aroma of a popular Japanese dish wafting through the air. Hikari called out to her, "Okasan, I'm leaving now!" Sasha replied, "But I'm almost done making your favorite meal, Hikari!"

Hikari smiled, "I'd love to, Okasan, but I have an important test today." Sasha's expression turned concerned, "Okay, be safe. Are you sure you don't want me to call Sato-san to drive you to school?" Hikari reassured her, "No, Okasan, Sato-kun needs to rest. I'm fine; I'll take the bus." Sasha smiled warmly, "Okay, Hikari-kun. Travel safely."

As Hikari stepped out of the house, he pondered whether using his powers would hinder his recovery. "My Spiritual Energy is gradually returning to normal, but would using my Paranormal Abilities to travel to school set me back?" he thought to himself. He glanced around, noticing the crowded streets. "I should probably mask my presence; I can't let people know I possess Paranormal Abilities."

Hikari focused his mind, entering a state of peace, and activated the "Ghost Mask" technique. This common Paranormal Ability allowed him to conceal his presence, rendering him invisible to the people around him.

With his presence masked, Hikari employed the "Abnormal Dash" technique, a Paranormal Ability reliant on his fitness, agility, and endurance. His body shrouded in a blue aura, he blasted off like a shooting bullet, dashing past traffic and people at incredible speed.

Seven minutes later, Hikari arrived at Great Kuroba High School, proud of himself. "Wow, I've beaten my last record! I could only reach school in 10 minutes before, but now I did it in 7. All that secret training I've been doing for the past month has really paid off."

A stranger standing next to Hikari in front of the school gates caught him off guard. "Who are you talking to?" the stranger asked with a smile.

Hikari's face flushed with embarrassment. "Uh, I wasn't talking to myself; I was just counting. I have a math test today."

The stranger chuckled. "I've been listening for quite a while."

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise as he realized the stranger could see him despite his "Ghost Mask" technique. "Wait, you can see me?"

The stranger smiled, "Of course, Hikari-kun." Hikari almost stumbled and fell off the curb. "How do you know my name?" he demanded, his voice laced with alarm.

The stranger, Hannah Kumamoto, chuckled. "Who knows ?as she shrugs." Hikari's eyes narrowed. "Wait, you look familiar... Hannah, you go here too?"

Hannah nodded. "Yeah, this is like the best school in the whole city." Hikari's expression turned sheepish. "You freaked me out there a little bit."

Hannah teased, "I see you've been making some improvements. How did your thing go... you know... with Kuina?" Hikari's face lit up with a smile. "I did it, even though you refused to help me. She made it to the Light World, and I'm guessing she's with her parents now in the afterlife, having a blast."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "I didn't take you for the talkative type." Hikari shrugged. "Well, let's just say that since learning about these abilities I possess and crossing paths with Kuina, I decided to give myself a second chance and live more. Life is too short; I should enjoy it while I still can."

Hannah walked off, leaving Hikari talking to himself for the past minute. He realized this and chuckled.

Four hours passed, and Hikari walked into the boys' restroom, interrupting a gang of three bullying a nerdy-looking kid with glasses. He pondered whether to intervene, muttering to himself, "Mhmm, maybe I should."

He walked over to the bullies in the corner, where they were beating up the nerdy kid. "Hey, guys," Hikari said, his voice firm.

Bully 1 sneered, "Beat it, punk!" Hikari stepped forward. "What are you doing? Let him go."

The nerdy kid, Kenji, chimed in, "Yeah, leave now. I can take care of myself. Don't feel sorry for me." Bully 3 snarled, "You heard the nerd. Leave us alone. Now, where were we?"

Kenji grinned mischievously. "You were about to have your sidekicks hold me up while you punch me in the gut so hard that I cough up blood." Bully 3's expression turned furious. "The fuck are you grinning for?"

Kenji's smile never wavered. "I'm not really. This is just the face I make when I'm in serious pain."

Hikari's conflicted feelings intensified as he watched. Kenji's tooth fell out, and blood gushed from his nose.

The bullies continued their assault, and Hikari, feeling a surge of anger, stood in the doorway for a while. He then discreetly masked his presence with "Ghost Mask."

Out of nowhere, Hikari began punching and kicking the bullies, who stumbled about, bewildered.

Bully 1 yelped, "What the hell, who's hitting us?" Bully 2 panicked, "This freaking bathroom must be haunted! Let's get outta here!"

Bully 3 turned to Kenji, "Are you doing this? Are you some sort of wizard or some shit? I thought stuff like that wasn't real!" Hikari punched him hard, and he fell over, scrambling to his feet. "You'll pay for this freak!" he shouted, running off cowardly.

The bullies fled in terror, leaving Kenji alone, injured, and confused.

Kenji pondered, "What was that? What just hit them?" He looked around, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Kenji's eyes then locked onto Hikari, who had deactivated his "Ghost Mask." "Huh, who am I kidding? I know it's you, weird kid." Hikari wondered how Kenji could tell where he was.

"Hey, you, how did you know it was me? You're just a normal human, aren't you?" Kenji grinned mischievously. "I'm Kenji Nakamura, a junior here. I don't possess Paranormal Energy like you."

Hikari's curiosity piqued. "Then how do you know about that, and how did you know where I was standing?" Kenji chuckled. "Well, you see, the glasses I'm wearing? They're special, technologically advanced. I can see your aura, and using this watch on my wrist, I can sense your presence. I'm just a tech-savvy genius."

Hikari's eyes widened. "I've never heard of such equipment." Kenji smiled proudly. "No one else has it. Only me. I've been developing it since my first encounter with a ghost at 7, ...and finally, about a year ago, on my 16th birthday, I finally did it."

Kenji's expression turned serious. "Seriously, man, you're not going to tell me your name?" Hikari smiled. "Oh, sorry. I'm Hikari. Nice to meet you."

Kenji's face lit up. "Wait, Hikari-kun! Can I go with you? It's break time, and I don't have any friends, even though I've been going here for three years. Everyone says I'm too weird."

Hikari hesitated. "I don't even know you, and you don't know me. We just met." Kenji's eyes sparkled. "I know, Hikari-kun, but you're the first person who's ever saved me. I could tell just by that you're kind."

Hikari's expression turned firm and serious. "No!" He swiftly concealed his presence with "Ghost Mask" and used "Abnormal Dash" to leave the room.

An hour later, Hikari sat in the classroom, tapping his pen on the desk and glancing at the clock above the whiteboard. The classroom was quiet, with students focused on their tests. However, Hikari couldn't concentrate. He sensed a strange presence, as if someone was standing over him, staring down.

"Something isn't right," Hikari thought telepathically. "Maybe it's a ghost, and it wants my help like Kuina."

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Hikari grabbed his bag, took out his phone, put on his earpods, and listened to Lo-fi music to calm himself. He walked into the hallway, humming to the beat, ignoring the students around him.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked behind him. He continued walking, still feeling the overwhelming presence.

"Dammit, I should probably go to a secluded place and use my Paranormal Energy to enter the Paranormal Realm and communicate with this ghost," Hikari thought.

The Paranormal Realm and the Spiritual Realms are plains or worlds existing within Earth, where supernatural beings like ghosts and spirits exist. Normal humans can't see them, but special humans with Paranormal Energy can enter the realm by activating their Paranormal Energy, thus allowing them to communicate and interact with ghosts.

Hikari entered the bathroom, looked around to ensure no one was coming, and went into a stall. There, he activated his Paranormal Energy and entered the Paranormal Realm.

As he exited the stall, he saw the ghost – a teenage boy around his age, floating slightly. The boy looked disheveled, with bags under his eyes.

Hikari's eyes widened. "Wow, didn't know ghosts develop bags under their eyes too. How can that be? You're a ghost; you don't get tired."

The boy stared at Hikari, making him uncomfortable.

Hikari apologized, "Okay, I'm sorry. That was a bad joke. I won't do it again."

However, the boy continued to stare. Hikari tried again, "Talk to me, who are you? What do you want? Do you need me to help you crossover?"

The boy remained silent, staring at Hikari.

Hikari pondered what to do next. He decided to activate "Ghost Mask" and use "Abnormal Dash." In just a minute, he arrived in front of a group of girls outside the school building, near the stairs.

Among them was Hannah Kumamoto, with her elegant purple hair and beautiful grey eyes. Hikari tapped Hannah on the shoulder, but the other girls couldn't see him.

Hannah sensed Hikari's presence and entered the Paranormal Realm. She said goodbye to her friends, explaining she was hurrying somewhere.

Once out of sight, Hannah activated "Ghost Mask," making both her and Hikari invisible to normal people.

Hannah observed, "I see you made another friend," referring to the teenage boy ghost walking behind Hikari.

Hikari replied, "That's the problem. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Hannah asked, "So, is it a girl ghost or a boy ghost this time?"

Hikari explained, "It's a boy, but he's weird. He won't talk to me, just stares at me in a creepy way."

Hikari and Hannah continued walking along the sidewalks of Kuroba's streets. The teenage boy ghost still floated behind Hikari, staring without blinking.

Hikari suddenly asked, "Hannah-chan, what brings you to this school? Why are you here?"

Hannah looked confused. "Huh? What are you talking about, Hikari?"

Hikari's expression turned serious. "I find it too convenient that you're attending this school, after having met me and helping me control my spiritual energy. You refused to help me defeat Dai Ichi No Yami, and yet you're here. You would have sensed my presence and my spiritual energy, which was unsteady and overflowing, just like Kuina said. So, why didn't you approach me?"

Hannah replied, "Because I didn't know you. It's simple as that. I know there are other humans with Paranormal and Spiritual Energy like me, but that doesn't mean they're going to be friends. In fact, you might be surprised, Hikari-chan, but the population of people with Paranormal Energy and Spiritual Energy is equal to that of normal people. We're not as rare as you might think."

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me, Hannah-chan. But if that's true, then why haven't I encountered anyone else with Paranormal Energy besides you?"

Hannah pondered for a moment before responding, but before she could, a tall teenage girl ran past them in a hurry.

Hikari exclaimed, "That girl who just passed us! I sensed her; she has spiritual energy and paranormal energy."

Hannah nodded, "Yes, I sense it too. But where is she running to? I also sensed that her soul is conflicted. Maybe we should follow her."

Hikari hesitated, "She's just a random girl with Paranormal Energy. Why should we follow her?"

Hannah cut in, "She may be in trouble with something from the Paranormal Realm."

Hikari asked, "How can you sense that? You also said you sensed my presence when I showed up at your doorstep, even though I had no malicious intent."

Hannah explained, "With my spiritual energy, I can sense someone's emotions to some degree and their intent – malicious or peaceful. That way, I can tell what the person intends to do. However, this ability works best with people who have a higher concentration of Spiritual Energy or those whose emotions are so strong that they cannot be masked."

Hikari's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, I wish I had been introduced to this world earlier. It's fascinating."

Hannah smiled mysteriously. "It's about to get even more interesting."