They reached the school in time. Ikaru looked at the building infront of him. Hakiare High.

Students walked carefree, chatting away as if nothing could ever harm them. The wind was calmer now but dark grey clouds had started to take over the blue sky like going for an all out attack on the enemy empire. Crows were sitting on the poles, waiting for something interesting to happen, something bad.

Hakiare High was somewhat old. Rumours and stories about this school were all posted on the internet, some good, some bad but mostly.....creepy. The building by itself didn't look that old. It was painted blue and white, consisting of three floors. The trees in the school yard looked healthy and green.

"Now, here's to another chapter of our lives!" Ikaru raised his hand infront of Kisaki hoping to get a high-five, but all he got was a stare. He grabbed Kisaki's hand and smacked it with his. She didn't say a word.

"Hey....I was meaning to ask you......would you like to be my frien—" Ikaru was interrupted mid-way as two students came up to Kisaki and started flirting with her. Kisaki smiled at them and started to talk to them normally.

Ikaru had got the message now. She doesn't want to talk to me........ Kisaki noticed Ikaru's expression but didn't say a word.

He hung his head low and started walking away. I couldn't make a friend after all. How pathetic. Nah! I can make other friends. I'll maybe get my own harem.....hehehe.

One of Ikaru's strengths was that he got over anything bad pretty easily and look forward to his future. He could lose anything precious and get over it quickly making him resistant to despair..........to a certain extent.

He hopped away happily.

                                               *  *  *

"Hey, Monaka! Long time no see, huh." Ikaru turned to look towards the student who had called out to him. Infront of him stood a tall boy with the same height as Ikaru of 174 cm, he had green eyes, blonde hair and a fit body i.e the type of guy every girl drools over. He would've be perfect if not for his dumbness. This guy was Rokata Itsumi, Ikaru's friend from middle school.

"Did you have to be in my class, Itsumi? Seems like my luck has retired." Ikaru said while laughing, "I mean, now that you are in my class, you'd get all the girls.....just like in middle school!" Ikaru was never jealous of Rokata in his life. They both were good friends, always hanging out by the snack vendor, watching.........girls. It was a perfectly normal thing for guys their age to do.

Ikaru and Rokata talked and laughed and slowly everyone around them joined in, girls and boys alike.

Humans. They are funny creatures. They will support others in their 'good times', join others in celebrating success and laugh with them but when things take a dive, they abandon even their friends and family. Relationships were crappy....... according to the young girl named Kisaki Suzuki who was watching all this from afar in the last seat near the window. She was in the same class as the boy who'd daring approached her in the morning.

                                               *  *  *

"Did you hear about the rumours?"

"What rumours?"

"There are rumours that..........."

When a student stays back at the school, they see things. Unexplainable things. Not everyone can see them, some can only hear them. Every year, there are atleast two students who can either see or hear them. When they do, one of them................

                                               *  *  *
"Alright students. That's it for today. Dismissed." The Math teacher, a tall man in his 30s with black hair and sharp eyes, finally ended the lesson. He was a good teacher, the students started to like him for his strict but a relax attitude and his jokes.

" Everyone, stand.....bow." Everyone followed the orders in a synchronised way. The cawing of the crows outside had become louder. Their jet black eyes seemed as if they could tell if something bas was going to happen.

"Monaka-kun, can you hand me your notes for today?" Ikaru happily nodded and gave his notes to Yumeka Kisuki, a pretty girl with a perfect body and hair. Her eyes shined with charm and energy. Even though Ikaru had met her today, he felt as if they were long lost friends. "See you later, Monaka-kun~." With that, she exited the room.

"Suzuki-san? What are you doing here, it's late." Ikaru's eyes fell upon the girl who didn't talk to him the whole day even though he thought they had become friends. She stood up and started walking towards Ikaru.

The classroom was empty by now. Kisaki's footsteps were the only things that could be heard. The clouds had completely covered the sky, they had won the war. Darkness had enveloped the room despite it being 4:00 p.m. in the evening. Kisaki's eyes were starting to look more and more beautiful........more and more scary.

*Tap-tap-tap*

The sound of her footsteps stopped when she finally stood face to face with Ikaru. Their noses almost touching. That glint in Kisaki's eyes..... Ikaru was feeling great about being so close to a girl. His heart went *doki-doki* but at the same time he felt, for some reason, scared.

Kisaki's voice was almost a whisper, "Do you hear.......them?"

Ikaru denied genuinely. What is she refering to? Them? Who? It had been a perfectly normal day for him and nothing out of the ordinary happened. He had become friends with most of his classmates because of his extrovert personality. He just scratched his head and asked,
"What are you takin—" cat got Ikaru's tongue when he heard something,

"Hehehehe."

Laughter? But who? No one should be here except us. Ikaru was thinking hard when Kisaki's soft voice reached his ears, "Do you hear.......them?".

"No...I don't hear anything except your soft and sweet (and chilling) voice." Ikaru genuinely lied.