After Rain

   “We have not had rain in several centuries.” Shinigami said.

They came to the front entrance of the school; the one that met the front of the woods. Rain poured down on them from the moment they left the cover of the trees. Shinigami lifted both hands to feel it wash over her.

“How is this possible?” She looked at Hao Hao.

“I’m not sure.”

Spirits surrounded the building with light. Right now Color was leading them; true to her name the school was covered in bright paint. How a spirit can paint in the rain is something that cannot be explained by logic: it must be some type of magic.

Joy and Taeyang, wearing raincoats, came down and held out umbrellas for them all. Shinigami accepted one. Staring at it for longer than normal. Almost like she’d never seen an umbrella before; thinking back to the point that it doesn’t rain here, maybe she hadn’t.

She turned to her hosts, “Will everyone here be children?”

“No.” Jim, Hao Hao and Alice all said at once. Shinigami stared between them all, and then she moved along with Joy and Taeyang. Jim sighed with relief and asked the other two, “Did you just go with my lie?”

“If all goes right, it isn’t a lie.” Hao Hao said.

“Really?” Jim said curiously, and then his tone changed as he realized, “Oh, wait, please don’t tell me that Shadow Town is involved.”

“We’ll find out soon.”

Jim sighed again. Alice asked, “Is that a problem?”

“I was hoping to not get them involved.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was stupid of me to think I could keep them out of this; they are involved.”

Hao Hao took the lead, passing through the gate and joining Shinigami. She asked her, “First impressions?”

“It’s old and wet.”

Not bright and colorful? Now that she was thinking about it, no one else had mentioned the brightness of the school. Could soul sight be rubbing off on them? No, she thought. She could see it just fine. Shinigami must just not care much about color. Thankfully, that was far from the only thing she wanted to show her.

As Shinigami walked inside, Hao Hao gestured to the spirits above, and they all flew inside. Her, Alice, and Jim all did the same. The shika chose spots at the front to eat grass and relax; they’d be staying outside. Alice closed the door behind her. Closing the door behind them.

A mat was placed for them to rub their feet on; good. Hao Hao hadn’t thought of that. As Jim just walked in though, she noticed that reapers don’t actually leave trails. Do they not have feet? How odd.

Sumi and Cleo came forward, offering them all cheese cubes and fruit with toothpicks. They weren’t even positive if reapers ate anything; they’d never seen Jim eat, but it customary in their world to do so. The polite thing to do was offer, they decided. The decision paid off. Shinigami filled the tooth pick with as much as it could hold.

The two girls skipped back where they came. Shinigami asked, “Who is in charge of food?”

“That would be the pixies.” Jim said.

“Right. The kidnapped the pixies.”

Jim pointed a finger at her and said, “Again, they’re not kidnapped. They can leave whenever they choose. I’ll even show you the accommodations we have for them.”

“Please. Do that.”

The hand he had pointed stayed that way. Was that sweat dripping off of his hood? Hao Hao knew they stayed behind the kitchen, but she had no idea what that looked like. Based on Jim’s reaction they should try to keep her away from it.

Taeyang looked at the scythe and offered, “Would you like me to take that?”

“It’s hardly a coat. No, I’ll keep it with me.”

“Right.”

Taeyang stepped back as Shinigami kept forward. Joy poked him in the head and whispered, “Why did you do that?”

“I was trying to be polite!”

Exasperated and quiet, but it still made Hao Hao nervous. She gestured a hand to her lips. Shh. Taeyang and Joy quieted, though she was still throwing looks at him.

They moved along to the fashion club room. It might seem like a random stop, but… with so few students, most of the club rooms were dusty and empty. This one, however, was full of art and liveliness thanks to Mae’s creativity. And it was her that was there to welcome them to it.

“Well, hello there. Welcome!” Mae said.

Shinigami’s head turned to Hao Hao. She asked, “Why are we here?”

“We wanted to show you all the outfits that have been made ever since Mae came. She’s a real talent, and this school has helped her truly unlock that talent. Right Mae.”

“Exactly right.”

As the others stepped inside, it was Jim to awe in surprise, “It’s been too long since I’ve been here. You’re amazing Mae.”

“Thank you.”

Mae smiled brightly. Shinigami made her way around the room, looking at each outfit one by one until finally turning back to Mae, “Did you make all of these?”

“Every single one.” And with that statement, she gave a side-look at Alice, who nodded. She smiled brightly as she pointed to a specific set at the right of the room, “Except theses ones. Alice helped me with the designs and colors of them.”

“Alice is an artist, is she?”

“Yes. She’s the best designer I’ve ever had the honor of working with.”

Alice’s cheeks were red with embarrassment at the praise. “I’m not the best.” She mumbled, but she was smiling too.

Shinigami moved to another set, one clearly Napoleon inspired. She commented, “You like historical fashion.”

“That I do!”

And with that, Mae went on a huge speech about what era each fit came from and what the specific details were all called. Hao Hao didn’t know Mae knew so many words.

Hao Hao was poked on the back. She turned to see Cleo by the door. She said, “We have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Daichi and Emily aren’t back yet.”

That… really was a problem. They’d already told her it wasn’t just them, and lying to her was probably a good way for the whole plan to fail. Hao Hao escaped the room while Mae was still keeping them all busy and called, “Shui!” It appeared immediately, falling in from the roof. She asked, “Can you ask where Daichi and Emily are?”

“Of course.” Shui’s eyes closed and it went silent for a moment, before the eyes opened once again and it said, “They’re on their way. It was hard to find and convince everyone, so they are late.”

“Alright.”

Shui smiled and disappeared. Cleo asked, “What do we do?”

“We’ll stall her.”

Cleo nodded and ran off. Apparently they would be taking that detour to the cafeteria and the pixies home. She snuck back into the room in hopes that she could get Jim’s attention; have him go try to make it look decent or whatever before they took Shinigami to see it, but she was already walking out of the club room.

“Show me more.” Shinigami demanded.

“Of course.”

Hao Hao said that, but she was rubbing her hands together nervously, causing them to sweat as she always did when she got like this. She let Alice and the others take the lead while she stopped to breathe a second.

“Are you okay?” Jim asked.

She nodded. “I’ll be okay.”

“What did Cleo say?”

Too long of a story. She explained, “We need to stall her. Can she see the back of the cafeteria?”

He sighed, “Yes. It’s not great, but it’ll be fine. They’re really clean, so it should look as nice as it feasibly can.”

Hao Hao nodded. With more confidence, she rushed forward in front of the others once again. She led them off to the left. Eventually entering the cafeteria room. Large and open with chairs and tables all over, as well as house plants to decorate. It was a really nice space. One of the areas that almost felt like a school even with how empty it was.

“This is where you all eat?” Shinigami asked.

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it unnerving, knowing there’s only so many of you here? It’s nowhere near the amount necessary to actually fill this room.”

It was a good point that Shinigami made. Technically, they didn’t know they were the only ones at first, but Hao Hao had a better answer for her. One that was true. She said, “Personally, I love it. It’s quiet enough that I can hear myself think.”

“I think an empty cafeteria like this is unnerving.”

Hao Hao couldn’t say much to that. It was a fair opinion; one that most of the other students probably agree with.

They came to the food counter. A typical display with the usual food but made completely fresh. Fruits, vegetables, and meat are all prepared. As Joy picked up an apple, one pixie came out with another.

“Where do they get the food?” Shinigami asked.

“Magic.” Jim said.

“It’s fresh?”

“Of course.”

“And aren’t you worried about it going bad?”

“I was at first, but I found after a little bit of testing that it stays just fine. More magic, I guess.”

She nodded her head as she looked over it all. It must have met her criteria, because she didn’t ask anymore questions about it. She did ask, “Where do they stay?”

“Right in the back here.” Jim led them through the back there where everyone but him had not seen.

Shelves were lined with cloth, tied up by thread like little hammocks. Small lanterns were hung about in the same fashion. It was cozy and quant. Not very big, but the pixies were small, so it might have been huge to them. Cute stickers were placed all over the wall; anime girls with big eyes, as well as hearts and drawn creatures. A couple of them were of old school band logos and rockers with guitars.

“A little crude.” Shinigami said.

“It’s not much, but they’re happy with it.” Jim said.

“Maybe they’re too kind to tell the truth.”

“Alright, they were unimpressed at first, but as soon as I gave them the stickers they had no more complaints. I think more than anything they wanted a break. Changing seasons is exhausting.”

“Hm.”

Shinigami was unconvinced. She said, “Let’s move along now.”

Hao Hao nodded. There wasn’t much point in stalling more. With her current expression, they may very well be losing her attention, and they couldn’t have that if they were hoping to convince her that the school was worth keeping. They proceeded towards the main hall. Hao Hao crossed her fingers.

As they walked, they were interrupted. Sumi came running down the hall and shouting, “Ah, there you all are! I’m so sorry to interrupt, but… I need medical assistance!”

“What happened?” Jim asked.

“I fell.”

“Did you trip on something? Is this school dangerous?” Shinigami asked.

“No, not at all. I’m just a clutz.”

As they changed trajectory to the nurse’s hall, she winked at Hao Hao. A smile on her face told her they just need a little more time. Hopefully that meant everyone was here and they could go straight to the entrance as soon as this diversion was over with.

“Are you the only person that can do this?” Shinigami asked Jim.

“No,” He lied, “But I am the guardian of the school. I’m responsible for the students here, and I take that seriously.”

If she had any opinion about that, she didn’t voice it. They all went to the nurses room and waited until Jim and Sumi came back out. Alice asked, “All good?”

“Yeah. I just needed a band aid.”

Shinigami rolled her eyes. “How much longer are we going to take? I’m a very busy reaper.”

“Right. Let’s go.” Hao Hao said.

The seven of them made it to the main hall with no more interruptions, and when they got there were welcomed by the Red. His long blonde hair was tied back and he wore something for more formal than her previous meeting with him. He did, however, still have an axe in his head. Shinigami stared at it while he shook her hand.

“I’m Mr. Redwood, one of the teachers here.”

“Is that actually his last name?” Sumi whispered.

Jim nodded. Sumi looked happy like she’d just learned the answer to a problem on her next math test, or gossip about a celebrity. Maybe Red was a celebrity to her in this world; they didn’t see him much, and probably never at the school.

“Nice to meet you.” Shinigami said. Still staring at his head, she said, “I assume that’s how you died?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a little grotesque, isn’t it?”

He chuckled awkwardly, “It can be hard to deal with, but it doesn’t hurt.”

She looked unimpressed as they moved on to Mrs. Travis. She looked about the same as before. An older woman with dark skin and braided hair with hearts. It only just occurred to Hao Hao that those hearts might somehow be related to her past demise in the same way that Red’s axe was.

“Are you also a teacher?” Shinigami asked.

“Yes.”

“Hm.” A hum that was completely unreadable. Good? Bad? Hopefully good. Hao Hao supposed bad might be better than bored, but neither was preferable.

They came up to Oleander. The little girl still had auburn hair put into twin buns with a pink flower, but she wore a new, nicer dress. Shinigami asked, “Are you one of the students? Why don’t you have a uniform?”

“I’m a teacher too. I’m older than I look.”

“How much?”

“I prefer not to say.”

The girl could barely hold the older woman’s gaze, instead darting her eyes towards the walls. Shinigami quickly moved away from her and towards the exit. She said, “I’ve seen enough.”

“Oh, wait, really?” Hao Hao asked.

“Yes.”

They actually had one more place to go. Hao Hao begged the woman, “Please, can we go to just one more place? I promise, we won’t take anymore of your time.”

“There is no need. I’ve made my decision.”

She walked towards the door. Fast and with a purpose that could not be shaken. With no other ideas, Hao Hao looked to Jim in hopes that he’d be able to stop her. He scratched the back of his hood and stepped forward.

“Shinigami, come on.”

“Don’t act like you want me here now, after the years of silence.”

“No, but isn’t this nice? It’s not every day that you get to see what I’ve been up to. Why not let it last a few minutes longer?”

She turned to him. Her face still unseen, and yet the anger could be felt by the entire room like a bad gust of wind. “Because this isn’t any different. You’re still pulling all the tricks you always do. That girl with the blue hair wasn’t actually hurt, and is anyone over there actually a teacher?”

Red and the others all looked away. Jim said, “Can you really blame me? You aren’t happy unless everything is just so. Even the prime minister wouldn’t be able to meet your expectations.”

“There you go again. I don’t demand perfection; I want decency.”

“So now you’re saying I’m indecent.”

“That is the kindest word I have for what you have done. Giving these people hope by telling them they can stay here; you truly have lost your mind.”

“Wait, please, stop.” Hao Hao said, but her words fell on deaf ears.

“I don’t understand what’s so crazy about letting people know where they’re going before they go.”

“When you tell them, they get the idea that they don’t have to listen. They try to escape. They try to cause trouble.”

“Just because that’s what happened the last time reapers and humans coexisted, doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.”

She crossed her arms and said, “You’re a fool.”

“A fool you raised. So there.”

“Childish. I expect everyone to meet me outside in the next few minutes.”

As she left the school, it was official; they had failed. Hao Hao looked to the others. The room was all frowns and sadness. Taeyang said, “So… we’re going to Shigo?”

“That’s what we agreed to,” Sumi said. “Guess we should go tell the others.”

All the others, including the people from Shadow Town, walked away and to the courtyard. Hao Hao stayed a moment longer. Taking in the fact with a silent defeat to which she could only surmise what might happen to all of them next. Shigo was the afterlife. Even the reapers didn’t know what lay beyond it. Maybe it was another world, or maybe it was nothing at all.

She asked Jim, “What will happen to you?”

“For old times’ sake, can you just pretend to believe me when I say it’ll all be fine?”

That was difficult given the current state of things, but she nodded anyway. “Alright.”

“Thanks,” He said, and then he sighed. “I still can’t believe Red and the others came.”

“You can’t? Why not?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t think they cared that much. I’m a lot of things, but… honest isn’t one of them. I thought they would’ve been tired of me by now.”

Hao Hao did what she’s been doing the entire time. Being honest and pushing herself to say what needs said.

“Well, we’re not tired of you. We want you to be as safe and happy as you try to make us.”

She could hear him smile as he said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They turned to join the others in the courtyard, but they stopped at the sound of a scream.