Chapter 5: What am I going to do?

NOAH

I have officially lost my mind.

I was in the middle of practicing my song when suddenly, I saw her again.
And this time, she was singing.

At first, I thought she only appeared in that old radio station in Willowmori, but now I’m starting to think she’s following me. What kind of ghost does that?

Or maybe she’s not a ghost at all.
Maybe she’s a siren.

Wolfgang once told me about creatures like that, women who lure men with their voices just to devour them later. I laughed at him back then, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe he was right. Maybe they do exist.

And if that’s true, then I think I might be her next target.

Because when I asked Cassie and Yuki if they’d seen her, they both looked at me like I’d lost my mind. They said there was no one there. Which means only I can see her.

So yeah, either she’s after me or I really am going crazy.

But if I’m being honest, her singing was truly breathtaking. In that moment, it felt like all my problems just faded away.

She had such a beautiful voice, I have to admit that. Then again, she didn’t look like a scary ghost at all, but rather a beautiful one..

After school, the three of us decided to hang out, though Wolfgang said he needed to help his uncle at the bar. So naturally, we went there.

The place is called Winehouse, but here’s the so called punchline, there’s no wine. Not a single drop.

I still can’t tell which side I should be on, Wolfgang’s, because it’s funny, or Cassie’s, because it’s stupid.

When I first came here, I honestly thought it was an actual wine shop. Cassie, being the lunatic she is, tried to convince me to "act like an adult" and order a bottle. Five minutes later, I found out the name was just false advertising.

No wonder this place barely gets two or three stars online.
Imagine walking into Winehouse and finding out they only serve coffee, soda, and bad puns.

When we walked inside, the place smelled like roasted beans and wood polish. The walls were lined with old record sleeves, most of them cracked and yellow with age. We made our way to our usual table near the jukebox while Wolfgang worked behind the counter, helping his uncle.

Cassie slumped into her seat and stretched. Yuki, pulled out a small notepad like she always did whenever she wanted to talk about school.

"I’m still wondering," Yuki said, frowning slightly, "what kind of jury test we’ll be having this semester."

Cassie shrugged. "Maybe it’s going to be a concert. The town’s already setting up a stage."

"That can’t be it," Yuki replied. "Mr. Birdwhistle said it’s something special, something that hasn’t been done in five years."

Cassie leaned back in her chair. "You know how he is. He hypes things up just to reveal another massive disappointment. Remember last year’s ‘mystery project’? It turned out to be a sight-reading quiz."

"It wasn’t that bad," Yuki muttered.

"You’re not wrong," Cassie said with a smirk, "but you’re not right either. Anyway, I did a little research. The last jury test five years ago was a concert. Back then, it was held at the conservatory, but this time it’s supposed to be in town."

I was half-listening, swirling my drink while my thoughts drifted elsewhere. The word concert kept echoing in my head.

Then Wolfgang appeared, balancing a tray of drinks.

"Here you go," he said, setting them down.

"Hey, Wolfgang," Cassie said, leaning forward. "You think the jury exam’s going to be a concert in town?"

"Actually," he said, "it’ll be in Willowmori. My uncle found a poster about it."

Cassie’s eyes lit up. "Ha! I knew it! Then give me the poster so I can rub it in Yuki’s face."

Wolfgang scratched his head. "Yeah, about that… we can’t find it."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you can’t find it?"

"My uncle swears he left it here last night," Wolfgang explained, "but when he checked this morning, it was gone. Someone must’ve taken it."

He left to help another customer, leaving Cassie and Yuki to start bickering again, something about who lost what and who owed who coffee money.

But their voices faded into the background as I sat there, staring at my drink.
The ghost girl problem was something I had to ignore for now.

I had bigger things to worry about, like my parents coming here in three weeks. And the worst part? I still had no idea what to do about it.

I was lost in thought when Cassie suddenly snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"Still dreaming about that girl?" she teased. "It’s been two days already and you’re still not over it?"

"What is she talking about?" Yuki asked, glancing between us.

"It’s nothing," I muttered.

But of course, Cassie wasn’t about to let it go.
"Well, it’s a guy thing," she said with that mischievous grin of hers. "You know how boys are, they have one wet dream and suddenly they get all sweaty just from a girl’s presence. And unfortunately, Noah doesn’t think of us that way."

Yuki rolled her eyes and lightly punched her shoulder. "Stop exaggerating, Cass. Just tell me the real reason why he looks so down."

I sighed. "It’s because of my parents."

They both went quiet.

"You already know they sent me here to attend medical school," I said. "But Wolfgang’s uncle knew someone who could take my place, pretend to be me. It worked for eight months, but now both the Jury exam and the OCSE exam are scheduled on the same day."

"So let your double take the OCSE exam," Yuki said. "What’s the big deal?"

"The big deal," I said, "is that my father is one of the judges for the OCSE. He has an eye for details, you cannot fool him. And to make it worse, my mom’s coming too. She’s staying here in Willowmori. So if the Jury exam really is a concert in town, there’s no way I can perform without being seen."

"Don’t worry," Cassie said confidently. "We’ll take care of your mother."

Yuki and I looked at her, both suspicious.

"What?" Cassie asked, feigning innocence. "I’ll just distract her while you perform."

"We both know that’s not all you’d do," Yuki said, narrowing her eyes.

"Fine," Cassie shrugged. "But it doesn’t matter what I do, your doppelgänger will fool your dad easily."

"Have you even seen him?" I asked. "From how Wolfgang’s uncle described this person, he doesn’t look like me at all."

She tilted her head and smirked. "Well, with makeup and everything? And for your information I seen your double before and he looks exactly like you. You two are basically twins. Two peas in a pot."

"Whatever," I said, sinking into my seat. "I’m a dead man anyway."
hand. "Say, how about we go to the radio station tonight? I know it’s not exactly a luxurious place, but at least we can train for the Jury exam there. We’ll deal with your parents and the whole medical school mess later. First things first—music."

"Oh, right," I said, snapping my fingers. "I still haven’t gotten my MP3 player back. We have to go there tonight." I turned toward the counter and called out, "Hey, Wolfgang! You down for the radio station later?"

"Yeah, sure!" he shouted back while juggling a tray of drinks for other customers.

"Then it’s settled," Yuki said, smiling with renewed energy. "We’ll plan for the Jury exam and figure out how to deal with your parents afterward."

Cassie, of course, couldn’t leave it at that. She clasped her hands together and slowly rubbed them, her grin turning oddly mischievous.

Both Yuki and I gave her the same wary look.

"What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows innocently. "It’s not like I’m actually going to hurt them or something."

"I’ve known you for eight months," I said flatly, "and that’s exactly what someone crazy would say."

Cassie just winked. "Then I’ll take that as a compliment."
We were about to leave. Just as we stepped out from the alley, I bumped into someone.

At first, I didn’t pay much attention, until I realized who it was.

My stomach dropped.

Without thinking, I shoved my guitar into Wolfgang’s hands and hissed, "Hide!"

To his credit, he didn’t even ask why. He and Yuki ducked behind a crate, clutching the guitar like it was contraband.

And there she was, my mother.

"Son?" she said, her eyes lighting up in surprise.

"Oh… hello, Mom," I said, forcing a smile. "It’s nice to see you."

She pulled me into a hug before I could react, and I awkwardly hugged her back.

"It’s been a while," she said warmly. "You’ve grown a bit."

"Well, of course," I said. "Still growing."

"Why are you here early? I thought you’d be coming in three weeks."

"I was," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I couldn’t wait to see my son after almost a year.” She immediately wrapped her arms around me. “And… there’s been a problem with the disappearance of some of my products at the biggest mall in Hoshivalle, so I had to check on it. But mainly, I came because of you."

"Oh," I said, laughing nervously. "That’s… sweet."

"Your father will still come in three weeks," she continued. "For now, I’ll be staying in a hotel until we resolve this possible thievery of my products."

Then her eyes drifted past me. "And who is this?"

Cassie, extended her hand with a bright smile. "Hello, Ms. Maesutoro! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a friend of your son and a big fan of your brand. Especially the jeans."

My mother smiled politely. "Nice to meet you." But then her gaze fell on the electric guitar strapped to Cassie’s back. "Is that… an instrument?"

Cassie froze. "Uhh, yeah. I play guitar. In my spare time. That’s all."

I saw that look on my mother’s face, the kind of fake smile that could slice steel. She wasn’t happy.

So, before things could get worse, I jumped in. "Anyway! How’s my studies, right? It’s going great! We were actually heading to my place to study for the OCSE exam."

Her expression softened. "I’m glad to hear that."

"Well, it was nice to see you again, Mother," I said quickly. "But we really have to go."

I grabbed Cassie’s hand and bolted down the street, Yuki and Wolfgang following behind.

When we were far enough, I exhaled. "Great. Now that my mom’s here, I’m officially doomed. Hiding from her is going to be a nightmare. It’s like fate is mocking me."

Cassie smirked. "Well, damn, Noah. I never thought you were this forward."

"What?" I asked, confused.

She nodded down at our hands, our fingers still intertwined.

I immediately let go, my face burning.

Cassie laughed. "Oh no, now you are breaking up with me?! You are a heartbreak, meanie!" She clutched her chest dramatically and burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

I could only sigh. "Why do I even hang out with you?".