Epi.8-EX: The Girl in the White Dress by the Lake

A few days after the stream, toward evening, Sayuri and Yuka had come to the lake where a white-dress girl was said to appear.

“Wow, what a beautiful lake.”

The clear surface reflected the sky, and the breeze was gentle.
The sun was leaning a little, but it was still a bit early for the girl to show up.

“I’ve already told everyone for now, but if you get too carried away, they might get mad at you, so be careful, okay?”
Sayuri warned her, glancing over at her.

“What do you mean by ‘get mad’?”
“Hmm, kind of like the person from that story we talked about the other day. You might feel unbelievably sick… maybe.”
Sayuri grinned mischievously.

“That would be awful. I’ll be careful.”

After they waited for a while, the lake’s surface began to take on the colors of the setting sun.
Soon, the girl in the white dress quietly appeared.

“Oh, long time no see.”
Sayuri floated over to her and gently took the girl’s hand, and the girl smiled warmly in return.

“Waaah… she’s really so cute…”

Seeing Yuka gazing at her in admiration, Sayuri puffed out her chest proudly.
“Right?”

“I’m Yuka. Nice to meet you.”
She gave a small bow, and the girl smiled and returned the gesture with a gentle nod.

“Is it okay if I… take a picture?”
When Yuka asked, the girl looked a little troubled.

“Is it… not okay?”

Yuka looked anxiously at Sayuri, and Sayuri said, “Hold on a second,” then turned to face the girl and began talking with her about something.

It seemed the girl couldn’t speak, but she and Sayuri were somehow able to communicate just fine.
“She didn’t really understand what a picture was. But once I explained it, she said it’s okay to take one.”
Sayuri grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

“Yesss!”

Sayuri and the girl lined up with Yuka between them, and Yuka raised her phone to take a picture.

“Say cheese!”

The shutter sound echoed.
When she checked the screen, the girl’s expression looked a little stiff — but that was understandable for a first time.

“Let’s take one more.”
Yuka smiled at her, and Sayuri showed a perfect example of a bright smile. The girl, caught up in the mood, let her expression soften gently.

“Here we go… okay!”

The second shot was taken. This time, the girl showed a natural smile.
When Yuka showed her the phone screen, the girl opened her eyes just a little in surprise, then nodded happily.

That night,
as soon as they returned to the abandoned house, Yuka started a stream.

“Look, look! Here’s what we took today!”

Proudly, she showed the screen: a photo taken by the lakeside, with Yuka, Sayuri, and the girl in the white dress standing together.
Then she showed another one — a group shot they took with the surrounding ghosts gathered in.

This image would drift across social media for a long time, repeatedly becoming a topic of discussion as an overly edited fake.
But each time it came up, Yuka would vividly recall the memories of that day.