Ground Play

A place where students alike Izanami attends on an almost daily basis—a high school. The same place she and her friend, Ran, got detention for causing a disturbance in class—and essentially…made the teacher furious.

Edo High School has been here for centuries, constantly changing over and over to suit the now modern Tokyo, and practically preserving the left lega—

In the school cafeteria, food is self-servant, with the chefs and assistants working their absolute hardest in making and serving the meals to the thousands of students.

Its a big school indeed, different to the others. I would say its more like a restaurant really.

Since its lunch time, Izanami and Ran headed over there.

While in the self-serve line, Ran stepped forward as it was her turn to grab today’s meal.

“Ah! Today we have tempura, yay!” Her surprised, delighted face prompted her hands to quickly take the tray.

The tray included more aside. Other than the chopsticks laid on a tiny wooden stand, a bowl of rice and a tiny bowl of soy sauce Tentsuyu—which is a classic sauce for the dish. It particularly captivated her and her taste.

Ran stepped aside. “A good day today!”

“Yeah, a good day indeed,” said Izanami, receiving the same.

Though her enthusiasm wasn’t the same as Ran, she picked up her tray after the dispenser in front pushed it out. With Ran, she walked away from the line and they proceeded to find an open table.

She gazed down. “…Tempura, huh?” Then continues, “This school really loves its traditionalism.”

They sat at a table, facing across from each other.

“Of course, its part of the program.” Ran responded.

What they’re talking about is the school’s meal program. The school chooses the meals for the students - Including the drinks and what-not, and are even as specific as to check the calories of the meals.

For any normal Japanese school, it seems normal right? Providing such carefully planned, nutritionally balanced, set meals to all students, while the students participate in cleaning up, learning responsibility and healthy eating habits, with menus changing daily.

But this school isn’t normal - Because this no-choice format also applied to everything else… Literally…

Izanami leaned forward, covered the side of her mouth with her free hand, and whispered, “But still, isn’t it crazy how they’re so high-handed!”

Ran listening in, who also leaned forward, whispered back, “I know right! Really…it’s crazy.”

After a split second of silence, they both checked their sides with their eyes alone, not moving a single neck muscle.

Izanami realizing her food was getting cold, interrupted the silence.

She slammed the table, getting Ran’s attention. At that moment, Ran slammed the table with a gasp of regret for not eating the food at its best state.

“Our food!” Izanami exclaimed.

“You mean mine!” Ran exclaimed.

They rush eating their food that’s gone stale. It was real trouble shoving the food down by force. After finishing and disposing their trays at a desk besides them, they stroll around the hallways.

“So—” Ran paused her words for a moment as she got Izanami’s attention. “—Where were you last week? I called you a lot you know!”

“I-I…uhh,” She stuttered even more. Right after, looking around while almost sweating in guilt.

Ran’s question had Izanami in a gutter. But even so, she couldn’t answer her truthfully.

“I lost my phone.”

Despite her best friend trying to contact in desperation of having a clue that something went wrong, bugged Izanami quite a bit.

It happened since the day Izanami got released from Disciplinary, entirely vanishing for the rest of the week.

It struck odd for Ran, though realizing Izanami acting unusual after the confrontation, she let it go for now.

“Weeeell… Then fine.”

Izanami faced opposite of Ran to quickly and quietly sigh out of relief.

———᯽———

School just finished and the bells rang melodically. Currently, Izanami and Ran stepped outside, past the gate, on their way home. Izanami ponders as she walks besides Ran.

Ran noticed. “? Whatcha’ thinkin’ about?”

“Ah…nothing much really,” Izanami responded uneasy.

Ran glared at her. “Really, huh…” And almost grunted in annoyance due to her best friend’s avoidance.

Izanami said, in a low voice. “Well…”

Ran mimicked, still glaring. “Well…?”

She halted her legs (scared) and so did Ran (prying), while Ran still kept glaring at her.

She continued her walk (still scared) and so did Ran (still prying), while Ran kept glaring at her.

Again, she halted and so did Ran, and so did another pair of legs further behind the two of them.

Izanami faced behind, clutching her bag, while Ran is only an inch further from touching her face. Izanami doesn’t know if she should continue feeling scared or—

“—Don’t turn back and avoid me,” said Ran in a firm voice.

Ran started to move her head in many directions in a snake-like manner as if she’s her prey.

“Okay, okay!” exclaimed Izanami.

“Okay, what? Huh? Wassup?”

“Please stop doing that…”

“Answers. I want answers.”

With Ran’s extreme measures, there’s no way Izanami could outsmart her. Ran’s approach puts her on a tough spot. Indefinitely, its a very effective tactic.

So knowing she can’t handle such pressure, she does the unthinkable.

Not saying anything shocking like revealing the information she thinks she shouldn’t, like at all…

Nope, not an option., Izanami pondered.

Nor be all evasive like “Oh! Tis’ a nice weather! Oh! My! Gooooood!” And expect Ran (the one who literally knows she’s hiding something) to play along…

Again, hell no.

Okay to be blunt: she ran away from Ran.

After gritting her teeth, Izanami clutched her bag and sprinted through the street that they were once calmly walking through.

“Oi! Izanami! Where do you think—?”

Ran’s shouting words were getting distant. Izanami’s breath became heavy; she turned many corners, staying as far as possible from Ran while her initial concern of the foreign footsteps increased.

It didn’t seem wise to leave her alone. But with only a short amount of time, she decided to take the initiative and use herself as bait.

To find out what or who is following them—or rather, herself.

Good, I made enough distance.

She proceeded by walking.

Behind, Ran is nowhere to be seen. She doesn’t bother looking back, especially because of the person that’s stalking her. Making a consideration that she does, it would only end up with the stalker possibly knowing she’s onto them.

Noktu. Noktu!

The black spi— Noktu didn’t respond to her callings.

Did he fall asleep or something?!

With no help from Noktu, there’s nothing she could really do other than not go home.

Izanami ponders.

She doesn’t want the same or similar situation to the alleyway incident to happen again.

She doesn’t want the stalker to know where she lives.

Two of the most detrimental outcomes that she thinks could possibly be worse in real-time than said.

I have no time. Let’s just take a detour.

She glanced over to her left.

An alleyway is spotted. It goes straight through the behind of a car park building.

I could cut through here and go around back to where Ran was.

With no hesitation, she turns to take the detour, hopefully losing the stalker.

Halfway through, she quickly glanced back—her iris touching the corner of her eye. Trying to look sneaky with it as possible, her eyes widened at the absurdity of the situation.

He’s still following?!

Finally, the stalker showed themself walking at a measured pace. Their hands tightly tucked in the pockets of a black hoodie. And of course, the face concealed underneath the hoodie’s thick hood.

There was no going back. She even thinks continuing forward wouldn’t really change anything.

Her mind became fuzzy. The calm, analytical person she usually is, is absent.

As her heart beats faster, the sheer feeling of running away is more than ever.

Only halfway through, with no plan in mind, and the stalker catching up, she jumps over the concrete ledge of the car park by vaulting.

Izanami panics, but runs. Not stopping for even a second.

The building is taller than any high school. With it being several stories high. However, this didn’t stop Izanami from running up the steep ramp many times.

She reached high, higher than she could’ve possibly imagined. All just to get away from the stalker. Though it struck odd for her to be in such a panic, even though she’s strong. Even though she’s fast and has the means to defend herself. But still… Whether its her confused mind or a doubt in her heart, nothing at this moment seemed alright.

Another thing that struck odd, is how isolated the parking lot inside the building is. From one story to another, the most she’s seen was one singular black vehicle, which wasn’t even in the higher stories.

Time didn’t seem present. Darkness surrounded, but there was still enough to see.

With every step, darkness surrounded, and time isn’t present.

With every heavy breath, her panic slightly worsens, and her posture worsens.

With no room to rest, and the naked surroundings, she became absorbed, oblivious to the passage.

She had to stop, so she did.

Now on one of the highest stories in the car park; the only thing Izanami could think of is running away, but she stopped. She has no choice but to fight back. That person looked fragile to her; they’re just human, let alone a spirit. So what is stopping her?

“Found you.”

Footsteps behind Izanami prompted her eyes to widen in surprise. Her fists clenched and then she did a quick turn to face the stalker face to face.

Izanami stayed quiet.

“The fact that your reactive against the Rule tells me something…” The stalker pulled the thick hood even lower. Their voice seemed smooth, but a little low.

Is it a man?

“…Are the spirits visible?” The stalker asked.

“—”

“Then… Have you made a contract with a spirit?”

“—”

—Izanami’s new hurdle.

With both questions unanswered, the stalker gets more closer.

“I guess we have to do this the hard way.”

—The first step of overcoming her fears.