At Bay

“Again, and again! Every single time we have the chance to be together, you always avoid me!”

“Ran, its not like that! Its just—”

“—Its just what? The fact that even yesterday you ran from your mistakes?”

They go at it. Ran storms away from Izanami, who is behind following along. Last night’s vision of trying to reconcile with Ran did not go as planned for her.

Since this is happening in school, other students overhear them and gaze at the two while they fast walk through the hallway.

Ran yelled. “For God’s sake, leave me alone!” Entering, then slamming the door without hesitation, and without looking back.

Izanami couldn’t respond in time, standing in front of the shut door.

There was no way she would’ve changed anything in the moment, with Ran storming away while angrily yelling at her? No way…

She walks off, unable to let herself force her way through the door.

Noktu comments on the outcome. A ‘small’ argument, you say?

“—”

Not trying to satisfy Its provocation, she stayed silent until she got her thoughts together.

———᯽———

Looks like spirits is not the only thing you need to deal with.

“Yeah, how funny.”

As Izanami sat down on a bench in worry, silence grew larger. Nothing more was said for some time, until Noktu finally broke the silence.

What’s up with that room? How come you didn’t go inside?

“That’s a club room, they play a board game called Go. And can you at least feel some decency?”

Go, huh… I wonder what that’s like.

Noktu completely ignored her last remark, annoying her even more.

She pondered in complete silence.

…Hey, I was joking.

“Should I maybe ask them…?”

?

———᯽———

“You came back so quick…”

After school, Izanami went straight to the headquarters. She couldn’t find—or rather avoided Ran while she did the same during and after school.

Once again, Kon and Shiroma Hana are stood in front of the seated Izanami, gripping her sheathed katana laid on her lap.

“…Do you really have to hold your weapon?” Hana commented.

“Its precaution,” Izanami replied in a calm manner.

“Against us…?” Kon added.

“—” Ignoring his comment, she stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke again in the same calm manner. “Me and my best friend got in an argument…and it got worse and worse.”

“An argument?” Hana questioned. Ah, probably that girl she was with. Furthering the conversation while she turned to look at Kon, “When I was stalk—That girl she was with before…”

“Before…?” Kon questioned her hesitance.

“Never mind—”

“—Wait! Did you say argument!?”

Kon’s expression changed in an instant, from chill and calm to now about to lose it. She doesn’t trust us yet, truly. That’s why she’s armed. But even so…sh-she confessed something that could turn against her!

Kon imagined too much. Way too much. No, maybe she does trust us! A confession of a true pure, hearted girl!

Izanami furrowed her brow, losing patience. “Are you gonna help me or what?”

Hana firmly replied, “N—!”

“—Yes, absolutely!!” Kon firmly shouted.

“—”

“—”

Kon’s declaration may have silenced the room, but only momentarily. I have to make her fully trust us, with this…its possible.

“Thanks.”

Right away, he went to his desk’s drawer to take out pen and paper. From there, he slammed them on the desk. “More info!”

“…Okay, sure… So…” She explained the outcome of her and Ran’s relationship since the beginning of her unfortunate outcome til most recent. Not the contract and how that happened though—that to her is something she’s still not sure on sharing.

“Okay so, it all started to go downhill after detention, but that wasn’t the real reason.” He continued to write while Izanami watched from afar. Hana, however, kept herself busy. “And that after contracting with a spirit, you kept encountering spirits left and right—even Hana—”

“—Shiroma!” She had sat down on the same couch next to Izanami, crossing both her legs and arms. “I never allowed you to call by my first name.”

“…Shiroma…having you separate from your friend…” He stopped writing and sighed. “Look, I thought this was more of a normal situation, and even so, we wouldn’t be of any help.”

Izanami took those words to heart, almost pausing in perplexity. But she answered without hesitation. “Wha—!?”

“—Before you say anything, this is a supernatural case. As a Drafter, you have no choice but to engage with supernatural phenomena, whether you like it or not.” His hands crossed, and he continued with a calm demeanor. “If your friend doesn’t like that you disappear whenever you two have a chance to engage, then I’m sorry to say but that’s her fault.”

His words seemed twisted. There was some truth to it, but he could’ve eased with the harshness and tone.

“Her fault?”

Izanami’s demeanor switched up quickly. She didn’t like what he said.

Kon continued, “Oh, sorry, I meant to say her stubbornness. That’s the issue.”

“—” Izanami is in disbelief.

Hana raised her voice. Her co-worker’s attitude made her feel uneasy. “Yeah, seriously, aren’t you going to far?”

“And you,” he said in a strict voice. “, aren’t you the one who caused our group immense damage? Did you not fail the mission that was set to us?”

“The mission that you didn’t do anything in!? And quit talking like you own the damn place! Your just acting like a selfish moron, you moron!”

“Am i wrong though? I collected all the intel that was required to at least dispatch you. All you had was one job—I did mine—You didn’t.”

Hana surely wasn’t having it. She clenched her teeth in even more frustration.

“What gives you the right to act like this!?”

“Our priority is simple—”

“—She’s right, you are sick.”

Izanami attempted to say something that could deescalate the situation. “Can—” But Kon didn’t want anything of it, he’s also fed up.

Kon closed his eyes. “You two, get out.”

—And so, they did.

The room fell into silence after their immediate departure. The door closed in a gentle way because Hana didn’t bother slamming it shut. He didn’t know if he was right, but at the same time, Do I even have the right…? I wonder Hana.

———᯽———

Hana quickens her pace, while Izanami follows behind.

Izanami asked, “Hey, what about—?”

“—Forget about him.”

“No, I mean the help I asked for. I’m not trying to sound…”

“I’ll help you. Its just that bastard needs to fix his mind.”

“—” I’ll thank her later…

Hana and Izanami ended up in a room, still in the headquarters. Its just the two of them alone.

“Honestly, what was that about?”

Things did escalate badly pretty quickly. Neither knows why Kon didn’t act like his usual self. The energetic and kind hearted self.

Hana snorted and quickly dismissed those thoughts. “Ah, its whatever. So, have you had any interaction at all since then?”

“No. She would ignore me if nearby or not be seen at all.”

“And you did the same?”

“Well, I thought forcing my way to her would make it worse.”

“Fair enough. But you know what, go back. Tomorrow is another day, though not promised. So go back and actually have a talk with her. Sometimes a push is needed.”

“—”

“Try, even if she avoids you.”

Hana’s advice made Izanami a bit taken aback of her lack of casualness. Thoughtful as Hana became, she demanded an answer. “Got that?”

No, more like commitment to heal the already broken relationship. She was left with no choice but to agree.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

———᯽———

Today is the day: Izanami’s determination to successfully get in a talk with Ran, hopefully mending their relationship, and start over.

Students roam through the hallway. Some engaging in conversations. She walks through the school’s hallway, on her way to Ran’s club room.

You sure you got this?

Yeah, don’t worry., Izanami replied.

After turning a corner, she stops in front of the door and momentarily waits in silence. Preparing herself to enter the room, she gets hold of the door knob, squeezing it.

Turning the door knob, she opened the door. She hesitated enough. So with no more of that, and finally getting the push she needed, she entered the room.

Its quiet. Its empty.

“No one’s here?”

—

“Ran?”

Iza…

Izanami observed around her, behind her, and every inch of the room. Whether it was underneath the tables or behind the standing boards that were initially wide in a zig-zag pattern—before Izanami pushed it into the other end.

Izanami.

“Where?”

Listen.

Out of panic, she left the room and looked both directions. Extreme worry displayed on her face as no one is around. The once filled hallway is now desolate.

I sense a spirit nearby. No, very close.

Its warning didn’t cross her mind at all. She’s to focused on what just happened.

The same thing like before. But now its happening in her school. Students leaving the building, though unfortunately, she realized too late.

She looked outside the windows, towards the school ground.

“AAAAHHHHH!”

A scream emitted, echoing through the school. It sounded like Ran. Immediately, she rushed over to where she heard it. Eventually, leading to another door that Izanami had to go upstairs for. The floor that 3rd year students use—It baffled her. How on earth and why would she be here? But that question alone was soon to be answered.

As Noktu didn’t say another word, It knew she wouldn’t listen. As It kept quiet, she slowly slid the door open. Her eyes widened, and right as the room became visible—

“AGH!”

A shadow of a thick whip hit Izanami’s stomach. It punctured her heavily, so heavily she got pushed back into the wall behind.

A fast, but heavy attack like that made no sense to her.

She clenched the core of her stomach as small streams of blood dripped from her mouth. I got to…my weapon!

Then, in a flash—

She halted.

Crunch!

A sound distinct, yet familiar. Where did it come from? Well, her leg.

Looking down, the thick whip that was too fast to see, is now visibly clenching Izanami’s leg. Its white, with black stripes reaching until the darkness of the room. As slight yellow stripes can be seen inside the room, assuming its from the tentacle.

It’s huge—AGHH!!

She screams as the tentacle continues to clench her leg. It’s unbearable!!

She continues to scream as the tentacle starts to get more of her leg, spiraling around it while it gets closer. NOKTU!!!

However, her call received no answer.

She heavily pants, her chest puffing out while her shoulders move uncontrollably. Her face drenched in fear and sweat. It can heal. It can heal. It can heal. It can heal. It can heal. Just endure the pain!

Just as Izanami was ready for the tentacle to continue clenching, it halted. Instead, pulling her whole body inside the room. Holding Izanami up close to its face, its white pupils stared.

Izanami froze, the only thing that was visible in her vision is the spirit. The spirit could almost break the whole room because of its size if it wasn’t so flexible and soft. That’s a scary thought to her.

As the spirit—a larva—continued staring, its white pupils engulfing the darkness on the iris became larger and scratchy. It made sound, like a mythological sea creature that ruled the sea. Mother nature’s revenge on the sea’s reign.

Now, she knows where the tentacles comes from. Its the legs of the creature. Immediately after her realization, the gigantic larva used another of its tentacle to whip, but zoomed past Izanami’s face.

Izanami finally snapped out of it, her leg partially healed, erasing the pain to where she regained her senses. She turns back to see the second tentacle shuffling behind. Until…

Ran!

The larva held the unconscious Ran and proceeded to take her out of the room.

Wai—! Izanami’s vision blurred instantly, then, her eyes closed quickly without control. Oh, shi…

Thus, Izanami passed out.