The girl in the ceiling

# **Sunshine 60: The Watching Tower**

## **Chapter 2 (Part 2) — The Space Above the Ceiling**

No one moved.

Taku’s severed hand lay in the center of the carpet.

Palm up.

The fingers slowly uncurling as if trying to grasp something that wasn’t there.

A single drop of blood slid off the index finger.

**drip**

It landed softly on the carpet.

No one breathed.

Then the sound came again.

From above the ceiling.

**thud**

**scrrrrk**

Something dragged across the metal framework above the office tiles.

Slow.

Heavy.

Like a body crawling.

One of the girls began to cry.

“…We need to go.”

Her voice trembled violently.

Another boy grabbed her arm.

“Stairs.”

Shiki nodded immediately.

“Yes. Now.”

They began backing away slowly.

No one dared turn around.

No one wanted to take their eyes off the hole in the ceiling.

Blood continued dripping from the broken panel.

**drip**

**drip**

Then something new happened.

The hole above them darkened.

Something was moving inside the crawlspace again.

A shape pressed against the gap.

One of the girls gasped.

A strand of hair slipped through the opening.

Long.

Black.

It dangled downward slowly.

Then another strand.

And another.

The group froze in place.

Shiki felt the air leave his lungs.

The hair continued sliding through the broken tile like a curtain falling.

A wet sound followed.

**slrk**

Something above shifted its weight.

The ceiling frame bent slightly.

Then the hair suddenly stopped moving.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

For several seconds nothing happened.

Then—

The hair slowly lifted back upward.

Vanishing into the darkness above the ceiling.

The sound of crawling resumed.

But this time it moved away from them.

**scrrrk**

**thud**

**scrrrk**

The creature was leaving.

No one spoke.

Then Shiki whispered—

“…Run.”

They ran.

---

## **The Stairwell**

The stairwell door burst open as the group stumbled inside.

The metal door slammed shut behind them with a loud **BANG**.

Everyone collapsed against the railing or walls, gasping for breath.

One of the girls vomited onto the concrete steps.

Another boy slid down the wall, shaking violently.

“Taku…” he whispered.

The short-haired girl grabbed her head.

“What the hell was that?!”

No one had an answer.

Shiki leaned against the railing.

His hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

But something kept nagging at him.

The hair.

That long black hair.

The hand that grabbed Taku.

The rope burns.

A horrible thought slowly formed in his mind.

“…That wasn’t a prisoner.”

The others looked at him.

“What?”

Shiki swallowed.

“The rope marks weren’t from a uniform sleeve.”

His voice grew quieter.

“They were smaller.”

“Like what?” one of the boys asked.

Shiki looked up toward the ceiling of the stairwell.

“…Like a wrist.”

Silence fell again.

The girl wiped tears from her face.

“You’re saying… that thing was a girl?”

No one laughed.

No one denied it.

The stairwell lights flickered softly above them.

The group slowly began descending the stairs.

Step after step.

Their shoes echoed hollowly against the concrete.

After a minute of walking, one of the boys spoke quietly.

“…Has anyone heard of something like this happening here?”

The short-haired girl hesitated.

Then she said something that made Shiki stop walking.

“…Actually yeah.”

Everyone turned.

“What?”

She swallowed nervously.

“A girl disappeared here a few years ago.”

Shiki felt his chest tighten.

“What girl?”

“I don’t remember everything,” she said, “but my older sister talked about it once.”

Her voice dropped.

“It was a class trip.”

---

# **Case File Extract**

**Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department**

**Missing Persons Division**

**Case ID:** MP-1784-SC

**Subject:** Nicole Hoshino

**Age at Disappearance:** 16

**Date of Incident:** October 14

---

### **Incident Summary**

Nicole Hoshino, a second-year high school student, was reported missing during a school field trip to Sunshine City in Ikebukuro.

According to witness testimony, Nicole was last seen entering the elevator area of **Sunshine 60** with several classmates.

Approximately twenty minutes later, her classmates reported that Nicole had “vanished.”

Initial search efforts focused on the observation deck and surrounding floors.

No signs of struggle were discovered.

Security cameras captured Nicole entering the elevator corridor.

However—

All footage from cameras inside the elevator system and upper floors during the estimated time of disappearance was corrupted.

Multiple cameras experienced simultaneous malfunction.

Technicians were unable to recover usable recordings.

---

### **Witness Statements**

Students present during the incident reported hearing a loud metallic sound coming from the elevator shaft shortly before Nicole’s disappearance.

One student stated they heard “something heavy drop.”

Another claimed they heard Nicole screaming.

No other witnesses confirmed these statements.

---

### **Recovery of Remains**

Three days after the disappearance, maintenance staff discovered partial human remains inside the elevator maintenance shaft between the **43rd and 44th floors**.

DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Nicole Hoshino.

Cause of death could not be determined due to severe damage to the body.

The case was initially investigated as a potential homicide.

However—

No suspects were identified.

No forensic evidence indicated another individual’s involvement.

---

### **Investigation Status**

After six months of investigation, authorities concluded:

• No physical evidence linking a suspect to the incident

• No recovered surveillance footage

• No reliable witness testimony

With all leads exhausted—

The investigation was formally suspended.

**Case Status:** COLD CASE

---

### **Additional Notes**

Nicole Hoshino’s disappearance was later linked to several other unexplained missing persons reports connected to **Sunshine 60**.

Despite multiple investigations, no definitive explanation has ever been found.

All cases remain unresolved.

---

## **End Case File**

---

The stairwell fell silent.

One of the boys whispered,

“…Her body was found.”

The short-haired girl nodded slowly.

“Yeah.”

“But you said she disappeared.”

“She did.”

The boy’s voice shook.

“…So what killed her?”

No one answered.

The group resumed walking down the stairs.

But Shiki couldn’t stop thinking about something.

The hair.

The rope burns.

The crawling in the ceiling.

And the hand that grabbed Taku.

He suddenly felt a cold realization forming.

“Wait…”

Everyone stopped again.

“What?” someone asked.

Shiki looked up the stairwell.

The dark space above them seemed endless.

“…Her body was found.”

“Yes,” the girl said.

Shiki swallowed.

“But the case said her **remains** were found.”

Silence.

“What’s your point?” someone asked.

Shiki’s voice barely came out.

“…They never said they found all of her.”

The stairwell light flickered.

For a split second—

A shadow passed across the ceiling above them.

Long.

Thin.

With hair hanging down.

Then it vanished.

And somewhere far above—

Something began crawling again.

# **Sunshine 60: The Watching Tower**

## **Chapter 3 (Part 1) — The Girl In The Ceiling**

The stairwell smelled like rust and wet concrete.

The group descended slowly, their footsteps echoing in uneven rhythms down the hollow shaft.

No one spoke.

No one wanted to.

Taku’s death still hung over them like a physical weight pressing on their chests.

The short-haired girl finally whispered,

“…Just keep moving.”

Shiki nodded.

The staircase spiraled downward in tight concrete circles.

Floor numbers were painted beside each landing.

**39**

**38**

**37**

Each step felt longer than the last.

One of the boys—Ryo—kept glancing upward.

“Do you still hear it?” he asked quietly.

Shiki listened.

At first—

Nothing.

Then it came again.

Soft.

Distant.

**scrrrrk**

Something dragging across metal above them.

Everyone heard it this time.

“Don’t look up,” one of the girls whispered.

But Ryo did.

His head slowly tilted toward the stairwell ceiling.

“…Guys.”

His voice was trembling.

“Guys there’s—”

A loud **BANG** exploded above them.

The ceiling hatch at the top of the stairwell burst open.

Everyone screamed.

Something dropped down the center of the stairwell.

Fast.

Too fast to see clearly.

It hit the metal railing two floors above them.

**CRASH**

The body twisted unnaturally as it slammed into the steps.

Then it rolled.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Until it stopped at their feet.

The group stared.

It was Taku.

Or what was left of him.

His torso had been ripped open like wet paper.

Bones jutted through shredded muscle.

His head hung backwards, barely attached by torn flesh.

His eyes were still open.

Still staring.

One of the girls collapsed screaming.

Ryo stumbled back.

“WHAT THE HELL—”

The sound came again.

Directly above them.

**scrrrrk**

Everyone looked up.

A long strand of black hair dangled through the open hatch.

Then a second strand.

Then a third.

Shiki felt the cold realization sink deeper into his bones.

“…Run.”

But they were too slow.

Ryo suddenly screamed.

Something invisible grabbed his leg.

Hard.

His body jerked upward violently.

“HELP ME!”

He clawed desperately at the railing.

His fingernails scraped the metal.

**SKREEEEE**

But something pulled him higher.

His body lifted off the ground.

One of the boys grabbed his arm.

“DON’T LET GO!”

Another grabbed his waist.

For one second—

They almost held him.

Then Ryo’s leg bent backward.

Too far.

**CRACK**

His scream turned into a wet choking sound.

The unseen force yanked again.

The boy holding his arm suddenly felt something tear.

A warm spray hit his face.

Ryo’s leg ripped completely out of its socket.

Blood exploded across the staircase walls.

The group fell backward in shock.

Ryo’s body was dragged upward through the hatch like a rag doll.

His screaming continued above them.

But it sounded… wrong now.

Like his lungs were filling with blood.

Then came the sounds.

Wet.

Violent.

**RIP**

**CRUNCH**

**SLRRK**

Something was eating him.

The staircase echoed with the horrible sounds of tearing flesh.

Then silence.

A moment later—

Something dropped from the hatch.

It hit the stairs with a sickening **thud**.

Ryo’s face.

Just the face.

The skin peeled away from the skull.

His jaw hung loose, barely attached.

The eyes were gone.

The remaining boy vomited instantly.

Shiki grabbed the girl beside him.

“MOVE!”

They ran again.

---

### **But the stairs changed.**

Shiki didn’t notice at first.

None of them did.

Because the numbers on the walls weren’t decreasing anymore.

They were repeating.

**36**

**35**

**34**

Then again—

**36**

The girl beside him gasped.

“…Did we pass this already?”

Shiki looked back.

The same cracked light fixture.

The same rust stain.

The same blood smear from earlier.

They were running in circles.

Something above the stairwell laughed softly.

A girl’s voice.

Thin.

Broken.

**“You can’t leave.”**

The voice came from everywhere.

Above.

Below.

Inside their heads.

Then the hatch exploded open again.

This time the thing came down slowly.

The remaining boy—Kenji—looked up.

“…It’s just a girl.”

Shiki followed his gaze.

A pale body hung upside down from the ceiling hatch.

Her long black hair covered most of her face.

Her limbs bent at impossible angles.

Her neck had a deep purple rope mark.

Kenji whispered,

“…She’s just a kid.”

The girl’s head slowly tilted sideways.

Her hair parted slightly.

Her face was pale and swollen.

Eyes completely white.

Her mouth opened.

Too wide.

“**Why didn’t you help me?**”

Kenji stepped back.

“I— I didn’t—”

She dropped.

Not falling.

Crawling.

Her body scuttled down the stairwell wall like a spider.

Her fingers dug into the concrete.

**SKREEEEEE**

Kenji froze.

Shiki grabbed his arm.

“MOVE!”

But Kenji couldn’t.

The girl’s head snapped forward.

Her jaw unhinged.

Her teeth clamped around Kenji’s throat.

**CRUNCH**

The sound was sharp.

Like biting into a thick apple.

Blood sprayed across the stairwell.

Kenji’s body jerked violently.

She didn’t let go.

Instead she shook her head.

Hard.

Like a predator tearing meat from bone.

**RIP**

His throat ripped completely open.

His scream came out as a wet gurgle.

She dragged him upward along the wall while still biting into him.

His legs kicked helplessly against the railing.

Then she began pulling.

Slowly.

Peeling the skin from his neck with her teeth.

Kenji’s body convulsed.

Blood poured down the stairs like rain.

His final scream echoed through the stairwell.

Then—

Everything went black.

---

# **CLASSROOM**

“SHIKI!”

Shiki shot upright from his desk.

His scream tore through the classroom.

“NO—!”

The entire class jumped.

His body was drenched in sweat.

His breathing ragged and broken.

“What the hell was that nightmare?!”

The words barely left his mouth before he bent forward violently.

He vomited.

A thick stream of bile splattered across his desk.

More poured onto the floor.

Students screamed.

The teacher rushed forward.

“Shiki!”

But Shiki didn’t hear them.

Blood began dripping from his nose.

His vision blurred.

His hands shook uncontrollably.

“What the fuck… what the fuck was that…”

His voice cracked.

His ears rang.

He could hear his classmates shouting.

“Someone call the nurse!”

“Shiki!”

“Are you okay?!”

Their voices sounded far away.

Like underwater.

His nose bled harder now.

Blood dripping onto the desk.

His vision faded in and out.

His heart pounded violently in his chest.

“What… was that…”

His body slumped sideways.

The last thing he saw was his teacher grabbing his shoulders.

“Shiki! Stay with me!”

Then everything went silent.

---

# **Later That Day — Classroom**

The room was quiet now.

Students whispered nervously among themselves.

One girl hugged her arms.

“That was terrifying…”

Another student nodded.

“He just started screaming out of nowhere.”

The teacher sat at the desk looking shaken.

“He’s one of my best students,” she said quietly.

“Always calm. Always focused.”

A boy near the window spoke up.

“…Has anyone else noticed he’s been acting strange lately?”

Several students nodded.

“Yeah.”

“He looks exhausted all the time.”

“He’s been zoning out in class.”

One girl whispered,

“…Like something’s bothering him.”

Another student frowned.

“But what?”

No one had an answer.

The room slowly fell silent again.

Outside the window—

Clouds drifted slowly across the sky.

---

# **Hospital Room — Night**

Machines beeped softly in the quiet hospital room.

Shiki lay in the bed, IV tubes running into his arm.

His eyes fluttered open weakly.

Everything felt heavy.

Like he had been asleep for years.

His vision was blurry.

He turned his head slowly.

The room looked empty.

But something felt… off.

He struggled to sit up.

The IV line tugged against his arm.

His vision cleared slightly.

Then he saw her.

A girl stood near the doorway.

Long black hair.

Pale skin.

School uniform.

She looked about sixteen.

Shiki’s breath caught in his throat.

“…Nicole.”

The girl didn’t respond.

She simply stood there staring at him.

Her head tilted slightly.

Just like in the dream.

Shiki’s vision blurred again.

His eyelids felt too heavy.

The room darkened.

He slipped back into unconsciousness.

---

# **Hospital Waiting Room**

Two police officers sat across from the nurse station filling out paperwork.

They were handling an unrelated case.

One officer stretched.

“Long day.”

The other nodded.

Then they heard something faint from the hallway.

A voice.

Weak.

Muttering.

“…Nicole… Hoshino…”

Both officers looked up immediately.

“…Did you hear that?”

They walked toward the nurse station.

“Excuse me,” one officer said.

“Who’s in room 200?”

The nurse checked the chart.

“Shiki Chisaki. High school student. Collapsed at school today.”

The officers exchanged a glance.

Before the nurse could continue—

A scream erupted down the hallway.

“**NICOLE!**”

It was raw.

Terrified.

The officers rushed toward the room.

Doctors and nurses ran behind them.

They burst through the door.

Shiki thrashed violently in the hospital bed.

His eyes wide with terror.

“Nicole! Don’t leave me!”

Doctors restrained him.

“Hold him steady!”

“Sedative!”

The officers watched silently.

After several minutes Shiki finally calmed.

His breathing slowed.

He looked around the room weakly.

One of the officers stepped closer.

“Shiki Chisaki.”

Shiki looked up slowly.

The officer’s voice was calm but serious.

“We need to ask you something.”

The second officer leaned forward slightly.

“…What is your relationship with **Nicole Hoshino**?”

Shiki’s heart stopped.

Because he had no idea how he knew that name.

Yet the image of the girl in the hospital doorway burned into his mind.

Her pale face.

Her tilted head.

And the rope mark around her neck.

---

End of Chapter 3 — Part 1

Sunshine 60: The Watching Tower

Chapter 3 (Part 2) — The Sound No One Else Heard

The hospital room smelled faintly of disinfectant.

Machines beeped slowly beside the bed.

Shiki’s head throbbed like someone had driven nails into his skull.

Two police officers stood beside the bed, notebooks open.

One of them spoke calmly.

“Shiki Chisaki… we’re not trying to scare you.”

The other officer leaned forward slightly.

“But you were repeatedly shouting the name **Nicole Hoshino**.”

Shiki blinked slowly.

His throat felt dry.

“…I don’t know her.”

The officers exchanged a quick glance.

“You said her name clearly,” the first officer said.

“Several times.”

Shiki swallowed.

His voice came out hoarse.

“I saw… someone.”

The pen in the officer’s hand paused.

“Where?”

Shiki hesitated.

“In the room.”

The officers remained silent.

“She looked like a high school student,” Shiki continued slowly. “Long black hair. Pale skin.”

The second officer asked quietly,

“Did she speak to you?”

Shiki shook his head.

“…No.”

“Then how do you know her name?”

Shiki’s mind went blank.

He stared at the white hospital sheets.

“I… don’t.”

The officer’s tone hardened slightly.

“Nicole Hoshino disappeared years ago.”

Shiki looked up.

“…Disappeared?”

“Her case went cold.”

The officer closed his notebook.

“You were screaming for her like you knew her.”

Before Shiki could respond—

A doctor stepped into the room.

“That’s enough.”

His voice was firm.

The officers turned.

“The patient collapsed earlier today,” the doctor said. “Severe stress response, internal bleeding from the nose, possible neurological trauma.”

He gestured toward the IV lines.

“He needs rest.”

The first officer frowned.

“We understand, but this could be important. Nicole Hoshino’s case has been cold for years. If the boy knows something—”

The door opened again.

Two people rushed inside.

“Shiki!”

His mother ran to the bedside.

Her name was **Hachibana Chisaki**.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes red from crying.

Behind her stood Shiki’s father, **Daniel Chisaki**, tall and tense.

“What happened to our son?” Hachibana demanded.

The doctor answered quickly.

“He collapsed in class.”

She grabbed Shiki’s hand tightly.

“Oh my god…”

Daniel looked at the officers.

“…Why are you questioning him?”

The first officer spoke carefully.

“Your son mentioned the name of a missing girl connected to an old case.”

Hachibana shook her head immediately.

“He’s barely conscious.”

Daniel’s voice became firm.

“Whatever questions you have can wait.”

The room went quiet.

The officers looked at Shiki’s pale face.

Then at his parents.

The sadness in their eyes was obvious.

The second officer finally sighed.

“…Understood.”

He closed his notebook.

“We’ll return later.”

The officers left the room.

The door closed softly behind them.

For a moment—

Everything felt calm.

Too calm.

Then—

**CRASH**

The sound exploded somewhere nearby.

Followed by a heavy **THUD**.

Like something large hitting the floor.

Shiki’s head turned instantly.

“…Did you hear that?”

His mother blinked.

“Hear what?”

“That crash.”

The nurse standing near the IV stand looked confused.

“I didn’t hear anything.”

Shiki looked between them.

“You didn’t hear that?”

Daniel frowned.

“No.”

The nurse checked the hallway briefly.

“It’s quiet out there.”

Shiki felt his chest tighten.

“But—”

His words slurred slightly.

“…someone fell.”

The three adults exchanged uneasy glances.

“Shiki,” Hachibana said gently, “are you hallucinating?”

His mind swam.

“…No.”

But even as he said it—

The hospital room began to change.

The white walls flickered.

The steady beeping of the machines stretched into distorted echoes.

Shiki blinked.

The hospital bed vanished.

Cold air replaced the sterile smell.

Concrete walls surrounded him again.

The dim red glow returned.

The stairwell.

Sunshine 60.

He stood there alone.

“…What?”

Shiki spun around.

“Taku?”

No answer.

“Ryo?!”

The staircase was empty.

The group was gone.

Every trace of them.

Panic began clawing at his chest.

“What… what is this?!”

Shiki hated scary things.

Always had.

Ghost stories.

Horror movies.

Even dark hallways.

“…Why am I here?”

His voice shook.

“What brought me to this place?”

His mind began racing.

Images flashed through his thoughts.

School.

The convenience store.

The tower outside at night.

“…I heard someone screaming…”

The memory formed slowly.

“…A woman.”

Then—

A voice echoed through the stairwell.

Soft.

Familiar.

“Shiki…”

His body froze.

The voice again.

“…Shiki…”

It was her.

The girl.

Nicole.

He opened his mouth to answer.

But the world snapped back instantly.

The hospital room returned.

Shiki lay in bed again.

Machines beeped loudly.

But something was wrong.

Blood poured from his nose.

Dripping onto the sheets.

Hachibana gasped.

“Shiki!”

Daniel grabbed her arm.

Doctors rushed in.

“His blood pressure is dropping!”

“Clear the room!”

Hachibana looked back at her son as the staff guided her toward the door.

Tears streamed down her face.

“Shiki…!”

The door closed.

---

### **Minutes Later**

The room was silent again.

Shiki slowly opened his eyes.

Everything felt heavy.

But the room looked normal.

Empty.

No parents.

No doctors.

Just him.

He exhaled weakly.

“…Maybe it’s over.”

His head tilted back against the pillow.

He stared at the ceiling.

“…Can I rest now?”

Then he heard it.

A wet sound.

**drip**

Shiki frowned.

Another one.

**drip**

He looked toward the floor.

Nothing.

The tiles were clean.

But the sound continued.

**drip**

**drip**

Then—

Something slammed onto the ground beside the bed.

**THUD**

Shiki jerked upright.

Another body fell.

Then another.

Then another.

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

Dismembered corpses crashed onto the hospital floor.

Arms.

Legs.

Torsos.

They rained down from the ceiling like grotesque meat.

Blood splattered across the tiles.

Shiki stared in frozen horror.

He recognized their faces.

The missing persons.

The students.

The victims connected to Sunshine 60.

Their bodies hit the floor around his bed.

Broken.

Rotting.

Then one landed beside him.

Its head rolled toward the bed.

Its jaw hung open.

The eyes stared straight at him.

Shiki grabbed his mouth.

His stomach twisted violently.

“God—”

He couldn’t stop it.

He vomited over the side of the bed.

The room spun.

Blood.

Bodies.

The smell of rot filled the air.

Then the door opened.

The nurse stepped inside.

“Shiki, we need to—”

Her scream pierced the hallway.

“OH MY GOD!”

The sound sent ice through Shiki’s spine.

Because her scream sounded real.

Too real.

Security and staff rushed in.

“What happened?!”

“What’s going on?!”

They stopped cold.

The room was chaos.

But not the way Shiki saw it.

There were no bodies.

No blood.

Just Shiki vomiting violently over the bed.

The nurse shaking.

But something else stood among the group.

A figure.

Someone Shiki didn’t recognize.

Standing quietly behind the hospital staff.

Watching him.

Smiling faintly.

And for the first time—

Shiki realized something truly horrifying.

The nightmares…

might not be dreams at all.

---

End of Chapter 3

Chapter 4 (Part 1) I cried out to you… and it hurt

Nicole Hoshino’s POV —- The Summer of last year

I remember the warmth first.

Not the fear.

Not the darkness.

Just—

summer.

The kind that clings to your skin and makes everything feel alive.

---

Day One

We met at the station.

I was early.

Of course I was.

I always got there early when it was him.

I remember standing under the shade of the overhang, holding my phone, pretending not to check the time every ten seconds.

Then I saw him.

Running.

Late.

Of course he was.

His shirt slightly wrinkled, hair messy like he had just rolled out of bed.

“…Sorry,” he said, slightly out of breath.

I tried to look annoyed.

“You’re five minutes late.”

He scratched the back of his head.

“I know.”

A pause.

Then I smiled.

“…Idiot.”

We spent the day wandering through the city.

Nothing special.

Just convenience store snacks, cold drinks, and aimless walking.

But with him—

It felt like everything meant something.

At one point, he stopped suddenly.

“…What?”

I asked.

He looked at me.

Not casually.

Not jokingly.

Just…

softly.

“…Nothing.”

But I caught it.

That small smile.

The one he tried to hide.

And I remember thinking—

*This is enough.*

---

Day Two

We went to the arcade.

He was terrible at rhythm games.

Embarrassingly bad.

“I pressed it!” he argued.

“You pressed it late,” I laughed.

“No I didn’t!”

“You did.”

“I didn’t.”

I beat him six times in a row.

He accused the machine of being rigged.

I told him he just sucked.

At one point, he won something from a claw machine.

A small stuffed animal.

He handed it to me awkwardly.

“…Here.”

I blinked.

“For me?”

He nodded.

“…Yeah.”

I still have it.

Or…

I think I do.

---

Day Three

It rained.

We got caught in it.

No umbrellas.

No plan.

Just running through the streets like idiots.

We ducked into a small shop to wait it out.

Both of us soaked.

Dripping.

Laughing.

“You look stupid,” I told him.

“You look worse,” he replied.

We sat side by side near the window.

Watching the rain fall.

Not talking.

Not needing to.

I leaned slightly closer to him.

Just enough to feel his warmth.

He didn’t move away.

---

Day Four

We went to the park.

It was quiet.

Too hot for most people.

We sat under a tree, sharing a drink.

At some point, I fell asleep.

Just for a little while.

When I woke up—

My head was resting on his shoulder.

I froze.

He was completely still.

Like he was afraid to move.

“…You can breathe,” I whispered.

“I *am* breathing.”

“Barely.”

“…Shut up.”

I laughed.

But I didn’t move.

Neither did he.

---

Day Five

We went shopping.

He hated it.

Completely.

“You’ve been trying on clothes for an hour.”

“Patience.”

“I’m dying.”

“You’re dramatic.”

I picked out an outfit for him.

He refused to try it.

I forced him to.

When he came out of the dressing room—

I stared.

He looked… good.

Really good.

“…What?”

he asked.

“…Nothing.”

But I turned away quickly.

Because my face felt warm.

---

Day Six

We stayed in.

Watched movies.

He picked something boring.

I fell asleep halfway through.

When I woke up—

The movie had ended.

The room was quiet.

And I was leaning against him again.

His hand rested awkwardly near mine.

Like he wasn’t sure if he should hold it.

So I did it first.

I slipped my fingers into his.

Slowly.

Gently.

He stiffened.

Then…

He held my hand back.

---

Day Seven

The last day.

We didn’t say it out loud.

But we both knew.

Summer wouldn’t last forever.

We walked again.

Same as the first day.

But quieter.

He looked… different.

Distant.

“…What’s wrong?” I asked.

He hesitated.

“…Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

He exhaled slowly.

“…People at school…”

His voice trailed off.

I waited.

“They hate me.”

I frowned.

“Who?”

“…Everyone.”

That wasn’t true.

But I understood what he meant.

Some of the boys didn’t like him.

They resented him.

He was too smart.

Too composed.

Too… admired.

And he was with me.

That made it worse.

“…They say I don’t deserve this,” he muttered.

“This?” I asked.

He looked at me.

“…You.”

Something inside me hurt when he said that.

“…That’s stupid,” I replied.

“They’re not wrong.”

“Yes, they are.”

He shook his head.

“…Being like this… it just makes people hate me.”

His voice grew quieter.

“…Maybe I’d be better off if I wasn’t.”

I stepped in front of him.

“…Don’t say that.”

He looked away.

“…It’s true.”

I grabbed his hand.

Firm.

“You being you is the reason I’m here.”

He didn’t respond.

So I tightened my grip.

“Look at me.”

He did.

Reluctantly.

“You don’t get to hate yourself like that,” I said softly.

“…Why not?”

“Because I love you.”

Silence.

The world felt still.

His eyes widened slightly.

“…You—”

“I do.”

My voice trembled.

“But it hurts when you talk like you don’t matter.”

He stared at me.

Like he didn’t know what to say.

So I smiled.

“…So don’t.”

A long pause.

Then—

“…Okay.”

Quiet.

Simple.

But real.

---

### **Now**

It’s cold here.

I don’t know where I am.

I don’t know how long it’s been.

There are no days.

No nights.

Just—

darkness.

Sometimes I hear things.

Footsteps.

Breathing.

Crying.

Not mine.

Never mine.

Because when I cry—

no one answers.

But I remember him.

Every moment.

Every day.

Every stupid argument.

Every quiet silence.

Every time he held my hand like it meant something.

“…I miss you.”

My voice echoes.

But it doesn’t go anywhere.

“I really… really miss you…”

Something moves in the darkness.

I feel it watching me.

Always watching.

I curl into myself.

Shaking.

“…It’s so cold…”

My voice breaks.

“I don’t want to be here anymore…”

Tears stream down my face.

“I want to go back…”

My hands clutch tightly against my chest.

“…I want to see you again…”

My breathing becomes uneven.

Broken.

“…Please…”

The darkness presses closer.

Closer.

Like it’s listening.

Like it enjoys this.

“I cried out to you…”

My voice trembles violently.

“…but it hurt…”

I choke on my own sobs.

“Why didn’t you hear me…?”

My voice cracks completely.

“Why didn’t you come…?”

The silence answers me again.

Empty.

Endless.

And it hurts more than anything.

“…Please…”

I scream now.

Desperate.

Broken.

“PLEASE COME FIND ME!”

My voice shatters into sobs.

“PLEASE SAVE ME!”

The darkness doesn’t respond.

It never does.

“I’m scared…!”

My body trembles violently.

“I don’t want to be alone…!”

My voice fades into broken crying.

“…please…”

A whisper now.

Barely there.

“…please…”

Tears fall endlessly into the dark.

And no matter how loud I scream—

No one ever comes.

---

End of Chapter 4 — Part 1

Chapter 4 (Part 2) I cried out to you… and it hurt

I remember the moment everything stopped feeling like my life.

It wasn’t sudden.

Not at first.

It felt… normal.

That’s what makes it worse.

---

That Night

I was walking home.

It was late, but not too late.

The streets were still lit.

Still safe.

Or at least—

I thought they were.

I remember checking my phone.

A message.

From him.

*“Did you get home safe?”*

I smiled.

I was about to reply.

Then—

A hand grabbed my arm.

Hard.

I didn’t even have time to scream.

Another hand covered my mouth.

“Don’t.”

A voice whispered into my ear.

“Just don’t.”

My body froze.

My phone dropped to the ground.

The screen cracked on impact.

I tried to struggle.

But there were too many of them.

Three.

No—

Four.

They dragged me.

Fast.

My feet scraped against the pavement.

I tried to scream again.

But the hand over my mouth pressed tighter.

“Stop moving,” one of them said.

“You’re making this harder.”

Harder?

For who?

Tears blurred my vision.

I couldn’t even process what was happening.

All I could think was—

*Why?*

---

The Car

They shoved me inside.

The door slammed.

The lock clicked.

I was trapped.

My breathing became erratic.

“What are you doing…?” I managed to say once the hand moved.

No one answered at first.

Then one of them laughed.

“You really don’t get it?”

My chest tightened.

“…Get what?”

Another voice spoke.

Cold.

Sharp.

“You shouldn’t be with him.”

My stomach dropped.

“…What?”

“You heard me.”

The car started moving.

Streetlights passed by in streaks of yellow.

“He doesn’t deserve you.”

My hands trembled.

“…Who are you?”

Silence.

Then—

A familiar voice.

“…You know us.”

My heart stopped.

I turned slowly.

And I saw him.

Aki.

My friend’s older brother.

He avoided my gaze.

“…Aki?”

My voice broke.

“What are you doing?”

He clenched his jaw.

“…Fixing a mistake.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“What mistake?”

He finally looked at me.

His eyes were filled with something I didn’t understand.

“…You choosing him.”

The others nodded.

“Yeah.”

“He acts like he’s better than everyone.”

“Always perfect.”

“Always calm.”

“It’s disgusting.”

Each word hit harder than the last.

I shook my head.

“You’re wrong.”

They laughed.

“No, we’re not.”

“He thinks he’s untouchable.”

“But he’s not.”

My voice trembled.

“…He’s not like that.”

Aki scoffed.

“Of course you’d say that.”

“You’re blinded.”

Something inside me broke a little.

“…You were his friend.”

The car went quiet.

Aki looked away again.

“…Not anymore.”

I couldn’t understand it.

Any of it.

These were people he used to trust.

People he laughed with.

And now—

They looked at him like he was something to destroy.

---

Sunshine 60

When they dragged me out of the car—

I saw it immediately.

The building.

Tall.

Silent.

Watching.

“…No,” I whispered.

“Why here?”

One of them smirked.

“Fitting, right?”

“For what?”

They didn’t answer.

They pushed me inside.

The lobby lights flickered.

The air felt heavy.

Wrong.

They dragged me toward the elevators.

“You’re going to stay here for a while,” Aki said.

My heart pounded.

“…Why?”

“Until you understand.”

“Understand what?!”

“That you don’t belong with him.”

My voice cracked.

“I’m not leaving him!”

The words echoed louder than I expected.

The boys stiffened.

For a moment—

I thought I saw hesitation.

But it passed.

Aki’s expression hardened.

“…We’ll see.”

---

### **The Room**

They locked me inside.

An empty office room.

No windows.

Just a desk.

A chair.

And silence.

The door clicked shut.

I heard them outside.

Voices overlapping.

Arguing.

Then—

It faded.

Slowly.

Until it sounded distant.

Like muffled buzzing.

Like flies.

I sat there.

Alone.

My hands trembled as I gripped my bag.

“…He’ll come.”

I whispered it.

Again.

“…He’ll notice.”

He always noticed.

If I didn’t reply.

If something felt off.

He’d know.

He had to.

“…Please…”

My voice shook.

“Please find me…”

The silence didn’t answer.

Minutes passed.

Or hours.

I didn’t know.

The air felt colder.

Heavier.

I stood up slowly.

“…I can’t just sit here.”

My legs felt weak.

But I forced myself to move.

The door wasn’t locked.

Not anymore.

I stepped into the hallway.

Empty.

Silent.

Too silent.

“…Hello?”

No answer.

The building felt different now.

Like it was holding its breath.

Watching.

I walked.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Every step echoed too loudly.

Eventually—

I found another room.

Smaller.

Darker.

I stepped inside.

Closed the door behind me.

And sat down.

My body finally gave out.

I pulled my knees to my chest.

“…Why is this happening…?”

My voice broke.

“I didn’t do anything…”

Tears slipped down my face.

“I just… loved him…”

The words came out in pieces.

“…That’s all…”

My breathing became uneven.

“…Why is that wrong…?”

The room stayed silent.

Cold.

Unforgiving.

I buried my face in my arms.

And I cried.

Not quietly.

Not gently.

I cried like something inside me had shattered.

“…I want to go home…”

My voice cracked.

“I want to see him…”

Images began flashing in my mind.

The station.

The arcade.

The rain.

His hand in mine.

“…Idiot…”

I whispered through tears.

“…You’re late again…”

A weak laugh escaped me.

Then broke into sobs.

“I miss you…”

My chest tightened painfully.

“I miss you so much…”

The room felt like it was closing in.

The air growing thinner.

Colder.

“…Please…”

My voice faded.

“…come find me…”

---

### **After**

When they came back—

I was gone.

The room was empty.

No sign of me.

No struggle.

No trace.

Just—

nothing.

The boys stood frozen.

“…Where is she?” one of them whispered.

Aki’s face went pale.

“That’s not funny.”

They searched the entire floor.

Every room.

Every hallway.

Nothing.

“She couldn’t have left,” another said.

“We locked her in.”

“Then where is she?!”

Panic spread through them.

One of the boys grabbed his head.

“…We need to tell someone.”

“No.”

Aki’s voice was sharp.

Everyone looked at him.

“No one says anything.”

“…What?”

“We don’t know what happened.”

“That’s exactly why we should—”

“No.”

His voice cracked slightly.

“If we tell anyone… we’re done.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Guilty.

One of them whispered,

“…This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Another nodded.

“We just wanted to scare her…”

Aki clenched his fists.

“…Then we keep it between us.”

“That’s insane.”

“You want to explain this to the police?”

No one answered.

“…We say nothing,” Aki repeated.

“Ever.”

One by one—

They nodded.

Not because they agreed.

But because they were afraid.

And just like that—

I disappeared.

---

### **Now**

It’s cold again.

Just like before.

Endless.

Silent.

Empty.

“I’m still here…”

My voice trembles.

“…I never left…”

Tears fall endlessly.

“I waited…”

My hands shake.

“I waited for you…”

My voice breaks completely.

“But you didn’t come…”

I clutch my chest tightly.

“…I cried out to you…”

The words hurt.

They always hurt.

“…and it hurt…”

My sobs echo into the darkness.

“I thought you’d find me…”

My voice cracks again.

“I thought you’d save me…”

I fall to my knees.

Crying.

Shaking.

Broken.

“…I love you…”

A whisper.

Soft.

Fragile.

“…please find me…”

The darkness listens.

But it never answers.

---

End of Chapter 4 — Part 2

Chapter 5 (Part 1) A Fragment of You

The smell hit him first.

Sterile.

Cold.

Too clean.

Shiki’s eyes slowly opened.

The hospital ceiling stared back at him—plain, white, unmoving.

For a few seconds, he didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe.

Didn’t think.

Then—

It came rushing back.

The bodies.

The blood.

The sound of them hitting the floor.

That figure standing behind the hospital staff.

Watching him.

Smiling.

Shiki’s breathing quickened.

“…What was that…?”

His voice came out dry.

Weak.

His eyes darted around the room.

The floor was clean.

No blood.

No bodies.

Nothing.

Just the quiet hum of hospital machines.

His hands trembled slightly.

“…Was it real…?”

A knock came from the door.

Shiki flinched.

The door opened slowly.

A nurse stepped inside, holding a clipboard.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Her voice was calm.

Normal.

Too normal.

Shiki stared at her.

“…How long was I out?”

She checked her notes.

“Four days.”

His chest tightened.

“…Four?”

She nodded.

“But your vitals have been stable. No abnormalities, no internal complications.”

She gave a small reassuring smile.

“You’ll be discharged this afternoon.”

Shiki didn’t respond.

His mind felt… foggy.

Like something was missing.

Or maybe—

Like something was still there, hiding just beneath the surface.

The nurse continued.

“Also, the police came by earlier.”

Shiki’s eyes shifted slightly.

“They’re requesting that you come down to the station when you’re able.”

A pause.

“It’s about a missing persons case.”

She hesitated.

“…Nicole Hoshino.”

Shiki’s heart stopped.

For a moment—

He couldn’t breathe.

“…I see.”

His voice was barely audible.

The nurse watched him carefully.

“…Are you alright?”

Shiki nodded slowly.

“…Yeah.”

But his hands were shaking again.

---

Later — Police Station

The room felt smaller than it should have.

Too quiet.

Too still.

Two officers sat across from him.

The same ones from the hospital.

One of them spoke gently.

“Shiki… you don’t have to rush.”

The other nodded.

“We understand this might be difficult.”

Shiki stared at the table.

His hands rested on his knees.

Clenched.

“…Nicole Hoshino…”

He said her name slowly.

Like it might break if he spoke it too fast.

“She’s…”

His voice caught.

“…She’s my girlfriend.”

The officers remained silent.

Letting him continue.

Shiki swallowed hard.

“We met at school.”

His throat tightened.

“She was… bright.”

A weak smile flickered across his face.

“…Too bright.”

The words came slower now.

Like each one weighed something.

“Everyone liked her.”

A pause.

“…Except the ones who didn’t.”

The officers exchanged a glance.

Shiki continued.

“I didn’t think it mattered.”

His voice began to shake.

“I thought… if I stayed the same… if I just kept being me…”

His breathing became uneven.

“…it would be fine.”

The officer leaned forward slightly.

“Take your time.”

Shiki nodded.

But his body wasn’t listening anymore.

His chest tightened.

His vision blurred.

“I miss her.”

The words slipped out.

Broken.

Raw.

“I miss her every day.”

His hands gripped his legs tighter.

“I keep thinking…”

His voice cracked.

“…what if it’s my fault?”

Silence filled the room.

“I should’ve walked her home.”

“I should’ve stayed longer.”

“I should’ve noticed something was wrong.”

Each sentence came faster now.

More desperate.

“I looked everywhere.”

His voice raised slightly.

“Everywhere.”

“Her house.”

“The station.”

“The places we went.”

“Everything.”

His breathing turned ragged.

“There was nothing.”

“No message.”

“No call.”

“No voicemail.”

“…Nothing.”

His shoulders slumped.

Like something inside him finally gave out.

“I couldn’t find her.”

The words shattered.

And then—

So did he.

Shiki leaned forward.

His face buried in his hands.

His body shook violently.

“I’m sorry…”

His voice cracked into sobs.

“I’m so sorry…”

Tears slipped through his fingers.

“I should’ve been better…”

His voice broke completely.

“I should’ve protected you…”

The officers remained silent.

They didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t stop him.

Because what they were seeing—

Wasn’t a suspect.

It was a boy grieving.

“I’ll find you…”

Shiki whispered through tears.

“I swear I’ll find you…”

His hands trembled.

“I’ll be better…”

His voice was barely there now.

“I’ll be the boyfriend you deserve…”

The room stayed quiet.

Heavy.

The first officer finally spoke.

“…Shiki.”

His voice was calm.

Measured.

“We don’t believe you’re involved.”

Shiki didn’t look up.

But he listened.

“What we see,” the officer continued, “is someone who cares deeply.”

The second officer added,

“And someone who hasn’t given up.”

Shiki’s shoulders trembled.

The first officer leaned forward slightly.

“There’s still a chance she’s alive.”

Those words hung in the air.

Fragile.

Dangerous.

“Time is critical,” he continued. “But it hasn’t been long.”

The second officer nodded.

“Summer ended in July. That gives us… roughly a month and a half since her disappearance.”

Shiki slowly lifted his head.

His eyes were red.

Swollen.

“…You think she’s alive?”

The officers didn’t answer directly.

But they didn’t deny it either.

“We need everything you remember,” one said.

“Every detail.”

Shiki nodded weakly.

“…Okay.”

---

## **Recounting the Summer**

And so he told them.

Everything.

The station.

The arcade.

The rain.

The park.

The movies.

The shopping.

Every moment.

Every word.

Every laugh.

Every silence.

He remembered things he didn’t even realize he still had.

The way she smiled.

The way she looked at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention.

The way she held his hand.

Each memory felt like both a comfort—

And a knife.

Because they were all he had left.

Fragments.

Pieces.

Of someone who wasn’t there anymore.

---

## **End**

That night—

Shiki sat alone.

The city lights flickered outside his window.

His room felt empty.

Too empty.

He stared at his hands.

“…I didn’t try hard enough.”

The thought came quietly.

But it stayed.

“I should’ve done more.”

His chest tightened.

“I should’ve looked longer.”

His voice was barely a whisper.

“I should’ve found her.”

His grip tightened.

“…I failed.”

Silence filled the room.

Heavy.

Unforgiving.

“She was everything.”

The words came out hollow.

“…And she’s gone.”

His eyes lowered.

“I don’t deserve to just… live like this.”

The thought lingered.

Dark.

Cold.

“This is why I’ve been like this…”

Disconnected.

Distant.

Empty.

“…Because she’s not here.”

A pause.

Long.

Painful.

“…And until I find her…”

His voice faded.

“…I don’t think I ever will be.”

---

End of Chapter 5 — Part 1

Chapter 5 (Part 2) A Fragment of You

---

**30 Minutes Later**

They shouldn’t have stayed.

But they did.

Across the street from the police station, tucked behind a vending machine that buzzed too loudly for comfort, two figures lingered in the shadow of a flickering streetlight.

Aki exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

“…He looks worse.”

Renji didn’t respond immediately.

His arms were crossed tightly, jaw clenched.

“…What did you expect?” he finally said.

His voice was low.

Sharp.

Aki frowned.

“That’s not what I—”

Renji cut him off.

“No, say it.”

His eyes turned toward him, cold.

“What did you expect, Aki?”

The air between them tightened.

Aki clicked his tongue.

“…We didn’t think it’d go this far.”

Renji let out a dry, humorless laugh.

“Yeah?”

He stepped closer.

“Because it looks like it went exactly as far as it could.”

Aki’s expression hardened.

“Watch it.”

Renji didn’t back down.

“My sister cries every night.”

The words hit harder than anything else.

“…She was her friend.”

His voice wavered for just a second.

“…She still sets a place for her sometimes.”

Aki looked away.

“Don’t—”

“No.”

Renji’s voice rose slightly.

“You don’t get to shut this down.”

His fists clenched.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen, right?”

He mocked Aki’s earlier tone.

“Well guess what—it did.”

Aki snapped.

“I know that!”

The sudden outburst echoed louder than intended.

Both of them froze for a moment.

Aki lowered his voice.

“…I know.”

Silence.

Then—

“…Then act like it.”

Renji’s voice dropped again.

Quieter.

But heavier.

“Her boyfriend is sitting in there, breaking apart piece by piece…”

His gaze drifted toward the station.

“…because of us.”

Aki’s hands trembled slightly.

“…We didn’t kill her.”

Renji’s eyes snapped back to him.

“You don’t know that.”

The words landed like a stone in water.

Deep.

Unsettling.

Aki’s expression twisted.

“…Stop.”

“You don’t know what happened in that building.”

Renji stepped closer again.

“And neither do I.”

Aki’s voice came out strained.

“…Then we keep it that way.”

Renji stared at him.

“…You’re serious.”

Aki met his gaze.

“If he finds out…”

His jaw tightened.

“…we’re done.”

Renji scoffed.

“You think this is about us being ‘done’?”

Aki didn’t answer.

Because deep down—

He knew.

Renji shook his head slowly.

“…You’re a coward.”

Aki flinched.

But said nothing.

Renji turned away.

“…I’m done pretending this is fine.”

A pause.

“…Because it’s not.”

He walked off.

Leaving Aki alone with the hum of the vending machine—

And the weight of something he couldn’t outrun.

---

### **Shiki’s Room**

The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence followed.

Shiki stood there for a moment.

Not moving.

Not thinking.

Just… existing.

Then slowly—

He walked further inside.

His room hadn’t changed.

Everything was where he left it.

His desk.

His bed.

Her picture.

His eyes lingered on it.

Just for a second.

Then he looked away.

“…Get it together.”

His voice was quiet.

But firm.

He sat down on his bed.

Leaning forward.

Elbows on his knees.

The conversation replayed in his mind.

*“There’s still a chance she’s alive.”*

His hands tightened.

“…Alive…”

The word felt fragile.

Dangerous.

Like hope wasn’t something he deserved to hold.

But still—

It was there.

“…What if…”

His breathing slowed.

“…What if I stopped too soon?”

The thought crept in.

Uninvited.

But it didn’t leave.

“…What if I just missed something?”

His chest tightened again.

“…What if she’s still waiting?”

Then—

It came back.

That feeling.

Cold.

Unfamiliar.

Like something brushing against the inside of his skull.

Shiki froze.

“…What…”

A sound.

Faint.

Distant.

*“…Shi…”*

His head snapped up.

“…Hello?”

Silence.

Then—

*“…ki…”*

His breath caught.

“…Nicole?”

The room felt colder.

The air heavier.

Then—

A flash.

Not a full memory.

Just—

Fragments.

Broken pieces.

A hallway.

Dim lighting.

Voices—

Arguing.

*“You shouldn’t be with him—”*

*“Shut up—”*

*“This is your fault—”*

The sound distorted.

Like a tape being dragged.

Then—

A bag.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

His eyes widened.

“…No way…”

Nicole’s bag.

He knew it.

He’d seen it a hundred times.

The small tear on the strap.

The keychain she always carried.

His breathing quickened.

“…Sunshine 60…”

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Silence followed.

But the feeling didn’t leave.

It lingered.

Pressing.

Waiting.

Shiki stood up slowly.

“…That place…”

His hands trembled slightly.

“…That’s where it happened.”

Or at least—

That’s where something started.

He didn’t know how.

Didn’t know why.

But his body—

Knew.

His mind—

Was catching up.

“…I’m going.”

The decision came fast.

Too fast.

But he didn’t question it.

He grabbed his hoodie.

Pulled it on.

Snatched his backpack.

His heart pounded louder with each movement.

Like it was trying to warn him.

Or push him forward.

He didn’t know which.

He walked to his window.

Opened it.

The night air rushed in.

Cold.

Sharp.

“…Wait for me.”

He whispered it.

Not sure if anyone was listening.

Then—

He stepped out.

And jumped.

---

Sunshine 60

The building stood tall.

Silent.

Watching.

Just like before.

Shiki slowed as he approached.

That feeling returned instantly.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

Like stepping into something that was already aware of him.

“…Yeah…”

He exhaled shakily.

“…It’s the same.”

The same feeling from the dream.

From the nightmare.

From something that didn’t feel like just a dream.

His hand reached for the entrance.

He hesitated.

Just for a second.

Then—

He pushed the door open.

And stepped inside.

---

The lights flickered.

The air shifted.

And somewhere—

Deep within the building—

Something noticed him.

---

End of Chapter 5 — Part 2