Constellation Fanfare

The first weekend after Kanzaki Eiji’s recovery, the Occult Club declared—without negotiation—that a celebration was in order. Their reasoning? Twofold.

One: their fearless exorcist had returned from the jaws of death.

Two: they had a brand-new member.

So, naturally, they were going to an amusement park.

…Eiji still wasn’t sure why he agreed to this.

He stepped off the bus stop near the station, his hands tucked in the pockets of a red and white varsity jacket. Black jeans, scuffed sneakers, and a face that looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. The cool spring air brushed past him in lazy waves, and the morning sun reflected off the station roof like a bad omen. The crowd near and around the place reminded him very clearly why he took his bike everywhere possible.

“Good morning, Kanzaki-kun.” Takenaka Honoka greeted him from beneath a pale green parasol, her single braid falling gently over her shoulder. She wore a flowing white skirt and a pastel green cardigan, her soft smile as composed as always.

“You came after all,” she added, a gentle teasing tone lacing her voice.

“Didn’t know I had a choice.”

“I don’t believe you did.” She hid a laugh behind her palm, “Regardless, thank you for choosing to commute with us today instead of taking your bike.”

Before Eiji could reply, Hatsue who was standing next to her butted in.

“Fourteen days off school and you’re still late to everything?” She huffed, arms crossed over her casual red blouse and blue skirt. The sleeves of her denim jacket were rolled to her forearm.

“What were you even doing, gelling your hair to your skull?”

“You’re loud,” Eiji muttered, eyes half-lidded. “It’s seven in the morning. Go bark at a shrine.”

“Oi, watch your mouth, punk!”

“Good grief…” Honoka muttered under her breath, sipping her tea from her travel cup.

“Eiji-nii-san?”

A quiet, hesitant voice drifted from behind, soft as dew. Eiji turned his head to see Yume—refined as always in a soft lavender coat over a pale dress, her hair pinned with a small star-shaped clip. She blinked twice, then bowed gently.

“Am I late? I didn’t expect to see you already here.”

“Don’t worry, we just arrived.”

“Speak for yourself…” Hatsue sighed, then nodded at Yume, “Hello, uh… and you are?”

“I am Haraguchi Yume.” Yume bowed lightly but elegantly, a kind grin spreading.

“Shiratori Hatsue.” The class rep bowed back yet with clearly less grace, “Only God knows what patience you might have needed being this idiot’s childhood friend.”

“Oi.” Eiji glared.

“Oh, I do believe Kanzaki-kun was a rather stoic and soft spoken kid.” Honoka grinned.

Yume’s grin widened slightly, “I do have stories if you’re interested…”

“Oi.” Eiji glared again, before another booming voice cut in.

“WAIIIIIT UP!!”

A figure in a pastel hoodie with a froggy keychain on her bag came barreling down the street.

“NAOMI!?” the girls shouted in unison.

The gremlin herself—Mizuno Naomi—skidded to a stop with a puff of breath, her skirt slightly crooked and high-top sneakers half untied.

“I-I’m not late! I’m just… dramatically punctual!”

“You’re always dramatically something,” Hatsue muttered.

“Uwaa~ everyone’s so pretty today!” Naomi beamed, catching her breath as she spun around. “Yume-chan looks like a princess, Honoka-senpai is a model, and Hatsue-senpai is like a… head nurse!”

“Excuse me?!”

“And I’m the poster girl! Let’s go!!”

Before Eiji could protest, Naomi threw an arm around his and tugged him toward the ticket machine.

“…Why did I agree to this again?” Eiji muttered under his breath, as Meh floated invisibly overhead, laughing to himself.

With that, the group made their way into the station, ready to board the train to the amusement park.

⌁◉⌁

The train ride from Shina to the amusement park was a cruel and unusual punishment.

The kind of carriage where you weren’t just standing but were absorbing the souls of five other people through sheer proximity.

Eiji exhaled slowly, one hand gripping the overhead bar. His other hand… was trapped. Somewhere between his side and Naomi Mizuno, who was currently squished against his chest like a marshmallow under pressure.

A very red marshmallow.

She hadn’t spoken in five minutes.

“…Oi, breath.”

Naomi looked up… Then immediately looked down again.

Her face was glowing. Steam practically rose off the top of her head like a malfunctioning rice cooker.

“Naomi-chan?” Yume peeked from behind two high schoolers, blinking with concern. When she didn’t get a reply she clasped her hands in a solemn prayer, “RIP Naomi-chan…”

Honoka, ever the composed observer, chuckled behind her sleeve. “My, she was quite lively until five stops ago.”

“I-I… it’s not my fault the train turned into a sardine can!!” Naomi squeaked, her voice several octaves higher than normal. “Th-this was supposed to be the Romantic Comedy Amusement Park Arc not the Death by Booba Pressure Arc!”

“She’s getting 4th wall breaking delirious level…” Hatsue sighed.

A muffled squeal came from Naomi as the train swayed with a jolt. She practically melted into Eiji’s chest, hands pressed awkwardly against him, legs trembling.

“B-Body warmth… dangerous…!”

“You’re leaking dialogue,” Eiji muttered.

After what felt like an eternity and a half, the train finally screeched into their station.

As the doors slid open, the group spilled out with the crowd, gasping for air like fish who’d just returned to water.

“I saw the other side…” Naomi wheezed.

“You almost got flattened” Eiji muttered.

“C-Call it divine proximity…”

Honoka tilted her head, hand against her cheek. “That was more intense than some of the hauntings we’ve experienced.”

“I want to haunt whoever designed that train schedule…” Hatsue grumbled, fixing her ruffled bangs.

Then—

they saw it.

Beyond the ticket gates, banners swayed gently in the breeze. Neon colors. Cotton candy carts. Crowds of kids and couples. Rollercoasters stretching into the sky. Screams of joy echoed faintly through the spring air.

The gates of Constellation Fanfare Amusement Park stood proudly open.

“Woah… it’s actually huge!” Yume gawked up at the sheer marvel of all the attractions.

“You’ve never visited before either, Yume-chan?” Honoka asked, as she looked around.

“Nii-san’s brought me here only once, but I was too young to remember.”

“I, on the other hand, know everything by heart around these parts! I bring my siblings here quite often.” Naomi announced proudly, her eyes travelling around the park like a pair of scanners.

“Sort of… kind of… Wait, that coaster was…”

Yume giggled while Hatsue smiled wryly.

“I believe they renovated it recently.” She patted her on her back.

“What about you Eiji-kun? Ever visited before?” Honoka asked, turning to the young man.

Who was already halfway through a smoke.

“No smoking in the theme park, dimwit.” Hatsue reprimanded him, pointing to the sign behind him.

Eiji turned his head to look, and his expression soured even more.

“Tch.”

⌁◉⌁

First attraction for the Occult Club was—ironically—the one they could’ve skipped with good reason.

The haunted house.

A crooked archway painted in peeling black and purple greeted them with the words:

“CURSED MAUSOLEUM: DON’T LOOK BACK.”

A skeleton in a top hat wobbled above the entrance, its jaw held open with a loose spring.

“Waaa~!! Look at the spooky sign!” Naomi leaned over the railing to point at the arch. “It says ‘Don’t Look Back’! Should I look back now or is it cursed if I do!?”

“I don’t believe it works that way, Naomi-chan.” Honoka smiled wryly.

Yume tilted her head.

“I’ve read it’s just animatronics. Nii-san said they used to break down a lot.”

“Hah, how brave of you to say that before going inside,” Hatsue grinned teasingly.

A mechanical ghost dropped from the ceiling with a jolt and let out a garbled yet mechanical cry.

“KYYYYAAAAAHHH!!”

Naomi launched three feet back and collided into Eiji like a falling Jenga tower.

Eiji didn’t budge.

“…You lasted three seconds.”

“I-I didn’t know it would be so realistic!”

“It has a visible wire.”

“It could still be possessed!!”

“By a technician with poor job security?” Hatsue smiled wryly.

Yume gave a quiet, nervous giggle. “M-Maybe that’s the true fear… faulty craftsmanship…”

They shuffled deeper inside. Honoka hummed thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the set design.

“A shame. The atmosphere is promising but the staging lacks narrative cohesion.”

“I think you’re asking too much off of cheap prompts…” Hatsue remarked.

When they exited, the daylight felt like salvation.

Naomi immediately slumped to the bench near the exit.

“I made it… I live to tell the tale…”

“No injuries sustained, aside from your pride, Naomi-chan.” Honoka added gently.

Eiji looked unimpressed.

“Weak start.”

“I hope the next ride doesn’t require survival instincts…” Yume murmured.

⌁◉⌁

Soft music trickled through the air, the kind of tune that made you feel like you were being judged by Victorian porcelain dolls.

Naomi hopped onto a brightly-painted rabbit mount and waved her arms like she was on a parade float.

“Look, look! I’m the Sacred Bunny Spirit of Springtime Joy!”

“You’re the spirit of ‘too much sugar before noon,’” Hatsue muttered, staying firmly on the ground.

Eiji sat on the outer bench, arms folded.

Yume chose a gentle swan. She gave Naomi a quiet smile.

“You look like you’re having fun.”

Honoka, seated gracefully on a horse, looked back with a chuckle.

“I’m surprised you didn’t join her, Kanzaki-kun. It would’ve made a charming photo.”

Eiji glanced at Naomi, bouncing on the bunny like a toddler.

“…Pass.”

⌁◉⌁

The Dizzy Viper towered above them like a monument to poor decisions.

Tracks twisted into a vertical climb before vanishing into a corkscrew that looked like it had a personal vendetta against human anatomy. Screams echoed from above as the current batch of passengers disappeared into the sky.

Naomi paled.

“W-Wait… We’re really going on that next?”

Yume tugged gently at her sleeve.

“We can sit this one out, if it’s too scary…”

Naomi shook her head furiously.

“No, no! I’m not scared! Just… respectfully hesitant!”

Hatsue snorted.

“That’s not a thing.”

“I mean, it looks super fun! I love loop-de-loops and possible concussions!”

“You’re not helping your case,” Eiji muttered, already climbing into the front row car.

Naomi blinked.

“W-Wait! Front row?! Isn’t that for like, professionals?!”

Honoka took her seat behind them with practiced grace.

“How noble of him to escort you to the afterlife, Naomi-chan.”

“I-I’m not dying today!”

Twenty-three seconds into the ride.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—”

Naomi’s scream punched through the sky like a banshee at full volume.

Eiji, sitting beside her, didn’t move. Not even a blink.

Loop.

Corkscrew.

Vertical drop.

His expression never changed.

Naomi, on the other hand, was vibrating at a spiritual frequency.

“WHY—IS—THIS—STILL—GOING—!?”

“Because we paid admission.”

Behind them, Honoka had one hand delicately on the safety bar, her braid floating in the wind like it was on its own scenic ride.

“Quite the view up here,” she remarked, as they nosedived again. “Ah, I believe I can see the food court!”

Yume’s voice was a whisper from two cars back.

“Can’t tell. I think… I left my soul in the second loop…”

Hatsue was gripping the seat handle like a vice.

“I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS—”

Clack. Slam. Whoosh. Stop.

The coaster screeched to a halt at the end, steam hissing around them.

Naomi slumped forward in her seat, hair everywhere, eyes empty.

“I saw… all 97 lives flash before my eyes…”

Eiji calmly unbuckled and stood.

“You only get one.”

“Th-Then whose were those?!”

Naomi wobbled out of the cart and staggered onto the platform. Her legs nearly gave out.

“C-Call me… Naomi the Unbroken…”

“You were very broken,” Hatsue muttered as she limped past.

Yume offered her water. “You were brave… in a noisy way.”

Naomi took it with trembling hands.

“Senpai… weren’t you scared at all…?”

He glanced at her.

“…It wasn’t that fast.”

Naomi stared.

“…Are you even alive…?”

⌁◉⌁

The next stop before their lunch break was the one Naomi looked forward to the most. Why? Because she had planned every detail possible. From how she would take the same booth as Eiji to counting the centimetres between them.

Thus they lined up for the long queue to the attraction.

The ferris wheel.

“Remind me to never consume anything close to food before a roller coaster ever again…” Hatsue muttered, her face as green as a bush.

“Did you eat before coming here, Shiratori-san?” Honoka asked, as the class rep replied with a nod.

“Two crackers.”

“I don’t believe that qualifies as eating.” Yume sighed, “…Maybe that’s why she’s got such a slim waist.”

“S-S-Senpai!” Naomi croaked, the nerves already getting to her, “W-W-W-Would y-y-you m-mind if I-I…”

“Hm?” Eiji raised a brow as he tried to decipher Naomi’s laggy words.

Then right before Naomi could try again, a figure bumped into Eiji. The young man turned to look at him, his face contorted into a hateful glare.

“Move.” He muttered, voice cracking, his glasses gleaming in the sun. He was tall and lanky, with short tousled hair and eyes that didn’t quite match his voice—bloodshot and sharp. Like he hadn’t slept in days, but still saw everything. He even seemed to be wearing their school’s uniform, although his collar and tie were crooked.

“Huh?” Eiji uttered, straightening his shoulders. Their schoolmate seemed to stand in front of them in line, having skipped all the way from the back of the queue.

“Hey, you can’t just skip the line.” Hatsue reprimanded him, like she always used to do. Yet the bespactacled young man turned to glare at her next, his mouth crookedly open.

However Hatsue’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Wait… Katsuragi-kun?”

“Shut it.” He snapped in a low shaky tone. He looked like he wasn’t used to antagonizing people, yet the glint in his eye held a hint of wildness behind it.

Hatsue stood shocked at the retort, not used to having her reprimanding nature thrown back at her.

“Listen you—“ Before she recoiled, Eiji stepped between them.

“What did you just say?” He asked, tone laced with anger. Yume, clearly not ready for this, hid behind Eiji’s back making herself as small as possible.

“I told you… to shut up. All of you..” Katsuragi replied, and Eiji didn’t waste a moment. He grabbed his collar, making him stumble.

“Say it properly.”

Before it could escalate further, the ride operator stepped between them, clearly sweating bullets.

“H-Hey stop it! Don’t make me call for security!”

That made Eiji pause. He turned—just long enough to see how shaken the others were. They looked anxious, scared and clearly not enjoying it. Eiji didn’t mind smashing his head in and calling it a day one bit. But having seen how much fun the girls were having didn’t let him act on his impulses. That’s why he decided to let it go.

With a sigh, he released the young man’s collar, and the operator exhaled in relief.

“S-Senpai, uhm… we’re actually hungry. Wanna skip this ride?” Naomi smiled wryly.

Yume and Honoka nodded as well.

“Fine.” Eiji nodded. Katsuragi however glared at him even harder as the group separated from the line.

“Kanzaki…” He muttered, venom seeping into his tone.

As they made for the food cart, Naomi turned to Yume who was still quite shaken.

“You okay back there, Yume-chan?”

“Ah yeah…” she nodded, “It’s just that I know him…”

“You do?” Hatsue raised a brow, “He’s from our class. I thought you went to an all-girls school?”

“I do. We just live in the same flat.”

“Wait? You do?! And he’s in your class, senpai?!”

Eiji shrugged, “Beats me…”

“Kanzaki-kun?”

“The young man’s aura was odd!” Suddenly a squeaky voice interjected, collecting all eyes on the shikigami Meh, who just appeared. Apart from Hatsue’s and Yume’s of course who couldn’t hear nor see him.

“Meh apologises for saying something so sudden.” Meh cleared his non-existent throat, “It’s just that young man, felt… peculiar.”

“What now?” Eiji raised a brow.

“What?” Hatsue raised a brow, looking around, “Where you looking at?”

Honoka sighed wordlessly, “I felt something odd about him too… there was something like… static around him.”

The upperclassman whispered as she slipped past Eiji and grabbed Hatsue gently.

“How about that food cart over there?” Honoka pointed, catching her attention.

“Eh? Ah, yeah sure I don’t mind.”

As the group tried to forget all about it for the sake of the two regulars around them, Eiji turned to look at the young man one last time.

He didn’t know who Katsuragi was. But he was starting to get the feeling he should.