Runaway Train

“Take one more step forward and I’ll rip your head clean off your shoulders!”

“Wow, Kazuki... I didn't know you had it in you.”

Naomi, practically glued to the TV screen, gulped audibly as the tension in the drama reached a fever pitch. A few steps behind her, Eiji sat on a floor cushion, flip-turning a page in his book, seemingly unfazed by the televised threats.

It was nearly midnight, but neither student was close to sleep. A new episode of a hit drama was airing, and to Eiji’s dismay, Naomi wouldn't let the screen out of her sight.

“Oi...”

“Shhh! The good part is starting!” Naomi hissed, not even bothering to turn her head.

Eiji let out a weary sigh.

His apartment had been annexed. It had been a few days since the Obake incident, and it was becoming clear that Eiji’s "reality check" strategy had backfired. He’d figured that telling Naomi there were no exorcist duties tonight would send her home. Instead, she’d barged in anyway and claimed the TV. It seemed she had no intention of leaving him alone—whether it involved Specters, school, or his own living room.

Giving up, Eiji turned back to his book: 101 Guide to Exorcism. He had no trouble reading the text in the dim, flickering light of the TV. Or maybe he wasn't really reading at all.

“Senpai! Senpai!”

“What?” Eiji hissed back.

“Look! It’s getting intense!” Naomi pointed frantically at the screen, her head bopping with excitement.

Foreseeing a future where his refusal only led to more pestering, Eiji gave in. He leveled a monotonous glare at the screen just in time to see a character tumble down a long flight of stairs. A heavy, resounding thud was followed by a crushing silence.

A girl on screen rushed down to the body.

“Guys... he’s... dead...”

The credits rolled immediately.

“Whoo...” Naomi exhaled, her eyes wide. “Did you see that, Senpai?!”

“I did,” Eiji replied, looking entirely unamused.

“That was so well done! They nailed the adaptation from the novel!”

“Uh-huh...”

“Have you read it? I’ve read it twice already!”

“Nope.”

Eiji couldn't even begin to keep up with her when she tapped into her inner fangirl.

“But what happens next now that Sora has been killed?!” Meh popped up out of thin air, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Heh, glad you asked, Meh-chan! You see, after this, the group...” Naomi launched into a deep-dive theory session. Eiji tuned out instantly.

“Haah...” He leaned back. Luna, the kitten, rested her head on his lap, providing the only bit of quiet comfort in a room full of drama-crazed beings.

⌁◉⌁

The next day at school, Hatsue marched over to Eiji’s desk during lunch with her usual momentum.

“Heyoz, Kanzaki!”

“...”

No reply.

“So, did you watch the drama last night?”

Eiji looked up, briefly rolling his eyes. “Uh-huh.”

“Of course you didn't! I didn't expect you to—Wait!”

Hatsue froze, her brain catching up to his words.

“Did you just say 'uh-huh'? As in 'yes'? As in 'I watched it'?”

“Pipe down,” Eiji muttered, nodding toward the students starting to stare.

“So you actually did?”

“I just said so.”

“Like really, really?”

“Of course he did, Senpai!”

“Woah!”

Naomi’s voice sprouted from right beside Hatsue, making the class rep jump.

“Oh, it’s just Mizuno-san.” Hatsue exhaled in relief. “Wait. How do you know if Kanzaki—“

“Yes!” Naomi beamed.

“Yes?” The class rep narrowed her eyes.

“It’s exactly what you imagine.” Naomi grinned.

Hatsue’s eyebrows shot toward her hairline.

“Kanzaki? Explanation. Why and how are you taking advantage of an underclassman? Have you lost all sense of reason?”

“…Pull your head out of the gutter,” Eiji sighed.

“Senpai was really gentle this time,” Naomi added with a perfectly straight face.

“The hell do you mean 'gentle' OI?!” Hatsue’s eyes practically burst into flames.

“Oi, what are you saying?” Eiji growled at Naomi.

“The truth! This time you opened it for me and everything, unlike last time when you slammed it in my face!”

Hatsue’s gaze turned into a heat-seeking laser locked onto Eiji’s forehead.

“Kill. Exterminate. Eradicate.”

“What the hell are you—”

“I’m talking about the door, of course,” Naomi smiled amidst the chaos she’d ignited.

“Eh? The door?” Hatsue’s "killer robot" mode switched off instantly.

“…I’m getting out of here.” Eiji stood up, visibly drained.

“Oh, Senpai, I forgot to tell you—!” Naomi scrambled to follow him, leaving a baffled Hatsue in the wreckage of the conversation.

“What the hell is up with these two weirdos…?” Hatsue muttered, shaking her head.

⌁◉⌁

“Why am I here again?”

Eiji crossed his arms, sitting in one of the mismatched chairs in the Occult Club room.

“Because you’re an official member, Senpai.” Naomi gave a proud, hands-on-hips smile.

The room was small but functional. A large table sat in the center, flanked by a storage closet and a portable whiteboard. For reasons Eiji couldn't fathom, an old TV sat atop a stack of cardboard boxes. The walls were a mess of chibi ghost stickers, horror movie posters, and shelves containing a "magical" toy staff and a plastic "Scream" mask.

“Never applied. Never agreed.”

“Nevertheless, you’re a legitimate member!”

Eiji sat up, leaning onto the table. “Fine. Just get on with it.”

“Oh, right! I found something that might interest you...” Naomi smirked. She pulled out her phone and slid it across the table like a shady dealer.

Eiji furrowed his brows at the screen, staring intently.

Naomi grinned proudly at herself, as she waited.

“The hell? What does this have to do with me?”

He slid the phone back. Naomi’s face instantly turned a deep rosy color.

“W-Why’d you switch tabs, Senpai?!” She snatched the phone back, stuttering. The screen had shown a selfie of her in a white getup.

“That was my karate uniform! I’m not into cosplay... yet.”

“Karate?”

“Yeah! I decided to take lessons. I’m going to be able to help you take down Specters soon!”

“Definitely not,” Eiji scoffed. He gave her a quick once-over. She was lean, and short, but definitely not the athletic type.

“You’ll see!” Naomi huffed, her nose in the air. She tapped her screen and handed the phone back. “Here. And don't switch tabs this time!”

Eiji squinted at the screen, scanning the headline: TRAIN GONE MISSING!

BBZZZTT.

Just as he was about to read past the headline, his own phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Senpai?”

Eiji stood up and headed for the door. “Give me a moment. I need to take this.” He shot a glance back before disappearing into the hallway.

“Eh?”

The school bell rang out, drowning out Naomi’s confusion.

“EEEEEHH?!”

⌁◉⌁

Eiji’s call was from his manager—a man whose natural state was "timid" but sounded borderline frantic. He needed Eiji at the store earlier than usual. Something about a "serious talk."

That was why, the second the school bell rang, Eiji skipped the usual loitering and headed straight to his part-time job.

Standing across from his manager’s gray, cluttered office desk, Eiji watched the man’s brow twitch. It was a dead-serious expression, but the way his hands shook made it obvious he was forcing the persona.

“Eiji-kun…”

“Yes, sir?”

The manager sucked in a breath, gathered his courage, and nodded to himself. “You’re fired.”

Eiji took a breath of his own, looking at the man who was practically flinching in expectation of a fight. Instead, Eiji just shrugged. “I see.”

The middle-aged man blinked, nearly falling out of his chair. He’d clearly expected a shouting match, or at least a plea for mercy.

“I’ll go collect my things, then.”

With a final nod, Eiji walked out. It was no surprise; his constant refusal to work unpaid overtime had finally soured the higher-ups. The corporate suits were pushing everyone too hard, and while the manager was just a middleman caught in the gears, Eiji wasn't about to be the lubricant.

Honestly? He’d been thinking of quitting anyway. Exorcist work was becoming a 24/7 gig, and he’d saved enough to live comfortably until summer.

He stepped out into the afternoon air, lit a cigarette, and shot a quick text. Then, he made his way to Dream.

“Is this the place, Senpai?” Naomi asked, hovering at his shoulder.

“Yeah. Just... don’t say anything weird, okay?” Eiji pushed open the door to the familiar bar.

“Well, well, look who—A girl?!”

Hayato had been mid-greet, ready to poke fun at Eiji’s usual sour face, but the sight of a female student in tow made him gasp.

“Oh, Eiji-kun brought a girl. Bravo...!” Shig clapped with his usual absent-minded smile.

“M-M-Mi-Mizuno Naomi, desu! I’m honored to make your acquaintance!”

Stiff, nervous, and vibrating with social anxiety, Naomi bowed so low she nearly hit the floor.

“Did she just say desu?” Hayato arched a brow.

Shig bowed back politely. “Nice to meet you, Mimizuno Naomi-san.”

“Oh, no, it’s Mizuno! I was just—Ah….”

Eiji opted to ignore the glitching underclassman and took his usual seat.

“The usual. And you—sit down already.”

“Yesh!” Naomi fumbled into the stool next to him. “Pardon the intrusion…”

“What intrusion? You’re in a bar,” Eiji muttered.

The new environment had clearly reset her to her "timid" factory settings.

Hayato leaned over the counter, a shark-like smirk spreading across his face. “So, what will the girlfriend have?”

“G-G-G-G-G—”

“Oi, it ain’t like that.” Eiji leveled a glare at his friend. He was already starting to regret the "two birds, one stone" plan of bringing her here to discuss the case.

“I know, I know...” Hayato tried to wipe the smirk off, turning back to Naomi. “So, what’ll it be, Ojou-chan?”

“Gi-Gi-Girlf-Girl—” Naomi was a stuttering, blushing, out-of-commission mess.

“Eiji-kun, I think your friend is broken,” Shig chimed in from the top of a nearby table.

“Oi, get a grip.” Eiji shook her shoulder.

Naomi jolted. “Eh? Senpai? Where am I?”

The "girlfriend" comment had evidently sent her brain into emergency hibernation.

“At a bar. Ordering.”

“Oh, right! I’ll have a glass of milk, please!” She offered a shy smile.

“Milk... juice...” Hayato grumbled as he reached for a glass. “Will anyone ever order a real drink? This isn't a primary school canteen, for crying out loud.”

“What brings you both here, Eiji-kun?” Shig asked, ignoring Hayato’s muttering.

“Unfinished business.” Eiji turned to Naomi. “The thing from school. Let’s see it.”

Naomi flipped a switch, her energy returning as she pulled out her phone. This time, no one interrupted. Eiji scanned the article.

A train—the last run of the night departing from a station near Shina toward Hachioji—had vanished. No wreckage. No signal. It had simply gone off the grid. The driver and all thirty passengers had been missing since midnight.

The journalist had used a specific phrase: The Ghost Train.

“Ghost train…?” Eiji muttered, his eyes narrowing.

“Could it be related to... you-know-what, Senpai?”

“Might be.”

“You’re talking about that missing train?” Hayato asked, sliding the drinks across the wood. “It’s Haraguchi Hayato, by the way. And the space cadet is Shig.” He pointed between them. “And yeah, I’ve heard. My sister, Yume, mentioned it. The internet is losing its mind over it.”

“And with good reason,” Naomi said, crossing her arms. “Planes are one thing, but a train on a fixed track?”

“Is this a job for you, Eiji-kun?” Shig asked, leaning in.

Eiji went silent. The timing, the total lack of evidence—it screamed Specter. But why hadn't Meh felt a spike in malevolence?

“You can’t be talking about spirits again,” Hayato groaned. He looked at Naomi, searching for a kindred spirit in a room full of lunatics.

“You don’t believe in that stuff either, right, Naomi-chan?”

Naomi beamed at him.

“Of course I do, Haraguchi-san!”

“Haaaah...” Hayato slumped onto the counter like melting ice cream. “Why is everyone in here bat-shit crazy?”

“I need to check this out.” Eiji nodded to himself, his mind already on the tracks.

⌁◉⌁

After killing time at the bar and draining their drinks, the two teenagers made their way to the station where the "disappearance" had occurred.

“I told you to stop following me.”

“But I’m your psychic sidekick, Senpai! Five eyes are better than three, after all.”

“Never said you were my sidekick. Or whatever.”

“Yet I’m the one who brought this information to you in the first place, aren’t I?”

“...”

Eiji went silent, offering no comeback as they reached his bike. Naomi grinned to herself; she knew she’d won. He had no legitimate reason to leave her behind now that she’d proven her worth as an "information broker."

“Do you actually think we’ll find anything at the station?” Naomi asked, hopping onto the back of the bike.

“I can’t rule it out.”

“Hm... if there’s something spirit-related going on, how come Meh-chan didn’t catch it?” It was an obvious question, and Naomi’s intuition was sharp enough to poke at it.

“That is peculiar, indeed!” Meh chimed in from the air. “I felt a flicker of malevolence that night, but only for a brief moment!”

“A brief moment, huh?” Eiji kicked the bike into gear. “And how come you didn't see it on that 'news broadcast' of yours?”

“That is because you changed the channel to watch the drama with Mizuno Naomi!” Meh sounded genuinely begrudging, like a scholar whose research had been interrupted by trashy TV. “By the time I found the right frequency again, half the report was over!”

“Apologies, Meh-chan...” Naomi chirped as the bike propelled forward.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the station. It was significantly deserted. The news of a vanishing train had clearly spooked the local commuters. The platform was a stretch of dark grey concrete, illuminated only by a single, flickering street lamp that cast long, jagged shadows.

A few passengers were scattered around, sitting on benches or standing with that patient, weary stillness of the late-night traveler.

“There is something odd about the tracks, Eiji-dono...” Meh observed, his translucent form hovering near the edge of the platform. “I believe you should board the train to find out!”

“Board it, huh?” Eiji stared at the silver rails stretching into the darkness.

“Sounds... good!” Naomi smirked. “Worst case scenario, we find nothing and get to go on a little trip together, Senpai.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Eiji walked toward the small customer support office at the edge of the platform.

Inside, a woman sat behind a glass partition, looking even less enthusiastic about life than Eiji. She didn't even look up from her monitor as they approached.

“Uhm...” Naomi cleared her throat, her voice small. “Miss?”

The woman didn't move.

“Can we... ask a...” Naomi’s voice trailed off, her confidence failing her under the woman’s icy indifference.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Eiji didn't have time for social niceties. He rapped his knuckles against the glass.

“...Yes?” The worker finally turned, her eyes dull.

“Are the trains still running?”

“Look at the schedule to your left,” she muttered, doing the bare minimum required by her job description.

Naomi hurried to the board. “There’s one last train... same time as yesterday.”

“Good.” Eiji slid a bill through the slot in the glass. “Two tickets for Hachioji.”

The woman paused, actually looking at Eiji for a second. She seemed to consider warning him, or perhaps she just didn't care enough. She shrugged and printed the tickets.

“Here.”

With the tickets in hand, they walked back to the platform.

The train that had vanished yesterday had been on this exact timetable. There was no guarantee it would happen again—it could have been a freak occurrence, a one-time glitch in reality. Or, it could be a trap.

What if we disappear, too? Eiji thought. Could we fight whatever is out there in the dark? Or are we just buying a one-way ticket to somewhere we can't return from?

He trusted his Shikigami’s instincts, but the air felt heavy. Oily.

“Senpai?” Naomi’s voice broke his train of thought.

“...Yeah?”

He braced himself. Was she chickening out? Had she finally realized the gravity of the situation?

“Do you think maybe...” She gulped, her eyes wide with a very specific kind of wonder. “The train itself got ISEKAID?”

Eiji rubbed his temples. He felt physically pained by the hypothesis. He felt even dumber for having listened to her with a straight face.

A few moments later, a shrill metallic screech echoed from the distance. A powerful beam of light cut through the gloom, growing larger and brighter until the long, red body of the train pulled into the station.

The doors hissed open. The few passengers on the platform embarked, checking in with the conductor. Eiji and Naomi were among the first to board the rear carriage. Naomi immediately trotted toward the back, where the seats were clustered together.

“Senpai, the whole place is empty, we can sit wherever we—” Naomi cut her enthusiasm short as her eyes locked with a girl sitting nearby. “Oh…”

The girl smiled back politely.

“You can sit here, I don’t mind,”

“O-Okay…” Naomi smiled back, her shyness momentarily resurfacing.

Eiji joined them, taking the seat next to Naomi, as far from the stranger as the bench allowed. The older girl had long, dark hair tied in a ponytail that accentuated her deep blue eyes and slim, elegant face. She was a natural beauty, clearly a few years older than Naomi—likely a university student.

A long silence stretched between them. Naomi huddled closer to Eiji, sliding along the empty space until her shoulder brushed his.

“The hell? You’ve got plenty of room.”

“I’m just a little... uhm, cold. That’s it,” Naomi whispered, quickly turning to stare out the window. Despite her bright personality, she clearly wasn't used to the company of strangers.

“Are you two college students?” the girl asked, her voice cutting through the hum of the train to fill the empty carriage.

“Oh, no, nothing like that...” Naomi chuckled awkwardly. “We’re, uh...”

“On vacation,” Eiji filled in, his voice flat.

“Vacation? On a random weekday? With no luggage?” The girl laughed softly.

“We’re spontaneous.”

“I see...” She leaned back, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Are you a student, uhm...” Naomi started.

“It’s Hasumi. Just Hasumi.”

“Nice to meet you, Hasumi-san. I’m Naomi.” She flashed a quick smile before glancing at Eiji.

“Eiji.” The young man’s introduction was short, making Hasumi’s smile widen.

“To answer your question, yes, I am a college student.”

“I figured,” Naomi said shyly. “You seem really mature.”

“Which university?” Eiji asked, his sudden interest catching both girls off guard.

“Eh?” Hasumi blinked. “Uhm... Kyorin.”

“I see.”

“What is it, Senpai? Planning on going to school in Hachioji, too?”

“Nope.” Eiji shook his head, effectively withdrawing from the conversation again.

Hasumi smirked. “Are you two da—”

“No.”

“Eh? I didn't even ask yet!” Hasumi narrowed her eyes at his lightning-fast denial.

“We’ve heard it once already today.” Eiji sighed, watching the platform slide away as the wheels screeched against the tracks. The train was officially underway.

“We did?” Naomi tilted her head, the point flying right over her.

“Naomi-chan... wait, can I call you Naomi-chan?” Hasumi edged closer to them.

“Uhm, sure.”

“How about you tell me the real reason you’re heading to Hachioji?” The older girl’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“U-Uhh...”

“Oi, quit prying,” Eiji voiced, his brow furrowed.

“Ah-re? Is Eiji-kun always this mean?”

“Yes.”

Naomi’s reply was instantaneous.

“Oi.”

“I see! It all makes sense now!” Hasumi snickered. “So… you like older guys, Naomi-chan?”

“L-L-L-Li—”

“Not again...” Eiji shook his head as Naomi began her usual mechanical glitching.

“Ah-re? Naomi-chan?” Hasumi watched the "malfunctioning bot" routine with genuine confusion.

“She gets like this sometimes.” Eiji reached over and shook Naomi’s shoulder. “Snap out of it.”

“Senpai? Where am I?”

Hasumi burst into a laugh.

“What is with you two?!”

The train picked up speed, the rhythm of the tracks becoming a hypnotic drone. The trip to Hachioji was only supposed to take an hour, but as time crawled by, the scenery outside became unsettlingly empty. Where were the city lights? The glowing billboards? The suburbs?

“Shouldn't we be making stops?” Naomi asked, her face pressed to the glass.

“Don’t worry. Midnight routes go straight to Hachioji,” Hasumi said reassuringly.

“You’ve taken this route before?”

“Of course! I study there, so I go back and forth to see my parents. I know this line like the back of my hand.” Hasumi grinned. “You two are in high school, right?”

Naomi nodded, and Hasumi continued staring in amusement.

“You do call him 'Senpai,' after all...”

“That’s because senpai is... Senpai!”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Eiji muttered.

“But since you’re still in high school...” Hasumi’s eyes glinted, unblinkingly. “It makes this midnight trip even more suspicious.”

“Like I said. Quit prying.” Eiji stared back into the darkness. It was late, sure, but the void outside was absolute. Were they in a tunnel? Or had the world just... ended?

“Oh...” Hasumi whispered. She pointed at Naomi, whose head had finally come to rest against Eiji’s arm. “She must be tired.”

Eiji looked around the carriage. He realized the same was true for everyone else on the carriage. The few other passengers were slumped over, their heads bobbing in time with the train’s rhythmic rocking.

“It is late,” Eiji pointed out, turning back to Hasumi. She was still wide awake, watching him.

“Don’t you feel sleepy, too, Eiji-kun?” Hasumi yawned, her hand covering her mouth. “I’m starting to feel drowsy myself...”

Eiji didn't feel tired. Not at all. He felt Naomi’s weight against his shoulder, her breathing steady and soft.

“Can’t say I do.”

“Heh. You must be a real womanizer.”

“Where did that come from?”

“You aren't even bothered by a girl sleeping on your arm. And your looks, your attitude... it’s written all over you.”

“What are you... getting at?” Eiji felt a sudden, strange weight behind his eyes.

“I’m just saying...”

“I...” Eiji’s eyelids began to flutter. His pulse slowed. The air in the carriage suddenly felt thick, like water. “...don’t...”

He fought it. He gritted his teeth, trying to force his eyes open, but it was like his eyes were made of lead.

The darkness took him.

⌁◉⌁

“Mhm...”

Eiji stirred as the weight on his shoulder vanished. He blinked, his vision swimming as it adjusted to a sudden, piercing light.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Hasumi was standing in the aisle, looking surprised.

“...Senpai?” Naomi’s voice surfaced beside him, her eyes groggy and unfocused.

“Where the hell...?” Eiji looked around. The other passengers were still deep in their slumber, their forms like statues in the dim carriage light. But outside the window, something was different.

“We made a stop,” Hasumi said. “But nobody is getting off.”

“Where are we?” Naomi pressed her nose to the glass.

The train had indeed come to a halt. Outside was a narrow, worn platform standing alone in an ocean of black. A single lamppost stood directly opposite their window, its light flickering like a candle in a gale. The brightness was so intense, so artificial, that it blinded Naomi to anything beyond the concrete edge.

“I have no clue,” Hasumi shrugged.

“Didn’t you know this line like the back of your hand?” Eiji turned back to her.

“That’s why this is… suspicious. I haven’t seen this station before.”

Eiji stood up.

“I’m checking it out.”

The two girls followed him toward the sliding doors, which stood wide open, inviting them out. As Eiji stepped onto the platform, a cold, dry wind swept past them.

“Wha...” Naomi gasped, looking at the horizon.

Beyond the small circle of light from the lone lamppost, there was nothing. No city, no trees, no sky. Just a darkness so thick it felt like a physical wall.

Directly in front of them stood a sign—old, rusted, and weary.

The bold black letters read:

KISARAGI STATION