'Is it a ghost!?' The mysterious welcoming committee.

‘Ai’ll continue upset for a while,’ Ayumu pondered as he stowed away his phone. He gazed out the window, then returned to reality. The boy regained his composure, realising he did not know of his current whereabouts or destination. After getting up from his seat, he proceeded cautiously through the narrow aisle, making his way to the front to inquire of the driver. ‘Excuse me,’ he tried to get the driver’s attention. ‘Would you mind telling me...’ The driver stayed silent, he just pointed to a sign next to him that read. ‘Do not disturb the driver.’ Ayumu read, then glanced back at the driver. ‘I understand, but…’ The driver glanced at him for a second before he focuses on the road. The young man sighed. ‘It doesn’t seem like I’m going to get any answers.’ Ayumu retraced his steps.

‘Now what do I do?’ he considered his options. ‘Should I talk to Ai and tell her I’m lost? No, she’ll probably laugh at me.’ He dismissed that idea for the moment. ‘Calling Mom would be even worse.’ The other passenger caught his attention as he sat back in his seat and resumed the game. ‘I could ask her if she’s not asleep.’ Ayu glanced at the screen as Sailor Amethyst’s animation played. ‘But for now, I guess I’ll just wait. If things get rough, I can trust them, but I should keep my mouth shut.’

In the distance, Ayu spotted four towering black structures. They transformed into majestic palaces as they approached. The bus ventured into the medieval village, guarded by these imposing castles. He was stunned at the sight, three of the palaces standing imperial while the fourth lay in ruins. The atmosphere transported them to the feudal era. Curious gazes followed the bus as it crossed the picturesque village. They swiftly crossed the main road and halted near the entrance barrier of a small bus station a few kilometres ahead. Proceeding through a deserted car park, the bus came to a complete stop. The driver stretched and glanced at the passengers.

‘End of the line.’ He announced as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He put a cigarette between his lips and adjusted his cap. ‘I’m sorry about earlier, kid, but it’s company policy,’ he excused himself.

‘Oh, it’s okay.’ Ayu downplayed it. ‘But where are we supposed to…?’

‘Would it be too much trouble to wake up your companion? I would do it myself, but I want to stretch my legs for a bit.’ The driver showed with a gesture, winking at Ayumu and cutting him off. He turned around, puzzled, following the direction pointed out by the driver.

‘Hey, wait!’ The young man turned his gaze towards the front, only to find the driver already gone. Feeling frustrated, Ayumu approached the girl and voiced his concerns. ‘Why does this always happen to me?’ determined, he gently placed his right hand on her left shoulder, willing to awaken her from her deep slumber. ‘Hey! We’ve arrived, wherever this place is!’ but to his astonishment, she remained in a deep sleep. A strange silence enveloped the bus and stirred him a sense of unease. Though he searched the aisle with his gaze, he found no one, yet an undeniable feeling of being watched lingered in the air. His focus shifted back to his companion. ‘I don’t think it’s wise to leave her here,’ he convinced himself before lifting the girl into his arms, carried her like a princess.

The girl’s legs ensnared his left arm, squeezing it tightly between her soft thighs. With his right hand, he pulled her closer, and she turned to face him, her breasts pressing against his chest. He felt a wave of discomfort, similar to the jealousy his mother and Ai exhibited whenever another girl approached him. Cautiously, Ayu turned his neck, as an immense pressure hit him, but detecting no one. Ayumu moved forward, with some difficulty, without looking back, and whatever it was, it followed him. The boy alighted the bus and dashed to the side entrance; something kept close to his heels. Besides, he didn’t see anyone in the car park and entered the building through the glass doors. The presence seemed to vanish. He turned around, rooted to the spot, and took a deep breath before opening his mouth.

‘What the hell was that?’

The well-lit building had a symmetrical seating arrangement in four sets of four. Its glass entrance doors were noticeably large. From his viewpoint at the rear, he could perceive a hallway heading towards the bathrooms. That place didn’t feel abandoned. Their luggage had been placed near the polished wooden reception counter, leading Ayumu to deduce that the driver must have brought them. ‘Or perhaps they had magically transported themselves.’ Ayumu made a silly expression. The boy let his travelling companion rest in a row of seats. However, but he halted in his tracks upon hearing the bathroom doors, turning to see if it was that guy.

‘Ayuuu!!’ someone dashed with excitement, down the hallway and catching the boy’s attention. It was another student with long black hair, which danced with inertia as she ran. A red ribbon tied her hair back and looked lovely on her head. That girl’s face was covered in blood, which ran down her flushed cheeks, leaving a trail behind her and staining her uniform. The uniform was indistinguishable from the blonde girl’s, except for the azure navy-ribbon in her shirt collar. Four stars, reminiscent of military badges, were displayed on the left lapel of her navy blue uniform jacket. In addition, she wore a badge with a number 3, which shows that she was a third-year student. ‘Your dear A…!’ she froze when she saw the scene. Under the blood, her face turned white.

‘Ah! A ghost!’ Ayumu's body trembled as he fell to the ground. He instinctively held the other girl in a protective embrace. The amber eyes of the other girl lost all their shine. Upon seeing her, he realised it was not a ghost, although she emitted the most terrifying aura. The dripping of blood, falling from her face to the ground, broke the tense silence until he plucked up the courage to address her. ‘Ar- are you okay?’ The girl gave a fake smile, shook her head, not wanting to admit what she saw. She moved, ignoring him, and murmured something that no one could hear, and she advanced slowly while repeating it, as if it were a mantra. ‘Hey! You’re bleeding a lot. Are you sure you don’t need help?’ She ignored his words. The glass doors opened, detecting her a few steps away, and she walked through them. She turned around and looked at him. Tears were streaming from her eyes. The girl took a deep breath and raise her voice.

‘Pervert! Cheater! I hate you!’ The doors closed. A strange silence fell over the small bus station. The girl disappeared from the scene, running and crying hysterically. Ayu was left petrified by the surreal scene. He stared confusedly at the automatic doors until the other girl’s voice brought him back.