After parting ways with Hayato, Tachibana Hina walked straight toward the train station at the nearby intersection.
The night had deepened. A cool breeze swept through, carrying a slight chill that made her pull her clothes tighter. Being near the coast, Chiba's air held more moisture than inland areas, adding an extra bite to the wind. She could taste salt on her lips, faint but present.
"Hayato-kun seemed pretty normal when we talked. Not at all as troublesome as Hiratsuka-senpai made him sound."
She smiled to herself, her heels clicking rhythmically against the pavement.
"Maybe it's because of the amnesia."
If he'd lost memories of his rebellious phase and was now showing his true, well-mannered nature, then perhaps the amnesia wasn't entirely a bad thing. The thought made her feel a bit guilty, but she couldn't help it.
The train station drew closer.
Tachibana picked up her pace slightly. Her heels clicked against the solid asphalt in a steady rhythm.
Tap tap. Tap tap.
The sound echoed in the empty street, louder than she'd like.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, she caught a faint smell of something burning. Like meat left on the grill too long, developing that acrid charcoal scent. It crawled into her nostrils, making her nose wrinkle.
"What is this?"
Tachibana Hina wrinkled her nose slightly but didn't think much of it, unconsciously quickening her steps. The smell lingered, though, refusing to fade.
"Probably just someone nearby having a barbecue..."
But after only a few more steps, a dark silhouette appeared ahead under the streetlight's glow.
The elongated shadow obscured the figure's face, making it impossible to see clearly. Something about the way it stood there, motionless, sent a chill down her spine that had nothing to do with the night air.
Tachibana instinctively slowed her pace. She shifted to the left, planning to give the stranger a wide berth and avoid any unnecessary interaction. Her hand tightened around her bag strap.
Japan had good public safety. Walking at night generally wasn't dangerous. But as an adult woman, moreover an attractive one, maintaining a healthy sense of caution was necessary.
She knew all too well that bad people existed in this world. And if she encountered one, terrible things could happen.
Except...
After taking just two steps in her new direction, the figure ahead moved as well. Once again blocking her path directly. The movement was deliberate. Intentional.
Tachibana's heart tightened. Mental alarms started blaring, loud and insistent in her head. Her pulse quickened, blood rushing in her ears.
If this were a coincidence, it was far too convenient.
Tachibana Hina deliberately slowed her pace even more and tried walking toward the other side of the street. Her breathing had become shallow without her realizing it.
But the silhouette shifted again, positioning itself squarely in her way.
They were about fifteen meters apart now.
Suppressing the anxiety rising in her chest, Tachibana decided she should turn back. Her right hand slipped into her bag, fingers closing around her phone, ready to call the police at a moment's notice. The familiar shape of it felt reassuring against her palm.
The burning smell grew stronger.
With each breath, it assaulted her senses, making her head slightly confused. Thick and cloying, like it was coating the inside of her throat.
She took small, wary steps backward while the figure ahead moved forward slowly, one step at a time. Like a puppet with rusty joints. Each step echoed dully against the pavement.
The distance between them shrank.
Tachibana couldn't hold back any longer. She decided to speak first, to warn them off. Her voice came out shakier than she'd wanted. If she were wrong about the situation, she'd apologize sincerely.
"Excuse me, sir! Could you please stop deliberately blocking my path?"
Keep calm. Don't provoke someone with bad intentions....
"If you need money, I can give you some."
She pulled out a 10,000 yen note with trembling fingers. Fukuzawa Yukichi's face stared back at her. Honestly, it hurt to part with it. She'd only just started working at Sobu High, making about 200,000 yen a month. But compared to her personal safety, 10,000 yen was nothing.
Yet the figure showed no reaction. It just kept advancing slowly, step by stiff step, drawing closer. The burnt smell intensified with every meter it closed.
"My student is right behind me! I'm going to call the police!"
She held up her phone, the dial screen facing the approaching shadow.
Still no response?
And then... The streetlight's white glow illuminated the figure's face clearly.
The humanoid face was cracked and fractured, covered in chunks of black, charred flesh. Through the fissures, dark red liquid oozed out. Meat and blood mixed together in a grotesque display. The skin looked like it had been cooked until it split apart, exposing the raw tissue beneath.
Tachibana's eyes went wide. Her breath caught in her throat. Her brain short-circuited, going completely blank for several seconds. The phone nearly slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers.
"It... hurts..."
"So... hot..."
The voice that came from the thing was wrong. Raspy and wet, like someone gargling broken molten lava.
The burnt smell hit her full force, overwhelming and nauseating. Tachibana Hina could taste it now, acrid and bitter on her tongue.
"A monster!"
The realization finally crashed through her paralysis like ice water.
"AAAHHH!"
The scream tore from her throat, beyond her control.
She took one step back, turned to run...
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
The grip was burning hot. Even through her suit jacket, she could feel the searing heat.
THUD.
She lost her balance and crashed to the ground hard, the impact jarring her bones. Her palms scraped against the rough asphalt, stinging sharply. Pain shot through her hip where it hit the pavement.
"Ah..."
Lying on the asphalt, Tachibana looked back at the figure looming over her. The blackened silhouette seemed even more grotesque now, its mouth twisted into a horrifying smile. Charred lips pulled back to reveal teeth that looked too white against the burnt flesh.
Tachibana Hina kicked her legs frantically, trying to push herself away, but they wouldn't respond properly. Her limbs had gone weak, useless. Terror had stolen her strength. Her skirt rode up as she scrambled backward, stockings tearing against the rough ground.
I'm going to die. I'm really going to die here.
The thought repeated in her mind like a mantra. Panic flooded her thoughts, drowning out rational thought. Her vision blurred at the edges.
CRACK.
The charred figure's eyes bulged out like a dead fish's. The meat on its face split open further, revealing fresh red tissue beneath. Liquid dripped from the wounds, sizzling as it hit the ground.
"Burn..."
Tachibana squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. The sound echoed off the empty buildings around them, going nowhere, reaching no one.
But when she opened them again, a male figure stood between her and the monster.
A familiar silhouette. Broad shoulders blocked out the creature's grotesque form.
"Ha... Hayato-kun?!"
Her voice came out broken, barely more than a whisper.
"Get up, sensei. We need to leave, now!"
Hayato pulled the panicking teacher to her feet.
The instant Hayato heard a woman scream, he activated time stop and rushed over.
Another a few seconds and Tachibana-sensei would've been dead for sure....