Episode 2

Chapter 2: The Boy Without a Reflection

Darkness swallowed the bathroom.

Airi froze.

For a moment, she could only hear her own breathing.

The lights had gone out so suddenly that her eyes needed several seconds to adjust. Outside, students were still talking in the hallway as if nothing strange had happened.

Then the lights returned.

Everything looked normal again.

Too normal.

Ren was still standing near the doorway.

Watching her.

Airi immediately looked toward the mirror.

This time—

His reflection was there.

Perfectly normal.

Her chest tightened.

No.

She had seen it.

She was sure.

“You...” Airi whispered. “Your reflection disappeared.”

Ren’s expression remained unreadable.

“You should go back to class.”

“That’s not an answer.”

He looked around the empty bathroom entrance before lowering his voice.

“You saw something you weren’t supposed to see.”

Airi took one step closer.

“What does that even mean?”

Instead of answering, Ren walked away.

Just like that.

As if leaving mysterious sentences behind was completely normal.

“Hey!”

He didn’t stop.

Airi stared at his back while frustration slowly replaced fear.

Weirdo.

Complete weirdo.

---

Afternoon classes felt endless.

Math.

History.

Literature.

Airi heard almost none of it.

Her notebook remained mostly empty except for random words she kept writing repeatedly.

Mirror. Reflection. Unknown number. Ren.

Every time she looked toward the back row, Ren remained quiet.

Looking outside.

Ignoring everyone.

Ignoring her.

When the final bell rang, students immediately began leaving.

Yuna appeared beside her desk.

“You look pale.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s the face people make before collapsing.”

Airi forced a small smile.

Yuna leaned closer.

“Did something happen?”

Airi hesitated.

Should she mention reflections disappearing?

No.

That sounded insane.

“Just tired.”

Yuna didn’t seem convinced.

Then she suddenly lowered her voice.

“Stay away from Ren.”

Airi blinked.

“Why?”

Yuna looked toward the back row.

“He’s strange.”

“That’s obvious.”

“No, I mean really strange.”

Before Airi could ask more, Yuna quickly changed the topic.

Too quickly.

Almost intentionally.

---

Rain had started again when school ended.

Students slowly disappeared from campus.

Airi stood under the entrance roof searching through her bag.

No umbrella.

Perfect.

“You forgot one?”

She looked up.

Ren.

Holding a black umbrella.

“Are you following me now?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

He stayed silent for several seconds.

Then:

“You should go home before dark.”

“There you go again.”

Ren sighed quietly.

“You ask questions but ignore answers.”

“You never actually answer.”

For the first time all day, he almost smiled.

Almost.

Airi noticed something strange.

Students walking past them glanced toward Ren—

then quickly looked away.

Like earlier.

Like they were avoiding him.

Why?

Her phone vibrated again.

Unknown Number.

Her stomach dropped.

She opened it.

Do not go home through the main street.

A second message arrived instantly.

Someone is waiting there.

Cold spread through her arms.

Ren noticed her expression.

“The messages again?”

Airi looked up sharply.

“How do you know about them?”

His eyes widened slightly.

A mistake.

He knew it too.

Before she could speak, loud thunder shook the sky.

The school lights flickered.

For one second—

Just one second—

Airi saw shadows moving near the school gate.

Too tall.

Too thin.

Not human.

She blinked.

Gone.

“What was that?” she whispered.

Ren grabbed her wrist suddenly.

His voice became serious.

“Don’t look at them.”

Them.

Not it.

Them.

Airi slowly turned toward him.

Rain grew heavier.

Students had already left.

The campus was almost empty.

Then from somewhere behind the school—

A girl’s voice whispered:

“Airi...”

Not loudly.

Not normally.

Directly beside her ear.

She spun around.

Nobody.

When she looked back—

Ren’s reflection in a nearby classroom window had disappeared again.

And this time—

He looked terrified.

[End of Chapter 2]

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