I raised my gaze from my palm and saw a reflection of a person on the window glass. It was a somewhat unimpressive girl with long, pitch-black hair that extended about ten centimeters below her collarbone, bangs that reached her eyes, and slightly large, slanted eyes hidden behind her bangs. She was dressed in a black sailor uniform with a blue tie.
I lifted my right hand up to my face. The girl in the reflection on the surface also raised her hand. Despite the mirror’s foggy surface, I could tell the reflected figure was me…
Only then did I notice it was snowing outside the darkened window.
Thunk… I heard a loud noise, as if something heavy had fallen beneath the wooden flooring.
… Is someone there? Could it be the listless god coming to convey what he forgot to mention earlier?
Thinking that, I headed toward the source of the sound, making my way to the door of the room. I attempted to grasp the doorknob but couldn’t hold it. Instead, my hand passed through it effortlessly.
Surprised yet determined, I continued to phase through the door, passing through it as a whole. There was no pain or sensation. Smoothly, I went through the door and entered the corridor. It was unbelievable to experience something physically impossible. Although I could stand on the floor like normal, I couldn’t consciously touch or grab anything.
Having reached the corridor, I descended the stairs, feeling bewildered by my body. The listless god had said, “Within the limited lifespan of your soul, you just need to tie the fates of certain people,” but I hadn’t been given the crucial details. Who were the humans I needed to form a connection between? What did he mean by “like flower petals”?
I stood in front of the sliding door of the room directly below where the sound had come from. I wondered if I could pass through the sliding door just like before. As I hesitated to enter the room, low moaning sounds emerged from inside.
What…?Isn’t it the listless god?I froze. Wait, do spirits also have a heartbeat? Or is it because I’m still in a “temporary” state?
My heart rate continued to rise, and cold sweat started to form. I’m a spirit, so it wouldn’t be strange if there were also monsters . I became scared, and for a moment, I wanted to turn back. However, I quickly changed my mind.
No, it’s strange to feel in danger. I’ve been on the verge of death already .
I gathered my courage and phased through the sliding door, diving into the room where the moaning sounds could be heard.
As I entered the room, what caught my eye was not a monster but an old man gripping the edge of a chair in a Japanese-style room, hunching over and clutching his chest.
“Old man!”
Startled, I rushed to the old man’s side. However, he didn’t show any signs of noticing me. My hand, extended to support his body, passed through him.
“Ugh…”
Groaning in pain, the old man slipped through my legs and fell to the floor with a thud.
“Old man!” I shouted again, lowering myself and peering closely at him, but his eyes didn’t meet mine even though I was right there.
He couldn’t see me. He couldn’t touch me. My voice couldn’t reach him. I couldn’t do anything.
I exist here, yet I don’t exist…
As the old man collapsed on the floor, his hand, which had been clutching his chest, fell to the floor as if losing strength.
His image overlapped with mine, as I could only stare at the puddle of blood pelted by rain. Alone, in pain, with a cold body, I could only wait for my strength to fade, filled with despair and helplessness.
I stood up abruptly, phased through the sliding door I had just entered, and emerged into the corridor.
Is there someone else? Anyone else—?
I ran throughout the house. Is there anyone else inside? Is there anyone who would notice the old man’s plight? Is there anyone who could help?
I passed through various rooms, checking each one, but there was no one. As I reached the last room and stood still, I felt lost. What should I do? If things continue like this, no one will notice the old man…
Click…
I thought I heard a small noise and turned around in the hallway. The front door had opened, and a bright light streamed into the dark corridor. It was so dazzling that I instinctively squinted my eyes.
As if drawn to it, I saw a boy entering the house through the open door. The boy had a gender-neutral, distinctively refined face, neatly styled hair, a straight nose, and eyes that peered out from behind his slightly parted bangs. He seemed to be around high school age.
Beneath his black coat, a navy blazer uniform with a red-striped tie peeked out. The boy’s hair was slightly wet, and melting snow was resting on his shoulders.
For some reason, as soon as I laid eyes on that boy, tension spread throughout my entire body.
The boy suddenly raised his head, and our eyes met. He frowned, distorting his beautiful face in an obvious display of displeasure.
“Great. Did my grandpa let another person into the house without permission?”
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
I was simply shocked by the boy’s words. Not because of his vulgar language, which didn’t match his appearance, but because…
This person… Could it be that…
“C-Can you see me?” I murmured softly.
“Huh?” The boy walked toward me, his steps resolute. “I don’t know who you are, but can you leave? Seriously, you’re a nuisance.”
With that, he maneuvered past me, deliberately avoiding any contact.
This person can definitely see me. He’s talking to me…
Caught off guard by this revelation, I didn’t move immediately.
The boy stopped and turned to face me, who remained motionless. “You didn’t hear me? I told you to leave. Disappear right now.”
The harsh words of the boy passed through my ears, not registering in my mind. There is someone who can see me. There is someone who can hear my voice…
Feeling relieved and happy about this, I smiled with a stiff expression on my face. The boy, however, seemed quite taken aback by my sudden laughter.
“The… the…” I opened my mouth to speak.
The boy seemed even more taken aback, taking a step back in surprise. “Huh? What are you mumbling about?”
But I had no time to be concerned about the boy’s reaction.
“The old man… He’s… dying.” I pleaded with the boy in a soft voice. “He collapsed in the Japanese-style room on the first floor… clutching his chest…”
The color drained from the boy’s face as he heard my words. He threw his bag aside and started running. I followed closely behind.
The boy forcefully opened the sliding door to the Japanese-style room where the old man lay and rushed to his side. “Grandpa!”
The boy shook the old man, but there was no response. “Grandpa! Grandpa!”
The boy seemed extremely distraught, shaking the old man vigorously over and over again.
“No… Shaking him like that won’t work…”
Upon hearing my soft voice, the boy abruptly stopped his movements.
Facing the shaken boy, I regained my composure. “…Calm down. Um… Call an ambulance.”
The boy’s eyes regained their focus as if regaining his sanity. He took out his smartphone from his pocket, dialed the emergency number 119, and placed it next to his ear.
“Hello, ambulance! My grandfather collapsed-”
After stating the situation and address, the person on the other end of the line from the fire department must have given instructions. The boy kept the phone to his ear while gently cradling his grandfather’s body, lying on the floor, and turned him onto his back. Then, he looked up at me as I stood there.
“Why did you leave my grandpa lying there when he collapsed?”
I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know how to explain, and the words wouldn’t come to me right away.
With eyes filled with hatred, the boy looked at me.
“If my grandpa dies, I won’t forgive you.”
After a while, the sound of an ambulance siren approached from outside the house. The siren became painfully loud, then abruptly stopped.
The boy dashed past me and out of the Japanese-style room. I heard the sound of the front door opening, and paramedics entered the room with the boy. The old man was placed on a stretcher and taken away.
Unable to do anything, I stood there and witnessed the chaotic scene. As the boy, who was about to pass by me, locked eyes with me, he stared intently.
“Come with me.”
Overwhelmed by the intensity of the boy’s gaze, I boarded the ambulance without hesitation.