"Sorry. I… got carried away."
Leci flinched — not because of his apology — but because she saw a face behind him. A grinning face.
It was the same Female Ghost who had attacked her the day before.
For the second time, the ghost whispered something chilling—
"One of you will die."
Before she could even think, Leci surged forward. She didn't notice her hand pushing Kieron hard enough for him to collide with the infirmary bed beside them. All she saw was the ghost. All she wanted was to stop it.
But the ghost was already gone.
A soft groan broke the silence. Leci spun around and saw Kieron clutching his waist, his breath catching in pain.
"Were you… really that upset?" he managed quietly.
Leci's heart lurched. "N-no! It's not like that! There was a ghost behind you — I swear!" Her voice trembled, because she truly couldn't think of any better explanation. She didn't need one anyway. It was the truth.
Whether Kieron believed her or not was impossible to read. His expression stayed calm, almost unreadably so. He simply stretched his back and let out a tired sigh.
"All right. Let's… just go with that."
Then, unexpectedly, one of his hands reached out and rested gently on the top of Leci's head. He wasn't angry. Not even a little. Instead, a warm, almost reassuring smile softened his features.
"You're still not well," he said softly. "Rest a little longer. Don't push yourself."
His voice carried a quiet firmness — gentle, but leaving no room for argument. Leci nodded without protesting. Her head was still spinning anyway. She would probably return to class in the fourth period.
Ding… dong… ding….
The class bell echoed faintly outside. Kieron glanced at the watch strapped to his left wrist, then carefully fixed the blanket around Leci's chests.
"I need to get back to class. We'll talk again after school." He lingered for a moment — just long enough to make sure she truly looked all right — before finally leaving the infirmary.
Leci stared at the doorway long after he was gone, still trying to steady her breathing. Yes, she had been startled earlier. And yes, it had been her fault. But that didn't mean she suddenly liked him. It wasn't that simple. Kieron wasn't even human. How could someone like her… even think about something like that?
A relationship with him would only end badly. And Leci wasn't ready for heartbreak. Not again.
Click…
The infirmary door opened quietly. Norris — her endlessly fussy cousin — peeked in with a plastic bag full of snacks dangling from his hand.
"Leciara… I heard you were sick?"
He took two steps forward, then stopped abruptly. His eyes widened in something between horror and disbelief.
"What—WHAT IS THAT?!"
Leci frowned. "What now?" she muttered, irritated and tired.
Norris jabbed a finger at her as if pointing at a crime scene. "I came here because I was worried! And look at you! You definitely did something indecent, didn't you?! DIDN'T YOU?!"
"I did NOT!" Leci's voice cracked in frustration. She was sick, exhausted, dealing with ghosts — and now this. Norris accusing her of something so ridiculous was the last thing she needed.
"Why would you even think that?! I don't even have a boyfriend!"
But Norris shook his head stubbornly. "Oh, really? Then explain THIS! Why is your uniform like THAT?!"
Leci blinked, confused—until she looked down.
Two of the top buttons on her shirt had come undone.
She froze. Kieron must have unbuttoned them earlier while wiping the sweat from her neck.
"It's because I was overheating!" Leci said quickly. "I opened them to cool down. That's all." She was telling the truth. Nothing had happened with Kieron. Absolutely nothing.
"I don't believe you," he insisted. "I've caught you acting strange several times lately — and now this?"
Leci let out a long, weary sigh. She had forgotten how dramatic Norris could be. He nagged her from the moment school ended, following her around with the excuse of 'keeping an eye on her.' He even complained loudly to Taryn, dragging her into the mess.
"Look at her," Norris said dramatically as they stood on the fourth–floor corridor overlooking the sports field below. "She's already fallen into bad company. Doesn't it break your heart to see her like this?"
Leci covered her face with both hands.
Why did her life keep getting stranger?
"Taryn! Don't listen to him! Norris is just assuming things!" Leci refused to let Taryn take Norris's side. "Where's the proof? How could I possibly have done all those horrible things?!"
"I am the only witness! I don't need proof!"
"If you're going to accuse someone, you need evidence!"
Caught in the crossfire between the quarreling cousins, Taryn shifted her gaze back and forth helplessly. The gentle girl, soft as morning mist, was suddenly forced to mediate between two of the most stubborn people she knew. How could she not be overwhelmed?
"All right, enough. You two — stop fighting," Taryn said, trying her best to soothe them both.
"He started it! He's been accusing me since yesterday!"
"That's because you are guilty! I'm doing this because I care!"
"Oh, please! You're just looking for reasons to blame me, aren't you?!"
Taryn exhaled sharply. She genuinely had no idea what to do, especially now that other students had begun slowing down to watch the spectacle. "You two — stop it, now!" she finally yelled.
Leci and Norris froze, equally startled. It was the first time sweet, soft-spoken Taryn had ever raised her voice at them.
"Explain what happened," she commanded.
Norris elbowed Leci. Leci elbowed him back. When Taryn shot them both a warning glare, Norris finally spoke.
"A few days ago, I caught Leci alone in the old playground. She had a hickey on her neck."
"It was a mosquito bite," Leci snapped. They glared at each other again.
"Then I caught her again at the convenience store… with a beer can on her table," Norris continued.
Leci shook her head quickly. "That wasn't mine. It belonged to the person before me."
Taryn stayed silent, listening. Norris went on.
"And then, during lunch break today, I checked on her at the infirmary and found her with her uniform all messy — like she'd just done something indecent."
"I was sweating, okay? I had to unbutton it a little. And there was nobody else in the infirmary." Leci defended herself again. Everything she said was true — except the first part. It was indeed Kieron's doing who was messing with her.
"What do you think, Taryn? Isn't it obvious Leci has fallen into bad company?" Norris fanned the flames, eager to convince Taryn he was right.
Taryn studied Leci's expression carefully, trying to read whether she was lying or not.
Leci gave her most innocent, desperate smile. "Taryn… I'm really not like that."
Taryn's hime–cut hair swayed slightly as she sighed. She looked at both of them in turn. "You're both wrong," she said firmly.
Immediately, both cousins tried to protest, but Taryn pinched their lips shut with both hands before they could interrupt.
"Norris, you're wrong for jumping to conclusions without checking the facts first," she scolded him.
"And Leci, you should explain things clearly instead of giving flimsy excuses no one can trust." This time, Leci received the lecture.
"Let's discuss this properly at Sunflower Café across the school," Taryn said at last. She released their lips and took both of their hands, gently pulling them along.
Neither could argue. The anger of a quiet person was always the most frightening. So they both followed her meekly.
But when they reached the stairs to the first floor, Leci suddenly stopped. She saw something — something wrong. Just for a second, a shadow. A woman. A ghost clinging to someone's back.
"Wait!"
"Leci? What's wrong?"
Ignoring Taryn's question, Leci bolted forward. She didn't go down the stairs; instead, she sprinted straight down the corridor, eyes searching desperately for the figure she had seen.
Taryn and Norris were left frozen, stunned and clueless.
Leci knew what she saw. It was the same ghost — the one who attacked her yesterday, the one who appeared in the infirmary earlier.
She darted down the empty corridor, scanning each passing student until she found the one marked by that evil presence. He was climbing the stairs toward the rooftop.
Leci immediately gave chase.
When she reached the top, she shoved the rooftop door open, breath sharp with urgency. She thought she had cornered the ghost at last.
But the rooftop was empty.
Not a single student. Not a trace of the ghost.
"Where… did she—"
Woosh! Thud!
A violent gust slammed her body toward the rooftop's edge. Leci gasped, stumbling — only to feel cold fingers wrap around her throat.
The female ghost loomed over her, pushing her downward, choking her with icy hands. She smiled — a cruel, twisted smile — before whispering:
"Got you, Leciara. This time… you really will die."