Naoko blinked once, slowly, like she was still deciding what to do with my words.
Then her gaze shifted.
Not immediately to me.
First to the girls standing behind us.
Then back to me again.
"…Oh," she said softly.
A small pause followed, like she was putting pieces together in her head.
"I see."
Her voice wasn't surprised.
It was… understanding. Almost too quickly understanding.
Before I could say anything else, she turned slightly toward the other teacher still standing nearby, holding a stack of papers.
"I'll take this student," Naoko said casually.
The teacher looked up in confusion.
"W-wait, Miss Naoko, what about these reports? And the books-"
"Handle it," she said simply.
"B-but this is your responsibility!"
Naoko didn't even look back properly.
"I trust you."
That was it.
And somehow, that man just stood there frozen like he had lost all ability to argue with her.
"…I think I just got emotionally dismissed," I heard him mutter under his breath.
Naoko already started walking away.
I hesitated for half a second before quickly following her.
Behind us, I could hear footsteps, small, fast.
The bullies were trying to follow.
But then,
Naoko stopped.
She didn't fully turn around this time.
Just tilted her head slightly over her shoulder.
And looked at them.
That was it.
No words.
No movement.
Just a single glance.
But the effect was instant.
The girls froze mid-step like something invisible had grabbed their feet.
One of them even swallowed hard.
"…What the hell," I heard one whisper shakily.
I frowned slightly, confused, looking between them and Naoko.
"…Are they…" I muttered without thinking.
Naoko didn't answer.
She just continued walking.
Like nothing had happened at all.
We ended up at the school backyard again.
The wind felt quieter there, like it didn't want to disturb anything.
I stood in front of her, my hands clenched tightly together without realizing it.
"P-please…" I said quickly, my voice shaking more than I wanted. "Don't hurt them. Just… leave it. I don't want you to do anything."
Naoko looked at me for a long moment.
Completely still.
Then,
she laughed.
It wasn't loud.
Not cruel.
Almost light. Almost childish.
Like something genuinely amusing had crossed her mind.
"Oh no no no," she said, waving one hand slightly as if brushing the idea away. "I'm not going to hurt them."
My whole body loosened instantly.
Relief hit me so hard it almost made me dizzy.
"…Really?" I asked quietly, like I didn't trust my own hearing.
Naoko smiled.
That small relief I felt lasted for exactly one second.
"…Yet."
My stomach dropped immediately.
The word didn't even feel like a threat at first.
More like a promise she hadn't decided the timing for yet.
"H-huh…?" my voice came out weak.
Naoko stepped a little closer.
Her expression changed again… less playful now.
Not angry.
Just calm.
Too calm.
"Haruko," she said softly, "the person who killed your mother is still alive."
My breath caught.
"And people like that don't just stop," she continued. "They don't suddenly become better. They continue. They repeat."
I couldn't speak.
My throat felt tight.
Naoko's eyes stayed on mine.
"And when they repeat," she said quietly, "someone has to stop them."
A pause.
Then she added, almost gently:
"I'm going to find them."
My fingers trembled slightly.
"I didn't ask you to…" I whispered.
Naoko tilted her head slightly.
"Yes," she agreed. "You did."
Another step closer.
"And it's happening anyway."
The air felt heavier now.
Like the world itself had slowed down.
Naoko's voice lowered just a little.
"And Haruko…"
I flinched slightly when she said my name like that.
"If I do it," she continued, "don't think of it as revenge."
A pause.
"Think of it as cleaning something that shouldn't exist."
I stared at her, completely still.
My heart was beating too fast.
Because I realized something I didn't want to realize.
She wasn't asking for permission.
She wasn't even asking for understanding.
She was telling me what reality would be now.
Naoko straightened again, her usual soft smile returning just slightly, but it didn't reach her eyes properly this time.
"And it's because of you," she said calmly.
My eyes widened.
"W-what…?"
She tilted her head.
"You saw it first," she said simply. "You felt it first. You're involved whether you want to be or not."
My chest tightened painfully.
"That's why," she added, voice quieter now, "this doesn't end with you looking away."
A pause.
"It ends when the cause is gone."
The words sat between us like something irreversible.
I couldn't tell if I was supposed to feel safe.
Or terrified.
Because for the first time…
I understood that Naoko didn't just protect me.
She redefined the world around me so she could protect me better.
And I didn't know which part scared me more.
The backyard became quiet again after that.
Too quiet.
The wind moved softly through the trees above us, making the leaves rustle faintly, but even that sound felt distant now.
Naoko finally sighed lightly and adjusted her sleeve.
"Well," she said casually, like we had just finished an ordinary conversation, "I should probably return before that teacher starts filing a missing person report."
She turned slightly, preparing to walk away.
And before I could stop myself,
"Why are you protecting me…?"
The words slipped out weakly.
Naoko stopped immediately.
For a moment, she didn't move at all.
The silence stretched so long it started hurting.
Then slowly,
she turned around.
Her expression looked unreadable now.
Not smiling.
Not cold.
Just… empty.
I swallowed nervously.
Naoko stared at me quietly for a few seconds.
Then suddenly…
She laughed softly.
A small breathy sound.
Almost gentle.
Then it became louder.
And louder.
Until it didn't even sound normal anymore.
It echoed strangely through the empty backyard, sharp and uneven and completely wrong.
My body stiffened instantly.
Naoko pressed one hand lightly against her face while laughing like she had just heard the funniest thing in the world.
And somehow…
That scared me more than when she held a knife.
Finally, the laughter slowed.
Naoko lowered her hand slowly, smiling wide now.
But not her usual smile.
This one looked unstable.
"Protecting you?" she repeated.
A small laugh escaped her again.
"Haruko…"
She started walking toward me slowly.
"Who said I was protecting you?"
My breath caught.
Naoko's eyes locked onto mine.
"Didn't you hear what I told you before?"
Step.
"I."
Another step.
"Only."
Closer.
"Kill."
My legs moved backward automatically.
"Bad."
Another step.
"People."
My back nearly hit the fence behind me.
Naoko stopped directly in front of me now.
Too close.
"You think this is kindness?" she asked softly.
I couldn't answer.
My heart was beating too fast.
Naoko tilted her head slightly, still smiling.
"You're alive because I decided you deserved to be."
The sentence made my blood run cold.
"And honestly?" she continued casually, "I still haven't fully decided."
"…W-what…?"
Naoko laughed quietly again.
"You lie."
"You hide things."
"You've started enjoying revenge."
"And earlier…" Her smile widened slightly. "You asked me to kill someone for you."
I froze completely.
Every word hit harder than the last.
Naoko leaned closer.
"So tell me, Haruko…" she whispered softly. "How different are you from me now?"
"I-I'm not like you…" I whispered shakily.
"Not yet," Naoko corrected immediately.
My chest tightened painfully.
The backyard suddenly felt suffocating.
"You know what I think?" Naoko continued calmly. "I think you're scared because part of you understands me."
"No-"
"And the worst part?" she interrupted softly. "You felt relieved when your bully disappeared."
My breathing stopped.
Because for one horrible second,
I remembered that feeling.
The quiet.
The relief.
The absence of fear.
Naoko saw it in my face immediately.
And smiled wider.
"There it is."
"Stop it…" I whispered.
"You're not innocent anymore, Haruko."
"Stop it!"
"You just haven't accepted yourself yet."
Something inside me snapped.
"Then what do you want me to do?!" I shouted suddenly, my voice cracking. "What if you just kill me instead?!"
Naoko went completely silent.
My breathing became ragged instantly after saying it.
"I wouldn't have to deal with any of this anymore!" I continued desperately. "Not you, not those people, not any of this-!"
Naoko's smile disappeared.
Completely.
The change happened so fast it terrified me.
Her eyes darkened instantly.
Not playful.
Not amused.
Angry.
Genuinely angry.
Before I could react, she suddenly grabbed my arm hard enough to hurt.
I gasped sharply.
"Don't," she said.
Her voice came out low and sharp.
Almost shaking.
I stared at her in fear.
Naoko raised her other hand suddenly.
And for one horrifying second,
I thought she was going to hit me.
I flinched immediately, squeezing my eyes shut.
But the hit never came.
Silence.
Slowly, I opened my eyes again.
Naoko had frozen.
Her hand stopped inches away from my face.
I could actually see her fingers trembling slightly.
And then,
something changed in her expression.
Like she had suddenly realized what she was doing.
Naoko slowly lowered her hand.
The anger disappeared from her face almost instantly, replaced by something harder to understand.
Not guilt.
Not regret.
Something quieter.
She let go of my arm.
I immediately stepped back, holding it tightly.
Naoko stared at the ground silently for a few seconds.
Then she turned away from me.
"…Don't ever say that again," she said quietly.
Her voice sounded calmer now.
But somehow colder than before.
She started walking away slowly.
And just before disappearing past the trees.
She stopped one last time.
Without turning around, she spoke softly.
"Because if you die before deciding who you really are…"
A small pause.
"…then everything that happened to you becomes meaningless."
Then she left.
I stood there long after Naoko left.
The backyard suddenly felt colder now.
The wind moved softly through the trees above me, but my body still felt frozen in place.
My arm still hurt where she grabbed me.
I slowly held it without thinking.
Everything she said kept replaying in my head over and over again.
"You're alive because I decided you deserved to be"
"You're not innocent anymore"
"How different are you from me now?"
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.
"No…" I whispered to myself weakly.
I didn't know what scared me more anymore.
Naoko herself…
Or the fact that some parts of what she said felt true.
The thought alone made me feel sick.
I pressed both hands against my face, trying to breathe normally again.
Then suddenly,
"Haruko?!"
I flinched immediately.
Footsteps approached quickly across the grass.
Etsuko, Toshio, Kei, and Yori rushed toward me looking worried.
"There you are!" Kei said first. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
Etsuko stopped in front of me and frowned instantly.
"…You look pale."
"I-I'm fine," I lied immediately.
Nobody looked convinced.
Toshio glanced behind me toward the empty backyard entrance.
"…Where's Naoko-sensei?"
My chest tightened slightly.
"She left already," I answered quietly.
The four of them exchanged glances.
Yori adjusted his glasses slightly.
"…Did something happen between you two?"
I looked away immediately.
"No."
That lie came out way too fast.
Etsuko crossed her arms.
"Haruko."
I hated how gently she said my name sometimes.
Because it made lying feel worse.
"We saw Naoko-sensei earlier," Toshio added carefully. "She looked…"
He hesitated.
"…Scary," Kei finished for him.
My stomach twisted instantly.
"Scary?" I repeated weakly.
Kei nodded quickly.
"She looked like she wanted to fight somebody or something like that."
My heart nearly stopped.
Then Kei laughed awkwardly afterward.
"…Which sounds insane now that I say it out loud."
I forced out a small nervous laugh too.
"Haha… yeah…"
Not one word felt funny.
Etsuko studied my face carefully.
"…Haruko," she said softly, "did she say something to you?"
I swallowed hard.
For one dangerous second, I almost told them everything.
The murders.
The threats.
The blood.
My mother.
But then I imagined Naoko's eyes again.
And the words died in my throat instantly.
"…No," I whispered.
Another lie.
"She was just talking about school stuff."
Kei blinked.
"In the creepy isolated backyard?"
"…She likes dramatic locations," I muttered weakly.
That somehow made everyone pause.
"…Actually that sounds accurate," Toshio admitted.
Even Etsuko sighed slightly.
And somehow the conversation moved on after that.
But I could still feel guilt sitting heavily in my chest the entire time.
The rest of the school day felt blurry.
I barely listened to anything during class.
The sound of pencils scratching paper.
Teachers talking.
Students laughing quietly.
Everything sounded distant.
Every time the classroom door opened, my body tensed automatically.
And every time it wasn't Naoko, I felt relieved.
Which somehow made me feel even worse.
Naoko herself acted completely normal for the rest of the day.
Too normal.
She smiled during lessons.
Joked with students.
Complimented someone's homework.
Lightly scolded Kei for sleeping in class again.
Like the conversation in the backyard had never happened.
Like she hadn't almost hit me.
That part disturbed me the most.
How easily she could switch between versions of herself.
Sometimes I wondered if even she knew which one was real.
At one point during class, our eyes met briefly.
Naoko smiled softly at me.
My stomach immediately tightened.
I looked away first.
Time skip!!
By the time school finally ended, the sky outside had already started turning orange.
The five of us walked together toward the front gate while Kei complained dramatically about homework.
"I'm telling you," he groaned, "math was invented by evil people!"
"Skill issue," Etsuko replied instantly.
"That hurt my soul..."
"You had one?"
"Well, barely."
Normally, their stupid conversations would've made me laugh a little.
Today, I could barely focus.
My eyes kept drifting around nervously without meaning to.
Then suddenly,
I spotted white hair near the gate.
My steps slowed immediately.
Naoko stood there casually waiting beside the entrance fence, one hand in her pocket while reading something on her phone.
The moment she noticed us approaching, she looked up and smiled.
That same normal smile again.
Like nothing was wrong.
"Ah," she said lightly. "Perfect timing."
My friends greeted her normally.
"Goodbye, Naoko-sensei!"
"See you tomorrow!"
Kei pointed accusingly at her.
"Please give less homework next time."
"No."
"Cruel."
Naoko ignored him completely and looked directly at me instead.
"Haruko."
My chest tightened instantly.
"…Yes?"
"You're going to my house first."
The sentence sounded less like a suggestion and more like a decision already made.
Etsuko blinked.
"Oh? Sleepover again?"
Naoko smiled lightly.
"Something like that."
Then she added casually:
"I have somewhere to go first, so I'll be late."
The second she said it.
I understood immediately.
My blood went cold.
Somewhere to go.
No.
Not somewhere.
Someone.
The girls from earlier.
My fingers tightened slightly around my bag strap.
Naoko looked at me quietly for a second.
And somehow…
I felt like she knew I understood exactly what she meant.
But I was too scared to say anything.
Too scared to ask.
Too scared to stop her.
So instead…
I just nodded weakly.
"…Okay."
Naoko stopped beside her car and reached into her pocket.
"Catch."
I barely reacted in time before her house keys landed against my chest.
"I'll be late," she said casually while unlocking the car door. "Don't accidentally die while I'm gone."
"…That's not comforting."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
Then she smiled lightly, got into the car, and drove away.
I stood there silently watching the headlights disappear down the street.
And for some reason…
My stomach felt heavy.
Because I knew exactly what I thought she was going to do tonight.
By the time I reached Naoko's house, the sky had already turned dark.
The house felt quieter at night.
Bigger somehow, too.
I unlocked the door slowly and stepped inside.
Still no blood smell.
Still clean.
Still normal.
That was the scary part about this house.
It never looked like a killer lived here.
I slipped off my shoes and sat carefully on the couch afterward, hugging one of the pillows against myself.
The clock ticked softly from somewhere in the living room.
Every small sound made me look toward the door.
Hours passed slowly.
I tried watching television for distraction, but nothing stayed in my head long enough to matter.
My thoughts kept drifting back to Naoko.
Where was she?
Who was she meeting?
Was she really…
No.
I pulled my knees closer against myself.
I didn't want to think about it.
Eventually exhaustion started catching up to me.
My eyelids slowly became heavier.
The couch felt warmer.
Comfortable.
I was just about to fall asleep when…
Ding dong.
I jolted awake instantly.
The doorbell echoed loudly through the quiet house.
My heart started pounding immediately.
Naoko.
She was back.
A cold feeling spread through my stomach.
Slowly, I stood up from the couch and walked toward the door.
For some reason, my hand hesitated before touching the handle.
I don't know what I expected.
Blood on her clothes.
A knife.
That smile again.
I opened the door carefully.
And froze.
"…Huh?"