The next day didn't feel like a new day.
It felt like something had carried over.
Like the air itself remembered what happened.
Jinzu stood outside the school gates, unmoving.
The same building.
The same walls.
The same voices.
But something was off.
The noise wasn't as loud.
Not because people weren't talking—
But because they were talking quieter.
And when they looked at him…
They didn't look away fast enough.
"…That's him."
"I saw it—his hands…"
"No, it wasn't normal…"
"He just dropped and then—"
"Shhh, he's right there—"
Jinzu didn't react.
He just walked.
Slow.
Careful.
Like always.
But this time…
There was space around him.
Kids moved out of his way without being told.
Steps shifted.
Paths changed.
No one bumped into him.
No one got close.
It was like there was an invisible line drawn around him—
And no one wanted to cross it.
The classroom felt colder.
Not in temperature.
In feeling.
Jinzu took his seat.
The desk next to him was empty.
It hadn't been yesterday.
The teacher continued like nothing happened.
Writing on the board.
Explaining things no one was really listening to.
But even she—
Paused.
Just slightly.
When her eyes passed over him.
Jinzu looked down at his hands.
They were clean.
No green.
No shaking.
Nothing strange.
But the feeling was still there.
That weight.
That pressure sitting just under his skin.
Quiet.
Waiting.
"You're trying to act normal."
The voice came from behind him.
Calm.
Familiar.
Jinzu didn't turn right away.
"I am normal," he said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
"No," Senju replied. "You're not."
Jinzu turned slightly.
Senju stood near the back wall, arms relaxed at his sides, watching him the same way he had yesterday.
Not scared.
Not surprised.
Just… aware.
"They saw you," Senju continued. "Even if they don't understand it."
Jinzu looked forward again.
"…I didn't do anything."
Senju took a few steps closer.
"That's the problem," he said.
Silence filled the space between them.
Jinzu's fingers twitched again.
Small.
Almost unnoticeable.
But Senju saw it.
"You feel it right now, don't you?" he asked.
Jinzu didn't answer.
"You think staying still will stop it," Senju said.
Another step closer.
"But it doesn't work like that."
The pressure came back.
Stronger.
Faster.
Jinzu's vision blurred for a second.
Just a second.
But it was enough.
His breathing changed.
Shallow.
Uneven.
"…Stop talking," Jinzu muttered.
Senju stopped walking.
Not because he was scared.
But because he was watching.
Waiting.
"You're close," Senju said quietly.
Jinzu's chair scraped slightly as he stood up.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
The classroom went silent.
Every head turned.
The teacher stopped mid-sentence.
"Jinzu…?" she said carefully.
His ears rang.
The room didn't feel real anymore.
Too distant.
Too far away.
Like he was standing inside it—
But not fully there.
His hands clenched.
Tight.
Too tight.
For a split second—
He saw it.
Not the classroom.
Something else.
Something darker.
Something watching back.
"Sit down," the teacher said, her voice tighter now.
But Jinzu didn't hear it.
Not really.
Senju's voice cut through everything.
Low.
Clear.
"Leave," he said.
Jinzu blinked.
The pressure spiked—
Then dropped.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Without thinking—
Jinzu turned and walked out.
The hallway felt empty.
Too empty.
Each step echoed.
Louder than it should.
He didn't stop walking.
Didn't look back.
Didn't think.
He pushed the school doors open and stepped outside.
The air hit him—
Cool.
Sharp.
Real.
For a moment…
Everything went quiet.
Then—
That feeling again.
But different this time.
Not inside him.
Outside.
Jinzu slowly turned his head.
Toward the far edge of the playground.
Near the fence.
Something was there.
Not clear.
Not fully visible.
But wrong.
The space around it bent slightly.
Like the air didn't want to hold its shape.
Jinzu's chest tightened.
His body froze.
Behind him—
The door creaked open.
Footsteps.
Senju.
"You see it now," Senju said.
Not a question.
A statement.
Jinzu didn't move.
"…What is that?" he asked quietly.
Senju stepped beside him.
For the first time—
His expression changed.
Not fear.
But seriousness.
Deeper than before.
"That," Senju said,
"…is what you've been killing."
Silence.
The thing near the fence shifted.
Just slightly.
Like it noticed them.
Jinzu's fingers began to shake.
The pressure returned.
Faster.
Stronger.
"You're not ready," Senju said.
Jinzu didn't respond.
His vision started to blur again.
Edges fading.
Sound pulling away.
"But it's already here," Senju finished.
The thing moved.
Closer.
Jinzu's breath caught.
His body locked—
And just before everything went dark—
He heard Senju's voice one more time.
"If you black out now…"
A pause.
"…this time, you might not come back the same."
Black.