8 Love, Pain, Demon

This movie is stupid, it's about a tap dancing penguin, but what's more stupid is going on a date with a ghost. Well she's not just some ghost though, she's my childhood friend.

We're currently in the cinema, watching this movie about a penguin. Kaori's sitting beside me, completely engrossed by the film. There's almost no other audience other than us since this film is pretty old.

Dating a ghost can also have it's perks, I only paid for one ticket instead of two, that's one ramen saved.

"So who was this "someone" you were supposed to bring tonight?" She asked still facing the big screen.

"Oh yeah, she's a cat-girl."

My answer stole her attention, and she slowly turned her head towards me.

"What do you mean cat-girl?" she gives me a frown.

Despite everything that happened last night, I never told anyone about it, so to take this heavy feeling out my chest, I proceed to tell her everything that happened.

"You met a Goddess of Death?!" she exclaimed, her voice echoed throughout the room, but the handful of audience watching the movie didn't respond. It looks like I'm the only one who can hear her.

"Yes I met her."

"In all honesty, I didn't want any of this to happen. I don't want to go out at night sending souls to afterlife. I just want to finish school, and get a decent job. I don't want to live with a monster that can easily throw me out the window, I just want to live a normal life." before I knew it, I was mumbling every complaints that I've been having in my head. I don't usually open up my problems to other people because I don't want to drag them to my personal affairs, but maybe the stuff that transpired last night was purely insane that my body instinctively responded by getting it out of my system, or it's just Kaori's comforting aura and charisma that made me confess my true feeling.

I was so out of it that I didn't notice Kaori's teary eyes looking at me with sympathy.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." I look down.

She put a hand on my arm.

"It's going to be alright, Hayato. I'm gonna help you through this." she said in a soft voice.

She didn't had to say that just to comfort me, although I truly appreciate it, but having someone just listen to my problems made me feel lighter somehow. Her pressence was enough for me.

After watching three more old animated films, we decided to head back to school, where she said she'll be staying for a while.

The sound of our steps we're the only thing that can be heard as we walk side by side towards the front school gate.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at my place for a while? you might get lonely here." Being alone at the empty classrooms sounds pretty scary, at least for me.

"Stay at Hayato's place?" She looks away embarrassed, her cheeks blushing lightly.

"There's no way I can handle that, besides I'm not gonna be alone for a long time, you'll come to school tomorrow right? we can talk all day!" The thought of getting to hang out with Kaori every now and then sounds pretty good to me.

We we're chatting for a while, until a loud ringing from my jean's pocket interrupts us.

I snatched my phone from my pocket as it rings.

12:00 AM (Study Time)

I almost forgot, this is a set alarm.

Before this crazy things start barging into my life, I always studied at midnight, I don't know how but it's like all of my senses are enhanced when this time strikes, so I decided to take advantage of it.

I turned the alarm off, I was expecting everything to be quiet again, until another noise takes over, A loud screeching echoed throughout the whole surrounding, It was extremely loud that it might be close by, but it didn't took me long to figure out it was coming from Kaori who's currently kneeling on the ground clinching her chest with both her arms.

Regaining my senses. I rushed to her. "Kaori! What's wrong?!" I tried to reach for her until her screeching grew more louder to the extent that it didn't even sound like her voice anymore, the deafening screech continued to rise its volume as Kaori's arms both fell off separating themselves from her body, and through the holes Kaori's arms was supposed to be, a pair of inky black limbs reveals itself, length by length the limbs grew longer and then it stopped at almost six feet long. Both the ends of the limbs spread, forming five sharp claws for each limb, and planted them to the ground.

Before I knew it Kaori's body somehow turned into this dark colored ten foot monster, it had a humanoid shape but It's standing on four extremely long limbs and it's sharp claws are planted firmly on the ground, it's head features no eyes and ears, but a huge maw full of human teeth.

My heart started to beat faster, as the monster takes notice of my presence, It made another defeaning screech as it moves its frontal limbs and lunges forward with murderous intent, it's maw open wide baring the thousands of teeth inside.

Without thinking, I ran away as fast as possible from this dark abomination. My heart was beating so fast that I felt a sharp pain near my shoulder blades. I soon realized that it was the monster's claw digging into it stabbing my fragile body and letting out a spray of blood.

My own blood feels warm as it splatter on my face, but the warm feeling was conquered by this unbearable pain that's coming from the gaping wound the monster made.

I continued to stumble as I cover the wound with my hand. Even if it hurts like hell when I touched it, I still have to stop the wound from bleeding.

I felt my head spin, and my body felt heavier as seconds pass by. I finally fell to my knees as I felt my strenght leaving my body. I was expecting another claw to stab or slash my back, but the only thing I received was a loud sound when bone and flesh collides, and then follows a combine ear shattering crash of metal and glass, and a wailing car alarm.

Unable to control my curiosity, I slowly turn my head with every ounce of strenght I have left.

There she was, Hina's standing where the monster were supposed to be at earlier, and then I turn my sight where the sound of car alarm was coming from, and my eyes widen when I saw the monster stuck on the bent metals from the side of the car, It seems Hina somehow hit the monster so hard it crashed into that car.

"Hah! How does my Jujitsu kick taste?" Hina confidently puffs her chest. She's in her adult-form, suited for combat. The only thing bugging me aside from my wound is that she's nude again.