Ghosts of the Train

The lecture wrapped up and I was still trying to process the fact that Hina, the girl from the train, the girl I had a date with, was my fucking English professor. My mind was going a mile a minute, jumping from one question to the next. How was this going to work? Was it even allowed? I mean relationships in my past life were more scandalous than this, but this is a peaceful era. Did she remember me? She had to, right?

I was so lost in my own head that I barely noticed when Natsuo nudged me. "Dude, you okay? You've been staring into space for like five minutes."

I blinked, shaking myself out of my daze. Around us, students were packing up their stuff and filing out of the room. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Just... thinking about the homework."

Natsuo snorted. "Right. The homework. That's definitely what's got you looking like you've seen a ghost."

I forced a laugh, shoving my notebook into my backpack. "What can I say? Grammar is my greatest fear."

We took our time packing up, letting the crowd thin out. I kept sneaking glances at Hina, trying to catch her eye, to get some kind of sign that she recognized me, that she remembered our talk on the train, our almost-kiss outside her house.

But she was busy shuffling papers, answering questions from eager students. Every time I thought she might look my way, she'd turn in the opposite direction, like she was purposefully avoiding my gaze.

Natsuo was watching me, his eyebrows creeping higher and higher on his forehead. "Seriously, man, what's up?"

I opened my mouth, ready to spill the whole bizarre story. But then I caught myself. Hina was my professor. I couldn't go blabbing about our personal lives, especially not to some guy I'd just met, no matter how cool he seemed.

"It's nothing," I said, zipping up my backpack with a little more force than necessary. "Just a lot on my mind, you know?"

Natsuo didn't look convinced, but he let it drop. "If you say so."

We stood up, ready to head out. But I couldn't resist one last look at Hina. This time, for just a second, I thought I saw her glance back. A flash of those green eyes, a hint of... something. Recognition? Panic? I couldn't tell.

Then she was gathering up her things and striding out of the lecture hall, her heels clicking on the tile floor.

Natsuo shot me a look as we made our way to the door. "You sure there's nothing going on there? Because it kind of seems like-"

"It's fine," I said, cutting him off. "She just... reminds me of someone I used to know. That's all."

Natsuo held up his hands in surrender as we stepped out into the hallway. "Okay, okay. None of my business. Forget I asked." 

"Hey, you wanna grab some lunch?" Natsuo asked, breaking into my spiraling thoughts. "I'm starving."

Food. Right. That was a thing humans needed. "Sure," I said, trying to shake off the weirdness of the last hour. "Cafeteria?"

"Nah, man. I know a place off-campus. Best ramen you'll ever have."

Ramen did sound pretty good. And maybe some time away from the lecture hall, away from the ghost of Hina's presence, was exactly what I needed.

"Lead the way," I said, mustering up a grin. "I could destroy a bowl of ramen right now."

Natsuo laughed, clapping me on the shoulder as we made our way down the hall. "Now that's what I like to hear. Trust me, this place will change your life."

Natsuo was definitely right, this ramen place was a hole in the wall, the kind of spot you'd walk right by if you didn't know it was there. But as soon as we stepped inside, I knew Natsuo wasn't messing around. The smell hit me like a truck, all rich broth and sizzling pork.

"Damn," I said, inhaling deeply. "That smells amazing."

Natsuo grinned, leading the way to a small table in the corner. "Told you, man. This place is the real deal."

We ordered our bowls and settled in, the conversation flowing as easily as it had in class. Natsuo was a funny guy, with a quick wit and a knack for storytelling. He had me cracking up with tales of his high school misadventures, the time he accidentally set the chem lab on fire, the day he showed up to school in his pajamas.

But as we dug into our ramen (which, holy shit, was the best I'd had in either of my lives), the topic turned back to our English class. Back to Hina.

"So, what'd you think of Professor Tachibana?" Natsuo asked, slurping up a mouthful of noodles. "Pretty cool, right?"

I nearly choked on my broth. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, she seems great. Really... really knows her stuff."

Natsuo nodded, a weird look crossing his face. "She should. She's been teaching for years. Actually..." He paused, like he was debating whether to say more. "Can I tell you something? But you gotta promise not to spread it around."

I leaned in, curiosity getting the better of me. "Yeah, of course. What's up?"

Natsuo lowered his voice, glancing around like he was about to spill some state secret. "Hina... Professor Tachibana... she's kind of my sister. Step-sister, I mean."

I blinked. Once. Twice. "Your... sister?"

"Yeah. My dad married her mom a few months ago. It's still pretty new."

I sat back, trying to process this bombshell. Hina, my mystery train girl, my hot English professor... was Natsuo's step-sister? What were the fucking odds?

But Natsuo wasn't done. "She used to be my English teacher, too. Back in high school."

"Wait, what?"

Natsuo shrugged, but there was something in his tone, a hint of... I don't know. Something more than just brotherly affection. "Yeah. She was amazing. The way she taught, the way she connected with her students... I don't think I would've made it through high school without her."

I stared at him, a creeping suspicion forming in the back of my mind. The way Natsuo talked about Hina... it wasn't quite right. There was an intensity there, an undercurrent of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"You two must be pretty close, then," I said carefully, watching his reaction. "If she's been such a big part of your life."

Natsuo's face did something complicated, a flash of emotion he quickly tried to hide. "Yeah, you could say that. She's... she's really special to me."

There it was again. That hint of something more, something deeper than just familial bonds. I thought back to the way Hina had avoided my gaze in class, the tension in her shoulders when I'd tried to catch her eye.

Was there something going on here? Something between Hina and Natsuo that went beyond the normal step-sibling relationship?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I was being paranoid. Reading too much into things. Natsuo was just a guy who admired his sister, his former teacher. That's all it was.

"So, what's on the agenda for the rest of the day?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back to safer territory. "Got any big plans?"

Natsuo shrugged, his hands shoved in his pockets as we walked. "Not really. Probably just gonna hit the books, you know? Gotta keep those grades up."

I nodded, understanding the struggle. College was no joke, even for a reincarnated warrior like myself. "I feel you, man. The grind never stops."

"What about you?" Natsuo asked, glancing over at me. "Any exciting plans?"

I thought about my schedule, the carefully crafted routine I'd put together to maximize my training and my studies. "Well, I've got a date with the gym at 5. Gotta keep these guns in shape." I flexed my bicep, grinning when Natsuo rolled his eyes.

"But after that, I'm pretty much free. I try to keep my evenings open, you know? Give myself some time to unwind, maybe work on some personal projects."

Natsuo raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Personal projects, huh? Like what?"

I hesitated, not sure how much I wanted to share. My music, my acting... they were still new, still raw. I wasn't ready to put them out there for the world to judge. Not yet.

"Oh, you know. Just some hobbies I'm trying to get into. Nothing major."

Natsuo looked like he wanted to press for more details, but something in my expression must have warned him off. "That's cool, man. It's important to have something outside of school, you know? Something that's just for you."

I smiled, appreciating his understanding. "Yeah, definitely. Gotta keep that work-life balance, right?"

We walked in silence for a bit, the campus bustling around us. Students rushed by, clutching coffee cups and textbooks, their faces a mix of stress and determination.

"Hey, you wanna grab a drink sometime?" Natsuo asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable quiet. "There's this bar near campus that's pretty chill. They've got a great selection of craft beers."

I blinked, surprised by the offer. I hadn't had a lot of time for socializing in this new life, too focused on my training and my goals. But Natsuo was a cool guy, and the idea of a night out, a chance to unwind and maybe make a new friend... it was tempting.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds great. When were you thinking?"

Natsuo grinned, looking pleased. "How about Friday night? We can celebrate surviving another week of lectures and homework."

I laughed, the sound coming easier than it had in a long time. "I like the way you think, my friend. Friday it is."

(Hina POV)

I couldn't believe it. The guy from the train, the one with the voice like honey and the eyes that seemed to see right through me... he was my student. My student.

I paced my office, my heels clicking against the hardwood floor. This couldn't be happening. Not now, not after everything else that had gone down.

My mind flashed back to that night on the train, just a last night. I'd been a wreck, my heart shattered into a million pieces. Another fight with Shuu, another reminder that I was nothing more than his dirty little secret.

God, I was so stupid. Falling for a married man, believing his lies about leaving his wife, about starting a life with me. I was a cliché, a walking tabloid headline.

I'd gotten on that train with every intention of drinking myself into oblivion. I didn't care about the looks, the whispers. I just wanted to forget, to numb the pain that was clawing at my insides.

But then I heard it. That voice, that song. "Let the madness in the music get to you..."

I looked up, and there he was. Black hair, golden eyes. He was singing to himself, lost in the music, and for a moment, just a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

There was something about him, something magnetic. The way he moved, the way he smiled... it was like he had a secret, a story waiting to be told.

I don't know what possessed me to talk to him. Maybe it was the desperate need for a connection, for something real in the midst of all the lies and heartbreak.

But I did. I talked to him, and he talked back, and for a few brief, shining moments, I felt alive again. Like I could be more than just Shuu's mistress, more than just a walking cliché.

And then... then it all went to hell.

The guy from the train, the one bright spot in a sea of darkness, was sitting in my classroom. Looking at me with those golden eyes.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to run, to hide, to disappear into the earth and never come out again.

But I couldn't. I was a teacher, a professional. I had a job to do, a role to play.

So I took a deep breath, I squared my shoulders, and I walked out of my office. I had a class to teach, students to guide. I couldn't let my personal life, my personal mistakes, get in the way of that.

But I knew it wasn't going to be that easy.

Nothing ever was.