Death rates.

"Gavin Blues."

"Present, Sir."

"Ming Kitano."

"Here."

"Lily Blanchet... Lily Blanchet?"

The homeroom teacher for the tenth-grade students in class two peered up from the register.

"Where did Lily go?"

***

Nicholas blinked. He couldn't believe that the blonde kid could really see him, it only made him tighten his grip around his arm even more.

"Let him go, Nic! Lunch break is already over, if you keep him here any longer we're going to be extremely late for the next period."

Lily checked her watch almost every second. She could have just dragged Beckham out of Nicholas's hold but touching him would spell an earlier death sentence. She normally wore

"Lily, who is he?"

She avoided his questioning gaze and looked directly at Nicholas.

"Nico, we can figure this out later right now we have a class so let him go, okay?"

She finally stopped ordering him like some indentured servant forced to live under her roof until he finds out what she is. She spoke softly and Nicholas finally let go. The little twerp could actually ask politely? Well, that's a first.

But this boy Beckham...they should be cautious around him and watch him more closely. How come he could see Nico? And then the shocking part is his death rate is zero.

Nicholas is a simple-minded guy who takes rational decisions. It's always the head before the heart in terms of his decision making so the possibility of him doing something completely stupid due to the common word 'feeling' is next to impossible.

Following Lily Blanchet around today, he'd only noticed three things so far. One; everyone thinks she's a weirdo for covering up every part of her body that gets exposed by her uniform. Apparently, it's not any kind of touch that kills you but direct skin-on-skin contact.

Two; she's easily one of the prettiest girls in her grade but with so many rumors circulating about her being a rich heiress who heartlessly disowned her family members, not many guys with obvious interests approached her. And that's good, the less approachable she looks the less she'll have to worry about being touched or hugged.

Three; she has no friends, and she didn't have a seatmate either. At least that was what he thought during all the periods until it was time for the lunch break. This lean boy with a spiky haircut was the only one who came to sit with her. Nicholas wondered why. Did he also have a crush on her or he wanted to be her friend but she's been pushing him away due to her unnamed ability? Everything at the table of three still went fine after that until Nicholas stood up to go out for a smoke and...

"Are you old enough to smoke? And besides, we are not allowed to smoke within the school premises."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow at him. Beckham was referring to him like he was a new student ignorant of the school rules and regulations. Some of them right now may be of the age where it's legal to finally use these things but the school prohibits such actions within its surroundings.

Nicholas glanced at Lily with his mouth agape. Lily glanced back with equal shock. Nicholas had escorted her everywhere today, expect of course, the bathroom and no one has been able to see him. So why is it that this boy could see him?

"Huh?"

"Lily, isn't he a friend of yours? You should brief him on the rules so he doesn't get caught."

He talked so naturally because he was a social person and knew everyone in their grade, for him not to recognize Nicholas only means that he's a new student and thus, he's oblivious to a few general things around here. He finally noticed how both of them looked fixedly at him with stunned faces.

"You can...see me?"

"Huh? Of course, I can. What's your question supposed to mean? Haha, do you think you're invisible or something..."

He stopped his awkward laughter when Lily nodded to the supposedly rhetorical question he asked.

"How is it possible...wait... what are you? Are you really human?"

Nicholas asked still taking note that his death rate was still zero. Beckham was taken aback by the question. He looked around, no one seemed to take note of the only guy in the cafeteria with casual clothes and not the school uniform. Was he serious? Could people not see him? And if they really couldn't see him, how were he and Lily able to see him?

He turned to face her.

"Then how can you see him, Lily?"

Lily flinched making Beckham even more suspicious. He's never been suspicious of her existence before but the day she brings the reaper boy to school, he's almost given her identity away. She glared at Nicholas and he raised an eyebrow at her, puzzled by her action.

"I... er...um."

Nicholas shrugged and went out with his e-cigarette. Beckham hurried after him.

"Hey! You still haven't answered my question."

When Nicholas had successfully diverted him to a secluded area, he got hold of him and refused to let him go. This brings us back to where we are now.

"Nico, we have to go right now. Loitering can earn us after-school detention."

Lily kept peering around the wall to make sure no teacher approached their hiding spot.

"But I can't question him like this when you're in class, they'll think he's crazy or something."

Nicholas held his ground, his arm didn't budge at all from Beckham's lapels.

"He's a model student, it'll even be more suspicious if he's absent."

Nicholas glanced at her after her retort. She had a point but what if he ran away afterwards, he doubted he'll be given such a great opportunity like this again. He sighed and let go of the high school kid.

"I'll come back and tell you what I am on one condition."

Lily and Nicholas exchanged glances.

"I want Lily to say yes to the date she's been declining with me."