④

No Escape________________

So these are the Negative Girls, huh.

First, there's Shizuka, who looks like an ice goddess but behaves more like a mischievous imp. She's bad at math, flirts shamelessly, and I still don't know her last name. Sohee never pressed for it, which makes me wonder. Then there's Mei Luis, delicate and sweet, with a fragility that makes you want to protect her. Her androphobia seems out of place, but Sohee assures me she's getting better.

Next, we have Carrie Alter, the gamer girl with the temperament of a little dragon. Her mood swings are as unpredictable as the games she plays. Finally, there's Claire, who introduced herself with a single word before vanishing, claiming she needed the "toilet." Rumor has it she's the daughter of a crime syndicate. Looking at these girls, I can't help but ask myself—why am I even here?

Tutoring these girls was never my idea. I'm just going through the motions, trying to make sense of what happened to me. I woke up in someone else's body—how does that even work? Soul swap? Am I filling a soulless vessel? Or maybe this is all a bad dream. But it's fine now. I've stopped caring. Things happen, and that's as good an explanation as any.

Sohee claps her hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Right, the introductions are over. We can move to the recognition session."

All eyes are on me. Recognition session? What's that supposed to be? Do they have a procedure for quitting as a tutor?

"Sunbae?" Sohee's voice pulls me back to reality. Her eyes are filled with confusion.

I scratch my head, pretending to care. "What's the recognition session?"

She leans in, her breath warm against my ear. "Sunbae has to decide whether or not to accept them as students. It's school policy."

Her eyes meet mine, expectant, as she pulls back. This recognition session could be my ticket out. I take a deep breath, steadying myself.

"Right," I begin, choosing my words carefully. "I think you're all great," I say, watching as hope flickers in their eyes, "but I refuse."

Sohee blinks, her mind catching up to my words. "Sun—Sunbae? That's not what you're supposed to say. It should be—"

I pat her head, feeling the soft strands of her hair against my palm. Her eyes widen in surprise. She's almost tempting enough to make me stay, but my decision is final. I didn't choose this life, and I'm not about to start now. "No, Sohee," I say, "that's what I want to say."

I stand up, feeling the cool air on my skin as I prepare to leave. The room falls into an uneasy silence. Mei looks relieved, Shizuka gives me a thumbs up, and Carrie's face brightens. I'm glad, too. If I stuck around pretending to be a tutor, it wouldn't be long before they figured out I'm a fraud.

As I leave, Sohee's voice follows me, pleading for an explanation. I ignore her, stepping out into the hallway.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The evening warmth washes over me as I stand outside the school gates. The world feels strangely empty, as if everyone has disappeared. Maybe it's just me. I'm tired. This body, this life—it's all heavier than my own. Why am I here? Am I supposed to take responsibility for this? 

No. I just want to rest. Eternal sleep sounds like the greatest reward—no thoughts, no sensations, just nothingness. As I consider where to find the nearest rooftop, a voice stops me.

"Where are you going?"

I look around, confused, until I spot a girl in a light brown middle-school uniform. Her eyes are a blank white, unsettlingly so.

"I don't know," I reply, humoring her. "I don't belong in this world, so I'm going to end myself."

I expect her to be shocked, but instead, she says, "That's not why I brought you here."

What is this girl talking about?

"You belong to this world now," she continues, looking up at me with those eerie eyes.

"Where are your parents?" I ask, more out of habit than concern.

"I have no parents," she replies, her voice devoid of emotion. "I've existed since the beginning of time, watching the world as it turns. I know you, and you know me."

Great. A chuunibyou kid. Just what I needed.

Before I can react, I feel a pair of arms wrap around me from behind, pressing soft, warm flesh against my back. A woman's voice whispers in my ear, "You shouldn't leave the girls."

I know this voice. She's the one who dragged me out of death's grip before, just with a nurse outfit this time. I don't struggle as she turns me around. Her eyes are dark, with no pupils, and her lips are a transparent, crystalline blue.

It hits me—these two are not human.

"I am Life," the girl says.

"And I am Death," the woman adds.

"I am her, and she is me. I am responsible for everything that's happened to you since you died," they say in unison.

Life continues, "It's been less than a day, and you've already failed."

Death's voice is sharp, "This is not how it's supposed to end."

"If you keep going, no one will be saved," their voices echo in my mind.

"Now, you're going back," Life says. "It'll be quick and painless. If you need help, go to the school infirmary."

The nurse—Death—leans in, her mouth opening wide to reveal sharp, white teeth. She kisses me, and I feel her cold tongue push into my mouth. It's a disturbing mixture of pleasure and pain, the metallic taste of blood flooding my senses. I'm paralyzed, unable to resist.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my chest. I look down to see a knife embedded in me, driven in by a small hand. My heart burns, but the icy kiss numbs the pain until my vision fades to black.

____________________________________________________________

When I come to, I'm holding the door handle of the room I just left. Sohee asks if I'm okay, but I can only think of one thing.

Sometimes, things just fucking happen.