Matching shoes

Chizuki gets up from her bed at midnight, grabs the keys hidden in the drawer, and quietly goes out, leaving her room and the camera behind.

She returns at 6 am with two bags and places one of the bags and her keys back in the drawer. She leaves the other bag by the bed.

Chizuki writes in her diary, capturing the events of the night. Afterward, she goes back to sleep.

---

"No new injuries," I check as soon as I wake up, finding a momentary relief in the absence of any physical harm.

The room appears to be about the same as before. I decide to check the camera to see if anything unusual happened during the night, eager to uncover any potential clues or mysteries.

"Huh," There's nothing on the camera. Did I forget to turn it on?

I'm sure I pressed the record button, but there's nothing on the camera. Did I really forget to turn it on? I decide to double-check by recording for a few seconds, and it works just fine, saving the video as expected. It's strange that it didn't work.

It's as if someone deleted it on purpose.

As I thought about what to do next, my eye caught the attention of a shopping bag by the bedside.

It appears that something did happen during the night, as evidenced by the shopping bag, but frustratingly, I couldn't record it.

I decide to see what it might mean this time and open the shopping bag, revealing a red coat inside.

I recall that I did ask for a coat yesterday. Now that I remember, I also asked for a mansion, but I guess it depends on what you ask for. A whole mansion would indeed be too much, even for a ghost, I suppose. It fulfills requests selectively.

"Did you have to get it in red, though? It's very attention-grabbing, which I don't like. But I have to admit, it does look pretty on me, as if you knew. And the size fits perfectly too," I say out loud, addressing the mysterious entity, as I put the coat on.

I can't help but wonder how much the coat is worth. Coats can often be quite expensive.

However, when I check the price tag, it's been removed.

"I can look it up on my phone too, you know," I reach for my phone to do just that.

I search for the coat online and discover that it's appearing on foreign websites with a price of $20,000 USD. The value of this coat far exceeds my expectations.

$20,000 USD is equivalent to 2,984,500 Japanese yen. There are six zeros after the 2 in this yen amount.

"Two million nine hundred eighty-four thousand five hundred yen"

I can't help but express my thoughts out loud, saying, "You should have just given me the cash in hand. I could do so much with this amount. Can I sell this coat online?" The idea of selling the valuable coat crosses my mind.

"This coat is mine, and I can do whatever I want with it," I affirm to myself. Feeling empowered by my newfound possession, I take a picture of the coat and put it up for sale online.

Feeling the need to share the latest developments with Ayumi, I message her about the situation to let her know that nothing unusual happened during the night, apart from the mysterious appearance of the valuable coat.

Considering that the camera recording didn't capture any unusual events, I contemplate using a voice recorder as an alternative. Perhaps that might work.

I spend the rest of the day studying as usual, sticking to my routine until it's time for me to sleep once again.

Deciding not to hide the voice recorder this time, I place it openly on my desk, ready to capture any sounds or voices that may occur during the night. It's another attempt.

---

I open my eyes in anticipation, relieved to find that I'm not injured and that there are no new changes in the room. I reach for the voice recorder on the desk, eager to listen and see if it has captured anything.

I listen intently to the recorder playing, picking up on the following sounds:

1. "Clinking" - the sound of keys.

2. The sound of a drawer opening.

3. Various other sounds that are hard to decipher.

"It's not very helpful but I got something"

I sended the voice recording to Ayumi and after listening to it she calls me.

Ayumi's concerned voice on the other end of the call sends shivers down my spine. "Chizuki, this is so creepy. Something is definitely in your room with you. I don't think you should stay alone."

I knew something was strange but I didn't take it seriously until now.

"Can I sleep at your place for a few days?" I ask Ayumi, feeling uneasy about staying alone in my room after the unsettling sounds captured by the voice recorder.

"Come over right now. Actually, I can't let you stay alone anymore," Ayumi responds with urgency in her voice.

"I'm coming. Just give me an hour to get ready and pack some stuff," I assure Ayumi, grateful for her support and understanding in this unsettling situation.

"Should I come to get you? I'll help you pack too," Ayumi offers.

"No, just wait for me. I'm coming," I reply, appreciating Ayumi's concern.

---

The next day at school, lunchtime.

"Has anyone shown interest in buying the coat?" Ayumi inquires.

"I almost forgot, I'll check right now,"

"Huh, where did my post go?" The one about the coat is missing?

"What's wrong? The post got deleted?" Ayumi asks, curious about the sudden disappearance of the online listing for the coat.

I explain the situation, leaving both of us puzzled.

"I'm sure I didn't delete it by accident. It was there, and then it just disappeared," I reply, emphasizing my certainty that something strange is happening.

"Well, it looks like the ghost got to your phone too. No one is safe; technology is taking over," Ayumi remarks with a hint of humor, trying to lighten the mood despite the eerie circumstances.

"Umm, excuse me?" A group of girls approaches us, interrupting our conversation.

"Are you really dating Akiyama-kun?" The girl asks me, causing me to almost spit out my food in surprise.

"What? No, I'm not," I quickly clarify, surprised by the unexpected question.

"But the whole school is talking about it. You guys walk together and even wear matching shoes together," another girl in the group chimes in, eyeing my shoes, which are indeed the same as Eito's. The situation becomes increasingly awkward as they discuss the rumors circulating about me and Eito.

I shoot an annoyed glare at Eito, who's casually wearing the same shoes and enjoying his lunch, clearly unfazed by the rumors and the attention they're attracting.

"Actually, go ask Akiyama-kun. He told me not to say anything until he says it first," I respond, attempting to shift the focus away from the me.

The group of girls shifts their attention to Eito, likely asking him the same questions they posed to me about our supposed relationship. I watch with curiosity, wondering how he'll respond to their questions.

Eito gets up and starts walking towards us.

"Ayumi, help me. I think Eito's really mad," I whisper to Ayumi, feeling a sense of unease about the situation as Eito approaches us.

Ayumi nods in response.

"Chizuki, meet me on the rooftop now," Eito demands before heading up without waiting for a response.

I exchange a worried glance with Ayumi before making my way to meet him, wondering what has him so agitated.

"Should I come with you?" Ayumi asks, but I know she might get confrontational with Eito again because of me, so I decide to go alone.

---

Chizuki pulls up her hood, securing the laces until her hair is completely concealed. She then makes her way up to the rooftop, prepared for the confrontation with Eito.

"Took you forever to get here," Eito remarks in an annoyed tone as Chizuki arrives on the rooftop.

"What's the matter? Don't beat around the bush," Chizuki replies, her annoyance evident in her tone as well.

"The rumors, I know you heard them, but why didn't you deny them and push it onto me instead?" Eito questions, his frustration evident.

"They started because of you. Who told you to wear the same shoes too? I know I got them for you, but I started wearing them first. Do you like me or something?" Chizuki responds, her irritation clear as she confronts Eito about their matching shoes and the rumors.

"What? Me like you? Not even if you were the only one left in this world," Eito retorts, emphatically denying any romantic interest in Chizuki.

"Oh really? Then return me the shoes I gave you right now," Chizuki demands, her frustration reaching a breaking point.

"I'll return them tomorrow since I am wearing them right now," Eito responds, his tone suggesting that he has no intention of doing so immediately.

"Return them right now!" Chizuki insists, her patience running thin.

"Fine, have it your way. You're finally showing your true colors now," Eito retorts, taking off the shoes in response to Chizuki's demand.

Chizuki, overcome with frustration, seizes the shoes and hurls them into the sky from the rooftop. They soar so far away that they become indistinguishable, disappearing from view completely.

"What are you doing? Have you gone crazy?!" Eito shouts, frantically attempting to keep his eyes on the shoes disappeared into the distance in the sky.

"I actually wanted to burn them, but I don't have anything on me to start a fire right now," Chizuki admits, her frustration still palpable.

Eito looks at Chizuki in shock, not a single word leaving his mouth.

"Wow, imagine if that lands on someone's head, rest in peace," Ayumi chimes in from behind Chizuki, her tone a mix of amusement and disbelief at the dramatic turn of events.

"What are you doing here?" I ask Ayumi, curious about her sudden appearance on the rooftop.

"It's not just me; everyone is here," Ayumi points at the door, where a crowd has gathered, all of them looking at Chizuki and Eito. However, as soon as their eyes meet Chizuki's, they quickly retreat and run back downstairs.

"Why was everyone watching us?"I question, puzzled by the crowd's sudden interest in my rooftop confrontation.

"You did great, Chizuki. I'm proud of you, although they would've been really expensive. It's alright," Ayumi reassures her friend, offering support and understanding after the dramatic shoe-tossing incident.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, confused by Ayumi's comment, unsure of what she means.

"Eito!" Jun shouts as he rushes up to the rooftop, concern etched across his face. He heads directly for Eito, who appears quite shaken by the recent events.

"Look alive, Akiyama. Your knight in shining armor came to save you," Ayumi teases Eito.

"I heard what happened from everyone, Eito. Let's go; I'll find you some spare shoes," Jun says as he pulls Eito with him downstairs, but where did his shoes go?

"Chizuki. Class is about to start," Ayumi reminds me.

"Let's go," I wonder why Eito just left without saying anything.

After the rooftop incident, I couldn't focus on my classes, my mind consumed by thoughts about Eito. He had been the one to call me upstairs but left without saying anything, and I couldn't help but wonder about his shoes. Did he hate the idea of us dating so much that he decided to walk barefoot instead of wearing matching shoes with me?

The mere rumor had made Eito so angry; I couldn't help but wonder what his reaction would be if I were to confess my feelings to him. It was clear that he didn't take the idea of us dating well. I decide that I'll never tell him that I like him.