The school day was over, people filed out of class thrumming with excitement, Hiro watched them leave knowing he had a task to do. The group of boys that picked fun at him, a group of five each made a point to kick his chair before leaving, as the last one was about to. Hiro shot a frigid glare at the boy and he flinched.

He walked past without doing a thing but went to the front of the class, picked up the trash bin that sat at the corner and he proceeded to fling trash all over the floor in retaliation.

Pathetic, Hiro thought to himself.

Once everyone had left, he placed all the chairs on the desk, and started to sweep the floor. It was getting dark outside.

Someone came into the class suddenly, half expecting a spirit he whipped in the direction of the door, his eyes focused on the door. It was Yukimura Maya. He let out a sigh of relief and then just stood there awkwardly.

“Tanaka san, I wanted to ask you something.” Yuki said in that soft voice of hers.

Hiro remembered how he had looked on the bridge that day, he was embarrassed about acting that way in front of her.

 Yuki was the nicest girl in school, she was beautiful and friendly. Hiro couldn’t understand why she would put her reputation at risk by asking him to walk her home but still he couldn’t lie it made him happy.

And now she was in front of him again, he thought after last time she wouldn’t speak to him.

“What is it?” Hiro replied picking up the broom, which came out more uninterested than he had intended, and it was probably for the best.

Yuki rubbed her hands together looking very uncomfortable, “Can see dead people?”

Hiro stopped sweeping, “What are you talking about?”

It was a secret, the only person apart from himself that knew this was his aunt. He’d been trying so hard to make sure everyone thought he was normal, she couldn’t possibly know anything, they barely knew each other.

“The way you acted on the bridge. I get a really bad feeling whenever I use that bridge, and so I thought that could be a better reason than you just being mean.” she said the last part quietly.

He squinted at that. Hiro sighed, “Are you a kid? ghosts aren’t real, I just thought I saw a rat and it turns out I was wrong.”

“So you were trying to protect me?”

“I, what?” Hiro asked

“I was so scared that day, but when I thought about it, you don’t seem like someone who’d do that.” She replied putting her bag on the teacher's desk.

“Why? because I'm the school punching bag?” Hiro replied offhandedly.

“Exactly!” Yuki shouted cheerfully, adding a clap of her hands to her response.

Hiro turned back to look at her in awe and she smiled knowingly at him, “You sound a little too happy about that.” And Yuki laughed.

She rolled up her white sleeves to her elbows, while sticking out her tongue in concentration, and tied her jersey around her waist.

“So as an act of goodwill, I'll help you clean the class. Two pairs of hands are better than one right?”

Hiro remained in a stunned silence until he spoke again this time in a sombre tone, “Are you sure you want to help me?”

Yuki looked up at him smiling and nodded, “Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“Most people don’t.”

Yuki hummed, taking the broom from Hiro’s hands and said seriously, “I noticed.” Then she laughed and started to sweep quickly.

Hiro came back to himself and pulled the broom from her hands, “You don’t have to help me.”

Maya pulled it back, “I want to, and I will.”

Hiro was ready with a response on his lips when she quickly added, “Plus we have to walk home together. All my friends who go that way can’t today,  it’s dark, and I refuse to cross that bridge alone.” 

Hiro relented and let the broom go.

He went to find the mop and then got to cleaning, they laughed and chatted about random things that popped up and they finished the cleaning in no time.

They left school and walked home together, they were approaching the bridge and Yuki visibly lost colour in her face. Hiro noticed, blinking at her patiently.

His thoughts trailed to Shizuko, would he see her there, he had been distracted the whole day with images of her frail form flickering in and out of sight.

Hiro jumped at the feeling of a warm hand holding his. Yuki had taken his hand without him noticing, she must have been afraid, yet he couldn’t stop the burning sensation that spread across his face.

“Tanaka san, just until we cross the bridge, please.” She pleaded, visibly shaken to a point that Hiro felt protective of her.

They walked hand in hand across the bridge. He looked over to the side in search of Shizuko but couldn’t turn as far as he would have liked since Yuki was holding him and he didn’t want to scare her like last time. 

Unbeknownst to him, Shizuko was on the other side of the bridge watching him walk hand in hand with Yuki, she was weak and hence barely visible but the most evident feeling she experienced in that moment was a pit forming in her stomach. What was this feeling? Shizuko turned away, this time opting to sit on the side of the rails, her legs folded to her chest and she closed her eyes to rest some more.

Tenshi sama looked at her pityingly then sat quietly next to her.

“Shizuko!” Hiro shouted for her.

She hadn’t noticed how long she had been seated like that, she watched as Hiro ran towards her, and she unconsciously braced herself.

There was a storm of petulance brewing within her that made her turn away from him as he approached. She hid her face in Tenshi sama’s shoulder.

“Shizuko?” He had gotten closer but she still refused to respond.

“Are you angry with me? I’m really sorry for doing this to you.”

“What? Sorry?! YOU THREW ME AT A BEAST THAT ALMOST EXORCISED ME!!! AND YOU’RE SORRY?!!” Shizuko sprung up her translucent form wavering, but her stance was like that of a disgruntled chihuahua barking at a much bigger dog.

“Yes, I'm aware, and it’s all my fault. I want to make it up to you.” Hiro said with an honest piercing gaze, Shizuko wanted to scratch his stupid face.

Then she made up her mind, and said “You will help me move on. From now on your pitiful life will be dedicated to making sure I cross over.”

“If I refuse?” Hiro asked. 

“I will haunt your little girlfriend every time she tries to cross this bridge. I will convince every spirit on this bridge to do the same until she cannot mentally take it anymore.” Shizuko said, spitting fire with every word she said, not pausing for a second between her words.

Shizuko seethed and Hiro furrowed his brow in irritation. “Fine,” He said back to her, “I’ll help you. But, try not to disappear won’t you?” 

When he said this Shizuko looked at her hands, they were; pale and fragile, and almost fading, even less visible than before. She was so afraid because the place she had gone to the time she had passed out was pure darkness, pure nothingness and it terrified her; she didn’t want to disappear into a conscious state of oblivion.

Hiro left with those final words.

 Meanwhile, Tenshi was being held back by a couple of spirits on the bridge lunging at Hiro’s retreating form.