Chapter Text
The alarms blared throughout the factory. Movement abound as the workers dressed in black shot at the escapee. A young man with a blue hoodie and yellow pants dodged the shots, pushing open a door. He nearly fell over a ledge before looking around. He was standing on a floating walkway, with doors everywhere.
"Isn't this...?" He peered around, before looking over the edge for a better look. Another one of the black workers shot at him, and he had to jump back to avoid getting hit. He barely dodged the next shot from a soldier above, as he fell off the walkway onto a door. Before he could recover, the door beneath him pushed open and he fell through. The workers tried to reach for it, to continue their pursuit.
"So he got out, hm?"
Stepping out onto the stairs was a young woman with blue hair and piercing yellow eyes. She was dressed in a blue kimono with a red robe over it.
Good for him. She smiled. "You may go back to work, now. I'll inform Lango about this development."
She glanced back at the door the young man fell through.
Shoma... I wonder if I'll ever meet you again.
In the early hours of the morning, a boy was walking on the beach. He was picking up shells before he noticed something by the waves.
Was that a person? He was wearing a blue hoodie
Curious, he poked at him with a stick. "Is he dead? Hmm, would the police or an ambulance be better...?"
The boy took a step back as the young man's stomach grumbled. Coming to, he looked up at the boy. "Do you... have anything I could eat...?"
"...he's alive?" The boy was surprised.
Unbeknownst to either, something swam by them in the ocean. It paused for a moment, before slinking away.
Elsewhere during these early hours, a phone alarm beeped. A hand reached out to stop the sound. Sitting up in bed, the exhausted girl blinked. She pushed back the curtain, looking out at the sea.
Another day alive.
She heard a blip, as she picked up her phone. Several texts from her aunt, saying she wouldn't be able to come this year. She simply texted in response that it'd be fine.
Another text, this time from Miko. Sorry! Running late today. Head to school without me! Be careful! For real! I'm soooo sorry, Hinako!
Several emojis after each text showed just how sorry she was.
Hinako dropped her phone in her lap, sighing. She looked up at a framed photo, seeing her parents and brother from years back.
"Don't wanna go..."
"Let's see... the address is..."
A young man with brown hair and a leather coat walked down the street as he riffled through a notebook. He was careful to avoid anyone running by. While most people would either be headed to school, their jobs, or even taking the day off to enjoy the weather, he was on an investigation.
"Chief said he was gonna meet up with me there, I better not be late..."
As he stepped onto a bridge, he noticed that a girl was standing on it, looking out at the ocean. One he recognized.
"Hinako?"
She turned at the voice. "Oh, good morning Hanto."
"Morning to you as well." He smiled. "On the way to school?"
"I was," Hinako said. "Are you on the job right now?"
"Yup," Hanto said. "Chief put me on another case. He's working me to the bone."
Glancing down, Hinako saw a sketch peeking out of his notebook. "Are you still looking for the monster?"
"You know me," Hanto chuckled, putting his notes away as he slipped on a pair of sunglasses. "It's what drives me forward. Be careful on the way to school, alright? I'll tell the Chief hi."
"Alright. Goodbye, Hanto."
She watched as he walked away. Thinking back, she remembered how Hanto had been her brother's best friend.
Come on! We can't have a slow monster-hunter, Hanto!
Not fair, Mutsuki! You're gonna leave Hinako behind!
Those better times felt muted. Dull. She looked back towards the ocean. I hate summer. The sad things. The painful things. It brings them all fresh to mind. I wish summer would just be over already.
He depressive thoughts were interrupted with bubbling. Looking down into the water, she saw it was frothing in the center of the river. She wondered if it was boiling due to the sun, but something dark was swimming underneath.
Is there something in the water? She leaned closer. Seems to big for a fish, though.
A hand grabbed her wrist. "That's not safe."
She whipped around, coming face-to-face with a girl her age. The sudden grab confused her, but she was entranced by her appearance. Long blue hair and a white dress, but what got Hinako's attention the most...
Her eyes... so deep and clear...like the sea...
"It's fine to gaze at the sea, but it's not safe to lean over like that," the girl warned.
"Ah... I... I wasn't going to fall in," Hinako said. "Don't worry."
"I apologize, then." The girl let go.
Hinako pulled her hand away. Strange girl...
"For a moment, I thought you were planning to throw yourself in."
Her hair shadowed her eyes as Hinako gripped her bag. She turned and continued to walk towards school. Pausing briefly, she glanced back. "I don't know who you are, but please don't be rude."
"I didn't mean to offend. So sorry," the girl apologized, walking Hinako leave. "Do take care."
As Hinako continued her walk to school, she noticed yellow police tape put up on a road nearby. She saw a van had suffered from a crash, the front almost completely caved in. The drivers were a bit disoriented, but talking to emergency services.
She shook her head, trying to push down the horrific memories in her mind as she continued on her way to class.
"I'm telling you, our van got smashed by running into a really strong guy! And he was fine!"
This is the place, huh? Hanto walked by the apartment complex, seeing a woman throwing out some garbage. Taking off his sunglasses, he went up to her. "Excuse me, madam!"
The woman turned, not expecting anyone this early in the morning.
"Hi, you're Keiko Shirakabe, correct?" Hanto asked.
"Who are you?"
"I'm a freelance writer. The name's Karakida," Hanto handed her a business card. "Miss Shirakabe, your husband went missing half a year ago-"
"Did you find him?!" she asked.
"Uh... No, this is about something else." Hanto pulled out a piece of paper. "Did you happen to see something like this before and after he disappeared?"
He held up the sketch of the monster.
"Like a monster, so to speak." He gestured at the paper.
"I've had enough of this stupidity!" she shouted, as she walked back in her house. Sighing, Hanto looked at his sketch. Maybe it wasn't detailed enough?
"Hanto." An older man with glasses walked up.
"Oh, Chief!"
"You gotta learn how to ask stuff better," his mentor, Soji Shioya said. "Monsters are just fiction to most normal people."
"Sorry... bad habit," Hanto apologized as he folded up the sketch.
"Whatever," Soji shrugged, knowing his protege's main goal. "Did you catch that glare of hers, though? This clearly has nothing to do with monsters or going missing."
"Then what is it?" Hanto asked.
"It's murder," Soji said, fixing his belt.
"You mean she killed him-?!" Soji hit Hanto on the shoulder, shushing him. Recollecting himself, Hanto was amazed at his mentor. "You're something else."
"Get us our scoop. Go!" Soji gestured.
Hanto chuckled as he readied himself for the investigation. "Alright. Let's get to work! Hinako'll get a thrill out of this one!"
"I told you to stop telling her about our cases!" Soji chided, though he didn't sound too upset.
"Hinako! Good morning!"
A red haired girl had her hands clasped in apology as she greeted her friend.
"Good morning, Miko." Hinako smiled.
"I'm totally sorry I couldn't walk with you!" Miko apologized.
"What happened? Did you sleep in?" Hinako asked.
"I was packing my lunch this morning and I realized I was out of snacks. So I had to make a mad dash for the store on the other side of town to see if they still had them since the ones I grab are so rare," Miko explained, before coughing briefly.
"You still have that cold?" Hinako asked, concerned. "Should you really be running around?"
"Nah, I'm fine!" Miko assured her before slamming her desk. "But let's not talk about me! Were you okay by yourself this morning?! You weren't accosted by street weirdos?"
"Miko, I'm not a little kid," Hinako said. "I did run into Hanto on the walk here, though."
"Ahh, really?" Miko said before pretending to look through a magnifying glass and taking notes. "Looking for clues and solving mysteries? Maybe get that scoop and find a monster?"
Hinako chuckled. "You know he gets mad when you make fun of him like that."
"Which is why this is a secret between us!" Miko grinned, though she did nervously laugh. Hanto's intensity at times scared her.
"Morning," a classmate greeted Miko.
"Miko, you're still doing this?" Another girl asked.
"Morning," Hinako greeted.
"You're so protective of Hinako," the girl said.
"Well, c'mon! She's always getting herself into trouble, so I worry!" Miko said. "I mean, you do remember what happened that one time when she asked Hapipare and Sachika didn't know how to react."
One of the girls chuckled. "That girl knows how to handle Hanto, but she's even more careful around Hinako than you are."
"Hey, that's not true at all!" Miko said. "I care about her way more!"
Though Hinako was acting as if she was part of the conversation, she had completely tuned out. Everything felt muted, as though she was hearing everything through water...
"Hinako... Hinako! Hinako! Hinako!" Miko's voice brought her back to reality. "What's the matter?"
"...Nothing." Hinako put on a smile as class begun.
The rest of the day was a blur. Hinako was unable to really process anything as she spaced out. It wasn't long until the last bell rung. All the other students were eagerly discussing plans for after class.
"Did you see Kusao Frida's video?"
"I totally did! Hilarious, right?"
"We've got sectionals today, right?"
"I hope I can keep up!"
"Did you hear? Something crazy happened in the city!"
"People were saying it was a monster!"
"Aw crap, I'm late!"
"Hey, wait up!"
Hinako looked at her phone. Hanto had sent her a text.
There's some weird stuff happening in the city. You should head home as soon as you can. I'll let you know if anything else pops up.
She tilted her head. The other students were talking about something going on in the city. Was this what they were talking about?
"Hinako!" Miko called, catching up to her at the shoe lockers. "Can we stop by Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama on the way back? And Cous Coussier! They've got some new pastries!"
"Sure thing," Hinako said.
"Miko!" A girl with brown hair ran up. "Thank goodness! I thought you'd left already!"
"Hm? What's up?" Miko asked.
"Mrs. Takano made worksheets for the classes you missed, and she wants you to come back and do them," she said.
"Ehhh?!" Miko paled. "B-But I was about to head out with Hinako..."
"And Mr. Yamashita wants you to come by the guidance office after you're done with the worksheets."
"Wha-?!" The colour was draining from Miko's face as she turned to her friend. "H-Hinako..."
Hinako sweatdropped. "Miko..."
"I don't wanna go!" Miko whined as she grasped Hinako's hands for comfort. "I hate worksheets! And I just know Yamashita's gonna chew me out!"
"It'll only get worse if you don't go," Hinako reminded her. "I'll wait nearby until you finish. Alright?"
Miko let go, raising a fist skyward. "I'll finish up lickety-split, then!"
"Good luck," Hinako said. "Heh... I used to say the same whenever Hanto got in trouble in high school."
"Hey, don't compare me to his delinquent days!" Miko complained as she fixed her uniform to look more presentable. "Sorry, Hinako! Wait here, okay?!"
Hinako waved Miko off, before thinking about how to kill time. She had been meaning to finish reading some of the books she picked up. Just before she could leave, the sound of the ocean hit her ears. Looking out the door, she saw a brief brush of familiar blue hair.
Was that...? She ran out the door. It sounded like the waves. Was that the girl...?
Hinako waited for the light to change before she could cross the street. Walking by, she saw a motorcyclist on a... pink motorcycle? The rider's bright blue and yellow outfit stood out as well.
Weird... She watched as she drove off. He really made an impression without saying anything.
Hinako shook off the confusion as she continued the search. She arrived at the breakwater, staring out at the ocean.
Wait, what am I doing? She realized, having gone such a far distance from school. She looked down, seeing she was still wearing her indoor shoes. I'm still in my school slippers. I should probably head back... Miko might be done by now.
She was about to turn, before a chill ran down her spine. Looking down, white threads wrapped around her ankle. Pulled off her feet, she hit the ground. "Ah...! What the...?"
The strands came from someone that resembled a normal man. He had his hand out, the threads extending from his fingertips.
"What an odd scent... it's not like any other, but..." He grinned. "Maybe I'll get a promotion if I bring you in!"
He raised his shirt, and Hinako's eyes widened. Instead of a stomach, there was a monstrous set of jaws. He pulled out some sort of key from the sharp teeth. With a few sparks, the man shifted in appearance. Now standing before her was what she could only describe as a monster. The head of the creature resembled an entire spider; complete with all eight legs.
A... A monster? She felt her blood run cold. Hanto... Hanto was right?
Hinako was terrified, but couldn't scream. She stood up, but the monster pulled on the threads again, causing her to slip and fall into the water.
"Damn it! I should've just pressed her when she wasn't looking... no matter!" A long tongue stretched out from the mouth on the stomach. "I've got her tied up anyways!"
Under the waves, Hinako's vision was starting to go dark.
Just all of a sudden... I don't know what's going on... She couldn't tell if she was sinking or being pulled out. She felt oddly... at peace. With this... I can...
She pictured the faces of her family.
Join you...
When she opened her eyes again, she realized she was back on shore. Did the monster pull her out? Was he going to finish the job?
"I told you it wasn't safe."
Her vision returned, and the blue-haired girl was holding her in her arms.
"You're...!" Hinako recognized.
"Damn it!" The spider monster cursed. "Who the hell are you, getting in the way of my job?! I'm going to get a big bonus, so move it! Or I'll press you too!"
The blue-haired girl frowned. "Curious. You're no Yokai, are you?"
"Yokai? You calling me ugly or something?!"
"Kindly stand behind me," the blue-haired girl advised to Hinako. "This might get messy."
Hinako blinked. Yokai? What was she talking about?
The girl stepped forward. "You speak quite boldly. What exactly are you?"
"Doesn't matter now, does it?! I'll just press you and be done with it!"
The monster shot its tongue out, and the girl instinctively dodged. Part of her skin changed into pale green scales.
Such swift movement... and this ability is nothing like a Yokai...
The monster shot out several threads of web, enwrapping a hand. "Gotcha! Now to press you and get that girl!"
"This girl..." Sharp nails tore out of the webs, the blue-haired girl's hand having turned into a claw. "Belongs to me."
In a flash, the monster had been tackled by the girl into the ocean, who had turned into a much larger creature. Hinako couldn't see it, only seeing splashes of water and blood. She heard screaming from the monster, but what she assumed was a girl also let out grunts of pain. The threads spun out everywhere, the white staining red. It was a scene out of hell. Hinako was rooted to the spot in horror, and yet... and yet...
The girl was the first to make it out of the water, coughing. One of her arms was bent at a horrible angle, having been snagged and broken by the webbing. The other monster was crawling out, making it to land. All the spider legs on its head were ripped off, and it was missing an arm. The teeth on the stomach were cracked, with the long tongue severed.
"I must... give you credit..." Several sickening crunches rang out, as her arm forced itself back into the proper position. "Not many are capable of matching me. What are you?"
"...doesn't matter, does it?" The monster groaned. "They're going to kill me either way... make it quick..."
She stepped forward, before raising her claw. She plunged the nails into the monster's neck, causing it to spew blood. Finished, she tossed the remains into the ocean, where they were swept away by the waves.
"Hinako." The girl walked over, pulling her to her feet. "Are you alright?"
"How do you know my name?" She asked.
"Of course I know it." She stepped closer, grasping Hinako's hands. "I've been looking for you for so long!"
"For me? Just who are you?"
"I'm Shiori," The girl introduced herself. "I'm here to eat you, Hinako."
Hinako widened her eyes. She should feel terrified, but the words didn't shock her as much as they should've. Instead she felt... relief?
"Your flesh and blood is especially delicious," Shiori said. "That's likely why that odd creature approached you."
My heart began to race...
"Most of them would be pathetic creatures with no sense of patience, yet that one was different."
Deafening, like the pounding of the waves.
"But you're going to become more delicious still. So until that day, I will keep you safe."
Amid hollow days permeated by the invisible smell of unending summer... This girl, who appeared out of the blue, could... She could...
Another day at school, another text from Miko. Once again, the girl was apologizing, having gotten a fever.
Miko... She thought back to how her friend had gotten so worried, she had actually hired Hanto in the middle of another case of his to try and find her. So when she got back home, both of them had been worried sick.
"Hinako?!" Miko had panicked. "What... Why are you wet all over?!"
"D-Did you go swimming in that?" Hanto had asked. "Was it that hot out?"
I made a lot of trouble for them yesterday after that. Is that why Miko's cold came back? Or it might've been Hanto talking her ear off about the apparent monster sightings in the city... She put her bag down on her desk. That spider monster... was that the monster Hanto was talking about? The one that took his mother...?
She was tuning out her classmates as she kept thinking. For the longest time since she had known Hanto, his talk about believing in monsters always seemed to be silly. After what happened yesterday, she was starting to understand him. If she went around talking about how she had seen a spider-man and a fish-girl tearing each-other apart, they'd think she was crazy.
She looked out the window at the sea, thinking about the conversation she had with that girl; Shiori.
"Will you...Will you really eat me? Really?"
The girl turned away and started to walk off. "We'll have to see."
She stopped, looking down at her white dress. She seemed to be examining the bloodstains.
"Oh, but I won't eat you now," Shiori turned back to her.
"Eh?"
"Be sure to look after those wounds." She continued to walk, waving her off. "I'll see you again."
Hinako was confused. "W-Wait! What do you mean-?"
"Hinako!" Miko's voice called. "Hinako, you here?!"
"Oi! Hinako!" A rougher voice. Hanto was also looking for you. "Where did you go?!"
"Miko... Hanto..." She turned towards their voice, before glancing back at Shiori, but she was nowhere to be seen. She's gone...
Why... She said that she was going to eat me. So why did she just...
"Morning! Back to your seats, all!" The teacher called. "Before homeroom starts, let me introduce our transfer student."
The sound of the waves hit Hinako as the "new student" stepped up to the front of class. The familiar blue hair...
"She'll be joining our class starting today,"
The smell of... Of the tide... the sea...
"Shiori Oumi."
Shiori smiled at Hinako.
"I came here to eat you." The words echoed in Hinako's mind. Maybe she could... make my wish come true. Maybe...
The smallest of smiles was on her face.
...she could let me die.