After school, Nisha and Yuna left the school grounds together. The blue-haired almost lost her temper because they had already been given so much homework on the first day. Did Hirose-sensei think she had nothing better to do? Somehow it seemed tactless. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and opened her calendar.

Tomorrow, she would have to take Yui to Haruka and Chigusa-san because they had to sign some documents. Yuna stopped. Or did she have to bring Midori in since she was their legal guardian? Or even both? Uncertainly, she looked over at her friend, who was humming a melody and watching a swarm of birds.

"Um ..."

The gray-haired stopped and turned around. "What?"

"Does your mother talk to you about the Takagi Foundation?"

The other girl smiled mildly. "No. She keeps me out of all things related to business."

Yuna sighed. "Great."

"Why do you ask?"

"We have an appointment tomorrow, and I don't know if I have to bring Yui and Midori in to sign."

Thoughtfully the cat girl grimaced. "Actually, you are both still minor, so your guardian would always have to be there, so that it is legal."

The Masuda girl grinned. "You're really a scout." Nisha blushed, turning her gaze away. "Hey. I'm glad about that. You know so many things ... I think that's impressive."

The green eyes looked at Yuna in hers. "For real?"

The blue-haired replied, "Yes. You are so smart. I wish, I was as smart as you."

A shadow flitted across the other girl's face. She turned and walked on. Without understanding, Yuna looked after her and quickly paced up. Had she said anything wrong? Nisha had told her a few weeks ago that she had no real friends so far and therefore she read very often. Perhaps, this conversation had reminded her of the lonely times.

Yuna reached for the hand of her friend, who shrank. "I'm sorry, okay?"

The cat girl nodded and smiled ashamed over. "It just hurts when I think about it." She squeezed the hand of her friend and held on to it.

"That's it." The blue-haired girl pointed to the house where Hikari lived.

She remembered how she had fought her way here after the unsuccessful hunt in the old amusement park to rest for half a day. If she had turned to Hikari at the time, how would everything have evolved? Would their relationship be as disturbed as it was now? Would it have been even better? Should she let Hikari in on her secret? But wouldn't that bring a whole new set of trouble along?

The Masuda girl squinted at her companion. Nisha knew and she had to experience terrible things. On the other hand, she herself was not a normal human, but a Hengeyōkai, a shape shifting being from Japanese mythology. And practically her entire circle of acquaintances consisted of Oni.

They entered the garden gate and went to the front door. Nisha pressed the doorbell and then folded her hands behind her back, beneath her black backpack.

Probably Hikari would be home alone. Her father was often on business trips abroad and her mother also worked in a full-time job.

The two Yōkai waited patiently until they could hear footsteps behind the door. The lock clicked and the door opened. Hikari, in her long-sleeved, dark blue pajama, looked surprised at her two visitors.

Nisha smiled kindly. "Good afternoon, Wada-san."

"Hi, Hikari," Yuna greeted.

The black-haired blinked a few times, then she looked at her best friend. "Hey."

"She has your homework." The big girl pointed to the class spokeswoman.

"It was clear that she would get a boner from tormenting me with that shit." The gray-haired swallowed nervously.

"Hey. Be fair. She was the only one in the class who volunteered."

Hikari looked at her seat neighbor. "The only one?" Yuna nodded. "And what about you?" Desperately, the black-haired looked at her friend.

The blue-haired snorted. "I'm here, ain't I?"

"That is not an answer."

Nisha cleared her throat. "May we come in?"

The girl in the pajamas looked at her and shrugged. "Like I care." She turned away, went inside and left the door open. Uncertainly the cat girl looked to her companion.

"If it's unpleasant to you, I'll take it from here, Nisha," Yuna offered.

The classmate shook her head timidly. "No. I just have to make more effort to get to her."

"If you think so."

The blue-haired stepped in and took off her shoes, which she deposited beside the door. The cat girl followed her, closed the front door, slipped out of her shoes, and placed them neatly beside the others. She glanced at the other pairs of shoes on the floor, a couple of jackets and coats hanging from the wall, and a framed photograph showing a younger Hikari with a woman and a man - probably her parents. Nisha studied it for a moment.

"She looks exactly like her mother," she said.

"Jupp." Yuna stepped into the hallway and shouted, "Where are you?"

"Where would I be?" Hikari yelled down from a staircase at the end of the hall.

"Okay. Come on, Nisha."

The blue-haired girl led her friend along the corridor. On the left was a door, which stood open and gave access to the kitchen. Apart from a washed glass one could not recognize any dishes or the likes. Everything was cleaned up tidy.

Next, they passed the dining room. A rectangular wooden table, each with three chairs on both long sides, represented the only inventory.

"An own dining room? Wow." Nisha was amazed.

The blue-haired shrugged. "Hikari's father is a West fan and wanted to have one. What a waste of space." The cat girl chuckled.

They passed another door that was closed, but the living room was hidden behind, as Yuna knew. At the end of the corridor they climbed the stairs, at the top of which the one-eyed girl disappeared in a room to the right. Next to the door she had set down her backpack. Nisha also put her backpack down, stopped in the doorway and looked inside.

It was dark, but with her sharp eyes she could see thick, black curtains in front of a large window. The walls were covered with a whole lot of posters, prints, and drawings. On the left wall of the room was a bed covered with several manga stacks. In one corner, an overgrown bucket stood out of a pile of cups, beverage cans, and PET bottles. The whole room looked like a garbage dump. And smelled alike. The air was stuffy, thick and filled with the scent of sweaty socks and dried sweat. Piles of clothing built of unwashed, worn clothes, turned the floor of the room into a hilly landscape.

The cat girl wondered when this room was properly ventilated for the last time.

"Damn, Hikari. You're such a slag," Yuna hissed, pushing a small pile out of the way to get to the curtains.

The black-haired girl crouched with her headphones on in front of a laptop at her desk and watched an anime. If she had listened to her friend, she made no attempt to reply.

The tall girl pushed the curtains aside, so that the room was immediately flooded by daylight. Her hand lay around the handle to open the window.

"Hey! Leave it!" Hikari tore her headphones down and turned her face to the blue-haired.

"You have to let some air in. It's smelly as hell in here. And you have to clean up. Look around." Yuna stared at her friend and then opened the window with a jerk.

"I don't want that." The resident sprang up and hurried over. She slammed the window shut again and was about to take the handle with her left hand as Yuna grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Ow!"

"Sorry," the blue-haired one apologized half-heartedly and let go.

Hikari rubbed her left wrist and sucked the air in between her teeth. She felt something warm, sticky on her fingertips and looked at them. "Shit." She rolled back the sleeve and tugged at a bandage on the front half of her forearm.

The Han'yō smelled blood. "No ... damn it. Why are you always doing this?" Yuna stepped forward and grabbed the black-haired girl by the shoulders. "You shall not cut yourself."

"Let me go!" Hikari tore herself away and took a step back. "I'm sick! Leave me alone!"

The red-eyed shook her head, uncomprehendingly. "Like this, you'll never get well. Do you take your antidepressants?"

"Why do you care?!"

The cat girl stood shocked and silent in the doorway, watching everything. She had only known the two girls for a little more than four months, of which six weeks had fallen on the past summer holidays.

She had been able to find out a lot about Yuna in the past two months, as they were doing a lot together, as long as the schedule of the Masuda girl allowed.

About Hikari, she could only say what she had heard. Nisha was treated very badly by her, which she endured for the sake of Yuna. It was said that Hikari was an Emo and an attention whore, who always played drama to get attention. But this girl here really seemed to be seriously ill.

"Are you all right, Wada-san?" She asked cautiously.

Snorting, the black-haired turned to the class speaker. "I was doing just fine until you took my friend away from me!"

"I didn't!" the gray-haired defended herself.

Hikari turned around to Yuna. "Why did you let her in anyway? I don't want her in my house!"

"Now, don't lose it. Sit down and shut your mouth, Hikari."

The blue-haired girl stared at her until the resident turned her gaze and shuffled to her bed with sagging shoulders. Yuna continued to look at the pile of misery until she noticed a print that hung at the wall over the bed. Slowly her mouth fell open as she looked at the picture.

Nisha noticed the intense look and also drew her attention to the picture. It was a photo of Wataru, probably during a concert, as his sweaty hair stuck to his forehead and he was lit brightly from above. His mouth was open as he was about to sing, while his eyes were closed, which gave him a dreamy expression. The edge of the photo was decorated with a seam of different-sized hearts in red and black.

The two standing girls exchanged a gaze before they looked again at Hikari, who gave a sobbing.

"I didn't cut myself ..." she muttered.

Yuna snorted. "Sure. That's why you have these injuries. You can't fool me. Damn, I've known you for over ten years. You're my best friend."

An uncomfortable feeling hit the class spokeswoman in the stomach. "Yuna-chan ..."

The black-haired raised her head and stared at her friend with tearful eyes. "I HAVE TRIED TO KILL MYSELF!"