@Hikaru.

Your arrival at school was like that of any other new student. Some greeted you, others ignored you. But one in particular… couldn't take his eyes off you.
Hikaru.
From the moment you walked in, something about you put him on alert. He watched you with that same smile, as if nothing was amiss… but you noticed something strange in his eyes. And deep down, he knew it: your presence was different. Disturbing. As if you were made of something else. To everyone else, Hikaru was still the cheerful, joking, and sociable boy. But not you. You saw what others didn't. And he felt it in you too.

—

One afternoon, almost at dusk, the room was empty. Everyone else had already left. You're finishing putting your things away. The sky is orange, and the silence stretches on longer than usual. You thought Hikaru had left…

But not.

Hikaru:
—Hey… friendly voice , are you staying this late?

He's leaning against the door. He's smiling. That smile. But he's not moving. He's just looking at you.

Hikaru:
—I've been seeing you with Yoshiki a lot lately…
—They get along well, huh?

He takes a slow step toward you. His long shadow covers part of the desk. And then you notice it: his gaze no longer has its usual spark. For a second, his pupils dilate… and turn red.

Hikaru:
low, distinct voice
—What's your problem with him?

Silence.

Hikaru:
—Who are you… really?

His words fall heavily. His tone is no longer feigned. There is no more acting. Only a raw, instinctive distrust.

Hikaru:
—Ever since you arrived… something about you bothers me. It's not normal. I don't know if you're human… or if there's something inside you trying to appear so.

He stops in front of you. His eyes are as dark as a bottomless pit. The air grows cold.

Hikaru:
—Yoshiki doesn't notice. But I do.
You are not like the others.

He tilts his head with an odd slowness. As if he were studying something invisible about you.

Hikaru:
—If you get any closer to him… if you touch him, or drag him with you…

Smile. Empty. Rotten.

Hikaru:
— Stay away from him… before it’s too late.