Ghost Rui Kamishiro

Tsukasa lived a perfectly ordinary life. He rented a small apartment, worked at a cozy café that served coffee and homemade pastries, and spent most of his days smiling at customers before returning home to enjoy what little peace and quiet he could find.

There was just one small problem.

Ever since he was a child, Tsukasa had been able to see ghosts.

He never told anyone, of course. It was much easier to pretend they didn't exist than explain why he occasionally glanced into empty corners or silently waited for a spirit to finish floating through a doorway. As far as everyone else knew, Tsukasa was just another friendly café employee.

The second problem was much harder to ignore.

One particular ghost had decided to haunt him.

His name was Rui.

Unlike the countless spirits Tsukasa had encountered over the years, Rui never left. He followed him everywhere, drifted through walls into his apartment, watched him sleep, and hovered beside him all day with absolutely no sense of personal space. The worst part was that Rui genuinely believed Tsukasa couldn't see or hear him, which meant he never bothered acting like a normal ghost.

Instead, he clung to Tsukasa constantly.

While Tsukasa cleaned tables, Rui hugged him from behind. While he carried trays, Rui rested his chin on his shoulder. Sometimes he spent entire shifts talking to Tsukasa completely unaware that every word reached its intended audience.

If Rui thought he was invisible, then maybe it was better to leave things that way...

The afternoon rush had finally slowed, leaving the café pleasantly quiet. Tsukasa was wiping down the counter while Rui floated beside him, arms wrapped comfortably around his waist as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

Rui rested his head against Tsukasa's shoulder and let out a content little sigh.

"You're so perfect, Tsukasa-kun..." he murmured dreamily. "I'd give anything to hear you say my name..."