Akio tries to sleep in bed as he twists and turns, remembering Nishiyama's death over and over as he jolted up sweating. Ventilating a bit as he calms down thinking to himself "It was just a dream..." as he lays back down in bed.

"Great.. I can't sleep anymore.." he thought to himself as he just couldn't fall back asleep again. It became morning after some hours had passed, Kazuki got up from his bed and walked out to the living room.

Kazuki sees Akio getting ready for a school he transferred to, with Kazuki says to Akio "Don't fluke okay?" as he nodded. Akio left the apartment as Akio was drowsy, he arrived at his new school as it was closer to his apartment house than his old school.

Akio wiped his eyes a bit and drank coffee to keep himself awake, walking in and sighing. Akio walked into his new class as he saw a familiar hairstyle in the room, but didn't recognize the person's face. "Class this is your new classmate, he will be here with us until the end of the year." The teacher said as Akio stood there.

"Go on and introduce yourself" The teacher said as Akio said "My name is Hayashi Akio, I didn't really get a whole lot of sleep last night." as he bowed. "Now go find an empty seat Hayashi" the teacher said as Akio walked over to an empty seat and sat down near the back.

Akio lays his head down on the desk and closes his eyes. Akio then wakes up a few seconds later, unable to sleep again. Akio sits back up but doesn't pay attention to class, looking out the window and sighs.

The bell rang as Akio looked up a bit before getting up, a female student then walked up to him saying "Follow me up to the roof" as she left towards the roof. Akio followed shortly after as he got to the rooftop and saw the girl waiting.

"Hayashi, what's going on with you?" the girl said as Akio replied confused and unamused "Should I know who you are..?". The girl then shouted "You don't remember the person that gave you your mask! It's Me! TANI!", she then walked up and shook him saying "What's going on with you!".

"If you can stop shaking me I can tell you.." Akio said to Tani as she stopped and let go of him. Akio then sighed and then explained it,

I don't want to do this job anymore.. I didn't want Nishiyama to die because of me and I didn't want her life to end literally in my arms... I heard her confession literally minutes before they showed up... I want a normal life... a normal day, something that's just normal!!

Akio then stopped his rant after that as Akio was then slapped across the face by Tani. he looked at Tani as she shouted at him "DO YOU THINK WE CHOSE TO DO THIS FUCKING JOB! NONE OF US WANTED IT BUT NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT!!". She then grabbed him by his jacket and said "DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE I HAVE SEEN DIE IN-FRONT OF ME BOTH CIVILIAN AND HUNTER ALIKE! TOO MANY!!".

Tani's tears then began going down her face as Akio looked and was surprised as she began to have a breakdown. "I've seen so many people die in front of me... You're not the only one who doesn't want this fucking job..!" Tani said as she began crying.

Akio was surprised, he didn't know how to respond to it as he handed her a napkin, saying "You need to wipe your face Tani...". Tani looked at the napkin and took it, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose into the napkin and throwing it away.

"Tani... I'm sorry... okay..?" Akio tried to apologize to her as she shook her head saying "don't apologize.. I was just worried about your health... walking in with some baggy eyes isn't always a good sign.." as both of them walked downstairs to the second floor.

Akio was walking with Tani and bumped into a small group of guys, Akio then said "Sorry" as he wanted to move on. One of the boys grabbed his shoulder saying "Who's the girl beside you" as Akio looked over his shoulder.

"Say again...?" Akio said as Tani looked back. "Who's the short girl?" the guy said as Akio said "That's none of your business.." as he pulled his shoulder and began to walk away. "Akio Watch out!" Tani shouted as Akio turned around to be greeted with a punch to the face.

Akio stumbled back a bit as he rubbed the spot he got hit on saying "Lucky Hit.." as the guy ran in for another punch. Akio sidestepped saying "You missed.." as he kept dodging punches thrown at him.

Akio then caught the punch as he said "I'm warning you one last time, you don't want this fight.." as he let go of the fist and ducked under a kick. Akio then saw Tani knee the guy in the face saying "That's enough!" as the guy dropped to the floor and his friends helped him up. Akio was surprised but also expected of it as Akio says to Tani "Thanks" as she just storms off the other way.

Akio follows shortly behind her as they walk into their homeroom, Akio sits down at his desk as the bell then rings. Akio tries to pay attention in class as his thoughts become jumbled up and a mess, "Just calm down Hayashi.." A voice said to him as he looked around.

Tani looked back at him as she thought to himself "something's not right.." as Akio tried to find out where it came from. Akio then noticed the mark on his hand had appeared, thinking to himself "Something just came up.." as Akio raised his hand.

"What is it, Hayashi?" the teacher said as he replied "May I use the restroom!" as the teacher waved him off to go. Akio then got up and ran down the hallway, trying to find where that voice came from.

It's here! I know it's here!" as he rushed upstairs and found what were paw-like marks on the ground. Akio's eye color shifted from brown to red as he saw the marks and followed it. He then reached back up to the school's roof, seeing a Bakeneko as the cat turned around and jumped.

"It s...a cat?" Akio thought confused as the cat shapeshifted into a girl saying "D-don't hurt me shinigami..!" as she covered herself using her hands. The Bakeneko was now a short girl with cat ears, Akio then said "I'm not going to hurt you" as she looked at him.

"Y-you're not going to kill me..?" Bakeneko said as Akio replied "Why would I do that?". She then said "The past shinigami always killed our kind..." as Akio was shocked to hear this, he then asked "Why would they do that?".

Bakeneko then explained "Well.. It's because of our shapeshifting powers, we can shapeshift into most things but it uses up a lot of Spiritual Energy..". Akio was just confused about this Spiritual Energy he keeps hearing about, he then asked "What's Spiritual Energy..?".