“Did you hear about that rumour involving those black vans from the other day?” an excited student asked his friend as they were passing Niko on the staircase going from the second floor to first floor. “Apparently, they all come driving down one road in a single file really early in the morning”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that” the student’s friend replied. “Someone told me that they kidnap people and kill em…”

“That’s some scary shit, man…”

“Yeah, but it’s just a rumour, right? Plus, I doubt they’re killing people. Probably just a prank; anyways; you remember that girl I told you about the other day, right? ”

Niko readjusted his earphones and continued to pass the two talkative students on the stairs.

‘People that go around in black vans killing people? That guy said that they only appear during the ungodly hours of the morning though, but I should keep an eye out just in case…’ the transfer student thought to himself, as he walked around the corner and arrived at a row of shoe lockers for second-year students. “Oh crap, which one is mine again?”

‘That would be this one, kid’ came Hanako’s voice form inside Niko’s head. ‘You really need to get your act together, huh?’

Niko spotted his seemingly telepathic acquaintance a couple of meters away, leaning against the lockers, arms folded.

‘Hanako! How are you doing that?’ the transfer student asked, quickly walking over to the small girl.

‘Doing what?’

‘That!’

‘Oh, you mean my telepathy? The same way you’re doing it’

‘What are you-‘

It took a couple of seconds for him to realise, but Niko became completely aware of the fact that he was talking to someone using his mind!

“What is this? Do I have some type of superpower? Am I special or something?” he muttered to himself, breaking out in a cold sweat.

‘Yeah, you’re special alright…’ Hanako sighed. ‘It’s my power, idiot’

‘Hanako, are you not human…?’

The girl groaned and shook her head.

‘How has it taken you this long to realise that?’ she replied, giving Niko a sceptical look.

‘Huh? You were serious about that? I was just joking…’

‘Some joke! Did you not think something was off when I disappeared down the corridor that one time or when I opened the classroom door without touching it?’

‘Now that you mention it…’

‘Idiot…this guy’s a complete idiot…’

Niko suddenly stopped and stared at the girl for a couple of seconds before seemingly concluding something.

“W-What?”

“A vampire!” he whisper-shouted.

‘A spirit! I’m a goddamn spirit!’

‘I know. I was just messing with you…’

'Still…you’re taking this better than I thought, idiot’ Hanako deduced as she sat on top of one of the lockers, swinging her legs, waiting for Niko to switch his shoes. ‘I thought that you would have ran away screaming by now…’

‘Oh, trust me; I’d love to; but I really don’t want to sully my reputation anymore than it already is’ he replied, nodding to the large mass of students swarming around the shoe lockers.

‘Oh, I get you. Still does it really matter? Everybody already thinks that you’re insane anyways’

‘Well, thanks for that’

‘Anytime’

The transfer student picked his bag up off the floor and headed towards the swinging glass doors that lead outside.

‘So, what’re you gonna do now?’ he asked the lost spirit sitting nonchalantly behind him. ‘I’ve got somewhere to be, so…’

‘Guess I’ll go home’ Hanako replied, jumping up off the lockers and floating past Niko. ‘I’ve got people waiting for me, you see’

‘You actually have somewhere to go?’

‘Why wouldn’t I?’

‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because you’re quite literally a dead girl walking?’

‘Heh, good one’

‘That wasn’t a joke!’

‘Still, I would’ve thought that you’d be more interested to hang about with a real life spirit. I mean, its not like you see one every day or anything’

‘Yeah, no. This isn’t a shounen manga or anything and I could do without you stealing my soul or something like that’

‘C’mon, I wouldn’t do that…’

Niko narrowed his eyes in the girl’s direction.

‘Oh yeah? You wouldn’t, huh?’

‘O-Of course! Well, I’m out of here! See you around, kid’ she stammered, before disappearing instantly on the spot; leaving Niko just standing there looking quite concerned.

He shook his head, pulled out is phone and switched tracks yet again.

“Now then…which way’s home?”