I noticed the doors in this hallway had the same design, the doors had rectangular windows on them.
I turn my head behind us, and I saw a boy around six or eight-years old. The fluorescent lights perching above the hallway made his dark hair shine.
It seems we're in a hospital.
"That's our target." A woman whispered in a deep pleasant voice. The way her breathe came in contact with my uncovered shoulders made my whole body tingle. I retreated slightly from her, and glanced at her face. She looks like a woman in her mid twenties, wearing nothing but a familiar white t-shirt. Her body was slim, and her waist was a shape of an hourglass. Her breast was modest like two hills in a peaceful valley, I'd say they're medium sized. She wears nothing below, but the edge of the t-shirt she's wearing was doing a good job covering her crotch.
Something was swaying behind her upon closer look, it was a tail. Her tail had a very familiar black, and red pattern. She's Hina. With her cream-colored long messy hair and cat ears, there's no mistaking it.
I don't know how, but she turned into a full, ripe woman.
"H-How did you do that?" I asked her, now standing eye to eye with me.
"What do you mean?" she answered with a question.
By the way she replied, I get the feeling she do this kind of thing unconciously.
Despite all the crazy stuff that happened to me tonight, I shouldn't be surprised by this kind of thing. Maybe this is all nothing, but a long nightmare.
Anyway, I should be focused on finishing this task.
"Go talk to him." she said under her breathe, the boy still hasn't noticed us since we're behind him.
"Why don't you do it?" I suggest, irritated by the way she talked to me like I'm some kind of a lackey.
"Nah, I'm not really good with kids y'know." she replied walking away from me.
"Hey!" I restrained a shout.
She ignored me, and proceeded to sit on a nearby metal bench.
"Just call me when you're done." she spread her arms and placed it on the backrest of the bench to sit more comfortably.
This really suck.
I just hope the kid's not gonna be scared when a topless guy approached him.
Wait, does this mean I can see ghosts now?! I never did encounter any supernatural stuff before, does it mean this thing will be on a daily basis?
I shake my head.
There's no use brooding over this.
I collected my thoughts and approached the boy.
I said before that he might get scared when someone out of nowhere just come up to him, but I think I'll be more scared if he face me and starts crying blood, I've seen way too many horror movies more than I'd like to admit.
I'll be talking to a ghost.
Just thinking of it gives me the chills, and being topless right now does not help.
"H-Hey there..!" I greet him with a friendly tone.
The boy responded by facing in my direction.
Surprisingly, he does not look creepy, he looks like just a normal boy.
Well except there's some kind of white aura emanating from him that makes him slightly glow.
The boy had a sad expression and it changed into fear when he saw me.
"Why are you half-naked, Mister?!" The boy shout. "Are you a creep?? don't come closer to me!!" The boy backs off.
"N-No, I'm not." I throw my hands up where he can see it so he won't feel threatened. "I'm here to be friends with you."
The boy slightly felt relived.
"You don't have friends too?" the boy asked. "Then we can be friends! this will be fun we'll play lots together!" the boy happily said.
"That's nice!" I kneeled in one leg so I can look at his eyes clearly, it was a nice shade of brown. "My name's Hayato." I reach my hand to suggest a hand shake. "What's yours?". I asked.
"I just want to ask you something first, Mister.." The boy hesitates. "How can you see me? I know that I'm already dead, you can see ghosts right?" the boy asked with innocence.
"Yeah, I'm actually here to help you rest in peace." I answered honestly.
"How will you do that?" the boy asked once more.
Well Kaguya said something about guiding them to afterlife, but she did not tell me how to do that passing ritual.
"How about you tell me more about yourself?" I dismissed his question.
"I can't remember my name." the boy looked down to the floor. "I never had friends when I was alive."
"And no one visited me when I was confined in this hospital, except my parents." The boy said, still facing down. "I wanted to make at least one friend before I pass."
I was expecting to hear some general info from him, like how old was he and where he lived. I was not prepared to hear this depressing stuff from a kid.
Suddenly, a certain cream-headed brat zoom past me.
It was Hina, she's back to her kid-form, or should I say loli-form.
She pat the kid's shoulder. "Don't worry my boy! you'll have lots of friends on the other side, so many you couldn't count 'em!" Hina confidently said with one hand on her hip.
The boy looked so confused. "Who are you?!" the boy asked, shocked from the sudden appearance of the cat-girl.
"The name's Hina!" She reached for the boy's right hand.
The boy didn't made a fuss since Hina's appearance looked the same age as his, and her looks didn't have an intimidating presence.
"It's alright kid, everything's gonna be fine." I reassure him.
"Hayato, hold his left hand." She dictate.
Before I knew it, I'm already holding the boy's hand.
With both of us holding his hand, I felt strange.
There's a damp feeling coming from my shoes, touching my soles.
I realized we're not in the hospital hallway anymore.
we were instantly teleported once again.
I noticed that we're standing on a huge body of water. The water was calm and still, our feet was the only thing making small ripples travel across this vast sea.
I looked down under the water, and tried to estimate how deep it is, but it was dark below, too dark.
The water did not surprise me, but the six legged red gate did.
It was roughly around fifteen meters high.
It's standing confidently at the middle of the sea.
It was a red Torii gate.
"Come on!" Hina started to walk, gently pulling the boy and me, our hands still intertwined.
"Wow, There's so many kids playing there!" The boy exclaimed as we get closer to the gate.
"Told ya!" she smiled at him baring her two small fangs.
I looked at it and there was nothing there.
But the boy was smiling wide, gazing beyond the Torii gate.
It seems he's seeing something beyond the gate that I couldn't.
We continued to walk slowly as our feet make small ripples across the water.
As we pass the red gate, I didn't realize that I was now holding Hina's hand.
It seems the boy has gone to the other side without me noticing.
"Are you sure the kid's gonna be fine?" I let go of her hand, and looked back at the Torii gate.
"I'm sure he'll have many friends there than he could ever imagine." She replied in her usual high-pitched voice, and it had this strange reassuring tone.
That kid lived a depressing life.
It's a relief to know he's not gonna spend his next life alone.