There's something about dying that really makes you reflect on life. Like how I should've studied harder, or told my mom I loved her more, or, you know, *not eaten the last melon bread in the cafeteria.* But hindsight's 20/20, and in my defense, how was I supposed to know the quiet girl with the creepy smile was actually *the Goddess of Death in disguise*?
Yeah, I didn't see that coming either.
Let's rewind a bit.
---
**Morning: The Death Goddess' Prelude**
Mondays suck. Everyone knows that. But this particular Monday was the kind of suck that makes black holes jealous. My alarm didn't go off, my toast got burned, and the dog barked at me like I owed him money. By the time I got to school, I was so done with life I barely noticed Yumi staring at me from across the room.
Yumi always sat in the back of the class, doodling strange symbols in her notebook like she was preparing to summon something. The kind of girl you'd expect to either ace the math test or curse your bloodline—no in-between. She rarely spoke, and when she did, her voice was as soft as the sound of dirt falling on a coffin.
"Kaito," she said out of nowhere during homeroom.
I jumped, almost knocking over my desk. "Y-yeah?"
"You ate the last melon bread."
I blinked. "Uh... yeah? It was delicious. Why?"
She just smiled. That quiet, unsettling smile that made you question whether you'd remembered to write your will. "No reason."
That was red flag number one.
---
**Lunch Break: The Bread That Kills**
Fast forward to lunch. The cafeteria was packed, the air thick with the smell of cheap curry and desperation. I was sitting with my best friend, Ryo, who was busy explaining why he thought vampires were just edgy mosquitoes when I noticed Yumi staring at me. Again.
"Dude," I hissed, nudging Ryo. "Yumi's been giving me the death glare all day."
"Death glare? Isn't that just her resting face?"
"Ha ha. Very funny. I think she's serious, though. She said something about the melon bread."
"Wait, *that* melon bread? The one everyone was fighting over? You're lucky you got out alive."
I didn't feel lucky. Especially when Yumi walked past our table, her gaze locking onto mine like a sniper sight. "Midnight," she whispered as she passed. "Don't be late."
"What the hell does that mean?!" I asked, turning to Ryo for answers.
He shrugged. "Maybe she wants to confess?"
Yeah. Confess my death sentence, maybe.
---
**Midnight: The Reaper Revealed**
If you've ever walked through a park at midnight, you'll know it's a great place to reflect on all your life choices while simultaneously fearing for your life. That's where I found myself—standing under a flickering streetlight, clutching my phone like it could save me from whatever eldritch nonsense was about to go down.
Yumi was waiting for me. She wore a black robe that billowed around her like smoke, and in her hand was a scythe so big it made anime weapons look practical.
"Kaito," she said, her voice no longer soft but echoing with the kind of authority that could silence armies. "Your time has come."
I stared at her. Then at the scythe. Then back at her. "Is this about the melon bread?!"
"Yes."
"You're killing me over *bread*?!"
She tilted her head, as if trying to figure out why I wasn't groveling yet. "It wasn't just bread. It was a divine offering. By eating it, you sealed your fate."
"That's insane! Who leaves a divine offering in a high school cafeteria?!"
"Mortals are careless. I had hoped to spare you, but rules are rules." She raised the scythe, its blade glinting ominously in the moonlight.
I threw up my hands. "Wait! Don't I get a trial or something? I didn't even know it was sacred!"
She paused, lowering the scythe slightly. "Hmm. I suppose you're right. Ignorance is not a crime."
"Exactly! So we're cool?"
Her smile returned, sharp as the blade in her hands. "No. But I'll give you a choice."
"Uh... okay?"
"Become my assistant, or die."
"...There's no third option?"
"Death *is* the third option."
---
**The Afterlife is Just High School, But Worse**
And that's how I ended up here.
Turns out, the afterlife isn't clouds and harps—it's paperwork and bureaucracy. As Yumi's assistant, my job is to track souls, carry her scythe, and occasionally take notes during meetings with other gods (who are all just as terrifying as you'd expect).
Yumi, meanwhile, is still the same quiet, unsettling girl she was in life, except now I know the truth: she's not just the Goddess of Death. She's my classmate, my boss, and the reason I can't even enjoy melon bread anymore without having flashbacks.
Oh, and she still sits behind me in class.
"Kaito," she whispered during homeroom the next day, her voice sending chills down my spine. "Did you finish the soul ledger?"
I sighed, rubbing the dark circles under my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It's on your desk."
"Good." She smiled again, and I wondered if I'd ever get used to it.
Probably not.
And so, my double life began—half student, half servant to a literal goddess. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's this: never underestimate the quiet girl in class.
Especially if she likes melon bread.