"To reflect on myself," I replied with a faint smirk, gesturing to the chair in the center. "Literally. I'd have to sit in the middle of this room, surrounded by mirrors, and think about what I did wrong."
Riku stood in front of the small, broken hand mirror mounted on the wall. Leaning in, he squinted, his side-eye focused as though trying to spot something hidden within the cracks. "Hmmm…" he muttered, his voice thoughtful.
After a moment, he turned back to the three of us, shrugging casually. "Nothing there. Not even a hint of horror. Just an old, broken mirror."
"What did you expect? A ghost to pop out in broad daylight?" I replied, smirking at Riku's disappointed expression.
He crossed his arms, glancing back at the mirror. "Well, yeah. You hyped it up with that story, so I thought there'd be... I don't know, something creepy."
Aoi giggled, her reflection multiplying endlessly in the mirrors around us. "Maybe the ghosts are shy during the day. You should come back at night, Riku-kun."
"Yeah, right," Riku scoffed, though his gaze lingered on the broken mirror a little longer, as if daring it to prove him wrong.
"Boo!" Mayu suddenly whispered in Riku's ear, poking his waist at the same time.
"GYAAAA!" A manly scream—well, it wasn't exactly manly—escaped Riku's mouth as he jumped back.
Aoi burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "I think you've scared yourself more than anything else, Riku-kun!"
Riku stood there, breathing heavily, glaring at Mayu. "I... I thought you were gonna be a ghost for a second!"
Mayu, looking entirely too pleased with herself, smirked. "Well, I did say it was a horror story, didn't I?"
"I'm going to get you back for that," Riku muttered under his breath, still recovering from the shock.
"Anyway," Mayu glanced back at me. "I think I'll take this small necklace that can fit a picture. How much do you sell it for?"
"Which one?" I asked, following her out of the room.
The others followed behind us, leaving that room empty once again.
***
We made our way to the counter.
"That one's cheap. 1,500 yen for you," I said, gesturing toward the necklace.
"Really? I thought this was kind of antique, old stuff," Mayu said, raising an eyebrow.
"Nearly old stuff," my father suddenly walked in, adding with a chuckle, "I found it in the forest. Seems like it's from the World War era."
"Really? Then why's it so cheap?" Mayu asked, clearly surprised.
"Well…" My father shrugged nonchalantly. "That's just how it works."
Mayu seemed to think it over for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll take it," she said, handing over the money. "Thank you, Hikaru-san. And thank your dad for me too."
"No problem," I replied with a smile. "I'm sure your grandpa will love it."
As she tucked the necklace carefully into her bag, Riku and Aoi started to wander around the shop again, chatting quietly among themselves.
After some time, the group began to gather their things. Aoi stretched, looking at her phone. "Well, I think it's about time we head out."
"Yeah, I agree," Riku said, grinning. "It's getting late."
"Thanks for letting us check out the shop, Hikaru-kun," Mayu added, waving as she made her way toward the door. "It was fun!"
"No problem," I replied, giving them a nod.
One by one, they left the store, their voices fading as they walked out into the evening. After locking up the door, I turned and noticed my father was already at home, relaxing in the living room, since the house and shop were connected.
With a soft sigh, I closed up the shop for the night, feeling the quiet settle around me as I locked the entrance door.
As the lights turned off, I walked toward the back of the store, heading toward the home section of the building. But then, I noticed that the door to that room was still open—probably forgotten when I locked up earlier.
"And this is kind of creepy now," I muttered to myself, reaching for the light switch near the wall. The dim light flickered on as I walked toward the room to close the door.
I stepped into the room, the faint hum of the overhead light the only sound breaking the silence. The mirrors on the walls reflected my every move, casting countless versions of myself in every direction. It was eerie, like walking into my own mind, where every thought was reflected back at me.
I walked toward the door, my footsteps soft on the old wooden floor. As I reached for the door handle, I glanced around once more, the unsettling feeling of the room pressing on me. The chair still sat in the middle, untouched, surrounded by the mirrors that seemed to watch me.
With a deep breath, I closed the door behind me, the soft click of the lock echoing in the stillness.
"Just need to lock up and get some rest," I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of the day finally settle on my shoulders. I turned off the light and walked back to the store, the quiet atmosphere almost soothing after the chaos of the day.
Finally, I made my way to the back of the store, closing the last door behind me.
"I'm home," I said, heading to the living room.
My mother was sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Oh, just closed the store, hun?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna sleep now."
"Alright, go sleep. Tomorrow's school."
I nodded and stretched, the exhaustion of the day catching up with me. It had been a long one, filled with strange events and moments I couldn't quite shake from my mind.
As I walked toward my room, I heard my mother's voice call out. "Don't stay up too late, okay?"
"Yeah, I won't," I replied, giving her a small wave before closing my door behind me.
The familiar warmth of my room was a welcome change from the eerie atmosphere of the shop. I kicked off my shoes and sat down on the bed, rubbing my eyes as I tried to let go of the unease that lingered.
I glanced out the window, the night sky clear and full of stars. A small part of me wondered if anything I had experienced today was real, or just some weird, coincidental turn of events. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off—like the mirrors, the ones that seemed to show more than they should.
With a sigh, I pulled the covers over myself and turned off the light. The quiet settled around me, but it didn't quite bring the peace I was hoping for. My mind kept racing, wondering if I'd be back in the shop tomorrow, dealing with more strange happenings.
Finally, my body gave in to the exhaustion, and I drifted off to sleep, the images of mirrors and reflections still lingering in my mind.
The room was dark. I was standing in the middle of it again—that room. The same one filled with mirrors. The air was still, but the weight of it felt different now, heavier. I glanced around, the reflections of myself in the mirrors surrounding me from every angle, each one slightly off, as though they were all versions of me, each living a life just out of reach.
Then, it happened.
The reflections began to move. Their eyes, their faces—they shifted, twisting unnaturally, like they were alive, but not in the way I was. They were staring at me. At first, I thought they were still, but then I realized—they were whispering. It was a murmur, a soft, frantic buzzing that grew louder the longer I stood there, frozen in place.
I tried to step back, but my feet felt glued to the floor. My reflection was still standing in front of me, staring, but there was a flicker of something else behind it. The others started to move. Slowly at first, but with each passing moment, the speed of their movements increased, as if they couldn't contain themselves any longer.
The whispers grew louder, faster, words that were barely coherent, rushing past my ears in a dizzying blur. I could only catch fragments of them—phrases that made no sense, spoken too quickly for me to grasp. Something about "getting out," "it's time," and something about "you."
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I couldn't move, couldn't even breathe as the whispers filled my mind, pushing and pulling at the edges of my consciousness. It was like they were trying to break free, trying to reach me.
Then, with a sharp crack, one of the reflections—the one closest to me—stepped out of the mirror, its form twisting, distorting as it pulled itself into the real world. Its eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, I could hear its voice clearly. It was deep, unnatural, like a chorus of many voices layered on top of each other.
"You can't escape us," it hissed, its voice scraping against my mind. "You're a part of us now."
I felt something cold and wet brushing against my skin, and I looked down to see a shadowy figure curling around my feet, its grip tightening.
The reflection was no longer just a reflection. It was real—too real. It stepped closer, its fingers reaching out toward me. I tried to pull away, but the room was closing in. The mirrors were no longer just walls; they were like mouths, opening wider and wider, threatening to swallow me whole.
The figure's hand brushed my shoulder, and I felt the chill run through me.
"Come with us," it whispered again, so close I could feel the words on my skin.
I snapped awake, gasping for breath. My heart pounded in my chest, my body drenched in sweat. The room was quiet—too quiet.
"Hahh... hahh.... hahhh...." I gasped, trying to calm my racing heart. I quickly reached for the lamp beside my bed and flicked the switch. The harsh light flooded the room, cutting through the darkness, and I looked around, taking in the familiar surroundings.
The window reflected the cool blue of the night sky. It was still night.
"Nightmare..." I muttered, my voice shaky as I tried to gather myself.
I swallowed hard, but the lingering sense of unease refused to leave. My body felt tense, as if something—someone—was still watching.
To Be Continue.