Moonlit Sonata

"But it wasn't long before a photo taken by an eyewitness was released on TV..."

"That eerie image sent shivers down our spines."

On the screen was Fujino Terumi's giant head, floating in the night sky.

Because the distance was too great, it was impossible to tell if Terumi's eyes were open or closed.

Seen from afar, her face was fair, her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and the beauty of the deceased in life could still be vaguely discerned.

In a self-media video, a man in a suit was introducing the photos taken by eyewitnesses to the girls around him.

"This is that photo."

"Wow, it's so scary!"

"Is this real? Isn't it photoshopped?"

"That head is incredibly huge!"

A girl asked, "Her neck... it looks like it was torn off by wires... that ghost with only a head must be related to this, right?"

The man in the suit nodded, "Yes, this explanation is also very convincing."

Hezi's narration continued.

"The face floating in the night sky was indeed Terumi's."

"But her expression was one that only the dead possess."

Accompanying the voice was a close-up of the eyewitness photo.

Up close, Terumi's eyes were like those of a corpse, rolled back, and her complexion wasn't fair, but pale, exuding a rotting aura that was nauseating.

Many viewers gasped the moment the picture appeared, then covered their mouths.

Some viewers wanted to get up, deciding they didn't care about the ticket money.

However, they found their legs had gone weak and they couldn't move at all!

The image moved down to the severed neck of the ghostly head.

"And the torn marks on her neck..."

"Left a deep impression on us, looking as if it had been forcefully ripped from the body..."

"This incident also became a topic of discussion at school."

The scene shifted to the school building. Inside a classroom, a male student sat at a desk by the window, while another leaned against the wall:

"That must be fake!"

"Idiot, can something like that even be made?"

"I think it's real..."

"Wanna bet?"

"The only thing I can say is that it's terrifying."

The familiar classroom environment provided a sense of security for many viewers.

"I really want to see it too."

"You don't have the guts for that."

The chatter of the high school students carried far.

In the hallway, Hezi noticed Shiraishi, who was leaning against the wall in thought, and called out to him:

"Shiraishi-kun, This is getting out of hand, everyone is saying irresponsible things."

Hezi felt the students' discussions were simply unbelievable.

"Shiraishi-kun, you must not believe it, right? Ghosts..."

Shiraishi's expression was serious, "No... there's nothing I don't believe.

I saw it with my own eyes too."

"Huh?"

Hezi's smile faded, confusion flashing in her eyes.

"She often floats into my yard."

"And she always looks up at me... with those vacant eyes..."

"It's like she's calling out to me, and several times now, I've almost been drawn in by her gaze..."

"But I've managed to resist until now."

Hezi forced a smile, "Shiraishi-kun, you must be too tired."

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"You must think I'm making it up?"

"No! I'm not saying you're lying. It's just that when you're mentally fatigued..."

Shiraishi ignored Hezi's defense and stepped forward, brushing past her.

"You don't need to say anything more. Come to my house next time, and you'll understand!"

"Shiraishi-kun..."

Watching Shiraishi's retreating back, Hezi's equally beautiful eyes flickered with doubt, curiosity, and sympathy.

In the afternoon, as the sun set, Hezi walked home from school, still thinking about what Shiraishi had said to her in the hallway.

"Terumi's ghost..."

Hezi's home.

Hezi's house was a two-story loft, with her bedroom on the second floor.

Hezi was doing her homework when her younger brother opened her room door.

"Sis, your phone."

Hezi rubbed her head. "Who is it?"

Her little brother said excitedly, "It's a guy."

"I won't tell Dad."

Hezi pursed her lips, inwardly annoyed at the caller's rudeness.

"...Is it Yosuke? ...Ugh!"

Hezi went downstairs to take the call. "Hello, this is Hezi."

"Ah... Shiraishi-kun?"

"What... tonight...?"

"Huh?"

Shiraishi's low voice came through the phone.

"I'm calling from the phone booth in front of Eishoji Temple... Can you come right away?"

"Terumi... she's appeared again... She's slowly moving north. If you come now, you should still make it."

"...Really?..."

"Now?... But... Hmm..."

"...I understand... Eishoji Temple?... I'll be right there."

Hezi walked barefoot on the floor, careful not to make any noise.

Grabbing her shoes and the clothes she would wear outside, she dodged her dad, who was reading the newspaper, and slipped out of the house.

It was already getting dark when Hezi left.

"...She really floated out..."

"But are there really ghosts?"

Before she knew it, Hezi had arrived at Eishoji Temple and could see the temple's eaves.

"Shiraishi-kun..."

Hezi looked around for Shiraishi.

"He's not even here!"

"Is he messing with me?!"

!

Hezi's eyes widened suddenly.

She saw it – the giant head of Fujino Terumi floating in the air.

In the darkness, Terumi's face was a sickly pale, like a dead moon.

Hezi's skin tightened with fear.

"Terumi..."

Subconsciously, Hezi called out Fujino Terumi's name.

But the next second, Hezi covered her mouth, hid behind a tree, and watched the floating head of Terumi.

Hezi's narration continued:

"Terumi back then was a little different from what I imagined..."

"If I touched it with my hand, it seemed like it would feel real..."

"Terumi!... Terumi!"

"Terumi!"

Hezi heard a voice calling for Terumi.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Shiraishi.

He was standing on a high tree branch, trying to reach Fujino Terumi's giant head with his hand.

"Terumi... please forgive me."

"Don't look at me with that kind of expression."

The head heard the voice and turned to look at Shiraishi.

Terumi, hiding behind the tree, listened to Shiraishi's apology, her eyes flickering with unease.

Her eyes widened in terror.

"That's..."

"Classmate Shiraishi?!"

Hezi noticed that in front of Shiraishi, a rope was also hanging. The rope was tied into a loop, as if waiting for Shiraishi to lean into it himself.

Shiraishi, tears streaming down his face, extended his arm:

"Terumi!"

"Terumi!"

He failed to notice that his own neck was getting closer and closer to the knot.

"Classmate Shiraishi, no!"

Hezi cried out to stop him.

But by the time she cried out, the knot had already slipped over Shiraishi's neck.

The rope seemed to grow from the sky. Shiraishi, caught by the knot, was suspended in mid-air.

And Fujino Terumi's giant head balloon watched him silently.

Hezi anxiously searched for a suitable tool:

"If I don't hurry, he'll die."

Rustle!

Rustle!

Rustle!

Hezi heard the sound of leaves rubbing together, and a head, about the same size as Terumi's ghostly head, emerged from the woods.

It was Shiraishi's head.

Below the giant head, a rope grew, and hanging from the rope was Shiraishi's corpse.

The two giant heads watched each other in the air.

Then, they moved closer and kissed.

Beneath their passionately kissing faces, Shiraishi's body twitched like a puppet.