Ma Tao unscrewed the lid of his Doraemon thermos, blew on the goji berries floating on the water, and took a small sip.
As a ghost who had spent most of his life struggling, he decided to give up trying after entering Class Thirteen.
He had once diligently studied ways to find a Substitute Ghost, researching the School Rules in the classroom building by day and working overtime in the Dormitory by night, hunting for prey. He wore himself out every day and scrimped and saved, all to escape being a ghost and become human.
For years, he had never dared let up for even a moment. And what had that gotten him? The ghosts sharing his Dormitory had been harvested by the rules, their souls utterly destroyed. He had fought tooth and nail to get into Class Thirteen, only to discover it was just another school.
There was no happiness, no sense of belonging. When he turned back in a panic, the person in the mirror had already become a stranger. Not even ashes remained of his youthful days.
Perhaps that saying was right: ghosts who could endure hardship would always have more hardship to endure.
Looking at his classmates' bizarre, twisted souls, Ma Tao felt he could not measure up. His reflection still looked the way he had before becoming a ghost, but his flesh and blood were collapsing. He could no longer recognize that face, nor remember it.
Shuffling his feet, Ma Tao finally stopped in front of the door.
Unlike what had happened with his Class Thirteen classmates, the door before him did not react at all. Its silence felt like mockery.
A door willing to open for others always remained closed to him, not even bothering to make a sound.
He glanced back awkwardly. The