Ryner, are you okay? asked Rita as she floated toward him. "You were roughed up pretty bad—there's blood on your face," she said, trying to reach out to him. But Ryner slapped her hand away.
"Don't touch me!!" shouted Ryner.
"What do you mean? What did I do?" asked Rita, confused.
"Why did you interfere with that fight? It wasn't your place to do so," Ryner said in an angered tone.
"But if I didn't stop them, you could've died," Rita replied in a low voice.
"Shut up! I didn't ask for your help!" snapped Ryner.
"But I couldn't just stand there and watch them hurt you any longer," said Rita, trying to keep her voice steady. "You've done so much to help me, putting yourself in danger and risking your life just so I can go back to normal. You can't expect me to do nothing."
"Listen," Ryner said coldly, "I agreed to help you with your problems, but never intervene in my personal life. Got that? I'll handle it myself."
"You bastard," said Thomas, clearly upset. "Rita went out of her way to help you, and this is how you thank her?"
"Shut up, Thomas. Don't even start. And besides, the dead shouldn't interfere with the living. Remember that," Ryner said as he picked up Shimoya, still unconscious, and walked away.
Ryner's words pierced Rita's heart. A deep ache filled her chest as a painful realization surfaced. "Am I just another ghost to him and nothing more?" she whispered to herself, tears welling in her eyes. She began to cry quietly. Thomas watched her for a moment, then sighed.
"I didn't expect the kid to go that far," he muttered to himself.
"Where am I…?" Shimoya murmured as she slowly opened her eyes.
"You're finally awake. Sorry about what happened... it's my fault you got hurt," Ryner said, his voice quiet and full of guilt.
"No, it wasn't your fault. Those guys are to blame, not you," said Shimoya as she sat up. "As soon as I fixed myself up a bit, they started acting crazy. If anything, I was the one who got you into trouble."
"No… I'm the one who caused it all," Ryner replied. "I had unfinished business with that jerk, and you got caught up in it. I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize. Besides, you defended me, so thank you for that."
"No… I wasn't the one," Ryner said to himself. "It was Rita. That's what I wanted to say." He looked down, his thoughts tangled. "But this was something I wanted to settle alone. I've been training for the day I'd fight Tyler again, but ever since I met Rita, it's like all those plans shattered. I even forgot why I started them in the first place."
Meanwhile, Rita floated silently, replaying everything in her mind.
"I've been so focused on going back to normal, I didn't even consider how Ryner feels about any of this," she thought. "In fact… I don't know anything about him. Not really. I don't know why he acted so harshly today. He was kind enough to help me without hesitation, and I wanted to help him any way I could… but it looks like I struck a nerve. I wonder what happened between him and that guy Tyler."
She paused, glancing at the house from outside.
"Maybe Amelia knows something… but she can't see or hear me. I can't ask Ryner to act as my voice either."
Then a thought crossed her mind.
"I know. I should call Jack Crow," she said to herself and pulled out the phone Ryner had lent her for emergencies. She dialed Jack's number.
"Hello, this is Deacon Crow. How may I assist you today?" answered Jack.
"This is Rita—the ghost girl who knows Ryner," she replied.
"Oh, yeah, I remember you. First time I've had a call with a ghost. Kinda creepy, not gonna lie," said Jack. "So, what do you want? I'm a busy man, so don't waste my time with nonsense."
"I assure you, it's serious. Something only you can help with."
"…Alright. I'll be on my way," Jack said after a short pause.
"I'm sorry for lying, Jack," Rita whispered after the call. "But this is important. I need to know what happened."
Some time later, the doorbell rang. Amelia, hearing it, called out, "Coming!" as she hurried downstairs. But before she could reach the door, it creaked open on its own, as if pulled by an invisible force.
When she saw the man standing outside, she froze. He was dressed in full black, with all sorts of bizarre items hanging from the coat he wore. A cigarette hung from his lips, smoke drifting in thin coils. Amelia trembled with fear.
"So why did you call me over?" Jack asked coolly as he took a puff.
"I—I didn't call you at all… who the hell are you?" asked Amelia, her voice shaky.
"My name's Jack Crow. I'm a friend of a high school student who lives here. His name's Ryner Stones," Jack replied.
"She's one of the reasons I called you," said Rita softly, floating nearby.
"Is she possessed or something? Want me to perform an exorcism?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"An exorcism?! Who even are you and what do you want with my brother?!" Amelia shouted, backing away in alarm.
"Calm down, miss. I'm not here to hurt you," Jack said, stepping into the house casually.
"Stay away from me! Don't come any closer!" cried Amelia. She rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and pointed it at him. "I've never killed anyone before—but don't test me. Leave. Now."
Jack sighed. "Jeez… You call me here to help you, Rita, and now I'm being threatened by this girl. What to do…"
"Wait… do you know Rita?" Amelia asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, I know both her and Ryner. And this isn't my first time in this house," Jack replied.
Amelia blinked, confused. "This is all so confusing. I thought you were here to rob us or kill us…"
"And what gave you that impression?" Jack asked with a dry laugh.
"Well, for one—your fashion sense. The way you dress, all these weird items, and the fact that you're a stranger who just walked in uninvited," said Rita bluntly.
"Well… fair enough. But this is just my style," Jack replied with a shrug.
"Were you… talking to Rita just now?" asked Amelia slowly.
"Yes, I was. She's right there."
"So… you can see her too. My younger brother was able to talk to her," said Amelia, her tone softening. She lowered the knife.
"What's your relationship with this woman, Rita?" Jack asked.
"We were friends… when I was alive," Rita replied quietly.