Crossover: I Took In a Runaway High School Girl

Following Sayu Ogiwara's instructions, Renji Kamisaka arrived at the junior high school where Sayu used to study. It was, after all, a school in the countryside, secluded and quiet. There was a hole in the wire fence behind the campus, a perfect spot to slip in unnoticed.

Upon reaching a teaching building, Sayu Ogiwara's body began to tremble uncontrollably. She hugged Renji Kamisaka's arm, gripping it tightly, and could barely stand upright. Her face was ashen, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Renji... I want to go to the rooftop," her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. "That's where it all started and ended."

Renji Kamisaka understood. Sayu was speaking of the beginning and end of her friendship with her best friend, the girl who had jumped from the building and committed suicide right in front of her.

Stepping onto the stairs, every step Sayu took was filled with dread, her body continuously shivering. Yuko's suicide had left her with an unimaginable psychological shadow, locking a part of her heart in darkness.

"Hah..."

Renji Kamisaka's spiritual eyes activated. Under his gaze, a girl in a school uniform, with a slender figure and a few spots on her face, stared at him and Sayu. Her figure was somewhat transparent, flickering like an illusion amidst the shadows. Clearly, she was Sayu Ogiwara's suicidal friend, and her name was Yuko Masaka.

Renji Kamisaka calmly led Sayu Ogiwara to the rooftop. A cold wind blew, carrying with it whispers of bitter memories. There were several worn-out wooden benches there, silent witnesses to all that had happened. Sayu Ogiwara shivered, her eyes growing dull, vacant. She released Renji Kamisaka's arm and stumbled forward, her knees collapsing in front of a bench.

Her voice trembled, breaking the painful silence. "Renji, this is the beginning and the end of everything." A single tear fell from her eye, wetting her cheek. "I killed Yuko." Sobs began to escape her. "I thought I could resist, but it was just wishful thinking. I didn't look at Yuko's face and truly understand her."

As she spoke, the girl couldn't stop her tears from falling. The transparent girl beside her—Yuko—also wept, ghostly tears flowing down her untouchable cheeks. Sayu's words fell into Renji Kamisaka's ears without a single one lost.

"It's not your fault, Sayu," Yuko's voice sounded, thin as a whisper of wind. "I said it, it's not your fault. It's because I was too timid that this happened." She had been isolated by others at school, bullied, had water poured on her, locked in the toilet, and seen by her best friend. She couldn't think clearly for a while, so she jumped from the building and committed suicide. Now she regretted it. She hadn't expected her death to cause such trauma to her best friend.

"Sayu... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for you!" Yuko cried, profound sadness radiating from her presence.

Suddenly, Renji Kamisaka's voice cut through the silence. "If you want to say sorry, say it to me and say it to her!"

"Huh? What?" Yuko was bewildered, her transparent expression creasing.

"What? Don't you want to apologize? Give me your hand." Renji Kamisaka extended his hand to Yuko, an unexpected offer.

"You can see me? Yes, you can hear me and talk to me..." Yuko stammered, her eyes wide. "Please." Yuko mustered her courage, her ghostly presence trembling, and placed her hand in Renji's palm.

Sayu Ogiwara also heard Yuko's words, though unclear, and looked down, aware of something shifting. When Yuko's figure gradually became clear, more solid, more real, Sayu quickly ran towards her.

"Yu... Yuko, is that really you?" Sayu's voice trembled, disbelieving.

"Yes, it's me, Sayu." Yuko's eyes were also filled with tears, now clearly visible, and the two best friends hugged each other, a reunion that transcended the boundaries of life and death.

"I'm sorry, Sayu, I'm so useless." Yuko murmured into Sayu's shoulder. "My death was the result of my own choice, I don't blame you." Yuko took a deep breath, as if trying to feel a breath that had long been lost. "After I died, I found that I could only stay in this place. I couldn't go anywhere, I couldn't touch anything. This might be my punishment."

Renji Kamisaka sat on the bench, merely as a tool, watching the two girls communicate. As for the principle of making Yuko appear, it was actually the magic power in his body. He originally had spiritual eyes, and using magic power to activate them had a special effect that allowed this interaction.

With Yuko's comfort, Sayu finally released the knot in her heart. The two girls chatted for a long time, sharing stories, tears, and belated laughter.

In the end, Yuko was scolded by Renji Kamisaka. "You're not afraid of death, why didn't you think of giving those who bullied you a good lesson before dying? Or it would have been worth it to take them with you, but you had to make your beloved friend suffer!"

Yuko continued to hang her head as he scolded her, her cheeks burning, even though she was a spirit. "I'm just a coward... I felt ashamed to be seen by Sayu looking at me in such a mess, and I couldn't think clearly for a while and... that's how it was."

"Renji, don't be mean to Yuko, Yuko's miserable enough," Sayu defended her best friend, her voice soft but firm. She looked at Renji with hopeful eyes. "Do you have a way to make Yuko leave here and come with me?"

Renji Kamisaka naturally had no way. He didn't have such a skill entry yet. However, he called Frieren, and after Frieren chanted some ancient magic spells, she used her staff to point. Instantly, Yuko felt the spiritual bond tying her to the ground loosen, and she floated, slowly entering Sayu Ogiwara's phone, a soft light enveloping her.

Frieren was still admirable. According to the explanation given to him by Frieren after studying the spirits of this world, Yuko became an earth-bound spirit due to her suicide and guilt towards Sayu Ogiwara. The key to the solution lay in the sincere friendship between the two. And through this extraordinary bond, the mobile phone could temporarily become Yuko's abode.

Bringing Yuko with them, Renji Kamisaka and Sayu Ogiwara checked into the hotel room Issa Ogiwara had booked. That night, Sayu Ogiwara and Yuko chatted for a long time, their voices whispering late into the night. Unconsciously, it was the next day.

Sayu Ogiwara finally had to confront her mother. Renji Kamisaka naturally accompanied her, offering support.

Sitting in Issa Ogiwara's car, the three of them arrived at a house that looked ordinary, yet to Sayu, it felt like a fortress filled with bitter memories. Issa Ogiwara opened the door and entered first. Noisy sounds came from within, hurried footsteps.

A woman wearing house clothes and glasses came out in a pair of slippers, her face grim.

"Mother, I brought Sayu back..." Issa Ogiwara said with a smile, trying to defuse the atmosphere.

However, before he could finish his words, the woman slapped Sayu Ogiwara fiercely. The sound of the slap was loud, and Sayu's cheek immediately turned red. The girl staggered and almost fell, her eyes wide with surprise and pain. Renji Kamisaka quickly supported her, holding her tightly.

He couldn't help but stare at the woman. Is this Sayu's mother? How cruel! When her runaway daughter came home, she didn't greet her with joy, but slapped her fiercely.

"Mother!" Issa Ogiwara was also stunned, not expecting his mother to be so excessive.

The woman snorted coldly, her voice sharp as a knife. "You still know how to come back. You brought me trouble when you were at home, and you still brought a lot of trouble when you left. Now you're bringing more trouble, aren't you? Who is this man?" Her eyes shifted to Renji, full of malice.

Renji Kamisaka smiled faintly, a smile that was not friendly at all. He stepped forward and shielded Sayu, standing tall in front of her.

"Hello, Madam. My name is Renji Kamisaka. I'm currently a Soubu High School student and also Sayu's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?! I thought you were the criminal!" The woman sneered, her voice rising. "Don't you know that it's a crime to abduct a high school girl? You haven't been back for so long. You imprisoned her, didn't you? Really, you've caused so much trouble. What do you want?" She pointed at Sayu with a trembling finger. "I shouldn't have chosen to give birth to you!"

"Whack!"

A loud slap broke the silence. The woman stumbled, her hand reflexively covering her burning face, her eyes wide, staring at Renji in disbelief.

Issa Ogiwara shouted loudly, "Why did you hit her?!"

Renji Kamisaka spat in disdain. "She can hit my Sayu, so why can't I hit her?" His eyes bored into Sayu's mother. "Don't make a mistake. I didn't bring Sayu back this time to let people beat or scold her."

As he said that, he pulled out a guardian transfer responsibility letter, a document he had prepared, and handed it to the woman.

"Sign this. From now on, you are no longer Sayu's guardian. If you don't care about Sayu, I will! I will take care of your daughter whom you don't love! Don't ever think about bullying Sayu again!"

The woman stared at him in disbelief, her eyes welling up, and suddenly burst into a wailing cry. "Wuwuwu... you hit me?" She pointed at Renji with a trembling finger. "You not only hit me, but you also tried to steal my daughter. You... you criminal are too arrogant. I'll call the police!" She turned to Issa. "Issa, what are you doing? Get him out!"

Issa Ogiwara was also furious. Even for Sayu, this kid couldn't hit his mother. He stepped forward, "Renji, please leave first."

Renji Kamisaka snorted coldly. "Sign this, and I'll take Sayu away immediately!"

Sayu Ogiwara's mother couldn't stand the grievance, and ran directly with her eyes closed, tears flooding her face. She glared at Sayu fiercely, her eyes incredibly cold, full of deep hatred. Sayu Ogiwara covered her aching cheek, feeling bitterness in her heart. Her mother didn't care about her at all.

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