I Fell In Love With A Girl Who Died Before I Was Even Born

Shion came at me fast, fist cocked and flying for my face.

And just like before, I felt something in me brake open.

Time didn't just slow; it fractured into a thousand pieces, and I could the thread of each one.

Her punch moved like it was underwater.

I saw trajectory simply from the way her muscles coiled and twisted.

I didn't even think.

My body moved like it already knew where not to be, and I wasn't there when it landed.

I caught her fist in one hand. Not with force. With precision. Like I'd been waiting for it my whole life.

Then I twisted and threw her, not out of anger, just… instinct.

The moment I let go, the world snapped back into real-time with such incredible whiplash, I jumped back, surprised at how quickly everything was moving again.

I watched Shion arc through the air, surprise registering on her face.

She landed like a dancer, controlled, practiced. Grass bent under her but didn't protest.

Then she turned and looked at me. Her eyes were wide with something between shock and approval.

"Nice work, Blondie," she said.

I nodded, but everything felt off.

"Oh no," I said, hands going to my knees and bending forward. "It's happening again."

My skin was burning.

My heart pounded in my ears like war drums.

I felt like I might throw up. Or pass out. Or both.

Something had gone wrong, or maybe too right, and my body didn't know what to do with it, just like at the park.

Then I felt my ghost girl.

She was suddenly by my side, hands on my shoulders, and her touch was so cold it was perfect.

Her fingers felt like snowfall on a fever. The nausea backed off immediately, like it was afraid of her.

"It's all okay, Ryu," she whispered, her voice low and close. "I'm right here. Meditative breathing."

Then her fingers slid through me, but I didn't care because it had been enough.

I didn't even think.

I inhaled and breathed into my belly.

Felt it expand slowly.

Exhaled.

Again.

And again.

I started to feel my body stabilize, like I'd just returned from orbit and was relearning how gravity worked.

Then, I looked up and Shion was kneeling beside me.

"Hey," she said. "You're getting better at this."

And I almost fell over when I saw her smile at me.

"I think he is too," said Yuki.

Then Shion's eyes flashed with something that looked like both fear and longing.

And she shook her head.

"Okay," she said, backing up. "That's enough wholesomeness for me. In fact, that's my quota for the week."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natsumi lounging on the edge of the clearing.

She was taking a long, lazy hit from her vape like this was after breakfast foreplay. She didn't even look at me when she held it out.

"Natsumi thinks American-jin could use it," she said. "It takes off edge."

She grinned and blew a smoke ring into the air.

I stared at it for a second, then took the vape from her. The end was still warm. Familiar. I hesitated, then inhaled.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The mango-flavored vapor hit the back of my throat.

Nothing like a cheap vape flavor, but I'd had worse, and I was enjoying the lightheaded feeling from earlier.

"I swear, I'll never understand this newfangled stuff," Yuki complained. "Not that I ever smoked, but why make a complicated joint?"

I let the smoke slide out of my mouth slow, and with it went the worst of the tension in my chest.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

Natsumi grinned like a lizard in sunlight. "Natsumi thinks snake is faster than human," she said. "But not as fast as cat."

Shion scoffed. She stepped up beside me, arms crossed tight. "I'm faster than a human," she muttered.

I didn't answer. I was still listening to my heart, still feeling the ghost of Yuki's hands on my shoulders.

Something was happening. Something was changing.

And for the first time, I didn't feel afraid of it.

Yuki clapped her hands gently. "It's getting late. We need to head to Crescent Moon Academy."

Natsumi stretched her arms behind her back, then cracked her knuckles. "Natsumi wants a go at American-jin before leaving."

I blinked. "What?"

She strode forward, tucking her vape into her biker shorts.

"To prove she's faster," she said, already grinning. "And Natsumi doesn't even need to train."

She rolled her shoulders, stepping into the clearing like she owned it, then pulled out the cheapest pair of yellow sunglasses I'd ever seen: worn plastic, scratched lenses, probably from a vending machine.

She slipped them on with a dramatic flourish and pointed at me like she was issuing a challenge.

I stretched a little. More out of instinct than confidence.

Yuki frowned beside me.

"We really do need to hurry," she said.

Natsumi waved her off. "American-jin won't last long."

Shion pointed towards her wrist.

"Tick tock, everyone," Shion added, deadpan.

I exhaled.

"All right then. Show me what you've got."

She grinned wider.

And then I felt an explosion of pain in the center of my chest.

Boom.

And I collapsed to my knees like I'd been hit with a crowbar wrapped in attitude.

I didn't even see her move. One second she was standing across from me, the next her fist was buried in my ribs.

"Was that fast enough for American-jin?" she asked, voice light, casual.

I couldn't talk.

She'd knocked the wind right out of me.

My mouth opened but nothing came out except a wheeze. I nodded, hunched over, clutching my side in pain.

Shion gave a low whistle. "Damn."

Yuki rushed to my side, her face stormy.

"What does that prove?" she snapped. "Why would you just hit him?"

Natsumi shrugged.

"To show that Natsumi's faster than dragon-boy. And Natsumi doesn't even have to train."

Yuki looked furious.

"That doesn't matter!" Yuki shot back. "Ryu should still train. He should get better!"

Natsumi nodded. "Sure. That's not point."

She turned back toward me, twirling the vape between her fingers.

"Some things American-jin can't get better at. No matter what."

She gave me a cheeky grin and a half-shrug.

"Natsumi's just saying, train all you want, but don't think that'll fix what American-jin can't improve. Doesn't mean training bad. Doesn't mean shouldn't be smart and plan."

She took a hit from her vape and blew out another mango-cloud.

"It just means this: don't go alone. American-jin help Natsumi around the onsen sometimes. Gets Hibana off Natsumi's back. So now… Natsumi helps."

I looked up at her, still gripping my chest.

And despite the pain, I couldn't stop the smile that pulled at my mouth.

From the side, Shion made a sound halfway between a sigh and a snort.

"He's got a vampire," she muttered. "And a ghost. Oh boy. He brought home a cat."

Natsumi rolled her eyes as Yuki and Shion shared a laugh.

"Natsumi's not a stray," she muttered. "Natsumi was at Shin'yume-sou before American-jin."

I glanced toward the sky.

Please don't be up there, Murasaki.

I didn't want to explain her.

Not yet.

But I knew I'd see her again soon enough.

We left the clearing and made it back to the onsen.

Shion grabbed her bike, unlocked the chain from the rail, and nodded toward the path.

We started walking up the hill, headed for Crescent Moon Academy.

"It's not enough," Yuki said as we headed towards the trail that led us to school.

"What's not enough?" I asked.

She sighed as she floated beside us.

"Your training. It's not enough for you to stand up to Ken," she said.

Natsumi nodded.

"American-jin loses himself when he uses powers," she noted.

Shion scoffed.

"I'd say," she added sourly. "Blondie, you look like you're ready to puke every time. You might've tossed me over your shoulder, but you've got to be able to maintain yourself in a real fight."

I agreed.

"Yeah, but that's going to be hard when it feels like the world's spinning. If someone throws a punch, or tries to fight me, time slows down. Afterwards, it's like the worst hangover in my life," I said.

Natsumi raised an eyebrow.

"American-jin gets sensory-overload," she said matter-of-factly. "Just ground yourself."

Shion looked confused.

I was glad because I wasn't the only one who didn't understand.

"What're you talking about?" she asked.

We walked a little further, just past the konbini, when Natsumi stopped. A couple of other students walked by us. She took a hit from her vape, offered it to me, and then gestured to everything around us.

"Right now, world is what we know," she said. "Trail. Sky. Students going to class. Ha. Natsumi doesn't go unless Natsumi wants to go."

I nodded.

"Okay," I said. "What's your point."

I blew out some smoke and gave Natsumi her vape back.

"When American-jin 'slows time' or whatever, everything becomes noticeable. Brain takes in everything. Natsumi's brain is using both cat and human parts at once. American-jin using both snake and human brain at same time."

She pointed at the konbini.

"Now, it's not just noticing the trail and the sky. Your brain sees konbini, buzzing lights, sound of feet on ground and air on skin."

She made a dramatic explosive gesture with her hands above her head.

"Too much and brain overload," she said.

Shion took a breath and laughed.

"Wow, Natsumi," she said. "That blew my mind. It's too much for Blondie to take, huh?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Natsumi thinks it's too much for anyone."

I could agree with that.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" I asked.

Natsumi took a deep breath.

"Natsumi says find something to focus on. Just one thing. Ground. Maybe breath. And let it center American-jin. Then, it's just one thing and not everything."

Yuki smiled.

"Wow, that's so simple logic. I wish I'd thought of that."