The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and Jenny was the first to pack up her things. She had already agreed with Haruto that they'd meet after school so they could go to the church pastor's house together.
She had told her mom she'd be hanging out with a friend, so there was no need for her to come fetch her—she could just focus on work instead.
Jenny waited near the gate, tapping her foot impatiently, until Haruto finally stepped out of the school building about six minutes later.
"There you are," Jenny said. "What took you so long?"
"I'm right on time," Haruto replied casually. "You're the one who's too early." He glanced at her. "Why do you even want to see Pastor B anyway?"
"Do you really want to know?" Jenny asked as they started walking side by side.
"Hai!" he said enthusiastically, meaning yes.
"Fine," Jenny sighed. "I see… things."
"Things?" Haruto repeated. "As in—you see ghosts?" he asked, half-joking.
"Kind of," Jenny said carefully. "It's more like I see reflections of a person's inner self and feelings. And not long ago, it attacked me. I literally—" She stopped, unsure how to finish.
Haruto went quiet.
Jenny expected him to laugh, maybe call her crazy. But he didn't.
"I think those are what people call auras," he said after a moment. "That's… strange. I get why you want to talk to Pastor B now. But I don't think he'll be able to help you."
"Auras…" Jenny repeated softly, testing the word. "But why wouldn't he help me?" she asked.
"Sure, Pastor B is kind of crazy," Haruto said, shrugging. "And he does believe supernatural stuff happens because of God, but…" He trailed off.
"I don't want him to take anything away from me," Jenny said quickly. "I just want to understand what this is."
"I understand," Haruto said thoughtfully. "So… can you see my aura?"
Jenny looked at him.
Of course she could.
It hovered close to him, warm and soft, shaped by emotions she didn't dare name too clearly. Affection. Hope. Something gentle and earnest. Jenny smiled, a little nervously.
"Yeah," she said. "It looks happy. Kind of like you."
She kept her eyes forward as she said it.
Haruto smiled at that, clearly pleased by her answer.
They soon stopped in front of a house that looked old and poorly maintained, its paint peeling and the fence leaning at an awkward angle.
Haruto stepped up to the door and knocked loudly.
"Pastor B! It's Haruto from church. Someone wants to see you!"
The door opened almost immediately.
A man dressed in pastor's clothes stood there, his hair graying along with his beard. Both were wild and unkempt, as if he'd just come out of a heated argument—or a fight with something unseen.
"Ah!" the man exclaimed. "Haruto, my boy! What brings you to my humble abode?"
"This is my girl— I mean, school— friend Jenna—"
"It's Jenny," Jenny corrected sharply.
"Yeah, that's what I said. Jenny," Haruto replied smoothly. He gestured toward her. "She wanted to see you because she's been seeing… stuff."
"Stuff, you say?" the pastor's eyes sharpened. "Come in, come in—quickly."
He ushered them inside with surprising urgency.
The kids set their bags down beside the front door, and Jenny froze as she looked around.
From the outside, the house had looked hideous—nearly abandoned. But inside, it was something else entirely.
A wooden staircase led up to a massive bookshelf-lined landing. Vintage furniture filled the space, worn but elegant, and small glowing planets hung from the ceiling like a miniature universe.
A cross was mounted above the front door.
And cats. Lots of cats.
The whole place felt… mythical.
"You didn't see this coming, did you?" Haruto whispered.
"No," Jenny breathed. "Not even a little. It's beautiful in here."
"Thank you—you flatter me," the pastor said, taking a seat on the couch. "Please, sit."
Jenny and Haruto sat down across from him.
The pastor reached for the cup of tea resting on the coffee table and took a slow sip. Up close, Pastor B didn't look as crazy as Mike and Haruto had described—strange, maybe, but not unhinged.
"So," the pastor said calmly, "you mentioned that you've been seeing things?"
"Um… yes," Jenny replied. "I don't really know what they are. They're like reflections of people's inner selves and emotions. Everyone has one."
The pastor tilted his head. "So you can see mine?"
Jenny looked at him.
She could.
His aura was wild—untamed. It wore no shirt, only a skirt made of leaves, with long, messy hair that moved as if stirred by an invisible wind. Jenny smiled faintly. Now she understood why people called him crazy. It wasn't madness—it was who he was.
"Yes," she said simply.
Haruto and the pastor exchanged a look.
"Tell him about the one that attacked you," Haruto said.
Jenny swallowed. "On my first day of school, there was this girl—Ashley. She looked really depressed, and her aura didn't look right. It was formless, dark… wrong. When I reached out to her, it attacked me." She hesitated. "But my Bible turned into a shield and protected me."
The pastor nodded slowly, then took another sip of his tea before setting the cup down.
"This is truly a strange occurrence," he said. "And I can tell you one thing."
He suddenly began to hum softly and brought his hands together.
Jenny stared at him, confused, then leaned toward Haruto. "What's he doing?" she whispered.
"Just… go along with it," Haruto murmured back.
The pastor's voice lowered.
"You, young lady… are chosen."
"What?" Jenny asked.
"You are chosen," he repeated. "Wait for the Lord, and soon He will make all things clear."
"I don't understand," Jenny said.
"Wait for the Lord, and soon He will make all things clear," the pastor repeated, eyes still closed.
Then the humming stopped. He blinked, as if snapping out of a trance.
"So," he said cheerfully, "would you like some tea?"
Jenny blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden shift.
"Whoa—whoa. What just happened?" she asked. "What do you mean by chosen?"
"Chosen to do what?" the pastor replied absently. "Would you like some tea?" he added, as if he hadn't said anything strange at all.
What is wrong with him? Jenny thought.
She stood up abruptly. "Okay. This was a mistake. Thank you for your time, sir, but I have to go."
Haruto stood up as well.
"Nice seeing you," the pastor said cheerfully. "Hope to see you in church on Sunday. Bye, Haruto."
Jenny grabbed her bag and opened the front door. Haruto followed quickly behind her, slinging his own bag over his shoulder.
As the door closed, the pastor's smile faded.
"Don't you think you were a little too early, Lord?" he murmured.
Silence answered him.
"Hey! Hey!" Haruto called as he hurried after Jenny. "Wait up!"
Jenny stopped walking and folded her arms. "I thought he'd help me understand what's going on with me," she said, frustration slipping into her voice. "You were right. He was no help at all."
"I told you," Haruto said gently. "But… at least now you know you're chosen."
"Chosen to do what?" Jenny asked.
Haruto hesitated. "Jenna— I mean, Jenny… I think Pastor B was right about one thing. You should wait on the Lord. No one else can really give you that answer." He glanced at her. "And don't you think you're being a little impatient?"
Jenny thought about it, then sighed. "You're right. I am being impatient." She looked at him. "I'll wait. And… thank you for taking me to Pastor B. I really appreciate it."
Haruto's ears turned red. "Yeah—yeah! I welcome! I mean—you're welcome—" He laughed awkwardly.
Jenny smiled. "You're so weird, Haruto. I guess that's what makes you interesting."
They walked together for a while before heading toward their separate homes.
But the entire way, Jenny couldn't shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching her.