I Never Expected That

Jo scored another basket. Why couldn't his dad have brought his mum too? Why did he have to leave his Mum and come to Japan? It started to rain but he didn't care if he got soaked and sick in the end. He wanted to cry but his eyes were dry. He stood outside his house, wondering what school would be like.
     "Jo! Let's go inside now!" said his Dad out of nowhere.
How long had his Dad been standing outside? Was he keeping a watch on Jo this entire time? Was he doing this out of care or pity?
     "Last basket!" said Jo, doing a lay-up.
     "Sleep on time, you've got school tomorrow," said his Dad as he put the towel on Jo's head.
     "Sleep tight," he whispered.

Jo took his old black bag to school the next day. It was a good sunny day. He was in form C. He had heard rumors at his entry test day about his grade, 9C-The Cursed Grade. Why did I have to be put in a cursed class! he thought miserably. There were small eyed students everywhere. He was different! American. He didn't look forward to his day. Interestingly, his seat was at the back of the class-next to the Cursed Seat! Marvelous, he thought as he glumly took out his books for the next lesson.

At break time, he remained sitting in his position. The rumors were strange. Ten years ago, there once was a boy in this class. He was loved by everyone in the school. But one day, he died-he died a horrible death. But no-one wanted to believe that he died so they pretended that he was in the class. The Cursed Seat remained at it's place since then. Teachers asked questions from this non-existent human. It was creepy enough just sitting next to the Seat. Jo looked around the class. He found a short girl sitting right behind the cursed Seat. So he got up from his Seat and walked up to her because no one was talking to her nor him.
     "Hello! My name is Jo...What's yours?" he asked politely.
The girl had a purple eye and had a white eye-patch on her left eye.
She looked at him but didn't say anything.
     "Are you a new-comer too?!!"  he continued, smiling.
She had shoulder length jet black hair.
     "Akira," she replied.
     "Why are you talking to the wall, Jo?!" tapped the Class President on his shoulder.
He turned around, terrified.
     "What do you mean?" he asked,"She's Aki-"
     "No, there's no one there," interrupted President Kana.
Wait, there's something wrong with the students in this class, he thought. They seemed to be ignoring Akira, even the teachers! They were treating her like air-invisible.
     "You shouldn't be talking with me," he heard Akira say and suddenly there was a crash.
Jo rushed out to see what had happened. There was a crowd on the stairs. And there he saw a girl lying dead with an umbrella stuck in her eye. She bled non-stop. It was a horrifying sight. As he turned away his gaze, he noticed Kana glaring at him, fire filled in her eyes. She came walking towards him and grabbed him by his collar.
     "You killed her!!" she shouted.
Revenge in her eyes. How she wanted to cut him into pieced for murdering her friend.
     "What...how...what are you saying?" he said, his voice full of confusion.
     "I warned you...I warned you not to talk to that girl!!!"
     "Who her? You talkin' about Akira?" he replied back in anger and wonder-struck.

This is stupid! he thought and walked off to the library. It was dark and dusty. An old man sat at the counter.
     "I know what happened up there, son. Not your fault...Not your fault," spoke the old librarian. He sounded like seventy years old.
Jo remained silent.
     "You can't sit here doing nothing...here...take these," went on the old librarian, giving him a bunch of dusty year books.
He picked up a random year book and began exploring it. As he looked at Form 9C from ten years ago-a total co-incidence-he found himself in it! Now that was even more horrifying. He wasn't even in Japan at that time-he didn't even go to school by then! The photograph was taken under a cherry blossom tree. What was funny, was that he spotted 'Akira' standing at the back of the class. She wasn't 'in' the group but she was there in the photograph. But how come she was the same even after ten years? Or she could have been her sister perhaps?
     "He died before the Middle School Graduation Day," heard Jo.
He didn't feel the old man's presence at all! He swung around to check-it was all dark at the back.
     "I'm sitting here, lad," said the old man.
Jo turned back and saw him sitting right in front of him. His head was spinning with all these strange things happening.
     "So then why is he in the photograph?" asked Jo.
No answer.
He looked at the names.
     "Zack Saphire," he read it aloud.
Thankgod we don't have the same name, he thought. No wait-Saphire? It's too much of a co-incidence to have the same last name and the same spelling too! And he looked just like him! Why is this happening to me, he thought. And he died before graduation. So how come he's here? Do ghosts exist? Can they have their pictures taken? Wasn't the photograph shocked at this-this dead student's figure? Or-or-he just appeared-what was Akira doing at the back? Oh no! What is she doing to the tree trunk? All these thoughts were killing him. He thought of Kana's vengeful eyes and Akira's strange reply. Did Akira do something wrong?
The old man laughed. What a funny laugh, thought Jo.
     "She was the cause of his death," said the old man.
It was as if he was reading Jo's mind but he didn't care.
     "You mean-she killed him?" he asked hesitantly.
     "No-no-the cherry blossom tree did...his soul still wanders-that's why students die around this season-you are a transfer student, aren't you?"
He nodded.
     "Why do you think your Mum didn't join you?" asked the old man.
Jo looked at him in the darkness-how did he know?
     "I knew her...she is a weak woman...couldn't come here...sent you two instead-"
     "To say good-bye forever," whispered Jo, completing the sentence.
Suddenly he remembered things. Even though he was a child he remembered his mum screaming and crying.
     "Let the dead rest in peace, Jo...hurry up," encouraged the old librarian.

Jo got on his feet. He ran all the way home and unpacked all those boxes and then he found the graduation certificate. His Dad was home-gardening. He dragged his Dad to Zack's grave. It was under the cherry blossom tree. His Dad had tears in his eyes. He couldn't bear to see his son's grave. Jo put the certificate on Zack's grave. The Father and Son clapped their hands.
     "I never expected that we would be meeting like this, Brother. We shall reunite in Heaven," said Jo slowly, pronouncing every word clearly.
Suddenly a strong wind blew, showering cherry blossom flowers on the Two.
     "Thankyou...Love you, Brother and Pops," whispered the wind and then all was clear.

All Zack wanted was his certificate. He was angry for being killed before that important event-graduation. He left his soul in Akira-his tool. Ah, how playful!

(The Story's initial plot is taken from the Anime "Another" where the class is cursed and the girl wears the eye patch and strange accidents take place because of the extra in class. You should really watch the Anime. It's great! And it's only 13 eps. And if you enjoy reading Manga...well, this Anime has got a Manga too. As far as I remember, the Anime follows the Manga).