Hisashi stood in front of the stove on the next morning. Grumbling because he had forgotten to shop the day before, he cracked an egg and put it on the frying pan.

He was feeling exhausted. The events last night… it just wouldn't leave him alone. He couldn't stop thinking about it, the strangest thing that had ever happened to him. Shit, he didn't even get enough sleep…

He still could recall that moment, even without closing his eyes. The way Jiro's ghost - that was a ghost, right? - kinda formed suddenly in front of him, the way Jiro looked so fragile and scared, the chills that had run down his spine as he realized that Jiro was transparent… and the way Jiro was just vanished into the air as he tried to reach him.

Questions again filled his head. Endless questions, swirling, spinning in his head. Questions he didn't know the answer of. Questions he didn't know how to find the answer of. Like, how come Jiro's ghost separated from his body? And why did he choose him? Why did Jiro have to make his appereance in front of him, of all people in the world? Why not Teru? Why not Takuro? Why not his family, father, mother, sisters or whatever he had?

For God's sake, why couldn't he just appear in his own house? Why here, of all places in this fucking world?

He kinda wished Jiro would appear again, so that he could ask him the questions in his head. But on the other hand, he *did* wish that he wouldn't have to have another time with a ghost. As much as he didn't want to admit it, being together with ghost was kinda… eerie. And he had to admit that he felt a bit scared too, eventhough it was the ghost of his friend that he had been face to face with.

"Your egg's burnt," a voice behind him commented lightly.

Hisashi whirled around in surprise.

Standing behind him, near the window under the streaming sunshine, was Jiro. It was just like last night, and even until now, he couldn't get over the fact that Jiro was transparent. Especially under the bright light like this.

But there was something different. Something that hadn't been there last night.

It was the mood. This Jiro didn't have the fear and desperation in his eyes. He didn't look - feel - dark, vurnerable and broken. This Jiro… this Jiro had that stubborness and - strangely - liveliness in his eyes. This Jiro had a brighter aura, a brighter feeling, in a friendly and easy-going way.

This Jiro… this Jiro felt like the Jiro he knew.

"Um… your egg's burnt," Jiro repeated again.

Hisashi turned to the frying pan and saw his egg burnt pathetically. "Shit," he hissed, turning off the stove and threw the overburnt egg to the waste bin. Taking a deep breath, Hisashi turned back to the ghost behind him.

"Shit, so you're real," he mumbled.

Jiro shrugged lightly. "As real as a ghost can be"

"Last night… it wasn't a dream too…"

"Nope… sorry to disappoint you"

Hisashi shook his head, trying to make the dazeness in him to disappear. "Why are you here?"

"… I don't know…" Jiro finally answered.

Hisashi's eyes narrowed. "You don't know?"

"I don't know," Jiro repeated.

"Really, Jiro, why are you here? Why do you come to *me*, of all the people in this whole world, why me? Why not someone else? Teru, Takuro, your family…"

"Hey, it isn't as if I choose to appear in front of *you*, of all people in the whole world!," Jiro retorted. "Maybe it would be better if I could choose and then I could, say, appear in front of Teru… heck, but no, sadly, I couldn't choose. I just happened to be here".

"You can't choose?" Hisashi echoed. "You mean, you are just kinda poffed out of nowhere and it always happened to always be in my place??"

"Not always at your place actually," Jiro shrugged lightly. "It can be anywhere… remember when you saw me on the street? Or in the car?"

"Don't remind me," Hisashi said wearily.

"It can be anywhere… it just happened that whenever I "poofed" out of no where there was always you there".

"How splendid," Hisashi muttered. Really, it was still nine in the morning and already he was visited by a *ghost* ?! "Didn't you scare everybody when you suddenly appear?"

"They couldn't see me," Jiro replied lightly. "No one notices my presence besides you"

"And of all people in the world, it has to be me who can sense and see your presence," Hisashi shook his head. "I can't believe my luck…"

"Uh huh," Jiro nodded, sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen. "I guess you'd better get used with it".

Hisashi frowned. "I didn't know that ghost could sit on the chair"

"I think I'm not sitting on it, I think I'm floating, but… I just found out too… I guess I have to adjust myself in being a ghost…"

It was unsettling to Hisashi, the way Jiro behaved now. Sure, he was kinda relieved that this Jiro was more like the Jiro he knew, but… but…

"Just how could you being so… ignorance over the fact that you're a ghost? You're a ghost now, for God's sake, shouldn't you feel more… I don't know… something…"

"And what can I do to change the fact that I'm a ghost?" Jiro interjected. "I can do nothing, I don't know what to do… the only thing I can do is being myself".

Hisa took a deep breath. Maybe Jiro was right. That the only thing he could do was being himself. Yes, indeed, what could he do to change the fact that Jiro was now a ghost?

Jiro stared at Hisashi, who turned to the referigerator and took two eggs out of it. Wordlessly, Hisashi began re-cooking his breakfast, and Jiro didn't know what else to do but sit there and stared at Hisashi's back.

He knew he should understand Hisashi's feeling. And he did. He did try and he did understand. Having a friend suddenly turned to be ghost was not on the top ten list of people's fave things. He knew too that he should've been more sensitive about it, that he shouldn't just appear out of nowhere and bluntly tell Hisashi that he was now a ghost and that the only people he knew could see him was Hisashi.

He stared at Hisashi's back that was facing him. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he shouldn't have appeared in front of Hisashi. Maybe he should've kept his presence unknown. Maybe he should've spared Hisashi this confussion.

But what else was he supposed to do? He himself was very down right scared and confused too with the whole fact that he was now a ghost. He remembered feeling terrified when no one noticed him. When he tried to grab, to hold on something, but whatever it was, it went through his hand. That was why he hadn't thought any further when he noticed that Hisashi *could* see him.

He stared at Hisashi, listening to the sound of the egg cackling on the frying pan, and somehow, he felt a strange sense of calm in him. He didn't know where the feeling came from… maybe it was because the relieving knowledge that at least Hisashi hadn't been freaked out and run away from him when he found out that his friend was now a ghost.

He suddenly remembered last night, and the words Hisashi had said last night echoed in his thought.

'… You won't die now, Jiro… you… will be okay…'

He had been a bit surprised to hear those words from Hisashi. Had it been coming from Teru, it wouldn't be a surprise. He would expect something like that from Teru. Not from Hisashi. But the words had calmed him, had given him back his confidence, his optimism. He had wanted to say how much he was grateful for that, but he had vanished suddenly.

It hadn't been on purpose. He couldn't control it. If he could, he just wanted to stay there, in the darkness of Hisashi's apartment, even for just a minute or two longer, and told Hisashi how much he was grateful.

Maybe this was a second chance. "Ne, Hisashi," he spoke up.

"…Nani yo?" Hisashi asked, turning off the stove and placed the egg on the plate.

"…Thank you," Jiro finally said, still staring at Hisashi's who still had his back facing him, waiting for his reaction.

There was a sudden silence for a while before Hisashi turned around and stared back at Jiro. "What for?"

"…For last night," Jiro said. "For last night… for making me feel better…"

Hisa paused mildly, before he finally let out a very small, almost invisible smile. "Aa, it's okay," he said, sitting down across Jiro. "I guess the situation made me react that way". He stared at Jiro slightly then added, "I'm glad you feel better"

"Me too," Jiro smiled, leaning back to his chair.

"Breakfast?" Hisashi asked, although he knew it would be a stupid question since it was a *ghost* that he was talking to.

Just as Hisashi had expected, Jiro threw him the *look*. "You know that ghost can't eat"

Hisashi shrugged. "Well, since you can sit on the chair, who knows maybe you can eat too"

"You've gotta be kidding me… besides, I'm floating, not sitting…"

"Whatever," Hisashi shrugged. "You wanna come along to the practice?"

"Can I?"

"Why not? 'Sides, who knows, maybe Takuro and Teru can see you too"

The thought of Teru and Takuro could see him lifted his spirit. Jiro beamed. "Okay!"

* * *

They arrived at the practice room earlier than usual. The room was still empty when they walked in. Hisashi leant the guitar to the wall and sat on the sofa, litting up his cigarette.

"Really, Hisashi," Jiro frowned. "You should try to stop smoking"

Hisashi raised his eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

Jiro shrugged, still frowning lightly. "It has bad effect to your voice and you could die from a lung desease"

Hisashi puffed the smoke to Jiro's direction. "That doesn't worry me," he replied nonchalantly. "Tell that to Teru. If his voice gets bad, it is all over for the rest of us"

"If you die, it will be bad for the rest of us," Jiro replied.

Hisashi stared at Jiro. His words… it almost didn't make any sense to him. Well, hello!! It was him, Jiro, who was a ghost now, and now he told him that? "So don't die then," he finally said. "Or it'll be over for the rest of us".

Suddenly the door was pushed open and Teru walked in. "Ah, Hisa?" he said, mildly surprised. "Something's up? It's unusual for you to come this early…"

"Just feel like it," Hisashi muttered. He frowned. So far Teru hadn't noticed Jiro. Was it really because he couldn't see Jiro or just because he hadn't noticed Jiro yet? He saw Jiro's face fell slightly as a deep frown marred his boyish face.

"Ne, Teru," he said, pointing to where Jiro was standing. "Do you see something there?"

Teru turned to where Hisashi was pointing… and shook his head. "Something unusual? Nope…"

"Are you sure?"

Teru blinked a few times and refocused his eyes. "… Nope… nothing unusual…," he turned back to Hisashi. "What is it that you see anyway?"

Hisashi stalled for a moment, wondering whether or not he should tell Teru about the existance of Jiro's ghost that was now haunting him, but then decided against it. "Nah," he shook his head. "Must be just my imagination…"

Teru looked unsure, but then decided to just accept Hisashi's answer. "Okay, if you say so…," he said, sitting on a chair not far away from Hisashi.

Hisashi stared at Jiro and saw the sadness clearly painted his face. He must be really disappointed. He hated to see Jiro like that. He didn't know what provoked the feeling. They weren't the best of friend. Before the accident, he couldn't care less of what Jiro was feeling.

But now… but now… what was it anyway that made him reacted this way??

"Are you okay?" he finally asked Jiro.

"…I guess so…" Teru answered, not knowing that the question wasn't directed at him. "Why do you ask?"

Hisashi startled, and silently cursing himself for doing such a stupid thing like that. "Ah…," he struggled to find something to say to Teru. He glanced at Jiro and saw him smiling a little.

"I'm okay," he heard Jiro answered. "Thanks for asking"

"I… I just thought you look kinda… tired," Hisashi finally said to Teru.

"I do?" Teru asked doubtfully. "… I'm fine…"

"Ah, by the way, where is Takuro?" Hisashi asked, abruptly changing the conversation. "Late for the first time?"

"Actually not really," Teru answered. "He's found a new bassist as a momentary substitute for Jiro and he is briefing him right now"

"He *WHAT*???????" Jiro exclaimed, not believing his ears. Find a new bassist? This soon??

Suddenly the door was opened and Takuro walked in, tugging along behind him the supposedly new bassist. "Ohayou, guyz," he greeted.

There were murmurs of greeting, but none really put attention to Takuro. Two pairs of eyes - three including Jiro - stared at the new guy, observing him thoroughly.

Hisashi stared at him. The new guy… well, he wasn't ugly… no, he was standard looking. His hair was combination of red and orange and he was tall, almost as tall as Takuro, and very slim. He reminded Hisashi of a walking stick. His eyes were small but sharp, with slightly pointed nose and thin lips.

His overall looking, including his wardrobe, gave him a bad boy image. Two earrings dangling on his right ear while five other on the other ear. His hair was tied in a loose, haphazard pony tail and a cigarrete dangling on the corner of his mouth.

His image was so different with the cute, boyish image that Jiro bore. Somehow, Hisashi found himself liking Jiro's image better.

"Where did Takuro find him anyway?" Jiro asked, annoyed.

Indeed, where did Takuro found him? Hisashi was wondering over the same thing. But it wouldn't be polite to ask about that in front of the new guy. Maybe he should find time to ask it to Takuro later.

"This is Ryo," Takuro introduced the new bassist. "The replacement - momentary replacement for Jiro"

Ryo nodded and threw them a sly smile. "I'm Ryo. Nice to meet ya"

As always, Teru was the first to react whenever it came to a new people. He stepped up and held out his hand, offering a handshake. "I'm Teru. I hope we can work together well"

Hisa stayed where he was. He had no intention to get to know Ryo more for the time being. No, not yet. Not because he disliked him, not because he was Jiro's replacement, it was simply his habit. Bad habit.

He could sense Jiro began sulking beside him. He glanced at the ghost and found out that he was right.

"I'm soooooo doomed!," Jiro moaned woefully. He sighed. "It was bad enough that Teru and Takuro couldn't see me… and now the new bassist. He looked like Sugizo and J put into one! Not that it is bad, but… but… but why a new bassist? Why… why this soon? Why…"

Hisashi, with his thinning patience, was sure that he couldn't take any whinning from Jiro. He really didn't need it now. "Oh, would you just shut up?" he snapped the ghost bassist, annoyed, knowing that if he didn't stop him right now, Jiro would keep whinning.

The room fell silent abruptly at Hisashi's impatient, harsh snap, and Hisashi suddenly realized what he had done. Ryo looked mildly surprised and Takuro stared almost disapprovingly at Hisashi. "Hisa…"

"I… sorry," he muttered, knowing it would be stupid if he said that he actually had been talking to Jiro's ghost. "I didn't mean it to you"

"Then who were you talking to?" Teru frowned, curious.

"… nothing…," he answered reluctantly, dejectedly knowing he would sound like a total idiot. "…no one…"

"Ne, if you have a problem, you can…"

"No, I said it was nothing," Hisashi cut off. "Really, just a slip"

"…Okay," Teru nodded slowly, and went back listening Takuro giving some instructions to Ryo of what he should do later.

Hisashi trew himself back to the sofa.

"Uh… I'm sorry?" Jiro said, biting his lip.

Hisashi just glared at him and sighed.

This was gonna be *really* long…