《Hollow》


 The transfer student.

    Have you heard?


    There will be a transfer student coming to our class. Strangely, I haven''t heard anything about it except that the transfer student will be coming today. There is no clarity about where they are from, which school they are transferring from, or even their gender.


    At first, I thought it was because I didn''t care. Why should I bother looking up about the new student? But now, for some reason, I feel uncomfortable. A strange feeling that tells me something wrong is going to happen.


    My teacher, Mr. Johnson, looks at his watch. That''s the third time this morning. It''s already thirty minutes late and the new student still hasn''t shown up.


    I''m bored, looking out the window half listening to my teacher''s explanation about numbers--which I think are useless. That''s when I hear the sound of the door opening.


    Mr. Johnson stops and looks at the door. Reflexively, I also look at the same direction. There is no one there, but strangely, I see Mr. Johnson mumbling as if he is talking to someone.


    There is no one there, I''m sure of it, but my friends seem to be looking at something moving from the door into the room. Before I can finish my confusion, I am shocked again by Mr. Johnson''s words.


    "This is Alex. From today, he will be your new friend. Please introduce yourself."


    All eyes look towards the empty space next to Mr. Johnson. They all look like they are listening to something.


    I furrow my brow. What''s going on here?


    "Alright, do you see that empty seat over there?" Mr. Johnson pointed towards the seat behind me. "Starting today, that''s your seat."


    Our teacher smiled. His eyes seemed to be following the movements of someone walking. And it wasn''t just him, my friends were doing the same thing.


    I didn''t understand, there was no one there. Just an empty spot that they were looking at, but they acted as if they were seeing something passing by me and sitting behind me.


    I looked at them one by one, full of questions. Are they playing a prank on me?


    The lesson continued. Mr. Johnson opened his book and began explaining about the Fibonacci numbers, but not a single word entered my head. My concentration was broken. My head couldn''t stop thinking about something behind me.


    I glanced back. It was still the same, no matter how many times I did it, there was no one there. Just an empty, dusty seat.


    My back suddenly felt cold.


    They couldn''t be playing a prank on me like this, could they? Besides, it''s not my birthday or April Fool''s Day. There''s no reason for them to do this.


    I swallowed.


    So, is there someone behind me? That can''t be. If that were the case... why can''t I see them?


    ***


    The bell rang four times, and my classmates immediately tidied up their books on their desks.


    I did the same. With feeling uneasy I stuffed those thick, unpleasant books back into my bag.


    In front of the class, I saw Mr. Johnson stand up, he smiled at me--no, he smiled at the empty seat behind me, and walked behind the door.


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    As soon as our teacher left, my classmates immediately surrounded the empty seat behind me. Just like ants finding sugar.


    I gulped as I saw them--most women, immediately swarmed the empty seat with questions.


    "Lex, where are you from?"


    "Why did you move here?"


    "Your hair looks great, did you dye it?"


    "What are your hobbies?"


    "Your name is cool, huh."


    I shuddered seeing them like that. I quickly walked away towards the door. Before I could completely leave, I quickly glanced towards the group around the empty seat.


    Their behavior seemed too natural to be called acting. Besides, if they were really just acting, then why? Is this some kind of Candid Camera show?


    I shook my head, this is ridiculous. It looks like I need a little refreshment. A bottle of cola should clear my mind.


    Throwing the thought of the new student far away, I walked quickly down the corridor towards the cafeteria.


    "As usual?" the cafeteria auntie asked as I stood in front of her.


    I nodded.


    I was calm again because I wasn''t thinking about the new student anymore. But that didn''t last long because I heard it.


    Two students standing next to me were chatting, waiting for their orders too. I didn''t know them, so they were clearly from another class.


    "The new student''s name is probably Alex," said one of them. I looked at him immediately.


    "So he''s a guy?" said the other. "Boring."


    As soon as they received their orders, they went to the nearest empty bench, still talking about the new student. I was stuck there, watching them until the cafeteria aunt called me.


    After receiving my order, I sat in the corner of the room. Silent, staring at the bottle of drink in my hand. No longer have the will to drink it.


    If the other class also know about the new student... Isn''t that means...


    No. I grip the bottle harder. Impossible--


    "Hey!" Someone tapped my shoulder, making me jump.


    I glared at him. It turned out to be just my classmate Salmon--yes, that''s his name. In his hand he held a bundle of bread.


    "What''s up?" he said. "You looked stressed."


    "It''s nothing," I said. "It''s just..."


    "Yes?"


    Should I talk to him about it? If all of this was just a lie, wouldn''t he also be involved?


    Then I imagined Salmon''s laughing and saying, "Ha ha, you''re such a fool. It was so easy to trick you."


    "No." I snorted. "No, forget it."


    Salmon furrowed his brow.


    "Okay... Oh, by the way," he opened his bread bundle, "I heard there''s a new, cool movie out now. What if we watch it after school?"


    "No," I said.


    On a normal day I''m already lazy to do that, let alone in this condition.


    "Come on, it''ll be fun. It''s a movie that''s adapted from a best-selling novel¡ª¡±


    "No," I said.


    "But¡ª¡±


    "No."


    "This¡ª¡±


    "No."


    Salmon snorted. "You''re boring."


    It has nothing to do with that.


    We were silent. Salmon seemed to know that I wasn''t in the mood for a chat, so he ate his sandwich in silence. Until... Salmon pointed to my drink, "You''re not drinking that?"


    I sighed and handed it to him.


    As the bell rang, I just hoped that everything about the new student was just a stupid joke that wasn''t funny. Something that I could eventually laugh at. I would laugh out loud when one of my friends said, "Fooled you!" when I returned to class. But unfortunately I had to be disappointed.


    In the classroom, Rhino was talking to himself in his seat. It''s not really surprising to see someone talking to themselves anymore, now that there are phones. But with one look, I could tell that Rhino wasn''t holding a phone. He wasn''t wearing a handsfree either, so...


    I tried to ignore him and sit in my own seat. Two more classes left.


    As soon as the teacher came in, I tried hard to focus on the lesson. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept fixated on the unseen creature behind me.


    "Hey," Salmon, who sat next to me, whispered. "Stop daydreaming. The new student is asking if you have an eraser."


    I was stunned. What did he say?


    "So?" Salmon said, his voice sounding slightly annoyed. "Do you have one?"


    "No," I said without looking at the empty seat.


    "Hey..." Salmon lowered his voice.


    "What is it now?" I said.


    "What''s wrong with you? Is there a problem between you and the new student? You''ve been ignoring him all this time, even though he''s been trying to talk to you."


    I stared at Salmon without blinking. Is that true?


    Salmon looks very serious. His eyes are staring at me sharply, asking for an explanation. He''s not joking around, I know that. But this situation is really strange. How could I say I can''t see the new student?


    "I''ll tell you the reason later," I said, trying to brush off the subject.


    "When?" Salmon pressed.


    "Later, okay?" I repeated, hoping to put an end to the conversation.


    Salmon didn''t seem satisfied with my answer, but he didn''t push any further. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rhino offering a white eraser to the empty seat behind me.


    "Here, use mine," Rhino said, holding out the eraser.


    I could only gulped.


    ***


    I sat in front of the new student who wasn''t visible for six hours of classes. My body feels stiff. It was the worst day I''ve ever experienced.


    I don''t know if it''s real or not, but I feel like I''m being watched. Like after watching a horror movie, you often feel like someone or something is behind you, watching you. That kind of feeling, but this time it''s much stronger.


    Anxiously, I look at the wall clock next to the blackboard. The clock hands move slowly. Second by second, tick by tick. I hold my breath.


    Come on... Fast.


    Move.


    Move.


    Move.


    And the bell rings.


    Without thinking, I grab my bag and immediately rush out of the classroom and go home.


    I enter my house with a feeling of relief. I don''t know if the new student is really there or not, but as soon as I get home, I am completely free from school. Thoughts of the intangible creature won''t haunt me anymore. At home, I''m safe.


    Or so I believed until I met my mother in the kitchen.


    "Lunch is almost ready," my mother said. "Wait a moment."


    I nodded and turned, almost leave the room, but then my mother told me a story.


    "By the way, on the way back from Jack''s meat shop, I met a very good child. He helped me carry my shopping. He says he''s in your class. His name is Alex."


    I couldn''t believe what my mother was saying. I slowly backed away, my hands sweaty. I ran up to my bedroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it.


    My entire body was weak, as if my bones had turned to jelly. I sat down against the door, frustrated.


    Why!? What was really happening? My mother couldn''t be conspiring against me, could she? Why then?


    ***

 Mai.

    I gritted my teeth as I once again saw my friends gather around the empty seat behind me. It''s clear to me now that they are playing me. It''s ridiculous to even consider the possibility that someone invisible could exist. If someone said, "Hey, there''s a new student in my class, but I can''t see them," would you believe it? Of course not. I doubt my mom would believe it either.


    As I watch them joke around with their imaginary objects, I feel an unbearable pressure in my chest. This sucks.


    Instantly, driven by a sudden burst of anger, I pounded the table hard.


    Silence.


    All eyes turn to me, surprised and confused. I look back at them sharply, making sure they know I''m sick of their unfunny games. Without even acknowledging my teacher, who has just entered the room, I storm out of the classroom.


    ***


    I washed my face with water, staring at my own disheveled reflection in the toilet mirror. I couldn''t help but feel like this is the expression of someone who is stressed, or almost driven to madness.


    I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Maybe I had overreacted. Yeah, maybe, if you looked at their expression. But still, if this was all just a joke, they didn''t need to take it this far, did they?


    The toilet door suddenly swung open, causing me to jump.


    I looked back reflexively, but there was no one there. Strangely, my gut was telling me that something wasn''t right. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.


    When the stall next to me creaked, without thinking I took off running.


    There was something off about all of this. This couldn''t be just a joke, there was definitely something going on. I could feel it. The same sense of unease that I had felt on the first day of the new student appeared.


    Could my suspicions be wrong? Was this invisible figure real? But that was impossible. And... if it was true, why was it only me who couldn''t see it?


    After running far enough, I leaned against a wall near the laboratory room, trying to catch my breath and straighten out my thoughts.


    There was definitely something going on. That much I was certain of now. But the idea of someone being invisible was just so ridiculous. The new student... could he be a ghost?


    I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought. If he was a ghost and only I could see him, that would make some sense. But that wasn''t the case here.


    The lab window suddenly opened, despite there being no classes scheduled there today. My body shivered, and I immediately left the area, my mind racing with the thought that he could be following me.


    Every time something moved, no matter how insignificant, I found myself on edge, ready to run at a moment''s notice. I couldn''t understand why I had become so paranoid.


    This was driving me crazy. Fear of something unseen? What was wrong with me? What was the real explanation for all of this?


    In the end, I decided to head back to class. Being surrounded by people might help me shake this irrational fear.


    ***


    I sat in silence at my desk even though class had already ended.


    With Salmon and the others, the new student went to the movies. Or at least, that''s what Salmon said when he invited me again, which I clearly declined.


    I can''t see him, but if he''s really there, I''m sure he''s not here right now. That''s what my gut tells me.


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    My other friends one by one left the classroom. And now I''m alone, lost in thought like an idiot. Or that''s what I thought.


    Someone suddenly stood next to me.


    Slightly surprised that I didn''t notice her still being here, I looked at her. A small girl with glasses was staring at me. Her name is Mai, if I remember correctly. Her face was expressionless. Maybe that''s what''s people called a "poker face."


    I''ve never spoken to her. As far as I can remember, she prefers to be alone. Every day she spends her time reading books in a corner of the room. Maybe that''s why I didn''t notice her still being here. What does she want with me?


    Mai shifted her gaze forward, towards the board that was filled with doodles made by one of my friends.


    "You can''t see him either, can you?" Mai asked.


    I was startled. The first thing that came to mind was the new student. But was it really true?


    "Either?" I asked cautiously.


    "I can''t see him either," Mai said. "The new student."


    A feeling of relief flooded my chest. But I didn''t want to make any hasty conclusions.


    "Really?" I said.


    Mai nodded gently. "At first, I intended to keep it to myself. To pretend I didn''t know, but slowly it''s been bothering me. Seeing everyone talk to something invisible, I began to think something was wrong with me."


    "You''ve been thinking that too?" Hearing that made me feel relieved. "Wait a moment, how do you know that I can''t see him?"


    "Since the day he appeared, I''ve been observing everyone. From there, I found that only you acted differently. I suspected that you were the same as me and it turns out my guess was correct."


    I have to admit, I''m amazed. That was a simple but sharp analysis. I''m in the same situation but all I could think about was that I was being played.


    "I hope you''ll tell me if you find something," Mai said. "In return, I''ll also tell you if I find something."


    "That sounds good."


    "Here''s my phone number." Mai handed me a piece of paper with her number written on it.


    "If you find something, contact me," she said, her expression remaining neutral.


    I nodded in agreement.


    "I think that''s enough for now. See you later."


    "Wait..."


    Mai ignored me. She walked out of the classroom. I could only stand there, holding the piece of paper in my hand.


    ***


    My heavy mental burden disappeared thanks to yesterday''s incident with Mai. I am truly relieved. I thought if everything continued like this, I might go crazy.


    However, my relief only lasted a moment. A worse nightmare is about to begin. The real problem has just started.


    It all began that morning, when I saw Salmon, who is usually late, was already in the class. It made me a little curious, but I didn''t think too much about it.


    Besides Salmon, inside the class, Mai was engrossed in reading a book in the corner. She seemed uninterested in my presence.


    In another corner, Ema and Vodka were chatting. And in the front row, Salsa was copying Rara''s homework as usual.


    "Yo," I approached Salmon.


    "Hey!" Salmon looked at me with a strange smirk on his face.


    I placed my bag on the table. "What''s with the smile?"


    "You really missed out not watching the movie yesterday! It was amazing, I couldn''t sleep last night!" Salmon exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he raved about the film he watched. He would talk about it all day, regardless of whether anyone was listening or not.


    "Really?" I replied, not particularly interested.


    "Yeah, seriously!" Salmon said. "The computer effects were out of this world, it''s hard to put into words how cool they were. I couldn''t--"


    Suddenly, Salmon stopped mid-sentence and looked towards the door, as if someone had called out to him.


    "Good morning, Alex, Rhino!" he greeted towards the empty doorway.


    I stared in confusion as Salmon walked with renewed energy towards the door. As usual, there was no one there, yet I was certain he had just said the name "Rhino". Had I heard incorrectly?


    Salmon immediately resumed talking about the movie with the empty space near the door.


    "Ahaha, you''re right, Rhino. That part was so intense," he said.


    My breath caught in my throat. Once again, Salmon was addressing someone named Rhino. I couldn''t have heard wrong. The back of my neck grew cold as I considered the possibility.


    Just then, Dread, my classmate with the mohawk hair walked in. He looked at the empty space and said, "Good morning, Alex, Rhino and..." He looked at Salmon. "Fish."


    "Stop calling me that!" Salmon protested.


    My chest tightened, felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out. It was true, I hadn''t heard wrong.


    I walked backwards with a confused feeling. Panic, cold sweat started to soak my body. I bumped into tables several times but ignored it as I reached the corner of the room.


    "Ma, Mai... something is wrong. Rhino..."


    "I know. I heard it too," said Mai. She continued reading, showing no intention of looking away from her book.


    I stared at her half-amazed and half-baffled.


    "How can you be so calm? Do you know something?"


    "Not really," Mai turned a page of her book. "Panicking won''t solve anything."


    "I know, but..." Her calm attitude was still abnormal.


    "Relax. Right now all we know is that we can''t see them. That''s it."


    "But Rhino..."


    "I''m thinking about it. There''s a possibility that he''s been infected by the new student. From what I know, Rhino is the closest to the new student. That closeness might be the reason why he has become invisible."


    Wow, in just a few seconds Mai was able to come up with a possible explanation. Is she some kind of detective or something?


    After feeling a little calmer, I looked at Salmon and Dread. They were still talking. Of course, still with something unseen.


    "So, what should we do?" I asked.


    "Gather as much information as possible. We can''t act without knowing anything. Keep your eyes open, that''s all we can do for now."


    Although my feelings were still confused, I nodded. At the same time, the bell for class start rang six times.


    I looked at Mai who was still immersed in her book. She was truly calm. Amazing. If she wasn''t here, I might have already run home by now. It sounds pathetic, but that''s the reality. This is a little too much for me to handle on my own.


    "If I find something, I will contact you immediately." I said.


    Mai replied with a nod.


    I returned to my seat, taking a moment to glance at the empty seat behind me. As usual, it was vacant. I couldn''t see anything sitting there.


    Then I shifted my gaze to the other empty seat behind Salmon''s seat. There is usually Rhino there.


    I breathed a heavy sigh.


    "Hey," Salmon whispered.


    I turned to him.


    "When did you and Mai become so close?" he asked with a grin.


    "I wouldn''t say we''re close," I replied. "But we''ve been chatting for a bit now."


    "Oh, I see," he said, still smiling. "But I thought you had feelings for Rara."


    "What''s that got to do with anything?" I asked, feeling a bit irked by his grin.


    "I''m just saying, you''re something else," he said with a chuckle.


    "What is?"


    "Nothing. Hehehe."


    I rolled my eyes. I didn''t understand what he meant but his grin was making me irritated.


    ***