BZZZ BZZZ. BZZZ BZZZ. BZZZZ BZZ-

Neku groans, half frustrated from having to wake up, but half grateful for finally managing to find his phone to stop the alarm. You think a nice, silent, vibrating wake up alarm would be rather quiet. To Neku's mind it sounded like a construction site, but nonetheless the morning routine continues for that of a normal, 16 year old High School student.

Elsewhere, other young teens of a specific group wake up as well - to their own agendas. Some wake up gracefully at the first alarm. Others throw their phone alarm across the room for a few more minutes. Some get up earlier to take that relaxing, long shower before school, while others get up and make breakfast before waking up their big sibling who slept in.

But Neku's morning routine was rather different. Repetitive and almost empty in motion. But after getting his uniform on, tie straight and shirt decently tucked in, he couldn't help but notice small object on his desk by his window. It was his old cell phone - the same one he 'died' with and carried into the Reaper's Game - The same phone that was upgraded by Mr. H alongside Joshua's. Strangely enough after they came back, the phone never worked again. Neku didn't question it. It was time for an upgrade anyway. It was an old model, a flip phone made without a camera until Mr. H got a hold of it, and even Shiki lectured him about getting a new one when they first met.

Still. The phone was sentimental. Yeah Neku wasn't as sentimental a person, but all the scratches on the flip phone's cover was proof of the physical struggle and battles he went through. It was proof the game existed. Happened. And, the no longer working and scratched up phone remained on that desk year round...

That aside, Neku always made one stop on his way to Shibuya High. The WildKat Cafe.

While walking along the Shibuya streets with his trademark headphones around his neck, Neku checks his watch underneath his wristband. Only 7:15. He has time.

"Can't believe it's almost been a year..." Neku finds himself saying out loud, not that there's anyone to hear him. A year ago, at the age of 15, he had died getting shot in A-East, and wound up in the Underground playing an insane game that would determine his fate. But not just his - other people's lives were at stake alongside his. Notably Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme - his new friends. And they all returned to the real world having 'survived' their accidents and tragic deaths. Beat and Rhyme survived getting hit by that car. Shiki survived her accident. And Neku woke up in a hospital having survived a bullet wound. And just as promised, they all met up in their promised meeting place: the Hachiko Statue.

And they've been friends since.

"Here we are," Neku says, stopping in front of the abandoned building. WildKat Cafe. While assumingly visible to the real world's eyes, ever since the kids came back the cafe has always been empty. A sign is ever present on the door saying: "Temporarily closed – be back whenever". Neku scoffs at the sign. "Off course. Don't know why I'd expect otherwise."

Neku would visit the cafe every morning before school, just to check if Mr. H were ever round. He never is. Neku hasn't seen Mr. H since the Reaper's Game. He speculated he may have disappeared off the face of the earth, like Joshua and the other reapers they've met. Assumingly they all lived alternate likes in the real world, but their paths have had yet to cross.

Still, CAT's work was still active. Graffiti. Design. So forth, so Mr. H is still kicking it somewhere. Just never in Shibuya as far as Neku sees.

But every now and then, Neku will notice a letter in the cafe's front mailbox next to the locked door. At first Neku assumed it was a tax or a bill for Mr. H or something, but Neku soon found the letter to be for him. Nothing important - just a message of hello. How he's doing. Questions of how they're all getting along in school. No return address either. Neku no longer questions how the letter to him got there - whether by Mr. H himself or some supernatural power. But it's convenient.

Neku places his own recent reply letter back in the mailbox. Somehow his letters always manage to disappear a day after he puts it in Mr. H's mailbox. Neku assumes it reaches the mysterious man somehow, because there's always a reply eventually. Magic maybe? Who knows. After the game, who knows what else is out there?

"Sorry Mr. H; it's been two months since I've written anything. The guys and I have been busy with school," Neku says, closing the metal mailbox with a cling. "We've all started school together a month ago in September. Our second year round of high school, heh."

Neku glances up with his hands in his pockets. The cafe's decaying sign brings back memories of urgency from the game. "Beat's the same numbskull as usual. Even louder if that's possible, but he's trying harder now in school. Funny right?"

Ever since the summer they all met in the UG, once starting high school together for the first time, Beat made an effort to try hard in his academics. It didn't necessarily mean he was any geniuses, but he's making an effort for Rhyme. Still, it didn't change his detention streak from freshman year. Sophomore year was starting off no differently.

"And Rhyme's the same-old-same-old, too. Keeping her big bro in line for us. That girl's always got her hands full," Neku chuckles. "She's starting middle school this year in the building next to our high school. Shiki's totally psyched about it, but Beat's a wreck. I don't think he can stand seeing Rhyme in a school uniform with skirts like that. He's going to be plenty work for us this year."

A wind passes by, and sends a familiar chill to Neku as he thinks back to the games again. "And Shiki's changed a lot this past year, too. When we all met up and saw the real her, we were ecstatic. But she was a lot more reserved, and soft-spoken. It's hard to believe suck a stalker used to fight Noise and take dives like she did back in the UG." Neku smiles. "But we're getting her there. She's becoming a bit more louder. Fun. Heh, and she even introduced her friend Eri to us a couple days after we all met up. Told her all about the games too." Neku sighs. "To be completely honest Eri's okay. Maybe as troublesome as Beat even, or even more annoying than Shiki was in that body. But, she believes all the Reaper Game crap and she sticks around, so I guess I can't complain. She can be pretty cool sometimes, too."

A small beep comes up from Neku's watch, and he notices it's 7:56 already. He whistles. "Better jet or I'm gonna be late again. Later, Mr. H," Neku bids goodbye. Sure Mr. H isn't technically there. Sure no one is there at all to listen to his talking, but Neku finds it beneficial for himself somehow.

Now if only running all the way to Shibuya High in under five minutes were as easy.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"Where the heck is Neku...?" Shiki asks, sitting at her desk.

"Aw, is someone thinking about her boyfriend?" Eri giggles behind her.

A spark of a vein erupts on the girl's head as Shiki snaps around. "You're hilarious," she humors with an intent pout and glare. Meanwhile in the other side of the room by the windows, Beat was standing low on the radiator, looking out and down two school floors looking for a particular carrot-top. "YO PHONES! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Beat yells, as if Neku can hear him. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

A couple students give beat odd stares, while Shiki and Eri sit slumped in their seats. But Beat's already attained a reputation as the notorious loudmouth who did whatever he wanted. "Beat's the same as usual, I see," Eri stares, eye twitching in distaste. "Besides, Neku always shows up last for homeroom. What's so special today?"

Shiki turns back forward with a shy smile on her face, her legs together and her posture straight to hide her happiness of nostalgia. "Today's the anniversary."

"Huh?"

"A year ago today was when Neku, Rhyme, Beat, and me all met up for the first time, at the Hachiko Statue," Shiki recalls. It was of the happiest, most surreal moments in Shiki's life, and a precious memory to her. "We never really talked about it or planned anything special for the occasion today, but, I remember." Shiki looks up towards a still screaming Beat, and Eri follows the gaze. "And Beat sure looks like he remembers. I bet Rhyme's thinking the same thing in her homeroom right now."

"Wow," Eri starts, blinking. "You guys are so close. No wonder you all clicked so well when you first introduced me to them."

"It's the Game I'm telling you," Shiki says. "As horrible as the whole ordeal was, if it wasn't for those few weeks then we wouldn't be here." Shiki looks her best friend in the eyes, the same eyes she borrowed for those 3 weeks in the UG. "And I wouldn't be making your designs, still."

Eri chuckles and lets herself smile, placing her head in a lazy hand. "To think in some alternate reality you actually died in that accident. All you guys."

"Yeah..." Then Shiki smiles, turning a little pink in the face. Eri notices and stares her in. "But, Neku saved us."

"Morning guys," Neku says on cue, walking in nonchalantly. Eri and Shiki both turn around in their seats and greet him good morning back. Beat turns around as well in complete astonishment, falling off the heat radiator in the process after a shout. No dubt more stares came on. "What's with him?" Neku frowns.

"WHAAA-! Yo man! How'd you get in 'ere without me seeing you?!" Beat shouts, pointing his arm back at the windows.

"I went in through the back door?" Neku can't help but notice how unmade Beats uniform was this morning. Fresh wrinkles on the fully unbuttoned school shirt, un tucked and tie un-tied. His uniform's as gruesome as ever. "I'm guessing you washed your shirt yesterday huh?" Neku teases with a half grin.

Beat, immediately forgetting his past questions, grins proudly and places his hands on his hips. "Hell yeah. Rhyme helped me get it to smell all nice and fresh again. Look no pit stains," Beat brags, lifting an arm.

Eri scoffs, rolling her eyes at the boys. "Well you definitely didn't iron your school shirt I see." A vein appears on Beat's hat, but the four friends begin laughing anyway. Who would've thought that after meeting they'd all end up in the same high school their Freshman Year. Now it's their second round and they managed to snag the same homeroom together.

Nonetheless despite the special day, school went on as usual. Boring classes. Learning. Sleeping. Writing. Note passing. Lecturing. Life goes on. However there was once instance in math class. Neku was minding his own business, tying not to zone out on their algebra lesson.

'!'

A sudden shock. Neku's head springs up suddenly wide awake. It wasn't a pinch or a pang of nerves. But, some strange feeling. Bad vibes. 'What the hell?'

Neku's eyes look round the room for anything strange. Shiki's taking notes up front. Eri's doing her best to try and understand the horrible equation on board. And Beat's- well, he's out like a light in the seat behind Neku.

"Guess I'm the only one who felt that," Neku mutters suspiciously. Everyone gets bad vibes once in a while. That's instinct. But this feeling, this sensation -it was different. It was the same sensation from the games whenever Neku would sense huge levels of negative energy. Negative energy that only belonged to noise.

Could it...? Is it possible? Neku exhales, relaxing in his seat to calm his nerves. "Relax. You're just anxious, that's all."

The geometry lesson went on without another word or 'vibe'. But Neku was alert for the rest of class, and not within good reason.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"And then, bam, I just... felt it," Neku tries explaining to Shiki. It was after school, and the two were walking home together. Their homes were close enough together that when everyone split up to go home for the day, the two were usually left alone. At one point Shiki noticed Neku's quiet demeanor. Or, quieter than usual at least. So he took it upon himself to explain his secret paranoia that afternoon. "I don't know what to make of it."

"And you're sure it's the same negative energy that came from the Noise?" Shiki asks with a worried look.

Neku remains serious. "I don't know," he admits, not a hundred percent sure. "But I know what I felt."

"You didn't see anything did you?" Neku responds with a shake of his head. Shiki frowns. "Mm. Don't let it get to you too much, Neku. We're all thinking about the Games today."

"Yeah..." Neku stares at the concrete. Maybe that's just it. It's been a year. It's all on their minds. Neku figured he was just paranoid. "You're right. Just forget I brought it up."

Shiki remains frowning, a little sad. Sure he's dropped the topic but Neku still looked troubled. "Hey, Rhyme and were talking during lunch today. Maybe tomorrow after school we can all hit up Shibukyu Station and get something to eat there together for a change. You up for it?"

"Why not," Neku replies simply, not enthralled but hopeful it'll take his mind off things. School's been brutal lately. Adjusting to new teachers, new classes. They all need the leisure time. Soon enough Neku and Shiki reach the girl's house first. It's about two blocks away from Neku's. "Here's your stop, Four-Eyes," Neku says with a teasing half smile.

Shiki chuckles tucking some of her black hair behind her ear and pushing up her large round frames. "Thank you for walking me, Neku."

"We walk the same way all the time. Don't think you're special. Stalker," Neku frowns, turning around to walk off. Shiki smiles at the old nick name and waves away before going up her stairs.

Neku walked at his own slow pace as the sky reddened. If there were any parts of his day he looked forward to, they were walking to school, and walking home from school. Walking always cleared Neku's mind. Sure he was usually alone, but he didn't mind Shiki when walking home. Neku would never admit it, but she was pleasant company. Not that he'd ever tell her that and give her the satisfaction.

"I'm home," Neku announces automatically, removing his shoes by the door. However no voices are met to greet his. Force of habit, nonetheless.

Neku drops his school stuff off by the kitchen table before heading upstairs to his room. The house is dark, illuminated by the sunset's red rays, giving a late aura to the place. Neku was tired and just wanted to sleep in early. He loosened his tie and went to unbutton the top button at the collar before hearing a buzz. "A text?"

Neku reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone, but it simply shows the time. Nothing else. No one called him. No one texted him. A contorted face is enough to spell out Neku's confusion. "What?" Neku presses some buttons before giving up. Nothing. "Whatever," Neku frowns, lowering his hand.

The buzz sound sounds off again from the phone and Neku immediately raises it back into sight. Still no change in the screen, and Neku is getting warily frustrated. But more vibrating buzzing continues to sound off, but not from the phone in Neku's hand. "Huh?"

Out of Neku's view, he could swear he's seeing his older flip phone on his desk, vibrating. The tiny square top screen lit up, suddenly alive and working again.

The buzz would continue on s Neku stood still. Staring. "Impossible," Neku says, narrowing his eyes. After a nervous gulp, he placed hid normal phone back in his pocket and went to pick up the old moment. It was alive and kicking alright. The phone still vibrated in his hand, and the tiny front of the phone lit up with the words: 'Text Message!'.

'But how does this even work anymore? The battery's fried. And why would a text be sent to this phone?'

After some stalling, Neku finally flipped up the old scrap-phone. Color drains from his face. No way. What he saw on the screen was enough to make his eyes widen:

'Don't ignore them. You need to cross over and fight or else.'
Sent From: Sanae Hanekoma

"Don't ignore who? Fight what?" Neku stares at the text, reading it over multiple times. Dread and horror covered the teen's face. "From Mr. H..."

Neku's hand shook as he carefully walked backwards until he reached his bed, sitting. Don't ignore them. You need to cross over and fight or else. Neku was used to being passive about unexplainable phenomena in the real world. After fighting three weeks' worth of the Reaper's Game, what worth is reason anymore?

But this, Neku had to try and figure out. He needed reason. Otherwise, something could happen. "It's a warning... but of what?" Neku exhales, holding the phone over his head as he laid back. The screen went blank from idle use. "What the hell, Mr. H..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The night remained restless for Neku. He even beat his alarm when it came to waking up. Neku got out of bed half an hour early. And after continuing his automatic morning routine of getting ready and dressed, he finds his scratched up flip phone on his pillow. Picking it up and hoping it was a dream, Neku flips it open. The battery is full power, and in the history there is one text. The same one from yesterday.

"So it wasn't a dream," Neku frowns, narrowing his eyes.

Neku remaines serious on his journey to school. Earlier he tried to see if he could reply to the sent text. No number to reply to. Neku did his routine drop by at Cat Street, passing WildKat once more. As frustrated as Neku was, he couldn't bring himself to stop as long as he wanted to. He needed to get to school and tell the others what happened. But a particular orange color pops itself out of the cafe's black iron mailbox. That gets Neku.

It's from Mr. H.

Neku opens Mr. H's mailbox and surely enough an envelope is there. But it isn't Neku's letter he dropped off yesterday, filled with casual greetings and updates. Instead this is extra sealed with glue and tape and the works. Not Mr. H's normal replies. And only a day after? Impossible.

Neku hurries to tear the envelope open, only there's no letter inside. Instead lies in the bottom corner of the envelope is a blue pin, with the same design as a Player's Pin from the Reaper's Game: the black tribal skull.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Neku arrives at school on normal time: the last out of his friends per usual. Eri, Shiki, and Beat are there to greet him but Neku simply walks past them and towards his desk in the middle of the room. Without a word he places his headphones over his ears and sits back, paying no mind to anything around him.

"Looks like Phones is off on his own again," Beat notes, scratching his head.

Eri nods, a disapproving pout on her lips. "I can never get him. He was like, fine yesterday wasn't he?"

"Totally," Beat blinks, still stumped.

However Shiki merely sits in silence, staring at the distant Sakuraba. She noticed the day before how the boy was acting vaguely strange. He even had the courage to tell her what was troubling him. Sure it remained open ended, and Shiki hoped Neku would've calmed down by now, but it turns out that isn't the case. 'What happened, Neku?'

With his friends out of reach and Neku still somewhat in his own world, he let his mind wander. The old flip phone was buried deep in his pocket, along with the blue pin from Mr. H that morning. 'Everything's too coincidental. Thinking I'm sensing Noise, a text from Mr. H on a phone that broke down, and now that pin.'

Neku ignored the stares from his friends and looked around at the other few students present in the room. They were normal. They could see Neku. He wasn't invisible. No thoughts could be heard out loud and no negative vibes that present Noise. They're not in a game. Yesterday Neku would've believed Shiki and thought just paranoia, but now everything's piecing together. It's not paranoia. Mr. H was warning him. Them. Of something. 'But of what?' Neku didn't want to tell his friends yet, in case it was really nothing to worry over. Hopefully it was just coincidential paranoia.

The loudspeaker above the room began to sound off. "Daisukenojo Bito! Please report to the principal's office! NOW!" screeched the school secretary's voice. Beat of course winced, along with other students who heard the wail.

"Awgh, what'd I do now?" Beat groans. "And did they have to use that name?!"

"You better go," Shiki says with a sympathetic smile, while Eri laughed behind her. With one more 'hmph', Beat swipes his bag and calmly marches out of the classroom.

Neku watches from the corner of his eyes. Beat's probably getting a detention or something for some stupid stunt yesterday or so. While Neku's mind eases into other possible antics of Beat's, he doesn't notice Shiki walking up to him on the other side of his desk. By the time he does, she catches him by surprise and her smile's the only thing he sees in front of him.

Hesitantly but slowly he removes his headphones in polite courtesy, despite wanting to be alone to think for now. "Yeah?"

Shiki lowers herself a little and leans a bit over the desk to whisper lowly, "Are you okay, Neku?" she asks, concerned. "You've been acting weird lately."

Normally Neku would brush off stupid questions like that, but Neku can't ever seem to push Shiki away. Whatever that reason was however wasn't important at the moment. He was caught the second he told her about the voices yesterday. Quickly he decides, and Neku replies quietly. "Meet me on the roof during lunch," Neku says, only to be met with Shiki's confused expression.

"Are we allowed up there?" Shiki asks. A goodie two shoes.

"Doesn't matter. It's open and quiet. Don't tell the others." Shiki's suspicion grows accusingly as her face contorts more, and Neku merely rolls his eyes. "Oh don't flatter yourself and get any weird ideas, okay? The roof's the only place I can think of."

"Is this about what you told me yesterday?" Shiki asks, genuinely concerned. Neku hesitates for a moment, but nods once. Shiki sighs, but a few seconds later her face is a bit more confident. This sounds serious. "Okay. The roof right?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

At lunch period, Shiki walked up the unfamiliar staircase that led to the fifth floor, aka the roof. Students weren't really permitted up there, but the faculty never really looked into whether kids ever went up to the roof or not, so it was no surprise to Shiki that Neku probably went up there often.

Shiki carried herself up the errie staircase until she reached a door with a light shining through the tiny square window. Opening the rather heavy door, she was met with a welcoming cool breeze and a beautiful blue sky. Suddenly her worries of getting caught and reprimanded disappeared with the wind. "Wow…" Shiki mutters, walking forward and closing the door quietly behind her. The roof was rather large, and surrounded by a wire fence. So much space, it was beautiful.

"So you made it," a voice says behind her, and Shiki swipes around to the door. Looking up, she sees Neku sitting atop the staircase doorway. He jumps down beside her, further weirding her out. "So Four Eyes does have the guts to come up here. You are a true Stalker indeed."

"Hey you're the one who invited me up here," Shiki frowns, crossing her arms and looking away from Neku. But she still couldn't help but admire the atmosphere of such a forbidden place to the students. Then again, maybe the beauty of it was that no one was ever here.

"Nice right?" Neku speaks up.

"I can actually see the skies," Shiki says quietly, noting how much blue there was. In a tall city like Shibuya, having the sky as a majority of your view was rare.

"There's something attractive about seeing Shibuya from far up. You feel like the top of the world," Neku says, unusually happy sounding. But his face distorts back into one of seriousness. "But that aside, there's something I need to show you."

"What is it?"

"Did you get any weird texts yesterday?" Neku asks first, reaching into his pocket. He's looking for it.

"No. Why?" Shiki watches Neku take out his old flip phone from his pocket, opening it. After pressing a few buttons while stumping the girl who initially thought the phone to be dead, her mind changes when he shows her the screen with a text.

Shiki reads the screen, taking it in and furthering her own questions. She does a double take before looking back to Neku. It can't be. "Neku what's this."

Neku's face remains. "Mr. H is warning us of something. Only I don't know what of."

"A-Are you sure it's him? Maybe it's some prank or joke." A sick joke, Shiki thinks.

"That's what I was hoping, but this phone's been dead Shiki."

"I know. I remember telling you off about it back in the UG," Shiki frowns, closing the phone and returning it to Neku. "So, it just, worked all of a sudden? Just like that?"

"Apparently," Neku says distantly, looking at the multiple scratches on the front of it. "It just buzzed out of nowhere after I got home yesterday and, there the message was. I was hoping at least you or the guys got the same text but, I guess not."

"You're also the only one who kept their old phone after the Game. We all got rid of ours," Shiki frowns. If they'd kept their old phones like Neku, would they have gotten the text? Then again, his was the only one out of all of them that got personally upgraded with cool features by Mr. H.

Shiki watches worried as Neku walks up to the front of the roof, and she slowly follows. Frustrated, Neku grabs the fence wire and leans against it, looking down. "Are you that freaked out about all this?" Shiki asks.

"Hell yeah I am," Neku says back. "First those freaky vibes yesterday, then the text. And now that stupid pin."

Shiki's heart freezes. "What pin."

Neku, forgetting about that last shred of proof, takes it out of his pocket as well to show Shiki. She holds it in her hand, instantly remembering her old quest for attaining pins for psychs and weaponry for battles. For a year they just became regular pins again, but now… "Neku?"

"Mr. H left it in his mailbox for me at WildKat this morning, a day after he sent me the text," Neku explains seriously, slowly making Shiki into a believer. He notices her eyes glues to the pin, and the confused and mixed feelings along with it. "Something's coming."

Shiki remains speechless. Sad? Angry? Afraid? She couldn't tell. She thought she was done with anything having to do with the game. She thought that hell was over. And now a year later, the anguish was intruding into their established normalcy.

Neku takes the pin back, observing it. Were there any more hidden messages? He holds it up to the sun, praying for another answer.

'!'

But their silence is interrupted by Neku wincing painfully suddenly. So much that he just falls to his knees. He can barely hear Shiki's cries of worry as her arms go to his, and she kneels down with him. Yelling words. "I-It's those negative vibes, again," Neku winces. This one was a lot more noticeable than the one yesterday in math class.

"Neku?!" Shiki panics, her hand connecting to Neku's arm. "What's wrong?!"

"I-I don't know," Neku struggles to say. His hand grips the pin tightly, as he tries to pick himself back up. But all that's running through his head are screaming and this horrible gut feeling. Not even in the Reaper's Game was sensing Noise that painful.

Noise.

Could it be? "Neku get a grip!" Shiki tries to call, shaking the unresponsive Neku. She tries to hold his hand in an attempt to calm him. And he sqeezes hers, the one with the pin. But with Shiki's hand holding the pin as well, suddenly she feels a familiar vibe. Not as strong as Neku's, but she understands. A chill goes through her body and she gets goosebumps. "This feeling…"

Finally the pain subsides in Neku, and his grip loosens on Shiki's hand, as does her's on him. They both sit calmly, Neku catching his breath from that rush. And with Shiki no longer touching the pin, she was left normal, but in shock. For a moment, she finally knew what was going on with Neku. "Noise…" is all Shiki can say.

Neku's head jumps up at the word. Someone else who thinks so, too? "You think it's Noise, Shiki?" Neku asks. She felt it, too.

Shiki picks up her hands, looking at them both in an unrelenting memory. "It's the same vibe I'd get in the game, whenever I knew noise were around. All we had to do was scan and we'd see them," she recalls breathlessly.

Scan. "Shiki that's it!" Neku realizes.

"What's it?"

"The pin," Neku says, looking at it again. Once more, he holds it up to the skies, seeing it shine in the light. Holding that pin, Neku couldn't help but feel he was in the game somehow. Maybe that's not the case, but something was happening. And the pin was the center of it.