The clinic door opened before Yuki could knock.
She froze.
No one stood behind it.
Just a slow, creaking swing.
She stepped inside.
The hallway smelled like old books and something herbal. Dust hung in the air. Empty chairs lined the walls. Too clean to be used.
At the end of the hallway was a desk beneath a dim light.
A tall woman sat behind it, she looked like she was in her early thirties. Her black suit and red tie were perfect. Her glasses rested dead-center on the bridge of her nose. Her black hair hung straight down like silk. Her right eye was closed, while her left was wide open and dark in color. She had a darker skin complexion and a serious looking resting face.
Yuki hesitated.
"I'm here to see Sasaki Shin," she said, trying to steady her voice.
The woman didn't answer. She opened a drawer, placed a pen and form on the desk, and gestured.
Yuki sat and filled it out. She paused at the line for "Reason for visit" and left it blank.
When she returned the form, the woman took it without a word and disappeared into the back.
Yuki leaned forward to peek.
She saw him.
A man sitting in a red fancy chair under a single swinging lightbulb. One leg crossed.
The receptionist came back and opened a small gate.
Yuki stepped through.
The room was dim with two chairs in the middle. One fancy, one plain. One lightbulb above them.
The man sitting in that red fancy chair looked clean.
He had a black suit, black tie. Everything was sharp and tucked and perfect — not a single wrinkle on him. His hair was darker than the night sky while also slicked back.
His face was smooth, almost too smooth. Straight jaw. Thin lips. You couldn't tell if he was being polite or mocking you — maybe both while he had the grin plastered on his face.
He didn't stand.
He didn't blink.
He just grinned the whole time.
"You left the reason blank," Sasaki said.
Yuki didn't respond. She looked down at the floor.
He tilted his head.
The grin widened.
"Ah—I see. You talk to them, don't you? The dolls?"
Yuki's head shot up. Her whole body tensed.
"What?! How could you possibly know that?!"
She stood up fast, her chair scraping the floor.
"You're right," Sasaki said calmly. "I shouldn't know that. I mean, it's not on the form... right?"
He looked at her like he already knew everything.
Yuki started to shake.
Her fingers gripped the back of the chair. Sweat formed on her palms. She couldn't look him in the eyes.
Sasaki's grin slowly faded. His voice dropped to something quieter.
"How about you sit. I just took a guess. That's all. Now... why don't you tell me about those dolls."
Yuki sat back down, slower this time. Still shaking.
"They…They would talk back at me," she muttered. "I-I just… didn't want to feel alone."
"Of course you didn't," he said. "No human would ever want to be alone."
His voice was smooth, but there was something else underneath it. Something sharp.
"Did it help?"
Yuki shrugged slightly.
"It made it easier to breathe."
Sasaki Shin nodded. "Then you're saying it did help."
The bulb flickered.
They both sat still.
Then Sasaki leaned forward just enough for the shadows to shift.
"Tell me what you didn't write down."
Yuki looked up slowly.
Her mouth opened, but no words came.
He watched her in silence.
Then he stood.
Yuki blinked.
He walked to the door, opened it halfway, and turned back to her.
"You've got quite the story hiding behind your eyes, Yuki Ayano. Come back when you're ready to talk about it."
Yuki stood slowly. Confused. Upset.
She moved toward the door.
Just as she passed, Sasaki tapped his temple with a sigh.
"Ah. That reminds me. A thousand dollars."
Yuki turned. "What?"
"U.S. dollars," he said, holding out a flat open hand. "Or about one hundred forty-three thousand yen."
Her jaw dropped. "Are you serious?!"
He gestured lazily to the wall.
Dusty frames. Old certificates. One of them looked handwritten in Latin.
"I'm very qualified. And quite underpaid. But I do get a lot of clients around this time, so... supply and demand. You understand."
She narrowed her eyes. "But I'm the only one here. There's nobody else."
His grin returned, sharper now.
"Are you sure?"
She glanced around again. Empty.
"Yes."
He leaned back slightly. "Have you ever heard of the unseen? Ghosts? Spirits? Maybe… demons?"
"Yes, maybe in stories," She said looking confused.
"Good," he said, nodding. "Then let me tell you something… those ones you can't see? They're my most loyal clients."
Yuki took a step back.
"You're insane," she muttered.
She turned, walking away fast.
Miss Nishimura really thought this guy could help?
What was she thinking sending me to some overpriced wacko? This was such a waste of time.
"Naomi Nishimura said the same thing," Sasaki called out. "Right before she slammed the door on me."
Yuki stopped and turned back. "What did you just say?!"
Sasaki Shin tilted his head slightly with a huge grin on his face. "However, She came back."
Then he shut the door behind Yuki.
Just like that.
Yuki walked back out into the hallway of the clinic.
The receptionist was still at the desk, staring straight ahead at the exit.
Yuki stormed over and slammed both hands on the counter.
"Just so you know, I'm not paying him. Actually, he should pay me for the stress he caused," Yuki said, out of breath.
The woman didn't look at her.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Yuki sighed.
She pulled out her phone. 7:25 a.m.
"If I go now, I can still make it to my first class," she muttered.
She walked toward the exit.
And left.
Like none of it ever happened.