"I'm sorry," Yumiko said at last, edging closer.
"It's fine," the girl replied, seemingly uninterested in conversation.
"No, it's not fine. I was rude to you." Yumiko bowed respectfully. "I apologize."
The folding paused. The girl looked up slowly, those unnerving blue eyes meeting with Yumiko's. "Apology accepted," the ghost answered softly.
Yumiko reached up, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I . . . I see you are going to the Boneyard."
"Yes. I am. What about you?"
"Th-the same." Yumiko held up her stamped conscription for the other girl to see. “I’m a B too.” Those startling eyes flicked to the paper a moment. The ghost leaned in closer, straining to see, before looking back in Yumiko’s general direction. The two shared a long silence before the ghost looked back down to the partially folded paper atop her lap.
"Mind if I sit with you?" No response. Yumiko quietly took a seat beside the ghost. She watched as the girl carefully folded the paper with painfully slow precision.
"So . . . what are you making?"
"A paper crane."
The final fold complete, the crane was gently set aside before the ghost started anew with another piece of paper. Yumiko looked across the girl’s lap, noting the dozen or so cranes that rested beside her right hip.
"You're really good at that. How many have you made?"
"Four hundred and seventy-three."
"Wh-?"
"H-hey Yumi!" The high-pitched tone of Tori made Yumiko turn to look as Tori and Tsubasa approached, both bearing a red B suspended from their left pocket.
"Thought you could get rid of us that easily?" Tsubasa threw her sea bag from a distance, the weight landing with a thud atop of the crate right beside the ghost, instantly crushing the paper cranes flat.
The ghost exhaled deeply and looked down at the floor in dismay. "Four hundred and sixty-one."
The two came around the crate to face Yumiko and the ghost. "O-oh my!" Tori gasped, hands slapping against her cheeks. "W-what happened to you!"
Tsubasa laughed heartily. "I would have loved to see that mosquito!"
"A-are you a geshia?"
"Too much powdered sugar!"
Yumiko noticed the ghost's shoulders starting to tremble, knees pinched tightly together as tears fell upon the top of her skirt.
"Hey you two, cut it out," Yumiko warned in deadpan.
"Eh? Oh. Sorry." Tsubasa looked away, backing off with shuffled feet. "I was only joking."
"Is-is she going to be ok? Are-are you dying?"
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