Chapter 1

Whoosh

The car went as the Takagi Family were on their way to their grandparents house in the province of Hokkaido, Japan. The music blasted inside as the siblings sang along.

When Luna, the youngest, saw the ocean from her side of the window, she couldn’t sit still from the excitement knowing they were closer to arriving at their destination.

"We’re close to grandma and grandpa’s, right?" she questioned.

"Yes sweetheart, we're only a few blocks away." The father replied, his gaze fixed on the road.

"I see our Luna is excited to see her grandparents!" The mother exclaimed, chuckling.

"They promised that they'd make some veggie pancakes when we come back." She explained.

"Just remember, I'm the favorite!" Keito, the other brother, joked, eliciting skepticism from her.

"Yeah, right, you've always made trouble whenever we visit."

"You're no different than I am, sis!" he clapped back, teasingly sticking out his tongue.

"Stop fighting, grandma and grandpa love you both equally." The father inquired.

To avoid getting into trouble, Luna swiftly stated, "Bro started it."

"Of course, it's always the big brother's fault," he joked once more, making his little sister laugh.

Everything seemed to be wonderful in every aspect. You had no idea that that beautiful family would end in an instant.

Luna's family was unexpectedly involved in a catastrophic car accident, and she was the sole survivor.

Others may think she is fortunate, but she sees it as unlucky.

The poor girl has always been surrounded by her brother, mother, and father. Their family dynamic felt like the ideal family; she can't imagine her existence without them.

Luna was released from the hospital a few months later, after what seemed like a lifetime. 13 was still a young age to raise oneself alone, and people normally rely on their parents at this age; she didn't know what to do next.

Her grandparents stood a short distance away, unsure of what to do. Their hearts ached when their granddaughter showed up. Her once-beautiful smile and gleaming eyes, once brimming with dreams and optimism, were now dull and lifeless. Her once-glowy aura has faded and vanished.

"Luna," they called out.

"Grandpa, Grandma..."

Her eyes welled up as she saw her grandparents approach her slowly and softly. When they saw their granddaughter crying, all they could do was sigh as they opened their arms and brought Luna in for a close hug.

"Mom, Dad, and Keito-ni are all gone," she mumbled through her sobbing.

Pa and Ma wished they could assist; if they could swap their own lives to save Luna's parents and brother, they would do it in a heartbeat.

All they could do was console their grandchild with hugs and their presence. They didn't want Luna to suffer, even though they knew it wasn't enough.

No matter how many times others tell her she is lucky to have survived the accident, she does not believe she is.

What lucky person gets involved in a car accident and loses their family?

Being termed "fortunate" is an insult to her.

***

After ten years, it was time for Luna to say her final goodbyes to her beloved grandparents.

Even though she knew her grandparents wouldn't live much longer, seeing them inside the casket, lifeless, hurts. But she is grateful for all of their assistance when she was younger. When she had nothing and lost everything.

Living with them taught her many great lessons and counsel, and she grew up to be a little more responsible than she had previously been. However, not everyone is flawless. Even the most responsible people can be clumsy and arrogant.

"Here is your grandparents' will, which they instructed me to present to you," the priest said as Luna bowed and took the letter from him.

"Thank you, father," she replied as he grinned and patted her back before leaving her alone with the will of her grandparents.

As he walked away, she sighed and returned her focus to the letter. She must begin living her life independently from today forward. Even though she is concerned about her future, she is prepared and will confront the obstacles head on.

With that mindset, she headed off on foot to return home. However, when she got there, she noticed a note poking out of the mailbox. She pulled it out and curiously opened it.

'Dear Ms. Takagi Luna,'

I'll get straight to the point. Unfortunately, your grandparents are no longer alive. As a result, you have no reason to stay here. BUT! Because I know you're homeless, I'll give you a month to locate another place to live and work for money.

When all of your days are up, I'll ask you to depart immediately, with no questions or favors asked.

Regards, LandManager'

Luna huffed in frustration as she read the letter. She was well aware that the landlord only let them stay because she was her mother's best friend. And she knew she detested Luna and privately blamed her for the loss of her family.

"Of course this is how it's going to turn out, that heartless witch," she mumbled as she sighingly gazed at the letter before entering her now-temporary unit.

Standing in the middle of a silent living room. The aura was dull, and the memories made her heart ache.

This atmosphere is unfamiliar to her now that both of her grandparents have died. Nonetheless, this is her new life—something she must adjust to.

***

Luna decided to withdraw her grandparents' life insurance money that they had left for her a few days later. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her alive for a month while she looked for work and hunted for another place to live.

When she left the bank, she received a message from one of her high school acquaintances.

SAKO-chan: ‘Beer & Pork at HoliFe?’

She laughed at the invitation. Masako is that one friend who enjoys spending her days with Beer and Korean cuisine. Regardless of Luna's financial situation, she always accepts Masako's invitation. She groaned and shook her head in amazement after reading the message.

MOONIE: If this is how you cheer someone up then, I'm in!

Luna searched the restaurant for her friend as soon as she entered, finding Masako waving and smiling at her. She returned her smile as she approached and sat in front of her.

"Someone seems excited to eat meat today!" Luna teased. Masako immediately realized something was wrong when she saw her friend grin and knew why.

"I heard about your grandparents; will you be okay?" She inquired, clearly concerned.

It’s like Deja vu. A season 2 of Luna's unfortunate life where someone deeply important to her passes away.

Of course she isn't fine. She was never in good mental condition. But she can't stop these things from happening; her grandparents' deaths, in particular. They were quite old, and she knew they'd leave her someday.

Luna does not want to concern her only close friend, despite her desire to remain truthful.

She knew Masako had a lot on her plate, especially since she had begun applying to Cambridge for a fashion degree.

Luna has seen her friend throughout her difficult days, especially when she mentioned how stressful the preparation for the admissions exam was.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright," Luna promised her, but Masako remained skeptical.

She has a close relationship with her friend and was aware of the struggles Luna had faced. Luna's grandparents meant a lot to her, and Masako is aware of this. As a result, it is impossible for Luna to be completely pain-free now that they are gone.

"Moon…you always say that, even when you're in agony," Masako grumbled.

"This time, I'm telling the truth; I just need to keep working, and then I'll be fine, easy as that!" Luna exclaimed as she ate some chicken.

Masako became emotional when she saw Luna smile as if she were fine. She felt an even stronger desire to assist her, despite the fact that she knows there isn't much she can do.

She didn't want Luna to see her in tears as she felt them welling up. So she swiftly changed the tone by giving Luna something she had wanted to offer her.

She took two tickets from her handbag and smiled as she held them in front of her.

"Jajyang!"

She handed Luna the ticket as the girl inspected the paper. "Horror Museum?” She read the title from the ticket.

"You're a big horror fan, aren't you?" Masako remarked. "I heard there's a museum dedicated to horror fanatics, and it's extremely spooky."

"Why are there two tickets? Who is accompanying me?"

Masako sang, clutching her chin and fluttering her eyelids, "Yours truly!" Luna's eyebrows arched in astonishment as she saw her friend's expressions, and she chuckled in bewilderment.

"Are you sure? You didn't last long the last time we went to a haunted attraction,"

"Don't remind me of that. It's so embarrassing," Masako huffed as she chomped on some chicken.

"Well, I won't stop you if you truly want to go," Luna remarked as she poured some beer into her shot glass and another into Masako's glass.

"Enough of me; how did your Cambridge application go?"

Masako sighed uneasily as a result of her friend's unexpected question. "I'm not sure; I haven't gotten any correspondence from them."

"Cheer up; it's too early to be depressed! Girl, you're one of the smartest people I know! Believe in yourself!"

Masako groaned, "Ahhh, I don't know!" she cried frustrated as she muffled her hair.

"Just be patient and wait! For the time being, let's drink until we drop!" Luna exclaimed as she handed her the shot glass. Masako grinned and happily drank the shot.

"Cheers!" they yelled as their glasses clashed.

***

A few days later, they met in the museum. Luna had just returned from a job interview and was still dressed in the same attire because she didn't have time to change.

She was also a few minutes late for their scheduled meeting time. As a result, after her interview, Luna dashed to the museum as quickly as she could.

Turning quickly from a street corner, she noticed Masako, accompanied by a man, waiting in front of the museum's entrance.

"Sako-chan! I'm sorry for being late," Luna apologized as she took a deep breath.

Masako was astonished to see her friend rushing in a pencil skirt and blazer.

"Oh, did you had somewhere to go before this event?"

"Y-yeah, I had a job interview before this. I need to make money before next month," Luna explained before averting to the man behind her best friend. "You must be Jake! Sako-chan has mentioned you often, and it's lovely to meet you," She said as she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you as well!"

"Were you here to drop off Sako-chan?" Luna inquired.

Masako nervously chuckled and Jake gazed at her, waiting for his lover to respond. "I actually invited him..." She muttered enough for Luna to hear.

"Oh…" Luna exclaimed, surprised.

As she heard Luna remark, Masako swallowed nervously. She understood she was wrong not to inform her friend about another party joining their bestfriend date, yet she invited someone else without Luna's knowledge.

"Y-you're not mad?"

Luna shook her head, "Nope! Obviously, the more people there are, the more entertaining it becomes."

"Right! I apologize for not alerting you sooner, but I was going to! I simply forgot!"

"It's alright, Sako-chan. It doesn't bother me." Luna chuckled. "Shall we go in?"

Before entering the museum, Masako presented the tickets to the staff member, permitting them to enter and begin their trip in the Museum of Horrors.

The tour was incredible, with various things and films on exhibit, and Luna hadn't felt this excited in a long time. She was so enthralled by each segment that she mistakenly lost the pair she was with seconds before.

"Shoot..." She took out her phone and texted Masako to let her know where they were. It took Masako seconds to respond, saying they were on the last floor of the building.

Luna went up to find them after learning they were on another floor, and she soon found the couple waiting for her at a corner.

But as soon as she got close to them, something else captivated her attention. Luna, the horror enthusiast, was drawn to the entrance of a horror house attraction nearby.

"Is it what I think it is?" she questioned, pointing to the terrifyingly decked entrance, and Masako smiled.

"It is, in fact!"

"It's their last attraction before leaving the building!" Jake stated as they approached the door, which, like any other attraction, had a lineup.

While they were waiting for their turn, they heard the personnel exclaim, "Please find a partner before entering the attraction! People in pairs are required to enter!" At the same time, Masako noticed the board in front of the entrance.

"Oh, look at the board!" she said, pointing to it and reading, "Befriend a stranger, and you'll be able to enter."

"That explains why you have to enter in pairs," Jake pointed out.

"I'll go search for one; you guys go ahead!" Luna's words caught them off guard, and they turned to look at her in shock.

"Are you sure, Moon?" Masako asked. "I mean, I can go with you instead; Jake can find a partner."

"I'm sure, and I'd much rather go with someone else than ruin your date."

"I don't really mind," Jake said before one of the staff members interrupted the talk, drawing their attention.

"You're up next, sir and maam!"

Luna grinned as she noticed her pals' concerned reactions. "Go ahead; I'll be right behind you!" she urged, gently pushing them closer to the door.

"Alright. No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings," Luna replied as she watched the couple enter the attraction, leaving her behind.

Luna huffed as she scooted out of the line, realizing that she needed to socialize in order to find a partner for the attraction.

She isn't a social butterfly, but she doesn't want to miss out on this attraction! She looked around and searched for a man or woman to be her temporary partner.

And fortunately, she was approached instead when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She swiftly turned, and there stood in front of her a tall, gorgeous man dressed casually.

He was not only gorgeous, but incredibly beautiful! Luna admires the man's beauty, having never seen such beautiful features before, and it has been a long time since she has seen a man this handsome.

Despite his attractive look, his posture was stooped and shy. Noticing this, she realized he was apprehensive, and the moment he spoke, her theory was confirmed.

"S-sorry to worry you, but are you perhaps…single?" He inquired softly, nervously swallowing. Luna quietly chuckled at his adorable appearance.

"Single?" she joked, which caused the boy to fear.

"A partner!" he exclaimed. "I—I mean, someone who doesn't have a partner. I’m sorry."

"No problem; I, too, was looking for a partner!"

"Wonderful! Shall we?" The lad slid away a little, extending his hand to the entryway with a gentleman's gesture.

"I don't mind at all!"

While waiting, they lined up and had a few talks. Luna discovered he was a year older than she was. His name is Asano Yuki; he works as a nursery teacher in the morning, and a Mathematics Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology at night.

The horror attraction began in an abandoned Japanese restaurant as they entered. It wasn't alarming at first, but as they proceeded deeper and deeper, the staff members began interacting with them.

There were jump scares involved, and every time they performed, a staff member appeared with progressively creepier makeup.

Luna is not easily terrified, which is why she enjoys horror. It puts her fright-o-meter to the test to see what frightens her and what doesn't, but because she was having a good time with a new friend, every scream made them giggle.

It was like watching two best friends have a blast inside the frightening attraction. And your initial thought when you see them will be that they've known each other for a long time.

***

At the end of the attraction, tourists were led to a room where they were photographed with their partner as a souvenir from the museum.

Luna and Yuki shook hands after their picture was taken, and afterwards they went their separate ways.

She then messaged Masako, asking where she and her boyfriend were, and as soon as she replied, she dashed outside.

Luna had to push her way through the crowd to get to where they were. It was a difficult task, but she completed it successfully.

And as she was walking out, she accidentally bumped into a staff member, which pushed the boy forward slightly.

Luna bowed at the staff she ran into, constantly apologizing for what she had done.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

A flood of memories washed over Luna the moment the crew turned and met her eyes. Both sides were dubious about whether they recognized the person in front of them, but they did appear to be familiar.

Luna's doubts vanished as soon as she heard her name called out by the staff member she had run into, because the person in front of her was Nishimura Kazuo, a childhood classmate she was very close to and was her grade school crush.