A short curse escaped Guest's mouth.

After climbing the wall behind the playground and turning down the alley, 'Paran' was the exact opposite of its name—there wasn't a speck of blue to be found. Exterior walls where cement was exposed through peeling paint, concrete stairs soaked in moisture. Guest's eyes scanned the faded sign next to the gloomily standing iron door. Well, if 'Paran' meant 'turbulence' in a different sense, it might actually fit.

Tinkle.

Along with the sound of an old bell, the damp air rushed in. The smell of cigarettes, the smell of old wallpaper. Guest reflexively took a deep breath of the humidity that had been felt since a moment ago. In the narrow hallway where a single fluorescent light flickered intermittently, the loud voices of friends tangled and echoed between the two walls. And—

Guest's gaze met all-black pupils that held almost no light. That look toward the group brushed past for just a moment before quickly dropping downward.

That boy was there.