บท 85: Chapter 85: Gradually Stupid
"…Alright."
Kaguya tied the red ribbon into a perfect bow, both sides symmetrical.
Amamiya looked at the "Ice Princess" girl in front of him and felt something subtle but hard to describe.
She was still the same person... yet why did the word "airhead" suddenly pop into his mind?
"Not bad," Amamiya said, averting his gaze. The dim lighting made it difficult to see clearly. "Let's head out."
'Clang.'
Just as they reached the door, a strange sound echoed through the room.
"That sound..." Kaguya's expression shifted slightly.
Amamiya furrowed his brow. "It sounds like... a mirror?"
Suddenly, a hand anxiously grabbed the corner of Amamiya's shirt.
Seriously? Isn't it normal to hear creepy noises in a haunted house?
'Once bitten, twice shy'—especially in a place like this.
"To overcome fear, you have to face it," Amamiya suggested. "How about we go back and check?"
"No need," Kaguya bit her lower lip. "Let's just leave."
She didn't want to stay in a room with a mirror for even a second! If it weren't for its daily necessity, Hayasaka would've removed the mirrors from her bathroom long ago.
"Alright, we're leaving."
Seeing that the usually composed "Ice Princess" had no intention of confronting her fear, Amamiya didn't press further.
As for the strange sound… in a haunted house, every noise is suspicious. There was no need to dig deeper.
The two left the room and stepped into the hallway.
The corridor was still dark and eerie, with a thin mist hovering in the air, obscuring their vision.
Amamiya glanced around, assessing their location. "We came from this way. I told your mother that if we found anyone, we'd head back to the original intersection to meet up."
Kaguya nodded gently. "Let's go."
Amamiya, blessed with a keen sense of direction, rarely got lost on a path he had already walked.
Leading the way, Amamiya and Kaguya soon arrived at the intersection where they'd split up earlier.
"Is that Kitagawa-san?" Amamiya narrowed his eyes, spotting a figure in the distance.
The girl had long hair down to her waist and was about the same height as Umi. But the dim lighting made it hard to confirm her identity.
Just as Amamiya was about to walk over to check, a cold hand grabbed his right hand.
So cold... why is her hand so cold?
If it weren't for his spirit-repelling aura, people might mistake him for a ghost!
"Don't go," Kaguya frowned, speaking softly. "That's not Kitagawa-san."
"Look at his neck."
Umi always wore a choker, especially when playing in a haunted house. There was no reason she'd take it off.
As they were speaking, a scream echoed from down the hallway.
A group of girls came running, shrieking as they huddled together.
Amamiya, more prepared this time, quickly pulled Kaguya to the side, pressing them against the wall to avoid being separated again.
The screaming visitors ran by, passing right through the figure that looked like Umi, without any physical contact.
It was indeed an evil spirit.
How many evil spirits are in this small haunted house? This is getting out of hand!
Once the visitors had passed, Amamiya released Kaguya's hand and whispered, "There must be something scary in that direction—or it's just a staff member. Usually, these haunted houses hide clues to help us get through."
When there was no response, Amamiya turned and saw Kaguya standing still, her left hand clenched into a fist and pressed against her chest. Her head was lowered, and her dark hair obscured her face, making her expression unreadable.
'Ahhh! I just held Amamiya-kun's hand!'
'It feels... so strange.' Kaguya held her breath, her heart racing uncontrollably.
In her sixteen years of life, this was the first time she had ever touched a boy's hand. 'It's so warm... Oh no, my heart won't stop racing. What do I do?'
"Are you okay?" Amamiya took a cautious half-step back, raising an eyebrow in concern.
"I'm fine," Kaguya responded, her tone a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
Seeing her reaction, Amamiya took another half-step back.
The long-buried fear of the time Kaguya had acted like a yandere resurfaced in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Why are you backing away?" Kaguya tilted her head slightly, looking at him.
'Of course I'm backing away! I'm terrified you might suddenly pull out a box cutter!' His aura could repel spirits, but it couldn't protect him from a girl who had gone "dark mode."
"I'm just... stretching," Amamiya replied, keeping a safe distance. "Why didn't you say anything just now?"
"I just…" Kaguya pursed her pink lips, searching for the right words.
How could she possibly admit that her heart had been racing uncontrollably because she touched his hand?
"Kaguya-chan?"
A hesitant voice echoed through the corridor.
Amamiya felt his little finger trembling slightly.
"It's us," he answered, subtly signaling with his little finger.
The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and soon a pink-haired girl appeared, rushing over. Upon seeing Kaguya, she squealed with delight and threw her arms around her, rubbing her cheek against Kaguya's body.
"Finally found you!"
It was hard to tell who was searching for whom.
Amamiya glanced past the pink-haired girl and noticed Shimizu approaching quietly.
"Amamiya-kun, mission accomplished." Shimizu made a scissors gesture with her fingers. "I found Chika-chan."
"Where's Kitagawa-san?" Amamiya asked, glancing around but not spotting the busty girl.
"I don't know," Shimizu replied, shaking her head. "I only saw Chika-chan just now, no sign of Umi-chan."
"We ran into several ghosts earlier," Chika said with a pout. "We couldn't tell if they were staff or actual evil spirits. Let's hurry and find Umi-chan so we can leave, okay?"
"Umi-chan must be really scared all alone."
"We'll find her if we can," Amamiya responded, though there was a hint of irony in his voice.
"But what if we don't?" Chika suddenly looked anxious. "Do you think she might have disappeared?"
"If we can't find her, we'll just head out first," Amamiya replied, a bit exasperated.
"No way! Umi-chan wouldn't abandon us and run off!" Chika protested.
Kaguya crossed her right arm over her chest and said calmly, "Until we know for sure, it's better not to get our hopes up. It wouldn't be surprising if Kitagawa-san left on her own."
——
A little later.
The group successfully found Umi.
Although Kaguya's earlier assessment had been wrong, Umi hadn't abandoned the group.
However, Chika's judgment wasn't entirely accurate either. Rather than being terrified or hiding, Umi was mingling with other haunted house visitors, clearly enjoying herself and showing no signs of fear.
Once reunited, Chika lost her enthusiasm for the haunted house scares. The group joined other visitors and completed all the levels together, finally exiting the haunted house.
"We're out."
Amamiya let out a soft breath, glancing at the horizon. The sun was slowly setting, painting the clouds a brilliant golden-red.
"Hahaha, that was so much fun!" Umi exclaimed, hands on her hips, her smile bright as she faced the sunset. "We can scream all we want without worrying about evil spirits recognizing us! Chika-chan, wanna go again?"
"I'm done," Chika shook her head. "It's getting dark, and there's a long line to get back in… Eh? Eh hey hey?"
Suddenly, the pink-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Amamiya asked, turning to look.
"M...Mission accomplished!"
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