"Can't see a thing. Absolutely nothing." Chika looked pitiful. "The haunted house is so dark. Forget scaring people—I can barely see."
"Sorry, forgot how dark haunted houses are." The blonde gyaru scratched her hair, turning to look at Natsuki. "Do you have any ideas?"
"In a situation like this, naturally we call in outside help."
As he spoke, Natsuki turned to look at Mrs. Kaguya.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that." Mrs. Kaguya crossed both arms over her chest. "Ghosts have to follow science too. In a place with no light, I definitely can't see clearly."
You're a ghost—you yourself are the biggest violation of science here!
At that moment, a clear, pleasant voice suddenly rang out:
"I can."
"Hm?"
Natsuki turned to look at the ice queen. After a brief moment of thought, he quickly guessed:
"Is this from the fun quest last time?"
"That's right." Kaguya nodded lightly, pressing her fingers to her temple. "After my vision was enhanced, I can manage to see some things in the dark, even if only vaguely."
"That's so amazing!" Chika's eyes sparkled as she leaned in. "Kaguya-chan's eyes turned into night-vision goggles?"
"Of course not. I said I can only make out a little bit."
"Can you see through things?"
"That would be telepathy, not enhanced vision."
"..."
"Since Shinomiya-san can see in the dark, we'll follow behind her." Natsuki decided firmly. "Shinomiya-san, lead the way."
Chika: "Kaguya-chan, we're counting on you."
Marin: "Shinomiya-san, do your best."
Mrs. Kaguya: "Little Kaguya, have fun."
Kaguya: "..."
Not having fun in the slightest!
Being told to walk out front and scout the path while everyone else coasted behind her—did their consciences not bother them at all?
Letting out a quiet breath, Kaguya pressed her fingers to her temple and stepped forward.
The haunted house's theme was a crumbling village steeped in traditional customs. The villagers had mysteriously vanished overnight, and the players—as paranormal adventure enthusiasts—had come to investigate the truth. Put into a movie, it would be a guaranteed wipeout script.
Natsuki, catching what little light there was, could make out many Heian-period artifacts inside the haunted house. The attention to historical detail was quite impressive.
"Have you been to a haunted house before, Amamiya-kun?"
Chika asked in a low voice.
Natsuki said: "If school haunted houses count, then yes."
"That would be the middle school one, right?" Marin's voice was crisp. "I actually played a female ghost inside it back then."
Walking alone out front, Kaguya listened to the three of them chatting behind her. She bit her lower lip ever so slightly.
Insufferable.
She was scouting ahead while they chatted freely behind her. How inconsiderate!
"Hm?"
Kaguya suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Natsuki asked in a hushed voice.
"In the corner up ahead." Kaguya replied quietly. "There's a... worker crouching?"
Dressed in white, hair hanging loose, and sneaking around crouched in a corner—this was obviously no amusement park visitor. The likelihood of it being a worker was very high.
"Isn't scaring people a bit excessive?" Now that the moment had actually come, Chika grew hesitant. "What if we actually scare them into a panic?"
Someone who could work in a haunted house would have nerves of steel. There was no way they'd be so easily shaken.
Natsuki quickly said: "Let's try it first, then sincerely apologize afterward."
"I guess that's all we can do..."
Chika nodded in agreement.
"Chika-chan, here." Marin handed over a mass of black wig.
"I'm going in."
Chika steeled herself, gripped her fist, put on the wig, and crept quietly toward the worker in the corner.
To be safe, Natsuki and the others stayed back and didn't approach.
Too many people moving would make too much noise and might alert the worker ahead of time, ruining the scare plan entirely.
Chika tiptoed to the worker's back, gathered the wig forward over her face, and stood perfectly still.
The first rule of scaring someone—let them notice you on their own without realizing it. That gave the best effect.
But she waited a full thirty-odd seconds, and the worker remained crouched in the corner, staring out toward the corridor. Not a single twitch. Not even the slightest sign of turning around.
Chika was frustrated.
Staying completely motionless like that—their guard was way too low!
"This isn't working. Looks like I have to take the offensive."
Chika pulled a snack wrapper from her pocket and held it in her hand. An odd crinkling sound immediately filled the air.
Hearing the noise, the worker's body shuddered. They finally made a motion to turn their head.
Only—halfway through turning, they suddenly stopped.
"Why did you stop?"
"Aren't you even a little curious about the sound behind you?"
Chika finally lost her patience and reached out to tap the worker's shoulder.
The very next moment.
The pink-haired girl felt her hand pass through the air, touching nothing solid at all.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?!"
The worker crouching in the corner lifted their head. It turned out their head had been facing the opposite direction from their body the entire time. A hollow voice followed:
"You... can see me?"
"I can't."
Chika frantically shook her head.
"You can see me!"
The hollow voice suddenly turned icy. Black mist surged from the evil spirit's body in violent waves.
Danger instincts screamed. Chika didn't hesitate—she turned and bolted: "He-he-he-help!"
"Hm?"
Natsuki had still been mid-conversation with the blonde gyaru when he suddenly heard Chika's cries. He looked up, but the light was far too dim to make anything out.
"That's not a worker—it's an evil spirit!"
Kaguya's voice came urgently. Compared to her usual frosty composure, there was now unmistakable worry and urgency in her tone.
"An evil spirit?"
Natsuki's expression instantly turned serious. Without a moment's hesitation, he sprinted forward along the corridor while simultaneously activating his Evil-Repelling Aura.
The distance between them wasn't far. He quickly spotted the pink-haired girl—and the worker behind her.
A rotting, hollow, twisted face flickered in and out of visibility. He could even see the corridor behind it through its body. It was an evil spirit, alright.
Thud!
Chika crashed into his arms. The force of the impact pushed Natsuki back half a step.
The twisted evil spirit, like a shark that had caught the scent of blood, came straight at them. After closing the distance, its body immediately erupted in flames. Even so, it showed not the slightest intention of stopping or retreating—it reached out, clawing toward the pink-haired girl, until it burned away completely.
"Chika-chan, are you okay?"
Marin hurried over from behind.
"I was so scared just now." Even with her typically unshakeable composure, Chika couldn't help the tears welling up. "I thought it was a haunted house worker. Turns out it was an evil spirit."
"If you're fine, let go." Natsuki complained. "I'm about to suffocate."
"I'm sorry." Kaguya bit her lower lip, her tone self-reproachful. "I didn't see clearly that it was an evil spirit."
"Inside this haunted house, there are evil spirits mixed in with the workers." Natsuki spoke seriously. "From here on out, we need to be careful about safety."
The group continued forward.
Feeling their way to a crossroads, they suddenly heard girls screaming from both the left and right corridors.
"Evil spirits?" Chika tensed up immediately—clearly still shaken from before.
With footsteps that loud, it had to be people, no matter how you looked at it!
As they spoke, people from all three directions collided. Combined with the dim lighting where nothing could be seen, after the chaotic scattering, Natsuki found himself completely alone.
Along with Mrs. Kaguya, who was staring at him with wide eyes and a perfectly innocent expression.