I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life After Transferring, but I Fell into a Rom-Com Trap and a Hidden Battlefield No One Knows About - Chapter 47: Tsunekawa Momiji is Extremely Timid

Chapter 47: Tsunekawa Momiji is Extremely Timid

After about an hour of struggle, all the food was finally grilled.

But—

The potatoes and carrots are all gone!?

Oi, oi, Tsunekawa and I haven’t even had a single bite yet! Why the hell did you guys eat everything!?

…This is too cruel! At least leave some for us…

Resigning myself to this unfair reality, I started setting up the table and chairs I had brought.

Tsunekawa placed the freshly grilled food on the table one after another, and soon, everyone began to gather around.

The first to take a seat was Sasaki-sensei.

Since she was the oldest and held the highest position among us, she naturally claimed the very center of the table.

Next, Tsunekawa and Nakano sat to her left, while Sasaki and Satohama took the seats to her right.

“Kotone, sit here!”

Satohama patted the chair beside her, and without hesitation, her “archenemy” Kotone sat down.

Then, Minatsu took the seat next to her. Turning to face me, she patted the seat beside her and called out.

“Onii-chan, sit here~!”

I don’t really care where I sit as long as I have a place. So, I obediently took the seat next to Minatsu.

—Alright, that leaves Kiritani and the other four.

…Well, honestly, I don’t really care who sits where.

Just please, please, let it be anyone but Takanashi sitting next to me…!

“Then, I’ll sit next to Misaki-kun.”

Nice! It’s Tsukishima, not Takanashi!

I glanced over and saw Takanashi looking slightly displeased. But without saying a word, she took the seat next to Tsukishima—directly across from Sensei.

…Wait, why does she look so annoyed!?

I mean, I don’t remember doing anything to her…

Anyway, Kiritani and Sugita took the remaining seats—one next to Kotone and the other in the last open spot.

With that, everyone was seated.

However, there was one problem.

This table is way too cramped for 12 people!?

Ugh… I hate this kind of situation.

Having my shoulders pressed against others like this is seriously stressful…

“Itadakimaaaasu!”

Everyone said in unison before reaching for the food and beginning their meal.

…Or at least, most of us did.

Tsukishima, sitting beside me, instinctively pulled out her phone and started swiping across the screen.

Seeing this, Takanashi let out an exasperated sigh and called her out.

“Reiko, can you at least put your gossip away while we’re eating?”

…Seriously? She’s checking gossip news even now?

If she loves it that much, she should just become a journalist. She’d probably dominate the industry.

“I heard that as soon as she enrolled, Tsukishima-senpai was already being called the ‘Information Queen’ of the academy… but I didn’t think she’d go as far as checking news during meals. That’s impressive.”

Sasaki’s comment was somewhere between surprise and a joke. Her face showed genuine astonishment, but the tone was definitely teasing.

“Ahaha… Sorry, sorry. It’s just a habit…”

Tsukishima awkwardly laughed and put her phone down. Then, Sasaki-sensei spoke up.

“Well, if you love gossip that much, Tsukishima, why don’t you share some interesting news with us?”

The moment she said that, everyone else quickly chimed in with agreement.

It’s true—without a good topic, a gathering like this can feel awkward.

Using gossip as entertainment might actually be a good idea.

“O-okay… Then, I have a story about the RASCALS district. I came across it while researching travel plans…”

Tsukishima scrolled through her phone, searching for something while we continued eating, waiting for her to begin.

“Oh, found it!”

After a few seconds, she seemed to locate the article.

But before she began, she suddenly grew serious and warned us.

“Just so you know, this isn’t exactly gossip. This is a story that has been passed down in this area for decades.”

“That sounds interesting! Hurry up and tell us!”

Sasaki-sensei urged her on, clearly excited.

Tsukishima took a deep breath and then slowly began speaking.

“Alright, I’ll start… Everyone, have you ever heard ghost stories before?”

“Y-Yurei…?”

Tsunekawa’s face tensed slightly… Oh yeah, she’s terrified of ghosts, isn’t she?

“A ghost story? So this is a kaidan?”

Sasaki leaned in, looking intrigued.

“Exactly.”

Tsukishima nodded, and Sasaki’s excitement only grew.

“Ooooh! That sounds amazing! Tell us, tell us!”

“Sasaki, you like horror?”

I asked, a bit surprised, and Sasaki nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! I’ve always loved it! That spine-chilling feeling is the best! Besides, don’t you ever wonder after hearing a horror story or watching a scary movie—’Do ghosts really exist?'”

“Not even once.”

I replied instantly.

“In fact, ghosts, humans, the universe—none of it actually exists. Everything is an illusion. Only the void is real.”

“…There he goes again, with his weird ideas.”

Minatsu sighed, sounding exasperated. I smirked and spoke in a deliberately cryptic tone.

“You’re too naive, Minatsu! You may not understand now, but one day, you’ll come to agree with your wise older brother.”

“…No. Never.”

“Alright, alright, enough of that! Let’s get back on track—Tsukishima, continue your story.”

Sasaki-sensei abruptly wrapped up the conversation with a sharp tone. His expression, however, was filled with anticipation—he was genuinely looking forward to this story.

“Alright, then, let’s continue,” Tsukishima nodded and was about to speak when—

“Wa-wait a second!”

Tsunekawa suddenly interrupted in a panicked voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“…This story… it’s really just made up, right?”

Tsunekawa’s eyebrow twitched slightly, and an obvious unease appeared in her gaze.

It was broad daylight, and there were still plenty of people around.

Even in this setting, she was getting scared…

I never expected her to be this much of a scaredy-cat.

“Well, the truth is unclear, I’d say? It’s just an urban legend, after all.”

Tsukishima explained casually, but Tsunekawa’s face remained troubled.

Seeing her like that, Nakano gently reassured her.

“It’s fine, it’s just a ghost story.”

“But… scary things are still scary…”

She looked like she was about to cry.

“Come on, even Reiko-chan said it’s ‘just a rumor,’ right? That means it’s fake, doesn’t it?”

Nakano said this, but I couldn’t quite agree.

Sure, calling it “just a rumor” was one thing, but that didn’t automatically make it false.

After all, if there wasn’t something behind it, the story wouldn’t have been passed down for so long.

Was it purely fiction? Or did something real happen?—

Until we knew the truth, dismissing it outright as “fake” felt premature.

“Wait, you’re still scared even with all these people around?”

Sasaki-sensei commented, making Tsunekawa shrink back slightly.

“W-well… Everyone has things they’re bad with, don’t they…?”

“If you’re that scared, why not just cover your ears? Some of us actually want to listen, you know? You’re overreacting. So pathetic.”

Takanashi spoke with clear irritation.

Her tone carried a hint of mockery.

But then—

“Hey, Takanashi! Don’t talk like that!”

Sasaki-sensei scolded her sharply.

“Tch… Yeah, yeah…”

Takanashi clicked her tongue but reluctantly shut her mouth. Her expression still screamed, I don’t agree with this, but she couldn’t win against Sasaki-sensei’s authority.

Tsunekawa remained silent, clinging tightly to Nakano’s arm.

“…A-anyway, I’ll continue now.”

Tsukishima picked up her phone, swallowed once, and resumed her story.

“This story takes place… over a hundred years ago. Back then, there was a small village in what is now the RASCALS district. A husband and wife lived there. But the husband was a heavy drinker. Every night, he’d get drunk and beat his wife.”

Tsukishima’s voice grew heavier.

“Then, one night, as usual, the husband drank and began abusing his wife. Her screams echoed throughout the village. But… not a single person tried to help. And in the end—the husband beat her to death.”

A quiet exhale escaped Tsukishima’s lips.

That small breath seemed to carry both mourning for the dead wife and a lament for the villagers’ cruelty.

I swallowed reflexively.

The atmosphere had grown unbearably heavy.

Tsukishima paused, as if carefully choosing her next words.

Then, she spoke again.

“After that, a string of ‘disappearances’ began happening in the village. And each time… there was a certain pattern.”

“A pattern?”

Sasaki asked with interest. Tsukishima nodded slowly.

“…Every time someone went missing, a single piece of paper was found. On it, just four words were written—‘Double the Payback!’”

For a moment, silence blanketed the area.

I could hear the distant sound of waves.

And yet—for some reason, the crashing of the waves felt eerily unsettling.

Without thinking, I rubbed my arms.

The temperature around us seemed to drop ever so slightly.

“A lot of people said it,” Tsukishima continued. ‘It must be the wife’s ghost, taking revenge.’”

There was a faint tension in her voice.

“And… what’s really scary is—”

I swallowed nervously.

“This village… is where we’re standing right now!”

“—Hiiiii!”

Tsunekawa’s sudden shriek shattered the silence.

I flinched instinctively. The scream was so unexpected that my heart nearly stopped.

Looking to my side, I saw Tsunekawa’s face had turned deathly pale.

Damn… way too scared.

“Oi, oi, Tsunekawa, you’re seriously overreacting.”

I couldn’t help but comment.

Honestly, the ghost story itself wasn’t even that scary—but her screaming sure as hell was.

She was completely terrified, looking like she could barely stay here any longer.

Fear had utterly taken over her.

“S-sorry… but it’s just too much…! I’m going back! Ouka, take me back to the hotel!”

“Huh? But you haven’t eaten much yet. You’re really leaving already?”

“I don’t care, I just don’t want to stay here anymore!”

Tsunekawa’s voice was on the verge of breaking.

Come on… It’s just an old ghost story. Is she really this scared?

“A-ah, you know, Tsunekawa-san… this is just a story that’s been passed down! I mean, it’s just one of those urban legends, right? It’s not like ghosts actually exist… And, well, I tried to make it scarier on purpose to make it more fun…”

Tsukishima tried to reassure her, but Tsunekawa had already made up her mind.

“I don’t care! I can’t stay here! Ouka, let’s go!”

In the end, Nakano had no choice but to take Tsunekawa back to the hotel.

The rest of us stayed behind and continued our meal.

But still…

I never thought Tsunekawa would be this scared…