Haunted House.

“Now then, shall we move on to the next one?”

This was the last third-year classroom on our route. As expected, nothing particularly noteworthy happened.

There were still plenty of idiots—er, upperclassmen—hanging around, drawn here specifically to gawk at Sara and the others. Since our business here was finished, it was probably best to leave quickly.

That said… everyone seemed to have gotten used to the attention. No one was paying the stares any mind anymore.

Impressive adaptability, everyone…

“Next up is the second-year floor, right…? Hey, Marina, is there anything interesting-sounding on display?”

Just as we reached the staircase, Youko spoke up out of the blue.

By “interesting,” she probably meant something fun—like the ring toss earlier.

“Hmm… Oh, there’s a class doing a haunted house. And a few others with different kinds of ring-toss games, I think.”

“A haunted house!? Now that sounds fun!! But ring toss… I’m not really sure.”

I’d actually visited the haunted house classroom several times during the preparation period.

They’d roped in the art club and gone all out with the setup, so inspections were frequent.

That said, I hadn’t checked on it toward the end, so I had no idea what the finished version looked like.

“U-um… a haunted house? I’m… not really good with those…”

“Aww, Eririn’s just extra weak to scary stuff, huh~?”

“Hey! You don’t have to announce it so loudly!”

Eri frantically tried to cover Natsumi-senpai’s mouth, but she dodged effortlessly.

As expected of Natsumi-senpai—quick on her feet.

“Eh, what’s the big deal? Doesn’t that kind of thing actually score points with guys? Right, Takanashi-kun?”

“…Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. I think it’s perfectly cute. I doubt any guy would see it as a negative.”

Why throw the question at me…? Still, I answered for Eri’s sake, meaning every word.

Being scared isn’t something to be ashamed of.

And from a typical guy’s perspective, it naturally makes you want to protect her. That’s just how it works.

“C-cute!? R-really? W-well… if you say so…”

For some reason her cheeks flushed faintly as she gave a small nod.

That wasn’t quite the reaction I’d expected… but if she’s convinced, that’s what matters.

“…Haha. As usual, Kazunari is completely oblivious.”

“…He’s just honest. Don’t lump him in with sly handsome types who overthink everything.”

“…Oof. You’re as harsh on me as ever.”

“…That’s not it. To begin with, I have no intention of being gentle with any man except Kazunari.”

“…R-right… Yeah… of course.”

“…?”

“But if Nishikawa-san really can’t handle scary things, should we skip the haunted house?”

“N-no, I’ll wait outside. Please don’t worry about me.”

“That won’t do, Eririn.”

“Exactly! It’s no fun unless we all do it together!”

Youko’s words represented our collective opinion—an unspoken rule of the group.

So I nodded firmly. Everyone did.

If Eri really couldn’t go, then naturally we would—

“Everyone…”

Seeing our reaction, Eri looked genuinely moved…

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Haunted houses aren’t scary at all if we go in together!!”

“Oh, that’s true!! Just like how crossing on a red light isn’t scary if everyone does it!!”

…Wait.

Hold on.

Isn’t the conversation veering slightly off track?

“Eh!? N-no, that’s why I—”

“Alright, problem solved! Let’s go right now!”

“Come on, come on, let’s head in! Everyone charge together!”

Before anyone could react to the bizarre turn of events, Youko and Natsumi-senpai each grabbed one of Eri’s arms in a vice grip.

What are they planning…?

“Natsumi, Youko, I said I—!!”

“Let’s gooo~!”

“Full speed ahead!”

“W-wait, nooo, I hate haaaaaauuunted hoooouses!!”

Eri’s scream and the cheerful laughter of Natsumi-senpai and Youko echoed through the stairwell.

The three of them vanished down the stairs at full speed, their voices growing fainter by the second.

Left stunned by the sudden development, the rest of us stood frozen in place…

For some reason, the background music in my head was inexplicably playing “◯NADONA”…

…Wait, this isn’t the time to be thinking about that!

We have to hurry after them!

***

And so—everyone is now charging into the haunted house!!

…Of course that didn’t happen.

Thanks mainly to Sara’s intervention, we caught up and Eri was safely released.

The culprits—er, Natsumi-senpai and Youko—refused to let go until Sara scolded them… though surely that part was a joke… right?

“Now then…”

“Yes…”

The weary tone in Sara’s voice as she reset the situation came from the scene currently unfolding right in front of us.

“…Ooooooh, it’s finally heeeeere!!”

“…Move, I can’t see!!”

“…Nishikawa-san is right there!!”

“…Haaah, baby angel-chan is just too cute…”

“…You don’t get it. The pure, simple cuteness of a classic angel is the strongest!”

The situation was almost identical to what happened on the third-year floor.

But perhaps because Sara and the others were second-years, even more upperclassmen (mostly guys) had gathered.

Some were already taking advantage of being former classmates to strike up conversations.

Was this just festival energy gone wild?

“Kazunari, if we stay here any longer, more idiots will show up. Better to go inside quickly.”

“…Yeah.”

Hanako was right. There was no point standing around watching this farce.

Time to move.

“Alright, everyone, let’s go.”

I called out to the group and readjusted my armband.

In a situation like this it might not work as much of a repellent anymore, but at least it gave me a legitimate excuse to brush off anyone who tried to interfere with “official business.”

There was just one more issue…

“Um… I-I’ll stay here…”

“…S-sorry, Takanashi-kun… I’ll… stay too…”

Facing the classroom entrance, both Eri and Marina had completely lost their nerve.

The reason was obvious.

“Kyaaaaaaa!!”

“Nooooooo!!”

““Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!””

As if on perfect cue, piercing female screams erupted from inside the room.

Hearing them, the two girls clung to each other and let out matching shrieks.

Naturally I had no intention of forcing them, so it made sense to split into the “enter” group and the “wait outside” group.

Which means…

We really are charging into the haunted house now.

“Uh… for now, I’ll head in.”

Honestly, this kind of thing isn’t my strong suit either.

But since the entire classroom had been turned into a haunted house… if it was for inspection purposes, there was no avoiding going in.

Time to steel myself…

“I will, of course, accompany you.”

“Don’t worry, Onee-chan’s got your back, Kazunari.”

Sara and Hanako immediately volunteered to follow. Extremely reassuring… and also a little pathetic that I felt that way.

But still… even guys get scared of scary things…

“Oh, I’m definitely going too!! Looks like fun!!”

“Naturally I’m going in as well. You’re coming too, right, Yuuji?”

“Eh!?”

Youko and Natsumi-senpai joining was expected. The problem was Yuuji.

He was actually just as bad with horror as I was.

“Hm? What’s with that reaction?”

“N-no, I just wondered if it was okay for so many of us to go in at once.”

“Oh, large groups are totally fine~”

“R-really? Then… I guess I’ll…”

The guide immediately blocked his escape route, and Yuuji was cheerfully (forcibly) added to the party.

And of course Natsumi-senpai noticed.

“Wowww, this is gonna be so much fun!! Right, Yuujiii?”

“Y-yeah… sure…”

Her smile was far too meaningful.

She was definitely plotting something—I could feel it in my bones.

“Um… sorry, I…”

“U-um, me too…”

Meanwhile Eri and Marina shrank smaller and smaller, looking terribly apologetic.

Yuuji shot me a meaningful glance from beside them.

Right… leave this to him.

“Yuuji, we’re heading in. Take care of Toudou-san and Nishikawa-san.”

“Got it. Be careful, everyone.”

We all nodded at his reply. I explained the situation again to the reception girl.

At this point, with all the commotion right in front of her, she’d probably already figured out we were here on inspection.

“Understood~ But since it’s an inspection, you want to go through like regular guests, right?”

“…Uh?”

Well… when she puts it that way, maybe…?

Though I wasn’t sure we needed to go that far.

“Six guests incoming~! Student council inspection~ Sara-san’s coming in too~!”

Without waiting for my answer, the guide promptly radioed inside.

And for some reason she heavily emphasized Sara’s name.

“““Uoooooooohhhhhhh!!!”””

!?

Immediately afterward, a tremendous, roaring bellow erupted from inside the classroom.

They even had sound effects like that? This haunted house might actually be way more serious than I—

“IT’S HEEEEEEEEERE!!!”

“I’m first!!”

“No, it’s my turn next!!”

“Quit screwing around!! Weren’t you guys complaining it was too much trouble!?”

“Stick to the damn shift, you idiots!!!”

“Shut up, guys!!!”

“Knock it off alreadyyyyy!!”

“““… … …”””

…Yeah, of course not.

The idiots’ racket from inside gradually cooled Sara’s gaze. Hanako’s too.

Seriously… it’s always like this everywhere we go…

“Sigh… Let’s go.”

Even I was starting to feel fed up with the slapstick chaos.

But on the bright side, the fear I’d felt earlier had completely evaporated… so maybe it actually helped.

Let’s just get this over with quickly.

***

Once inside the haunted house, the atmosphere turned out to be far more authentic than expected, instantly putting me on edge.

Mannequins wearing wigs, clever use of lighting to create ominous shadows, antique objects lurking in the darkness—all combining to produce an unsettling sense of dread.

The space directly in front of us had been transformed into a room evoking the early Showa era, steeped in a peculiar, nostalgic eeriness.

Of course, given the size of a classroom, it wasn’t a massive area—just one section, really.

But that very narrowness somehow made it feel like there was no escape.

What I hadn’t expected was that I’d assumed it would be the classic yokai-and-fallen-samurai style of haunted house.

Instead, this felt more modern—like the slow-burn tension build-up of R〇NG or Ju〇n, relying on atmosphere until the main scare appeared.

“Wow… the mood is way better than I thought.”

“Y-yeah… Even though they’re just mannequins, the way they’re presented makes it kind of…”

Despite all the noise before entering, Natsumi-senpai and Youko had gone noticeably quieter.

Ironically, their hushed tension only amplified the unease in the air…

Which, in turn, was starting to affect me too… just a little.

“Kazunari-san, please don’t push yourself.”

“I-I’m fine.”

Sara squeezed my hand reassuringly, speaking in a calm voice as if trying to soothe me.

Precisely because of that, I couldn’t back down—no matter how I really felt.

Call it bravado or stubborn pride; I refused to look pathetic in front of her.

…Though it might already be too late.

“Anyone who scares Kazunari, I’ll tear them apart.”

“Hey, Hanako-san, even as a joke that’s way too intense.”

“It’s fine. I’m serious.”

“…………”

I almost wanted to ask what exactly was “fine” about that…

Youko silently turned toward me after hearing Hanako’s blunt declaration.

Her tone was so deadpan it was impossible to tell if she was joking… but to me, it unfortunately sounded completely serious.

“aaaaaa…”

“!?”

Just as we tried to move out of the strange little room, a rasping voice drifted from the shadows nearby.

At the same moment, the sliding door of the closet right in front of us began to rattle.

Sure enough… it’s coming from there…

“Kazunari-san, over here.”

Anticipating what came next, I braced myself—only for Sara to suddenly yank me close, plunging my vision into total darkness.

Huh…? That’s weird.

I was definitely in hell (the haunted house) just now… so how did I end up in heaven?

“aaaaaa……aa? …A-AHHHHHHHH!?”

The ghost had finally appeared!

Unfortunately, with my vision completely blocked, I couldn’t see it at all.

But more than that… the ghost’s groaning seemed to change unnaturally…

Almost like it was… startled by something…?

“““aaaaaa”””

!?

While I was wondering about that, the groaning multiplied dramatically. From the sound of it, they were definitely converging right around us.

The density of voices kept growing… Just how many ghosts were gathering here?

“W-w-w-wait, this is starting to feel like B◯O HAZARD!!?”

“H-hey, isn’t this way too many!?”

“Shotgun—no, better go straight to rocket lau—”

“Hanako-san, what are you saying!? And anyway that’s too wasteful, use a grenade—never mind!!”

From the panicked voices of Natsumi-senpai and especially Youko, it was clear something bizarre was happening around us.

Logically speaking, could that many ghosts really crowd into such a cramped haunted house setup?

“It’s alright, Kazunari-san. I’m right here with you.”

“Uh, Sara…?”

Sara still seemed to think I was scared, because she showed no sign of letting go. If anything, she gently stroked my head even in this situation.

But honestly… I desperately wanted to see what was actually going on with my own eyes right now…

“““aaa………a-a… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?!?”””

And once again, the ghosts’ groans transformed.

This time it wasn’t a mistake—they were clearly reacting in shock to something they saw.

What the hell is happening!? Seriously!?

“S-Sara-san!?”

“Not yet, Kazunari-san.”

Funyuu…

“Mmph!”

Sara tightened her embrace around my head just a little more.

As a result, my face sank even deeper into her soft paradise…

“““AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!???”””

By now the ghosts’ groans had completely turned into full-on shrieks of shock.

There wasn’t a trace of horror left—just pure, astonished yelling.

The haunted house itself had built such a great atmosphere, but the ghosts’ performance was so low-quality it was almost a shame.

“…I can already see how this is going to end.”

“…Same here. What a waste—such a good haunted house, ruined in so many ways…”

“…Business as usual.”

“…Honestly, I’m a little relieved…”

“Hey!! What the hell are you guys doing!?”

“If you crowd here like that, Satsukawa-san and the others can’t get through!!”

“No fair, you bastards!!!”

Apparently some classmates had noticed the commotion and come running.

Things were officially falling apart…

“S-sorry, Satsukawa-san!! We’ll get these guys to move right—”

“What the… why are you all frozen like—”

“What are you even…”

The arriving group suddenly trailed off mid-sentence.

Were they… just as shocked as the ghosts?

But shocked by what?

“U-um… Satsukawa-san?”

“Yes?”

“W-what exactly are you doing…?”

“Can’t you see?”

“N-no… I mean…”

Sara and the upperclassmen began a bewildering back-and-forth. It became clear they were stunned by Sara’s actions… but all she was doing was holding me.

…Wait.

If that’s the case, then the reason the upperclassmen are shocked is…

“S-Satsukawa-san, th-that’s… th-the vice president… right?”

“And?”

“Wh-why is he in that position…?”

“I see no reason to explain myself to you.”

“““… …”””

“Um, Sara-san?”

“Kazunari-san, if you show your face now… that would be no good, okay?”

Mugyuu…

I tried to lift my head just a little to see what was happening, but she immediately pressed me back down. And then, as if nothing had happened, she resumed gently stroking my head.

“Wha…”

“Wh-what…”

“W-wait…”

“A-a-ahhh…”

Even I could predict what was coming next at this point.

It was the usual pattern… as embarrassing as it was to admit.

So I decided to just lean into it.

I pressed my face a little closer against her on purpose.

Whatever happens, happens.

“Fufu… Good boy, Kazunari-san♪”

Pat pat…

“Wha…”

“Wha………”

“““WHAT THE HELL IS THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!?!?!?!?”””

For some inexplicable reason, inside the haunted house, the ghosts let out an enormous cry of disbelief…

I don’t even know what they’re saying anymore… Actually, never mind.

If that had been regular guests screaming, it would be normal.

But the ones screaming like that definitely shouldn’t be the ghosts.

When the scarers are more terrified than anyone else… that’s completely backwards.