------
------
Miko Yotsuya was a good girl.
Black hair. Golden eyes.
A cute face that could rival any anime heroine, skin so pale and flawless it looked like she was wearing makeup even when she wasn't.
Her body was soft and delicate, with just the right curves that peeked through even the loose, oversized school uniform.
And those thighs—thick, plush, and super inviting. The way her short pleated skirt flirted with her absolute territory? It drew stares whether she noticed or not.
She was the real deal—gorgeous, kind, and gentle. Otherwise, how could she have ended up with a ditzy best friend like Hana Yurukawa?
On the train, Miko suddenly felt… off. A weird haze in her head.
Just a second ago, everything had been fine.
She'd only been half-listening to her friend Hana muttering next to her:
"Miko, don't tell me you've got a thing for that type...?"
Outside, the morning sunlight wasn't harsh—actually kind of mellow, making it easy for Miko to take in the view from the train window.
The city rolled by—noisy, messy, alive.
Normally, that background noise would fade out for Miko, something her brain filtered automatically. But now…
Out of nowhere, her ears started picking up fragments of conversation from the passengers around her:
"Eh? You watched that ghost-hunting show again? I thought you were scared of that kind of stuff?"
"Mom, Mom, are ghosts real?"
"Hahaha… This post is wild—it divides ghosts into types and even claims that as long as you pretend not to see them, they can't hurt you."
"Spirit sight? That's fake, right?"
"Can ghosts actually hurt people? I dunno, maybe?"
"Miko? Miko?!"
Snap.
It was like someone flipped a switch in her brain—Miko jolted back to reality.
Sweat clung to her temples, her breathing was shallow, quick.
Her heart was pounding hard in her chest—loud enough for her to notice.
Next to her, Hana was puffing her cheeks, shaking Miko's arm in protest. Clearly annoyed that Miko had spaced out mid-convo.
Miko wiped the sweat from her brow, feeling both confused and uneasy. She glanced around at the crowd who'd just been chatting about all those ghost stories.
What the heck just happened…?
As they stepped off the packed train together, still squished by the morning rush, Miko suddenly heard a whisper. It sounded kind—like a warning:
"Don't see them. You can't see anything…"
Her body jolted like she'd been shocked. She whipped her head around—fast.
The train doors closed.
Nothing. Just the usual noisy mess of morning commuters. No creepy grin from someone who'd played a prank. No suspicious figure.
What the hell…?
Who the heck tries to scare someone like that?
And that voice—it sounded like a grown man's. Maybe some middle-aged guy?
Damn it. Grown adults, messing with teenage girls like this…
She exhaled and patted her chest, trying to calm down.
It's just a guy. Just a person messing around.
As long as it was human, she wasn't scared.
But she was embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed. The idea of being pranked like that made her feel stupid.
Hana, catching sight of Miko patting her chest, suddenly tilted her head in curiosity.
Huh?
Since when did Miko have that much going on?
Her uniform usually hid it well…
Meanwhile…
Seishu Mizunozuki was watching his system points tick up.
[System Points: 103]
His lips curled into a wicked grin—utterly unhinged.
That's the power of a main heroine from a crossover title. Just a little scare and she's coughing up triple-digit points already.
And if he cranked up the pressure?
Then maybe… those points would flow like Miko's inner thighs—in a nice steady stream.
On the road to Sobu High, a misshapen, unspeakable horror floated next to him. It made guttural, rasping noises that could chill anyone to the bone.
And yet, under the soft morning sunlight, Seishu looked like the perfect sunny, cheerful schoolboy.
Right now…
This sunny schoolboy gave his curse creation its first command:
Go.
Stir things up a little. Just enough to get noticed.
Later that day…
Miko was a mess.
She'd been spaced out all day—snapping in and out of focus, jumping at shadows. She couldn't concentrate on class, and ended up being dragged to the teacher's office by none other than Shizuka Hiratsuka, the Iron-Fist Spinster.
By the time she got out, school was already over. Hana, who'd been dying to go buy her favorite butt-shaped mochi, didn't wait around.
So Miko was headed home alone.
She waved goodbye to a few classmates and quietly reflected on her terrible day.
Maybe I just didn't sleep well?
She scratched her head.
And again, those strange voices from the morning rang in her ears…
Are ghosts real?
Spirit sight is fake, right?
...Tch.
She was starting to feel genuinely afraid.
Miko had always been the type to half-believe in that stuff. She'd scream watching horror movies.
Now, with the sky darkening after school and a light rain falling, she had to hold her bag over her head and run toward the distant bus stop.
Empty…?
She wrung out her pleated skirt, drops of rain falling from the hem.
Standing alone at a dim, empty bus stop, Miko couldn't help but feel like she was in the middle of a horror movie.
This is stupid.
She pouted, trying to psych herself up.
She wasn't scared of this kind of—of—
Suddenly—
From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of something dark… unshapable… wrong.
Her entire body locked up.
Her eyes yanked away like she'd touched a live wire.
Her pupils shrank. Her heart hammered.
A deep, primal panic surged through her.
Her chest squeezed painfully, her breath came in gasps.
That was…
No. No way…
She forced herself to stay calm. Tried to dismiss the ridiculous thought bubbling up in her mind.
No. I'm just imagining things. I didn't see anything.
The rain pattered steadily on the pavement, eerily quiet.
It only emphasized what she already knew:
She was alone.
Alone at the bus stop.
Her body was frozen, tense—too scared to move.
She cautiously peeked toward where she thought she saw the shadow.
Then—
"Haaa…"
She let out a sigh of relief, like a taut string had finally snapped.
Nothing.
She didn't see anything.
Just to be safe, she looked around one more time, slowly, carefully.
Still nothing.
Whew… See?
Ghosts aren't real. I just scared myself.
She hugged her bag to her chest, blushing in embarrassment.
It was cold.
The chilly rain made the whole bus stop feel even more deserted and eerie.
Ugh. Forget it. I'll splurge today and take a taxi home.
The moment she made that decision, Miko bolted from the bus stop, clutching her bag over her head.
She didn't care that the rain was soaking her. She just wanted to get away—fast.
Better safe than sorry.
That kind of thinking is only human.
She ran.
Her pale legs splashed through puddles, picking up speed with every step.
Faster.
And faster.
In the back of her mind, that mocking whisper from the train replayed faintly—
"Don't see them. You can't see anything…"
"....."