Itsuyan Private Academy — founded in the first year of the Shōwa era, 1926.
Nearly a century of history, prestige, and supposedly… no ghosts.
And in Class 2-B, for the first time in an entire year—
Kiryu Touta was finally coming back to school.
He pulled his uniform from the back of the closet, brushing off a thin layer of dust. The crisp
fabric still fit perfectly.
If he wanted to properly investigate the school's haunting, he'd have to put his part-time jobs on
hold for now.
Luckily, Lu Zizhen's channel had finally started pulling in ad revenue.
At least he didn't have to worry about them starving while he "pretended to be a student" again.
What he did have to worry about was the thing still lurking somewhere on campus.
A year ago, he'd just entered high school before taking a mysterious leave of absence.
Coming back now, he felt more like a transfer student than a returning one.
That morning, he left home early.
He'd converted four low-tier vengeful spirits into Intel Sugar Beans—added to the two he
already had (minus the one that got stolen), that made six in total.
Three were left with Huaiyin for home defense, and the other three he'd given to Lu Zizhen.
That meant, for the first time in months, he didn't have to worry about anyone's safety.
As for Zizhen's late-night confession about being a Taoist priestess?
He still hadn't decided whether to take her seriously or not.
It was peak commute hour. Students flooded the streets in waves, uniform jackets fluttering in
the summer wind.
Touta tried to blend into the crowd, but standing at well over 1.8 meters tall, he stuck out like a
crane among sparrows.
Predictably, he got stopped at the gate.
"Excuse me, where's your name badge?"
A clean-cut boy with a disciplinary armband stepped forward, voice polite but firm.
Touta nodded. "Sorry. I took a year's leave and just returned. I don't have one yet."
The boy frowned. "A year off? You're in high school division, right? Which class?"
"Second-year, Class B. My homeroom teacher should be Fuminaga Kyōko."
At that, the boy's expression brightened. "Ohhh, so you're that ghost student! I remember
now—Kiryu Touta, right?"
Touta blinked.
…You remembered the name of a guy who vanished for a year?
What kind of database brain was this kid running?
Still, if he was a classmate, that saved Touta the trouble of reintroductions.
"Yes, that's me. And you are…?"
The boy placed a hand over his chest with mock formality.
"I'm Nagai Ibuki, member of the Disciplinary Committee. You can just call me Nagai."
He gestured toward the gatehouse with a grin. "And speaking of luck—today's your lucky day.
There's another committee member here too! She's like a rare spawn—you hardly ever see
her!"
…Lucky, huh?
Somehow that word gave Touta a bad feeling.
Then Nagai turned toward the gatehouse and shouted, "Kume-san!"
From beside the security post, a girl shuffled over, dragging her feet.
She wore a mask, and even before she spoke, Touta recognized her instantly.
…You've got to be kidding me.
Kume Chinatsu.
Of course it was her.
Figures.
She looked uneasy, posture guarded, the mask not for fashion but for protection. After
everything that had happened, she probably didn't feel safe anywhere.
Touta remembered the night of the Ikebukuro incident—the bag had been recovered, but her
student ID was missing. Which meant…
The Sugar Bean Man likely knew who she was.
Which, well—was true. Just not in the way she thought.
Meanwhile, in her mind, the story went differently.
That monstrous pink creature had come to her school and slain the ghost threatening her life.
But what if it hadn't come to save her?
What if it had come for her?
Her stomach twisted.
Nagai clapped his hands together, chipper as ever.
"Kume-san's in our class too! I'd normally take Kiryu-kun to the faculty office myself, but we've
had some vandalism incidents lately, and I've gotta stay on gate duty."
He gestured toward her like a magician unveiling his assistant.
"So! This is Kume Chinatsu. And this—" he turned to Touta with an exaggerated flourish "—is
our class's very own ghost student, Kiryu Touta!"
Kume looked up, startled.
She wore the summer version of the Itsuyan Academy uniform—short sleeves, pleated skirt,
simple ribbon.
Even with half her face covered, her pale skin and soft features were enough to make her stand
out instantly.
Then her gaze met his.
Tall frame. Broad shoulders.
And those eyes—those cold, deep eyes.
Her pulse spiked.
That height… that build… that look.
It was him.
The man who'd shouted "Henshin!" and turned into that nightmare.
Kume froze like a deer caught in headlights.
Touta, seeing her reaction, immediately realized she'd recognized him.
Still, he bowed slightly, tone calm and polite.
"Please take care of me, Kume-san."
"Y-y-y-yes! P-please take care of me, Kiryu-kun!" she stammered, voice squeaky with panic.
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling unwell?"
His voice softened, eyes full of concern—real, genuine concern.
"N-no… I'm fine. Thank you."
Her voice trembled as she pressed a hand to her chest.
When she dared to glance up again, he was smiling—a small, gentle smile.
Maybe she was just imagining things.
Maybe she'd just been too jumpy lately.
"It's fine," she said quickly, forcing a laugh. "I'll take Kiryu-kun to the teachers' office!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and practically speed-walked away, as if something
invisible were chasing her.
Touta followed with a polite nod toward Nagai.
Internally, he sighed. I really need to work on my facial expressions.
Can't go around looking like a serial killer—especially not to the girl I've accidentally
traumatized twice.
He was trying to be kind, honestly.
As they entered the main building, Touta immediately noticed the thick yellow warning tape
wrapped around one of the main support pillars.
The concrete was cracked open, a massive hole gaping at its center, surrounded by safety
barriers.
A crowd of students had gathered, whispering excitedly.
"Look at those marks! No human could make that!"
"Didn't the school say it was vandalism? What kind of vandal punches through concrete?"
Touta tilted his head.
"Kume-san," he asked deadpan, "what happened here?"
Kume froze.
"Ah—uh, no idea, hahaha… Anyway, let's hurry to the teachers' office!"
Watching her nervously change the subject sent a strange, wicked satisfaction through him.
Ah. So this is why those Fall Guys players push others off the track. That little jolt of
mischief—yeah, I get it now.
Still, he couldn't help but notice how popular she was.
As they walked, heads turned.
Whispers followed her like perfume.
"Who's that tall guy with Kume-san?"
"Never seen him before—transfer student?"
"He's huge! Like, freakishly tall!"
Touta pretended not to hear, following quietly behind her.
For someone trying to stay low-key, his first day back was already turning into a spectacle.
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