-Next day
-Ghost club.
-5pm
A familiar scene unfolded in the ghost club.
Keiro approached Berthy along with Roju.
Keiro: "Senior Berthy, my friend would like to join our club."
Berthy: "Can he see ghosts?"
Keiro: "No."
Berthy: "Then it's alright."
Berthy signed the application form. Before he went back to sleep, he took one look at the new applicant. Silver hair, red eyes... Wait a minute. This guy looked familiar. His photo was in the school newspaper today.
Berthy: "Are you the one who got banned from the science club for blowing up the lab's ceiling?"
Roju: "Yes."
Berthy: "Has this club become a gathering place for the outcasts?"
(Is making it to the front page of the school newspaper a criterion for joining this club?!)
Keiro: "Where else shall we go, senior Berthy? Please take care of us. Come on Roju, beg him."
Roju: "Please take care of us."
Berthy sighed.
Berthy: "Don't make any trouble here."
Berthy lay back on his couch and fell asleep.
Roju: "Why was I suspended from the science club? Didn't you cover the evidence, Keiro?"
Keiro smiled.
Keiro: "You still don't get it, do you? Even though we covered up the evidence, there were many students who knew that you did it, so the club had to dismiss you to save face. But luckily no one knows what you were working on and about that other thing..."
Roju: "What thing?"
Keiro smiled. It was good that Roju was a natural.
Shimlee soon joined them. She pulled a chair with her long slender fingers and sat on it. Keiro read from her face that she had made a discovery.
Shimlee: "I found the one behind the lab accident."
Roju: "We all know it's me."
Keiro : "We all know it's Moncee."
Shimlee : "I had my doubts, so I went to check again."
Keiro: "Don't tell me... It's a..."
Shimlee: "Yes. It's a ghost "
Keiro: "Crap!"
Shimlee: "I had my doubts when Roju said he got distracted. We all know that no human being can distract Roju."
Keiro thought Shimlee had a point.
Roju: "I too thought that the gravitational pull as recorded by the gravity meter was too high for the mass that was passing behind me, even by considering the curvature of spacetime."
Keiro: "I see."
Shimlee: "Did you get what he said?"
Keiro: "Nope."
Keiro paced back and forth in the club room. This time she had made a mistake in assuming that President Moncee had done the crime. It was because he had made a threat of hurting Roju that she had automatically assumed that he was the one behind it. Keiro made a mental note that in the future she would not punish any perpetrator too soon.
Shimlee watched Keiro pacing the club room with a worried expression.
Shimlee: "Don't worry too much about the ghost Keiro. We'll figure out something soon."
Keiro: "Who the hell is worried about the ghost?"
Just then, May Rusa barged in to the club room with excitement.
Rusa: "Did you say 'Ghost'?"
As Shimlee described the happenings to Rusa, Keiro slipped out of the club room to make a call to Moncee.
She reluctantly clicked Moncee's number in her contact's list.
She heard the phone ringing on the other end, 'Please pick up, please pick up'
At last Moncee answered.
Moncee: "It's Jan Keiro again! Did you call to wish me good evening?"
Keiro heard Moncee chuckling on the other end.
Keiro: "About that... President..."
Moncee: "You want to ask me about the weather here? Well, it's kind of cloudy, but I don't think it will rain."
Keiro did not know what to say.
Moncee: "Or is it about our country's foreign policy?"
Keiro: "It's about your presentation for tomorrow."
Moncee: "What about it?"
Keiro: "I thought you were the one who distracted Roju and caused the accident, so I messed with your presentation."
There was a pause on the other end.
Moncee: "Yes, I heard your friend blew up the ceiling. But of course I wouldn't cause something that would cost somebody's life. I would rather watch them suffer..."
Keiro: "What do you mean?"
Moncee: "I'll put your 'modified' presentation to proper use, Keiro.So rest at ease, you punk!"
Keiro did not understand what he meant by that.
Moncee hung up and Keiro went back to the club, puzzled. Roju had already left and the girls were chatting and giggling.
Shimlee: "By the way, is it true?"
Shimlee asked all excited: "Our Keiro went on a date with the science club leader?"
May Rusa: "Woah, really? You move on fast, Keiro!"
Keiro: "It was not a date you guys. Just a... thank-you treat."
Shimlee: "Call it whatever you like. Maybe spring has finally arrived for Keiro!"
Keiro chuckled.
Keiro: "Pardo is kind of cute..."
May Rusa and Shimlee teased Keiro. Keiro explained to them how he had helped her hide the evidence of Roju's accident.
May Rusa: "I bet he has a thing for you! Or why would he go that far?"
Keiro giggled.
Keiro: "I know, right! I thought so too..."
Shimlee: "But it would be better to take it slow, Keiro. I feel like you are still too naive in matters like these."
Keiro put an arm around Shimlee.
Keiro: "Love is always blind, Shimlee, you'll know when you start dating."
Shimlee: "Why are you talking like as if you've had your one year anniversary or something? ...And in my case, I don't think there is anyone out there who would want me..."
Shimlee was not that bad looking if you looked at her closely. Her dark green hair and pale slender figure unfortunately did not add to her attractiveness as most people only noticed her strange, peculiar-looking purple eyes. She looked like someone who could see right through you and this turned people away from her. Even if she did everything normally she was still the strange kid with the strange gene.
Keiro realised for the first time that Shimlee must want to be loved by someone special too.
Keiro: "Don't worry Shimlee. After I find love, I'll help you find a prince charming."
Keiro patted Shimlee on the shoulder after making a mental note of helping her friend find love.
Keiro: "Then we'll go on double dates with our respective Prince charmings."
May Rusa and Shimlee laughed.
Keiro: "What about you, May Rusa, you want a prince charming too?"
May Rusa: "Are you starting a supply chain now? I am already dating someone from my hometown, so no thank you!"
'As expected of a beauty!', thought Keiro.
May Rusa: "By the way, I read that your Prince charming has gone to the capital for the inter school science seminar. It was in the school newspaper."
Keiro paused for a moment before replying.
Keiro : "I think you are mistaken here, President Moncee is far from my prince-"
May Rusa: "I am not talking about Moncee."
Keiro took a deep breath.
Keiro: "Jenden Pardo has gone to the seminar with Moncee?"
May Rusa: "Yeah. I read that the President will assist him for his presentation there."
Keiro did not say anything. She sat down in one of the chairs and asked for a glass of water.