"Kuromori-kun, you're too much."
"Pervert Kuromori, did you really scare us?"
"I didn't."
That's right.
Haruto only frightened them!
When men and women visit a haunted house together, is it just to experience the thrill of the haunted house?
That's a big mistake!
Whether male or female, many are just thrill-seekers pretending not to be!
Just like the previous group Haruto saw.
They were two couples. The girls acted scared and nervous, which triggered the protective instincts of their boyfriends. Both couples flaunted their affection, but in reality, Haruto clearly noticed the gleam of excitement in the girls' eyes.
They were definitely looking forward to the haunted house!
With such anticipation, could those girls really be scared?
By the time the two boys were likely terrified out of their minds, the girls would be waving the victory flag!
After rounding the corner, the air below their feet filled with mist. In front of them was an old, rickety suspension bridge, gently swaying with a "creak" sound.
Beneath the bridge, white smoke billowed, and an eerie blood-red glow loomed.
Across the suspension bridge, past the steep path, there was a cave draped in cobwebs.
Faintly, a strange "crunching" sound echoed from inside, as if something was chewing on food.
"So scary."
Miku instinctively grabbed onto Itsuki beside her, the warmth of Itsuki's hand slightly calming her fears.
The hair on top of Itsuki's head stood on end, and she nervously asked, "Kuromori-kun, what do you think is inside the cave? A ghost having lunch?"
"You're overthinking it." Haruto sighed. "It's just a sound effect made by the staff."
Even if there were dangerous creatures like ghosts, they couldn't just put them in here.
Haruto said calmly, "Everyone, follow me. If we stay here too long, it'll get dark."
"We're not wasting time!"
Nino crossed her arms, pretending to be calm. "It doesn't seem like a big deal right now!"
But while saying that, please don't get too close!
Haruto's eyes showed a hint of disdain. Except for Itsuki, each of these girls was more timid than the next. Just like that, did they really come here to experience the haunted house?
The cave was supported by wooden structures, with cobwebs hanging between the beams. Under the dim light above, everything looked decrepit and old.
In the corner, wooden crates were piled up, covered in dust.
The walls were carved out, and strange clay figurines were enshrined inside.
After bending down and entering the cave, the atmosphere became much more eerie and unsettling.
Miku sighed and wrapped her headphones around her neck. "It's so quiet."
"Yeah, it's too quiet. It feels kind of creepy. Nino, how do you feel?"
"I'm fine!"
Nino took a deep breath, her face pale. She had been unusually quiet along the way, but this kind of calm only made things feel more unsettling.
The layout here was too strange—it always felt a bit spooky.
Nino secretly glanced at Haruto and saw that he seemed calm, even looking around curiously.
Was this guy not scared at all?
Nino couldn't help but move closer to him.
In fact, even Itsuki moved closer to Haruto, and before he knew it, Haruto was nearly sandwiched between the three girls!
Miku couldn't help but say, "Have you noticed that the sound just suddenly disappeared?"
"Huh? It really did."
"Did the staff leave for some reason?"
Itsuki guessed, "Like, maybe they got hungry or had to go to the bathroom?"
At that moment, behind the group, a figure slowly descended from above their heads.
Long black hair covered its face. Nino accidentally turned around and saw a pair of red eyes staring at her through the long hair.
"..."
Nino's body froze. She quickly turned back, covering her mouth to suppress a scream, her voice trembling slightly, "It's here, let's get out of here."
"What happened?"
"Huh?"
Everyone turned around one by one, shivering, and then turned to leave.
However, at that moment, a sudden "crunching" sound came from the coffin, and at the same time, the ground loosened, and a dry hand suddenly shot out.
The once-silent cave suddenly came to life.
Just as everyone was trembling with fear, ghosts suddenly appeared, and someone screamed.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Haruto's wrist was grabbed, and before he knew it, he was yanked forward by a strong force, pulled out in an instant.
"Wait, Itsuki."
But Itsuki was completely panicked and didn't hear Haruto's words at all.
She was running fast!
Three corridors appeared in front of her. Without thinking, Itsuki ran down the one that looked the most pleasant.
Meanwhile, Haruto clearly felt Miku and Nino running down a different corridor.
After what seemed like forever, Itsuki finally stopped.
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest.
Itsuki took a deep breath, patting her chest. "Oh my God, that was so scary. Where did that thing come from?"
It was actually a relatively famous zombie, but the man with the decayed and twisted face, greenish skin, and fangs had approached suddenly.
"But you ran way too fast! If you entered a school sports competition, you might actually place. If you trained harder, you might even make it to the nationals!" Haruto said helplessly.
Itsuki blushed in embarrassment. "I couldn't help it. It's my first time in a haunted house. Besides, if we didn't run, the staff would have felt really awkward, right?"
Noticing that she hadn't mentioned Nino and Miku at all, Haruto couldn't help but ask, "Itsuki, don't you think something's missing?"
"Huh?" Itsuki looked around blankly. "No."
What a good person. She had completely forgotten her two sisters!
Nino and Miku would definitely cry if they heard this!
Haruto reached out and pinched Itsuki's cheek. "Nino and Miku are lost. I told you to wait."
"Don't pinch me!"
"I will pinch you!"
"Ugh~ Kuromori-kun is bullying me."
"Yes, I am."
Based on what happened just now, Haruto had no idea where the other two went.
If they were lucky, they might meet up with other tourists and walk together.
If they were unlucky, they might be scared to tears.
Both Miku and the loud-talking Nino were actually quite frightened, not faking it at all. So there was a good chance they might end up crying.
As for Itsuki, she was really lucky. She had run down a random path and ended up right at the exit.
Itsuki looked downcast. "I know I was wrong."
"Pinch again."
"No."
Itsuki's eyes were full of embarrassment and anger as she swatted his hand away.
Haruto reluctantly pulled his hand back. "How about I mess with your ahoge?"
"NO."
Itsuki held her head with both hands, her eyes full of wariness. "Kuromori-kun, if you touch me again, I'll beat you up."
"Forget it."
Haruto had experienced Itsuki's strength.
She could easily land a punch that would break ribs.
Not someone to mess with.
Seeing Haruto back down, Itsuki sighed with relief internally. Love and those kinds of things were still a completely unknown territory for her.
She heard that when someone falls in love, they have to devote a lot of time to it.
So no, for now, studying was the most important thing.
This is actually fine, right?
Haruto would occasionally tease her, but he also patiently helped her with tutoring. If she had a favorite snack, she would share it with him.