Ryan was lost in thought, admiring his pseudo-harem of five "waifus." All seated at the table, their cheeks slightly flushed, they formed a picture he deemed worthy of a protagonist. His daydream, however, was abruptly interrupted by Alya's frightened scream:
"G-GHOST!?"
He turned to her, noticing that Alya was visibly pale, her eyes wide with fear. A playful smile appeared on his face as he crossed his arms.
"What's wrong, Alya? Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts."
She blushed immediately, looking away and trying to answer quickly, though her voice failed to hide her nervousness.
"O-of course not! I know very well that these things don't exist!"
However, as she finished speaking, her gaze met Rika's, who displayed a disturbingly macabre smile. Alya felt a shiver run down her spine as Rika, holding back laughter, spoke:
"Don't underestimate the spiritual world, Alisa... you never know what might come out of it."
Alya swallowed hard, but before she could answer, Yuki approached stealthily, touching her shoulder. The light touch made her let out an involuntary scream, which she tried to disguise in vain.
Yuki, sensing the opportunity, smiled mischievously before assuming a serious and enigmatic tone:
"Have you heard the legend of the bathroom, Alisa-san?"
Alya shook her head rapidly, her eyes full of nervousness.
"N-no... Why would I go after stories like that?"
She tried to sound indifferent, but failed miserably, her voice trembling. Ryan, in turn, rested his arms on the table, his gaze full of feigned curiosity.
"I've never heard that story either. Go ahead, Yuki, tell us."
His voice carried sarcasm and confidence, contrasting with Alya's growing tension.
Before Yuki could begin, a familiar sound echoed near him.
"Woof woof~! You guys are so cruel, scaring the poor girl!"
Ryan turned his head quickly and saw Hanyuu next to Rika. His expression changed from surprise to resignation as he thought to himself:
"Ah, crap... I forgot about the puppy-goddess. There are six waifus now!"
While he was trying to process his sudden revelation, Yuki began to tell the story with the same theatrical tone she always used to capture everyone's attention.
"It was about three months ago... A first-year girl was the first victim."
The tension was palpable. Alya, visibly nervous, was gripping her glass of juice so tightly that it seemed about to shatter, while beads of sweat ran down her forehead.
"...She went to the bathroom to fix her hair and touch up her makeup. Everything seemed normal, until she felt she was being watched..."
Yuki paused dramatically, gesturing with her hands in a somber way.
"The air suddenly turned cold. Her legs lost their strength, and when she realized it... her mind was gone too. She collapsed on the bathroom floor, unable to scream for help."
Alya tried to force a nervous laugh, her fingers trembling.
"Is that all? H-heheh, it seems like a silly story..."
Before she could finish, Yuki placed her hands on Alya's shoulders, squeezing lightly with her nails. Alya let out a small "Ouch!", but Yuki ignored it and continued in a darker tone.
"It would just be a silly story... if the girl hadn't woken up with her stomach cut open. And the scariest thing? Nobody knows how or by whom it happened."
Alya's eyes began to glisten with tears. She was clearly trying to maintain her composure, but the story had already taken over her. Before she started to cry, Rika decided to intervene.
"Nipaa~! >⩊< ♡"
All heads turned to Rika, who was now holding a juice box with a straw near her mouth, displaying an angelic smile. However, amidst her usual cuteness, her eyes seemed to project something disturbing.
"Yuki-san, don't scare Alisa so much..."
She took a sip of her juice before completing, in a darker tone:
"...After all, there's no reason for her to be afraid, as long as she doesn't go to the bathroom."
Alya swallowed hard, trembling visibly.
"Th-thank you for the... tip."
While the girls continued to tease the already visibly terrified Alya, Yuno leaned towards Ryan, whispering in his ear.
"I think Alisa is going to be a problem."
Her warm breath on his neck made Ryan shiver involuntarily. He adjusted himself in his chair, returning the whisper with a provocative smile.
"And why do you think that? Jealousy, perhaps?"
Yuno rolled her eyes and stepped on his foot. It wasn't strong enough to hurt, but the message was delivered. She leaned in again, speaking in a serious and irritated tone:
"Of course not, you worm. The problem is that she doesn't know the things we know. Look at her state because of a little ghost story. How do you think she would handle it if she knew everything?"
Ryan reflected for a moment, acknowledging that she was right. He took a deep breath and cast a meaningful look at Yuki, who seemed to understand her brother with just a glance.
Yuki responded with a smug smile, winking back provocatively before grabbing Alya's arm.
"Oh my, Alisa! I just remembered you have something important to do at the student council!"
She stood up, dragging Alya along with her.
"Wait, Yuki! I haven't finished my juice yet! And not even my food!" Alya protested as she was being taken away, visibly lost.
But Yuki didn't listen, dragging her through the cafeteria. Alya looked back, lamenting softly:
"My juice... (ㅠ﹏ㅠ)"
Mai rose from her place discreetly, as if she were invisible to the others. However, before she could leave unnoticed, Ryan interrupted:
"Hey, where do you think you're going?"
She stopped, visibly frustrated, and turned to him. "Well, can you see me?"
Rika, with her always playful tone, replied:
"Of course we can see you, Mii~"
Mai looked away, almost embarrassed. "It's just... I felt kind of out of the loop."
Ryan, with a sarcastic smile, retorted:
"Oh, relax. Yuki and Alya probably didn't even notice you were here, but that's just because they both live in la-la land. But, putting that aside... you're coming with us to investigate the bathroom case, right?"
She frowned, clearly suspicious. "And why would I? What does that have to do with me?"
Ryan shrugged dismissively. "Nothing."
Mai stared at him with narrowed eyes before starting to walk away. However, he called again:
"Just kidding, bunny."
The comment made her stop in her tracks, furrowing her brows. "I told you to forget about that."
Ryan just ignored the veiled threat and continued, now in a more serious tone:
"We can help you with your problem. And, who knows, this bathroom case might also help clarify some things... maybe."
Before Mai could answer, Rika intervened enthusiastically:
"Mii~! Ryan and Yuno are great at solving mysteries!"
Mai hesitated, pondering for a moment, but ended up sighing. "Okay... what time are you going?"
Yuno answered directly:
"After classes."
Ryan confirmed:
"After classes."
And finally, Mai nodded slightly, turning to leave:
"After classes."
The day went by smoothly, with Rika shining as always in the classroom. Her sweet demeanor and almost idol-like beauty attracted everyone's attention, but she wasn't alone on that pedestal. Yuno, with her reserved and enigmatic attitude, and Alisa, the "ice princess," were her biggest competitors for the status of school muses.
When the last bell rang, Ryan, Yuno and Rika headed to the second floor girls' bathroom. Upon arriving there, they found Mai already waiting for them, casually leaning against the wall.
Ryan, always the provocateur, commented:
"Look at that, the bunny isn't late, huh?"
Mai, with her usual aggressive patience, retorted:
"I'm going to make you forget about that, you know?"
Yuno, curious, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"What's this bunny story about, huh?"
Before Ryan could answer, Mai stepped forward in a controlled tone:
"His delusion."
Ryan sighed, looking away towards the bathroom door.
"So this is it? I thought it would have a darker vibe, you know..."
He reached for the doorknob, but Rika quickly stopped him, holding his hand and speaking with a mischievous smile:
"It's the girls' bathroom, Ryan."
He looked at her sideways, smiling slightly:
"And who's going to judge me, Rika?"
Without further hesitation, he opened the door. There were no surprises—just a clean and perfectly normal bathroom.
"Obviously nothing was going to happen just by opening the door..." Yuno commented, exuding boredom.
Ryan crossed his arms and sighed:
"Why can't anything ever be easy?" He straightened up, assuming a more determined tone. "Okay, let's try to provoke the beast."
He turned to Rika. "Can you keep watch out here? There are still some students around the school..."
Rika nodded with a gentle smile. "Mii~"
Ryan looked at the other two. "Shall we?"
Yuno entered without hesitation, while Mai hesitated, visibly uncomfortable, but ended up following her.
Before entering, Ryan messed up Rika's hair and murmured with a smile:
"Thanks, Mini Miku."
She just smiled and closed her eyes. "Mii~"
Upon entering, Ryan put his hands in his pockets and looked around, analyzing the environment.
"Well... it looks like an ordinary bathroom, at least to me."
Yuno walked calmly, assessing the details. Everything was incredibly quiet, until a muffled scream caught their attention.
"Did you see anything?" Ryan asked, turning around.
Mai was pale, pointing at the mirror with a trembling hand.
He followed her gaze and, as he approached, saw something grotesque writhing on the surface of the mirror.
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