CHAPTER 24 - A… Special Exam? Part 4
(Pov - Yuki.)
A delicious smell woke me up.
A smell that reminds me… of my mother… The food my mother used to make for me when I was alive… A nostalgic… smell.
I opened my eyes and yawned as I got up from the couch.
I followed the smell to the kitchen.
When I entered, I saw Saik cutting a cake… Seeing him wearing an apron reminded me of my mother… I need to stop thinking about her… Saik and I are the same. His parents are dead, and I can't see my mother again.
…Saik has become my only family… And he considers me his family too.
I need to leave the past behind.
"Good evening, Saik."
I couldn't help but yawn—I'm still so sleepy… Huh?!
Why did you shove a slice of cake in my mouth, Saik…?! It's delicious! All is forgiven!
"You look adorable when you yawn."
Ah… I forgot Saik's habit of giving sweets to cute people.
Fufu. At least I'm lucky enough to be considered cute.
"A new cake? It's delicious…! Though I prefer the one you made today."
"It's in the fridge, but I thought eating the same flavor would be boring. I bought a strawberry one. Take a seat, the food's ready."
I sat at the table, and Saik placed a plate of pasta in front of me.
The delicious aroma of the sauce made my mouth water.
It smells so good!
I can't wait to eat…! But it wouldn't be polite to eat first—I should wait for Saik.
He sat across from me and closed his eyes for two seconds.
"Alright, you can eat."
Ah… I forgot about the offering.
I grabbed a fork and started eating.
The taste of the food in my mouth made my heart race.
This flavor is so… delicious.
Saik surprises me with his cooking every day!
To think that when I met him, he was a terrible cook.
I can't say he has natural talent—that would be unfair. I've seen him studying and watching cooking tutorials. He's improved his cooking through something called "effort" and "hard work."
"By the way, Yuki, I need your help with something."
Ah… It's easy to guess what he's going to ask.
"You want me to help the soccer and basketball teams win by sabotaging the opposing team? Sure, that's fine."
"Wow, that was easier than I thought."
"Cheating is bad, but I'd rather help you. Besides, I know that even if I say I won't help, you'll find some way to cheat. I'd rather assist you and get a reward in return."
"Oh… I like that side of you… Alright, here's the plan."
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
It's been a long time since I enjoyed a dinner with my mother.
A dinner without arguments… A peaceful dinner.
She's changed a lot. She's become a better version of herself and is more confident.
…Huh?
She's smiling while reading a message she got.
C-Could she…?
"Mother… Are you dating someone?"
"D-Dating?! N-No! It's just a friend."
"Oh… Fufu. Are you interested in him? It's your chance, Mother—you should meet someone. You deserve to be happy again."
My father died many years ago—I'd be okay with my mother dating another man.
"No… It's impossible for me to date him."
"You're not unattractive, Mother."
"It's not that… He's very… No… Forget it, please… How was school?"
She's changing the subject… Why does she say it's impossible?
•
•
Meanwhile, Saik was lying in bed, texting Sylphie's mother.
"I guess her self-esteem is improving… I should keep this up for a bit longer."
And so, Saik charmed both the mother and the daughter.
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
A new school day began. Tuesday, one of the least popular days of the week.
For me, every day is the same—none is better than the others.
Well, let's get going.
I grabbed my backpack and left the house with Yuki, ready for a new day of… of…
"…This feeling…"
Something evil… An evil ghost is planning something bad.
…The user is acting… I need to find out their identity.
•
•
Today is Tuesday, a new day has begun.
And for Cristal, it's a great day because her friends invited her to the beach. She's going to the beach for the first time in a while.
"See you tomorrow! Bye, Mom!"
"Be careful, Cristal."
She said goodbye to her mother and left the house, heading to school.
At the bus stop, she met up with two of her friends, and they started talking about typical teenage girl topics. "Did you do the homework?" "Did you buy a swimsuit?" "Have your boobs grown?"
Common questions in a common conversation.
While they were talking, Saik walked by on the other side of the street.
Cristal noticed and got curious, since Saik was far from school, and judging by the direction he was heading, he was getting even farther away.
Being the curious girl she is, she decided to go ask him.
"How long until the bus comes?"
"Hmm… Five minutes."
"Perfect. I'm gonna go say hi to a friend!"
Though Saik only sees her as a girl he plays games with, not a friend.
Being the fast girl she is, she caught up to Saik and started walking beside him.
"Where are you going, Saik? Are you skipping class?"
"Ah… Hey, Cristal. Just going to buy some stuff."
"But you'll be late."
"Hmm… Yeah… I guess so… I probably shouldn't get too cocky with the points I have."
She noticed the bus approaching the stop.
"Come on, we'll be late for school—the bus is coming!"
Saik felt a chill as he watched Cristal run back to her friends.
"It's here…"
He headed toward Cristal as the bus approached the stop.
He stood next to her and glanced at the bus, which, though still a bit far, Saik could tell was moving too fast—something was wrong.
"…"
Cristal was talking with her friends, and none of them noticed what was happening.
On the bus, the driver had a look identical to Saik's. A blank stare. An expressionless face.
"My wife cheated on me… My son isn't my real son… My life is ruined…"
He found his wife with another man, and a blood test revealed his son wasn't his.
Devastated, all he wants is to die… And since he doesn't want his death to be meaningless or forgotten, he wants to do something that will make everyone remember it.
On the bus, after picking up passengers, he killed them.
And now he's about to commit suicide by crashing the bus into some students, and unfortunately for him, one of those students is Saik.
"H-Hey… I-Isn't it going too fast?"
They realized too late.
The bus was too close—they couldn't react in time.
But Saik had the reflexes to respond.
He waited until the bus was dangerously close, and as the girls started screaming and closing their eyes in fear, Saik simply hugged all three of them and leaped backward, crashing into a wall.
The bus destroyed the bus stop and slammed into the wall next to them.
They came out unscathed, and Saik pulled out his phone to call the police.
"Hello… Yes… I'd like to report an accident. My name is Sato."
None of the girls heard him, as they were still processing what had just happened.
He knew that, so he took the opportunity to give a fake name and disguise his voice.
Cristal and her friends were in shock, staring at Saik.
It took them a few seconds to realize Saik had saved their lives.
"Yes… Alright, we'll be here… No… We're fine, but I don't know the condition of the passengers…"
"C-Cristal… D-Did that guy… save our lives?"
The three looked at the damage the bus caused and realized they'd be dead if Saik hadn't saved them.
"Y-Yes… H-He saved us…"
"Yeah… Thanks."
Saik put away his phone and yawned.
"Cristal, I have to get to school—I forgot I need to meet with my team to discuss that special exam. The police will be here soon, so you can't leave—they need witnesses, and I don't have time. I saved you, so I want you to do me this favor as thanks. Cool?"
"Y-Yes… Y-Yes, that's fine."
"Thanks. By the way, don't say I saved you—just say you managed to dodge the bus. Bye."
Saik walked away, and the three watched him leave.
"T-That guy is… awesome."
"Cristal, you know him?"
"His name is… Saik…"
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
Ah… I got to school late.
I planned to stop him before he crashed, but I miscalculated.
"Saik, you were incredible! You saved those girls! So cool!!"
"…I'm sorry, Yuki."
"Huh?"
•
•
The police arrived at the scene and started questioning the witnesses.
"That's all we know."
"Yeah, it just crashed—we couldn't see anything else."
"And it was just you?"
"And a man, but he had to go to work."
"A man…?"
"We already checked the bus's camera footage. The driver went crazy and killed everyone. Those girls were going to be his last victims."
"I'll call their families."
•
•
Sayu arrived at the crime scene and reviewed the security cameras on her phone.
"…Hmm… There are no security cameras in this area… The last time Saik was seen was at the mall, buying candy and meat… The bus's security camera only records the interior, so you can't see anything outside—it's impossible to know if Saik was here…"
An alert went off, and a security camera image appeared on her phone.
It showed Saik eating a burger at a café far from the crime scene.
"He's too far away… Shadow wouldn't take such a risk… Ah… I need to give up—he's not Shadow."
A call came in, and she answered.
"Do you have the number of the person who called the police?"
"Yes, but the number belongs to a deceased person named Danik."
"Tch. Trace that number."
"We actually already found the phone… And there are no fingerprints… He erased all his traces. And the voice is different from Saik's—we analyzed the call recording."
"Damn it…"
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
I had to modify the memories of those girls and Yuki… I can only do that one more time.
"Alright…"
I went to the bathroom and pulled a tiny ghost that looked like an adult man from my pocket.
The bus driver was being manipulated by this.
"Why'd you make me small, you bastard?! Turn me back to normal!"
"Answer my questions. Where's your master?"
"I'll never tell you!"
My eyes turned gray.
"Obey."
"My master is at his house, having sex with his girlfriends."
"A manipulator, the worst kind of user… Give me his address."
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
Saik missed the first classes… Is he not coming to school? Does he have a fever or is he sick with something?
…And he lives alone—no one can take care of him or help him… I'd like to visit him, but I don't know his address.
…Would the teacher give me his address if I asked?
I hope so… He helps me a lot—I need to help him too.
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
"Damn you, you bastard!"
Four women are putting on their clothes, crying.
Ah… That's why I hate rapists.
"My name is White Wolf. You're the one capturing ghosts and using them to make people do stupid and evil things. You've caused many deaths… Ah… You're pathetic… And you have a small dick… Raping women to feel more like a man… A disgusting, senseless mindset."
I put my foot on this man's head… Fat and repulsive… Ah… The NTR cliché… All these women have husbands… And this man used his ghost-control power to manipulate them.
He deserves a slow death.
"…Oh… Interesting."
All of them have bloodlust… This'll be fun.
"Hey, Number 99, come out."
The legendary ghost Number 99 appeared beside me.
A grotesque old man with a hood, tentacles coming out of his ears and nose, rotting skin, empty eyes, and a disgusting smile.
"The legendary ghost of pain."
"Fufu. It's been a while since I've been out… Is this my victim? How repulsive… Let me guess. A rapist?"
"Yeah."
"Fufu. Perfect, I have total creative freedom."
I crouched down and looked into his eyes… He's crying—this is satisfying.
"Where you're going, one second here is 1,000,000 years there. A completely different dimension. In that place, you'll suffer every kind of torture. And when you get used to the pain, you'll forget everything and start suffering again. Eternal torture."
"N-No, have mercy…"
He started turning to dust.
"No, don't do it!!"
He disappeared completely along with 99, and I turned to the women.
"I know you feel guilty for cheating on your husbands, but you were manipulated—it's not your fault… But I don't know what to say to you… Number 15, come out."
The legendary ghost of hope appeared beside me.
"Talk to him."
He's the most qualified for this.
•
•
I left 15 talking to those women and visited the bus driver's wife.
I thought it was cruel that she cheated on that man for so long—she deserves punishment.
Oh… How convenient… She's with her lover… Ah… I hate lies and betrayal.
"Number 31."
She appeared in front of me and hugged me.
"Do you need me, love?!"
"You're the one who hates betrayal the most."
"Yeah, liars and cheaters disgust me."
"Then I have a job for you."
•
•
Ah… It was tough, but I did it.
I entered my room and lay on my bed.
I changed my name so the ghost-hunting organization wouldn't suspect I'm still here. I wore white clothes, and my hair turned red… It was an illusion, but they saw me like that. I used a mask instead of bandages… I think it'll work.
I did all that in five minutes, so I should be fine. They won't track me because there's no trail to follow.
I went to a pharmacy to buy fever medicine and returned home.
The ghost hunter following me can't suspect anything. My movements were too quick, and I took routes without security cameras.
I'm safe.
"Saik, you're finally back! I was worried. How'd it go? Did you get the medicine?"
I modified Yuki's and those girls' memories—it was for the best. I can't keep drawing attention… And I erased Yuki's memory of the accident so she wouldn't be traumatized or have memories of something so tragic.
"Yeah."
"Sleep, you need to rest. Don't worry, the trusty Yuki will take care of you!"
Using too many legendary ghosts drains a lot of energy, and my head starts to heat up.
I've never gotten sick, but I suffer from physical and mental exhaustion.
I need to rest.
But it was worth it—I took care of a rapist.
This morning, I felt the presence of very powerful evil ghosts—that wasn't normal, which is why I decided to investigate and act on my own… How many people with the natural ability to see ghosts exist? I don't know… But I hope I don't run into any more.
They're the most powerful users of that ability. Those who gain it artificially are nothing compared to those who can see ghosts naturally, like me.
…Huh?
My phone started ringing? I hope they don't suspect me—I did my best to hide my presence at the crime scene. I even used another phone so they wouldn't know I made that emergency call.
I pulled out my phone… Ah… It's just Sylphie.
I answered the call.
"Hey, Sylphie."
"H-Hi, Saik… I-I heard you were sick."
"You could say I'm between life and death."
I've always liked thinking part of me is dead, which is why I can see ghosts. A disturbing thought, but I like it.
"S-Seriously?!"
…She sounded really worried. Did she not get the joke?
"Sorry, it was a joke. I'm fine, just a fever."
"…C-Can I come to your house?"
"My house?"
"I-I just want to bring you the homework!"
"Ah… Yeah, thanks, I'd appreciate it. The teacher only deducted 10 points for missing class due to being sick, so you don't need to worry about me losing too many points."
"I'll bring you some hot food."
"Don't worry, I have pizza and burgers here…"
"Y-You need to eat something more nutritious to get better!"
…That reminded me of when my mom scolded me for eating junk food.
"Oh… You're right… But don't worry, I have the ingredients here—I'll cook something later."
"I-I'll cook something for you. You need to rest."
"Really?"
"Y-Yes."
"Ah… Thanks a lot, Sylphie."
Well… Having company won't be so bad.
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
S-Saik's house is… big.
…It must be lonely to have such a big house and live alone.
"Awesome, Saik's house is huge!"
"Is he renting it, or is it his?"
"That's not important."
The members of our team came with me.
That's good—Saik needs company.
Though I would've liked to be alone with him… Nooo! I-I need to ignore my selfish and dirty thoughts! S-Saik is just a friend I just met—it's impossible that what I feel is love!
I knocked on the door and waited for a response.
I hope he doesn't strain himself too much getting up.
The door opened, and… my heart started racing.
"You all came… Thanks for coming—I'd rather avoid misunderstandings. Come in."
S-Saik in black clothes.
His shirt is tight, showing off his perfect body and arms.
…W-Wait… A-Am I…? Am I getting turned on?! I'm not a pervert! I'm not!
Pushing those dirty thoughts aside, I entered his house… It's very clean… He has a lot of video games, several consoles, and tons of books… Manga, light novels, study books… It seems he loves reading.
"Awesome, you have the complete Zombita X saga!"
"And you have all the volumes of my favorite light novel!"
Naok and Bell seem really excited.
Is that such a big deal…?
Huh?
Ludius… That look he's giving Saik's butt… That expression… C-Could he…?
I'd better not think about it.
"You guys can play while I make food."
"W-Wait, Saik, you need to rest."
"I'll be fine—the fever's gone."
"Really?"
Ludius beat me to it and pressed his forehead against Saik's.
If only I were braver, I would've done it…
"You're burning up! Saik, you need to rest!"
"Ah… I guess you're right."
I approached him and touched his forehead with my hand.
H-He's burning up!
"We need to take you to a hospital!"
"No need—this happens to me every so often. I'm used to it."
"B-But at least rest. I'll make the food."
"…Alright… Thanks, Sylphie… By the way, there's cake in the fridge—you guys can eat whatever you want."
Saik lay down on the couch.
"Well, I'll play a bit… Naok, pass me a controller."
"Perfect, here!"
…He looks so cute playing… Ahhh! I barely know him, I barely know him!
I'd better distract myself by cooking.
I entered the kitchen… I-It's a nice kitchen… He has so many utensils… Does Saik love cooking?
I opened the fridge… Wow… It's literally packed… Does Saik eat this much? He even has cakes… I forgot he loves sweets.
I have everything I need to make food.
What should I cook? It should be something Saik likes.
"Sylphie, you cook so well—you'd make a great wife."
Uwaaah! Why did I imagine Saik saying that to me?!
I-I need to control myself.