Different Paths (1)
The sudden scream made me quickly pull Yang Bok-ja into the bushes to hide. She whispered in a trembling voice.
“S-Sirabayashi-kun… That scream just now… It was Aikawa-chan, right?”
“……Yeah, it sounded like her.”
The voice that came from the direction of the incinerator, accompanied by the scream, definitely belonged to Aikawa Satomi. When I looked that way, I could see a female student slumped on the ground.
Why is she here? She said she was too scared to come.
When I had asked her, “Want to come ghost hunting with us?” she had refused, saying it was too scary. Maybe she changed her mind later and decided to join after all? Or perhaps she wanted to build up her courage. Whatever her reason, the moment Aikawa arrived here, she must have seen something near the incinerator and screamed in terror.
The instant Yang Bok-ja and I hid in the bushes, the lights in Nakamori’s research lab went out and the two professors stepped outside. It was Kurobe and Nakamori. They spotted Aikawa sitting on the ground, shivering uncontrollably.
Even then, Aikawa had both hands covering her face and was muttering, “Will-o’-the-wisp! It’s a will-o’-the-wisp…!”
A will-o’-the-wisp is a chemical phenomenon caused when phosphorus from corpses or methane gas meets oxygen in the air and ignites.
Professor Kurobe, who had approached her, spoke in a calm tone. Startled by the sudden shadow looming over her, Aikawa finally lifted her head and recognized him.
“Hik—Dracula…! Ah, no! Professor Kurobe…?”
“What are you doing here at this hour, student?”
“I-I was…”
Under Kurobe’s sharp questioning, Aikawa looked around as if searching for someone and muttered, “Huh? Um… Wait, we were definitely together…”
Professor Kurobe pressed further. “You came with another student?”
“Ehh? …N-no! That’s not it! I came alone!”
Aikawa shook her head vigorously.
“Why did you come here in the middle of the night?”
“W-well, you see… Ghosts are scary, but… I just… I couldn’t help but…”
Her voice trailed off. Professor Nakamori stepped up beside Kurobe and shook his head with a sigh.
“Honestly, these female students…”
“This is typical for girls their age, Professor Kurobe. They often sneak here to test their courage or to steal something. It’s common for them to pilfer otherworldly plants from the botanical garden, and some even boldly break into the magic beast pens to steal low-grade beasts like gedama… This isn’t the first or second time it’s happened.”
Come to think of it, when I infiltrated the otherworldly botanical garden a few days ago, I had seen female students sneaking in to steal what they called “love potions” or whatever. Professor Nakamori seemed to have quite a bit of pent-up frustration; he grumbled at length before approaching Aikawa.
“Stand up! You are undoubtedly first-year Class A, attendance number one—Aikawa Satomi, correct? And you’re the class representative? Is this how a class rep should behave?”
“Eek— Hiii! I’m sorry…!”
“Good grief! If the class representative acts like this, what will the other students do?! Fortunately, the main building is on duty with Student Affairs Officer Kanegawa today. I’ll make sure to give him a full report! Come with me!”
“Hiii… Please have mercy…!”
Professor Nakamori hauled the protesting Aikawa to her feet. Watching this, Professor Kurobe quietly spoke up.
“Then I’ll return to my lab.”
“Please do! I’ll take this student to the main building and have a word with the dormitory supervisor as well… Aikawa! Follow me!”
“Huuueee…”
After the brief commotion, the two professors and Aikawa disappeared from view, and silence returned once more. Yang Bok-ja carefully opened her mouth.
“Will Aikawa-chan be okay…? Her conduct evaluation points are going to drop a lot…”
I thought to myself, Lucky break.
Anyway, this worked out perfectly for me. I had been wondering what to do since the professors were still in Nakamori’s lab, but thanks to Aikawa drawing their attention, both of them had left the building.
I stood up from within the bushes and said to Yang Bok-ja, “The lab’s empty now. Let’s go in.”
“Okay…”
We slipped into Nakamori’s private research lab and found the key rack. There, we located the bundle labeled “Practice Magic Beast Pens.”
Perfect.
We immediately unlocked the door to the practice pens. Inside were low-grade magic beasts locked in iron cages. Since it was nighttime, most were already asleep, but a few nocturnal ones or those awakened by our footsteps began to glow with eerie eyes and growl lowly.
“Your turn.”
“Hehe! Leave it to me~!”
Yang Bok-ja stretched out her hand and sent her power toward the cages. The awake beasts gradually slowed down until they all lay down on the floor. Once every beast was asleep, I told her, “Nice work. How long do you think you can keep them like this?”
“Hehe, it depends on the individual… but probably an hour or two?”
“Good. Can you also find the key to open the cages?”
“Yep! Here you go!”
I unlocked the cage door and stepped inside, carefully navigating between the sleeping beasts in search of a passage.
“Sirabayashi-kun, be careful… really careful…!”
Two hours before Baek Chulyeon and Yang Bok-ja reached the magic beast pens—.
Afternoon classes had ended long ago, and dusk was already settling in. Hong Ok-rye was walking across campus with Lee Yuha. Was this what the Catholic converts among her comrades always called “the feeling of climbing Golgotha”? Or perhaps the sensation of walking a path of thorns?
Hong Ok-rye glanced at Lee Yuha’s back as she walked ahead, at the swaying silver braid tied with a daenggi ribbon. The chill she felt from Lee Yuha right now was lower than any temperature she had ever sensed from her before.
Hong Ok-rye asked cautiously, “U-um… where are we going right now…?”
“First, I intend to find Baek Chulyeon.”
At those words, Hong Ok-rye’s heart sank.
“Baek… I mean, why Baek Chulyeon?”
“Did you not claim with your own mouth that nothing happened between you and Baek Chulyeon? Therefore, I shall bring the two of you together and ask directly.”
Hong Ok-rye felt like she was losing her mind. Was this girl Lee Yuha planning to summon Baek Chulyeon as well and interrogate her about how much she knew? If Lee Yuha found out that she knew her true identity… this cold-blooded killing machine might really kill her without batting an eye!
W-wait a second.
Hong Ok-rye thought. After all, Baek Chulyeon had turned a blind eye for her. If he defended her, Lee Yuha probably wouldn’t do anything drastic.
Comrade Baek! I need to meet Comrade Baek!
Now that things had come to this, Hong Ok-rye realized she would have to get her story straight with Baek Chulyeon if she wanted to survive.
“R-right. Baek Chulyeon, huh. I wonder where he is…!”
Though their thoughts toward each other were completely different, the two girls now genuinely began searching for Baek Chulyeon in earnest.
However, even though their goals had aligned, one crucial piece of information was missing.
So where in the world was Baek Chulyeon right now?
Lee Yuha had only heard that he promised to meet Yang Bok-ja at night—she hadn’t heard where they were supposed to meet. Since both Baek Chulyeon and Yang Bok-ja were day students and not dormitory residents, they might have already left the school grounds.
Just then, Lee Yuha spotted Murasaki coming out of the swordsmanship dojo. Even though specialized class hours had ended long ago, he was still wearing a training uniform instead of his school uniform and had a sword slung over his shoulder, suggesting he had been practicing until just now.
Lee Yuha approached and called his name.
“Murasaki-kun.”
“Oh… heh heh. It’s the ‘expensive Joseon person’ Yang. What do you want?”
“…….”
Lee Yuha frowned. The humiliating nickname she had earned a few days ago after mistakenly reading “Chosenninjin” (Joseon ginseng) as “Chosenjin” still stung, but she swallowed her anger and quietly asked,
“Have you perhaps seen Haku… I mean, Sirabayashi-kun?”
She knew Baek Chulyeon and Murasaki weren’t particularly close, but since they shared the same swordsmanship specialization classes, she thought he might know something.
However, upon hearing the question, Murasaki snorted and grumbled,
“What? Sirabayashi?”
“Hmph! I ran into him briefly after class! Tch… I offered to buy him a beer since I felt like treating him for once, but he refused, saying he had something to do and was staying at school! That arrogant Joseon bastard…”
From what Murasaki said, even though he offered to buy beer as an apology, Baek Chulyeon had replied that he had work to do at school. At least it was clear he hadn’t left campus.
Lee Yuha asked again, “Do you know where he is right now?”
“I don’t know! Damn it, why are so many girls asking me about that guy’s whereabouts today?”
Murasaki snapped irritably and stormed off.
Lee Yuha thought, If he’s still on campus.
A secret meeting place where a boy and girl might gather at night.
She glanced at Hong Ok-rye. The girl flinched under her gaze. Seeing that reaction, Lee Yuha felt like she could guess where Baek Chulyeon had taken Yang Bok-ja.
Just like last time… he might have gone to the shrine again.