The Imperfect Regression
Amid the other students' belated realization of Rone's absence after the Shadow Plastic Surgery, cries of shock and confusion erupted.
"R-Rone... she's gone!"
Elaine's trembling voice echoed anxiously through the room.
"No way! We regressed! We regressed, so why?!"
Rozaria screamed, staring at the seat where Rone should have been sitting. She seemed to wish what she was seeing was a dream, repeatedly confirming the empty spot where Rone had been.
"Regression... we regressed... it definitely...! Why only Rone? How could this happen...!"
Aurora's usual composure—or at least her pretense of it—shook amid the chaos.
The club room instantly devolved into a pandemonium of anxiety, bewilderment, and despairing screams.
As the students plunged into uncontrollable turmoil, I couldn't even think to calm them. No, I couldn't. I was just as deeply mired in confusion as they were—or even more so.
My mind felt like a massive storm was raging through it.
Something's... something's wrong. This isn't how it's supposed to be. We regressed! We regressed, so why...!
Overwhelmed by panic and guilt, my thoughts ground to a halt. Regret and self-blame began to erode my reason. A freezing terror, like my heart turning to ice, enveloped my entire body.
What had I missed? Where did it all go wrong? I'd stepped in to break Melissa's curse, only to lose one of my own students instead. And in a way that even regression couldn't undo.
Damn it!! I'd warned myself that future regressions might not be enough to handle whatever ghost stories came next...!!
The self-recrimination flashing through my mind stabbed like a dagger into my chest.
I'd definitely warned the students. Not to approach ghost stories carelessly, that regression wasn't foolproof. Yet the one who issued that warning—me—had brought about this disaster through my own arrogance and hasty judgment.
It felt like the ground beneath my feet was crumbling away. The fierce regret of losing Rone due to my flawed strategy consumed my thoughts.
I'd strutted around acting like I had all the answers, leading these girls, only to commit an irreparable mistake.
Loathing for my own hubris and carelessness surged up to my throat. My mind drowned in darkness. My body wouldn't move, and I couldn't tell if I was holding my breath or hyperventilating—breathing properly was impossible.
In that moment when my thoughts had frozen solid, someone's shout pierced through.
"Teacher! Snap out of it!"
It was Elaine's voice. Hearing that cry, I flinched, feeling my mind jolt back to life for an instant. The fog of guilt filling my vision cleared, if only briefly.
Aurora and Rozaria halted their frantic movements and turned to Elaine.
Elaine's Gift Mood Maker has activated.
The mental strength of humans affected by her actions recovers.
A message window appeared before my eyes. But what caught my attention first wasn't its contents—it was Elaine, gazing at me with unwavering resolve.
The bright sunlight streaming through the window backlighted her, making it seem as if she herself was glowing. Amid the anxiety and chaos, she shone steadily, sending me a beam of unshakeable trust.
For a moment, I lost myself staring at her.
"What are we supposed to do if you fall apart here?"
She scolded me firmly.
"We need to figure out how to save Rone fast. She's probably waiting for you to come rescue her!"
Those words finally loosened my lips.
"Rone... she's alive? What makes you say that...?"
"Because there's no way Rone would die this easily. She has to be... alive... somewhere...."
Elaine started out resolute, instilling certainty, but her voice grew shaky and soft by the end. In that instant, I realized it. She was just as confused and anxious as the rest of us, but she'd forced herself to act strong to snap me out of it.
Her courage awakened me. Resolve welled up in my heart.
Right. Rone's disappearance is my responsibility. No one else's—mine. So I'll take responsibility and bring her back.
Stumbling to my feet, I stared into empty space and manipulated something invisible. The students eyed my sudden odd behavior with confusion.
But by then, I'd fully regained my composure. I announced the truth I'd uncovered to them.
"Rone is alive."
"R-Rone...!?"
"Are you sure, Teacher!!"
"I don't know where she is, but Rone is definitely still alive."
What I'd just manipulated was the member management function tied to the club room relic Memory.
The relic Memory's power wasn't limited to regression. It could manage the enrollment and withdrawal of club members—the targets for shared regression. And through the roster's names, I could indirectly check their survival status.
Checking the club management screen had confirmed that Rone's name still glowed brightly, unextinguished.
"Rone hasn't been erased. I don't know where she's gone, but she's definitely still in this world."
Conviction returned to my voice.
"Yeah. Once we resolve the Shadow Plastic Surgery ghost story, Rone will come back too."
Having confirmed Rone's survival, we immediately began devising our next plan to take down the Shadow Plastic Surgery ghost story.
"...We didn't have enough info from the first day. Assuming the ghost story's core was shadows stemmed from that lack of intel, too."
Elaine cautiously offered her opinion.
"Then we need more detailed information rather than rushing straight for revenge on the ghost story."
Aurora nodded in agreement.
"But didn't you say, Teacher, that no one in the academy knows this ghost story deeper than Melissa?"
Rozaria tilted her head innocently, voicing her doubt. Her pure, guileless question struck right at the heart of Elaine and Aurora's concerns.
"That's the problem..."
"Hmm..."
They groaned, lost in thought.
In truth, they hadn't pursued more intel on the first day partly due to my own complacency, but also because we'd figured further digging wouldn't yield anything new.
How could we get more information? Despair crept across the students' faces.
That's when I proposed my idea.
"From Melissa."
"...But we've already asked her everything worth asking."
Elaine gave me a puzzled look.
"And don't forget—our regression point is before she even tries Shadow Plastic Surgery tonight. She won't attempt it until tonight."
Aurora adjusted her glasses, pointing out the flaw in my statement.
Our save point was the club activity period the day before Emma came to the Paranormal Investigation Club. We hadn't updated the save on the day she arrived—preparing for contingencies—so it stayed fixed at the day before, right before Melissa's Shadow Plastic Surgery.
But I nodded, saying I knew.
"I know. That's why I'm saying it. We won't question Melissa. We'll just watch her."
Elaine's eyes widened at my words.
"...You don't mean tail her tonight when she tries the Shadow Plastic Surgery ritual, do you?"
She quickly grasped my plan, sharp as ever. I nodded quietly.
"Seeing it once firsthand beats hearing it a hundred times when it comes to understanding a ghost story. If we observe it from afar as it unfolds, we'll get several times more info than any testimony."
A picture's worth a thousand words.
I felt bad for her—facing facial ruin twice—but Rone's safety was on the line.
As we mulled over the plan to secretly spy on Melissa's Shadow Plastic Surgery that night for intel, I—the one who'd suggested it—suddenly realized a massive flaw.
"Wait... If Rone didn't return even with regression... that means Melissa's face didn't revert to normal either. If it's already ruined, she has no reason to try Shadow Plastic Surgery tonight."
Rone not returning via regression meant it wasn't perfect. At least for the ghost story, there was a way to defy regression and retain influence.
Which meant Melissa's face... was probably still horribly twisted right now.
This could spark massive chaos at the academy before she even attempted it—rumors flying about her sudden disfigurement.
A chill ran down my spine at the flashing realization. If anyone connected that chaos to the Shadow Plastic Surgery ghost story...
Big trouble! The ghost story could evolve!
We already hadn't grasped its true nature. If it strengthened now, we'd be overwhelmed. An unknown ghost story growing more powerful was a nightmare scenario I didn't even want to imagine.
"We have to stop the chaos!"
We bolted from the club room, the possibility spurring us into action. We had to find Melissa—before confusion spread through the academy, before the ghost story gained more power.
We tore through the entire 1st Main Building after bursting from the club room. Desperate to find Melissa, we sprinted down halls and flung open classroom doors.
Our lungs burning at the limit, we finally located her in her classroom.
But...
"Oh? You were looking for me? What's up? Panting like that so urgently..."
The girl tilted her head with genuine curiosity. Freckles made her look a bit plain, but even accounting for that, she was a cutely ordinary beauty.
She—Melissa—gazed at us, the ones who'd come searching for her, with perplexed eyes.
Melissa's face wasn't twisted.
Confirming that plunged me back into confusion.
Why is she fine? Then why hasn't Rone returned?
But one thing was clear. The Shadow Plastic Surgery ghost story hid a secret we didn't know.