Interlude - Founding the Club?
The third ghost story we'd encountered at the academy had been successfully exorcised. Confirming the message floating before my eyes, I finally relaxed, letting the tension drain from my body.
Third Incident Cleared
I wondered if there'd be no relic this time. I'd half-expected as much—relics didn't always drop. Fair enough. Even if one had appeared, something grotesque like the eye candy made from real human eyeballs after dealing with Mr. Brandon wouldn't have been welcome.
Seeing my demeanor, Elaine realized the ghost story incident was fully resolved and broke into a bright smile.
"That expression just now... the ghost story's resolved, right? That's it, isn't it?"
"You're quick on the uptake, as always."
"B-but, Mr. Allen... who's that girl next to you? Why is she here? Is she involved somehow?"
That was when Rone, still kneeling awkwardly, glanced around hesitantly before piping up.
"Oh, right—my bad. Let me introduce her. This is Elaine Astraea. She's in the same A-Class as you, taking the basics of Gifts lecture. Just like you said, she's someone who noticed the supernatural phenomena happening in the academy. She's also the first member of the club I'm planning to create."
"Hello, Rone Yustria. As Mr. Allen explained, I'm his first club member, Elaine Astraea."
Elaine carried herself with a strangely proud, confident air. What was this? Was she planning to lord it over Rone as the senior member?
"Th-the first member... so I wasn't the first after all."
"Oh dear, I'm sorry. Were you hoping you were?"
"Not exactly, but..."
Rone still seemed shy around her, the atmosphere a bit awkward. They'd be together for the next three years, so it'd be nice if they hit it off sooner. Well, it'd work itself out somehow.
"Anyway, we've done the basic introductions, so let's get to the main point. I'll explain why I've decided to start this club—and what the real, hidden purpose is beyond the surface-level activities."
At my words, Rone—who'd been subtly intimidated by Elaine—snapped to attention, her face lighting up with burning curiosity.
...
I explained to Rone about the ghost stories lurking behind everyday life and the outer god sealed beneath the academy.
"In summary, humanity has less than three years left. To avert that doom, we need to keep exorcising ghost stories and find a way to re-seal—or permanently defeat—the outer god buried under the academy."
"...Is that for real!?"
Rone raised her voice, not hiding her shock. Was she scared?
"Too late to get cold feet now. You're already caught in the regression loop—you can't just pretend it never happened..."
"That's not it! I had no idea I was possessed by a ghost story! Oh man! To think something like that was going on in the academy without me knowing... If only I'd realized..."
No way that would've happened. I'd worried she might bolt in fear, but as expected, Rone was more thrilled and eager than frightened. She wouldn't run. I'd chosen her not just to resolve the ghost story stemming from her, but because her challenging personality suited the club I envisioned.
No matter how talented someone was, what mattered most was their mental fortitude. Fighting ghost stories while staking your life against world-ending threats wasn't for the faint-hearted. Her burning desire for recognition would make a powerful motivator.
"No need to mope. Soon enough, you'll be begging for a break from how exhausting it'll get."
"O-ohhh. Mr. Allen, you sound like a total ghost story expert. And you've only been at the academy for two days."
"..."
Infuriating. Had it really only been two days? After all I'd been through. The academy assault had dragged on unusually long for once, but the regression reset it all anyway.
I sighed, reminded of my need to find a way to update the save point in the sealed room ASAP.
"By the way, Mr. Allen... you feel different from earlier."
"Huh? Of course. Over the next three years fighting ghost stories, we'll skirt death a hundred times—and actually die sometimes. Think I'll have the luxury of keeping up a friendly mask every time?"
"Eh? That was an act? Everything you've shown so far was..."
Rone looked stunned, more shocked than when I'd mentioned the outer god. In a way.
"Skip the small stuff. Let's outline what we need to do next."
...
The lecture I'd repeated countless times. By now, it was so familiar I could predict the students' reactions without looking.
After wrapping up the first lecture yet again, I brought the two students to the staff room.
"Club founding?"
"Yes. There doesn't seem to be a club like the one I have in mind, so I'd like to create a new one—with me as the advisor."
I felt the eyes of the teachers in the staff room, including Lydia and Fresian, turn toward us. Our first task: found the club.
Grade chair Fresian flashed a sly, amused smile.
"Hmm. Club founding, eh? Excellent. Such passion from a new teacher. Everlight Academy's gained a fine educator."
Déjà vu? Nah, imagination.
"Mind if I ask what kind of club?"
"I'm thinking of naming it the Paranormal Investigation Club."
"Paranormal Investigation Club? Quite the unique name. Makes me even more curious about the activities."
"Most people dismiss ghost stories as childish nonsense for immature students—and they usually are. But students still get genuinely scared by them."
"True, every year some kids cause incidents with that nonsense—summoning rituals, courage tests. But from what you're saying, maybe we shouldn't allow a Paranormal Investigation Club."
That was the expected reaction for something as suspicious as this.
"On the contrary. Ghost stories may be fiction, but they arise from psychological and cultural causes with their own logic. Ever heard the one about the ghost in a specific stall in the academy bathroom?"
"...A pretty famous ghost story."
The tale of a ghost haunting a particular bathroom stall. It existed in my past life's Korea and Japan, and here in Hypnia too. Even Mr. Brandon's story boiled down to a mashup of the red-masked vendor with red-and-blue tissue ghost story.
Coincidence? Hardly.
"It's set in the confined space of the academy, specifically a dark, isolated bathroom. Why? The academy is students' daily life hub, but also rife with competition, discipline, violence, bullying—negative experiences. Bathrooms' inherent seclusion, silence, and chill amplify that. They're private yet isolating, breeding anxiety and fear. That's why bathrooms traditionally spawn ghost stories. Hospitals are similar: places of healing, but shadowed by death."
"Every ghost story has logical roots and internal logic. The Paranormal Investigation Club I want to found will collect and study such tales and mysteries, treating ghost stories not as objects of fear but as subjects for humanities research. Under the guise of 'resolving' them, we'll provide psychological counseling to ease students' anxieties from circulating rumors."
I moistened my lips and laid out the fabricated club activities I'd prepared for Fresian.
"Wow. Not a drop of hesitation..."
"Um... Elaine? Aren't ghost stories real?"
"Shh. Be quiet. Teacher's running a con right now."
I ignored Elaine muttering beside me with a look that screamed shameless.
"Ho ho. Listening to you, Mr. Allen, even I'd fill out a membership form. The theme appeals to students, the activities are unique and meaningful. Can't wait to see what you get up to."
Thank goodness—Fresian seemed convinced, positive about approving the club. Lydia beside him had her eyes wide, clearly impressed.
"Have you picked a club room? I recall an empty one on the fourth floor..."
"Actually, I've got one in mind: the storage room at the end of the fifth-floor hallway. Can we use it?"
"Ah, that room? Sure. It's unused now, just storage, but it was originally a club room. No issue repurposing it."
Smooth sailing. I'd figured convincing them was secondary; they might balk at the room being occupied. But they handed it over easily.
"One issue, though."
"One issue?"
Here it comes. Some snag to resolve?
"It's been storage for a while. You'll have to clean it yourselves. Okay with that?"
Ah, that? No sweat.
"Fine by us. We'll handle the cleaning."
"Heh heh. Such enthusiasm—delightful."
"So, club's approved?"
"No, unfortunately, we can't approve it."
"...Pardon? You were just talking like it was a done deal..."
"Heh heh! No need to panic. It's not that the activities are problematic."
"Then why?"
"Simple, Mr. Allen. How many members do you have?"
"Elaine Astraea and Rone Yustria—two."
"Heh heh. Promising girls. But Everlight Academy requires a minimum of four students to found a club. Recruit two more and come back, yes?"
Ah... of all things, member count blocking us.
New objective. Time to revise our first activity plan: recruit members to found the club.