The Paranormal Investigation Club's Day Off
"No club activities today."
At my words, the students all wore expressions of bewilderment. Elaine Astraea furrowed her brow, Rone Yustria gazed at me with eyes full of questions, and Rozalia Soline and Aurora Victoria stared at my face in open surprise.
"Huh? Why so sudden, Teacher?" Elaine asked cautiously.
"No, let me correct that."
"See? You misspoke, right?"
"Club activities for the Paranormal Investigation Club are suspended for the time being."
"What!? What do you mean!?"
Realizing my words weren't a joke or a slip of the tongue, the students turned to me with shocked faces. I began explaining to the flustered girls why they needed a break.
"You've been dealing with ghost stories nonstop without much rest. Especially after that apartment ordeal—your fatigue is plain as day."
It was subtle, but thanks to constantly observing the students, I could easily spot their exhaustion. Even in sleep, their nerves were on edge; they reacted sharply to the slightest sounds. The unconscious tension was obvious.
I'd been thinking it was time for a proper break anyway, and the apartment ghost story provided the perfect excuse. That one had been exceptionally intense, draining their mental energy more than most. Now was the moment for a full rest.
Rozalia tilted her head and countered, "But we rest all the time, don't we? On days without ghost stories, we just hang out in the club room, reading or napping."
True enough—on quiet days, they gathered in the Paranormal Investigation Club Room, whiling away the time with books or dozing. But that wasn't the kind of rest I had in mind.
"That's not real rest. Your bodies might be idle, but your minds are still on alert, braced for a ghost story to pop up any second. Back when I ran the trading company, employees who 'rested' at work with nothing to do were way more worn out than those on actual vacation."
I stated it firmly. "To truly recharge, we need to stop even gathering in the club room for a while."
Rone piped up abruptly. "What if a ghost story shows up?"
"If one does, we'll handle it after it blows up—then regress once. Sure, we'll lose the resentment from that loop, but we can afford it."
Trading companies that skimped on employee welfare right now always paid dearly later. The students, dazed but not arguing, seemed to agree deep down. They talked a big game about staying vigilant against ghost stories, but the endless club work had worn them thin.
"So, we're done for today. Next meeting's next week. The Paranormal Investigation Club is on temporary hiatus."
With that, the students filed out, stealing glances at one another. Elaine left quietly, lost in thought. Rone trailed behind, still looking stunned. Rozalia adapted quickest to the unexpected windfall, humming cheerfully with a beaming smile. Aurora, who'd barely contributed during the festival ghost story and sat out the apartment one as regressor backup, slipped away with a guilty expression at getting the break anyway.
And so began the Paranormal Investigation Club's brief vacation.
...
Day 1 of rest—evening.
I pulled a madeleine from the bag of snacks I'd bought at the academy snack bar and popped it in my mouth. The sweet buttery aroma filled my senses, its soft texture tickling my tongue and awakening my taste buds.
Come to think of it, it's been ages since I had one of these. On my first day at the academy, I'd ambitiously vowed to conquer every madeleine in this shop.
In truth, I'd been projecting unbreakable strength in front of the students, whipping myself with a sense of duty to avert the world's doom. But honestly? I was pretty burned out too. Maybe I needed this break the most.
Perhaps that's why I'd pushed it under the guise of their well-being. A wave of rare lightness washed over me, and I let out a soft sigh.
After wrapping up work and clocking out, I decided on dinner out and left the academy. Normally, I stuck to spots close enough to dash back if a ghost story erupted. But with the hiatus, I could venture farther afield without worry.
Maybe hit up that oriental restaurant from the fortune cookie ghost story—the source of that one. It was more Chinese-style than Korean, but still closer to my past life's flavors than Western fare.
As I walked, I spotted a familiar silhouette ahead. Elaine's back.
She was strolling lightly toward downtown. With the club on break, she must've headed out for some leisurely shopping.
I started to shrug it off and continue to the restaurant, but curiosity piqued—where was she off to? Elaine was always my reliable right hand, the student who best synced with me on ghost stories. Yet I knew next to nothing about her as a person.
Come to think of it, the same went for Rone, Rozalia, and Aurora. I only thought about how to leverage their gifts against ghost stories—their private lives were a blank.
Perfect timing, then. Tail her, learn more about my club kids. Teacherly duty, I told myself.
Of course, stalking a female student wasn't exactly "teacherly." But whatever.
...
Elaine arrived at an old bookstore tucked in a quiet downtown alley. Creaky wooden sign, dusty display window, the faint, comforting scent of aged paper wafting out. It suited her mysteriously well—yet clashed with her usual elegant, enigmatic vibe.
Unable to resist, I followed her inside.
Ding-a-ling— The bell, as ancient as the shop, chimed. Elaine, browsing the shelves, whipped around. Spotting me, her eyes widened in shock.
"Teacher?!"
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh. Fancy meeting you here."
"Liar!"
"Sorry. Truth is, I saw you leaving the academy and followed."
Elaine pouted, frowning slightly. "That's stalking, Teacher!"
She scolded me, but there was no real anger in it.
"Heh. As your teacher, I had to check if a student was wandering into sketchy spots. Wouldn't want you going astray."
Of course, Elaine wasn't buying that. But since she wasn't seriously mad, she let it slide.
"Hmph. Fine, whatever."
I grinned and nodded, then asked, "So, why this dusty old place? If you're book shopping, a regular store would do."
"Well... I'm hunting old books, weird folktales, creepy novels. Niche stuff like that shows up more in shops like this than big chains."
She glanced away but answered honestly.
"It's your day off—club stuff's off-limits, remember? I said rest for real."
Elaine shook her head. "No, it's purely a hobby. Actually... mine's archaeology and the occult."
She hesitated, then continued. "As you know, my gift is strong mental power. It activates constantly, whether I want it or not. It's got upsides, sure—but not only upsides."
She gestured to the shelf of tattered tomes. "Thanks to it, novels or fairy tales don't hit me emotionally like they do others. My thrill threshold's sky-high. So from a young age, I chased stronger kicks—ghost stories, occult stuff. Archaeology's just a side hobby, though."
I nodded. That explained her eerie knack for ghost stories. She didn't seem the type to gossip about them with friends, yet she knew her stuff. Mystery solved.
As we chatted, Elaine glanced at me hesitantly. "Hobbies like that aren't very girly, right? I even crafted this mysterious image when I entered the academy to hide it. Archaeology and occult... they're too gloomy for girls."
Rare for her to look so bashful, peeking up at me. I chuckled.
"What's wrong with that? If you wanted to be just like everyone else, why bother with Everlight Academy?"
She studied me, weighing if I meant it. Ignoring her skeptical gaze, I added, "In my past life, that 'girls should act girly' nonsense was outdated before I was born. Anyone spouting it got labeled a relic."
Hell, I'd toppled nobles ranting about class systems and nearly sparked a revolution. Gender norms? Small potatoes now.
Realizing I was sincere, Elaine murmured softly, "R-Really? You truly think that?"
Surprise mingled with inexplicable relief on her face.
"Actually, thinking about it, that hobby suits you perfectly. Being 'Elaine-like' is way more appealing than some cookie-cutter girly act."
"Wh-What? Out of nowhere...!"
"Ha! Blushing?"
"You're saying weird stuff—not like you!"
"It's not weird; it's the truth."
"Argh! Seriously!"
I teased with a mischievous grin, and Elaine's face flushed as she yelped—then remembered we were in the shop and lowered her voice.
After that, we wandered the stacks together, talking nonstop. When I asked for fun reads, she pondered and handed me an ancient civilizations history book. I grimaced.
She laughed and swapped it for a weathered novel. "How about this? It's got creepy vibes, but super engaging."
"Nice. Got any ghost story anthologies?"
Her eyes lit up. "Huh? Didn't you say no clubbing on days off?"
She grinned slyly.
"Pure hobby for me too. Decided to pick it up today."
We shared a laugh.
As we selected a few books, Elaine asked casually, "Why'd you save me that day?"
I looked at her. But she avoided my eyes, fiddling with an old book. Her ears burned red.
"What day? No subject."
"You know. That first day at the academy—the endless loop. Why go so hard for me? You'd been negative about solving ghost stories before."
"Oh, that?"
I replied offhand. She watched my mouth tensely.
"Personal experience: Anyone whose name starts with 'El' has superstar potential."
Elaine burst out laughing. "Pfft—what!?"
I was dead serious, though.
And so the first day off ended: shopping with Elaine at the bookstore, then oriental food for dinner.