“Ababababa. Awawawawa...?!”
Riran advanced with a timid gait while clinging to my arm.
We had only been in the classroom for a few steps. Moreover, she was incredibly slow.
“Riran, if you don’t speed up a bit, we’ll block the people behind us.”
“I-I-I’m fine. This is... I’m putting my body on the line to protect the people behind us so there are no more victims...! So going slow is A-OK...!”
“What kind of self-sacrifice is that?”
It was a very troublesome form of self-sacrifice.
Furthermore, her eyes were completely glazed over. Red eyes glaring in the dark are actually scary.
The interior of the first classroom was modeled after a Western mansion. It was quite elaborate, though most of it was just papier-mâché. Still, it had a very dilapidated feel, giving it quite an atmosphere.
Riran’s vampire cosplay gave off the vibe of being the master of the mansion, but seeing the master of the house acting so terrified was actually a bit funny.
However, nothing had happened yet. We were just walking through a classroom that had been turned into a maze.
“H-Hmph. See? There’s nothing here. Honestly, it’s quite anticlim—”
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!
“NNYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?!?”
I was startled. Not by the sound, but by Riran falling for such a classic trick.
“Riran, are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?! Do I look okay?! Do I need to introduce you to an ophthalmologist, you jerk?!”
“Sorry.”
It felt nostalgic, as if she had reverted to the old Riran, but her verbal abuse was severe, likely because she felt her life was in danger.
Still, Riran didn't try to run away. She was working hard.
Countless arms reaching out from the walls.
Zombies emerging from lockers made to look like coffins.
Intermittent rapping sounds.
Riran fell for every single one of them, screaming and shrieking at each. Finally, we cleared the first classroom. We passed through the hallway and headed to the next classroom.
The next classroom was modeled after a Japanese graveyard. The quality was amazing. I couldn't believe students made this.
“Awawawawawawawawawawa...?!”
“You’re panicking too much. Get used to it already.”
“Y-You wouldn't understand! If you truly hate horror, there’s no such thing as getting used to it! Don’t mess with me...!”
“Ah, right.”
It was a sensation I didn't share.
Will-o'-the-wisps floated around to create a Japanese graveyard atmosphere, groans rose from the graves, and something like Sadako crawled out of a well.
Riran was 'delighted' by the various gimmicks suited to the Japanese setting.
“Wherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewhere...”
I don't know what to say. Riran was scarier than the haunted house gimmicks.
Also, stop reading my mind so naturally.
While encouraging Riran, we cleared each classroom one by one.
The order was: Western Mansion, Japanese Graveyard, Foreign Graveyard, Park, Prison, and finally, the Abandoned Hospital.
After safely visiting all six classrooms, I took a breath. Even so, it was quiet. Too quiet.
...Hmm? Wait?
“A-Akito? Why did you stop...?”
“Hey, Riran. There were six classrooms for the third-years, right?”
“T-That should be right...”
“...Then, what is this classroom?”
“Eh?”
We had safely cleared the six classrooms.
However, what lay ahead wasn't the goal, but a corridor that stretched further and a seventh classroom.
“Let’s go in.”
“Why?! N-No matter how you look at it, it’s weird! I-I’ve been to the third-year floor before, but there isn't a seventh classroom! Class 6 is at the very end, and the hallway isn't supposed to continue past it!”
“But no matter how you look at it, it continues.”
“T-That’s...”
Riran was flustered. But it was definitely strange. Riran wouldn't misremember something like that.
And the door to this classroom... I thought they had made it dirty because it was a haunted house, but this was different. It was strangely stained and looked genuinely old.
“...You’re right, let’s skip going in.”
“Y-Yes, let’s do that. L-Let’s go quickly...!”
Pulled by Riran, we passed through a hanging curtain that partitioned the hallway.
Suddenly, the world became bright, and the scenery of the original school building finally returned.
Then, in front of us, we saw Kotono and Noa with their backs turned to us.
“Muu, Oni-chan and the others are slow.”
“Ane-san was scared, after all. It can’t be helped.”
“Hey, we’re over here.”
““Eh?!””
The two turned around, their eyes wide.
They looked back and forth between me and Riran, standing there dumbfounded.
“W-What is it, you two?”
“E-Err... where did you come from? We’ve been waiting here at the goal the whole time.”
“Where? From over there... wait?”
I looked back toward the way Riran and I had come.
However, there was no curtain or anything there. There was only a plain dead-end wall.
“Over there? There’s nothing over there, Senpai.”
“............”
“...Senpai?”
Noa’s voice and the surrounding bustle sounded strangely distant. Then I realized. I could hear the bustle.
When we were in front of the seventh classroom, we couldn't hear any noise at all.
Yes, it had been silent.
Riran seemed to have noticed as well, her face turning pale and twitching.
“H-Hey, Kotono. Does this goal continue from the Abandoned Hospital...?”
“What are you talking about? Once you finish the Abandoned Hospital, you’re supposed to come out into this hallway. You’re here now, so you should know that.”
Looking at Kotono and Noa’s expressions, they didn't seem to be lying or teasing us. Next, Riran asked.
“W-What about the seventh classroom? The one with the old door...”
“There were only six classrooms, though.”
““............””
It goes without saying that on this day, haunted houses were added to the list of things I hate.