The Haunted School and the Targeted Junior

The second-year classrooms were bustling as usual that morning. Students clustered together, chattering animatedly; others frantically copied homework, their heads bowed low; and then there were the teachers, who would suddenly ambush them, catching them in the act. I had assumed that today would be another uneventful day at school… Or so I had thought…

……

……

****

During the break after the first period, a teacher, their face etched with panic, burst through the classroom door, instructing all students to evacuate the school immediately.

The reason given was a ghost sighting at school… A ghost sighting? And specifically in first-year classes A and D?! Weren’t those Leidi’s and that junior student’s classes?! What in the world was happening?!

My barrier, meticulously placed around the school, hadn’t detected any spectral presence. Could it be an enemy attack?!

Capitalizing on the chaotic exodus, I swiftly made my way to the first-year floor. There, amidst a throng of students gathered before Class A’s door, I saw them: the unconscious junior student, surrounded by the crowd, and Leidi and Xiaobai, their uniforms slightly tattered.

Had they been attacked?! Damn it!

Shoving past the students, I pushed my way into the crowd and, facing them, inquired, “Leidi, are you alright?”

“Ruka sister?!” they exclaimed in unison, clearly startled by my sudden appearance.

“Tell me, are you two hurt? What exactly happened?” I needed to gather information quickly.

“First, the desks and chairs in Class A vanished into thin air, only to fall from above our heads…” Leidi recounted, her brow furrowed as she tidied her slightly disheveled hair, glancing at the junior student still lying on the ground.

‘Tsk—’ I clicked my tongue inwardly. ‘Even standing at the entrance of Class A, where such an incident had just occurred, I couldn’t detect any spiritual presence, not even a faint trace.’

“In Class D, students’ phones and mirrors also dropped!” Xiaobai added, a panicked expression on her face. “We were all so scared that we came to Class A to attend class together.”

This phenomenon happened in Class D too? Tsk, why didn’t they contact me then?

“Everyone, quickly move Aoyama and get out of here!” A teacher, who had just arrived, rapidly issued commands, galvanizing everyone into action.

It seemed this area would be cordoned off soon. I needed to act quickly as well.

“Leidi, take this.”

Under the guise of reaching into my skirt pocket, I swiftly retrieved a small bamboo segment from the ‘Corridor’ and slipped it into Leidi’s hand. Its size was inconspicuous enough not to arouse suspicion from nearby students, who were likely too preoccupied to notice our brief exchange.

Within this bamboo segment resided one of the strongest among the many yokai I had tamed. For now, it would serve as Leidi and Xiaobai’s bodyguard.

“Ruka sister, what is this?”

“Don’t ask questions for now, just keep it with you.”

With that, I feigned an escape from the school, vanishing from their sight.

****

“Ruka sister…?” Xiaobai, sitting opposite me, cast a worried glance my way. ‘Was my expression too serious?’

“It’s nothing, I’m just thinking about a few things.” I offered her a reassuring smile, hoping to alleviate her worries.

After investigating the two suspicious classrooms, I had rushed to the hospital and then accompanied them back to the ‘Chrysalis’ manor. We exchanged little conversation during the journey, and now, sitting on the sofa in their bedroom, I remained lost in thought, pondering the unsettling events.

“Ruka sister, you’ve been like this since the car ride. Did you discover something?” Leidi seemed to have intuited my preoccupation.

Sighing softly, I picked up my now nearly cold black tea and took a sip.

“Rather than discovering anything… it’s more like I found absolutely nothing at all…”

Although I had left two shikigami for surveillance, I couldn’t sense even the slightest trace of spiritual energy. This wasn’t a ghost haunting at all.

“Could you explain in more detail, starting from when you were still in Class D?” I asked, setting down my teacup with a hint of exasperation.

“After morning homeroom, my deskmate’s phone vanished into thin air, only to fall onto my head almost instantaneously. Another student’s compact mirror seemed to suffer a similar fate, but Xiaobai caught it when it dropped. And then…”

Leidi meticulously explained the events, with Xiaobai interjecting now and then to add details. I now had a general understanding of the situation.

There were no discernible signs preceding the paranormal occurrences. However, I did notice something intriguing.

“Leidi, did those objects only fall on your head? Not on Xiaobai or anyone else?” I looked directly at Leidi, seeking confirmation.

“Eh? Now that you mention it…” Leidi murmured, falling into thought.

From our conversation, I realized that whether it was phones, mirrors, or even chairs and desks, these items seemed to fall exclusively on Leidi’s head.

“It does seem that way… Earlier, if Xiaobai hadn’t pulled me back, a chair would have hit my head too…”

It appeared to be the truth. Leidi was being “targeted.” Yet, beyond this single clue, I had no other leads.

Furthermore, was this truly the work of an enemy? If they possessed such an ability that I couldn’t detect even at close range, shouldn’t they have already attacked Leidi and Xiaobai directly? There were far too many suspicious elements.

“I’ll inform Number Two first. Perhaps he knows something.” I picked up my phone and began operating it.

For now, this was all I could do.

“Oh, Ruka sister. What was that small bamboo segment you gave Leidi for?” Xiaobai asked, a sudden thought striking her.

“It contains a yokai I’ve raised,” I replied, my fingers still busy on my phone. “It was meant to be your temporary bodyguard.”

“Eh? A yokai, you say?!” they exclaimed in unison.

Their surprised expressions were quite adorable.

“Indeed. This small bamboo segment is similar to the bamboo water bottle I gave you before. For safety, keep it with you for the next few days.” My fingers continued their rapid movements on the phone.

“Okay,” they both affirmed.

Filled with curiosity, they began to playfully examine the small bamboo segment, much like kittens with a ball of yarn. It was truly a heartwarming and charming sight.

‘Honestly, to think there’s someone out there targeting my adorable little sisters. If I ever catch them, I’ll send them straight to the deepest reaches of the new hell…’