CHAPTER 28 - Birthday Party. Part 1.
(Pov - Saik.)
I'm walking down a quiet street with Yuki on my shoulders. I don't know why, but she loves stroking and sniffing my hair. It's a bit uncomfortable, but it doesn't bother me much. As long as her movements are gentle and barely noticeable, I don't mind.
"Today was a great day, Saik! A girl said she loved you, and you won thousands of points! You'll be the most popular guy in school! You achieved something almost impossible!"
"Ah, so lazy. I don't like the word 'popular.' I don't want people stealing my peaceful days. And that girl… Well, it's kinda obvious she has terrible taste in men. Or she was just pranking me. Whatever, it doesn't matter."
I pulled my emergency lollipop from my pocket. To avoid running out, I always keep one in my left pocket—it's the last one I eat before buying more. It's my way of knowing I need to restock.
Ah, I really needed something sweet after a long day. I accomplished a lot today—I should be proud. Good job, me. Thanks, me, you too.
Ah… That was weird. Never doing that again. Even I cringed.
Luckily, that stayed in my head, and Yuki can't read minds… I think. So far, the only ghost I know who could read minds was legendary ghost number 100. That ghost could predict my next moves.
Whatever, it doesn't matter.
I'll hit the store to buy more sweets and then head home.
I reached the store where Iris works… Hmm. She's not at the counter. Maybe she's cleaning.
I don't feel any bad vibes, so nothing's wrong with her.
I grabbed a bag of lollipops, chocolates. Ah, new spicy candies. I'll take a bag to try them. I'll also grab this jar of chocolate. I think I need something salty or sour too.
"Look, Saik, they're selling the ice pops I used to eat when I was alive! Buy me one, please!"
A strawberry-flavored ice pop. Good choice.
After picking my items, I went to the counter.
I paid and left the store with my bags.
As I stepped out, I almost bumped into Iris.
"Sorry, Iris."
"N-No worries, it wasn't your fault."
Luckily, I noticed in time and stepped back to avoid a collision.
"I thought your shift was over."
"I'm working overtime today. I just went to make dinner for Sylphie."
"Ah… Sylphie, three classmates, and I are going to celebrate winning first place in the point competition. Did Sylphie ask for permission to go out? I wouldn't want her to get in trouble."
"Yes, I gave her permission. Congratulations, Saik! My daughter told me you broke a record."
"I think I'm the first idiot to risk all my points every time. Sorry, I gotta go. See you later."
"Take care, Saik."
I walked away and pulled the ice pop from the bag.
"Gimme, gimme!"
Sorry, Yuki, I opened this one for me, not you.
"You'll eat yours at home."
I licked it. Hmm… I'll admit I expected better, but I'm satisfied. At least this'll curb my hunger.
•
•
We got home, and I put my precious sweets in the beautiful candy drawer, where I keep all my treats.
"Ah… I remember it tasting better."
Yeah, the ice pop isn't that great, but it's enough to satisfy my hunger.
Well, I've got 35 minutes before meeting Sylphie and the others. I'll use the time to exercise. There's a park two blocks away—I'll go for a run.
Ah, and I need to talk to "her" too.
•
•
I changed into my workout clothes. Tight black clothes. My muscles feel snug.
I rub my abs and chest… Good, everything's in perfect condition.
I lent my computer to Yuki so she could watch videos while I exercise.
After a 5-minute warm-up, I started running in the park. I had to comb my hair and put on glasses because there are little kids here—I don't want them thinking I'm some pervert or weird guy. What kind of weirdo runs with hair covering their face? I'd rather avoid misunderstandings.
"Kya! I love watching you run, darling!"
"31, how'd it go?"
"I killed two members because they kept pushing to hunt Shadow and tried to capture me."
"I see. Thanks a lot."
•
•
(Pov - Sylphie.)
I hope I'm not bothering Saik with my visit. I didn't have time to clean my house—I don't want him to see the mess I made cooking.
But… To think Saik managed to win thousands of points in one day is incredible. He beat two third-year students, and not just any students—the captains of the soccer and basketball clubs. They were experienced and skilled, but Saik managed to win… I don't know how to react exactly.
I'm shocked, obviously, but… Who is Saik, really? I know he's kind, a good person, but he has this mysterious side. He falls asleep in class but is the smartest in the group. He's a cute guy but never combs his hair. He doesn't care about others' opinions. And now I find out his soccer and basketball skills surpass the captains'. Saik's a prodigy at everything… I hate to say it this way, but he's a weird guy. Weird in a good way.
"Awesome, he's doing it with one hand!"
"And he looks our age."
"Which school does he go to?"
"Go ask him!"
"N-No way, you do it!"
I recognize that uniform—they're from the public high school. What are they talking about…? Oh… It all makes sense now.
Saik's doing one-handed push-ups on the ground. Considering he's doing them nonstop and his speed, he's clearly super strong… I guess. I don't know much about muscles, but I know enough to see Saik's strong.
A-Ah… M-My nervousness is back. What do I do? Do I go say hi, or wait until he's done?
…No… Sylphie, if you keep staring, he'll think you're a pervert. He's your friend—you should go say hi… Yeah, I'll say hi.
I approached him slowly… O-Okay, no problem, he's your friend, you won't bother him, Sylphie.
"H-Hi, Saik."
"Ah, hi, Sylphie."
Saik got up from the ground and… h-he combed his hair… I-I see why the girls were staring. S-Saik's wearing his glasses and combed his hair.
N-No, inappropriate thoughts are invading my mind! Out, out, I'm not a pervert!
"Has it been an hour already? Sorry, I think I got distracted."
"N-Not yet, there's still 5 minutes… W-Wow… You combed your hair… Is it a special occasion?"
"I wanted to run in the park, so I had to comb my hair to not scare the moms or kids. Well, we'd better hurry—I'll go change."
"I'll come with you."
As we walked, I couldn't help but glance at Saik's face. He's really cute… Uwaaah! Out, inappropriate thoughts, I'm a decent girl, not a pervert!
"You could say we've already won first place—I don't think other teams can catch up, not even Ram's team, which might be our only real competition."
Saik's right. It's bad to get too confident, but realistically, it's nearly impossible for others to surpass us unless they take risks and bet all their points like Saik did. But Saik's even riskier, considering he bet all his points more than twice. I think it was three times… I don't know, but even once is too risky.
I really admire that part of him—I could never do something like that.
"Do you think the other special exams will be tough, Saik?"
"This special exam is a test—it's only called an exam. Exams test our learned knowledge. Special exams are tests that challenge what we've learned in school, as well as our knowledge and skills. The difficulty will vary by student. Maybe for Ram, it's an easy test, but for you, it'll be hard. I can't say if they'll be tough—it depends on what the special exam requires in terms of knowledge."
"Yeah, I get it… I'm bad at sports, so I hope there's no test involving running or something like that."
"Ah, right, that's very possible. Some school competition. Our group against other first-year groups. I'll admit I'm kinda excited. I never participated in that stuff in middle school. During school festivals or events, I didn't do anything and just slept, and if others got mad at me for doing nothing, I'd go home to sleep more peacefully, though my mom would end up scolding me."
I couldn't help but laugh a little, imagining Saik getting scolded by his classmates. Always so lazy. It's part of his charm, after all.
"I guess you were the most hated in your class, huh?"
"Something like that, I suppose. Changing the topic, do you think having thousands of points will get me benefits? I don't know, maybe they'll let me pick the next exam or something."
"I don't know, but I think having so many points must be good for something besides buying answers or protection points. My dad was a teacher at our school, but I was never interested in his work, so I didn't know anything about the school before enrolling."
And my mom said my dad didn't agree with the school's rules and wanted me to go to a different school, but since I got a scholarship, my mom enrolled me here.
And I got lucky, because thanks to that scholarship, I met Saik… No, no, no! Inappropriate thoughts, I told you to leave! I'm a pure girl, not a pervert!
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
I changed clothes. Casual clothes… I guess that's what they're called. I just know outfits as "clothes."
A tight black shirt and black pants… A black outfit. I feel comfy. I left the glasses at home and messed up my hair. No need to stay combed.
[You guys almost here?]
Ah, Naok's getting impatient. We're only gonna be 3 minutes late.
[Almost there.]
Ah… I see them now.
We reached the others, and Bell raised my left arm.
"Thanks to our hero, we're taking first place!"
Ah, this is awkward.
"Let's go inside and shout in there."
We entered a… karaoke? These places give me secondhand embarrassment—I always avoided them. Ah, I'll go with the flow, at least I'll eat for free… I hope. I did all the work, so I expect them to cover my food.
We sat down and ordered drinks and food.
My turn to order, and I know what I want.
"I'll have the lovers' chocolate ice cream, with some strawberry and lemon scoops."
That ice cream is huge and looks delicious. I know it's for lovers because of its size, but I'll eat it alone and not share.
"Alright, now let our hero be the first to…!"
"If you make me sing, it'll be the last time you talk to me, and I'll avoid you at all costs, meaning I'll never help you with homework or special exams again."
"Ah… I'll sacrifice myself for Saik and sing!"
Ah, the secondhand embarrassment begins.
I only came for the food, but I'm already regretting it. I hope that ice cream's worth it… Huh?
There's… a ghost here. The ghost of a man with his stomach split open, guts hanging out.
Completely black eyes… A cursed ghost. It'll become a demon soon.
"Saik, Ludius, and Naok told me how you beat the club captains! If I admired you before, my admiration for you doubled! Want me to introduce you to my sister? She's two years younger, but I don't think that's an issue. With you, my family's lineage will improve!"
"Huh?!"
…Hey, Sylphie, I'm the one who should be shocked, not you.
"Tomorrow's my 17th birthday, so no, she's too young for me. I prefer girls my age."
The ghost approached and stroked my face.
This ghost can touch me, but I can't feel it. Interesting. This ghost's energy is incredibly powerful.
"You look like…"
Look like?
"Tomorrow's your birthday?! We gotta celebrate!"
"No thanks, Naok. I'd rather celebrate my birthday by going home and sleeping."
I'll just celebrate with Yuki.
"Come on, don't be boring, Saik. You don't turn 17 every day."
"Really… I don't want to. It's my first birthday without my parents, and it'll feel weird. I'd rather not celebrate this time. Please, forget it."
"Ah… Y-Yeah… Sorry."
Ah, humans are such easy creatures to manipulate.
"Well, you can give me my birthday gift early. Sing so I can laugh at the secondhand embarrassment you'll cause, Bell. Ah, I gotta wash my hands."
I stretched my arms and grabbed the ghost's arm.
"I knew it…"
"I'm going to the bathroom."
I left the small room and entered the bathroom.
…Good. I don't sense anyone, and there are no security cameras.
I let go of the ghost and washed my face at the sink.
"Who do I look like, ghost?"
"You can… see me… You're… like her."
"Her? Did she turn you into a malignant ghost?"
"She… stole… my wife… My son… My life."
"Hahaha! You've said more than enough—you're no longer useful!"
The ghost exploded and dissipated… That power is… comparable to mine.
It's the second time I've felt such power in someone. I haven't felt this since facing legendary ghost number 100.
"Fufu. What should I call you? Saik or Shadow? I personally prefer Shadow."
That voice… Where's it coming from?
"I don't have much time, so I'll be brief. Join me or die. You have 2 or 3 years to think about it."
"Who are you?"
"Fufu. Why don't you ask 31?"
31?
"What does she have to do with this…? Are you still there…? Ah… 31, come."
31 appeared beside me.
"Need me, cutie?!"
"Listen, please."
•
•
"I see… Honestly, I thought she was dead and gone to hell."
"Who is she, really? She sounded like a girl, maybe… I don't know… 14?"
"If she became a ghost, she'd be 54 now… Saik, you and the ghost hunters weren't the first to try capturing legendary ghosts. In the past, there were others with the gift of seeing ghosts who tried to catch legendary ghosts for their own gain. A girl called… Well, I never knew her real name—she forced us to call her 'Goddess of Ghosts.'"
"Forced us? Did she capture you?"
"Tch. That girl was a real monster, even for me. Her personality and yours are completely different, but in terms of strength, you'd be equals. Unlike you, though, she died when she faced number 100. It was a tie, but she ended up dead, and legendary ghost number 100 went back to sleep."
"So… she's a ghost?"
"Yes, most likely, but I think she's an incredibly powerful ghost… I'd say she could be called legendary ghost number 101."
"I see… She gave me 2 or 3 years to think about it—that's a lot of time. She must be trapped somewhere or lack the power… Inform the ghost hunters about the situation and start searching."
"I'll need all my power, darling."
"Yeah… Don't worry, I know."
I looked in the mirror, combed my hair, and took off my contact lenses.
"Number 31…"
My eyes turned gray.
"Maximum power."
White lightning began emanating from 31's body.
"Thanks, love! I'll be back soon!"
She vanished, and my eyes returned to normal.
I put my contact lenses back on.
"I need to eat something."
I left the bathroom. Luckily, most friend groups here don't waste time going to the bathroom, so I got lucky.
I re-entered the room. Perfect, my food's here, but unfortunately, Naok's singing.
Ah, so lazy listening to him.
I sat next to Sylphie and started devouring my giant ice cream.
"It's an expensive dessert, but it's worth it. Want some, Sylphie?"
"M-Me…? Y-Yes, thanks."
She took one of the spoons that came with the dessert. It's a lovers' dessert, so they gave me an extra spoon.
She tried my ice cream.
"W-Wow, it's the first time I've had such an expensive ice cream, but I'll admit it's worth paying for."
Ah… I'll admit Sylphie's smile is cute.
"Guys, want some?"
"I do!"
"Gimme some."
"Me too."
Ah, this is what I get for being polite.
•
•
I got home at 9 p.m. Of course, I walked Sylphie home like the gentleman I am… And because the guys forced me to again.
Ah, today was a long day. I earned thousands of points, ate a giant lovers' ice cream, and now it turns out there's another legendary ghost as powerful as me. What a surprise. If she wants to be the Goddess of Ghosts, let her. I don't care. But why does she want me to join her? Can't she do it alone, or does she think I'll get in her way?
Ah, maybe she needs the power of the legendary ghosts under my control. If so, I'm not lending them. I earned them, they're mine, and I'm not planning to share.
I entered the bathroom and took off my clothes. Ah… I need a hot bath to feel better.
I turned on the bathtub faucet.
Perfect, it's hot.
For now, I'll ignore this legendary ghost number 101 thing. I'll kill myself after high school—what happens to this world shouldn't matter to me.
If that ghost wants to control the world with her ghosts, let her. I don't care. As long as she doesn't interfere with my peaceful school life, I won't do anything.
I got in the tub and sighed. This is what I mean by a peaceful life. I like this city, and the school's perfect. They let me sleep in class, and the point system is pretty interesting.
I'll really enjoy this school life.
"Saik!"
Yuki burst into the bathroom and jumped into the tub… Naked… Ah, why'd she do that?
"Let me wash your back!"
"Hey, Yuki, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a man, and you're a little girl. Plus, we're not related by blood. Bathing together is super inappropriate, both morally and legally."
"I'm not a little girl! Besides, you're not a pervert. I know you wouldn't try anything bad. Hahaha! You wouldn't even try if I looked like an older woman!"
"It's called being a gentleman… Ah, whatever."
"How'd it go?"
"I guess fine… I cringed listening to them sing, but the food was delicious. I bought you some burgers—they're in the microwave… Ah, bathing with a girl reminds me of my mom. She'd make me bathe with her and study in the bathroom. She was pretty strict."
"She made you study even in the bathroom?"
"Yeah, I know, that's super weird, even for me… Well, tomorrow's a new school day. I wonder if they'll give me a prize this time for breaking another record."
"And it's your birthday, Saik! We gotta celebrate!"
"No need, I'll just buy a cake to eat with you, and that's it."
"You're not inviting Sylphie?"
"I told her and the others I'm not celebrating my birthday because it'd be the first one without my parents."
"Oh… I see… Want me to wash your back?!"
"…Ah, fine, whatever."
This situation with Yuki is weird, but I'm used to weird stuff, so it doesn't matter.