CHAPTER 32 - Enemy Number 1. Part 3.
(Pov - Saik.)
I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. Good… Bad… I don't know how to describe my current situation. I drew too much attention again. My peaceful life is in danger. The first threat, which I consider the most dangerous, is the student council. Why do I think the student council is more dangerous than a legendary ghost who calls herself the "Goddess of Ghosts"? The student council is just a group of students, ordinary humans with no magical or weird powers, I know. They're not a threat to my life, but they're a threat to my peaceful school life. They'll get in my way and won't let me enjoy my school life.
On the other hand, we have a legendary ghost who can control ghosts as powerfully as I can. But unlike the student council, I don't have to worry about her as much because her ghosts are incompetent.
Yeah, I know, it's weird that someone considers a group of teenagers more dangerous than a legendary ghost who controls powerful ghosts.
The only thing that matters to me is keeping my school life peaceful. I don't care what happens to this world in the future. When I graduate, I'm going to kill myself—I don't care what happens to the world after that.
It's likely that the Goddess of Ghosts will turn everyone into zombies, and Sylphie, Iris, Naok, Bell, and the others will die, condemned to obey her forever, never reaching paradise or hell. An eternity of suffering. But, as I said, I don't care.
"Why should I care about what happens to others? I only need to worry about myself."
"Fufu. I admire you more every day, Saik!"
Legendary ghost number 4, the ghost of bad luck, appeared on my bed and hugged me. Why is she lying on top of me? It's awkward having a little girl on me. Ah, well, she's adorable, so I'll forgive her.
I'm not interested in women, much less little girls, so she's safe with me.
"What are you doing here? Enjoy your days off, like I promised."
"Fufu. I enjoy being with you more. Let's go kill more people! Get up!"
"Quiet."
"Ah… Y-Yes, s-sorry, I forgot you're peaceful now."
"Well… Thanks for helping me today."
Thanks to her, I found out what that guy did to that little girl. I planned to kill him, but she told me he only beat her, didn't rape her. He hasn't raped anyone, so I'll let the law handle it. If they let him go, I'll take matters into my own hands, but he's over 18, so they'll treat him as an adult.
"You're welcome! Reading his memories was disgusting—that guy enjoyed beating the weak."
"Someone who enjoys beating people. Why does that remind me of someone?"
"D-Don't look at me like that! It's not my fault I'm the legendary ghost of bad luck! Enjoying others' suffering is part of me—I can't help it."
"Whatever, I don't care. As long as they're bad people, you can do what you want."
"That's why I love you, Saik! As friends, obviously. My heart belongs to food and candy! Speaking of which, can you give me some?"
"There's a bag of chocolates in my closet. It's yours."
"Thanks!"
She kissed my forehead. Gross.
"You're not as bad as I thought!"
"Whatever. Enjoy your vacation."
She grabbed the chocolates and vanished.
I'm nice to her because she did an excellent job today. Thanks to her power to give people bad luck, no one noticed Sylphie recording with her phone, and it let me win at cards quickly.
"Though it gave me a fever."
My head's hot, but no one noticed because it doesn't affect me. It hurts, but I can handle it.
Ah… Well… I guess now I can… Huh? My phone's buzzing.
I pulled out my phone. Wow, two messages from two different women. Am I getting popular? This is new for me, though I don't really care.
[Let's play?! 🥳😗 Please! 🥺😊😁]
[Hi, Saik. Good evening. How are you?]
A message from Cristal and one from Iris. Hmm… Well, I was planning to exercise and then study, but I haven't played all day—I need to do the daily missions.
And I can talk to Iris while I play. There's a PC version of the game. I prefer playing on my phone, but today I'll play on the computer.
[Sure, I'm logging into the game. Send me a request.]
[Hi, Iris. Good evening. I guess I'm okay, just a bit bored. I got so used to sleeping in class that it's hard for me to sleep at night. How's work been? I hope it's going well. By the way, Sylphie's shown great progress in her studies. She was really worried about you, and that's why she couldn't focus on her studies. Thanks for taking my advice and not killing yourself, Iris. Sylphie loves you, and I'm sure you love her even more.]
I sent those messages.
Iris needs advice to improve as a mother. I'm not an expert, so I researched the topic online.
I turned on my computer, and while I wait for it to boot up, I check the messages that came in.
[Yay! Let's defeat the water monsters!]
Well, they're called water spirits, but it's almost the same.
No need to reply to that one.
[Yes, thank you so much, Saik. My relationship with my daughter has improved a lot lately. I'd like to thank you for what you've done for me. Can I come to your house? I want to give you something. It's not anything inappropriate, don't worry.]
Knowing Iris, she got nervous about that message, which is why she clarified that last part.
I don't think she's the type to sleep with a guy she barely knows. She definitely just wants to give me a gift.
[Iris, you don't have a car, and it's nighttime. It's dangerous for a woman to walk alone. I think it's better if we meet tomorrow. I'm out of candy, so I'll stop by the store to buy more. I'll come early to talk with you. There are hardly any customers at that hour, so I don't think it'll cause you any trouble.]
I logged into the game, and another message came in.
[Yes, you're right. Thanks for worrying about me. Don't worry, I'll set aside your candy tomorrow so you don't have to look for it! The usual?]
[Yes, please. Thanks. And has everything been okay at work? Working at a store must be a headache. You know, dealing with customers, putting up with complainers, blah, blah, blah.]
I can't let the conversation die. In-person talks with Iris often reach a point where she doesn't know what to say, but she really wants to keep talking, so I have to be the one to bring up new topics and keep the conversation going.
Wow… I talk more with Iris than with Sylphie. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Well, doesn't matter, I'm just helping them. I made it clear to both that I've never been attracted to any woman and that romance never mattered to me. I made my intentions clear that I only want them to see me as a friend. I really hope they don't fall for me. For one, Iris is much older than me—she's 37, 20 years older than me. It'd be a big problem if she felt attracted to me; she'd try to forget those feelings, so I shouldn't worry too much. Sylphie's the main issue, but I'll deal with that later.
And so, without realizing, I spent the whole night gaming and messaging Iris.
"Saik, you played all night?!"
Neither Iris, Cristal, nor I noticed—or we did but didn't care. The whole night… Wow. That's bad for Iris and Cristal. Hmm… I'll send legendary ghost number 67, the ghost of health, to make their fatigue disappear when they drink coffee or eat something, like an apple. I feel a bit guilty. Well, they chose to keep going. Cristal kept asking to do more missions together, and Iris didn't stop messaging me.
We're all to blame, but I'll help them just because I admit it was fun playing with Cristal and talking with Iris was entertaining—not boring at all. Well, we didn't talk, just messaged… Ah, same thing.
Yuki started shaking my head.
"You need to shower!"
"Ah, so lazy, Mom. I'll shower tomorrow."
"I'm not your mom! I don't want you going to school stinky!"
"Yeah, yeah. Ah, so lazy."
•
•
I showered, put on my school uniform, and ate breakfast with Yuki. I'm ready for another day of classes.
Yesterday was my birthday. I'm legally 17 now. At my young age, I defeated 100 legendary ghosts, saved the world, and a secret organization fears me. Despite being young, I've accomplished more than most people would in a lifetime.
Am I proud of that? Honestly, I don't care. I saved the world, but it didn't matter to me. I captured the legendary ghosts just so a God would grant my wish, but I didn't get it. Honestly, I'm not proud, but I'll admit it was fun capturing and fighting them. 100 different ghosts. A wide variety at my disposal.
This world is lucky those ghosts are in my hands, the hands of a lazy guy. Anyone else would use them for evil, or if they're an idiot, for good and to be a superhero.
But I'm not like others… Wow, that sounded pretty dumb. I mean, I don't care about anything or anyone. I just want my peaceful school life and to die. I don't want to conquer the world or be a hero. I just want to enjoy the time I have left.
"Ah… I'm sleepy."
I left the house with Yuki. This time, she's floating beside me since she knows I'm too tired to carry her.
"That's what you get for staying up gaming."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry, Mom."
"I'm not your mom!"
Seeing her mad is adorable.
After walking a few minutes, I reached the store where Iris works. I hope she's okay.
I entered the store and saw Iris. She looks fine. The ghost did a good job. I'll give it a day off.
"Good morning, Iris."
"G-Good morning, Saik!"
It's early, an hour before classes start, so I can stay and talk with Iris. I don't think she'll get in trouble—after all, I'll only talk when she's not busy.
"Here, your candy."
"And here's the money."
I paid for my delicious candy and put it in my backpack.
"Sorry for bothering you with my messages, Iris. I didn't realize it was so late."
"N-No worries, it didn't bother me! It was really fun… Y-You know… Talking with someone for so long…"
From her face, I could tell she was embarrassed by her words.
"T-Take this!"
She quickly changed the subject.
She pulled a bracelet from her pocket. A black bracelet with a small crescent moon charm… What's the name for a moon smaller than a half-moon? It had a name… Hmm… Ah, I don't remember. But it's a nice bracelet.
"My birthday was yesterday, but thanks. It's really nice."
"You're welcome… Huh?! Yesterday was your birthday?!"
"Yeah."
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"I didn't tell anyone… Well, just a few classmates because it slipped out, but I didn't celebrate. I turned 17. Getting old, huh?"
"H-Happy belated birthday."
"Thanks a lot, Iris."
I put on the bracelet. A black bracelet will match my clothes well.
"I think it looks good on me. Thanks, Iris. When's your birthday? I'd like to get you something too."
"I-It's January 28."
"I'll have a gift ready for you… Well, I've got an hour to kill. You don't feel tired, Iris? I'm sleepy."
"N-Now that you mention it, no… I'm not tired. I drank a coffee, and it went away. That was weird."
"Ah, lucky you. I drank a cup too, but I'm still sleepy. Do you sell coffee?"
"Yes."
"I'll buy a coffee, please."
"I-I'll make it for you!"
"No worries, I'll do it."
I don't want her getting used to doing that. I mean serving someone. I don't know if she was overly helpful with Noel, but she needs to learn she's free, not dependent on others. She wants to be useful so people don't see her as a burden—I'm sure of that.
I paid for my coffee and started drinking.
"You know, Iris, you're a lot like your daughter. You both always want to help, and that's bad."
"Bad?"
"For example, Sylphie always wants to help me because thanks to me, she and the rest of our team will take first place. She felt like a burden and told me she wanted to help. That was sweet of her, but I sensed something else in those words."
"What?"
"Fear. Fear of being seen as useless or a burden… You, for example."
"M-Me? W-What's wrong?"
"You got nervous when I refused your offer to get my coffee. Customers are supposed to serve their own coffee and pay—employees just ring it up. But you offered to get it for me personally, and that's wrong. Iris, I'm your friend—you don't need to help me all the time or anything like that. No one's going to drift away from you—you don't have to do what you do to keep them close… Well, I guess I didn't explain it well, sorry."
"No… I understand… Sorry, it's just… You're so kind to me, and…"
"You wanted to return that kindness, right? It's a sweet gesture, but it's not necessary. I won't stop being kind to you just because you don't offer the same kindness… By the way, did you finish that puzzle you were working on?"
"Y-Yes! I-I finished it yesterday."
After that, we talked about different topics for 40 minutes. I need to make it clear she shouldn't lower herself to keep others from drifting away. That's really important.
Ah, and by the way, to keep her boss from scolding her for talking to me, I used a legendary ghost to give him diarrhea so he wouldn't leave the bathroom. Thanks again, legendary ghost of health.
After saying goodbye to Iris, I headed to school.
I entered the school. From the moment I arrived, I felt lots of eyes on me, specifically from second- and third-year students. After all, being an enemy of the student council also means being an enemy of the second- and third-year groups.
Well, there's nothing they can do for now. The only way to expel me would be by betting with me, and I doubt they'd dare. They can't cheat with me—I'd know instantly. They can't use force either… I mean, I saved the world by defeating a legendary ghost. A few teenagers can't hurt me.
I entered my classroom. Everything seems calm. Well, almost calm. The looks Ram and Saoto are giving me are uncomfortable.
"Good morning, Sylphie."
"Good morning, Saik!"
After greeting Sylphie, I sat at my desk and took out my materials. A notebook and a pencil. I'm ready to learn something I won't need in the future.
"Hey."
Ah, this is rare. The first to talk to me was Naima, the girl who sits in front of me. It's unusual for her to talk to me. Yuki told me she hates me.
How can you hate someone who doesn't talk to anyone? I don't know.
"Ah. Good morning, Naima."
"Yeah… Good morning… Is it true what I heard? You expelled another third-year?"
"Yeah, from Class 3-A."
"From Class 3-A?"
"I had an advantage over him and used it. Ah, yeah, by the way, I chose another protection point, so you can start insulting me if you want."
"Tch. I don't have time for that nonsense."
She looked away and kept scrolling on her phone. That was rude of her. I like that.
"And how many points do you have, Saik?" Ram asked, sitting next to me.
"Hmm… I think… 63,622 points."
"I see… Ah, I'd complain, but you did something good yesterday. Thanks to you, they arrested that sicko."
"Yeah… I don't care, but thanks."
I started doodling in my notebook while waiting for class to start.
•
•
(Pov - ?)
I saw him again today. I definitely didn't imagine it. He's like me. He is.
He was talking to her. It was barely noticeable, but they were talking. That guy can see ghosts like I can. I don't know his name or anything about him, but he's the only one who can help me.
"Mom, buy me a popsicle!"
"Yes, yes, sweetie. But you eat it fast."
That guy… I need to talk to him without seeming suspicious. He acts so naturally with that ghost girl. I have to ask him to teach me how to control my power. I don't want people to keep thinking I'm crazy.
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
The teacher entered the classroom, and she looks… down… No, she looks worried. What happened?
"As you all know, at the start of each month, the group with the most points moves up to Class A, the second to Class B, and so on. This year is no exception. But two groups have unexpectedly gathered an insane amount of points. Groups B and D. More specifically, students Saik and Sylphie from this group, and Tanya from Group D."
Everyone's eyes didn't land on me but on Sylphie, since she was the worst in our group. "Why did they mention her?" They're probably wondering that.
"Professor, did I hear that right? You mentioned Sylphie?" said a girl whose name I don't know.
"Yes. Sylphie earned 10,000 points and a protection point yesterday. I don't know how, but that's not important now…"
"I gave them to her as payment. She helped me expel a third-year."
Everyone turned to me. I need to keep Sylphie from getting awkward questions. I don't want people approaching her just to ask how she got those points.
"She didn't need the protection point since she already had one, so I gave it to her as payment. That's not against the rules, professor."
"Yes, I know. As I was saying, in previous years, there have been students like Tanya, but never one like Saik. Some took risks, but they always ended up losing. Saik's the only one who's won and survived. But because of Saik, many students have started copying his way of earning points. To prevent more unnecessary expulsions, betting has been banned. In the past, it wasn't an issue because no one dared to bet all their points, but Saik made it a trend, and it was decided to ban it. There are still ways to expel a student from another group, but only through special exams. Any questions?"
This is nonsense. No one's copying me, and it's not even a trend. Yuki's a busybody and tells me everything important happening at school.
"Hey, why do I feel like you're insulting me, Saik?!"
Yuki hasn't told me anything about students betting all their points. This is too weird.
"Professor, who complained about this? I'm sure they didn't ban it so quickly just because lots of students are betting. They must've gotten a complaint."
"Yes, Saik, we received many complaints from second- and third-year students. They're being harassed to accept bets. To protect them, the principal decided to ban betting."
Ah. I sighed and closed my eyes. The student council made their move to stop me from expelling the vice president. But that won't stop me. I promised I'd expel him, and I will.
"The vice president bought himself a few more weeks, huh?"
I pulled a chocolate from my pocket.
"He's just delaying the inevitable."
•
•
P.E. class. I'd skip it, but I can't miss too many classes—it'd hurt my points.
We're swimming. It's a rich kids' school, after all. Swimming's a popular sport here. Rich kid schools are interesting.
The men's locker room. We're all changing to go in. I forbade Yuki from being here. Where is she? I don't know.
"Wow… Saik, looking at you closely, you've got a good build. You're on par with me."
"Come on, Naok, you gotta admit Saik looks better than you."
I turned to them.
"What sport do you play? Or do you just work out for health?"
I worked out to avoid being defeated by legendary ghosts, but I can't say that.
"Mostly for health. I don't do any specific sport."
I took off my contact lenses.
"I'd wear glasses, but I'm swimming. I see blurry, but I'll be fine."
Wearing glasses in the water would be annoying. I'd rather swim seeing blurry. That's why I have Yuki—she'll be my eyes.
•
•
(Pov - Yuki.)
My mom had huge breasts. Women looked at her with envy. I wasn't jealous since I looked a lot like her, meaning I'd inherit those huge breasts. But, sadly, I died at 10!
"Ahhhh! It's not fair, it's not fair!"
Sylphie, you're lucky I like you!
I'm pretending to touch Sylphie's breasts. I'd have bigger breasts than yours, it's not fair!
"Hey, Sylphie."
"Huh? Y-Yes?"
Oh, Ram approached her. I hope she doesn't bother her.
"Are you dating Saik?"
Fufu. That question turned Sylphie as red as a tomato, and she got super nervous.
"N-No! W-We're just friends!"
"I see. It's weird to me that he gave you so many points for simple help. And a protection point too. I wonder if Saik's in love with you… No, he's not that kind of guy. I think it's something else… Well, whatever."
She walked away from Sylphie. Wow. Does that girl really know Saik's intentions? She knows Saik wouldn't do that to win a girl over. Ram's dangerous—she's smarter than I thought.
"He gave you candy again?"
"I don't know why you accept candy from a guy as weird as him."
Naima and her bitchy friends. Ugh. I hate them.
"I was hungry, that's all."
Yeah, go on, enjoy the chocolate Saik gave you. Saik probably put something weird in it! Muahaha… Well, he didn't, but dreaming's free.
That girl hates Saik. Why's he so nice to her? I don't get it.
Well, I'll keep massaging Sylphie's breasts.
•
•
The girls left the locker room. Wow, the pool's huge! As expected from a rich kids' school! So jealous, I wanna swim too! But Saik won't let me. After all, it's dangerous.
The guys are swimming, except two. Saik and another student. The guy who tried flirting with Sylphie the first days of school is challenging Saik or something.
Fufu. This looks interesting.
"You've gotten pretty popular, Saik. Enjoying it?"
"Considering that 'popularity' just wastes my time and keeps me from enjoying my solitude, I'd say no, I don't enjoy it."
"I see, I see. You're a weird guy, Saik. I noticed that from day one."
"Everyone knows I'm weird. If you feel special for being the first to figure it out, congrats."
"Fufu. Alright, alright. You know, I hate guys like you."
"You mean guys smarter than you? Or ones who stand out more?"
"A bit of that, but I hate that smug side of you."
"Wow. Smug? Hmm… Why? Well, I don't care. Who are you? I'm not wearing my contacts, so I can't see you well."
"And you don't even bother learning your classmates' names, huh?"
"Is it mandatory? I don't think so."
Oh, this got intense.
"Wanna bet? A simple swimming race."
"I hear it's banned, so no."
"No? I thought you were the type who loves betting and ruining people's lives."
"Loves? I wouldn't use that word. Hmm… I think 'satisfaction' is what I feel when I beat someone. Alright, I'll accept, but we won't bet points. If I win, you'll buy me a huge cake, nothing weird in it, please."
"And if I win…"
He leaned close to Saik's ear, and I floated over to listen.
"You'll help me win Sylphie over, and you'll stay away from her. I saw her first."
He whispered so no one would hear… Wow… This guy's disgusting. Enemy of women! Hope you die alone!
"Ah, sure."
"You accepted, Saik?!"
N-No, I need to trust him. Saik's probably a great swimmer.
"Give me two minutes."
"Sure."
Saik walked away, and I floated beside him.
"Can you swim, Saik?"
"The basics."
"Just the basics?!"
"Yuki, I want you to do the following."
Fufu. I knew Saik would cheat. I love that side of him!
•
•
Saik's stretching, warming up to swim, and the girls can't take their eyes off him.
Most of the guys aren't in shape—just Naok and the creepy guy challenging Saik have trained bodies. Naok's a basketball player, so he has to stay fit for games. Oh, and Ludius, though he's slimmer.
"S-Saik, what did you bet with him?"
"That guy wants me to stop talking to you and help him win your heart."
"Huh?"
Fufu. Even Sylphie knows that's gross. She didn't get nervous—she felt disgust. Her face says it all.
"But the good thing is, if I beat him, I'll get a delicious cake. Don't worry, Sylphie, I'll win. Just trust me."
"Y-Yes."
Naok, Bell, and Ludius approached Saik. The whole team, huh?
"Good luck, Saik."
"We're rooting for you."
"But I heard he's in the swim club. Be careful."
"Yeah, thanks."
Saik lifted the hair covering his eyes. Fufu. Sylphie turned completely red, and so did I! So cute!
"Just trust me."
He covered his eyes again. That habit of his, showing his eyes so others can see how he feels. Since he's expressionless, he uses his cold eyes to let others know his emotions. Looking at Saik's face, I could tell how confident he is. How sure he is of winning. Hahaha! After all, he's got me.
•
•
The two guys were in position, ready to start.
"I still don't get how a lazy guy like Saik has that body," Ram said.
Fufu. Saik's far from lazy. He spends every day studying and working out. He's the opposite of lazy. I'm proud of him. Come on, Saik, win!
"Wow… Who do you think will win?" Danna said.
Saik will win!
"Rangel will win," said Reiko, one of Naima's friends.
"Yeah, I think so too," said Yesei, another of Naima's friends.
You guys have terrible taste! You don't know what you're talking about!
"I don't know… I think Saik will win."
Huh? Naima's rooting for him?
"He's a weird guy, but his results have been incredible. I hate to admit it, but I can't imagine him losing."
Kya! I misjudged you, Naima! You've got great taste!
"I think so too. I thought Saik was lazy, but look at that body—he's definitely not lazy," said Mark. I think he and Reiko are dating—I haven't investigated that yet.
It's just research, I'm not a gossip, okay?!
Fufu. And the girls are definitely checking out Saik's body. You can look, but don't touch! Only I can touch him!
"You ready?"
"Sure."
"On three, two, one!"
They both dove into the water at the same time. My turn!
I'm floating above this guy. He's got a slight lead over Saik—a lead that's about to vanish!
I went into the water.
"Now!"
Saik activated my physical body, and I pulled down this guy's swim trunks, underwear and all.
I didn't see anything because I closed my eyes. I'm a lady, not a pervert!
Saik deactivated my body, and I moved away from the water.
"Hahahahaha! He got nervous and stopped swimming!"
And he can't blame Saik—Saik was far from him.
He won! Yupi! We cheated, but results matter more.
Saik got out of the water and looked around.
"Did I win? Sorry, I'm not wearing my contacts."
Naok hugged Saik tightly and lifted him.
"That speed was incredible! We have a clear winner!"
"Ah, I won. Lucky me."
Yeah, sure, luck. Half that cake's mine!
Sylphie approached Saik. Come on, a kiss, it's the perfect moment!
"C-Congrats, Saik, I knew you'd win!"
"Thanks, Sylphie."
"Ahhhh!"
The guy punched the water and got out. You mad? Oh, poor thing, the enemy of women is angry.
Hahahahaha! So satisfying!
"You owe me a cake. Strawberry, please."
"Tch."
He walked away, clearly furious.
"Bye, loser!"
Oh, this day started off rough, but at least something good happened. Saik humiliated that idiot!
And though I didn't see a kiss between Sylphie and Saik, at least they're getting… closer… Huh?
This pain in my heart… So weird… Well, doesn't matter…! I think… What's wrong with me?