Private Yude High School.
A very well-known institution, famous for its reputable academic track record, but also infamous for its sky-high tuition fees. Still, the quality of education and resources were undeniably top-tier. This was also the school Edward and his younger brother currently attended.
The main reason Edward came here today was simple: according to that Goddess Inari's report, an evil spirit was lurking on campus, and this was Edward's chance to "try his hand" at dealing with it.
"By the way, what's your younger brother's name?" the Goddess Inari asked curiously while glancing over.
"Ken," Edward replied. That was the background identity assigned to them. But in this world, Edward had been given another name—an even more absurd one: Edward Kawamoto.
Honestly, Edward suspected someone was deliberately messing with him. Who else would give him a name straight out of a Kayako-style horror character?
The Goddess Inari nodded thoughtfully and vanished, apparently going off to survey the surroundings.
"So why do I have to go to high school again…?" Edward grumbled with helpless exasperation. He genuinely could not understand. He was way past high-school age. But since his "background setting" said he was a high school student, he had no choice but to be one.
And hey—it's not like media didn't do worse. In movies and TV dramas, you could find forty-year-old actresses playing innocent high-school heroines. Compared to that, his situation was downright normal.
"But my little brother, huh…" Edward mused. He was enrolled in the high-school division, while Ken was in the junior-high division. Next year, Ken would be old enough to move up.
Ken had always been excellent academically, so he wasn't someone Edward needed to worry about.
"Edward! I heard there's a transfer student today!"
As soon as the boring opening ceremony ended, Edward's friend greeted him with visible excitement, practically bouncing as he shared the news.
"Well, isn't that… something to look forward to." Edward replied in monotone, clearly not invested.
He honestly didn't care about transfer students.
Still, anyone who could transfer into Yude High School halfway through the academic year must be a top student. There was no way they'd admit someone without the grades.
Edward's class was the school's elite class, filled exclusively with students who ranked within the top thirty in the year's finals.
So, if someone managed to enter their elite class, that meant their exam ranking definitely fell within the top thirty.
"…Poor Suneo," Edward sighed.
Because if a new student entered the elite class today, then the one at the bottom of the rankings, Suneo Honekawa, would lose his place.
"Forget that guy Suneo! You know what he's like. His personality is terrible."
Hearing his friend's comment, Edward found himself agreeing. Quite reasonable.
Nobody liked Suneo. Everyone in the elite class disliked that guy who constantly flaunted his family background.
"Man, I hope it's a cute girl. My youth! Can my second year of high school finally shine brightly? Today will decide everything!"
Watching Kitajima Suho's fired-up expression, Edward's mouth twitched.
This guy… absolutely hopeless.
But when they returned to the classroom, Edward froze slightly upon seeing the seating chart.
The elite class assigned seats based on ranking.
And now, the second-place seat—the one right next to Edward—had changed.
A new name.
A name he had never seen.
"…Shizuka Tamako?" Edward read aloud.
He was certain that there had never been anyone named Shizuka Tamako in the class. This had to be the transfer student.
Good news: she was indeed a girl.
Bad news: Edward immediately began doubting the sanity of this world.
Shizuka Tamako—how could he not recognize that name?
Practically everyone would recognize it.
After all, this world's pop culture was almost identical to his previous life. Doraemon existed here and was extremely popular.
"Shizuka Tamako? Where's Nobita?"
Of course it was his best friend who said what Edward had been thinking only seconds ago.
"Stop fooling around. The teacher's coming," Edward replied, not lingering at the classroom door. He returned to his seat and sat down.
Soon, other students entered as well. Everyone sat in their assigned seats, except the spot next to Edward—the transfer student's seat.
The teacher arrived shortly afterwards, but no one cared about the homeroom teacher they'd already met last year.
All eyes were on the person who had scored high enough to rank second in the entire grade the moment she transferred in.
The teacher obviously understood the class's anticipation and quickly called the transfer student inside.
Then—
A girl with long black hair walked in, a sunflower hairpin tucked neatly behind her ear.
Her hair was styled into two traditional braids that hung behind her. She wore heavy, old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses. Her face was small and delicate.
She was undeniably cute, but her fashion felt a little…
dated?
The last time Edward had seen a girl dressed like this was in old literature from ages past.
She wrote her name on the board—Shizuka Tamako.
"Hello everyone, I'm Shizuka Tamako! But—not the Shizuka from Doraemon!"
The moment she opened her mouth, the atmosphere brightened instantly.
Edward rested his chin on his hand, staring lazily.
He had expected a timid, shy girl.
But she seemed pretty normal after all.
"…And my hobbies are…"
Her introduction continued smoothly, nothing strange happening. After finishing, she carried her bag over and sat down beside Edward.
She noticed Edward looking, gave a polite smile and nod, and Edward returned the gesture before turning his attention to the teacher.
Shizuka Tamako's arrival didn't cause any dramatic waves—at least for now. The homeroom teacher simply went over the important notes for the semester, then started the first class.
Edward listened seriously. Strangely enough, the nostalgic feeling of returning to student life was… kind of nice.
Humans were funny like that—when you're studying, you want to work; when you're working, you suddenly miss school.
Once the first class ended, more and more classmates gathered around Shizuka's desk. Everyone was curious about her background.
Edward, however, wasn't interested.
He was more concerned about where the Goddess Inari had gone. Meanwhile, little Q was lying invisibly on his head, yawning lazily without a shred of energy.
Still, Edward overheard some information about the incident he was supposed to investigate—specifically, a school legend involving someone named Hanako in the bathroom.
According to rumors, Hanako had been a student here.
She was bullied and ostracized by her classmates.
Eventually, she committed suicide in the school restroom.
This version didn't quite match the Hanako story from Edward's previous life, but he didn't mind.
Small deviations were normal. Every school's ghost stories had local variations. Humans were natural storytellers.
And ever since then, late at night in the girls' bathroom, people reported eerie crying and laughter.
Some even claimed they had seen a little girl in red wandering between the stalls.
Anyone approaching the restroom felt a chilling cold crawl up their spine, along with footsteps and faint whispers—
As though Hanako herself were right behind you, watching.
Edward was fascinated.
To him, supernatural rumors were like a veil hiding secrets of the past.
He wanted to uncover the truth.
The Goddess Inari had also confirmed—this investigation was part of his trial.
So, that very night, Edward stealthily made his way into the school's girls' bathroom.
He carefully pushed open the door.
Creaaak—
The hinge's sharp cry echoed unnervingly in the quiet night.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The air was damp.
The dim yellow lights flickered, casting distorted shadows across the tiles.
His heartbeat quickened. A vague tension tightened his chest, but he forced himself forward.
He reached the innermost stall.
Hesitated.
Then slowly pushed it open.
Empty.
Just an old toilet and scattered scraps of paper.
Edward exhaled, relief washing over him.
But just as he was about to leave—
rustle… rustle…
A faint sound behind him.
He spun around.
Nothing.
Only pale, trembling light wavering against the walls.
A chill crawled up his spine.
He tightened his grip on his flashlight and moved deeper inside.
Soon, he reached another stall.
This one half-open, pitch black inside.
He hesitated again… and pushed.
His flashlight swept across the darkness—
And froze on a blurry, reddish shadow.
That shadow… moved.
Slowly sharpening, slowly shifting—
Until it became a little girl in a red outfit.
Edward's eyes widened.
A pale face.
Empty, lifeless eyes.
A thought flashed across his mind instantly—
Hanako.
"A-Are you… Hanako?" Edward stammered.
The little girl didn't respond.
She only stared with that eerie, hollow gaze.
Cold surged through Edward's whole body.
He wanted to run—
but his legs felt nailed to the floor.
Then—
The girl suddenly burst into sharp, piercing laughter.
The sound ricocheted violently in the cramped restroom.
Edward's ears rang painfully.
He clutched his head, dizzy and overwhelmed.
He saw the girl stretch out her hand.
A pale hand. Long, thin fingers.
Nails sharp and pitch-black.
Edward screamed, stumbling backward.
He slammed into the stall door and fell to the ground.
As he tried to crawl away, black shadows crept toward him, swallowing the floor.
An invisible force tugged at him, pinning him down.
At that moment—
BANG!!
The restroom door flew open.
A blinding beam of light flooded the room, scattering the darkness.
Several students stood at the doorway, horrified.
One of them was the school's Disciplinary Committee Chairman—Kitajima Suho.
Kitajima rushed over and grabbed Edward, pulling him up.
"Edward! What are you doing here!?" he demanded anxiously.
"H-Han… Hanako…" Edward stuttered, pointing toward the stall.
Kitajima followed his gaze—
And saw nothing.
He frowned and yanked Edward out of the restroom.
"Quit talking nonsense. There's nothing there. You must've imagined it," Kitajima said firmly.
Edward blinked.
He looked around.
The little girl was nowhere to be seen.
But he knew—
what he saw was real.
"Th-There's a ghost! There really is a ghost!"
Hearing familiar words from "Kitajima," Edward sighed helplessly.
This unlucky kid…
He had clearly been affected by something.
No idea how that happened.
And finally—
Edward saw the true target of this mission.
Hanako.
The girl stood nearby, trembling in fear—
her eyes fixed on Q nestled in Edward's arms.
A faint smile appeared on Edward's lips.
With Q here, there would be no misunderstandings tonight.
"Q?"
Edward patted the tiny creature.
Q lifted its head lazily, yawned, and glanced around as if checking for malicious spirits.
Apparently, none were present.
"Hanako?"
Edward asked curiously.
Q also turned its attention toward the girl.
Just when Edward was preparing to do the classic "ghost-exorcising routine"—
the Goddess Inari suddenly appeared and grabbed Hanako by the collar, tossing her aside like a sack of potatoes.
Edward was stunned speechless.
And immediately after—
A familiar face appeared.
The Grim Reaper.
"Well now, Mr. Edward, having fun so far?"
The Grim Reaper asked with a squinty, cheerful smile.
Edward was baffled.
Why was The Grim Reaper here?
That shouldn't be possible.
Later, Edward learned the answer: Void had pulled the Underworld into this world. And since the Underworld was the only organization with legitimate authority over these things, all ghost-related affairs fell under their jurisdiction.
Western hells and other supernatural organizations hadn't been pulled in—
only the Chinese Underworld.
So, in this world, there was only one functioning Netherworld, and it was theirs.
Edward could only laugh helplessly after hearing it, but didn't comment further.
Instead, with the Goddess Inari and The Grim Reaper accompanying him, he continued investigating various places, even taking notes for reference.
But the more they explored, the angrier Edward became.
The malicious spirits responsible for possessing people had gone far too overboard.
Calling them animals was an insult to animals.
"I suddenly think the eighteen layers of hell might not be enough anymore," Edward muttered dryly.
"Well then, how about… eighteen cycles?"
The Grim Reaper immediately noted down Edward's suggestion.
Edward nodded.
Yes.
That was more like it.
For such vile spirits, dying once wasn't nearly enough.
Dying eighteen times was more appropriate.
Eighteen layers of hell, eighteen trips—
completely reasonable.
Once everything was handled, Edward left in a good mood, humming to himself.
His mission was pretty much done.
Carrying Q, Edward headed back to Rustboro.
With The Grim Reaper giving him a look of "I knew you'd say that."
(End of Chapter)
TN: Man, this was so confusing I don't what I'm reading