Just then, a man with a bright red painted face popped into Sunday Serenity's mind, roaring at her, "It's already over!"
The moment she stepped through the school gate, she was caught red-handed.
Wait, no—how could that be? She was a ghost. Since when could ghosts be spotted so easily?
What would the scientists who've spent their lives trying to prove ghosts exist think? And what about those thrill-seeking teenagers dying to run into something supernatural? They'd be so disappointed.
Thinking this, Sunday Serenity tensed up and took two uncertain steps back. The woman in green followed her with her eyes, tilting her head slightly and letting out a soft, questioning sound.
"Hmm?"
"...You can see me?"
"…Cafe-chan, is this for a club activity?"
It felt like she'd asked something foolish. The woman named Hayakawa Tazuna looked puzzled, and only then did Sunday Serenity realize her odd behavior had already drawn quite a few glances. Several Uma Musume had looked at her curiously before heading through the gate to class.
So much for being invisible—apparently just about anyone could see her!
The only reason she hadn't been noticed earlier was because she'd been lost in a sea of white-collar office workers, blending in like she'd vanished.
But from start to finish, she had been there all along.
"Well now? This is getting interesting."
Sunday Silence's voice rang out, full of amusement.
Interesting? I'm completely exposed!
Sunday Serenity felt like she'd been called up on stage at graduation to give a speech she hadn't prepared at all—standing in front of thousands of students, expected to deliver something heartfelt and profound, with no idea what to say.
The pressure was overwhelming. Sunday Serenity was ready to turn and bolt.
"Tell her, 'Good morning, Miss Tazuna,'" Sunday Silence guided her, trying to salvage the situation.
"Morn… morning, Tazuna-nee." Her old habit of stumbling over words when nervous kicked in. Shortening the phrase changed the meaning more than she'd intended.
"Ara~" Tazuna covered her mouth, eyes widening briefly in surprise before softening into a warm smile.
She nodded firmly, as if she quite liked the informal address.
"Good morning. I hope you have a wonderful day, Cafe-chan."
"Mhm…"
Once she'd hurried through the gate, Sunday Serenity clutched her chest, as if pressing her heart back down from where it had nearly leaped out.
That was way too close.
"Your acting was barely passable. Keep it up," Sunday Silence said, patting her shoulder.
"Barely? That's not the point! What happened to being a ghost? What happened to freedom? I'm just like any ordinary person now."
"I'm surprised too. Usually, I'm only spotted by a handful of people, and even then, only for a few minutes before I fade."
That sounded more like how a ghost should be.
"Then why am I dropping the ball so hard?"
"Maybe our souls merging caused some changes. Made you visible even to people with no spiritual sensitivity."
"Are you kidding me…"
"Isn't it great, my other half? The more people notice you, the more interesting things will become."
"I feel like I'm just becoming more and more ordinary—mmph!"
While talking with Sunday Silence, Sunday Serenity hadn't been watching where she was going and bumped straight into an Uma Musume rushing past. The girl stumbled back several steps and landed on her rear with a thud.
"Oww, that hurts—"
"Ah, sorry! I wasn't paying attention."
Seeing she'd knocked someone over, Sunday Serenity quickly apologized, reaching out to help the girl up by the shoulders.
"It's fine, I was in a hurry too, ehehe…"
She let out an airy, good-natured laugh.
The Uma Musume had chestnut-brown hair cut in a bob, with white streaks at the front. After brushing the dust off her skirt, she got a clear look at the person who'd helped her up.
"It's Cafe-senpai! I thought you were one of the teachers. Why are you wearing your racing uniform to class?"
"Racing uniform… You mean this outfit? I just thought it looked cool, so I wore it…"
Sunday Serenity made up an excuse on the spot.
"I see." The girl clapped her hands together, buying it completely. "It really does look super cool."
"You think so too? I really like black—it gives off a mature vibe…"
"Makes sense." The girl nodded. "I wonder when I'll get my own racing uniform. I'd love to know what it'll look like."
Just as the girl was chattering excitedly, the school bell rang from the building. She suddenly remembered why she'd been in such a rush.
She was going to be late!
"Sorry, Cafe-senpai, I've gotta run to class!"
With a wave, the girl dashed off. By the time Sunday Serenity turned around, all she saw was a brown ponytail disappearing around the stairwell corner.
So fast!
And wait—I got hit by someone that speedy?
"Don't go touching people so casually."
A cool voice cut through Sunday Serenity's thoughts.
"Look at your hand," Sunday Silence reminded her.
Raising her palm, Sunday Serenity noticed that from her fingers to her wrist—where she'd touched the girl—her skin had turned nearly transparent. Not just that, the area where she'd been bumped was also fading like diluted ink, growing faint.
Sunlight passed straight through her body and hit the ground, leaving no shadow behind.
"Even with these quirks, you're still a ghost at your core. If you carelessly touch the living, the fire of their life force will scorch your soul."
She repeatedly clenched her hand, now just an outline, confirming she could still move and feel. Only when her senses remained did her panicked breathing begin to calm.
But this state was awful.
"Don't panic. When the stars shine tonight, they'll heal your wounded spirit. For now, stay in the shadows as much as possible. Don't let anyone notice anything unusual."
"Understood…"
With half her body translucent, if anyone spotted her now, they'd probably faint on the spot.
"Lucky I wasn't pressed up against anyone on the way here, or I'd be completely see-through by now. But then again, if I'm a ghost, being transparent is normal, right?"
"Not necessarily. I've never collided with anyone before."
Sunday Silence led her to a window, tapped the glass, and demonstrated.
In the reflection, her 'other self' bent down, picked up a pebble from the ground. In reality, the pebble rose as if lifted by the wind, hovering in midair. Before Sunday Serenity could be surprised, it fell back to the ground, while Sunday Silence still held a grasping pose.
"You try it," she said.
Following instructions, Sunday Serenity used her normal hand to pick up the pebble, holding it steadily. Nothing unusual happened—it stayed pinched between her fingers.
"Now switch hands."
Switching to her transparent hand, Sunday Serenity grabbed the stone again. This time, after just a few seconds, the pebble passed straight through her palm and dropped.
"What's…?" Sunday Serenity stared in shock.
"Not only can you be seen—you can interact with the physical world in ways ordinary ghosts can't sustain."
Sunday Silence stroked her chin, letting out a delighted laugh. "How utterly thrilling."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.