My mind went blank...
Hiyori rubbed her forehead. "Mr. Ghost... it hurts..."
In the hallway, the girl's voice was soft.
"Mm..." Symon responded softly, taking control of the body and letting the girl's consciousness curl up inside.
Unable to even offer a hug, this was the only way he could respond to the girl's almost instinctual reliance on him—even though it would actually hurt her more while she was inside the body.
Kei Karuizawa spoke with a hint of impatience. "What the hell is this 'ghost' nonsense? Are you even listening to me?"
"Hiyori Shiina" glanced up at her, her tone cold. "Were you the one who got hit? Why are you so worked up?"
Kei Karuizawa flinched, startled by her gaze and tone. She couldn't understand how the girl who had been so soft and seemingly easy to push around just a moment ago, had suddenly changed like this.
Symon didn't bother with her, instead looking at Chiaki Matsushita, who had been knocked down by "herself." She had delicate features and a well-proportioned figure. Her long brown hair, curled at the ends, cascaded over her shoulders. She was wearing a white blouse and a pencil skirt, her hands covering her mouth and nose. Her gray-blue eyes were welling with tears, making her look like a wronged young bride.
Symon rubbed "his" forehead. "Sorry, are you okay?"
Compared to that hissing pufferfish, this girl who had suffered an undeserved misfortune deserved more attention. After all, "he" had been the one to initiate the collision this time.
"Ugh... I-I'm fine..." Chiaki Matsushita's voice was faint and weak, tears rolling in her eyes. It looked like it hurt more than just a little.
"You don't look fine at all."
As he said this, Symon moved her hands to take a look. The tip of her nose was a little red, but there was no sign of bleeding. The tears were likely just from the impact activating her tear ducts; it wasn't serious.
After confirming there was no real issue, Symon took out the yellow handkerchief Hiyori always kept with her. He hesitated for a moment, then, unwilling to part with it, reached out and wiped the corners of her eyes for her.
Meanwhile, Kei Karuizawa gave "her" a strange look. Arms crossed, she averted her gaze somewhat unnaturally.
"Who are you trying to impress, acting all gentle now? What we saw before was your true self."
Her eyes were sending frantic signals!!!
— With the precedent set by Horikita, she really didn't want to get into a conflict with Hiyori Shiina. Who would actually want Class C showing up at their door to beat them up one day?
At that moment, Hiyori Shiina finally recovered from the pain. Following her body's senses, she looked at Karuizawa and said mentally, Mmm... I think we've seen this golden-haired girl before.
Yeah, I remember her vaguely. Symon glanced at Karuizawa and replied casually in his mind, Lives next door to Ibuki, talks like she's deliberately trying to pick a fight, is a total coward but still dares to trade insults with Ibuki. Seems like the type who'd cry for a long time if you hit her. Not a bad figure, though...
That last part was unnecessary, Mr. Ghost. Please forget it quickly. The girl's voice was soft and sweet, as if she were pouting.
Oh. I don't have much confidence in my memory, but it's not so bad that I'd forget it instantly. I can only do my best on that one.
I see. Hiyori Shiina thought for a moment before saying gently, ...Then it's probably better not to forget.
This was the first time this ghost had so directly expressed a preference, but she didn't need that, nor did she want to change him in this way. It was better for things to stay as they always were.
Symon didn't dwell on it. Retracting his gaze, he helped the red-eyed Chiaki Matsushita to her feet. Seeing the girl still covering her mouth and nose, he asked tentatively, "Should I take you to the infirmary?"
"No... I'll be fine if I just go back and rest on my own." Chiaki Matsushita rejected the offer, likely not wanting to be seen in her current disheveled state.
Seeing this, Symon nodded and said no more. He exchanged email addresses with the girl, told her to contact him if she needed anything, and after one last glance at Kei Karuizawa, who was forcing herself to meet his gaze calmly, he quickly left.
After watching the "girl" leave, Kei Karuizawa finally averted her gaze a moment later. Crossing her arms, she spoke somewhat unnaturally to her two friends, "Speaking of which, don't you guys think she's weird?"
"Shiina-san has always been a loner, hasn't she?" Nene Mori said, looking worriedly at her friend. "Let's get Chiaki back to the dorm to rest first."
"No, no, that's not what I mean."
Kei Karuizawa shook her head repeatedly, tapping her lower lip with her finger as she walked toward the dorms with the other two, recalling the scene from before: "Think about it—at first, she was talking all soft and fluffy, yelling about some ghost; then she suddenly became like a completely different person. Her attitude was terrible, and she was so blunt. It was like she was possessed by an evil spirit. It was so scary..."
As a self-proclaimed "parasite," the girl had a very keen intuition for distinguishing the strong from the weak. If the initial Hiyori was a weak, easily bullied lamb, then the latter was more like a demon trying to disguise itself as one. Even if "she" disguised herself well, that sense of being out of place, of always being in control, was exceptionally jarring to her senses—it was something she could never learn to replicate no matter how hard she tried to act, something called "effortless confidence."
Nene Mori couldn't help but hug her shoulders. "Hiss~ Kei, stop talking. It's creeping me out."
Kei Karuizawa pouted. "Isn't it a little late to be scared now? Anyway, after I noticed, I was too scared to say much."
Chiaki Matsushita covered her forehead and couldn't help but interject, "Kei, don't you think you're a bit prejudiced against Shiina-san?"
Kei Karuizawa took a step back, her pupils trembling. "Chiaki, you haven't defected, have you? You have to trust my intuition. That person is definitely not normal!"
Chiaki Matsushita tried to defend Hiyori's reputation. "No, what I mean is—could it be something like multiple personality disorder? 'Evil spirits' is a bit too fantastical."
Kei Karuizawa shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, I don't think multiple personalities are any better!"
Nene Mori nodded in agreement, chiming in, "Don't horror movies have plots like that all the time? By the end, the protagonist discovers they were the killer all along."
Chiaki Matsushita couldn't help but cover her face. "Is there any chance that's just... artistic license?"
As a top student hiding her abilities to blend in with the gyaru group, she often felt like she was the underachiever, since she could never keep up with their wild imaginations.
Kei Karuizawa: "No, no, no! Anyway, I'm definitely staying far away from that person from now on!"
As the three chatted idly, the girls didn't notice: in a room behind them, a door slowly opened, and four girls peeked their heads out one by one. Their gazes drifted over the trio for a moment before locking onto Kei Karuizawa.
Manabe Shiho: "Morofuji, is it that girl with the blonde high ponytail?"
Morofuji Rika nodded. "Mhm..."
Yamashita Saki patted the girl's shoulder. "You go do your task. Leave that woman to us. Besides, I think I just heard them badmouthing Hiyori-chan."
Nanami Yabu puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Damn it, I want to follow Hiyori around every day, too."
Manabe Shiho and Yamashita Saki glanced sideways at the same time. "Hentai..."
_____
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