Chapter 8: The True Face of the "Door"
Hearing Yoru's words, Yotsuya Miko's heart sank, and she murmured to herself.
"If that's really the case, then this so-called 'Door' is indeed very dangerous."
Miko possessed a mental fortitude far beyond the ordinary person, and she was quite intelligent.
She immediately realized that if the ability of evil spirits to disguise themselves as humans was truly caused by the "Door," then for a spirit medium like her, this was nothing short of a catastrophe.
The evil spirit that had just disguised itself as Hiratsuka Shizuka showed absolutely no flaws in its appearance. Or if there were any, Miko certainly couldn't distinguish them.
The most troublesome part was that if she couldn't tell the difference, then no matter how cautious she was, there would inevitably come a time when she mistook an evil spirit for a human.
If that happened, the consequences went without saying.
She couldn't possibly count on Yoru to arrive in the nick of time to save her every single time.
Thinking of this, Miko finally made up her mind. Her eyes revealed a solemn determination as she spoke slowly.
"I want to see it. Is the Door you mentioned nearby?"
"Yes."
After receiving Yoru's affirmative answer, Miko nodded slightly.
"Okay. Then after the last period, once school is over, I'll be counting on you to take me there."
"No problem."
When the two returned to the classroom together, Miko noticed that the surrounding classmates were looking at her and Yoru with extremely gossipy expressions.
She knew everyone must have misunderstood the relationship between them.
However, Miko really wasn't in the mood to worry about such trivial things right now.
Her biggest worry was how she would survive in the future if evil spirits possessed the ability to disguise themselves as humans.
Everything else had to take a back seat.
When the bell rang for class, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked in, yawning and wearing her white lab coat right on the dot.
She stretched her body in a long, lazy arc, looking completely bored.
"Alright, as is custom, before this class ends and school lets out, we need to elect class representatives. Any volunteers?"
Hearing Shizuka's question, the students were very enthusiastic.
"I, [Student A], nominate [Student B] for Class Rep!"
"I choose [Student C], he's the people's choice!"
"If you ask me, it has to be..."
...
Many students raised their hands to offer opinions.
But without exception, the names that came out of their mouths were never their own.
From this attitude of "better you than me," it was clear that in everyone's mind, being a class representative wasn't a good gig—it was a troublesome chore to be avoided at all costs.
Sitting in the corner of the classroom, Yoru didn't say a word. He just stared blankly at the scenery outside the window, acting as if none of this concerned him.
He didn't believe that any student, or even Shizuka as the teacher, would choose him as a class representative.
Given how outrageous the rumors about him were in school, how could he possibly be a class rep?
Responsible for what? Firearms Management? How to Become a Celebrity on the First Day of School? 100 Rules for Destroying Supernatural Anomalies?
Actually, come to think of it...
That last one might work.
But if you used your brain just a little, there wouldn't be a committee member responsible for that.
Shizuka clearly saw that the students were just trolling and not taking the selection seriously. She shook her head helplessly and sighed.
"I know it's only the first day and you're not familiar with each other yet. Asking you to vote right now is indeed asking too much."
At this point, Shizuka paused, then changed the subject.
"How about this. Today is Monday. We'll hold the election before school lets out this Friday."
"But let's be clear: when that time comes, everyone must vote, and you must give a reason for your choice."
Shizuka scanned the students in the classroom, clenching her slender, fair hand into a fist and shaking it in front of everyone.
"If anyone dares to mess around, prepare to taste my Iron Fist of Justice."
As soon as she said this, the students burst into laughter, and the classroom was filled with a cheerful atmosphere for a moment.
Only Yoru knew that Shizuka's "Iron Fist of Justice" was no joke.
This female teacher was an expert in martial arts who loved reading shonen manga.
Her punch was not something an average student could withstand.
After class ended, Yoru didn't linger for a moment. He left the classroom directly with Yotsuya Miko.
Watching their retreating figures, Touma Kazusa stood in the hallway, pausing for a moment. Her eyes revealed a complicated emotion, finally fixing on the can of Pepsi clasped in Yoru's right hand.
...
Miko went to the faculty office first to see Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Although Shizuka didn't know why Miko hadn't come during the break but waited until after school, she didn't mind. She simply reconfirmed the incident in the clubroom that morning.
After all, Yoru had been there too, and Shizuka was worried Miko might have felt uncomfortable speaking freely earlier, so she was asking again now specifically.
Miko's answer remained the same; she covered it up with a slightly clumsy lie.
...
After leaving Sobu High, Yoru led Miko for several hundred meters, seemingly wandering aimlessly.
Miko wanted to ask where they were going, but the words died on her lips.
Yoru had saved her from an evil spirit, after all.
They hadn't been walking for long. If she asked proactively now, would he think she didn't trust him? Or that she was impatient?
Just then.
Yoru stopped in front of the entrance to a deep, dark alleyway and pointed inside.
"It's in there."
"In there?"
Miko peered into the depths of the alley and couldn't help frowning.
Not because she saw many evil spirits.
Quite the opposite.
This alley was too "clean."
She couldn't see even the tiny, harmless spirits that were usually everywhere.
If not for Yoru's words, Miko might have thought there was an ancient shrine filled with spiritual power hidden inside this alley.
"Come on in. Be prepared."
Hearing Yoru's words, Miko took a deep breath, suppressing the nervousness in her chest. She nodded obediently and stepped into the alley.
With just one step, her expression changed instantly.
Miko's golden pupils trembled as she looked at the scene before her, asking in disbelief:
"W-What is this place!?"
The moment she stepped into the alley, the seemingly ordinary passage underwent a transformation that Miko found hard to believe.
The darkness deep within the alley seemed to possess life, writhing and expanding until it completely blotted out the sky.
A black mist—identical to what emitted from evil spirits but far denser—permeated the entire alley.
Although Miko couldn't smell anything, just being in this environment gave her a suffocating feeling, as if she couldn't breathe.
And at the deepest part of the alley, an ancient-looking wooden door stood quietly. It was slightly ajar.
Through the crack in the door, all Miko could see was pure darkness radiating an aura of nothingness.
Yoru's expression remained calm—it wasn't his first time seeing this scene—as he spoke softly.
"That is the Door."