"──Good morning, everyone.

Starting today, I will be studying alongside you as a student

teacher. I’m Tokisaki Kurumi. Although my time here will be short, I look forward to working
with you all."

Morning. In the classroom of Class 1-2 at Raizen High School.

After giving her brief introduction, Kurumi gave a polite bow.

She was dressed in a neat black suit. Her delicate face was lightly made up, and her long
black hair was partially gathered in a half-up style with a hair clip adorned with a floral
pattern.

Though she didn't appear much older than the students in the room, her attire and
demeanor exuded a somewhat mature air.

As Kurumi glanced around the classroom with a small smile, a few students blushed
slightly and averted their gazes.

Noticing this, the petite female teacher standing beside Kurumi became teary-eyed, as if
deeply moved.

"Uu… it's so moving to see Tokisaki-san return to her alma mater as a student teacher." She
said while adjusting her glasses and wiping away the tears that had welled up.

This was Kannazuki Tamae, the homeroom teacher of the class. She had also been
Kurumi's homeroom teacher when Kurumi attended this high school.

"Wait, Tokisaki-sensei was a student here?"

"Yes, that's right. She transferred in during her second year and, although she was often
absent due to her poor health, she successfully graduated and is now at Saito University──"
Tamae trailed off, tilting her head as if suddenly remembering something.
"Wait... Was Tokisaki-san in the education department?"

"......" Kurumi's eyebrow twitched slightly at Tamae's curious remark.

"Also, you just graduated this year, so you're still a first-year university student, right? Isn't
student teaching usually done in the fourth year...?"

"Ahem!" Kurumi deliberately cleared her throat, cutting off Tamae's voice.

"Kannazuki-sensei, if you go through the proper procedures and are approved by the
university, it's possible to change departments. And... are you familiar with the concept of
skipping grades?"

As Kurumi spoke, Tamaki's eyes widened, and she clapped her hands in realization.

"Ah, I see! That makes sense. As expected of Tokisaki-san, you're so brilliant!"

"......" It seemed Kurumi had successfully deceived her. Watching Tamae nodding cheerfully
as if it were her own accomplishment, Kurumi let out a small sigh of relief.

"...So, what exactly is the meaning of this?"

That afternoon, after school. Kurumi, who had visited the student council room of Raizen
High, looked down at her attire with a dissatisfied sigh—the suit that made her look like a
fresh-faced student teacher.

However, in response to Kurumi's irritated words, the student council members gathered in
the room merely exchanged puzzled glances with each other.

"…Well, if you ask what it is."

"It's… a suit, right?"

"Hmm. There's no other way to put it."

"...Ah! It looks really good on you though!"

Responding in turn were a gloomy-looking girl, a feisty girl with her hair tied up with black
and white ribbons, a girl with an old-fashioned air, and a gentle-looking girl. From the right,
they were Student Council President Kyouno Natsumi, Treasurer Itsuka Kotori, Public
Relations Officer Hoshimiya Mukuro, and Secretary Himekawa Yoshino.

Kurumi scratched her head and continued, "That's not what I meant. While I certainly
agreed to cooperate with the 'investigation,' I was not informed that I would be infiltrating as
a student teacher," Kurumi said. Indeed, she wasn't dressed like this out of some personal
hobby or preference.

A few days earlier, these girls—who were old acquaintances of Kurumi—had appeared at
the Tokisaki Detective Agency, asking for her help in investigating a certain incident that had
occurred within the school.

Kurumi had assumed she'd merely be investigating the school as a detective, but suddenly,
a package arrived at her office containing an instruction letter and a disguise set, including
the suit.

Incidentally, the indoor slippers provided along with the outfit had clock designs on them —
a rather intricate touch.

At Kurumi's words, Natsumi and the others widened their eyes in surprise.

"We... didn't know either."

"We thought Kurumi-san had prepared it herself."

"Huh...?" Kurumi furrowed her brows at their reactions—until she finally noticed the petite
girl with glasses beside the student council members, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

It was Aya, Kurumi's detective assistant and sponsor.

"...Aya-san, did you by any chance arrange all this?"

"You look fantastic, Tokisaki-sensei. Infiltration investigations are the pinnacle of detective
work, don't you think?" Aya replied, her body trembling with barely-contained excitement.

Incidentally, Aya was wearing a uniform identical to the one Kotori and the others were
wearing. Though, admittedly, it looked a bit oversized on her.

Additionally, the indoor shoes with a blue line indicating they were for first-year students
were adorned with a clock-shaped decoration that matched Kurumi’s sandals. It seemed to
be a particular point of pride.

“...Could it be that Aya-san also infiltrated as a student?”

“No, that would be impossible, so I came after the classes were over...” Aya said clearly,
drooping her shoulders.
Kurumi, feeling somewhat unable to be angry, simply sighed and replied, “...I see.”

“...Well, what's done is done. There’s no helping it. More importantly, are all the student
council members participating in this investigation here?”
As she spoke, she looked around the room filled with students. In addition to the earlier
group, there were four more girls present.
One was a tall girl who resembled a princess, another had flashy long curls, one wore
glasses with braids, and the last one, who had distinctive tear-shaped beauty marks and
was wearing a ponytail, was staring at Kurumi with a skeptical expression while crossing her
arms.

“I’m surprised. I didn’t think you actually knew a private detective.”

“As expected of Natsumi-san! Once you become the student council president, your
connections are on a different level!”

“Well, I don’t think being the student council president has much to do with it.”

“Exactly. Besides, when it comes to detectives, there’s a wide range. There are those who
are outstanding individuals filled with a sense of justice, and then there are those like some
certain someone, whose humanity you can’t trust at all, and who, at first glance, you
wouldn’t even know how to read their name—those are the incompetent detectives.”

According to the earlier introduction, the three were, in order, the student council vice
president, Kinosaki Miyako, the secretary, Ayanokouji Kanon, and Otsuki Noriko, along with
the bodyguard, Takamiya Mana.

The first three were meeting for the first time, but Mana was already an old acquaintance of
Kotori and the others.

...Well, as those unnecessarily harsh words indicated, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that
their relationship was very good.
That said, it would only waste time to retaliate here. Kurumi let out a casual “fuu..” as if to
display her composure (noticing that Mana clearly showed signs of irritation, Kurumi felt a
bit of satisfaction), and then turned her gaze toward Kotori, seeking a response. Kotori
nodded in acknowledgment.

“Yes, that makes everyone.”

“Good. Now, let’s hear the details of this ‘New Seven Mysteries.’”
Indeed, that was the very reason Kurumi had come here.
Apparently, rumors have been circulating at Kaizen High School about something called the
“New Seven Mysteries.” In essence, it seemed that existing ghost stories had been replaced
with new episodes over time.
That said, a ghost story is still just a ghost story. It remains mere hearsay. Logically
speaking, one would expect only an enthusiastic occult research club or a slow newspaper
club to investigate something like that.
However, there had been a series of reports claiming that someone had seen “something”
at the school at night, and it seemed that the student council members, Natsumi and the
others, could not afford to ignore the situation.

Thus, they had requested Kurumi, an old acquaintance, to assist with the investigation. Of
course, they probably didn’t genuinely believe that ghosts had appeared. Rather, their goal
was likely to identify whatever had been mistaken for a supernatural phenomenon and
reassure the students.

Even if a concrete cause couldn’t be found, having a professional investigation could

provide a sense of security.

To be honest, Kurumi wasn’t very keen on the idea, but she couldn’t completely dismiss the
possibility that magical artifacts might be involved, which was why she had come to her
alma mater.

“Please wait a moment. Uh…”

In response to Kurumi’s request, Miyako began to operate her smartphone, reading aloud
the text displayed on the screen.
“‘New Seven Mysteries’ number one: countless white hands growing on the landing in front
of the rooftop.”

“Geh, cough cough!”

At Miyako’s words, Kurumi coughed violently.

“W-What’s wrong, detective?”

“Here, a handkerchief, Sensei,” Aya offered.

“...Thank you.” Kurumi covered her mouth with the handkerchief handed to her by Aya,
taking a moment to steady her breathing.
“Are you alright? Now, continuing…” Miyako said, then looked back at the screen of her
smartphone.
“Number two: a female student dragged into the shadows. Number three: a mysterious
group in a deep sleep. Number four: the strange phenomenon of the cat-sucking woman…”

“...Wait a moment, please.”

Kurumi said, making a grim face and holding out her palm to stop Miyako.
The reason was simple. She had a striking recollection of those ghost stories.

...In fact, she couldn’t shake the feeling that these stories were based on incidents she had
caused during her time as a student.

“What is it? We’re not done yet.”

“...I have a question. Is it possible that those ghost stories are based on actual events?”

“Well, that might be the case, but... did you notice something?”

“...No, please continue.”

When Kurumi said this, Miyako tilted her head in curiosity before continuing.

“Number five: a mirror that grants wishes. Number six: the pool’s mystery. Number seven:
the ghost behind the school building—”

“...” Fortunately or unfortunately, she didn’t remember much about the last three.

...However, considering the first four, it wasn’t hard to imagine that they too were
embellished versions of some incidents.
“Is something wrong, Sensei? You seem to have lost your energy.”
“...That’s not the case at all.” Kurumi shook her head to regain her composure and
continued speaking while looking around at everyone.

“It’s too inefficient for all of us to investigate each of the seven ghost stories one by one. At
the same time, it wouldn’t be good for a small group to handle the investigation if something
unexpected were to happen. Therefore, how about we divide the investigation team into two
groups? Group A will handle stories one through four, while Group B will take on five through
seven.”

“I see. That sounds good. Then Kurumi can be the leader of Group A…”

“No, I will be in Group B.” Kurumi declared this firmly, causing Kotori to sweat nervously.

“Well, that’s fine... but is there a reason?”

“If I had to say, it would be the detective’s intuition—” Kurumi said with a defiant smile.
In truth, the only reason was that if there really was “something,” it would likely be related to
one of the last three stories that Kurumi had no familiarity with, but it seemed that the
student council members accepted that explanation for now.

Yoshino, Mukuro, Miyako, and Kanon all expressed their admiration with a “Oh!”

“Well then, let’s quickly divide into groups and start the investigation.”

“...Wait a moment,” Natsumi interjected at Kurumi’s words.

“What is it?”

“...Even though it’s after school, there are still quite a few people in the school, so we
should wait a little longer. The reports of students seeing ‘something’ were late at night,
after all.”
“I see. Then it seems we will be on standby until then.” After saying this, “Hm...?” Kurumi
tilted her head in confusion.

“...If that’s the case, then it really doesn’t seem like there was any need to disguise
ourselves as student teachers, does it?”

“It's not like we can do anything about that...” Natsumi said, her eyebrows furrowed in
concern.
Well, that was certainly true. Kurumi sighed and stood up from her chair, heading toward
the entrance of the student council room. Following her, Aya walked quickly to catch up.

“Oh, Detective and Assistant, where are you headed?”

Miyako called out to them from behind. Kurumi glanced back and waved her hand in
response.

“Aren’t we supposed to wait until night? I’ll go kill some time.”

With that, Kurumi opened the door with a crash.

The next moment— “Hyaah!?”

A figure suddenly appeared right in front of her, causing her voice to crack. If Aya, who was
following behind her, hadn’t caught her, she might have ended up falling flat on her back.

Standing in front of the door was a male teacher wearing square glasses. He had a medium
build and was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, with a completely unremarkable
appearance that seemed to deliberately avoid leaving an impression on others.

It seemed he had been about to enter the student council room when he unexpectedly ran
into Kurumi.

“...Tokisaki-sensei? I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

“N-No, it’s nothing... What is it?” As Kurumi tried to maintain her composure, the male
teacher continued speaking while glancing into the student council room.
“Yes. I have a matter to discuss with the student council. Is Kinosaki-san here?”

“──Tanaka-sensei,” the male teacher asked, and Miyako hurried over.

...Now that she thought about it, that was indeed his name. Kurumi had received an
introduction in the morning, but embarrassingly, she had forgotten it until Miyako
mentioned it.

“What is it? It’s rare to see you come over here.”

“No, I remember you mentioned an interest in stage effects, so I brought this.”

Saying that, Tanaka took a large book out of the paper bag he was holding and handed it to
Miyako. Miyako's eyes widened in surprise, and her cheeks flushed as she exclaimed, “Wah!
Did you really bring it all the way here? You could have just given it to me during the next
club meeting.”

“Well, that’s true, but I thought it would be better to do it sooner.”

“Oh, come on. You just wanted to see me, didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about? It’s not right to tease a teacher.”
They began to have a lively conversation.

Miyako, who had an impression of a prince, looked like a mischievous girl of her age when
talking to Tanaka.

“...”

It seemed like their conversation might drag on for a while. It wouldn’t be good to interrupt
them, and there was no obligation to wait for their discussion to finish. Kurumi signaled Aya
with her gaze and slipped past the two of them, exiting the student council room.
People instinctively fear the darkness.

Because most life-sustaining activities rely on sight, they feel an immense fear when faced
with the unknown realms where sight does not reach.

One becomes wary that something might be lurking in places that cannot be seen.
This is true even for familiar everyday scenes.

The hallways of the school, devoid of sunlight, presented an entirely different face than
during the day. One could liken it to the mouth of a giant serpent.

The unfathomably dark path ahead created an illusion that once one stepped into it, there
would be no turning back. Indeed, it’s no wonder that many ghost stories take place at
night.

At this very moment and in this place, even the rustling of the trees or the creaking of the
windows would sound like the chuckling of spirits.

That said...

“Are you not being a little too scared, Kotori-san?” Kurumi said with a small sigh.
Kotori responded with a look of indignation.

“What’s with the sudden remark? Can you not say such things?”

“Then please let go of my sleeve. It’s going to stretch.”

Indeed, while Kotori’s expression above the neck was calm, she had been gripping Kurumi’s
sleeve tightly with a strength akin to a vice.

It seemed that Kotori was about to retort, but perhaps she finally gave up; she let go of
Kurumi’s sleeve. Almost immediately, like a little bird seeking a perch, she tightly grasped
the sleeve of Natsumi, who was nearby. "Uwah.." A sound of annoyance escaped from
Natsumi’s throat.

“Well then,” Kurumi said, quickly smoothing out the wrinkled sleeve and surveying the area
again.

It had been about seven hours since they had separated in the student council room.
Kurumi and the others were now in the east wing of Raizen High School in the middle of the
night. Although they had obtained permission from the school, they had been told to avoid
using lights as much as possible, so their only sources of illumination were the moonlight
and flashlights. In the vast darkness, the faint light from the small flashlights timidly
illuminated the hallway.
By the way, the groups had already been divided, and the five present here were Kurumi,
Kotori, Natsumi, Miyako, and Aya. After glancing at her group members, Kurumi raised her
voice to take charge.

“Well then, let’s get started. The first investigation point is—”
Kurumi stopped mid-sentence. No, the others also fell silent as if water had been thrown on
them. The reason was simple: from the dark hallway ahead, there came the sound of a
rhythmic thump... thump... resembling footsteps.

“W-what...!? What is that sound!?”

“Is it someone from Team A...?” Kotori shouted in a voice tinged with panic, while Miyako’s
cheeks glistened with sweat.

Kurumi furrowed her brow in suspicion. Considering that the footsteps were solitary, it was
unlikely to be Team A. There was a possibility that they had sent someone over with some
kind of message, but in that case, they would likely use their smartphones. If that were the
case, could it be the footsteps of the “something” that the students had witnessed? No,
that seemed implausible as well.

The reason being, this was not yet a new mystery investigation point. …Well, it was a silly
notion to expect decorum in ghost stories.
Which means this is—
While Kurumi was mulling over such thoughts, the mysterious footsteps were drawing
closer and closer. A wave of confusion and tension spread among the group, causing their
heartbeats to quicken. Kotori’s grip tightened, and Natsumi’s sleeve stretched further.
Eventually, the figure behind the footsteps was revealed by the moonlight streaming
through the window.

“—Ah, Tokisaki-kun. What a coincidence to meet you here,” said a woman wearing
sunglasses, even in the middle of the night, and dressed in dark-colored traditional
clothing, who looked incredibly suspicious.

“...What are you doing here, Remon-san?” Kurumi asked, narrowing her eyes at the woman.
The woman—self-proclaimed future detective, Eigouji Reimon—chuckled as she scratched
her head.

“No, just taking a little stroll. The school at night has a certain charm to it. It’s certainly a
place where some apparition might show its face,” Reimon replied with a smirk.
“Call the police, Aya-san. We have a case of trespassing here,” Kurumi instructed.
“Yes, Sensei,” Aya responded promptly.
“W-wait, wait, wait!” Remon hurriedly interjected as Kurumi indicated for the call to be
made.

“Oh come on, that was just a little joke. After all, we’re on good terms, aren’t we, Tokisaki-
kun? How about you let me join your investigation team? This future detective, Eigouji
Reimon, will surely be of help!” She said, flashing a gleaming smile. Seeing this, Natsumi
tilted her head in confusion, sweat trickling down her brow.

“…Who is she? A friend of Kurumi?”

“An acquaintance,” Kurumi replied curtly.

“Oh, that’s harsh,” Remon said, shrugging her shoulders in a lighthearted manner.
Kurumi squinted her eyes with a sigh. …Though a very dubious woman, she hadn’t been
entirely surprised by Remon’s appearance.

The reason was simple: when Kurumi was hesitating about whether to take on this request,
Remon had appeared out of nowhere.
Indeed, at first, Kurumi was not very enthusiastic about this request.

However, Remon had casually shown up and provocatively said, “Oh, Tokisaki-kun, aren’t
you going to take on such an interesting request? If not, would you like me to take on the
investigation instead?”

Remon was a mysterious figure whose intentions and identity were shrouded in uncertainty,
but one thing was certain: she always appeared when incidents involving magical artifacts
occurred. There was a possibility that magical artifacts might be involved in this case as
well.

Kurumi’s suspicion stemmed from Remon's sudden appearance. After a moment of

contemplation, Kurumi let out a weary sigh.

"…Fine. However, please make sure not to interfere with the investigation," Kurumi said.

"Eh… are you really bringing her along? Seriously?" Natsumi made a puzzled face at Kurumi
words. Kurumi nodded as if it were the most natural thing.

"Indeed, it's highly suspicious, but she might be of some use. If a ghost actually appears,
she can serve as bait."

"Of course. Leave it to me," Remon replied, thumping her chest confidently. Natsumi wiped
the sweat from her brow.

"…Well, if Kurumi says so, I guess it’s fine..."

"Thank you for your understanding. Now, let's get moving. We've unexpectedly taken up
quite a bit of time. It will soon be midnight," Kurumi said, shining the flashlight she held
ahead and starting to walk. The others began to follow suit.

Natsumi, whose sleeve was grasped by Kotori, seemed a bit hindered in her movements.

After a few minutes of echoing footsteps down the dark hallway, they arrived at the
staircase located at the innermost part of the school building.

A large, antiquely designed mirror was set into the wall of the landing separating the third
and fourth floors. The reflection of their own faces suddenly appearing in the darkness
made the mirror seem eerie on its own.

"This is the fifth of the 'New Seven Mysteries' of Raizen High School—"

"Yes. It's the 'Wishing Mirror.' It's said that if you make a wish while facing this mirror at
exactly midnight, it will come true," Aya said, recalling the information she had heard
beforehand as she walked on Kurumi’s left.

Kurumi nodded in agreement.

"Hmm… Well, mirrors are indeed a popular subject for ghost stories. They can pull you in, or
show you your future self," she remarked, glancing at her smartphone screen. The time read
23:57. Midnight was just around the corner.

"May I encounter a cute cat."

"May I recover all the scattered magical artifacts..." they both whispered their wishes softly.
However, after waiting for a while, nothing seemed to happen.

"…Well, that’s that. Not that I was expecting much," she said, shrugging her shoulders with a
sigh.
It’s not that the wish had to come true immediately, but the lack of any change in this place
suggested that whatever the students had seen was unrelated. With that thought, Kurumi
turned her toes toward the next destination.

The next place they arrived at was the indoor pool located on the fourth floor of the east
wing. Although it was out of season, it seemed the water had been filled for the swim club's
activities.
The dimly lit water surface, illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the
windows and minimal light sources, possessed a strange balance of fantastical beauty and
terror.

"This is the sixth location of the 'New Seven Mysteries,' isn’t it?"
"Yes. Apparently, there's a story about a student who sneaked into the school in the middle
of the night and was swimming in the pool when someone grabbed their foot and dragged
them underwater," Aya recited the information she had memorized. Kurumi wiped a bead of
sweat from her brow.

"...First of all, why would anyone go through the trouble of sneaking into school to swim at
night?"

"Youth...isn’t it?" Miyako replied, resting her chin on her hand. "...I see." Kurumi responded
as she grimaced slightly.

"Well, anyway, let's conduct a verification," Kurumi said, prompting everyone to nod in
agreement. By the way, they had all already changed into swimsuits for the verification, but
while Kotori and the others wore stylish competitive swimsuits, Kurumi and Aya were clad
in rather classical navy blue school swimsuits.

"Now then, let’s swim," Kurumi said in front of the first lane, and the others, dressed in their
swimsuits, lined up from the second to the fifth lane. Notably, Kotori, standing in front of the
farthest fifth lane, had a determined expression, but her complexion was clearly not well.
"...Kotori-san, you don't have to push yourself, you know?"
"Don't underestimate me. Everyone else is doing their best, so I can’t just sit around idly,
can I?"
As Kotori said this, Remon, who was idly resting by the poolside while everyone else worked
hard, began to clap his hands in applause.

"Wonderful. Let's applaud her noble spirit!"

"...Remon-san, you could help out too, you know?"

"Ah, I’d love to, but unfortunately, I don’t have any swimwear ready."

"—Aya-san."

"Yes. I have some spare ones if that's acceptable."

"Ow ow ow! My chronic condition!" In response to Aya's offer, Remon suddenly clutched her
side and groaned. What a conveniently timed ailment.
Well, Kurumi had never really expected much from the start. Sighing, she turned back to the
pool.

"…Well then, I’m off," she said, climbing onto the starting block. After bending forward, she
leaped into the water. With a splash, droplets danced in the air.

Perhaps because they were using heated water, the temperature was not too cold even at
this hour. Since they weren't competing for time, she leisurely began to swim, rotating her
shoulders as she moved forward.

Once submerged, the eeriness she had felt while watching the surface from outside was
greatly diminished. Instead, she now felt a strange sense of calm.

Indeed, while she didn’t quite understand the whole concept of youth, swimming in the
dark was surprisingly enjoyable.
Just as she was lost in thought, gliding through the pool and reaching for the far edge, that
moment came.

…Of course, it was Aya who had prepared those. Well, since they wouldn't be seen by
anyone, it didn't matter as long as they fulfilled the function of being suitable for swimming.

“──Huh!? Gah… glug…!?” A voice came from the right rear, accompanied by a sound like
splashing water, causing Kurumi to instinctively plant her feet on the ground.

“What’s happening!?”

“It’s on lane five, Sensei!” She looked in the direction Ayaka was pointing. There, halfway
down lane five, she saw Kotori thrashing about, creating a huge splash.
Yes, it was as if—someone was pulling at her feet.

“Kotori!” Kurumi shouted and immediately dove into the pool, swimming at full speed
towards her. Along with Natsumi and Miyako, who rushed to Kotori's side as well, they
supported her body.

“Kotori, are you okay!?”

“What on earth happened…!?”

“Ugh… ah, my foot—my foot… someone was grabbing it…!”

“Your foot—” Kurumi held her breath and dove back into the pool, searching for Kotori's
foot—

“…” Realizing what was entangled around it, she surfaced.

“Please calm down, Kotori. No one is pulling your foot anymore, right?”
“Eh…? Ah…” At Kurumi’s words, Kotori blinked in surprise. “Ah, thank you. Did Kurumi come
to my rescue?”

“Well, I suppose so.”

“I was so surprised… I was swimming in the pool when suddenly something grabbed my
foot… I never thought that ghost story could be true…” Kotori's voice trembled with emotion
as she spoke, her face turning pale.

Feeling a bit uneasy about how to address the situation, Kurumi lifted what had been
entangled around Kotori’s foot to the surface of the water.

Seeing this, Kotori, Natsumi, Miyako, and a slightly late-arriving Aya all widened their eyes in
astonishment.

“T-That is…”

“It’s a floating marker that separates the lanes in the pool.” Yes, what Kurumi was holding
was the rope-like float that had been tangled around Kotori’s thrashing feet.

“It seems the metal fittings have deteriorated and become prone to coming loose. In
retrospect, it was quite the dry weed.”

“…” At Kurumi’s words, which were laced with a sigh, Kotori shyly shrugged her shoulders.
About thirty minutes after the commotion at the pool, Kurumi and the others, having
changed their clothes, visited the appearance point of the last of the “New Seven
Mysteries,” “The Ghost Behind the School Building.” As the name suggested, it was located
behind the east school building. Perhaps because it didn’t receive much sunlight even
during the day, a damp atmosphere lingered in the air.

“This is the last point, isn’t it?”

“Yes. The rumor is that a ghost of a woman with a troubled expression suddenly appears
here when students pass by at midnight. It’s said that if you hear the words spoken by that
ghost, you’ll be taken to the underworld, so if you encounter her, you must cover your ears.”
“Hm… well, that’s a common ghost story.” She replied absentmindedly while stroking my
chin to Ayaka’s explanation.
In truth, Kurumi wasn’t taking it very seriously. Just like the pool story, there might be some
incident that inspired the ghost tale, but she could easily imagine it ending up being a trivial
twist. Most likely, it was just a case of students sneaking around the school at night and
getting startled by each other.

“Well, let’s conduct a brief investigation. If nothing comes up after a while, we’ll just chalk it
up to a rumor—” But Kurumi stopped there. The reason was simple. The moment she was
about to give instructions, a white silhouette suddenly appeared right before everyone’s
eyes without any warning.

“──!”
“Wha…!”
“Uwaaaahhhh!?”

A chill spread among everyone at the sudden occurrence. But given the circumstances, it
was understandable.

Even though they were investigating ghost stories, they likely didn’t expect a ghost to appear
so clearly. Kurumi, just like the others, found herself momentarily staring in shock.

“…! Cover your ears!”

But it was Natsumi’s voice that snapped everyone back to reality. Yes, the content of the
ghost story that Aya had just recounted.
──You must not hear the words spoken by the ghost. It hadn’t been something she
particularly paid attention to, but now that a ghost had actually appeared, the situation was
different. Kurumi covered her ears along with everyone else.
And then, at that moment…
“■■■■■■■■■■■■──!!”
The white silhouette seemed to tremble violently, letting out a muffled scream as if it had
gone through a voice changer.
Even with her ears covered, a loud voice reverberated, shaking her eardrums. However, she
couldn’t quite make out what was being said.
──Perhaps it was thanks to covering her ears immediately that she managed to avoid
hearing the words. No, it felt more like it was just a meaningless scream from the start…

“…”
As she thought this, Kurumi tilted her head in confusion.
She was surprised by its sudden appearance, but the “thing” right in front of her clearly
looked different from the ghost described in the “New Seven Mysteries.”
According to the original rumor, the ghost that appears behind the school building was
supposed to be female. However, what was in front of her now was a classic ghostly figure
draped in white, like something out of a storybook. There was no way to determine its
gender.

In fact, when she calmed down and observed closely, it simply looked like a person with a
sheet thrown over their head.

“…What kind of prank is this?” Kurumi removed her hands from her ears and sighed with a
frown. Seeing this, the others gradually began to regain their composure.

“Uh, um…?”
“Isn’t that a ghost…?” Kotori and the others asked cautiously. Kurumi shrugged
dramatically.
“It’s clearly just a person.”
As she said this, she looked at the white silhouette again. Although it was still flailing its
arms as if trying to startle them, its appearance was unmistakably that of a sheet. Upon
closer inspection, it seemed the sheet was on inside out, with the edge even displaying a
laundry tag.
“Most likely, they knew we were investigating the ‘New Seven Mysteries’ and were trying to
scare us. Such poor taste.”
With a sigh of exasperation, Kurumi approached the still earnest “ghost.”
Then, a faint sense of unease flickered in her mind. The small letters written on the tag she
spotted at the edge were in an unfamiliar shape.

For a moment, she thought it might be a foreign language—but no.

The Japanese was written in reverse, flipped from left to right.
It was an odd way of writing, but there was no doubt it was a piece of fabric. Kurumi, not
overly concerned, reached out toward “it.”

“How long are you going to keep this up? Who are you? Please reveal your true identity—”
However, as Kurumi tried to pull off the sheet, she inadvertently stumbled forward. Her
hand, which was reaching for the edge of the sheet, passed right through the white
silhouette.

“Eh—?” She widened her eyes in surprise at the unexpected occurrence.

Kurumi clenched and opened her hand several times before reaching out toward “it” again.
But the result was the same. No matter how many times she tried, she couldn’t touch it.
Despite “it” undoubtedly being right there, her hand felt nothing. It was as if she were trying
to touch a real “ghost.”

“W-What is this…?”
While Kurumi continued her trial and error,
“It” raised both hands from within the sheet, continuing to threaten and intimidate anyone
who looked.

It seemed to mock Kurumi’s futile efforts, and yet it also appeared to be ignoring her
entirely.

Eventually, “it” made a particularly large motion with its hands, and then—
it vanished as if melting into the air.

“What…!?”
Kurumi involuntarily held her breath. From behind her, she could hear shrill, scream-like
voices from the others.
When “it” had appeared, she hadn’t been paying much attention to what was ahead.
Although it seemed to have appeared suddenly, she could rationalize it as just being caught
off guard.
But now, “it” had vanished right before her eyes in an instant, without any joke or trick
involved. It didn’t flee at an incredible speed, nor did it move underground or into the sky; it
simply disappeared from the spot. Clearly, this was an abnormal situation.
Seeing this, the people around her began to panic.
“Kyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa────!?”
“Is this a real… ghost!?”
“I need to report this to the teacher—no, the police!?”
“…Please calm down. There’s no way such a cheap ghost could exist.” Kurumi responded
with a furrowed brow to the frantic voices of Kotori and Natsumi. It was a conviction she
held firmly.
After all, just before “it” disappeared, she had seen a person’s feet peeking out from under
the sheet. There was no doubt that someone was inside it.
However, if that were the case, what was going on? It was clear that Kurumi didn’t have a
definitive answer to that question at the moment.

“...In any case, the investigation at all the points is complete. Let’s call it a day here. If I find
out anything, I’ll report back to you. —Please don’t worry too much. I will expose the true
identity of that fake ghost.” Kurumi patted her chest and said this to the anxious-looking
members of the student council.

“That said—”

The next morning, with the morning sun bathing the area, the eeriness of the back of the
school building had completely faded, and Kurumi stood there with her arms crossed.
At that time, considering the mental state of everyone, she had instructed to disperse, but
Kurumi still hadn’t reached the identity of that obviously cheap “ghost.”

“I don’t see any traces of a ghost, Sensei…”

Aya said as she took pictures of the surroundings. When Kurumi announced that she would
head to the scene for an investigation first thing in the morning, Aya eagerly followed her.
Of course, Kurumi was dressed in a suit, while Aya was wearing her high school uniform.
Though there was still time until the morning homeroom, in these outfits, they wouldn’t
arouse suspicion from the students arriving at school. Aya’s seemingly unnecessa ry
preparations had turned out to be effective in an unexpected way.

As Aya said, there were no signs of the “ghost” around. The only scenery spread out was
that of the ordinary back of the school building.
“Could it really have been a ghost after all…?”

“Don’t be so impressed. If you’re going to call yourself my assistant, don’t stop in front of
the unknown.”

“...! Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind.”

At Kurumi’s words, Aya straightened her back and responded earnestly. She didn’t seem
shocked at all. Rather, she looked pleased to be taught the mindset of a detective by
Kurumi.

Kurumi sighed and pondered.

That’s right. There’s no way that was a real supernatural phenomenon.
But what she had seen just before that “ghost” vanished—
That meant…

“Hmm. Though you seem troubled, you have a grasp on something.”

“...! Remon-san—”

At the suddenly echoed voice, Kurumi stiffened. Unbeknownst to her, a woman in a kimono
wearing sunglasses had appeared behind her.

“Since when have you been here? I’ve been thinking this for a while, but please stop
surprising me.”
“Hahaha, that’s not my intention. I think it’s just that Tokisaki-kun’s concentration is
extraordinary. You have a remarkable talent for being a detective. You should take pride in
that.” Kurumi returned Remon's shallow praise with an uncomfortable glare. She still found
him to be an untrustworthy individual. In terms of suspicion and his ability to appear out of
nowhere, he was a close match to that so-called “ghost.”

“...Reimon-san, have you noticed something? The fact that you’ve appeared means this is
also the work of a magical artifact, right?”
“Well, who knows? You might be overestimating me. —But can you tell me why you’re so
sure that was not a ghost, Tokisaki-kun?”

“...?” Kurumi shrugged at Remon’s blatant attempt to change the subject. However, she
certainly wanted to share this realization and question with someone. Narrowing her eyes,
she voiced her thoughts.

“That ‘ghost’ —was actually me.”

“Oh?”
“...What do you mean?” Remon raised an eyebrow, while Aya tilted her head in confusion.
Kurumi continued to elaborate.

“To put it more accurately, it contained elements of me. Just before it disappeared, I caught
a glimpse of a human foot peeking out from the hem of the sheet. —And there were
multiple feet.”

“Multiple feet...?”

“Yes. It was just a fleeting moment, so I can’t deny the possibility of having missed
something, but at least I confirmed three pairs of feet under that sheet.”

“But it didn’t look like that many people were inside...”

“True. That’s also a puzzling point.” Kurumi nodded, continuing her explanation.
“In any case, among them, I saw a foot wearing sandals with a clock design. Without a
doubt, that was my foot.” Yes, it was undoubtedly Kurumi’s sandals, which had such a
distinctive design. It was hard to believe that there were many people wearing sandals like
those.

“Additionally, next to it, I also saw a pair of indoor shoes with the same design. That’s
probably Aya-san’s.”
“My foot too...?” Aya exclaimed, pointing at herself in surprise. Kurumi nodded in
agreement.

“The remaining feet were wearing the designated school indoor shoes. I couldn’t see the
names written on them, but they were in the first-year color. To add, they were standing on a
stepping stool.”

“A stepping stool...?” Aya looked puzzled. Well, it was understandable. Even Kurumi, who
had actually seen it, honestly couldn’t make sense of it.

Then Remon tilted her head with an exaggerated gesture.

“Hm, Tokisaki-kun and Aya-kun's feet—now that’s peculiar. Could it be that the entity
absorbs characteristics of those it faces? Be careful not to have your feet taken away.”

“Eek...” At Remon’s joking words, Aya touched her feet as if to confirm their presence.
Kurumi let out a sigh and half-closed her eyes.

“Please don’t say such arbitrary things to scare Aya-san. If it were about the opponents we
faced, it doesn’t make sense.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because it’s obvious. At that time, we were just like we are now—” Just as she was about to
finish her sentence, Kurumi halted. —That’s right. Why hadn’t she realized this simple fact
sooner?

The feet Kurumi had seen under the sheet belonged to Kurumi and Aya, but not to anyone
else.

Then, when was it? When did Kurumi and Aya have their feet imitated? There weren’t many
instances when they stood side by side like that. If that’s the case— A single possibility
flashed through Kurumi’s mind. She held her breath slightly and turned a sharp gaze
towards Remon.
“...Remon-san, you’re not suggesting you knew everything and said that on purpose, are
you?”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? What Tokisaki-kun is saying is quite difficult.” Reimon
averted her gaze, pretending to be unaware.
Kurumi furrowed her brows in irritation but replied tersely.
“—For now, I’ll consider it a debt owed. More importantly, Aya-san. We’re heading out.”

“Eh? Wh-where to?” Aya responded, bewildered. Kurumi pointed towards the school
building and said,

“To where the magical artifact is, of course.”

“...Um, Kotori?”

“What?”

“...Could you ease up a bit?”

“How rude. It’s as if I’m the one who’s scared and pulling on Natsumi’s sleeve.”
“...Oh, yeah. Sorry...” Natsumi let out a sigh as if she had given up entirely. While it was true
that Kotori was right, it seemed she was doing it unconsciously. —Goodbye cardigan. See
you again as a vest or loungewear.

Well, it was understandable that Kotori would be scared. After all, the members of the
student council, including Natsumi, were now heading towards the back of the school
building where they had encountered the “ghost” at Kurumi’s request.

“Hmm... What on earth does Kurumi want at this hour?”

“That’s true... Moreover, the designated location is the back of the school building where
Natsumi and the others saw the ‘ghost’...” Mukuro and Yoshino, who belonged to Team A
during yesterday’s investigation, remarked. Though there was a hint of anxiety in their
words, both seemed far calmer than Kotori.
...Well, it was probably because those two hadn’t actually seen the “ghost” yesterday. For
the sake of Kotori’s honor, Natsumi decided to think that way. Soon, they arrived at their
destination—the back of the school building.
There, Kurumi and her assistant Aya were already waiting.

“—Right on time. Thank you for coming.” As soon as Natsumi and the others arrived, Kurumi
began to speak in a calm tone.

“What’s going on in a place like this... or rather, why did you call us at this hour?” Natsumi
furrowed her brow and asked, and Kurumi continued with grand gestures.

“Well, the reason I called you here today is none other than to unveil the identity of the
‘ghost’ that appeared last night.”

“...! W-What...?”

“Did you figure out the identity of the ‘ghost’?” Natsumi and Miyako asked, but Kurumi
didn’t show any reaction. She continued speaking in a tone as if she couldn’t see Natsumi
and the others at all.

“Although I have called it a ‘ghost’ for convenience, it is obviously not a type of supernatural
entity. It’s simply a person covered with a white sheet, the kind you wouldn’t even find in a
haunted house nowadays.”

“But... that ‘ghost’ slipped through your hands, Kurumi. Plus, it disappeared suddenly right
in front of everyone—”

“Even so, there are still mysteries left. That ‘ghost’ slipped through my hands, and it
vanished before everyone’s eyes. It truly is a puzzling occurrence.”
Kurumi repeated Kotori’s doubts, causing Natsumi and the others to exchange glances with
a strange sense of discomfort.

However, Kurumi showed no signs of concern and continued looking off into the distance.
“Nevertheless, there are things in this world that can create such mysterious phenomena.
These are the items known as magical artifacts.” The term magical artifacts, unfamiliar to
them, made Miyako, Kanon, and Noriko look puzzled.
Then, Kurumi shrugged her shoulders and said, “That said...”

“Some things can’t be accepted just by verbal explanation. Here and now, I will prove the
existence and involvement of magical artifacts. —Could someone please touch my hand?”
Saying this, Kurumi extended one hand forward.
“…” Natsumi exchanged a glance with Kotori for a moment, but feeling the unspoken
pressure, she sighed and walked towards Kurumi, cautiously reaching out her hand.
However—

“...Wha!?” She let out an incredulous voice. This reaction was only natural since Natsumi’s
hand passed right through Kurumi’s outstretched hand.

“—Do you understand now?”

“Ueeh!?” In the next moment, a voice echoed unexpectedly from behind, making Natsumi
jump in surprise. There was another Kurumi standing there.

“W-What!? Kurumi…!? Could it be a clone…!?”

“No, that’s not it. I just mentioned it, didn’t I? I will prove the existence and involvement of
magical artifacts,” Kurumi said, standing next to the original Kurumi.

Indeed, there could be no better proof. The sight of two identical Kurumis standing side by
side was quite a bizarre scene.

“W-Wait a minute!” Among the stunned crowd, it was Kotori who raised her voice.
“I understand that some mysterious item is involved in this case… but where on earth did
you find something like that? Kurumi, you found it, didn’t you?”
“Yes. You should all know well. At least, those from Group B should. After all, you actually
visited it yesterday,” Kurumi continued with a gentle smile.
“Eh…?” Kotori frowned in confusion. Kurumi then elaborated.

“—The fifth of the ‘New Seven Mysteries.’ The mirror at the landing of the stairs, known as
the ‘Wishing Mirror,’ was indeed a magical artifact. Its name is ‘Brocken Mirror.’ It is a kind of
super high-performance projector that can reproduce input images at any time and place.
In short, that ‘ghost’ was simply a playback of a video recorded at a different time and
place, rendered as a sophisticated three-dimensional image accompanied by sound.”

“”…!?”” The members of the student council widened their eyes at Kurumi’s words. The
name Brocken likely referred to the ‘Brocken Spectre,’ known as a phantom that appears on
the mountain, its true nature being the shadow of a person projected by a special
atmospheric optical phenomenon.

…Indeed, it was a cleverly devised name.

Then, at that moment, Natsumi noticed a decisive difference between the two seemingly
identical Kurumi figures.

“The button alignment… is reversed—?”

“Correct. Your observational skills are impressive,” Kurumi replied with a grin. Indeed, while
the fake Kurumi was remarkably crafted to resemble the real one, the buttons on the suit
and shirt were aligned in reverse.

“I mentioned it’s a super high-performance projector, but since it’s a ‘mirror,’ the recorded
images are displayed as mirror reflections, reversed left to right. Quite a troublesome thing,
isn’t it?” As Kurumi said this, her mirror image suddenly dissolved into the air, vanishing as if
it were melting away. It looked just like the ‘ghost’ that had appeared before everyone
yesterday.
“At the moment the ‘ghost’ disappeared, I witnessed multiple pairs of feet peeking out from
under the sheets. Among them, two pairs belonged to me and Aya. —And they weren’t
outdoor shoes, but indoor sandals and slippers that we were wearing at the time.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes. That led me to consider that the ‘ghost’ was an image recorded at a different time and
place. The only time that Aya and I wore indoor shoes together was after school and while
investigating the ‘New Seven Mysteries.’ Furthermore, since the tag on the sheets was in
mirror writing, I came to the conclusion that the ‘ghost’ was a mirror image reflected in the
mirror.
There’s only one place this could lead to. At exactly midnight, the moment we made a wish
toward the mirror, that image was recorded as a video.”

“S-So, what about the appearance of that ‘ghost’ wearing sheets…?”

“It’s likely that someone before us recorded an image under precisely the same conditions.
The multiple pairs of feet peeking from under the sheets were probably a result of our image
and the ‘ghost’ overlapping in the same location. The reason our faces and bodies weren’t
visible was that we were concealed by the appearance of that ‘ghost.’”

“…!” As Kurumi spoke, Miyako gasped softly—almost as if she had an inkling about
something. However, it seemed that only Natsumi noticed, as everyone else was captivated
by Kurumi’s explanation. Kotori, sweating slightly, asked,

“Who on earth would pull such a troublesome prank…?”

At Kotori’s question, Kurumi lowered her gaze and nodded.

“You’ll find out soon enough. —It’s almost time.”

“Eh…?”

At that moment, just as Kotori’s eyes widened, a white silhouette appeared before
everyone.
“—Pyaah!?” Kotori let out a high-pitched scream and jumped back. Natsumi, whose sleeve
she had been gripping, stumbled forward due to the sudden pull.

“Please, calm down. As I mentioned earlier, it’s merely a three-dimensional image. You can
see for yourselves; it’s mimicking the same movements as last night, isn’t it?”

“Eh…? Ah…” Kotori blinked, following Kurumi’s words. The white silhouette then began to
flail its arms as if to intimidate the surroundings, before letting out a muffled scream,
“■■■■■■■■■■■■—!!”

“Th-This is…?”

“Whether it’s intentional or coincidental, it seems that the same image is being projected at
the same time and place every night. It’s likely that what the students witnessed was this
‘ghost.’” With that, Kurumi beckoned the others.

“The ‘ghost’ is about to disappear soon. Please pay close attention to the feet. Alongside
mine and Aya’s, you should be able to see the indoor shoes of the person dressed as the
‘ghost.’ It was sudden yesterday, so we missed it, but—” As Kurumi said this, the ‘ghost’
made an exaggerated movement, and the hem of the sheets fluttered.

“……! ” The moment everyone laid eyes on the indoor shoes peeking from underneath, they
all held their breath. It was only natural, for there, written in mirror writing, was the name
“Kagami”
“—The time for deduction has arrived,” Kurumi said, leaning in to look at Shizuka’s face as
she continued, “You can explain this, can’t you, Natsumi-san? Or should I refer to you as
‘the ghost’ instead?”

“Natsumi-san…!? Why on earth…?”

“…….” Kanon voiced her astonishment, while Aya wore a face that said she didn’t know
what to say.
Natsumi took a deep breath—then let it out gloomily.

“…I really shouldn’t have called you.”

“…! Natsumi—” Kotori’s expression darkened at Natsumi’s seemingly self-incriminating

words. Natsumi brusquely shook off Kotori’s grip on her sleeve.
“…Ahh, it’s out in the open now. How boring.”

“Can you tell us the reason for this?” Kurumi asked, and after a faint exhale, Shizuka
responded.

“…It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. For quite some time now, there’ve been problems
with students sneaking into the school at night for ghost-hunting. I just thought I’d scare
them a bit. Isn’t this part of being the student council president?”

“…Kagami-kun, that’s—” Aya started to say, her face contorted in discomfort. Natsumi shot
her a sharp look, cutting her off.

“…Well, I wouldn’t be lying if I said there was a bit of my own enjoyment in it, right? It was
pretty amusing to see those outgoing kids from the night school getting spooked. …Did you
forget? I quite enjoy pranks.” Natsumi shrugged as she spoke, and Kurumi let out a “hmm.”

“Where did you learn about the Magical Artefact? Was that mirror yours?”
“…Not at all. It seems it was donated to the school a few months ago. I didn’t even know
‘Magical Artefacts’ existed. I only learned how to use it by pure chance.”

“I see…” As Kurumi stroked her chin in thought, Natsumi scratched her messy hair before
continuing.

“…More importantly, I want to ask you something. Kurumi, earlier you mentioned that the
‘ghost’ was projecting its image from a different time, right? So you know how to operate the
mirror?”
“Indeed, I do. Originally, it was a Magical Artefact stored at Aya’s house. The operation
method was documented in the catalog that remained. However, most of it was lost in a
fire, so it’s not all there.”

“I see… So how do you erase the recorded images?”

“Ara, what a curious question. Do you want to erase them?”

“…To tell the truth, I used it once and now I can’t get rid of it, and it’s been a problem. If you
know how, I’d like you to tell me.”

“Hmmm…” Kurumi pondered for a moment before giving a small nod.

“Very well. —Trace the magical symbols drawn on the frame of the mirror three times
clockwise, starting from the top left. Then, dance in front of the mirror for three minutes,
twisting your body. This will display all the images that have been recorded on the mirror's
surface. After that, you just need to select the one you want to erase.”

“…What a ridiculous way to operate it.”

“Don’t say that to me.” Kurumi shrugged her shoulders, exasperated, and continued, “Well,
you don’t have to worry. Now that we know it’s a magic craft item, we will collect it from
here tomorrow. I’ll take care of erasing the images as well.”

“…I see. Then I’ll leave it to you.” Natsumi said this with an air of annoyance before slumping
her shoulders and leaving the scene.

“W-Wait a minute, Natsumi-san!” Kanon called out to her back. Kurumi spread her palm as
if to calm the tension.

“Well, it’s alright, isn’t it? Admittedly, it was a rash thing to do, but it seems to have
stemmed from a sense of responsibility as the student council president. —Right, Kotori-
san?”
“Eh?” Kotori, caught off guard by Kurumi’s question, paused to gather her thoughts before
letting out a sigh.

“...Well, yes. I hope she refrains from such troublesome antics in the future.”

“N-No, that’s not what I mean! I can’t believe that Natsumi-san would do something like
that—” Kanon frowned, clearly dissatisfied.

However, Natsumi did not stop her footsteps and continued to walk away into the darkness.

“Well then. I suppose that settles it—right?” As she watched Natsumi’s retreating figure,
Kurumi muttered softly.

—At two o'clock in the deep night.

In the east building of Raizen High School, a shadow slowly ascended the stairs from the
third to the fourth floor, without carrying any light.
“........” The shadow stopped in front of a large mirror installed on the wall of the landing,
looked around cautiously, and then began to trace the patterns carved into the mirror's
frame with its fingertips.
After circling the frame three times with its finger, it hesitantly started to twist its body in
front of the mirror. It seemed to be trying to dance, but rather than elegant movements, it
resembled seaweed or kelp swaying in the waves.
In an instant—
“...!?” Suddenly illuminated by a bright light, the shadow that had been dancing in a strange
manner shuddered all over.
“—Oh my, oh my. I thought you had returned just a moment ago. What are you doing here,
Natsumi-san?”

“Ah...” Kurumi, holding a flashlight, asked with a crooked smile at the corner of her lips,
causing the awkwardly moving shadow—Natsumi—to stop, blushing deeply.
“W-what are you doing here...?”

“That’s the question I should be asking you. What on earth do you need that mirror for?”

“Guh...” At Kurumi's seemingly innocent question, Natsumi bit her lip in frustration. Just
then, Aya’s curious voice came from behind Kurumi.

“What’s going on, Sensei? Didn’t we resolve the incident...?”

“If we’re talking about the identity of the ‘ghost’—then I can say we’ve clarified that.
However, it seems there are still some things left unspoken regarding why Natsumi-san
caused the ‘ghost’ commotion?”

“Eh? That’s because I wanted to scare people sneaking around the school at night...”
Midway through her explanation, a yawn escaped from Aya’s throat.

…Well, that’s understandable. It was now the dead of night, a time when all living things
should be asleep. “I told you, there’s no need to push yourself. You can go home first.”

“No… I’ll stay with you until the end. After all, I’m your assistant.” Aya said this firmly,
rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Kurumi replied shortly, “Is that so?” before turning her attention back to Natsumi.

“Anyway, judging by your recent actions, your intentions are clear. —Natsumi-san was
trying to erase the images recorded in the ‘Brocken Mirror.’”

“W-Well, that’s not exactly…”

“By the way, the method I mentioned earlier for erasing the images was completely made
up.”
“Damn it!” Natsumi exclaimed, stomping her feet in frustration, only to suddenly stop and
shake her shoulders in realization. Kurumi shrugged, saying, “Ara, Ara.”

“But Sensei... you said that the ghost’s images would be erased here after we collected the
mirror. Shizuka-san agreed to that. So why would you go out of your way to…”

“Hehe, why do you think that is?”

“...Because Sensei isn’t trusted?”

“...Well, I can’t completely deny that possibility,” Kurumi replied, clearing her throat to
gather herself before continuing.

“I think Natsumi-san was trying to erase images other than the ‘ghost.’”

“Images other than the ‘ghost’...?”

“Yes. When we erase the images, we might overlook the truly important ones that we want
to erase. Or perhaps there was something that she didn't want us to see at all. I’m not sure
about the details, but it seems that Natsumi-san couldn't feel secure unless she erased it
with her own hands. That’s why I believe she was trying to handle it before the mirror was
collected.”

“...” Natsumi averted her gaze, furrowing her brow. Her hands, gripping the hem of her
clothes, trembled slightly.

“Well then, are you still not going to tell us the truth after all this? Although, if you plan to
keep quiet, we can always investigate it thoroughly later,” Kurumi teased. After a moment of
silence, Natsumi let out a deep sigh, as if resigning herself.

“...Fine, I’ll tell you. But you have to keep it a secret, okay?” She then ruffled her hair and
began to speak hesitantly.
“...Actually, just before I went to consult with Kurumi, I investigated the ‘New Seven
Mysteries’ all by myself.”

“Is that so?”

“...Even though it was more of a forced task, I am still the student council president.” She
pouted, looking a bit embarrassed, before continuing.

“...Well, it’s just a rumor, and nothing particularly happened. —But when I passed behind
the school building, someone suddenly appeared.”

“Someone?”

“It was Senpai Kinosaki.” At Natsumi’s words, Kurumi’s eyebrows twitched slightly. —
Kinosaki Miyako, the vice president of the student council.

“Does that mean she believed in the ‘New Seven Mysteries’ and made a wish on the
mirror?”

“...Well, that’s about right.”

“May I ask what kind of wish she made?” Kurumi inquired, and after a moment of hesitation,
Natsumi replied.
“...‘I hope to convey my feelings to Tanaka-sensei.’”

“Well, well...” When she heard the name Tanaka-sensei, the nondescript teacher who had
visited the student council room came to mind. Kurumi widened her eyes in surprise at the
unexpected name. Shizuka sighed before continuing.
“So... when I secretly asked Senpai Kinosaki, she mentioned she had made a wish on the
mirror of the ‘New Seven Mysteries.’ I thought maybe it would work for me too, so I tried it,
and it actually did...How should I put it? Senpai Kinosaki is quite popular, and if weird
rumors spread, well... It wouldn’t be great. She seems like the type who wouldn’t care much
even if it got out, and when I asked her, she was quite carefree about it. But there’s a
possibility that bad rumors could circulate about the teacher.
...That person is too kind and doesn’t really understand that there are terrible people out
there who just want to ruin others.”
“I see. So, in order to overwrite Miyako-san's image, you recorded your own figure disguised
as a ghost. You even went so far as to use a stepping stool to make up for your height.”

“...Yeah, something like that.” Natsumi said, feeling a bit embarrassed. Hearing this, Aya’s
eyes widened.

“Sensei, this person is really nice!”

“Oh, have you finally realized that? As a detective's assistant, you should hone your
observational skills even more,” Kurumi said casually. Aya responded cheerfully, “Yes!”
while Natsumi turned bright red.

“──I understand the situation. Thank you for answering honestly. Don’t worry; Miyako-san’s
footage will be deleted along with Natsumi-san's ‘ghost’ and our own images. Of course, I
have no intention of speaking of this to anyone. ──Is that alright with you too, Aya-san?”
“Yes, of course,” Aya nodded in agreement.

Kurumi smiled with satisfaction but continued, “That said, wouldn’t it be good to clear up
the misunderstanding among the student council members? Well, it seemed like Kotori-san
and the others had an inkling of the truth, even if they didn’t know the specifics.”

“...I’ll think about it.”

“Very well.” It seemed unnecessary to push any further. Kurumi responded briefly and
began to walk away with Aya in tow.

“...Can I ask you one last thing?” Natsumi’s voice called out to Kurumi’s back. Kurumi
stopped, turning her gaze toward Natsumi without changing her body position.
“What is it?”

“...How did you know I was lying about my motive?” Natsumi asked, looking puzzled. It was
a reasonable question for her. If Kurumi didn’t have certainty that Natsumi was lying, she
wouldn’t have resorted to such a roundabout method. Kurumi replied with a gentle smile on
her lips.
“──If Natsumi-san were to do something like that, it would surely be for someone else, not
herself.”
“…………!” Natsumi gasped, her cheeks flushing. With a toss of her hair, Kurumi departed,
cutting through the night.

[The End]