After Saiki finished distributing the sandalwood in batches, he sat off to the side, casually chatting with the ghosts.
At 6 p.m., the off-duty bell rang with a clanging sound outside.
Saiki remembered that there was supposed to be a gathering at 6, so he prepared to leave. Qingya suddenly spoke up: "Saiki, if you get a candle tonight, remember to light it once it gets dark. Don't skimp on it."
Qingya was the No. 66 patient—he'd learned her name from earlier conversations.
Saiki stood up and straightened his clothes.
[Even though I don't have a candle yet, if I get one, I'll remember to light it.]
Qingya nodded: "Good!"
"Saiki-oniichan, and at night—especially after 12—whatever you do, don't come out!"
Aki and Fuyu ran over, speaking with serious expressions.
Saiki didn't respond right away.
Aki: "Saiki-oniichan, seriously. Absolutely, positively do not come out."
Fuyu: "After 12, this hospital isn't what it looks like right now."
Saiki looked at the two with puzzled eyes, seeing how grave their faces were.
[What happens after 12?]
"After 12, really terrifying things start happening outside. It's just..."
Aki started to say more, but Fuyu covered her mouth. Her expression showed a trace of fear as she shook her head at Aki.
(Looks like this can't be said.)
The big uncle who was No. 70 spoke sternly: "Yeah, bro. It's really terrifying."
[You guys are making it sound so scary—have you actually seen it?]
Everyone nodded.
(Even the ghosts here are that afraid? Now I'm even more curious.)
Saiki headed to the gathering spot.
It was right in front of the caregivers' building door connected to the hospital wards on the 6th floor. There were four players there, including the chainsaw maniac he'd seen in the cafeteria at noon.
As Saiki walked over, he spotted a familiar face. Lin Fan was waving both hands enthusiastically in the crowd like the attention magnet he was.
Saiki joined the four and stood at the edge of the group.
"Saiki, how about it? Wanna agree to my request? I think tonight we could go out for a little adventure."
Lin Fan popped out from the other side of the crowd and slung an arm over Saiki's shoulder, speaking in a casual tone as if suggesting something completely trivial.
[Didn't I already say I refuse? Plus, on the first night, I advise you not to go out. Better to play it safe.]
Saiki recalled what the ghosts in the other rooms had said. If even they were afraid, whatever it was must be something. Saiki was actually quite interested, but he had no intention of going out on the very first night.
In movie plots, the first one to go out at a time like this usually didn't end well. Though he wasn't afraid, he'd already decided to follow the normal-person route.
Lin Fan nodded: "Makes sense. Then tonight we'll just observe. We can discuss tomorrow."
[Hey! Did you just put me in your "go out together tomorrow" group without asking?]
"Tap tap tap..."
While the two were chatting away, Ya-jie approached step by step, wearing a different style of nurse uniform.
Without wasting words, she scanned the group with her eyes, then pulled several packages from who-knows-where and tossed one to each of the five people.
Saiki opened his and found a lighter, a few pieces of compressed biscuit, 5 ghost coins, and one long, fiery-red candle.
Ya-jie: "Your rooms will lose power after 11 p.m. Don't come out at night. Of course, if you're not afraid of dying, go ahead and try. If anything happens, we're not responsible."
Saiki glanced at the others' packages—they were the same as his, except for one unlucky guy.
Everyone else had 5 biscuits; he had only two. Everyone else had 5 ghost coins; he had only two. Everyone else had a candle; he didn't.
In the end, he couldn't hold back and asked: "Miss, it's fine if I have less stuff than them, but why don't I have a candle?!"
(What a brave warrior—you actually dared to ask.)
Ya-jie's expression didn't change. She coldly swept her gaze over him: "Your patients weren't satisfied. They almost went berserk."
"No choice there. That patient wanted me to go buy oranges for her. I can't leave the hospital—you know that!"
"I don't care. I'm leaving."
With that, Ya-jie turned and walked away. But that unlucky guy actually tried to rush up and argue.
(Hey! Is your head broken?!)
"Wait..."
The surrounding air instantly grew several degrees colder. Ya-jie turned back, patches of skin peeling off her face, and suddenly swiped with one claw.
"Ah!!"
A scream rang out. The unlucky guy's arm fell off, and Ya-jie recovered the biscuits and ghost coins along with it.
"This is a warning. Don't let there be a next time!"
After returning to normal, Ya-jie snorted coldly and strode away.
(This guy is way too stupid!)
"..."
"This guy is way too stupid!"
Lin Fan shook his head on Saiki's shoulder, smacking his lips as he spoke.
[Don't get so close to me.]
Saiki looked at the unlucky guy, now missing an arm, clutching his wound in pain. He was staring at a blue-haired man in the group.
"Tian Yun-ge, what should I do? No candle, and now even the biscuits and ghost coins are gone!"
From the conversation, they were clearly in the same group.
"How should I know? It's your own fault for provoking that nurse. Idiot!"
The blue-haired man looked at him with contempt, then turned and went back to his room.
(Truly ruthless. But in a place like this, you probably have to be that way to survive longer.)
Saiki watched the unlucky guy on the ground licking his wound. A green light glowed from his hand as he placed it on the severed arm. Though no new arm grew, the bleeding had stopped.
(Special ability, huh.)
The unlucky guy, now mostly recovered while sitting on the ground, felt someone pat him. He turned and saw Saiki holding out a few pieces of compressed biscuit.
"You..."
[Take them. Eat up so you can hit the road properly.]
Though he didn't fully understand Saiki's words, seeing Saiki help a complete stranger moved him deeply.
"Th-thank you."
Saiki ignored his grateful look, turned, and prepared to head back to his room.
Lin Fan followed beside Saiki and asked in a quiet, teasing tone: "Why give them to him? You two close? You didn't even give me any!"
[Don't you already have some?]
"I'm a big eater! And are you even close with him?"
(I'm not close with you either!)
Saiki turned his head away, refusing to look at Lin Fan's melancholic expression.
[Tomorrow.]
Lin Fan froze, clearly not expecting Saiki to say that, but still replied instinctively: "Ah, uh... thanks..."
[You're welcome.]
"But instead of giving them to me, don't you need to eat?"
[No need. I don't eat anything made by ghosts, and I don't eat food given by ghosts either.]
"Then thanks a lot!"
Lin Fan nodded with a smile. He didn't ask why Saiki didn't need to eat; he just glanced back at the unlucky guy.
The guy was still kowtowing toward Saiki. After one look, Lin Fan sighed and said to Saiki: "Well... giving them to him won't do much good anyway. He won't make it past tomorrow."
Saiki raised an eyebrow slightly.
[You know what happens at night too?]
Lin Fan nodded: "The patients in my room told me as well. Hmm... I can't say for sure about you, but that one-armed unlucky guy—with his performance—he's not surviving."
[I know.]
Of course Saiki knew he wouldn't survive. He'd already observed—the kid's strange ability was only healing, and a low-level one at that.
No life-saving tricks. He looked like a total weakling. No way he was making it through tonight.
"Hey, good that you know."
[But you should let go now. I'm already at my room.]
Saiki reached his door, pointed at it, and gave Lin Fan a "get lost" look.
"Mm, back to the room!"
[Let go first. Go back to your own room.]
Lin Fan chuckled, walked to the door next to Saiki's, and unlocked it with his key: "I'm right here."
(My next-door neighbor is this hammer guy? What bad luck.)
"But wanna come check out my room? We could talk about some..."
Bang.
Saiki ignored the annoying guy, walked into his room, and shut the door.
He placed the package on the headboard and sat down by the window.
The system suddenly appeared with a strange expression: "That kid's so weird. I kept watching—he's totally clinging to you."
Saiki glanced at the system's odd look and replied speechlessly.
[He's just looking for a strong ally. Put away those dirty thoughts in your head.]
Saiki saw right through the system's mind.
"I didn't mean it like that!"
The system shouted, but after calming down, it looked at Saiki in surprise: "You... you actually peeked at my thoughts."
[That's telepathy.]
"Turn it off."
[Can't. It's passive.]
The system sighed, then suddenly asked: "Hey Saiki, do you believe what those ghosts said about lighting the candle?"
Saiki nodded.
"You're actually trusting ghosts? Not afraid they'll trick you?"
[They're not tricking me. I can tell that much.]
"Shouldn't you be asking me at a time like this~?"
[You know?]
"I just checked the clear guide earlier. And I'm the system—your golden finger. You should be asking me."
(What's the system so proud of?)
[So you know how to clear it easily?]
"No, it wasn't explained that clearly. But lighting the candle is real."
Saiki complained speechlessly.
[You're so useless.]
"What did you say!"
Hearing Saiki state the truth so bluntly made her even angrier.
"You... you just insulted me (´இ皿இ｀)"
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
Saiki got up, went to the door, and opened it. Standing outside was Akiyuki—wearing long pants and a hoodie, masked up, sunglasses on, completely wrapped up and disguised.
[What are you doing?]
Akiyuki took off her sunglasses, cautiously checked behind her to make sure no one was there, then said: "Can I come in to talk?"
[Oh.]
Saiki nodded and opened the door wider.
Akiyuki walked in, pulled the stool over to the headboard herself, sat down, and gestured for him to sit too.
(This is my room—why are you so at home here?)
Saiki sat on the headboard and was about to ask when Akiyuki spoke first: "I came to find you for something. I wanted to ask about this candle."
Akiyuki pulled a bag from inside her hoodie and took out an identical red candle.
"..."