Pallas directed the male recruits to their rooms down the hall, petals from his ARCHtype jacket falling as he brushed his arms against it.
⠀
Pallas announced, "Welcome to the Male Quarters. These two rooms are yours. Please choose who will be staying in which room and with whom."
⠀
Yuhuan and Mori instinctively walked toward the same room, while Qiang and Roby were distanced from one another. Pallas began to speak again in his monotone voice.
⠀
With a dry, melodramatic sigh, Pallas added, "It seems you two are, unfortunately, the last to pick, so you'll be rooming together. If anyone has a problem with the rooms, you can change once a semester. Don't worry, I'm sure you can make something beautiful out of this tragedy."
⠀
Roby looked at Qiang with a troubled expression.
⠀
Roby protested, his face twisting in dismay. "This guy's creepy! Can't I get a room with Yuhuan?!"
⠀
After the 7th free-for-all contest was over, Roby seemed to have gained a great admiration for Yuhuan, even offering to help him during training. This, of course, led to Yuhuan spending less time with Mori and Saoirse. Qiang side-eyed Roby.
⠀
Qiang shot back, "If you can't even trust a Fixer from your Post, then who can you trust, fool?"
⠀
Roby snapped, "Who're you callin' a fool?!"
⠀
Yuhuan interjected, "Enough, you two."
⠀
Pallas touched both their shoulders, activating Beautiful Morning, which let them see the most beautiful thing they could imagine.
⠀
Roby cheered, "Ahahaha! Wooohooo!~ So many women!"
⠀
Before Roby's eyes appeared a sea of women, all with glistening, oily skin that shimmered in the light like treasure washed up on the beach.
⠀
"..."
⠀
Qiang, ever the pragmatist, saw only reality. Yet, he played along and scuttled into the room with Roby. The rooms were all quite wide, each furnished with a bed on either side, along with two desks and two sets of drawers. In Mori and Yuhuan's room, Yuhuan tested the firmness of his mattress. Mori seemed confused, but remained silent, a reaction that Yuhuan noticed.
⠀
Yuhuan advised, "Mori, you should check yours, too. If it doesn't come back up immediately, or if it feels uncomfortable just by the touch, you should get a replacement."
⠀
"Eh, I don't mind. I've slept on worse things," Mori replied with a shrug.
⠀
Yuhuan steps in front of Mori as he is about to toss himself onto his bed.
⠀
With a firm tone, Yuhuan said, "Mori, you're no longer just a citizen of the 6th. You're a Fixer now, and I won't let you settle for less."
⠀
Mori sighed.
⠀
Mori finally agreed, "All right. Let's check it."
⠀
They press down on Mori's bed together. Just as they touch the surface of the mattress, the bed topples over. Mori sighed again.
⠀
"I guess I'll sleep on the floor," Mori sighed, accepting his fate.
⠀
Yuhuan urged, "No! Take my bed for now, I won't mind."
⠀
"It's fine, Yuhuan, really. All I really wanna do right now is just relax," Mori insisted, waving off Yuhuan's concern.
⠀
Yuhuan nodded. "I see. Well, if you reconsider, just let me know."
⠀
Roby sat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed and staring at the floor. Qiang, on his own bed, looked around the room, familiarizing himself with their new home.
⠀
Qiang grumbled, "...You're loud."
⠀
Roby exclaimed defensively, "Excuse me? I didn't even say nuthin'!"
⠀
Before Qiang could elaborate, a faint sound slipped in from the hallway. It sounded like something dragging, slow, and uneven. Both of them paused.
⠀
Roby whispered, eyes darting to the door, "...You hear that?"
⠀
Qiang replied flatly, "I'm not deaf."
⠀
The sound came again, closer this time, like something brushing against the walls. The light above flickered once, then again. Roby stood immediately.
⠀
Roby muttered under his breath, "Nope. Absolutely not."
⠀
Qiang didn't move.
⠀
"Sit down. It's probably just someone walking by."
⠀
A shadow passed beneath the crack of the door.
⠀
Roby grabbed Qiang's sleeve.
⠀
"Get up."
⠀
The dragging stopped right outside. For a moment, there was nothing... Then something moved past the door.
⠀
Tall. Wrong.
⠀
Roby didn't think. He yanked the door open and bolted into the hallway, dragging Qiang with him. The corridor was dim, lights buzzing overhead. At the far end stood a figure, completely still, its face stark white, its long, black hair covering its entire body. Then it moved... slow, dragging... toward them.
⠀
Roby screamed at the top of his lungs, "THAT'S NOT HUMAN!!"
⠀
Roby turned and ran. Mori & Yuhuan's room door flew open as Roby's panic spread down the hall. They ran out of their room, checking the commotion.
⠀
"What's going on?!" Yuhuan demanded.
⠀
"Why are you yelling?!" Mori shouted.
⠀
Qiang, who was composed before, couldn't deny what he saw. He warned them.
⠀
Qiang blurted out, "Ghost!"
⠀
Roby stammered, "There's a g-g-ghost—!"
⠀
Without a second thought, Mori and Yuhuan turned to run with them as they passed. The hallway erupted into chaos. Feet pounded against the floor as more recruits spilled out, confusion turning into panic while the figure continued its slow approach.
⠀
A recruit cried out, "IT'S COMING!"
⠀
"RUN!!" Another one screamed.
⠀
Within seconds, the entire male wing was in full retreat, a wave of bodies rushing down the corridor... away from it.
⠀
Meanwhile...
⠀
Suzette cackled, "Ahahaha!~"
⠀
"Yeah! And then, she was like, 'oh, my gosh!' hahaha!~" Valentia gossiped.
⠀
Saoirse sat in the corner of Suzette and Valentia's room, the two female veterans who had shown Kotone and her to their quarters. The women had invited the two of them to their room, but they'd been gossiping for the last hour, and dusk was already settling outside. Saoirse wondered if she should just go to bed or perhaps lighten the mood by talking to Stuffy and Arnold. No... that would be so embarrassing!!
⠀
Valentia exclaimed, "All right!"
⠀
Valentia launched herself up from the bed and almost rolled toward the fridge, taking out a large case of beer and slamming it down in the center of the room.
⠀
Valentia grinned and asked, "It's three hours 'til midnight. We don't got much work tomorrow, so who's down to drink with me?"
⠀
Kotone stammered, "D-D-Dr-Dr-Drinking... beer...??"
⠀
Suzette hopped out of bed and grabbed two beers, one for herself and one for Valentia, before cracking them open. She then took off her top hat and poured her beer into it. Kotone's expression shifted dramatically as she watched from the bed, her jaw's impact softened by the various pillows and stuffed animals.
⠀
Kotone shrieked, "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-WHAT?!?! A-Are you stupid?! Why are you pouring your beer in y-y-your hat??"
⠀
Suzette declared, "Consider yourself honored to watch such a magnificent pour-formance!~ I, the Grand Magical Suzette, will make this beer in this hat... disa-beer!!"
⠀
Spinning in a circle, she held her hat upside down, then stopped and turned it back without spilling a drop of beer. Saoirse hopped up from the ground and dashed to Suzette's side, her mouth wide open in excitement.
⠀
Saoirse shouted, "HOW DIDST THOU PUT AWAY SUCH A BOUNTIFUL AMOUNT OF BEVERAGE?!"
⠀
Valentia nudged Suzette and said, "Look, Suzette! Seems your magic trick popped this one out of her shell! Saoirse, right?"
⠀
Realizing she had shattered her previous nonchalant facade, Saoirse crumbled to the floor. It was all for naught anyway, since they probably thought she was weird to begin with. Suzette began pouring beer from out of her sleeve into Saoirse's open mouth.
⠀
Kotone protested, "Wh-Wh-What are you...? YOU DON'T HAVE HER CONSENT TO DO THAT!!"
⠀
Suzette giggled, "It's all a part of the process, Kotone. We even got you to chill out with the vodka we put in your orange juice earlier."
⠀
Kotone whimpered, "...?! I-I-I-I thought... I th-thought th-th-the oranges were just rotten...!"
⠀
Suzette and Valentia both give her a disgusted look. Valentia continues.
⠀
Valentia recoiled, "And you still drank it? Ew!"
⠀
Kotone sniffled, "N-N-Not ew! I am... I-I-I... I, uh... I... Ngh... Mmh... Mm..."
⠀
Kotone starts to cry before she passes out from exhaustion.
⠀
...
⠀
After what felt like only a moment, Saoirse opened her eyes to find all of the male recruits standing around her alongside the other girls. Valentia greeted her with a grin.
⠀
Valentia grinned. "Morning, sleepyhead."
⠀
Suzette squeezed past everyone to speak to Saoirse.
⠀
Suzette huffed, "You were asleep for a few minutes before these vulgar boys barged into our room for shelter!"
⠀
"I'm telling you, we saw a real ghost out there!!" Roby exclaimed.
⠀
Saoirse's eyes widened, and she almost lost consciousness again before Valentia yanked her up from the ground with ease.
⠀
Saoirse raised Stuffy and Arnold, blocking her face from view.
⠀
Saoirse whimpered, hugging her plushies to her chest. "There's a ghost...? Saoirse's scared..."
⠀
Mori approached the door slowly, peeking out of the curtain in front of the window to check if the figure was still in the hall.
⠀
Mori whispered, "...I think the coast is clear, guys. Should we go back and check it out?"
⠀
Valentia stomped her foot down and pointed at Mori.
⠀
Valentia yelled, stomping her foot for emphasis. "Either way, you're all getting out of my room, you perverts! If you couldn't tell, you're all boys, and we're all girls!"
⠀
Roby clasped his hands together and gazed at Valentia's body as he spoke.
⠀
Roby grinned wickedly. "Correction, you're all perfectly fine developed women."
⠀
Suzette threw a playing card from her pocket at Roby's forehead, knocking him out cold.
⠀
"Perv takedown successful!"
⠀
Kotone's jaw trembled as she thanked Suzette.
⠀
"Th-Th-Thank you... y-y-y-y-you s-s-saved us...!!"
⠀
Yuhuan opened the door and stepped into the hall. Mori and Qiang watched him intently as he walked out, making sure he wasn't being possessed. Mori yelled out for him.
⠀
Mori called out, "Yuhuan!"
⠀
"Are you sure you wanna go back out there??" Qiang asked.
⠀
Yuhuan assured them, "Look, it's fine. No one's even out her—"
⠀
Yuhuan was grabbed by the figure, its hair wrapping around him as he struggled to break free. He began to scream, louder than anyone thought possible. Mori and Qiang froze.
⠀
Yuhuan screamed, "Don't just stand there! Suzette!"
⠀
Suzette nodded, and Valentia charged into the hall, drawing a saw blade from thin air that seemed to be made of blood. She cut at the hairs binding Yuhuan, freeing him enough for Suzette's magic top hat to suction-pull him from the monster's grasp. The monster turned to Valentia, its face a haunting, wide-eyed mask of unwavering focus. Valentia was about to strike again when she noticed something attached to the monster's arm: a briefcase.
⠀
Valentia gasped, "Hold up... Haddler? Is that you?!"
⠀
A muffled voice groaned, "...Mmm... mmmmmmmm..."
⠀
Valentia shouted, "Haddler! Wake up!"
⠀
Haddler blinked, slowly coming to his senses. "Mm... huh? ...Oh, hello, Valentia! I didn't see you there!~"
⠀
Valentia shook her head, exasperated. "You idiot! You were sleepwalking again, weren't you? It's a false alarm, everybody. Just Haddler."
⠀
Haddler wiped his eyes and looked around at the scene, noticing the locs of hair Valentia had cut away.
⠀
"..."
⠀
Valentia winced. "Oh, right... I kinda... trimmed your hair a bit, Haddler. My bad...!"
⠀
Haddler turned to Valentia, his expression now truly deathly, and she felt dread rise within her.
⠀
"...You're dead."