"Okay, next up... I'll go now!"
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
② Yui Yuigahama.
"Ahem... Okay, I'm going now?"
Wow, it actually has a pretty convincing vibe. Good luck, Melongahama-san.
"I heard this from a friend of a friend of mine..."
And there it is! The one I use all the time and get seen through every time!
I mean, she said she heard it from a friend of a friend. It would have been more honest if she'd just said she saw it on the internet.
Oh, but Yukinoshita is already acting like a chihuahua. Isn't that a bit early? Should we rename her Yukinoshita Chihuahua?
"This happened when a man got into a taxi."
That day, I worked late and missed the last train, so I ended up taking a taxi home.
When I heard that, I thought, "What a waste!" but I was relieved to hear that it could be covered by company expenses."
Wait, are you going to give your opinion from now on? Don't suddenly inject your personal feelings into the conversation. It'll just make no sense.
Komachi also has a look on her face that says, "Huh?"
She really does look like a housewife... She seems like she'd make a great mother.
...Isn't the heating a bit too strong?
"It was about a 30-minute taxi ride from there to my house. The taxi driver noticed I was tired and kept the conversation to a minimum."
Yukinoshita is trying her best to watch Yuigahama. She's trembling, though.
"It was probably about 10 minutes later... I dozed off for a bit, and when I suddenly woke up... there was someone in the passenger seat."
Professor Hiratsuka let out a gasp. Hey, is it getting closer to me?
"It wasn't so much that he was on board, but rather that it was as if he had been there from the beginning. I almost cried out, but I didn't want to startle the driver, so I kept quiet."
The person in the passenger seat appeared to be a woman, and she was wearing a white dress despite it being the middle of winter.
"...I wasn't even wearing a seatbelt."
Wow, that looks like it. I'm getting excited too. Wait, is Ms. Hiratsuka clinging to my left arm?
Komachi on the chest, Hiratsuka on the left...
Why do all women have such soft skin and smell so nice?
Professor Hiratsuka was able to stay calmer when he smelled cigarette smoke...!
"When I tried to ask the driver, he said, 'Is the temperature okay, sir? I'm not sure what the standard is when I'm alone,' and I missed my chance to ask the question."
When I realized from those words that only I could see it, all I could do was close my eyes and pretend not to see. Even so, I could definitely feel its presence. The heating was on, but my body wouldn't stop shivering.
Komachi and Hiratsuka are still trembling. Actually, the teacher's teary eyes are cute...
"...And then, and then!?"
...Huh, is the story heading towards its conclusion? Yuigahama's excitement level seems to be rising slightly...?
Hmm, I have a feeling that getting this excited during a ghost story is a bit dangerous...
"The woman slowly turned around and said with a smile, '!
"Can you see me?"
That's so scary!!
...Wow...
It's gotten really quiet.
It's not so much that it's the lingering feeling of terror, but rather that everyone is reacting the same way I am, saying, "Wow..."
It was going well up until a certain point...
Towards the end, my emotions got the better of me and it stopped being scary...
There are people like that, aren't there?
"...Huh...? Were you not scared...?"
Hey, you idiot, stop it, don't rub salt in the wound!
"...Boom!"
He pointed at me with his index finger, a strained smile on his face. The Laughing Salesman?
Why? This isn't even a futile struggle.
See, that just made the atmosphere even more awkward.
This kid didn't just use salt, he smeared it with Bhut Jolokia pepper...
...Well, that was strangely cute just now, though...
"Huh? What's going on? That's strange..."
He's tilting his head with his index finger on his chin. It looks like there are about three question marks above his head...
Yeah, the only funny part was the end. It was a close call, Merohama-san.
"...Phew, I'm glad it ended on a sour note."
"Teacher, that's awful!?"
"Yeah, it was a complete flop at the end!"
"Komachi-chan?! Don't say that with a smile!"
Yuigahama is crying. Waaah. I'm sad too.
"Now, it's my turn. My story is going to be scary, you know? Hehehe..."
"Teacher... I feel like I'm just a punching bag, it's disgusting!"
...He immediately punched me right in the solar plexus... Heh heh, no mercy... huh...
By the way, Komachi is still clinging to me. It's nice because she's warm.
③ Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"This is a story that actually happened to me. Do you know what a chain letter is?"
"Oh, you mean the kind of chain email we call it nowadays, right? The kind that says, 'If you don't send the same letter to X number of people, you'll be unlucky,' right?"
"It was played in our class before, wasn't it?"
Previously, when the topic of dividing into groups for the workplace visit came up, an email circulated that badmouthed the three men in the top caste group led by Hayama. I still clearly remember the indescribable unpleasantness I felt at that time.
...But I didn't get the email forwarded to me. I'm not crying! I'm not crying at all!
...Back then, the problem was resolved without identifying the culprit... Now I'm starting to wonder who the culprit was...
"That's right, it was popular when I was in elementary school...and it's started to become popular again in the last few years."
"Huh... Seriously? Even towards adults, like the teacher?"
"Yes, they're addressed to adults as well... or rather, they're letters that are only circulated to adults."
"It's only directed at adults... I'm curious about the source. If it were among children, I could see it as a prank, but when it's among adults, it's a different story."
Yukinoshita puts her hand to her chin, her face serious.
Certainly, if an adult were to do it, they would most likely take precautions to avoid leaving any traces. What a troublesome situation.
"...What exactly did it say?"
"Ah, first of all, unlike traditional chain letters, it's characterized by the fact that it doesn't say anything about having to pass it on to other people."
The content appears perfectly reasonable at first glance, but in reality, it is extremely malicious in that it specifically targets certain individuals and inflicts deep emotional harm on them.
"Wow...that sounds troublesome. What exactly is it?"
"Well, that's because..."
All five people listening to Professor Hiratsuka's story swallowed hard.
It's a different kind of fear than that of ghosts; it's an inexplicable, unsettling kind of terror.
Komachi is also gripping my clothes tighter.
"...It's a letter that begins with the words, 'We're getting married...'"
...Wow...
It's gotten really quiet.
Unlike when we were at Yuigahama earlier, the living room is now filled with feelings of sadness and pity.
Yukinoshita, don't close your eyes and turn your face away. That "Damn...!" expression will only hurt me more.
Yuigahama, please don't make a victory pose with both hands in front of your chest while frowning in a troubled expression and saying, "Teacher, don't give up!" It only makes me sadder.
Teacher, where are you looking? Your eyes look vacant. Teacher, teacher? ...Teacher!
Oh no, my vision is starting to blur.
As the atmosphere around them became like a wake, Kawasaki calmly said:
"Ah, so it seems like everyone around you is getting ahead of you, teacher."
"!?"
Whoa!? Kawasaki-san!? What are you talking about!?
You were pretty dismissive when Ms. Hiratsuka stopped you about your part-time job, weren't you?
See, the teacher's faded away. The teacher's faded away!
"...Ugh, hiccup...I can't take it anymore..."
...The teacher crying like a child is actually quite cute...
I would almost never show something like this to a guy I've just met...
Someone! Quickly! Before I get it!
Before I knew it, Komachi had moved away from my chest and was stroking the teacher's back. Yuigahama too. As expected of them.
...The tears...won't stop...
To be continued.