Riku had one goal after class: escape.
He slid his books into his bag, took a casual glance at the door, and slowly inched toward freedom. If he moved naturally, they wouldn't suspect a thing—
A hand clamped onto his shoulder.
"Going somewhere, newbie?" Hana's voice was far too cheerful.
Riku turned, giving her his most innocent look. "Me? Nah. Just… heading home. Long day. Very tired. Probably need to sleep for—"
Tetsuya appeared on his other side, adjusting his glasses. "Funny. Because we had a club activity planned today."
Riku tensed. "Oh, wow, look at the time. I actually have this very important—"
Hana hooked an arm through his. Tetsuya grabbed the other.
Riku squirmed. "Wait. Hold on. Let's talk about this—"
"Paranormal Club rule #1," Hana said, dragging him forward. "No running away on your first investigation."
"That is not a rule!"
"It is now," she chirped.
Tetsuya smirked. "Congratulations, Riku. You're officially coming ghost hunting with us."
And just like that, his fate was sealed.
Riku followed Hana and Tetsuya through the dimly lit school hallway, feeling like a man walking toward his doom.
"Alright," he muttered. "So, what's the actual plan?"
Tetsuya adjusted his glasses. "Simple. We investigate the 'haunted' music room, determine if it's just a rumor, and report back. Standard procedure."
"Sounds easy," Riku said, relaxing a little.
Hana grinned. "Oh, absolutely. Unless, of course, the ghost gets mad and tries to eat your soul."
Riku stopped walking.
Tetsuya patted his shoulder. "Ignore her. The odds of that happening are… relatively low."
Riku squinted. "Relatively? What's that supposed to mean?"
Before he could demand actual percentages, Hana grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward. "C'mon, newbie. It's just a music room. What's the worst that could happen?"
They stopped in front of the door. The small window in the frame was too dusty to see through, but the room was dark. Silent. Unused.
Tetsuya pulled out a notebook. "According to reports, students passing by hear a piano playing by itself at night."
Riku glanced at the door. "Piano? Maybe the school's just haunted by an overachiever who refused to stop practicing."
Hana smirked. "That, or the ghost really sucks at playing and is still trying to get better."
Hana shoved the door open dramatically. "Let's find out!"
"AHHH—" Riku flinched, nearly tripping over himself. "There she goes! Just—just opening the haunted room like it owes her money!" He took a cautious step back. "You know what? I actually don't need to find out. I'm good. Completely ghost-free life sounds fantastic—"
Inside, the moonlight from the windows cast long, eerie shadows over the old desks and chairs. At the back of the room sat an old piano, its cover slightly open. Dust floated in the air, disturbed by their footsteps.
Tetsuya took out a small flashlight and shone it around. "Riku, since you're our new investigator, why don't you go check out the piano?"
Riku stopped mid-step. "Why don't I—? Oh, yeah. Sure. Fantastic idea, Tetsuya. Let's send the guy who didn't even want to be here straight to the haunted room. That's definitely not how horror movies start—"
Just as Riku head inside-