To Ogata Rizu, today's Test of Courage was an unprecedented trial in her entire life. Although she maintained a calm facade when she heard the news, her heart had already been gradually submerged by fear. Therefore, when Hayakawa summoned her and Furuhashi and she heard his discontent, Ogata sincerely felt, "This is great!" She waited expectantly for his plan, knowing that Hayakawa was certainly not someone who strictly followed the rules.
"Then what do you plan to do, Hayakawa-kun?" Ogata Rizu's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Hayakawa.
"I've already found out that the Test of Courage requires students to enter in groups," Hayakawa looked at the two girls expressionlessly and stated unequivocally, "You two will be in my group. I'll take you through a shortcut back to the dorms, and then we'll study."
"Ah…" Furuhashi Fumino was startled. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Hayakawa-kun, did you forget? I'm in Class A, and you're in Class B. We're not in the same class."
"Oh." Hayakawa Haku's emotionless eyes fell on Furuhashi. "So what? Did the school say you must group with people from your own class?"
"…But," Furuhashi Fumino's cheeks flushed slightly.
To ignore her own classmates and specifically seek out a boy from another class to form a group—wouldn't that just tell everyone that their relationship was anything but ordinary?!
If others found out…
"Look, that youthful literary girl from Class A, Furuhashi Fumino, deliberately went to another class to find a boy to group with. Even if they are a couple, isn't that a bit too clingy? I can't imagine what they're like in private."
"Exactly. She's so reluctant to be apart for two hours. Does she want to reveal her pitiful fear of ghosts in front of the boy? How unexpected…"
"She's so frivolous~"
Furuhashi Fumino: "..."
"Um…" Furuhashi Fumino was silent for a long time, then voiced her concerns to Hayakawa.
"It's that kind of issue again. That's not my concern," Hayakawa Haku said with some helplessness, remaining calm. "I'm only in charge of your studying. You solve your own class issues."
"Mhm…" Furuhashi Fumino took a deep breath, slightly grinding her teeth, annoyed by Hayakawa's straightforwardness.
"I have no problem." Ogata Rizu said suddenly after a brief thought. "Any time is fine. The sooner we go back to study, the better."
"Good girl!" Hayakawa Haku praised her by name, then glanced at Furuhashi. The meaning in his eyes was clear.
[Look at your dedication, hmph]
Furuhashi Fumino: "..."
"Alright then…"
"All students gather here." The middle-aged teacher shouted into a megaphone at the lazily assembled students. "The time limit is two hours. Enter in groups, traverse the forest, and reach the destination. Be safe; even if there's danger, we teachers won't intervene."
"What about you teachers?" A student couldn't help but ask.
"We teachers will wait for you at the starting point." The middle-aged teacher said this, then walked over to the side where several teachers were sitting and chatting.
Hayakawa: "..."
"What is up with these teachers?" Ogata Rizu said. "They're all so relaxed. Don't they care about student safety at all?"
"They probably don't, since it's just an ordinary small forest…" Hayakawa said indifferently. "Plus, there's a small path. A normal person wouldn't get lost here."
"I see." Ogata Rizu felt a little more at ease. "Let's go then."
"Mhm, let's go." Hayakawa nodded. He looked at Furuhashi Fumino next to him and noticed her rosy earlobes were completely red. She was looking down, saying nothing. He asked suspiciously, "Furuhashi, what's wrong?"
"J-just now, Shikazono-kun and my classmates from Class A went in, and they were all looking at me with strange expressions!" Furuhashi Fumino's pretty face was bright red, and she looked distraught. "They must be misunderstanding things again."
"…Haven't they already misunderstood?" Hayakawa said expressionlessly. "You're still agonizing over this kind of thing. Why don't you just break up with me sometime?"
"Why should I be 'broken up with' inexplicably? It's embarrassing!" Furuhashi Fumino said angrily. "Shikazono-kun and the others in Class A will definitely surround me to comfort me, and they might even come to hassle you. I'm thinking of you!"
(The "breakup" was Hayakawa's suggested solution to the dating rumors. Since the video couldn't be undone and the rumors were everywhere, they might as well confirm the relationship and then immediately break up. This would provide a rational explanation to the school and Ogata's father.)
But Furuhashi Fumino was unwilling. She didn't want to be "broken up with" so casually. In others' eyes, this was her first love!
Ending her first love so casually, and then no matter how good her acting was, she wouldn't be able to genuinely look heartbroken. People would definitely think she was a frivolous girl!
NO to that!
"What a hassle…" Hayakawa Haku shook his head. "Fine, suit yourself. Hurry up and move. The sooner we get out, the sooner we can study."
With that, he took the lead and walked toward the entrance, and Ogata Rizu quickly followed behind.
Furuhashi Fumino stomped her foot in frustration, then followed as well.
The forest was not quiet. Students' voices could be vaguely heard everywhere, echoing through the deep, dense woods. In the eerie atmosphere, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves mixed with the footsteps on the soft ground, creating an ancient kind of elegance.
Hayakawa Haku was somewhat silent. He realized he had slightly underestimated the Test of Courage.
From the outside, even in the darkness, it looked like an ordinary small forest. But the sensory experience changed completely once they entered. Towering tree trunks stood beside dense thickets. Emerald-like leaves swirled in the wind like a shower of green confetti. Above them, gnarled branches stretched out like giant bears lunging at prey or like scarecrows standing in a field.
"Uh…" Hayakawa Haku suddenly understood why the school chose this spot for the Test of Courage. It would indeed require a bit of courage to cross it at night.
Just as he was silently coping with the environment, Ogata Rizu's calm voice suddenly came from beside him.
"Honestly, it's not scary at all." The science loli looked at everything before her, her face composed. "This is a waste of time. Ghosts truly don't exist."
As expected of a science genius. So rational.
Hayakawa Haku mused for a moment, and just as he was about to walk forward…
"Puyoh~"
"Puyoh?"
A strange sound suddenly appeared, startling Hayakawa Haku. Then, a soft, yielding pressure landed on his arm.