"Hey Natsume-san, have you heard about this? They say there's a ghost spotted wearing Tokiwadai's uniform. Since you're a Tokiwadai student too, I thought you might know some inside scoop."
Uiharu's tone was full of anticipation, her face already showing signs of nervousness.
Beside her, Saten couldn't hide her curiosity either, glancing over at Natsume Sonoko, who seemed lost in thought.
"Saten, ghosts really don't have any solid basis in reality. It's probably just an optical illusion caused by high temperatures and all the glass surfaces on the city's skyscrapers."
"Like a mirage, for instance."
Though Natsume's heart gave a little thump, she answered earnestly.
"But don't mirages usually appear in deserts? And even if it were something like that, it shouldn't be happening so often," Saten replied skeptically.
"It's a bit hard to explain. But according to the weather forecast from Tree Diagram, the temperature won't be as high over the next few days. I bet that Tokiwadai uniform 'ghost' won't show up again," Natsume declared confidently, looking as though she had everything figured out.
"Eh—really?" Uiharu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. When it came to supernatural stuff, she'd rather steer clear.
"The truth is, there's only one explanation—the Tokiwadai uniform ghost is real," Saten insisted, holding her ground.
Time dragged by, slow as a rusted clock.
They walked on until Natsume's legs grew weak, her eyelids drooping, her whole body on the verge of stumbling. By the time they finally reached the sukiyaki restaurant, only about twenty minutes had passed in total.
'I've really been slacking on exercise lately,' Natsume thought.
'Too much sugar, rising body fat… but it's not entirely my fault. Tsuchimikado-san's bentos are just too delicious and nutritious, and it's hard to turn down everyone's generous treats.'
She made up her mind: starting tomorrow, she'd get serious about exercising.
Having settled that internally, Natsume set her worries aside and cheerfully stepped into the sukiyaki restaurant.
What should she eat? Maybe just the usual—some meat and vegetables.
The sukiyaki here looked a lot like hot pot, with a pre-mixed broth already in the pot.
"Wow, this place serves Kanto-style sukiyaki," Uiharu said, sounding surprised.
"That's pretty rare in Japan—more common abroad," Saten added with a nod.
"Is there really much difference?"
Natsume blinked, not seeing much of a distinction. Just as she found a table, someone swiftly slid into a seat.
The atmosphere was lively and bustling. Beads of sweat had already formed on Natsume's forehead as she stared intently at the pot in front of her.
Her chopsticks moved like a swift sword—once they struck, nothing was left behind.
Under the stunned gazes of Saten and Uiharu, the tips of her chopsticks snatched up the last slice of beef that had just risen to the surface, leaving only cabbage stalks and tofu drifting sadly in the broth.
"That's so sneaky, Natsume-san!" Uiharu grumbled, shooting a resentful look at Natsume, who was busy blowing on the hot beef.
"...Wait, the meat's already gone?" Saten sighed, discreetly checking her wallet before scratching her head awkwardly.
"Should I go buy some more?" she asked, gritting her teeth as she stood up.
"No need," both Natsume and Uiharu said in unison.
"Actually, I'm full," Uiharu quickly added, tugging at Saten's sleeve. Saten's scholarship was even smaller than hers, and there was still half the month to go.
"My stomach's happy too," Natsume said, patting her slightly rounded belly.
While Saten went to pay the bill, a loud thud echoed from nearby, followed by gasps from the crowd.
Turning around, Natsume saw Uiharu hurrying over to check on the situation.
'She's such a diligent and responsible Judgment member,' Natsume thought. 'So much more proactive than… well, a lot of people.'
Though she wasn't sure what was happening, Natsume followed to see. With Shirai not around, it'd be trouble if Uiharu ran into danger alone.
"Hang in there!" Uiharu's anxious voice reached Natsume's ears.
Natsume arrived at a corner of the restaurant and spotted a girl dressed in rather unusual clothing.
Her head was slumped against the table, and her long hair suggested she was a girl.
Food poisoning? Natsume's nerves tightened. Was there something wrong with the food here? This was bad—they needed to contact Heaven Canceller right away.
As her mind raced, the girl in the strange outfit struggled to speak.
"I'm… fine. Just… ate too much."
Hearing this, Uiharu visibly relaxed. But how much would you have to eat to end up collapsed like that?
Noticing the towering stack of empty plates beside the girl, Natsume finally understood. 'Well, that's… impressive, to say the least.'
Uiharu gently patted the girl's back, trying to help ease her discomfort.
"Each plate… only had a little meat, so I… ordered a lot."
The girl's voice was flat, like plain water. She lifted her head slightly to glance their way before slumping back onto the table.
"You know, you could've returned any dishes you couldn't finish," Uiharu said carefully.
At that, the girl's body stiffened for a moment.
Now, Natsume got a clearer look: the girl was wearing a rare miko outfit and appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen.
Her eyes reminded Natsume of Kiyama-sensei—sleepy and unfocused, clearly from lack of proper rest. Combined with her expressionless face, she already had the makings of a classic 'emotionless' girl.
"Well, if you're okay, we'll leave you to it," Natsume said, pulling Uiharu along.
Academy City was full of oddballs, and overeating was hardly the strangest thing she'd seen.
"Natsume, is it really okay to leave her alone like that?" Uiharu asked, still concerned.
"What could possibly happen? You're overthinking it, Uiharu," Natsume replied, shaking her head slightly.
"Saten! Over here!"
Spotting Saten outside after she'd paid the bill, Uiharu waved to get her attention.
"Where did you two go? I was starting to worry," Saten said, hands on her hips in mock annoyance.
"Just helping out a miko who overate," Natsume explained plainly.
"A miko? Probably just cosplay," Saten mused, already filling in the blanks.
"By the way, what's that in your hand?" Uiharu asked, pointing to some slips of paper Saten was holding.
"Oh, these are discount coupons! The owner gave them to me when I paid. They're good at several nearby shops."
Natsume took a look: the coupons were for this sukiyaki place, along with a few burger joints, fried chicken shops, and sushi restaurants. Each offered discounts on specific items.
"There are thirty here, so ten each," Saten said with a grin.
--+--
[Since the tree-man attacks began in District 6, multiple incidents have also occurred in District 3 and District 18. After being destroyed, these tree-men rapidly dehydrate, withering into dried branches and rotten leaves.]
[The tree-man incidents are suspected to be ability-related. Thirteen trees over twenty years old have been destroyed.]
[Day 3 without any sightings of the Tokiwadai uniform ghost. I miss her.]
[Rare collaboration between Railgun and Meltdowner. Click here for details.]
--+--
After not visiting this urban legend website for a few days, Natsume Sonoko felt completely out of touch.
In the site's forums, many once-familiar threads had vanished, replaced by new mysteries rising to the surface and capturing everyone's attention.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.