Chapter 30: Old school house
(Ryoto's pov)
Ryoto: "What are you doing here, Kotegawa-San?"
Yui was the one following us.
Yui: "Students aren't allowed in the old building. Teachers deemed it dangerous to wander around as even stepping on the floor can break it."
Ryoto: "What are you doing here then. It's dangerous to wander around alone, especially here."
Hearing this, Risa snickered, which gained her a glare from Yui. Kotegawa quickly changed her target however, from her to me.
Yui: "I'm head of the school disciplinary committee, and I noticed your group going here, so I planned to stop you, but you were faster than I expected."
The last part, she said with a slight blush from embarrassment.
Ryoto: "Do you hear that, Risa? It's my group. Even the school disciplinary committee head recognizes me as a leader."
I said with a teasing tone.
Risa: "Dream on. She only said that because you cause the most trouble."
Ryoto: "Does it mean that I'm a leader of a troublemaker group?"
Yui: "Don't ignore me!"
She stomped, showing her frustration but the floor beneath her broke, creating a big hole.
Yui: "Wha-"
She started falling down, but I rushed to her and caught her mid-fall. I landed on the floor below with Yui in my hands.
Ryoto: "Are you alright?"
Yui: "Y-yes."
She answered timidly but quickly recovered from the shock of falling.
Yui: "Wait, put me down!"
Ryoto: "Don't you want to return?"
I pointed at the hole above us."
Yui: "Of course I want. That's why we need to find the stairs first!"
Ryoto: "I think I've found a shortcut."
Yui: "Shortcut?"
As soon as she said that, I grabbed her and jumped up, landing safely.
Risa: "That was fast."
Ryoto: "I don't like wasting my time more than necessary. Not that it doesn't happen, I just don't like it."
Yui: "And how long do you plan to carry me around."
Yui is becoming more and more annoyed by my nonchalant attitude.
Ryoto: "As long as you want, but I remind you that my girlfriend is standing right there."
I turned to Lala, who had smiled at us.
Yui: "Stop joking around! Can't you be serious for five minutes!!?"
Ryoto: "Only if necessary."
Yui: "And falling a few meters into the hole isn't a necessary situation for being serious!!?"
Ryoto: "If you didn't notice, I jumped these few meters upwards. I probably wouldn't be hurt by that fall and you being with me were safe as well."
Yui: "And why is that?"
She seemed curious. So I dropped my acting for a moment.
Ryoto: "*Sigh* I really hate seeing people near me being hurt or suffer."
It has happened too often already.
Ryoto: "So I would rather get hurt myself."
Lala: "Ryoto?"
Lala was concerned. Seeing me like this for the first time was certainly a shock. Better go back to my usual act.
Ryoto: "What is it, Lala?"
I said with a beautiful smile.
Seeing how fast I changed back to normal, Risa frowned. Haruna and Mio were shocked, Rito had a sad look, and Lala didn't know how to react. Before anyone could comment on what happened, I took control of the conversation.
Ryoto: "Lala, we're starting the plan now."
Lala: "Now?"
Ryoto: "Yes, it's a good time as any."
Lala did as I asked and turned the device, making it hard to see for everyone around. Thankfully, I wasn't affected by it, and Risa, Mio, and Lala had special goggles that allowed them to see in the dark.
Haruna, unable to see and hear a movement in a pitch-black hallway, started to panic and tried anyone who was being close. That person was Rito, precisely as planned.
The rest of our group went into the hole that Yui fell before. As Kotegawa wasn't able to see and didn't even know about the plan, so I decided to volunteer her help.
Yui: "Kya!!!"
Yui screamed as I grabbed her, and I jumped down. I then caught the girls that followed shortly after.
The effect of Lala's invention ended, and everyone could see again.
Rito: "Huh? where is everyone?"
Lala: "Down there!"
Lala yelled, bringing Rito's and Haruna's attention to the hole.
Lala: "It seems one of my machines malfunctioned."
Haruna: "At least you're safe. Hurry up and jump up again and leave this place already!"
Risa: "Well, the device put Ryoto to sleep, so we need to find stairs now. We'll meet outside."
Haruna: "B-b-but..."
Risa: "Don't worry, you've got Rito by your side. He'll protect you, isn't it right, Rito?"
Rito: "Y-yes."
Rito automatically answered but realizing shat he had just answered, he started blushing and thanking me for a given a chance.
After a short time of pretending to be asleep, Risa said.
Risa: "They're already gone. You can stop pretending."
I stood up and dusted off my clothes. I then turned to Yui, who was furious.
Yui: "You were pretending!!!? I don't believe I even started to w-"
She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone besides Lala knew what she wanted to say. Seeing our smug faces, she quickly became embarrassed and fake coughed a few times.
Yui: "So anyway, for what was that whole charade?"
Ryoto: "Nothing much, just helping out little brother and looking for some ghosts."
Yui: "Ghosts? There are no such things as phantoms in this world."
Ryoto: "If you don't believe in them, you don't need to be worried that they'll appear then."
I started walking forward without any hint of worry.
Yui: "W-wait, it's dangerous to walk alone."
She went after me. Seeing this, Risa sighed, and Lala followed Yui and me.
During our little journey, we walked upon a piano that played by itself, a walking skeleton from the biology room, and an invisible man. The invisible man was shocked that I could see him and just ran away scared. The walking mannequin was a bunch of tiny aliens moving a skeleton model.
Haruna: "KYAAA!!!"
Her scream didn't move me one bit.
Seeing my indifference, Yui was outraged.
Yui: "How can you be so cold. And to think that for a second, I thought... Never mind, I'll go myself!"
Ryoto: "Don't be so quick-tempered. I'm not worried because I don't need to, at least for Haruna. The one we should be worried about is Rito. I hope he didn't break any bones."
Yui: "What do you mean?"
Yui was baffled by my response. She expected some excuse but nothing like what I said.
Ryoto: "Let's go and find out then."
We walked towards Haruna to see the aftermath of whatever happened there.
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END
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