Daichi Itakura:

Okay... this situation might be a little bit confusing for my clubmates as I didn't tell them about me and Otosaki becoming really close friends. So, it was really possible for them to have misunderstandings about us.

Hajime senpai, suddenly walked up to me and lightly hit my chest.

"Well done my boy, you have finally done it."

Yup... just as I thought. I have seen this scenario in animes before.

Tachibana senpai also puffed up her mouth and said,

"Dai-kun... I can't believe you hid your girlfriend from me. Am I not like your older sister?"

"THAT'S NOT IT!"

Even Yanami didn't stay behind. 

"I can't believe... Daichi-san really got a girlfriend. It's an inspiration for people like him around the world."

"Nah I don't even know what to say to you."

It took about 15 minutes to finally convince them. In total, 20 minutes were wasted.

At the moment when I finished explaining them, Otosaki whispered in my ears:

"I'm sorry, you got into trouble again due to me."

"Eh it's fine. It was my fault for not explaining them first. Please don't worry about this, Otosaki-san."

After successfully wasting 20 minutes, we then sat encircling the small table. Yanami sat beside me as she needed help from me which was the main point of the study session. Also, Otosaki sat at the other side of me as we were in the same year. In front of me, both the senpais had sit.

"So Otosaki-san, I hope you are doing well currently.", Yanami said. 

"Y-Yeah. Thanks to Daichi-kun. He helps me everytime."

"Oh is that so?", Tachibana senpai suddenly looked at me in a weird way.

I think she was the only person who still wasn't quite convinced.

"Oh well, Daichi, do you have some videogames? It will be fun to play together.", asked Hajime senpai. 

"Oi! You're here for studying or what?", Tachibana senpai scolded him as usual.

"Umm... Daichi-san, can you help me solving this problem?", Yanami politely asked.

"Ah! Yes!"

It was a problem from calculus. There was a function given which was asked to be integrated.

"I have tried to apply every formula I knew. It didn't work."

"You have to use partial fractions here.", I told her.

"Partial fractions?"

"You don't know?"

"I probably forgot..."

"Okay I'll explain to you."

While I was trying to explain to her, I felt that a pair of eyes were glaring at me. Was it Otosaki's?

"Wow, I understand now. Aren't you too good at maths, Daichi-san?", Yanami asked.

"Not really. I didn't even get the highest in maths in my class."

"It doesn't matter.", Yanami answered. "You're still one of the best. In fact I'm so jealous of your talent."

Really? Just because I'm good at maths?

"I may only have one good talent where Yanami has way too many."

At this moment, I got a message notification on my phone. I opened it to realise it was from Otosaki?

<I want some help too.>

I looked at her. She was sitting right beside me but was looking at her books. Meanwhile the others were also concentrating on their own works. 

<You can just ask me. Why are you texting?>

<Because... I'm feeling embarrassed to ask.>

I sighed. 

"Otosaki, do you have some problems you're finding difficult?", I asked her to make the situation easy for her.

"A-Ah yeah. This one here."

She gladly gave her notebook and pen to me.

After I explained to her, I got another message from Otosaki.

<Thank you :) >

Yup... her mood was now definitely way better than what it was before. 

"Hey we have studied for a long time. Can we have some snacks now?", Hajime senpai pleaded. 

"Hajime... it's not even half an hour since we began."

"Come on Tachibana! Relax a little bit. I need some energy after all."

"It's okay, I have some coffee ready. Give me a moment.", I told them.

"Let me help you, Daichi-san."

Yanami also accompanied me to the kitchen. While we both were pouring coffee in the cups, I got my phone vibrating again. 

It was another text notification from Otosaki.

<What are you two doing? You're getting late.>

Huh? Late? Not even two minutes have passed.

After we came back, I gave Otosaki the cup of coffee. She was once again looking unsettled. 

Was she thinking about Rintaro again?

I decided to message her again.

<What's the matter? You look not okay?>

<I'm feeling lonely.>

I looked at her. She was looking downwards.

While we were drinking the coffee, Hajime senpai suddenly proposed an idea.

"Let's have some fun. How about telling some ghost stories?" (Hajime)

"Huh?" (Yanami)

"Eh?" (Otosaki)

"You! We are here for studying today. We can have fun any other day." (Tachibana)

"Oh come on! Having fun for like 20 minutes wouldn't hurt. Tachibana? Why don't you start? Tell us your favourite ghost story." (Hajime)

"Me? Fine! But make sure you don't get scared too much." (Tachibana)

Nah... this looks more like a sleepover than a study session.

"Let me tell you the story of Hanako-san..." (Tachibana)

"You mean the ghost of the toilet? Everyone knows that lol." (Hajime)

"You just shut up and hear me." (Tachibana)

Even though most people probably heard this story in childhood from their grandparents, the way Tachibana senpai began to tell that story was really exciting. This story was about a ghost of a young girl hovering around toilets of primary schools.

As I knew this story, I didn't really get scared that much. Yanami also looked very calm. However, I could feel someone was shaking. 

It was Otosaki... though she was trying to be as calm as possible, it was really getting difficult for her.

I suddenly felt a tug at my sleeves. Otosaki was holding my sleeves under the table in fear, although nobody else could notice it. 

"So? How was this?" (Tachibana)

"Great try. But unfortunately nobody got scared." (Hajime)

"Oh really? Why are you sweating so much then, Hajime?" (Tachibana)

"I-it's because it's so hot here. Forget that. Now it's time for me! This one will definitely scare the sh*t out of everyone." (Hajime)

"C-Can we stop this now? I think we should continue studying.", Otosaki meekly asked.

"Huh? Don't tell me...", Hajime senpai asked with a massive grin on his face. "You're really scared, Otosaki?"

"N-NO THAT'S NOT IT!" (Otosaki)

"Okay then. I'm starting. This is the story of Kunekune." (Hajime)

"Kunekune?", everyone of us had the same question. 

Hajime senpai began his story. Kunekune is basically a scarecrow like thing, that shimmers and wiggles as if moved by wind, even on windless days. The object is sometimes visible in a hot summer day in fields. According to legend, anyone who tries to get a closer look at it is driven insane or dies when touching it.

Even though, I didn't get too scared, the story gave me goosebumps for sure. Yanami was surprisingly calm.

Ehh?

I felt a sudden warmth on my left hand. It was Otosaki. She was grabbing my hand. 

Of course, no one saw that as our hands were under the table. Her hands were really softer compared to mine. She was avoiding my gaze, but I could see her cheeks getting red.

What was this situation? This time my mind was really going insane.

At this moment another notification came in my phone.

<I'm really really scared>

I didn't know what to answer to this. My mind was going blank. In the end I replied...

<Don't worry... I'm here>

Was it a good reply?

Suddenly, she held my hand even more tightly, almost like a lover's bond. Now it was difficult to figure out who was more embarrassed.

"See, Tachibana? Even Daichi is scared after hearing my story." (Hajime)

Nah senpai, I'm not scared. My condition is entirely different because of different reasons. 

"Okay then who's next?" (Hajime)

"Can I?" (Yanami)

"Okay, Yanami! You didn't get scared even once. Maybe you have something even better." (Hajime)

Yanami cleared her throat and began...

"The stories you were telling were all from Japanese urban legends. However, the story I'm going to tell you, is an urban legend of India." 

India? That seems interesting. I never heard any legends from there before.

"I heard this story when I visited Bangalore with my dad few years ago. In early 90s, people were genuinely scared of this."

As she continued her story, not just Otosaki, but all of us were getting chills. Otosaki was intertwining her fingers with mine in fear.

This was a story of spirit of a young lady which hovered around the villages. It knocks your door in night. It spoke in the voice of someone you know which makes you open the door. And if you opened the door, it would kill you. 

The villagers thus wrote one their front doors "Come tomorrow", which was apparently a solution to stop that ghost to knock the door.

After Yanami finished the story, she asked, "How was this?"

"Damn... that really scared the sh*t out of me." (Hajime)

"Mai-chan your story was amazing." (Tachibana)

"True. Even I was scared." (Daichi)

"Y-Yanami-san... the story is a m-myth, right? It's not true, right?" (Otosaki)

"Who knows? But I can say the scare was real in 90s. People really have written the words on their doors."

And at that moment...

Knock Knock

"Kyaa!" (Otosaki)

Otosaki freaked out and clung onto me. However nobody was noticing that. Because everyone else also freaked out after hearing the knock knock in the door.

Ding Dong

The doorbell was also ringing. Someone was outside. 

"I'm going to check who is that."

As I was about to stand up... I was stopped by Otosaki.

"No! No! No! No! It may be that!"

"D-Don't be ridiculous. See, nobody is scared."

"D-Dai-kun. You probably wait for sometime."

"Eh? Tachibana senpai you too scared or what?"

"She is correct, Daichi."

"Hajime senpai..."

"Daichi-san... I think we shouldn't answer it."

"Even you, Yanami?"

The doorbell meanwhile kept on ringing....

[To be continued]