The group ventured into the abandoned hospital. Along the way, dark bloodstains and scattered debris painted a scene of chaos—as if the place had been attacked and evacuated in a hurry, leaving much behind.
Of course, it was all staged to spook the visitors.
"Shoyo, are you scared?" Shizuka Marukawa asked, her face practically buried in her chest. She'd somehow ended up hiding behind him, her voice trembling.
"Not really. Are you, Ms. Marukawa?" Azuma Shoyo replied, glancing back at her.
"Yeah, this is terrifying!" she admitted with a nod. No point in pretending—her fear was written all over her face.
"It's okay. Just remember it's all fake," he said, comforting her.
"It's obviously fake. What's there to be scared of?" Conan muttered, hands in his pockets, acting unfazed.
"You little brat, stop acting like a know-it-all!" Sonoko snapped, glaring back at him. A second later, she shrieked and threw herself into Azuma Shoyo's arms.
"What's wrong?" he asked, playing dumb.
He'd already spotted the trap—a hatch had opened behind them, and a staff member dressed as a ghost had crept out, lurking just behind Conan.
"Hey! Sonoko-neechan, don't freak out like that!" Conan said, sweat beading on his forehead, though he kept up his tough act.
Then, a strand of hair reeking of rot dangled over his head.
"Aaaah!!!" Even Conan, bold as he was, couldn't handle that sudden scare. He bolted forward, yelling.
"Die!" A staff member playing a killer ghost grabbed him, lifting him off the ground.
"Time to eat you, kid!" The "ghost" opened a gaping maw, fake maggots wriggling inside, unleashing a stench that nearly made Conan gag.
"Conan!" Ran cried, starting to rush over.
But then, doors to nearby wards burst open. More staff—some dragging huge knives, others wielding fake chainsaws—emerged with creepy laughs, closing in on the group.
"Ah!!!" Conan yelped as a knife plunged into his chest.
I'm dead, I'm dead!
"Kid, it's fake—no pain," the staff member said, dropping the act and speaking normally to the startled Conan.
"Heh… heh… Of course I knew it was fake! I wasn't scared at all!" Conan forced a grin, still clinging to his bravado.
"Ha! What a stubborn little guy!" the staffer laughed. "You're 'dead' now, kid, so you've gotta be locked up with the others."
"Fine," Conan said with a resigned nod.
Damn it! Out this early?
He glanced ahead, where Azuma Shoyo was fending off the slow-moving "ghosts" with an IV pole, shielding Ran and the others as they retreated. Seeing Conan "killed," Ran gave up trying to save him. The five of them turned and ran after temporarily driving off the attackers.
"That jerk Shoyo!" Conan muttered, jealousy turning his eyes green.
Bang!
"Block the door!" The group slammed it shut behind them, dragging a table over to barricade it before catching their breath.
"That scared me to death!" Sonoko said, patting her chest. "And Conan got taken out—so pathetic!"
"Sonoko, could you not laugh while saying that?" Ran said, exasperated, eyeing her giggling best friend.
Sonoko dropped the act and burst out laughing. "That little brat acted so fearless from the start, but he was screaming his head off just now!"
"You were scared too, Sonoko—you jumped right into Shoyo's arms," Ran pointed out.
"I'm a girl!" Sonoko said, blushing as she glanced at Azuma Shoyo. "And I've always been afraid of ghosts. What about you, Ran? Aren't you scared?"
"Of course I am! You know I hate this stuff," Ran said, her face paling. She really was terrified.
"Um… have you guys seen Shizuka?" Chie Morinaga asked suddenly.
"Ms. Marukawa?" Sonoko and Ran looked around, realizing they were only four—Shizuka had vanished during the chaos.
"She must've gotten lost while we were running," Sonoko said.
"What do we do? Should we go look for her?" Ran asked, worried.
"I'll go," Chie said. "You three stay here—I'll find Shizuka."
"Ms. Morinaga, are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Sonoko asked. She'd been one of the loudest screamers, alongside Chie—clearly, Chie was scared too.
"I'll go instead," Azuma Shoyo offered. "You three stay here and look for clues about the exit. This office has a lot of stuff—there's probably something useful hidden."
"Shoyo, you sure? Want me to come with?" Chie asked.
"No need. You three stick together and watch out for each other. I'm a guy—I'll be fine," he said, shaking his head at Chie. "Let's set a code. Only open the door if I give the right one. If it's my voice but the code's wrong, don't open it—no matter what!"
Ran, Sonoko, and Chie nodded. Azuma Shoyo leaned in, whispering the code to each of them. His breath tickled their ears, and by the time he finished, all three girls were blushing.
Pretending not to notice, he moved the table, opened the door, and stepped out.
"Remember—no code, no entry!" he called back.
"Got it, Shoyo—be careful!" Sonoko said, darting over for a quick hug. When Ran and Chie weren't looking, she pecked his cheek and scurried back.
"Shoyo, stay safe!" Chie called.
"We'll wait here, Shoyo," Ran added.
--- Translator Note ---
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