Chapter 20
The next morning,
“Student, next time, you can get simple treatment for things like this at the infirmary. You’re discharged.”
The doctor sighed as he spoke to me, probably because there was nothing wrong with me other than the nosebleed.
He must have thought I was faking illness to skip class.
Unfortunately, the nosebleed that wouldn’t stop earlier had completely stopped when the doctor examined me.
Instead, I received a packet of medicine. This was actually better.
I preferred medicine to treatment. It was simpler. It wasn’t good to waste time getting treated unnecessarily.
Every moment was precious to me. It was most important to resolve things as simply and quickly as possible.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, doctor.”
I answered casually and completed the discharge procedures.
Early in the morning, I returned to the dormitory with Blackie and prepared for school.
“Melody, are you really okay?”
Erica kept asking me.
I nodded while packing today’s textbooks into my bag.
“Yes. The doctor said I’m fine. He said to go to the infirmary for minor issues like this next time.”
“No, how can a doctor say such a thing?! It was such a big accident, we’re just lucky you weren’t seriously injured!”
Is that so? But I understood the doctor’s perspective. It was a bit strange to be hospitalized just for a nosebleed.
I tilted my head and then turned to look at Blackie, who was sitting on the living room sofa, wagging its tail.
“Erica, would you believe it if there were real ghosts in the school?”
“I’d like to believe it. I want to see them myself. That’s why I collect and investigate supernatural incidents.”
I paused packing my bag at Erica’s answer.
Suddenly, I remembered what the girls who had confronted Erica last night had said,
“It’s creepy how she’s still attending school normally after doing ‘that’ to Lady Eyrose last semester.”
“Erica. Did something happen to you last year? Can you explain it to me?”
Erica looked flustered and couldn’t respond to my question.
“Th-that’s…”
“It’s okay if it’s difficult to explain.”
Erica hesitated with a more somber expression but ultimately didn’t answer.
I felt sorry for asking what seemed to be an insensitive question.
“I guess that was a sensitive topic. I’m sorry.”
Right. I should focus on what’s important to me right now.
I recalled my conversation with Blackie last night.
“Okay. What do I need to do?”
[First, we need to solve the elevator ghost story in the girls’ dormitory.]
“The elevator ghost story…”
[It became official when it was posted on the school bulletin board last semester, but the evil spirit in the girls’ dormitory elevator has been a problem since last year.]
“Can I solve that problem just because I can see ghosts? Why me specifically? Surely there are others who can see ghosts too.”
[Well. I’m not sure if you can solve it, but it’s something only you can do. It’s rare to find someone who can see ghosts as naturally as breathing.]
I guessed this had something to do with the student council president sending me from 903 to 902.
And Blackie continued to question my ability.
[I thought you were going to die in Chesswind village.]
“…..”
[I’d like to have some expectations for you.]
“You don’t need to have any expectations…!”
Having strong mental fortitude doesn’t mean ghosts aren’t scary.
I only came to school to save Raven, how did I end up having to solve ghost stories?
I just looked at Blackie, who was grooming himself neatly, with slightly sad eyes.
Currently, Blackie’s eyes were yellow. When Blackie’s eyes were yellow, conversation was impossible.
[Anyway, meet me in front of the first-floor elevator of the girls’ dormitory around 9 PM tomorrow. Let’s see and judge for ourselves.]
I pondered my promise with Blackie and then asked Erica,
“Erica. Do you believe what cats say?”
“I don’t know what Elizabeth said, but you must have done something wrong.”
“Can you understand what Blackie is saying too?”
I asked, surprised, but Erica paused. She asked back with an incredulous expression:
“What strange things are you saying, Melody?”
I guess not.
It seems my judgment is getting clouded from constantly experiencing unrealistic events. I felt a bit wronged.
Meow.
Then Blackie rubbed its fur against my leg. It almost felt like a warning.
Of course, that’s unlikely, given its current yellow eyes.
I wondered once again what this cat’s true identity could be.
“No, Erica. Let’s just go to school for now.”
Anyway, with those thoughts in mind, I headed to Class F. It was disappointing that Erica was in Class S, a different building, so we rarely bumped into each other.
Johannes Castle, where Class F is located, is a bit further from the main building.
As I felt last time, the building felt quite isolated being at the edge of the school.
Johannes Castle is said to be the oldest building on the entire Gloria Island.
It’s even historically recorded that Sister Gloria used this castle as a base when the Vatican declared war on evil spirits 100 years ago.
Second Year, Class F.
I took a deep breath in front of the classroom door before opening it.
As expected, the noisy classroom fell silent as soon as I entered.
“Hi, everyone?”
I waved and greeted them cheerfully, but not a single student greeted me back.
Everyone desperately avoided eye contact with me.
‘Is this hazing?’
It certainly seems like it, doesn’t it?
I awkwardly found my seat and sat down.
My seatmate, Dante, was sleeping on his desk wearing gym clothes again today.
Raven is avoiding me, and my classmates are hazing me.
‘School life isn’t easy, huh.’
I used to borrow novels from the village chief in Chesswind, and in those stories, the protagonist, if a student, was always bullied.
Could this be the bullying that protagonists experience…?
Maybe you have to experience bullying to have a proper school life.
‘I’ve never had friends before, so I’m not sure, but that’s how it was for the protagonists.’
I quickly racked my brain.
I ran through simulations of about eleven coping strategies that protagonists used when bullied.
After that, I felt confident that I could handle bullying well.
Come at me.
However, nothing happened until all the regular classes ended.
No one bullied me.
In fact, everyone treated me like I was invisible. This was even sadder than being bullied.
As I was leaving school with a gloomy face after the last class, Leonard followed me.
“Why are you following me? Do you have something to say? Oh. Are you planning to bully me?”
When I asked, Leonard looked at me as if I were a pervert and covered his chest.
“That’s not it. You’re a member of the Disciplinary Committee. Today is a member gathering.”
Ah. Right. I’m in the Disciplinary Committee.
I nodded, recalling what the music teacher had told me.
He said I’d join the Disciplinary Committee because of my excellent grades.
Even with excellent grades, it’s difficult to join if there are no vacancies, but a spot had opened up in the Disciplinary Committee.
“Yeah. Father Miela asked me to bring you after school.”
“Who’s Father Miela?”
I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere…
Then I remembered hearing it from Erica.
“I know what you’re thinking. We actually have Father Cesario at our school who specializes in exorcism rituals.”
“But whenever he tries to solve a problem, another priest, Father Miella interferes.”
“She says performing exorcisms for students’ delusional pranks would tarnish the school’s reputation.”
Right. Erica definitely said something like that.
“But what does the Disciplinary Committee have to do with Father Miella?”
“Father Miella is the advisor for the Disciplinary Committee.”
Saint Gloria Private School has two priests, I’m told.
Father Miella, the advisor for the Disciplinary Committee, and Father Cesario, the advisor for the Student Council.
These two priests are said to always be at odds due to their differing views.
“By the way, Father Miella really dislikes the Student Council and doesn’t like it when people are friendly with Student Council members.”
“What?!”
I was shocked. Raven, Erica, and the Student Council President are all in the Student Council!
“It’s best not to let the Father catch you hanging out with Student Council members.”
“I want to quit the Disciplinary Committee.”
“That’s not an option.”
“What has the school ever done for me?”
I looked at Leonard with a rebellious expression.
Leonard looked at me as if to say, ‘Is this for real?’, but I felt wronged.
This is what you call living apart, what else?
Why can’t I see Raven when he’s right under my nose?
Leonard, who had been looking at me as if seeing something ridiculous, soon clapped as if realizing something.
“It’s because of your brother, right? No surprise there. The Disciplinary Committee head’s sibling is also a Student Council member.”
To think there’s someone else living apart from their family like me. It’s a very unfortunate situation.
As we were talking, Leonard and I arrived at the annex where the club rooms are said to be gathered.
The annex was built with five floors, and the Disciplinary Committee room was on the top floor, the 5th, along with the Student Council room.
Of all places, it had to be on the same floor, yet we couldn’t even acknowledge each other. What kind of twist of fate is this?
The Student Council room was further inside, and the Disciplinary Committee room was near the stairway entrance.
I gazed longingly at the Student Council room at the far end before being dragged in by Leonard.
All the members were seated in the Disciplinary Committee room. The man standing in front of the podium glanced at Leonard and me.
Seeing him in priestly attire, this must be Father Miella.
🐈⬛
Thank you for reading! ♡
