Stealing Spree

Chapter 2604: Spooked (1)

It was five minutes later that the seance officially started. Chii reminded me to change out of my uniform first. All three of them were already in their night attire, after all.

It would feel a little out of place if I kept that up. Besides, An-rin and Kushii also urged me to go. The sparkle in their eyes told me that theyʼre interested in seeing what I would wear tonight.

I grabbed my bag from the corner of the living room and headed to the bathroom to change.

An-rin tried to follow me but Chii and Kushii held her down despite knowing that the girl was simply trying to get a reaction from them.

I guess it was worth it for An-rin?

Anyway, my sleepover outfit this time was simple. Black sweatpants and a fitted gray t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but comfortable enough for a night of An-rinʼs unbound chaos, Kushiiʼs controlled shyness and Chiiʼs affectionate teasing.

I caught my reflection in the mirror. It was still fine. No signs of exhaustion. Maybe only a little? I washed my face and fixed my hair slightly before stepping out. Not that it mattered though. Those girls were gonna mess with me no matter how I looked.

When I stepped back into the living room, I sensed the shift in the atmosphere.

An-rin had turned off the lights and she lit a couple of candles on the coffee table which cast long shadows across the living room.

The crystal ball sat in the center, surrounded by a pile of snacks and a random scarf An-rin mustʼve pulled from the prop bag for extra ”mystic vibes.”

Kushii and Chii were arranging the candles with a surprising amount of care, while An-rin lazily swayed as she watched the other two. The feather boa was finally off her neck. She put it on her thighs as a substitute for a blanket.

”Yo, Onoda-han!” An-rinʼs eyes lit up as she was the first one to notice me returning. She sat up and stared at me, taking in my appearance as her eyes went up and down, ”Oh my gee… you look like such a total snack in those sweats! Still trying to charm all of us, huh? Youʼre too cute! But donʼt steal the spotlight from our crystal ball.”

I rolled my eyes, dropping my bag back to the side of the couch and plopping down next to Chii who immediately leaned against me. ”An-rin, the only thing stealing the show is your inability to sit still. Youʼre gonna knock over those candles and cause a fire.”

Kushii snorted softly, adjusting the last candle. ”Sheʼs right, An-rin. Youʼre one twirl away from a fire hazard.”

She then glanced up at me and got a little tongue-tied. I winked at her, making the girl turn her head away.

”Rude! Iʼm, like, the queen of ambiance!” An-rin huffed, but her grin didnʼt falter as she grabbed a chip and tossed it into her mouth. ”Anyway, Onoda-han, you ready to talk to some ghosts? Or youʼre scared youʼll cry for Chizuru to save ya?”

Before I could answer, Chii glared at An-rin as she hugged my arm, ”This is your idea, An-rin. Are you certain you want to be alone on that side?”

”Pfft, Chizuru, donʼt try to spook me! Iʼm, like, totally fearless. Ghosties are nothing to me!” She waved the fluff dramatically, nearly knocking over a candle in the process.

”An-rin, that boa is about as protective as your yogurt stash. If a ghost truly shows up, I bet itʼll first come to you. Youʼre the one who kept on hooting about this. You truly believe what the shopkeeper said about it being cursed?”𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

”Of course not! Like, who believes in ghosts these days? Seriously, letʼs just have fun, Onoda-han.”

With my question, An-rin waved her hand before picking up the crystal ball and rubbing it lightly.

When she put it back, Kushii, who probably found a chance to spook her friend, timed her words perfectly, lowering her voice to a hushed, eerie tone.

”Careful, An-rin. Youʼre tempting fate with that thing. What if it is cursed? Youʼre gonna be the first to get haunted.”

An-rinʼs hands froze and her eyes widened for a moment before laughing it off. However, she couldnʼt hide the slight tremor in her voice.

”Pfft, Kushii, youʼre such a mood-killer! No way this ballʼs cursed. Itʼs, like, a thrift store reject, not some ancient relic!”

I chimed in while putting a devious smile, ”Sure, An-rin, keep telling yourself that. If a ghost pops up, donʼt come running to me. Iʼm booked to protect Chii tonight. Kushii can also come to my side. Donʼt be shy.”

At that, Chii pinched my side as she pouted. An-rinʼs chest heaved a bit. And Kushii swiftly reacted by saying, ”W-why do I need to come to your side? I… I can handle myself, Onoda-shi!”

”Alright but Iʼll still catch you if you tumble.”

”Kii! Youʼre teasing Kushii again!” Chii pinched my side harder.

Well, itʼs not painful.

Meanwhile, Kushii couldnʼt help but cover her face. Despite only having the candles at the source of light, she couldnʼt hide the redness of it.

”Shameless Onoda-shi. Ugh. Someday, Iʼd get back to all these teasing.” She whispered under her breath. With Chii and An-rinʼs lack of reaction, I was probably the only one who picked it up.

An-rin then clapped her hands, gaining our attention, ”Okay, enough lovey-dovey nonsense! Iʼm, like, getting sticky by watching you too. Time to get spooky! Kushii, you said youʼre going to be the medium, so, like, do your thing. Call some ghosts or whatever. Iʼm ready to be amazed!”

Kushii immediately composed herself as she sighed. It was as if she were too lazy to argue anymore.

She grabbed the ball from An-rin and placed it back on top of the scarf. Then she hovered her hands on top of it.

”Great. Letʼs do this. Everyone, hands on the table, close your eyes, and focus. Weʼre summoning… something.”

As if the temperature in the room was playing along with our shenanigans, it suddenly felt a little colder the moment our hands were placed on the table.

An-rin dramatically did it, producing an audible thud as she sneakily scooted a bit closer to Kushii.

”L-letʼs go! No funny business, okay? If you make a spooky noise, Iʼm throwing chips at you!”

”An-rin, youʼre already freaking out, and we havenʼt even started yet.”

”Shut it, Onoda-han!” The chaotic gyaru snapped at me, her eyes narrowing to a sharp glare.

Next to me, Chii giggled at her friendsʼ reaction.

Meanwhile, Kushii shook her head as her expression shifted to a solemn one. She began to speak in a low, almost hypnotic voice.

”Oh, spirits of the beyond, hear our call. We seek your presence in this circle of light, our path with your ancient wisdom… or whatever.”

Chii stifled a giggle, pressing her face into my shoulder to muffle it, while An-rin let out a nervous laugh. ”Kushii, you sound like youʼre narrating a bad horror movie! Canʼt you, like, make it up a bit?”

”Shh,” Kushii shushed her as her fingers brushed the crystal ball lightly. ”Focus. Feel the energy. Imagine a door opening to the other side…”

As if properly hypnotized by her voice, both Chii and An-rin closed their eyes, causing the room to grow quieter. Even the noises from outside spilling through the walls were seemingly muted.

Then the candlelight flickered as if someone blew at it softly.

An-rinʼs fidgeting was clearly displayed by her shadow.

As Kushiiʼs voice continued to call out to the non-existent spirit or whatever curse was in the crystal ball, suspense gradually built up.

At this point, I closed my eyes and focused my senses on Chiiʼs warmth against me.

Then, a faint tapping sound broke the silence.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Not even a second later, An-rin yelped, her hands jerking back from the table. ”What was that?! Kushii, was that you?!”

I couldnʼt help but open my eyes to that, likewise, Chii and Kushii did the same.

”No… that wasnʼt me. Maybe it was the roof? Someone fell”

I opened my eyes, scanning the room casually. ”Roof? Weʼre on the first floor, Kushii. Maybe the ghost heard you dissing the crystal ball, An-rin. Youʼre in trouble now.”

At that, Chii lifted her head as she played along, ”Kii, donʼt scare her! Before you know it, An-rin might jump over to our side and youʼll have to catch her!”

An-rin huffed and crossed her arms defiantly.

”Iʼm not scared! Iʼm, like, totally cool! But… maybe we should turn on a light? Just, yʼknow, for ambiance?”

I pressed on, ”Ambiance, sure. Kushii, you wanna keep going, or is An-rinʼs bravery officially out of commission?”

Kushii smirked, ”Letʼs try one more time. But An-rin, no chickening out. You wanted a spooky night, so here it is.”

An-rin groaned but placed her hands back on the table, muttering under her breath about ʼstupid ghostsʼ and ʼstupid Onoda-han!ʼ.

After giving us a sign, Kushii began again.

”Spirits, show us a sign. Speak through the crystal ball. Who… are you?”

The tapping didnʼt return as it was truly just a coincidence. But to keep up the spooky vibes, I nudged the table myself.

Tap. Tap. Tap…