5th Mystery: Irune Yuen
TN: Seeing as Yuiru Enen is an anagram of Irune Yuen, I will change the spelling of his name in future chapters and go back to change the previous chapters later.
Chapter 1: Biology Teacher
I had a close friend.
Although I wasn’t sure how they felt, I considered them a friend.
They were mischievous and fearless, eagerly reporting back about visiting haunted spots. They especially enjoyed school ghost stories and would sneak into the school building at midnight, often getting scolded by the patrolling teachers.
That friend decided to investigate the truth behind the rumors whispered around the school.
“I’ve decided. I’m going to explore the old school building.”
That friend’s lively voice echoes in the after-school classroom where the setting sun shines through.
“That old school building has been off-limits for quite some time, but why hasn’t it been demolished no matter how long it’s been? I can’t help but be curious.”
“I think it’s because it’s really haunted.”
I merely gave advice to my fearless friend.
“There’s a rumor that ghosts come out of that old school building. It’s true.”
“What does it look like?”
“Well…”
“You probably can’t answer. I want to check it out myself.”
My friend smirked and,
“If they say ghosts come out, I want to know exactly what kind of ghosts. Whether it’s Hanako-san in the bathroom1, dancing mannequins2, the mirror on the landing3, or the ghost of a girl endlessly jumping off the rooftop4, they’re all lies. It would be nice if there was at least one genuine ghost story.”
With that, my friend glanced out the window.
It had been six months since this new school building was completed. The brand-new building was sparkling clean everywhere, and there was no way there could be anything eerie as my friend described.
And there, quietly nestled in the corner of the schoolyard visible from the new building, was the wooden old school building—exuding an eerie atmosphere. Especially in the twilight, something akin to a dark shadow seemed to dominate the area around the old school building.
My friend gazed entranced at the old school building and said,
“Aah, how nice. Truly magnificent.”
“……I think you better stop.”
I advised my friend, who was planning to storm the old school building.
“That old school building isn’t a joke. That’s why it’s best if you don’t do it. Never go there.”
“I see, you’re scared?”
As my friend comes near me,
“If it’s not a joke, then that’s fine. It would prove that ghosts really exist. I want to see a ghost. If I die doing that, it would be worth it.”
“But I……ugh!!”
The words “I don’t want you to go” didn’t come out.
My friend desires to go to the old school building. No matter how dangerous it may be, my friend will likely sneak into the old school building to witness a ghost.
It wouldn’t be good to stop him any further. That’s why I chose these words.
――Or perhaps I should say, I ended up choosing them.
“…Tell me about your impressions tomorrow.”
“You got it. I’ll tell you in the most entertaining and amusing way possible. Look forward to it.”
My friend said with his usual refreshing smile, and we parted ways that day.
And the next day, my friend, Irune Yuen, went missing. (TN: Read as I-ru-ne)
☆
“I heard that the Chemistry teacher, Yaegasa-sensei, is absent.”
One of the female students said.
The next class happened to be chemistry, so if the regular teacher was absent, would another teacher come to supervise?
Houzuki, who was preparing for the lesson, was thinking about this as she laid out her chemistry textbook and notebook on her desk. If the teacher in charge of the subject is absent, will the students have to study on their own or something?
Houzuki quickly finishes preparing for her class and returns to looking out the window, but the gossip-loving female students start asking, “Then who’s going to teach the next class?”
“I heard that a new teacher who just arrived will come to deliver the handouts.”
“Huh? Who?”
“You know, the biology teacher.”
“The biology teacher? From the second year? It might be the first time we’ve had a class with him.”
“Probably the first time we’ll hear him talk properly, too.”
“Yeah, we hardly ever see him around.”
A biology teacher you don’t see very often.
Houzuki doesn’t remember him either. Well, she wasn’t interested in others to begin with.
She remembered him being introduced during a school assembly, but couldn’t recall what his face looked like.
Come to think of it, there was a man in a white coat who visited the old school building the other day. He didn’t look familiar either, but it couldn’t be him, could it?
(……I wonder what’s wrong with Yuiru?)
When she visited the old school building, the silver-haired, red-eyed male student who called it his stronghold said, “Tell him I’m not here,” and then hid somewhere, escaping from the white-coated man.
Was there some connection between that white-coated man and Yuiru? If there was, it would be interesting.
Lost in thought while staring out the window, Houzuki was interrupted by the bell signaling the start of class.
Ding dong ding dong.
―― Gara. (TN:Rattle)
The sound of the door opening came a bit delayed.
Houzuki straightened up and focused on the teacher who entered the classroom.
His unkempt black hair, with eyes like obsidian peering through the gaps in his long bangs, reminiscent of a bird’s nest. The familiar man entered the classroom with a white coat draped over his slightly disheveled shirt and slacks, moving somewhat sluggishly.
It was the man who had come to the old school building that time.
“……Yaegasa-sensei gave me handouts for self-study, so please do that. If you don’t understand anything, please ask.”
The man standing in front of the podium looks around the classroom and says:
“Nice to meet you, third year students. I’ve been assigned to ×× High School this academic year, Kuroomi Otoya. Since we haven’t had much interaction, please take this opportunity to remember my name when you leave today, okay?”
Saying that, the man in the white coat――Kuroomi Otoya smiled eerily.
TN:
- Hanako-san: Hanako-san is a famous Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a young girl who haunts school bathrooms. It is said that if you go to the third stall of the third-floor girls’ bathroom and knock three times while calling “Hanako-san,” she will appear. The details of the legend vary, but encountering Hanako-san can lead to frightening or tragic consequences.
- Dancing Mannequins: This legend involves mannequins in a school’s art room that are said to come to life and dance at night. It’s a spooky tale often associated with schools or abandoned buildings where mannequins are present.
- Mirror on the Landing: This legend revolves around a mirror located on a staircase landing in a school. It is believed that if you look into the mirror at a certain time or under certain conditions, you might see something eerie or supernatural reflected back at you.
- Ghost of a Girl Jumping off the Rooftop: This ghost story involves the tragic tale of a girl who committed suicide by jumping off the school rooftop. Her spirit is said to linger, endlessly repeating the act of jumping. It’s a haunting reminder of the darker aspects of school life and the pressures students face.
