Chapter 29: Truth?

Charmel shot Lila a curious glance, wondering if she was serious or just playing along to scare Chika and Leo.

"You really believe in that stuff?" Charmel asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"Of course I believe it," Lila replied, her voice serious. "I've seen and heard strange things at night. It's not something to take lightly."

Charmel's expression soured. She didn't buy into supernatural nonsense, but seeing her classmates so worried was starting to get to her.

"Just because you see and hear things doesn't mean it's an evil spirit," Charmel retorted. "It could be an animal or the wind or-"

"No, no, it's definitely not an animal or the wind," Lila interrupted firmly. "I've been seeing those lights and hearing those noises for a week now. It's not natural and also I encountered."

"No, no, it's definitely not an animal or the wind," Lila interrupted firmly. "I've been seeing those lights and hearing those noises for a week now. It's not natural and also I encountered."

"Encountered?" Charmel raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern in her voice despite her skepticism. "What do you mean by 'encountered'? Did you actually see something?"

Lila nodded, her expression grave. "Yes. One night, I was walking home alone, when I saw this tall, shadowy figure standing on the corner. It had these glowing red eyes, and it sent chills down my spine she's holding baseball bat."

A shiver ran down Charmel's spine at Lila's description. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel creeped out by the image of a tall figure with glowing red eyes.

"That does sound creepy," Charmel admitted, slightly unnerved. "But maybe it was just someone wearing a costume or something?"

Stussy Momo's arrival interrupted the conversation, her sharp eyes scanning the room. The class fell silent, all eyes darting to their homeroom teacher. "Wow unbelievable! this is miracle this classroom went silent" Stussy Momo

Charmel couldn't help but roll her eyes at Stussy Momo's comment. Despite the eerie conversation they had been having just moments ago, the teacher's joke brought some much-needed levity to the room.

The class relaxed slightly, the tension from earlier gradually dissipating. Charmel glanced at Chika and Leo, who still looked shaken from the talk about evil spirits.

"Hey, calm down, you two," Charmel whispered to them. "It was just a ghost story, alright?"

Chika nodded, but her face still held traces of fear. "I know, but it just seemed so real," she whispered back.

Leo also nodded, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

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As the day ended, Charmel and her friends were among the last to leave the school building. The sun had already started to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the campus.

"It's getting late," Kai noted, checking his phone for the time. "We should probably head home soon."

"home ♪⁠～⁠(⁠´⁠ε⁠｀⁠ ⁠) home (⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~ home 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜" Charmel's sudden burst of singing and dancing caught her friends off guard, and they exchanged amused glances.

"What is she doing..." Kai muttered, chuckling at Charmel's antics. Charmel continued to sing and dance down the street, seemingly oblivious to the odd looks she was receiving from passersby. Chika giggled, clearly amused by her friend's silliness.

"She's seriously in a good mood," Chika said, shaking her head.

"I think she's just glad to escape school," Kai chimed in, a smile playing on his lips.

Charmel continued to twirl and skip down the street, completely carefree in the moment. Even the gathering darkness of the evening seemed to hold no sway over her cheerful mood.

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Meanwhile, Aaron and Lila were walking together on the other side of the street, their expressions more serious than Charmel and her group. They walked in silence for a while, the evening sky casting a somber atmosphere. "Should I tell them?" Lila ask Aaron

Aaron paused, considering Lila's question. He ran a hand through his hair, mulling it over.

"I don't know," he finally replied. "We agreed that it's best to keep this to ourselves for now."

Lila nodded, though her expression remained troubled. "I know, but it's getting worse, Aaron. Those evil spirits are becoming bolder and more aggressive. Sooner or later, they'll attack. I know it."