Chapter 201: The Ignorant Lamb Girl

Miko put down her phone, moved to her closet, and began choosing clothes.

Sneaking out was easy—it was just next door, no distance to worry about, and no real danger involved. But if she returned too late, her mother might catch her in the morning. 

Better to be cautious than regretful.

So, if she did come back in the morning, pajamas wouldn't work. That way, even if she was caught coming home, she could say she'd just gone out for an early morning jog.

"A sweatshirt…this'll do," she muttered, selecting a casual sweatshirt from the closet. It wasn't like she was going on a date, after all, so her outfit didn't need to be anything special.

"Should I bring… underwear?"

Miko hesitated, glancing at the neatly stacked garments.

"Better take some, just in case," she reasoned, thinking it over. "If it gets dirty, I'll have a change. Should I pack a full set?"

She pulled out a black bra, eyeing a matching pair of panties, then paused.

"Wait," she thought, wide-eyed as a blush spread across her face, "wouldn't that make it… the winning set?"

With a shake of her head, Miko banished the thought.

Enough already! Don't get carried away—she wouldn't need anything like 'winning underwear!'

Taking a steadying breath, she tucked the underwear into her backpack, "just in case."

At 10:30 p.m., Miko quietly opened her door, peeking into the empty hallway. No one was in sight—it was late, and both her mother and Kyousuke were asleep. But that didn't mean nothing was there.

In the dim corridor, a pale, thin spirit drifted, lingering in the shadows. When it heard Miko's door creak open, its head snaked toward her like a serpent, hovering inches from her face, its hollow eyes staring directly into hers.

"You…can see me?"

A chilling, hollow voice drifted into her ears. 

Miko quietly pinched her thigh, fighting the instinct to look away. She bit her lip and forced herself forward, murmuring as she walked, "I drank a lot of water; I need to go to the bathroom…"

"You can see me?" 

The spirit trailed her down the stairs, occasionally darting its head in front of her, causing her to clench her fists. With tears gathering in her eyes, Miko bit her lip and finally made it out of the house, walking to Amamiya's door and ringing the bell.

Amamiya was gaming when he heard the doorbell and got up to answer. As he opened the door, he saw Miko standing outside, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why are you…?" 

He paused mid-sentence, noticing the thin evil spirit hovering just behind her, and immediately understood.

"You… can see me?" 

The spirit floated over to Amamiya, its voice quivering with anticipation.

Remaining calm, Amamiya looked to Miko and remarked, "With a neck that long, this poor spirit must have terrible cervical pain, right?"

"It's an evil spirit!" Miko shot back, clutching Amamiya's arm tightly, "How could it have cervical pain?!"

"You… can see me!!" 

Upon hearing the two converse, the spirit's voice turned shrill, its eyes glowing red as it lunged toward them.

Suddenly, an invisible barrier activated, and as the spirit stepped into its range, translucent flames began to consume it. With a piercing wail, the evil spirit burned away, bit by bit, until it was nothing but ashes.

"It's beyond saving; there's no hope. The best we can do is help it pass quickly," Amamiya said, noticing Miko's tearful expression. "You've seen evil spirits before—what's got you so crying?"

Miko wiped her eyes, grumbling, "It was right outside my room! I wasn't mentally prepared at all. I'm lucky I didn't scream."

Classic jump-scares may be old-fashioned, but they can still startle anyone.

"Come on in," Amamiya gestured, leading Miko into the living room.

"Good evening, Miko-chan." 

Shimizu sat on the sofa, looking over with a smile and a wave.

Having calmed down somewhat, Miko returned the greeting. "Good evening, Sister Shimizu."

With a gentle smile, Shimizu said, "You did well, Miko-chan. Let Amamiya-kun give you a nice bath."

"A bath?" Miko asked, taken aback. "Why would I need a bath?"

"In a certain game, a bath can quickly lift your spirits," Shimizu explained, raising a finger. "If Miko-chan's mood stays down, it might disturb her rest."

"That makes sense." Amamiya nodded thoughtfully, propping his chin on his hand. "Let's get you to the bath to try it out."

"I'm not going to the bath with you!" Miko protested, drawing back slightly.

The clock seemed to speed by as they chatted, and before they knew it, it was already 11 p.m.

"So, where are you planning to sleep tonight?" Amamiya asked, turning off the TV. "Would you prefer my room or the living room?"

Miko hesitated, pressing her lips together for a moment before deciding, "The living room's fine. That's where Umi and Chika stayed before."

"Alright then," Amamiya agreed, "The bed in my room is a bit small anyway."

Miko nodded and offered, "I'll go grab a quilt."

Within minutes, they had made up the bedding. Lights off, the quiet of the night settled in.

Miko whispered into the darkness, "I set my alarm for six a.m."

"Seven isn't too late either," Amamiya suggested.

"That's way too late—Mom is already up by then!" Miko pulled the quilt up, assuring herself, "Six it is."

Lying down, Miko found herself gazing over at Amamiya, feeling an unexpected calm settle over her. Just moments before, she'd worried he might try something, despite their shared childhood memories and harmless afternoon naps. Yet now, lying there beside him, she felt no anxiety, only a deep sense of peace and ease.

As fatigue washed over her, Miko's eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into sleep with a soft, hazy, "Goodnight…" whispered in her mind.

When the alarm went off, Miko stirred, rubbing her eyes. She reached for her phone and checked the time, her eyes widening.

"Wait, it's six already?"

It felt as though she'd only just closed her eyes, and suddenly it was morning.

Amamiya, also awakened by the alarm, turned over, groaning sleepily, "It's still dark out—just sleep another half hour."

"No way. Mom will be up by then." Miko sat up, feeling oddly refreshed and energetic. She stretched, a small smile lifting her lips. "I'd better head back."

Quickly gathering her things, Miko changed into casual clothes, slipped on her shoes at the entrance, and stepped outside. Pushing open the door, she quietly entered the early morning yard.

In the early May sky, though the sun had yet to rise, a gentle brightness filled the morning. Miko glanced up at the soft, early summer sky, took a deep breath, and clenched her fists with satisfaction as she strode happily toward home.

"Finally, I can start getting some good sleep from now on!"

---

By 7:30 a.m., on the way to school, Hana noticed something different. She stared, wide-eyed, at Miko. "Why does Miko look so lively today? She usually seems…"

"Like a lazy salted fish?" Amamiya interjected.

"Yes!" Hana agreed, nodding. "Salted Fish Girl."

"Even a salted fish can flip over sometimes," Miko replied, clearly in a cheerful mood. She glanced at Shimizu, who stood beside Hana, and coughed slightly before adding, "Hey, Hana, want to play a game later?"

Hana blinked, surprised. "A game? Which one?"

"Yesterday's board game…" Miko turned away, feeling a bit guilty for what she was planning, "Chika-san said she didn't get enough fun yesterday and wanted to play a bit more today."

"That's me!" Shimizu chimed in happily, flashing a peace sign.

As a spirit, Shimizu couldn't sense taste, smell, or temperature—life as a ghost lacked many sensations. Only around Hana could she feel a sense of "warmth," which was why she enjoyed spending time with her. But now, with Amamiya able to replicate Hana's gift, Shimizu could feel warmth whenever she liked—like switching from charging at specific times to a "wireless" experience.

Having messaged Chika that morning to arrange another round of "Life Game," the stage was set. This time, everyone but Hana would be in on the joke as part of the trickster team.

"Alright!" Hana's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Yesterday's game was really fun. I'd love to play again!"

Amamiya leaned toward Miko, whispering, "This is a win-win-win scenario, so just enjoy the game without feeling too guilty about Hana."

"Win-win-win?" Miko shot him an incredulous look.

Hana was thrilled. Shimizu was delighted.

"Who's the third person that wins?"

Amamiya pointed to himself, grinning with amusement. "Getting to hold a girl's hand out in the open is reward enough for me."

Miko bit her lip, unable to hold back her retort. "…Shameless!"

The conversation trailed off, and the three continued toward the school.

"Miko-chan! Hana-chan! Good morning!" Chika greeted them brightly.

Thanks to Shimizu's message that morning, Chika had arrived early, no longer waiting as she had the day before.

"Morning, Amamiya-kun." A gyaru girl with fair skin and a sunny smile looked over with her hand on her hip. She wore her school uniform loosely around her waist, and the black collar she wore gave her a casual charm that caught many glances from passing students.

"Good morning," Amamiya greeted Umi. "How are you two already together?"

"I ran into Chika-chan on the way to school, and she invited me to join the game!" Umi replied, pouting. "You all played games yesterday morning and didn't even invite me!"

Amamiya rolled his eyes. "You still haven't finished your homework, and you want to play games?"

"I'm free today!" Umi raised her chin defiantly, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Just watch me destroy everyone."

As they spoke, Kaguya arrived. With everyone gathered, they made their way to the game club.

The traitor team was all assembled—everyone except Hayasaka, who kept her identity hidden. Their strategy was clear: the unsuspecting lamb, Hana, was in for quite a game.