Chapter 12

"We can't stay out in the open like this. We need to find somewhere secluded to hide for ten minutes," Natsuki said urgently.

"What about the roof?" Kaguya suggested calmly.

Chika's eyes lit up. "Good thinking! Students aren't usually allowed up there. They'd never expect us to hide on the roof."

The three of them hurried through the hallway towards the stairs. Just as they were about to head up, Natsuki froze. Coming down the stairs was a pair of blood-red high heels, attached to legs wearing a blue and white cheongsam. But above the legs... there was nothing.

Natsuki felt a chill run down his spine. Legs could be attractive, sure, but disembodied ones? Terrifying.

Click. Click. Click.

Each step of those heels felt like it was stomping on Natsuki's heart.

A red warning flashed in his mind: Danger! Danger! Danger! Path blocked - avoid the Leg Fairy at all costs!

Natsuki took a deep breath, grabbing Kaguya and Chika by their arms. "Stop," he whispered.

At that moment, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from the hallway behind them. Their pursuers were catching up.

Trapped between a rock and a hard place, Natsuki kept his cool. He quickly pulled the girls into a nearby bathroom.

"Get in a stall and keep quiet," he hissed, ducking into one himself.

Kaguya and Chika shared a worried glance before squeezing into another stall together.

The thundering footsteps outside grew louder. Suddenly, there was a yelp of terror, followed by stammered apologies. The sounds of pursuit faded as quickly as they'd come, like leaves scattered by the wind.

Click, click, click.

The sharp sound of high heels on tile faded away. Natsuki finally had a chance to take in his surroundings.

"Wait a second... something's missing from the wall. Is this the women's restroom?"

He shrugged it off. To survive, he'd break into a women's bathhouse if he had to. At least it was clean in here, with a fresh scent. The dim lighting gave the place an eerie vibe, though.

Natsuki's eyes wandered over the stall door, covered in scribbles. Names he didn't recognize, messy doodles, weird symbols... nothing out of the ordinary.

As he pondered their next move, Chika's voice drifted from the neighboring stall:

"Oh, thank you!"

Then Kaguya's serious tone: "...Natsuki?"

"I'm here," he replied.

"Huh? Why are you on the left?" Chika asked, confused.

Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "I'm in the left stall. What's going on?"

"Someone just passed two candies under the door from the right stall," Kaguya explained. "One red, one blue."

Natsuki's mouth twitched. "Chika, you didn't eat them, did you?"

"Of course not!" Chika protested. "This is a bathroom, for crying out loud!"

Natsuki bit back a comment about bathroom snackers. "Then why'd you say thanks?"

"I... I took them," Chika admitted sheepishly. "I thought you were giving us candy, so I grabbed them without thinking."

Even a kid knows not to take candy from strangers, Natsuki thought. Especially in a bathroom, of all places.

"Come on out, let's talk," he said.

"Okay," Chika replied. A moment later: "That's weird, the door won't open!"

Natsuki pushed his own door. It swung open easily. "Mine's fine."

Stepping out, he surveyed the bathroom. The girls were in the second-to-last stall. Whatever handed out the candy must be in the last one.

"Is the door stuck because you took the candy?" he wondered aloud. "Pass it here, let me see."

"Sure."

A delicate hand emerged from under the stall door. The skin was porcelain-white, almost glowing. In the palm sat two candies.

At the same time, another hand stretched out from the last stall. This one was sickly pale, as if drained of blood...

"Pick one," a cold, raspy voice whispered.

"Who said that?" Chika asked nervously.

"Your 'neighbor' next door," Natsuki replied, eyeing the pale hand stretched under the stall. "Just like you said. Two candies, red and blue. They're asking me to choose."

"There's really someone next door?" Chika's voice rose in panic.

Natsuki couldn't help but groan. "How could you not realize? It's got to be a ghost or something. The hand's so pale, covered in scars..."

"I'm sorry," Chika said, guilt creeping into her voice. "You know that street experiment, right? Where someone on the phone will help you grab something without thinking? I just... reacted without thinking when the hand appeared."

"Now's not the time for that," Kaguya cut in sharply. "Why is this... thing offering candy? What happens if we take it?"

Kaguya's suspicion was warranted. Unexpected kindness often hid ulterior motives. She wasn't about to eat anything from a stranger, let alone a spirit.

As if hearing Kaguya's thoughts, the raspy voice spoke again:

"Blue for body, red for life."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Chika asked, curiosity overcoming her fear.

Natsuki stared at the outstretched hand, and suddenly, words seemed to form in his mind:

[Choose the blue candy, and you'll pay with a body part. Choose the red, and you'll pay with your life.]

"Of course there's a price for taking candy from a spirit," Natsuki mused. "That's only fair."

"Fair?" Chika exclaimed. "It's just candy! That price is insane!"

"Choose," the raspy voice insisted, the pale hand waving impatiently at Natsuki.

Natsuki's face remained calm. "Why can I only pick one?"

There was a pause. "What do you mean?" the voice asked, confused.

"I'll take both," Natsuki said firmly.

After a moment of silence: "...Fine. Take them."

"Hold on," Natsuki said, not reaching for the candy. "Quick question - are these expired?"

The spirit seemed stunned into silence. Was this human really asking about expiration dates?

"...No," it finally responded, barely containing its irritation.

"One more thing," Natsuki continued casually. "Have these candies been approved by the Food Safety Board?"

The spirit's anger was palpable now. Its blue-grey nails began to lengthen. "Enough! Just pick one, human!"

Natsuki, seemingly oblivious to the growing danger, pressed on: "You know, selling uncertified food products is a serious offense. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Bang! Bang! Bang! The stall door shook violently.

"Stop stalling and choose!" the spirit roared.

Natsuki sighed. "Well, if you won't listen to reason..." In a swift motion, he grabbed the spirit's wrist. "You're under arrest."

"Huh?" Chika squeaked in disbelief from her stall. Why was Natsuki arresting the thing that was threatening them?

"Human, you're asking for death," the spirit growled.

"Oh, the arrest isn't for the unlicensed food," Natsuki said calmly. He paused for effect. "This is the women's restroom, right? So why are you, clearly male, hanging out in here?"

The spirit fell silent, caught off guard by the absurd turn of events.

"Oh my god, it's a pervert!" Chika blurted out.

"I'm not! I swear!" the spirit protested quickly.