"…Good luck."
Upon entering the nightmare, Natsuki opened his eyes and saw a black-haired, long-haired girl sitting across the table.
It was Hiranoshita, whom he had been thinking about and searching for so long.
At this moment, Yukino was wearing an old-fashioned sailor uniform, and her gaze towards him was unfamiliar and distant, clearly indicating that her memory had been blocked by the nightmare.
Natsuki casually averted his gaze, silently observing his surroundings.
This was a gloomy, eerie classroom, seemingly abandoned. There were only two tables pushed together in the classroom. Upon entering the nightmare, Natsuki found himself sitting beside the table.
Four people were gathered around the table: Natsuki, Yukino, an unfamiliar short-haired girl, and… Haruno.
That's right.
It was Haruno.
Even though she could 'skip class' using Pickpocket, Hayasaka still couldn't hold on and had to choose to let Haruno take over and cooperate with Natsuki—
Natsuki remained fully conscious throughout and could move freely in the nightmare, but when the others were pulled into the nightmare, they were all in the identity of ordinary people, and their mental fatigue far exceeded Natsuki's.
It happened to be Haruno's turn to accompany him, and unexpectedly, they met Yukino.
The two Yukinoshita sisters, all together, what a joyous occasion.
His gaze swept across the room, then moved down to the table.
On the two tables pushed together was a piece of paper with many words written on it. Two candles were lit at each corner, their flames flickering faintly as if they would extinguish at any moment. And on the table, there was also a pen.
"It feels so familiar…" Natsuki couldn't help but mutter, "It can't be a Ouija board game, can it?"
Natsuki let out a small breath and began to search the false memories in his mind.
It was summer vacation now.
He was an unremarkable high school student.
Because he was too bored, he was invited by friends to play a spiritual game at an abandoned school, and the chosen game was the famous Ouija board game… Tsk, he guessed correctly after all.
During such a hot summer vacation, wasn't it better to stay at home, enjoy the air conditioning, and eat watermelon?
They just had to run to an abandoned school to play a Ouija board game. They were clearly courting death!
"Shall we… begin?"
A voice softly echoed in Natsuki's ear.
Natsuki looked over at the sound. It was an unfamiliar girl sitting to his right. He hadn't seen her before; she might have been one of the original occupants of the room. Her face was pale, and her eyes were blank, clearly numb and dazed from being trapped in the nightmare for too long.
"Let's begin." Haruno said, reaching for the pen, "I have so many questions I want to ask the Ouija board."
After being pulled into the nightmare, Haruno's memory was also blocked, turning her into an ordinary girl. However, her nature hadn't changed; she was still a fun-seeker.
"Wait a moment." Natsuki reached out to stop them, trying to intervene, "How about we don't play the game, and I treat everyone to cold drinks instead?"
"No."
"I refuse."
"We agreed to play the Ouija board game together, so of course, we have to follow through."
The three girls shook their heads in unison, rejecting Natsuki's suggestion.
Natsuki blinked and said, "Then you guys play, and I'll quit?"
The next second, Natsuki suddenly felt an invisible force control his body, making him involuntarily raise his arm and grasp the pen on the table.
Well, it seems that in this nightmare, the Ouija board game must be played no matter what.
Seeing Natsuki pick up the pen, Yukino, Haruno, and another passerby player whose name was unknown, all extended their right hands and together held the pen.
"I heard... Ouija board is very fair..." The passerby player, with a blank look, took on the role of narrator, her voice eerie, "Every time Ouija board answers a question, we must complete one of Ouija board's commands."
Natsuki asked with interest, "What happens if we don't complete it?"
The pen in his hand suddenly moved, quickly landing on a word: "...Die!"
"Okay, got it." Natsuki shrugged and asked again, "What if Ouija board can't answer the question asked?"
"Impossible." The passerby player quickly shook her head, "Ouija board knows everything; there's nothing she doesn't know."
"Better safe than sorry." Natsuki pressed on, "What if she can't answer? You just said Ouija board is very fair, right? If Ouija board can't answer, shouldn't she also be punished?"
...
After a brief silence, the pen tip moved on the paper again, slowly landing on a few words: "...That's right."
"It's indeed very fair." Natsuki smiled, "I have no more questions, let's start."
"Hmm, should I ask first?" Haruno raised her hand.
Yukino turned her head to look, and gently parted her lips to remind, "The harder the question, the harder Ouija board's command will be to complete."
Clearly, unlike Natsuki and Haruno, who had just joined, Yukino was an experienced player—according to the previously summarized pattern, the nightmare actually cycled endlessly; once a resident collapsed or died, it would restart, and during this time, the unlucky residents would often develop some instincts.
"Got it, then I'll ask a simple one first." Haruno nodded lightly, pondering, "Ouija board, Ouija board, what was my dinner yesterday evening?"
Without much hesitation, Natsuki quickly felt the pen in his hand move, circling a few words on the paper: "Steak and salad, and a serving of ice cream."
"Eh, Ouija board is wonderful!" Haruno exclaimed softly, "She got everything right!"
The passerby player's voice was eerie: "I told you, Ouija board knows everything... Next, Haruno must obey Ouija board's command."
As soon as she finished speaking, the pen tip slid across the paper again, quickly circling a few words: [Take off one piece of clothing]
Natsuki saw Ouija board's command and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Hey, hey, what's up with this Ouija board? She just tells people to take off clothes; could she be a pervert?
"Eh, take off clothes?"
Haruno hesitated. If her memories hadn't been blocked, Haruno probably wouldn't have cared, but she was now an ordinary high school student, and a girl's modesty was, of course, not lacking. Taking off clothes in front of friends, especially with a boy present, her girlish sense of shame quickly took over.
"Don't waste time." Yukino spoke again, her voice cold, reminding, "If you don't obey Ouija board's command, you will soon be punished."
Natsuki asked curiously, "What punishment?"
The passerby player said eerily, "You'll find out soon."
"Hmm..."
Haruno was still hesitating when she suddenly groaned in pain, collapsing onto the table, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Ah, ah, it hurts, hurts, hurts..."
Natsuki frowned and looked over, just about to flip the table, but Haruno's painful punishment had already ended, lasting only a few seconds. Haruno's face was pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
"I'll take it off right away... Are stockings considered clothes?" Haruno asked.
The pen tip moved on the paper: "That's right."
"Then I'll take off my stockings."
Having been inexplicably subjected to supernatural punishment, Haruno, as an ordinary person, quickly chose to comply, biting her silver teeth and pulling off the stockings on her legs.
Natsuki looked down, feeling only a glimpse of snowy white and delicate skin enter his vision.
So white.
Dazzlingly white.
It was a dimly lit abandoned classroom, so logically, it should have been impossible to see clearly, but the opposite was true; the girl's snowy white legs were exceptionally striking.
The passerby player said eerily, "The game continues."
This time, it was Yukino's turn to ask.
It was unclear how long Yukino had been trapped in the Ouija board game, but she had clearly developed some instincts, asking extremely simple questions: "Ouija board, Ouija board, what time did the sun rise this morning?"
The pen tip quickly moved on the paper: "Five past five in the morning."
After answering, Ouija board quickly gave a command: [Take off one piece of clothing]
Natsuki was instantly speechless.
It's taking off clothes again! You really are a perverted Ouija board, aren't you!
Yukino was expressionless, gently biting her lip, and silently took off her stockings.
Next, it was the unfamiliar girl's turn. This girl also asked a very simple question, and the punishment given by Ouija board was also to take off clothes.
For a moment, the three girls' snowy white legs reflected the candlelight, exceptionally dazzling.
"It's finally my turn."
Natsuki was not afraid at all; instead, he was full of interest.
The sinful mushroom had just been planted, but it would be a long time until it matured. It was a good time to play the Ouija board game, and it seemed quite interesting so far.
"Ouija board, Ouija board, I'm asking a question." Natsuki stated the question he had prepared in his mind, "Two people, A and B, unaware of each other, simultaneously fire shots intending to kill C. C is shot and dies, with one bullet hitting the heart. Later investigation cannot confirm whose bullet it was. How should A and B be sentenced?"
...
After hearing the question, the three girls all looked over, their eyes blank, clearly not knowing how to sentence them. Even Ouija board was silent for a while.
After several seconds, the pen tip finally slid across the paper, giving the answer: "Both A and B are charged with attempted murder."
"Eh?" Haruno asked in confusion, "That's strange, why attempted?"
Yukino frowned slightly, also not understanding: "The person has clearly been killed; attempted... doesn't make sense."
"It seems Yukino and Haruno don't know..." Natsuki's gaze swept across Yukino and Haruno's faces, and he thought to himself, "So, Ouija board actually has the ability to read minds?"
From the perspective of ordinary people's morality, killing someone is of course completed murder. But the law not only protects the victim's rights but also the suspect's rights, preferring to let a thousand guilty go free than wrongly convict one innocent person—there was only one fatal bullet wound. In other words, only one of A and B was truly guilty of completed murder. When it's impossible to determine whose bullet it was, there's a possibility of misjudgment, so both are considered attempted murder.
After answering, the pen tip moved on the paper again, quite quickly, giving the command: [Within one minute, do fifty push-ups]
Hey, hey, that's too much! For girls, it's just taking off clothes, but when it's my turn, it's dozens of push-ups! This is clearly gender discrimination! If you were in America, you'd be strung up and beaten right now!
"I'll do it."
Natsuki immediately got up and demonstrated what walking on hands looked like, steady as a mountain, without the slightest wobble. He quickly completed two laps, clapped his hands, and returned to the table to sit down, urging, "Don't stop, everyone keep playing."
...
The second round of the Ouija board game continued.
The girls' questions to Ouija board were all very simple, such as what their favorite color was, how many days were in a week, etc. The commands given by Ouija board did not change; it was still to take off clothes.
As mentioned before, the environment in the current nightmare was a summer night during summer vacation, so the clothes on everyone were, of course, very thin, especially for the girls. Sailor uniform jackets, underwear, stockings, plus shoes—there were basically no other items of clothing, so...
Although the candlelight was still very dim, Natsuki still felt the entire classroom brighten up.
Especially Haruno and Yukino.
Their skin was equally snowy white, but in terms of development, there was a world of difference; they didn't look like sisters at all.
"It's my turn again." Natsuki looked at Yukino, who was sitting opposite him, and asked the question he had thought of, "Ouija board, Ouija board, what is the name of the boy Yukino likes?"
Yukino frowned slightly, her gaze sharp as she looked over, her voice cold, "I don't have a boy I like."
The pen in the four people's hands quickly moved. However, it did not stop at 'None' but slowly spelled out a name: "Natsuki..."
"What's going on?" Yukino couldn't help but frown, "Did Ouija board answer incorrectly?"
The passerby player's voice was eerie: "Ouija board cannot answer incorrectly."
"Since Ouija board can't be wrong, then this is Yukino's true answer in her heart." Haruno propped up her chin, "It seems Yukino likes Natsuki-kun."
Natsuki looked at Yukino, smiling without speaking.
"Impossible." Yukino took a deep breath and shook her head, "I don't have any good feelings for him at all."
For some reason, when Yukino saw the smile on Natsuki's face, she felt an inexplicable surge of anger.
Haruno said from the side, "Natsuki-kun is actually very handsome, you know."
"There are many handsome boys." Yukino's tone was firm, "Compared to a person's appearance, I care more about their soul."
Natsuki smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment."
Yukino: "...I wasn't complimenting you!"
As they spoke, Ouija board's punishment command struck again, with a higher difficulty than the last time.
[Walk on your hands for three minutes and circle the classroom twice]
"No problem."
Natsuki immediately got up and performed what was called walking on hands, steady as a mountain, without the slightest wobble. He quickly completed two laps, clapped his hands, and returned to the table to sit down, urging, "Don't stop, everyone keep playing."
...
The third round of the Ouija board game began.
The three girls had already formed a tacit understanding, still asking very simple questions. After Ouija board answered, the punishment given had not changed; it was still to take off clothes.
The three girls had no choice but to take off their skirts. At this point, they were left with only their last two pieces of underwear.
"Ouija board, Ouija board, I'm going to ask." Hiranoshita said, "Assuming the common difference of an arithmetic sequence is... Now, what is the answer to this final question on the college entrance examination math paper?"