Chapter 6: The Compartment in the Bathroom Ceiling
The thought of playing hide-and-seek with ghosts—and more than one, at that—sent a chill down Yotsuya Miko's spine.
In truth, it wasn't just her; even Haruto felt a prickle of unease.
If this first instance hadn't forbidden bringing companions, he would have dragged Kaguya in here ages ago. Then, he would have promptly kicked her out the front door to scout ahead while he lounged in a safe spot, waiting to reap the rewards.
Uncertain whether the doll was lurking in the living room or the kitchen, Haruto decided it was best for them to stick together. For stability's sake.
He vaguely recalled that the spirit-summoning game required two people to even begin. He wasn't sure if a single person could play, and the last thing he wanted was to get stuck in this godforsaken place because the game mechanics stalled. In a place like this, no one would be coming to their rescue.
The first door they pushed open led to a medium-sized bathroom. Inside, two more doors were set into the left and right walls.
"Eight rooms, probably arranged in a circle... Big brother, which way are we going?" Yotsuya Miko asked, taking in the layout.
"...No need to call me big brother. My name is Haruto."
Only then did it occur to Haruto that he had never actually introduced himself.
"Okay, Brother Haruto." Yotsuya Miko nodded obediently.
Haruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen. It wasn't the elegant fountain pen from the living room table, but a simple pencil engraved with a carrot pattern.
He had "borrowed" it from Inaba Tei before he left. Anything that rabbit youkai had touched was bound to be infused with at least a sliver of her outrageous luck.
Under Miko's puzzled gaze, Haruto gave the pencil a casual toss. When it landed, however, he froze.
It didn't point left. It didn't point right. It stood perfectly straight, the sharpened tip aimed directly at the ceiling.
"Do you... want to toss it again?" Yotsuya Miko asked weakly.
Haruto shook his head. He scanned the room, found a mop leaning in the corner, and detached the dirty mop head. Using the remaining pole, he gently tapped the ceiling.
Thump. Thump.
The sound was distinctly hollow. Yotsuya Miko's eyes widened as she immediately caught the anomaly.
"It's empty up there," she said, her tone laced with surprise. "Is there really a hidden compartment?"
Haruto nodded, setting the pole down. He climbed onto the porcelain sink, stretching to see if he could pry open the ceiling panel.
Unfortunately, the sink was too low and the bathroom ceiling was unusually high. Not only could he not reach it, but he was still a good distance away.
"I'll help, too."
Yotsuya Miko climbed up beside him. After a moment's hesitation, she suggested, "How about you give me a boost, Brother Haruto? I'll take it apart."
"That works."
The sink's surface was far too narrow. If Miko were to boost him, Haruto had zero confidence he wouldn't topple over. He glanced at her, then at his own hands, a flicker of conflict in his eyes.
Under Miko's expectant gaze, Haruto steeled himself and made a bold attempt. He slid one hand beneath her knees and, after a moment of deep hesitation, placed the other against her backside to lift her.
Seeing the dazed, blank look on Miko's face, Haruto awkwardly set her back down.
"Um... Brother Haruto, you just need to get into a half-squat."
"Okay." Haruto cooperatively bent his knees.
Yotsuya Miko shook her head, trying to clear the blush from her cheeks. She moved behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed her knees against his back, using the use to clamber up.
"Brother Haruto, am I too heavy? If it's too much, we can go find a stool or something."
"It's not heavy," Haruto grunted, shaking his head. "Keep going. See if you can get the tiles on the ceiling off."
A man could never admit he couldn't handle it.
Standing on the sink and adding another person's height was still not quite enough. In the end, Yotsuya Miko had to sit on Haruto's shoulders, with him gripping the base of her thighs to keep her steady.
She had never been this physically close to a member of the opposite sex before. Miko forcefully shook the stray thoughts from her mind and focused on the tiles directly above her.
"Don't take down the one right over us," Haruto reminded her from below. "Try to remove the one a space ahead."
He had no desire to get a face full of corpse.
"Got it."
The ceiling was made of simple grid-like tiles. After a bit of fiddling, Miko managed to dislodge one, eventually creating an opening large enough for a person to squeeze through.
"I'll go in and take a look by myself," she said, glancing down with a hint of hesitation. "The ceiling is very thin. It might not be able to support the weight of two people."
Haruto was a little surprised. He hadn't expected her to be so brave; his original plan had been for her to get up first and then pull him up after her.
"Alright, be careful. Throw the flashlight up before you go."
"Okay."
Miko gave the flashlight a gentle toss, and it landed squarely in the dark space above. Then, with a smooth transition, she pushed herself up from a sitting position to stand on Haruto's shoulders. She grabbed the edge of the opening, steadied herself with a slight wobble, and poked her head inside. After a quick scan confirmed no immediate danger, she hauled herself up.
Once inside, Miko bent down to retrieve the flashlight. She tested the floor with her left foot, gradually applying more pressure. The tiles creaked but held, showing no signs of collapsing under her weight.
"What's up there?" Haruto's voice echoed up from the bathroom.
"A lot of iron boxes," she called down. "They're mostly filled with books."
Miko opened a nearby box, finding it packed with old, musty tomes.
Suddenly, her flashlight beam caught a locked box tucked away in a corner. She stepped closer and saw that the key was still inserted in the lock.
She turned it. With a soft click, a faint but heart-wrenching stench of old blood wafted out. When she saw what was inside, her entire body shuddered violently.
"There are bones here," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They look like human bones... and they're not very big. They must be Wan-Wan's. There's also a rabbit doll set."
'Bones? A rabbit doll?''So, she's already dead,' Haruto thought, his previous deductions solidifying. It seemed the information he'd gathered was correct. There were definitely more than two ghosts in this house. There was a third... or perhaps even a fourth.
"Check if there are any other clues. If not, come down."
Hearing his calm instruction, Miko took a deep breath and continued searching through the other boxes. After everything she had endured, she had become much braver than before.
Meanwhile, down in the bathroom, Haruto's easygoing expression had vanished. His gaze grew unsettled, fixed on the ajar doorway leading back out.
The footsteps were almost imperceptible, but Haruto had definitely heard them.
'The ghost shadow that was watching us from the hallway?'he wondered.'No, that one likely doesn't have a physical form.''The human-skin doll?''Also unlikely. The doll's footsteps should be much quieter than this, if they make any sound at all.'
With those two ruled out, the answer became blindingly obvious.
"Get down, quick!" Haruto hissed, his voice low and urgent.
Yotsuya Miko had just finished searching the last box. Hearing Haruto call for her, she didn't know what was happening, but she could sense the gravity in his tone. She scrambled back to the opening and, with Haruto's help, quickly climbed down.
"Did something happen?"
Haruto didn't have time to answer. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the room on the left. It appeared to be a pantry, lined with shelves for storing food.
"Shh~"
The two of them pressed themselves behind the door. Haruto brought an index finger to his lips, signaling for her to remain absolutely silent.
Da-da... da-da-da...
As the room fell quiet, a series of footsteps grew increasingly clear. It sounded like someone jumping lightly on their tiptoes. Yotsuya Miko's breath hitched, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
Was 'someone' coming?
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