Not a detective

"It means exactly what it says. In the past year, and the six months I've spent with you, the Mystery Club hasn't been doing nothing."

Chizuko smiled sheepishly: "It's not like a sports club where we can participate in competitions and win awards. Other arts clubs also have their own publications, records, or achievements. But we just sit here reading and chatting, right? I guess the student council has been unhappy with this laid-back attitude for a long time, so this time they just found an excuse to disband us."

Asakawa Riku glanced at her speechlessly. So the club president was aware of this.

"Wasn't it you who led the way in slacking off?"

Aoandon's Autumn: Chapter Seven: Undeniable Achievements

"Senior, didn't you say your family has connections in this school, which is why the mystery club has been able to survive until now?"

Asakawa Riku asked curiously, "If that's the case, could you please put in a good word for the student council and have them reject the disbandment notice? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been having a really bad falling out with my dad lately…” Chizuko shrugged. “Anyway, I can’t possibly ask him for help, absolutely not.”

Asakawa Riku still doesn't know the details of that argument between father and daughter.

He said unwillingly, "Are we just going to watch them disband like this?"

"It's not so bad, is it?"

Surprisingly, Chizuko, the club president, didn't seem particularly excited or resistant. Instead, she said calmly, "Anyway, it's just the two of us in this club. We can just go somewhere else to drink tea, read books, and chat. It's the same thing. The only problem is where to store these books. I don't want to lend them to those strangers in the library."

It seems that her real worries are about other things.

Asakawa Riku paused for a moment, seemingly realizing that what he said made no difference as long as their relationship remained unchanged. Whether the mystery club existed or not was irrelevant.

But the question is... can relationships really remain unchanged?

His connection with Chizuko-senpai began with this mystery club; without this "outer shell," the contents inside might instantly lose their shape.

Collapse, scatter, disappear.

"Besides, Asakawa-san, there's no point in you staying here any longer, is there?"

Unexpectedly, Chizuko continued speaking.

"What do you mean?" Asakawa Riku asked.

"After all, Asakawa-kun, you were initially very resistant to joining the mystery club, saying you were only a temporary member. Even though you officially joined in the end, it was just a mutually beneficial agreement. I was there to gain experience and borrow power, while you were there to learn about knowledge and get to know yokai... But this summer, didn't you already find out what you wanted to know?"

She's right. Asakawa Riku initially joined the mystery club simply to investigate the traces of supernatural abilities, including all sorts of things related to yokai (supernatural beings).

But after that "Summer of the Snow Woman," through Chizuko's father, the answers to most of the questions were known, and it was confirmed that these extraordinary phenomena did exist in this world.

Yes... what reason is there to stay in this mystery club?

Suddenly I felt lost.

"Could it be that--"

Chizuko sat in the chair, cupping her soft face in her hands. The cold expression on her face slowly faded, and a slight smile appeared.

"Asakawa-kun, you like me so much that you can't bear to part with me?"

"……nonsense!"

Asakawa Riku subconsciously retorted.

"Haha, Asakawa-kun, you're really not being frank enough. Are you being tsundere?"

Chizuko grinned and said, "Alright, alright, enough joking. No need to say more. I definitely won't sit idly by. After all, I built the mystery club myself, and it absolutely cannot be disbanded."

Sure enough, it was all an act all along. What a nasty senior!

Regardless, Asakawa Riku lost this duel, so he could only honestly ask, "So, what should we do now?"

“What the student council cares about is whether we are actually participating in activities, not just sitting in the activity room slacking off. There is only one way: find a way to produce tangible results, and then report them to prove that the reasoning club has value. This is the only solution.”

"Actually, we were just being lazy."

“That’s not important. What’s important is to make them believe.”

Listening to Chizuko's impassioned speech, Asakawa Riku was unconsciously moved, but he quickly fell into deep thought:

"What activity records are there... Oh right, that Tsuchigumo's..."

That was their most important event, truly embodying the central idea of ​​"reasoning," and was an excellent record that would amaze the student council.

"Nonsense, that matter definitely can't be told to anyone."

The plan was quickly scrapped, and Asakawa Riku could only think again: "Well... what else is there?"

But no matter how hard I try, all I can think about is the delicious lunchbox I eat every day at noon. I feel ashamed.

Just then, Chizuko, as if she had been prepared all along, smugly hummed twice and stood up. Sure enough, she had already made arrangements and plans.

She walked to the blackboard, wiped it clean, and then, after a long absence, picked up the chalk and began to write—

"Let's call this incident the Crisis of the Dissolution of the Mystery Club. We worked tirelessly to preserve the glorious mission of the Mystery Club and finally succeeded in saving this precious cultural heritage. I'm sure this incident will be recorded in the school's history, and future students will always remember our deeds and names."

"...I think this insignificant club will definitely disappear after you graduate, senior."

Asakawa Riku couldn't help but complain.

Just then, Chizuko finished writing her beautiful chalk handwriting, and several large characters were prominently displayed on the blackboard:

[Seven Unbelievable Things About Campus]

“…What?” Asakawa Riku was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the topic to come back to this.

Have you heard the story of the "Seven Wonders"?

Chizuko put down the chalk and dusted off her hands: "This word should come from the ghost stories of the Edo period. It was originally one of the Seven Mysteries of Honjo, which included seven urban ghost stories in the Honjo area, including Okihori, Send-off Lantern, Send-off Harpwood, Tomonashi Soba, Ashizaki Residence, One Leaf Reed, Tanuki-ko, Fallen Leaf Bald Hammer, and Tsugaru Taiko."

"Are they starting a science lesson again? By the way, why are there... nine?"

He counted them.

"Who knows? After all, it's just a fictional story from old Rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) used to pique the curiosity of the common people. There's no such rigorous record. The Seven Wonders is just a common saying. For example, in Japan, the Seven Wonders of the World are called the Seven Wonders of the World. Don't worry about the number. It doesn't matter if there are eight or nine."

Chizuko shrugged and continued, "Anyway, in modern times, the basics of this ghost story have continued. Although the template remains the same, the content has been constantly changing, especially the setting of the story has become more and more focused on educational institutions. Perhaps it's because schools are inherently associated with horror, or perhaps it's due to students' natural inclination to spread ghost stories and dislike school. The term 'Seven Mysteries of the School' has become popular, and every school has its own version. Our school is no exception. You should be very familiar with this, right?"

"Hmm... I wouldn't say we're familiar, but we're still familiar with each other."

Asakawa Riku knew his words were a bit awkward, but difficult to express.

After all, Chizuko-senpai was once a member of the "Seven Mysteries," and unfortunately, he has now taken her place in the VIP club.

"But I don't know what the other six incredible things are, or are there more than six? Maybe seven or eight?"

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about the super-strong man anymore. There are only six. The numbers here are very precise. There are seven in total, and the remaining six are six."

Chizuko slapped her sleeve hard against the chalk writing on the blackboard, making a loud slap as if she weren't afraid of getting hurt:

"Asakawa-kun, what we need to do is solve all the mysterious incidents. That is our undeniable achievement."

Aoandon's Autumn: Chapter Eight - Night on Campus

"I said, didn't we already divide the work? Why do you have to drag me along?"

Chizuko said irritably.

...

This is what happened at school that evening.

After all, the notice to disband the club stated "clean up and get out in seven days" (this was, of course, Asakawa Riku's emotional perception), so time was tight. There were a total of six "mysterious" ghost stories, so at least one had to be solved each day. He should finish them quickly after school, and if possible, solve multiple ones at once on the weekend.

Otherwise, if we add the time spent writing the investigation report to deal with the student council, it will be too late.

Although seven days is not a death sentence like "I'll kill you in seven days," if you plead for two more days of leniency, the student council shouldn't be so heartless.

However, Chizuko is a perfectionist, and Asakawa Riku is no less so; neither of them wants to see a situation like "begging the student council" happen.

—If possible, conquer them with unwavering strength.

This was the thought that Asakawa Riku and Chizuko shared without prior agreement.

"Then let's start tonight." There's no time to lose, and not even a single day can be wasted, so Asakawa Riku immediately pulled her to the first location.

When I walked out of the activity room, I realized it was unusually late. It seemed like we hadn't noticed the time while we were chatting, and it was almost time for the school to close.

Chizuko immediately took out her phone and called home, seemingly to inform them that she would be home late.

It sounded like she was calling her mother. It seems that what she just said about "having a conflict with her father" wasn't a lie. She said a couple of words and then hung up, as if she didn't have to say much.

Chizuko-senpai is like someone who's been raised by her family; they feel very comfortable with her staying out all night.

"Don't you need it?"

“I… Oh.” Asakawa Riku paused for a moment. He thought he had no ties, but suddenly remembered that there should still be someone waiting for him at home.

He didn't know how to talk to Yukie, and he felt very awkward, so he edited a message and sent it.

He explained that he would be going back later and asked her to eat first, not to wait for him. He also mentioned that he was with "your sister" to avoid making her worry.

Before I could even put my phone back in my pocket, it started vibrating.

Yuki replied with a "?".

That child has lived in the mountains since childhood and rarely has contact with outsiders. He only recently started learning to use a smartphone, so he must have accidentally made a typo.

It's okay, as long as we confirm that the other party knows about this, they will call if there are any problems. She has both of their numbers.

Asakawa Riku was thinking about this, so he refocused his attention on the event at hand.

His expression suddenly changed drastically.

Staring into the long, dark corridor before me, all was silent…

Then, he quickly grabbed Chizuko beside him and pushed her into a classroom.

"Hey...don't grab my hand, what are you doing—"

"Quiet." Asakawa Riku covered her mouth first.

A beam of light brushed past, illuminating the corridor floor with a chilling glow.

Footsteps followed, seemingly coming up from downstairs, the clatter of dress shoes on the floor.

Asakawa Riku pressed himself against the windowsill and glanced out. It seemed to be a teacher at the school, probably patrolling the school buildings to see if any students had stayed at school overnight instead of going home.

They hid close to the wall, so the flashlight beam didn't reach them in the classroom.

Even so, the tension remained; Chizuko's lips seemed to tremble, making her palms itchy.

Especially when the teacher approached, their breathing and heartbeats were almost synchronized, and they only gradually returned to normal after he walked away.

After confirming that the teacher had gone far enough away and could no longer hear their conversation, Asakawa Riku released his hand.

"I didn't realize that even seniors can be afraid."

“I’m a good student. If the school finds out about this behavior, it will ruin my image.”

Chizuko rubbed her shoulders as she stood up: "I want to get into a good university, and for that I need a letter of recommendation from the school. Therefore, I cannot have any disciplinary action or violation of discipline."

To be honest, Asakawa Riku hasn't inquired about Chizuko's grades yet, but judging from her usual erudition and excellent memory, she must be an outstanding student.

He smiled nonchalantly: "As long as we don't get caught."

In fact, he could move more easily by himself, and he was even confident that he could hide behind the teacher without being detected.

However, if we're with Chizuko, we can only use this basic method of hide-and-seek.

The two walked out of the unfamiliar classroom and continued down the corridor. If you count the teacher who had just left, then there should only be the two of them left in the school building. Everything around them was silent. It was the first time they had stayed at school so late. Outside the window was a bright moon and a few stars in the night sky. It was completely dark.

A cool evening breeze, even carrying a slight chill, blew out from the crack in the open window, making it all the more clear that autumn had arrived.

Speaking of which, this chilly wind is a bit creepy.

The once bustling and vibrant school corridors seem to transform at night, with endless darkness spreading out before your eyes and the classrooms on both sides resembling the eyes of monsters.

And the mouth of the abyss at the very center, no one knows where it leads.

If an ordinary student were here, they would probably be too scared to move, and might even hide in a locker at school for the night. But unfortunately, the two students walking here are the least compatible with the "terrifying atmosphere." One of them believes that his fists can punish all demons and monsters, while the other has a real ghost lurking behind him...

They seemed more afraid of the teacher than the monsters, and the two strange people casually struck up a conversation:

"Asakawa-kun, haven't we already divided the work? You're in charge of the field investigation, then filming and recording the process, and showing it to me the next day. Then I'll be in charge of reasoning and writing the report. This division of labor is more efficient, isn't it? If you drag me along, I won't have the energy to write anything the next day."

"Senior, you really have it easy. This is a matter of life and death for our club, and you just send me out to run errands all by myself?"

"After all, I'm the club president and a senior... Besides, isn't Asakawa-kun very strong? Why are you so scared that you need to drag me along?"