It was five minutes later that the seance officially started. Chii reminded me to change out of my uniform first. All three of them were already in their night attire, after all.
It would feel a little out of place if I kept that up. Besides, An-rin and Kushii also urged me to go. The sparkle in their eyes told me that they're interested in seeing what I would wear tonight.
I grabbed my bag from the corner of the living room and headed to the bathroom to change.
An-rin tried to follow me but Chii and Kushii held her down despite knowing that the girl was simply trying to get a reaction from them.
I guess it was worth it for An-rin?
Anyway, my sleepover outfit this time was simple. Black sweatpants and a fitted gray t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but comfortable enough for a night of An-rin's unbound chaos, Kushii's controlled shyness and Chii's affectionate teasing.
I caught my reflection in the mirror. It was still fine. No signs of exhaustion. Maybe only a little? I washed my face and fixed my hair slightly before stepping out. Not that it mattered though. Those girls were gonna mess with me no matter how I looked.
When I stepped back into the living room, I sensed the shift in the atmosphere.
An-rin had turned off the lights and she lit a couple of candles on the coffee table which cast long shadows across the living room.
The crystal ball sat in the center, surrounded by a pile of snacks and a random scarf An-rin must've pulled from the prop bag for extra "mystic vibes."
Kushii and Chii were arranging the candles with a surprising amount of care, while An-rin lazily swayed as she watched the other two. The feather boa was finally off her neck. She put it on her thighs as a substitute for a blanket.
"Yo, Onoda-han!" An-rin's eyes lit up as she was the first one to notice me returning. She sat up and stared at me, taking in my appearance as her eyes went up and down, "Oh my gee… you look like such a total snack in those sweats! Still trying to charm all of us, huh? You're too cute! But don't steal the spotlight from our crystal ball."
I rolled my eyes, dropping my bag back to the side of the couch and plopping down next to Chii who immediately leaned against me. "An-rin, the only thing stealing the show is your inability to sit still. You're gonna knock over those candles and cause a fire."
Kushii snorted softly, adjusting the last candle. "She's right, An-rin. You're one twirl away from a fire hazard."
She then glanced up at me and got a little tongue-tied. I winked at her, making the girl turn her head away.
"Rude! I'm, like, the queen of ambiance!" An-rin huffed, but her grin didn't falter as she grabbed a chip and tossed it into her mouth. "Anyway, Onoda-han, you ready to talk to some ghosts? Or you're scared you'll cry for Chizuru to save ya?"
Before I could answer, Chii glared at An-rin as she hugged my arm, "This is your idea, An-rin. Are you certain you want to be alone on that side?"
"Pfft, Chizuru, don't try to spook me! I'm, like, totally fearless. Ghosties are nothing to me!" She waved the fluff dramatically, nearly knocking over a candle in the process.
"An-rin, that boa is about as protective as your yogurt stash. If a ghost truly shows up, I bet it'll first come to you. You're the one who kept on hooting about this. You truly believe what the shopkeeper said about it being cursed?"
"Of course not! Like, who believes in ghosts these days? Seriously, let's just have fun, Onoda-han."
With my question, An-rin waved her hand before picking up the crystal ball and rubbing it lightly.
When she put it back, Kushii, who probably found a chance to spook her friend, timed her words perfectly, lowering her voice to a hushed, eerie tone.
"Careful, An-rin. You're tempting fate with that thing. What if it is cursed? You're gonna be the first to get haunted."
An-rin's hands froze and her eyes widened for a moment before laughing it off. However, she couldn't hide the slight tremor in her voice.
"Pfft, Kushii, you're such a mood-killer! No way this ball's cursed. It's, like, a thrift store reject, not some ancient relic!"
I chimed in while putting a devious smile, "Sure, An-rin, keep telling yourself that. If a ghost pops up, don't come running to me. I'm booked to protect Chii tonight. Kushii can also come to my side. Don't be shy." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire·net
At that, Chii pinched my side as she pouted. An-rin's chest heaved a bit. And Kushii swiftly reacted by saying, "W-why do I need to come to your side? I… I can handle myself, Onoda-shi!"
"Alright but I'll still catch you if you tumble."
"Kii! You're teasing Kushii again!" Chii pinched my side harder.
Well, it's not painful.
Meanwhile, Kushii couldn't help but cover her face. Despite only having the candles at the source of light, she couldn't hide the redness of it.
"Shameless Onoda-shi. Ugh. Someday, I'd get back to all these teasing." She whispered under her breath. With Chii and An-rin's lack of reaction, I was probably the only one who picked it up.
An-rin then clapped her hands, gaining our attention, "Okay, enough lovey-dovey nonsense! I'm, like, getting sticky by watching you too. Time to get spooky! Kushii, you said you're going to be the medium, so, like, do your thing. Call some ghosts or whatever. I'm ready to be amazed!"
Kushii immediately composed herself as she sighed. It was as if she were too lazy to argue anymore.
She grabbed the ball from An-rin and placed it back on top of the scarf. Then she hovered her hands on top of it.
"Great. Let's do this. Everyone, hands on the table, close your eyes, and focus. We're summoning… something."
As if the temperature in the room was playing along with our shenanigans, it suddenly felt a little colder the moment our hands were placed on the table.
An-rin dramatically did it, producing an audible thud as she sneakily scooted a bit closer to Kushii.
"L-let's go! No funny business, okay? If you make a spooky noise, I'm throwing chips at you!"
"An-rin, you're already freaking out, and we haven't even started yet."
"Shut it, Onoda-han!" The chaotic gyaru snapped at me, her eyes narrowing to a sharp glare.
Next to me, Chii giggled at her friends' reaction.
Meanwhile, Kushii shook her head as her expression shifted to a solemn one. She began to speak in a low, almost hypnotic voice.
"Oh, spirits of the beyond, hear our call. We seek your presence in this circle of light, our path with your ancient wisdom… or whatever."
Chii stifled a giggle, pressing her face into my shoulder to muffle it, while An-rin let out a nervous laugh. "Kushii, you sound like you're narrating a bad horror movie! Can't you, like, make it up a bit?"
"Shh," Kushii shushed her as her fingers brushed the crystal ball lightly. "Focus. Feel the energy. Imagine a door opening to the other side…"
As if properly hypnotized by her voice, both Chii and An-rin closed their eyes, causing the room to grow quieter. Even the noises from outside spilling through the walls were seemingly muted.
Then the candlelight flickered as if someone blew at it softly.
An-rin's fidgeting was clearly displayed by her shadow.
As Kushii's voice continued to call out to the non-existent spirit or whatever curse was in the crystal ball, suspense gradually built up.
At this point, I closed my eyes and focused my senses on Chii's warmth against me.
Then, a faint tapping sound broke the silence.
Not even a second later, An-rin yelped, her hands jerking back from the table. "What was that?! Kushii, was that you?!"
I couldn't help but open my eyes to that, likewise, Chii and Kushii did the same.
"No… that wasn't me. Maybe it was the roof? Someone fell"
I opened my eyes, scanning the room casually. "Roof? We're on the first floor, Kushii. Maybe the ghost heard you dissing the crystal ball, An-rin. You're in trouble now."
At that, Chii lifted her head as she played along, "Kii, don't scare her! Before you know it, An-rin might jump over to our side and you'll have to catch her!"
An-rin huffed and crossed her arms defiantly.
"I'm not scared! I'm, like, totally cool! But… maybe we should turn on a light? Just, y'know, for ambiance?"
I pressed on, "Ambiance, sure. Kushii, you wanna keep going, or is An-rin's bravery officially out of commission?"
Kushii smirked, "Let's try one more time. But An-rin, no chickening out. You wanted a spooky night, so here it is."
An-rin groaned but placed her hands back on the table, muttering under her breath about 'stupid ghosts' and 'stupid Onoda-han!'.
After giving us a sign, Kushii began again.
"Spirits, show us a sign. Speak through the crystal ball. Who… are you?"
The tapping didn't return as it was truly just a coincidence. But to keep up the spooky vibes, I nudged the table myself.