What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Paranoid

“Hey, what’s occult about this club anyway?” Hatsue asked bluntly, genuine curiosity laced beneath her signature skepticism. “Other than going to theme parks and getting spooked by animatronics, that is.”

Like every good thing, the weekend ended too soon. And Monday morning rolled around with all the grace of a boot to the ribs. In the clubroom, the atmosphere was… as lively as one could expect for 8:13 a.m..

“There ARE occult things about it!” Naomi huffed, eyebrows raised, arms crossed in what was supposed to be a no-nonsense look. It came out more like a pouty hamster trying its best at intimidation.

Eiji sighed deeply, tired and regretful. He wasn’t sure why Naomi had let her join in the first place.

Shiratori Hatsue. Class rep. Rule stickler. Club outsider. No spiritual sense and certainly no connection to specters.

Eiji’s verdict: no reason to be involved.

Keeping her around was dangerous. Unnecessary. He’d need to have a word with the president soon.

Meanwhile, Honoka laughed softly behind her palm.

“Does that mean our newly-inducted student council representative is planning to report us?”

“Eh? I didn’t say that.” Hatsue blinked.

“Phew…” Naomi deflated throwing herself on the desk.

“You do realize your occult… activities need another club member to continue right?”

Naomi perked up again, “We still need 5?!”

“The number never changes Mizuno.” Hatsue narrowed her eyes—but before it turned into a lecture, Honoka cut in with elegant timing.

“But our dear school council representative will surely push the deadline back… won’t she?”

Hatsue smiled wryly.

“I’ll try. No promises.”

“…We’re chasing deadlines now.”

⌁◉⌁

The school bell rang like a rusted church bell dragging the day forward.

First period was done, and the small reprieve of lunch break had just begun.

As Eiji stepped out of the classroom, a slim but tall schoolmate from another class stepped into his path.

Dyed hair, piercings. One of Ishida Mitsuaki’s followers. Eiji recognized the type instantly.

“Oi, Kanzaki. The boss said he was looking for ya. Don’t you dare—“

“Don’t care. Move.” Eiji attempted to push past him, but stopped dead in his tracks. Standing just behind the lackey… was another figure.

Lanky and bespectacled. Staring at Eiji with eyes that were eerily still.

“Kanzaki.” He spoke lowly.

Eiji narrowed his gaze. Two pests in the same place. But this one felt different.

“Oi, can’t you see I’m talking to him?” The lackey turned, barking in Katsuragi’s face. “Who are you supposed to be?! Get lost, damn nerd.”

Katsuragi’s stare didn’t budge. If anything, it persisted. His mouth curled, trembling with restrained anger.

“Y-You’ll do.”

“What?”

It seems their loud squaffle had turned some heads in the school hallway. Katsuragi nodded with his head.

“You. Kanzaki. Follow me to the roof.”

“That’s where you want your ass kicked? Fine by me.” The lackey sneered, cracking his knuckles..

“You’re not dragging me into this,” Eiji replied, uninterested—but Katsuragi’s gaze snapped back to him. Unblinking and unnatural.

Meh popped into existence beside Eiji, only visible to him.

“Eiji-dono! Meh senses this individual may be dangerous!”

Katsuragi’s eyes widened just slightly.

“…Oh, I am.”

Eiji stiffened.

He had heard that. He had heard Meh.

“…Why so shocked, Kanzaki?”

Katsuragi tilted his head, mouth crooked in a half-smile.

“What are you blabbering on about, you freaks?!” The lackey meanwhile was losing patience.

Meh had hid himself as soon as he realized he was detected. But that rose a question Eiji could no longer ignore.

“Rooftop it is.” The exorcist straightened up.

“…About time.”

As the three of them seemingly ascended to settle their disputes, the other occult club members who came out looking for Eiji observed them heading up. With Naomi at the forefront, they couldn’t in their right minds not follow them.

⌁◉⌁

The rooftop door creaked open.

The wind greeted them first—cold and indifferent.

Laughter and lunchtime chatter filtered up faintly from the courtyard below, but to the three standing there, it might as well have been a world away.

Eiji stepped out last, eyes flicking between the two ahead.

The lackey scratched his head, clearly irritated.

“Man… I’ve got places to be, you know? I can’t waste my whole damn lunch break with you losers..”

Katsuragi stood with his back to them, gazing at the railing. He didn’t turn.

“You’re irrelevant.”

“…Huh?”

“You were never the point. I only brought you here… for demonstration.”

The lackey blinked.

“What the hell are you on about, you freak?”

Katsuragi turned and raised a finger.

Not at the lackey.

But at Eiji.

“Him.”

His voice dropped to a slow, surgical murmur.

“You’re different, Kanzaki. Always knew you were. But I couldn’t quite… read you.”

Eiji didn’t speak. He didn’t like this. Not the tone. Not the way Katsuragi spoke like he was reciting some scripture no one else had ever seen before.

“Alright, that’s it. I’m done with you.”

The lackey scoffed.

“If you’re itching to get your ass kicked so badly, then so— be it!”

And then he swung.

A heavy punch aimed right for Katsuragi’s face. It connected squarely.

Katsuragi’s glasses flew off—clattering across the rooftop.

The lackey laughed.

“Oho?! Not so big and tough now, eh?!”

Katsuragi bent down calmly and methodically. He picked up his glasses, slid them back on—cracked lens and all.

Then, without a word, he pulled a pocket knife from his blazer.

The blade clicked. And buried itself in the lackey’s stomach.

Deep.

The lackey’s grin twisted into raw confusion.

“W-What the—”

Then came the scream.

“AAAAAAAH!!”

Katsuragi twisted the blade.

“W-WHAT THE FU—“

Then twisted again. And again. And again. And again.

Carving. Tearing.

“AAAAAAAH! S-STOP—“

The lackey thrashed, shrieking, trying to push him back but Katsuragi kept going, stabbing like a man erasing a mistake that wouldn’t disappear.

“Die, you empty sack of trash. Why do you get to walk around like you matter? Why do you get to look at me?”

Eiji stood frozen.

The sound of the blade squelching into flesh again and again rang louder than the courtyard below.

The screams went from loud to choked.

From defiance… to pleading.

Eiji finally moved.

“Katsuragi—!”

But the killer was faster.

With a grunt, he shoved the bloodied body straight into Eiji’s arms.

Eiji stumbled, catching him on instinct.

The lackey collapsed against him—heavy, trembling, eyes wide.

“K-Kanzaki… I… I don’t wanna die…”

“Tch—Hang in there!”

But his body went limp.

Blood poured down Eiji’s hoodie like a stream, pooling fast beneath them.

Eiji clenched his jaw and gently laid him down. He didn’t even get to know his name. And now he was gone. Just like that, right before his very eyes.

The exorcist stood, glaring. Katsuragi didn’t grin nor gloat. He just stared.

Eyes wide. Mouth twitching. Face blank—but deranged.

“What the fuck did you just do…?” Eiji muttered, his voice shaking with anger.

Katsuragi tilted his head.

“Taking out the trash… I think you once said.”

That’s when the rooftop door slammed open.

“Senpai!!!”

Naomi’s voice cracked.

Honoka and Hatsue followed right behind her. They froze.

Blood. A body. A knife.

“W-What is this…” Hatsue whispered, horror washing over her face like a wave. Honoka didn’t speak. She simply stared—eyes locked on the corpse.

“Senpai! Are you okay?!” Naomi rushed forward—

Katsuragi clicked his tongue.

“Tch. You never waste a moment to look good, do you? Did you call them here?”

But before anyone could scream, before Hatsue could shout for help—

The body vanished.

In a blink.

The pool of blood beneath Eiji’s shoes… Gone. His bloodstained hoodie… Pristine.

Silence. Absolute and defeating.

“Wha…” Naomi stepped back.

“What is this…?” Hatsue was shaking now.

Katsuragi’s body twitched.

And then—

He laughed.

Not loud. Not joyous. Like a broken record. Like something caught in a glitch loop.

“See, Kanzaki?! I can do whatever I want! I can END anyone who opposes me, just because I feel like it! Just because they looked at me the wrong way!”

Eiji’s fists clenched.

“This!” He waved his arms, his knife now clean, spotless, “This is what I wanted to show you!”

Red lightning crackled around Eiji’s fingers in jagged flickers.

“Eiji-dono the young man is… possessed…” Meh appeared beside him, voice trembling.

“Possessed?!” Katsuragi snapped, “No... I am free. I finally matter…”

And then he lunged.

Eiji barely dodged the slash of the pocket knife, too precise to be human. He kept dodging, careful not to meet the same jagged edge Mitsuaki’s unfortunate lackey did.

He wanted to fight back. Badly.

But one glance over his shoulder—Naomi. Honoka. Hatsue.

The school.

Too close. He couldn’t risk it. Not here.

Not with his lightning.

And that’s when—

PSSSSSHHHT!

Pepper spray.

Right to Katsuragi’s face.

“SENPAI, RUN!!!” Naomi shouted, arm still outstretched.

“AAAAAH!!! YOU BITCH—!”

Katsuragi screamed, clutching his face, staggering back.

It seemed Naomi’s instincts had given them a window to escape and regroup.

Eiji turned sharply.

“Go!!”

The three girls bolted for the stairs. Eiji followed.

⌁◉⌁

They burst into the clubroom like they were running from a nightmare.

Because they were.

The door slammed shut behind them.

Naomi gasped for air. Honoka leaned on the wall, eyes distant.

And Hatsue stood in the center of the room, frozen.

Eiji’s breathing was steady, but the tension radiating from him was like a thundercloud pressing against the walls.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody could.

Then—

“…He killed him,” Hatsue said.

Her voice wasn’t angry, nor loud.

Just quiet and shaken.

“He killed him. A student. Our classmate. Just—stabbed him the life out of him…”

Naomi bit her lip.

Honoka lowered her gaze.

“Why…” Hatsue muttered, louder now. “Why didn’t we stop it? Why didn’t you stop it sooner, Kanzaki?!”

Eiji didn’t reply. He just stared at the floor.

Honoka stepped forward, her voice calm but frayed.

“…We’ve seen specters. We’ve faced them before. But this… this wasn’t like any of that.”

She looked at her hands.

“This was human. A human… murdering another. With his hands.”

Silence.

“Shiratori.”

Eiji’s voice broke the air like thunder.

He stood suddenly, hands slamming against the clubroom table.

Everyone turned.

“This is what this club is about,” he said.

The air seemed to crackle.

“This is what I am about.”

His voice wasn’t cold anymore. It wasn’t flat.

It was full of something they’d never heard from him before.

“It’s sick. Twisted. Disturbing. And real. That’s why you shouldn’t have come here if you don’t know the implications! This place… whoever sticks around me… it’s not for fun.”

The room fell silent again.

Hatsue stared at him wide-eyed. Naomi had never seen him like this.

Honoka looked at him with quiet intensity.

Eiji’s breath burnt.

“…Takenaka,” he said, voice lower now. “If you can’t stomach this anymore—you’re free to go.”

He turned to Naomi.

“You too.”

She flinched. Her eyes shook.

“This is not your job. It’s mine.”

He clenched his fists.

“I’m not asking you to make sense of this. I’m not asking you to stop a serial killer. But I will put an end to it.”

For a long moment, no one said anything.

Naomi slowly reached for his sleeve—but didn’t pull. Hatsue took a small step back.

Honoka finally closed her eyes and whispered—

“…You’re wrong. You’re wrong Eiji-kun.”

Honoka’s voice faded with the echo of conviction. But the silence that followed was anything but still.

Hatsue turned sharply. Her head was reeling.

“I-I can’t! I just can’t!”

The words were sharp.

Without another glance, she stormed toward the door, her footsteps uneven.

“Shiratori-senpai—!” Naomi called, hurrying after her.

The door slammed.

Eiji didn’t move.

Honoka sighed softly, her arms folded against the slight chill of the now-empty room.

“…She’ll be alright.”

“That so?” Eiji muttered, eyes still low.

They stood like that a moment longer. The wind brushed faintly at the windows. The chaos of earlier felt like a dream. A very sharp, lingering dream.

Honoka took a few quiet steps, then sat across from him.

She didn’t say anything for a while.

Neither did he.

The tension had drained. What remained was just… weight..

Just the heaviness of what had been said. Of what had been seen.

“I’ve never seen you like that before,” Honoka finally said.

“It’s not your fault.” Eiji looked at her. “…But someone’s dead. And he wasn’t dead prior to our investigations. He died right in front of us. And that… that bastard can make anything he kills disappear!” His eyes lowered, anger seeping in. “And I couldn’t stop him in time. Who says he won’t go after you next?”

“We knew the implications before we joined. This club might not be solely for the purpose of having fun like you said…” Honoka took a breath, locking eyes with him, “…but we know what we signed up for. And we stayed. Maybe that makes us fools. But you don’t get to carry all of it alone. Not anymore.”

“Let me doubt that.” Eiji replied.

Honoka offered a small, tired smile.

“You push people away when you think they’re in danger. But that’s not strength, Eiji-kun. That’s just fear.”

Her voice softened.

“You’re not alone in this, even if you want to be.”

He looked up at her.

Their eyes met. There was no calm or quiet within them yet. Just an understanding.

“We won’t let you face it alone. We’re the only ones who can help you solve this.”

“Suit yourself… but I warned you.” Eiji sighed.

For a brief moment the weight in Eiji’s shoulders didn’t disappear, yet it… lessened. Still he knew better than to let his guard down again. That just meant he had more people to be responsible for.

⌁◉⌁

The hallway was empty.

Nobody came to this wing during lunch. Just a line of silent clubrooms, locked doors, and a single window painting pale rectangles of light across the floor.

And in that light, just outside the occult clubroom…

Hatsue sat alone.

Her arms were wrapped around her knees, face hidden.

She didn’t cry loudly.

Just the occasional sniffle. Quiet and stubborn, like everything she did in life.

Naomi slowed to a stop when she saw her.She didn’t speak right away. She simply walked over and sat beside her.

Legs drawn up, knees hugged. They sat there like that. Just two shadows in a quiet hall.

After a moment, Hatsue’s voice came low, muffled, but clear.

“…What the hell is all this?”

Naomi didn’t answer right away.

She looked up at the ceiling. Then smiled—gentle, shaky.

“Senpai didn’t mean to shove you away.”

Another sniffle.

“He just wants to protect everyone. That’s all.”

Silence.

Naomi hugged her knees a little tighter.

“I know it was scary. It scared me too,” she said softly. “But Senpai didn’t say all that because he thinks we’re weak. He’s like that because he knows how dangerous the things we’re facing are.”

Hatsue didn’t move. But she was listening.

Naomi glanced sideways at her.

“…Just trust him. Please. And come back with me.”

A pause.

“If you really don’t want to be involved anymore, nobody’s gonna hate you for it. I promise.”

The silence stretched again.

Then—

Hatsue exhaled. Long and quiet.

“…And leave you lunatics unsupervised?”

Naomi blinked.

Hatsue turned her head slightly just enough for Naomi to see a small, tired smile tugging at her lips.

Naomi grinned back, eyes misty.

“Does this mean you’re not quitting?”

“For the meantime,” Hatsue muttered, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve. “Let’s go back. I want to hear every little detail about what the hell is happening in the world from mister lone wolf.”