The Corpse Discovery Incident

The forest at night during summer has its own charm, yet also a mysterious aura.

The air feels cool and damp, carrying the scent of wet soil, leaves, and a faint hint of moss.

Towering trees, their leafy canopies blocking the sky, create a deep darkness.

The sound of crickets dominates, accompanied by faint whispers of the wind moving through the branches.

Occasionally, the call of an unknown nocturnal creature adds to the wild, untouched atmosphere.

A setting that can be calming for some, but terrifying for others.

Armed only with a flashlight as their sole source of light, Ren and Umi navigated a faintly visible path through the underbrush.

The flashlight's beam illuminated the way ahead, casting eerie shadows from trees and rocks, easily mistaken for menacing figures by frightened eyes.

For Ren, the darkness of the night was no different from daytime. As a Campione, he possessed advanced night vision, comparable to the most elite nocturnal predators.

Every detail in the forest was clear to him: the patterns on tree bark, swaying leaves, even the tiny movements of insects on the ground.

Umi, however, was different. She was an ordinary human with no supernatural abilities.

Like most people, she lived in ignorance, believing metaphysical things didn't exist.

Her vision was limited to the flashlight's range, and the eerie atmosphere, fueled by Nanao's stories and the forest's strange sounds, filled her with fear.

She clung close to Ren, her body trembling slightly.

"Scared of ghosts, Umi?"

Ren could sense the girl's unease.

"H-Huh? Ghosts are just human imagination—there's no such thing as ghosts in this world! Don't try to scare me, Rokuhara-senpai."

Despite her firm denial, her body told the truth. She walked clutching the hem of Ren's yukata, her grip tight, refusing to let go.

To distract herself from the gnawing fear, she tried to find a topic to discuss.

"Um… Rokuhara-senpai. What have you been doing during this summer vacation?"

"Me? I don't go out much. Spent most of my time at home, playing games."

Ren lied smoothly.

The truth was something he couldn't say.

He couldn't possibly admit to living a hedonistic life with five beautiful women at home, occasionally sowing his seeds with wives craving a man's touch.

"Huh? Really? You don't seem like an introvert, Rokuhara-senpai. I thought you'd be doing lots of outdoor activities, like going to the beach or maybe hiking."

"That means you don't know me well enough, Umi."

"Maybe so, Rokuhara-senpai."

Umi lowered her head slightly, her cheeks faintly flushed. Her fear eased a bit, replaced by curiosity about Ren.

"We've known each other for a while, and I even call you Umi. How long are you going to keep calling me by my last name?"

Raising her head, Umi looked at Ren hesitantly.

"That… Is it okay?"

In Japan, calling someone by their first name, especially among peers or those not closely related, signifies a deeper bond and intimacy. It shows a higher level of trust and comfort, unlike the more formal and polite use of family names.

For Umi, calling Ren by his first name felt like crossing an invisible boundary.

"…"

Ren stopped walking, looking directly into Umi's eyes.

"Why would I mind? In fact, I want you to call me by my first name."

Umi's face turned pink in the darkness. Her heart raced. She felt happy but also deeply embarrassed. She tried saying it.

"R-Ren-senpai…"

Her voice was barely audible, faltering.

"What? I didn't hear you. Say it again."

"Ren-senpai."

"I still didn't hear you, Umi."

"…!!!"

"Ren-senpai, you're teasing me!"

Pouting, Umi turned her face away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

But at that moment, her expression changed drastically. Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

A white figure darted quickly through the dark trees, visible only for a moment before vanishing. It wasn't a shadow cast by the flashlight—it was something real.

"Kyaaaa!"

Umi screamed, her panicked voice shattering the night's silence.

Without thinking twice, she threw herself into Ren's arms, burying her face in his chest, her body trembling violently.

She no longer cared about embarrassment or names. The fear of what she'd just seen overwhelmed everything.

"What's wrong?"

"A g-ghost! I saw a ghost!"

"That's odd. Didn't you say you don't believe in ghosts?"

"This isn't the time for jokes, Ren-senpai! Let's get out of here before something bad happens!"

Frowning, Ren looked in the direction Umi pointed.

His sharp eyes pierced the darkness, searching for traces of a mystical aura. But there was nothing. He sensed no ghosts, evil spirits, or strange yokai.

"Maybe you saw wrong."

"No! It was definitely a ghost! I'm sure of it!"

"Then let's check it out."

"Huh? Wait, Ren-senpai, that's dangerous!"

Looking up in disbelief, Umi protested. But Ren was already dragging her toward the trees where she'd seen the white figure.

Umi shut her eyes, unwilling to look again.

As they approached, a faint stench began to fill the air, accompanied by the soft buzzing of flies. Umi's heart pounded, a sense of dread washing over her.

Before she could see what lay behind the shadowed trees, Ren's hand covered her eyes, blocking her view.

"Ren-senpai?!"

"It's not a ghost."

"Then why are you covering my eyes?"

"It's a suicide victim's body. Sure you want to look?"

"…!!!"

Umi's body froze. Her blood ran cold, a chill far deeper than the night air. Ren's tone held no hint of joking.

"…"

Before them, among the dense, dark trees, hung the body of a woman, suspended by a rope tied to a branch.

Her face was blue, her eyes bulging blankly, her long hair disheveled, partially covering her face. Her tongue protruded, and flies buzzed around, clinging to her face and neck.

Her clothes were tattered, her bare feet dangling, swaying gently in the night breeze.

"What a pity. Life is a priceless gift, even when it feels unbearably heavy."

"Maybe this person felt there was no hope left, but suicide isn't the answer. It's an insult to the life given, a cowardly choice that leaves only grief and suffering for those left behind. No matter how dark the path, there's always light at the end. We must cherish our lives, no matter how small, and keep fighting."

Even a scumbag like Ren despised suicide the most.

"Let's go back and tell the others. This courage test can't continue."

"Um."

Umi nodded weakly, following Ren's words.

They turned back, leaving the gruesome figure in the darkness.

Their footsteps were quick and hurried, eager to distance themselves from the site of the corpse.

When they reached the forest's edge near the lodge, Seiya, Nanao, and several other club members were waiting.

Their faces showed confusion at Ren and Umi's early return, with clearly different expressions.

Ren explained the discovery of the suicide victim in the forest, sparing the gruesome details.

Hearing the news, everyone's expressions changed instantly. Faces once curious or slightly fearful turned pale. Especially the women—Noa, Rika, and Yuna—whose resistance to such things was low.

Some looked like they might vomit. The cheerful atmosphere among them vanished, replaced by horror.

Seiya quickly pulled out his phone. Luckily, there was still a signal.

He promptly contacted Ryōhei, Minato, and the other pairs who had entered the forest earlier, telling them to return immediately and briefly explaining the discovery.

Soon after, police from the nearest town arrived at the lodge, responding to Seiya's report.

Several uniformed officers and detectives hurried to the forest to secure the scene and begin their investigation.

Ren and Umi were questioned as the first to find the body. It was a mere formality, and the questioning was brief, as the police prioritized securing the scene.

The corpse discovery incident completely extinguished everyone's spirits. The courage test was canceled entirely. No one had the desire to continue.

With a grim and eerie atmosphere, they all returned to their rooms at the lodge, deciding to rest early, hoping to forget the horrors of that night.