Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

With the help of the information provided by Miss Slit-Mouthed Woman, Amamiya and his companions successfully avoided encountering other ghost stories on campus and arrived at the territory of the vengeful spirit Hanako.

According to conventional ghost stories, Hanako-chan is rather shy. You can't see her on a whim—you have to perform a ritual by turning left three times, then right three times in the women's restroom, raising your hand, knocking on the cubicle door, and asking, '"Hanako, are you there?"'

But in this ghost story town, meeting Hanako isn't so complicated. 

To be precise, Hanako tends to take the initiative to appear. 

"Hehe, let's play a game?" 

As soon as they stepped into the women's restroom at the end of the corridor, the eerie, sinister laughter of a young girl echoed ominously. 

"It's Hanako!" 

Everyone tensed up, instinctively looking around. 

"The voice is so close!" 

"Is she hiding in one of the stalls?" 

"Doesn't seem like it." 

"…" 

Amamiya silently raised his head and shone his flashlight toward the ceiling. 

There she was—a vengeful loli spirit revealed in the beam of light.

Needless to say, it was the infamous urban legend, Hanako-chan. 

The vengeful loli looked about seven or eight years old, dressed in an elementary school uniform. Her white blouse and red skirt were stained and dripping with blood. Her short, bobbed hair resembled Chibi Maruko-chan's iconic style, but her pale, paper-white skin gave her an unsettling appearance. 

She clung to the ceiling like a gecko, crawling effortlessly. Facing their gazes, she showed no fear, instead grinning mischievously. 

Her mouth, filled with sharp, shark-like teeth, sent a chill down everyone's spine. 

To be honest, her appearance was terrifying, a stark departure from the more subdued Hanako typically portrayed in ghost stories. The upside-down grin, combined with her sinister pose, was enough to make anyone's hair stand on end. 

The three passerby players at the back of the group were trembling. Cold sweat dripped down their backs as their legs weakened. They were ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble. 

And then— 

"Are you Mrs. Hoshino's child?" 

Amamiya's gaze landed on the vengeful spirit loli's chest, and his expression became oddly contemplative. 

On Hanako's uniform, her name was embroidered in silk thread—a tradition in japan schools to prevent clothes from being mixed up. 

In the dim flashlight glow, the embroidered name was unmistakable: 

'Hanako Hoshino.' 

Now, the name Hoshino isn't uncommon. Even the mother of the twin idol with star pupils shares the same surname. 

But the issue wasn't just the name—it was her face. Amamiya couldn't shake the familiarity. When he'd visited Mrs. Hoshino recently, a photo of a young elementary school girl on the dining table looked exactly like the Hanako in front of him. 

"Strange…" Chika pressed a hand to her forehead, her voice hesitant. "Why does she seem so familiar?" 

"Of course she seems familiar." Amamiya glanced at Chika, his tone laced with subtle amusement. "Not long ago, Mrs. Hoshino invited us over for dinner." 

"Eh?" Chika's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, could this really be 'that' Mrs. Hoshino's child?" 

"…" 

The others in the group looked confused, but the three passerby players suddenly perked up. 

Was this child actually connected to someone they knew? 

Could this be the legendary "big-shot connections" in action? 

This was the jackpot! 

Yes, clinging to this thigh was the right move! 

On the ceiling, Hanako's mischievous grin faded. 

"You know my mom?" 

Amamiya smiled warmly. "Of course I do." 

"I don't believe you." The ghost, Hanako's voice, turned cold. "Prove it." 

"Fair enough," Amamiya nodded thoughtfully. "It's important not to trust strangers." 

He turned to the black-haired girl holding a notebook beside Sajuna and asked: 

"Komi-san, can you draw?" 

"…" 

Komi-san nodded quickly. 

Amamiya nodded and instructed: 

"Good. Draw a portrait of Mrs. Hoshino." 

"Huh?" 

Komi tilted her head in confusion. 

"It's Mrs. Hoshino, the woman who wanted to make us a family," Sajuna explained in a low voice. "The lady we rescued you from." 

"...!" 

Upon hearing this, Komi's eyes widened. She quickly grabbed a pen, hurriedly scribbled on her notebook, and began sketching. 

In no time, a gentle-looking Mrs. Hoshino—with her distinctive, intimidating hairstyle—appeared on the page. 

'Whoosh!' 

The vengeful loli dropped from the ceiling, snatching the notebook from Komi's trembling hands. 

"It's really Mom…" 

Hanako stared at the drawing, her expression softening as a flicker of attachment crossed her face. 

"They're actually family?" 

Chika's voice carried a tone of disbelief. 

The ghostly woman they had encountered earlier turned out to be Hanako's mother. 

But on reflection, it wasn't entirely surprising. 

After all, no matter the version, Hanako's origin story always involved her transforming from a human into a ghost. It was only natural that she had family in her previous life, wasn't it? 

"Chika-chan, what's going on?" Umi asked, clearly intrigued. "Do you know her?" 

Even Kaguya was now looking at Chika curiously. 

"Hmm~" Chika covered her mouth coyly. "I'll explain later. Let's let Amamiya-kun finish first." 

"..." 

Amamiya spoke calmly: 

"Mrs. Hoshino was very hospitable to us before. We owe her a lot for her kindness…" 

Sajuna couldn't help but roll her eyes at this. 

'Respect?' 

She thought bitterly. 'You clearly drove her mad, didn't you?' 

"So," Amamiya continued, addressing Hanako in a gentle tone, "Hanako-san, would you do me a favor for Mrs. Hoshino's sake?" 

"Hehe, big brother, you're lying to me, aren't you?" The vengeful loli tilted her head and bared her shark-like teeth again. "If Mom were really so hospitable, she wouldn't have let you leave!" 

"Call me uncle." 

"Huh?" 

Amamiya replied slowly: "After all, I've had… physical contact with your mother. Calling me brother wouldn't be appropriate." 

"…" 

Hanako's grin vanished, replaced by a ferocious snarl. She now looked like an angry puppy baring its teeth. 

Unfazed, Amamiya continued: 

"It's been dry lately, and your yard hasn't been cleaned in a while. It's overgrown with weeds. If a fire breaks out, Mrs. Hoshino would be in serious danger, wouldn't she?" 

"…" 

The three passerby players stood frozen, utterly bewildered. 

'What just happened?' 

One moment, Amamiya was calmly conversing with the ghost. The next, he was outright threatening her using her mother! 

'You may wear the hero's uniform, but using someone's mom to threaten their child? You're a villain in disguise!' 

"You dare!" 

Hanako's furious scream echoed as her eyes glowed red, and she lunged down from the ceiling. 

In an instant— 

Chika, who had been on high alert, stepped forward, using her skill: 

"Outlaw Don—it's you!" 

The vengeful loli suddenly froze, her body stiff and out of her control. Without meaning to, she blurted: 

"...Don is here!" 

'Pop.' 

Amamiya grabbed Hanako's wrist, lifting her effortlessly into the air. 

"Do you feel your body losing control?" he asked in a calm, almost mocking tone. 

"If we can catch you, we can catch Mrs. Hoshino too." 

Hanako's eyes widened, her anger briefly giving way to alarm. 

"So…" 

Amamiya leaned in closer, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. 

"If you don't want your mom to get hurt, you'll start listening to me from now on."