"Hey, you guys!" Najimi said, running over to Tadano and Komi. "Remember that Haunted House they opened a few days ago at the amusement park?"

"Yeah?" Tadano said.

"Let's go!"

"What?" Tadano asked. Komi looked nervous. "Komi didn't like the last one we went to for the Culture Festival!"

"She'll be fine, won't you, Komi?"

Komi began to write on her notebook. 'I will be fine, yes. Just as long as I don't go alone.' Najimi smiled. "You won't be alone! You'l have me and Tadano!"

"And me," another voice piped in. Tadano instantly recognized it as Nakanaka's. "Nakanaka?" Najimi asked. "You want to come too?"

"Of course, it is my duty to protect Princess Komilio," Nakanaka said, bowing respectivefuly.

"Ah, of course," Najimi said. "I guess we'll go together then!"

"Are you okay with that, Komi?" Tadano checked. Komi examined her group of friends before replying with a nod. "That's good!"

After school, Najimi gathered them all together in front of the school building. "All rightey then! Who's ready?" No one answered. "I said, who's ready?" Najimi used more force that time.

"Najimi, no one gets as excited as you when it comes to haunted houses," Tadano replied.

"I at least expected a 'woo-hoo,'" Najimi said, walking off.

"Princess, I will protect you with my life," Nakanaka said behind Komi, as she followed Tadano. "I will let no fiend touch you, Your Magesty! I will die protecting you if that's what it takes!"

"See, someone's excited," Najimi said, perking up.

"I appreciate Najimi's optimism, except, sometimes, it's too much," Tadano said to no one in particular. Komi replied with her notebook. 'I like their optimism. It's something I wish I had.'

"You could say that again," Tadano said, smiling. Komi took that literally and showed him the notebook again. "Komi, it's a saying!" Tadano said, surprised at her reaction.

Najimi led them to the outside of the house. Exactly as it sounds, it looks pretty haunted. "Ah, Princess Komilio. This looks like a challenge. My dragon will be of assistance if anything is too much for you," Nakanaka said.

Komi appreciated the gesture and nodded. "Hey! Chairai called. "You guys came too!"

"Of course!" Najimi said. "How could we NOT come! It was so tempting!"

"Exactly! That's what I said!" Sonoda called.

"I guess we'll head in together then, huh?" Chairai suggested.

"Great idea!" Najimi cheered. "Komi! Our group got bigger!"

Komi seemed happy. They waited in line for a few minutes before Najimi handed in the tickets that they bought. "All rightey! Everyone in!"

At first entrance, there are no lights except fot the lanters you are handed outside. "Ooh, spooky!" Najimi exclaimed as they lit their lantern. Tadano and Shinobino were also handed lanterns but Shinobino handed his to Sonoda. "I work best in the dark," Shinobino said.

"Alright! Let's go!" Najimi said. They walked together for a little bit before Najimi began to whisper to the group behind Tadano and Komi. Tadano grew suspiscious but never questioned. Najimi is always doing strange things so why would things be any different now?

Najimi screamed and ran in a different direction. Najimi's scream caused Komi to flinch, even though there was nothing there. "Okay, Najimi, that's enough," Tadano mumbled.

"I see nothing, Princess," Nakanaka said, standing closer to Komi.

"Hey, we're going to check out this direction," Sonoda said. "I bet there's scarier things down this way!" He seemed excited as his friends followed.

Nakanaka flinched as something grazed on her leg. "Princess, go on without me! I'm wounded!" That made Komi worried. "She's fine, Komi," Tadano said, used to this behavior. "Come on, Komi. Let's go."

Tadano had forgotten that Chairai and his group of friends, known as The Normies, had left to go down a scarier path. He realised it was just him and Komi left. "I guess it's just you and me again, huh, Komi?" Tadano said.

Komi nodded and moved closer to Tadano. Everytime Najimi does something with me and Komi, somehow we always end up together, Tadano sighed. They walked for a little before Tadano heard something move. He said nothing. He didn't want to make Komi more scared than she already was.

He heard the sound again but once again, ignored it. Instead, he walked closer to Komi. Komi seemed like she wanted to ask, but didn't. She didn't want to come across rude. Sure enough, there was somethig there as it had jumped out. A man dressed as a zombie jumped out from behind a table, or at least it looked like a table, and made Komi squeak. Komi grabbed Tadano's arm and gripped it really tightly.

The hair on the back of Tadano's neck stood up as Komi touched him. She's touching me. She's touching me. She's touching me. She's-calm down, Hitohito. She's been touching you. It's not like she grabbed your arm tighter or anything. It's not like there's anything to be scared of. It's not like there's a guy with a chainsaw in front of me. It's not like-wait.

Tadano blinked at the man in front of him. Komi is now hiding behind him but he didn't notice. The man in front of him turned the chainsaw on. The whirring of the saw buzzed in Tadano's head. "K-K-Komi? Y-y-you okay?" Tadano stuttered.

She squeaked and hid behind him more. Then she shook her head and her eyes filled with tears.

"L-let's get out of h-h-here," Tadano suggested. Komi nodded. Tadano silded away from the man with the chainsaw, Komi behind him. "We're almost to the exit, Komi. You doing okay?"

Tadano looked behind him to see Komi nod. Tadano led Komi to the exit. "There it is!" Tadano cried, pointing to the exit. He and Komi began to approach it. Tadano slowed down. "Wait, this seems too easy."

A ghost popped off the wall, scaring Komi and Tadano, making them both run to the exit. "Komi, you okay?" She nodded a reply. "Okay. I think I'm just going to lie here for a while," Tadano said, lying down, panting.

Komi looked at him. She began to giggle. Tadano joined in. "That was fun, wasn't it?" He waited as she wrote on a paper, It was. Thank you. We should go again sometime.

"Yeah, we should."