Hwanhee

After parting ways with Leo, I returned to the counseling room and spoke to Orca.

“It’s okay to sleep if you’re tired, Orca. You look exhausted.”

“I was going to do that without you telling me. I thought I’d die of boredom!”

Orca grumbled, saying she’d nearly fallen asleep even though she shouldn’t have.

Remembering how she’d specifically come to watch Leo’s duel despite her complaints, I chuckled quietly.

So dishonest.

If you’re worried about your friend, just say you’re worried.

“I’m sleeping. Don’t disturb me.”

“Hmm. I wonder if that’s really up to you.”

“…? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Nonsense.”

Well.

I don’t think it’s nonsense.

But since this was something Orca shouldn’t know, I kept my mouth shut and lit the incense.

This should do the trick.

As expected, less than ten minutes after lighting the incense, Orca fell asleep.

And when Orca sleeps, the demon residing within her body emerges.

…Though lately, for some unknown reason, it hasn’t been coming out often.

To be honest, I was a bit anxious.

While I know many pieces of information, I don’t know everything.

Did something go wrong because I hypnotized Haze?

Such thoughts swirled in my mind.

Haze should definitely appear.

Without Haze, Orca’s just a foul-tempered delinquent…

I watched Orca’s sleeping form for a long while.

…Still no luck today?

Just as I sighed and turned to my laptop to play games, I saw Orca’s hand twitch.

“…Damn. This feels awful.”

“Hello, Haze.”

“Don’t greet me! It’s irritating! …Hi.”

I greeted Haze, who had begun controlling Orca’s sleeping body.

Calmly greeting a Demon Possessor whose body has been taken over by a demon-anyone else would be horrified.

But Haze just snapped at me before returning the greeting.

“Your words say one thing, but your body’s honest.”

“Th-this is all your fault!”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“Grrk…!”

I giggled as Haze glared at me while neatly folding the blanket.

Orca always thinks I clean up whenever she wakes to find her surroundings tidy…

I wonder what expression she’d make if she saw this?

Just imagining it made me happy.

“Damn, why am I…! Forcing me to do this…!”

“I never forced you? I just made you feel good when you did nice things.”

“Shut up! No-quiet! Do you even know how I feel right now?!”

…I can’t stop teasing her. Her reactions are too good.

Seeing such amusing responses from someone who usually acts cold like Orca makes it irresistibly fun to tease her.

Plus, she’s not even human-she’s a demon.

Watching a demon start to swear before hesitating and cleaning up her language was unbearably funny.

What other demon in the world would act like this?

“Haze, do you have any friends?”

“…I do. Why?”

“No reason. Just wondering what they’d think if they saw you like this.”

“…!”

Ahaha.

Look at that panicked expression.

This is exactly why Orca and Haze are so entertaining.

Their personalities are similar yet slightly different, like seeing twins.

It’s thrilling to see reactions Orca would never display.

“…”

Uh-oh. She’s sulking.

I must’ve teased her more than usual because her reactions were so fun.

If I push further, she’ll definitely clam up like a child.

…How do I know?

I’ve been through this before.

Though Orca puffing her cheeks and pouting was cute in its own way…

Now’s not the time for that.

Time to get to the main point.

“Alright then. Haze, let’s get to the main issue.”

“…What is it?”

“Lately, you haven’t been coming out of Orca’s body much… Is there a problem?”

I wondered if it was because I’d tampered with Haze’s mind, but that didn’t seem likely.

If that were the case, she wouldn’t have stopped appearing suddenly-she wouldn’t have come out at all from the start.

Why would Haze, who kept trying to possess Orca, suddenly stop emerging?

“…It’s nothing. Just feeling disgusted.”

“Disgusted?”

“I saw something filthy.”

Filthy…?

I didn’t understand what Haze meant.

Filthy? Did she see a cockroach in the counseling room?

“Did you see a bug? You should’ve told me if there was one…”

“No, not a bug. Something worse. And I even showed this appearance to that bastard… Unforgivable…”

…Showed? Showed to whom?

Confused by Haze’s words, I asked her again.

“Wait, showed? What do you mean…”

“Sh-she’s back! That creature! Damn it. Why here…?!”

“W-wait! What’s…”

But I never got my answer.

Haze suddenly lifted her head, sensing something, then hid under the bed with a horrified expression.

…What’s going on?

Before hiding, Haze said “she’s back.”

Does that mean someone dangerous enough to make a demon hide is approaching?

Why? For what reason?

My thoughts tangled together, giving me a headache.

This never happened in the game.

Haze usually only appears during Bad Endings or special Prologue events-nothing like this.

…Meaning this change was caused by my interference.

-Knock, knock.

“…!”

Someone began knocking on the counseling room door.

…Probably the “filthy creature” Haze mentioned.

Her sudden hiding right before this arrival confirmed it.

Would a student visit the counseling room at this hour?

Doubtful. It must be something else.

Maybe even an attacker.

My head throbbed from the chaotic thoughts.

“Is anyone there?”

“…Anastasia?”

After agonizing over whether to open the door, the voice outside made me hurriedly unlock it.

“Good evening, Teacher. Sorry for the late visit.”

“…It’s fine. What brings you here?”

“May I come in for a moment?”

Wavy silver hair. An eyepatch covering one eye.

A pristine white nun’s habit embroidered with golden thread.

The Watcher, Anastasia.

She had come unannounced.

***

“Here, drink this.”

“Thank you.”

I’d always assumed I’d eventually meet all playable characters.

My goal is to guide them toward happy lives, after all.

…But I never imagined she’d come to me directly.

She’s one of a kind in this world.

I never thought she’d visit without escorts.

“…This is delicious.”

“Thank you.”

The Watcher-who covers both eyes with a special eyepatch, symbolically lending her sight to God.

Devout believers would gladly offer their entire fortunes just to meet her.

Why had she come here?

She shouldn’t have given up yet.

Someone bearing an unspeakable secret and clinging to false hope of restoring everything-I never expected her to visit this counseling room.

“…So? What brings the esteemed Watcher to this counseling room?”

“Aren’t you overestimating me? I’m just another student.”

“Hardly. Your position is too high-equal to Her Highness the Princess.”

“Ahaha…”

Now I understood why Haze hid.

Anastasia is an exceptionally powerful and high-ranking clergy member.

To a demon, she’s utterly repulsive.

…But questions remained.

Why visit now?

She isn’t someone who can share her burdens openly.

Nor should she.

“Do you have some concerns?”

“…No. I came to see Miss Orca.”

“Orca…?”

“Teacher. You might think this absurd. But I… I witnessed it.”

“…Witnessed what?”

Anastasia clasped her trembling hands together as she spoke, unable to hide the shake in her voice.

Like a believer seeking salvation.

“A demon! There was definitely a demon! That day-the day of the friendly match! I saw a demon!”

The friendly match.

…She and Orca had been together then.

Was she referring to that time?

“Well, of course. Orca is a Demon Possessor.”

“No! Not Miss Orca herself! A demon had taken over her body!”

“…”

Only then did I understand what Anastasia meant.

During the match, Orca had briefly fallen asleep.

When Orca dozed off.

Since her eyes were closed, I hadn’t realized it then, but-

Of course, Haze must have taken control.

And Anastasia is the Watcher.

She would’ve known Orca’s body had been possessed.

“The demon took her body yet did nothing wrong-and even returned it! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“…I see.”

“Don’t you have any thoughts on this, Teacher!?”

“…”

Though Anastasia’s eyes were hidden behind her eyepatch, I could imagine them shining brightly beneath it.

…Damn. Trouble has arrived.