School Story of Wandering Witches : Arche's Daily Life

"Arche, do you believe in ghosts?" 

A girl with short white hair asked me, her wide eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hm? No way. I don't believe in any of that mystical nonsense," I replied, trying to sound more skeptical than I felt.

"But why do you suddenly ask?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a rumor that a ghost haunts this school at night," the girl, who introduced herself as Amnesia, said with a grin. "They say the rooms are a complete mess in the morning. Total chaos!"

"Sounds like a lazy thief to me," I smirked, enjoying the idea of a spectral burglar.

"Not a single fingerprint was found!" Amnesia exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious.

"Huh...? Now that's intriguing..." I leaned closer, glancing around the bustling hallway.

That's when I spotted Arthur, engrossed in a conversation about... math? Ugh. "Arthur! Get over here!"

"Huh? Why all of a sudden?" he replied, confusion etched on his face.

"Instead of being bored out of your mind at home, come join me tonight!" I said, grinning.

"Okay... but we're definitely going to regret this later," he sighed, giving me a wary look.

Suddenly, Elaina strolled in with Saya, her expression curious. "Hm? What are you guys talking about?"

"We were discussing the ghost rumor at this school. Did you know?" I said, leaning in with a conspiratorial whisper.

Elaina's eyes widened in surprise.

"A ghost rumor... in this school?"

Saya perked up, clearly interested.

"Ooh, tell us more!"

I grinned, relishing the moment.

"They say there's a ghost messing up some of the rooms. Total chaos!"

Elaina frowned, her brow furrowing. "So, someone's just playing pranks in those rooms?"

"Most likely, but they didn't find any fingerprints," I replied, shrugging dramatically.

"Isn't there security cameras in this school?" Saya chimed in, looking skeptical.

"I don't know, but I want to find out for myself!" I declared enthusiastically, feeling the adrenaline kick in.

Just then, Arthur appeared behind me, looking perplexed. "So what are we doing tonight, Arche?"

"Hunting ghosts!" I shouted, throwing my arms up like a victorious hero.

"Huh?!" Arthur's eyes went wide, clearly startled. "Why do you always say random things out of nowhere?"

Amnesia chuckled at his confusion. "Hunting ghosts, huh?"

Elaina smirked, crossing her arms. "You're really a weirdo, aren't you?" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Come on, this is going to be fun!" I insisted, trying to hype up Arthur.

"Arche, ghosts can't be hit or kicked, you know?" Arthur said, looking at me like I was a total nutcase.

"We'll just find out if it's real or not! Besides, I don't believe in ghosts anyway." I flashed a confident grin.

Arthur sighed, taking a deep breath like he was preparing for a big exam. "Okay…"

Amnesia couldn't help but laugh. "So, you guys are really going to do a ghost hunt tonight?"

"Hm! Do you guys want to join?" I turned to them, my excitement bubbling over.

"Arche, it's dangerous, you know!" Arthur protested, clearly worried about Amnesia.

"I want to come with you!" Amnesia declared, determination in her voice.

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, his concern evident.

"Count me in too!" Saya chimed in, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

Elaina sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "It seems like I'm being dragged into this whether I like it or not…"

"Okay, let's meet tonight in front of the school gate!" I replied, practically bouncing on my heels with excitement.

As night fell, I stood in front of the school gate with Arthur, glancing at the clock. It was already 10 PM.

"Arche, you know the night can be dangerous for girls, right?" Arthur said, still looking worried.

"Don't worry! You know what I'm like, right? I've mastered countless martial arts!" I declared proudly, puffing out my chest like a superhero.

"Well... you've been practicing since elementary school," Arthur replied, taking a deep breath as if preparing to lecture me.

Just then, I spotted Amnesia, Elaina, and Saya making their way toward us.

"Ah, you made it!" I called out, waving enthusiastically.

Saya stepped forward, her hands on her hips. "We've come after all, so don't you dare chicken out!"

"Yeah, you're the one who invited us," Elaina chimed in, giving me a playful smirk.

"Hmph... I would never chicken out!" I replied, trying to sound tough.

"So how do we get in? This gate is locked," Amnesia said, peering through the bars.

"Well…" I pondered for a moment before deciding. I climbed over the gate like it was a walk in the park.

"Let me find something to open this gate!"

"Wow, you're pretty athletic," Amnesia said, a little surprised as I effortlessly scaled the school gate.

"You really are a wild one," Elaina remarked, her expression somewhere between amusement and admiration.

"Don't get too impressed with me, Elaina. You might just fall in love with me later," I teased, winking dramatically.

I finally managed to open the gate, swinging it wide. "Ladies first!"

Elaina rolled her eyes as she walked past me. "Don't flatter yourself," she muttered, though I could swear I saw a hint of a smile on her lips.

We walked toward the entrance of the school, the moonlight casting eerie shadows. "I hope security doesn't catch us…" Arthur muttered nervously.

"You sound like you're not used to this, Arthur," Saya teased, poking him in the ribs.

"Ah, no! Actually, Arche and I have done stuff like this many times," he explained, looking a bit defensive. "It's Arche who always drags me into these adventures."

"Remember that camping trip? He invited me to go into the woods to look for Bigfoot," Arthur recounted dramatically.

"Our parents found out and scolded us—especially Arche. He got the brunt of it!"

The three girls burst into laughter at that.

"Bigfoot, huh?" Saya chuckled, trying to catch her breath.

Elaina shot me a teasing smile. "Never bored, are you?"

I could only remain silent, my face heating up with embarrassment.

"And do you remember when you were so desperate to find aliens, Arche?" Arthur continued, grinning.

"Oh, and you were also convinced you'd find mermaids back in elementary school."

"Okay, enough! Can we not talk about this anymore?" I groaned, wishing the ground would swallow me up.

Elaina was thoroughly entertained. "Aliens? Mermaids? Did you really go looking for those?" she chuckled.

Amnesia giggled. "I never expected you to be on a quest for mythical creatures!"

"Come on! I WAS young!" I protested, trying to defend my childhood imagination.

Just then, I spotted the school door and pulled out a hairpin, jiggling it in the lock.

Saya, Elaina, and Amnesia watched in disbelief as I forced the door open.

Elaina raised an eyebrow. "So you know how to pick locks too, huh…?"

"In my previous life, maybe I was a thief," I quipped, strutting down the hallway like I was on a mission.

Arthur rolled his eyes at my theatrics. "Don't get carried away…"

The three girls followed closely behind us as we made our way through the dimly lit hallway.

Amnesia broke the silence, her voice curious. "So, which room should we check out first?"

"How about the art room?" I suggested, leading the way with confidence.

"Okay," Arthur replied, albeit a bit hesitantly.

The girls nodded, exchanging glances as we walked toward the art room, their excitement palpable.

I approached the door and fished out a hairpin, expertly jiggling it in the lock until it clicked open.

Peering inside, I scanned the room, which looked surprisingly safe. "Hmm…"

Stepping in, I looked around and declared, "Nothing out of the ordinary here!"

I flipped the light switch, illuminating the colorful chaos of art supplies and half-finished projects.

Elaina and the others followed in, taking in the scene. "Looks normal…" Arthur noted, sounding a bit more relaxed.

"Maybe the rumors were just fake?" Amnesia suggested, her tone hopeful.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room.

"What was that?!"

I yelped, my heart racing.

Arthur fumbled through his bag, producing a flashlight.

"There isn't anything here…"

Saya squinted into the shadows.

"But we definitely heard something break…"

Elaina squatted down, inspecting the floor. "Maybe it's this?" She pointed to a shattered vase, its remnants scattered across the tiles.

"Ah!" Amnesia screamed, her eyes wide.

"What's wrong, Amnesia?!" Arthur asked, concern lacing his voice as he turned to her.

"I felt something brush past my feet!" she exclaimed, looking down to find nothing there.

Saya stepped closer to where Amnesia stood. "Are you okay?"

Elaina chimed in, her brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you felt something?"

Just then, the lights flickered and went out, plunging us into darkness. I couldn't resist the opportunity.

A mischievous grin spread across my face as I snuck up behind Elaina. "Boo~"

The girls shrieked in unison, and Elaina spun around, eyes wide.

"You—! Don't scare me like that!" she scolded, lightly punching my stomach.

"Gah! It hurts…" I groaned, clutching my gut as if she'd landed a knockout blow.

"All those rumors about ghosts? Totally fake, you know," I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"You might want to try turning on the lights first, Arche," Arthur suggested, barely hiding a grin.

"Yeah, yeah… all right," I muttered, reaching for the switch. I flipped it, but nothing happened.

"Eh? Did the school forget to pay the electric bill or something?"

The girls, now peeking in, looked intrigued.

"Why won't the lights turn on?" Amnesia asked, leaning closer.

Elaina stepped up, trying the switch herself. Still nothing. She raised an eyebrow. "This is… weird."

Arthur shrugged and pulled out a flashlight. "Let's see…"

We gathered around, focusing on the single beam of light in the otherwise pitch-black room.

Just then, a painting on the wall crashed to the ground, and a small shadow darted straight toward us.

Without a second thought, everyone bolted—well, everyone except me.

"Eh?! You guys are just leaving me?!"

I glanced up just in time to see a figure leaping toward me. "Oh boy..."

Meanwhile, the others sprinted down the hallway, hearts pounding.

"There was an actual shadowy figure in there!" Elaina gasped, clutching her side as she tried to catch her breath.

Arthur suddenly halted, looking horrified. "Wait—has anyone seen Arche?!"

The realization hit them like a ton of bricks.

"Wait, where is he?!" Elaina exclaimed, eyes wide.

Saya slapped a hand over her mouth. "Did we… just leave him?"

"We have to go back and save him!" Amnesia declared, looking determined.

Elaina huffed and turned around, muttering, "That annoying idiot…"

Arthur led the way, his face a mix of guilt and disbelief. "I can't believe we just abandoned him…"

As they hurried into the room, they heard my desperate cry. "Waah! You're killing me...!"

Arthur froze, eyes wide. "Arche?!"

When they finally switched the lights on, they found me in a dramatic pose, cradling a little fluffy cat.

"You're going to kill me... with your cuteness."

Arthur's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Oh, so he's perfectly fine…"

The girls stared at me, utterly perplexed.

Elaina raised an eyebrow.

"Wait—you're just playing with a cat?"

"Oh, look, the traitors who abandoned me have returned. Isn't that sweet, miaow?" I cooed sarcastically, stroking the cat and giving the group a smug smile.

Saya folded her arms.

"He's absolutely fine."

Elaina shot me a look that said,

"Are you mocking us?"

Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes. "Here I was worried you were in trouble… but of course, you're just playing with a cat."

"But why is there even a cat here?" Amnesia asked, tilting her head.

"Ah, the mystery has been solved!" I announced triumphantly, lifting the cat into the air.

The four of them stared at me in confusion, so I clarified, grinning.

"Our ghost... was just this little troublemaker!"

Just then, the cat wriggled out of my grip and scratched my face. "Ow!"

Saya chuckled.

"Looks like you've met your match."

Elaina crossed her arms, smirking. "Serves you right for scaring us like that."

"The point is… there was never a ghost!" I declared, rubbing my cheek.

"It was just this sneaky cat all along."

Arthur shook his head, laughing softly. "So, the 'ghost' rumors turned out to be nothing more than feline mischief…"

Elaina laughed softly, shaking her head. "Who on earth started that rumor in the first place?"

I smirked proudly. "See? I told you—ghosts aren't real!"

Amnesia chuckled at my smug expression. "Alright, alright... don't gloat too much."

Elaina rolled her eyes. "Maybe dial down the pride a bit?"

Just then, the lights started flickering erratically. "Eh…?"

Arthur squinted suspiciously. "Arche, if this is one of your pranks—"

"Hey, it's not me!" I protested, staring at the lights in confusion.

Elaina frowned, watching the lights flicker. "Then what's causing this?"

Out of nowhere, a creepy noise echoed behind us. I yelped, and we all jumped, glancing around in panic.

Amnesia's eyes went wide. "What the—?"

Arthur tensed, clenching his fists. "W-what was that?"

When the lights finally stayed on, we turned and saw an adult woman standing behind us, smiling. It was none other than Miss Fran, our teacher.

She chuckled, clearly amused.

"Did I scare you?"

Arthur nearly stammered.

"M-Miss Fran?!"

Saya, Elaina, and Amnesia visibly relaxed, though they still looked a bit rattled.

Miss Fran folded her arms. "So… care to explain what you're all doing here at this hour?"

We gave her a rundown of everything that happened. She sighed but looked more amused than angry.

"I see… but you know coming to school at night is against the rules."

Without hesitation, I raised my hand.

"I'll take full responsibility!"

Arthur facepalmed, looking both exasperated and concerned.

"Oh, Arche…"

"Yeah, this was all my idea! Punish me however you want, Miss Fran!" I grinned, standing at attention.

Amnesia bit her lip, still a bit worried. "B-but..."

Elaina, though quiet, glanced my way with a mix of exasperation and concern—she knew just how stubborn I could be.

The next day, Arthur and the others spread the word about the "ghost," clearing up the rumor. And as for me? Well… let's just say I'm now on school cleanup duty.

But hey… I guess I had it coming.