Chapters 3520 & 3532 [The Supernatural Staircase and the Ghost Fetus] Requesting monthly votes ()
"Stomach ache?" Upon hearing this, Dr. Shinichi quickly said, "Let me take a look."
"It's nothing, I often get food poisoning, it'll be fine on its own after lying down for a while." The crew-cut boy shook his head nonchalantly, then he remembered something and looked at Tsukamoto Kazumi, "You said you've been looking for me? What did you want?"
"It's nothing serious." The karate senior smiled. "Let's talk another day."
"..." The boy with the buzz cut waved his hand speechlessly, "Then I'll go to the infirmary first. If I don't lie down soon, I'm afraid this school doctor who cares about students will drag me to the hospital again."
With that, he went into the infirmary at the front and closed the door.
Dr. Shinichi: "..." Again?
Sonoko Suzuki was still preoccupied with the case. She pointed to the infirmary and looked at Kazumi Tsukamoto: "Since you know this senior Seko, could he also be a classmate of that deceased ghost?"
"What do you mean by 'ghost'? I already said Hosaka died in an accident." Tsukamoto Kazumi sighed, but after glancing at Jiang Xia beside her, she finally answered:
"They're not in the same class, but I heard they're childhood friends and have always had a good relationship—okay, let's not talk about this anymore, let's go to the library first, I'm afraid the book I want to borrow will be borrowed by someone else before it's ready."
The group continued walking toward the library. Ran Mouri looked at the senior student who was skilled in martial arts and couldn't help but smile: "I didn't expect that a senior student from the Department of Physical Education would come to the library."
"You rascal." Tsukamoto Kazumi gave her a helpless look. "I'm working very hard, after all, I'll be taking the college entrance exam next year."
Jiang Xia: "..." Next year? Well, you'd better relax a bit and not try to keep working hard until next year...
Just then, Kazumi Tsukamoto stopped in her tracks—not far ahead was the library with its lights on.
The library is actually a small library. There are tables and chairs at the entrance, and rows of bookshelves further in.
Jiang Xia stopped at the door and looked around inside: "Have there been any paranormal events here too?"
Kazumi Tsukamoto nodded. It was clear that she had been to the library quite often in preparation for her college entrance exams next year: "A few days ago, when I came here early in the morning, I saw several books scattered all over the place—judging from the library cards tucked inside, these were all books that Hosaka had borrowed before his death."
Sonoko Suzuki solemnly added: "And it wasn't just once—it happened for four consecutive days!"
She held up four fingers and said ominously, "That deceased senior must have been unable to finish reading them before he died, hence his lingering regret!"
Jiang Xia nodded: "That sounds pretty easy to learn."
Ran Mouri: "Ah!!!"
"Keep your voice down!" Tsukamoto Kazumi warned these unreliable juniors, "This is the library!"
A composed elementary school student asked, "Books are scattered everywhere, doesn't the librarian care?"
Sonoko Suzuki: "Because those books are either thrown behind the bookshelves or under the table, places that the librarian can't see at a glance."
Kazumi Tsukamoto shrugged: "Since he knows how to avoid the administrator, it must be a prank—that guy better not let me see him throwing the book, or don't blame me for beating him to a pulp."
Conan: "..." You and Jiang Xia seem to have quite a lot in common...
"Alright, I'm going to go read my book now." Tsukamoto Kazumi cracked her knuckles and said to her juniors, "Go back after you're done with your investigation, and remember not to disturb the other students."
As she spoke, she turned and walked toward the bookshelf.
Watching her retreating figure, Suzuki Sonoko whispered to Jiang Xia, "She doesn't look like she's going to study, she looks like she's going to beat up books."
“This shows that Math-senpai is studying hard.” Ran Mouri said understandingly, and whispered, “Let’s hurry up and go to the next place.”
...
Inside the teaching building.
In front of a quiet staircase.
"The last paranormal event was this cursed staircase."
Ran Mouri stood on the platform at the corner, looking solemnly at the place she had just dreamed about: "A few days ago, a classmate said that when he came here in the morning, he found a large puddle of water at the bottom of the stairs."
Sonoko Suzuki stroked her chin, pondering whether the scene in the game where the male and female protagonists embraced and tumbled down this staircase was romantic enough, while muttering, "I remember that the deceased Hosaka-senpai fell down this staircase, and the water on the ground... could it be his bloodstains left here back then?"
Ran Mouri: "!!!"
Before she could scream, Conan interrupted, "It's probably because it rained that night and the window wasn't closed properly, that's why there's water here."
Sonoko Suzuki's eye twitched, and she gave the guy who was ruining the mood a sharp tap: "Someone's on duty at night, so they'll definitely close the windows before leaving. And it's not just water—many people have counted this section of stairs, but the number of steps is always different. It must be that bloodstained section of stairs that got in! If you step on it, you'll see Hosaka-senpai's ghost!"
"Really?" Jiang Xia walked to the stairs, knowing the chances were slim, but still said with hopeful anticipation, "Then let's try counting them."
"Me too!" Sonoko Suzuki ran over. The staircase wasn't too narrow; there was enough room for two people to stand. After getting her footing, she waved to Ran Mouri, "Ran, you count too."
"I'll let it go..." Ran Mouri took several steps back, almost pressing herself against the wall.
"Alright then." Sonoko Suzuki wasn't too disappointed; she suddenly had another idea.
While letting her thoughts wander through the upcoming game storyline, she and Jiang Xia took steps upwards, muttering, "1, 2, 3..."
The staircase wasn't very long, and we soon reached the end.
Sonoko Suzuki snapped out of her daze and asked Jiang Xia beside her, "How many levels are there?"
Jiang Xia gave a number: "12".
"What?!" Sonoko Suzuki exclaimed in surprise. She looked up abruptly, then looked back, then left and right... and finally muttered in confusion, "I counted to 13, but I don't think I saw any ghosts."
Below the steps, Conan, observing clearly, said speechlessly, "This staircase has 12 steps, but you counted 13 because you included the step you took to stop after you stepped onto the last step."
Sonoko Suzuki: "...?"
So that's why?
She ran back, still somewhat doubtful: "Then I'll count again!"
Jiang Xia also walked down the steps, counting as he went. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that on one of the steps, there was a ghost fetus standing.
Jiang Xia: "...?!"
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