How to [Not] Smell Teen Spirit 2
«Found… what exactly?» I frowned, perplexed by his cryptic statement.
He couldn't possibly mean me, right?… Or could he?
«An evil spirit!» he said excitedly, leaving me to wonder whether I should be hurt or relieved. «I sense its trace in this room. I can track it down now.»
An evil spirit? Here in school? Could that thing have stolen my clothes? I need to recover them quickly, before my invisibility wears off.
«I'll go with you,» I declared. «It seems this spirit has taken my… bag. And I need it asap!»
«Sure,» Bogdan nodded. «Spirits are simple. I'll capture it in no time, and then we'll find your bag.»
We stepped out into the school corridors, quiet with classes still in session. Bogdan followed the spirit's trail with firm determination.
«We're heading down, Eĺza. Into the basement,» he informed.
«The basement? Sounds… delightful,» I attempted to joke, and Bogdan laughed in response.
«Are you scared?»
«Of course not!»
Undeterred, I trailed behind him as we descended a spiral staircase leading to the basement. The basement was a maze of dimly-lit corridors and storage rooms, filled with discarded textbooks and broken furniture.
We had been exploring for several minutes when, suddenly, a strange growing noise resounded, and a dark swirling mass rushed towards us from every direction. At first, I thought they were large bats, but then I realized they were uniforms. Hundreds of them. They fluttered around me, occasionally brushing my skin. It wasn't harmful, but definitely unsettling.
«What the… ?!» I turned towards Bogdan and saw him in a much worse predicament than myself. The uniforms were ensnaring him, wrapping around his arms, legs, and even his neck like serpents. He grunted, struggling against the sudden onslaught.
«Bogdan!» I called, reaching out for him, but it was too late. Before I could do anything, something yanked him away from me, deeper into the basement, leaving me standing alone in the rustling chaos.
A pang of panic hit me as I stared at the dark passageway Bogdan had been dragged into. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing to figure out what to do. I was alone, scared, and utterly petrified. Panic clawed at me, urging me to run, but I gritted my teeth and pushed it down. I had to find Bogdan.
To my surprise, the uniforms didn't attack me, only brushing against me sometimes, but mostly avoiding me just like some obstacle. They didn't perceive me as a target or threat, which gave me the guts to move on.
Strengthened by my resolve, I ventured deeper into the basement. After a few minutes of wandering, I found Bogdan. He was on the ground, bound by the uniforms, struggling to resist as they dragged him.
«Bogdan!» I gasped, rushing to his side. I tried to pull the uniforms away, but they were wound too tightly. I felt a moment of panic, but then, a wild idea crossed my mind. I put my hand on one of the stubborn knots,
«[Untangle]!» the ridiculous spell from Grandma's spellbook instantly unfurled and straightened the uniform, effectively untying one of Bogdan's arms. Inspired by the success, I wasted no time casting the spell on each restraining uniform,
«[Untangle]! [Untangle]! [Untangle]!…» until, finally, Bogdan was free.
I helped him to his feet. He swayed slightly, clearly disoriented, but managed a grateful nod in my direction.
Suddenly, I heard an intensified rustling sound. My head snapped around, and my heart froze as I saw the dark mass of uniforms closing in on us. Grabbing Bogdan by his arm, I yanked him towards a small door just a few steps away.
«Get in, now!» I ordered, pushing him through the door. The space inside was cramped, just barely enough for us two. I shoved Bogdan inside and squeezed in after him, shutting the door just as the wave of uniforms crashed against it.
We were safe – for now.
The chamber was dim, cluttered with abandoned stuff.
Bogdan leaned against the wall, struggling to regain his breath, while I struggled to not lean on him, as we stood there "a kiss apart".
After a moment, he broke the silence with a wry smile.
«Smelling your shampoo is oddly refreshing. I feel much better.»
I blushed at his comment, trying to increase the distance between us.
«You're welcome,» I managed to say, flustered. «Who knew Grandma's recipe could also serve as a recovery aid?»
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Bogdan chuckled, but the sound was cut short. He cast a sheepish look my way.
«I messed up, didn't I? My first solo mission, and I get taken down by some uniform-obsessed spirit. I was lucky to have you around.»
His humility was endearing, but there was no time for self-deprecation now.
«Uniform-obsessed?» I echoed, intrigued. He nodded, clearly appreciating the change of subject.
«Yea. It's that ghost from the school legend. Over time, its regret transformed into an obsession, and it's become an evil spirit fixated on uniforms. It can only see uniforms, but it sees them through any obstacle or concealment. That's why it attacked me – because of my uniform. And, the strength of your invisibility. The fact that the spirit can't see your uniform through it is truly impressive.»
Well… You'd be impressed even more if you could see through my invisibility.
«So, what's the plan?» I asked, chasing away the embarrassing thoughts.
«We wait,» he answered. «Spirits are usually quite weak. This one has likely been accumulating power over decades, but controlling so many uniforms will quickly deplete its strength. Then, I'll capture it.»
«… O-okay… Then we wait,» I agreed.
… But after just a few minutes of keeping my distance from Bogdan, to not poke at him accidentally with anything, my muscles started to ache. I shifted awkwardly, trying to find a comfier pose, when suddenly my foot caught on something unseen. Unbalanced, I fell forwards, letting out a small squeak and landing in Bogdan's arms as he caught me instinctively.
I felt him freeze as his hands met my bare skin.
«E… Eĺza?... Where's your…»
Before he could finish his question, the effect of my potion wore off. Suddenly, I reappeared, naked and blushed, in the dim light of the chamber.
«… In my bag…» I mumbled, barely able to meet his gaze.
My cheeks burned as Bogdan jerked his hands back, stuttering apologies.
«S-sorry! I…» he averted his gaze and reached for the door with determination. «I'll go fetch your bag!»
«No, wait!» I grabbed his hand, stopping him. I couldn't let him get caught again. «They're still out there! You can't go!»
With my other hand on his shoulder, I pushed him away from the door, almost straddling him as he tripped and hit the wall behind him.
Bogdan frowned up at me defiantly, trying to rise.
«Let me out! I can handle it!» he protested, struggling to wriggle from under me without hurting me accidentally.
His voice echoed in the small chamber, and suddenly, the chamber door shook violently, startling me.
«Sh-h-h! Quiet!» I hissed, but he paid no heed.
«It was just too sudden!» he continued to argue. «I'd easily handle those clingy things otherwise!»
His voice grew louder, matched by a louder thumping on the door. With no other options and my hands full trying to hold him down, I did the only thing I could think of in my panicked state.
«I'm sorry,» I whispered, leaning forward and squeezing his face between my breasts to muffle his voice.
«M-m! Hm hm-mh!…» Bogdan squirmed briefly, his protests sending odd vibrations through my chest, before he fell silent, hands raised to not inadvertently touch me.
After several tense minutes, I eased my hold on Bogdan, my whole face ablaze, and strained my ears.
«I… don't hear them anymore,» I whispered.
Bogdan nodded, not looking my way, equally blushed.
«Th… The spirit must have drained its power… I'll go retrieve your bag. Just stay here.»
Before I could respond, he had already slipped out the door.
I cautiously stepped out into the corridor too, feeling vulnerable and exposed. It felt so different now, when I was visible…
«"Yes, Eĺza! Take my blazer!" – "O, how kind of you to offer!"» I muttered to myself.
Just then, Bogdan reappeared from around the corner with his blazer in hand.
«Here, Eĺza! Take my blazer!» he quickly tossed it to me before vanishing once again.
I couldn't help chuckling, recalling his blushed face, while wrapping myself in his warm blazer, taking comfort in the sense of protection it gave.
Minutes later, Bogdan returned, proudly brandishing my bag and a rune-adorned jar with the captured spirit swirling inside. His broad, boyish grin made me smile, and I gave him a thumbs-up in response.
After getting dressed, I handed Bogdan his blazer.
«Thanks. You might want to shove that jar in my bag, so you don't flash it around the school.»
«Good point,» he agreed, nestling the jar safely among my things.
Once ready, we made our way out of the basement and back up to the school. The hallways echoed with laughter and shouts. We found our classmates strutting about in their "ghost-altered" uniforms, becoming the focus of amazement and envy of the other students. It looked like the Rio Carnival had crashed headlong into a hippie camp. Boys were trying to manage in their bell-bottoms, laughing at each other, while girls flaunted their mini-skirts, spinning like tops. The teachers were running around frantically, trying to bring some semblance of order amidst this chaos. Everyone was talking about the Locker Room Phantom as the undoubted culprit of the mayhem.
As soon as Bogdan was spotted, a gaggle of girls circled him, showing off their skirts as proof of their ghostly tales earlier. Bogdan seemed to enjoy their chatting, so I went ahead, leaving him to his fangirls.
Less than a minute later I heard footsteps behind me.
«Wait, Eĺza! Phew, barely escaped! You could've helped me, you know. Like back in the basement,» Bogdan laughed.
«Well, I thought you could handle some "clingy things",» I shrugged.
«Last time I made that claim, I got brutally silenced, remember?» he chuckled, making my cheeks flush.
«At… At least… you could thank me before demanding my help again! Say, by treating me to a trendy café downtown,» I suggested, attempting to hide my embarrassment.
«Hm? Thank you?» he raised his eyebrows. «You do realize that most of this mess is your fault, right?»
I shot him a glare.
«Are you asking to be brutally silenced again?»
He threw his hands up, amused.
«Okay-okay! A café it is!»
«It's good you can admit your mistakes.»
«I just know better than crossing a witch.»
«That's wise…»
I said it, frowning at him, folding my arms. But after a pause, I couldn't help myself, and we both burst into laughter.