The door was slowly opened, and a tan-skinned girl with a simple ponytail walked in hesitantly. She behaved cautiously, as if walking in front of the king and queen of a kingdom. There were bandage marks on her left arm and right thigh. She looked around, even the blue sofa could be hers alone, but she didn't take the opportunity.
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"Don't be tense. Please have a seat, Miss Hedlych," she said in the most reassuring tone possible.
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"E-eh? O-okay." The girl with a half-masked face of a black squirrel was slightly startled. "Excuse m-me."
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Although she sat on the central sofa, she didn't dare to look directly at Madelaine. Her legs were tightly pressed together, and both of her hands supported her upright position, trembling slightly.
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"Is there a problem, Miss Hedlych? Are you still feeling unwell?" Madelaine got up from her chair and took the empty seat on the right side. "Why are you so nervous?"
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"Ah, n-no. I-I'm just like this." She quickly shook her head three times.
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Madelaine seemed to understand the girl's behavior. She began to focus on topics and speaking in a way that was easy to understand. Cake only glanced briefly but the writings in the book she held misled her curiosity for now.
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"Miss Hedlych, are you responsible for operating the camera during the expedition, correct?"
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The girl took a breath and exhaled briefly.
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"Yes, but not always. We can't rely on the driver because the journey of about three hours is quite tiring. Yes, I think so," she said in a softer voice than most girls.
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Madelaine nodded slightly, but her attention was more focused on the girl who, although a bit troublesome, was not bad. She thought she had to take a creative step to break through her shell, but it turned out to be unnecessary. She felt somewhat relieved as Miss Hedlych spoke normally and provided sufficient information.
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"Good, very good. How would you describe Miss Purcell's responsibilities in this club for yesterday's activity?" Madelaine added. "If possible, please speak a bit louder."
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Hedlych suddenly clenched her hands tightly. Madelaine thought remnants of shyness and nervousness were still present.
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"I-I feel that Purcell is an ideal and responsible club leader. I also believe that there is no regret at all when she was chosen. A charismatic figure is highly necessary," she said after taking another breath and forcing her body to sit a bit straighter. She seemed to be making an effort to raise her voice a little.
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"Okay. Then, how significant were the responsibilities and decisions taken by Miss Purcell yesterday?"
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Hedlych explained that she and Purcell had been researching and observing the Pool Park Asylum for about one to two months prior. The observations were conducted at times other than at night. They tried to capture several recording and photographic samples while imagining the outcomes. In other words, it was a clean rehearsal, but it was done at least three times.
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Furthermore, after reaching an agreement, they had to coordinate with the second-year students, considering that they were busy with exams. Once that was done, they contacted the owner of Pool Park Asylum and negotiated a deal.
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Hedlych's detailed explanation was starting to bore Madelaine a little. After all, it was a common responsibility of the club president and vice president. She actually wanted to hear a more heartfelt answer rather than a diplomatic one.
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"Ah, I understand the general idea. But why did both of you bother to research that place? Don't you just need the documentation?" Madelaine asked.
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"Indeed, we have an open forum for public topics. Before publishing the documentation, we have to provide background information first. W-well, I think it's the right way to get the public willingly allocate their time to watch our content," Hedlych explained.
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"Like an advertisement?"
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"Y-yeah, that's not wrong either," Hedlych replied.
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Cake folded the corner of the page and closed the book he was holding. His ears were slightly itching from hearing the conversation earlier.
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"When someone buys cereal, they need to look at the packaging. They don't decorate it for no reason, making it as attractive as possible while adding accurate information without compromising its aesthetic effect. Sometimes the eyes react differently from the taste buds." Cake deliberately sat on an empty sofa, stating a complex theory to make his role stand out more naturally.
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Hedlych scratched her non-itchy head, and Madelaine clearly recognized the expression of the girl behind the half-masked face, etched with confusion.
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"Actually, why is your logic convoluted? Are you doing it on purpose?" Madelaine's tone, which had been calm until now, sharpened slightly. "Is there something you want to explain, Cake?"
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"For example, corn flakes. People know they have a yellow appearance with randomly asymmetrical flat shapes, even the shape is patented and ingrained in everyone. But they won't be sure about the taste," Cake continued.
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Madelaine and Hedlych stared at each other in astonishment.
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"Why not?"
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"Because they don't know if it's sweet or bland until they see the words 'sweet corn' or 'honey corn taste.' Appearance-wise, they're the same, but people need to adjust to their preferences. That's why they need information," Cake added. "Just like Pool Park Asylum. They know it's a haunted place because they enter the supernatural discussion forum. The problem is, they need photo or video evidence as well as the history of the place. The reason is simple, so they know how creepy it is."
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Cake's words seemed to release a clever logic that was easily accepted. The girl named Hedlych even snapped her fingers.
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"Yes, yes! Exactly like that!" Her tone, which had briefly become high-pitched and slightly hoarse, suddenly returned to its original demeanor. "I-I'm sorry, I got too excited."
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"Oh, I see."
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Since Cake was already seated on the sofa, Madelaine didn't want to inconvenience herself further. She immediately handed over the responsibility to her colleague, Cake.
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"Just three more questions, Mademoiselle Hedlych. First, I want to see what's behind that mask."
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Madelaine was initially worried about the direct and deviating question from her principles. However, the Hedlych girl slowly removed the mask's rubber strap willingly and resignedly.
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With raised eyebrows, a face described as simple, delicate, and sweet appeared behind the mask. Overall, it had a calm demeanor but left a hint of tragedy. Especially around the left side of her face and the mismatched eyes. Cake and Madelaine's first impression was that of surprise, as if delving into feelings full of empathy.
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"What happened, mademoiselle?" Cake asked, sounding concerned.
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On the left side of her cheek, there were mismatched patches of pink and brown skin, and its surface appeared blistered with uneven bubbles. Her pupils seemed overwhelmed by the colorful lights of the scenery, while a thick fog obscured hope, blinding it.
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"Well... it was just an accident caused by my father. I should have been able to hold back my words when he was heavily drunk," she said, gently touching her left cheek.
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"I apologize, please cover it back up," Cake said, feeling slightly guilty. His intention was not to offend, but the accuracy of clues determined the authenticity of the information.
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"All the books on the front shelf, were they all made by members of this club? Are all the authors club presidents?" Cake handed her the book he was holding. "Including this one. Could you give a brief explanation?"
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As if captivated, Madelaine's curiosity allowed herself to be trapped in the spiderweb of curiosity. Her charm emanated from the bookshelf that Cake had just mischievously examined. She made her way towards the shelf. Initially, she was just being playful, taking one book and putting it back. However, in the end, she became interested in at least one book.
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"Uhm... there should be the name of the author," Hedlych shook her head in disagreement.
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She then turned to the second page before the introduction.
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"Pawn G. Lewis, was the club president before Purcell. That name is only responsible for the publication of that piece," she said.
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She turned to the last page. Hedlych pointed to a code.
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"MG150-CF62-3HU-PICTON.RD-50. I only know the code in the middle, MG or May Griffith, just because I happened to guess her initials."
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As if trapped in a labyrinthine garden, such a cipher disturbed Cake's peace.
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"Hm... don't you have any clues?" Cake asked.
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"W-well, I did ask Senior Lewis. But I couldn't understand because he said something strange. Like, Re-"
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Cake told her to stop before taking out a small notebook and a pen.
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"Please."
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"Receiving a message but not a visit."
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"Hm... the type of club president who likes to give homework," Cake put the notebook and pen back into his jacket pocket. "Lastly, currently, we are having trouble assuming that ghosts are the culprits. Do you have any other theories?"
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"Currently, no one comes to mind," she replied.
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Cake nodded and checked his watch.
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"Alright then, thank you. After this, please call in the other six peoples directly."
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Hedlych got up from her seat, and before leaving, she bowed briefly to express her gratitude. Since the two individuals, Purcell and Hedlych, left the room, more needles seemed to pierce Cake's head.
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"Two girls with contrasting auras. One nervous, the other confident. I don't think they're lying. But are you sure you didn't confirm Miss Purcell's words, Cake?" Madelaine asked.
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"I just feel like we could do more than that. The problem is, now I smell another mystery. Whether it's related or not, I don't know. But... well," he added. "What are you reading, Mademoiselle Madelaine?"
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She handed over a thick book that looked similar to the one Cake had brought.
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"The Newcastleton Forest Expedition? Ah, the hanging tree for suicides?" Cake didn't seem too interested.
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"For some reason, the author claims it was written through personal documentation. Well, the story is also cliché," Madelaine replied.
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However, when Cake opened the last page, there was no code written on it at all.
ns 15.158.61.36da2