Thump, thump, thump!
At that moment, Ayumi felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her mouth. She could hear the monster breathing and could imagine it standing outside the cleaning box. As long as it opened the door, it would see them. And then, they would have nowhere to run...
...Thud, thud, thud.
However, the monster seemed to be blind. It merely stood in front of the cleaning box for a while, then turned and left after failing to find its prey. The two girls listened as its footsteps grew farther and farther away, until they vanished completely. Only then did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Then the short-haired girl quietly cracked the door open and cautiously looked around. After confirming there was no one nearby, she opened the door and stepped out of the cleaning box.
"All right, it's safe now. Come out."
"Whew..."
After leaving the cleaning box, Ayumi let out a long breath as well, then plopped down onto the floor. Only now did she realize that her legs had gone weak, to the point where she could barely stand. The girl merely watched her calmly from the side, speaking only after a moment.
"Are you all right?"
"I-I'm fine. Thank you..."
Hearing the girl's question, Ayumi blushed and hurriedly got to her feet. She had not had time to think during that life-or-death moment, but now that she looked back on it, the other girl had seen her screaming and crying miserably while the monster chased her. Thinking about it now... was truly embarrassing.
"My name is Shinozaki Ayumi. I'm a student at Kisaragi Academy. You are...?"
"Kiyoura Setsuna."
The girl introduced herself flatly.
"First year, Sakino Academy."
"Kiyoura... Setsuna?"
Hearing that name, Ayumi frowned slightly, feeling as if she