“Oh my god, get it away from me!” Ui bursts out, skittering behind Hairu.
“Huh?” She looks up in puzzlement. “Oh!”
Hairu laughs at the spider gracefully descending from the ceiling. “I think it’s lovely.”
UI shakes his head. “One of you brave ghoul investigators, kill it.”
“Nah,” says Hirako, leaning back in his chair. “Spiders don’t bother me.”
“Are you crazy?” Ui hisses.
“I’m a child and you’re the adult,” Shio protests.
“I like it,” says Yusa.
“Ui, save us,” says Rikai.
Hairu rolls her eyes. “How about I capture it and take it outside?”
It’s weird, she thinks, as she coaxes the creature onto a paper towel. She’s showing more mercy to an arachnid than a ghoul.
She waves the captive spider before Ui, who blanches.
“Can we keep him?” Yusa asks.
“NO.” Ui shivers.
Would he shiver at me? Hairu wonders.
She turns to leave, onto to run into Arima. “Say hello to our spy, Arima!”
Arima scrambles back. “Get – it – away!”
Hirako chortles. “We’ve found Arima Kishou’s secret kryptonite!”
Mercy and Magic 