Chapter 2.4: Automatic Door IV
The automatic door, which had remained open and had not twitched until now, closed briskly and reopened again. But then it closed again and reopened on its own ord.
The automatic door began abnormally to repeat opening and closing before my eyes.
Hey, you must be joking.
Even I was thrown out of my mind by this and took a half-step back.
With each opening and closing, a mechanical noise and chime would intermittently ring out.
Could it be it wasnt malfunctioning? Because clearly, something was amiss.
Uhii
It was at that moment when a silly voice escaped my lips that
Something seemed to pass right by my right leg, and although describing it in words was vague, that was the feeling I had.
A chilly breeze grazed my right leg.
What the hell
I rubbed the goosebumps on my legs and lifted my face.
As I did so, the automatic door that had been opening and closing wildly and repeatedly closed in silence, after which its opening and closing ceased to repeat.
Saying this about the door was uncanny, but it seemed to have regained itsposure.
Hakamada
Oh Aoyama!
At the call, I turned around to see Aoyama emerging from the restroom in the back of the store with a refreshed look on his face.
Apparently, this guy had been holed up in the bathroom the whole time I was struggling with the screwed-up automatic door.
I was wondering where you went.
Sorry, Ive been constipated for four consecutive days and I finally got it out like I wanted! Whew, that was refreshing!
Hey dont let me hear such a realistic story.
More importantly, Hakamada, why are you standing here?
Ah, about that
I told Aoyama everything that transpired while he was gone.
Is this automatic door broken?
For some reason, Aoyamas mouth quivered and a loud voice broke out when I pointed at the automatic door, which had now turned deadly quiet.
Ugh, that startled me.
Aoyama, whose arms were trembling and who was evidently exhibiting signs of trepidation, struck me as even creepier than the earlier automatic door that was raging rampantly.
Its here again!?
What?
When I wrinkled my brow and looked at Aoyamas frightened face and the words he said, he tapped me harshly on the shoulder and said this.
It happens now and then, after about two oclock, the door suddenly opens and closes.! Ive seen it too! Youd assume it was a malfunction, right!? But its not
While saying this, Aoyama put his face close to my ear and whispered to me.
Actually a little boy is ying with the door, going in and out
Huh A little boy What do you mean?
The breath blowing on me made me wince again, so I pressed my ears and asked back.
Its the specter of a boy.
S-Specter?!
Yeah, Takenaka told me there is a boy ying in front of the door.
A normal person would be freaking out here, I guessed.
I cant help but think it was all a sham as soon as I heard the story.
Is that true?
Oh my God, you dont believe it?!
Hmm I can hardly believe invisible stories like that.
After all, I could only assume that it was a malfunction.
Should I be able to see the boy, I wouldnt think that way, though.
How unusual, everyone who hears about this generally gets the creeps and quits the next day at the earliest.
Huh?
Are you just saying that to spook me?
Nay, everything I say is true. Youll understand when you meet Takenaka.
Again with this Takenaka guy
Despite having yet to meet him, he seemed to be fishy.
From what Aoyama said, he was probably the guy who imed to be able to see specters.
To begin with, it sounded like a lie when someone mentioned that they could see ghosts and that a boy wasing in and out.
Besides, everybody was a stranger. Why would they believe in such an unsubstantiated im by aplete stranger?
Specters, you know, they didnt really exist.
Well, you mightst longer if you keep your own opinions to yourself like that.
To my expression of disbelief, Aoyama said with a bitter smile.
From then on, until sunrise, nothing noteworthy took ce, and my first part-time job at the convenience store was over.
How should I put it? Frankly speaking, the mystery lingered, though I did not feel the need to call it the handiwork of a specter.
What I saw with my own eyes was the only thing I believed.
I cant believe in the existence of a specter.
I wouldnt want to be terrified or appalled by what others had to say about me.
Somehow workingte at night isnt easy, either.
No customers came. Not to mention, I was free. With sleepy eyes, I straddled my bike and rode down the road under the morning sun to get back to my apartment.
Several dayster.
During a break, a strange shadow was caught on a security camera, leading me to unintentionally spurt out my drink
That incident was only the beginning of a string of such phenomena, and it would be a little while before I learned that something much worse was about to unfold.