Chapter 6.2: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life II


    At dusk, the area before the station was swarming with people in the rush hour to head home. To escape from the oppressive air, I parked my bike at an appropriate spot and entered the coffee shop where I was to meet Takenaka. Within the moderately air-conditioned space, the perspiration on my forehead instantly cooled down.


    In the small, stylish store, deliberately dimly lit, were a group of high school girls on their way home from club activities, a university student-like youth with his educational supplies spread out, and a woman sipping coffee while operating aputer with one hand. Takenaka did not seem to have arrived yet.


    At the counter, I ordered an iced coffee and a cranberry scone, which looked remarkably appealing through the showcase before choosing a table at the back of the store and sitting down. Ordinarily, this kind of ce wasnt the sort that I would casually enter, which made me nervous, so I inserted the green straw and sucked on my iced coffee feeling strangely uneasy.


    What should I say to Takenaka initially when he showed up?


    Shall I apologize or thank him first? Neither of them mattered, for that was not the main issue.


    When I noticed my pathetic face reflected in the coffee, it made me involuntarily smile bitterly. Until yesterday, I never suspected that I would wind up in such a situation.


    The coffee spreading in my mouth felt unexpectedly bitter, so I took a pack of gum syrup and drizzled a small amount into the iced coffee before stirring it. I raised my head and nced around the entire store to check whether Takenaka had arrived yet.


    At that juncture, I became aware of something incongruous. It wasnt the staff nor the dcor of the store.


    What was strange was, you see. Usually, customers would be upying chairs, right? Despite there being so many vacant tables and chairs, there was a customer standing in the store, not even choosing to be seated. A man stood unsettlingly close to a woman who was ying with herptop, his head hung abnormally low.


    Was I the only one who thought that was bizarre?


    Whether he was an acquaintance of the womans remained unclear, however, the man was silently looking down at her, whereas the woman was either disregarding him or sipping her coffee with no concern for the highly suspicious man.


    Not only the woman, but the other customers and the staff as well; nobody looked at the man suspiciously or even regarded him despite the apparent entricity of the situation.


    A little whileter, the woman shut herptop, tucked it away in her bag, got herself ready, and rose from her seat. She headed for the doorway, followed slightly behind by the man. When the automatic door opened, the woman left the store with the man following her at the same time.


    What was that I mean, somebody would normally have found it peculiar, apart from me, so why didnt anybody look at him? Even the staff didnt seem to be bothered by it.


    While I was gazing at them nkly, Takenaka, the person I was meeting, arrived.


    Takenaka, the woman, and the strange man all crossed paths at the entrance. For some reason, even though nothing particrly unusual had unfolded, Takenaka turned around to face the woman and cast her a meaningful look. He subsequently went through the automatic door.


    What was the meaning of what he had just done? Despite being clueless, the sense that I had witnessed a surreal phenomenon lingered, so I took a sip of my iced coffee to drown it out.


    Before I could signal Takenaka where my seat was, he noticed me seated in the back of the store. When our eyes aligned, he gave a light nod, ordered an iced coffee from the counter, picked it up, and took a seat across from me.


    H-Hello.


    Sorry for beingte.


    Oh, no. Dont be concerned, I likewise got here a while ago.


    I greeted him nonchntly, and Takenaka was the first to apologize for his tardiness and exined to me exactly about his dy. Apparently, he had an ill-timed part-time job after the night shift and it was dragging on. Or rather, working a part-time job after the night shift was remarkablenot to mention that he met with me afterward.


    Thank you for your hard work.


    Nodding his head, Takenaka looked slightly sleepy with dark circles under his eyes. I supposed any human being would have that appearance after working continuously. He was worried about me in his e-mail but I was more concerned about him.


    Um, if thats the case, I am totally fine with changing our meeting date to


    No, I am alright.


    On but


    If youve experienced a full-fledged spiritual affliction in that ce, I must speak to you at the earliest opportunity.


    Spiritual affliction?


    It was probably a technical term While it was a word I never heard of, I immediately fell silent and waited for Takenaka, who was staring at his coffee and beginning to show aplicated expression.


    The term spiritual affliction refers to the influence of Hakamada being interfered with by spirits.


    Hah


    I see that you dont understand what I am saying huh.


    A little.


    Takenaka, perhaps sensing my reaction, drew out a small sigh.


    I am conscious that what I am saying is unbelievable, but even so, I cant help but say it


    Looking at me as if he had to, Takenaka gave me a look that said he must do so.


    People felt even creepier when I told them this story and the majority of them didnt believe me, stating they didnt understand it or didnt want to be involved.


    Did you warn everyone?


    Yes. Everyone I considered to be in danger.


    How many people had he shared this story with and how many people had believed him? I wondered whether other people shared my view of him. To some extent, I understood now why this man was so quiet and his manner of speaking was somewhat awkward.


    Please share the story with me.


    This time, I would listen to you properly.


    When I said so, Takenaka paused momentarily and began to speak, though showing a hint of hesitation.


    What took ce that night? What was that ce actually about?


    From what Takenaka told me, the location where the convenience store was erected was in a significantly unfavorable position, beyond what the eye and the senses could perceive. Aplexbination of the thoughts of those who dreaded it as a suicide spot and those who had indeed taken their lives there formed a space so sinister that its influence on the living was detrimental.


    That space was called spiritual maic field in a technical sense.


    Simply put, the spiritual maic field was like a powerful, gigantic barrier, and the more it affected people, the stronger the barrier grew and the more it expanded its power. To further magnify the power of the intense barrier, it can capture the living, or even the souls of those who have died there, and confine them within the barrier.


    As a result of being bound to thetter, those who were imprisoned roamed around, attracted by the energy of the living, who in turn produced the subsequent victims.


    In other words, a vicious negative cycle had developed. I did my utmost to grasp that much.


    So that convenience store has been constructed in the spiritual maic field right?


    A silent nod was followed by Takenakas response.


    Most of the spirits and peoples thoughts that umte there are those whomitted suicide or were swallowed up and lost their lives. For those spirits that harbor grudges and unresolved feelings, there is no one they envy more than a living person. That convenience store is an ideal feeding ground for the spirits and they find it highly alluring.


    Feeding ground


    The convenience store is well-lit and open every day of the week, 24 hours a day. While some spirits pass by or simply casually enter, some are filled with envy and loathe the living, bringing their nefarious ways with them.


    The shback of the woman in tattered clothes outside the convenience store staring at me with bloodshot eyes and the face of the man yelling iprehensible words into the security cameras full view brought back goosebumps and shivers all over my body.


    Those spirits haunt living people and try to drag them down with them. To make us suffer the same fate as they did


    The reason for this was far too inhuman, and horror washed over me.


    Then that man I saw was


    He was someone whomitted suicide in a swamp deep in the sea of trees.


    Ue f-for real?


    The handprint sticking to my uniform The sound of realistic water


    Any further thought of it would lead me to throw up


    How do you know so much about this


    Because that person has frequented that convenience store so many times already.


    Ugh


    Are you feeling sick?


    No, Im fine Please continue Why is that person targeting me?


    I assume that he was trying to possess you since you are a living person, Hakamada. The reason is as I said before. At that time, werent you extremely exhausted?


    Ah


    Speaking of which


    Those kinds tend to target mentally and physically vulnerable people first because that way it is easier for them to take advantage of them


    Um


    Having been told that much, I asked Takenaka, indicating with my hand to indicate that I was going to speak up.


    I guess I still dont fully believe in spirits and stuff after all but I do acknowledge that what happened at that time was serious If I hadnt been saved by you at that time, what would have happened to me?


    You want to know?


    Could it be that I would have died or something


    It would have been ugly


    It was said with a straight face.


    So it was real.


    No, no, no, but that kind of thing! Dying is a bit of a stretch, isnt it!


    I tried to say something like that, but Takenakas eyes were dead serious.