《Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store》 Chapter 1: 1,300 Yen Per Hour on Night Shift Chapter 1: 1,300 Yen Per Hour on Night Shift T/N: This is a literary novel. Please check the meaning of literary novel before reading it if you have never heard of that term before as it would affect your reading. All trantions here are of horror, dark, seinen and literary novels only. Do refrain from reading it if you are ufortable with such themes Genre: Horror T/N: If anyone experiences a problem with the visibility of the text, read here. Your problem will not be dealt with if you choose not to follow the given solution. Hmm, let me ask you once more, is this really fine? Yes? The person who asked me with a glistening, sweat-drenched face while dexterously twirling a ballpoint pen with his finger was the manager of the convenience store I was being interviewed ata somewhat minor convenience store called Nico Nico Mart. I was just getting interviewed for a part-time job at a convenience store in a certain city in a certain prefecture by this barcode-hairstyle old man whose countenance was bizarrely glistening with sweat. Was there a problem? As the interview was drawing to a close, he asked me with a rather apologetic look on his face. What did he mean by is this fine? Well, I assume that you applied for this part-time job because you were attracted by the hourly wage here. Oh, this guy sure has it all figured out. That being said, nodding frankly might be considered a demerit, therefore, I tried to disy a good-natured smile. No, no, thats not true. Its okay, its generally true, isnt it? Its not like this is a city, and 1300 yen an hour is awfully attractive, right? Hah. But the average person can work here for a week at a time. Eh? If you want to quit, nows the time to do it. The manager fluttered his right hand over my meticulously written resume. Whatever he meant to say, it was totally out of my grasp. When I made a face as if I didnt get what he was trying to say, the barcode manager dropped his pretentiousness and directly addressed me. You see, this ce, it appears quite often. Appear? Ghost[I]. I was about to say just say that it was a specter, but I kept my mouth shut and uttered a muffled Ah. Yeah, every ce had its own circumstances. Frightening, isnt it? Hah. Arent you terrified? I dont really believe in that kind of thing. Yeah, yeah, thats what everyone says in the beginning. As if he had heard this many times, the manager nodded his head. Yet they all resigned within a week or so. Thats why all year round we are looking for part-timers, but they keep joining and quitting, and then joining and quitting again, so its difficult to stabilize things. Is that so? Right. Especiallyte at night, strange happenings are liable to follow. Ah, during the daytime, its nothing to worry about, though asionally there are those who buy ropes kitchen knives, and the like. Hey, that wasnt something to say with augh. I shouldnt say this on the day of the interview, but if you feel ufortable or disgusted by what you hear, I suggest you try another job somewhere else. Those words seemed to be said not only to me but also to many others who had been interviewed. It didnt seem to be a threat or such, there must really be something without any joking around. The manager peeked into my face as if to probe. Pulling back now would be a wise move. He probably assumed so, but I was not clever enough to withdraw so easily. I was the kind of person who would have been inclined to press forward the more I was deterred. No, I am totally unrted to such things. Besides, I have never witnessed any ghosts, and even if I did, I probably wouldnt care much. Hourly wages were outrageously low in this neighborhood, which was not even in the city. Earning 1,300 yen an hour, with fewte-night customers, was more or less equivalent to just sitting idle, which was too good to be true. Furthermore, pay raises were possible. A job this rewarding wouldnte along very often. Specter would appear? This was not the time to be concerned about such things, the hourly wage was of utmost priority. Once this part-time job was secured, I would be able to quit my other low-paying part-time jobs and still be able to afford a decent living. True to the managers words, the hourly wage of 1,300 yen was indeed enticing. Is that so? Yes, I would absolutely not quit within a week. Specter, bizarre phenomena, and the like intruded upon my mind, making me feel like it would be uncool to say, Okay, then. If it were a girl, it would be understandable, but I was a guy, you know. Were short on hands, so you might have toe in quite a bit. No problem at all. I would be more than willing to do it, manager. As if to emphasize my statement, I grinned and the manager tapped his head a couple of times with a ballpoint pen. Hmm. Well then, youre hired. Really!? What a shock. They must be understaffed. I was promptly hired on the same day. He asked me to start working tomorrow, and I dly agreed to do so. The ce of my new part-time job was a convenience store in a certain city, in a certain prefecture. Let me rify a little more about it. It was a convenience store facing the sea of trees, which has been called a famous ce for suicides. Thank you very much. However At that time, I didnt have a clue yet. That I was going to be working part-time in an extraordinary ce. Mymon sense, which I had thought had no connection to such things, had been drastically inverted, and the most dreadful experience of the summer of my 25th year was lying dormant before me. I was a fool who was tempted by the hourly wage of 1,300 yen. Nice to meet you, Hakamada. On that day, I became the first of many. A/N: This piece of work was released as a literary book by KADOKAWA on 8/10/2018. Thank you for both the web version and the book version! T/N: [i] Ghost and specter are practically the same. Only the words are different so I will be using different terms. As for the meaning in Japanese, a ghost is a strange-shaped creature while a specter is the spirit of a dead creature. Remember to support the author by voting (pressing three stars after creating an ount) on the Kakuyomu page. The book can be bought on Amazon or depending on some ces like Singapore, you can buy it via Kinokuniya. Please check it out. By the way, I read the sample of the book via Amazon and it seems that the book versions one is more refined. If youre interested in it, do read the book one. Its a published novel, not a light novel. Next Chapter 2.1: Automated Door Chapter 2.1: Automated Door Was it a wee or torment for the neer? On my very first day at work,te at night following the interview, I caught a glimpse of such a phenomenon for the first time in my life. Oh, youre 25, huh, how young. On my initial shift, I was first introduced to Aoyama, the most experienced member of thete-night group. As a shy person, such an easygoing and caring nature from the other party was appreciated by me. I was taught everything I needed to know about the job in a thorough and detailed manner as a neer. Ask any questions you dont understand, because you are the neer I expect a lot from you. Expect? Oh my, the manager said the new recruit is going tost a long time! O-Oh. Not only is itte at night, but due to the nature of the ce, its rare for people to show up, and at times no one shows up until the morning. So when youre with me, feel free to spend time chitchatting. Saying this, I was patted on the shoulder. When I heard the wordte night, the image I had was more of free time than a hectic schedule, therefore, being able to talk and upy myself with time was quite a blessing for me. This made me somewhat feel like a good-for-nothing employee, though, and Aoyamaughed when I mentioned this, remarking, Indeed, youre right. Within an hour or so, I waspletely at ease with Aoyama. It was a relief to know that I would not have to be concerned about human rtions right after joining the establishment. Well, this person happened to be a man though. He was the so-called effeminate man. His physique was stout and he was bald. In terms of height and width of his shoulders, you would assume he was a foreigner, yet his tone of voice was precisely that of a woman. In fact, he apparently worked here part-time to earn money to carry out a rush job for the lower half of his body. Still, a rush job Coming out to someone he had just met for the first time was terrific and then there was a lot of body contact for nothing but I should just pretend I was imagining it. He was individualistic, but a nice guy. Youre here because of the hourly wage, Aoyama? Youre the same, arent you, Hakamada? W-Well 1300 yen is dazzling. Haha, I know, you can be more open about it, you know. Even the manager is aware of it. A fearless smile spread across his face as his shoulders moved up and down. But then everyone quit at once after saying that. The ingratiating smile that had surfaced until now vanished instantaneously as if a candle had been extinguished. Did many people quit after all? Yes, dozens a year. Among them, only me, Takenaka, and Hirai remain, though those two are exceptional. Heh A typical person usuallysts about a week. asionally, there are a few who still hold on, but it seems they get mentally overloaded. A couple of them ended up in the hospital. Sent to the hospital!? My voice betrayed my incredulity. I wondered what had transpired. Around a few months ago, there was a girl by the name of Kawachi. The manager became worried and contacted her parents when he didnt hear from her for around ten days and it was discovered that she slit her wrists in her apartmentthat she had attempted suicide. Suicide The vivid ount involuntarily sent a shiver down my spine. Wow But was this rted to this part-time job? Well, I suppose young people must have all sorts of difficulties in their private lives. The same Takenaka who is in thete-night group said that she Right about the time Aoyama was on the verge of exining, the automatic door opened and a middle-aged man in a suit entered through the open automatic door, apanied by a tensionless melody that everyone must have heard at least once before. Oh my, look, we have a customer. Hang on. Wasnt that a terrible opening remark to make after a customer had just arrived? As though to mask Aoyamas words, I hurriedly raised my voice in greeting. The man, probably passing by on his way home from work, came to the cash register promptly carrying a PET bottle of tea and a bento in the basket. It was amon sight. Even though it was not my first time working as a cashier, it was my first day, and I wanted to see how Aoyama would handle the customer service. That said, a convenience store operation flowed very simr to that of a supermarket. Basically, all that was required was to hit the cash register and return the change. Ordering, cleaning, inspecting, and many other things were involved, but once familiarized with them, it was not difficult at all. Thank you very much. The man received his change, got into his car parked in the parking lot, and drove away. After the man left, another hour went by without seeing another customer. Aoyama and I resumed our conversation. Having done most of the cleaning and inspections, there was little else to do, to be honest. Even the asional sound of a motorcycle engine from outside passed by without interruption, and hardly a soul was on the street, with the road in front of me being surrounded by the sea of trees. Everywhere was pitch-dark. At this time of the day, anyone wandering around in a ce like this would be odd. Indeed, it seemed to be an unusual ce for customers toe by. So, what was the continuation of that story you were about to tell me earlier? Chapter 2.2: Automatic Door II Chapter 2.2: Automatic Door II Oh, you want to hear that story? Just in case. We were halfway through the conversation. I am curious. Well, you know, I probably shouldnt disclose it. Hey, Aoyama. Please dont be pretentious. From today on, I am a member of thete-night shift as well. Youll be frightened if you hear it. Its fine. Im not particrly frightened. Hmm, but I wont say it after all. Some things are better left undisclosed. Hey. In the end, you wont tell me. Oh my, dont make that face. Saying that, he poked me on the cheek. In a sh, goosebumps rose from the nape of my neck down to the bottom of it. Yeah, something even dreadier than a specter was right in front of me If you want to find out so badly, why dont you ask Takenaka directly next time? Takenaka? The samete night Yeah. Hes a rather handsome guy, despite being unsociable. While I dont dislike the bad boy type like Hakamada, Takenaka is the kind of innocent handsome guy that makes a maidens heart flutter. Maidens heart Hahaha. That would mean that your work on your heart has already been done, Aoyama. Hes a year older than you, and he doesnt reallymunicate much, but hes a nice guy. He didnt speak much huh. I was a bit concerned about whether my shyness would suit his personality. No problem, youll get along with him and be able to converse with him reasonably well. Hopefully. When I heard that he wasnt sociable, I was a little scared. Haha, Im rooting for you, good luck. Yes. Oh, what kind of person is Hirai? You mentioned that earlier. That the night shift here consisted of Aoyama, Takenaka, and Hirai. I wondered what kind of person was thest one, Hirai. I would like to ask him about it on this asion. Hirai is well, if I were to sum it up in a nutshell, Id say shes a mysterious person. Mysterious person!? Yeah, shes a nice one too but I wonder where she picked up that strangenguage she speaks with. She uses strange words. Heh What exactly was this? What did you mean by strange words? Was she a radio wave girl whomunicated with the universe or something No way. It was a bad idea to get an impression from just listening to what someone said, though. The night shift members here seemed to have more individualistic personalities than anywhere else, so I was concerned about whether I would be able to properly interact with the other people before wondering about the ghosts. Then, can you go take out the trash? Oh, the garbage disposal area is right behind here. At Aoyamas words, I gathered up all the garbage inside and outside and headed to the back of the convenience store. Just like Aoyama said, the garbage disposal area was right behind the convenience store. Silence reigned in the area, and the air was humid and hot. Darkness amidst the copse was so dense that I felt as if I would be sucked in if I stared into it. Did people really die here Could there be people who hang themselves or die from smoking charcoal briquettes in their cars, as often reported on TV? I didnt see specters, nor believe in them, so I didnt think anything of it at all just by staring at the copse, but imagining that there might be people hanging themselves over there, a chill crept abruptly down my spine. I should head back quickly. Eek! Ugh, this was the worst. Dozens of cockroaches that had amassed in other garbage bags dispersed en masse within the blink of an eye as I approached the garbage dumpster. They were huge ck ones with gleaming backs. Not that it was unusual at this time of the year, but they were just too big and disgusting. They must be attracted to leftover chicken and bento boxes. So this ce was a paradise for cockroaches, huh? I wondered if a nest or something had formed there. There was no doubt about it. A gic level rejection. With that thought in my mind, I shivered and turned back the way I hade and went back to the store, which was still glowing in the darkness. I am back. Through the automatic door, I returned to the counter. As expected, no customers seemed to have arrived when I looked around the store. And then. Aoyama? Aoyama was nowhere to be found too. Chapter 2.3: Automatic Door III Chapter 2.3: Automatic Door III Even though he was here earlier, where did he go? The toilet? Even if that were the case, it was kind of carelessness to leave the store unupied no matter howte at night it was with no customersing in. What if a customer suddenly appeared? I supposed he was not expecting any customers. I was the sole one in the empty store. Even so, I wasnt busy. The hands of the clock have already passed 2:30 a.m., and most of the misceneous tasks have been settled with the instructions I received. I wondered if it would go on like this until morning. By the time the sun rose, how many more customers would show up? If this kept up, I could probably memorize the number of customers, their faces, and the items they bought. Aoyama hadnte back yet All of a sudden, I felt a gaze on me and raised my head. It was the ss part of the magazine corner. Aoyama? That was what I thought, yet beyond the ss was pitch-dark, and not a soul, not even Aoyama, was standing there. Oh, so it was my imagination Things like this happened often. Without paying much attention to it, I returned my gaze to the store. At that time The automatic door opened with a mundane chime. Here it came! Wee I said reflexively and directed myself toward the automatic door. A customer arrived after a long time. Although I was prepared to greet them with my all-out business smile, I froze the following moment with my body turned toward the door. No what was this? Nobody was there. The customer that was supposed to be there. The customer that was supposed to walk in through the automatic door. They were nowhere to be seen. The automatic door closed as if nothing had urred. Even the chime stopped ringing. What? Squinting, I stared at the door, but found nothing out of the ordinary, simply an automatic door. No, the wind was not blowing that fierce today, nor was there anything that looked like trash near the door. Something was wrong. When I tilted my head and thought so, the door opened by itself again. Terrifying. I didnt think so. At the time, I merely found it odd. After confirming that the door closed again, I left the counter and stood in front of the automatic door. By standing in front of the automatic door, the sensor was activated and the door opened as a matter of course. Only my head stuck out of the door and I looked around. Needless to say, nobody was there This wasnt a prank, right? If this was not a prank, only one thing can be conceivable. Malfunctioning huh The sensor must be out of order. The words of the manager and Aoyama recurred in my mind, but I was skeptical to assume that a mysterious phenomenon was the handiwork of a specter, even though I couldnt see it. Had it been a legless woman who stepped in, I probably would have believed in the existence of specter. However, when a door opened by itself in the absence of anything else, chances were that the door was malfunctioning or something simr. What the hell? I heaved a brief sigh as I looked outside. Those who had resigned up to this point had simply quit out of fear, mistaking the automatic door malfunction for the handiwork of a specter huh. How pathetic, how pitiful. I wasnt spooked at all. Theck of pedestrian traffic and the fact that the area was surrounded by a sea of trees and a well-known suicide site, all of whichpounded the apprehension and terror, led to the illusion that they had witnessed something bizarre. Unfortunately, I was not a deeply devout person. Stories without visible evidence were my ultimate abhorrence. I mean, someone in the shadows was definitely having a good time with those kinds of stories. Thinking about it, wouldnt it be extremely ludicrous to be swept along with the rest of the crowd that fussed and fretted about the horrors of such things? If this was the extent of it, a week would be nothing to worry about. As I was about to return to the counter, the door that had nearly closed opened again, and this time it remained open even after the chime had finished ringing. I stared at that with icy eyes. When I was with Aoyama, this didnt happen, right? Beyond my gaze, the door remained open instead of being closed, constantly sending the warm air from outside into the store. When a person was left standing in front of a door alone, this same phenomenon could arise. No, no, it couldnt be No way Back at the counter, I spent several minutes observing the bizarre automatic door. As the automatic door didnt seem to be closing, I got fed up and left the counter once more to examine the door. Leaving the door open would allow insects to enter the store. I couldnt tolerate it any longer. Its probably just the rail or a piece of trash stuck in there somewhere, I figured. Nevertheless, I crouched down and inspected the rail from top to bottom and found not a single piece of trash caught in it. Did it really break down? Ah, about this. What should I do with this door left open? At any rate, when Aoyama came, I would consult with him I scratched the back of my head and pondered so. Chapter 2.4: Automatic Door IV 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. Chapter 3.1: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka Chapter 3.1: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka Hey, big brother, how long are you going to be sleeping? Its almost lunchtime. Shut up! Groaning, I rolled over under the covers. Big brother. Shut up, stop shaking me. Even though I was sleeping peacefully earlier, the sound of my younger sisters crudeughter, the persistent clicking, and the roar of the cicadas on the balcony awakened me thoroughly. Whether I woke up or didnt, I had made up my mind to stay in bed until 14:00 today. I would not yield to this and would go back to sleep again. Big brother. If youre starving, go boil somen noodles and eat them yourself. Ehhh. What ehhh? Let me sleep, Im tired. Youre just a NEET, cking off at thiste hour, what a trash of society you are. Oi, what did you just say?! When I heard this outrageous line, I pushed off the futon and rose to my feet. Any sleepiness I had been suffering from was now swept away. What the hell did you just say to your brother! You dare to say Im a NEET! I am working, even if Im not a great person! At least call me a freeter! A freeter and a NEET are the same things. You idiot! That was a line that would set off a flurry of outrage from freeters all over the country! Its different! Its not the same! Dont lump me in with those who confined themselves in a cramped room, staring at aputer and living off their parents backs! I was working part-time and being independent! Whatever, just get a steady job and send some money into my pocket. This bastard. You were just a second-year junior high student of social standing. I mean, what about you? Visiting me at 10:00 in the morning, then proudly settling down in front of the fan andughing hysterically next to the futon while indulging in video websites on myptop. My younger sisters high-pitched voice resounding all the way to the heavens was quite awful after working the night shift. On top of that, she even created an ount using my PC address, and during her free time over the summer vacation, she barged in and spent the whole day on the site. All the while, she was browsing video sites, having me cook all her meals, and eating ice cream and sweets from the fridge without even asking. Calling my sister a NEET for leading such a depraved life was nothing less than a torment to me. My house isnt an Inte cafe. Stop staring at theputer all day and go outside. Dont you have homework to do? Have you done it? I came here today because the pool is closed, and unlike my big brother, I finished my homework in July. Unh. Besides, mom told me to check on you when I have time. Rather than saying checking on me, werent you checking on myputer? Her white thighs peeked out from her frilly one-piece dress and shorts. She had dyed her hair a bright color in a fit of enthusiasm because it was summer vacation, and had a short bob. Her eyes were round and her eyshes were fluttering like a dolls. Even to me, her older brother, her appearance was not bad. On the contrary, she was good-looking. I supposed she must have been involved with a lot of boys and girls in junior high school. My mother frequently mentioned this to me. If she were to walk around Shibuya dressed like this, she would probably be hit on right away. Or she might even be targeted by a wicked man or such Though that being said, I wasnt worried about that at all. Because she was stuck in her hometown, sucking a freezer pop at her brothers house, and hooked on a certain major video site. While she pped her hands and rejoiced over theputer, pick-ups werepletely out of the question. Hey. With two caramel pudding parfaits out of the fridge, I talked to my sister, who was watching a horror game on the site and screaming. Whats up, Im in the middle of a great scene, dont interrupt me. Dont point your ass back at me looking so dull! How sad, this being my house, it should be normal for siblings to converse with each other, though I just started a new part-time job, you might want to hear about it. After cing one of the caramel pudding parfaits by my sisters side, she finally decided to listen to me and took off her headphones to face up to me. Whats with this? I got it from the disposal. Even though it was about to expire, I could buy it for much cheaper than the listed price, which was a privilege for this kind of part-time job for a single person. Disposal? Oh, you mean the convenience store Whats with that face? I mean, convenience stores pay ridiculously low wages. Wrong! Its not daytime, Im workingte at night! Late at night? Where? When I told her it was a convenience store near a certain ce, she put a caramel pudding in her mouth and gave a broad smile. Pugyaaaaaaaaaaaa! Pugya?! With her index finger pointed at me, a giggle followed. Stop it, didnt mom tell you not to do that? Big brother! What? I heard thats a really dangerous ce, so you really need to leave right away. What? Why? Eh, you dont know, big brother? That ce is a haunted ce. A haunted ce? Yeah, my friend Misuzu has supernatural senses. People whomitted suicide in the sea of trees or died in idents in the vicinity would drop by there because they were lonely and wanted to be rescued. Chapter 3.2: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka II Chapter 3.2: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka II From what my sister told me, specters that dropped in or passed by were still safe, however, significantly stronger or hazardous specters would haunt customers or staff and continue to haunt them or cause adverse effects. Even for those with supernatural ability, prolonged periods of time in an environment with a strong negative aura can be perilous, and if it were a normal person, outrageous things would ensue apparently. What do you mean by outrageous things? Who knows After finishing her caramel pudding, my younger sister turned back to the PC and continued her words. Even I dont know whats going to happen. Besides, for some reason a lot of idents are reported every year near the sea of trees there, and the other day there was a motorcycle ident in which a motorcyclist jumped over the guardrail and crashed down a cliff. isnt that unrted to the convenience store? Were talking about the danger around that ce, you know. Thats just an ident, and shows about specters are made up. Good grief You still dont buy that kind of story. Oh, I dont believe it. Whats the point of believing it? People who say such things are just trying to freak people out. And then the usual pattern was for them to be convinced and fuss over it. Misuzu have real supernatural powers, though! Well, I dont know about that. You cant prove that she can see or not see the specters. Tch, no good, I have to do something about you at once Misuzu said to me. If you meddle excessively in those ces, even those who cant see will be able to see. I will not be able to see it. Cough, oi, I have to work the night shift again today, so let me sleep again and dont wake me up. Even before I could say so, my younger sister had slipped her headphones back on and was doing a somersault into the world of video websites again. I figured to go to sleep but I was starving. I should boil somen noodles. After taking the somen noodles out of the cupboard, I put them in a small pot of water and boiled it. While watching the rising air, I recalled the security camera monitor I observed two days earlier during my break. At that time, the monitor caught something inexplicable, something mysterious but distinct, some kind of small, grayish shadow. I wondered what that was. The grayish shadow wasing and going near the automatic door of the store. The sight was so bizarre that I was so taken aback that I spilled my canned coffee all over it. A small boy is ying in front of the door. No way that shadow I couldnt make out was the boy. I had never glimpsed anything like that before. Furthermore I remembered the sensation of the boys foot slipping through the side of my leg. Even now, I remembered it vividly. That warm wind and the goosebumps that crept over my skin. Honestly speaking, I have not shared that story with Aoyama. Even though he talked a lot, he was timid. On my first day at work, I remembered him shouting all alone. Despite his seniority and career, he was still extremely frightened. So I asked him why he didnt pick another ce to work and he replied, Its terrifying, but if I can umte a lot of money here its better to be patient! He, no, she (?) apparently was quite zealous about re-constructing the lower half of his/her body. The pot was spilling when I was spacing out, and I hurriedly turned off the stove. That shadow No. I must have been sleepy and seen it wrong. No customers came at that time of the day, and I was too bored and sleepy. That was not a specter. In the first ce, I couldnt see such a thing. I doubted that I could see it. I mean, my conclusion was that no such thing as a specter existed. Convinced in my mind, I put the boiled somen noodles in theder. Speaking of which, it seemed like the person I was working with on the night shift today was that rumored Takenaka Thanks for your hard work. Ya, I suppose its time for shift change. Just before 12:00, I entered the store and took over with the evening shift worker. Since we worked different hours, our rtionship was not very close, though our greetings were exchanged repeatedly like this and we would talk for a while before the shift change. While taking off my uniform from the hanger in the back room and changing, I cast a quick nce around the store. At this hour, many customers were stilling in and out of the store. How is it? Are you ustomed to working the night shift? The one who spoke to me was Nagase, the evening shift worker, who was already getting ready to go home. He was a university student with a long, waxed wolf hairstyle and mole under his left eye that exuded sex appeal. All in all, he gave off the image of someone who would look good in a band. Even if you asked me that Ive only worked a few days here. I see, I have heard that the night shift is often too free, but it makes people feel sleepy, right? Oh, that happens when there is too much free time. Buttely, my days and nights are reversed, so I dont get that sleepy. Right, I suppose thats how it is. I heard from Aoyama the other day that something happened. What? That the door opened? About that. Ah I nced at the automatic door from the side. Whenever a customer entered or left, it would chime and open systematically. Other than that, of course, it never opened. Wasnt that frightening? Not really, I just found it strange. Haha, youve got a lot of guts, dont you? Thest person who joined the night shift kicked up such a fuss that they quit within three days. Heh, is that so? The manager asionally inspects it, but apparently its not malfunctioning, which is odd, isnt it? Isnt it clogged with trash or something? When I said that, Nagaseughed. Hahaha! Thats the way to think of it, the night shift workers must be able to hold their positions. I know, right? If someone makes a fuss about specters and such, theres no end to it. I was caught in the moment andughed back. After exchanging small talk, Nagase got ready to go home and I went to the counter. Even so, Takenaka waste Even though it was almost time for him to start his shift, he hadnt arrived yet. Ah. I forgot to mention it. Before exiting the convenience store, Nagase paused as if reminded of something. Today, Hirai has reced Takenaka. I heard they switched shifts at thest minute. So that meant Hirai would be with me today? She will be here soon, I guess. Hakamada, do your best on the night shift. With that, Nagase climbed on hisrge two-wheeled bike and left. After sending Nagase off from the store, I started to attend to the remaining three customers one after the other. The old man with three beer cans, dried squid, and fried chicken sticks. A young man who brought a stic bottle and potato chips on top of a sexually explicit magazine. A sweet bread and a pack of milk And daily necessities for women only. The officedy that brought it to the cashier made a very disgusted face. Ah, yes, yes, you hated showing these things to men, right? I can understand that. Without a trace of concern, I ced it in a transparent bag under the register and handed it back to her, along with the other items in the bag. Thank you very much. I sent the three customers off with equally the same words, and in no time at all, silence descended upon the store. I looked at my watch and noticed that it was past 22:00. The night shift began at 22:00. Hirai Was shete? It did not really bother me that much whether she waste or otherwise, since it was the night shift and I would not be so upied that I would be overwhelmed That was my thought a few dozen minutes ago. Standing alone at the counter was on the contrary too quiet and unnerving for me to rx. Being alone was too boring. I wondered what happened to Hirai. Even if I wanted to contact her, I couldnt e-mail or call her because I hadnt met her yet. Or rather, more importantly My gaze shifted from the clock to a diagonal angle. Behind the shelves lined with magazines andics, I looked toward the zed casement. Chapter 3.3: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka III Chapter 3.3: Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka III There again It happened the other day too. Unconsciously, I looked at the zed encasement. Nothing but pitch-dark, and nobody was there. I can feel myself being drawn to it. As if someone was watching me Rather, perhaps it would be more descriptive to say that I was being red at. Why did I feel a firm gaze? Whenever I felt it, the corner of my head hurt. No good, what was this? Had I been sleeping a lot, resulting in my body getting sluggish? It had only been a short period of time since my days and nights were reversed, so my body might be giving up without me even realizing it. While I was mumbling about such things, the automatic door opened. Ah someone wasing. I felt it intuitively. Just like back then, the door opened by itself, even though there was no human-like person there. Wee This was like being Pavlovs dog. My mouth emitted the usual line that had firmly embedded itself in me out of habit, and I was amazed at myself. Yet Strangely enough, even though no one was supposed to have entered the store, I felt a faint presence. Something was present in the store apart from me, something was moving aside from me, and that something was just in front of me. It was like it was standing still right before my eyes. Like it was extremely close to me. Such a presence was Uh, oah I stood in front of the counter frozen in ce. My neck was in pain. Breathing was a struggle. Suddenly, my respiration Na ah. I couldnt breathe properly. I understood that this was not something that was intended. I know its not something Im going to do. But it was agonizing. It was as if my throat was beingpressed to its utmost. Like it was being constricted. What the hell What the hell was this Even after coughing profusely, escaping the agony was beyond my control. Strange perspiration beaded from my head. I had no idea why, I couldnt understand, I couldnt breathe, and since I couldnt breathe, my mind couldnt think the only thing I knew was My body was trembling abnormally, and now it was going to be awfully bad! Ah, ah! A muffled voice slipped out of my lips, oxygen was not flowing in, my head was dizzy and I wondered if I was going to faint. That was when that happened. The automatic door reopened with a mundane melody that was most incongruous with this situation. The one who entered was. A girl. She had wide eyes and long hair. With a short height and a childish face. But She was smoking Ugh She was a customer. right? Damn, I cannot utter a word in this condition. Even my body couldnt move. She would think I was a strange staff member! When I impatiently struggled to force my voice out, the girl with the rather innocent-looking face strode up to the counter, held the cigarette in her mouth between her fingers, and exhaled a lot of smoke toward me. Then. Youre in the way right there. Now get the hell out of here. Once that was said, the oppressive feeling that had been smothering me faded away, and the stiffness in my body seemed to be lifted as if something had been snapped. At that instant, I put my hands on the counter and drew in several deep breaths, as though I had been running at full speed. Oxygen wasing in, and my head was starting to work clearly. What the hell was that Disoriented, I no longer had any idea what was taking ce, and what the hell did I just While trying to regte my breathing and mildly in a panic, wondering how in the world could I possibly wrap my head around the bizarre event I had just experienced, the stern, baby-faced woman I thought was a customer walked in behind the counter. Ueeh!? That was when I realized it for the first time. That this person was. Hirai Instead of answering, her eyes narrowed and with a grim look on her face, she said to me, w marks What? Theyre on your neck. w marks When I was told this, horror struck me for some reason. I involuntarily pressed down on my neck, which was suffering from the pain I was feeling at the moment. Neer. Yes?! Dont look directly at that ce. With another puff of cigarette smoke, Hirai pointed with her chin toward the zed encasement. A woman with bloodshot eyes kept staring this way. Dont look too closely at there, or shell enter the store like she just did. Okay? Having said that, she stepped into the rear room without waiting for a reply. As for me, confusion spread further and further within me. A woman with bloodshot eyes was watching me from over there? She entered the store? No good, I couldnt follow it. However, what I felt earlier was the presence of something moving with a will and chills sprouting in me. It was more than just something For real, what the hell is going on I wiped the sweat that had settled on my forehead and on the bridge of my nose. Despite my body having ceased trembling, the chills returned as I recalled what had just unfolded. I mean about Hirai. About Hirai She was a yankee huh! Even with a baby face, she had eyes like a female bszoku gang! She showed upte and smoked a cigarette brazenly! What a terror Somehow, she terrified me. I felt like I was going to get my ass kicked or something. The chills were spreading to my neck and then to my ass this time. Right then, the door of the rear room opened and Hirai reappeared, the baby-faced yankee. I didnt notice much earlier, buther her breasts were huge!? Her uniform was sticking out! What kind of a setup was this with a loli face and big tits, oi! Ah. I-I ended up looking directly at them. Yikes, what would she say to me? As my eyes intersected with Hirais, I straightened up my back and tightened up my face. Yet. Hirai, whose eyes locked with mine, was neither indignant nor ring at me. Instead, she unexpectedly smiled at me. Sorry for beingte. Tehepero Her tongue stuck out of her mouth, and she lightly hit her own head with her fist. Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!? To tell the truth, this was our first official contact. I only realized this a littleter. Chapter 4.1: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and Chapter 4.1: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and Nice to meet you. You probably have heard this from Aoyama. I am Hirai. My first name is Kaname! Sorry for the tardiness Um, Hakamada? Thats your name, right? Was this what an inaudible shout meant? At the sight of Hiraiing out of the break room, I froze lightly. Hirai was grinning at me with an innocent, childish face unlike earlier. That That was strange. Hakamada? How strange. This girl earlier. Wasnt she smoking a cigarette? Her eyes looked really scary and her tone of voice was like the leader of some biker gang. Those wide, nted eyes drooped. Her tone of voice was not as harsh as earlier. In front of me, she was wearing a smile of an innocent angel, whereas she had been intimidating in the beginning. On top of that, I should add that she had big tits. The size of her tits must be at the level of doin beyond boin[i] No, that was not the point! In short, what I wanted to emphasize was that she was a different person from the one I saw earlier. No, no, no, there couldnt be such a thing. You see, I often heard that girls possessed multiple personalities and that their attitude would instantly shift when you turned on their switch that was probably the case. Is there something wrong? Do I have something on my face? Perhaps noticing my bewilderment, Hirai tilted her head and asked me, her smile unwavering. Hmm? Oh, nothing. While confounded, I turned my face away from her at once. Her innocent expression struck my strike zone. Wait a minute, Hakamada. Didnt you see that earlier? What were you getting your heart pounding with that smile stered on your face? Settle down, settle down Um I am looking forward to working with you. Yeah, nice to work with you from now on. While maintaining a calm demeanor, I greeted the enigmatic, loli, busty Hirai lightly for the time being. She did not speak to me in yankeenguage like when I first saw her, nor did she kick me in the butt. When we chatted, she was unexpectedly gentle. Her asional smile was rather adorable. I figured that this was a womans weapon and that I must have fallen squarely into her clutches. What was that all about earlier, a dream? The first impression I had of her diminished dramatically that I wondered if I had dreamed it. Even so, she looked so young. I wondered how old was she. Perhaps 20 years old or thereabouts. The gap between her face and her smoking was astonishing. But her face was adorable I wondered if she had a boyfriend. With an appearance like this, I doubted if any man in this world would resist her charms. Anyway, lets exchange contact informationter. Hirai, you switched shifts with Takenaka today, correct? Yes, thats right. Oh, Im sorry, I know you were surprised by the sudden change. O-Oh. No, no, not really? I couldnt take off this Thursday, so I asked Takenaka to substitute for me on short notice, heh heh. Hah, I supposed a part-time jobiwith an adorable girl would be much preferable to a part-time job with a guy. First of all, I tried to open up to her by discussing some subjects with her. Hirai responded to every word I made slowly. Though, Aoyama mentioned something peculiar the other day. What did he mean, she was more normal than I expected. Although that thing earlier was bothering me, she was so girly, and each gesture she made was so soothing. Heh, what? Is that a date with your boyfriend? When I casually asked, Hirai was standing in front of the cash register on the opposite side with her hand over her mouth, giggling. Haha, not at all. Theres something I absolutely have to watch airing on-air. Hmm, is it a drama show? Or a variety show? No, its ate-night anime. Mmm? This week marks thest episode, so I couldnt think of anything else but to watch it on-air. Late-night, anime? Whats wrong? Ah, haha, heh, anime, huh? The unexpected turn of events momentarily threw me into a stupor. I heard that young people nowadays liked anime. So Hirai likedanime, huh? Or rather, to watch anime, she switched shifts with Takenaka. It was an extraordinary reason. Its so amazing that you want to watch it on air, is it interesting? Whats the plot? Well, I should carry on with the conversation. Its a pure love story, its incredibly throbbing and exciting, and its the greatest story of the season. Ho A love story huh, that was cute. She was a girl after all. Hirai, who seemed to be fairly hooked on the anime, joyfully introduced it to me for a while. Even though I didnt understand the conversation at all, the fact that she was adorable was enough for forgiveness. When I watch it, Im already high! I seriously have a crush on the protagonists blushing bald face. Hmm. Seriously? Bald? Huh, what was going on? Hirai seemed to be enjoying herself rather immensely, though. She was so engrossed in the subject that she kept uttering strange words. I had no clue what she meant, but her face was so vivacious. OhIt couldnt be. I was feeling like Thats impertinent, do more of it. So this was what Aoyama was talking about! Chapter 4.2: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and II Chapter 4.2: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and II Hirais face looked incredibly joyous. Oh no, I have beenpletely left behind. Despite her carefree tone of voice, I could only bitterly smile at Hirai, who had evidently been triggered in some way. After a short while, Hirai snapped to reality and shyly ced her hand on the back of her head. Sorry, I got carried away. Oh dear, Im not your friend today. Perhaps the enthusiasm had subsided, she apologized to me, and fell silent. What a shock. Indeed, Aoyama was right. But my younger sister used a bunch of words that I couldntprehend these days as well, and perhaps this was the norm for todays kids? As always, no customers arrived. It was boring that there was nothing to do but to engage in idle conversation. Getting paid to engage in idle conversation was another rare job. Do you have any other part-time jobs besides this one? Hirai asked me this time. I used to take on three jobs, including temporary ones, but this is the only job I have now. Im considering finding a part-time job in the daytime when I get used to workingte at night. There are only four of us, so there is not much stability. Yeah, thats true. But Hakamada, youre amazing! You hold your own for a neer! Everyone says so! Eh, for real? A week has passed since I started this part-time job. ording to the manager, the period during which new employees tended to quit the most was approximately one week. Since I was approaching the end of that period, it seemed that the other part-timers and workers were gossiping about me. As of yet, I hadnt experienced anything so horrific that would make me burst into tears, though certainly, some strange urrences had arisen. Just as I predicted, I wouldnt resign in a week or so. No, I am not particrly amazing. No, no, youre amazing enough. As expected of the neer the manager was talking about! Oi, oi, manager please dont go around stirring things up without my knowledge. By the way, what about you, Hirai? Yes? Are you working on any other jobs? Oh, I dont really, oh, but I do have a side job. Side job? A steady job, huh? But there are a lot of low sries even if you work hard. Oh, thats not it. I earned quite a bit of money doing it. Is that so? Yeah, twice a year, in the summer and winter, and mangas and novels are sold there. A bazaar? Its kind of like a bazaar, except its limited to mangas, novels, that sort of thing. Oh, I make them myself. By yourself? You make manga! Eh Wow, novels too!? Eh! You mean like a publication?! Im not that well-known, but yeah. So you are a writer I-Impressive. Im not so much a writer but merely a thin book artisan. Thin book? A question mark popped up in my head when she said it with a grin. I felt like Id heard the word somewhere, or maybe not. What was a thin book? That thin book? You sell them twice a year. Yes, it sells reasonably well these days with an influx of readers. I see. Wow, its impressive that you can draw manga. What kind of things do you draw and sell? At that time, I was still unaware of it. That Hirai was not simply a loli with big tits who liked anime. You want me to tell you? Then Ill let you read it next time! Haha. Are you sure? Yeah! Hakamada, be my reader too! The Hirai at that point appeared to be quite pleased for some reason. Time flowed leisurely as usual. Hirai was not boisterous like a high school girl, rather mature, yet never silent, and we spent all the time chatting except for the asional customer. To this point, it was the same as always. When it was about three oclock and I decided to pack up the garbage and dispose of it in the dumpster in the back of the building, Hirai called me back with a smile and said, Ill do it, and promptly took the garbage outside. I didnt find that particrly strange, however Excuse me. Its fine, its fine, dont worry about it. Besides I said apologetically to the returning Hirai, whoughed and assured me not to be concerned. It seems it is loitering outside the store right now. If anything, I would rather you dont leave the store, Hakamada. Chapter 4.3: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and III Chapter 4.3: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and III Eh? I was at a loss for words with a half smile on my face. What Hirai said was too enigmatic. When I was about to ask what she was referring to, she came back behind the counter, and before long, she was standing very close to me. You might be wondering how close she was to me. She was really quite near at hand. Ueaa!? Perhaps I wasnt aware of it, but she was right next to my waist. Hirai was peeking at me. Or rather, her b-b-b-b-b-reasts! Its hitting my chest, Hirai!? What, what was all this about? What was this!? Um. Herrge eyes widened, and she stared at me. Hirai made no movement. Like a sculpture, I couldnt budge. But her breasts, her breasts! They were hitting my right arm! Hiraiiiiii!! Eh, what was this really? What should I do? Was she inviting me out? No, no matter what, a security camera was on the ceiling! Or rather, it was soft or something I wanted to die!! Ive been curious about this all day. Y-Yes? Atst, Hirai spoke up and without separating from me, she looked up at me and asked, Hakamada, those w marks on your neck. How did you get them? Neck, w marks. At the mention of it, a shiver shot up my neck again. It reminded me of that time. The intense gaze I felt brought on an unexinable difficulty in respiration. How my body became immobile as if I was bound, and how I suffered to the stage where even my voice was rendered mute. Hirai was looking at my neck as if she was licking it, and she said to me. From my neck to my corbone, several red marks had been left, as if someone had grasped me with ws and pulled me down. And then Wow somehow, its erotic! Unless I had misheard her, she blurted out something like that. Even I, naturally, felt goosebumps at those words and for some reason, Hirai had a look of ecstasy on her visage. In a panic, I pulled her away from me and distanced myself from her, who was clinging to me defenselessly. Wait Hirai, what are you suddenly Whats wrong? When I was flustered, she twirled her long, fluffy hair with her fingers as she looked alternately at the outside of the store and at me before muttering, I thought it was strange, they were loitering in front of the store and hanging there with an incredible expression on their face Even though Takenaka just drove them away the other day. Hirai? Hakamada, I think that person is after you. That person? Yeah, there, in the corner of the zed magazine section is a woman in tattered clothes From time to time, when someone she likes pops up, she will try to pull a nasty move on them, to make them her possession It didnt feel like she was trying to frighten me. Hirai seemed to be describing the situation straightforwardly while staring at the zed section of the magazine corner. Oh Its creepy that I said this so bluntly, isnt it? Sorry, I shouldnt have done this. Um, you can see them? Hirai When I asked with a slightly quizzical countenance, Hirai nodded with a smile. Yeah. I can see a woman with bloodshot eyes watching Hakamada over there in the zed section. Yet, the words uttered were not befitting of a smile. I see Hmm. Your face says you dont believe me, Hakamada. Right as I was attempting to brush it off lightly, she caught on to my thoughts in one shot, leaving me feeling impatient inwardly. Before I could deny it, Hirai opened her mouth. Its fine, I didnt say that to make you believe me. She was only expressing her vision in words. Hakamada, you are the kind of person who doesnt believe in such things, right? If so, I suppose thats fine. Its preferable to being overly frightened. Why Why do you think so? Because I thought so, so perhaps I hit the mark? Uh. Did I guess it right? Silence was affirmation No, Hirai, indeed I am a person who doesnt believe in such things, but it doesnt mean I assume that you are lying you know. Feeling that the atmosphere would be awkward, I was afraid to speak out of fear of that, but after voicing it, I thought I was being foolish. My intention was to follow up with a contradiction, yet conversely, it turned out that I had no clue what to say. Silence ensued over my response. I dont really care how you think about it, Hakamada. Its fine. After all, some people will definitely believe it, and some people will definitely not. Thats how things are, added Hirai. No matter how I reacted, Hirai remained indifferent and seemed to be unaffected by it. However I merely figured that Id give you a warning. This ce is even stranger than you think, Hakamada. A normal person wouldnt be able to carry on like this. Like me, numerous people have been lured by the hourly wage and worked here. Practically all of them had quit within a week or so, despite their ims to the contrary. I dont mean to be creepy, but I dont want you to resign straight away, so please hang in there. Hirais words contained no falsehoods. Intuitively, I thought so. This person was not fabricating a lie. This person was really. Can you really see it? Those things I was half in doubt. With such feelings in my heart, I thought asking such a question was impolite. Nevertheless, I couldnt help but inquire. Perhaps it was out of curiosity as well. What would Hirai say back to me? Then, shall you try looking at it? What followed was a far different response than I had anticipated. Chapter 4.4: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and IV Chapter 4.4: Late-night Anime, Thin Book, and IV Hirai offered her own hand in front of mine and simply said that. What I was dumbfounded when she prompted me toy my hand on her very own one. Shall you try looking at it Even if she said Did she think by doing this, I could see it? Did she think I could be made to see it? There was no way it could be that simple. Before I could express my doubts about Hirai, she had already read my mind. She was aware of this, wasnt she? That I thought such a thing was absolutely inconceivable. However, along with being doubtful, a thought struck me abruptly. Wasnt it a bit odd for her to extend her hand so imposingly to me when I was being skeptical? Had it been someone spouting falsehoods, they would have vaguely deceived me or would have made fun of me if I had provided them with evidence. Yet, Hirai didnt do that and demonstrated a margin of confidence that she had proof before me. Her firm, unwavering words and self-assured eyes. Between me and the hand that Hirai was reaching out to me, a boundary line seemed to exist that no one could ever touch. My throat was unconsciously making a gurgling sound. Should I take Hirais hand? Supposing I were to take Hirais hand I wondered what would be of me. Would I be capable of observing the inconceivable things that Hirai had imed, the things that I had always denied and refused to believe in? I was half in doubt and half intrigued. Under normal circumstances, I would have just shrugged it off and asked her not to tease me. But not anymore. Having grown ustomed to the pace of the night shift, I was thoroughly bored by my part-time job where the only thing I could do was have a conversation with the other workers. Therefore, I was seeking a faint stimtion in the depths of my heart. Believing in the words of a girl with big tits and a baby face whom I had only barely met was somewhat vexing, but on this asion, I figured it would be fine if I overturned my ownmon sense. If I could see it, no harm would result from trying it. With that in mind, I tried to ce my own hand on Hirais white hand. But My hand, which was about to ovep with Hirais hand, somehow drifted through the air without contacting hers. For Hirai swiftly withdrew her hand. Huh? While I was in a daze, she giggled at me. Just kidding. At that moment, I was like, Ah. Oh she was teasing me huh. Hirai, isnt that awful? Even so, she was ying her act wonderfully. I almost bought the whole act. I mean, youre being all curious, Hakamada. Damn. But that was no excuse to set me up! From which part to which part was a joke? Even though Hirai didnt reveal it to me, I concluded that it had likely been a joke from the very beginning. Its fine. In time, you will be able to see it as much as you want to, Hakamada. To my frustration, Hirai didnt borate but instead threw another ominous joke my way. Again with that. Whether you believe me or not depends on you, Hakamada. Well,te at night, either you have time or suddenly an unexpected thing urs, if you pace yourself, you can usually carry on. Ultimately, those were the words that wrapped it up for me. She was an elusive character On Thursday, youll finally meet the Guardian God of Nikoniko Mart and say hello to him for me. The Guardian God was apparently Takenaka. For whatever reason, he was given such a nickname, but Hirai was right: Thursday was the first day I would meet Takenaka. Takenaka, that rumored person. Despite all the stories I have heard about Takenaka, I felt that he was the shadiest of all the night shift workers. Now, I wondered what would happen from now on No, if I found itplicated, I would just ignore it, and I have always avoided those who have talked to me with a boastful air. Well, whatever wille, wille. After doing my business in the stores restroom, washing my hands lightly and my face along with it, I stared into the slightly foggy mirror of the washbasin. What The second I looked up, I was so astonished that my mouth fell open on its own. It was around 4 oclock in the morning. The first time I noticed it was when I nced at the mirror in the stores restroom. What the hell is this? From my neck to my corbone area, reddish-purple colored w-like marks, which were even worse than wheal on skin, surfaced. Although I hadnt felt anything until now, it looked painful to me. Why did this happen? A clue It wasnt that I was clueless about it but No, no but. That sort of thing was just not normal. The w marks were in the same position that Hirai said they were. Apparently, she wasnt kidding when she said that. But from where and to what extent was she telling the truth In the corner of my mind, the feeling of strangeness was gradually shifting to dread, and I finished my sixth days part-time job. Chapter 5.1: Security Camera Captures the… Chapter 5.1: Security Camera Captures the¡­ By the following day, the distinct w marks on my neck had all but vanished, so much so that it was almost like they had never existed from the beginning, not even a single scab to be seen. In front of the mirror in the bathroom at home, I made a face that was irredeemably moronic but that was inevitable because I had definitely seen it with my own eyes whereas in the bathroom of the convenience store, I spotted painful marks on my neck, as if I had scratched myself to the hilt. For whatever reason, when I examined myself in the mirror this morning after washing my face to check on my condition, no such mark was in sight. Not that the swelling had really subsided or anything but there was nothing there. This was strange. It was evidently peculiar. I mean, even before the marks on my neck went away, the experience of that time was indescribable. About that, I wondered what that was Somehow, I was liberated from the inexplicable suffering when Hirai arrived halfway through the process, but what would have transpired had she not been there? Until now I didnt give it much thought, but ever since starting my part-time job at the convenience store, a number of mysterious experiences had already befallen me. Like wind, garbage, and optical illusions I had thought so many times before, but I had convinced myself otherwise. For once, I couldnt conceive of an exnation for this mysterious phenomenon. Tonights work was only ten or so hours away I looked around my modest room. On the desk by the window was the cheapptop I typically used for finding a part-time job. My younger sister was noting over today. The other day she told me she was going to see a movie with her friends. After making a mug of instant coffee, I booted up myptop, which I seldom used. From the desktop screen, I connected to the Inte, hovered over therge search bar in the center of the first Google page that popped up, and typed the words, clicking them with one hand. X prefecture, X city, Sea of Trees, Niko Niko Mart. Within a second of lightly pressing the enter key, the search results were disyed. The web search results showed 12,300 results Wow, it turned out to be quite a lot Lowering the cursor on the screen, from among the ridiculously abundant results, I spotted the one that struck me as the most eye-catching, and I clicked on that page first. Chapter 5.2: Security Camera Captures the…II Chapter 5.2: Security Camera Captures the¡­II 29 : No Name : 05/13/13 18:34 That ce is seriously 30 : No Name : 05/13/13 18:34 I know its a well-known ce. It is near the famous suicide site, right? 31 : No Name : 05/13 18:39 A well-known ce for suicide!? How terrifying XDDD 32 : No Name : 05/13 18:41 I wouldnt want to work at a convenience store like that. 33 : No Name : 05/13 18:42 Looks like it will be crazy at night, doesnt it? Even just imagining it (((()))) 34 : No Name : 05/13 18:42 Oi, I looked it up and the hourly wage seems decent. Wait, its close by and Im thinking of working there, though. 35 : No Name : 05/13 18:42 The hero has descended XDDD 36 : No Name : 05/13 18:48 >>34 Stop it. 37 : No Name : 05/13 18:48 >>34 Dont do it. That ce is seriously dangerous. 38 : No Name : 05/13 18:53 Night shift sucks. Too much free time. 39 : No Name : 05/13 18:54 No, I mean in a spiritual sense. 40 : No Name : 05/13 18:55 >>34 Its screwed up there. You should avoid it. At night it bes a gathering ce for specters. In fact, that ce itself has a strong spiritual maic field, so you might get possessed if you are not careful. You will be able to see it. 41 : No Name : 05/13 18:56 >>40 HOW SCARYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY (((((;;))))) 42 : No Name : 05/13 18:57 I will be able to see it!? 43 : No Name : 05/13/13 18:57 I dont want to be able to see it (((()))) 44 : No Name : 05/13/13 18:59 This is absurd. 45 : No Name : 05/13 19:03 What should I do? Hahaha. I was just about to go to the convenience store. Im too scared to go there now. Hahaha 46 : No Name : 05/13 19:05 Go for it hahaha. 47 : No Name : 05/13 19:05 Go alone haha. 48 : No Name : 05/13 19:09 Believing in such a thing means losing. 49 : No Name : 05/13 19:10 No, its surprisinglymon, that kind of thing, for real. Ive been working at a convenience store at night for two years. I wasnt working there, but I seriously heard a womans voice in my ear around 3:00 a.m. Ive even seen a ck shadow on the security camera. Even now, I still cant forget that. 50 : No Name : 05/13 19:15 >>49 Thats a sober and terrifying experience 51 : No Name : 05/13 19:16 Not sure if Im getting this right, but its Niko Niko Mart, I guess? That certain ce. My senior used to work the night shift at that convenience store. They didnt have enough staff for the night shift when he was working there, so he had a shift almost every two days. Moreover, because strange things frequently broke out, workers came and left so incessantly that many of them quit before my senior even learned the names of the junior staff there. Even so, apparently the hourly wage was so great that there was no end to the number of people who came to work there. My senior was lured by the great hourly wage and went to work there, too. While workingte at night as usual, a customer came into the store, whom he had seen more and more recently. It was a young woman who always arrived around 1:00 am. At first nce, she was dressed like an ordinary person, but on the days when my senior was there, she would invariably visit the store and wander around a certain section of the store. After several minutes of wandering around, she would leave without taking anything to the cash register. Since he kept seeing her all the time, he thought it was strange and began to observe her. The fact that she came to the store and left empty-handed made him suspect that she might be a shoplifter. Yet, when my senior observed that person, she didnt steal anything ormit any crime, but just loitered around. Despite this, my senior was persistent in his observation of that person, and then he noticed what the person was looking at. It was a vinyl string and a bucket for fishing or fireworks. She kept looking at those things. At the same time that my senior became aware of it and developed a nasty premonition, the woman brought the vinyl string and therge bucket to the cash register. The woman was apparently pale as she looked down. While looking at the two items brought to the cash register, the senior said in his head, This is bad, this is bad. In the end, he put them in the bag and handed them over without expressing anything. Then, a short time after the woman left the store, he thought it was a terrible idea and pursued the woman. The woman was walking along the road near the guardrail, and before he could catch up with her, she stepped over the guardrail and disappeared into the sea of trees. At that point, my senior thought that this was truly dangerous, so he too stepped over the guardrail and entered the sea of trees. In the meantime, he had to stop her at any cost, so he impatiently called for the woman, but lost sight of her in the midst of it. No matter how hard he searched and called, the woman could not be found. He was about to withdraw his cell phone to contact the police when something fell from above. Looking up to check what it was, it turned out to be a shoe that had fallen down. It was a pair of heeled, ck pumps. The woman he was searching for was the one who dropped them. She was hanging above his head, staring at him with her eyes open wide. Blood was dripping from her mouth with her hair and clothes in tatters. Then the woman said this to my senior. You finally found me 52 : No Name : 05/13 19:19 Gyaaaaahhhhh (((((;;))))) 53 : No Name : 05/13 19:19 Thats scaryyyyyyy!! (`) 54 : No Name : 05/13 19:22 Yikes. I got goosebumps 55 : No Name : 05/13 19:23 This is too frightening to be a made-up story. 56 : No Name : 05/13 19:24 I didnt make that up. 57 : No Name : 05/13 19:24 So, is that senior still alive? 58 : No Name : 05/13 19:24 Isnt it normal that he is still alive haha. But I heard that he quit right after that. For several days, the hanged woman haunted his dreams. 59 : No Name : 05/13 19:24 >>58 Thats enough. I wont be able to go to the bathroom. 59 : No Name : 05/13 19:25 That convenience store is something, after all huh. 60 : No Name : 05/13 19:27 Who knows the location and the bright lights attract people to stop by. 61 : No Name : 05/13 19:28 Amitayus. 62 : No Name : 05/13 19:30 Its too frightening. 63 : No Name : 05/13 19:30 Please say its a lie, I cant go to the convenience store. 64 : No Name : 05/13 19:31 Just go! Haha. 65 : No Name : 05/13 19:33 Sorry for the digression. Actually, I dropped by the convenience store there the other day. A woman was outside the store and she was looking through the window at the male clerk inside the store. My friend, who has a strong spiritual perception, saw that and said, Im not that tough, but ording to my friend, there are quite a variety of people in and out of those ces. Chapter 5.3: Security Camera Captures the…III Chapter 5.3: Security Camera Captures the¡­III Forget about it After seeing everything there, I closed the website by clicking the X in the top right corner of my screen. The posts seemed to be continuing after that, but I couldnt be bothered to read all of them. Since I didnt even know their faces and they had the freedom to say anything they pleased, trusting anything posted on the inte was foolish. What was the point of seeing such things? I switched on the fan and lit a pack of cigarettes that I had taken out of the box on my desk. My physical condition had been rather lethargictely, so perhaps summer fatigue had set in. Well, since beginning to work at night, my days and nights were reversed, so getting out of shape was a normal urrence. Even though I was getting enough sleep, I still felt sluggish all over. Tomorrow would mark a week of working at that convenience store. And finally, it would be my first meeting with the rumored Takenaka. Not that I was nervous, but somehow I was dreading the prospect of meeting Takenaka. Would I again experience an unexpected event while working part-time? Even if the events so far have merely been a sequence of coincidences, such strange happenings were unbearable. This time it wouldnt happen probably so. My head was still fuzzy even after I resisted the urge to inadvertently brace myself in this way. Lest I became conscious of something that was gradually amassing within me, I let out arge amount of smoke from my cigarette to distract myself. While I was doing so, the sun was setting and night was descending. In no time at all, the time was drawing near. Oh, so dull Muttering internally, I parked my bike in the parking lot and proceeded to enter the store. Oh, here you are. Thank you for your hard work. Todays evening shift was Nagase and the manager. Oh, I hadnt spotted this barcode man in a while. Long time no see, Hakamada. How are you? Immediately after entering behind the counter, the manager smiled and came to my side as if pleased with our reunion. What was with that expectant gaze? Well, reasonably well. I heard from Aoyama that you are performing smoothly. Im impressed. I havent achieved anything that significant. Most of the time I simply stood here. No, no, keeping it going for a week is excellent. Recently, the recement of new workers has been so rapid that Im d to find that the night shift staff will finally be able to settle down. I see. Whats wrong? You seem out of spirits. No, nothing. Oh, I get it. You must be tense because of meeting with Takenaka today. To say that I was not nervous would be a falsehood. After sending off one of the customers, Nagase turned around and smilingly said, If its Takenaka, hes already arrived. Hes in the back room getting ready right now. Eh. Today, I showed up twenty minutes earlier than usual since I was a neer, intending to be here earlier than Takenaka, yet he arrived here before me. How many minutes in advance did Takenaka arrive? Wasnt he too early? What was he doing in the back room to kill time? Takenaka is early, isnt he? He usuallyes in this early. I guess hell being out soon. Since you still have some time left, why dont the two of you have a little chat? Nagase suggested this since standing around here wasnt practical, so I put my hand on the doorknob to meet Takenaka, who was behind the door before me. Even though my face was somewhat tight, I had to smile When meeting someone new, smiling was a basic rule. I repeated this, yet for some reason, my smile turned strangely stiff. This was strange I never experienced this with Aoyama or Hirai. Why Right when I was having a strange struggle in front of the back room door, the doorknob in my grip moved on its own. At the same time that I lifted my head with a start, the white door before my eyes came closer and closer. It violently crashed into my face. Ugh Right then, sparks scattered from my head and eyes. My vision faded to pure white, and the impact pounded me on the bridge of my nose. For several moments, what had taken ce escaped my grasp. Ah. Uwah. A dumb voice escaped my lips, and I staggered on the spot. The door opened at the worst possible time, striking me in the face. Nagase, who was handling the cash register, the manager, and several customers in the store were all watching me. Their faces were equally distorted, and their mouths were half open. All at once, the air within the convenience store froze. No matter how you viewed it, it was a bizarre scene that would have been out of the ordinary in a convenience store. Buh, uoh, uhhh~ ihee! The unexpected turn of events left me writhing in agony, covering half of my face with my hands and crouching there. Are you alright?! Hakamada! Wow, that seems to hurt a lot While I couldnt take my hands off of myself, Nagase and the store manager cast worried nces at me and called out to me. Even the customers in line at the cash counter gazed down at me with widening eyes. Stop looking at me, this was embarrassing, damn it. To the customer, I probably looked like an idiot clerk who mmed his face into the door, but it wasnt my fault that I got mmed in the face by the door. In this case, it was my carelessness that was to me as well but The person behind the door who opened it normally without assuming that someone would be in front of it was equally at fault With my nose and mouth pressed together with my hands, I slowly looked up at the individual who had opened the door, my face contorted in agony. He sported a well-known uniform and had fresh, natural ck hair that seemed to be well-received by the women. All the fundamental features of the face may be described as well-defined, with a prominent nose like a celebrity, well-shaped eyebrows, and slightly nted eyes. He had a lean build and was tall enough to be level with the door. A man with such a wless physique would likely be referred to as attractive. With my hair having been repeatedly dyed with hair dye andcking luster, my ears being heavily pierced, a build that exceeded the average height of an adult male but possessed no great merit, and having the face of a delinquent, he did indeed appear to be dozens of times more appealing to todays women than I did. So this was that Takenaka person huh. Or rather Apologize! You hit me in the face! It hurt like hell! Takenaka was looking down at me with hung-up, staring eyes while having half of his body protrude from the door as I stared up at him as if I were franticallyining. Unable to utter a word, I looked up at him, and Takenaka looked down at the frozen me. We both held our gazes on the other for a short while without uttering a word. The mans face was expressionless He exhibited no sign of remorsenot even a smile. What the hell was with this guy Did he really think that mming me in the face with the door served me right? Otherwise, he wouldnt be casting such a cold stare Takenaka, Hakamada just mmed into the door, t on his face, you know. Perhaps as a follow-up, it was Nagase who broke the silence. At that point, Takenaka blinked for the first time. Eh. I heard him said softly. He then politely apologized while staring at me. I am sorry. It didnt feel like he was being insincere, perhaps he hadnt noticed. Despite feeling a little discontent, I retracted my hand that was suppressing the pain and stood up before forcing myself to smile. Hahaha, the timing is too bad, isnt it? The height difference between us was wow, huge. The same applies to Aoyama, but this guy was considerably more prominent as well. What was he, a telephone pole? If he and Hirai were to stand side by side, they would look like a big man and a dwarf. Hi, Im Hakamada. Ill be working with you from today onward, Takenaka A trickle of blood flowed from my nose as I prepared to say it with a casual air of indifference. Nosebleed Ah. Ahh From behind, I heard Nagases and the managers voices. This was bad! In a panic, I suppressed my nose with both hands, but the warm blood vigorouslying out leaked from between my fingers. Behind the counter, the blood began to stream onto the ground. My face became even heated up because the customers were staring at me wondering what was going on as I was dripping blood, and the flow of blood was Aaahhhh! It wouldnt stop! How should a nosebleed be stopped!? Should I just turn my head upward!? I mean, drinking nosebleed drops wasnt the way to go, right!? Contrary to my tant panic, Takenaka stared at me briefly before slipping back into the back room again, and just when I thought he had withdrawn, he held out a box of tissues to me, who was motionless and pressing my nose. Here, please use these. Having my face mmed into the door and my nose bleeding while standing there with tears in my eyes, I pulled out several tissues at once and shoved them up my nostrils as if clinging to them. After shoving them in, I had to wait in the back room for several minutes, repeatedly changing the tissues until the nosebleed subsided. During that time, Takenaka was apparently cleaning the store and mopping the floor that I had stained. They told me that when the manager and Nagase returned to the back room. Well, what can be said? That my initial encounter with Takenaka went much worse than I had anticipated. Chapter 5.4: Security Camera Captures the…IV Chapter 5.4: Security Camera Captures the¡­IV T-Then, please take care of the storeter. The manager left the store after Nagase did so, with a somewhat worried expression. Inside the store were four customers: an OL and a young woman in casual attire, both of whom had wallets in their hands and were pacing back and forth between the bread and sweets sections; two older office workers in worn-out suits browsing the magazine section. Takenaka was standing beside the register on the left, close to the entrance, while I was positioned in front of the register on the right with a tissue shoved up both of my nostrils. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Nothing at all was what I wanted to say but Needless to say, it was embarrassing after all. Which convenience store in the world would have a staff working with tissues stuffed in both nostrils? That someone was actually here, though. It was me. When I was in the back room stopping the bleeding, somehow the blood ended up flowing out of the hole that was not bleeding, so I was forced to attend work with both holes stuffed with shredded tissues, an extremely foolish state to be in. Of course, I had my own circumstances, but what was embarrassing was that all the customers who showed up were peering at me. A few minutes ago, a young man who was purchasing rice balls stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening at the sight of my face. He must have thought, Whats going on with this guy? That would be a normal reaction. I didnt like stuffing tissues up my nostrils either, nheless. Being bitterly smiled at bothered me. At times like this, please pass it off with the unique Japanese power of ignoring. Oh, look. This time, the OL came this way with a sweetened bun. That OL was clearly trying to head this way. However, the moment she reached the rice ball disy shelf right in front of my cash register, she noticed something strange on my face. Perhaps noticing something unusual about my face, she changed direction at a right angle, without shifting her facial expression, but unnaturally. The change in course brought her to Takenakas cash register. Of course. That was what I expected. The following woman in casual attire and the old men with magazines all amusingly avoided my cash register and lined up at Takenakas. People instinctively steered clear of suspicious-looking things, I supposed. Although it was a blessing that it waste at night, I wondered what would have ensued had it been during the daytime. A scene of a store with an enormous disparity in line emerged in my mind. What was this, the emptiness that surged up from the depths of my heart As anticipated, once Takenaka dealt with the four clients and sent them on their way, the number of customers ceased to flow. Following the customary cycle of setting out the products and tidying up, there came the usual excessive leisure time. My nosebleed finallypletely ceased when the customers stopped showing up and I took the tissues out of my nostrils. For now, this would not arouse any suspicion from the customers who came by. A sigh of relief escaped me. Excuse me, is your nose alright? While observing this, Takenaka turned to face me and stated in a loud but not clear voice. His eyes were somewhat apologetic. It seemed that he was concerned about me at least. Yeah Im fine. See, it stopped right here like this. Indeed, I was startled by that, but I was not the type of person to hold a grudge like that. Besides Thank you for cleaning up the mess I left behind too When I lightly bowed to him, he followed suit too. Oh, no, no, no. What was thisplicated exchange? Even if this was our initial meeting, it was too formal. Justugh it off and remark something like, nosebleed, or thats very amusing,!! Not good, this tense atmosphere was too severe simply due to the absence of customers. Late at night, in this quiet time, we should be filled with excitement from the bottom of our hearts! Um. Yes? Um, you alwayse in early and clean the store, right Takenaka? I heard that from Nagase and the manager. Thats amazing, I want to learn from that kind of thing too. Where is your hometown, Takenaka? Is it near here? XX town, 20 minutes from here. Oh, thats rather close to my hometown. Huh? Wait. The conversation wasnt progressing! What the hell? Catching up in conversation wasnt going well. The ball that was supposed to be thrown was crashing into the grass. It was really just as Aoyama said, he didnt speak at all, and his facial expression didnt change a bit. Did this imply that he was unwilling to converse with me? Despite my attempts to engage Takenaka in conversation, he remained silent throughout. Nah was this the rumored Takenaka? He turned out to be a calm individual, contrary to my expectations that he would assume some shady persona. Or rather, this ill-fitting atmosphere would linger until the morning. Give me a break, this feeling of awkwardness would be too much for me to handle. I tried tomunicate with Takenaka and re-engaged in conversation with him to refrain from that. Well, no customers are stopping by, but this is natural forte at night, isnt it? It was a well-used phrase. He struggled to find the right things to say, but he managed to squeeze out a few words. .Right. Like his earlier remark, Takenakas was sinct and left little room for the debate to continue. He never abruptly ended the conversation, which led me to question whether he wasnt very good atmunicating. If so, that was fine with me, since I didnt have to bother about it either. That being said, I was still not quite grasping the situation, so rather than just go on in silence, I decided to throw a direct question that wouldpel Takenaka to respond. By the way, you seem to be quite well-known here. I had heard a lot about you from Hirai and Aoyama before meeting you. Right, Aoyama told me that Takenaka said, Theres a boy ying in front of the door. When I said this, Takenaka surprisingly had a reaction. Blinking quickly, he turned his head slightly toward me. Is that boy a ghost? Do you see such things, Takenaka? I am actually fascinated by such stories and would like to hear about it if possible A false smile apanied my question. I wasnt captivated by such things. Notwithstanding, I simply wanted to observe how he would answer my question and how he would react to it. I thought I was being obnoxious. Yet, I couldnt stand by while this guy unnecessarily terrified other people by circting untrue allegations. He might only be a wolf in sheeps clothing at the moment but imagine how he would appear to others and how he would boastfully and pompously discuss such things. I wanted to see it. Therefore, I figured that by feigning curiosity, Takenaka would share such a story with me. Be it elementary school, junior high school or high school. Every now and then, people would brazenly im that they experienced non-existent and invisible things as though they could see them. They could be friends, superiors, or even students in the neighboring ss. I couldnt believe anyone who told me such stories. No matter how close or distant they were. Itcked any realism and I found myself convinced that the story was nothing more than a fantasy made up out of imagination. Of course, a lot of people took the bait with stories about seeing specters or being able to see them. Whether those who spoke in a nonchnt manner or in a loud, desperate voice, I couldnt help but suspect that they were all trying to attract other peoples attention. If that was all, it was fine. The only thing was that I detested those who spread rumors and tried to incite fear, even though not everyone could see them and there was no proof of their existence. I detested it immensely. Takenaka must be one of those people. That was my thought. When I was casting an expectant nce at him, thinking that he might take me up on my offer if I stirred him up properly, Takenaka looked at me without a word just as if he hade to a halt. After a while, he said, I suggest you should stop this. Huh? I was taken aback by the words that werepletely irrelevant to the answer to my question. I should stop this? What do you mean? When I asked this with a wry smile, Takenaka responded with his eyes, implying, You know what I mean. I should stop frankly speaking, youre telling me to quit my job, isnt it? Why? Even if not told, I could roughly figure out what you were trying to say. But I didnt want Takenaka or anyone else to tell me what to do. Takenaka was still looking at me with eyes that seemed to be appealing to me. I guessed that he had always done this to scare off neers but I was not a coward to back down so easily. Cant you tell me? Experience. What? Before you experience it, its better to quit. What was this guy talking about? It was no good. I was getting more and more irritated. Whether it was intentional or not, the pace of the conversation was too sluggish. This type of person wasnt well-suited for me. He wouldnt talk, his facial expression was poor and it wasnt clear what he was thinking. From now on, I was going to tell him, in a roundabout way, not to give me such advice or threats. I opted not to though. I didnt want toplicate the rtionship beyond repair on the first day. As long as I didnt mind, it was fine. Unleashing hostility was not necessary. If I didnt speak to him, he probably wouldnt speak to me. Even when I spoke to him, he wouldnt speak to me either, though The distrust I harbored for Takenaka was silently tucked away inside my chest. After that, I decided not to speak as much as possible. Once more I realized how hard it was to be there doing nothing but time passed even when I was doing nothing. Out of boredom, I went through the backyard and other ces that didnt look too dirty and cleaned them up, and finally the short hand of my watch started to tick the 3 mark. I returned to the counter after taking out the trash and stretched out. Ah, this was exhausting. Even though all week long I have been doing the same thing over and over again, I felt even more fatigued today. The cause of this was no doubt that I had been forcibly straining my mind for several hours straight. Takenaka and I hadnt had a conversation since then except for short replies and confirmation of shelf clearance and cleaning. Perhaps it was because I was giving off a disconcerting vibe but Takenaka didnt talk to me either. In the end, the atmosphere remained awkward and the situation continued until now. I stood idly in front of the cash register with nothing to do. Despite not talking to me, Takenaka seemed to look at me every now and then, and I felt his gaze on me a few times. What the hell, if you didnt like it, why didnt you simply say so? I didnt want to be intimidated in silence. As a result, my shoulders were tense even if I didnt do anything and I was quite irritated by the strange tightness of the situation. I should smoke a cigarette. Usually, I would have taken a break and smoked a cigarette long ago. Takenaka showed no sign of retreating to the back room. No way he wasnt going to take a break? How long did he expect he would stand there in his spare time? Youve got to be joking. Carrying on like this until morning Oi, oi, what kind of endurance contest was this? Even Aoyama and Hirai were taking turns having a break, and it was the only precious time for me to take a breather during myte-night part-time job. Nevertheless, Takenaka patiently maintained an upright posture in front of the cash register. I grew numb and called out to him, Takenaka, why dont we take a break soon? as I turned to him to say so. ?! Ehhhhhhh. Chapter 5.5: Security Camera Captures the…V Chapter 5.5: Security Camera Captures the¡­V W-While standing He was sleeping while standing What an extraordinary sight. Can this be called dexterity? He was standing vertically and sleeping without nodding right before the cash register. What the heck was this guy? Wasnt it beyond the point of having excellent stability? Should I wake him up just in case? Um. I gave his shoulder a light shake. He he wouldnt wake up. He wasnt feigning to be sleeping but was seriously sleeping while standing up!? Oh, forget it, since it was amusing, lets leave him be. Although I felt slightly awkward, I decided to have a cigarette ahead after staring at Takenaka. Should a customer drop by, he would probably wake up. Besides, how could he fall asleep during his part-time job, no matter how much spare time he had? Then again, I was the one who let him stay asleep. I could go smoke a cigarette and then return and rouse him awake. This waspensation for what he did at the door earlier. After stealthily walking into the back room, I sat down on a slightly dirty round chair in the back room and picked up a pack of SevenStars from my belongings, took out one cigarette, and held it in my mouth. I lit it and inhaled slowly Hah, that soothed me. Not that I wanted to overindulge, but I couldnt bear it if I didnt have at least one satisfying cigarette. Stretching my neck out through the open door, I looked toward the counter. As before, Takenaka was standing and sleeping unwaveringly stable. Under normal circumstances, he would have fallen forward and struck his face against the cash register. The sight of Takenaka was somehow unnerving, yet even while sleeping, he maintained an unwavering stance without any change in his well-defined facial features. Had he made a snot bubble or such, it would have been a great work of art. Whats really the deal with him He wouldnt speak, he said strange things, and he fell asleep while standing up. I set down my cigarette in an ashtray in front of the TV projecting the security camera footage and exhaled the smoke. Having had a smoke, my irritation had faded a little. All of a suddensomething flickered out of the corner of my eye. I cocked my head up and peered at the adjacent TV. That What was it Wide-eyed, I leaned forward directly. Something was being reflected. At the top diagonal of the TV monitor, something resembling a shadow was vaguely reflected there. It was precisely in the center of the disy shelf. Oh, a customer? How odd, I didnt hear the chime at all when I entered the back room, even though it should have sounded throughout the entire store. Again, I stretched my neck out to peer over at the cash register. Unsurprisingly, Takenaka was still standing there, sleeping like a log. Given that there was a customer inside the store, this was appalling. I hurriedly squashed the cigarette I was about to smoke into the ashtray and walked out to the counter to reach the cash register. However Astonishment gripped me the instant I set my eyes on the store. Or rather, my overall body stiffened. Everywhere I looked in the store, not a single person was there. Not even near the disy shelves in the middle of the store that had been projected earlier, nor anywhere else, was there anyone who looked like a customer. Only two people were present: Takenaka, who was sleeping, and myself, who had just emerged from the back room. Observing the vacant store, all I could do was ask myself. I saw that, right? It wasnt an error of vision, was it? A person was definitely reflected on the screen. If so, then why? Whenever something struck me as inexplicable or unconvincing, I would touch the back of my head. How odd, how odd, my thoughts kept looping back and forth in my brain as I returned to the back room to take a second look at the TV. I was halfway convinced that it was some kind of shadow that appeared to be a person which turned out not to be the case when I nced at the monitor. It was being reflected. This time, it shifted from diagonally up to the middle of the room, and a distinctly dark figure was standing there, facing the shelves. The chime did not ring. Nor was the automatic door open What the hell, what the hell was this? Gulping down my spit, I stepped out of the back room, half my body outside, and scanned the store. No customers. That was when goosebumps erupted all over my body. How was this even conceivable? Wasnt this strange? Even though it was supposed to be there, it was not there. Was the camera ying a trick on me or was I ying a trick on myself? Even if I was wrong and didnt understand, I didnt want to check the TV monitor any longer. What should I do? In the meantime, I had already smoked a cigarette, so should I wake Takenaka up? Right as I was mulling this over, the sound of something falling resonated from nearby. While the sound wasnt particrly thunderous, it was enough to stimte my nerves and cause me to jump up and down, even if I didnt shout out. Chapter 5.6: Security Camera Captures the…VI Chapter 5.6: Security Camera Captures the¡­VI Anyone would be astounded when an object unexpectedly dropped in a quiet space, in the absence of anyone, without anyone touching it. Tonight, all kinds of strange things kept arising. Or perhaps I was simply exhausted. What fell was a cup of noodles on the center disy shelf. It was roughly in the same position as where the shadow had been. The thought of it instilled an overwhelming sense of foreboding, nevertheless, I couldnt pretend to not notice, so I picked up the noodle cup and stepped out from the counter. Nothing looked out of the usual despite my inspection of the disy shelves, leaving me puzzled as to why it had fallen out. That was uncanny. With trepidation, I picked up the fallen cup noodle and attempted to rece it on the shelf. What A slippery sensation was felt. I was so shocked that I detached my hand from the cup noodle. My left hand was stained with what looked like muddy water. Why was this What was taking ce? How could there be muddy water in a cup of noodles? Aah Aah Aah Aah Without warning, a voice resounded in my ear, bringing my thoughts to a halt. It was more like a low, muffled moan than a voice that sounded as if it were in distress. I wasnt mishearing or anything, it was a subdued voice that spoke in my ear, yet I could distinctly recognize it as a human voice. It was not that of a normal human being, nheless. I intuitively thought so. [That ce is seriously dangerous.] [Stop it.] [Its screwed up there.] [Things frequently broke out.] [You might get possessed or start seeing things.] The posts I had viewed on the Inte during the day shed back to me in a sh. My shoulders began trembling uncontrobly, and this time I felt a bit of coldness. Something was ced on my shoulder. That awakened my eyes. When I turned to look around with a start, I found that I was not in the store, but in the small back room that I had be so ustomed to. There I was, seated in a round chair. The cigarette I had ced in the ashtray had burned out and turned to ash. I came to the realization that I had been dreaming all along thanks to it. Involuntarily, a sigh of relief was released. Perspiration was beading on my forehead. Apparently, after smoking a cigarette in the back room, I had fallen asleep against the wall. That was why I had a nightmare. Even after wiping the sweat from my forehead, the memory of that sickening nightmare could not be easily dispelled. It was vividly present in my mind. I had experienced an eerie dream. Strange urrences had been guing metely, and even when I slept, I was still exhausted, so perhaps that was why I was having a bit of a mental breakdown. Good grief I cant believe I dreamed of such a horror movie-like performance. Both of my shoulders felt heavy, probably due to the bizarre dream. Apanied by a yawn, I made a broad, vertical stretch. Understandably, that alone wasnt going to refresh me but it felt like I had drifted off to sleep for quite a while and Takenaka was probably awake by now, so it was time for him to take a break and switch ces. At this point in time, despite the unpleasant feeling I was experiencing, I wasnt overly concerned about it. Whether it was indeed a dream or otherwise, or what was caught on the security camera, I figured that the day would end like this. I assumed that today, again, would pass until morning without me having to figure out the enigma. Nheless, I was wrong. Today marked the one-week period that I had been working here as a neer. Things were not going to end like that. My body, which wasining of a sensation of lethargy, ached as my legs and back struggled to lift me up. A sudden, painful ringing in my ears assailed me subsequently. It was followed by a headache so severe I thought I was being pummeled. An incessant tsu sound persisted, disorienting me from the flurry of changes in myself. W-What. Not good, dizziness was creeping up on me, my pulse was racing, the ringing in my ears wouldnt relent, and both sounds sounded like rm bells to me. What used to be a blurred color image on the TV next to me turned instantly to a ck-and-white screen. Eh My gaze rested on the TV as I was perturbed by this strikingly abnormal phenomenon. The moment I set my eyes on it, I couldnt tear my sight away from it. After all, that ck shadow reflected on the TV screen. On the monitor, the ck shadow was standing on a disy shelf in the center of the store. It was not facing the shelf, but facing the camera in my direction. It was focusing on me. Again, when the screen blurred drastically, the camera zoomed in by itself, and the figure grew increasingly in size. With each zoom-in, the figure was more distinct. Facing the camera was a man, approximately in his fifties, with a thick beard around his mouth, an ashenplexion and an expression lifeless reminiscent of a dead person. His mouth was moving constantly, though, as if he were muttering something, and his two staring eyes were fixed on me. Terror For the first time, I genuinely felt that way. This was not a living person. Something was out of the ordinary, something was abnormal. Was this a dream? Was this another dream or was I still asleep? I had to wake up at any cost, so I made a move to stimte some part of my body and attempted to move my hand. It wouldnt move Not only that, I couldnt shift my eyes away from the TV monitor. My neck couldnt move even a few millimeters and my body wouldnt budge in the slightest. Hey, what was happening? Through the CRT, the man with a pale face locked eyes with me, and I couldnt detach my attention from him. I wanted to avert my eyes, yet was unable to do so. My throat rattled. Even my voice failed toe out. The TV reflecting the mans image became distorted again, and started to create a sandstorm. Noises emanated from it as if it had malfunctioned. What would happen this time at the time I wondered that The face of the man screaming inmentation flooded the screen. [Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh] My eardrums were pounded by the mans shrill, wailful voice. Hie Even though my body was immobile, my heart skipped a beat and I felt ayer of tears forming over my eyes from an unprecedented terror. It was then that the firm spirit I had retained within me copsed and burst all at once. The TV disyed the mans face for several seconds before reverting to a sandstorm. A-Ah Please no more. Stop it. I didnt want to see it. I didnt want to hear it. Not anymore. Somebody, please save me. Even as I struggled to articte these words, nothing but faint breaths escaped my mouth. Even so, the terror was not over yet. Panic overcame me as if to hunt me down. Tsu. The ringing in my ears had been reced by a mysterious noise that sounded like a piano wire strained to its limits. It was nauseating. The sound was so insistent that it lulled me into the illusion that my brain was being constricted. It was diforting. Then, apanied by the sound of water, I felt a small shock on my right shoulder. Somethingnded on me. If only I had fainted there, how fortunate I would have been. The coldnes spreading to my shoulder kept me absolutely conscious. The coldness sweeping over my shoulders was something I never wanted to see. Something crawled up, and the next moment, it came into my sight. Fingernails, discolored to an unbelievable shade of color. Blistered, soft, and thick fingers. On my right shoulder was a pale, soaked hand that no longer seemed to belong to a human being. Chapter 5.7: Security Camera Captures the…VII Chapter 5.7: Security Camera Captures the¡­VII Hiaaaaaa!! A voice I had never emitted before burst out of my mouth arbitrarily. I panicked profusely to such an extent that my heart palpitated and I was truly on the verge of crying. This couldnt be real. It must be a dream. Slippery, cold fingers grasped my shoulders, despite my conviction that this was a dream. The discolored, foul-smelling ws sunk into me. Ah, aaah, ah, ah. The man moaned in my ear. It was not in Japanese. Even so, I could tell that dark emotions such as suffering and grief were being conveyed. He was appealing to me. He was trying to share those emotions with me. Not good. Not good. Not good. Not good. Not good. Breathing was a struggle and my consciousness was starting to falter. I was terrified and was at my limit. Any further than this, I wouldnt be able to bear it That person. You cant. The voice that abruptly reverberated from right beside me wasnt a moan. It was a dignified voice that was somewhat easier to perceive than the earlier one. Please return quickly. It was Takenada. Havent I mentioned this over and over again? This is not a ce for people like you. The hand that was painfully tightening its grasp on my right shoulder was lessened in power by his stern remarks. Ah, aaah, ug Even so, an anguished moan was still lingering in my ear. Takenaka, who was barely within my sight, seemed to be taking a step toward me, and the sound of his shoes struck my eardrums. If you still insist on not leaving. Before Takenaka could say anything else, the whole back room was enveloped in a grave atmosphere. A heavy pressure that threatened to prate me, or perhaps I should call it an exceptionally overpowering aura, surged in from right beside Takenaka, epassing the back room with a formidable force. My eyeballs moved with frantic effort as I sought to grasp what on earth Takenaka was intending to do. Even when I clenched my teeth and strained my neck to the utmost, it still didnt budge. When my whole body felt the aura as acute as a knife being thrust at me, the sickening feeling of being entangled in something sticky and the chill crawling down my spine subsided gradually, and the presence of something standing right next to me faded away like a mist. It disappeared after a while. It was roughly the same time that I was able to move my neck and body properly. I felt like I was breathing oxygen for the first time in a long time. However, my whole body was drenched in sweat, and I copsed from the round chair, quivering all over like a small animal, both from not grasping what had struck me and from experiencing a form of fear unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Completely hunched over, my legs were drained of all strength. I didnt have the luxury of viewing myself objectively, wondering how pathetic it must be for a man over 20 to be like this. While I was unable to move due to cramps everywhere, Takenaka bent down on his knees and reached out his hand to me, presumably in an attempt to help me stand up. I looked up at Takenaka with my arms outstretched to cling gratefully to the hand that had been offered to me. ! My heart skipped a beat again. Takenaka, no. It was because I saw Takenakas back. Someone entirely unfamiliar to me, who shouldnt be here, and who seemed out of ce was standing behind Takenaka, who bent down and extended out his hand to me. His arms were folded, poised firmly and quietly as if gazing at me. The armored figure was standing right behind Takenaka. It matched exactly what I had read about in middle school history textbooks. At the same time, the words samurai and warrior crossed my mind. In contrast to Takenaka in front of me, his overall appearance was slightly transparent, yet his presence was still terrific, apanied by an intimidating, yet in no way aggressive, sensation that made me feel numb. The piercing aura I felt was not from Takenaka, rather it was from the huge armor and helmet behind him. What the hell was this guy? Why was that thing behind Takenaka? Since such absurd urrences were unfolding one after another, I thought I was still dreaming. Who on earth could believe that this wasnt a dream? I wondered when would I awaken from this bizarre dream. Stupefied, I kept breathing heavily and staring at Takenaka and the person behind him, and a sickening coldness descended slowly over my right shoulder. A strange sliminess and the sensation of a damp cloth sticking to my skin. Slowly, I tilted my head back and looked at my right shoulder to pinpoint the strange sensation. I was at a loss for words. The blood in my body seemed to cool and recede all at once. This was no dream On my uniform, around my right shoulder,y an eerie handprint, as though a wet hand had grasped it. The wet handprint was clearly visible, reminding me that what had taken ce earlier was not a dream, but reality. The slimy, foul-smelling hand gripped me, and that was the reality. The oxygen from my nose and mouth reached my brain, sending a tingling, searing headache. This was real. It was not a dream. All of it A small tremor seized me from the right shoulder, and when the tremor engulfed my entire body, I couldnt withstand it and puked violently on the spot. While twisting out my pathetic voice, I felt so sick that I started to cry physiologically and my vision blurred. My heart hurt and my head ached. This was reality, and yet I refused to believe it. I couldnt believe it but this was real. This situation that I couldnt embrace but waspelled to ept, threw me into turmoil and drove me to vomit so much that I lost all sense of what was unfolding. That was surely not the only reason. Perhaps it was a part of the exhaustion I had been umting until now that I had reached my limit just now. Seriously, I didnt realize it was this bad until it exploded. No matter how long time passed, the shivering throughout my body did not subside. Despite it being summer right now, I still couldnt shed the abnormal chill I felt. What would have happened to me had Takenaka not shown up? Would I have died? No, even if I hadnt died, something fairly sinister would have ensued. The inextinguishable dread led me to conclude so. Takenaka gave me a back rub and took care of me silently until I ceased vomiting, maintaining the same expression he had when he assisted me regardless of the fact that I was vomiting and spewing gastric juice. Not only that, but instead of leaving me feeling empty inside my stomach after vomiting, he quietly brought cleaning supplies and wiped up all the gastric juice that had sttered all over the floor. While watching this in a daze in the corner of the back room, I felt apologetic and simultaneously realized that I had made a terrible mistake with Takenaka. This person, he was not the kind of person who would relish witnessing someones amazement, panic or fright. I thought so when I watched him cleaning the floor with a rag and a mop. Before long, the stern armor and helmet behind Takenaka were gone. The fatigue I had been feeling and the fear I had experienced hadpletely overwhelmed me both physically and mentally and I fainted as it was. By the time I woke up the next time, it was just before the end of the night shift, and Takenaka had put a spare uniform on me instead of a futon and apparently let me sleep like that. Even I, after waking up, could no longer trust that what I had gone through was a dream. For I had already crossed a line that ordinary people were not permitted to overstep. Instead of returning to the point where I should have turned back, I let half of my bodypletely submerge into it. The price I had to pay for disregarding the warnings of many people and persevering was not a light one. At the very least, I would be tormented for the rest of the summer to the degree that it would be beyond measure. When I left the convenience store after working the night shift, I caught sight of it for sure. I saw a woman with long hair d in tattered clothes peering into the store from the ss outside the store. From that day on, I began to see things that were beyond the realm of possibility. Chapter 6.1: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life Chapter 6.1: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life Having finally dragged my heavy body back to my rundown apartment, I pulled the futon from the closet and slumbered as if I had died. Despite having been catching up on my sleep every night, somehow my body still felt fatigued recently, and with no time to digest what had unfolded a few hours earlier, I slid into a world of slumber. I slept for quite a long time after that. Even though my cell phone rang in my ear several times, I was still fast asleep. It was past 3:00 a.m. by the time I woke up, and I crawled out of the futon before 4:00 a.m. Since I had slept a lot, this was obviously not surprising, but I was slightly amazed that when I woke up, I didnt feel so heavy; on the contrary, a sense of being refreshed came over me. Not shared on aggregator websites I had to take a shower afterward, the meal My body moved at a sluggish pace and I went directly to the bathroom. After showering, I grabbed a cup of noodles out of the cupboard and had a bted breakfast. The noodle vor was somewhat unptable even after slurping and biting into the noodle. It was no wonder. While my body may have slipped away from its dullness, my mental aspect was not so favorable. I was secretly hoping that upon awakening, I would either forget everything I had experienced or believe that it had all been a dream. Nothing so convenient happened though, instead I retained precise details of what I had experienced. The mans moans, the lifelike sensations, all of it His incessant screams of suffering. The sound of the water gradually rising in volume. The white, soft hand that seized my shoulder. Recalling them alone provoked nausea. No way did I really expect that I would assume that it was merely a false belief of a group of people who had made a lot of assumptions. Up until now, I had never believed in such a thing. None of what Aoyama had stated, what Hirai had told me, or Takenakas warning had been erroneous in the slightest. All of them were true. That ce, that convenience store, was indeed a ce with circumstances that were difficult to exin, and a ce that non-humans frequented. I had btedly discovered that I had been working part-time in an absurd ce, and had been greatly shocked to find that my unflinchingmon sense had been overruled. They were there. For real the spirits, specters and such were there. The majority of the people who were making a fuss about it on the Inte may have been writing a bunch of nonsense. However, some of the people who were spitting out the ims there likely had some basis in reality. Until yesterday, I would never have entertained such a thought. Right now, I couldnt disregard the whole story, though. How could anyone go through something like that and not think anything of it? I couldnt convince myself that it was all in my mind anymore. Something was evidently awry there. Now that I reached this stage, I finally had an understanding of why neers quit one after another, whether theysted a week or less. All of them went through such an eerie experience within a week. Whether they experienced the same thing I did wasnt certain, but perhaps that was the case. After forcing a cup of noodles and soup into my food-deprived stomach, I opened my cell phone, which had been flooded with e-mails while I slept. All five of the emails were from coworkers at my part-time job.
FromHirai Title Untitled
Thanks for your hard work at the part-time job! () Did everything go well yesterday? Congrats on making it through the week! Congrattions(^o^)Congrattions! I pray that Hakamada will keep working for a long time from now on. (v *) Oh yeah, did you get to talk to Takenaka? (Lol)
Congrattions? There wasnt anything to celebrate at all, Hirai
FromManager TitleAre you okay?
A week passed like normal, but nothing happened?
Barcode manager Of the remaining three e-mails, two were from Aoyama and Nagase, all of which were almost identical in content: they were all e-mails that seemed to confirm my well-being. I didnt question why they were all sending me such e-mails. It was only natural. The new recruits before me had all fled in fear of the bizarre urrences at the convenience store. I wondered how many of them had been lured by the exceptional hourly wage and how many had quit after learning the true reason behind it. Did they feel that they did not want to be involved any further or that they should not be mixed up in it? At least, that thought was in my mind right now. Why did I choose to work there? I despised myself for choosing that convenience shop as my part-time ce of employment a week earlier. What should I do I want to resign so badly. Irresponsible as it may sound, I couldnt help but mutter that. After having been subjected to such a horrendous experience, I ended up seeing that thing. From outside a convenience store, a woman glued to the ss, staring into the store. She had long, ck, and shaggy hair. With bloodshot eyes, filthy clothes, bare feet, and a face so white it was beyond belief that she was human. Of course, she was not human. While bearing the appearance of a human being, she did not seem to be visible to other people. It was not an illusion, I saw it distinctly with my own eyes. That was undoubtedly the woman who peeked inside the store that Hirai had mentioned. I pressed my stiffening brow and released a deep sigh. I felt as though something within me had snapped and broken with a sharp crack. The fear of the unknown, which was still eluding me, filled me with uncontroble tremors. The one remaining e-mail was sent from an unregistered address. When I opened it, I let out an exmation.
From****. odo.ne.jp TitleThis is Takenaka.
I sent you an email after obtaining your email address from Aoyama. Thank you for your hard work. Is your body alright? Please let me know if anything happens. Second, about thete night. If you dont mind, Hakamada, Ill tell you everything I know.
At the end of the e-mail sent by Takenaka, an invitation to meet at a coffee shop in front of a local train station this evening was attached. In spite of the inconvenience I had brought to him, Takenaka seemed to be concerned for my wellbeing. Even though I had behaved so adversely, he was the first to send me an e-mail instead of me. Everything I know he was without a doubt referring to that convenience store. I stopped typing my reply. The truth was, I was nning to send an email to the manager immediately, exining the situation and requesting him to let me quit the job shortly. I felt like I was on the brink of not mentioning the convenience store any more, and that the time to turn back was now. I felt bad for the people I knew but I wasnt exceptional enough to be okay with that kind of inexplicable thing going on over and over again. Therefore, I decided to leave without inquiring too deeply but I thought it would be better to end the situation without understanding what happened as well. Although I waspletely in the dark as to what had transpired at that time, Takenaka said he would tell me everything. If so, after listening to what Takenaka had to say, I would reconsider. I shall then determine whether to resign. Besides, I wanted to reorganize my feelings and convince myself of what had taken ce that night. After all, I had ignored his warnings and stubbornly joined this ce and disappearing so quickly would have been too undignified. Trantor: MadHatter Ibed my hair, changed into my casual clothes, and left for a coffee shop near the train station after emailing Takenaka my reply. Chapter 6.2: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life II 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. Chapter 6.3: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life III Chapter 6.3: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life III You may not believe it, but such things actually do ur. In ces where intense feelings linger, mysterious phenomena arise that sessively lead to deaths. It is called chain phenomenon. In famous suicide sites, people keep dying one after another, because the initial person who died there dragged in a second person, and the subsequent person dragged in a third person, leading to an unending chain of fatalities. Correspondingly, an endless stream of fatalities resulted from the consolidation of negative power. umted thoughts parasitically inhabited a persons mind and clouded their judgment. In short, even if they had no intention of doing so, they could bepelled to do so by a temporary weakening of their spirits. Takenaka said that the man was probably another victim swept up in this chain of events. And if Takenaka hadnt intervened, I would have been one of those victims after being spotted and nearly possessed by the victim That was the case, I supposed. Incidentally, Aoyama had told me about a girl by the name of Kawachi when I initially started my part-time employment as I recalled. He mentioned that she resigned right after she started, too, but had been out of touch with her until a few days before quitting, and when the manager found her, she had slit her wrists at home At that time, all I thought was that girl must be going through a lot of hardship, but never did I expect this to be the case. That reminds me, Aoyama told me about someone named Kawachi before I was wondering if the reason she resigned was because of an incident at that convenience store. Takenakas expression fell bleak at once, followed by a small sigh that almost faded away. Oh, eh!? Did I say something bad? Takenaka? If I Y-Yes? If I had been there when it happened, that wouldnt have happened Eh My prediction was most likely spot on apparently. Kawachi was involved in something tremendously unfavorable after a simr experience to mine and was ultimately found tragically psychologically ill and attempting suicide. Fortunately, she did not sumb and after quitting her part-time job, her mental state rapidly recovered and was now living a normal life but Takenaka still regretted that he failed to notice the situation before it happened and failed to save her. Not only that, but I got the sense that he was more than a little bothered by the people who had resigned up to this point. Takenaka was not simply working part-time there. He was constantly on the lookout for neers, watching out for them and offering advice to ensure harm would not befall them. Regardless of how much someone might think he was shady or creepy. Regardless of the odd looks they cast at him. So that no one else would end up as a victim. Indeed, as Hirai said, this person was a Guardian God. Somehow, I am sorry. Huh? When I apologized, Takenaka looked at me perplexed. I Until now, Ive never believed in things I couldnt see, and Ive always ridiculed people who imed to be able to see specters or other such things in my mind and never gave any thought to believing in them. Even Takenaka, I believed you were a shady character when hearing how the others praised how great you were, and to be honest, I was extremely irate when you abruptly informed me that I ought to resign I even thought, What the hell is this guy? Even though I was a neer, I had such a poor attitude. I didnt even heed his warning. Even so, this person didnt abandon me. Under normal circumstances, people would have thought, Well then, do whatever you want. I misunderstood you, Takenaka. You were telling the truth, but I didnt believe you, and I apologize for that. My face started to heat up with embarrassment because it had been a long time since I had lowered my head and apologized in person. Takenaka, nevertheless, appeared not to have anticipated it and put his hands behind his head while keeping his face downcast lightly. Not really Its fine. Its not like I could back up my ims with evidence, so it was only inevitable that mistrust would grow. While it was true that hecked social skills andmunication, he was nheless able tomunicate normally ifneeded. Appearances can be deceiving. I hade to strongly feel that waytely since starting to work at that convenience store. Even so even if you say things are dangerous, are you and the other two members of the group okay with it? While neers repeatedly joined and left the job, Takenaka and the other three were said to be the only fixed members of thete-night group. Takenaka and the others must have experienced their share of hardships if incidents like that night urred more often than not but instead of getting weary, all three of them were in good spirits. Was it a matter of getting used to it or was it different when they had worked there for many years? Well, I think its mostly a matter of familiarity. Hirai and I have countermeasures to a certain degree Countermeasures? Yes. Hirai and I have always been able to see. O-Oh I mean, so Hirai can see those things after all!? Right, when we met for the first time, the atmosphere was terrific. Is it advantageous to be able to see spirits or something, or is it different from normal people who are not affected by them? No, having the ability to see does not necessarily guarantee that you will not be affected at all. On the contrary, if you are only slightly spiritually gifted, the intensity of the energy in the sea of trees will overwhelm a person. Knowledge allows you to evade problems to a limited level but carelessness can be dangerous at times. However, Hirai is still a strong person so she is virtually nullifying the energy of that ce. Well its a rare case, though. A-Amazing. Indeed, I had the feeling that that person harbored something within. Takenaka, whom Hirai respected, must have been so extraordinary. Then are you a strong individual too, Takenaka? I am more of a protector than a strong individual. Something vague drifted behind Takenaka and fluctuated like a mirage, then unexpectedly came directly in front of my eyes as I was going to ask him what that meant. Astonished, I leaned back in my seat all the way and froze with my mouth gaping open. It was exactly the same thing I had seen that day. With folded arms, the figure stood in an imposing stance with an armor and helmet The rough-looking Takenaka and that armor and helmet, which seemed to be from the Warring States period, looked quite incongruous. Like a shadow of Takenaka, the figure stood silently behind him. Even after rubbing my eyes, the helmet and armor did not disappear from my sight. Perhaps noticing my behavior, Takenaka nced behind him and said to me, Do you see that? I nodded, struggling to speak. I-I can see it I can see it! W-What what is that!! Was it a stand? Takenaka motioned with his hand for me to settle down as I was in a strange state of shock. The other customers were eyeing me as I suddenly began to make a fuss. However, I realized that only Takenaka and I could see the armor and helmet. After cooling down, I asked in a whisper this time, What is that? It ismonly referred to as a guardian spirit. Oh, I have heard something about that. It was originally my grandfathers guardian spirit, but it possessed these to ward off bad luck because I was weak and kept getting injured and sick since I was a child. Thanks to it, I am fine even when I am in that strong maic field. The armor and helmet (apparently something like a yagura) usually drove away any spirit that sought to get close to Takenaka by intimidating them, so Takenaka rarely suffered any harm from them. Furthermore, to a certain extent, the spirit operated ording to Takenakas will, so it could help people other than him. Like that man who was trying to possess me and was driven away. To simplify it, it was like a bodyguard. I see, indeed, with such arge guy behind me, I might not be afraid of getting tangled up with a yakuza. Specters can attach themselves to you if you want them to, right? Well, in this case, this guy is special. The armor and helmetfaded away, as though they had disintegrated into the air, and vanished from my sight as Takenaka immediately peered up overhead and locked eyes with it. It seemed to me as if Takenaka ordered the armor and helmet to step back if there was no further business to be done. Having listened to so many iprehensible stories in such a short time that it made my stomach growl, I downed my iced coffee in one gulp and threw a mouthful of ice into my mouth while I was at it. While chewing on the ice, I tried to digest what was happening in reality and put all the stories in order. The fact that specters, which I had never believed in, actually existed. And that people who could see specters truly existed. That the convenience store was located in an unbelievable ce. The fact that the ce produced negative energy daily to the extent that it had an adverse effect on human beings. Dozens of people were sent to the hospital after being exposed to this negative energy, and dozens of people escaped from the ce after witnessing the horror of the ce. About how dangerous it was, even Takenaka, who could see specters, said that it was extremely dangerous After sorting all this out, I suddenly recognized something. Takenaka and Hirai were fine Then, what about Aoyama? Chapter 6.4: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life IV Chapter 6.4: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life IV Trantor: MadHatter That personiwasnt someone whoicould see thoseithings, right? He mightinot have been normalibut he didnt haveithat kind of ability like me. Um. Not shared on aggregator sites Yes. Not shared on lightnovelreader.me I haveianother question. Um, aboutiAoyama, that person, hes a veteran of the night shift group, isnt he? For someone whos so spooked and freaked out, hes ratherifull of life Thatiperson is an irregr. fewgw Irregr? fweg Yes, Aoyama ispletely ordinary, unlike us, and hecks the ability to sense supernatural phenomena, yet he has never been harmed by them or in any danger. Why fewg I suppose its because Aoyama has a much stronger will than most people. Strong will!? Thatiperson!? A strong will, that Aoyama has a strong will? Evenithough Aoyama himself admitted to being frightened of those things. Hes likeithat on the surface. He does, though, haveia desire that he genuinely seeks to fulfill. Thatiis? wifnmog Aoyamaihas a reason for being there, and its to attain his own dream. Strong thoughts, wishes, desires, resolve, perseverance, and ones own ideals that nobody could ever interfere with. Those who bear these things strongly in their hearts are the ones who are less susceptible to theiunpredictable and repelinegative energies. It meansithat there is no room for intrusion. The malevolent and vengeful spirits that congregate at theiconvenience shop avoid Aoyama despite the fact that he has no power because of his strong will. Amazing, theniAoyamaiis invincible, isnt he!? In aisense rehgtejh Wow. efwg Havingia strong desire that lightly surpassed theiresentment of the spirits in that space whatiexactly was that person? Certainly, even specters wouldnt consider approaching aiperson who was thinking only of changing his genderiin his mind On the contrary, they mightibe eaten. When I think about it, Im in a group of extremely toughipeople. Toughipeople? gterhjjr I mean, isnt thatitrue? Takenaka, Hirai, and even Aoyama yet Iicant really do anything, I muttered, looking at the empty sticicup. I might resign. At that point, I was upfront with him. After that incident, I was confronted with a dread that was unmatched by anything I had ever felt before and found myself soiovee with fear that I couldnt endure it anymore. All the bizarre phenomena that had been hovering around me until now, wheniI reflected on the factithat they were all manifestations of the voices of the departed, it sent shivers down myispine and induced a feelingiof nausea. Since I hadinever believed in such things before, once the realization that they wereipresent dawned on me, disorientation reigned, and I wanted to reject the memoryilike a child who had trouble absorbing it. No amount of rejection could alter what had actually urred, though. Even though specters existed, I wasntifirm enough to just ept it as an Oh, really? The mere thoughtiof what would transpire the next time I went to that convenience store was chilling, and I even wanted to abandon my job as aiconvenience store staff right now if I had to experience something more realistic than a horror movie like that. Wasnt itipathetic? Despite me being boastful in theibeginning. Specters? Whoever said theyicould see specters were spouting a load of crap. Now the guyiwho made such remarksiwas extremely frightened by the existence he assumed to be a figment of his imagination. I couldntin if anyone mocked me. When Iisaid this to him in aiself-mocking tone, Takenaka saidias if admonishingime, No, thats not true. You dont have to be so hard on yourself, Hakamada. As I mentioned initially, some people believeiin specters and spirits, but the majority do not, and unless an actual encounter takes ce, convincing oneself of their existenceiis impossible. Even when somebody imsithe existence of a specter, youicannot see it, so disbelief is moremon than believing it. If you didiexactly what I said, I wouldinot have uttered anyisuch words and youiwould be the same as thoseiwho have left so far, so dont worry aboutiit. Thatiwas what Takenakaisaid. Even so, I struggledito make a definite choice, in partibecause Iifelt selfish for quittingiso easily even though I was terrified. By quitting now, I mightibe able to forgetiabout the incident before too long. Even the trauma would still be on the shallow side. The night shiftiemployees would likely be inconvenienced, and the manager wouldiprobably scowl at me. Nheless, recing new employeesiwas not unusual, and it may beian everyday urrence for those people, so whenione of them resigned, they wouldijust say, Oh, that person didntst long after all, and more fools like me would be recruited Furthermore, assuming that I quit here, I would be an insensitiveiperson and even if I resolutely persisted, would I ask Takenaka to save me once again if I had to endureithat ordeal again? I absolutely didnt want that. I didntiwant to be a burden no matter what. Even if Takenaka hadia powerful bodyguard, I couldnt stomachithe thought of making money and being rescued each time I worked a night shift. I didnt mean toipush him away. Takenaka saidito me again then, Hakamada, didiyou see any strange things after that? Strangeithings? thrhryj For instance aiwoman in tattered clothes peeking out of a windowpane or a man with an unnaturally broken neck who looked listless Hearing this, I wasistartled. Takenakas expression becameistern as if to say, I knew it. No way, the man youijust mentioned is Perhaps Takenakaiwas being considerate as he did not give me a detailed exnation. You have alreadyibeen affected by that ce. There are instances where you will spontaneously awaken your ability even if you didnt have it at first if you spend a lot of time in a powerful spiritual maic field. That fergeh Did thatimean I would be able to see specters like Takenaka or that Iiwould be able to witness various grotesque things like that? Dont worry, rightinow you probably only see them once in a while. But if your spiritual power is fully awakened, not only will you be able to see theminormally, but if youck the art of resistance, the spirits will take advantage of that and approach you No way. Ugh, you must be joking The onlyisolution is to distanceiyourself from the spiritual field immediately. As long as you dont get close to it, the power will disappear on its own, or it mayiremain somewhat but it shouldnt get any stronger than that. gtrhtj5 What do youiwant to do Hakamada. A smallirasp sounded in the back of my throat. I couldnt really feel that I would be able to see such things. But itimust be true. After all, I was actually able to see what Takenaka was talking about. I will think about this a bit. Takenakaifinished his coffee. Shortly afteriannouncing this in a low voice, I parted fromiTakenaka. Perhaps sensing that my head was overloaded, Takenaka bowed quietly andidisappeared into the crowd at the station without another word. Chapter 6.5: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life V Chapter 6.5: The Shifting Normalcy of Daily Life V I would think about it That was what I said, nevertheless, the answer I wanted to deliver was more or less settled. After returning home, I grabbed my phone and continued to stare at the ceiling as Iy on the untouched and untucked futon. The call would be connected to the barcode manager with a simple button press. Then what would I say? Please let me resign. That single remark would likely convey the implied message, followed immediately by a sigh of disappointment from the manager. What I heard from Takenaka was a phenomenal story. I felt it was not a territory I should venture into. Or rather, I felt it was a territory I could not prate. I mean, after all, who would believe it? Even I still felt like I was dreaming. Like that huge armor and helmet that appeared behind Takenaka from time to time. The man who was caught on security camera screaming in grief. Or that woman who was attached to the windowpane. To know that I have to look at those things every day from now on That was absolutely impractical My cell phones call button was still not pressed, though, both out of shame for quitting after only a week and out of a sense of apology for the night shift workers that remained behind. In all the ces that I had been allocated, I had never worked anywhere else in my life with such a shortest record. No, that didnt matter, not really. I didnt want to be regarded as one of those who had left, I supposed. That type of obstinacy isnt essential, a calm part of me whispered, yet I couldnt help but think that it would be better to just leave I was too clouded to draw a decision in one stroke. Saying quitting was easy but deliberately attempting to go to a ce I didnt want to go to was not right. No, but a sense of responsibility abounded me. Even if it was only a part-time job, ending it so easily was not eptable. I wasnt a child. Even Takenaka warned me to steer clear, or I might end up in messy situations again. Although I was starting to develop a rapport with Aoyama and Hirai, was this really the right way to end things? Conflicted, the answer eluded me. Despite pressing only one button and things would end, something was holding me back. Frustration was beginning to sink in. With so much going on today, I was exhausted, confounded, and unclear, causing me to struggle with information indigestion. I kicked the sliding door of the closet next to mine with all my might out of desperation. What!? That turned out to be a mistake. An avnche of junk and cardboard boxes that had been piled within came tumbling down as the poor, battered sliding door was on the edge of falling apart. I was shrieking, held down by dusty magazines and the like, and sobbing profusely due to the smell of dust and the pain. This was the worst. I was at my breaking point. Damn it. Before, my mother barged in with my sister and told me that there were too many things and that I should organize them when I got the chance. This was the result of leaving them unattended. Ah ah. Was that what people call a whole catastrophe for this? The avnche dispersed the magazines and mangas I had taped together into a jumble, and the contents within the cardboard boxes were crushed with a mightythud. Dust was dancing on the futon, above my head. My sister would probably respond, Pfft, serve you right, if she saw it, which would irritate me. Even though I hated it, I waspelled to clean it up. Dammit What a day today was. Lacking motivation, I was dazedly sitting cross-legged for a while looking at the mess. My cell phone rang subsequently. This pattern of iing calls was On the screen, I found the person I had been debating whether to call, the Manager. I picked up the magazine with one hand, took the phone with the other, held it to my ear, and pressed the call button. The managers voice came through when I answered, and it had a strangely muffled tone. [O-Oh, Hakamada? Are you okay?] What is it? [No, you see. You didnt reply to my email.] Ah. Speaking of which, I forgot to reply to him I mean, was that the only reason he called me? My mind was conjuring up an image of the barcode manager calling me with hisplexion changed. [Is there something bad happening?] Although I didnt find the manager very appealing, I thought he had good instincts at this point. A week has passed, after all. The manager must have been prepared for this. No nothing. Actually I wasnt certain whether to open up the conversation but I made an effort to proceed as if nothing had happened. Then [A lie.] What? [The way your voice sank, I knew there is more to it than that.] Eh? What you the barcode manager, what were you talking about out of the blue Hahaha, just kidding. In fact, I heard from someone this morning that your face waspletely pale when you left thats why. So that was the reason [I became worried. Hey, did nothing really happen?] [So something did happen huh.] I gave up on concealing it, lying about it wasnt doing me any good. Furthermore, this person may have already conducted dozens of instances of this type of correspondence. There was likely no way for me to hide things from the person who had gotten the knowledge from someone who already knew everything. [I see, that was tough for you] After listening to my story, the manager said, I see, I see, as if to reassure me. I asked the manager one thing that bothered me. Manager, have you ever seen that too those things? [Yeah. Sometimes when I substitute for the night shift, and on rare asions during the day its really terrific there. Is that so The manager returned back saying in an ustomed tone of voice, Thats right. I couldnt work if I was scared. [So, what is your n, Hakamada?] Huh? [No pressure really. I just want you to tell me how you really feel.] It was clear immediately what the manager was going to ask me. [If youre not particrly bothered about it, thats great, but judging by the way you react, I assume you arent? If you dont like it, the sooner the better to quit Besides, a long time ago, a girl who forced herself to continue working part-time fell into a highly perilous position so I dont want Hakamada to face that kind of danger, and if you think its not right for you after all, then you should just go ahead and say it] But [Even if you opt to do so, neither I nor the people on the night shift will ever characterize you as an insensitive person, dont worry.] Again, I fell into silence. The manager was right. Perhaps resigning at this point would be the safest thing to do without needlessly inconveniencing them. The answer I had been wavering over seemed to have somehow been finalized. As I was arranging the mess at that time, one of my arms tripped over a cardboard box and it fell to the ground. The contents were spread across the futon after it was knocked over again. Ah back to square one With my phone between my shoulder and head, I used both hands to collect up all the stuff that had been scattered and tried to put it away again. And thenSomething fell out of it. I wondered what that was and it turned out to be a dusty, slightly faded photograph. Mixed in amongst all this was a single photo. When I picked up the photo and flipped it over, I gulped at the sight of it. This photo was Instantly, my hand, which had picked up the photo with my fingertips, quivered subtly. My breathing rhythm fluctuated erratically, and my heart pulsed wildly as if I had been racing at full speed. Turmoil Why did this photograph appear in front of me now? While I didnt want to look at it, I couldnt throw it away. I had forgotten it existed until just now. Was it a coincidence that it popped up before me? Or was it My eyes couldnt detach themselves from it and I wondered how long I had been doing so. The managers voice drew me back in just as my thoughts were starting to stray. [Hey, Hakamada?] Eh, ah. No good, I hadpletely nked out. [Whats wrong?] No Nothing. Even as I attempted to answer that, before I knew it, even my voice had been stifled, clearly establishing that something must be amiss. Over the cell phone, the managers concerned voice yed again. Manager. Instead of putting it back in the cardboard, I carefullyid the single photograph down on the futon. Taking a small, inaudible deep breath, I opened my mouth. [Ehhh!?] The manager was still astounded by my response and raised his voice so high it almost cracked. It was too loud. Dont make such a loud voice. [Hakamada, did you just say that you want to continue?] Yes. [Youre going to keep working the night shift at that convenience store!?] Didnt I already say that? Dont make me repeat it, you bald! As expected, I couldnt say that but I uttered the word yes again. The manager growled. [I have no idea what you saw, but Hakamada, you must have figured out this time that ce is a ce that chooses its people and yet.] I am simply having difficulty finding another ce to work. In any case, I will get used to it. [Is that really the reason?] Silence would be taken as an affirmation. I hastilyposed my next words and moved my mouth to formte them. Right, and the fact that I am not injured, I dont think its going to be a problem. I want to keep going. [Even if you said that] This time, the manager fell silent. Because of my position, I cant force you to quit or continue.] Even so, the manager said that he hoped that I would prioritize myself. [If there is something bothering you or something you feel guilty about that is forcing you to continue, then] Todays manager struck an uncanny chord with me. Even though I thought so, what was on my mind right now was not something that I could talk to the manager about. Telling him wouldnt aplish anything, nor did I want to tell him. I had already set my heart on it. Once a decision had been reached, I would push forward to the very end, irrespective of who might oppose me, for I was the type of person who was stupid, foolish, and impulsive. Foolish, incurably stupid. [I see if you insist that much I would appreciate it if you could continue too but dont strain yourself, Hakamada, youre a normal person after all.] Having received an unexpected response back, the manager voiced his concern to me and hung up the phone. My cell phones screen disyed end of call, and I silently closed it while staring at it. A silent mutter escaped my lips. This cant be a coincidence, can it? Not looking at it, I unconsciously rolled up the photograph I hadid down on the futon and viewed it once more. It was no coincidence All the inexplicable things that were unfolding around me All of them, no doubt. My own No way I could run away from it. Escaping wasnt a choice for me. Therefore, I had to keep going. I would stay in that ce. No matter what may befall. I pressed the photograph I found in the junk tightly to my chest and shut my eyes. My heart throbbed naturally, and the center of my chest ached slightly. Chapter 7.1: Cat Phantom Chapter 7.1: Cat Phantom Hey,iHakamada! Drinkimore! Drinkiup, drinkiup, drinkiup! Youre beingia downer! Hey, youreistiff!! Tanakas right! Comeion! Ill get it for you, just say theiword! Or Ill forceiyou to drinkiit!! Hmm Not shared on aggregator sites Seated acrossifrom me, the guys I hadiknown since highischool were red-faced and kept thrusting linesiat me that I had heard over and overiagain. Howimany times did theyisay the same words back to me? I already toldithemifrom the beginning that I couldnt drink even aidrop of liquor today, though. Whattttt! Youicant drinkiour liquor! saf You cant drink it,eion,eion!! saybfi Twoiof my friends insisted on forcing me to drinkiwhile leaning over the table and pressing their mugsion my face. Itihurt and it wasicold. Under theiinfluence of alcohol, anyoneeven an entry-leveliapprentice and a hairdresser with two years experiencecould instantly turn intoia punk. Good grief, theseiguys had a bad drinking habit. As for why things turnediout this way, well, nothingiserious. I was simplyigetting togetheriwith three high school friends, all of whom wereiactively engaged in society (except me) for the firstitime in a long while and drinking. Moreibeer mugs wereiset out in front of meithan the tters of food weihad already consumed, and both of myifriends were rubbing theirishoulders with enthusiasm, grinning widely, and relishing theiribeer. Althoughimeeting each other for the firstitime in aboutia year and a half, theyiall looked exactlyithe same as theyidid back then, even if theirihairstyles and atmospheres hadichanged. WhileiI didnt reallyilike riotous moods, meeting up with friendsiafter a long time was still a wonderful pleasure. I sipped from my ss of orange juice, baskingiin a tingeiof nostalgia. Damn! Youre drinkingiorange juice! Do you like juices betterithan alcohol, Masa? Its disgusting, Nishimura. Its not likeiI particrly like to drink this stuff. fe Seriously! Youre really straiced! Oneidrink is fine! dwf Shut up, Tanaka, you drunkard. Not shared on lightnovelreader.me This time Iiate a huge serving of Crispy Daikon Sd whileicursing at the two men, whose faces resembled boiled octopuses. The annoyingiinteraction between these two was a regr urrence, and though it was exasperating, I had no problem letting it slide. Dont be tooiinsistent, you two, or Masa will lose his temper. gr Kinoshita, a cool-faced guyiwith naturally permed brown hair, sat next to meiand said something that I doubted was a follow-up to what had been said. This guyinever got intoxicated despite theiamount he consumed, he was a monkey. Kinoshita!! You shouldisay something toiHakamada too! We havent met in a long time, and hes not in the mood! Didnt Masa sayiit at the beginning? He cant drink because he hasito work the night shift. One drinkiis no problem, heiwill leave soon anyway. dwqf Stupid. If we let Masa have one drink and he getsiin an ident and dies, its on us. Uhi gegeb When Kinoshitaisaid this while grinning, Tanakaiand Nishimura had already finished theiridrinks, and I, whoihadnt even touched a drop of alcohol, all froze in aisplit second. Justikidding. Trantor: MadHatter Kinoshita gigglediand tilted his ss of cocktail. The two of them exchanged ailook and shrugged their shoulders as if that had cooled their enthusiasm. Iigotiit. fwebiubg My bad, Hakamada. wefgvbh Its okay, I dont mind. rhtbsgf The twoiapologized lightly, and I responded while stuffing my mouth with sd. Thanks, Kinoshita. Youreiwee. Waving hisihand in the air, Kinoshita began to order a new one on the touch screen. Even though heinever became inebriated, he did drink a lot indeed. Tanaka and Nishimura likewiseiconsumed alcohol, albeit not as much as Kinoshita. Oh I wished Iicould drink a little too. Coming to an izakayaiand drinking only juice was not sufficient forime. Next time I would drink to myihearts content. We chattediabout each others personal lives for a while ordering food, sake, and orange juice. Every day at work Tanaka receivedireprimands from his boss, and recently there may or may not have been aichange in the shape of the back of his head from too many smacks. Since his highischool days, Nishimura hadibe considerably more flirty, and his speech had changed toireflect this. He was now working as a hairdresser somewhere in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, donning rings, nes, and other mboyant things. Apparently, he hadia new girlfriend recently. Again,ihuh. Asifor Kinoshita, he attended university, obtainedia teaching license, and finally fulfilled his dream of bing a middle school science teacher. He wasiteased by Nishimura for having a gloomy profession since he was sandwiched between the school and the overbearing parents in this day and age, yet he appeared to be enjoying it. When I asked him if heiwas using a beaker to boil coffee with an alcoholmp, somethingihe had longed to do since he was a child, he responded by saying that he had done it secretlyiduring recess the other day. These days, middle schoolistudents seem to be trouble that they are hard to deal with. Well, yeah, but its pretty fulfilling. wefg I get beat upievery single day dqwf Now that youimention it, how are youidoing these days, Hakamada? Stilliworking part-time? You said youiwere working at night, like a janitor? Ugh Of theifour of us, only I still wavered around without a proper job, so talking about it left me with aisense of helplessness. Believe it or not, even though Iiwas on the road to bing a freeter, there was aitime in high school when Iistudied diligently and painstakingly with the aim of entering university. Theithreeiof them and my old friends would simply say toime, How did you be like this? I am working part-timeiat a convenience store now. dqwf Bu!! wefg What! For real!! rqfgg No sooner had Iisaid this than Tanaka and Nishimura blew up. Hold on, hold on, I wasnt done talking yet. dq Convenienceistore part-time job! I can introduce you to some good ces! No, the wagesiare higher than expected. Really? said Kinoshita. I gave aismall nod. I couldnt say, Its a challenge, in exchange for a good hourly wage, though. Wow, is it that great, where? Nomention that. Noment? Well, I hope you find something youiwant to do like we did, and youll be able to do it soon. I think my present lifestyle is goodienough for me, Kinoshita. What? Are you nningito be a freeter for the rest of your life? No, notireally. I didnt have any specificithing I wanted to do, whichiwas whyiI was a freeter, and as long as myilivelihood was stable, that was all I needed. fwrgetnjejsk Whatsiup? Again Not shared on aggregator sites Nothing. dwqd What? Hakamada, youiare acting strangely fidgety today, no? Is Isithat so? Despite myiattempts to y dumb, the three of them looked atime in wonder. It was noisurprise that they thought Iiwas acting strangely because I had undoubtedly been behaving peculiarly everisince the beginning. ThoughiIiwouldntiadmitiit. Chapter 7.2: Cat Phantom II Chapter 7.2: Cat Phantom II Youiknowihowievery now and theniwhen aistaff member walksiby you stretch your neckiand nce down theiaisle, haha, did youisee a cuteigirl? Oh well, somethingilike that. ewg Cute? Whichione! fewfg Ill let you knowiwhen she appears, Nishimura, sitidown. Whileitelling a lie, I reached for theigrilled chicken. Had Iispoken the truth, I would haveiundeniably received ridicule. Either that or they would beiupset and use me of beingiobnoxious. In anyievent, I didntithink they would take my storyiseriously. Not shared on aggregator websites No. dewfgr No, butdwqf Butiif itiwas these guys, if it wasithese guysiwho had inseparable rtions withime You know fewhr Half inidoubt, I letimy wordsiout. Myithree friends drewiin closeito me as theyiregarded me, wonderingiwhat was upiwith my changedidemeanor. Whatsiwrong? fege Um, well, its justithatirecently I. qf Whatiisiit? r32g Youifinallyigotiaigirl!? Actually I YFDD Iistartedibeing able to seeispecters Iidropped the bombshell andisaid it. In front of everyoneiI had shared an unbreakable bond with, I disclosed the cause that hadibeen swirling around my chest up until thisipoint. A momentary pause reignediwith silence. The ice in theimug melted andidropped. Aha.duyfygi The silenceiwas too unbearableito tolerate, and when Iilet out aihalf-smile Hahah, hah, hah, hah, hah!iAhahahahaha!!! H-Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Pfft, hahahahahahaha!! Pfft, Masa you, pfft!dwqfr Like bombs triggered byitimeg, all three of themisted out in unison and torrentially. Ah hereiiticame. I knewiit. Asiexpected Noiway! Hahahaha!! Youre jokingiover theitop! Hakamada! Couldnt youihave toldia better lie! Hahahaha!! Bloop, ploop! Gofuh. cough, hoh, oe! Asiif on fire, Tanaka mmed the table andughed while his face turned toia brilliant red. Nishimuraiwas pressing his stomach andughing with tears in his eyes. As for Kinoshita, hisiattempt to restrain hisughter may haveihad the opposite effect, as heiwas sobbing so profusely that heiwas gagging. While my three friends pointediat me, theyiwere bursting out into hystericalughter. Ah, whatiwas this blue feeling I wasihaving So you dontibelieve me at all huh My friends said one after another to me as my shoulders slumped, I mean, this is about you, its absolutely impossible. Well it was not unreasonabledwqf Im speaking the truth!! Its been crazytely!!d Heh, about what?d dd About what well, you know anyway, its just crazy! I cant believe you said that, Masa. You know, youidont have to tell a joke like that, but its prettyiamusing actually, haha. Y-Youreiwrong. Like what TanakaiandiNishimura said. Its ratheriobvious, but Ill giveiyou credit for the realistic performance. Kinoshita!Trantor: MadHatter Theseiguys hardly believedime more thaniI thought theyiwould They regardediit as a joke. I am not lying!ftvuweftv Hmm, even if thats true, I find it awfullyihard to believe that a man namediHakamada would say that. What? dcvtyb Nishimura shook his head whileisuppressing augh. Here is a quiz. Tanaka, what didiHakamada do during his high school days when his ss decided to conduct a test of courage during the summerivacation? He quickly left after saying it was foolish and went home. Then, when it turned out a haunted houseiwas nned for the school festival, what did he say to the girls who were afraid of it? Theres no such thing as specters, your strangeivoices are much more frightening. At the old school building, where itiwas rumored to be haunted? He wasieating a cup noodle. On the roof, which wasiclosed off due to a suicide a long time ago? He skipped ss andithen went for a nap. What about those supernatural photographs the ult club wasibuzzing about? He said, What kind of software did you use to make this? and rippedithem up. How is it! These are yourideeds of the past, all umted over time! Terrific, isnt it? Whatidid you mean by deeds? But I remembered doing it. I was mischievous at the time. Various times I got the chillsfew Masaiwasifunny, though.wqf I bet there areispecters and spirits in the world, but wheniHakamada saysithings like that, my heart is most reluctant to believe him! Right, right, I rememberiyou saying whoever sawispecters must have been sleeping whileistanding up. Howinostalgic. ugvdfx After being toldito that point, I concluded that no matteriwhat I said, they would notibelieve me, so I choseinot to add another word. Haha, I figured it wouldnt haveiany impact at all if I said something like that, Iughed and tried to cover it up, but my friends were amused and chucklediagain. Well, in a way, it did have an impact.sv I wasnt thatishocked. Right. Nobody wouldieasily believe me about what a shocking experience I had been through the past few days. Had theiformer me from several days agoibeen the one to hear such a story, I would haveughed it off, just as Nishimura and the others had done. If its a story with impact, pleaseilisten to my heroic tale for a moment. Nishimura pped his handsiand raised his voice as if recollecting. Most of the heroic tales that heirecounted were mundane acts like hooking up with aigirl and nearly getting her pregnant, cuckolding a girl, seducing a marriediwoman, having a one-night stand, or setting airecord for having seven hookups. All of these inconsequential stories wereinot worthy of being called heroic tales. I mean, the fact that heididnt get stabbed was remarkable. I was stunned that heihad done something strange once more, but my earlier bombshell was going to be overshadowed by Nishimuras foolish talk, so I decided to listen to him. Oi, you didnt doisomething terrible again, did you? Youre wrong, this is notiabout women, thats for sure. Tanaka, a rough, young man, detested suchiconversation very much. He castia dubious nce toward Nishimura, who seemed eager to discuss the subjectiwith him. You know, when we have time off from work, myigirlfriend and I like to go about and visitivarious ces. What, so it wasia love story, damn it. Heh, so? Buttely, its be a pattern, andishe said that itiwas dull to watch the nighttimendscape. I thought itiwould be wonderful to have a little stimtion, so recently, weve been exploring several well-known haunted locations in the area. Eek.Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Wow, you.Not shared on While Tanakaiand I frowned in disbelief, Kinoshita seemed to be deeply intriguediandieximed, Youre a real prick, you know that? Sheiwas so terrified, and she wasiso cute, clinging to myiarm the whole time. Hmm, what kind of ces haveiyou been? WheniKinoshita asked, Nishimura proudly listed the ces he had been to so far. Tunnels I hadiheard of, an unknown ruin, a deserted house, an abandoned hospital ward, etc. Just how many ces have you been, that kindiof thing is only done on TV, your girlfriend must be pitiful. Oh, what, are you jealous, Tanaka?efw Its not likeithat, idiot!wdq Brave of you, Nishimura. Iiwouldnt dream of going to a ce like that myself. Youll beicursed for sure. Dont worry, I haveiexperienced no such thing before, Nishimura saidithat it was a light test of courage, feelingirxed. Where is theinewest one again ah, yes! That one, theiold mansion on the outskirts of town that wasiabandoned following a suicide. It was minor, but very realistic, especiallyiwhen a chair and a ropeiwere left in the room where the womanmitted suicide! Even I had goosebumps! Nishimuraughed creepily, not concealing his excitement. Until theiother day, I would haveidismissed his story as absurd. But now I couldnt say such a thing andicleared my throat. So what did youido after that? Had sex on the front porchiand came home, haha. Perfectlyidumb In response toiNishimura, whoughed itioff, saying, Im scared, but the specters didnt actuallye out, so its a bit of a fluke, Tanaka put his hand on his forehead and emitted a dismayed voice. Unless he gotihurt in some way, Nishimura was the type of person who would never stop, and he had always been like that. Not shared on pirated sites Whats the matter, Hakamada, youre gettingiall quiet? You canip him like you always do. Come on,e on. I was shakenion the shoulder by Kinoshita and was told I wasnt being myself. My lips were tightly sealed, and I couldnt say anything. Myiheadihurt It was asithough the back of my head was bound with a rope or such. An inexplicableisound pierced my eardrums. The fact that none of the three men seemed to be paying any attention to the sound apparently implied that I was the only one whoicould hear it. Despite not drinking a drop of alcohol, a sudden feeling of queasiness and a gradual chill overtookime. Whatiwasithis Hey. What was that thing. hu As I suppressed the nausea that was building up within me, I forgot to blink and couldnt pull my gaze away from what I was witnessing. Rightibefore my eyes, around Nishimuras neck. A thin, branch-like armiwas wrapped around Nishimuras neck. Like hugging him from behind, the arm was loosely constricting his neck. Disgusting Myifaceinaturallyigrewitense. The bony arm rested on Nishimuras shoulder, asionally wobbling like a living creature. I immediately grasped it. That was something Nishimura had brought from theiruin. It was a part of the woman whomitted suicide in the ruin. What kind of a ce did Nishimura step into when he wasiying around Ah, I wonder what it is. Nishimura casually began to rotate both shoulders in a circr motion. Lately, my shoulders have been feelingistrangely heavy. Nishimuras soliloquy made me want to tell him that this was not the case. Both Kinoshita and Tanaka asked me what was wrong as I remained motionless with my eyes wide open. Nishimura, in front of me, was hitting hisishoulder with his fist, and every time he did so, the white arm that was entangled in his shoulder would twirl tightly, trying to keep itifrom separating from his arm. Even though Iicouldnt see past the arm and couldnt tell what sort of expression was on the face since thereiwas no face to be seen, I could sense a quiet but sinister malevolence in that entwining whiteiarm. Hatred, killing.dqwfqe It wasnt something as simple and acute as that. Somehow It was somethingideep and vicious. Itiwas like I am going to make you suffer the same thing For some reason, suchian uncanny phrase floated through my mind. Another grindingistrange sound emerged. As if to dispel the sound, I chugged down my ss of juice and stood up. The three of them naturally sent me a startled lookisince I stood up so abruptly. Nishimura! Get yourself exorcised somewhere in the near future! Listen, you must absolutely do that!! Sputteringiout in a tongueshing manner, I shoved Kinoshita, who was seated by the aisle, aside and proceeded directly to the toilet. My brow wrinkled as I bumped into passing customers and storeistaff. I repeated it over and over in my mind. Damn it, damn it, damn it.DWQF Damn it.Not shared on other websites Again, againIUFEWVU Not shared on other websites Iicaughtisight of another strangeithing again Chapter 7.3: Cat Phantom III Chapter 7.3: Cat Phantom III Iiwashedimyiface harshly, sshing it with cold water. While Iididnt have a particrly awfulplexion when Iipeered in the bathroom mirror, my countenance was appalling. fewbheh Howimany times did I seeisomething like that? The white arm oniNishimura. Then thereiwas the woman in the corner of the store who had nothing from theistomach down. The maniwho was being dragged by the shin of the store staff girl Recalling itievoked an urgeiin me toithrow up. Recently itiwas really a recent development that I beganito see strange things frequently. It all kicked offiwith a part-time job at a convenience store that Iistarted for the hourly wage. Even though I had been warned that the jobiwas notorious, I continued toigo through it unflinchingly, and consequently, whether it be a dormantiaptitude or a sixth sense, I unwillingly developed the ability toisee non-human, invisible entities. Initially, distinguishing between them was difficult, and it was only mildly noticeableiwhen I passed by them or caught flickers of their presenceiin my vision, yettely theinumber of times I perceived such beings hadibeen on the rise, and evenithe beings I had detected variediin their levels of perception: some could beimistaken for living people, whileiothers appeared to be in the same state as when theyidied. Some of themiappeared with only parts of their body, such asilegs, arms,iand necks, rather than the full body, which was extremely disconcerting toime given that I wasinot ustomed to the sight of these things. In the past, someoneisaid that they wanted to see spectersior get supernatural powers, but franklyispeaking, it was not a good thing, it was truly not a positiveithing. Twoidaysiago, I found out that something had been living in the back of theiceiling of the run-down apartment I resided in. The first time it happened, I originallyisuspected it was a rodent or something simr, but right when Iibecame able to visually see such things, the entityiwas manifested. Nothing had happened until thenibut aftering to see the strangeithing, noises began to emanate from the ceiling in the middle of theinight. Itisoundedilike something was rolling around. ew Theiprospectiof what in the world was rolling around in the middleiof the night threw me into aicreepy phase, so Iichose not to pry too deeply into theimatter. Nothing hadiever urred in the houseiI had been living in until this day so Iiwould rather believe that it wasisomething more harmless than that thing in thaticonvenience store. Fromithenion, every once in a while, I wouldisee an old man looking at meithrough the window. Myiapartment was two storiesihigh. For theiold man to lookiout the window andisee my room would be outiof the question. The only way heicould do that would be if he was as tallias a telephone pole or climbing theiwall and hanging from the window ledge. But that would never beiconceivable. Theioldiman would makeieye contact with meifor a few seconds before disappearing. He wasiprobably one of those kinds too. Forisomeireason, while Iiwas having a cupiof noodles, watchingiTV, getting up in the morning, oring back from the bathroom, I feltihis gaze on me. When Iipeered out the window, aistrange old man was watching me with onlyia quarter of his face protruding from the windowisill. Our eyes lockediwith each other briefly, and then he swiftly hid his face andivanished. Atifirst, I wasiso spooked that it made me jumpiup and down, though I was still fairly freakediout by it. Even so, I triedinot to dwell on it tooimuch, since heididnt seem to do anything to me. If thingsiturned too dismal, I could simplyiclose the curtains and all would be well. Andiso my dailyilife had gone through a drasticichange after working part-time at that convenienceistore. Masa. Not shared on aggregator websites Whoa!? Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Kinoshitaiwas standing right behind meiin the mirror when I looked up iniresponse to his call. Howilong had heibeen here? I hadnt even heard aisound. Well, you were spacingiout, you know. I-Is that so? Trantor: MadHatter You spendiall your time in the bathroom. Even if youiare pooping, its taking a long time. I was justiwondering what was going on. N-Nothing, I wasijust washing my face. Lets go back. few I see I mean, are you okay? sedf Yeah? fwes Iireturned a blunt reply and lookediup at Kinoshita, who stared at me and made aiserious face. Amongithe four of us, Kinoshita, who was normally the one toismile carelessly, unexpectedly became grave. Isiititrue? 4325ftd What? ferhjrys Aboutiwhat you said earlier. Aboutithe thing you said to usiearlier. Myieyes widened at his words instead of my mouth. So its true afteriall. fwehb Why, you grea4 I canitell, you know. t4wAt Kinoshitaishrugged his shoulders. I thoughtiit was a joke at first, too. But whenever you tell a lie, you scratch your head unconsciously and thenibite your back teeth a few times. EveniIiwas not conscious of that habit of mine. Of allithe guys in our unbreakable rtionship, Kinoshita was the most perceptive and subtle. But you didnt do that today, and youiwere acting really weird, staring at nothing all the time, sometimes making a really weird face. Did I makeisuch a face? rgya Well, yeah. Not shared on aggregator websites Youibelieveime dont you? t4ea I alreadyiknow youre not lying, Masa. fr I wasitapped lightly on the shoulder and I kind of lostimy strength. Thatiwas aismall sense of relief. Myispirit had suffered significantly overithe past few days due toithe strange power Iihad acquired. Anxiety was umting within me like mud, weighingime down, and Iiwanted to deal with it. Deepidown inside, even though Iiwas ashamed of it, I wanted to share this feeling withianyone I could, because Iididnt want to carry it alone. Theinext thing I knew, I was spilling it all out to Kinoshita, who wasibefore me. Withoutihesitation, from the beginning to the end. Allithe mind-boggling, whacked-out incidents that I had experienced. I shared them withiKinoshita. Kinoshitaiseemed taken aback, but heikept throwing in interjections to makeithe conversation go smoothly, allowing me toifully exin howiover the past few weeks, I hadidiscovered that invisible entitieswhich I hadinever before believed to existreally did exist, that myiibeen overturned, and that I had developed a strange ability. Thatiwasitough. fewaf Afteriall of that, Kinoshita remarked to me, seeming genuinely worried for me. It wasnt a lookiof suspicion; he was genuinely trying to believe me, even if he didnt fully buy into what I had experienced. Youiquit that convenience store, didnt you? At hisiwords, I shook my head to the side. Seriously? Youre not quitting? Yeah. How can you keepigoing after something like that? efyGIYB Before thingsiescte into something even more bizarre, the sooner you quit, theibetter. I dont know what its like, but its certainly not safe for youiwhen you can even see specters now. If so, the nextitime something more horrifying might strike. Im afraid foriyour safety, Kinoshita warned me. I know youre a stubborn person, but youidont have to be that stubborn. Im not saying youre like Nishimura, but you absolutely dont have to force yourself to get involved, or youimight face even worse consequences. While expressing concern, Kinoshitaitried to convince me to quit. He said a series of the most sensible things. However WEGA Eveniso, I I think Ill stay there for a little while longer. Kinoshitaimade an incredulous face at my response. Even I felt like an idiotifor saying this. Why? RWAD Noiparticrireason. RWAGR Is that soEQWFWE Dontilook like that,ugh at me. I used to makeisuch a fuss about it, but now I can see specters, you know. Sayiit was hrious or something. I was only unable to see the specters myself but I behaved with such haughtiness. Itsihrious. I couldionly put my trust in what I could see with the naked eye. I had never believed such things. I depended on the world in which I refused to believe and denied everything I didnt want toibelieve. How manyipeople did I hurt with the thoughtless words that I uttered carelessly? I wondered how many of those I dismissed as liars were stating the truth and not falsehoods. Now it is my turn to be calledia liar. When I told Nishimura and Tanaka, they did notibelieve me at all. Considering how I had behaved up to now, I thought it was a natural reaction. I had been fooling around with these guysisince high school. To be frank, I felt slightly lonelyiwhen they told me that I was joking. Looking at somethingiyou didnt want to look at, and then having it so easily dismissed when youined about it, must have felt like this. Perhaps I amibeing punished foriridiculing those who can see specters with prejudice. Punishment? Not shared on aggregator websites. Isnt itifunny? dqw I wontugh atiyou. Even thoughiI smiled at him with expectant eyes, Kinoshita shot me aiworried look. He remainedisilent for a while before opening his mouth with a start. Dont tell me Hyuga isgrw I responded at once to Kinoshita, who said so with an even sterner expression onihis face. Youre wrong.ger Im not wrong, Masa because its you.gr I dont think that way, likeiyou think, Kinoshita.fesdc Youre still holding itiback, huh? Indeed, a lot of things haveihappened but That was Its not something you should feel responsible for I already said its not like that. Masa, itsiokay, you dont have to think like that. You werent punished; you simply want to punish yourself, dont you? Like I said!4y5t I know you cant resign from that convenience store because of what happened to Hyuga Havingibeen told that much, my exasperation was noilonger masked and I mmed the washbasin. Kinoshita, like an esper, deducedimy true intentions so easily. Myitrue intentions, which I sought to denyieven to myself. No matter howideep I went, I was always a twisted person who couldnt be honest. For this reason, peopleiaround me regarded me as a bother and stopped approaching me. My undue prideialways brought misfortune to those around me. Myibad Even though you were concernediabout me. Even though Iitried to alleviate the ufortable atmosphere I had created, my voice sounded so strong that it looked to be negatively affecting the situation. My phoneinumber. You have it, right? wef What? erg Even so, Kinoshita probably sensed my feelings and made meilook up at him with a cheerful voice. Once you have madeiyour decision, it cant be overturned so easily So If you need anything, call meianytime. Ill be there for you Dont push yourself. I noddedideeply at those words. Ah he reallyiwas a greatiguy. After returning from the toilet, we reminisced about old timesiagain. Justiin time for my soon-to-be-starting part-time job, I bid farewell to Kinoshita and the others. Beforeiparting, I gave Nishimura a warning just in case. Sooniafter getting on my motorcycle and starting down the road, the bustling streets vanished and I foundimyself on a lonely road with few lights. Now NFBUWEIBYVU Whatiwouldibeibrewingitoday?FEV Chapter 7.4: Cat Phantom IV Chapter 7.4: Cat Phantom IV T/N: I might separate the chapters into two pages from time to time. Its in an inconspicuous ce below the share, like button so if you dont see the Previous, Next, Content buttons, it means that I have separated it. The buttons are only avable at thest page Hopefullyinothingiwilliarise Itiwasianiearnestiwish. Myispirits wereiboosted when I wasienvelopediin the hot, humid airiof midsummer. Iimustnt let my feelings getithe better of me, as Iihad learnedifrom Takenaka before: theiweaker yourifeelings became, the more likely those things would approach you. In fact, I shouldibeiprepared to take on anything andieverything Despite thinking like that, thereiwas a limit to what I could do. With only one electric light every few dozen meters, I went around the corner that I had done many times before, feeling forlorn. Toitheiright of myivision, I spotted a whiteiguardrail reinforced with steelites. Before arrivingiat that convenience store, I remembered thatithere had been a motorcycle ident AsiIirecalled, the manager informed meithat the person who fell off theibike had died. Apparently, identsiinvolving people falling off their bikes were a constant urrence at that location. I didnt even wantito ponder why, but a couple of those idents were bound to happen yeariafter year. Consequently, aibrandinew steel te was installed eachitime. This was evidence that idents wereiso frequent that the guardrail could not be fixed in a timelyimanner. AlthoughiIipassed the curve in a split second, a chilliseized me, so I made a turn at theispot. Somehow, I hadia feeling I was going to catch sight of somethingistrange. [Hyuugaiis] Kinoshitas words resurfaced in myimind. Goodigrief He certainly hadigoodiintuition. AsiI rode my bike, I found myself smiling bitterly, even if it wasicreepy. HyuugaiAoi Thatiname rang a familiar bell. That name hadnte up in a longitime. It had been a long time since someone had uttered that name toime. Itiwas a name I didnt want toihear. Sealedisomewhereiin my memory, I banished it to the corner of myibrain. Theiname that I had erased from myimind Whatever it was that prompted me to do so was unknown toime, but it had been dredged out from the depths of myimemory and thrust in frontiof me. Itiwas right after I began perceiving strange things. All this time, I had forgotten aboutiit. No, Iihadibeen feigning oblivion. I had made myself into convincing myself that I had forgotten. Whyinow? Iishould have discarded that photograph. Iishould refrain from dwelling on this matter. Itiwas alreadyiover. Thatipersoniand I had an unstable rtionship to begin with. Besides, I didnt really care about them. Right Whatiwas the senseiin thinking about someone you didnt really care about anymore? I forcefully settled my faltering feelings and focused my attention onidriving. Thanksitoitheck of pedestrian traffic and cars, my bike was moving along the night road at a brisk pace. Iniless than five minutes, I would be at the convenience shop as I was moving ratheriswiftly. Iisquinted my eyes and lookeditoward the tunnels exit about halfway through. Whatiwasithat? Somethingiwas aroundithe exit of the tunnel. Beyond the dark orange fluorescent light of the tunnel, theiroad was faintly illuminated by the moonlight. There,isomething, somethingiwas An objectiI couldnt quite make out was there. Atithis rate, I might run itiover, so I slowed my bike down gradually. While sticking my neck outiin front of me, Iilooked closely atiit. What!? Iifigurediitiout. Aboutia meter or so before exiting theitunnel, I realized what it was and stoppedimy bike near the exit. A cat Lyingion the road was aicat. However, itiwas no ordinaryicat. It was aired lump lying carelessly. An ominousired body fluid glistening under theimoonlight Withiitsilimbs cast aside, the cats abdomen was concaveiand ripped open like a pomegranate, exposing itsilong, pink intestines, which wereistained with red-ck blood and protruded and wereidispersed all over the ce. Fecesiand pieces of flesh drenched in it leaked from the anus, and a gut-like massiprotruded from the gaping mouth. It was aisight so devastating that made meiwant toiscowl. Howiawful It was run over Theicrystalline lens, resembling a marble, stared into the voidiand remained stationary. The small, reddishibody with white in some ces suggested that itihad originally been a white cat. Judgingifrom the fresh coloriof the sttered guts, this cat was probably run overionly recentlyperhapsia few hours ago, or possibly even minutesiago. This was not theifirst time I had observed a cat being struckilike this. Eveniif it wasnt theifirst time, it wasistill shocking and not a pretty sight toibehold. Who on earth couldihave brought thisiupon Nah-oh. Chapter 7.5: Cat Phantom V Chapter 7.5: Cat Phantom V Hey,iHakamada. Trantor: MadHatter Thanksiforiyourihardiwork. wfyyg So its timeifor the shiftichange huh. Byitheiway, Hakamada, you arrived earlyitoday. Oh,iyes, well, a littleibit. Not shared on aggregator websites Afterientering the store, I exchanged familiar greetings and bowedias I entered the back room, where Iiwas met by Nagase, who nced at hisiwatch. It hadibeen a while since my friends and I had gotten together but I figured if I stayeditoo long, I might getireally drunk. Haha, so you leftiearly. Somethingilikeithat.fwegaqa I didntiwant to be the victimion that roads curve.dwf Right, if you disappear, Hakamada, weiwill have fewer people to work the nightishift. This barcodeimanager was a badiomen. As if whatihe said was on point, Nagase started toughitoo. Ugh eveniNagase. With theirughter behind me, I went to the backiroom and changed into myiuniform.feo Speakingiof which, Takenaka was supposed to be hereibut I hadnt spottedihim yetitoday. Iithought heimight be rearranging the shelves again, soiI peeked out fromithe back room andichecked around the store, only to find no one who lookedilike Takenaka. Oh, wellNot shared on lightnovelreader.me Takenakaiisiihe?fwerg Yeah, hesiihere.43he4 When I asked the manager about it, he respondediwith a meaningfuliphrase. Takenaka is inithe toilet. Oh. Not shared on aggregator websites Heiwas cleaning theitoilet huh. Hesithrowingiup, though.fcewgv What!?fvtweguybvv Why!?bvyefwgyuv Atithe same time I said that, Nagase suddenly burst outiiand a few other customers who had umted in the store. Hyahahahahahaha! Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!fev Nagase?! Trantor: MadHatter No good, Nagase was twisting his stomachiwhileughing as though he were on fire. Whatispecifically transpired for him to be amused in thisiway? Buhahahaha! Hahahahi, ihihihihi!! Although theimanager rubbed Nagases back and triedito calm him down, he keptiiso that one of the customers fled to theiexit. Nagase, its time toisettle down, youre leading the customersiaway! Ugh, uhi, phew e-excuseibuhaha!! Wow, Nagaseiwas even more destructive thanithose guys whoihad an inseparable rtionship with meiwhen it came to pressure points. Iimean, Takenaka throwing up in the toilet what didithat mean?efwv Umimanager.Not shared on aggregator websites Ah, actually, youisee.fcwebgvr When Iiasked him about it, this wasiwhat happened. In otheriwords, Takenaka got grossed out when he saw theicarcass of a cat thatihad beenirun over onithe road. He was apparently pukingiin the toilet of the convenience storeiwhere he worked. Forireal?fewgrvh No, no, no, we wereitalking about that Takenaka. ThatisameiTakenaka.tyfersh TheiTakenaka that was the guardian deity of this convenience store. He drove away theimalevolent spirits that flockedito the convenience store and single-handedlyiattempted to protect the neers who swept in here time and timeiagain. We were talkingiabout Takenaka, with his sterniguardian spirit in armoriand helmet, you know. Such a cool, adversary-free, and seamless (in my image) Takenaka was at theimere sight of a cat carcass As I was mulling thisiover, the door to the toilet in the back of the storeiopened. Takenakaistaggered out of the door, his body swaying. Hakamada, hi Goodievening. Takenakas whiteiface turned pallid immediately after meetingime and greeted me. He wasievidently out of his element. Never before had I seen Takenaka looking soivulnerable. A-Are you alright?grhnjt When I inadvertently rushedito him and said so, Takenaka showed me a look thatisaid, About what? Oh, you see. The manager told meithat you were in the back. Heisaid that you got sick atithe sight of the cat carcass onithe road, but Takenaka, you would never do that, I addediwith a wry smile and at the moment I did so, Takenakas faceitightened up. Ugh!!grbgeew2 Heiput one hand overihis mouth and leaned forward when I thought a strange voice was emitting from hisithroat. Hisplexioniwas extremely poor. Onitop of that, both of his shoulders wereiquivering and the corners of his eyes were incredibly moist. Um Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Takenaka the caticarcass on the road Ugh!!Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Takenaka, didiyouiperhaps theicat. Ugggghhhh!!Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Wasithisiforireal!! Chapter 7.6: Cat Phantom VI Chapter 7.6: Cat Phantom VI SinceiTakenakaioverreacted at theimere mention of theiword cat, Iichose to refrain fromiasking anyimore inidepth andileft it at that. Nevertheless, Iiwondered ifithat dead catiwould still beithere by the timeiI left. Theimanagerisaid that something had to be doneiabout it, but what should thatitypically beidone?gwebhtentr Iistillifelt sorry foriTakenaka, though. On his way home, heiwould beiforced to see thatiagain. EveniI wouldnt wantito see it if possible.Not shared on aggregator websites Itiwas midsummer, soithat cat wouldidpose at once Whileimusing about this, Takenaka asked meiabout somethingiunusual thisitime.Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Chapter 8.1: Hirais Secret Chapter 8.1: Hirais Secret Theifollowingiday atimy part-time job, I left myihouse at theiusual time andiheaded for theiconvenience storeteiatinight. Iiwas reasonably prepared toipass throughithe tunnel on theiway there, butistill in the sameice as yesterdayiwas the carcassiof that cat, its intestines andiorgans driediout, and attracting multitudesiof flies.Trantor: MadHatter Evenithough it hadionly taken meia couple of secondsito stare directlyiat it andigo beyondiit, theidreadful odoriof decay prickled myinostrils unrelentingly. AsiI hadisurmised, the dposition wouldielerate in noitime at all if itiwas exposed to theisummer sun in such aice. Thatibeing said, itiwas unlikely thatianyone would bury it in the groundiin a celikeithis. Inithe firstice, who wouldidispose of such aiwrecked, dried-out, andihideousicarcass?gewg ShouldiIicontact an animal welfare organization and askithem to doisomething about thisisituation Theicat being left aloneiwas miserable, but seeing this everyitime I came andiwent wasirather unbearable.wfqg Nevertheless, thereiwas nothing in particrithat I couldido about itNot shared on lightnovelreader.me Justito beisure, I looked behindime briefly, onlyito discover that theicat with theimottled patterned, ominous purriwas notipresent. Chapter 8.2: Hirais Secret II Chapter 8.2: Hirais Secret II Hakamada,iyoure not good with people likeithat, right? Thatsibecause I try not to beiinvolved with people like that dealingiwith them is aihassle Butitoime, youilook like aibadass delinquent, Hakamada. Youidont look that different fromithem, you know? No,ino, no,ino!!Trantor: MadHatter Forisure, Iibleached myihair andihad myiears pierced,ibut!ges Isnt mineijust ailook! Evenithough I sayiso myself, I amiquite aicoward! Iididntieven have the balls to get my noseipierced! Isithatiso? Youigive meithe feelingithat youiused to beia rascaliin highischool. Iiwas a fairlyihealthy highischool baseball yeriwith darkihair andisses Iihad contactsiand dyedimy hair afteriI retired. Ohimy, thats an exceptional makeover.j Incidentally, theireason for theimakeover wasithat I was fediup withipeoplebeling meias seriousior studious wheniI had ckihair and sses, somethingithat I had no imageiof myself as. Despiteithe changeiin appearance, myiinner self remained exactlyithe same. Iididnt like theipunks who causediamotion in the school, noridid I wantito hang outiwithithem. Iineveriliked those whoistayed out of theiiclustered together andistirred up trouble. Theisame appliesito the neighborhood nuisance gangiof delinquents and girlsiwho were adept at forming substandard rtionships withitheir fuzzy eyshes. Oriperhaps the truthiwas that I wasisimply intimidated. Butiit wouldihave been terrible if Hiraiihad been withius today. Hiraiiwould have unarguably beenifrightened. Moreover, Hiraiiwas petite and hadia bewitching body. Itiwas customary for someone toiapany another for the night shift job, but I was sure sheiwould have beeniterrified On topiof that, weiwere in thisikind of ce. Ohimy, that girliwill be fine! What!?g7tuy Hiraiiis ratherifearless. But shes aigirl, and inwardly, sheimust be Atileast shes tougher thaniyou, Hakamada. Forireal?Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Forireal.Not shared on aggregator websites Tougherithanime Thenihow muchiof a weaklingiwas I beingiviewed as? Oh, speakingiof which Aoyama,idid you see that on youriway here? That?Not shared on aggregator websites. The cat the cats Thatisprang to mind when I broughtiup Hirai. Aoyama raised an eyebrow when Iiinquired about whether heinoticed it and lightly smacked me on theihead. Hey! Dont remindime of that! Oh, so heidid see it, afteriall. His reactioniwas exactly whatiIihad expected, andiI chuckled inwardly. Everyinow and thenitheres an animal carcassilying around, butithat almost madeimy heartistop! Meitoo. It was rightiafter passing through theitunnel. Takenakaiwould have hadia stroke if heihad seeniit. Ah,ihaha, Takenaka had aihard time yesterday. Timeipassed as theiconversation carried on, and Aoyama and Iiwent aboutiour usualte-night tasks of adding and organizing merchandise, cing orders, cleaning, andithe like. Howevergwrb Thoseiguys, theyreistill there Theidelinquents were still out thereihaving fun. Ridingiaround outside all the time onitheir bikes wasia nuisance, but staying in front of the storeiwas even more disturbing. Thanks to them, not a single customer had arrived at the store sinceithen. Eveniwithin the store, the unceasingughter could be heard echoing fromioutside. Perhaps they have had a lot to drink, some of them were pping their handsiand emitting strange noises. I wasiwatching them incredulously, but Aoyamaiadmonished me, You shouldnt do anything. Its best not to be concerned about them. But thoseiguys, theyre definitely the onesiwho litter. It cant beihelped. Theice is what it is, and sometimes there are peopleilike that. piomg4r Iididnt get what he was talkingiabout, but I didnt want to get involved, so Iistopped gawking at them. That wasimy thought, but unfortunately, thereiwas still trash to be disposed of, so Iigathered up the trashiand stepped out of the safe zone of the storeiand into the danger zone. Theihot and humidiAugust nightiwind swept over me, and Iiwas almost staggered by the sound of vulgarughterithat stimted my eardrums. Oh, the staffiising out.grh3 What theihell, did youe here toin? Nheless, Iiignored itpletely and wentiaround to the rear side of the store. Oh, if I hadibeen a little stronger in a fight, I would haveiprotested without hesitation. Goodigrief Being youngimust be good Toibe able toido anything and have fun, even if youiwere aggravating peopleiwithout even realizing it, must beia blessing in a sense. Whatia breath of fresh air itiwould be if I could say it to them. Impossible, though. I walkedito the buildings back with aiibegan to set in. Afteriall, listening to that foolishiieven a millimeter of the harshness of society you should be working, damn you! Theispark that wasisteadily igniting inithe pit of my stomachicooled off when Iireached the garbageidumpster in theibackiof the store. Previous Next Content Chapter 8.3: Hirais Secret III Chapter 8.3: Hirais Secret III Na-oh. Trantor: MadHatter Thatimottled patternedicat was there. Myithoughts becameidownright disorganized atithat moment. Howicould thaticat be in a ce likeithis Seatedibefore the garbageidumpster, its eyes glinting amidst theidarkness, itsitail wagging slowlyiin a steady rhythm, itiwas without a doubtithe cat that hadibeen stood in frontiof the white caticarcassst night, staringiat me withia grudging look embedded iniits eyes. Naa-oh.Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Itsivoice wasiuncanny to theipoint that goosebumpsirose on myiskin. Itiwas far from a normal meow. Couldia cat purr likeithis? Naaaah.fubeiow Likeiyesterday, it openediits mouth wideiand meowed inirm, which was evidently peculiar. Whatiwas thisicat trying to convey toime? However, itiwas beyondimy capacity toigrasp whatithe cat was saying toime, andiwhy did itiappear in front of meiagain after yesterdays urrence? I mean, thisiwasistrange. Theithought that somethingisinister was about toiensue naturally sentitremors through myibody, and Iithrew the garbageibag I was carrying into the dumpster and left theice. Iireturned to the frontiof theistore, feigningposure as though nothing hadihappened, but perspiration drenched myihands, my pulse wasiracing, and by all ounts, I was not calm. Thei25-year-old freeter was pathetically reassurediby the brightness of the store. Whatianiembarrassment.fweg4 I heavedia small sigh thaticouldnt be heard. The delinquentsiwere still hanging outiin front of theistore. Theyiwere too muchiof a nuisance for heavens sake, hurryiup and disappear. While experiencing a strangeisense of fatigue, Iitook a big detour aroundithe delinquents hangoutiand walked to theientrance of theistore. Oh, thatireminds me. Theicat I ran over isistill there, right? Theivoice I identallyiheard from behind me brought meito an involuntary halt. Ah thatiwhiteicat, right?fwe Its dposing quickly, isnt it? The fliesiwere swarming all overiit. It wasipretty gross, huh!! Haha! Plus, itistunk! Holdionfegqw Thaticonversation. It couldnt befewq Haha, it wasiwrong of it to leap out in front of us, that was likeiasking us to run over it! Kahaha! Catsinowadays are dumb, they are too carefree! Aha! Oneiof themughed and several others caught on and began tough asiwell. No way.Not shared on aggregator websites Theseiguys ran over it They raniover that cat that was at theitunnel exit Theseiguys were theiones who ran overithat cat. How could they beughing after havingirun over that cat? Theseipeople wereiinsane. Its not like I raniover anybody. Whoicares about that? the maniwith the shy-colored head spatiout. Hearingithat, my face heatediup as if my blood was rushing to myihead. These guysiqd3uw Iiwasnt a cat lover, nor was I aimember of any animal rightsigroup. I didntihave anyiinterest in what theseiguys were talking aboutibut Asilong as itiwas not aiperson theyiran over, they wouldnt careiabout it? I couldnt bear to ignoreithat with themughing thisiway. That white catiwas reduced to a miserable mess. Besides theithought that because of these people, Iiwas being haunted by that creepy catiwith the mottled pattern and getting embroiled in another nefarious situation made me irrationally aggravated. I had noiclue why the cat was showing upibefore me, nevertheless, it was theseiguys that the catishould be resenting, not me. What was unquestionable was thatithese delinquents raniover that white cat, incurring the wrathiof the mottled patterned cat. The fact that theyiwereughing it off oblivious to all of thisisparked a silent fit of indignationiin my chest. Oi, you, whatiareiyou listening to?gr3 Aislight painiwas felt in theiback of myihead, and thenian aluminum canistruck the concrete ground and tumbledidown. That aluminum can wasihurled at theiback of my head. No, youTrantor: MadHatter Youibastard! What the hell wereiyou doing! I intendedito yell at himibut I lost that inclination immediately after turningiaround. Becauseieach of the dozen oriso delinquents was staring at me, their eyes ring. Evenimore so, they were all wearing aniaura as if they were ready to startia fight withime. Oh noNot shared on aggregator websites As Iiretreated, a man who seemed to be the leader of theigroup approached me, swaying his body and shoved me on the shoulder vigorously. Anyone would be stunned by such an abrupt action, and Iiinstantly forgot my rage and let my heart skip a beat. This guy may be younger than me butihis height was insanely tall! Oi, you were justieavesdropping on us, werent you? Right? I couldnt sayiyes, so I clenched my teeth and heldione of my arms to protect the shoulder that hadibeen pushed away. Perhaps this actioniwas interpreted as defiance, the leaderiof the group furrowed hisibrow deeply and cameiat me forcefully. It was agonizing to be seized by the chestiwith all his force, and I unconsciously turned my face awayiin difort when he blewihis rough breath, which reeked of alcohol, at closeirange. Goodigrief such people who have been drinking were trulyiawful. What? Doiyou have something toiistore staff, dont youidare listen to our conversation! If youihave something to say, why dont you tryisaying it!? Notionly did the man whoigrasped me by the chest raise a ruckus but the cronies behindihim did as well. Theseiguysfwe4th Withoutiibunch. I detested these people, I absolutelyiabhorred them. Withoutieven having a job, they gathered like-minded individuals and incited uproariwithout even being aware of theitrouble they were wreaking oniothers. Hea venrwqf Aah?fwegh Faceiheavens judgement. Theiexpression in the eyes of the man in front of me shifted as I said these words whileihe gripped me by the chest. I was convincedithat I was going to beibeaten. No, I was preparedito be beaten up, and I saidithat bombshell remark thatiwould rub the delinquentsithe wrong way. Underinormal circumstances, I would have just letiit drift by, and prioritized myiown safety, even if theiresult was hard to swallow. Tonight, though, Iiwas in a foulimood. Therefore, evenithough I wouldisuffer a little pain, I decided to be a bit more honestiwith myself. Aisolid fist flew at me from diagonallyiacross me. Oi Whatiwas with that lumpy, pointed silveriring? If I tookia serious hit from thatithing. Bloodiwouldipour out from me, right? Iireflexivelyishut myieyes. Chapter 8.4: Hirais Secret IV Chapter 8.4: Hirais Secret IV Youibastardssssssss!! What are youidoing in front of theistore, youidamn kids aaaaaaaaah!! Aniunfamiliar, high-pitched voice assaulted fromithe side. Not merely me, butithe guy who wasiclutching my chestiwas taken abackiby it asiwell, and momentarilyifroze. WhatNot shared on lightnovelreader.me WheniI stretchedimy neck outifrom the mans shadowiand checked, it turnediout that Aoyamaiwas the one yellingiwith a threatening attitude at the entrance of theistore. Youiknowithe consequences if you dont get your handsioff of him ationce, dont you, youigreenhorn!? I mean, itiwasiAoyama? Asihe rediup at theibikers with the ferocityiof aibeast, hisitone, no, notisimply theiquality of hisivoice, but evenihe sounded incredibly masculine, threatening, orispirited. EveniI had toiadmit thatiAoyama was giving meigoosebumps. Whoiwasithisiperson? Notionly was I astoundedibyithe transformation of Aoyama, butiso were all theiother delinquents. Theileader of the groupisuddenly jumpediout at Aoyama, his facial muscles twitching, andihe, likewise, eximed in a tremendousivoice. What! Baldy! Youigot a problemiwith me huh!! It wasia scream imbued with ferocity. Even so, Aoyamaiyelled back, unperturbed, whichiwas remarkable. Didnt youihear me when I told youito let go of my staff, youimoron?!! Are youipicking a fightiwith me!! Youiwant me to call the policeivia S! Aah!? WheniI saw him agitating withithe delinquents, thinkingithat this was absolutely aibloodbath, itimade me wishiI could coverimy eyes, but apparently that was theideciding factor. Doiyouiwant me to press the S!! Atithe mentioniof, S, the delinquents were soiperturbed that rustleistarted to spread. Oi Isnt thisibad? If heicalls theicops Theicronies began to moriand the leaderiof the groupiclicked his tongueisharply and flungime to theiground before leaving. Letsigo.Trantor: MadHatter Withithat low, distinctlyienraged remark, all theiguys sprang into movement, straddled their bikes, andirode off one after the other. For aiwhile, soundsiof engines rumbled overithe road, but graduallyisilence descended, followediby the returniof the ever-present peace in front of theiconvenience store, despite the scattered cansiof alcohol andicigarette butts. Cleaniup the trash! Youiscum ofisociety! Nextitime you tryianything, Ill turniyou in toithe police, everyiiof you! Aoyamaispat loudlyiat them as theyisped away, butinone of them ever cameiback. O-Oriratherenhcweg Whatishould Iido? Myishaking wouldnticease. Myihipsiwent limp. Toitop it allioff, my heart throbbed soimuch thatiit hurt. Aoyamaiwas tooiterrifying. Garbageicans that bikersihad leftibehind wereyingion the groundias warm winds sweptiin. Hakamada! Areiyouiokay?! Didiyou getihurt?! Aoyama, whoihad beeniraging likeia wildibull earlier, regainedihis usual expression and carefully helpedime up withiboth hands whileiI was still on myibuttocks. Oh no, I-I amifine. Youimust haveibeen shocked. I shouldihave told you because sometimes those guysiget thingsplicated. Hah Hie.gewniojswqr32 Ohimy, can youistand?3dd Myifeet were unsteady, and evenimy voice haditurned unintelligible, leavingime in a stateiwhere I could hardlyisay I was fine. Furthermore, itiwas not onlyithe hordes of delinquentsithat were giving me the fright, but Aoyama himself asiwell. Althoughihis tone of voice and mannerisms had returned to normal, I hadinever imagined that Aoyama wouldibe so boldias to stand upito the delinquents andieven drive them away. The impactiwas so overwhelming that eveninow my facial muscles twitched. Toithink that heihad thisiaspect of him Thisiperson he was notiordinary. Theiconsternation apparently manifestediitself in my face, andiwhen Aoyamaipeeked into my face, forisome reason heiheld his cheeks withihis hands andiflushed. Oh my. Did I perhapsiscare you? R-Right Indeediso. But whyiwere you blushing? Not shared on aggregator website Iimean, If Iiam not here, youiwould have beeniin a risky position, youiknow. ew Thatiwasidefinite. Trantor: MadHatter T-Thank youivery much. Afteriall, I would haveibeen beaten upiif it werent for him. Iigaveia bow. Eveniso, that was amazingwqef Huh?gernbdr33 Iiwas genuinely bbergasted thatiyou reacted that way toward theidelinquents, Aoyama. Oh, heh, heh. Iicouldnt help but let off some momentum fromimy days inithe Self-defense Forces. Heh Self-Defense Forces Not shared on aggregator websites Self-DefenseiForces S-Self Self-DefenseiForces!? Self-DefenseiForces, you meanithat Self-Defense Forces?! Thatsiright.ewg Aoyama, youientered theiSelf-Defense Forces!? Youiwere joking, right, oi Hmm, no, wait if thatiwas true, then this muscr body ofiAoyama would make sense Howinostalgic, its been ten years, though Iiwas called theidevil squad leader, andiback then Iiused to treat my underlings harshly Woah Forireal?greb4 I was soirelentless that theyicalled meithe blue demon anditerrified them. Blueidemon. few35 Apparently, he wasibeing earnest, and Aoyama reminisced about theiold days. Really, theinight shift here had such strong characters that it stifled me, orirather Well, ratherithan saying its unexpected but if it werentifor you, I would haveibeen really wounded, thankiyou very much. No problem. Its the veterans roleito protect theineer. Aoyama.Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Besides, Hakamada, youikind of lookialike. Yes?gew32q Thatipair of nty eyes withithat person I was captivated byithat person wheniI was in the Self-Defense Forces After meeting them, my heartiturned all maiden ewg42 Itiwas a loveibeyond forgiveness Iihad no ideaiwhy but foria second, I felt aitingle down my spine, andifor some reason, I thoughtiI detectedia dubious aura that I wasnt supposed toiperceive Yeah, Iishould forget about it. Itiwould be wiseito forget it. Eveniif it was onlyifor a few moments and Iiwas almost movediby the words this person said, I shalliabsolutely forget it. For myiown sake. Comeito think of it, why did theyitry toy their hands on you? Did somethingihappen? Thatst433 I exined toiAoyama whatihad urred andithe bombshell remark I hadidered on the delinquents. Ohimy, youisaid that? Youiare quite a challenger, Hakamada. Underinormal circumstances, I wouldinever have said suchia thing! I justididnt likeiit Youididntilikeiit? Iimuttered, ring at the dimlyilit road, Those guysiran over the cat and killed it, yetithey wereughing about it. Such aithing was not something a normal human beingiwould do. Even if for anyireason, the life you killed over, you shouldifeel at least a little bad, that wasiwhat I thought Right, thatiwas what I reallyiwanted to tell them. Trantor: MadHatter Howimany timesihad I witnessed thisicat, whichihad been mutted andiwas run over, while I castia sidelong nceiat it and turnediback the way I hadiiits entrails protrudingiout of its mouth, theicat was still stuck inithe middleiof a road. The scene wasitoo gruesome, andithe bikers despicable remarksieventually pushed meiover the brink, or rather, Iicouldnt stand to watchqwr Iihad decidedito bury theicat in the surrounding bushes beforeiI started myinext part-time work. If Iiwas going toiwatch it rot away in silence anyway, I mightias well bury it.buyqw ThoughiI wasnt certainiif that would make the cat happy. Althoughia proper burial inithe ground andieven incense wouldnt be necessary, I shouldisp my hands togetheriand pray forithe soul of theicat. wqf Iireasoned itiwould be preferable to beiforced to feel horribleieach time I passediby andinot havingigrieved byianyone. Chapter 8.5: Hirais Secret V Chapter 8.5: Hirais Secret V On the followinginight. Trantor: MadHatter Inithe rear wheel of my motorcycle, I put rubber gloves, a shovel, newspaper, aitiny tin of cat food I had bought at the supermarket, and a cut and ttened piece of cardboard I had at home, and attached it tothe bike with cords. Alliof these things were prepared for mourning theicat. Afteriall, touchingithe cat with my bare handsiwas out of the question, so I had to wearigloves and carry the cat in theicardboard box. I left home early, contemtingithe cats burial. That cat I wonderediwhat happened to it. Todays weatheriwas bright and beautifulias if yesterdays dayiof incessant rain had beenia lie. After beingidrenched by precipitation and exposed to the sunlight, theicats carcass mustibe devastated onceimore, now that Iithought about it. A shudder crept through me as I imaginediit. I should hurry up and bury the cat in theisoil. As Iiapproached the exit of the tunnel, I slowed down and parked myibike where it wouldinot disturb others. Nheless Whatiwas happening?643fd Nowhereion the tunnels exit road could a cats carcass be discovered. Odd. Itiwas certainly around here I searched andisearched, yeticould not find anything thatiresembled the remainsiof a cat anywhere. Apparently, itihad been disposediof before Iiarrived. Oriperhaps someone thoughtfully buriediit. Whichever theicase, thatiwas for the best. It would be better that way thanito have it exposedihere. Althoughiit was true thatiwhat I had broughtiwith me hadiended up inivain, Iiquietly spedimy hands togetherion the spot for the moment and set off onimy motorcycle to head for the convenience store. Yoo-hoo! Hakamada! Long timeino see! Ohiyeah, I forgot toimention that myipartner for todays night shiftiwas this Hirai. Indeed, it hadibeen a long time since I hadiseen Hirai. For over a week, I hadnt seen Hirai as theischedule of our shifts was not always the same. Seeing herismile was somehow a little nostalgic. Yeah, theibust of her uniform wasistill as bulging as ever, too. Well, thatiwasnt the point. Longitime noisee, Hirai. Yeah, howihave you been? Hiraiiand I exchangedia light greeting after she left the backiroom. Iiam fine, well, a lot of things have been going on Hmm?Not shared on aggregator websites Oh, no, no, no, I am talking about myiside of the story. Didianything unusual happen to you, Hirai? Me? I am in high spirits all the time! All yeariround! But recently Iihave been diligently working on the thin book!! Hahaha youreimaking the thin book. Yeah! The festival isiaround the corner! I have been puttingia lot of effort intoithis one! I aminot cking! Wheniit is finished, I will show it toiyou! Huh, I wouldipass!! What? Why? Iiwant you toihave a lookiat it especially, Hakamada. Whats withithat? Youiwill understand it once youisee it. I thought, unfortunately, that I had be ustomed toithis unusual stringiof words as soonias I was able to follow upiwith her discourse. Right, I hadialready learned the identity of Hirai, whichihad been unknown to meiuntil recently. No After all, I dont wantito touch that kindiof genre. Until recently, Iihad no ideaiwhat this kindiof discourse entailed, noridid I have aiclue whatiHirai wasigetting excitediabout, but with the helpiof my sister, Iichecked it out onian Inte searchisite the other day. I learnedithat this behaviorwhat the general public referred to as girls like Hirai and the others who concentrated on one thing to heighten theiriexcitementwas a pathology. Hakamada, whyidont you get hooked on yaoi and be a fudanshi!! As if!! Howicould you say that with a broad smile on your face!! Iiinvoluntarilyunched a clean counterattack. Hirai, pleaseidont talk about this stuff at work, its awkward for me. Huh? I enjoy it, though, particrlyiwhen you get confused. Hah.gr4 Sorry but when I look atiyou, Hakamada, its apparent that you reekiof ying the bottom role or bullying. Hiraiiiiii?! Iimean, I am a fujoshi! Eveniwhen I am working, I amia living creature that looks for moe, you know? Iican ept anything from prepubescent boy to uncles, intense or soft, oh, and Iiam not opposed to humanoid creatures, thoughtely, I have been able to ept inorganic things asiwell Inorganic?!Not shared on aggregator websites Right. Now, this person herself had candidly unveiled herself without aishred of embarrassment. Whatiwas hidden was that Hirai Kaname, a.k.a. Lolita Big Tits Hirai, was aisplendid fujoshi who loved yaoi, whichimeant no plot, no punchlines, and no meaning,[i] in short. Amongithem, she was a fearless expert. She was aniopen fujoshi. Furthermore, she lovedithese things, rmended them, and even produced them on behalf of yaoi fans all over the country. Forithose of you who were not familiar with this, pleaseitry typing those words into the search bar. If youihad the courage and determination to take it all in, youicould do so by going to (this was important). Theidetails beyond this were too much for me to exin since it was quiteishocking. I mean, girls hadisuch horrifying thoughts; theyiwere so introspective. Whatidid she mean by humanoid and inorganic things? Whyidid you produce and sell so manyibooks of such nature duringithe summer and winter? Theseibooks are very profitable. Andiabove all, its enjoyable! When everyoneigathers together, theitopics of conversation broaden! Dont mention itiwith those sparkling eyesiof yours!
T/N: [i] Its the term for yaoi when the word yaoi itself did not exist yet in the past Chapter 8.6: Hirai’s Secret VI Chapter 8.6: Hirai¡¯s Secret VI A stand-like person, an effeminate man, and a fujoshi How intense was the night shift with all these people huh. Wasnt my presence extinguished? I dont think Im that intense. No, Hirais intensity is now one of the two highest Hirai had a smile apanying her innocent visage, and when she did so, she was typically rather endearing. On the other hand, in spite of her lovely outer appearance, underneath the surfacey a delusional and starving beast the gap between the two was nothing short of mind-blowing. Its alright not to worry, thete-night crew is naturallyprised of unique individuals, and Hakamada is already one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Individuality of thete-night shift. F-Four Heavenly Kings!? I mean, I am one of them!? Right, now that Hakamada has joined, there are finally four of us: me, Aoyama, Takenaka and you. The Four Heavenly Kings who firmly uphold this convenience store with the power of our individual personalities! No even if the three of you are unique, arent I simply an ordinary person or rather, arent I merely drifting around? Even if measured by a scale, the disparity between us was starkly evident. In the presence of all these major figures, I felt like quite an outcast. I dont possess anything exceptional. Unlike Aoyama, Icked the capacity to be solid in times of crisis, and without a guardian spirit like Takenaka, I did not have a willingness to protect others. Neither could I speak or behave amiably like Hirai. Instead, I was nothing but an obstinate guy who clung to his own will more than necessary. Was I, in that light, not merely a burden to the others? Perhaps I was dragging the three of them down and spoiling the atmosphere. Even with the help of Takenaka and Aoyama the other day and the time before that, as if it were a given, I was still being helped out. That kind of thing wouldnt serve me any good. I had to protect myself properly by my own power, right? Due to my obstinacy, I ended up staying here, yet I wondered whether I could keep on working here with these apparently outstanding people. When I was musing about this, Hirai, perhaps sensing my feelings, gave me a gentle poke on the side of the head. You dont have to put on such aplicated face. The people here wont simply regard you as an obstacle. Hirai put her hands behind her back and grinned at me. Everyone is supporting you. Because you are doing your best. Huh Working my best? Yeah. I suppose various things have changed since you came here, but you are still trying your best to keep going, remarked Hirai. When you were warned, Hakamada, I honestly thought, Ah, this person is going to resign soon. A weekter, when you were assaulted, I figured that would be the end of it. Hirai smiled wryly and added, Sorry to bring this up, but there have been countless others like yourself who have resigned after running their mouths off. But still, when I heard that you would not resign, I was stunned. For what on earth would you gain, what purpose would you serve, to persist in going on any further? It seems that the manager was not the only one who thought it was beyond foolhardy. Even now, I wonder why. It must surely have been due to your deep conviction that you couldnt quit, Hakamada. That, in my opinion, is incrediblymendable. I believe you have tenacity. We dont view people like that as a hindrance! In fact, we wish we could work together with you!! Hirai raised her fine eyebrows and told me with a keen gaze. Hirai Thats why! I hope you will join us as a fixed team soon and be apanion with whom we will share our destiny! Sharing our destiny was probably an exaggeration, though However, the meaning of Hirais words was clear to me. Thank you Hirai. Everyone here was distinctive, heading in different directions, and had their own quirks, but the positive thing about this convenience store was that it was warmer than any other ce. It was at that moment that the sound of innumerable engines pounding my eardrums at full force reverberated from a distance. This uncouth, yet aggravating sound was something I had been hearing more and more oftentely. A bad premonition came over mee on, seriously? Ugh For whatever reason, that group of delinquents who showed up two days ago, all of them, wereing over to our ce. The guys that Aoyama had driven away vigorously entered the parking lot and parked more than a dozen bikes all over the ce, upying the front of the convenience store rather than the parking lot in no time. Subconsciously, I mped my mouth shut and tried not to look at the delinquents faces. After all, such a thing had urred only two days ago. Without Aoyama, it would have been a catastrophe. Those guys must have memorized my face, of course. This was undesirable today, I was with a girl, though. If anything happened No, no, dont be subservient. Even if Hirai protected me, my standing as a man would be obliterated. Settle yourself down, for the time being. Well, for the time being, I supposed. While desperately trying topose myself, the automatic door opened and I identally locked eyes with the huge man who entered with the chime, who was apparently the head of the gang! Y-Yikessssss! Anyway and if anything were to go wrong, I would call s without hesitation!! Hirai looked at me with concern, as I was obviously attempting to maintain a normal demeanor, but I couldnt. Hakamada? Are you okay? Youre sweating profusely No problem. No problem at all Really? Are you sick? I was alright. I was absolutely alright. If you were going toe, thene, you delinquents. I promised I wouldnt screw up like I did the other day, and that I would protect Hirai. Even so, fighting was something I had been weak at since I was a student, and I wanted things to go as peacefully as possible, which was truly pathetic. After the hordes of delinquents began rummaging through the store, I was motionless as if I were an ornament, and Hirai was standing at the cash register, looking perfectly at ease. My words couldnt flow out easily and as I was making eye contact with her eyes, a smile spread across Hirais features as she took a few steps toward me, stood upright, and whispered in my ear, I heard from Aoyama. That you got into a dispute? Oh you knew that. Aoyama, damn you, did you tell her that I got embroiled in this? Haha, I dont mind. Running into a drunk or an exhibitionist is amon urrence. Aoyama said so as well. Yeah, I have heard about this, but I have never encountered these people before. They are the ones who have been the subject of recent rumors. Indeed, they Hirai shrugged when she noticed what was going on outside. They must be a nuisance, then. Yeah. A lot of people are out there. It must be surprising to be surrounded by that many people. Are you afraid? When I asked her, sheughed and replied, I wonder but I am used to molesters and stalkers. What!? Such a thing I see, of course It was impossible not to be targeted with that body of yours, Hirai I mean, hold on a second. Are you alright? Yeah, I am fine. Even if someone attempts to do something to me, things get resolved unexpectedly. So far, everything has been fine. I-I see Are you worried? Thats because youre a girl. Thanks. Hakamada, youre so kind. Should anything arise I will manage it somehow, even though I may be unreliable Thats not true! Haha, I will be relying on you. I was sincerely apologetic for not being reliable. Thanks to the conversation with Hirai, my nerves eased somewhat, and we seeded in getting the delinquents out of the store uneventfully. As expected, it was painful to receive their stares while working at the cash register, but they did not attempt to interfere with me inside the store because of Aoyamas warning and the fact that the security cameras were in operation. I did witness some of the underlings cooperating diligently around the snack shelf and the liquor section to shoplift, though I swear, these guys were shoplifting after seeing todays night shift members. Despite my indignation, I was prepared to bow down to the manager at ater date, as Hirai was present today as well, so I turned a blind eye to the situation this time. Those guys smelled funny, Hirai muttered to herself as they went outside and gleefully gulped down their drinks. Smell funny? Well, they look filthy, they smoke, and they dont look like they bathe properly, and some of them must stink Besides, it was summer now. Haha, being mentioned by a girl they were smelly. Iughed slightly, and Hirai tilted her head and growled a little. Yeah Its not that kind of smell, its more like a strange smell. Strange? Rather than saying it smells fishy it smells rotten, like a putrid odor Putrid odor? The moment I heard that, I nearly linked it with a certain thing. No There was no way there was a connection to that. People usually dont smell like that, how strange. Hakamada, do you have a clue? I can think of a few clues. I see Hirai made a gesture as though she were mulling over something while cing her index finger lightly on her lips. While I didnt have a clue about what Hirai was thinking, she, like Takenaka, was a person of substantial power. She might have sensed something. Is something going to break out? Dont worry. If it does, Ill take care of that side. Hirai gave me a reassuring look and gave me a gentle tap on the shoulder as if to alleviate my uneasiness, but then she tightly closed her mouth, looked at the delinquents, and ceased to say anything for a while. Previous Next Content Chapter 8.7: Hirai’s Secret VII Chapter 8.7: Hirai¡¯s Secret VII Itiwasialmost time to dispose of the garbage, I thought as I nced at my watch, but those guys were still lingering outside, showing no signiof leaving. ThoughiI didnt want to suffer the same fate as two days ago this was inevitable. I had no other choice but to do it WheniI was about to leave the counter after reaching a rather major decision, Hirai went out first. Wait,iHirai! Ill doiit today. Hakamada, wait here. No, no, no, isnt itiusually me who should be doing this! As for you, Hirai Fretinot. Its fine. Thoseiguys have been drinking and they will undoubtedly mess with you. I appreciate your concern for me, but Hira, you are a woman! Shouldithey attempt any action when youihead to the rear Likeiwhat? No youisee. If theyigathered around, they would likely snap Hirais slender arms. Asia man here, I should TheniHakamada, youll have to save me coolly at that point. Thats notithe point! Hirai! Please understandime! Thankiyou! But you know, together with Aoyama, even I am experienced at fending off people like that. They are probably secretly waiting for you toiiwas halfpelled to let Hirai take care of the trash. Seeingiher waving her hands idly from outside, I decided to keep an eye on them from inside the store to see if they were behaving in any strange ways. Even if Iinodded in agreement with what Hirai said, I couldnt simply leave it all up to her. Should those guys dare to get even a little bit closer to her, I would be prepared for a catastrophe and stormiout of the store. Thatithought was fleeting, though, as the delinquents began to behave in a distinctly odd manner when they spotted Hiraiing back from the rear of the building. Overiandiover again, they kept staring at Hirai and wearing smirks and sickening smiles on their faces. Theseiguys were up to something Iifelt it intuitively. Iirapidly leaned over the counter and called out to Hirai with a hand signal as she walked by. Before she could notice, the men pinned her on both sides and one of them swiftly gripped her arm. Ohino Iimed myself and ran out of the store like a shotgun. Hey! Whatiare you doing! Stop it!! Hiraiiand the delinquents immediately turned around at the sound of my ridiculously loud voice. If onlyiI had been as powerful as Aoyama, but unfortunately, this was all I was capable of. Withia single-minded determination to protect Hirai, I quickly stepped in between her and the delinquents to separate them. Thankigoodness My relief was short-lived when a delinquent, who was about a head taller than I was, intervened and confronted me. Whatithe hell, you!! Ugh Myiheart nearly burst out of my mouth even though it was only a voice Eveniso, I couldnt afford to be defeated at this point. Neither Aoyama nor Takenaka were here today! Whoa, leave the girl out of this! Hurry up and leave! Youre causing a nuisance! Although Iinibbled at him like a loser, I felt as if I had set up this dialogue losing g myself. Theidelinquent in front of me tilted his head low andughed in his characteristically condescending manner. Its not hurry up and leave, its please leave, right? Youre a staff member, and were customers, right? Why dont you speak respectfully? Is that the right attitude to take toward a customer? Hearingithis, several people burst outughing. Theseiguys were getting on my nerves. Were just teasing you a little bit, arent we? We wouldnt want to end up in the hands of the cops too, I mean, theres no security cameras outside, so Thereiwas no evidence, huh? Atithe same time one of them broke into a suspicious smile, a massive impactnded on me from the side, knocking me to the concrete floor. Hakamada! Trantor: MadHatter Aiscream emitted from Hirai. It hurts!Not shared on aggregator websites Theiunexpected blow caused me to bite the inside of my mouth vigorously, and the taste of blood was spreading in my mouth. WheniI hurriedly suppressed the edge of myimouth and raised my head, I found the leader of the group looking down at me with an expression that exuded ferociousness. Whoithe hell are you? Who the hell do you think you are to stare at us like that? Do you have a problem? Huh? Iired at the leader, who was cussing at me in an overbearing tone, as though I could at least put up a fight, but I was thoroughly overwhelmed by them. Theyipointed their fingers at my unpresentable appearance and sneered at me in a vulgar tone of voice. Howiiwaspletely underestimated by them and my patience was nearingiits limit. Howicould you be so brazen when society despised you all the time? What was it that allowed you to do what you pleased? Theione whosme which one of us is? Ah? Forgetiit. It didnt matter what would ensue. If youre frustrated, whyidont you try riding your bike alone, or drinking alone heh you cant handle anything if you dont flock together, can you? Holdion, Hakamada! Evenithough Hirai tried to stop me, I did not relent. Theseiguys set my freeter spirit on fire. Freeter, freeter, freeter Iiwas mistaken for a NEET, but I wasnt high and mighty like an employee. Even so, I was still working.42r I worked like hell.e432 I earnedimoney, you know. Even if I was terrified of specters, I was still working hard. Atiany rate, I was working. Andiyou guys, who could only disturb your neighbors like that, shouldnt beughing at me like a big shot. Dont be so proud of your victory. If youve got time to blow exhaust fumes, go work for the society Dontilook down on freeter.2312e Dontilook down on freeter2e1s Dontilook down on freeter!!432r Workifor the societyyyyyyy!! Areiyou out of your mind!? The delinquents thought I was nuts but I shouted from the bottom of my heart with the intention of being terrific. No more, enough already. If you didnt like it, go ahead and beat me up. In any case, that was all you could do, you fool. I was likewise a big fool for letting my emotions explode and snapping at these people, though. I clenched my teeth in anticipation of the next impact. Ah. I felt like Iihad experienced this scene somewhere before. This was deja vu You guys are so loud Shut up already. The voice of Hirai was emanating at the same time as the delinquents fist was approaching me, yet something seemed off. Hirai? Something was reflected in my vision. Squish Aisoft thing fell right in front of me, and then something descended from above. And then it fell onto the concrete ground. It wasiso out of the blue that nobody could grasp the situation, and the air froze. Even the delinquents stared at it in silence, and I was equally astonished and failed to recognize it for what it was. I looked at the ground directly with my eyes wide open. What Iisaw could be described in a nutshell It was very soft and reddish-ck. My brain analyzed it by itself. A soggy, crumbled mass of flesh. And yet it stung my nose, it smelled so foul, but vaguely. Itileft a trace of something Itiwas so hideous that I wanted to avert my eyes. Oh oh Theiinstant the identity of the falling object became clear, an inexpressible sense of dread began to well up. Nobodyiwould have ever expected such a thing to fall. Inifront of the group leader and mey the carcass of a cat that had been run over a few days earlier and reduced to decaying, unmodified flesh. Oiiwhat the Theileader made a face as if he were staring at filth, demonstrating that he apparently understood what that thing was as well. Disgusting Itiwas understandable that he wanted to say so. Theiputrid smell pierced my nostrils. What burst out of its mouth and abdomen was unappealing at first sight. The eyeballs melted away and leaked out, creating the impression of a zombie. Even the delinquents were horrified by the sight of such a thing falling from above their heads. When I arrived at work, the catwhich shouldnt have been on the roadwas here. Why was it here? I thought it was buried, what the hell. Thisiwas Whoa!?Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Aisingle person screamed and several people moved away from there. Thisithing is Alive Aicat carcass that had descended. Itiwas a soggy lump of flesh, it couldnt have been alive, it shouldnt have been but Forisome reason, its ripped chest was slightly rising and falling as if it were breathing, and its rotting, foul-smelling organs were twitching and wiggling. Thisiwas impossible, one might argue, but everyone present witnessed it: the unbelievable sight. Theibizarre and chilling sight of a supposedly dead animal moving as if it were still alive. This is the cat we ran over, isnt it Whyiis it moving, isnt it long dead?! Theicronies, whose faces were screwed and who were making a scene of their own ord, were the first to fill with panic at the absurd phenomenon. With noiclue of what was unfolding, I was on the brink of panic as well. My breathing grew erratic with each twitch of the cat carcass. Again WasiI getting caught up in the same thing asst time? Thatiwas when I started to feel nauseous from the realistic sounding contractions of its internal organs. Ugh, eeee.! Theileader of the group before me abruptly began to vomit. He twisted his stomach as though in agony, bent his knees, and puked heavilyion the concrete. Oh aug ugh. Theileader, whose tongue was sticking out of his mouth and whose body was convulsing violently, did not seem to be disturbed by the sight of the grotesque cat carcass but was in an abnormal state by all ounts. Heavens judgement Iirecalled the words I spat at him. Heavens judgement. Indeed.32refwd Thisiwas heavens judgement. Theiscreaming and thrashing around on the concrete made the delinquents even more agitated, and none of them wanted to cover their open mouths. All of us wereiengulfed by a pleasant night breeze that swept through the copse. Oneiof them eventually gave in and jumped on his motorbike, which heunched in a panic, issuing a bizarre shriek, screaming at the top of his lungs. Perhapsiinfected by terror, the cronies fled the scene in a panic. Oi this is bad. Itiwasnt me, I didnt run over! Theitwo closest to the leader of the group were thest to leave, but perhaps ufortable with the sight of the leader vomiting all over the concrete and dripping gastric juices from his mouth, the two men supported him and dragged him onto the bike, without even turning around to look at us. Onlyia bizarre scene lingered in the vicinity of the convenience shop after the bikers who had stormed off had departed. Food theyihad scattered, cigarette butts, vomit mixed with gastric juices, and a cat carcass that descended out of nowhere. For aiwhile, words failed toe out of my mouth. Theicat carcass at my feet was a stench, but it was nothing more than a dposing mass; it was as if everything that had transpired before had been a delusion. Theiscene earlier no, but I certainly saw it. Iiwatched this carcass, its protruding entrails moving faintly. Noimatter how long time passed, my heart was still pounding furiously. Ill haveito clean it up. WheniI heard Hirais voice, which sounded as if nothing had transpired, and turned around in dread, I noticed her cocking her head and exhibiting a slightly troubled expression on her face before it went back to her usual serene expression. Previous Next Content Chapter 8.8: Hirai’s Secret VIII Chapter 8.8: Hirai¡¯s Secret VIII Ill bury it for you now. Fromithen on, it took us about an hour to thoroughly clean up the area around the convenience store. Theiwhole process wasiover by the timeithe sky had turned faintlyiwhite. Hiraiispoke softly to the caticarcass that was still lying on theiconcrete. Carefully, Iimoved the cat carcass, which seemed to be on the verge of disintegrating, intoia cardboard box Iihad brought with me and wrapped it in newspaper. I handedia pair of rubber gloves to Hirai, who unhesitatingly attempted to proceed with heribare hands. As the cat wore a seemingly anguished expression, an indecipherable feeling suffused me while I watched Hirai pull the entrails out of the cats mouth, which would normally be repulsive to do so even with gloves on. The two of us carried it away, and since it was not possible for us to leave the ce for a long distance, we decided to bury it in a copse near the convenience store. Hirai dug with her hands while I dug with a shovel, and somehow a hole big enough to bury the cat in was created. Um earlier, about that. Beforeiburying the cat, I asked the question I had been meaning to inquire. Nheless, there was no way I could say, Was that your handiwork, Hirai? I halted my words. Hirai doing that kind of thing was out of the question. Huh? What? Its nothing. Please forget about it. I shall forget it as well. What I witnessed at the time, though, was absolutely outrageous, a carcass moving. Neither I nor the group leader who threw up in front of a multitude of people was the most pitiful person in this predicament. Rather, it was this cat that had been run over. Whethericurses existed was a mystery to me, but now I wondered if it might have been the cats cry of grief and suffering. Sinceithat incident, I had learned to recognize that certain things in this world were beyond the scope of exnation, and I had been gradually confronted with their existence. Therefore, I supposed such things do happen and not only to human beings. Do you know why this cat came descending out of nowhere or why it happened Hirai? When I said that I wanted to confirm one thing, she responded, Hold on silently, touching a section of scrunchie that held her hairiin ce. Yeah. Sort of. I see. Doiyou want to hear it? No Well, even if you heard it, it wouldnt be interesting. Hirai youre a lot more steady than your appearance. Isithat so? Yeah. I mean, in that atmosphere, the only one who could stand there without batting an eysh was you, Hirai. Because I had a bad premonition. Excuse me, I misunderstood you, Hirai Youre a hundred times tougher than I am. Didiyou think I was going to cry? Uhrfd v Hakamada? If you assume that I am an ordinary fujoshi, youre in for a world of pain, you know? Whatido you mean by that? Thatiwill be left to your imagination. Aifull smile apanied Hirais words, which was not something anyone who was about to bury a dposing cat would ever show. Thisiperson truly was a character of an enigma. She was elusive, or rather, seemed to have a backstory or two. Nevertheless, her eyes were always fixed in a straight line, and she could see right through peoples hearts. As if she could see right through you. Although different from Takenaka, I was actually a little bit bad at handling this type of person. Beforeiputting the cardboard down into the hole and covering it with soil, I took out a can of cat food I had prepared and tried to bury it in the hole with the cardboard. Isithat for the cat? While I took it out casually to avoid being noticed, Hirai caught sight of it and I promptly dropped it down into the hole. Iifound it in the house. A falsehood. e2dcf I figured I might as well offer this much It died in such a way. Iithought it would at least be a small constion. Andithen Hakamada, you are truly a kind man. Beingicalled that, I didnt know what kind of face to present. Noewdc Fufu, youiusually act obstinate in that way, but youre extremely kind at the root and have an adorable personality. Adorable Youicant leave the cat alone, right? Thatiwas Hey, Hakamada. ? Ive beeniwondering. Ever since a while ago why have you been crying? Huh Inia huff, Iitouched my cheeks and found a cold stream running down them. Furthermore, arge amount of it was flowing from both of my eyes. What was this?Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Was I crying?e3dc Why?2efw Dripping, dripping. Such onomatopoeic words matched the situation well. Thatiwas how much I was weeping. This sounded like a lie but I was utterly oblivious to this. Until Hirai told me, I never realized that something like that was leaking out of my eyes. Iiwasieven more confounded than Hirai, who had mentioned it to me. Why were there tears? Despite my efforts to stop the tears, they wouldnt cease easily. Likeia broken faucet, a stream of tears trickled down my cheeks in session. Why hey, what is this Iitried rubbing my eyes with my arms to no avail, it just wouldnt cease. The tears kept overflowing. Howistrange, I mean, this wasnt something that would bring me to the point of crying, and I didnt even know what I was crying about. In the first ce, I was not sad right now but Eachitime a tear would trickle down my cheek, from the corner of my eye or from the top of my eye, a vulnerable choking feeling would descend upon me. Thisiemotion was Hakamada? Tearsiwere overflowing so much that my vision was clouded. With my head dizzy and my body feverish like when I caught a cold, I found myself breathing heavily with much movement on my shoulders. Itididnt hurt. Even though it wasnt hurting, I got down on both knees in that spot. Howistrange, how strange, how strange. Whatiwas happening? Are you okay? Whats wrong? Thisimay sound nuts but Forisome reason, an emotion was going through inside of me right now that wasnt mine. That feeling was invading me more and more, forcing me to shed tears on its own, as if it was manipting me from the inside out. No matter how hard I tried to resist it, I just couldnt. The feeling of sorrow was overwhelming that my tears were unceasing. Inidisarray, I tried to say something, only to find that my words wouldnt elicit the desired response, leaving me in tears and with my mouth agape. Whatiwas going on? What was I supposed to do? WhileiI was aware that these tears were not my own, this sorrowful emotion that pushed me to shed tears uncontrobly grew and swallowed me up. Eventually, my consciousness began to fade slightly as I sensed a darker feeling developing. Hiraiipeeked at me, her face close to mine. Not good. Atithat intuitive thought, my left arm shot up at tremendous speed and mmed into Hirais thin, white neck right in front of me, seizing her. Ugh, Hakama da ugh!? Notionlyithat, my left arm gripped Hirais neck arbitrarily, exerting itself even more forcefully. Itiwasime doing this, yet it wasnt me. ThoughiI didnt want to, my body moved regardless of my wishes. Iitightened my grip on Hirais neck. Surprise, and then a pained expression crossed Hirais countenance. Myifingers wrapped around her neck, causing me to be impatient. My voice was inarticte and I struggled to stop it but was out of my control. Fromithe tips of my toes to the tips of my whorls, my whole body was paralyzed, or perhaps I was simplycking any strength at all. Rather, I doubted whether this was my own body, and while I was conscious, I was unable to move freely. Cough, ah. Sheicoughed in pain and made an effort to yank my hand away, but Hirais strength didnt phase me at all. No, no, no.24grefvd Stopiit. Trantor: MadHatter Pleaseistop.32t3 Againstimy strong desire to do so, contrary to my feelings, my right arm slowly rose this time. Aifeeling of inexpressible trepidation crept into my head as my body shifted helplessly on its own. Ratherithan a voice, words floated into my head arbitrarily. Unforgivable Again Detest Human Detest Unforgivable! Theiwill of something outside of myself was unfolding in my head. Unforgivable Unforgivable Human! Human! Theipain wasias if I wasibeing thrust by a sharp object. I could feel it Anienormous, ck, negative emotion. Of immeasurable enmity Theikillingiintent Ugh, ugh!! Aidark, brooding feeling of vindictiveness dominated my body and consciousness. Theiithis rate, she would suffocate. Stop itttt!! Iiforcedimy mouth, which couldnt move to move, and desperately strained out my voice, which wouldnt issue out. Clenching my rear teeth to resist, I tried to bend my arm toward the unthinkable direction with all my strength, ready to have my arm bone snapped. Whatiwasigoing on was beyond my rationality but I was not in a state of normalcy. Some unknown entity was controlling me. Iiwasipossessed. Inithisistate, that must be the case. Takenakaitold me this before. In a ce of this kind, many souls got swallowed up by negative energy and failed to move forward were staying there. Such souls sought to possess living things in order to find a ce to stay or to be relieved of their own regrets. [Inisuch cases, you absolutely cannot give yourself over to them.] Resistithem at all costs and separate them from your body, I learned this from Takenaka. Sometimesithings would work out if your heart was not defeated, but Iicouldnt do anything Right, I was different from Takenaka and had no power to contend with the others. Eveniso, if I gave up at this point, I would strangle her to death. Thatikindiof thing, never!! At that moment, I felt one of my grasping arms separated, and in the ensuing instant, it found something and gripped it. Iiwent pale as the can of cat food, solidly held in my right hand, lifted high into the air. Whatithe hell were you nning to do with that can Theicans edges glistened as my arms trembled. Hey, stop it. Stopiit, dont use that thing on Hirai StopiitNot shared on aggregator websites If you hit her with it Hi rai!! Evenithough a scream rang out, my arm swung down unrelentingly. Myiscream reverberated through the copse. Perhapsitheitears that welled up from both of my eyes had been mine. Previous Next Content Chapter 8.9: Hirai’s Secret IX Chapter 8.9: Hirai¡¯s Secret IX Dont get cocky. Trantor: MadHatter Aivoiceias piercing and icy as ice was emitted, and my right arm and left arm, which tightened her neck, were simultaneously seizediwith immense force. Ugh. Not shared on aggregator websites WheniI lifted my tear-stained face and gazed ahead, what should have been an expression of anguish on Hirais visage was instead staring atime with eyes so pratingly sharp and upturned that Iicould have sworn she was someone else. Hirai wfeudcgy Foriaisplit second, the strength in my arms that had been locked into position loosened. Sheididnt overlook that and took advantage of the slightest opportunity to yank my left hand away from her neck and firmly thrust bothimy arms all the way back. Perhaps asia recoil, the scrunchie that she used to tie up her hair tumbled to the ground, and her lustrous hair wasiundone. Theiflowiof air had shifted, and the aura that Hirai d herself in had changed. Then something within me, too, halted its movement. Isntiit time to give him a break? Thatiguy had no bad intentions after all. Withimy arms restrained, Hirai remarked in a masculine tone. Dontistay here any longer, ept your death and pass away peacefully. Sheiwas speaking through me as if she was trying to subdue something. Nevertheless, both of my arms regained strength and I was straining to release her arms that were restraining me. Eveniso, Hirai kept my arms in her grasp, not releasing them. EveniI could feel the fury, the grudge, and the grief igniting once again. Not good I couldnt suppress them myself. Hirai Dontitalk, amateur. Withia snap, she opened her mouth andiI fell silent. Yeah, thats good, just shut up for a while. Iniaddition, Iiwas forced to clear my head and refrain from dwelling on tangential matters, and my expression hardened in my half-unconsciousness. Such an absurd She subsequently deliberately withdrew her hand from the arm that was restraining me and clutched my forehead and temple area solidly. Theislightipain produced like a man was gripping me, and my body jerked up abruptly. Hirai, whatiexactly were you Beiatirest by releasing your rage, resentment, suffering, and sorrow. Stayingihere will only bring you more suffering. Listen, get away from his body littleiby little and release yourself Ill convey your emotions properly to him and makeia memorial service for you so dont worry Liberate yourself. Again, floodsiof tears were overflowing from my eyes and falling down. Myiheadishook on its own. Itiwas a sign that persuasion was refused. Nheless, sheicontinued to speak without a change in her expression. Dontibeiselfish. Onceiyoure dead, theres nothing you can do about it, I know its tough, but thats the rule. This is not an ideal ceifor you, either. Initime, youiwill lose your ego and be absorbed into this spiritual maic field. Youiwont be able to pass away peacefully then, even if you could. Isithatifine with you? Iishook my head again at her threatening question. Youican still make it now. Youican still attain Buddhahood and be born anew. Do not stay here and harbor any more grudges against others. Theianguish you have experienced will all be erased, and the disgrace and sorrow you have suffered will be healed. Myiheadiwas about to twitch in response to these words, but this time, rather than the ck and red emotions of wrath and resentment, a sudden wave of mncholy overcame me. Tears ran down my cheeks one after another as I sobbed and felt as though my eye bags were going to be emptied. Theifeeling of sadness, sorrow, and inevitability. Itiwas the most intense feeling I had ever experienced. Afterithat, Hirai released her hold on my temple and, this time, she ced her palm on my head and began to stroke it gently. Iisee, you had a family Myihead moved vertically as I nodded. Itsisad and hard to separate from them Aimoan escaped my mouth. Youicant leave your family behind but you know, if you curse people here and be an evil spirit, you will forget the family you left behind and wont be able to leave this ce for eternity Wouldnt you hate that? Myihead shook again. If so, itiwould be better for you to attain Buddhahood and be born again into this world. You died in such a dreadful way but there is no doubt that you might return to life and be born again as a cat if you wish. Theniperhaps you could be reunited with your family. Now, whichiwould you prefer? Hirai removed her hand from my head and let the choice be made. Either remain in this ce and turn into an evil spirit, or liberate themself, attain Buddhahood, and be reborn. Not shared on lightnovelreader.me Beforeilong, the raging emotions that had been brewing like a storm had receded. The grief had faded as well. The strength that had been in myibody rxed somewhat, and the tears that had continued to overflow furiously, gradually subsided Myileft arm faltered as I sniffled, flimsily clutching Hirais arm. Afteria short period of silence, my vision went into total darkness and my eyes were closed. Oh, Iiget it Lets do that. Amidstithe darkness, Iithought I heard Hirais voice, and like a balloon being deted, I felt something slowly slipping out from myiback to my waist, from inside to outside. In conjunction with this, the dull sensation became vivid. Afteria while, my body, which felt as if it had been encased in heavy lead, became sluggish and moved of its own volition. AlthoughiI did not lose consciousness, wheniit was all over and the long, drawn-out night had dawned, I copsed to the ground in a heap, powerless. Beforeithe soul of the cat slipped out of my body, I closed my eyes and Iiwantitoigo. Iiwasisure that I could hear that in my head.
Theiwhite cats carcass, which had beenid to rest by Mr. Hirai, was now ready for burial. Weireturned to the convenience store. Theisun was about to rise, and warm rays of sunlight shone through the copse, illuminating us. Atst, dawn arrived. Itihad been a long night even so, the dawn always emerged, and the sun undoubtedly rose. Aroundimy eyes, which must be puffy from all the tears I had wept, tingles and itches burned. Whileibasking under the rays of the rising sun, I nced at Hirai standing next to me, her arms folded with her eyes still tightly nted. Whatiare you looking at? Sheired at me as if biting me. H-Hirai Iihad been wondering this for a while but what in the world But, well, for the time being. Thankiyou very much For saving me. Hiraiisnickered andughed, then caught me by the chest and pulled my face forcefully toward her as I was unsure of what she was going to do. Dontiget the wrong idea, neer. I wasnt trying to save you. Ugh.32ewf Iicame out here because Kaname was in danger. Good grief, you are such a tricky medium that was too vulnerable. Next time, you should exercise caution. Afterisaying something iprehensible and meaningful, she released my chest. Then Give me a cigarette. What? You got one, right? Then, a light. Huh What? Dont waste my time, hurry up. Her eyes were so piercing that I was spooked, so I opened the lid of the bike seat, took a Seven Star box and a lighter from there, then handed them to her. Afterward, she told me to light it up, and I did so in front of the convenience store like a yakuza head, lighting Hirais cigarette. Lookinginext to me, I could see Hirai puffing out the smoke of her cigarette. Hey, whatiwas with this spectacle? Um, Hirai2e3 Ah? What?3ew Didiyou bump your head somewhere? Oridid something go haywire when your neck was constricted? Because this kind of Hirai was not Hirai. If you dont feel well, lets head to the hospital Ill take you there with me responsibly. When I mentioned this timidly, she chuckled with a cigarette in her mouth and regarded me with eyes that conveyed a sense of pity. What on earth was so funny? You havent noticed yet, have you? Noticed it About what? 423ew You must be thinking that I am Kaname, hahaha Wrong, youre wrong, even though I am Hirai now, I am Hirai Ayame. Huh?3edx What was this person saying? What do you mean1qa Its aisimple story, while Hirai Kaname and I seem to be one and the same person, we are not. Well, you and I have already crossed paths, right? As I recall, you were strangled by a woman at that time. That time.?23wd Right, I did remember that time. During my initial face-to-face meeting with Hirai in the middle of the night, she had the same look on her face as she carried now and spoke in this tone of voice. Whatiwas going on it hardly seemed like she was spouting a lie. It truly seemed as if she had transformed into a different person. Like her body was Hirai, but only the inner part of her body was not the same. It was as though she had a dual personality. Well, you probably dont have a clue what Im talking about, so ask Kanameter. After finishing her cigarette, she stretched out. Imigoing home. What!?32efw What? Is there anything else? Its fine, Kaname will be out soon. The wayishe said it was like someone else would take over for her on the phone. Apparently, I could no longer talk to this person, so I pulled her and asked her the most essential question, as she wore an expression so frightening that I could hardly believe she was the original Hirai. Um Whyidid that cate to me? Doiyou want to know? Despite the slightly annoyed look on her face, she gave an exnation. Youiwere targeted by that cat for two reasons: first, because you were a medium who was too vulnerable, and second, because you aroused the cats resentment. Noiway Iimean, the former was convincing but thetter didnt make sense to me. I stroked the cats resentment? I had absolutely no recollection of that. It was those guys, those bikers, who ran over that cat and killed it. Isnt it usual for that side to be resented Why me, even though I had no part in it? Even though I was the one who tried to bury the cat. The delinquents were the ones the cat despised and wanted to curse but you sowed the seeds of your own coteral damage. You mean You saw that cat and you felt sorry for it. Oh. You see? She smiled fearlessly as if to say that. Unnecessarypassion and half-hearted sympathy are what provoked that cats wrath. But thats You may have taken pity on it for all the right reasons. Honestly speaking, such creatures are not pleased to be pitied by someone who cannot even save them. Isnt it obvious that they get pissed off when someone puts a can of cat food on their table when they cant even eat it? It was a miserable way to die. The despairing sensation of suffering to the end and dying cold with their internal organs and entrails being exposed in front of another persons eyes. No human being could possibly grasp such sorrow and suffering. To show half-heartedpassion would be tantamount to vindicating their resentment. You have a propensity for being overlypassionate. But this time, it only turned out to be for the worse. Watch out, because everyone here is prone to be troublesome after death. Allpassion is not eptable, she said, for the living and the dead alike. Well, when faced with such a situation, dont show undue sympathy and simply hope that the next time you see them, they will live on safely and return to the earth. Thats all you need to do. Well, the next time you encounter one, be a decent man so that you can protect yourself. And dont send any flirtatious looks to Kaname, unless you want me to kill you. Withithatifinal chilling remark, she closed her eyes. Chapter 8.10: Hirai’s Secret X Chapter 8.10: Hirai¡¯s Secret X Onlyimereiseconds after she closed her eyes. Wheniher eyelids fluttered open once more, Ayame, as she had called herself, was no longer present. Heriexpression reverted to her usual soft one. At this instant, the original Hirai was back to her true self. Ah! Iifelt like I had a great sleep. Huh? Hakamada? H-Hi Hirai!? Withieyesiwide open and arms outstretched above her head, Hirai was indisputably Hirai. Her voice, tone, and every other aspect were reminiscent of Hirai. Notwithstanding the ws in her Japanese, she was indeediHirai. Startlediyet relieved to have her revert to her former self, I stood still, my mouth agape, while she grinned atime. Whatsiwrong? No, thisiwas not a matter of what was wrong I-I-I-Iiam sorry!! Regardlessiof me being possessed, I tightened her neck drastically. Had that person not manifested, Hirai truly would have perished. Whenever the faint handprint of mine that lingered on the nape of her neck came into view, my heart ached deep inimy chest. Dont mind it, itiwill fade away soon. Ahaha, we bothnded ourselves into a messy predicament, didnt we? Iiamitruly sorry Dontibe that downcastwere both in one piece, you know. Asimyishoulders slumped, Hirai told me to get my spirits up (?) and patted me on the back, ah I knew it, this person was undoubtedly different from the person I had just spoken with earlier. Iishould confirm that at least for now, nevertheless. Um, Hirai. Thisimay sound crazy, but who is Ayame? Theianswer was immediate when I inquired aboutiit. Huh? Oh! Thats my maman[i]. M-Ma Maman. Maman? Thatiwouldimean Yourimother!? Youiwere speaking to her, right? Earlier. Whatiexactly isigoing on? Holdion, holdion, Hirais mother, Hirais mother, earlier she Mother? WhyiHirais mother was Hirai herself? No, I mean, your mother was Hirai, and you yourself too, wait no, I didnt get a single thing! Confusionireigned in my mind as Hirai said the person who was talking to me earlier (that was likewise Hirai) was her mother. Details, please. Yeah. Youiprobably dont understand unless the exnation is given, right? Sorry, Ive been keeping it a secret until now Onceiand for all, Hirai revealed her secret to me. Theimother, Hirai Ayame, a so-called guardian spirit that protected her daughter, Hirai, periodically took over her body to keep her safe. WheniAyame possessed her, not only Hirais consciousness but her body and thoughts were in her control as well. During that time, she indeed transformed and became a different person. She did, nheless, only ever unveil herself when Hirai was in peril; otherwise, she remained aispirit by Hirais side. Thisistory was another unbelievable one but I had witnessed it with my own eyes, and apparently that was what happened. It was theiwill of a firm mother who wished to protect her daughter. So far, in spite of almost being victims of molestation, stalking, and so forth, everything was eventually resolved in a smooth flow of events. It was undeniably thanks to the advice and assistance of Hirais mother, Ayame. Incidentally, it appeared thatithe store manager and Takenaka from the convenience store were the only ones who knew about this, aside from her family. Mamanilooks and speaks in a terrifying tone, but she is in fact incredibly sweet, and always saves the day, just like she did today. Iisee Your mother loves you very much. Afterilistening to the whole story of Hirai, I finally unraveled the mystery behind the whole thing, while simultaneously feeling slightly touched by the wondrous love of her family. Indeed, when the cat that possessed me was separated from me, that person empathized with the hardship of being parted from its family while trying to persuade it to leave me. Surely, itiwas because she was in the same boat as the cat. Eveniso, even after her death, she was still protecting Hirai, her daughter. Sheikept watching out for her. She said all those things to me and then disappeared before me but I supposed everything was a form of mothers love Huh? Whatiare you talking about, Hakamada? My maman is living a normal life, you know? What!? Trantor: MadHatter Yeah, shesiatimy parents house in Hokkaido. Do you want me to show you a photo of herter? WhatNot shared on aggregator websites ordingito her story, Ayame was a well-known medium in Hokkaido, and her power was said to surpass that of Hirai and Takenaka. Everyinow and then, sheiwould ept a request to personally visit a sacred ce and subdue evil and vengeful spirits in various ces (her main job apparently was part-time at a supermarket), but what was remarkable was that she was not only purifying evil andivengeful spirits and guiding them to Buddhahood, but she was apparently so worried about her daughter who hade to Honshuithat she detached part of her consciousness and went into a semi-astralized state, and though Ayame herself was in Hokkaido, sheisent half of her consciousness toward Hirai and became a living spirit, possessing her. She was capable of performing astonishing feats that no ordinary person wouldibe able to imitate. Hiraisimothers ability to pull off such a feat astounded me considering that she was still alive and that sheiwas in Hokkaido, which was far distant fromihere. Iimean, just how worried were you over your daughter? Rather than saying amazing, or overreacting, wasnt that extreme overprotectiveness? Hirai havent youiever thought that you kind of hate it?? Hateiit? Aboutiwhat? I I see. Notwithstanding, Iifound it marvelous that Hirai, who went out to Honshu to work in thepany of her mothers living spirit until now, was equally exceptional. Iiwonder if that cat has attained Buddhahood. Yeah, itsiokay. I am confident that the cat has attained Buddhahood and is probably in heaven by now. I haveidone something wrong to that cat, havent I? Clutchingia small cat food can, I muttered to her, and she gave a subtle headshake in response. No. Its notia bad thing, because even though that feeling of yours wasnt epted, I think its a tiny act of kindness on your part. Couldibe. Iiam sure that the cat is pleased that Hakamada was the only one who tried to make a memorial service for it. Although its only a small detail, that feeling has been acknowledged. Thatiwas what Hirai told me. If thatiwas the case, I hope so Somehow, its tough, isnt it? Everythings so muchimoreplicated here. Yeah.3edc Doiyouiwant to resign? No, Iiwill carryion. Isithat so? Thatsigreat! Itsitough, and thingsilike this may ur again, but I enjoy being with these people, so I dont feel like quitting just yet. Besides, Iistill had reasons to stay. Finally, theishift ended. Hirai and I parted ways and made our way home. Withitheimorning sun streaming down on my back, Iilet out a big yawn. Perhapsidue to being possessed, Iifelt twice as exhausted as usual, so I got on my bike, drained. Neitheritomorrow nor the day after, I had no part-time job, and if I just went home and slept, I might be able to sleep for the next two full days. WhileiIiwas mulling over this, I reached that tunnel. Unexpectedly, I stepped on the brake and brought the bike to a halt. Thatimottled patterned cat was in front of the tunnels entrance. The same mottled patterned cat, which had often presented itself in front of me, was basking in the light the same way Iiwas, lookingiat me with an expression as if it wanted to say something. Yet, the cat didnt wear a resentful expression on its face likeibefore. Iidismounted from my bike, approached the cat, and ced the contents of the cat food can a short distance away from it. Withime taking several steps backward, the cat, seemingly starving, sprang for the can and began to eat it, noisily. I amisorry I could only do this, I said to the cat, which asionally licked its tongue. Try not to get run over. Stayialive for that cat. Nah-oh.e3dfv Asiif to say, I understand, the cat turned to me and purred. Afteriwaiting for the cat to finish its meal, I made sure it disappeared into the copse and it never looked back before I mounted my bike andistarted it up again. T/N: [i] Its another way of saying mother in Japanese. Though, I will be using the literal word since the depicted Hirai uses strange Japanese Chapter 9.1: A Man Drenched in Blood Chapter 9.1: A Man Drenched in Blood Giveimeia steamed azuki bun Fromithisioneiword, the worst tragedy of my lifeone of the five worst tragedies of my lifebegan to yiout. Mid-August. Dayibyiday, the heat was intensifying. Today marked another sweltering day with a maximum temperature of 35 degrees. Underithe boiling heat, my irregr lifestyle ultimately led me to suffer from summer fatigue. In recent days, the only food that passed through my throat was somen noodles. Even the wind from the faniwas unpleasant. Everyisummer rolled by without me purchasing an air conditioner, despite my constant thoughts that it would be a good idea to do so. Buying such a thing would be a nuisance to take care of and, above all, a wasteiof money. Whenithat thought crossed my mind, my sister said to me, Big brother, youre going to dry up and turn into a dried fish someday, so I pinched her and replied, You just want me to buyian air conditioner so you can have afortable Inte life, dont you? Myisister + air conditioner = outrageous electricity bill. Thatiwas obvious. Thoughiwithout joking, I reckoned it wouldnt be unexpected if I was a dried fish right now. Theiievery day in my house, I was looking for a ce that was a little cooler, and I was living an intemperate life, fueled by the fan, but Today, Iicame to a certain ce on foot, unusually, whipping my body thatined of sluggishness. Noiparticr reason existed, simply because I felt like it. Forithat reason, I stepped into a cemetery behind a temple, which was far from the localmunity. Perhaps the trees nted surrounding the cemetery emitted a lot of negative ions, or probably the air was appropriately cool, which was a sce that a fan could not deliver. It was incredible that it was cooler outside than at home. I was d I stepped out of the house. Iiwondered if there were many other people around this time of the year. The vast cemetery was vacant, with only a monk sweeping the floor in the corner. When the monk saw me, he gave a light bow to me. Itsiquite hot, isnt it? Trantor: MadHatter Iireplied with a small, Oh, hello. Fromithe water drawing ce, I borrowed a pail anddle to fetch some water, and bought a bundle of incense sticks. At the entrance to the cemetery, I carefully confirmed that no one was really there. Iisearched among the many rows of gravestones. Tombiof the Hyuga family. Thereiit was Not shared on aggregator websites Aibouquet of lovely, fresh flowers. Not a single weed had sprouted, and the grave showed signs of having been meticulously tended to. Visitingitheigrave. Aivisit to a gravesite by myself, I thought to myself, would not suit me. Butireally, just somehow I decided to drop by here. Whetheriit had to do with the conversation I had with Kinoshita the other day, or with the photo I happened to stumble upon in the closet was unclear butiI was drawn to this ce, and I ended uping here to visit the gravesite. Hyuga. My junioriin high school. I lit aibundle of incense andid a small bouquet of flowers, much poorer than the ones offered earlier. Wateriwas sprinkled on the gravestone, which reflected the suns rays and glowed dazzlingly. Before long, the area was enveloped in the smoke and fragrance of the incense sticks. Hyuga Forithe first time in a long time, I mentioned that name. Although I didnt have any intention to talk to the gravestone, standing there was no point, right? Well, nobodyiwas around as well Its beenia long time Iisaidithis, but the gravestone neither spoke nor responded. Notiknowing what else to say, I shut myimouth. Hyuga.2dew Real nameHyuga Aoi was one of my juniors in highischool. Evenithough I didnt treat them particrly well, they were an odd little fellow who would appear in unexpected ces and at unexpected intervals and follow meiaround. Now, theyiwere sleeping under this grave. Whetherithis was the case or not, Hyuga died when I was in my third year of high school. Byisuicide. 2e3dwx Onitop of that, by jumping off the old school building. Atithe time, various theories were spected, such as bullying, ident, etc. The exact cause remained unknown. Theyiwere not the sort of person who would attempt suicide. Everybody agreed on that. Despite not having an outstanding appearance, they were always overly cheerful. They were the pr opposite of me, being straightforward and earnest, and disying a smile toieveryone. Eveninow I found it inconceivable that Hyuga jumped off the roof of the old school building on a day when it was raining heavily and was discovered in a disfigured state. I still couldnt believe they threw their own life away and died after all theseiyears. And I had never visited their grave since their deathiuntil now. Moreiurately, I didnt want to. BecauseiI was escaping from the situation. Everisince then, I was terrified that I might have pushed Hyuga away. Pushingithem to consider suicide, and then pushing them down. That I led Hyuga to theirideath. That I killedithem Notidirectly, but indirectly Hyugaiand I were not friends. Noriwere we lovers. Simplyiput, we were seniors and juniors. Our rtionship was unstable, with me being capricious, and Hyuga being unpredictable, so we only met and talked lightly atischool. Peopleiaround me used to ask me, What kind of rtionship do you guys have? but I didnt put much thought into it. I merely gave them a little attention since they were ying around with me. I didnt like Hyuga, and probably they didnt like me either, as I was responding to them in an appropriate manner. Notwithstanding, itiwas true that I didnt dislike themieither. Hyuga always listened to meiearnestly. Sometimesithey nodded their head in silence. They kept giving responses to make the conversation go smoothly. Hyuga was a mysterious and strangeiguy. A truly strange guy, butiopen to my ideas and opinions. They epted me and believed inime. Theyiwere a good fellow. Yet, I betrayedithem. I didnt believe in Hyuga.32rde Iicalled them a liar.3edc Iirefused to believe in Hyuga, who believed in me. Hyugaitold me that they could see things that other people couldnt. I didnt believe it, so Iisimply dismissed it. Iiwould only respond with, Hmm, and leave it at that and Hyuga didnt press the issue any further. The only thing was, they looked slightly lonely at myiwords. Iiremembered themughing and remarking, You are always straightforward and never wavering. Oneiday, Hyuga persistently told me a story. I could only vaguely recall what they said but I could not recall the content of what theyisaid. Thatiguy was desperately trying to tell me something. Trying to convey something to me, trying to make me understand. It was as if Hyuga wasnt Hyuga at all. Normally, they would never do that, yet their voice rang out and their behavior was beyond strange. I was so bewildered that the only thing I could do was push them away. Iidont get it. Dont make me y along with your delusion. I probably said something worse than that. Back then, I had no doubt that what I couldnt see wasnt true. I was convinced that the rumors in school, my ssmates who were kicking up a fuss, and the members of the ult research club were all dancing around aidelusion. Iiwas disappointed to find out that even Hyuga believed in such an invisible and insignificant entity, and that was when I uttered those words. Wasithat the trigger or was there another contributing factor? Immediatelyiafter that, Hyugamitted suicide. AlthoughiKinoshita and those close to me said it wasnt my fault, the girls in ss who thought we were lovers at the time, and Hyugas parents kept using me of being responsible for their death. Theyikept using me of saying things like, What did you say to Hyuga? or What did you do to Hyuga? Iicouldnt admit firmly that I had nothing to do with the incident, but it made me want to escape from Hyugas existence. I struggled to forget about them as if I was on the run. Evenithough it was tough to get the memory out of my head, as time went by, the bitter memories faded away. Initheiend, I had utterly forgotten about them. Not shared on aggregator sites Afteriall this time, it was hopeless to investigate whether they truly had the same ability to see invisible people as Takenaka and Hirai. Iiwondered if they were speaking the truth. Becauseithey were not the kind of people who would easily fabricate lies that would hurt people. Evenithough I knew that at the time, how foolish was I for not believing them? Had I believed Hyuga, would they not have died? Confirmationiwas futile but now that I had awakened to my own supernatural powers, I had to admitithat I had made a mistake. Should I have chosen to run away, I could have. Nevertheless, I didnt opt for that optioniand continued to work part-time at the convenience store. At least, I thought it was a way to atone for my sins, a punishment forimyself. To know what Hyuga, whom I failed to trust, had been seeing all aloneiso far. Not to let myself flee from the cruelty I had perpetrated onimyself. Lately, I had been wondering if it might have been Hyuga who had led meito that ce. Perhapsithey harbored resentment against me for not believing in them and were telling me to reevaluate my own prejudices. Iiwondered if it was resentment after all. Wereitheyistillisuffering? Didiyouiiof what I said? Chapter 9.2: A Man Drenched in Blood II Chapter 9.2: A Man Drenched in Blood II Pleaseishow up in front of me and say something if you had something on your mind. Feelifreeitough at me. Say You understood my feelings, right? or even curse atime. Youiwere such a pure person and I Hey, senior.3e Aivoice abruptly reverberated from behindime. WhyTrantor: MadHatter The voice of familiarity startled me, and I turnediaround. Withilong ck hair, a knee-length skirt, and a sailor uniform, she was wearing a pair of red-framed sses. Aniexpression of somewhat uneasiness lingered on her childlike face. Hyugaiwasistanding there. Why didnt you trust me back then? Hyuga2ewd Evenithough I figured you would believe me Sheiwas still looking at me in the same way she did back then. Hyuga Were you Hyuga? I wasisad. Fromithe forehead of Hinata who said so, red blood spilled out. Lines and lines of blood streaked from Hyugas forehead as she stood still Withia gulp of breath, I backed away in abject horror at the sight of my junior, who appeared in front of me without warning. However Inimerely one blink of an eye, in that single moment Sheidisappeared out of my sight. Hyuga!!Not shared on aggregator sites Evenithough I called out to her, she was nowhere to be found. Regardless of my efforts of searching around, I couldnt spot her anymore. Theiempty cemetery was filled with the sound of my voice. A cool breeze swept across the ce, drying the perspiration from my forehead. Whatiwas that earlier? Wasithat Hyuga? Really, Hyugaiwas Didishe respond toimy call [I wasisad.] No, if it wasnt Hyuga, then what was it? Iiclenched my fists in front of the grave. Thatiperson was still in the same state as back then and still retained lingering regrets for this world. [Evenithough I figured you would believe me] Afteriall, that guy about me Damn3erc Whatiwas I supposed to do? What should I do to be forgiven, Hyuga? Tell me.32dec Pleaseitell me. Despiteiall the calls in my heart, she never emerged in front of me any further. Itiwas only several seconds, yet the vivid and distinct appearance of Hyuga was more than enough to shock me. WhatiHyuga uttered to me and the expression on her visage that I could not shake off seemed to have left a gaping hole in my heart.
Hakamada? Areiyou under the weather? Theimanager, who had substituted for Hirai, who was absent from the store for the Comiket, tried to gauge my state of mind from myplexion, but I just made it up as I went along. Thisiperson was equally surprisingly perceptive, which posed aplication. Despite being a barcode guy, damn. Myiappetite has been a little lowtely due to the summer fatigue, and my staple food has recently consisted of somen noodles. Isithat so? Oh no, a young person has to eat properly. Didnt I say I was suffering from summer fatigue Whew3254y67 Youimust be getting awfully tired, are you okay? Noiproblem. Ive got the energy, so Ill work as long as I can without copsing. Though that being said, I didnt do much, except for standing around in a store with no customers, cleaning, ordering, inspecting, and so on. Right, right. Since the cat incident, the delinquents had turned up no more. Even the underlings were extremely spooked by that incident. They were probably horrified to know that the shady history of this ce was true. I was very happy about this but These days, all the noise had faded away and thete-night hours were quieter than they had been in a long time. Hopefully, nothing will take ce today. Speaking of which, you can see them too, right? Only very faintly.dw Is that so?2435 Hakamada, have you ever seen that? The womens toilet. Huh? No, I havent? Sometimeste at night during cleaning, a girl hangs upside down from the top of the door, so be careful. What!?3eda Shes probably inijunior high school she pops out every once in a while. H-Hah. Sheijust wants to frighten people, so neither Hirai nor Takenaka did anything to her. Iisee And sometimes Theimanager pointed to an ATM near the entrance of the store. That ATM there asionally starts chattering on its own, but you dont have to worry about it too much, though it might be scary. It rarely speaks when it is not alone. Ugh Iitook a small step back to gain some distance from the ATM that I could see over the counter. Apart from that4 Ah, thats enough!3 If I letihim go on, he was going to start spouting off a hundred ghost stories about this convenience store, so I covered my ears and pleaded with the manager to stop. Its hot, so I figured it might chill you out. I dont wantithat kind of chill! Goodigrief. Eveniwithout listening to that, I watched something terrible every day, you know. A legless man. Headless children. A woman with only the lower half of her body. None of them could be called customers but were wandering beings who stayed in this ce. Ah. Please, I beg you, dont let anything strange befall today. Peace was the utmost, for everything. Oh, for heavens sake. Since I was all alone with the manager today, to say I was twice as anxiety-ridden as usual would not be an overstatement. In the midst of praying this, the automatic door opened and the chime rang. It was a customer. By the looks of it, it was a young man in his 20s. That guy walked into the store, didnt even bother to look around, but rather strode forward, stopped in front of the cash register and said, Give me a steamed azuki bun This guy What was wrong with him? That was my initial impression. Indeed, Nico Nico Mart operated year-round selling Chinese steamed buns, but on this midsummer, with the weather brutally hot, I had not seen a single person who went out of their way to buy one of these buns since the beginning of this summer. Furthermore, it was not a standard meat bun, pizza bun, curry bun or this summers new product, Tropical Fruit Bun. He chose a bun with anko filling, which was an irregrity. As a staff member, I would typically be internally researching this subject. However, digging deeply into this matter was not the point. The fact that he came all the way to such a ce in this hot weather and wanted to buy a hot bun with anko filling was not the only aspect to be poked at. At around 1:00 a.m. A customer, presumably a young man of about 20 years of age. His eyes were as searingly piercing as the delinquent who had his way with me in front of the convenience store the other day. He had long, ck hair that reached his shoulders and long bangs that hung inconveniently about his eyes. A red sleeveless hoodie, a ck tank top, and loose-fitting damaged pants. Aislender yet muscr physique. At first nce, he appeared to be the type of young man you woulde across anywhere. Andiyet Foriwhat reason? He was carrying something so heavy in one hand that I wanted to ask him where in the world he had obtained it. On a bright red wooden bat, numerous nails had been driven into it. Thatiwas the so-called spiked bat. Withithat alone, my spine tingled as I wondered what kind of n he belonged to, but this was only the beginning. Theigreatest part of the situation, which made both me and the manager freeze, lingered with the customer. Afteriall, that customer Hisihead was dripping blood. Inrge volumes, so much so that the sound effect was a whoosh. Itiappeared as though he had been severely struck in the back of the head by someone or that he had engaged inbat with a person who intended to murder him. Heiwasitruly drenched in blood. That was the only word I could use to describe it. Thoughithis was my impression objectively, I was now standing in front of a bloodied man who hade in as a customer. Notia meter across the counter, not even a meter away. Hey, imagineithat. Howicould this not be terrifying? Rightiin front of you. Franklyispeaking, I could pee my pants. Chapter 9.3: A Man Drenched in Blood III Chapter 9.3: A Man Drenched in Blood III Iiengaged in eye contact with the manager at zing speeds and disengaged promptly. The same thing must have crossed both of our minds: Whatithe hell is this customer? Theilong-haired, bloodied, spiked-bat figure in front of us was dripping crimson streams of blood slowly from his forehead. Iidid not know if he was aware of it or not but I assumed he wasinot. Beforeisaying, Give me a steamed azuki bun, with such a strong face, I thought there was another ce for him to go. No, there was a ce he had toigo. Iigazed at his feet to confirm things but his legs were properly intact and not transparent. If so he was a real being after all. Seriously, whatihappened to this guy? Whyiwas his head bleeding? Where did that happen? I mean, heididnt kill anyone, did he? Thatithing in his hand, that was evidently a deadly weapon. A fight? ident? Incident? Ugh, whatishould I do? This was super frightening. Giveime a break. Why did strange things always happen when I wasion the night shift? Um Trantor: MadHatter Theibloodied man stared at me as if to say, What? No, no, no, check yourself in the mirror, it would be incredible if anyone didnt freakiout. Oh, and, um, steamed azuki bun, steamed azuki bun, right Thatiwas when the manager came to the rescue. He promptly drew out exactly one steamed azuki bun from the case and ced it into the bag in aish. It will be 120 yen. Not shared on aggregator sites Afterireceiving the small bag, he withdrew 200 yen from the pocket of his hoodie. The bloodied man pressed the money into my hand. Without even waiting for the change to be handed over, he headed for theiexit. Excuseime! Sir, you havent received your changeiyet! Evenithough the manager mentioned it, the guy walked out without turning around, perhaps not wanting to get the receipt and the change. W-Whatithe hell was that guy? He wasibleeding. Asisoon as the bloodied man left the store, the manager and I exchanged a look, and we were both trembling violently. [[Scary!!]]3ewc Wasihe a member of the biker gang from the other day, but there wasnt anybody else resembling him among them. If that wasnt the case, how could such a thing have urred? What exactly befell thaticustomer? Dont meddle inplicated matters. Having learned that the other day, I didnt want to be implicated in anything out of theiordinary. Theiman drenched in blood walked out of the store and sat down on a concrete block in the parking lot to take a bite of the steamed azuki bun he had justibought. Dontisit there and go to the hospital at once! Evenithough it was thiste in the day, he should have been treated as an emergency patient. Whatiis it with that guy? Howiwould I know? Couldihe have gotten into an ident Yeah, he looked like he got hit by a car, didnt he? If it was a car thats fine. You know, if its a case of murder At the mention of this, I started to feel that the man outside looked like a murderer. What a dreadful experience. Oh I dont want to go outside What? Was that an oblique way of telling me to take out the trash? This barcode manager. Even I want to refrain from doing so, buttely, I have been getting intertwined with a high percentage of delinquents. Hakamada, do you know the word seniority rule? I dont recognize that word in my dictionary. You are so heartless I am the manager, though. Dont invoke your managers power in a situation like this. The shoving of unpleasant matters between me and the manager ensued for a while. Manager, that person had legs, right? Yeah. His legs were there. Oh Haha A dead person was one thing but a living person was equally as unsettling. Not to mention that spiked bat I wouldnt like to imagine it, but it was most certainly intended for hitting people I mean, chances were he had already struck someone Ahhhh, I hated this! Then, heres what well do Ill take the trash out back, and you, Hakamada here, take this. From a shelf in the storage room, the manager handed me a clean towel. Whats this?sdacsvfb Give it to that guy. Yes!?324e Well in any case, hes a customer, so you can simply hand it to him anyway. Isnt this a pattern that I will undoubtedly fall into trouble with if I give it to him!? No, but you cant neglect this kind of thing because youre in the service industry, right? No, I believe such things should be left alone! I feel unsafe! Dont be afraid, Ill be leaving the store with you. If anything happens, simply press S. 34ref S-S, I amicounting on you. Yeah. Leave it to S. Foriour own safety, we gave each other thumbs-up. Good luck! Ah!? You bastard! Where do you think this is, its the sea of trees, the sea of trees! You have no sense of direction! Where the hell are you wandering off to! Get your ass over here or Im gonna beat you up!! When I left the store, I was faced with a bloodied man with a cell phone in his hand, pissed off. He was apparently extremely vexed with the person on the other end of the phone, speaking in his energetic Kansai dialect. Idiot! Of course, I would get riled up about this!! He brushed back his blood-soaked bangs, revealing his indignation. There was no way I could say, Heres a towel, please use it. They arepletely underestimating me! Those guys set me up and threw me off a cliff!! Cliff he said but Threwihim off the cliff.? Hakamada, hang in there. Manager! The manager went to the rear as if to escape. Manager, you bastard! Going it alone was a disaster after all! Huh? Me? You fool, Im properly alive. Come on, get your ass over here. The miasma is so thick I cant manage on my own, and without you, I might be in deep trouble this time. Yeah yeah, right away dont get lost oh. With his ear raised from his cell phone, the bloodied man ended the call there. When he looked up, my eyes locked with his. What are you looking at? He spoke in a low tone and had a grim expression. His gaze was so keen that I thought he was going to snap at me any second. Oh, how many times did this happen to me? This wasiwhy young people these days were so The other party, though, was wounded, and I had a towel and eight ten-yen coins in my hand. Um if you wouldnt mind, please use this to stop the bleeding. While concealing my inner trepidation, I held out the towel in front of him. He dly epted the towel from me, contrary to my expectation that he would be aggressive with me. Oh Thanks, Ill use it then. Without hesitation, he unfolded the towel and began to rub the area around his forehead. What a turnaround for someone who was only moments earlier so incensed. Pressing the towel to his face, the guy looked at me a little awkwardly, saying, Oh. Should I wash it and give it back? No You dont have to return it. He was being conscientious in a strange sense. Andiheres your change. Oh, thanks2wsx I handediover the change and my quota was reached. Phew, ah. Thank you very much, sonny, I feel a little better. Perhapsithe young man who had wiped up the blood with the towel was relieved, he thanked me and shed me a smile. He seemed to have more sensibility than I assumed. Knowing that I didnt have to worry about getting caught up in other circumstances brought meirelief. Eveniafter the bleeding subsided, the young mans body was riddled with abrasions, cuts, and scratches that I had no clue where they had been inflicted. Beforeing here, what exactly had he been dealing with? From the array of injuries and the conversation we had, he didnt seem to be the perpetrator. Itimay be none of my business, but you should go to the hospital, and if you want, I can call an ambnce here Withithat said, the young man looked at me puzzled and put the bat away in his bat case. He then carried it over his shoulder and got to his feet. Thanksifor worrying about me, sonny. But Im still in the middle of my work, so I cant afford to be in the hospital right now. Hangingithe towel that had absorbed the blood around his neck, he stepped over to a bright red sport bike parked nearby. If Iipass by here again, Ill return the towel Bye. Afterisaying that, he swiftly departed the area. Huh, didihe leave? Shortlyiafter the mysterious young man in blood left the convenience store, the manager came back. Heisaid he has work to tend to, so he went somewhere else, and will return the towel the next time he passes by. H-Heh Thatsinot necessary, I hope hell go to the hospital right away. Well Butihe had the strength to eat a steamed azuki bun. Hisiwork? Iiwonder what it is. Lets notieven dwell on it. Somehow, itiwas terrifying. Anyway, Ill check the perimeterter, and if anything goes amiss, Ill call 110. Yes3wsx Theistorm-like unexpected urrence had us in a cold sweat for a while, followed by Ah.32sd Suddenly, theimanager spread his palm toward the sky. Argeidrop of water fell down. Itiwasirain Chapter 9.4: A Man Drenched in Blood IV Chapter 9.4: A Man Drenched in Blood IV Dropsiof rain descended as though soaking through the dry concrete. In less than a couple of minutes, it gradually rose in intensity, and in no time at all, it became a torrential downpour like an overturned bucket. Thanksito this, the flow of customers thoroughly stopped. While inspecting the interior of the store, we waited quietly for the storm that was shaking the trees so ferociously and the downpour that was pounding the ground so loudly to subside. The downpour roared and pounded against the ss like a living creature, andithe trees in the copse were so driven by the wind that they seemed to topple over. For some reason, it was unsettling toiwitness. Iticame out of nowhere, perhaps it will subside in the morning. Thatitree looks like its going to copse, doesnt it? Theithin ones will probably fall over. Theimanager remarked that it was not umon for trees to be knocked down by storms like this in the summer. Sometimesithey obstruct the road, but the contractors usuallye right away to remove them, so theres nothing to be concerned about. Theiweather got worse throughout the course of the following hour and the rain did not cease at all. Atst, thunder began to rumble. Fromithe magnitude of the sound and the small distance between the thunderstorms, I assumed that the thunderstorms were fairlyinear. Theipower might go out. Theimanager prepared a shlight. All of the doors and windows were temporarily shut to prevent rainwater from entering since the floodwaters were already in full forceioutside. Didithe weather forecast mention a storm like this was on its way? As I was musing on this, the scenery outside was instantly enveloped in a dazzling shiof light. Itiwas a blinding sh. Withithe next beat, an explosion rather than a roar resounded throughout the whole area, followed slightlyter by a rumbling of the earth that jarred myieardrums. Myibody involuntarily stiffened, not understanding what had struck. Theifluorescent lights in the store briefly went out before flickering on and off once more. A booming crash resonated through the copse before disappearing. Thatiwas when I finally grasped that lightning had struck. It seems to have struck rather close to here. Wow, soithis was what lightning looked like when it struck nearby. The force of it was overwhelming. ording to the manager, the lightning probably struckithe sea of trees. I supposeiit must be the sound of the tree falling. Seriously? Trantor: MadHatter Dont worry, its close, but its only a tree. Aitree falling down wouldnt cause much damage here. Because this ce was called a seaiof trees. It will pass soon. Trueito the managers words, the storm passed within a few hours, and by dawn, the sky was perfectly clear. Itiseemed like it would be hot and dry again for the rest of the day. Branches, leaves, and other debris were lying around on the road, but fortunately, no fallen trees were obstructing the road, and I was able to make it home without any trouble. Ah, Iiwasigetting sleepy. Noimatter how hot it was during the day, I would probably drift off into the world of sleep until the evening. To create an environment that facilitated sleep, I would draw the curtains and turn on the fan. WheniI arrived home, exhaustion was kicking in, so I took a quick shower, slipped into thefiest, lightest clothes I could find, and fell asleep on the futon.
800 That will be 20 yen. Iiwasisimply working at the cash register. Todayiwas a strange day. Eveniat this time of the day, customers kept flowing in, one after the other, and a long line of people was waiting in front of me. Whenione person left, OL workers and srymen on their way home from work came in. Whatiwasithis? Was there a get-together party somewhere today? Likeia machine, I operated the cash register, filled the bags, and handed over the change, yet the line of customers was unceasing. Hey, hey, how long was this line? When I looked up to ascertain the length of the line, a familiar face shed into my field of vision. Itiwas Hyuga. Whatiwas going on? Whyiwas Hyuga in the line Atithat thought, Iilooked at the line once more, but I was not mistaken. Behind the fifth person in line was Hyuga, pale-faced and bleeding from the mouth. Myihands stopped unconsciously. Hyuga, herself in the line, was seemingly out of ce among the other people in the ce. Hyugaimade eye contact with me, offered an uncharacteristically uncanny smile, andimoved her mouth to say something in the distance. Rushed by the customer, Iiresumed the transaction. I handed over the change, one person left, and the line was packed. I was ovee with a desire to cease my work. Every time a customer left, Hyuga would approach with an ominous smile on her face. One person left, and then another came. Hyuga was approaching me soon. I wanted to flee. I was afraid. Even though these thoughts arose in my mind, my body did not obey me, and my hands struck the cash register regardless of my will. Hyuga eventually made it to the front of the queue. My eyes were wide open, and I couldnt even raise my voice. Hyuga neither carried nor ced anything on the counter. Instead, she suddenly leaned forward with both hands on the counter. My vision was dominated by the reflection of Hyuga. Bloodshot eyes, mouth hanging up like a crescent moon. When she saw me, she said this. You will never be forgiven. At that point, I woke up. It was a dreamNot shared on aggregator sites Itiwasia horrible dream. An abnormal amount of perspiration was running down my forehead. I didnt feel the wind from the fan, perhaps because I had turned it off in my sleep. No wonder this room was so hot. Itiwas pitch-ck here. Oh, I remembered Yeah, my sisteriwoke me up at around 4:00 in the evening and made me boil somen noodles. After I had my fill too, I went back to my futon, dozing off again, and apparently ended up falling back to sleep. It seemed that my sister had gone home. It was dark outside and was night now Puttingimy hand on my forehead, which was drenched in perspiration, I closed my eyes. Working part-time even in my dreams, how work-oriented I was, I let out a smallugh audibly but I couldnt reallyugh. Hyugaiappeared. Furthermore, she said to me, You will never be forgiven. I couldnt believe it was a mere dream now. Just like yesterday when I visited the grave. Hyuga emerged before me with blood. Blood was a symbol of pain. Everything that had taken ce until now couldnt be a coincidence, even the dream I had just had. Unforgivable Her voice wasced with a horrifying abhorrence. Sweat trickled down my forehead again as it reyed in my brain. At that moment, I immediately felt the presence of someone at my bedside. The room was vacant, with no lights on. The curtains were softly ruffled by a nocturnal wind. My younger sister what, so you were still here huh With my eyes now ustomed to the darkness, I turned my head to the side. The one at there1qaz Was not2wsx My younger sister Long, dark hair3s A woman.ews 2345 Standing by my bedside and staring down at me was a woman with long, disheveled hair. Here, I lost my cool. When my mind established that the person standing right next to me was unanalyzable, my heart sprang out of my chest instantaneously. Without remembering how to breathe, I couldnt avert my eyes from the person standing right next to me. Myimind went nk. Whoeqwds Rightias I thought this, a distressed moaning sounded in my ear, and the woman with the long hair who was looking at me with her head down said something to me. Re2w Sheipeered out from her drooping hair at me with wide-open eyes. Sa ve me BeforeiI could hear all of the screams I thought I had screamed, I woke up. For real this time. The bright lights. The TV left on. The fan that swiveled around. Raising my sluggish body from the futon, I cast a nce around. Itiwas a dream Myistrength was depleted when I came to this revtion. Even if it was a dream, I hated it, but I was d it was a dream. It was the worst nightmare ever. I thought I was awake, only to realize that I was still dreaming. Iimust be very exhausted I was sweating all over and it was a little past midnight when I looked at the clock. Howimuch more sleep should I get for my body to be refreshed? My rhythm of daily life had been disrupted. More importantly, my sister left the lights and TV on when she left that jerk. Evenithough I told her to turn it off all the time. Although it was a blessing that I didnt have to work part-time today, I couldnt keep up this irregr lifestyle indefinitely. Even if my days and nights were reversed, I would still have to restrict my sleeping hours. Despite my repeated attempts to correct my standard of living, it didnt solve the problem that I could not bring myself to eat anything but somen every time. Having had only a light meal for lunch, I was so starving that I crawled out of my futon and went to the kitchen to boil some somen noodles. Ah, noodle soup, noodle soup. I tookia container of noodle soup from the cupboard under the stove and grabbed a bottle of barley tea from the refrigerator Not shared on lightnivelreader.me Iiturnediaround swiftly. Thereiwas no particr meaning. Itiwas simply somehow. I really somehow felt like there was something behind me just now What was that feeling Was the dream I had earlier still making me queasy? Thatiwas nothing more than a dream. What was I frightened of? Itimust be due to all the bizarre urrences that have been unfolding in recent days. My daily life was warping and shifting with each passing day, and I was starting to umte stress little by little, bing hypersensitive to even the subtlest details. This ability did note into the world with me, but it unexpectedly manifested one day. I wondered whether the day woulde when I would be able to ept everything calmly like Takenaka and Hirai. Would this ability disappear from me someday? Would it apany me for the rest of my life? I took all the out-of-the-ordinary things as a matter of course. After draining the boiled somen and cing it on a te, I set the evening meal on the tatami table and, despite theck of appetite for the familiar menu, I nheless put it in my mouth. Aedian and a well-known idol were introduced as thete-night TV variety program got underway as upbeat background music yed. I didnt like this idol While moving my mouth, I changed the channel at random. Late-night anime, news, some variety shows, and foreign dramas. It was difficult to find a program that caught my attention. And then Oh what? All of a sudden, the fluorescent light on the ceiling flickered and the room went dim. I stood up and touched the light appropriately to check if the light was not working. Even so, the fluorescent light kept flickering on and off, disappearing and reappearing. How strange, I had only recently reced it with a new one. Whydewxs While thinking it was odd, I threw the somen noodles into my mouth. This time, a noise was heard on the TV screen. Huh!?1234 The screen, which had been in color, turned to ck and white and shook furiously without warning. Involuntarily, I nearly dropped my chopsticks. The timing was too poor for a malfunction. Whether it was the light or the TV, what the hell was this? Thisiwas it was not a mere malfunction, it couldnt be Almost reaching that conclusion, I leaned over and mmed the TV with all my might. Buzz, buzz. The TV produced a weird noise and turned into a sandstorm screen as if what I had done had really wrecked it. Theifluorescent light still kept malfunctioning. Even more strange things were brewing. A low, mechanical sound started ying in my ear or perhaps in my brain. The sound kept escting and never relented. Before I knew it, the fan that was spinning had ceased. Theiair, which had been hot and humid, somehow became cooler Thisiphenomenon Iiexperienced an incident simr to this once before. It was a harbinger that something unwee was about to strike. That was when the TV turned off with a bang. The lights shed in a steady rhythm. The sound of the TV faded. It was supposed to be quiet, yet the ringing in my ears and the sound of my heart, which was gradually amplifying my impatience and anxiety, created a feeling that the area around me was awfully noisy. I was prepared for this. Though I didnt want to. I was absolutely convinced this was the pattern by now. Without even trying to get to my feet, I simply waited quietly for the moment toe. But when they came out, I was hopeless. Keeping myposure was ridiculous. I would never get adjusted to it. At once, the dimming of the light proved it. Across the table. In front of me. A bloodied woman with long ck hair emerged. Her face was not clearly discernible but only one eye peeked out through the gap in her bangs. Sheiwas casting a reproachful look at me. From the corners of her eyes, chin, and neck, streaks of fresh blood were running down her face. Theiappearance of the woman was a staple of Japanese horror movies. Sheiwas exactly the one who popped up in the dream I had. Chapter 10.1: It Appeared Chapter 10.1: It Appeared Iniaihigh-pitched voice that was akin to a small animals death agony, I let out a squeal. The area around my heart churned. My vision went ck and white and I felt my consciousness fading away from the corner of myihead. Oh, shoot I thought I was going to pass out. If so, Iifigured it might be morefortable that way. Iidecided to let my wavering consciousness do the work for me. Rightithen Trantor: MadHatter Hey, hey, hey, hey! Dont ck out for heavens sake! I cant tolerate it when you do it to me twice!! Theiwoman with her hair hanging down That was what I thought the figure was when they suddenly let out a voice and leaned forward on the table. Asiif to clutch my consciousness, which seemed to be about to explode, someone appeared in front of me, roughly brushed apart their bangs, andisaid, Its me! Hey, you! Rememberime from yesterdays! Theifigure before me had bangs that were lifted up, a scar over their forehead, and sharp, nting eyes. I couldnt bear to nce at them because their face, which was covered in blood, looked soihorrendous. Ah hie Theihole in their face was so wide open that it broke through the limitthat I Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Myiscreams reverberated throughout the entire run-down apartment shortly after midnight. Aifull-blown scream. Aitremendous vibrato. Theifigure, who appeared to have been smeared with red paint, looked at me with their mouth half-open and an expression of Oops asiI continued to scream with my bangs up in a higheriposition. Ah a-a-ahh Not shared on aggregator websites Foria few dozen seconds, I kept screaming, and then my voice failed toeiout. Iiwas so horrified that Iicouldnt even move my body. Evenimyihearticould have ruptured. Soiwhyicouldnt I faint at this crucial moment!! Chapter 10.2: It Appeared II Chapter 10.2: It Appeared II Bothiof usiwere confronting each other withia terrific expression oniour faces as if time hadibeen suspended. Theisilence was suddenly shattered by a rattling sound emanating from near the front door. Footsteps rushing up theiiron staircase approached and gave the impression that they had halted in front of my room when the door was mmed powerfully. Hakamadaaa!? Heyyyy! What time do you think it is now!? Theiimaking such a racket that I cant sleep! The neighbors are being disturbed! If you want to scream, do it outside! Hey!? Theiiireturning to the lower level and shouting, For gods sake! as they stomped down the iron staircase. Atithat point, the flickering lights reverted to their former state and the whole room brightened up. Even the TV and the fan, which hadibeen turned off, started operating simultaneously. Although everything seemed to be back to normal, the subject of my fear wasistill seated in front of me, looking as blood-soaked asiever. W-Well forithe time being, calm down. Sonny? Perhapsianticipating the arrival of the second wave, they lifted their hands up to their shoulders and smiled awkwardly, as if to appease me, who was all perturbed. It didnt put me at rest, though, when they grinned due to the blood stains on their face. Moreover, Iicould see the kitchen that was supposed to be behind that figure, though only faintly. Thaticould only imply one thing. This guy, they were a human Eveniif you told me to calm down, how could I remain calm? Having a figure like this in front of you, wouldnt it be terrifying? Damn, I couldnt pull myself up. Trantor: MadHatter Withimy breathing erratic and my nose rasping like a cow, I fearfully looked at thatiguys face. Iistruggled to jog my memory. Indeed they looked familiar toime. Bloodidripped from their mouths, under their eyes, and down their forehead, and they had a frightening appearance that made me feel as if I was about to scream even nowibut Thisioutfit and those tight slits in their eyes. This guy was yesterdays the bloody spiked bat man Right Atitheichange in my facial expression, the guy brushed his bangs off to the back of his head appropriately and asked, Have you remembered me? A-A little Not shared on aggregator sites B-Butiwhyiwas the man drenched in blood, here, and right in front of me? Oh, right. I got it. Thisiwas a dream. Iishouldigo back to sleep, and if I sleep one more time, I might be able to wake up this time. Thatimust be the case Wake up! Thisiis reality, all of it!! As I wasiabout to turn around and crawl back under the futon, I received a very well-timed shove. Sonny, please listen to me! Rightias I thought that, the bloodied man who was supposed to be behind me moved instantly in front of me. It was like he abruptly popped up right in frontiof me. Heyyyyyyyy! If youidid that, I would have been startled, you know!! Who the hell are you! Stop it! Dont youidare haunt me! LikeiI said, calm down! Look, Im not trying to hurt you, okay! Youiare! Enough! Youre standing on peoples bedsides! And youreicausing bizarre phenomena! Iiwas in tears, and in desperation, I was losing my temper with the specter. In such a state, that guy scratched his head and gave me an ingratiating smile. Ohino, Iifigured I should put on a show for you. Whatia talkative specter. I mean Whatido you mean by put on a show!? Does a specter even think about staging? Get out! Immediately! I begiyou, disappear! Nothing good will everiime!! Timidnessiwas no good, I had to push through with strength. Whileirecalling Takenakas advice, I rushed to the kitchen, letting my agitation get the better of me. I opened the refrigerator roughly and microwaved the frozen rice I hadileft. Aipair of disposable chopsticks were inserted vertically into the top of the steaming white rice after I had dumped the rice into a bowl and heavily saltediit. The chopsticks were ced in the center of the tabletop vigorously. UmSonny? This is Comeion, attain Buddhahood! Now! Immediately! Doiit right away!! Orirather, pleaseirest in peace! Despiteimyck of confidence in my ability to exorcise aispirit, Iiwas determined to somehow make that guy attain Buddhahood. Theioue was obvious, though. Hey Sonny, Iiam troubled even if you suddenly serve me a heaping pile of rice. Theibloodiediman made no reaction to the steaming white riceion the table but looked at me again with a stunned expression on hisiface. Iiknow, right? Chapter 10.3: It Appeared III Chapter 10.3: It Appeared III Aimere idea, withino foundation. Fromithe bottom of my heart, I detested myself for being so ignorant. If this was the way things were bound to unfold, I should have learned from either Takenaka or Hirai how to drive away theispirits. Howicould a spirit be driven into Buddhahood by a bowl of white rice with disposable chopsticks in it? Now that I became calm, it made me want to bawl out over my own foolishness. Whenimyishoulders slumped down, the man drenched in blood consoled me with words like, W-Well I dont know exactly know whats going on, but dont lose heart, okay? Damniit, beingforted by a spirit Hey, sonny, I want you to hear me out a little bit at a time You still remember me, right? You offered me a towelst night as I was eating a steamed azukiibun. Yeah I remember. Becauseiit wasnt an easy memory to let go of. I see, thats good because you are the only one I can rely on now. Overitime, my fear gauge, which had been swinging out of control until now, gradually diminished. Perhaps due to this spirits Kansai dialect, which was better articted than any other I had seen so far, it mitigated my fears. From a visual perspective, though, elementsiof fear were still atiy. After all, I was still fearful of him. Whenimy face remained tense, the bloodied man approached me with a frown on his face and his mouth agape. Whats up, sonny? Arent you one of those people who can see specters too? How long are you going to be afraid of me? Its not that unusual, right? Pleaseilook at your own reflection in the mirror before saying that. WheniI informed him that, he made a sound as if he had realized something. He backed away from me and sped his hands together, wearing an ufortable expression. M-Myibad, my bad, I forgot about this. No wonder youre terrified of me, Ill take care of it now, okay? Withithat, he closed his eyes firmly. Although he didnt exhibit any signs of performing anything exceptional, the wounds and the bloodithat had been dripping from his body disappeared slowly, as if ying in reverse, and within a few dozen seconds, the bloodied man returned to his ordinary, young mans appearance. Though that being said, he was still slightly translucent. Hows this? Youre not scared anymore, right? Wow Indeed, itibecame much less terrifying, I supposed Spirits were able to freely retract and release blood, huh? Well, its not like that, Im merely trying to imagine myself as I was back when I was normal, rather than withdrawing or releasing blood. Iiwasiclueless as to what was going on, but apparently, this guy had no malicious intentions against me. Nevertheless, what was it otherwise? Numerousiuncertainties crept up on me. The customer, this guy who showed up yesterday was undeniably not transparent and had his feet onst night. The manager and I thoroughly confirmed that. Nheless, the lower half of his body was thinner now and the whole thing was see-through. Perhaps if I reached out my hand, it wouldipass through like air. ording to the man himself, he undoubtedly came to that convenience store yesterday. So thatiwould mean You youre dead? I see, so that was the case. Oh Apparently, this young man sumbed to his death after that, bleeding profusely. Well, in thaticondition, it was not unreasonable for him to have died. Whatia mess, we didnt do anything as if it was someone elses problem, but we should have called an ambnce right then and there. AlthoughiI didnt have any idea what kind of tragic oue he suffered, with the way his appearance was, he probably fell off his bike and Iicarefully sped my hands in front of my chest with the utmost consideration. I dont haveiany incense sticks in my house but At any rate, my condolences No, no, no, no, no! Dont write me off arbitrarily!! Theidisposable chopsticks that were stuck in the rice snapped on their own. Huh? Whatiwasithis? Psychokinesis!? Writeiyou off? But isnt that the case? Iminot dead yet! Youre all transparent, you know? I-I am transparent but still! I am not dead yet! Aifriend of mine once told me that all spirits who die in an ident say that. ShouldiI make him understand this but I didnt know how much I could do. Would calling a specialist be better? Noooo! Like I said, I am not dead yet! I am in a state of suspended animation! Iniaistate of suspended animation, eh that means youre literally dead. When I left him alone, he started to lose his temper, but thanks to the fact that he looked normal again, I honestly wasnt that freaked out. Like I said! In in words, I am not a specter now. I am simply an astral body that is dying and has left my physical body. Astral you mean, youre talking about astral projection? Itiwasia phenomenon that often apanied a near-death experience, in which the spirit left the body and began to operate. Well, something like that. Theiyoungiman folded his arms while sitting cross-legged and nodded his head. Its kind ofplicated, isnt it? Yeah, its the greatest event of the century. Despite this, you seem rather level-headed. Iidont want to waste time fretting about it. Unexpectedly, heiseemed to possess a cool head. So, whatiis a false specter like you doing here? Isnt that obvious? Dont ask me silly questions, sonny. Turningihis sharp eyes to me through a gap in his drooping bangs, he said, I have business with you, sonny. Oh, I knew you would say that. Before kicking him out, I decided to at least listen to what he had to say. I inquired of the young man, who had been in physical form untilst night, what on earth had happened to him following that night. Its a long story Itiwas indeed a long story. Theistory could be summarized as followed: Apparently, the young man had been searching in the sea of trees for some reason. The reasoniwhy he was searching was apparently beyond the grasp of ordinary people, so it was kept secret, but it seemed that he was not fighting with some bandit with a spiked bat in his hand. Duringithe search, he got caught up in an unforeseen ident and, sensing the danger, came back to the convenience store and that was when he came in contact with us. Havingimanaged to catch his breath and resume his work, he dived into the sea of trees again, but this time he struggled against a thunderstorm that unexpectedly descended onihim. AndithenNot shared on aggregator sites Theimost massive lightning strikended directly on him, and he was caught in arge tree that snapped and fell, getting trapped under it Thatiwasiall he could recollect. Howiunfortunate. No, dont end with the word unfortunate! But, from what you told me, that was already the end for you. Even if you were fortunate enough to evade immediate death at that stage, if you were to be crushed by a falling tree, your body would have sustained a significant amount of physical damage as a human being. Furthermore, you would have already lost a lot of blood. Realistically speaking, a few hours might be all it took for your life to end and now it was already a whole day You better be ready for this. I put my hand on my forehead and groaned briefly, then picked up my home phone. In this case, I wondered if I should call the police instead of the hospital Hey, wait a minute. Who are you going to call?2s Who? The police of course Theyre going to search for the corpse. Police!? Body search!?2swq Thats the quickest way to recover a corpse. Look, Im still alive! Hold on, the police are not good, you cant call the police! Ah!? This is not the time to say that!? No I dont think its that big of a deal to inform the police. Hey, was I the only one who thought it was a major deal?wed I have my own reasons for not wanting to bring the police into the matter. What kind of reasons?2ew About thatTrantor: MadHatter Guess Ill just have to tell you, I heard him muttering quietly. Hey, sonny I came here to request you to do something for me. He stopped sitting cross-legged and fixed his eyes on me intently. Im terribly sorry to ask you this out of the blue, sonny, but would you mind apanying me on my search? I refuse.2wqas Thats too immediate! The volume of his voice and timing were perfect. It was a wonderful move. Notwithstanding, I absolutely could not do what this man requested of me. Recently, troubles abounded and I would like to avert them if at all possible. I beg you, sonny! Search my body with me!2w Dont say anything vivid! I absolutely hate it! Dont say that! Im going to rot if you dont!fwecds Youre getting too vivid! 34rewf Please! Please, I beg you! I know Im being unreasonable, but I really need your help! You know Im in a great deal of trouble! If you say that, Im in more trouble than you! Impossible! I cant do it! Do something about it! Thest words I uttered were, What the hell is thisssssss Im so ashamed that Im going to cry!! Wow, thats some, thatst line. Chapter 10.4: It Appeared IV Chapter 10.4: It Appeared IV Theiyoungiman put his head on the floor and started to get down on his knees. Itiwasievident that he was in dire need of help, no kidding. ordingito the details, he was trapped by arge copsed tree and owing to the immense impact, his spirit was detached from his body, leaving him in an ongoing state of suspended animation. Whileihe was narrowly holding on to life, his death would be imminent if the situation were leftiunattended. Therefore, heirequested me to go with him into the sea of trees to search for the location of hisibody. Areiyouikiddingime? Thisidevelopment was not in the least amusing. Theisea of trees, we were talking about that sea of trees. Heiwent further in through the copse around the convenience store. It was said to be a boundlessbyrinth that an amateur would never be able to return to if ventured into thoughtlessly. Moreover itiwas a suicide spot, whereiit was reputed that many people came to abandon their lives every year. Andihe wanted me to go there? Theimere thought of it made me shudder. Simplyibeing in that convenience store alone was overwhelming, so what would happen to me if I went to a ce with such a dense aura of negativity? Thereiwould probably be tens, if not hundreds of them. Not only that, perhaps inside there might be real ones lying around or hanging besides spirits and theilike. D-Dont beiridiculous! Howican I go to that ce! F-First of all, why the hell did you go into that ce! Normal people wouldnt do that! Are youisuicidal!? Itsinot like that! I had to enter it for work, and it took me longer than I thought it would and I got retaliated against No, I mean! I screwed up! Yeah, I screwediup! Youiscrewed up and nearly died More importantly, what kind of job required you to enter the seaiof trees? Well, Iirun my own business and work behind the scenes so I dont want anything too out in the open, like cops. Seriously, whatikind of job would that be? Eveniif its your own life on the line!? Youicant afford to be so modest about it! But it doesnt guarantee that Im going to die yet. If youre goingito seek help from a civilian, go to the police, theyll save you for sure. Ill call them. Whoa, holdion! Holdion! If the police are involved, trouble will follow or rather, even if I make it back alive, I wont be able to goihome. Wereiyou a criminal? If you dont like it, giveiit up. My bad, I wont move even a muscle. Iiseriously dont want to put myself in danger. Ah. Trantor: MadHatter Iiwasinothing but a convenience store staff member and not benevolent enough to willingly extend my hand to a customer I once met who requested me to enter the sea of trees withihim. Iiamisorry but dont get me embroiled in anything strange. Iiwondered if that was a roundabout way of telling him to die. Even though he was a total stranger, I felt like a wicked guy for saying this toihim. I litia cigarette and smoked it topose myself. If I could, I would save him, but the conditions were too adverse. At this hour of the night, and withihim in a state of astral projection, it would be suicidal for me to go into the sea of trees with him. In case I messed up, I likewise would end up lying in the sea of trees as aicorpse. EveniI feared for my own safety. Too many incidents in the past few days had driven me to the point where I strongly felt that I had to protect myself. While I did understand that this young man in front of me was facing a crisis and needed someones help, there was no way that it had to be me toihelp him. Thereiwould be others who would be willing to offer their help instead of me. Though, he had to choose the way to present himself. I-Iiguess so Insteadiof reacting furiously to my denial, as I had anticipated, the young man looked up apologetically with a small smile on his face. Indeed Iishowed up out of the blue and asked you to apany me into the sea of trees. What I said was too outrageous. I messed up on my own, and Iiwas too naive to ask someone else to help me out. Sorry, sonny, for the trouble I caused you, and I hopeiyou forgive me YouNot shared on aggregator sites Duringitheiday, Iiwas desperately trying to find my body but I couldnt locate it. I have a friend but that guy has no sense of direction and I haveino idea where they are right now, so I was brainstorming about who might be able to help me instead, and your face came to mind, the same sonny who gave meia towel yesterday I couldnt help myself, I had no idea where to turn. I thought you might be able to help me, heisaid. Yeah. Butiyou know, its your thing, and you have to clean up your own mess. Iihave disturbed you Afterisaying this, the young man began to be thinner and thinner and more transparent. It was as if he was fading away. Hey Tomorrowinight, Im goingito go to the convenience store again. If I dont show up at the convenience store then please call the cops. T-Thatimeans Before I couldisay anything else, the youngiman grinned at me. What? Thatipossibility is highly unlikely. Ill see you tomorrow nightiat the convenience store, sonny. Areiyouicertain youll be fine on your own? Iihaveino one else to rely on, well, Ill manage! Ill get myself out of this mess! Evenithoughihe was dying, what was he saying so self-confidently? As I was about to tell him so, I found that the young man was indeed trying to disappear from the spot, or rather, he had alreadypletely vanished, down to his upper body. Hey!23SX Seeiyouter, sonny. Hey! You2X Holdion. By the time I said that, it was already toote. Likeimist, no traceiof him lingered. The young mans figure was utterly outiof sight. Wasiheigone? Isihe really gone? Iicalled out to him, yet received noiresponse. Thereiwas no presence. I knew it. It seemed that the young man had returned alone to the sea of trees to search for his body. Whatihad just ensued was so unrealistic that I was dazed for a while, but no matter how long I waited, there was no sign of the young man emergingiagain. 2wq Forinow For a change of mood, I decided to open the window and have another smoke. Aislight yeticool night breeze was flowing in. Whileiblowing out the smoke at random, Iigazed up at the nightisky. Iiwonderediwhat was going to be of that guy Would he make it back alive and actually visitithe convenience store tomorrow night? Chapter 10.5: It Appeared V Chapter 10.5: It Appeared V Shouldiheifail to show up, that would mean Iimean, what the hell was I thinking sticking my neck out for? WasiI worried about him? About that guy? Heididnt strike me as a bad guy but he was only a stranger to me. For me, right it was none of my concern. Besides, he stepped into the sea of trees voluntarily. No way I would have agreed to such an unreasonable request out of nowhere. Iiwas right to refuse. Iifelt pity for the young man, however, I had my own life to lead equally. Besides, if I was aware of the danger, I didnt want to be subjected to it. Onitop of that, the young man epted the situation. Yeah, itiwas fine, it was all good. I didnt particrly care. Iilit upimy third cigarette. Regardless of how much time psed, though, my mood didnt improve. On the contrary, I was still feeling hazy. Once I started mulling over it, there was no stopping it. No, dont think about it, forget about it, I tried to tell myself, but it was no use, I was bothered by it. Damn! Iipushed my cigarette into the ashtray and stuck my head to the edge of the window. Ah, heisaid, but how could he be safe? Eveniif his body was still alive, he was a human being in the sea of trees, and he was severely wounded. How could he return unscathed without any assistance? Whatever he was trying to do was not clear to me but he was genuinely seeking help from me. That much I could understand. Andiagainst that, I Nheless, I couldnt deny what I had uttered. Even I was frightened. Truthibe told, Icked confidence that I could offer that much help, andtely, I had be somewhat cowardly. That did not imply, though, that I did not feel more than a little sorry for letting the young man simply walk away like that. HadiI been more rxed andpetent like Takenaka, I might have been able to say, Alright, Ill save you, but the fact that he sought my help was a mistake in the first ce. I figured thinking that way would alleviate some of the uneasiness I was feeling butiit didnt. Conversely, a twingeiof guilt began to re up within my chest. [I am sorry but dont get me embroiled in anything strange.] Whatia jerk I was Evenithough I was calm andposed, I could have said something more witty to the guy who was teetering on the brink of life andideath. I should have doneiso. Thisiwas no different than what I said to that person at the time The same words I spat at Hyuga when I pushed her away Shouldihe not turn up at the convenience store tomorrow night, perhaps it would be my fault BecauseiI didnt save him and abandoned him. Abandon. Right, of course I did. Iitold the guy who came to me for help to disappear and abandoned him. I only wanted to avoid getting myself in a nasty predicament. Aiperson, I abandoned a person Just like I did with Hyuga. Sheiasked me to believe in her, and I pushed her away. I abandonediher. Theisame thing, it was the same turniof events Theiwords that Hyuga spewed in my dream began to circte in my mind. Did that young man bear a grudge against me too? For not trying to saveihim. Aisickening sensation, not nausea, swirled in my chest. I should have given this moreithought. Myiconfusion was partly to me, so my judgment wasipoor. Iishould think about it properly, no matter how perilous it may be, no matter how much I didnt want to go there. Aipersons life was at stake. Thatiguy said I was the only one he could count on. Then, if I didnt lend him a helping hand, he would Eveniif he was aplete stranger, dying was too grave. If I found a report on the morning news a few dayster that a body had been discovered with a familiar photo, I would be traumatized for the rest of my life. I looked at the clock and got up. It was almost midnight, and there was no time toidawdle. Theisooner the better, noidoubt. Justiceiwasinot something I possessed. The only thing I knew was that this wasnt something I could ignore. Despiteimyck of willingness to help him, I had had enough of people perishing as a result of my one remark. The image of the young man who was trapped under arge tree and desperately clinging to life shed through my mind. Waitifor me Rightinow, I wasing to you, I! Really! Sonny!! Iniany case, I needed to get a shlight, and as soon as I did, the young man, hanging upside-down from the ceiling, materialized right in front of my eyes. Duoooooooooooooooooooooooo!? Itiwas the customary pattern. Hakamadaaaaaaaaaa!? Shut uppppppppppppppppp!! After finally bowing many times to thendlord, who came upstairs again and raised their metallic voice despite it being the middle of the night, they finally let me go. Needlessito say, I red at the young man who was seated around the top of my futon with his legs crumpled in a heap. Thanks to this guy, my heart nearly stopped beating over and over again. Whatsigoing on? Exin it. I thought you were gone. Well, I figured there might be a chance for me to be helped out, so Ive been waiting for you secretly, out of your sight. Whenihe said, Sonny seems like a nice guy, I wished I could strangle him, but that would be impractical since he would likely slip through my fingers even if I attempted to do so now. Even though he was in a state of astral projection, he was enjoying the feeling of being a specter under these circumstances. Now, I haveito ask you, are you certain you want to do this? What?2sq Areiyou really going to lend me, aplete stranger, your strength? the young man asked with his arms crossed behind his head. Sonny, Im sure you understand but the sea of trees is very dangerous for ordinary people and that ce carries an aura that can bring adverse influences to people, so you might be exposed to danger. It is me who requested help, but I dont want to force you to do something you dont want toido. Youveibeen so desperate for me to do this and now you want me to back off? Iidont want to involve any ordinary people in this. Soiyoure not an ordinary person? Fromiall appearances, you seemed to be just like any other young man in the neighborhood. Ill exinithatter. Whatithe hell was that? Forimy part, Im overly grateful, but its just too risky, you know? Hey, weidont have time to waste on this, so why dont we move on a second sooner thanter? Thats trueibut Whatiwas up with this guy? I told him I wasing, yet he still seemed to have something else to say. Iniall honesty, let me tell you the truth. I dont want to go, I desperately dont want to go. I dont want to be in the sea of trees. I would consider it if you gave me a million yen, but I doubt youd offer me a million yen, and I feel like Id be a total idiot and a loss if I did what you said. I really dont think I should go that far for aplete stranger. Thatsia reasonable opinion. But even though youre a stranger, if I dont help you, you might die, right? If I dont rescue you and you die, I will feel rather bad. Youre acting all rxed, but death is a heavy subject. Since you called out to me, your death will be an unconditional burden on me asiwell. Notithat I was afraid of being resented. Rather, theifear was that I would repeat the same mistake again. Whenithe weight of two deaths, that of Hyuga and that of this stranger, overwhelmed me, what should I do? S-So, youiwere thinking so deeply Somehow, I am sorry Dont apologize after barging in on me, damn it. MmmNot shared on aggregator sites I knowithat I probably wont be much of a help, but if I find your body, I can at least call for an ambnce, thats really all I can do. It wasiyour total mistake to show up at my doorstep because I was useless. Eveniso, take me with you, Im going to reopen the door now, this month is that one, you know, the month when things get strange. Enough I give up already. Sonny! Theiyoung mans long bangs and sharply angled eyes, which were so moist that they were sickening, peered out after I heaved a heavy sigh. Whatia benevolent person you are! I-I am infatuated with your generosity and manliness! Generosity? Manliness? Huh, no, I just gave it all up. Really, youre going to search for my body together with me? Heileaned forward gleefully and asked me many times, which infuriated me to the point that I struck him in the face, but he still slipped through. Eek, soiit passed through you after all, huh. Havingisomeone who is willing to help me is reassuring! Thanks a lot! Sonny! Ill never forget this favor! Theiyoung man repeated joyfully. Perhapsiheihad been feeling hopeless. Was he intentionally concealing it with his foolish smile? Alright! Ill entrust myilife to you! Hey, hangion a minute! Thoseiwords were too severe! Dont entrust such a grave thing to me! But Ill guarantee your safety! I sweariit! Guarantee? Youicant do anything while youre in the astral projection state. Well, basically, but Im still useful. What? Trantor: MadHatter Especially since youre going into the sea of trees, you probably wont make it out without me. Iiwondered what he was on about but we had no time for idle chitchat. Despite my deep reluctance, I had no choice but to step into the sea of trees to save a life. Afteria quick change of clothes, I decided to pack what I could carry in my bag. I wrapped two rolls of vinyl strings since no rope was avable and packed water, matches, and some canned goods from the cupboard as well. Aiifirst ce. Iibrought a pair of gloves, insect repellent, and, what else, a pair of shoes for ease of movement? Its notia field trip activity, you know Iiwas already conscious of this. ThatiI was throwing myself into a lot of hassle. The more I reflected on it, the more my face scrunched up. Oh, yeah. Aishlight, where was the shlight? Withishakyihands, I searched through the closet but couldnt find the all-important shlight. Wasnt it in our house? A shlight. Byithe way, I havent heard your name yet, but whats your name? Iiturnediaround and asked the young man who was lying on the futon waiting for me to get ready. How longiwas I going to call you you? Theifact that I met you here was a coincidence. Itiwould be fine to at least ask him for his name. WheniIisaid this, he nodded and got up. Itiwasiat this point that he introduced himself for the first time. Withihis mouth upturned and a grin on his face, he said IiamiYagumo Akane. Myijob is exterminating evil spirits. Takeicare of me from now on. Sonny Oneitransparent arm was offered before me. Andiso beganithe worst night of my life. Chapter 11.1: Not Suicidal Chapter 11.1: Not Suicidal [Dear LittleiSister. Trantor: Madhatter Apparently, oneiof my foolish acquaintances has been stranded in the sea of trees, soiyour brother valiantly sets off by himself to look forithem. I am notmitting suicide, so pleaseidont be mistaken and make a fuss aboutiit. If youidont hear from me by the time you read this letter, please, I beg you, fileia missing persons report with the police. Onceiagain, please dont make a fuss when you read this. Andino, its not a prank, Im serious. Dontithrow it in the trash halfway through reading the letter. Because if something happens to me, it will all depend on your cool-headed discretion. Seriously, please. P.S. Itsinot suicide, its really not suicide. Fromiyour brother.] Asifor the cause and effect of this, Iihad no idea, but I, a 25-year-old freeter, was going to step into the sea of trees where suicidal people were found lying around as corpses yeariafter year Inicaseiof emergency, I left a note to my sister, who would probably visit around midday today, containing a clear exnation of why I wasigoing there. Determined, I left myihouse. Not shared on aggregator sites Shouldithe worst-case scenario unfurl, itiwould impose immense hardships on my family, including my sister. Iiwould absolutely endeavor with all my efforts to refrain from such a situation. BesidesiWhen I was writing this, I was wondering if this might be a kind of suicide note. This note would function as a suicide note unless I returned unscathed, despite I shook my head and felt it was an omen. It was terrifying. Speakingiof terrifying, what I found most disconcerting at this point was that I was unable to predict my sisters response after readingiit. Hopefully, sheiwould stick to the letters directions, but given that my younger sister was a highly entric second-year junior high school student, it seemed more likely that she would be distraught or throw it in the trash instead of believing iniit. Iibegiyou not to let thetter happen. Even worse, she could be too engrossed in the Inte to notice this note. Thatiwasipossible Please,eion my little sister, sayingithat everything hanging by a thread on me depended on you was not an overstatement. Withimy bag over my shoulder, I headed for the convenience store on myimotorcycle. Yakumo, theiyoung man, had apparently goneito the convenience store earlier; whetheriby flying or by instantaneous movement was uncertain, but a short while ago, he vanished right before myieyes. Rightiafter that, Iisearched everywhere in the room for a shlight but was unsessful. Without any other choice, I decided to get one at the convenience store where Iiworked. Cell phone shlights werent that reliable and I knew I neededia proper one. Ah thatiwas fine. I hopedithe night shift workers wouldnt be suspicious of me. Whileiworrying about that, I parkedimy bike in a corner of the convenience store parking lot. Thereiwas no trace of Yakumo. Hadnt he arrivediyet? Well, whatever, I had something to do before heiarrived. Iipeeked into the store from outside. Of course, discreetly, so as not to draw too much attention. O-Ohhh Oh. Forireal? Toimy bad luck, these were the people I least wanted to see right now. Along with other customers inside the store, Takenaka and Hirai, who were standing at the cash register, seemed bored. Theyiwere the strongest spiritual duo I had ever met. Toiavoid being discovered, I hid in the corner of the store. Ugh, of all people, itiwas those two. Whatishould I do Wouldithey think nothing of me showing up at this hour and going out of my way to buy a shlight at a ce like this? Althoughithey may not be able to figure out that I was going to head into the sea of trees, they struck at the heart of the matter in a strange way, even though theyiwere different types of people Iipulled up the hood of the hoodie I had worn to ward off insects, looked down, knowing it was suspicious, and decided to enter the store without looking at them if atiall possible. Iimean Suspicious, suspicious, suspicious! Iiwas too suspicious! Thisiwas not a good idea at all, theyiwere totally suspicious! Notionly the two of them but even the customers in the store were ncing at me! Eveniif I told myself to avoid contact with them at all costs, theyiwould have recognized me! Inwardlyiimpatient, Iicame to the shelf in front of the store where batteries and chargers were lined up. Thereiit wasa decent-sized shlight. What? Batteries were sold separately? Theiconvenience store quality was so stingy, making me buy not only the shlight but the batteriesias well While I didnt have time toin aboutiit, the price of this cheap light, which could be sold even at a hundred-yen store Once this case was over, I would confront that man aboutithe bill. Um, Hakamada?2ws Owapu!?21ews Theihood fell off inireaction to the idiotic voice I made as I jumped back. Beforeime was Takenaka with a slightly troubled look on his face. Ah, I knewiit. Its you, Hakamada. WheniTakenakaisaid that, I eximed internally. I-I have been exposeddddddddddd. Thatiwasiway too fast! Notieven three minutes had gone by! Toimyistiffening, Takenaka made an ufortable face and awkwardly greeted me with a Good evening. Well, of course Iisaid Good evening in return. Even I was ufortable meeting this person because Takenaka probably saw the previous hellscape that Hirai hadishown me Inishort. Ughhhhhhhhhh!! Iiwanted to get out of the store right now! Hiraiiwasiatithe cash register behind the shelf, saying, Oh, Hakamada! and waving her hand. EveniHiraiispottedime. Previous Next Content Chapter 11.2: Not Suicidal II Chapter 11.2: Not Suicidal II H-Hello21eqsw Y-Yeah.21wqs Leisurelyias ever, isnt it? Hahaha W-Well itsteiat night so yeah Iicould tell byithe atmosphere.e2q Forisure, Takenaka likewise caught a glimpseiof that hellscape. Furthermore, it was sold, I couldnt even joke about it. Theitwoiof us were so ufortable that ourieyes were darting from one to the other as weiconversed. Whats theimatter, dressed like that at this hour? Oh, ah, um. Rightioff the bat, I wasiasked the thing I least wanted to be questioned about. Of course, Iicouldnt say, Yes, Iiam on my way to the sea of trees over there. Notigood, I hadito concoct some kind of convenient lie. M-My younger sister suddenly said she wanted to watch fireworks. And you are here for that? Ohino. Takenaka and my local area were fairly close. If I wanted to buy something, I could normally just go to the convenience store in front of theistation. Idiotiof me. Tell aibetter lie! I amigoing for a walk to feel the wind Whatiwasiwithithat catchphrase? Iisee.e2sw Heigoticonvinced! Thankigoodnessihe was straightforward. Iiwasirelieved. Having finished myiexchange with Takenaka simply, Iiwent to the cashier with batteries and a shlight. Receivingithem, Hirai carefully putithem in a bag. Hakamada? Howiunusual for you, even though its youriday off. Areiyou going somewhere now? Ugh, stop it, dontiaskime that. My faceiwould scrunch up. Eveniso, I tried to maintain myposure and spoke as I normally would. Iiam going to go see fireworkster. My sister wants to watch fireworks, shes so fussy. Heh, atithis time of night? Yeah, atithis time of the night, shes an active little sister of mine. Hmm. I see. Its tough, isnt it? Yeah, yeah! Iiwondered what she was going to say to me this time, and then she blurted out something outrageous. You see! Its sold out! All the readers were so thrilled with it! They even asked me to do a sequel! The next one will be much thicker, so Im working on the name now, without changing the model, of course! Foriheavens sake. Hirai. I begiyou, please stop mass-producing that kind of thing. Ohino, thete-night convenience store is a new genre, so it was rather well-received! Like I said, stop it! Ah, foriGods sake, this person. Wasishe going to shamelessly release that kind of thing to the world again? Please change the model at least, I begiyou. When I leaned over the counter to protest to Hirai, she abruptly and roughly grasped me by the chest. Hirai, who was wearing a fearless smile, was aplete change fromibefore. Hey, neer. I wont dig too deep, but tonight you are possessed by a nasty thing. H-Hirai Soiitiwas Hirai (Mother)! Whenididitheyiswitch? Howidoiyouiknow Dontiunderestimate me. Thatimuch I can tell from the presence. Well, it looks like hes not dead yet. There is another person outsideithe convenience store who seems to have the same condition as I do. He may be concealing himself but I can see him. What, is heiyour acquaintance? Well something likeithat. Isithatiso? Heh. Ayameispokeiin a whispering voice so that Takenaka would not notice. Myivoice lowered to a whisper to match hers. Whatever youido is up to you but unfortunately I cant help you tonight like I didithe other night. Iiknow Iididnte here to ask for your help. Hmph, doiyour best, huh? Justiso you know, if you venture into those guys territory with any sort of light-heartedness, youre not going to walk off with a freeipass. Isithat a threat? A warning, idiot. Trantor: MadHatter You could tell what I was going to do huh. Sheitold me something horrifying. Yet, she showed no signs of desperate attempts to stop me. Perhaps she didnt care about anyone butiher daughter. Nevertheless, Iiwondered if her warning me could be taken as kindness. Um, areiyouigoing to tell Hirai and Takenaka about this? Iiwont divulge it, because if they hear something like that, theyll do everything they can to stop you. Thank you Haha, if youimake it back here alive, I will acknowledge you a little bit. The sea of trees will engulf your screams, and you will regret your choiceiimmensely Seeiyouter. Thatiwasiprobably another warning and Ayame was gone shortly after.
Hakamada. As I strode briskly out of the convenience store, Takenaka halted me just as I was leaving the entrance. Though he was not particrly expressive, I noticed that he was looking somewhat depressed. Are you really going to go and see fireworks with your sister now? What?Not shared on aggregator sites Are you about to embroil yourself in something perilous No, Takenaka. I dont follow what you are saying. Squashing my conscience, I blurted it out to the utmost. Takenaka eyed me with his characteristic stare, a touch of anxiety in it. This person often watched out for me in this way. I wondered why he was so concerned about me every now and then. Please dont worry, everythings fine. Excuse me Oh, no, please dont apologize. If anything, I wanted to apologize to him. I just kind of thought so then take care. With aplicated look on his face, Takenaka went back inside the store. After making sure he was back in the store, I promptly went around to the back of the store and drew a deep breath. I was nervous Ah Takenaka, you were not mistaken in any way, it was me who was stupid Sorry, really. Are you ready, Sonny? Not even giving me time to sigh, Yakumo Akane appeared in a pose with hands propped up against the wall. This bastard, every time he did this, he should have a milder way of making an entrance. Shh, dont let out a big voice, the sonny from earlier wille back. A-Ah yeah. Whew, this ce is truly bad for my heart. Fool, you didnt have a heart now, you know. The person who uttered the ghoulish remark was somehow extremely restless and slightly queasy. What are you being impatient for? Of course, I am impatient because there are two seriously dangerous entities here! Whats that? Are you talking about Takenaka and Hirai? When asked, Yakumo shook his head repeatedly. To be honest, I am referring to the entities that are possessing them Before I went to you for help, I was searching for someone else in this convenience store who might be able to help me, but the two of them are regrly attached to entities that would certainlynd me in deep trouble before I could even talk to them. I couldnt get close to them at all Therge sonny looked like he was going to y me straight away. That voluptuousdy gave me the most dangerous feeling Ive ever had, I felt like if I got even a little bit close to her, she would twist my soul up in half. Voluptousdy? That remark alone probably wont twist your soul. Now The time was past 1:30 a.m. Midnight was just around the corner. That was when spirits were most likely to emerge. As for me, I would like toisearch after the sun rose, but a whole day had already psed, and if I didnt hurry, things would turn ugly. I doubted that Yakumos body, whichiwas now exhibiting remarkable vigor, wouldst until the morning. Itiwas inevitable. While I cowered in fear of what would ensue should someone like me step into the source of the intense psychic maic field, I was even more terrified of abandoning this man and incurring his grudge. Letime show my guts here. Iiwasialready determined. Lets go.dexw Yeah.2wq Chapter 11.3: Not Suicidal III Chapter 11.3: Not Suicidal III Leavingimy bike at the convenience store might inconvenience Takenaka and Hirai again. I hidimy bike in the forest a short distance away from the store. Afterithat, relying on Yakumos memory, I continued walking along the path for a while and found a spot where the bushes were in disarray, where his bike must have crashed into them. Theimuddy soil, weeds, and snapped branches that had been trampled by theitires Thisiis undoubtedly the spot. Yeahr32vwg Fromihere, the world was truly pitch-ck with no streetlights. It marked the entrance to the sea of trees. Darkness abounded throughout the ce, conjuring up such a disturbing phrase as once in, the living will be ensnared by the darkness, blinded from the way out, and imprisoned for all eternity. To ay my fears, I turned on the shlight I had bought at the convenience store earlier. Suchia ce I couldnt bring myself to go into, even for a test of courage. Theidimension. Theiair. Theyiwere too different. Theiconcrete on which I was standing now was utterly foreign from the darkness on the other side. A boundary existed. Theibranches swaying faintly, as if beckoning me, I wondered where in the world the wind was blowing from. I clearedimy throat. Areiyou scared, Sonny? Youiwerent afraid to enter this ce? Well, thats partiof my job. Iidont get it Inice of me, who was not taking the first step, Yakumo took the lead and proceeded to the inner side. As I followed him, I tried not to leave too much space between the two of us. Dont fret, Ill protect you. Evenithough we were walking together, my footsteps were the only sound, and his words were not very trustworthy. Ill try to look after myself if at all possible, but dont you suddenly disappear on your own. Yes, yes. Trantor: MadHatter Withoutiany fear, he continued on his way, not even relying on the light of my shlight, and when I looked back, the ce where I had entered was gradually fading into the distance. Aisense of regret filled me as I followed Yakumos lead. Sooniwe were shrouded in absolute darkness, as though the entrance were obstructed by trees. Despite not having a phobia of the dark, I naturally felt unstable when enveloped in such thick darkness. Within minutes, the warm wind and the nces I felting at me from every anglewhich may or may not have been my imaginationstarted to induce strange sensations in me. Whatiwas I doing? Did Yakumo really wish for me to help him? Wasiwhat Yakumo had said the truth? Whereiwas Yakumo trying to lead me? Was I possibly being deceived by thisiguy? Andiso on Despiteithe absence of any means to grasp such things, my thoughts kept flowing unabatedly. The further I progressed, the more my suspicions about him began to sprout inside me, and the more I lost all sense of stability. What would be of me from nowion? Youre beginning to suspect me, right? Huh What? Yakumos spot-on assumption sent my heart skipping aibeat. He then put his arm around my head and grinned unconcernedly. Thisice is such a ce, full of a miasma that can destabilize people. Miasma?Not shared on aggregator sites Negativeiaura that is detrimental to the human body. The density of this aura is particrly high in suicide spots and ident-prone areas, which are the root of the negative spiral. Thats why people die in droves, and because it can numb the human psyche, its extremely poisonous to the average person Atithis point, Yakumo halted. I know youre getting more and more ridiculous about cooperating with me, a man you dont even know who I am, and who may beideceiving you. After all, I dont feelfortable dragging ordinary people into this I can turn back now, and take you to the exit. Theniwhat about you? Imigoing to search for my body alone. Then I will apany you. You sure? Yeah, Iijust got a little nervous, thats all. I see, but dont strain yourself. I really appreciate your help, but if something should befall you, take care of yourself, okay? Nodding, I startedito move my legs again. At the look on his face, any doubts I had about him evaporated. Had I mentioned a word about wanting to go home, he would have sent me on my way to the exit of the forest. Yakumoiwas speaking the truth. It was simply that I was so driven by anxiety that a strange thought struck me. Eveniso Theiair was poor. If I kept walking in silence, anxiety would gradually erode me. No matter how far I went in the never-changingndscape, only trees were in sight. And in betweenid thick darkness. Ah, thisiwas getting unbearable. You gotisomething interesting to talk about? Anything is fine, I said to him irrationally. Sonny, youre asking a mindless question out of the blue. I just want to be distracted. Tell me something that will make meugh. Laughing in the sea of trees isnt that too creepy? Shut up. I dont want to hear it from you. Well, you know, I guess it would be better to have a change of scenery to prevent being swallowed up. Its tooplicated with you suspecting me, so why dont we both disclose our personal information to each other first? Okay, fine by me. I concurred with Yakumos suggestion. To be honest, I felt ufortable disclosing my actions to a man I only knew by name, but at this point, I wouldnt care what it was as long as it would distract me from this fear. Stepping on the muddy soil from the previous days rain and listening to the sound of a single persons footsteps, I and the semi-ghostly man engaged in a bizarre identity reveal contest. Then, your name. HakamadaI wont say anything further than that. W-What I gave you my full name, so isnt it unfair to hide yours from me? I hate what I hate. If there are five things I hate in this world, my name is one of them. How unusual to hate something so much. Yeah, I hate it. Hmm, I see. Your age. 25. Heh, thats what I figured. Im 20, though. Heh. Just as I expected. You dont look like a student to me. Yeah. I dropped out of junior high school. What!? I thought he wasnt like that, but he was a real delinquent. Dropping out of junior high school was too much. What made him do that? Various things arose, and I ran away from home until I was 17. Thats a spectacr runaway. When I returned, I was close to being killed, but I was lucky I wasnt disowned, ahaha. The fact that you couldugh it off was remarkable. This guy apparently had a rather stormy life. My educational background, which included graduation from a prefectural high school on my resume, seemed so normal. You graduated from high school and now youre a freeter? Do I look like a manager? No. Oh, are you one of those job-hunting losers? You big idiot, I am not. Well I was on track to attend university until the summer of my senior year of high school but one day I just didnt care anymore. Although I didnt have a specific aim in mind, I recognized that a solid academic foundation would be beneficial in the future, so I still intended to continue on to university. My grades werent that awful, and if I had kept going, I would have finished university and had a different life rather than being a poor freeter. Being a freeter is not something to be proud of in the eyes of the world huh I never considered saving up and striving to be something in the future. No, thats not true. Working is better than doing nothing at all. Youre probably the same as me, arent you? Me? Im paying the bill for the life I ruined. Right now, Im training at a local ramen shop. Surprisingly, he was working diligently. Wait You, please dont tell me your job is toe all the way down here to deliver food No, not at all. Then why did you bother toe all the way down here? Thats my night job. As I told you before, I specialize in exterminating evil spirits. The guy turned around and his eyes seemed to glow with lights. Exterminating evil spirits? Speaking of which, this guy said the same thing a while back about how he was going to exorcise evil spirits I didnt feel like I should poke into it too much, so I let it slide perfectly but The word evil spirit exterminator means exorcising spirits. I may look like this, but Im a professional evil spirit exterminator who is called a professional at eliminating haunted spots. During the day, I work at a ramen shop. What the hell is that?e12dqwc My night job is to clean up haunted ces, suicide spots, and spiritual paths to prevent them from bing haunted ces. I drive away evil spirits and help lost souls attain Buddhahood as well. ording to him, while working on the front side of the world during the day, at night he operated a motorcycle from ce to ce as a side job to drive away the spirits that wandered in the world. And Yakumos nighttime identity, which he could not reveal to the public, was what he called an evil spirit exterminator. In short, an evil spirit exterminator was a person who exorcised and purified demons. Simply put, their main job was to guide spirits who had be trapped in an insidious atmosphere to their proper destination. Though I had never heard of this name before, I heard that apparently throughout Japan besides Yakumo, many other people with simr titles were active in this field, utilizing their own abilities. Hirais mother, Ayame, was a well-known medium in Hokkaido, and Yakumo was in the same category. Well, its like a minor version of the psychics on TV or something, like the indies on CDs, right? Thats an understandable analogy, but I dont get it. Well, its an underworld profession that the general public is unaware of. Somehow It was a fishy story. What are you talking about? Spirits are everywhere, and there are those who have to clean them up! When there was a mess, there was bound to be someone to clean it up, right? It sounded like that. Do you voluntarily enter such a ce? Isnt it risky to do that Well, if I miscalcte my strength, I could get struck back, but this path is quite long, so I dont mind that. The reason for his bloody condition yesterday was somewhat understandable. That fresh wound under the chin, I wondered if that was the same case. Specters, can they attack physically? Specters are not really physical, but they can move things and do things with extreme force, and if you get hit by one, you will end up like I was yesterday. Why would you go to such bloody lengths to put yourself in jeopardy? Normally, even if I had such an ability, I would certainly not be willing to do such a thing. Noimatter how many lives I may have, I had a feeling that it would not be enough. And yet, this guy carried wounds all over his body thatididnt seem to go away regardless of the passage of time. Eveninow, he was dying, and yet he stepped into suchia ce by himself Why was that Yesterday, had he turned back when he came to theiconvenience store, this would not have taken ce. Despiteithis, was there a solid reason why he was willing to put himself in danger toicontinue hisiwork to deal with those evil spirits? Of course thereiis. WheniI asked him that, Yakumo gave me a small snicker and said to me lightly and seriously as if it was a matteriof course. Im going toieradicate the crowds that flock to haunted ces. Previous Next Content Chapter 11.4: Not Suicidal IV Chapter 11.4: Not Suicidal IV What Nowadays, more and more couples are gathering at haunted ces. I wanted to thoroughly reduce the number of ces where people will screech You know, if the atmosphere at a haunted ce is normal, its a bit of a letdown, isnt it? Riajuu will get disappointed too, and thats why Im destroying them from one side to the other. Its a million years too early for them to be ying with each other here, they came here the day before yesterday too Or rather, let the riajuu perish, explode in a grand way and go back to the earth, you idiot! A ck aura overflowed from Yakumo, who was cackling with unsightly jealousy. I looked at him and thought quietly, Well, this guy is not popr Apparently, he just wanted to interrupt the couples who were thoughtlessly stepping into the haunted ce. What a dumb motive I mean, how jealous were you of all those couples? I had assumed that he was on a more significant mission. Or rather, I wondered if he was aware that, rather than interfering, he was indirectly helping these people by purifying the spirit reservoirs. Well, forget it; I should pretend I was oblivious to Yakumos sinister scheme. Were there psychics in the world who operated for this kind of reason? Didnt you im that you are an expert in destroying haunted areas earlier? To be honest, I dont stop until Ive destroyed a site once Ive set my eyes on it, so my work is of a different caliber than that of other psychics. Indeed, he had a majestic expression on his face. This was no pretense. He had a lot of experience in this field. Despite all his jokes, this guy was a real A realTrantor: MadHatter A real idiot! How should I put it? I just want to make a point. Yes?Not shared on aggregator websites I expressed my honest views to the Kansai-style evil spirit exterminatorwho was acting so optimisticallydespite the fact that I felt horrible about doing soin the sake of truth, regardless of whether he grasped the situations futility. This is the so-called the mummy hunter himself bes a mummyright? What!? The mummy hunter himself bes a mummy Exactly as the expression meant. In an attempt to exterminate an evil spirit, he himself became a specter. These words were perfect for Yakumo. After hearing this, he opened his lips and his expression tightened as if he had no spare time and was going to demand an exnation from me right then. No, no, no, no! This is, this is! I screwed up a little bit, thats all! Arent you a professional? Yeah! Isnt that obvious!? Then why is a professional in this mess? Moreover, youre asking for help from a civilian. N-No! About that! You know, my condition is not at its best! Condition? Yeah! As long as I got in shape, I could have handled it on my own! I wouldnt even be like this! I wonder. You really arent that good, are you? Huh I cant let that slide, you know! Within a short period of time, I was able to analyze Yakumos personality. He was straightforward in his responses to others statements, simple, and easily agitated. And he was a screw-up who unted these traits at the most crucial times. I am a true first-ss evil spirit exterminator! Even I cant be silent when you criticize me like that! No, you dont have a body, so you cant prove anything. What!? You cant say that!! I was only trying to tease him a bit but I supposed my remarks had wrecked his self-esteem. Yakumo slumped to the ground, his face expressing shock. I-Indeed I couldnt say that I am a first-ss in this state I am a failure as an evil spirit exterminator I didnt say it out loud because it would have made me feel even more empty, but I still feel extremely embarrassed about my current state I feel like Im walking around the city naked. Huh, that was all it took for him to break down. What sort ofedy is this exorcising evil spirits? Ah, if Tsure finds out, for sure I will be made fun of. Yakumo suddenly began to feel down. Hey, hey you dont have to be so depressed. I might have had a lot of fun and shattered his pride more than necessary. I tried to tap the crouching guy on the shoulder but it slipped through easily. Yeah rather than doing this, I should find the body of this guy at once. Look, if you dont kick up a fuss, I wont be able to force myself to get hyped up. Even so, we had reached rather deep. Not even moonlight was perceptible anymore. Overhead, the branches and leaves of the trees were jostling each other, making me feel somewhat suffocated. The dread that I would never leave this ce, which had been weighing heavily on me, seemed to be releasing itself at any moment. I wondered where in the sea of trees I was now, no, there was no specific area in the sea of trees. I felt like I had gone a long distance. How far had we proceeded since entering Ah. Something immediately struck me as I pondered how far I hade. My heart felt as though it had been punctured by a thin needle when my veins abruptly stopped circting blood. Time stopped within me. The feeling of this. This helpless feeling. Aaah!? W-What!? Yakumo, who had remained dejected up until that point, jumped up at the sound of the shout and turned to face me. I, on the other hand, clutched my head and stiffened the muscles of my face as I screamed. Aaahh. I messed up I messed up Even though I was so careful before entering I. I forgot all about it. I forgot to tie the vinyl string in ce at the beginning. As a lifeline, I had brought two rolls of vinyl packing string. I figured that using them as a marker and tying them somece would be pointless in such a wide sea of trees, but I reasoned that it would be better than nothing. Despite having nned to do so, I had forgotten about it until now. What a screw-up. At this rate, we would be lost and dead in the sea of trees. Due to theck of a road, I didnt know whether I came from the right or the left, or even what part of the path I had taken. Oh no, I might really die. That thoughtpelled me to scream out again. I wanted to shout for help which might not reach someone. Wasnt I a real screw-up, too? Buha! Buhahaha! Sonny, youre an idiot You cant criticize others, can you! Haha! Shut up! This is on a different level than your screw-up! Stopughing! I mean, vinyl string! Couldnt you have picked something better!? Silence! I dont have a survival rope in my house! Yakumoughed hysterically at my impatience. Hey, this was seriously not the time to beughing! Without a marker, even if you were lucky enough to get back into your body, you might not be able to return! Ah, God! What should we do!! Dont worry since I made it out once myself. Whats with that its just a stroke of luck line? Rx for now, I can handle getting out but only if I get back in. I dont know if I can believe that story of yours but I dont want to be a corpse in a ce like this. Like I said, sonny, I am a professional. I have been in this kind of maze many times. I have the countermeasures. Yakumo responded confidently and proudly. Should I be reassured? In the first ce, even if I found his body, if it was toote, I would be left alone with his corpse on my back I didnt want to think beyond that. Dont you know how much longer you can sustain your own body? Dont ask me that like its an expiration date Hmm. I dont know about that. All I know for sure is that I am not dead yet, and I still feel a faint connection with my physical body. Perhaps when my body runs out of energy, Ill be able to feel it naturally, he remarked calmly as he walked on. I supposed it was because he was well aware that he would not get anywhere by making a fuss. Cant you sense where your body is now? If I could, I wouldnt be having such a hard time. I can only recall a few things. I see
After that, I continued walking again. While I was worrying about foliage and spider webs, Yakumo abruptly came to a halt before me. A red sports bike, flung to the ground and smeared with mud, came into view. The engine stopped working here. He said he had abandoned the bike at this spot when it was no longer useful. Beyond that point, his recollection was a bit hazy apparently. Try hard to remember that part Im struggling to remember that but He instructed me to take up the bike and open the seat cover while seemingly to be recalling something. When I did so, I found that it was packed with items that I had never seen before and that was difficult to describe in one word. Several books that resembled tattered old documents. A collection of unsettling paper dolls linked together with twine that seem like human forms. In addition, a stack of red gaily colored paper, like the color of blood, was in it. Even the ult research club wouldnt own such things. W-W-What is this? Tools for my job. I dont have time to exin. I am curious, though. Sonny, dig through it all and pull out the tag at the bottom. I waspletely ignored. He seemed to have no intention of exining everything to me. Having no other choice, I fearfully put my wrist in and probed the inside of the box. Deep inside, I found a piece of paper with a texture like Japanese paper, so I pulled it out to see it. On the paper, which was about the size of an old postcard, were inscribed words that I could not read no matter how hard I tried. This was it looked like the kind of thing you often find on a Shinto altar or something like that. Keep it with you at all times, it should be enough for someone like you. What do you mean? Its a talisman. Its a good luck charm, and since Im the one who forced you into this, I need you to be safe at all costs. Simply holding it will shield you from all kinds of evil things, and it will blind the evil spirits. Thats amazing if its true. But are you sure? There is only one. Its only for the weak. It doesnt matter if I have it. That sounds like the kind of thing that would be said about a weak guy. Thats right! That means youre a weak guy! This talisman is extremely effective in your instance since you are essentially only a man with spectral vision. So keep it with you. A piece of paper like this? I doubted it would have such tremendous power. I shook it with my hand while squinting. It was a piece of rag paper, so if I pulled on it, it would tear right away. However, if you tear it, it will really be nothing more than a piece of paper, so please be careful. Being told that it was like a lifeline that I must not let go of if I wanted to advance, I swallowed my saliva and slipped it into my hoodie pocket. Alright, now, lets go. Wait a minute. A double lifeline was more reassuring. I pulled a packing strap out of my bag and wrapped it around arge tree nearby. Since I brought it with me, I dont want it to go to waste. Well, thats okay. I carefully wrapped it around the tree and tied a tight knot to prevent it froming undone. Yeah. Although not very reassuring, this should at least bring us back to this ce. I pulled on the string and checked it a few times. It looked secure. Whats this? Ah? What? While I was content with the sturdily wrapped cord and was feeling ready to go on, Yakumo approached the tree that was wrapped with a curious look on his face and uttered a mysterious remark, Something is carved on it. Huh? What Previous Next Content Chapter 11.5: Not Suicidal V Chapter 11.5: Not Suicidal V Withithat said, Iigot my face near to it too and utilized the light to illuminate it. Due to the darkness, I hadnt noticed it until now, but as Yakumo had mentioned, wild letters were engraved there that looked like they might have been carved with a carving knife orisomething. [Marchi7, 2010 NishikawaiToshio Kawachi SatoNot shared on aggregator websites UematsuTrantor:MadHatter You all shall be cursed to death.] Hie Rightiaway at the realization that it was a curse, I movediaway from the spot vigorously and fell on my buttocks. Whatithe hell is this It wasiweirdit wasnt likeiany ordinary thing. The shapeiof the letters andithe content conveyed aisense of appalling madness. This was not graffiti Shiveringiand trembling, I found something evenimore horrendous there. Argeinumber of cigarette buttsiand soiled coffeeicans were scattered across the groundinear the base of the moss-covered tree. Onlyiat this spot, bizarrely Hereihere. This was I knew it. I was right. The meaning was that, right I meanwasnt I right? Nobody would deliberatelye here to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes, right? [Ill curse you to death.]I was prepared for that, but it was too vivid. Whatever transpired to them before their deaths, they carved such words in such a ce. They must have been harboring an extraordinary resentment. No way It couldnt be that a rope with a looped poke on it was fastened to a nearby branch or something around there I am, ah I would get out of here at once. When I thought that Not bad. a low voice from right above me brought my feet to a halt. I am, ah not bad, I am not bad, ah An anguished mans moaning voice was descending from above my head. He spoke in what seemed like a faint, muffled voice, yet I could make it out perfectly in my ears. Itsall their fault I am not to be med for anything It wasnt curiosity that I turned around. This was the same phenomenon as being tapped on the shoulder and turning around. I looked at him unconsciously and my mouth naturally opened. What initially shed into my vision was a pair of feet, one in a leather shoe and the other in a sock only cks with gray vertical lines, a shabby suit They are the ones who framed me and screwed everything up My eyes slowly rose. Regret I will absolutely make them Unforgivable The crumpled shirt reflected up to the white neck. Then, like a doll without joints, the neck was unnaturally snapped. His skin had an eerie color that could not be described as human. He cast out his limbs in line withgravity while maintaining a visage that could not be characterized as living. The man, who was suspended by his neck from a tie fastened to a branch, engulfed my entire beingmy senses, my thoughts, everything. Both of his eyes were wide open and his mouth was half open. His spectacles were wedged between his ears and nted diagonally, and his nose was dripping a dark liquid. Nothing more could be conveyed by words. Only those who have witnessed this could recognize it. This wasnt a human being. This was no longer a human face. A corpse At the same time my brain was hammering out that answer, the man hanging in midair from a branch moved his mouth and muttered, I will kill Ah, ah, ah. Aaaaaaah, aaaaaaah My legs went limp, and I couldnt feel that I could stand up. The curse was etched on the tree by this man. Trapped by the sensation that my heart was being seized and dragged out, I repeatedly drew in ragged breaths like I was hyperventting. Directly above me was a suspended man, swaying slightly under the weight of his body. I had never witnessed anything like this, not even in horror movies. ThisThis kind of thing. It wasnt a feeling of fear or anything like that; it was beyond terror, and I couldnt think of anything else. Agagagaga. Those incoherent words that erupted from my mouth by themselves would eventually be reced by screaming. The back of my head jerked. Not good, my consciousness was going to fly away. Sonny! Pull yourself together!! Yakumo brought me back to consciousness as my consciousness was about to fly away again. His words jarred me back to reality, and I twisted my neck with all the strength I could muster, shifting my vision away dramatically. Even now, I was on the edge of screaming but I restrained myself desperately. Dont think any more about it! At his unreasonable insistence, my mouth clenched and I vehemently shook my head. As if there was a huge Japanese drum inside my body, my heart was rumbling and I felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. Listen. The power of the talisman has kept him from noticing you yet. But if you scream, hell undoubtedly notice. Ugh Run by the count of three. I gritted my teeth and nodded at the excessivelyposed Yakumo. One, two Before he could even say three, I was off running. The mans moaning voice that emitted like a muffled scream was perpetually haunting my ears, and I couldnt shrug off my fear as the mans tragic expression seared itself into my brain. I struggled to use my legs, which were as unsteady as a newborn fawns, and ran as if I were going to tumble down. I fled from that spot, bumping into the trees over and over again. Running in the darkness, I crouched down on the ground when I couldnt run any longer. If I made it this far, I was sure I would be fine. With that thought in mind, I cast my face down to the groundonly to be confronted with a floral pouch and a light pinkpact lying right in front of me. Gyahhh!? Under my right hand was a stick of lipstick. And many more A folding brush with hair and other things that were evidently left behind by someone else. On top of that, this oneit was still new. One that was not heavily soiled. Perhaps it was a few days old. Ugh. Holding my head with a tearful voice, I suppressed the nausea. The things left behind on the ground suggested thest act of the suicidal person. Imagining it subconsciously was repulsive. Perspiration dripped from my shoulders as I breathed heavily. Yakumo looked down at me anxiously, but in contrast to me, he was neither breathing erratically nor breaking out in perspiration. Are you okay, Sonny? Of course not Yeah, Im sorry. A transparent palm was held out in front of me but it was immediately retracted. Oops I forgot. He may have been trying to offer me a hand but I couldnt touch him in his astral form. I can hardly do anything in such a state Damn. Yakumos face was distorted in frustration, his impatience apparent. In spite of traveling a considerable distance over the course of more than an hour, I was unable to make out anything in the sea of trees that spread out beyond my field of vision. As the hour of the Ox deepened, my sixth sense was responding to it, and faint moans could be heard from all over the ce, which was pushing my restless heart to the edge. Ugh coughoe. The impact of what I had seen earlier, and the uncertainty that grew as I went on, finally forced me to puke on the spot. Hey! Hah, I think its going to appear in my dreams at Anything like that was a first for me. I had seen plenty of things in the past that I found repulsive. That was nothing, though, inparison to what I had caught sight of earlier. It was the worst thing I had ever witnessed. That man died there and kept on hanging himself until then. Never was he liberated, nor did he die in peace. It was exactly as Takenaka and Ayame said. For those who died here, no salvation existed This was the negative circle of the sea of trees with no salvation. Not only that man, but many others who perished in such a miserable way were here. How many more times would I have to see them? Sonny, this is no good. You need to take a break. Its fine, we dont have time for that. Yeah but Dont be so self-conscious when you are the one who brought me here. Like I said, its useless but you know, Im the type of person who has a hard time abandoning a decision once Ive set my mind to it. Come on, lets move on Why do you insist on exerting yourself so hard? You must feel sick already. Normally, people would cry and try to run away. Yeah. Theidifort is too much. Then why? Dont get me wrong, Im not doing it for you, Im doing it for me. A smallugh broke out. I dont like the aftertaste. I want to be relieved of everything and I dont like it when things are in disarray. Like specters, I dont like people who are half in belief and half in doubt about such things. I need it to be ck and white. I want to live a refreshing life, thats why Im doing this Right, I was always self-centered. I hated crookedness, and I was a pain to deal with. Though I was extremely proficient at drawing animosity. Even so, I refused to live a life of regret. Onlyirecently did I finally realize that I had been living my life by sticking to such unbendable pride and hurting many people. Perhaps it was because I went through such egotism that I hurt Hyuga which led to an oue like that. This time, nobody would get hurt, right? Again, I was only doing this for myself, but I didnt want to suffer the regret and terrible aftertaste of that time. I was doing it for myself but it was fine since no one else was hurt. Dont worry, it will heal in time. When I insisted that, Yakumo seemed to understand reluctantly and stopped saying anything after that. The nausea thatiwas threatening to rise up inside me was once again smothered by the mineral water in my bag, and I clutched the talisman in my pocket with sweaty hands topose myself. Are you okay with this? The silent walk was unbearable, and after a few moments, I was the one who initiated the conversation. Yourplexionididnt change a bit after seeing that. Yeah Youre the same kind as the people who can see specters, and yet youre different. Furthermore, I wasiolder than you. Was it due to your condition that you didnt feel any fear? No, I dontck emotion. I am only ustomed to it. I have been to a lot of ces and observed all sorts of things. Youre a guy whos been seeing these things for less than a month, arent you? Oh, he got it right Did I hit the mark? Anyone would have fainted if they saw that, no matter if it has been six months or a year. Hmm, well, thats for sure. The fact that he could see that and not be perturbed by it made me wonder how many terrific evil spirits he had encountered in his life. I have been able to see for more than a decade now, and Im not astonished by what I see now. More than a decade!? If I trace my family ancestry back to its beginnings, it was, I believe, a branch of the Yin-Yang sect. But for some reason, I was born with a strong bloodline from that family, even though the bloodline eventually fell extinct and was utterly forgotten. With a troubled look on his face, Yakumo recounted his past. Wasnt it hard for you sinceiyou were such a child? Of courseiit was hard. Oneiday, out of the blue, I started seeing old men with holes in their stomachs and women with no legs, and I had a hard timeing to terms with the fact that my reality was so distinct from everyone elses. People called me a liar, and my parentsithought I was nuts and brought me to a psychiatrist. Nobody believed me That made those days a lot more unbearable Previous Next Content Chapter 11.6: Not Suicidal VI Chapter 11.6: Not Suicidal VI Noione could share an understanding, nor anyone who would even try to understand. Evenihis family denied him, dismissing his words as creepy, attributing his lonesome childhood to the sudden awakening of hisipowers. Its ratheritough not to be believed, isnt it Of course but itiwas even more difficult for me when I was a kid. I got adjusted to being able to see specters, even if I didnt like it, and eventually grew unconcerned about it. But being called a liar no matter howimany times I was told that, I justicouldnt get used to it. IiseeTrantor: MadHatter It wasnt entirely unpleasant, though. EveniI made friends. Forithe first time, people believed me and didnt use me of being a liar I was incredibly happy, and having even just one person believe iniyou isia real lifesaver. Smiling, Yakumo lookedigenuinely happy as he responded. Thatsiwhy I wantedito use this power to drive away the wicked, to save those who believed in me, and thats why Im doing this. Youreian outstanding guy. Hmm? Aboutiwhat? Because, usually, wheniyou suddenly start seeing things like that in your life, staying positive like that is unlikely, youre amazing. I cant tolerate that kind of thing foridecades. Thereiwas no way I was going to get used to it, and I didnt want to be stuck with that power for the restiof my life. In the beginning, I thoughtithe same thing. Its fineitough because at my age, I still freak out like a littleikid. Iiwontugh. Nobodyican ept it at first. Butirest assured, thatipower doesnt stay with you forever, itican abruptly vanish one day, or gradually you be unable to seeiit. Wasithat true? Iidont know about the conditions, but Iido know of a precedent. If possible, itiwould be preferable if this power would disappear sooner ratherithanter Haha, well, not while workingihere, I guess. Youreiright. EveniYakumo, who had been viewing specters and other apparitions since elementary school, stepped into a haunted ce voluntarily with a calm andposed attitude. Even if thatipower didnt disappear, at worst, I might have a chance of familiarizing myself with it. No, but I wouldnt want to get used toiit. Atithis point, Yakumo unexpectedly paused again. What was it this time? Theisudden halt made me pass through him. Whyidid you stopNot shared on aggregator sites When I turnediaround and said so I noticed that Yakumo, who had been speaking fluently up until now, was behaving oddly. The guy who hadibeenughing hysterically and moving forward was so red in the face as if he had been coated with paint from the top of his head. Withieyes wide open, he was frozen in ce like a sculpture. The exact same miserableistate he was in when he first showed up. Yakumo!? What in theiworld Close What!? Redidripped from his eyes and mouth as he uttered the brief words, and I raised my voice in astonishment. Close? What did he mean Theice where I copsed right, I recall it, I Beforeihis next words could be delivered, somethingpelled him to clutch his head andin of acute pain. W-Whatihappened! Hey! Itsithe severe pain from that time. Probably because the ce is so close to! Ouch!! His formiwent sharply blurred in that instant, and somehow, the transparency worsened. I couldnt find the appropriate words to describe it, but it seemed as if the entirety of theiguy I was seeing was fading away slightly. Hey, getia grip! ThoughiI had assumed that specters could not perceive pain, Yakumoiin front of me was trembling withipain and drawing heavy breaths. Thisiis bad What? Whatsibad? Iithink the time limit is about to be over. Time limit thats. Yeah, myimain bodys pretty much at its limit, and my astral body is starting to get absorbed into this spiritual maic field. Whatsithat? All thoseiwho perish here are bound by shackles that prohibit them from attaining Buddhahood. Thats why staying here is if Im going to die here, so will I It seems like Im on the verge of perishing right now this is really the mummy hunter himself bes a mummy Dont be so feeble cant you do something about it! Theisolution is to return to my body at once But its not good. The maic field is too powerful, and it is dragging me down. At this rate, I will be turned into an evil spirit Hey, wasnt that a rather unsavory development? Perhaps so, replied Yakumo. Contrary to his carefree words, Yakumo looked as if he was desperately resisting. Once that happens, Ill lose my ego, and I wont be able to return you to where you belong. Dont worry about others at a time like this! Hey! Before long, Yakumo suffered to the point where it was unbearable to watch him, and his voice was so agonized that he had to forcefully contain his screams. What should I do, what was I supposed to do? Having relieved my fears, Yakumos abnormal situation drove me to lose myposure once again. That was when it happened. The timing was unfavorable, and unpleasant things kept arising in rapid session. The air surrounding me felt noticeably frigid. An unnatural gust of wind swept through from behind, sending a rustle through the entire forest. Yakumo dropped to one knee on the ground and muttered abhorrently, This is bad. Donte. He stared into the darkness beyond the trees, seemingly ready to disappear at any moment. He looked as if he was threatening toward something. Sonny do me a favor. Get away from here, right now. You were telling me to escape! No time to exin something awfully nasty thing is about toe. Dont look directly at that. Awfully nasty isnt that not good? Thats the cause that I became like this. That thing is nothingpared to the small fry around here. Its an existence born from a conglomeration of resentment, envy, wrath, and filthy human emotions that have congregated in this ce, the source of the chain of events that drags many humans down with it, the genesis of all evil. An ordinary person living in the world would be psychologically afflicted if they saw that. Even a talisman is unlikely to help in stopping this exceptionally hazardous existence, so Ill do something to stop it. Thats why! Go quickly, he repeated. Sonny, there should be a ck van up ahead, search for it and yell with all your might, and Ill be right there! You! No time to hesitate! Get moving! At the yell, I was at a loss as I observed the suffering Yakumo, but I knew that if I stayed here any longer, the situation would turn out to be truly unptable, so I turned around several times and left the ce, leaving Yakumo kneeling on the ground, motionless. I rushed along the trailless path with utmost effort. Things would seriously be a disaster unless I somehow manage to locate the main body of that guy right now. That sense of crisis was the only signal that was directing all the functions of my being. I depended only on the shlight of the light which was not reliable. I didnt even have time to wipe the sweat off my face. Should I stop, I was sure I would cower in fear and never be able to run again. Several times the deceased, who seemed to have passed away here, shed into view, but I passed them by screaming and clutching the talisman in the pocket of my hoodie. A woman swayed with the branches and eyes wide open. A man tumbling to the ground, wearing a thin smile. A man and woman sitting side by side at the base of a tree, hands sped together, streaming blood profusely from their mouths and with half their tongues shredded. An elderly man, with half of his head missing, was flung onto a boulder. How many dead people did I witness in this ceAs I ran, my eyes welled up with tears. Why did I end up in a ce like this? Gradually, a sense of helplessness washed over me. What was I doing? Regret bubbled up within me. Indeed, I had agreed to be here. I went to this ce because it was sickening to see people die, even if they were strangers. Initially, I thought, Give me a break, but if I didnt cooperate, I would undoubtedly feel terribleter on, so I lent a hand to Yakumo for the self-centered reason of wanting to make things easier on myself. It wasnt because I wanted to save people. All because I didnt want to regret anything. Because I didnt want to create obstacles in my life. But, but, but, but These choices made in a momentary rush of tension shouldnt be made easily. In this world, there existed a convenient phrase, the right man for the right job. At this time, I once again thought to myself. The couple who would mindlessly venture to a haunted ce was foolish. And that I was an even greater fool for running around in the sea of trees with tears in my eyes, screaming at the top of my lungs, despite having chosen to do so myself. The pit of my stomach churned and the back of my throat shot up. Not even I could tell where I was running to anymore. The vinyl string that served as my lifeline had somehow snapped, and it was flopping around on the edge of my bag. There was no going back. All I could do was keep moving forward. Regardless of whether my face grazed by the grass or hit a branch, I ran forward as if I were struggling. It was so hrious that I felt like a wild boar running forward. In the midst of my desperation, I tumbled to the ground drastically, my feet caught in the thick roots of the tree without being aware of what was below me. A stone bare from the ground struck my head and sent me to the muddy soil. With an increasingly hollow feeling of hopelessness, I held my lightly bleeding head and feebly lifted myself up. The moment I looked up, calmness flooded through me. The atmosphere of the ce was different from before As usual, the branches and leaves were moring overhead, and I couldnt even see the night sky, but before I knew it, I found myself in a slightly more open area. The trees were not so dense, but instead, therge trees were all around me, and it was a vast ce. My face, knees, and everywhere else were sore from my rough fall, but I could still manage to move. Grabbing my shlight and picking it up, I vigntly illuminated the area. It was a hundred times more terrifying than any horror movie out there. The asional wind blowing incongruously from behind me nearly stopped my heart several times. The light reflected something, and I immediately jumped up at that, but I knew what it was right away. A car a car was there A dirty one-box type light car, which looked like it had crashed from a very high ce, its structure almost disintegrated, covered with dirt and dust. The window ss was heavily cracked and I couldnt see well into the car It was quite unpleasant to view a scrappy car in a ce like this. It was unbelievable that someone had abandoned the car. Why did this thing end up in a ce like this? I mean, wait This was It was a ck van My face twitched as I gazed at it. Yakumo had told me to search for a ck van. Then, could it be this one here Frightened, I searched around the van, lighting up the area, and looking for the shape of a person. This time I went around the back of the van, impatiently, and reached for the light. My heart shrieked louder than ever. I found it It was literally under arge tree that had been charred and left a trail of rough fall. A person wearing a red sleeveless parka, long hair disheveled on the ground, in a prone position. Hey A bright red spiked bat rolled near the arm that had been thrown out of the way. Yakumos two eyes were closed and his face was smeared with mud and blood from the preceding days rain, so I slid over to him and called out to him. I repeatedly shook his body. Hey! Hey! Caniyou hear me! Hang on! Evenithough I called out, he didnt even twitch. My whole body went into a state of fear. H-Heidied At the conclusion of a chaotic process, I endeavored to keep my thoughts from bing disorganized and exploding. Right, breath, I hadito ensure he was breathing. I hurriedlyiput my hand over his mouth. wewrw3rg Hey. This Heiwas not.. breathing Chapter 12.1: Evil Spirit Exterminator I Chapter 12.1: Evil Spirit Exterminator I NoiwayTrantor: MadHatter Hey Theiwhite-faced guy showed no indication of waking up. After all, he had been in this state for a whole day. No way he would wake up normally. It wasionly natural that he was dead Unless he was a monster. If he were human, he would be dead. Perspirationiran down the top of my nose. Did he seriously die No, Yakumo said something like that, but he was not yet Atithis time, far from being calm, I was trapped in panic. Therefore, at the sight of Yakumo, who did not budge at all even though I pulled and shook him, it was hopeless for me to simply cease my train of thought. Inia fit of desperation, I tried to do everything in my power to keep him alive. Cardiacimassage and resuscitation. I vaguely recollected the procedure, but it was the only thing I could undertake at this point. There was no other choice. With all my might, Iislid myself into the charred tree and attempted to pull Yakumo out. Gugh!iUghhhhhh!! Aniextraordinary weight enveloped my overall body. No, Iicouldnt drag Yakumo out from under me in this position. Furthermore, even a single fallen tree was considerably heavy. By myself, I could not even lift it up, let alone throw it over. Thatibeing said, giving up easily was not an option. The survival of this man was the key to me leaving this ce alive. There was no way to go back. As long as even the slightest bit of hope existed, I would do anything, even reckless attempts. From the bottom of my stomach, I exerted all the strength I could muster, and lifted therge tree on my back. The gap was somewhat wide, but not enough. Nheless, perhaps because the tree had been removed, the unconscious Yakumo spewed out a stream of filthy water mixed with blood. Yakumo, caniyou hear me! Wake up! Damn, as expected, it was heavy, and my back was wobbling. You dragged me all the way to this ce, so dont just dump me here! Take responsibility! I nevertheless maintained a steady tone as I let out a persistent screech. With every scream, my voice wavered with impatience. Wake up, wake up, wake up. I beg you. Dont die.Not shared on aggregator sites Dontidie. Dontiyou dare die! The faceiof Hyuga shed in my mind briefly before disappearing. I hurt her, and Hyugasidead face Yakumo!! Regardless of how much screaming was issued, Yakumo still wouldnt wake up. My arms were numb from the lifting, and my legs were reaching their limits. I strained my arms, which were riddled with blood vessels, even harder, determined not to be outdone, and stepped back on my legs. Right then Without warning, the weight of therge tree solidified, and one of my knees yielded to the ground. It was different from before, what was this weight Huh When I thought so, I felt something damp against my forehead area. Apanied by a bad premonition, I stretched my neck and faced upward. What stuck to my forehead was long ck hair. My eyes were unable to tear themselves away from the bloodshot eyes that had sprung into my field of vision. Uuh haha, ha, ahaha. Woman it was a woman. A woman was on top of the tree I was lifting. She was leaning over to peer into it, and her face was directly above me. It was like a gigantic balloonan unbelievably inted, hideous face. Hieeeee With a thin smile on her features, the woman gripped my screaming head with her piercing fingernails. Thergetree dropped significantly as my strength waspletely sapped away. I jerked my head around to attempt to free myself from the womans hands, but the grasp was too firm and I was unable to do so. Instead, the nails sunk even deeper into me, inflicting pain on me. Ii, hyonyi, hihe e. When she grabbed my head, I waspelled to turn my head and stare directly into the womans face. With a mouth that was missing some of her teeth, she made me hear horrific sounds. The next thing I noticed was a dull ache in both of my legs as well, and there was no way I was going to check it out under the circumstances. Both of my ankles were seized with such force that I thought bruises might develop on them. Something was undeniably doing that to me. I didnt want to imagine any further. The weight on my body heightened again. Why? Since I had the talisman, I shouldnt be affected by this, so why It was then that I was reminded that I had just taken a major tumble. It couldnt be Did I tear it at that time? That was the only thing I could conceive of it, otherwise, I wouldnt have suddenly gotten into such a bind. The womans force was so intense that the bones in my neck screeched across my entire body. This woman, no way, she was trying to break it Gah, a-ah, stop, stop, damn!! Even though I resisted, it was the same as before, not even flinching. Perhaps it was because they died in the sea of trees and stayed there for a long time that they were so different from the specters I saw around. Either that or this sea of trees made their power more potent. Whatever the case may be, at this rate, my neck would be broken before I could save Yakumo. Somehow, by some means, I must do something. Even if I thought so, my arms were obstructed, my ankles were seized, and my head was immobile, making it impractical for me to take any action. Despite this situation, my hearing was disgustingly clear, and I kept picking up sounds I didnt want to hear. Sounds of something approaching, something crawling on the ground, grunts, screams, muffled and unfamiliar voices. Shifting my eyeballs as much as I could, I peered out of the corner of my eye and spotted a great number of ck shadows advancing toward me in a straight line from the darkness. Bound to the sea of trees, these departed souls sucked the life out of the living and sought to subject the living to the same fate as themselves. In this way, many victims would be created which in turn would lead to the next victim I learned the meaning of this with firsthand experience. I, who had prated this deep inside, was an ideal prey. I was not an existence they could disregard. Like a pack of predators, the departed were slowly approaching, and soon they would be right around the corner. Takenakas worried face before my departure and Ayames words drifted through my mind. Regardless, everything was already toote. No, donte, donte I didnt want to die I didnt want to die yet! I hated the way this was ending! The ending of not being able to do anything was Panic surpassed my breaking point. Therge tree that was pressing down on me ultimately crushed me as all of my remaining strength left my body. I was pinned between the falling tree and the ground after my waist gave way. I closed my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the end Within the next moment, I felt a sensation of receiving an impact. The tree was indeed crushing me heavily, yet the ground wasnt trapping me in between. A slight gap separated us. Why my whole body was drained of strength, and there should be no strength anywhere to sustain thisrge tree Why Sniffling and suppressing my fear, I opened one eye thinly. ! Another arm, the one that was protruding from under therge tree, was strongly supporting the tree and maintaining the space between the two. And the owner of that supporting arm was Y-Yakumo!! Coughing and spitting out arge amount of filthy water, but still pressing the tree up with remarkable strength, the guy opened his eyes wide. He had woken up! U-Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Yakumo shifted his posture and twisted his voice from deep within as he endeavored to raise therge tree with both arms. Even though I was struggling so much with that, the tree was rising rapidly with his tremendous strength and creating more space in the gap. I joined in and pushed it out of the way. I have reviveddddddddddddd!! Both of us raised a strange gori-like cry and finally seeded in crawling out from under therge tree. Yakumo was drenched in blood and riddled with wounds but he still wiped his mouth and pulled me up vigorously with a dignified look on his face as Inded on my buttocks on the ground. This guy had truly risen from the dead. Oh, for heavens sake! Finally, Im back to normal! Y-Youuuuuu!! I grasped both of Yakumos shoulders as he bent and stretched his bodywhich he had finally regainedwhileining about my feelings with a half-crying voice. Damn you! I thought you were dead!! No, Im really sorry! That was pretty close!! Its not pretty close! I really almost gave up on the whole thing!! No problem, but you saved my life! Im so grateful! If it werent for Sonny, I would have really been dead, he said unfashionably with a chuckle and picked up the spiked bat that had been lying around. Although I should be overjoyed that Yakumo made a full recovery, I mustnt forget about the situation here. Countless evil spirits, including the woman who had been tormenting me up until a moment ago, were everywhere, besieging us. What to do, Yakumo? How do we escape? For some reason, Yakumo responded to me with a cackle as I timidly took a step back. Escape? No, thats unnecessary Im going to knock everyst one of them out! Yakumo, his lips hanging sharply, took a step in front of me. I told you, I am a professional evil spirit exterminator. Its my job to st evil spirits to where they belong. From here on out think youre getting on a big boat, and leave everything to me. Since Sonny has put his life on the line for me, there is no reason why I cant do the same. How dare you humiliate me so much, you all look so pathetic Yakumo usedihis feet to draw something on the muddy ground. Listen to me with your ears open, you dead folks! Japans number one evil spirit exterminator, Yakumo Akane, is going to send all of you to the Sanzu River with a bang! Brace yourselves!! Not intimidated by the swarm of evil spirits, he roared like a beast, not unlike a dying human being. He looked valiantly at the present situation. His back brimming with confidence. His dignified voice. Yakumos aura sent shivers through my entire body. I mean Im ashamed of myself for saying such a chuunibyou thing even at my age. Dont get embarrassed there!! He stumbled forward. Wrapping up this type of scenario would be really appreciated. You didnt have to turn it into aedy. Show me the power of the evil spirit exterminator you imed to be! Oh, yes, yes, I know, lets redo it, lets redo it! I beg you. Because I couldnt do anything. Dont be so surprised, Sonny. Following his words, Yakumo returned to his stern face and reached into his pocket. What was brought out were two bundles of suspicious blood-colored paper, redder than his parka. Yakumo flung them high into the air. WhatWhats this? A number of red papers scattered and danced in the air. Yakumo stepped on the mark he had drawn on the ground once and shouted. When Yakumo shouted, all the papers in the air simultaneously changed their shapes, morphed, and transformed into origami cranes, one after another, in the same way. With my mouth gaping open, I was transfixed by the wonders unfolding in the night sky. Had I ever seen such a profoundly mysterious phenomenon before? Paper changing its shape in mid-air all on its ord? Was this what an evil spirit exterminator performed? This was the power of Yakumo With this, he might be able to ovee the predicament. Though it was a sight that made me want to doubt my eyes, I was strangely convinced and gazed at it with my own eyes. However Shortlyiafter the origami cranes began to dance gracefully in the airthey somehow lost their power and crashed headlong into the air, obeying gravity as if they had no power at all. Huh Apparently, I was not the only one who thought so. Huh? Yakumo tiltedihis head and raised his voice when he spotted them falling down. Something was amiss. My shikigami is Yakumo Ah ah! Aaaahh!! Whatihappened! Yakumoiput his hand over his mouth and shouted, Oh no! At the subsequent moment, he uttered the most outrageous thing. Noiway The paper was soaked from the rain the day before and now its unusable. Heilooked atime with a look that said, I screwed up, and I couldnt help but raise my fist in the air. Youiare after all a screw-up, right!? Previous Next Content Chapter 12.2: Evil Spirit Exterminator II Chapter 12.2: Evil Spirit Exterminator II Oh, I wasicareless. Your carelessness isinot eptable! Fromithe bottom of my heart, I eximed that. The evil spirits failed to discern the atmosphere and crept toward me, stretching out their handsias if to say, Its your turn now. Were screwed! Lets flee! No, wereinot fleeing. Why! If theres nothing to hold them back, were going to have to go right now! Dont beiso hasty, Sonny, whos out of moves? Indeed, the Shikigami is no longer usable, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. The guyiwas still smiling and lookingposed just as I was ready to flee the scene. Whatiare you going to do this time? What? Youll find out once you see it. Yakumoiwiped off the blood smeared on his forehead and began to drip it onto a sign he had drawn on the ground. Sonny, haveiyou ever heard of a guardian spirit? At this critical juncture, what was he on about? An ancestorior family member typically has a guardian spirit linked to them to offer protection. But even if the guardian spirit is not a human spirit, it is still possible to enter into a conditional contract with one to serve as their own personal guardian spirit. What do you mean? I ownia dog. Youd be astonished at the amount of them, he added in a meaningful way before stamping the mark three times on the ground and calling out. Now,e! Guardian lion-dogs!! Unexpectediwind gusts prompted leaves to whirl in the air and pass by. All around me, the atmosphere drastically changed. The tense atmosphere left me shivering unconsciously. My chest rumbled, and I was convinced thatsomething extraordinary was imminent. Once I blinked, I was rendered speechless by the sight that instantly spread out before my eyes. The red papers that had been moving on their own earlier had caught me aback, but it was much more than that. Around Yakumo, a pallid lightor should I say fireballsemerged. In no time at all, they converged around Yakumo, outnumbering the number of the departed. All sizes. Swaying, they moved around like living creatures. They zed ferociously, as though surrounding Yakumo. The perception of ordinary people would have ended there, but I was able to see beyond that. They each had the appearance of a dog with a shimenawa around its neck, and I could tell that they were all distinctive in shape and look. This was the guardian spirit that materialized in response to Yakumos call Like Takenakas guardian spirit, the yagura in armor and helmet, or even beyond that if the numbers were added together. These zing, pallid dogs were unlike the spirits on the other side. Dazzling in the darkness, their light seemed almost divine, with no sign of disappearing, and all of them were gathered close to Yakumo with their fangs bared. A multitude of cries that sounded like sirens surged upward as soon as one of them lifted its head. Time for a game! ringiup at the departed, Yakumos single cry released those who had remained where they were The army of blue mes descended upon the mass of the departed at once. With a tremendous momentum that resembled a murderous intent, they devoured the departed who were about to scatter. In a matter of seconds, those who could not even be called human were knocked off their feet by the pursuing dogs and had their legs and necks snapped off. The deceased struggled and iled to escape with no luck. Once theidogs secured their prey, they dragged them several yards until both the dead and the dogs vanished into the darkness, as though a candlelight was blown out. One by one, and then another. Catching the deceased and dragging them away. Then disappearing. The dogs vanished, followed by the deceased. Atst, twoidogs pounced on the woman clinging to the tree, dragging her groaning body with them. All the evil spirits were forced to leave the ce. Although a few remained, Yakumo returned them to where they were after confirming that their presence could no longer be detected. With a mysterious technique that was beyond description, Yakumo eradicated the source of the terror within only a few minutes. I, on the other hand, was once again struck by shame. I couldnt even keep my mouth shut. Hey, its over!Trantor: MadHatter Yakumo stretched widely and showed a satisfied look on his face. Despite the exhaustion on his face, he looked more at ease than I did, who had been sitting on the ground. How resilient was he? What was that, what did you just do? Full-on attack magic.Not shared on aggregator sites Dont messiwith me. I was trying to make it easy for you to understand well, the consumption is so bad that its limited to one shot. Whatiabout those spirits? Yeah, its a little rough, but I had them dragged off to the other side by the guardian dogs. Did they make them all attain Buddhahood? Initially, it wouldibe ideal to persuade each of them separately, but in a situation like this, it is inconceivable. We cant have a dialogue with them, and unless we force them to go, they wont be able to take a step forward but well When they reach the other world, they will recall their true selves and will be able to walk again Im sure they will feel a little better by now, being free from pain and suffering. Forgetting everything and staying here all the time is tough. For themselves and for what they left behind. No doubt, Yakumo added with aplicated expression on his face. Well then, now that I haveimy body back, lets finish up this job, shall we? Yakumoimoved his body, which should have reached its breaking point, toward the wrecked ckivan. Chapter 12.3: Evil Spirit Exterminator III Chapter 12.3: Evil Spirit Exterminator III Was there more to it? I want to leave at once, though. Hold on a minute, I dont n on staying long myself either. Ah, even if I sent off arge number of specters in that way, they will eventually return. Oiii!? Are you for real!? Even if I have seeded in purifying the spirits, only a small percentage of them have been liberated, and evil spirits are still around in great numbers. While saying this, Yakumo daringly began to pry open the door of the wrecked car with his spiked bat. That action set my still-unsettled heart leaping. You! Is it okay to do such a thing! In any case, the corpse has already been recovered, and nobody is going to retrieve the scraps from this ce in the future. Corpse scraps? Even so, his action was too drastic. Especially if someone died in there. Disregarding my words, Yakumo rummaged through the car, and after a short while, he seemed to have found something and returned with a body out of the vehicle. In his hand was a brown envelope that had likely been in a rather poorly preserved environment. Whats that? Its something my client asked me to retrieve. In a nutshellits a suicide note. Buh!!Not shared on aggregator sites A word I didnt want to hear again was uttered to me. S-Suicide note.! Why are you! Three years ago, the owner of this van died when their car crashed into a curve on a mountain pass. So theymitted sui No, thats not it. They did attempt to die at one point, but they made the decision to persevere and make their way back Squinting, Yakumo remarked. When I first discovered the van, I had a sight of the departed thoughts that haunted the vehicles structure, as well as its deathbed. Initially, he came here to die. Nevertheless, recalling the family he had left behind, he was one step closer to changing his mind. He was about to return home, not wanting to do this. However I suppose the guys here interfered. They stuck their toe in and forcibly dragged the owner of this van into an ident after he had second thoughts. This is the truth, Yakumo exined. So that suicide note to their family Although its somewhat shocking, my clients are willing to ept the reality. The owner of this vehicle will be in a little better position than if it had been abandoned here and gone unnoticed without the police locating it. Nobody would really want to die in a ce like this So it would be great if this could be given to their family member to ease their pain a little bit. You went to such great lengths to find it He risked his life so severely that he almost died It is the job of an evil spirit exterminator to help connect the dead with the living. Destroying haunted ces, interrupting ignorant couples, and so on I was astounded when I heard you say such ridiculous reasons. So that was your real reason? Youre such a softie. What?Trantor: MadHatter For a guy who spouted such nonsense, you must have a fairly good motive. The dead and the living, youre helping them behind their backs, even though theyre strangers to you. I wouldnt say Im helping them. I run a business after all. But if it was just business, you normally wouldnt be doing it that long. Yakumos expression revealed everything. He was slightly reminiscent of Hyuga; this guy was the same as Hyuga. Even though he may be a stranger, I couldnt help but be moved by him. He carried out his direct will as he saw fit. He was a person who was capable of being considerate of others. Otherwise, he would not wear such a wistful face as he held the shabby brown envelope to his chest, trying to empathize with the suffering left behind by someone else. Haha, if youre going to say that youre much better than me, Sonny. Huh, me? Yeah, you apanied me to this ce, offered me your strength, and didnt flee when I involved you in this mess; instead, you stuck by my side all the way through. Youre a huge softie and are kind to people you dont even know. You are very simr to an adorable person I know Moreover, you remind me a lot of that constant buddy of mine in the aspect that youre somewhat obstinate and dont change your ways, said Yakumo with a hint of joy in his voice. I wondered who in the world he was recalling when he saw me. Previous Next Content Chapter 12.4: Evil Spirit Exterminator IV Chapter 12.4: Evil Spirit Exterminator IV All theiobjectives were aplished. With this, the case was closed. As Yakumo mentioned, if we stayed hereiany longer, the departed would againiice and retrieved Yakumos motorcycle, which he had abandoned on the way. Being apanied by Yakumo, who was moving forward without faltering, as if he was reeling in an invisible thread, we had indeed returnedito our original ce. Starsiwere still twinkling in the sky that I hadnt seen in a long time, though theisun would begin to ascend within a matter of hours. Having finally been liberated fromithe moring darkness and miraculously made it back alive, Iy down on the concrete, where cars rarely passed, all with a hugeisigh of relief. To beiable to step on this concrete again, ah how moving. Guessed I could goihome. When I thoughtiof that, rather than being overjoyed, my whole body loosened up with aisense of relief. Areiyouiokay? Uh you have gone through so much that its not okay. Its fine. Since everything is over, forget it Justibeing in close contact with the concrete like this madeime extremely happy. It was unbelievable that I couldireturn alive from that sea of trees that everyone was dreading. Yakumo did not fabricate a lie, after all. He indeed brought me back safe and sound. Speaking of that Yakumo, I was stunned to find that he was breathing heavily and walking on his own two legs without any support. Although I had grown ustomed to seeing this situation by now, from his head to his feet, his appearance was so awful that I was tempted to say, What kind of horror movie did you spring out of? I didnt bother to ask you since youre doing the best you can, but are you okay? Even if he were to fall down and die, it wouldnt be surprising. I mean, falling off a cliff and getting trapped under arge tree hey. If anything, how were you still alive? Yeah to put it simply, it hurts like hell. My whole body is burning, jiggling, throbbing, and aching. A parade of unintelligible mimetic words. He was beyond severe, evidently. Phew this is a true panic sale, haha. Stop talking nonsense, dont move anymore, sit down! Despite all theplications I encountered, thanks for bringing me back in one piece as promised. At least call an ambnce. Leaning back on his bike, Yakumo drew in shallow breaths as he opened the cell phone, which had reestablished reception, and he fumbled in his back pocket and put it in my free hand. I think this is too cheap of a thank you, but this is the only thing I can give you right now Sorry. He handed me a small piece of thick paper, about the size of a business card. This is a ticket for the ramen shop I work at, an extremely rare free ticket that can be used indefinitely and as many times as you want Its in Osaka, and if you want toe to visit me, Ill feed you plenty of ramen on my tab Oh, but the gyoza is better than the ramen there, haha, isnt that funny? Yakumo, who was struggling to connect the words, was breathingboriously. Not good, an ambnce really needed to be called right now. No more talking, you, shut your mouth! Sonny, thanks Like I said, dont talk! No kidding, youre going to die! I warned him, and a weak smile shed across his face. Dont worry. It hurts, but I have a feeling I can walk home to Osaka like this. No, no, no, no! That was undoubtedly absurd. No problem, this will heal itself if I spit it out. Theres no way it will heal!? Perhaps sleepiness had set in, and Yakumo leaned back against the bike and crouched down deeply. Yakumo hey! Yakumo! Dont sleep, you fool! I shook him, and his neck jerked, but his breath was faint. Im calling an ambnce right now just hold on a little bit longer! He was really ready to this guy. I impatiently pressed the number on the cell phone. Even though the case had just been settled, if he fell off in front of me or something I might burst into tears. Yakumo? Hey, youre not dead, right Please, dont die! Please dont tell me that these words were no longer spoken to a human being. My fingers were trembling so much that I kept making the mistake of pressing the wrong button. I meanHuh The emergency number, 110 or 119 which was it My mind went nk the moment I lost my mind in a panic. Right at that moment, the bushes at the entrance to the sea of trees rustled violently. What When I lifted my head Wahhhh!! A person sprang out of the darkness apanied by a loud, super-hyperactive voice. Akane! Iming to save you! Sorry for the dy!! Douuuuuuwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!? It was impossible not to be taken aback by a third party who unexpectedly emerged from such a ce. A scream erupted from me that I had no idea how many times I had raised it this day. My organs jumped up and fell all at once to the bottom of my abdomen. How many years had my life expectancy shortened by this? W-Whooooooooooooo! Who was it!?Trantor:MadHatter An unfamiliar face burst out of the darkness. Dressed in a tight ck suit like a bodyguard, with a red tie around his neck. He was a young man with chestnut hair and blue eyes, approximately the same age as Yakumo. With lotsiof leaves on his shoulders and in his hair, he showed up at a hell of a timing, looking quite out of ce and neatly dressed. I supposed heiwas not a specter because he was not see-through, but Even so, why did hee out from the sea of trees with such a brilliant smile on his face? It was too frightening. I mean, it seemed like he just mentioned Yakumos name Your acquaintance? Yakumo, who had been breathing quietly and heavily, stood up straight and walked up to the young man who had appeared. He gave him not a hug but rather a headbutt. You bastard whatice did you think you wereing out from? Ouch! B-But you look to be fine I mean, it hurtsss!! Youre way toote! Idiot! Following a headbutt, he grabbed him by the chest and threw him over his back. The man in the suit screamed, and Yakumo, who had been breathing faintly until a moment ago, seemed to have hit some kind of switch when the man in the suit appeared on the scene, and stormed over to him with his mouth agape and a snarling attitude. What sorry for the dy! You fool! I almost died when you didnt hurry up and get here! Yeah. From the looks of it, it looks like you made another spectacr screw-up. Whose fault is it! By whom? You irredeemable person who has no sense of direction! I mean, about this new smartphone? Without Akane, I cant operate it properly! So I told you not to preemptively buy something you cant use! Ugh, sorry! Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry doesnt cut it! You idiot! God damn it youre going to get your ass kicked! Faaaatsu!? With a face that would make a bloodthirsty killer cry, Yakumo approached the young man, who was on the run. Wait! Thats not allowed! No, no, no, no! Were buddies, were a team! Hurting each other is wrong! Shut up! You made me suffer so hard! Take my pain in your ass, you little! Aaahhh!Not shared on aggregator sites A gameiof tagmenced around me as I watched. Apparently, the fellow Yakumo was referring to was him. Whatever the circumstances, Yakumo wasigreatly aggravated. I rushed to restrain him, as he seemed to be on the verge of violent outbursts with a bat in hand should I continue to only watch on. As expected, that spiked bat was dangerous. Howishould I stopihim Chapter 12.5: Evil Spirit Exterminator V Chapter 12.5: Evil Spirit Exterminator V Inireality, Yakumo, who had reached his physical limit, became docile after a while, as if the air hadibeen released from his body. He grumbled a lot, but eventually, with the help of his friend, the young man holding himiup by the shoulder, he settled down. Well, Akane, whosithis? Hes theiguy who saved my life and who got caught up in this whole mess. If it werent for him, I wouldihave been devastated. Eh? Really!? Youicant do that! If you involve the public! Like I said. Whose faultido you think it is? Turningitoime, the young man in the ck suit grabbed both of my hands tightly, as I wondered what he was going to do. Strangely enough, the moment I was gripped, the sluggishness that had been riding heavily from my hands to both shoulders blew away in one fell swoop. Whatidid he just do to me? I had no idea. But I felt so much better. I wasiso startled that I froze, and he shed a friendly smile at me with a benevolent look on his face. I dont know whoiyou are, but it seems that this person has inconvenienced you deeply and I am very sorry! Hey! Half of it isidue to you Buhoo! The youngiman in the suit bowed deeply and when Yakumo bared his double teeth next to him, thetter silenced him with a backhand blow. Despite his smile, his actioniwas Youicant speak any further, or youll really die, Akane, dont you know? D-Damn you I will remember this Is everythingiokay? Yeah. Noiproblem! Theiyoung man in the suit gave me a thumbs-up with a smile. Thank you for saving my precious friend, bro. O-Oh not at all. Being thanked once again, I didnt know what to say in return. Even though I was only helping Yakumo because I didnt want to feel ufortable, I would have gone out of tune if he had said it with such a look of goodwill on his face. I didnt do anything particrly gratuitous, I was mostly just screaming more importantly, take him to the hospital as soon as possible. All this time he had been running around the sea of trees in this directionless search for Yakumo, and the two of them unhesitantly did what a pair of guys they were I doubted if they were really human. Well, he was going to be responsible for bringing Yakumo back with him, and I guessed I could leave the rest to him. Yeah. Understood, please leave the rest to me! the young man replied loudly, bowing. I made sure I brought what was requested, you see. Thanks for your hard work, Akane, and Im really sorry I couldnt help you. Good grief, next time Ill be counting on you. And Im going to have toe back here, I can only do a partial cleanup now, and even with your help I may not be able to manage it, there are more things here than I anticipated. I see. If you say so, we bettere backter. With a troubled looks on their faces, they stared back at the boundless expanse of the sea of trees. What they were discussing, I had no notion whatsoever. I knew I shouldnt interject so I refrained from speaking, and Yakumo, who was still wearing a difficult expression on his face, remarked to me, Sonny. I am truly grateful to you more than ever. Thats why I want to say something to you, the person who saved my life, that you shouldnt stay here for too long. What?Trantor: MadHatter I wont say anything bad. You shouldnt stay here its better for you. You are a good person. Dont ruin your life in a ce like this. He didnt say what exactly would take ce, but I supposed that was out of concern. Although I could tell that he was doing his best to repay me for what I had done for him this time, regrettably, I couldnt nod my head emphatically enough to do so. So instead, I responded simply, I still have a reason to be here. Once Im done with that Ill leave. I see but be careful.Not shared on aggregator sites Oh, and you too, dont be too reckless from now on, I dont want you to appear as a specter again. If you do that, there wont be enough bodies to go around. Youre giving me an earache. Well, you know what? The next time I see you, as a way of your appreciations, Im going to eat ramen noodles until death. I will eat for free to the extent that you would regret dragging me into this mess. Yakumo replied, Ill be waiting for you, in response to my deration. After a beat, his abdomen let out a pathetic cry. Ah, I am hungry. How easy-going can you be at this stage? Before your stomach, you should be in the hospital, Yakumo, you need to get a CT scan. No I want to eat something before going to the hospital. I havent eaten for dozens of hours now, and I feel like I could eat a lot. What? You still had the energy to eat a lot? Hah? Right! Cant we just go straight to a yakiniku restaurant? Oh, and Sonny, you too. Akane! What are you talking about? No, you cant! At this time of night, no stores are open! That wasnt the point. Forget it, just get to the hospital! Previous Next Content Chapter 13.1: Woman With a Downcast Look Chapter 13.1: Woman With a Downcast Look Several days have flown by since the incident with Yakumo, the disruptive evil spirit exterminator. Having made it back in one piece from the sea of trees without anyone noticing, I was back to my ordinary life without any problems. Despite realizing once again that peace was something to be appreciated, I was still repeating the same unhealthy somen lifestyle, and my summer fatigue was finally starting to set in. I was in reasonably good spirits and my day-to-day life was not affected, so I was fine with that. I would return home from the night shift, sleep during the day, and then go back to work at night. The monotonous days flowed apanied by the heat. One day, a trivial incident broke out at the convenience store. It waste at nightCustomers were still streaming in. Within the store were several people in work clothes and businessmen style. Cup noodles, bentos, and nutritional drinks were particrly in demand, and as the night progressed, the cash register, a task that I could never do even if I wanted to, seemed slightly more enjoyable. Such was the time that came and went as a matter of course. If that was ording to usual, yeah Chapter 13.2: Woman With a Downcast Look II Chapter 13.2: Woman With a Downcast Look II On the counter were an extraordinary amount of sake bottles, chuhai cans, and one-cup drinks. stic cords for packaging. A cutter knife. And a 1-liter bottle of soy sauce The person who put them down was a middle-aged man in not-so-clean attire. Shallow breathing, a scrawny frame, sunken cheeks, dark circles under his eyes, and sweat beads developing on his skin. His hunched back was like that of a wilted nt. The man withdrew a crumpled bill from his pocket and dropped it on the counter. He stared up at me and waited for the check. An odd atmosphere prevailed in the store, and the middle-aged man was the center of attention at once. Their eyes subsequently fell on me who stood in front of the middle-aged man. I myself wasnt an idiot. Even I could tell that the individual who came before me did not just bring these products to the checkout for the purpose of packaging. Tons of liquor and these stic cords. A cutter knife and a bottle of soy sauce. When I was hired, the manager showed me the be careful if someone tries to buy something list. It was the worstbination ever. This person Tension reigned throughout my body. The suspicious stares of the customers were piercing through me. What should I do? For the first time, I was experiencing something like this. Nothing like this has ever took ce before, until now. Nevertheless, I assumed that it must have happened due to the nature of this ce, and then out of the blue, this happened. Furthermore, it was right before my eyes. I stared at the counter, frozen. This was not written in the manual. What should I do? Should I just settle the check and put everything in a bag And then send the customer off as usual? No, impossible. But what should I do? Should I inform the customer that the products could not be sold? As my struggle persisted, my eyes locked with those of the middle-aged man. His eyes were suffused with hesitation and uncertainty. What on earth was he using these for? You were Various words flooded through my mind in a matter of seconds, causing me to forget to blink. Previous Next Content Chapter 13.3: Woman With a Downcast Look III Chapter 13.3: Woman With a Downcast Look III U-Um When I let out a hushed voice, I was gripped by the shoulder from behind. Turning around, I found Aoyama there. He conveyed the message to me with his eyes. Dont worry about that. Will stop the middle-aged man said in a mosquito-like voice as I stepped back behind Aoyama. Im not going to buy it after all Tears pooled up in his eyes as he bit his lip. The mans body trembled, and after hearing this, Aoyama nodded slowly, holding his hand to return the bills to his pocket, and prompted him in a soft voice. Its better that way. Ugh, yes Its better that way. As if to remind him, Aoyama repeated, and the man fell on his knees, which were shaking violently, and burst into a fit of sobbing on the spot. Whatever urred was not known. Nobody even tried to ask what had urred. Even so, Aoyama did not release the mans hand until he was ready to leave, nodded his head repeatedly, and waited for the man to stop crying. Take care. After receiving all the products on the counter, Aoyama carefully watched the mans back slump as he walked out of the store until he was out of sight. It was only an urrencesting several minutes. Regardless, for me as a staff member, and for the customers who were gathering in the store, it was a record-breaking and out-of-the-ordinary event. It was chilling With thest customer out of the store, Aoyamas voice faltered, and he plopped down on the counter like a toppled bear. Hah I was seriously freaked out too. While my knees trembled, I put my hands on the cigarette rack behind me. Hakamada, youre perspiring heavily. Aoyama, your face looks awful, too. I thought both of us must have been pale. My facial muscles kept twitching as I smiled bitterly. This is the first time Ive ever seen this A person who was about tomit suicide That heavy atmosphere, that awful face that suggested he hadnt had a restful nights sleep in days. That lineup of products and the amount of liquor that one person could not possibly drink. I didnt even want to imagine what he was up to, but anyone could have figured it out. If someone bought something like that in a ce like this I knew there really existed people who would try to do that Of course, they existed because this ce was of such nature. Several days ago, though reluctantly, I ventured into that ce. While I didnt see any real corpses, I saw enough of the simrities that made me sick. I hated recalling it, but it was truly appalling. The deeper I plunged, the more of the departed I caught sight of. Each and every one of them sent another shudder to me. All of them remained in that state, in their postmortem form. A man hanging from a tree, a woman with her tongue snapped. I was reminded of how dreadful this ce was. Hakamada, it was your first time, right it must have been a surprise. Y-Yes. asionally, people like that show up. They are so easy to understand that I am amazed as well. Aoyama was such a veteran, having dealt with this kind of person many times before. In case youre wondering, this kind of thing has been going on for a long time, and its not only a couple of people Is that so? Yeah, some people tantly buy things like that, but others mix them in with other things so you dont notice, but I can generally tell that theres something wrong with this person. Thats a vivid ount Because its all real,. This ce is not only for specters some of the staff members were so shocked that they quit because they were so distraught that they were the ones who had sold the products to them. I couldnt say anything at that moment. Of course, everyone is in distress at that moment, and we have no right to turn them away so openly, saying were sorry, that cant be sold. Even so, standing there in silence is not an option, Aoyama muttered. Hakamada, you dont have to worry about it, that person, he has given up and gone home. I was truly d that Aoyama was present today. In the absence of this person, I might have simply The thought of that horrified me. The person earlier I wonder if hes okay. Well, I hope he realized it was a dumb thing to do and went home. Yeah After all, Aoyama noted, this convenience store faced challenges beyond the specters disruptions. Among the suicidal people who congregated in such a dreary ce, a few of them would drop by here, like earlier. The hourly rate was proportionate to how psychologically taxing the situation I was subjected to. Nobody would naturally want to work a part-time job where you sometimes had to deal with suicidal people. It was not only due to bizarre phenomena but also because of the circumstances at y, the recement of staff at this convenience store was drastic. Chapter 13.4: Woman With a Downcast Look IV Chapter 13.4: Woman With a Downcast Look IV Are you ufortable with this kind of talk? Its not something pleased. But rest assured, I wont quit so easily. Hakamada, you work so hard, but thats what I like about you. But that story is a bit disturbing, isnt it, because it seems like theyre trying to make a spectacle of it. Though I do understand theyre in a pinch. Thats a blunt way of putting it But I believe its thest sign for people who are about tomit suicide. Sign Right. I believe it is a casual SOS. If they no longer harbor any doubts, they would have entered the sea of trees without dropping by the convenience store, but those whoe here are surely confused until the very end. They wish someone would recognize it, someone would call out to them. Thats why theye here thats only my interpretation, though. Indeed. Perhaps so, desiring salvation, people sometimes unconsciously sought to rely on someone else. I had to admit that this person was not wrong. So I cant force them, but I try to guide them as best I can, even though I dont know if its for their own good. If someone is silently dismissed, it means that nobody has been able to discern their will. On the contrary, it would be the final push. That was what Aoyama said. Although he said he was uncertain whether it was truly the right thing to do, it was the way he would have chosen to approach the matter. I wondered what Hirai would have said. Had it been Takenaka, I wondered how he would have handled the situation. I I wondered what I would do If it were me, what action would I have taken?
At dawn, when the manager and others emerged for the shift change. Those sort of peoplee again, manager, Aoyama simply said. The manager frowned at that and closed his mouth tightly. I hate it when more and more of them show up every year around this time thanks for your efforts. Hakamada, too. Have a good rest. With these words, we were sent off from the convenience store and split up. Despite the rising sun, the sea of trees was not thoroughly illuminated. The air was damp and the darkness cast by the trees gave the ce an ominous feeling both day and night. Having slept well into the early afternoon, I awoke quietly, thanks to the absence of my sister for the first time in a long while. I wondered what really happened to that man from yesterday. He was in tears at Aoyamas words, and eventually left without buying anything. His forlorn back figure left a strong impression on me and I couldnt shake it out of my head. A sign of a person in desperate times an SOS With my eyelids nearly ovepping, I cast my eyes to the walls of my room. Stuck on the wall was a photo. A photo of me and Hyuga. Probably the only photo of the two of us together. I couldnt simply hide the photo I found in the mess that day in the closet. I attached it to the wall. Not out of nostalgia nor any other feelings. I supposed I did it to warn myself. To never forget, ever again. And to engrave in my heart what an awful person I was. Perhaps it was Hyuga who made me do it. To forget about her and livefortably. In the photo, Hyuga was smiling while holding me in her arms. I, on the other hand, turned my head away with a scowl. What a horrible photo This was a photo taken at the school festival. Regardless of how much I told her not to follow me, Hyuga persistently chased after me so one of my friends took this photo as a joke. They said, Wow, you guys look like a couple. Everybody was whistling at me and I was totally grumpy. My friends were annoying, the curious stares from the people around me were annoying, and Hyuga, who was the cause of all this, was annoying. I was deliberately treating that fellow who seemed to be enjoying herself in a nasty way. Even if I didnt have any ill intentions, Hyuga probably wouldnt have had a good feeling about it. She was an idiot. I should have been more considerate of her at that time. Calling him senior, senior, she followed me around like a chick. Not even once did I try to match her stride. This photo was taken just before Hyugas death. What was she distressed about? She was constantly wandering around, not in a fixed group of people, but always in the middle of any group. That was why I didnt think she was isted or bullied at all. It was hard to say since we were in different grades, though. Why was she, who was always smiling andughing every day, why What happened? To the point of wanting tomit suicide [Why didnt you believe me back then] The person who appeared in front of me at that time may have been the real Hyuga after all. If those words were her true feelings, then the fact that she showed up in front of me andined to me That may be an answer. The answer to why Hyugamitted suicide. Because of me. It was all my fault Because I hurt her. That was why Hyuga died I didnt know. I didnt know but I surely failed to recognize her SOS. When I failed to notice and ultimately pushed her away, something crucial to her that I should have been there to catch fell and shattered. It made noise and shattered like ss She might have been asking me to save her. Perhaps she thought I might be able to help her. It made sense if I thought that way. And yet, II couldnt catch Hyugas sign. A dark feeling stained my brain as though I had been covered with ink. Would I ever be able to discover the whole truth if I could recall everything that unfolded on that day? Why did Hyuga die? I throbbed for the whole truth of it. As the days went by, that feeling intensified. The guilt I held toward Hyuga grew. Did I really kill her or was there another reason? But given what had happened, there was no doubt that I was rted to her death. I soliloquized these questions without any answers. In all honesty, it was maddening to carry on with feelings that would not clear up no matter how hard I tried to rack my brain. How long do I have to continue like this? Was there no way out? Would there never be an answer from this point on? Hey Hyuga, you were just telling me this right now, werent you? You were telling me to suffer more to be more distressed I wiped the perspiration from my forehead, covered my eyes with my arms, and imagined. Had I been able to leap through time like in a Hollywood movie, II wanted to go punch myself in the face that day Looks like you made it back in one piece, neer. A peal of cynicalughter resonated in the back room as the workday reached a halfway point with no oneing to the stores back room. When Hirai and I were taking a break from our tasks, I noticed that she had suddenly stopped talking about BL after just a short while of her eloquently discussing it. When I thought about what was going on, this happened. Not entirely unscathed but, hmm. You didnt bring back any wicked ones, huh? That little boy no, the other one was very attentive She grinned, the corners of her lips hanging up sharply, as she cast a nce at the bandage over my forehead and the bandages covering my arms. There she popped up. Hirai (mother). Also known as Hirai Ayame. Even though she was in Sapporo, Hokkaido, she was capable ofmunicating through the medium of her daughters body bypressing her consciousness into something that was equivalent to a living spirit. She was Hirais biological mother who would periodically manifest in front of me using this method. Despite having Hirais outward appearance, she was absolutely different on the inside. Her once-soft and fluffy atmosphereabruptly altered, as did her eyes. Most notably, Hirais tone of voice was no longer present. Initially, I couldnt believe that Hirai was possessed by her mother but recently I have gotten ustomed to it. Nevertheless, her face would surface just when I had forgotten about it. Its bad for my heart, Ayame You dont want Kaname toe out and say, Im switching to Maman from now on, do you? Thats, well I mean, wasnt that the same as a phone call? Yeah it was like a phone call, wasnt it, with the state of Hirai right now? You dont have to control your daughters body to meddle with me. How disreputable. I have permission from Kaname to talk to you. Oh is that so? So how was your first trip to the sea of trees? Tell me your impression. Ayame asked me with a grin as if daring me to gouge out something I didnt want to recollect. She asked, What, you dont smoke anything but this? as she grabbed for the pack of Seven Star cigarettes I had left on the table, popped one in her mouth, and lit it with my lighter. My impression Please dont say it like, Tell me what the movie is about Previous Content Chapter 13.5: Woman With a Downcast Look V Chapter 13.5: Woman With a Downcast Look V I canionly say that its appalling Right. Despite knowing itiwas someone elses cigarette, she unashamedly released the puff of smoke onto the ceiling. I learned something I didnt need to know that people whomit suicide have faces like that. You voluntarily stepped in to save a total stranger. You had iting. Consider it a miracle you got away with such minor injuries because you wouldnt even be here right now if you had taken a wrong step. Meaning? Youre one of thoseiwho stick around. Ugh. Well, but if it had been a real crisis, Takenakaiwould have gone into action. Huh? Oops, I letithat slip. Takenaka? What did you mean by that? I knew you didnt realize. A-About what? Takenakaisaid if you didnt notice, thats fine, Ayame said, releasing another puff of smoke. Since you left the convenience store, Takenaka couldnt seem to rx. Oh, for your information, I didnt mention anything, you know. But hes a perceptive guy, so he figured something was up, and boldly removed the yagura from himself at one point and sent it after you. Then when that one time you were in real danger, he seriously tried to leave the convenience store. I havent seen Takenakas face that agitated in a long time. Thats a proof that he likes you. Did he save my life again? I mustithank him again the next time I meet him. Its fine, lets just say he took the liberty of doing it this time. The neer did it on his own without talking to anyone or seeking help. Both of you are even, isnt it? Thats true, but It seems Takenaka doesnt want to put you through any unnecessary trouble either. Why does Takenaka always help me out? I wonder. Why dont you ask him? Perhaps theres a particr reason? This person definitely knew something about it She probably wouldnt share it with me even if I asked her, though. Ayame.Trantor: MadHatter What? Is there something more dreadful in that sea of trees than what Ive witnessed? Huh?Not shared on aggregator sites Im a little curious. I have no idea about that. She pressed the cigarette into the ashtray and looked at me with a chuckle. Dont get carried away thinking youre getting adjusted to this ce, neer. You dont even know half of the gravity of this job yet, so dont get overly familiar with everything and anything. By doing so, on the contrary, you would be crushedAyame, squinting her eyes, thrust the nail of her index finger into my pit of the stomach. Her action sent a jolt through me, but I wrinkled my brow because I didnt grasp the significance of Ayames words. Youre inherently obstinate, yet prone to interject yourself into things that dont concern you. Youre clumsy, easily misinterpreted, well, in short, youre the annoying softhearted type. Im not softhearted. Thats not particrly important. Hah, that bothersome type of you, whats the point of staying here if you just dont want to run away with your tail between your legs? For instance, you might be feeling bad about yourself, and you might be doing it for someone elses sake, or for some other self-serving reason. Hah That kind of thing. What was this person talking about That kind of thing, of course, it doesnt exist Goosebumps broke out all over my body. I hastily retracted my agitation to the depths of my being. Am I wrong? T-That doesnt really matter, isnt it? About why I am here. It didnt really matter, but what this person said was by no means inconsequential. She was so spot on that I was terrified. Youre a hundred years too young to conceal your agitation in front of me, amateur. Right. It doesnt particrly matter, does it? You can stay here if you want to, or quit if you dont like it. Youre free to do that. Nobody will stop you, and nobody will kick you out, thats the unspoken rule here. But I dont feel either of those things from you. You dont want to stay, and you dont want to quit. Youre always looking backward, instead of forward. Why do you say that? How do I know? I can even perceive such things in human beings. You must hold on to yourself more firmly. Otherwise, you will be entangled in a severe predicament. This ce is too much for a person who is not mentally stable. If youre going to carry that backward obstinacy with you from here on out you might as well quit. Does that mean Ill be a burden? No. I mean that it would be worse than being a burden. Being worse, what exactly As I was about to ask that, the sound of the automatic door opening spread throughout the store. At this hour how unusual. Ill be right out. After saying that, I stretched out and walked out of the back room. Wee I bowed and greeted the guest near the doorway. Entering the store was a woman with long hair and small stature. Given that she was suit-d, she was probably an OL on her way home from work. Without so much as a nce at me, the woman pulled a shopping basket onto her arm. I double-checked the time on the clock. Being alone in a ce like this at this time of night was unsafe. Not even a car was in sight, huh, this person, could she be Surely she must have missed thest train and was returning home on foot. No way In my recent habit, I have begun observing the asional customer and analyzing their reasons for dropping by and the purpose of their purchase. Please dont judge me as a lecher but I had so much time on my hands. The woman with fatigue on her features paced around the store with a sluggish gait. She was still young, likely in her early twenties. Thank you for your hard work until thiste. The fact that she was stepping on the heels of the shoes she was wearing suggested that she must have been exceptionally worn out. She staggered to the confectionery section. In the basket on her arm, she tossed desserts and cups of pudding into it manfully that I wondered if she was going to purchase all of them at once. After putting in the confectionery, she turned to the beverages. Cartons of strawberry milk, chocte caf auit, green tea milk, and lemon tea were dropped into the basket somewhat roughly. From there, she headed to the bakery corner. Rather than choosing one, she grabbed one side at a time. Crme frache, melon bread, red bean buns, cinnamon rolls with condensed milk, twisted doughnuts, and banana steamed bread At the sight of the piles of products, I couldnt help but feel queasy. My mouth seemed to be getting sweeter and sweeter naturally. Did that person intend to consume all of that food by herself? If so, that was amazing, her sugar consumption would be excessive. Many women apparently have a sweet tooth but I never imagined that anyone would buy that many. I was half impressed and half pulled back. The woman subsequently approached another disy shelf, carrying her basket with a heavy demeanor. At that moment, she cast a nce in my direction. Oh, crap With that thought, I begin to restock the stic bags with a nonchnt look on my face. Right, of course. Despite being the only customer in the store, she must have felt awkward being the subject of such intense attention. Excuse me. I, likewise, was frantic, nevertheless. Unless I distractimyself by focusing on something with my eyes, myigaze wouldnd on the woman inirags whoiwas standing with her handion the window pane and staring fromithe outside Previous Next Content Chapter 13.6: Woman With a Downcast Look VI Chapter 13.6: Woman With a Downcast Look VI I didinot know where to cast my eyes and looked toward theiback room. As usual, Ayame was puffing on my SeveniStar. How long was she nning to keep doing that? Enough, please let your daughtere out. That was my earnest thought. That being said, if I kept eyeing her, I was afraidishe would re back at me, so I heaved a sigh and shifted my gaze back to the store. The whole store, with its orderly disy shelves, clean, freshly mopped floors, brilliantly glowing fluorescent lights, and a hideous woman clinging to the front of the magazine section, was reigned with silence. It was theisame old scene. For me, this was everyday life, as I had grown familiar by now with the surroundings, evenithough extraordinary elements were thrown into the mix. Perhaps I had giveniup, but the woman sticking around, the asional transparent human being, the human body parts such as legs and heads, and even something I couldnt even distinguish as a human being made me jump up and down at first, thoughtely I have gotten adjusted to it, albeit onlyia little. And now, my reaction was like, Oh here ites again. Although I had been constantly denying this ability, itiwouldnt have mattered if I had resisted. In fact, I have reached the point where I was amazed at how open I was to the idea that anything would happen. Even so, the feeling of fear was still present, but I thoughtithat in time, I might not even be afraid anymore. Humans were creatures that adapted to their environment. Good grief. Either my brain wasnt getting enough nutrients becauseiI ate only somen noodles like a fool on a daily cycle or my brain rotted away ahead of my body. The things I perceived in my vision no longer felt fresh. Perhaps I didnt have nerves of steel but I felt dry overall. Tension in the summer heat was tremendous, huh? It madeime not care about various things. The woman, on the other hand, after having walked around the store for a while, started to stand in front of the disy shelf at the end of the store. Ballpoint pens and markers, brown envelopes, A4-size looseleaf notebook, paper clips, liquid glue, scissors and notepads. The kind of little misceneous items that were always sold in every convenience store. The woman who had grabbed a pastry or bread without hesitation earlier and dropped it into the basket somehow exhibited a sign of hesitancy for the first time there and gazed at the misceneous items on the disy shelves. She then took a ballpoint pen and a loose-leaf notebook, set them aside, picked them up once more, and set them down back in the same ce. It was kind of like she was truly wondering whether to purchase the product rather than checking the name and price of the item. On top of that I felt like she was awfully fidgety. How should I put it? Something was out of tune. Shouldnt she just be looking at it without picking it up if she was confused? Were there people like that? After putting the loose-leaf notebook in the basket, she continued to take a ballpoint pen and an envelope down. Oh, she put the envelope back on the shelf again. The ballpoint pen was picked up from the basket this time and she was about to put it back, but whatever she was thinking, she dropped it back into the basket again. Instead of fidgeting, she was behaving extremely suspiciously. What was all this about? While I was observing her with mild difort our eyes identally made contact again. Before I could even shift my eyeballs upward, she swiftly turned her head away, grasped the basket, and turned her feet toward the magazine section as if nothing had happened. No matter how I looked at it, that was too unnatural. What the hell was with this customer? Picking up a magazine, she hunched over and stared at the pages as if she were devouring them. I feigned not to be watching her while I applied all the observation skills I had honed at this convenience store and pinpointed her out of the corner of my eye. Oh It was obvious that she was looking at the magazine while paying attention to me. I see I get it. In short, she didnt want to be seen. About what she put in her basket. Grinning inwardly, I deliberately turned around and began to tidy up the not-too-disorganized disy of cigarettes. Well, that should do it. Noints about this, right? I restocked the shelves with new boxes of cigarettes as if to demonstrate this with my back. On that disy shelf, not only misceneous goods but dailymodities were ced as well. Things for women and condoms. Even things that were a little embarrassing to be seen were on disy. While I wasnt sure about thetter, I assumed it would be the former. At this time of the day, pharmacies were of course closed, leaving the convenience stores as the only ce avable for purchase. She was the only customer, and at the counter was a blonde staff member with a dull look on his face. She was still a young girl. While sensing that the staff was watching her, she didnt have the courage to put those items in her own basket. The huge amount of sweets and pastries might be a camouge at least. In any event, that was what all this was about. Such people like this existed. Women who hesitantly purchase while being self-conscious of the male staff. But you know what Regardless of how much they tried to cover it up, the cashier would see it when they brought it to the cash register in any case! Dont futilely resist, at any rate, I didnt think anything of it. I could understand how you feel, though. But it was kind of hurtful, I felt like I might be regarded as a beast or something. I wondered if Takenaka wouldnt feel this way. The sound of heels echoed softly then. Apparently, she confirmed that I didnt turn around and went back to that ce again. In spite of my appearance, I have learned to be more attentive to girls than I was in high school. I have prepared a bag that was not transparent from the outside, so please feel free to browse as much as you like. While thinking about this, I was refilling cigarettes and taking out the burnt residue from the fryer and so on, and I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Sure enough, I turned around and was struck by the sight of the young female office worker looking at me as she ced a basket full of products on the counter. Without uttering a word, she drew her purse out of her bag, her mouth agape with displeasure. She was probably trying to tell me not to stare at her. I know, I know, and that was my fault too. Apologizing in my mind, I proceeded to scan the bar code of therge number of items I was looking at, as usual. Twelve loaves of bread and seventeen sweets. Wow Convenience stores didnt have refrigerants, but she was a daring customer, buying so many products in the midst of summer, the cream would soon be spoiled. From there, five sweet-looking packaged drinks were present and then. Misceneous goods A looseleaf notebook, brown envelopes, and ballpoint pens were buried in the bread and hidden at the bottom. When I moved them out of the basket, I found something that had been hidden even deeper down, bringing my hands to a halt. Trantor: MadHatter What was left in the basket was a woodworking utility knife. And another thing. Not womens daily necessities. A roll of vinyl strings for packing. Vinyl strings I raised my head and looked at the woman. Swollen eyelids and dark circles under her eyes. Her cheeks were hollowed out and herplexion was not particrly good. Or rather, herplexion was poor. She was overall emaciated. The womans face was so listless that I thought so at first nce. The events of a few days ago shed back to me. Vinyl strings and scissor The middle-aged man with tears streaking down his face. A tingle seared deep in my chest. No way This person Chapter 13.7: Woman With a Downcast Look VII Chapter 13.7: Woman With a Downcast Look VII I was overthinking things That was what I sought to convince myself, but I couldnt believe anyone would purchase something like that at that time of the day when nobody would be around. Even more so in a ce like this. All that came to my mind were two foreboding words. My palms gradually became mmy and sweaty. Vinyl strings and a utility knife.Trantor: MadHatter The utility knife, needless to say, was for cutting the string. Then, what about the string Several loops of worn-out vinyl strings were attached to the trees branches, periodically swaying in the breeze. The one Yakumo and I came across after venturing into the seaof trees. A signthat individuals have passed away theresomething I have never had to witnessin my life. Despite Yakumosplexion remaining unchanged, I found it to be the most shocking thing I had everid my eyes on. This person Why was she using such a thing What could she possibly be nning to use such a thing for My suspicions steadily escted. The checkout counter disyed the final sum. The woman gave me a slight re and stared up at me, perhaps assuming I was peculiar because I wasnt even packing anything into a bag while standing there. No goodThe prospect that if I let her go, she would leave on her own and wouldnt be deterred jolted my imagination. Chill out. Indeed, I felt a sense of difort, but I might be assuming too much. What was I supposed to do, panicking all by myself? It will be 11,320 yen. Assumption assumption assumption was I assuming too much? Over and over again, as I continued to stuff the huge stic bags with confectionery, my hands came dangerously close to stopping. Each time I ced one in the bag, for some reason, I felt like I was doing something wrong. I, right now I ought to be doing something else instead of this. I should be saying something. Oh it must be tough working thiste at night WhyNot shared on aggregator sites Yes. My utmost effort to smile was promptly brushed off by the woman. Although my words were somehow uttered just to test the other partys reaction, the woman did not even offer an ingratiating smile when I abruptly spoke to her but rather responded in an aggravated manner. It was understandable since it was none of my business. Streetlights are scarce around here, so you should be careful. Yes A listless reply came back. As can be seen, the woman looked utterly gloomy, not even paying attention to me, as if she was really fatigued. I supposed that meant she didnt care. Even though I would have liked to simply hand over the change and send her on her way, her inexplicable behavior earlier was bothering me, causing me to feel that I could not let her go home without doing something, so I spoke up, all the while knowing how impertinent it would be to do so. Um. Excuse me, but what is this used for? I was inwardly hesitant but assuming the worst, I decided to take a gamble with all my non-existent courage. I did not want to overlook even a single fleeting moment. The change in the womans expression, the movement of her eyes. My voice nevertheless produced a distinct resonance, notwithstanding that my heart was throbbing behind my ribcage. I put the vinyl strings and the utility knife into the bag. With a serious expression on my face, I stared straight into the womans eyes. What are these used for? At my question, which sounded like I was about to intrude on her, the womans voice was harsh. What do I use it for That has nothing to do with you Who do you think you are? An unexpected unyielding remark sparing from the woman. This wasnt something for a convenience store staff to bring up, and I knew that, but I wasnt daunted. Having witnessed the scene the other day it was difficult for me to refrain from saying it. I dont think so, though. Every ce has its own circumstances What? If you are thinking of something not good I am. Perhaps she sensed what was on my mind. Before I could say anything else, the woman wore a face brimming with displeasure. I dont understand what is wrong with you? She spat in a voice I could undeniably hear even if it was a whisper. Please give me the change Quickly. She narrowed her eyes and red at me. And a receipt Plus the stamp. Oh Please dont get delusional asking such a thing to a customer. I wouldnt do that. Her words were coldly uttered, and I was shocked as if I had been pped. Vinyl strings and utility knife. I see. Ah, I messed up. It was the moment when my whole body tensed up that I am terribly sorry With my head lowered, I stamped the receipt. The woman was fuming as she headed for the exit. Sigh A huge sigh escaped me. Yeah I screwed up. I screwed up but I was relieved. Apparently, that person was different, and it was a dumb mistake on my part. Right, some people purchase them for regr business use. What happened the other day was so shocking that I got ahead of myself. I was left feeling embarrassed and awkward in the store but I was so relieved that I plopped down on the counter. Thank goodness I was mistaken. What the hell are you doing? When I turned my head to the side, I found Hirai peeking halfway through the door of the back room, looking at me with a stern look in her eyes. No, it was Ayame. So uncool. Well, I mean I dont understand, what is wrong with you? Hahaha. Ugh When Ayame imitated her, I contorted the corners of my mouth. I didnt want to be told that either. Didnt I tell you so? To not get carried away. See what I mean? Hirai gave me a fearless smile. I didnt mean to get carried away, I thought it was strange, so I just said so If I thought it was strange and left it at that, that person would leave like that and she would be gone, right? What if I had been spot-on? Even if that was the case? I might have let her die I muttered as I stared at my fists on the counter. That person was Supposing she was suicidal. Supposing she was trying to buy something to use formitting suicide. What if I, the store staff, fail to discern it, sold it to her directly, and then let her out of the store If I didnt call out to her and take action to stop her, then That would be It would imply that I would be pushing that persons back, even if it was indirect. That would make me nothing but a jerk. I never wanted to be that kind of guy again. Never again. Even if it was uncool, even if I was called rude. I believed it was the most proper way to not regret it. Should someone visit this convenience store who was nning to take that path, I wanted to prevent them from doing so. Like Aoyama said, I concurred that we had no right to speak up and say what was right for them. The worst thing to do, though, was to die. Once dead, they would be the same as those who were in the sea of trees. Now that I was aware of that, I couldnt overlook it any longer. Even if they died, they would not receive any peace of mind here. I could say this because I have actually witnessed it. I dont know if I can put it clearly into words, but I have seen those things, so I want to tell them what will be the consequences if they die here. So you want them to die somewhere else? Of course not! No, thats not it. Thats not what I mean I just want to somehow persuade that person not to die, because death is the worst thing of all. Ayameughed as I awkwardly lined up my words. What is it? Youre too foolish to be interesting. What? A justification just like in the picture. Very well. You want to stop suicidal people. Nice, that line of yours, youre a hero indeed. But.. Ayame narrowed her eyes. The amount of fatalities in circumstances like these would be drastically reduced if persuasion could arrive at a solution. The people working here are all conscious of this, though they dont say it, that this person is going to kill themself All those who work here develop a good discernment to the extent that it bordered on obnoxious. Ayame continued. However, the reality is that, as you say, there is no easy solution. What kind of result do you think a clueless convenience store employee could achieve by offering words offort to a suicidal person stuck in the depths of despair? Consider this. After receiving flimsy encouragement from a total stranger, what would a depressed patient be thinking? What would a depressed person feel when someone wrenches at their heart that they dont want anyone to know about? Thats exactly the kind of push they need. So, Ayame, youre going to overlook such people when youe across them? I can see where they can and cant turn back, so thats how I make a judgement. What did that mean? Does that mean there are some people youd just abandon? In a nutshell. Ayames voice was frighteningly levelheaded. The area where there is no turning back Ayame, you can tell that you dont even voice it to them? Were ultimately only a customer and a staff member. If that person doesnt have a ? to change their mind, theres no point in us saying anything at all. Why are you so resigned from the beginning? If you say something to them, they might change their mind. It is true that if you speak to them, you can at least shake them up. But in the end, the final decision is theirs. Ugh In spite of our greatest efforts to empathize with those who have endured excruciating suffering due to the harshness of life, some people nheless decide to end their lives. There may be some people who decide to stay. Most individuals dont listen to others opinions because they are too eager to experience liberation from death. You speak in such a dismissive way You can say that because you dont understand it yet, but if you stay here long enough, you will eventually reach the realization that this is inevitable. What Ayame said wasnt uneptable. That we couldnt easily grasp the heart of a suicidal person. And that what I have said was just a dreamy and beautiful thing. Things that happened in this convenience store wereplicated and extremely difficult to understand. Aoyama, Hirai, Takenaka, the manager, and all the other people. No doubt, everyone was in distress. Even more than me, who just worked at this ce recently. They were all aware of how critical the situation was, but they continued to work here nevertheless. Among them, I wondered how many of them were able to call out to others. How many of them were not approached, were unnoticed, or pretended not to notice? I wonder how many of them were there How many dozens of people have quit because they hated to see such people The thought of it made me feel suffocated. But then, if they were sent away without being called out to wouldnt you regret it more, and if it were me, I would surely regret itter. Had I not called out to them, the possibility that they In this sense, I couldnt help but feel apprehensive. Maybe if I stay in this convenience store, Ill know what to do in the future. I dont want to overlook even one of them That kind of reason exists. A reason huh So Im going to shove myself into it, even if its a stranger, even if Im just a convenience store employee. Even if Ick the ability to say anything insightful I want to do something about it. I absolutely didnt want to let things remain that way. Excuse me for being so self-centered. Good griefIts a hriously underpaid job, isnt it? she let out a sigh of amazement and remarked. This is how people usually think. That this kind of work is not worth it, no matter how much they pay me per hour. Even the manager said so, she muttered. And yet, youre really good grief. Ayame shrugged and headed for the toilet, pulling out a mop and bucket from the cleaning supplies closet. Dont forget to protect yourself while youre so preupied with other people. Dont subject yourself to unnecessary burdens. This is why Takenaka never stops worrying about you. Scratching her head, Ayame had gone into the womens toilet before I could ask her back. Protect myself. Dont subject myself to unnecessary burdens What did she mean by that? Inside the store, where rxing ssical music was ying, I pondered the true meaning of Ayames words for a while. Oh My voice unconsciously broke out. I thought she had already left but the woman was seated at the concrete block of a parking lot. The bag she bought was right next to her, and she grabbed a carton of drinks and a pastry from inside and opened the bag. She unashamedly took a bite out of her big mouth. She may have been particrly starving since she gobbled up one food after another as she brought out her purchases. At this time of the day, how could she be so The womans appearance viewed from inside the store made me widen my eyes in amazement. Or rather, was this person not going to return home? Not a car, motorcycle, or even a bicycle was in sight. No cabs or anything and the only way to get home at this time of night would be on foot While being a little worried, I watched the woman from inside the store as she was devouring her confectionery. Rather than stuffing her cheeks It looked as if she was eating out of desperation. As if she was forcing herself to eat it Previous Next Content Chapter 13.8: Woman With a Downcast Look VIII Chapter 13.8: Woman With a Downcast Look VIII The woman put the confectionery in her mouth with three bites, downed it with a caftte, and when I thought that was the end of it, she proceeded to take a spoonful of pudding with whipped cream on it and dump it into her mouth, followed by tearing open a bag of melon bread. Her momentum was unrelenting. With her face downcast, as if possessed by something, she popped one thing after another into her mouth and slurped down the paper packet. It was as though she couldnt see anything in her surroundings, which made me feel fear, even if it was only faintly. Was she experiencing a bad day? At first, I thought so, but then I became increasingly unsettled by the woman who was mindlessly devouring an enormous amount of food in the dark parking lot. Something was off about her. The woman struck me as peculiar. To my surprise, aside from the beverages, the womandevoured the majority of the food in the bag over the course of the following several minutes. After that, she showed no sign of leaving and remained motionless for a while, staring nkly in a direction I couldnt quite make out. The woman remained hunched over, not doing anything. It seemed as if I was overlooking something. I was not amiss in thinking so. Ballpoint pen, loose-leaf notebook. There was still another thing she had bought, right, that brown envelope. The woman curled her body up and began frantically scrawling something on a piece of paper. Her right arm moved wildly in a frighteningly detailed manner. In my life, I have encountered a variety of consumers. A weary young femaleoffice femaleworker slurping down a cup oframen outdoors after pouring hot water in the store, an elderly guy smoking a full pack of cigarettes that he had purchased, an uncle sitting openly in front of the store after purchasing a pornographic magazinebut never a case like that woman. It was not only that she was behaving abnormally. In stark contrast to the other people, she exuded a strikingly distinctive atmosphere.Trantor: MadHatter Rather it was a bit murky I couldnt exactly put it into words. Even though I had previously decided that this person was differentpared to others, I was certain of it. My pulse was racing and pounding uncontrobly. What was she writing on the paper? Regarding that. By any chance It reminded me vividly of the muddy brown envelope that Yakumo had retrieved from the wrecked van, pulled out, and showed it to me. [-Its a suicide note.] Was I just jumping to conclusions, or might this be my intuition that I could trust? It turned out that I was the kind of person who, no matter how far I went, could not back down, despite my repeated conflicts with myself in the end. Without learning my lesson, I decided to try to approach that woman again. UmNot shared on aggregator sites How should I initiate a conversation? After leaving the store, I realized the obvious, and after a short pause, I fell into silence before the woman. Then she had a small amount of cream on the edge of her mouth. At the sight of me, she looked awfully ufortable and stood up. The loose-leaf notebook and brown envelope on herp dropped. She picked them up in a hurry. The paper made a crinkling sound as she clutched it with one hand. Um, uh I was such a fool. It was good that my words came out but what should I say in such a situation? My hands began to perspire dramatically as I grew agitated. I had to say something. I am bothering you by staying in front of the store for so long, right? Excuse me, Im leaving now. Before I had a chance to speak, the woman uttered in a low voice with a dark look on her face. No, I didnt think of that. Its okay, youve been watching me for a while now. You must have found me to be a suspicious customer. What? So I was exposed So Im leaving. I dont want to get involved anymore. The woman threw the wreckage in the trash, slung the bag from the convenience shop with the remaining items over her arm, and made a hasty departure. Ah Keep her back, you idiot. A voice in my heartmanded me to do so. That middle-aged man that Aoyama was dealing with, and Hyuga, had thoroughly affected me. I was being driven into a corner. Tonight I was out of character. That was why I had taken such a bold step. Please wait! I eximed to her as she walked briskly away from the convenience store and dashed out into the street. She didnt even turn around but just took off running. Hold on! I reflexively went after the escaping woman. She was running down the street when I instantly seized her left arm. Wait! Again, I shouted. My voice was swallowed up by the darkness. The womans movement came to a halt. Simultaneously, she swung her arm away from me with all her strength. No! A piercing scream was released. Her outer clothing, which had been held at her side, fell to the ground. The cor of the blouse of the woman who quickly distanced herself from me with a frightened look on her face was greatly perturbed. At that moment. I saw it. Her white neck, around her corbone. Arge ck bruise, brand new, like a bite mark. It didnt take me more than a few seconds to figure out that it was something I wasnt supposed to see. She must have seen the shift in my expression since she grasped her cor more than was necessary to cover it. Subsequently, she red up at me with a powerful, murderous intent in her eyes. What the hell! Since earlier, you!! I am sorry Dont follow me, w-what do you want the woman protested in a wavering voice. On the impulse of the moment, I was so agitated that my heart almost ruptured. I may have been able to go back if I had apologized to her with all of my heart right now. Um, I am mistaken, right Even so, I was too foolish to choose not to go back. Your direction isnt that way, is it? In my agitated state, I kept breathing heavily, my shoulders were shifting up and down, and I said something even more outrageous. Thats the same direction you came from, isnt it? Where are you going now? I voiced that out randomly. In my words, no such thing as certainty existed. I spat them out as if I was being guided. That was all. That was all there was to it but I thought she would either eat me up or scorn me. Why Her reaction was far too unexpected. Hah, hah hah With a muffled voice, she put her hand over her mouth, her eyes widened, and she took a small step backward as the convenience store bag was dropped on the concrete. W-Wrong, I-I I am.. ah. Clutching a handful of her ck hair, she crouched on the spot with a hushed voice. I, I, no not that. She spewed out incoherent words with a violent head shake and a terrified expression on her face. U-Um. A shrieking sound reverberated over the street as I moved toward her to calm down her abrupt confusion, stunning me and forcing me to stop in my tracks. No, stop it, dont touch me!! No!! I had no time to be hurt by her denial. It was abnormal to be so frightened, and that bruise I could see through the cor of her blouse. This frightened look what exactly Ugh, ugh, please, so leave me alone Her voice seemed to fade away. Through her disheveled bangs, her eyes were peeking out, and she was looking at me withrge drops of tears streaming down. From the corners of her eyes, from the tops of her eyes, and down onto her cheeks. The tears were falling on the concrete ground. As if the veil had been lifted from her face, she showed me for the first time her facial expression. The agony that overwhelmed her. The emotion of sorrow. There was no way she could make this kind of face for no reason at all. Unable to move, I froze, looking down at the woman. She fell on her buttocks, her nails digging into her head. I am better off I l-living no worth Thats why. Im better off dead Indeed, she said that with a hup. Ah, I knew it. This person. So it was about that after all. Previous Next Content Chapter 13.9: Woman With a Downcast Look IX Chapter 13.9: Woman With a Downcast Look IX Why Someone like me is not worth being alive because Im a trash of society! That kind of thing A year has already passed since I joined thepany, yet all I have done is make failures! Every day Im constantly being scolded! Ive been told over and over again that my presence here is futile! The seniors I admire are a nuisance to me, the juniorsugh at me, and my peers ostracize me for being a durd incapable of doing my job! Nobody needs me, Im worthless Im the same as a piece of trash! Even if I live, its meaningless!! She broke down in tears while saying this. Apparently, herck of professional achievement and the pressure she was under from all sides distressed her greatly to the degree she was on the verge ofmitting suicide since she didnt want to live with such misery. What are you talking about? Being a trash of society? I kneeled down before the woman who was weeping aloud. If its being trash then Im the one whos trash. Huh When she raised her small face, I tried to smile to the utmost extent possible, though I was not certain whether I did it well. I am still a freeter at my age. I do not have a girlfriend, I am a vain guy, but more than anything, I am incredibly timid and uncool Lately I have been receiving a lot of help from people Like you, I do not do any work that contributes to society, I do not know the severity of society, and I am an idiot who only thinks living afortable life and eating every day is good enough. At my age, I am probably more trash than you because I do not serve society, and I am constantly inconveniencing the people around me. The fact that you go to work and work properly is not trash and that you do not have any worth living is not true. No I! I am a hindrance to everyone! How old are you now? Ugh E-Eighteen cough. I am 25. When rounded off, that makes me a 30 year old man. The thought of her standing on the edge of a cliff sent a surge of impatience through me that I had to do something. Regardless of the reason, she was a real suicidal person. Her eyes were serious. Even though it was outside the scope of our conversation so far to fully grasp the depth of her suffering and what she had gone through to the stage where she wanted to die, if I were to dismiss her heartbreaking plea right now, she would unquestionably take her own life. My premonition was spot on. The vinyl strings were to be hung from a branch and hooked around her neck. The utility knife was to slit her own wrist. The ballpoint pen, loose-leaf notebook and brown envelope were for writing a suicide note. The receipt was merely for camouge. A genuine suicidal person was right in front of me. And she has already cast one foot over the cliff. One false move and I would be the one to push her over the edge. I couldnt say anything thoughtless. I had to be cautious. I had to restrain myself from saying anything against her in any way. First, I needed to reassure her. Perspiration of tension erupted from my entire body. Youre still young, its okay to fail Even if you say one year, its only one year, there are many people who excel at their jobs and many people who are not all that proficient so dont be so condemning and hurt yourself so much. I concentrated intensely, like threading a needle through a hole, and chose each word as it came out. Failure is a terribly shameful and unpleasant experience When I was a student, I hated being embarrassed in front of people because of my ridiculously high pride. People wouldugh at me and point back at me. I understand the feeling of wanting to drive yourself to the breaking point because you feel pathetic about failing And to top it off, the eyes of others are on you. The stress is beyond measure. But you dont have to be that ashamed of yourself for failing That you are not worth living is an overstatement You should value yourself more. Valuing myself thats not possible. Whatever I do, I already know its not going to work! Im a stupid useless human being! She was no doubt a diligent girl. In her own way, she struggled with her inability to perform well at her job, and yet she kept going for a year, pushing herself when things didnt turn out well and didnt quit. All sorts of peopleughed at her, talked about her behind her back but she kept going. And then she ended up here. From her mouth, she kept reiterating that she had persistently striven but to no avail. For a while, I kept my mouth open without being able to say anything. What should I say next? I searched for words. No, but you know what? This is only the beginning. Lets not give up. You can do it, Im sure of it. Without a sense of tension, I would absolutely never utter such a thing. If it were the old me, I would have thought something like, Dont be so naive. A suicidal person would haveid out all kinds of good reasons and yed the victim role. Nheless, I couldnt think like that in the face of this situation. Such words couldnt be said. Ever since working at this convenience store, I have learned about these things. The expressions on peoples faces when they were at their limits. The faces of those who have exceeded their limits and died. While the reasons may vary, I was positive that all those who died were not half-hearted. They were at their limits. All of them. Nothing further was there for them. Without salvation. Nobody recognized the sign they left behind on the verge of death, and they refused their lives feeling lonely and in despair. There was no way I could say a word of condolence or act like I was irrelevant now that I knew that. Not that I could say that openly, though. Society was in essence a brutal ce. People that deviated from the rules were, understandably, scorned. Unless useful, they would be told they suck, or worse, they would be fired. People whocked the capacity to handle their work were sometimes beaten up by those who could do it. Being in a dilemma between so many things was suffocating. It made you feel like running away from the situation. Even if you looked into your own failures and misery and hated yourself, you had to keep on doing it. That was society. But the sad part was that some people still got lost in the process despite their utmost efforts, endurance, and perseverance. Inevitably, some people opted to retire. The manager once informed me that the majority of the individuals that drifted into this ce had been submerged beneath the tides of society. But those people were notpletely at fault. Suicide was inexcusable, but they must have had a lot on their minds as well. Please dont despise them. Nobody could ovee their limitations by themselves. She was one of those who would be defeated by the limitations. And the tears that were flowing down her face were thest manifestation of the suffering she had been amassing. Right now, at this moment, she was already at her limit. She couldnt stop with half-heartedness. What about her would someone like me, a freeter who has opted for the simple path to afortable life, grasp? What could I do to change her? Surrounding us was the sound of insects with the hot and humid air hanging in the air. In the middle of the road, where no cars were passing, a bawling woman and I, still consternated, remained facing each other. Abruptly, the woman stooped over, puked several times with her mouth wide open, and spewed arge amount of vomit onto the concrete. The vomit sttered on the concrete surface before spreading out and flowing into the grass. She threw up repeatedly while sobbing and looked so awful that I couldnt bear to look at her, so I leaned next to her and gave her a back rub instead. Hie! she screamed and bounced up and down. I instantly put my hands up, thinking it was bad. Ugh I-I-I am sorry No, me too. Its filthy, gross, and stinks, she mumbled, her lifeless eyes fixed on the barf. My life is already over Huh The path ahead of me is so dark I cant do it all over again after all I cant go back What are you talking about? I-I was framed by my boss. She looked as if her soul had been sucked out of her, and began to talk as if she didnt give a damn anymore about the event that took ce shortly before she came to this convenience store. Not to me, but to herself indifferently. I worked overtime today My two bosses and I stayed behind During the day, she had been heavily criticized, and her remaining work was difficult toplete, so she was exhausted as she went about her duties. In the office, there were male two bosses, and she was far apart in age with them. Her two bosses were among the few people in the office who understood her and supported her. Having been encouraged by them when she constantly screwed up at work, and having received kind words of encouragement when she was feeling down, she respected and trusted them both. Until this day.Not shared on aggregator sites After she had done her duties, the date had long since gone, she had missed thest train, and she was worn out and mulling over what to do next when her bosses opened the locker room door and barged in. In response to her startled screams, one of them seized her and covered her lips. The other person turned on his cell phone camera and shed her with a wicked smile that she had never seen before. She wondered what they were going to do. Before she could conceive of what was toe, she was roughly pushed to the floor and a mans hand crept inside her blouse From then on, it was all just a flow. Time passed before she had time to resist. [I usually cover for you at work. Its only natural that you should apany me this much.] [Since you are useless, I made you useful. Dont make a scene.] [Dont expect the next one to be as easy as todays.] They pinned her down and confronted her with images of who knew how many photos had been taken of her. She received a warning from the bosses before they quickly left, reminding her that if she disclosed the information, they would post it online. She was left with a sense of defeat and despair. Devastated, it was then that she realized that she had no value at all. She could not seek help from anyone. No one would lend a helping hand to her. All she was capable of was being an obstacle and a burden to others. If so, she would abandon everything and go somewhere where no one would notice her so that she would not inconvenience others. To be at ease. Thatpany is no longer a ce I want to stay But if I resign they will post it on the inte. There was nowhere to escape to. So nobody needs me, II As if hating herself for existing, she wed her neck hard. Bite marks did not disappear. The welts simply surfaced. Lets. At the sight of the womans face, distorted with grief and agony, I couldnt smile any more. Police. Lets go to the police. Huh?Trantor: MadHatter There is another female staff member at the convenience store, so Ill ask her to escort you. So, lets go to the police now. No, I no way! She shook her head. I calmly announced to her rather than grasping her shoulders as she was about to scream and go insane. What you just said, thats a full-blown crime. Those two bosses are criminals. You should inform the police about the harm youve suffered and let them resolve the situation. Ugh, ugh, no! If I do that they will spread it all over the ce! Then I!! Dont worry, that wont happen. How do you know that! No, nothing will change anyway! Theyll spread it around, expose it and more people willugh at me! Id rather die!! Dont you feel frustrated that youre going to end your life being cornered by such bunch of jerks! Ah, I identally let out a scream What the hell do you understand! I am sorry I dont understand. But I cant forgive those guys. I cant leave them alone and I cant leave you alone either! Ugh, I I have no rtion with you. Im a stranger. Even if you are a stranger, if you are about to die, someone will normally stop you! Even though I had told myself to stay calm, before I knew it, I had be emotional. No matter what happens dont kill yourself. This was just me imposing my own selfish views on her. I am sorry. I can only say this You dont want to hear such words from a stranger, right? It was nothing more than the beautiful words of a peace-loving idiot. I know someone whomitted suicide a long time ago My mouth started spewing out words on its own. I didnt even realize what was bothering that guy. If anything I think I pushed that guys back. Perhaps someone was harassing her. That guy wouldnt let anyone see any of their painful face No, that was just an excuse. The truth was, I just didnt see it. The small sign that Hyuga gave. If only I had realized and said something, maybe that guy wouldnt be dead I cant be sure, but I still think that maybe they would have been This was regret. The reality was that no matter how much I looked back, nothing would ever change. You ovep with that guy With that guy whomitted suicide Im getting more impatient than ever to do something about it! The thought of letting another person die again makes me! As I said this, I began to tear up. Even though I didnt think that saying this would change anything for her. Even though it would not heal the despair inside her. By all means, I wanted to stop her. I wanted her to ept it. Previous Next Content Chapter 13.10: Woman With a Downcast Look X Chapter 13.10: Woman With a Downcast Look X I didnt want any more sorrowful beings like Hyuga, whom nobody noticed. Please I pleaded with my head on the ground. Please dont die. The fact that I was pleading in a tearful voice, being pathetic about my unfulfilled regrets, and being unable to deal with this issue on my own made me realize that I was not cool, but I still was an idiot that did not want to back down. Please dont die you mustnt die I simply kept on repeating it. This was the only word I could find. It was impossible for me to wrap my arms around her feelings in such a state. I was not skillful enough to reassure her of someone elses sentiments. But that didnt mean I could simply let her leave. I couldnt leave her alone. Sorry. Sorry that this was the only thing I could say. If I imed to grasp how daunting it was for you, it would be a falsehood. Your suffering was not something that I could fully understand. If anything, I doubted that a convenience store staff like me could understand it. Sorry. But still Dying was not good. Dying was horrible. Please dont die. I dont ask you to live. Just dont die, please. I had to stop this somehow, I had to do something. I had to, I had to, I had to Thats enough. How long had I been doing this? Her voice regained a little bit ofposure, and this time I raised my head. Her face was still a mess, and she had red eyes with puffy eyelids. She nheless shut her tear-filled eyes. She said to me in a small voice, Its been a long time That someone looked me in the eye and spoke properly to me I am sorry I simply said, and staggered to my feet, powerless. After getting up, anotherrge drop of tears spilled out of her eyes. Dying to be at ease I thought it would reset things and make me a different person. The moment of death may be painful and agonizing, but if I could just endure it for a moment and end it all I thought it would be totally fine Because Im a no-good, stupid, good-for-nothing person who is inevitably mocked and no one will ever really say a word to me Im not worth living Her nose was running with snot on top of crying. But you a staff member, aplete stranger to me, was able to say the proper words to me. I could feel your desperation it was amazing I didnt think I, such a trash, would be told not to die Im still still alive, even though Im still a useless trash of society! Over and over again, I nodded my head. I didnt need to say anything; my look was enough to convey everything. She looked at me and began to shed tears again, her voice stifled, as if she was trying to squeeze out her painful feelings. I stood up too. Without saying a word, I just watched her. It was painful not to be able to put my hands on her shoulders, which were trembling slightly. She cried for a long time, and her teardrops finally ceased. In a voice that had be faint from shouting at the top of her lungs, she thanked me in a small voice. She handed me the convenience store bag with the vinyl strings and utility knife in it. Can you dispose of those I dont need them anymore She rubbed her tear-stained eyes before stumbling onward. With swollen feet, she walked in the opposite direction from where she hade. While watching her off, I couldntpletely be reassured. I wondered if she was really okay. The distance to the town on foot from here was significant. Perhaps I should talk to Hirai and take her home on my own motorcycle. She shook her head and said, I cant let you do that much for me, as I insisted but she argued, Well, how can I ride a mans motorcycle so simply after all the difficulties Ive gone through? The feeling of I have to live hard hasnt kicked in yet But society is not so lenient I told myself that, and Im going to try a little harder I will manage my boss by myself, too Dont worry, if I think its really dangerous, Ill go to the police. She spat out, frantically trying to maintain her energy, which was about to break down at any moment. Her body was trembling as she clenched her teeth and restrained it. She told me that she would hang on a little longer. I clutched the convenience store bag and watched her until she was out of sight from the road. Over and over in my mind. Dont lose. Dont lose. I repeated it as if I was praying. Trantor: MadHatter Senior.Not shared on aggregator sites The woman disappeared from my sight. As I stood there, a voice came from behind me. In the darkness of the bushes amidst the seaof trees, Hyuga was standing there as I turned around. Her mouth hung in the shape of a crescent moon as she looked at me with bloodshot eyes. She was wearing her school uniform, the same outfit she wore when shemitted suicide. Come with me. After a blink of an eye, she was gone. My brain memorized something ominous. No matter how many people you stopped, your mistake will never return to zero from here on out. Dont forget that. Was that what you meant? Hyuga.
[Earlier today. A woman (20), an office worker, was discovered dead after a resident reported that she had hanged herself in an apartment in XX City. ording to the police investigation, the corpse had been there for several days and based on the suicide note and other evidence found at the same time, it is suspected that she had been sexually assaulted by several of her bosses. The case is being investigated as a possible suicide] Several days have passed since then. I was under the assumption that everything had been settled neatly. But My body, which had been feeling at peace, was paralyzed by the news broadcast that I had been watching on a random TV channel that I had turned on since this morning. Because the words that appeared in the coverage were all too familiar to me. My mind was racing with vivid memories of that day. XX City. A ce fairly close to my local area. An office worker, a woman. Age, 20 years old Sexually assaulted by several bosses. Suicide note In her apartment Suicide by hanging [Im going to try a little harder] No way. No way. No way It couldnt be A lie. The somen that had been hooked onto the chopsticks fell into the soup with a ssh. Previous Next Content Chapter 14.1: Sink Chapter 14.1: Sink Itialways began with me looking down at Hyuga, who was drenched in blood and had all four limbs thrown to the ground. An extraordinary amount of sweatiwas produced from head to toe. My respiration hasibeen shallow andbored for quite some time now. The impactiwas so jarring that I even thought a knife might have split my heart in half. From theihandrail on the rooftop, I watched Hyuga jumping off the roof. Looking like a squashed frog, Hyuga floated in a pool of blood, squirming on the concrete, yet her eyes were still ring inimy direction. Even though I wanted to scream and get out of here at any second, my hands gripped the railing and wouldnt let go. My body remained in a forward slump, stuck. Only pathetic moans escaped myimouth instead. And then I becameiaware of a presence standing right next to me. I onlyimoved my eyeballs to confirm that existence. ItiwasiHyuga Theisame Hyuga who should havemitted suicide by jumping off a building. Without lookingiat me, her long hair fluttering in the wind, she climbed over the railing with her hands andnded on the other side of the railing. She then positioned her feet on the rooftops edge before falling forward with her arms outstretched. Right in frontiof me, she jumped down again. The sound of something soft falling and crushing atrociously persisted. Onceimore, my sight shifted unterally and settled right beneath me. My eyes intersected with the freshly bleeding corpse of Hyuga. I moaned, and again, Hyuga stoodiright next to me. With theisame motion again, she jumped down repeatedly and endlessly. And oniand on. Hyugainever ceased jumping down before my eyes. Spreading her hands out towardithe bright blue sky. Falling. Sinkingiinto the sea of red. For the 99thior 100th time. Atst, I lostimy mind. No more. Pleaseistop. Please. Stopiit. Stopiit. Stopiit. No. I didnt want toisee it anymore. Noimore I hatediit. Despiteimy thoughts, myigaze drifted down arbitrarily. The body of Hyuga, stained inideep red. No Wrong That was The one from that time The face of a familiar woman. Pure white with blood gushing from her mouth. She looked at me with a resentful look on her face and finally said Join me. Come on.Trantor: MadHatter Aishriek erupted fromime until I wasiunconscious. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!! Stop, stop, stop!! Stopppppppppppppp!!! Not shared on aggregator sites I wasiawakened byimy own piercing screams. Itiwas followed byithendlords raging voice rising up from below. Ahead of me was the filthy, stained ceiling of an over-familiar, shabby apartment. Ah Ahhhhh While leaking outia strange voice, I covered my face with my arms. My body was trembling profusely with relief that I was finally free from the nightmare as I let out hot breath from my mouth and nostrils. My breathing was still uncoordinated and I was still struggling. Even though I had already suffered that dream over and over again, it didnt even strike me as a dream within a dream. Only when I awoke after the nightmare did I recognize it as a dream. I thought I would have gotten familiar with it, but this was the pattern every time. Nevertheless, it may be no wonder that I couldnt believe that it was a dream. Everything was too lifelike. The corpse of Hyuga that appeared in my nightmare The incessant flow of red Ugh When I recalled it, I felt like my gastric juices were surging up from the back of my throat. I crawled out from under the futon to escape. Bearing a heavy sluggishness that was not drowsiness, I put my hands against the wall and made my way to the bathroom. My head was dizzy and all over my body was hot. Since it was summer, it was natural to feel hot no, that wasnt it. Rather, I felt like my body was sweltering inside. Well, I have been in this condition recently, so I didnt necessarily make a fuss, and I have already gotten used to it. When I scratched my head, my body was soaked in sweat and felt sticky. Huh? Did I change my clothes when I returned? Or rather, at what time did I return? My recollection was a bit vague Looking at my pallidplexion in front of the mirror, I twisted the faucet to turn on the water. I should have been on the night shift yesterday, but somehow I couldnt remember clearly. Ah Right when I was about to plunge my face into the water, I felt light-headed and staggered, and my vision began to whirl around. I couldnt tell if I was moving up, down, left, or right; it was like being ced on a rotating rollercoaster at an amusement park. It was such a sensation. A relentless dizziness Oh, not goodThis would knock me backward On top of my revolving vision, my head was tilted directly back, and I was convinced of this. Here, the floor was so thin that if I copsed and made a noise, thendlord would be furious again. All I could think was, Oh, my brain must have melted. Um. Are you alright? While my mind was on edge, I didnt even bother to take a breath and just let gravity do the work for me. Hakamada. I was supported from behind with a voice carrying a hint of impatience and good timing. In my feverishly fading consciousness, I shifted my eyeballs in the direction of the charming voice, which I would have fallen in love with if I were a girl. Someone who was not supposed to be here was looking at me with a concerned expression. So it was another dream huh. Two seconds after I thought that with my eyes closed, I looked at that face again. It was not a dream. It was real. It waste afternoon in the middle of a sweltering day. For some reason, Takenaka was in the dressing room of my house. I was so taken aback that I almost cked out, and I thought I was totally screwed. Previous Next Content Chapter 14.2: Sink II Chapter 14.2: Sink II Beyond my half-closed field of vision, Takenaka was boiling water and chopping something with a knife in front of the tattered stove in my house. When I fell down in the bathroom and was on the edge of hitting the back of my head, Takenaka, for some reason, was behind me and supported me. Why was this person here I was so disoriented that I nearly cked out and couldnt stand on my feet, so Takenaka carried me by the shoulders and dropped me back into the futon. When I was finally able to breathe properly, Takenaka ced a ss of Pocari Sweat by my bedside and politely described what had urred fromst night until I woke up. Even though most of my recollections were vague, it seemed that I had inadvertently inconvenienced a lot of people including Takenaka. Apparently, I copsedst night while serving a customer. The person working with me was Takenaka. I copsed while working at the cash register, which caught all the customers by surprise and caused a slightmotion in the store. Takenaka promptly brought me to the back room, but due to my high fever, I was unresponsive to his calls. Takenaka, who came to the conclusion that it was bad, informed the manager, who then summoned Aoyama toe to the store as a backup. Having observed my pale face, which was unenergetic, and my erratic breathing, the manager contacted a nearby hospital. Arrangements were made and I was immediately transported to the hospital in Takenakas car. As I was in and out of consciousness, I apparently could not respond to the doctors questioning with any proper words. Unexpectedly, the doctors diagnosis was a simple one: malnutrition due to poor diet and cold due to fatigue and a lowered immune system. Life had taken its toll on me, as I hadpletely underestimated my summer fatigue and was eating nothing but somen noodles It was an embarrassing story. I was given an IV and was told that I would recover with proper nutrition and rest after taking medicine, so I returned home after 4:00 a.m. in the early morning, rocking in the car driven by Takenaka. The manager and Aoyama took over for Takenaka and me, working until morning, entrusting Takenaka with the responsibility of driving me home. After cing me under the futon while I was sick, the ever-too-benevolent Takenaka continued to be by my side right up until this very second, apparently nursing me. To think that such a severe thing had happened to me. I had no recollection of it at all. Im sorry Takenaka, Im No. I am d you are not sick with some strange disease. While putting something in the pot, Takenaka replied only with his voice without looking back. A nice aroma wafted from the kitchen. It smelled like consomm. It didnt look as though he was making his own food arbitrarily in someone elses home. O-Ohhh Takenaka, its okay, Ill have some appropriate food and take my medicine! I couldnt let him stay in this dreary room any longer. Furthermore, since it was four oclock in the morning until now, this guy must have not slept, right? This was indeed not good. With only one arm out from the futon, I persistently appealed in a hushed voice to somehow get Takenaka to leave. Appropriate you mean somen? UghNot shared on aggregator sites Only half of his face was directed at me, and he narrowed his eyes and red at me as if he was appalled. What I felt was undeniable fear. S-Sorry In response, Takenaka let out a deep sigh that I could hear, as he chopped something with the knife again. I seemed to have annoyed him, rather than made him mad For now, I gently pulled out a cup of Pocari, which was right next to me, and sipped it. The fans air volume was set to medium. The wind chime that my younger sister installed at her discretion was producing a soothing sound, and the curtains were half drawn to allow for venttion. On the kitchen floor was a brand-new supermarket bag, which Takenaka picked up and retrieved various things from inside. It was onlyter that I learned that Takenaka had anticipated my waking up and decided to cook something nutritious for me. Seeing the stacks of somen noodles in the sliding door and cupboards, which were crammed like a curse, he ran to the nearest supermarket with a sense of obligation to feed me something other than somen noodles. And that was all for my sake who was totally undernourished Please wait a little longer. Ah, hahTrantor: MadHatter I was so sorry that I couldnt say anything more and opened my cell phone, which had an iing call light blinking on it. Several calls were there. Oh, it was the manager and Aoyama. fromManager title How are you feeling? Are you feeling a little better? I heard from Takenaka that you caught a summer flu. If it gets worse, its not good, so Ill reschedule your shifts for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and you can have a good rest. fromAoyama titleOh no! Hakamada, are you okay!? I was so worried about youuuuu! Dont worry about me and the manager, just take proper rest and get better soon, okay? From Aoyama () Somehow I was touched. Even though I caused trouble for them. These people. Were they genuinely worried about me like this? I should call themter instead of texting them. Oh, I got an e-mail from Hirai as well. Oh, man, night-shift crews really were too much about passing on information fromHirai titleUntitled I heard from Aoyama. Hakamada, are you okay? () Maman said that summer flu is not good if it gets worse, so please dont push yourself too hard and get better as soon as possible. I mean Takenakas route is finally here() !!!! Isnt Takenaka infatuated over you that hes nursing a weakened Hakamada! Isnt he having a crush on you!? (////) Hey, hey, hey! You two! When did you two develop such a rtionship!? This is too dangerous! (^q^)(^q^)(^q^) By all means, more details on this tasty stuffter, kwsk! kwsk! What am I going to do! I cant stop my heart from throbbing! Take-hakama Thank you very much! (^q^) I closed the screen hoping to pretend I didnt see it. I was unsure about how to organize everything right away. The feeling offort I had felt in the managers and Aoyamas e-mails all at once cooled down. Or rather, I was sent to an extremely chilly ce. Chapter 14.3: Sink III Chapter 14.3: Sink III This email c-can I delete it? No, even if I deleted it, the next time I meet her, she would probably ask me about it, but simply in another way. How terrifying While I was lost in thought, Takenaka came over with a dish with a high rim that was steaming hot and a te with a bunch of watermelons cut into slices on it. Your sister was here about two hours ago. Huh!? She came!? Oh, no. As always, she came unannounced, that idiot! So I exined the circumstances to her, and she just left this here and returned home, Takenaka said, putting everything on the table. Did she say anything strange Not reallyNot shared on aggregator sites That prick most certainly said something Excuse me you even go through the trouble of cooking for me No, it was something simple anyway. Can you get up? Takenaka asked me subsequently, but after looking at me for a bit, he concluded that it would be impossible for me to get up, so he went around to the futon and supported me as I weakly raised my arms. Here we go. He gave me a brief signal and helped me up slowly so as not to burden my body unduly, yet with a steady and stable supporting way. At that moment, I casually surmised that he was highly experienced in handling sick people, however, I must have been lying on the bed for too long, for my head immediately started to pound. Ah, how pathetic for a 25 year old man to be taken care of by a man a year older than him. Even my own mother wouldnt be this devoted to nursing me. He probably helped me change my clothes as well. How much have I been taken care of? Was it too much Huh. Wait, hey. Come to think of it, this guy cleaned up my vomit before this I mean, wasnt this beyond the point of indebtedness? I am really sorry. What?Trantor: MadHatter When I apologized with my voice wavering, he was startled. On the table was a te of Pocari Sweat and watermelon, plus this It was not porridge. It was too colorful for it to be porridge, and it smelled fancy. Its summer vegetable risotto. I hope it suits your taste. My appetite had been waningtely, and I didnt feel like eating anything at all, but the steam, the savory aroma, and the vibrant visual appeal of the dish gradually stimted my appetite, which was almost nonexistent at the time. It has been a long time since my throat has rumbled. Bon apptit. Scooping it up with a spoon, I let it cool down slightly before pouring a small amount into my mouth. The consomm-based vor was refreshing, and the acidity of the finely chopped tomatoes spread softly. De Delicious. It was ptable. This was amazingly divine. Despite the cold making it taste a little nd, I found it to be the most delectable meal I have ever had when being sick. Small chopped carrots, onions, cabbages corn that popped in my mouth what was this, courgettes? S-Somehow, all sorts of fancy ingredients were there Perhaps my body was pleased because I had hardly consumed any vegetables recently, and it hurried to absorb them, causing me to take a session of them and shove them down the back of my throat. Fortunately, the ingredients were so mushy that I didnt have to chew much to swallow them. This was what nutritional intake was all about I thought to myself. Its extremely tasty Takenaka, you are like a pro at this. No, I think its normal Im d you have an appetite. If this is the case, there is a chance for recovery. Takenaka smiled as if he was slightly reassured. The expression on his face was a definitefort to me at that moment. The spoon, which had been moving back and forth between the te and my mouth, ceased moving. The saltiness in my mouth rose. I tried to control myself, but couldnt do so. Hakamada Oh, its so tasty Wow, its insanely tasty It was a mistake of mine to speak out. I intended to say something normal, but I was all shaky and stilted, and there was no way I could conceal it any longer. Are you crying? The food is To avoid being caught, I lowered my face and concealed it with the hand that was holding the spoon, but once I turned my head down, the stream of tears that had been forming was unexpectedly thick. Two drops of tears fell on the table. The food is good and it makes me feel great. Because the food tasted good. Because the rice tasted good. For a while, I kept on saying iprehensible things. That wasnt the actual reason. I was so emotionally beaten down that I was even at a loss for words. That woman. Since the news report, I have been researching the identity of the deceased woman with a faint hope that she was someone else. On the Inte, on-site, and by interviewing people. However, as it turned out, the fact was that the woman who hadmitted suicide in her apartment was the young woman I had stopped that night. I had encouraged her that day, cried to her and begged her. That woman. She was indeed dead. She had killed herself. Even though I thought I had made her quit, even though I thought I had prevented her from doing so It was all my own self-serving, deluded idea. Deep down inside, I was slightly proud that I had pulled one person from the brink of death, but it didnt work out that way. She died. Just like Hyuga. The one who got involved was me. I was the one who made contact. What I did was for the best, but the result of what came was the worst. I have done the exact same thing again. Again I I had made a person to Atst, I grasped what Ayame was saying at this point. I couldnt possibly understand the feelings of someone who was suffering to the verge of wanting to die. What did I say to her? Wasnt it mostly self-serving constion from someone elses perspective? I couldnt say anything, I couldnt say I may have forced her into a corner and pushed her back That was all I could dwell on ever since I saw the daily news reports. Nevertheless, I couldnt discuss this with anyone, so I went through a never-ending struggle within myself. After that, I began to experience those dreadful dreams night after night. When I closed my eyes at night, I would find myself in that dream, and when I woke up, it would be morning. I never even felt like I had slept, regardless of how much I had done so. Each time I suffered a nightmare, I felt as if I were being told by Hyuga. Be aware of it. Feel more pain. Truthfully, I was suffering and terrified. I wondered if I should talk to Takenaka or Ayame about it. But If that was Hyugas appeal, then I felt I had to ept it. Even so perhaps this was the limit of what I could do. I couldnt help but feel wrench. After all, I usually couldnt voluntarily seek help. In reality, I had already reached the end of my rope and wanted to give up but I was still obstinate. In front of a being like me, there was someone who, if I wanted to lean on him now, would let me do so without refusing. Thinking like that was naive, stop it Dont rely on this person. I thought I hit the brakes a few times, but I was defeated The expression Takenaka cast on me crushed everything. The vulnerability that I had never revealed to anyone before was brought to the surface. Ugh It was a rough situation, wasnt it Ayame told me roughly everything that had happened, Takenaka said to me as if to console me, as I was trembling and gnashing my teeth. I dont know what to do anymore The thing I intended to do for the best turned out to be the worst thing I could have done That persons sign, I should not have missed it I left someone to die again I killed someone indirectly What are you talking about? Hakamada you killed someone those kind of words I killed her because I I I didnt handle the situation properly! Thats why that person died too!! Tears spilled down my face like a waterfall the instant I hysterically yelled that. It was the moment when a grown man of a good age started crying like a little child. Just like the previous incident with the cat, only this time it was all my own emotions. I What was I supposed to do at that time Even if I had shouted out of the blue like that, he wouldnt have been able to catch what I was saying at all. What was I crying for? It would not be surprising if heughed at me. When it came to Takenaka, he was neither withdrawn nor astounded. Without batting an eyebrow, he listened to everything I said, including my screams. Like an immobile wall, he was motionless. Lets calm down, shall we? After a short period of silence, he said in a voice like ice water. I continued to cry wordlessly. During high school, no matter how frustrated I was at baseball games or how harsh things got, I would by no means let my tears show in front of my friends and yet Chapter 14.4: Sink IV Chapter 14.4: Sink IV After finally regaining myposure, Takenaka ced the watermelon slices on a small te and set them down in front of me. Since the amount of risotto was not thatrge, my stomach still could tolerate it. I couldnt finish the whole thing, so I decided to have Takenaka partake in it as well. In front of Takenaka were two tes of watermelon. One of them had a spoon stuck vertically in it. This was for Yagura, I supposed. When the spoon was stuck in the center, Yagura appeared diagonally behind Takenaka. I held my breath and was rendered motionless by the sight of this two-meter-tall figure, seemingly without any weight. Yagura hung his head deeply while making heavy armor noises to me. No, no, there was the case the other day too the one who wanted to bow down was me. With no TV running and only the sporadic sound of the wind chime resonating across the room, the fans wind helped my tear stains to fade. Sometimes I dont know either. When the seeds were being scooped out with a spoon, Takenaka spoke up. I dont know what I should have done, or how I should have done it I have dealt with such situations myself. I have even approached them on several asions. What happened to those people after that, though, is beyond my knowledge. Did they subsequently stay on or did they not? In the end, its up to the individual themselves to decide. The only choices we can make are to overlook them or to call out to them. Even though I thought I knew what I was doing, I was still distressed afterward. I wonder if what I did was right or wrong I can understand how you feel, Hakamada I am sure there must be people who took their own lives in the sea of trees. Thinking of that is painful. Even so, all we can do is shake things up a bit. Regardless of how much we ponder about it, the answer we hope for will likely not be easy toe by. That was what Takenaka said. But I can say this with certainty. What Hakamada did was not a mistake. You are not a murderer Not only me, but everyone on the night shift says so. So please stop condemning yourself already Hakamada is not to me. Sorry that this is all I can say, Takenaka added in a small voice. It was much easier to ept than to beforted by conventional words. Right I had forgotten that we shared the same thoughts and feelings. I had assumed that Takenaka was handling it coolly, without feeling this way. He, like me, must be the same. This person was the same as me, suffering and struggling Perhaps that person might be dead. The words he uttered may have been wrong, and he was enduring such anxiety and fear without even being aware of it. Even before I joined them Aoyama, Hirai and the manager likewise. It was not only me. I wasnt the only one suffering. I myself am distraught, sorry While it may take me a while to be free of my regrets, Takenakas words made me feel a little bit lighter, a tiny bit less guilt-ridden. Because I had only been in a constant state of conflicting emotions for the past few days. After all, by hearing someones voice, I could get away from the ce where I was at a standstill, little by little, and be motivated to start walking again. People must be able to live like that, right? Carrying the weight of it all alone would be too overwhelming. It made you want to give up. Making you want to throw everything away and give up. So at times, someone had to pull you up Like me, right now If only she had such a helping hand, she surely wouldnt have ended up in such a tragic way No matter how I reflected back, the woman who broke down crying that day was no longer here. Even if I looked back, that moment would never be returned. Now all I could do was pray that she may rest in peace. Immersed in sentimentality, I took a scoop of the watermelon and put it in my mouth. As Takenaka said, there was no such thing as an exact answer. What was right and what was wrong? Nobody could determine that and it was not a matter that could be settled so lightly. Therefore, I had no choice but to make a choice that I believed in. So long as suicidal people do not cease, I must do that from now on and always. Hah Its tough After knowing everything, I supposed there really were only a handful of people who still chose to go on. It was only logical that a regr person would lose their mind if they stayed in a ce like that. The longer anyone remained there, the darker and heavier the shadow of that convenience store became. Isnt it enough already I know Ive said the same thing before, and you might say Im being persistent, but From the way he began, I immediately understood what Takenaka trying to say. Its not just fatigue that has caused you to fall sick. Both your mind and body have reached their limits because you are not adapted to that environment. Dont feel guilty about leaving. If you want to go back, you can still turn back. If you continue to force yourself Im not forcing myself. But Its simply summer fatigue Please dont let it bother you. Besides, the conditions are roughly the same for all of us, we are all going through the same thing, and I cant just easily give up. I tried to cover it up with a feigned smile, but he was not so dull as to allow that to be fooled. Takenaka closed his eyes as if troubled. I wonder why When I look at you, Hakamada, you seem to be strongly fixated on something. Its not about yourself or the other members, but about something else I get that feeling. Trantor: MadHatter Like a pebble hurled at the surface of the water, Takenakas words reverberated through me, leaving me at a loss for words for a while. Its strange for me to say this, isnt it? NoNot shared on aggregator sites What emerged from my mouth was a small word of denial. Its not strange at all. I would never have said such a thing if I wasnt in such a state. I guess youre spot-on In general, I didnt like to expose my vulnerabilities to people. I hated crying to people and hated leaning on them. So when Ayame hit the mark, I didnt talk about anything. Because I wanted to keep my vulnerabilities to myself. I thought only I should be the only one to see my ridiculousness. I in high school The power that awakened in me, the extraterrestrial entities I frequently witnessed, the incident in the sea of trees, and the death of that woman. The weight of all of them was squashing me now. When I let my tears be seen, I thought it no longer mattered. Perhaps it was a mixture of resignation, but I thought I was going to put my trust in this person. Not because I wanted to ce my trust in a shady name like Guardian God. Rather, I wanted to rely on this person, Takenaka, by uncovering a dark part of me that I had buried deep down inside that I had never confided in anyone. I let all that out. With the belief that this person would listen to me to the end, I smashed through the rigid shell I had erected over myself. For the first time, I voluntarily revealed my vulnerability. I drove a girl my junior to suicide. Chapter 14.5: Sink V Chapter 14.5: Sink V Even my hands began to quiver along with my speech. All I could do was continue spewing out words even as the corners of my eyes began to heat up once again. I dont remember bullying her or anything like that but I said a horrible thing to her calling her a liar and iming what she said was absurd I didnt recall much but I probably said something worse. She was a good person but one thing led to another and I ended up having a falling out with her It was shortly after that that she jumped off the roof. I cant think of any other reason. She was a personable, entric person who behaved oddly, but everyone liked her. She wasnt harassed and her family background was normal I couldnt imagine any reason for such a person tomit suicide Nothing else applied besides the words I spoke to her Even worse, I kept running away from the fact shemitted suicide because I wanted to put it behind me. All the time I never looked back and never went to visit her grave. When I started working at that convenience store, I began to see the same things as Takenaka and the others, which made me realize that what she said was not nonsense but the truth. I called her a liar even though she was honest and I am the worst kind of person I bit my lip. I felt like I was stabbing myself with a knife or something. I was determined to leave this type of environment when I first got your help at that convenience store, and I intended to follow Takenakas advice But I reckoned that this is my punishment for living so idly, forgetting that she even existed until now It was as if she was telling me to suffer the same thing that she did. Like she was sneering at me from under her grave It had all been my assumption up to that point. But since I awakened to this power, she has been manifesting herself in front of me frequently in her after-death figure in front of me. Whenever I see her, she remarks the same thing. She still wants to stay in this world and make me suffer, resenting me After all this time I want to make it easier for her. She is covered in blood, and even in death, she is still suffering. But I cant figure out any other way. Apart from me staying there and going through what she went through, I cant figure out any other way If I could talk to her, I would. What do you wish for? How can I put your suffering to rest? But there was no way I could do that. In my dreams, she dies over and over again in front of me I am sure I will be having that dream again today Even though I want to do something for her, I couldnt help but be afraid of it The thought of it makes me realize that in the end, all I care about is myself I hate it. Regardless of how many times this struggle was repeated, no exit was in sight. On the contrary, the bottomless swamp would seize my feet and sink me Hyuga right? Huh, why do you Because you were calling that name all the time while you were having a nightmare. All this time, you have been burdened with the idea that it was your fault. She still has yet to rest in peace surely. Takenaka, please. I know its self-serving. But I cant do it myself I can only ask you to do it for me. I want to do something about her, Takenaka, if you can, please about Hyuga About Hyuga Cant you please save her? If there is anything you can do, anything at all that you can help her with, I pleaded in rapid session. I didnt wish to see her like that any further. Her pain must be excrutiating, and she must still be suffering. No doubt when she emerged all bloody like that. I was certain of that. Please, please Watching my frantic state, Takenaka remained as cool and collected as ever. After asking me to look up, he announced with a slightly apologetic look on his face, The odds of me being able to resolve this at this point in time are probably fairly low. Takenaka then proceeded to exin why. I am not an expert in that kind of thing, aside from Ayame Even if I could drive away the evil spirits that wandered into the convenience store I think it would be difficult to make her rest in peace when she appears at your doorstep. Usually, with the help of Yagura, the spirits are driven away. Even if I could drive her away, it would be impossible for me to liberate her soul from negative emotions and lead her to the afterlife. Indeed, such an extraordinary feat was not that simple to pull off with the exception of Ayame and Yakumo. Even Takenaka, despite his supernatural powers, was an ordinary person. I apologize for my inability Oh no, please dont apologize. Its me who cant resolve the problem on my own When I was about to say so, Takenaka continued to speak. I dont know if I can resolve things, but I might be able to change the situation slightly. If you want to know the truth about why shemitted suicide it is possible to find out Can you do that? The part that remained shrouded in darkness and unrified, the part that I was dying to know the most. The reason for her death Would I ever discover that? How deeply can things be figured out are Please do it. My body was enveloped in sluggishness as I leaned forward with all of my force. I dont mind the slightest detail, I just want to know why she had to die. I understand. If you say so, Hakamada Ill do it. Did he sense theck of hesitation in my appearance? With a deep nod, Takenaka agreed. He told me there was only one thing he needed and I was to offer it to him. It was a photo of Hyuga, me and the onlookers. It was that photo taken at the school festival. Um, what are you I will begin irvoyance now. ir? It was another specialized term. In short, its a process in which a person in the photo is seen through spiritual power It sounds shady, doesnt it? Oh, no, no for the time being, please begin. Yes. Takenaka closed his eyes and appeared to be focusing on the subject as he ced his hand over Hyuga, who was standing next to me in the photo with long ck hair, bob-like bangs, and red-rimmed sses. I stretched my neck out a little to observe him. Oh On a summertime psychic program special, I saw a scenario when a psychic was operating in a simr manner. At the time, I thought it was a farce, though. Takenaka sensed something and opened his eyes. She died about a month after the festival? Heh, ah What a shock Even though I didnt say anything. How did this person figure it out or rather, this was what was called irvoyance. Apparently, he could indeed see through the pictures. Amazing No, I simply learned this by watching others. Learning Learning by watching others Excuse me, I had to take my words back. You were already above the average person, Takenaka. Where did you learn all this? My grandfather showed it to me a long time ago He used to do psychic photography and psychic evaluation of relics I can only concentrate my mind and trace memories to a certain extent so I cant do much about it. No that was a big enough deal at that point For the next several minutes, Takenaka focused his attention on the photograph. I wondered if the events of that day were vividly unfolding behind his closed eyelids. Trantor: MadHatter What have you found out? ThatsNot shared on aggregator sites When Takenaka removed his hand from the photo and I asked about it, he looked as if he was reluctant to borate. I could grasp what kind of person she was but I couldnt get a clear understanding of what was going on because there was too little information in this photo I see Anything more If there is anything that can exclude a wide range of Saying that, Takenaka looked at me. Hakamada. Y-Yes? My body wasining of feeling sluggish. Iy down on the futon and covered myself with a light towelket and drowsiness immediately swept over me. With the lights off, the room was dimly lit but not pitch-ck. Are you certain about this? I shook my head vertically again for the umpteenth time. Its fine. No matter how much I im its only for the sake of observing, I might still end up noticing things you dont want me to. To be peered at by others would also be undesirable. I dont mind, its fine. Even my puke had to be cleaned up by Takenaka. What was there to fear from him now sneaking a brief peep into my head? Plus, if this would rify the mystery of Hyugas death, I didnt really care. With these words, I closed my eyes. Your consciousness will be connected to the photo and I will send you to your prior recollection. Please rx and be at ease. Even without being told, my body was already weakened by sleepiness, and my eyelids were already straining against my eyeballs. The cold hand of Takenaka touched my forehead. Was it due to the presence of somebody by my side? It has been a long time since I have fallen asleep with such a feeling of security. What would happen to me from now on? Before I could ponder the question deeply, I slipped into the world of a dream. Chapter 15.1: Me and Her Chapter 15.1: Me and Her It was a strange sensation. I was sleeping, yet somehow I was vividly conscious. Even so, I could not sense my body. It was as though I was watching a filmI was looking at myself. There I was, back in high school, with short hair that hadnt been dyed yet, wearing dull sses. Dressed in the uniform of the baseball club, I was alone on the bench, tending to the ball. The sports ground was vacant and dark. Nearly all the members of the club have already left. Right. Back then, the majority of the guys were either getting girlfriends in between club activities or skipping club activities to attend live concerts, whereas I was called a baseball fool by both myself and others since I was running around without exhibiting any interest in events such as karaoke or blind dates. Even after my friends had made their way home, I remained on the field for as long as time allowed. I wasnt forcing myself to stick around and demonstrate that I was a striver. For me, this time after club activities was the most blissful and settling time of the day. Cleaning the used balls by removing all the mud, scrubbing them, and washing them up was practically a daily routine for me. Many times I was told that it was a meaningless thing to do since tomorrow they would be equally muddy again and that I should let the freshmen do it. As a pitcher, I wanted to throw a clean pitch yeah, I had the obstinacy to not concede to others from that time on. Amidst the silence, I carefully cleaned up the balls on the darkened ground. After cleaning everything up and tidying up lightly, I would pitch the ball against the wall, and when satisfied, I would go home, which was my customary routine. However that day did not end the same way as usual. Arent you leaving yet? Senior. A voice called out to me from behind, and I turned around with a startle. Wrong, not there. It was higher up. Right behind the bench was the wire fence, which I slowly followed with my eyes. What!?Trantor: MadHatter It was inevitable that I rose from the bench with a yell. After all, the guy who had called out to me was still standing on the other side of the fence. Like a huge bug, her legs and hands were hooked to the wire fence and she was looking down at me from a fairly high vantage point and smiling. With hair so long it looked as if it might get tangled in the wire fence, she was sporting red-rimmed sses that reflected the lights on the ground. Her bangs were neatly trimmed like a kokeshi doll, and she donned a navy blue sailor suit with a knee-length skirt. A quiet girl who seemed like she would be quietly reading a paperback book during recess. Contrary to her appearance, though, she was looking at me while climbing up on the fence. Perhaps it was the gap between her appearance and her behavior that made me perceive her as a weirdo from this moment on. After a few seconds of silence, I red at her who appeared out of the blue and suddenly called out to me. What?Notsharedonaggregatorsites Even if it was a girl, I wasnt going to be sociable with her. If anything, I was not good at dealing with girls. Without a group, they couldnt manage anything and their attitudes varied depending on who they were with. I was not like that from the beginning but my prejudice against girls was at its peak at that time. Despite having adorable faces, they had a very vicious side that surfaced when they were mistreating others. And when the situation turned sour, they would immediately burst into tears. That was why I didnt want to associate with them. They were such a hassle. Due to this prejudice, I never had a girlfriend, and since I didnt want to rte to them, the girls didnt talk to me either. She was a strange person to call out to me given that I carried an air of sharpness that others pointed out to me. While wondering this, I red at the female student who was hanging on the fence and noticed that I had never seen her face before. What is it, you ask? I am your junior. Huh? I am Hyuga, a student in the 4th ss of the 2nd year, one year below you. She lifted her sses with one hand, skillfully gripping the fence, and showed a self-satisfied look on her face. Another reply followed subsequently. Youre not going home? Shut up Whoever you are, dont speak to me with familiarity. I answered your question, so please answer mine. Go away, youre a nuisance. Wow What kind of response was that to someone I just met for the first time? Arent you going home? Senior. Youre the one who should go home. Youre being a bother and a nuisance. Frustrated, I resumed cleaning my ball, wondering why I had to get tangled up with this iprehensible person when I was finally able to take a breather at the end of the day. All the while, the weirdo kept hurling words at me in an attempt to make me turn my attention to her, but I brushed off all of them. She was patiently trying to converse with me, nheless, I was not willing to give in to her persistence. I never turned my head. Nothing good will happen to me when in thepany of girls, I must have reiterated that in my head. But then she dropped the bombshell remark on me. Senior, um. Those words, the only words I would never forget. I like you Please go out with me. A faint voice rang out from behind me. The ball momentarily slipped from my grasp as I didnt catch on to what was being said. Please go out with me? Like me? L-Like!? Something exploded with a bang as I repeated it in my brain. All the blood in my body pooled on my face at once. You! What are you suddenly!? This was the first time I had ever been told something like this but I instantly grasped the meaning. I knew that it was a confession. My ridiculously loud voice reverberated through the sports ground. I turned around with such speed that it seemed as if her sses were going to be blown off. Just as I had thought, I was looking like an idiot, and Hyuga dropped the second bombshell remark on me right then and there. Its a lie. No matter how many times I thought back on it, this still irked me. Did you believe it? Apanied by the sound of a cell phone button, that guy chuckled. At that moment, my mind cooled down at once and realization set in that I had been teased by the junior student one year younger than me. With my face bright red all over from unprecedented humiliation, I kicked off the bench, approached the fence, and shook it violently with all my might. Youuuuuuuu!! Get down here, you monkey woman! Ill crush you!! I wonte down as I dont want to be crushed. Shut up! Delete that damn photo right now!! Its not a photo, its a video. Screw you! You amateur!! Hearing my mad voice, she burst into a fit of hystericalughter as she put her phone in her pocket, maneuvered dexterously off the fence, and faced me over the fence. Youre interesting, senior. Can Ie hang out here again? Dont you evere back! Dont disturb me! Forget it, just delete the video! You have bad taste, you bastard!! I get it, Ill be back. She took off running, disregarding all my wordsas she howled like a beast through the wire fence. This was the first meeting between me and Hyuga, my first memory of her. The first time I fell for Hyugas mischievous prank. The day of my bizarre rtionship with a strange junior ensued. Previous Next Content Chapter 15.2: Me and Her II Chapter 15.2: Me and Her II Whoa! Your first name is unbelievable! So cool! Ugh!?FWE I wondered when she had taken out my student ID card, and Hyuga was right next to me, her eyes swirling as she raised her voice. Return it to me, you idiot! When I attempted to catch her, she lightly dodged and slipped away. Your name is so striking that even the sparkling names of the day would be beaten by it. Can I call you by your first name from now on? No!! Absolutely not!! I gnashed my teeth while howling like a demon. Yeah, I was being serious. HuhEven though its so cool! Its not cool at all! People always say its not a good name! Its a name that doesnt do me any good! I hate it! I mean return that!! Oops! Hyuga was running away from my arms cheekily. As far as I knew, nobody was more talented at running away and having such sticky fingers than her. Unlike her appearance, she was always moving around for no reason at all. Yet, when satisfied, she would easily return it and apologize to me. So why did she steal from me to begin with? Heres your student ID card. Sorry, I took it without your permission. You do you do things like this to your friends too? No, I dont. If I did, they wouldnt like me. Dont say that so brazenly. You mean its okay for you to do stuff like this to me? You know, you get mad at me, saying youll beat me up all the time, but youll forgive me and despite all that, you never beat me up. HahTrantor: MadHatter You were totally messing around with me. While on the subject, Hyuga turned away and let out an ehehe sound. Youve got a lot of nerves messing with the upperssmen, you little sses-wearing prick, Im going to crush you. Youre so foul-mouthed and scary! In contrast to what Hyuga was saying, she didnt even feel that way. For some reason, Hyuga jumped up and down joyfully. From that day on, she started showing up in front of me like a phantom after club activities, when I skipped ss or was leaving school. It was most often when I was alone that she would pop up. At unpredictable times, she appeared from behind me, right next to me, or even out of the shrubbery the other day. Who the hell was this guy? What did she want, what did she want me to do, and what was so enjoyable about chasing me around? She was so cryptic to the level that I seriously couldnt grasp her. Despite the fact that she was a girl, she defiantly climbed the fence, pulled a caterpir from the wall and presented it to me, mimicked a gori, unexpectedly began dancing, delivered one-liners, and didnt even freak out at the sight of a cockroach; instead, she ran after it. Wasnt it normal people like her didnt exist? Ever since Hyuga came in contact with me, she repeatedly did this. Whenever I encountered her, I was swept along and ended up hanging out with her because of her strange conduct while I didnt have any intention of associating with her since I didnt want to get into trouble with her. On the exterior, she indeed had a more girlish appearance than those girls with their gaudy makeup. On the inside, though, she was nothing like a girl. And yet, she was not mannish either. She was an enigmatic creature. Acting liberally, she delighted in everything. Rather than flouting school regtions or getting into trouble, she diligently attended her lessons and achieved high academic standing. So to speak, she was an honor student. She was a tomboy at heart, nevertheless. Every time I saw her in a ss held in a different room or passing by during recess, she was always at the center of the ss with a clear voice that always went straight through. At times surrounded by arge number of girls, at times by a group of boys, at times by a couple of teachers, and at times by members of the same brass band club. Each time she shook her shoulders gleefully andughed dazzlingly. Though she was one grade below me, I knew her well enough to notice that. She would draw everyone around her and gather them together with her own distinctive ambiance. Her adept use of words and her intriguing and unpredictable behavior all drew people to her. And I supposed I was one of those people who was drawn to her. Hey, a person can mask their appearance, right? On the roof of the main building, I was conversing with Kinoshita and the others while drinking a banana auit. It was time for the open-ended art ss. Our assignment was andscape painting. Lacking motivation, we used to hang out on the rooftop with our canvases in hand and ditch ss. Ah, whats up, Masa? That guy.Not shared on aggregator sites Ahead of my line of sight was a pair of vigorous pony-tailed sses chasing a ser ball in the schoolyard right below us. The girls were chattering and clumping together and were aggressively pursuing the ball. Though the girls were more subdued and boisterous than the boys ser team. When Hyuga entered the game, the pace of y immediately shifted. Even those who were not so enthusiastic about the game somehow started to try to stop her from scoring, and the atmosphere became that of a ser game. She continued to kick the ball and avoid each opponent as they came at her, nevertheless, no matter how many yers wereing at her. That girl is impressive! What ss is she in!? Wow! Shes peerless!! Even Tanaka and Nishimura, who were at the back, turned their attention to Hyuga after hearing the apuse from below. She ran for the goal at a high rate of speed, leaving the four of us speechless and mouths wide while being transfixed. Her buddy received a pass from her that was aimed toward the goal, and thetter kicked the ball at a great height for the goal. The ball, however, was unable to get in the. Hyuga stepped in at that point and unleashed a spectacr header that might have contended with anything in the J-League. The ball went straight into the of the goal. From below, cheers and apuse surged up, apanied by the whistle. Jumping up and down, the girls surrounded Hyuga as she ran up to them, raising her hands in the air, looking pleased with herself regardless of her mildly misced spectacles or her slightly muddy hair. Shes interesting, isnt she? I think shes from the 4th ss, 2nd grade, in the brass band, her name is Hyuga. Ah! That rumored girl!? Wow! Even though she seems to be a mature girl! At Kinoshitasmentary, Tanaka and Nishimura simultaneously shouted out. You guys know her? Ive at least heard of her name. Yeah. She is a picture-perfect honor student with excellent sportsmanship, outstanding grades, and a wless interpersonal rtionship with her peers. Apparently, Hyuga was quite a celebrity in the entire schoolmunity. An honor student huh though a fairly entric one at that With a wry smile, I looked at Hyugas face. She had such a face, and yet she caught insects with her bare hands. I wondered if these guys knew that. Youre interested in her? Kinoshita took a sip of my banana auit. Hey, stop that. No, not really. Its just that she attracts a lot of attention even though she seems so quiet, you know I think that shes incredible. After saying that, I covered that mouth of mine. It was toote, though. Shut up! You guys are being too loud!! Haha! I mean! Masa! You said that shes incredible! That, that, that! You rarely say such things buahahahahahahaha!! Whats more! More than anything, shes not even interested in the girl!! Its gonna be incredible! Tomorrow its gonna rain spears! Spears arent going to descend, you idiot!! Once they started bursting out intoughter, no matter what I said, it wouldnt stop them. It was probably something I unconsciously uttered, which I deflected in an attempt to let it slide and pass over. Now, I was certain I meant those words. Incredible. I didnt often acknowledge other people, but Hyuga was incredible. Did I really think so Yeah, that was right. She stood in stark contrast to me, who was always on the watch for anything that mighte my way and made it difficult for others around me to be close to me, and Hyuga, who was outgoing and popr and embraced everything. The dexterous Hyuga who could handle everything without a hitch. Without conflicts, everyone adored her. She always seemed to be having a good time. Unlike me, who hid myself away in my shell, she waspletely different from me. She possessed a lot of things that Icked. A mass of fascination. Even if I tried to be normal, I would never be like that. Yet she went on living her life that way. She was inexplicable, not being swayed by others, nheless, she was on a straight line. I couldnt possibly imitate that. Perhaps that was why I genuinely thought she was incredible. Oh, no way. Masa. What? Nishimura put his arm around my neck and pulled me close. Could it be Youre in love with her? Huh!? Is it for real! Hey! Hakamada! Are you in love with her!? Masa!! Of course not!! Hey, dont hide it! Im not hiding anything! For real! With a girl one grade below you!? Eh!! Dont stir things up! Tanaka! Sekihan! Somebody make sekihan! Kinoshita! Do you want to get your dick thrown straight up in the air!! Idiot! Youre not suitable for her! Ill take her first! Then Ill let you have a taste! Hehehe!! You can jump down from the rooftop now, Nishimura! The underssmen below us spotted us and were staring up at the rooftop as we were making a lot of noise and getting into a mess. Oh, no. The gym teacher was sending us a stern re. Hold the canvas! The canvas! In a panic, I held up the canvas that I had left on the floor and made an appeal to show that I was working on it. It was a rather shameless lie. Ah At that moment, my eyes locked with Hyugas who was on the ground. She put her hand over her mouth and giggled softly. I signaled to her by waving the pencil I was holding in front of the idiots. Then Hyuga grinned and ran to the other side of the schoolyard. What was I doing? I pulled my pencil back and felt embarrassed. There was no particr need for me to do that. Fuu She easily disrupted even my obstinate pace. Hyuga was terrifying. But youd best hold off on pursuing that girl Kinoshita muttered as he watched Hyuga run away. Chapter 15.3: Me and Her III Chapter 15.3: Me and Her III That girl probably wont be anyones girlfriend. What? What do you mean? Well, that Hyuga, she has been repeatedly confessed to by seniors, juniors, and people in the same club but she rejects them all in a roundabout way. Heh. Shes so guarded, that makes her even more desirable. Stop it, you pervert. ording to her, I am not interested in romance at all because I am enjoying myself the most right now. Wow, that sounds like an insecticide! What a waste! Arent high school girls supposed to sparkle precisely because theyre in love? Hmm, in that case, those sses are to ward off guys! Without sses, she would undoubtedly be a diamond in the rough! Shut up, Nishimura. Well, I suppose there are such girls out there, though theyre rather strange. Youre going to be shot down if you rush in there in vain. Unfortunately Hakamada, we dont have to pick up your ashes. Hah? What do you mean by unfortunate? I certainly didnt get the impression that she was in love with me from her. I wondered why she was messing around with me. Oh, that was only for fun, right? I was conscious that she was having fun with me. I wasnt seriously interested in her either. I thought we were even. The rtionship between me and Hyuga was not wless. To put a name to the rtionship, it would probably be just senior and junior. We were not even friends, and our rtionship was unstable. It didnt matter to me when things ended. Wherever she disappeared from my life, I probably wouldnt go after her. I bet the same goes for Hyuga. She took pleasure in everything. Enjoyment abounded everywhere for her and I was certain that I alone was nothing to her. Perhaps she was ying around with other guys besides me, just like how she was messing around with me. When I thought of that, I nearly developed a distrust of Hyuga. But right before that, I snapped back to myself. What would I do if I let that distrust sprout? She was less than a friend, a mere acquaintance. It was absurd for me to harbor such feelings. I had nothing whatsoever to do with who she was talking with or who she was hanging out with. All I had to do was maintain a moderate distance from her so that I wouldnt bepletely carried away by the pace of the younger student, and so that I wouldnt get too close to her. Right. The rtionship between me and Hyuga was nothing more than a whimsical hanging out. Other than that, no contact whatsoever existed between us.
At lunch break. On the rooftop of the old school building. This was where I usually went when I wanted to be alone. A sign was ced here stating that it was off-limits or something but I didnt care about that. Thanks to the rusty lock, I could get in easily with a little fiddling. The teacher would probably scold me severely should they find me but nowhere else in the densely popted school was it quieter and more rxed than here. The rooftop of the main building was no good. Not only was it overflowing with people at noon, but at worst, couples would start flirting with each other without regard to the public eye It was indeed a very active time of the year. This rooftop, on the other hand, was better than that one since it was smaller and, aside from being slightly filthy, hardly anyone came here. For me, who would be stressed by a crowded ce, this was the ideal ce to be. Although no particr reason existed, I felt like grabbing a meal alone today, so I told Kinoshita and the others in advance and headed out on my own. Being alone and stumbling about was not unusual for me. I was haphazardly sprawled on the floor, stuffing a bento from a convenience store into my mouth. Right then, Hyuga popped up next to me unexpectedly. How long had she been there? I mean, was she a stalker? Despite my exaggerated astonishment, I didnt chase her away. Several months had passed since I had established this strange rtionship with Hyuga. I have gotten rather ustomed to dealing with this guy. Trying to chase her away would conversely draw her interest in me and would drain my energy, which was why assuming a calm demeanor as if nothing was wrong turned out to be advantageous in this instance. In response to such an attitude, Hyuga shrugged and grumbled, How boring. Hah, it was not boring for me to witness you making that kind of face. It made me feel like I had done you a favor. Why are you here? Just came to tease my senior a little. I pinched her cheek, which was as stic as a takoyaki. Udadadad! Its a lie! Its a lie, senior!! Youre full of lies! Damn you! I swear! When I released her, Hyuga made a pitiful face and pressed her cheeks together. Are you feeling like being alone right now? If so, I will leave you alone. Whatever go ahead and do whatever you want. Yay, I did it! Who the hell was she directing that at, her Yay, I did it. Recently it had urred to me that this guy, despite all her poking and prodding, showed great care and concern for me. I was positive that if I told her that I wanted to be alone right now, she would grin and say, See youter, and leave. She truly was a strange woman. Besides Youre a curious one, arent you? Yes, yes? You know,ing all the way out here just to mess with me. Every pupil at this school should be aware of the unnerving rumors about the old school buildings roof. Are you talking about the rumor about specters appearing? Right. Besides, everyone is too frightened to enter. The only people who arefortable entering this ce are me and those who want to challenge their courage. I snickered, Theres no such thing as specters. Ive heard all kinds of ounts about a woman in red standing there, a bloodied youngster sitting there, or some other enigmatic creature pursuing someone, and theres just so much going on that it seems sketchy and I dont believe it. I mean, Ive actually been in here and nothing happened, which is a letdown. Everybodys screaming like idiots and being dumb. Youre the kind of guy who doesnt say youre terrified of that sort of thing. When I said that, she turned around andughed. Yes, I dont find it frightening at all. Youre really strange, huh? Youre the same as well. Youre an inquisitive one, arent you, even though everyone else keeps away from here. I prefer peaceful environments and dislike interruptions. I see. But you should not go too close to the back. Why? Haha, no reason. Ignorance is bliss. What was she talking about? That was all I could think of at the time. The summer tournament ising up soon, isnt it? Before that, theres the school festival, damn it Yeah, the summer tournament was right around the corner but our school held a festival before the summer. For my part, I was too upied to waste my time on a school festival. If the ss was nning to decorate the ssrooms and corridors, I preferred to practice a bit for the tournament. This was myst year. Above friends, above studies, above everything else, I have given priority to this. It was my final baseball game in high school. Even if I didnt make it to the Koshien Stadium, I wouldnt care where my ce finished so long as I did it with no regrets. If I could pitch until the end that was all that mattered. Winning of course was essential, but still, I want to finish the game in good mood. Yeah, I was fine with that. High school baseball was the best. The advisor kept telling me that I should pitch in university as well, so naturally, that was my intention after graduating from high school and continuing on to university. But you could never turn back the hands of time. Rather than dwelling on the future of university, now was thest summer of high school. I thoroughly didnt give a thought to the school festival. This year too, the brass band will be there. Oh, that reminds me, you are in the brass band, right? My friend told me about it the other day. Yes! Thats why the brass band will be there to support you! Ill make sure to capture your sess with my own eyes! Hyuga retrieved a flute from the ck case slung over her shoulder as she spoke. Not really. I cant y an active role in the game. I have never even been to Koshien. Thats not true. You are the ace, arent you! Youre well-known for not giving up pitching, right? Hmm. Please do your best, senior. Ill be behind you! Hyuga stroked her well-maintained, polished flute and began to blow on it softly. She dexterously strung together the choruses of familiar cheering tunes and yed a medley of them for me to hear briefly. ying with deft fingers, she swayed her body with a flexible and spontaneous style, producing a clear and transparent sound. Her ck hair asionally fluttered in the wind and she yed without disying any indications of seriousness; instead, she wore a serene countenance that implied she was indeed enjoying the music from the bottom of her heart. It was hard to believe that such a Hyuga who was always ying around with such a yful and joking face could be like this. For some reason, I was drawn to her at that moment. Youre incredible, I said, in ce of apuse, when Hyuga took the flute out of her mouth. Not as good as you, Im not even close. No, youre good enough. Heh heh heh. You gave me apliment. Damn, I said something that sounded like I was getting worked up. But the sound of the flute is less noticeable than other instruments. It can barely be heard at all Hyuga put the flute back in its case, remarking regretfully. Oh, but the piece were ying at the uing school festival has a solo part, so itll stand out! Hehe, well be performing in the gymnasium, so if youd like toe and watch, please drop by. If I have time. Really!? Wow! Yay! Senior will be there! Im full of power!! No, like I said, if I only have time I noted hurriedly to Hyuga, who was hopping around the rooftop with the case in her hands. Good grief. I wondered why was this woman so overjoyed and why did I always go along with this bizarre junior. Even though I was a little amazed, I eventually allowed myself to be taken over by her due to her enthusiasm as her skirt fluttered.
If I have time. That was what I said but On the day of the festival, I left my post and came to listen to the brass bands performance. With a frankfurt sausage in my hand, I unfolded the paper airne that Hyuga must have ced in my shoe box the day before. Perhaps I came a little toote because there were only two songs left to be yed Ah, this one. Wasnt this the cheering song yed at the match? Looking around, I found the hall was dimly lit and cool with the audiences seats being neatly organized. On the stage illuminated by the lights, more than thirty members of the club were performing a cheering song for the match. The fast-paced rhythm had me wondering what the songs title was. I didnt sit down; instead, I leaned my back against the walls corner and listened to it. I slowly searched with my eyes for those mischievous spectacles. The third from the end of the second row there she was. With no makeup and red sses. The ck eyes beneath the sses were following the sheet music and ying the flute diligently. Nevertheless, the sound of the other instruments overpowered the sound of the flute she was ying, preventing it from prating to my ears. As she said, the loudest instruments in a cheerleading song would undoubtedly be more prominent. Even so, Hyuga was ying attentively, moving her fingers and producing tones. She slowly swayed her body, appearing to be having a great time while maintaining the air of seriousness I hadst seen on her face. Soon after the song finished, apuse erupted across the hall. With a microphone in his hand and a light voice, the student who was the emcee guided the ensemble into thest song. In contrast to the previous piece, the final piece began with a slow melody. Sounds of the instruments were joined and ovepped one after another in ordance with the conductors movements. Hyuga, who had been seated on a chair up until that point, rose up by herselfhalfway through the song, following the songs most uplifting chorus. Practically all of the other performers stopped ying their instruments and took their mouths off them as Hyuga stood up as a signal. Only the sound of Hyugas flute resonated distinctly throughout the gymnasium. The audience members and the pupils on stage all turned to gaze at Hyuga at once as the flutes soft tones began. Not even a hint of nervousness was apparent as Hyuga yed her flute, which until then had been obscured by the rest of the music, with an air of dignity. This must be her solo part. The seriousness of Hyuga, who usually only behaved in a joking manner, and the face of Hyuga that I did not know. She wasnt merely ying; she was one person out of so many, exposed to the gaze of so many, and showing no signs of fear of failure as if she was genuinely relishing her performance from the bottom of her heart. As I leaned forward slightly to watch, Hyugas flute shed momentarily. It didnt only shine once; a little while afterward, it did so twice or three times in session. Either she was deliberately reflecting the lighting or she was casually tilting the flute and making it glow. Then I noticed that Hyuga turned toward me and slightly rxed her mouth. What a dexterous maneuver she did. Apparently, Hyuga had already spotted me, as I had been watching from afar without even upying a seat. The flute reflected in the light and shone again. As if to say, I get it, I get it, I slowly waved my frankfurter skewer in the air like a conductor. The crowd gave Hyuga a brief round of apuse as she made a deep bow while standing before returning to her chair as the other performers picked up their instruments. Hyuga seemed to shine even more brilliantly than the other 30 or so performers, with a contented smile on her face and a glint in her eye, as she nced out over the audience. When the concert was over, the brass band was dispersing in droves. Arge number of girls were surrounding Hyuga. Embracing each other and high-fiving one another, Hyuga was all smiles. The advisor then approached and gave Hyuga a pat on the head. No doubt he wasplimenting her on how well she did in her solo part. The conclusion of the concert was heralded by a rousing round of apuse and cheers that dominated the whole gym. Hyuga!! Your solo part was so cool!! Thank you, senior!! Keep up the good work, iing director! Yes! But will I be able to fill the position of director? Dont worry, youll be fine. A tall male member of the club remarked. Hyuga put her hand over her mouth and shook her shoulder. The boys and girls alike congregated around Hyuga. They were attracted to her, tapping her on the shoulder and poking her. Hyuga responded yfully to them. While listening to the resoundingughter, I quietly left the gymnasium. I wanted to say something to her before leaving but it seemed that popr people were busier than I thought. Besides, I didnt want people to give me weird looks. Even Hyuga would be a bit ufortable with me approaching her right now. I put some coins in the vending machine behind the gym and hit the button for cocoa. Kinoshita and the others woulde looking for me soon. They said, Lets go around together, but their goal was to visit the haunted house, right? A joyful voice erupted from behind me as I inserted a straw into the cocoa carton that had fallen downwhile thinking so. Senior! Hyuga, who had before been surrounded by numerous people, was standing directly behind me when I turned around. Why are you here? You too, why were you leaving so soon? You came all the way here and left without saying a word, youre too blunt. Hyuga turned away from me with her mouth aggrieved slightly. Even if you said that, anyone could read the air in a situation like that. I mean, you were surrounded by the other members of the club, and you are very popr with them. If I barge in there, its clear what will happen, right? When I said that, Hyuga racked her brain and made a strange voice. Is it okay for you not to go back? Yes, I won the rock-paper-scissors game, so I am now in the unrestricted group. I see Good work. I offered her the cocoa that I had just stuck a straw into right in front of her. Hmm? What? Hyuga stared at me with a face as if seeing this for the first time. What do you mean Look, Ill give it to you. Nice job on the performance. Oh, rest assured, I havent even put my mouth on it yet. Are you sure? I said Ill give it to you. You dont like cocoa? Then have something else Thanks! As I was about to fumble with the coins in my pocket, Hyuga shook her head broadly and took the carton from my hand. Kaaah! Tastyyyyyyy! I live only for this! What are you, an old man after taking a bath? It was a remark without a shred of modestying from someone who had just received thunderous apuse for putting her hands on her hips and gulping down cocoa with gusto. I didnt understand the guys who approached Hyuga Thanks for the drink. You drank it all up in My best record is six seconds. Youll upset your stomach Yeah, I upset my stomach a couple of times. Oh, right Thank you, senior. Hey, its only 100 yen. Dont be so formal. Hyuga bowed deeply after neatly crushing the finished carton. And thank you foring. Oh I only listened to two songs. Even so, I was delighted that you saw my solo part and that you could see me performing. When you say it like that I feel sorry that I only listened to two songs. Pfft, no such thing thanks to you, I have no regrets now, I feel at ease What? Because this is thest time. Last? With Hyugas eyes closed and her face downcast, I put some more coins in the vending machine and pressed the button for the ck sesame milk drink. Youre trying to fabricate a lie. She shed me a vile smile as soon as I stated this. How dull. Youve developed a lot of tolerance toward me. Whose fault is it? I was hoping for a dramatic reaction like your first one. What!? The first one Dont dig up the unpleasant story, you idiot. Saying this, I bent at the waist to meet Hyugas gaze. You know, you should respect me as a senior a little bit, right? My face and Hyugas were reasonably close but it didnt mean particrly anything. There was no meaning to it but this was not good. Previous Next Content Chapter 15.4: Me and Her IV Chapter 15.4: Me and Her IV Ueahhhh!? Hey, Hakamada, what are you doing!? At an inopportune juncture, Kinoshita andpany showed up in a stream and witnessed me with Hyuga. Ah As I thought to myself, This is not good, I promptly returned to my bent-over position, but it was already toote. When Kinoshita, Nishimura, and Tanaka spotted me, their smiles were the broadest they had ever been. Ah, no, youre wrong. She There was no room for excuses. The three of them surrounded us with loosened expressions. What are you in such a hurry for! Just when I thought I had found you after searching for a long time, to think that you are here and, whats more huh!? This girl is that Hyuga! I knew Masa has the hots for her!! No way! Dont get worked up, Nishimura! I mean, you were all over her the other day, too! Furthermore, youre in such a panic that youre digging your own grave!! No point in trying to make excuses, Hakamada. Ah!?Notsharedonaggregatorsites Following Tanaka, who folded his arms and looked stunned, Kinoshita made a jaw-dropping remark. Yeah, yeah, I just saw you trying to kiss her. Hah!? A kiss!? My ears turned red when I uttered the word with my own mouth. No, no, you were wrong. That was 100% a misunderstanding. It was a misunderstanding, you idiot! You saw it wrong! Dont conceal it, dont conceal it. Of course, its embarrassing to be seen. The three of them were holding their sides withughter, and I kicked them in turn. Even if it looked that way, I had not the slightest intention of doing anything like that. I swear. I mean, why would I ever do that with Hyuga in the first ce Impossible, way too impossible! Poor thing, being spotted by someone with such a crooked personality. Dont you send a sympathetic look to Hyuga, Tanaka. And dont simplyugh at him and make a follow-upment, Hyuga. Dont you dare run off on your own! You riajuu! You pervert!! Youre the only one I dont want to be told off by! Your brain is in your lower half! Hey, hey, Hyuga, how long have you been with this idiot? I mean, to be honest, how far have things progressed? As usual, Nishimura only talked about dirty jokes, and I kicked him lightly in the crotch for the time being. Despite it being extremely troublesome, I gave an exnation to the three idiots in all earnestness, refusing to let the situation re up any more than it already had. I told them that there was no deep meaning behind me and Hyuga being together, nor was there any profound rtionship between us. They could make a bigdeal out of it, but even Hyuga would find it unpleasant to be told things about which she had no knowledge or involvement. While the guy next to me kept smiling the whole time, I was nheless a senior, and I couldnt just let this situation rage irresponsibly. Halfway through the conversation, I lost my temper but managed topose the three of them and bring the tension back to a level where a proper conversation could take ce. Well, ultimately, Kinoshita, who was the most understanding of the three, believed my story, apologized to Hyuga for stirring up trouble, and then neatly closed everything up. Hey, are you and Masa really not sleeping together? Youre not sleeping with him? Jesus, no matter how many times Hyuga was pestered after that, she would always reply with the same words. Even though I was saying the same thing as well, none of them seemed to be convinced except for Kinoshita. Then why are you guys hanging out? Thats what the rtionship is really about, isnt it? Dont assume that a man and a woman being together was equivalent to that kind of rtionship. Well, dont get so mad, Masa, I was a little surprised for sure, but I know youre not lying, you know? When Kinoshita said that, I thought he truly had a good grasp of me. Tanaka and Nishimura exchanged a disappointed look with me and Hyuga as if to say, Is that really so? Up until now, I hadnt thoroughly shared everything with them but even if I disclosed everything to them from the beginning, they would never be able to grasp our unstable rtionship. Not even I understood it clearly. What was clear to me was that Hyuga and I were not in a dating rtionship, that was all. Well, I supposed it looked like that from the other partys point of view about our rtionship. From now on, I would be careful Or rather what did I even mean by that? Well then!! If you havent done it, then this is fine, right!! What? About what!? Hey! What are you doing!! Holding a digital camera in one hand, Nishimura began to pull me and Hyuga closer together. Thats good! Lets take a picture tomemorate the asion! Ill take a photograph of you two!! Ahhhhh!? What are you saying!! Come on, Hyuga, get close to him! If you havent done it with her yet, its fine! At least take amemorative photo! Nishimura, youuuu! Hey, Tanaka, dont you help him too!! Well, I dont think Ill ever see a photo of you with a girl again. Its priceless. Its fine, Masa. Let him take a photo of you. Even you, Kinoshita! What are you going to do with a photo like that! For a memory? As I was screaming and the three of them wereughing, eventually onlookers gathered to see what was happening. What is that? Huh, thats Hakamada from the baseball team, isnt it? Thats the guy whos extremely scary to the senior girls but is that his girlfriend? He has a girlfriend!? Isnt that girl Hyuga! Huh, what, shes dating that guy? What, what!? What are they doing? From the outside, arbitrary voices could be heard. Youre wrong! Stop staring at me! Hyuga, who was getting into the spirit of mischief, clutched to my right arm as I howled at the onlookers. Please take a cute picture, she asked Nishimura, her face cool. Aye!Trantor: MadHatter What aye! Hyuga, dont stick to me either! We will really look like a couple, then! Its okay. I dont have any feelings for you. Is that something to be said with a broad smile on your face!? While I was whining, the camera sh was activated. I was the one with a tantly disapproving look on my face, and Hyuga had the greatest smile ever. The indescribable photo was saved in Nishimuras digital camera. When I looked back at it again, I couldnt help but wonder why it was such a big deal. Since this was the most uptight andplicatedmoment of my high school days, it seemedreasonable that I couldnt handle being scrutinized by so many people for no reason and having the public shout at me whenever they pleased. Whatever I had to say now, this was simply a reconfirmation of my memory and nothing could be done about it. After the photo was taken, I was in a rather bad mood and tried to separate from Hyuga but Kinoshita and the others were very fond of Hyuga and wanted to force her and me together. Even Hyuga decided to tag along with them. Because of how the other students reacted, I was opposed to the idea, and Hyuga surprised me by being reluctant to join the senior members. Regardless, the three of them persisted, and in the end, Hyuga agreed to apany us. To avoid attracting too much attention, I strode forward a bit away from them, but it was meaningless, as most of the students were staring at us, struck by the unusual sight of the baseball teams most uptight pitcher and a popr honor student in the same group. Hyuga, being Hyuga, was having fun, getting yakisoba and ice cream from Kinoshita and the others, and enjoying herself as any other girl would. She would asionally catch up with me as I walked ahead and called out to me, nevertheless. Though I responded with mostly indifferent replies. Hyuga was walking behind me while sporting a smile. I didnt even make eye contact with her, even though she was looking at me. All the while Hyuga was smiling, but I bet she felt bad at this moment because I had been talking to her normally, but now my attitude had changed as if I was a different person Chapter 15.5: Me and Her V Chapter 15.5: Me and Her V Thank you very much for ying with me. I had a great time. Afterward, we went around the school and the school festival was over smoothly. With all the visitors sent off one after another, the school was in a hurry to get things cleaned up, and the objects and decorations were promptly removed. We should hurry back and clean up as well, otherwise we will be red at by the executivemittee members. With that in mind, I shifted away from the wall I was leaning against and started walking down the corridor of the underssmens floor, when a piercing scream erupted from the adjacent ssroom. Not only did we turn around startled, but the majority of the students who were there cleaning up looked in the direction of the ssroom where the scream had been emitted. Shortly after that Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Several female students burst out of the ssroom as if they were tumbling. The girls threw themselves into the hallway and crouched down one after another on the spot, shrieking. Some of them were breathing heavily like hyperventting, others were bursting into tears. It was evident that their state was out of the ordinary and these girls came out of 1-2 ssroom. Judging by the spooky decorations on the walls and doors and the eerie mannequins propped up, it was immediately apparent that a haunted house had been chosen as the ss event. The ssroom door and transom were covered by a ckout curtain that had not yet been taken down, so it was impractical for us to observe what was unfolding inside. The distraught look on the faces of several female students who emerged from the room revealed to everyone present that this was no ordinary matter. Screams pervaded the corridor. Within a couple of minutes, a mass of people had congregated. The upperssmen gathered around and tried to ascertain what was going on from the wailing girls, to which they responded with a shaking of the head in disarray and shrieks of disbelief. Hey, whats going on? Isnt this bad Nishimura and Tanaka exchanged nces. Ill go get the teacher. Saying calmly, Kinoshita ran through the crowd to the teachers office. In the meantime, a few of the boys approached the ssroom at hand and fearfully tried to get in with their hands on the door but Hey it wont open. What? No way, right? Is it locked from the inside? Behind and in front. Even though he shook, kicked, and pulled the door violently, the door didnt seem to be affected. When one of them hurled a call to the shivering girls in the corner of the hallway, an incredulous voice soared up from one of them, I didnt lock the door! I didnt do anything! The lock nothing!! That was right, the lock was made inessible from insidest year to prevent students from ying tricks on it. That was why unless they used the key in the staff room I wondered how many of these students thought the situation was preposterous. Even I thought so. I had no clue what was transpiring. However, something out of the ordinary was taking ce right here, right now. Is someone blocking the door, hey! Enough! A hell of a racket is breaking loose outside! Stop fooling around and get out here!! The captain of the Judo club from my year banged on the door and shouted at the top of his lungs. Even so, no answer came from inside, nor did anyonee out. Nothing was heard. Whats this Whats all this about? The cleanup was being carried out in a rtively lively atmosphere, as if enjoying the aftermath of the school festival, yet the unexpected turn of events drastically shattered the atmosphere. Most students wore a stern expression on their faces. Suspicious person? No way? Hey, this is bad, this is totally bad. Could it be that thing? What?Trantor: MadHatter Did it juste out? What you mean The real thing You know, that famous story Doing this will attract them, that story? Yeah, thats right. The specter!? Really!?NotSharedOnAggregatorSite With that single word that was uttered by someone, the ce was awash in a stir, and the air was tinged with a strange atmosphere. Anxiety was reced by fear of the unknown. And the speed with which it infected the whole ce was phenomenal. Theres no way such things exist! There might be! Its out there! The real one!! They must have called it in! They provoked their anger!! Something like that is unbelievable. Ive heard that this kind of thing pisses off the specters. Idiot! Anyway, call the teacher!! Inconsistent conversations were flying in and out. Girls were terrified with their faces scrunched up in fear, boys raised their voices at the mention of it, students dismissed the topic as absurd and left the ce, newly arrived students joined the crowd after hearing themotion, others took videos with their cell phones, and some looked happy to witness the upset people for some unknown reason. All kinds of people were present, and everybody was spewing whatever they wanted to say despite none of them even being aware of what was going on. Words that werent certain were spouted, inciting one another. The atmosphere was not right. Clearly, this was heading in the direction of turmoil. I was observing the situation dispassionately. What specter? Unbelievable. In my mind, I was mocking those who lost their cool and made a fuss over the unforeseen situation. Nheless That feeling was blown away when I noticed Hyuga, standing next to me with her mouth sealed, the only one who was quietly staring at the ssroom, not letting out a scream or a cry of anxiety. It was as though she was all alone in a separate ce from here. She was even moreposed than I was. Nobody was fooling around, nor did they seem to be amused or thrilled by the circumstance. Out of all of them, only Hyuga saw things differently. Right as I felt that, she stepped forward. With a smooth, flowing hand, she removed her red sses. Her lustrous ck hair swayed, and Hyuga pressed the taken-off sses against my hand. Senior, please hold this for me. You, what are youBefore I could say anything, Hyuga slipped into the crowd and advanced. Hyuga, hey, where are you going Without saying a word, Hyuga continued on her way unhesitantly. Atst, she reached directly in front of the ssroom door. All eyes were on Hyuga as she walked up to the ssroom door alone. Like a performer in front of a conductor, the air that had been abuzz instantly fell into silence. When Hyuga ced her hand on the door, which had been reportedly locked up until then, it slid open with a light thud. Im going to have a quick look inside, so please dont have anyonee in for a while. Turning around, Hyuga told the assembled group and stepped into the ssroom in question. No one objected to her words, nor did anyone else follow her lead, with her sses off and a frighteningly nonchnt demeanor. Except me. Oh, wait! At this stage, I was positive that most of us were slightly terrified, for it was eerily dark across the ssroom, and we were oblivious to what was going on, and there were probably no boys who had as much guts as Hyuga. Had there been, they would have immediately entered the open door, as if to say, Im brave. I should have been slightly perturbed, too, though I couldnt simply let a junior student, who had entrusted me with her sses, charge straight into a ssroom where anything could have urred. Before the door was closed again, I followed Hyuga and slipped into the ssroom. A pitch-dark ssroom. I wondered if it was the air conditioning that was giving me the chilly feeling. With that thought in mind, I groped for the light button near the door to turn on the lights, only to find that no matter how many times I pressed it, the lights would not turn on, keeping the ssroom pitch-ck. Was it broken? Nothing could be seen without light. I tried to put my hand on the door. What! It wouldnt open. The door was locked. The lock was not supposed to be Moreover, I could hardly hear any sound from outside, perhaps it was my imagination Despite having already undergone a strange experience at this time, I couldnt immediately link it to a bizarre phenomenon, which I found odd, but I decided to walk on while calling out to Hyuga, who had entered before me. Hyuga! In the maze-like ssroom, which was covered with ckout curtains attached here and there, a radio-cassette yer or some such device was ying a creepy background music. It sounded like a woman moaning. It was indeed a nice staging As I was walking along, something bumped into my foot. I used my cell phone light to illuminate my foot and took a closer look. Eek It was not a human head. That was the head of a mannequin. That freaked me out Give me a break When I illuminated the end of the head with the light oi, oi. I was so dumbstruck that my mouth unintentionally dropped open. A number of mannequin heads suspended by strings from the ceiling. French dolls with their eyes peeled back, smeared with red paint, that I didnt understand how they had been prepared. On the wall, several straw dolls that gave a sense of realism. All of them had nails stuck into their chests or heads. And yet, despite the ult overload, the ssroom did not seem to be riddled with anything dangerous. It was a half-baked haunted house to clean up after. I didnt think it was possible but those freshmen were so spooked by the traps they set themselves that they fled That was possible In any case, the mannequins and dolls thatnded on the floor at some point probably triggered a freak-out and led to a panic. The more I pondered it, the more I began to suspect that it might have been that. Even though the objects were merely falling, they may have been convinced that it was a poltergeist or a psychic phenomenon. I thought that if I went outside and asked those first-year students again, everything would be solved. With that decision made, I was about to leave the ssroom with Hyuga. Then This time, instead of background music, a sobbing voice could be heard nearby. Im sorry Im sorry Im sorry When I moved to the other side of the curtain, I found a female student trembling and repeating the same words over and over, right next to me. Why was she so frightened, ttering her teeth and clutching her head? Furthermore, another student was lying unconscious on the floor near the girl. What was this? Hey, whats I crouched down and tried to ask the girl what was going on, but she didnt respond to my words at all. Not good. Something else. Anything else that might shed some light on the situation? Save me As I was shifting the light, a pure white face was reflected. I let out a brief yelp. That was after all surprising. I mean, it happened out of nowhere My heart rate spiked and my face started to heat up. Save me cant move If I looked closely, the white face illuminated by the light was that of a first-year student wearing our school uniform. Her face was stiff, tears streaming from her wide-open eyes. She was seeking help from us. For some reason, she was seated on an old folding chair with her arms hanging out. Unmoving, she looked at me and squeezed out a few words like a rusty machine. The creepiness of it all was like a real apparition. It was so overwhelming that goosebumps spread all over my body. Despite not understanding what was going on, I tried to get closer to her, who was looking so horrified. Senior, you cant. A strong force gripped my arm at once. Ugh!? I pointed my cell phone in that direction and saw that it was Hyuga. You, what are you doing in a ce like this? Hyuga, who had unexpectedly shown up and seemed much steadier than I was, let go of my arm and walked forward. Then, stiffening, she stepped toward the female student who was pleading for help, kneeled on the floor, and took the girls hand in hers. Its okay Just slow down, take your time, can you take a deep breath? Sniffling sounds. With tears spilling down her face, she nodded and frantically struggled to breathe as she was told to do. Yeah, yeah, thats good. Hyuh, hyuh hyuh Putting her other hand behind her back, Hyuga slowly patted her spoke to her in a consoling manner. Then her ck arms began to tremble slightly, and her open hands formed a fist and clenched tightly. At that instant, the female students face was dyed with fear, and at the same time, the ssroom window made an unnatural sound. Uh sca red scared! Dont worry, Ill handle itLeave it to me. When the girl turned away with her eyes closed, Hyuga responded with a smile and drew her body closer. Its about time for you to release her, she muttered to herself. Previous Next Content Chapter 15.6: Me and Her VI Chapter 15.6: Me and Her VI Dont get mad anymore, lets just forgive them, okay Everyone wasnt ridiculing you. Yeah I know how you feel, but the festival is over. You should return too. I will bring you back. No good? Cant you? So what should be done? .No, thats not good. Hyuga spoke to the female student next to her as if she were conversing with someone else, periodically cocking her head to indicate that something bothered her before growling. Yeah I know, its unpleasant. But its enough everyone is gathering outside, I swear. It will be difficult to leave at this rate. Hyuga continued rubbing her back. The fists that were being clenched by the female student gradually loosened. Yeah, is that fine then? Okay, Ill burn it all I promise. While saying this, she turned her head diagonally above the female student and nodded repeatedly. I could feel the temperature in the ssroom shiftI could feel it on my skin. Lights shed all over the ssroom in fleeting seconds as the female students loosened fists were fully released. The bizarre chilly feeling was no longer palpable. Even the window panes, which had been rattling furiously, ceased to make noises, followed by the door being violently thrown open. Are you okay!? Several teachers came in and surrounded us. Whats wrong? When asked over and over again, it was somewhat, no, considerablyplicated to exin what had taken ce, and words were trapped in the back of my throat. Because, in reality, even I didnt understand what had transpired. In the vicinity of the ssroom, the whole area was flooded with onlookers who were leaning forward, all staring in our direction. It looks like she just felt a little sick. The teachers crowded me and, to my consternation, offered a helping hand to the one person who had single-handedly resolved a ludicrous situation that was beyond exnation. While supporting a first-year student who had copsed from her chair and gone limp, Hyuga began to persuade the teachers to help us. The acts Hyuga herself had taken and everything I had witnessed were concealed behind the veil and they were all done in a very convincing way. She deceived them. The teachers unquestioningly took the honor student Hyugas word for it, and finally the situation subsided after several of them were brought to the infirmary for health conditions caused by excessive use of air-conditioning. The majority of the pupils clearly did not share the teachers conviction, as they went to Hyuga to question her about what she had seen inside and what had been done to her. For a while, questions persistently bombarded her. Hyuga, on the other hand, was not in the least bit interested in sharing anything and replied in the same manner as she did with the teachers. By the time the cleanup was thoroughly finished, several first-year students in the ssroom where the incident had arisen expressed their thanks to her countless times. With tears streaming down their faces, the freshmen apologized and thanked Hyuga, who told them not to worry and patted them on the head, all of whom had bright red eyes. Thank you, senior. Um. What is going to happen to us after this? Dont worry, it will be fine. I am dTrantor: MadHatter Ugh that was horrifying I still cant believe it. I know you were shocked, but I dont think anything wille of it, so you can rx and forget about it. Ugh yes. Oh, thats right, you should burn all the straw dolls you used. You can throw them in the schools incinerator. With this final message, Hyuga left. Hey, what was that thing you just did? Decorations, sets and everything else had been cleared away, desks were arranged in the usual order, and the ssrooms were vacant and deserted. The after-party festival had started, and from the gymnasium, strange noises, cheers, and ridiculously loud singingwhich was not especially impressivewere echoing from the gymnasium. Whereas the other side of the building was bustling with activity, the main building was so silent that it seemed as though the ce had been packed with people until a few hours ago was false. Left alone in the dimly lit ssroom of her own ss, I found Hyuga seated by the window, gazing out. The whole thing was really bugging me so I went to ask her about it. Hyuga answered, I was trying to persuade a girl, while holding her chin in her palm and gazing at the smoke rising from the incinerator at the back of the old school building. Well, you certainly looked like you were trying to persuade her of something But what you did and had shown in front of me was far more mysterious than that. Please exin it to me more inly. Hyuga eventually turned to face me as I pleaded, tilted her head slightly, and remained silent for a brief period. What was with that subtle expression? With her legs swinging around like a small child, I could tell she was at a loss for what to say. What?NotSharedOnAggregatorSite If I told you, you would probablyugh at me. Youre alwaysughing at me. But I wontugh. Myugh tolerance isnt as low as theirs. If you dont want to tell me, I wont force you. Then Ill tell you. What!! This school has always been inhabited by a girl whos so tall she almost reaches the ceiling. Hey. Wait, wait, wait, ceiling!? She resides here!? I didntugh, however, the subject suddenly veered off in an astonishing direction. Without responding to my words, Hyuga continued her story. Her hair goes down to her knees and her appearance is frightening, but if you talk to her, shes normal Ive seen her frequently throughout the year. Such a guy would undoubtedly catch peoples attention, but unfortunately, I have never encountered such a telephone pole woman even once. My expression remained stiff as I regarded Hyuga, who was speaking nonchntly about something so bizarre that I struggled to understand where this wasing from. It was a student from decades ago. But she said she was bullied by people around her for being creepy or that she might curse people They always wrote nasty words on the ckboard, locked her in the toilet They put white clothing, spikes, and straw dolls on her desk She was driven into a corner by the bullies. Before entering the second year, she hanged herself in the ssroom. Thats why her neck is crooked. Hyugas eyes were so intent that they sent a jolt of fear down my spine. I wondered when the topic had shifted to a ghost story, but apparently it hadnt. The first-year students of that ssroom used straw dolls as ornaments for the haunted house without being aware of it. That made her furious because she assumed that she was being treated like a fool All I did was inform her that it wasnt true and persuaded her that many people are oblivious to such spaces, but they gather together quite easily. Um, that girl is Shes already dead. What When I was in junior high school, I started to see those things normally Its a little harder to see them when I wear sses, though. She momentarily removed her spectacles before putting them back on. Hyuga gave an awkward smile. Sorry for the crazy talk. I guess youre a little put off, right? I can tell, she added. Hyuga rose from the chair. I know you hate this kind of talk. I hear rumors about that often. I dont deny it but You cant believe what you cant see, isnt that right? Im sorry, I wont bring this kind of thing up again in front of you. Admittedly, I was a little taken aback at being told something like this out of the blue. I was in no state of mind to say anything right away. While it was true that something strange had unfolded at that time, the revtion that a specter was involved didnt make sense to me. After all, I had always believed that specters were something in the imagination of people who were afraid of them Nevertheless, Hyuga didnt have her usual sillyugh; instead, she had a serious expression on her face. It didnt strike me that she was faking it. And yet, the stubborn conventional wisdom that I had clung to in the past hindered me from trying to believe Hyuga. My bad I cant believe it when you say it like that out of nowhere. Its okay, I didnt say that because I wanted you to believe me. In fact, that kind of response is more reassuring and is more like you. Whats with that? For once, if I had taken Hyugas words to heart and believed them You are always straight and unwavering, and thats good. I envy you, the way you are so straightforward with yourself I bet I never saw her with a forlorn smile on her face like this. Youre the one whos straightforward. I am looking at other peoples faces and worrying about all the things going on around me, and I cant always be true to myself when I look at you, sometimes I think I want to be you. I kept blinking as I felt like I had heard something extremely unexpected. After all, she was someone with aid-back lifestyle. I mean she wanted to be me? Was that a lie? Is that true? Hey from which part to which part? Well, I wonder which part was true or false? With a light clink of her indoor shoes, she skipped and slipped next to me. Oh, the festival is over in the blink of an eye, isnt it? I feel refreshed. Thats right, the next event is the long-awaited summer tournament, isnt it? Dont make any funny gestures when Im on the field, like waving at me. Oh, and dont let your instrument shine in the audience like you did today! Oh, thats a nice idea. Dont do that. Absolutely not. Since the main building was mostly empty, we walked around the school proudly for the first time that day, side by side. Hyuga, as if having forgotten the look on her face earlier, walked unsteadily by my side in her usual fashion, while I asionally poked her with my elbow as we moved along. I believe in you. I believe you can make it to the Koshien. Even if you dont tell me, Im going to give it my all and win. You too, dont remove your instrument just because it drowns in the other instruments. Yes! Our rtionship was unstable, yet I didnt dislike this indescribable rtionship. The not-too-long walk to the gymnasium, the darkened and quiet hallway, and the shadows that had stretched out. The reason why I slowed down the speed at which Hyuga walked with me was that I wanted to be with her just a little bit longer. I had assumed that after the festival, after the summer tournament, and after I retired, our rtionship wouldst for years toe. I had no doubt that it would, and I was smiling next to Hyuga with a face that I never showed to Kinoshita and the others. Chapter 15.7: Me and Her VII Chapter 15.7: Me and Her VII After that From then on The summer that had merely begun, thest summer of my high school baseball game, ended in a sh, with no time for tears to be shed. The preliminary round of the national tournament. The result: eliminated in the first round. We were outyed by a huge margin and literally crushed. Even looking back at past records, a performance like this was unprecedented. The match was that horrendous. The coach, the manager, the guys on the bench, the teammates even the spectators, everyone was fixated on the scoreboard as if they were viewing a hopeless spectacle. It was over in an all too terribly short duration The summer that had finally begun, thest summer, in just one, single match I clenched my fists until they bled as I watched. From the bench, far away from the pitcher mound, where the rain hammered down and my teammates shouted and wiped away tears I never expected to finish the match in this ce. It wasnt supposed to end. It wasnt like I underestimated the other school. I knew it was either victory or defeat. Even so, I had confidence that it would not be over. A strong feeling was present in me that it would not end. And yet On the scoreboard, drenched in rain, our teamsplete defeat was inscribed. It served as a reminder that we had lost. We had lost. Right, we had lost. Without giving it my all I didnt want to lose, I had to win, before I could even struggle for that The reason why the team lost was self-evident to everyone. The team was not in sync with each other. Or that we were swallowed up by the momentum of our opponents. The cause of the loss was nothing like that. Rather, the root of our downfall was none other than me. Because it was meTrantor: MadHatter I, the pitcher who held the opposing team in check, sustained a dislocated right shoulder when I was hit by a ball hit back by the opposing team in the middle of the game. Unable to evade the ball, which flew at a terrific speed, I tumbled mboyantly as it was. The match was suspended at once. Carried to the bench by my friends, who had turned pale, I was treated by the first-aid team, and icing was applied. I did not return to the pitcher mound again after that. Enduring a dull ache that made me break out in perspiration, I pleaded time and time again to be allowed to pitch again, only to have the manager and the first-aid crew shake their heads. I was told in brutal words that I could no longer pitch in this match with that shoulder. And so I was reced by a junior who was one year younger than me. For the junior who had be so stiff under the responsibility of the unexpected situation to stand in the spot that I had virtually dominated, it was inconceivable that he would be able to exert himself to his utmost proficiency. Tension and anxiety made my teammates sluggish, and mistakes that would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances began to gue one after another, leading the team as a whole to fall apart in the blink of an eye. Even after the spectators departed in the midst of the match, even after they gave out a sigh of resignation, the junior yer who substituted me and my teammates continued to struggle until the very end. Before it was over, some of them were running with tears in their eyes. Even the manager and the substitute yer brought their voices to the ground to the end of the game, crying. Unity, I didnt want to use that word to encapste it nicely but everyone was striving to achieve their ultimate goal. Only I, nevertheless, could not raise my voice or utter a word until the very end, and while everyone else was shedding tears, I was the only one who was downcast and gnashing my teeth. While some of them cared for me and argued that it was not my fault, others were so irate that they insisted it was. Regardless of what was said, this was a fact that could not be altered. Because of me, and me alone, the summer of this entire team drew to a close. By the time I came to my senses, I was here again. I was gripping the railing on the roof of the rusty old school building, leaning forward and gazing down. Nothing was going through my head; it was pure white, or perhaps it was pitch ck. I thought to myself, I must have looked the most awful I had ever gotten in my life at that moment. Several weeks have passed since the disappointing and crushing defeat Since then, various things had arisen and I was utterly devastated. In the end, I didnt attend the third year retirement party, nor did I participate in the remaining summer practices, and mostly neglected the e-mails sent by my teammates and Kinoshita andpany. My days were spent in lethargy. My shoulder fracture wasnt all that severe. The other day, despite the coachs encouraging me to continue ying in college, I declined the idea. To put it tly, it didnt matter to me anymore. It wasnt all that simple for me to dere, Okay, lets make a change and work hard at university, given how things had ended out. I couldnt easily get into the mindset like that. It wasnt that I hated baseball. The only issue was that I had caved in to despair. Not for anyone, not under anyonespulsion, but what I had done for myself the only thing I could be confident in, the only thing I liked and loved to do. It was myst chance, therefore I was going to give it everything I had so that I wouldnt have any regrets. But then, the way it ended in such a cruel way Forgiving myself was out of the question. Of course I felt terrible for my friends, juniors, and those who supported me. But over and above that, I couldnt forgive myself for finishing in such a position. No matter what I said, it would sound like I was being defensive, so I couldnt text back or let anyone catch me in tears. Though I wasnt overconfident, I was proud of myself that pitching was the greatest thing I could do. Being unable to even pitch, I was the one who dragged the team to defeat I had indeed fallen into a helpless state, I thought. No encouragement or constion could reach me at this stage. Whatever I did, the muddy feeling that was brewing in my heart couldnt be swept away. Not wanting to be bothered by anyone, I spent the remainder of the summer break hanging over the railing of the old school buildings open roof, idling until I was released of my emotions. I was told things like, Its amon urrence to lose because of injuries, or It wasnt your fault, it was ack of effort on everyones part, so cheer up. Many conventional words were offered to me but not a single one of them struck a chord with me. They may have been thoughtful but I didnt possess the willpower to rise immediately. Without a thought of what my next step would be or how I would recover, all I wished was to be buried in the muck of my own heart, alone and without anybody to care about or rte to me. You are here again, senior. HyugaNotSharedOnAggregatorSite I hadnt met her properly since the school festival. What are you doing here? From the music room, I can see the roof of the old school building. Youre always here these days, arent you? Everyone was afraid that you were being haunted because you just stood there and did nothing. Hah Is that so? If they mistook me for a specter, I couldnt reallyin since I was so lethargic over everything right now. With my back against the railing, I turned to face Hyuga. She looked at me with the same expression as usual, neither worried nor distressed. When I didnt make anyment, she extended her hand toward me and remarked, Lets go, senior. Why dont we go downstairs and have something cold to drink since its so hot here? Perhaps she was trying not to touch on the subject but I was not pleased with her concern. I declined her invitation bluntly. If you want to go, do it alone leave me alone. Huh, senior, youre a jerk, lets go, youll get sunstroke if you stay here. I said no let me be alone. If this were the usual Hyuga would be, I see! I understand! She would have said something like that and walked away. On this particr day, though, she stayed right where she was and persistently bothered me. Hey, senior. Shut up, I told you that I want to be left alone. Even though I tried to dismiss her in a roundabout way, she would not leave, and I grew increasingly exasperated. Even so, Hyuga was not daunted. Youre not acting like your usual self. The words she spat out made me re at her. What the hell Are you nning on doing that forever? Hyuga approached me with a faint smile stered on her face. Even if you stay there, nothing will change. I know what I say may be futile right now, but please look forward, not backward. What are you talking about? Thats more like you. Looking backward is not like you at all I cant bear to look at you like that. What do you mean by like me? What do you even understand? Needless to say, I didnt think it would be good to wallow in regrets over the past indefinitely. Hyugas words were not erroneous. For the past few weeks, I have been in this state, refusing to ept anyones words, dwelling on those moments that I could never return to no matter how much I regretted them, and getting furious with myself for not having been able to aplish anything. The cycle repeated itself. Thinking back on the fact that nothing has changed, I fell into despair, and this might not be any different from a child whining. What I was doing was nothing more than meaningless naivete. In the corner of my mind, I was aware of this, however, it was precisely because I had thrown everything away and worked so hard to attain what I wanted that I couldnt be easily convinced, nor could I see things from a rational point of view That was me, that was all I had. That obstinacy wouldnt let me mature. What the hell do you understand! Someone like you someone like you who doesnt know anything! Dont you dareugh at me!! I couldnt swallow or even ept Hyugas words. I thought she had denied me everything I was now. The rage that had umted in me and had be uncontroble exploded. For the first time, I yelled at Hyuga. Hyugas shoulders shook momentarily. Her exposed fear and shock toward me likely surfaced at that very moment. Even after realizing this, I still couldnt contain my unleashed anger. Right I withdrew from the match in the bottom of the third inning and was on the bench until the end of the game, making a big spectacle of myself, disappointing my teammates, and losing my confidence and everything, so now Im just aughing stock, right? Having lost control of myself, I released the ck emotions that swirled in the back of my chest for a long time to the junior who stood there, petrified, a year younger than me. Youre condescending to me by talking to me like that huh. Or what? Are you trying to act like a good guy by pretending to cheer me up? Hey. I lifted up my mouth as if I was looking at a hypocrite. Never once have I cast such words at Hyuga. Not even once did I think of doing so. My words were relentless in session while noticing that Hyugas eyes were turning darker and darker I bet youre reallyughing your ass off inside, right? After all, I was the one who talked so highly of myself, lost just one match, and kept looking back on the past!! Honor students, you know, are excellent because they can do so many things and are extremely popr. Youve never suffered any hardships in your life, have you? Thats why you can say things like that. Because you have never really been through any suffering. You can easily tell someone who cant look ahead to face the future. As if I can turn around even if you have a lot of those things, thats all I had! The emotions that were swelling up in me wouldnt relent. Dont you dare spout off light words while goofing off! Hearing you talk like that doesnt make me happy! Even I felt as if I wasnt myself. Even though this was evidently a one-sided outburst of anger, I couldnt stop. Combined with the doubts I had been harboring about the reason why Hyuga was hanging around me, my outburst of emotions elerated even further. What is it about you, anyway? Youve been secretly ying around in the shadows with a few dull guys like me, havent you? You enjoy taking on and recing various guys and making fun of them, dont you? Stop it. Is it so amusing to spread lies like that and see how people react? What you said before, was that a lie too? Did you try to put me in a good mood with those lies? She was so elusive that I couldnt discern her surface or underneath. She might be ying me for a fool, and my true feelings, which I had never expressed, were transformed into ferocious words. From the first time I met you, youve always lied to me. I cant read your true feelings at all, or perhaps you never had any true feelings at all There was a time when I thought you might be a nice person, but after all, I cant believe in you Stop it You never tell me the truth you always dodge the subject, always joke around how do I know which parts of you can be trusted? Stop dont say any further That story the other day was another lie, wasnt it? Hyuga, who had been standing still until then, looked up and, in a trembling voice, spoke for the first time there in denial. Youre wrong. Then prove to me that specters really exist. Thats You cant, huh, because its a lie anyway. Dont say it. Stop it Youre no better than those people, you know. Talking about things that never happened, as if youve experienced them, and confusing those around you Senior. Youre a popr guy, of course people will believe you when you talk about it, even if its not true. No, senior, listen to me Enough of your crap. I dont want to hear any more of your lies. Listen I said thats enough Her eyes widened and her mouth opened broader than ever before. Listen to me, senior!! Previous Next Content Chapter 15.8: Me and Her VIII Chapter 15.8: Me and Her VIII The eardrum-numbing scream likely pierced all the way to the ground. This was the only time ever that I had ever caught sight of such a look on Hyugas face. Her sses were out of alignment and her breath was erratic. Even I had been yelling a lot, but not as much as Hyuga. I was struck speechless this time, and Hyuga grabbed my arm and seized it frantically with a frustrated expression. The force was so intense that I didnt think it wasing from a girl, and her slender fingers dug into my skin. I cant put it into words well but this isnt a lie!! What!?Trantor: MadHatter I can see it, senior!! That hurts, you! Whether you believe me or not is fine, but senior is Before she could say anything else, I jerked Hyugas arm away from me. In recoil, Hyuga staggered away from me. Her red-rimmed sses fell off with a light clink. And then, I let loose one of the worst words I could ever say to Hyuga. I dont understand I couldnt help but wish that I had held my tongue. ButNotSharedOnAggregatorSite Dont make me go along with your nauseating fantasies!! Those were the worst words I could have said in a moment of excessive bloodlust. Words could not be taken back. Once spoken, that was the end of it. To Hyuga, those words may have been a crippling blow, irrespective of how much I may have lost my mind in anger or how heartless the words were. She was motionless as if she had been struck by a bullet, not picking up her sses, only looking at me with her eyes and remaining silent for a while. At the same time as I said it, I felt as if I had been liberated from something and finally caught on to the harshness of the words I had uttered a few seconds before, and held my breath. Sor I opened my mouth again to say something, but Hyuga picked up her sses, took a step away from me, and dered with a broad smile, I hate you, senior. You are a piece of crap. Hyugas parting shot was apanied by a small teardrop on her cheek. Hah, is that so What a coincidenceI share the same feeling toward you. With a nk expression on my face, I walked past Hyuga. This was the end. I realized at this point that there was nothing more I could say. So I left the rooftop with those words. I paused momentarily at the bottom of the stairs as Hyugas muffled sobs lingered on the rooftop after I descended but I did not go back. It wasnt that Icked the courage to apologize. I ran away out of disgust with my irredeemable self, who had ruined everything in a moment of emotional distress. This was thest time I shared a conversation with Hyuga. A couple of daysteron a rainy day after the summer break, Hyuga jumped off the rooftop where we had parted in a fight. She died.
Hah Ugh! Waking up, I sobbed violently as Iy there, ovee by the sensation of my gastric juices regurgitating. Right away, Takenaka poured a ss of Pocari, handed it to me, and patted my back. Do you want to go to the bathroom? No Sweat dripped from my bangs as I shook my head feebly. Hah Memories that had been sealed deep within flooded back and became clear again what kind of a person Hyuga was, and how I regarded her. Hah hah hah One more thing became clear. I became certain of it. So much so that there was no denial, I could say that this was already conclusive. After all, I killed her huh Perhaps something had been overlooked in the process. Right, despite my faint hopes, the memories I had discarded were even more ruthless than I had expected. The origin of Hyugas death It could only be me Nobody else but me could have cornered her That recollection must be connected to the nightmares I suffered night after night these days. Hyuga died while cursing me for the awful words I hurled at her, for hurting her, for calling her a liar [Then prove it to me.] So that was how things were. Hyuga intended to prove to me that she was not lying. She killed herself and appeared in front of me to deny the words that I spat out at that time It was natural for her to bear a grudge when she met her end like that. The wind from the fan sent the photograph on the table flying and falling on the tatami mats. That was picked up by Takenaka. With his eyes downcast on the photo, he looked as if he had spotted something extraordinary and creased his brow. He muttered something in a small voice but I couldnt hear it. Takenaka Thank you very much Now its finally clear Hyuga didnt show up before me to tell me something. She showed up because she holds a grudge against me. Hakamada. I mean, there is no other reason I dont need you to exin, it was me who drove her to suicide As you said, Hakamada, she probably still has some unresolved feelings in this world and has not been able to rest in peace. That remark made my heart ache even more. But. Perhaps Takenaka was aware of this, and chose every single word, slowly letting me hear it as I was about to copse. It could be that there was something else that she chose to die for. Something else There was something else? What was it When I crawled out from under the futon and asked him this, Takenaka averted his eyes. Do you know what it is? Please tell me if you know it! I cant do that. W-Why!? I wondered how many times I had thrown the same words at him, yet for all my pleading, Takenaka would not enlighten me on the rest of the story. Why? In my frustration, I reached out my arm to grasp Takenakas shoulder. Howeverbefore I could grab his shoulder, my vision turned around and in that way Right on the verge of falling t on my face to the tatami mats, Takenaka helped me up again. I truly was so pathetic Im sorry I cant tell you now. If you know now, surely you will Any more than this In the middle of his words, Takenaka made me lie down on the futon again and heaved a small sigh. He looked somewhat agitated. At the sight of his expression, I reluctantly closed my open mouth, though I wanted to pursue the rest of Takenakas words and what they meant. Being the quietest and most sensible person on the night shift, Takenaka still held mysteries that I was not aware of. Since he rarely spoke much, I was clueless as to what he was thinking behind his expression. I have something to say. Takenaka finished his preparation for leaving and looked back at me. You may inevitably feel guilty about her but please dont be too hard on yourself. Rather than ming yourself, you need to recover first. Please eat something nourishing, not just somen noodles, and get well soon. I gratefully epted Takenakas words of advice despite hisck of a smile. And. And? For three days from Friday, I am going back to my parents house. I was momentarily taken aback by what he was referring to but soon realized what he meant. Oh, its Obon time, isnt it? Takenaka announced softly, Yes, so Ive asked the manager to change my shift a little so he can fill in for me. So, if anything happens while Im gone, please contact me, then got up and turned to walk to the front door. Um He was ready to depart when I suddenly recalled something and I interrupted him with a brief remark as he gripped the rusted doorknob. I have one, no, two questions. What is it? Hyuga is there any way to make her rest in peace Even if you could get in touch with her I think it would be fairly difficult in her current state even if there is a way to do it. Thats exactly what being prepared to die is all about. I see Whats the other question? Prompted, I revealed something that had been bugging me all this time. Why are you always helping me out? His eyes briefly widened before instantly narrowing. He cast his gaze diagonally downward and fell silent. Was that gesture a sign that he didnt want to disclose it? You would probably feel turned off by if I told you. That made me want to ask even more if he mentioned like that. I mean, what reason would there be to worry about getting turned off by? No, I would still be happy to hear it. Takenaka looked highly reluctant to tell me, and after the long hand of the clock moved one more time, he told me, Its for my own sake. I thought in my heart that I wanted him to offer a few more words but perhaps it showed on my face. To tell you the truth, everything Ive been doing up until now Ive been doing it all for myself, not for you. I must be a jerk, right? His eyes were loaded with forlornness as if to say that. Why did he make that kind of face? Given his integrity, Takenakas answer could not have been a falsehood. For some reason, I was not convinced. Or rather, it didnt feel satisfying. But Takenaka didnt seem to be willing to borate any further. Well then Ill be going now. As if to escape, he turned the doorknob, bid farewell, and left. I may have touched on a subject I wasnt supposed to hear. Feeling slightly apologetic, I closed my eyes as I listened to the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. The silence that ensued after Takenakas departure gripped me with dread. Even though nobody else was in the room apart from me, I was sensitive to the faint creaking of the floor in my ears and the asional sound of water dripping from the bathroom. My chest fidgeted and I felt restless. While my body felt sluggish and wanted to bury itself under the futon, my heart thumped anxiously in the darkness cast by my closed eyelids. When did I be so timid? I shut my eyes tightly in disbelief. Many times I persistently tried to go back to sleep, thinking about irrelevant things in my head and attempting to do so as fast as possible but I couldnt From then on, it was difficult to fall asleep. I felt as if there was a blood-soaked Hyuga standing by my bedside. Chapter 16.1: Return Chapter 16.1: Return Are you feeling better now? Yes. I apologize for all the hassle and trouble I have caused you. It was my first day of work in Takenakas absence. My fever had subsided, so I went to work as per my rescheduled shift. After that, Takenaka told me that you and Aoyama had made various arrangements for me and came to work in my ce Excuse me, I will take better care of myself from now on. Haha, dont fret about it. You must have umted a lot of fatigue. I am d you got back to work so soon, he added. I lowered my head as the manager patted me on the shoulder and offered encouragement. Hmm, you do seem a little out of shape, though let me know if you dont think you can handle things I can manage on my own. No, thats a bit against my conscience. I dont want you to copse again, so dont strain yourself. Yes. Takenaka was worried about you, wasnt he? Yes, he even did the cooking for me I am sincerely apologetic to him. Haha, its fine. He loves tending to people like that, and apparently, he was working as a social welfare worker before joining this ce. I see. What the manager mentioned reminded me of the time Takenaka nursed me back to health. I see No wonder he was familiar with it. Then why is he working part-time here now? No clue, I havent heard anything about that either. Many things happened to him but now he found something new he wants to do, and hes umting money here while studying. Heh But he has been here for a long time now, and I think its time for him to leaveSomething seems to be holding him back, though. Crossing his arms, the managerughed with a troubled countenance. Takenaka. Hes been nicknamed Guardian God, but even hes a little cautious about that name. Cautious? Yeah I think a part of him thinks deep down that he has to protect this ce and that he shouldnt leave so easily. Did Takenaka say that? No, but I feel that from what Ive seen Otherwise, even if he was constitutionally fit, he wouldnt have stuck around in a ce like this for so long. Yeah, that was certain Have you heard anything from him? No. When we parted, I asked him a little about but he was kind of vague about it. I see. Takenaka said he was helping me and others for his own sake but I didnt think so. I thought there must have been another reason. With no doubt, he gave a response in which he omitted several essential words. For his own sake. I didnt perceive Takenaka as such a self-centered individual. Manager if you know something Can you please enlighten me about Takenaka? Why is he helping me and others like that? What happened to him? Hmm~ The manager growled with his mouth sealed shut. Well, no, you see Dont look around restlessly! That was even more of a nuisance, bar code! I was told by Takenaka not to share this information. No, please just let that slide. But, you know He was murmuring something about personal information while resting his palm on his greasy forehead, but it didnt take long for the manager to relentbecause of my adamant unwillingness to give in. Oh Takenaka will be upset if he learns about this. Okay? Even if he asks, you must maintainplete confidentiality. Despite feeling some resistance, I listened to the manager as he began to talk. About two years ago, I guess Right, when Hirai hadnt joined here yet and Takenaka was a neer here. The manager reminisced, saying he remembered those times well. Shortly after quitting his job, Takenaka visited this convenience store. While his facial expression was noticeably fainter when he initially got here and his atmosphere was far darker than it was today, his verbalmunication style, inability to smile, and reluctance to socialize more than was necessary all stayed the same as they were two years ago. The manager reasoned that he must have had a negative experience at his former job. Though he said that Takenaka didnt discuss it, upon further reflection, he surmised that Takenakas power may have had a part in it. Suzuki If I remember correctly After Takenaka joined here, another person came in after him. Suzuki was a 24-year-old unmarried woman at the time. Bright and sociable, the pr opposite of Takenaka, who had joined earlier, she immediately struck up a rapport with the staff at the convenience store and, perhaps because they were the same age, she often got cozy with Takenaka as well. Takenaka, who was initially distant, gradually began to smile and speak on his own as he was carried along by Suzukis pace. Both of them got along well and I think Takenaka probably liked Suzuki because even though he had a poker face, he always seemed kind of happy in front of her. But after a particr day, things started to get strained between the two, who had grown to be such close friends that even the boss and other employees had to admit it. All of a sudden, Suzuki started avoiding Takenaka. When the manager pressed for an exnation, Suzuki cited Takenakas recent strange behavior. She said that he had started saying uncanny things out of the blue, which bothered her and left her unsure of what to do At first, I didnt notice it either, but it turned out that Takenaka could see that she was in danger. I wish I had believed him right then and there The manager, at the request of the terrified Suzuki, reassigned them to different days and rescheduled their shifts without realizing that Takenaka, who had recently joined themhad the ability to see things that others could not. Even after the shift change, Takenaka persistently asked Suzuki to leave this ce in the near future. Since he was asking so earnestly, the manager suspected something and probed further to get the truth. It was only then that he learned that Takenaka was a man who could see specters. Believing what Takenaka said, the manager told Suzuki what Takenaka wanted to convey to her. However It was toote. On her way to the convenience store the next night as the manager was going to inform her, she made a steering error and collided with the guardrail with her entire motorcycle. She didnt fall from the bike, but her vehicle skidded off the road and collided with the pavement Did she die The manager silently shook his head to the side. Fortunately, she survived but she might not have if she had been discovered sooner The injuries she sustained in the ident were fairly horrific Bandages were wrapped around her face, her neck and legs were immobilized, and when the two men paid her a visit, no trace of the bright, brilliant woman was anywhere to be found. Half of her face peeking through the bandages was emaciated, her lips were peeled back, and above all, her eyes were devoid of life. No matter what was said to her, she never talked about the ident. Only once before leaving did she say to Takenaka [Are you satisfied with this?] Her mouth was moving frantically as if she was trying to vent her abhorrence. [Since meeting you strange things have been happening one after the other After the way you spoke to me I cant believe you had nothing to do with this. You know, I am sure everyone is holding you ountable for what happened to me] Thats awful Even if I stated that, I couldnt speak for anybody else because, up until recently, I didnt believe in specters or individuals who could see them and even I had said harsher things to Hyuga. I might not have understood how she felt when she uttered those words Since then, I have assured him repeatedly that he is not to me for what urred. Takenaka nheless persists in his belief that the incident was his fault. Didnt Takenaka just intend to save that Suzuki person? Thats right Takenaka would not have been that affected if it werent for her final remarks. A tragedy that was supposed to have been known but nevertheless couldnt have been averted. If only he had been able to convey the message to her better Perhaps it was out of this desire that Takenaka continued to call out to people who were ipatible with this convenience store, including me, in order to ensure that people like Suzuki would never show up again. Regardless of how frightened or suspicious others might be, he would always call out to people Even if they didnt believe him, he would still do so In the course of all this, it became like it was part of Takenakas job to stay here and protect the neers He cant leave now either and I think hes afraid of what would take ce if he were to leave. So when he said he was doing it for his own sake Even if he imed otherwise, he was not doing this for his own sake but merely offering himself as a sacrifice. I didnt have any idea about this, nor did it ur to me that such a thing had unfolded. Takenakas feelings too Despite feeling terrible, having many people use him of being a liar, and having other things he wanted to do he didnt run away and leave this ce. It was inconceivable that would make him feelfortable, yet he continued to remain here Just how patient could that be And I, who was saved every time by Takenaka, who had a cool face and shouldered the whole load by himself, was some, wasnt I? Just one time I ran into an obstacle and I lost sight of my surroundings, vented my anger on others for no reason, and even drove a person to suicide. Takenaka was alone, enduring, and saving many people from danger in the shadows. Without anyone ever thanking him. If its gratitude, thats being expressed. When I looked up, the manager smiled with a shiny face. Hakamada, didnt you express your thanks to him? OhTrantor: MadHatter Thats whats saving him. It may have been rough for him until now but Im sure hes happy now because you believe in him. All this time, he lost himself in doubt about whether what he was doing was meaningful. But now that you believe in him, I think for the first time Takenaka is able to think that what he has done all this time was not in vain. Does Takenaka thinks so He does.NotSharedOnAggregatorSite Even after all the trouble I have caused him? Its not a trouble. Takenaka wants to protect you because of the meaning youve given to his actions. Despite uncertainty about the truth of Takenakas feelings as described by the manager, I would like to thank him again when I meet him again in three days. Once more, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks. And this time, I would like to say that I would listen to whatever his worries were, just as he listened to me the other day. Saying that, though, he might find out that I have asked the manager about him. Previous Next Content Chapter 16.2: Return II Chapter 16.2: Return II At dawn Under the futon, I was gazing at the filthy ceiling of my rundown apartment. Even with my eyelids half-closed, sleepiness did not set in. In spite of being worn out from working the night shift, my body denied me to drift off to sleep. Since a few days ago, no more dreams of Hyuga jumping off the rooftop had haunted me. To be more precise, I tried not to see it. The sheer terror and resistance to the dream led to an exceedingly shallow sleep, so much so that even when I was asleep, I was constantly half-conscious. Even the slightest noise would rouse me in a heartbeat. This way of sleeping struck me as dexterous, but of course, I didnt feel like I had slept, or rather, I didnt actually sleep at all. It was like an herbivore on the lookout for a predator. Fear of being in deep sleep, dread of nightmares, my brain was sending signals to refrain from a good nights sleep. Yeah no good. If I kept up this lifestyle, I would copse another time in the near future A sickening slumber eventually followed, tempting me to plunge into oblivion, only to be awaited by a nightmare. To divert my mind from the horror of the nightmare, I shifted my attention to something else. The wood grain on the ceiling, and then onto the stains. These days, through this process, it became noticeable that the grains and stains on the wooden paneling inexplicably resembled a persons crying face. Never had I noticed it before but it was right above my futon. The wood grains were the eyes, and the stains were the wide-open mouth. The longer I looked at it, the more miserable the face became. Was I likewise making a face like this now? The hands of the clock ticking. It was silent I cast a nce at the clock before returning my gaze to the ceiling once more. Its your fault. A thick voice reverberated in my brain. The face on the ceiling spoke. The one who murdered her was you. Its eyes were as narrow as a kokeshi doll as it red at me. You murdered her, you were the one you were the one The same words were spewed from the pitch-ck mouth. You killed her. Dont think you can escape. She will being for you soon. To put you through the same ordeal My body bounced up and down and the next thing I realized, I was wide awake. The hands of the clock had advanced for approximately thirty minutes. With trepidation, I peered at the ceiling. Above me was nothing on the scale of what I had witnessed earlier. Merely wood grains and stains that had the appearance of a human face. I wiped my forehead with my perspiration-drenched arm. Was I half-awake? I got up from the futon and scanned the whole room. Nothing out of the ordinary, only a filthy shabby room. Creaks sounded when I walked on the floor, and the stove was covered in burnt grease. Packing tape was applied to reinforce the window panes. A hole was made in the closet door. Nothing, nothing was supposed to be different. So why were my eyes swirling so much since earlier? What was I searching for? Searching? No, that wasnt the case. Somebody was peeking at me from somewhere. I couldnt help feeling that way. It was all in my mind. Contrary to what I wished to believe, my heartbeat was progressively racing. Hyuga The wind chimes made a sound in the absence of wind. Is that you? Stifling my breath, I braced myself. Blood-drenched body, bones of the neck, legs, arms, and whatever messed-up things, I was prepared for her to appear in front of me. The following second. Instead of what I had envisioned taking ce, I was assaulted from the side by an unexpected impact. Under my pillow, my cell phone rang and vibrated violently. After all my bracing and heart-thumping, why on earth would you ring at this moment of all time!? Without any regard, I grasped the cell phone, which continued to ring in a steady rhythm, and opened it roughly. In the event that this was a mail magazine or the like, I might as well just shatter it. My stress level may have reached its peak as a result of my ongoing mental instability; if indeed the iing call had been a mail magazine, I would have reduced my cell phone to a worthless object in less than two seconds. The familiar name disyed in bold letters on the screen cooled me down, only for it to bubble me up all over again. Inhaling deeply, I pressed the call button and connected to the person on the other end of the line. Youuuuuuu bastard! Ill kill you!! That was the worst opening line I ever had to say. It was 8:30 in the morning. Anyone would be in a foul mood and want to hang up the phone after being told Ill kill you! out of the blue, yet the caller wasughing on the other end of the line instead of being upset. The way thisughter transformed from a normalugh to a coughingugh. I could picture the face of the carefree, naturally curly hair guy. Kinoshita [Hey, Masa, have you been grumpy since this morning?] Im not in a grumpy mood, what time do you think it is? [What time its 8:30 in the morning? Good morning?] Right. Good night. I attempted to forcibly end the call with a single yawn. In any event, the majority of the time he phoned me was spent chit-chatting over nothing essential, and he had a propensity to ramble on for as long as an elderly woman, so there was no harm in hanging up the phone early. From the other end of the line, Kinoshita abruptly halted me, perhaps anticipating my next move. [Hey, hey, hey! Hold on, hold on! Stop!!] What the hell? The night shift had taken its toll on me. Oh, I see. Good work. So, Masa, are you free today?] Hey, were you not listening to me? I was justing off the night shift. I was extremely sleepy, though I couldnt sleep. [If youre free, Id like you to hang out with me for a little while.] Im not free, so I cant apany you. [Why? Youre done with your night shift, right?] That was why you were Not good. I was type A and I couldnt read the AB guys thoughts at all. My bad, but I dont even want to step out of my house. [Heh. You quit your job as a freeter and became a shut-in atst.] Why dont youe over to my ce right now, and Ill give you a good beating. [Better yet, Masa,e to the station.] Like I said I didnt want to leave the house Besides, I waspletely nocturnal, and I didnt want to walk around the city exposed to the sun when I was already in bad shape. No matter what Kinoshita said, I wouldnt move, not even by force. Just tell me what you want, and another time Ill do it. I was about to say that when Kinoshita released the hook. [Ill buy you breakfast, a terra muffin set, plus apple pie.] .Hmmm So that was how it turned out.
In this way, I was caught by a not-sorge fish hook and ended up being the only catch. As promised, we met up in front of the station and bought breakfast at a fast food restaurant. So Kinoshita gave me a ticket when I asked him what he wanted me to do. A change of mood. No, no, no, what? A ticket for the train? Where are we going? Hey When I asked one more time, Kinoshita quickly went through the turnstile and down to the tform, still holding the paper bag of my breakfast. Whats up, man, calling me out all of a sudden? Where are you taking me? Several minutes had passed since the train departed. I extended out my hand to Kinoshita to offer me the paper bag while we were seated across from one another with the window ajar and Kinoshita was in a somewhat positive mood. Thank goodness you have an appetite. Huh? The muffin package he had just purchased was ced in my palm while Kinoshita discreetly opened the bag and set his own iced coffee on the side table. You know, these are good to eat once in a while. Right Thats not the point. Yeah? Exin it to me, the sequence is all over the ce. Kinoshita responded by ying with his own hair, curling it around his fingers, Well, Masa, since then, Ive been wondering what has happened to you. His speech was always distinctive and he always used a lot of inverted phrases. Of all the people in our tight rtionship, he was by far the most intelligent, but something about him was a bit loose. I felt like you didnt seem well, so I called you. Nevertheless, he was able to urately predict what was on peoples minds to the point of being unnerving. What on earth did you sense in me when you didnt even see my face? Intuition? Even if it was intuition, you were way too spot-on. Did I guess right? At this point, lying was not going to work with this guy. I see, well, I thought so, and yourplexion doesnt look so good either Have you been sleepingtely? I dont feel like Ive slept. After all, youre still seeing those things. WellNotSharedOnAggregatorSite What do you want now? Trantor:MadHatter I focused on the seat at the rear of the train car. Leaning against the window, arge man waswearing a Walkman and dozing off with his mouth wideopen. An elderly, frail-looking woman with her hands sped behind her back was eyeing the man through the window pane as he rested his cheek on the ss. As I watched, she slowly shifted her eyeballs to meet my eyes. Her half-open mouth moved marginally and she blurted out something. Right away, I averted my eyes and feigned not having seen her. Kinoshita seemed to have grasped the gist of what I was doing and drank his iced coffee with a troubled expression on his face. I wonder if you can get rid of it somehow. Thats impossible, not as it is now. Youre not going to resign from the convenience store? At the moment if I quit now, Im sure that guy will never forgive me. That guy Hyuga? Yeah shes been showing up in front of metely. Nothing has changed. Still in the same appearance she was in when she died. Even Kinoshita seemed startled by this and was at a loss for words. Really? Yeah, I saw her The things that I didnt discuss with him the other night when we were having a drink, the events up to now, the incidents that kept arising, the convenience store, Takenaka, Hyuga, etc. I told Kinoshita everything. Chapter 16.3: Return III Chapter 16.3: Return III By the time I was done divulging all the details, the train had made a stop at the destination station. Afterward, I was led by Kinoshita down a deserted footpath between rice fields that I didnt recognize. I see No other factors were responsible for Hyugas suicide It was me, the culprit in her death. But its a stretch for me to think that Hyuga would kill herself solely over a fight with you. Because, Masa, you didnt tell her to die, right? At this, I cast my eyes down and bit my lip. Yeah I didnt tell her to die or to jump off the roof. But I did hurt her with those awful things I said to her. The face of Hyuga in my recollection, brought back to me through irvoyance, was still etched in my mind. At the words I shot out, she became motionless as if her heart had been crushed, and consequently, she lost her voice. I made her cry. The one who cracked upughing all the time was crying and was left alone on the rooftop. Even though I didnt tell her to die, the words I hurled at her might have been equivalent to the meaning of death to her. Even if I did not bear such an intention in mind, each persons perspective on the event varied substantially. The words spewed from the mouth could never be withdrawn again. Depending on those individuals, those words may be life-changing, transformed into des that gouge their hearts to the core. Just like Takenaka, who bound himself to that convenience store by the final words of the person he was in love with. No doubt Hyuga must have shared the same experience. My words shredded something vital in Hyugas heart. Whether I intended it or otherwise, Hyuga was imbued with a darkness in her heart that drove her to death. Masa I understand how you feel but You know, I was a horrible person in high school It wasnt only that time. I was always thinking about myself, at all times. Hating to be embarrassed, hating half-heartedness, prioritizing my own feelings, and a constantck of consideration for the other party. I was too slow to even regret it. Thats wrong I am still awful even now. Idiot. As I was walking down the road, Kinoshita unceremoniously punched me in the shoulder. Even though it hurt, Icked the energy tosh back; instead, I simply remained to stare at him. This time, I was inadvertently knocked back by an elbow that flew at me. What? Ive been listening to you since earlier but your subservient behavior is overwhelming. You behave like youre someone else and not Masa. I wont urge you to brighten up but staying that way is certainly not good for you. What is truly guing you right now is not the wandering specter Hyuga, but you yourself. Youre strangling yourself, remarked Kinoshita. Its different now. Masa, youve changed You at least have an awareness of your own preconceptions and her sentiments now that you can perceive things the same way as Hyuga, dont you? The suffering of those you had never known, and the gratitude that someone hade to your rescue. The warmth of people close to you who support you. Thats what you gained an understanding of, wasnt it? If so, dont say such a thing. You learned all kinds of positive things as a person, so nothing is the same as it was then. Even if it were true, Hyuga wouldnt be saved since Ick the necessary strength and I probably cant evenmunicate with specters. If nothing can be changed in the end, then I That leaves just one option if youck the strength to save her. Apologize to her from the bottom of your heart. Thats Such a naive way She wont be satisfied But its worth a try. Its not worth it, shes already dead, shes a specter, and she hates me to the point of wishing to kill me. To Hyuga, after all this time, saying that it was my bad and apologizing to her That was My feelings wont reach her She likely wouldnt even listen to me. She wouldnt spare me. No amount of apology from the bottom of my heart would make Hyuga stop. The smile she had from that time, it wouldnt be shown to me anymore Ah, here we are After several minutes of walking in silence, an old wooden building came into view. Beyond the wire mesh of the metal main gate, visible from the outside, was a swimming pool, a small field, a gymnasium, a ying field, and a couple of boys and girls in jerseys. Their physiques were slightly grown-up for elementary school students and immature for high school students. This is where I work, its summer break right now, so most of the students are in club activities. Oh yeah, youre a teacher now, huh? Yeah, I know I dont look like one at all, but for the record, I am. So, this is the ce I wanted to bring you. Pulled by Kinoshita, I was taken through the school gate, across the yground, and to the back side of the school building. On the way, we crossed the parking lot, after which we went further into the school, leading us to what I assumed was the second sports ground, though it was more cozy and spacious than the one in front of the school building. A verdant wire fence. A familiarndscape. Benches with a roof over them. A filthy small hut. Myriad white balls rolling around. Tattered bats. Gloves left on the ground. In the center of the sports ground was the once nostalgic mound, where I used to stand. Keep your voice downnnnnnn!!! Standing in the batters box, a boy in a long uniform raised his voice spiritedly, and the entire team responded in a loud voice. These small boys were not yet physically mature. Among them, the smallest and shortest stood on the mound, took a deep breath, and swung widely. The pitch was thrown, and in the next split second, it slid just under the bat and into the glove of the catcher. The familiar, pleasure-like sound of the ball rubbing against the leather of the glove. That was a solid pitch, in my opinion, for a man of his stature. Isnt everyone adorable? As he ced his fingertips on the fence, Kinoshita stated with joy. Apparently, he wanted me to see this. The real reason he dragged me all the way down here. Incidentally, a coach is being recruited. So he said. A coach? Yeah, I thought youd be perfect for it. I mean, me? Baseball knowledge and a certain level of coaching aptitude are all that is required. Eventually, youll have to get a certificate or something, but after that, its a matter of getting the approval of the school, the yers and their parents. And the advisor? For the time being, Im in charge of that. So it was you huh The coach sumbed to illness roughly two months ago We are hiring members of the general public to be the baseball coach since nobody at this school, including me, has any coaching expertise. You dont have to do that; you know, with a little research, you can guide them. I cant do that. It has to be someone with expertise, which is why I thought you might be the ideal person for the job. Why me? Dont say university, I only finished high school. But Masa, in high school, you were called the heart of the team and the tyrant of the mound, leading everyone, right? Ah, someone gave me that kind of chuunibyou nickname back then. Indeed, I remembered that but I didnt lead them. I simply yelled at all the guys who werent motivated to practice or who were forever moping around during practice. For some reason, Masa, everyone was following you; you have the ability to lead the team. Its nothing like that. Hey,e on. Please, you can save this team. Impossible. I cant save them. How could I? Because I was not the same person I was when they called me the heart of the team. Icked the ability to lead. Besides, how many years had passed since I was no longer active in the field? Even if its just middle school, its better to wait a little longer and find a proper coach than to hire one on short notice. Thats what I thought as well. Kinoshita eyed the members of the club on the field. Theyve been losing a lot of games since their coach passed away, and even though theyve been putting on a positive front, they still dont seem to have their feelings sorted out, so most of them arent moving forward Even though Im their advisor and offer various advice, I cant really do much for them. After all, what they need more than anything right now is a new mentor to lead the team. It doesnt necessarily have to be me; there are many other qualified individuals No, I want you to do it, Masa. Why? Doesnt this bring back memories? The feeling of those days of yourself being full of vigor. Kinoshita held out a ball that had fallen into his hand to me. Well, youre coaching, but that doesnt change the fact that youre ying baseball. I want that team as well as Masa to regain their spirits. Just like in the old days when you just kept running and looking forward. Even if you said that Even now, I still liked baseball. Nevertheless, I couldnt bring myself to get involved in baseball again. However much I may have enjoyed those days, it was not always a good thing to be reminded of them. When the grip on my right shoulder tightened, the unpleasant memories resurfaced. If I liked something, I would be so absorbed in it that I would lose sight of the world around me and run alone. Like Hyuga, I dreaded the thought of hurting someone. This was not what I should be doing. My bad, but youll have to find someone else As I was about to say this, a group of middle school students seemed to notice me and Kinoshita, stopped their game and came rushing toward us. Hey, Teacher Kinoshita! Teacher! Who is that guy! Hello!! Hi! Howdy! Whos that guy next to you? An alumnus from this school? Hi! All of them greeted me in an open and weing manner, taking off their caps and crowding me over the fence. With perspiration dripping down their faces and their skin tanned, these middle-schoolers looked at me with curious gazes. Their faces were still youthful, and their stubby bodies still held great potential for growth. They were so energetic that I modestly returned a greeting to them. Well, whatever. In a short while, I would give them a good reason and head back home. While I was nning to do so, Kinoshita firmly grabbed me by the shoulders and began to introduce me to the middle school students arbitrarily. Hes a friend of mine from high school So! Hes going to be the new coach of our baseball team. Possibly, anyway! Wait, hey! It was toote to stop him. After hearing Kinoshitas remarks in full, the middle school pupils eximed in amazement, their eyes sparkling, and they leaped up and down on the spot like small animals. One after another, they crowded the fence, all bombarding me with questions. As expected of middle-school students, they were full of vigor. A new coach!? Really, teacher!? Pleased to meet you! Which high school did you attend! Your position!? Wow! Have you been to Koshien?! How old are you!? As I was unable to respond to all of the questions, Kinoshita took over and urged the boys to calm down since their enthusiasm was out of control. He is the same age as me and a pitcher. He was called the ace of the baseball team in high school and is a super elite yer. After hearing about how hard you guys are working, he offered to help us out, isnt that wonderful! Kinoshita! Who the hell were you calling an elite yer! What a bunch of babbling! Besides, I didnt offer to help them! I was only informed about the situation a few minutes ago! Youre giving them false hope! I whispered, ring at Kinoshita. Dont youugh at me, this shaggy guy! A pitcher, he said. Kato! Thats great! The smallest club member, Kato, as he was called, was pushed to the top of the line. He was the short pitcher, standing on the mound and pitching. Being pushed forward, he bowed politely to me, though slightly intimidated. O-Oh, um Id like to talk to you about a lot of things as were in the same position. Perhaps it wasnt that he was gloomy but his voice was muffled by nervousness. His fists were clenched and his shoulders were raised to the extreme. I still cant forget about my former coach but Ill be sure to follow you! Please teach me how to pitch well! And teach us to win! As the club members teased Kato, he shuddered like a puppy and fixed a desperate gaze my way. Despite his small size, Kato had an unparalleled passion for baseball. Oh, leave it to me. Under normal circumstances, I should have said that proudly but I couldnt just ept the job carelessly. Listen, I know everyone is excited but no decision has been made yet. This time, I dragged Kinoshita to a location distant from the ground after he rattled the fence and informed the moring club members. Stop it. Dont arbitrarily go on with your story. Isnt that fine, Coach Hakamada? You look cool, you know? You In the cool shade of the warehouse, I crossed my arms and insisted that Kinoshita retract his words. Howe Im the coach? Dont be so mad. Even if you suddenly said that to me, Ill be confused. Besides, Im aplete amateur. We all start out as amateurs. That doesnt mean I can do it! When they look at me with such expectation, I feel so guilty for betraying them! Didnt everyone look pleased? Yeah, they did. Thanks to the fact that someoneid out a load of crap. I responded dismissively. They need you, Masa. I told you, I cant do it. Kindly lend a hand. As long as you do it, they will be able to move forward once again. I havent seen such a happy look on their faces in a long time. Seeing them so happy made you feel a little better, too, didnt it? I didnt reply, but honestly, I was faintly happy. It was somewhat simr to the feeling I had when I turned around after striking out against an opponent and my teammates were delighted. Back then, I was happy to be needed by the team. Perhaps because everyone was happy, it was one of the reasons why I liked baseball so much. Thinking that way, I felt that it would be like that time again Such a feeling almost swept over me. Its time for you to move on too, Masa. What you wish to do is best known to you. Stopping, brooding, contemting. Isnt that enough? Enough? No way. No matter how much I stopped, I would never be able to acknowledge to myself that it was enough. You should think about moving on for Hyugas sakefor the sake of that girl who couldnt liveinstead of remaining stationary for her. For me, this advice was a beacon of light in the midst of the darkness, who had been devastated by my sin and was on the edge of despair. Previous Next Content Chapter 17.1: Alone at the Convenience Store Chapter 17.1: Alone at the Convenience Store Sorry for the abruptness. Well, take care of yourself. Yeah. Its up to you, Masa. If you ever think youd like to do this, let me know. The boys will be happy to have you. Okay. Call me anytime you have any problems. Ill be waiting for you. After parting wayswith Kinoshita, who waved at me until I was no longer in view, I went back to my ce to have a nap. Coach huh I bing the coach To be frank, it would be impossible. How could I possible carry the weight of an entire team? As much as it pained me to flout the expectations of those pure-eyed middle-schoolers, me being me, I didnt have the luxury of letting their imagination run wild by getting the wrong ideas right now. I wouldd rather settle the matter at the convenience store than be distracted by something else. Going to another ce without clearing things up was Perhaps it would be tantamount to running away. I had yet to face it. Despite discovering that I was the source of Hyugas death, I still hadnt faced Hyuga, who lingered in this world, appearing and disappearing at random. Even though I knew that she bore a vendetta against me, she might kill me if I approached her. Regardless of thatI must make sure that she would be liberated properly. Not by Takenaka or Hirai. That was my duty, my role. Today, the night shift was again with the manager. That was the way it was supposed to be but A phone call was received at the store as I was discussing with Nagase of the evening shift how odd it was that the manager had not arrived despite plenty of time that had gone by since I had arrived. Apparently, the managers vehicle had gotten a breakdown or such, and he was running slightlyte. He said his tire went t and noticed it just after he left. Heh, I didnt know a t tire could be that easy to notice. Its incredibly ufortable. The steering wheel is difficult to turn, and the car tilts. Oh, thats right, Hakamada, you always ride a motorcycle. Yeah, I dont get a chance to ride in a car very often. Right, I dont get t tires that often, so its probably some kind of mischief. Whether doing it yourself or hiring a contractor, it will be time-consuming and the manager wont be able to get here anytime soon. In any case, from this point onward, even if a customer came, I could deal with them with my own hands. One or two people, it made no difference. Aside from stocking and ordering, customer service wouldnt be a concern. The manager would probably join me in a couple of hours. Perhaps out of worry because he knew that I had fallen ill the other day, Nagase suggested that he stay until the manager arrived, but I politely declined and asked him to leave at the exact time. Then, thirty minutester I stretched out widely in front of the counter. As expected, not a single customer showed up. If anybody was present, it was a ragged-clothed woman who was once again staring at me from against the magazine sections ss wall. Thanks to Takenaka and Yagura, the woman could neither intrude into the store from the outside nor interfere with the peopleing in and out of the store, so nothing would happen to me like before. Seriously, that kind of staring. Even if I turned my head in the other direction, her gaze only pierced me from directly to the side. Manager, please hurry and arrive; if I werent alone, I wouldnt be so disturbed. Unless I got distracted by your barcode head, her gaze seemed to puncture my head. Phew I wondered if Takenaka was rxing at his parents house right now. What were the other two doing now? Perhaps Hirai was drawing thin books or whatever again. As for Aoyama well, what was he doing in his private life? I couldnt imagine. Throughout the store, only the ssical music that was ying in thete-night zone was reyed. Clouds were thick tonight with no moon. Not even a car passed by on the road. The boundless, seamless darkness created by all kinds of trees in the sea of trees. Having never been in the convenience store alone until now, I realized now that it was indeed pitch-ck here, and that the convenience store stood alone in a ce that was overly quiet. Chapter 17.2: Alone at the Convenience Store II Chapter 17.2: Alone at the Convenience Store II The sound of a single persons footsteps moving around the counter was awfully loud and somewhat unnerving. Time appeared to flow more gradually. Was it this quiet being alone? On the other side of the counter, neither the chatty Aoyama, who was unusually fond of body touching, nor Hirai, who constantly called out strange words and seemed to be enjoying herself, nor Takenaka, who would dexterously start falling asleep while standing up if left alone, were there. Unless a customer arrived, I passed the time by doing chores and chatting with them until dawn came. With those people around and me remaining inside the store, I had nothing to worry about. Even though I witnessed many things I disliked, I never once felt uneasy. This kind of thing I couldnt believe that I was having this unfathomable uneasiness that something horrendous was about to unfold. I thought that I was losing my mind. Wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead, I waited for time to pass. Even so, the manager waste Even though it was almost two oclock. Misceneous tasks that could be handled by one person were roughly done. Even cleaning, restocking products on the shelves and taking out the trash. I dashed outside to check if any customers were on their way. Speaking of the manager not showing up neither did the customers. Not even a single customer has turned up yet today. This may be nothing out of the ordinary, but when nothing happened, I felt as if someone shoulde in. ssical music ying incessantly and the sound of karaage-sama popping in the fryer oil. I was idly watching the hands of the clock. Since neither the manager nor any customers show up, I figured I should go to the back room for a break as I was just in the mood for a smoke. I decided to have a brief moment of rxation and smoke until the deep fryer timer went off. The manager was well, I was worried about him, but he would probably show up soon enough. From my locker, I grabbed my cell phone, a Seven Star box, and a lighter that was about to run out of oil, and as usual, I sat right under the venttion fan and popped one in my mouth. Big bro, youre smoking again! It reeks of cigarettes! Since my sister kept nagging me, I have been trying to refrain from smoking whenever possible these days. At least at times like this, why not smoke as much as I wanted to? Letting out a puff of smoke, I released my anxiety as well. My shoulders slumped heavily. This was exhausting Not that I had done anything in particr, though How soon would it be morning As I was thinking such motivationless thoughts and waiting for the timer to go off [Wee-please insert your card] Without warning, the ATM near the entrance was activated. Amidst the constant sound of fried food, the machines voice was distinctly audible. I froze, still holding my cigarette. Goosebumps crawled all over my body. Here it came The doorway chime, of course, had not rung. The absence of ringing signified that no customers had arrived and consequently meant that no one was in the store. If nobody was in the store, in essence The ATM was not activated The ATM started talking on its own So In less than three seconds, I pushed the cigarette into the ashtray, stuck my face just outside, and withdrew it back inside. No one was indeed there. I didnt see anyone or anything. The only thing I found was an ATM with the LCD screen activated. The manager had already made it clear that it wasnt a malfunction. Ah, of all times, why, seriously The panic fuse in my head was already on the verge of being lit. No no, dont let the anxiety engulf you! Once engulfed, it would morph into an uncontroble fearCalm down, calm down, calm down!! Taking a deep breath, I knitted my brows and clenched my fists together as if in prayer. Please please. I sincerely hoped that nothing crazier would unfold. Bad premonitions invariably turned out to be true, though, and nothing has ever gone right at this convenience store. Never Before I even noticed that the ssical music that had been ying like customary had ended, my pulse rate has risen dramatically. The chilly sensation I felt was not just my imagination. Something was brewing Without a doubt, something was My mounting apprehension was shattered by the automated doors chime, which was devoid of any sense of urgency. I foolishly banged my head violently against the wall behind me. Oh, damn! You startled the hell out of me! Enough already!! Without even a moment to writhe in pain, I stood up, holding the back of my head, and walked briskly out to the counter. Shoving my panic into the pit of my stomach as best I could, I was inwardly enveloped in an inexpressible sense of relief. Never before had I felt so grateful for the managers presence. Regardless of what arose, if I was not alone, I would be able to manage. While it would be a falsehood to im that I could rely on him in the same manner as Hirai and Takenaka, his presence was nheless preferable to none at all. I felt at ease Manager, youre Until I looked directly at the automatic door. te Before the automatic door that was left open, the manager was not there. Nowhere to be seen, either outside or within the store. As usual, the parking lot was vacant, and nothing that looked like the managers old secondhand car was parked there. The only thing in front of me was the automatic door that had been left open and refused to close. It was as if someone had been standing there for a long time, even though no one was supposed to be there. No way I couldnt help but imagine such an inconceivable thing. Have I gone crazy? The automatic door would not close no matter how much time passed, instilling in me an overpowering sensation of dread. Nobody was supposed to be there, yet for some reason it seemed to me as if someone was standing there, peering at me. My diaphragm tensed up. An intense vibration in my heart, like that of a volcano before its eruption. Why, why, why? Why did I feel such a sense of foreboding in my body right now? It was not like danger or anything like that, this foreboding was not on that level It was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. The catastrophe that descended upon me tonight was of the highest magnitude My life was in peril, and all of my systems were alerting me to this. I could feel everything being out of the ordinary, including the rate at which my heart pounded and the amount of sweat that was gushing. When my held breath burst out of my mouth with a whoosh, I swiftly returned to the back room, closed and locked the door, still keeping my back to the automatic door. Sweat trickled down my gripping hand on the doorknob. It was unbelievable that such an extraordinary amount of sweat could run off my body in such a short period of time. This was not normal. My body undoubtedly detected something abnormal. But what in the world was going on? What in the world Ah!? I shouldnt have done that. At that moment. Driven by anxiety, I made the wrong move. Something I shouldnt have done. Something that ought not to have been carried out. I was an idiot. I shouldnt have seen that. On the desk right next to me. The security camera monitor. I instantly bit down on the inside of my mouth as hard as I could to stifle a scream. Leaning against the door with my back to it, I fell on my butt on the spot. On the ck-and-white monitor. It disyed the counter where I had just been. Inside the counter, directly in front of the door to the back room. A woman in a familiar sailor suit was standing there. Previous Next Content Chapter 17.3: Alone at the Convenience Store III Chapter 17.3: Alone at the Convenience Store III Long ck hair hanging down. Knee-length skirt. Without a doubt. Hyu ga Right there. In the immediate surroundings. Beyond the doorway, Hyuga was there. A chill crept over me, which even provoked nausea. The petite woman on the monitor was downcast, standing directly before the door, not more than a short distance from me. From the other side of the door, the sound of something that did not resemble liquid dripping down could be heard. Senior Right, I promptly covered my ears out of fear that she might at any minute call me out and shrank down on the spot. Just like when I was in the sea of trees. Fear threatened to consume my consciousness, wavering my vision. Atst, Hyuga hade for me. To kill me. I must face her, it was my responsibility to bring her to peace. Even after all the vanity in my heart, I realized that in the end, when the kairotic moment came, the only thing that would prevail wasfear. I was horrified. No. I didnt want to be killed. No. I didnt want to die. I I didnt want Hyuga to kill me like thisWhat to do, what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do Evidently, when cornered, human beings sought to cling to life with a desperate struggle under such circumstances. I was racking my brain about how to avert this situation. If I could make contact with Hyuga and somehow, in some way, ept her resentment and let her return to her rightful ce Such a convenient scenario was conjuring up in my head, regardless, there was certainly no way it was going to work out that smoothly. The way she stood silently before the door with her downcast eyes, waiting patiently for me toe out, and the atmosphere she elicited, all made me realize this. That it was hopeless for me tomunicate with her. No doubt if I walked out, Hyuga would undeniably pounce on me, and She would kill me. Just as Takenaka said, in order to do something about Hyuga, I had to be prepared to die, after all. What should I do? I was all alone now. What should I do? But I knew someone who could handle this situation, even if it was only one person. What should I do? Would Hyuga be content if I were to let myself be meekly killed here? Even if she were to be contented, would it lead to her resting in peace? I couldnt even envision what would follow. Not even what to do. If so All I could do was to struggle and seek help from someone who knew how to save Hyuga. That person should be able to offer me solid advice right now. I couldnt care less what people would say. I didnt want to die. But I wanted to save Hyuga as well Being a self-serving person to the utmost, I took a once-in-a-lifetime gamble. To get out, no other way was conceivable except to break through this single door. Once opened, I must run at full speed. Regardless of what I saw, regardless of whether Hyuga attacked me. I was resolved to hurl everything away Run!! After unlocking the door and turning the doorknob vigorously, I flung it open without even shutting my eyes. The door swung open with such force that it mmed into the wall. My body fell forward. I gasped and focused on the situation in front of me. Not here Hyuga was not here Huh I was sure she was there. Hyuga, who had been spotted on the monitor, had disappeared from behind the counter. Even after scanning the store, no Hyuga, no petite woman in a sailor suit was in sight. I cast a nce at the ceiling as well. N Not there No way, I mean, just now D-Did I mistakenly see her That couldnt be that couldnt be true Forgetting to even run, I swept my eyes over the store, the ceiling, and my feet And then. Once again. Unconsciously, I turned my gaze to the security camera monitor. A-Ah. Ahh. Ah Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!! Was there. Hyuga was There On the monitor Standing Right Behind me At such a distance that she could touch me by reaching out with her finger I was seized from behindWith an instantaneous sensation, I mmed my body against the counter, ran through the store as if tumbling, and leaped out of the store. With my legs and feet unsteady, I fell down several times, and then I straddled my bike vigorously. I didnt look back. There was no way I could look back! The sound of her slowly emerging from the depths of the store and approaching me Apanied by an inarticte scream, I inserted the key into the keyhole and twisted it to the hilt. Hey!! You gotta be kidding me. At a time like this, the engine wasDamn!! No way, hey, hold on, please! Gripping the clutch lever, I repeatedly pressed the start button, yet the engine wouldnt start! No kidding! You meant to assure me that this was the way things were going to unfold!! The timing was so awful. Screw you, damn it, get started!! This was beyond impatient. Every organ in my body felt like it was about to burst. The graphic, ominous sound and the dragging sound of a broken leg came to me near the automatic door. Please, I beg you! Get started! Please get started!! Get started!! Drenched in sweat, my fingers tirelessly pressed the button over and over again. As if sneering at me, the sound of the engine broke off and never connected. Get it moving! Come on,e on! Pleasedamn it!! As the sound of the engine died down again, a bead of perspiration spread across my temple. Ah, her presence was there already. No, no, no. I couldnt get away Aaaaaaahhhh!! Did my heartfelt exmation reach the bike? The engine started! Having heard the sound of the engine connecting, I hit the elerator pedal with all my might to get the bike moving. Grasping the steering wheel emphatically, I drove through the forest at breakneck speed, illuminating the pitch-dark roadway And then! My phone was set to speaker mode, the fifth line in the phonebook. That persons name. While praying fervently, I pressed the call button with my ever-shaking fingertips, hooked the strap on the handle, and looked forward. Darkness spread out in front of me, and the ridiculously loud ringing made me even more impatient. Pick up, pick up, please!! I was clinging to God. The only person I could rely on now was this person. If this failed to connect Thinking of this, I nearly lost strength in my hands gripping the steering wheel. How many times have I heard the looping ringing? [Yes, its me.] Finally, after a long series of calls, that persons voice rang out from the cell phone. Chapter 17.4: Alone at the Convenience Store IV Chapter 17.4: Alone at the Convenience Store IV Takenaka!! Ayer of tears formed in my eyes. I re-gripped the wheel with the tiniest speck of hope. Having lost my mind, I called out the other persons name at the top of my lungs in tears. Takenaka, recognizing that this was no ordinary urrence, asked me calmly what had taken ce right away. I-I, right now! On the night shift, a-alone!! The words spontaneously spilled out of my lips before I could even utter them. What was I supposed to say? From where should I exin? My impatience was leading to further impatience. And then! She!! My exnation would render the narrative impossible to follow but that was not really a priority. Should I turn around, she should be right behind me. She moved behind me in a split second. Even a motorcycle might not be able to outrun her. [Please dont get worked up.] How could I possibly not get worked up! [Unless you calm down, Hakamada, I cant help you either.] ! [First of all, settle down, take your time, and tell me what has happened and where you are now.] His voice was tender and gentle, like water pouring over the zing impatience. Each word was spoken clearly. Right there I took a deep breath, exhaling and inhaling. Straining my stomach, I managed to regain the rationality that I had nearly lost. Unable topletely restrain my fear-elerated respiration, I did my utmost to convey my present situation, my voice faltering in ces. [So Hyuga is at and now youre outside the convenience store.] I just passed the tunnel! [Tunnel] What was I going to do? What was I supposed to carry out? I waited for Takenakas instructions. [Hakamada, pleasenow!] Huh [At this rate, it will be a disasterpleasequickly.] Takenaka um, Im sorry, please say it again! [At this ratewill] What When I checked my cell phone screen earlier, the signal was supposed to be functioning properly but a strange noise was mixed in with his voice and I couldnt hear the all-important part!? Even though Takenaka was telling me to do something, that part was inaudible. My impatience, which had subsided, was ignited again. Takenaka! Hello!? [Hello] Somethings wrong with my cell phone, I cant hear you properly!! [da, now] The noise was getting worse and worse. [HakamadaIfrom nowsoanyway] T-Takenaka!! FallHakamadathat person is likelyYousupposedsopleasequicklyor else] Quickly or else Look, I could tell things were serious, but this Seriously, what should I Hakadaquickly.] Ah, wait, Takenaka!! While catching the wind from the front, feeling the cold perspiration, I screamed until my throat was crushed, hoping to at least make my voice a little bit stronger so as to not be drowned by the noise that was intensifying. Takenaka, how can I stop Hyuga? I I dont want to die like this, not being able to do anything! I wondered how much of my voice reached Takenaka on the other side. [Hakamada, bi] The strap attached to the steering wheel and the cell phone both wavered pathetically. An electronic sound without warmth, the sound I hated to hear the most right now was looping incessantly in my ear. Snapped. Snapped. Snapped. It has been snapped. The only lifeline I had left was shredded, hammering in my head. All traces of hope and salvation, everything vanished and flew away into the darkness. Not merely my head, but my whole body, nketed in white. My cell phone crashed to the concrete ground at that very second when the strap snapped. I kept driving without stopping, catching the wind. I picked up the speed. Wrong. I cant stop. I couldnt stop. I couldnt stop the bike, nor could I slow it down. My body My body, my arms, they were stuck like they were locked in ce. It should have been that way. When my eyes drifted down to my hands, I realized why my body had abruptly lost its freedom. My arms, which were grasping the steering wheel, were piled on top of a multitude of white arms. They were obstructing me from turning the steering wheel. I was seized so harshly that I suspected I might get bruises, apanied by the sensation that my blood had stopped flowing. It wasnt limited to just my arms. The same suffering was in my pedaling feet and in my throat as I struggled to shriek All over my body, I was being forced to ride my bike, with white arms wrapped around me. Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. Lies, lies. Lies. Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes before flying backward. And then Senior. In front of me, with widened eyes and hands outstretched, was Hyuga, who was waiting for me. It was hopeless, I couldnt evade it. I was plunging in. The ensuing sound I heard next was neither Hyugas voice nor the lifelike sound of people being struck. What I heard was A horrific sound so intense that my eardrums ruptured. The sound of something immensely solid and strong being destroyed. Like an explosion. My body was flung forward. An iing floating sensation. Exactly the same sensation as when someone fell off a roller coaster. I plunged headlong into the white guardrail reinforced with steel tes. As I crashed into it, I smashed through the guardrail along with its reinforcements. The entire bike resounded with a deafening boom as I was catapulted vertically into the cliff at that spot. By the time I grasped all the details, it was already toote for anything else. [Your bike! Please stop right now, Hakamada!!} Ah, Takenaka, at that time. Was he warning me that? I thought I heard Takenakas heartbreaking cry, which was impossible to be heard, but now it was toote. I was cast out into the darkness and fell like I was being sucked in, and thest thing I saw was Senior with this were the same It was reflected in the mirror. Hyugas face was smiling as she clung to my neck Chapter 18.1: A World Without Exit Chapter 18.1: A World Without Exit Hah!! I heard my own voice, almost scream-like. I awoke, breathing heavily as if I was choking. My cheeks were damp with tears, and I even felt a sensation of anguish due to how harsh and ragged my breathing was. With every breath, my body, which was on fire like it was d in scorching heat,ined of inexplicable pain. It hurt throughout my body, making me couldnt move or get up because of it. A pathetic sound emanated from the back of my throat. Pain hit me in my mouth, even in my head, from the tips of my fingers to my toes, everywhere was searing with agony. I was sleeping. This softness was not a futon, but a bed. The ceilings stark white color was all that crossed my vision. Other than that, nothing else was visible. Was this a dream or Reality Hakamada. Thank goodness youre awake. Not the manager A middle-aged male voice, much like the managers, called out to me, prompting me to move my head with all my strength. The direction in which I turned my head was a strange man dressed in a white coat. Even in my foggy mind, I knew exactly what kind of person he was, simply by the fact that he was wearing a white coat. This is I, why? Its a hospital, you had been in a severe ident do you remember what happened that time? In a dimly lit room, a doctor in a white coat seated in a chair with a benevolent smile slowly informed me of that. ident Right, I was on my bike and I crashed into a guardrail And then The shback memory returned. Only my right eye was severely painful at the time, and I grunted and suppressed it. Did I survive? Why was I spared after such a dramatic crash when normally it would have led to death? Why? Ugh The pain was there. It was not a dream, this was indisputably the reality. So was that, Hyuga, a dream, an illusion From which point to which point? Until now, what have I been doing Despite finally awakening from the nightmare, the memory of it was threatening to envelop me in fear again, and I wanted to toss the feeling somewhere far away, so I inquired of the person in front of me, What time is it The fact that no light was prating through the closed curtains suggested that it was now the middle of the night. How long had I actually been asleep? My mom, younger sister, dad, and everyone else must have been shocked to find me in this situation Once again, I have inconvenienced the manager and Takenaka Um In cases like this, I supposed they usually let a person face their rtives at once when they regained consciousness. I wasnt sure if this was truly the case, though. The doctor remained seated in his chair with his smile unwavering. He showed no sign of panic, nor did he appear to be calling for anyone. If only I had questioned it Still sitting, the doctor stretched out his neck and brought his face close to mine. Hakamada, there is in fact one thing I need to inform you about. ? Its of great significance. H-Hah. My throat croaked and saliva fell out of my mouth. What was he going to say to me No way, it couldnt be that I would spend the rest of my life in bed Imagining the ill-omen, I responded briefly, narrowing my eyes. When I was approached, a t,rge face, with two fish-like eyes glistened. Unfortunately, youre already dead. Chapter 18.2: A World Without Exit II Chapter 18.2: A World Without Exit II Hah What? Huh, hah. what? Hang on a second. This guy, just now. Me dying He said I died What do you mean? Exactly the meaning of the word. Your motorcycle ident took your life at that time and it was a tragic end that everyone wanted to avert their eyes from. Even as he spoke nonchntly, the doctor remained smiling throughout. You didnt even have time to feel the pain because it was an immediate death. The doctors eyes widened to an unsettling level, his mouth hanging open, revealing his white teeth, and he described it vividly as though having witnessed it firsthand. N-No way I shook my head and denied it with a wavering voice. Thats a lie a lie y-youre wrong I-I am How could I believe it? Irrespective of how real the pain felt, such a thing, such a thing couldnt be Im not dead Im not dead!! Are you! Are you surprised!? The doctor broke into a broad smile, and a bunch of familiar faces streamed into the gloomy hospital room, carrying obnoxious cards that read, Great sess! with a peal ofughter It was such a nasty trick. How much blissful I would have felt if I had been told the story. I know its incredibly unbelievable, but you have to face it. Lies, its a lie Its all true, Hakamada. Its a lie! No way! I dont believe it! I kept spewing the same nonsensical words, so much so that I felt like a fool. The doctor nevertheless onlyughed and said, This is troubling, but contrary to that, his face was not troubled at all, in fact, his expression became distorted. This was a nightmare The nightmare was still persisting. I desperately reminded myself that I had to wake up. This kind of thing, of course it must be a nightmare. You cant wake up. Ugh All of this is reality, because you feel the pain, dont you? The pain of dying Thats the proof of it all. That this is the reality that you will never wake up from. Wee, Hakamada. You are now a member of our side. As someone who perished in the sea of trees, you will remain in this closed space for all eternity, along with the torment of yourst moments. Stop it dont say that Even though I wanted to cover my ears, I couldnt move my arms. The pain was so overwhelming that even if I tried to move it, it would hurt like hell. This, this pain, this was the pain I experienced during myst moments. Oh, yeah, I have one piece of good news. I figured youd be ufortable being alone, so Ive assigned you to a room with someone else. Dont worry they died the same way you did, so you should be on the same wavelength. WhatAh I I had assumed that no more terrors would befall me. That there could be no greater terror than that. Uhh uhh, uah, ah!! Standing behind the smiling doctor was a woman in a sailor suit, her entire body drenched in red blood, facedown. Hyuga Her half-open mouth promptly formed a crescent shape, and blood dripped from the tips of her drooping bangs andnded on the floor. She will be with you for a long time toe, now you wont be lonely Yeah, thats good, isnt it Hakamada Saying in a low, thick voice, the doctors face contorted like y. Congrattions. With this you and her are the same. The terror was still raging Previous Next Content Like this: LikeLoading... Chapter 18.3: A World Without Exit III Chapter 18.3: A World Without Exit III You are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead, you are dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. The doctor sneered and ttered, shaking his head. Hyuga approached me, extending a broken finger in the wrong direction Before I knew it, I was rolling on the cold pipe bed, crawling on the floor, and fleeing from the hospital room, leaving the lunatic doctor and Hyuga behind. Even my bones shrieked as every part of my body ached. I kicked the floor of the corridor with deadly force despite my state; more precisely, I should say that I was driven by the desperation that surfaced under immense pressure. No matter how much it hurt, I waspelled to move my body. To support my staggering legs, but to get as far as possible as well. While putting half of my weight on the wall, I searched for a way out of this world of madness. Wherever you go, its futile. Even hearing the doctors voice behind me, rife withughter, wouldnt deter me from stopping. Because The footsteps of Hyuga, who was dragging her flesh and blood from the hospital room, were unarguably heading toward me. No lighty at the end of the corridor, and the blue-green light of an emergency door or the like was flickering suspiciously. I felt no presence of life at all. This was identical to the devastated hospital ward depicted on television. Although the sound of her footsteps wasnt fast neither was I moving all that swiftly. If this kept up getting caught would eventually be inevitable. That was an ominous situation, that much I knew. Should that happen In my mind, I pictured BADEND in red letters like a game screen. What should I do? What could I even do? I strained to turn my inoperative thoughts around. Should I go somewhere and hide Butwhere to where to hide! Directly next to me was a door simr to the one I had just run out of but in another hospital room. Mustering up my courage, I turned around The shadow seemingly belonging to Hyuga was still nowhere in sight. Perhaps I could make it through With a ray of hope, I put my hand on the door, but as soon as I noticed the namete of the hospital room on the wall diagonally over the door, I let go of my hand and almost lost my bnce. W-What the hell Room 404, Hanging Hanging The text was too disturbing that I dragged my feet to get away from it. Something was off, what was this? Then, as if to confirm it, I reached the hospital room a few meters away and looked up diagonally above the door as well. Room 404, Jumping Strange. Room 404, Ingestion Room 404, Submerge Room 404, Charcoal Briquette Room 404, Bleeding It was way too strange. This was not normal. All the rooms I reached werebeled with words that shouldnt have been written there. Through the doorway, a low moaning sound sent a shiver down my spine, forcing me to swallow down my courage to step into the room. Imagining that the door might open on its own and drag me in before I could even scream, I stuck to the wall by the window. Where I was no longer mattered; I was not likely in the slightest to grasp the world even if I did figure out where I was. The trigger, wrenched by fear, bounced back. The moment Iid eyes on the fire extinguisher in the corner, I reached out with my arm to carry it up. With all my might, I smashed it against the ss window right next to me. Over and over again. Aaaaaaahhhh!! Fourth floor? Who cares about that? As long as I could get out of here, I would rather jump off the building. It was jet-ck with no moon, stars or anything to be seen, and I hit the ss window with a fire extinguisher. I did it so spectacrly that I was gasping for breath, and yet Why wont it shatterrrr!! Not only did it not fracture; it didnt even reveal the slightest crack. The fire extinguisher mmed to the floor, apanied by a sound of despair. Whats going on The window, which was unscathed, did not budge even when pushed, yanked, or violently pounded upon; it was securely fixed in ce. Rather than being a window, it was more like a decoration. It couldnt be After quickly making my way along the wall and reaching the nurse station, I went to the elevator that was there as expected, hit a series of buttons, and stepped inside. It couldnt be With a nasty hunch, I turned my attention to the control buttons. My prediction, which I hoped would not be wrong, was spot on. No way For real In utter shock, I banged my fist on the elevator, and the inside shook from the recoil. There should be buttons for close, open, and from the first floor to the top floor. And yet Before my eyes, there were no buttons for close and open, no buttons to ess the first floor, and no buttons to ascend to the top floor. All I found was 4. 4, 4, 444444, out of the ten buttons, all of them were 4. This was the fourth floor and all the buttons that existed went to the fourth floor so no matter which one I pressed the result would be Like it was a matter of course, there they were, buttons full of 4. As I stared at it, cold sweat trickled down my forehead and onto my chin at an rming rate. After stumbling out of the elevator, I fell to the ground in front of the nurse station and sank onto the sofa. On the other side of the station was a staircase. I couldnt even summon up the energy to go that way anymore. No matter where I went, it would be the same anyway, because there was no ess to the upper floor or the lower floor. There was no way out. Whatever I struggled to do, escape was futile. I was perfectly trapped. In this world of madness. Ah I lifted both of my fists to my chest, clenching them. If this was a dream if it was a bad dream, please wake me up. Awaken me this instant God, Buddha, or whoever was there. Please awaken me from this nightmare. Even so, the situation remained unchanged, despite how firmly I clutched my head and prayed. There was no sign of waking up from the dream. The only pains that were as distinct as everlike a whisper reminding me that this was realitywere the agony in my extremities and the excruciating pain in my right eye that threatened to gouge out. A sense of hopelessness and danger that I have never felt before. A sense of loneliness beyond the lovely expression of helplessness. When all of them merged and forcefully swelled up inside of me, I feared I would erupt at any second, and that was when it happened. The nurse station phone rang. My panic tolerance was at the lowest level. It was probably a good thing I didnt scream, but I had no time to brace myself for the unforeseen events that kept striking one after another, and my beating heart was at its limit. Even if I burst at once, it wouldnt be surprising. At the counter, though, the phone kept ringing. At this timing It was the kind of production style that was typical in horror films. In this situation it was inevitably better not to pick up the phone, no matter which way I thought about it. I didnt want to pick it up. Even though I truly felt so from the bottom of my heart, the phone rang incessantly. In short, this must be an indication that I should pick it up. Did this mean that it would keep ringing until I picked it up? The fear I felt was overwhelming, perhaps I was temporarily high on everything. My pulse was throbbing overly and I was enveloped in a strange heat. Realizing in the corner of my mind that this was the peak of panic, I reached forward with my arm and picked up the phone, drawing my body back slightly. What was ensuing? What wasing next Hello [] [] [Masa is it] That voice was Kinoshita!? Chapter 18.4: A World Without Exit IV Chapter 18.4: A World Without Exit IV Undoubtedly, what prated my ear from the telephone receiverwas Kinoshitas voice. Kinoshita! Is that you, Kinoshita!! [Masa why where are you now] Thats what I want to know! Listen to me, Kinoshita! I know it sounds unbelievable but listen to me! Right now, Im in the middle of a crazy ce!! Before I could even begin to wonder, I exined my current predicament as sinctly as I could, figuring that this must be a thread of salvation offered to me from heaven. Please save me! I knew I was talking an absurd amount of nonsense. I am locked up in a hospital that I dont even know whats going on! I dont have a clue whats going on, and Im going crazy at this rate! Please save me! Save me, Kinoshita!! [Masa] After a long silence, Kinoshita replied in a skeptical voice. Why was this ever-so-optimistic and jovial guy sounding so subdued and low spirited? [You are you really Masa?] Hah!? W-What are you on about dont you recognize my voice!? It must be a lie No way] Kinoshita! Hey!! [Theres no way thats possible] W-What [You who are you] What, ah!? [Stop it it cant be, that cant be] What are you talking about, Kinoshita its me! [No because because Masa is] supposed to be dead. [You fell into a cliff!!] and died. After hearing thatst word, the telephone receiver, made of stic, dropped to my feet. As I leaned against a nearby wall, my whole body released all of its strength in one fell swoop. I couldnt believe it. Even if I did, I couldnt ept it. [Masa is supposed to be dead] I couldnt actually feel it. I didnt even feel like I was dead, not even in the slightest. My mind was slowlying to terms with the reality that I was already deceased and had lost my physical body after initially denying it with all its might. It felt as though venom had infected my mind. This suffocating, oppressive air. The asional moan orment. An enclosed space with no exit. By all appearances, this was not the world of reality. On the other hand, neither was it a dream. Nor did it strike me as heaven. If so, it was hell or perhaps it wasnt. All I knew was that I was long dead, true to what the mad doctor and Kinoshita had told me. This was the afterlife where those who met their demise in the sea of trees would end up. Takenaka told me this before. When a person died in the sea of trees, it was beyond their reach to rest in peace. Bound by an inordinately intense spiritual maic field, they remained fixed as a part of it. Years and decades passed without the dead being able to move on, and those who remained fixed in ce found their fate at Im going to end up the same way huh In that ce, the next time I tried to drag someone else in, I likewise would be the same as the horrific vengeful spirits I had seen before Right as I thought that, the pain in my right eye spiked up and ck fluid started to overflow from the back of my eye like mud. Horrified by the unrelenting pain and the unceasing spilling of the ck liquid, a scream erupted from me. Keeping my eyes open was too painful. With my vision reduced to only half vision, I came to a realization at this point. At this rate, I would cease to be myself. This world was already trying to engulf me. Hyuga This must be the oue that Hyuga desired. I still couldnt ept it head on at this stage of time. This was punishment, a punishment for driving a person to death. I wouldnt deny it anymore. But I felt regretful. It was way too much. If I continued to despair and turned into an evil spirit and forgot everything, I would lose all memory of my identity and would exist only to curse another human being More than that The most regrettable part was that I would end up not being able to have a proper exchange of words with Hyuga. At least once. I wished I could have talked to Hyuga at least once. I wished I could have listened to her bitter words with my ego still intact. Hah Thats an excuse, idiot Right It was a convenient excuse. So many times in my life I have ran away from her, I have avoided facing her out of fear. Even though there were chances for that Whatever I attempted now, it was toote. But even if that was the case I would not want it to end like this. Not like this. I must face the past and Hyuga. This was myst chance. I wouldnt run away anymore, I wouldnt deny it. For too long I have been running away and turning a blind eye. Nobody wouldugh at me for acting like this for thest time. Here I was. Come, Hyuga. Send me the coup de grace. I would embrace it all. Calling out to Hyuga in my heart, I shut my eyes and waited for her, listening to her footsteps resonating in the distance.
Here is With all my determination in ce, I lifted my eyelids again, only to find that I was neither at the nurse station nor in a hospital room. Instead, I was in a familiar private room. A pitch-ck room, illuminated only by a TV monitor, a well-worn ashtray, a locker, only two round chairs, and a small desk. It was the back room of the convenience store. I raised my head loosely to look at the security camera monitor. On the screen was a pitch-ck back room with me leaning against the wall Hyuga, standing motionless by the doorway, was reflected on the screen. So you havee I called out to Hyuga, who was shedding blood on the floor and showing her bloodshot eyes through her bangs as if she had been waiting for me. My body was in tremors, of course, but I didnt avert my gaze. Watch carefully, watch her, and dont ever look away. Long time no see. In spite of the intense dread that was coursing through my body, the words flowing out of my mouth were frighteningly level-headed. The sight of Hyuga staring at me was etched in my mind. Her lustrous hair was disheveled, her lips were peeled, her skin was pale, and several streaks of red ran from her forehead to her neck. Rainwater and blood soaked her sailor suit, and her fingernails were cracked, some without even a fingernail. Like it was natural, her legs on either side turned in an incongruous direction. Her skin and flesh mmed against hard concrete was It was hopeless I couldnt say any further It was too miserable to put into words. Would death make anyone forget about the sense of pain? The sight of Hyuga looking down at me without even grunting in pain was so miserable that even just looking at her was painful. From that day until now, have you been in that state? Hey, Hyuga. . All this time, while I have cast you off into the corner of my memory and lived on with my life, you were alone, unable to rest in peace. Hyuga. Did you stay in this world? It hurts, right Youre suffering, right I know Not suffering in such an appearance would be a lie. Enough enough, Hyuga you dont have to look like that. You who were so upbeat, so straightforward, at the center of everyone, always upright, righteous, and kind For years you have been in such an appearance You should be smiling and shouting foolishly, not looking like that I deprived you of that smile that day and left you crying Hyuga. I made you that way, didnt I? I get it Im really really the worst! Had I listened to you properly back then, this wouldnt have happened The instant I said it, I couldnt stop the tears from welling up in both of my eyes. Im the worst! Facing Hyuga once again, who did not have any trace of her former self, I was so stricken by the misery and regret for what I had done that I could do nothing but stammer and wail. Even if I apologized, I didnt expect her to forgive me. I wouldnt ask for forgiveness. Hey, Hyuga. Please say something There must be a lot of things you want to say to me Hyuga didnt speak a word. When youre satisfied, kill me, I dont mind how gruesome you kill me because you jumped off a rooftop and Ill suffer the same amount of anguish. Its okay, dont hesitate I wont run away this time, and I wont be afraid of it. Hyuga did not utter anything. So no more. Tears streamed down my face, one after the other. Dont look that way Because I wouldnt ask you to smile one more time. Just kill me and rest in peace. With no words, Hyuga walked up to me with slow steps and stretched out her thin arm. At my neck Ugh! Overly cold fingers entwined and my respiratory tract tightened. Nails sunk in with terrific pressure, followed by Hyugasying all of her weight on me. The back of my head scraped against the wall, and I copsed to the floor as I was forced to. Covered over me, Hyugas long, bloody hair fell over my face. My teeth chattered involuntarily. Hyu ga. Hyuga straddled me and strangled me, blood-like cold ck liquid spilled out of her mouth, flowing down into my half-open mouth. I coughed uncontrobly, which made it more agonizing as I was squeezed tighter and tighter. It was the highest level of suffering that I have ever experienced in my life, something that was beyondparison. Ugh!! However long it took, my consciousness did not fade away, and the suffering only prolonged. The arms, which did not allow me any resistance, wed at the floor and persevered. Yeah Killing me so easily was not allowed, right? You were going to make me taste your suffering from now on, werent you? The resentment that has festered over the past few years. Hyu ga my bad Tears blurring my vision, and cold streaks have been running down my cheeks since a while ago. My bad it was my fault Again and again, my mouth kept spouting the same words. Even though we were so close, neither my words nor my feelings reached Hyugas heart. It was exactly the same as that time. Hyuga, I wondered if you were feeling this way too. Not being able to reach the other person with your words was.. such a painful, tormenting thing, right? Having grasped Hyugas wrath and sorrow with my own body, I felt like I had been given the punishment I deserved, and my mouth rxed as sweat and tears trickled down my cheeks. No problem. After all, I had put you through a lot of hardships, too. I really somehow realized it I made a smile while being strangled in tears. You always something to me said I somehow understood that Hyuga, who followed me around, was always hesitating to say something. Even though she was smiling with an unconcerned look on her face, when she came up behind me, she would give off this restless vibe. I should have turned around and asked her, What are you trying to say? Your story more properly seriously li sten that be better sorry I really in my heart about you Even though I acknowledged that she was a good person and thought that it would be fun to stay with her in the future. I was embarrassed to say it out loud because I felt like it was not me All I did was say things that would drive you away Im sorry I was so selfish The more I said, the more pathetic I felt. Even at this time, I couldnt even say anything that would satisfy Hyuga, and I only felt frustrated with my former self This sort of thing hurts your feelings In life and in death, I could not do a single thing for her. All I did was whine and cry, and it seemed I was going to end up being a self-serving person until the very end. Atst, my consciousness began to fizzle out. Not even my voice seemed to be able to speak anymore. Must be about time huh. Huh I stopped my thoughts. At the very moment when I was about to surrender everything to the agony, there was only a piece, a feeling of difort, if I may call it that. At thest second, I opened my eyes to look at Hyugas face, and that feeling of difort gradually and instantly spread. It turned into a conviction. For the first time, I realized something outrageous, new, and unbelievable. Why at this moment? I felt a few fleeting moments of regret at the realization. It was nothing more terrifying than to formte it into a single phrase in my head. This guy is not Hyuga I thought it was inconceivable. This guy cornering me in front of me, surely should look like Hyuga No she wasnt. She was 99% Hyuga, but the other 1% wasnt. My heart denied that the remaining 1% was not the same. Wrong. There was no doubt in my mind, my head was clear on that. This guy who was covering me was apletely different being from Hyuga Had it been the real Hyuga, I would hardly have felt this way. I would have slowly closed my eyes and epted death. Who? Who was this guy? Who was this guy? If it wasnt Hyuga, then Tell me who she was I didnt know this guy, not at all. I tried to put it in my fingertips, but couldnt exert the slightest bit of strength. The lips before my eyes curved up in a suspicious arc. Who who Who was this guy? This guy, who, what was she? From whom have I been running away until now? Whom have I feared, to whom have I apologized, to whom have I shed tears? By whom have I been tormented The things thatI have done until now What was it for Chapter 18.5: A World Without Exit V Chapter 18.5: A World Without Exit V I would be killed Fear colored my thoughts as my vision contracted. Often times upon death, it has been said that people would catch a glimpse of their lifes overallption, but nothing like that was reyed in my mind. From the tips of my head to my toes, mouth, nose, and ears. Even down to the holes in my entire body. All was awash in despair. My consciousness was descending into an immeasurable abyss. I felt my life was reaching its end. Shortly after My consciousness, which was about to drift away, was interrupted by a mundane chime that was so out of ce in this strained atmosphere that it was almostughable. The sound of an automatic door operating. Did someonee? Footsteps did not sound. Who I was short of oxygen, and tears were clouding my vision. I did, nevertheless, behold it. Under the door, through the counter, and approaching the back room. Something like a white haze. Fluffy and drifting, that entered the back room and came to my side, where I was being mounted. As the haze gradually took on the form of a human, it edged closer to my face and remained there, radiating dazzling light. [Senior] A voice broke through the darkness like a thread, a voice so sentimental that my eyes started to well up with tears once more uncontrobly. [Senior Masamune] My name was called. The one who picked up my arm that was flung on the floor, d in a white light that silently illuminated the darkness, and said my first name, which I hated. Hyuga [Yes.] I hadnt seen her in years, yet she looked exactly the same as she did before she died, my junior in high school. My words brought hurt and tears to her eyes. On a torrentially rainy day, she jumped off that rooftop and came to a tragic demise. She was in front of me now with the same smile she had back then. [Senior, its been a long time. You look a lot more mboyant now, you know.] Tilting her head with a grin, her red-rimmed sses slipped down slightly. Are you indeed [You are the indomitable ace of the baseball team, Hakamada Masamune, ss 2, year 3, type A, Taurus. Banana auit is your favorite drink. Right?] I thought that such a thing could never happen, but the warmth of her hand was so warm and reassuring. Y-You Unable to utter further words, I let arge number of droplets of emotion stream down to the floor. Chapter 19.1: Hyuga Aoi Chapter 19.1: Hyuga Aoi Instantly aftering into contact with Hyugas gaze, the woman who had been huntingme downand covering me retreated away from me, fled into the back room corner, let out a high-pitched squeal, and started to shrivel up and shudder. It looked as if she was terrified of the genuine one who had surfaced, screaming inartictely. [Shes a fake me, created by you.] Me? [A lot of exnation is required but I have a time limit as well.] Hyuga remarked, helping me to stand by lifting me off the ground. [So, Ill be brief I have something I really want to tell you about that day too.] That day Hyuga right you I-I did! Words were getting throughWith a sense of guilt that transcended my happiness, I clutched the small Hyugas shoulders firmly as if to cling to her. Whatever I said, its toote now I spat out as if to tell myself. The words stuck in my throat as I hesitated whether I should say them. Despite my conflicting feelings, I felt obliged to say it, face it, and cease trying to avoid it. I must face what I ran away from that time. Back then I! Because of what I did to you, that awful, horrible thing you What an insensitive guy I was. All I did was cover for myself and caused you to feel bad about yourself. I didnt believe in you After your death, I tried desperately to forget about you and shifted the me to you, iming that it wasnt my fault. No more cover-ups, I was going to honestly confess everything about myself that was harsh and unfair. Having lived a life of irresponsibility, and at my age, finding myself awakening to the same powers as you, I realized for the first time how you felt and finally decided to believe what you were telling me And then I started to develop a sense of guilt that came toote. I felt like an idiot for hoping to apologize to you, even though everything was already toote I continued to speak to Hyuga while choking and stammering. Youre already dead [Senior] Its toote I know you may think its toote or you may think Im just trying to make myself feel at ease but Please let me just say this. Im sorry for not believing in you Im sorry for hurting you so terribly that you wanted to die Im sorry Im sorry I couldnt save you all this time. Hyuga seemed bewildered, but I nheless grabbed her by the shoulders and gently hugged her. I dont have this kind of qualification you can pummel me if you wish. When I announced this, she indeed shoved me. My bad I knew it. [W-Woah Hey, Im really throbbing right now.] Ah [Senior, youve be more aggressive after not seeing me for a little while. Seriously, you surprised me.] When I wondered what she was going to say while she was in a pose that shoved me away, Hyugas eyes were nonplussed as she remarked somethingpletely out of the ordinary and unpredictable. You were you listening to me just now? [I did. You were sniffling so much that I couldnt follow what you were saying at some points, though.] I instantly stopped crying. I wondered what to say next Seconds ago, the atmosphere wasnt like this. Why are you smiling like that, dont you despise me? Without a singleint, you said such mundane things andughed. Werent you furious with me? You died in such a way. [Why must I be mad at you?] Huh What!? I mean! We had a fight back then! I called you a liar, and youyou died. [Um why am I supposed to be dead over something like that?] What!? [No, something like that is not going to bring my life to an end.] S-Something like that!? Like some olddy, Hyuga put her hand on her cheek and pped her other hand in front of her eyes. My whole body trembled and my head wobbled from the bombshell remark she had unloaded on me. [Senior, are you okay?] How could I possibly be okay? What in the world was going on? Then what are you suffering from to the point ofmitting suicide if it wasnt caused by that incident! [It wasnt suicide.] What!? [I didnt have any intention ofmitting suicide.] Hyuga mentioned that while shrugging. It wasnt suicide Although she stated so unreservedly that it was not a lie, I felt as if I had been pped from all directions, up and down, left and right, having been informed for the first time that what had been dragging heavy in my heart and what I had been desperately trying to face was merely a misunderstanding. Please tell me. It wasnt my fault. I had no time to be rejoiced by that and asked Hyuga, whom I had reunited with, about the truth of that day. Was it murder if it wasnt suicide? Or were you the victim of any unpleasant conduct, like bullying? You were adored by everyone, so why did you have to meet your end like that? Chapter 19.2: Hyuga Aoi II Chapter 19.2: Hyuga Aoi II After a short period of silence, Hyuga lowered her eyebrows and squinted apologetically at me. [It was neither murder nor bullying. Only that there was a slight screw-up.] What do you mean by that? [Well, to start from scratch, its a rather embarrassing story.] Hyuga dodged the question when I urged her to quit acting goofy and wouldnt offer me a concrete exnation. [As I stated earlier, I dont have much time so can we discuss this another time, please, in honor of my face.] Sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth, she yfully teased me. Did she think she could convince me with that? [More to the point, I have to apologize to you. Because of the way I died you were used of all sorts of things and suffered severely after that I didnt think that my death would be misunderstood like this you underwent an agonizing struggle without me knowing. I am sorry.] Right as I thought she was ying with me, Hyuga lowered her head politely, this time with her ck hair flowing forward. Why are you the one apologizing Idiot, Im the one who should be apologizing. [No. Its okay, I know all about it. What you said that day, that you didnt actually mean everything you said, and that you were trying to apologize to me Thats all that matters. Thats all I needed to be saved.] Hyuga. [You know] Wrapping my left hand in both of hers, Hyuga began to speak with a smile on her face as if she had been waiting for this moment. [The first time I knew about you was during the summer tournament of my freshman year. After switching with a third-year senior, you unexpectedly appeared on the pitchers mound with a face that could kill an opponent simply with your eyes. You stood there, sweating, unfazed by the stares of others and the yelling of the opposing team When I first caught sight of you, I was blown away.] The other school had the match in their favor, not allowing a single yer to reach base, and if the pitcher failed to score, nothing was secure. A second-year pitcher was introduced into the lineup. Even the audience was in a stir. Like everyone else, Hyuga likewise doubted that I would ever be able to close out this inning since, as a junior, I had a body build that was a size too undeveloped inparison to the brawny third-year pitcher. [Then, in the blink of an eye, you made strikeouts! So easily that it wasughable! Even now, I still remember that moment! I was so taken aback that I forgot to y the musical performance] Despite being in a position where even the slightest mistake was not allowed, Hyuga watched me continue to pitch with no change in my facial expression until I left the pitchers mound, forgetting about her own part during the match. [Above all, what struck me as remarkable was that even though you were pitching alone in that spot, you didnt show any concern or worry, and everyone around you thought so, but only you kept your eyes ahead andpeted with all your might. Back then, I was notfortable with standing out or being seen, so I chose the flute because I thought it would not draw attention, and had no self-confidence, not even thinking about having self-confidence until I knew youWatching you, I thought to myself how great you were, and I began to wish that I could be just like you. Always looking straight ahead, never looking back, just walking on your own path. I wanted to be cool like you] Did you really think that Im cool?] [Yes, you were always cool only when you were on the pitchers mound] What? So I was cool only at that moment huh. [At the same time that I made you my goal, I started to want to talk to you and get closer to you before long Since then, I put in a lot of effort so that I wouldnt be embarrassed when I appeared in front of you.] Up until that point, Hyuga had been an average student, in both studies and extracurricr activities, but thanks to her dedication and active participation in events and roles, in just one year her reputation as an honor student had been established. That all of this was done to bring her humble existence to my attention was unbelievable. How could Hyuga, who admired me and wanted to be like me, have strived so diligently to be the Hyuga she was now? From the very beginning, I thought Hyuga was like that, a guy who was always smiling at everyone and could handle anything. Even though I had wished I could manage everything as well as she did [I didnt do it for anyone, but for you, my senior, you were special.] Dont tter me I was a jerk.] When I said that to her, she shook her head. [Thats not true. I tried hard to be as confident as you, but when I talked to you directly, I realized that I was no match for you. You were clear about everything, without hesitation, holding steady on your own thoughts, while I was acting funny, yet having doubts in my mind and thinking about other things.] Its so unlike you to say such a thing. [Its because of the current you that I can speak honestly with you like this. But that makes me happy. I didnt want to keep it a secret or hide the fact that I had the ability to sense the supernatural from you because it felt like I was lying to you somehow.] Even after you went to the length of telling me, I didnt believe you at the time [Its okay because you didnt reject me. Besides, that kind of reaction is more like you and made me reassured I said the same thing at that time, didnt I?] Right somehow, its like being back in those days, in spite of all the years that have passed. A strong force was transmitted to the arms that had been wrapped around me. [You were amusing, strong and cool in baseball, frightening to everyone but in fact, a teasing character, a good person at heart, asionally kind, and I enjoyed hanging out with you!] Isnt that the worst! What a thing to say with a smile [Thank you for the enjoyable time and the many wonderful memories.] I didnt do anything to warrant a thank you [And I apologize for messing around with you so much.] That apology is epted. [You havent changed after all these years.] Is that in a positive sense? In a positive and negative sense. What was with that? After all, this guy was still the same Hyuga even after her death. Hyuga nervously gripped my hand as if to make sure and asked me while I was pondering this in my head. [Senior. Have you ever had any fun with me even a little?] I wondered why she would ask such a question but Hyuga seemed to want me to answer. So, I truthfully told her the answer to her question. Whenever I was with you, I was never bored but I guess you could call that having fun. Like a bud opening, Hyugas eyes widened and shook. [You are really a good person.] You [If only this were enough, I should have been satisfied But] The force of the fingers, which had been strongly conveyed, painfully leaped up. Hyuga tightened her grip on my wrist to the point that I thought my blood would stop flowing. [But I want more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more, more! More!!] Large droplets of tears slowly emerged from her shaking eyes. [I wish I could be with you more] The tears streamed down Hyugas cheeks as she smiled. From that first drop, Hyugas eyes began to overflow and run with transparent drops. [Huh Ah. Not good. I didnt n to cry. I didnt want to show you my crying face] Hyuga brushed her tears away with the backs of her hands and arms while her lips trembled, but it didnt stop her from weeping. They even fell into my arms. [I didnte here to cry like this, you know What am I doing I always lie to myself and cant be truthful when ites to the most vital parts Really, this pair of sses is useless I am useless Even though I decided to be honest with myself like you.] What are you talking about dont cry. [Only the same things are repeated even now that Im dead Im still the same as I was then This is thest time I can speak to you] Hyuga, rest assured, I feel like Im somehow dead already It probably wont be thest time Im sure Im destined to die with you So dont cry My other arm, the one that wasnt being grasped, lightly patted her on the head, and Hyuga took a few small, deep breaths, then raised her head. [No You have to go back to. Those people are going to liberate me and save you because they are waiting for you.] With a regretful look on her face, Hyuga withdrew her fingers from my arm. I tried to catch thatst finger as quickly as I could, but I was slightly toote, and Hyugas hand slipped through. [With this its time to part ways, senior.] With no more time left to spare, she rose to her feet, turned her back to me, and walked over to the woman who was still shrinking in the corner and held out her hand. [Come on, lets go together.] Wait, Hyugawhere are you going! I called out to her but she wouldnt turn around. Somehow I managed to get Hyuga to look back at me again, but for some reason, that was when half of my vision started to cloud over. I couldnt stand up even if I wanted to. [Senior, please take good care of yourself.] You idiot wait! She came out of nowhere and suddenly said farewell. Dont be ridiculous! I hadnt! I still hadnt done anything for you! [Please keep moving forward dont stop, keep going straight and advance. Senior, please be yourself and always continue to be yourself.] Hyuga! Damn Like a malfunctioning camera lens, my vision fluctuated between fuzzy and clear, preventing me from even catching a glimpse of Hyugas face in all its pure white splendor. Even so, I stretched out my fingers and arms as far as I could and shouted. Just when I thought we were reunited, you disappeared again, all by yourself. [Oh theres onest thing I forgot to mention.] Amidst my blurred vision and consciousness. [I.] Inhaling deeply, she looked back at me as if she had made up her mind to do so. At the same time, teardrops danced and glistened, and her long ck hair swayed. [I had you as my goal, but before I realized it, I was adoring you to such an extent that I was confused by my own feelings. Feelings like this. I am ashamed to express myself like this and thought it would be strange to say it out loud. I pretended to be disinterested, acting like an innocent person. But I didnt want you to leave me so I deliberately behaved strangely to catch your attention. Being afraid to be honest, countless times I have told you nonsense lies to cover it up. For a long time, I have been concealing it from you, but now, for once and for all, I will say it properly. Please let me say it properly. The thing that fell out with an audible thud was a pair of red-rimmed sses. [I like you very much!] Your overly straightforward personality, your slightly wicked face, and everything else. All of it. [Im not lying.] Before my consciousnesspletely faded away, my vision became clear one more time. [This time, its the truth] Hyugasrge ck eyes were wet with tears, and she was beaming with the most radiant smile. It was likewise thest sight of Hyuga that I would ever see in my life. Previous Next Content Advertisement Like this: LikeLoading... Chapter 19.3: Hyuga Aoi III Chapter 19.3: Hyuga Aoi III Yeah, looks alright, everything seems to be safe. The analogy of surfacing from the dark, cold depths of the ocean was fitting for this situation. Feeling a faint light on my eyelids and a solid weight around my lower body, I awoke. For real, this time. Lifting my eyshes, I remained stationary for a brief period of time, doubting repeatedly, but the swaying curtains, the breeze, the sound of the cicadas, and most all, the suns rays, which I hadnt experienced in a long time, convinced me 80% that this was real, yet I was still on edge. Because A man in a suspicious suit, who was probably there before I opened my eyes, was sitting brazenly around my lower body, talking on his cell phone and gesturing with one hand. Was I still in the midst of a crazy dream or was this More importantly, was I alive? Like I said, you dont have toe over here anymore, AkaneIts resolved. Youve been making phone calls again under the doctors watchful eye, havent you? Whatever happens, I dont care! Haha yeah ah, no, you cant, Ill get angry if you keep acting recklessly like that again. A man. Or rather, a youth. Chestnut-colored curly hair, un-Japanese-looking features, and blue eyes. Despite it being summer, he was attired in a ck suit with a red necktie around his neck. He talked in aid-back tone and was chattering happily with a smartphone in his hand. This guy was He was with Yakumo before Yakumos friend You are Ah, youre awake Then, it is time for me to go to Akanes hospital room and hang up the phone. After ending the call with a quick tap, the man turned to me, seated while giving me a gentle smile, much like Hyugas. Good morning well, I am not supposed to say that huh. Where am I and why are you did you not go back to Osaka with Yakumo? Well, here is Nantouka General Hospital. And Im on a business trip right now. What? When I was stupefied, he brought his small cell phone up to my face and snapped a shot. Excuse me. Unless I do something like this, Akane is going to leave the hospital again with an IV in his arm. He said something like, Im worried about sonny! Thats why I have to confirm your survival. With a giggle, he tucked it into his breast pocket. Mister, your life is saved, isnt it? Thanks to you, my schedule has changed dramatically and I have one less job to do Well, I owe you a debt of gratitude, and my boss will be pissed off but as far as it goes, the oue is favorable, right? While bbing something iprehensible, the man sat up from the bed, stretched, rolled up the curtains, and headed out. So long, take care! Goodbye! Have a nice day! At this point, the sound of the hospital room door opening preceded the departure of his footsteps, and I wasnt thinking rationally. The young man in the ck suit disappeared. !? Ugh! My body, which had not fully aroused, was awakened there. A hecious pain assailed me like an electric shock, and I cried out briefly from sheer anguish. Ouch oh, crap ouch!? Even if I tried to twist my body, it hurt so much that I couldnt do that. The rest of my body, including my bones, flesh, and skin, was in excruciating pain simply from breathing. Physiological tears welled up in my eyes. It hurt but the pain was This was reality. Then, I was now ali More importantly. It hurtttttttttt!!! Upon closer inspection, I found an oxygen mask over my mouth, arge amount of IV tubes in my left arm, connected to a huge machine of some unknown kind, with my neck tightly fixed, while my right leg was suspended by a cord hanging from the ceiling. My vision, which I thought was missing something, was only half open, and my right eye was crushed by a cloth that reeked of medicine. My right arm and left leg, which I thought were safe and sound, were wrapped in bandages, but my hopes were dashed by the exaggeration. Just as I thought that was the end of it, my head, which had beenining of a pain that felt like it was going to crack, felt surprisingly light. No way, I thought. It turned out that my head had been perfectly transformed into a buzz cut. Even without gazing in the mirror, it was evident to me that I was a severely injured patient. I mean, seriously, this hurt, no joke. To the point that I was about to die. No, it truly hurt. I might die. Big bro big bro!? Without me noticing, my sister entered the hospital room as I was writhing in anguish. Instantly at the sight of me, she made a face as if she were looking at a monster and screeched. She hit the nurse call button repeatedly until it became ludicrous. From that point on, it was all a madhouse. My mother and my fatherwhom I hadnt seen in a whileentered the hospital room apanied by a nurse and a doctor, whoseplexions had shifted. Despite the strain of moving my lips and breathing, the doctor removed my mask and threw a few questions at me before proceeding to do a whole bunch of other things to me. The doctor, who appeared to be in excellent condition overall, informed me that I had been sleeping for a week and was allegedly on the borderline between life and death. I knew it. That night, as I recalled, I had crashed on a curve, and plunged with my motorcycle into the cliff. Had I been found even a few minutester, I would have undoubtedly sumbed to death there. Shortly after the ident, fortunately, the manager drove by and, seeing the tire marks on the concrete, which appeared to be those of a brand new motorcycle, along with a wrecked guardrail that had been smashed through the steel te and was clearly out of the ordinary, determined that it was an ident. An ambnce was immediately dispatched and police were summoned to the scene to search for the victim. The manager eventually realized for the first time that I was the victim of the ident after discovering my cell phone on the road. Turning pale and panicking, he called my family, the night shift, several day and evening shift workers, and everyone else to search for me. By the time the people who were called in arrivedter, the police and rescue team had already arrived. Understandably, the police stopped them, believing that an amateur would encounter major issues should they attempt to ess the mountain at this time of night, so everyone waited with bated breath at the scene of the ident as the hours ticked by. Not long after that, I was discovered in such an appalling condition that I could have been mistaken for a corpse. Blood was all over me, even my clothes were stained with fresh blood, bones were fractured everywhere, and my external injuries were nothing short of horrendous. I was literally dying. Seeing me after I was found, my sister fainted, suggesting that I must have been in a ratherpromising situation. The reason I didnt die on the spot was that I was caught in a tree, which slightly suppressed the impact. Had I been unlucky, I would have been pierced by the branch and passed away immediately from the shock of organ damage, which would have been horrifying to hear. I was transported by ambnce and promptly rushed to the operating room, though. In the hospital at midnight, my mother was sobbing profusely and my father was still in a state of shock, still in disbelief. Hours of surgery, during which I went into cardiopulmonary arrest multiple times, was resuscitated each time, given massive transfusions of blood, and had every part of my body gouged, cut, and stitched together. Everything was over just as the sun was rising. Even though the surgery was said to be grueling, I persevered through it all; yet, I could not be regarded to have survived if I did not ultimately regain consciousness. Unless I regained consciousness, the doctors could not do anything about it. On top of not being able to do so, the current state of my condition was still poor, and they had even dered that I would likely spend the remainder of my life in a vegetative state, or worse, that I might die in a few hours or days without waking up. Nevertheless, when I abruptly awoke, I was in a position where a person ordinarily would not even be capable of raising their voice properly, yet I was capable of cheerfullyining that my body hurt. It was a marvel that I was still alive, as the doctor imed. My right eye, however, had been crushed in the crash and I would never be able to see the light again. Even so, there were nosting repercussions from the unconsciousness, and so far my reactions have been normal, so it was certainly not the worst-case scenario. I was told that with proper treatment, I could return to a normal life. While repeating, Well, its truly like a lie, the doctor took my hand and shook it. They would do a thorough examination next time to determine if there were any other abnormalities In any event, I found it difficult to follow the doctorsplicated exnation while being clutched in pain by my sister, who was sobbing next to me. My physical strength had reached its limit, and I no longer felt like I was alive. Exhaustion, pain, and a sense of relief brought me back to sleep again in no time. By the time I became conscious again, it was around the time the outside of the window was tinted orange.
Yo, you finally woke up, Sleeping Princess or is it Sleeping Prince? It was Hirais voice, though a bit threatening You dont have the features of a prince, huh? Ayame With aidback expression on her face, the person who entered through the curtains was againmunicating to me through the body of her daughter. In all of my interactions with her, I had never gone without being teased, so I anticipated that she would tease me once again. However, this time, she talked to me in a soft manner and seemed to be sympathetic to my wretched condition. Youve had a rough time of it, my condolences. No, Im not necessarily dead. Your folks have gone home to get your clothes and stuff. I apologize for the inconvenience. Im not inconvenienced by it. If I did, Id be worried. Make sure you tell your parentster. Yes. You lost your right eye but youre lucky to be alive. You came back well. I nodded with tears in my eyes as she said this gently. Thank you Perhaps Ayame knew what I was going through. With a mild smile, she opened the canned coffee tab. If you want to offer your thanks Tell it to that one and him. Taking a sip of coffee, Ayame pulled back the curtain behind her. There it was Against the white wall of the hospital room, sitting in a chair, Takenaka was asleep with his arms folded. An entirely fresh white gauze and a huge adhesive bandage were ced on Takenakas well-groomed face while he was sleeping. Compared to Takenaka, my wounds were probably more critical, but it did not mean his injuries were not something to be overlooked. I couldnt help but widen my eyes. Let him sleep, he must not have slept much in thest few days. You dont know anything about this, but he was the one who went through the greatest trouble to try to save you this time. Takenaka did that You saw that one, didnt you? I moved my head when I realize she was talking about Hyuga. She was able to reach you, all because of his efforts He helped her extend the time she could be with you just a little bit and now you must know the real reason why that girl died. Otherwise, it would be too undeserved. Even if she said she would still be okay with it. Were both women after all Setting the coffee on the side table, Ayame said she would share with me the battle that had been going on without my knowledge and the truth of it all. That pitiful figure of Hyuga that haunted me was nothing more than an illusion created by my guilty conscience. In a nutshell, I had been gued by an apparition who was the physical manifestation of my own guilty conscience over the previous few weeks. How did Ie to see such things? It was deeply connected to the sea of trees and my faltering spirit. Youve been entranced by the neclues of that sea of trees. Thats You asked me the other day whether there is something deeper and more sinister out there. Oh, of course I knew; there was no way someone as powerful as me could have failed to detect it inside. At the time, I sensed that your mental state was fluctuating, so I yed dumb and feigned ignorance, lest I cause you undue anxiety. Well, that backfired this time, though Geez, I should have given you some guidance if it was going toe to this. A plethora of grudges, envy, grief, and resentment was prevalent across the vast spiritual maic field. The nucleus of the sea of trees was, so to speak, a monster of thoughts created from the concoction of such negative power. That was the nucleus of the sea of trees. Always sucking up the filthy emotions of the people who congregated in the sea of trees, it grew up, and in rare cases, it possessed a mentally weak or unstable person and sought to draw them in. There are sites known for suicides and automobile idents, and the reason there is an unceasing stream of suicides is that those who are strongly embedded in such locations are responsible for them. Furthermore, unlike people, it could not rest in peace, and it is born from the strongest emotions of human beings, which makes it all the worse. Subsequently, neither the possessed person nor the people around them were conscious of what was taking ce until something transpired since it progressively corroded peoples minds from the inside out. It could be described as a fungus that corroded peoples minds, contaminating their spirits, causing them to hallucinate, driving them mad, and even leading them to death. Although insubstantial, inbination with negative emotions, it was said to be able to transform itself into what humans dreaded the most and visualize it. Feelings of guilt and the belief in my heart that Hyuga woulde to kill me someday resulted in me seeing such an apparition. It wasnt Hyuga who materialized in front of me that night; rather, it was my regret, remorse, and fear that had manifested as a figure. Takenaka sensed that I was possessed by that thing and was about to be dragged into it. The devils curve, which would be quite perilous if I kept going in the same direction, would be approaching me. He told me over and over again over the phone. Nheless, I was still in a panic when the phone eventually went dead in the middle of the call. At that instant, Takenaka, picturing the devastation in his mind, ran out of his parents house and called Hirai. Soon after, he heard from the manager that I had been involved in a falling ident, and with his heart pounding, he headed for the hospital. By the time Takenaka, who had driven his car, arrived at the hospital, I was in the operating room repeatedly undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest. The situation was so tense that even the doctor feared I might not be able to survive any longer. People waiting in the corridor had slumped their shoulders, and an air of resignation pervaded. Among them, only one person, Takenaka, did not relent. In front of the operation room, where those who could only wait for the worst toe were hunched on a couch corner, he asked my sister to lend him my mobile phone, which would soon be turned into a memento belonging to the deceased. After making sure with my sister, Takenaka contacted Kinoshita, my closest friend from high school, and informed him that I had been in an ident, that my life was in jeopardy and that he required his assistance to save me and asked him for the location of our old school. Takenaka knew that you had been beckoned by the other side and that you were already being dragged very deep and that if you stayed there, you would surely die, so he came up with a n, the only way to save you. No way Right, Takenaka took a gamble. He bet that she would bring you back from the brink of death. But Hyuga is Thats right. She didnt rest in peace, she was still here in this world. On the roof of the old school building. She became a specter bound to that ce, though. Chapter 19.4: Hyuga Aoi IV Chapter 19.4: Hyuga Aoi IV Ayame impeded Takenakas way after hearing his proposal, iming that such a method might not even be sessful and that he would be taking a significant risk to make it work, but Takenaka was steadfast and would not yield. Before the sun had even risen, they arrived at my alma mater and snuck into the old school building. He even broke the lock, soberly iming that time was of the essence. On the roof of the deserted old school building, Hyuga showed up there with a foreboding air, even though he did not call out to her. No longer retaining a trace of her former self, she had turned into an evil spirit that only sought to drag people to their deaths. The souls of those who linger in one ce for too long, even if it is merely a few years, be tainted and transformed into something terrifying. When we first appeared in front of her, she was Unable to even form her original appearance, she had forgotten her identity and created her own spiritual maic field on the rooftop. A conversation was out of the question, and moving in closer would have made her attack without hesitation. I told Takenaka to retreat. That if things continue as they are, instead of saving someone, another person will die. Bringing the evil spirit back to its senses was no small feat considering that they entered nearly haphazardly and without any sort of preparation. Her support was minimal since she was using her daughters body as a medium. She said that they should prepare themselves properly for the challenge one more time. He should have listened to what the veteran told him. At this point, Ayame ruffled her daughters long hair andughedically. Then he said, We cant take the long way to go again. Hakamada will die if we dont do it now Well, thats a good thing, I thought to myself in defeat. Then We went as far as we could, almost unarmed. Its been a long time since Ive been that foolhardy with an evil spirit though he was the most reckless one. Taking another sip of her canned coffee, Ayame looked back at Takenaka. She said that Hyuga, who had been driven out of her mind by the struggles of Takenaka and herself, finally regained her sanity as the morning sun was about to rise. Her soul, which had been bound and defiled with darkness for so long, was purified. Now able to have a proper conversation, Takenaka exined the situation to Hyuga and sent her to my rescue. Takenaka sent Hyuga out, assuring her that he would do all in his power to assist her despite her fears that she was short on time and power to reach the ce where I had been dragged into. After that, thoroughly exhausted, he returned to his parents house, which he had bolted from, and went to his grandfathers temple, where he shut himself in the main hall and recited a long sutra. Apparently, he had been empowering Hyuga for a long time without getting much sleep. Up until just before I woke up To think that he had been frantically striving to save me For a while, I couldnt say anything as I watched Takenaka sleeping with a reassuring look on his face. The wounds he sustained and the dark circles under his eyes attested to how relentless the battle had been. It wasnt just him. Just like Ayame said, many others were working in the shadows to save me. After I got into the ident, the manager contacted everyone and promptly made arrangements for the police and an ambnce. Hirai, Aoyama, and Nagase, all of whom took turns working the night shift in my ce while worrying about myatose state. Kinoshita, who came to visit me in the hospital, prayed daily in front of Hyugas grave for me to be saved. My mother, father, and younger sister, who looked like they were about to die, were talking to me over and over again, and the three of them were folding 1,000 paper cranes together, despite my unpromising outlook. The other staff members as well as Nishimura and Tanaka, who had heard from Kinoshita about my predicament, were helping to fold paper cranes for me. Hence, three bundles of 1,000 paper cranes were hanging by the window of my hospital room. This For a person like me. Everyone for a person like me. For such a hopeless me all for me alone. They should be doing this for me for a guy like me Mycrimal nd loosened again. The snot dripped down my nose but I couldnt wipe it off with my unusable arms. I cant believe it Despite me being a hopeless guy Thats why youre wrong. Idiot. Ayame sighed and informed me, her eyes moistening as if to impart insight to me, You are more cherished than you believe. Being liked by people, being loved by peopleRealize that a little. Otherwise, thered be no meaning in her rescuing you for the second time Second? The second time was when she pulled you back from the beckoning of the sea of trees, and The first time was That day, several years ago. That day? You mean the day when Hyuga and I had our falling out? You too were aware of how oddly she was behaving that dayeven more so than usual. It was caused by a major reason. What is the reason? Did that reason have anything to do with Hyugas death? Ayame took a white cloth out of the bag at her feet and brought what was wrapped in it up to the position where I could see it. Have you seen this? With an earnest expression on her face, Ayame showed me a piece of paper that was dirty and tattered, no, this was A talisman Although blotched and unreadable, it had some kind of writing on it. More than half of it was torn off, and I could tell just by looking at it that it was no longer in effect. We found this on the roof of the old school building. This is a talisman to seal up a powerful force. As you can see, it has long since expired. Somebody must have stuck it there a long time ago, to ensure that the powerful force wouldnt be attracted to it and harm people. Thats No way One by one, fragments that had been dispersed across my mind converged together, and they all guided me toward the answer I was seeking. Everything was connected. That day, that time. About why Hyuga was so desperate. To confirm that answer, I moved my lips fearfully. Hyuga, no way to keep me away from that ce thats why she Ayame paused for a moment and nodded. If she hadnt chased you off the rooftop, you would have jumped off that day, right over there. Unbelievable, I know. At Ayames words, a chill shot down my back as Iy back on the bed. You didnt see it at all at the time, but she did. She could see that you were possessed by something incredibly harmful that lingered in that ce and the proof was in the fact that you kept going to that rooftop. That is the harbinger. Before you know it, your mind has been contaminated and you are drawn to it. Various things be inconsequential, and you be lethargic. You were already in a state of immediate withdrawal, you know. Hyuga, realizing this, was in a great hurry to wake up my fogged eyes and did everything in her power to force me to leave the rooftop. In my emotional instability, I rejected Hyuga without even listening to what she was actually trying to convey to me. As a result, you left that spot. What she did was right but It was one step short of a solution, nevertheless. Even if I moved away once, I woulde back again. Hyuga was intensely distressed. After much thought, she finally came up with a solution She attempted to deal with that thing that was trying to pull you in. And it was only one person, and the result was starkly evident. Hyuga, who was only slightly more powerful than others, was sealed up for a long time by a powerful talisman. It was impossible for her to manage it all by herself. Even so, she probably thought she could pull it off. Perhaps she didnt doubt that she could do it. No maybe she knew. That she may not be able to ovee her opponent. Whether or not, Hyuga challenged that which stayed on the rooftop. She challenged and lost. Losing and then The vector was directed at Hyuga, not me. The same entity that was attempting to suck me in instantly took control of Hyuga and dragged her in with overwhelming force. Hyugas ego was robbed, and she was unable to resist. From a rooftop dozens of meters high To the cold rain-drenched concrete. She was pushed down That was the truth of that day. Her true demise. The truth buried in the darkness. The truth that would have been buried forever without Takenaka and Ayame releasing Hyuga from the rooftop It impacted me so much that I couldnt take it in. No way Whatever I did, my words wavered all over the ce, and I was powerless to straighten them up. A truth I had to ept, a truth I had never known before. It was too huge and heavy. Then she to save me I felt like I was going to be crushed For someone like me to save me in exchange for my life she died is that what you mean? That girl told us not to tell you about it until the very end. She said she didnt want to hurt you Because of me she had been alone in that ce until now Everyone mistakenly believed that shemitted suicide. Even though she was such a kind and gentle person with such a smile on her face, she became an evil spirit and forgot about everything. Such treatment for years without anyone to save her was too agonizing. And yet, she Even after bing an evil spirit she still thought about you. She was shouting your name all the time cursing and mourning herself for having no choice but to part ways with you like that. Even in death, she never forgot you alone and that was how terrific it was I was amazed as well Not for herself, but all for me. If you ever find out everything, she asked me to tell you this. Senior, please dont me yourself. I am d that I saved you. Everything she did was for me Instead of holding a grudge, she consoled me, even in death. Every thing is not good Tears streamed down to the edges of my mouth and soaked into my wounds. Didnt you die I was saved? Without you, I couldnt say that anything would have been better. If you hadnt been there You idiot You should be the one who deserved to be alive, not me. Even if you save this idiot, it wont do anything I couldnt even wipe away yourst tear. Not even yourst words could be answered back to you. And you for such a pathetic man Dont say that. Ayame stopped me as I was getting self-loathing. Even if you are such a fool she couldnt leave you alone. You were clumsy, all you had in mind was baseball, and you were stubborn But that girl couldnt help but like you more than anyone else Uugh. She only had one life to risk and she couldnt do it half-heartedly. Urhh So dont say such a miserable thing you dont have to force yourself to look good just Live on Ayame remarked as she made me rise on my feet anew. You have inherited the life she was supposed to lead so move on, stubbornly. Then she smiled at me for the first time. Thats her wish. The voice of a forlorn day-dweller. A ray of wind swept in through the window and ruffled the curtains. Turning away from the orange light, I gnashed my teeth. What should I do to stop these overflowing tears? Ayame, Im sorry Im going to cry miserably for a little while I see Then, Im going to have a smoke outside, call me when youre done. She left with a joke and quickly walked out of the hospital room with her canned coffee. I began sobbing in the hospital room after that, like a switch had been forcibly flipped. I wish I could have spent more time with you Me too Me too, Hyuga. I wish I could have spent more time with you too I wish I could have shared more stories with you and learned more about you. Hyu ga! On this day, I learned the true meaning of lifethat people did not live alonefor the first time at my age. Everyone was helping someone in the shadows and, likewise being helped. Without realizing it, in ces out of sight. Someone was keeping us alive. With the help of many people. We were not living but we were all being allowed to be alive. Hyuga! I was not alive right now. I was allowed to be alive. By one precious life, Hyuga, and the saving hands of many people. I was allowed to live Being allowed to continue living by From now on, I was going to keep on going, making someone to live and engraving that fact on myself so firmly and intensely that it would not disappear. Facing forward. It may take a long time but that was okay. If I didnt choose to retire, if I didnt choose to keep going, then you you would be smiling at me, right With the tiny palm print left by the IV on my left wrist against my cheek, I continued to cry, thinking of Hyugasst smile, until my tears were running out. Chapter 20.1: Final Chapter I Chapter 20.1: Final Chapter I Autumnal hues have taken over the trees that surrounded the graveyard, and their leaves were progressively scattering. Overhead, countless small red dragonflies were flitting here and there, seemingly upied in their search for their fated mates. Summersst remnants of heat have faded away, and autumnal vistas have utterly reshaped the season. The red dotted nket on myp belonged to my sister. When I pointed out to my mother how could a man possibly use a womans nket like this, she insisted that I should just go ahead and put it on. Though it wasnt that chilly yet, she was overreacting at the mere act of me heading outside. Even more, she advised me to get a stomach band and a woolen hat It has been a long time since I went back to my parents house and this was what I got. This doesnt feel like me. Just to be clear, this is not mine. The other party I spoke to was Hyuga not the tombstone of the Hyuga family. Im sorry for taking so long to give my thanks. I really wanted toe a little earlier, but because of my condition, it took me a long time. Two months have passed since then. The examination results came back fine, and I was discharged from the hospital and returned to my parents house instead of my apartment to recuperate. I still hadnt adjusted to the lifestyle of being in a wheelchair, wearing an eye patch, having both legs in tight casts, and being handicapped almost exclusively by one arm and one eye. Despite my bracing for this, I was still in need of help from those around me for the foreseeable future, and I found myself frustrated that I could not do the things I used to be able to do on my own. Things didnt go as smoothly as I had hoped, leaving me frustrated and feeling apologetic every time someone helped me out, but it likewise led me to be more grateful for the people around me, and I realized once again how much I appreciate them. Look, youve never seen me with my hair this short before. But I think it looks good on me. Oh, dont tell me I look like a prisoner. Underneath my knit cap, I had a shaved head that had grown a little longer than when I was in the hospital. The bandages were eventually taken off recently, but a severe scar on the back of my head and close to my forehead remained. I heard it would be less noticeable when my hair grew longer, though. I always wore a ck knit cap because I thought I would be misunderstood if I left it that way. I am nning to dye my hair ck again, so I guess its appropriate. With my left arm, the only one that could move, I offered incense and a bouquet of flowers, and since I couldnt press my hands together in prayer, I quietly ced my hand on my chest. From now on, I wille to see you more often, so dont get too lonely. Even if I was talking to a tombstone I was quite serious about this. She had properly departed to the other world and rested in peace. Now, if I spoke to her here, my voice would probably reach her. Therefore, even if I didnt receive a reply, I continued to talk to Hyugas gravestone without ceasing, believing that she was listening to me somewhere. Jeez you really have strange tastes, for falling in love with a guy like me If I said that, she would get angry. But I suppose I cant speak for others either Because I liked an oddball like you. At the time I didnt express it in words but now I could say it out loud and clear. Ive always respected you too, actually. I seriously thought it was incredible that you could do so many things and be liked by everyone because I am like this. To this day, I still couldnt believe that Hyuga respected me for having these thoughts. Hyuga probably shared my feelings, though. Its funny how things have crossed paths for us, isnt it? I, who devoted myself to one thing. Hyuga, who took on a variety of challenges. I, who was too straightforward with myself and didnt pay attention to the people around me. Hyuga, who was overly concerned about his surroundings and could not be honest with herself. In truth, we should have been attracted to each other. However, because we were aware that we were pr opposites, we were unable to connect our true feelings for each other. Had both of us been courageous enough toe closer to each other at that time, an alternative future might have been created. Well I cant keep talking about such things that are already past, can I? You were the one who told me to move on, after all. You can rest assured that Ill do as you say, I wont stand still anymore. Hyugasst words wiped away my hesitation to move on. If that was Hyugas wish, then I would just have to start all over again. Hyuga. This life you gave me. I would cherish it without a doubt. Thank you. In spite of the warmth of the sun, the wind blew ferociously at times today, scattering some more leaves on the nket above myp. From beside me, a long arm reached out and delicately picked them up before dropping them to the ground. Takenaka. As I said this, that guy smiled subtly and picked up another leaf on myp. Thanks. Am I interrupting your conversation? No. I have already talked for a long time. If I try to make her listen any further, shell get bored and start ying pranks. I see. Even if I said that, Hyuga has already rested in peace, so I cant see her Speaking of which, how have things changed since then? I shook my head when he said that. It looks like its weaker than before, but it still seems to be there. With a body like this, it was obvious that it would require a lot of time to get back to work, so I talked with the manager and resigned from that convenience store. The amount of times I have seen specters has decreased since then, so perhaps the ipatibility had an impact on me, yet my awakened power has persisted and hasnt entirely vanished. After all it wont disappear? But thats okay. My power has indeed remained but one thing has improved. That I was less susceptible to spiritual disturbances than I had been before. Should I say that I have developed a tolerance for them? Ayame called me a troublesome medium, and I used to attract spirits like a vacuum cleaner, but since that incident, I have yet to be embroiled in any suchplications. It could be that when Hyuga saved me, she shared her power with me I think This is too convenient, isnt it, to say this? No, not at all. I agree with you. I hope so really. Hyuga. She was a strong-willed, wonderful person, wasnt she? Yes. Closing his eyes, Takenaka carefully joined his hands for prayer toward the tombstone. Chapter 20.2: Final Chapter II Chapter 20.2: Final Chapter II Thank you very much, Takenaka. Even though it was just for a brief period of time, I am genuinely grateful I had the opportunity to work with you and the other individuals at that convenience store. I felt like my life had undergone a significant transformation. In both favorable and unfavorable ways. Though I have unpleasant memories and became handicapped. But everyone saved me, so here I was, living in this manner. Plus, I have never been so moved in my life. Having lived for 25 years without much thought, I finally became conscious of something that I should have realized in those 25 years. At that time of realization I was ovee with a sense of frustration or joy a feeling I didnt really understand and I couldnt stop crying but I was d to have realized it, and now I could genuinely feel it. That I was cherished by those around me more than I believed I was. And I, who thought I was merely existing, was a weak creature who could not survive without the support of those around me. And now, I have matured to be able to feel gratitude for that support. In a nutshell, what I was trying to say was that everyone was not alone. I am fine now. The experience at that convenience store wouldnt be in vain. I would indisputably make the most of it and be the one to support them this time. To do that, I was going to go to the people who need me first. The ce was my new employment. Is it officially settled? No, it gotplicated due to my ident But Kinoshita was persistent, and things were somehow settled the other day, so I am just waiting to be contacted. Hopefully, it will be finalized. Yeah. I am quite nervous about it I cant wait to be contacted by him. Me too Yes? I suppose its time for me to move on, too. Another strong gust of wind blew, and a small tornado swept through the leaves of the trees. Takenakas words were clear, and this time he picked up the fallen leaves that hadnded on Hyugas tombstone. I had a talk with the manager as well. The manager assured me it was okay but I was still hesitant to take a step forward because of what happened to Suzuki Her words haunted me, and I couldnt envision myself moving so easily to another ce when I hadnt saved anyone in that ce Thats what I thought Takenaka gazed up at the sky as he said. Your words led me to put an end to the feelings I had been dragging around for so long. [Youre only sacrificing yourself; its not for your own sake I know nothing about your situation so I dont really have the right to say this but Im sure you have other things youd rather be doing than being there. So why dont you move forward with that? Nobody will voice an objection to it. Youve already saved many people in this convenience store its not as if you havent saved anyone because you saved my life!!] What Takenaka was talking about must be referring to this. It was several weeks ago when I spoke passionately in the hospital room. Thank you Ive never been thanked like that before I was overjoyed that you told me not to try to handle things on my own, and that if I needed any advice at all you would help me. Takenaka looked embarrassed as if the mask he was donning had been removed and announced, I was then encouraged by Aoyama and Hirai. They assured me that they would protect this ce and that I could proceed to the next phase. Me too. It was a pleasure to work at that convenience store and to meet so many good people. I wont forget it, always and ever. Please do your best, Takenaka Oh, I wont let you beat me either! The doctor told me to be prepared for rehabilitation, that it would be a long-term battle Ill absolutely stand and walk on these legs again. So, at that time, lets meet again. Yes certainly. Takenaka and I exchanged firm handshakes and shared augh. We were both leaving for new ces, but this would not be thest time, and we would not return to being strangers. As fellow night-shift workers, our connection to each other would continue. And not only Takenaka Hakamada! Takenaka! The bus will be here soon! Its fine to beid back, but youll be left behind. Even though its a Hakamadas discharge celebration and send-off party, its a problem if the star of the show isnt there. On the concrete stairs, Hirai and Aoyama came down to call us. Hakamada! By the way, have you decided what you want to eat? Japanese food? Chinese? They have Italian food too! What do you want? The manager was shouting loudly above us while wavinghis hands. Yes! Were on our way! I replied while Takenaka helped me push my wheelchair. You two! Hurry up,e on! Hirai stood next to the two of us in hervender cardigan, her breasts jiggling in her flouncy innerwear. Her innocent, fluffy smile was shining brilliantly today. Yeah personally, I might miss this loli face and body that disturbed me not just a little but a lot. Didnt I sayI told you not to use sex appeal. Hie!! Ayame red at me. Takenaka chuckled as I shrieked in surprise. It was a little sad to say goodbye to this interaction for a while. Whats wrong? Hakamada? No, its nothing. In fact, Im sorry (that I only looked at your chest) until the end. When I apologized with my face tense, Hirai had a question mark on her head. Im going to miss seeing Hirai and Aoyama. ! Hakamada! To prevent Ayame froming out again, I chose my words carefully, and Hiraisrge eyes became moist. Ugh, me too! Me too! I will miss you, too! Whoa! Furthermore, Takenaka is leaving too, Im going to miss you two so much. Hirai hugged us with a sniffle. Hirai This I neither of us can withstand it. P-Please dont make that kind of face. It wasnt like I was flying overseas, and we could always meet up if we wanted to. Lets get in touch again and have a dinner party together. She looked so sad that I patted her on the head and tried to tell her so. Then whats going to happen at next years Comiket!? Thats what you are worried about!! I nearly fell out of the wheelchair. That was close. Are you okay? Im not at all okay. There are so many other situations I want to draw!! Hirai, please free us from that path this is a good opportunity. Takenaka shook his head. Ugh youre right. Its not fair to send you off like this Im sorry, both of you, for being so selfish Oh, no, no. Its us who will be inconveniencing the neers until they get used to it Hirai moved her body apart and sniffed, which was adorable, but her line of thinking was so far beyond my imagination that I couldnt reallyfort her in any way. No, its okayIts so frustrating but Ill put up with it Im going to do the recording for the original drama CD. What kind of horrifying product did this person intend to sell at the next Comiket! Seriously!! Ah! But Ill hand you the script if youre willing to help me with a separate shot, just read the dialogue that seems to be in it in a sexy way [[No thanks.]] It was a 120% synchronized humor. Well, you really cant keep on pouting about it forever, you know. As the Second Guardian God, you see. Rubbing her eyes and pping her face a few times with her hand, Hirai looked crisp and clear. But I must admit, Ill miss you badly when you leave. Hakamada is right, if we want to see each other, we can easily meet nowadays I know Im a fujoshi but will you meet up with me again? Being told this, we nodded at the same time. Of course. But Id appreciate it if you could spare us the fujoshi talk at that time. When I said that, Hirai stuck out her tongue andughed, saying, Thats my character, so I dont think I can do that. Leave the convenience store to me and Aoyama. Dont worry about anything But now we have to speed things up a bit. Aoyama! As we were taking our time, Aoyama came to pick us up. There you go. The injured should be carried away in silence. Aoyama, with his muscles bulging in both arms, effortlessly lifted me up by the wheelchair. Oh, Im sorry, Aoyama, even though Im heavy. Haha, will you repay me by giving me a kiss on the cheek? No. Im just kidding, dont make such a serious face, Hakamada, youre so cute. Hirai, instead of me and Takenaka, how about you draw Aoyama and the manager next time? No, thats not moe, She responded with a straight face. On top of that, it was an immediate response. At the back, Takenaka was gasping, and that was to be expected. Whats burning?[i] Oh, nothing. Oh, but, but! Hakamada, if youre going to be the universal bottom, it might be moe! Wait, what do you mean by universal bottom!? What are you guys talking about? I dont know. When we were fussing and fussing, the bus was about to arrive. The manager hurriedly called the four of us. T/N: [i] It has the same pronunciation as moe in Japanese Previous Next Content Advertisement Like this: LikeLoading... Chapter 20.3: Final Chapter III Chapter 20.3: Final Chapter III The four of us returned our replies separately, and we left the cemetery in a flurry of activity, afraid that we would miss our ride. Being carried in a wheelchair, my body was shaken in all sorts of directions, and I looked back. Hyuga The smoke from the incense sticks was still rising from the grave of the Hyuga family, and I stared at it as it drifted away from me. The figure of Hyuga was nowhere to be found. Only the smoke from the incense and a bouquet of flowers were there Hyuga was no longer there. The graveyard was as vacant as ever, apanied by the fallen leaves fluttering in the wind. At the sight of it, a forceful tailwind swallowed me up, leaving me feeling a bit lonely. It was like an encouragement from her. I stuffed the sensation of being dragged back inside of my chest. I told myself that from this moment on, I, likewise, would be embarking on a new path. Goodbye, Hyuga. Slowly, I brought my face back to the front and muttered. Goodbye, senior. Yeah, I thought I heard that from somewhere. I had such a feeling. Later Development Later Development Thats all I have to share about my experience. When I dered this as though I was closing up a picture-story show I had just finished reading, dozens of shaved heads who were lying on their backs or sitting on the futon on my left, right, and front sides of the room were all eximing, Wow! Oh, wow. Ooh. Hah! They heaved a sigh simultaneously. Phew Apparently, they were finally satisfied, which was a relief. I never expected that I would be narrating this story from beginning to end That horrifyingly sentimental story. It was an unforgettable experience I had in the summer of my 25th year, a strange and bizarre story. For years, I have recounted this story to my adorable students who were members of the baseball team. It all began when I identally slipped it out during a night of ghost stories at a summer camp. The boys, who were scaredy-cats but enjoyed such stories, were quite taken with my storytelling and the content of my stories. Consequently, Coach Hakamadas Super Scary Story Tournament has taken over as a regr event at the annual summer camp. Everyone was a bit worn out even though it had been a while since I hadst shared the story, but they turned off the lights and crowded around me, listening beneath the futons, periodically shouting and screaming in terror and then asking me anxiously, What happened next? urging me to continue. These guys reacted in a cute way every time. As a narrator, I was content if they were thrilled with my story. After hearing my narrative, the club members exhaled a breath of relief, but instead of scattering to their own futons, they hurried up to me, seemingly unable to cool down from the excitement. Holy crap! Thats really scary! Im surprised youre still alive, Coach! Youve been sweating your hands, man, its gross. I cant go to the bathroom at night. Hey, lets go to sleep with the light on. Idiot, of course Coach made that up! Hes so brilliant at telling stories! What? You dont believe me? I mean, theres no proof. You dont believe in such things? Specters dont exist. Those nostalgic words unintentionally elicited augh from me. No matter how cheeky they were, I wouldnt be offended. Every year, there were invariably two groups: those who believe in it and those who dont. Hey, hey! Coach Masamune! Coach Masamune! Hey, I told you to call me Grand Coach Hakamada, didnt I? Is there another story? No! Get to bed already! Did you guys know what time was it now? If you didnt go to bed, Teacher Kinoshita would lose his temper. I caught a few of the kids in a crowd and gave them headbutts. Jeez, middle schoolers possessed an endless supply of energy, huh? I was about to get really sleepy. Because I had an early start tomorrow. With a huge yawn, I urged them to go to the futon one by one. Then, next time, lets talk about Coachs love story! said the smallest boy who was positioned between my legs. Oh! Thats great! I want to hear about that girl named Hyuga! How attractive was she? Who does she resemble if shes a celebrity? Did she have big boobs? If she were alive today, would she be married? These guys When left alone, they did whatever they wanted. You guys are all going to run together from now on. Around a hundredps or so. When in trouble, I said this one word. The pupils fled to the futon as if they were spiders, or rather, as fast as cockroaches disperse. Sitting cross-legged, I snorted and warned them to go back to sleep even if I left. One of them, still undaunted, raised his hand and said, Yes, yes, yes. Kobayashi, I wondered if you couldnt sleep unless you got a giant swing from me. Then Coach! Did you like Hyuga? I was about toin, but then he asked me that, to which I responded with a look that said it was inevitable. Yeah, I liked her. Because she was a wonderful person. Thats! You mean romantically? Of course its a secret! Go to bed After confirming that all of the people who were making disgruntled noises like, Ugh, had finally gotten into the futon, I was about to get up, when one of them suddenly screamed and shoved the futon off. Right then, the guys who had struggled so hard to get back under the futon jumped up and started yelling, and they all came back toward me again. What the hell! Dont startle me, you idiot! I-Ieeee! Dont mess with me! What! Footsteps just came down the hallway!! Hallway!? When we all listened carefully, indeed, we could hear what sounded like footsteps cking at a strange tempo reverberating from the corridor and approaching us. Its the security guard, isnt it? Theres no security guard in this run-down ce! I-Isnt it a specter!? D-Dont say such a serious thing! Footsteps creaking on the old floorboards became gradually louder and louder, and when they came very close to the door, everyone in the room fell silent. Isnt it really a specter With anxious expressions on their faces, my students squeezed my sides and tugged at my pajamas with their slender arms. Coach! As they seemed to be on the verge of panic, I was reminded of myself in the past and tried to reassure them with a smile. Its going to be okay, guys. Stretching out my arms as far as I could, I wrapped them tightly around me. If anything should happen, at that time I remarked confidently, putting all my strength into it so that no one would ever be separated from me. I will absolutely protect you. Extra Story I Extra Story I (Takenaka POV) A ssmate in middle school, with whom I did not get along well, insisted that I purchase a wooden sword since I was a member of the kendo club, and I was unable to refuse. I never thought that the wooden sword from Kyoto that I was forced to buy on an excursion would prove to be useful here. The high school, which was in the suburbs, had suchx security that two trespassers could effortlessly slip in at night to the point that I was concerned about their security. We moved through a corridor between the first floor of the school building and the old school building to avoid attracting attention. Beyond that, the door to the top floor, which led to the rooftop we were aiming for, was locked with chains and a padlock, but fortunately, it was easily opened by striking it with a wooden sword. Wahaha, now Im a definite aplice, right? Looking at the fallen chains, my colleague, who was the most trusted member of the group,ughed without any sense of tension. Because of my own selfishness, she snuck into the schoolte at night, which she had no connection to, and was thus made to bear the brunt of the crime, but thanks to her carefreeughter, my heart, which had been wracked with remorse until a moment ago, was put to relief. Im sorry I didnt mean to involve you, Hirai. No problem. If there is anything I can do, I would be willing to help. A life is at stake, after all. She knitted her eyebrows with a grin and nodded her head emphatically. If nothing was done, the worst would surelye to pass. If so, I would struggle against the odds, even if the chances were close to zero. Well, just doing it wont be enough to get things all fired up If Hakamada is saved, Id like a reward from you, too. I responded, Whatever I can do, Ill do, when the baby-faced Hirai expressed this to me and fiddled with the ends of her loosely tied-up fluffy hair like a poodles tail. After a brief silence, the me of desire ignited in herrge, ck eyes. Then, then, then! If sessful, can I have you, Takenaka, model nude sketches in front of me! !? Had it been Hakamada instead of me, he would have made a full-blown remark while yelling out with all the force of a horse race. Having braced myself toe here, I was prepared to engage in a battle, only to have my spirit, which had been strained to the limit, instantly loosen with her outrageous remark. Hey, hey! Nude drawing! I-Is it full nudity? Yes! Full nudity! I have been wondering for a while, but Takenaka~, you have a remarkably attractive figure, neither too thick nor too thin, and on top of that, you have this perfect countenance I would love to sketch your entire body if you would be so kind as to give me some of your thanks for my future thin book productions! With a suspicious look that one would not expect directed at a man, the corners of her mouth ckened, and Hirais hands moved in a wagging motion. This person truly was outrageous. That can I at least be half-naked everything is a bit too much You know, ethics, morals,pliance Ehhhhh!! Didnt you say you would do anything!! Ugh A small sacrifice may be necessary to solve a more pressing problem Okay WoahhhhhhI did it!! What an oundish devils contract The baby-faced beauty sprang up and down in delight. The fact that the owner of this particr taste was older than me was another iprehensible matter to me. Hehehe, have your shoulders rxed a little? Was that a joke? No way? I will bepensated for my efforts. After all, Hirai was always Hirai With a heart of steel unafraid of any situation or asion, and the willingness to devote all her energy to her beloved category, there would be no more reassuring ally in this situation if her sexual proclivities were to be overlooked. I felt that my already-tightened spirit would have rxed considerably more if I hadnt thought about it in that way. Hehe, well, lets leave the yfulness at that Takenaka. Youve really changed. Is that so? Yeah. I never felt like you would be so reckless before. You wanted to be of help to someone, but you were clumsy, reserved, overthinking things, and would go around and self-destruct. Is that the way I looked to be? Aha, you didnt realize it yourself, did you? Hakamada has be an important person to you, hasnt he? Its only been a short time, but its been enjoyable so far. Takenaka You are not good with cats? Please listen to me Hirai is eyeing me suspiciously again Takenaka, do you genuinely think Aoyama is going to have a gender change? Wanna bet on it? Does Yagura talk or something? Oh no I didnt mean anything deep, I was just curious, ahaha. I know a great ramen ce in front of the station, the roasted pork fillet is incredibly tasty. Um Please dont sleep while standing up, its really dangerous, so if you get sleepy, please retreat to the back room. Im not sleepy. Well, it would be troubling if you get a nosebleed from a blow to the face like I did one day. At that convenience store, Hakamada told me many stories. Stories of trivial things, invitations to dinner, and he treated me like a friend who was close to his age. At first, all I hoped was that he would just go away. I thought that if I liked him or anything, I would be attached to him and eventually it would just get harder and harder again. To think that it would be great to taste good food. But I couldnt lie about my feelings to that person who honestly adored me. It wasnt for some noble cause that I wanted to save someone. The truth was, I just didnt want to hurt myself. Even still, I questioned if it served any purpose to keep frightening and misleading others, and I certainly had a desire to be rewarded somewhere, notwithstanding it was for my own sake. The unbearable regret that bound me, which I had given up on releasingWhen that person loosened them, I felt as if I could finally breathe. I was truly happy that he believed in me and relied on me. The voice of a cry for help was interrupted by a noise that lingered in my ears and would not subside. My sweat-soaked fingers gripping the wooden sword were concentrated with strength. I didnt want to have regrets like I did with Suzuki. So I will save him. Absolutely. I see. Then I have no further words. Hirai. Hmm? I am counting on you. Likewise. Well then since we are running out of time, I guess its time for a switch. Without any further teasing, Hirai giggled once more and then closed her eyes as if she were sleeping as I pressed my hand against the heavy, rusted door to ess the rooftop. Extra Story II Extra Story II With a huff, her unconventionally soft presence, as if a candle had been extinguished, subsided. And the next time she opened her eyes, her body was still intact, but what awakened was an utterly different person Her atmosphere shifted like a well-honed de, and with a sharp look that did not fit her childlike face, she daringly untied her loosely tied hair and re-tied it at a high position. Youre in for it no matter what huh. I opened my mouth, and that person blocked it with an index finger with a grim look on her face. Im sorry I implicated her in this My daughter agreed to it. It cant be helped. But Ayame withdrew a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her skinny pants, tapped on them with her finger, and smoked one. Fifty no, about sixty percent. My bad, but I cant throw my full force into it. As you know, Im using my daughters body as a medium, and I have no intention of abandoning that idiot (Hakamada), but Im also not such a toxic parent that I would put my lovely daughters life in jeopardy. Yes, of course. And one more thing. You must retire when I instruct you to. As you are aware what is upying up ahead is a monstrosity so sinister that the ones who wander into the convenience store seem to be a bit mild. With such a thickyer of filth all over the school that thing is sure to bring misery to a significant number of people. The theory is that when a monster grows this thick, it should be surrounded by dozens of professionals and exorcised. And you n to do something about it with this half-baked group of members? That would be suicidal. Ayames words were so spot on that I didnt feel like denying them. A mistake will result in more than just an injury. To save Hakamada, we inevitably need her help. We cant cross over to the other side by ourselves. It has to be her who has a connection with him. I understood that after being corrupted by a supernatural force, it was not realistic to restore sanity to the dead. Once I challenged it, the odds of winning were infinitesimal. I understood that, I did understand that. But still I dont want to let him die! Staring at me, Ayame snickered, lit a cigarette with a lighter, and released a puff of smoke. Dont misjudge the time of your retreat, as I told you earlier. That is a prerequisite for working together. Thank you. Its decided then. After exchanging a final confirmation with each other, I pushed open the door, which emitted a shrill screeching sound. Neither the moon nor the stars could be viewed from the rooftop, which was supposed to be so close to the sky, but it was not because of the clouds covering it. The air stagnated so much that it was dizzying and suffused with a negative, miasma-like atmosphere. On top of the chains and the padlock on the door, arge number of obstructions with No Entry written on them were ced outside the door and on the wire mesh surrounding the rooftop. Even if it was to prohibit students from entering, it was an unappealing sight to see on a school rooftop. However, it was likely that they did not want people toe to this ce even if they had to go to such lengths. Indeed, it seemed only reasonable that they would take such precautions given the severity of the miasma, which induced a shiver to spread from the tips of ones toes. Ah agh se n, i, o, r Not even a moment could be taken for a deep breath. That moment arrived immediately. A fear-inducing presence simr to that of the sea of trees was emanating from the doorway, yet the space we entered was insignificant inparison to the sea of trees I was bracing myself but a wave of dread swept through my overall body. Hey, hey, this is awful I didnt expect anything this bad. A ck, dirty, shockwave-like gust of wind assailed me without warning from the front, causing me to feel nauseous and almost bringing me to my knees. As she adopted a fighting stance to keep up with the entity that appeared in front of us with a horrifying howl, Hirais visage grew even grimmer. Hah, she came right away. Hyuga Those who knew her well would have beenpelled to avert their eyes. Se n, ior Otherwise, it would have been difficult to believe that she was the one who was beaming in that pictureit was just too awful, way too awful Agh The figure, which was enveloped in abysmal filthseemed to be a curse in human form only. Aghaahhca me fffffffffooorrr me huh From the corners of her mouth, which hung up, and her entire body, which trembled and twitched, red liquid like tears constantly dripped. S-Se, se, se, se, nior I-I miss youaaaahhhhhhhh. Furthermore, sheughed incongruously, and the oppressive pressure to revive all living things was constantly poured into my head. It was not that I had underestimated her. With her crossing paths with Hakamada and having been devoured by the supernatural entity here seven years ago and now a part of it, I was prepared for how much she was capable of doing but just confronting her like this made me realize how reckless I was. But Dont go. Even so I had a faint sensation. Dont leave me alone. Her true cry, which could only be expressed in words like an inorganic substance and which would never be understood by anyone, breathed at the bottom of the abyss. I am sorry, please forgive me. I want to apologize to senior. I want to apologize one more time to senior Just being able to feel it was enough. Hyuga, I will bring you to reunite with Hakamada once again. So please lend me your power. I need your help to bring him back from the brink of death. No hesitation whatsoever. Inhaling heavily, I held the wooden sword with both hands and closed my eyes. Yagura The mouth of the sheath was cut and the markup and nge were strongly joined together. Come. Behind me, I could hear the reverberation of metal and armor. The guardian spirit of the armored warrior, who never spoke, firmly grasped my shoulder, signifying that all of my objectives had been conveyed. Come on, lets get fired up. I nodded at Ayames encouraging voice, pulled my wooden sword out of its sheath, and stepped forward. Chapter 18.5 Promise Previous Content Advertisement Like this: LikeLoading... The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!