Shinrei Tantei Yakumo Volume 10 Chapter 1

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo volu 10 - file 01

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo novel translation

Volu 10 - Signpost of the Spirit

( prologue )

file 01 - on (translation notes)

Gotou Kazutoshi looked up at an apartnt building and sighed —

The apartnt was eight stories tall and the walls were covered in brick pattern. The building was shaped like a square missing one of its sides, with a beautiful garden filled with greenery, and stone covered footpath coiled towards the front entrance made from glass.

This building was constructed about half a year ago, and apparently each unit had three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and a kitchen with a price of seventy million yen. While located near the station with a classy appearance, it could still be considered expensive.

Even if one were to say it was due to being situated in the tropolitan city of Tokyo, the location was only one red light away from Kanagawa prefecture.

Indeed, the train station seed to be the primary deciding factor of the price. In the past, only the train that stopped at every station ever stopped at this particular station, but after a change in managent, the express train now stopped there as well, causing a hike in land prices.

“How does it look?” asked Eishin who stood next to him.

Despite his old age, Eishin had a dense and sturdy physique. Not only that, he was also in great health. A gentle smile appeared on the man’s face, who was wearing monk robes befitting of a Buddhist priest. However, Gotou knew that those things were re appearances.

The mont he opened his mouth, Eishin would transform into a selfish monk who enjoyed mocking others with his sharp tongue.

“No idea. How should I know just by looking,” Gotou replied.

Eishin snorted. “You truly are a useless man. Only your body is large.”

“You’ve got so nerve, ridiculing others.”

“I’m just saying it because I can. Unlike you, my body isn’t the only thing I have going on for .”

“Shut up!”

“Even your useless voice is loud.”

“If you don’t stop talking, I’m going to beat you.”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I could simply kick your family out, you know,” Eishin said with a smirk.

The mont he touched on that topic, Gotou had no choice but to swallow his anger.

Gotou had co to this apartnt at Eishin’s request.

Gotou used to be part of the police force, but he had caused trouble on a case and ended up being dismissed.

As being jobless wasn’t an option at his age, he ended up utilising his experience in the force to begin work as a private detective.

Not just any private detective at that, but a private detective specialising in spiritual phenona.

As for how the two ended up here, Eishin had heard from one of the families supporting the temple that a spiritual phenonon had occurred in one of the units within the apartnt. Because of that, Eishin had requested Gotou to investigate.

Perhaps Gotou should have been glad to receive jobs from Eishin, yet no matter what, Gotou wasn’t able to feel that way.

Eishin’s requests were guaranteed to be troubleso. He had no basis, but even now Gotou could only sense a bad feeling.

If possible, he really wanted to refuse this request. But Gotou and his family were only able to reside in the temple’s living quarters thanks to Eishin.

The temple where Isshin used to be the head priest.

According to the rules, Gotou, who wasn’t a monk, shouldn’t be allowed to live there. But with the help of Eishin’s influence, who was also Isshin’s ntor, Gotou and his family were allowed to stay at the temple.

Yet, Eishin was using the circumstances to force Gotou to take care of troubleso matters. Recently, he even started asking Gotou to beco a monk.

“My bad. Anyway, let’s head inside.”

There was no point for them to argue here. “Yes,” Eishin answered once asked by Gotou, and the two walked into the building’s front entrance.

Eishin pressed the apartnt number three zero one on the intercom, and after stating their purpose of visit, the automated lock on the automated door finally opened.

Upon entering, they were greeted with a spacious lobby complete with a seating area. Thanks to its well maintained condition, visitors entering the lobby would feel as if they were entering a hotel rather than an apartnt.

They ascended the elevator to the third floor, and upon arrival in front of apartnt three zero one at the end of the hallway, the door opened as if its resident had their arrival timing planned.

The person who greeted Gotou and Eishin was a pregnant woman in her early thirties. This woman must be their client, Hirota Setsuko.

“Sorry for making you wait,” apologised Setsuko with a tense expression.

“Not at all. I’ve caused your father a lot of trouble. This isn’t much of a problem at all.” Eishin responded with a friendly tone, unlike when he spoke to Gotou earlier.

“Thank you.”

After politely thanking Eishin, Setsuko turned to Gotou. Though unsaid, Gotou knew his presence was questioned.

“This man is Kumakichi, he’s almost like my disciple,” Eishin explained, introducing Gotou before he could even do it himself.

What did he say? Disciple? And who the hell is Kumakichi! He’s just doing whatever he pleases!

Gotou wanted to complain, but he decided to scrap that intention. He could never win against Eishin’s words. There was no point for him to fight back anyway as Eishin had allowed his family to live in the priest’s quarters.

Gotou had no choice but to greet her reluctantly. “Nice to et you.”

Relief appeared in Setsuko’s face. “In that case, please co in,” she said as she welcod them inside.

Gotou followed Eishin inside and took off his shoes at the door. Reflexively, he searched for his police gloves, a habit from when he used to be a cop.

“Over here.”

Setsuko ushered them through the corridor into the living room that was connected to the dining room, alongside a kitchen equipped with a counter for cooking.

The room had wooden flooring with ample space.

The windows were also large, adding to the spacious feel. However, it seed like the hot afternoon sunlight would shine through the windows rather intensely.

A dining table was placed in front of the kitchen counter, and right across were a sofa and a television.

The living space was so orderly, almost like a sample unit, as if no one had ever lived there. Perhaps because they had only moved in recently.

From Eishin’s story, Gotou knew that spiritual phenona such as sounds, objects that moved although untouched, and television that turned on by itself often occurred here.

Such phenona could usually be explained scientifically and the case would be closed by calling it off as a false alarm. The problem lied on the subsequent matter.

Setsuko claid she saw the ghost of a small boy in this room. And it didn’t happen only once or twice.

That claim alone rendered them unable to end the case as a false alarm.

“So, how is it?” Eishin asked quietly after bringing his face near Gotou.

“I’m not Yakumo. How am I supposed to know just by looking?”

“That’s true. You’re just a useless individual.” Eishin laughed mockingly.

What an annoying old man. But it was true that when facing a spiritual case, Gotou couldn’t do a thing directly by himself. After all, Gotou had no spiritual abilities of his own.

Even so, there was a reason he had chosen to focus on spiritual cases as a private detective. That reason would be Saitou Yakumo. A university student who, despite his annoying and rude personality, possessed a unique physical ability.

Yakumo’s left eye was red and could see the spirits of the dead.

Back when he was a police detective, Gotou was able to solve nurous cases with the help of Yakumo’s ability.

That was how Gotou thought about becoming a detective who specialised in handling spiritual incidents, as he thought he would be able to get Yakumo involved if necessary.

This ti, however, that would likely be difficult.

“Why are you spacing out?” poked Eishin.

“Tch, who’s spacing out?” Gotou clicked his tongue.

Suddenly, a strange event began to occur.

The photo fra on top of the sideboard knocked over with a thud.

Everyone in the room sewed their mouths shut.

Setsuko covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes widened as if they were about to pop.

Was it the wind? No, there’s no way. They were indoors. The windows weren’t open, and no one was roaming about to have possibly nudged the sideboard by accident.

“That was what was called porn- what was it again, huh?” joked Eishin.

“Poltergeist,” corrected Gotou as he approached the sideboard and tried picking up the fra.

The fra was made out of silver and a wedding photo was placed inside. Gotou flipped it over to carefully examine it, but there appeared to be no trick devices attached to it, or anything of that nature.

“Does this happen frequently?” asked Eishin to Setsuko.

Still with a startled expression, Setsuko nodded multiple tis.

However, Gotou couldn’t imdiately conclude that this was in fact a poltergeist phenonon solely based on a photo fra falling over.

Even so, as Gotou was about to return the photo fra onto the sideboard, a strange sound was heard.

Grooann—

A terrifying sound, like the roar of a monster.

“What was that?”

Gotou looked around multiple tis, but he was unable to determine the source of the sound. Yet the sound was too loud to be mistaken.

What on earth is going on?

Gotou was stunned, while the photo fra remained on his hand.

Right at that mont, he heard another sound.

The laughing sound of a child.

And not just from a single direction. The laughter ca from multiple directions, as if he was being surrounded.

Gotou thought he misheard it at first, but there was no doubt about it.

“Noooooo!” Setsuko yelled as she held her head and crouched. Eishin’s face looked surprised as well.

If what was happening was really a poltergeist phenonon, that ant sothing powerful was hiding here.

An ominous feeling then grew within Gotou.

“Yo, Mako-chan.”

The mont Hijikata Makoto opened the eting room, a man who was sitting inside lifted his hand to cheerfully greet her.

His curly hair was ssy, like a hairstyle that used to be trending in the sixties, his skin was slightly tan from being sunburned, and he was flexing his white teeth as he smiled.

Sayama Takeshi, a freelance photographer.

“Sayama-san. It’s been a while. What’s the sudden occasion?” Makoto smiled back at him as she sat on the chair across Sayama.

Makoto had worked with Sayama several tis before. As opposed to his relaxed appearance, Sayama’s work was solid and reliable.

Previously, Makoto had received a call from the receptionist that Sayama had co to see her. But, this was the first ti Sayama had ever co to see her for reasons aside from work.

“I had actually wanted to discuss sothing.”

“Discuss sothing..?” Hearing the unexpected line, Makoto beca confused.

“But before that, is it alright for you to be back at work?“ asked Sayama as he bent over his body.

“You knew that I was absent from work?” replied Makoto, surprised.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t know of such a huge incident,” Sayama then said.

Now that he put it that way, it was true.

Makoto had been absent from work for ten days and had only resud work one week ago.

Had she been absent from taking leave or falling sick, Sayama, who was a photographer, wouldn’t have had any business knowing. However, due to her involvent in a case, Makoto had gotten stabbed in the stomach and had to be hospitalised.

The case was also reported on the news, so it would be more strange if Sayama wasn’t aware of it.

“Is your wound alright now?” asked Sayama again.

“Yes. The wound wasn’t that severe, after all,” Makoto answered with a bitter laugh.

Although she had been stabbed, luckily none of her organs had gotten hit. She had only required a few stitches on her wound and had been discharged after spending three days at the hospital.

Even so, she felt like she was about to die at the mont she was stabbed.

Even now if she touched her stomach, the horror of standing face-to-face with death vividly haunted her so much that it would make her wound twitch.

“That is a relief,” Sayama nodded a few tis.

He appeared genuinely concerned about Makoto.

“So, what did you want to discuss?” Makoto broke the silence after considering a good ti to do so.

“Ah, that’s right. Actually, there is sothing I would like to show you,” said Sayama as he rummaged inside the bag placed next to his feet.

“Sothing to show to ?”

“Yes. Ah, here it is.”

Sayama placed a tablet device on the table.

“Just a mont…” he muttered as he swiped over the tablet’s display to search through the data inside.

“There it is,” he exclaid not long after.

Not understanding what he ant, Makoto stared at the picture being displayed on the tablet.

It was a photograph of a room.

It had wooden flooring, with a sofa and a table, as well as a large television. An ordinary looking room.

“What is this?”

“This is my room…”

“Your room?”

That was unexpected.

Maybe this was just her prejudice, but Makoto thought the room of a single male would have appeared less orderly.

“You were about to say that this room looks neater than you thought, weren’t you?”

“Is it obvious?” joked Makoto.

“Well, if I were living alone, maybe it really wouldn’t look this neat.” Sayama shyly uttered while scratching the back of his neck.

They had never talked about personal matters like this, but based on his response, Sayama appeared to have a lover.

“Eh? So you’re just showing this photo to brag about having a lover?”

“That’s not it. Look closely. Over here—” denied Sayama as he pointed at the surroundings of the television shown in the photo.

Makoto focused her eyes, yet she still couldn’t understand what Sayama was trying to show her.

Makoto looked at Sayama with a confused expression.

He simply did a ‘could not be helped’ gesture and began operating the tablet screen to zoom into the side of the television in the photo.

Makoto didn’t realise it when she looked from afar. But after zooming in, she realised sothing strange was captured there.

While faint and unclear, a black round shadow was captured there.

“This…”

“I think this is soone’s face.”

After Sayama said that out loud, the black shadow now seed to take so shape.

Certainly, the lights and darks of the black shadow appeared similar to the face of a person.

“There’s more,” said Sayama, opening a different photo.

This ti, a photo of a corridor.

There was a black shadow in front of the door. There was only a face in the previous photo, but in this next photo the shadow appeared more like a standing person.

“This too—”

Sayama showed yet another photo.

The photo caught one corner of the ceiling, and right at that exact corner, there was a shadow of a person’s face just like the shadow next to the television earlier.

“I think these are ghost photos…” Sayama declared while staring intensely at Makoto.

He probably wanted Makoto’s opinion.

The photos were certainly puzzling, but Makoto was reluctant to believe that they were actual ghost photos. Reason being that Sayama was a photographer.

“The editing looks convincing. How did you do it?” Makoto said carefully.

As a photographer, Sayama should be able to easily produce these photos himself. While unsure about the intent behind them, Makoto thought that maybe the photos were Sayama’s editing work.

“The photos that I showed you weren’t edited at all.” Sayama lifted both of his hands as if trying to prove his innocence.

“Really?”

“Of course. Why would I spend my ti and energy editing photos like that?”

“You know you can make money out of selling these kinds of photos, right?”

“My business isn’t that slow that I have to find extra cash that way,” replied Sayama with a smile, but a slight annoyance could be felt from the tone of his voice.

Maybe he wasn’t lying. However, if the photos weren’t edited, could a few shadows caught only by chance on cara really take shape in such a manner?

There was no way Sayama, as a photographer, didn’t notice.

“So these are actual ghost photos?”

“I believe so.”

“The ghost just so happened to be caught on cara?” asked Makoto.

“No, no,” Sayama denied, waving his hand.

“Actually, I heard strange sounds while in the room.”

“Strange sounds?”

“Yeah. At first it was like a groaning sound, like a wind roaring, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. But not long after that I heard footsteps as if soone was walking inside my ho. ”

“It wasn’t your lover’s?”

“No. She was sleeping next to at that ti. Besides, it wasn’t just footsteps. I also heard a strange voice…”

“A voice?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what the voice was saying, but it sounded like children raising a ruckus.”

“Then you tried to take pictures?” Makoto stared at Sayama.

Sayama nodded firmly. His expression appeared serious. Perhaps this really wasn’t a made up story.

“I don’t really care if it happens elsewhere, but this is my room.”

“That is true.”

If sothing like this was captured in one’s own room, it must’ve been terrifying for them and said person wouldn’t be able to live in peace.

“That’s why I thought I’d show them to you, Mako-chan.”

“Why ?”

“Why? Isn’t Mako-chan an expert on these things?”

So that was why.

Now that she understood that, Makoto spontaneously let out a bitter laugh.

She knew that there were rumours spreading around. Rumours which said that Makoto knew well about spiritual phenona. And those rumours were proven as she was involved in such cases multiple tis.

Be that as it may, Makoto was not the person who did it directly. The person behind solving those cases had been soone else—Saitou Yakumo.

After Makoto explained that fact, Sayama begged, “In that case, please ask that person for help.”

Makoto had no problems asking for help, but this ti, it was unlikely her request would be accepted. Yakumo was currently facing a huge problem.

This is tough.

Naturally, Makoto let out a sigh.

Inside a cramped room, Ishii Yuutarou was entirely occupied with sorting out paperwork—

The room used to be a storeroom that had been transford into a simple office with two tables adjacent to each other and a cabinet.

There were no windows around the room and Ishii had been sitting all this ti, so it felt stifling. Not only that, he beca unable to tell ti after constantly being under the fluorescent lights.

“How troubleso…” complained Miyagawa Hideya who was sitting on his office chair right across Ishii, sounding annoyed.

While Miyagawa had a small stature, he had a sharp gaze, with a scary expression and a bald head.

Miyagawa used to be the chief of the Criminal Division, but he had to take responsibility for a scandal and was demoted to the Unsolved Cases Special Investigations Division where Ishii was in.

The division na sounded prestigious, as if they were handling important work.

In reality, that wasn’t the case.

Ishii and Miyagawa were the only mbers of the unit, and their jobs consisted of sorting and classifying docunts from cases which remained unsolved.

To put it in another way, their unit specialised in office paperwork.

There were tis when they beca part of the investigation as backup when a high profile case arose, but such an event seldom occured.

No one could deny that their positions were considered insignificant.

However, Ishii was rather proud of his current work, as while those around him thought of it as aningless work, the Unsolved Cases Special Investigations Division had managed to resolve a notable number of cases.

“Well, don’t say it like that, Miyagawa-san,” Ishii said as he adjusted the positioning of his silver frad glasses with the tip of his fingers.

Miyagawa’s sharp gaze landed at him that second. To be honest, it was kind of scary, as at a glance, Miyagawa looked more like the individuals who ca from the underworld instead of the police.

“You sure are able to relax about this, huh?” scorned Miyagawa.

“About what?”

“About what, you say? Why should we be the ones being ostracised?”

“What do you an?”

“You should have noticed without having to explain it to you.” Miyagawa hit the table so suddenly that Ishii spontaneously hung his head.

Even if presented with such aggravation, he remained as clueless as he had been from the start.

“Why are you that angry?” Ishii asked.

Miyagawa let out a heavy sigh. “About Nanase Miyuki,” he then added.

After hearing that, Ishii understood.

Miyagawa had been talking about the case involving the religious organisation called Jikoukoushinkai. While investigating that case, Ishii and the others had t with the fugitive murderer, Nanase Miyuki.

In the end, Nanase Miyuki managed to escape. However, that incident led them to discover her previously unknown whereabouts. One could say that it had been a huge accomplishnt. As a result, the investigation headquarters had been using the case as a stepping stone to intensely pursue Nanase Miyuki.

Despite this, neither Ishii nor Miyagawa had been part of the pursuit. Miyagawa appeared to be angered by that fact.

“Can’t be helped, can it?” said Ishii.

Miyagawa stood up in anger. “Can’t be helped, you say? They never cared about that religious organisation in the first place! If not for our investigation, that case would have never even co to light!” blurted Miyagawa with a reddened face akin to a boiled octopus.

It wasn’t like Ishii didn’t understand his feelings. From Miyagawa’s perspective, it would be as if his delicious al had been snatched away.

Unlike Ishii who didn’t feel angry.

On top of not caring about accomplishnts or promotions in the first place, Ishii’s efforts to resolve the Jikoukoushinkai case weren’t to pursue Nanase Miyuki, but to save Gotou, who had been possessed at the ti.

In those terms, he had successfully achieved his primary objective.

Aside from that—

“Isn’t that great? Nanase Miyuki is dangerous. It’s better to leave her to the Criminal Division,”

His involvent with Nanase Miyuki had put Ishii’s life on the line nurous tis.

Perhaps this ti around, he would get killed for real.

“You! What kind of weak nonsense is that?”

“B-but…”

“If you are truly a detective, you should be more daring!”

“Y-yes…”

Ishii felt guilty for so reason and scratched his forehead.

There was no helping to say that his words had sounded weak. As long as he was able to say what was in his mind.

During the previous case, Nanase Miyuki had almost stabbed Ishii. Almost, as Makoto had saved him.

She had shielded him so that he remained unscathed. But instead, Makoto had been stabbed in the stomach. Luckily the wound hadn’t been deep.

That was the reason why Ishii no longer wanted to be involved in cases like that. Sure, he was scared of getting hurt himself, but it wasn’t just that. He felt restless at the thought that sothing might happen to Makoto again.

Since that incident, Ishii’s feelings towards Makoto had begun to change significantly, though he himself didn’t fully understand what those changes even were.

As he was lost in that thought, his phone rang.

The screen showed Makoto’s na. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Hello?”

“Makoto-san. How is your condition?” asked Ishii politely.

Makoto held back her laugh.

“O-oh, have I?” Ishii pretended not to know. But as he thought about it, it felt like that was true.

After the incident, Ishii had been visiting Makoto every day until she was discharged from the hospital. Even afterwards, he had been calling her when he had the ti to ask about her condition.

Without verifying, Ishii already knew himself that Makoto had fully recovered, but for so reason his worries wouldn’t go away.

Makoto asked, carrying on the conversation.

“To-today?” What was it? His heart was beating so quickly, almost like it was jumping.

“Of course I can.”

“Alright.”

Ishii hung up the call after they had decided on a ti to et. Suddenly he felt a cold stare and lifted his face, only to find Miyagawa standing next to him, arms crossed.

“Going on a date during work hours, how bold of you.”

“N-no, I’m not…”

“Shut up!”

Miyagawa circled his arm around Ishii’s head on a headlock.

“H-help…”

Ozawa Haruka walked towards the prefabricated building behind Building B.

The wind felt cold. It was really beginning to feel like autumn.

She stood in front of the door at the very end of the first floor of said two-storey building. A plate with the sign hung on the door.

She had visited this place many tis before.

“Yakumo-kun, are you there?” called Haruka as she opened the aged door.

The man called Yakumo had been sitting on his usual chair. With a gloomy expression as if the world had t its demise, he flipped through the pages of a really thick book.

Upon noticing Haruka’s arrival, Yakumo lifted his face slightly.

As per usual, he was dressed modestly, with a white shirt and jeans on. While he had a good-looking face, his dishevelled hair gave him a sloppy impression.

This ti however, one thing was different from usual. Yakumo’s left eye was covered with an eyepatch.

Yakumo’s left eye had been red since birth.

Not only was the colour unusual, his eye had the unique ability to see the spirits of the dead—in other words, ghosts.

Thanks to his ability, Yakumo had solved countless spiritual cases. Haruka had also t Yakumo for the first ti because she had sought help over a spiritual case.

Unfortunately, Yakumo’s red left eye had been injured during a recent case.

His eye had gotten slashed with a knife by the now fugitive murderer—Nanase Miyuki.

Luckily, his eyeball had not been hurt and only his eyelid had been cut. The wound had been stitched up and should have recovered by now, but the eyesight in Yakumo’s left eye had yet to return.

The diagnosis had been psychogenic visual loss. In other terms, his eyesight had been affected by psychological causes rather than physical damage to the eye itself.

It wasn’t like Haruka didn’t understand Yakumo’s feelings about it. All this ti, Yakumo had had many unpleasant mories all because of his red left eye.

Being able to see ghosts ant he had seen more things than a regular person ever would.

Most spirits wandered because they had lingering attachnts to this world. While not all of them, a significant portion of those attachnts were negative ones like revenge and hate.

Through his involvent in plenty of cases, Yakumo not only had to continuously observe the actions of the dead, he also had to witness the actions of those who were still alive.

It must have caused an unimaginable burden within Yakumo’s heart.

And that was not all.

Many people feared and were disgusted by Yakumo, all because his left eye was red. Yakumo’s feelings had been hurt by all the odd stares he had to receive from them. Despite that, Yakumo had worked hard to face everything with all his might.

That was why, perhaps it really was a pity that he had lost the eyesight in his left eye. However, if the eye was left unable to see, Yakumo may finally be freed from that continuous barrage of negative experiences.

The idea sotis made Haruka think it would have been better for things to stay this way.

Even so, that was just Haruka’s point of view. She didn’t know what Yakumo thought about it. Haruka could have just asked, but she didn’t have the courage to do so.

“Oh, it’s you…” Yakumo spoke, sounding bothered.

When they first t, Haruka would be rather annoyed at being treated this way, but she had gotten used to it over ti.

Yakumo pretty much acted like this with just about anyone. Sohow, Haruka even thought that he was cute.

“What’s with that reaction? Even though I took the ti to co by.” said Haruka angrily as she sat on a chair across Yakumo.

“You’ve been coming over every day. Do you have that much free ti?” grumbled Yakumo, closing the book he was reading and placing it on the table.

“Yup,” answered Haruka while puffing her chest.

It was only a little while before she would graduate. Her workplace had been decided and there were no more classes she had to take, so to be frank, Haruka genuinely had nothing to do. She really did have a lot of free ti.

Suddenly, loneliness crept up within Haruka’s chest.

As she had plenty of ti to spare now, she could go see Yakumo more often. But soon enough, she would have graduated. Once she did, she wouldn’t be able to visit Yakumo like this anymore.

“Don’t act so proud about it,” comnted Yakumo, before he let out a big yawn and ruffled his already ssy hair.

“I’m not acting proud of it.”

“That’s what it looks like to .”

“That’s just your odd way of thinking.”

“You don’t get to say that about .”

“Then, who gets to say that about you?”

“Your tongue sure has gotten sharper.”

“Thanks to you,” replied Haruka with a smirk.

Back then she wouldn’t have been able to get back at Yakumo’s comnts this way. She unexpectedly missed those tis when she used to get upset by Yakumo’s every word.

That didn’t an she disliked their current dynamic.

Haruka felt she had gotten closer to Yakumo since then, and more comfortable around his company.

“Yakumo-kun, can I have one request?” Haruka broke the silence with a more formal tone.

“Trouble again?”

“That’s not it. I think it’s about ti you stop associating with trouble.”

“But it’s a fact.”

“Just so you know, I haven’t brought you any trouble recently.”

Haruka hadn’t brought any cases for Yakumo for the past few months at least. Instead, the one who had been showing up with cases would be Gotou.

No. Rather than that, Haruka had gotten in trouble because of Yakumo more often nowadays.

“If it’s not so trouble, then what is it?”

“It’s no big deal, but…Anyway, I will be performing in my club’s concert for the last ti.”

“So?” asked Yakumo in suspicion.

Normally, Yakumo would be able to read into the situation with his sharp analytical ability, but when it ca to this subject, his mind didn’t seem to work.

“I want you to co watch.”

“Watch what?”

“I want you to co watch my last concert.”

“Why?”

Yakumo tilted his head slightly.

How insensitive!

Haruka held back from yelling.

She didn’t want to explain why she had wanted Yakumo to co watch her concert. If she did, that would be the sa as expressing her feelings towards Yakumo.

Yet, if she didn’t provide a clear reason to him, Yakumo would have never agreed to the request.

As Haruka contemplated what she should do, the door opened.

“Sorry to bother,” greeted Gotou as he opened the door to the Movie Research Circle clubroom.

“If you know you’re a bother, please leave,” The man called Saitou Yakumo said in a sluggish tone, sitting on his usual folding chair.

Gotou peered at Yakumo and saw the man wearing a pair of white shirt and jeans, his hair a ss as always. His left eye was still covered with an eyepatch.

“Gotou-san,” Haruka, who sat in front of Yakumo, greeted him.

Haruka had a round face with a short haircut. She appeared younger than her age, yet she had a strong ntality. Well, if not for that, she wouldn’t have been able to stick around Yakumo.

Yakumo’s eyes used to look glum, as if he hated everything in this world.

Gotou had been worried about Yakumo as if that continued, he might go towards the wrong path. Especially with his aura of constantly doubting everything.

Now, such an air could no longer be felt around Yakumo, although his upfront and irritating behaviour remained the sa.

Haruka, who had been sitting across from Yakumo, was the very person who played a big role in that shift. Her sincere feelings had lted Yakumo’s heart.

“Oh, Haruka-chan. You’re here,” Gotou waved casually as he sat on the nearest chair.

“I asked you to leave, didn’t I?” Yakumo grimaced, sounding irritated.

“No can do. I have so business with you.”

“What business does a bear have with humans?”

“Who’s a bear?”

“Oh? You’re not conscious of yourself?”

Yakumo made a surprised face on purpose.

Without really understanding what she found funny, Haruka covered her mouth in laughter.

“Stop saying such nonsense. Hear out first.”

“What kind of attitude is that?”

“Hah?”

“What should you say when asking people for sothing?”

“…….”

“Weren’t you taught at school? Ah, that’s right. Bears don’t go to school.”

“This brat…”

“If you’re complaining, then please leave,” Yakumo waved his hand as if swatting a fly away.

Gotou wanted to hit him once, but there was no point in worsening Yakumo’s mood.

“C-Could you hear out first?” pleaded Gotou, swallowing his anger.

“That’s all?”

Yakumo crossed his arms while squinting his right eye.

“P-Please…”

“Good job,” clapped Yakumo.

Gotou had held down his sha this far, so he was determined to make Yakumo do as he wished, no matter what.

“I wanted to discuss a spiritual phenonon—”

“I refuse,” declined Yakumo firmly, cutting Gotou’s sentence midway.

“Ha?”

“Did you not hear ? I said I refused.”

“What? You! How could you say that after asking soone to beg that far! Want to beat you up?!”

Gotou gathered his strength and grabbed the collar of Yakumo’s shirt.

However, Yakumo remained composed. He seed to know Gotou wouldn’t actually hit him. True enough, Haruka just smiled and didn’t stop him.

“Helping out a little shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

“I refuse,” replied Yakumo imdiately.

Well, this was the norm. Up till now, Gotou had consulted Yakumo many tis over cases that were sohow tied to spiritual phenona, but not even once had Yakumo ever willingly listened to him right off the bat.

If Gotou were to step back right after being t with such rejection, he would never be able to get Yakumo to listen to him.

“You could at least hear out first.”

“That’s why I said I don’t want to.”

“You…”

“Besides, it’s useless.”

“Hah?”

“I can’t see anymore.”

The pitch of Yakumo’s voice then shifted. His intonation beca completely flat and emotionless.

The weight of his words pressured Gotou’s chest.

Yakumo’s left eye had been slashed on the previous case. His eyeball hadn’t been hurt and only the eyelid had been cut.

Despite that, his eyesight hadn’t returned even after the wound had been stitched. According to the doctor, it had most likely been influenced by his psychological condition.

Gotou had accepted the news in a positive light. He had been convinced that Yakumo’s eye would fully recover and the eyepatch that remained over his left eye was rely there to cover the scar.

But based on Yakumo’s way of speaking earlier, it seed that his eyesight had yet to return, still.

“You can’t see yet?”

“That’s how it is.”

“Why?”

“How should I know?” asked Yakumo jokingly, but Gotou had a hunch that he felt differently inside.

“You…”

“Please don’t sympathise with . With this, I am liberated.”

Yakumo’s face had a refreshing expression.

Is that really true?

Yakumo had lived with seeing ghosts as a part of his life for as far as he could rember.

Thanks to that ability of his, Yakumo had to go through many painful experiences.

It wasn’t surprising that Yakumo ended up hating his left eye because of it. He had even attempted to harm it in the past. Surely Yakumo would feel relief after losing the ability that he had so despised.

However—that shouldn’t be all.

Gotou couldn’t put it to words that well, but one way or another, right now, Yakumo looked as if he had lost a part of himself.

It was impossible to think that he didn’t feel anything about it.

And not just that. Whether he liked it or not, his red left eye had undeniably saved countless people as well as souls.

Gotou had witnessed that firsthand, and surely Yakumo had realised that himself.

At the very least, Yakumo should be proud about that fact. That was why—

“It’s fine even if you can’t see. Either way, listen to the story first.” said Gotou.

If the cause of Yakumo’s left eye’s inability to see had been psychological, while a little forceful, getting him involved with another spiritual case could potentially help him recover.

“That’s why I refused.”

“That’s fine, just listen.”

Fully aware that he was being insistent, Gotou began explaining the spiritual phenonon which had occurred at the apartnt.

He thought Yakumo would complain, but the man in front of him remained quiet and listened to Gotou’s story.

“So, what do you think?” Gotou asked Yakumo after he finished explaining everything briefly.

“So what?” Yakumo replied coldly.

“I an, what do you think about the spiritual phenonon that happened in that apartnt?” Gotou asked once more.

Yakumo sighed loudly. “That kind of thing would likely just be sobody playing a prank of so sorts,” he answered irritatingly as he ruffled his ssy hair.

“How can you be convinced that it was just a prank?”

“Gotou-san, what have you been looking at all this ti?”

“Hah?”

“I defined ghosts as the cluster of emotions of the deceased. So, it’s impossible for them to have a physical influence—”

True. That was what Yakumo had theorised.

However, Gotou wasn’t convinced just yet.

“I know that, but I saw how the object fell myself. Also, what’s up with the sounds?”

“You an to say that a ghost did it?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that what’s called a poltergeist?”

Upon hearing Gotou’s opinion, Yakumo held his chin in disbelief. “Did you hear what I said? Based on that story, it’s the most logical option to rule it as a prank. Putting aside the sounds and the laughing voices, ghosts can’t produce vibrations or knock things over,” Yakumo vehently denied.

“In that case, let’s go onsite to be certain.”

“I refuse.”

“Hey now. Quit it with that stubbornness.”

“That should’ve been my line. I’ve told you several tis that I can’t see ghosts anymore. Even if I go there, I don’t have a way to verify it,” spoke Yakumo lightly with a smile.

Yet his words felt heavy on Gotou’s chest.

Yakumo sounded like he had given up on himself. Perhaps he thought no one needed him anymore after he lost his red eye.

“I didn’t an it like that. I…”

“Haven’t you had enough? Please just go ho for today,” requested Yakumo, signalling the end of their conversation.

Gotou wasn’t done talking. He wanted to signify one thing to Yakumo. But he decided not to carry through with his intention. If what Yakumo had said was true, then maybe the phenonon at the apartnt really had been a prank. Maybe there wasn’t a need for him to rush things over.

Either way, there was no use forcing Yakumo at this point.

“Alright. I’ll go ho for today,” said Gotou as he left the Movie Research Circle clubroom.

“Hey, is this really okay?” Haruka asked Yakumo after hearing the door close.

Gotou appeared troubled, so in Haruka’s opinion, Yakumo could have helped him a little.

“It’s fine,” answered Yakumo with a wide yawn.

“But…”

“After all, Gotou-san had made the wrong move from the start. Why beco a spiritual detective under the expectation of soone else’s assistance? It’s his own fault.”

It was obvious that Gotou had beco a spiritual detective because from the beginning, he had intended to get Yakumo involved.

“But is it alright to leave things that way?”

To be frank, Haruka thought that Gotou wouldn’t be able to do anything about the matter by himself.

“Just leave him be.”

“You don’t feel sorry for Gotou-san?”

“No.”

“Why…”

“I’ve said it earlier, based on the story, it’s more likely to be caused by so kind of prank.”

Gotou’s story conflicted with Yakumo’s theory that ghosts were unable to create any physical influence.

“That is true, but…”

“Besides, I wouldn’t be able to do anything even if I were to get involved.”

“What do you an?”

“Just as I said. My left eye’s ability is gone. So I won’t even be able to determine if it is an actual phenonon or not.” Yakumo smiled then reached for his eyepatch.

Witnessing the smile that was as if he was mocking himself made Haruka’s chest feel heavy.

“Hey, your left eye can’t see due to psychological causes, right?” said Haruka after choosing her words carefully.

So far, Haruka hardly touched the subject of Yakumo’s lost eyesight. Not just because Yakumo never talked about it in detail, but also because Haruka had been avoiding the topic herself.

Of course she had been curious, worried even. Yet the thought about Yakumo’s reaction upon asking about it made Haruka feel scared and wouldn’t bring it up.

In a way, Gotou had given her a good chance to do so.

“Yeah,” answered Yakumo nonchalantly.

“How about the treatnt?”

“I have it examined regularly, but it’s just regular checkups and discussions with the doctor. Well, nothing more than monitoring for improvents.”

“That’s all?”

“Yeah. That’s all.”

“Is there no other treatnt? Since the cause is psychological, maybe you could seek so counselling…”

“There’s no need,” replied Yakumo imdiately.

“Why?”

“It’s not entirely bad either if I’m unable to see.”

“You’re serious?”

“I am. I can still see with my right eye. Sotis it’s hard for to perceive depth, but I don’t have any issues with day-to-day living.”

Haruka understood what Yakumo was trying to say, but that was not the problem.

Yakumo had been able to see ghosts with his red left eye. It could even be said that he had another separate, completely different world that others didn’t.

He didn’t rely lose his eyesight in one eye.

Did Yakumo genuinely not care about that fact? Haruka wished to ask that, but her words wouldn’t co out the way she wanted them to be.

“I think things are fine this way,” Yakumo spoke, as if talking to himself.

“Eh?”

“I said, it’s fine this way.”

“Why?”

“This way, I don’t have to see unpleasant things.”

“That’s…”

Maybe that was true.

Due to his red left eye, Yakumo had witnessed many things.

All this ti he had to withstand negative emotions, like pain and hatred, harboured by the dead.

Those emotions were like a sharp knife that tore at Yakumo’s heart.

Haruka could understand what Yakumo was thinking, on how he no longer had to witness those unpleasant things anymore.

However, that shouldn’t be the end of it.

Countless souls had been freed from those pain and hatred because Yakumo had successfully revealed the truth with his red left eye.

Haruka, too, had been saved by Yakumo’s left eye.

She had been able to discover her deceased older twin sister, Ayaka’s true feelings—liberating Haruka from her trauma.

Had she never t Yakumo, Haruka would have continued thinking about her older sister, withdrawn in her own shell, pretending to be soone else all her life.

Even so, it would be egoistical to demand Yakumo to play the role of a saviour. Saving soone would also get Yakumo hurt in the process.

It would be cruel for her to force that idea of how lots of people had been saved thanks to Yakumo’s left eye.

“How unusual for you to have such a complicated look on your face,” mocked Yakumo upon seeing that Haruka had gone silent.

“I have a lot on my mind too.”

“It’s not your job to think about it.”

“That’s true…”

“This is my problem, and I’m fine like this. Isn’t that enough?”

This is my problem.

That one sentence sounded overly unpleasant to Haruka’s ears.

It was like being told that it had nothing to do with her.

Right when she thought she had gotten closer to Yakumo, the distance between them had widened again.

After giving it so thought, Yakumo had always been like this. Never spoke of anything important to others and kept everything to himself. Haruka would only discover Yakumo’s true feelings once everything was over.

Yakumo was like a cloud, just like his na[1]. Even right in front of one’s eyes, no one could ever grasp him.

Haruka let out a little sigh.

The mont Ishii entered the cafe, Makoto, who sat on a table inside the cafe, waved her hand.

Ishii had intended to arrive earlier than the agreed timing, but it turned out Makoto had arrived before him.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ishii ran towards Makoto and bowed his head.

“There’s no need to apologise, you’re not late.”

“But…”

“Ishii-san, I think you could be a little more selfish,” said Makoto with a smile.

Makoto normally had a dignified aura, but she appeared more childlike as soon as she smiled. The stark difference surprised Ishii.

“Um…how is your wound now?” asked Ishii.

Makoto imdiately laughed at the question. “Ishii-san, you’ve asked about it on the phone.”

“O-oh, really?” Ishii played dumb, but Makoto was right.

“I’m fine already. Don’t worry about it.”

Makoto touched the area on her stomach where the wound had been.

“That’s a relief.” Ishii was truly relieved—he felt that once more.

If sothing were to happen to Makoto, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to keep on living. At this mont, Ishii deeply cherished the fact that Makoto could laugh in front of him like this.

Why am I thinking this way?

He had never felt this way about Makoto before. What was this feeling really?

As he tried to figure it out, his face grew hot for so reason.

“Um…why don’t you sit down first?” said Makoto.

Ishii ca to his senses and realised the waiter had already stood next to him while bringing the nu. It appeared the waiter had been waiting for their order.

“S-sorry.” Ishii hurriedly sat across from Makoto and ordered a coffee from the waiter.

“Truth is, there’s sothing I’d like to show you,” said Makoto, picking up the conversation once the situation had cald.

Her gentle expression from before had faded, so Ishii understood that this was now a serious conversation.

“What is it that you wanted to show ?” asked Ishii, correcting his sitting posture.

“Here.” Makoto placed a tablet device on the table then slid across the screen to display a photo.

The photo seed to have been taken in a living room. Next to a large television was sothing that looked like a black smoke.

“What is this?” asked Ishii.

Makoto zood into the photo around the area where the black smoke was.

“Don’t you think this part looks like a human face?”

Without knowing what she ant, Ishii peered closely at the tablet screen.

The object appeared to be a regular shadow at first. But just like trompe l'oeil, little by little the contour beca more obvious.

“Hyaa!” scread Ishii, jumping in surprise.

Unfortunately, he bumped into the waiter who ca to bring the coffee. A big disaster unfolded: the coffee cup fell and broke, while the coffee stained Ishii’s shirt.

Ishii hurriedly apologised, the floor was mopped, and the waiter brought a fresh cup of coffee; by then they had wasted a full fifteen minutes.

Yet, Ishii cald down thanks to the series of events.

“Sorry for scaring you,” apologised Makoto after they were sitting across from each other again.

“No. You don’t need to apologise. I was the clumsy one.”

“But…”

“Anyway, that photo is a ghost photo?” Ishii returned to the topic at hand as he wanted to escape his embarrassnt.

“Yes. The photo was actually taken at my acquaintance’s ho.”

“I-is that so…” The pitch of his voice rose to the point that he was aware of it.

Ishii enjoyed hearing urban legends tied to spiritual phenona. But when it ca to experiencing it himself, his fear grew stronger.

Even though Ishii had been involved with spiritual cases fairly often by now, he hadn’t gotten used to it.

“Strange events had occurred multiple tis at his ho, so he tried to take a photo to confirm it.”

“And then the ghost was captured in the photo?”

“Yes.”

Ishii understood the story now. However, there was one thing that he didn’t understand.

“Why did you show this photo?”

“That acquaintance had requested my help to investigate this spiritual phenonon, but I can’t do anything on my own…So, I know this is selfish, but I wanted you to co with ,” explained Makoto, looking at Ishii.

So that was how it is.

Now that he understood that, there were still things he was confused by. Despite that, he was ready to help Makoto out. He would even sacrifice his body as he owed Makoto from the previous case.

But when it ca to solving spiritual cases, there was soone more suitable for the job than Ishii. Frankly, even if he were to get himself involved, Ishii would only beco a burden.

“For this kind of thing, it’s better to consult Yakumo-shi—”

As soon as Ishii ntioned that na, Makoto’s face turned grim.

Her response made Ishii suspect that there had been a conflict between Makoto and Yakumo.

“I thought about it, but…”

“But what?”

“It seems that the eyesight on his left eye hasn’t recovered.”

“Aah…”

That’s true.

The grueso sight flashed once more in Ishii’s mind. Yakumo’s left eye had been cut on the previous case.

But hadn’t it been the case that only the eyelid had been cut and his eyeball had been completely fine?

As Ishii questioned that fact, Makoto shook her head.

“That was the case…but it seems that he is experiencing psychogenic visual loss.”

By psychogenic, it ant that one’s psychological condition had caused the loss of vision. Ishii had heard that it could happen to people who had gone through severe injury.

“But maybe it has recovered now.”

“Actually after I called you earlier, I had tried to contact him as well. That’s why…”

Makoto looked down with a sour expression.

Yakumo had probably turned her down because his eyesight had not returned.

In that case, there was no way Ishii could turn her down.

“Understood. I will see what I can do.”

“Thank you,” said Makoto with a wide smile.

“I’m ho.” Gotou slid the entrance door of the temple’s living quarters. A delicious aroma filled the air straight away. Dinner had to be on its way now.

Gotou took off his shoes at the foyer and passed through the corridor into the living room. He could see his wife’s—Atsuko’s—back standing in the kitchen partitioned by a noren[2].

During his ti at the police force, Gotou had always returned late and never ca ho to Atsuko preparing dinner like this.

“Oh, you’re back?” Atsuko turned around upon noticing Gotou’s arrival.

“Yeah, just now.”

“I see. So, how was it?”

This conversation too would be unimaginable when he had been a police officer.

Back then, Atsuko had never asked about his work as a police officer. She understood that the police had a duty to maintain investigation confidentiality and had not dared to ask. Even so, Gotou felt that had not been the sole reason.

“It was nothing. That old geezer gave a troubleso case.”

“So, that ans this ti it’s a genuine case, huh,” comnted Atsuko based on Gotou’s roundabout way of speaking.

Despite calling himself a spiritual detective, most cases he had received had been misinterpretations and false alarms.

However, this ti around, Gotou experienced a spiritual phenonon himself.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“In that case, then it would be better to seek his assistance. You wouldn’t be able to do much by yourself, wouldn’t you?”

It was as if Atsuko was fooling around with Gotou, but that was indeed the truth.

Unfortunately, against a real spiritual phenonon, Gotou was powerless. That was why he had to seek Yakumo’s assistance. But—

“I’ve tried asking for his help.”

“And?”

“He rejected it.”

“He’s always like that, though,” said Atsuko with a laugh.

Anybody who knew Yakumo would have said the sa thing. Yakumo had never genuinely accepted a request even once.

“No. This ti it isn’t like usual,” Gotou shook his head.

“What happened?”

“He…Apparently his left eye still can’t see yet.”

Hearing Gotou’s words, Atsuko’s eyes widened in confusion.

“But his eyeball is fine, right? You did say that his eyesight should recover eventually.”

“That’s true, but…turns out that isn’t how it is. Said it was affected by psychological influence,” explained Gotou, spontaneously letting out a sigh.

At that ti, he had thought it could be a slightly forceful treatnt for Yakumo. Now that he considered it calmly, he realised the problem wasn’t as simple.

For a mont, he had even felt it might really be better for Yakumo if he could never see again.

“Hey, why don’t you invite him over soti?” Atsuko clapped as if she had just gotten an idea.

“You’re intending to convince him?”

“No. I just want us to gather and have a al together.”

“A al..?”

“Yes. You too, you should use this opportunity to talk to him without bringing up the topic of cases.”

Atsuko’s words surprised Gotou.

Atsuko had a kind face, yet as opposed to her appearance, she was ntally stronger than Gotou and was good at reading others.

Just as Atsuko said, Gotou hardly ever t Yakumo for reasons other than investigating a case.

At tis like this, it shouldn’t be too bad to converse with Yakumo without ntioning any case. Even so, would he even agree to it?

It felt like Yakumo would say “food becos unappetizing when eating with Gotou-san,” or sothing along those lines.

“Nao-chan will be happy too.”

That one sentence from Atsuko made Gotou nod. “You’re right.”

If Nao was present, there was no way Yakumo could refuse.

“Anyway, where’s Nao?” asked Gotou.

Normally, Nao would have been in the living room at this hour, scribbling away with her pencil as she liked to draw, but Gotou hadn’t seen her today.

“About that…she has a slight fever.”

Atsuko’s face beca worried.

“A fever?”

“Yes. As her condition looked concerning, I brought her to the hospital earlier today. She had a mild fever of thirty seven point two degrees, and her throat was a little red.”

“Did she catch a cold…?”

“I think so. The seasons are changing after all.”

“I’ll go check on her for a bit.”

Gotou left the living room and walked towards Nao’s room.

He opened the door to find Nao sleeping on the bed.

Nao’s biological mother had died when she was a year old. It had been Yakumo’s uncle, Isshin, the previous head priest here, who had adopted Nao.

However, Isshin had died as well. He had been murdered when he had been involved in a case.

Gotou and his wife had then decided to adopt Nao.

The two of them had no children of their own, and had sympathised so deeply with Nao’s situation that they couldn’t leave things as they were.

That wasn’t the only reason.

So ti before Isshin’s death, Nao had to stay temporarily in Gotou’s ho. Gotou had only intended to protect Nao at the ti. But that hadn’t been the end of it, as thanks to Nao’s presence, Gotou had been able to face Atsuko honestly for the first ti.

His hardened heart had been saved by Nao’s existence, letting him move forward.

While he knew it was selfish of him, Gotou felt that he needed Nao.

Certainly, he had been worried as he knew that Nao had lost her parental figure twice. The child’s heart must have been deeply wounded.

To further add to it, Nao also had hearing difficulties.

And most importantly, Gotou had been worried about whether he and his wife could beco parental figures.

All his worries disappeared as they began living together. His love towards Nao grew with each passing day and the girl’s presence soon beca irreplaceable.

His desire to protect brought forth many changes within Gotou.

At so point he felt deeply moved, thinking that perhaps this was how parenthood felt like.

To Gotou, Nao was genuinely a part of the family, his very own daughter.

“Nao-chan—” called Gotou as he crouched next to Nao’s bed.

Perhaps due to her fever, Nao’s breathing was heavy.

“Everything will be alright. You will get better soon.”

Gotou stroked Nao’s cheek.

Its tender sensation lted Gotou’s weary heart.

Gotou wanted to continue watching over the little girl’s sleeping face, but Nao was resting from her cold. It would be a pity if she woke up.

As Gotou was heading for the door to leave, he felt chills on his nape. An ominous feeling grew as if running within him.

What was that?

Gotou turned around and noticed Nao’s eyes were open.

“Sorry, did I wake you up? You can go back to sleep,” Gotou returned to Nao’s side and stroked her head.

Gotou thought Nao would go back to sleep, but she didn’t close her eyes. Instead, Nao stared intently at Gotou with wide, glaring eyes, not unlike a monster.

“Uuugh,” moaned Nao as she lifted her body.

“What’s wrong?” Gotou placed his hand on Nao’s shoulder.

“Eeek!” Nao let out a strange noise and brushed his hand off. Her mouth was vibrating, and her breathing irregular.

It was too strange a reaction to even be explained as deliriousness from the fever. What was actually happening?

“Graah!” This ti, Nao roared. She displayed her teeth like a hound threatening an enemy. Drool dripped down from the corners of her mouth.

“Oi, Nao—”

Gotou gripped Nao’s shoulders and shook her. Nao’s eyes instantly widened, and she bit into Gotou’s arm.

“Agh!”

Gotou wanted to withdraw his arm from the pain, but to no avail. Nao gripped Gotou’s arm and bit down hard as if she wanted to have it badly. She wasn’t playing around. Almost like Nao was about to rip Gotou’s arm apart with her teeth.

Gotou could have just forcefully pulled his arm away. But he didn’t want to injure Nao in the process.

“Nao! Get yourself together! Nao!”

Gotou could only call Nao’s na repeatedly while bearing the pain from his bitten arm.

“What happened?” shouted Atsuko who ca to the room upon hearing the ruckus.

She went frozen, speechless at the horrifying sight in front of her eyes.

Nao’s eyes shifted from Gotou to Atsuko. Her gaze was dangerous, filled with the bloodthirst of a wild animal.

This is bad!

By the ti Gotou realised that, it was too late.

Nao let go of her biting from Gotou’s arm, lowered her stance, and pounced ferociously at Atsuko.

With no way to escape, Atsuko caught Nao head on. The two keeled over onto the floor.

“Oi! You two alright?”

Gotou rushed towards them.

Nao was sprawled motionless. However, her breathing had returned to normal. She had probably passed out. anwhile, Atsuko stared at Gotou in bewildernt.

Even after being stared like that, Gotou himself had no idea what had just happened. Though, he did have a guess.

He had seen a similar phenonon in the past. A person possessed by a ghost could potentially exhibit this behaviour. If that was true—the thought of what was about to co sent chills over Gotou.

That afternoon, Haruka stood in front of the door to the Movie Research Circle clubroom. The red colour of the sky was just starting to blend with darkness.

She could have just opened the door like usual, right then and there. Yet, hesitation grew inside her.

Haruka had only visited yesterday. She would definitely get complained by: “It’s you again?”

But that was the least of her worries. She wasn’t that weak of a person.

Haruka was still reflecting on yesterday’s conversation. While Yakumo had said that he was fine with the way things were, Haruka felt that Yakumo was actually troubled about his left eye.

If only for a little, Haruka wished to beco Yakumo’s strength, but she had no idea what to say to that man.

She thought that she had been interacting with Yakumo sincerely all this ti. By doing so, she felt that she had closed so of the distance between them.

However, the closer they had beco, Haruka grew more scared of being hated and she beca wary of expressing her heart’s content.

Even Haruka was puzzled.

As a result, she had not been able to pry further at the topic of Yakumo’s left eye.

The more important soone was to her, the more she would be afraid to intervene. Haruka hated that part of herself. Human relationships were truly complex.

Though, nothing would ever change if she only stood still over here.

After she made up her mind, Haruka was reaching for the doorknob when the door suddenly opened.

“Woah!” she yelped, jumping backwards.

The person who ca out of the room was Yakumo.

His hair was ssy and he wore his regular white shirt and jeans, but he had an unusual expression.

Haruka could see the panic on his face.

“Did sothing happen?” asked Haruka.

“Yes,” Yakumo nodded slightly. “Apparently Nao had collapsed.”

“Nao-chan?”

Haruka imdiately understood the severity of the situation.

To Yakumo, Nao was his one and only remaining relative. Yakumo had always acted difficult around anyone, except for Nao.

Not only because they were siblings, but because Yakumo had been saved nurous tis by the girl’s cheerful smile.

Of course, it didn’t apply to Yakumo alone. Nao’s existence was important to Haruka as well.

She had lost count of how many tis she was saved by Nao’s smile when she was feeling hurt and sad.

“Gotou-san called earlier.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know the details either. He said Nao was transported to the hospital in an ambulance last night.”

“Ambulance?”

Haruka raised her voice without realising.

It couldn’t have been a small problem if an ambulance had to be involved.

“Apparently they have returned ho, so maybe the condition wasn’t critical…”

“Is that so…”

If they had gone ho as Yakumo had said, the condition must not have been serious.

Haruka was relieved for now, but she couldn’t be entirely at ease just yet.

“That’s why, I don’t have the ti to deal with you,” said Yakumo, walking away briskly.

“Wait, I’m coming along too!” shouted Haruka as she chased after Yakumo.

Although she might only end up being a bother, Haruka was worried about Nao’s condition.

Yakumo briefly stared at Haruka’s face, but then he gave up and sighed.

“Then, hurry up.”

“Yes.”

Haruka walked alongside Yakumo.

They got in a taxi that stopped in front of the campus gates. After telling their destination, the taxi began moving.

“Will Nao-chan be fine?” Haruka turned to Yakumo who was sitting next to her.

“Gotou-san ntioned sothing strange…” said Yakumo with a serious face.

“Sothing strange?”

“He said Nao wasn’t sick…”

“So she was injured?”

“That’s not it.”

“What does that an?”

“I don’t know the gist of it, but supposedly sothing strange happened to Nao’s body.”

Yakumo dropped his gaze to his feet and bit down his lip.

Haruka didn’t understand the aning behind Yakumo’s words, although Yakumo seed to have so idea as to why Nao had collapsed.

Haruka wanted to ask, but decided not to.

In this kind of situation, Yakumo would refuse to say what was on his mind until he had concrete evidence to support it.

Silence filled the air between the two.

The spinning taxi wheels sounded louder than usual, and for so reason the view seen through the car windows seed distorted.

Perhaps the anxiousness within Haruka had caused them.

Who knows what had happened, but she felt a very uncomfortable premonition.

10

Ishii had agreed to et Makoto in front of the station’s ticket gate.

He felt that he was in the middle of doing sothing daring, one that his old self would have never imagined to do.

They had planned to go to the troubled apartnt, to investigate the spiritual phenonon. Yet again, he had lied to Miyagawa that he had gone out to investigate another case.

Ridden by guilt, the stares of people passing by felt uncomfortable as he waited for Makoto. He was restless for so reason.

“Ishii-san.”

“Yes!” The abrupt call from behind had Ishii answer in a high voice before turning around.

Makoto was standing there.

His relief soon mixed with embarrassnt from his over the top response.

“Looks like I surprised you. Sorry about that,” apologised Makoto.

“No, it’s fine. I was the one who got too startled…”

“That’s true. I ended up getting startled as well.”

Done laughing, they headed for their destination with the new change of atmosphere.

“We’re here.”

After walking for ten minutes from the station, Makoto stopped.

So the spiritual phenonon took place in this apartnt…

The area was filled with greenery and the building was surrounded by beautiful shrubs. A stone covered footpath extended all the way to its entrance.

The apartnt was eight stories tall, shaped like a square missing one of its sides. Walls with brick-like patterns gave it an elegant impression.

Next to a few shrubs was a plate with the word “Signpost”, the na of this apartnt.

So the construction work that Ishii had seen when he had been in the area previously had been for this apartnt.

“Let’s go,” Makoto began walking.

“Yes,” Ishii answered, following Makoto.

They rang the bell to the room number on the intercom in front of the entrance before a man’s voice answered, “I’m opening the doors.”

Ishii hadn’t asked, but it turned out that the acquaintance Makoto had ntioned was a man.

As the automatic door opened, they went into the building entrance.

They were imdiately treated to the sights of a classy looking space, furnished with an elegantly combined choice of colours. The entrance was almost like a hotel lobby with sofas provided.

Ishii ascended the elevator with Makoto up to the highest level, the eighth floor. They went through a few turns in the corridor before Makoto stopped at apartnt eight zero one.

“Here it is,” said Makoto, pressing the intercom bell next to the door.

Soon the door opened and a man erged from the inside. He appeared to be in his late thirties. His hair was perd and gave a ssy impression, but he had a sharp, handso profile.

“Hey, Mako-chan. Sorry for the trouble,” said the man lightheartedly with a smile.

His deanour made Ishii uneasy. On top of that, he called Makoto “Mako-chan”. Their familiarity annoyed Ishii.

Why would Makoto even let him address her that way? Was this man’s relationship with Makoto really that close?

The further he thought about it, the more upset Ishii grew.

“This is Ishii from the Setamachi precinct police.”

While Ishii was deep in his own thoughts, Makoto had already introduced him in his place.

Ishii snapped out of it and bowed. “I’m Ishii.”

Makoto then introduced the man who had welcod them. “This is Sayama.”

“Hello, I am Sayama. But why is a mber of the police tagging along?” Sayama tilted his head.

Well, it was understandable for him to think that way. Ishii had no idea how to explain either.

“Ishii has been involved in ghost related cases often. I asked for his assistance personally as I wanted so objective input.” Makoto explained effortlessly in Ishii’s stead.

Perhaps she had predicted that such a question would arise and had co up with an answer ahead of ti.

Sayama seed to accept Makoto’s explanation as he ushered them inside. “Please co in.”

Nodding to each other, Ishii and Makoto entered the apartnt foyer. A corridor spanned straight ahead with two doors at the midpoint. At the end of the corridor was another door leading to the living room.

The living room had a large window, allowing plenty of sunlight to enter. There was a large television as seen in the photos, alongside a headboard, sofa, and dining table.

A modest, yet cosy room.

Ishii montarily thought that he would have liked to live in such a place too, but he imdiately shut down the thought. The place was haunted—

“Don’t tell , this is your girlfriend?” said Makoto while picking up the photo fra on top of the headboard.

“That’s her indeed,” Sayama responded, laughing shyly.

“What is she like?”

“Now, there’s no need to talk about that, right,” dodged Sayama.

“Fair enough,” replied Makoto.

Apparently Sayama had a lover.

That ant he had only addressed Makoto familiarly because that was how his personality was—though the timing was inappropriate, Ishii felt relieved at the thought.

“Ishii, let’s check it out,” said Makoto.

“Yes,” Ishii responded.

Truthfully, Ishii didn’t know what he was supposed to do in this situation, so he had only been looking around the room back and forth.

“How was it?” asked Makoto after so ti.

Even when asked, Ishii was unable to answer.

“There’s nothing…”

He didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps the spiritual phenonon that took place had simply been a misunderstanding—the mont he thought of that possibility, a strange sound was heard.

A growling sound, not unlike a roar. It sounded similar to the sound of an underground subway passing by. However, the sound didn’t feel inanimate.

If one were to describe it, it was like the roar of a giant beast.

The next second, the plates lined up at the kitchen shelf began to shake, creating noise.

“What!?”

Still in shock, this ti, a snapping noise was heard, as if sothing had just exploded.

Ishii nearly scread out of surprise. Luckily, he was able to hold back from screaming by covering his mouth with both hands.

Not long after, everything went silent.

“Just now, that…”

As if interrupting Ishii’s words, the photo fra that Makoto had previously inspected fell.

Even though there was no movent.

Almost like the photo fra had been moved by unseen forces.

This might have been the poltergeist phenonon he had heard about.

“A spiritual phenonon…” said Makoto.

Sayama nodded.

“Yes. Moreover, it turns out this phenonon isn’t only happening in my apartnt unit.”

“Eh?”

“Other units are also experiencing spiritual phenona just like this.”

Sayama’s words sounded like an ill on.

11

“How is Nao’s condition?” asked Yakumo with an urgent expression the mont he saw Gotou.

Yakumo, who was usually expressionless, changed in an instant when it ca to Nao.

Yet Gotou couldn’t comnt about the fact. He had cald down by now, but last night his condition had been a ss.

In a way, love was capable of making one lose their sense of reason.

“Co inside first.” Gotou ushered Yakumo and Haruka into the living room.

Yakumo appeared eager to see Nao at that instant, but Gotou had sothing to say beforehand.

“Where is Nao?” asked Yakumo once they sat across from each other. The tone of his voice signified his impatience.

“Before that, I want you to hear out first—” said Gotou before explaining in detail what had happened to Nao.

Both Yakumo and Haruka were unable to hide their surprise upon hearing such an unbelievable story.

“Why would Nao do such a thing?” asked Haruka with a voice higher than usual.

“According to the doctor, her ntal state might have been unstable from the fever, but…” Gotou swallowed his words.

Yakumo narrowed his right eye.

“Sounds like you had a hunch,” he flatly comnted, in contrast to Haruka.

Perhaps he had cald down after hearing Gotou’s explanation.

“Yes,” Gotou nodded firmly.

He called Yakumo over to confirm the possibility of his conjecture.

“What is it?” urged Yakumo.

“Nao might be possessed by a ghost.”

Haruka held her breath the mont Gotou said it.

While having said nothing, Haruka’s face was filled with disbelief.

On the other hand, Yakumo—

“With what basis did you reach that assumption?” he asked with what composure he had left.

“Firstly, I trust that Nao wouldn’t have done such a thing herself. Even in an unstable ntal state, she would have never hurt soone.”

Gotou glanced at his bandaged right arm.

He had bled after being bitten by Nao. The wound even had to be stitched up.

“Well, that is true,” replied Yakumo in agreent.

Compared to Gotou, Yakumo had been with Nao for much longer. He should have very well understood how strange this behaviour was coming from Nao.

“Maybe it was my fault…” Gotou gritted his teeth.

“How so?” asked Yakumo with suspicion.

“If Nao had really gotten possessed by a ghost, I tried to think of a reason why. Only one thing ca to mind.”

“The apartnt case that you ntioned yesterday?” said Yakumo as if he had read Gotou’s mind.

Gotou nodded. “Yes.”

Yesterday, Yakumo had said the case at the apartnt Gotou had been investigating must have been caused by a prank, but that did not seem to be the case.

When Gotou had gone to the apartnt, he had unknowingly brought ho a ghost. And now, that ghost had possessed Nao. It made sense to think about it that way.

Perhaps when she had been asleep from the fever, Nao’s condition had weakened, creating an environnt that had made her vulnerable to being possessed by a ghost.

After Gotou explained his theory, Haruka bitterly said, “Impossible…”

anwhile, Yakumo remained silent, as if deep in thought.

“What do you think?” asked Gotou, demanding Yakumo’s response.

“Who knows,” said Yakumo, shaking his head slightly. His voice was weak and unconvincing, unlike usual.

Had his left eye been able to see, they could have confird it then and there. But now, Yakumo couldn’t do that. It felt like he had given up out of helplessness.

Despite that, they had no one else to rely on but Yakumo.

Gotou didn’t say that out of nothing. All this ti, Yakumo had been able to solve many cases involving the spiritual not just because of his ability to see spirits through his red left eye.

Everything had been thanks to his analytical abilities and sharp situation observational skills. Even if his left eye was unable to see, he might be able to discover so leads.

“If possible, I’d like for you to look into it. Please,” Gotou bowed deeply to Yakumo.

Yakumo did not answer right away. Gotou had no intention to lift his head either before Yakumo gave him an answer.

A long silence filled the room.

“Yakumo-kun,” urged Haruka.

“Anyway, let see Nao first,” said Yakumo calmly.

Gotou lifted his face and stood up.

He brought Yakumo and Haruka to the front of Nao’s bedroom and stopped. Upon knocking the door, Atsuko’s voice was heard from within, “Co in.”

Gotou slowly opened the door.

Nao was sleeping on the bed, while Atsuko sat next to her.

Because of what had happened the night before, there was no knowing what Nao might do, so Atsuko had been attending to her.

“Nao…” called Yakumo as he entered the room.

Haruka followed suit.

“She has been sleeping all day today,” said Atsuko while stroking Nao’s head.

She sounded fatigued, but her will was not lost. Even after such a thing had happened, she dutifully watched over Nao.

Atsuko was truly a tough woman.

Yakumo crouched in front of Nao and took off the eyepatch on his left eye.

Perhaps seeing Nao in danger had moved Yakumo’s heart. If Yakumo’s left eye’s inability to see had really been due to psychological influence, his desire to save Nao might be able to cure him.

Gotou watched Yakumo intently with that hope in mind.

Yakumo slowly opened his eyelid, displaying his bright red colored pupil.

A few minutes passed by while Yakumo just stared at the sleeping Nao.

Gotou held his breath in anticipation. Atsuko and Haruka did the sa.

After an extended period of silence, Yakumo gave out a long sigh.

“How was it?” Gotou asked after bracing himself, but he could guess the answer from looking at Yakumo’s face.

“I can’t,” said Yakumo with a sour face.

“You can’t…?”

“I can’t see anything.”

Yakumo listlessly shook his head.

For a mont Gotou’s sight went black.

He knew it wasn’t Yakumo’s fault. Yet, he couldn’t hide his despair.

Yakumo, sensing Gotou’s feelings, bit his lower lip.

12

After they left Gotou’s residence, Haruka walked next to Yakumo.

She glanced at Yakumo’s face from the side while descending the slope connected to the temple gates.

Yakumo had an expressionless face and held his emotion back, but Haruka could feel the growing anger beneath.

“What had actually happened to Nao?” mumbled Haruka as if talking to herself.

Gotou suspected that Nao had been possessed by a ghost, but from what Haruka had seen, Nao had only appeared to be sleeping.

However, the fact that Nao had gone on a rampage and had hurt Gotou appeared to be true.

Haruka couldn’t judge for herself what was really happening.

“I don’t know…” said Yakumo, shaking his head a little.

The eyepatch covering his left eye looked extrely pitiful.

Yakumo had removed his eyepatch earlier to take a look at Nao. However, he couldn’t see anything. His eyesight had not recovered.

Yakumo had said he had no problems with his eyesight never returning, but after what had happened, he might have thought otherwise.

He wouldn’t be able to save Nao without the eyesight on his left eye.

Perhaps the anger residing at the bottom of Yakumo’s heart was directed at himself.

“Could the ghost from the apartnt have possessed Nao like what Gotou-san had said?”

“I have no way to clarify it,” said Yakumo in a pitiful voice.

Yesterday Yakumo had suspected that the spiritual phenonon at the apartnt had been caused by a prank. That conclusion had been based on his experience with spiritual phenona thus far.

However, they were now faced with a phenonon that went against his analysis. Even if he wanted to confirm it, he couldn’t do so as his left eye couldn’t see.

Various emotions must be raging within Yakumo.

Haruka wanted to ignore those emotions currently residing within Yakumo if possible, letting them be as it is. But there was no way she could do it.

“Isn’t there a way to help her?”

If Nao was really possessed by a ghost, while she might have appeared fine for the ti being, her body would eventually weaken and could possibly even die in the end.

“I can’t do anything…” Yakumo’s voice sounded as if he was enduring a lot of pain.

“But…”

Although the eyesight on Yakumo’s left eye hadn’t recovered, they should still be able to find so way to help Nao.

If not, Nao would—

“What a strange conversation…” said Yakumo as he stopped walking and stared up to the sky.

There were no clouds in the sky. The moon shone awfully bright, it felt blinding. Yakumo narrowed his right eye from the light.

“What is?”

“I have always hated my red left eye.”

Yakumo touched his left eye covered by the eyepatch.

Haruka knew that well. Yakumo had constantly hated his cursed ability.

“Yes.”

“When I found out that my left eye couldn’t see, I was a little afraid. But at the sa ti, I also felt relief.”

“……..”

Maybe Yakumo had thought he finally no longer had to see things that he didn’t want to see. He would also never have to be involved in spiritual cases anymore.

Because seeing ghosts ant experiencing suffering.

No one would bla Yakumo for feeling relief upon being liberated from it.

“Even so, I got really annoyed earlier because I couldn’t see anything,” Yakumo tightly clenched his fists. So tight that the veins on the back of his hands began to pop.

“Yakumo-kun…”

Haruka wanted to hold Yakumo’s clenched hand so badly, but decided not to act upon it. She felt she would only hurt Yakumo further if she carelessly tried to console him. Furthermore, Yakumo was giving out an aura as if rejecting everyone else.

“How selfish of . I hated it so much, yet I also wanted it when needed.”

Yakumo’s anger was clearly directed at himself.

“Don’t bla yourself for it.”

“How can I not?” said Yakumo as he continued walking. His steps were faster than before. Haruka followed the man’s back as if pulled towards it.

“Yakumo-kun,” called Haruka, but Yakumo didn’t stop.

After walking in silence for so ti, Yakumo suddenly spoke. “This made realise one thing.”

“Realised what?”

“Perhaps, in fact, the value of my existence lies on my red left eye.”

“What do you an?”

“Without my left eye, there’s no aning in being alive.”

What are you talking about? There’s no way that’s the case!

Haruka wanted to say that. Yet, once again, her voice wouldn’t co out like she wanted to. Perhaps she felt pressured by the aura Yakumo was giving off, almost comparable to murderous intent.

While Yakumo kept walking, Haruka stopped in her tracks.

She couldn’t understand why she stopped either.

She could only daze at the sight of Yakumo’s back as he walked away, his shadow dragging along his steps.

13

“Nao—” mumbled Gotou who stood next to the bed, watching over the little girl’s sleeping face.

Disappointnt weighed over his shoulders.

He had thought they would be able to do sothing if Yakumo ca over, but that hadn’t been the case. Yakumo had only emphasised that he couldn’t see anything and hadn’t discussed anything further than that.

Despite that, he couldn’t give up just like that.

There was no mistaking it, Nao had definitely been possessed. I would do anything to save Nao—as Gotou made up his resolve, the door opened.

It was Atsuko.

“Eishin-san ca by.”

At the sound of that na, overwhelming disgust rose from the bottom of his heart.

The root of this incident had been no other than because Eishin had brought a strange request for Gotou.

Gotou thought about kicking him out, but he quickly changed his mind.

“I’ll go over now,” Gotou left Nao’s room and went to the living room.

There, Eishin appeared to be nonchalantly sipping his tea. Gotou was annoyed that he acted like this was his own ho, but now was not the ti to fuss over that.

“So, can you do anything about that apartnt?” asked Eishin softly, clueless about the situation.

Gotou held back his irritation, and after he sat across Eishin, he proceeded to explain how the spiritual phenonon at the apartnt had caused abnormalities on Nao.

Eishin, who was normally relaxed, beca surprised and could only say, “That’s…”

“Can’t we ask Yakumo for help?” he added as if it was a brilliant idea.

“I’ve already done that.”

Already halfway being fed up, Gotou clarified how the eyesight on Yakumo’s left eye hadn’t recovered due to his psychological condition, and that Yakumo had tried to examine Nao, but with no result.

“Getting troubleso, huh,” said Eishin, crossing his arms.

However, to Gotou, Eishin held the key to free them out of this situation.

“Aren’t there any of your priest acquaintances that can perform exorcisms?” asked Gotou.

Eishin’s face turned sour. “Well, not that there isn’t.”

“In that case, please introduce to such a priest. I beg of you—” Gotou bowed his head modestly.

Though Eishin was a disgusting old man to him, Gotou could bow his head any number of tis for Nao’s sake.

“I could’ve just introduced you, but I think it’s no use.”

“Why?”

“Think about it for once. Why do you think I went through the trouble of asking you to resolve a spiritual incident?”

“What do you an?”

“The priests who perford exorcisms did so rely out of formalities in the end. They couldn’t resolve anything. You’ll only waste your money.”

“You an to say they’re a fraud?”

“Well, it depends on how you perceive it.”

“Hah?”

“It all cos down to each individual. To so, it gives them the peace of mind.”

Gotou could only perceive it as deception through an ambiguous explanation.

“In other words, they can’t actually exorcise ghosts?”

“More or less, yes.” Eishin’s answer made Gotou click his tongue.

He would pay any amount of price to save Nao, but it would be for nothing if there’s no effect.

He had a slight hope at first, but now he had even lost his backup plan.

“But, you…” said Eishin before Atsuko’s screams interrupted his sentence.

What?

Before he could even think, Gotou already sprinted.

The mont he opened Nao’s bedroom door, he was at a loss for words at the sight laid in front of his eyes.

The window glass was smashed into pieces, while a gust of cold breeze from outside blew in, producing a groaning sound.

The blanket was splayed in a ss, while the bed where Nao should have been sleeping was empty.

“What happened?” he asked Atsuko who fell next to the bed.

“Nao…all of a sudden…” answered Atsuko in pain. Blood was dripping from a gash on her forehead.

She needs to be treated urgently, Gotou thought, but he grew concerned over Nao’s whereabouts.

“Where did Nao go?”

“She left from that window…” said Atsuko, pointing at the broken window glass.

Good grief.

“Leave Atsuko to ,” said Eishin, who had read the situation and placed his hand on Gotou’s shoulder.

Gotou nodded before he jumped out of the window, barefoot.

Thanks to the bright moonlight, he could clearly see Nao’s footprints.

Gotou ran, following the footprints. Cold pain stung on the soles of his feet, but he didn’t have the ti to worry about such things.

“Nao! Nao!”

He knew he wouldn’t get an answer from calling Nao, whose hearing was impaired. Even then, Gotou kept yelling her na over and over again.

He felt like he and Nao would be brought together if he continued to call her na.

Gotou went past the temple gates, down the slope past the rows of ginkgo trees that had begun to change their colour.

“Nao!” Gotou wailed as he kept running.

After descending the slope, he arrived at a crossroad. If he went down the wrong path here, he would never be able to find Nao.

Gotou carefully gazed at his surroundings.

Which way?

As he grew frustrated, he heard the sound of a car horn.

Gotou turned to the sound and recognized the shadow of a small child backlit by the headlights of a car.

“NAO!” he yelled, but Nao didn’t move.

She’s going to get hit—as Gotou thought that, the car was able to avoid Nao and proceeded to drive away.

However, if Nao continued to stand there, she could get hit by a car at any mont.

Without further thought, Gotou ran towards that shadow that looked like Nao.

Just a little more until his hand would be able to reach her—

Right at that thought, another car headlight shone over Nao.

Unlike the previous car, this car continued driving without sounding its horn. It looked like the driver didn’t notice her.

Gotou concentrated on a single thing. He ran straight for Nao and hugged her.

The next second, Gotou’s body received an impact that felt like it was tearing him apart.

His sight beca pitch black.

When he ca to, he was already lying down on the asphalt.

Excruciating pain invaded him all over until he couldn’t even move a single finger. He felt sothing wet; perhaps it was his own blood that was flowing out.

Maybe he was going to die like this.

Even while thinking so, Gotou still searched for Nao’s figure.

Where’s Nao? Is she alive?

As if answering Gotou’s innermost thoughts, soone peered on his face.

It was Nao—

“Nao…”

Gotou wanted to reach his hand out to touch Nao, but his body couldn’t move.

Nao gave a little smile at Gotou’s direction.

For so ti, Nao stared at Gotou from above, but it wasn’t long until she turned her heels and walked away.

Before Nao was swallowed into the darkness of the night, Gotou’s consciousness fell into a bottomless pit—

Translation Notes

[1] Yakumo’s na (八雲) consists of the kanji for eight(八) and cloud(雲) which when combined translates to multilayered clouds.

[2] Noren (暖簾) are a type of Japanese fabric divider that hung across rooms, doorways, or windows, with vertical splits for easier passage.