Ch.12Chapter 2. Bread and the Heroine (6)

I’m experiencing my first sukiyaki.

Though I at least knew it was similar to a hot pot dish.

The thinly sliced beef, perfectly cooked in the rich broth, already looked delicious just by sight.

Is this the first time I’m eating beef since coming to this world?

The fragrant aroma of meat already filled my head. The only reason my hands didn’t reach forward was because I thought it might be polite to wait until the people living in this house started eating first.

I quickly put my hands together when I saw the two of them do so. When they said “Thank you for the meal,” I followed along just a little late.

I was somewhat concerned about Yuka’s grandfather’s narrowed gaze on me, but that slightly uncomfortable feeling flew away as soon as I picked up my chopsticks.

Trying not to appear too greedy, I carefully picked up a piece of meat that was browning nicely in the rich sauce.

In front of me was a bowl with beaten egg yolk. Looking around, it seemed I was supposed to dip the meat in it.

Following Yuka’s lead, I carefully dipped the meat in the yolk and ate it.

The sweet and savory soy-based flavor came through strongly, and with each bite of meat, I could distinctly taste the juices.

It’s so delicious.

And the rice in front of me too.

…Well. Seeing the exorcist grandfather glancing at me repeatedly makes me think my neck might be in danger soon, but they say even ghosts look better after eating well. I should fill my stomach first.

Oh, come to think of it, Yuka’s father was also here. Though called a shrine priest… he was naturally wearing casual clothes. Not exactly athletic wear, but cotton pants and a long-sleeved top.

He’s a bit more handsome than the standard middle-aged man. If I had to describe him, he gives the impression of a father with a minor role in a drama. For reference, he had that kind of role in the light novel too.

“It’s been a while since Yuka brought a friend home. First time since middle school, isn’t it?”

“…Um, it hasn’t even been a week since the semester started.”

Plus, Yuka had transferred to a new high school during this awkward time.

Any relationships she’d built with friends at the beginning of the term were reset, and at her new school, she had to try to fit into already established relationships.

No matter how you look at it, it was an extremely tiring situation.

“I… I see…”

Grandfather seemed somewhat embarrassed.

And seeing that, for a moment, I felt a warmth in my chest.

Come to think of it, the Sasaki siblings didn’t have this kind of ordinary family atmosphere. Besides their somewhat difficult home environment, the younger sister even called her brother “dear brother.”

Anyone would see that as fantasy.

This household’s setting is fantasy too, but the relationships seemed like ones you could see anywhere. A kind grandfather and father, and a daughter with a somewhat adolescent attitude.

I put more meat in my mouth. While at it, I picked up some tofu and enoki mushrooms too, then took a bite of rice. Thanks to the sticky rice, the grains didn’t scatter even though I ate in the style I was used to in my previous life.

Ah, it’s so delicious.

It was a different feeling from when I had eaten tonkatsu following the Sasaki siblings.

“So, your name is… Kurosawa?”

“Kotone Kurosawa.”

Since my mouth was empty when he asked, I greeted the grandfather like that.

“Are you close with Yuka, Miss Kurosawa?”

Yuka’s father asked kindly.

“…We have lunch together.”

“Ah, I see.”

The smile at the corners of his mouth was gentle. If this person was suspicious of me, he was at least hiding his emotions much better than Yuka’s grandfather.

For a moment, there was silence except for the sound of chopsticks moving and the hot pot boiling.

Only after emptying about a third of my rice bowl did I worry about going home. Ah, since we came to southern Tokyo, it’ll take an extra 20 minutes to get back, I thought. Including walking time, it would be almost two hours.

“Stay here tonight.”

Yuka suddenly said that, which surprised me a little.

Did she read my mind?

“I’ll get you underwear. We can buy a toothbrush too.”

“…”

“Yes, that would be good. I’d be uncomfortable sending you home alone late at night. May I ask which area you live in?”

“…In Saitama.”

“I see.”

I think I understand why these people are acting this way.

Regardless of whether they’re worried about my identity, Yuka probably felt something like a “nest” in the literature club room today.

In other words, she thinks there might be something targeting me.

So she’s trying to protect me.

What should I do?

If no yokai appears tonight—and of course there won’t be—will Yuka keep bringing me here to stay?

I actually felt strongly tempted by that. If I stay here, at least I’ll be able to eat.

But still, people should have some sense of propriety.

“Ahem.”

Suddenly, Yuka’s grandfather cleared his throat and spoke.

“Actually, I have a bit of an eye for spiritual energy.”

As if making a joke to lighten the mood, the grandfather said:

“Have you… well, ever been told you have strong spiritual sensitivity?”

“…”

I’ve never heard such a thing in my entire life.

Perhaps taking my silence as some kind of answer, the grandfather nodded and continued speaking.

“Have you ever seen things you shouldn’t see?”

“Father.”

Yuka’s father tried to stop him, but the grandfather’s gaze remained fixed on me.

“…No.”

That was my answer.

“I see…”

He didn’t seem particularly convinced.

Another brief silence.

“Young lady, would you be interested in a part-time job?”

The grandfather suddenly asked out of nowhere.

“…A part-time job?”

“Yes. As it happens, the girl who was working as a shrine maiden has started attending a high school that’s a bit far away. Hanakawa High School is about a 30-minute walk from here, isn’t it? If you worked here, I could pay you up to 800 yen per hour.”

800 yen per hour.

I was momentarily very tempted, but I forced myself to shake my head.

“…My home is too far away, so it would be difficult.”

This was half sincere.

As someone using the avatar of a foreign god, I was also uncomfortable with the idea of working as a shrine maiden. And my home was too far away to work for long periods.

Tokyo’s subway fares are murderous. I probably wouldn’t have much left even after working.

“Ah, right.”

The grandfather closed his mouth again.

And the meal continued. Afterward, various conversations took place, and they did speak to me too, but I mostly gave short answers. Well, I’m confident I didn’t ruin the atmosphere.

It was nice to be able to replenish plenty of protein with tofu and meat for once.

I also liked how harmonious it was.

*

Yuka kept her promise.

She took me to a convenience store to buy necessary toiletries, and to a nearby clothing store for underwear. It was a plain design and cheap, but it was free for me, so I was happy.

And then—

I entered Yuka’s room.

It’s almost the first time I’ve been in a girl’s room. The first time since I visited my cousin’s room when I was little.

There wasn’t anything special about it. In keeping with Yuka’s personality, it was a neatly organized room with a desk and bookshelf, and textbooks on the shelf. There were no special decorations.

But rather, that neat character was clearly felt, making it seem distinctive in its own way.

“Here.”

Yuka handed me clothes.

They were from her own closet. A short-sleeved T-shirt that was large for my frame and pajama pants with an elastic waistband.

Receiving them, I felt a moment of guilt.

Well, I am a high school girl now too, but there’s still quite a difference between wearing new clothes and wearing clothes that another high school girl has worn.

I’ve heard there are places that sell packaged high school girl uniform costumes. It felt like I was doing something similar.

…Well, it’s not like I could sleep in a sailor uniform.

In the end, I bathed and changed clothes at Yuka’s house.

Yuka offered to give me her bed, but I shook my head.

“I sleep on the floor at home too. This is more comfortable.”

After I said that much, Yuka seemed to have nothing more to say.

“…”

“…”

Yuka lay on the bed, and I lay on the futon spread on the floor below.

“…Sorry for suddenly calling you over today.”

Yuka said quietly. It was almost like a murmur.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

I answered.

“Aren’t you curious why I called you?”

To that, I had nothing to say. I was afraid of how much I might end up saying if I spoke.

“…I don’t know if you’ll believe me when I say this, but I… can tell when someone might face great misfortune soon. Our family has somewhat unusual blood. It might be a bit unpleasant, but please listen for a moment.”

Yuka spoke slowly.

“I saw it in you too. Actually, when I see people with that aura, I always go and tell them, but most people don’t believe me. I understand why, but… usually they end up suffering misfortune anyway. Then they blame me afterward.”

Yuka sighed.

This was also why Yuka Yuuki didn’t have many friends in the original work.

She goes around hunting yokai, and senses warning signs like I felt from Miura, but when she warns people, they usually react negatively.

That’s natural if you don’t know anything.

“So… um… would it be okay if I follow you around for a while? I won’t be too annoying.”

I thought for a moment.

“…Still, coming to my home… that’s not okay anymore.”

When I said that, Yuka’s voice brightened considerably.

“That’s enough. Do you believe me?”

“…A little.”

“That’s good enough!”

I saw the bed mattress move suddenly. After a rustling sound, Yuka’s face suddenly popped out from the bed.

She was lying on her stomach on the bed, leaning her upper body out slightly to look down at me.

Her face, illuminated by moonlight, was smiling.

Her long hair, now let down, lightly touched my cheek.

“Thank you. For believing me.”

“…”

To that smiling face, I gave no answer.

*

“Goodbye.”

“Take care.”

The grandfather waved to Yuka and me as we said goodbye.

Late April marks the beginning of Golden Week. From April 29th to May 5th.

Yesterday was the 28th, a Tuesday.

Actually, until I was leaving school yesterday, I hadn’t been aware of this at all. That’s natural. In Korea, there’s no concept of such a holiday period at the end of April.

So, when Yuka brought me to her house, she was aware that “the next day was a holiday.”

…If that hadn’t been the case, I would have ended up going to school with the underwear I wore and took off yesterday stuffed in my school bag. Although I did get a plastic bag to put it in, it would have been uncomfortable.

Anyway, Golden Week.

…What should I do at home? Maybe I’ll walk around the neighborhood and see if anyone has put out any appliances?

“Yuka, take care. Miss Kurosawa, get home safely.”

And Yuka decided to see me off. I don’t know this neighborhood’s geography well, and Yuka herself seems to think it’s the polite thing to do.

Yuka herself was in casual clothes. A fresh sky-blue shirt and slightly short jeans. It probably wouldn’t look out of place even in 2024. It seems timeless, modest fashion does exist.

“Thank you for yesterday.”

“It’s nothing. You’re my granddaughter’s friend.”

The grandfather smiled kindly. He’s definitely a good person.

Yuka’s father apparently had work early. Does the shrine not close during holidays?

“Well, let’s go.”

At Yuka’s words, I nodded.

We crossed through the shrine again as we did yesterday and came out to the alley on the opposite side, heading toward the subway.

Passing through the shrine again was a bit enjoyable.

Perhaps I thought that because my stomach was full from breakfast.

*

The train was quiet.

We left a bit late, and it was a holiday too.

It was fortunate that there were empty seats so we could sit.

Having Yuka sit next to me wasn’t particularly fortunate though.

When she asked, “Can I visit your house for a bit too?” I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

How could I refuse? Just the day before, I had dinner at Yuka’s house, and I had breakfast there this morning too.

I couldn’t say “I don’t want you to because I’m poor” either.

For reference, during various conversations yesterday, I said “I live with my mother.” The reason was simple. Teacher Suzuki believed I had a mother.

Since institutionally I was supposed to have one, I answered that I did—that’s all.

If today had been a school day, I would have thought of an excuse during class.

While blankly thinking about how to part ways in the middle, my eyes were drawn to the newspaper held by the man sitting across from me.

Perhaps because there was no one in the seat next to him, he had the newspaper spread out wide.

So the first page of the newspaper was very visible to me.

The headline on the first page read:

[Tokyo Cannibal, Back Again?]

…Huh.

I blinked.

I wondered if I had seen wrong, but I hadn’t. The text was still there.

“What’s wrong?”

Yuka asked.

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”

At my answer, Yuka tilted her head. Perhaps knowing where my gaze had been directed before I turned away, Yuka also looked toward the newspaper the man in front of me was holding.

Seeing the text written there, Yuka also frowned.

“Are you worried?”

“…”

“It will definitely be caught. Or it will quiet down again.”

I understand what that means. Yuka ended up going to Hanakawa High School to catch that yokai.

I don’t know how they track yokai from that house, though.

…But what I was worried about wasn’t whether they could catch the yokai or not.

It was: Why?

Clearly, I had killed that yokai. It wasn’t just a matter of the body disappearing or there being no bloodstains.

I killed it. Definitely. I struck it repeatedly until it became a pulp and stopped moving right before my eyes.

I did all that to save Miura, but…

…Wait, what about Miura?

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Kurosawa?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I took my phone out of my pocket. I opened the screen and went to the mail section.

And I wrote a message.

[Miura]

I wasn’t that well-adapted to the Japanese keyboard. I could read and write without discomfort, but this was a different issue. Having become too accustomed to the QWERTY keyboard in the smartphone era, even the physical number keys felt a bit awkward.

I waited for a moment. Just as I was starting to feel anxious—

[Kurosawa?]

That was the reply.

I could almost hear the voice from that email. I could almost see the round eyes, slightly surprised.

I felt a bit calmer. With hands that trembled less than before, I slowly pressed the keys.

[Where are you now?]

[With family at grandmother’s house for the holiday. Sendai.]

Sendai.

It’s far from Tokyo.

[Why? What’s going on?]

Another email came.

[It’s fine nothing]

[Tell me if there’s any problem.]

[Got it enjoy your holiday]

An email with a smiling emoticon came.

“What’s wrong?”

Yuka asked me again as I exhaled softly.

Yuka… is connecting me with that yokai in her mind. She might have heard something from her grandfather.

“…Sorry, Yuka.”

“Hm?”

“Can we postpone the visit to my home?”

I looked up at Yuka.

Yuka’s eyes blinked.

“…Sure, that’s fine. We’ll go next time then.”

“…Yeah.”

“But can we at least have lunch near the station? It takes about an hour and a half to get from our house to yours. It’ll be almost lunchtime when we arrive. I’ll pay.”

“…Okay.”

That seemed like enough time.

*

For lunch, we ate ramen. We just ate near the station and it was quite delicious. Honestly, it was a bit salty for my taste, but perhaps because I’d been trained by eating salt with bread crusts, I was able to finish it all.

“See you after the holiday.”

Yuka waved to me.

I waved back to see her off. After watching her tap her transit card and go in, I turned around and went straight home.

Oh, I also bought a newspaper on the way back. It was the same newspaper the man was reading earlier.

The cover story was about a new body being discovered. Skimming through it as I walked, this one was also a partially eaten body, and it was found in Tokyo.

However, some details had changed. Unlike being found on the street, there were traces of someone trying to hide it.

I arrived home and opened the door.

The house was just as I had left it yesterday morning. The improperly folded futon, trash rolling on the floor. But I didn’t have time to wallow in self-pity.

I roughly took off my shoes, found a notebook in my bag.

Then I drew a pentagram on it with a pen, and drew a circle surrounding the pentagram.

And then…

How should I call it?

I stared intently at the pentagram, then placed my hand on it.

“Respond.”

There was no response.

“Please respond?”

Still no response.

“Please come? Please?”

I was starting to feel foolish.

I closed my eyes, then let out a deep sigh.

Yes, I know.

The way to make the other party answer without fail.

I rummaged through my bag.

Over the past two weeks, I hadn’t bought any large, expensive items like furniture yet, but I had purchased things that would help with daily life one by one.

Especially things that would be useful to have on a desk.

Pens, markers. Erasers or mechanical pencils. All cheap ones.

And—a box cutter too.

The blade was quite sharp when I extended it.

…I really don’t want to do this.

They say it will answer if it wants to answer. I didn’t fully believe that. While it might answer when it wants to, I thought there must also be situations where it would be ‘forced’ to answer beyond just that minimum condition.

Holding the box cutter with the blade extended, I went into the bathroom.

I lowered the toilet lid and sat on it.

I took a hair tie from my left wrist and bit it, then placed the blade on my wrist.

With my eyes tightly shut and teeth clenched, I cut my wrist.

The pain was surprisingly tolera—

“Ugh.”

—not tolerable at all.

At that time, my hand was already being bitten so I didn’t notice well, but forcibly opening a wound was a much more intense pain than I had thought.

It’s good that I had something in my mouth.

“Did you call me? You seem quite urgent.”

Hearing the voice with a hint of laughter, it was clear they had been watching me. From when I was drawing the pentagram and muttering to myself.

“…I have something I want to ask.”

When I opened my mouth, the hair tie fell out.

This time, time didn’t stop. Perhaps because I was alone.

“I wonder what you can do for me in return for an answer.”

“What do you want?”

I spoke to the air. I raised my head and looked up. Somehow, I felt like it would be there.

“I would like you to offer me the breath of that lowly creature you seek.”

“…”

I thought for a moment.

“I wonder what there is to consider.”

The Mother of a Thousand Lambs said with a smile.

“Is your friend’s life not precious to you?”

“…”

After thinking briefly, I said:

“Alright.”

“Excellent.”

Another sharp pain shot through my wrist.

Just like last time, blood was slowly rising upward. Some of it was drawing a sword, but some was falling to the floor.

The blood that fell onto the tiles gathered into one. And it became something red, elongated, and wet.

It crawled like a worm and stuck to my foot.

Then it slowly crawled up, leaving traces of blood.

“Well then.”

Laughter echoed in my ears.

“Go and cut it down.”