Ch.209Epilogue. Training Camp (3)

Hmm…….

Even though I’m someone who doesn’t handle scary things well, that’s usually when watching movies or dramas, or when playing games.

Basically, I’m not that much of a scaredy-cat when I’m outside.

Well, if I were alone in the middle of a forest on the verge of starving or freezing to death, or if I happened to stumble upon a dismemberment murder scene while walking down the street, I might tremble with fear.

I’m the type who can walk through narrow alleys in the middle of the night, and I don’t avoid places just because they’re dark.

Of course, after experiencing… that incident before, I was afraid of streets for a while and couldn’t even go to beef bowl restaurants, but that was because I had a real experience.

At least I wasn’t the type to be scared inside someone else’s house.

“……”

But this place is a bit scary.

Is it because the lights aren’t on?

I don’t think I felt this scared at the Yamashita house.

If you asked which place was bigger, that one was definitely larger, and it wasn’t always packed with people. Even though it was a house where yakuza gathered, it was basically just a home where a family lived. Excluding security personnel, many rooms were empty.

So, this place shouldn’t be that scary either.

Every corner of the house is neatly cleaned, even if it’s a bit old.

I thought for a moment, then closed the door again.

When I turned around, Kagami and Koko were looking at me from inside the kotatsu.

Their expressions seemed to ask why I was about to leave but didn’t.

I seriously contemplated.

Do I really need to say this now? Would it be too much trouble to just wait until tomorrow morning?

This room isn’t scary. It’s spacious enough for the kotatsu and futons for three people, but Kagami and Koko are here.

Besides, considering our daily experiences, the two of them will probably sleep right next to me. They won’t actually touch my skin, but they’ll be close enough that I can sense their presence with the slightest movement.

It used to be a bit uncomfortable, but now it’s somewhat comforting to know I’m not alone.

…Anyway.

I rubbed my legs a little.

Am I… a bit urgent?

Maybe I drank too much tea. With the TV on, I mindlessly ate the excessive amount of snacks Kagami bought, which made me thirsty and my mouth too sweet, so I ended up drinking too much green tea.

“What’s wrong?”

Hearing Kagami’s question, I seriously contemplated.

Should I say it?

Can’t I just endure either the need for the bathroom or the fear?

No, more importantly, why am I suddenly so scared? I don’t understand the reason at all.

Kuro had left the room and hadn’t returned yet.

After seriously weighing my options, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“I, I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Yes, that’s why you got up just now.”

Kagami tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

It was a genuinely confused look, not an act. Of course, Koko had an even more clueless expression.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Then I opened my eyes and said:

“…I’d like it if you could come with me.”

“……”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Kagami stared at me without saying anything, then suddenly stood up as if she had made a firm decision.

“Let’s go together.”

“Uuu.”

Koko also got up. Unlike Kagami’s solemn expression, she looked quite excited.

She probably didn’t understand the situation. She wouldn’t grasp the concept of not being able to go to the bathroom alone.

If Koko saw a ghost, she’d probably just tilt her head and say “Uuu?” making the ghost burst into laughter.

Kagami came over and held my hand tightly.

Then she bent slightly to meet my eye level and said:

“This mother will protect you absolutely, definitely, certainly.”

It seems my words had strongly triggered Kagami’s protective instinct.

I gritted my teeth and just nodded.

*

“You have to wait until I come out.”

“Of course. Don’t you trust this mother?”

Well, this is strange.

It feels weird when Kagami emphasizes that she’s my “mother,” especially since I’m the one who calls her that.

No, more importantly, I’m a bit urgent. As I quickened my pace, Kagami promptly escorted me to the bathroom.

Why is the bathroom so far away? Shouldn’t a house this big have a bathroom for each room?

Well, thinking about it again, the house is quite old, so it can’t be helped. At least it’s not outside.

The hallway lights weren’t on. There was no reason to turn them on since we were the only ones in the house. The moonlight was shining brightly from outside, making the hallway quite visible despite it being nighttime.

Finally reaching the bathroom, I opened the door.

“Should I sing a song outside?”

Kagami made such an absurd suggestion with complete seriousness that I gave her a bewildered look before quickly entering the bathroom.

*

I silently covered my face.

I had already finished my business, but after finishing, it was hard to accept this situation.

Isn’t it strange?

Unlike my usual self—who had transformed my body, absorbed a god, and even stabbed myself with a sword—I was strangely afraid of this house and had asked Kagami to accompany me to the bathroom.

Having my mother and sister wait outside the bathroom like I’m an elementary school kid afraid of ghosts popping out of the toilet.

No, even elementary school kids these days probably wouldn’t be afraid of such things.

…Or would they? It’s 2005, so maybe they would. Internet access wasn’t as good back then.

Anyway, the reason I couldn’t leave was because Kagami was actually singing.

Whether she was trying to cover my sounds or trying to make me feel less scared.

What’s even more ridiculous is that her singing was actually comforting me. The mere presence of those two outside should have been enough to dispel any fear, but knowing that Kagami was really there made me feel genuinely relieved.

“……”

But I can’t just sit here forever.

My legs were starting to get numb, so I stood up.

I finished up, closed the toilet lid, and flushed.

I washed my hands at the sink and looked up.

And I saw hair hanging down above my head.

I reflexively hit the mirror where the hair was reflected, immediately realizing how foolish that was.

“Ouch!”

Fortunately, the mirror didn’t break, but my hand hurt.

Is it because I’m half-human, as Kagami said? Unfortunately, this body doesn’t have the ability to reduce or eliminate pain. If it did, combat wouldn’t have been so difficult.

“What happened!?”

It seems Kagami was more startled than I was inside the bathroom.

The doorknob rattled as if she was about to break down the door.

Before she could actually break it, I quickly opened it.

“Kotone, what happened?”

Without even letting me leave the bathroom, Kagami rushed in.

Japanese bathrooms, unless they’re extremely small—like in our apartment—usually separate the toilet and bath areas. I’m not sure why, but they seem to prefer it that way.

Well, it does make using the toilet more pleasant since you don’t have to worry about shower water getting the toilet paper wet. Is that why?

Consequently, the toilet area is very cramped. Honestly, it’s not a place for more than one person. Unless it’s a scenario from a pornographic film.

“Ah, i-it’s nothing.”

When I stammered in surprise, Kagami turned to look at me.

“I heard a sound from inside. Like something being hit or bumped.”

A very accurate assessment.

Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing, and I wanted to drop it, but pressured by Kagami’s intrusive behavior, I sat down on the toilet lid.

“What happened? Did you see something inside?”

“Well…”

I had no intention of hiding it.

In this world, yokai and ghosts really exist. If there’s a ghost in this house, it’s best to resolve it definitively. Since the house is in our family name, we might use it again someday, and encountering ghosts then would be unsettling.

But discussing this inside a bathroom felt a bit…

Since Kagami wouldn’t move unless I explained, I let out a long sigh.

“…Yes. I saw something inside. Hair reflected in the mirror.”

“Hair?”

I nodded and looked up at the ceiling.

Then I pointed with my finger.

“From up there.”

There was a stain there.

I couldn’t be certain that the hair was hanging from that exact stain, but judging from what I saw in the mirror, it would be around that position.

Kagami frowned as she looked up at it.

The dark stain looked like it had been wet and then dried. It wasn’t a bloodstain. I know what those look like. Bloodstains are much darker.

“I mentioned that this house has many stories attached to it, right?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know all those stories either. Even if my sister were alive, she probably wouldn’t know everything. Not everything needs to be known.”

“That’s true.”

I nodded.

She had said it was a family history passed down secretly from person to person. That means only the essential parts were preserved.

Who died here, who got hurt—those things probably weren’t important to them. What mattered more was what sacrifices were made and how rituals succeeded.

The rest of the deaths and suffering were likely concealed, even erased from their own memories. It would be more convenient that way.

Even if we tried to find out why ghosts are attached to this house now, there would be much we couldn’t discover.

“Is that why you called for me?”

“No, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly…”

It’s possible that this was the reason I suddenly felt so scared, which makes some sense.

I had a similar experience in the apartment once. Of course, that wasn’t a ghost but Koko, but the feeling was similar.

“……”

Kagami looked at me with a complicated expression.

“What?”

“I’m wondering if your intuition is… somewhat exceptional.”

For something supposedly exceptional, I don’t seem to have properly seen ghosts in this world either.

Aren’t people with exceptional intuition those who tremble at the sight of ghosts in places where others walk around normally?

I think I had a friend like that in middle school. Someone with weak energy who also saw ghosts and couldn’t even enter their grandfather’s funeral hall.

I honestly didn’t believe it at all back then, but in this world, not believing would be denying reality.

“Perhaps it’s because you were created for such a purpose?”

Or maybe it’s because even I am a soul from another world.

I swallowed that thought for now.

“……”

We were silent for a moment.

“Let’s look into the cause later. For now, should we put up some talismans? Having ghosts appear in the bathroom isn’t very welcome.”

I nodded.

Yes, honestly, seeing something strange while using the bathroom is something I’d rather avoid.

Plus, that strange thing could be male.

…

Well, having lived longer as a man, I’d feel uncomfortable if a woman walked in too, but in this world, I have this body.

A male ghost peeping on a high school girl’s bathroom—it’s not just unpleasant, it’s criminal.

No, it’s not that it wouldn’t be criminal if it were a female ghost.

What am I even saying?

*

Kagami, true to her role as a shrine maiden, wrote the talismans well.

It wasn’t using the branch I saw last time, but she said this level should be sufficient to prevent ghosts from easily entering a specific place.

“Considering that no one has died in here so far, even if there is a ghost, it’s probably not a very powerful entity.”

That’s what Kagami said.

“Since we’re just staying one night, this should be enough.”

“……”

As I stared at the talisman on the door, lost in thought, Kagami smiled a little.

“Would you like me to teach you how to write them?”

“Huh? Ah, no, that’s not it.”

Of course, it would be good to know, so I should ask later. Or maybe I could get several in advance.

They might come in handy if something similar happens during courage training.

“If that ghost is someone who died here… surely their death was unjust.”

At my words, Kagami momentarily lost her voice.

“That’s…”

She started to say something but ultimately stopped.

She seems to agree with my thinking to some extent.

“Then, just containing them in one place or sealing them away… seems a bit pitiful.”

Kagami stared at me for a while after I said this.

Did I think too presumptuously?

As I was seriously contemplating, my vision suddenly went dark.

Kagami had pulled me into a tight embrace.

“How wonderful, our daughter has such righteous thoughts.”

“Mmph.”

My face was pressed against Kagami’s chest, making it difficult to speak properly.

“Indeed, you’re right. Simply leaving things as they are would be wrong.”

Then, releasing me, Kagami said softly:

“…I don’t know if it will work, but shall we hold a memorial service?”

That was Kagami’s suggestion.

“Is that possible?”

“It might be a bit rushed, but we should be able to hold a memorial service. It shouldn’t require that many people.”

I nodded at Kagami’s words.

“Then, let’s do that.”

I don’t think everything will be resolved in one go.

It might be better to do it multiple times, perhaps periodically.

For the souls that might be here, or might not exist at all.

I’m not certain whether we can truly help them find peace. I’m not that presumptuous.

But if they’re just lingering here unjustly, unable to cause direct harm, perhaps the one that appeared to me just wanted to communicate.

“…Let’s go to sleep for now. We’ll need to prepare from the morning tomorrow.”

At Kagami’s words, Koko and I nodded.

We got into our futons.

Just as I thought, Kagami and Koko slept right next to me.

Today, that proximity wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

…And it’s definitely not because I was afraid to sleep alone.

Anyway, that’s how it was.