Ch.431IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (128)

“But that negotiation didn’t end there.

“Alright, alright.”

Kaoru spoke as if she had retreated as far as she possibly could.

“Summoning demons takes a lot of work. We have to clear the desk, draw pictures on the floor with blood.”

Was she planning to draw with blood?

…

Hmm, but somehow it might actually work in this world. It’s a world where yokai exist, where barriers can be created to block them, and where talismans are used.

Plus, the place where Koko was sealed wasn’t just a refrigerator. Under the plastic wrapping the room, there were many things drawn in dark red.

The barrier was only erased because we broke through the ceiling.

And actually, there was someone in this room who could do something similar right now.

That would be me.

There’s some kind of summoning circle or magic circle engraved on my wrist, and if I deliberately cut it with a knife… a new knife emerges. Maybe I could summon something other than knives. Of course, I have no intention of summoning anything but knives right now.

Just in case, I glanced at Yuka, but she didn’t even snort at Kaoru’s words.

…Well, that makes sense.

If it were that easy to summon things, this world would be much more chaotic than what I’m seeing now.

“Then, let’s try calling Kokkuri-san instead. That’s okay, right?”

Kaoru smiled and pulled out a piece of paper from her bag. She must have planned to do this regardless of anyone’s objections, as it already had hiragana written on it.

…And a pentagram, YES, NO, and numbers too.

Isn’t it usually a shrine drawing, not a pentagram? Since it’s “Kokkuri-san” (fox, dog, raccoon).

I’ve only watched from the sidelines, but I’ve actually seen it done before. Not just high school students, but middle and elementary school kids are interested in ghost stories too. Naturally, some make a big fuss while performing eerie rituals.

For elementary school kids, even just claiming to have seen a ghost can be something to brag about.

“Why is there a pentagram instead of a shrine drawing?”

When Izumi asked incredulously, Kaoru shrugged.

“I thought combining Eastern and Western elements might summon more types of spirits. Maybe even a passing demon might answer.”

I looked at Yuka again.

Yuka looked back at me with an expression that said she didn’t understand why I was looking at her after hearing such nonsense. Apparently, it was a statement with no basis at all.

Still, Izumi didn’t stop Kaoru from spreading the paper on the desk.

It seems the door-closing negotiation technique didn’t work on Kaoru, and since this wouldn’t require rearranging the club room furniture, she just let it be.

More like she was too tired to argue anymore.

Unlike Izumi with her drooping shoulders, some of the other students in the club room actually showed interest in what Kaoru was saying.

“Sounds fun.”

Harumi said that while grabbing Yuu’s wrist, who was still sitting in the corner, and dragging him toward us. Yuu came along with an expression that suggested he found it bothersome.

Mako had a somewhat interested expression. Thinking back to elementary school, Mako always had some interest in topics that kids her age would typically be curious about, despite her seemingly quiet demeanor.

…I think she was also a bit interested in romance stories.

In subculture, there’s often a setting where characters who look like they enjoy having fun openly don’t have boyfriends, while the seemingly quiet ones have more experience, but while Mako was definitely not that extreme, she did enjoy romance stories and ghost stories.

“Right? It’s just for fun.”

Encouraged by the support of her juniors, Kaoru became even more excited.

She rummaged through her pocket, took out a 10-yen coin, and placed it on the paper.

“Now then, Kotone, lend me your finger.”

“Huh? Me?”

When I asked, Kaoru nodded.

“Yes.”

“Is there a reason?”

I wasn’t really trying to argue. I was genuinely curious.

Kaoru had liked me and Koko from the moment she first saw us. Was she simply judging by appearances?

“Well, I just feel like you’d be a good fit.”

But that answer left me speechless.

Should I consider it good intuition, or just coincidence?

…

No, come to think of it, there were four of us in extraordinarily unusual situations related to yokai bloodlines: me, Yuu, Yuka, and Koko.

Mako’s father worked in that field, and Harumi was also strangely connected.

So no matter who Kaoru had chosen in this room, it would have seemed somewhat plausible.

I turned to look at Yuka.

Yuka shrugged as if to say it didn’t matter either way.

Apparently, in Yuka’s view, this paper Kaoru had prepared had no magical power whatsoever.

Well, if that’s the case.

I nodded and leaned forward slightly.

“Now, place your finger on the coin here.”

Kaoru said that and took my hand, placing it on the coin. I simply did as Kaoru instructed.

Shall I be honest? It was a bit fun.

This is what I wanted from the club. Not being too rigid, sometimes doing meaningless activities, but creating small enjoyable memories while spending time together.

That’s why I brought all my friends to join.

“Next, let’s all chant the spell together.”

Kaoru said.

“How?”

“Just repeat after me. Now, Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please come to us~”

Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please come to us~

Harumi, who was watching the situation with amusement, and Mako, who was looking at us with quite a bit of interest beside her.

Me, sitting in front.

Including Kaoru, the four of us chanted the spell.

Nothing happened—

—no, nothing should have happened.

Suddenly, the surroundings grew cold.

Goosebumps rose on my back.

I knew this sensation. The feeling I get whenever I’m facing a yokai’s nest.

“You called for me.”

“…”

Oh, I didn’t expect to meet like this.

My fingers felt stiff and wouldn’t move. It was like I was firmly pressing down on the coin, the way kids do when they want to manipulate something during games like Ouija.

But it wasn’t just the coin that wasn’t moving.

The sounds of this world had stopped too. All I could hear was the voice whispering in my ear.

“You don’t seem pleased to see me.”

But the voice didn’t sound disappointed at all.

“How strange. I am always helping you.”

“…Anyone would react this way if they suddenly heard a voice in this situation.”

I answered.

Had my mind stopped? Had time in the world truly stopped? I couldn’t tell. But strangely, in a world where everything seemed to have frozen, only my mouth could move.

I tried to look around forcibly. Unfortunately, my gaze was fixed on the coin, so I couldn’t see my surroundings.

I could only see Kaoru’s face, which didn’t look particularly serious. Just the usual Kaoru.

But it was eerie. Like someone who had turned to stone while retaining their human skin, not even breathing.

After that, I exchanged a few more words with “the entity.”

Even after several conversations, the entity remained the same. Always giving off the impression of some incomprehensible, transcendent being.

That’s why it was always suspicious.

“How unfortunate. You find me suspicious.”

I hadn’t spoken, but my attitude so far made such a reaction natural.

It had saved me multiple times, and without that knife, I wouldn’t have been able to fight properly.

Nevertheless, every time we talked, I strongly felt that this being was hiding something from me.

“I see.”

The entity said.

“Then, it would be good to ask me something. If I answer, perhaps my little lamb will trust me.”

But at the same time, the voice suggested it didn’t really care whether I believed it or not.

That voice was, how should I put it.

It just sounded amused. An attitude that simply enjoyed watching something.

“…”

“Didn’t you call me?”

I did.

But Kokkuri-san isn’t that kind of entity. It’s a weak ritual meant to summon a weak being, not something transcendent.

Who would have imagined something like this would appear?

But at the same time, it seemed like we would stay like this forever if I didn’t answer, so I spoke.

“…How did you get here?”

“To waste your question on such a thing, how disappointing. But since I am the one who promised to answer, I shall.”

The entity said with a smile.

“What matters is not the calling, but the answering. Isn’t that so?”

“…”

I couldn’t respond to that.

“I’ll give you one more chance.”

The entity said.

“This time, I’d like a more interesting question.”

Another arbitrary statement.

After thinking briefly, I asked what I was truly curious about.

“…The murder cases in the news. Are those the work of yokai?”

“Oh.”

The entity laughed.

“I see. That’s a good question.”

The entity said that and—

“…Huh!?”

Yuka jumped up from her seat, gasping for breath.

“Kotone!?”

She wasn’t the only one surprised.

Koko was also frozen, staring with wide eyes.

“…Huh?”

Kaoru reacted too.

Their gazes were fixed on our fingertips, so I turned my attention back there as well.

The coin was pointing to ‘YES’.