Chapter 1
Chapter 1 - House by the Cove
1
Then after about an hour, Naru, the center of the confusion, returned . As usual, dressed in black from head to toe, his looks alone are excessively good . Although black clothing is stifling in the summer, Naru looks strangely cool wearing it .
Like he always is when he returns from his travel of an unknown purpose, Naru was in a remarkably bad mood . When he saw the two outsiders in the office waving, he openly frowned .
“What do you want today?”
His voice was thoroughly cruel . Despite this, neither Ayako, nor Bou-san, seemed to have answers .
“Well, I was in the neighborhood . ”
“That’s right . I was just shopping—”
Naru gazed coldly .
“Every time with the same excuse, you can’t get enough of it, can you?”
“Ahahahaー”
. . . whoaa . He’s in an unexpectedly foul mood today .
Taka and I were already attempting to flee from enemy fire on account of letting sleeping dogs lie, however Ayako was as resilient as ever .
“Hey, Naru . I heard an interesting story . ”
“And you want me to listen?”
Ayako leaned her face towards Naru, who sunk back on the sofa .
“Right . I heard there wasn’t a ‘child before . ’”
Naru looked at Ayako with a questioning look .
“Even though you told Mai ‘the child before quit,’ in truth, there wasn’t a ‘child before’ . Why would you tell her that? Surprisingly, you’re kind to Mai, aren’t you?”
Naru was expressionless . While directing a cold gaze, he spoke without hesitation .
“Are you jealous?”
Ayako reddened noticeably .
“Wait aー! Who, me?!”
Of course . Ayako is no match for Naru .
“It’s because I have a kind nature . ”
“Yeah, right!”
“Oh, it doesn’t appear so? Don’t I always kindly listen to your inane conversation?”
Ayako put on a smile, her face twitching .
“Aren’t you actually interested in Mai?”
. . . ummmmmm .
In response, Naru smiled sweetly . Like a flower, I’d like to say, but it’s disturbing since his eyes aren’t smiling .
“I’ll offer you a denial . Because it’s pathetic when you get sick with too much shock . Aren’t I kind?”
This—this narcissist .
Looking at Ayako, as one would expect, she was struck speechless, her mouth agape . Then Naru said,
“Mai . ”
“Y-yes!”
“There seems to be a customer . Please receive them . ”
When I looked back in haste, the figure of a person could be seen peering inside from the opposite side of the door . I hurried to the door while inwardly breaking into a cold sweat .
At the entrance stood a man of about twenty years of age and a girl around kindergarten age .
“Yes?”
I switched to a business smile as I opened the door .
“Excuse me, I don’t know how I should say this, but… you’re spiritualists, right?”
Pulling the hand of the girl, he came into the office . He had a very quiet voice .
“We’re a little different from spiritualists . Do you have a request?”
He nodded, then looked down at the girl .
“I would like you to examine this child . ”
The girl was wearing a shirt with a sailor collar, and her neck was bandaged .
“Well . . . ”
I looked back at Naru . There are some spiritualists that will treat illnesses, but in the case of ‘Shibuya Psychic Research’, that sort of thing is outside our area of expertise . Furthermore, in our case, we’re very different from spiritualists .
As I was thinking that, Naru frankly replied,
“I think you should go to the hospital if you need treatment for an illness . ”
Being said as such, the man’s eyes grew wide a little bit in surprise . Then, he gently smiled .
“I agree . . . . but, I don’t think it’s an ordinary illness . ”
Naru stood up .
“Is there an illness?”
“No . ”
“First of all, you should consult a doctor . ”
Naru’s voice seemed blatantly irritated . Hearing Naru, the girl looked up at the man .
“I hate hospitals . ”
He smiled .
“It’s alright . We’re not going to the hospital . ”
“Is this a hospital?”
“It’s different, Hazuki . You don’t smell medicine, do you?”
The girl nodded, but was still uneasy . She firmly clung to his arm as she looked around the office .
“Naru-chan . ”
The one who interrupted was Bou-san .
“It’s alright if we examine her, right? In particular, it won’t take long, so there’s no reason to be so impatient, is there?”
Glancing at Bou-san, Naru lightly sighed . He offered the two the sofa .
“Please sit . —Takahashi-san, please serve tea . ”
The man’s name was Yoshimi Akifumi-san . The girl’s was Yoshimi Hazuki-chan . She’s his niece . After introducing himself, he began to unwind the bandage that was around Hazuki-chan’s neck . From beneath the gauze appeared a sort of red eczema on her throat . It was simply a red line straight across the middle of her throat . Blood lightly seeped out of the sore skin .
“It looks like a skin disease . ”
When Naru said that, Akifumi-san turned Hazuki-chan sideways .
“It’s around her entire neck . ”
True to his words, the line went around her neck . A band of eczema, the width of about a centimeter, was around her neck . It was somewhat creepy . It looked like a wound . As though to cut the neck directly horizontal .
“It doesn’t seem painful at all, and it seems there’s no itch . ”
“It’s not a rash from something?”
Akifumi-san shook his head ‘no’ .
“If it was only that, I would have taken her to the hospital, but it’s also on her back . ”
After he said so, Akifumi-san turned to Hazuki-chan .
“Hazuki, excuse me . ”
After speaking, he opened Hazuki-chan’s shirt and dropped it from her shoulders . Looking at her small white back, I unconsciously spoke aloud .
“What… is this?”
Similar to the eczema that was on her neck, there was a line on her back . Something like this can’t possibly be a skin disease . It looked like nothing but characters . As if written with a brush, there were the kanji, ‘喘月院落獄童女 . ’
“ . . . that’s terrible . ”
It was Bou-san who said that in a low voice .
“What?”
“This is… a Kaimyou, isn’t it?
“Kaimyou, isn’t that a name given to a dead person?”
Bou-san made an unusually serious expression .
“Right… . this guy is malicious . ”
“Malicious?”
“‘喘月’ means the foolishness of fearing something too much . ‘落獄’ would mean descend into hell . —Yoshimi-san, please dress the young lady . ”
Descend into hell? What kind of Kaimyou is that?
“‘童女’ is given to girls . It’s a Kaimyou someone made with malicious intent . —It means, ‘This foolish child will descend into hell . ’”
. . . this foolish child…
“‘月’ in ‘喘月’ is probably taken from the character in ‘葉月(Hazuki) . ’ This is a Kaimyou for this child . ”
2
It was the evening of the following day when we arrived at the Yoshimi house, which was in Noto .
In the end, it was decided that Bou-san and Ayako would accompany us, so as usual, we crossed the simmering Japanese archipelago in two cars . Sheesh, it was a nauseating long journey .
The Yoshimi house was on a cape overlooking the Sea of Japan . From the road along the coast, a narrow side road extended through the forest to the seaside . Entering the road, an impressive building of Japanese construction immediately appeared . This was the Yoshimi house, a Japanese-style restaurant, which Akifumi-san’s family runs .
Akifumi-san, who had come back the previous day on an airplane, welcomed us and we were guided to the main building where the family lives . In the main building, which is connected to the restaurant by a corridor, was a tatami mat room in the very back .
In there, an old woman was sitting on a futon waiting .
“Grandmother, they’ve arrived . ”
Saying so, Akifumi-san lead us into the tatami mat room .
“This is my grandmother . ”
She was an old woman like a small guardian deity of children . She neatly placed her hands on top of the futon and deeply bowed her head .
“My name is Yoshimi Yae . I humbly beg you to look into our case . ”
The grandmother is the actual requester— Akifumi-san and Hazuki-chan were the ones who came to the office of ‘Shibuya Psychic Research . ’
“In truth, I should have gone to make the request, but as you can see, my health is somewhat impaired, so my grandson was sent as my proxy . I think even this was impolite, however, please pardon it . ”
After Akifumi-san introduced us to his grandmother, there came a calm seeming man and a woman wearing a kimono who waited with tea . The man was Akifumi-san’s father Yoshimi Taizou-san, and the woman was his mother Yoshimi Hiroe-san .
The pair politely greeted us, and Naru lightly nodded in return .
“—I’d like to hear the details of the request again from grandmother . ”
The grandmother nodded, pursing her mouth .
“ . . . Where should I begin?”
Slightly tilting her head, she began talking .
“You’ll probably think this is foolish, but this house is cursed . A few days ago, my husband passed away . . . ”
“My condolences . ”
“No . He lived a long life . . . . At any rate, there is a disquieting legend in the house of Yoshimi . It is said that accidents occur whenever there is a change of ownership . . . ”
The grandmother frowned after saying this .
“It was also true in the previous generation— when my father passed away and my husband took over the house . After the death of the previous head, corpses from the family began appearing one after another . Gathered in a big house, relatives had been living merrily, then just like that the number of people had decreased and the house was empty . ”
“Is that type of thing also happening now . . . ?”
When Naru asked, the grandmother nodded .
“Yes . It was the same thing when the house was ceded to the previous generation from the generation before . Although, I don’t remember much since I was young at the time . However, among my six siblings, I alone survived . Because of that, I did not become anxious . Actually, that eczema began to form on Hazuki immediately in response to my husband’s death and in less than one week, it has become as it is now . Considering this, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary case . With regards to the bruises on her neck as well as the Kaimyou on her back, it seems as if someone is saying they’ll cut off Hazuki’s head . ”
Saying so, the old woman fixed her gaze on Naru .
“Just as I had thought there was no option but to rely on people from another profession, I received a referral to you by a guest named Ohashi-sama . ”
Ohashi-san was the man who came with the request of the previous incident .
While Naru took notes, he said,
“I’d like to hear about when the predecessor, your father, died . When was it?”
“It was thirty-two years prior to now . ”
“Several people seem to have passed away, but do you remember the number and the causes of death?”
The grandmother nodded .
“There were eight people from this house . The five youngest of the seven children of this house, the oldest grandchild, my cousin, and my uncle . Half died in accidents, and the rest from illnesses with unknown causes . ”
I looked around the Japanese-style room, which had begun to darken . There was a large Buddhist family altar by the grandmother’s bedside . Eight people from within the family . The heavy number of eight .
“From this house —that is to say, there are people who died in addition to the family?”
When Naru asked, the grandmother nodded .
“Two restaurant customers, in accidents . . . ”
When Naru looked down at his notebook to brood, Akifumi-san’s mother Hiroe-obasan, who had been silently sitting beside the futon, spoke up .
“Mother, wouldn’t it be better to tell them everything?”
The grandmother looked down . Naru stared back at Hiroe-san .
“My mother… is worried whether all of you will return from here . ”
“Why do you say that?”
“Three spiritualists died . ”
‘I see,’ Bou-san muttered quietly .
“We invited two people from a spiritualist company, however, when they began their prayer, they soon died in accidents . The person we also invited after that died in an accident, too . ”
When Hiroe-obasan said this, the grandmother nodded while still looking down .
“We would very much like your help, but considering the risk, it’s unreasonable . . . ”
Bou-san interrupted Hiroe-obasan .
“If it’s too dangerous, we’ll desist and leave . We understand what’s involved . However, I’m not so cowardly that I’ll leave without seeing what I’m up against . ”
“ . . . Thank you . ”
Bou-san smiled at Hiroe-obasan, who completely bowed her head .
“However, Naru-chan, it’ll be troublesome if customers are also in danger . ”
Naru nodded . He spoke to Hiroe-obsan,
“Right now, are there any customers in the shop?”
“There aren’t any here . The restaurant has been closed since my father died . Mother . . . ”
Hiroe-obsan stared at the grandmother .
“She absolutely insisted . Employees were also asked to take a vacation after the funeral ended . Only the family is in this building now . ”
“I think that’s a sensible action . ”
Naru nodded lightly . Then,
“Have you experienced any incidents, or seen anything strange?”
The one to reply was Akifumi-san .
“After grandfather’s funeral, it started with the death of grandmother’s hill myna, and over about three days, all the birds and dogs we had raised died . There were the two canary birds my niece had raised and the three dogs . The birds died in their cages, but the dogs were found washed up on the shore . ”
Wow…
“Other than that?”
Akifumi-san looked at his mother . Hiroe-obsan replied,
“Some of the employees said they saw a ghost in part of the restaurant . It was peeking into a room from the window . ”
“Is it a definite location?”
“No . I think it was perhaps the cove side room, but . . . ”
“Cove side room?”
Hiroe-obsan nodded .
“I think you’ll understand when we show you around afterwards, however… since there’s only the cove side, it’s a strange location for someone to peek in from outside . . . ”
‘I see,’ Naru muttered as he closed his notebook .
“For the time being, we’ll decide where to put the equipment . Did you prepare a room?”
Akifumi-san stood up .
“Certainly . I will guide you . ”
3
We walked in succession down a long corridor following Akifumi-san .
Walking in the shop’s corridor, we went down a straight hallway and turned one corner . There were white walls on both sides, and lattice doors lined up here and there .
“Here it is . ”
Akifumi-san stopped and opened a lattice door . Behind the lattice door, there was ordinary entryway .
“Unfortunately, it isn’t a Western-style room . ”
Akifumi-san opened the sliding front door . It was three continuous rooms . It went immediately into a small four tatami mat sized room . Behind that was an eight tatami mat sized room . Additionally, another eight tatami mat sized room could be seen through an open sliding door on the left .
“It’s huge!”
Ayako cheered . In front of the two side-by-side eight tatami mat rooms was a paper sliding door that opened both ways . Akifumi-san opened it, and beyond was a wide veranda . Simple, Ryokan-style tables and chairs were placed there, although the ones here were three times as wide . It had the overall appearance of a simple wooden floored room .
“It’s fine if the sliding doors are removed . It’s a room where customers stay, but will it work?”
Akifumi-san asked Naru, who was overlooking the room . There are a number of beautifully made low tables placed against the wall, which seem a little too good for placing equipment on .
“It’s more than enough . ”
“It’s small on the inside, but there is a bathroom . In addition to this room, we’ve prepared the rooms on both sides, so please use them for rest . ”
“Thank you . ”
While casting a side glance at Naru, who lightly bowed his head, I approached the window of the veranda . When it’s this wide and empty, I feel like wandering aimlessly . Looking out the window, I raised my voice . It was a superb view .
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“Amaazing!”
Under the window was a small round cove . In front of the window, the opposite shore of the cliff could be seen nearby . The cove directly below looked very deep . The entrance to the sea was narrow and there was also no crossing . The thick, dark colored water was hauntingly calm .
“So, this is the cove side room?”
I understood . Certainly, it would be abnormal to see a person from outside this window . This room is built so that it projects from the cliff facing the cove . There is nothing under the window until the surface of the water . The distance is approximately four floors, or perhaps more .
“Do you understand now?”
Without noticing, Akifumi-san had appeared next to me . But it wasn’t just Akifumi-san . Everyone was looking out from the window .
“Yes, I understand . It’s impossible to look in from outside . ”
“That’s right . ”
“This cove, can you swim in it?”
“If you’re good at swimming . It’s very deep . ”
“Ah, indeed?”
“If you want to swim, you can swim at the beach on the opposite side . ”
Akifumi-san pointed back .
The opposite side… hmm, I can’t quite grasp it well .
The last time we went to a haunted house, the house was really large, and I would become frightened when I got lost . Though this house is smaller, it seems wide enough to get lost in . As might be expected from a Japanese-style restaurant, there are many rooms, and corridors that bend back and forth . I’ve barely been able to comprehend the fact that we’re in the restaurant rather than the main building . I wouldn’t like to make a floor plan again…
Perhaps thinking the same thing, Naru asked,
“Yoshimi-san, is there a floor plan of the building?”
“I think there is . I’ll bring it afterwards . ”
Bou-san gave a wry smile .
“That would be helpful . ”
Akifumi-san smiled .
“Since it’s not such a complicated building, I think you’ll become familiar with it immediately . ”
“I hope that’s so . Incidentally, I’d be happy if there’s also a map of the building’s surroundings . ”
When Bou-san said this, Akifumi-san smiled and raised his right hand .
“Please make a circle with your right thumb and index finger . ”
“An OK mark?”
“That’s right . The circle is the cove . Where the thumb and index finger join is the entrance of the cave . The shop is around the base of the index finger . The opposite shore is where the thumb appears opposite now . The garden over there has a tea house . ”
Hmmm . I stared at my hand .
“From the place around the wrist, the main building is where you enter from the road towards the index finger and the shrine is where you enter towards the thumb . ”
“There’s a shrine?”
“Yes, right next door . The middle finger is the beach . A small fishing port is on the far point . ”
Ah, I see . It isn’t simple .
“And there is a small cave on the part of the nail of the index finger . ”
“A cave?”
“Yes . It’s a marine erosion cave . Waves hollow out the cliff and a cave is made . It’s only from the pointing part of the fingernail, it’s missing from the cove . ”
“Amaazing . Can we see the cave?”
“Yes . Since today is too late, I’ll show you tomorrow if that’s alright with you . ”
Hooray . Exciting .
“But Yoshimi-san,”
Bou-san raised his voice .
“I realize the building is splendid and the location is good, but is a restaurant really profitable in the middle of nowhere?”
Indeed . The town we passed through was by no means large, and this place is on the outskirts of town .
“We’re a little different from an ordinary restaurant . If I told you it’s a member’s only restaurant, would you understand?”
Oh, is there such a thing?
“Amaazing . Isn’t this great for you, Mai and Bou-san . ”
Ayako put her hand on my shoulder .
“What?”
“You certainly wouldn’t be able to come to a place like this in your entire life . Aren’t you lucky to have this lucrative job?”
After all, I am a poor person .
“Just what are you implying with that, Ayako?”
“Ah, I can seize this chance to marry into a rich family . Hohoho . ”
This— this woman .
“Um . . . ”
“Hmph . There’s a charm woman and children don’t understand . ”
“Then, why don’t you hurry? I think it’s too late after you pass your eve . ”
“Not yet! There’s still time before my eve!”
“It’ll pass by while you’re speaking so ambitiously . ”
“Well, I’m easy . ”
“Is that in terms of what a lover is allowed to do?”
“Not cute!”
“Even being loved by Ayako is just creepy . ”
—To say such a thing . Sorry, it was bad . Akifumi-san’s shoulders trembled . When our eyes met, he made an apologetic expression .
“ . . . I’m sorry . ”
“It’s fine . Please don’t overstrain yourself by laughing too much . ”
After all, we're a pair of stand-up comedians .
Ayako suddenly pointed a finger at Akifumi-san .
“That’s right . How old are you, Yoshimi-san?”
Akifumi-san had a blank look .
“I’ll be twenty soon . ”
Hehe, he’s her junior . That’s unfortunate, Ayako .
When I was laughing with all my might, an unparalleled ruthless voice sprang from behind .
“Mai! How long are you going to play around!”
Uh-ohh . Boss is angry . Work, work .
4
Akifumi-san helped me carry the large amount of equipment to the base .
“Put the equipment in the center of the shop . Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san, go to Hazuki-chan . For the time being, prepare talismans to ensure her safety . ”
Yeah, yeah . Carry the camera and connect the video . To the thermography and the vibrometer and the infrared radar and all the rest of the measuring instruments .
“Somehow, you don’t seem very much like spiritualists . ”
Akifumi-san said while he carried equipment into the empty room .
“Yes . Please call us ghost hunters . Excuse me, could you please grab the cable with the yellow tape on it?”
“So, you also handle this kind of machinery, Taniyamsan? —Um, cable?”
“It’s a cord . —Somehow I have a simple connection . The majority of it is still gibberish to me . ”
“I feel even a simple connection is incredible . I’m not very good with machinery . ”
“Not very good?”
“When I touch machines too much they seem to break . When face to face with machinery, I’m the type that gets nervous . ”
Ah, I see .
“Aki . . . ”
fumi-san, I started to say and quickly covered my mouth .
“I don’t mind going by Akifumi . ”
He gave me a smile, but still, to call a man by his given name after being acquainted for such a short time is a little . . .
“I’m— I’m sorry . All the family members are ‘Yoshimi-san’, it was unintentional . . . ”
“Please, don’t worry about it . Because even without the large number of people, it’s confusing . ”
“Then excuse me, Akifumi-san . You said you’re twenty years old, are you a college student?”
“Yes . I go to the University of Tokyo . ”
“Oh, so that means you don’t usually live here, right?”
“That’s right . But I try to come back to visit as much as possible during holidays . ”
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“Do you help in the shop still?”
Akifumi-san smiled and shook his head .
“My grandmother gets lonely . Since the family members are too busy with the shop . ”
“Eeeh . Do all the people of the house work in the shop?”
“That’s right . But my youngest elder brother is a government worker . ”
“Youngest elder brother— does that mean you have two or more brothers?”
“Two brothers and two sisters . I’m the youngest of five siblings . ”
“Five… that’s a lot of people . ”
Akifumi-san gave a somewhat mixed smile .
“If you die a lot, you have to have a lot of people or your house will become extinct . ”
“Hmm . . . and along with your parents and grandmother?”
“Plus, my oldest brother and sister have children with their spouses . Three children in all . My brother has two children, and my sister has one child . Hazuki is the youngest child of my brother . ”
*shock*
“That— that many people all live here?”
“Except me . ”
I looked at my hands and counted on my fingers .
“Thirteen people in all? That’s impressive . ”
Akifumi-san gave a pained smile .
“Nevertheless, if eight people die, not even half will remain . ”
I thought this to be an unpleasant story . This was a cursed house where a large number of the family die . As such, a lot of damage is caused . And so as to not become extinct, the house produces a lot of children . It may be because I have no house or family, but that feels very wrong . It’s as though the children are tools to keep the house going . The parents will of course love the children, but I wonder what percentage of the love will be love for the human being .
Akifumi-san bowed his head a little .
“ . . . I’m sorry . It’s a dark conversation . ”
“No, it’s— it’s I who should say so . ”
“Taniyamsan, what about your family?”
“Oh . I’m on my own . ”
Akifumi-san looked surprised .
“ . . . I’m sorry, that was inexcusable . I spoke callously . ”
“No way! It’s natural to ask if you don’t know . ”
Despite this, everyone apologizes .
“But…”
Everyone gets stuck with this topic .
“Please, don't trouble yourself . There’s a lot to a person, and that means there’s also a lot to me . ”
“Indeed… ”
“Besides, if I had parents, they wouldn’t let me have this unusual part-time job . Then I wouldn’t have been able to come to such a luxurious restaurant and— . ”
“ . . . is that so?”
“That’s right . It’s easier like this . Especially, when I think my friends would quarrel with my family, among other things . No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I think it’s good to have dead parents . ”
“Perhaps that’s true . ”
“Hmmm . Of course, it’s also lonely . ”
Akifumi-san smiled .
“Add me and Taniyamsan and divide by two and the number is exactly right . ”
“ . . . seven people? Even so, according to social norms, that’s a little bit more . ”
“Well, that’s true . My house really does have a lot of people . ”
Akifumi-san said this as if just realizing it .
“Umm, this is something strange, but—”
“What is it?”
“How do you eat your meals?”
With thirteen people, I wondered if they all ate side by side in a row .
“Well, we usually eat together . ”
I was impressed by what Akifumi-san said .
“Is that unusual?”
“Since your home is a restaurant, the people helping in the shop eat at unusual hours in the shop, right?”
“Oh, it’s also that sort of house . ”
Ah . The world is vast .
“It’s a little disappointing . I wanted to see where thirteen people sit in a row . ”
When I said this, Akifumi-san made a slightly mystified expression .
“What’s wrong?”
“My mother had said you would eat with all of us tonight . ”
Wow . Perhaps it will be a feast ♡
“ . . . I wonder how we’re going to eat . ”
Hmm .
“It’s a total of eighteen people . ”
“That . . . that isn’t a meal, that’s a banquet now . ”
“It is, isn’t it?”
Akifumi-san and I thought pensively for a moment .
5
Returning to the base, the rack was assembled on the veranda in the front room . When Ayako and Bou-san returned from seeing to Hazuki-chan’s well-being, the pair also helped carry the large amount of equipment . While we talked idly, by the time we finished the setup and check, it had become quite dark outside .
Afterwards, Akifumi-san guided us to a tatami mat room in the corner of the shop . When we were shown inside the wide, elegant room, four men were seated at a long table . One of them was Taizou-san, the father we met with the grandmother . Taizou-Ojisan was wearing white chef’s clothes . So that meant the meal would be made by Ojisan .
“Please, make yourself comfortable . It would be greatly appreciated . ”
He politely bowed his head and guided us to the head seats . All these unnecessary kindnesses such as the hanging scrolls, flower arrangements, etc . , are extremely uncomfortable for me . I would have been fed up if we had to sit in seiza, but fortunately, it turned out that we would be sitting at a table with recessed floors for our legs —relief .
Taizou-Ojisan introduced us to the men who were there . The somewhat older, plump man wearing a suit was Kazuyasu-san, the eldest son . The burly man wearing jeans and a t-shirt was Yasutaksan, the second son . The man wearing the same chef’s clothing as Taizou-Ojisan was Eijirou-san, the son-in-law . They all seemed to be just past thirty . They’re all somewhat depressed looking, but them sitting here in descending order of sizes large, medium, and small was a little funny .
With only this many, I thought it was unimpressive, but then four woman carrying dishes came in . The brisk woman wearing a kimono was the mother Hiroe-san . The calm seeming woman was Youko-san, Kazuyasu-san’s wife . The really strong-willed looking woman, third from the front, was the eldest daughter Teruksan . The fourth cool seeming, young woman, was the youngest daughter Nao-san .
Now there are even more people involved . I wonder if I can properly remember who is who… (anxiety)
“Shibuysan, would you like sake?”
Taizou-Ojisan asked Naru .
“No . Neither Lin nor I drink . ”
In addition to that, you're a minor .
“Takigawsan and Matsuzaki-san, is it okay?”
Hearing this, Bou-san smiled .
“It’s greatly appreciated . ”
So, you’re a heavy drinker . Ayako also smiled . I wonder if she drinks alot . Not surprisingly, we’ve never drank together .
“Taniyamsan?”
“No way!”
I’m a minor!
Of how many number of dishes that came out in turn, I took notice of Lin-san’s bowl, which was suddenly sitting next to me . Somewhat, only Lin-san’s food was different . Thinking this, I looked over the table . Naru’s was also different . Evidently, only Naru and Lin-san were served different dishes .
“Why is Lin-san’s food different?”
When I asked that in a low voice, Hiroe-Obasan, who had just set down the bowl, replied,
“We heard that Shibuysan and Lin-san don’t eat meat, so we took the liberty of changing the menu, but . . . was that not right?”
“Huh? You don’t eat meat, Lin-san?”
This was a surprise . Come to think of it, since they always left behind a lot of food, I thought Lin-san and Naru had an unbalanced diet .
“You’re a vegetarian? You don’t eat meat at all?”
Lin-san nodded expressionlessly .
“It isn’t good to not eat meat . That’s why you’re skinny, Lin-san . ”
Hiroe-obasan smiled softly and asked,
“Shall we bring a little something? After you came all this way to the seaside . ”
Lin-san lightly bowed his head .
“During investigations, we will abstain from meat for the purpose of religious purification . ”
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*gasp* Amazing . Naru and Lin-san had left food behind with such deep consideration . I thought they were simply being stubborn because it was their personality .
Truly, the world is profound .
“Spiritualists are very serious, aren’t they?”
When Taizou-ojisan said that admiringly, I didn't miss as Bou-san and Ayako fixed their eyes on their plates self-consciously . . . HaHaHa .
We questioned the male and female camps about various things, however, not being able to gather anything, we withdrew to the base . In the base, the data that was being sent from the equipment in various places was shown by the lonely monitors .
“Abnormalities?”
Naru asked Lin-san, who sat in front of the equipment .
“Currently, there are none . I’ll check the previous results . ”
Shown by the monitor screens were the corridor of the main building, Hazuki-chan’s room, the shop corridor, the cove side spare room, and five locations in the coast side spare rooms . There were no abnormalities in any of the videos .
“Do you think there will be activity tonight?
When I asked that, Naru answered while continuing to look at the screens,
“Well, there aren’t a lot clues about what exactly is happening . We’ll try going to the local library tomorrow . —Bou-san . ”
“What's up?”
“Set up a barrier around Hazuki-chan for the night . . . ”
As he started to say that, Akifumi-san came in with tools for making tea .
"Thank you for your hard work . ”
He had arranged the teapot and electric kettle for us . While he was making tea, he said,
“Taniyamsan, that was unfortunate . ”
Huh?
“Thirteen people . Were you disappointed by the small number of people?”
Ahaha, that’s it?
“Well, not really . But, I thought it would be more lively . ”
“Normally, my brothers alone are more lively, but… recently they’ve been really gloomy . ”
“Of course, when there is worry, you’ll definitely become gloomy, right?”
When I said that, Akifumi-san gave a mixed smile .
“Who was the son-in-law, again? Eijirou-san? He seemed like he was in somewhat of a bad mood, didn’t he?”
It felt like he was somewhat irritated . I was a little scared .
“I agree . I wonder what happened, suddenly . ”
“Suddenly?”
Akifumi-san nodded .
“It may be nothing, but… Both Kuzu-niisan and Eijirou-niisan help with the shop, so they generally have good manners since manners are essential for the business . That was the first time I saw Eijirou-niisan with such a sullen expression . ”
Naru frowned .
“In other words, Eijirou-san generally isn’t the sort of person to have such a sullen expression in public?”
“Yes . He might get angry, but until now, he’s never shown it in his expression . At least, that was the first time I had seen it on his face . ”
“Kazuyasu-san, also?”
“Yes . Kuzu-niisan has seemed on edge these past two or three days . Yasu-niisan seems so also . Yasu-niisan is probably the worst . When he’s in public he restrains himself a little, but by nature he’s a very cheerful man . To the extent that he used to be scolded by our parents . ”
. . . eeeh .
“How long has Yasutaksan’s personality been different?”
“I think since the day of grandfather’s funeral . Even though I asked why, he won’t say . ”
“Is there anyone else with changes in their personality?”
Akifumi-san was thoughtful for a moment .
“Youko-neesan . ”
Now, which woman was she?
“The strong-willed looking one?”
“No, that’s Teruka . Terukneesan is the most strong-willed in nature of the family . ”
“Then, the calm seeming one?”
“Yes . No, she’s a calm person by nature, but . . . ”
“But?”
Asked by Naru, Akifumi-san replied,
“If I were to say whose personality changed the most of the family, it would be the children above all . There are another two in addition to Hazuki . Katsuki and Hazuki are the children of Kazu-niisan . Terukneesan’s child is Wakako . Katsuki and Wakako are strange . The pair are being secretive lately . ”
When I tilted my head to the side, Akifumi-san smiled in a troubled fashion .
“How can I say this… Originally, they weren’t like that, however, recently they’ve been sticking close and won’t be separated from each other . On top of that, the pair talk secretively between themselves all the time . When I ask what they’re talking about, they exchange looks then run away . . . ”
Hmm…
“This has also been about since grandfather’s funeral . The funeral was so hectic, there wasn’t time to be concerned about the children . In the last two or three days, it’s suddenly gotten to a state to be concerned about . ”
“I see . . . ”
Naru contemplated the situation .
A family who changed… I wonder what’s going on in this house…
Soon after, I was told to fix the angle of a camera that was placed in a room on the coast side, and I left the base . Upon entering the corridor, it was pitch black . Farther down, the light from the emergency lamp could be seen, which meant all of the electricity was off .
“Huh?”
I wonder if they turned it off to conserve electricity . I just had to go to the room diagonally opposite and, without thinking deeply, I began to walk . For now, it wasn’t dark enough that I couldn’t walk .
It was when I walked half-way . A faint voice came from somewhere along the dark and long corridor . I was surprised and stopped walking . The voice seemed faint like breathing . I looked around my surroundings, but they were obscured by the dark . Once again, just as I was thinking I might have imagined it, there came a voice like a faint whisper .
My heart was pounding . Once again, I looked around carefully . Then I noticed a lump on the corridor wall a short distance away towards the corridor of the main building . The lump was around waist height and about the size of a soccer ball .
“ . . . san”
A quiet, secretive voice reached my ears .
“Is someone there…?”
Something thin extended from the lump, beckoning several times .
“ . . . Oneesan . ”
A child? Is it a child? The voice seemed like that of a child . When I looked harder, the lump seemed to be a child’s head . But, the corridor is straight, so there’s no turning point there .
“ . . . Oneesan . . . ”
Frightened by the whispering voice, I was just about to return to the base, and then I remembered there were lattice doors lined up along the walls . They were probably leaning out from inside the lattice door .
I took a breath of relief, then began to walk toward the child .
“Who is it?”
The child was beckoning . They came out into the corridor . One— Two people .
When I approached, it was definitely children . A boy and girl dressed in summer pajamas . They were either first graders in elementary school or below . In that case, these children were probably Katsuki-kun and Wakako-chan . Wakako-chan was just a little bigger .
“What’s wrong? You’re Katsuki-kun and Wakako-chan, right?”
When I stopped in front of them and asked, the pair stared at me . They whispered something to each other secretively . Then Wakako-chan said,
“ . . . how many of you are there?”
That was what I heard .
“Eh?”
Wakako-chan repeated it to include bite .
“How many are there?”
“There are five of us . ”
I was getting ready to ask them if it was okay for them to be up this late at night when the pair began whispering again .
“ . . . five people . . . ”
“That’s a lot . . . ”
“ . . . that’s bad . . . . ”
I very faintly heard these words . They were discussing something secretly . Then, they abruptly turned away in unison . They began to walk toward the main building .
“Wait a minute . What’s wrong?”
Wakako-chan looked back .
“Five, right?”
“That’s right . Hey, what’s up?”
“It’s really nothing you need to worry about . ”
Laughing quietly, they scurried away .
Dumbfounded, I vacantly watched the direction where the pair had disappeared for a short while .
. . . What was this uneasiness? I didn’t know what was so strange in particular, but… I could understood why it seemed difficult for Akifumi-san to talk about it . It was difficult to convey this feeling to others . Still, something was very strange…
I breathed out and attempted to go fix the camera angle . That was when it happened .
—Screams could be heard from the end of the corridor .
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