“Seriously, can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?!”
In the music room on the second floor of a two-storied wooden old school building, an angry shout rang out.
Gifted with both brains and beauty, with clean-cut facial features, she had good relations with people as well, and was kind to everyone……but that seemed like it was just for public appearances. In this music room in the old school building, she was rather hot tempered.
The two of them placed their bags around where they usually placed them, and sat down in their chairs.
I laughed, feigning innocence.
Just as B-ko moved closer towards me, the sound of the classroom’s door opening again was heard.
——It was A-ya.
His hair was unstyled, and it stuck up on its own. Under his eyes were dark circles, and he had slight sanpaku eyes*, and for the most part, he had a blank expression. From an outsider’s point of view, it would be hard to say that he was a good looking youth by any standard.
”……What’re you talking about?“
B-ko glared and approached A-ya while she desperately tried to suppress her anger. Her anger was most likely over the rumor A-ya had spread.
Anyways, spreading those kinds of rumors was A-ya’s hobby, and on top of that, he was quite good at it, too.
Maybe it’s because we’ve always been together as childhood friends……?
”……Haah…well, I’m used to it, so it’s fine, but you know……“
”……By the way, about that rumor that you spread, what is a doppelganger?“
”……Ah.“
"In German, it means "double goer”, and as the word implies, a specific person is seen in two completely different places at the exact same time……the point is, an imposter appears. It’s a kind of supernatural phenomena.“
"This phenomena’s been reported all over the world, from eyewitness accounts, so it’s quite famous. It’s been said that even people like Lincoln or Ryuunosuke Akutagawa have experienced this. As for commonly mentioned details, the impostor is often sighted in places that have to do with the original person, and the impostor does not talk with any surrounding people at all……and, if the person meets with their impostor……it’s said that the person will be killed……”
“Who knows. There’s theories about it, but the impostor takes the place of the person, and no one around them notices it……it’s probably something like that.”
The room was immediately wrapped in silence.
For the person who the rumor had been spread about, the tale just now would definitely have been creepy.
However, it may be that, even more than an ordinary ending, that definitely had more of a sense of reality to it.
Well, anyway, we always collected “rumors” together like this.
Like the “Slit-mouthed woman”, or “Human faced dog”……
Additionally, it was A-ya who had gotten most of us together.
In the first place, D-ne and I had no interest in things like the occult, and like we’d just seen, B-ko was actually pretty cowardly, so even if we got curious, we couldn’t look into it ourselves.
“……Speaking of which, do you know any other rumors like this? It’s a story I just learned about recently, but there’s an urban legend about a "person who committed suicide while laughing”.“
Once again, A-ya gleefully began to speak about his collection of urban legends.
It’s pretty, but such a sinister color, I thought as I listened to the story.
"Ah, it’s about time I went home.”
“It’s about time for me too……ah, but, that doll, I’m curious about it after all.”
“Ehh, even though it’s cute? D-ne-chan, you think so too, don’t you?”
It was an enoki mushroom character with a face on it, but that expression was, contrary to the name, downright unmotivated, and I thought it was very cute. When more closely inspected, it also felt like it slightly resembled A-ya.
It wasn’t a popular character or anything, so certainly, in my class, or even in the school, I hadn’t seen anyone with this figure besides myself.
After all, at the time when I’d bought it, I’d found it at a relatively unknown general store, and it had been the last one left.
D-ne said, smiling.
“Ahaha, that sounds like something D-ne would say.”
“……Speaking of dolls, in the urban legend "hide and seek alone”, dolls are used.“
"Hide and seek alone?”
“……Huh. Ah, speaking of stuffed toys, I remembered something from when A-ya and I were small.”
I remembered the stuffed rabbit I had given to A-ya long ago.
If that doll were to be stabbed, I don’t think I’d be able to bear it.
“Nah, it’s nothing. Just, even if you ever do "hide and seek alone”, I’d like it if you didn’t use that doll.“
"It’s nothing.”
I smiled at A-ya, and just like that, left the question unanswered.
The next day, after school, I headed to the old school building’s music room once again.
After a while, the classroom door suddenly opened a bit, and those two appeared.
“……Oh? You seem awfully angry today.”
Most likely, it was about the rumor that had been spread around in the school today.
“……Can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?”
“Ahh, that rumor, you mean? Isn’t it a masterpiece? As usual, it’s the best.”
The moment B-ko stood up, we heard the sound of the door opening again.
“……Hey.”
“No, it’s not just "hey”……I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?“
”……Don’t act you like don’t know, just like yesterday. The rumors are only getting worse!“
"Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I only meant it as a little prank.”
“If someone happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now……!”
“…… Anyway, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about recently.”
“It might just be my imagination, though, or it might actually be an unnatural phenomenon.”
B-ko, who has risen from her seat, sat back down again, facing A-ya.
“Are you sure……it’s not just your family?”
“Then, is it like someone’s watching from outside?”
……Someone’s gaze……huh.
“Maybe it’s something like a ‘zashiki-warashi’……”
“Mmm……”
A-ya took a breath, and then continued.
“What is it?”
“Yeah……”
”……“
”……“
”……“
—-"The Bookmark of Demise.”
This was one of the “rumors” that A-ya was currently most excited about. In all honesty, I was okay with whatever when it came to the occult, but if a mysterious incident really had occurred ten years ago, then my interest was slightly piqued.
“……Anyway, the last attempt at 'Kokkuri-san’ failed.”
“Failed……?”
”……It’s true that we didn’t do it as it said in the rules……but……“
I expected what his next words would be, and simply thought them to be very like him.
And thus, we became involved, in the worst Demise Game……
–
*Sanpaku eyes (三白眼) - eyes where the sclera is visible on three sides of the iris (left, right and bottom) rather than only two sides (left and right). In Chinese/Japanese superstition, they’re said to be an ill omen related to death, as they remind people of a dead body’s eyes rolling into the back of one’s skull, and white is the color of death in Japan.
**Motreevational Treenoki: the character is called やる気への木さん (yaruki e no ki-san). Yaruki = motivation. Ki = tree. e no ki = enoki mushroom. When said out loud, it sounds like "motivational enoki”.
——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!
Halfway through Kokkuri-san, the announcer’s robotic voice had suddenly begun to play. The unpleasant voice that seemed to gouge out my spine echoed unnaturally throughout the room.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
—-And then, the incoming silence.
“……Wh-what was that……j-just now……?”
“……‘Fox’? 'Traitor’……?”
“……”
We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim classroom, all of us had pale faces.
Just what was that just now……?
When I tried to see how A-ya was doing, his face showed more fear than I’d imagined. I’d thought that A-ya, who loved urban legends this much, would surely be happy at our current situation, but it seemed like that wasn’t so. When I thought about it more, because he believed in these kinds of urban legends more than anyone, he probably actually was scared.
A long period of time passed…… In reality, it might not even have been longer than a minute,
today…” and on their suggestion, we left the school.
In the end, I went home together with A-ya, but neither of us said a word.
Before long, the same old familiar screen came up.
At first, it had been half-intended as a joke.
of a pocket inside of A-ya’s bag.
escalated from there.
Among the things I had discovered in his house, there was nothing suspicious.
With those feelings in mind, I prepared my hidden camera and recording device, and began to
“Can feel a gaze…… huh.”
In all likelyhood, A-ya had probably completely failed to notice that that was my gaze.
When A-ya returned to his room, he sat beside his bed in a fetal position, hugging his knees, and
multiple times and repeatedly turned the TV on and off.
While watching A-ya do those things, I whispered to myself, and somehow managed to remain
calm.
“……Y-you’re really just……so helpless, A-ya.”
That’s right, if I thought calmly about it, there should be no way this would really happen.
I have to do this right, because I’m the only one who can save A-ya.
I turned off the PC, and got into bed.
And, the next day, after classes had ended, I met up with A-ya and headed towards the old school building.
“…………!”
“……What’s wrong? B-ko-chan.”
“……B-ko?”
B-ko was extremely upset. Certainly, yesterday’s events had been shocking, but even so, that response was too much.
“……kh,”
“…………!”
As soon as B-ko saw D-ne, she averted her eyes and clammed up.
“……It’s hard to tell at this point……I hate to admit it, but there’s a chance it might’ve just been an elaborate prank……”
“……But, if it’s true, then one of us is……”
B-ko suddenly yelled, holding her head so as to cover her ears.
And it was at that moment—-
—-THUD!!!!
There was a sudden loud noise, and a shadow appeared outside of the glass room of the old building music room we were all in.
——It was a person.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
We heard B-ko scream a moment too late.
In the midst of my surprise, my thoughts were still frozen.
Right now, the person was dangling in the air at the second floor, staring into the classroom.
“……I-it’s the 'girl by the window’……”
“……W-we……have to go call someone……”
However, it was obvious to anyone that it was clearly already too late.
In the end, my head was far too full of confusion, and I was unable to move at all.
My memories after that were vague.
From what little information we’d heard from the police, along with what we heard afterwards, it seemed that this incident clearly had too many uncertain points.
“……That kind of thing…is just impossible……”
Those words that A-ya whispered somehow lingered in my ears.
When I returned home, perhaps because I had finally begun to understand the reality of the situation, I was suddenly attacked by a wave of fear.
I hugged my blankets while shrinking in on myself.
“……Those eyes, those eyes were looking at me……”
I, who enjoyed observing other people, was currently experiencing the feeling of being watched by a higher being.
I couldn’t get that dead student’s eyes from earlier out of my head.
Am I the only one feeling this fear……?!
Without standing up from where I was, I turned on the PC.
Right now, how was A-ya, how as A-ya dealing with this……?!
The screen came up, and A-ya’s room, the same as always, was displayed on the screen—-
—-Or so it should’ve.
For a moment, just only that tiny moment, someone else that was clearly not A-ya came up on the camera, and then vanished.
“……?!”
…………Exactly who, was that, just now?
Since A-ya was facing his desk and doing something, I couldn’t see his expression.
The worst case scenario came up in my mind. Could it be, that A-ya was being targeted by the “fox”……?!
“……A-yaa!!”
The instant I called out his name, A-ya turned around……
—-And faced this way.
Almost exactly in the camera’s direction, right now, he was looking past the screen and making eye contact with me.
For a while, I stayed silent for no real reason, waiting for time to pass without even the slightest of movements.
A-ya stared in this direction without changing his expression at all, but after that, he moved his head to look around the room, and then went straight to bed, hugged his knees and fell asleep.
……Was it just my imagination? That silhouette from earlier……and A-ya’s gaze too……?
For a while, I examined A-ya’s room, but nothing really happened.
More importantly, when A-ya had looked this way, the image quality of his eyes hadn’t been all that good, so I’d felt abnormally scared. I remembered those eyes once again.
I turned off my PC’s power, and, deciding to get into bed, stood up from my chair.
——When I turned around——……
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
On top of my bed was an object I had never seen before.
The goosebumps on my skin told me:
What do you mean by this?! What do you mean by this?!!
To think that kind of thing existed, that kind of thing……!
My heart’s beating increased in tempo.
Firstly, I have to get rid of this…….
under the futon and closed my eyes while hugging my knees.
The next day came.
Thinking about how I had to quickly do something about that, I made up my mind and got out of the futon.
When I gingerly picked up the bag, I noticed something amidst the feeling of unease that I could not help but feel.
—-The bag was extremely light.
What does this……mean?
In exchange, a letter that I had never seen before was placed there.
・Kokkuri-san’s demands will be sent via letter.
“……Eep!”
Yesterday, I’d definitely been looking at the bag the whole time. It’s true that I’d gotten tired, but at the very least, I would definitely have been able to tell if someone had entered my room.
There’s no way this should be able to happen in reality…this is……this is……!
I returned the letter to the bag a little violently.
It was impossible to understand, so, right now, I have to do something about this letter.
There’s no way I can let anyone read it, so in the meantime, I have to throw it away somehow.
Still confused, I changed my clothes so I could go outside, picked up my bag and phone and made to leave my room.
It was at that time.
–Pirorin.
“……!”
Just when had my phone been turned off from silent mode?
While getting up warily, when I looked at the screen, it was a notification from Twitter, informing me of a direct message from my classmate.
≪I fooouuuuuund you! What’re you doing at the shrine?≫
……?
What is this guy saying?
≪I’m actually home alone right now, though?≫
≪Huh? But, aren’t you over there, ah, you’re not?≫
≪Maybe I made a mistake? Sorryyyy, it’s just that yesterday, it was pretty bad for you, and you were all alone so I kept thinking about you~ If it’s just a mistake then it’s fine, sorry about thattttt~≫
I closed the Twitter screen.
I thought it was a mistake, but it felt eerie.
After all, the shrine……?
…..No, could it be……
—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!
“—-!”
My phone rang out again. This time, it seemed to be an alert for a text. Even though I’d definitely put it on silent mode……rather, when I looked at the screen of my phone, itwas on silent. Just what is this supposed to mean……?
While my face twisted up in fear, I opened up my phone, and lined up there were rows of letters I didn’t want to see.
≪C-ta, what’re you doing at school?≫
“……!!!!”
What the hell is this? From a completely different person, at the almost exact same time?
It was unimaginable that two people would both lie to me.
Or……
—-Had I really been sighted?
While beginning to feel creeped out, I went outside.
What’s going on?!
Then, in that case, that was a doppelganger?
“In German, it means "double goer”, and as the word implies, a specific person is seen in two completely different places at the exact same time……the point is, an imposter appears. It’s a kind of supernatural phenomena.“
But this was a rumor about B-ko. Besides, A-ya had definitely never spread a rumor about me before, right?!
"This phenomena’s been reported all over the world, from eyewitness accounts, so it’s quite famous. It’s been said that even people like Lincoln or Ryuunosuke Akutagawa have experienced this. As for commonly mentioned details, the impostor is often sighted in places that have to do with the original person, and the impostor does not talk with any surrounding people at all……and, if the person meets with their impostor……it’s said that the person will be killed……”
Killed?
It was like that with the “Girl at the Window”, and the story of “doppelgangers”, too; in the first place, the one who suggested we should do Kokkuri-san was A-ya, too, wasn’t it?
No, what if A-ya had always known until now, but had always just ignored it?
What if, I, who’d thought I’d been observing him, had in reality been played by upon his hands?
No, that…..that kind of thing is impossible!
I made to walk towards A-ya’s house.
—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!
Just then, my phone made a familiar noise.
This time, it was the sound of a phonecall.
What do you mean, one after another?!
When I looked at the screen, the call was from a guy at school.
He was often around A-ya, and he was the kind of guy who spread rumors around once he’d gotten his hands on them.
“……Hello?”
–Click.
When I turned around, there was no one there.
Behind me……? What did he mean?
—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!
That classmate called back again.
“……Yes?”
“No……more importantly……”
“……Why?”
“……No, I mean, why did you think it was me?”
“It was from behind, right? You might’ve mistaken someone else for me.”
“Like I said, why are you saying that……!”
『That gross doll was hanging from your bag, you know?』
–Click.
The call was cut off once again.
This time, he didn’t call back.
……Gross doll?
Certainly, every time that guy hung around me, he’d make fun of the doll hanging from my bag, laughing and calling it gross.
Maybe it was someone other than me that had one……?
I’ll expose you. If there’s a culprit, I’ll expose you.
I’d made to head towards A-ya’s house, but I changed my direction and headed for the shopping mall.
When I reached the shopping mall, I searched everywhere around me.
In the cafe and shops, and even in the central square, I looked around.
Whether because of fatigue or lack of sleep, I felt lightheaded, and sat down on a bench.
“……!”
“What the hell~! You were here after all~!”
“You suddenly hung up on me earlier, and I couldn’t reach you after that, so I thought, maybe you were getting creeped out.”
“……Sorry……I don’t feel that well right now.”
“……Oh yeah, weren’t you with A-ya?”
“……Eh?”
What did he say just now?
“Hm? I feel like I saw A-ya earlier, too, but……maybe it was just my imagination? Ah, I also met with……”
…..A-ya was here? In this shopping mall?
………………………………………………So, after all……A-ya was……?
I said, smiling, and left from that place.
After resting at the park, I returned home.
To do that, I need to monitor him intensely.
I’m going to bring this kind of shit game to an end……!
In the middle of returning home, I passed by the shrine where I had been seen. I tried to go in to investigate for a bit, but there wasn’t anything as strange as that. When I looked to the exit to go outside, there stood a figure I’d often seen.
–It was D-ne.
Raising a smile like usual, I spoke up.
“……C-ta-san, what’s wrong?”
“……?”
“……? I’ve……only just met you with right now……haven’t I?”
I listened to her answer, and continued on.
“……What’s wrong? When I met with B-ko-chan earlier, she also seemed…different from usual……almost like it was an imposter.”
Just what is that “me” that’s been going around today?
And A-ya, who might be with the imposter, is……
“…… An imposter…huh……”
“……Yeah, I’m fine…at least, that’s what I’d like to say, anyway……”
There was a brief silence.
“……I don’t know……”
“……B-ko did……?”
“It wouldn’t be surprising…Everyone’s feeling on edge right now……Even I think that you could be the 'fox’, but B-ko’s also suspicious to have told you that. ……I’m not sure about A-ya, though……”
Is that someone who showed up in A-ya’s room, the culprit? Or could it be that A-ya himself is the 'fox’, and he’s cooperating with someone else……?
“……But, if…just if it does happen, you know? If you ever find out the identity of the 'fox’, and you’re able to end this game, D-ne-chan……I want to you end it, instantly, without any hesitation.”
“……Alright.”
If there was a time where I failed, D-ne too would be killed if she didn’t take action.
We exchanged no further words, and left the shrine.
——I have to end this game, and soon.
When I arrived home, I took out the ‘letter’ from inside my bag.
No matter what is written in there, I won’t change my mind. My determination resolved, I slowly opened the 'letter’.
—-Doppelgängers Author: C-ta—-
Don’t encounter any doppelgängers.
That was all that was written inside the letter.
I turned on the PC’s power.
After starting up the operation software, I immediately opened the window.
There, A-ya’s room, the same as always, was displayed on the screen–
–Or so it should’ve.
“……?!”
On the screen, the image that, until now, was the furthest from reality, was displayed.
In A-ya’s room, in front of his desk……
—-My back was on the screen.
I’d never seen myself from behind before, but I immediately recognized it as myself.
I confirmed by looking at the bag in my room, and sure enough, that doll that definitely should’ve been on my bag until now, was gone.
A-ya looked to be sitting at his desk, but my back was in the way, so I couldn’t confirm it.
And when I looked further, I was gripping a pair of scissors in my hand.
“……A-yaaaaa!!!”
What if A-ya was the culprit? What if this is a trap?
If I’m right, then the culprit, the 'fox’ is definitely……!
“A-yaa!”
My hand fell upon the door of his house.
—-Ker-chak! Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!
It seemed to be locked.
I took out the extra key from the hiding place that had never changed since long ago, opened the door, and stepped inside.
“A-yaaa! Where are you?!”
Even though I’d run here, no sweat came forth. Was it because of my extreme mental state? I didn’t feel fatigued or afraid, either. All I could feel was a feeling that could be called a sense of responsibility.
I took that into my hands, and with a small click-click-click, pushed out the blade and gripped the knife.
I then proceeded towards A-ya’s room.
Gulping, I gripped the knife again, and quickly opened the door.
—-Bang!
……No one was there.
Neither my imposter who had definitely just been on screen in the camera, nor A-ya, were there.
Thinking of going to search every nook and cranny in the room, I stepped inside.
—-♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪!!
“……?!”
My body momentarily froze from surprise, but I soon opened up my phone.
There, a text had arrived.
“……This is……!”
I scanned the text. The contents left me confused, but I immediately remembered an abnormal sensation.
I quickly turned around.
“……!!!!”
From the scene that had appeared behind me, and this text, I finally understood everything.
No, I hadn’t understood, but I had no choice but to comply.
“ｘｘ I thｘｘght, tｘｘ ｘｘｘ wｘs ｘoｘ.”
——I said, and laughed with my final breath.