Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“……” Tillina remained silent for a moment, as if hesitating over what tone and attitude to take when speaking to her son. After a long pause, she finally spoke again, her voice gentle. “Yes, dear, you did very well, protecting yourself admirably. But have you considered that your methods may have been a bit extreme?”

“I believe that when dealing with people who try to bully you, fighting back is completely justified. Knocking them unconscious or even crippling them wouldn’t be an issue. However… killing isn’t always necessary, is it? All you really needed to do was subdue them. In the aftermath, you would have certainly seen them receive the punishment you wanted them to.”

“There’s truly no need to stain your hands with human lives, is there?”

Tillina’s voice was incredibly soft, her tone brimming with warmth. But the meaning behind her words was far less gentle. Hoshino Gen understood perfectly. His voice returned to its usual indifferent tone, as if it didn’t matter at all. “I’ll keep that in mind next time. Anything else?”

“Hmm… I have an important business meeting tomorrow. Once that’s done—”

Beep, beep, beep—

Hoshino Gen hung up the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. With a snap of his fingers, he signaled to a café waiter. “Another hot milk, with sugar. Thanks.”

…

Before he even finished his milk, his phone chimed again—not a call this time, but a text message.

He took it out and glanced at the screen. Sure enough, it was from Shimizu Yuu. Given the time, school should have just ended. The message was short and simple: Where are you?

Hoshino Gen thought for a moment, then sent her the location of the café. Before long, the café doors swung open, and two striking figures stepped inside. Spotting him, they walked straight over and sat down across from him.

Before either of them could speak, Hoshino Gen looked at Itou Saki and got straight to the point. “Do you know the location?”

Itou Saki nodded timidly. “I… I saw it when I peeked at my brother’s computer. It’s in the underground parking lot of Matsuda Department Store…”

Hoshino Gen nodded again, downed the last bit of his milk, placed money on the table to cover the bill, then stood up. “Let’s go.”

He led Shimizu Yuu and Itou Saki out of the café. As soon as he stepped outside, he noticed a small group of familiar-looking girls huddled together near the café, whispering about something. The moment they realized he was looking, they clammed up, nudging each other without saying another word.

Hoshino Gen chuckled, paying them no mind. Casually, he flagged down a taxi and got in with Shimizu Yuu and Itou Saki.

As the taxi drove off, Hoshino Gen, seated in the front passenger seat, took out his phone and started casually chatting with Chi-chan. But before long, he noticed something unusual—out of the corner of his eye, he saw another taxi in the rearview mirror, following them closely. A closer look confirmed it: inside the taxi sat Suzuki Sawami, Oguri Aino, and Sakurajima Yui.

They probably don’t trust their friend to be safe around a killer like me…

Hoshino Gen shook his head and went back to his phone.

About thirty minutes later, they arrived at their destination.

It was around 4 p.m. The sky was a brilliant blue with drifting white clouds, the sun shining brightly. Under the clear sky, the Matsuda Department Store’s glass façade gleamed in the sunlight.

The surrounding area was packed with vehicles—motorcycles, luxury cars, and vans. The pedestrians passing by were a mix of flashy young people with dyed hair and men in suits, some of whom bore visible tattoos peeking out from their collars and sleeves.

Hoshino Gen had no intention of lingering above ground. As soon as he got out of the taxi, he led his two companions straight toward the underground parking lot entrance. A little further back, the three “tails” exchanged nervous glances, swallowed their fear, and mustered the courage to follow.

At the entrance to the underground parking lot, two men in studded leather jackets stood guard, looking every bit like street thugs. Seeing Hoshino Gen’s group approach, one of them impatiently waved them away. “Scram, scram. No minors allowed in here.”

Hoshino Gen turned to Itou Saki and murmured, “What’s the name of the yakuza group your brother’s in?”

“…Akita-gumi,” she whispered.

Hoshino Gen shrugged off his school uniform jacket and tossed it into Shimizu Yuu’s arms. Left in just his white short-sleeved shirt and student tie, the intricate, menacing tattoo on his right arm was now fully exposed—a sight chilling enough to make onlookers shudder.

He turned to the two thugs and said flatly, “I’m with Akita-gumi.”

The two men froze for a moment. Then, one of them raised an eyebrow, smirking as if he was in for some entertainment. “Oh, Akita-gumi, huh? No wonder. Heh… Alright, go on in.”

They stepped aside.

Hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips, Hoshino Gen sauntered in leisurely. Itou Saki and Shimizu Yuu followed close behind. The three girls at the back hesitated momentarily, then quickly scurried to rejoin them, forming a single group once more.

The two guards exchanged glances. One of them scrunched his face, motioning toward the group of youthful, attractive girls, then grinned meaningfully.

…

The underground parking lot looked nothing like an actual parking facility. Rather than a place for cars, it resembled a chaotic black market.

The air was filled with noise—raucous chatter laced with expletives. The crowd was a mess of people from all walks of life, though most looked anything but decent.

As soon as Hoshino Gen’s group stepped inside, they immediately drew attention. It was inevitable. Even if people ignored him, the girls following behind him—dressed in pristine private academy uniforms, their appearances sweet and delicate—were utterly out of place here.

Of course, there were women present, plenty of them. But most were heavily made-up, scantily clad, and carried an air of darkness about them. Compared to these “unseen” women of the underground, the schoolgirls looked like innocent little lambs that had wandered into a den of wolves.

It wasn’t long before a group of garishly dressed men with multicolored hair sauntered over.

Their leader had dyed blond hair, multiple piercings in his ears and lips, and as he approached Hoshino Gen, he gave a sickening grin—his tongue, split down the middle, flicking across both his upper and lower lips in a grotesque display.

He clapped a hand onto Hoshino Gen’s shoulder, grinning wickedly. “Pretty boy, bringing this many little lambs here… you doing wholesale? How about sharing a few with the boys?”