Tokyo Exorcism Diary

Thud, thud, thud—

“Sigh, when I was on my way here, Sawami texted me, saying that our class is planning to perform Romeo and Juliet for the school festival. And get this—the girls will be playing Romeo, while the boys will be Juliet. The casting? Boys vote for which girl plays Romeo, and girls vote for which boy plays Juliet.”

“Is that so? Sounds kind of interesting.” Hoshino Gen, who was basking in the sun near the school gates, played along, knowing that Shimizu Yuu was using casual chatter to ease her nerves.

Walking up the dim and chilly staircase, Shimizu Yuu kept her eyes on the scattered sheets of paper littering the steps, silently telling herself not to be afraid.

“Sawami said the girls are all eager to vote for you, since you never speak in class” she teased. “They really want to see you cross-dress and act on stage.”

Hoshino Gen chuckled over the phone. “Then they might be disappointed. If I actually get picked, there’s a high chance I’ll suddenly fall ill on the day of the festival.”

“Ugh—” Shimizu Yuu made a noise of disgust. “Here I thought nothing scared you, but turns out you’re afraid of standing under the spotlight.”

“Acting in a play requires time, energy, and effort. But for me, the return on investment is practically zero. Why would I bother?”

“Who says there’s no reward? If we do well and get a high score, not only will the class receive a trophy, but there’s also a big cash prize! …Though it all goes into the class fund, of course.”

“Isn’t that the same as getting nothing?”

“But you’re part of the class too! Aren’t we all in this together?”

Hoshino Gen let out a light laugh. “You have a point.”

“So, if you get voted in, will you participate?” Shimizu Yuu asked excitedly—she was quite looking forward to seeing this guy in a dress, after all.

Unfortunately, what came through her earphones was his amused but firm response: “Nope.”

By the time she reached the second floor, Shimizu Yuu stuck out her tongue in disappointment. “Then I guess I’ll let them know not to vote for you. If you disappear on festival day, you’ll probably get cursed out.”

Hoshino Gen chuckled softly on the other end, unconcerned. Shimizu Yuu knew he didn’t care about these things, but as a friend, she couldn’t just sit back and watch it happen.

Just as she was about to say more, static suddenly filled her earphones. Up until now, even if Hoshino Gen wasn’t speaking, she could still hear the wind on his end. But now—nothing. A single bead of cold sweat slipped down her forehead.

“Hey? Can you still hear me?” she asked tentatively. Silence.

Clicking her tongue in irritation, Shimizu Yuu hesitated, debating whether to take out her phone and call again.

But before she could, a sudden heat flared across her left wrist.

The next second—blinding gold-red light erupted.

Almost on reflex, she pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto a talisman before swiftly pressing it against her wooden sword.

Electric sparks crackled. Shimizu Yuu spun around, scanning her surroundings.

She caught only a glimpse of a shadow darting into a nearby office.

The golden-red glow on her arm gradually dimmed.

Her heart pounded violently. Her breaths came in sharp gasps. Adrenaline surged through her veins, a chaotic mixture of fear, tension, and—something else.

Excitement.

Even though she hadn’t directly confronted the ghost just now, it also—hadn’t been able to do anything to her.

Did this mean… she actually had a chance of standing her ground against it?

She quickly crushed the arrogant thought. No, no. That thing was a ghost! At best, she was just a five-year-old wielding a kitchen knife against a grown adult.

She could not afford to get careless.

Tightly gripping her sword, its electric glow flickering, Shimizu Yuu kept her guard up as she stepped into the hallway. She needed to signal Hoshino Gen to come over.

Yet, just as she passed the first classroom—

A desk from the hallway suddenly rammed into her, knocking her to the ground.

In the next instant, a decayed, frayed rope coiled around her wrist and yanked her into the room.

Bang!

The wooden door slammed shut.

Shimizu Yuu swung her sword down with all her might. Sparks flew, the rope sizzled and snapped, releasing a foul burnt smell.

She turned and sprinted toward the door—

Only to see all the classroom desks sliding into place like they were on wheels, piling up in front of the exit, sealing it off completely.

Her teeth chattered. She swallowed hard. Trembling, she turned around—

The classroom was filled with students.

Neatly dressed in school uniforms, their skin a deathly pale blue-white, heads tilted at eerie angles, their dead, gray eyes stared directly at her.

Shimizu Yuu’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded in her throat.

Even the golden-red light on her arm dimmed slightly.

Backing against the wall, her face paled. But she still held her sword in a mid-stance, gripping it with both hands.

The ghosts kept staring. Motionless.

The only sounds in the classroom were her rapid breathing and frantic heartbeat.

BOOM!

Dark clouds had swallowed the sky. The sunlight from before was gone.

Lightning flashed through the windows—

Casting the ghosts in a terrifying, distorted glow.

Fear crushed down on Shimizu Yuu. If it were just one ghost, maybe she could grit her teeth and fight. But this—this classroom packed full of them—

Her sword-hand trembled. She could barely hold her stance. The golden light on her arm flickered weakly.

A gut-wrenching premonition struck her.

The moment that light went out—

These ghosts would pounce.

They’d tear her apart.

The more she feared, the darker the light grew. The darker the light, the deeper the fear.

Clatter!

A desk toppled from the pile blocking the door—falling directly onto her hand.

Pain flared. Her sword slipped from her grasp.

Her face turned deathly white.

She scrambled to pick it up—

But the desk moved, pushing the sword even further away.

That was it.

That was the last straw.

Tears welled up, spilling from her wide eyes. The golden light on her arm—vanished.

Creak—

Wood scraped against the floor.

All at once, the ghosts stood up.

Rigid. Unmoving.

Then—

They walked toward her.

Shimizu Yuu’s mind went blank. A tide of gray-blue figures closed in. She had no way out.

She couldn’t even think.

BOOM!!!

A thunderous crash—

The barricade of desks collapsed.

The wooden door—kicked open.

Shimizu Yuu stared, stunned.

Hoshino Gen stepped in, his expression calm, unhurried.

Black energy swirled in his outstretched hand, coalescing into a pitch-black longsword.

In a single blink, he was in front of her.

Like slicing through air, he effortlessly cut down every single ghost in the room.

Dark mist dissipated where the ghosts once stood.

He frowned, muttering, “Tch. Just wandering remnants.”

Shimizu Yuu’s brain short-circuited.

Then—

Tears poured out.

She burst into loud, wailing sobs.