Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? Volume 1 Chapter 3

White light shone down.

"...Wh-what?"

Waking up, Koutarou found himself lying down and staring up at a fluorescent light on the ceiling.

"Why am I lying down? And where is this?"

"You finally woke up?"

Koutarou blinked a couple of times as his eyes adjusted to the light, and Kenji's face fell into focus.

"Mackenzie?"

"Don't look so dumbfounded. You scared the h.e.l.l out of me when I heard you suddenly fell at work."

"I fell?"

"Yeah, you slipped and fell. Supposedly that's when you got that b.u.mp on the back of your head."

"Ouch, there really is a b.u.mp..."

Rubbing his head, Koutarou surveyed the area and found that he was lying in a hospital bed.

"If I remember correctly, there was a large stone over at the area Obaa-chan was digging up..."

Koutarou recalled what he had done before he had woken up in the hospital.

"That old lady was worried about you too."

"I'll make sure to let her know I'm alright later... Anyways, after moving the stone I went back my a.s.signed area..."

Koutarou stopped and thought for a while, then continued.

"...What happened after that?"

"How should I know? You probably slipped and fell there; you were found in the middle of the excavation area."

"Hmm..."

Koutarou tilted his head and pondered.

"What?"

"Hmm... I think there was something else that happened, but..."

Something felt off to Koutarou, but the b.u.mp on the back of his head and his location in the middle of the excavation site made Kenji's conclusion seem very likely.

However, that explanation did not satisfy Koutarou.

"Don't be stupid. Maybe you were dreaming?"

"Hmm..."

As Koutarou was crossing his arms and trying to remember, the nurse in charge of Koutarou came into the room pushing a cart.

"Oh, you're awake."

"Thanks to you."

Kenji, who had met with the nurse before, gave her a light bow.

"Fufu, shouldn't you be grateful to your partner?"

The smiling nurse peeked at Koutarou's face.

"Grateful?"

"Yes, Kenji-kun sat beside you the entire time with a worried look on his face."

"Mi-miss!?"

"There's no need to be embarra.s.sed, Kenji-kun; that's very cute of you. Or maybe the two of you are going out?"

"Not at all..."

Kenji coldly denied the question.

"Yes, actually. The two of us are lovers."

Koutarou, on the other hand, swiftly confirmed it.

"So you really are going out! H-hey, which one of you is the bottom!?"

"Hey now..."

"Idiot!"

Kenji threw a punch at Koutarou to shut him up.

"Ouch!"

"Stop it Kenji-kun! There's no reason to hit your lover on the head like that!"

"Please stop saying such horrifying things!"

Satisfied by Kenji's reaction, the nurse pointed at the bandages around Koutarou's head.

"Fufufu, I'm sorry. But as you can see, Koutarou is injured, so please don't hit him too much."

"I'm sorry. My bad, Kou."

"Don't worry about it."

"Now that that's settled... Here you go, Satomi-kun."

The nurse reached into to the cart she had been pushing, pulled out a thermometer, and handed it over to Koutarou.

"Could you measure your temperature with that? Just to be safe."

"Yes, of course."

"When you're done with that you can go home for today, but if you notice any changes to your body you have to come back, okay?"

"Got it."

"Good, I'll leave the rest to you, Kenji-kun. Please hand this file over to the cashier on your way out."

"Got it. Thank you."

"Goodbye then, you two."

The smiling nurse waved her hand at the pair and turned her back to move on to the next patient.

"Hey, Mackenzie."

"Hm?"

Kenji, who had been flipping through the file, looked up at Koutarou.

"Are you aiming for that nurse this time?"

"Idiot!"

Kenji raised his fist at Koutarou, but remembering the nurse's words, he held back from hitting his head again.

"Really, I can't believe you..."

Instead, Kenji sighed.

"Sorry, sorry."

Koutarou placed the thermometer in his armpit, grinning.

Leaving the hospital room, Koutarou pa.s.sed by the cashier whom he left to Kenji and headed for the hospital's drugstore.

Koutarou had injuries apart from the b.u.mp, so just to be on the safe side he went looking for medicine he might need.

"This way..."

Koutarou followed the direction board hung up on a corner into a hallway.

The drugstore was at the end of the straight hallway, but Koutarou's feet had stopped just before it.

By chance he had seen a familiar face through a window.

"That's Sakuraba-senpai... What's she doing in a place like this?"

Koutarou saw the figure of the Knitting Society's club president.

She was sitting on a bench in the hospital courtyard doing something.

"Hmm..."

Deciding to leave the drugstore for later, he pa.s.sed through the gla.s.s door leading to the courtyard.

The early spring sun shone on the courtyard, illuminating it.

Since the courtyard was surrounded by hospital walls there was next to no wind pa.s.sing through.

Because of that, the courtyard was much more comfortable than the hospital hallways, making this an obvious place for the hospitalized children to play every day.

When Koutarou came in, however, the children were completely silent and seated on the paved ground, listening intently to the person who had sat down on the bench.

Upon said bench sat a young girl wearing a cardigan over her pajamas.

She was one year older than Koutarou, but her lily-white skin and delicate figure made her look younger.

Her name was Sakuraba Harumi.

She was the club president of the Knitting Society that Koutarou was joining.

"And the North Wind said: 'With my power I'll blow the travelers' clothes right off! I'll prove that I'm stronger than the Sun.'"

She was currently in the middle of reading out loud to the children around her.

The book was open on her lap, and she spoke with a calm and gentle expression on her face..

"However, the Sun would not be defeated. He said to the North Wind - Oh? Hey, who's the one who scribbled on this page?"

"Hiromi, it was you, wasn't it?"

"It wasn't me!"

"It was Saya-chan, I saw her!"

"Is that true, Saya-chan?"

"...Y-yes ..."

"I see... You shouldn't have done that, Saya-chan. This book belongs to everyone."

"Yes... I'm sorry."

"As long as you understand. I won't be mad if you know what you did was wrong and regret it."

Harumi and the children wore bright expressions on their faces.

Koutarou found the sight of the diligent, smiling Harumi talking to the children refreshing.

It'd be best not to disturb her...

Koutarou decided not to call out to Harumi and instead sat down behind the row of children.

Fortunately, she did not notice him.

"Onee-chan, keep reading!"

"Okay, I will."

"I'm sure this is where the Sun fights back!"

"What was it they said on TV the other day?"

"Hey batter, batter, batter!"

"That's it!"

"Everyone, you shouldn't be watching those kind of channels yet! Wait until you get older!"

"Everyone, don't become that kind of adult, okay?"

"Okaaaay."

Heeeh... Senpai can make that kind of face as well...

Watching the children play with Harumi, Koutarou thought back to when he first met her.

Koutarou and Harumi had first met about a month ago on the 1st of March.

Koutarou had gone to the school that day to find out his entrance exam results.

Unfortunately, the skies were cloudy that day, and even though they had entered March it was still cold, thanks to the weather.

"The Soccer Club is recruiting, we're looking for fresh meat!"

"The Chorus Club is recruiting! Last year we placed second in the chorus tournament, and this year we're aiming for first place! Please lend us your strength!"

"We're not just fat people, we're fat people who can move! We're looking for those of you concerned about your weight! Welcome to the Sumo Wrestling Club! Feel free to visit!"

"Withdraw! We're the true strong men here, the Karate Club! Withdraw, and don't forget to take your bellies with you!"

"What was that!? Just try saying that one more time!"

Despite the weather, Kitsushouharukaze's schoolyard was being warmed by the hot blooded recruiters.

It was a battle to recruit new members.

At Kitsushouharukaze, club activities were actively partic.i.p.ated in.

Moreover, there were a lot of club events; many more than at a normal high school. In fact, those activities had become normal parts of their school lives.

The more members a club had, the more power it held within the school, which was why every club was desperate to recruit as many members are possible.

As a result, recruitment started earlier and earlier each year, and eventually it began to be held during the day exam results were announced.

Peacefully waiting until the entrance ceremony would leave a club with no members to recruit.

As such, the schoolyard was filled with recruiters trying to lure in students who had let their guards down after being accepted.

"Th-the Knitting Society is recruiting... Would you like to join the Knitting Society?"

Harumi was one of the recruiters.

"Ah... Please, at least listen, please..."

However, the recruiting was not going well.

The Knitting Society had been small to begin with, and the person recruiting, Harumi, was shy and withdrawn.

Her voice was small and weak, and was erased by the surrounding chaos of recruitment.

"Hey, if I join the Knitting Society will you go out with me?"

"Um, that would... Trouble me..."

The ones she could attract were good-for-nothing people who were only interested in her appearance.

She was unable to find the kind of club members she had been wishing for.

".... Hmm?"

That Koutarou noticed her was just a coincidence.

He had been pa.s.sing nearby when Harumi's small cry for help entered his ears.

If at the time she had been recruiting like normal, he might not even have noticed her existence.

"Please stop it! Let go!"

"You want members, and I want to go out with you. It's a win/win situation, don't you think?"

"This society was not made for things like that!"

"You're lacking members, right? Face reality!"

"No! Let go of me!"

A persistent, sleazy boy and a powerless, slender girl trying to escape from him.

The girl seemed to be recruiting members for a club, and the boy seemed to be hitting on her.

Koutarou, picking up on the severity of the situation at a glance, approached the boy and girl.

Would you at least think about what you're doing? Geez.

Hearing the boy's selfish excuses irritated Koutarou.

"Welcome~ Oh my, aren't you a good looking man~"

Koutarou spoke up in a flamboyant feminine voice and embraced the boy.

"Wh-what!?"

"You're joining our club, aren't you? I'm so happy, you're just my type!"

"Le-Let go! Who are you!?"

Surprised by Koutarou's sudden hug, the boy let go of the girl's hand.

Noticing this, Koutarou kept talking to the boy whilst tearing him away from the girl.

"Oh, I thought you wanted to go out with me?"

"Wh-Who would want to go out with someone like you!?"

"You want to go out with someone, and I want to go out with a boy. It's a win/win, don't you think?"

"It's a lose/lose! Let go of me, you freak!"

"Don't be so cold♪"

Koutarou swung the boy around and let go.

"So, you'll join, right?"

"Who the h.e.l.l would join this plain, boring society when a freak like you is in it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Ueh, I'm starting to feel sick..."

Throwing out those words, the boy turned his back to Koutarou and ran away.

He had only started up a conversation because he had seen a cute girl, and he had left just as easily as he had come.

"There's just too many idiots during spring for me... I hope he's not one of my cla.s.smates."

Koutarou said with a sigh, having safely resolved the incident.

Even after the boy had run out of sight, Koutarou kept staring in the direction he had ran in for a while.

"Uhm, Thank you very much."

"Wh-what!?"

A sudden voice surprised Koutarou and he let out an odd sound.

"Ah, I'm sorry for surprising you!"

The voice belonged to the girl who had been with the boy. Having startled Koutarou, she frantically bowed her head.

"Uh, no, I'm sorry for being so startled. That's right, Senpai was here too..."

Being so irritated at the boy, Koutarou had completely forgotten about the girl.

"...He was very persistent. You were a big help."

"Sorry, actually. I was out of line, and I even drove away a potential club member when you're out here recruiting."

"No, that's okay. That person wasn't interested in knitting anyways."

The girl's expression finally loosened up.

This girl's eyes look very gentle.

The girl left a very calm and gentle impression, and just looking at her made Koutarou feel at ease.

"Knitting?"

"Yes... I'm the president of the Knitting Society."

"The Knitting Society..."

The girl was seated by a receptionist's desk, where the words 'Knitting Society' were written and hung.

"...I'm sure it's not very interesting for most men..."

The girl's face turned gloomy and she lowered her head slightly.

Koutarou sensed that the club was severely lacking in members.

"That's true; even I-"

Koutarou was about to nod in agreement when suddenly he remembered the precious half-knitted sweater he was keeping safely wrapped up at home.

If I join this society, I might be able to...

"Excuse me, Senpai."

"Yes?"

"If I join this society, would I get better at knitting?"

"Of course; that's why the society exists."

The girl nodded her head.

"Would it be possible for a complete amateur to knit a sweater?"

"I'm sure it would be next to impossible at first, but if you keep at it, surely."

"Would it be possible, even if I was clumsy?"

Koutarou raised both his hands and showed his fingers to the girl. Looking at his hands the girl nodded.

"You'll be fine. In the end training and effort is more important than dexterity."

"That's my specialty. I'm the athletic type, after all."

After speaking for a while, Koutarou made his decision.

After his dad's sudden transfer, he was unable to continue with baseball, so there wasn't much to worry about.

"Um, wo-would you like to join?"

The girl's expression brightened. From the flow of the conversation, the girl sensed that Koutarou might be interested in joining.

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble I'd like to join. Do you mind?"

"Of course not! We-welcome!"

As if really happy, the girl hurriedly welcomed Koutarou.

"This way please! Th-there's an application form to fill out!"

"Of course."

Koutarou followed the girl's lead.

"I'm Satomi Koutarou. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh no, that's right..."

The shy girl made a small, embarra.s.sed smile.

It quickly changed into a big smile, however.

"I'm Harumi. Sakuraba Harumi, The president of the Knitting Society."

This was Koutarou and Harumi's first meeting.

"Satomi-kun, if you were here you should've said so right away..."

"Hahaha, Senpai looked like she was having so much fun with the children, so I would feel bad just b.u.t.ting in."

Koutarou and Harumi sat on the bench, watching the lively children, who had split into groups, running around the courtyard.

"Do you normally come here, Sakuraba-senpai?"

"Yes. Ever since I was a child, I've had a weak const.i.tution, and every now and then I'm hospitalized and examined. Because school starts tomorrow, I wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong."

"And, do you play with the children every time you come to the hospital?"

"...Yes"

Harumi had a calm gaze, though she blushed slightly.

"Onee-chan!"

"Is he bullying you? Should we get him!?"

The children loved Harumi. Just from this little exchange that became very clear to Koutarou.

That's why Koutarou figured they had known each other for a long time.

"It's okay! This person is my friend!"

"Oh, okay."

"Take a hint!"

"It's an adult..."

"Adult! Adult!"

Satisfied, the children began playing again.

"I'm sorry, Satomi-kun; they're just unused to new young people."

"It's fine. I'm your friend, right?"

"...Yes, a precious friend"

Nodding to Koutarou's words, Harumi began looking at the playing children once more.

Her eyes were incredibly gentle. Harumi also loved the children.

"So why are you in the hospital, Satomi-kun?"

"Is it that unexpected?"

"Yes, you look so healthy and energetic."

"I'm not sick, I'm hurt. Here, look..."

Koutarou turned around and showed the back of his head.

Although the bandages wrapped around his head had been removed, the b.u.mp and a band aid were still there.

"Are you okay?"

When Koutarou turned back to Harumi, she bore a worried look on her face.

"It's just a b.u.mp and a small cut. It's nothing, really."

"Oh good... But how did you get hurt?"

Harumi breathed out, relieved, and then tilted her head slightly.

"Actually, I tripped and hit my head during my job. Hahaha, I guess I'm too energetic."

Koutarou spoke happily, shoulders high, but Harumi looked worriedly at Koutarou's head.

"...Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm alright. It's not like I can get any dumber than this anyways."

"If you say so..."

"Fufu, don't worry so much, Sakuraba-senpai."

"Head injuries are pretty bad, you know? Besides, you're a member of the Society after all."

"I see, so it's the club you're worried about?"

"The club? No! I'm not..."

Harumi's face turned red once again while Koutarou laughed to himself.

"Kukuku, ahahaha!"

"Oh you, Satomi-kun."

While Harumi was pouting, one of the children thrust her face between Koutarou and Harumi.

"Ah!"

"Kyaa!"

The child was one of the older girls who had climbed over the backrest of the bench, and she had surprised Koutarou and Harumi.

"Did I scare you? Are you Onee-chan's boyfriend?"

"Bo-boyfriend!?"

Harumi, who was not accustomed to this kind of topic, was left speechless, and she stared in amazement.

"Ahaha! That would be nice, but I'm not her boyfriend. In fact, I'm her apprentice."

"Apprentice in what?"

"In knitting. I'll start learning it from her starting the day after tomorrow."

The Knitting Society's activities started the day after the entrance ceremony. In other words, Tuesday, which was the day after tomorrow.

"I see... Onee-chan is good at knitting, after all."

Satisfied, the girl smiled.

It seems Harumi's knitting skill was well known even in the hospital.

"Hey! Kou! Where are you!?"

Following those words, Kenji showed up at the entrance to the courtyard.

"Ah..."

Harumi suddenly got a bit fl.u.s.tered.

"Mackenzie! Over here!"

Not noticing her change, Koutarou waved his hand as he called Kenji over.

"You idiot, what about the medicine!?"

"Oh c.r.a.p, I forgot!"

Koutarou jumped off the bench and ran towards Kenji.

"Hey, Onee-chan."

The young girl, looking at Koutarou's back, whispered to Harumi.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?"

"He's not! He's a cla.s.smate and I made a promise to teach him how to knit, that's all."

"You're lying! He's the only guy you don't get fl.u.s.tered around."

"Th-that's not..."

Harumi hurriedly denied it, but the young girl was right.

Harumi had only met with Koutarou a few times since announcement day, so they were not all that close.

Usually, she would be unable to even talk to a man at this point.

"It's not?"

"...Um..."

However, oddly enough, Harumi didn't have her guard up around Koutarou at all.

Harumi was also perplexed by this.

"Sa-Satomi-kun is..."

As Harumi was muttering his name, Koutarou joined up with Kenji and turned towards Harumi.

"Senpai! I'll be leaving now, but I'll see you again the day after tomorrow!"

"Ye-Yes! We'll see each other the day after tomorrow, Satomi-kun!"

"Goodbye!"

Koutarou bowed deeply and left the courtyard with Kenji.

Harumi held her hands in front of her chest and stared at Koutarou's back.

"...So you're not lovers, but you're interested in him, right?"

Observing Harumi's actions, that was the conclusion the girl had come to.

"Ehhhh!?"

Harumi's face turned bright red and she was at a loss for words. She desperately started looking for words to deny it, but she couldn't think of anything that she could say that would deny her feelings for Koutarou.

"It's okay, it'll be our secret!"

In the end, Harumi was unable to say anything to the smiling girl. The silence continued.

"Does she hate me or something?"

"What?"

"When I called out to you she looked she got really nervous all of a sudden, remember?"

"Really?"

"...Please, at least notice something that obvious."

Kenji smiled wryly to Koutarou while getting on his bike.

Kenji had left his bike at Corona House.

Normally he traveled by train to the closest station, and from there he would ride his bike to Koutarou. After meeting up, the two of them would walk to school.

"I don't know if she hates you or not, but if an enemy to all women like you approaches Senpai she'll be tainted. Don't get anywhere near her. Shoo, shoo!"

"Come on now..."

Koutarou smiled at Kenji's reaction, but he soon made a serious expression again.

"To be honest, though, it seems Senpai is a bit shy..."

Although they had only talked a few times, Koutarou had picked up on that.

"Hmm, she seems to do fine with you, though..."

"A lot of things happened when we met, after all."

"Ah, that time with a real enemy of all women?"

"That's right. It seems she's a bit thankful, and after that we've met by coincidence a few times, so it's probably because of that."

The normally quiet and shy Harumi would probably treat Koutarou the same if not for the events that had transpired when they had first met.

At least, that's how Koutarou thought of it.

"That's how it is, so until she gets used to you just keep your distance, Mr. Enemy-of-All-Women."

"Would you stop calling me that!?"

Kenji was usually the one who was popular with women.

"Just understand that you'll be rejected, Mackenzie-kun."

"Fine, fine."

Kenji was well aware that it was a joke, and he smiled wryly as he turned his bike around.

"Well then, Kou. Tomorrow's the entrance ceremony, so make sure you get to bed early."

"I get it, I get it. Don't worry so much! I woke up just fine today, you know."

"You have a point. See you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, see you."

Kenji started riding towards the station, while Koutarou began walking back to Corona House.

With a click the door to Room 106 became unlocked.

Although the door looked old, Shizuka would properly replace the locks every time a new tenant moved in.

The door opened without any noise, as it had been well maintained.

"I'm back..."

Koutarou said while entering the empty room.

It sure is boring coming home to an empty house.

Unexpectedly, the thought of Koutarou's mother crossed his mind.

It had been a sight he would always see when he came home up until a few years ago.

"You're finally back, you thick-headed man!"

However, a voice came from the back of the room, interrupting his nostalgic moment.

"What!?"

Koutarou quickly threw off his shoes and headed for the inner room.

"You didn't notice anything yesterday, but today I'll make sure to chase you out!"

In the inner room Koutarou saw a small girl wearing a summer dress.

She looked like she was several years younger than Koutarou, and from her small body she appeared to be a grade-schooler.

With powerful eyebrows and large eyes, she left quite an impression.

"Plan Number One! Start up with the noise even though it's the evening!"

Koutarou wasn't sure if she had noticed him or not, but she started beating the furniture with both of her hands in the middle of room.

"What?..."

Running back and forth across the room, the girl ardently beat furniture and boxes, leaving Koutarou astonished.

What's this girl doing?

Koutarou was too surprised about what the girl was doing to think about how she got in.

"It was a mistake trying to scare this thick-headed man in the night! Starting the noise when he's awake - I'm on fire today!"

The girl wandered around the room beating on everything she could.

"How about you start getting scared, thick-headed man? It's a paranormal phenomenon!"

And finally the girl turned her head towards Koutarou, who had been staring at her in astonishment, and their eyes met.

"And with that, you'll be running away!"

"...Huh?"

The girl stopped beating on the furniture.

And the two then stared at each other for a while.

"...What are you doing here?"

Koutarou was the one who broke the silence.

Koutarou pointed at the girl, who had her hands clasped together, and asked her, dumbfounded.

Coming home tired and seeing a girl dancing like she was crazy would make anyone feel the same.

"Eeeeeh!?"

The girl's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"He-Hey you! Can you see me!?"

The girl leaned forward and brought her face closer to Koutarou.

"Of course I can see you. What are you even talking about?"

"You don't just see me, but you can hear my voice too!?"

"Stop talking nonsense and..."

Not understanding what the girl was talking about, Koutarou tilted his head in confusion.

"Because you couldn't see me yesterday, and you couldn't hear my voice either!"

"Hah?"

The girl's words left Koutarou speechless, he was confused.

"Like I'm telling you! No matter what I did to you, you wouldn't notice anything at all — that's what I'm saying! But why is it that you can see and hear me today!?"

"Wait, wait, explain yourself properly! I'll never understand anything if you talk like that. And before that, who are you? How did you get in here!?"

"My name is Higashihongan Sanae, and I'm a resident of this room! I didn't get in here from anywhere, you're the one who came to me!"

"Ah? This room's resident?... Wait a minute..."

"Wh-what now?"

Koutarou left the puzzled girl behind and opened the door to peek at the door plate.

Room 106, Satomi Koutarou.

"I'm in the right room after all..."

Confirming that, Koutarou quickly returned to the inner room. He had been a bit worried he had accidentally entered the wrong room.

"This is my room. I'm the one who's renting it from the landlord!"

"This is my room! I've always lived here, so get out!"

"I'm the one who's renting it, so why do I have to leave my own room!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!! If I'm not here, mom and dad will be troubled!"

The discussion wasn't getting anywhere.

"...Hmm..."

The troubled Koutarou tried to piece together the situation. He folded his arms together as he went through the events that led up to this in his head.

As soon as I get home, there's some girl I've never seen before. She's insisting that this has been her room for a while. However, she was nowhere to be seen yesterday. And there's no way landlord-san would rent out the room to two people at the same time...

"Which means, this girl is..."

"Wh-what, just staring at me like that?"

To Koutarou, this girl was just someone who had entered his room without permission.

Additionally, her reason for being there didn't make any sense. Since he hadn't seen her at all yesterday, he was sure she was just making it up.

She was just a kid from the neighborhood who had found the door unlocked and came in to play.

That was Koutarou's conclusion.

"Alright."

As soon as Koutarou reached a conclusion he rushed into action.

"No problem, no problem."

"Kyaa! What are you doing all of a sudden!?"

Koutarou captured the collar of her summer dress and lifted her up, and then headed for the door with her dangling in the air.

"It's almost bedtime for kids, so hurry up and go home!"

"Let go! Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean you can just...! Wait, you're touching me! How!?"

The girl tried to wrestle free, but because of the difference in their strength nothing happened.

"No 'how's' or 'what's'! Go home!"

"But you couldn't touch me yesterday! You just pa.s.sed through!"

"You're making no sense, so just go home. A lot of things happened today and I'm tired."

Koutarou threw the girl out and closed the door.

"Hmm, to just let someone break in like that... I'll need to make sure I lock the door from now on."

With a click, Koutarou made sure to lock the door. He sighed as he made his way to the inner room.

"What do you think you're doing all of a sudden!?"

"Eh?"

However, in the inner room he found the girl he had just thrown out.

The girls face was dyed red with anger, and she angrily approached Koutarou.

However, since she was small and had a rather cute face, she was unable to intimidate him.

"You again? How did you get in here?"

Koutarou quickly took a look at the window, but it had remained closed.

Besides, too little time had pa.s.sed for her to have been able to run around the house.

"I pa.s.sed through the wall, obviously."

"You pa.s.sed through the wall?"

Koutarou gazed at the wall behind her, but all he saw was the newly replaced white tapestry.

"I don't see any holes..."

"Of course not! I'm a gh-"

"I got it! It's one of those magic tricks, right!?"

Koutarou's eyes sparkled. He had seen magicians pa.s.s through walls on TV, so he completely mistook her for a magician.

"Eh?"

"One more time! Show me one more time!"

"Kyaa!? A-again!? How can you touch me!? No one's been able to do that before!"

"Come on, don't be so stingy. Do it one more time!"

The girl was thrown outside once more.

"Kyaa! Just hear me out, will you!?"

"Come on, come on!"

However, Koutarou wasn't listening to her at all; he was convinced she was a genius child magician.

"Kyaa!"

"I'm begging you!"

Koutarou threw her out and closed and locked the door again, excitedly waiting for the girl to get back inside.

However, something unexpected happened.

"Would you give it a break!!"

"Wah!"

Surprisingly, the girl's face projected from the door. It was almost as if a hole just for her face had opened.

"You often get told you don't listen very well, don't you!"

"Ho-how are you, why are you-!?"

And as Koutarou was watching the girls body pa.s.sed through the door.

"Move out of the way!"

"Kyaa! Again!?"

Koutarou pushed the girl away and examined the door.

However, there was not a single scratch on it. There was nothing that would allow her to pa.s.s through the door.

"How did you do that!?"

"I did it! You're surprised! That's what I've been waiting for!"

Koutarou finally gave her the kind of reaction she had been expecting.

This pleased her greatly, and a smile appeared on her face.

".. Oh, right, I'm not supposed to get excited."

"Just who are you? How did you get in?"

The girl put on a big grin.

"I told you, didn't I? I pa.s.sed through the wall, and I'm Sanae. Higashihongan Sanae."

"Sanae?..."

"I'm the ghost who's been haunting this room!"

As the girl said that, Koutarou acted far more surprised than when she had pa.s.sed through the wall.

"Whaaaaaaat!? A ghost!?"

"You can't believe it, right? But a normal person can't do this!"

"Yo-You're floating!?"

"Of course I float; I'm a ghost after all."

Sanae floated up towards the ceiling and looked down on the surprised Koutarou, laughing.

Having gone unnoticed by Koutarou all this time, she was very pleased.

"A ghost... I had heard the stories from Landlord-san, but to think you were real..."

Koutarou had heard the stories from his landlord Shizuka, but he had never thought he'd see it for himself.

However, Sanae was right before his eyes, so he had no choice but to believe it.

A normal person can't pa.s.s through walls or float in the air.

"So that means you're the ghost that's been appearing in this room?"

"You finally understand! That's right, I'm the true master of this room!"

"Which means you're the one who chased out all the previous tenants?"

"That's right! It's my home, after all."

Sanae landed on the floor.

"...You're a ghost, so why do you have legs?"[1]

"What does it matter? That's not what should be surprising you!"

"Even if you say that... I can clearly see, hear and touch you, you know? Until you pa.s.sed through the wall, I thought you were just some kid."

Because of that, Koutarou wasn't panicking at all; after all, she looked like just a normal girl.

"Th-that's what I want to know! Why can you sense me all of a sudden?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, even if I stood right in front of you or shouted right next to your ear, you wouldn't notice me at all! I even pa.s.sed through your body when I tried to tackle you."

"Even if you ask me..."

In other words, Sanae had been in the room with Koutarou since yesterday, always watching him.

"I don't understand it either. The only out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today was that I fell and hit my head."

Koutarou turned around and pointed to the band-aid on the back of his head.

"You hit your head and now you can see ghosts? Stop with the nonsense!"

"I don't want to hear that from you! You paranormal phenomenon!"

"Uu..."

Aware that she was the odd one out, Sanae recoiled slightly.

"Th-that doesn't matter! Now that you can hear me, we can get down to business!"

"You're the one who brought it up..."

"Shut up! Shut up!"

"And, what business?"

Sanae regained her composure after hearing Koutarou's words and opened her mouth.

"That's obvious! This is my home, so get out!"

"I see... that's a bold statement."

"It's not bold at all; it's a given."

As she said that, several small lightning-like phenomena began crackling around her, as though she was discharging them herself.

"And what if I say no?"

"I'll just do what I always do..."

As Sanae raised her hand towards Koutarou, suspicious energy could be seen flickering at the tip of her finger.

It was what one might call a will-o'-wisp, but Koutarou didn't know that.

This girl wants to fight, huh...

Koutarou felt Sanae's intention to fight, brought his body lower to the ground, and took a stance.

"Today I'm in top condition, so hitting you with this won't just surprise you!"

The energy ma.s.s at the tip of Sanae's finger grew larger. It went from being as small as a firefly to the size of a baseball.

Getting hit by that would be bad...

Koutarou didn't know what the light was, but he instinctively sensed danger and swallowed his saliva.

Even though she's a ghost I can touch her, so it's not like I don't stand a chance.

Koutarou, who was normally quick to pick a fight, clenched his fists as he steeled himself.

"...That's a coincidence. I'm in top condition today too."

"I see, what a coincidence... Fufufu, ahahahaha!"

"Wahahahaha!"

Laughter and tension filled the room.

The fight was about to start.

The sound of a delivery truck pa.s.sing by the apartment served as a gong, and the pair started moving.

"Eat this~!"

Sanae threw the glowing ball at Koutarou.

"Uwah!?"

However, Koutarou quickly lowered his body, and the ball pa.s.sed through the area where his face had been.

The ball hit a wall and disappeared, leaving behind a sound similar to a loud clap.

"You nimble b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"And that's not all!"

Koutarou rushed towards Sanae, and since it was a small room he quickly reached her.

He swung his right hand.

"Kyaa!?"

However, Sanae avoided his attack by pa.s.sing through the wall behind her, which was a fitting way for a ghost to dodge.

Because of that, the only thing Koutarou could touch was the ends of her hair.

"That's right, you're a ghost. But I hit you, and I can still do this!"

As Koutarou confirmed the sensation of grazing her hair, Sanae entered the room once more.

"That's dangerous!"

"Like you're one to talk!"

"It's a given that ghosts attack residents! Counterattacking is against the rules!"

"Like I care!"

"Get beaten or get out!"

"Not a chance! I finally found a place to live!"

Koutarou didn't want to burden his father, who had raised him alone, any further.

And because the rent here was just 5,000 yen, Koutarou could afford it with just his part time job.

The only problem was the ghost laughing before his eyes.

Koutarou didn't have the choice to just leave.

"Like I'll leave because of a single ghost! I need this room to live a fulfilling high school live!"

"I don't care about that! Get out! This is my home!"

Both of Sanae's hands began glowing, and a ball of light formed above each hand. It was clear that she was planning on throwing both of them at Koutarou.

"So you're finally getting serious..."

Koutarou took a stance.

"This time won't be the same as before!"

Two orbs materialized in Sanae's palms, and this time they were slightly larger than before.

Dodging two of them would be much more difficult due to their size and power.

As Sanae had said, the danger had increased.

"As if I'd let you!"

If that's the case I just need to keep her from attacking!

Koutarou quickly made a decision and rushed towards Sanae, reaching out with his hand.

"Kyaa!?"

"I've got youuuu!"

Koutarou's right hand captured Sanae's left arm, causing the will-o'-wisp in her left hand to fall to the ground.

And like before, the ball hit the floor and disappeared, making a sound reminiscent of a loud clap.

"These aren't just for throwing!"

"Uwah!"

As Koutarou was following the falling ball, Sanae thrust the ball in her right hand towards Koutarou.

He tried to dodge, but was not fast enough.

"Guwah!?"

As the ball touched Koutarou it disappeared like the two before it. But this time it impacted Koutarou heavily.

It was almost like receiving an electric shock.

"I did it! I don't know why, but I'm in top condition today!"

"Ku!"

Koutarou was knocked back by the impact and landed on his bottom.

"And now for the finisher!"

Before the fallen Koutarou, Sanae formed two more glowing spheres.

"You'll be sent to the hospital with defeat written all over your face, and I'll be able to take back my room!!"

"Yo-you selfish...!"

Koutarou was still stunned from the impact and was unable to move.

Meanwhile, Sanae combined the two b.a.l.l.s to form a single large one.

All Koutarou could do was watch.

"If you would've just left, it wouldn't have had to end like this♪"

The ball Sanae was holding over her head grew bigger, and was now roughly the size of a dodgeball.

If the ball from before had been enough to leave Koutarou stunned, then the power of this one didn't need any explanation.

"This is bad! I'll get killed!"

Koutarou braced himself, for that was all he could do to prepare for the incoming attack.

"Nyahaahaahaa!"

However, Sanae's triumphant laughter was interrupted by a small explosion near her feet.

"Kyaa!"

Sent flying by the explosion, Sanae fell over, her head pa.s.sing through the wall.

At the same time, the will-o'-wisp she had made collided with the wall, leaving behind a large bang.

Seeing that, Koutarou felt a chill run down his spine.

"Owowow..."

Sanae pulled her head from the wall and shook it slightly. This time, it was Sanae who was stunned.

"...What did she step on?"

Koutarou had seen something explode as Sanae stepped on it. Trying to find it, Koutarou approached the spot where she had been standing.

"I see! She stepped on this!"

'Safe Delivery' 'Successful Studies' 'Traffic Safety'

What he found was a bunch of good luck charms he had gotten from his grandmother.

They had been taken out of the cardboard box and left on the floor, and Sanae had stepped on them.

"That's right! You're a ghost, so you're weak to charms!"

Koutarou picked up the charms.

"Wahaha, with this, the tables have turned!"

"Ku!"

Sanae got up and glared at the charms in Koutarou's hand.

"To think you had those kind of things..."

"I have plenty! From wards to Maneki Nekos[2], there's no lack of fortune goods in this room!"

Koutarou hadn't only received charms from his grandmother.

When he had pa.s.sed his high school exam, she had sent a large amount of those kinds of fortune goods.

"Ku, just how virtuous are you!?"

"Hahaha! It's because of all my good deeds! G.o.d is watching!"

Koutarou thrust the charms towards Sanae as he gradually closed in.

Sanae, who had been on the offensive all this time, was gradually pushed towards the entrance with a bitter look on her face.

"Eii!"

Sanae threw three will-o'-wisps towards Koutarou.

"It's no use!"

As the will-o'-wisps touched the charms in Koutarou's hands, they disappeared as though they had melted.

"They don't work!?"

"Stupid, there's no way a charm can't block a ghost's attack. Don't underestimate a Family Safety charm!"

Koutarou grinned and started moving once more.

"It's your turn to leave now, ghost!"

"There's no way I'm leaving! I have to wait here no matter what!"

"Even so, I'm the winner!"

"Not yet!"

At Sanae's short shout, the nearby items started floating in the air.

A cardboard box, a dictionary, a case filled with small articles.

These kinds of things started floating in mid-air, spinning around her.

"How about this! Poltergeist Attack!"

"Gah!"

The items floating around her started pelting Koutarou all at once.

The charms had no effect on the thrown items.

Koutarou held his head and tried to escape, but some of the items crashed into his body.

"Ouch! What're you doing!?"

"Nyahahaha! It seems this works!"

"If you hit me straight on I'll die!"

"Stupid, that's what I'm trying to do!"

"Dammit!"

"Once more!"

Sanae lifted the nearby luggage into the air once more.

"As if I'll take any more of this!"

Koutarou picked up his treasured bat, which happened to be lying right in front of him, and prepared to defend himself.

"In this narrow room, how long do you think you can withstand my barrage with that!?"

Sanae sent a couple of items flying at Koutarou.

"Hmph!"

Koutarou swung his bat and blocked the attacks.

"Too slow, ghost! It's like they're flying in slow-motion!"

"Curse you!"

Sanae lifted several more items into the air.

Five more again...

In total there were five items floating in the air, a similar amount to the previous times Sanae had attacked.

It seems like her limit is five items at a time...

Koutarou, without getting too careless, readied himself for the next attack.

"Hm?"

At that time, the dictionary floating to the right of Sanae fell onto a tatami mat.

"That's..."

Next to the fallen dictionary, Koutarou saw the Maneki Neko lying on the floor.

It looked to Koutarou as if the dictionary had fallen when it flew too close.

I guess I'll give it a try.

When Koutarou made his decision, he tore up one of the charms he was holding together with the bat.

The charm he had torn was "Safe Delivery".

"Ey!"

Koutarou then threw it towards Sanae.

"Owa!?"

Sanae brought the items floating in front of her to shield herself.

The charm hit her makeshift shield and fell down to the tatami mat.

"Don't surprise me like that!"

"You'll be even more surprised by this!"

Koutarou had rushed over to pick up the Maneki Neko.

"Wh-what?"

"This guy!"

Koutarou thrust the Maneki Neko out towards Sanae and their eyes met.

"A cat?"

"Look around you!"

"Ah!?"

The items circling Sanae fell to the ground one by one.

"It seems you can't make items fly next to this guy."

"Fortune goods!?"

Sanae ground her teeth in frustration and hurriedly ran towards the entrance, where luggage began floating around her once more.

"How about if I attack you from this distance!?"

Sanae threw a tissue box made of plastic at Koutarou.

She only threw a single item, but that item traveled at a great speed.

"It's no use!"

Even so, as the tissue box approached Koutarou, it stalled and fell to the ground

"Why!?"

As the box had approached the Maneki Neko, it had lost its power.

When the box reached Koutarou, it had already lost most of its momentum and harmlessly bounced off of him.

"The tables have turned again, ghost!"

Koutarou laughed, full of confidence.

"Wh-what!? I'm not losing yet!"

"None of your attacks can reach me, but I can still attack you!"

Koutarou held up the Maneki Neko and lucky charms.

"Hmph! As long as I don't get close, it's no big deal!"

"However, with that, you can never chase me out no matter how hard you try. It's my win, ghost!"

Koutarou triumphantly declared his victory.

"...Hey, you no longer have a chance to win, so just give up and leave. Or better yet, pa.s.s on."

"No way! Why do I have to do something like that? You leave!"

Koutarou tightened his defenses with the Maneki Neko and the two entered a standoff.

Both of them lacked a decisive blow.

All of Sanae's attacks were prevented by the Maneki Neko.

With her Poltergeist Attack she might be able to hit him with small items, but the damage would be next to nothing.

Large heavy items would be stopped by the Maneki Neko before they were be able to hit.

And Sanae herself couldn't approach the Maneki Neko, meaning direct attacks on Koutarou were impossible.

At the same time, Koutarou was unable to defeat Sanae.

He could touch and grab her, and he threw the charms and blew her away as well.

However, Sanae could flee through the walls, making his attacks ineffective.

And because Sanae couldn't come near the Maneki Neko or the charms she would move even faster.

And most importantly, Koutarou didn't know any way of getting her to pa.s.s on.

No matter how many times he threw her out of the room or blew her away with the charms, she would just return.

"Why do you insist on haunting this room anyways!?"

"What does it matter! Either way, I have no intention of leaving! This is my home!"

Sanae threw some crumpled up paper at Koutarou, but Koutarou caught it without difficulty and threw it back at Sanae.

"Geez, you're just like a kid."

"You can't be a ghost if you're not childish!"

"...That's an impressive argument."

"Don't treat me like an idiot!"

"You're the one who said it!"

And like that, the two divided the room in half and continued their quarrel.

Every once in a while someone would throw a crumpled piece of paper at the other, but the actual attacks had stopped.

"Since it's come to this, it'll become a test of spirit! I'll haunt you until you give up, and I won't let you sleep during the night either!"

"Go ahead and do it if you think you can! I've been forged by baseball, and my spirit is indomitable! Besides, not being able to sleep goes both ways!"

"You're not cute at all!"

"Like you can talk!"

Like this, the two stared each other down for hours. Night had fallen long ago.

And before they knew it, the doorbell rang.

"Hm?"

"Who is it now, during this busy time!"

Loud, continuous knocking followed after the doorbell.

"Wake up Kou! You'll be late for the entrance ceremony!"

The voice coming from the other side of the door was that of Koutarou's childhood friend Kenji.

"It's Mackenzie!"

"Mackenzie? Oh, the guy in gla.s.ses."

"Ah! It's already morning!?"

Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, Koutarou's eyes shot open.

It was already 7:30AM.

It took about 20 minutes to walk to school, so Koutarou had to leave around 8:00 to make it in time.

And since today was the entrance ceremony, it would be best to get there earlier.

"I can't just sit around here!"

"Hey, you!"

"We'll continue this when I get back! I have to get to school first!"

Koutarou opened up the wardrobe and pulled out his uniform and school bag.

"Hey Kou, are you awake?"

"I'm awake, I'm awake! I'm on my way!"

"Oh, you're awake."

Koutarou shoved the Maneki Neko and the charms into his bag and started changing.

"Wait, before you go to school we need to settle this, right!?"

"I don't have time for that, we'll do that later! I'm only living here so I can go to school! Besides, who would believe me if I said I didn't show up because of a ghost?!"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?"

The completely rejected Sanae puffed up her cheeks and glared at Koutarou.

"Don't start acting up while I'm gone, okay? When I get back we'll settle this!"

"I got it. I don't want to start any trouble here either."

"...You're the trouble though..."

"You're the one who's trouble! I had no problems up until now!"

"I got it, I got it. I got it so until I get back just sit still, okay?"

Sanae nodded reluctantly at Koutarou's words.

"I got it, so don't waste any time and hurry back."

"Yeah!"

And like this, the temporary truce between the two would last until the evening.