The Pseudo-Spirit's Heartbeat
A pseudo-spirit, I guess you could call it if you wanted to amp up the otaku vibes. Since it was a sample handed down directly by a divine spirit, holding it in my hand sent a throbbing sensation through my palm, like a heartbeat. It felt so alive that I couldn't bring myself to handle it roughly, but taking it to school didn't seem right either, so I rummaged through the storage shed and found a cage.
I washed off the layers of dust with water, wiped it down thoroughly with a cloth soaked in hot water, and finished by spraying it with disinfectant.
"Haven't seen that in ages."
"Just need it for a bit."
"Isn't that the one you used for that hamster when you were little?"
"Something like that, yeah."
"You're talking kinda weird."
Mom eyed the cage I'd cleaned in the yard and brought inside, her face tinged with a hint of nostalgia. Truth be told, the hamster wasn't something I'd bought and raised myself—it was more like I'd been stuck watching it temporarily. But Hiyori would throw tantrums whenever I took care of it, calling for me, so it ended up getting donated to the school. I still remember Dad giving her this incredulous look, saying she was jealous of a pet.
Anyway, I tidied up the old iron cage, which held its own share of memories, and placed the pseudo-spirit inside. It looked just like raising a slime now.
I'd done my morning workout with Aoba, and now this round little spirit had a home. With that sorted, I quickly got ready for school, grabbed a strawberry jam toast for breakfast, and headed out with it dangling from my mouth.
I'd been too shocked by witnessing that mighty divine spirit up close yesterday to ask, but mulling it over last night, something nagged at me that I wanted to check with Hanasaki.
Cleaning the cage made me a tad later than usual. I was jogging lightly—just enough not to break a sweat—when a presence in the alley made me slam on the brakes.
"Sorry... oh."
"Mmgh. Hey."
The person I'd nearly crashed into was, by sheer coincidence, Nogawa. I hurriedly swallowed the bread I'd been munching, and when our eyes met, she clicked her tongue and spun to leave.
I couldn't bring myself to grab her, so I snagged the handle of her randoseru instead.
"I'll report you."
"No trouble lately?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Ah, this little brat. Fine, whatever. I had enough on my plate without piling on more. I let go cleanly and turned toward high school, but then she grabbed the back of my collar.
"...What? Not gonna ask more?"
"Why would I be late for someone who doesn't wanna answer?"
"Just talk for a sec."
What to do. Sure, subculture stuff often treats skipping school like no big deal, but I wasn't planning to live my life as a dropout exorcist with just a high school diploma. In my past life as a Korean, I'd been good enough to study abroad at Tokyo University, and this time around, I kept my grades steady too. No way was I slacking off with random absences.
She must've read the annoyance on my face because Nogawa's expression crumpled further, but realizing we were on the way to school, she backed off for now. Instead, she set down her randoseru, pulled out a notebook and pen, tore out a page, and scribbled a number on it.
"Phone number."
"Something really happened, huh."
"...Talk later."
For someone who'd been keeping her distance like it was nothing, handing over what was basically her personal info meant her mindset had shifted somehow. Sigh. I took the number for now and figured I'd call depending on the situation.
"If you don't call soon, I'll come to your house."
"Didn't you just say not to butt in?"
"Situation changed."
"You're so damn willful."
"...Sorry."
"Huh?"
"Sor. Ry."
Face beet red, Nogawa chucked the notebook at my face and bolted off with a clatter of footsteps. Total kid stuff. I pocketed the notebook to return next time we met and headed to school.
It took a little extra time, but I made it without being late. Well, a bit later than my usual, anyway.
After HR—morning homeroom—right before first period, Inuyama sidled up sneakily.
"Something happen?"
"Nah, nothing big. Just had some morning chores."
Did my brush-off sound off? She leaned right next to me and sniffed.
"That girl's scent from yesterday. And another one."
"Bumped into someone on the way."
"Faint scent means you're not lying."
"Why would I lie?"
Inuyama shoved her face even closer, like she was sniffing more, then flinched, blushed crimson, and fled. Yeah, that was pretty close. If only we could split the "embarrassment" stat between Aoba and her. Kinda shitty saying that when I'm two-timing, though.
And then lunchtime. Me, Inuyama, Hanasaki, and Sendo gathered on the rooftop to swap info.
"No incidents at home for any of you?"
"All good on my end..."
Inuyama and Sendo probably lived alone. Sendo shrugged it off, and Inuyama shook her head slightly.
Confirming our reactions, Hanasaki closed her eyes and spoke quietly.
"Another incident like yesterday's occurred. It seems to have been committed by a humanoid entity this time, not an animal, but the spiritual energy pattern at the scene matches the café perfectly."
"Is the culprit amorphous?"
"The form remains consistent within the incident site, so unlikely."
"So, mysterious creatures sharing traits but with totally different appearances."
Was that why Nogawa wanted me to call? She'd almost ditched me at first, but remembering last night's event made her grab me. Either way, if I was taking Hanasaki's request, it'd give me a legit reason to poke around.
And right on cue, the job fell to me—the one who could properly analyze those incidents.
"Tsukino-san, could I ask you to investigate?"
"Sure."
"Your eye for detail has improved a lot since last time. I'm sure you can handle it."
Expectations and trust were a bit heavy. I gave an awkward smile, unsure how to respond, and Inuyama jumped in.
"I wanna help too..."
"This case doesn't suit your skills, Inuyama-san."
"Eek."
Cold as ice. Inuyama shrank back behind me after finishing her lunch and setting down her bento.
Nothing I could do there, so I stretched a hand back toward the dejected girl. She slapped her palm right onto it.
Are you seriously a dog? Like, why put your hand there when I offer? Sendo's giving us a wry smile now.
"I'll go solo for now and call if I need backup, no matter what."
"Hng. Okay."
"..."
Hanasaki stared right through me and Inuyama, then resumed her blank expression, finished eating, and packed her bento. Hers was a proper traditional Japanese one, so neatly made it looked delicious.
"Curious about the taste?"
"That obvious?"
"I can prepare an extra serving if you'd like."
I suddenly felt a knife at my throat. Every route had its flags, and when someone like Hanasaki—who no one saw as special—starts offering food or care, that's the affection flag triggering. Everyone's got tragic backstories, so you build deep bonds during conquest, but Hanasaki lost her parents young, had her emotions sealed, and worked like a machine for the village. She's got strong reward-seeking and possessiveness. Maybe even worse than Aoba, who's lived with illness anxiety since childhood.
Was cutting Inuyama out of this for that reason? Hoping it was just my paranoia, I glanced over, but Hanasaki tilted her head at me and kept packing.
"I'll give you the details separately, so please come to the shrine today."
"...Got it."
"We can discuss the bento too."
She showed the faintest smile-like expression, then left through the rooftop door first.
Sendo, who'd watched it all, said to me,
"Tsukino. You know, right?"
"...Not doing it on purpose."
"Japan's monogamous, dude."
Sendo headed down too. I flopped back onto the spot with a sigh at this reality.
Worried about me, maybe? Inuyama stuck right to my side and waited. What now. Without thinking, I slowly offered my hand, and she rubbed her head against it.
"Tsukino."
"Yeah."
"Werewolves can become non-romantic bonds if they accept someone as stronger or superior."
"What's that got to—"
"I'm fine as a pet."
This is insane. Drained of energy to reply, I just lay on the rooftop until afternoon classes started.