Tokyo Exorcism Diary

A sudden blast of wind swept through the forest, rustling the trees in a cacophony of leaves and branches. Amid the natural chorus, Hoshino Gen slowly descended from the night sky, cradling Hoshino Rin in his arms.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to land somewhere more convenient—this was simply the closest he could manage to anywhere remotely inhabited.

After all, he couldn’t fly. At least, not on land. All he could do was glide with the wind or stay suspended in the air for a short while. And the spot he jumped from earlier was far from ideal—nothing but endless ocean beneath the plane at the time. God only knew how much power and how many talismans it had taken to make it from that cursed place to solid ground.

The moment his feet touched earth, Hoshino Gen stumbled slightly, barely steadying himself. He quickly adjusted his breathing, then glanced down at the girl still clinging to his waist like a frightened squirrel. Her big, teary eyes locked with his, her expression full of silent grievance.

“Down,” he said flatly.

Rin immediately let go, wiping at her eyes as she stepped away, fingers fidgeting nervously in front of her. Her voice was soft and pitiful. “Onii-chan…”

Hoshino Gen flexed his arms a little to shake out the soreness, then pulled out his phone as he started walking. “I spotted a town from above. Not far. We’ll head there and spend the night.”

“Okay,” Rin answered obediently, her voice carrying a slight nasal tone. She jogged a few steps to catch up and quickly latched onto his arm, walking beside him.

Hoshino Gen glanced at her but said nothing.

Checking his location on his phone with one hand, he saw that they were in the northernmost part of Hokkaido—some 1,500 kilometers from Tokyo. How fitting. He was supposed to head for Hokkaido tomorrow anyway, but fate, it seemed, had brought him here ahead of schedule… albeit in a rather unexpected fashion.

As they exited the forest, a wide expanse of grassland stretched out before them. A narrow country road wound through the field like a ribbon, its edges hugged by wild grass. The moon was especially bright tonight. The clouds, the contours of the land, even the colors of the grass and the outline of the distant town were illuminated with a clarity that defied the absence of streetlights and neon signs. This countryside, even in the dead of night, glowed like midday.

A cool breeze rippled through the grass, carrying with it the scent of earth and wild greenery. Rin, still dressed in thin summer clothes, shivered lightly—but she didn’t complain. Instead, she pressed closer to her brother, clinging tightly to his arm… and gazing at the surreal moonlit landscape around her, she couldn’t help but wonder: was this real, or just a dream?

Drifting between reality and fantasy, she followed Hoshino Gen into the town. It wasn’t hard to find a 24-hour inn, and they settled on one that was reasonably decent. Only when they were at the front desk, checking in, did Rin finally start to feel like she’d returned to herself.

“Two rooms,” Hoshino Gen said to the clerk behind the counter.

Rin peeked up at his face, then quickly lowered her gaze. She didn’t say a word—and even let go of his arm.

Given the season, there were barely any tourists in town, so plenty of rooms were available. Their rooms ended up right next to each other. Hoshino Gen’s room was closer to the stairs, so he got there first.

But when Rin followed him to the door, she didn’t move to her own.

Hoshino Gen glanced back as he unlocked the door. “What are you doing?”

Rin looked down, tugging lightly at the hem of his shirt without saying anything.

But her meaning was clear. Hoshino Gen understood. He knew his sister was a coward at heart—and after what happened today, she was probably too scared to sleep alone.

He didn’t mind. He pushed the door open, turned on the light, and walked in. Rin quickly followed, locking the door behind her and securing the safety chain.

The town wasn’t much bigger than a village, and even the best room in the inn was simple at best. A clean bed, a TV and air conditioner mounted on the wall… and a wicker chair on the balcony.

Hoshino Gen wasn’t picky, especially in times like this. A quick glance confirmed there were no issues, so he stretched lazily, sat down on the bed with his back against the headboard, and pulled out his phone.

Rin peeked into the bathroom first. After confirming that there were sealed disposable towels, she turned and asked softly, “Onii-chan, do you want to shower first?”

“No.” Hoshino Gen didn’t even look up as he typed out a message.

Rin nodded and quietly slipped into the bathroom.

She was quick—probably because she didn’t want to use the inn’s cheap shampoo and body wash. She just rinsed off with water, dried off with the disposable towel, and put her clothes back on before emerging.

Hearing the door open, Hoshino Gen looked up. “Give me your room key. I’ll head next door once you fall asleep.”

“Ok…” Rin obediently fished the card out of her pocket and handed it to him. Then she crawled into bed, pulled the covers over herself, and lay down.

Hoshino Gen reached over to turn off the light and went back to his phone, screen glowing faintly in the darkness.

Rin curled up under the covers, lying on her side facing him. The dim room was lit only by the pale light of Hoshino Gen’s phone, casting soft shadows over his features.

She stared at him for a long while before finally whispering, “Onii-chan… why did you show up then?”

“I was on the same flight,” he replied. “Mother called and asked me to accompany you to the UK.”

“Oh…” Her curiosity satisfied, Rin was quiet for a bit.

But not for long.

“Onii-chan, who are you talking to?” she asked again.

“A friend,” Hoshino Gen replied, still typing.

“…Sasaki-san?”

“No.”

“Another girl, then?”

“A guy.”

Hoshino Gen gave her a look, seeing the familiar signs of her turning into a little chatterbox again. He put down the phone. “Are you going to sleep or not?”

Rin didn’t answer. Instead, she quickly leaned over to peek at his screen.

It wasn’t just one person he was talking to—it looked like a group chat. There were only three people in total, judging from the avatars. Keywords like “Hokkaido,” “vengeful spirit,” and “village” popped out from the conversation.

Rin formed a rough idea of what it was about, but she didn’t care much. Having confirmed that it wasn’t a girl he was texting, she settled back onto her pillow, looking up at Hoshino Gen with her big, innocent eyes.

Hoshino Gen ignored her and returned to his chat, discussing tomorrow’s plan and exchanging intel with the others in the group.

The room fell quiet for a long while.

Then Rin spoke again. “Onii-chan… will you hold my hand? I feel a little cold…”

Before he could answer, Rin had already grabbed his hand and pulled it under the blanket, wrapping her small, warm hands around it. She didn’t seem like she had any intention of letting go.

Hoshino Gen’s fingers twitched slightly—but he said nothing. He let her hold on, eyes fixed on the faint glow of his phone screen.

Time passed. So much that Hoshino Gen thought she must have finally fallen asleep.

He looked away from the now-dark screen and turned to his side.

Moonlight poured in from the balcony, illuminating the entire room. And there, lying beside him, Rin was still wide awake, her pretty eyes fixed on him. A faint blush tinted her cheeks.

Noticing his gaze, Rin’s eyes became dazed. “Onii-chan…”

“Shut up. Go to sleep,” Hoshino Gen replied flatly.

At his words, Rin snapped out of it, flustered. She buried her face in the covers—but even though her hands had grown hot, she still didn’t let go of his.

This time, the silence lasted longer.

Because Rin really did fall asleep.

Hoshino Gen looked at her peaceful sleeping face in the moonlight, then slowly pulled his hand free and rose from the bed.

But he didn’t go to the room next door.

Instead, he stepped onto the balcony and sat down in the wicker chair, staring up at the night sky.

A pond that had lain calm for sixteen years—at last, a single ripple stirred its surface.