Tokyo Exorcism Diary

The screen shimmered faintly with the image of a city street, its edges blurred like a dream. But rather than the bustling brilliance of Tokyo, this place felt more like a quiet little town in Hokkaido—a place Shimizu Yuu had once visited on a family trip with her parents.

It seemed to be around dusk. The horizon was painted in intoxicating shades of red and violet, as if the sun were bidding a passionate farewell.

Standing before a shop window display, Shimizu Yuu adjusted her uniform—not the typical JK school uniform, but a crisp police uniform: a pale blue shirt tucked neatly into a navy pencil skirt. She straightened the small-brimmed hat perched atop her head, tugged lightly at the tie resting against her chest, then smiled at her reflection in the glass with quiet satisfaction.

The girl in the reflection was no longer a sixteen-year-old who hadn’t quite grown into herself. Instead, the mirror revealed a beautiful woman—mature, elegant, and confident. Her long, wavy hair cascaded like silk, her makeup was subtle yet enhancing. Her skin was pale and flawless, her nose straight and delicate, brows arched gracefully over almond-shaped eyes, her lips tinted a soft rose.

Those who knew her understood she was a real police officer. Those who didn’t might easily mistake her for an idol filming a drama on the street.

Her gaze lingered briefly on the silver insignia of an Assistant Inspector pinned to her shoulder. A flicker of pride danced in her eyes before she turned and walked home, her steps lighter than before.

The scene blurred again. As if in a single instant, the entire world had been quietly reshaped. The time of day remained the same, but the backdrop painted by the golden afterglow of dusk had shifted—from a city street to a cozy little house.

“Little” might be unfair. The residence, a refined detached home, wasn’t exactly small. It even came with a fenced yard split into two sections—one side blooming with vibrant flowers, the other a lush grassy lawn.

In the flowerbeds, butterflies and bees played lazily. On the grass, two snow-white Samoyeds wrestled and tumbled around.

When she appeared in the garden, Shimizu Yuu had somehow acquired a small box of cakes in her hand. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday. It was simply that someone had casually mentioned craving sweets before she left the house that morning…

As she pushed open the garden gate, the middle-aged lady tending her vegetable patch next door looked up and greeted her with a wide smile.

“Off work already, Miss Shimizu? Another hard day, I bet… ah, wait, I should be calling you Mrs. Hoshino now~”

Shimizu Yuu replied with a sweet smile. “You’re always working so hard too, Auntie Kohata. The eggplants you gave us last time were amazing! My husband really loved them.”

The older woman chuckled warmly. “Come take more whenever you want! The two of you are still newlyweds—gotta stay well-fed!”

Waving goodbye, Yuu walked the cobbled path through the yard and arrived at the front door. A gentle click of fingerprint recognition, and the door opened. The soft scent of gardenias greeted her immediately.

“Meow~”

A white Ragdoll cat greeted her from the entryway rug, brushing elegantly against her leg—its silky fur catching on the curves outlined by her black stockings.

Yuu quickly swapped into house slippers, scooped the cat into her arms with one hand, and carried it into the living room.

The interior wasn’t luxurious, but it radiated comfort and warmth. And what made it truly meaningful… was the young man asleep on the couch, bathed in the soft amber glow of sunset.

Her movements immediately grew gentle.

She placed the cake box quietly on the coffee table. Then, as she lowered the cat to the floor, she pressed a finger to her lips and whispered a playful “shhh.”

Carefully, she walked over to the young man. Then—without a word—she straddled his lap, knees pressing into the sofa on either side of his legs like a duck sitting on water. His lashes fluttered—long, delicate. He looked like he was about to wake.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaned in, and whispered softly beside his ear, her voice full of affection:

“I’m home~”

“…Mm.” He murmured sleepily, slowly opening his uniquely colored eyes. As he wrapped his arms around her slender waist in return, he rested his chin on her shoulder, inhaling the faint scent of her hair. Still lost in sleepiness, he muttered,

“I’m hungry…”

“I know, I know! I’ll cook for you right away,” she replied with mock exasperation, though her voice sparkled with joy. “I brought back cake—have some to tide you over first.”

“…Mm.” He nodded, eyes fluttering shut again.

“You really are something else… I told you not to stay up late last night, didn’t I?” Puffing out her cheeks, Yuu climbed off his lap and began opening the cake box. She poked a small piece with a tiny fork and popped it into her mouth, her face immediately lighting up with happiness.

“Mmm! Totally worth it. I’m getting this again next time!”

With that, she sat beside him, carefully forked the strawberry perched atop the cake, and held it out in front of his mouth.

“Ahh—”

—

“AHHHHHHHHH!!!”

A piercing scream shattered the dream like glass, and the hazy world was consumed by a burst of white light.

Shimizu Yuu shot upright in bed, eyes wide. From outside the room, her dad’s concerned voice called out, “What’s going on? What happened?” followed closely by her mom’s terrified shriek, “There’s a cockroach!!”

“…” Yuu blinked in confusion, eyes still glazed. She was back in her girly bedroom, the same pajamas she’d changed into after school last night still clinging to her body.

But the dream… what was that all about?

Why had she—why had they been like that in the dream?!

As fragments of the dream replayed in her mind, her face flushed a deep, burning red.

What even was that?! Was that—was that a wet dream?!

No, no, no! That definitely didn’t count as a wet dream, right?! It wasn’t that kind of dream!

Besides—she didn’t even like that guy! If it were really a wet dream, the person in it definitely wouldn’t have been him! Actually, she didn’t even have anyone she liked! So it was impossible to have a wet dream in the first place!

That’s right. Exactly!

But… but…

Swallowing hard, Shimizu Yuu felt heat spreading through her body again. Suddenly, the image of that neighbor lady calling her Mrs. Hoshino surfaced in her mind. Her breath caught.

Then, in the next instant, she dove back under her covers, screaming into her blanket with a muffled—

“AHHHHHHHH!!!”

Her legs thumped wildly against the bed in flustered frustration, loud enough to draw her mom’s voice from the hallway.

“Yuu-chan! If you’re awake, hurry up and get ready—you’re gonna be late for school!”

Peeking her head out from under the blanket, Shimizu Yuu’s cheeks were still a rosy pink. She pouted and muttered in a tiny voice:

“That jerk… already has a fiancée… so why the hell is he showing up in my dream? Freaking perv…”

…

A taxi drove away from a quiet, nameless town in Hokkaido. In the back seat, Hoshino Gen leaned against the window, resting his cheek on his hand as he quietly watched the buildings fly past. Beside him, Hoshino Rin chatted on the phone with their mother, letting her know they were safe.

Their next stop was Hokkaido’s capital city—Sapporo.

There, he would rendezvous with Asaba Shinichi and Takasugi Yusuke.