Chapter 5: Through the Plywood
“Phew…”
Drying her wet hair with a towel, Houzuki stepped barefoot onto the carpeted floor of the guest room. Despite the carpet, she could still feel the slight chill of the night.
Having moved from the twin room to a single room, Houzuki and Otoya now occupied separate spaces. Since they had originally paid for two single rooms, there was no additional charge for the switch.
While grateful for having the accommodation covered, Houzuki couldn’t shake a feeling of guilt. She was merely being exploited for her ability to attract ghosts, and dealing with them was Yuiru’s responsibility alone.
Sitting on her single bed, Houzuki glanced towards the darkened window.
“Still covered with plywood…”
Even in the single room, plywood boards were nailed over the windows. It felt excessive to prevent suicide attempts by jumping out, as they didn’t budge when pushed or pulled.
But that wasn’t the issue.
In Houzuki’s mind, there remained the image of people in swimsuits playing by the shore, their flat laughter echoing oddly as they looked up in the wrong direction.
Yuiru had said they were all trapped by the sea. What that meant exactly was unclear, but that eerie sight remained seared into her mind.
“…………”
Houzuki stared at the plywood boards.
Beyond those boards was the sea. It was nighttime, the absolute worst time to look at the sea.
Right now, they were securely fastened, but there was no telling when they might come loose. She couldn’t trust mere boards.
“Houzuki-chan.”
“Ah!”
When Houzuki turned around as if startled, Towako’s face appeared from the bathroom.
In the young girl’s hand was a hairdryer.
It seemed Towako had seen through Houzuki’s plan to dry her hair with just a towel. Towako softly smiled and gestured for Houzuki to come closer.
Houzuki followed Towako’s invitation back into the bathroom and sat down in front of the vanity mirror.
“You’ll catch a cold, Houzuki-chan. Unlike me, you’re alive.”
“You’re right……”
Towako turned on the hairdryer and began to dry Houzuki’s hair while humming. Her fingertips tickled her neck, but there was still no human warmth.
“Hey, Towako.”
“What?”
“Won’t you pass on to the afterlife?”
“I won’t.”
Towako combed Houzuki’s hair with her fingertips,
“Because I’m worried about you, Houzuki-chan. I’ll keep haunting you until you die. Of course, I’ll pass on if you find me annoying.”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
Houzuki denied it.
She didn’t want to be separated from Towako. Towako’s brightness had saved her many times. Even so, if Towako were to eventually pass on, she had thought she would smile and see her off. If Towako would stay with her until she died, would she surely come to greet her at the very end?
As Towako said, “Then I’ll stick with you until you die,” while laughing, Houzuki couldn’t help but laugh too.
Karikari, karikari.
Amidst the noise of the hairdryer, such a sound could be heard.
“…?”
Houzuki turned around to look behind her.
Towako was using the hairdryer on her back, and aside from her, there was no one else present. Yuiru was in the adjacent room, caught by Otoya.
So, where was this sound coming from?
Karikari, karikari.
Kari, karikari.
It was the sound of something scratching with its claws.
“No way…”
Houzuki dashed out of the bathroom and fixed her gaze on the plywood board nailed to the window frame.
The sound could be heard from beyond the plywood board blocking the window frame.
Incessantly.
Karikari, karikarikari
Gari, garigarigarigari.
Garigari, karikari.
Karikari, kari.
Again and again, the sound of claws scratching at the plywood board could be heard.
It was certain that something was on the other side.
Holding Towako close by her side, Houzuki stared fiercely at the plywood board and demanded an answer.
“Who is it……?”
The answer to that question is,
“What the heck. Surely, you haven’t forgotten about me, have you?”
The strangely pompous tone belonged to Yuiru.
“Oh, it’s you, Yuiru. Don’t play with the plywood, it’s scary.”
“Could you open this up for me?”
“Huh?”
Houzuki furrowed her brow.
Yuiru was a ghost. If he were serious, he could pass through walls, so the presence of the plywood board shouldn’t matter at all.
Yet, why was he asking, “Could you open this up?”
Garigarigarigarigarigarigarigari. (TN: scrape x8)
“Open up.”
Garigarigarigarigarigarigarigarigarigarigari.(TN: scrape x11)
“OPEN UP!!”
With each demand, the voice grew more aggressive.
It wasn’t Yuiru on the other side. It was someone else entirely.
Someone was mimicking Yuiru’s voice.
“Go, GO AWAY……!! I can’t open it!!”
When Houzuki screamed towards the plywood’s direction,
“Tch.”
A tongue audibly clicked, and then neither the sound of scratching the plywood or Yuiru’s voice was heard again.
As she sat down in relief, Towako looks up to her and asked, “Are you okay?”
It didn’t feel alive. If it wasn’t for the plywood, who knows what will become of Houzuki.
“Hey, you’re loud. What’s the fuss about?”
“Ah……”
A silver-haired, red-eyed male student, Yuiru Enen, pokes his head out from the wall with a suspicious look on his face. When he spots Houzuki sitting down, he tilts his head and asks “Hmm?”.
“What’s wrong, Houzuki? It’s uncomfortable to sit on the floor.”
“Yuiru…… can you also call Kuroomi-sensei……?”
“Even Otoya? What on earth happened?”
At Yuiru’s question, Houzuki pointed at the plywood.
“I heard your voice.”
