Chapter 2: “Train”
“Train bound for ○△ Station arriving at Platform 2.”
An announcement echoed through the station, and a train glided into the platform.
The wind picked up, ruffling Yuiru’s bluish-black hair.
She hurriedly adjusted her skirt as the hems of ×× High School’s uniform flapped vigorously. There were other passengers on the platform and their skirts, too, fluttered in the wind, accompanied by shrill cries of “Eek!” and “Whoa!”
No one would be interested in the modest girl’s high school uniform, and what might be underneath the skirt.
“Oh, Houzuki, you really do have a touch of modesty in you.”
“I’ll hit you.”
Houzuki mercilessly punched the silver-haired, red-eyed male student standing next to her.
To any onlookers, it seemed like she was punching the empty air, making it look like a bizarre gesture. After all, there were no regular people around who could see spirits, touch them, or have the talent to attract them. She was the only special one.
The silver-haired and red-eyed male student, Yuiru Enen, who was holding his cheek where he was hit, said,
“How mean, Houzuki! What did I do!?”
“You said something that got on my nerves.”
“Kids these days!”
Yuiru pouted discontentedly, and then…
“If your mouth were cut, and all you could taste was blood during meals, how would you feel? The inside of your mouth is delicate, you know.”
“Shut up.”
The high school girl looked at the closed train doors in front of her, watching the departing train.
This wasn’t taking her to the right place.
Her intuition was telling her that.
Which train should she take to reach her destination? She couldn’t make sense of it.
“Hmm, are you going to let another one go? Why don’t you just get on?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t go there.”
Houzuki checked the electronic display board to see when the next train was arriving.
It appeared that the next train was due in about five minutes.
Despite being a small town nestled among the mountains, there seemed to be a relatively frequent service of trains. These trains were likely bound for the city on the other side of the mountains.
“The goal is to reach that station, right?”
“…You got the purpose quite mixed up.”
With a satisfied grin, Yuiru said,
“Well then, shall I tell you about my next meal?”
“You even know about that?”
“Well, I have a vague idea.”
Yuiru walked around the grand station interior and found a conveniently located chair to sit in.
“The next meal is the station’s ghost. Have you heard of urban legends like ‘Kisaragi Station’?”
“The station from another world, right?”
Houzuki had also heard that story before. While on a train, they had once fallen asleep, only to wake up at an unfamiliar station. Strangely, all the passengers who had been on the train with them had disappeared, and there was no sign of the train moving.
The moment the person who had been left behind stepped off the train, the doors closed, and the train departed. The name of the station they had disembarked from was “Kisaragi” station.
Could it be that this time they intended to experience that urban legend?
“That’s not true. If I eat something that’s too big, my stomach will get upset. My stomach is delicate, so handle it carefully.”
“If your mouth is delicate, your stomach must also be delicate.”
“The human body is a delicate thing. Well, in my case, it’s a little sturdy.”
Yuiru looked up at the electronic display board.
“Interdimensional stations have all sorts of things. It’s probably the case this time as well.”
“Can you eat it?”
“Of course. There’s no ghost I can’t eat.”
Yuiru pointed at the electronic display board. Houzuki’s gaze was drawn, and they looked up at the electronic display board.
There, familiar characters were scrolling, indicating that the next train would arrive in about two minutes. But the characters suddenly began to waver.
Jiji1, Zazaza2. (TN: 2-a white noise sound)
Zazaza, Zazazazajiji.
The characters on the electronic display board were changing, changing.
Jijiji, Zazazazazazaza.
Gari gari, Zazazazazazazazz.
The characters on the electronic display board were transforming, transforming.
“The next… Gagagaga, train is… Yellow line… Gari gari, Zazazazazazazz… Is gari gari gari gari… Buuu.”
An announcement mixed with a noise reached Houzuki’s ears.
“Oh, it seems it has finally arrived.”
Yuiru stood up, almost dancing, and eagerly lined up next to Houzuki. The train that had glided onto the platform where Houzuki was looked normal at first glance.
However, even though this was neither the first nor the last stop, there was not a single passenger inside the train. It wasn’t a non-revenue train, and when they looked at the destination sign, it was scrambled, making it impossible to determine the crucial destination.
Pshh…
The train’s doors opened as if inviting Houzuki in. The interior of the unremarkable train felt as if it would be devoured by an unknown creature, just by being inside.
Swallowing hard, Houzuki said,
“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
She boarded the mysterious train alongside the silver-haired, red-eyed male student.
☆
Gatan, gatan.
Gatan, goton.
Gatan, gatan.
Goton, goton.
The train rocked, swaying back and forth.
The scenery passing by outside the window still seemed somewhat familiar.
Buildings and nature receded into the distance, but an eerie, unsettling sensation couldn’t be shaken off.
“Hmm, modern trains sure are high-tech.”
Yuiru was completely absorbed in the scenery outside the window. Whenever he spotted a uniquely shaped building, they’d excitedly exclaim, “That one has such an interesting shape!” Houzuki observed this with a sideways glance, finding it quite childlike.
While watching Yuiru, Houzuki reached into her school bag and pulled out a book. After all, they had some time before reaching the station, and with this train, they would eventually arrive. They could pass the time by reading a book…
Just then, they heard the sound of someone taking a seat.
“Hey”
Someone was sitting in front of Houzuki.
“Hey”
They were called out to several times.
“Hey, hey, hey”
They persisted, calling out repeatedly. Houzuki didn’t raise her gaze from the book’s pages. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly in front of her. She thought it wouldn’t be a good idea to lift her face.
In her peripheral vision, she saw someone’s legs moving in an unexpected direction, with something red visible. She couldn’t see any more than that.
“Hey, hey, heyheyheyheyhey”
They persistently called out to her multiple times, and Houzuki began to feel fear.
It was terrifying, and she couldn’t help it.
Someone unknown was sitting there, and it was too frightening to bear.
“Oy”
A familiar voice resonated through her eardrums,
“Well, it’s like a little snack while riding the train. Just what I needed to whet my appetite.”
A dark figure stood before Houzuki, the strangely bent legs hidden.
Finally, Houzuki was able to lift her face.
The first thing she recognized was silver hair. The sunlight from the window cast a dull gleam on the silver knife that was used during meals, and its tip was plunged into something seated across from Houzuki.
“Hm, tastes okay.”
Yuiru devoured the twisted legs and feasted on the blood-soaked arm, just as he had done before, consuming the ghost.
With precision, he sliced through the apparition with the silver knife, enjoying his meal inside the train. Then, he turned his gaze toward Houzuki.
“What’s wrong, Houzuki? You’re making a strange face.”
“Eh, oh……”
Houzuki couldn’t quite get used to the sight of the specter being devoured and averted her gaze from Yuiru. After finishing the ghost they had boarded the train with, Yuiru took a seat across from Houzuki.
The silver-haired young man, who was eating the partially consumed arm as if it were a snack, turned his gaze beyond Houzuki, to the window behind her.
“Oh, we’ve arrived.”
Houzuki quickly turned to look out the window. The train was at an unfamiliar station. It was an old, isolated station in the middle of a vast grassy plain. As soon as they arrived, the conductor’s announcement echoed inside the train.
“Kamishana, Kamishana…”
