Tokyo Exorcism Diary

When he left home in the morning, Hoshino Gen had thought he’d be back within an hour, ready to dive into his own tasks. Little did he expect that shortly after stepping out, he’d get caught up in something so troublesome.

By the time he pushed open the door to his house again, the skies visible through the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows had already darkened.

Outside, the rain had just stopped. The heavy clouds hadn’t fully dispersed, and the crimson sunset pierced through the gaps, casting a mesmerizing glow over everything.

The moment he stepped through the door, Hoshino Gen ceased paying any attention to Liz. After all, he had brought her out and now brought her back in one piece—his task was done. Whatever happened to the little brat from now on was no longer his concern.

He chalked up today’s events as just another commission. As for the “payment,” it was that motorcycle his little sister had gifted him—the one still parked at the dealership. Thinking of it this way, he figured he wasn’t losing out. Sure, saving Liz’s life was worth far more than a motorcycle worth several million yen, but at least psychologically, he could now reset the balance with his sister to a clean slate.

…

At the entryway, Hoshino Gen changed out of his shoes and made a beeline for his bathroom to shower. He scrubbed off the grime with hot water, put on fresh clothes, and collapsed onto his bed for a deep, dreamless sleep.

Though he vaguely heard someone knocking during the night, he paid it no mind. He slept right through until noon the next day.

When Hoshino Gen opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was dizziness, followed by pain—a splitting headache as if his skull were about to crack open.

His vision was blurry, and his throat felt like it was on fire. The sensation, long forgotten but all too familiar, made it clear: he was sick.

Lifting an arm weakly, he tested the temperature of his forehead. Sure enough, it was burning hot—he had a high fever, and it wasn’t mild.

This body of his had always been exceptionally healthy, so much so that he’d nearly forgotten what it felt like to be ill. But this time, the illness hit him like a freight train, and he could sort of understand why.

Just last week, his right palm had been pierced through. Even though he’d diligently treated the wound with his purification talisman daily, the rapid healing it achieved was undoubtedly a drain on his body’s resources. Worse still, when his body was already weakened, he’d gone and formed a human-ghost contract with Chi-chan.

The contract alone had drained him of almost all his energy, leaving him completely spent. And after just one night’s rest, he’d immediately faced a slight contamination outbreak, which exposed him to extreme, malevolent pollution. That alone nearly obliterated his body’s systems.

To top it all off, as if the universe wasn’t done tormenting him, he got drenched in yesterday’s torrential downpour.

Honestly, even Captain America wouldn’t be able to withstand such a sequence of events.

Hoshino Gen lay motionless on his bed for what felt like ages. Finally, another knock at his door roused him from his hazy stupor. A voice from outside called out, “Onii-chan, are you awake?”

The faint commotion outside brought his fuzzy consciousness back to the surface. With his current condition, Hoshino Gen knew he needed to go to the hospital for treatment.

Forcing himself up with both arms, he slowly made his way to the wardrobe and changed into something suitable for going out. Then, dragging his heavy steps, he opened the door.

What surprised him was the sight of Hoshino Rin still standing outside, waiting.

The moment the door opened, Hoshino Rin’s face lit up with joy, but as she took in her brother’s current state, her expression quickly shifted to one of shock.

His eyes were dull and lifeless, his complexion pale and haggard. Where was the usual cool, composed, and ridiculously capable brother? He looked like he had transformed into a frail, gothic-style youth who could be toppled over by a breeze!

Though her thoughts wandered to strange places, Hoshino Rin quickly snapped back to her usual concern. “Onii-chan, are you sick? You look terrible!”

Hoshino Gen rubbed his increasingly foggy head. “Just say what you came to say.”

“Uh… how about we get you to the doctor first? It’s not that urgent,” Hoshino Rin replied, her voice full of worry.

Hoshino Gen wasn’t in the mood for small talk and spoke impatiently, ‘Say.'”

“…”

Feeling a bit wronged, Hoshino Rin pouted slightly. After all, she was only worried about her brother, but he had to be so snappy about it. Muttering a soft “Meanie,” she finally explained, “This morning, some police officers came by. They wanted to ask about yesterday’s incident with Liz’ kidnapping. They’re asking you to come to the station and give a statement.”

Yesterday, when Hoshino Rin returned home, Liz had already told her everything.

The moment Hoshino Rin walked in, she saw Liz curled up on the couch, hugging her knees and staring blankly into space. Worried, Hoshino Rin sat beside her and gently asked what was wrong. That’s when Liz snapped out of her daze, spotted Hoshino Rin, and immediately burst into tears, throwing herself into Hoshino Rin’s arms.

Though Hoshino Rin was completely clueless, she still gently patted Liz’ small back to comfort her. Only after coaxing her did she learn, through Liz’s tearful, halting words, that she had been kidnapped. Liz explained that if Hoshino Gen hadn’t saved her, she might never have made it back and would never have seen Hoshino Rin again.

Hoshino Rin was stunned. She’d suspected something was amiss when she got that strange phone call from her brother yesterday, but she never imagined it was this serious—a kidnapping!

Although Liz was unharmed, Hoshino Rin couldn’t help but feel a wave of lingering fear. Thank goodness her super-capable brother had been there to save her.

Curious, Hoshino Rin had tried asking Liz how her brother had managed to rescue her and if there was anything amazing or unbelievable about the process.

But Liz just shivered slightly and said she’d been blindfolded the whole time. She didn’t see anything. When the blindfold was removed, she was already safe.

Thinking Liz was still scared, Hoshino Rin decided not to push further. Instead, she comforted Liz before heading to her brother’s room to ask him about the whole ordeal. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she knocked, he completely ignored her.

This morning, when the police arrived, they explained that someone had reported the kidnapping. Upon investigating, they discovered the culprits were part of a kidnapping gang operating across Japan. However, before the police could act, the kidnapped girl had already been rescued by Hoshino Gen.

Unable to locate the gang and with no leads, the police wanted Hoshino Gen to come to the station, provide a statement, and share any useful information.

But since her brother had been sleeping, Hoshino Rin decided to let him rest. She told the police they could wait until he woke up to inform him about their request. The police, likely realizing the occupants of this house weren’t ordinary, agreed readily and left.

Now, seeing how exhausted her brother looked after just standing there for a moment, Hoshino Rin figured the police statement could wait. Clearly, her brother’s illness was the bigger issue.