Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Eh?” Hoshino Rin blinked in surprise, then quickly turned to catch up with Hoshino Gen. “It didn’t work out? Why? What didn’t you like about her, Onii-chan? Was she not pretty enough? Or was it her personality?”

Hoshino Gen glanced at his sister, who had suddenly turned into a bundle of curiosity, and chuckled. Tilting his head, he asked teasingly, “Why can’t it be that she didn’t like me?”

“That’s impossible!” Hoshino Rin stopped in front of her brother’s bedroom door, blinking her bright, mismatched eyes. She stood there with her hands clasped behind her back, a lively smile blooming on her delicate, doll-like face. In that moment, even the dim lighting of the living room seemed a little brighter. “Unless you did it on purpose!”

Hoshino Gen’s hand paused on the doorknob. After a brief glance at Rin, he looked away, stepped inside, and said flatly, “She already has someone she likes, that’s all.”

Bang—the door shut behind him.

Left outside, Hohsino Rin stuck out her tongue at the closed door and made a playful face. Then she couldn’t help but grin, humming a cheerful tune as she skipped away.

…

“President Amamiya, you really should pay more attention to your child’s love life. Anyway, that’s how things went. A pity. Let’s hope we have another chance to work together in the future.”

In a secluded office deep within an estate in Paris, Hoshino Sousuke ended a long-distance call.

There’s a seven-hour time difference between Paris and Tokyo. Though it was already midnight in Tokyo, Paris was just entering evening.

An assistant took the phone from the boss and set it aside, then picked up a tablet and handed it over.

Hoshino Sousuke swiped his finger across the screen. Lines of data scrolled by, images of various girls flickered across the display, until finally, it settled on a photo of a black-haired girl with a cold, distant beauty.

“Sasaki…” Hoshino Sousuke’s eyes narrowed in thought.

…

“The monthly test scores are out again.”

“Don’t push! Help me find my rank!”

“Crap! 209th place—my mom’s gonna kill me!”

“First place is Sasaki again. Wasn’t she also first in the entrance exam and last month’s test? She’s amazing…”

“Well, she’s a genius. I heard that in every test or competition she’s been in, she’s always taken first place!”

“Seriously? Rich, gorgeous, and a genius? How are us mere mortals supposed to live?!”

Amidst the noisy crowd, Shimizu Yuu drifted along expressionlessly. Her gaze landed on her own ranking: 289th. Her eyes went dull.

It was technically an improvement from 290th in the previous test, but looking from the bottom up… she was still 10th from last. Last time, only Hoshino Rin hadn’t taken the test. This time, neither Hoshino Rin nor Hoshino Gen had participated.

Tenth from last—this heavy title weighed on her like a stone. Shimizu Yuu felt utterly defeated.

And she remained defeated… for the rest of the day, all the way until school ended.

…

In the antique shop, Shimizu Yuu lay sprawled across the wooden table like a salted fish with no dreams. Puffing out her cheeks, she stared at Hoshino Gen, who was lounging across from her reading a book, and grumbled, “Why do exams even exist? They’re a disaster for humanity!”

“Fine, we have to take them, but why rankings?!”

“Some people just aren’t cut out for studying! And studying isn’t the only path in life!”

“Isn’t education supposed to be about developing us in all aspects—ethics, intellect, fitness, aesthetics, and labor? Why do grades get to decide our worth?!”

The more she spoke, the more fired up she became. Now she was sitting up straight, tiny fists clenched, as if she weren’t just whining in front of Hoshino Gen, but giving a grand, impassioned speech from a stage.

Hoshino Gen set down his book and said dryly, “Complaining to me won’t help. Save it for when your mom’s about to smack you.”

Clearly annoyed at being interrupted, he had no intention of entertaining the complaints of a loud employee ruining his peace.

Drenched in metaphorical cold water, Shimizu Yuu wilted again, slumping like a withered cabbage. “What do I do? If my mom finds out I’m still in the bottom ten, she’ll send me to cram school for sure… She said so last time…”

She pouted, her round cheeks puffing up as she looked at Hoshino Gen with a pleading gaze.

“Still no use telling me,” Hoshino Gen replied with a chuckle. “The test is over, the results are out, and I can’t turn back time for you.”

Of course Shimizu Yuu knew that. She just thought Hoshino Gen was so smart and capable—maybe he could think of a way to stop her mom from freaking out…

With a sigh, she stretched out her slender legs wrapped in black knee-high socks under the table, then slumped forward again.

Hoshino Gen glanced down at her feet, rolled his eyes, and tapped them with a pen from the table. “Get to work.”

Shimizu Yuu jerked her feet back, glaring at the shameless boss across from her. Jerk! You don’t just touch a girl’s feet like that! Can’t you see she’s emotionally crushed right now?

But Hoshino Gen was already back to reading, completely ignoring her mood.

Fuming, Shimizu Yuu puffed her cheeks again, then dragged herself to the storage room to start her tasks.

“Wait,” Hoshino Gen suddenly called.

Shimizu Yuu turned, confused. He smiled and said, “Make me a coffee first.”

“….” Shimizu Yuu rolled her eyes, stuck out her tongue at him, and changed course toward the coffee bar.

…

After cleaning and watering the plants in the backyard, it was almost time to clock out. Shimizu Yuu waved goodbye to Hoshino Gen and dragged her weary body away into the setting sun.

Hoshino Gen stayed in the shop a little longer. When it felt like time for dinner, he stretched, walked out the front door that had been fixed since yesterday morning, locked up, and left.

He had dinner at a ramen shop nearby. Normally, he’d head home afterward—but as he walked, he suddenly remembered something Asaba Shinichi had told him at the banquet the night before.

“…Get stronger…” Hoshino Gen muttered.

Thinking back on their duel that night, his swordsmanship had been completely outclassed by Asaba’s. The only reason he’d managed to hold his ground at all was thanks to his physical reflexes, which barely closed the gap.

No… it wasn’t just reflexes. It was that power inside him. Without it, his body was no better than an average guy’s. After all, he hadn’t trained at all in this life.

Compared to his past life, his physical condition was probably worse than ever. But if his body was strong enough on its own, he wouldn’t need to rely so much on that power. He could use more of it directly in combat.

Which meant… if he started training his body, he could—get stronger.

Remembering that fight with Asaba Shinichi, Hoshino Gen grinned. For the first time in a long while, he felt a genuine desire to become stronger.

Just a kilometer from home, he hailed a taxi and got in. The car turned around and drove off—in the opposite direction.