Tokyo Exorcism Diary

At 10:30 PM, when Hoshino Gen returned home, the lights in the living room were on, yet the room itself was empty. Instead, sounds of clinking and sizzling drifted from the brightly lit kitchen.

Not that Hoshino Gen cared much—right now, his whole body felt sticky and uncomfortable, to the point where he wanted to peel off his skin and toss it into the washing machine. After changing shoes at the entryway, he made a beeline for the bedroom to shower.

It wasn’t until he’d rinsed off and stepped out, fresh and clean in a T-shirt and shorts, that he wandered to the dining area, pulling a can of cola from the fridge to quench his thirst.

The dining area connected directly to the kitchen. There, with her back turned toward him, was Hoshino Rin, standing at the stove. To make cooking easier, she had tied her sleek black hair up into a bun today. The loose white T-shirt she wore nearly covered the denim shorts underneath, the hem swaying just above her thighs.

Her slender, porcelain legs were wrapped in calf-length white socks, the feet clad in cartoonish shark slippers. Even the apron she wore featured a pink cat motif—an image that showcased every bit of her cuteness and charm.

Of course, Rin had noticed her brother’s arrival long ago. But she’d been busy sprinkling seasoning and hadn’t had a chance to greet him. Now, as she reached the stage of simmering and reducing the sauce, she wiped a small hand across her dewy forehead and turned to flash him a beaming smile.

“Welcome home, onii-chan.”

Hoshino Gen took a long swig of cola, feeling the cold fizz dance and burst across his tongue. After a moment, he let out a soft sigh, glancing at Rin in the kitchen, slightly puzzled.
“Cooking this late? Midnight snack?”

“Of course not! Midnight snacks are the enemy of beauty! I never eat them~” Hoshino Rin replied smugly, before explaining, “Remember last time when my braised pork belly turned out a disaster? I contacted Aunt Dobette afterwards for pointers. I’m practicing now.”

As she spoke, she turned back to lower the heat, and only then did Hoshino Gen notice the band-aids wrapped around both her index and middle fingers.

He fell silent for a beat, then let out a quiet sigh.

“Don’t you have too much free time lately? Nothing going on at the agency?”

At the mention of this, Rin’s mood visibly dimmed. But after a second, something seemed to occur to her, and her expression softened again.
“Because of the whole Marika-chan situation, tky02’s activities have been on pause since two days ago. One-week break.”

“I see.”

Truthfully, Hoshino Gen wasn’t particularly interested in why his sister wasn’t at work. He’d asked more out of habit than genuine curiosity—or more accurately, it was just his way of deflecting the conversation without thinking.

So, even after receiving an answer, he merely nodded and turned to leave.

“Onii-chan.”

Her voice stopped him.

He glanced back to see Rin switching off the stove, still smiling sweetly.
“It’s done. Wanna try some?”

Without waiting for an answer, she lifted the lid and picked up a glistening chunk of pork belly with her chopsticks.

Hoshino Gen didn’t hesitate. He reached out and crooked a finger toward the meat. To Rin’s surprise, the red, glossy morsel floated gently through the air, wobbling slightly before slipping into his mouth.

Chewing twice, he walked out of the dining area, leaving behind a single comment:
“Not bad.”

Hearing that, Rin let out a relieved breath and couldn’t help breaking into a radiant smile.

All that effort hadn’t gone to waste. That was all that mattered.

…

“What is this?”

Early morning.

At the entryway, dressed in a crisp white shirt, black slacks, and a student tie, Hoshino Gen stood holding his school bag, staring in confusion at the black lacquered box Rin was handing him.

“Bento,” Rin chirped, grinning.
“Didn’t you once say the stuff I make is better than the school cafeteria? And instead of eating alone and lonely in the cafeteria every day, wouldn’t it be nicer to eat with everyone in the classroom?”

Hoshino Gen lowered his gaze, staring silently at what was clearly the first-ever homemade bento someone had prepared just for him. Yet, he didn’t move to take it.

Hoshino Rin, of course, didn’t care about her brother’s lack of reaction. Without waiting, she grabbed his school bag, unzipped it, and shoved the lunchbox inside.
All done, she pressed her palms together at her chest, winking at him mischievously.
“This is a love-packed bento your adorable little sister woke up at six in the morning to make for you. If you don’t accept it, I’ll be really, really sad~”

Hoshino Gen rolled his eyes, turned on his heel, and stepped out the door.

Morning sunlight streamed gently over the smooth pavement, casting a golden veil. The park’s loudspeakers crackled with morning exercise tunes, bicycles zipped past, their bells jingling brightly.

Ding-ling~

Ding-ling~

The sound rang persistently behind him. Expressionless, Hoshino Gen glanced back—only to see Kiryu Rakuye pedaling her bike right on his tail.

As soon as their eyes met, Kiryu Rakuye, also clad in the Seikawa Private Academy uniform, flashed a dazzling, sweet-as-sugar smile. Under the morning sun, she looked like a fairy straight out of an enchanted forest, suddenly dropped into the real world.

Twin tails, knee-high white socks, and that radiant grin—so sweet it was almost unreal.
“Want a ride, senpai~?”

…

“…Asaba-senpai?”

Kiryu Rakuye pedalled leisurely, feeling the light pressure at her waist, and let out a soft laugh. “So, senpai’s already met Asaba-senpai.”

“As expected, senpai is really, really amazing. Even Asaba-senpai isn’t your match.”

“That senpai, you know, is said to be the strongest frontline fighter in the Special Affairs Unit. He’s resolved over ten paranormal cases single-handedly, with a mission success rate of one hundred percent. Other than being a little eccentric, Asaba-senpai is basically the role model all the younger members in the unit look up to.”

Sitting on the backseat of the bicycle, Hoshino Gen lightly rested his hands on Kiryu Rakuye’s slender waist. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “His eyes have always been crimson, but his contamination doesn’t seem that severe. Do you know why that is?”

“Eh?”
Kiryu Rakuye let out a sound of surprise. “Asaba-senpai’s eyes are red? I’ve never noticed… He’s always wearing those sunglasses.”

“Oh! Now that you mention it, there was a rumor floating around in the unit ages ago, something about how Asaba-senpai actually died once and returned to his body after becoming a ghost…”

She trailed off mid-sentence, shaking her head with a wry smile.

“Mm, that kind of rumor really is a bit too far-fetched. As for why his eyes are always red, maybe it’s not necessarily due to contamination. After all, the symptoms of contamination don’t always manifest as glowing crimson eyes. There might be some other reason entirely…”