Tokyo Exorcism Diary

Shimizu Yuu was honestly a little stunned by how shameless this guy was. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but think—well, Ikuta really was… quite the schemer. After all, in today’s world where everyone judged by appearances, using Hoshino Gen’s photo to catfish people wasn’t entirely unthinkable. As long as the act was convincing enough, it’d be hard not to fool someone.

The only problem was—this guy had guts. Way too much guts. Sure, the chances of being caught were slim. If she hadn’t happened to come over at just the right moment, she probably never would’ve found out. But still—if he did get caught, it wouldn’t just be a case of social death. It might be way worse.

Her eye twitching slightly, Shimizu Yuu opened her mouth:

“Hey—”

She didn’t even get to finish her sentence. The moment she made a sound, Ikuta jumped like he’d been electrocuted and frantically locked his phone. He looked up, startled, and met Shimizu Yuu’s eyes—the very person who’d appeared beside him without him noticing—his expression stiff and panicked.

“Uh… d-do you need something?”

“You just now…”

Shimizu Yuu tugged at the corner of her lips, unsure where to even begin. Using a classmate’s photo to online date, only to get caught by another classmate… even though it had nothing to do with her, she felt secondhand embarrassment so intense she wanted to curl her toes.

But honestly, she didn’t even have to spell it out. Just seeing her expression—caught between words—Ikuta seemed to sense something. His lips trembled slightly as he asked, testing the waters:

“Did… did you see?”

Clicking her tongue softly, Shimizu Yuu gave him a small nod. Forget Ikuta—even she could barely stop herself from wanting to crawl under a desk.

And once he got confirmation, Ikuta’s face drained of color in an instant. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a pleading whisper:

“Please… don’t tell anyone. I’m begging you.”

After that, maybe realizing simple begging wouldn’t guarantee her silence, he glanced over at Hoshino Gen—who was sitting quietly at his desk reading—and then added, with a pitiful look:

“I’ll get killed…”

Shimizu Yuu, who had initially felt a little soft-hearted seeing him look so desperate, immediately frowned when she heard that. What the heck was that supposed to mean?! Sure, that guy had a bit of a temper, but it’s not like he was some homicidal maniac! Who’s going to kill you over something like this?!

Even last time, in the gym equipment room, it was the others who picked a fight with him first! Okay, fine, maybe what happened afterward was a bit… brutal, but the police and school both said it was self-defense. People who weren’t even there love to make him out as some sort of psycho killer, and Shimizu Yuu thought that was totally unfair!

Sure, maybe she was biased, but still—she crossed her arms and glared at Ikuta.

“What exactly are you taking Hoshino-san for? Clearly, you’re the one doing shady stuff! Secretly taking someone’s photo and then using it to catfish—how’s that any different from being a thief?!”

Having said her piece, she spun around and marched straight toward Hoshino Gen, leaving Ikuta staring after her in abject despair.

“Hey!”

Hoshino Gen looked up at her, one eyebrow raised as she appeared next to his desk, cheeks puffed out in frustration.

“What’s up?”

Shimizu Yuu stood silent for a beat, then sighed and launched into a full recount of what she’d just witnessed. After she finished explaining how Ikuta had been using Hoshino’s photos for online dating, she hesitated, then added cautiously:
“I mean… Ikuta probably didn’t mean any harm. He probably just thought you’re really good-looking, so using your face would boost his chances… Don’t be too hard on him, okay?”

Hoshino Gen listened carefully to everything she said. But rather than angry, he actually seemed a little amused, a faint smile playing at his lips as he replied:

“The internet really is fascinating, isn’t it? Behind a screen, you can be whoever you want. Timid people suddenly find the courage to criticize everyone and everything. People who feel like failures in real life can boast about how successful and brilliant their lives are online.”

He chuckled softly.

“Ikuta using my image is just because I fit whatever fantasy he’s trying to sell. In a way, you could say it’s a form of… recognition. It’s nothing worth getting angry about.”

Then, as if casually adding a footnote, Hoshino Gen said:

“Of course, doing something like that without my permission isn’t right. Next time I see him, I’ll make sure he pays for it.”

Shimizu Yuu felt somewhat relieved… but also a little puzzled.

“Next time you see him? What do you mean?”

Glancing back at Ikuta’s corner seat, she suddenly realized something surprising—he was nowhere to be seen.

“While you were telling me about how he chats with his online girlfriend, he bolted,” Hoshino Gen said, spreading his hands nonchalantly.

“Uh… scared him off, huh?”

Shimizu Yuu felt a little exasperated, but the matter seemed settled. With the bell about to ring, she exchanged a few more words with Hoshino Gen before heading back to her seat.

Maybe it was because she was worried about being sent to cram school if she bombed next month’s exams, but for once, Shimizu Yuu forced herself to focus hard in class. Yet even by the end of the day, Ikuta never showed back up.

She barely spared him another thought before following Hoshino Gen to their part-time job at the antique shop, the second stop of her daily routine.

As evening fell, Shimizu Yuu clocked out and went home, while Hoshino Gen took a different route—heading to the LZP fitness club to continue his workout. He wasn’t the type to slack off after all.

…

It was the same treadmill as yesterday. When Hoshino Gen arrived, the machine beside his was, just like the day before, occupied by Sasaki Ayane.

Neither of them spoke a word the entire time. Anyone watching would think they were total strangers—which, to be fair, wasn’t too far from the truth.

What did surprise Hoshino Gen, though, was that after an hour of working out, when Sasaki Ayane finished her run and was about to leave, she unexpectedly turned to him and said,
“See you.”

Out of courtesy, Hoshino Gen gave a brief nod in return but didn’t think much of it.

…

Sasaki Ayane had barely stepped back into her house when she heard her sister’s carefree laughter echoing from the living room. Sitting in the spacious, luxurious room was a girl in a wheelchair, her face bearing at least a seventy-percent resemblance to Sasaki Ayane’s—though hers was softer, with more youthful features.

Noticing her sister had come home, the girl burst out laughing:

“You won’t believe this, sis! Remember the guy I told you about yesterday? The one I hooked using a few selfies? Oh my god, he’s hilarious—super cheesy when he talks! He’s so handsome, but he talks like a total loser! Hahaha…”

Sasaki Ayane’s gaze lingered on her sister’s slender legs clad in black over-the-knee socks, her eyes flashing briefly with something like pity. Unlike the icy distance she maintained outside, here at home, she only sighed softly and walked over, gently wrapping an arm around her sister’s shoulders, voice warm and indulgent.

“I told you, didn’t I? If you’re bored, let someone take you out for a stroll. Don’t spend all your time at home messing with people online…”

“Yeah, yeah, I knooow,” Sasaki Ruri replied flippantly, not the least bit bothered. Then she tapped a few more times on her tablet, grinning as she said,

“Here, let me show you his photo. Seriously, sis—he’s super hot! I think he might even go to the same school as you…”