On the white jar sitting right in the center of the doorway were twisted, pitch-black ink spots.
When the breeze blew and dust swirled, it appeared all the more eerie.
Its presence was simply too out of place with its surroundings.
It looked like an ash urn… or something else entirely.
Suddenly, I seemed to hit a trigger point in my memory! With a “whoosh,” I jumped up, scrambling onto Tsugikuni Yoriichi’s back like a monkey climbing a mountain, circling my arms around his neck and embodying the words “fear of death” to the fullest extent.
“Ghost, ghost, ghost! It must be a ghost!” My voice trembled.
I was certain! I swore it! I had seen this kind of jar or pot somewhere before! It not only dragged people inside to swallow them whole, but it also composed weird human body shapes, twisting all the limbs together while letting out that sinister, cackling laugh!
“It is just a jar.” A steady, clear voice came from in front of me; I could feel the vibration of his vocal cords against the skin of my arm.
Don’t be so calm about it! Yoriichi clearly hadn’t realized the severity of the situation. This was an Upper Rank demon! Ah! I remembered now; it was the demon named Gyokko, one of the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji’s subordinates!
It had a mouth where eyes should be, eyes where the mouth should be, and baby arms growing all over its body it was enough to make anyone’s sanity plummet.
“That jar might be a demon!”
“But…”
“Be careful, don’t get too close.”
Although I trusted Yoriichi’s strength, he hadn’t yet mastered breathing techniques, had no suitable weapon at hand, and had a burden to look after.
Yes, that’s right that burden was me.
After a moment of silence, he said, “The sun has not yet set.”
“Even if the sun hasn’t set yet…” I stopped halfway through my sentence and turned my head. The big, round sun was still in the sky.
A crow flew overhead.
“Oh, it hasn’t set yet…”
Demons couldn’t overcome their fear of sunlight; an environment with the sun was safe. Besides, did Gyokko even exist at this point in time?
I seemed to be too tense. I had been clinging to him like a koala, but now I sheepishly climbed down to apologize. “I’m sorry! It’s just… that jar brought back some bad memories for me.”
“It is fine. I know you are afraid of ghosts,” his tone was very gentle.
I looked at him, wanting to say something but stopping myself. I’m afraid of the real kind! I would probably be perceived as someone with a vivid imagination and a very cowardly heart, I thought, slowly sinking to my knees.
Even so, I chose to be safe and pulled on his sleeve as we slowly walked over.
He uncovered the jar.
“So? How is it?”
No answer was needed.
I had already smelled the distinct scent of sour kimchi wafting through the air.
It smelled so good.
So, I quietly peeked half of my face out from behind his shoulder, blinking.
I saw the jar filled to the brim with pickled Chinese cabbage. “So it was just kimchi after all!”
I stepped out from behind him, hands on my hips, and my confidence instantly returned.
“Who on earth is this! Leaving a jar of kimchi at someone’s door for no reason—it’s scary, you know!”
Yoriichi turned the jar around.
It turned out there was writing on it, scrawled crookedly in charcoal. I read it aloud: “Sor… ry?”
I stood there thinking for a moment, and it hit me like a flash of lightning. “I know who it is.”
This guy was as reckless as ever! I thought, three black lines hanging from my forehead.
The next day, early in the morning, I heard Ya’s loud, boisterous voice outside the door. Opening my eyes reluctantly, I saw the loud-mouthed Kamimura at the threshold!
He said: “Why are you blocking me! You outsider!”
“What’s wrong with blocking you? You look like you’re here to pick a fight.”
“Megumi!” Ya, who had been full of annoyance, brightened up the moment he saw me. “You received the kimchi I sent yesterday, right?”
“Received it, received it,” I said helplessly.
I had nearly been scared to death by that jar of kimchi.
He turned back and gave a fierce look. “Stop getting in the way!” He shoved Tsugikuni Yoriichi aside and walked toward me.
“I heard from people in the village that you were injured. Are you okay?” At the same time, I noticed a layer of bandages wrapped around his arm.
“Thanks to you, I’m not dead yet,” I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes.
Who was the reason I got injured in the first place!
He knew the reason, too, and looked a bit awkward. “I’m sorry, I was just too impulsive. It won’t happen again next time.”
“Next time, I promise.”
Classic. Too classic.
“I hope you can keep your word. How is your arm?”
He knew the matter was settled, so he grinned, trying to curry favor. “It’s just a small wound; I didn’t take it to heart at all. It’s just my family making a big fuss over nothing. I knew you liked eating this, so I hurried to bring it to you as soon as I got back.”
…Was the screaming that day just an illusion?
I was speechless. “Alright, since you’re fine, shouldn’t you adopt a friendlier attitude toward Tsugikuni Yoriichi?”
“A friendly attitude? Why should I!”
“Because he’s my friend.”
My life companion, my pillar of support, and my sounding board.
“Just a friend?”
“What else would he be?”
“You actually ask me that!” He widened his eyes. “I should be the one asking you! You let a man stay in your house casually—what if this guy tries to lay a hand on you? There are a lot of bad people outside the village! Don’t be so kind, and look at him—he has a shifty look in his eyes! He’s definitely not a good person! Hmph, he even has that ugly birthmark on his face!”
Damn, there are too many things to complain about!!
Ignoring everything else, “shifty eyes”? Even the sharp-tongued Mr. Goto had grudgingly complimented his good looks.
I looked at Ya with shock; his ability to distort facts had reached a certain level!!!
And “laying a hand on me” who, him? To whom? Me?
The corners of my mouth twitched, my head filled with messy thoughts.
I looked at Yoriichi, who was standing to the side with clear eyes and delicate features, still carrying a faint air of innocence. I couldn’t imagine the picture Ya was describing even if I tried with all my might.
Of course, he had heard Ya’s willful smearing, but he remained completely indifferent, not even a ripple appearing on his face.
Even yesterday, it was only after Ya pushed me that he had made a move.
He was truly forbearing and kind to a fault. If it had been anyone else, they would have beaten Ya up for talking like that.
After Ya finished, he took a deep breath, seeing that we were both silent. “Wh—what’s wrong? Is there something not right?”
Since he had been speaking nonsense to begin with, his confidence wasn’t quite as high now.
I sighed and went back into the house to bring out the vegetable jar. “I haven’t touched this yet; take it back.”
Ya was struck by lightning when he heard this: “Why!”
I looked at him. “If you continue to be this impulsive, reckless, and unreasonable, this is all I can do. There’s no need to have any further interaction in the future!”
Hearing my words, even Yoriichi moved slightly.
This was a heavy statement, but if I didn’t say it, he wouldn’t reflect on his own behavior.
“You actually…” He was both angry and heartbroken. “Actually… for that guy!”
He pointed to the side. “Want to break off relations with me!”
I vaguely understood the reason for Ya’s attitude toward Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
He… probably had feelings for me. Theoretically, we had grown up together, and he was two years older than me, but I had always looked at him like a younger brother.
In fact, ever since I realized he might like me, I had been avoiding him a bit.
“You can’t have such a bad attitude toward someone who has no malice toward you.” I said patiently, coaxing him. “Yoriichi is a very good person; you can’t bully him.”
“But wasn’t it me who got hurt?” He raised his arm, looking aggrieved.
“You were the one who struck first!”
Kamimura snorted indignantly, knowing he was somewhat in the wrong.
“That’s because he’s living in your house without permission.”
“I invited him; I’m the one you should be blaming.”
He looked at me in disbelief. “You… is he a male fox spirit? Has he confused your mind?”
“Huh? A, a, a male fox spirit!” I stammered, my voice going slightly out of tune.
“That’s right.” He crossed his arms, his eyes squinting as he looked at Tsugikuni Yoriichi unkindly. “Look at those demonic-looking red markings, that feminine-looking hanafuda earring, and that sharp, thin chin! He must be a fox spirit from the mountains in disguise!”
…
“Pfft! Hahahaha!” I bent over, clutching my stomach, unable to stop laughing.
Ya suddenly stopped talking, staring at me with a confused expression.
My stomach hurt so much from laughing that I couldn’t say a coherent sentence. “Fox, fox, hahahaha, spirit? Hahahaha…”
Before my vision blurred with tears, I saw Tsugikuni Yoriichi’s innocent and calm expression; I could even imagine the question mark slowly appearing behind his head.
The man at the ceiling of martial arts.
A male fox spirit.