Chapter 3 - Strange Company

Today was the day of the Kagurazaka no Yoru Festival. Takeda wasn’t the least bit enthusiastic, this shift clashed with his usual plans of binge eating and sake drinking. But it wasn’t just stubbornness.

He was stuck with the overnight shift because of recent disciplinary warnings. So, despite all the groaning and half-hearted effort, he had no choice but to tough it out.

Yuki and I left the house just after dinner. 

She wore her stunning yukata, the soft fabric catching the fading light as we strolled hand in hand down the narrow paths between rice paddies and vegetable plots.

The air was warm but not stifling — the kind of evening where the whole village felt like it was holding its breath.

A short while later, we met up with Arima and Hina near the old irrigation canal.

“Yo,” Arima called out, raising a hand in lazy greeting.

Hina was practically bouncing beside him. “We’ve been waiting forever!!! You two walk like old people.”

I laughed. “Yuki's fault. She stops to look at every single frog.”

“It was one frog,” She muttered. “And it was this big.” She said while spreading her hands apart.

We strolled towards the festival.

Hina told stories the whole way — about how she used to sneak out during this festival when she was younger, how she believed the shrine foxes could grant wishes, how her dad once scared her with a mask and she slapped him for it.

Arima just shook his head at her. “You never shut up, do you?”

“Not when I’m excited,” she grinned.

"Man... While you guys enjoy eating Taiyaki, I'm gonna be stuck with an old man shouting down my ear half the night..." I muttered.

Arima grinned. “Takeda again?”

“Who else?”

“You could always fake a sprained ankle,” Hina offered. “Yuki could carry you home bridal style.”

Yuki gave her a flat look. “No.”

I glanced at my watch and I realized it was getting late, and my shift would start in a few hours, so I had to head back to the koban. 

“I should get going, Takeda’ll probably be waiting with a cigarette in his mouth and a death glare in his eye.”

“Sounds romantic,” Arima muttered.

Hina waved. “Good luck surviving! If you don’t make it back, I’ll tell the taiyaki stall guy you died doing your duty.”

Yuki stepped beside me and saluted. “Sergeant Yukiiin~ Over and out. Take care, soldier!”

"...Police officer...remember?"

I turned, leaving their laughter and warmth behind me as I walked back toward the kōban.

On my way back, something in the corner of my vision made me pause.

A little girl, no older than nine or ten, darting into the forest.

Alarmed for her safety, I ran after her. She was fast, her small figure weaving between the trees, but as she slowed, I managed to catch up.

"Oi-oi, it’s dangerous to be wandering around in the forest alone at this time. What if you got lost?"

She turned to face me, eyes wide and curious. "Gomen nasai," she said with a playful tilt of her head.

I sighed. "Why are you out here, anyway?"

"I was chasing a cat, but I lost it, nya~."

Sigh

"What direction did it run off to?"

She pointed deeper into the forest without hesitation.

As we walked, I thought I’d ask her some questions.

"So, what’s your name?"

"Nya," she said with a smile.

I stared at her. "...That’s not really an answer."

"Nya~."

Something about her felt off. She was… odd…

"Are you going to the festival tonight?" I asked, watching for any flicker of recognition.

"Nya."

I frowned. She didn’t seem interested in the festival at all—only the cat.

Eventually, we reached what looked like a long-abandoned quarry by a lake. The rusted metal rails vanished into the earth, swallowed by time.

The girl pointed toward the dark entrance of the mines.

"It went in there?" I asked, scanning the shadowed opening.

"Yes! Please save it, nya~!"

I sighed. "Alright. But wait here for me, okay?"

She nodded, watching me intently.

I made my way into the quarry, squeezing through the broken mine door. The air was damp, thick with dust and a faint chemical smell scraped the back of my throat.

Old mining equipment lay scattered, rusted, and forgotten. Water-stained notes—illegible, their ink long smudged—clung to the walls.

I had no flashlight, only the fading light of the setting sun filtering through the jagged crevice behind me. I walked carefully, searching for any sign of the cat, but found nothing.

The fumes grew stronger, irritating my lungs and my head buzzed with a dull ache. I couldn’t stay any longer.

Something is calling me...

It’s hypnotic — pulling me under.

I’m trapped in its trance.

I could escape…

But I don’t want to.

Turning back, I climbed out of the quarry, out of breath. I stepped onto the spot where I’d left the girl.

But she was gone.

No footprints. No rustling leaves. There was no sign she had ever been there.

Sigh

“What did I just say…”

I assumed she probably ran back to the village.