Epi.2-2: The Warmth of the Departed

Soon, after crying for a little while, she wiped her eyes and looked at the two.

“…Sorry for everything all of a sudden. I’m Misaki. And you two are?”

“Sayuri. I’m a floating ghost.” Sayuri gave a small, reserved smile.

“Ah… I’m Shinobu. A bound ghost…”

“Ghosts… huh…”

Misaki gazed steadily at the two of them.

“It’s so strange—we can see each other this clearly, and even talk…”

“There are all kinds of ghosts, you know. Some are like us—and then, look.”

Sayuri pointed.

Near the entrance door, a ghost with a blurred outline was drifting unsteadily.

“…Huh? Eeeeh!? What is that!? A real one!? No way, no way, no way!!”

Misaki instinctively held her head and crouched down on the floor.

Watching the scene, Sayuri tilted her head slightly and murmured softly.

“…Still, we’re real too…”

She looked down at Misaki with a slightly troubled expression.

“Well, that one just feels kind of different, huh. Sorry, I’ll go talk to them for a bit, so just wait here, okay?”

Sayuri floated gently upward and headed toward the entrance.

As she watched Sayuri’s back, Shinobu quietly spoke to Misaki.

“It sounds like Sayuri-chan is going to ask that person to move, so… once they’re gone, let’s head out, okay? Ghosts are scary, after all.”

After a while, Sayuri came back and said,

“They moved. I’m glad they were someone I could talk to. …But someone else might come, so we should probably leave soon.”

Misaki cautiously peeked over the open stairwell and confirmed that nothing was there anymore.

She slowly walked down the stairs and stopped in front of the entrance door.

The two of them had come to see her off. She turned around and smiled, filled with gratitude.

“…Thank you—truly.”

With those words, Misaki gently held out her right hand to Sayuri.

Sayuri looked at the hand in mild surprise, then spoke in an apologetic tone.

“We’re ghosts, you know? We can’t touch.”

“That’s okay. Things like this are about feelings, right?”

Sayuri made a motion as if gently placing her hand over Misaki’s, and gave a small nod.

Misaki then held out her hand in the same way toward Shinobu.

Shinobu hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly and returned the same careful motion, as if laying her hand over Misaki’s.

“…Can I come again sometime?”

“Yes. We’ll be waiting.”

“Of course!”

Sayuri answered cheerfully, then smiled as if suddenly remembering something.

“But there are ghosts too!”

Saying that, she stretched her hands out in front of her in a “ghost pose,” then gently flipped in midair, showing off as she floated.

Misaki chuckled.

“…Ghosts actually do that, huh…”

Sayuri shrugged and replied,

“I’ve never actually seen anyone do it myself, though.”

Shinobu, too, spoke while giggling softly.

“I haven’t seen it either,” Shinobu said, then, looking a little embarrassed, she mimicked Sayuri and struck the ghost pose herself.

Seeing that, a natural smile spread across Misaki’s face.

“…You’re both so cute.”

Sayuri’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Hehe, you said we’re cute! Yay!”

“Hey, Sayuri-chan…”

Misaki smiled at the two of them and slowly walked toward the door.

“Well then… see you.”

She took a step forward into the light.

Click.

The sound of the door closing echoed gently through the abandoned house.