Epi.5-EX: A New Life

Rin was running down the hallway.
Ever since she came to this abandoned house, she often found herself racing around like this.

Originally, she had been nothing more than something that simply stood still inside a glass display case.
As a doll, that had been natural, and even after she gained a sense of self, she hadn’t found it unpleasant.

But now, things were different.
There was no human here watching her with sharp eyes, and no one who managed her.
The only ones around were supernatural beings—strange in their own ways—who were somewhat similar to herself.

This oddly intricate, two-story building.
Before she realized it, she even felt like its layout had become different from what it used to be.
—Well, whatever.

At that moment, a door ahead suddenly opened.
Light spilled out, and a silhouette appeared.
Rin instinctively stopped in her tracks and stared at the figure.

The one who stepped out was Misaki.
Even though she wasn’t good with supernatural beings, she took up residence in this abandoned house filled with them and spent day and night drinking—an inscrutable human.

—Harder to understand than the supernatural beings around here.
That was Rin’s assessment of Misaki.

“Whoa! You startled me… Oh, Rin.”
In the faint light spilling across the dark, battered hallway, Misaki crouched down to look at her.

“…What.”
She wasn’t actually irritated; being curt had simply become her habit.

“Your kimono’s dirty, and your hair’s a mess. …I’ll clean you up, so wait in the room.”
With that, Misaki opened the door across from her and walked inside without a second thought.

—Like I’d ever take orders from you…
That was what Rin started to think, but before she realized it, she had already stepped into Misaki’s room.

Inside were the two ghosts.
Shinobu was looking at Rin with bright, excited eyes.

“…Misaki just told me to wait here, that’s all.”
The words slipped out like an excuse, even though neither of them had asked her anything.

After a short while, Misaki returned.
She must have been getting things ready, because she now held some tissues, a damp handkerchief, and a comb.

“Hold still for a moment.”
Saying that, Misaki gently brushed the dust off Rin’s kimono and hair, wiped her face, and began combing through her hair.
Her movements looked rough at a glance, yet her hands were strangely gentle.

“…There’s still a bit of dirt left, but this is all I can do for now.”
With that, Misaki picked up the nearby glass and took a sip of her drink.
Then she turned back to Rin and said it as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world:

“I can do this for you anytime. You can’t manage it on your own, right?”

Rin silently stared at Misaki’s face.
Then she quietly hopped down from the table.
Without anyone saying a word, she walked briskly to the door—opened it, and stepped out.

The door closed softly.
The three left behind stared after the sound, stunned.

Misaki spoke first.
“How did she even open and close that…?”

Shinobu followed, her voice small.
“It moved on its own… didn’t it…?”

Sayuri blinked in disbelief.
“…I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Three different shades of surprise lingered quietly in the room.

Right after that, the door opened again.
All three of them jolted in surprise.
From the narrow gap, a small face peeked in.

“…Thank you.”

Rin murmured that, then pulled her face back.
The door closed quietly once more.

Back out in the hallway, Rin started running again.
The hem of her kimono fluttered, and her hair slipped lightly over her shoulders.

She had thought she would never be taken care of like that again.
A smile almost rose to her lips, but she hurried to tighten her expression.

—A drunk… but a kind human.

Maybe she could reconsider her assessment of Misaki, just a little.
With that thought, Rin ran off toward the far end of the hallway.