Chapter 1: A White, Fluffy Thing

In the dim, desolate entrance hall, two girls were there.
At this place, famous as a haunted spot where real apparitions appear, a floating ghost hovered cheerfully, while a bound ghost stood beside her with a frightened expression.

As they were having their usual casual conversation, the black-haired bound ghost suddenly let out a scream and collapsed.

“Eh!? Shinobu, what’s wrong!?”
The twin-tailed floating ghost hurriedly crouched down and called out to her.

Though they were ghosts and could not die, even so, when one of them suddenly lost consciousness, it still made her panic.

Left alone, the girl carefully scanned her surroundings, and near where Shinobu had been standing, there was a white lump.
Looking closely, it was moving ever so slightly, and before long, it rolled over with a small tumble.

She quietly stepped closer and brought her face near it.

“Wow! You’re so white! So fluffy! You’re cute, you know. I’m Sayuri—what about you?”
She stroked it as she spoke, clearly taken with its appearance, but there was no reply; it only shifted its shape slightly.

“I see, so you don’t have a name…. Um, you rubbed up against Shinobu’s leg earlier, right? That’s why she got startled and passed out. Make sure you apologize to her properly, okay? Well, it’s not like it was really your fault, though.”
Sayuri scooped it up and spoke to it gently.

“Until Shinobu wakes up, tell me about yourself. It’s okay—if you just think, ‘I want to tell Sayuri,’ I’ll understand.”

After a little while, Shinobu opened her eyes.
As she sat up, her gaze met Sayuri’s smiling face.
“Shinobu, are you okay? Look—see? It’s white and fluffy. This little one was the one who rubbed up against your leg.”

“It’s such a cute little one, and yet…”
As if to hide her embarrassment, she covered her mouth and bowed her head. “I’m sorry.”

“This little one is saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ too.”
Sayuri said with a smile, translating for it.

“Sayuri-chan, can you understand what this little one is saying?”
“Yeah, I can.”
Sayuri smiled proudly.

“But… what are we going to do with this little one?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
At Shinobu’s question, Sayuri also showed a troubled expression.