Reveal

There was no mistake.

It was a do-or-die moment.

The only people around us were the tourists. There were no temple monks to be found. If this operation goes awry, there would be no saving me. No exorcist to come in and whoop this yokai’s behind for me.

Just take the chance.

I still grasped both her hands firmly and asked,

“Makoto.

You know about the yokai behind you, right?”

Those were the words I just said to her.

There was no reaction. No shock nor agitation – just her deadpan expression, and a snake lady looking at me with a blank stare.

What’s going on?

I expected to die or be cursed right now.

I expected the snake to coil around my neck and strangle me to my doom.

But there was nothing at that moment.

Makoto parted her lips, and the only words that left here were:

“Yeah. And I know you can see it.”

Of course you do, Makoto.

That’s how all this began.

Am I the one who overthought this entire thing?

No, no. Perish the thought.

What kind of sane human being wouldn’t be wary around the literal snake lady possessing their friend? Is it not just a matter of survival to not provoke an invincible, monstrous predator looming in their midst?

I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t know what to answer.

What kind of acceptable response was there to such a nonchalant response?

“So, uh… why? Why is that thing— you know, there?” I said in an equally calm and impassive tone.

She only stared at me. That thing only stared at me.

Makoto slung her hair over her shoulder and began stroking it. She looked aside and refused to stare straight at me.

“I was hoping you’d just ignore it.”

“Of course I wouldn’t ignore that! I mean, just look at it. It’s not exactly common to see a ghost attach itself to someone like that. That’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Then why did you wait this long, then?”

I sighed and looked away from her, too.

“Well… would you believe me if I said ‘I was too scared to ask’?”

“That’s stupid.”

I recoiled and replied. “I know that. I was scared that the ghost would attack me if I called it out. I was also scared that if I told you, you’d go away.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Makoto, I know that. But would you have left me alone if I went full coward mode on you?”

She didn’t say a word.

I think she knew that I or her would have left the scene immediately if I acknowledged the nure-onna's presence. None of us would be here now if we didn’t brave each other’s presence that day.

For some, that would be closer to a blessing; a relaxed, deserved getaway on their dream vacation without having to deal with stuff like this might have been ideal. I could say the same about myself, but then—Makoto.

It was a dream come true to meet her again, after these long years of having no way to contact her—and vice-versa.

I had to brave the ghost’s presence. I had no choice.

I let go of her hands and faced her.

“Makoto. Let’s walk a little, okay?”

Makoto looked dejected.

I patted her shoulder and made her go along with me to walk along the temple grounds.

I searched for a relatively empty thoroughfare far away from the crowd and a good distance away from the main temple grounds. I took her to a quieter stone path surrounded by bamboo and pine trees, with only the sounds of a small stream to keep us company.

We strolled at a deliberate pace; I made sure to always be beside her and be mindful of her steps.

I dared to cast the first stone.

“So, uh… about the yokai…”

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Anywhere. Anywhere’s good.”

I noticed that she began fidgeting and twiddling with her own fingers. She must be nervous. I wanted to make sure she went at her own pace, but at the same time, my long-awaited curiosity must be satiated.

“It’s a good spirit, I’m sure.”

A good spirit? Something that looked like that? I vocalized my thoughts in a less abrasive way.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, she hasn’t hurt you yet, has she?” she said. “If she was evil, then you might not even be here. She hasn’t hurt anyone else, not mama, not papa, and not any of my friends.”

“What about you? Has she hurt you?”

Makoto met me with silence.

Either she wasn’t ready to answer that yet, or I may have hit a nail in the head. In this case, it was most likely both.

“Well, in any case, I’m still here, so it’s probably not a big deal.”

I glanced in her direction and noticed that the nure-onna was nowhere near sight. How odd— she must have retreated into her ethereal realm or whatever place she resided in when she wasn’t breathing down my neck.

I wonder if Makoto has partial control over its presence?

I continued, trying to move one question forward. “Does she have a name?”

“...She doesn’t.”

“I see.”

A question that didn’t bear much fruit.

I sought to ask her another question, but Makoto shot me one of her own instead.

“The spirit. She didn’t do anything weird to you, did she?”

What could actually quantify ‘anything weird’?

A lot of things up to this point were quite strange, but until yesterday, I couldn’t tell when the spirit was in control, or when it was Makoto instead.

And even yesterday, it was clear that Makoto had regained control in the end, and was obviously lucid to the events that transpired. She didn’t question how I got to her home, let alone her room. That was all Miki.

Then again, Miki kept referring to herself as ‘us’.

Could that be related?

I answered her with a question.

“Why? Do you lose control over her? Does she do things that you’re unconscious of?”

“I’ve never totally lost control. All I experience is letting my mind go, and then she’ll do things I wanted in my place.”

“What does that mean?”

“...It means she can’t do anything I don’t want her to.”

Wait, wait, wait.

This puts a new light on everything that has happened since the first day, doesn’t it?

The nure-onna doesn’t do anything she wants?

So was Makoto behind those times the snake grabbed my leg, or when it twisted my arm into an inescapable vicegrip? Those times it terrorized me for no reason?

And the Miki takeover? Was that the snake’s doing, too?

The questions just kept piling and piling, and I felt like I wouldn’t like the answer to any of them.

“Well, a few times did seem suspect,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Like when its tail grabs my hands or feet.”

“Oh…” she answered, shifting her face away from me.

Don’t tell me that was your doing?

“Wait, so that was—”

“Yes,” Makoto said, turning her head my way. “No, but it’s more like… my instinct. A reflex.”

“A reflex?”

“You know the one. It’s like breathing, or blinking. If I feel or react a certain way, the spirit does its own thing, too.”

“So if you want to grab something real hard…”

“That’s right. It’ll grip with its tail, too.”

The idea of Makoto being a touchy-feely person who wants to grab me at every opportunity she could was… charming. She had always been the more physical person among us. It was a relief that that part of her seemed to stay the same.

“I see.”

“If she’s been grabbing you like that, then I’ll apologize on her behalf. And I guess for myself too, for putting you through that.”

I recoiled and immediately tried to ease her.

“No, no, no. Don’t apologize. She never really hurt me–it being part spirit and all. No harm, no foul.”

“But… about yesterday,” I said more questioningly. “What was that about? Your… alter ego seemed to be pulling me around rather than the snake.”

“What?” she asked bewilderingly.

Huh?

She seemed confused. Didn’t she say that the spirit does nothing she doesn’t want? Didn’t she also imply that she had full consciousness throughout?

“When Miki took over. You know.”

“Did she… really do that?”

“Yeah? That’s how I got to your house.”

Makoto clutched her head and started caressing her temples. Her expression made it look like she was in pain—particularly having a headache.

“Hey. You alright?” I asked in alarm.

“Sorry. It’s all a blur,” she said, slowly recovering from her sudden bout of head pain. “I don’t remember that happening. All I know is the spirit explaining how we got you to my house.”

“Makoto, take it easy. If this spirit business is too much for you right now, we can talk about it later.”

“No, I want—”

Makoto suddenly stumbled. Her upper body flopped down like a toy robot that just ran out of batteries. She fell dreadfully silent, and her body swayed from side-to-side.

At that moment, there was complete silence.

I heard the wind howling quietly, the stream flowing, and the tree’s leaves shaking with the breeze. Any semblance of noise from the tourist crowd just several meters away from us fell silent. It felt like I was transported to another world.

Shit. I must have stepped on a topic landmine.

The nure-onna must’ve thought this conversation had gone on for too long. What was happening? What did it do to Makoto?

“Makoto? Are you okay?” I asked, slowly approaching her.

I reached out my hand towards her, inching it at a snail's pace to not alert her.

Makoto jolted awake.

I retreated and stepped back.

She stood up straight and locked her eyes on mine, this serious, vexed look piercing my defenses and freezing me in place.

I felt the presence of that damned snake again in the area. But I couldn’t see it, nor feel its tendrils on me. Right now, it felt like it was everywhere at once.

But there had to only be one place where she was actually in right now.

Right there: inside Makoto.

It spoke in Makoto’s voice… in a language I couldn’t understand at all.

For all intents and purposes, it spoke in gibberish.

Its voice didn’t sound stereotypically demonic or evil—instead, it sounded like it was pleading with me. It sounded like a parent or sibling requesting something from you with utmost sincerity.

I backed off as it kept speaking to me.

The spirit was talking in tongues.

Is this what demonic possession is like?

Makoto stopped talking, and her body flopped forward again. I rushed forward and caught her, just in case something might happen.

And just like that, the natural noise returned to my surroundings once again.

That unusual event went as fast as it came.

Makoto woke up and groaned.

“Are you okay?” I asked again. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

She gently shoved me aside and stood on her own feet. Makoto straightened out her clothes and shook herself awake.

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been shocking.”

“What was that?”

“...She wanted to talk to you. But she couldn’t.”

Makoto continued, as I just expectantly looked at her. “She doesn’t speak in a language that we can understand. I only understand her through my mind.”

“And what did she want to say?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t tell me.”

What’s this?

Was this a breakdown in their communication?

It was starting to look like this nure-onna wasn’t as good a spirit as she thought it would be. I may be wrong, but this doesn’t seem like the work of something I would call ‘benevolent’.

“Forget that right now. If you need medical attention, there must be somewhere we can take you near here.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m not hurt at all. It was just surprising.”

“Has she done that before?”

Again, she shook her head. “No. This is the first time it’s happened.”

I sighed. I groaned and moaned, and rubbed the sides of my temples.

“Makoto. I’m taking you home after this.”

Her eyes widened. Makoto stepped forward with this concerned look to her.

“No. Please don’t.”

“Look. Something’s definitely wrong right now. This isn’t normal,” I said, clenching my teeth. “This isn’t normal at all.”

“I don’t want to ruin your vacation. I’ll go home by myself, and I’ll leave you and Jougasaki alone for the rest of the day.”

No.

I wasn’t gonna let that happen. Even though this was my vacation, letting her go off on her own like this wouldn’t magically make my day any better.

“I refuse.”

I looked her in the eye and continued. “I’m gonna bring you home, and we’re gonna find a way to sort this out, okay? After what just happened, I don’t feel good leaving that yokai with you.”

“What’re you planning?”

“Simple,” I said with conviction.

“We’re gonna find a way to get the spirit out.”

I brought out my phone and began scrolling towards my LIME app.

Makoto grabbed me by the arm and eyed me with a pitiful, almost tearful expression.

“Please. Don’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“... I need her.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

I stopped scrolling and turned to her. I put down my phone and pulled her over to a nearby stone bench, sitting both of us down. “Come on. Deep breath.”

“You can’t get rid of her.” she said, almost to the point of begging. “I can’t…”

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t be Miki without her.”

…

What was that?

Was Miki some kind of split personality she had? Did the presence of that spirit take the form of my favorite Vtuber and independent musician?

Makoto, are you telling me that you, Makoto, are not actually at the helm whenever Miki’s streaming?

This is insane. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“What do you mean ‘you can’t be Miki’ without her? That can’t be true.”

Makoto winced and shrunk.

“It is. I’m not brave enough to be Miki on my own.”

She rolled her hands into a fist and pressed against her thighs.

“The spirit’s the one giving me the guts I need to actually get myself out there. I’m not talented enough to be Miki on my own.”

…She’s not talented?

No, that can’t be. Ever since we were kids, she knew how to play that guitar. She knew how to sing. She had all the charisma to perform in front of an audience.

I saw her do it in school. She could do it. The potential. The aptitude.

I can’t be wrong about this.

She’s not like me at all.

How can she say she’s not talented enough when I saw all of it with my own two eyes?

What happened in all these years to make her think that way?

“That’s not true,” I said reassuringly. “I’ve known you way before, and you always had the talent.”

“As I said. Things change. Times have changed. I’m no longer that girl you knew back then. I can’t be Miki without her.”

I looked at her with utmost determination and tried to convince her otherwise.

“Stop it. Makoto, I can tell with absolute certainty that you are not what you say you are. A friend’s opinion is worth its weight in gold— and I know I’m right.”

“Don’t say that,” she said, her voice cracking up. “If you say that, I might end up believing you.”

“Good. Then you can believe me. I heard your songs, Makoto. It’s almost kinda stupid how I never—not even once, associated Miki’s music with you.”

“Stop it. If I end up believing you, then you’ll make me think this stupid curse wasn’t worth it.”

Curse?

What curse?

This was a curse?

My palms gathered sweat, and my brow furrowed. I felt my blood run cold, and a chill went up my spine… and I didn’t even feel the nure-onna’s presence anywhere.

No. I just had a chilling experience.

Makoto was cursed?

“Curse?” I asked her. “What curse? Did you end up cursing yourself with the spirit, Makoto?”

“Yeah? And what of it?”

“Don’t give me that. This is serious. What kind of curse are we talking here?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Yes I do, Makoto.”

I turned to her and put my hands around her shoulders, staring a hole right through her.

I continued. “I’m not a kid, Makoto. And you’re not one, either. Let’s sort this out together. So please— let me hear it.”

She evaded my gaze and looked aside. She looked doubtful and worried, but I kept my eyes affixed to her. I had no plans of showing any signs of weakness or doubt this time.

I want to help her.

If there’s one thing a guy like me, with no talent nor future, can do for Makoto, it’s to help her through this.

I can’t stand the thought of two entities I looked up to— Makoto and Miki, even entertaining the idea that they weren’t as good as they thought they were.

I kept sending superchats to tell Miki how much I appreciated her abilities and her songs.

Now this will be mine to Makoto’s. Face-to-face, no holds barred.

“Fine,” she said in defeat. “But what can you do about it if you knew?”

“Whatever I can do.”

“Even if that means the curse would take away my life?”

…Holy shit.

This was a joke, right?

Makoto, you seriously couldn’t have signed your life away to convince yourself that you couldn’t do anything without the spirit’s guidance, or cheat ability or whatever it was it promised you?

This was a deal with a devil, after all?

“...You’re kidding, right?”

“What if I wasn’t?”

Her words stopped me dead in my tracks. This was not the answer I was expecting. Realistically though, making a deal with a yokai can lead to consequences or some form of x-deal, but this?

Makoto had just implied she had dealt with a demon in exchange for her life.

This was straight up Faustian. A true Faustian bargain.

I froze in place. I couldn’t move a muscle. And most of all, I didn’t know what to do.

Such brave words for someone who couldn’t even do jack about this. Such simple words could pierce my heart, and its blood floweth forth.

What was I to do?

She stared at me as I wordlessly gazed at her without a word nor protest.

…

“Yo! That’s where you guys were. You ain’t checking your phone, dude?”

I heard Jougasaki’s voice demolish the silence.

I turned behind me to the direction of his voice and greeted him. “Yo, Jou!”

Makoto looked over my shoulder and did the same. “Jougasaki!”

Both of us acted like nothing had happened.

“I arrived just five minutes ago,” Jougasaki said, playfully punching my shoulder. “I was asking where you guys at. Turns out you were having a garden date or something. Nice place, by the way.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good.” I replied, trying to hide my nervousness.

“Hey dudes, you okay? You’re both a little pale. Cold?”

Makoto stood up and nodded. “Yep! It’s just chilly here in the mountains, right?”

“Right!” I replied.

Jougasaki eyed us suspiciously. He furrowed his brow and tilted his head as he inspected us from head to toe.

“A little sus. But whatevs.” he said as he lightened up. “Anyways, what’s the game plan? We still got so much daylight to burn.”

I quickly huddled with Jougasaki and turned both of our backs against Makoto.

I don’t know what I can do to help Makoto right now. I don’t know where I must go. And I don’t know how we’re gonna do this. But all I know is that I have to do something.

“Listen, Jou. Something came up and I need your help.”

He looked at me incredulously and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s this all of a sudden? And don’t call me Jou.”

“You gotta help me find a place with a temple.”

Jou eyed our surroundings, shifting his eyes side-to-side. He bit his lip and stared at me.

“Dude. We’re literally at a temple right now.”

“No! I mean, an active one. With, like, shrine maidens, priests, ghosts. All that stuff.”

He smiled as he exited the huddle. Jou made finger guns at me and made a sly face.

“Ohh. I get it, dude.” he said. “So you wanted to see shrine maidens, is that it?”

“Jou, this is serious!”

“Yeah, seriously amazing. It’s cool, it’s cool. Shrine maidens are serious biz, and I, too, have been dying to see a real one.”

Seriously?

This seemed like a very fortunate turn of events. To think I’d be able to enlist his help without telling him the actual reason for finding a shrine.

I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I took the leap and played along.

I brought him back into the huddle and faked a wicked, ill-meaning grin.

“Yeah, man. You read me like a book,” I said, smiling evilly at him.

“Oh geez, did you just flip a switch, dude? What a change-up.”

Keep it going.

The best lead I had right now was to find a place with actual spiritualists in it. It’s one hell of a gamble, but it was the best shot I had at finding out how to deal with Makoto’s snake spirit.

“Yeah. So let’s get to the good part.”

I glanced back in Makoto’s direction. For the most part she was docile, though I could see her tip-toeing and trying to see what Jou and I were up to.

It’s time to end this quick before she gets too curious and prys.

I brought out my phone, opened my online map of the area, and continued. “Now, where’s a good temple here?”

Jou scrolled through the map, checking the local area.

I could barely understand the complicated kanji scrawled all over the map app, but it shouldn’t be a problem for someone fluent in the language.

“This is tough, dude,” he said. “I don’t know which one of these are real shrines, and which ones are just tourist spots.”

“Well, just pick one.” I said, pressuring him.

I looked at him expectantly. I could feel Makoto’s stare on me. There was no time left—we had to pick quick, and hope to God we chose one with an actual spiritualist in it.

To be honest, I was pushing my luck.

But what else could I do?

At least this way, I wouldn’t have to ‘cancel’ our outing and make Makoto feel guilty about the entire thing.

If we did find a spiritualist, how would I keep Makoto busy?

Jougasaki pointed to a shrine near one of the Five Lakes of Fuji, not too far off the Peace Park.

“Let’s try this one,” he said, smiling. “This is near the lake they visited in Nuru Camp. You remember?”

Really?

Lewd name aside, that anime had some quality camping montages in it. And cute girls.

I shook my head, trying to not get too nostalgic.

“Alright, looks good. I’ll go get Makoto.

Let’s hope this is the right one.”