Tokyo Exorcism Diary

Hoshino Gen took the magnetic card, but before he could put it away, Kiryu Rakuye had already pulled out a smartphone from her shell-shaped waist bag and handed it over.

“Here’s your phone too, senpai.”

Once Hoshino Gen tucked the phone into his pocket, Kiryu Rakuye rolled up the sleeve of her right arm, revealing a slender, snow-white forearm. However, Hoshino Gen’s gaze wasn’t drawn to the delicate skin, but rather to the familiar dark red tattoo etched onto it.

Kiryu Rakuye playfully waved her arm, as if showing off the tattoo, grinning brightly.

“Ta-da! Your weapon is here too, senpai.”

She stretched out her right hand toward him, fingers curled into a fist, striking a cool, confident pose.

Hoshino Gen immediately understood her intent. With a faint chuckle, he extended his hand and bumped fists with her. The moment their fists touched, the dark red tattoo on Kiryu Rakuye’s arm transformed into streams of light, surging onto Hoshino Gen’s arm.

That familiar chill wrapped around his forearm once more. Hoshino Gen pulled his hand back, glancing at the tattoo that now carried a faint, ominous aura of bloodlust—an upgrade from its previous pitch-black design. Satisfied, he let a small smile curl his lips.

Kiryu Rakuye took a step back, hands behind her back, her face still beaming with mischief.

“Alright, that’s everything I was supposed to hand over to you. So, where are you heading next, senpai? I can give you a free ride.”

She gestured toward a nearby pink-and-white bicycle—sleek, high-end, and undeniably eye-catching.

Hoshino Gen was about to refuse without hesitation, the words “no need” already on the tip of his tongue—when something flickered in his mind. He changed his mind mid-sentence, smiling faintly.

“Sure.”

“…Huh?” Kiryu Rakuye’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting him to agree. Her delicate face froze in disbelief. “Senpai, what did you just say? I must’ve misheard…”

Hoshino Gen inwardly shook his head, silently scolding himself for still not being used to interacting with others. He shrugged.

“Forget it. It’s nothing.”

“No way! You definitely said yes! No take-backs!” Kiryu Rakuye puffed up her cheeks, brimming with playful energy. Hoshino Gen was certain she must be some kind of school idol.

Before he could argue, she had already hopped onto the bicycle, rolling it to his side. With one foot planted on the ground and one hand on the handlebars, she turned back, patting the rear seat with a bright smile.

At this point, there was no point in being stubborn. If he didn’t start changing his ways now… well, there wouldn’t be any “later” left for him.

Hoshino Gen climbed onto the back seat.

“Where to, senpai?”

“Home. You know the address, right?”

“Hehe, of course. Then hold on tight—I’m taking off!”

Her sweet voice carried the faint fragrance of her perfume. Hoshino Gen obediently placed his hands on her waist—not hugging, just lightly holding. He was trying to change, but the deep-rooted aversion to physical contact still gnawed at him.

“Eek—! That tickles, senpai! Hahaha!”

Apparently, he’d touched a sensitive spot. Kiryu Rakuye burst into laughter, wobbling the bicycle in the process.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. The breeze lifted strands of Kiryu Rakuye’s hair, brushing against Hoshino Gen’s face—a ticklish sensation.

…

“…So that’s the gist of it. The incident in the Matsuda Department Store’s underground parking lot was officially classified as a gang shootout. The news says so, at least.”

“As for what happened at school… the administration’s working hard to keep things under wraps, but there were more than a few witnesses—plus, two people were seriously injured. So word got out that you were the one who killed Eiki.”

“Don’t worry, senpai. Everyone knows Eiki was scum—not just the school, but the entire country. Hell, even internationally. His father’s been arrested for bribery, murder, and extortion, sentenced to life in prison. And those middle school crimes—raping and imprisoning a girl until she died—they’re all out in the open now.”

“The school’s official statement is that you acted in self-defense. Most of the students think you did the right thing. Some even call you a hero, senpai—someone who ‘rid the world of evil.'”

Seated on the bike’s back seat, feeling the wind and Kiryu Rakuye’s scent swirling around him, Hoshino Gen listened quietly without much reaction. He’d already expected this outcome.

After all, this was Japan—a capitalist country.

Over half an hour later, Kiryu Rakuye stopped in front of an apartment complex. Hoshino Gen dismounted, politely bid her farewell, and headed inside. The elevator carried him home.

When he opened the door, everything was as he’d left it. Naturally so—he’d only been unconscious for less than forty-eight hours.

There were people in the living room—Liz, Hoshino Rin, and someone who had rushed back from somewhere… Tillina.

Tillina sat on the sofa, phone pressed to her ear. Her voice was calm, but with an unmistakable cold edge.

“I don’t care how—by the end of today, I want to see my son.”

The moment those words fell, Hoshino Gen stepped into the room. Every eye turned toward him.

Rin and Lis shot to their feet in surprise, while Tillina’s phone slipped from her hand onto the couch.

Without picking it up, she ran over and pulled Hoshino Gen into a tight embrace.

“Oh, darling, you’re alright… Thank goodness. When Rin told me you came home covered in blood, you can’t imagine how worried I was!”

His body stiffened. The warmth of his mother’s embrace didn’t comfort him—it made his skin crawl, like ants swarming all over him. Despite his conscious efforts to change, he couldn’t suppress the instinctive urge to push Tillina away.

He broke free from her arms, stepping back.