Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Miss, the snow is getting heavy. Please head inside as soon as possible.”

Hoshino Rin was only snapped out of her daze by the reminder from the manor’s guard. Though calling him a guard might not be entirely accurate—he wasn’t that old, likely in his thirties, with a sturdy, well-built figure in a fitted suit. He had followed them from Japan and was temporarily assigned to handle the manor’s security.

Hoshino Rin gave him a polite smile before quickly dashing into the manor.

Once the siblings disappeared from sight, the man fished out his phone from his pocket and made a call.

On the other side of the ocean, in a luxury hotel in downtown New York, Hoshino Sosuke reclined in a bathtub, sipping on a glass of liquor while answering the phone. A playful smile curved on his face as he muttered,

“Oh? So that’s what the kid’s thinking… quite the resolve he has…”

…

Dinner at the estate was sumptuous. The vast dining hall had its luxurious table filled with an assortment of gourmet dishes. The table was large enough to seat twenty people without feeling cramped, yet only two chairs were placed at the front.

Unquestionably, in the entire estate, only Hoshino Gen and Hoshino Rin had the right to sit at this table.

Hoshino Gen ate quickly, indifferent to the lavish surroundings. He finished his meal in a few swift bites and returned to his room alone.

The estate rooms were spacious and luxurious—crystal chandeliers, marble floors, exaggerated floor-to-ceiling windows, and equally oversized solid wood beds. The shelves were stocked with label-less bottles of wine, and the entertainment corner had a game console and a massive TV, clearly delivered on short notice.

His luggage consisted of only some clothes.

After a hot bath, dressed in a thin shirt and trousers, Hoshino Gen sprawled on the bed, turning on the TV and the game console.

It wasn’t that he had nothing to do—his stock of talismans had been heavily depleted lately, nearly a tenth gone. Replenishing them would be a good use of his free time. But with snow swirling outside the windows and the room warm with heating, it would be a shame not to play some games in such an atmosphere.

Besides, Hoshino Gen genuinely enjoyed gaming—one of the few hobbies he still held any enthusiasm for. He rarely refused when Hoshino Rin asked him to play together.

He didn’t know who arranged for the console in his room, but the pre-installed popular games were a thoughtful touch, ready to be played at a moment’s notice.

Hoshino Gen picked a popular co-op game, took out his phone, and opened 【redskirt】. He didn’t need to say anything—Chi-chan immediately understood.

A streak of static drifted from the phone to the TV screen, and soon, one of the in-game characters jumped twice on the spot, signaling readiness.

Perhaps because Chi-chan used to livestream games while alive or because her current form allowed her to directly control the character’s body, she always perfectly synchronized with Hoshino Gen’s actions, making their playthroughs smooth and seamless.

A game that typically took over ten hours to clear was finished in just two by one man and one ghost.

Setting down the controller, Hoshino Gen stretched and glanced at his phone. Chi-chan had returned to 【redskirt】, her bright smile mirrored in the app interface. Even the mood bar in the corner kept refreshing with “up” signs.

Hoshino Gen smiled, glancing at the clock—past eight. The sky outside was still gray, the snow continuing to fall. The only difference from the afternoon was that the color had darkened slightly.

In Zermatt during May, it wasn’t unusual for the sun to set as late as ten.

Just as he was about to search for another game, a knock echoed at the door.

The persistent knock, knock, knock made it clear who was outside without needing to open the door. A sigh rose in his heart. He walked over and opened the door. Sure enough—Hoshino Rin stood there, wearing a thin camisole nightdress, clutching her laptop with bright eyes.

“Onii-cahn, look! Ruby Land is out on both PS and PC!”

Hoshino Gen’s eyebrow twitched.

Ruby Land—a massive open-world fantasy RPG developed over ten years by a renowned studio, supporting multiplayer online co-op. A month ago, they had released a mobile beta version ahead of schedule. The phone version, limited by hardware, had many features stripped down, with inferior graphics and mechanics compared to the PC and console versions—a mere appetizer before the main course. Yet even that had ignited a frenzy across the gaming community.

During the Tokyo Bay Incident, Hoshino Gen had played this game with Kiryu Rakuye while waiting for the ghosts.

Even with his picky taste, he found it quite entertaining.

“Onii-chan, let’s play together, okay?” Hoshino Rin squeezed into the room, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Hoshino Gen glanced at the door, which she had conveniently closed behind her, lips twitching.

…

Away from home, this estate was nothing more than a fancy hotel to him. If his clingy little sister wanted to come in, so be it. Besides, he was quite interested in the full version of Ruby Land.

But by two or three in the morning, when the game’s pace had slowed down, Hoshino Gen glanced back and found Hoshino Rin curled up on his bed, fast asleep.

“…”

Hoshino Gen pondered briefly. Since he wasn’t sleepy, he might as well go for a walk.

He put down the controller, turned off the game, grabbed his phone, changed clothes in the walk-in closet, and stepped out through the estate’s heavy double doors. The cold wind howled, snowflakes swirling against his face.

The heat lingering from the central heating evaporated instantly. Compared to the stifling warmth, he preferred this crisp chill.

The doors closed behind him automatically as Hoshino Gen strode into the snow.

At three in the morning, Zermatt was as silent as most places in the world at that hour. Snow fell in the glow of street lamps.

Surprisingly, there was someone sitting on a bench beneath one of the lamps—a Swiss girl, barely twenty, bundled up in a fuzzy coat, scarf, gloves, and hat. Despite being alone in the snow, she exuded a cozy warmth.

The girl noticed him too, probably just as surprised to see someone wandering around in such weather. Her gaze followed him for a while until he passed under the light.

Suddenly, she gasped in German.

“It’s you!”

Hoshino Gen didn’t understand but glanced at her reflexively. Her face did seem familiar—ah, right. He had seen her in the chapel that afternoon. Judging by her looks, she was likely Jerome’s daughter or some such.

“It’s really you!” she exclaimed again in English, jumping to her feet. “Thank you so much for this afternoon! But… why are you out here now? Did something happen? If you’re in trouble, please—I’ll do anything to help…”

Hoshino Gen raised a hand, cutting her off with a calm expression.

“Just out for a walk. Thank you for your concern.”

Without waiting for a reply, he kept walking. A stranger he met once—no reason to engage further. If it were Jerome himself, he wouldn’t mind a chat. But the daughter? Not necessary.

“I see…” the girl blinked, watching his retreating figure. Still unwilling to give up, she called out,

“Um… may I know your name? Can I have your contact information? My family wants to thank you properly!”

Hoshino Gen paused briefly before glancing back.

“Ye XingYuan. No need for thanks—I already received my payment from your father.”