Tokyo Exorcism Diary

The evening glow painted half the sky in an ambiguous shade of red and purple.

The Hoshino family’s apartment in Koto Ward was in an absolutely prime location. Just stepping out of the building led directly into a bustling commercial district, with shopping centers and supermarkets a short turn away.

A quick round trip—grocery shopping included—took less than half an hour. When she returned home, Hoshino Rin carried several bags in both hands, her spirits high as she dove into the kitchen and began busying herself.

This time, Hoshino Gen didn’t retreat to his room. Instead, he went to the living room, switched on the television and game console, and settled onto the sofa to boot up Ruby Land.

Of all the experiences from his recent trip to Zermatt, the scenery and cuisine had been the highlights—but if he had to name his greatest gain, aside from the slight alleviation of the contamination within him following Jerome’s dispersal, it was undoubtedly this game.

The developers had delivered on their promises. The gameplay and graphical fidelity perfectly met the standards they had pledged during promotion—enough to make Hoshino Gen feel his time spent playing wasn’t wasted.

Before long, the living room filled with dynamic game sound effects and pleasant BGM. However, it didn’t take long for those sounds to be drowned out by loud commotion from the kitchen.

Judging by the noise, it seemed like hot oil meeting water in a violent reaction—but beneath the crackling, Hoshino Gen could faintly hear his cheap little sister letting out pained yelps, likely from getting splattered.

His brow twitched, but he was in the middle of grinding for experience. Just a few hundred more points and he could hit level 15 to challenge the boss room. After some thought, he decided to trust Hoshino Rin and remained seated, continuing his game.

Forty minutes later…

At the dining table, Hoshino Gen rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, expressionless. Across from him, Hoshino Rin sat with her head slightly lowered, lips pouted. Her index finger, wrapped in a band-aid, completed her pitiful look.

The direct cause of this scene was the steaming, slightly charred… meat dish placed between them.

“What is this?” Hoshino Gen asked with genuine curiosity. In his previous life, he’d traveled across China with the old man. He wouldn’t claim to be an expert in everything, but when it came to Chinese cuisine, his knowledge was solid—yet even he couldn’t identify what Hoshino Rin had made.

Hoshino Rin lifted her face, cheeks puffed out, then mumbled uncertainly, “R-Red-braised pork…”

“…”

Hoshino Gen fell silent.

Hoshino Rin had enough self-awareness to offer a timid explanation. “When I learned from Auntie Dobert, it didn’t turn out like this… I don’t know why. When Auntie Dobert guided me, it could simmer for two hours without any problems. But when I did it myself, it turned black and burned in less than thirty minutes…”

“Even when caramelizing the sugar… under Auntie Dobert’s instructions, the rock sugar melted obediently, but when I tried… it reacted so violently, I thought it was going to explode…”

She stole a glance at Hoshino Gen. “Sorry, Onii-chan…”

Hoshino Gen picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. It wasn’t entirely inedible—just tough, dry, and slightly bitter.

He took a napkin, discreetly spat it out, wrapped it up, and tossed it into the trash. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone. “I’ll order delivery. Anything you want?”

“Umm… salad is fine…” Hoshino Rin’s voice was barely audible, utterly deflated. After boasting earlier that she would show off her cooking skills, she’d ended up botching the entire meal—forcing her brother to order takeout instead.

Hoshino Gen didn’t seem to mind. He got up, placed the order while heading back to the living room, and resumed his game. Meanwhile, Hoshino Rin quietly cleaned up the disaster zone she had made in the kitchen.

Half an hour later, dinner arrived. Hoshino Rin’s mood remained low, and she barely made a sound throughout the meal. If she didn’t speak, Hoshino Gen certainly wouldn’t go out of his way to start a conversation—leaving the atmosphere at the table particularly quiet that night.

Afterward, Hoshino Gen returned to gaming. The game was surprisingly addictive. Hoshino Rin, unusually, didn’t pester him to play together. Instead, she curled up on the sofa, scrolling through her phone, occasionally glancing at her brother’s progress.

Normally, whenever Hoshino Rin was nearby, the air would be filled with her incessant chatter. The sudden silence tonight was… unsettling.

During a break after clearing the labyrinth zone and reaching the first boss room, Hoshino Gen glanced at the sofa—and was surprised to see his little sister wiping away tears.

He was genuinely shocked. Crying over a failed meal? He knew his little sister was a crybaby, but this was a bit much… right?

Sensing his gaze, Hoshino Rin looked up, eyes red. Seeing his strange expression, she pitifully explained, “Onii-chan… the news just announced Marika-chan’s death…”

Hoshino Gen immediately understood and went back to his game.

Twenty minutes later, his phone suddenly rang. The caller was Asakura Meika.

He picked up, and her voice came through. “Good evening. I heard you’re back in Tokyo?”

“Yeah, not long ago. What’s up?” Hoshino Gen wasn’t surprised the Special Affairs Unit knew of his return. Honestly, he wouldn’t be shocked if they had known the moment his plane landed.

“Here’s the situation—after you razed the Nagano Ghost School, our team’s been cleaning up the site. A few days ago, we found a vessel beneath the rubble. It likely belonged to the ghost you exorcised, but since you were away, we’ve been holding onto it. Now that you’re back, we’d like to hand it over.”

“…Oh.” Hoshino Gen recalled that he hadn’t retrieved the vessel from the hanging ghost after defeating it.

His eyes flicked toward Hoshino Rin, still red-eyed and quietly scrolling through her phone.

Losing someone close to you… it did leave a bitter taste.

After a brief hesitation, he spoke. “Do you want to see her?”

Hoshino Rin blinked, puzzled. “What?”

“Do you want to see Marika?” he repeated.

Her eyes widened. “B-But Marika-chan turned into a ghost and was…”

Hoshino Gen shook his head, then spoke into the phone. “Asakura-san, you can keep the vessel from the ghost school. Just return the comb I gave you—how about that?”