Tokyo Exorcism Diary

The morning sunlight streamed through the glass windows, warm and silky, filling the spacious classroom with a gentle glow.

“Wow! Your bracelet is so cute, where did you get it?”

“Did you hear about the new teacher upstairs in Class D…”

“Let’s go hang out in Shibuya after school!”

“Have you seen wakana-kun from Class E? He’s so handsome!”

With June fast approaching and the temperatures steadily climbing, all the students of Segawa Private Academy had finally switched into their summer uniforms.

The boys wore shirts with ties and slacks, the girls had short-sleeved tops paired with skirts—the vibrant energy of youth radiated through every corner of the campus.

But just as Class 1-A had been lively and bustling only a moment ago, it abruptly fell into silence. The reason was simple: Hoshino Gen, who hadn’t been seen at school in quite some time, was now standing at the classroom door.

Every single gaze zeroed in on him. Even if someone hadn’t noticed at first, the way all the noise suddenly cut off made it impossible not to realize where everyone else’s attention had turned—he naturally became the focal point.

There’s something peculiar about stares. They don’t carry any real weight, yet when enough of them converge—especially tinged with something unusual—the pressure they exert swells immeasurably, to the point it feels like they could “kill.”

Right now, plenty of such colored gazes were directed at Hoshino Gen. But for someone like him, whatever “power” they carried felt laughably feeble.

Without a care in the world, he strode into the classroom, sat down at his desk as if no one else existed, and pulled out a book entirely unrelated to class, quickly sinking into his own world.

Gradually, the classroom regained its noise, though compared to before, it was now closer to hushed murmurs.

Shimizu Yuu sat in her seat, absentmindedly watching the boy who once crashed into her life like a shooting star, only to vanish like a dream. Suddenly, she let out a quiet sigh, then curved her lips into a smile. So he still remembers how to come back…

The bell rang soon after. An older-looking teacher walked in, clutching his textbook.

“Today’s class is a debate session. Groups of three.”

At his announcement, the sound of desks scraping immediately filled the room as students dragged their desks toward their usual group of friends.

Hoshino Gen, unsurprisingly, didn’t move. Just like before class, he rested his chin on one hand, sitting lazily at his desk. The only difference was that the book unrelated to the lesson had been stashed away, and now he was gazing out the window at the sky.

In the past, whenever class involved group work like this, he’d always stay put. And since there were only thirty students total, in the end, two people would inevitably come over and group up with him. There was even a time when girls would deliberately rush over, thinking teaming up might give them a chance to talk to him.

But now, the “strange” and “aloof” labels stuck to him had an added one—”killed someone.” No doubt, no one would be approaching him anytime soon.

Thinking that, Hoshino Gen smirked slightly. After all, wasn’t this exactly the outcome he wanted? Peace, quiet, and being left alone in a crowded place like school…

Clunk. The sound of wooden desks bumping snapped him out of his thoughts. Instinctively, he turned his head—only to see a certain worker sitting beside him, wearing a smug little expression.

“See? That’s what you get for messing around at school—being ostracized! Lucky for you I came over, otherwise you’d look super awkward sitting by yourself…”

She hadn’t even finished talking when another desk bumped into place. Shimizu Yuu turned her head in confusion, only to see Itou Saki giving them a shy smile as she sat down.

“……”

…

“Eh? You want me to go by myself?”

At the shoe lockers after school, Shimizu Yuu looked down at the antique store’s key in her hand, then up at Hoshino Gen in front of her, her expression clearly reading: Huh?

“You know the way, right? And you know how to unlock the door?” Hoshino Gen grinned lazily. “Then just go in, clean up a bit, lock up when you’re done. Something that simple—why are you asking all these questions? Are you stupid or what?”

“You’re the stupid one!” Shimuzu Yuu puffed up her cheeks at the insult. “That’s not what I’m asking! I mean, why do I have to go alone? Do you have something else to do?”

“That’s none of your concern. Just handle your own job.” Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Hoshino Gen smiled and waved a casual goodbye before turning to leave the school building.

The moment he stepped out of the school gates, a well-dressed, silver-haired butler, flanked by a bodyguard in a suit and sunglasses, approached him.

“Young Master.” The butler bowed slightly, utterly unbothered by the public setting. “The car is ready. Please, this way.”

The bodyguard stood to the side, hands behind his back, as still as a statue.

Hoshino Gen glanced at the sleek black stretch Rolls-Royce parked not far away and let out a sigh.

“No need to be so eager. Since I already agreed to the engagement, I’m not about to make a run for it.”

“You misunderstand, Young Master. It’s simply that today’s schedule is rather tight. I took it upon myself to fetch you directly.”

Hoshino Gen shrugged, offering no further comment, and walked toward the car. The butler hurried after him, taking his bag and opening the door.

Sliding into the backseat, Hoshino Gen caught the noticeable sigh of relief as the butler shut the door. The two attendants got into the front—the bodyguard in the driver’s seat, the butler beside him—and the car pulled smoothly away.

For an average person, this scene might’ve seemed over the top. But at Segawa Private Academy, it barely raised an eyebrow. After all, it was a prestigious academy filled with heirs and heiresses of powerful families. A sight straight out of a TV drama wasn’t all that rare.

At most, a few students familiar with Hoshino Gen traded whispers—“So he really is the young master of a conglomerate…”

The car cruised down the road at a steady pace. Reclining in his seat, Hoshino Gen idly scrolled through the map attachment in a message his father had sent him yesterday.

The banquet was set to be held at the 33rd-floor hall of the Narushika Tower in Setagaya. A regular haunt for elites from all industries, it wasn’t the kind of place where just any rich person could host an event.

A show of power, I suppose, Hoshino Gen mused. But suddenly, his eyes lit up as he noticed a familiar name on the map.

He curled his lips into a smile and said, “Take me to Minamitama Town first.”

The butler turned back, surprised. “Young Master…”

“Please, drop me off at Minamitama Town first,” Hoshino Gen repeated politely, smile unwavering.

“…Understood.” Cold sweat broke out on the butler’s forehead as he turned to the driver. “Change course to Minamitama Town.”

…

“Anyone home?”

Minamitama Town, No. 37.

Hoshino Gen stood in front of a three-story detached house, pressing the doorbell as he politely addressed the intercom camera.

No reply came, not even a stir from inside.

“Guess no one’s home.” He smiled lightly to himself, then suddenly pivoted and kicked the door clean off its hinges, sending it crashing into the house.

With his hands still tucked in his pockets, he strolled leisurely into the house, glancing around until he confirmed that, yes, this was indeed the house of that guy who came knocking last night. His smile widened, looking genuinely pleased.

Fishing around in his pocket, Hoshino Gen pulled out a handful of talismans. Without looking back, he casually tossed them over his shoulder as he walked toward the door.

BOOM—!

Flames burst out behind him, rapidly engulfing the entire house.

Unbothered, Hoshino Gen returned to the Rolls-Royce, opening the back door and slipping inside with his usual calm demeanor.

In the front seat, the butler gaped at him, swallowing hard before stammering, “Y-Young Master… that just now…!”

“Drive,” Hoshino Gen said with a smile.

Gulp.

The stone-faced bodyguard kept his eyes forward, but the sound of him swallowing could be heard as he obediently started the engine.

Behind them, the crackling sound of the house collapsing grew fainter. Hoshino Gen smiled, pulled out his phone again, and resumed scrolling through the map.