Bothof uswere confronting each other witha terrific expression onour faces as if time hadbeen suspended.
Thesilence was suddenly shattered by a rattling sound emanating from near the front door. Footsteps rushing up theiron staircase approached and gave the impression that they had halted in front of my room when the door was slammed powerfully.
“Hakamadaaa!? Heyyyy! What time do you think it is now!?”
Thelandlord from downstairs hurled an enraged yell at me.
“You’remaking such a racket that I can’t sleep! The neighbors are being disturbed! If you want to scream, do it outside! Hey!?”
Thelandlord’s shout was so loud that even though we were far from the front door, it nevertheless resonated in my ears. I cried out “Excuse me” in response, propelled by the intensity of the yell.
Thelandlord reacted byreturning to the lower level and shouting, “For god’s sake!” as they stomped down the iron staircase.
Atthat point, the flickering lights reverted to their former state and the whole room brightened up. Even the TV and the fan, which hadbeen turned off, started operating simultaneously. Although everything seemed to be back to normal, the subject of my fear wasstill seated in front of me, looking as blood-soaked asever.
“W-Well… forthe time being, calm down. Sonny…?”
Perhapsanticipating the arrival of the second wave, they lifted their hands up to their shoulders and smiled awkwardly, as if to appease me, who was all perturbed. It didn’t put me at rest, though, when they grinned due to the blood stains on their face. Moreover, Icould see the kitchen that was supposed to be behind that figure, though only faintly.
Thatcould only imply one thing. This guy, they were a human…
Evenif you told me to calm down, how could I remain calm? Having a figure like this in front of you, wouldn’t it be terrifying?
Damn, I couldn’t pull myself up. Translator: MadHatter
Withmy breathing erratic and my nose rasping like a cow, I fearfully looked at thatguy’s face.
Istruggled to jog my memory. Indeed… they looked familiar tome.Blooddripped from their mouths, under their eyes, and down their forehead, and they had a frightening appearance that made me feel as if I was about to scream even nowbut…
Thisoutfit and those tight slits in their eyes. This guy was yesterday’s… the bloody spiked bat man… Right…
Atthechange in my facial expression, the guy brushed his bangs off to the back of his head appropriately and asked, “Have you remembered me?”
“A-A little…” Not shared on aggregator sites
B-Butwhywas the man drenched in blood, here, and right in front of me?
Oh, right. I got it.
Thiswas a dream.
Ishouldgo back to sleep, and if I sleep one more time, I might be able to wake up this time.
Thatmust be the case…
“―Wake up! Thisis reality, all of it!!”magic
As I wasabout to turn around and crawl back under the futon, I received a very well-timed shove.
“Sonny, please listen to me!”
Rightas I thought that, the bloodied man who was supposed to be behind me moved instantly in front of me. It was like he abruptly popped up right in frontof me.
Heyyyyyyyy! If youdid that, I would have been startled, you know!!
“Who the hell are you! Stop it! Don’t youdare haunt me!”
“LikeI said, calm down…! Look, I’m not trying to hurt you, okay!”
“Youare! Enough! You’re standing on people’s bedsides! And you’recausing bizarre phenomena!”
Iwas in tears, and in desperation, I was losing my temper with the specter. In such a state, that guy scratched his head and gave me an ingratiating smile.
“Ohno, Ifigured I should put on a show for you.”
Whata talkative specter. I mean…
“Whatdo you mean by ‘put on a show’!? Does a specter even think about staging? Get out…! Immediately! I begyou, disappear! Nothing good will evercome from you hauntingme!!”
Timidnesswas no good, I had to push through with strength.
Whilerecalling Takenaka’s advice, I rushed to the kitchen, letting my agitation get the better of me. I opened the refrigerator roughly and microwaved the frozen rice I hadleft.
Apair of disposable chopsticks were inserted vertically into the top of the steaming white rice after I had dumped the rice into a bowl and heavily saltedit. The chopsticks were placed in the center of the tabletop vigorously.
“Um…Sonny? …This is…”
“Comeon, attain Buddhahood! Now! Immediately! Doit right away―!!”
Orrather, pleaserest in peace…!
Despitemy lack of confidence in my ability to exorcise aspirit, Iwas determined to somehow make that guy attain Buddhahood. Theoutcome was obvious, though.
“Hey… Sonny, Iam troubled even if you suddenly serve me a heaping pile of rice.”
Thebloodiedman made no reaction to the steaming white riceon the table but looked at me again with a stunned expression on hisface.
Iknow, right?