“Koko!”
My neck hurt.
Maybe there were people around who heard me? The mountain at midnight is supposed to be quiet.
Zing.
And amidst my shouting, I also heard the sound of my phone vibrating.
When I took it out to check, it was my father. I had already received more than five missed calls.
It was the first time Yuka had done something that could be considered this rebellious. The household wasn’t overly oppressive, and both my grandfather and father knew the weight Yuka was feeling, so they had allowed Yuka to do whatever she wanted as long as it wasn’t something unreasonable.
So, in fact, Yuka really had no reason not to listen until now.
But now…
Now—perhaps from the moment Yuka spoke her reason, many problems would arise. There could be someone listening in on the call, or maybe my grandfather and father wouldn’t want to oppose those people.
Yuka didn’t want Koto Ne to fall into the hands of those kinds of people.
“Koko!”
I hurriedly stuffed my phone back into my pocket and shouted again.
In truth, there might have been no need to yell. Yuka would eventually find Koko.
Koko’s condition, which I had seen a little while ago, was very bad. I wasn’t about to think of it as a good thing. Yuka didn’t want to lose Koko either.
However, it seemed that for that reason, Koko couldn’t have run far away. I still shivered at the thought.
The wind brushed through the trees. Even though I was wearing a coat and my body was heated from searching the mountain for a long time, it felt like that wind pierced through my clothes.
How cold must Koko be?
Yuka moved her feet as fast as she could.
And—
“… Koko.”
Taking a deep breath, Yuka murmured.
“Don’t come…”
Koto Ne said from where she crouched, hiding behind her.
The ends of her hair trembled. But that hair could no longer attack Yuka.
Thinking back, Yuka had never seen Koko so starved before. To glance at her, it seemed like she had an endless supply of energy.
Yet, the one who had consistently fed her various things and made sure she didn’t go hungry was Koto Ne.
… It was just that she had never been in a situation like this until now.
“…”
Yuka lowered the sword she held in her hand.
And slowly, slowly, she walked towards Koko.
The wound on Koko hurt. Though there wasn’t any blood flowing, the wound itself stung, and the torn fabric let the wind through.
But Yuka wasn’t angry with Koko.
She was rather sorry.
Yuka… had completely taken everything from Koko.
Now, even if she said she was sorry, Koko likely couldn’t forgive her.
She rummaged through her pockets. Just in case, she had brought some chocolate with her.
Yuka stood about five steps away from Koko and unwrapped it.
Perhaps there was a smell? It must have been very tempting for Koko, who had barely eaten.
But Koko merely glanced at the chocolate, then looked back at Yuka and turned her head away.
“Koko.”
Her heart ached.
“If this is okay for you…”
Yuka slowly moved towards Koko.
“Right now, you don’t seem to be in a good condition. Okay? Let’s fill your stomach first. Then we can think afterward…”
Koko curled up.
Although she couldn’t resist, it seemed like she wouldn’t make it easy to take her away, clutching her upper body over Koto Ne’s.
“…”
Yuka moved even closer to Koko.
Even when Yuka knelt down and reached out her hand, Koko didn’t stir.
Finally, when Yuka’s hand touched Koko’s back, Koko flinched. Yuka felt relieved. She didn’t want to lose another precious friend in front of her.
Yuka didn’t say anything.
Instead, she just hugged Koko tightly.
In front of her, everything felt a bit dizzy. Was it the fatigue that rushed in all at once, forgotten in the relief?
The three of them stayed like that for a while.
None of them spoke a word.
*
After being captured, Koko seemed to have completely given up on everything.
Even when Yuka brought chocolate to Koko’s mouth, Koko turned her head slightly to avoid it.
Her attitude screamed that she would absolutely refuse Yuka’s help, and it made Yuka’s heart ache.
But it was okay.
She thought that would be enough.
At least she wasn’t running away anymore. Perhaps she was just too weak.
“Here, this.”
Yuka rewrapped the chocolate and placed it in Koko’s clothes pocket.
“If you get really hungry, eat it.”
“…”
For a moment, Yuka considered saying that Koto Ne would have wanted that but decided to keep her mouth shut. She felt that saying something like that might backfire.
Still, she felt relieved that Koko didn’t take it out and throw it on the ground the moment it was in her pocket.
“Uu…”
When Yuka bent down to touch Koto Ne’s body, Koko lightly held Yuka’s arm, but soon that hand dropped weakly.
“… Can you walk?”
Koko hung her head low without saying a word.
Yuka took it as a sign that she could walk and slipped Koto Ne’s body onto her back.
Thud.
Koto Ne’s hand dropped down.
For a moment, Yuka almost burst into tears at that movement—
“… Huh?”
Yuka looked down at Koto Ne’s arm.
Koto Ne’s arm, which had slid down Yuka’s shoulder, continued to sway as Yuka moved.
If she were dead, that could happen.
But if enough time had passed since her death, it wouldn’t be possible.
Corpses go rigid as time passes. The various organs and fluids that keep human joints moving only function properly when the person is alive. After a time, they settle down and harden under gravity. Naturally, Koto Ne should have followed that rule.
But she didn’t.
The same went for her hands. If her palms were facing down, there should have been a pooling of blood making them go pale. But Koto Ne’s hands were simply white.
Could it be… she bled too much?
It was winter, so perhaps decomposition hadn’t progressed much, but there was no odor coming from Koto Ne.
Was it simply because she was a girl blessed with the powers of another world—?
Yuka shook her head.
Ugh.
She got up and walked slowly. To be honest, her feet felt a bit unstable. Yuka hadn’t been able to eat properly the past few days either.
The fallen leaves and dry twigs crunched underfoot.
When she looked back, it seemed Koko couldn’t leave Koto Ne alone, following Yuka.
Matching her steps with Koko’s, Yuka continued down the mountain.
A feeling she couldn’t quite understand, difficult to express with words, welled up inside her.
Perhaps…?
Of course, she thought it wasn’t a good idea to feel that way.
Koto Ne was dead.
The dead don’t come back.
But still—
Koto Ne wasn’t an ordinary girl—
As Yuka descended the mountain, her heart couldn’t easily settle.
*
“Koko.”
“Uu…?”
Having reached the road, Yuka called Koko after they came down the entire mountain.
Perhaps because she had given up on everything, or perhaps she understood that Yuka wouldn’t do anything immediately, Koko responded to Yuka’s call.
Yuka momentarily lost her words looking at Koko, who weakly looked up at her, but she composed herself and spoke calmly.
“From here on, we need to be careful. Koto Ne… is in this state. If someone sees us, it could be a big problem.”
Koko looked up at Yuka earnestly. It seemed she understood. Had she eaten the chocolate she put in her pocket? Yuka hoped so.
“So… if anyone asks, we need to answer calmly. It’ll be troublesome if they find out Koto Ne is in this condition.”
“Uu…”
Koko nodded her head.
Yuka looked around, then squatted down to gently lower Koto Ne to the ground, removing her coat.
And then she lifted Koto Ne once more.
“Koko, cover her with the coat over her.”
This way, at least, Koto Ne’s gaping wound would be concealed.
Koko draped Yuka’s coat over Koto Ne’s back.
Yuka shivered slightly.
It was so much colder without her coat on. But she couldn’t just go to the police station like this.
Occasionally stopping her steps and glancing back at Koko, Yuka moved forward. Koko kept her distance while following Yuka.
Quite a few cars passed on the roadside, but none seemed to take notice of the three of them. Yuka felt relieved about that.
“Hah… hah…”
Gradually, her breath became ragged.
Her legs felt weak.
Should she call someone soon? There was no assurance that her call wouldn’t be intercepted, but still…
After a long while, they finally entered a residential area again.
“From now on, I’ll take you to your house.”
Yuka decided to do just that.
She would drop them off there first and then call Kagami afterward.
Or maybe someone was already there waiting.
“Let’s head there and think it over.”
“…”
Koko nodded.
There weren’t many people on the street. It seemed the time had elapsed since almost every store was closed except for convenience stores or family restaurants. The New Year atmosphere was fading since school had begun.
As they walked down the street—
“Hey there, students.”
They heard someone calling to them.
“…”
It was the police.
Right, it was already that time, wasn’t it?
Yuka turned to face the police.
Koko stepped in front of Yuka as if to guard her, readying herself against the police.
“Is that you?”
There were two police officers.
“What are you doing here at this time?”
If it were any other day, Yuka wouldn’t have thought much of it. Usually, she would just call her father, or she’d say she was just heading home. After all, they only ask out of suspicion about whether something bad is happening or not.
But now, it was a quandary.
Koto Ne was… in a state that would be very hard to show to someone she didn’t know.
“We were just heading home.”
“What were you doing? Why is the girl on your back in that state? Is she injured?”
Had it been a problem that she was carrying an unconscious girl on her back? The police didn’t seem inclined to let the two of them go easily.
“Perhaps… do you think we’ve been drinking?”
“Today has been a bit exhausting, so I’ve just been carrying her—”
“…”
That sounded less than convincing.
Not just Koto Ne on her back, but both Koko and Yuka’s clothes were all messed up. When seen in the dark, it was hard to realize, but now that they were in a better-lit area, it was painfully obvious that both were covered in dirt and leaves.
… What to do.
As the pale expression appeared on Yuka’s face, the police’s eyes narrowed further—
“Hey— what’s going on here?”
A middle-aged man passing by called out.
Oh, really.
Yuka blinked at the unfamiliar figure, someone she had never seen before.
The man’s gaze fell on Koko, not Yuka.
Koko, wide-eyed, was looking at the man.
“You…”
The man’s gaze darted between the police and Koko several times before frowning. His expression was like he was contemplating something.
And right at that moment—
“Hey! What the hell have you been up to until now?”
The man shouted.
Yuka looked back and forth between Koko and that middle-aged man.
“Uwa?”
“Do you have any idea how much your parents are probably worrying?”
For just a moment, Yuka wondered if this middle-aged man was related to Kagami, but judging by Koko’s reaction, it didn’t seem so.
“I’m sorry. My niece and nephews have caused trouble.”
“Huh? N-No—”
Seeing the man bow his head to the police made Yuka blink.
It didn’t take long for her to decide how to react.
“Uncle, we—”
The expression on the middle-aged man’s face, looking at Yuka, was completely non-threatening, but Yuka intentionally kept her mouth shut.
At the very least, the police seemed to genuinely think they were relatives.
The man spoke with the police, discussing this and that, before looking back at Yuka and Koko.
“You two were lucky. Do you have any idea how many people are out there targeting kids like you? You were fortunate to have such a nice uncle.”
“Apologize quickly.”
“… I’m sorry.”
“Uu…? I’m sorry…”
Yuka spoke, and Koko followed suit. It seemed like she still didn’t quite understand the situation, but she figured that going along with it was better.
After watching the police walk away for a while, the middle-aged man turned back towards Yuka and Koko.
“… What happened?”
“Sorry, but they came by a little while ago.”
Yuka didn’t respond immediately to the man’s question, speaking instead with a guarded tone.
“Do you know him?”
“Oh.”
When Yuka asked, the man scratched his head with his hand as he spoke.
“I helped that student once before—”
Looking at Koko, the man tilted his head.
“No, was it that student?”
The man tilted his head again while looking at Koto Ne on Yuka’s back.
“… Anyway, I’ve helped her before. I was able to save my life because she helped me when I collapsed at the train station… Was that too meddlesome? It looked like you were having a hard time.”
“Ah, no.”
Upon hearing the man’s words, Yuka was a bit taken aback.
Koko looked intently at the man.
“… Thank you for helping.”
“But what about that girl…?”
“Today has just been a bit difficult. She fell asleep for a moment.”
“Is that so…?”
It seemed that even though he had helped before, the situation appeared strange to him when looking at the two of them.
The man continued to scrutinize Yuka and Koko before Yuka lowered her head and gave a polite bow.
“I live nearby. I’m just taking her home.”
“Understood. All three of you, make sure to get home safely.”
Even with a puzzled look, the middle-aged man said that. Perhaps it was thanks to Koko that it turned out this way. Maybe he was unconsciously practicing one of the most important aspects of social living— to not meddle too deeply in other people’s matters.
Yuka, Koko, and the unknown man parted ways.
Still, it was fortunate. If they had been caught by the police until the end, the situation would surely have grown strange.
Yuka quickened her pace a little.
While it wasn’t much faster, it was as quick as she could manage since she was utterly exhausted.
*
Was it something to be thankful for?
By the time they reached Koto Ne and Koko’s house, someone came running.
At first, Yuka thought it was someone from the government, but upon seeing the outfit, which resembled that of the Yakuza, she felt a bit relieved.
Was there no one from that side around here? Perhaps they wanted to avoid a collision. Or, thinking a bit optimistically, perhaps they had given up on trying to secure Koto Ne’s body.
In any case, Koto Ne was dead. The one who knows best what Mumei does is the government and the exorcists. They had tried to take her away several times over the years.
There might have been something that took precedence elsewhere. Experts in this area are always few and far between. Furthermore, every time they search, they need to cover a large area, often involving people from other regions.
Though it wasn’t right to think this way, if there were Yōkai roaming around somewhere else, that was— Yuka thought it might be fortunate.
“… Wasn’t there an option to just call?”
Once Yuka, Koto Ne, and Koko arrived at the old apartment, Kagami asked with a baffled expression.
“… We could be traced…”
When Yuka said in a quiet voice, surprisingly, Kagami stared at her without a word.
There didn’t seem to be any significant emotion on that face. Still, Kagami didn’t mock her or anything. They simply helped Yuka and brought Koko out.
“… Aren’t we going to the second floor?”
“Everything we need is down here.”
Yuka gazed up at the second floor. The lights were on in the room where Koko and Koto Ne had been. Had they been there the entire time… since losing her daughter?
“From here on out, leave it to us.”
“… Me too.”
“I know.”
Kagami observed Yuka carefully as they spoke.
“If you were cautious enough to avoid using your phone on the way here, I think I can trust you. However, in your current state, you won’t be of any help at all.”
“…”
“Let’s take Koko upstairs. There’ll be people there. First… let’s feed her something. You should eat too, and wash up.”
There was no choice but for Yuka to nod at that.
“What about Koto Ne?”
Koko, who had been anxiously waiting outside the room, asked.
“Let’s fill our stomachs first.”
“Uu…”
“Your mother will have received you. She’ll be fine.”
“How’s Koto Ne?”
Seeing Koko ask that, Yuka felt a whirlwind of emotions.
Koko had no one to rely on right now. The pity she felt. The gratitude for Koko speaking to her. … The pain of wondering what Koko felt at losing the most precious thing.
“First, let’s recover our strengths. We were separated from Koto Ne for a while. That should be enough for now.”
“Uu…”
Koko lowered her head.
In the meantime, Kagami came out of the room.
“What are you still doing down here?”
Telling Yuka such a thing, Kagami hesitated for a moment when looking at Koko.
Without a word, Kagami approached Koko and took hold of her wrist.
“Uwa?”
“Let’s eat something at least.”
And with a half-forced manner, she dragged Koko towards the second floor.
Koko followed behind weakly.
“You too.”
After Kagami turned back to say that, Yuka slowly followed behind.
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