Tokyo Exorcism Diary

“Brother, you are not going to school today?”

A faint, sleepy voice came from beside him. Hoshino Rin, swaying unsteadily like a human-sized roly-poly toy, caught Hoshino Gen’s attention as he exited the game. Watching her wobble dangerously close to the coffee table, he couldn’t help but worry.

Cracking the table worth millions of yen would be one thing, but if his ultra-popular idol sister ended up damaging her face or head, the Hoshino family would face a true crisis.

Hoshino Gen stood up, steadying himself against the coffee table. “I’m going.”

“Oh~” Hoshino Rin perked up slightly, forcing herself to stay awake. “Wait for me, okay? I’ll go with you!”

Hoshino Gen didn’t reply, but his silence was as good as an agreement.

By the time he returned from washing up, rebandaging his hand, and putting on his school uniform, Hoshino Rin was already at the entrance, dressed in the uniform of Segawa Private Academy. She held a sleek leather school bag and waited for him.

Segawa’s girls’ uniforms weren’t that different from other high schools—a standard short-skirted JK ensemble, albeit finely crafted. Today, Hoshino Rin wore white over-the-knee socks on her slender legs and adorable round-toed loafers on her petite feet. Her delicate frame and lovely face made her look like the embodiment of sugary sweetness.

Hoshino Gen raised an eyebrow. Not because he was struck by his little sister’s charm, but because he’d assumed her offer to “go together” only meant accompanying her to the elevator. He hadn’t expected her to actually attend school—especially since she hadn’t worn a uniform since the entrance ceremony.

As he changed his shoes at the door, he asked casually, “No work today?”

“Not today, the concert’s done, the drama filming’s wrapped up, and the ads and endorsements are scheduled for next week. A few variety show invitations came in, but I turned them down. Even idols need a break sometimes!” Hoshino Rin adjusted her mask and baseball cap as she spoke. 

Though she loved the spotlight onstage, she found the constant public attention in her everyday life suffocating. If she could, she’d happily spend the day gaming at home—but the unsettling thought of the maybe haunted laptop had nixed that plan entirely.

When they arrived at school by taxi, the campus was eerily quiet—it was mid-morning during the third period, after all. Despite Japan’s shift towards “joyful education,” most students still maintained classroom decorum.

After swapping her leather loafers for indoor shoes, Hoshino Rin stashed her outdoor footwear in Hoshino Gen’s shoe locker. She had no idea where her own was—it was only her second time in school, after all.

The siblings weren’t in the same class. Hoshino Gen was in 1-A on the first floor, while Hoshino Rin was in 1-C on the second. At the foot of the stairs, Hoshino Rin waved cheerfully. “Onii-chan, wait for me after school, okay?” Without waiting for a reply, she dashed upstairs, her footsteps light and quick.

Hoshino Gen’s grades were average at best, and his quiet demeanor kept him under the radar. If not for his undeniably handsome face, he might have faded into the background entirely. But as luck—or genes—would have it, his looks, coupled with his wealthy family, earned him a certain leniency.

Even when he entered the classroom late, the teacher merely glanced at him and said, “Please come in.”

Sliding into his desk by the window, Hoshino Gen noticed a commotion upstairs. Judging by the sudden uproar, he guessed his idol sister had arrived at her classroom. Paying no mind to the fuss, he pulled out his textbook, placed it on his desk, and promptly dozed off.

Shimizu Yuu was unusually distracted this morning. While she wasn’t exactly the most attentive student during classes regularly, it was rare for her to beso lost in her own world from the moment she arrived at school.

Normally, she spent her classes sneaking peeks at novels or manga, but ever since the previous Friday night, she’d found herself unable to muster any interest.

Her mind was now consumed by thoughts of a fantastical world brimming with ghosts, the supernatural, and untold mysteries. It was a place tantalizingly close yet frustratingly out of reach.

She had planned to talk to Hoshino Gen about it today. For reasons she couldn’t fully explain, being around him felt like stepping through a gateway to that otherworldly realm. The mundane cityscape seemed to shimmer with new possibilities in his presence.

But what she hadn’t expected was that throughout the entire morning, Hoshino Gen’s seat remained empty. It was only then that she remembered—during their ghost hunt that night, Hoshino Gen had injured his hand. Of course, it made sense for him to take the day off.

Realizing this, her previously high spirits immediately deflated. She couldn’t shake the feeling that staying at school was a complete waste of time. As a result, her daydreaming became even more uninhibited. So much so, in fact, that when Hoshino Gen finally entered the classroom, she didn’t notice him at all.

Suddenly, a small paper ball landed on her desk, snapping her out of her reverie. Startled, she glanced around and quickly spotted Suzuki Sawami, her best friend, grinning mischievously.

Unfolding the note confused, Shimizu Yuu read the scrawled message: “Look at the window.”

Confused, she glanced at Sawami, who nodded towards the front of the classroom. Following her gaze, Shimizu Yuu realized a cluster of classmates was staring at the seat by the window. Their expressions ranged from admiration to infatuation.

Realizing something, Shimizu Yuu instinctively cast her gaze toward the seat diagonally in front to her left—

Sunlight streamed through the open window, carrying soft pink petals into the classroom. They drifted down gently, one landing on the forehead of the boy sleeping by the window.

His lashes, long and dark, quivered faintly against his pale skin. Strands of jet-black hair framed his serene face, and the golden sunlight bathed him in an ethereal glow.

With the cherry blossoms, the gentle breeze, and the peaceful figure of the boy, the scene was like a living oil painting—poetic, beautiful, and utterly captivating.