Tokyo Exorcism Diary

The late-night streets were still aglow with neon, the city shedding its soft, cherry-blossom-like daytime veil to reveal its indulgent, hedonistic core to the nocturnal wanderers.

Tokyo, a city perpetually bustling, remained lively even at this hour. Pedestrians filled the streets, many of them overworked office workers—tonight’s protagonists and the lifeblood of countless small shops and street vendors. Among them, someone like Hoshino Gen, dressed in a high school uniform, stood out like a misplaced puzzle piece.

The alluring aroma wafting from food stalls was like an invisible hand, gently tugging passersby to stop and indulge.

Hoshino Gen considered grabbing a bite at one of the street vendors, but perhaps because it was Friday, most of the stalls were swamped with customers.

After scanning his surroundings several times, his eyes finally landed on a modest little stand tucked into a quiet corner. Unlike the others, it had only a handful of customers.

The vendor was a girl who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, also wearing a school uniform. However, unlike Hoshino Gen’s pristine private school attire, hers was a standard public school uniform that looked a bit worn.

Noticing Hoshino Gen approaching, the girl awkwardly averted her gaze, lowering her head slightly.

Clearly, she was a rookie vendor, embarrassed at the thought of a peer patronizing her humble stall.

Hoshino Gen paid her reaction no mind—he was just here to fill his stomach.

Sitting down at an old table in front of the stall, he glanced at the handwritten menu on display.

“I’ll have the curry rice.”

“Ah… alright.” The girl hurriedly scooped a portion of rice into a disposable container, then spooned a generous amount of steaming curry from a pot, placing it in front of him.

Taking the disposable chopsticks, Hoshino Gen tried a mouthful of rice soaked in curry. Immediately, he understood why this was the only stall with so few customers.

Grabbing a napkin, he discreetly spat out the food, wrapped it up, and tossed it into the trash. Hoshino Gen decided to pay and find a proper restaurant further into the street to cleanse his palate.

He wasn’t particularly picky about food—he enjoyed the flavors of regular street food—but that didn’t mean he would tolerate bad food when he had the means to choose better.

Just as he was about to speak, a sudden voice interrupted him.

“Wow! Look, Sis, it’s Rin-chan! Kawaii~~!”

The innocent voice of a child froze Hoshino Gen mid-action. Only then did he notice the small girl, about six or seven, standing beside the vendor.

The little girl, wide-eyed with excitement, pointed toward a giant screen outside a nearby shopping mall, her eyes sparkling.

Following her gaze, Hoshino Gen saw the screen silently broadcasting a promotion for the idol group TKY02’s upcoming Shinjuku concert on April 23rd. The center of the display was a poster of the group’s main members. Naturally, as the group’s center, Hoshino Rin stood out the most, her strikingly beautiful mixed-race features and heterochromatic eyes captivating even through a screen.

Yet, what came to Hoshino Gen’s mind wasn’t the flawless idol image but the sight of her earlier, teary-eyed and sulking as she struggled in a video game. Glancing at the starry-eyed little girl again, he couldn’t help but find the contrast amusing.

Changing the “paying” he was about to say into “to-go,” Hoshino Gen left the stall with a white plastic bag in hand, heading deeper into the streets.

When he returned home, the living room lights were still on. However, Hoshino Rin was no longer gaming.

Well, to be precise, the TV still displayed the black-and-white Game Over screen, but the controller had been abandoned on the carpet. Hoshino Rin was now curled up with her knees hugged to her chest, intently scrolling on her phone—likely looking up a guide.

This girl is ridiculously stubborn…

Hoshino Gen had heard their mother mention how his sister wouldn’t rest until she achieved her goals, but this was his first time experiencing it firsthand.

Still, was it really okay to stay up and gaming like this the night before a concert? And judging by the way things were going, if she kept losing, would she even sleep at all?

After a moment’s hesitation, Hoshino Gen picked up the discarded controller.

Under Rin’s puzzled gaze, he sat down on the couch, keeping a bit of distance between them.

“Mind if I give it a try?” he asked, meeting her eyes with his usual faint smile.

Perhaps still embarrassed about being caught crying earlier, Hoshino Rin avoided his gaze and mumbled softly, “It’s really hard…”

“I’ve played it before. It’s tough,” Hoshino Gen replied, gripping the controller firmly as he focused on the screen. With a press of a button, the black-and-white screen regained its colors.

The monster’s roar reverberated through the spacious living room, accompanied by the intense sound effects of blows landing.

Before long, after a final, bloodcurdling shriek, the monster collapsed with a thud, signaling the boss’s defeat and triggering a victory cutscene.

Hoshino Gen set down the controller and turned to look at Hoshino Rin beside him. Her mouth was slightly agape, and she was staring blankly at the TV screen. Smiling, he said, “The next part of the game is pretty interesting, but it’s already late. Don’t you have work tomorrow? Why not save the rest for your day off? I think the experience might be better that way.”

He paused briefly before adding with a smile, “Of course, it’s just a suggestion.”

With that, he placed the controller down, stood up, and headed toward his room.

“Wait!”

Hoshino Gen stopped mid-step and turned around, puzzled. “What is it?”

“You’re… really good at gaming,” Hoshino Rin stammered, as if still immersed in her amazement.

“Practice makes perfect,” Gen replied with a light laugh. “Anything else?”

“Do you play games a lot?” Hoshino Rin’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, as though she had realized something. Her mismatched irises glimmered as she asked eagerly, “What’s your favorite platform? PC? PS? Or Switch?”

It didn’t take long for Gen to understand her meaning. With a small chuckle, he replied, “I like them all. If you’ve got time, we can play together.”

Playing games with someone else was undoubtedly more fun than going solo. For anyone passionate about gaming, the prospect of a regular gaming companion was hard to resist.

“Okay!” Hoshino Rin agreed immediately, her face lighting up with a genuine smile. Interestingly, it seemed to lack the usual polished sweetness of her idol persona.

Maybe it was the realization of having a big brother her own age. After spending over a year, she seemed finally willing to let go of the perfect “older brother” she’d crafted in her imagination for the past decade and reconcile with the real, ordinary Hoshino Gen.

“Oh, by the way, are you coming to TKY02’s concert tomorrow? You could go backstage…”

Faced with his sister’s first invitation, Hoshino Gen didn’t hesitate to decline with a polite smile. “Sorry, I have something else to do tomorrow. Maybe next time.”

“……”