Chapter 2: The Giant Fuji Spirit

Chapter 2:
The Giant Fuji Spirit

 

EVEN IN THE EARLY MORNING, darkness cloaked the spirit realm.

The stars glimmered spectacularly—even brighter than they did at night—their many hues blending into a fuzzy halo. Shattered emerald fragments twinkled in the sky. Even in the thick of rainy season, a refreshing breeze dried the laundry hanging on the line outside on a clear, crisp day.

I leaned out my window to soak in the sky. Ittan-momen, a spirit made of rolls of cotton, waved as he wafted by. It was going to be a beautiful day, I just knew it, so I decided to air out my futon while I stretched my back.

Morning was the busiest part of my day. Without a mother around, all the housekeeping fell to me or it didn’t get done at all. Laundry, breakfast, cleaning…day in and day out, the chores stacked up.

“Where’s breakfast, Kaori?” Shinonome-san called.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I said.

“Hey, make mine first, and not the one in the can. I hate that,” Nyaa-san said.

“I hear you!”

The stairs creaked while I prepared rice and miso soup. Shinonome-san hardly ever woke up on his own, so I figured the one coming down had to be Suimei. I confirmed my suspicion with a look over my shoulder. Suimei was wearing one of the old man’s yukata and rubbing the drowsiness from his eyes, looking even younger than usual in his oversized borrowed clothing.

“Morning, Suimei.”

“Hm, good mo…ah!”

“What is it?” I asked.

Suimei froze in place. Maybe he was feeling sick?

“Do any of your injuries hurt?” I asked as I hurried over to him. I worried that he might have pushed himself too far so soon after recovering. “You’re probably still tired. Maybe you should rest some more.”

“N-no. Th-that’s not it.” Suimei trembled and took several steps away from me as though trying to escape. He seemed confused, even a bit shaken. After a moment, I recognized the look.

“It’s still dark here in the morning, so it doesn’t really feel like you woke up, huh?” I smiled. “I lived up in the human world for a while when I was attending high school, and I have to say that it was extremely unsettling when I came back here.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the morning being so dark…” he muttered. “But more importantly, you graduated high school?”

“Of course, and a while ago at that. I’m twenty, you know.”

“No way.” Suimei pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know, I kind of figured we were the same age.”

“Huh?” It was obvious that he was still a high school student…but us, the same age? I slapped my hands to my face to cover the flush rising in my cheeks. I didn’t really think of myself as old, but I was still happy to be mistaken for someone in their teens. “How old are you, Suimei?”

“Seventeen,” he admitted. “Anyway, don’t get ahead of yourself. I was just surprised that someone like you could actually be older than me.”

“Someone like me—what’s that supposed to mean?” I pouted, narrowing my eyes.

He took off the haori he was wearing over his yukata and tossed it at me. “Let me make one thing clear. I’m not your family. I may be younger than you, but I’m still a man, and don’t you forget it. So try to conduct yourself like someone your age ought to, got it?”

“Huh? What’re you…”

“I’m going to wash my face.” He stalked off without another word, but a flush brightened his neck and ears.

Just what had that been about? I held out the haori he’d handed me and glanced down at myself. Suddenly, it all made sense. “Eep!”

It had been hot and humid the night before, so I’d slept in a tank top and hot pants with a thin jumper thrown on over the top. I hugged the haori close and yelled back toward Suimei: “Sorry about that!”

“Whatever, just change!” he shouted back.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyance in his voice.

After changing, I went to find Shinonome-san and discovered him still sleeping, his covers bunched up in his arms like a large body pillow.

“All right, get up.” I ripped the covers out of his grasp and started cleaning up the manuscript papers scattered all over the floor. He merely rolled over.

Then, suddenly: “Waaaaaaugh!”

“S-Suimei?!” I gasped. I recognized that yelp.

“Augh!” Shinonome-san groaned as I stepped right on him in my haste to scramble to the well in the backyard.

I bolted through the living room, then threw open the sliding door leading to the backyard and slipped on some sandals. Off in one corner of the moss-covered yard sat a small well that we used for most of our washing up in the morning. That had to be the source of the disturbance, but surprise prevented me from getting any closer.

“Wh-who are you?! What’re you doing in Kaori’s yard?” Suimei demanded.

A massive raven was attacking him, pecking at his head and sending feathers flying through the yard.

“Oh, hey, Kaori. Just stopping by,” said a boy suddenly.

I’d completely missed him until he spoke. He sat in a corner, looking like a raven himself with his hair dark as silky black wings and his sleepy golden eyes. He held a red ceremonial staff, and a hood shaded his face. All in all, it made him look like some sort of monk or other practitioner. Though he seemed like a normal human, the four black, glowing talons at his feet gave him away as a bird spirit.

I smiled and waved. “Oh, hi, Kinme. Hey, is that Ginme over there?”

“Yup. He wanted to come see you, so we rushed through our morning training and came on over only to find this suspicious guy out here. He kinda lost it after that.”

“Hmm, you don’t say.”

Kinme was the twin brother of the bird currently attacking Suimei. In contrast to Kinme’s calm, easy demeanor, Ginme tended to act first and ask questions later. It caused no shortage of trouble. I’d known both of them since I was only five. At the time, they’d been injured little fledglings rejected by their parents. I’d done what I could to help, and we’d been close ever since. I was a bit tighter with Ginme, who’d often come to the house to hang out with me when we were kids. I’d always seen him as a sort of little brother, but he looked at things differently. What a pain.

I put my hands on my hips and yelled. “Cut it out! I’m gonna get real angry if you don’t settle down!”

“Huh?!” Ginme abruptly backed off of Suimei and transformed into his human form in midair. Unsurprisingly, he looked just like his twin, except for his silver pupils, cheery eyes, and the blue staff he carried. Ginme recovered himself and grinned as he approached. “G’morning, Kaori! How’re you?”

“I’m good. I see you’re chipper today.”

“Yep, always am.”

I couldn’t help imagining a dog’s tail wagging behind Ginme as he spoke. Suimei, however, had blood trickling down his head. Wariness and weariness warred on his face.

“So who’s that?” Ginme asked.

“That’s Suimei,” I explained. “He started living with us as of yesterday.”

“Living with you?!”

Ginme bristled, but Kinme just crossed his arms. “So, is this the human who they said came tumbling down to the street?” he asked.

“You know about that?” I shrugged. “Well, I guess spirits do love to gossip. Anyway, he’s searching for some spirit or another and wanted to use our house as a base of operations, so we let him stay here.”

“Shinonome was okay with that?” Kinme frowned.

“Of course.”

“Whoa…really?” Ginme held his head in his hands, muttering under his breath about me and Suimei being under the same roof together. I kept my face carefully blank and ignored his distress as I approached Suimei.

Blood soaked the bandages around Suimei’s head, while small cuts marred his face. He looked pretty well worked over. “Are you okay?” I asked. “I’m really sorry about Ginme. It looks like your old wounds opened back up, so we’ll need to get you some more medicine.”

“It’s nothing, just a couple of scratches,” he muttered.

“No way. It could start to fester if you leave it alone.” I reached out to try to check on his wounds, but he batted my hand away.

“Cut it out.” There was an uneasy look in his hazel eyes, almost as if he wasn’t used to being touched.

I mumbled an apology. “I’m going to head out after breakfast, okay?”

“Well, if you’re going to the pharmacy or whatever, that’s fine by me.” Suimei sighed. “I’m not too fussed about getting injured. I’m an outsider, after all, so I kind of expected it.”

It was nice to hear he wasn’t too bothered, though I suspected he’d hold a grudge against Ginme after all this. He narrowed his eyes and shot Ginme a look. “But I have to say, that bird over there is incredibly rude,” Suimei said. “He hasn’t offered an apology, even after learning that I’m your guest. If he thinks you can just apologize for him and that’ll be it, then it doesn’t seem we’ll see eye to eye anytime soon.”

“What?!” Ginme stepped toward Suimei, looming. He stood at least two heads taller than Suimei, but the young exorcist didn’t back down. I braced for another fight, but just when it looked like it might break out, Ginme gave in. “I guess you’re right,” he said. “So we’ll be good if I just apologize, then?”

“Pretty much,” Suimei confirmed.

“Gotcha. Well, sorry.”

“We’re good, then.” Suimei nodded curtly and made his way back to the house. The matter was settled as far as he was concerned.

Ginme blinked at Suimei’s retreating back before letting out a cheerful laugh. “You’re one funny guy!” He rushed up behind Suimei and grabbed him by the shoulder. “I think we should be friends. Suimei, was it? I’m Ginme.”

“Shut up.” Suimei brushed him off. “I have no intention of being friends with the likes of you.”

“Heh, you even sound cool! I mean, you’re a tiny little runt, but you’re cool!”

“You could have shut your mouth halfway through that, you know.”

“Hey, don’t be so cold,” Kinme joined in. “Anyway, listen, I’m sorry about my brother. I’m Kinme, but you can call me Kin-chan.”

“A nickname?” Suimei snorted. “Idiot. Didn’t I just say that I had no intention of befriending you?”

“Aw, c’mon, that again?” Kinme chuckled. “Listen, it’s not like you have anything to lose.” He set his hand on Suimei’s other shoulder that Ginme hadn’t claimed.

Suimei sank under the strength of the two tall spirits. “Cut it out. You guys are heavy…”

Kinme grinned. “Ah, sorry about that. You’re a tiny wee thing. I didn’t even think about it.”

“No, you’re just big. Gah.” Suimei batted away the brothers’ hands.

“I guess boys make friends pretty easily, huh…?” I mused. I chuckled at the thought, knowing I had nothing more to worry about, at least not between those three. “Well, let’s eat!”

“Huh, us too?” Kinme perked up.

“If you haven’t already eaten, that is,” I said.

“I ate, but I can definitely eat again!” Ginme declared.

“I don’t get you…” Suimei sighed.

Breakfast was definitely going to be lively this particular morning. I waved everyone into the house before heading to the kitchen to start preparing the meal.

“Heh, the twins are here?” Shinonome-san asked.

“Hiya!” The twins cheerfully greeted a groggy Shinonome-san before slipping into the role of my kitchen helpers. Today’s breakfast was going to be eggs served sunny-side up with bacon. On the side, I added some cherry tomatoes, miso soup with wheat gluten cake, glistening white rice, and natto with pollock roe.

Everyone crowded around the table as white wisps of steam curled up from the neatly arrayed food. Everyone except Suimei, who stood alone in the corner looking distinctly uncomfortable with the whole affair.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him. “Let’s eat.”

“Ah, sorry.” Suimei hesitantly sat down on the pillow that marked his place at the table. He definitely seemed off, but everyone else put their hands together and blessed the meal. Except, again, for Suimei. He stood apart, muttering under his breath after the rest of us said our blessing.

Suimei might have been holding back, but Ginme certainly wasn’t. He dove for his chopsticks with a grin. “Man, I’m starving!”

“Didn’t you already eat?” Kinme said.

“I’ve already digested all that.” Ginme shoveled rice into his mouth with glee. He emptied his bowl in record time and stared down at it with curiosity. “Mmm, what is this? It’s amazing!”

Kinme also looked quite surprised when he tried his dish. “Did you use a different rice?”

I could hardly contain my satisfaction. “This is actually a special A-grade rice, I’ll have you know. I picked it up when I went out to buy some meat yesterday.”

“Whooooa!”

I earned several gasps of amazement with this revelation. A-grade was the highest quality of rice. I’d picked it up on a whim after remembering Suimei’s remark about how mediocre our rice was. Apparently, I’d chosen a winner. Even Shinonome-san, who usually didn’t finish his meal, was quietly munching away.

Time to try it myself. I scooped up some rice, holding it in my mouth. Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes as the flavor hit me. I could feel each and every grain, soft but resistant. And that sweetness! It spread through my mouth with each bite, leaving me stunned as I absorbed the deliciously gentle flavor. Thank goodness I’d been born Japanese. No budget rice blend could ever compare to what I was experiencing right at that instant.

“Mmm…pure bliss. I guess this is all thanks to you, Suimei. So, thanks!” I beamed in his direction, only to find him staring blankly down at his bowl.

Oh, no. Was he not feeling well? Worry nagged at my mind, but after a moment, he finally started eating. “Hmph, it’s all right.”

Sitting next to Suimei, Ginme’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “You can’t be serious! Just what kind of glamorous food are you used to? Try some of these pickled vegetables. The young lady next door’s been making these at home ever since she got married about two hundred years ago, and they’re absolutely to die for.”

“Two hundred years?” Suimei furrowed his brow as he inspected the pickle. “Two hundred years, but you still consider her a young lady?”

“Well, I mean, she is,” Ginme said.

Suimei muttered something to himself. Seriously, what was that all about?

At least his banter with Ginme had eased the mood, though something still seemed off to me. Thankfully, my rice was an excellent distraction. Soon enough, I had to go to the kitchen to fetch seconds for everyone.

 

***

Strictly speaking, there were no doctors in the spirit realm.

The majority of spirits chose to heal their own wounds, no matter how severe. Yamajiji, whom we’d dealt with just the other day, was no different. Even if it meant practically losing their mind with pain, very few spirits would go see a doctor for help. Maybe that sort of thing was more of a human concept. Spirits seemed to regard it as strange. They kind of resembled animals in that respect.

However, off in a corner of town, we did have an apothecary. My town was the largest and most prosperous in all the spirit realm. That brought with it a lot of movement back and forth with the human world, as well as a certain amount of familiarity with human customs and values. Still, exposure to the human world carried the risk of running into exorcists, hence the need for some sort of medical institution to help injured spirits. That was where the apothecary came in, prescribing medicine and performing basic medical procedures for the spirits in town.

And that’s right where I was headed. As I rounded the corner of the shop, the atmosphere changed completely. A riot of smells hit my nose: a whiff of dead grass, something sweet, something sour, and something else powerful yet unnameable. The various medicinal herbs the apothecary kept on hand produced the potent perfume that marked our destination.

Even the building stood out. Outside, we saw a decorative wooden board of Chinese aesthetic, inscribed with a variety of intricate characters and symbols. The meticulous carving showed age, but it had withstood the test of time. Inside, shelves overflowing with glass bottles surrounded a desk with a mortar and pestle sitting atop it. Then, of course, there was the shop’s owner.

“Welcome, welcome,” the owner said. Her lovely lips curved as she glanced over my shoulder. Long lashes framed her richly amber eyes. There was something enchanting about the depth of their color.

Suimei tensed up under her gaze.

The owner’s smile curled into a coquettish smirk. As she ran a hand through her moss green hair, the color shifted and glowed. To top it all off, a pair of bull horns crested her head, which was ever so slightly smaller than the average human’s. “I’m guessing you want more of your usual ointment?” she said.

Before I even had a chance to say anything, the apothecary started rummaging through the shelves. I thanked her, and she winked in return.

The apothecary’s name was…well, she didn’t actually have a name. In fact, since she was always telling people that she had no name, the spirits around town had taken to calling her Noname. Shinonome-san and Noname went way back, though there was something about her appearance that made her look distinctly not Japanese. As for what a non-Japanese spirit would be doing running a business in an otherwise Japanese spirit realm, I couldn’t really say.

Despite her mysterious origins, Noname had looked after me ever since I was young, even though I wasn’t a spirit. She had even provided me with incense that drove the glimmerflies away from our home at the bookstore. If Shinonome-san was like my father, then Noname was like my mother.

“All right, just wait a moment,” she said. “Ginme, don’t you dare touch the shelves.”

“I know, I know…” he said.

“Keep an eye on your brother, Kinme. No pranks, got it?”

Noname gathered ingredients while we browsed the shop. It was full of so many rare and interesting things that I never got bored. Sure, some of the bottles—the ones filled with eyeballs and the like—were kind of disgusting, but my opinion of them softened when I considered how they were used to treat injuries.

Strangely enough, Suimei seemed quite familiar with many of the herbs and other ingredients on display. I supposed that was necessary if you worked as an exorcist. He perused the shop with great interest, eyes widening when he picked out some item that was especially hard to get in the human world.

Suddenly Ginme’s face lit up. He held a bottle full of candy aloft and looked toward Noname, but paused before calling out for her, cocking his head to the side. “Hey, is that a lady or a man?”

A vein bulged in Noname’s forehead.

Uh-oh.

Kinme, blissfully oblivious to Noname’s ire, smirked at Ginme before responding. “According to Noname, she’s an uncle with the heart of a young maiden. So I guess you just call ’er whatever you want.”

“Huh. Hey, Uncle—” Ginme said.

Two hands adorned with poison-green nail polish launched out and grabbed the bird twins by their heads. Noname let out a sinister cackle. “Shut your mouths, my little magpies…”

“Owww, your nails are digging into my skin!” Kinme yelped.

“Hey, we’re no magpies! We’re raven Tengu, I’ll have you know!” Ginme wailed.

“And yet your brains are as tiny as your smallest cousins’!” Noname said. “Hmph… Anyway, what are these scratches on you? Did you get into a fight or something? You’d best rub on this ointment.”

Noname held the boys in place with a powerful arm while using her free hand to retrieve a bottle from the shelf. They went pale, struggling in her grasp.

“Wait, not the mustard!” Ginme cried.

“Nooo! That one hurts and always makes me cry!” Kinme sobbed.

“You know, lady, I think your eyes have been going bad lately. You can’t see we’re right as rain!”

They both glared at Noname and did their best to wriggle away.

“What are you talking about—all three of my eyes are just fine!” Noname cackled as the third eye on her forehead opened and began to glow. With an expert hand, she applied the mustard directly to the raven twins’ wounds—the ones she’d inflicted—eliciting high-pitched screams. Suimei and I threw our hands over our ears.

She wasn’t done yet, however. Suimei was her next victim. He endured a pearl-colored ointment that made him wince every time Noname applied it to a cut. She just smiled, holding him in place.

“You’re fine,” she said. “This may be medicine meant for spirits, but it’ll work just as well on humans. Look at her if you don’t believe me.”

“I’ve used it often,” I agreed. “Before I know it, the cuts have healed up perfectly without a mark.”

“That’s right.” Noname nodded. “I’ll have you know that this runt was always getting herself hurt when she was little. She’d get herself all roughed up and then come rolling on in here begging me to fix her up. Shinonome-san would always go on about how he’d have my head if I left a scar on his little girl. I’m telling you, it was a real hassle.”

I grinned. “Hey, at least it’s not so often now.”

“Lies. Remember the end of last year when you scraped your kneecap?”

“I couldn’t see where I was going!”

Noname only smirked at my protests. The excuse meant nothing to her.

Okay, fine. Maybe I had been so focused on that meat kabob that I’d completely missed the Sunekosuri. But still!

A Sunekosuri, by the way, was a spirit from Okayama Prefec­ture known for scraping people’s legs and making it difficult to walk. It was fluffy and pure white, and it looked like either a dog or a cat. It was actually quite cute when you watched it waddling around, but the moment it made contact with a leg, it could make even the biggest spirit cringe in terror. Most of the denizens of the spirit realm avoided Sunekosuri without even really thinking about it.

Noname chuckled as I finally mumbled to concede her point. Then her expression went soft. Too soft, in fact.

“You’ve really never grown up, you know,” she said. “You’d best hurry up and find yourself a nice family to marry into and stop relying on me.”

“Oh, c’mon, not you too?” I moaned. Gah, that again. I pouted, exhausted with this tired subject. “Maybe when Shinonome-san can take care of himself.”

“Well, that’ll never happen. Not that dimwit!” Noname sniffed.

As we bantered, Noname redid Suimei’s bandages. She patted his arm when she was finished. “All done.”

“Hmph…thanks,” he grumbled.

“It’s nothing.”

Suimei scowled and winced while Noname inspected him.

“You’re pretty frank, kid,” she said. “That’s a good thing. Not only are you unafraid of spirits you know nothing about, you even properly thanked me. Not many humans could do that.” Noname batted away some of the glimmerflies clustered around Suimei, weighing him in her amber gaze. He tensed under the scrutiny. “I heard you nigh instantly forgave the magpies even after they attacked you. That’s quite impressive. I wonder if all humans are like that now. Or is it because you’re an exorcist that you see no reason to worry about little birds like them?”

Suimei dove suddenly backward, smashing into one of the shelves and sending bottles crashing to the floor. He crouched like a cornered beast and glared forward, his eyes wide and unblinking. The whole movement took me completely by surprise. How could a friendly conversation turn so abruptly into a fight?!

“Kaori…” Suimei growled as he turned his glare on me.

“I didn’t say anything! Really, I didn’t!” I protested. But I couldn’t really blame him. Shinonome-san and I both understood that we had to keep Suimei’s profession under wraps here in the spirit realm or he’d be in a heap of trouble.

Noname stepped slowly toward Suimei. “Kaori said nothing to me.”

Suimei’s eyes darted as he sized up the encroaching apothecary.

“I can smell it on you,” Noname said. “Your whole body reeks of blood. It’s been a long time since I’ve smelled that scent so strongly. What a pretty little face too.” In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Suimei and leaning in close to sniff his neck. “So how many have you killed?”

“Hah!” he cried. Right at that moment, Suimei swiped up a shard from one of the broken bottles on the floor and swung it at Noname’s neck.

“Oh, come now,” she said, easily dodging. “Tooooo bad.”

Noname shrank back before launching her long arm out like a striking viper. In a blink, she had Suimei’s wrist and used it to twist his whole arm. He yelped as he dropped the glass and cried out in pain.

“You’re a lively one. That’s good in a kid,” she purred.

I could only gape at this whole display. Noname, who’d always been like a mother to me, closed in on Suimei quicker than I could blink. Was she actually going to kill him? It was plain to all that she could, if she so desired. He would be unable to defend himself. I could do little but stand back in shock and fret. I was worried for both of them.

Meanwhile, Noname let out a piercing laugh as blood dripped from Suimei’s hand. “Well, that won’t do. Looks like you cut yourself on that glass. I guess I’ll have to fix you up all over again.” A chilling smile curled across Noname’s lips. She stroked Suimei’s wrist. “Let’s put some medicine on that, shall we?”

Sweat beaded Suimei’s brow as Noname leaned in close with a warm smile on her lips. She spoke in a low, sweet voice dripping with scorn. “I think we’re done, don’t you?”

He remained silent, but it was clear that he was out of options. Suimei closed his eyes. “Kill me then.”

Whoa, wait a second! I slapped Noname with all the strength I could muster. “Get a hold of yourself!”

“Ouch!” Noname cried out in surprise—at least I got her to let go of Suimei’s wrist. “I was just kidding!”

“You went way beyond joking,” I scolded. “He lives with me now, okay? It’s thanks to him that I can finally eat nice food.”

“Well, you don’t say,” she murmured. “I’m sorry, kiddo, I was just testing you. Shinonome’s a soft old fool, you know, so I figured I’d see what you were really about.”

“Really, now,” Suimei grumbled.

“Of course.” Noname returned to her chipper self as she brushed the dust off Suimei’s clothes. “I need to know these things. It’s for Kaori, after all. A parent’s love, you could say. Listen, I’d really appreciate it if you’d forgive me for all this.”

“I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve had to actually get serious like that—you’re good. Fast. Quite a strong one, all in all, and I can tell that you held back. What a shame.” She brought her hand to her mouth and chuckled. “Well, you don’t seem like a bad kid. Just remember to stick with Nyaa-san or Kaori when wandering around the spirit realm. You never know when you’ll run across another spirit with a nose like mine. You’re human, after all. You stand out around here. At least until people think of you as a Strangeling like Kaori.”

Finally, Noname eased off, heading to the back of the shop to find something to help with Suimei’s bleeding.

“Well, that’s a relief,” I sighed. For a moment there, I’d really worried I was about to see some sort of spirit versus exorcist showdown. Once Suimei was properly taken care of, we’d go back to my house and relax…or so I’d hoped. Before we could retreat, someone wrapped their arms around me from behind.

“Y-you’re an exorcist?!” Ginme said. I couldn’t tell if Ginme was trying to protect me, but he held me close as he glared daggers at Suimei.

“That’s correct,” Suimei said.

“And you’ve slain a bunch of spirits?”

“I guess so.”

“What are you doing here? Are you here to kill someone?”

“No, I’m just looking for someone is all.”

Oh, no. Was this going to lead to another fight? Suimei was being way too frank now that the secret was out. My stomach knotted as the tension in the room ramped back up.

Fortunately, Kinme spoke up, his tone calm and casual. “Huh, you only figured that out just now, Ginme? I mean, Suimei looks exactly like an exorcist.”

“What?! You knew?” Ginme gasped.

Kinme shrugged and wagged a confident finger. “Man, you’re a real idiot. You should really think harder about why a human wouldn’t be scared of us. Also, he didn’t show the least bit of interest in the strange world around him.”

Ginme pouted before letting out a dramatic sigh and slumping his shoulders. “You should tell me these things sooner…”

Suimei frowned as well. “So you saw right through me, then.”

Now both Ginme and Suimei looked dejected. They were more alike than either would ever admit.

Ginme suddenly perked back up. “Heh, I guess I kinda got ahead of myself. Pretty foolish, huh? I mean, who cares if you’re an exorcist, Suimei? If Shinonome and Noname have vouched for you, then it doesn’t matter what I think. Besides, we’re friends!”

Ah, good old Ginme, always ready to look on the bright side of things.

“I have slain many spirits, you know,” Suimei said.

“Eh, I bet they were all doing bad stuff in the human world, right?” Ginme countered. “You reap what you sow. And what’s any of that got to do with the here and now?”

Ginme offered a toothy grin. I had to admire his ability to just let things go. He and his brother had matured into admirable young adults. I slipped out of his arms and stood on my tiptoes to pat his head. “You’ve really grown up into a good kid, you know,” I said.

“Hey, cut it out! Don’t treat me like a child,” Ginme said.

“I’m sorry,” Suimei cut in. “But—I still can’t be friends with you.”

“Why not?” I blurted out.

“I’m not allowed to have emotions,” Suimei said simply. “Therefore, I can’t make friends.”

What the heck was that supposed to mean? Noname spared me from having to respond to that when she returned with snacks, tea, and medicine.

“We can talk about whatever this is later,” she sang. “I’ve brought snacks.”

She insisted that we all sit down, and served up some traditional Chinese tea and mooncakes. Noname hummed to herself as she tended to Suimei’s hand but broke off her tune when she realized no one was eating. It fell to me to explain the strange tension in the room.

“Well, well. Many of these old multi-generational professions involve certain self-imposed restrictions,” she mused. “It’s not like anyone enjoyed restraining themselves in this or that regard, it was just how things were. I suppose the need to stifle your emotions is a side effect of the abilities exorcists rely on to do their jobs. Friends always seem to find a way to affect your emotional state, so if you intend to continue on as an exorcist, I suppose friendships are best avoided. They would only ever plague you with unnecessary feelings.”

What an interesting restriction. It seemed there was a lot more to being an exorcist than just dealing with spirits.

“Wow, that sounds tough,” I said. “Hey, Suimei, now that I think about it, you mentioned earlier that you’d closed up shop. Do you still plan on being an exorcist even after finding whatever you’re looking for?”

Suimei froze, weighing each word before responding in a whisper. “That…I really don’t know.”

“In that case, there’s nothing wrong with making friends, right?”

“I…I guess so. But it’s not that simple.” Suimei fell silent, sullenly sizing up everyone around him. He almost looked as if he were afraid of something.

He was, after all, forced to constantly bottle up his emotions since he was a young boy. Whether he wanted them or not, emotions were part of being human. How difficult must it have been to live his whole life denying what he felt?

I finally understood why Suimei had seemed so conflicted during breakfast. He must have spent most of his life limiting his interactions with other people in order to keep his emotions in check. Sitting around the breakfast table with such a large group had been galling. It all just struck me as sad. The boy in front of me was as yet still burdened by the heavy chains that had bound him for so long.

I’d been incredibly insensitive.

“Kaori, stop trying to force him.” Noname said.

“Right…” My shoulders slumped. She was right.

“It’s not that I don’t understand, of course,” Noname went on. “Just that there’s no need to rush anything. And that goes for both of you, Kaori, Suimei. Listen, Exorcist Boy, you’re in the spirit realm now. No one’s going to judge the choices you make, so just live however you wish. If a little emotion comes out here or there, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Suimei remained silent, though his gaze wavered with uncertainty. He had finally been freed from the burden he’d lived under since the day of his birth. I could only imagine how hard it had to be to turn your back on something that had been etched into your psyche for your whole life.

Maybe it was fate that Suimei and I had crossed paths. Deep in my heart, I knew that I wanted to help him.

“I’m really sorry for not thinking of your situation, Suimei,” I said. “I hope you find the spirit you’re looking for. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

“Hey, we’ll help too!” Ginme declared. “We’ve got time on our hands.”

“We’ve got training, Ginme…” Kinme chided him.

“Huh? What? I can’t hear you.”

“You’re just using this as an excuse to slack off.”

“Pretty much!”

We all broke out in laughter before Suimei spoke up, a perplexed look on his face.

“Why are you all looking out for me?”

The brothers and I exchanged looks before nodding in unison.

“Well, Shinonome-san and Noname always taught me to help those in need,” I said.

“Now that I think about it, becoming friends is something that just kind of naturally happens,” Suimei snorted. “Trying to push someone into it is kind of rude.”

“What can I say, we like to meddle.” I grinned. “And it’s not just us. Most of the people in town are the same.”

Kinme smirked. “The spirits who hang around Kaori tend to care for those in their inner circle. You should probably get used to the idea, in case you’re ever accepted as a Strangeling too. You probably won’t be able to avoid making friends.”

Red washed through Suimei’s face. He turned his gaze down toward the table and mumbled to himself.

“Aah, the joys of youth,” Noname said. “If I were just two thousand years younger… Anyway, if you have any worries or problems, please just stop on by.”

Just then a dark figure slunk into the shop.

“Meeeow.” Nyaa brushed against my legs and plopped down on the floor. “Hey, Kaori, Nurarihyon asked that we go and deliver a book to him, and, well, obviously you’re the one who’s going to go do it. While you’re at it, be sure to pick up the other book he borrowed, since it’s nearing its due date.”

“Nurarihyon?” I frowned. “But why can’t he come here on his own? He always brings some little present with him when he stops by.”

“Who knows? Busy, I guess.”

Nurarihyon held some sway among the spirits. He would enter other spirits’ houses as he pleased and make himself at home with tea and snacks. He was also an avid reader and therefore a longtime customer of ours. He often stopped by to borrow a hefty haul of books to take home with him. For someone who didn’t really seem to do much on his own, it seemed odd for him to be busy.

My frown deepened. “This is weird. I’m kind of worried. Let’s get going.”

“Hey,” Suimei interjected before we could leave. “So now your haunted bookstore makes home deliveries too? Don’t you think you’re overdoing it with the extra services?”

What was he getting at?

I puffed out my chest with pride. “As the only bookstore in the spirit realm, home delivery is just one of the many services we provide to ensure that books can be read by all spirits with an interest in stories.”

“You know, Shinonome said that it really isn’t necessary,” Nyaa-san sniffed.

“Hmph. Anywhere in Japan, that’s our motto.”

“And I’m the one who gets dragged along for the ride.”

Way to hit me where it hurts, Nyaa-san!

The bird twins had tears in their eyes from barely restrained laughter. “Great job, Nyaa-senpai. We don’t know how you do it!” they said in unison.

“Hmph. Oh well, I guess this is the lot I drew in life when we met,” Nyaa-san sighed.

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t exactly wrong. I pretty much dragged Nyaa-san everywhere I went, working up a good sweat along the way and then stopping by Noname’s for help.

Noname pulled out some dried sardines and offered them to Nyaa-san as some kind of reward for all her hard work. Jeez, was hanging out with me really that tough? At this rate, I’d be the one with no friends, not Suimei.

“We’re…we’re best friends, aren’t we, Nyaa-san?” I asked, eyes welling with tears. “You’re still going to join me on my jobs, right?”

Nyaa-san licked her nose, her three tails wagging. “Of course. No one else but me would follow you on all your crazy adventures.”

“Aww, Nyaa-san, I love you!”

“Meow?! Meeeeoooowwww!”

I pulled Nyaa-san into a tight—perhaps too tight—embrace and earned several fresh scratches in response.

The following day, after all the drama at the apothecary’s, we headed to the human world to make our delivery.

 

***

Fujiyoshida, in Yamanashi Prefecture, served up a clear sky the day we went in search of Nurarihyon. We stepped into a gorgeous afternoon flooded with sunlight. I could just imagine Nyaa-san finding a nearby rooftop and plopping down for an afternoon nap.

Suimei, on the other hand, looked glum. At first I thought it was just him suppressing his emotions, but something told me that he was in a genuinely bad mood. The sulky expression ruined his otherwise attractive face.

I slurped down my udon noodles while pondering the issue. We were eating in a restaurant that had once been the first floor of a home. A remodel had turned the place into an eatery serving one of Fujiyoshida’s most famous dishes. Because of the shop’s original architecture, eating there gave one the domestic feeling of visiting a friend or relative.

A bowl of Yoshida udon sat before me now, brimming with horse meat stewed in sweet and spicy stock, accompanied by vegetable tempura, and topped with burdock. The land in Fujiyoshida wasn’t suitable for cultivating rice, so wheat was the staple food in this region. Houtou, a noodle soup made with udon noodles and vegetables, was probably the most famous wheat-based dish to come out of Yamanashi, but this Yoshida udon was well known in its own right. The broth, made of a mixture of soy sauce and miso, left one feeling refreshed. The thickness of the noodles rivaled even that of the more famous Sanuki udon and were cut with squared sides, like elongated rectangles, which give them a hearty mouthfeel.

I slurped noisily and let out a blissful sigh. The center of the noodles was still quite firm, which really allowed the wheat to shine. Chew, blast of flavor, chew, blast of flavor. Even if you couldn’t really enjoy it on the way down, it made the chewing process immensely satisfying. Whenever you got tired of that, you could add in some of the spicy base for more zing, creating a whole new delicious flavor profile with the heat.

“This meat udon is awesome,” Ginme enthused.

“I love the inari sushi,” Kinme agreed.

Suimei fixed the twins with an annoyed glare. “Spirits shouldn’t get too used to eating out here in the human world.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Kinme said. “Besides, as far as the humans are concerned, we look just like them.”

“Exactly,” Ginme said. “As long as no one notices, we’ll be fine.”

The twins had dressed for the occasion to make them look a bit more human. Kinme wore a thin sweater and slacks while Ginme had on a hoodie and chino pants. They used a Tengu ability to disguise their feet—their dead giveaway—and now they looked like any other guy. None of this appeased Suimei, however, and he frowned at his food.

“Why are we sitting around eating udon if the whole point of coming here was to deliver a book?” he asked.

“Well, I mean, it’s lunchtime,” Ginme said.

“We came all the way out to Yamanashi, right?” Kinme added. “And if you’re out in Fujiyoshida, then Yoshida udon is pretty much the thing you eat.”

“Hey, we should go through Izu on the way back and have some fresh sardines while we’re there,” Ginme said.

“What, are we tourists now?” Suimei groaned.

I struggled not to laugh. For all Suimei’s talk of denying his emotions, he was getting quite animated. But even more so, it just made me happy to see him actively engaging in conversation.

Despite my best efforts, my amusement apparently showed on my face. One look at me and Suimei instantly scowled. “What’s with your face? You look hideous.”

“Hey, that’s a little rude, don’t you think?”

Far from apologizing, Suimei simply changed the subject. “Anyway, why’d you bring me here in the first place?”

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, he had a point. To be fair, he couldn’t exactly travel around the spirit realm without an escort. I’d figured he’d be bored if we left him behind. But this was Suimei we were talking about. If I told him that I’d brought him along on a whim, he’d undoubtedly get mad, so I scrambled for a plausible explanation.

“Well, when you travel, you need companions,” I said.

“What kind of justification is that?”

Okay, maybe that was a bit too out there. Suimei sighed but let the topic drop, turning back to his bowl and reluctantly slurping up his noodles. Much to my surprise, however, he seemed to enjoy himself. At least his eyes softened somewhat. Good food has a way of soothing the soul. I focused on my own meal as well.

While Suimei was still eating, the rest of us spread out a map of Mount Fuji.

“You know, I never figured that this year was gonna be the one when the cycle came around again,” Kinme mused.

“I know. The major spirits should all be off on their travels,” I agreed.

“It’s pretty amusing that your bookstore would have such a useful book in it, dontcha think?”

“How so?”

Suimei perked up at this, which was fair considering that he was the only one who didn’t know what we were talking about. His mouth was still full of noodles, even as he glared, demanding to know what was going on.

“Are you familiar with Daidarabotchi?” I asked.

He inclined his head. “The legendary giant, right?”

“That’s right, a giant. A real big one. Daidarabotchi travels all across Japan, you see, over the course of many years and months. Obviously, normal people can’t see him, though.”

Noname had told me about Daidarabotchi a long time ago. There was something strange and special about Daidarabotchi’s body that made him incredibly terrifying to those who saw him. Daidarabotchi could pass right through solid objects but could also affect those he decided to crash into. His path around Japan was influenced both by the direction of the winds and his own flights of fancy. He was a rather uninhibited spirit in that regard.

The majority of the information surrounding the legend of Daidarabotchi could be attributed to the Edo-era Confucian scholar Oka Hakku and his work, A Humorous Study of Curious Tales, featuring the legends of the place then known as Oumi. For some reason, Daidarabotchi had carved up the land of Oumi and piled the resulting dirt into large mounds. These mounds had ultimately become Mount Fuji while the earth that was dug away had become Lake Biwa. He had also plopped down other large masses of earth as he went, creating yet more mountains along his path.

“It seems like Daidarabotchi will be passing by Mount Fuji pretty soon,” I said. “Do you know why Daidarabotchi made Mount Fuji in the first place?”

“Why would I know that?” Suimei asked. There was no reason why he would. After all, I only knew it by dumb luck.

“He figured it’d be a great place to take a nap.”

“Huh?”

“Look, see the Izu Peninsula over there?” I pointed on the map. “That’s perfect for stretching your legs out. He made Mount Fuji as his pillow. That’s what Noname told me.”

Suimei’s face went blank as he stared silently into the distance. Maybe he didn’t understand what I was saying? I tried a different approach.

“Daidarabotchi, you see, he chose Fuji as a place to rest. Apparently, there was a time when he just couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing and turning, which is what caused Mount Fuji to erupt. In order to make sure that doesn’t happen again, Nurarihyon helps him fall asleep. Remember the book? Well, that’s why Nurarihyon called us here.”

“Huh, so you’ve met Daidarabotchi?” Suimei gaped.

“Nope, it’s my first time! But I’m kind of nervous. He must be huge, right?”

The book Nurarihyon had asked us to bring was incredibly important not only to our store but to me as well. For starters, it really did put people to sleep, and since we didn’t want Mount Fuji erupting, that was a big deal. So while I understood Nurarihyon might have had trouble getting to our store, we had a duty to get this book into his hands.

“Daidarabotchi should arrive at Mount Fuji by dawn,” I explained. “I’m positive that’s where we’ll find Nurarihyon. We might as well start our search there.”

“Uh, hey,” Suimei said. “Dawn is quite a long ways away, you know. I mean, it’s noon now. What do you plan on doing ’til then?”

The twins and I shared a look and smirked. I pulled a pamphlet out of my bag and spread it out on top of the map. “We’re going to the amusement park, of course. I finally got someone to cover my shift at work, so I might as well enjoy my day off to the fullest.”

“I’m gonna ride the world’s fastest roller coaster!” Ginme crowed.

“I want to try my hand at the super scary maze.” Kinme grinned. “Apparently it takes a whole fifty minutes just to make it through the haunted house. I wonder how scary it really is?”

“This is gonna be great. Oh—what’s up, Suimei?” I glanced at him.

Suimei had lowered his head to the table. When I shook him by the shoulder, he didn’t respond at all.

“Well, if you’re not gonna finish your bowl, I’ll have the rest of it.” Ginme reached for the udon.

“No!” Suimei bolted back up to snatch it back.

Suimei eventually finished his meal, and we all headed out, traveling toward Fuji-Q Highland for a day of amusements.

Afterward, we headed on to our mission with Nyaa-san as she padded through the night sky on legs wreathed in fire. Suimei and I sat on her back while Ginme and Kinme flew beside us.

“Hnngh…” Suimei groaned.

“You okay?” I asked.

Suimei slumped on Nyaa-san’s back. Sweat poured down his pale face.

“You’re pretty weak for an exorcist, you know,” Nyaa-san said.

“Shut up, cat,” he grumbled.

He hadn’t taken well to a day of roller coasters. I dabbed his forehead with a damp handkerchief and peered down at the expansive Kofu Basin, said to have been made by Daidarabotchi himself. I smiled at the thought of the giant digging around like a child in a sandbox, scrounging up enough dirt to build Mount Fuji.

As dawn was nearing, most of the homes below stood dark. Occasionally, we’d pass a row of orderly streetlights, or a car would go flashing past like a comet streaking across the ground. All these ordinary, human things reminded me that we were in their world, where humans were meant to live; we weren’t in the spirit realm anymore… I shook my head free of the thought and gazed into the distance.

The tremendous bulk of Mount Fuji reared up ahead. Japan’s tallest mountain lorded over the Kofu Basin, hulking over humanity below. I searched for Nurarihyon, but I didn’t see him, Daidarabotchi, or any other spirit for that matter.

I began to worry as a haze of light indicated the sun nearing the horizon.

“This is the correct spot, right, Kinme?” I asked. “He should be on the Shizuoka side of the mountain, yeah?”

“Yup, apparently Daidarabotchi is coming from Suwa. So this should be it.”

“This is the right place, Kaori,” a man’s voice agreed.

I jerked toward the sound and found a white, puffy appendage in my face. Blue light radiated off of jellyfish tentacles buzzing with electricity. Countless more tentacles fluttered in the wind.

“Nurarihyon-sama!” The twins called out in unison as they bowed their heads in respect. “It’s been too long.”

“Oho, boys, I see you’ve made it.” The figure of Nurarihyon stood beneath the jellyfish like it were an umbrella. It wagged its tentacles as if in greeting as Nurarihyon belted out a laugh. “Sorry for making you come all the way out here, Kaori.”

The preeminent spirit could have passed for a man in his thirties, but he spoke like someone much, much older. His traditional monk scarf seemed oddly out of place on a jellyfish, even if this form was only temporary. Nurarihyon didn’t have a “true” form, so to speak, and he changed every time we met. Truly a man, er, spirit of mystery.

“Let me give these back to you before we continue.” Nurarihyon stretched out one of his jellyfish’s tendrils toward me. It carried several books, all nearing their due dates.

“Looks like everything’s in order,” I said, taking the stack of books. “And here’s the book you asked me for. Can you make sure it’s the right one?”

“Of course.”

I pulled out an old book bound in the traditional Japanese style. Intricate symbols decorated the cover and gave the whole thing an otherworldly appearance. As soon as Nurarihyon saw it, he smiled.

“Oh ho ho, my thanks, Kaori, for bringing me such an invaluable book. I’ll just need it for tonight.”

I nodded. “Okay!”

Nurarihyon accepted the book. As he moved, the gaps in his midnight blue scarf and monk robes revealed a tiny jellyfish peeking out. Having confirmed this was the book he needed, Nurarihyon smiled, his eyes crinkling as his gray hair wafted in the wind. “This will definitely put Daidarabotchi down gently.”

“You make it sound like he’s going to die!”

“Ah, my apologies. Let’s just keep that slip-up between us.” Nurarihyon winked one brown eye and brought a finger up to his lips. His cheeks softened in an almost human smile.

Finally, I voiced the question that’d been bothering me. “So where is Daidarabotchi?”

“Huh? Oh, right. Didn’t Noname tell you? Daidarabotchi is that way.”

Just then, a massive, black figure appeared behind Nurarihyon. It was so huge it blocked my view of anything else.

“Eyagh!” I swallowed hard.

This was the first time I’d ever seen Daidarabotchi. He was massive, a black form composed entirely of shadows. While he looked almost human, the darkness shrouding him obscured any sense of depth. It was like looking at an endless sheet of paper drenched in calligraphy ink, a pure shadow so immense it could shake the heavens and move mountains. The mere sight of him left me in awe.

I swallowed again in an attempt to moisten my suddenly parched throat. Despite having lived the majority of my life in the spirit realm, I was terrified of this titanic spirit I knew so little about. I glanced at the twins, but they didn’t seem the least bit bothered. It was too much for me, though. I trembled before the giant.

At times like this, I usually curled up by Shinonome-san’s side until the feeling passed, but he wasn’t here right now. I had to weather this on my own. I clenched my jaw to fight back the tears.

Alas, despite my best efforts, my vision blurred. In all my time in the spirit realm, there were only two things I couldn’t stand: One was when the glimmerflies swarmed around me, and the other was the spirits who evoked true mortal terror.

I liked to think I had the body of a human but the heart of a spirit. I’d even said as much to Suimei. But an event like this left me feeling incredibly, painfully human. Sure, I’d grown to love the spirit realm, even to feel I belonged there. But in truth, I’d been shoved out of the human world, forcibly removed. So where did I really belong?

“Haaaaaah.” I let out a long breath and tried to pretend everything was okay. If I were a spirit, this situation wouldn’t be scary at all. But no matter how much I tried to fit in among the rest of them, my human mind rang every alarm bell it had at the sight of this hulking presence. The mix of fear and confusion made me want to bolt.

I slumped on Nyaa-san’s back—until someone warm reached out to hold me. Suimei. Even though he’d been so pale just moments ago, now he was the one sitting up straight and steadying me as I wavered.

“Th-thanks,” I managed.

Suimei just shook his head. “There are many more stories about Daidarabotchi, but I’d always written them off as mere folklore. Honestly, I only half believed you when you told me about him, Kaori.” His breath blew warm against me as he went on excitedly. “So Daidarabotchi’s real. He’s huge…and frightening.”

“Frightening?” I craned my neck to blink at Suimei.

“Of course. Just look, I’m shaking.”

Now that he mentioned it, I was trembling too.

Suimei’s simple comment, his attempt to support me—it completely wiped away the fear racking my body, like sunlight burning through the morning mist. The knowledge that another person shared my fear brought with it a sort of comfort.

I turned all the way around to face Suimei. “Well, if you’re scared, do you want me to give you hug?”

His whole face changed. “No way, idiot.”

“Aw, no need to be modest. Let me take care of you.”

“Once you start properly acting your age, then maybe you can talk like that.”

“I guess you’ve got a point.”

Though Suimei still eyed Daidarabotchi, he no longer trembled as he had. I kind of hoped that I’d been of some help in turn. I faced Daidarabotchi myself, feeling much steadier as I sized up the massive black form.

“He’s huge…” I murmured.

“I wonder if he’s going to attack us…” Suimei muttered.

“No way. Nurarihyon’s here.”

As Suimei and I talked, Nurarihyon finally got to work. First, he skimmed over Daidarabotchi’s head, twisting his jellyfish tendrils as he went. Daidarabotchi reached up for him, like a giant toddler grasping for a toy dangling from a mobile.

After playing with Daidarabotchi for a time, Nurarihyon spoke gently to the giant down below. “Well, well, you’ve been walking for some time,” he said. “You must be tired. Kaori brought this book, you know, so why don’t I read you a bedtime story? Climb on into your Fuji cradle and take a short rest.”

Nurarihyon opened the book, and a bright light shone from the pages, illuminating everything around us. “Well, then, Daidarabotchi, today I’m going to read you the ‘Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.’”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a semi-­transparent bamboo forest made of light appeared in the air, created by the book in Nurarihyon’s hand.

An old man strolled through the illusory bamboo forest, obviously the fabled bamboo cutter. As soon as he spotted a glowing stalk of bamboo, he cut into it, at which his eyes flew wide with shock. A beautiful princess sprang from the bamboo stalk.

Just then, someone tugged on my sleeve.

“What?” I whispered.

“Is that some kind of hologram?” Suimei asked.

“Can’t you see it’s a picture book? It’s pretty normal for pictures to come out of them, you know.”

“Yeah, but not like that! You sure have a strange outlook on things.”

While Suimei was busy complaining, the scene above us shifted with the story. Every time the image floating in the air changed, Daidarabotchi reached up to touch it.

“Sorry, most books aren’t like this,” I assured Suimei. “This one was made specially by Shinonome-san.”

“Hmph, all right. But I have to admit, this is pretty impressive. You could probably make a fortune if you sold it.”

“This book is a one of a kind—a miracle. We couldn’t make another one if we wanted to. So we’d be in a real bind if we sold it.”

“That’s right,” Kinme added, pulling up by our side. “Shinonome-san made this book especially to get this little crybaby Kaori here to feel better. If he sold this book, Kaori’d kill him. Noname told me all about it. When she was a little kid, she’d cry at the slightest breeze or noise whenever she went outside, or even when it was time to eat. It’s like she was an endless well of tears—she’d keep crying until her clothes were sopping wet!”

“C’mon, Kinme, cut it out!” I protested.

Nurarihyon floated over, drawn by our conversation.

“At the time, all sorts of spirits stopped by the bookstore to come gawk at the little crybaby. Even I stopped by,” Kinme said.

“Spirits just love a good marvel, don’t they?” Nurarihyon said with a snicker.

To be fair, it was all true: I really had been a crybaby.

Back when I was little, I’d cried at the slightest provocation, no matter what had happened or where I was. To be fair, I’d grown up in a world of constant darkness, chased by butterflies and living among all manner of creepy spirit beings. It was a bit intense for a human child.

Shinonome-san had been at his wits’ end when he put his head together with Noname to make this picture book we were reading from today. From then on, whenever I’d start crying, they would pull out this very book and tell me the story. I would become so entranced by the images floating in the air that I’d forget about crying almost immediately. Even Shinonome-san would crack a smile seeing me calm down and giggle.

“Well, thanks to that rough time, they conjured a brilliant book that can project its stories,” Nurarihyon said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind, priceless artifact made just for Kaori. And it puts Daidarabotchi to sleep like nothing else. Sometimes I dread the ordeal of trying to get him to rest, but then I remember this book and ask Shinonome-san for it.”

The jellyfish’s tendrils held Daidarabotchi to the ground until he was properly lulled, just like a swaddled infant. I smiled as I imagined Nurarihyon struggling with this unruly, childish spirit.

This book created just for me held the power to help him too. Every time someone opened it, I was filled with new strength, a sense of comfort washing over me.

However, since I’d reached adulthood, I’d rarely ever had an opportunity to look through it. It just sat on the shelf, filed away, and I had worried it would stay that way, gathering dust. “It seems a waste for this book to belong only to me,” I said. “I’m really glad that it can bring such joy to Daidarabotchi too.”

Nurarihyon brushed my head with one of his tendrils. “My, my. I can definitely say that Shinonome’s hard work paid off. He really raised you right.”

“Aww, c’mon, Nurarihyon, don’t pat my head like that in front of people. It’s embarrassing!”

My face flushed pink, and Nurarihyon chuckled, bringing his jellyfish body in close to my burning cheek to cool it. I turned my gaze downward as soft, cool, springy jellyfish flesh brushed against my cheek. That’s how I noticed that Daidarabotchi was resting his head on Mount Fuji, absently watching the images playing out before him. He looked like he could fall asleep at any moment.

For an instant, I panicked at the thought of all the homes that would be crushed underneath his body. But when I looked closer, I noticed cars passing straight through him like he wasn’t even there.

“Aww, drift, drift off to sleep. Right here, atop the immortal mount. Drift, drift to sleep,” Nurarihyon sang. He patted Daidarabotchi with one of his tendrils as he cooed the lullaby. The massive spirit’s eyes drooped shut.

“Hey, Kaori,” Suimei said.

“What is it?”

“Was the spirit realm really so scary to you that you cried constantly? Didn’t you ever just think about coming back?”

The sun finally crested the horizon, bringing with it a gentle white sheen that drove away the darkness. As the shadows receded, color brightened the land below. It would have been beautiful, but…

My mind flashed back to the sound of water, distorted vision, the sensation of suffocating.

The black shadow that uttered the curse that sent me down into the water.

I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut, pushing the memory back and forcing a smile. “Do…do I look that unhappy?”

Suimei blinked several times before shaking his head.

“Right!” I mussed his white hair. “To be honest, I actually don’t have any memories of the human world from before I ended up in the spirit realm. My whole life, everything I’ve ever experienced—it all happened with the spirits. That’s where I belong. So if someone told me to go back, well…”

Right then, the conclusion to “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” was playing out across the sky.

The emperor brought his forces to protect Princess Kaguya from those trying to bring her back to her original home. Despite his efforts, the people of the moon still managed to snatch her away and drag her there. Though she left behind a letter describing how to make a medicine that would grant the emperor eternal life, the moment she donned her heavenly robes, she forgot all of the warmth and compassion she’d received from her family and the other people of earth.

The entourage from the moon, as they appeared in the book’s description, were absolutely stunning. Their gilded ox-cart cut through the sky on its way back to the heavens, glimmering as it went. Though Princess Kaguya, riding in the back of the carriage, had no expression, her tears glistened in the light of the moon as she rose higher and higher into the sky.

“If someone told me to go back, I’d refuse,” I concluded. “I’d stay in the spirit realm instead, working in the bookstore and just enjoying the life I have there.”

“I see,” Suimei murmured.

I smirked at Suimei before finally straightening out his messy hair. “You’re a nice kid, Suimei.”

“What makes you say that?”

I smiled as Suimei fell silent. Something silver flashed in my peripheral vision, and then Ginme tugged on my arm.

“Hey, what’s with you guys getting all close like that?” Ginme prodded.

“Cut it out!” I batted him away. “O-oh, no!”

The force of Ginme’s tug had sent me tumbling off Nyaa-san’s back. I screamed for my life, breaking out in a cold sweat as I plummeted.

I jerked to a stop after only a second.

“Are you okay?!” Ginme gasped.

He and Suimei each held me by one hand while Kinme clung to one leg and Nyaa-san wrapped her tail around the other. Nurarihyon even had a tendril around my waist.

With everyone’s help, I made it back onto Nyaa-san’s back. Nyaa-san growled at Ginme once I was safely aboard. “Ginme, you idiot! What would you do if something had happened to Kaori?!”

“Eep! I’m sorry, Nyaa-san!”

“Listen, my little brother here really wasn’t thinking,” Kinme apologized.

Nyaa-san sighed, but I just laughed the whole thing off. “I have to admit, I was pretty terrified for a moment there!”

It seemed like I was the only one with any cheer to spare, though. Everyone else was still tense about the fall. I realized then that if I were Princess Kaguya, and if the people of the moon did come to steal me away, my friends probably would do everything they could to chase after me. To be fair, I wouldn’t go willingly ­either, or without a fight. I’d do whatever it took to stay home—the home I’d chosen. I was one of the spirits, after all.

Warmth spread through my chest at the thought. I looked down at the sleeping Daidarabotchi, equally content among his friends.

“Look…” I nodded toward him.

He’d fallen asleep right as the fairy tale ended. Daidarabotchi went translucent in the light of the morning sun. His body refracted the beams like a crystal, too brilliant to look at directly but so beautiful I felt compelled to try anyway. Everyone fell silent as they took in the sight.

My heart was racing, and my body trembled. What an honor it was to be here to witness something like this.

After some time, Daidarabotchi melded together with the sky in a prism of light, though I knew deep down that we merely couldn’t see him anymore and that he was still slumbering peacefully at the base of Mount Fuji. Once he awoke, he would continue his trek around Japan. It must be so freeing to travel like that, wandering wherever his mood took him.

Nurarihyon handed the book back to me. “Thank you. I think we should be fine for now.”

I hugged the book to my chest. “I hope we were of some help?”

Nurarihyon’s eyes crinkled with mirth. He reached out to pat me on the head. “Of course you were. I’m sure I’ll have another favor to ask of you sometime soon.”

I beamed brightly and nodded. “Any time you need anything, call on the haunted bookstore!”

Nurarihyon smiled. “That I shall.”