Tokyo Exorcism Diary - Chapter 9

Hoshino Gen stared intently into Shimizu Yuu’s eyes for a moment. Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, he flashed a smile that could only be described as mischievous.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

Hearing this, Shimizu Yuu’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded eagerly.

Hoshino Gen walked over to the bay window, sat down, and met her gaze with a faint smile. “If I recall correctly, you’re pretty good at kendo. How’s your performance in real combat?”

“Huh?” Shimizu Yuu paused, confused about why he was bringing this up, but she nodded honestly. “I competed in the National Junior High Kendo Championship and won second place.”

“That sounds impressive.” Hoshino Gen seemed to mull it over momentarily, his smile growing even brighter. “I can tell you what you want to know, but there’s a condition.”

“What condition?” Shimizu Yuu blinked and then, as if on instinct, crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Her expression turned fierce. “If it’s something outrageous, I won’t agree!”

Hoshino Gen ignored her defensive stance, his smile unchanging. “If you help me achieve my goal, not only will I tell you what you want to know, but I’ll also teach you some mystical techniques you can actually learn.”

“Really?!” Shimizu Yuu almost jumped in excitement, her mind immediately conjuring images of herself transforming into a magical girl and battling evil spirits.

But the next moment, Hoshino Gen’s words hit her like a bucket of cold water.

“I need you to face the vengeful spirit in the dojo head-on. If you succeed, great. If you fail… well, I’ll handle your funeral for free.”

“What?! You’re joking, right?” Shimizu Yuu’s expression stiffened. “I… I don’t have the power to deal with spirits.”

“I can give you that.” Hoshino Gen grinned. “Dealing with spirits isn’t as hard as you think. You just need the right tools. Like you saw yesterday, I simply used an enhanced bamboo sword to fight that thing. Your kendo skills are pretty great, aren’t they? I can enhance a bamboo sword for you, and then you just need to hold it off for 30 seconds—no need to defeat it.”

Watching protagonists in stories go on thrilling adventures or challenge formidable enemies might feel exciting and inspiring. But if those monsters were placed in reality and you were the one forced to confront them… most people would quickly realize this wasn’t the kind of thrill they wanted.

After all, nobody enjoys gambling with their life.

So, when faced with Hoshino Gen’s utterly serious tone and expression, Shimizu Yuu’s enthusiasm for “supernatural powers” deflated instantly.

“Can’t we… negotiate a different condition?” Shimizu Yuu mustered a cute smile. “What if I really get killed? Wouldn’t that be troublesome for you, too?”

“That’s true,” Hoshino Gen said, chuckling. “But you see, your only value to me lies in this task. Even stray cats understand there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Surely, you get that.”

“…” Shimizu Yuu fell silent, lowering her head slightly. Her mind raced as she weighed the reward of “gaining supernatural powers” against the risk of “putting her life on the line.”

Perhaps it was the influence of reading too many novels or watching anime—or maybe the remnants of her teenage delusions—but the allure of supernatural powers was almost irresistible for someone her age. She soon made up her mind. Gritting her teeth, she said, “If I succeed, you’ll teach me supernatural powers?”

“I don’t have supernatural powers, so I can’t teach you those,” Hoshino Gen replied, shaking his head. After a moment of thought, he added, “If you’re talking about the mystical techniques I know, that would include a little Taoism and some alchemy.”

He paused before continuing. “And even if you do succeed, I can only teach you the basics—nothing too advanced. You wouldn’t be able to learn more than that.”

“Why not?”

“You lack the innate talent,” Hoshino Gen said bluntly.

“Ugh!” Shimizu Yuu winced, visibly hurt.

Unwilling to give up, she pressed on. “How do you know that?”

Hoshino Gen smiled faintly and stared at her in silence. Shimizu Yuu’s lips twitched as she avoided his gaze.

“Well? Are you in or not? If you agree, we can start preparing right away. If not… it’s getting late, so I won’t keep you for dinner.”

Shimizu Yuu lowered her head and hesitated for a long time before finally looking up. Tentatively, she asked, “What kind of basic techniques would you teach me?”

Hoshino Gen casually reached behind his waist and pulled out a yellow talisman. With a slight flick, the talisman instantly disintegrated into ashes, transforming into a glowing red fireball that floated steadily in his palm.

Shimizu Yuu’s jaw dropped with an audible “click,” her wide eyes fixed on the fireball. Her mouth hung open in shock.

Even though she already knew Hoshino Gen possessed some extraordinary abilities, witnessing it up close was far more impactful than she’d imagined.

It wasn’t until Hoshino Gen waved his hand, dispersing the fireball, that Shimizu Yuu slowly came back to her senses. Her voice trembled as she asked, “You… you’ll teach me how to conjure fireballs?”

“Can’t you tell that the fireball manifested from the talisman?” Hoshino Gen tilted his head, as if genuinely puzzled by her lack of comprehension.

Shimizu Yuu didn’t seem to care. Her enthusiasm for exploring the mysteries of the supernatural was at an all-time high. She couldn’t suppress her excitement as she pressed on, “So, are you going to teach me how to make talismans?”

Hoshino Gen sighed deeply. “I’ve already told you—you lack the talent. Even if I teach you how to draw talismans, at best, you’d end up competing with the local shrines for business. And, frankly, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“…” Shimizu Yuu’s face darkened again. Her lips pouted slightly as she muttered, “Then what exactly are you going to teach me?”

“I’ll teach you how to activate talismans.”

“But you said I can’t make them…” Mid-sentence, realization dawned on Shimizu Yuuu. Her eye twitched as she asked, “So even if I learn how to activate them, I’d still have to rely on you to provide the real talismans, right?”

“More or less,” Hoshino Gen replied with a grin. “So, what’s your answer?”

Shimizu Yuu hesitated, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. The gap between her expectations and reality felt almost insurmountable. Risking her life for such limited benefits didn’t seem worth it. Yet deep inside, she longed to touch the fantastical—something that seemed to leap straight out of a storybook.

That image of Hoshino Gen casually conjuring a blazing fireball with a flick of his wrist was simply too captivating.

She gritted her teeth and forced herself to ask one last question, almost trembling. “If I can’t hold on… will you save me?”

“Probably,” Hoshino Gen answered, his gentle smile oddly at odds with the chilling words that followed. “But don’t get your hopes up—I might not make it in time.”

Shimizu Yuu took a deep, steadying breath. Closing her eyes, she summoned what felt like every ounce of courage she possessed in her entire life—

“I’ll go with you.”