Chapter 12: The First Person to Lean Free
That gentle question, like a key, instantly unlocked the dam named "strength" in Yotsuya Miko's heart.
All this time, she had been enduring the ferocity and terror of this world alone. She didn't dare tell anyone, because no one would believe her; they would only think she was crazy. She had suppressed all her fear, all her helplessness, all her tears, deep in her heart, using a cold disguise called "I can't see" to isolate herself from the world.
Was it hard?
It was.
So hard she felt like she was about to die.
"Hic..."
A sob, suppressed to the extreme, escaped from the depths of Miko's throat.
Immediately after, large teardrops began to roll uncontrollably from her terrified eyes, down her pale cheeks, and splattered one by one onto the cold floor tiles of the convenience store, shattering into crystalline fragments.
She didn't wail. She just stood there, her body trembling violently from the suppressed sobs. The fear and loneliness that had accumulated over countless days and nights finally found their only outlet at this moment.
Natsume Yu watched her quietly, saying nothing more.
He turned, picked up the two puddings Miko had dropped, and, along with the milk he had bought, walked back to the checkout counter.
"Adding two more items," he said to the still-sleepy clerk.
The clerk gave a dazed "Oh" and efficiently rang up the purchase.
Throughout this, the Starving Ghost Cursed Spirit, engrossed in eating the rice ball, showed no further signs of aggression. Its resentment was continuously being dissipated by the "offering" infused with Cursed Energy, and its form gradually became more ethereal.
Carrying two bags, Natsume Yu walked over to the still silently crying Miko. He handed her the bag containing the puddings and then, with his other hand, gently patted her shoulder.
"Let's go outside."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a reassuring strength.
Yotsuya Miko looked up with red-rimmed, teary eyes, staring at him blankly. Then, mechanically, obediently, she nodded.
Outside the convenience store, the sky was gradually darkening. The streetlights came on one by one, casting a warm, orange glow.
Natsume Yu led Miko to a quiet corner park. The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, dispersing the stuffiness in the air.
He placed the bag of puddings in Miko's arms and then took out a pack of tissues from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Wipe your face."
"Thank you... senpai..." Miko's voice was thick with nasality as she took the tissues and haphazardly wiped her face.
Only after her emotions had calmed down a bit did Natsume Yu slowly begin to speak, explaining the truth of this world.
"The things you see, I call them 'Cursed Spirits.' They are curses formed from the convergence of human negative emotions... like fear, hatred, jealousy..."
"Cursed Spirits..." Miko repeated softly. The term was both strange and familiar to her.
"You're not crazy, nor are you hallucinating," Natsume Yu looked directly at her, his cerulean eyes seeming to see through everything. "Your constitution is special. You are naturally very sensitive to Cursed Energy. That's why you can 'see'."
"Because you can see, you can also be sensed. To most low-level Cursed Spirits that lack intelligence, you are like a beacon in the dark. They will be instinctively drawn to you."
Natsume Yu's words solved the biggest, longest-held puzzle in Miko's heart.
Why me?
So, it wasn't the world's fault, nor was it her fault. It was just because... she was different.
"Then... then what should I do?" Miko asked with a trembling voice, the fear that had just subsided once again creeping back into her heart.
"You've been doing well all this time," Natsume Yu affirmed her efforts. "'Pretending not to see' is indeed the best way for an ordinary person to protect themselves. But it's a temporary solution. Against some powerful Cursed Spirits, or those with a strong attachment to you, that trick will eventually fail."
As he spoke, he took out a white paper talisman folded into a triangle from his pocket. This was not the simple kind he had given to Yui and Eriri at the "Paranormal Investigation Club." This talisman had complex, esoteric patterns drawn on it in cinnabar, which seemed to faintly shimmer under the streetlight.
"The omamori charms sold in stores are mostly for psychological comfort. Here, take this."
He held the talisman out to Miko.
"This is a special-grade omamori I made with my Cursed Energy. If you wear it, it will automatically form a barrier that will shield your presence. As long as you don't encounter an exceptionally powerful Cursed Spirit, they will completely ignore your existence."
Yotsuya Miko extended her trembling hands and carefully accepted the talisman.
The moment the talisman touched her hands, an indescribable, warm, and substantial energy flowed from her fingertips, instantly spreading throughout her entire body. It felt like someone who had been freezing in a blizzard for too long suddenly soaking in a hot spring, dispelling all the accumulated gloom and cold from within her.
It was... the feeling of safety.
"Senpai..." Miko's eyes welled up with tears once again.
"From now on, if you encounter trouble that even this omamori can't solve, you can come to me anytime," Natsume Yu handed her a note with his phone number on it. "You don't have to bear this alone anymore."
You don't have to bear this alone anymore...
That sentence, like a warm ray of sunshine, completely illuminated the world of Yotsuya Miko, which had been shrouded in terror and darkness.
So, I'm not alone.
So, there really is someone... who can understand my pain.
An immense warmth and an unprecedented sense of security enveloped her tightly. She clutched the warm, special-grade omamori as if she were holding the entire world.
She looked up at the calm and powerful upperclassman before her. Tears streamed down her face again, but this time, it wasn't out of fear, but out of the joy and gratitude of having found someone to rely on.
For the first time, she had found a companion to whom she could confide all her secrets and fears.