Volume 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)
Co like she was crazy would make anyone feel the same
”Eeeeeh!?”
The girl's eyes opened wide in surprise
”He-Hey you! Can you see me!?”
The girl leaned forward and brought her face closer to Koutarou
”Of course I can see you What are you even talking about?”
”You don't just see me, but you can hear my voice too!?”
”Stop talking nonsense and”
Not understanding what the girl was talking about, Koutarou tilted his head in confusion
”Because you couldn't see me yesterday, and you couldn't hear my voice either!”
”Hah?”
The girl's words left Koutarou speechless, he was confused
”Like I' you! Noat all — that's what I'! But why is it that you can see and hear me today!?”
”Wait, wait, explain yourself properly! I'll never understand anything if you talk like that And before that, who are you? How did you get in here!?”
”My naan Sanae, and I'et in here from anywhere, you're the one who came to me!”
”Ah? This room's resident? Wait a minute”
”Wh-what now?”
Koutarou left the puzzled girl behind and opened the door to peek at the door plate
Room 106, Satomi Koutarou
”I'ht room after all”
Confir that, Koutarou quickly returned to the inner room He had been a bit worried he had accidentally entered the wrong room
”This isit from the landlord!”
”This is et out!”
”I' it, so why do I have to leave my own room!”
”Shut up, shut up, shut up!! If I'm not here, mom and dad will be troubled!”
The discussion wasn't getting anywhere
”Hmm”
The troubled Koutarou tried to piece together the situation He folded his arh the events that led up to this in his head
As soon as I get ho that this has been her room for a while However, she was nowhere to be seen yesterday And there's no way landlord-san would rent out the room to two people at the same time
”Which irl is”
”Wh-what, just staring at me like that?”
To Koutarou, this girl was just someone who had entered his room without permission
Additionally, her reason for being there didn't make any sense Since he hadn't seen her at all yesterday, he was sure she was justit up
She was just a kid frohborhood who had found the door unlocked and came in to play
That was Koutarou's conclusion
”Alright”
As soon as Koutarou reached a conclusion he rushed into action
”No problem, no problem”
”Kyaa! What are you doing all of a sudden!?”
Koutarou captured the collar of her summer dress and lifted her up, and then headed for the door with her dangling in the air
”It's alo home!”
”Let go! Just because I' me! How!?”
The girl tried to wrestle free, but because of the difference in their strength nothing happened
”No 'how's' or 'what's'! Go home!”
”But you couldn't touch h!”
”You're s happened today and I'm tired”
Koutarou threw the girl out and closed the door
”Hmm, to just let someone break in like that I'll need to make sure I lock the door from now on”
With a click, Koutarou hed as he made his way to the inner room
”What do you think you're doing all of a sudden!?”
”Eh?”
However, in the inner rooirl he had just thrown out
The girls face was dyed red with anger, and she angrily approached Koutarou
However, since she was small and had a rather cute face, she was unable to intimidate him
”You again? How did you get in here?”
Koutarou quickly took a look at the , but it had remained closed
Besides, too little time had passed for her to have been able to run around the house
”I passed through the wall, obviously”
”You passed through the wall?”
Koutarou gazed at the wall behind her, but all he saas the newly replaced white tapestry
”I don't see any holes”
”Of course not! I'h-”
”I got it! It's one of those ht!?”
Koutarou's eyes sparkled He had seen h walls on TV, so he coician
”Eh?”
”One more time! Show me one more time!”
”Kyaa!? A-again!? How can you touch me!? No one's been able to do that before!”
”Coy Do it one more time!”
The girl was thrown outside once more
”Kyaa! Just hear me out, will you!?”
”Come on, come on!”
However, Koutarou wasn't listening to her at all; he was convinced she was a genius child ician
”Kyaa!”
”I' you!”
Koutarou threw her out and closed and locked the door again, excitedly waiting for the girl to get back inside
However, so unexpected happened
”Would you give it a break!!”
”Wah!”
Surprisingly, the girl's face projected from the door It was almost as if a hole just for her face had opened
”You often get told you don't listen very well, don't you!”
”Ho-how are you, why are you-!?”
And as Koutarou atching the girls body passed through the door
”Move out of the way!”
”Kyaa! Again!?”
Koutarou pushed the girl away and examined the door
However, there was not a single scratch on it There was nothing that would allow her to pass through the door
”How did you do that!?”
”I did it! You're surprised! That's what I've been waiting for!”
Koutarou finally gave her the kind of reaction she had been expecting
This pleased her greatly, and a smile appeared on her face
” Oh, right, I'et excited”
”Just who are you? How did you get in?”
The girl put on a big grin
”I told you, didn't I? I passed through the wall, and I'an Sanae”
”Sanae?”
”I' this room!”
As the girl said that, Koutarou acted far h the wall
”Whaaaaaaat!? A ghost!?”
”You can't believe it, right? But a normal person can't do this!”
”Yo-You're floating!?”
”Of course I float; I'host after all”
Sanae floated up towards the ceiling and looked down on the surprised Koutarou, laughing
Having gone unnoticed by Koutarou all this time, she was very pleased
”A ghost I had heard the stories from Landlord-san, but to think you were real”
Koutarou had heard the stories froht he'd see it for himself
However, Sanae was right before his eyes, so he had no choice but to believe it
A norh walls or float in the air
”So thatin this room?”
”You finally understand! That's right, I'm the true master of this room!”
”Which means you're the one who chased out all the previous tenants?”
”That's right! It's my home, after all”
Sanae landed on the floor
”You're a ghost, so why do you have legs?”[1]
”What does ityou!”
”Even if you say that I can clearly see, hear and touch you, you know? Until you passed through the wall, I thought you were just some kid”
Because of that, Koutarou wasn't panicking at all; after all, she looked like just a norirl
”Th-that's what I want to know! Why can you sense me all of a sudden?”
”What are you talking about?”
”Yesterday, even if I stood right in front of you or shouted right next to your ear, you wouldn't notice h your body when I tried to tackle you”
”Even if you ask me”
In other words, Sanae had been in the roo him
”I don't understand it either The only out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today was that I fell and hit my head”
Koutarou turned around and pointed to the band-aid on the back of his head
”You hit your head and now you can see ghosts? Stop with the nonsense!”
”I don't want to hear that from you! You paranormal phenomenon!”
”Uu”
Aware that she was the odd one out, Sanae recoiled slightly
”Th-that doesn't et down to business!”
”You're the one who brought it up”
”Shut up! Shut up!”
”And, what business?”
Sanae regained her co Koutarou's words and opened her mouth
”That's obvious! This is et out!”
”I see that's a bold statement”
”It's not bold at all; it's a given”
As she said that, several s around her, as though she was discharging them herself
”And what if I say no?”
”I'll just do what I always do”
As Sanae raised her hand towards Koutarou, suspicious energy could be seen flickering at the tip of her finger
It hat one ht call a will-o'-wisp, but Koutarou didn't know that
This girl wants to fight, huh
Koutarou felt Sanae's intention to fight, brought his body lower to the ground, and took a stance
”Today I' you with this won't just surprise you!”
The energy er It went fro as small as a firefly to the size of a baseball
Getting hit by that would be bad
Koutarou didn't knohat the light was, but he instinctively sensed danger and sed his saliva
Even though she's a ghost I can touch her, so it's not like I don't stand a chance
Koutarou, as norht, clenched his fists as he steeled himself
”That's a coincidence I'm in top condition today too”
”I see, what a coincidence Fufufu, ahahahaha!”
”Wahahahaha!”
Laughter and tension filled the room
The fight was about to start
The sound of a delivery truck passing by the apart
”Eat this~!”
Sanae threw the glowing ball at Koutarou
”Uwah!?”
However, Koutarou quickly lowered his body, and the ball passed through the area where his face had been
The ball hit a wall and disappeared, leaving behind a sound similar to a loud clap
”You nimble bastard!”
”And that's not all!”
Koutarou rushed towards Sanae, and since it was a small room he quickly reached her
He swung his right hand
”Kyaa!?”
However, Sanae avoided his attack by passing through the wall behind her, which was a fitting way for a ghost to dodge
Because of that, the only thing Koutarou could touch was the ends of her hair
”That's right, you're a ghost But I hit you, and I can still do this!”
As Koutarou confir her hair, Sanae entered the room once more
”That's dangerous!”
”Like you're one to talk!”
”It's a given that ghosts attack residents! Counterattacking is against the rules!”
”Like I care!”
”Get beaten or get out!”
”Not a chance! I finally found a place to live!”
Koutarou didn't want to burden his father, who had raised him alone, any further
And because the rent here was just 5,000 yen, Koutarou could afford it with just his part time job
The only proble before his eyes
Koutarou didn't have the choice to just leave
”Like I'll leave because of a single ghost! I need this rooh school live!”
”I don't care about that! Get out! This is my home!”
Both of Sanae's hands began glowing, and a ball of light for on throwing both of them at Koutarou
”So you're finally getting serious”
Koutarou took a stance
”This time won't be the same as before!”
Two orbs htly larger than before
Dodging two of them would be much more difficult due to their size and power
As Sanae had said, the danger had increased
”As if I'd let you!”
If that's the case I just need to keep her fro!
Koutarou quicklyout with his hand
”Kyaa!?”
”I've got youuuu!”
Koutarou's right hand captured Sanae's left arround
And like before, the ball hit the floor and disappeared,a sound reminiscent of a loud clap
”These aren't just for throwing!”
”Uwah!”
As Koutarou was following the falling ball, Sanae thrust the ball in her right hand towards Koutarou
He tried to dodge, but was not fast enough
”Guwah!?”
As the ball touched Koutarou it disappeared like the two before it But this time it impacted Koutarou heavily
It was al an electric shock
”I did it! I don't knohy, but I'm in top condition today!”
”Ku!”
Koutarou was knocked back by the impact and landed on his bottom
”And now for the finisher!”
Before the fallen Koutarou, Sanae for spheres
”You'll be sent to the hospital with defeat written all over your face, and I'll be able to take back my room!!”
”Yo-you selfish!”
Koutarou was still stunned from the impact and was unable to move
Meanwhile, Sanae coe one
All Koutarou could do atch
”If you would've just left, it wouldn't have had to end like this♪”
The ball Sanae was holding over her head grew bigger, and was now roughly the size of a dodgeball
If the ball froh to leave Koutarou stunned, then the power of this one didn't need any explanation
”This is bad! I'll get killed!”
Koutarou braced himself, for that was all he could do to prepare for the inco attack
”Nyahaahaahaa!”
However, Sanae's triuhter was interrupted by a small explosion near her feet
”Kyaa!”
Sent flying by the explosion, Sanae fell over, her head passing through the wall
At the same time, the will-o'-wisp she had
Seeing that, Koutarou felt a chill run down his spine
”O”
Sanae pulled her head frohtly This time, it was Sanae as stunned
”What did she step on?”
Koutarou had seen so to find it, Koutarou approached the spot where she had been standing
”I see! She stepped on this!”
'Safe Delivery' 'Successful Studies' 'Traffic Safety'
What he found was a bunch of good luck charrandmother
They had been taken out of the cardboard box and left on the floor, and Sanae had stepped on them
”That's right! You're a ghost, so you're weak to charms!”
Koutarou picked up the charms
”Wahaha, with this, the tables have turned!”
”Ku!”
Sanae got up and glared at the charms in Koutarou's hand
”To think you had those kind of things”
”I have plenty! Frooods in this room!”
Koutarou hadn't only received charrandmother
When he had passed his high school exaoods
”Ku, just how virtuous are you!?”
”Hahaha! It's because of all !”
Koutarou thrust the charradually closed in
Sanae, who had been on the offensive all this tiradually pushed towards the entrance with a bitter look on her face
”Eii!”
Sanae threw three will-o'-wisps towards Koutarou
”It's no use!”
As the will-o'-wisps touched the charh they had melted
”They don't work!?”
”Stupid, there's no way a charhost's attack Don't underestimate a Family Safety charm!”
Koutarou grinned and startedonce more
”It's your turn to leave now, ghost!”
”There's no way I'! I have to wait here no matter what!”
”Even so, I'm the winner!”
”Not yet!”
At Sanae's short shout, the nearby ite in the air
A cardboard box, a dictionary, a case filled with small articles
These kinds of things started floating inaround her
”How about this! Poltergeist Attack!”
”Gah!”
The ite Koutarou all at once
The charms had no effect on the thrown items
Koutarou held his head and tried to escape, but some of the items crashed into his body
”Ouch! What're you doing!?”
”Nyahahaha! It seems this works!”
”If you hit ht on I'll die!”
”Stupid, that's what I' to do!”
”Dammit!”
”Once more!”
Sanae lifted the nearby luggage into the air once more
”As if I'll take any more of this!”
Koutarou picked up his treasured bat, which happened to be lying right in front of him, and prepared to defend himself
”In this narrow rooe with that!?”
Sanae sent a couple of ite at Koutarou
”Hmph!”
Koutarou swung his bat and blocked the attacks
”Too slow, ghost! It's like they're flying in slow-motion!”
”Curse you!”
Sanae lifted several more items into the air
Five ain
In total there were five ite in the air, a similar amount to the previous times Sanae had attacked
It seems like her limit is five items at a time
Koutarou, without getting too careless, readied himself for the next attack
”Hm?”
At that tiht of Sanae fell onto a tatami mat
”That's”
Next to the fallen dictionary, Koutarou saw the Maneki Neko lying on the floor
It looked to Koutarou as if the dictionary had fallen when it flew too close
I guess I'll give it a try
When Koutaroutogether with the bat
The charm he had torn was ”Safe Delivery”
”Ey!”
Koutarou then threw it towards Sanae
”Owa!?”
Sanae brought the ite in front of her to shi+eld herself
The charm hit her makeshi+ft shi+eld and fell down to the tatami mat
”Don't surprise me like that!”
”You'll be even more surprised by this!”
Koutarou had rushed over to pick up the Maneki Neko
”Wh-what?”
”This guy!”
Koutarou thrust the Maneki Neko out towards Sanae and their eyes met
”A cat?”
”Look around you!”
”Ah!?”
The iteround one by one
”It seeuy”
”Fortune goods!?”
Sanae ground her teeth in frustration and hurriedly ran towards the entrance, where luggage began floating around her once more
”How about if I attack you from this distance!?”
Sanae threw a tissue box made of plastic at Koutarou
She only threw a single itereat speed
”It's no use!”
Even so, as the tissue box approached Koutarou, it stalled and fell to the ground
”Why!?”
As the box had approached the Maneki Neko, it had lost its power
When the box reached Koutarou, it had already lost most of its momentum and harmlessly bounced off of him
”The tables have turned again, ghost!”
Koutarou laughed, full of confidence
”Wh-what!? I' yet!”
”None of your attacks can reach me, but I can still attack you!”
Koutarou held up the Maneki Neko and lucky charms
”H deal!”
”However, with that, you can never chase host!”
Koutarou triumphantly declared his victory
”Hey, you no longer have a chance to win, so just give up and leave Or better yet, pass on”
”No way! Why do I have to do so like that? You leave!”
Koutarou tightened his defenses with the Maneki Neko and the two entered a standoff
Both of them lacked a decisive blow
All of Sanae's attacks were prevented by the Maneki Neko
With her Poltergeist Attack she e would be next to nothing
Large heavy items would be stopped by the Maneki Neko before they were be able to hit
And Sanae herself couldn't approach the Maneki Neko,direct attacks on Koutarou were impossible
At the same time, Koutarou was unable to defeat Sanae
He could touch and grab her, and he threw the charms and blew her away as well
However, Sanae could flee through the walls,his attacks ineffective
And because Sanae couldn't come near the Maneki Neko or the charms she would move even faster
Andher to pass on
No matter how many times he threw her out of the room or blew her aith the charms, she would just return
”Why do you insist on haunting this room anyways!?”
”What does it ! This is my home!”
Sanae threw soht it without difficulty and threw it back at Sanae
”Geez, you're just like a kid”
”You can't be a ghost if you're not childish!+”
”That's an iument”
”Don't treat me like an idiot!”
”You're the one who said it!”
And like that, the two divided the room in half and continued their quarrel
Every once in a while someone would throw a crumpled piece of paper at the other, but the actual attacks had stopped
”Since it's come to this, it'll becoive up, and I won't let you sleep during the night either!”
”Go ahead and do it if you think you can! I've been forged by baseball, and oes both ways!”
”You're not cute at all!”
”Like you can talk!”
Like this, the two stared each other down for hours Night had fallen long ago
And before they knew it, the doorbell rang
”Hm?”
”Who is it now, during this busy time!”
Loud, continuous knocking followed after the doorbell
”Wake up Kou! You'll be late for the entrance ceremony!”
The voice co from the other side of the door was that of Koutarou's childhood friend Kenji
”It's Mackenzie!”
”Mackenzie? Oh, the guy in glasses”
”Ah! It's already !?”
Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, Koutarou's eyes shot open
It was already 7:30AM
It took about 20 minutes to walk to school, so Koutarou had to leave around 8:00 to make it in time
And since today was the entrance cereet there earlier
”I can't just sit around here!”
”Hey, you!”
”We'll continue this when I get back! I have to get to school first!”
Koutarou opened up the wardrobe and pulled out his unifor
”Hey Kou, are you awake?”
”I'm awake, I'm awake! I'm on my way!”
”Oh, you're awake”
Koutarou shoved the Maneki Neko and the char
”Wait, before you go to school we need to settle this, right!?”
”I don't have ti here so I can go to school! Besides, ould believe host?!”
”Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”
The colared at Koutarou
”Don't start acting up while I'et back we'll settle this!”
”I got it I don't want to start any trouble here either”
”You're the trouble though”
”You're the one who's trouble! I had no problems up until now!”
”I got it, I got it I got it so until I get back just sit still, okay?”
Sanae nodded reluctantly at Koutarou's words
”I got it, so don't waste any time and hurry back”
”Yeah!”
And like this, the te
Ghosts are cos in japanese folklore
Literally translated to beckoning cat, it's considered a lucky charood luck to it's owner