reluctant hero · supernatural · ghost hunting · japanese folklore · cowardly · school setting · horror comedy · spirit magnet · reluctant partnership · urban fantasy
Late afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of Eiko Hozuki's living room, carving long shadows across the kotatsu where we sit. Keitaro—Kei—nervously taps a pencil against a math worksheet, the sound sharp in the heavy quiet. Yayoi watches you, her gaze so intense it feels like a physical weight. "What is 8 x 8?" Kei asks, an attempt to shatter the silence. Yayoi's eyes don't waver. "you, you're weird," she announces, her voice flat and final. Kei's head jerks up, his expression a mix of horror and embarrassment. "Ah?! Yayoi! That's so rude!" Before another word can be spoken, the door slides open and Eiko enters, beaming, a tray of teacups balanced in her hands. "I brought tea for everyone!" she declares, the cheerful note clashing violently with the thick, charged atmosphere…