It Appeared II

Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store

Both of us were confronting each other with a terrific expression on our faces as if time had been suspended.

The silence was suddenly shattered by a rattling sound emanating from near the front door. Footsteps rushing up the iron staircase approached and gave the impression that they had halted in front of my room when the door was slammed powerfully.

“Hakamadaaa!? Heyyyy! What time do you think it is now!?”

The landlord from downstairs hurled an enraged yell at me.

“You’re making such a racket that I can’t sleep! The neighbors are being disturbed! If you want to scream, do it outside! Hey!?”

The landlord’s shout was so loud that even though we were far from the front door, it nevertheless resonated in my ears. I cried out “Excuse me” in response, propelled by the intensity of the yell.

The landlord reacted by returning to the lower level and shouting, “For god’s sake!” as they stomped down the iron staircase.

At that point, the flickering lights reverted to their former state and the whole room brightened up. Even the TV and the fan, which had been turned off, started operating simultaneously. Although everything seemed to be back to normal, the subject of my fear was still seated in front of me, looking as blood-soaked as ever.

“W-Well… for the time being, calm down. Sonny…?”

Perhaps anticipating the arrival of the second wave, they lifted their hands up to their shoulders and smiled awkwardly, as if to appease me, who was all perturbed. It didn’t put me at rest, though, when they grinned due to the blood stains on their face. Moreover, I could see the kitchen that was supposed to be behind that figure, though only faintly.

That could only imply one thing. This guy, they were a human…

Even if you told me to calm down, how could I remain calm? Having a figure like this in front of you, wouldn’t it be terrifying?

Damn, I couldn’t pull myself up.

With my breathing erratic and my nose rasping like a cow, I fearfully looked at that guy’s face.

I struggled to jog my memory. Indeed… they looked familiar to me.

Blood dripped from their mouths, under their eyes, and down their forehead, and they had a frightening appearance that made me feel as if I was about to scream even now but…

This outfit and those tight slits in their eyes. This guy was yesterday’s… the bloody spiked bat man… Right…

At the change in my facial expression, the guy brushed his bangs off to the back of his head appropriately and asked, “Have you remembered me?”

“A-A little…”

B-But why was the man drenched in blood, here, and right in front of me?

Oh, right. I got it.

This was a dream.

I should go back to sleep, and if I sleep one more time, I might be able to wake up this time.

That must be the case…

“―Wake up! This is reality, all of it!!”

As I was about to turn around and crawl back under the futon, I received a very well-timed shove.

“Sonny, please listen to me!”

Right as I thought that, the bloodied man who was supposed to be behind me moved instantly in front of me. It was like he abruptly popped up right in front of me.

Heyyyyyyyy! If you did that, I would have been startled, you know!!

“Who the hell are you! Stop it! Don’t you dare haunt me!”

“Like I said, calm down…! Look, I’m not trying to hurt you, okay!”

“You are! Enough! You’re standing on people’s bedsides! And you’re causing bizarre phenomena!”

I was in tears, and in desperation, I was losing my temper with the specter. In such a state, that guy scratched his head and gave me an ingratiating smile.

“Oh no, I figured I should put on a show for you.”

What a talkative specter. I mean…

“What do you mean by ‘put on a show’!? Does a specter even think about staging? Get out…! Immediately! I beg you, disappear! Nothing good will ever come from you haunting me!!”

Timidness was no good, I had to push through with strength.

While recalling Takenaka’s advice, I rushed to the kitchen, letting my agitation get the better of me. I opened the refrigerator roughly and microwaved the frozen rice I had left.

A pair of disposable chopsticks were inserted vertically into the top of the steaming white rice after I had dumped the rice into a bowl and heavily salted it. The chopsticks were placed in the center of the tabletop vigorously.

“Um…Sonny? …This is…”

“Come on, attain Buddhahood! Now! Immediately! Do it right away―!!”

Or rather, please rest in peace…!

Despite my lack of confidence in my ability to exorcise a spirit, I was determined to somehow make that guy attain Buddhahood. The outcome was obvious, though.

“Hey… Sonny, I am troubled even if you suddenly serve me a heaping pile of rice.”

The bloodied man made no reaction to the steaming white rice on the table but looked at me again with a stunned expression on his face.

I know, right?