Tokyo Exorcism Diary

Hoshino Rin, feeling slightly guilty, withdrew her hand and stuck out her tongue playfully at Hoshino Gen.

Hoshino Gen sighed softly, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling without focus. From the corner of his eye, he watched the transparent liquid in the IV drip fall drop by drop. Thinking back, it had been ages since he last needed an IV.

So long, in fact, that it felt like another lifetime… No, it wasn’t just a feeling—it truly had been another lifetime.

Noticing Hoshino Gen staring at the ceiling with an expression that suggested he’d seen through the fleeting nature of life, Hoshino Rin suddenly felt an irrational fear. Could her legendary SSR-grade brother be considering becoming a monk? She quickly tugged at his sleeve.

“Brother, I’m so bored… Let’s play a game together!”

Hoshino Gen glanced at her and motioned toward the IV needle in his left hand.

Hoshino Rin immediately understood his silent protest of “How am I supposed to play with one hand?” But this minor obstacle wouldn’t deter her. She grabbed her phone, opened a side-scrolling action-adventure game, and shuffled closer to sit beside him.

Holding the phone between them with her left hand, she beamed. “We can both play with one hand! I’ll control the movement, and you handle the skills.”

The girl’s sweet scent was pleasant, her warmth soft and comforting. But despite this, the moment Hoshino Rin leaned closer, Hoshino Gen couldn’t suppress a flicker of instinctive resistance.

Yet perhaps because his body was too weak or maybe because her suggestion intrigued his otherwise bored mind, he didn’t move away as his instincts urged.

Sensing his stiffness, Hoshino Rin tilted her head and looked into his eyes. Then, with a mischievous smile that curved her brows, she teased, “Brother~ Don’t tell me this is the closest you’ve ever been to a girl?”

Suppressing his discomfort, Hoshino Gen rolled his eyes. “Is having close contact with the opposite sex something worth bragging about?”

“…”

Her brother’s retort left Hoshino Rin speechless for a moment. She pouted slightly, muttering, “You’re so bad at conversations. It was just a joke, okay?” She added defensively, “Besides, I don’t even accept roles that require intimate scenes with the opposite sex in movies!”

“Who cares?” Hoshino Gen shrugged, taking hold of the other side of the phone.

Though she was used to her brother’s bluntness, Hoshino Rin still felt stifled, like she might implode. Puffing her cheeks, she glared at him. Then, with exaggerated force, she mashed the start button on the game—though once they began, she purposefully moved her character away just as Hoshino Gen activated his skills, causing them to miss their target. When Hoshino Gen turned to look, she’d huff and avert her face with a playful pout.

“…”

With Hoshino Rin throwing minor tantrums mid-game, the difficulty spiked significantly. In the end, they only managed to clear the first two chapters before the IV finished dripping.

When the nurse came to remove his IV, Hoshino Gen realized something surprising: the weakness and dizziness that had plagued him earlier were mostly gone.

Had medical advancements reached this level? Initially, he’d thought this illness would take his exceptional healing ability three days to recover from. Yet after just one IV session, he was already nearly healed…

…

By the time the siblings returned home, it was already past four in the afternoon. In the living room, Liz was curled up on the couch watching a movie, her focus completely absorbed. Judging by the scene, it seemed to be a recent Hollywood blockbuster available online. The part on screen showed a superhero rescuing a girl trapped in a disaster zone, basking in the crowd’s cheers.

Hoshino Gen had no interest in such things. He only wanted to retreat to his room and be alone for a while.

But before he could shut the door, Liz’s gaze shifted from the heroic figure on the TV to him. Her voice was soft yet clear.

“How… how are you feeling? Are you better now?”

Perhaps Hoshino Gen didn’t register the question was for him, or maybe the movie’s sound effects muffled her voice, but he gave no response, entering his room and locking the door behind him.

Staring at the closed door, Liz hugged her knees tighter. Her doll-like face sank with disappointment as she lowered her head.

Seeing this, Hoshino Rin sighed lightly in her heart but kept a cheerful smile. She scooted closer to Liz and gently ruffled her hair. “When you’re worried about someone, try to speak up more clearly. If your voice is too soft, they might not realize your concern!”

Liz gave a faint “Mm” in reply.

After a pause, Hoshino Rin’s eyes sparkled with mischief. She dashed to Hoshino Gen’s door and started pounding on it. “Brother! Brother! Brother! Broooother—”

The door flew open, and Hoshino Gen glared at her, his expression screaming, If this isn’t important, don’t blame me for what happens next.

But Hoshino Rin wasn’t afraid. Her grin widened as she chirped, “Brother, aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, have you? Let’s go out for dinner! LIZ hasn’t tried authentic Japanese cuisine yet, and you’ve lived here long enough to know all the best spots, right?”

At the mention of food, a flicker of interest crossed Hoshino Gen’s eyes. Now that she brought it up, he realized it had been over 28 hours since his last meal. His stomach confirmed this realization with a sharp pang of hunger.

Japanese food, huh… Sure, that works.

…

Around 5 PM, Tokyo was at one of its liveliest hours of the day, especially during Golden Week. Both students and office workers reveled in the holiday spirit.

The sun was low but not yet set, casting a golden hue over the city. Most of the sky remained a tranquil blue, adorned with a scattering of fluffy white clouds.

Laughter filled the air as children played, couples strolled, and the occasional bike passed by with the cheerful ring of a bell.

It was the beauty of the holiday season—but there was a downside, too.

“Sorry, sir, all our tables are fully booked…”

“Apologies, sir, we’re completely out of seats…”

“Sorry sir, the last spot was taken just three minutes ago…”