"I'm back."
Amamiya unlocked the door, stepped inside, and announced his return.
"My phone!"
The moment he entered, Shimizu floated over, reaching eagerly for her beloved device.
There was no denying it—she was hopelessly addicted to her phone.
Amamiya slipped off his shoes at the entrance, swapped them for his house slippers, and crouched to pet the overexcited dog wagging its tail furiously at him. Then, he walked into the living room, set down the fruits and drinks he'd picked up from the supermarket, and sent a quick message to Miko.
"Home."
Miko, likely glued to her phone, replied almost instantly: "Mom's still awake. I'll be there by ten."
"Alright, I'll shower first," Amamiya responded.
After sending another couple of messages to Umi and Sajuna and receiving their replies, he put his phone down, opened the windows for ventilation, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
The warm bath was soothing, and by the time he emerged, refreshed and relaxed, it was already past ten o'clock.
As soon as he settled on the sofa and turned on the TV, the doorbell rang softly.
He walked to the door and opened it to find Miko standing there in her pajamas. Her long, silky black hair was draped over her shoulders, shining faintly under the light.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Stepping inside the entryway, Miko's tone was laced with concern as her eyes carefully scanned him from head to toe.
Hearing her question, Amamiya grabbed the hem of his shirt with both hands and began to lift it.
"W-What are you doing?" Miko blinked, startled.
With a completely serious expression, Amamiya replied, "I told you I wasn't hurt, but you didn't believe me. So, naturally, the only solution is to take my clothes off and let you check."
"Pah~!"
Miko's cheeks flushed slightly, and she let out an exasperated scoff. "I believe you! Put your shirt down—now!"
---
They walked into the living room together.
"Good evening, Miko-chan~"
Shimizu turned from her spot and waved cheerfully, her smile as bright as ever.
"Good evening, Sister Shimizu." Miko nodded politely, then took a seat on the sofa. Her curious gaze turned to Amamiya, who had seated himself beside her.
"What did you encounter in the game today?" she asked, her curiosity evident despite her self-proclaimed lack of interest in the horror game.
"I ran into quite a few things..." Amamiya began recounting his in-game adventures, peeling a lychee as he spoke. Then, he held it out to Miko. "Open your mouth."
"…"
Miko hesitated, caught off guard by the gesture, but instinctively parted her lips.
Amamiya gently placed the lychee in her mouth.
The sweet, cool juice spread across her palate, drawing a faint smile from her. But as her eyebrows furrowed slightly, she noticed something odd.
"Wait a second... Why are you so good at this?"
"Why?"
Amamiya turned to Shimizu, who sat nearby, and replied with an air of nonchalance:
"Because I've practiced it plenty—on other people."
"Huh?!"
Miko's cheeks puffed out in indignation, her expression caught somewhere between frustration and disbelief.
Why am I feeling this way? she thought. Why does this annoy me so much?!
"Oh, don't be jealous, Miko-chan." Shimizu flashed a mischievous grin and made a playful scissors gesture. "I'm the one who Amamiya feeds."
Miko glared at her, exasperated. You're not even human anymore, okay?! You're a guardian spirit!
Her face reddening slightly, she quickly dropped her gaze and muttered in a casual, almost dismissive tone, "I'm not jealous..."
Unbothered, Amamiya continued explaining how his "feeding skills" came from playing this little game with Shimizu.
"I see."
Miko nodded absentmindedly.
"Another one?"
Amamiya handed her another peeled lychee.
"I'll eat it myself!" Miko quickly grabbed the lychee, snatching it from his hand.
I didn't react before, but there's no way I'm letting you feed me all the time!
As she bit into the lychee, Miko suddenly frowned, her expression conflicted.
"I already brushed my teeth," she muttered.
Amamiya responded casually, "Does that mean the lychee isn't tasty?"
"It is tasty," Miko argued.
"If it's really that delicious, would you even care about having brushed your teeth?"
Miko: "…"
---
After a while, Amamiya finished recounting his adventures in the dungeon.
"So much happened..." Miko let out a long sigh, feeling a mix of relief and unease. Horror Games like these really did seem far too dangerous.
"Hey, I just saw something shocking," Shimizu suddenly exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment.
"What is it?" Amamiya asked curiously, leaning closer.
"Here, take a look."
Shimizu held up her phone and pointed at the screen.
"Last year, the number of newborns dropped to only 800,000!" she complained. "I remember the year I died, there were still over a million babies being born annually. The decline is way too fast!"
You're just a ghost—why are you worrying about population statistics? It's not like it's your job to care about the country's future!
"The number of newborns decreases every year, while the number of people over 65 keeps increasing," Miko said, glancing at the news on her phone. "Some experts predict that if this continues, Japan might disappear entirely in a hundred years."
"Relax," Amamiya said dryly. "It probably won't even take a hundred years. Last year, people were saying Mount Fuji might erupt any day now. Add a nuclear Godzilla attack, and we're done for."
"Huh?!" Shimizu gasped, covering her pink lips with her hands in shock.
"What is it?" Miko leaned forward curiously, trying to get a look at the phone.
"Look at this..."
Shimizu showed her the screen.
"A huge didi party... wine and women... Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture... one hundred and twenty people..."
Miko's pretty face turned bright red as her eyes widened in disbelief. She spluttered, "Wait—this can't be real, right?!"
Amamiya glanced at the screen and said calmly, "That's a post from the police department's official account. This is absolutely real news."
Miko stared at the headline for a moment longer. One hundred and twenty people, all in the same villa... The thought made her stomach churn.
Disgusting.
Doing that kind of thing with people you don't even like is revolting no matter how you look at it!
"Young people these days are so scary," Shimizu sighed dramatically. "I can't even comprehend it anymore."
Amamiya corrected her with a wry smile: "Those were middle-aged people."
Unfazed, Shimizu replied with a smirk, "When I was alive, they were all young."
"..."
Miko frowned. "Isn't this illegal?"
"It's not," Amamiya explained with a shrug. "Legally speaking, it only becomes indecency if no one is wearing any clothes."
"In other words..."
His gaze drifted downward to Miko's slender, pale legs. "Even if someone is only wearing stockings, it doesn't count as a crime."
Miko's cheeks puffed up angrily as she glared at him. "Don't look at me and say stuff like that!"
Shimizu giggled as she scrolled further on her phone. "Wow, it says only two people were arrested in the end. Amamiya, you sure know a lot about this."
Miko, still fuming, muttered, "I can't believe things like this actually happen in the real world!"
"Miko-chan, I have to ask for your help again tonight," Shimizu said suddenly, clasping her hands together with a pleading look.
"Huh?"
Shimizu pointed at her translucent body. "In this form, I can't play on my phone until morning."
"..."
Miko pursed her lips, a hint of resignation in her expression, before glancing at Amamiya.
"Go upstairs to your room."