The sun had dipped below the horizon by the time Katsuragi Kokoro left the school gates. The golden afternoon glow had faded into a cool twilight, and the gentle hum of city life picked up as Tokyo stirred into its evening rhythm.
His steps were steady but unhurried as he walked toward the train station, the quiet rustle of leaves brushing against the breeze. A few students still milled about, some in groups, others heading home solo like him. The streets were bathed in a mellow orange light from the streetlamps flickering to life, casting long shadows over the sidewalk.
As Kokoro turned into a smaller residential street, a soft grunt caught his attention.
"Hnghh... come on, almost there...!"
An elderly woman was struggling to move a pair of large cardboard boxes up the short steps into a house. The boxes were clearly too heavy for her thin frame, and one looked like it might topple any second.
Kokoro hesitated for only a moment before walking over.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you need some help?"
The old woman looked up, surprised at first, but quickly smiled. Her cheeks creased with gratitude. "Oh my, aren't you sweet. Yes, I could really use an extra pair of hands. These things are heavier than I thought."
He nodded and took both boxes with ease, lifting them as if they weighed nothing. "Moving in?" he asked casually.
"Oh no, just doing a bit of cleaning and reorganizing. My son sent me too many things from the countryside," she chuckled.
Kokoro helped her bring the boxes inside, arranging them neatly in the hallway. The house was old but cozy, filled with the scent of tatami and brewed tea. Photos of smiling family members lined a shelf near the entrance.
"Thank you so much, young man," the old woman said, bowing her head slightly. "Not many students these days stop to help. You've got a good heart."
Kokoro scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "It's nothing, really."
"You remind me of my grandson," she added fondly. "He's about your age. Always kind, always helping out when he visits."
Kokoro gave a soft smile. "I'm glad to help."
By the time he stepped outside again, the sky had turned a deep indigo. The stars were beginning to peek out above the cityscape, and the buzz of distant cicadas filled the air. The train station lights glowed ahead, a safe beacon in the evening quiet.
Ding.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a message from his mother, Katsuragi Eniko.
Mom: Kokoro, are you on your way home? Don't stay out too late, okay? Dinner's waiting.
Another message followed right after.
Yui: Big brother, you got lost or something? Should I come pick you up with a search party?
He smiled softly and tapped back a reply.
Kokoro: I helped a grandma move some boxes. I'm heading to the station now.
Yui: Awww, you're such a good guy, big bro. But also... hurry up! I'm starving and I want to steal your dessert.
Mom: Be safe, dear. I'll keep your food warm.
Kokoro pocketed his phone, the warmth in his chest lingering despite the cooling breeze. He adjusted the strap of his bag and made his way toward the station, the train tracks glinting under the evening lights like silver lines waiting to take him home.
_________________________________________
Katsuragi Kokoro stepped onto the train just before the doors hissed shut behind him. He grabbed a handrail and leaned against it, eyes drifting toward the window.
The city passed him in flickering lights—blurred store signs, streaks of headlights, scattered silhouettes of people going about their evening lives. His reflection merged with the scenery, his black eyes catching glints of passing streetlamps like tiny stars.
It really does look different at night... he mused. The buzz of conversations, the hum of the train, and the rhythm of the tracks beneath him created a gentle lull. His thoughts drifted to his family, his new classmates, and—briefly—the strange sigh Watanabe Mika gave after glancing at him.
...Did I have something on my face?
The train slowed as the voice over the intercom called his stop. Kokoro stepped off, tightening his grip on his bag as the night breeze kissed his cheeks.
The walk home was peaceful. Sakura trees lined the suburban streets, their blossoms pale silver under the streetlamps. The air was cool and carried the faint aroma of simmering stew from nearby houses. Every so often, the headlights of passing cars lit up the road ahead before disappearing into the quiet again.
He stopped in front of a local grocery store, its fluorescent lights still buzzing behind the glass. It looked cozy and a little old-fashioned, like something out of a small-town drama.
He leaned in to peer through the window. Rows of bento boxes, onigiri, cheap snacks, canned coffee—ooh, melon pan. He made a mental note to stop by sometime after school.
But just as he was admiring a shelf of discounted pudding cups—
Clang...!
The sound came from the narrow alley beside the store.
Kokoro froze. His body tensed as he turned his head slowly, like a horror movie protagonist who absolutely should not turn his head.
"…Maybe it's a cat," he muttered.
The darkness of the alley offered no reply.
Another clatter, louder this time. It sounded like metal being kicked.
"Okay, not a cat," Kokoro said, backing away a step.
Thud.
Now that—that was not a normal thud.
"…Okay. Maybe it's a very aggressive cat," he tried to convince himself, still backing up, eyes glued to the darkness.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech echoed from the alley.
Kokoro turned on his heel and sprinted.
"NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. I'M TOO YOUNG FOR GHOSTS. I HAVEN'T EVEN JOINED A CLUB YET!!"
His legs carried him faster than he'd ever run in P.E., his bag bouncing against his side, his breathing quick but full of panic-fueled energy. He didn't look back. He wasn't stupid.
He barreled past familiar houses, up the hill, and through his front gate before nearly collapsing at the front door, gasping.
Suddenly, the front door swung open with a click.
"Kokoro?!"
Yui stood at the doorway in her home clothes, her short hair slightly messy from having just dried off after a shower. Her big eyes widened at the sight of her older brother bent over, hands on his knees, chest heaving like he'd just run a marathon.
"What happened?! Did someone chase you?! Did you fight off a wild dog?! Or—or was it a ghost?!"
Kokoro held up a hand weakly. "No… no fighting… but there was a noise…"
Yui narrowed her eyes. "What kind of noise?"
"Like… a clank. Then a thud. And then a screech."
Yui's expression slowly shifted from concern to barely concealed amusement.
"So let me get this straight… you ran all the way home because some alley cat knocked over a trash can?"
Kokoro straightened up, brushing imaginary dust off his blazer. "It wasn't just a trash can. It sounded possessed."
Yui squinted. "Possessed by a cat spirit, maybe."
"Could've been a yokai. Don't judge me."
She couldn't help it—Yui burst into laughter.
"You're such a scaredy-cat sometimes, Big Brother."
"I was being cautious. It's called survival instinct."
She stepped aside, still giggling. "Come in, Mr. Cautious. Dinner's ready. Mom made nikujaga."
Kokoro sighed as he stepped inside, heart finally settling down. The warm scent of simmering food and the familiar creak of the hallway floorboards greeted him like a cozy blanket.
As Yui skipped ahead, she called back, "Next time you run into a ghost cat, make sure to get its autograph, okay?"
Kokoro rolled his eyes. "Only if it promises not to eat me first."