It was 3 a.m., the witching hour when even the trees sleep.
So Sakakibara-san really wore this kind of amazing underwear every day? No wonder she was so popular with the guys.
But why is her bra just lying over there? Is she secretly bad at cleaning up?
Whoa… this is definitely a doujinshi, right? The kind where guys are hugging each other… No way, no way, no way. Something that thick going in is only possible in fiction!
I had sneaked into a girl’s room… but it wasn’t for any perverted reason, okay?
Besides, the current criminal law can’t touch me anymore.
I floated around the room all fluffy and light, getting a little too excited just because it was a girl’s room. My bad.
I at least tried to fix the futon that had rolled away when she turned over in her sleep.
A few small items on the floor moved around and some things rolled off. That was all.
Being a ghost is really inconvenient.
For now, I put my hands together and apologized to her as she slept with half her butt sticking out from under the blanket.
『Sorry, Sakakibara-san. I really tried, but I couldn’t move the futon.
Also, I think bigger underwear is better than those string-like ones. You’ll catch a cold.
And you should hide your doujinshi properly. It gets super awkward when your mom finds it and leaves it on your desk. Mine once found one that actually belonged to Takahashi-kun, not me, and she left a note saying 『I think this is a bit early for fifth-grade Takumi-kun ♡ From Mom』. Do you know how I felt? I couldn’t look at her for over a week!
…Wait, what was I talking about again?
Oh right. Um… Sakakibara-san, you were always so cheerful and full of energy. Please keep being healthy.
P.S. There’s a love letter for you in Sasaki-kun’s room. Whether he sends it is up to him.』
I silently wished all that in my heart and looked for what I came for.
I found her smartphone lying on the desk. When I held my hand over it, the screen lit up for some reason. The lock even unlocked itself. Thanks to that, I could leave farewell messages for everyone.
Just thinking really hard doesn’t seem to get the message across. Of course not.
Visiting the rooms of every classmate who came to my funeral was a lot of work, but most of them live locally, and the ones from out of town stay in the dorms, so I managed somehow.
Let’s see…
『Goodbye – Takanashi』
That should do it. They came all this way for me, so not saying anything at all felt wrong. Now I have no regrets left.
I floated out of Sakakibara-san’s house… and got stuck again.
How exactly do you achieve enlightenment and pass on?
Isn’t a shinigami or an angel supposed to come pick me up soon?
I drifted around in the air for a while… and just like every other night, nothing happened.
-0-
Ghost Life, Day 10
I was falling into total despair about my future plans.
I really don’t want to keep drifting around as a ghost forever.
The only good thing is… I can sneak in anywhere I want, right? Movie theaters too, without anyone noticing. If I’m feeling bold, I can even stroll openly through the women’s lingerie section at the mall.
Of course I’m too chicken to go inside changing rooms, girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, or public baths… I want to look, but I can’t! Total coward here!
I did work up the courage to peek toward the women’s side from the entrance of a super sento once.
But nobody was there… and more importantly, I didn’t have the guts to go any farther. I’m a ghost, so it should be fine, but still.
Maybe it’s because I died without ever having a girlfriend and still a virgin?
Girls… they scare me.
I really wanted a girlfriend. Even a childhood friend would’ve been nice, but I transferred here, so no luck.
I wanted to get married and build a happy family.
My house had a lot going on… it wasn’t bad, but growing up with just one parent felt lonely.
「Ahhh… I just wanted to get married, didn’t even matter to who.」
I hugged my knees and floated around sulking for a while, when suddenly a bright light appeared in the sky.
Another night turning into morning? Wait, that mountain is in the west, right?
The dazzling light was coming from the western mountains. So not the sunrise. Unless the sun started rising in the west overnight… no, it was definitely from the east yesterday.
While I stared blankly, I started hearing faint voices.
Curious, I drifted closer and listened carefully.
『Found one!』『Don’t let it escape! This is our last chance!』『No more misses!』『If it’s another dud, I’ll crush that soul to bits!』
…..A bunch of angry, dangerous-sounding men’s voices.
What are they so mad about?
I decided it was safer to leave, but the moment I thought that, the light suddenly started sucking me in.
Noooo! I don’t know what this is, but it feels super bad! From what I just heard, I’m definitely getting wrecked! My butt is in serious danger!
Even ghosts can fight if they try! I resisted with everything I had, but the light kept creeping closer.
This thing’s suction is insane! Is this what they call cyclonic power!? Our vacuum at home was the bagged type, so it never sucked this hard!
Feeling exactly like the dust bunny stuck in the corner of a room, I got completely pulled into the light.
And so… I, Takanashi Takumi, officially ended all activity on Earth.
The messages I left for my classmates soon became a ghost story that terrified the whole town for a while… TV crews and reporters swarmed the place.
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