Chapter 1 – Wait, I Died?

「Thank you very much」

I left the convenience store after hearing the clerk’s words.

In my hand, I held beer and fried chicken. I like my fried chicken with a spicy kick that spreads across my tongue. I think it pairs perfectly with beer.

「Alright, now I am all set」

I had already prepared two days’ worth of food, tea, and water. All that was left was to go home and enjoy 「Otome Game: Saintess’ Wish ②」, which I had just downloaded.

「Senpai?」

Oh no. It is my junior colleague, Iizuka-kun. He tends to talk for a long time.

「Good work. Are you done for the day?」

「Yes, I finished early today. If you are done too, senpai, why not go for a drink? We are meeting up with our peers and other seniors at a bar soon」

「Sorry. I have plans today. Please invite me next time」

「Eh? You said that last time and turned me down!」

Did I? Ah, right. Last week. I refused because I was in the middle of conquering the otome game 「Flower Saint’s Heartbeat」. Wait, didn’t I refuse the time before that as well…?

「Alright, let’s drink together next week」

Socializing is important, after all. Even if games come first.

「You promise!」

「Of course」

「Ah, crap. I am going to be late for our appointment! Senpai, you absolutely must come next week!」

「Don’t worry, I will do my best not to forget」

「Senpai, ‘do your best’… I know. To make sure you do not forget, I will remind you every day. I will say ‘There is a drinking party this weekend’.」

「No, that is fine」

「No way. You seem like you will forget」

He does not look like he will give up.

「Understood. I am counting on you」

To be honest, I was anxious that I might actually forget.

「Got it. Then I will start from Monday! See you at the office」

「Yeah, see you at the office. Do not drink too much」

I parted ways with Iizuka-kun, who was smiling and waving, and headed toward the station.

「Now, let’s go home. And spend this long holiday immersed in games!」

「Otome Game: Saintess’ Wish ①」 had a classic story with no villainess. It was interesting in its own way, but I felt it was lacking something. Apparently, 「②」 features not only a villainess but also a villain young master. The illustrator is the same as in 「①」, Reiren-san. Her cute and beautiful illustrations really draw me in.

I ran up the station stairs.

Wait for me, Saintess’ Wish! I am almost home!

Slip.

「Eh?」

For some reason, my body is floating in midair. And pain runs through my entire body.

Did I fall down the stairs? Eh～? This ruins my plan to play otome games! I was aiming to clear it during this long holiday!

『Damn it～』

Huh?

I look down at my feet.

Why? There is another me there.

『Whoa, that is a lot of bleeding. Is this okay?』

…No, it is definitely not okay. After all, I am coming out of my own body.

『Eh, is this my soul?』

I look at my whole body. I think it is me, wearing my slightly worn-out suit. I cannot check my face since there is no mirror, though.

No, it might be an out-of-body experience. I reach out to touch my heavily bleeding body.

Swish.

I cannot touch it.

『No way… did I… die?』

Really?

『This can’t be! Without playing the game I was looking forward to so much? Ending like this so abruptly? If I am going to die, I should die after finishing the game! No, I do not want to die!』

I pound my fist on the ground in frustration while the paramedics rush around busily. I glance at myself lying on the ground.

No sign of returning.

『Right. If I touch my smartphone, maybe I can play the game?』

I reach for my smartphone, which had fallen nearby.

Swish.

I stare at my hand passing through the smartphone.

Well, I kind of expected that.

『Damn it! I cannot die in peace like this!』

I watch as they carry my body away.

-0-

『…Ah, he is gone～』

I turn my gaze toward a boy running up the stairs.

『I saw that kid at this time yesterday too. It must be for club activities. It is too early for school to start』

Four days have passed since I died. For some reason, I cannot move from the place where I died.

『What do you call this again? Cursed spirit? No, that is a made-up word. Um, earthbound spirit! Yes, an earthbound spirit. But do not earthbound spirits become those who could not accept their death?』

I have accepted that I died. I have regrets, huge regrets, but I have come to terms with it over these four days. Well, I still cannot fully accept it, but I am dead, so it cannot be helped. Yes, crying will not change anything.

I was surprised that ghosts can cry, so I wiped my tears away quickly.

『Sigh, I am so bored』

Getting bored after watching people go up and down the stairs for four days. I cannot play games because I do not have my smartphone. Well, I cannot touch it anyway.

『Wow. That woman looks exhausted. Her makeup cannot even hide the dark circles under her eyes』

I mutter while looking at a woman in a pantsuit climbing the stairs.

「Eh?」

『Eh!』

The exhausted woman looked at me. Yes, she 「looked」 at me.

『Huh?』

The woman quickly averted her gaze and walked past me. I could tell she was a bit flustered.

『Our eyes just met, right…』

I watch the woman as she goes up the stairs.

『Wait!』

I hurriedly run up the stairs. But the train carrying the woman departs.

『Aaaaaah』

I hold my head with my hands and watch the back of the train.

『She is gone. If I had reacted faster, I could have asked her about my condition! Wait a minute. I saw that woman yesterday too. Yes, I definitely saw her. That means this station is near her home. So, if I wait, I will see her again!』

Alright, I will wait for her return. And I will ask her to help me find a way to move from here. Oh… maybe I can ask her to play otome games for me instead?

-0-

『Is she here yet?』

Every time a train arrives at the station, I check the people getting off with anxiety and expectation. The woman wears a black pantsuit. She has short hair and looked extremely tired.

『Ah! Found her』

I spotted the woman I was looking for among the people getting off the train. She looks more tired than in the morning, but it is definitely her. Unable to suppress my rising excitement, I close the distance to her in an instant.

『Good evening. We met this morning, right?』

「Whoa」

Oh no! This was the top of the stairs!

The woman falls down the stairs. I hastily reach out, but my hand passes through hers.

『Wait! Wait!』

I rush down to the bottom of the stairs and check on the woman.

『Are you okay? Sorry for speaking to you so suddenly. What should I do』

「Are you alright?」

A station attendant rushes over and speaks to the woman, but there is no response.

『It seems there is no bleeding like in my case…』

I look around. Some people look at the woman with worry, while others take videos. It is the same scene I saw a few days ago.

『This is my fault, eek!』

I saw her soul slip smoothly out of the woman’s body.

『No, go back!』

I try to push her back into her body with my hands.

Squish.

『Ah, I can touch it』

I could not touch living people, but I can touch souls.

Wait, if I can touch it, maybe I can push it back in.

I squeeze her tightly and push her back into her body.

『If this goes inside, she should not die』

Well, I do not know if this is the right way to do it. But since I caused her death, I have to do something.

『Go back!』

When I shout with all my might, my body gets pulled strongly.

『What?』

The pulling force is strong, and it feels like I am being dragged away from her.

『What is this?』

Terrified by the pulling, I hug her.

『Eh?』

The woman’s surprised voice goes unnoticed amidst the terror of the increasing pulling force.

「What are you doing! Release that woman!」

I heard an unfamiliar voice, but what will happen to me if I let go?

『I can’t～ I don’t want to～』

Yank.

『Whoa!』

I am pulled with tremendous force, trying to take me somewhere. In fear and loneliness, I hug the girl in my arms tightly.

Scary. What is this! It is really scary! Eh, am I dying?

『No, I do not want to die!』

『Geez, you are already dead. Besides, what is this situation? Huh? Could it be that I… died?』

I heard a voice from within my arms. But I could not confirm it. The world before my eyes flashed bright… and when I realized it, I was in a room I had never seen before.