「「Have a good day」」
Onii-chan and I see Mother off. Usually, she seems to take my younger sister with her, but since we are home today, my sister will stay home with us.
「Alright, Rina」
Onii-chan looks at me.
「Let’s finish cleaning before Mother comes back」
Cleaning. It is one of the household chores I am not good at.
『I was bad at cleaning too. Once I started tidying up, manga and games would catch my eye, and I would not make much progress』
Is that not just because you were reading manga or playing games instead of cleaning?
「I will do the wiping, so Rina, please use the broom」
Ah, right. There are no vacuum cleaners in this world. It has been a while since I used a broom.
「Yes」
「Thank you」
I take the broom from onii-chan and start with my room on the second floor. After finishing my room, I move to onii-chan’s room.
I hesitated a little before entering onii-chan’s room. After all, although he is Rina’s brother, to me, it is someone else’s room. I felt somewhat sorry about entering my parents’ room as well.
「You can clean Suna’s room after she wakes up」
I nod at onii-chan and go downstairs to start cleaning the kitchen. Next, I finish the dining room and living room.
「Rina. I will clean the toilet and bathroom, so you do not need to do them」
Onii-chan says while wiping the living room floor.
Onii-chan really cares for his sisters. I never cared for my younger brother this much. I cannot see him anymore.
『Your brother is a bit of a sis-con. He is handsome, but being too much of a sis-con is a negative, so you should be careful』
Can I punch you?
『Eh, what?』
Noticing my gaze, Yuu moves away from me and raises his hands for some reason.
「What is that?」
『No, just a feeling. I sensed something ominous』
「Rina? Did you say something?」
「It is nothing, onii-chan」
I accidentally spoke to Yuu. I must be careful. I will become a suspicious person who talks to themselves a lot.
『In manga, people can converse telepathically. I wonder if we can do that?』
Converse telepathically? If I could do that, I would not seem like a suspicious person.
I look at Yuu. Converse with him in my mind?
『Eh, why do you look so disgusted?』
「It is just your imagination」
I was just confused by the image of my mind connecting with Yuu’s. Yes, I was just confused and slightly repulsed.
For now, maybe I should try it. It seems necessary for the future.
『Um, Yuu? Can you hear me?』
I try to converse telepathically with Yuu.
『Eh, what? Is there something on my face?』
Ah, it seems that is impossible.
『Rina? Why are you sighing? What is wrong?』
Yuu looks at me with a puzzled expression.
「It is nothing」
I will tell him later that we cannot converse telepathically.
「Rina? What is it?」
Ah, I did it again.
「Are you tired?」
「A little. But I am almost done, so I will finish cleaning」
「Do not push yourself. You might get a fever from your injuries」
「Yes, understood. Thank you」
Just as I finished cleaning the entrance, Suna woke up.
「Nii-tan, Nee-tan!」
Rina’s younger sister is so cute! She looks like Father, just like onii-chan, so I am really looking forward to seeing her grow up.
「Suna, good morning」
Suna hugs onii-chan tightly and smiles.
「Morning, nii-tan」
「Suna, good morning」
When I speak to her, she smiles happily, lets go of onii-chan, and hugs me tightly.
「Morning, nee-tan」
Ah, so cute. According to Rina’s memories, Suna is three years old. Were three-year-olds this cute?
「Nii-tan. Were ish okaasan?」
「She went out for work. Today, let’s play with onii-chan and onee-chan while we wait」
「Okay」
My cheeks relax seeing Suna raise one hand energetically in response.
「Rina. I will feed Suna breakfast, so you can take a break」
I tilt my head at onii-chan.
「Eh? I will help too」
「Rina, you should rest. You look tired」
Eh?
『Ah, it is true. You look tired, and your complexion is a bit bad』
Is my complexion bad too? Maybe I should rest.
I cup my cheeks with both hands.
Huh? I might have a slight fever.
「Understood. I will rest in my room」
After saying goodbye to Suna, I return to my room. When I collapse onto the bed, my body feels a bit heavy.
『Are you okay?』
「I feel a bit feverish」
Is it because of the wound? Or because of this unfamiliar environment?
『Rina. What will happen to me from now on?』
「Eh?」
When I look at Yuu, he is looking at me with a slightly anxious expression.
『What will happen to a ghost like me from now on?』
「Well, if you resolve your regrets, the Shinigami will come to guide you」
What is wrong? Did he suddenly become anxious? Or has he been anxious all along?
『I do not know what those regrets are. Also, is there a Shinigami in this world too?』
I am not worried about the Shinigami. Even if the name is different, there must be beings who guide souls in the same way. Otherwise, the world would be overflowing with souls that have lost their way.
However, there is a problem regarding Yuu’s regrets. Normally, one does not forget regrets strong enough to keep them in this world. It is absolutely impossible for someone to become unaware of them like Yuu has.
「Can you really not think of anything? When you died, did you not strongly think ‘I wanted to see someone’, ‘I wanted to do something’, or ‘I wanted to eat something’?」
『Otome games』
「Otome games?」
Were you thinking about otome games when you died?
『Yes. The day I died was a Friday, and I had planned to spend Saturday and two other days conquering an otome game. Even when I died, I remember thinking, ‘If only I could have played the game first’.』
「I see. Hmm, so if you could conquer that otome game, your regrets might be resolved」
Wait? If he has come to this world, will Yuu’s regrets never be resolved?
『What happens if my regrets are never resolved?』
Yuu seems to have realized it too.
「Your spiritual power will increase, and your appearance will change. At the same time, the things you can do will increase」
『And then?』
Yuu looks at me anxiously.
「Eventually, you will become a complete form. If you can adapt well to the world even after becoming a complete form, you will remain as you are」
『Does that mean I will remain a ghost forever?』
「Yes」
『What if I do not adapt?』
Yuu’s expression becomes slightly frightened.
「Your sense of self will fade, and you will go mad. Then, if you cause problematic behavior, the Shinigami will reap you」
『What does ‘reap’ mean?』
「It seems your soul is cut by the Shinigami’s weapon to extinguish it」
『If I am cut, will I die?』
Die? Well, this is talking about what happens after death.
When I look at Yuu, he gives a wry smile upon realizing his mistake.
『Sorry. That was about what happens after death, wasn’t it?』
「Yes」
『Ah～ In that case, my regrets will definitely never be resolved here』
「That is true. But are you sure those otome games are really your regret?」
Judging by Yuu, I do not think that is his regret. Ghosts with unresolved regrets usually think about nothing else.
The reason ghosts do not notice that they can be seen is due to their 「regrets」. Because they keep talking about their regrets beside you day and night? They continue until their regrets are resolved. Yes, twenty-four hours a day, without rest.
『What do you mean? Are you saying my regret is something else?』
「When a ghost dies with unresolved regrets, their mind becomes filled with that single thing all day long. If someone notices them, they usually haunt that person and keep talking to them to make them fulfill their purpose」
『Eh, their mind is filled with that?』
「Yes. Apparently, as time passes, it worsens, and they stop caring about anything else」
『The day after I died, I screamed out of frustration because I could not play the otome game. But I do not think it was as bad as you say. Are there no ghosts like me?』
There are ghosts like Yuu. But not at spiritual power level one. Is it because he was originally a complete form? In the first place, I do not even know why a complete form turned into a level one appearance. I do not know Yuu’s regrets either.
「There are so many unknowns」
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