Chapter 4: The Diary

After finishing his conversation with his mother, Nakano Nobuhito returned to his room.

He gently closed the door and walked to his desk, sitting down.

The lighting in the room was somewhat dim.

The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a long, narrow streak of light across the floor.

He mechanically pulled out his arithmetic notebook from his schoolbag, the tip of his pencil scratching softly against the paper.

This scene of studying at his desk after school would appear utterly ordinary to anyone.

No matter how one looked at it, he was a diligent student who studied seriously after returning home.

Quiet, well-behaved, even somewhat withdrawn.

However, at this very moment, a monster with horns on its head and a single eye occupying half its face floated in midair.

Like a weightless shadow, it hovered over Nakano Nobuhito’s shoulder, carefully watching him write each stroke of his homework.

Beneath the bluish-gray skin of the one-eyed creature, a faint glow flickered like fireflies.

Its enormous pupil, taking up half its face, resembled a murky amber, reflecting the boy’s neat calculations.

Its claw rested lightly on Nobuhito’s shoulder, the faint blue ice crystals on its nails flickering with each breath.

The surveillance lasted for a full half hour.

Nakano Nobuhito never lost focus, his breathing remaining steady throughout.

The tip of his pencil continued its soft scratching, his handwriting as neat as if printed.

When he finished writing the final answer on the last page—

The monster seemed to grow bored, letting out a low sigh that sounded like wind scraping across dead branches.

It slowly turned around, drifting toward the door like a wisp of smoke, and disappeared through the crack.

The moment the monster left, Nakano Nobuhito stopped writing and shifted his gaze toward the first drawer on his right.

He then took a key from his pocket.

Before unlocking it, he carefully removed a strand of red hair from the keyhole and placed it at the corner of the desk.

Under the dim light, the hair emitted a faint red glow, like a smoldering ember.

—It was the hair of a Red-Haired Demon.

If someone tried to force the lock open, it would instantly burn everything inside the drawer to ashes, leaving no trace behind.

Inside the drawer was only a diary.

Its cover was dark brown, the edges already worn.

The moment he opened it, several dried hydrangea petals slipped out from between the pages.

The diary was densely filled with his thoughts about monsters:

Weaknesses of monsters: Most monsters have an innate fear of specific objects or rituals, such as shimenawa ropes, kagura bells, talismans, or salt.

Habits of monsters: Monsters are often born from human negative emotions or obsessions, such as resentment, loneliness, or fear.

He once saw a rain woman formed from her owner’s sorrow, who would appear by the window whenever it rained.

Disguises of monsters: Some monsters can disguise themselves as humans, even mimicking human memories and behavior.

However, they always reveal flaws, such as neglecting details or showing abnormal emotional responses.

Methods of subjugation: Besides force, one can also resolve a monster’s resentment by fulfilling its obsession or easing its inner knot.

On the most recent pages, he had written the following entries:

May 6, Tuesday:

After returning home from school this afternoon, I discovered a monster wandering in my room.

It seemed idle, simply drifting around, occasionally stopping to stare at the photos on the wall.

Its appearance was rather comical—a single huge eye took up nearly its entire face, with two crooked horns on its head like poorly grown branches.

This creature shows no signs of aggression. It is likely the “Mokuro” recorded in Hyakki Yagyō-shō.

May 7, Wednesday:

Before leaving for school this morning, I tried saying a few words to “Father.”

He did not show the usual impatience.

He even patted my head.

I hate having my head touched, except by Mom.

We once had a big argument over this, yet he has apparently forgotten.

After returning home in the afternoon, the monster “Mokuro” appeared again.

In the evening, when Father returned carrying the smell of grilled fish from an izakaya, the monster disappeared at the same time.

Therefore, I conclude that this monster is acting as “Father’s” eyes and ears, monitoring the house in his absence.

The miso soup Mom served still had too much tofu—she never remembers that I dislike the beany taste.

That, at least, hasn’t changed.

May 8, Thursday:

After eating the breakfast Mom made, I told “Father” that I wanted to go to the zoo this weekend.

“Father” actually nodded gently and said that as long as Mom agreed, the whole family could go together.

Heh.

The real Father hasn’t taken me anywhere for two whole years.

Work! Work! A fool who cares about nothing but work.

Before leaving, “he” patted my head again.

I protested, but he said a child’s head is meant to be patted.

After returning from school, the monster was still there, as expected.

As for Mom, she is the same as before.

Whether through verbal probing or observing her daily habits, there are no abnormalities.

Mm. She has no problem.

…

Nakano Nobuhito began writing today’s entry.

May 9, Friday:

After returning home, I saw a different side of Mom.

She was dressed very provocatively, like a beautiful goddess from anime.

Usually, she dresses conservatively and doesn’t pay much attention to her appearance.

So today, with “Father” not at home, for her to dress like that—there is only one truth: she cheated.

However, this is not surprising.

The original Father was a completely uninteresting man.

After spending so long with him, all a young woman like Mom could feel was probably suffering.

Personally, I have no objection to her seeking her own happiness.

As long as she is happy.

Also, she seems even more foolish than before, and has no guard against me at all, still treating me as a child who doesn’t understand the differences between men and women.

Heh.

I will keep reminding her of this.

Additionally, I still haven’t figured out the reason why “that existence” replaced Father.

Aside from “me,” there doesn’t seem to be anything in this family worth attention.

Could it be Mother?

No. She is just a housewife who is slightly younger than the mothers of my classmates.

Since I can remember, she has never shown any special talent.

So, I must find out the purpose of “Father’s” presence here.

…

At this point, Nakano Nobuhito closed the diary and gently placed it back into the drawer.

He carefully inserted the red hair back into the keyhole, confirming everything was restored before slowly closing the drawer.

Just then, his mother’s voice came from downstairs, calling him for dinner.

“Nobuhito, dinner’s ready!”

Her voice was gentle and light, as if she hadn’t noticed anything unusual happening in this house at all.

Nakano Nobuhito stood up, preparing to go downstairs.

“Father” would most likely not return for dinner—this had always been his habit.

Adults loved to treat drinking, chatting, and wasting time at izakayas as part of their work.

Utterly boring.

However, just as he was thinking this—

The sound of the front door opening came from downstairs.

“I’m back.”

A low voice called out.

It was “Father”!

He had actually returned home, completely out of character.

Could tonight be some kind of special day?

Nakano Nobuhito’s heart sank sharply.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

‘I’m indeed a little hungry.’

He stepped forward and walked downstairs.