Chapter 123: The Household Affairs of Sakurai

After her husband passed away, the izakaya "Sankaya" (Mayapple), run by Junko Sakurai, became unexpectedly popular.

For years, as evening approached, crowds of customers would arrive. However, Makoto Sakurai found it strange that the vast majority of these patrons were men. It wasn't that men drinking at an izakaya was odd, but to young Makoto, these men didn't seem like the upstanding sort. There were sunglass-wearing thugs who seemed to walk both sides of the law, homeless haiku poets, police officers finishing their night patrols, and owners of nearby shops. A diverse mix of people from all walks of life would gather at Sankaya, filling the izakaya with a thick, murky atmosphere, while his mother would wear a plastered-on smile to entertain them.

That was the impression young Makoto had. Consequently, as he grew up, he had no intention of inheriting the izakaya. He had tried to persuade his mother many times to stay home and rest, but to no avail; his stubborn mother continued to run the shop. Recently, his own daughter had been frequently visiting her grandmother there.

These were, in truth, family matters, unrelated to exorcism. But since Makoto had included them in his request, Qiao Qiao went ahead and recounted them to Haruka Sasaki.

"Now, for the main point."

As time passed—or perhaps because Makoto rarely visited the shop—those guests he once found so strange began to dwindle. Recently, to his knowledge, there were hardly any customers left. Yet, his mother remained busy, and his daughter insisted that business was quite good. Curious, Makoto snuck over one night to observe, only to find the brightly lit izakaya filled with several of the customers he had seen in the past.

He later looked into these men and discovered that they had long since passed away.

Furthermore, he recently heard from his daughter that a rather frivolous young man had been frequenting the shop and getting quite close to his mother. At first, Makoto suspected a scam targeting the elderly, but when he rushed into the izakaya to confront them, all the guests vanished. There was only the empty shop and his mother, alone.

The more Makoto thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He commissioned the Exorcist Association, and the request eventually landed in the hands of Qiao Qiao, acting on behalf of the Shimogamo Shrine.

"Possessed by a vengeful spirit?" Haruka Sasaki chewed on the words, unable to stop a cold shiver from running down her spine. The thought of vengeful spirits disguising themselves as an old woman’s acquaintances to drain her life force made her tremble so hard she felt she couldn't move.

"Well, according to Mr. Sakurai, those people have been dead for years. In any case, they don't seem like the type to leave lingering spirits behind," Qiao Qiao nodded.

While the description might suggest that these guests were simply so attached to Mrs. Sakurai that they had become spirits to keep her company, it was a pity that the world of the occult was not so gentle. Even with deep attachments, it was difficult for a spirit to persist for years, let alone return to keep someone company. While there was a theoretical, miraculous possibility, there was a Chinese proverb: it is precisely because it never happens that it is called a miracle.

Therefore, it was more likely that a vengeful spirit was exploiting Mrs. Sakurai’s longing, taking the form of those departed souls to deceive her. Just as there are human syndicates that prey on the elderly, among vengeful spirits, naive children and confused elderly people are frequent targets.

"Of course, there is another possibility: that the izakaya itself has been inhabited by a vengeful spirit, becoming a place-bound spirit. If that were the case, we would only have to—"

"Only have to?" Haruka asked timidly.

"Well, we’d have to blow it up, I suppose."

"?"

*Wait, Qiao-san, no matter how you look at it, blowing it up is...* Before Haruka could voice her objection, Qiao Qiao added, "Just kidding."

*But Qiao-san, you didn't look like you were kidding at all!* As Haruka hesitated over whether to point this out, Qiao Qiao suddenly stopped walking.

*Are-are we going to blow it up?*

"We're here."

Qiao Qiao pointed to the izakaya on the side of the street, which had yet to open for business. The handwritten sign for "Sankaya" hung by the entrance. The streets of Pontocho were narrow—barely wide enough for four people to walk abreast—and the izakaya was naturally small; if one had to describe it, it was the size of a late-night diner. Several pots of leafy plants, of an unrecognizable species, sat by the door. A wind chime hung silently, ready to ring should a guest enter.

Although it wasn't opening time yet, Junko Sakurai seemed to be busy. Through the half-open door, one could see an elderly woman with white hair meticulously wiping down a table and glasses.

*Ding-a-ling—*

A pleasant sound from the wind chime echoed through the shop. Qiao Qiao slid the door open and stepped inside.

"Good afternoon. We are exorcists sent from the Shimogamo Shrine. I trust Mr. Sakurai has notified you?"

"Exorcists? I don't need that sort of thing." Mrs. Sakurai didn't look directly at Qiao Qiao. Despite her age, she wore a kimono and radiated a unique elegance; she must have been quite beautiful in her youth.

"Then please, just treat us as your first guests of the day." Qiao Qiao took a seat, and seeing that she didn't intend to kick them out, he turned to Haruka. "Sasaki-san, use your spirit vision to check the place."

"Oh? O-okay."

Haruka activated her spirit vision. She was at least capable of this level of exorcism technique—or rather, she was one of the more proficient students in that regard. It was just her cowardice that remained her greatest obstacle.

Through her spirit vision, she saw that the izakaya was wrapped in a dense, sinister aura. This miasma clung to the eaves, the rafters, the edges of the tables, the bowls, the cups, and the chairs.

"Ah!" Haruka gasped, nearly falling off her stool. She saw that the aura clinging to Mrs. Junko Sakurai was even thicker. It was an amount only seen in those on the verge of death. If left unchecked, this miasma would erode her body in a short time, leading to a rapid decline in her health.

Qiao Qiao and Arisu Asano naturally saw it too.

"It seems there is indeed a problem here," Arisu whispered. "Teacher, what will you do in a situation like this?"

"Observe for now."

Qiao Qiao saw Mrs. Sakurai serve them tea, seemingly accepting them as genuine customers. It was five o'clock in the evening, and the shops in Pontocho were lighting up one after another. In the misty rain, as the lanterns began to glow, pedestrians hurried by, searching for their own favorite haunt. Mrs. Sakurai hung a lantern outside as well.

Since all three were minors, they ordered juice. After looking at the menu, Qiao Qiao ordered a few skewers of grilled chicken to fill the two girls' stomachs.

Just then—

*Ding-a-ling—*

The wind chime at the door rang, and a man walked into the shop.

"Ah, Junko. The usual: a carafe of sake, two skewers of grilled ginkgo nuts, and beef tongue."

The man didn't pay any attention to Qiao Qiao and the others, simply sitting to the side. He wore a dark kimono and had two jagged scars on his face; with his crew cut and tall, hulking frame, he looked like a man you didn't want to mess with.

*Ding-a-ling—*

A man in a classic Western suit walked in, gave the intimidating man a wry smile, and sat opposite him. "Madam, one skewer of grilled mushrooms, the saury mix, and a draft beer."

*Ding-a-ling—*

Another man, wearing a plaid kimono with a brown scarf and sporting a stubbly beard, walked in. After ordering a few skewers and a drink, he seemed to notice the three of them and murmured softly:

"July rain falls heavily, in the hazy curtain, Mogami River."