Murder At The Rainy Mansion ~The Never Ending 100 Tales~

Chapter 38: That thing is coming…

Ayano: “Did you have a falling out with him because of his gambling habit?”

Hisami: “You talk a lot. You won’t even get close to me when I was alive. I thought you were a strange kid because I couldn’t read your mind.”

Ayano: “Oh, I just speak randomly to avoid an awkward silence.”

Hisami: “That is a surprise. I didn’t expect you to have the awareness to avoid awkward silence. …No, gambling was not the reason. You are clueless about love, don’t you? No wonder Takato dumped you.”

Ayano was dumbfounded being lectured by a ghost.

Hisami: “Although you seem similar to Chizuru, you are smarter than her. That woman didn’t know how to go along with the crowd. She was a natural beauty. She shouldn’t wear loud clothes or put on makeup. You look plain but I think you are better this way.”

But I have a reason for not wearing makeup. And I didn’t choose plain clothes on purpose; these are my favorite fashion. I didn’t even know it look plain, Ayano complained inwardly. She was shocked when she realized how others looked at her.

Ayano: “Hisami-san. You are talkative too today.”

She could sense a familiarity with Hisami; it was something that didn’t exist when she was alive.  It was not because Hisami was a spirit, an existence that close to her in the mansion, but instead it was because Hisami was baring her weakness to her.

Right when the thought came to her mind, she stopped moving. She felt like she might know the reason.

“Ayano, are you alright?” Toru knelt in front of her.

Hisami was no longer around. Her hair that was grabbed fell onto the old wooden floor.

“Are you alright?” Toru asked her again.

Ayano remained lying on the floor and looked up at Toru upside down. “Uncle Toru. There is something I have wanted to ask you since before.”

“Hmm?” Toru asked her in return.

Ayano: “Uncle Toru. Are you my father?”

Toru: “… What makes you think so?”

Ayano got up on her feet and replied, “It’s nothing. I heard you were in a relationship with my mother.”

Toru: “Although it would be better for you if that is true, I’m afraid it is not the case. Anyway, only Chizuru knows the truth. What about you? Who do you think is your father?”

Being asked point blank, Ayano looked at the well-lighted wide hallway in front of the entrance that looked similar to the real world and answered in a soft voice, “I don’t know. Ghost also lies—”

Ayano woke up from her dream and looked around her. It seemed she was asleep for a short time only. It was still bright outside.

When she went down the stairs, she turned towards the invisible ghost and said, “You tried to help me just now, didn’t you? Thank you.”

There was no reply from the staircase ghost. She was about to leave when she heard a voice saying “Be careful.”

Ayano: “Huh?”

Staircase ghost: “The weak ghosts are gone. But because of that, that thing is getting stronger.”

Ayano: “That thing?”

“The one that showed up in your mirror,” the ghost told her.