Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store.

“You may not believe it, but such things actually do occur. In places where intense feelings linger, mysterious phenomena arise that successively lead to deaths. It is called ‘chain phenomenon’. In famous suicide sites, people keep dying one after another, because the initial person who died there dragged in a second person, and the subsequent person dragged in a third person, leading to an unending chain of fatalities.”

Correspondingly, an endless stream of fatalities resulted from the consolidation of negative power. Accumulated thoughts parasitically inhabited a person’s mind and clouded their judgment. In short, even if they had no intention of doing so, they could be compelled to do so by a temporary weakening of their spirits.

Takenaka said that the man was probably another victim swept up in this chain of events.

And if Takenaka hadn’t intervened, I would have been one of those victims after being spotted and nearly possessed by the victim… That was the case, I supposed.

Incidentally, Aoyama had told me about a girl by the name of Kawachi when I initially started my part-time employment as I recalled. He mentioned that she resigned right after she started, too, but had been out of touch with her until a few days before quitting, and when the manager found her, she had slit her wrists at home…

At that time, all I thought was that girl must be going through a lot of hardship, but never did I expect this to be the case.

“That reminds me, Aoyama told me about someone named Kawachi before… I was wondering if the reason she resigned was because of an incident at that convenience store.”

Takenaka’s expression fell bleak at once, followed by a small sigh that almost faded away.

“Oh, eh!?”

Did I say something bad?

“Takenaka…?”

“If I…”

“Y-Yes?”

“If I had been there when it happened, that wouldn’t have happened…”

“Eh…”

My prediction was most likely spot on apparently.

Kawachi was involved in something tremendously unfavorable after a similar experience to mine and was ultimately found tragically psychologically ill and attempting suicide. Fortunately, she did not succumb and after quitting her part-time job, her mental state rapidly recovered and was now living a normal life but Takenaka still regretted that he failed to notice the situation before it happened and failed to save her.

Not only that, but I got the sense that he was more than a little bothered by the people who had resigned up to this point. Takenaka was not simply working part-time there. He was constantly on the lookout for newcomers, watching out for them and offering advice to ensure harm would not befall them.

Regardless of how much someone might think he was shady or creepy. Regardless of the odd looks they cast at him. So that no one else would end up as a victim.

Indeed, as Hirai said, this person was a “Guardian God.”

“Somehow, I am sorry.”

“Huh?”

When I apologized, Takenaka looked at me perplexed.

“I… Until now, I’ve never believed in things I couldn’t see, and I’ve always ridiculed people who claimed to be able to see specters or other such things in my mind and never gave any thought to believing in them. Even Takenaka, I believed you were a shady character when hearing how the others praised how great you were, and to be honest, I was extremely irate when you abruptly informed me that I ought to resign… I even thought, ‘What the hell is this guy?’…”

Even though I was a newcomer, I had such a poor attitude.

I didn’t even heed his warning. Even so, this person didn’t abandon me. Under normal circumstances, people would have thought, “Well then, do whatever you want.”

“I misunderstood you, Takenaka. You were telling the truth, but I didn’t believe you, and I apologize for that.”

My face started to heat up with embarrassment because it had been a long time since I had lowered my head and apologized in person. Takenaka, nevertheless, appeared not to have anticipated it and put his hands behind his head while keeping his face downcast lightly.

“Not really… It’s fine. It’s not like I could back up my claims with evidence, so it was only inevitable that mistrust would grow.”

While it was true that he lacked social skills and communication, he was nonetheless able to communicate normally if needed.

Appearances can be deceiving. I had come to strongly feel that way lately since starting to work at that convenience store.

“Even so… even if you say things are dangerous, are you and the other two members of the group okay with it?”

While newcomers repeatedly joined and left the job, Takenaka and the other three were said to be the only fixed members of the late-night group.

Takenaka and the others must have experienced their share of hardships if incidents like that night occurred more often than not… but instead of getting weary, all three of them were in good spirits. Was it a matter of getting used to it or was it different when they had worked there for many years?

“Well, I think it’s mostly a matter of familiarity. Hirai and I have countermeasures to a certain degree…”

“Countermeasures?”

“Yes. Hirai and I have always been able to see.”

“O-Oh… I mean, so Hirai can see those things after all!?”

Right, when we met for the first time, the atmosphere was terrific.

“Is it advantageous to be able to see spirits or something, or is it different from normal people who are not affected by them?”

“No, having the ability to see does not necessarily guarantee that you will not be affected at all. On the contrary, if you are only slightly spiritually gifted, the intensity of the energy in the sea of trees will overwhelm a person. Knowledge allows you to evade problems to a limited level but carelessness can be dangerous at times. However, Hirai is still a strong person so she is virtually nullifying the energy of that place. Well… it’s a rare case, though.”

“A-Amazing.”

Indeed, I had the feeling that that person harbored something within. Takenaka, whom Hirai respected, must have been so extraordinary.

“Then are you a strong individual too, Takenaka?”

“I am more of a protector than a strong individual.”

Something vague drifted behind Takenaka and fluctuated like a mirage, then unexpectedly came directly in front of my eyes as I was going to ask him what that meant. Astonished, I leaned back in my seat all the way and froze with my mouth gaping open.

It was exactly the same thing I had seen that day. With folded arms, the figure stood in an imposing stance with an armor and helmet―

The rough-looking Takenaka and that armor and helmet, which seemed to be from the Warring States period, looked quite incongruous. Like a shadow of Takenaka, the figure stood silently behind him.

Even after rubbing my eyes, the helmet and armor did not disappear from my sight. Perhaps noticing my behavior, Takenaka glanced behind him and said to me, “Do you see that?”

I nodded, struggling to speak.

I-I can see it… I can see it!

“W-What… what is that!!”

Was it a stand?

Takenaka motioned with his hand for me to settle down as I was in a strange state of shock. The other customers were eyeing me as I suddenly began to make a fuss. However, I realized that only Takenaka and I could see the armor and helmet. After cooling down, I asked in a whisper this time, “What is… that?”

“It is commonly referred to as a guardian spirit.”

Oh, I have heard something about that.

“It was originally my grandfather’s guardian spirit, but it possessed these to ward off bad luck because I was weak and kept getting injured and sick since I was a child. Thanks to it, I am fine even when I am in that strong magnetic field.”

The armor and helmet (apparently something like a yagura) usually drove away any spirit that sought to get close to Takenaka by intimidating them, so Takenaka rarely suffered any harm from them. Furthermore, to a certain extent, the spirit operated according to Takenaka’s will, so it could help people other than him.

Like that man who was trying to possess me and was driven away. To simplify it, it was like a bodyguard.

I see, indeed, with such a large guy behind me, I might not be afraid of getting tangled up with a yakuza.

“Specters… can attach themselves to you if you want them to, right?”

“Well, in this case, this guy is special.”

The armor and helmet faded away, as though they had disintegrated into the air, and vanished from my sight as Takenaka immediately peered up overhead and locked eyes with it. It seemed to me as if Takenaka ordered the armor and helmet to step back if there was no further business to be done.

Having listened to so many incomprehensible stories in such a short time that it made my stomach growl, I downed my iced coffee in one gulp and threw a mouthful of ice into my mouth while I was at it. While chewing on the ice, I tried to digest what was happening in reality and put all the stories in order.

The fact that specters, which I had never believed in, actually existed.

And that people who could see specters truly existed.

That the convenience store was located in an unbelievable place.

The fact that the place produced negative energy daily to the extent that it had an adverse effect on human beings.

Dozens of people were sent to the hospital after being exposed to this negative energy, and dozens of people escaped from the place after witnessing the horror of the place.

About how dangerous it was, even Takenaka, who could see specters, said that it was extremely dangerous…

After sorting all this out, I suddenly recognized something.

Takenaka and Hirai were fine…

Then, what about Aoyama…?