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

Onlyimereiseconds after she closed her eyes.

Wheniher eyelids fluttered open once more, Ayame, as she had called herself, was no longer present.

Heriexpression reverted to her usual soft one. At this instant, the original Hirai was back to her true self.

“Ah! Iifelt like I had a great sleep. Huh? Hakamada?”

“H-Hi… Hirai!?”

Withieyesiwide open and arms outstretched above her head, Hirai was indisputably Hirai. Her voice, tone, and every other aspect were reminiscent of Hirai. Notwithstanding the flaws in her Japanese, she was indeediHirai.

Startlediyet relieved to have her revert to her former self, I stood still, my mouth agape, while she grinned atime.

“What’siwrong?”

No, thisiwas not a matter of what was wrong…

“I-I-I-Iiam sorry!!”

Regardlessiof me being possessed, I tightened her neck drastically. Had that person not manifested, Hirai truly would have perished. Whenever the faint handprint of mine that lingered on the nape of her neck came into view, my heart ached deep inimy chest.

“Don’t mind it, itiwill fade away soon. Ahaha, we both landed ourselves into a messy predicament, didn’t we?”

“Iiamitruly sorry…”

“Don’tibe that downcastーwe’re both in one piece, you know.”

Asimyishoulders slumped, Hirai told me to get my spirits up (?) and patted me on the back, ah… I knew it, this person was undoubtedly different from the person I had just spoken with earlier.

Iishould confirm that at least for now, nevertheless.

“Um, Hirai. Thisimay sound crazy, but who is ‘Ayame’…?”

Theianswer was immediate when I inquired aboutiit.

“Huh? Oh! That’s my maman[i].”

“M-Ma…”

Maman.

Maman―?

Thatiwouldimean…

Yourimother!?

“Youiwere speaking to her, right? Earlier.”

“Whatiexactly… isigoing on?”

Holdion, holdion, Hirai’s mother, Hirai’s mother, earlier she…

Mother? WhyiHirai’s mother was Hirai herself? No, I mean, your mother was Hirai, and you yourself too, wait no, I didn’t get a single thing!

Confusionireigned in my mind as Hirai said the person who was talking to me earlier (that was likewise Hirai) was her mother.

“Details, please.”

“Yeah. Youiprobably don’t understand unless the explanation is given, right? Sorry, I’ve been keeping it a secret until now…”

Onceiand for all, Hirai revealed her secret to me.

Theimother, “Hirai Ayame,” a so-called guardian spirit that protected her daughter, Hirai, periodically took over her body to keep her safe. WheniAyame possessed her, not only Hirai’s consciousness but her body and thoughts were in her control as well. During that time, she indeed transformed and became a different person. She did, nonetheless, only ever unveil herself when Hirai was in peril; otherwise, she remained aispirit by Hirai’s side.

Thisistory was another unbelievable one but I had witnessed it with my own eyes, and apparently that was what happened. It was theiwill of a firm mother who wished to protect her daughter. So far, in spite of almost being victims of molestation, stalking, and so forth, everything was eventually resolved in a smooth flow of events. It was undeniably thanks to the advice and assistance of Hirai’s mother, Ayame. Incidentally, it appeared thatithe store manager and Takenaka from the convenience store were the only ones who knew about this, aside from her family.

“Mamanilooks and speaks in a terrifying tone, but she is in fact incredibly sweet, and always saves the day, just like she did today.”

“Iisee… Your mother loves you very much.”

Afterilistening to the whole story of Hirai, I finally unraveled the mystery behind the whole thing, while simultaneously feeling slightly touched by the wondrous love of her family. Indeed, when the cat that possessed me was separated from me, that person empathized with the hardship of being parted from its family while trying to persuade it to leave me.

Surely, itiwas because she was in the same boat as the cat.

Eveniso, even after her death, she was still protecting… Hirai, her daughter. Sheikept watching out for her.

She said all those things to me and then disappeared before me but I supposed everything was a form of mother’s love…

“…Huh? Whatiare you talking about, Hakamada? My maman is living a normal life, you know?”

“What!?” Translator: MadHatter

“Yeah, she’siatimy parents’ house in Hokkaido. Do you want me to show you a photo of her later?”

What…Not shared on aggregator websites

Accordingito her story, Ayame was a well-known medium in Hokkaido, and her power was said to surpass that of Hirai and Takenaka.

Everyinow and then, sheiwould accept a request to personally visit a sacred place and subdue evil and vengeful spirits in various places (her main job apparently was part-time at a supermarket), but what was remarkable was that she was not only purifying evil andivengeful spirits and guiding them to Buddhahood, but she was apparently so worried about her daughter who had come to Honshuithat she detached part of her consciousness and went into a semi-astralized state, and though Ayame herself was in Hokkaido, sheisent half of her consciousness toward Hirai and became a living spirit, possessing her. She was capable of performing astonishing feats that no ordinary person wouldibe able to imitate.

Hirai’simother’s ability to pull off such a feat astounded me considering that she was still alive and that sheiwas in Hokkaido, which was far distant fromihere.

Iimean, just how worried were you over your daughter? Rather than saying amazing, or overreacting, wasn’t that extreme overprotectiveness?

“Hirai… haven’t youiever thought that you kind of hate it…??”

“Hateiit? Aboutiwhat?”

“I… I see.”

Notwithstanding, Iifound it marvelous that Hirai, who went out to Honshu to work in the company of her mother’s living spirit until now, was equally exceptional.

“Iiwonder if that cat… has attained Buddhahood.”

“Yeah, it’siokay. I am confident that the cat has attained Buddhahood and is probably in heaven by now.”

“I… haveidone something wrong to that cat, haven’t I?”

Clutchingia small cat food can, I muttered to her, and she gave a subtle headshake in response.

“No. It’s notia bad thing, because even though that feeling of yours wasn’t accepted, I think it’s a tiny act of kindness on your part.”

“Couldibe.”

“Iiam sure that the cat is pleased that Hakamada was the only one who tried to make a memorial service for it.”

Although it’s only a small detail, that feeling has been acknowledged.

Thatiwas what Hirai told me.

If thatiwas the case, I hope so…

“Somehow, it’s tough, isn’t it? Everything’s so muchimore complicated here.”

“Yeah.”3edc

“Doiyouiwant to resign?”

“No, Iiwill carryion.”

“Isithat so? That’sigreat!”

“It’sitough, and thingsilike this may occur again, but I enjoy… being with these people, so I don’t feel like quitting just yet.”

Besides, Iistill had… reasons to stay.

Finally, theishift ended. Hirai and I parted ways and made our way home.

Withitheimorning sun streaming down on my back, Iilet out a big yawn. Perhapsidue to being possessed, Iifelt twice as exhausted as usual, so I got on my bike, drained.

Neitheritomorrow nor the day after, I had no part-time job, and if I just went home and slept, I might be able to sleep for the next two full days.

WhileiIiwas mulling over this, I reached that tunnel. Unexpectedly, I stepped on the brake and brought the bike to a halt.

Thatimottled patterned cat was in front of the tunnel’s entrance. The same mottled patterned cat, which had often presented itself in front of me, was basking in the light the same way Iiwas, lookingiat me with an expression as if it wanted to say something. Yet, the cat didn’t wear a resentful expression on its face likeibefore.

Iidismounted from my bike, approached the cat, and placed the contents of the cat food can a short distance away from it.

Withime taking several steps backward, the cat, seemingly starving, sprang for the can and began to eat it, noisily.

“I amisorry I could only do this,” I said to the cat, which occasionally licked its tongue. “Try not to get run over.”

Stayialive for that cat.

“Nah-oh.”e3dfv

Asiif to say, “I understand,” the cat turned to me and purred.

Afteriwaiting for the cat to finish its meal, I made sure it disappeared into the copse and it never looked back before I mounted my bike andistarted it up again.

T/N:

[i] It’s another way of saying mother in Japanese. Though, I will be using the literal word since the depicted Hirai uses strange Japanese