The Morose Mononokean (不機嫌なモノノケ庵)

Fuzzy! Go around the other side!

Utakuni.

I understand that you harbor regrets about your time

in this plane.

But you cannot stay in the Mundane World any longer.

I ask you to prepare to leave this place.

Allow me to exorcise you, and I can promise this:

In the Underworld, you won't be alone anymore.

How does that sound?

Mononokean master, Haruitsuki Abeno,

requesting a portal to the Underworld.

Safe travels!

Ashiya.

Yeah?

Here's today's pay.

This is all you're giving me?

Huh?

Come on, Abeno!

I may not have been able to physically catch him.

But I worked my butt off all day to corner him!

I think that hustle deserves more than change!

That "hustle" is the entirety of your job.

You don't get a bonus for not screwing up.

Do you want me to pay back the debt I owe you or not?

Because you're making it impossible!

Oh shut up.

We did what we came here to do; the yokai 's exorcised.

Let's go.

Uh. I meant to ask you something.

That yokai .

You told him he wouldn't be alone in the Underworld, right?

He's like the hairball.

Someone's poor pet who passed away,

then quickly became a yokai .

Huh? Another one, huh?

Missed his owners so bad.

He'd possess everyone he saw.

Growing larger and larger all the while.

If we'd waited much longer to exorcise him,

he'd have gotten too big

to fit through the door to the Underworld.

Um. Abeno?

I have a favor to ask.

Fuzzy.

I think I'm balloon-ed out.

But we don't have to stop playing yet,

we can do something else.

Hang tight.

I'm just gonna clean up the room first.

He's all tuckered out.

When Fuzzy became a yokai ,

he was just like the one we exorcised today.

He stayed in the Mundane World, hoping someone would notice him.

And by complete chance,

he ended up in the company of two guys

who can see yokai , Abeno and I.

But most yokai aren't so lucky and are all alone in our world.

It's because I met Fuzzy that I became deep in debt to Abeno.

So now I'm working for him to try and pay him back.

And trust me, this job has put me through the ringer.

But it's because I know how those yokai feel

that I want to keep doing this job,

despite the craziness that comes with it.

Hanae!

Hanae, time to wake up!

Huh? Fuzzy?

Uh. Oh. That's right,

I asked Abeno to let me take you home last night, didn't I?

Okay, Fuzzy, time to wake up.

All right.

I'm heading out.

Oh, sweetie?

What was all that noise last night?

Huh?

I noticed I've gained some weight recently,

so I was just exercising in my room!

With what? Gymnastics?

One second.

Hold still.

There was some lint on your shoulder.

Oh.

Well, thanks for catching that, then.

You're the best, Mom!

You're so jumpy, you're not feeling sick again, are you?

Are kids at school still calling you

"the kid from the nurse's office."

Wait, where did you hear that nickname?

I never told you!

But no, I feel fine!

Don't worry about me. I'm as healthy as can be!

What?

Japanese rowan.

In flower, they mean "I'm watching over you."

Come on!

Do you have to express everything through flowers?

Anyway, I gotta go!

Stay out of trouble. 'Kay?

It totally feels like summer now.

Well, summer vacation is right around the corner,

and since this is your first as high schoolers.

I've got some advice.

It's never too early to start planning.

You wouldn't want to waste your precious time off.

Take me for example.

I'm already planning my family trip.

I was thinking of going camping in the mountains,

but my daughter says she wants to go to the beach!

She's so cute I can never say no to her.

See you tomorrow.

Later.

I wonder where Abeno is.

He didn't say anything about having work today.

Well, I should probably still bring Fuzzy back--

Yo, Ashiya!

Oh, hey, Fusshi. Hey, Saga.

You doin' okay, man?

I saw you staring at your shoulder there.

It's been stiff since I woke up this morning!

You think we'll ever get out of class on time?

Not with our teacher.

You guys wanna hit up the convenience store?

I'm always down for ice cream!

Sorry, I can't.

There's somewhere I need to go today.

Huh?

What?

Are you okay, man?

Yeah, I'm fine. Uhh...

Whoa!

What's that behind you?

Anyway, see ya, bye!

Uh...

Can you not connect the Mononokean

to the classroom door without warning?

And where have you been? In here sipping on tea all day?

SOS?

What? Was there an accident?

Do we have a new case? What's the deal?

Alcohol.

What does that mean?

Did someone drink themselves sick?

How much should I worry?

Probably not at all, in fact.

Also, volume.

Wait, don't tell me it's the Mononkean--

Decrease, not increase.

Look at the bottom.

SOS.

With a chance of clouds?

Mononokean.

What does that mark at the end mean?

Knew I could count on you.

If I remember correctly,

the Legislator is one of the top three figures in the Underworld.

The one I met before.

So if this is his seal,

that means something bad happened to him, right?

Likely just a hangover.

Me, too?

What does he expect?

Does he want us to nurse him back to health, or what?

All I know is we don't have to go.

You'd just leave him hanging like that?

A guy like him could easily get someone else

to take care of him.

It could be a really bad hangover.

My! Hello there, come in.

We've been expecting you.

I am grateful you made the journey here.

So this is what the inside looks like.

Man, when I was here before, I only saw the outside.

Enough gawking.

Mr. Legislator.

The young Master of the Mononokean

and his employee are here to see you, as requested.

Send them in.

I'll be taking my leave now.

Legislator?

Aren't you hurt?

Sure am.

You came at just the right time, Itsuki!

Do me a favor and refill my pipe with tobacco.

It's such a bother with only one hand.

He broke his arm?

This is broken, huh?

Yes, I think so.

He's using his full grip strength on an arm in a cast!

The tobacco, if you would?

I wouldn't.

Legislator, what happened to your arm?

Also, you shouldn't smoke if you're injured.

I mean, it's bad for humans at least, I don't know about you.

Listen to this sweetheart!

He's showing more concern for me than you are, Itsuki.

Even a master can learn from their employees.

Now, I know this may be embarrassing,

but perhaps you should act more like him.

Coming from the guy

who sends out an SOS every time he's hungover.

You realize this interrupts my work, right?