April Ghost Story (四月怪談)

Hatsuko.

Hatsuko.

Hatsuko Hatsuko-chan.

It's better to return to your body soon.

It's still too early for you to pass through this gate.

Who are you?

I am of the same substance as you.

Person of the same substance?

Yes, you just died a moment ago.

Died? Me?

Yes.

Wow, what a fantastic dream!

So? Are we going to heaven together from now on?

Are you so eager to try going to heaven?

I'd like to try going.

If we pass through this gate, we can go, right?

If we pass through this gate, we won't be able to return.

You have to abandon all memories of the mortal world.

Amazing...

In dreams, you can hear about the theory of the afterlife.

Well, then

Do you want me to prove this is not a dream?

Please go ahead.

- Close your eyes just like that. - Yes!

Look over here.

Doctor Takenaka, Doctor Takenaka

Please come to the internal medicine department.

It's your body.

I have bandages on my head...

Mom?

Aunt and uncle too...

Wow, what a dream!

This is the first time experiencing something like this.

You refuse to acknowledge that this is reality, don't you?

Alright, then, please show me how you spent your day until you go to sleep at home at night.

From waking up yesterday morning.

Alright.

Hmm, well...

Yes, I remember it clearly.

As usual, I was rudely awakened by my mother.

- Yeah. - Hatsuko?

Wake up, Hatsuko!

Honestly, you really...

It's like this every morning, you know.

Yesterday, I was one train late than usual.

I don't like this train because it gets really crowded.

Every day, boring classes...

We will begin the evacuation drill. We will begin the evacuation drill.

A fire has broken out in the home economics classroom.

Everyone, please follow the instructions...

But we had an evacuation drill yesterday.

That was also during math class!

Unfortunately, today's period ends here.

- It feels like you were saved by the gong, huh? - Yes.

- It feels like I was saved. - Right.

Make sure you do it properly by next time.

Alright!

Please follow the class monitors instructions and act accordingly.

Alright, please group together by team and exit to the hallway.

Please go down the stairs on the east side.

Everyone, cover your mouth with a handkerchief and evacuate.

Ms. Kunishita.

The duty student, please bring the attendance book and come out.

I got super nervous.

Here I go. I got to talk to the admired Tsudanuma, you know.

Alright, second-year students, please begin moving.

And then, lunch break.

The worst thing happened.

Hey...

- What's up? - Huh?

Hatsuko's rumored boyfriend!

This guy, Natsuyama Noboru, is famous as a weirdo in the next class.

Hey, cut me some slack.

I'm unlucky too, aren't I?

Of all people, to be chased around by someone like this.

Hey, have you decided to take the test? Hey.

- Test? Huh? - ESP test.

If Kunishita take it, I think she'll definitely get a good result.

ＥＳＰ？

Extrasensory perception Supernatural perception...

You know, it's like that superpower thing people talk about.

Right?

Like this, like this.

- Natsuyama-kun. - What?

I heard you've seen a ghost?

Ah, I met and talked to one. Yeah.

Liar.

It's true. Hey, you, be careful next time. Give it a try walking.

If you were in the countryside, you might have the ability to see ghosts.

Is it true that there is?

This looks delicious.

Huh? What's wrong, don't be stingy!

Hey, what are you doing?

Just so you know, try not to say strange things in public too much, okay?

I'm not of the same kind as you.

And also, don't casually call me by my first name, okay?!

Oh, and you know, the yen is high, right?

It's the worst, isn't it?

Adding insult to injury, the subsequent PE class turned out

to be my despised nemesis, the marathon.

I've already felt like I want to die.

Hello, Kunishita-san. Hurry up and run!

Skip, skip, skip. Hurry up!

When I finished my duties for the day and thought about leaving,

Megumi and the others had already gone home.

So, I brought that snow willow back to my place.

Huh?

I felt like someone was calling my name.

When I listened closely, I realized it was the sound of a puppy crying.

So, I gathered my courage and went inside to check.

And then, you know...

And then...

What happened after that?

What did I do after that, again?

Look over here.

You finally remembered, huh.

Yes, I remembered.

My legs got stiff, and then...

It's almost too consistent to be a dream.

And then, I really...

Died?

Right.

Have you finally understood?

Well, are you a real...

Ghost!?

Yes, I said you are of the same essence as me, didn't I?

- I see. - Okay.

- I'm a ghost too. - Yes.

I'm a ghost... Me?

That's why I said it before, right? Go back to life soon.

If you go near your own body and concentrate your consciousness, it should work.

Is it really that easy to come back to life?

Hmm, well, you know...

In your case, it's special.

After all, the cause of death is your premature conclusion, you know.

My premature conclusion?

Yes.

Ah.

When the iron beams fell,

did you say your legs got stiff?

Yes.

What were you thinking at that moment?

What do you mean, well, of course, I was surprised...

But yeah...

Rather than being scared,

I was probably thinking,

"Ah, am I going to die like this?"

When I thought that, suddenly everything that happened before rushed through my mind.

Yes. And in the next moment,

the iron beams struck your head.

...it's just what you are imagining.

Oh... In reality,

the iron beams only fell in front of you,

and it didn't even graze you.

What hit your head was...

It was that.

You fell along with the iron beams,

and your head just hit a lunchbox.

Well then...

I died prematurely, didn't I?

Right.

That's why your body is still perfectly working.

Exactly, because it's not a physical cause of death.

For a long time now, I've been telling you to stop playing here.

Well, hurry. Let's go back to the room we were in earlier.

Wasn't it dangerous?

It really gave me a startle.

It would be good to quickly demolish such a dangerous place, wouldn't it?

It collapsed quite a while ago, didn't it?

Allowing such a vast land to be used for play is wasteful, and.

Yes...

Ordinary people can't see us, and,

It seems like they can't even hear what we're talking about!

Well, I guess we're like invisible people, huh.

Oh, invisible people, huh...

Yeah.

Huh!?

In that case, there's a place I'd like to detour to.

Oh, I'll be back soon, so is it okay if I go?

- No, if you do that... - Well then, wait here!

I'll be back soon!

It's a week's worth of constipation.

I mean...

The cells of the body are constantly dying moment by moment.

You can go home easily now,

but if it becomes tomorrow,

you'll need as much energy as it takes to cure a week's worth of constipation."

If it's been two days, it's equivalent to two weeks.

I understand.

Is there still something else?

Well, you see...

We spirits have the ability to teleport.

- Teleportation? - Yeah, well, the method is simple.

Just think of the place you want to go in your head.

The place I want to go...

Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What should I do? I really...

I'm sorry...

Ah, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it that way.

Ah, what should I do? Stupid, stupid, stupid...

I see, so I'm a ghost.