The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe Vol. 1 - The Spirit Daughter and the Exorcist Son by Shinobumaru

Author:Shinobumaru [Shinobumaru]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: light novel
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Published: 2021-07-15T04:00:00+00:00

***

“I’m hooome!”

I must have lost track of time daydreaming because I hadn’t anticipated Kaori’s return at all. The moment she crossed the threshold, the glimmerflies that had followed her in a cluster scattered to escape the incense wafting through the house. Nyaa brushed past my leg on her way to the living room.

“I’ll make lunch real quick, okay?” Kaori set down her shopping bag and made to head for the kitchen, but she froze the moment she looked outside.

I followed her gaze. The rain had stopped, and the clouds blanketing the sky had untangled. A puddle in the street reflected the strange colors of the constant night. Two small shadows interrupted the peaceful scene.

“Let’s plaaaaaaay!” they sang.

The moment the rain let up, customers had arrived. Of course.

The two young children waited for us, giggling together under the clear sky. One, a little girl with long hair, wore a lightweight white yukata with a morning glory pattern of reds, blues and purples. The white fabric stood out sharply against the dark backdrop of the spirit realm.

Her companion was a boy with short-cropped hair. He wore a navy-blue yukata with a light blue belt. The contrast between his dark clothes and pale skin made him look as white as snow.

“Here it is! Here! I’m positive,” the girl said.

“We want to read a book. Please loan us a book,” the boy said.

The children spoke in a singsong before giggling and running into the store. Their wooden sandals with red threaded straps clacked on the road, the sound muffling when they stepped into a puddle. Their splashing disrupted the serenity of the sky reflected in the water.

Kaori shrank back. It was a strange reaction for her, considering she greeted nearly every spirit who visited with a warm smile.

I tilted my head in curiosity. “What is it, Kaori?”

Kaori hurriedly forced a smile. “Nothing. Anyway, we have customers. I need to get going.”

She stepped forward to greet our new guests. Did I imagine that tremor in her hands?

Somewhere farther back in the store, Shinonome rolled over, muttering to himself. “Huh, is it that time already?”

With that, he passed out again, splayed out across the tatami flooring.

Just as I was about to demand some sort of explanation for all this, Kaori called out that lunch was ready. “Here you are, some mitarashi dango rice dumplings,” she said. “Would you like one?”

“Thanks, lady!” the boy cried.

Kaori had purchased these dumplings, drenched in glossy, amber-colored sauce, as a snack. A special type of flour kept them from hardening even when cold, allowing you to soak them in the chilled sauce before eating them. With the rain ratcheting up the heat and humidity, a cool mitarashi dango really hit the spot.

“Mmm, yummy!” said the girl.

The boy and girl introduced themselves as Sasuke and Hatsu respectively. Each poked a dumpling with a toothpick, rolled it in the sauce, and took a bite. Their cheeks went pink the moment they chomped down.

“Mm, this is yummy, right, Hatsu?”

“I love it, Sasuke!”

“No worries, there’s more,” Kaori smiled at the children as they munched on their treats.

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