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Living with a Ghost
That night, we went all out getting ready for Rosary’s welcome party.
Since we still had a lot of stuff left over from Harukara’s party, setting it all up was quite straightforward.
This time around though, since the guest of honor couldn’t eat, we kept the food simple. That really sped things up.
“There are a lot of places that are hard for people to see or reach right? It’ll be easy for me to clean those!”
Rosary was doing her best to show everyone how useful having a ghost around was. It’s certainly appreciated.
Then Rosary went up to Harukara and lowered her head in apology.
“Harukara-aneki, I made you go through so much trouble! I’m really, really, sorry!”
“Ah, that much was nothing… I wasn’t even conscious through all of it so I don’t remember anything anyway… Though I kinda remember dreaming about Sharusha-chan hitting me and about being dropped from the sky, those kinds of weird dreams.”
Uhh, those actually happened.
“Excuse me, Harukara-aneki… I want you to hit me until you’re satisfied… It ain’t right otherwise…”
“Wait, hang on!  Hitting people isn’t really what I’m into… It’s fine…”
Harukara looked troubled. If I had to say why, it was because Rosary’s mannerisms resembled that of a delinquent… I had a feeling that living alone as a ghost would make someone start developing that kind of personality, but for it to actually happen…
“Come on, please hit me aneki!”
“I already told you, I’m not into something like that! If I had to choose, I think I’d rather be the one getting hit.”
What is this girl saying!?
“No, I’ve already been through several situations in my life where I had to think about this! More or less five times!”
Maybe I shouldn’t ask…
“Also, there’s no way I can even hit a ghost in the first place. So that’s the end of this discussion.
Harukara stated the obvious. Yup, that wrapped it up nicely.
“And if you really wanted to make it up to me, I’d rather I get something out of it. Say, Rosary-san, since you’re a ghost, there are places you can get to that people can’t right?”
“Yes, if it’s something like that then I can help you out any number of times.”
“Then if that’s the case, come with me when I’m out gathering medicinal herbs. There are a lot of places in the woods that I miss out on checking. There’s a good chance there are some medicinal herbs growing there.”
“Understood! Allow me to gladly help you!”
Wow! Good job Harukara! You really know how to handle her!
Farufa and Sharusha approach her next. Everyone is naturally gathering around Rosary.
“Hey Rosary-san, is there anywhere you’d like to go? Farufa will take you!”
Oh yeah huh, since Rosary’s been trapped in that estate for such a long time, she probably has no idea what the outside world looks like.
“Let me think. Since I’ve been cooped up for so long, I’d really like to go somewhere with a nice view. I’m in a mood to go on a trip actually.”
“Yeah yeah! Then, let’s all go on a trip together!”
I don’t know if she was still feeling reserved, but for someone like Rosary who’s been shut in all this time, a tactful girl like Farufa was probably the perfect person to talk to.
“I’d like you to tell me how a ghost sees the world. I’m very curious. I’d like to investigate it.”
So that’s what Sharusha was interested in. There’s rarely ever a chance to talk with an actual ghost after all.
“Actually, I was thinking I might even like to try entering the world of ghosts.”
“That’s dangerous, you should be a little more careful!”
The discussion went to a scary topic so I cut in.
“Sharusha, it’s fine to be interested in things, but make sure you can make it back home okay!? You can’t just head off somewhere and disappear alright!”
“I know. I’ll always return home to you mother. Don’t worry.”
If that’s the case then it’s fine, but researcher types really take things to the limit don’t they.
“In any case, I don’t know any other ghosts so I can’t exactly introduce you to any. I’ve been alone in that place all this time so I haven’t met any.
I know it’s wrong for me to put a label on someone, but if I had to put one on Rosary it would be “loneliness”
If that’s the case then we’ll just have to get her to meet all kinds of people then.
“Alright! Let’s take you to Furata village sometime!”
The next day, I took Rosary with me to the village.
Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit uneasy about it.
After all, most people have never seen a ghost. It wouldn’t be surprising if some people would get frightened when they see her. It’d be an unpleasant experience for Rosary if people were to run away from her.
Nevertheless, it wouldn’t do to just coop Rosary in the house forever. And if that’s the case, the sooner people could get used to someone like Rosary, the better. Even if we waited 10 years, it’s not like people’s outlook on ghosts would magically become better by itself.
Maybe it’s because Rosary also understood that that she was also feeling a little nervous.
“Ane-san, do you think they’ll be okay with me…?
“Honestly, I don’t know. But since it’s only ‘I don’t know’, I think it’s why we have to do this. I mean, wouldn’t it be sad if we went through all that just to have it end with you still cooped up, just in a different house now?
“No, it’s different since I’ve got a bunch of homies now. It’s paradise compared to what I used to live with.”
“I see… But since we might as well, let’s see if we can get the people around here to also accept you.”
In the end, all that worrying was for nothing.
“Oh, this time you’ve added a ghost-san to your family huh”
“Hello. If Furata village has another friendly ghost around let me know okay”
“Ohh, it’s another pretty girl eh”
The villagers accepted her all too easily.
After that we went to greet the village chief and when we told him how it went with the villagers he laughed and said “Hahaha, of course that’s how it would go”.
“I mean, none of you folks are normal to begin with right. At this point, no one here’s going to go ‘it’s a ghost! I’m scared!’. To us normal humans, you folks are all the same.
“I’m so sorry, I forgot that I’m some sort of extraordinary existence…”
And so Rosary was welcomed in the village without any problems.