The Lady of the Haze #09 Chapter 3: Spiritual Disturbance ①
Chapter 3: Spiritual Disturbance ①
A few months have passed since I started living with Sachiko.
I wondered how a romance between a living person and a ghost would turn out, but now we have both grown quite accustomed to the rhythm of being lovers, and I find every day to be incredibly enjoyable.
Since my grandparents passed away, my lonely life alone in this house has been completely brightened up thanks to Sachiko.
Of course, she seems to feel the same way, and she spends every day looking very happy.
Naturally, on days when I go to work, she waits for me at home alone, but for her sake, so she wouldn't be bored, I researched various literature, and as a result of our trial and error, Sachiko has become able to operate the TV remote and take books off the shelf to turn their pages.
I find myself strangely convinced that this is what is commonly known as a poltergeist.
Thanks to that, she seems to be able to spend her time alone happily, and combined with the fact that Sachiko was always fond of studying, she has also come to understand modern terminology and current social conditions quite well.
Sachiko herself feels guilty about just playing around and wants to do the housework for me while I'm working during the day, but it seems she can't exert that much force, and she looks apologetic about it.
However, as I said before, [[phN_open]]from the very beginning[[phN_close]] I never asked for such things from her.
I am happy just having her here with me.
That is why I make sure not to miss a day telling her how much I love her.
"I love you so much... Sachan."
"I love you too. Hehe, Takumi, you look sleepy."
At night, she sleeps beside me in her cute pajamas until I drift off.
Since then, I've bought a few more clothes for her. It seems it's easier for her to change if she has the actual items.
"Sachan.... Mmm."
"Oh, Takumi."
When I offer my lips, Sachiko closes her eyes and presses her lips against mine.
Even though she used to turn bright red and get embarrassed at first, she has now become proactive in responding to me.
Of course, it is an air kiss where we cannot feel the sensation of each other's lips, but the fact that we are connected deep in our hearts fills us both with contentment.
"Shall we go to Hakone or Karuizawa on our next day off...?"
"Yes. But please, don't push yourself too hard. I'll be fine, but I don't want you to get exhausted, Takumi."
As I drift off to sleep while suggesting our next day off, Sachiko lovingly strokes my hair.
Recently, we have been going on trips together more often on our days off. Our destinations are the tourist spots that were popular before the war, which she said she had always longed to visit.
It started with nearby places like Asakusa, Kamakura, and Nikko, and during the company's long holidays, we even extended our travels to Kyoto and Nara.
Takumi had been an indoor person until now and had never gone on trips other than for school field trips or excursions, but he found this to be incredibly fun.
That joy was undoubtedly something he could only experience because he was with Sachiko.
We also took photos together at our travel destinations.
I couldn't confirm it on the smartphone screen, but when I tried printing them out at a convenience store, Sachiko was faintly visible, and as we tried more, she seemed to get the hang of it, appearing more clearly each time.
The selfies of us leaning our cheeks together and smiling happily at the camera don't look like ghost photos at all; they are our treasures.
These were truly happy days that had finally come to them, who had been so lonely.
As for Takumi, his work at his new job was going very smoothly, and this might be the first time in his life that he felt so fulfilled in both his public and private life.
That is probably why I think I pushed myself too hard without knowing my limits.
"Ah, this is bad. I have a fever. I might not be able to go to work today..."
Waking up in the morning, I felt a lethargy throughout my body and tucked a thermometer under my arm.
"Are you okay, Takumi?"
Sachiko snuggled up to Takumi, looking worried.
The result was 38.5 degrees Celsius.
"I'm fine. It might be the flu, but I won't die from it."
"The flu?"
Seeing Sachiko tilt her head, I searched for it on my smartphone.
"Let's see... Ah, in your time, Sachiko, it seems they called it an epidemic cold."
At Takumi's words, her eyes widened significantly.
"No way... If you say epidemic cold, that's the Spanish Flu! Are you going to be alright!?"
Sachiko immediately lost her composure and became flustered.
"Oh, it's okay. We have good medicine now. I'll contact the company and go to the hospital."
She slumped her shoulders dejectedly.
"I'm sorry... Even though Takumi is feeling so unwell, I can't do anything for you."
There was no need for her to feel guilty about being a ghost, but considering the historical background of the era that shaped her 'common sense,' it might be unavoidable.
"What are you saying... I'm very happy that you're here with me like this when I'm sick."
"Takumi..."
I smiled at her as she teared up, hoping she would get used to the 'now' and its norms soon.
"So, Sachiko, will you accompany me to the hospital?"
"Of course!"
She nodded vigorously, looking fired up with a sense of duty, which was incredibly cute.
Takumi wobbled as he got out of bed, got dressed, and called a taxi.
Next Episode The Lord of the Heat Haze #10 Episode 3: Spiritual Disturbance ② | Kyo
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Prologue The Lord of the Heat Haze #01 Prologue | Kyo