B's Log June 2025: Short Story

Newly-Produced Short Story Series: Chapter 8

Our First Time

Shogo: I'd never have thought a place so close by to us was a haunted spot...
Kantaro: I was surprised, too! But everyone is talking about this kind of stuff online, so we've gotta put out a video about it to boost our numbers!
Shogo: Makes sense!
Kantaro: I know it may be a bit late to ask this now, but Shogo, are you bad at dealing with horror and that kind of stuff?
Shogo: I wouldn't say I'm particularly bad about it. But this is my first time investigating a place that's supposed to be haunted.
Kantaro: This is my first time with the real deal, too, so I'm really looking forward to it!
Kantaro pressed the record button on his small camera.

Kantaro: Good eveVISTY~! Today we've come out to a haunted park!
Shogo: Let's see... people have reported hearing a groaning voice coming from the pond that's in the park, and seeing someone standing at the water's edge, right?
Kantaro: Yep! So--!
All of a sudden, they heard a loud rustling noise that made them snap to attention, and...

Shogo & Kantaro: !!
A mysterious voice rang out, and a large mass dropped down in front of the two of them.
Kantaro: Um.... Ryu-san...?
Ryu: Ohohohoho~~? I found twoooo whole idol-chans!
Hokusai: Ryu, dropping down that suddenly is dangerous.
Hokusai emerged from behind the tree.
Shogo: Hokusai-san...!? Um, what are the two of you doing here?
Hokusai: I was taking a walk with Ryu.
Ryu: Are you playing kitty-cats too, idol-chans?
Kantaro: We're...
Kantaro and Shogo informed the other two that they had come to a haunted place in order to do a test of courage.
Hokusai: I see.
Ryu: There's definitely ghosts here!
Kantaro: Really!?
Ryu: Over there.
Ryu was pointing in the direction of the pond that they had been heading for.
Kantaro: Then we gotta hurry up and check it out!
At Ryu's words, Kantaro dashed off towards the pond at a sprint.
Shogo: Hey, wait, Kantaro! You shouldn't go alone!
Ryu: Ryu-kun's gonna go too~!
Hokusai and Ryu joined the party, and the test of courage resumed.

Hokusai: Kantaro, it seems you don't have any problem with scary things.
Kantaro: That's because there's no such thing as ghosts~
Hokusai: I see.
Hokusai's hand came to rest on Kantaro's head and patted it gently.
Kantaro: Hey, don't surprise me like that~!!
Ryu: No faiiir! Fuu-chan, Ryu-kun wants to get petted too~!
In response to Ryu's request, Hokusai patted Ryu on the head as well.
Ryu: Meo~w~
For a moment, the four of them completely forgot that they were supposed to be doing a test of courage. But then, the pond came into view.
Shogo: This is it, right?
A calm breeze blew though the area, but they could hear none of the alleged moans, and there was no sign of anyone there.
The four of them each took a walk around the pond, but they couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.
Shogo: Doesn't look like there's anything here, huh?
Kantaro: That's lame. I didn't get nearly enough footage~
Ryu: But I found a little cutie~

Shogo & Kantaro: Huh?
Ryu: See, over there!
Ryu was pointing at a patch of grass, and from that patch, they could hear the sound of something rustling loudly.
The source of the sound suddenly lunged out at them, and Hokusai intervened with perfect timing.
Hokusai: ... there, there.
Shogo: A cat...?
Kantaro: Whoaaa! That really startled me!
Hokusai: It's getting late. We should go home.
And so the four of them turned their back on the pond.

Shogo: Ah, by the way... Hokusai-san, is that person you were talking with a little while ago an acquaintance of yours?
Hokusai: ... huh? When?
Shogo: When the four of us were all searching, that woman with long hair that you ran into...
Hokusai: ... I wasn't talking with anyone.
Shogo: Huh...?
Kantaro: Then does that mean...?
Ryu: You saw something you weren't meant to...
Shogo: ...
Kantaro: I wasn't expecting there to really be anything!!
Kantaro clutched the camera he was holding with trembling hands.
Shogo: I'm a little worried about the trip home...
Hokusai: You'll have Kantaro with you.
Kantaro: When we get home, Aoi and Toma will be there, so if there's four of us, then...
Shogo: Is this a matter of numbers? Well... I guess it's a little reassuring.
Ryu: Ryu-kun wants to come and play, too!
Shogo: It's a bit late, so today may not be a good time, but you're welcome to visit us some other time! The same goes to you as well, Hokusai-san!
Hokusai: Yeah. Thank you.
Kantaro: Uuu... I'm really scared, but I'm gonna have to edit the video quickly. It's totally going to go viral...!
Shogo: Ahaha....

The truth about what Shogo saw may forever remain a mystery... but later on, the video that Kantaro edited together went viral thanks to the cute cat.