Ginban Kaleidoscope Vol 1 Chapter 1

"A ghost in these days? How stupid."

"......how?"

Possessed by a soul......he says, but the stranger it is, the less frightening it becomes.

A sweet voice like an anime voice actor. He seems younger than I am. Well, he doesn't seem like a bad guy......

"Alright, let's suppose you're right. When will you be leaving?"

<......don't get="" angry="" and="" just="" listen="" to="" me.="">

"I will get angry!"

From his opening, it's obvious it's going to be bad.

"Now, tell me straight out. How long do you plan on being a hindrance to me?"

"How. Long?"

"100 days......?"

The meaning of silence is, yes.

"......no. I won't accept it. Get out right now!"

"This sucks!"

Filled with panic, I unconsciously grab my head.

......it only seems natural that my head belongs to me. But some weird foreign boy has settled there.

If I were to see a doctor...... Surgery? Psychiatry? Or perhaps gynecology?

For something like this, where should I turn to?

"......"

......fine, just start talking already.

Thus I command him, silently, but there's no reaction.

"You......so you can't hear my thoughts?"

......you idiot, brat, pervert, @#&^*!!

"......I see. It appears to be true."

"Nothing."

If even my thoughts were known in detail, then I would truly have zero privacy. I would have to drag this guy out even if it meant drilling my head.

"So? Get on with it."

......as he says that, to guess from his sweet voice, his outward appearance would probably be something like this......

"Stop it!"

<......wh-what?>

"Nevermind. More importantly, no matter how I think about it, I don't remember anything about having to be possessed by a Canadian ghost."

......what lamentable bad luck.

"Wait a minute. You say 'it seems'. Did someone say that?"

"Don't make fun of me!"

......alright. Forget all of my emotions, I need to accept reality.

"So, when did you die?"

<5 days="" ago.="" usually="" you="" live="" in="" tokyo,="" in="" a="" place="" not="" far="" from="" here,="" but="" 1="" week="" ago,="" you="" happened="" to="" go="" to="" america.....="">

"Could it be......Colorado?"

......come to think of it, on the day I left, snow was falling nearby.

"Oh, congratulations. Then, rather than possessing me, go on and rest in peace."

After saying that, I regret it a little. Whatever else, congratulations are out of place.

<......like i="" said,="" that's...="">

"I know. Tell me why."

Since however I might rant and rail, it seems nothing will change.

As if guarding aginst his listener's temper, his words speed up.

"Speak a little slower."

"And that takes 100 days?"

......somehow, I feel like I'm being tricked. But I really can hear this boy Pete's voice in my head, so......

"Do dead people who are hit by the snow all end up like this?"

I suddenly want to swear loudly, but......I'll leave that to later.

"So, how old are you?"

<16. same="" as="" you.="" i="" told="" you,="" our="" wavelengths="" match.="">

Ending my conversation with Pete for the time being, I open the door of the bathroom and......

The Sister whom I earlier called a fake in the middle of cla.s.s is standing in my way.

"Sakurano-san! Cell phones are prohibited in this school. Give it to me. It is being confiscated."

......haha. I can't take it anymore.

"Come on. Now."

"I don't have a cell phone."

"You're lying. You were talking to someone in the bathroom. I could hear it all."

......how am I supposed to explain?

That I was intruded upon by a Canadian ghost named Pete?

I am seriously about to snap.

"I understand. Then, please search me."

"......what did you say? You've probably just hidden it somewhere..."

"I don't mind if you look around for it until you're satisfied. Although, I wonder where in this narrow bathroom you would look."

I certainly have no ill intent toward the stern Sister standing before me, and it's natural that she misunderstood. Even so, she's perfect for venting my anger.

"While we're at it, why don't you undergo a body search along with me, Sister? Even if we find a matchbook from a host club, I won't mind."

"......Sakurano-san! You are such a--!"

Ahh, now I've done it. Sakurano Tazusa's first suspension from school? Looks like it.

But really, I don't care anymore.

The place is Koutou Ku. Next to a certain forested park along Tokyo Bay, stands a white-painted, high-cla.s.s residence.

It is a 2-storey building with extravagant Western architecture. The plot, surrounded by deep green trees, is large, and the fountain in the garden continuously creates a little rainbow.

Beyond the white-painted gate that is hung with golden ornaments, in the middle of the entryway has been set up a round flowerbed full of colorful flowers, designed to force people to walk around it like a roundabout.(!)

That's how I would describe it, but......did we ever have visitors deserving of such a thing?

"I'm home."

That's right. This is my home base.

The residence of Coach Takas.h.i.+ma Yuuji.

He is the very one who recognized my talent and invited me into this world, but at his age he is still a wealthy bachelor. Given his age of a little over 40, he's just about my parents' generation. Owing to that, he is often mistaken for such.

Slightly longish hair and a moderately handsome face. His eyes seem to droop a little at the corners, and he has a good-intentioned but indecisive personality. Although a decent attempt to make himself look younger, his mustache reveals his true age. I don't think it's necessary anyway, but I can't compliment him by telling him it actually looks good......

For a figure skater, the effect of the training environment is large. The distance from the Takas.h.i.+ma house to my regular rink, Tokyo Crystal Garden, is a 3 minute walk.

Early morning, and afternoon. Basically, in order to manage 2 practices every day, one can't ignore geography. Many skaters end up living near skating rinks with clubs.

In my case, I was born in Nagano, but my father could not leave there due to his work, so......ever since I joined the club when I was 5 years old, I have been under Coach's care.

Last year, happily my parents divorced, my father already remarried, and I don't plan on seeing him again. The direct reason for the divorce seems to be that my mother, who is a mountain climber, was rarely at home. Most likely, even now she is working hard to conquer some mountain somewhere. Consequently, she is a woman whose whereabouts are untraceable throughout the year. In its own way, that's a relief to me as a daughter.

Compared to other sports, figure skating is particularly expensive, so it is difficult to stick with for those without recognized genius. Of course, in my case, given my beauty and talent since birth, and the fact that my parents' families were economically well-off, there were no difficulties in my starting figure skating. Excluding having to leave my parents even before entering elementary school......

"Oh, Tazusa. You're late. Did you get failing marks and end up with supplementary lessons again?"

"I am not like you. The Sister was just in a bit of a bad mood."

......well, somehow I managed to get away with just a reprimand and an admonishment......

"My condolences. At this rate, won't you have problems advancing a grade? Instead of the Olympic representative's seat, it would be wiser to worry about whether in April next year, there will be a seat for you in the second-years' cla.s.sroom."

......and, having casually made such nasty remarks, with the sound of pattering feet, she bursts outside.

This cheeky, slant-eyed shorty is my sister, Sakurano Youko. Don't be surprised, but she's actually 9 years old.

Since 4 years ago, she has lived at the Takas.h.i.+ma house same as me, and is enrolled in the figure skating junior cla.s.s. By virtue of being my little sister, she seems to have good muscles......

"......if you say something stupid like that again, I'll kill you."

In order to silence Pete, I ascend the spiral stairs from the lobby to the 2nd floor. I enter my room and toss my bag. Now, practice. I should change into my sweats and wash my school uniform--

"Wait a minute......"

At that moment--

A frightening truth flickered by.

I didn't ask for all the details, but......

"Tell me honestly. Perchance do you......see what I am seeing?"

<......ah, actually...="">

"Actually what!"

......wait, just wait. Calm down, Tazusa. Does this mean the boy living in my head shares my sense of sight?

No, probably not just my sense of sight. Hearing, smell, taste......even touch?

......which means!

"Noooo!"

A sudden repulsive thought circulates through my imagination, and I thrust my forehead between my palms.

"This isn't funny! I absolutely won't allow it! Get away from me, you pervert!"

I try to shout this at the inside of my head, but I can only turn diagonally upwards. But, being unusually panicked, I pull my hair and run around the room as I continue to scream.

"You piece of tras.h.!.+ Get out! Disappear!"

"I don't want to hear excuses! Now, whatever it takes, get out!"