Toa Kozukata 

Body horror, death.

A cloudless sky and dazzling sunlight.
The loud, almost annoying chirping of the cicadas doesn’t bother me.
I was about to enter the summer of my second year of college.
I feel like I’ve gotten used to it quite a bit, but my daily routine hasn’t changed much from my first year.
I wake up at my own pace in my one-bedroom apartment, go to college on days I have classes, and work part-time on days I don’t.
I don’t have any close friends, nor do I have any particular hobbies.
I like watching movies and reading books, but that’s about it.
I have no intention of looking for like-minded people, nor do I have the slightest desire to create a circle of friends myself.
However, there was one thing that piqued my interest, albeit faintly.
It was a single-family home that had recently been built right next to my apartment building.
The new residents were a couple who looked quite young, and their daughter.
They seemed close, like a very happy family.
But something about them felt off… Ah.
While I was distracted, I completely missed a step on the apartment stairs.
There was no way I could break my fall, so I just rolled all the way down.
With just a hint of regret, I slowly got to my feet, my body aching.
There’s no major pain. I didn’t hit anything, and I don’t have any bruises… I think.

“Ugh…”

A dull ache in my head. Maybe I hit it lightly at first.
As far as I can tell by touching it, there’s no bump or cut.
Well, I guess I’ll go to the hospital just in case.
There is one nearby where my dad used to work.
It’s still my regular clinic.

By the time I returned from the hospital, having been diagnosed with minor bruises, the sun was already beginning to set.
When I reached the entrance to my apartment building, I suddenly looked up at the house next door.
There, standing by the second-floor window, was a girl…

“…Ah…”

…I trembled at the sight of her expression.
Her eyes were pure emptiness. They looked like glass marbles devoid of emotion, gazing vacantly out at the world.

“…!”

I’d been staring so intently that I’d even forgotten to breathe; my throat tightened slightly as I struggled to catch my breath. I looked away and quietly caught my breath.
What on earth had come over me, acting like some kind of suspicious person? That thought flashed through my mind, and I managed to regain my composure.
She was the girl who had been smiling so happily just a moment ago. What I’d seen right here must have been a figment of my imagination… Even as I thought that, I foolishly looked up again.
By the window, the girl was smiling and waving at me.
It really was a mistake on my part. I let out a sigh of relief.
I forced a smile, one that didn’t come naturally, and waved back.

“…?”

She then touched her chin with a puzzled look and tilted her head slightly.
Was the person she was waving at… not me?
As I realized this, a rush of premature regret and anxiety, and a touch of curiosity, swept over me.
After all, until just a moment ago, there had been no one around me.
Then, who had she been waving at? The curiosity that had been born was something I should have discarded right then and there.
Yes, at that moment, it hadn’t even crossed my mind what kind of change “knowing” would bring about in me.
That’s why I, being such a fool, turned around.
There was no one in front of me. Surely that someone must be behind me, I thought.

“…Huh?”

Faced with an unbelievable sight, I gasped again.
It wasn’t something you could call “someone.”
It was a strange, flesh-like mass that evoked an indescribable sense of horror… something that didn’t look human at all.
It dragged its lower body, spread out like a skirt, and slowly crept toward me.

Oh… Where does reality end and the dream begin…?

Faced with this surreal scene, I had even forgotten to run.
It opened its mouth wide enough to swallow me whole.

Our eyes met.

Deep inside its mouth was a human face.
Just like the one I’d seen earlier… yes, those glassy eyes.
In those eyes, I could see a small reflection of me, with a strangely bewildered expression.
And then…

“Ahah.”

I heard a strange, girlish laugh… and with a slight feeling of floating, my world turned upside down.

“…i, …u, …e, …a, …”

Leaving behind a strange sound, like some kind of cry, in my ears.

It’s been a week since our first meeting.
Now I know about her.

Toa Kozukata.

That’s the name of the girl who lives next door.
She’s around ten years old, and I gather she probably doesn’t go to school.
Apparently, it was just three days ago that her parents stopped coming home.

“Big Bro, you came!”

After finishing my lecture, I didn’t go straight back to my apartment. Instead, I walked through the door of the house next door and headed straight for her room on the second floor.

“I made a promise, after all.”

Saying that, I smiled at her and at ■◆■◆, who was standing beside her.
It seems ■◆■◆ has been with her since she was born.
Although I was terrified when I first saw it, once I got used to it, I even began to think it was cute.

“…, …a, …”

A noise like static passed through my ears.
Just as its appearance was unique, so was its cry.
It was close to an unpleasant sound, like someone scratching a blackboard.
But for some strange reason, I didn’t mind it.
I’m not quite sure why, though.

“Hehe… It seems Love really likes Big Bro.”

■◆■◆ drags something along the floor and then collapses on top of me.
It was the same when we first met.
I was sure I was going to be eaten, but apparently this is a form of affection.

“…u, …a, …”

A cold sensation seeps into my clothes with a splash.
■◆■◆ probably can’t see me.
Maybe it’s touching me to be sure.
That I am, well, me.

“Ah… Hah…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

I’m abnormal.

Because I don’t feel a thing when it does this to me.
No thoughts of refusal, resistance, or contempt come to mind.
I just accept it, letting it do as it pleases.

“Big Bro. Love is soft, warm, and feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Ah…”

I nod and gently stroke it.
Its skin feels smooth, like silk.
It even gives me a strange sense of calm.

“…Ah…”

A cold sensation snaps me back to reality.
It felt as if a dog or cat were licking my skin, and I realized that despite its appearance, it was no different from an ordinary pet.

“Big Bro and Love are such good friends. I want to be good friends with you, too.”

She once again let her glass-like eyes shine beautifully as she smiled.

Toa Kozukata.

17 years old. Has been receiving treatment for 7 years. No family or relatives. She was originally the second daughter in a family of four.

Six months before she began treatment, she was involved in an accident during a family trip; her parents died instantly. Her older sister, Ai Kozukata, was rescued with her internal organs intact, but she had been trapped in the crushed vehicle, leaving most of her body severely damaged.

The second daughter, Toa, was thrown from the vehicle, and although her body was virtually unharmed, the impact of the fall caused damage to her internal organs.

Consequently, the doctors performed an organ transplant from the eldest daughter, who had been declared dead moments earlier, to the second daughter.

As a result, Toa’s body has been recovered.

After six months of observation, she was deemed to have fully recovered.

To monitor her progress, regular checkups were scheduled.

Entry dated June X, 19XX.

“Physically, she’s healthy and in perfect condition. There should be no issues with her daily life… however.”

I’m about to explain the current situation to the staff member in charge of the care facility where she’ll be staying.

“She can see things. Things that we cannot see.”

Saying that, I flipped through the medical chart.
There, something was written:

■◆■◆.

It was something we could never possibly understand.
Perhaps her mind really has broken after all.
Unable to bear the reality that has befallen her.

“Well, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Thank you for your cooperation.”

With that, the staff bowed and left.
Many residents at the facility suffer from some form of psychological trauma. They must be used to cases like this.
I haven’t shown the medical records to the staff.
But even if they did see them, would they truly understand?
She isn’t schizophrenic. Yet, she lives in separate worlds.
In places where It is allowed to exist, and places where it isn’t.
What form does It, which no one else can see, take?

My curiosity is aching. But the chance to find out will likely never come. Unless a miracle happens, it’s absolutely impossible.

But… a miracle did happen.
Though it’s merely a coincidence that I’m calling it that.

Yes, that day could be called a stroke of luck for me.

“Dad, what’s ■◆■◆?”

My son uttered those words after the examination.
Strangely enough, he had said the exact same name.
Had he met her without my knowledge?
To begin with, the reason he was here was that he’d hit his head on the stairs at home the other day.
Was that the trigger that made him see the same things?
I thought it was interesting.
So, out of curiosity, I took my son to see her.

“”■◆■◆””

The children hit it off immediately, happily calling each other by that name.
What is ■◆■◆? What on earth is it?
I want to know. I absolutely had to find out what It was.

It’s been two weeks since I started spending most of my days with her.
The reason it turned out this way is that I ended up having to tutor her during summer vacation.

“You’re really good at teaching, Big Bro.”

Saying that, she smiled.

“…a, …u, …”
“Hehe, Love did a great job too.”

Seeing this peaceful scene, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Big Bro?”
“Nothing. Shall we continue?”

If you don’t promise me, I might just eat you.

Even though this study session started as a kind of threat, I feel like choosing to come here was the right decision.
After all, I got to see her looking this happy.

“…Are you still thinking about eating me?”

I ask teasingly, as if it were a joke.

“…u, …u, …”

I hear a delighted voice.
It seems I’m still far from being in the clear.

“You know, I had no idea Big Bro was so kind.”

Before I knew it, she was gazing out the window as usual.

“Big Bro, make sure you’re watching me!”

I gave her a nod.

“…a.”

Huh?

“■◆■◆”

Who was that voice just now?

Entry dated August X, 19XX.

I was the only one left behind because I was working the night shift.
Of course, my thoughts were on ■◆■◆.
The children had become quite close, and even Toa Kozukata had started to smile at least during those moments.

“I made a promise, you know!”

When I heard her story yesterday, my son said something like that.

He wanted the three of them to play together forever.

It... is ■◆■◆ a person?
Perhaps if I suffered a severe blow to the head, I might be able to see it too.

When I slammed my head against the desk with all my weight,
a dull thud echoed through the room.
No way. As long as I still have a shred of common sense left, I can’t bring myself to hurt myself.
Weighing curiosity against social expectations… that’s what being an adult is all about.

*slip*

“Hm?”

In the silence, I heard a sound like fabric scraping across the floor.
There shouldn’t be anyone else in this room today… I glanced toward the door.
And there it was.
An unidentifiable Something. I wasn’t even sure if it was a living creature.
It must be ■◆■◆.
I never expected to see it this easily.

“…i, …u, …”

Something opened its mouth wide, and tentacle-like appendages wrapped around me.
As if trying to expel me.
In the next instant, my vision was blocked.

“eh… ga… ah…”

It’s suffocating.
It feels like my throat is being crushed; I can’t breathe properly.

“…i, …a, …i”

What did it say?
I can’t think straight…

■■■■
■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■
■■■■

The news was playing on the TV in the hospital waiting room.

“Last night, a male doctor was murdered at XX Hospital. Security cameras captured a suspicious figure, and it appears the victim was attacked during his break while working the night shift…”

Amid the commotion of patients being transferred to other hospitals, a child smiled as they watched the car leave the hospital.

…■◆■◆…

That was the promise we made that day.
To always be together, the three of us…

But such things are bound to be forgotten before long, as time goes on.

When I went to her house, someone was already there.
I’m pretty sure that was her mother… wasn’t it?

“Oh, you… What are you doing here?”
“Hello. …Um, I’m currently working as a sort of tutor for your daughter.”
“A tutor…? Who would-“

As if to cut her off, Something burst out of the house.

“…a, …e, ….e”

It crashed right into me…

“Whoa!?”

The impact sent me tumbling across the ground.
I kept rolling until I hit the outer wall of the house and finally stopped.

“Uh, are you okay!?”
“…Yeah.”

I must have hit my head lightly; it was throbbing.
There wasn’t any blood, but it seemed to have formed a slight bump.
I felt a cold sensation, and the slight friction tickled.
She must be stroking it with her hand.

“Thank you.”

There was no reply.
But the pressure of her touch seemed to grow just a little stronger, as if she were telling me she wanted me to stay by her side.

“You two get along well, don’t you? Please keep being friends with her from now on.”

I nodded at her polite remark.

Huh?

I felt a momentary sense of unease, but it vanished somewhere as I watched her leave.

――――
――――――
――――――――

I entered her room as usual, but something felt off.
Because there was “no one” there.

“Huh?”

Instead, something had suddenly appeared in the room.
It was a doll of a girl wearing a cute school uniform.
Sitting by the window,
her artificial hair swayed in the breeze.

“A… doll?”

Her glassy, artificial eyes simply reflected the blue of the sky.
There was something about her that looked familiar.

“Wh… why…?”

She was always there, looking out the window…

*slip*

I heard the sound of fabric dragging across the floor.
It was a sound I’d often heard in this house.

“Huh?”

It sounded less like her voice, which I’d heard until now, and more like that cry.

“You are…”

Standing there was she, dragging a white dress-like garment behind her.

“I don’t need this anymore.”

Before I could even grasp what she meant, she had already picked up the doll as if it were precious, lifted it high…

“Gah!?”

And slammed it down with force.
Straight into my head.

“Ah… eh…”

Through the pain, I saw her face for the first time.
Ah, that’s right… That’s how it was.

My head hurts.
Can you see it? Can’t you see it?
I get it. I don’t get it.
Who is her… who is ■◆■◆…?

The lukewarm sensation trickling down my cheek felt strangely vivid, and my dazed consciousness snapped back to life.
Apparently, I was being licked by Something.
The faint pain running through my body brought it all back to me.
I had been captured by her.
My arms and legs were bound with something like cloth, and just as I was struggling to move, a small shadow fell across my field of vision.

“Ah…”

Her face was right in front of me.
Her eyes, which seemed to be gazing off into the distance, were fixed directly on me.
Suddenly, I looked away for a moment.
Behind her… There lay something like a doll, carelessly lying on the ground.
A little further back, a pair of familiar eyes were lying there…

“…Huh!?”

Those were her eyes.
Yes, the glass marbles that always gazed out the window…

G l a s s m a r b l e s?

“Wha… the…?”

Those really were doll’s eyes.

Something was off.
This is odd.
Weird, weird, weird, weird.
It’s always ■◆■◆ that licks me…

“…Ah…”

I could hear her breath right by my ear.
Saliva dripping from the tip of its tongue trickled down my cheek from my ear.

“Pro… mise…”

For some reason, it sounded familiar.
Now that I think about it, I remember.
Something like this happened a long time ago…

“It’s ■◆■◆.”

“Gah…!”

What is this? What is this? What is this? What is this?
She, for her part… something was overflowing from her head… ■◆■◆.

“You… are… ■◆■◆.”

She shook her head slightly.

Ah, that’s wrong. Yes… I remembered.

“■◆■◆”

She spoke those words as if she was cherishing It.
They sounded so pleasant to my ears…

A familiar siren drowned them out.

It’s been about a year since I last saw her face.
Before I knew it, the next summer had arrived.
Amid the harsh sunlight and the ear-piercing chirping of insects, I simply kept walking.
My life didn’t change from before.
Now I realize that what happened during that month or so was abnormal… no, even back then, I knew it was abnormal.
But humans are drawn to such things.
I felt fulfilled back then.
I was, indeed, fulfilled.
And besides…

“I have to keep my promise.”

I had forgotten the promise I made to her.
It was pure coincidence that, in the end, it seemed as though I had kept it.
Perhaps not realizing that was a blessing in disguise for me.

“But it’s almost time.”

I have to keep my promise.
Those were also the words my father left behind, like a last will and testament.

――――
――――――――
――――――――――――

Stepping out through the gates of the facility where she had been confined for a year, she felt the freedom she hadn’t known in a long time, along with the scent of summer.
Her pure white summer dress was brand-new, yet it somehow felt as though it had always been a part of her, and a smile spread across her face.
It had finally happened.
She had finally found her place.

“Ah…!”

Her eyes, which had once felt empty, were regaining their sparkle of hope.
And then she started running.
Just like any ordinary girl…

At the end of her gaze was the one she had made a promise with.

“■◆■◆!”

She spoke his name aloud.
But what met her gaze was a puzzled look and an innocent smile.

“Let’s make another promise.”

As she nodded happily, It held out its little finger.

“The three of us will always be together.”

Their intertwined little fingers looked as if there were three of them.

• In the documents, Toa’s name is written in kanji as 永愛 (eternal love). The kanji of love is also in the name of her sister Ai (愛惟). The theme is preserved with her monster friend being named Love (ラヴ).