It was the last day of October. I had the day off, so I slept in and then spent my time relaxing.
Then, when four o’clock rolled around, I headed out to work.
I figured it would be even more crowded today, so I left my bike at home again. Since I’d be walking, I had to leave home a little early, and Ayase and I headed to work separately, as usual.
As I approached Shibuya Station, it became more and more obvious what day it was. Tomorrow was All Saints’ Day, and today was its eve—Halloween.
A large crowd of people dressed as monsters were walking the streets of Shibuya. There were all kinds: zombies, vampires, mummies, werewolves… There were anime characters mixed in with the standard monsters, too. Shibuya had become a masquerade even larger in scale than the one the day before.
“I feel dizzy…,” I mumbled as I did my best to avoid the crowds.
The street was so packed everyone was bumping shoulders. I sighed. Work was bound to be busy today.
Casting a sidelong glance at another group in costume, I made my way into the bookstore.
Once inside, I could see that there was chaos here as well. The number of customers coming and going was at least 30 percent greater than usual, and many of them were in fancy dress.
I went into the back office, said hello, and was about to head to the changing room when the manager stopped me.
“Oh, Asamura. You’re working the cash register today,” he said and handed me the same jester hat I’d worn the day before. He reminded me that we would be selling special Halloween items that day and warned me not to forget about them.
After changing into my work uniform, I went to the sales area and found party items I hadn’t seen yesterday piled up on a special shelf next to the register. It was the kind of stuff you’d find at a discount store—little costume accessories; candles in various shapes; and, for whatever reason, penlights. They must have brought this stuff in and decorated after closing the night before.
These were special items only on offer today. The era when bookstores could stay afloat just selling books was behind us. The manager had probably decided we should sell whatever we could while the crowds were here.
It was just another thing to remember at the register for me, though.
Jester hat on, I headed behind the counter. It was going to be a busy day with this crowd.
Anything that could go wrong would probably go wrong today. At times like this, Murphy’s Law was always in full force.
Because we were so busy, there was no time to chat with my coworkers. Shibuya was always crowded, but we had almost double the usual customers today. The fact that Halloween had fallen on a weekend was probably to blame. Even people who didn’t usually come out had probably shown up this year.
It was great that business was booming, but I had never been so busy behind the register. By the time my shift was over, I was dog-tired. My legs ached from standing nonstop, and I was sure my muscles would be sore the next day.
For the first time, I found myself envying Maru and his regular workout regimen. Of course, I had no way of knowing how much muscle pain you’d have to endure to achieve a body that didn’t feel it anymore. In the end, life is never easy.
To make matters worse, tragedy struck just as I was nearing the end of my shift from hell. I heard that someone had thrown up near the store’s entrance.
It was probably an annoying passerby who was already plastered. However, if we left it, it would inevitably reduce foot traffic. Someone had to deal with it, and since the manager was busy giving out orders, I was the obvious candidate.
With a bucket full of water and a mop, I trudged to the front of the store. The scene of the crime was right outside the automatic doors. The culprit was no longer in sight. All that remained was a pool of ugly vomit. It was a complete and utter pain in the neck.
I had to stand in the chilly autumn night air as I emotionlessly wiped away the vomit with my mop. All the while, costumed partyers continued to pass me by.
I’ve always hated noisy events like this, and I wasn’t the least bit envious of the revelers. But when couples passed by, I couldn’t help stealing a glance at them.
Even now, I could see a college-aged couple gazing into each other’s eyes at point-blank range in front of a movie poster. They kept kissing, oblivious to the many passersby staring at them. I’d seen something similar in Ikebukuro and began to wonder if couples just couldn’t stop themselves from kissing in public.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, I noticed something off about the scene. I could see someone crouching down in front of the couple, staring at them as they kissed.
At first, the figure reminded me of the devil, disguised as a woman.
She wore a hairband with demonic black horns and a thin tail with an arrow-shaped tip, while her black gothic dress, with its puffy skirt and wide sleeves, made her look like a witch. Her costume must have been a cross between the two. At any other time of year, she would have looked incredibly suspicious.
But as if by some Halloween magic, no one seemed to notice her, and I appeared to be the only one paying attention to the conspicuous figure. Even the people she was staring at were too absorbed in kissing to pay her any mind.
Suddenly, the devil spoke to the couple. “Hmm. Can I have a word with you two?”
The man and woman seemed to notice her for the first time and turned to face her.
Good. I was worried I was the only one who could see her.
The man looked at her warily and took a step toward her as if to protect his girlfriend.
Without so much as blinking, the devil said, “The two of you are publicly preparing for sexual intercourse, yes? Do you always engage in this kind of foreplay in public?”
“What…?” The man looked stunned.
I could understand. What on earth was this devil saying?
“Oh, it’s just a simple question. I’m wondering to what extent the Halloween atmosphere prompts young people to ignore social ethics or if it simply makes it easier for young people with a lack of social ethics to get together. I’m just curious.”
“H-huh? What are you trying to say?”
“Come on—let’s go!” The girl pulled the guy by the arm and tried to flee.
“Hey, wait a minute!” cried the devil. “Was it not your intention to excite yourselves by showing off in public? And in that case, shouldn’t you welcome my attention?”
“We’re leaving! Don’t come near us!”
“Can you just answer one question for me? Is it only today that you’re flirting in public, or do you often act like that? That’s all I need. You can yell the answer as you leave.”
“We weren’t flirting!”
The woman glared at the devil and stomped away toward Center Gai, pulling her boyfriend by the hand.
“Thank you for providing me with a valuable sample. I promise I’ll put it to good use in my future studies,” the devil said as she waved to the couple. “Now to look for my next target for observation… Hmm?”
“Oh.” My eyes met the devil’s as she turned around.
A single glimpse of her sooty, jewellike eyes brought back a powerful memory. The pale skin, the unkempt hair, the sloping shoulders, and the nasty way she talked to that couple. I’d met someone just like this before.