Chapter 111: The Haunted House and the Cats (Long Chapter)
"Chishima-kun, from the very top, you can actually see all of Chiba City…"
After stepping off the Ferris wheel, Shizuka remained spellbound by the scenery they had just witnessed.
"If you like it that much, we can come here more often." Akishin looked at Shizuka, who was still holding onto his wrist, and offered a calm, steady smile.
Shizuka turned her head, catching the incredibly gentle gaze Akishin was directing toward her. His eyes were fixed solely on her. Her face flushed once more, and she hurriedly looked away, overcome by a wave of shyness.
"Shizuka-chan, is there any other attraction you'd like to try?"
"Of course there is. How about we go check out the haunted house?"
Shizuka shook her head as if to brush away the embarrassment in her heart, pointing toward a black building not far in the distance. She took a deep breath and touched her cheeks, which felt as though they were smoldering. She didn't dare look back at Akishin.
Usually, she talked about wanting to get married every single day, yet when she was actually presented with genuine affection, she turned into a bashful mess.
Without giving Akishin a chance to respond, Shizuka pulled him toward the queue.
"Chishima-kun, have you ever been to a haunted house before?"
While they waited in line, Shizuka held a cup of milk tea in one hand while the other remained firmly anchored to Akishin's wrist.
"I haven't."
Akishin thought for a moment before shaking his head. It was true; across three lifetimes, he had never once stepped foot in a haunted house for fun. However, in his previous life, he had carried out a mission in an amusement park.
He couldn't recall the specifics of that mission since he was only an outer member at the time, but what he remembered most vividly was Gin piloting a combat helicopter and opening fire on a Ferris wheel.
That happened in Japan—a country with absolute firearm prohibitions!
He recalled there being a particularly impressive young boy who had leaped off that Ferris wheel…
"You've really never been? In that case, you'd better follow me closely. This haunted house is famous for being terrifying. I heard they've added a lot of new projects over the last two years…"
It was terrifying, all right. Two years ago, when it had first opened, her niece had come out crying in hysterics.
A glint of mischief flickered in Shizuka's eyes as she found a way to gain the upper hand over Akishin.
—You dare underestimate me? I am your senior, after all!
Akishin caught that sly look in Shizuka's eyes, reminding him of a little fox preparing to raid a chicken coop. He narrowed his eyes and let out a faint, knowing smile.
Soon enough, it was their turn.
After receiving an emergency pager from a staff member dressed as a clown, the two of them stepped into the pitch-black interior.
It started as an ordinary hallway before leading to a door. Shizuka pushed it open. Instantly, a gust of cold air rushed past them, carrying a scent reminiscent of sweat—as if someone had suddenly brushed past their shoulders.
The wind blew only once, which served only to intensify the sensation. Faint, eerie sounds began to filter into their ears.
Shizuka glanced at Akishin and found his expression perfectly normal; he was even peering around with a look of genuine curiosity. A hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, and she pulled him deeper into the dark.
The pitch-black environment and the indistinct, unsettling noises were designed to trigger the primitive human fear of the unknown.
Beyond the door, a strange, putrid odor hung in the air, smelling of something decaying.
Looking around, Shizuka actually began to feel a tinge of fear herself. She pressed closer to Akishin—this particular setup hadn't been here when she visited two years ago.
"What is it, Shizuka-chan? Are you scared?"
"Be quiet. As if I'd be scared. Just keep walking."
Akishin smiled, and though Shizuka denied it, her face was bright red as she dragged him further inside.
As they rounded a corner, they entered a corridor bathed in an oppressive red light. Shizuka moved even closer to Akishin's side.
On the walls of the red corridor were countless reaching arms. For anyone with even a hint of trypophobia or a fear of clusters, this was a living nightmare.
Moreover, under the crimson glow, the arms looked deathly pale, like corpses. Most were smeared with a red liquid, looking as if they had just been severed from human bodies.
The metallic scent of blood accompanied every breath.
The two of them stepped into the corridor. The strange noises in their ears suddenly grew louder. All the arms began to writhe and sway, and the scent of blood grew heavier.
Akishin took a careful sniff of the air. While the smell was a very convincing imitation of blood, it wasn't the real thing; it was chemical. If one looked for it, there was a faint underlying scent of medicine.
For someone like Akishin, who had spent a lifetime navigating through actual bloodshed, he could distinguish the scent of real blood from a fake with a single breath.
"Let's move!"
Shizuka pulled Akishin through the gauntlet of bloody hands. Despite how many there were, the arms only moved near the walls. If they were careful, they wouldn't even be touched.
"Shizuka-chan, aren't you afraid?"
Akishin looked at Shizuka with a bit of puzzlement, considering how frightened she had seemed just moments ago.
Shizuka shot him a look, then tilted her head up with a proud smirk. "Hmph. Things like this aren't scary. How could something so obvious frighten me?"
She wasn't afraid of things that moved because she knew they were fake. What she actually feared was the atmosphere from earlier—the darkness, the vague, whispering sounds…
Of course, Akishin was never to know that.
"On the contrary, Chishima-kun, is this really your first time in a haunted house?"
Shizuka turned and glared at Akishin with a slight pout. She had been waiting for Akishin to lose his cool so that she could step up and protect him, asserting her dignity as a reliable senior.
But what was this?
Why was he even calmer than her—a 'veteran customer' who had been here several times!
"Of course. Why would I lie to you? Shizuka-chan, are you wondering why I'm not scared? Honestly, I don't know myself. Maybe I was just born with a lot of courage!"
Akishin explained with a smile, observing the hands on the wall as they walked.
The majority were clearly fakes, though very high-quality ones. They moved in mechanical, repetitive patterns that were easy to spot. The ones drenched in red stains were invariably the props.
As for the real hands—the ones belonging to actors—he noted there were only about ten of them scattered throughout.
"Liar."
Shizuka glared at Akishin. Noticing he was staring intently at the hands on the wall, she asked in confusion, "What are you looking at?"
"The hands. I'm trying to see which ones are real."
As he spoke, Akishin spotted a hand that wasn't covered in blood stains. Compared to the ones around it, this one only had a bit of white powder on it.
Then, he reached out and grabbed it.
It felt smooth, soft, and warm. Without a doubt, it was the hand of a young girl, just covered in white stage makeup.
Whoosh!
In the next second, the hand was violently retracted. This was followed by the sound of someone tripping and falling, and a faint, muffled cry of pain.
Shizuka stared at Akishin and whispered, "Chishima-kun, what on earth are you doing?"
"Ahahaha… curiosity. I was just curious."
Akishin shifted his gaze away. Shizuka's stare was honestly scarier than anything in the haunted house. He really had just been curious and instinctively reached out to test the texture, given it was his first time in such a place across three lives.
"Stop bothering the staff members; they're just trying to do their jobs. Let's go, I'm getting hungry for lunch."
After giving him one last glare, Shizuka pulled Akishin out of the corridor of arms.
After that, they passed through several more areas: a death-themed operating room, a coffin chamber, a murder scene…
Aside from the persistent, eerie noises, the rest was quite entertaining. Shizuka even invited a zombie for a photo, inspected a mannequin covered in fake blood on an operating table, and asked an actor playing a killer for directions…
The haunted house was massive, almost like a labyrinth.
Naturally, they also encountered other visitors who were so terrified they had practically lost consciousness.
The staff in the monitoring room watched the two of them with a sense of utter helplessness. Are you two here to play or are you on a guided tour? This isn't your living room!
…
After exiting the haunted house, Shizuka was still holding Akishin's wrist; it seemed to have become a habit by now.
They found a KFC inside the park to eat burgers, fried chicken, and fries. Despite it being just standard fast food, Shizuka ate with great gusto.
She actually quite enjoyed fast food. After spending the morning with Akishin, she had slowly begun to open up, no longer worrying excessively about maintaining a perfect image.
Watching the sunlight hit the ground through the window, both Akishin and Shizuka felt a deep sense of comfort.
All in all, the trip to the amusement park had been a success.
Shizuka felt as though she had returned to her school days—carefree, without a single worry in the world, as long as she was having fun.
She looked at the man across from her. He wasn't conventionally handsome, yet the more she looked at him, the more charming he became. He wasn't as wealthy as her, yet his attentiveness was visible in so many small ways… After all these years, he was the first person to truly move her heart again.
Shizuka understood her own feelings perfectly, she understood Akishin's feelings, and she understood her parents' wishes, yet she felt a flicker of hesitation. It wasn't rejection; just a bit of fear.
—What the mouth speaks is often different from what the heart feels.
Usually, she joked about wanting to get married every day, but that was just self-deprecating humor. Now, however, Shizuka was willing to make it a reality…
Thinking of this, Shizuka looked at Akishin. Her face reddened again, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes grew misty before she blinked it away.
She couldn't just give in so easily—at least, not yet.
Who was she, after all?
She was the Iron-Fisted Teacher of Sobu High, Hiratsuka Shizuka!
Akishin didn't notice any of this. He was looking out the window at the clear blue sky, listening to the light music playing in the KFC, and soaking in the relaxation.
Precisely because Akishin was looking elsewhere, Shizuka found the courage to brave her shyness and stare at him.
Ten minutes later, Akishin returned to the present, pulled out a map, and asked, "Shizuka-chan, how about we head over to the 'Tokyo Cat & Dog Expo' next?"
"…"
"Shizuka-chan?"
"Ah! I think that sounds great. No problem at all!"
Shizuka turned her face away in a panic. Her face was bright red—ah, how embarrassing, I want to die, I actually zoned out while staring at Chishima-kun!
Noticing Shizuka's nervousness, Akishin placed the map on the table, pointing to a shopping mall not far from the park, and offered a soft smile. "We'll go here next. I heard the 'Tokyo Cat & Dog Expo' is being held here today. Let's go have a look. Shizuka-chan, do you like cats?"
"Cats? I like them well enough. It's just that I live alone and I'm very lazy… no, I mean, I'm not very good at taking care of kittens, so I don't have any."
Shizuka looked at the location on the map and nodded.
"Then it's settled."
Having decided on their next destination, Akishin and Shizuka left the KFC. This time, Shizuka didn't grab Akishin's wrist, but she walked very, very close to him.
…
Japanese people are incredibly fond of pets, especially cats and dogs.
The loyalty and bravery of dogs, combined with the obedience and cuteness of cats, make many people in Japan deeply reliant on their animal companions.
In Japan, the pet industry is quite mature. According to statistics from the Yano Research Institute, the market scale of the Japanese pet industry has been growing steadily since 2009. It was predicted that by 2015, the market would reach 1,454.9 billion yen (roughly 12 billion USD), with a growth rate of about 1%.
The 'Tokyo Cat & Dog Expo' was organized by the Japan Pet Food Manufacturers Association, with support from various other organizations. Established in 1985, it is the most professional trade fair for the pet industry in Japan.
Taking a bus from near the amusement park to Makuhari Messe—the venue for the expo—took about ten minutes.
One thing of particular note is that while it is called the 'Tokyo' Cat & Dog Expo, the actual location is in Chiba. If one weren't careful, there was a high chance they'd end up at Tokyo Big Sight by mistake.
Inside the venue, crowds had already begun to form, with some visitors bringing their own pets along for the tour.
The atmosphere was lively. Akishin and Shizuka walked through the throng, glancing left and right. Even though they weren't experts, everything felt very fresh and new to them.
There were fluffy, adorable Ragdolls; tiny, short-haired Scottish Folds; round, grey British Shorthairs; sleek and handsome Bombay cats; and Japanese cats with classic black-and-white patterns…
And then, there was the one that particularly caught Akishin's eye—a cat that looked incredibly dignified, with a sharp gaze and a body at least twice the size of a normal cat: the Maine Coon.
"Shizuka-chan, over here! Come look at this one. What do you think of this cat? It's so handsome… I never knew a cat could look this cool!"
Akishin was practically pressed against the glass, looking at the Maine Coon inside.
It was a Maine Coon with a mix of grey, white, and black fur. Its ears were pointed and long, its gaze was piercing, and it possessed a massive, bushy tail that looked like a bird's plumage.
In terms of temperament, it looked like a king among cats, feeling almost a level above a common lion or tiger.
It lay on its side inside the display case. Meeting Akishin's gaze, it merely spared him a fleeting, calm glance before continuing to flick its tail, looking utterly indifferent.
Akishin's face was full of excitement, like an adventurer who had stumbled upon a legendary treasure.
Shizuka watched Akishin with surprise. This was the first time she had seen him show such genuine, unbridled enthusiasm for something.
But then, Shizuka smiled. An Akishin like this made him feel more real to her; sometimes, she felt there was a vast, unbridgeable distance between them.
Shizuka took the initiative to pull Akishin toward the information board in front of the Maine Coon to read the description:
Maine Coons possess a sturdy physique and thick, dense fur. Their appearance is similar to the Siberian Forest Cat. Maine Coons are a large breed, powerful, with large, rounded paws.
Their fur is silky and layered, with a soft undercoat. The fur on the back and legs is long and thick, while the tail fur spreads out like a plume. They feature a distinct ruff of fur around the neck.
A signature trait of a purebred Maine Coon is black eyeliner and lip lines.
The colors of a Maine Coon are highly varied, with an estimated 60 different coat patterns.
…
Seeing Akishin reading the text so seriously, Shizuka asked with a smile, "Chishima-kun, do you want to raise one?"
Shizuka had already decided: if Akishin wanted it, she would ask her father to buy a purebred Maine Coon to give to him as a gift.
—The cat in front of them was a show cat and not for sale.
Just as Akishin had been thinking that he had never given Shizuka a proper gift, Shizuka was thinking the same thing. She hadn't even given him a simple present yet.
On the other hand, Akishin brought her cakes every day and often cooked delicious meals for her.
Seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka's smiling face, Akishin crossed his arms and thought for a moment. He was certainly tempted, but eventually, he shook his head.
"Let's skip it. I'm not really cut out for raising a cat. I have to teach at school and run the shop; I don't have much time for myself as it is. Raising a cat in the city is a delicate task, and I'd probably just end up doing the cat a disservice."
He took one last look at the Maine Coon in the glass case, then smiled and shook his head. He waved a hand at the cat, then pulled Shizuka toward another section.
There was more to see here than just cats and dogs!
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