Original subtitles

When we were in elementary school,

I always fail at the jump...

Tomoko was popular, and I was a nuisance.

Tomoko was the mood-maker type who built everyone up,

and I was the complete opposite.

Shy and awkward with words,

I set everyone around me on edge.

Maybe that was why,

in the beginning, I hated Tomoko's guts.

Everyone has their own circumstances.

I was what people refer to as a neglected child.

Whenever my mom was cozying up to a prospective new husband,

I would find myself locked out of the house.

In the beginning, I just had to kill a little time when this happened,

but at some point, I started spending most of the day outside.

While the sun was up, I had playmates.

It was the nights that were painful.

That's why...

I'd spend time at a friend's house and get treated to a meal.

Each household welcomed me cheerfully.

In the beginning, at least.

Yes? Who is it?

It's me. I came to hang out.

Oh, Shizuku-chan. Hold on a minute.

Mama, Shizuku-chan is here!

She's here again? What kind of manners are they teaching her?

And she always stays for dinner. She's shameless.

I told you not to invite her anymore.

I didn't invite her. We're not even friends.

Really? Then I'll send her home.

Shizuku-chan? We have other plans today, so we can't invite you in.

I'm sorry!

Shizuku-chan?

What? There's no one there.

My classmates started avoiding me.

I figured it was better that way, since they wouldn't find out about my situation.

Mysterious Disappearances

Mysterious Disappearances

A Station, Scissors, and a Haircut

A Station, Scissors, and a Haircut

Listen to me, Oto-chan.

Do not answer that door!

Get out of the building immediately!

Shizuku-san!

Not that way!

Come on!

Apartment wife!

What is all this?

Let's go!

The shutters!

They were open when I came in a moment ago!

What do we do, apartment wife?

Crap. We have to go back!

That should hold for a little while.

So, mind explaining?

What the hell is going on here?

The hong yi xiao nu hai attacks whoever answers its knocking.

Oto-chan has already answered it once.

That's why she was targeted.

No, that's not what I'm asking!

What do you mean, it's Tomoko herself?

The current hong yi xiao nu hai is a chimera of several Curiosities.

Originally, it was a Curiosity that simply took people into the mountains,

but as the story was told,

it combined with one of a ghost that haunts and kills those who answer its knocking.

It also got mixed with tales of the shui gui, which drown those who approach water,

adding the element of rain.

Finally, the shui gui has one more characteristic we can't afford to ignore.

"Ti si gui."

\h\h\hTi Si Gui\h\h\h (Death Swap)

When a shui gui leads a human to its death, that shui gui can then leave this world,

but the murdered human then becomes a new shui gui looking for a fresh victim.

This special swapping characteristic, called ti si gui,

is passed down in folklore across the continent.

It's similar to the shichinin misaki in Japan.

The shichinin misaki?

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Shichinin Misaki

Yes. A group of seven vengeful ghosts who always act together.

When someone encounters them, they are killed and join their ranks,

at which point the oldest one can leave.

After these stories and the hong yi xiao nu hai were brought together,

the result was a story about someone who goes out on rainy nights to knock on doors,

trying to get someone to open them.

It became a wandering Curiosity.

Just give it to me straight.

Is Tomoko still alive?

No. Tomoko-san is already dead.

Why?

Why? Why?

Tomoko-san is alive! They're going to see each other again!

Oto-chan...

Shizuku-san! They got it wrong! There must be some mistake!

I'm going to go get changed.

I just can't relax in this outfit.

Shizuku-san?

Leave the door open! If you don't...

I know.

Sorry for all the trouble.

Thank you.

Shizuku-san!

What is she thinking?!

Why?

I made my peace with this a long time ago.

The details just ended up being a lot worse than I expected. That's all.

Still, if it means I can see her again, it beats the alternative.

It's been a while, Tomoko.

Do you remember?

Back then, you were the one who opened the door for me.

Shizuku-chan?

Here.

It wasn't anything special, just normal thoughtfulness, right?

Because you're a kind person.

For you, I was just one friend among many.

But for me, you were the one person in the whole world I could call my friend.

That's not true. There are the others at the café, right?

And there's me! There's me, too!

You're a kind person, too, Adashino Oto.

But back then, I made up my mind.

I told myself that I'd give the rest of my life for Tomoko, just for this one moment.

I was happy to be able to live with you.

Congrats on having your dream of becoming a beautician come true.

I was always cheering for you, you know?

Even though we haven't really been able to talk lately.

Shizuku-san, don't do it!

Move!

Thank you, Adashino Oto.

Thanks to you, I'm able to grieve.

Shizuku-san, please stop!

Tomoko.

I've been looking for you.

But I wasn't able to find you. I'm sorry.

I will set you free.

Shizuku-san?

I saw her.

Adashino Oto, I...

Shizuku-san?

It's too cruel. This isn't right.

Ren-nii!

Leave it to me, Oto.

Ren-nii!

I have to stop him!

Ren-nii is going to use his Eyes!

Shizuku-san!

Ren-nii, your Eyes...

Eyes? I haven't used them.

I used this.

A test sheet?

What do you think? I'm very proud of this treasure of mine!

That's mine, though.

This makes no sense. Explain.

There's an ancient Curiosity overseas

called the mo-sin-a that carries people into the mountains.

\h\h\hMo-Sin-A\h\h\h (Demon Child)

There are tales of its eyes, clothes, or hat being red. It's a childlike Curiosity.

The other key I found was a ghost story that's popular in Japan.

When you think of a childlike Curiosity wearing red in Japan, what comes to mind?

Toilet-bound Hanako-san?

Exactly.

It's likely that a combination of the mo-sin-a and Hanako-san

resulted in the hong yi xiao nu hai.

So I used the characteristics of the combined Curiosity to my advantage.

"Show her a test sheet with a score of one hundred."

It's a famous method to drive Hanako-san away.

I'm amazed you had something like that ready.

I have all of Oto's test papers carefully preserved!

I am forever perplexed by your staggering over-fondness as an older brother.

Then Shizuku-san is safe?

No, not yet.

The Curiosity has only temporarily been held at bay.

Let's head to the station.

KISARAGI

I'm so sorry, Sumireko-san.

If I weren't still recovering, I'd help you.

You really are an infuriating kid.

Thank you for your hard work.

I'll go and get a ticket. If you'll wait here, please?

A ticket? What are you planning to do?

No, wait, before that...

Is this Kisaragi Station?

Isn't it about time you showed me your hand?

If you're asking if this is the mysterious station that appears in urban legends,

then yes.

I knew it! This is Kisaragi Station!

The otherworldly station that exists in both this world and another!

I'm inside that urban legend right now!

More importantly, we need to finish the business at hand.

Sumireko-san, you picked something up in that building, didn't you?

You mean these scissors? Shizuku-san was holding them.

I knew it.

They're a cursed object.

If you are here to report a found item, please come this way.

It's quite lively here today, mysterious disappearances.

Oh, and a Bearer of Youth. How unusual.

Will you be exchanging that woman for a ticket?

I have no intention of turning over a friend to you.

My apologies. Then what will you be exchanging today?

This.

A newly formed cursed object, is it?

But it doesn't appear to be a pure one.

It won't take you as far as your desired destination.

However far it will go is fine.

But the only one riding the train will be the hong yi xiao nu hai.

The train will be here soon. Head straight to the platform.

Yes, I understand.

Express

Train Approaching

Adashino Oto?

Shizuku-san!

I'm not dead?

Did I mess it up?

Calm down.

Shizuku-san, the hong yi xiao nu hai possessed you, and you disappeared.

But then my brother stopped it.

This station is a Curiosity that connects to another world.

The train will be here in ten minutes.

If we can make sure only the hong yi xiao nu hai gets on the train,

you'll be safe.

I see.

Then I was able to draw the Curiosity to me.

In that case, everything's all right, Adashino Oto.

You know, when I was investigating Tomoko-san, I talked to all kinds of people.

I asked them what they knew about Tomoko-san's friends.

They all told me the same thing.

"She went shopping with Shizuku."

"She went out to eat with Shizuku."

"Tomoko-chan was always talking about the things she did with a girl named Shizuku."

Do you still think that, to Tomoko-san, you were just one friend among many?

And it's because Tomoko-san left you her scissors

that we were able to get this train ticket.

I'm certain that Tomoko-san wants you to live.

The train... arriving shortly.

For your safety... behind... line.

It's just about time for the train to arrive.

Was it all right to send Oto-chan on her own?

She'll be fine.

She's far more grounded than she appears.

I'd be much more worried if I had to leave you here on your own.

Your concern is unnecessary.

At least, that's what I'd like to say.

To be honest, I'm glad you're here.

This place freaks me out more than I thought it would.

That voice from the ticket window... I couldn't understand what it was saying,

but I could tell it was something humans shouldn't get involved with.

There are some things we're better off living our lives without knowing, if possible.

That's why you deliberately didn't tell me anything, right?

You're speaking too highly of me.

I was just too scared to talk about it.

Why is the train packed at this time of day? Who are these people?

Cursed objects and Curiosities are foreign to this world.

They are impurities that don't belong here.

And the world is always desperate to rid itself of such foreign objects.

So this station was brought into existence in order to expel these unneeded

foreign bodies from this world.

Cursed objects serve as the fare.

And our home is at the very end of this line.

That's why we're looking for cursed objects that can take us all the way there.

To stay alive and return home...

That's our goal as siblings.

We're castaways from another world.

So you finally fessed up, huh?

Did you think I'd get creeped out if you told me?

If I'm being honest, thanks to the events of these last few weeks,

I'm overflowing with more creativity than I have been in a long while.

I'm not gonna let you two do all the fun stuff on your own!

Sumireko-san...

Besides, you promised to read my next work, didn't you?

I'm not letting you back out now.

That's definitely the move of a meddling, mature woman.

You're both all right? What about the hong yi xiao nu hai?

We sent it off.

I'm sorry. You've done so much for me, Ogawa-no-neesan.

"Neesan"? Well, that's laudable of you.

I felt like I should live enough for Tomoko, too.

Thanks, Occhan!

And where is this older brother of yours?

At least let me say thanks!

Huh? Maybe he stepped outside earlier?

Let's go and see.

You're certainly working yourself to the bone.

You're not her brother by blood, to say nothing of not even being human.

You're just a sham of a monster.

How many years has it been since you slept?

Do you remember the last time you ate?

Has there been even the briefest moment in which your suffering has eased?

Soon, you'll be worn down to nothing for your sister's sake and disappear.

Whether you have a ticket or not, there is no station to which you can return.

Even so, that girl deserves to go home.

Oto really is just a lost child.

There are people waiting for her, looking for her.

I'm going to prove that she isn't someone that no one needs.

A Book, an Affair, and a Mermaid

Next time: "A Book, an Affair, and a Mermaid."