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After listening to her explanation, everything made sense.
She was a student from the countryside who had passed her exams and come to the city alone to study.
Because money was tight and the rent here was cheap, she moved in without knowing what had happened.
Only after settling in did she learn that the building was haunted, and two nights ago she'd even seen that terrifying, bizarre figure with her own eyes.
Just as she'd made up her mind to leave no matter what the next day, she was woken up by the sound of high heels and happened to see Asher outside her door.
"I see…"
Asher nodded, stroking his chin.
"So, sir, I really suggest you move out too. As soon as possible."
"This place is seriously haunted. If something happens one day…"
Just thinking about it made the girl shudder.
"To be honest, I never believed in this supernatural stuff before. I thought it was all superstition. I just never imagined…"
She sighed softly.
The past two days had completely shaken her worldview.
Seeing Asher still deep in thought, she spoke again.
"Oh, right. My name is Ebina Nana. And you are…?"
"Ebina, huh? You can call me Asher."
Asher nodded in response.
But then something clicked in his head.
Wait a second… Ebina Nana?
That was the name of Umaru Doma's best friend in Himouto! Umaru-chan, wasn't it?
So he'd really run into another character from an anime he'd watched before.
With that thought, Asher couldn't help taking a closer look at Ebina Nana.
He took a closer look.
Had to admit it.
Just like the anime showed.
Ebina's figure really lived up to that saying, slim limbs but all the curves in the right places, paired with a perfectly youthful face.
"…Um… Ha-Asher?"
Sensing Asher's gaze, Ebina instinctively raised her right hand to cover her chest, even in the darkness, and spoke to him with a hint of fear in her voice.
Ebina was gentle by nature and kind-hearted.
But in truth, she was extremely socially anxious. Just being looked at by others could make her lose confidence.
If she hadn't seen Asher in real danger earlier, someone as introverted as her would never have stepped in to help.
Her voice snapped Asher out of it. He realized his behavior had been inappropriate.
He coughed quickly to cover the awkwardness.
"Ahem. Sorry about that, Miss Ebina."
"I-It's okay, Asher."
Ebina lowered her head nervously and shook it lightly.
The atmosphere between them was clearly getting a little awkward.
Asher changed the subject.
"By the way, Miss Ebina, you said just now that it should be time to leave. What did you mean by that?"
At his question, Ebina's attention shifted back to the female ghost.
She explained softly, "Around this time every night, I hear the sound of high heels walking in the hallway outside."
"At first I was really scared. I was so afraid I couldn't even sleep."
"But after a few times, I noticed that even though the footsteps show up on schedule every night, nothing happens as long as I wait until the sound disappears."
"Unless something unusual happens, that thing shouldn't target us."
"So that's how it is," Asher said, nodding as he listened.
Sure enough, these spirits were just like in the horror movies from his past life.
As long as you didn't break certain rules, even if you could hear them or see them, you wouldn't necessarily be targeted.
"Still, I'm not completely sure," Ebina added. "I've never actually gone outside to check after the footsteps stop."
"So maybe, Asher, you should wait a bit."
"Once we're sure it's safe outside, then you can leave."
"Before that, if you don't mind, you can rest here for a while."
She said this shyly.
For someone as introverted as Ebina, inviting a man into her home was already unthinkable. This was even the first time she had ever been alone in a room with a man.
Under normal circumstances, she would have been so embarrassed she'd want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
But this wasn't a normal situation.
Just thinking about the terrifying presence in the hallway made a chill run through her body.
No matter what, she was still just a young girl.
She had already been living in fear for days.
Asher's appearance made her feel shy, but it also brought her a sense of relief.
In an environment like this, two people were better than one.
That was why she suddenly made this invitation.
Of course, she was also thinking about herself.
After all, no one knew whether that thing was still outside.
If it was, and Asher went out now, wouldn't that be walking straight into death?
And she might get dragged into it too…
Hearing her suggestion, Asher thought it over briefly, then agreed.
"Alright. In that case, thank you."
To be honest, when he first noticed something off about the apartment building, he had already guessed there was something unclean here.
To avoid a worst-case scenario, he had even used up his shikigami ten-pull.
But after seeing how terrifying that female ghost was, beyond what he had expected, he decided it was better to be cautious.
It wasn't that he was scared. He just didn't think he could confidently take her head-on yet.
"Okay then. Asher, have a seat. I'll get you some water."
Ebina led him to the sofa in the living room, then went to the kitchen to fetch the kettle.
The two of them rested in the living room for a while, chatting about ordinary things.
About half an hour passed.
The time had reached one in the morning.
Asher finally spoke. "It's getting late. After this long, that thing outside should be gone."
Ebina nodded obediently.
"Mm. Then Asher, you should head back and get some rest."
"I'll walk you out."
After their conversation, the tension between them had eased a lot. It wasn't as stiff as when they first met.
At the door, Asher opened it and glanced down the hallway. After confirming nothing was wrong, he turned back to Ebina.
"Then I'll be going. Thank you again, Miss Ebina. You should rest early too."
"Mm, I will. Good night, Asher."
Ebina waved at him.
Asher turned and headed toward his own room.
Just as he had taken a few steps away.
As Ebina let out a sigh of relief and reached to close the door.
Snap!
A sharp sound, like a lightbulb exploding, rang out from the living room.
The entire apartment was plunged into darkness.
Ebina froze and slowly turned her head.
In the pitch-black living room, she saw a tall, slender female silhouette. And most terrifying of all, that grotesque mouth split all the way to the ears.
Her eyes went wide.
"Ahhh—!!!"
Her legs gave out in terror. Before she could close the door, she fell backward and landed hard on the hallway floor.
Not far away, Asher heard the scream and spun around instantly.
What he saw was Ebina collapsed on the ground.
"Asher—"
Ebina turned toward him with a look of despair, stretching out her slender right hand.
She only managed to say two words before her body was suddenly dragged backward by something unseen, sliding straight into the apartment.
Bang!
The door slammed shut violently.
"....."