夏のスペシャル ２０２５年度 夏の怖い話 その５ (Part1)
Summer Special: 2025 Summer Ghost Stories, Part 5
Side: Rushi
To be perfectly honest, when I was told we would be looking at the Japanese-style houses where Yuki-sama used to live, I didn’t quite grasp what to expect.
"This is truly incredible. Air conditioning, refrigerators, televisions—they’re just standard fixtures here."
I had assumed these were luxuries reserved exclusively for royalty and the nobility. But as Yuki-sama explained, in this world, in this environment, owning such appliances is considered the norm.
Well, perhaps it’s more accurate to say this house is simply large and wealthy enough to afford them, but even so, I never imagined that individual rooms would each be equipped with their own television, air conditioner, and refrigerator. I had thought such things were only found in inns or establishments that catered to travelers.
"Well, it’s pretty standard these days."
"It is standard, isn't it? Though, whether a room has a refrigerator or not usually depends on the size of the room."
"They do take up a surprising amount of space, after all."
I see. That makes sense. Refrigerators are indeed quite bulky. The one provided for my room is a small, compact model, while the one in the kitchen is a massive, imposing unit.
For the record, we are currently exploring a large house facing the main road. We are all together, searching every nook and cranny because we haven't found the stamp for the stamp rally yet. It feels inefficient, but Yuki-sama insists that splitting up is dangerous. He says that once we get used to it, we can consider separating, but I wonder—are things really that frightening?
"Still, where on earth could that stamp be?"
"Does this mean we’re supposed to open up every desk and dresser drawer?"
"This is turning into a full-blown house search. I have a bad feeling we’re going to find something we’d rather not see."
Why is everyone so reluctant to open the drawers? Regardless.
"Yuki-sama, in that case, should I check inside this refrigerator as well?"
"Hm? Oh, come to think of it, we haven't checked the fridge. It’s incredibly rude to peek into someone else’s refrigerator, but it can't be helped. Go ahead."
"Yes."
With his permission, I opened the small refrigerator to check inside. There, sitting squarely in the middle, was a massive jar. As I looked closer...
"Hyaaa!?"
I recoiled instinctively. Because inside that giant jar... was a human head.
Why would someone keep a human head in a jar? Is it some kind of sample? Medical research? No, there would be no reason to do that in a house like this. As I stood there, eyes wide and mind reeling at the incomprehensible situation, a voice broke through.
"Are you alright?"
"A-ah, Prof-san."
I turned toward the voice, struggling to find my words. It’s strange how, when people are truly startled, their voices refuse to cooperate.
"Did something happen? It looks like there's nothing here."
"Eh?"
At her words, I turned back to the refrigerator. There was nothing there. No...
"Hm? No, wait. There is something like a stamp in the corner."
Yes, it was definitely a stamp.
"What’s wrong?"
"Oh, no. It seems the stamp was inside."
Yuki-sama, having heard my voice, walked over. I didn't want to worry him by admitting I’d seen something that wasn't there, so I answered simply.
"So it is. A stamp. Who puts a stamp in a fridge? I’d prefer it if they just left it on the living room table."
"Well, if they did that, everyone would just collect the stamp at the living room table and be done with it immediately."
"They really are thorough, aren't they? Should we take the stamp outside?"
"No, let's leave it. Breaking the rules like that feels like it might trigger something."
"Agreed. Alright, everyone, let's get our stamps."
Following his lead, we went to the living room table and pressed our stamps onto our rally sheets. That makes two. It’s a bit late to ask, but...
"Come to think of it, the number of squares on the stamp rally sheet doesn't match the number of houses to visit, does it?"
I had only just realized this fact. There are six locations to collect stamps, yet the map given to us by Luna-sama lists over twenty houses to tour.
"Ah. Well, perhaps they don't intend for us to spend that much time on it. Or maybe there's something that only becomes clear once you’ve collected all the stamps."
"What do you mean?"
"At first glance, the stamps look like ordinary, well-designed marks, but perhaps collecting them all reveals something."
"Oh, is that so?"
I didn't quite follow Yuki-sama's explanation. As I pondered what he meant, Yuki-sama took a piece of copy paper from the living room and began to write something. Then, he tore it into pieces and lined them up on the desk.
"Seeing is believing. This is just a simple example, though."
As he explained, I could see the word "TABLE" written in large letters across the pieces of paper.
"If you were to break this up and turn it into stamps..."
He took one piece away. Even when shown one of the eight fragments, it looked like nothing more than a random line. Ah, I understood what he was getting at.
"By collecting them all, a word or a hint will emerge."
"Exactly. Though, that’s just a possibility. I hope it ends once we collect all six."
"Indeed. So, what shall we do? We still haven't found the file."
"If it's not here, it's not here. In any case, this house isn't much of a reference for a standard home. It’s far too extravagant."
"Indeed. The house I lived in before wasn't nearly this spacious."
"Um, Prof-san, you were renting a room in Weed originally, weren't you?"
Yayui-san asked suddenly. Now that she mentioned it, before Prof-san became Yuki-sama's personal attendant, she had lived as an ordinary citizen in Weed.
"Yes. I rented a standard apartment in Weed. Since I didn't have family and a large house is difficult to manage, it was a one-bedroom apartment."
"That’s reasonable for living alone."
"I’d want a hobby room, so I’d go for a two-bedroom. One would be a study or a hobby room."
"There were people like that, yes. But I was able to study perfectly well in the living room."
Yes, that’s true. You don't necessarily need a dedicated study; you can study in the living room. I was under the protection of Yuki-sama and Rurua-sama from the start, so I went from a hospital room to an inn room, but even then, it was a one-bedroom style, and that was more than enough. It had all the appliances, and it was a level of luxury that would have been impossible in the Absolute Village.
"If we’re looking for a reference, it would be better to look at houses for single people or families of two to five. This place is likely for a family of four, but it could easily house ten."
Indeed, there is enough space here for ten people to live comfortably. A dressing room, a room just for storing clothes—it feels like something out of a noble's estate. As for the garage, it even has space for three cars.