夏のスペシャル ２０２５年度 夏の怖い話 その９ (Part1)
Summer Special: 2025 Summer Ghost Stories, Part 9
Side: Hovis
Following a rigorous meeting, we decided against gathering advance information on the supernatural phenomena.
Well, the official reason is that it would scare us, but for Yayui and me, it’s simply because it wouldn't be any fun if we knew what kind of ghosts were going to appear.
Since this is a place prepared by Lady Luna, it would be a waste not to enjoy it, right?
That said, I am a little worried about the fact that we might not be able to escape if we don't gather information, but regarding that...
"Well, if nothing happens after we collect the stamps, we can shift to actively gathering information."
"Agreed. We aren't exactly in a desperate situation, after all."
Just like that, Yuki-sama and Taiki-sama don't seem particularly flustered.
It feels just like one of our usual events.
No, wait—since this is something that happens every year, I suppose it *is* an event.
"With that settled, the next stamp location is here."
The spot Yuki-sama pointed to on the map was on the opposite side of this safe house.
"Yuki-sama, is there a specific intention behind this?"
"No, not really. If I had to say, it's just that it's on the opposite side."
"I see. It is indeed positioned at the exact polar opposite of this safe house."
While the rows of houses are slightly different, it’s true that the location is effectively the same.
"We've already confirmed the footage. If the records are accurate, there shouldn't be any need to be overly cautious."
"True. Still, it’s quite eclectic, isn't it? A severed head in a jar, an old woman in a kimono in the closet, and then dismembered bodies."
As Taiki-sama said, I watched the recorded footage, but there’s no coherence—no connection between the series of events.
By the way, while Orelia and the others must have been shocked watching it in real-time, from our perspective, it felt like watching a movie.
No, the camera angles were limited to a human perspective, so it lacked impact.
Movies are truly amazing things.
Still, because of those angles, I don't think it was staged.
"I thought there might be a connection, but it feels like something else entirely."
"In terms of the incidents, they feel like isolated cases. Well, it was a collection of houses, after all. I haven't investigated thoroughly, but the newspapers were from all different eras."
Indeed, Yuki-sama and the others turned off the television to avoid spoilers, but the newspapers we picked up in the vacant houses were from completely different time periods.
"Regardless, we'll understand once we collect the stamps. Let's head to the remaining two without letting our guard down."
"Indeed. A twist at the very end is a common trope."
It’s a common pattern in movies, isn't it?
It feels like collecting these stamps might break the seal on something troublesome.
"It's over there. The house specified on the map."
Before I knew it, we had arrived at the target house.
Well, it looked like a distance, but it wasn't that far.
Since we were walking, it took about ten minutes, but at combat speed, it would have been an instant.
So, what kind of house is it...?
"I thought it was a house, but this is a community center."
"Ah, that’s standard, isn't it?"
"““Community center?””"
Taiki-sama seems to understand, but unfortunately, we have absolutely no idea.
"Ah, in Weed terms, it’s like a meeting hall. There are one or two in every district, right? A place where local people gather. Well, since anyone can use it, it’s 'public'—meaning for the citizens."
"Then wouldn't 'Citizen's Hall' be better?"
Orelia asked immediately.
That does sound better, doesn't it?
"There are various interpretations, but 'citizen' doesn't just mean someone with nationality; it means someone who has a say in the politics of that region's public organization. In short, it's a place basically intended for the people living in that area. Even if a traveler stays at a meeting hall, they wouldn't just stay there on their own, would they?"
"Indeed, that would require permission."
"The authority to make that judgment, or the right to use it, belongs to the people living in that locality or region. That is what we refer to as the 'citizenry'."
"I see. It should certainly be distinguished from 'national'."
That’s true.
If the definition were just 'national,' it would mean people from other regions could use the community center or meeting hall as they pleased.
That would certainly be a source of trouble.
Basically, it’s a facility for the people who live there.
"Um, I understand the 'citizen' part, but is a community center specifically a place for meetings?"
"That depends on the location. Well, there's definitely a place for meetings. Aside from that, there's a kitchen and a restroom. Enough so that local people can evacuate in an emergency."
"Evacuate?"
"Japan is a country with many natural disasters. Community centers are often used as places to evacuate during such emergencies."
"I see. In that sense, it is close to a meeting hall."
Thanks to Riel's question, I understood that a community center functions almost exactly like a meeting hall.
However...
"Is this truly optimal as a sample of a house?"
"Well, it's a sample of a meeting hall, isn't it?"
"I see, Taiki-sama might be right."
Ah, so that’s it.
We have seen many houses, but we’ve never seen a sample of a meeting hall before.
"Well, I suppose so. If you call it a sample of a meeting hall, that might be it. Though, I feel like this is quite different from Luna's intentions."
Yuki-sama said this as he reached for the door of the community center and stepped inside.
Entering the building, we were greeted by a large entrance hall clearly designed for gatherings.
However, it wasn't built like a mansion; it was simple and unadorned, designed to welcome many people.
"What is this? This slope?"
Yayui was the first to look curiously at the ramp installed in the entrance.
I was also puzzled and turned my gaze toward it.
There’s a ramp running directly into the entrance—does that mean you can enter without taking off your shoes?
"Ah, that’s a slope for wheelchairs or people with weak legs and lower backs. They call it 'barrier-free'."
"We’ve started seeing those around quite a bit lately, haven't we?"
"I see. There is something similar at the General Government Building. Though, it's not often that people in wheelchairs or the injured come by."
Prof-san's words reminded me.
Come to think of it, there was something like that at the entrance of the General Government Building, too.
Indeed, for people with leg injuries or those in wheelchairs, a ramp like this is much easier.
"Well, most people in Weed are still quite healthy. And the penetration rate of wheelchairs isn't that high."
"Wasn't it a rental from the hospital?"
"Right. And in Japan, the penetration rate of wheelchairs is high. Well, it might be rare, but it’s actually rarer to find a place *without* that kind of barrier-free access."
"True. Creating a livable city includes not just children, but the elderly as well."
Hmm, I see. They make it so that such people can easily gather.
"Anyway, enough explanation. Let's investigate the inside and find the stamp."
"Should we split up?"
"It's spacious here, so we might as well stay together."
Indeed, unlike a regular house, it seems to have been built with large crowds in mind, and it’s wide enough for us to walk down the hallway with plenty of room to spare.