Hey, did you see that thing on TV yesterday?
See what?
You know...
"Reporters on the scene! The truth behind Hamanoko's giant eel, Hussy!"
I saw that too!
There's no way it actually exists.
"The ghost, when examined, was just withered flowers." Right, Houtarou?
What a boring guy.
Can't you feel any sort of romance?
Right, Chii-chan?
I'm curious about whether it exists or not.
Well, I don't care if it does or not, but I hope it does.
Isn't it more interesting that way?
All ghosts are just withered flowers.
That's so you.
taikutsu na madobe ni
Sitting bored by the back window,
fukikomu kaze ni
A breeze blew through the room
kao wo shikameta no wa
The reason I screwed up my eyes
terekusasa no uragaeshi
Was to hide how embarrassed I was
Hyouka
aimai ni unazuku tenohira no kyou
I gave a faint nod from the edge of my palm
egaiteru jibun wa sukoshi oogesa de
The "me" I was trying to be was a bit more than I was
nani ka kawarisou na ki ga shiteiru yo
I get the feeling that something is going to change soon
kokoro ni yobikakeru kimi no sei da ne
You reached out to touch my heart; it must be because of you
kumorizora nozoita yokan
I had a feeling, looking into the clouds
te wo nobasou itsu yori mo chikaradzuyoi yuuki de
I reached out my hand, with a stronger courage than I'd ever had
hikari mo kage mo mada tookute
The light and the dark are still so far away
sore demo bokura wa
But even though they are
yasashisa no riyuu ga shiritai
We still want to know how people could be so kind
ima wa dare no namae demo nai
Now it doesn't matter whose name it may be
kagayaki no kanata he
Beyond the horizon's light,
zenbu kako ni naru mae ni
Before it all becomes the past,
mitsuke ni ikou
Let's go and find out
The Ghost, When Examined
There are four members in the Kamiyama High Classics Club.
The Ghost When Examined
The GhostWhen Examined
And why are the four of us being shaken around on this bus?
The answer to that, of course, lies in this bus's destination.
Its final stop, Zaizen Village, is famous for mountain hiking and hot springs.
We're going for the hot springs, not the hiking.
Personally I'd much rather be taking a break from everything during my summer "break", however...
Thank you so much for helping me with my uncle, Oreki-san.
Why don't we all take a trip to the hot springs together?
Let's go to the hot springs!
Sure... Let's go...
They should be coming by to pick us up any time now.
This is a really great view.
Um... Oreki-san?
Are you okay?
I feel sick.
That's typical Houtarou for you. Already complaining.
It was only one and a half hours.
You're pathetic.
By the way, good job getting us these rooms, Mayaka.
My relatives are in the middle of renovating their inn and can't take guests, so they're letting us stay for free.
We're here, Oreki-san.
Finally! We're here!
Oreki, hurry up or we're leaving you there.
Finally! Our inn!
Welcome to Seizansou.
Seizansou
This is the elder sister, Zenna Rie,
and this is her younger sister, Zenna Kayo.
Good afternoon.
They're in fourth and sixth grades.
You've sure grown—
Your rooms are the last two on the second floor.
Houtarou! Come on, come on!
This room has a great view!
I guess this kind of thing isn't bad every now and then.
Though I think it would have been more dignified to come alone.
You, traveling alone?
What a joke!
Don't forget that you're here because Chitanda planned it and Mayaka had connections.
Food's ready!
It's time for dinner!
Hear that?
Let's go.
Is that cheese?
Stew.
Gratin.
Cheese fondue.
Chilled shabushabu?
Thank you for the meal!
There's dessert too.
Is it cheesecake?
How did you know?!
I could smell it.
Amazing!
Really?
He's just like Maya-neechan said!
What did you tell them, Ibara?
Let's play with fireworks tomorrow!
That sounds great!
Right? Dad bought some yesterday and—
What are you doing?
Sorry, Onee-chan.
Here.
Thank you.
Did you burn yourself?
I'm fine.
Be more careful next time.
That was good...
Did Satoshi already head to the bath?
Well, I guess this is a hot springs inn, after all...
Where are you headed to?
Same place you are.
Where's Ibara?
The kids took her somewhere.
This may be a bit random, but what kind of person is your sister?
That seriously is random...
Oh right, you're an only child, aren't you?
My sister, huh?
You could call her an oddball, and you could call her a genius.
I doubt that I could be better than her at anything.
Though I've never really cared to be.
So, why my sister all of a sudden?
Is it because of the Zenna sisters?
The truth is, I've always wanted a sibling.
An older sister or a younger brother...
Don't you think it's wonderful to have someone you can go to for anything always there for you?
I do not.
It seems this young lady is far too optimistic.
She thinks her dreams are true for everyone.
Having siblings in reality isn't wonderful in the slightest.
It looks like this isn't a mixed bath...
Obviously!
Satoshi?
Dad! Grandpa!
Hurry up!
Geez...
It's bigger than I thought...
Yo, Houtarou!
You're here!
This bath is great!
It's practically flowing through my body!
Getting your blood diluted with water is dangerous.
Couldn't you think of something more interesting to say?
Well, I guess it shows you're relaxing.
Is that Chitanda?
Oreki?!
What's wrong? Are you okay?
The bath made him dizzy.
It's kind of pathetic, really.
He hadn't even been in there half as long as me, but when I turned around, he'd almost passed out.
You are such a...
Sorry about this.
Don't worry about it.
Oreki...
You're fated never to enjoy an event.
Seriously.
Maybe I'm still sick from that bus ride.
I feel awful.
Chitanda?
Oreki-san? Are you okay?
Not really.
You're still hot...
Should I get a cold towel for you?
No, it's okay...
I'm just going to sleep.
Sorry to make you worry when we're out on a trip like this...
It's fine...
Apparently, we're going to tell ghost stories in a bit.
If you're feeling better, you're welcome to join us.
I hope you feel better soon.
Yeah...
It's not even eight yet...
Drums?
Actually, we don't really need the annex.
I guess the window next door is open, too...
This inn has a secret.
A secret?
A long time ago, a gloomy customer came to stay.
He was put in room seven in the main building.
7
He told them, "I don't need meals or room service. Just stay away."
7
But he'd already paid in advance, and it was the busy season, so he was a perfect guest.
Then, that evening, a piercing scream echoed throughout the inn.
A scream?
The guest in room seven had hanged himself, and his body was swaying in the wind.
Apparently he had embezzled money from his company and run away.
Here it comes!
Stop it!
Ever since that incident, guests staying in room seven all say the same thing:
2
"There's something in this room. I see shadows at night."
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
And then the ninth guest in that room...
What happened?
In the middle of the night, he suddenly succumbed to an unknown illness!
No way!
I knew it!
I said stop it!
That's why Grandma asked for an exorcism and had the annex built.
She wanted to stop any bad rumors from spreading.
Where is this room seven?
You can see it right across from this window.
That room there.
We live on the first floor, and we're told to stay away from the second floor.
Oh, come on. You're joking.
Don't tell anyone I told you, okay?
I've heard that one before.
Risshuu
When the air of autumn starts to rise.
Hyouka
Morning already?
Oh, morning!
Morning.
Where are the others?
I saw it.
Saw what, now?
Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night...
And when I turned over, in the room across from ours, I saw a hanged shadow swaying back and forth!
It's pretty rare to see Ibara panicking like this.
Too bad you're not here to see it, Satoshi.
Thanks for the meal.
How was the bath?
It was absolutely wonderful!
That's good!
Rie
And wasn't your futon nice and soft?
Yes! I slept wonderfully!
Looks like Kayo didn't write hers.
I didn't know you were scared of stories like that, Maya-neechan.
It's not like I'm scared of ghosts!
But when you see something like that...
It's just disturbing!
Maya-neechan... You saw it?
I saw it. I definitely saw it. I really saw it!
Onee-chan! You told them that story?
Dad said not to tell anyone!
Oh, come on. It's just Maya-neechan.
What's wrong?
What do you think of Mayaka-san's story?
The hanged shadow?
I'm sure it's one of those things that every inn probably has.
Then, do you think what Mayaka-san says is true?
Nope.
Then perhaps I'm mistaken as well.
What do you mean?
I saw it too. A hanged shadow.
When Mayaka-san woke up, I did too.
And I saw it swaying in the dark.
I thought I was mistaken, but Mayaka-san said she saw the same thing...
You probably just mistook something else for it.
Like Satoshi was saying yesterday, "The ghost, when examined..."
"...was just withered flowers"?
Then...
What exactly did I see?
That's right.
Tell us what it was we saw, then.
Why do I—
Let's look into it!
I'm curious!
Sorry, Chii-chan!
I told Rie that I would help her with her homework!
Leave it to us!
We'll discover the truth behind this mystery!
Right, Oreki-san?
Don't ask me.
Either way, if I have to do it, make it quick.
Excuse us.
Okay, so you saw this hanged shadow in the room across from yours?
Yes, that's right.
How big was it?
It was neither particularly big nor small.
What about the shape?
I don't remember very well.
What about color?
I don't know. It was just a shadow.
A shadow...
In other words, it looked like a human shadow against the light.
I think so.
Against the light...
It was night, so the only light source would have been the moon.
I think so too.
The moon was quite bright last night.
Is that related—
Chitanda, when did you stop telling stories and go to bed?
Ten o'clock.
How were the shutters at the time?
I think they were closed.
If the shutters were closed, there couldn't have been a shadow.
This is becoming a hassle...
It's probably best to go to the main building and take a look at room seven.
How wonderful! So mysterious!
I'm glad we took this trip!
I wish we hadn't.
No Entry
Hey!
Yes, what is it?
Please.
I'm bad with kids.
Okay.
Kayo-san, could you spare a moment?
We'd like to see the main building.
The main building?
Why?
We're looking into the hanged shadow.
Could you show us to room seven?
I'm sorry, but I can't right now.
Onee-chan will get mad at me.
Then at least tell us this.
Is that room still used for guests?
No. Guests only use the bath and the dining hall in the main building.
So it's an empty room.
The second floor is used for storage.
Can I go now?
Thanks.
You were very helpf—
She doesn't like me.
Don't worry. I'm sure she's just scared of big men.
So cute!
Is it a problem if we can't see room seven?
It's not so much a problem as it is a hassle.
We can't see the scene of the crime.
Oh my.
These bring back memories!
Rie
Morning radio exercises...
I haven't gone to those in two years!
You went until second year of middle school?!
AAAAA
Seizansou Annex
Seriously?
Let's take a look from the back.
Did it rain last night?
Yes. It was a passing shower.
To see a shadow against the light, both the east and west windows had to be open.
Um...
It's time for lunch.
Thank you for the meal.
It must be wonderful to have a sister.
Oh? Did you wish you had a sister?
Kind of.
So, did you figure anything out?
Not yet.
We're still just starting to look into it.
Though I do have a theory.
Oh? Let's hear it.
Hey.
What are you talking about?
Are you guys leaving me out of the loop?
Out of the loop or in, where the heck do you go all day?
I don't see you at all!
You don't get it, do you?
You're supposed to use a hot spring multiple times a day.
Is that how it works?
Ta-da!
What do you think?
Isn't my yukata cute?
It's wonderful!
You look great!
I got my parents to buy it for me at the start of summer break!
You always said you wanted one.
The pattern is good.
Then what's bad?
The obi.
It's an imitation.
I doubt it's radioactive.
I said "imitation", not "mutation".
The butterfly is a separate part from the obi.
I can't rightfully call that a yukata.
More useless information.
What's wrong?
Maybe I've been cursed by the hanged shadow too?
Let's go to the hot spring again today.
Okay!
A hanged shadow.
A product of Ibara and Chitanda's fevered minds.
Withered flowers.
But something is missing.
Let's go back together.
Satoshi?
Weren't you just at the dining hall?
When did you get here?
Well, you see, if you slide down the slope behind Seizansou, you come out right behind here.
You'll slide down a mountain for a shortcut?
Typical Satoshi behavior.
I can't think of anything that would appease Chitanda.
Explaining the shadow is simple.
The question is, why?
Houtarou, did you get dizzy again?
Hey, were there any events last night?
You got dizzy in the bath.
Anything else?
We all told ghost stories together.
I had more flowers than hands.
No, I meant anything official.
Well, there was the summer festival.
Couldn't you hear the drums?
Drums?
Oh, right!
The summer festival!
I see now...
So, what about it?
That shadow you saw...
was probably just a yukata on a hanger.
Why would it be hung there?
And why would someone open the windows specifically so we could see it hanging?
That's strange.
It wasn't so you could see it.
Then...
It was to dry it.
The yukata was wet.
The windows were open to let the wind in so it would dry faster.
Why?
Because it rained.
No, I mean, why was it hanging in room seven?
So no one could see it being dried.
But we saw it!
No.
To hide it from the rest of the family.
Why?
The one who hung it up to dry was Kayo.
Kayo was envious of Rie's yukata and wanted to try it on.
But I'm sure Rie wouldn't lend it to her.
Why not? They're sisters...
Didn't you notice?
Rie wrote her name on her cup, stamp card, and ball.
She makes sure everyone knows what's hers.
Kayo probably couldn't ask Rie to lend her the yukata.
But then...
Still, Kayo wanted to wear it.
So she secretly took it and wore it to the summer festival last night.
She left around eight o'clock.
Kayo-san went to the summer festival?
I saw her.
I noticed someone leaving the house last night.
It didn't sound like Kayo was around for the ghost stories, right?
You're right, she wasn't there.
Around that time, Kayo ran into trouble at the festival.
It started raining.
It didn't last long, but the yukata was soaked.
Kayo remembered that they were going to play with fireworks the next day.
She knew that Rie was planning to wear that yukata then.
She had to find a way to dry the yukata in time before Rie found out.
The family uses the first floor of the main building, and the annex was out of the question.
She couldn't use the dryer that late at night, either.
And so, when everyone was asleep,
she snuck into the most distant room in the main building and hung the yukata up to dry.
But bad luck befell her again.
With the windows open, the moonlight made it look like a hanged shadow.
And even worse, we began to look into it.
No Entry
I'm sure Kayo felt like she was being cornered.
I'll bet the shadow behind the door was Kayo, too.
Kayo-san...
She returned the yukata early in the morning.
Unlike Rie, she goes to morning exercises every day, so putting it back was easy.
I see...
We should probably keep this from Ibara.
It's better not to spark any trouble in the family.
But then...
that would mean those two don't get along.
If you can't lend a yukata to your own sister...
That's pretty normal. Siblings—
I always wanted a sibling.
An older sister I could look up to, or a cute little brother.
The siblings Chitanda imagines...
may just be withered flowers.
It's hot...
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Well, maybe not just withered flowers.
konya koi ni kawaru
Tonight’s the night we fall in love
shiawase na yume de aou
Let’s meet in our sweet dreams
kitto ne mitsukete ne
Please come and find me
madoromi no yakusoku
A promise for when we sleep
mebaeteta nukumori atatakakute tomadou
I felt a growing warmth; it felt so nice that I couldn’t think
konna kimochi wo mada anata wa wakaranai no
But these feelings I have, you still don’t know they’re here
sono shisen ni wa imi nante betsu ni nai hazu
I don’t think there’s anything special in how you look at me
datte tomodachi ni shiteru no to onaji
It’s the same way you look at your friends
akegata ni kieteku chiisana negaiboshi
Fading into the dawn, my tiny wishing star
yoru no aida de no mahou
Magic that lasts only the night
konya koi ni kawaru
Tonight’s the night we fall in love
shiawase na yume de aou
Let’s meet in our sweet dreams
kitto ne mitsukete ne
Please come and find me
madoromi no yakusoku
A promise for when we sleep
Next time: Let's Go to the Screening!
Let's Go to the Screening!