Saturday morning brought a slight chill. Okabara Kyogumichi stood at the entrance of the Chitanda family home, looking up at the historic Japanese mansion that exuded a sense of history. The wooden doors gleamed softly in the morning light, the maple leaves in the courtyard had already taken on a faint reddish hue, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of plants.
Chitanda Eru, dressed in an elegant kimono, greeted them at the door, a hint of unconcealed worry on her face: "Thank you for coming, Okabara-san, and Shinomiya-senpai."
Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly. Today, she had uncharacteristically changed out of her exquisite Western dress into simple casual clothes, yet her elegant demeanor was still undeniable: "You're welcome. Since it's Chitanda-san's request, I will naturally come."
The three walked through the courtyard into the house. Ancient calligraphy and paintings hung in the corridors, and exquisite flower arrangements adorned the corners, everywhere revealing the deep heritage of a prominent family. Chitanda Eru's parents warmly welcomed them, though their brows were etched with lingering sadness.
"Nao… she's still the same," Chitanda Eru's mother sighed, her voice full of helplessness. "For the past few years, she's locked herself in her bedroom, rarely coming out to see people, and her mind has become increasingly muddled."
Kyogumichi recalled the vague name from the Shadow Box incident: Chitanda Nao—Chitanda Eru's cousin, and one of the direct participants in the Shadow Box incident that year. It was said that Nao's mental state began to deteriorate precisely because of that incident.
Arriving at the bedroom door at the end of the second-floor corridor, faint murmurs could be heard from inside. Chitanda Eru gently knocked on the door: "Nao, I've brought friends to see you."
The murmuring inside stopped, and after a long while, the door slowly opened a crack. A pale-faced girl appeared behind the door. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes unfocused, and her clothes were wrinkled, making her look utterly haggard.
"Eru…" Chitanda Nao's voice was hoarse, her gaze sweeping over Kyogumichi and Kaguya Shinomiya, her eyes filled with wariness and unease.
"Nao, they are my friends, Okabara-san and Shinomiya-senpai," Chitanda Eru said softly, trying to help her relax. "We just came to see you."
Nao didn't speak, only stepped aside to let them in.
The bedroom had thick curtains drawn, making the light dim. A faint musty smell permeated the air. The desk was piled high with various ancient books, and the walls were covered with strange symbols, making it look somewhat eerie.
"She always says these symbols can ward off evil," Chitanda Eru explained quietly, her tone full of heartache.
Kyogumichi surveyed the room, his gaze falling on an open ancient book on the desk, which contained records of local evil god legends. He recalled the bizarre rituals from the Shadow Box incident, and a faint suspicion began to form in his mind.
"Are you still afraid of that thing?" Kyogumichi asked softly, looking at Nao with gentle eyes.
Nao's body trembled violently, her eyes instantly filling with terror, and she clutched her head tightly with both hands: "It's still here… It's always been here… That evil god… It's watching me…"
"Nao!" Chitanda Eru rushed forward to comfort her.
Kaguya Shinomiya walked to the desk, picked up the ancient books, and began to flip through them, her brow gradually furrowing: "These are all records of ancient local sacrificial rituals. They do mention some evil god legends, but most of them are later fabrications."
"It's not a fabrication!" Nao suddenly became agitated, her voice sharp. "I saw it with my own eyes! In that box… at that ritual… It was right there!"
Kyogumichi was silent for a moment, then took out a small USB drive from his backpack: "We found the truth about the Shadow Box incident that year. It wasn't some evil god at work; someone deliberately orchestrated that ritual to cover up internal family conflicts."
He inserted the USB drive into the old computer in the room. It contained the evidence he had compiled when investigating the Shadow Box incident—including the testimonies of the participants, the true purpose of the ritual, and the confessions of the mastermind. This evidence clearly showed that the so-called evil god legend was nothing more than a man-made illusion.
Chitanda Nao stared blankly at the evidence on the computer screen, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. The fears that had plagued her for years, the lingering nightmares—were they all just a man-made deception?
"So… there's no evil god?" Nao murmured to herself, her eyes unfocused. "Those strange sounds… those hallucinations… were all fake?"
"The ritual did use some drugs and psychological suggestion techniques to induce hallucinations in the participants," Kyogumichi said softly. "What you saw were all man-made illusions, not some evil god."
This truth cleared Nao of the suspicion of "lying for attention" years ago, proving that her fears were not unfounded. Chitanda Eru's parents, hearing this from outside the door, had red eyes; years of misunderstanding were finally resolved.
However, the revelation of the truth did not improve Nao's mental state. Her eyes remained unfocused, and she repeatedly muttered, "It's still here… It hasn't left…"
Kyogumichi looked at her suffering, his heart heavy. He could find the truth of the incident, but he couldn't dispel the fear that had been entrenched in her heart for years. Those deep-seated psychological traumas could not be healed by a simple truth.
Kaguya Shinomiya gently patted Kyogumichi's shoulder, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "We've done what we can. The rest… requires professional psychological treatment."
Kyogumichi nodded, knowing she was right. Some emotional knots cannot be untangled by reasoning and truth alone.
By the time they bid farewell to the Chitanda family, dusk had already fallen. Chitanda Eru and her parents expressed their deepest gratitude to them. Although Nao's problem was not completely resolved, the unveiling of the truth at least gave them a glimmer of hope.
"Thank you, Okabara-san," Chitanda Eru's eyes were red.
"I hope she gets well soon," Kyogumichi said softly.
Walking home, the setting sun cast long shadows of the three of them. Kaguya Shinomiya was the first to say goodbye; she had to return to the student council to handle affairs. Before leaving, she glanced at Kyogumichi, seemingly wanting to say more, but ultimately only said, "Don't overthink it."
The busy student council president didn't even have free time on a Saturday.
Kyogumichi walked alone on the twilight street, his steps unusually heavy. The autumn wind blew, sweeping up fallen leaves from the ground, carrying a hint of bleak chill. He thought of Chitanda Nao's empty eyes, and her repeated words, and his heart felt as if a stone was pressing down on it.
As someone accustomed to solving problems with strength and skill, facing such psychological trauma, he felt so powerless for the first time. The truth of the Shadow Box incident had been revealed, but it hadn't brought true salvation.
The sky in the distance was dyed orange-red, and the city lights gradually came on. Kyogumichi looked at the road home, feeling for the first time that this familiar journey was so long. He knew that some problems might never have a standard answer, just as some emotional knots require time and patience to gradually smooth out.
The evening breeze blew, carrying a faint scent of osmanthus, but it couldn't dispel the heaviness in Kyogumichi's heart. He quickened his pace, his figure gradually disappearing into the twilight, leaving only a long shadow cast on the empty street.
"Yokai exist, so what about evil gods? They probably exist too, or at the very least, they're yokai in disguise," Kyogumichi thought silently to himself, his footsteps echoing on the street as his figure gradually disappeared.