Yorozuya – The spider youkai

Translator: raggykoshka

Editor: raggykoshka

“So are there a lot of different kinds of spiders in this region then? I usually can’t tell which species a spider belongs to…”

Murmuring that if they have an example on display, they probably have a large variety of them around, Mutsu reached up to touch her chin and suddenly became reminded of the scarf that Toushirou had wrapped around her neck. After a slight hesitation, she started gently rubbing her chin as she fixedly stared at the spider in deep thought.

For a while she stood like that, as if considering something, but then she started moving again. She continued to walk about, sometimes peering into some showcase without showing any particular interest.

When she reached the entrance again, she took one brochure and from each available pile with explanations and other various materials and left.

“Should I go back?”

Mutsu paused as she was about to descend a spiral staircase. She seemed to worry about whether she should head for the left-hand side staircase that she had climbed or not.

“Oh well, whatever.”

She decided not to care and went down the stairs with her steps lightly tapping against the steps.

Mutsu walked according to Toushirou’s instructions, heading for the station. She had her head raised, surveying the neighborhood and once she reached the station, she got into a taxi waiting at the small roundabout.

“I’d like to go to Mukaida station, please.”

After she closed the car door and the taxi slowly started moving, Mutsu started going through the pamphlets she had picked up at the museum. However, she soon stopped and closed her eyes.

Surrendering herself to the shaking of the car, Mutsu absentmindedly reflected over her findings but she had a trouble concentrating and was unable to organize her thoughts. Something came to her mind but was gone in the blink of an eye, scattering like fluttering leaves in the wind.

She put away the pamphlets into her back and took out her phone to send a message to her boss. It simply said I’m going back now . There was no reply.

In about 40 minutes they reached Mukaida station. She paid the driver and asked for the receipt, and decided to swing by the convenience store for some cigarettes and something to drink before going back to the Yorozuya.

“I’m back!”

By the time Mutsu got back, her boss had already gone, and she was greeted only by Sousuke and Hiroto.

She passed by the desks and headed for the conference room next to them. While it was called a conference room, in reality it was nothing more than a cubicle separated from the rest of the office.

“What’s the result of today’s trip?”

After confirming that Sousuke and Hiroto had followed her, Mutsu fetched the pamphlets she had brought back and started arranging them on the table.

“Where’s Miyazaki-san?”

“I don’t know! More importantly, where’s the boss?”

“Oh, he left. He said that it was time to clock out. Did you have something to discuss with him?”

Sousuke, who had been looking at the pamphlets raised his head and laughed:

“Doesn’t seem to have been anything special in that museum.”

“That’s true. Is it already 5 PM? Would you guys have anything against it if I said that I want to go back there after making some preparations, though?”

Sousuke and Hiroto exchanged glances.

“Hm? Hiro-chan, you were writing a report, right? Isn’t the exam period already ending? Do you have this report instead of some exam? Or instead of a resit test?

“It was instead of an exam. But I’ve already handed it in, so it’s fine.”

“Just please don’t say that you’re missing school credits because of this job, even I managed to graduate in one try.”

Mutsu and Hiroto both went home to prepare some clothes to change into while they waited to be picked up by Sousuke, who was getting his car.

After getting home, Mutsu started putting the clothes she needed her bag, before heading towards the front door. Then, after hesitating a short while, she placed a pair of high-cut sneakers into a plastic bag, before stuffing it in next to the clothes.

When Sousuke called her, she took her bag, a long and narrowed thing wrapped in cloth and the scarf she borrowed from Toushirou and went down to meet him.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

After placing her bag in the back seat, Mutsu sat down in the front passenger seat.

“Will you be okay going out on a job in those heels?”

“They’re boots and easy to run in. The heel is quite small too. I brought a pair of sneakers just in case though.”

“Geez… Should we go pick up Hiro-chan then?”

There was some distance between Mutsu and Hiroto’s apartment buildings. Maybe it was due to the evening rush hours, but as soon as they reached a bigger road, the traffic was already congested.

“I got a call while I was smoking. They don’t know what to do about the news picking up the whole thing and are anxious to solve it quickly. It seemed like somebody had instructed Shirou-chan to talk with us.”

“I was annoyed by it so I took a taxi back,” – Mutsu continued, irritated.

[!