Chapter 1: Souta Shibuya has a Dream
On December 24thーーMy beloved girlfriend died.
It was the night of Christmas Eve.
While she was heading towards our meeting spot, she was hit and run over by a drunk driver.
When I got to the hospital, she had already passed.
I went to her wake and funeral, but to be honest, I can’t remember much.
Many of my classmates and friends sent me texts and Line messages, but I didn’t bother looking at my phone.
The school closed for Winter Break, so I just passed time by sitting in my room drinking just water.
My parents and little sister were worried, and they would come around to my room at least once a day. They brought me food, but my appetite was gone, and I barely ate.
I just sat day-dreaming or looked at my girlfriend’s photo or slept. It was that kind of life.
I just didn’t have the will to live.
Everything seemed meaningless.
It was about a week after my girlfriend passed.
I began dreaming.
In my dream, I would see my dead girlfriend - Yukina Shinonome.
She had her long brown hair and sparkling large eyes.
She wore the familiar school uniform.
She was in the same outfit as the photo - the photo of the two of them standing side by side - the same photo he stared at every day after her death.
Even though it was just a dream, the nostalgia overwhelmed him as his heart ached from the loneliness, and he cried.
<slap> and Yukina slapped him across the face.
He wiped away the tears and looked into Yukina’s face and saw that she was angry.
She was still cute when she was angry.
Her mouth is opening and closing as she speaks.
Souta: “...........?”
Yukina is saying something, but I can’t hear her voice.
It looks like it’s one of those dreams where there’s no audio.
ーーSOCHAN!*
I can’t hear her voice, but from reading her lips, I knew she was calling my name.
She’s calling my name - Souta Shibuya.
She used to call me “Sochan.”
ーーWhy aren’t you eating properly!
It looks like she’s scolding me for not eating anything in the last few days.
I smiled and laughed.
This dream is just occurring in my head - meaning, this is just my imagination of Yukina.
It looks like in the depths of my consciousness, I must be thinking that I should be eating something.
I thought maybe I would just die from starvation….but apparently, my subconsciousness did not agree.
After having that dream, the next morning…
I was finally able to eat breakfast after not eating for days.
My parents and sister were happy.
And after that, I was able to return to a normal life gradually.
<<<<>>>>
The Winter Break ended and the 3rd Semester began.
I was on my way to school.
This was the same path I took with Yukina up until 3 weeks ago.
I was walking along the path alone.
After Yukina died, I was determined to never step foot into that classroom where I knew I wouldn’t see her.
But it’s been 3 weeks since Yukina died.
Apparently, human beings are creatures who get used to tragedies quickly.
But every day, Yukina appears in my dreams and…
ーーSochan! Your hair is too long!
ーーSochan! You need to eat breakfast every morning!
ーーSochan! You need to iron your school uniform!
ーーSochan! Get ready for school!
And she makes me hurry to get ready for the day.
Of course my grief would be paralyzed.
But I still can’t hear her voice.
And additionally, some strange things began to happen.
I used to not be a morning person, but I’m now able to get up at 7:00 AM without an alarm clock.
When the time came, I would have this sense of feeling of “someone” shaking my body gently awake.
Another time, I felt the sensation of someone pulling on my clothes.
I look down and then realize that my shirt was buttoned up wrong.
And as I just about to head to school…
<thonk>
I heard the sound of something falling.
Looking at what fell, it was the textbook I would have needed for that day.
I was able to avoid forgetting things to bring to school.
Souta: (It feels like Yukina is helping to remind me of things…)
There was a nostalgic feel to the whole ordeal as I prepared and left for school a little sadder than usual.
<<<<>>>>
I arrived at school.
I feel a lot of eyes turning and looking at me.
I am famous now for being that guy whose girlfriend died during Christmas.
Many people are looking at me with eyes full of pity.
But no one is saying hi or coming to talk to me.
If someone I really didn’t know came up to me and said, “It was too bad about your girlfriend. I hope you cheer up soon.” I would probably punch them in the face, so I’m a little relieved that they’re leaving me alone.
I lazily walk to the classroom alone.
“............oh.”
I heard someone speak up as if surprised.
I look towards where I heard the voice, and I see a skinny, small girl with a bob cut look at me.
Her name is Akane Akabane.
She is my girlfriend, Yukina Shinonome’s best friend.
Us three played together as kids, but we haven’t seen each other since Yukina’s funeral.
I don’t remember even speaking to her that day.
It was during a time when I was in complete shock and nothing processed in my head.
Akane and Yukina knew each other since Kinder.
I don’t think we can really compare these kinds of things….but just from the length of time she knew Yukina, she may have been in even more grieved than I was.
I know I’m not one to say this, but I was relieved to see her coming to school like usual.
Souta: “Hey, Akane. I haven’t seen you since Yukina’s funeral.”
Akane: “Yーyeah….hey, Souta. It’s been a while…..um….”
I greeted her as cheerfully as I could, but Akane seemed to hesitate about what to say back to me.
Her gaze fell right above my right shoulder.
I turned to see what she was looking at, but there was nothing there.
Souta: “Akane?”
Akane: “Hey, Souta. Do you feel any weight on your shoulders or have been in poor health lately?”
Souta: “Ummm…..I know I didn’t have an appetite after what happened to Yukina. But nowadays, I’m able to eat and sleep well so I’m okay.”
Akane: “Really? Has your window suddenly crack or has any of your stuff been broken?”
What a weird thing to say.
Souta: “No, nothing like that’s happened…”
Akane: “Okay, okay. Hey, if you ever need to talk, you can always tell me, okay?”
And with that she quickly walked into the classroom.
Souta: “...................” What the heck was that?
I knew she was a little different from the others, but she really through me off with her words today.
And that reminded me of what everyone else called Akane Akabane.
Oh, but it’s not a kind thing to say to her.
ーーAkane Akabane is a witch.
Rumors like that.
But our school is for the general public, and there is no way a “witch” would be attending our school.
So the rumor was either started by the girls who were jealous of her popularity with the guys, or it’s one of the guys who got dumped by her.
But….but what if….
If Akane was a witch…
And behind my right shoulder, she was able to “see” Yukina?
I turned around one more time.
ーーbut there was no one there.
Souta: “Yukina.” I called out my girlfriend’s name quietly enough so no one would hear.
But of course, there was no reply.
Yukina isn’t here any more.
I will be living alone without her.
And I opened the door to the classroom.
<<<<>>>>
CHONKY Notes LiT (Lost in Translation)
*-chan. An honorific given to those you love or are affectionate with (can be used in a demeaning or mocking manner too with sarcasm). -Chan is typically given to girls and has a feminine connotation, so it is not typical for boys to be nicknamed or called with -chan at the end of their name. Boys are typically “kun” and “kun” has a more masculine context, but in the business world, “kun” is used by their managers to their subordinates (male or female) to establish hierarchy. Family members calling their children and siblings “chan” is common, and you may see some boys, adolescent men, or men resent anyone addressing them as “chan”. Japanese female celebrities will almost always prefer a “chan” nickname to appeal to their audience and fans, and the Otaku’s have taken it one step further and changed “chan” to “tan.”
<<<<>>>>
♪~CHONKY Novels Discord~♪ General Chat and Announcements: https://discord.gg/CdjxzQBvRt
♪~SGF Fan Discord~♪ Release Announcements and Illustrations: https://discord.gg/49qeF58fdV
<<<<>>>>
CREDITS
Spirit Girlfriend ~ Seems Like I Am the Only One Who Doesn’t Realize That I Have Been Possessed by My Dead Girlfriend~
Written by: Isle Osaki (Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isle_Osaki)
Translated by: ChonkyTranslator
Japanese Title:
ユーレイな彼女 ～どうやら死んだ恋人が取り憑いてることに、俺だけ気付いてないらしい～
作者: 大崎 アイル (オオサキ アイル)
Original Source Link:
Novel Updates Info Page: