"Diego-san, do you know the cause of these evil spirits?" Sakura put away her phone and looked at Diego with a weird expression, startling him.
"I have a general understanding," Diego was surprised but nodded.
When people are alone in a room, they often have a strange feeling, as if someone else is present. This is known as a presence hallucination.
It's similar to walking alone at night and feeling like something is following you, only to turn around and find nothing there. This is a pathological reaction caused by presence hallucination.
Horror movies exploit this phenomenon by creating a terrifying atmosphere that strengthens the audience's sense of presence, making them feel in sync with the film's horror effects. The stronger the sense of presence a person has, the easier it is for them to be scared out of their wits.
People who watch horror movies may unconsciously project the movie's scenes onto their own lives. Some even become too afraid to go to the bathroom at night, fearing that an evil spirit from the film is waiting for them outside.
A mentally healthy person can correctly judge these feelings. They may feel a little uneasy, but they won't be truly terrified.
However, some individuals are highly mentally sensitive. Anxiety, fear, or excessive stress can make them overly concerned about their surroundings, leading to hallucinations or paranoia.
The brain's over-vigilance sometimes results in false validation, leading to self-deception. For example, a person mistakenly believes there's a ghost, and eventually, they actually see one. This reinforces their belief in ghosts.
Sakura is just such a mentally sensitive person. Her tense mind, constantly on high alert, occasionally overreacts to certain stimuli. Even the faintest creak can send shivers down her spine.
Because of this overreaction, she sometimes mistakes ordinary phenomena for supernatural occurrences.
In psychology, there's a term called confirmation bias—people tend to focus on information that supports their beliefs while ignoring contradicting evidence.
That's exactly what's happening to Sakura. She has already convinced herself that her room contains an evil spirit, making her more likely to interpret normal events as supernatural occurrences, reinforcing her fear.
For example, why does Sakura think there's a ghost in her bathroom?
Because she saw handprints appear on the glass.
But in reality, those handprints might have been left by her grandfather or brother.
The skin naturally secretes oils and sweat, which are colorless and transparent when dry. These residues can crystallize into faint marks that are normally invisible.
When Sakura was in the bathroom, the humidity wasn't high enough for the handprints to appear. However, when the humidity increased, condensation formed, revealing the handprints.
This is a very common phenomenon. But since Sakura was mentally exhausted, her brain misinterpreted the visual information, mistakenly believing them to be ghostly handprints.
As for the middle-aged evil spirit behind her, it was most likely a visual hallucination.
People with high mental sensitivity are especially prone to seeing illusions when looking at glass or mirrors. This is why mediums often use crystal balls and kaleidoscopes—the distorted reflections make hallucinations more likely.
Many people believe in the saying "seeing is believing," but everything we see is processed by the brain before forming a visual image. What we perceive isn't necessarily reality.
For instance, a well-known fact is that our eyes have blind spots.
Technically, when looking at a grassy field, our blind spots should create small missing circles in our vision. However, the brain fills in these missing areas, making the field appear whole rather than incomplete.
Similarly, we rarely notice our own noses because our brains ignore them.
Whether it's filling in missing details or ignoring unnecessary elements, the brain actively alters visual information—which is a normal function.
However, in states of mental stress, the brain is more prone to errors, leading to complex but false visual perceptions—such as the middle-aged evil spirit Sakura thought she saw.
The baby evil spirit under her blanket was another case of visual hallucination.
Sakura has a restless sleeping posture. In the photo, her pillow was even kicked to the floor.
So, isn't it possible that she accidentally tucked her "Little Eye" plush toy under the blanket in a half-asleep state? Feeling the strange texture, she lifted the blanket—
—Only to see her oddly shaped plush toy, which her fearful and sensitive mind misinterpreted as a baby evil spirit.
Why did this happen? It all comes down to psychological factors.
Sakura had watched horror movies, visited the school at night, and experienced growing fear over time. Emotional fluctuations—especially anxiety and tension—increase environmental sensitivity, making people more prone to noticing unsettling details.
Prolonged fatigue also affects perception, increasing sensitivity to abnormal phenomena.
Why did she see the middle-aged ghost? Probably because she watched a horror movie featuring a similar character.
Didn't she say the ghost looked like a zombie? Maybe she had recently watched a zombie film.
As for the baby evil spirit, it might have been triggered by her homeroom teacher's pregnancy announcement. Her subconscious "female awareness" could have been activated, making her imagine a baby inside her own body.
If someone strongly believes in ghosts, they are more likely to interpret ordinary visual phenomena as supernatural signs.
Simply put, Sakura is overly sensitive.
Many people experience similar things—it's not a big deal.
After watching IT, some people find Pennywise terrifying. After watching Annabelle, some are scared of dolls.
For a while, they avoid such things, but as time passes, when they forget the horror movie's plot, they no longer feel afraid.
The solution is simple:
Stop overthinking.
Sakura believes there's an evil spirit in her room. But in reality, she's just bored, allowing her mind to wander into unnecessary fears.
If she were like me—busy struggling for a living every day—she wouldn't have the time to be scared.
Even if she saw an actual ghost, she'd be too tired to care.
There are no evil spirits in this world.
It's all in her head.
At least that's what he can pick up. Unless she's hiding something or her information is completely false, this is the most logical conclusion he can give.
This girl Sakura might look creepy with those hollow eyes of hers, Diego can tell that she's just someone who's not used to socializing so she tends to be easily shy and scared when faced with such things.
And although he noticed about her hesitation related to her family members, it's not his business to pry and push further. Who knows? Maybe it's a family problem or something similar. He may not be an overly optimistic person but he's not that negative either, he did not believe that Sakura is having these kinds of experiences as a truth.
Of course, he doesn't think she's lying either. That's why he concluded it must be stress or overthinking that caused this.
But still…
Looking at Sakura, something that welled up on his gut. Like there's something wrong about this girl but he can't tell what.
He doesn't see any malice from her and with his experience of cold reading, he didn't think that a middle schooler can escape his perception and even if she does pretend, what good would it do for her?
"Luckily for you. I have some props that could help." Diego turned to professional mode again.
"Diego-san, do you have any items that could help me?" Sakura asked with surprise and….hope?.
"Of course! I have plenty of exorcism tools here. It just depends on what you need." Diego asked casually, "When you first discovered those two malevolent spirits, besides [ignoring] them, did you buy any other tools?"
Sakura lowered her head and replied. ".... I tried placing salt in a bowl, piling it up into a small mountain at my bedroom door to drive them away, but it didn't seem to work. The salt even spilled everywhere."
"Do you think salt doesn't work for exorcism?" Diego asked.
"I believe it should be effective. The TV shows always say so and my grandfather—'' She stopped suddenly before asking, "... why didn't it work?" Sakura furrowed her brows in thought. Suddenly, she realized something. "I get it now! I used regular table salt from the supermarket. Its exorcism effect is weak. I need purified salt!"
Diego narrowed her eyes at the obvious change of topic
Her eyes lit up as she eagerly asked, "Do you sell purified salt, Diego-san? I need it to exorcise the spirits!"
He's not gonna lie. Her hollow eyes were brightening up but his pupils looked so empty. It was very… creepy.
"Yes, I do. It's 5,000 yen per pack."
After a brief pause, Diego added, "However, I need to clarify something in advance. Even if you obtain purified salt, if you don't follow the professional procedure to use it, its effect on evil spirits will be minimal—at most, it can temporarily drive them away. So, I strongly recommend that you purchase the complete exorcism service."
The "purified salt" Diego was selling was actually nothing more than boric acid. When burned, it produced a ghostly green flame, creating the illusion of an exorcism.
Of course, he wasn't going to sell the real deal. What he was actually selling was just ordinary table salt. His explanation was merely a precaution—if the exorcism failed, it wouldn't be because of the salt but because Sakura hadn't followed the correct procedure. That way, he wouldn't take the blame.
This tactic was no different from fake spiritual masters who used the excuse of "sincerity is key"—if the tool didn't work, it wasn't their fault, but rather the buyer's lack of faith.
Basically, anyone who said such things was a scammer.
And Diego was one of them.
"A complete exorcism service? How much does that cost?" Sakura asked as she reached for her wallet.
"100,000 yen. It's an all-inclusive service. I won't charge extra until both spirits are dealt with."
100,000 yen was Diego's standard rate for exorcisms.
He had researched the market, and some competitors charged even more outrageous prices. He was already on the cheaper end.
Sakura hesitated, her hand freezing over her wallet. A conflicted expression crossed her face.
As a middle school student, she couldn't possibly carry that much money. She only had 20,000 yen on her.
Maybe if she asks her grandfather he will help but if possible, she really doesn't want to interact with him.
Sakura gripped her wallet, staring at the bills. 20,000 yen was a lot... Did she really need this?
But then she thought about the ghostly figure. The middle-aged man. The baby under her blanket.
She swallowed hard and took out the money..
"Diego-san, I only have 20,000 yen on me. Can I pay the rest later? I'll work to pay it off soon!"
"That won't do. Small business rules—payment upfront, no credit allowed." Diego waved his hand dismissively.
As if he'd take an exorcism job on credit! Exorcists were in a one-time transaction business—what if he skipped town? Who would collect the debt then?
"I see... I'll head home for now and come back once I've saved enough."
Sakura stood up, disappointed. She had hoped to rid herself of the two spirits today, but her lack of money meant the exorcism would have to wait.
"Wait a second! You're leaving just like that? Aren't you going to buy the salt?"
Now Diego was the one panicking.
Sakura was about to leave without buying anything at all.
After all the effort he put into his sales pitch and talk-no-jutsu, there was no way he'd let her walk away empty-handed. Who knew if she'd ever return?
"Since purified salt requires a specific process to be effective, there's no point in buying it now. I'll just come back later."
Sakura wasn't suspicious of Diego, but she figured that if purified salt could only temporarily drive the spirits away, it would be smarter to save up for the full exorcism instead.
After all, those spirits weren't an immediate threat. As long as she could ignore them, they wouldn't bother her.
Sakura bowed slightly as a farewell, preparing to leave.
"Wait!"
Diego quickly called after her.
"Besides the purified salt, I also have [Protection Powder], which shields you from spiritual attacks in dreams, and [Charm Talismans], which keep evil spirits at bay. Since we're fated to meet, I'll offer both for just 10,000 yen!"
Diego added with a flourish, "If you buy now, I'll also throw in a complimentary [Relaxation Experience Service], which grants temporary immunity to spiritual disturbances! This is a limited-time offer—you won't get this chance again!"
Once someone entered his shop, he wouldn't let them leave without spending money!
Diego deliberately used a "free gift" as bait to lure Sakura into making a purchase.
And Sakura... She was tempted.
"If it's only 10,000 yen... fine."
She took out her remaining cash and handed it to Diego.
If these items truly worked as described, spending a little to test them out wasn't a bad deal.
Diego finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had secured the sale.
"Please wait a moment."
Diego disappeared into a back room, where Sakura caught a glimpse of various prayer beads and religious artifacts inside.
A few moments later, he returned carrying several beaded bracelets, a wooden block, and a carving knife.
"These prayer beads were made by me a while ago and were once consecrated, but their spiritual energy may have faded over time. You can pick one to take home."
Diego then added, "Alternatively, for just 10,000 yen more, I can craft a custom talisman on the spot and bless it personally. A freshly consecrated charm will retain its spiritual power for at least a month."
By presenting an inferior product alongside a superior one, Diego employed a classic marketing trick. If Sakura wanted better protection, she'd have to pay extra.
This kind of "consumption trap" was a common strategy in business—it made customers feel compelled to spend more.
Diego set his sights on the last 10,000 yen in Sakura's possession.
Would she fall for it?
Sakura hesitated.
If what Diego said was true, the old beads might have lost their effectiveness, making them a poor choice. In that case, wasn't it more cost-effective to pay extra for a freshly made charm?
"Alright... I'll take the custom-made one."
After some internal struggle, Sakura gave in to Diego's consumption trap and chose to pay more.
"A wise decision." Diego smirked slightly.
Since she had paid, he had to deliver a product.
'Peach wood? Nah, too expensive. This regular wood should do.' Without realizing it, he picked up a discarded piece of sacred temple wood from a flea market.
"What type of talisman would you like—a bracelet, a necklace, or maybe a phone charm?"
For a young girl, wearing prayer beads or jade pendants might be odd.
Phone charms were currently trendy, and many young girls loved using them to decorate their phones.
"A phone charm is fine." Sakura nodded.
She didn't care about the form—she just wanted it to work.
"What's your favorite animal?"
"I like bears."
"How about a brown bear?"
"That works."
With the design confirmed, Diego began carving the wooden block with his knife, preparing to craft the charm while ensuring his "customer" remained hooked.
He knows carving skills from one of his operations and obviously, had grown very skilled at it.
When Diego threaded the string through the hole in the wooden brown bear pendant, the protective charm was finally complete.
However, Diego did not immediately give it to Sakura. Instead, he took the amulet into the room he claimed to be a spiritual conduit. Sitting before the shrine, he put on an elaborate, mysterious performance before solemnly handing the charm over to Sakura.
"Alright, I've just blessed this amulet. It's now filled with spiritual energy and should help you ward off evil spirits to some extent."
So this is a protective charm…!
Sakura accepted it as if it were a priceless treasure. Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt as though the charm was faintly glowing.
Seeing her reaction, Diego reminded her, "Although the charm can repel evil spirits, don't rely on it too much. After all, this charm is worth less than twenty thousand yen. If you encounter a particularly strong spirit, it may not be effective."
His meaning was obvious—if she wanted a stronger charm, she'd have to pay more.
"I understand. I'll use it carefully."
Thinking about the price, Sakura felt a pang of regret.
In fact, her family is very wealthy, it's just that she doesn't want to ask her grandfather for help. And her allowance alone wasn't enough, and she had spent her entire savings—her carefully accumulated pocket money—on this. Now, she wouldn't even be able to afford desserts tomorrow.
'I really hope this thing works…'
Although she wasn't entirely sure if the amulet would be effective, she had spent twenty thousand yen on it. Taking it seriously, she carefully attached it to her phone.
"Diego-san, aside from the amulet, you mentioned something about protective powder and a massage service that wards off spirits? What are those?"
"I'll give you the protective powder later. First, let's have you experience a massage that can shield you from spiritual disturbances."
As Diego spoke, he stepped behind Sakura. The moment his hands touched her shoulders, her body tensed up, and her expression became slightly unnatural.
Sakura wasn't used to being touched by men other than her family.
Even then, she was still very hesitant.
Earlier today, Diego had carried her in a princess hold to get her away from danger, but in that urgent situation, she hadn't paid much attention to it.
However, in this peaceful setting, having a man place his hands on her shoulders made her extremely uncomfortable. She barely managed to stop herself from shaking off his hands.
Noticing her discomfort and fearful look, Diego withdrew his hands and calmly explained, "Sakura, have you ever heard of the three invisible flames on a person's body? One on the head and one on each shoulder.
"Ancient beliefs say these flames represent a person's life force. The brighter the flames burn, the stronger their vitality, and evil spirits won't dare approach.
"The flame on the head signifies divine protection, while the flames on the shoulders—called 'nameless flames'—warm and illuminate the body.
"That's why, in old folklore, when walking alone at night, two things must be avoided. One: letting someone pat your shoulder. Two: hearing someone call your name from behind and turning around without thinking. Either action will extinguish these flames, making you vulnerable to the cold or allowing malicious spirits to possess you."
Hearing this, Sakura shuddered. She could already imagine turning around only to see a twisted, ghastly face staring back at her.
"Diego-san, are you saying that the reason spirits approach me is because my flames are weak?" Sakura's voice trembled. She subconsciously placed her hand in her stomach, her face was pale.
"That's right. The flames on your shoulders are as weak as candlelight flickering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment. Have you been feeling shoulder pain lately? A constant sense of pressure, like something heavy is pressing down on you?" Diego asked deliberately.
"Yes!" Sakura nodded repeatedly, suddenly realizing, "My shoulders have been aching for days! Not just my shoulders—my whole body feels stiff! So that's why I keep seeing ghosts… My life force is fading…"
She had completely bought into Diego's explanation, convinced that her ghost encounters were due to her weakening life force.
She knew it could only be the case, after all, those worms…..
Diego laughed inwardly.
Her symptoms had nothing to do with ghosts.
Sakura was a middle school student, sitting for long hours every day without much exercise. Naturally, her body would feel stiff and fatigued.
Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she was also sleep-deprived, further worsening her physical condition.
But still… She's surprisingly maintained, compared to his earlier assumption, Sakura seemed to not lack nutrients or any form that might endanger her physical health.
But then something strange happened!
Now that he's touching her, his body suddenly revolts, like an instinctive repulse. Even his vision was cracking and his head was buzzing.
"Diego-san? Is there something wrong? Sakura was panting with a blush in her face, she wanted to ask why he stopped but remembering this was supposed to be some form of demo, she doesn't have the right to demand further.
Diego inhaled, sharp and controlled. This instinct again. Instinct was a tool, nothing more. It did not command him—he commanded it.
But still… This reaction was stronger than usual.
With a slow exhale, the buzzing ceased. He forced a grin, steadying himself. "Let's continue."
He ignored his body's instinct and kept massaging and not long after, Sakura relaxed again.
This can be shown that she's really exhausted.
In truth, most modern people were in this suboptimal state. If being physically weak meant seeing ghosts, then half the population would be haunted.
But a skilled fraudster like Diego could take two unrelated facts and weave them together to sell his services.
"Since there's a difference between men and women, if you're willing, I'll use my spiritual energy to massage your pressure points. This will clear the blockages in your shoulders and rekindle your life force. But if you're uncomfortable, we can skip it. It's just a free trial, after all—I won't force you."
Having come this far, how could Sakura refuse?
If Diego's massage could restore her life force, she was willing to endure any discomfort!
"Please, Diego-san! I'll leave it to you!"
She quickly adjusted her posture, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.
"Alright, I'll begin."
When Diego placed his hands on her shoulders, Sakura was surprised by their warmth. A soothing sensation spread through her body from his fingertips, making her feel incredibly comfortable.
She thought she will be frightened again but she found herself enjoying it.
Is this spiritual energy? It's amazing…
—Of course not.
Diego had simply rubbed his hands together to warm them up when she wasn't looking.
Sensing that Sakura no longer resisted his touch, Diego began to gently knead her shoulders.
His fingers moved rhythmically along the contours of her neck and shoulders, applying just the right amount of pressure—strong yet controlled, like playing a delicate piano piece.
His fingertips danced over her tense muscles, gradually releasing the stress and fatigue she had accumulated over time.
So massages can feel this good…
As the massage continued, Sakura's tension slowly melted away, and she found herself enjoying the experience.
Diego wasn't just pressing randomly—he had actually learned massage techniques.
In his previous life, when he worked in anti-fraud investigations, he had studied a scam involving massage parlors.
Fraudsters would target elderly people by offering "free shoulder massages" to gain their trust before upselling expensive treatments. They convinced victims that massage could cure diseases or even prevent strokes, leading them to spend their life savings.
To expose the scam, Diego had gone undercover at one of these centers, receiving training while secretly gathering evidence through recordings and interviews.
During that time, he had genuinely learned massage techniques.
While he wasn't a professional, he was skilled enough to provide a convincing session—more than enough to impress a girl like Sakura, who had never experienced a real massage before.