It was already dark out, but I knew the layout of my neighborhood just enough to not get lost in the darkness that was only faintly brightened by the flickering of street lamps.

Though the right side of the street was packed tightly with houses, the left side was almost completely barren, with only telephone poles and a dim and empty basketball court to decorate the otherwise endless expanse of grassy plains. Further into the distance was the silhouette of a long tree line.

The streets were awfully quiet, save for the cries of cicadas and the howling of some neighbor's dog. Nonetheless, it was quiet enough to think, think about what the hell I had gotten myself into.

Look, I enjoy myself a good supernatural action story, but I've grown past the age where I wanted to be a big damn hero. Her proposition was definitely an attractive one. I've probably spent more time awake with my eyes closed than I have actually asleep. I couldn't say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if my life had been negatively impacted by my sleep problems. Even if that weren't the case, I'm sure my life would be a lot easier to trudge along through with adequate sleep and if I woke up feeling even slightly well-rested.

My grades have always been hurting and my body’s always been groggy, but who's to say that both wouldn't change if I had a well-adjusted sleep schedule. Regardless of all that, wouldn't it just feel really good to get enough sleep?

I remember passing out one time when I was younger after I rolled down a cliff and split my head open. Aunt and uncle were worried to death, but it was the best sleep I ever had. Think about it, the insomnia that I'd been plagued with for all 15 years of my life, gone, if I just became Ghost Hunter Kumagawa©.

No, I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. She didn't elaborate on the point, but she did say that I'd be taking a huge risk by becoming an exorcist.

"Hey, Yuki-san. You mentioned something about how becoming an exorcist is risky, what exactly did you mean?" I talked to my ring as if it were a spy gadget.

"Hmm? Well, I meant that you would be risking any desire you had of living a normal life, but also you would be risking your life itself. Some spirits, such as vengeful and malevolent ghosts, can be quite violent. But ghosts are not the only spirits you would be dealing with. Youkai, such as myself, are generally harmless, but our coexistence with humans is bound to cause some conflict from time to time. They are easily led astray, you see." She explained, matter-of-factly.

Maybe I'd take sleep deprivation over a risk of death.

I stopped in my tracks.

"What's wrong, young Kumagawa-sama? Does your stomach hurt?"

"You know, you're making me really not want to become an exorcist."

She fumbled over her words, finding some kind of convincing argument to say.

 "I-if you want more than a good sleep, I'll do my best to try and-"

"That's enough talk, Yuki-san. It's getting crowded and we're getting close to our destination. People would give me funny looks if they saw me talking to my ring."

"Very well…"

I walked a bit further down the road until I reached my destination, a legally distinct Lawson with one of the big neon letters flickering on and off. It sat beside a multistory bookstore that was pretty big considering that it was in a pretty small area of the town.

Walking past a couple of goon-looking guys having a smoke by the storefront, I entered the store and inhaled the distinct scent of air conditioning as the door chime welcomed me.

Well, actually this store wasn't my destination at all. Truth is, as I remembered it, there was a really good ramen spot where this legally distinct Lawson stood today.

I surveyed the pearl white shelves of the store to try and see if I could spot the owners of the old ramen place somewhere, but of course, they were nowhere.

Just when I was in the mood for some hearty good ramen.

I loitered around the store for a bit, not sure what to do now that it's finally sunk in that I'm not getting the food I was hoping for. Eventually, I found some shelves packed with cup ramen. Sure, I guess.

Intrinsically, they were the same as the old ramen I enjoyed all those years back. I picked up a cup of chicken-flavored ramen, a cold can of black coffee because I’m a man or something, and a pack of AAA batteries. After filling my cup with hot water, I headed over to the cashier and placed my items on the counter.

"Would you like a plastic bag, sir? A bag will cost an extra 5 yen." The cashier said in a monotone voice, not even bothering to smile. Well, that's the night shift.

"No, thanks."

He nodded and scanned my items. He couldn't quite get the reader to work on my can of coffee, so he had to manually type out the numbers on the barcode.

He clicked his tongue. Hang in there.

"So uhh… what happened to the ramen place here?" I asked, not knowing if I was even going to get an answer.

"What? That old shack? No idea, sir. Just up and closed down one day."

"Huh, that's a shame."

"Guess it is, sir. These things happen all the time, but there are other places."

Our conversation just about ended there. I handed him the cash, he thanked me, I grabbed my dinner, pocketed the batteries, and I was out the door.

The pair of hooligans weren't squatting on the storefront anymore. They didn't leave their cigarette butts on the ground though, so good for them.

I didn't want my ramen to get cold, so I decided to take a seat on one of the chairs set up around the storefront for customers to use. I pulled the tab off my canned coffee and took a sip. The familiar taste of a sleepless night.

I snapped the plastic fork they gave you with the ramen into shape and twirled the fine noodles into a steamy bundle, blowing it a few times before letting it in my mouth.

Disappointment.

It was ramen. It was definitely ramen and it definitely had the taste of chicken swimming in its own broth. However, there was still something missing. It just didn't taste how I wanted chicken ramen to taste. It was a fake, a human's attempt to recreate God's design. Fake plastic noodles, they were. If the ramen from the old place was the Platonic ideal of what ramen was, then this was the bare minimum you would need for it to qualify as ramen, for it to disguise itself at a first glance as a proper dish. It was the watered-down result of one's attempt to copy a copy of a copy of an attempt to copy the Platonic ideal of ramen. It had flavor and yet no taste. It was created by a person and yet had no humanity.

Well, I guess it did cost nothing but chump change. My uncle's turned me into a crusty food critic.

I finished the whole thing in less than 5 minutes.

What? Don't look at me, I was hungry.

As I was about to finish my coffee, a dreadful cry came from the alleyway between the convenience store and the bookstore. I turned my head to see the two misfit-looking guys running through the alley, one of them yelling at the top of his lungs about how he knew the place was haunted.

"Yeesh, gave me a fright…" I said as I gulped down the last drops of my coffee.

"Young Kumagawa-sama, I believe we should investigate that area." The ring wrapped around my finger spoke.

"What? Why?”

"If what those two cried out about was indeed an earthbound spirit, a ghost, it could spell trouble.”

Hell no. Nope the hell outta here.

"Well, that's a job for an exorcist. Normal Person Kumagawa is going home." I threw my cup and can away.

"Young Kumagawa-sama, I know you would rather not get involved any further with mystical goings-on, but there is a good chance that a ghost could cause trouble. For now, we are the only ones around here who are even close to being qualified to deal with a spirit. I am not asking you to risk your life, but I think it would be best for us to investigate the site. Once we confirm the nature of the spirit, you may do as you wish."

"You know, Yuki-san. I've been meaning to ask. What's in it for you? I mean, other than my old man's dying wishes. What good does me becoming a ghost hunter bring you personally?" I asked.

She let out a sigh. Her lips quivered before answering my question.

"Do you really wish to know? I never intended to tell you this unless you agreed to hunt ghosts."

"Lay it on me."

"Well, young Kumagawa-sama, being your familiar means that I have sworn fealty towards you and thus I cannot do anything to betray you. However, being a familiar also means that I live off of your spiritual energy. Perhaps magic or mana would be an easier way for me to explain it to people your age. My form was not always as pitiful as this; I simply look the way I do now because of magic deprivation. Your father obviously had not supplied me with magic after he passed away and you very clearly do not possess any magic, and thus I am on the verge of fading away."

"So what you're saying is-"

"Yes. To put in human terms, I will die if not provided with sufficient magic from my master."

"And what does that have to do with hunting ghosts?"

"To provide me with magic, your father would slay ghosts and other bothersome spirits to harness their spiritual energy.”

I guess she was more than an adorable yet servile suck-up to my old man. She had her own horse in this race. Woah, that phrase made me sound old. When I think about it, I guess to her it would be terrifying to spend her days worrying when she's going to wither away. I could see why she was so insistent on getting me to inherit the "family business", but what could I do?

As she said, I didn't have any sort of magical power. I wasn't the overpowered protagonist of a third-rate light novel. I was just a sleep-deprived high schooler who could now see spirits.

"However, that is not to say that I would beg for you to not let me die. Dying is of no concern for me. I have no horse in this race other than fulfilling my duty towards your father. So you must not feel guilty about your reluctance. It is a risk I am aware of and am willing to take. All things said, however, I must implore you to consider your options." She said solemnly.

Woah, I guess she was just a servile suck-up.

"If…" she continued. "If getting a good night’s sleep is not enough for you to reconsider, I will do my best to accommodate you in other ways. You are my number one priority right now. Even if you decline your father's wishes, I would still do my best to serve you as he did ask me to take care of you. No matter what you choose, I will not antagonize you. However, once again, please do think things through."

She had a way with words, I'd give her that. Oh, what the heck. I guess I could check out the place. If it gets too creepy, I could always just dash out of there.

I let out a sigh.

"Okay, fine, I guess. Let's check that spot out."

"Thank you very much, young Kumagawa-sama. If the conditions become too dire, I will protect you with my life."

She got out of the ring and floated alongside me into the alleyway where the sighting was.