Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole (出禁のモグラ)

My piece of shit of a brother suddenly sent me...

Episode 5 "Trigger"

Something must be up for him to suddenly ask such an odd question.

What's your brother like?

I wonder if I have a picture.

Oh, my mom sent me this one over New Year's.

All done!

How you use the ingredients makes all the difference!

Here are today's recipes!

How you use the ingredients makes all the difference!

Here are today's recipes!

I asked my brother what happened, and...

Hello. Excuse the intrusion.

Welcome.

When he went to hang out at a female friend's house...

A female friend? Not his girlfriend?

My brother's love life is pretty messy.

I see. So you're nothing alike.

Well, cheer up.

I'm on your side, okay?

Shut up.

Thank you for being so nice to Miya.

Forgive us for being so doting, but we really love our adorable little girl.

We appreciate you being her friend.

Uh, sure.

In any case, their family seemed cheerful and friendly.

Have some dinner.

Thank you.

This looks good.

Have a seat.

Oh, we're one chair short.

Miya, could you go get one?

Okay.

Let's eat.

Anyway, that's when it happened...

What? Really?

Yeah. Rumor is Nekozuku-kun can see spirits.

Oh, right. Mom, when are we visiting Uncle?

Well...

Oh, would you like seconds?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Thanks for the food.

Let's do our homework together.

Okay.

Good for you.

I'll be watching TV in the other room.

The lack of explanation is terrifying.

Apparently that's what happened.

You sure he's okay?

They're not gonna sacrifice your brother to something, are they?

If that family invites him to a festival that takes place every 90 years,

tell him to turn them down.

I thought it was scary when I heard about it, too.

But there's actually more to this story.

Anyway, it made me laugh.

What did you think, Ume-chan?

Uh, yeah. Me, too.

Her family's probably from somewhere in the countryside, and it's just their custom.

I didn't find anything on it,

but they must just be from really deep in the mountains or something.

Sorry for staying so late.

Come back soon.

What...?

What's wrong?

Did you see a bug?

When I was little,

I hit my head on a dresser and hurt myself.

Since I hit my forehead, I bled more than expected.

It was the first time my parents paid attention to me since my brother was born,

so I felt both happy and incredibly guilty about it.

I'm okay.

Anyway, Umeharu's crying. Go check on him.

I thought they wouldn't accept me unless I said that.

Magi

When was the last time you visited your parents?

New Year's.

People who live alone despite attending a university in their parents' city

are generally independent, want a convenient commute,

or have an awkward relationship with their family.

Your analysis can be annoying sometimes.

Tell him I'm an alumnus who can supposedly see spirits.

It's better than making up an elaborate story.

And tell him Yae-chan introduced me to you.

In my experience, involving a girl makes people lower their guard.

This is the one thing you're good at.

Plus, you're calmer when Yae-chan's present.

It's surprisingly important to do things with others.

It makes us feel safer and stronger.

Having Yae-chan with you must've played a big role when you tried to help me.

You wanted to impress her, right?

If you'd been alone, you would've panicked and lost track of me.

Mo...

Mom, Dad!

He brought his girlfriend home!

She's not my girlfriend!

She's nice.

What was that pause just now?

Say it.

Depending on your answer, I might stab you.

I just thought she was nice and small.

Small? What's small?

In four words or less.

Hey, could you tell me what happened?

Oh, right. Come in.

First, what's this Miya-chan girl like?

I think I have a picture.

Big brother red panda, little brother red panda.

I have so many, I can't tell anymore.

Which one is she?

Oh, here.

Why'd you take this picture?

It looks like VHS-era adult video packaging or a centerfold model...

Miya-chan's great because she's so sexy.

Also, are big breasts the only thing you care about?

As long as she's got big breasts, nothing else really matters.

Damn it...

Don't get me wrong.

It's, uh, you know...

My bad. I can't come up with an excuse.

All I can say is sorry.

I had my eye on a first-year named Inukai-san,

but I gave up since she's hanging out with Nekozuku.

He's gloomy and scary.

Sorry, Magi-kun. Your brother sucks.

I know.

You're classmates with Kyoshiro, huh?

Small world.

Do you see Miya-chan as a whole person?

Don't you think you shouldn't be showing us that picture?

Miya-chan said being looked at excites her, so it's okay.

We exchange those kinds of messages, too.

What?! Then you're perfect for each other!

Her messages are insane, though.

She'll send five thousand words of "I miss you" over and over.

That's actually kind of scary.

What should I do?

Don't ask me.

Even if she stabs you, it'll be your own fault.

It would serve you right.

What's that face for?

Are you two done joking around?

Oh, sorry.

Wait, I haven't introduced myself yet.

I'm Magi Umeharu.

Come to think of it, what's your given name?

Kuriaki.

Wasn't expecting that.

Magi Kuriaki, older brother.

Kuri (Chestnut) Aki (Fall)

Ume (Plum) Haru (Spring)

Magi Umeharu, younger brother.

Fall is chestnut season, and spring is plum season.

Were you born in the fall and spring?

Yeah, that's right.

Wait, you said you're 21, right?

If you're a third-year who hasn't turned 22 yet, did you fail to get into college once?

So what if I did?

You're sharp.

I wouldn't say that.

Mogura gains people's trust

like a shady fortune teller showing off with rapid-fire observations.

Kuriaki-kun told me some of what happened, but let me ask you a few questions.

Don't call me that.

Sure. It terrifies me, so I'll tell you whatever you want to know.

First, tell me about the doll.

Was it an expensive-looking one for decoration, or one for kids?

For kids, I think?

Like the baby dolls you see in commercials.

Was it new?

No, it looked pretty old, like a kid had played with it for years.

Next question.

Did the home have an altar?

Yeah.

I think that was an altar.

Were there any photos of a girl besides Miya-chan on the altar or anywhere else?

Come to think of it,

I assumed they were pictures of Miya-chan when she was little, but...

Hello. Excuse the intrusion.

The photo in the entryway might've been of a family of four.

Then most likely the spirit is that girl in the photo, and that doll was hers.

Possibly Miya-chan's older or younger sister.

I thought it might be a cursed doll, but in this case,

it's probably just what's keeping the family mentally stable.

The spirit's inhabiting that doll they treasure and living with the family.

That part's not too scary.

Why do we find dolls scary, anyway?

Most people find human dolls scarier than stuffed animals.

There's something about them we find fascinating.

Originally, dolls were representations of something else.

We transferred our own misfortune onto them, letting them take our place.

That's the origin of Hina dolls.

Cursed straw dolls take the place of the victim.

Humans recognize dolls as substitutes for human beings,