Similar Somehow (どこか
Short Summary[]
Kai'i Sera employs Yato and Yukine's help to save his friend, a painter who he fears will die from a haunting. Bishamonten demands an explanation for Tsuguha's condition.
Extended Summary[]
After seeing one of Yato's graffiti advertisements, an unnamed man dials the number and asks for help with something supernatural. He explains that he's worried that his friend, a painter, will die from a haunting.
The scene cuts to Yukine waiting for the appointment with the client, but Yato is late arriving. The coo pigeon then flies down to deliver a letter from Hiyori. She asks them how they're doing and gives an update on her life– she's been studying and working toward her goal, and now that her brother is home their mother and father are more relaxed. She misses them, but is determined not to forget them, and wishes Yato luck becoming a god of happiness. Just as Yukine complains that he doesn't have a cell phone to message Hiyori, Yato arrives, snatches the letter, and reads it. When Yukine points out that they should be there to support Hiyori during this hard time, Yato explains that they have to stay away from her so that she won't continue to be hurt by Father.
Yukine then points out that Yato isn't taking the 2-month separation from Hiyori well, on a mental level. He often wears Hiyori's middle school uniform, draws her obsessively, and cries when he sees high school girls. Yato dramatically runs off, lamenting that he hasn't gotten his "daily dosage of Hiyori," but he bumps into the client and falls down. The client gives him his business card, revealing that he is an artist under the alias "Kai'i Sera".
Sera describes his painter friend's passion-turned-obsession for art, and how much pain they seem to be in. Sera explains that he can't help them by himself, clarifying that he can't even handle being independent by himself and has lost his freedom ever since he broke down and got a "real job". He says he wishes he could've remained a deadbeat like Yato, to which Yato takes offense, but Sera hurries off and leaves them to sort out his request. After he leaves, Yukine agrees that Yato and Sera are actually quite similar.
The scene transitions to a vision of scaffolding and a construction site in a city. A girl gazes up at it, shocked, as an ambiguous, black figure falls down with a thud. Tsuguha then awakens suddenly in her bed, and is greeted by Bishamonten. She gives Tsuguha a change of clothes and lets her use her personal bath. While she bathes, Bishamon notes that Tsuguha's symptoms are inconsistent and recalls Yato's instructions to release her. She's interrupted by Kazuma, and she reassures him that he doesn't need to worry. However, he immediately recognizes that she's lying and directly asks what the Crafter has done to harm Tsuguha. Instead of answering right away, Bishamon presses their foreheads together.
There is a flashback to a conversation between Bishamon and Yato. He told her that Kazuma can't win against the Stray, because he hasn't forgiven himself for bowing his head to her when he asked them to slay the Ma clan. He apologized about Tsuguha's condition and warned her again to stay away from the man with the monk's staff, before taking his leave.
In the present, Bishamon realizes that she and Kazuma are similar. He hated himself for asking the Stray for help, and Bishamon hated herself for needing Yato's help.
That night, Yato and Yukine arrive at Ryōichi Uno's art exhibition. Noticing that his paintings are sold out, Yukine remarks that Sera's friend is a very popular artist; in response, Yato questions whether Yukine was even listening to the client. However, Yukine draws his attention instead to a hand sticking out of a large painting on the back wall. Ryōichi then enters the exhibition room, and Yukine identifies him as the victim of the haunting.
Yato corrects Yukine again, explaining that Ryōichi is visibly not possessed by a spirit, and the one that actually needs help is the hand in the painting. The artist was painted into the canvas and trapped; and judging by her battered hand, she was forced by the artist to do a lot of painting. The trapped spirit presses out further, their face now pushing to break free from the canvas.
Yato reassures the spirit that she put her everything into painting, and she's done a good job. He summons Sekki, and together they cut the artist out of the canvas. She lands in Yato's arms, thanks him with a relieved expression, and vanishes.
They meet up with Sera at the same exhibition the next day. He explains that he can see ghosts sometimes, and he quickly became friends with this particular girl who loved to draw and would frequently possess people just to do so. He once jokingly asked her to possess him, but she denied, only willing to possess people with energy and good taste. Sera and Yato agree that she must have disappeared because she was finished drawing.
Sera also admits that he was jealous of her passion; unlike himself, she knew what she wanted to do. She correctly pointed out that Sera's "art" was merely escapism, and Sera admitted that he was just a brat who didn't want to do what his parents told him. Noticing Yato's glum expression, Yukine tells him that it wasn't cutting the ghost out of the painting that saved her, it was Yato's kind words. Sera also mentions the ghost's reassurance that "sometimes escapism can turn into the real thing".
After parting with the client, Yato remarks how warm and fuzzy he feels, as well as his optimism about becoming a god of fortune. Yukine asks if that means they can visit Hiyori soon, but Yato quickly denies this again. As they're leaving, the business card they received falls upside-down on the ground, revealing that Kai'i Sera's real name is Masaomi Iki.
Characters[]
Character Debuts[]
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Kai'i Sera
- Loose spirit (artist)
- Yato (mentioned)
- Yukine
- Hiyori Iki (letter)
- Daikoku (mentioned)
- Kofuku (mentioned)
- Aimi Tabata
- Akira Yamashita
- Katsuzane Abe
- Tsuguha
- Bishamonten
- Kazuma
- Father (mentioned)
- The Stray (mentioned)
- Ryōichi Uno