Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories

Hide-and-Seek (5x7)

Date de diffusion: Août 14, 2017

A boy, Takeshi, and his family were driving to grandmother's house during the summer break. His father explains that the extended family will also be there. As the family drives on, they pass an old, dilapidated house, much to Takeshi's curiosity. He was sure he saw a boy in a red and white shirt looking out the top floor's window... At his grandmother's house, Takeshi asks her who lives in that old house, but she explains it's a wreck. When he talks about the boy, she suddenly becomes serious and tells him to never go near that house for the crone lives there. Two of his cousins, Miho-chan and Yukari-chan, invite him to play outside. Takeshi does so, and he asks about the old house and tells them he wants to explore it. When they get to the house, the children decide to play hide and seek. Yukari is the one who's "it" and proceeds to count while Miho and Takeshi take off to hide. Takeshi goes to hide in the house and he looks out the window, chuckling on how easy he can see Yukari from where he is. When he goes to hide in a closet, he jumps back in surprise, finding a straw doll wearing a red and white shirt; the same shirt the boy wore yesterday. Suddenly, he hears a deep voice call out, "Are you ready?" He hears heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, and the voice coming closer. Panicking, he hides in the closet. Suddenly, the right panel opens and the voice says, "Found you." Covering his mouth to hide his breathing, he watches as a giant hand reaches for the straw doll and slams the door. Takeshi sighs in relief, but then the left panel opens and he can only scream in horror as a giant eye peers right at him. Takeshi's family bid each other goodbye, seemingly completely ignorant of Takeshi's fate. Grandma looks down in sadness, the only person who realizes what happened. The story ends with a scene of the old house with a new straw doll looking out the window; this one wearing a baseball cap and voices singing throughout the house, "Are you ready? Not yet! Are y