Once work ended, Shindo met Makihara outside of Chiptune City. They then took a taxi to Makihara's sister's house, which took about half an hour.

Ai Makihara, a 27-year-old expert in Japanese mythology, could come across as mystifying to even the most jaded person. No matter what, she always seemed to captivate people with her knowledge. She had been into folklore ever since her mother read stories to her and Yuki when they were little.

Yuki rang the doorbell. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Ai answered the door. "Yuki! It's been so long!" She looked over to the left. "Who's this?"

"This is Ryo Shindo, my co-worker. He's very interested in mythology and was wondering if you could help him with something," Yuki said.

"You've come to the right place, then. Come on in," Ai said.

Ai's minka (a traditional Japanese house) had a degree of sophistication that set it apart from others. Everything appeared spotless and organized. She opened a sliding door and led the two into her library.

"So, what is it you want to know more about?" Ai inquired.

"For the past few nights, I have been seeing this weird man in my dreams. Your sister said it was a 'Yume no seirei' or something."

"Yume no seirei? That sounds familiar," Ai said. She took out a book from the middle shelf titled A History of Yōkai.

Yōkai, which roughly translates to "strange apparition," are supernatural creatures in Japanese folklore. They can be either benevolent or malevolent and have been a part of Japanese stories for centuries.

"Here it is! A Yume no seirei, which, in English, means 'dream spirit,' is a type of yōkai believed to cause nightmares. Stories about this entity date back to the Heian and Edo periods. However, there have been instances where a Yume no seirei can go away. Its mortal enemy is a Baku, which can devour bad dreams."

Ai then explained, "A Baku has the head of an elephant, the body of a bear, and the legs of a tiger. Legend has it that you can summon it before falling asleep or after waking up from a nightmare."

"I could use a Baku right now," Shindo replied with a slight chuckle.

"Well, maybe it will come to you if you call it," Ai remarked. She then looked at the clock. "It's almost dinnertime. Would you two like to stay over?"

"That would be great!" Yuki replied.

The three then had an ichiju-sansai (traditional Japanese dinner) consisting of rice, noodles, and all sorts of meat and fish. They also had green tea ice cream for dessert.

Yuki looked at her phone and noticed the time. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend for a date soon. I'd better get going. Ai, thank you so much for everything."

"Anytime, sis. And Shindo, I hope I helped," Ai said.

"I guess we'll see," Shindo answered.