My hand slipped.
The coin tumbled out from the lower half of the torn plush toy's insides.
"…!"
I hurriedly clamped it shut, pressing the two torn halves together as if that would fix it.
"Braun?"
But of course, there was no response. The upper half of the plush toy merely slid off the bottom half.
"..."
No. No, this couldn't be it. Maybe it was because I was staring at it…!
"Braun."
I turned my head and closed my eyes, pressing the plush toy close to my ear.
Then…
– ■■, ■■■■■…
"…!!"
There was a faint vibration from the plushie. It was definitely a signal. But it was incredibly faint, like the static from a stray radio frequency.
He's still there.
He was still there. In that case…
Bloodbathtub!
Click. I immediately locked the bathroom door and pulled out the small, checkered bathtub with golden legs from the tattoo on my wrist. The so-called Bathtub of Youth.
Thud. The tub settled on the floor, and I carefully placed the nearly severed plush toy inside.
Then… I picked up the box cutter the unconscious passenger had dropped during the failed attack.
Without hesitation, I slashed my forearm. Blood poured from the opened veins.
There's no time for alternatives in this kind of emergency…!
Cutting the unconscious guy's arm was risky—he might wake up or I wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding.
I can't handle any more chaos.
My blood spilled into the tub. The scent of wood and fragrant aromatics wafted through the air.
The plush toy began to swell as if soaking up the bath salt's essence. It was rejuvenating.
Its fur grew cleaner, shinier, and its pebble-like eyes shimmered mysteriously. And then it started to expand rapidly.
It seemed to reach a threshold, soaking in the bath until it grew from keychain size to something that filled both my hands. It now resembled the original 'Good Friend' plush.
Pop.
The bow-shaped hair tie snapped under the pressure and flew off, landing against the tub's side. The transformation was undeniable.
But, but… The plush toy was still silent.
"..."
Holding my breath, I leaned in again, pressing my ear close to it. The faint vibrations from earlier were gone.
The plush toy, its body still torn, merely floated on the aromatic bathwater.
"..."
I stared at it again. The plush toy, now large enough to fill the small tub, gleamed as if it had just been handcrafted by an artisan.
But it remained severed.
Ah.
The Bathtub of Youth restored youth, but it didn't heal wounds…
"..."
I had known this. I knew it, but I had tried anyway.
The Good Friend plush was broken. I took a deep breath.
It's fine.
I could get another one. Yes, I just had to get it from its original source instead of relying on the merch box.
The Cheerful Theme Park still existed. The Good Friend plush was a souvenir sold in its gift shop.
I was going to go there anyway, so this is actually efficient.
I could get a new plush there and summon it again like before…
...
"...Ha."
Who was I kidding? I already knew.
The method for summoning a Good Friend didn't summon the same specific being—it summoned 'someone' from the otherworld.
There's no guarantee the same one will appear again.
In fact, it would be strange if it did. I had enjoyed reading the for how different beings appeared with each summoning.
Ha ha…
Ha…
"..."
I had no choice but to admit it at this point. It wasn't because of any mental contamination.
I had genuinely grown attached to this strange plush toy…
But who wouldn't, right?
After all, he really had been a 'Good Friend'.
He encouraged me when I was struggling, got angry alongside me when I was mad, had deep conversations with me, and stayed up at night watching comedy shows.
He was the kind of friend who prioritized me without any calculation. The kind of friend you could only meet back when you were a kid in school…
"..."
Okay. Let's see what else I can do.
"Maybe I should try sewing it back together."
If that doesn't work, I can search for a recovery item, dive into a ghost story that repairs items, or dig through any relevant information and attempt something new. There are plenty of options.
For my sanity's sake.
"Let's give it a shot."
I calmed down a bit. The overwhelming panic I had felt from the unexpected incident was subsiding, replaced by a sense of clarity and calculation.
First, let's clean this up.
I reached into the Bloodbathtub and pulled out Braun's upper and lower halves, dangling separately. I was about to neatly gather the stuffing and store the plush toy when—
Huh?
A piece of fabric flapping on the back of the plush caught my eye. It was a small silk tag sewn along the seam that connected the head to the body.
…A tag?
It seemed like the faint traces that had previously emerged during the last bath had now fully returned.
The Good Friend's… product label, maybe.
You know the kind—labels indicating origin, washing instructions, handling guidelines, or even a creator's or buyer's signature. My gaze naturally fell on it.
The label looked properly formatted, with a structure typical of product tags. Strange, tiny, incomprehensible symbols were written in rows. But that wasn't what stood out the most.
Across all that information, there was something scrawled in thick black marker, almost like a form of censorship.
Label Removal Required
[Ah.]
[So it's here.]
SNAP—
A massive hand grabbed the tag. It was a hand wearing an elegant, tailored dress glove. The thumb quickly covered most of the label's text as the hand yanked the tag.
[Gotcha.]
The hand was emerging from the torn body of the Good Friend plush I was holding.
Riiiiiiiiiiiip.
The lower half of the plush split open as the arm, then the shoulder, emerged. A second arm violently pushed against the sink.
The rest of the large body spilled out, filling the cramped bathroom space. A towering figure, dressed impeccably in a brown three-piece suit with long legs, polished black dress shoes, and— A vintage television for a head.
The screen displayed a smiling face.
[ ]
The giant TV head tilted toward me, emerging fully from the shredded lower half of the plush toy.
[Mr. Soleum!]
Its head bobbed as the host gripped my shoulders.
[Oh dear, you must've been terribly worried about me! Haha! But no need for concern any longer. Now… Here I am—your dependable host, Braun, has found you once again!]
The ghostly host twirled the label between his fingers, causing the tattered upper half of the plush toy to dangle back and forth.
[Ah, restoring this tag was a fantastic move! Thanks to it, I could find this address. Phew.]
[I don't expect applause or praise, but if you insist, I won't decline. Haha! I happened to wrap up a live broadcast rehearsal just in time for this.]
[And here we are, meeting again so soon!]
"..."
[Mr. Soleum?]
What… is this?
[You don't seem happy to see me. Hmm… Oh! Is it because the plush toy is damaged? Of course. Audiences are always affected by what they see, aren't they? But not to worry!]
Snap—
The host snapped his fingers.
[What do you think of this?]
The emoticon on the TV head vanished. In its place, something shuffled into view on the screen.
…A Good Friend bunny plush, wearing its signature bow tie.
[Look! Your plush friend has returned—right here on my screen! Isn't it still adorable? Oh, it's even waving!]
"The Good Friend…"
[Exactly! Your Good Friend is right here. I, Braun, am your Good Friend!]
No.
"The Good Friend…"
"Is supposed to be a plush toy."
...
...
[Mr. Soleum.]
Click.
A pinpoint spotlight shone on the narrow bathroom, turning it into a studio set. The light focused on me and the legendary host standing before me. I couldn't turn away.
[Ah, I see now. You were holding back because of a major misconception. But that's perfectly fine. After all, I am a very kind and skilled show host.]
[And, as always, I'm quite good at explanations. Now, let me clarify this misunderstanding for you.]
The gloved hand grasped not just the tag but the broken plush toy itself. The Good Friend bunny plushie that had been displayed on the TV screen vanished in a flicker, replaced by the familiar smiling emoticon.
And then—
Fwoooooosh!
…The Good Friend plush toy in the host's hand was incinerated.
[This is nothing to worry about.]
As the host dusted off his hands, a small handful of ash scattered from the gloves and fell to the floor.
I watched it happen in a daze.
But—
It wasn't just about embedding a part of someone in the toy to make them act like a friend…
[Now… Let's think back. How exactly did you summon your friend?]
...
A strange item that invites someone from the Otherworld, allowing a part of their spirit to dwell in the doll and become your friend.
In other words, using the plush toy, the tie, and the coin, I had…
[You summoned ME.]
The host pointed at himself.
[If a phone breaks, does it cancel your evening plans? If you destroy your mailbox, do the bills disappear? If you rip up a love letter, does the relationship end? We already know the answer.]
[Of course not!]
[So here's the question.]
[Does destroying the plush toy cancel your invitation?]
The host spread his arms wide.
[Not a chance!]
Ah.
[What you performed was an eternal ritual. Oh yes, indeed…]
"..."
My stiff mind slowly processed the sentence.
So then—
The Good Friend ritual wasn't about summoning only a small part of a nonhuman entity and trapping it in the plush toy to act as a friend.
The plush toy was merely a filter, limiting how much of that entity was revealed—like a roleplaying game for children.
[Do you wish to continue calling this a friendship? Then I will forever be your friend, Mr. Soleum! Ah, what a beautiful term—eternal friendship!]
The TV head displayed an emoticon with teary eyes, but it quickly returned to a wide, cheerful smile.
[And our MVP participant—once again, you've shown impeccable timing! Mr. Soleum…]
The hand gripping my shoulder gave me a supportive pat on the back. And then came the words—
[The new talk show is ready.]
"...!"
[New guests, a new set, new music, a new season… Everything has been prepared for filming. My humble talk show, designed solely for the audience's enjoyment.]
[Let me introduce you to your new job…]
No.
I instinctively stepped back, reaching for the door. I had to get out of here, escape this spotlight, clear my head, think—
[Oh dear.]
The smiling emoticon vanished from the TV head.
No.
The screen went black.
[You said that you were a fan of my show and that you enjoyed it so much, even when you had just been a contestant. But now, when presented with the chance to truly be part of the show, you're running away? After all the advice, help, unwavering support, and dedication I've given you?]
[Mr. Soleum, isn't friendship supposed to be a mutually supportive relationship? This emotional and one-sided rejection! It's, it's… heartbreaking.]
I felt like I was going to vomit.
"S-Sorry…"
[Oh, no need to apologize, Mr. Soleum. Mindless apologies are not a virtue for a show creator.]
[And as always, I'm a host who can understand and empathize with my guest's innermost thoughts and feelings…]
[So.]
In the next moment—
[This Braun shall kindly and sincerely persuade you.]
Flicker.
The screen filled with a massive, smiling emoticon.
Filled.
Completely.
"Wait…"
But the giant vintage TV head was moving closer.
Closer.
Even closer.
[Now…]
Look at me.