This novel is based on a ghost story told by a friend when my friends and I were having a ghost story party.

Bowl of rice

The bedroom door slammed shut, Kanako hurriedly locked the door, struggled to push the chair against the door, took out a pair of pants, tied the door handle to the chair haphazardly, then closed the window,Then she sat on the bed and held the broom in the room in her hand as a self-defense weapon, or just as a psychological comfort. This seemingly inconspicuous object became her only reliance at this moment.She sat on the bed and turned on her mobile phone, hurriedly preparing to call the police, but when her trembling thumb was about to press the dial button, she hesitated again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a while,She sighed, turned off her phone, and threw it on the bed. She pursed her lips tightly and covered her face with trembling hands. Cold sweat soaked her shirt. Fear kept pouring into her heart like a tide. Why? ..this happens..why? She kept asking herself

Kanako moved into this apartment two weeks ago. She is a recent college student. In order to "spread her youth" and "be independent", she worked hard and was admitted to a university far away from her hometown, and began the solitary life she had longed for. , and the reason she chose this apartment is very simple. This apartment is not far from her university. She can sleep in bed while her classmates are running hard on the way to school - even if it is just for a few minutes. , although the layout of the apartment is slightly narrow, the price is not high. What makes her most satisfied is that this house has a charming and white large bathtub and 24-hour uninterrupted hot water. No one can refuse this place, she thought.

At first, Kanako's life was very happy. She could stop being nagged by her parents every day, drink Coke and lie on the sofa and watch her favorite movies regardless of her ladylike image. She could stay upright until dawn and sleep until the afternoon. Unscrupulously chasing stars, she can buy the fried chicken she wants to eat. Of course she knows it is junk food, but so what. Of course, the happiest thing is that she can take a comfortable bath at night when she is tired.

For her, all this is simply a paradise in her dreams! She sincerely feels that the hard days of staying up late making coffee and studying every day in high school are worth it!

Soon, Kanako discovered that something was wrong. Things on the table would always be moved inexplicably, the lights in the entrance would always flicker on and off, and the temperature of the room would always suddenly become colder, even though the windows were closed tightly. Well, Kanako is one of the more courageous girls. During the school night courage test organized by her high school class, she was one of the few who not only was not frightened, but instead comforted her male classmates. With her carefree personality,

She didn't pay much attention to it. After all, the rent was not expensive, and it was normal for there to be air leaks and mice. These were things that people in society had to experience. She encouraged herself.

But…

But events began to escalate. Objects would fall for no reason, and strange sounds would echo in the apartment at night. Kanako began to feel that she was "not alone." At first she dismissed it, thinking it was her imagination, but the feeling persisted and grew stronger.

Last night, she was playing games. When she went to the refrigerator to get a Coke, she caught a glimpse of a shadow on the wall in the corner of the living room. She didn't think much and returned to the room with a Coke. But when she was about to close the door, she suddenly froze. From the shadow's point of view, its owner should be in the corridor entering the door. But she was sure there was nothing in her hallway. She felt a little uneasy, but tried to tell herself that it was just an illusion. However, for the sake of peace of mind, she still locked the door and went to sleep after a long time.

Early the next morning, Kanako got up to prepare breakfast. When passing by the living room, she peeked into the corridor. Nothing, she smiled reassuringly. However, as she walked into the living room, she caught a glimpse of something on the floor. Her pupils shrank, her heart sank, and she stopped involuntarily.

A pair of deep and wide muddy shoe prints were left where yesterday's shadow appeared. She looked around, slowly bent down, and carefully examined the shoe prints, her heart filled with doubts and fears. Those shoe prints weren't hers, and she was sure she hadn't walked into the hallway last night. A chill crept up her spine, sending chills down her spine. Her heart beat faster, and anxiety and fear gradually filled the room.

Kanako forced herself to calm down, despite all the speculations and worries surging in her heart. She couldn't imagine that someone was wandering around her room, watching her every move, and she knew nothing, yes, nothing, she might have been spied on for two whole weeks! She tried hard to suppress the fear in her heart, She tried to find a rational explanation. However, in the empty room, only the pair of deep shoe prints silently told of the unusual last night. Kanako swallowed, feeling that her throat was dry.

"My God..." she was mumbling.

Kanako ate absentmindedly in the evening, sitting at the dining table and looking up into the living room from time to time. But her thoughts have been entangled in the pair of mysterious shoe prints, and she can't let go.

Suddenly, she felt a chill coming over her, as if something was peering at her. She subconsciously turned back to look at the entrance, and a jaw-dropping sight appeared in front of her. In the dim light, she could clearly see a man in military uniform standing there upright, like a statue. His face was pale and his eyes were empty, as if he were blind. His face was as pale as paper, without a trace of blood, and his lips were chapped and pale, as if he hadn't drank water for a long time. His fingers were long, rough, and covered with calluses. He just stood there quietly, bowing his head slightly.

Kanako's heart beat suddenly, as if being held tightly by an invisible hand. She felt as if her body was frozen, unable to move, and her hands and feet were cold. She wanted to shout, but something seemed to be blocked in her throat and she couldn't make a sound.

The man didn't speak, just stared at her, silently and motionless. He exuded an eerie aura that sent shivers down Kanako's entire body.

It wasn't until a sharp scream broke the silence that Kanako realized that she had fallen to the ground, with cold sweat dripping on her forehead. She stood up tremblingly, panting heavily, and looked at the entrance again, but she never saw the ghost man in military uniform again.

Kanako stood up tremblingly, her heart still beating fast and her clothes soaked with sweat. But her legs seemed to have lost their strength and were unable to support her body. She forced herself to stay calm, but her mind was in chaos and she couldn't think clearly. She numbly picked up the chair on the ground, put it back in place, then picked up her cell phone and prepared to call the police. But when she looked at the screen of her mobile phone, she realized a problem - the police would not believe her words. Suddenly, she had an idea. She opened the online group of classmates and made a call to her friend who claimed to be an exorcist...

Kanako felt despair and fear. She tried everything, including hiring a so-called "exorcist," but to no avail. Every night, the man in the shabby old-fashioned military uniform would still appear in her apartment on time, as if he had become a part of her life.

Initially, Kanako was terrified of this ghost and would tremble involuntarily every time she saw him. However, as time passed, she gradually began to get used to his presence. She found that, although he looked scary, he did not do anything to hurt her. He just stood there quietly and didn't move around.

Every night, the man in the shabby old-fashioned military uniform still came as scheduled and stood quietly in her apartment. The initial fear was gradually replaced by habit, and Kanako gradually dropped her guard against him, and even began to think of ways to make him leave.

When she didn't know how to deal with it, a strange idea came to her mind: let him become a Buddha. Perhaps, if he were freed, he would cease to haunt the world and cease to appear in her apartment.

Kanako didn't know how she came up with this idea, and she wasn't sure if it was feasible. But, unable to find any other solution, she decided to give it a try.

She began to study Buddhism and learn how to practice and chant sutras. Every night, before the man in military uniform appeared, she would light a bunch of incense and recite Buddhist scriptures devoutly, hoping to influence him and help him let go of his past resentments and gain relief.

However, day after day, her efforts seemed to make no difference. The man still stood there indifferently, as if he didn't care about her prayers and efforts. Kanako began to feel frustrated, and she began to doubt whether her decision was the right one.

Kanako decided to change her mind and began to re-examine the man in military uniform. She tried to find some clues in his eyes and attitude, trying to understand why he was in her life.

She noticed that although this man looked scary, there was no hostility or malice in his eyes, just a kind of indifference and helplessness.

With this new understanding, Kanako began to change the way she treated him. She no longer tried to chase him away, nor did she think about making him leave.

She began to confide to the man, the little things she did in class, the confusion on the road to choice, the water bill rising again, the new movie plot, the bumps in the relationship, the trivial matters in life... But the man still stood there numbly. Silent, as before.

But, strangely, Kanako didn't feel frustrated or disappointed. Instead, she felt that she found a kind of peace and release in her communication with this man. Perhaps this man doesn't need her advice or sympathy, he just needs a listener, someone with whom he can share his life. As a result, Kanako began to be grateful for this special encounter and began to learn to cherish every moment of peace and tranquility. She no longer tries to change this man, but accepts his existence, treats him as a part of her life, and spends every night as usual.

One afternoon, while Kanako was washing the dishes, a question suddenly occurred to her: Why did this man appear at night? She began to wonder if there was any connection between his appearance and the night. Perhaps, the time of his appearance has some special meaning.

So Kanako decided to try a different approach to this man. She decided to cook him a meal to see if he would have any reaction. She hopes to get to know him better in this way. This is an attempt.

That night, when the man showed up on time, Kanako placed the rice and vegetables in front of him, and then stood quietly aside, staring at him closely, anticipating his reaction.

However, the man remained motionless, and his eyes still showed that indifference and helplessness. He didn't seem to care about Kanako's actions and still maintained his indifferent attitude.

Kanako continued to observe for several days without giving up.

Kanako was observing this man's reaction every day, but he still remained silent and indifferent. Kanako felt a little frustrated. She began to doubt whether her thoughts were correct and whether this man really needed her care and attention.

However, one night, Kanako made a bowl of white rice, placed it in front of the man, and then forgot to put it away. She went to bed early, and in the dead of night, she suddenly heard some noises.

Kanako got up and went to the bathroom, but she didn't stop there. She walked towards the living room involuntarily, her curiosity driving her to know the source of the sound.

When she quietly poked her head out, she saw the man, sitting quietly at the table, eating the bowl of white rice in silence. He moved very slowly, eating big mouthfuls, as if savoring the taste of the food.

Kanako was a little surprised. She had never seen this man take any action related to life, let alone eat. But now, he was sitting there quietly, immersed in the taste of rice, as if he had forgotten everything.

After finishing the rice, the man put the bowl in the sink and left.

The next day, Kanako cooked another bowl of rice and waited at the door. At the same time, the man appeared again.

Kanako said hello with a smile and pushed the rice in front of the man. "Welcome back, are you hungry? Eat it while it's hot." After that, he turned around and left.

"Wait a minute." A strange, yet extremely familiar voice came. For some reason, Kanako decided that this voice belonged to the man in military uniform. She stopped and looked back at him.

The man took off his hat, "I'm going to become a Buddha, thank you." He said with a very calm voice, just like her usual. Then, his body began to emit a golden light, and a sacred breath filled the room.

Kanako looked at all this in surprise. She could feel a special energy flowing in the room. She knew that his silent, uninvited family member was about to leave.

Kanako smiled, but tears fell down her cheeks, and her heart was filled with gratitude and reluctance. She knew that this silent, uninvited family member was about to leave, and although there was never any communication between them, his presence brought her a special kind of comfort and warmth to some extent.

The man smiled and nodded, as if responding to Kanako's hug and affection. His smile gradually dissipated in the air, like a wisp of breeze blowing gently, like smoke and fog, and no longer had a trace.

Kanako stood there quietly, looking at the empty entrance hall, feeling an inexplicable feeling of emotion and relief in her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sadness and reluctance in her heart, and then choked up and shouted: "Thank you, congratulations, and be careful on the road!"

Life is like a journey, people meet each other and travel a certain distance together. Even if they are separated, their memories will always stay in your heart. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because you once had it. Kanako sat down on her knees, picked up the rice and ate it with big mouthfuls. There was no food added, but it was so incomparable. tasty

Kanako looked up and looked out the window at the busy city. Maybe it was time to go home and see her parents.