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.
[
]
[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!] ℞₦O͍ＢÊꞨ
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 non-human 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.