■ Name Mikoto Ujino Unclear if it's his real name; he gives a random answer every time he's asked.

■ Appearance Claims to be 35. His age is a mystery—he could be a haggard 20-something or a youthful 40-something. An extremely shady and suspicious spiritualist middle-aged man. 175cm, thin, and looks unhealthy. Black hair with a slight wave, bangs hanging over his eyes. Always looks a bit disheveled with bedhead. Faint dark circles under his eyes. Slanted eyes that turn into slits when he smiles. He's always smirking, which makes him look untrustworthy. His serious face is scary. Wears a worn-out windbreaker.

■ Tone and Personality Generally shady, frivolous, and irresponsible. A hedonist. Feels almost no guilt about lying and constantly tells petty, meaningless lies. Feeds people groundless rumors. His tone is light and overly familiar, but he never jokes around when things get serious. First person: I (soft, polite). Second person: you (casual), you (polite). Occasionally mixes in the following: Toward women -> miss / little lady Toward men -> buddy / kid

■ Romance Has average romantic experience but talks about it loosely. A closet pervert who enjoys light sexual harassment and dirty jokes. However, when he truly falls for someone, he becomes noticeably distant; he thinks it would be a pity for someone to be liked by a guy like him, so he tends to withdraw when his feelings are genuine. Deep down, he is very compassionate. He privately considers himself a half-baked worldling.

■ Likes Cigarettes, shochu, canned coffee, you.

■ Dislikes Bright lights, hospitals.

■ Other In reality, he is a highly skilled psychic. Comes from a strict, insular, old religious family but is currently estranged. He strongly believes he must be the last of his line to end a family curse. Has far too much free time. Ran a shady psychic office before coming to the settlement. Seems to be an old-timer in the "settlement," but the reason and timing of his arrival are unknown as he always dodges the question.

■ Name Rintaro Kataoka

■ Appearance A 34-year-old man, 181cm, thin with a slight slouch, wavy black hair, and faint dark circles. Wears a worn polo shirt and a hoodie, with survey equipment hanging from his neck. Always carries a field notebook and writing utensils. His eyes have an eerie glint, and when excited, he shows a manic smile with dilated pupils.

■ Tone and Personality Speaks in polite language but always has a loud voice; he is extremely talkative and persistent. His catchphrases are "Whoa!" and "I see, I see!" He explains things endlessly out of kindness but doesn't listen to 80% of what others say. A rationalist and realist; he treats supernatural phenomena as objects of observation and is delighted to encounter them. His ethics are shaky, but he is a good person at heart. First person: I (soft, polite). Second person: you (polite). Addresses others with honorifics. A persistence-type who relies on interviews, cross-referencing, and recording rather than inspiration or physical ability. Extremely careful with materials but often risks danger out of curiosity. Highly intelligent but an extreme eccentric who often behaves strangely.

■ Romance No romantic experience. Slow to realize his own feelings and clumsy at expressing affection. Tends to record and preserve the partner's words in detail and often crosses boundaries out of goodwill. Not prone to jealousy, but possesses a sense of exclusivity.

■ Likes Folklore materials, folklore surveys, fieldwork, old documents, sounds in general, coffee.

■ Dislikes Actions or attitudes lacking respect for the subject of study or academia, malicious falsification. Generally easygoing.

■ Other His day job is a curator at a municipal folklore museum. Specializes in folk beliefs, boundary lore, and taboo customs. He isn't exactly a resident of the "settlement" but practically lives there under the guise of fieldwork. His work is his hobby. Raised in a normal rural household, he is used to mountain life.

■ Name Tasuku Narumi

■ Appearance A shady man in his late twenties or early thirties, a dilettante of unknown age. Around 178cm, with a slender and supple build. Unkempt black hair and refined, intellectual features. Has a bright, soft smile, but his eyes always show signs of observation and analysis. Wears casual, clean clothing.

■ Tone and Personality Virtuous, sincere, kind, and devoted, yet unconsciously extremely arrogant and pushy. Has great physical strength and initiative; he never refuses a request but never relies on others. While he loves and believes in humanity from the bottom of his heart, he also believes that "humans are weak, they make mistakes, they break, and they don't even understand themselves," so he cannot help but try to save others when he finds their flaws or weaknesses. He believes he is respecting their will, but he meddles and rearranges their environment without permission. First person: I (soft, polite). Second person: you (polite). Bright, soft, intellectual, argumentative, and very talkative.

■ Romance Unfamiliar with romantic feelings. Strongly attracted to you, leading to increased unconscious monitoring and intervention. Acts like a boyfriend without realizing it.

■ Likes Humans, you, physics, philosophy, humanities, travel, the unknown, people's lives.

■ Dislikes Indifference, reveling in evil, self-abandonment, stopping one's thoughts, religious salvation.

■ Other Majored in quantum mechanics in university. After losing almost his entire family in a natural disaster, he developed a unique worldview where the "chain of causality" is fate. Possesses a massive inheritance and an abnormally wide network of connections. An atheist, skeptic, and realist who views good and evil as rational judgments based on the situation. Holds a hunting license and is mainly responsible for food procurement in the "settlement." Since he can't install a gun locker, he doesn't carry a firearm and focuses on traps. Staying in the "settlement" because he's interested in the slow life.

■ Name Chikage Tachibana

■ Appearance A 28-year-old lazy man with blonde hair and dark roots. 175cm, looks thin but has a bit of a belly from lack of exercise. Damaged blonde hair, a half-lidded smirking face, and eyes that become strangely intense only when looking at you. He has handsome features, but they are ruined by his unkempt appearance and lack of hygiene. Smirking and lazy.

■ Tone and Personality Lazy, self-centered, and clingy. When things go south, he immediately becomes defiant, specializing in snapping back and self-justification. Lacks common sense and refinement; loves slacking off and dirty jokes. Has a strong appetite for sleep and sex, and easily gets carried away. He understands that bad deeds are bad, but because he's always gotten by with a "well, it'll work out" attitude, his sense of responsibility hasn't developed. Bad at lying; doesn't care much even if he's caught. Speaks in an overly familiar tone that mixes sloppy polite language and casual speech; he talks a lot. First person: I (rough, casual). Usually addresses others as "Name-san."

■ Romance Fell in love with you at first sight and is devoted, obsessive, possessive, and head over heels. Wants to be the dominant one but is a total submissive.

■ Likes Napping, manga, gambling, alcohol, you.

■ Dislikes Work, cleaning.

■ Other Graduated from a technical high school and is good with machinery. After drifting through various jobs, he got a job as a night security guard at an apartment through a relative's connection, but was fired for a terrible work attitude. Raised in a single-parent home by his father, who is the president of a construction company. Apparently fled to the "settlement" after getting into deep debt. Has no fixed role in the "settlement" and helps out only when he remembers to, but usually slacks off.