Gatekeeper’s Call

The clock on my bedroom wall ticked past midnight, its soft clicks drowned out by the growl of my stomach. I, Haruto Tanaka, high school second-year and self-proclaimed master of procrastination, was facing a crisis of epic proportions: I was starving. Not just “I could eat a snack” starving, but “I might sell my soul for instant ramen” starving.

“Ugh, why didn’t I grab something after club?” I groaned, flopping onto my bed. The kendo club had run late, and I’d been too lazy to stop by the convenience store. Now, my fridge was a barren wasteland, and my wallet was crying somewhere under a pile of manga.

As I stared at the ceiling, a wild idea struck me. “What if… I summon food?” I sat up, grinning like an idiot. Okay, hear me out. Last week, I’d found this weird old book in the school library’s “do not borrow” section. It was called The Grimoire of Minor Conveniences, and it had spells for stuff like “find lost socks” or “make your tea the perfect temperature.” I’d skimmed it during