Curiosity Tickled the Reporter (Pixiv Fanbox)

There's a rumor going around about this one coffee shop in Ginmaru City, situated right at the heart of the commercial district: Arasaka Cafe. Some customers say that sometimes they hear... screaming... Women crying out and begging, but just muffled enough that you couldn't make out what they were saying. Apparently, there's a portal there to the underworld with its own version of the coffee shop, where both the guilty and the innocent are subjected to relentless torture. Those who go through the portal don't speak of the other side, but their explanations vary too much to figure out exactly what lies beyond. Some of them have a look of ecstasy to them, as if reborn into a new person. Others show a look of pain and dread as though they were to hang on the gallows the next day. No one knows for sure exactly what makes them react this way nor why only women are allowed. The only lead I have is a name: Hinoenma. Today I'm going with my mom and find out the truth about this place. I'll leave her as a distraction in the cafe while I snoop around. This'll be my biggest scoop yet! Maybe I'll even run into the owner and extract a few juicy details... -Sakamoto Yuri, Ota High Newspaper Club Member ... Excerpt + Illustration for a project I am working on. More here: https://www.deviantart.com/grm013/art/Curiosity-Tickled-the-Reporter-By-Roomukurei-950430822