Foreword:
Hey it's me again, that crazy crack fic author who has been resurrected from the ashes again.
You might remember that short story Gravedigging. Yep it's this one again and with a different title and premise. Some small changes were made. New content will start in chapter 3.
Note:
You might be interested in knowing that there is another version of this fic online with colored sketches: archiveofourown. org / works / 36437
Paste in your browser and remove the spaces.
AFTER 30 YEARS
Chapter 1
The year was 1999 and the month was early in January. The temperature outside and inside the office was frigid and I had been shivering in behind my desk, trying to read up some paper articles - in particular, the ones about Ryokuryou High School in Hokkaido had been interesting. Strange things kept happening and I wondered if someone would ever visit us to take it up as a case - though I highly doubt Naru would accept it. He has been rejecting requests almost each day now. Try to imagine his current mood, I'm surprised I hadn't turned into an ice cube yet.
I got up and warmed myself by walking around in the office. It has been a mystery how Naru and Lin could cope with this temperature, but apparently this had been the perfect condition to work in.
The phone on my desk rang, because this time my boss wasn't in the mood to answer the calls himself. After I answered I received a hesitant reply from someone who didn't state his surname or where he came from.
"Would you like to speak to the president?" I asked the potential client after a few basic questions. From the sound of it he appeared to be in his late teens and quite well behaved. When you work here, you'll get a taste of the misbehaved quite often... not counting my boss and the other office worker. I met them last year in April. Although I noticed Lin-san had been kinder to me ever since Christmas, we still don't speak to one another very often. More like we don't speak to each other at all. Another part-time office worker was Takahashi Yuuko, whom we encountered in the Yuasa Senior Academy case in Fall; she fills in for me on my free days. As well as Kasai Chiaki who is taking lessons from Lin in Qi-Gong. I also heard she had some interest in working with us, but she had to give priority to the upcoming entrance exams.
At my question the client responded nervously, "Wh-why ye-yes of course!"
"Don't worry he won't bite," I responded warmly.
"Yes yes."
There was a slight relief in his voice. I couldn't help but thinking this guy sounds so innocent and sweet, but why did he sound so anxious about talking to my boss? If he knew that person from before I might have understood, but I don't think they ever met from the sound of it.
"Hold on for a moment," I said, then put the phone on the desk and went to knock on Naru's door.
"Come in."
I opened the door.
"There's a phone call... from Jin-san."
"What?" Naru looked up at me immediately at the name. I felt myself glowing hot and pointed at the phone on my desk. Did he just miss what I said? I couldn't describe whatever was in his eyes now, a mix of shock, apprehension... or hope? Something I've never seen on his face at least.
"Well, he called himself Jin. He needs to talk to you. It's very urgent."
The strangest reaction was evoked. The wide-eyed Naru dropped his map after giving me that incredulous stare. Yes, he dropped his beloved map and almost ran to the phone on my desk to pick it up. Wow, he ran.
"Jin?!"
A few silent seconds passed and I could only stare after him with my mouth gaping. The client never replied.
"He hung up," an angry Naru said, putting it down.
"Of course! Look what you just did! You scared him!"
Without any doubt in my mind I glared at Naru, but he was too frustrated to even look at me. I couldn't believe I was scolding my own boss. A moment later Naru walked past me to Lin, who had gotten out of his own office. He appeared less than stoic now, looking even slightly worried.
"A recording of the call. Now."
The man nodded and disappeared back into the room in a speedy pace. I was at a loss to say anything, so I waited in the kitchen to hear what they had to say about the phone call. In my mind I continually wondered why it had been so important to listen to the recording.
"It's not him," he decided, sounding vaguely disappointed.
...who?
Lin sighed before giving his hopeful opinion, "I do think they sound alike."
"...but it's not that idiot."
"I know, but for once you could have been wrong. Perhaps he's still..."
Though he tried to convince our boss, even Lin seemed doubtful of his own statement.
"I'm never wrong. Forget about it."
With that Naru retreated to his office and two doors closed. I could only wonder; just who were they looking for?
* * *
I gave Naru his cup of tea. Once again he was staring at one of his maps in deep concentration and scribbling down something on his notepad. Sometimes I recognized a few of the words, but usually not very often. Ever since I found out he wrote in English I've been paying more attention to my classes... yeah, what silly crushes can do!
This time I can't recognize anything. Do you know what they say about a doctor's handwriting..? It's exactly like that.
"What are you doing here."
The sentence out of his mouth didn't resemble a question. He must have noticed I've been standing a little longer than ten seconds.
"I wanted to ask a question."
Naru didn't even look up at me. That map is so much more interesting.
"About what happened..." I said, giving a wry smile, "with that phone call from Jin-san. "
"I'll leave that up to your imagination."
I sighed, obviously angered.
"I didn't even ask my question yet! Really Naru. What made you yell into the phone like that?"
"None of your business."
"Do you know a Jin-san or something?"
Naru looked up to me for a moment, but his eyes veiled any emotions. If he had them, that is.
"You seem too caught up into this matter," he avoided again.
"Why would I not? Jin-san was a possible client. What if it was serious?"
"No need to tell me," Naru said, visibly annoyed, "sounds like you know him."
In my dreams! It's just you being apathetic.
"I don't. You heard the phone call! I feel sorry for him. Why can't you be more remorseful for once?!"
"I'm not sentimental like you. Now go back to work."
I wanted to send him another glare, but Naru returned to writing down notes.
"Well, I could help? I know a lot of boys who are named Jin...."
"That will be unnecessary."
"Ugh."
Naru glared at me.
"Stop asking me questions and go back to work," he repeated.
I growled and began to wander back to my desk.
"Oh, and while you're at it... take this note to Lin," Naru added as he teared out a page out of his notebook, having me return to his desk to retrieve the said note, "It's the dates for the trips I'll be making soon."
I frowned at my boss for a moment and then left to hand over the piece of paper to the stoic man.
* * *
The following day we had a visitor. It wasn't every day we received foreign people in the office, so I was pretty nervous about my lingual capabilities. A young man named Jonathan was seated opposite my boss. His hair was middle long and dirty blond... just imagine a foreign version of Bou-san here, but a bit more neat. His eyes were sparkling chocolate brown... yes, they were sparkling for he did seem quite confident and charming. Fortunately he seemed fluent in Japanese.
"Where do you come from?" Naru bothered to ask. I suppose he was interested in knowing people's nationality for some reason. He had asked John the same question when we first met. I must say his Japanese was very natural unlike the former.
"I was born and raised in Okinawa," Jonathan replied. Unlike the other boy from yesterday he seemed absolutely not intimidated by Naru, who nodded. I hadn't noticed that his eyes narrowed slightly at the answer, although I did hear Lin-san's subtle cough. They must have some secret code; silence for agreement, one cough for disagreement and clearing the throat for the sentence 'Look, we don't need you here.'
"I see."
The subject was swiftly changed.
"State your problem."
So Jonathan explained to us briefly his problem. Apparently a girl he knew well had gotten into an accident near a crossover and was in a coma. The reason he believed it was paranormal? She wasn't the only one to have an accident at that place. He provided him the details of the place on a note that he placed on the coffee table.
Naru sighed, deeply. I gulped, knowing what was to come next. It was up to client how to react to what he was about to tell him now.
"Jonathan-san, we don't take cases lacking anything of the paranormal."
"What?! I thought I clearly stated it's abnormal to have yearly accidents at a crossover with a coma as results! Near a graveyard of all things!"
"That isn't entirely uncommon to happen at these kind of crossovers. I'd interpret it as people believing that place to be a case of bad luck and thus becoming accident-prone-"
"But! Believe me it's true!" The young man yelled before he could finish his sentence.
I blinked my eyes at the sudden outburst. Naru wasn't impressed either and gave him a glare.
"Lin, throw him out."
At his request the tall man moved quickly to where Jonathan was sitting, who eyed him with apprehension and rapidly got on his feet to leave. An intimidating Lin cleared his throat and ushered the younger man to the exit. Up until then I thought this was a normal occurrence in this office, succeeding the enormous line of rejected potential clients. However, not one of them had the guts to say the following straight into my boss's face.
"I won't give up that easily," he said in determination as he opened the door. The menacing look on Jonathan spoke everything, "We'll see you again soon, Shibuya-san. I'll convince you, otherwise you'll deeply regret it!"
He left, closing the door behind him dramatically shut. A cold breeze that had come from the opened door caused the note to fall off the table. In my ears the threatening voice of the foreign young man echoed.
"Is... is that alright?" I asked, "What if he comes back?"
"We'll deal with it."
My boss had replied as if it was no problem. He picking the note up and staring at it briefly, then returned to his office.
Shortly after the fact, Naru made me go home.