- The Price of Perfection-

Two: Questions

November 4th 2007

The backyard is amazing. It's the kind of scenery that would flaunt itself off all four seasons of the year. You look at it, and step back to memorize it all so that you might have one just like it in the future. I eye the trees near the back that has drooping branches, mingled with stray red, orange and yellow. The clean cut grass is as refreshing as the cold air and I have to turn my head 180 degrees to see the whole landscape. It's nothing extravagant like ones surrounding mansions - the Ito's aren't that rich - but it's large enough to awe a person.

Makoto's shoes crunches on the pebble path as he walks towards me. He has his scarf wrapped wildly around himself, covering his neck as well as the bottom half of his face. Maya-san is not far behind him, following with his forgotten gloves dangling in her loose grasp. She calls out to him with a gently scolding tone. Disregarding her, Makoto smiles up at me and stretches out a small hand. We've grown closer with one another since the time I'd properly introduced myself. He's a small boy for his age - thin, yet sturdy like his father. I take a hold of the tip of his fingers and wince. They're like ice.

"Have you been out here for long?" I have to remind myself to ask only yes or no questions.

He gives me half a shrug. It's been long enough for Maya-san to have caught up with him, and takes the chance to slip on his gloves. Makoto frowns, but keeps them on.

"The boy doesn't like to cover up his hands for some odd reason." Maya-san explains, readjusting his scarf and speaking with only half a spirit for a conversation. "These are the last pair he owns now - most of them have disappeared. God knows where."

She finishes with a tap on his shoulders, giving him allowance to leave. Immediately Makoto heads towards the far back. A trail of his breath is left behind, like smoke from a train. There is a low fence that you could jump over to get to the sidewalk. Right behind it is a bench behind the bushes that outlooks the neighborhood. Makoto sits there, and swings his legs back and forth under the seat.

I slant a glance towards Maya-san. She shrugs.

"He does this almost everyday. For hours at a time he'll just sit there and watch the roads as if he's waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone?" I echo.

Maya-san nods, sending a few loose curls of her long hair to frame her narrow face. She has a slight accent in her voice and I try to figure out which prefecture she's from. "There's no scenery to admire and he has no friends that ever come over, so it's just a stray thought of mine. No one ever comes."

Hours at a time…I instinctively wonder if his father knows about this habit. Should I tell Naru? Small things like these could be clues to the case. Oh god. I suddenly realize that I'm starting to think like him. I return to being the compassionate girl that I am.

"Is that alright? He could catch a cold if he stay's out too long."

"Yes, today it's only going to be half an hour. We struck a deal though he was reluctant to agree to it. Oh, well." She doesn't explain what the agreement was, and I don't bother asking. Her eyes dart back to the living room windows, and I wonder if there's an emergency.

"Is everything alright Maya-san?"

"Yes, yes. There's nothing to worry about. Do you mind looking after Makoto for a while, Taniyama-san? I…need to get back in the house."

I nod, but I think she misses it in her rush to get inside. I watch until the door shuts tightly behind her. Then I turn back to Makoto and contemplate whether or not I should go over. He seems to be enjoying the silence and peacefulness. His head strays up towards the sky every once in a while. I try doing the same, only to blink back forming tears when all I can see is a blanket of blinding white and blue, the sun hiding and shining at the same time. I convince myself that I should try to strike a conversation, though it will most likely end up as a one-sided one. Well, I think, I'm quite used to them by now.

When he hears my footsteps, Makoto slides over and promptly turns back to the roads. I watch with him and start noticing things.

The houses all look alike - the only varying features are the colors, garage size, and placement of the front door. I suspect that the insides are nothing but copy and paste. I hear no dogs or cats or even birds. Perhaps it's too cold for them to be out and active. Is this what Makoto had been doing all this time? Thinking things over and noticing the small details of the world? Perhaps just enough to ignore his own problems.

I go to him, placing both hands beside me as I sit down. "Makoto-kun, do you like sitting out here?"

He shrugs, swinging his legs some more. His fingers are shoved deep into his coat pocket, the lump formed beneath the thick fabric moving every now and then, like he's fingering an object.

I try again. "But Maya-san tells me that you stay out here for long amounts of time. Don't you? Is it fun?"

I realize that I've asked him two questions at once. He nods, then shakes. I receive a look from him that makes me backtrack my approach. He's probably been surrounded with questions for a long time and hasn't had a proper conversation when he most needed one. However, I decide to ask one more, a question that had been nagging at the back of my mind.

"Makoto-kun, are you waiting for someone?"

To my surprise, he nods. A slow one that is heavy and meaningful. A moment afterwards, he takes off his gloves and slide them across the bench. It flies into a bush with a loud rustle.

So that's where they've been hidden.

Makoto looks up at me, and puts a finger up to his lips in a 'shushing' notion. It is a question of his own, where do your loyalties lay?

A part of me knows that I should retrieve the gloves, but the other part is the one that understands him. And that part of me is much stronger. Like two puzzle pieces meeting for the first time, I feel that we have a sort of strong connection. Makoto presses his index finger to his lips again, watching me intently for an answer.

With a smile I wink at him and do the same. When we go back inside, we are holding hands, both gloveless and smiling.

…

"Really, nothing? No rapping noises that were recorded or movement of furniture?"

"Nope. Nothing at all." I reply, absentmindedly tapping my fingers in random order on the mahogany table.

"Not even one of your physic dreams?"

"Ayako," I say her name with a pleading tone. She gets it and refrains from asking more meaningless questions. Instead she tilts her head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Then why are we still here?"

Good question. I hadn't really understood until now that I had been able to spend so much time with Makoto because absolutely nothing was occurring. Everyone's suspicions about taking on the case is solidifying. Even Lin seems to have run out of things to research. Naru is in another room with Ito-san, interviewing him in more detail, but I have doubts on whether any useful information will be obtained. I let out a sigh that momentarily heats up the table my cheek is resting on. Then there is a small, timid knock at the door. I sit up and call out an invitation, knowing who it is.

Makoto sticks his head in between the space he'd made, but doesn't open the door any further than he needs to. His eyes find me, and they light up with recognition.

"Makoto-chan." I get up from my seat and walk towards him with outstretched hands. He takes one as soon as I'm within his reach and pulls me towards him. I see his scarf wrapped around him and his hat on slightly crooked. I automatically reach out to straighten it and pull it away from his eyes. "You want to go out?" Indeed he seems to have done this everyday, just like Maya-san had said. Ayako smiles at the young boy.

"It stopped raining just a while ago. There should be puddles for you to play in."

I smile. "Ayako, come out with us."

Bou-san, who'd been busy waving and getting Makoto's attention, turns to the sound of Ayako getting her coat, which has been hanging off the chair behind her.

"Hm. I thought you'd be more of the get-out-of-the-mud type."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks, buttoning up.

"Nothing. Just changed my opinion of you a bit." I notice that he's acting like it's nothing at all, and Ayako's not really listening to notice. She reaches for Makoto's small free hand and walks out. I get pulled along as well, but not before I can send the monk a sympathetic look.

You tried, it read.

1 day later

"Mai, how are the temperatures?"

"There weren't too many rooms compared to the times at the mansion, so that was nice. It's warm everywhere, we didn't even really need a - " I catch Naru's look and quickly snatch the clipboard from Bou-san's hand. "But we took the temperatures anyway. Here." I refrain myself from adding any unnecessary words afterwards.

He looks the list over and nods. I guess a confirmation had been needed…which means that he either doesn't take my word for things, or is an all facts and data guy. I have a nagging suspicion that it is the former. Geez if looks could kill -

Bou-san lets out a loud and stretching yawn, ending with a scratch to the back of his head. He's not the only one who's feeling that way - we are all somewhat starting to relax. It's been nearly three days, and nothing has taken place. No signs of spirits, no reactions to the equipment, no rapping noises, and no dreams.

John, who's sitting at a table beside Ayako and Masako, watch Bou-san before suddenly stopping a yawn of his own. Embarrassed, he grins when he meets my eye.

"Why won't any spirits or ghosts appear?" Ayako asks, clearly bored out of her mind. Her posture is more than enough to display her emotions. "Masako said that she couldn't feel a presence didn't she? So why do we all have to stay here wasting time?"

"Naru-san, I also believe that everything is normal here." John is smiling, his blue eyes still upbeat and optimistic. Like my boss, he believes something will occur, given the proper amount of time. I can't understand how John can be so positive all the time. The man's a true priest.

Bou-san slips into a seat at the table as well, and leans back. "Yeah Naru, I don't anything's gonna happen. I mean, if it were to have it should have happened at least yesterday."

Naru turns to the monk. "Most spiritual presences do not react well to outsiders, it could take over a week before any signs of a haunting could appear."

"That's a good theory - but what do you think?"

It's like he's been caught. My boss lets out a short sigh. "I'm not really sure. I'm willing to wait a few more days. It would be a waste to pack up and leave, only to get called back."

"Then why don't we just leave our stuff here and take turns monitoring?" Ayako suggests. I perk up at the idea.

"Hey that sounds good. Tomorrow's Monday and I'd like to attend classes for once."

He nods, taking my statement seriously as he does everything else. "Certainly, it would be troublesome for you to get any more stupid."

I hold back the evil feelings whelming up inside of me. "So?" I force out, my voice as steady as possible, hands behind my back. "Is that an approval?"

Naru has that look on his face when I know he's about to give in to our (mostly my) whining. I grin, knowing that all he needs is another small push.

"You can call us over as soon as something happens, since we don't have to travel too far to get here. Well, besides Ayako." I turn to her with a hopeful smile.

"I can get a room nearby so it won't be any trouble for me either."

"See?"

It's a definite win for me this time - there is no possible counter-thought against the proposal. Masako agrees and so does John and Bou-san. Lin even mentions that he could stay himself if Naru would like to go back to his office. Naru shoots a look towards his assistant that I interpret as one made after a betrayal. It's unanimous so my boss nods, extracting grins out of all of us.

"But I expect you all to be ready to come as soon as you receive a call. Mai, don't think you can slack off anymore. You have a cell phone now, I expect it to be always on."

I replied with something resembling a proper response, feeling too elevated at the moment to really register his words.

We left en masse around noon the next day. I was the last to walk out the door, promising Makoto that I'd be back soon. The boy nodded and quickly ran back into his room with one hand in his pants pocket. I left the house, expecting to return at the end of the week to pack up and leave.

…

Tick…tock…tick…tock…

Someone was murmuring to themselves, words that failed to form any meaning. I could hardly hear it from the droning of gears and the light ticking of a clock. Time was running out.

I took a step forward in the darkness. It was cold and nothing could be seen. The whispering continued until I was surrounded by a voice thicker than the air I was breathing, I felt that I could suffocate any moment, like death was speeding up.

Tick…tock…tick…tock…

The sound of desperate and sudden scraping of nails against wood...

There was a light far off, down the hallway. Every step I took exhausted me, but took me nowhere. Naru wasn't showing up and I had a sinking feeling that it would stay that way. I tripped. The candle-light fluttered and danced, shrinking in size.

I was nothing but a denser black mass in the surrounding shadows. I watched helplessly as a form appeared behind the light and soon I would be able to see his face. Naru!

But the body structure was too small for it to be him. It's not him.

Tick…tock -

Makoto-chan smiled at me, and blew out the light.

…

It is impossible for me to take notes in class the next morning - so I sit through each lecture, listening through one ear but not hearing anything, letting my whole consciousness slip away. Every once in a while I'll jot down a few words I hear the teacher speak. When the lunch bell rings, I hardly notice it. A hand nudging the side of my head is my wake up call.

I look up and my irritation goes away at the sight of my friend's worried eyes. I pretend not to notice them. "Ah, Michiru-chan. What's up?"

She looks at me and then wordlessly gets down on her knees so that her arms and chin are resting at the side of my desk. "I could ask you the same thing. You were completely spacing out all morning."

"Ah that? I was just tired."

"Are these the notes you took? It's barely legible."

I look down at the scribbles on the paper, and shove it away. "Shut up. I'm fine, really."

She doesn't seem to buy it; I can tell by the tilt of her head and unwavering look.

"It's about Shibuya-san or another case, isn't it?"

The statement momentarily catches me off guard. I lean back in my seat, grinning at her from the corner of my eyes. "How can you always tell?"

"You tend to sigh a lot more."

We laugh and Michiru lends me her notes from the first half of the day.

I am able to get my act together for the rest of the afternoon. The dream from the other night had been strange, but it didn't seem to have any importance like ones I'd had before. Just a stray nightmare.

The normal days were short-lived, however. I did receive a call from Naru at the end of the week, but instead of the awaited dismissal, I was told that a paranormal event had occurred.

To Be Continued… Three: Writing on the wall

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