In Love With A Ghost
Karin let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. She was glad he was here with her now. "When I went to Himeka's house I happened to pass by her father's study room, and in there I found a picture. Now, before I go on I don't know what it means or if it's some freaky coincidence, but in the picture, there was a man-"
Before she could finish her sentence someone had grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth in the process. Her screams were muffled. The assailant pulled out a bit of her hair which made Karin wince in pain and scratch that person's arm, tearing off a piece of the cape that was draped over the arm. Whoever it was that had Karin was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera.
"Karin!" Kazune shouted. Using every bit of power he had Kazune somehow pushed that person away from Karin and they fell to the ground.
To that person it was as if a strong gust of wind had knocked them down. The phantom got up and ran away. Kazune went to Karin who was on the floor sobbing a little. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" He asked.
She shook her head and got up slowly. "I-I'm fine..." She dusted herself off and quickly wiped away the tears on her face as she walked on. Kazune wasn't sure what to say or do. He just glided beside her. The rest of the walk was quiet after that.
Once they reached her house, all Karin wanted to do was bury herself in bed and not talk to anyone.
As she entered she noticed the lights on. She went to the living room and saw her mother had waited up for her.
Aya was sitting on the couch drinking tea and reading a book. She placed it down when she noticed her daughter had come in. "Karin! Glad you're finally home. A little more and I would have gone out to get you myself. Sooo, how was the party? Did you dance? Did you have fun? Were there any cute boooys? Tell me everything!" she said trying to keep her voice down since her husband was already asleep in their room and didn't want to wake him up.
Karin felt a little overwhelmed with all the questions. Though she couldn't help but blush at that last one. Kazune rolled his eyes which earned him a minor glare from Karin whom had noticed his eye roll.
"I- It was fun. I'm really tired, mom. I'll tell you everything tomorrow." Karin knew she had to go to her room as soon as possible. She felt a batch of fresh tears threatening to fall. She didn't want her parents to know what had happened to her just now.
She went to her room as soon as possible and closed the door behind her. Leaning on it she slowly slid down to the floor and let her tears out.
Kazune stood in front of her. He felt such a rage at whoever had done this to Karin. It was moments like this that made him wish he could hug her.
'Maybe I can...'He thought. Kazune got on his knees in front of her. Like before, he used everything he had in him, and he hugged her.
Karin was surprised. "H- how are you doing this?"
Kazune wasn't sure how to answer. "Shhh..."
Karin started crying and hugged him back. "I had never been so scared before!"
He nodded. "I know. I swear if I had noticed something earlier I would've-" He felt Karin shake her head. She looked at him. "Don't. You saved me. That's all that matters. I don't know any other way to thank you, other than my promise to help you find out who you are." She said.
Kazune smiled a little and wiped a tear from her face, making her blush.
Something about the moment, whether they were caught up in it or if it was because of the position they were in, made Kazune lean in closer to Karin's face. She closed her eyes, leaning in as well. She could feel his lips inches away from hers.
Though the kiss never came.
Karin opened her eyes and saw Kazune on the floor with a pained expression on his face.
"Kazune! What's wrong?" She tried helping him up but she couldn't touch him anymore. Her hands phased right through him again. He got up on his own. "Sorry, it's just... doing that takes a lot out of me."
Karin nodded slowly. "Okay, I just wish we knew how and why you could do it."
"Me too. All I know is that I can do it when I really concentrate."
"Are you sure you're really a ghost?" Karin asked him.
"What else could I be? Maybe I've developed this ability having been one for so long."
Karin thought about it. "Maybe you're right. For a second I thought otherwise, but then I remembered something Jin told me earlier."
He wasn't sure why, but the mere mention of Jin's name made Kazune scoff. "What does the pop star wanna-be know about this?"
"Would you be nice? And he told me a kid died on Halloween many years ago. It made me wonder if maybe that kid was you. Still want to say it's unrelated?"
Kazune turned around to face the window. "You've made your point. Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
"There's more. When I went to Himeka's house today, in her father's study there was a picture of him next to a man. They looked very young. The man Mr. Karasuma was with, other than his hair and eye color, he practically looked like he could be your twin."
"... Karasuma. That name sounds so familiar." Kazune tried hard to remember.
"It does?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I think I've heard it somewhere." He turned around. "The man looked like me?"
Karin nodded.
"I guess you know what you have to do. You have to find out who that man is." Kazune said.
"How should I do that? I tried asking Himeka but that led nowhere." Karin told him.
Kazune walked up to her. "You're either going to have to ask Mr. Karasuma himself, or you're going to have to sneak into his study and find more clues."
Karin shook her head. "No way! I'm not invading anyone's privacy. That's my friend's dad for crying out loud!"
"Karin, when you agreed to help me, I'm pretty sure you knew sneaking around to gather information came with the job. Not like you can be open with people to gather information. 'Hi I'm Karin, and I'm trying to figure out my ghost friend's past. Can you help me?'" He said in a very questionable impersonation of Karin.
She pouted and looked away. "Fine..."
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't want to force you if you're so against it, but unless you have any other leads..."
She shook her head. "I'll do it."
After getting away, he stopped in front of his house to catch his breath. He looked at the hair he had in his hands and clenched his hand into a fist. "Time to know the truth..."
He went in and saw someone coming down the stairs. He removed his mask.
"Himeka is in her room getting ready for bed."
"Thank you, Q-Chan."
Q-Chan noticed his arm was bleeding. "Kirihiko, are you all right? You're bleeding."
Kirihiko clutched his arm. "I'm fine. I'll be in my lab." He went downstairs without saying anything further.
Q-Chan watched him go up. He loved the Karasuma family very much and had been around since even before Himeka was born, but he was always suspicious of Kirihiko and whatever it was he did in his lab at home. There was a locked door in the house that led to his downstairs lab. Q-Chan could only imagine what horrors went on in there or what it is he's hiding.
Kirihiko went to his lab. He put the strands of hair in a machine that was connected to this big computer. He was performing a DNA test. He pressed a few buttons and waited for the results.
Those 3 minutes felt like an eternity to him. After the time was finally up and the paper printed he snatched it away from the printer and read it like a mad man. He slowly put the paper down in front of him after he finished reading it.
"It's a match..."
Karin was in bed, on her side facing the wall. Kazune was laying down next to her on his back looking up at the ceiling. Karin was clutching the piece of cloth she had ripped off from her attacker. She wanted to know who it was, and she was going to find out.
The next morning, Karin woke up rather early for a Sunday. She usually sleeps in till 11. She turned to see Kazune was no longer there.
She got up and washed up, then went downstairs to see her parents. Kaito was in the kitchen reading the paper and sipping coffee. Aya was in the living room watching the morning news.
"Good morning." Karin greeted her parents.
Kaito looked up and smiled. "Good morning, how was the party last night?"
That was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She plastered on a fake smile and told her parents just how much fun she had last night at the party, which wasn't a lie technically. She did have fun at the party. She just left out the part where she got attacked by some creep.
Karin went to her room after breakfast and texted Jin to see if he wanted to hang out.
- Hey, it's Karin. Had a great time last night. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today?
Jin responded right away.
- I had fun too. :) and I would love to, but I'm stuck at the store doing inventory. Sorry. :(
-That's alright. Would you like some company?
-Sure!
Karin smiled at her phone and got ready. It was more than perfect that Jin was at the store. She was hoping he would be. She wants to know who her phantom is and she's going to find out no matter what.
After getting ready Karin headed out. On her way she giggled to herself at the people doing the walk of shame in their costumes looking very hung over.
Once she arrived at the store she knocked on the door which was locked and Jin opened it for her.
"Hey, Alice." Jin greeted.
Karin smiled. "Hi. How's the inventory coming along?" She asked trying to make small talk before she tells him the real reason she's there.
"A pain in the ass." He answered.
"Anything I can help you with?" Karin offered as she sat down.
He shook his head. "Nah, that's all right. Thanks though."
Karin looked around the store, hesitating to ask. "I have a confession to make, I actually came here for a reason." She started off.
"Really now?" Jin asked with a smirk on his face.
Karin blushed. "Nothing like that!"
He pretended to wipe a tear from his face.
Going playful to serious, she walked up to him. "I came here because there's something I want to know, and you're the one that can give me the answer."
Jin, suddenly growing curious stopped what he was doing. "What is it?"
"I have to know the names of everyone who got a Phantom of the Opera costume." She said.
"Uhh, may I ask why?" He asked giving her a puzzled look.
Karin faced the other way. "… I can't say."
Jin frowned a little. "I'm sorry but I can't give you that information. Customer confidentiality."
Karin was afraid he would respond like that.. "I really need that information."
Jin pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to understand. "Why? You do know I could lose my job if I gave you that list right? Unless you can give me a good enough reason, I can't. I'm sorry." He really wanted to help her because, well, he liked her.
Karin bit her lip. She wasn't ready to tell anyone. "... Fine." She walked out the store.
Jin called out to her, but it was too late. She had already left. He sighed.
She knew she shouldn't be angry at Jin. It's perfectly understandable that he wouldn't be so willing to give out information like that and risk his job for a girl he barely knew. Yet, she still was. Well, she was just angry that it didn't go how she thought it would.
Then there was still having to find information on the mystery look-alike for Kazune. She did think about just asking Himeka to go over and investigate, but she didn't know how she'd be able to without Himeka questioning her. She would just have to take Kazune's suggestion and sneak in.
Karin went back home. She looked out her bedroom window and looked at Himeka's house. She was hoping by some chance they'd go out so she could go over.
Kazune appeared behind her. He tried touching her shoulder but couldn't. Though Karin knew he was there from the sudden chill that ran down her spine when he did that. She turned around, though she didn't realize how close he was till she did. She could feel herself blushing already.
It reminded her of the moment they almost shared last night. She didn't know what it meant. It made her wonder if Kazune thought about it too.
'Snap out of it Karin! There's no way you could like a ghost...' She shook the thought away. "I'll go over when they leave."
Kazune didn't say anything and Karin just turned around to keep looking out the window. Some time later Kirihiko had stepped out.
That was her cue. Karin went downstairs and snuck out without her parents noticing. She entered through the backyard and stared up at the house. Karin wasn't sure if her friend was home, but she figured Himeka wouldn't go to her father's study after contemplating over it for a good while.
Karin took in a deep breath and slowly opened the back door. She was hoping it wouldn't be locked. She walked slowly trying not to make any type of sound. She went upstairs and went to the study.
'Easier than I thought...'
She saw the picture where she had left it. There were other pictures around so maybe he wouldn't notice. Karin took it out of the frame and saw the back which had 'Kirihiko and Kazuto' written. She put the picture in her pocket and looked around. She saw a small notebook opened on his desk. Karin figured it was his journal. She didn't want to read it, but something in her just made her pick it up and look at it anyway.
There were things written in there about cloning and two locked rooms. One she knew was out there in the hall. The second which he referred to as lab caught her attention.
Then it went on to talking about finally finishing what he started and finding someone he's been looking for as well as his dear friend not being able to stop his experiments.
"Kazuto..." Karin read the name out loud. Her curiosity was bubbling inside of her now. She had to see the lab. What was Himeka's father involved in? She figured it had something to do with the mystery man, Kazuto.
She went downstairs. She saw Himeka in the kitchen with Q-Chan. She hid behind a chair in the sitting room. After she heard footsteps walking out and a door closing she assumed they had both stepped out. She sighed in relief.
Karin located the door Kirihiko spoke of in his journal. It was locked. She took one of her pins and picked the lock with it. She mentally thanked her friends from her old home for teaching her. She opened the door slowly and closed it behind her.
It was pretty dark. She got her phone out and let it light her way downstairs.
She couldn't believe it. There really was a lab down there. There were computers, monitors, incubators, and all sorts of test tubes. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.
'Does Himeka know about this?'Karin wondered as she looked around. Without noticing she bumped into a desk knocking down a folder. Papers flew everywhere. "Dammit!" She whispered.
Karin tried picking them up. She heard the door open and close. "That's strange, this door is always locked..." She heard a male voice. Kirihiko's voice.
Panic started setting in. She picked up a few more papers and put them back on the desk in the folder. She figured she had grabbed all the papers and hid under a desk. Kirihiko briskly made his way downstairs. "Himeka? Q-Chan?" He looked around. Nothing seemed out of place, though he couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been there... Or is still there.
Kirihiko paced back and forth in front of the desk Karin was hiding under. He stopped when he noticed a paper near by on the floor. He went to pick it up. Karin rolled her eyes.
'Of course I missed one...'
"You missed one..."
Karin jumped hitting her head with the desk. She rubbed the top of her head. "Owie..." She saw Kirihiko kneeling behind her. She now noticed the desk didn't have a back. She crawled up from under the it.
Kirihiko grabbed her by the arm. "What are you doing here!? How did you get in here?"
Karin was too scared to answer.
He softened when he saw the frightened look on her face, but he didn't let go of her.
"Why did you sneak in here?" Kirihiko asked, calming down. Karin was about to answer when she noticed his forearm was bandaged up. "... What happened to your arm?"
Kirihiko covered it up with his sleeve. "Just a scratch..."
Karin backed away slowly. "A scratch? It was you wasn't it..."
"I have no idea what you are referring to." Kirihiko knew exactly what she was talking about but he wasn't going to let her rat him out. "Listen young lady, you are going to leave right now and we're going to forget this ever happened before I report you for breaking in. Do you understand?"
It seemed like a good deal to Karin. She just nodded and let him guide her out. He made sure to lock the door to the lab behind him. After escorting her out Kirihiko took out a picture from his pocket and stared at it before putting it against his chest and sighing. "Suzuka..."
Karin went back to her house and to her room. She smacked her forehead a few times. "I'm the worst spy ever!"
Kazune stepped in before she smacked herself even more. "What happened?"
Karin sat on the bed. "He caught me. But he said he wouldn't press any charges if I left and didn't say anything. He has a hidden lab in his house. There's another locked door upstairs but I didn't have time to check it out. He's experimenting something from what I read in his study but he didn't say what. Only that he was almost finished. But I did have time to grab this." Karin said, pulling out the picture from her pocket.
Kazune examined the photograph. The guy in the picture really did look like him.
Karin stood up. "His name is Kazuto. Ringing any bells? It kinda sounds to me like you two could be related." She said.
This gave Kazune new found hope. He might have a family out there somewhere, and this guy might be part of it.
"I'm gonna go to the library in a bit to check the records. Wanna come?"
He nodded. Of course he was going. This was huge!
Karin got her bag and they both went to the library. They went to the back where all of the town's records were kept. From every newspaper, to magazine, to a list of every citizen living in town. It was perfect to figure out who this Kazuto was.
She told the librarian she was doing a report for school on Kirihiko and his colleague in the photo and needed some information on him. It wasn't that strange since he was the town scientist.
The librarian went to get the information Karin asked for.
Facing Kazune, Karin told him "Whatever we may find out now, just know it'll be okay." Her reassurance made him smile.
After the librarian came back both Kazune and Karin were surprised. She came back with barely any papers. Just a newspaper and another piece of paper. You'd think there would be more on him.
"Here's everything we have on Kirihiko Karasuma and Kazuto Kujyou." The librarian said handing it over to Karin.
She thanked the librarian and sat down. She read the paper. "Local scientists win prestigious prize for cloning research." Karin remembered having read something about that in Kirihiko's journal. The rest didn't really give much insight. She skimmed till she saw something that caught her eye. "Wife of Kazuto, Suzuka says she is very proud of her husband." She read aloud. Kazune read with her.
The other paper only showed that they were once residents in town but it didn't say where Kazuto lived or where he was now.
"Sooo what does this mean?" Kazune asked.
"I don't know. How is it that there's barely anything in here about Kazuto? Maybe there's something here on Suzuka that may help us."
A guy nearby had overheard Karin. He walked up to her. "Pardon me for eavesdropping, but did you say Kazuto and Suzuka?"
"Hm?" Karin looked up to see you a young guy with chestnut colored hair and dark eyes that reminded her of the man they were looking into. She didn't think much of it though. A lot of people have dark hair and dark eyes after all."Y-yes." She answered him.
Kazune got a headache looking at the guy.
Flashback...
"Kazune you're such a wimp!" A dark haired little boy teased. Kazune was crying. "Get it away from me!" He smacked the bug away from the other boy's hand.
"Geez Kazune you're already 4 years old start acting like a man!' The 6 year old said swinging his small arm around Kazune's shoulder.
Kazune wasn't sure what had just happened. 'Am I remembering... ?'
The guy looked at Karin with a serious look. "Why? How do you even know those names?"
Karin grew uneasy. Who was this guy? "I'm doing a report on him and Mr. Karasuma for school. He had told me about his colleague and suggested I come here."
"Karasuma..." The guy repeated. 'I haven't heard that name in so long...'He nodded. "Fine. You won't find anything here though. If you want more information meet me in 10 minutes at the park across the street." Before Karin could say anything he had left.
"What was that all about?" She said, wondering.
"Go to him." Kazune said.
Karin looked at him. "You trust this guy's word?"
He nodded. "Yeah." He felt more than trust towards the guy they had just met. Kazune wasn't sure how to describe it.
Karin went to the park and found the guy sitting on a bench. She sat next to him.
"You actually showed. You must really want to know." He commented.
"Who are you?" Karin asked.
"I'm Kazuma.."
"Nice to meet you, Kazuma. I'm Karin."
Kazuma looked at her. "So you're doing a report for school huh?"
Karin nodded. "What can you tell me?"
"After their research proved it was possible to clone someone they began experimenting. It didn't work out though, Kazuto began a different type of research without Kirihiko and he and his family moved away after that."
It seemed a little vague to Karin.
"That's all? Why isn't there more information on him? And how do you know this?" Karin asked.
Kazuma was starting to become suspicious with all these questions. "You won't find much on him. After he left he's made sure to keep a very low profile. I know this because it isn't exactly a secret around here for long time residents who knew them."
"You knew them?" Karin has been making mental notes of everything he's saying.
"Not personally. I was very young when they left. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be somewhere."
Kazune whispered into Karin's ear. "Ask him if he knows me."
Karin was nervous to ask but she did anyway. She noticed Kazuma was leaving.
"Wait! Do you know someone named Kazune?"
He stopped right there.
"..."
End of Chapter. 6
Hope you enjoyed Kazuma's debut! I think we all know what his answer is going to be. :)