Chapter 7
After Miss Ushiro returned with the tea (and yes, she was definitely "Miss;" there was no ring), I briefly wondered if it was safe to drink it. But I suppose thinking about it was useless; not drinking it would be a huge sign of distrust and I couldn't afford that right now. So I took a sip.
"Ooh that's brave of you; did you not consider it might be poisoned?" Miss Ushiro asked, causing me to almost choke on the tea. She laughed, sounding like one of those bad guys from cartoons before saying: "Just kidding; the tea I'm drinking is from the same pot after all."
I glared at the small old woman. Even if the article in the book hadn't been a prank, she definitely didn't lie about still making them at her age. Twisted old hag.
"Very funny" I just said. We sat in silence for a moment, sipping the tea until she spoke: "How long have you had access to your spirit energy?"
Spirit energy?
"About a week" I answered, asking: "So that's what it's called? Spirit energy?"
"A week? And you already manage to bring it out as you please? That's some talent you have there, especially since you don't seem to have been taught by anyone."
"I haven't" I admitted. Was it wrong to feel a bit proud about the surprised look on her face? "How did you know?"
"Well, you didn't know what it was called" she started before stating the obvious: "And if you had a teacher you probably wouldn't have bothered to search for some old woman mentioned in a book that most people think is a hoax."
She certainly had a very valid point there.
"I suppose so" I said. I took a sip again before forcing myself to ask: "So uuh, what do you know about this... spirit energy thing."
"A thing or two" she said, seeming a bit evasive about the matter "Why do you want to learn about it?"
I froze. Why? Why? How come I hadn't prepared myself to such a simple question that was sure to come?!
...
Actually, it was a really good question. Why did I want to learn more about this? When I figured out that it was really happening and not just my imagination, I had immediately wanted to learn more. But why did I want it so bad? I hadn't stopped to think about that, not even once.
"Well, to be honest I... I don't know." I said. Gosh, that sounded so lame!
"Don't know?" she seemed honestly surprised at that "I've gotten many different answers to this question, but that's a first."
"You mean lots of people have come to ask you for advice?" I asked her, just so I didn't misunderstand something. Maybe she could tell me how to find more people like me!
"Yes, they have" she said, but my smile dropped as she continued: "But I won't be giving you any information on others. If you think about it I'm sure you understand why they don't want their names revealed."
I did understand, or at least I thought I did. It was a bit disappointing, but I had to make it with whatever information Miss Ushiro was ready to give me on her own.
"Okay" I said "But there's something you can tell me, right?"
"Of course there's always something to tell" she said, sipping her tea again before continuing: "However, I do not know if the little I know will be of any use to you or not."
"But will you still tell me?" it felt like she was dragging this on, like she was buying time for something.
"I will if you want" she said. Suddenly, all humor was gone from her face as she said sternly: "But are you sure you want to know? That you don't want to just forget the whole thing?"
I don't get what she's saying. It should be obvious that I wanted to know since I came all the way here. Was she trying to get me to drop this? That could be it; the look on her face was hard to read, but it wasn't a nice one. There was something I didn't know but I have a feeling I should.
"Why wouldn't I want to know?" I asked her. I should probably be more subtle, but since I didn't know how I just said everything directly: "What is the reason you think I shouldn't know more?"
Miss Ushiro narrowed her eyes, so maybe that was a bit too blunt of me.
"You have no idea what you're getting in to, girl" she spat out "Spirit energy and the secrets behind it can destroy your whole life if you're not careful. One mistake can cost you everything."
She sounded bitter, and looked too now that I think about it, which must mean-
"You're talking from experience" I voiced my thoughts "What happened to you?"
She was silent, and for a moment I honestly feared she'd throw me out. However, it seemed that wouldn't be the case.
For now anyway.
"You read the interview I gave for the book. How well you remember it?" she asked me. I thought for a moment before answering: "Everything, I suppose."
It hadn't been a long one or very detailed. Even if I didn't remember it all, I highly doubt I would've forgotten anything important.
"I never saw Kazuki after that day" she started. I blinked, not knowing who she was talking about for a moment before realizing it must've been her classmate's name "He didn't return to school after that. I heard from the teachers he had gotten sick and transferred after it. But I didn't believe them."
She must have thought the monster killed him. I didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue so she wouldn't lose whatever string of thought she had.
"At first I told some of my friends about the demon, which I later learned the attacking creature was" so demons actually existed? I'd have to remember to ask more about those at some point "But they thought I was just messing with them. At first, that is. I didn't tell my parents or the teachers; figured adults wouldn't listen anyway."
She sipped her tea again and all I could think of was what she meant by "at first." I wasn't sure I even wanted to know; the pained look she had had on her face as she said it confirmed that something had gone wrong and badly. But what could a bunch of kids have done?
"When I first told my friends, they thought I was joking. After a few days they thought I was still trying to pull some prank on them, perhaps something big since I kept insisting. However, after a few weeks they told a teacher, who in return contacted my parents." she took a sip again, emptying her cup before continuing: "They told me to stop the bad jokes. Back then I was mad that they were scolding me for something I didn't do, so I went and told them the truth. That I wasn't lying... more tea?"
I blinked and looked down at my cup. I wasn't even half way done.
"Sure" I said, hoping she would continue where she left of after she'd poured us more tea. Even if I had a vague idea of what she'd say. Child or not, if someone insisted that they saw a monster they usually ended up to a shrink, right? I thanked her, sipping from my now full cup again, waiting for her to continue.
"My parents came to the conclusion that there was something wrong with my head. They told me to drop the subject, hit me even, but I kept insisting on what I saw, so they pulled me out of school, said that I had a long term illness, so that I wouldn't damage the family's reputation. But it was too late; my siblings were already bullied in school because of their crazy sister. So we had to move."
I kept on listening, not daring to interrupt. One incident led to all this? Really? No wonder she was hesitant of telling about these things; they really could ruin lives.
...Still, I wouldn't back down. I wanted to know and learn more, no matter what. When she asked the reason earlier I couldn't answer, and I'm still not sure, but I think it's simply because I want to leave something behind after I'm gone. Something that would prove to people that, at one point, I existed, that I was definitely here, in this world. How this would help me to accomplish that, I have no idea, but I have a good feeling. That's enough for now.
"At first I was bitter at my friends for telling the adults. I was bitter for years" she said, but the smile that came to her face told me there was more to it "But in the end, when I had grown up, I realized they did it because they were worried. They just tried to help me."
"So you made up in the end?" I couldn't help but ask. To my surprise and disappointment, Miss Ushiro shook her head.
"No" she said "I understood their point and forgave them, but knew they'd never believe me and I refused to lie. I know what I saw, I know what happened. I had no intention to pretend I'd been crazy." she took a sip from her tea again before wrapping up the story by saying: "I never really saw any of them again."
I was about to ask if there hadn't been any class reunions or something, but decided against it. If there were she probably hadn't wanted to go. Or worse, maybe the class' "crazy girl" wasn't even invited. The thought kind of made me angry.
"As you can probably understand now, getting involved with anything spiritual can get you in serious trouble" Miss Ushiro said, getting my attention again "Knowing this, do you still want to learn more? Are you prepared to take the risk?"
I was about to say yes, but the look on her face made me stop again. It gave the impression that she was testing me. Would she not tell me anything if my answer didn't please her? What did she want me to say in the first place? ...The more I thought about it, a small feeling of doubt started to bloom in me. But still...
"I'm not really sure" I said, staring at the tea cup in my hands. I bit my lip before continuing: "All I know is that if I don't do anything, I'll end up regretting it. I just know it."
"So choosing the path you might regret over the one you think you'd definitely regret?" she asked. Taking a sip from her tea, she said: "Fair enough."
Did that mean she'd tell me what she knows?
"There are a lot of things I don't know nor understand, but through years of research and practice I learned some things about spirit energy" Miss Ushiro said. I had been listening before, but now she definitely had my full attention. This is what I had come here for. She put the cup on the table and held her right hand in front of her, palm facing the ceiling. Soon, a bright glow surrounded her hand. I should have expected it, but it took me by surprise that she did it so out of the blue. It seemed to come to her naturally, too, like she didn't need to concentrate at all.
"It took me years, but eventually I learned to control my energy to this point" she told me, a wry smile coming to her face "Even if the only thing I can do with it is to produce a source of light for a short moment like this."
Wait, what? A source of light? She didn't get a power boost?!
"That's it?" I asked. When Miss Ushiro raised an eyebrow, I realized that that might have sounded a little rude "I mean, is that really all that happens? You don't get some kind of power boost or something?"
"Power boost?" she asked as the light faded, soon disappearing completely "Like Superman and other comic characters? No, nothing like that, just the light."
"Oh..." how come? Why did I get a power boost but she didn't? Was it because I activated the glow with a punch? Or because I was physically stronger than her? ...Or at least I assume I am; she's quite tiny and doesn't seem to have much muscle.
"It's not that surprising" Miss Ushiro said. Did I space out or something? The amused look on her face certainly made me think so "Spirit energy works differently with everyone."
She said with such certainty that it calmed me down somewhat.
"Can you tell me more?"
"Of course" she said "But first, more tea?"
I looked at my tea cup again; I had barely touched it while hers was almost finished again. I wasn't that big fan of green tea after all... but it'd be rude to refuse.
"Sure. Thank you" I wonder if she even noticed that I barely drank it.
"You said you first noticed the existence of spiritual powers in yourself about a week ago by accident, correct?" she asked as she poured the tea. When I nodded she continued: "Yet you can already bring it out at will while it took me years to do so despite knowing of its existence. Do you know what that means?"
"Umm... no?" I said, a bit embarrassed. Something in her tone told me that I should have caught on to what she meant. When she chuckled I knew I was right. Geez, sorry for being slow!
"It simply means that you are more talented than I" she said "Way more talented, in fact."
"Oh... okay" was she bitter about it? She didn't sound like it, but one could never know for sure with old people... but then again Miss Ushiro didn't seem to be the type to hide her feelings.
"I may be far from the natural talent that you are, but unlike you I have experience" she said. I sipped my tea while listening to her, for my mouth started to go dry. I felt like this was now going to the point I wanted it to "You came here to see if you could learn something, did you not?"
"Yes"
"Well then I'll be happy to give you some advice" she said "But first: finish your tea."
I sweat dropped but complied anyway. Drinking not so tasty tea was a small price to pay for learning more after all.
A.N: So I felt like I should clear a few things that might have raised some questions due to cultural differences or the like:
1. In Japan people don't really use first names unless they're close with each other or unless the other person is younger, which is why Yuri and Mitarai call each other by last names. They're close, but can't bring themselves to treat each other as that close. Mitarai has also visited her home often and gotten to know her mother, who actually calls him by his first name.
2. This fic has no honorifics like "San", "Kun", etc. because I didn't use them in "Air" either. As for the reason, well... I've only watched YYH with the English dub, so it would've felt weird to use them.
3. They had school in Saturday. Now, I don't know which days and at what time people go to school where you readers are from, but I'm pretty sure that Saturdays were school days in Japan until the year 2000 or so and since YYH is an old series this story is located in the timeline somewhere between mid 80s and 90s. I try to not make too many mistakes regarding the timeline, (meaning smart phones and the like don't exist) but if I mess something up then please bear with it. I was born in mid 90s so I don't actually have a good knowledge about those times (like music or movies.) Luckily google exists.
4. In chapter five, Yuri left hers and Mitarai's bags unguarded in a public place. This might seem weird to most, but from what I've understood it's pretty common in Japan, for it's said to be a relatively safe country.
So yeah, these things might have been clear to some, but just in case there was someone who didn't know. If there is anything else that confuses you don't hesitate to ask.
