Chapter 20

No One's P.O.V

As John prepared for an exorcism, Mai and Masako go to find Riko. They were going to try and talk her into passing over. They didn't want her to suffer. Masako and Mai found her in Ayano-chan's room. "Riko-chan?" Mai called out to her. Riko looked at the two, causing the both of them to shudder. Mai couldn't see her, but she could feel Riko's stare. "We just came to talk. You have to pass over, if you don't you're going to be put through a lot of pain." Mai said sadly. "Masako and I don't want you to feel that pain. We found out what happened with your father and how awful he was to you. So, please, Riko-chan. Please pass over so you can be finally free from this pain." Masako frowned when Riko shook her head.

"She doesn't want to." Masako said to Mai. "I think she's refusing to."

"Why? You wouldn't suffer anymore." That didn't seem to bode well with Riko as knocking sounds started up. Masako and Mai began to slowly back out of the room. Riko wasn't going to have that as the room started shaking and a book case fell in front of the door. The two screamed in surprise. They were trapped. Now what were they going to do? Naru was going to be very upset with them.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE THIS HOUSE!" Mai suddenly heard. She looked around the room wide-eyed. Was that Riko? She sounded very angry. It didn't take long for Naru, John, and Ayako to show up. John and Naru moved the book case out of the way with a little difficulty.

"Do it now, John." Naru ordered. John nodded and got to work. He pulled out his Holy water and started.

"Our Father, which art in Heaven, I pray thee, God to take pity on us, and bless us, and let thy face shine over us. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." John said as he sprayed Holy water all over the room. Riko gave a scream before she just vanished. All the knocking sounds and shaking came to a stop and it was dead silent. Masako sniffled a little, but sighed.

"She's gone." She announced. Mai felt bad for Riko, but there was no other choice. They couldn't let her keep doing these things.

"John just to make sure nothing else comes back I want you to bless the other rooms in this house." Naru said sighing.

"Alright," John said nodding. The rest of them headed back to base where Lin and Aki are. Aki was still out cold on the couch and Lin was starting to turn the monitors and stuff off.

"I'll go get the cameras." Mai said going back out of the room. Megumi-san and Ayano-chan came back a few hours later. Naru had already called and talked to someone about repairing the window in the living room. Ayako and Masako cleaned up all the glass on the living room floor and tried to pick up what they could outside in front of the window. Megumi-san was about to freak out, but Ayako quickly explained to her what was going on and Naru told her that he would pay for the damaged window. Megumi-san calmed down finally and took a deep breath.

"Where's Aki-neechan?" Ayano-chan asked curiously.

"She's lying down on the couch in our room." Mai answered her. "She bumped her head, so she's resting."

"Oh, okay." Ayano-chan said before heading towards her room.

"Did that ghost push her out the window?" Megumi-san asked wide-eyed.

"Yes, but she's okay. She just has a few cuts from the glass and she'll have bump on her head." Ayako explained to her. "She should be waking up right about now." Just as Ayako said this, Aki walked into the room, looking a little confused.

"What did I miss?" Masako shook her head and smiled.

"We'll fill you in later. Right now, I'm just glad you're okay." Masako said hugging her. Aki hugged her back.

"Well, everything was going fine, but then Riko got mad all of a sudden. Did... did you guys exorcize her?" She asked frowning.

"Yes, it was the only option. Otherwise she'd end up hurting Megumi-san or Ayano-chan." Ayako explained to her.

"Okay," She said nodding. She looked kind of sad too.

Aki's P.O.V

My head was hurting a little but that's just because I've got a huge bump on the back of my head now from hitting it against the ground earlier. Lin gave me some pain medicine earlier when I woke up. I'm just glad that everything is okay with Ayano-chan and Megumi-san now. We stayed long enough for the window guys to finish replacing the window and for Naru to pay them. I guess it was kind of my fault that the window got broken. When I asked Lin about it earlier, he said that Naru wasn't going to make me pay for it or anything. He did however talk to me about what happened yesterday in the van on the way here. I ended up telling him how the memory of the crash came back to me as soon as I got into the van and how I had to remind myself that Ichirou-san and Ishida-san couldn't mess with the van anymore. He asked me if I would rather have Ayako drop me off at home rather than I go with him, Naru, and Mai in the van, but I told him that I'd be okay. I wasn't going to be able to move on from it if I keep avoiding it. And it's true. I want to move on from that. Of course, Lin made me promise to say something if I felt like it was going to be too much for me. I promised, but I really don't see that happening any time soon.

Finally, we made it back to the office and Mai had told me what happened with Riko and honestly, I feel bad for her after what happened with her dad. I wish I could've helped her in some way but I know that I wouldn't have been able to change anything for Riko. She was just too damaged and stuck in her ways to listen to me or anyone else. I hope that if I ever met anyone who was having issues like Riko at home or like what happened to Shichirou, that I'll do everything in my power to help them. With that thought, I sat down on one of the sofas. All I wanted to do was relax. I didn't want t move for anything. The pain medicine was starting to make me sleepy and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep on the sofa. I woke up to Mai shaking me awake. She told me that Naru was locking up. "How's your head?" Lin asked as he grabbed his coat.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm sure it'll be a different story when I get up in the morning. I'll stop by somewhere and get some more pain medicine." I said grabbing my own coat. Mai and I walked home after that.

"Hey, Aki, if you're up to it, do you want to go see the Sakura trees tomorrow after school? Michiru was saying that they're going to be in bloom tomorrow." Mai said grinning. "Keiko, Michiru, and I were planning on going to see them before you moved here and we forgot all about asking you to join us until a few days ago." I smiled.

"Sure, I don't have to be to work until 5."

"Yay, I can't wait to tell them!" We stopped by a drug store and I got the pain medicine I know I'll need in the morning. Riko was one strong spirit. I wasn't expecting her to throw me out the window. I didn't even intend to provoke her. While walking around in the drug store, I accidentally ran into a guy. He was about my and Mai's age and he had light brown hair. His eyes were sapphire blue and I couldn't help but notice the freckles that dotted his face. He was super cute. Is he half Japanese? He looked foreign but not really.

"I'm so sorry." I said before I ended up just staring at him. He smiled. When he smiled, my heart just melted. Oh god, did my heart just stop? Get it together Aki! I told myself.

"It's alright, no one was seriously hurt. I'm new in town, so do you mind telling me how to get to the train station?" So he is new! Okay, calm down Aki.

"Yeah, as soon as you leave this place, you turn left and keep going. You'll find it on the opposite side of te road."

"Thanks, my name is Kojima Tatsumi, by the way."

"It's no problem, Haru Aki." I said with a smile.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then, Haru-san." I wanted so desperately to tell him just call me Aki, but I didn't.

"I guess you will, Kojima-san." He chuckled and then he left. What was that!? 'I guess you will'? Mai grinned at me. "Shut up," I said pouting and going to the counter.

"I didn't say anything." Mai said as soon as we were outside. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Whatever, you were thinking it." She giggled.

"So, obviously you like him."

"No shit, what gave you that idea?" I said rolling my eyes. I sighed. "Now I'm not tired anymore."

"That's because something exciting just happened. So, good luck on sleeping tonight!" I pouted.

"You're a meany." I wonder where he lives and where he moved from. I have so many questions! What am I going to do!? There is no way I'm going to be getting any sleep tonight! Ugh!

"I am not. I'm just teasing you." She said rolling her eyes. I grinned.

"I know! I kind of wish I got his number though." She smirked.

"What so you can stalk him?" I scoffed.

"No, I just wanted to ask him some questions." She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Aki."

"Well, I do."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." She said as we got to the Yukimura apartment complex. I just smiled.

"Good night, Mai. I love you bunches!" She smiled, too.

"Good night, Aki. I love you too." I waved at her before going into my apartment. Well, at least I know his name. I thought as I went to my room. I decided to take a shower before going to bed. I can't wait to see the Sakura trees tomorrow with Mai, Michiru, and Keiko.