Author's note: Hello everyone! I hope this is the first timely update in a while.

Here come a good news, I finally got a beta reader. His name is Here we go. Please welcome him, everyone!

Now that I have the news out, I will bother you no longer. Let's see what happens on Kanade's side.

Qwqs

The research on Afterlife 2

*ring*

'*sigh* There are so many things going on lately that I have no time to take a break at all.'

Since she is on holiday today, Kanade comes to Ayato's house again.

"Welcome, Kanade-chan!" Akari welcomes her into the house with a smile.

Kanade smiles tiredly in response as she enters the house.

-o-O-o-

"So, did you find anything new?" Kanade asks Akari.

Even after meeting the Thai expert, the fact that they both will discuss their findings about Afterlife once a week still doesn't change. If there is one thing that changes, it is that Kanade can no longer research it as much as she has to go to school and focus on her study too. That's why Kanade can only listen to Akari's findings while not being able to provide her own.

"Yes, I did certainly find something interesting. I had some calls with Anon-san after we had come back to Japan and he provided me with some cases," Akari nods.

"!"

On hearing that, Kanade straightens her body on the chair to concentrate.

"What are those cases about?" her interest is piqued.

If it came from the man she secretly respects as her master, she is sure it will be useful towards her goal.

Akari looks Kanade dead in the eye, "Returners from hell."

"W-what?" Kanade is confused.

"Exactly as you heard, returners from hell," Akari says with a serious face.

"H-how can we know they really returned from hell?"

"We don't. They just claimed so themselves."

"Eh? Then how can we know that they were telling the truth?" Kanade inquires.

"We don't. Calm down first. I will explain."

"Y-yes," Kanade agrees even though she is still a bit distress.

"From what I heard from Anon-san, these people were evil humans who had been in an accident and were in a coma. After they had regained their consciousness, they seemed to be very scared of something and later on their behaviors changed drastically."

"What has changed about them?" Kanade asks.

"They became more generous and benevolent, always doing charity whenever they could. For example, one of them was a politician: He quit his job, donated all his money, and ordained as a monk. And he was later on respected by all as a righteous and benevolent monk."

"I can't believe it."

"I think so too. When people asked the monk why he had changed so much, he said, 'I don't want to go to hell again. I am so afraid. The hell was much more painful than you can describe using any words or imagine.'"

"…"

"The others' cases are similar to this one; they changed completely from evil people to good people shortly after they had regained their consciousness with the same reason as this monk."

"…So they really suffered in hell?"

"Yes, that's it! Although there is no conclusive evidence, most people believed them. The monk even mentioned that almost all dead politicians in the world were in hell suffering for who knows how long!"

Kanade thinks she senses joy in Akari's voice as she says the last sentence.

'Does she have a grudge against politicians?' Kanade offhandedly thinks so.

"In short, you may be able to go to another dimension, even the Afterlife, if you are in a coma, Kanade-chan!" Akari says with excitement.

"I-is that so?" Kanade stutteringly responds.

"Would you like to try this, Kanade-chan? I am sure it is much easier than achieving an out-of-body experience!" Akari says with a sparkling star in her eyes.

'Are you going to put me in a coma?'

"N-no, s-sorry, I-I am very grateful, but I would rather try it the difficult way…I still value my life," Kanade says, refusing Akari's generous offer!

"Oh… Is that so…" Her voice dims down, dejected.

At this moment, however, Akari has a premonition.

'Why did the idea that Kanade-chan will meet with her boy during a coma come to my mind?'

She was a psychic and her intuition is sharp. When she thinks such things, they often really happen.

'Nonsense, there is no way Kanade-chan could be so careless as to get into a coma.'

In the end, Akari just writes it off as an absurd thought.

-o-O-o-

"If you sense something unusual, please help me immediately," Kanade says to Akari.

Akari nods, "I will."

Kanade decides to meditate for the first time since arriving back in Japan at Akari's house. Since there is no telling what will happen, it is safer for her to meditate in the presence of a former psychic that can somehow help her if anything goes wrong.

And so, she closes her eyes and focuses her mind on her heartbeat.

…

…

…

…After a while, the ring on her left ring-finger begins to glow but neither Kanade nor Akari notice it.

Done!

Sorry, it seems like the meditation thingy will be going in more details in the next Kanade's chapter. As for now, please make do with these interesting tad bits.

Next chapter we will see what happens after the break off. Will Yuzuru recover? What is Haruka's true purpose? Hope you guys look forward to it.

Please read and review.