Ghost Stories and Scaredy Cats
"Thank you for coming." The principal told Naru, Kurobara, Monk and Mai when they arrived at Yuasa High the next morning. As per usual, Lin would be appearing much later with the equipment, but this time Mai Kurobara and Naru had hitched a ride with the Monk, since he had accepted the case too.
"This is Yoshino-sensei, a student advisor." The principal said, introducing them to their guide, a very tired looking man. "He'll give you a tour of our school. Please feel free to walk around and get familiar with the campus. It's our hope that you can solve the school's problems soon."
(Timeskip)
"You requested an empty room… There is a small conference room you may use." Yoshino-sensei announced as he led them through the school. I advised our students to come to see you there if they needed to consult you for anything… Ah, this is it." He said when they reached the room.
"So, this is going to be our base this time," Mai remarked, glancing around as they entered. Kurobara did the same. Scanning the area. They had virtually everything here, it was a good place to start she thought. Sighing for the hundredth time this day. She was not in a great mood today.
She was miserable in fact.
"Um… Are you the head of SPR?" Yoshino-sensei questioned Monk. Kurobara saw this and snorted. Finding it amusing. She shook her head, her long black hair followed her. "Oh, no. He's right there." Takagawa replied openly, pointing at Naru, who was already getting settled at the conference table.
"…" Yoshino-sensei gawked at Naru in surprise for a moment. Kuro felt her lips tug upwards, sniggering, before going back to being inexpressive again. "…Well, ah… actually, before the students come by, I have my own matter that I need to speak to you about…"
"I'm listening. Please, have a seat." Naru told him.
"Thank you." Yoshino-sensei replied, Taking a seat right next to him."Well, you see… at night, um… I hear someone knocking on my window. The noise won't stop. I opened the curtain, but then… I see a glowing, disembodied hand." Mai shuddered at the thought. Kuro placed her hand on her friends head comforting her.
"The hand disappears, and the knocking stops. But the next night, the same thing happens. If I just try to ignore it, the noise would continue until morning. I'm getting very little sleep these days…"
"Do you only hear a knocking sound?" Naru asked. Watching the man before him, scanning him so to speak.
"Yes." He replied simply. While he replied, Kurobara gave out a tired sigh. Mai noticed this and concernedly glanced at her. Kuro recognized that look in her eyes and tried to ignore it, but knowing her friend she would want to know why she looked so sullen today.
"Yes… but it doesn't seem to bother them as much."
"I see…" Naru remarked thoughtfully.
(Timeskip)
The first student to come in was someone they had met previously. Kurobara gave the girl a soft smile. She looked really shy.
"Ito Kiyomi-san, correct?" Naru said. The girl looked a little bewildered that he had actually remembered her. "When you stopped by my office, you came to inquire about your friend who you said had been 'possessed by a fox spirit'. Where is she today?"
"She hasn't come to school… for quite a while now." Kiyomi answered timidly. Poor girl thought Kuro and Mai. she must be really worried for her friend. Kurobara let another sigh. She was really tired today. She kind of wished that she stayed home.
"You mentioned that she jumped onto desks and ate sand."
"That's not all. One day, she jumped into the school pool with her uniform on… even though it was very cold that day."
"Has she ever hurt any of the other students?" Naru questioned, curiously.
"No… she hasn't."
"I would think that normally, when someone is in such a state, one would wonder if she didn't have some type of emotional illness. Why did you think she was possessed by a fox spirit?" Naru inquired.
"Because… she told me that she's a white fox, the servant to O-Inari-san. Also, she started acting very strange ever since we played Kokkuri-san."
"Paper… and what else do you use?" Naru asked. "A glass? A goblet? Either of those?"
Kurobara was now in a thinking pose. Her hand on her chin, head swirling with thoughts. 'Kokkuri-san? As in the game to speak to a spirit?" She thought, glancing at the young girl in front of Naru. she hummed softly to herself. 'If so then they are using something very close to an Oujia board
Actually, it's more safe to call it a Japanese Oujia board.
"No. Our version of Kokkuri-san is done by writing the entire hiragana alphabet and using a pencil on a sheet of paper. And we didn't have any issues like Kokkuri-san's spirit wouldn't return to his home, or making fun of Kokkuri-san, or anything like that. But then, as we were leaving, she said 'I feel like I've been possessed.' We told her that was ridiculous, but she said that her 'shoulders felt heavy'. The very next day is when she started acting strange."
Kurobara, Mai and Monk exchanged a glance while Naru took a moment to reflect everything he had just heard. Kazuya then glanced at Kuro. silently asking if she was thinking the same thing as he was.
She gave a small nod.
"And where did you perform Kokkuri-san?" Naru asked Ito-san.
"Classroom 1–3." She replied.
"… I see."
(Timeskip)
"There have been weird things happening in the track team locker room lately." One of its members reported.
"Sometimes, the lockers would be tipped over, and the equipment would be scattered all over the place. It started happening so frequently, that we thought someone was doing it to harass us, so we decided to see if we could catch them. We decided to spend the night there and wait to see if anyone came. But while we weren't paying attention, the shot puts, which were stored away in boxes, somehow got placed on the floor in one perfect line…"
(... Another Timeskip)
"The gym has a storage room that's usually locked, and we did a kimodameshi (Basically a test of courage) in there last month. We also played hyakumonogatari to see if a ghost would really appear. Ever since then, I've been seeing these weird silhouettes… um… I see a rope on the wall, and it's in the shape of a noose…" Another girl said. "Also, a friend of mine was hospitalized the other day. She was with us when we did the kimodameshi… I hear that ever since that night, ghosts have been appearing at her desk…"
"Her desk?" Naru asked. Glancing at her in curiosity.
"Yes, umm… right in the middle of class, she became paralyzed with fear. Then she felt like someone was touching her stomach, so she looked down to see what it was. She had a vision of a hand coming out of her desk, and it was kneading her stomach."
Mai paled, as did Monk which amused Kurobara. Watching them tremble at the mere thought of a disembodied hand. Seeing Monk scared was more amusing than seeing Mai, since she was… a typical scaredy-cat. "You two scared?" She whispered to Monk and Mai. her lips were tugged upwards into a devilish smirk.
Her lips twitching. Both Monk and Mai hear the cynical tone in her voice and scowled at her playfully. Takagawa whacked the top of her head. Meanwhile, with Naru, he was as cool as a snowman. He did not look fazed at all. However, he looked slightly annoyed at the three of them. Pratting about.
"Apparently she experienced it many times." The girl proceeded "Days after that, she discovered a hole in her stomach…"
Kurobara was mildly disturbed. While the two besides her looked like they were going to throw up to her amusement.
(So many… Time Skips!)
"Uhhh… I don't want to hear any more scary stories…" Mai said, sweat-dropping. It was almost like they were having their own ghost storytelling party. Something that Mai did quite often but not to this extent.
"I don't want to hear them anymore either…" Takagawa admitted, seconding that emotion.
Kurobara snorted at them both. "I quite liked hearing those stories from the students. It was entertaining, to say the least. Kind of wanted it to never end" She says jokingly, smirking ever so slightly. Mai swayed her head swiftly "Please no more" her brunette says painfully.
Monk rolled his eyes, silently agreeing with Mai on that. "Want to hear another ghost story" Replied the raven-haired girl. Her heterochromia irises glowing slightly. Making her look slightly demonic. "I have quite a few to share," She told them creepily, grinning. Showing off her iridescent white teeth.
"No thanks!" Both of them yelled. Greened face, not wanting to hear another word. She gave them a small pout. Wanting to have a little fun creeping them out. She sighed, wishing to have a cup of earl grey at this present moment.
As that thought crosses her head, a couple of knocks were heard causing them to peak upwards at the noise.
"Excuse me." A charming girl with short hair said as she opened the door. "Norio!" She spoke excitedly upon noticing Takagawa, looking very happy to see him. "I'm impressed, you really came."
"Of course." Monk said with a winning smile. "Let me introduce you. This good-looking guy over here is Shibuya, the president of Shibuya Psychic Research. And the young lady over there is his assistant, Taniyama Mai."
He then shifted to where Kurobara was, laying his hand on her shoulder. Smiling while she looked mildly annoyed at his sudden touch. Naru seemed as annoyed as she was for some weird reason. "Lastly. This beautiful young woman here is Akamia Kurobara. She is also his assistant"
"I'm Takahashi Yuko. Nice to meet you." Takagawa's fan introduced herself with a sunny smile. She glanced at Kurobara and awed at her unusual eyes "Woah… You have such beautiful and unique eyes" Yuko says now in front of her, causing Kuro to distant herself slightly.
She sweatdropped at the suddenness of the complement "...Thank you very much." She responded blankly. She appreciated it nonetheless.
"Hello." Mai said, returning her greeting. "So, what's with the 'Norio'?" She asked Monk."That's what they call me in the band." He said. "My real name is Houshou, right? So—"
"Getting right to it," Naru interrupted before they got too far off track, his tone of voice came out annoyed and downright rude. "Did any of you ever sit at the desk strange desk, and have an accident with the train?" He asked Yuko and the two girls who had come in with her.
"Ah, yes. I have." One of the other girls said, raising her hand. "I was the second one to get in an accident. When I was getting off a train, I started walking, but then it felt as if something pulled my arm back and got it stuck between the doors. Then the train began to move. I tried to keep up, but I fell down and got dragged along the platform form. Umm, I was pulled five meters before the train finally stopped. I had a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg. My casts were removed just last week."
"Did you see anyone near the train door at the time of the accident?" Naru inquired. Kuro winced at her description and words. Damn that must hurt getting dragged by a train…
"No, no one." She replied. "I know for sure because the train wasn't crowded that day, and I'd remember if anyone had been near me."
"Can you think of any reason why strange incidents would happen to students who would sit at that desk?" Naru asked.
"Not really, right?" She asked her friend.
"Yeah." Her friend agreed.
"… I'd like to see that desk." Naru said.
"Well, I can take you to it." Yuko volunteered.
Kurobara let out a sigh. This was going to be a long day she thought. Already exhausted and wanting to be done with this case. She could really use some tea or coffee.
Little Sunflower is back with another Chapter. Thank you for reading my Fanfiction, honestly, I never thought anyone would be interested in this. I am a very poor writer. I borrowed my sister's laptop once again to write this chapter.
Thank you for reading!
Oh also… sorry for having so many Timeskips. It is quite annoying but it had to be done!
