EDITED
When Lin came back from wherever he had gone, they took advantage of the empty school to clear out all the hitogatas that were hidden. Mai was trying to avoid all the accidents that had happened in the past. She made them use a rope ladder to go down the man hole. She knew the original ladder for the man hole was rusted and unstable.
They weren't dealing with spirits so there was no point in calling in the others like they had in Mai's past life. They would have nothing to do anything.
All that was left was to lead Oliver to the culprit and get her to stop. But to do that, she had to let Oliver investigate something. He had his pride after all and Mai didn't want to stomp all over it.
The next day, the four of them were facing Yuasa High School. However, it was at Oliver's request that everyone had gathered there.
It was time to get serious about solving the case. Takigawa was assigned to cleanse the hitogatas, burn them and throw the ash into the river. Oliver instructed him to do it well away from the school so he wouldn't be seen. Oliver didn't want to give the game away to the curser incase they made more.
Mai and Oliver were to stay in base. Lin would be sent out for research whenever something came up worthy of researching.
Takigawa left to do as instructed. Mai made herself and Oliver some tea, and Lin some coffee. She knew he liked the occasional cup.
Mai organized the large amount of notes regarding the incidents, their locations, and what happened according to the witnesses. She wanted to make sure they had found every hitogata made.
Oliver and Lin were looking over files of unknown content.
Lin's shiki floated around causing the occasional trouble. Along with the green sparrow and blue fox there was a red cat, a yellow garden snake and an orange fish. They occasionally brushed up against the three of them, although Oliver never noticed.
The conference room door opened. Mai looked up. It was Yuuko.
"Good morning Takahashi-san" Mai greeted her.
"Morning Mai. Where's Norio?"
"Who?" Oliver asked.
"Bou-san." Mai answered. "Norio is his stage name. He's running an errand for the case."
Oliver nodded in response and turned back to what he was doing.
"Oh, OK if I sit?"
Giggling, Yuuko energetically entered the room and sat down with a pat.
"Have some tea. How's class?" Mai asked.
"Thanks. ...We have to teach ourselves the material because our teacher is in the hospital."
"Since a lot of our teachers have been hospitalized, everything is self-taught. I feel grateful. By the way, Mai, why are so many incidents happening here?"
"That... We're still investigating."
"So they're not hauntings?"
"Right now we can't confirm anything."
"Is that so—"
Like a boy, she crossed her arms. "What's wrong with this school. Must be because it's a really haunted school. Curses, ghosts, and psychic powers. If an UFO comes along..."
"Takahashi-san, what did you say just now?" Oliver asked, suddenly paying attention to the girls conversation.
"Oh call me Taka please, both of you. Everyone does. - It's all because of this huge assembly gathering on psychic powers. The existence of curses, ghosts, and psychic abilities..."
"Stop! Who's this person with psychic powers?"
"Oh, you didn't hear about it? It's Kasai Chiaki."
"Explain."
Yuuko tilted her head.
"In this school, there's a third year. She has psychic powers. It's Kasai Chiaki-san. Lately there have been these TV programs. Programs about spoon bending. Spoons were being bent."
"...I see."
"I think it immediately started right after summer vacation. It became really popular overnight. A lot of people went and saw her do it. I went and saw it too. Anyhow, the craze soon died down."
Yuuko chuckled. "Bending the spoon by the neck. It's amazing. I was really impressed by it, but some people believed it was fake. And then, for a while it became a hot topic. The school became divided up into believers and non-believers. Spoon bending became popular for a moment, but..."
"But what?"
"Things became serious. Even the teachers were dragged into the strangeness. Everyone wanted to put an end to this and find out whether or not it is fake, so Kasai-san was asked to go to the stage in a morning assembly."
"...And that's when things got worse."
"Then Kasai-san's friend, Sawaguchi-san, lost her temper. Her friend became an overwhelming figure when that happened. And then the guidance counselor, Yoshino, asked Kasai-san to bend a key in order to prove her powers."
"Did everyone see it?"
"Yes. In the assembly in front of the entire school."
"Hmm..."
"And then well, the teachers and Sawaguchi-san attacked Kasai-san. Saying stuff like, psychic powers don't exist, you're trying to escape reality, this is fake, how dreadful. Seriously.
And now Sawaguchi-san refuses to go to school. And also, Kasai-chan became furious. She said 'I'll curse you to death' to the teacher. It became hectic.
And he lectured specifically on this matter in the school assembly, saying there's no such things as psychic powers or ghosts. He and his long speech."
"Poor him." Mai muttered with barely hidden sarcasm. Oliver raised an eye brow at her before turning back to Yuuko.
"I feel bad for him too. Thank you. But, since then, strange things have been happening, and people have been talking. It's only gossip, but there have been some talk that it's because of Kasai-san's curse."
After Oliver listened to Yuuko's explanation, he contemplated.
"If I remember correctly, Kasai-san and Sawaguchi-san were both in the Biology Club. Kasai-san might still be in school. She should be in the room where the Biology club was in, the Bio-preparation room."
"Thank you. We'll go there and take a look. —Mai, come on. Lin, see what you can find out about Kasai-San."
"Okay..."
After a crude explanation on using the equipment, he let Yuuko moniter the machines and then he and Mai left the base to search out the biology preparation room. Holding hands as they walked and stopping for the occasional brief kiss along the way. They hadn't had much time to themselves during the case so far.
"By the way, Naru, Sawaguchi-san was the first person who sat at that deskto get hurt."
Mai informed Oliver as they walked.
"Is that so..."
"It's a strange way to curse someone when the rest are usually so personalized, don't you think? Especially since she was Kasai-san's friend at the time and so Kasai-san would surely know her full name?"
Oliver spent the rest of the walk in deep contemplation.
The Biology preparation room was lined up with some other science courses. It was in the class right beside the lab room. As Mai and Oliver approached the door, they heard voices coming from inside. The moment Oliver knocked, the voices came to a halt.
"Yes?"
A woman's voice.
Oliver opened the door.
"Excuse me for intruding, but would Kasai-san be here?"
There were some desks and shelves inside, along with a schoolgirl and a female teacher.
After hearing the name "Kasai", the pair's expressions changed immediately.
"What business do you have here?" asked the teacher.
The teacher looked at Oliver. She was a young schoolteacher with a gentle voice. She listened with business-like attention to Oliver.
"I want to speak with Kasai-san. —Are you Kasai Chiaki-san?" he asked.
When Oliver saw the girl, she stared back at him.
"...Now what?"
It was clearly hostility. It was the first time the girl saw Oliver.
"The principal had called us in. I'm Shibuya from 'Shibuya Psychic Research'."
Kasai turned her head to face them. She wore an expression of disinterest. The teacher looked slightly embarrassed.
"...Please take a seat. I'm Ubusuna Kei, the Biology teacher."
"Ubusuna...It's quite an unusual name," Oliver commented.
Ubusuna smiled gently in response.
"Since it's about Kasai-san... That must mean you want to hear about the incident in September."
"Yes. I would like to ask her about the circumstances."
Ubusuna looked at Kasai's direction.
"I don't want to." Kasai's face was turned away from them. "It has nothing to do with me. Leave me alone."
"But, you should talk to them so that they don't misunderstand," the teacher coaxed.
"..."
Kasai looked outside the window.
"I don't want to. They're just call me a liar."
Ubusuna walked over to Kasai.
"They're paranormal researchers. The CEO will not dismiss what you have to say."
The teacher tried to get Kasai to answer. Then she let out a small sigh.
"...Well? What do you want to ask about?" the girl finally said.
"I heard that you're connected to the strange incidents happening in the school from a student here. You also had an argument with your friend, Sawakuchi-san."
"I have nothing to do with the incidents happening in the school. Mizuo also—"
"Mizuo? Do you mean Sawakuchi-san?" Oliver asked.
"Yes. Sawakuchi Mizuo. Lately she hasn't been coming to school. She shuts himself in her room and refuses to go out or even answer the phone. I didn't make her do that, because I didn't even meet with her this month."
Oliver nodded slightly.
"Sawakuchi-san heard about the mysterious power you had and made an announcement to the entire school in the morning gathering."
"...That's right. But she didn't believe it."
"Can you bend spoons?"
Upon hearing Oliver's voice, she gave him a stern stare.
"Yes I can. You probably don't believe it, and you must think I'm being selfish."
"You don't need all the commotion around you, isn't that right?"
A biting, suppressed smile spread onto Kasai's features.
"After all...You don't believe in psychic powers anyway, right?" she pressed.
"Why wouldn't I? Even I can bend a spoon."
Ubusuna and Kasai were shocked as they stared at Oliver.
"You can?" the girl asked.
"I can. There are no paranormal researchers that do not believe in PK."
"—Can you do it easily?"
"...Yes..."
And then without any warning, the girl immediately said, "Show me."
As he stood up, the glass on the shelf pierced into him as he reached for a spoon.
Oliver accepted the spoon from the girl. There was a complicated look on his face. He seemed to be hesitating.
"Can you do it? Can you really?"
Oliver's glance fell toward the spoon. He looked at the spoon, then at Kasai.
"I wonder if you do not know how."
He muttered something. As the tip of his finger touched the spoon, the spoon's neck became bent and fell down.
Clink! The sound of the metal echoed throughout the room.
Then he handed the headless spoon, which was now a mere stick, to Kasai. She timidly accepted the bent spoon.
"Amazing..."
"Do you believe me now?"
"...Yes."
Kasai tightly grasped the spoon handle.
"It all started when I saw this TV program in the Summer," Kasai said. "I just happened to see this late night program about spoon bending. I ended up thinking about it afterwards, and I tried to bend one by myself."
The girl picked up the fallen head of the spoon and joined it to the handle. This created a five degree angle.
"I don't have anything amazing to show you though, not at my level."
Shrugging her shoulders, she tossed the broken spoon onto Ubusuna's desk.
"The next day, Mizuo bought spoons and called lots of people. Then I bent the spoon, though I couldn't do it as easily as you. It took me a long time to bend the spoon in one shot."
"...?"
Kasai stopped talking to Oliver. Ubusuna then continued for her.
"Back in the day, a psychic named Uri Geller appeared in a broadcasting. Some of the viewers began to bend spoons, and that's when this whole commotion about psychic powers started. Those who discovered their psychic powers back then were called 'Gellerini'."
"You know this very well."
Ubusuna smiled.
Oliver directed his question to Kasai.
"Can you still bend it?" he asked.
Kasai's expression seemed constrained. Oliver's words appeared to send her a challenge.
"Of course I can!" Kasai shouted as she grabbed another spoon.
Her right hand grasped the spoon in front of her face, as her left hand reached out for the spoon's neck.
"Are you okay?" Mai asked. "Don't try to force it if it's not a good day. Your powers can fluctuate. Sometimes even though you normally can, your powers won't cooperate. Just say if you want to try at a later time."
Kasai looked at Mai. "But..."
"You can do it, Kasai!" Ubusuna encouraged her.
Mai glared at the woman subtly. Only Oliver and Ubusuna noticed however. Ubasuna had a confused look at her face. Kasai refocused on the spoon.
Oliver was silent while the girl stared intently at the spoon. The tip of her finger touched the spoon. However, her power seemed to concentrate in her shoulders. Focusing her mind and feelings, she stooped forward. Her body was almost completely bent forward into the chair.
"Don't do that."
Oliver gripped Kasai's shoulder.
The girl shot him an unhappy look. Her face was pale.
"...What."
"I know what you're doing. When you do that, you're doing the same thing some of the Gellerini did."
Kasai's face was white as Ubusuna turned to Oliver.
"...Sorry. But this child isn't lying. It's just, sometimes she can't bend it," Ubusuna explained.
Oliver slowly turned around.
"That was a trick. While your body was bent, you tried to bend the spoon with the chair. Placing the spoon into your shadow, you'd bend it—against the hard edge of the chair."
Oliver's eyes were serious as he spoke.
"The majority of the Gellerini nearly lost all their psychic powers in a short amount of time. As a result, they had to resort to tricks in order to cover up the loss of their powers. Some of the Gellerini were caught and labeled as impostors. Right then, it looked like you used one of the typical tricks that the Gellerini used."
"But I really can bend it!" Kasai shouted.
"We believe you, Kasai-san." Mai soothed. "You can do it for us again at another time. Perhaps after our investigation is finished. I'm sure Shibuya-san could arrange for training to help you learn to control it too."
"If you are caught using that kind of trick, you will lose your credibility. Got it?" Oliver added with a nod.
"...Yes."
"The Gellerini's powers were terribly unstable. Every paranormal researcher knows this fact. If you can't do it, then just say you can't do it. Don't pay any attention to those people who do not believe because they never believed in psychic powers from the beginning."
"I understand."
"Because of the Gellerini, Shelby Meyer of Switzerland also had a worldwide reputation from her PK. ...Never again was it given such recognition."
Kasai looked small.
"I'm the one who taught her that." Ubusuna placed a hand by her mouth as she apologized. "Some teachers put her in situations where she had to bend spoons to prove her powers. Kasai-san's powers are unstable...Everybody's suspicion grew stronger, and they wanted to make her cower."
Oliver nodded. "You are a very understanding teacher."
Ubusuna didn't answer, but smiled slightly instead. Mai rolled her eyes, looking away.
Kasai spoke in a low voice, "...Lately, I haven't been able to bend spoons."
"That's possible."
"I talked to Kei-sensei, and she taught me that trick. I haven't been able to bend spoons recently. Even if I can do it, I only bend it slightly, so I use that method instead."
"...I see."
"...Mizuo constantly taunted me. I learned how to concentrate on bending spoons from Kei-sensei, and I practiced it. So then I tried to use that method hastily, but I can't do it at all."
"What about Sakauchi-san? Did he think you could really do it?"
"...Mmm, he kept finding fault in me. He did that countless times. And then...in September, I was called to the front of the school in the morning assembly— The guidance counselor, Yoshino-sensei, came and went on about how psychic powers is nonsense, and then he complained about me being an idiot and a lowly woman. At that time, Mizuo got angry because I could do it, and she told me off."
"You bent the teacher's key..."
"Yes. It was Yoshino-sensei's car key. And that's just the beginning. But, I opposed the teacher in front of everyone, y'know? Since then, the teacher's criticism was relentless... I became quiet, and coming to school has been hard with all the gossip. But Kei-sensei has been nice to me despite all the criticism she has to face. Just what is the Biology Club doing, and other stuff like that. The members of the club have been sending me glares, and afterwards a lot of them left the club. I...made them quit the club. That's why I've been idle lately; I just can't help but think about this."
After Oliver listened to what Kasai said, she stuck out her tongue.
"I see. Did you also say: 'I'll curse you to death'?
"After he said all those mean things to me, I flew into a rage. I couldn't help but get angry."
"So you were just saying it?" Oliver said to Kasai and Ubusuna as he looked at them.
"It's possible that...something like cursing him to death would be hard to do."
"Yes, that's right," Oliver agreed in a dull voice.
...
When Oliver and Mai returned to the conference room, they heard lively voices from inside. Everyone had returned.
"They're back. " Mai said casually.
"Mai."
"What."
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"About your bending the spoon earlier, right? "
"Yeah... Keep it a secret from everybody, please. Especially from Lin."
"I know. You didn't need to ask." Mai reassured him before looking up at the orange fish hiding in his hair. "Although it's kind of a waste if time when one if his shiki was following us the whole time."
Oliver groaned while Mai giggled. They entered the room. Oliver looked over to Lin who glared at him slightly.
"Lin, we need to do some research into a certain teacher. Mai, Bou-san, you're on base duty."
Oliver dropped a kiss on Mai's forehead before he and Lin left the room. Mai, Takigawa and Yuuko were left behind.
"Wow! So... You and him, Mai?" Yuuko asked.
"...Yeah."
"Quite the catch."
"You think so?" Mai asked.
"Of course. Not my type though. I have my eye on someone else" Yuuko replied, subtly pointing at Takigawa with her eyes.
Mai nodded. "I wish you luck with that."
...
It was raining later that afternoon. Mai had made tea for her and Takigawa. Lin and Oliver weren't back yet.
Takigawa was talking about his family back on Kouya Mountain. Mai heard him, and gave the occasional listening sound, but she wasn't really listening. Instead, she was looking out the window and watching the rain fall.
The monotonous rain made her feel gloomy. The rain softly came down like were strings of silver. The clouds darkened the sky, which created a depressing mood. The red cat that Lin had left behind to keep an eye on her was purring in her lap as she petted it.
And then the next thing she knew, she was in an amusement park.
'Why am I in an amusement park?
...Of course, this is a dream.'
It was the amusement park her mom had once taken her to. Mai stood in the front of a mirror house. In the middle was a glass mirror, and around it was a maze. She turned away from the maze and left the mirror house to search for Gene. Mai was only slightly surprised to see Lin's red cat following behind her. 'I'll gave to talk to Lin about that cgange later.'
He was waiting for her outside.
"Have a nice nap, nii-san?" Mai asked him.
"Nii-san?" Gene responded with a raised brow.
"You started it by calling me, little sister." Mai smirked.
"... Fair enough" Gene laughed then pointed in the direction they needed to view.
The school. The inside of the school was inversed black and white, like a photographic negative. The wall was black, while the blackboard was white. The wall and floor had a white outline, but other than that they were transparent. This was the school's shadow.
And that's an unripe will-o-wisp. In her last life the school had been full of will-o-wisp. Now, since they'd already dealt with the rest of the hitogatas, it meant that Ubusuna had made a new one.
"Who did she focus on?" Mai asked Gene as she looked up at him. "Was it Oliver?"
Gene answered, "You'll know soon enough. Say hello to my little brother."
The darkness began to brighten until Mai found herself staring at a green wall.
"Mai."
She lifted her head and saw Oliver. There was a soft expression on his face.
"Just now, you were asleep, weren't you?"
Mai yawned. "Nii-san says hi."
"You were completely sound asleep with your eyes open."
"Blame Nii-san... He pulled me into it."
"Eh?! Mai, you have a bother?" Takigawa asked.
"No. I don't. I was talking about my spirit guide. Last time he called me to the astral plane, he teased me by calling me little sister. This time I retaliated by called him nii-san. Anyway, we need to be careful. She's making another hitogata and it's focused on one of us"
Oliver looked at Mai with warm eyes leaning down to kiss her. "Tell the idiot I said hello back next time you see him."
"Will do."
"Eh, Naru-chan, you know Mai's spirit guide?"
Oliver and Mai ignored Takigawa's question.
"Did you find everything you need to finish the case?" Mai asked Oliver instead.
"Yeah, I think so. Now we just need some proof. ."
"Then I guess we'll have that soon enough once that hitogata becomes active. It has to be either of us. She hasn't had contact with Bou-san or Lin yet."
"Just don't fall down the man hole." Oliver said with his forehead touching hers.
"I'm fine," Mai replied. "That was the result of a hitogata curse anyway."
"So I guess now we wait..." Takigawa sighed feeling very much out of the loop.
...
They filled the rest of the time that day talking about the research that Lin and Oliver had found. Some how it managed to lead into Uri Geller and the Gellerini.
Takigawa was enthusiastic about the topic. Spoon bending apparently fascinated him.
"Right. Uri Geller started spoon bending. Uri Geller is the best psychic of the century...his supernatural powers were shown to the public. He had PK, clairvoyance, and prediction abilities similar to that of a prophet. He made the impossible possible. Geller was everywhere when it came to spoon bending. All the children saw him do it too."
"You mean the Gellerini?" Mai dutifully asked.
"Yes, that's right. But the Gellerini had unstable powers. When they lost their powers, they would rely on magic tricks. Some of them were exposed as cheaters.
"I see."
"Because of that, some people began to doubt Geller's ability."
"What was their reasoning?" Mai asked.
"At that time, America's Society of Parapsychology had publicly announced that Uri Geller was a fake. That incident left such a strong impression on people that everyone now believes spoon bending is fake."
"But Bou-san, did you think Uri Geller's powers were real?"
"Hmm. Not really."
"Why?"
"Psychic ability...if it's the ability of sensing hidden things, hearing noises, or seeing things, then that's the ability to sense things that shouldn't be there. Geller was well-received at first, but he was later in a bind. He could do everything, but there was still something strange about him," the monk admitted.
"Right," Oliver nodded. "There are two types of psychic abilities, ESP and PK. Generally psychics fall into one of these classifications: PK or ESP. Occasionally someone will be a mix of each, but most people will fall into just one of those categories."
Takigawa nodded. "Edgar Cayce Jean Dickson is an amazing clairvoyant, but I've never heard of him bending a spoon before. Likewise, Nina Kulagina has strong PK powers, but I've never heard of her having ESP. Only Kulagina and Davis have that kind of PK power."
"That's right," Lin agreed. "But for Uri Geller, assuming his PK was the best, was his ESP also the best too? If that's the case, then that means his power was unrestricted. However, I think he was a fake."
"Well, I only have ESP. That's hard enough to handle. I don't think I could manage a version of PK on top of it. So Kasai-san would have a form of PK-ST, right? Since she can bend spoons? It seems pretty cool." Mai wondered aloud as she played with the yellow snake shiki. It was slithering around her hands. The sensation was a little weird.
Takigawa confirmed it. "Spoon bending would fall under the PK-ST category. There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding this ability though. There have been many reports of frauds that claim to have this. Actually, PK-MT is considered the best ability out of all of them. That is the ability to influence moving objects, such as changing the eyes of a die as it's rolling. If you're thinking about getting a two, then you really will get a two."
" That would be great ability if you were a gambler."
"PK-MT is also widely considered to be fake. However, the majority of people have this. This latent ability varies in power for different people." Oliver mentioned.
"I doubt I have any of it. I couldn't will something to move if I tried." Mai muttered. "Well, not unless I'm on the astral plane anyway."
"Maybe. If someone has PK-ST, it doesn't necessarily mean that said person is a fake. Unlike the Gellerini's PK, Shelby Meyer's was fake. She bent a special type of metal. She seemed credible but terribly arrogant." Oliver mentioned.
"Oh, coming from you, Naru?" Mai joked. He rolled his eyes before ignoring her.
"Generally, for people with psychic abilities, like Geller, would act as a magician. In that case, he would be able to perform magic without having to put up with others' complaints. But even magicians have limits. Otherwise, people would get suspicious, right? If I remember correctly, Meyer was also a magician, similar to Rolfe-something or other, but Rolfe constantly got into conflicts and fights with others. Despite this, this Rolfe magician was eventually backed up by Meyer. In other words, Meyer had confirmed his powers." Oliver continued.
"And there was also Nina Kulagina. She was very strong. She had both PK-ST and PK-LT. PK-LT is the ability to influence living organisms, such as making them move. Such actions were often a cinch for her. She could cure illnesses with just physical contact. She stopped a frog's heart and even a human heart." Takigawa added.
"Why would anyone want to stop hearts?"
"During the experiment, she aroused the researcher's curiosity. If she could stop a frog's heart, then she might be able to stop a human's heart. He got a volunteer for the experiment, and eventually the volunteer's heart was in imminent danger of stopping. The doctor witnessing this was able to save him though.
...Also, another very important figure in PK is England's Oliver Davis. He also has PK-ST. Normally, PK is used to move matchboxes, spoons, or other little objects. But there's a big gap of power between this guy and the others. Dr. Davis is more of a serious researcher than a PK-user, and as such he hasn't been publicized much. If I remember correctly, last year there was a video of him doing an experiment. In the experiment, he threw a 50 kg block of aluminum into a wall."
"50 kg?" Mai peeked at Oliver. She had a brow raised and a small skirk on her face. He ignored her although he showed signs if being slightly embarrassed. Takigawa never noticed although Lin did. His green bird peaked at her head slightly in response.
"But PK is just limited that way. Neither Shelby Meyer nor Oliver Davis had PK-LT either. I haven't heard of anyone being able to influence living things. Despite that...Uri Geller could do all the PK, right? On top of that, he could also use ESP. Still, he looked suspicious to me."
"Oh..." Oliver interposed. "Well...in any case, regarding Kasai-san's problem, for the time being, the important thing is she believed in her powers. She felt that her teacher's attack on her was quite unfair. This resulted in..."
"Cursing to kill"?
"Yes," Oliver confirmed.
"That's our current situation. She can't have PK-LT like Nuna Kulagina though, right?"
"Things said in anger have no relevance. Or shouldn't. The only difference this time is that someone close to her is taking advantage of Kasai-san's publically said 'curse' and ran with it. Kasai-san's powers are not stable enough to do it." Mai's tone was confident.
"...Correct, it's not Kasai-san," he clarified.
There was a light knock on the door.
"Yes?" Mai called out.
Kasai entered the room, stopping the conversation. Her eyes swept through the room.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah, come in, come in."
"Thank you. ...What are you doing?"
"We were talking about our investigation."
"So how're things going?"
"―Well, it's weird." Mai said. The guys left the conversation to Mai. She was better at it and it gave them a chance to listen for pertinent information.
"And what about exorcisms? Did you guys do some?"
"We haven't found anything specific that requires an exorcism yet."
Kasai raised her eyebrows. "There aren't any? Then what caused the incidents at the school?"
"Yeah, well. I can't tell you about that yet. We're investigating from a different angle."
Kasai shrugged.
"Kasai-san sure knows her stuff..."
"Yeah. Kei-sensei has been teaching me. It's because Kei-sensei is very knowledgeable about parapsychological research."
"You mean Ubusuna-sensei? Hehh, she sure is."
"Yeah. That's why there were rumors of the Biology club becoming an occult club. In actuality, the club didn't really have any activities at all."
"...So how's the Biology club faring now?"
"Actually it's virtually over. The only member left is me. Mizuo put an end to it."
"She ended it?" Mai asked.
Kasai gave a lonely smile.
"What of it? It happened a long time ago. When I started bending spoons, he changed completely."
"That way of thinking is unproductive. If everybody were to try their utmost for themselves only, then eventually others won't be able to influence them."
Kasai stared back at Mai. "...Thank you. I feel a bit responsible though. About Mizuo, Kei-sensei, and all those things that happened afterwards..."
"You don't need to think that way. You aren't at fault."
Kasai is making that lonely smile again.
"That's right. But still, Kei-sensei has been put in a difficult position too. Since she's protecting me, all the teachers are criticizing her, and even PTA is criticizing her too. –During the time in which the school was split up into believers and non-believers, teachers and students alike shot her stony looks. Everyone was so mean and sarcastic to her. She ended up completely ostracized. In addition, the criticisms have been heavier lately. In any case, there are no ghosts here and no ESP, but people still claim to see ghosts here. Some students discuss these things in private with Kei-sensei."
This time Kasai let out a real smile.
Kasai grinned. "...It's because I'm a junior. When I was attacked by the school, she came to my aid. The teaching practically came to a halt. And eventually I couldn't think anymore. Come to think, she's been looking rather tired lately. I guess the stress is starting to get to her."
Oliver quickly looked up at Kasai then, before he gained control of his actions and looked back down at the files that he'd pulled out of nowhere.
"...Oh. What does Ubusuna-sensei teach?"
"You don't know? She's the Biology teacher in this school."
"So, about what those students were talking about..."
"Eh? What?" she asked. "Even if I knew, I can't tell you. It's confidential."
"Oh."
Kasai edged closer to Mai.
"You can go to Yoshino-sensei's house and ask him."
Kasai seemed ready to move.
"By Yoshino-sensei, do you mean the one who humiliated you in the school morning assembly?"
"Yes...that's the one." She let out a satisfactory smile. "Hehh, I see. Did he make you nervous?"
"Well, about that— He had dark shadows under his eyes."
"Serves him right. ...No, what am I saying, this isn't right. Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
"It's okay, it's okay. I understand all too well."
The girls furrowed their brows and laughed heartily.
As Mai talked with Kasai a little while longer, Yuuko came into the conference room.
"Oh! Norio you're here!" she exclaimed. Takigawa smiled at her but turned back to the files.
"Were you looking for him, Taka? They've been busy with the investigation. Would you like some tea? I was just about to make some."
"That would be nice. Kasai-senpai, nice to see you."
"Same here."
Kasai was on her toes now. She seemed wary. But Yuuko didn't mind. Though already cheerful, Kasai eventually became relaxed and opened up to the girls even more. They were able to wipe off her seemingly unfriendly personality, and their conversation eventually became really exciting. They were even able to see her smile.
"...It's been a long time since I had a conversation like this with someone other than Kei-sensei," Kasai said gratefully.
On the other hand, Yuuko looked really tired.
"...Poor you... If you want, we can hang out sometime," Yuuko suggested.
"Yeah. Thank you. Today was really fun. And Taniyama-san, thank you."
"Call me Mai. Will you come back?" Mai asked her.
"Yeah."
Yuuko stood up with a bounce and bowed.
"I've gotta go too! Kasai-senpai, wanna leave together?"
"Of course."
...
The later the next day, everyone gathered in the conference room. They'd spent most of the morning following up with the enquiries to see if getting rid of the hitogatas had taken effect. Oliver brought up news about Yuuko's hospitalized homeroom teacher. He was doing better and would be released from hospital later that day. They were all relieved.
The men other than Oliver all left. Lin had something to attend to in the office. Takigawa had to a musician appointment to get to. Oliver and Mai settled in with paperwork while they waited.
Without a knock, the door opened. Yuuko popped her head in, and Kasai followed her in from behind.
"Yahhoo~"
"Yes~"
"I met Kasai-senpai, so I came hauling her here with me." Yuuko laughed.
"I was waiting, you know? I can't bear being alone after school until I sense it's dusk."
"It's too unbearable, indeed. That's why I thought of coming here to see you. Feeling grateful?"
"I am, I am. I must make some tea with my feelings of gratitude in it."
"Yay~" Yuuko laughed and turned to say, "See?" to Kasai.
"Aren't you perhaps treating the conference room like a coffee shop, Taka?" Oliver asked her.
"Oh, I'm busted?"
"This place isn't a coffee shop after all. I hope you won't linger here thinking otherwise."
"But~ But Mama-san is a good person and comfortable to be with~"
"I would say the same as well," even Kasai agreed.
"...Could I be the good Mama-san you're talking about?" Mai asked with a laugh.
"Who else qualifies for that role?" Yuuko replied. Oliver could be heard snorting with hidden laughter. Then seemed to blush slightly at a private thought.
"Please, take a seat. Would you like to drink tea or something?"
They drank tea once the three girls had laughed for a while. Oliver flat out ignored other than a brief smile hearing Mai's joyful tone. After a pause, Yuuko leaned forward as though imparting some secret. "What's Norio up to?"
"He had an appointment."
"Oh? What a shame."
"Hmm... I wonder. You have it bad." Mai goggled.
When Mai said that, Yuuko leaned closer. "Hey, how's Norio?"
"What do you mean by 'How'?"
"Because—He's a medium, isn't he? Is he dependable?"
"Technically he's a monk, not a medium. It's a little different."
"Really?"
"Instead of that, what do you think about Bou-san's band?"
"Okay, band, huh?" Yuuko folded her arms. "The vocals, you see, aren't very good."
"How about Bou-san's?"
"He's great at it~ He also composes music though, beautiful songs such as Melody Rain; I love it."
"Really? He's that good?"
"He surely is. He's a studio musician after all."
"...?? Explain your point in less than 50 words."
"Well, a studio musician can't be half-skillful, you know."
"Seriously!?"
"Seriously. It's outrageous to be unskillful. That's why, Norio isn't the problem. Vocals, you see, are firstly about the song and secondly about the looks. The vocals are still lacking, even though he's in charge of it since he writes the song lyrics."
"Heh~"
Yuuko turned to Kasai. "That's right. Don't you write song lyrics too?"
Kasai blinked in surprise. "Me?"
"Yup. I was told something like, 'Even if no one can write song lyrics, shouldn't you still try it?' Kasai-san, you're very good at writing poetry."
"Eh, is that true?" Mai asked.
Yuuko replied, "It's the psychic girl's hidden talent. Heaven bestows two gifts to people like that, right? You wrote the poem for the literature club's bulletin, didn't you? That was an excellent poem."
Kasai looked a bit bashful. "...Aah, that. That sort of thing... It's because the members are few, and since the club bulletin wasn't filled, I only wrote to fill the gaps."
"Kasai-san has also joined the Literature Club?"
"Yeah... It's a club in the required curriculum, you see," Kasai said, her face reddening a bit. "Enough about that talk already. Rather than that, I want to hear the direction of the band's story."
"Eh—Really, senpai, stop being shy~"
"I'm not being shy~"
"But your face is red." Once she had laughed her head off for a bit, Yuuko carried on, "Well, the songwriting is lacking, and the vocals are also lacking. I guess the keyboard is also lacking. The guitar isn't really, very promising as well."
"...Only the bass is good in the band?"
"The drums are also good."
"How come the rhythm sessions are merely like that? Isn't that kind of band unproductive?" Mai remarked, and Kasai agreed a whole lot too.
Yuuko stuck out her small tongue and said, "Well, yeah. I might be the only one who thinks like that, but, look at me, I'm into Norio supremacism—"
"Ah, that's how it is~ Heeeh~"
"Hehe. Say, Mai, are you by any chance into Shibuya-san supremacism, I wonder?"
Mai gave a start at the topic change. "...What are you talking about?"
Yuuko giggled after looking seriously at Mai's face. "It's useless, Mai. Especially after what I saw yesterday."
Even Kasai said in a teasing tone, "Heh~ What did you see yesterday?"
"Shibuya-san kissed her as he left the room while I was here yesterday." Yuuko giggled as she explained. They had apparently forgotten that Oliver was still in the room, silent as he was.
The two girls blushed when he got up, reminding them that he was there, and walked around behind Mai, reaching over to lift her right hand with his own to show their promise rings.
"We've been together for a while now, actually." He answered for Mai, kissing her on the side of her side as he put her hand down again.
"So cute!" the two girls exclaimed clapping their hands together.
Suddenly somewhere in the room came irritating and unusual clattering noises. They looked up at the ceiling where the sounds originated. Thumping sounds continued once again; it's as if somebody were moving something hard on the floor above.
"Naru..." Mai said softly standing up, keeping her eyes on the ceiling light in the centre of the room.
Oliver nodded. "Girls, get behind us." He said to the two girls who had clutched each other when he noises began. "Quickly now."
Kasai and Yuuko hurried around the table and behind Oliver and Mai who stood side by side. He was staring at the same light Mai was.
All of a sudden, the light dimmed. It wavered gloomily as if it were wearing down.
There were clunking sounds in the ceiling again. Soon, the seemingly exhausted light flickered. It was already dark outside the window. Whenever the light flickered, the ceiling would stand out faintly in the dim light before the bulb went out afresh.
After it flickered many times, they noticed a handful of hair falling through the ceiling, as though it sprouted from there. It was about ten centimeters long.
"...Mai." The girls behind them grabbed the back of Mai's shirt.
"Calm down. Don't move." Oliver told them calmly.
The dim light turned off, and when it turned on again, that handful of hair was astonishingly two times longer. It seemed to be about 30 centimeters in length now.
Warily, Mai watched the hair grow. Every time the light flickered, it steadily lengthened. Oliver placed a hand on Mai's shoulder. When there was a flicker again, a hairline became visible—a hairline with a pale forehead.
Oliver said, "...Don't move. It will be all right. Hold still."
"...Yeah."
The light wavered. It went down, revealing its forehead up to its eyebrows. Another flicker, and closed eyes came in sight. It fell from the ceiling in every flicker. Soon its cheeks and jaw appeared.
...Before long, it turned into a woman's form dangling from the ceiling merely by her neck.
"Mai..." Oliver warned.
The woman, whose face was pale as wax, opened her eyes widely in an instant. She focused on Mai with glaring eyes as though she were starving for something. She then lifted her thin bloodless lips into a smile.
Slowly Mai nodded and without removing her eyes from the woman's in a bazare staring contest, she raised her hands into position. Softly she started chanting, focusing her will into her words.
"Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan! Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan!Naumaku sanmanda bazaradan kan!"
As she was saying that, the light wavered again. The demonic woman's body came down: her white-kimono-clad shoulders and then chest. Looking like she wouldn't stop soon, the woman leaned forward from the ceiling. Hanging upside down, she held a gruesome smile and watched Mai intently. The look in her eyes was brutal.
"Rin!
Pyou!
Tou!
Sha!
Kai!
Jin!
Retsu!
Zai!
Zen!"
As Mai finished the chant, the woman's body slithered back into the ceiling. The light turned on at the same time as the tips of her hair vanished.
"Eh! What was that, Mai?" Yuuko and Kasai asked.
"That..." Mai patted their heads. "Are you okay? Were you scared?"
"...Yeah, that was so scary! Mai, you're a psychic?"
"Yeah. Just ESP though. No PK like you, Kasai-san."
"That's so cool!"
"...Oh..."
"What's wrong, Taka?" Mai looked at her.
"That was...after you."
"—What?" Kasai asked.
"It was looking straight at Mai."
"Looks like something about you, scared that woman, Mai."
"Hmmm, probably scared of how I'm breaking Kasai-san's isolation. We've become friends. Taka too. That interferes with her plans. If people stop believing that Kasai-san caused it, then they might start looking at her."
"You're right. She wouldn't like that."
Kasai looked confused. "Who won't like that?"
Surprisingly at that moment, somebody opened the door.
"Bou-san!"
"What's up?" Takigawa asked in surprise at the four teens huddled as they were.
In an extremely calm voice, Oliver said, "The target is Mai."
"Then we'd better find that hitogata and fast." Takigawa commented, worried.
"Seems like it." Oliver nodded.
"Any chance it could be down the man hole like the others were?" He asked.
"Probably not. She must have noticed that the others were gone by now."
After explaining what a hitogata looked like to the two girls, the five of them began searching the room. Oliver and Takigawa searched the ceiling panels. The girls checked every nook and crany available in the room. Mai eventually found it taped under a table like the one for the desk had been.
Takigawa offered to escort the two girls to catch the train station before going to cleanse and burn Mai's hitogata like he had the others.
Lin came to pick up Mai and Oliver. After stopping at Mai's to pack a bag, they returned to the hotel room they were staying in. Oliver insisted that Mai stay there with them that night just in case the demon woman came back before Takigawa got rid of the hitogata.
Mai slept in Oliver's bed, while Oliver took the couch. Their worries were for naught, however. The demonic woman never came back and Takigawa had gotten rid of the hitogata without issue.