Chapter 1
"Aki!" I look around and spotted...
"Michiru! Long time, no see!"
"I know right? What are you doing here? I thought you lived in the US?" I grinned.
"I know, we moved back! And I'm starting school here!"
"No way! Why didn't you tell me in your last e-mail?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise silly."
"Um, Michiru, who's this?" I look over and see a girl with brown eyes and brown hair and another girl standing next to her.
"Oh, this is my friend Aki who I met at that concert a few years ago. Aki, this is Mai and Keiko." I smiled.
"It's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you two."
"Aki..." Mai said thoughtfully. "Oh! Michiru told us about you before! She told us about how you like ghost stories and stuff!"
"Yeah, do you like ghost stories?"
"We love them, right Keiko?" Mai said grinning. Keiko nodded grinning too.
"Oh? I believe Michiru mentioned that you worked for SPR was it?" Mai nodded. "I looked it up and it looked interesting."
"It's fun working there. Different things happen with each case we get." She said excitedly. I smiled.
"That sounds great. Oh! Now I remember where I've seen him before!" I said excitedly.
"Remember who?" Michiru asked curiously. So I told the three about the guy I ran into this morning. Mai groaned.
"Yep, that's my boss alright. He wasn't mean to you was he?"
"No, he helped me off the ground. Why would he be mean?" I am so confused.
"Because he's a narcissistic, egotistical jerk!" Then she went into some kind of rant telling me how he called her stupid every chance he got and stuff. I giggled at the end of her rant. "What's so funny?"
"It sounds like he's flirting with you."
"Naru, flirt? Ha! You're funny Aki." She said laughing. Michiru, Keiko, and I shrugged as she walked away still laughing.
"We think so too." Keiko said smiling as we all went to catch up with her. I grinned.
"She's in denial~" I said in a sing song voice. Michiru laughed.
"We've tried to tell her that but she won't listen." She said shaking her head.
"Oh well, she'll figure it out eventually." I said grinning.
"So, Michiru said you can see and talk to ghosts, right?" Keiko asked curiously.
"Yep,"
"And that's why you were curious about Mai's work?" Michiru asked curiously.
"Yep; although I doubt there would be any more room for me to work there. From what you've told me, it already seems crowded."
"Well, in the office it's just Shibuya-san, his assistant, and Mai. The monk, priestess, medium, and Catholic priest don't actually work under Shibuya-san. They have their own jobs."
"Oh, that's right. You said the medium is a famous TV star right?"
"Yep, that's Masako Hara. And the Monk guy is a bass guitarist in a band."
"Really?" I asked shocked. Keiko laughed.
"When Mai told us, it shocked us too." I wonder if I'll ever be able to meet these people. They sound very interesting.
"Ne, if there was a bad ghost in the school, would you tell us?" Michiru asked curiously.
"Of course, but I've never come across any bad ghosts before."
"Really?" Mai asked as soon as we caught up to her.
"Mm-hm, all the ghosts I've ever come across were either children or adults who looked really lost. So I tried to help them a bit by telling them that they had someone waiting for them on the other side of the light."
"And did they actually cross over?"
"Ah, no, not all of them. The children believed me when I said their mothers where waiting for them there, but the adult one's just ignored my attempts. And before you say anything, I actually did research on the children and how they died. I looked up their families and all of their mothers had passed away."
"All of them?" Michiru asked wide-eyed. I nodded sadly.
"Yeah, I did research on the adult one's too but they had so much regret that anything I said couldn't help them." Mai smiled.
"You tried and that's all that counts in my books." I smiled.
"I'm guessing in Naru's opinion it's not good enough, huh?" She laughed.
"Yeah, but he's always like that. He's always reading books," She said shaking her head. I can see why he teases her so much, she walks right into them. I thought chuckling.
"And let me guess, he never takes a break from them to just go outside and get some fresh air?"
"Yep, how'd you know?" She asked curiously.
"Eh, he just seems like the kind of person who would do that. I remember in middle school, that all I ever did was read. I would do it outside only because my parents told me it wasn't good for me to stay cooped up inside all day." I said shrugging. She smiled. "So which way is the office?"
"This way!" Mai said taking off in the direction.
"Mai, we'll catch up with you in class." Michiru said before she and Keiko took off to their class.
"I bet if you were to meet Naru, he wouldn't believe you right away if you can see and talk to ghosts." I sighed.
"Yeah, I know. Why do you believe me?"
"Because," She paused. "I don't know, but I can tell you're not lying." I smiled.
"Thanks. I wish my brother saw it that way..."
"He doesn't believe in the paranormal?"
"Nope and he always puts me down when ever it's brought up." I said rolling my eyes. "But you can't choose who your family is." She smiled.
"I have to disagree with that."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because Monk, Ayako, John, Lin, Masako, and Naru are like family to me. My parents both died a long time ago, so I live by myself."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She shook her head.
"It's okay because I have them... oh and Michiru and Keiko too. I don't know what I'd do without those two." I smiled. I really like Mai. She's so warm-hearted and kind. "Did you have any friends back in the US that you miss?" I frowned.
"I didn't have any friends there or here before we moved away, because every time I was with someone, a ghost would appear and I can't ignore them." Well that's part of it anyways... "You, Michiru, and Keiko are the first people who aren't bothered or scared by it."
"What about your brother and parents?" I shook my head.
"It's human nature to be afraid of something you don't understand. My father got angry every time I spoke to a ghost when I was little and my mother just looked at me in disgust, but Nii-chan is more tolerable. Sure, he says some hurtful things every now and then, but he understands that I can't help it and that I was just born that way. It's not as bad now as it was when I was little. I can at least control it a little better." Mai hugged me.
"If you need anything, you can always come to me." I felt tears swelling up in my eyes as I hugged her back.
"Thank you, Mai."
"You're welcome." She said smiling when we let go of each other. We walked into the office and I got my schedule and stuff and it turns out I'm in the same classes as Mai!