Morning arrives with a hint of rain in it. Mai wakes up and looks out of the window groggily. She can see the wards put in place all over the house by Ayako and Monk shimmering in the cloudy sunlight. Her feet do not hurt as such, but Ayako has warned her not to move around much. But staying still is her anathema. She is already fidgety.
Her passivity is saved when the door is thrown open. She turns her head to look at a panting Sakura. Mai instantly feels worried, "Sakura-chan?"
The noise wakes Ayako and Masako up as well. Sakura says, "I can't find Kenji…I woke up and he wasn't there. The others are looking for him…but…"
Masako and Ayako take off immediately. Ayako shouts, "Mai don't get out of the bed!"
Mai nods, her heart thumping. She is dismayed when they leave her all alone in the room. Then she doesn't feel quite alone. She feels a warm presence enter the room. Lin's shiki. A small smile quirks her lips upwards.
She gets out of her bed. She slowly puts pressure on her feet, one foot at a time. It doesn't hurt much right now. She feels determined enough to walk to the base. It isn't a huge distance. She can manage. She feels the shiki following her
She opens the door to the base. Lin isn't here. Of course he isn't here, she reminds herself. She sits down in front of the monitors. She hopes fervently that they find Kenji, safe and sound. She sees John, Lin and Naru by the southwest corner. Ayako and Houshou were near the kitchen debating going outside. Masako is helping Sakura. By the window she hears Tsugumi shouting for Kenji.
Lin is outside the house. He was helping John and Naru when he had send a shiki to Mai and another to find Kenji. Naru and John were entering the annexe when his shiki returned to inform him that Kenji was behind the shrine.
Now the three of them run towards the lake. They reach the shrine. His shiki shows the way. They jog behind the shrine to see an unused well.
"He is down there isn't he?" John pants.
"Is the spirit here?" Naru asks.
"No," Lin confirms.
They reach toward the edge. They peer in to see Kenji lying on his side, blood oozing from his temple. "Is he?" John asks.
Lin's shiki floats down and conveys to his master. Lin answers, "He is alive."
"I will get help!" John takes off in a run.
It was almost lunchtime when Mai gets to hear the entire story. She was, of course, admonished by Ayako first and foremost for getting out of bed.
Sakura and Kenji were woken up by a sudden sound. When they woke up they realised their room was unusually cold. Then they saw the spirit. Before they could do anything, a blow hit Sakura on her chest and she lost conscious. Then when she came around a few minutes later, Kenji was nowhere to be found. Later, John, Naru and Lin found Kenji behind the shrine, in the unused well. He was injured but it was nothing serious. He was immediately rushed to the hospital. Kenji regained consciousness while in the ambulance. John was there too, he said that Kenji didn't remember walking to the shrine at all. The doctors said that he will be discharged within a couple of days.
Lin has gone to the kitchen to get some water. Naru is at the hospital with John and Houshou, keeping guard, in case Kenji is possessed again. Masako and Ayako are keeping watch over in their room, in case Mai tries moving again. That girl is reckless.
When he returns, he halts when he sees the door of the base moved by an inch. He had left it closed all the way. He frowns. He stalks like a cat, making sure to make no sound as he peeks inside. He is surprised to see Kaorin, with her back turned to him, leaning over something in her lap. He pushes the door back loud enough to make her jump.
Kaorin turns around to see a furious Lin standing at the doorway. He asks, his voice firm and frightening, "What are you doing with that?" When she turned, he glimpsed the box found in the attic on her lap.
She gets flustered. She places the box beside her and stands up. She wrings her hand and tries to smile. Lin sees drops of perspiration beading on her forehead. She gives a weak laugh and says, "I am sorry. I am very interested in the Edo period. I wanted to see it."
"Since this SPR's base, I'd like you to not sneak in like that."
She fumbles with her skirt, as she bows her head and leaves. Lin picks up the box and his doubts are cleared when he sees scratch marks around the lock.
Tsugumi says to her sister, "Have you checked on Ryo today?" They are walking around the garden. Rain still threatens to pour anytime now.
Sakura, who had returned from the hospital an hour ago, shakes her head. As if on cue, Ryo appears. He spots his sister-in-law. He walks over to them and asks, "How is Kenji-kun?"
"Doctors say he will be okay. Thank God the well wasn't deep enough," Sakura replies. Then she spots Naru walking by the corridor. She calls him, "Shibuya-san!"
Naru stops in his tracks and makes his way over to them. Sakura asks, "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," Naru says, "I have left two of my associates with Kenji-san."
Sakura nods. Suddenly Ryo gives a loud yelp. Sakura turns her head to see him pointing at the wall behind them. She puts a hand over mouth and starts shaking. Tsugumi too has her eyes peeled on the wall.
Naru frowns at what they are seeing. He looks at the wall and sees…nothing. He asks, "Sakura-san? What is it?"
Sakura turns her head around, "What do you mean? You-you…"
"I what? What are you all staring at?"
Ryo asks, his voice shaking, "You don't see?"
"See what?"
"The blood. The writing…"
Naru's frown deepens. He asks Tsugumi, "You see it too?" She nods. "What does it say?"
"He got lucky. I will get another," she says, her voice trembling.
Naru turns around and beckons them to follow him. He gets to the base. Lin looks at him questioningly. Naru says, "Do we have a camera at the north wall, overlooking the garden?"
Lin nods, "Yes. I did see you all on the camera. What happened?"
"Do we have a video feed opposite that wall?"
"Yes. It is not very clear though. I installed a camera outside Kaorin's room. You can see the north wall from there." He pulls up the said image. Ryo, Tsugumi, Sakura and Naru peer over his shoulder at the image. He hears Ryo, Tsugumi and Sakura gasping. The feed showed no writing either.
"How can…" Ryo whispers, "We three saw it! We couldn't have been imagining things together!"
"I have an idea," Naru says, his hand under his chin, "Maybe the writing can only be seen by those belonging to this family. I am not, so I couldn't. The cameras don't pick up anything because the writing is meant for only the eyes of people belonging to this family."
"How did Sakura-chan see it then?"
"She is married. She is a Kawaguchi."
"But," Tsugumi asks, her brows furrowing, "I am not a Kawaguchi, how can I?"
Naru has no answer. Suddenly Ryo complains, "Oh god my head! Excuse me."
Naru watches Ryo leave. He turns to Tsugumi, "Don't leave him alone." She nods and follows Ryo.
Sakura leaves as well. When they are finally alone, Naru asks, "Lin, why did you install a camera outside Kaorin's room?"
Lin picks up the antique box and shows it to Naru. He says, "Look around the keyhole."
Naru notices scratches. New ones. He frowns, "Yes?"
"Kaorin was here, trying to get that box open. I am sure she used a hairpin. There is something valuable in the box, something she wants."
Naru frowns. He says, "Where did she say she came from?"
"Hakata."
Naru says nothing more as he sits down, deep in thought.
Ayako announces, "I think I might be pregnant."
Mai who was stuffing herself with tapioca chip, chokes on it. Masako, who was standing by the window, looks at her in surprise. Mai stutters, bits of food flying everywhere, "What?"
"Yup. That day when I visited the town with Houshou, I was passing a pharmacy shop. It suddenly dawned on me that I had missed last months' periods. Also yesterday, before breakfast, I puked. I am thinking I might be pregnant with that idiot's kid."
Mai smiles, "Oh my God it will be awesome if you are!"
Ayako looks taken aback by Mai's enthusiasm. She asks, "Are you sure? I don't feel sure about becoming a parent."
Masako grins, "But Ayako, you and Houshou have enough practice."
Mai laughs when she gets Masako's joke. Ayako does too after a few seconds. She grins, "Masako, Yasu is rubbing off of you in more ways than one."
The medium starts blushing profusely. Her heart lurches a little as she misses him. He had called yesterday, telling her all about the eccentric but brilliant professor and how beautiful Himeji was, promising her that he will take her there someday. She wishes she could see him.
Then she hears a very familiar voice outside their room, "Hey Lin, and Naru, miss me?"