Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too, Sayuri." Monk chuckles at the annoyed expression on the young woman's face.
"No," She tightens her grip on the strap of her bag, "I mean it. Why are you here at Sho's school? Are you stalking me? Did Shibuya ask you to follow me around or something?"
"To answer the last two questions, no and no," Monk holds up two fingers, "and also we're here because of a case. Mai and I are doing a follow up."
"Oh," Sayuri gets strange glares from the children around him.
"Feel stupid now, Sayuri?" Sho comments before getting a small poke to the forehead by Sayuri. Sho's friends leave, having to be pick up by their own parents and that Sayuri was starting to scare them.
"Enough out of you. Or else I won't take you out for a victory dinner on your story!" Sayuri forgets that Monk is standing there. Sho realize what she is talking about when she pulls out his story. Sayuri rattles on like a proud mother. Monk chuckles, watching the two try to decide on what to do about dinner.
"You wrote a story? Anything as impressive as what your cousin writes?" Monk asks Sho.
"Nah not that good," Sho takes the story from Sayuri, "Here. It's about Kyo and fighting off monsters."
"Ah yes, your samurai friend Kyo," Monk looks over it, "this is good for a eight year old."
"Hey now!"
"I mean that in a good way," Monk hands it back to him, "good job buddy."
"Thanks Monk!" Sho gets his hair ruffled.
Sayuri was about to correct Sho on what to call Takigawa when Mai shows up from around the corner. Sho immediately leaves Monk's side to run to her. He immediately shows off his story, with Mai giving him praise.
"You really are proud of him," Sayuri jumps at Monk smiling at her.
"Yes I am," Sayuri folds her hands, "I'm glad that he's doing something creative. He's such a smart boy."
"You said that as if he use to get into trouble or something."
"No, not really. His parents...well...they weren't being a good influence. My parents would have taken them in but they're so wound up into their own lives that they just didn't have the time. So I took him in. I want him to grow up being loved. I want him to know that someone cares about what he does. That someone is going to be proud of him, no matter what."
"Are we talking about Sho or you?" Monk side steps away from the evil eyes coming from Sayuri.
"I meant Sho, you idiot," Sayuri snaps, "what makes you think it was about me?"
"Sayuri, I can read you like a book. Your parents never appreciate that you're such a successful novelist have they?"
She felt her jaw drop. How could one man see right through her? How was it that someone like him could see her? "I...you...how...you're annoying."
"That's the best comeback you can come up with?" He chuckles, ignoring Sayuri having steam come out of her ears.
"Hey!" Sho interrupts, coming up between them, "I figure out what to do for dinner."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, I want to have dinner with SPR!"
"Sho," Sayuri groans, face palming.
"Uh uh, you said I had to pick. And that's what I pick. C'mon cousin, they're not that bad. Just because you don't believe in ghosts and they do doesn't make them bad people. They're really great if you just get to know them."
Sayuri felt the vein start to pop of her forehead. She sees the look from Sho then looks at the faces of Mai and Monk. They weren't bad people. She just thought they were crazy for believing in ghosts. How does a child know exactly what to say to show a grown up that they're being stupid?
"Okay," Sayuri sighs, "you win. We'll have dinner with Mai and her friends."
"Yay!" Sho hugs Mai.
"Thanks for having us," Mai looks at her.
"No problem. Sho's pick. Um, care if I ask you for something?" Sayuri chews on her lip as they were leaving the school, "if it's not too much, could I call you to be a babysitter for Sho? I mean...I know you work with Naru and everything and I hate to-"
"Sure I can," Mai smiles.
"What? Really?"
"Well yeah, I like you and I really like Sho. And he seems to like me," Sho had taken Mai's hand as they walk to the vehicles.
"Thanks Mai," Sayuri sighs.
It turns out that everyone is going to meet up at Sayuri's house for take out. Sayuri goes about getting orders from everyone via phone. After hanging up, they all pull up to the local Chinese restaurant.
Sho leads ahead with Mai tailing after him. Sayuri follows with Monk close behind her. The four of them wait in line. By the time they get to the counter, the older woman from behind it gives a smile.
Mai and Sho order while Sayuri takes out money. Monk stops in mid motion of taking his own wallet out, "geez how much dough do you have?"
"Enough," Sayuri counts, "this is the most I splurge on in several months."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah," She laughs.
"Aw," The woman comments, making both Sayuri and Monk look up, "Your kids are sweet. Especially your little boy."
Both Monk and Sayuri blush at that comment.
"Wha? You mean me and-" Sayuri stammers.
"He's adorable," The woman hands Sho a fortune cookie, "looks just like you. You two must be so proud of them."
Sayuri doesn't speak due to the shock of what the woman said to her. Monk chuckles, handing the woman the money out of Sayuri's hand. They all carry a bag of food and head back to the vehicles.
"Oh dear God," Sayuri hides her face, "I am so sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" Monk chuckles.
"I feel like I should. I didn't know that woman would-"
"Hey," Brown eyes meet grey, "it's nice that someone thinks that you're Sho's mother."
"I..." She blinks, "I didn't think of it that way."
"You're welcome," Monk opens the driver door for her, "after you...honey."
"If you weren't so cute," Sayuri leans into his face, "I smack you."
"If you weren't so cute," Monk moves his arm to block her way to getting into the seat, "I would have gave up trying to get your attention. The whole 'you don't believe in ghosts' was kinda a turn off. But maybe I can change your mind."
"Go ahead and try, Takigawa," She pushes his arm away, getting into her car.
"Don't doubt it," Monk feels his lips turning into a smirk as he gets into the other vehicle with Mai.
When the four had arrived, the only ones to arrived were Ayako and John. Sayuri lets them all into the house, tossing her keys into the bowel by the door. The four members of SPR took a look around the house.
"Wow it's beautiful," Mai wanders around the living room as Sayuri starts to set up food in the kitchen.
"Thanks. It was originally my grandparents."
"Really?" Monk lets out a low whistle, "must of had some cash in the bank."
Sayuri makes a face. That was the one thing she didn't think about when she got the manor handed over to her. Her eyes take a better look around. The whole place was a pretty nice set up. It was a total of three stories, which including the attic. She now just notice the trim around the walls of the living room to the carvings on the front door.
Why haven't she saw it from before when she and Sho were cleaning?
"Sayuri?" A hand goes to her shoulder causing her to jump. Once she realize that it was John behind her, she sighs.
"Sorry, you startled me." She notices the look on everyone's faces, "what?"
"Are you alright?" Ayako moves to check Sayuri's forehead.
"Yeah, why?"
"You had a weird look on your face."
"Hmm? I was thinking," Sayuri sighs at Ayako still looking at her with concern, "I'm fine Ayako."
"We've been worried about you since..." Mai chews on her lip.
"Oh that? I'm okay. Nothing weird has happen and I defiantly didn't see pink elephants dancing in my living room," Sayuri takes note of the silence, "okay how's this? No talk of ghosts and we eat like nothing is wrong, okay?"
Mai goes to say something when Monk just touches her shoulder.
"Remember what Naru said," Monk whispers.
"I know," Mai sighs, "I'm just worried."
"You're not the only one Mai."
"Food!" Sho immediately gets in line, fixing food. It wasn't long before laughter fill the whole house. After dinner, Sho has everyone sit down as he reads out loud his story. Sayuri was place in between Mai and Monk with Ayako and John on either side of the sofa.
Sayuri listens as Sho tells the story about a young samurai named Kyo. Her eyes close, trying to get a sense of the character.
Her thoughts form a picture of the noble warrior. She could already see him standing in a clearing with flying leaves dancing around him. His dark hair is long pulled back, with a simple blue and white outfit. His sword sheath is jet black with interesting pattern down it. He removes the sword, with it shining brightly in the sunlight. It almost seems to glow as he faces a dark shadow head on. A dark mass with typical red glowing eyes.
She could see the scene play out in her mind, almost too real as if she was standing there watching the battle take place.
The sword itself was glowing with a bright pale blue light as the dark shadow hisses and screams at the burning of the sword.
That's when the shadow suddenly turns to her. The red glowing eyes change to that to look very animalistic. Those eyes stare into her own. Her hands become clammy, with her heart racing in her chest. She feels numb all over. She can't move her legs to run.
"Sayuri!" A male voice calls out to her.
The samurai turns around, revealing a pair of very pretty grey eyes.
"Sayuri!" The sword and warrior come in between them, "Sayuri, you have to wake up! You have to wake up! Please wake up! Wake up!"
Sa...yuri...
The monster growls her name, though it sounded more like hissing.
The samurai turns around, sending the sword into the monster's face to which a bright light wakes Sayuri from her dream. She wakes up screaming, causing the others around her to hold her.
Mai holds Sho in comfort, trying to reassure him that Sayuri was going to be okay. Ayako runs to the kitchen to get a cold rag while John and Monk hold onto Sayuri. Her face had lost all color with her grey eyes looking around as if the monster would suddenly appear again.
"Sayuri?" Monk takes her face in his hands, "Sayuri, look at me."
"Don't let it get me," She whimpers before falling into his arms.
The young woman sobs into his shoulder. Monk freezes for a second before pulling Sayuri into his arms. John motions for Ayako to get some cold water. The three attend to Sayuri while Mai tries to convince Sho that it wasn't his story that scared his cousin.
After having a good cry, Ayako keeps Sayuri busy. Sho and Mai help her as John and Monk phone Naru.
"Are you serious?" Naru asks when Monk relates the story to Naru.
"We can't get her to talk yet," Monk whispers with John looking at the living room in case he was needed, "she just sorta went out of it. Her eyes close then next thing we know, she's reacting as if she was lost in the vision. She woke up screaming."
"I'm going to research more on the property. What was it that trigger it?"
"Sho was reading us the story about his ghost friend, Kyo."
"Really? Interesting," Naru was also brief about Sho's 'friend', "we're going to look into this a bit closely. Just make sure nothing else happens."
"On it," Monk hangs up before letting out a breath.
"You alright, mate?"
"That seriously scared me," Monk leans against the wall, "I mean we all have seen things that scared years off our lives but that-"
"We weren't expecting it. We were caught off guard," John frowns.
"Do you mind if we-"
"No, you?"
"No, and I doubt that Ayako or Mai want to leave either. We're all staying," Monk runs a hand through his hair, "I never thought I see that look on her face. She comes off so strong yet...sometimes I get the feeling she doesn't want to believe because of how scared she is that it might be real."
Monk sighs, "want to do a check around the house?"
"Of course, I was about to ask you that myself."
The two head out, checking around the house. Monk was prepare to use a chant in case but nothing seem to be out of the ordinary. John goes around the other end, noticing the small cemetery. He walks up to it. He didn't feel a dark presence. He was just about to call out to Monk to come see when he takes notice of the tombstone just a few feet away from him.
John steps forward.
It was the most odd looking thing he had ever seen. It was a combination of both Western and Eastern. What was really odd was the way the angel was dress. John walks around it, taking mental note about the design of the angel.
"Hmm..." John looks up when he hears Monk calling for him. Just as he turns to leave, he walks by someone.
Thank you Father...for staying.
John turns around, revealing that there was nobody there.
"That's odd," John hears Monk again, walking away now.
What he didn't notice was the young samurai standing next to the tombstone with his head down, hair covering his eyes. A faint smile appears on his lips before he disappears into the air.