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Her face was on the hot asphalt again and her body was throbbing in pain. Her eyes were closed, and she struggled to open them. She saw a figure before something blocked her vision, it had to be cloth or tarp of some sort it was used to drag her somewhere. She blacked out again, only to wake up when something cold hit her body. It was wet. She was in the water? Someone had thrown her into a body of water? She couldn't help but wonder what kind of dream she was having. She tried to get to the surface of the water but couldn't seem to move without her body screaming in pain. A flash of lime coloured light surrounded her, and she wondered what it was.
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Yuki bolted up in bed again and she heard a sequence of thumps. She turned on her bedside lamp and her eyes widened as she looked at the mess that was her bedroom floor. All the books from her bookshelves littered the ground and covered the dark wood floor from sight. She looked towards her alarm clock as she rubbed her eyes. It was five in the morning. She had three hours until school began, so she had enough time to clean all the books up and make sure she was ready for the day. She sighed and grabbed her glasses, putting them on as she got out of bed. Her left knee buckled, and she held in a cry at the pain that jolted up her thigh from it. The swelling had gotten worse, but she refused to go to the clinic to get checked out. She moved through the pain and started to pick up the books, which were oddly warm to the touch, and placed them back on the bookshelf. She limped to the bathroom after she was done and took a shower, making sure to use the hot water to help alleviate some of the pain she felt. She wrapped her knee with an icy-hot patch to see if that helped with the pain. She'd also take Motrin to add more relief. She couldn't afford to be injured; she was tired of it. Bones was asleep on her bed and Yuki paused to pull a fluffy blanket over the old dog. It woke her up a bit, but Bones simply burrowed under the blanket to continue sleeping.
Yuki made herself some breakfast after filling Bones's bowls. She ran a hand down her face, trying to chase away some of the sleep she was feeling. She wouldn't have been able to get back to sleep due to the dream she had. She let out a yawn and it didn't help her feel any less sleepy. She rubbed her eyes again and squinted at the cup of tea she was making. She was wearing the sweater version of the uniform and it had always been a size too big for her, an accident on her end. A happy one though, she enjoyed being surrounded by warmth.
"Good thing I decided on the sweater," Yuki muttered to herself as she looked at the temperature on her digital clock, "it's cold this morning."
Yuki couldn't figure out why she had a dream where she had been hit by a car. Why was it the one that was continually happening? Being thrown in a lake was understandable with her history of water, but why a car? She sighed in thought as she picked up a red apple and bit into it. She wasn't overly hungry, so something simple like that would be perfect. She picked up a nearby spoon as she ate the apple. She looked at it for a few seconds before setting it back down with a shrug. She brought out her book bag as she continued to eat. She made sure to finish up her homework before heading to class, or at least heading to the school to make help with the student council. The distraction would be welcomed, she didn't want to think about that dream.
Her day at school was quiet, for the most part, and she found herself playing with the dog charm when she started to get harassed again by the group of girls that had been outside her shoe locker. All those letters seemed insignificant when she remembered that her class cared about her. She had pushed them away so much that she was surprised at the fact that they had decided she was worthy of respect. Then again, she always voted for things during student council that would make their school life more tolerable. She was glad when classes were over and she was able to change out of the uniform and into a red and black flannel shirt, which she tucked into a pair of black jeans, her dad's old boots were a constant part of her look. She helped Bones into her harness and they left the house together in record time. She didn't want to make Naru wait for them, he seemed to be the kind of person that believed being late was a slight against him.
Yuki and Bones walked into the old school building and a shiver went down her spine as she heard the floor creak as she walked across it. Bones let out a quiet whimper before bounding up the stairs. Yuki agreed with her dog as she followed with her slight limp though the medicine and patch seemed to have helped make it better. She headed to the base and noticed Kuroda standing in the room, in front of some equipment. Yuki knew better than to yell into the room and simply knocked still startling the girl but not as badly.
"Kuroda-Kouhai, why are you here?" Yuki questioned, "Was there something you needed?"
Bones had started towards her spot under the table. She circled the area for a few seconds before plopping down. Yuki raised her brow in amusement before putting her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She was waiting for an answer but didn't know if she wanted one. With the way that her gut was churning, she didn't like being around the other girl. She didn't know what caused it but gathered she was the cause of the stressful feeling.
"No reason really, I was just looking around…Shibuya-San isn't here yet, is he?" Kuroda questioned, a slight blush on her face.
Yuki wondered if there wasn't a girl at her school that Naru hadn't charmed, well besides herself. She scratched the back of her head in thought and decided that wasn't why she was blushing. It was a guilty blush, as though she had done something she shouldn't have. Yuki couldn't figure out what, and it was bothering her. She chewed the inside of her cheek before sighing.
"No, he's not here yet," Yuki informed her, "I'm actually early this time."
"How did it go yesterday?" Kuroda pressed as Yuki sat down on the ground next to Bones and pulled the dog's head into her lap to scratch her behind the ears as she tried to fight down her sudden anxiety.
Yuki stared at her from the corner of her eyes, narrowing them slightly at the other girl's body language. She was hiding something; she was acting skittish and refused to meet Yuki's eyes. Those actions weren't the case of having a small crush on someone. She had been around the equipment, but Yuki wasn't about to accuse someone of sabotage not without substantial evidence. She didn't have anything other than her being there when she wasn't supposed to.
"It was quiet; there hasn't been any sign of spirits in this building," Yuki stated before testing the waters with the girl, "there's been plenty of evidence to support the fact that the building is just old and falling apart, but I could always be wrong."
Kuroda went to touch the monitor system and Yuki grew increasingly uncomfortable.
"Please don't touch the equipment, it's very sensitive," Yuki quietly warned.
"Anything else?" Kuroda questioned.
"A door was closed on Matsuzaki-San, but that could've been forgetting that she might've closed the door and it had gotten stuck, in that case, it was a complete accident," Yuki answered.
Yuki made the mental decision to keep an eye on her. She didn't know what Kuroda had been doing before she walked in, but she knew that the investigation didn't need any more problems. She let out a quiet sigh and Bones pressed her nose into her arm. She appreciated her sticking by her side to keep her calm. She pulled the dog closer and ran her hands through her fur.
"Did anyone else show up?" Kuroda asked.
"Masako Hara, but she said there were no spirits here," Yuki answered, "but female mediums and psychics have been known to have off days."
Bones climbed further into her owner's lap to keep her calm. No one really noticed the slight rattling of a clipboard on the desk, except Bones. Yuki pressed her hand against Bones's nose to keep her from licking her cheek. She didn't need more distractions when dealing with Kuroda.
"She's popular on TV because of her good looks, but she's not a real psychic, there are spirits here very strong ones," Kuroda stated, not noticing how Yuki reacted to her words about how Masako was only popular because of her looks.
Yuki clenched her jaw as she ignored the smothering feeling that was descending on her. It felt as though she was back in her dream, she could almost feel the water over her head. This time she knew she could breathe. She kept her hands in Bones's fur as she tried to escape that feeling.
"You say that, but you're the only one feeling it," Yuki commented, her voice slightly shaking.
"I was attacked by spirits a little while ago," Kuroda snapped, and Yuki looked at her with a slight frown.
"Please explain," Yuki stated as she started to memorize what Kuroda could tell her so she could inform Naru.
Focusing on him seemed to help her fight the panic that was starting to take hold. Bones bopped her in the face with her paw and she sent her an annoyed look. She couldn't stay mad or annoyed with Bones, not for all that she was worth. The dog meant too much to her. More than anyone would know.
"I was walking in the hallway, and something started pulling my hair from behind," Kuroda explained, "I tried to run away from it but it choked me."
Yuki noted Naru standing in the doorway, and he met her eyes noticing just how uncomfortable she was. He sighed and stared at the dark-haired girl to figure out why she was there. She didn't have a reason to be there and was stressing out a new employee. Well, she wasn't new yet. He didn't doubt that she'd end up joining, she was good at their work.
"When did this happen?" Naru questioned, and Yuki relaxed a bit as the dark eyes were off her person.
As Yuki continued to pet Bones, she couldn't help but notice something. Naru seemed…mad. She couldn't help but wonder why he seemed like that. She wouldn't want to be pinned with the look he was giving Kuroda. They were all lucky that Naru wasn't the world domination type.
"Just now," Kuroda answered Naru.
"I'll replay the video, where were you?" Naru asked as Yuki drew her knees up to her chest to be out of his way.
Bones moved out of the way and sat next to her as Yuki looked up at him from her spot. She was cleverly hidden from Kuroda's line of sight as he rewound the footage. She moved to make sure she wouldn't hit him if something startled her. She was oddly thoughtful in that regard. Static filled the room as the tape played and Yuki narrowed her eyes towards the dark-haired girl.
"Was that what she was doing?" Yuki muttered to herself.
"This is very interesting," Naru commented.
"Extremely," Yuki agreed.
She caught his eye, and he noticed the worry in hers the moment she saw that he looked exhausted. Oh, so she was a natural worrier? He would've never had guessed that based on her outward behaviour. That had to be a persona she put in place to make everyone stay away from her. Extreme loss at an early age would do that, especially if the person in question had a strange aversion to therapy. Or going to get medical attention.
"You mentioned it said something, what did it sound like?" Naru questioned.
"It was a hoarse voice, but I believe it was female," Kuroda responded.
"I wonder," Yuki muttered in an apathetic manner as she paused in her petting of Bones.
"Is she even a real psychic?" Kuroda questioned as she narrowed her eyes, she seemed to have a genuine dislike of Masako.
"It is normal for a female medium to have a bad day once in a while," Naru commented, and Kuroda sent him a surprised look before looking towards Yuki.
"That's what senpai said," Kuroda stated.
It made sense for Naru to know such things as he was a psychic researcher but for Yuki to know? It meant that there was far more to her than met the eye. The albino looked up at her boss with a slightly raised brow and he fixed her with a serious look. She couldn't figure out what he meant by his look, it held far too many questions and not enough answers. He shifted his weight discreetly and it brought her out of the line of sight of the first-year. He brought the attention back to himself.
"I thought I could rely on Hara-San's talent," Naru muttered before letting out a sigh, "let us say that there is a spirit here, perhaps, you're on the same wavelength as it."
Kuroda gained a small smile on her face at his words. Yuki had to resend her statement from the previous day. Perhaps Naru knew what to do with the fairer sex, he just chose not to. He wrote something down in his notebook as Yuki went back to scratching her dog behind the ears. She got a flashback to her dream and tried to love her thoughts away from it. She couldn't afford to focus on that, not while it was so quiet and in a public place to boot. Bones bumped her nose against her owner's cheek and Yuki grimaced.
"Your nose is cold, old lady," She informed the dog before holding out a hand and allowing her to warm it up.
Bones let out a soft sniff and got a quiet "bless you" from Yuki. Naru moved away from the table while holding his clipboard. Yuki watched as he fixed Kuroda with a blank stare. He seemed to be figuring things out just by observing. Yuki was a bit impressed that he could do such a thing. His deductive abilities were impressive, her parents could do the same. She hadn't missed out on that trait, but she hadn't used it in a while. She let out a quiet sigh as she gently moved Bones from her lap and stretched her legs slightly.
"We should head to the first floor," Naru stated.
"Right," Yuki muttered as she got out from under the table, stumbling slightly as her knee protested.
Bones got up as well and her tail wagged from side to side. Kuroda left the base first, her brisk steps echoing against the old wood floors. She seemed a bit nervous at being around the two, and Yuki couldn't figure out why. Did she know that she was under suspicion? No, Yuki was sure that the younger girl couldn't understand French. She scratched the back of her head before glancing at Naru.
"Thank you," Yuki quietly said, and he looked over at her and she clarified what she meant, "for saying something, I owe you."
She went to head out of the base, but he stopped her with a hand to the shoulder. She tensed and that drowning sensation got worse, to the point where she was once again under the water. She could also hear tires screeching against the asphalt. She could even smell the burning rubber and her nose crinkled slightly. She tried to be as discreet as she could be and turned around to face him, removing his hand from her shoulder. If he had noticed her reaction, he stayed quiet about it. She was worried about what was happening with the dreams and the sudden feelings. Psychic Abilities, she refused to believe that she had any. If she did, then it would've had to come from her mother or her grandparents on her father's side. She crossed her arms across her chest and waited for him to say something.
"You were about to panic, why?" He asked and she frowned in thought.
"When she got upset, I felt uneasy…it's hard to explain," She answered, he frowned and began to think over her words.
Yuki was withholding some information from him, but she doubted he'd blame her. She had a feeling he was doing the same. She refused to tell him her fear of water, it didn't have any bearing on their current situation. She gently pulled on Bones's leash and limped out of the base, leaving her temporary boss behind. Not that it took him long to follow. She headed down to the first floor and wasn't surprised to see Ayako standing at the entrance in the traditional garb of a miko. The white kimono was neatly tucked into the pair of red hakama, her long red hair tied back with a white ribbon. Yuki leaned against a wall with windows and looked out of them as the older woman began her Shinto prayers. It allowed her to think about her past and why she refused to touch it. Her fear of water had to have come from somewhere, and she wondered if it was from when her previous life's grandfather tossed her into a lake when she was four. She frowned slightly, that was a distinct possibility. She was pulled from her thoughts what a quiet crack came from behind her.
Yuki turned to see the glass bending slightly and fractures forming from the top and running all the way to the bottom. Her lips parted in surprise and Bones whined, moving away from the wall, and tugging on the leash to get her owner to follow. Yuki turned her attention towards a finished Ayako, the principal, and the vice-principal. She knew that they had no clue the windows were about to break. She gritted her teeth and made an annoyed expression towards them. She brought up her fingers and used them to let out a shrill whistle.
"Move away from the windows!" Yuki ordered.
Ayako gave her a dirty look and Yuki simply levelled her with a glare. The redhead sighed and did as the teen ordered. It seemed to have been just in time. The glass let out one last creak before shattering, the pieces flying everywhere. Yuki didn't seem too worried as she sent some of the shards an impassive look. They bounced off her shoulders, too small to really harm her. The principal and vice-principal received minor injuries but were able to walk out without any problems. The group of misfits headed back to the base.
Yuki sat down on one of the old, rickety chairs and John joined her. She knew that she had to make sure he was taken care of, but she couldn't help but wonder if he imprinted on her like a baby duck. Either that or he liked being around Bones. She knew that a lot of people did. Her dog was friendly and rarely got aggressive with people, the incidents with Kuroda notwithstanding.
"You didn't properly eliminate the spirits," Kuroda didn't wait to ream Ayako a new one, "and now the school principal was hurt because of you."
"The principal and vice-principal received minor scratches," Yuki stated, choosing a neutral perspective, "they will live; besides, it was an accident."
"I agree," Masako said, closing her eyes and holding her sleeve up to her mouth.
"I know I got rid of them!" Ayako defended herself.
"It's not that you weren't successful," Masako said, "it's that there were no spirits here to begin with."
"It makes you wonder if it was really a coincidence," John quietly said, looking up at the ceiling in thought.
"That's always a possibility," Yuki agreed, "but there are several situations that don't add up, especially with what happened to Matsuzaki-San the other day."
She was quiet for a few seconds after that. Naru was the only one to see the dawning realization on her face as she turned to look at Kuroda and then Ayako. It seemed as though she figured something out after he did. He turned his attention towards the others as Yuki concluded that Ayako's mouth had written a check that she couldn't cash. She should've known better than to insult someone. Especially, someone like Kuroda that had a petty streak.
"Could there really be spirits here?" Takigawa asked, scratching the back of his head, "Something too strong for a miko to get rid of?"
Yuki thought about it for a few seconds. She had to agree with Masako, there were no spirits in the building. She thought back to what she knew of psychic research. Kuroda had the possibility of being a latent psychic, the complete opposite from Masako and herself -if she truly were to believe that she had abilities- which meant that she wouldn't have much control over what she was doing. Right, the more stress that was put upon her, the more volatile she would become. Ayako being around wasn't going to help keep Kuroda from being stressed, and Masako was adding to it by pointing out the lack of spirits. Yuki sighed, so she had figured out one of the things that was going on but what else was there? She turned her attention towards the monitors and noticed something.
"Has anyone been in the western wing recently?" Yuki asked, "On this floor, at least."
"No." Ayako and Takigawa answered in unison, much to their chagrin.
"I'm afraid not," John said with a small smile.
Naru walked over to the monitors and pressed a button. The footage was rewound so they were able to see what she had noticed. There was a chair in the room, and they heard it rattling before it moved across the floor. Yuki blinked as she finally noticed what room that monitor was showing. It was the one at an angle. She felt foolish at thinking that it had been something else. It hadn't been Kuroda's latent abilities, no the chair was still at room temperature. Land Subsidence, it was what she had previously contemplated. She believed that they should evacuate the building and have a perimeter put up so people could enter it. The building was most likely going to fall, and soon. She'd rather no one be inside of it when it did.
"It's a poltergeist, I believe the word means loud spirits," Kuroda stated in her haughty tone, "poltergeists make objects move or make noises. Isn't that right, Shibuya-San?"
Everyone turned to look at her. There were varying looks of surprise, annoyance, and blankness sent her way due to the information she had said. Naru and Yuki had blank expressions, and Ayako was sending her an annoyed look. Kuroda didn't even react to them; it was very impressive.
"That's correct, but this was not the work of a poltergeist, objects that are moved by one should feel warm, not cold," Naru said, shooting down her idea and Yuki was reminded of the books from that morning, "but it doesn't seem like the chair has changed in temperature."
"Is there any evidence that would lead us to categorize it as a poltergeist?" Takigawa questioned.
John and Yuki shared a look. They agreed, and they came to an unspoken agreement to mess with the others. It was the start of a very strange friendship, one that no one would've seen coming. The priest was the embodiment of sunshine and the ice queen. They both looked back at the others.
"Tezanne." John and Yuki stated in unison.
"That's freaky, don't do that," Takigawa scolded them, getting Yuki to roll her eyes at him.
"E. Tezanne was a French police officer and was the first to classify a poltergeist," Yuki explained, the French rolled off her tongue and came out sounding natural.
"He was able to create a total of nine categories which included, explosions, the closing or opening of doors, noises, and knocks," John added, tilting his head in thought, "the few phenomena that have happened here so far is the door closing and locking by itself, and moving objects, even if we were to include the broken glass that would only give us three categories."
"Though it could be possible, I think we currently lack enough evidence to assume that it is a poltergeist for sure," Yuki stated, "the chair moving can be explained by the fact that the room itself is tilted at an angle, it's not anchored down so it moved."
"Oh, that makes sense," John said with a blink, giving her a warm smile.
Yuki looked to the side to escape his smile. She had never met someone like him in either of her life's and wondered where he had been. She also wondered how he existed. He was so kind and happy, and it was genuine. It was so strange to her.
"What about when I was attacked?" Kuroda pressed, getting a shrug out of Yuki in response.
"So, now what?" Takigawa asked.
"Masako-chan, what would you say?" John asked the dark-haired medium, trying to solve what was going on.
"I think she's just paranoid," Masako answered with a slight sigh.
"Why don't you admit it now? There are evil spirits here!" Kuroda yelled, finally losing her temper her eyes glistening with tears of frustration.
Masako didn't answer and simply walked towards the door. Her expression was unreadable, but it was easy to tell that she was a bit upset. If a medium couldn't sense spirits, then what good were they? Yuki didn't believe in that saying, everyone had their off days.
"I'm going to walk through the building again," Masako informed them.
"Why won't you admit that you made a mistake?" Ayako questioned.
"There are no spirits in this building," Masako reiterated before leaving, closing the door behind her.
"It looks like she's in a state of shock," John said in a worried voice.
"Of course, a psychic is only a psychic because they can see spirits that an ordinary person can't," Naru commented as he opened up his little black journal, "if you mess that up, you will no longer be considered a psychic."
Yuki couldn't tell if he was just a sucker for another pretty face. She brought a hand up to her chin and tapped a finger against it. Well, he was still harsh with her so that was unlikely. According to her classmates, she was quite attractive. She gathered he just respected her more.
"Shibuya-San must like pretty ladies," Kuroda groused as she shot him a slight glare, "he's switching over to her side."
"I'm aware of her accomplishments and I respect her talent," Naru said as he spared Yuki a look, "don't you agree that I should at least treat her with respect?"
"I suggest you also pay a little more respect to us," Ayako commented.
"What part of you should I have respect for?" Naru questioned.
Ayako turned red as she levelled a heated glare at him. Yuki let out an annoyed sigh and brought a hand up to her temples to rub at them. She was starting to get a migraine due to all the bickering and fighting. She looked down at Bones when the dog made sure to give her some support by placing her nose against the back of her hand. She reached down and gave the dog a gentle scratch behind the ears.
"Why you…" Ayako seethed at Naru.
A loud creak went through the area, and they all paused. After a few minutes, it turned into a rapping sound. Yuki and John stood up from their chairs and looked up with matching frowns. The sound was surrounding them but seemed to have a source above them. The rapping grew louder before turning into groaning sounds. It was the distinct sound of wood bending under pressure.
"A rapping sound?" Takigawa murmured to himself.
A loud crack echoed through the building before a shill scream followed it. Yuki looked towards the cameras that were stationed outside and saw Masako on the ground. The medium wasn't moving, and she let out a quiet hiss as she pulled out her mobile from her pocket. She needed to call an ambulance and get the other girl help.
"Hara-San is on the ground and isn't moving," Yuki quietly informed Naru, "I'm calling an ambulance and I'll go stay with her until it arrives."
Yuki didn't wait for him to respond as she briskly limped out of the base. She put her phone to her ear and made the call. They gave her an estimated time of arrival; it was ten minutes, and she narrowed her eyes in annoyance. She couldn't believe that they'd take so long to arrive. She looked down at Bones and was thankful for the dog's presence. She would help to make sure Masako stayed awake. She stepped outside and hurried to the spot where Masako was laying. She slowly knelt next to her and gently pressed a hand to her shoulder, making sure not to cause any more damage to her.
"Hara-San," Yuki gently called, "I've called an ambulance, they'll be here soon."
"Your mother was right about you," Masako whispered, and Yuki flinched at that, "you really should show your gentle side more often, it suits you."
"My…mother said that?" Yuki quietly asked.
Masako blearily looked at the other girl and noted the expression on her face. It was the most expressive she had been around her. Her red eyes were wide with surprise, and extreme grief, was written on her face. She faltered for words before closing her mouth and looking towards her dog. Masako felt somewhat guilty for saying something but decided the other girl deserved to know.
"I…thank you," Yuki's gratitude was surprising, and her own blue eyes widened, "but please, save your energy and stay awake. You could have a possible concussion and falling asleep might make things worse."
Masako gave the barest of nods, and Yuki's surprised expression softened into something a bit fonder. Bones sat down next to Masako and would periodically press her wet nose against one of the mediums pale cheeks. It was keeping the petite girl awake, and the best course of action. Yuki bit the inside of her cheek as the minutes ticked by. Ten minutes never seemed like a long time until she had to wait.
The ambulance arrived and Bones gave Masako's hand a gentle lick before the EMT's picked her up and placed her on a gurney. The others finally made an appearance and Naru moved to ask what had happened. It would be difficult for him to talk to the medium since she would be taken to a hospital. The small clinic wouldn't be able to do anything for her, it was barely able to help Yuki when she had issues due to the heat. Yuki stood a few feet away from the two and gave the ambulance an uncomfortable look.
"It was my own stupidity," Masako informed them, "it was just an accident, there are no spirits here."
The doors to the ambulance were closed and the vehicle drove off. Yuki ran a hand through her long hair and made a face as she looked at the building to see where she had fallen from. There was a Masako sized hole in the wall on the second floor. It caused her to frown in thought.
"Naru, this is starting to get dangerous," She said to her boss, "do you have any idea of what to do next?"
"I'm going to research this from another angle," He answered, his tone thoughtful.
"Hopefully, this is the last incident for the rest of the night," She muttered as she turned towards John, "I think John-Kun might be attempting an exorcism in the tilted room on the second floor."
"There is a mic connected to the van and the equipment in the base," He informed her, "if something happens, tell me."
"Right," She nodded.
Yuki headed back to the base as Naru headed to the van to do some research. Takigawa moved his head side to side before rushing after the albino. He had some questions, though he knew it would be awkward to talk to her about them. She never spoke a word during her parent's funeral, and he was concerned with what he saw. Few people were that emotionally cold, and it never ended up well for them.
"So, how's school going?" He asked as she took a seat in front of the monitors, her dog sitting next to her chair and resting her head on the girl's thigh.
"That's the best you could do?" Yuki questioned and he grimaced, "If you have something you want to ask, just come out and do so."
"How are you holding up?" He finally asked, and she looked away from the monitors to fix him with a piercing look, "I'm serious, you looked wrecked the last time I saw you."
"I was six, it's been ten years," She answered, "I'm fine, I've coped."
"Not very well," He muttered, and her eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "what happened to that woman who was looking after you?"
"I left, I got tired of being gazed at as if I were going to do something drastic or harmful to myself," She honestly answered, "after a while that wears you down…besides I'm not one to do so."
"I could tell," He stated as he moved to lean against her shoulders, she let out a sound at his sudden weight, "you never did answer how school was going."
"I'm on the student council and am a rep for my class," She stated, "I'm graduating this school year and have gotten three written recommendations from my teachers so far…I take university exams next spring how do you think it's going?"
"Geez, such a busy schedule," He said, slightly sympathy in his voice, "which university?"
"Tokyo University," She answered, "good old Todai."
"That's great," He complimented, and she looked away.
He smiled slightly at the obvious embarrassment she was feeling. She didn't let it show on her face as she returned her attention to the monitors. She didn't touch any of the buttons in front of her but moved the chair to where she could see the monitor that showed the slanted room. She was also arm's length from the mic. John had changed into the uniform of a priest, and she grew interested. Just what was he going to do?
"How'd you get stuck working this job?" Takigawa finally asked the question that had been bothering him for a while.
"I caused one of the shoe cubbies to fall on his actual assistant, he twisted his leg," She answered, not even looking away from the monitors, "I hear he'll be all right, but taking this job was the right thing to do. Now hush, John-Kun is about to start the exorcism."
"Yet you didn't seem too impressed by Ayako," Takigawa pointed out.
"I was preoccupied with my thoughts," She groused, "now hush."
He went quiet and stopped leaning against her. He crossed his arms across his chest to watch what was going on. Yuki didn't really pay attention to what was being said by John but was studying the classroom around the blonde Australian. The more he continued with the prayers the more the wood began to bend. She doubted that it was the cause of the building shifting, but she couldn't be too sure. She quickly stood up from her chair, the wood sliding against the wood caused it to screech uncomfortably. She had a serious expression on her face as Takigawa winced. She didn't wait up for anyone as she rushed out of the classroom to get John out of the room. If that wood fell on him, he wouldn't survive it. She knew time was of the essence. Adrenaline allowed her to push through the pain of her knee and sprint to the west wing of the school. She came to a halt and grabbed onto the door and slammed it open, not even caring about the danger of glass.
"The ceiling is about to collapse!" Yuki shouted into the room, "You need to evacuate it!"
John quickly scrambled out of the room, and he made it out just as the ceiling gave a loud crack before falling. He stared at the spot where he'd been standing, his eyes wide. Yuki gave a quiet cough as dust floated around them. Bones let out a loud bark before bumping against John, who absentmindedly ran his fingers through her fur. Naru and Takigawa walked towards them and looked into the room as well. Takigawa grimaced at the sight of it, it was such a mess.
"If Yuki-Chan hadn't come to warn me, I would've been crushed," John stated as he let out a soft sound of relief, "thank you."
"Don't mention it," She said with a slight shrug, "it was the right thing to do."
No one commented on how calloused she sounded saying that. She picked up a piece of wood and studied it. She wondered if carpenter ants or termites had gotten inside the wood of the building. It wasn't unlikely. The building was old. Naru moved into the room and started to study the wood as well. Yuki couldn't help herself and let out a quiet yawn, stretching slightly. It allowed her to alleviate some of the burn in her legs from her running. Naru looked back at her before sighing quietly.
"I think that's enough for tonight, Yuki, you may go home now," Naru told her, and she blearily stared at him for a few seconds before nodding.
"All right, please stay safe everyone," Yuki quietly said before heading home for the night to do her homework and get some sleep.
She would have quite a bit to do the next day. She had a gut feeling about that.