Chapter 31 – A Heart Filled with Regret (Part 2)
Mugi's POV
*LATER THAT SAME NIGHT…*
"Wh-Why the hell are we at Naminoue Shine this late at night?" Mio-chan asked as we had just arrived at Naminoue Shrine at almost 11:00 at night.
"Don't you want to support Mugi-chan during this troubling moment, Mio-chan?" Yui-chan asked.
"W-Well, yeah. I do. B-But I don't see how coming to an empty shrine at night is going to do anything!"
"Geez, Mio." Ricchan said. "Can you not be a coward for once in your life?"
"Wh-Who the hell are you calling a coward?!"
"You're seriously denying it?" Ricchan and Azusa-chan gained a sweatdrop.
"So, why exactly did we have to come to a shrine at night?" Miharu asked Kyouko-chan.
"This method only works at night. And at a shrine. At least, that's what Sachiko told me."
"Okay…" Miharu then turned to Sachiko-san. "…and what exactly is this method?"
"I have a friend who can talk to the dead. Though, she can be rather shy. So, I tend to talk to her at night.
"T-T-Talk to the dead?! Wh-Wh-What the hell?!" Mio-chan yelled in fear.
"S-Sumire-san. I-Is this…r-really a good idea?" Mikuru-chan asked her.
"Uh…I am not sure myself, Mikuru-san. It honestly sounds like a joke to me."
"It's not a joke." Sachiko-san said. "She can really do it. Along with a whole bunch of other spells and hexes. She's a real pro at it."
"Wh-What the hell?" Mio-chan was now shaking in fear.
"N-Now I see why Chinatsu-chan refused to come with us." Yui-chan added. Now in fear mode with Mio-chan.
"If you two are so scared, then why don't you just run off already?" Ricchan asked.
"You both are seriously embarrassing yourselves." Azusa-chan added.
"Wh-Why are you two getting on our cases so much?!" Mio-chan asked.
"M-Miku-chan's just as scared as us! Wh-Why aren't you ridiculing her?!" Yui-chan asked.
And then, with no hesitation, both Ricchan and Azusa-chan said:
"Because, unlike you cowards, we're used to Mikuru being scared all the time."
"J-Jerks!"
"Sh-Should I be offended by such a statement?" Mikuru-chan asked with a sweatdrop.
"I sure would be, Mikuru-san." Sumire said. Also with a sweatdrop.
While everyone was talking amongst each other, I remained silent. I, too, had doubts about this working. Talking to the dead sounds absolutely ridiculous. And the fact that it came from a Takaoka girl made it all the more insane.
But at the same time…I'm going along with it. If this ridiculously insane idea really does work…if I'm truly able to talk to my father's soul…if I can finally let go of these lifelong feelings of sadness and anger on this one single night…then I might as well.
I shouldn't let anything stop me from seeking full happiness for myself. Even if it means doing something so…not normal. As putting it in a nice way.
Although, with my determination, I still have some doubts about this actually working…
After we went deeper inside Naminoue Shrine…nearly reaching the area that overlooks the beach, Sachiko-san decided that we were deep enough to call her friend. None of us understood what she meant by that or why we had to walk this deep inside a shrine at night in order to call this friend of hers. But both Sachiko-san and Kyouko-chan said that it'll all make sense soon enough.
Whatever "it" is supposed to be.
"Okay. So, that's 9 white candles in a circle. All unlit." Sachiko-san said to herself. "Now, everyone stay back. I'll need some space for this."
"Space? Wait, what the hell kind of friend are you calling?" Ricchan asked.
"I-Ichiko-san…i-is this not a…s-summoning circle?" Mikuru-chan asked.
"S-Summoning circle?!" Both Mio-chan and Yui-chan screamed in fear.
"Wow. You sure know ya occult stuff, Mikuru. Ya practicing or somethin'?"
"N-No. I-I am not. I-I just…h-happen to know what it is."
"I see."
"Um, hello! Why the hell are we forming a freaking summoning circle?!" Mio-chan yelled.
"To call my friend. Geez, do ya City Girls ever listen fer once in ya damn lives?"
"What?!"
"Sachiko…ease up with the country dialect." Kyouko-chan said to her.
"Where the hell is this going to lead?" Miharu whispered to me.
"I'm…not sure. But at this point, I don't even care anymore. I just want to rid these feelings already."
"Mugi…"
"Alright, everyone! Quiet! I need to focus!" Sachiko-san yelled out before stepping forward towards the 9 unlit candles in a circle. Then, after clapping three times, she began praying to herself as she chanted a very ominous phrase.
"Hear these words, hear my cries, spirit from the other side. Come to us who call you near, cross now through the great divide!"
Meanwhile, the rest of us watched in confusion (and, in Mio-chan and Yui-chan's case, fear). None of us knew or understood why she was doing this sort of thing. And were about to ask her to stop whatever it is that she's doing.
But that's when…
"Charge this candle by my will~. The color one sitting on my sill~. Charge with power and charge with love~. And protective the rays from up above~. From sun to moon and moon to me~. To this protection candle, so mote it be~!"
"Wh-What the hell? Wh-Who said that?" Miharu asked.
"S-Senpai…" While Azusa-chan was clinging to her girlfriend's shirt in fear.
And then suddenly, each of the nine candles began to slowly light on their own. One by one just seconds after the other. And then we heard the sound of bells chiming real loudly. Thing is…there wasn't a bell anywhere near here.
"S-Sumire-san! I-I am…r-really scared!" Mikuru-chan said as she held on tightly behind Sumire.
"D-Do not worry…M-Mikuru-san. I-I am here to…"
*BANG*
"Eeek!"
"K-Kyouko, what the hell is going on?!" Ricchan yelled.
"I-I don't know! S-Sachiko never explained how this thing works!"
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're totally gonna die!" Mio-chan had begun panicking while clinging onto Yui-chan.
"I-I don't wanna die! N-Not now! I still haven't kissed another girl!"
Yui-chan, will you please just drop that already…
This weird and unexplainable event happened for a few more seconds before everything just…stopped. The candles went out, the chiming stopped…it was completely dead silent at this shrine.
It made us all very confused.
"Okay. She's here."
And Sachiko-san saying that all of a sudden didn't help make it any clearer.
"Uh…who's here?" Ricchan asked.
"My friend. She's here to help now."
"Okay, but…where is she?" Azusa-chan asked.
"She's right here." Sachiko-san pointed behind her. But there was truly no one there.
…
…
…
"I think this girl has a screw loose…" Miharu whispered to me.
"Miharu…"
"I don't have a screw loose! It's just that she's…"
"S…Sachiko~."
"A-A voice?!" Ricchan asked in shock.
"Geez, there you are. You're making me look like a loon out here."
"S-Sorry~. I-It's just…r-really scary out here~."
"Kaho, I really don't think you have any right to say that right now." Sachiko gained a sweatdrop.
"Kaho?" Us 8 Shiga girls asked.
"Kaho, please show yourself." Kyouko-chan said. "We need your help with something."
…
…
…
"O…Okay~. I-I'll try~."
The mysterious voice had stopped as tiny blue sparks of fire started floating near Sachiko-san. And then slowly coming into view was a girl with a skull hairpin in her long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Wearing some kind of school uniform where the untucked dress shirt had no sleeves whatsoever and had a light blue tie on it.
The short skirt she wore was a plaid pattern with blue, grey, and black. And she wore light blue & white sneakers that looked…honestly brand-new.
And she looked rather young. Probably around the same age as Sumire and Mikuru-chan.
This is…a ghost, right? If she really is one…did she truly die that young?
"K…K…KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Without that much of a warning, Mio-chan and Yui-chan screamed in total fear once they saw the ghost girl. And they both fled in a panic towards the shrine exit. Completely gone in like 10 seconds flat.
"*sigh* Well, there goes those two." Ricchan said with a facepalm. "So, who's the ghost girl?"
"This is Kaho Tsuyaki." Sachiko explained. "Say hi, Kaho."
"H…Hello~." The ghost girl nervously greeted us.
"I met her when we went down to Hakone a few summers ago. My hometown, by the way. *giggle*"
"Kaho Tsuyaki…w-wait, you mean THAT Kaho Tsuyaki?!" Azusa-chan asked. "The Infamous Missing Girl of Japan?!"
"Yep. The very same."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Azusa-chan?" I asked.
"Don't you guys remember? Kaho Tsuyaki was a second-year middle schooler who disappeared during a class trip to Hakone 6 years ago. There were search parties and campaigns that lasted for days at a time. But to this day, she's never been found."
"Oh, crap. I remember." Ricchan said. "It was insane how much effort went into finding her."
"I was only a 4th grader when that event happened." Sumire said. "To think that it was so long ago…"
"I-It is actually kinda sad." Mikuru-chan added.
"Yeah, it is." Sachiko-san said. "But since then, Kaho's been doing fine. She now protects the shrine she died at from evil spirits and humans who intend to disrupt the peace it has. And she does this with occult spells."
"Woah…that's actually pretty freaking cool!" Miharu said in excitement.
"Yeah, no kidding. I wish I could do such a thing." Ricchan added.
"You here that, Kaho." Sachiko-san said to the ghost girl. "They think what you do is cool."
"R-Really~? W-Wow~…th-thank you for believing that~." Kaho-chan said with a small smile.
Kaho Tsuyaki…the ghost of the Infamous Missing Girl of Japan…I get it now. To speak to the dead, one must find a person who can actually connect to the other side. And that's what Kaho-chan is for.
I may have many…and I mean MANY questions about how these girls happen to know a ghost, of all things. But I'll put them in the back of my mind.
As long as I get to talk to him one last time.
"S-So, uh…wh-where am I~?"
"This is Naminoue Shrine, Kaho." Sachiko-san said. "In Okinawa."
"O-Okinawa~? Wh-Why am I here~? Wh-What's going on~? S-Sachiko~…"
"Calm down, Kaho. I can explain."
"Wow. For a ghost, she's a lot like Mikuru-san." Azusa-chan said.
"I know." Ricchan said. "She could be a long lost relative of yours, Mikuru."
"T-Tainaka-senpai, please don't say such things…" Mikuru-chan gained a sweatdrop.
*ONE EXPLANATION LATER…*
"W-Wow~. I-I see now~. I-I'm sorry for your loss, Tsumugi-san~." Kaho-chan said after the whole situation was explained to her.
"Thank you, Kaho-chan." I replied with mild sadness. "I'm…somewhat cooping through it all."
"So, with all that we said, is it possible to talk to Mugi's dad's soul, Kaho?" Kyouko-chan asked.
"W-Well~…I-It is possible~. Th-There is a ritual that allows you to speak to the dead~. B-But…th-there is a requirement~."
"A requirement?" We asked.
"Th-The ritual requires the blood of a living relative~. A-A lot of it, actually~. I-It's one that others rarely perform~…d-due to the risk of major blood loss~."
"W-Wow. I-I guess that's a good reason not to do it." Miharu said with mild concern.
"So, we came all the way out here for nothing, huh?" Ricchan asked. "Figured so. I'll get the two scaredy cats and we'll head back to…"
"I want to do it."
"Huh?!" Everyone looked at me with looks of total shock.
"I want to do it. I want to do the ritual."
"O-Ojōsama! Did you not hear what Tsuyaki-san said?! You could lose a lot of blood!" Sumire yelled at me.
"I know that, Sumire. But even then…I want to do it. I have a lot of things to tell my father. And they say that keeping deep emotional secrets to yourself will be a mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."
I then went silent for a bit.
Then again…even if I do tell him, I'll still have some regrets in the end…
"Like Kyouko-chan said. When you let your depressed thoughts get the best of you, you start to hate yourself. And believe that everyone will be fine without you. And soon enough…the "unthinkable" will surely happen to me."
"Th-The unthinkable?" Azusa-chan asked. "B-By that, do you mean…"
"M-Mugi…y-you seriously aren't thinking of…" Ricchan said with a shocked tone.
"K-Kotobuki-san…" Mikuru-chan added while nearly in tears.
But I didn't reply to any of them. I stayed silent and looked away from everyone. Letting out a small sigh of sadness from my own body. My mind being a complete mess of mixed emotions.
And soon, the whole area was silent. Not a single person saying a word due to the depressed mood I brought upon everyone.
That is until…
"Mugi…go ahead."
"Huh?" We all looked at Miharu.
"I may not fully relate to any of this…but as your sister, I'm going to support you no matter what. All I want from this is for you to be fully happy. Especially after what you've been through for most of your life."
"Miharu…"
"Miharu-Ojōsama is right." Sumire said. "If this ritual will make you experience the happiness you so truly desired, Ojōsama…then I shall support you as well. As your maid, childhood friend, and little sister, I will never leave your side, Ojōsama!"
"Sumire…"
"I don't really know what these two are talking about…but I'm with you too, Mugi. Can't have our keyboardist all sad and mopey during the festival." Ricchan said.
"I'm with you 100%, Mugi-senpai." Azusa-chan said.
"A-As am I, Kotobuki-san." Mikuru-chan added.
"Everyone…" I was nearly in tears as I felt the overwhelming support rushing to me at such a fast speed. It truly has been a while since I last felt this emotional. And to have not only that, but to receive it from so many people at once…it was truly one of the best moments of my life.
"*sniff* E-Everyone…th-thank you." Was all I was able to say.
"So, everyone's in agreement to this?" Kyouko-chan asked. "Then, let's get started."
"How does this ritual work, Kaho?" Sachiko-san asked Kaho-chan.
"W-Well~…f-first, you'll need to draw a pentagram on the ground~."
"A pentagram…" Ricchan said as she looked around the area. "…Hey, it seems like someone left some chalk here. Lucky for us, huh?"
"I guess…" Azusa-chan said. "…Let me draw it, Senpai." And then, shocking everyone, Azusa-chan drew a perfect pentagram on the ground in front of us. Which kinda makes me question what kind of hobbies does this kōhai have.
Azusa-chan is definitely not a normal girl…
"Alright. What's next, Kaho?" Sachiko-san asked.
"N-Next is~…c-candles~. Pl-Place a candle on each point of the star~. A-And then…l-light them~."
"Okay. Gotcha." Sachiko-san then did the next instruction. Placing a candle on each star point and lighting them up with a match.
And honestly…despite pentagrams being known for summoning demons and other creatures from the pits of Hell, they actually look kinda pretty.
…
Not sure if that's a good or bad thing, though.
Once all the candles were placed and lit, there was still the question of how exactly is this going to work. I mean…is it supposed to glow or something? I've seen these things do that in movies and anime and such.
Luckily, that's what Kaho-chan is for.
"Charge this candle by my will~. The color one sitting on my sill~. Charge with power and charge with love~. And protective the rays from up above~. From sun to moon and moon to me~. To this protection candle, so mote it be~!"
Once Kaho-chan had recited that spell, the candles began to glow a bright light color. And soon, the pentagram began to glow with them. But it was a dark color. Almost black.
"Woah…" We were all amazed at the sight of it all. The magic that is Occult Arts…never in my life did I ever think that I was going to witness it first hand in front of my very own eyes.
…
Then again…I didn't think the stuff that led up to this would happen in the first place. So, I guess that's fair.
"T-Tsumugi-san~. I-If you're ready, please step inside the pentagram~." Kaho-chan said to me.
I took a deep breath and looked at everyone surrounding me. In return, I received smiles and thumbs up…and even received hugs from Miharu and Sumire. The two people that I care about the most.
"Alright. I'm ready." I said before making my way to the center of the glowing pentagram.
"N-Now~…w-with a sharp object, make a deep cut on your finger~. A-And let it drip in the center~."
"O-Okay…" To be honest, I was the most nervous about this part. There was no telling how much blood I was going to lose for this. And the fact that the cut had to be deep didn't ease my nerves about it, either.
But in the end, I still did it. I took a sharp object (being a random shard of glass that was found on the ground) and sliced it across my index finger. Making a deep cut on it and letting ti drip huge drops of blood.
"O-Ow! Damn, it hurts…" I said to myself as I winced in pain.
"F-Finally~…e-empty all unrelated thoughts~. Sp-Speak with your mind~. Th-This spiritual conversation is only between…y-you and the person you lost~. B-But you only have an hour to do so~."
An hour, huh? That's honestly all the time I need.
And so…with my eyes closed, my mind cleared, and my finger a bloody mess, I began to enter the world of the spirits. To find my father and tell him the truth.
The truth of how I see life.
Author's Note: With help from the ghost of long to be missing Kaho Tsuyaki, Mugi enters the Other Side to have one last talk with her now-dead father. And finally confess to him her true hidden feelings. All to be revealed in part 3.
Also, so sorry for this chapter being late. I know I said either Monday or Tuesday. But things kept popping up for me.
Kaho Tsuyaki is another original character from the Yuru Yuri side. Only she's not from the Inner Struggles series like most of the others. She actually first appeared very late into Yuru Yuri + 1. The same story that Sachiko and Yuri debuted in. It's another one that I enjoyed writing a lot. And I actually tried continuing it at one point. But it didn't work out.
Still, though. Give it a read. There may be a few mistakes here and there, though. I gotta run it (and a few others) through Grammarly someday.
Thanks for reading. Later.
