Chapter 4
First week of April
Monday
At Ghost's place
Miharu wakes up to the morning light going through the glass window. And the smell coming to her nose as well.
"Looks like he made breakfast." She mumbles and gets out of bed to the smell from the kitchen. Walking out of her room and before she walks down the stairs, there's a large square hole in the living room area.
"What kind of house is this?" She thinks to herself out loud. Heading down stairs to see two plates with scrambled eggs, pancakes but the second plate has four sausage patty's. Then she's distracted by a bag being hit.
(I might as well find him about this.) Miharu heads over the secret passage, going down the spiral stairs then hears the bag being struck in rapid succession getting closer to the light down in the basement, down in there, seeing a door straight through the first is a red cross logo on the door then a bag is being struck again, this time with speed and power behind his kicks and punches. (What the?)
She leans over from the wall to see Ghost in the same tank top he slept in but wearing red and grey workout shorts and fingerless gloves, going at the heavy bag with punches, elbows, knees and kicks. She also sees various workout equipment, then she looks to her right and sees three doors closed shut, one on the left and the right in front of it and the center. Now she looks back at him who does a spinning reverse hook kick on the bag nearly taking it off it's hinges, notices her.
"Your breakfast is ready." He puts his hand out to stop the swinging bag. Making Miharu turn her head towards him. "Is there something wrong?"
"Oh! Uhh..." She says startled, finding the words. "I was just looking for you… and you're down here." Now she's mutters. "I just wanna know which plate is mine."
"The one that has no sausage patty's."
"I want some."
"The extras are in a plate in some paper towels, cooked as well."
"Okay." And she heads back upstairs.
He takes off his gloves and put them on the shelf then cuts the lights off and makes his way up the living room.
Out to the dining room, Miharu heads back to the table with two sausage patty's with her scrambled eggs on her plate and gets the chair and sits in it. Then she turns around to a mechanical sound coming from the living room area and she gets up and sees it closing up.
"Whoa!" She said wide eyed in surprise. Then looks at Ghost who's getting two cups then goes into the fridge and gets the orange juice out. "That's the secret passage for the basement?"
"Yep." As he pours the one gallon orange juice into two cups and takes them to the table, giving one to Miharu and the other one to himself sitting down with his plate.
"I guess it takes something big to make a passage like that."
"It's architects and money."
"And I noticed you have a lot of trophies on your shelf; mostly gold and sliver and a few bronze trophies."
"There's a few outside of that racing stuff." Before taking a piece of the scrambled eggs on his plate using a fork.
"Really?"
"I'm not gonna gloss over them." Dismissing them in the process while taking another bite.
"Oh." Sounding a little down. "But you can show me later, right?"
"Yeah." Taking a bite out of his cut up pancake. "And I hope you notice the game consoles here as well."
And with that, Miharu's mood brightens up, finishing up eating their well cooked breakfast. Ghost takes the plates to the sink. Then they head the living room while he turns on the Wii console.
"We're playing a game?" Miharu asking him, as he sets it up.
"Yep." As he gets two Wiimote's and the accessory's from the drawers underneath the tv stand, setting them down on the floor.
"You need help with this small table here?" Miharu pointing at it.
"Let's just move it out the away." Then they move the table in between the two couches. "There we go."
And the sound of the doorbell ringing interrupts him.
"Who's that?" She asks him with curiousness. As Ghost himself gets the door.
"Oh… hello." A female who's a little taller than the little Shimada is standing at his doorstep with Mizuki behind her in view. (Let's just hope I can get the other side of the story.)
"Not to be rude but…" Ghost steps out from the doorway. "are you Mizuki's mother? You don't have the height to look like one." Looking down at her.
"I am. I get that from time to time."
"Mom!" Mizuki speaks sharply, making her mother turn around. "This is the guy that hurt me and Minami!"
"Woah now," Ghost talking to Mizuki in a stern tone. "When there's two adults speaking. You shut. Your. Mouth." And Himeji despite a sideways glare, goes silent.
"I'm trying to figure out what's going on?" Her mother taking a reasonable approach by asking him. "How did my daughter end up in the hospital?"
"When that redheaded Jezebel was picking a fight while confronting Akihisa." Ghost points at Mizuki. "She decided to help Minami instead of her own childhood friend." Now her mother looks at her shocked. "And she was attacking Miharu, which in turn led to her getting stabbed and... beaten."
Mizuki's mother then looks at her upset. "Himeji Mizuki. That's not like you." in a serious tone.
And then Mizuki with a shocked and dumbfounded look on her face, walks off to the car. Getting told on by someone else you might end up hating is the worst feeling for her.
"That's ya man in the car?" He asks.
"Yes, that's my husband in there."
"Ah." He nods in respect. "I won't be gettin' in the way of that."
As Mizuki's mother was gonna ask him a question, Mizuki comes back with a plate wrapped in foil.
"I thought you was gon' cry in the car," Ghost snarks which makes her mother look away with her hand on her head. "what is this?"
"It's something that I cooked as an apology." Bowing her head and holding the plate out in front of him.
"Oh really? You're only apologizin' because you got caught." He crosses his arms relaxed. "And you expect all of this to be forgotten don't you?"
"Just take it and forget that I attacked you." Now she ends up looking at him with puppy dog eyes. "Please."
"I don't think so." Ghost moves his finger casually in Mizuki's face.
(What the hell?!) Mizuki thinks to herself. (The puppy dog eyes tactic always work, why didn't it work against him?)
"There's people out there that can forgive and forget, there's people that forgive but never forget, and then there's people that don't do either of one em' or at least one of the two."
"What are you saying?" Mizuki asking him ready to fall apart.
"That forgiveness is an option and you," He uncrosses his arms and points at her. "is not forgiven or your apology is accepted."
Mizuki snaps. Throwing the food at Ghost only for him to sidestep it just to hit his front door. Then Miharu swoops out through the door, before Mizuki was able charge at him, the little Shimizu spears her out of nowhere knocking the wind out Himeji.
"Mizuki!" Her mother sternly calls. "Dang it!" And she and Ghost rush to break up the scuffle before Miharu does serious damage.
"I'll take care of this." Her mother kneels down checking on her. "What is wrong with you?!" While Ghost pulls Miharu off her.
"She just got the wind knocked out of her." Ghost gestures Miharu to take Mizuki's food back to the car. "And she'll come back to her senses."
(Good thing this is wrapped up and not in a glass plate.) She takes it back to their car opening the car door to the back seat, and puts her food in there.
"Hey." Ghost talking to Mizuki's mother. "I didn't get your name."
"Mizuho." While her daughter comes to her senses and she helps her up.
"Alright, Mizuho. The moment I find out that her cookin' has killed actually someone, she not gonna like what she sees when I find out."
"Okay." And the two walk back to their car and drives off.
"She's still doing that "put poison in your food" thing?" Miharu wonders out loud.
"Probably." Ghost answers. And they head back inside the house, with Mizuki doing that in the morning time, it's strike one in Ghost's head.
For the rest of this day: Playing a game on the Wii console, lunch, evening time dinner, nighttime rest.
Tuesday afternoon
"I gonna be upfront with this." Ghost talking on the phone, after he gets done washing the dishes. "That issue was with one of those Fumizuki students, who's father is willing to attack anybody that gets close to their own daughter, the bastard screwed her head up too." He walks to the living room looking around and see Miharu walking down the stairs. "Molested." Then goes to examine the drawers underneath the tv set. "Well... this is an off month for me then, I'm gonna start cutting deep into Fumizuki until it shuts down." He's says as he closes one. "Yeah, see ya soon." And the phone conversation ends.
"Ghost," Miharu catching his attention. "can we go out?"
"Okay, where to?" He asks.
"The Mall."
"I'm concerned about that credit card."
"What about it?" Pulling out her father's credit card.
"Do you know the pin for his card?"
"Pin?" She said in a questionable tone.
"A four digit number."
"Oh. no." Miharu looks away downtrodden.
"Then that's a detour to your father's place, let me change."
"That place might be locked." She tells him as he walks upstairs and he stops and looks at Miharu when he hears this.
"We'll improvise." And he continues upstairs and into his room. And in a few minutes later he comes out with a dark gray shirt with a Wu-tang jacket not zipped up, and blue jeans with black and grey colored shoes.
"You can wait out at the porch." As he heads out as Miharu gets of the couch and follows behind him.
A few minutes later. An Obsidian black pearl, five door hatchback Subaru comes out of the garage and the window on the right side rolls down.
Ghost moves his arm out of it telling her to get in which she does, by entering the back seat with the radio playing inside. And off they went.
After the first red light. Miharu gives him directions to her father home while Ghost speeds up a little bit on open roads and drifting when he gets a chance… once a while. Fortunately nobody was hurt but they got a little slide show on a fair afternoon. Then finally showing up to Miharu's father's place with Ghost parking the Japanese hatchback in front of the residence.
"This is the place," Miharu says looking out the window. "and we made it in one piece."
"Go see if that door is locked." Ghost being on the looking out. And she gets out walks up to her father's house to his doorstep, turn the doorknob to the door not moving.
(Locked… crap.) Miharu curses and turns around to call out Ghost. "It's locked!" Earning a reaction from the driver himself, then she sits at the doorstep.
Feeling like a loss on this day, she sits at the porch until she feels her phone goes off and she checks on it.
"Can you try knocking on the door again?" Miharu reads out loud. "What do you me-" She was ready to yell out and she looks up at the car finds out that Ghost is not in there, let alone hear the car door slam.
"Where did he go?" She asks to no one looking around until she hears the door to her father's door opens. "Ghost?" She asks in shock. "How did you get in there?"
"I somehow spawned in here all of a sudden." He answers puzzled. "Now let's find that pin number."
Miharu gets inside and Ghost closes the door and locks the door while she heads over to her father room. Searching the room and the tourist looking in key areas for a few minutes and he finds it, as it was written down on paper.
"Is that it?" Miharu asks him as she's walking over to him and sees the four numbers for her father's credit card. "Let me get a pen so can write it down." She looks around and sees a pen holder, then takes one while Ghost puts pin number on the desk so Miharu can copy it. "Got it," Taking the small piece of paper with the four numbers. "now let's get out of here."
"Are you going to put clothes back in the drawers?" He points at her father's clothes on the floor. Which in turn Miharu groans as she goes picking up his clothes and stuffs them in the drawers. "Now we're off."
With Miharu walking out from her fathers place with Ghost locking the door behind her and teleporting out of his house, they're back in the Subaru again and drives off.
Akihisa's apartment
Akihisa opens the door to Mizuki's angry face, tears ready to fall from her eyes at the door.
"Mizuki." He starts not surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"This about your friend."
"Yuuji or-"
"Ghost you idiot!" She pushes him back, putting Akihisa on his ass, enters the place and closes the door behind her.
"Hey!" He gets back up to his feet quickly. "What's the problem with him?!"
"He rejected my apology, turn down and my cooking."
"I warned you about putting chemicals and other poisons in the foods you cooked. It doesn't even help that he saw right through your apology."
"You're not helping us Akihisa! Why would you betray me for an idiot like him?"
"Betray?" He repeats sounding offended. "Betray?! Then what's siding with Minami, who is my problem, to you is?!"
"I should call her right now." Mizuki pulls out her phone calls Minami then seconds later she picks up.
"Hello?" Minami answers.
"Hey." She puts the phone on speaker. "I'm with Akihisa now."
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She yells at the phone. "You're supposed to help out your friends, not watch us get beat!"
"Minami, your temper is a problem already and if I have to point it out to you before him? You'll come up with an excuse." Akihisa tells her.
"So what!" She snaps. "I might be out the hospital, but me, my father and my uncle will be seeing him. And you, better be on the right side next time." She finishes with vile.
"You're calling your relatives on him you asshole?!" Almost yelling at Mizuki's phone. "Well then good luck with that you weak punk!" Now cursing her out.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" She yells before feeling the pain from her ribs.
"Akihisa…" Mizuki is shocked that he called her that.
"Hang up the phone." He tells her and she ends the phone chat. "And I'll tell him what was that you pulled back there." Then he turns around disgusted at Himeji. "Now get out of my sight." And he walks off to his room.
Mizuki who is at a loss for words, walks out the room in shock. This might her worst week, but Minami loses out with Akihisa at least in Himeji's mind. And the sense of dread is kicking in for her about the truth of her cooking, and if it gets out? Everything will fall apart.
(I'm gonna have to make sure Kouta doesn't spill the beans about my cooking.) She thought, as she walks downstairs and heads home.
In the evening
Back at Ghost's place.
Ghost and Miharu returned from their time hanging out at the arcade, with Miharu getting her own food and drink, and a few new clothes for herself and her own body wash. And Ghost bringing in a package that was sitting at his front door then puts it on the couch.
"I'm surprised they didn't freeze his credit card." Ghost starts heading upstairs, letting Miharu pass by him with two bags in her hands.
"Yeah, real lucky." She walks to the guest room, stops and turns around. "And you didn't have to go above and beyond for that pin number but… thank you."
Ghost just waves at her as they head back to their rooms and call it a night.
Wednesday morning
"When you throw a jab, keep your wrist straight and try focusing on being quick off the draw." Ghost leaning the heavy bag teaching Miharu the basics on punching and kicking down in the basement until a doorbell rings upstairs. Interrupting the impromptu training session.
"Take five, I'll get the door." Ghost elbows the bag before heading upstairs with her. As she sits on the couch drinking a bottled water and Ghost closing off the access to the basement, he gets the door to see…
"Akihisa." Ghost says warmly. While Miharu looks over the couch.
"Hey Ghost." He waves at him. "Can I come in?"
"Yea." And Akihisa walks inside, checking the place out and Ghost closing the door behind him.
"Nice place you got here." Looking around the place, and seeing Miharu looking over the couch. "How are you doing Miharu?"
"I'm doing alright." She answers back. "What brings you here?"
"It's about Mizuki."
"The killer cook." The foreigner deadpans as turns his head, and crosses his arms across his chest.
"What did she do?" Akihisa asks him concerned.
"She tried to give him food as an apology." Miharu jumps in.
Akihisa shakes head in disappointment. "Typical of her." Then the doorbell goes off again.
"Now what?" Ghost mutters as he gets the door and opens it.
"Hey there." Yuuko putting her arms up.
"I thought it was Mizuki's ass on my doorstep, come in." She walks inside and she looks around and sees the keypad on the wall, while Ghost closes the door and locks it, then he walks over the window and looks out of it.
"Why is there a keypad here?" Yuuko asks him pointing at it.
"It's connected to the floor." Miharu answers pointing at the living room floor.
"So that's why I was hearing something through the front door." Akihisa takes a seat on the single seat sofa.
"Why is that car parked in the front-" Ghost speaks out loud before taking a breath catching their attention. And they look out the window as well.
"I was going to tell you that Akihisa was being followed." Yuuko tells the dreadlocked man, as he storms off going upstairs.
"Ohhh boy," Miharu mutters out loud, as she sees Minami's father step out of his car angrily walks of the 4 door car. "we're in for one, this angry pig. I bet you she got it from her father."
"Her temper?" Akihisa asks Miharu about it, which she nods with a "maybe" look. Then they hear loud banging at the door.
"He knows there's a doorbell right?" Yuuko wonders out loud.
Ghost comes back downstairs with an object that's looks long as a staff, iron barrel pointing upwards with it's handle made of wood.
"Can I open the door?" The green eyed girl asks him, and he shakes his head and answers the door himself, to an irate father of Minami Shimada.
"Are you the one who attacked my-" He gets interrupted with a palm strike to the face knocking him down from the impact and holding his nose, earning oh's from the three in the living room. "You-" Then a cannon like sound goes off from the pole and a tiny cannonball nearly hits Minami in the head, who's getting out of the car, now standing in shock and it hits the rear left side of their car with a loud metal smack, penetrating through the trunk leaving a nasty hole behind it. "Oh snap." He mutters in a low voice.
"We to talk about Minami sir." Akihisa comes out of Ghost's house along with Yuuko and Miharu walking out standing with him.
"W-what about her?" He positions himself.
"Minami was the one that started that fight with Ghost, and she was beating on me as well before he showed up.
"FATHER!" Minami yells. "JUST TEACH THE FOREIGNER A LESSON!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP SHITMADA!" Miharu yells back pointing at her.
"AT LEAST MY FATHER IS A YAKUZA!" We're going to find out now.
As Ghost walks up and points the pole at him like it's a rifle then points it at her daughter and back at him, Yuuko walks away while kicking her knees up.
"Take off your shirt." He orders him. And Minami's father takes off his shirt, showing him his whole torso.
"I'm not Yakuza!" Her father denies frantically then turns to Akihisa. "What did she did to you?!"
"She makes all of the threats, insults, beatings and she broke my back because I didn't say "I love you."".
"YOU WHAT MINAMI?!" He yells at her while he puts his shirt back on.
(He's telling on me?) She thought as her eye twitches. And she marches towards Akihisa, only to be stopped my Ghost who points the object at her.
"THIS IS WAR NOW GHOST!" She yells at him, letting him know he's on Minami's radar.
"Your daughter is gonna be lead on to the other side if you don't get in her face and talk some sense to her." Ghost tells Minami's father.
Minami tries to walk up to Akihisa only to get punched by Yuuko out of nowhere, knocking her out cold. Her father looks on cringing as his daughter gets knocked out.
"Go home and get in her face." Minami father gets up and looks at Ghost.
"I understand all of this now, I'll talk to her." And he walks back to his car.
"Oh!" Ghost holds his hand out, walking towards them. "I got a new idea of getting Minami out of my sight. Open up the trunk."
Minami's father pulls the lever to open the trunk and Ghost picks up the unconscious Minami by the ankle, lays her down like a pillow in the trunk, and closes it. Then he points at her father.
"Remember. Talk to her." Then he walks back to his house, as Minami's father gets in his car and drives off.
With Ghost walking back to his house: Akihisa, Yuuko, and Miharu walk back inside.
"Soooo…" Miharu starts. "what do we do now?"
"Now Minami kicks this up a notch by saying that." Akihisa adds.
"There's the FFF inquisition, and she'll go to them." Yuuko wonders, as the dreadlock tourist looks at her. "What?" She looks at him. "She brought them up."
"Who is this inquisition group?" Ghost furrows his eyebrows, while he switches hands with the pole.
The house falls silent at his question for a few seconds until Akihisa swallows and turns to him.
"It's a group in our school that goes after anybody that have any girlfriends and get close to one." The atmosphere turns stiff when he told him, and Ghost looks at him.
"Who came up with that group?" The dreadlock outsider asks him leaning forward.
"Sugawa Ryou."
"He's in Class F." Yuuko adds. "I know his gang with the damn rushes in the summoning battles."
"Ain't your friends supposed to help you out against them?" Ghost asks.
"They just… didn't help me." Akihisa is spilling the tea. "I've should've let that boy from the other class to get with Mizuki."
"You mean?" Miharu asks.
"Takashiro Masaharu?" Yuuko answers interjecting. "He's in Class 3-A, the class representative."
Ghost puts his hand on his hip and looks up, silently taking in this information and as he makes his away to the stairs.
"And Yuuji has a plan." Akihisa adds, and the dreadlock tourist looks at him, stopping himself on the stairs.
"What plan?" He asks curiously.
"He wants to get payback for not only himself, but for Shouko, Minami, and Mizuki. I was dragged into this, because of Yuuji and Mizuki, he also wants me to find this "Bulldog" person and just play as a fake friend to him, then backstab him."
Ghost sits down on the stairwell, not believing what he's hearing.
"Now that's just messed up and uncalled for!" Yuuko extending arms.
"He also left me there to deal with that woman until he," Akihisa points at Ghost. "bailed me out."
"You're lucky that he was able to get you out of that tight spot." Miharu being concerned. "Then we're was Minami then?"
"Probably was thinking about Ghost apparently." Yuuko snarks.
"But what's Akihisa going to do from here?" Miharu asks Yuuko. And then when Akihisa was about to answer the question.
"With the fact that Minami and Mizuki were hurting you, Yuuji being no help and throwing you under the bus, you're still considering them friends?" Ghost stops him from speaking.
"Uh…" Akihisa trying to find the words. While Ghost stands up and walks over to him.
"No, don't say anything. You know what needs to be done."
"Ahh… I guess I'll figure out how to approach him and those girls."
"Sounds like this day is ruined." Yuuko sighs and sits down on the couch next to Akihisa.
"We can take our minds off Minami and turn this day around." Akihisa suggests being optimistic.
"What did you make?" Yuuko asks Ghost being curious.
"Eggs, sausage links and biscuits." He answers walking to the kitchen.
"Sausage links and biscuits?" Yuuko questions as she follows him. "I need to see this." And she sees the biscuits on the plate. "They're look soft… and well done."
"I've never seen sausage links like these before." Akihisa looking at them.
"Y'all want them?" Ghost asks the two.
"I take some." Akihisa raises his hand and Ghost gets a paper plate, putting two biscuits and three sausage links on it.
"I might've ate something but I'll take a sausage link." Yuuko gets a sausage link and takes a bite, nodding in delight of it exactly how it should be made. Even Akihisa is enjoying the food as well.
"Oh this is good!" Akihisa continues eating while Ghost gets the orange juice and Miharu gets two cups from the rack, then he pours the juice into one as she's holding them, causing her to stop in place.
"Careful." Yuuko says with concern noticing Ghost pouring the orange juice into the cup while Miharu's holding it in her hand, without putting it on the table first. He stops pouring it and Yuuko carefully takes the cup from her hand and takes a sip. "At least put the cups on the table first."
"I can clean up the mess myself." He says while pouring the orange juice into the cup and Miharu takes it to Akihisa and puts it in front of him.
"Ah thank you." Akihisa gets the cup then takes a sip. "Even the orange juice is good!" Chowing down two biscuits and three sausage links then drinking up the orange juice from the cup, he gets up and bows in gratitude.
"So what y'all wanna do?" Ghost asking them while Akihisa takes the paper plate and throws it in the garbage.
"Just… hang out?" Akihisa says uncertainly due to Minami's antics.
"Oh well, I wanted to get some air anyway." The dreadlocked foreigner heads up stairs walking to his room.
Yuuko finishes eating the biscuit and drinks the rest of the orange juice, then putting the cup into the sink.
"Does he know that we're not going to school on this week?" Akihisa asks them washing his hands and drying them with a paper towel.
"He knows." Miharu answers. "I'll go and change since we're hanging out." Then she walks up stairs to her room.
A few minutes later, Ghost walks downstairs wearing a dark gray longsleeve checkerboard plaid shirt half buttoned with a white shirt, a slivered colored watch on his left wrist, navy blue baggy jeans, and black and blue Fila mid tops.
"Now we wait for Miharu." Yuuko who's sitting on the couch.
"Here I am." Miharu calls out walking down stairs wearing a light green sweater, blue skinny jeans and green Converses.
"Looking good." Akihisa complementing her.
"Thank you." Then she looks at Ghost. "Where are we going?"
"How about the police station?" Yuuko suggests thinking that Miharu's father might not stay in there.
Ghost takes a deep breath and nods. "You guys wait at the porch, I'll get a car from the garage." And they walk out the front door, a few minutes later out comes a Manogany metallic Porsche Pananmera Turbo, stopping outside of Ghost's garage as it closes behind it.
Yuuko whistles as the three of them get in the car.
"This is a Porsche?" Akihisa who's sitting in the front seat asks looking at the interior.
"It is, duh." Yuuko retorts, sitting in the back seat. "I thought these guys just make these with two doors and two seats."
"Well they came a long way from the two door style everybody sees." Ghost drives out of the driveway and onto the road.
"I'm not into cars but, isn't that Gemballa that you was driving the other day was based off the guys made that sport utility vehicle?" Miharu asks.
"Yep. Touching up the engine while being subtle with the looks."
"That's interesting." Yuuko adds.
A seat belt alarm off catching the three by surprise.
"What is that?" Miharu eyes starting around anxiously.
"I got the seat belt on." Ghost said as he's got the thing on.
Yuuko who is sitting behind him notices him not wearing the seat belt and she grabs the belt making noise for him to hear. "Wear the seat belt."
Akihisa gets the seat belt as the seat belt alarm goes faster, puts it on and the alarm stops.
"Don't speed this car up because of him now." Yuuko warns Ghost.
"You think I'll drive fast because of him?" He asks her.
"I'm just saying." And she sits back in the seat.
"Hey Ghost." Akihisa speaks.
"Yeah?" As he takes it easy on the throttle.
"What do you call Mizuki who decided to pick Minami side?" Waiting for Ghost's answer.
"Disloyal."
Akihisa eyes widen in surprise not hear that word "disloyal" once in his life.
"Oh… w-well. Thanks for the answer."
"Yeah." And Ghost turns the radio on making their way to the police station.
Back at Mizuki's place, Himeji is on her phone talking to Minami.
"Can you really believe this?! I can't go anywhere near Akihisa because of that bastard!"
"Same here and get this. That tourist denied my apology! I gave him my cooking and he just rejected it! Miharu attacked me out of nowhere as well!"
"That bitch Miharu…" She scoffs. "to hell with her. That Ghost guy, foreigner or tourist I don't a FUCK who he is! Shouko will take care of him."
"Hmm… even though she got shot, she's a Kirishima so I'm expecting her to at least get somebody to get him."
"No! I wanna see Shouko fuck him up! I want to see him on the ground! My father's too much of a wuss to get him."
"We'll just wait until school starts."
"...Fine."
And that phone conversation ends.
In the afternoon. At the police station.
Ghost is outside waiting nearby his car, looking around taking in the sights, until he sees at same car Yuki mentioned last week, driving slowly past him.
(Yuki talked about that car last week, I can't tell who's this guy is driving slow, for what exactly?) He thought as the car speeds up a little bit.
Miharu, Yuuko and Akihisa walk out of the police station back to Ghost and his car.
"So… how did it go?" The dreadlock tourist asks them.
"I had to do most of the talking." Yuuko crossing her arms with worry. "But Miharu's father is a headache, and clothed thanks to what you did. He literally ran her mother out of his own house."
"And I had to tell them I'm living with Yuuko and Akihisa." Miharu adds. "But I'm living with you until my mother picks me up. Oh and I have to confess to them about him touching me while I was taking baths."
"They'll make sure he won't be getting out. And I know that cafe, you know the one that us Fumizuki students go to get something like breakfast or something for a good price, is shut down. Might not be good news for some students but it is what it is."
"Okay." As Ghost stretches his legs.
"Were to next?" Ahikisa asks. "I know this baseball stadium that's around here somewhere. You might like it."
"You mean Sakura Hills?" A soft hoarse voice that Akihisa is familiar with gets him frozen in place as a woman with red hair wearing glasses walks up to the four, wearing a white turtleneck sweater with a long orange coat, and black pants with high heels smoking a cigarette.
"Why? What are you doing here?" Akihisa asks her.
"It's either I'm out here on business, or I'm out here for you." And he hides behind Ghost and she looks at the foreigner. "But I'm busy, I guess I can't blame him." She flashes a slight smile at him.
"Akihisa." Miharu looks at him with worry. "What did you to this woman?"
"I didn't do anything to her!"
"I'm not here to ask you about that. Just stay away from those three that drag you into that mess and get some new friends." That's a surprise.
Akihisa sighs in relief. (Coming from somebody that looks like she's could kill me, Yuuji, Mizuki, and Shouko in a matter of seconds.) "You mentioned Sakura Hills? That's a baseball field and I wanted him to see it."
"Like I said, business calls." Then her attention falls onto the car that Ghost is driving. "I've never seen this car before or this color on anything like this."
"That's Ghost's car." Yuuko tells her.
The redhead looks at him surprised. "You can drive?" Then looks at the three. "I thought you three had to walk all the way out here? Oh well." Looks at Ghost again. "I'll be heading back to my shop now."
As the redhead woman gets into her truck, Ghost and the other three get into his car. While she drives off, Ghost looks for the baseball stadium.
"Who is that woman?" Miharu asks befuddled.
"I don't know. She looks off to me." Yuuko says cautiously.
"And she was looking at Ghost like she saw him before."
"Be careful with her, I don't want that woman being a headache while the other three girls are being a problem."
A few hours later, they found it. Sakura Hills ballpark, Ghost parks his car in the parking lot, four of them getting out of the car and walking inside to see view.
"Whoa!" Akihisa, Yuuko, and Miharu are taken aback by the layout of this ballpark. Mt. Fuji in the view, the trees before the mountain were originally red, orange and brown, so in the spring time they're green now except that one red tree at center left outfield. The giant glass tower at the right field catches their eye.
"What is giant thing they made?" Yuuko asks pointing at it.
"I think that's the hotel room." Akihisa answers.
"Nah, that's gotta be the PA system." Ghost speaks up.
"Wait what?" Akihisa turns around to Ghost looking stunned.
"If you want a hotel, look at the building behind the system."
"But the damn PA system is in the way!" Miharu retorts but looks at the building.
"The top of that building might get you to see some of the action, but yeah the person that made that system is dedicated to the sounds." Yuuko folding her arms across her chest.
Akihisa is lucky Minami's not here with him. Other wise he would've got hurt for getting that wrong.
"All dirt in the infield?" Ghost wonders.
"There are some baseball fields here in Japan that go with that style. What about it?" Akihisa asks him.
"If they put in the turf in the outfield, then the ball would slow down but not by much, and the outfielders would have to be careful making the plays that are necessary."
"You played baseball before?" Yuuko asks him thinking about it.
"Nope. I'm more of a contact person."
"Awww," Akihisa sulks. "We could've used you for those teachers at Fumizuki."
"You can be the pitcher." Yuuko suggests. "If you did play." And Ghost shrugs with uncertainty.
They walk around the area until they left the stadium, getting something to eat. In the evening, Ghost drives Akihisa and Yuuko home before he and Miharu head home.
Thursday afternoon
At the park, Shouko sits down on the picnic table, thinking about her next move. She knows she'll get shot at if she's seen anywhere near Yuuji, but Ghost? Just being deep in her thoughts, Mizuki sits in front of her.
"Hi Shouko." She said in a gloomy tone.
"Hi…" Shouko shaking her head anxiously.
"Ghost is really being problematic right now. He rejected my apology and my cooking."
"People like him should be beaten and controlled. I need my stun gun back and he's just holding on to it."
"There's Miharu living with him."
"WHAT!?" Shouko raised her voice in shock, then tries to calm herself down. "Now he's done it. If I can't be near Yuuji, then I'll make sure he can't be near ANY girl or woman for that matter." Ghost is gonna have to watch his back now, upsetting Shouko like that.
"So what are you gonna do? And what if you can't get Miharu out?"
"For Miharu, I'll say screw her. She's not my problem, she's Minami's problem. For Ghost, I'll find dirt on him then use that as leverage and ruin him until he complys, when Friday comes."
"Sound like a good idea. He'll regret the day he crosses us. I want him to get that Aozaki off our backs or I might end up killing Akihisa." Himiji requests.
"Hmm… I'll tell him that then. Maybe those choices can keep him in line and off our backs.
The conversation ends as walk off to different areas then heading home in the evening time.
Friday morning
Outside of Ghost's house
Shouko walks up to his house to his front door and tries to open it, but it's locked. She rams her shoulder into the door, it's not budging. Kicks the door, it's still standing.
"There's some people here in Japan leave their doors unlocked, what's with this American locking his doors?"
She walks around the front windows to see if there's anyway to get inside and there's no opening for her.
(Maybe I should head around to his backyard.)
Now she walks around to the entrance on the right side of the house and opens the dark brown wooden finish fenced door then suddenly, Miharu was standing there with her arm behind her back.
"What are you doing here?" She asks her.
"Why are you living with Ghost? You should've just stayed at your fathers pla-"
Without any hesitation, Miharu's arm swiftly draws from her back showing a tazer in her hand, aims it at Shouko and before she moves out of the way, Miharu fires it into Shouko's neck, electrocuting her and going down to the ground stiff as a board, screaming her lungs out.
Ghost walks around the corner with his cane and sees Shouko on the ground. "If it isn't the idiot Shouko trying to break in."
"I don't know why she's mentioning my father like he's a good person? He's arrested!"
Ghost aims his cane at Shouko and she starts crawling away.
"Give me my stun gun back!" She yells at him.
"I'm aimin' waist up now." His finger on the trigger, ready to pull it and end her bullshit.
Shouko who was crawling out of his backyard, runs off without her stun gun in hand.
"She might end up coming back." Miharu gives him the tazer back.
"That's for damn sure." He takes it into his free hand. "Nice shot for your first time by the way."
"Thanks." And they head back inside the house.
Saturday – Dusk
The black car with racing stripes and a skull and crossbones on it's sides (Zender Beta) pulls up in front of Ghost's house and revs the engine up loudly three times. This leads to Miharu heading down stairs and look out the window.
"Ghost!" She calls out from the living room and he walks out from the room with the computer inside, then looks out the window from the second floor. "There's that car your friend Yuki was talking about!"
"That sounds like a challenge to me, and it's not Shouko's hogwash either." Ghost walks to his other room to get fully clothed.
"A challenge?" Miharu turns around and sees him wearing a dark gray shirt, blue baggy jeans and white low top shoes. "You're really gonna do this?"
"Yeah, and do not let those three girls get into my house while I find who this person is." He walks out to the garage.
"Okay!" Miharu walks back up to her room to watch TV.
In the garage, he gets the keys to the black 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 getting in the car, and starting up the engine and driving out of the garage. As the garage door closes behind him, he drives off the driveway and now the black car drives off with Ghost being in pursuit.
A really long pursuit all the way to the mountainous Okayama International Circuit, driving into the track and onto the starting line.
(At least you're not racing in the streets you Zender.) He thought as he drives up next to the car.
Back at Ghost's house
Miharu's in the kitchen cutting a whole pineapple, by taking the leafs off the top, then cut the pineapple and cutting off the skin. Her phone goes off which makes her get the paper towel to clean her hands and check her phone to see a text message in a group chat from Yuuko.
There's something about Ghost's name. -Yuuko
What is it? -Akihisa
It's not his real name. -Yuuko
So? -Miharu
I'm gonna say his real name face to face, for the teachers and around others, it's his fake name. -Yuuko
I'll just say his fake name cause it sounds eerie. -Akihisa
I'm with Yuuko on this one. -Miharu
Oh well. But is he around?" -Akihisa
He's off to race against that black car that was making noise. -Miharu
He's what!? -Akihisa
Looks like he's off street racing. -Yuuko
I hope he comes back in one piece, we know that doing the race out there in the streets is dangerous. -Miharu
Yeah, and with a win at least. -Akihisa
Miharu puts the phone on the counter top and goes back cutting the pineapple in a dice-like shape and put them on the plate, after she throws the skin of the pinapple and leafs in the garbage and taking her phone, she go's upstairs and into her room, enjoying her diced pineapples.
Back at Okayama Circuit.
Ghost was trying to get his bearings on the mountainous circuit. His Camaro was faster than the Beta and there was times were he going to overtake it anywhere on the track but he decided against it, and on the second lap he overtakes by slipstream turboing it coming out of the Attwood Curve into the straight. The driver in the Beta was tested in a whole different way and the gap was getting increased through the second lap. Then the third lap, just eleven seconds apart. Ghost drifts into the Redman Corner and chains it into the Hobbs Corner and going into the Mike Knight Corner normally and the last corner, he finishes in first by six and a half seconds ahead of the Beta.
At the pit lane under the now night sky, Ghost puts the car in park gets out of car and stands by it until the Beta pulls up beside him, and rolls the window down.
"Follow me to the Aita Shrine." The driver speaks through the helmet then rolls the window back up.
Ghost gets back into his car and drives after the car to the parking lot close to it. He puts his car in park again and gets out of his car. Then the driver gets out of the car wearing a red and gray racing suit.
He looks on anxiously as looks the driver take off the helmet and it's a woman with brown eyes and her black hair going down to her neck with a few being on her left side of her face and zipping the suit down to expose some of her chest.
(What the hell?!) Ghost thought as he looks around in disbelief. (A female? Everybody that faced her will think it's a man that beat them but damn she's a looker.)
She puts the helmet the roof of her car and walks up to him. "That was an unexpected loss for me. It feels like you was toying with me on the first lap, then blew me out of the water in the second lap, right off that Attwood curve going into the straight."
"Oh? Well this is my first time here in this mountainous terrain here. I won't let your loss go public."
"Thank you." She looks at the Z28 and notices the gold signature at the sides and gold rims. "I take it that you like the gold on your car right?"
"It came with the car. When I was working on this car, I forgot to tell the mechanic to paint the rims black."
She chuckles. "Oh well. Anyways, I'm Anika, the former world champion of the Midnight Club."
"I'm Ghost."
She shakes her head. "That might be a name you came up with but that's not your real name Marc."
He looks at her with a mean glare.
"Marc Smith, the US champion of the Midnight Club? Then moving on to the race tracks, and starting your own team? You know nothing gets past me… or you whipping that guys behind at the cafe with a chain."
Then he sighs. "That guy was attacking people whenever Miharu is out and about."
"You did what you had to do. Most would've turned the cheek and do nothing or do little but not doing much. That's why I was trying to do the same thing with that girl who was using the stun gun but my gut was telling me "don't do it or the Kirishimas will destroy you." then I found out which school she goes to and then I ran into her outside of it, and thrashed her and her boyfriend."
"I got her stun gun. Also Yuuji said that the Kirishimas are well known."
"She's lucky to have that status, that damn ojou, and I need your help dealing with this academy as well. Not to mention that I'm shocked that you just straight up took it from her, so I'll let you handle her, even though I had my fill with her."
"That problem goes deeper than just Shouko."
"How?" Anika crossing her arms against her chest.
"The teachers, I have a strong feeling that they're in Shouko's pockets."
"Then this is a big mess we're dealing with. I guess I'll handle the inside, but don't expect me to be a teacher over there. We can't play by they're rules now can we?"
"That'll work."
"Splendid!" Anika takes her phone. "You're gonna need my number."
"I'm not much of a texter or a caller, but okay." Then Ghost takes his phone out and gets Anika's phone number and they put their phones away.
"Now I'll show you the shrine. Follow me." Anika walks to the open passageway walking downstairs as Ghost follows her, and they walk up on two mini roof relics and there's a mini hanger with tablets written in kanji or a simple but complex drawing.
"Here we are coming from behind." Standing next to one of them.
"Oh! This is nice! This is my very first time seein' a shrine around a race track."
"I knew you'll be surprised. There might be more hidden near by racetracks around Japan."
"Okay." He nods.
"Now we close our eyes, bring our hands together and pray to endure these hard times from Fumizuki." As Anika closes her eyes and pray, a mysterious sound is heard distracting her. "What is that?"
Ghost looks around and into the night sky figuring out where it's coming from, then it fades out.
"We know it's coming from this shrine." He says looking around.
"This is getting weird." She also looks around and the sound is gone.
"Let's get outta here."
"Of course."
Anika and Ghost make their way back to the parking lot and to their cars.
"See you at the academy Marc!" Anika takes helmet from the roof of her car and puts it back on as Ghost waves at her getting his car, she gets in hers and they exit from circuit then straight to their own homes.
Ghost's house
Ghost drives the muscle car back into his garage, turning off the engine, getting out of his car and heading inside his home. As he head's upstairs to his room, taking his shirt off and puts it in the dirty clothes bin, his phone goes off then he checks the messages.
(A group chat?) He looks in there and it's Miharu texting Akihisa and Yuuko. Know he now that his real name will be used by Yuuko and Miharu face to face, but not around other people or the Fumizuki teachers. Akihisa will say his fake name regardless.
He's back. -Miharu
My phone was going off through out the first lap at the Okayama Circuit. Who created this group? -Ghost
Did you win? -Akihisa
Oh shit. -Yuuko
Yeah I won. And Yuuko… never mind. -Ghost
Who was the driver that your friend was having trouble with? -Yuuko
That driver was a female. -Ghost
WHAT?! -Akihisa
Wait… A female was driving that black car? -Yuuko
She was a world champion. -Ghost
No way! -Miharu
And you beat her? That's impressive. -Yuuko
And Shouko's ass came through yesterday. -Ghost
Oh yeah, school's around the corner. -Yuuko
I hope you have some sort of plan that's better than Yuuji's. -Akihisa
We'll see. -Ghost
The conversation is over as he tosses the phone on the bed goes into the bathroom and turns on the shower. After a twenty minute shower he steps out, gets a towel to dry off with while stepping out of the bathroom and putting the clothes in the dirty clothes bin. He goes into the drawers to get his underwear and tank top, putting them on, then the sleep shorts going down past his knees and heads to the kitchen.
He looks at oven to see the pizza in the oven and the temperature says four fifty degrees, baking the pizza in the oven.
"Miharu!" Ghost calls out. And Miharu comes down to the kitchen.
"Yes." She walks up to him.
"Are you sure about baking the pizza at that temperature? For sixteen to seventeen minutes?"
"That's what it said on the back."
"It depends on the oven. Just keep your eyes on it and make sure it's well done. Don't wanna head to sleep with an empty stomach now."
"Sure thing." She heads back upstairs to her room.
Ghost goes into the cabinet and gets some soup, getting a bowl, then opens the can and pours it into the bowl, then puts it in the microwave and puts it on one minute and five seconds. After that he takes the soup out of the microwave and waits for it to cool down and enjoys it. For Miharu, seventeen minutes later, the pizza is well done and she pump her fist in the air for her first baking attempt being a well done success. Waiting for it to cool down and also enjoy it and she calls it a night.
Sunday evening
After taking care of the laundry, working out pushing his body past his limits, meeting up with his own race team and cooking up some spaghetti, Ghost heads outside to the front then sits down to think about his plan until Shouko walks up to him.
"Hey Ghost." Shouko says in a stern tone.
"I have nothing good to say to you girl." He deadpans.
"Well if you gave me my stun gun back, I wouldn't be doing that now would I?
"What the hell do you want?" Ghost asks her royally upset with her.
"I heard you was doing a street race in Tokyo with somebody."
"Which car I was in?" Seeing if she's going to answer it correctly or not. "And it wasn't in the city."
"It was Ghost." Shouko trying to go back and forth with him dodging the first question.
"It was on the race track."
"No it wasn't."
"You didn't answer my first que-"
She interrupts him pointing the finger at him. "I don't need to. You've been a complete headache for me and Himeji already."
"Mizuki." Ghost says her first name backhandedly earning a glare from the Kirishima.
"Show the girl some respect."
"Respect is earned not given."
"Well then she has thoughts of killing Akihisa and it's your fault!" Shouko snaps at him and he gives her a cold death stare. "But if you can hold off this Aozaki person, she won't do it. Knowing that everything is personal, now for me you will do a summoning battle against me, Himeji and Minami on Friday. If you win, Himeji will leave Akihisa alone and I'll make sure Minami stay's away from him as well for the rest of the school year. If you lose, I can tell the police about your street race, and your assault on me and the two girls. Now for C? Try and be really stupid and attack me and the two girls in the academy and have the entire school and Japan all over your case. That's A,B and C what's it gonna be? Oh and by the way, if you can't find your way to Fumizuki Academy on Friday, how about you kill that driver that's wearing a red and gray racing suit because he beat me pretty bad. So that's B to clear things up."
Ghost has now found the deep end. A is get rid of Anika for Shouko, B to keep the Aozaki's off Himeji and Akihisa is safe, C to go for the jugular of these three girls and watch the country of Japan being on his head and Shouko knows she's got him right where she wants him.
"You better read the books of every god and pray to them, for I will not show any mercy." He says without blinking unnerving Shouko and making her nervous.
"You can't beat me in a summoning battle you thug, we'll see on Friday." Then Shouko walks away heading home.
Miharu opens the door and yells at her as "YOU BETTER HEAD HOME YOU RICH CUNT!"
"Tch, I got something to do now." Ghost gets up and heads inside.
"Going out again?" As she closes the door behind her.
"Yeah." He walks up stairs to his room. "Don't be surprised if I come back and give that spaghetti to somebody."
"That's my first eating it, man it tasted so good." Miharu walks back upstairs to her room.
Ghost goes into his closet and picks out a 1995 St. Louis Blues white hockey jersey. Then he picks out the Dark Grey baggy stonewash jeans and he changes into the jersey and jeans. Now he puts on some socks and white/red mid top shoes. He puts on the orange camo athletic watch on his left wrist, and finishes his look off by putting on his long diamond industrial chain around his neck.
(Onward!) Ghost teleports to…
An undisclosed location away from Mifune city and outside of Tokyo.
A hallway in front a door he ends up there. He looks around, figuring out his bearings.
His phone goes off and he goes into his pocket to take it out see who's calling him while the ringtone fills the hallway.
(A scam number, fuck y'all.) And he cancels the incoming call. Suddenly the door opens and there's same woman he saw the other day standing in front of him. This time without the orange coat.
"It's you again. That sound came from your phone didn't it?" She asks with curiously which he nods. "I'm not gonna make a big deal out of that. Come in there's something I have to show you."
Ghost walks inside her office and he's greeted with a faint cigarette smell as he notices the crystal themed ashtray that has two put out cigarettes in there.
(This one's a heavy smoker, hopefully she understands moderation.) He thought as she sits down in her chair.
He looks at the card on her desk, which she in turn notices his eyes looking at the card then picks it up in her hand.
"Oh this?" She picks up the business card. "This is was given to me when somebody was helping me with the security guards that came from Fumizuki academy, which I need to know what it looks like, and escorted me back to my shop. But that doesn't stop there." Now she puts the card down on the desk, takes off her glasses putting them down on the desk, then getting up from her chair she flexes her index finger and curls it over her palm at him, then walks out of the office while Ghost follows her.
They find themselves at the well lit garage, walking up on a car that's covered. The woman takes off the car cover revealing the red car that's been beat up.
(Oh my god. This Aston Martin DB7 got jacked up.) Looking at it incensed.
"This is what they did to one of my cars after their failed attempt capturing me." Her expression sours as she tosses the car cover to the side.
Ghost examines the car noticing the busted headlights, the dents on the hood and front bumper, he goes to the right side of the car and the words "dirty red" was written in with a blue marker on the car door.
"Look at the other side." She points. As he goes to the back and sees it beat up with the right brake light smashed then he goes the left side and he sees words "scarred red" also written in blue as well, on the car door and knife scratches before the writing itself.
"Now you said that you know who did this and I'm willing to pay you." Ghost puts his hand out while pointing at the car. "Oh the car keys. Hold on." She heads back to her office to get them.
Ghost walks back to the front the Aston Martin, shaking his head, then he looks at the truck then two other cars until his eyes lock on the Ruby Red Mettalic Porsche 959 and two motorcycles.
(I hope that relic of a car is hers.) Then he hears the clicking of high heels and sees the woman walking to him with the car keys in hand.
"You can drive right?" She asks as she puts it in his hand and he nods. "Good. The reason I can't do it myself because it's not fair for the mechanic to see this and it wouldn't be pretty anybody that sees it as well."
Ghost gets into the DB7, sticks to key into the ignition and turns it then surprisingly. The engine comes on despite the damage done to the car it's self. He rolls the window down as the red headed woman walks up to the driver side.
"So you're gonna take this car to this speedway garage in Tokyo for me?" Ghost nods. "Okay, I'll be waiting in my office then." Then she picks up the car cover and walks off back to her office.
Ghost takes out his phone to set the GPS and his widen.
"That far from Tokyo?! East northeast at least woman?! In Shimizu to Tokyo?" Being in shock about it because he never ventured outside of that province. "Oh well, at least you're under the race track of Fuji." Then he drives out the shop's garage makes his way to Speedway.
1 hour later taking the fastest route, he made it to Tokyo and found his way to Speedway. Turning left into the corner as the garage door opens automatically then he drives inside.
Stopping the car and putting it in park, he gets out the car then a female mechanic who's twenty five years old with black wavy long hair with a red stripped cloth hairband, wearing a zipped up black jacket and some dark blue jeans with gray/black mid tops walks to him as Ghost turns off the engine and takes the keys gets out and closes the car door.
"Whoa!" She starts surprised. "You're that guy whipped that fat bastard at the cafe the other day?"
"Yeah."
"That bastard really had it coming, molesting his own daughter and attacking everybody, that guy has the worse rep around these parts."
"He probably was paying the cops to look the other way. That's why they can't touch him before."
"Ohhh. You could be right about that."
"Mr. Ghost man!" A guy who owns Speedway Tokyo, wearing a different white cap, white and green zipped up jacket and blue jeans with white sneakers walks over to him to happily greet him.
"Tomoya!" He puts his fist out and they fist bump. "How ya been?"
"Good. And business is stable as usual."
"Is this your new mechanic?" Ghost points at her.
"Nah, she's just visiting. She's has her own repair shop and she's a huge car fan. She can race and slide around too in drift competitions."
"That's right." She adds. "I'm Kozako," Then looks at the car. "nice Aston Martin DB7 by the way."
"A pleasure to meet to ya." Ghost bows. "And it's that woman's car."
"Let's see the problem." Tomoya and Kozako look at the car and dread washes over Tomoya more than Kozako who herself is reading the writing. "Don't read that!" Then he goes to the right side of the car.
"What? Why?" She asks him with a quizzical look on her face.
"Is that woman here?" Tomoya asks Ghost anxiously.
"No." Ghost crosses his arms across his chest.
"What woman?" She asks, then it hit her. "Oh." Then she heads to the exit and looks around outside.
"This is an insult that belongs to an Aozaki. You know who did this?"
"Idiot teenagers." Ghost answers bluntly.
Kozako walks back inside. "You mean to tell me that these two insults belong to an Aozaki? And they just vandalize her car like that?"
"Let me see about the writing." Tomoya slides his finger across it, wiping off a letter. "This is written with a dry marker, and this look like it's done over with a key."
"I'll look at the other side." Kozako walks over to the right side of the car and wipes off the word red. "Same thing over here, minus the scratches. Great timing showing up too."
"Looks like we'll get it fixed." Then Ghost's phone goes off. "Don't tell us it's that woman calling you." Anxiety kicking in again.
The dreadlock foreigner takes his phone out and checks the caller id and it's Miharu."
"It's not her, it's someone else." A sigh of relief from the mechanic, as Ghost takes the call.
"Hello."
"Marc, there's somebody at the door. I think it's that girl we ran into at the Skytree." Miharu standing at the door. "You told me not to let anybody in when you're gone."
"Is it that woman with the black hair and those chestnut eyes?"
"With that guitar with her?"
"Let her in."
"Okay." Miharu opens the door to let her in and after some small talk, the woman is on Miharu's phone. "She said thanks."
"Alright, I'll see you soon."
"Bye." And the phone conversation ends.
"Hey guys, let me empty out that ashtray before y'all work on the thing."
"Oh you wanna help?" Tomoya asks surprised with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"I feel for you, dealing with that cigarette smoke in her car driving all the way here."
As Ghost gets in the car, takes out the ashtray, taking out the used cigarettes it out into the garbage, putting it in garbage and putting it back in the car. The two wiped off the dry marker writing on the car doors and they restore it to it's original glory in fifty minutes.
"Okay the cars repaired." Tomoya says taking a deep breath.
"I'm thinking about seeing a new color." Ghost wonders.
"Showing your heart with style huh? Let's hear it."
"Dark green metallic."
"Orange pearlescent?" Kozako suggests. "Would she like it in that color?"
"I've seen that woman and she has her fingernails panted in orange. She'll get tired of it someday."
"Cherry red metallic?" Tomoya suggests and Ghost thought about it and it hit him.
"Cherry red... pearlescent."
"Alright!" She and Tomoya get the paint cans and spray as Ghost gets the masks and goggles for them and he walks off and exits the garage.
A few minutes later as Ghost waits outside as he looks at a dark blue car that's parked in the alleyway with nobody in there. The garage door opens and it's Tomoya.
"It's ready." He tells him and Ghost walks in into the garage.
A new color made by Tomoya and Kozako, a cherry red pearlescent Aston Martin DB7 ready to be driven back to her.
"I also had to clean the interior and put in an air freshener in there." Kozako standing near the car. "Focus on driving this car back to her with no scratches now."
"He'll be fine." Tomoya looks down and sees a stack of yen held out by Ghost. "This is for the special paint job. Thanks man." And he takes it and puts it in his pocket.
Now she walks up to him and gives him a card. "I know you can do street racing but if you get a chance, swing by to my repair shop."
"Was that your car parked in the alleyway?" Ghost asks while putting the card away.
"Yep, my Toyota Veilside Supra Fortune 99." She proudly says.
"Damn!"
"That's what happens when you participate in drift events and win em'."
"Take care of that thing alright, I don't know if there's many around these parts." Tomoya tells her, while Ghost opens the door to the DB7.
"I will, don't you worry."
"Good luck with that Aozaki Ghost." Tomoya tells Ghost who gets in the car and turns the engine on and rolls the window down.
"I'll be fine."
"Take care guys!" Kozako walks out of the garage heading to her car in the alleyway and Ghost drives out of it as well heading back home.
At Ghost's house
He drives the car to the driveway, puts the car in park, leaving the keys in there and the engine running and gets out. Walking to the front door, he takes out the key to his house, unlocking the door and heads inside closing the door behind him.
"Hey Ghost." Miharu greets while playing a game in the living room.
"I'm back for the pictures." He walks upstairs to his first room going into the file metal cabinet gets out a folder and gets four pictures; Fumizuki Academy, Yuuji, Shouko and Mizuki. Turning the photo of the academy over, he writes the schools phone number and his, then puts them in his pocket. As he's closes the top cabinet, he makes his way out of his room, the same woman he saw last week stands in his way.
"What are you doing?" She asks curiously.
"Currently helping someone." She steps aside and follows him as he head downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Oh… well I'm trying to figure out why the noodles are separated?"
"From the pasta. That's how spaghetti is made." He gets a plate then puts the noodles on it first then he puts the sauce on it then he gets the plastic fork and gets a paper towel and folds it into the fork,
"Spaghetti?" She repeats. "That's new."
Then he gets the foil and wraps it up then goes in the fridge gets a pink lemonade juice in a can.
"Now that I know how to set it up, may I have some?" She asks waiting for an answer.
"Sure… err?" Ghost trying to find out her name.
"Hibana."
"Okay Hibana. Just don't make a mess with the sauce now." He takes the plate and fork wrapped up in a paper towel and the pink lemonade in a can, he calls for Miharu to lock the door as he heads out to the DB7, getting inside the car with them and heads back to the shop in Shimizu.
The Shop in Shimizu
Ghost drives into the garage he drove out from and parks the just as she left it. He turns the engine off, taking the car keys out and put it in his pocket, opening the car door while taking the plate with the plastic fork and the pink lemonade in a can and steps out of the car and closes and car door.
Walking down the hall, he retraces his steps back to the office that he teleported in front of, he puts the can down, opens the door slightly before picking the can up, heading inside and he's introduced to a vivid sight. The redheaded woman is sitting in her seat, smoking a cigarette without her glasses and her hair is down, her red eyes gleaming through the dark with the lamplight on looking tense.
(Oh god!) Ghost thought as his eyes widen as he closes the door. (Why do I hear Katz theme playing in my head.)
"What's that in your hands?" She asks him after blowing smoke in the air and taps the cigarette over the ashtray
He walks up to her desk putting the plate on the desk along with the plastic fork wrapped in a paper towel and the pink lemonade in a can beside it.
"Oh? Dinner?" Her eyes lit up. "For me? And what about the culprits?"
Ghost nods as he takes out four pictures from his pocket and puts them on the desk. She examines the pictures and notices that they are teenagers; Yuuji being nineteen years old while Mizuki and Shouko are seventeen years old going to Fumizuki Academy. She brings the cigarette up to her mouth, inhaling and exhaling the smoke then looks at Ghost.
"You really went in depth with this didn't you?" She asks sitting back in her chair. "Alright, here's the payment. How about… two million yen?"
Ghost shakes his head.
"Hm?" She raises her eyebrow. That's the first time someone rejected her payment then she comes up with another offer. "Five million yen?"
He shakes his head again. Then she looks at the wrapped up food and the drink thinking it's costing her extra, then she leans forward in her seat looking at the third times a charm right?
"Seven million yen?" This idiot already turned down fifty million yen from Shouko, so this is chump change.
He shakes head again… for the third time. (Shut the fuck up.) He internally curses out the narrator.
"Damn it!" She gets up from her seat, walks around the desk looking at him and she stands in front of him. The long industrial diamond chain glistening around his neck and she touches it, feeling that it's made from real diamonds. "My whole paycheck?" She asks him.
"No." Ghost finally speaks up. Looking into her eyes before touching her necklace.
"I'm just kidding, I just want to hear you speak. This is surprisingly the first time someone turned down my payment, and that's three times that happened. Oh and aren't you a bold one." Tilting her head a little bit, smirking at him.
Ghost takes his hand off her necklace and moves it to her hand to get her to let go, which she does.
"So, what's in this plate?" As she points at it, she takes a puff of her cigarette and blows the smoke away from his face.
"Spaghetti."
"Italian food? Well that's a first for me. You cooked this?"
"Yeah."
"And you made sure that I have a drink? I'll see about this pink lemonade flavor here. Now down to business." She picks up a picture of Yuuji. "Yuuji Sakamoto huh? He looks like the type that can't be trusted and has skeletons in his closet. My advice, stay away from him."
"There's Shouko Kirishima who messes him up every day of the week and she tried to break into my house."
"She did all of that?" She asks him raising her eyebrow while putting down the picture on the desk and tapping the cigarette over the ashtray again.
"Yeah, and get this. Yuuji himself said that she was abandoned by her parents and they are a well known family, but I don't care about that."
She takes in that information nodding her head. "It looks like we're on the same page here. The Kirishima's might be well known but if I find out that she was the one with these two that vandalized my car, I will end her." Now she picks the picture of Mizuki. "Mizuki Himeji." Then takes one last puff of the cigarette and blows smoke into the picture of Himeji.
"The killer cook." Ghost adds.
"You're telling me that her cooking kills people?" She looks at him surprised.
"Akihisa tried to stop her but she kept going with the acids and chemicals." He crosses his arms across his chest.
"I'll head over to Fumizuki Academy. Once again if find out these are responsible for vandalizing my car and writing those words…"
"I'm goin' against them, just gotta come up with a different angle to get all three is all"
She nods as she puts the cigarette out in the ashtray, walks around the desk and sits back down in the roller chair rolling up to the desk and she and Ghost make space for the food that's wrapped in foil.
"Thanks. Now before you go, I would like to evaluate your cooking but," She opens the can. "The pink lemonade drink first." Then takes a sip from the cold can of it. "A different kind of lemonade but in pink, this is refreshing." Now she unwraps the foil revealing exactly what he said in a light to moderate serving. She gets the paper towel with the plastic fork taking it out, sticking the fork in the spaghetti and puts it into her mouth. The flavors bursting all over the taste buds and swallows it. "This is delicious! What's in this sauce?"
"Ground beef, then the Italian sauce, a bit of green and red bell peppers and some onion." Ghost puts his hands in his pockets.
"Nice." She nods as she gets the photo of Fumizuki Academy, turns it around and sees two phone numbers. Then she gets her phone out and dials the second phone number then Ghost's phone goes off.
Ghost takes his phone out and sees a different phone number that's not a scammer and answers it.
"Hello?" Ghost starts.
"Got your number now." The voice is in the same room and he sees the woman smiling at him on the phone.
"Oh you subtle…" He hangs up with the woman doing the same thing chuckling as they save each other phone numbers in their contacts. As Ghost leaves the office the woman stops him.
"Hey. What's your name?" She asks him.
"Ghost, but that's a fake name. Just along with it." He walks out of the office and closes the door.
"Ghost?" She repeats it. "Not your real name huh? So I have two things to do after killing-" She pauses looking at the door. "those three: Finding the person who drove the Bugatti the other day, and finding out his real name." She resumes to eating the spaghetti fully enjoying it.
Back at Ghost's house
After taking off his chain and watch then putting them away in the dresser then the clothes, he heads into the bathroom taking a shower for twenty minutes then heads out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist picking out his underwear then his sleepwear, removing the towel and putting them on then hanging the towel up, then heading off to bed.
A new week will start anew. Will we see a summoning battle? Or we'll see a body laid out on the week back to school?
To be continued
Hibana is from Nightshade
Ending theme – Riders on the Storm – Yonderboi