Those who read the manga, some of the events on this case would change! Some minor and major ones!

"What an intense place, it somehow feels like we're in the wilderness." Yasuhara commented as they all stared at the weed-covered field where right at the center of it stood a 2-storey wooden building constructed on a slope due to it having built on higher grounds, the forest trees towering over it and behind looked like an accessory of its roof. Just by the looks of it, the word 'abandoned' and 'forgotten' clearly depicted the place. All of its glass panels were spoilt and most of the windows were broken, it did not take a person to wear glasses to fully see how the wooden walls are looking pretty rotten. That was only the building itself as when Mai and the others looked around its surrounding area, they realized that the track field has also been overgrown by weeds, making it a bit vague to see. While on the other side of the area, the iron-chains of a swing were already broken and untangled. And even though it would be located at the very back of the building, the stench of its swimming pool can be smelt.

"The school is too quiet, this somehow makes one feel uncomfortable." Mai agrees to Ayako's words, 'Especially since this place was a wasteland, I couldn't help but feel desolate...'

The school was located about a half an hour drive up the mountain. Travelling from wide roads onto relatively narrow paths, one could vaguely see the school compound on the slope at the end of the winding mountain road were the closed school gates. Right in front of the school gates, which closed across the center of the road, were 2 or 3 residences, but Mai couldn't perceive any signs of human scenery was nothing but rolling mountains– 'it must have been tough for the students who studied at this school.' as the sight of an abandoned school always felt unpleasant to see, giving off an oppressive feeling as always.

"I hate this feeling, it's like it's going to fall apart soon." And it seems Masako thought the same as Mai as the medium spoke.

"Do you see anything, Masako?" Masako's bright black eyes looked towards the school, scanning the whole building— every inch of the windows left unscathed at her observation.

But she saw nothing, though the oppressive feeling remained. It made the medium cautious of what's inside. "The distance is a little far. Do you feel anything, Mai?"

"I… I just got up, I'm still a little dizzy."Mai shook her head, staring back into the forgotten school in all seriousness but Mai wasn't numb as she felt the aura around Masako change into ridicule, making the high school assistant blush out of embarrassment and sheepish.

"Ah… who was it who said she wouldn't take a nap, and wanted to be a useful person?" The condescending tone of her voice went unnoticed to Mai's ears, making her embarrassed further.

"Mind your own business! This I call personality! Personality!"

Masako sighs, feeling sorry for the girl. "These words are for your sake."

"Shut up!"

"Hey! The one chatting over there!" Mai flinched, knowing the bullet Naru shot was meant for her.

Like a soldier, Mai's instinct was automatic as she turns to face Naru, who was already sending the girl his cold narrowed gaze with arms already crossed over his chest. "Y-Yes Sir!"

"Set up the sound concentrating microphones outside, after that we need to gather information on the activity using cameras, so find places to put them. We'll do this for a day to monitor what happens." Naru says, his body motionless as he gave orders. "No one is allowed to enter the building till we get information."

"Aye aye, sir!" Mai kept firm to her salutation and only when Naru turned his back towards her did Mai broke and sent Bou-san a pleading gaze.

"So he says, but can you please lend me a hand...?" Bou-san sighed, fully expecting that to come and so he, Yasuhara and Mai took one side and Ayako and John took the other to help Lin.

••

"Ok, job complete!" Yasuhara says as he and Bou-san, along with Mai sat at the grass when they finally finished setting up microphones around the building, having teased Mai in throwing rocks on the windows to create a hole for the microphones to peak in. The trio now just resting in hopes to get away from Naru's cold orders. A few minutes of them gone shouldn't be a problem.

Bou-san lifted his head and looked at the school building, his eyes searching for anything but saw nothing. With a sigh, he lowers his eyes back and seeing it, Mai couldn't help but ask. "Do you feel anything?"

"Just hungry."
"No. I feel quite nostalgic." Bou-san says slowly while Yasuhara was quick with a smile but the two managed to speak at the same time.

Mai and Bou-san sent the other boy a look, shaking their heads with a smile as they chuckled at Yasuhara's words.

'– Nostalgic?' Mai tilts her head and looked at Bou-san while Bou-san smiles gently at the sight of Mai's questioning gaze.

"This type of wooden school building somehow gives me a sense of déjà vu."

"Ah…" A memory soon popped out of her head, and a small smile made its way to Mai's face as she remembered their first meeting. Her first meeting with Naru. "Me too."

Yasuhara looked a bit out of placed, getting confused on why the two people beside him smiled so nostalgically. "and Why are you both so nostalgic?"

Finally sensing his confusion, Mai explains. "When we first met we were investigating in a school building like this."

"Ah… is that so."

"Yeah, that was Mai's first investigation."

"Because Lin-san wasn't there."

"Yes, yes." Mailifts her head to look at the school building, her nostalgic look still present in her eyes. 'Perhaps, this would be our final investigation...'

The conversation soon diverted over seeing spirits as all they could tell based on Masako's words and Mai were that they couldn't tell anything yet. Yasuhara speaks up, his thoughts wandering until he finally found the right words to open up what was nagging at his thoughts.. "Matsuzaki-san appears to be a slightly special psychic, Brown is also an exorcist. I think exorcists don't see spirits either… But it somehow feels strange that Takigawa-san can't see them."

"I could see them in the past." Bou-san replied simply. Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly while Mai unknowing of this fact, gazed at him with wide surprised eyes.

'–This! This is the first time I've heard this...'

Yasuhara hummed, placing a hand on his chin. "Is it because you've become an adult that you can't see them anymore?"

"You're just trying to say that I'm getting old, aren't you?–" The monk's brow twitched, glaring at Yasuhara lightly but let it go when he saw the smile the young boy had on his face. "It's because I broke my head in a previous exorcism, that some problems have appeared in my head."

Yasuhara clapped his hands, nodding his head in understanding as though the puzzle was slowly building together. "So that's the story, this should be considered Takigawa-san's secret then."

"What?" Mai asks, brows furrowed. 'Secrets? What Yasuhara meant by that?'

Yasuhara shrugs, "Nothing much, I just felt that everyone here has a lot of secrets."

Mai lets out a wry chuckle, waving a hand in front of her. "That's Lin and Naru."

"Not only them." Bou-san cuts in, his voice serious and unmoving, making Mai pause.

'Eh?'

Yasuhara nods along in agreement, his voice lowering similarly to conform to Bou-san serious tone. "Doesn't Matsuzaki-san have some special powers? Hara-san appears to be a medium, but in reality could she be a psychic researching psychology?"

"Yeah."

"Taniyama doesn't have any siblings. Akemi-san has a dark past and has abilities that no one could guess. While Bou-san could see, he is no longer able to now. Look here, aren't these everyone's secrets?"

"Is that so..." Mai felt the heart in her chest churn at the idea of each and everyone having secrets. The idea of her friends turning into a family figure was not only breaking with the possibility of Naru and Lin leaving but was now crumbling if it was all built in lies and secret in the beginning. 'Would it actually be family if each only had secrets to keep? If each and everyone was not like what she really thought? "But... it's not like we deliberately withheld the information..." Mai says but it came more as a doubtful claim.

Bou-san laughed bitterly.

"There's only Brown left."

"Yeah yeah. Do you know anything, Bou-san?"

Bou-san sighs, getting up when he saw they have been laying low for a few minutes now. Yasuhara and Mai following along his decision but they kept the conversation going. "I haven't confirmed this with him..."

"What? Tell us."

"John isn't an exorcist." Bou-san finally said.

Mai's eyes bulged at the reveal. "What? What in the world?" 'John?! Not a priest!?'

"If it's getting rid of demons, not everyone can do it; there're a lot of troublesome rules especially for Catholics. Although I'm not too clear myself, I think exorcism can only be conducted by priests of bishop rank and above."

"So John is a bishop then?" Yasuhara asks, Bou-san though shakes his head.

"There aren't any bishops who are that young. Furthermore, to do exorcisms, one must inform one's superiors; one must receive permission to exorcise like this. Furthermore he has to fast for a certain time."

"This really is rather troublesome…" Yasuhara sighs, crossing his arms as he closed his eyes in thought, trying to process everything he learned. While Mai remined stunned of the revelations she kept receiving.

"Isn't that so!"

"Yeah."

"Because the church is really doing this, and John really is a priest, but despite this, to exorcise so haphazardly he'd encounter the big problem of expulsion, so I feel there's some hidden story here."

Mai shaking away the feeling of her tight chest, soon asked the two. "When did this happen?"

Bou-san blinked, shrugging his shoulders as they crossed the fence. "This? I knew it from the start. Akemi and Naru-bou knows about it too; in the beginning he rather suspiciously commented of John: he's really young."

Mai's shoulders fell, 'So that's the case. All of us really have many secrets.'

Bou-san sensing the change in Mai, tried to divert the conversation, sending Yasuhara a teasing stare. "That leaves you, young man."

"I'm not a psychic, I'm simply one of the Young Investigators Club." Yasuhara answers easily with one of his civil smiles, making Bou-san and Mai escape a laugh from their lips.

"You really do look like one – ha ha, Young Investigators Club."

"Isn't that so? I have to make a BD badge then."

"What's that?" Mai blinked in confusion.

"One of the seven tools of the Young Investigators Club."

"But aren't you just one person?"

"Do you want to join, Taniyama-san?"

Bou-san laughs, "Really, is Kobayashi-kun going back?"

"Yes, Akechi-san." Yasuhara says, pertaining for Bou-san to be the character he mentioned.

"Shouldn't Akechi should be Naru then?"

"Really? For Shibuya-san…"

"The man of twenty-faces?"

"Yes yes!" The three of them laughed all the way till they finally got back to receive Naru's narrowed gaze and sharp questions, but the sight of him simply brought another laugh from the three.

••

Naru frowned when he didn't see any notifications about Akemi's whereabouts. The side of his temples where starting to ache just thinking about that girl and his heart just won't stay normal whenever she does these kinds of things as usually it would mean Akemi was up to no good or she was up to no good. 'Seriously, this girl... Let's just calm down. At least she has Oliver with her.'

The school building was an elongated block, with a storage shed separated from the very school building. Though it was more on the north side, and kind of wrecked due to age. So the SPR opted for a substitute base, where the doors of both buildings were connected by a roofed hallway, building in an 'L' shape.

"Do you think we'll get anything?" Mai asks as she handed Naru the tape he asked for, as they decided to use casette tapes for recording.

"I still don't know right now, the first day we only temporarily monitor the situation, without much expectations either."

Yasuhara glanced briefly around, "Is there really something here? I only feel it has a little of that type of atmosphere."

"I don't know— we'll know when we investigate, it should clear up once we investigate it a little." Naru says as he started to fiddle with the tape. Trying to distract himself as his thoughts won't let up over things he never thought would actually bother him. 'Things? more like someone.' "- I was bored anyway, so if we get anything, it's like a bonus— In any case we've got quite a bit of free time now."

Mai felt her brow twitched at Naru's words. 'To pass the time? From our position isn't this forced labor? And all because you were bored?!Oh well,' Mai sighs. 'Naru feels bored because he's waiting for his brother's body to be dredged out but how could he stay so nonchalant as though nothing had happened? As expected, the structure of Naru's mind is different from mine.'

After finally finished setting up the microphones and any other recoding cameras they placed on their monitors, Naru picks up one of their communicating microphones to speak to Lin as he knew the other handles the other side of the building area. "Lin, we've completed preparations on my side, how's your side going?"

"Ok, preparing to start recording."

"Got it." When he finished Naru looked towards the other direction, right on one of the open windows of the school building they could see. his indigo eyes deeply and dark as he stared. "Of course there is something that bothers me." He stated, ignoring the sudden blush that filtered on Mai's face.

Yasuhara nods, getting Naru's thoughts. "Regardless of what we think, this is just not the type of case that the mayor would get involved in."

Mai blinked in confusion, lost as to what the two could mean. '– Eh?'tilting her head in thought, Naru heard Mai ask. "What do you mean?"

"Remember how we asked the lady who introduced the village chief to us? Didn't they say they haven't heard rumors of ghosts?"

Thinking back on it, Naru recalled such interaction. Mai nods also remembering such thing. "Yeah, the other workers also said the same thing."

But Yasuhara's expression also showed slight incomprehension. "But, if there really were no rumors, why would they deliberately come to make a request? Yesterday, the village chief's assistant appeared to be continually unsettled."

Listening to Yasuhara's analysis, Naru nodded.

"Yasuhara-san, do you want to do some detective work?"

"Yes, did you hear that just now?" Yasuhara pertained to the conversation the trio had earlier.

Naru smirked slightly and nodded. "How about it?" Mai again blinked at the two like a lost child, but Yasuhara caught on the meaning, if he would be willing to investigate the gap they had noticed.

Yasuhara smiles, "Sure, I'll go around and ask around the area."

At this time, Ayako peaks in and calls over to them. "Ne, do you want a rest?"

Naru frowned at the call, lifting his wrist Naru glanced at the time and saw it was past 10. When the breeze touched his skin, it was extra cold and a bit uncomfortable. His frowned deepen along with his concern as he realized an unexpected typhoon might be coming, he frowned at the out of nowhere change of the weather and his thoughts once again came back to a silly blind girl wearing such a flimsy white summer dress making him let out a deep sigh again as Mai and Yasuhara left to take care of the microphones and camera before the rain started to pour.

••

"Mai, do you want juice or tea?" Ayako asked as they all sat back to where their base was located.

Ayako took out a huge thermos already filled with Akemi's prepared tea. Naru nearly sighing in relief for at least being able to have tea whilst they are already in the midst of worrying over their rations of water. So he waited patiently for his, silently thanking Akemi when the others stared at her confused for preparing such a hot beverage on a hot summer day with her only reason being, 'It will be cold soon enough, maybe a rain?' the heiress said with the sun shining bright over the green grass of the fields.

"tea please!" Masako, who was holding back laughter, passed over a pretty blue plastic teacup printed with flowers – much like a cup a child uses for tooth brushing.

"I want some also!" Bou-san cuts in as the cold wind hit their skin.

"Please go ahead, Takigawa-san." Bou-san received the cup from Masako's hands and glanced inside, and his expecting eyes immediately appeared extremely disappointed. Naru frowned at his reaction, 'Was there something wrong with the tea?'

"Paper cups are discarded once used, it's too wasteful. This is Takigawa-san's cup." Masako reasons as she turns her back and started refilling the others using the huge thermos, the medium trying her best to control her laugh while Mai was already laughing loud.

"This is Naru's, and this is Lin's." Maiproudly handed the cups to everyone where everyone's cups were all different. "Here, Yasuhara, John."

"– You fellow, you're clearly doing this to waste time." Bou-san, who spoke restlessly as he held the cup in his hands, turning it to reveal his dinosaurs printed cup.

"Hey hey hey hey…"

"How cute!" The one with swans printed on it was John's and he held his own cup with such bright eyes while beside him, Yasuhara good-heartedly laughs, inspecting his crab filled cup.. "How nostalgic, its important to never forget simple pleasures such as this!"

Naru didn't bother to check his fox printed cup and simply drank the tea, placing his notes down beside him to check once again his phone while Lin-san with his back turned, stared at his puppy cup.

Yasuhara lifted his cup, inspecting it made him notice the dark clouds coming in and he couldn't help but announce it to the others.

"It could be about to rain..." When he heard John's words, Bou-san stood up. "It'll be troublesome if it rains; I'll go buy lunch since it's still early."

"Yeah." Masako also stood up, followed by Yasuhara. "I'll take advantage of this time and go find out any news."

"Then we are counting on you!" Mai waved at them as the three left using Bou-san's car.

After Bou-san's car disappeared, John looked at the sky, slightly worried. "It really is about to rain."

••

Akemi shivered as the rain pelted down over her and Oliver's figure. Her teeth chattered over the cold, her skin already freezing, she sent a sorry glance over where Oliver led her, muttering a shivering apology to her loyal friend and the dog simply huffed, enjoying the coldness of the rain.

She and Oliver had been walking all this time, and she can finally relax as she and Oliver reached a warm looking cabin house. Lifting a shaky fist, she knocked on the door three times then a few more repeats until the door opened. "Coming! Please wait for a second!" A female voice called from the other side. Hearing her words, Akemi and Oliver patiently waited, Akemi letting go of the dog's leash as she could be trusted to wait, and sensing his master's agreeing mood, Oliver was quick to run around in the rain after he set Akemi to stay in the small roof over the door of the cabin.

Soon the wooden door opened, and the young lady inside froze at the sight of the shivering wet heiress with her dog trying to chase his tail in the pelting rain.

Akemi gave a smile, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience but would you be so kind and let my dog and I stay for a while till the rain ends?"

••

The rest of the SPR, Lin, Naru, Ayako, Mai and John had just finished disconnecting the microphones and cameras as the rain fell down hard over them. By the time they had gotten back to their designated position, the rain was heavier then they thought and the roofed hallway didn't give any of the shelter they hoped to get and so they gathered to where a door was opened, the door to the school building.

Naru frowned at the wasted time this would take but what else could he do but accept. "We'll have to wait for the rain to cease before setting up again."

"That looks like the only option."

Mai shook of some of the water from her shirt, creating a quick puddle to the old cracked floor. "It's a really heavy rain."

BLAGG—!

Mai jumped at the loud sound, turning back to see the door shut. With it shut,the sound of the rain was also slightly muted. Seeing that it was only nothing made Mai let out a breath of relief.

"Ne, thinking about it, does it matter that we're inside the school now?"

"Idiot! If there's anything unexpected we'll just jump out immediately and all will be well." Was what Ayako said and indeed, looking at it, the distance to the aged wooden door frame was only 2 steps and they would be able to be greeted by rain.

"Yeah." Mai though however felt worried, after all she had been through in their cases, would leaving this place really be that easy?'No way. Because Naru was too cautious, even I had turned a little cowardly.'

"There wasn't anything at all before noon." Naru speaks up to lower the doubt he sensed coming off from Mai as he patted himself. Finding the fear a waste of time. "If there was a strong spirit, there would be a rebound, but from the start there was nothing at all. It was like this to begin with," Naru said coolly.

With his words, Mai felt slightly relaxed but a thought came to mind and couldn't help but ask. "Hey… could there be some moderately honest spirits?" 'You know... some spirits that show up to reveal their presence without question... If there are spirits, they would reveal themselves that kind of honest.'

"There are spirits that completely do not respond up until exorcism." When Naru placed his hands inside his pockets, he frowned at the emptiness of them and realized his hands where oddly vacant.

'Eh… is this so.' Her fear came back. "What should we do, Naru? Should we abort it today?— eh? Where are you going?" Mai asked as Naru suddenly took a step and held the door handle.

"..." Naru breathed out, "I forgot my file."

Hearing that, Mai felt a sweat dropped down from her head but it might just be rain. 'Can't you forget work for a while and focus on how we are getting out of the rain?'

"It'd get wet." Mai smartly says, but Naru was quick to say"It's already wet." before trying to open the door.

"-?"

"What's up?"

Naru didn't respond and pushed the door with all his strength. But it was stuck somewhere. The door merely creaked and groaned but didn't move. Ayako almost burst out laughing, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Naru you're weak! Wait till I tell this to Akemi!"

Naru frowned at Ayako's teasing and tried pushing the door harder, and not wanting to prolong the situation,

Mai walks towards Naru. "It's the door's problem. It's too old!" She says as she reached out but as she also tried with all her strength, it won't budge.

"Eh? Why doesn't it move?" Mai was nudged to the side by Naru, something in his gut already ringing in alarm as his frowned deepen and his eyes darkened into a serious stare.

Naru shook the door with some violence and used his shoulder to ram the door. When he felt a slight pain on his shoulder, he couldn't help but thought: 'Where was Akemi's monstrous strength when you need her?'

"Could it be locked…?" Naru heard Mai mutter under her breath but he knew it wasn't the case.

Lin and John also ran over to stand beside Naru, and the three of them pushed the door together but a few more tries of it and they soon reached a conclusion immediately.

"– The door can't be opened."