A/N: Hi! I had meant to post last weekend but didn't get around to it. So as an apology, we have a longer chapter today!
*In the translation of the short story "Genki", it's confirmed that Mai is popular amongst the boys at school. Reminder, this fic is a canon divergence!
Italics = Mai's thoughts
Bold Italics= Gene talking
Case Four—Part 1
It was one of those dreams again.
Rather than the usual Western man and woman, there was a new face this time—a woman around Bou-san and Lin's age. She was of Asian descent with pink-brown hair that Mai figured was dyed, if current trends told her anything. She had a bright personality, was very outgoing, and maybe a smidgen obnoxious. She often interrupted Mai's host's reading for little pranks or pushed her into annoying situations. The original viewer must've been close with this woman judging from their tolerance of her mischief.
According to the feelings of the person whose shoes Mai walked in, this woman felt akin to a family friend. Perhaps a teacher as well, or so she interpreted. She wondered why she felt that way when the woman had never shown any inclination that she was a teacher. Perhaps, that was a detail only the original viewer knew.
Unlike Luella and Martin, whose names Mai only remembered during these visions, the pink-haired lady was never designated one. That was the difficult part about having these dreams. They were so scattered—some had voices, others didn't. Some had details, others were vague. Mai had to piece it all together herself. Considering that she couldn't willingly recall much when she woke up, the task was difficult. Sometimes the dreams felt eerily uncanny like she was living another life, not just witnessing someone else's memories.
A part of her was content to leave the situation be. Would she be happy to find out whose memories she was seeing? Assuming they were dead, she knew learning more about them and what they lost would pull at her heart.
She knew they deserved to have their story known. But for now, she would allow herself the luxury of ignorance.
At least for a little bit.
Life resumed as normal following the winter break with Mai returning to her apartment. One of her concerns was her little aloe plant, which her landlady graciously checked for her. She was happy to find it still alive when she entered the studio apartment after what felt like a month.
Ayako missed having her around and would crash at her place occasionally. She even left a toothbrush and some skincare. The brunette didn't mind though, since it made things livelier in her quiet little apartment.
While Mai continued to recover, she decided to slow her research regarding the twin brothers. She got fatigued easily these days and their whole situation had her head spinning.
The priority was still finding Gene's body while finding Naru's real name came after. She knew the latter was prying—an indulgent curiosity she didn't necessarily have a right to know.
She wondered if Masako knew who he was. Perhaps that was the "dirt" Ayako mentioned? She doubted the medium would tell her if she asked. It was like asking Michiru for personal information about Akira-kun. It wasn't her business.
Yet, she was still curious. He probably had his reasons, like he always did. After all, why did Gene have to hide his full name too?
These were the thoughts she pondered on during her more mundane moments. She didn't dwell on it long since she struggled to catch up with daily life as it was. "Stressing about other people's business gave people headaches," or so the one neighborhood aunty always told her.
If only the aunty followed her own advice.
Something that was related to Mai was the matter of her actual accident. After running some reconnaissance, she surmised that Naru had called Michiru after Gene's initial contact. Meaning that Michiru hadn't asked Naru to come.
He initiated the idea himself.
It almost warmed her heart until she realized Gene wouldn't have contacted him unless it was the last resort—that Gene believed Naru was the only one who could save her. She liked to think she knew Naru enough now that if he could help someone, he would. Well, if it was a life-or-death situation, anyway. There were plenty of other situations he wouldn't give a rat's ass about.
Unfortunately, fate wasn't on her side because every time she tried to bring up the topic of the accident, there would be some interruption. She was beginning to wonder if she wasn't supposed to find out. Was Naru intentionally hiding it? Or maybe he didn't think it important enough to mention? Or was there something about the situation that he wasn't comfortable speaking about?
Either way, something in her gut told her that she would inevitably find out soon enough. It would happen when she least expected it to knowing her luck.
Besides, with other priorities at present, she could afford to file it away for later.
Feeling lazy… maybe I'll stop by Family Mart for dinner. Grilled onigiri sounds good right about now.
Oliver sighed and pulled off his glasses. He had to start getting used to Mai's menial sentiments interrupting his thoughts. Unlike his and Gene's telepathy, he was still trying to figure out this new connection. While the twins' telepathy was natural—something they didn't need to learn—his current predicament with Mai was not so straightforward. There weren't any boundaries at present, and he couldn't "close" off the connection the way he knew how.
Telling from his observations, the link wasn't reciprocal. Only he was able to hear her thoughts. Ethics dictated that he should inform her, yet the researcher in him didn't want to influence the connection. For all he knew, if Mai found out, she would close herself off unintentionally and not know how to open it back up. He planned to tell her eventually, but he wanted a short period to study the phenomenon independently first.
This was an opportunistic situation to study a paranormal rarity without confounding variables.
Besides, he could only hear her thoughts sporadically. Most of them were without context so he didn't pay them heed anyway. He also had no way of willingly listening in, nor could he block them out. Following nights of research reflection, he deduced that—
This was a side-effect of his and Mai's souls merging during her revival.
He could hear her thoughts without distance restrictions at any frequency—none, once, twice, thrice a day.
And Mai thought about food, often. Particularly what she felt like eating for her upcoming meals. At the very least, it provided insight into why she worried so much about what he and Lin were ingesting.
With the first two points, he could only wonder if she had started experiencing anything new herself. He planned to study her side effects following his own case study. The events on the mountain were a blur for him, possibly from the myriad of conditions against him at the time. Stress, urgency, inclement weather, and spiritual intervention didn't translate kindly to his memory.
What he did remember clearly was the aftermath.
Once Mai was safely in an ambulance, Naru and Lin resolved the persistent issue in the area. It was a simple solution. One that most non-superstitious individuals wouldn't think of. With the combined consultation of Bou-san, Matsuzaki, and Lin, the owners of the hotel were instructed to transport the grave of the zashiki-warashi back onto the grounds of the property. Incense was to be burned along with offerings and a ritual from a local priest or priestess to beg for forgiveness. Offerings would have to be provided regularly in the form of candy and treats.
As a scientist, Oliver remained skeptical about the existence of the creatures from folklore. However , even he couldn't deny what had been witnessed on that mountain.
There were quite a few nights where he had tried to recount the events in full in his notebook to no avail. He wrote down snippets at a time but failed to fill in the missing pieces. Occasionally, his dreams replayed the scene in its entirety, but he would forget upon waking up.
Lapses in his short-term or long-term memories were rare—save for useless information or people. Either he forgot due to the high stakes of the situation, or there was a supernatural intervention.
Whatever the case, he had another puzzle to solve.
Winter came and went with nothing noteworthy at work. There had been several clients since the church case but most of the cases were easily solved without Mai's intervention. Most of the time, Naru had her watch the office while he and Lin investigated. They weren't even gone very long before their sourpuss faces returned to relieve her of her boredom.
With Gene no longer being a secret, both brothers ganged up on her and combined their assignments into one big heap. Not to mention that meditation with Lin was also a new demand added to her arsenal.
After her concussion was debunked as an excuse, Naru's iron fist got ever stronger now that he acknowledged her utility. Thus, she started officially training as an apprentice investigator. She normally would've complained if not for the raise he gave for her new title. Her eyes nearly popped out when she saw how much—was she really that helpful?!
When she asked Naru about it, he answered, "You have demonstrated some competency within this area. I'm merely compensating you appropriately."
Emphasis on the "some." Given his indifference, she figured that this raise wasn't anywhere near what actual investigators were paid (and she was correct). However, it did beg the question if paranormal researchers were that high in demand to be paid such salaries.
When she asked Ayako about it, she got a generic response and a shrug. And then Mai remembered that Ayako was a trust-fund kid and likely didn't care much about pay. Rather, the miko changed the subject and insisted on a shopping trip to celebrate the raise.
Typical.
She somehow managed to get Bou-san and John roped into the spree as well—Mai had the sneaking suspicion Ayako just wanted some extra set of hands.
Since the redhead was disinterested in her original question, Mai turned to Bou-san and John for answers.
"Informal ghost hunters set their rates and they can come with a hefty price if they have experience. Take me for example, my freelance rate is whatever I feel like depending on the case," Bou-san explained, his eyes unconsciously following Ayako's erratic movements around the store.
"I'm asking for industry standards, Bou-san," Mai said, sniffing a perfume she found on a display.
He scoffed. "Industry standards? What kind of high schooler are you? And I am giving you a standard answer. The rates are based on experience and expertise. Ghost hunters set their rates according to what level of service they can provide. Meanwhile, big guns like BSPR charge far more for their services."
"BSPR?" She absentmindedly placed the perfume bottle back on the shelf with a thud.
John answered this time, "The Society for Psychical Research. They're a formal organization that addresses paranormal research and field study. The main branch originates in Britain, hence 'BSPR.' They also have a branch in the US, known as the 'ASPR.'"
BSPR… Alarms went off in her head and she couldn't fathom why. Flashes of the faces from her dreams appeared in her mind's eye. She scrunched her brows in concentration to no success.
"Are you okay, Mai-san?" John's concerned tone ripped her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine. The name sounds familiar, so I was trying to figure out where I'd heard it before."
"Considering all those textbooks Naru-bou has you reading, I wouldn't be surprised if BSPR was mentioned more than a handful of times." Bou-san nodded his head at his deduction, crossing his arms.
"I guess you're right."
The three continued to chat as she looked through the store at a steady pace, trying to catch up to Ayako. She couldn't help but wonder if the redhead was the one who got promoted instead, telling by how many things were in her shopping bag.
While Mai had always been frugal out of necessity, she did like to peruse stores from time to time. Her mother used to emphasize treating herself when she could afford to. Cheaper but stylish clothing wasn't as hard to find compared to when she was younger, so she was able to stay fairly on trend during her middle and high school years. Her ensembles were simpler, but she still felt good in them.
Thus, she came out of this trip with new clothes to replace older articles that were ready for the rag bin. Just when she thought they were done, Ayako prowled over with a set of colored makeup items.
"I want to get these for you," said the other woman.
Mai argued, "It's okay! I already have plenty of makeup." It may not have seemed like it, but she wore makeup every day. Just not noticeable amounts like Ayako.
"It never hurts to have more! Besides, you're young so it's fun to experiment." When Mai continued to frown, Ayako rolled her eyes. "Think about it as a late Christmas gift."
"You already gave me a gift!"
Ayako ignored her. "Besides, adding a little more color to your complexion can help brighten up your skin. And who knows, maybe you'll catch the eye of some boys," she said, winking.
Mai recalled the last few confessions* she received at school and groaned. She did not need any more eye-catching. She glanced at the set in the other woman's hands. The colors were subtle but fresh—perfect for spring. She would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued.
Her school was lax compared to others about the makeup code, so she could probably get away with a bit more…
"Boys or not though, when you look good, you feel good. Look at Masako! She's been wearing more makeup too," Ayako added. She was right. Masako had been sporting colored lip glosses and tinted balms lately.
She sighed, looking at her friend in defeat. "Fine! If you insist."
And so, began her journey of experimentation. She tried to apply the products lightly to keep her makeup natural-looking, but her school friends noticed immediately.
"I like that color on you," Keiko said one day during lunch. "It brightens up your skin! When I try the same one, it makes me look dead."
I guess Ayako knows what she's talking about!
"Yeah! It's a nice shade," agreed Michiru before smirking. "So much that Takata-kun's been sneaking glances all day."
Mai rolled her eyes.
"No, seriously. He's looking right now."
When she turned in the direction her friends were gesturing, Takata was indeed looking.
Shit.
Pretending she didn't see anything, she quickly turned around and poked at her bento. "Maybe I shouldn't wear so much if it's that noticeable."
"Nonsense! It's not like you're caking it on. Just the right amount of enhancement," Keiko encouraged. She patted her cheek in thought. "Has your boss noticed?"
Mai scrunched her brows. Naru didn't seem to care about that kind of thing. When she first started wearing more, he didn't react in any notable way. Sure, he'd been much more tolerable lately but not enough to dish out random compliments. "I don't know. He doesn't seem like the type to notice."
Michiru leaned her chin into her hand. "Hmm, I think he might… if it's you," she mumbled the last part. Michiru still remembered the night Naru came to save Mai, particularly the way he held her to his chest. If she didn't know better, she'd suspect something was going on.
Keiko had the same thoughts. The idea was solidified after witnessing his behavior when Mai had been hospitalized. She remembered coming to visit on her own and finding him reading at her bedside… multiple times. It was like seeing a scene from some drama.
"Pay closer attention next time and let us know," the pig-tailed girl suggested.
Later that day when Mai got to the office, she mulled over what her friends had said. She brushed them off at the time but the curiosity piqued her interest. Would Naru notice? Even if he did, what was the likelihood he would comment?
I don't know how I'd react if Naru said anything about it.
She sighed and hung her coat up. Realizing she was being ridiculous, she shook her head and got to work. She started by sorting through the mail and checking the answering machine. She then brewed some Earl Grey tea she'd been craving before bringing the tray to Naru's office.
Upon entering his office, she noticed his glasses were off. He must have slept well enough last night for the eye strain to not be as bad today. She also noticed the pen she had given him sitting on top of his documents. Her chest warmed every time she saw him using it.
Naru examined the teacup she placed on his desk. "Earl Grey," he stated, almost posing it as a question.
"Just felt like making some today. Did you want something else?" That would be odd since Naru's favorite was Earl Grey.
He stared at the cup intently for a moment longer with a scowl before taking a sip. "It's fine."
Mai raised a brow and crossed her arms, not buying it.
Gene thought the same because he awoke from whatever slumber he had been in to interject. What a liar.
"It seems I've displeased his Highness," she joked.
Naru glared at her and continued drinking his tea. "Don't you have work to do?"
"My job is to attend to the needs and comforts of your Grace," she grinned. "Shall I brew you a pot of green tea instead? Or maybe Oolong?"
His glare intensified at her teasing but eventually faded in favor of closing his eyes and sighing. "Green."
She blinked in surprise. "What? You actually want green tea?"
"That is what I said."
Huffing, she retreated to the kitchen to prepare His Majesty's green tea. She just needed to remind herself that she was getting paid more for basically doing the same things as always.
While she prepared the boiling water, she heard Naru leave his office.
"Did you file through the mail?"
"Yeah, it's in the mail bin."
The sound of the water boiling and Naru's flipping through the mail left the office in a comfortable silence. Soon the sound of the door opening with the customary bell chime broke the silence.
Mai came around the corner to greet the customer only to freeze in place.
"Welco- Takata-kun?!"
Standing at the door was her classmate from school, the one she had caught staring at her earlier. For a normally outgoing guy, he seemed quite nervous now. He held a small bundle of flowers in his hand.
Don't tell me he's here for me?!
He definitely is! Gene rubbed salt in the wound.
"Can we help you?" Naru's sharp voice cut through when her own was frozen in her throat.
Noticing the other person in the room, Takata bowed in greeting. "Sorry to impose, sir. I'll be quick. I wanted to speak with Taniyama-san." When he straightened, his face was one of determination.
He turned to her, pink tinging his cheeks. "I'm sorry for bothering you at work. You left school before I could get a chance to talk to you," he started. "I wanted to tell you that you looked really nice today. Um, well, you always look lovely."
Ignoring the piercing stare from the side, he quickly handed her the flowers with a nervous smile. "Please accept these!"
Mai awkwardly smiled and took the flowers. "Uh, wow, thank you. These are beautiful."
He beamed, his grin stretching from cheek to cheek. "I hope you like them. I thought I would be the first to approach you. Have a great night and I'll see you tomorrow!" With that, he hurried out the door.
The first? She blinked, in shock at what had just happened.
The sound of the kettle shrieking broke her out of her stupor. Struggling where to put her flowers, her eyes found Naru whom she promptly gave the flowers to while she headed to the kitchen.
Unbeknownst to her, her unamused boss stared at the flowers in disdain. What does she expect me to do with these?
She set the tea to steep and pondered how she would rectify the awkward atmosphere. It was one thing if Naru returned to his office, but he stood around to witness the whole scene. Not only was it embarrassing, but she didn't want him to get the wrong idea.
Don't worry, Mai. I think he knows you're not thirsty for a relationship. Heck, you hang out with a ghost regularly. Your hobby is the paranormal, you hang out with spiritualists in your free time, you help random ghosts on the street, and you're probably just as obsessed with them as he is. She could imagine Gene shrugging with a smug look on his face. He's probably the one person who'd understand you best!
You make me sound like a weirdo.
The whole lot of you are. Myself included! But I actually had a social life.
I have a social life!
Yeah, with other paranormal enthusiasts.
John's normal!
But also an exorcist.
I hate you.
Sulking, she got out the set of Japanese tea cups and a glass for her flowers. As brutally truthful as Gene was, he did help her feel better.
To pretend like nothing had transpired, she changed the topic. "Have you watched the news recently, Naru?" she asked. When she got radio silence for an answer, she continued. "A local high school's been the victim of some crazy hauntings! I didn't get to read it thoroughly but thought you'd be interested."
No answer.
Mai popped her head around the corner to see if he was still there. Surprisingly he was still standing where she left him. He was leaning against her desk turning the flowers around in his hand like he was studying them. A giggle couldn't help but escape her lips. Why did he look so repulsed by some flowers?
Maybe her resident hermit needed to take a field trip outside.
"Never seen flowers before?" She joked, walking up and taking them back. Both their eyes snapped to her hands when her fingers brushed against his. "Thanks for holding them," she said, quickly transplanting the flowers into the tall glass she took from the kitchen.
She gave them a sniff before placing the glass on her desk. The flowers were beautiful—a shade of blue she always liked. Her eyes trailed away before making eye contact with Naru.
Yup, that shade.
Before she realized she'd been staring, Naru spoke up. "I hope that won't be a regular occurrence from now on."
"Huh?"
He averted his gaze to the window. "I can't have my business bombarded by your suitors."
She shook her head vigorously. "Trust me, I don't want them to come. At school is one thing," she sighed, placing a hand on her head. "I don't know why they're suddenly showing up at work now too."
Naru glanced at her again before heading back to his office. "Perhaps it's the cosmetics you've been wearing," he stated in passing before disappearing.
Mai spun around and watched him go, her mouth agape. So, he did notice!
Ohoho, her head gremlin cackled.
"Shut up, Gene." Slamming her mental wall in Gene's face, she headed to the kitchen to get the green tea to distract herself.
When she entered Naru's office next, she avoided eye contact with him at all costs. Luckily, it was easy since he was busy looking through the mail from earlier. She placed the tea on his desk without a word and was about to leave when she caught sight of an envelope she didn't remember sorting through.
The sender's attention read "BSPR."
Her eyes widened in recognition. Before she had time to process it, the jingle of the front door opening signaled the arrival of a client. Whether intentionally or not, Naru covered it with a document before following her out.
"Welcome! How may we help you?" she greeted the newcomer, a high school student—one not from her school thankfully. He was rather tall with glasses and a polite smile.
"Hello, my name is Yasuhara Osamu. I'm the student council president at Ryokuryou High School. I came on behalf of my principal to seek help with the paranormal activity at our school."
Naru nodded at him in greeting. "Hello, I'm Shibuya Kazuya. I run this establishment. I believe I have spoken with your principal already. Your school has been covered extensively in the media recently."
Yasuhara scratched his head. "Yes, that's right. I understand that you have already declined our request. That's why I'm here—to ask you to reconsider. I'm sure you've heard of the incidents. They're now worse than before. A hellhound has been attacking and biting students in the middle of class."
That sounds familiar!
Naru glanced at her, but she didn't notice.
"Is that also the school with the Ouija boards and the classroom that smells like natto and rotten fish?" she asked the student.
Yasuhara looked at her confused. "Yes… but that hasn't been covered in the news extensively. Do you happen to know a student from Ryokuryou?"
"I might. I have an online friend who attends a school with similar incidents."
He blinked at her for a moment before pushing his glasses up in curiosity. He looked to be debating something before finally saying, "Kame-"
She knew instantly. "-hame…"
"-ha!" they both said in unison. It was their code should they ever meet in person.
"Mackerel-kun! What a small world," she smiled brightly. She looked him over and patted him on the shoulder. "You look super smart! What the heck!"
"I don't just look it, Tofu-chan," he smirked. "And to think I was talking to a cute girl this whole time! For some reason, I imagined you as more of the 'alternative' type."
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Taniyama Mai at your service!"
"Nice to officially meet you, Mai-chan. Call me Yasu," he said with a smile.
Clearing his throat, Naru crossed his arms. "Care to get back on topic?"
"Is it me or are the adults running the school a bunch of pricks?" she murmured only loud enough for Bou-san and Yasu to hear. The principal's rudeness and lack of formality left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Nah, not just you," Bou-san said, watching as one of the teachers, Matsuyama Hideharu, led them around like they were a group of delinquents needing supervision.
Matsuyama glanced back at Naru. "How old are you?"
Naru adopted his typical couldn't-be-bothered face and exhaled through his nose before humoring him, "Seventeen."
"Shouldn't you be in school? Children should be studying, not running around playing games with all this ghost nonsense."
Mai glared at the back of his head, unconsciously marching up beside Naru. What a piece of shit! How dare he talk to him like that! He needs someone to rip him a new one.
A tug at her sleeve had her whipping her head toward the source. Without saying anything or looking at her, Naru had reached out for her sleeve.
Did he think she was going to say something?
"Here's the room you'll be using," Matsuyama ushered them in. He made himself at home in one of the chairs, crossing his legs and arms. "Well, get to it. I don't have all day."
Her eye twitched, ready to kick him across the Pacific Ocean. Naru took that moment to let go of her sleeve. "That won't be necessary. Unless you have reported incidents of your own, you won't be needed here and should proceed with your day as normal."
Matsuyama's eye narrowed, obviously taking offense at being told what to do by a teenager. "I don't see why a bunch of amateurs are here to do a man's job."
"I implore you to ask the principal then."
Bou-san chuckled, turning his face to the side to hide his disrespect. "He's not wrong. Go ask your boss."
Mai nodded defiantly in agreeance.
Matsuyama got up and marched to the door. "I've had enough of your insolence. I'm not just going to sit around and let a bunch of kids tear down the school," he said before slamming the door behind him.
"He says as he abandons his post," Mai said, glaring daggers at the door. She looked toward Yasu in disbelief. "And he's supposed to be a teacher? More like a correctional officer at some boot camp!"
Bou-san nodded. "Yeah, I'm impressed at how well you kept your cool, Naru-bou."
"It's no use lecturing a pig," Naru said, already tending to the equipment.
Yasu grinned. "It's like you already know him."
Naru then had Mai do a recount of any rooms she walked by that stood out to her, including any voices or apparitions. Quite frankly, the school was a medley of all things bad and ugly. It felt very crowded but not with spirits. More like things. "Things" wasn't what her employer wanted to hear, but she would have a stronger inclination after fully projecting later. Whatever the case was, they felt closer to demons than spirits.
With Yasu's help, they gathered the affected students to document their experiences. At first, the stories were status quo and none of them stood out to her. They sounded like run-of-the-mill ghost stories from any high school aside from the hell hounds—the haunted bed in the nurse's office, the unopened locker, and the piano that played by itself.
Then, came the elusive tale of the student who had committed suicide last fall by the given name, Sakauchi. Students claimed to have seen him roaming the halls during after-school hours, sometimes even during the day. A notable detail about him was that he had left behind a note before he succeeded.
"I'm not a dog."
Under discussion between her, Bou-san, and Yasu, they figured it was the strict conditions that the students were under. None of them could express themselves without ridicule. Many were punished for it even. Sakauchi was one such student. According to Yasu, he had written on his career survey, "ghost hunter" as his primary choice. Of course, his choice was met with derision.
"I can't imagine feeling comfortable at a school like this. All the pressure for expressing yourself," Bou-san said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Not even a single kid with bleached hair, either. Crazy I tell ya'."
Mai chuckled, joining him at the window. "That's not really 'in' anymore, y'know."
"You're making me sound like an old fart."
"You're not?" Bou-san glared at her while she laughed.
"I bet for the small amount of makeup I have on, they probably think I belong on some street corner," Mai jested, leaning against the window.
Yasu feigned offense, backing himself into the table. "How vulgar, Mai-chan. My sheltered ears can't take anymore."
It's like having an in-person Gene around, she thought as she watched his theatrics.
Bou-san looked between the two and tilted his head. "Aren't you two awfully comfortable with each other for people who just met?"
Mai and Yasu shared a look before smirking. "Bou-san meet Mackerel-kun."
Bou-san was silent for a moment before he remembered where he'd heard that nickname before. Snapping his head toward Yasu, he said a few octaves too high, "Oh, so you're the fish dude Mai's been cheating on Naru with."
She would've dropkicked him if she could.
Her stomach dropped as heat crept up her face. She could feel it now, the embarrassment taking a toll on her life energy. She prayed that Naru hadn't heard. His back was to them so she had no way of knowing.
When Bou-san smiled smugly, she pinched his arm and glared.
Yasu blinked at the interaction before the pieces aligned. "Ah, I see. Your boss is also your boyfriend. And here I thought I had a shot." He nodded his head as if everything made sense.
Usa-sama, please kill me now. Her cheeks burned hotter as she redirected her glare.
That'll be 500 yen, please! Tips not included, Gene interjected.
"It's not like that! Bou-san, stop feeding him delusions!" Where was John when you needed him?
"Good one, Shounen. I think we'll get along just fine," Bou-san said, patting him on the back as they both grinned at her misery.
"If you're all done wasting time, I'd like to get back to work," Naru's sharp voice cut through the light atmosphere like a hot knife. Yasu and Bou-san instantly straightened while Mai let out an exhale. "Yasuhara, would you be able to show us to the classrooms with the most activity?"
"Ah, yes, of course," the said teenager agreed, already re-adopting his professional façade.
Coincidentally, a scream let out just as they entered the hall. A cacophony of screams, shuffling desks, and scrambling feet sent the group into a sprint. Once on the scene, they saw a female student scrambling backward out of the classroom on all fours, blood seeping out a bite wound on her leg.
Inside the classroom was a non-corporeal apparition resembling that of a large dog breed. It bore its blood-stained fangs with a questionable acidic saliva dripping from its mouth. As it made to lunge again, Bou-san stepped forward with his enchantment and Buddha beads. The amount of force from his voice blew the hound away in midair.
The teacher was rattled as he shook like a quivering puppy on his desk. Seeing as the rest of the class was in chaos, Yasu quickly jumped in to redirect the students.
Mai crouched down to the girl to inspect her wounds. The punctures were deep, surprisingly so for a spirit attack.
"How frequently do the hellhounds appear?" Naru asked Yasu after the students were cleared out.
"There's no pattern from what I noticed," he started, thinking deeply. "It started at once every two weeks. Now, a couple of times a week. Twice in a day, even."
After delivering the injured student to the nurse's office, Yasu led the group to another classroom. "I wanted to share my own experience. This is the classroom with the putrid smell. We were sitting in class one day when the smell came out of nowhere, and it's been that way since."
When they entered the room, the smell practically smacked her in the face. If she wanted to be vulgar, Mai compared the smell to a woman's bathroom trash bin in the summer that'd been left for weeks. Oh, a tank of rotting frogs.
"Damn, that's rancid," said Bou-san as he nearly took a nose-dive out the open window. Mai shared his sentiment, not commenting as she afforded herself a few clean breaths before heading back into the warzone.
Even Yasu who was used to the smell, covered his nose. "Told you it's pretty rank."
Naru, ever the resilient statue, continued with business as usual while ignoring his dramatic crew. He scanned the room until his eyes landed on a group of girls staring at him. They blushed when he looked their way, or rather at the sheets of paper in their hands.
"Would those be the Ouija boards Mai mentioned when you first came to the office?" he addressed Yasu.
Nodding, the other teen affirmed, "I didn't realize they were Ouija boards until Mai-chan pointed it out. We call it 'Orikiri-sama.'"
The girls whispered amongst themselves as they overheard. Yasu politely asked them to show the "board" used.
"Do you often play in this classroom?" asked Naru.
The girls looked at each other before nodding. "Nearly every day. It's not like the other games, though. It's supposed to summon gods and stuff. They, like, tell you your love fortune."
"Ouija boarding is not good, no matter what you're summoning. It's all the same. You're opening a gateway for dangerous entities," Bou-san educated. His brows furrowed as he continued to look at the boards. When the girls argued, his irritation increased two-fold. "Don't ever do this again. It may seem like a silly game, but you could open a door you wish you hadn't."
The girls shared looks, unsure of what to make of the information. To break up the awkward atmosphere, Yasu charmed the girls into giving them their board for research using his status as senpai.
Uninterested in anything else, Naru led them back to the base without another word.
"Do you guys think Orikiri-sama is the reason for all these hauntings?" Yasu asked as he laid the paper board on the table.
Mai peered over to get a closer look. She scrunched her brows in confusion at all the extra nonsense on it. A typical game of Kokkuri-san usually had a Torii gate drawn on top. In contrast, this one featured a human figure encircled by the character for "demon" around it, which already rang alarms in her head. She had nothing to back to the idea other than finding it odd. She was no expert in Ouija boards, so maybe each of them had a different marking.
"That's a possibility. However, I don't think something as menial as that could be the cause of the multiple purported incidents," said Naru. "Just because a few amateurs successfully held a seance doesn't mean the spirits summoned are strong enough to cause mass disturbance."
"Sounds to me like you don't buy into the ancient art of Ouija boarding," said Bou-san, crossing his arms in amusement.
Naru shook his head, trailing his fingers along the table. "There are too many unaccounted variables to declare that it's solely due to spirits. There may be some true cases, but most cases of a planchette moving are likely human intervention."
Mai didn't comment, never having held any interest in playing one. Keiko had been adamant about trying one at school last year, but Mai hadn't been interested—if her reluctance about connecting with the other side in the past said anything.
Now, she didn't even need a Ouija board to stir up trouble.
Imagining Gene haunting her through a board, she figured he would spell out something inappropriate for shits and giggles and then finish it up with, "Lol."
You're not wrong, but why do I still feel offended?
Unintentionally, she let out a disrespectful scoff aloud.
When the other members looked at her with raised brows, she shooed them away with a hand. "The pestering voice in my head."
Yasu scrunched his brows and tilted his head. "Should I be worried?"
Bou-san laughed. "Very. Jou-chan is one of the best Ouija boards around. You're bound to attract troublesome spirits while she's around or your money back guaranteed."
The bespectacled teen blinked at the monk plainly as he computed the new info. When it finally hit, he whipped his head toward her. "You're a psychic?!"
Taken aback by his outburst, she jumped back. "Um, yeah. Something like that."
Naru scoffed this time, jotting something in his notebook.
"You're really telling me that there's no hotel?!" Ayako shook Mai by the shoulders. "And I have to sleep on a cot in a room with no heater?!"
Adopting the look of someone whose soul had drifted out of her body, Mai groaned. "Yup."
"You don't understand the hardship I had to endure, Mai," the redhead cried in defeat. "That long ride with Lin had me wanting to jump out the window. The guy's a statue! He didn't talk at all or turn on any music or the radio. It was maddening!"
You're preaching to the choir here! I ride with him and Naru.
"Hey, at least it's just you guys and Masako-chan in that room. Us guys have a room smaller than yours," Bou-san added.
Ignoring their whining, Naru addressed their resident council president, "Yasuhara, while we appreciate your help thus far, I don't want to keep you so late. Things can get dangerous at night."
He was right—the sun had already set and the other students had all left.
"Thanks for your consideration, Shibuya-san. However, I would be more than happy to help since it's the weekend, but please let me know if I'm overstepping," Yasu offered.
Naru gave it some thought before nodding. "Perhaps, we could use the extra hands," he said, turning to the other members of the crew. "I'd like for you to show Bou-san and Matsuzaki around the building to set up cameras and microphones. Matsuzaki, I want you to get a feel of the building as you go."
"Of course!" Yasu was eager to help because he didn't know Naru well, but Bou-san grumbled about doing grunt work while Ayako complained about working so soon after arrival.
As the trio got their equipment and were about to exit the room, Bou-san eyed Naru and Mai. "And what about you two?"
"We will be tending to the cameras on the other side of the building. You'd best get to work because we have a long list of areas that need to be equipped." Naru was straight to the point, leaving room for further questions.
Groaning, Bou-san left with his group, grumbling something incoherent.
That left Mai, Naru, and Lin. While Lin directed where the microphones and cameras would go for both groups, Naru had Mai follow him.
"I want you to find the classrooms that stood out to you most, and we will set equipment there."
"Should we do floor by floor?"
He sent her a fake smile. "You're catching on," he said, handing her a clipboard.
While Bou-san's group handled the rooms they had already identified, this wing was left largely unexplored. The students had mentioned the language lab, gym, music room, and the nurse's office, so they would be checking those areas in their travels.
The pair worked efficiently together, Naru allowing Mai time to assess her surroundings while he helped guide her senses much like how Gene did. The difference was rather than riddles, the stoic twin used his preferred quiz-style format.
With the other rooms covered, they finally approached the nurse's office. She instantly felt a shiver run up her spine. This room felt very off. A few others had as well but this one had her experiencing flashbacks to the hotel-demon incident from this past summer.
"What's wrong?" asked Naru as he slid the door open, looking back at her.
She gulped, following him. "There's something very malicious here, but it doesn't feel… active. Like it's sleeping?" When she took a step inside, a chuckle from the hallway alarmed her. She quickly grabbed Naru's sleeve to keep him from entering further.
Without a word, she peeked out into the dark hallway, checking both sides.
Nothing.
Then, she felt a whisper on the back of her neck, "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. It's almost ready."
Hitching her breath, she reminded herself not to show fear. "Who are you?" she asked, goosebumps trailing along her skin.
"The boy who wanted to be a ghost hunter."
Feeling her eyelids suddenly begin drooping, she slowly sat herself down on the floor and leaned against the door, knowing what was coming. "Naru, I'll be back in a little. Sorry."
And then the world faded to black. The next time she opened her eyes, she woke up on the roof of the school—or rather, the spiritual manifestation of the school. Unlike on her plane, numerous orbs floated up from the ground. They danced around like snowflakes during a storm.
"This isn't a place for girls to be playing around," said a dark-haired boy leaning on the railing in front of her. "It's gonna get pretty ugly soon."
She joined him at the railing and peered over. "What do you mean?"
"If things work out as planned, anyways," he chuckled, watching endearingly at the orbs. "You're lucky, y'know? You get to be surrounded by spirits constantly, but you try to block them out."
She wasn't sure how to reply to him. Instead, she changed the subject, "You shouldn't hang around so long either, Sakauchi-san." She turned to the boy, noting the hollowness under his eyes. "If things turn out ugly, you're going to get caught in it too."
He frowned. "I have unfinished business. I'll move on once I see that through."
"What is it? Maybe I can help."
"Neither you nor your spirit guide would understand. If you know what's good for you, leave this place alone. It'll take care of itself. I have things under control."
What did he mean by that? Under control?
Before she knew what was coming, the scene sped away from her as she was pulled away. The next she knew, she was rolling herself out of the cot she laid on from the impact of her spirit landing in her body. She rubbed at her aching limbs as she looked around, realizing she was in the base.
"How are you feeling?" asked Lin from the computer.
"Just dandy," she said, standing up. "Where is everyone?"
As if on cue, everyone flooded through the doors, including Masako and John.
Naru went straight to business, having Lin recount the EVPs and sightings from last night while everyone settled down.
"Did you see anything, Hara-san?" asked John once everyone was seated.
"I didn't see any spirits," she started. After Ayako and Bou-san looked like they were about to comment, she added, "But that doesn't mean I didn't sense them. They're littered throughout the building."
"Well, that's going to be a pain to get rid of," said Bou-san. It was info they already had an inkling about, but that didn't make it any easier to hear the scale of their enemy.
The medium looked upward in thought, a sleeve covering her mouth.
"There is a very strong presence—a teenager of about my age. He's had some kind of traumatic experience here."
"Could it be-" Mai started to say when Yasu pulled out a newspaper article from his journal.
He slid the excerpt onto the table. "Did he look like this?"
Masako nodded. "His name was Sakauchi-san."
"Mai," Naru called out to her. "Is that who you were speaking to last night?"
She nodded in affirmation. "I had a freaky conversation with him in my dreams right after. He didn't say anything important, but I feel like he's got a hand in some of this."
"Yasuhara, did you do any more research on him?"
Yasu nodded, sharing with the group that Sakauchi was a first-year student. He wasn't the most outgoing student but had made himself a good friend group in the art club. According to his classmates from the second semester, he had been called out in class for having books about the paranormal.
"Hmm," was all Naru said in reply. "In any case, I would like Hara-san to complete a walkthrough while the rest of you prepare for exorcisms. Yasuhara, please investigate Orikiri-sama and find its origins."
"Sure, Big Boss." Before anyone could comment about his nickname, Yasu left the room, ever so diligent.
When Naru turned to Mai, he stared blankly as if trying to decide what to do with her.
"Mai… just watch the base."
And so, despite her huffing and puffing, that was how she ended up on watch duty.
"Gene, this is so lame," she said aloud, dropping her cheek into her hand. "What happened to training as an investigator?"
Her spirit guide chuckled, To think, you used to shy away from all the action.
She opened her mouth to reply but couldn't say anything. He was right. She hadn't realized how normal this all was to her now. Back when she first met everyone, she wasn't nearly as open to the paranormal. A lot had changed in that span of almost a year. Her abilities changed dramatically too—they had gone from walking blindly with her hands out in the dark to now knowing where to look.
Naru's just trying to keep you out of trouble after that debacle yesterday.
"I wouldn't call that a debacle but okay," she said, rolling her eyes.
Suddenly, the sound of students' footsteps and chatter in the hallway caught her attention. It was the weekend, so only select clubs were meeting.
Bored and nosy, she crept over to the door and peeked out. From the sounds of their chatter and bags of supplies, they must have belonged to the art club. Their club room was at the end of the hall.
…It wouldn't hurt to ask them some quick questions!
After they filtered into the room, Mai approached them, knocking on the door to alert her presence. "Uh, hello. I'm here with the paranormal group investigating the school. I was wondering if I could ask a few questions?"
The students looked at each other before one of the male students stepped forward. "Sure, come on in."
"Thanks! The name's Taniyama Mai."
"Nice to meet you. You can call me, Sakaguchi. I'm a third year," he said, sitting down. "What did you wanna know?"
Mai sat down across from him as the other members moved to their usual seats. Rather than begin with their usual activities, they all sat and stared her down. She would be lying if she said she wasn't unnerved.
"Well, I was just curious about a student who had passed away recently. Some of the other students mentioned seeing him in the halls sometimes."
"What made you come here to ask about him?"
She mulled over her words before vocalizing aloud. "I heard Sakauchi-san spent a lot of time with the art club, so maybe you would be able to tell me about him."
Sakaguchi studied her before smiling. "I don't know much about ghosts, but I remember he was a cool guy. We all looked up to him with how passionate he got with his hobbies."
"I heard he wanted to be a ghost hunter."
Suddenly, the air turned tense.
"He did. We all thought it was interesting," he said. The other students nodded in agreement. "He taught us a lot about what he knew and we were eager to hear what he had to say. You know, just out of curiosity of the unknown. At a school like this, we don't get to explore things like that often."
Another student spoke up, "Yeah, because of that rotten Matsuyama-sensei."
The other students didn't contribute but their faces said it all. Matsuyama was not popular among the students.
"Sakauchi-kun was the only one who dared to talk back. Honestly, he was inspiring to us for having the courage to do that," Sakaguchi said. "Because of it though, Matsuyama-sensei would purposely target him for all matters of nonsense."
Mai was disturbed, to say the least. Hazing from other students was one thing but from a teacher?
As she walked back to the base, she heard talking from inside and remembered that she was supposed to be on watch duty and not snooping around.
Naru's going to kill me!
She cautiously slid the door open with an excuse on the tip of her tongue but ended with her voice caught in her throat.
"Why are you here?" Naru questioned an oddly familiar figure, the woman's back facing the door.
In a bubbly tone, the mystery woman replied, "A black birdy hinted that some interesting developments had been made while you were here. I happened to have some business in Japan, so I thought I'd check on my beloved student."
Naru shot Lin a glare, who promptly spun himself around to conveniently check the cameras.
Meanwhile, none of them noticed Mai's entrance.
The pink-brown hair… just like the woman she'd seen in her dreams. Who was she? Mai wracked through her head for a name, anything.
"Ma..do…ka?" she tested the name in her mouth, not realizing it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Yes?" The woman said, spinning around to address whoever called her. Unsure what to say, Mai fumbled for words, embarrassed.
"Mai, how do you know Madoka?" Naru asked, suspicious.
Madoka's eyes flickered between the two with raised eyebrows.
"Ohoho~ what do we have here?"
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the update! Some parts were slower, but I like to write these mundane moments so that it's not always action. This way, we get more time with the characters outside of work!
Btw, Lin's a total snitch, and he gives no shits LMAO. That's his revenge for the photo Naru sent to Madoka of him during the Christmas case.
Thank you as always for your comments! It makes the community feel alive, and reading your reactions makes it so much more fun to write :') So, please lemme know what you guys think!